Looking Out (cont.) [[Open]]

As soon as they turned the bend and were about to enter the Bazaar, Rodyn stopped for a moment, looking in awe at everything the place had to offer. It was quite majestic, for a rowdy place. In all his times traveling back and forth between this city, Rodyn had never once stopped to come to this place. The crowds, noise, and even smells had been a turn off for a younger, more rebellious self. Now, he could appreciate the kind of beauty that came with this place.

"And here we stand, before the grand and mighty Bazaar of Kreine. Know much about this place? Because this is my first time here.. Oh, wow, they really do sell everything here..!"

Trying to appear calm and focus wasn't working out for Rodyn. He was actually excited to be in a place such as this. His travels had led him far and wide, and had opened broader horizons for him. Only one ting was on his mind at the moment though.

The growl from his stomach was pretty loud.

He laughed a bit nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah..haha. Excuse me. It's just been a while since I last ate.. Hey, d'ya want anything? My treat!" He let his nose lead him to a stall, waiting for Brielle to follow him. In a moment, he would be led to a stall where one of the greater joys of giving up the life of a monk would be presented for the two.

Fire-spitted roasted pieces of meat, wrapped in a bread that had been dunked in honey and roasted as well. All of it skewered on a stick, giving the meat an earthy and toasty taste, the honey and added bonus. Reaching under his cloaks, Rodyn fished around for his purse, pulling out several pieces of coins.

"A small platter for the lady and I. We're famished." He may have been speaking for the both of them, and he probably even ignored whatever Brielle had said. All he knew is that he wanted some of this food, and that it would be rude not to order enough for the both of them.

Rodyn led the way to a small bench that was sitting in a corner next to the stall, and only moments latter someone brought them their food. Offering Brielle a seat, he sat on the opposite end of the bench, letting the food sit between the both of them.

"Well? Go ahead, try it. If it tastes as delicious as it smells..." Picking up the first piece of meat, Rodyn held the skewer at both ends using both hands, biting down in the middle of the bread and meat, taking out a huge chunk and chewing for a quite a while, enjoying the flavor of the food. "This...has to be one of the better breakfasts I've ever had.."

He smiled as he ate, looking over to Brielle. "So uh.. what are you doing around here? Just in search of some adventure?" He figured they had spent enough time together for now. Perhaps she would give him some sort of explanation? If not, he'd be alright with that, but still. He had his curiosities.

"And here we stand, before the grand and mighty Bazaar of Kreine. Know much about this place? Because this is my first time here.. Oh, wow, they really do sell everything here..!"

Rodyn was quite amused with the place, Brielle could tell. She smiled a bit before noticing that the bazaar had a foul odor to it that she just had to ignore. It was quite hard at first but she learned how to get used to it. She wasn't a snob but how she wished for a shower or some cologne at the moment.

"I haven't seen items like this, in a while." Brielle spoke, examining the quality of the tinkers and other objects the bazaar had in store for them. It was odd to see items with such fine quality. Her father travelled far and wide to fetch her the finest objects so she learned which are of good value and which aren't. The prices weren't exactly unfair either, they got most of the things right.

She smiled as she took a glance at some of the dresses. Some styles were alien and foreign, things she's only seen in books. Others were a bit more modernized. Some looked like costumes and others were just plain hideous. Brielle chuckled of the idea of her or her stepmother wearing something as peculiar as some of the apparel featured in the bazaar.

"Ah..haha. Excuse me. It's just been a while since I last ate.. Hey, d'ya want anything? My treat!" Rodyn looked as though as he was definitely starving. He even found his way to a stall, with her trailing after him. Brielle smiled a bit noticing that she was a bit hungry too. She'd have to miss breakfast at the castle but she wasn't sure if the King would mind or not. He had given her freedom after all.

"If you insist on paying then I guess I don't have a choice." Brielle said, smiling softly as he ordered. The food that was being cooked wasn't familiar to her and she wasn't sure if she wanted to try something new. There was nothing else on the menu, and if there was she hadn't noticed.


"A small platter for the lady and I. We're famished." He said before leading them to a table. They sat on opposite ends, letting the food sit in the middle. It smelled pretty good, if Brielle would comment but she was a bit shy to.

"Well? Go ahead, try it. If it tastes as delicious as it smells..." Brielle observed him as he picked it up with both hands and sunk his teeth in the middle of the bread and meat. He bit it and started chewing. Brielle wasn't used to eating without any silverware so she tried her hardest to eat it without getting any crumbs or bits onto her. "This...has to be one of the better breakfasts I've ever had.."

"This...Mmmm....This is pretty good." She was delighted that it didn't taste horrid at all, much to her surprise. She actually enjoyed the flavor as it danced across her taste-buds. It was a bit exotic and she adored it. She set it back down on her plate to dab the corners of her mouth with her hanky.

She glanced back at Rodyn, happily eating. He then started talking again.

"So uh.. what are you doing around here? Just in search of some adventure?"

"Oh, um...I'm not really that adventurous. I just had some free time today and my caretaker isn't that strict with me." She said smiling brightly, admitting that she wasn't exactly adventurous. She had accomplished being out in the open, though she hadn't done it on her own. "My parents would never let me out, and I'm pretty sure they'd scold me for letting myself free from their so called 'safety'. I personally adore my father and step-mother, and I'd hate to disobey them, but since I have already done so I doubt that I could turn back." She sighed as she took another bite. "It's nice to get out though, this is the first time I have ever explored." She wasn't sure it was okay to say those things. He might find out who she was and she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

While eating and nodding as he listened to Brielle, he watched her as she carefully took care of herself while eating. Here was no common girl. Perhaps she was the child of one of the wealthier families around her. He smiled as she explained how she had no freedom where she lived, and how she was confined by her parents. Rodyn definitely understood that feeling. In fact, it was around her age that he had left the monastery.

