"At your presentation, I was watching you and I saw your face as you knelt before the king. You don't like him?" Neal asked/inquired quietly.
The pair were sitting beside Flick's bed, talking in low whispers. They had returned briefly to the party, chiefly to console their friends as to their disappearances and then they had left as quickly as possible, separately, before meeting at Flick's quarters. There they had found Loisei, sprawled upon Flick's bed, fast asleep. Not willing to wake her, Neal had given her a tentative lookover, healing a few open wounds and decreasing the swelling of her numerous bruises, before placing her under a sleeping spell - she would have an uninterrupted sleep, he explained to Flick.
"It's not that, it's just..." Flick faltered. How could she tell him without giving away the truth? He was looking at her, curiousity filling his green eyes. "I was nervous, I'd never been in such grand company before." Pathetic, she berated herself, but it would have to do, for now at least.
He seemed to accept her explanation, he was nodding, a reminiscent gleam in his eyes. "Jon has that effect, I forget what it was like when I first met him, a mere three year old, oblivious to the true respect a liege should show to his king..." Flick grinned at his drammatic anecdote, biting back a laugh as an image of Sir Neal as a toddler sprang to mind. She was amazed, she had known this man for little more than a couple of hours, and already she felt so comfortable in his company, as if she had known him from birth. His next question showed he obviously felt the same.
"Are you sure you've never been at court before?" he asked. "I feel I already know you."
She laughed, "I was just thinking the same thing. But no, I've never been here. At least... not that I'm aware of." She frowned as an image of flashed through her mind. A tolling bell in the distance announced the night hour.
"Well, I believe that's my signal to take my leave," Neal said, groaning as he stood up and headed to the door. He turned back. "Now, Lady Felicea, seeing as we appear to know each other so well, I think it's only right that you call me Neal. No more of this 'sir' business," he grinned. She laughed again, the image fading as she did so. Opening the door, she showed him out, almost forgetting her manners and hurriedly sinking into a curtsy.
"We'll see." Turning back to her bed, she smiled wryly. Now where exactly am I meant to sleep?