Will there be Stories? (KingTyrant)

JackieCat · June 20, 2016, 12:15:46 PM

This thread is tagged to the wonderful @KingTyrant!

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Flordia sighed.

Great, just great. More lessons. More studying. More annoyingly-proper-princess instructions.

The teenaged princess had just been informed that her studies would be increased, due to the fact that she 'is going to become the next ruler, and a great ruler needs to know everything about their people'. As said by her mother. And maybe that was true, but Flordia really didn't want to be a ruler.

The girl was broken out of her thoughts as her mother walked up, worry on her face. Flordia wasn't surprised, she, too, was a little nervous at the moment. Over the past few days, letters had been arriving at the castle, letters saying that someone was planning to assassinate a member of the royal family. Rumor had it that the letters were speaking of Flordia. After all, she was the sole heir to the throne, and without her, someone non-royal would have to take the throne.
"Your bodyguard has just arrived," her mother said. "You should come and meet him. he's quite intimidating, I'm sure you'll be safe."

Flordia sighed again, but nodded and stood up from where she had been sitting in a widow seat. It wasn't that she didn't think she needed a bodyguard, after all, someone was out to kill her or her parents, it was just that she wasn't really looking forward to having someone trailing her all the time. Always over her shoulder, always there.

"He's quite experienced too," her mother said as they walked down the halls towards the throne room where they would be meeting. "He was a mercenary before this, and he has traveled all over the world."

Suddenly, the world was bright again. He had traveled the world? He was experienced? Flordia couldn't believe it. He would be able to tell her about so many things! He would be able to tell her about different lands and cities and places! Sure, she had read about all that in books, but it would be amazing to hear a first had account of the world through a mercenary's eyes!

They had reached the large oak doors of the throne room and the guards stationed there pulled open the doors, letting Flordia and her mother through.

Flordia looked around the room and she laid eyes on a tall, black haired man standing in the middle of the room. He was dressed completely in steel armor, which was dented and scratched from use, there was also a sword hanging from his hip, and Flordia rushed forward, princess manners forgotten.

"Good day, sir!" she said, sticking out a hand in a very unladylike manner to shake hands with him. "My name is Flordia, Florida Gindien!"

KingTyrant · June 21, 2016, 11:29:03 PM

"The royal family will be delighted to hear that you agreed to their daughter's protection, Mr. Woods..." The messenger who led Leon through the crowded streets told him. Leon responded with a mere grunt, shoving past people carrying sacks of fresh produce and stumbling as children ran between his legs, playing tag and other games of that nature. He rolled his eyes, looking up at the tops of the fancy, sturdy buildings. He cast his gaze forwards, eyes narrowing at the large mass of towers in the distance, indicating the grand castle. "As long as I get paid everything I was promised, I have no issue." He told the messenger, not looking in his direction.

He was confronted at his home in the Thunderblacks, a cave with a makeshift wooden door in the side of the steep rock wall, with a ledge leading up to it. The messenger had been ordered to find someone to carry out the task of protecting the heir to the throne, and Adela was a prime location for sellswords of all shapes and sizes. As he went from tavern to tavern, asking around with every inkeeper and poor farmer he could find, all fingers pointed to one of the most well-known mercenaries in the land of the Dragon-Riders. Leon initially wanted nothing to do with the task, already irritated that his alone time with a bottle of mead and a tavern whore had been interrupted. But when he heard of the reward in store for him if he accepted the job, he couldn't refuse.

And now, here he was. Standing in front of the huge, wooden gate that led to the castle interior, a group of guards in fancy, bronze armor with intricate carvings standing atop the wall and looking down upon the two men. "Who goes there? Nobody comes inside the castle with this talk of assassins going around!" One of the guards shouted, Leon crossing his arms and staring up at them as the messenger cupped his hands around his mouth. "This is our man! He's been sent from the Thunderblacks to protect her Majesty Flordia!" His voice, while high-pitched, was loud enough to reach the guards on the wall, who looked at each other for a moment. "Right... Led him into the throne room! The Queen and Princess should see him shortly!"