He remembered back to when she was admiring things of beauty, vases, urns, dresses, jewelry - all the things a girl loves to imagine herself owning or wearing. He then remembered how she carried herself and her mannerisms. Not like you had anything else to do today, Rodyn. Pick pockets and thugs would find her a gold mine.. Unless we can change how she looks!

Finishing up with the food, he went over to the stall to get some drinks also. Bringing over two cups, he handed one over to Brielle. He smiled as she took it, in order to comfort her about it. Too many different things in one day could often intimidate someone.

"Don't worry, nothing crazy at all. Just some water to wash this food down. Say, listen, I had an idea. Couldn't help but notice you observing some clothing before. Wanna try some of them? Y'know, just for fun."

Rodyn offered her his right hand to help her get up with a smile. He wanted to make her look more like a common girl, a girl out for the day to try new things, and try on clothing she'd normally never wear. If this was a rare opportunity for this girl to get out, he was going to try and make it an exciting day for, as much as he could. He'd stay close to her, and make sure no one tried to take advantage or try to harm this girl. It was the least he could do for her company. It had been much too long since he had any interaction with anyone.

After they had finished their food, Rodyn left to get them drinks. She sat there to ponder on how much information she just told him. She looked up at the sky to know that it was morning, probably a bit earlier than eight but later than seven. Perhaps it was seven thirty? She wasn't exactly aware of the time but she knew she had to be home before lunch.

"Thank you" She said as he smiled once she took the cup from him. She took the drink with both hands and sipped it slowly. She then let go of it with her left hand and set it down with her right hand, careful to not make any noise as she set it down. She finished up the cup of liquid.

"Don't worry, nothing crazy at all. Just some water to wash this food down. Say, listen, I had an idea. Couldn't help but notice you observing some clothing before. Wanna try some of them? Y'know, just for fun."

A man? Suggesting to shop and try on clothing? She knew how much her father and other male attendants hated it when her mother told them to pick up clothes or comment on apparel from the seamstress. This was unusual behavior for a guy, she thought but perhaps men outside of the castle were fond of doing this.

She smiled, nodding her head. She indeed wanted to try on some of the clothes. The gown she was wearing was a bit ordinary and just plain stood out. It was heavy too, compared to the clothes the other people wore. She decided that trying on new dresses and other styles would be a good addition to the day. She remembered she did have some pocket money that she could spend.

"If you wouldn't mind, then yes, I'd be delighted to do that." She said enthusiastically, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her smile was worn soft still, knowing it would be inappropriate to grin like an idiot. She had perfect self-control and people admired her for that. At the same time, it seemed natural and she liked it that way.

She was trained to act that way, afterall.

Helping Brielle to her feet, Rodyn tucked his hands in his sides and led the way back to some of the clothing stalls. As they made their way there, he returned the platter and cups back to the stall owner, thanking him for the meal. He had picked up his things, making sure everything was securely strapped to himself. They passed a lot of other food stalls offering all sorts of foods, and well as stall selling 'antique' objects, things such as fine elven wood-workings, or vases and carpets by master craftsmen.

When they reached the clothing stalls, however, it was much larger than he had anticipated.

"W..Wow. Really? People need this much clothing? Aha..hahaha. Have to say, I'm kind of intimidated by the amount of clothing available!" Rodyn rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed by the way he was acting, but he was used to a spartan kind of living, carrying and using only what was necessary when he needed to travel. He'd never had to settle in one place for too long, and even when he did, he always stayed at temporary lodgings, or camped outside.

He stood in what he assumed to be the center of the clothing area, tilting his head to the side.

"There's...so much clothing. Anything you want to try out specifically? Oh, wow, this.. haha. I thought I'd be able to help you out here, but uh.. guess I'm kind of useless, eh? I mean, heck, look at what I'm wearing!" He lifted his arms up so that he was standing in a bit of a T-pose, turning his shoulders side to side to show his dusty clothing off.

"Aren't I the fashion connoisseur, huh? Hey, that place over there has some nice dresses. Rodyn pointed to a stall that were selling some dresses that people normally wore in other lands. They weren't provocative at all, but they had beautiful tendering done to them.

"You try on a few dresses, I'll tell you what I think.. uh, if my opinion even means anything. Go on, go on, don't let my embarrassment stop you from having fun!"

"W..Wow. Really? People need this much clothing? Aha..hahaha. Have to say, I'm kind of intimidated by the amount of clothing available!" She knew it. He wasn't much of a shopper. Brielle giggled as he was somehow unused to the life of shopping and taking in plenty of closet material. She shook her head as if to tell him that he had no idea on how much clothing a girl needed.

The stalls were definitely more filled out from the center of the clothing area. She saw things that she didn't have time to view and she blushed deeply as there were definitely some dresses that she had wanted to try on. She wondered if he actually wanted to do this for a second and she smiled as he started to talk again.

"There's...so much clothing. Anything you want to try out specifically? Oh, wow, this.. haha. I thought I'd be able to help you out here, but uh.. guess I'm kind of useless, eh? I mean, heck, look at what I'm wearing!" He lifted his arms and stood in a sort of T-pose. Brielle giggled. Sure he wasn't the best dresser, but he was definitely unique and that's what she liked about his style. It seemed pretty foreign.

"I honestly admire the way you dress." She complimented him, smiling softly at the end to make it a bit more genuine. She meant every word of course as she spun around to look at other different shops.

"Aren't I the fashion connoisseur, huh? Hey, that place over there has some nice dresses." The dresses were extremely pretty. They were decent and didn't seem as though they showed much skin. Brielle liked that. She linked her arm with Rodyn's and had them both walk over to a stall.

"These are very beautiful..." Brielle commented as she broke the link to feel some of the fabric. Some were made out of silk, others cotton. She took hold of a beautiful white dress with gold accents. She felt the fabric with her hands and she honestly liked the feel.

