Tea Time~ [P;Rodyn]

Maybe it was just the dry feeling in the air, but she was feeling rather sticky and a bit hot. You would think that would be a normal thing to say, except the temperature slightly dropped and it was a bit cooler. Plus, with the way the castle was designed to have wind blowing constantly from most directions, you'd think that it was rather peculiar that she had felt that way. The infanta, Brielle, had an acquaintance as an escort that day. They had met when she bid her parents a sweet goodbye, and now they were moving towards the inside of the castle.

She was on time for tea, and was grateful for that. She wasn't the type to be late for anything, a time sense was given to her as a gift. It was a value that her parents thought was very mature of her to posses. And this was the first time she would have tea with company. Back home, she wouldn't tea with anyone but herself. Here, the King never did join her for anything. It was as though they'd see each other once a day, barely one a day, and nod or say hi. It wasn't odd that royalty treated each other like that, but she did wish for a friend.

Since she wasn't exactly the most open...social type, she never had a big childhood. Yeah, she received everything she wanted. Getting whatever she needed with the snap of her fingers would make anyone want to trade places with her. But it never developed her social skills. Heck, she had to receive lessons just to learn how to communicate fairly, and that barely turned out well. Now she did actually have a friend like acquaintance, and that did make her happy. She was certainly glowing with confidence about her and it was nice seeing her that way.

The round table that looked as though it could seat about eight people was finely decorated with white lace. The chairs too were painted white and had a beautiful swirly pattern about them. The table had china all over it, and though she didn't expect eight guests the setting had just about enough for eight. Eight porcelain cups, all a beautiful white. And not just any white, it was snow white. The accents on each of the fine cups were delicately painted light blue roses on the side, the royalty crest behind it. The insides of the cups were the same shade of light blue, dark from the bottom and fading until it got to the place where you sipped. The coasters, which were little plates had the same design in the center, where the cup would rest. A bit larger plates also sat there, with actual silver silverware. The table napkins were white with the symbol embroidered on them as well.

The food that were being served were delicious, enough to make a skinny man fat. But Brielle knew better than to gobble all of them up. Yummy lemon curd made it's way to the center. It was a specialty that the chef made especially for her since she did like it. Drones were also being served and they looked just as delicious. Devonshire cream stood out as well, it looked so soft and fluffy. The strawberries imported and freshly harvested were dipped in chocolate.

The most important thing to be served was Darjeeling imported from a far away country. It was a praised black tea, and only few got to have a taste of this. For Brielle though, she didn't really know plenty of teas other than this Darjeeling. She had tastes of less fine, less expensive teas but this was her usual beverage. She smiled as she took her seat, waiting for her partner.

The castle. Again. This makes it.. three times, total? He wouldn't lie. Rodyn was completely perturbed as to why he was in such a place so many times. Not that he was complaining, it was just a complex mystery to him. A while ago, he couldn't stand to see how people could live in such conditions. He was much too accustomed to roughing everything out, of dealing with a sense of survivability each day. There were even worries in his mind that his senses were getting a bit dull, but he knew he was just exaggerating. In truth, he really enjoyed being in such a nice, clean, and spacious environment. It was, in truth, a healthy change for himself.

Rodyn was in the hallways, sitting near a window, and looking outside. Brielle had left not to long ago to make sure everything was set properly for them. He had also taken note that she had seemed a bit warm, and figured she probably went to get a change of clothing. Looking down at the city from the window, he began to realize the scape of how much one in the castle is responsible for. Managing a city was tough enough, but there was also the kingdom, as well as keeping up appearances to other nations. Perhaps it wasn't entirely the royalty's fault for every disturbance that happened outside their walls..

Still, he knew that they couldn't be without blame. His stubbornness kicked in, redefining new reasons in his head all the time. He blamed greed, and living in the life of comfort constantly as reasons as to why someone would refuse to send help to their smaller villages, not being undermanned in times of war.

And then he thought of Brielle. What kind of a woman would she grow up to be? He wasn't exactly a mentoring force; he was barely older than her. He might have some more experience with the world than her, but he didn't want to seem like he was imposing his own beliefs on her. Rodyn knew well enough that she was a kind girl, and would probably do all she could to help everyone in need she could, but he also knew the cold, hard reality of life. She couldn't be everywhere, doing everything, all at once.

