{3rd person omniscient. Ophelia's POV, afte the date.}
The carriage doors had barely closed behind Prince Elias before Ophelia felt her excitement bubbling over again. The evening air carried the soft chill of approaching night, brushing against her skin as she stepped gracefully onto the stone pathway before the palace entrance. Her smile widened despite herself, warm and pleased in a way she rarely allowed to show openly. The outing had gone better than expected. Not perfectly, of course.
Elias remained difficult, guarded, frustratingly attached to that woman even in her absence, but progress had still been made. He had spent time with her willingly, accompanied her into town, and more importantly, people had seen them together.
That alone was enough to make her happy.
