"Ow ....ouch!" "I'm sorry, your highness!" The sound of a princess being undone after a royal engagement was one Josh had certainly got used to since he'd become a prince of Tirisano. Dru certainly put up with a lot to be presented in public with the fairytale princess look, that was for sure. Today, it seemed to be the hair that was causing problems. "All right, Iona, enough," she said finally, waving her ladies maid away. "The pins are out, I can do the rest. Go and relax for the night." Iona fled gratefully, dropping a curtsey to Josh as she slipped from the dressing room and through the main room of the royal couple's suite, disappearing out through the main door as Dru came into sight, dragging a brush ruthlessly through her hair. "Whoever invented the updo needs to be strangled with their own hair."

Josh chuckled, both at the fleeing ladies maid and at the princess who he had become married to not so very long ago. "You never needed anyone to help you with your hair when we were in Rhy'Din," he pointed out helpfully, unable to hide the teasing grin from his face. Thankfully, he did not have to worry about updos and other such silliness as the prince of Tirisano. She narrowed her eyes, threatening to throw the brush at him even as she smiled. "When we're in Rhy'Din, I'm just Dru," she pointed out. "Here, I'm the heir to the bloody throne." The brush made a dreadful sound as she ripped through a tangle, shuffling across the floor in her robe to fold herself down onto the nearest comfortable seat. "It went well, though, didn't it' I managed not to embarrass us or insult anyone."

"No, it seemed you saved that for Iona," he replied, amusement in his voice. He followed her to the chair and held out a hand for the brush. "Let me," he said, not taking no for an answer. "At this rate, you'll go bald before you get than tangle out."

She sighed softly. "I don't mean to be so ratty with her," she said uncomfortably, handing over the brush without a second thought. "It just hurts when she pulls out all those pins. Maybe I should cut my hair short, what do you think?"

"No!" he said a little too quickly, frowning thoughtfully as he actually took a minute to better consider the question. "I mean, if that's what you really want, I suppose," he added, as he gently pushed the brush through her hair to work its way through the tangles. He was obviously fond of her hair, but if she really wanted to cut it, he wouldn't stand in her way.

Dru laughed at his abrupt denial of her suggestion just to lop off her long locks, tipping her head back to look up at him. "Nice save," she smiled fondly, reaching up to gently touch her hand to his arm. "I'd miss it if it was short, anyway. And it doesn't exactly give off the image I'm supposed to convey if I go pixie."

"What image is that?" he asked, curiously. Once he got over the shock of the idea of her with short hair, he thought he might actually like it. It was her hair, after all, to do what she wanted with it, and who was he to tell her what that was" He wasn't quite sure what a pixie was as far as hairstyles were concerned, but maybe it was better that way. If she got her hair loped off that short, it would likely be shorter than his. "You could always wear a wig," he teased, as he carefully worked the brush through that stubborn tangle of hair.

"Oh, you know, the fairytale princess," she sighed. "Always has long hair, always looks perfect, never says anything wrong. Always has her Prince Charming on hand. Two out of four isn't awful, is it?" She flicked a smile up at him - there was no denying that he was her Prince Charming.

"Three out of four maybe," he disagreed. He wouldn't argue the part about never saying anything wrong, though Dru played the part well. "Besides, who says you have to have long hair and have to always look perfect. Nobody's perfect, Dru. Not even you," he teased further, smiling as he drew back, the tangle conquered not by a battles of wills, but purely patience.

"I know," she sighed softly, tugging on his arm to pull him around to where she could loop her arms about his waist and cuddle into him. "It's just a lot, you know" So many people watching and waiting for mistakes to be made, just waiting to pounce. I honestly cannot wait for Parliament to be over so we can get back to Rhy'Din where everything is normal."

He had to chuckle at that a little, mostly at the part about Rhy'Din being normal, when in reality, Rhy'Din was anything but. He moved over in front of her, crouching down so that his teller form was at eye level with her. "You can't worry about that, Dru," he told her, pushing her hair back from her face, his fingers grazing her cheek. "If you start worrying about every little thing you do wrong, everything little thing you say or do, you'll just drive yourself crazy. You have to think of it as playing a part, being on stage, you know" Say all the right lines, do all the right things, but at the end of the show, you're just Dru again."

"Mmhmm," Josh murmured in reply, though the explorations he had in mind were of a very different kind. His kisses had just reached the hollow of her throat when there came an insistent pounding on the door to their chambers, loud enough to be heard from inside the bedroom. "Send them away," he murmured, not missing a beat.

Dru sighed, sagging back against the bed with a resigned groan. Josh's murmur made her laugh a little, but she couldn't ignore a summons. "We can't send them away," she sighed reluctantly. "It could be important."

