Heir Apparent - a Summoner FanFic

So...Love

Disclaimer: there is some bad language in this chapter that I do not condone. Only a 'baddie' character would ever use it in any of my writing.
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Having been brought up for nine years in the palace under the strict eye of Alfric and his various lackeys, Dorien had no experience of dating and relationships. His only experience with the fairer sex had been the young ladies of court with too much ambition and not enough brains.

Therefore, he could surely be forgiven for his suspicion, confusion and then naivety when it came to Nadia. Sure, girls had shown interest before, he was a good looking young man with an old name and powerful friends. However, every one of them so far had been easily placed in the flirt category.

Even Isadora Forsyth had shown an interest at one point, something Alfric had encouraged, but she'd been a snide through and through. She had received quite the shock when he wasn't the broken willed puppet she expected him to be. It had been the one time Dorien had shown true and open defiance against Alfric's wishes. He'd paid for it.

Nadia was completely different to the others. Where most girls flirted outrageously with him, batting eyelids, flicking hair, touching his arm and offering compliments. Nadia told him what she thought or didn't speak. Other girls would pout if he didn't respond in kind, deeming him rude. This was not the case with Nadia either.

"I like your hair today."

"My hair is the same as yesterday Dorien. Or are you suggesting my hair doesn't always look nice?"

"No, I just... I mean... never mind. Forget I said anything." He didn't understand the twinkle in her eye, the raised eyebrow or the half smile. Chalk that up to lack of experience.

They didn't even talk about the same sorts of things the flirts wanted to talk about. There was never any small talk about the weather or the state of a meal. Nadia often asked him about the Hovat lands, the ancestral home. Dorien would discuss what he remembered, which wasn't much. She'd ask what he remembered about his parents, a sore topic. She would happily talk about her own, and always with a smile on her face.

They talked about their respective demons and would often meet in one or the other's suite in the noble's quarters to let their demons interact. They talked about the other cadets and the teachers. They even talked about what they would like to do in the city over the weekend. He decided that this was the best way to get closer to her...he was wrong.

"Would you like to go to Corcillum tomorrow?"

"Is anyone else going?"

"Pretty much everyone I think."

"No thank you." He missed the reason for the slightly peeved tone there too.

Now, men aren't supposed to understand women, it's a fundamental of nature, but Dorien needed help. Unfortunately, his choices for said help were limited to social pariah Lytar, who was having some identity issues of his own as it was, Barrik the Brutal, who had about as much desire to bond with others as a cat did with deep water, or Micca, who was completely besotted himself with Tilly. Still, that might be progressing for all Dorien knew.

"She wants you to prove yourself." Micca informed him, not looking out from behind the book he was reading in the library. "You like her because she isn't like the girls that throw themselves at you. So you need to do the leg work."

"Like...how?"

"Hell if I know." He replied, still not looking up. "Women are a separate species, my friend, there's no working then out."

"Helpful. Thanks."

So Dorien set out to prove himself to Nadia.

"They're lovely, Dorien, thank you. Why have you given me flowers?"