Warren opened the doors to his penthouse apartment and indicated for Roselynn to precede him into the suite. The large apartment was as finely decorated as any palace suite would be in the Nine Kingdoms. Roselynn took her time taking in every bit of it from the formal sofa, love seat, and high-backed chair, all replete with entirely too many throw pillows for a man aside from King Wendell's foppish event planner; to the light-colored tables the completed the set. This did not look like the quarters of a man such as Warren Wolfson.

"It's a little pretentious for the standards of the normal American college student." The man admitted, his warm voice tinged with slight embarrassment. "While the effects of the magic bean my grandfather swallowed have waned a bit, the family who owns this building still insist on my family having this apartment. Mrs. Murray had her team of decorators do this. I guess I should be grateful they didn't try to kiss my ass while doing it. Luckily for most of the family, my grandfather is the only one who has to endure it." He chuckled, "Which is likely the reason he hasn't been back to New York for the past 25 years."

"It is lovely," Roselynn stated, taking in the first room, and trying not to make sense of the effect the magic bean had on her friend's grandfather, "But I must admit, it doesn't suit you."

"Oh, really?" Warren tilted his head towards her, "And how would you have imagined my home to look?"

"I always imagined more leather and dark wood," She admitted.

"You've imagined what my home might look like?" Warren cocked his head toward her, "And often enough to have an assumption; awful presumptuous, don't you think, Princess?"

Roselynn blushed and shrugged at his teasing, "I wouldn't say it was often…"

"I suppose you have a point though," He admitted, looking around, "I mean, I'm the one who lives here, not the Murrays, it really should reflect more me than them, don't you think?"

"I know you like to tease me about stopping to smell the flowers," Roselynn smiled up at him, "But somehow this," She gestured to the furniture, "Seems a bit much."

"Remind me to tell you someday where I got the flower bit," Warren chuckled, "You might actually enjoy it more once you know."

"I will, someday, but right now, I'd like to see a bit more of your quarters." Roselynn reminded him.

"Well for starters, we call it a condo or apartment," Warren guided her through an archway to their right which lead to a state-of-the art kitchen with gleaming steel appliances and marble countertops. Immediately next to the archway to their right were two ovens that were stacked upon one another. The marble counter top started just on the other side of it and ran to the far corner. On top of the counter sat a few items including a knife block with nearly any knife a chef worth their mettle would need, a stainless-steel standing mixer, a toaster, and a coffee pot. Against the back splash a few cutting boards of various size were leaned long-ways melding form and function.

Above the counter hung cabinets with wood-framed glass doors showing various bowls, trays, and dishes. The scrolling design on the wood framing was matched on the drawers beneath the counterspace opening the drawers as she looked, she found the usual utensils; forks, knives, spoons, as well as various ladles and cooking spoons. She even found spatulas, whisks, and commonly used baking items as she continued her exploration of the space. The counter turned and ran along the short wall, midway down there was a break in the overhead cabinets where an exhaust hood was mounted. Beneath it stood a 6-burner gas range that gleamed under the lights of the kitchen. The third wall held more counter space, but here she found several sets of small potted plants.

"What did you expect me to cook with?" Warren challenged when she gave him a questioning look, "Three-year-old dried herbs? The fresh stuff tastes much better and is better for you."

She nodded, turning to the large refrigerator that sat at the end of the counter. She then turned to the island that sat in the middle of the kitchen space, opening the cabinet doors, she found various baking vessels from cookie sheets to pie and cake tins to casserole dishes. Above the island on a hanging rack various pots and pans of differing shapes and sizes hung like pieces of a chandelier. "Anything in here you may use. The pantry," Warren gestured to a door on the other side of the fridge, "Should have most any dry items you may need. There is also a large chest freezer in there as I tend to shop for meat in bulk."

"Why am I not surprised at that?" Roselynn teased him.

"I keep a grocery list on the fridge," He pointed to the pad, "Anything you need or want, write it down and I'll see what I can do to get it. Also, if you wind up being here when, ahem, you know, write down what you need. Being around my mom and sisters, I could probably find supplies faster than you could," He blushed, "You know, if you needed them."

Roselynn chuckled a little at his awkwardness and embarrassment, "I'll let you know." She assured him before turning to the other side of the room to the left of the archway. This side held a large oak table that could easily seat ten or more. The runner that spanned the length of the table was feminine in a similar fashion to the sitting room furniture. Thankfully, Mrs. Murray hadn't insisted on flowers for the table, opting instead for round platters upon which three stocky candles of varying height rested. There was a large picture window that looked out upon the park and the city. The window was framed with gauzy white curtains that were pulled to each side adding to the feminine look and feel of the space.