"ou try on a few dresses, I'll tell you what I think.. uh, if my opinion even means anything. Go on, go on, don't let my embarrassment stop you from having fun!" He said, Brielle smiled, quickly rushing off to a small changing room to change. She wiggled out of her gown as she slipped it off, folding it into a square.

She slipped on the beautiful white dress, admiring the way it fitted her body. It was loose and light and she liked that. The under-layer was a collar was a small V-neck, the sleeves worn long so that it covered everything up until her wrists. The outer layer's collar was emphasized in gold and plunged down further from the under layer. The sleeves were given emphasis as they were tight around the elbow and tied with a golden piece of cloth and simply draped down afterwards. It was hugged tightly around her small waist by a beautiful bronze belt that had a sort of sunny pattern to it. The bottom part of the dress was patterned by barely visible dark flowers.

Brielle slipped out of the dressing room, her gown folded in her hand and she was wearing the beautiful white dress. She did a small twirl to sort of show off how it looked on her and she came into eye-contact with Rodyn.

"So....How do I look?"

As he finished showing off his attire, he was taken aback by the compliment she had given hiim. Thinking about it for a while, he could see what she had meant. Although he was taught to live a life without the need for worldly things, he had grown accustomed to wearing clothing that fit him properly, and the rough and weathered look his shrouds had gained certainly matched with his personality and physical features.

"Th.. thanks. Never had someone compliment my looks before. Haha." The compliment really did feel good to hear.

He hesitated amoment when they linked arms. He had his bandages wrapped around his arms, so he couldn't feel her when her arm came around his. It was in that moment did he realize how long it had been since he had felt the touch of another human being. Rodyn did allow himself to be dragged along, though.

When they reached the stalls and Brielle had let go, he stepped back a bit to let her have some space to look. He had his hand in his sides again, standing on tiptoes as if he were peering over a fence as he looked over the clothing. From what he could tell, they were all delicately and finely made. He nodded as she chose the white dress.

While she was changing, Rodyn looked about the bazaar, trying to get a feel for the place. He finally came to the conclusion that not many crimes happened here since there was an abundace of guards around the area. Guess that will happen when we're in humanities' center kingdom..

Busy humming a tune to himself and checking out other stalls, Rodyn didn't notice when Brielle stepped out from the changing room. He had to stop for a moment, visibly blushing. Lowering his head slightly, he press his right index and thumb to the bridge of his nose, trying to use his hand to cover his embarrassed face. There was no hiding the simple beauty and elegance this girl just seemed to naturally have.

"B...ah, I mean... You're radiant. It fits you very well.. that dress was certainly made for you." He couldn't explain to himself why he was so embarrassed to tell the girl how beautiful she looked. He really wanted to but her the dress, it fit so perfectly on her. Taking a few steps closer, he clasped his right hand over hers, bowing as he did so. He then stood up straight, tucking and fixing his clothing, as if he were priming himself like a gentleman.

"Your majesty, Princess Brielle. May I, Rodyn, prince of Landyland have this dance?" He put on a very serious face, but it was clear he was trying hard not to burst out laughing. Doing this reminded him of how he used to play with the village children, dancing and singing day in and day out.

Not really waiting for a response, he then pulled Brielle in and led her a nonsensical dance, full of twirls, steps, and even leaping around. Rodyn has a smile plastered to his face the whole time. Though he couldn't feel her when they grapsed hands, he had pretty good coordination with her. It was almost like doing the different steps in a battle stance. He kept it up for a while, finally doing one last bow, then returning to his normal demeanor.

"Phew! That was fun.. it's too bad I can't afford to get you that dress.. you looked so natural in it." A sad expression was on his face, disappointed he couldn't get it for her.

"B...ah, I mean... You're radiant. It fits you very well.. that dress was certainly made for you." Rodyn had complimented her. Brielle turned a shade of red as he said this. She smiled deciding that she would indeed buy the dress. Brielle thanked him and then realized that he was coming closer, and clasped his hand over hers. He was bowing as he did so, then he started fixing himself.

"Your majesty, Princess Brielle. May I, Rodyn, prince of Landyland have this dance?" Brielle was wide eyed for a second, but then gave him a whole-hearted-smile as she realized that he had not found out who she was. She started to giggle and nodded. She wasn't sure why she was blushing deeper but she was pretty sure that this dance would be fun.

Without a second to hesitate, Rodyn had her entangled in a series of twirls, steps, and they even started to leap around. They were pretty coordinated with each other's movements and Brielle started to follow the body movement as naturally as she could. She closed her eyes as she hummed to a made-up tune to dance to. The tempo they were going at made her laugh as they did so. She had realized that she had never had this much fun in a long time. She couldn't even remember when she had this much fun at all.

Alas, the dance had to end. Brielle smiled a bit dizzy from the nonsensicalness of the tango. She wasn't even sure it was a tango, or a foxtrot or any other form of dance. She smiled though, as he took a last bow.

"That was fun~" She sang, giggling again.

"Phew! That was fun.. it's too bad I can't afford to get you that dress.. you looked so natural in it." A sad expression was shown on his face. She hadn't planned on having him pay for it, he had given her so much of his time already. She shook her head, as if to negate his action. She then smiled.

"You have given me so much already. I'll get it myself." She told him, thanking him for the time he had given her. Her bright violet eyes gazed over at his golden ones. She then gave him a soft kiss on the cheek as she headed to the lady to pay for it. She had her coinpouch with her and gave the woman the amount she had needed for the dress.

She smiled sincerely, walking back to Rodyn.

Oh.. right. Of course. She'd be able to buy it herself. You're just making yourself look like a fool Rodyn.