After a few moments, he got up from his sitting position, being called over by a butler of some sorts. It seemed that everything had finally been prepared, and that Brielle was patiently awaiting him. Not wanting to make her wait any longer, Rodyn nodded his head at the help, and made his way towards the room, the door being opened for him. Mumbling a word of thanks, he entered the room, dazzled by everything he saw within.

Making his way to the table, he took a chair that was close to Brielle, scared that the table was so big that he would actually get lost if he sat far enough away from her. He smiled at her as he sat, looking back and forth between her and the grand spread before them.

"I have to say Brielle, this is awesome! I've never seen so many things when I go for tea.. Usually it's just a cup and a small cake. But.. wow! I'm impressed..Oh, what's this? And this? This tea smells distinctive, but I don't think I've tried it before.. Hah!"

He stopped himself, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Turning himself to focus his attention on Brielle, Rodyn tried to hide his smile and rosy cheeks from a tang of shame of being so excited every time he saw something new.

"Heh, guess I'm always embarrassing myself like this, huh?"

He had taken a seat close to her, and Brielle understood why he did so. He must've done it for a.) he thought more people would be joining them or b.) he was a bit intimidated by the setting. There weren't going to be anyone who would join them, so she smiled sincerely. And she too remembered how it felt to be intimidated by this setting as she had her first tea when she was but a child. Plus, she had it alone to add on to the intimidation. It wasn't a really good way to bring up a child, but who was she to complain?

"I have to say Brielle, this is awesome! I've never seen so many things when I go for tea.. Usually it's just a cup and a small cake. But.. wow! I'm impressed..Oh, what's this? And this? This tea smells distinctive, but I don't think I've tried it before.. Hah!" She was glad he actually noticed the tea. Not many people could see the difference, and he probably hasn't ever tried the tea. She has never met an outsider who could distinguish the smell, but it's probably because she has never had met many outsiders.

"Yes, it's Darjeeling. Quite splendid for tea parties." She said, with a smile. She was glad he was curious about this kind of stuff. She watched as his cheeks turned pink and she blushed as well as she couldn't help herself. She bit her bottom lip, as the corners of her lips raised to form a semi-smile. She turned her attention towards the tea and started pouring some for Rodyn, and then herself.

"Heh, guess I'm always embarrassing myself like this, huh"

"But it's kinda cute..." She blurted out shyly as she finished pouring the tea. She sat down properly as she placed the napkin onto her lap in a lady-like manner. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she shyly didn't want to look at him. Her cheeks were a bit the color of faded roses.

"Yeah, yeah. Such as they are."

He thought maybe he had embarrassed even her with the way he was acting, so he picked up the cup of tea she had poured from him, without taking anything extra in it. Bringing it up to his lips, he blew on in slightly, just so the first sip wouldn't burn his lips. Drawing the tea in, his eyes opened up a bit, bringing the cup back down to its place.

"This.. is a mighty fine tea. It smelled almost sweet, bust it has such a strong and distinctive taste to it. A guy could get used to drinking this everday."

Picking the cup back up, he took another sip, keeping the cup in both his hands now as he talked.

"Thanks for showing this to me. It's another thing I can look forward to trying again."

He turned his head back to her, tilting his head slightly. It sort of surprised him that she had asked him to come to tea with her, and in such a nice setting. Well, it was normal for her, but still. It only just occurred to him that whenever he saw her, she was mostly alone for the most part. He'd never seen her with anyone else, except for that one time with her cousin... Cadence, was it?

"So uhm.. what's it like back home? And I don't mean here.. where your parents live. Maybe I've been there before?"

"So uhm.. what's it like back home? And I don't mean here.. where your parents live. Maybe I've been there before?" He had asked her out of the blue. She wasn't really prepared for this but she knew that this question would come around sooner or later. She smiled softly as she took a sip of tea and set it down gently. Her pinky cushioned it before it hit the plate so that it wouldn't make a sound. She then prepared herself to answer.

"Back home? Well, for starters it's quite different." She said, making a mental list of what was different from here and there. "It's not nearly as active, of course. And well, the population isn't as high." She was saying the rather obvious details. In the small domain that they ruled, everyone knew everyone. She didn't know everyone and everyone didn't know her but that was due to her being shielded from the public.

"We have some of the finest educators, however." She said, proudly. Her own tutor was one of the smartest men she had ever known. He spoke as though he had been in every city in the world and knew everything about the universe. The way he wrote was like the way the old prophets had written. The way he moved was as though he knew just what he was doing even when it was something oh so complicated.