The gate slowly fell, chains attached to the steel slowly lowering it over a deep trench and effectively creating a bridge. The merchant led Leon inside, the courtyard rather nice-looking, with green grass, a cobblestone path leading up to the stairs of the main keep, and a large stable full of the royal guard's horses. Leon took in the sights, his brows raised in an impressed manner. Even in a state of emergency, the servants still had the time to keep the courtyard looking pretty. Two more guards opened the doors of the keep as the merchant and Leon headed up the stairs, both men going inside without hesitation into a long, wide corridor lined with stained-glass windows and marble pillars. The floor was made of what seemed like granite, a dark blue carpet leading up to the elegant thrones.

Leon walked to the middle of the room, leaning against a pillar as he took in the sights. The courtyard looked rather pretty. This throne room, however, was just downright pretentious. Talk about showing off your wealth to every poor man out there, barely surviving off stale bread... This was just one of the many reasons he couldn't stand royals. His gaze shot up as he heard another door open, as well as a girl running down in his direction. Here came a new reason to hate royalty. As she frantically threw out her hand, introducing herself with a bit too much enthusiasm, Leon's eyes shot from her hand to her face, scowling slightly. "Leon Woods." He looked up at the Queen, not one once of respect on his face. "Is this your daughter? The one you fear is being targeted?" He asked, raising a brow.

JackieCat · June 21, 2016, 11:35:01 PM

The queen pursed her lips at her daughter's behavior, but nodded at the teenager's newly hired bodyguard.

"Yes," she said, and her eyes grew stern at the look on the man's face. He hadn't even nodded his head to indicate a bow. "And it is your job to prevent that from happening."

Flordia had barely noticed the man's lack of respect, but she raised an eyebrow and lowered her hand when the mercenary, Leon, refused to take it. "No need to be rude," she said, but she didn't sound irritated in the slightest.

"You'll start right away," the queen said, ignoring her daughter. "As soon as you clean up." Her eyes ran over Leon's form. His well-used armor, his all around mercenary appearance.

KingTyrant · June 22, 2016, 12:12:30 AM

Leon gave a nod, glancing at Flordia for a moment before back to the Queen. At first glance, he looked a tad worn from his travels, and that wasn't just the state of his armor. His long, black locks were tied behind his head neatly in a bun, a thick layer of scruff on his face from not being able to shave in awhile. Little specs of dirt were stuck to his skin here and there by sweat, as well as a hint of blood. This wasn't surprising, considering it was common to have to deal with bandits and creatures in the wilderness of Le'raana.

He crossed his arms, giving a grunt. "I suppose I could go for a warm bath and a close shave. And from then on, I'll have my sword at the ready, in case some fool tries to break into your daughter's bed chambers..." He assured her, looking the princess up and down. "Kid. What's your name?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. If he was going to protect this girl, he at least wanted to have something to call her.

JackieCat · June 22, 2016, 12:23:40 AM

Flordia raised an eyebrow again, but she wasn't intimidated, though perhaps she should have been.

"Flordia," she said. "And I-!"

"You'll be shown to your quarters," her mother interrupted. "They're right next to Flordia's."

A moment later a servant entered the room. "Right this way, sir," the young man said, motioning for Leon to follow him. "We have a bath already prepared for you."

KingTyrant · June 23, 2016, 08:37:20 AM

Leon blinked at her, genuinely wondering what nonsense was going to spout from her mouth next. His thoughts were interrupted by the servant, who requested for him to follow. Giving a swift nod, Leon went after him, up the staircase towards his quarters on the second floor of the main keep. As he entered, he was met with a rather fancy room for a mere bodyguard. Beautifully-sewn tapestries and pristine wood foors, a king-sized bed with silk curtains, and portraits on nearly every wall.

Leon took in the sight before centering his attention on the tub near the center of the room, slightly steaming with hot water. Turning towards the servant with his same stern gaze, he gave a nod. "I'll take it from here." He told him, already slipping off his shield and belt, which held his sword. Once the servant had left, Leon undressed fully, removing the tie from his hair and allowing the long, charcoal locks to fall down to his shoulders again. Wincing, he entered the water slowly, sighing in relaxation as he sank to his chest. Closing his eyes, he let his thoughts take over...

He thought mostly about the purpose of him being there. As he arrived in the grand city, the amount of guards on duty were ridiculous. Making rounds throughout the busy street, on every wall, every other building top... It made him wonder why Flordia's family needed to assign her a personal guard of her own. With how many they had, anyone could protect her. Especially the royal guard. From the size of the stable, there had to be many that were qualified to keep her safe. At first, it came to him that his arrival in the city was pointless. That made him angry. But then, another thought came to mind.