Nodding as she said she would go buy the dress herself, he thought how happy she seemed to enjoy their festivities. Her laughter and smile were genuine, and he was happy to acknowledge that. The kiss on the cheek though - that was a complete surprise to him. He stood there for a moment, registering the action in his head. Something so simple, yet he'd never experienced anything like it before. He had a dumbfounded grin on his face for a while, but thankfully Brielle hadn't seen it.

When she returned from buying the dress, though, she could clearly see his hand on the cheek she had given him the kiss. He'd completely forgotten his hand was there, and moved it to rub the back of his head as she returned.

"Well uh.. Glad we could find you this dress." Moving his hand now to cover over his eyes, he began to look up into the sky, trying to get a feel for the time. They'd spent a bit of time together, and he hadn't even noticed how much time had passed, given how much fun they were having.

"Not too far from lunchtime.. should we head back to the food stalls? I'm okay, but you've probably worked up an appetite, right? Shall we go?"

"Well uh.. Glad we could find you this dress." He said, as he looked up to the sky. Brielle looked up too, trying to picture what he was thinking about. She was unsuccessful though as she had only been focussing on the bright blue sky, she squinted as it stung her eyes and she looked down. Her gaze turned back to Rodyn who was about to speak again.

"Not too far from lunchtime.. should we head back to the food stalls? I'm okay, but you've probably worked up an appetite, right? Shall we go?"

"If you want to, then why not?" She was being polite as always. She didn't mind if he didn't want to eat lunch. She wasn't exactly starving though she was feeling a little hungry. She didn't mind if he wanted to stroll either. Honestly since he was showing her around it was better to do what he wanted to do.

It would be bothersome though if they were both on empty and there was no food to be found. She carefully looked around wondering if there was something that they could try. Seeing as everywhere was blocked by clothing stalls or other sorts of item for purchase that they didn't really need, Brielle's efforts fell in vain. She was pretty disappointed that she couldn't find a good place through searching with her eyes.

She wasn't exactly the best person for scoping, but her efforts were usually okay. She smiled, knowing that she'd find a place eventually and was honestly looking forward to finishing the day. She didn't know why, but wherever Rodyn was there was something new to do. It was as though he was used to this and Brielle just wished she was as lucky as him.

It then hit her that she wasn't adventurous because of the way she was raised. Sure being royalty had it's perks but sometimes it wasn't exactly good on the offsprings. She was an infanta and the bloodline usually stopped there unless she were to marry a prince who was actually air to the throne.

"To be honest with you, I would be okay with whatever you wanted to do at the moment." She told him, suggesting she was okay with any other suggestions.

"Well, I guess we can walk around and find somewhere else to eat. Bound to be lots of places around here."

As they walked through the rest of the clothing stalls, Rodyn took notice that most of the clothing wasn't anything much different from what they had seen before. He'd never understand how such simple mixes of colors, textures and designs could so easily please the eyes. It was a wonder to him, really.

The noon sun took its place high in the sky, but the bazaar seemed to be built in such a way that air was always blowing through, leaving a cool and refreshing feeling on the skin. You couldn't even notice the heat, not that it was that hot, anyways. In all, it was a perfectly weathered day.

"Say, do you need me to..."

Rodyn's voice trailed off. He was about to ask Brielle if she needed help with her dress, when they came across a few other food stalls. The food wasn't really what interested him - it was a spectacle he was seeing unfold before his eyes. A man and a stall owner were arguing over the price of some sort of food. That wasn't bad, and was fairly normal in this setting. What he saw, though, was a young child reaching behind the stall while the owner wasn't looking, snatch some food, and ran in Rodyn's direction. He also saw some guards headed after the kid.

Nothing gets past these guys.Grabbing Brielle's hand, he rushed them both forward, as if to anticipate the child. Instead, he tripped over another clothing stall, causing some fabrics to fall over, and some of the stands holding up clothing. He let go of Brielle's hand at this point, making sure she didn't trip with him.

"Wh..get out of the way! Move it!!"

"Oh..wow. I'm so sorry, I was quickly trying to get this girl back home..her father would kill me if he knew we were out here instead of tending to chores at home! Oh, look at the time! Busy busy busy!" Rodyn made as if to clean up the clothing from the ground, piling them all up on top of one place first.

"Move it! We're after a thief!!"

Rodyn stopped, and moved out of the way, letting the guards run past him and into the alleyway. As they did so, Rodyn followed them with his eyes, waiting until they were out of sight. By now, the stall's owner was busy cussing Rodyn in all sorts of filthy language, in which time Rodyn pulled off piles of clothing from the one spot.

"You can come out now, kid. They're gone." Rodyn whispered quietly so no one would notice that there was a kid hiding behind the pile of clothing Rodyn had been building up. For a while, nothing seemed to move. Then Rodyn got up, moving to the corner and knelt down, dragging the kid out by the right ear.

"Let g--"

Rodyn slapped his hand in front of the kid's face, shutting him up without hurting him at all. "Shut up kid, and just hold my hand." With that, he got up, and grasped Brielle's hand again with his free hand, leading all of the down to an area where there was shade and a fountain. If anyone looked at them, all of them looked like a young family out for a stroll together, with a fussy little child in hand. When they reached there, he let go of the kid's hand, as well as Brielle's.

"So, little street urchin. Wanna thank uncle Dyn now for rescuing you from those guards?"

"Whatever, I didn't need your help! I could've outran them.... for sure..." The kid had a stern look on his face. Rodyn turned to Brielle, lifting his right eye brow as he looked at her.

"So..what should we do with him?"

"So..what should we do with him?"

"Perhaps you could hand that thief over to the authorities."