"We also have plenty of natural products and a great bundle of our resources in tact." This was something she was happy about. They were extremely ecofriendly and that was good for a city. Not many were like that and she was glad to rule one that actually thought about the environment. She was proud, definitely of her country.

Rodyn listened patiently, letting Brielle guide him through her country through words. He envisioned himself there, enjoying the many sights, sounds, smells. It sounded like a quaint little place, where mostly everyone knew each other, relied on each other. If there was one thing he gathered, it was that Brielle took great pride in the country where she came from.

What Rodyn took note of, though, was that Brielle hadn't mentioned her family, or any friends she had. While she was telling her story, he had grabbed a handful of strawberries, placing them on a small plate before him. Using a fork, he broke off small pieces, takinng bites between smiles whenever Brielle joyously described something to him. He also took the time to try out everything on the table; all with cream, of course. His sweet tooth wouldn't be denied any pleasure today.

Wiping both his hands and mouth with his napkin, he placed it back down, folding his hands onto one another as she finished up.

"It sounds beautiful there. My own home wasn't much different, maybe a bit more rural."

Sitting back in his chair, he recounted the memories of the monastery where he had spent his childhood. The forests that were full of strange new adventures for a young boy and his friends. The pranks his caregiver often punished him for after he was always caught. The lessons he had learned from his 'father' Daniel had taught him. He didn't make any mention of ever wanting to see his family ever, for it still held true to this day. He respected what his family had to do.

From there, though, Rodyn went into great detail about what it was that Luminous taught his followers. Being the god of light, his order were followers of a very, very old scriptures. So old were they, that there were still many pieces of historical literature that were being translated even to this day. It was part of the reason Rodyn felt justified when he had taken his leave of the order at a very young age.

It was a long time ago, and Rodyn still regretted the way he and Daniel had parted ways, but he never regretted leaving his santuary. Rodyn finished he tale as well as his tea, all the china before him clean from doing everything but licking the plates clean.

"So, I have to ask. What about stories of friends you used to play with? Your childhood couldn't just have been studies only.. right?

"So, I have to ask. What about stories of friends you used to play with? Your childhood couldn't just have been studies only.. right?" She bit her lip as he asked her this. She didn't really have much of a childhood, a flaw that was allowed in her timeline. Growing up, she was a bit mature for her age. And being the sick child that she was, she didn't get to play with other children. Cadence was an exception as she too had been frail before. Brielle never did have many friends when she was younger. And she would hate to admit that, however she figured that she could tell Rodyn these things.

"My childhood, you say?" She started, her eyes darting towards the ceiling. She turned her attention back on the food, putting some of the strawberries unto her plate. She also took a spoon full of the lemon curd before continuing what she was going to say. "You see, I've never really had much of a childhood. You would expect that I'd have everything I wanted, all the toys I could get. Technically that is true, however none of that really did mean anything." She did have the prettiest room any girl could want, she had hundreds of dresses that girls would only dream of taking. She was treated like the highest and most important princess in the world and was given compliments like a queen.

"I was sick, most of my childhood." She would then remember all those diagnosed illnesses she had had. She would also remember all the medicines she had to take. She also would then remember all the doctors trying to cure her and give her things to try. She remembered all those times she spent in the hospital, the nursery, and other things. "Most of my friends were doctors and nurses, and I spent most of my years in the nursery bed." She smiled softly, and sighed a bit afterwards. Not a childhood most people would look at and say it was grand.

"By the time I got out, I was scheduled to be tutored during most mornings up till my afternoons." She told him, and that was one of the reasons why she was a bit smarter than most people. She had knowledge, it was powerful and great. "And since I was still getting sick, they wouldn't let other children or people talk to me." She would tell him after tucking a lock of hair over her ear. She then looked him into his eyes, her eyes were a bit filled with sadness but it didn't matter to him, she guessed.

"And you?" She asked him wanting to know more about him.

He wasn't going to try and show her any pity, nor did he let the sadness he felt for her show on his face. Rather, he just let her finish up, and put a smile on his face, offering to pour her some tea, and then pouring out some for himself. First he took a sip, then he finished off the strawberries on his plate. Settling the cup back down, he tried remembering some good stories in order to tell her.

"Huh.. my life was full of studies too, I guess. Nothing as good as you learned, I'm sure of it. Just lots of lectures and sermons, mainly the proper way to pray, how to foretell auspicious times, things like that. Luminous' Order is actually more superstitious than they let on, y'know."

