Chapter 304 - PS: I Like You (1/2)

Jaden couldn't help the smile that seemed unwilling to leave her lips for even a second. Regardless of how awkward their day had begun, she'd finally become accustomed to the prince's wild and carefree ways. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her as he made weird faces with every bite of the pizza he'd ordered them. ”What?” She couldn't help it any longer, she had to ask.

He leaned back in his chair pushing the front two legs off the ground as he sent her a crooked smile. ”Well, it's not American pizza... that's for sure...” He let the chair drop back to the ground as his expression became more serious. ”Was it to your liking? Did you get enough or would you like to order something else?”

She giggled again. ”It was more than enough. I'm stuffed.”

He frowned as his focus moved to her thin arms and bony wrist. He gently lifted one circling his pointer finger and thumb around it easily. ”Don't seem like it takes much to stuff you...”

She shrugged. ”I'm sure my appetite will return eventually... I used to love food, you know... Though I must admit this food is much different than typical Icelandic dishes.”

”Really? Like what?” Russ asked pulling his phone out and pulling up the internet browser. ”What's your favorite dish?”

She held her hand out for the phone. She typed in the name and handed it back without saying a word. She watched his expression as his gaze moved to the phone. When his eyes nearly popped from their sockets, she doubled over in laughter catching her stomach.

”You ate this!?” He asked turning the image of a lambs head on a plate around to face her.

”I mean, it wasn't my favorite dish... but it is very popular there.”

”OH HELL NO!” He shook his head as he pushed his phone away in disgust.

She couldn't help the laughter his actions invoked. ”It's really not bad.”

”I'm sure it isn't, but I'm also 100% sure I'll never find out!”

He'd spent most of the cable car ride back down the hill with his head pressed to hers, showing her the website of the museum they were headed to next. She was amazed at how easy it was to forget everything and simply enjoy his company. The mile it took to reach the Old Acropolis museum seemed to go by exceptionally fast. She covered her mouth to hide her smile as he forged intelligence as he spoke to one of the curators. They went over a pamphlet, explaining each exhibit and pointing out the locations on the map inside.

”If you'd like a guided tour, there will be one beginning in...” The woman glanced down at her watch. ”Twenty-five minutes...” Her gaze moved back up to theirs. ”You could look around in the meantime if you'd like, of course.”

Russ sent Jaden a questioning look. When she shrugged, he turned his warm smile back to the curator. ”I think we'll explore it on our own. What do you say?” He asked holding his hand out to Jaden.

She took his hand and let him lead her deeper into the museum. He began reading off the pamphlet making up any information that wasn't provided all while forging a scholarly tone. ”And this is Athena... and this is Athena... and this is head of Athena... and this is half of a head... a ear... it's a chunk of rock with an ear... yep...” He tilted his head as he studied another piece. ”I'm not even sure what part this is, maybe a foot... but I bet it's a piece of Athena.”

Her eyes moved around the many fractured statues and a sadness she couldn't explain began to sink in.

”What is it?” He asked as he took her hand and tugged her around to face him.

”It's just sad that we'll never know how beautiful any of these truly were... before they became broken and fractured...”

Understanding slowly sank in as he studied her watery eyes. He cupped her face and brought her gaze away from the statues up to meet his. ”You're right... We may never know exactly what they were like before... but there is an undeniable beauty and strength in what is left.” His eyes traveled to the other people moving around throughout the displays. ”Look at all the people who come to see them.” He let out a sigh as something Jos had always said when they'd visited places with weathered art or damaged statues came back to him. ”Someone once told me, there's value to be found in the damaged and broken. Sometimes far more valuable than when the thing was brand new.” He studied her for a few seconds before continuing. ”Take a painter for instance, back in the day many were ill-regarded... seen as the lowest of lower-class coining the phrase starving artist. Now, hundreds of years later a ripped up, stained up canvas with those same ill-regarded artists' names scribbled across the bottom are priceless.” When her eyes only seem to become mistier, he turned away. Running his hand through his hair, he added. ”I guess what I'm saying is, sometimes it takes a little damage before something's true value can be seen.” He nodded toward another display. ”You... um... wanna move on to something else?”

Jaden nodded, not saying anything as she slid her hand back into his and followed him. Before long he was back to his usual joking ways. This time he was making up a story about the strange arrangement of bodies on a slab and making off-the-wall comments about some of the horses.

She couldn't help her curiosity. ”You really don't like horses, do you?”

He glared at the pieces of the horse that remained. ”I don't have anything against horses as an animal... overall at least... Just one particular horse's ȧss.”

He brushed it off and moved on to the next statue and began making up a story about it.

She laughed. ”You really don't know a thing about any of this do you?”

”Not the slightest.” He answered as he placed his fists against his hɨps as he studied the slab.

He tilted his head as they entered a new exhibit. ”What do you think these guys are thinking?” He asked pointing to the very expressive statues in the room.

She rubbed her chin as she thought about it. ”That one looks like he's thinking of a lover... maybe even watching them from afar...”

”Hum... maybe... but where's his dɨċk? Why's it missing?”

Her eyes widened as she moved her focus to the area he was studying. ”I... don't have a clue...”

”You know what I think?”

”I'm kind of afraid to ask... but go ahead.”

”I think this guy is sitting here all like 'Where are thee pėnɨs', and that one over there is like 'yo which hand? One hand has his pėnɨs and the other has mine. Anyone, someone step on up and pick a hand'. Those two heads over there are trying to decide which hand to pick, while that ċȯċky little bastard over there is just like 'It doesn't matter, my baby dɨċk is bigger than both yours'...”

She scrunched her brows at his crude humor. ”I'm quite positive that's not what they're saying.”

”Really, you look at these and that's not the story you see here? It looks pretty straightforward to me.” He pointed around the room to the statues.

She giggled. ”And how old did you say you were, my prince?”

He let out a deep laugh. Taking her hand and leading her through the museum, he finally answered. ”I'll be nineteen the day after tomorrow. What about you?” He tilted his head and studied her trying to guess at her age.

She stroked her chin thoughtfully as she did the math in her head. ”Hum... let's see. I guess I turned twenty this past December.”

”Oh wow, we're so close in age.” He declared.

”Is that so surprising?” She asked turning her attention away from the last of the exhibits up to study him.

”Well yeah... it is. I've gotten so used to being around people so much older than me. Other than a few human friends back in school and Shelly, most of the people I know are several years older... hell Raven, Ry, and Jos are both several thousand years older...”