Perhaps the royal family suspected that the assassins in question were already in the city. Or even worse, within the castle itself. Someone within the royal guard, no doubt. This idea made Leon's eyes shoot open. He now felt the need to investigate, but he had his orders. Protect the kid. And that's exactly what he planned to do.

JackieCat · June 23, 2016, 09:20:31 AM

"Mother, how am I ever supposed to become a 'good social ruler' if you never let me talk?" Flordia sighed as she walked down the hallway after her mother. "I was just going to ask him about some of his experiences!"

The queen looked at her daughter out of the corner of her eye. "The time for that is later," she said. "And besides, you need to know nothing about him other than the fact that he's going to be protecting you, and that if you think he's doing anything wrong, or to endanger you, you are to come to me or your father."

Florida sighed. "Yes mother."

Then she turned down an adjoining hallway and continued on to her room. She glanced at the door to the room next to her's, Leon's room, before stepping into her own quarters.

They were quite grand, with beautifully woven tapestries on the walls, a large four poster bed, a few couches and chairs, a large desk that was currently strewn with books, papers, quills and ink,. and a large bookshelf lining one wall. Flordia walked over to her bed and flopped down on it, grabbing a book from her bedside table and started to read, at first, it was hard for her to concentrate on the story, even though it was an incredibly good one, but after ten minutes, she was immersed, and probably wouldn't leave until she was interrupted.

KingTyrant · June 24, 2016, 07:27:12 AM

Leon finished his bath, getting out and drying himself off with a towel before hearing a knock at his door. "Come in..." The mercenary sighed, wrapping the towel around his waist before looking towards the door, which opened slowly. The man that walked in was dressed from head to toe in an elegant white doublet, his short, blonde hair parted neatly down the middle. He wore a well-trimmed mustache, a shortsword at his hip. The man walked to Leon, extending his hand. "Edwin Ellion, captain of the royal guard." As per usual, Leon looked down at his hand, narrowing his eyes disapprovingly.

Taking his hand away with raised brows, almost as if he was surprised at Leon's reaction, Edwin placed both hands behind his back before looking Leon in the eyes. "I came to simply offer you a warm welcome to our castle. I assure you that you will find everything here satisfactory." He gave a respectful bow. Leon scoffed. "So far, everything is just as pompous as I expected it to be." He crossed his arms. "These... Assassins. Do you have any information on who they might be?" He asked. Edwin reached into his back pocket. "It's interesting that you mention that... I happen to have a note for you. The latest one delivered to the castle, for the princess herself."

Leon looked down as the captain handed him a rolled-up piece of paper, sealed with wax that was stamped in the shape of the letter K. Unrolling it, Leon's eyes scanned the paper. 'I have been watching you, Flordia. You do not wish to lead your people to greatness. You wish to abandon the life you were given and usurp the legacy of your family. If you were to become queen, the neglect would be unfathomable. You must be terminated. Just seven more days, little whore...' Leon gritted his teeth. Whoever wanted Flordia dead had eyes inside the castle. Which meant that Leon's speculations were turning out to be more and more true as time went on...

It was then that something hit him, and he looked up at the captain with an untrusting glare. "You came to me with this note? Not the queen?" He asked. Edwin raised a brow. "You are her protector, are you not?" He retorted right back. Leon stepped towards him, a growl in his voice. "And she is her mother!" He crumpled the note, tossing it into the corner of the room as the captain began to shake. "Here's what I think... You didn't want the queen to know about such a direct threat, because all she would do is tighten security. That would interfere with you and your little conspirator's plans, yeah?" He accused. Edwin's eyes widened. "W-What!? I-I never!" He protested. "But you don't want someone finding out that you hid such an important note, so in your defense, you show it to me instead. Someone with much less authority." Leon continued to throw his accustations, the captain narrowing his eyes in pure fury as he pointed his finger towards the mercenary.

"You listen here... I would never do anything to hurt her majesty... I have been a good friend to the Gindiens for many years! These accustations are baseless, and I am within my right to alert the queen of this outrageous outburst!" The man hissed at Leon, pressing his finger against his chest as he spat at him over and over. Leon bared his teeth, his pupils narrowing into slits as he grabbed him around the collar. "And I'm within my right to snap your puny little neck for laying a finger on me. You act suspicious, make an enemy out of the princess' personal guardian, and expect me to trust you simply because you're some snot-nosed royal guard?" He asked, almost lifting Edwin off the ground. "And to top it all off, you lay your grubby mitts on me as if I'm your child!" He let go of Edwin, throwing him from the room and against a wall.