He recalled and told of a story that still made him laugh to this day, where he had taken some herbs that one of his teachers had needed in order to burn away the 'demons' from reaching the crops. He had done it because the teacher had scolded him earlier for being too greedy. The teacher considered Rodyn taking extra food to be greedy, when he had secretly been taking care of a stray dog, sneaking food off to him whenever he could. The poor teacher was ready to cry, when Rodyn finally admitted to his errors and returned the herbs back to the teacher, and received a scolding after he was forced to attend the ceremony.

Rodyn actually learned a lesson that day, that everything and everyone had a purpose, and it was improper to just do things because it felt good. Including feeding the dog; it was putting a slight strain on their food holds that winter. "Ah, and while I didn't have anyone I could consider someone truly my friend, there were village kids that I used to hang around with when I was younger. We did normal stuff, I suppose. Ran around, played games games together. I was a bit of an outsider, as I wasn't part of their village, and I was also supposed to always be in the monastery, but I did sneak out a lot. Walls felt confining there.. guess it was in my blood to travel."

After that, there wasn't much to tell. Rodyn told her about some of the things they studied, such as the meaning of the sun's position in the sky, and how they were always supposed to provide a helping hand to people. Another reason why he left the monastery; he felt he could better help people outside of their protective walls, to be out in the harsh world, shining just a bit of a bright light out to the people.

"Anything else you want to know? I'm an open book for you, y'know. Always glad to tell someone of my adventure!" He finished it off with a bit of a hearty laugh, folding his arms across his chest.

"Anything else you want to know? I'm an open book for you, y'know. Always glad to tell someone of my adventure!"

As she listened to his story she never did interrupt. She had a few questions that were answered as he went along. She had been listening to him the whole time, though she was eating as he did so. The ability to multitask was amazing, and she was glad for it. This was one of the first few times she had tea with an outsider, however those outsiders were important business people. This was truly the first time she had tea...with a friend.

She was surprised with the fact that he grew up in a monastery. He didn't seem like a monk at all. She never would've guessed that. She had a look of shock in her eyes as they went wide. However her lips were not in that "o" shaped position. Instead her lips were closed, a small pout coming from them. She tilted her head to the side, as if to get a better view on him.

"You grew up as a monk?" She asked casually. She was still a bit fascinated with this. It never did occur to her what he just might be. She has always seen him as more of a traveller or wanderer simply wandering about. And then the thought of that escaped her as he had stayed in Kreine and she's seen him around a whole lot.

"But...As I heard...Aren't monks supposed to be...Bald?" She asked shyly but tried to be respectful. In books and artwork, all the monks she had ever seen were bald and hairless. Though others were bald with small ponytails at the backs of their head, she has never seen one with a full head of hair. Rodyn had hair, she could recall as she thought back to the night of the Autumn Promenade Ball. He did, she could remember that.

Shyly she looked at her plate and ate some of the strawberries there. She loved the taste of chocolate on them, it was splendid. The chef surely knew how to prepare a treat. Yesterday's had been more filling though as she could remember the sandwiches prepared. They were delicious too. She looked back at him shyly, her cheeks turning a bit reddish.

"Dang it, no one ever believes I'm a monk.." He brought both his hands up, laying his right hand across his chest, and using his left hand to scratch his chin. He could never understand why no one ever believed him, until, right then and there, Brielle asked him why he had hair.

Upon hearing that question, Rodyn slammed his left hand down into his right palm, which had opened up and faced the ceiling. "Ah, right! Well, when I was younger, they used to try and shave my head, but most people got away with more cuts and bruises on their hands! I did have the shaved head look for a while, though.. Anyways. Heh, I did mention I ran away when I was 15, right? Just up and left my monastery.."

He placed his hands back down, and on his lap. He had lifted both his legs up by now, and was sitting on the chair cross-legged. Brielle's shocked face had caught him sort of off guard, as well, so he decided he'd sit in a position he was more comfortable in, to try and give her a sense of the kind of person he really was.

"So.. yeah, monks are supposed to be bald, but I fled that lifestyle. I've been on the road, surviving off the land and helping people as I go along. I might not have liked being confined in a monastery, but I did believe in what Luminous taught. It was that people are all selfish, and the true path to ridding ourselves of our 'inner-evils' was through selflessness. If you ask me, it's still a selfish thing to do. Helping others only because it will enlighten us? No, I help others because I genuinely care about them."

Reaching up, he removed the cloth from around his head, letting his hair fall in a mess around his head. He used the same hand to shake around his his hair, trying to give his mop of hair a sort of stylized look, but instead looking like he had bed hair his whole life.

