She smiled at him nodding "It can't hurt to check but... everyone but me thinks you're dead..." She commented "There's a certain amount of... anonymity that you can use to your advantage." She smirked before she watched him turn to leave "It was a pleasure meeting you Gale..." She told him before she vanished into the tunnel.

(If you want or need to do a skip you can! ^-^)

Perfect! sorry I meant to reply last night but I was so tired xDD)

Adeline had gone out to the woods curious to see if she could find Gale... she was certain he'd stuck around... none of the guards reported anything even in the snow. She smiled as she lifted the skirt of her dress stepping into the tiny creek after taking off her shoes. Now that the snow was melted and it was warmer out the creek was unfrozen and the forest around her was teeming with new life, even the stream had some tadpoles swimming around her ankles, she followed the creek until she couldn't anymore and stepped out, she decided first to go to her reading spot to see if he'd set up a little camp there. If not she was sure she'd find him... she guessed he was probably hunting but she didn't know his mind... and frankly she didn't know him well but he had a good heart... she was certain about that.

Lol))

Adeline had found the stag before she found him... it took her a minute to even recognize he was there just as the arrow hit the gorgeous animal. At the sight of him her heart beat a little faster... he certainly wasn't hard on the eyes in the first place but she didn't expect him to be so... so well defined either. She watched him pick up the stag and followed him quietly she watched him for a few heartbeats longer as he climbed the hill before she made her presence known.

She came out into the open but instead of a dress this time she had on a pair of pants, some boots and an off the shoulders light blue shirt on, her copper hair looking a little more like fox fur in the sunlight as she climbed the hill. "That was a great kill." She told him "From what I could tell anyways." She smirked.

Adeline came and sat near him with a small nod "You don't think there's anything wrong with the meat do you?" She asked curiously "I don't know much about deer but could that indicate a health issue?" She asked curiously before she laid back in the grass with a sigh "Nothing much just arguing with my brother..." She sighed "He's feeling an enormous amount if pressure from other kingdoms to marry me off to one of their sons... He's gonna break soon I can feel it... Considering so far I'm the only one of the two of us that can still possibly have children..." She huffed "I know what those princes want from me... but I don't love any of them... if I'm gonna give myself up like that it's going to be because I want to and for love..." She said stubbornly though it didn't sound much like she was going to have a choice.

Adeline looked over at him "You're very resilient aren't you?" She chuckled "Just be careful... I'd hate to see something happen to you because you ate bad deer meat..." She told him before she sighed "I guess... but being royalty isn't all it's cracked up to be..." She sighed "That's why I spend more of my time among the citizens... it's a whole hell of a lot simpler to live your life off your needs and your family's needs rather than well everyone elses..." She sighed.

Gale chuckled softly, wiping his hands on his trousers as he set the knife down. "Resilient, huh?" he muttered, half to himself, glancing over at her with a wry smile. "Guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?" His gaze flicked to the deer, then back to Adeline. "Bad meat or not, I've survived worse."

He shook his head and went back to cutting the meat, careful to avoid any part that might still be undercooked. "You’re right, though. It’s easy to forget where your next meal's coming from when you're in the middle of the hunt," he added, the firelight catching his eyes.

Adeline’s words about royalty made him pause. It was a rare thing to hear someone like her talk so candidly. "I get what you mean," Gale said, leaning against a tree as he sliced through the meat. "I’ve seen enough of that ‘everyone else’s’ need to know it’s not always as glamorous as they make it look. Too many people pulling at you, too many rules to follow. Too many mouths to feed."

He glanced over at her, his voice softening. "Must be hard though, for someone like you, having to balance it all. People expect so much, even when you’re just trying to live your own life." There was an edge of understanding in his words—he knew what it was like to be caught between responsibility and desire for freedom.

Gale paused for a moment, then gave her a small smile. "You don’t seem like the type who’d be content to live in a castle all the time," he said, his tone teasing but with a note of respect. "Guess that’s why you’re out here instead of, you know, tucked away in some royal parlor."

He took a moment to look at the strips of meat he’d just finished cutting. "But hey, I get it. Sometimes it’s easier to just be a person, not someone’s crown or title. No one pulling at you. No expectations."

He looked back at her then, his expression thoughtful. "Anyway, don’t worry about me. The meat will be fine once it’s cooked." He gave her a grin, before tossing a few more pieces onto the fire, letting the sizzling sound fill the space between them.