Namine was okay with returning with Corin. Balamb was her home but she certainly did not belong with the royal family at the front. Not without Riku here. She should ride in with the Trabians, right?
Guards were above servants, well sort of, especially the Prince's personal guards so she really couldn't say no. She looked at the Princess before answering, who nodded. Well if it was alright with the Princess then she would do that. "Yes, thank you Sir." She gave her brother a squeeze and a kiss, and moved to dismount but one of the other guards simply lifted her from Corin's horse as she was getting down and lifted her up onto Wilbur's horse behind him. "Thank you," she said, feeling slightly flustered. "Excuse me," she said to Wilbur before she put her hands on his shoulders to hold on. She really hoped that no one noticed she was riding here. She wasn't used to it!
The Prince laughed. Certainly that was kind of his intention, but Abe had been there, he had been polite, he had been helpful, and it had just been an odd time. There WAS no one to babysit him. "Well, Abe. You could have been only a passing thought, but you did not make yourself so, and you did that on your own." His Father and brothers should know, Abe had done a good job. "You were exceptional on your own, and that is just what happened." That was what made him the first in the Prince's court, the head of the Prince's court, and from a country noble's son to a royal knight (and future husband of the Princess/Father to the next King of Balamb if you ship them like I do bahahaha)
The scout came back to report that people were scattered along the road well onto the outskirts of the city so to please be careful. Sora didn't believe it until he saw it, families come from their farms and homes to meet their wives and sisters and daughters on the road. They would lose many of the common women in the back before reaching the castle as they broke off to head to their homes, and some of the nobles as they left to check on their estates in the city. The crowds grew bigger and noisier as they reached the castle town, even though the road straight to the castle skirted the city a little, everyone had come out to see. Sora was nervous on his horse but tried to smile and let Kairi do the looking pretty and waving, although the Prince tried to awkwardly wave as well.