"Er, so yeah. In short, my parents dumped me on monastery steps when I was a few days old, where I grew up, ran away when I was 15, and having been living an adventurous life since then! Such is my grand life." He ended it with a smile, letting her know that he truly believed his life was, as such, blessed.

"I must say I'm a bit envious of you." She started, her eyes drifting towards him. She had a small, sincere smile on her face as she sipped the cup of tea. She made no noise as that would have been rude. Once she set the cup down she would continue the sentence that she was speaking. "I'd be envious of everything in your story except for the bald part. To be free, undoubtedly healthy and be able to travel...What I would give for that." She said it as though he was living the most grand lifestyle anyone could ever attain. For her, being able to be healthy was enough. She still wasn't that healthy yet as she would need to take dozens of medication.

"Selflessness, is that ever attainable? I wonder sometimes what is selflessness. It is impossible..." She said, speaking to no one in particular. "...To be without the pride that makes you unable to care about others without caring for yourself. I believe that to be able to please other people, you'd have to please yourself first to make the job truly humble as you are spreading your joy amongst them. Unless I am however, selfish as I speak like this." She blushed as she spoke, the first time she really gave her opinion about something like this.

She watched as the young monk removed the cloth from his head. She giggled softly as he did so, as his hair was definitely a mess. She blushed as she smiled certainly thinking that he did look better with his hair down. She couldn't even imagine him being bald. His hair, no matter how messy it was now, suited him in a grand way. It made him look good, she thought. It made Rodyn look a bit more of himself. However the cloth he used to tie made him Rodyn.

"It looks good on you." She commented wondering how she had the courage to tell him that.

Rodyn rubbed the back of his head, sending his hair flying about the place for a bit.

"Your compliments are too much! I don't know how to respond well to people's compliments, especially pretty princess' complimenting me!"

Dropping his hand from the back of his head, he smiled again, slightly red in the face.

"Thanks, though. It's not something I really care too much about, but it is nice to hear once in a while, y'know?"

It was true enough. Rodyn never did receive many compliments, and it was all mainly his fault. His face was usually covered up, as well as his hair. He stayed quiet when dealing with others' problems, and usually left when one was solved without wanting a reward or anything. It was as he said before; for his own selfish reasons. He didn't want to feel needed or wanted by anyone, never wanting a reason to be stuck in one place.

Yet, here he was right now, sitting with Brielle for more than three times now. That was his magical number, but he couldn't draw himself away from her. She was the sole reason he hadn't left this city, even if he only saw her once in a while. Something about her drew him to her, and that thought made him smile.

Tilting his head a bit, he placed an elbow on his knee, resting his chin on top of his hand.

"We keep talking of philosophies and boring topics. How about something fun. Like that circus in town - think they're any good other than the performers we saw today?"

"Most likely I believe there are plenty of other things we haven't seen yet." She informed him, tapping her chin lightly with both her forefinger and her middle finger. She let her hair flow loosely over her shoulders towards her chest and didn't bother moving them away. She liked it there as she felt rather conserved. She was a bit irritated though as it did slowly move to her eyelashes. Tucking the locks over her ears she batter her lashes avoiding any irritations her hair gave her.

"I read a book once," She began, thinking back about a book her father had given her as a gift from his voyage to a faraway country. The book was originally in a different language, one she had trouble understanding. But after receiving several translators from her mother, her original mother, she actually got to read it well. "It was about a King. One who was absolutely terrible."

"One day he was going to torture one of the villagers." She tried to recall the details in the book, trying to summarize it all for Rodyn. She had enjoyed the story well. It was well detailed and she must add that the artwork was just gorgeous. "The villager ended up tricking the King and had the King locked up in his own dungeon." It was quite an act that the villager had done. She wouldn't dare do that.

"Because the King was so cruel, none of his servants ever looked for him." She remembered crying the first time she read this and she did show a bit of sadness as she spoke. She didn't think the King deserved this, it was cruel. Though the King himself in the story was cruel, she didn't think anyone deserved to be forgotten. "The King ended up dying...and with no King, the Kingdom fell afterwards." It was an odd ending and she didn't understand why the author ended it like that.

"But what I'm really trying to say here, is that, they turned it into a play." She said, her voice turning back to it's happy and peppy tone.

"Huh. So the entire kingdom crumbled without their leader. I guess people really are reliant on their leaders, no matter how cruel.."