"Is it that time already?" Warren asked, glancing at his pocket watch upon noticing the glow of sunset beginning, "Well, I suppose it is, the walk here must have taken longer than I'd expected. Are you hungry? I could make something or we could dine out."

"I'm fine for right now." Roselynn smiled warmly at him, "May I see some more?"

"Follow me," He instructed leading her across the living room, just before they reached the hallway on the other end of the room, he pointed to two sets of double doors, "That's our den or library, whatever you want to call it, it has several books from both here and the kingdoms, I figure those will tide you over until I can show you how to work the electronic forms of entertainment found here. And the two on the far wall lead out to the balcony."

Roselynn nodded her understanding as he hit a switch which illuminated the narrow hall, he pulled open a set of folding doors revealing two metal boxes with hinged doors on the front, one had a glass window set into the door, the other did not. On top of the box with the window sat several colorful bottles and boxes. The other box had a basket with a few towels in it resting on top of it, "This is the laundry area," Warren explained, "I'll show you how to work these machines, I know it seems a little daunting, but they are really quite simple to use."

Stepping back and closing the doors, he continued down the hall, opening a narrow door, "Linen closet, if you need a towel, new sheets, what have you, they are here." He turned toward a door on the other side, "This will be your bathroom, I have my own in the master suite, so no danger in accidentally walking in on each other in the all-together."

Roselynn blushed at the image his comment painted in her mind. Warren pretended not to notice the reaction, or the fact that he was blushing just as much, as he crossed the hall once more to open a door that lead in to a finely furnished room. There was a large four-poster bed with fluffy pillows and a warm cream duvet. At the foot of the bed sat a padded chest, "Extra blankets and pillows are in there," Warren explained as Roselynn ran her hand over the soft cushion as she walked toward he vanity which was white like the chest, upon the table sat a silver-plated comb and brush along with ribbons and other hair bobbles which could be used to tie up or secure her hair. "There's another bedroom at the start of the hall, but no one is using it right now."

Warren ducked into a door on the opposite wall from which the bed was before coming back out again a moment later shaking his head, "Well it looks like the only things left behind by my mother or sister are a couple winter coats and a pair of sneakers." He sighed, "I'll have to take you shopping so that you have more than just your dress to wear until the mirror is activated again. Not to mention it will help you blend in, which is a good thing in this city."

"I promise I'll pay you back for it." Roselynn was stunned at his generosity.

"Don't worry about it," He smiled. "Look around, get yourself acquainted to the room and I'll be right back." He was gone but a moment and returned to find her sitting on the chest, lost in thought. "It isn't much, but it's better than sleeping in that outfit." He explained, setting the clothing on the dressing table.

"Thank you, for everything." Roselynn smiled gratefully up at him.

"It was nothing," Warren blushed humbly before clearing his throat and gesturing to the stack of clothes on the table, "There's a robe, shirt, socks, and a pair of shorts there. The shorts have a drawstring so you should be able to cinch the waist tight enough for you."

"Okay," She nodded, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the cushion beside her, suddenly feeling shy. "Do you mind if I bathe?"

"No, bring the clothes with you, I'll show you how to work the shower, it can be a little tricky." As Roselynn gathered the clothes, brush, and a ribbon to tie up her hair and followed him into the washroom across the hall. As soon as he felt her presence beside him, he showed her how to turn on the taps and adjusted them to proper temperature before activating the showerhead. "There you go, take all the time you need, there's soap and hair stuff in there, towels on the rack. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner."

"Okay, but could you do me a favor before you go?" Roselynn asked, blushing but knowing it was necessary. "The stays are in the back. Do you mind? I can't reach them."

"Right, I didn't think of that, I'll do my best not to see too much." Warren smiled scratching his temple as his people were want to do. "Honest."

Roselynn set down the clothing and items she had in her arms on the counter and pulling her hair to one side, turned her back to the young man. Warren quickly untied and loosened the cord that held the brocaded vest closed before quietly exiting, shutting the door behind him.