Cass' words had a slightly dark tone to them, ominous even, which was intentional for the current situation. He had seen the entire altercation break down and since he wasn't on duty and the thief was merely a hungry child, he watched and waited until he felt it necessary to intervene, if at all. As the three would turn and see Cass standing before them, they would notice his larger stature; not just some stall owner who happened to wander over but someone who held themselves with authority and confidence. Clad in off-white loose-fitting clothing with brown boots, his bastard sword at his hip and his off-white hair in a ponytail, Cass fixated his light hazel eyes on all of them, narrowing them slightly.

Almost immediately he cracked a smile, stifling a laugh if the children were too fearful of Cassius. His demeanor shifted from authoritative to casual and relaxed, resting his one wrist on the hilt of his weapon in a lazy fashion while he shook his head slightly. The guards seemed to notice Cass' presence and, with that, saw the thief from just a moment ago. Cassius saw the irritation of the guards and held up his free hand while lowering his head, raising it once again with a light smile.

Don't worry about this gentlemen, I'll take care of it. As you were."

The guards were not under orders to listen to Cassius, but he was a well-respected figure amongst the soldiers in Kreine. His words had them nodding, the irritation easing from their faces as they looked from the thief to Cassius, and then turned and walked away. Cassius waved to them as they left, turning his attention back to the three. He tilted his head and scratched his forehead lightly, squinting from a ray of sunlight that seemed to catch him just right in his one eye.

"Stealing is a serious offense around here, depending on who you steal from."

He paused for a moment, watching the three and their expressions. More of a dramatic pause, really. Despite Cassius acting of a lawful good alignment, his true alignment was more neutral good, meaning he didn't mind bending the laws for a good cause.

"Good thing none of you stole anything, right?"

Cassius winked at them, a slight grin creeping across his face. He wasn't going to allow guards to persecute a hungry child who was surviving by stealing food; they had better things to attend to.

"Say, do you need me to..." Rodyn's voice trailed off and Brielle wondered why. It was brought into focus of her sight when she saw what he was looking at. She had seen it. A kid grabbing some food and running off with a few guards chasing after them.

Her hand was grabbed, and Rodyn rushed them forward. He had tripped, causing fabric to fall over them. He didn't let her fall after him though, and she was glad that she hadn't fell.

"Wh..get out of the way! Move it!"

"Oh..wow. I'm so sorry, I was quickly trying to get this girl back home..her father would kill me if he knew we were out here instead of tending to chores at home! Oh, look at the time! Busy busy busy!" Rodyn thought quick and started piling up the clothes. Brielle helped him, staying quiet through out the act. She wouldn't ask questions though as she kne what they were possibly going to do.

"Move it! We're after a thief!!"Rodyn moved out of the way as the guards ran past them into an alleyway. The shop owner started mumbling swear words. Brielle wondered why she was saying such filthy language.

"..." She really had nothing to say, though her mouth was open. She quickly closed it, embarrassed that she couldn't really say anything. Poor kid she thought shaking her head in pity for the child.

"You can come out now, kid. They're gone." She heard Rodyn quietly say. She thought he was crazy as no one was certainly coming out. Then after a few moments, he had the kid pulled out by ear.

"Let g—" The kid was obviously not happy to see that they discovered his hiding spot.

"Shut up kid, and just hold my hand."

Rodyn had them going over to a quiet, isolated area and then he started speaking again.

"So, little street urchin. Wanna thank uncle Dyn now for rescuing you from those guards?"

"Whatever, I didn't need your help! I could've outran them.... for sure..."

"So..what should we do with him?"

"I think we should—" Before Brielle could properly finish her sentence she was rudely interrupted by a man who looked like he had high authority.

"Perhaps you could hand that thief over to the authorities." He was tall and towered over Brielle's small frame and petite height. He was definitely intimidating, it almost scared her. She seemed to be more frightened of him than the kid was.

"Don't worry about this gentlemen, I'll take care of it. As you were." The guards nodded, and looked as though they weren't that irritated anymore. Brielle still wasn't exactly trying to trust him, but something about that smile of his that just popped up moved the intimidation away.

"Stealing is a serious offense around here, depending on who you steal from." With this she was still certain that he didn't know her. She smiled suddenly. No one had recognized her unless they were in the castle the other day. The infanta's heart beat louder and louder as she feared the child.

"Good thing none of you stole anything, right?" He winked at them, and she smiled. His heart was kind, after all.

"Why thank you, kind sir." She was sure to reward him in the future, but she wasn't sure how. He had just pleased someone important, he had just pleased someone from the royal family.

When the tall man appeared behind then, the kid put on a scared look on his face, backing up a bit. Rodyn grabbed onto him as he did so, making sure he didn't run. The kid back down at Rodyn, understanding what he was trying to do for him. A frightened look suddenly appeared on his face, however.

A cold demeanor has washed over Rodyn's face. [i]I wasn't paying attention.. how did I let someone sneak up on us like that? Rodyn was prepared to fight for this kid, not wanting him to be caught by the authorities just for wanting to survive. He knew about kids like him. Orphaned or homeless from the war, he could somewhat understand what they'd gone through.

Alightly looking back so that his face wasn't showing, he noticed that Brielle had at first looked as worried as he had, and then calmed down once the man had let the other guards pass. Standing up, he turned to face the man and Brielle, hiding the kid behind him. Once he got a good look at him, though, Rodyn realized they might be able to trust him.

This thought was strengthened by the fact that the man declared that no one had stolen anything. Nodding, Rodyn let go of the kid, who was looking down at the ground, holding tightly onto the food. He had a lot, so it was obviously for more than one person. Kneeling back down, Rodyn put a smile back on his, patting the kid on the head. He also handed over the rest of his money to the kid.

"Try not to steal anymore, kid. It'll get you into more trouble than you want. See if maybe you can get hired to clean up at food stalls or something. Owners might even pay you, or give you leftover. Take care, kid."

Thr kid stood there for a while, lowered his head, and bolted off into the alleys.

"Well would you look at that? Not even a word of thanks."

