"Ah."
"I'm not looking forward to it," I admit.
"You'll be fine," he assures me.
"So Veronica said, but I'm not entirely sure that's true. My Gaullessian is terrible, and I'm always saying the wrong thing. Veronica will shake her head at me when I get things wrong, but I've already said what I've said by that point." I let out a frustrated sigh.
"I can tell you everything I know about Gaullesse," he promises. "I know that it's probably not all the information you'll need to be dealing with nobility, but it might help."
"I would appreciate that," I respond. "I don't suppose you can teach me Gaullessian too?"
"I could," he responds. "But I don't think we'll have time for that."
I blink a couple of times. "You can speak it?"
"Of course I can. I lived there for several years," he reminds me.
"Ah. I suppose I never thought about the fact you would have to learn Gaullessian."
"I wouldn't have been able to understand what people were saying to me otherwise," he points out. "I speak Wafelandian too. And some Sovranese, but I wasn't in Sovranetti for very long, so it's rudimentary at best."
I stare at him for a moment, completely in awe at his ability to learn something that I've struggled with for my entire life. "You're amazing."
He clears his throat and looks away. "Thank you."
"I know you're probably busy with preparations, but tomorrow is your evening off, isn't it?"
He nods. "But I can still meet you in the kitchen after dinner if you want a language lesson while we bake."
"Actually, I was asking for something completely unrelated to that."
He raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Would you like to go to the theatre?" Nerves assail me as I wait for his answer. I had no idea I could feel this nervous, and that says something.
"The theatre?"
"Yes. A new play has just opened, and you said that you enjoyed going to the theatre in your letters. I thought we could go. Together." The words tumble out of me without very much room to breathe.
"Is it not a problem for us to go to the theatre together?"
"We won't be using the Royal box," I respond. "My private secretary will book a private one for us, and I'll tell my guards to be discreet. No one will know we're there other than the people who need to know. Though I suppose that there will likely still be gossip. I can understand if that's not something you want."
To my surprise, Nate chuckles. "You think there isn't already gossip about us?"
"I can't say I've thought about it much," I admit.
"Then you must not read the papers."
"We're mentioned in the papers?"
"You're a princess, Evie. There are always stories and gossip about your family," he points out. "So, yes, there have been mentions that you spend time in the kitchens, and it's implied to be with me."
"I had no idea."
He shrugs. "I'm sure there was a gap in it while I wasn't in the castle, but it's not a new thing."
"Does it make things harder for you?" I ask.