Josh growled in annoyance, though he was unable to argue with that. Royal responsibilities always trumped personal needs and wants. "Yes, we can," he insisted, rolling to his feet, determined to get rid of whoever it was as quickly as possible, even if he had to tell them they were busy working on making a royal baby.

Watching him roll up onto his feet, Dru followed him, wrapping her robe more securely about herself as she moved with him toward the sitting room, and the small foyer beyond. It didn't seem to matter to whoever was knocking that after hours was precious to the royal couple, which suggested there was something important that needed to be shared.

Thankfully, they were both dressed, or at least, as dressed as they were likely to be at this time of the evening, both in pajamas of sorts - Josh in plaid pajama pants and a plain white t-shirt, feet bare and hair a little mussed from Dru's toying with it. Before Josh was able to answer the door and send their visitor away, the door flew open and in stormed Jamie, fully dressed and with a look of annoyance on his handsome but brooding face. "Would you look at this" This is what she wants me to wear for the wedding. Have you ever seen anything so absurd?" he blurted, holding up a photograph of a man in a tuxedo that Jamie thought made him look like a butler. He halted in his tracks when he spied Dru tucking a bathrobe around herself. "Oh, did I wake you? Isn't it a little too early for bed?"

There were times when Dru could switch on the princess without a second thought. This, unfortunately for Jamie, was one of those times. Despite the dressing gown and loose hair, there was no mistaking who he was talking to. "Am I to take it that you have disturbed us rudely, without prior warning, to complain about a suit that you won't be wearing until May, Lord Stuart?"

Jamie stiffened a little at the scolding from the Princess Royale - his sister-in-law - who, though she was quite a few years his junior, demanded his respect and obedience. "I, uh..." He stammered uncertainly. "Yes, I suppose so, but would you look at this suit, Dru" Have you ever seen anything so ridiculous?" he continued, either oblivious to his rudeness or just too caught up in his own troubles to notice.

Josh cleared his throat to hide the chuckle that was bubbling up inside him, unsure if he was more amused by his brother's ignorance or his wife's irritation. And this was a perfect example of why Jamie and Dru would not have made a very good couple.

"Yes, I have, and I'm looking at him," she told her brother-in-law, raising her brows as she waited patiently for the penny to drop. "Standing in the Prince Consort and Princess Royale's private suite, having not waited to be invited inside, and apparently unable to notice that neither one of them is dressed for company." She watched him calmly for a moment longer, and sighed. "Why aren't you complaining to Keira about this" And how did you get in without security escorting you back out again?"

The insult either went clear over Jamie's head or he was ignoring it. "Yes, well....I'm not company. I'm your brother-in-law," he pointed out with a grin, to which Josh rolled his eyes and gave his brother a look that warned him he was treading on dangerous ground, but Jamie seemed to ignore that, too. Jamie frowned as Dru came to the point. "I have complained to Keira. She says it looks dashing. I say it makes me look like a penguin. What do you think, Josh' Do you think the future Duke of Roslae should look like a penguin on his wedding day?" He didn't bother to explain how he'd gotten in there, but he had obviously either talked his way past security or pushed his way through. After all, the Prince Consort was his brother. Josh stepped forward to take hold of his brother's arm. "I think what Dru is trying to tell you is that now is not the time, brother."

Dru's eyes narrowed as Jamie went straight on without taking the hint, glad that Josh had decided to take his brother in hand. She didn't think it would be good for family relations if she pulled rank on her brother-in-law, but he was treading on very thin ice. "Why don't you just wear the ducal uniform?" she suggested, however, through clenched teeth. "You're entitled to it." A uniform that made everyone who wore it look constipated within seconds.

"The ducal uniform!" Jamie echoed in obvious distaste, twisting his head toward Dru even as Josh tugged him toward the door. "It's my wedding day. Not a parade!" he called back, turning to Josh with a puzzled look on his face. "Where are we going?"

"We aren't going anywhere," Josh informed his brother. "You are."

"Oh, come," Jamie argued. "You weren't really going to bed yet, were you?"

"And I need to talk to Xoren," Dru added, marching past both of them into the corridor. Thankfully, the head of her personal security materialized before she had the opportunity to yell for him, wincing at the look she planted on the poor man. If Jamie didn't leave soon, chances were he was going to be removed.

"Xoren?" Jamie echoed. "What do you need to talk to..." And then it seemed to dawn on him, miraculously just as the head of her personal security appeared. He put up his hands, a charming smile on his face. "No need. I was just leaving." He turned back to Dru and offered her a respectful bow, meant more for her than his brother, who would always be his brother, no matter his title. "My apologies, Your Highness. I did not mean to disturb you." It was hard to tell with Jamie whether he was putting on airs for her sake or if he was sincere in his apology.

"Calling in advance will save you being kicked out," she told him as he bowed, rolling her eyes at what might have been a sarcastic apology.