Edwin shook, glaring at him. "Y-You're an animal..." He murmured. Leon scoffed. "You don't know the half of it." With this, he slammed the door, Edwin brushing himself off before storming away.

JackieCat · June 24, 2016, 03:16:35 PM

Flordia was still reading when she heard a commotion in the room next to her. She got up and, leaving her book on her bed, left her room and walked to Leon's door. It was oepn, and she was about to step inside when she heard her name amogst the angry voices and she stopped, staying out of sight around the door frame as they spoke.

They were arguing, and quite loudly. Flordia recognized the voice of Captain Ellion, and he didn't seem to be happy. It seemed like Leon was accusing Edwin of something, accusing him of being in on the death threats she had been receiving.

Then Edwin was thrown from the room, hitting the opposite wall. Flordia gasped, but the captain didn't notice her as he got up and stormed away.

Leon had slammed the door, and Flordia stepped up to it, knocking hard on the wood. She needed to know what this was about! And it didn't even cross her mind to go get her parents, or another of the Royal Guard. It may not have been the wisest choice, but Flordia was reckless, like her brothers. One of which had been banished, and the other who had run away.

KingTyrant · June 27, 2016, 11:39:17 AM

As Leon got on his armor, he grumbled quietly at the knocks on his door. Had that snotty guard come back to argue even more? Or had Flordia been eavesdropping on the arguement? Either way, it was going to be annoying. That much was true. "I'll be right there..." He said unenthusiastically, Slipping on his boots and gauntlets, approaching the door. He paused, thinking for a moment... Flordia seemed eager to talk to him about something downstairs, so that would be something else he would be looking forward to.

He grasped the doorknob, turning it slowly and hesitantly. Closing his eyes as he opened the door, all he could imagine was Flordia jumping in his face and talking nonstop. Instinctively, as soon as she was allowed access to the room, he backed off, turning to the dresser, where his belt, sword, and sheathe were laying. "What do you want, kid?" He asked, tying the belt around his waist. He turned in her direction, his animalistic gaze locked on hers. "Or were you just bored and you felt the need to bother me?"

JackieCat · June 28, 2016, 09:54:10 AM

It was a moment before the door opened, but Flordia waited. When it finally swung open, it was to see Leon turning back to his equipment lying on the dresser.

At his question, Flordia crossed her arms. "I do have a name, you know," she said, but she continued without waiting for an answer. "And no, as you seem to believe, my only aim in life is not to annoy you, I wanted to know what your argument with Edwin was about." She paused, before adding. "And I don't know what kind of person you are, or if you'd do this, but please don't lie to me. I'm sick of being lied to by people as it is."

KingTyrant · June 28, 2016, 06:46:50 PM

Leon listened to her speak, sitting on his bed and running a hand through his hair, which was still wet from his bath. He tried tuning out her whining and crying regarding him not addressing her by her name and his accusations of her just being there to irritate him, but it was when she began asking about his argument with Edwin that he started to listen. Giving a soft sigh, he shook his head. Just when he was about to answer her honestly, she made a request that aggrivated Leon slightly.

"... Have you ever considered that people may have lied to you to protect you? Flordia?" It was the first time that he had used her name, and it was obviously in a spiteful manner. It was true, though. Flordia was young, and her mother, father, and even her own servants knew for a fact that at her young age, she was not prepared to deal with the harsh reality of life. Every threat she had recieved from these unknown assassins, all the responsibilities she would have as the queen of her nation, war, famine, disease... It had all been hidden from her with her age being the main factor of it all.

He got up, walking towards her. Once he was only a few feet away from her, her head only coming up to his chest, he narrowed his eyes. "The kind of person I am, is someone you don't wanna get to know. I've hurt a lot of people, and I don't have friends. I don't desire to have friends. I can't keep friends." He growled, glaring into her eyes. "But I've been around long enough to read some people like an open book. You're a child who can't handle the truth. If I told you what me and Edwin were arguing about, you'd be scared out of your mind. Believe it or not, my job didn't include scaring you half to death. Now leave. One of the servants told me that dinner would be ready very soon."