With that, he turned back over to Brielle and the man, nodding at them both. "Thanks for your help. Maybe that kid will straighten out now that he knows guards aren't some evil doers out to destroy him."

Cassius was oblivious to Brielle's noble background and really Cassius only knew a handful of nobles; he cared not to delve into the world of royalty for he knew there was a lot of backstabbing and bad blood...enough of that could be found on future battlefields.

"Why thank you, kind sir." Cassius smiled only a bit when she spoke, but one could tell the smile had much warmth behind it. Despite being a man of the law and having to put up a solid wall of emotionless facial expressions when dealing with criminals, neither Brielle nor Rodyn looked like a criminal, and the young thief whom Cassius watched leave the scene was merely stealing out of necessity for what seemed like more than himself. Leaning over slightly as a sign of respect while placing his one arm across his chest, his hair slid forward, blocking a few rays of sun from his face while he bowed.

"You're quite welcome, miss. The least I can do." He stood erect once more, looking over at Rodyn while he spoke. He could tell the age difference between the two of them and held Rodyn only slightly responsible for dragging Brielle into this whole altercation. Granted, this emotion never surfaced because he had seen Rodyn hide the thief from the guards and that the whole situation just ran out of control from there. Thankfully he was able to get there before the guards and found the two of them and the thief. Cass placed both hands on his hips and looked at Rodyn and then the direction where the boy disappeared to.

"Thanks for your help. Maybe that kid will straighten out now that he knows guards aren't some evil doers out to destroy him." Cassius nodded to Rodyn in acceptance of his thanks, not giving him the bow he gave Brielle simply because she was a young female and he was an older male.

"He'll probably continue to steal as long as he is poor and his stomach is rumbling. What's unfortunate is the guards will punish him not for stealing food, but instead that food may not be stolen. Thus continues the vicious circle and the issue is never corrected." Cassius paused in thought, not realizing that he had delved too deeply into the subject in front of complete strangers who were probably staring at him awkwardly at this point.

"And here I am speaking like a fool without introducing myself. I am Cassius Prolithicus, a knight of the human army and a servant for the people. And both of you are?" Cassius wasn't a name that everyone recognized, but anyone familiar with the human army might have heard his name in passing. He wasn't proud that people recognized his name but he did not fight it either.

Brielle heard them exchange words of conversation. She was feeling a bit out of place as it seems as though the both of them were just conversing with each other. She wasn't going to interrupt them, heck she was used to the feeling. Her eyes drifted off to the flore and to other places as she heard them speak to each other. She smiled as she played around with her fingers.

Twirling her hair with her index finger she batted her eyes slowly, a habit she got from boredom. Most people woiuld confuse it for flirting, but Brielle knew tat she was only doing a mannorism that she took after being dragged on to many noble conversations where she was extremely quiet and whoever she was talking to did all the talking.

She smiled warmly at the child, pattinghis head. The kid was certainly cute, as though he was a typical rascal. She felt sorry for him and decided to maybe give him a few coins before he headed off. She had to do this secretly though, as she was scared that something would happen. She planned on tucking it into his pocket anonymously before he scurried awy so that he wouldn't notice.

"And here I am speaking like a fool without introducing myself. I am Cassius Prolithicus, a knight of the human army and a servant for the people. And both of you are?"

He was finally talking to the both of them. Brielle smiled replying in what seemed to be a force of habit.

" Please to meet you, Sir Cassius Prolithicus. I am Brielle Evangeline Mabel Meldacaniel, pleased to make your acquaintance."

[Sorry, short post]]

WOW Her full name is long.. no way I'd ever remember that.. ah haha..

Rodyn scratched the back of his head as Brielle introduced herself to Cassius. He wondered wyy someone would have such a long name - obviously it has something to do with her family. As soon as she was finished, heshrugged his shoulders and nodded his head towards Cassius.

I am known as Rodyn. Pleased to meet you, Cassius. So you're with the army, hmn? Have to be someone respectable since those guards trusted you. Well, you helped us out, so you're alright in my book." Rodyn tried to hide his disdain for the army in his voice. He wasn't a bigot, he knew not everyone in the army condoned the war, or were jerks like he had head about before.

Cassius seemed a well enough guy to him, at least having enough sense to recognize necessity rather than pillaging. He also made a good point in his short speech before.

"You're absolutely right.. I agree with you on that. I feel like the only way help will ever reach the needy is if we who can help... well, help. What do you think, Brielle?"

He has noticed she had grown quiet when they were talking, distracting herself by playing little games with herself. He wondered if she even thought about such things- she shouldn't have to at her age. She seemed well off, with at least someone to take care of her. Rodyn never judged a person by their cover, though.

"Please to meet you, Sir Cassius Prolithicus. I am Brielle Evangeline Mabel Meldacaniel, pleased to make your acquaintance." The name interested Cassius merely for the length; not many people have such long names or announce them so. Even Cassius does not announce his middle name to most people and the only other time he's heard of people address their names in such a fashion would be some sort of royalty or nobility. At that moment, he realized that the name 'Meldacaniel' was somehow familiar, like he had heard it from somewhere. Perhaps this girl was royalty and if that was the case, why wasn't she with any armed forces protecting her? For all Cassius knew, Rodyn here was her servant boy or some other underling, but he didn't seem obliged to her in the noble sense.


"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Meldacaniel." Again he bowed slightly, placing his arm across his chest as he did so. He raised his stature up once more and looked to Rodyn as he addressed himself. He nodded to his greeting and held out his hand for Rodyn to shake instead of simply bowing to him. Bowing to women and shaking hands with men was more so of a traditional sexism that Cassius knew; it wasn't meant out of disrespect.

"Likewise, Rodyn." As they shook hands, he grinned lightly at Rodyn's comment about Cassius being alright in his book. He found it a little humorous that this man gave his blessing to Cassius. The knight responded in kind.

