As they walked, the farm hand, enthusiastically ignored the ambiguous atmosphere between the crown prince and princess and he continued to explain the intricate process of coffee cultivation, from the planting of seeds to the roasting of beans.
The prince listened with genuine interest, if it was something that could help Eldoria develop, he wanted to know more.
At one point, the farm hand offered them each a small basket to participate in the coffee cherry harvest. Roland had never personally participated in any farming activity but he willingly joined the other workers.
With a playful smile, he reached for a particularly ripe cherry but accidentally brushed Sigrid’s hand. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world around them faded into the background.
A spark of recognition and a whisper of attraction danced between them, although neither spoke of it.
As the tour continued, Roland found himself captivated more not just by the beauty of the plantation, but by the Sigrid’s serene presence and her free laughter every time the farm hand made a bad joke.
Sigrid, too, felt a flutter of anticipation each time his gaze lingered on her. Though they remained polite and reserved, their interactions were infused with an unspoken promise of a deeper bond yet to be discovered.
By the time they reached the tasting room, where the finest coffee blends awaited, the air between them was charged with a newfound electricity.
Sigrid never thought she was the shy type, but she was certain that she was experiencing a a big bout of shyness because he kept stealing those cryptic glances at her. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
"Oh well, as long as it’s not about Emmah." she thought.
As they sipped the rich, aromatic brew, their eyes met once more over the rims of their cups, and they shared another promising smile.
She looked away quickly to avoid any further temptation, this was not the kind of tour she had been expecting. Why the hell was picking coffee and tasting it romantic?
Roland took one step to the side and cozied up against her, his arm brushed against hers gently and she clenched her hand around the cup. Even something as little as this closeness was bothering her in unexplainable ways.
"What is wrong with me?" she asked herself.
"Are you fine?" Roland whispered in her ear.
His lips brushed over the top of her ear twice and she felt a little nip that followed. Sigrid’s eyes widened and she drew in a sharp breath, tilting backwards, she looked up and shot him an accusing glare.
They were not alone, they were in the coffee roasting rooms along with twenty employees that worked there and yet somehow the man had no shame and he was brave enough to do something like that in public!!
He was pleased with himself, the spark in his brown eyes said so.
"You are mad." she whispered and hissed.
She stepped away from her and he followed immediately. Some of the women in the room chuckled and Sigrid felt embarrassed so she put down the coffee cup and walked quickly out of the room as fast as she could.
By the time she made it to the door, she was practically running and Roland was on her heels. She was swooped up before she even realized.
"Hey.." she shouted in shock. "What are you doing Roland?"
He cradled her with ease and laughed, "I am avenging myself because your peacocks attacked me. Since I cannot punish them, you will have to receive the punishment on their behalf."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I will make you pay the price when we are at home, alone." He put her down and mounted his horse then extended a hand down to her. "Come on, let’s go back to horse, I am starved."
She accepted it he pulled her up with ease, putting her at the front, he put hand around her waist and another took the reins of the horse.
"Have you ridden a horse like this before, with a companion?" he asked.
"No." she answered without hesitation. "I did not get the opportunity to enjoy courtship, my grandfather was like a beast if any man so much as looked my way with amorous eyes."
Roland set the pace of the horse to a slow trot, wanting to enjoying the ride for as long as he could. This was an opportunity to learn if they had any shared interests outside of fighting.
"Is that a faint accusation that I detect in your voice?" he chuckled.
She shrugged, "Maybe a little, I was protected from all ill intended suitors but I did not get the opportunity to be taken on strolls, receive flowers, be called on. At every ball that I attended, my brothers either stood around me or filled my dance card with their names."
"That is extreme." he commented.
"It was all to protect me," she shrugged again, "Many nobles were hoping to ally with our house in marriage, most of them did not have good intentions. I appreciate the protection I received, I am just a little saddened that I missed out on all the fun."
Suddenly, Roland tightened his arm around her waist, causing her a little. He was doing it deliberately, she could tell.
"What now?"
Sigrid felt a little nip on the tip of her ear, Roland had bitten her again.
"Roland Maximus, are you a dog? Why do you keep biting my ear?"
She turned her head and glared at him, he looked a little more less enthused than she imagined and she could not fathom why.
"You are talking about missing out on the courtship of other men in front of your husband. Am I doing a poor job of satisfying you?"
"Is he jealous?" she asked herself and she shook her head, it was not possible, she was simply imagining things. They had not known each other long, he did not love her, how could he be jealous?
She scoffed, "In bed, you are excellent. Out of bed, that is still left to see after all, we are still strangers in many ways. It is not too late for you to make up for my regrets. Why don’t you try it?"
"Try what?"
"Courting me." she said lightly with a smile.