Leon didn't want to admit that maybe, in some way, shape, or form, that he didn't want to scare her because he actually cared about her feelings.

JackieCat · June 28, 2016, 10:23:03 PM

"I have," she said when he spoke. "And I agree that some of it is to protect me, that most of it is."

She didn't move when he walked up to her, and she looked up at him as he continued to speak. "I know what you're saying, I do, but I don't need to be kept in the dark about everything, I don't need to be ignored and protected about everything," she kept her voice steady. "And it's okay to lie to me about some things, I get that, but this has to do with me, with my life, or my death, and I think I deserve to know at least that. I'm trying not to be bitter about this, but it's hard when my mother hardly even acknowledges me as a person, and not lust the heir to the throne, and it's hard when nobody tells me anything about the assassination threats, or why someone even wants to kill me."

KingTyrant · June 30, 2016, 09:06:16 AM

She was stubborn, that was for sure. All Leon could do was stop and rub his eyes in annoyance when she kept going on about wanting to know what the commotion between him and Edwin was about. He was hoping that he could have the last word and head downstairs without anymore discussion on the subject. He guessed that was now out of the picture. Removing the note from his bag, he turned to her and pressed it against her chest, narrowing his eyes in her direction.

"You want to know what the argument was about? Read it. Read what's on there and ask yourself if your mother deserved to know before I did." He told her, regretting that he handed her the extremely personal letter to begin with. He could see it now... The hyperventilating, the crying and panicking... Then again, she seemed a lot tougher than most children he encountered. That was a plus. It meant that she wasn't completely helpless. "Then ask yourself if that bastard is really on your side."

The accusations were bold, but in times like these, when the threat of an assassination was all too real, Leon couldn't be too careful. Especially not as Flordia's protector. Heading downstairs to escape the confrontation, he was confronted by one of the servants from earlier as soon as he entered the throne room. "Ah! Mr. Woods, I was just about to go and retrieve you... I hope the bath was to your liking?" He asked. Leon gave a nod. "It was fine." He replied. The servant gave a smile, gesturing for him to follow. "Great... Come. Dinner has been prepared."

Leon did as he asked, following him into a rather fancy dining room with a fireplace, chandelier, and a full feast set up at the table, where the King and Queen were to be seated. As appetizing as the food looked, the thought of such pampering was a disgusting one, in his eyes. As the servant pulled his chair out for him, he gave a heavy huff. It was when he sat that he realized he was right across from Edwin and what looked to be the Queen's political advisor. The two didn't exchange words, just hateful glares.

JackieCat · June 30, 2016, 10:07:22 AM

For a moment, Flordia was sure he wasn't going to tell her, and she was about to say something when he gave her the note. She took it.

"Wait, he didn't give this to my mother?" But he was leaving the room. She contemplated going after him, but then she looked down at the mostly crumpled letter in her hand. She took a breath and unfolded it. As she read, her breath hitched in her throat, she had prepared herself for this, expected this, but it was still somewhat scary to read it herself, read the actual note left by a killer, or someone who hoped to become one. She took a deep breath and scanned the letter again. She was scared, sure, but that wasn't even the worst bit.

The worst part was, they were right.

If she would become queen, she would be a terrible one. Sure, she would try, because she did care about her people, but her heart wouldn't be in it, and a ruler needed to be one hundred percent invested in their kingdom.

Flordia did not cry, her eyes didn't even wet, but if they had, it wouldn't have been out of fear for her life, but fear for what she would do. She couldn't become queen, it wouldn't be right. Not for her, not for her people, but what could she do.

"Dinner is ready, Your Majesty."

Flordia jumped and spun around to see a servant standing int he still open doorway. The girl quickly composed herself and nodded. "Thank you, Alris, I'll be right there."

With a bow, the servant left the room. Flordia put the letter into one of the pockets in the skirt of her gown and left Leon's room, closing the door behind her.

She went down to the dining room and found Leon and Edwin already seated. She quickly studied Edwin's face, trying to see anything out of the ordinary there, and found him to be glaring at Leon. Not a surprise, but was he the one sending the threats?

Looking away, she took her place next to her parents' seats. After a few moments they entered, and Flordia, Edwin, and everyone else at the table stood. Flordia looked at Leon. Would he stand?

