The next morning, Enid had barely gotten a moment's rest. Her maids dressed her for going out into the town and attempted to hide the dark circles under her eyes. All that was racing in her mind was that question Amelia had so flippantly asked. Then another thought had crossed her mind, what about Nolan?
She had spent the whole night wondering if there were signs they liked her that she missed. However, in her mind, there was nothing. They were just her friends like they always had been. It was her that was feeling this way. She didn't want to bring that into her friendships.
Before she knew it, the butler was knocking on the door saying that Mateo had arrived for the outing. Enid quickly stuffed her emergency pouch in her purse before racing down the stairs. Her face already flustered as she saw Mateo again.
He was wearing a simple off white button down shirt and brown pants. An outfit resembling that of what the regular citizens of the kingdom wore on any day. It contrasted with Enid's simple, but still fairly stand-out blue dress.
"You look good, Enid. Definitely not what I'm used to seeing you in." He chuckled as she managed to squeak out a thanks. "You're a bit red. You're not sick from yesterday are you?" He asked pressing a hand against her forehead.
'Oh my Solara, his hand. Has it always been that big?' She thought going redder and redder. "Ah, um, I'm fine! Let's just go into town!" She yelled running out the door and towards the carriage. He raised an eyebrow before following suit and sitting across from her.
"Are you sure you're ok to go out today?" He asked as Enid had collected herself.
"Y...yes. I was just a bit flustered because my maids rushed me is all." Her composure had regained itself but a tinge of red remained on her cheeks. All Mateo did was smile and a small, "Ok." escaped him. "So... where are we going first?" She asked as he thought.
"Well, I remember last time we all went out that you wanted to try the new breakfast spot that had opened up down town."
"Oh! The one with the heart shaped pancakes and the to die for eggs?" She asked as he snapped his fingers.
"That's the one! I figured you haven't eaten yet. After that, I was wondering if you wanted to take a look through the market. My sources tell me there are some unknown artists with some talent selling their art." He suggested as she nodded.
"Ooo, sounds fun. Alright. I'll let you lead the way... should I just call you Teo?" She asked as he blushed.
"Only if I call you E..." He murmured, looking away as she smiled.
"Deal!"
The carriage pulled up to the first restaurant, it had a cozy log cabin vibe that was a bit out of place in the center of a city. However, Enid paid no mind as they went inside and asked for a booth for two. Just as they sat, the waitress popped in around the corner, a smile from ear to ear but never quite reaching her eyes.
"Alrighty, what can I get started for you two?" She asked tapping her pencil against the notepad in her hand.
"Well... I've been dying to try the heartshaped pancakes. Are there any meals that go with those?" Enid asked as the waitress thoughtfully placed the pencil against her chin.
"If you like sweets, I'd recommend the heart pancakes with a fruit based syrup, maple bacon on the side and some scrambled eggs."
"Oh! That sounds nice! I'll take that!"
"If the syrup isn't strawberry based, I'd like that as well." Mateo asked as the woman shook her head.
"Nope, we have ours as a blueberry base. Simple, straight, and to the point on your orders. I'll be right back with them and your waters." Her voice was chipper as she walked away.
"So, how are you feeling after the conversation with your mother yesterday?" Mateo asked as Enid sighed.
"Still stressed. She put a lot of emphasis on it, as if it was the end of the world! I mean, what does it matter if I wait a year or two before marrying? Is it really that big of a crime?" She asked smacking the table before looking at him. "What about you? I know your father probably wants you to marry soon and I'm sure you have plenty of young ladies practically at your feet." She chuckled as he rolled his eyes.
"My father wants me to marry someone of equal political standing. I've had to tear up proposal letters he was going to send to other countries!" His laugh was hollow as he recalled the memory. "You should've heard our screaming match."
"That bad huh?" She asked quietly thanking the waitress as she placed the waters in front of them. "You know... I never have asked, what's your ideal type of woman?" She asked as he leaned on his hand.
"Well it's never come up before because... I'm not sure. I guess... a strong one?" He questioned looking up as if searching his head for an answer. "Sort of like... well... a woman with a strong will of her own. Maybe a woman who has interests outside of gossip amongst other women or spending their days only doing the minimum to seem interesting? I don't know..." He murmured, flickering his eyes between the table and Enid.
"Huh... I know of a few girls like that. Unfortunately, I don't know them well enough. Maybe Amelia but she's engaged already."
"Already? You mean Joseph proposed?" He asked as she nodded.
"Yeah, but apparently they're waiting to get married. Frankly, I thought she was interested in Nolan for the longest time." Enid laughed as he choked on the water he was sipping.
"Nolan? Really?" He asked as she shrugged.