"Well you seem alright as well, Rodyn." After the handshake, Cassius listened to Rodyn and his agreement with what the knight had spoke of about stealing. He knew of those with kind hearts who did in fact help out with the needy in these parts and tried to give some of his time--or at least his money--to such causes because these people helped the people. Sometimes all Cassius can ever do is protect the people, but that doesn't mean that he's directly helping them like others do.

Cassius' attention turned from Rodyn to Brielle as he kicked the conversation in her direction. He was a bit curious to hear the girl speak, more so to confirm the notion of her being royalty. If Cassius in fact decided to question her about her background, he might feel inclined to escort her either around the marketplace or back to her abode mainly because he didn't see an armed guard with her and Cass could tell that Rodyn was not a part of the military service in Kreine.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Meldacaniel." She nodded, smiling slightly. She wasn't surprised by his slight formality between the both of them. Brielle knew that they were probably trained this way like how she was trained in the castle. Inside closed walls, she loved studying about knights and soldiers and was quite giddy she got to meet one.

She waited for him to finish talking, feeling a bit disappointed he was paying more attention to Rodyn. She didn't let it show on her face though as she knew better than to have her emotions displayed for everyone to see. She was the type to conceal what she was really thinking, and that helped her get around. She held the folded piece of clothing in her hands tighter and let out a small exhale.

Finally she could feel his eyes on hers and that made her a bit nervous. To talk or not to talk? She was shy and timid, no doubt and she wasn't sure how to address him. She was pretty sure he had authority and if not, he at least held the respect of others. Was he a Sir or not a Sir? Had he been granted the noble title? Was he acknowledged by the King himself to have the position.

Finally, she decided to ask for herself rather than waiting around for him to tell her. She was sure to speak softly and kindly hoping not to pry. It was of course, a privilege and a perk to have the authority to do this even if he didn't know it. And disrespecting a member of the Royal family could cause one an arm and a leg, though Brielle knew better than to do that.

"Do tell me, Sir Cassius, were you sent here?" Not the question she wanted but it was close enough to find the information she possibly wanted.

Rodyn let the two of the talk for a while, looking around as they did. His question was blatently ignored, and he grinned a little at that. Backing a way a bit, he decided he'd make his exit while they weren't looking at him. Politely nodding at them, he quickly ducked off into an alley, disappearing within the alleyways of the city.

[Topic exit]

Cassius, while having the majority of his attention on Brielle, had his eyes dart over to see Rodyn slipping away from the group. This sort of action made Cassius question the man's motives but he seemed like a decent person or perhaps even a thief out of necessity himself. Cassius might find he made a mistake letting the man slip away if he hears about Rodyn being caught performing criminal activities. Having already decided that Rodyn was no immediate threat to anyone, he had hoped that when they met again, it would be under better circumstances.

"Do tell me, Sir Cassius, were you sent here?" Two things about Brielle's statement stood out in Cass' mind. The first was that she called him 'Sir,' which is not unusual given his rank of knight, but he noticed how Rodyn did not use any titles, showing the distinction between someone who is familiar with such titles and someone who is not. The second thing about Brielle's statement was more blatant to Cass about how she thought he was sent for her. Those two things made Cass 95% sure that Brielle was royalty of some sort, which made Cass a lucky person for running into an unescorted member of a royal family. And with her question, he asked another as his answer.

"Should I have been sent here? To escort a noble currently unescorted?" Cass grinned slightly, but not in such a fashion that would make one believe that he was gloating about the information he had deciphered; he was merely grinning because she was a clever lady herself, asking such a question. His tone was gentle but slightly scolding, as a person of her status should not be wandering alone in such crowded places.

"Despite being home to the human army, this place is not free from crime. Someone like yourself could be easily abducted or injured..." Cass paused for a moment, not wanting to run Brielle off with such an authoritative and 'holier than thou' tone as his next words he chose carefully, looking off in another direction and shrugging, all part of his little act.

"...but I can see why one might escape such stuffy and uncomfortable places of nobility...feels like gentle suffocation sometimes, I'd say... He turned his head back toward her with that same slight grin appearing on his face again. He was well aware that even nobility wanted to escape nobility from time to time, seeing first hand how nauseating, exhausting and ridiculous some of their actions were. Cassius knew enough about nobility that he didn't want to prolong any sort of interaction with the fine people of high society.

"Should I have been sent here? To escort a noble currently unescorted?" Brielle's heart raced. An unescorted noble? She was in fact one of those and she had not seen anyone of her ranking or higher around town. She herself knew that people of her kind weren't as adventurous as normal folk, and she herself had been known to be unadventurous. She was prudent and cautious, and allowed herself to feel a bit reckless for being outside unguarded. She was unenlightened about the fact that she had to have a guard. There was no harm done though, this time, right?

"Despite being home to the human army, this place is not free from crime. Someone like yourself could be easily abducted or injured..."" She nodded, a questioning smile playing on her face. Yes, she had slipped off from danger this time. But what if something did happen to her? She did not want her parents to worry at all, not even a teensy bit. She nodded, listening to him. Her eyes drifted off for a second as she wondered where Rodyn went. Strange, he had just disappeared. It was quite rude of him to leave so suddenly, was it not? It was certainly odd he had rushed off. She wondered if he was in any certain danger. This suddenly worried Brielle, though she trusted Rodyn to not get into any trouble.

"...but I can see why one might escape such stuffy and uncomfortable places of nobility...feels like gentle suffocation sometimes, I'd say..." His words pulled Brielle back to focus on his topic. Cassius was grinning, and Brielle smiled slightly letting out a nervous giggle. He had certainly unmasked her. The façade she was certainly playing was let go. She wasn't exactly playing around a masquerade but she was trying not to have her identity so figured out. She was thrilled by that despite being herself.