KingTyrant · July 07, 2016, 08:41:18 AM

The glares exchanged between Edwin and Leon were met with little words, but were ceased as Flordia walked in. Edwin's expression lit up, the guard's attention being taken off the mercenary as he stood to greet the princess with a bow. Leon scoffed silently, his pupils narrowing into slits at Edwin's unsettlingly respectful aura towards her. It was like the dog knew that Leon had revealed the note to her... Hopefully, that would be an aspect that Flordia didn't go rambling on about to anyone else in the room.

As the rest of the royal family entered, Leon barely even noticed. He was too busy examining his fancy silverware and plate, a vase in the middle of the table stocked with flowers from all over Le'raana. Even a gorgeous, multi-colored rose from the heart of Adela. The province he wished he was in right about now. His gaze finally lifted to see Edwin, the queen's advisor, and basically everyone else giving him nasty looks. He scowled slightly, wondering why everyone burned a hole in his skull.

Turning his head to the side, he caught view of the queen and her king, a gentleman whom Leon hadn't had the pleasure (or displeasure) of meeting yet. He looked back at the judging faces of the others around him, Edwin looking more shocked and dumbfounded that Leon hadn't figured out that he needed to stand yet. The truth was, he did know. He was simply debating whether or not he should. As much as he'd rather dine with pigs than bow to some snotty royalty, he was surrounded by ladies and gentlemen with swords and regal armor. It would be wise to not ask for a fight from anyone here.

Giving a heavy sigh, he placed his hands on the table and stood, his chair scraping against the stone floor as he pushed it back some. Crossing his arms, he gave a disgruntled huff, Edwin just sighing in relief. "Dimwit..." He spat in Leon's direction quietly.

JackieCat · July 07, 2016, 08:49:21 AM

It would have been hard not to notice the tension in the room as her parents entered.

Everyone stood, but it seemed that Leon was taking his time in deciding if he should stay seated or not. Flordia, unlike the others, was not glaring at Leon, but rather watching him curiously, her interest outweighing any offence she may have had.

Then he stood, and it was almost as if everyone at the table let out a collective sigh. Then the king and queen sat down, the other's at the table following suit.

"How has you're day been, Mr. Woods?" the king asked, looking over at Leon. Everyone at the table's attention was on the two. "Though it hasn't been long that you've been here, I suppose you must have gotten a feel for the place?"

KingTyrant · July 07, 2016, 09:52:17 AM

When Leon sat, he took a pose that most would see as anti-social. His fingers intertwined, he sat with a hunch in his back, leaning his head on his hands as the others socialized. He said absolutely nothing until the king finally addressed him. At that moment, pretty much all conversation ceased, everyone's attention focused on Leon's reply. It took awhile for the mercenary to say anything back, but when he finally did reply, it surprisingly wasn't a simple one-word response like Leon had planned on giving to any question these people threw his way.

"I feel..." He began, Edwin's face contorting slightly as he expected Leon to be stupid enough to reply with something hateful. Perhaps that was mostly because of the tongue-lashing he had recieved earlier on upstairs. "I feel welcomed. That's all I can really say." Leon finished, not even bothering to look at the king. "Surprising... I had no idea elves were so accepting to Adelan mercenaries. It's a nice change of pace, to not be distrusted everywhere you go." He added. The queen's advisor chuckled, leaning over to peer at Leon.

"Well, you have quite the astounding track record... Who better to protect her majesty than someone of your particular talents? Here, we like to make sure that anyone willing to help us, no matter what race or walk of life they come from is treated with the upmost respect." She explained. The woman had short, curly hair and an elegant red dress, her eyes a dark green color and her skin slightly sun-kissed. She held out her hand to Leon. "Nalda. Advisor to the queen and to a lesser extent, the king of this land."

Leon's piercing, wolf-like gaze shifted to her, the man holding out his hand to shake hers. "A pleasure meeting someone of such beauty and class. It's very rare that a lady talks to me like you have now. Again, a nice change of pace." With that, he leaned in, planting a kiss on her wrist in a charming fashion. A giggle escaped her lips, a slight blush on her cheeks as she pulled away. "And I thought you at first to be a common brute... How silly of me." Leon's original viewpoint of castles and royal life slowly began to alter as he saw the people's desperate attempts to befriend him and get on his good side. These royals were not like most. They were more accepting of outsiders. They talked like any common man. That was something good to see.

