Holding hands with Ryuu is so unlike the normal nobility that tries to woo the only princess of Tanbarun. Maybe Rona's foolish or overly determined, but she likes the idea of somehow living a life of her own choosing, not dictated by the fact that she is of royal blood. She loves Ryuu regardless.
He stutters when she gives him gifts and his face turns the cutest red, though Rona figures she might be a little biased in that regard. And when he gives her gifts, little flowers that look beautiful in his gentle hands mostly, his face turns that same beautiful shade of red, and he barely manages to stutter out something explaining that it's for her.
And then his eyes light up, when she asks him about whatever flower it is, as she holds it in her hands. Ryuu could talk for hours about the plant, the toxins it produces, the way to grow it, how to take care of it, and sometimes he explains that he looked up the meaning, so he'd give her something suitable.
Ryuu's smart that way, and it never fails to make her smile. Her gifts are always on a whim ones. Oh, this reminds me of Ryuu! This stone has his perfect shade of blue eyes, or this necklace looks like a little flower he gave me once! She thinks she's a terrible gift giver in comparison.
But right now, his hands are wrapped around hers, not around a plant. And he's telling her about the royal gardens as they walk outside.
"You harvest that one at sundown." He says as he points with his other hand, the one not in hers, and he tries to explain herbology to her, probably for the thousandth time, but still it's a conversation that Rona delights in. She knows nothing about plants, can't seem to remember all of the details he tells her, but she loves to watch his face light up and she loves to hear these conversations.
"Okay!" Rona answers, "Is it better then? Does it look different?"
"It looks the same." Ryuu's cheeks pink as if he's almost embarrassed to be telling her this, "But the medicinal properties are much stronger. And that one over there with the purple-ish petals, you harvest under a full moon."
"Ooh." Rona answers, and just to see his face darken in red, she continues, "How romantic!"
"It's not." He tells her, but his red face answers otherwise, "I should take you to harvest it sometime."
"I'd love that." Rona answers genuinely; she'd love to see Ryuu do his job, to offer what little help she can manage.
Honestly, it sounds way more fun than following a nobleman's often boring interests. She does wonder if the palace knows why she sneaks to the neighboring country so often, but regardless, she isn't going to tell them anyway, not unless she needs to.
"You really would?" Ryuu stops in his tracks and when he looks into her eyes, he's so surprised by it all; his eyes are wide and blue, and Rona can't help how wide her smile gets.
"Yeah!" Rona answers, perhaps too loud or maybe too excitedly, "I'd love to do so with you." She means it. When Ryuu's excited, he's often quieter about it than she is, and yet it's truly a sight to see. Ryuu's blue eyes sometimes go wide with the emotion, a smile begins to grow on his face like the flowers that he loves so much, and he just seems somehow a little more upbeat. And you can usually hear the smile so beautifully hidden in his voice. Rona loves to watch Ryuu light up, how excited he gets.
She wishes she could spend every moment of excitement with him, because she wants to embrace it by his side too.
Ryuu's only answer is a lingering, growing blush, but Rona squeezes his fingers in hers and savors the joy that her boyfriend emits so very easily.
