Moral Support for the Masses [Draconian]

[AevumEternity]

Major Hakon Kilandre stood waist deep in the ocean of long green grass, allowing the feathered tails of plant-life to brush her fingertips with each small wave. She glances down the small sloping hill to te make-shift parade grounds. Already small crowds from the city had flooded out to observe her heavy cavalry's training wargames. For the young men left, it provided a dense of pride and thoughtfulness- did they want to join the armed forces if this is what it had to offer? For the women, a sense of reassurance, if their men fought beside such fearsome warriors, they were sure to be safe! And for the children... Well the children just loved seeing the animals used- most were too aggressive for all but handlers and riders to approach but occasionally the children would have the oppurtunity to touch a creature.

It brought a wry smile to Hakon's lips as she observed. She supposed this would be Ansgar's Hand's community service to the capital. Keeping eyes off of the duke so for a brief few days the populace could delight in Connlaoth's military might. She wondered vaguely if the duke even knew what was happening in the population, if he even cared. Since his election, he had hardened the laws against mages and magic-craft, her own estate having been raided once or twice due to the unnatural appearance of the Theocog. At one point they attempted to seize a colt, she had never been so infuriated yet thankfully all ended well.

Still- closing her eyes, she placed a hand against her white mount's thick neck, receiving an affectionate whinny and nip from her loyal Purgatorio. She knew the system would be overhauled with the close of this war, she simpy had to decide for which side she valued the survival of more.

[Draconian]

Sunniva always felt like she was being paraded around like some sort of Puppet when they requested a White Lily to an event. Show the unity of The Church or some such bullocks. Still, she was decked in only the finest. A sight in white and gold. While she wasn't the strongest by any sense of the word, she was the highest ranking. Her father the Duke of Folkvar. She herself with a number of successful missions.

Mostly recently she'd returned from dismantling a heretic church run by a mage. Though little was known about it except that she'd been returned without her guard by a priest and a horse.

Astride a white steed, covered in metal regalia of wings and halos, Sunniva's armor glinted the sunlight. A white hood to cover her blind eyes, silver armor. Her shield strapped to her back and her mace at her side. Most was, of course, decorative, and while functional, it was too pokey and too... Fancy to be practical. A little guidance from her caretakers, Sunniva rode up beside Hakon.

Beside the woman and her beast, Sunniva looked little more than a child.

"From what I hear, it's going well," She stated simply, voice surprisingly strong, "Have you been well? Married yet? Children? Or did your parents finally name you heir because you're so much like a son?" She paused, smirking before turning slightly like she were to look at Hakon, a natural movement - she'd not always been without eyes. There was only one White Lily knight with no eyes and with so few, Sunniva made no move to introduce herself.

[AevumEternity]

Offering a wry smile at the familiar voice, she turns slightly, crooning," Ah, Sunniva- it's been so long, you look just as adorable as the day I left," chuckling lightly she patiently answers," I've been well, it's complicated regarding love-life nonsense, children... Maybe after I am dead and I became heir the moment my parents perished to the Plague." chortling humorously nonetheless, she tilts her head to one side.

" I see they dressed you up quite nicely, how have you enjoyed being paraded around like a Saint? You're almost there any way," she teases gently. Sunniva was definitely one of the Knights that she had a good view of, not so hoity-toity and pristine as the other sisters. It was quite refreshing- perhaps someday she'd inquire as to whether the woman would join the grunts and strongmen of Ansgar's Hand in wreaking havoc in only the heaviest armor.

[Draconian]

Adorable.

Sunniva smiled at that.

It was a far away smile and she turned away briefly. Though she lifted an unseen eyebrow at 'complicated', which clearly meant 'more than nothing'. Interesting. "Well, only the prettiest and noble of us get to be paraded around. The other Duke's daughter has appeared to have gone missing," She smiled and turned back forward, tilting her head. Voice exasperated.

Mostly, Sunniva wanted to cuddle her dog and sleep longer.

Sadly, the Church had to make an appearance and it was a vision in white.

Sunniva sighed, armor shifting noisily. Such a bother. "You've been well though?" She started, figuring making small talk was better than sitting awkwardly on their beasts and just... Looking important.  "You sound..." Sunniva paused, trying to find a word, "Older. A little tired. You'd much rather be reading a book, wouldn't you, Hakon."

[AevumEternity]

" I'm afraid aging is a part of being human," she jokes gently, but runs a hand through her willowy hair, forcing a dry smile though Sunniva could obviously not observe it. Swaying gently by focusing her weight first on one foot, then the other, she watches the crowds in silence before answering.

" Maybe just... lying down without being worried about a messenger coming with news from the front for once would be nice- not having to tally casualties and balance that with concern for the People themselves... Would be nice," she admits quietly, tilting her head slightly, chuckling as Purgatorio's soft lips pull lightly upon the back of her robes, forcing her to take a steadying step.

" So I assume the other future duchess flounced off with a lover or simply died? That's usually the case, isn't it? What of you? What has happened in these long years passed?"

