There's a tactic that feels like reading between the lines in a poem and dissecting it, and yet it feels like it makes up a good chunk of their relationship, an 'how do you do,' and a small smile and suddenly there's a meeting for two, where they can just talk for hours and while on the outside it looks like peace meetings and politics, it is something completely different on the inside of that room.

But it almost always starts with the formalities, "The travel went well, right?" And there's that hint of nervousness to his brown as bark eyes, and Shirayuki smiles back at him.

"Yeah, the carriage that you sent even did well on the mountain roads." And Shirayuki has definitely gotten better at this over the years, over one slightly lopsided first meeting to the days that followed right after it like clockwork.

"That's good." Raji tells her, and when he looks around the room, he adds on with the warmest of smiles, "I missed you."

"It's only been two weeks, and they've been busy." But Shirayuki's smile is flowing a whole lot bigger now and coming up at the edges as if it were trying to embrace the room.

"I know, but even so, it felt like a long time." Raji told her, and there's that hint of dramatics to him, though somewhat mellowed out right now, and her heart feels companionably warm at just the sight of it.

"It did. But Father and I have been quite busy, and you know the days blend together and feel never ending." But to be here again is practically an instant smile and sudden lightheartedness. It feels good. She knows though that she can't really live here until they're married though, and that the Mountain Lions will keep her very busy until then.

And Raji will be plenty busy for a while as he grows and learns to be a better prince in preparation for his one day coronation.

"That only makes them longer!" He tells her, and even his hands go up with his emotion, and Shirayuki a little more calmly, agrees.

"It does." And her smile is pulling up at the edges again, and threatening to overflow like a fountain.

"Will you at least stay for a little bit this time?" Raji asks, and the informal formality is threatening to overtake his speech.

"A week." Shirayuki answers, "A week of peace talks."

"That's good. We'll need all the discussion we can get." It feels both new and almost young with how long they've known each other and like ages. But one day, Raji will have to tell his father about her, and a public announcement of their engagement will have to be made, but they are keeping quiet, falling into secrecy, and Raji hasn't even proposed yet anyway.

Shirayuki shows her joy perhaps more than she meant to, and by complete accident, her father already knows. They haven't told Kazuki yet, but they'll have to be cautious and reassuring or else her brother will absolutely flip out, and Shirayuki has no idea what would happen then.

"That's true. The Mountain Lions and the Tanbarun Royal Family's peace will take a lot of effort." Shirayuki nods as if they are approaching something of sagely importance.

"Yes, they definitely will." And before the room falls into a gentle and quiet hush, Raji reaches out and takes Shirayuki's hand in his, so she squeezes his hand and hopes with a ready heart for a bright future between the two of them.