"Well, you've seen them interact with one another. They get along fairly well." She laughed as he shook his head around.
"Yeah, I suppose. By the way-."
"Sorry to interrupt, but your food is ready!" The waitress appeared with full plates of food in hand, setting them in front of the two.
"Oh, it's no problem! It looks delicious!" Enid exclaimed before digging into the plate. Mateo just smiled to himself before eating the food, forgoing his question so they could enjoy the meal together.
After paying, the two made their way to the market place where a plethora of artists, farmers, and everything in between were selling their goods. "You weren't lying when you said there were new artists! They're pretty good!" Enid's eyes wandered around the market until she landed on a young man doing charcoal portraits.
"Oh, I've seen him a few times when I've managed to come down here. He does quick portraits. A lot of regular folk can't get their own portraits done since its so time consuming and expensive, so they go to artists like him to get their pictures made. He's fairly talented. I've been looking to recruit him for some time." Mateo chuckled as Enid seemed fascinated with his use of charcoal.
"Instead of a brush, he just uses pieces or even just his fingers. You know, I could never get a handle on charcoal."
"Yeah, the last one you tried turned out to be a mess of ripped paper and smudges." Mateo teased as she turned red. "I'm only teasing you... do you want him to do your portrait?" He asked as she frowned.
"I have enough in the palace. I'd rather him take his talents to the local art academy. I think he'd do well there." Without missing a beat, she strode over to the young man as he was finishing up the portrait of the couple. Once they left, the young man turned to them.
"Were you interested in a couple portrait as well? Only one silver!" His smile was almost infectious as Enid looked through previous sketches he left out as examples.
"How long have you been doing portraits...?" She was searching for a name on the sketches but there was no signature.
"Oh, I'm Yulis. And I've done these for a few years now, taught myself how to do it!" The pride in his voice was palpable as Enid turned to him.
"Self-taught? And you do this well with charcoal?" She asked, holding up a portrait of a young girl. "You manage to get the details in such a young face with a hard medium. That takes talent."
"Well, it's not that great." He was sheepish as she flipped through more pictures, showing them to Mateo.
"What do you think?" She asked as he nodded.
"I think he's good."
"Um... hello?" Yulis asked as Enid turned back to him.
"I have a proposal to you, Yulis. Would you like to hear?" She asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, who did you say you were again?" He asked as she leaned in, covering her mouth slightly.
"Princess Enid de Sol." The boy seemed to short circuit for a moment before leaping back clutching his chest. "Don't announce it to the world before you go saying all of the platitudes and such. I like your art, I want to see it flourish."
"B-but, I-."
"You, are a talented artist. I may not have the wealth of the entire kingdom, but I have some built up. If you have a family to help support, we'll cover it. I'll call in a favor with the art academy and buy your supplies." Her words were spoken with little concern as the young man seemed to be overwhelmed at this point. "What do you say?" She asked as Mateo tapped her shoulder.
"I think you went a little too strong, E." He pointed at the clearly distressed man. Enid's shoulders slumped as she began apologizing to him before Yulis regained composure.
"I never in my life thought I'd have... well, you, apologizing to someone like me. I... may I take some time to think about it? I'm the only support for my siblings, and while your offer sounds nice... Don't I have to stay at the academy? Who would take care of them?" He asked as she thought for a moment.
"You're right... How about instead of the academy... I call in a favor with my art teacher." She suggested as he paused for a moment.
"A favor?" He asked as she nodded confidently.
"I'll get you private lessons with him and purchase supplies. I can also give you a stipend per month as you learn. It would be tough, but you'd have a teacher that could help your skills bloom. Lessons three times a week at the palace and you can continue your normal routine." Enid suggested as he held his chin, deep in thought.
"I would be able to stay home and still provide an income for my siblings... And... this isn't a joke? You're saying this... is an actual opportunity?" He asked as Mateo clasped a hand on his shoulder.
"You aren't the only one she's done this for. When she puts her mind to something, she's fairly stubborn. I once saw her buy someone's horse that had been sold off because they couldn't pay their debts and gift it back alongside a brand new set of tack for it, simply because she felt bad for them." Yulis listened for sounds of deception but found none, confirming his resolve to accept the offer.
"Alright, please let me know when I should come in and I will be there. I am grateful, your highness." He bowed, tears held back by a simple thread.
"Show up early two Mondays from now. My teacher should have enough time to reach here by then. I expect great things from you... who knows, maybe you'll paint my portrait when I'm queen." She grinned, placing a small bag of silver in his hands. "Start getting ready for your new chapter in life."
With that, Mateo and Enid went shopping through the rest of the market, making the most of the rest of the day they had.