[Draconian]

Sunniva frowned and she reached over with her hand and gave Hakon a pat on the head - of course she had to reach a little, still sitting atop her horse. It was an effort to get off of the beast and, even though it was covered in fancy armor, the horse simply shifted his stance and chewed on his bit. "Seems silly, to concern yourself with casualties. There is a war," Sunniva's voice was steely, "People are going to die." It was a dismissive tone, a hard truth and she pursed her lips and turned to Hakon, mouth open slightly, before she smirked.

"Future duchess?" Sunniva laughed, "Perhaps, yes, perhaps she ran off and married a duke." The idea of Sunniva being a duchess made her chuckle more than the other White Lily running off to get married. Perhaps in a different life, her father would have married her off to another Duke to strengthen their houses, but... As it were. "I have been cloistered, more or less, You know we're not to marry. We're nuns, Hakon. I've been cloistered since I was a child and I will die there. So, not a lot. Besides being dressed up and made to look pretty at Events."

Sunniva didn't tell her of her journey, kept her mouth shut. While it was no secret, it wasn't a tale the other woman needed to know.  "Perhaps it was good that you managed to leave, otherwise the Chuch may have laid claim to your land."

[AevumEternity]

Hakon chuckles, reaching up to rest her hand over Sunniva's," I could care less of the faces, the names- it is the numbers that worries me. If we reach zero within the living, we are quite damned, hm?" dropping her hand again, she muses softly.

" Another reason I was dropped so quickly, I refuse to give up what my family has left, perhaps the priests will learn you can be a zealot but not give up... All material possession." she smirks vaguely, looking up at Sunniva," You've gotten stronger, haven't you? I can feel it- you nearly broke my neck." teasing playfully

[Draconian]

A tilt of her head and she slipped her hand away, the metal against metal hissing. A purse of her lips. If she didn't care about who, then why did she tally? Didn't Hakon have more important things to do? Things to plan? A tilt of her head and Sunniva kept quiet, thinking. Chin forward before she tucked her chin down, reaching up to adjust her hood.

More often than not the sight of her eyeless face was more off putting than anything. So, in effort to appear as little more than a pretty bauble on a horse, she smoothed her hands over the hood and shifted her shoulders. "Stronger?" She quipped, turning to Hakon again, a smirk and she shrugged, "Probably not," It took a moment before Sunniva smoothed her hand over the horses neck, carefully, mostly so she didn't accidentally kick Hakon in the head, she removed herself from her horse and stood.

A vision in white and gold.

The epitome of 'Knight of the White Lily.' Sunniva stood beside Hakon, tilting her head, "It wouldn't matter how strong I may be, I am small," She smirked and reached a hand to pat Hakon's arm, "and I've accepted the fact I'll never be a man," Sunniva perked up, "Have you yet? Accepted that?"

[AevumEternity]

Chuckling faintly, resting her hands upon her gently sloping hips, she shook her head," absolutely not- a man who wants to challenge me a contest in masculinity will certainly lose if he cannot don the armor I do each day without falling over. Then comes the test of who is more willing to run individually into a horde of foes. Honestly Sunniva, I think I emasculate most of the men I meet simply by being stronger physically," she chortles faintly.

Tilting her head toward Purgatoio, the massive Theocog lifted jis head to swing it over, knickering affectionately as his soft nose carefully brushed Sunniva's cheek- as if attempting not to break her by greeting her too harshly," Purgatorio missed you- he needs some relationship advice-" chortling as she chirps," He's got his eye on a bitch of a mare, poor guy has been getting smacked in the nose more times then when he was just a foal."

[Draconian]

This was possibly the only woman in the entire country that would be happy about making a man frightened. Sunniva was curious as to what good it did. Obviously Hakon wasn't worried about... Lady things. Was Sunniva? A purse of her lips while her mind trailed off, her fingers scratching at the fancy armor at her thigh where her hand rested. It was a curiosity.  Though, she supposed, being raised outside the church had something to do with it. Probably why she'd been... Relieved of her White Lily status.

Sunniva was pulled from her musings by a velvety nose and she turned her head quickly, jerking in surprise at the touch. A moment of panic before her brain caught up with her animal instincts. Purgatorio.  Gently, her hand moved up, pressing her palm to his nose, moving to gently trail along his face until she found his cheek to give it friendly scritches. "I'm probably the worst person to ask about relationship advice," she smiled, " But, if she's mean to you she might not be worth your time, Love." She said to the theocog, hand still on his cheek, "Sometimes, even if you really want something, it just isn't worth it in the end." Sunniva leaned in and gave Purgatorio a kiss on his soft nose, "Besides, if you ignore her, maybe she'll miss the attention and come around." Another scritch to his cheek and she pulled away.

"So you've both gotten bigger since last we met," Sunniva teased, turning her head instinctively for the conversation. "How are your endeavors? Suitors?" A smirk, "You're not a nun or bound to the church now that you're not a Lily." Sunniva leaned in, "Unless you've kept your vows as a nun." Which had usually been step one of White Lily-hood. Being a nun. The vow of chastity. The chastity that, supposedly, kept them Adhara. A belief that Sunniva knew to be a lie.