"I see you have found me out," Brielle told the cavalryman, softly playing with her hair. She didn't know exactly what to do next. She held his eye contact wondering if he was feeling pretty good about himself. He though seemed to hold an act of his own, though she wasn't fully aware of this. She saw it somehow, how their eye contact was slowly fading. She was sure to look him directly there trying to hold in that gaze.

"Though you must be mistaken, dear Chevalier, I'm not trying to abscond from my nobilities. I came here with permission from my guardian who you may know as your King." She said smiling softly. She didn't want him to think that she was running off or away from her duties as the infanta. Though her position wasn't that high up, she knew that it was still strong and important. She did not though, care about the rank or title that she held. All she cared about at the moment was probably her safety and Rodyn's as well. She was sure to ask Cassius a favor of spotting Rodyn for her and giving her a status report.

"Though you must be mistaken, dear Chevalier, I'm not trying to abscond from my nobilities. I came here with permission from my guardian who you may know as your King." This somewhat surprised Cassius because he had assumed from her appearance and her body language that she was much younger, but her voice and her words suggested a maturity beyond her physical appearance. Cass lowered his head slightly in an apologetic fashion. As he lifted his head back up, he ran a hand through the left side of his hair, tucking his bangs behind his ear as he did so, resting his other hand lazily on the hilt of his weapon. His eyebrows had noticably risen when she spoke, again from being surprised at what she said, especially name-dropping someone like the King; he didn't realize her nobility was that strong.

"My apologies, Lady Meldacaniel. It was not my intention to imply you were neglecting your duties. I was merely... Cass' eyes looked to the one side, breaking eye contact for a quick moment while he rationalized why he said what he had said.

"...making light of the fact that a noble would be wandering alone in the marketplace, is all. Forgive me." Cass' words had become less jovial and more formal, not knowing Brielle and not wanting to assume that she took kindly to speaking plainly or sarcastic. Some noblemen and noble ladies that Cass has been introduced to frown upon such interaction and simply by Brielle's age, Cass had a momentary lapse of how Kreine works. Despite being a knight, Cass was at the mercy of the royal family.

Cass now found himself in an awkward situation where he wasn't sure what to say next. He did not realize that her guardian was the King and that he gave her permission to be here. Cass did not fear the King but he did slightly fear the King's title and the politicial and social power that he held. He would wonder what Brielle would have to say about him to the highest ranking military official in Kreine.

""My apologies, Lady Meldacaniel. It was not my intention to imply you were neglecting your duties. I was merely... " He had broken eye contact for a second.

"...making light of the fact that a noble would be wandering alone in the marketplace, is all. Forgive me" She had noticed that the flunctuation of speach had become less casual and quite a bit more formal. She observed that his face had slightly hardened. Brielle was more accustomed to talking to people like this and having them reply in this sort of matter. But after speaking to a common man like Rodyn who's status could be easily put to the side by her fellow classmen, Brielle realized how thick they spoke. It was definitely a custom for them to do this, to somehow flaunt their class in an almost humble way.

"There had been no harm done, Sir Cassius." She said, speaking softer. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea to think that she was merciless. It was quite the opposite though and she held her respect for this Knight as well. He had won it, she would say, and she saw quite a future for him. He definitely had a heart, and a knight needed more than just battleskills to get around. She would definitely repay him in the future.

"I simply just wanted to clear your thoughts out if you had thought that I was being a bit..." She didn't exactly have the right word to finish her sentence but she had thought of one in a jiffy. "...recalcirant."

"I'm not a fractious fille at all." She giggled, trying to enlighten their conversation. She wasn't sure if she was failing, but it felt good to release out her laughter. The tension in the air was probably making the both of them a bit nervous. It wasn't good as it probably stressed them both out. They weren't here for stress, she should believe.

"This town is rather fine though, if I must say." She added, complimenting the place. This was the first time she's been out on her own in her whole life. This was the first time she's been out at all.

"There had been no harm done, Sir Cassius." Cassius could hear Brielle's tone change, sounding less like royalty and more like a sixteen year old. He was glad to hear such a tone from Brielle as he was unsure about some of the younger nobility in Kreine; sometimes Cass feels that the children of nobility become spoiled and expect things that they have not yet earned. He did not assume this was the case for Brielle, but she was very good at using her newly acquired position to speak with the capacity of an authoritative figure.

"I simply just wanted to clear your thoughts out if you had thought that I was being a bit..." She didn't exactly have the right word to finish her sentence but she had thought of one in a jiffy. "...recalcirant."

"I'm not a fractious fille at all." As Brielle giggled, Cass' posture visibly relaxed, his shoulders and stance losing a bit of stiffness that he had built up per the awkward conversation. He smiled warmly, as it was nice to see a young lady laugh as his job was to allow people to enjoy themselves like so. It was also nice to know there are some nobles who aren't full of themselves and can actually enjoy things in life.

"This town is rather fine though, if I must say." As she said this, Cass took the time to look away from her and at the bustling of the marketplace that he had somehow tuned out because of the conversation at hand. As soon as he started to pay attention to his surroundings once more, the noises encircling him were much more clear, hearing a shop owner call out a few sales while a few chickens squabbled in the background. Cass took in a deep breath as his chest expanded, exhaling deeply.


"It is a wonderful sight to behold. I think I've come here enough that I sometimes forget the energy that courses through this place so vigorously." He almost had a sense of pride as he looked around at the vendors that were close by. One can become jaded by the awesomeness of something if that something is a daily or weekly occurrence. Cassius then turned his attention back to Brielle.

"How many times have you seen this place?" Cassius assumed that Brielle had been here at least a few times, but perhaps, because of being nobility, she didn't get out as much as she should. The way that Brielle was looking around, Cass almost thought that her eyes betrayed her as someone new to the marketplace, and wouldn't be entirely surprised if this was her first time being here.