Disrobing the rest of the way, Roselynn placed her clothes in the nearby hamper and stepped into the warm stream of water. After the journey she'd just taken, she let the water flow over her, soothing her muscles before picking up the plain bar of soap and washing herself. She was glad to see that someone, probably Warren's mother or sisters, had left lavender scented shampoo and conditioner in the rack. She quickly washed and conditioned her hair before turning off the water and drying off with one of the fluffy towels that hung on what she discovered to be an electronic rack which left the towels blissfully warm. Once she was sufficiently dry, she brushed and tied her soft curls back and set about getting dressed. The shirt was quite large on her, nearly reaching her knees, luckily the shorts weren't too big on her, and she was able to quickly cinch the drawstring until the shorts fit well enough. She had attempted the socks, but they were quite large, leaving her feel like a clumsy jester, so she chose to go barefoot the rest of the night. Pulling on the robe, she took another look in the mirror, she was shocked by what she saw. Gone was the formal façade of a princess that she was used to seeing, this new woman looked so relaxed, and dare she say it, happy. Feeling more comfortable in her skin than she had since before she could remember, she opened the door and stepped into the hall way, heading toward the kitchen.

Warren had heard the shower turn off while was setting the table with bowls of warm tomato soup. He had just returned with a plate of freshly grilled ham and cheese sandwiches when he saw her enter the dining room. The robe she wore hung open displaying his grey NYU t-shirt, barely visible under the hem he could see the dark blue shorts she wore beneath. He didn't know if it was how relaxed she looked in the clothes or the fact that they were his clothes that she was wearing, but the sight of her stopped him dead in his tracks. There was something so intimate about seeing her like that in his apartment that made him go all hard and soft at the same time.

Despite having been friends for nearly a decade, he was suddenly overwhelmed with a revelation, one he'd been successful at ignoring or diminishing in his mind before that night. The power of it was so strong that he nearly dropped the plates that he held in his hand. The sight of the woman, and there was no denying that she was that, despite her soft curves being hidden beneath the loose fabric that covered her, brought into sharp relief what he'd known for years but had been loath to admit. This woman, with all the complications that just their friendship could cause to the tenuous peace between their kingdoms, could very well be his life-mate. Shaking the thought from his head, he tried to carry on as if everything was normal, as if the sight of her dressed the way she was didn't inspire a thousand thoughts to go speeding through his head, each demanding his attention to another part of her tasty...

Get a hold of yourself, Warren! He silently scolded himself before quickly setting down the plates he was holding and ducking back into the kitchen for milk as she settled herself at the table. Thankfully, she sat in the chair that faced away from the kitchen, giving him time to adjust his tail which was twitching and straining to escape the confines of his trousers. It was a sharp reminder of who and what he was, and how close to the full moon it was. Trying to blame the sudden shift in his awareness on his cycle would only work for the next few days, he knew at some point he would have to confront this. Today doesn't have to be that day, He reminded himself, grabbing the glasses and returning to the table, a shy smile in his face. Thankfully Roselynn hadn't noticed or chose not to point out how awkward he was being, instead she quietly thanked him for her drink.

It most definitely doesn't have to be today, but it should be soon, his logical side argued, How would it work? After all, he allowed his thoughts to continue, she is a daughter of the House of Red and I am what I am, a Wolf. Hoods and Wolfies can't be together, no matter how much I wish it weren't true.

"This smells absolutely delicious." Roselynn smiled at him, trying to get him out of his head space, "Thank you."

"It's really nothing much, but it'll do the trick. Let's dig in." With that, they ate in companionable silence before retiring to their own bedrooms to sleep off the day they'd just had.

Later that night, Roselynn settled in under the soft covers of her bed and turned out the light. Despite the dark, as she closed her eyes she remembered the flash of gold in her friend's intense eyes when she had first entered the dining room after her shower. She had completely forgotten whose son he was until that moment, and the glimpse of his true nature had made her heart skip a beat; it both intrigued and frightened her, sending shivers down her spine and warmth to her cheeks. She had known him for as long as she could remember but tonight was the first time she realized that he could become something more if she let him, not that her mother would ever accept it. The idea of a Wolf being the son-in-law of Queen Riding hood would be rather ironic, She quietly admitted to herself, Oh, who am I kidding, it would never be allowed to happen. Mother would see to that. She shook the thoughts from her head and snuggled down deeper into the soft pillows and the downy duvet as she settled off to sleep, secretly hoping that at least in her dreams they could be together even though she knew full well that it would never be their reality. With a sigh she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift into what she desperately hoped would be a peaceful slumber for the night.