A servant approached Leon, who was still giving a charming smile to Nalda right across the table, Edwin looking simply disgusted. He tapped his shoulder, Leon turning with narrowed eyes to the servant, who took a step back in slight intimidation. Seeing who it as, Leon sent his gaze forwards, taking his original stance as he gave a slight grunt, almost as if giving the signal for him to start talking. "Forgive the interruption, Mr. Woods... Our meal tonight includes venison from the Wester Highlands of Serendipity as well as a side of salad and diced, seasoned potatoes. Is... There any particular way we shall have your meat prepared?" He asked, quill and notebook in hand. Leon didn't look at him, uttering a word that caused Nalda and Edwin's eyes to go wide.

"Raw."

The servant paused for a moment, not really writing anything down as he tilted his head at the man. "Erm... Excuse me sir, I must be hearing things. I could've sworn I heard you request for us to serve you raw meat." He laughed, thinking that Leon's reply was a simple misunderstanding. "I did." Leon said, looking at the servant with a slight growl, becoming annoyed. The servant gave a confused, but accepting look as he wrote down what he needed to write down before moving on to the others. Edwin and Nalda were still befuddled, for lack of a better word.

JackieCat · July 07, 2016, 10:19:15 AM

Flordia observed all of the happenings before her in silence. That was how she knew most of the things she knew about what was going on in the kingdom. By listening. She had learned that she got more answers if she didn't ask so many questions, and just found out things for herself.

And now she was watching Leon apparently flirting with one of the royal advisors. She hadn't put him down to be the flirty type, but he did indeed seem surprised at how he was being treated here.

Like the others, her eyes widened upon hearing Leon ask for raw meat. Her parents hadn't noticed, they were busy talking with another advisor seated next to them, but Flordia looked at Leon curiously. Who ate raw meat? Was it some sort of mercenary-toughness thing? Or was uncooked meat just Leon's preference?

The princess was broken out of her thoughts as the servant taking the orders reached her. She stated her order and the man moved on as Florida brought her attention back to Leon. He wasn't sitting far from her, Nalda was the only one between them.

Flordia was dying to ask him questions about his travels, but that would have to wait until later, she supposed, as she attempted to make small talk.

"Excuse me," she addressed Leon. "Do you prefer to be called 'Leon', 'Mr. Woods', or some other title?"

She had been calling him Leon this whole time, and the princess part of her hoped he wouldn't mind that she hadn't asked sooner.

KingTyrant · July 09, 2016, 08:18:43 AM

Leon looked around at the shocked faces, not seeming to care much about it whatsoever. It was odd, yes. However, ever since he was a child, he couldn't bare eating cooked meat. His primal, wolf-like side couldn't stand the greasy, somewhat charred taste of food that had been put over a fire. It was simply disgusting. He glanced over at Flordia slowly as she uttered her question to him. It was one that felt rather stupid to Leon. She had been calling him by his first name ever since he arrived and he hadn't corrected her once. Why would he force her to start calling him, 'Mr. Woods' all of a sudden so late in the day?

"Leon will suffice." He answered simply, looking forwards once more. It took a long time for him to say something else, the room oddly silent as Edwin and Nalda shared unreadable looks between each other. Leon finally turned his full attention to Flordia, yellow eyes narrowed. "I have my own question, if you don't mind me asking..." He said, turning in his chair to face her. Without waiting for her acknowledgment, he began. "What name should I give to you? Your Highness, Your Majesty, or do you want me to finally recognize that you have a damned name, unlike everyone else in this castle?" He asked.

Edwin gritted his teeth at what he presumed was disrespect to the throne, Nalda's eyes widening at Leon's words. "Your Majesty." He hissed at Leon, his fists clenched around the tablecloth. Leon glared at him, Edwin leaning in close to the mercenary's face. "You will address the princess as Your Majesty and Your Highness. I believe it is time that you showed an inch of respect towards royalty, dog." He spat harshly, Leon not reacting with nearly as much anger. He looked back at Flordia, giving a nod. "Or, you could let the princess decide for herself. Last time I checked, she has a voice. Let her use it." He advised to Edwin, leaning in close to his face as well. "Dog." At this point, Edwin was boiling, almost ready to knock Leon's lights out.