Rodyn sat up straighter as he said this, as he had slouched a bit during her story. It was comfortable for him to do so, but he also figured it might be rude to slouch in front of her, especially since, he figured, most of the guests she entertained wouldn't dare even think of doing such a thing.

Finishing up his tea, he pushed the dish it was on away, signaling he was done snacking and drinking tea. He started to make his mind up about the story, and how it always seemed that people needed someone to lead them.

"Y'know, and don't take this the wrong way, but for a long time? I hated this kingdom. The circumstances in which I left my monastery weren't.. the best. It had to do with the remnants of the last great war, which we're still only just beginning to get over."

Not wanting to go into much details about what happened, he kept his mouth shut for a while. He looked down at the ground, wondering what Brielle would think of such a thing. In a way, he was basically telling her that he used to hate everything that was a part of this kingdom, including her. And he honestly didn't know how she would take such news.

"Y'know, and don't take this the wrong way, but for a long time? I hated this kingdom. The circumstances in which I left my monastery weren't.. the best. It had to do with the remnants of the last great war, which we're still only just beginning to get over."

"We're all entitled to our own opinions." Oh, so that was what he really felt about this place. She was quite saddened by this but was okay with it somehow. He must've not liked her if he didn't like the Kingdom but she didn't mind. She adored him, and she wasn't going to let something like that ruin a friendship. It was a big issue, but she minimized it into a small one.

She didn't know much about Rodyn and what he felt about the Kingdom but now she did find out. She knew he used past tense which means he probably didn't hate it so much anymore. Hopefully he didn't as she would be saddened, definitely saddened. The infanta didn't want anything to happen to the kingdom and she hoped Rodyn wasn't a bandit of some sorts.

"I've loved this kingdom since the day I was born, as you can see." She whispered, making it so that only he could hear it. She's loved every inch of Kreine, every inch of Meika, every inch of Aleha. She loved the world and loved what was in it. She didn't lie, nor did she want to. She loved it all, everything including the bad parts.

Rodyn put a smile on his face for a moment, glad to hear her talk about her kingdom as such. His first thoughts about her were confirmed there; she really did care for her kingdom. She could truly make a difference if she had a chance to, and he was glad to have met her.

But he knew he couldn't continue lying to her, either. He cared about her too much for that. She deserved to know the truth, about how he felt exactly. He wasn't sure if they could remain true friends after that, but what was more important to him was that she heard and understood everything he had to say.

"Brielle.. The truth is.. I left my monastery because I wanted to make a difference in this world. Right before I left, a village nearby, the one I told you about before? With the kids I used to play with? They were attacked by an Elven Militia."

Licking his lips, he closed his eyes, remembering that day all over again. It was the first time he had ever seen any sort of violence, and it was brutal. Thankfully, he didn't see the worst of it; only the aftermath.

"I tracked them down as soon as I left. It turns out, they were remnants of the last great war we had, trying to get revenge on our kingdom because of the injustices done to their people. At first, I was angered. People I knew were hurt because of them. But as the years passed, and I grew in knowledge, I came to realize one thing. Our human kingdom has cause so much grief in every land. There's almost never any record of humans ever trying to offer peaceful solutions to problems."

Realizing his voice was getting harder and angrier, he stopped talking for a moment and smiled, trying to calm himself down. There was no real reason for him to be getting worked up like this.

"In truth.. I blamed our kingdoms. There's always greed seeded into the seats of power. There's always a want for more. In truth.. what I want for one day to happen is.."

He sighed. Rodyn was having a hard time trying to tell her how he felt, knowing that it was unfair to her.

"I want to crush this kingdom, and I want it to start anew. Without.. a king. Or queen. Or any sort of singular entity trying to lead a whole mass of people. I want an end to our way of life."

Sitting back in his chair, he looked down to the ground. It was such a radical way to look at things, he knew this. But he always believed in it, 100%.

"You don't believe...things are fine the way it seems?" She whispered, her tone slightly cold. She slowly looked up at him as her eyes left their focus on the floor. She wasn't upset with what he had said, but was rather surprised. He wanted to change the way things were, it seemed almost impossible. She knew wicked things about the Kingdom but she also believed that it wasn't that bad after all.

"I know what you mean. Humans...Elves...People, have been fighting for who leads who and what leads what. People want to gain total power, they want to have the most dominant species. Actions deem consequences." She said, her vision focusing on him. She looked him straight in the eye. It was peculiar of her to speak like this as she usually wasn't the type to do so. She had no emotional pain on her face, but rather the look of a sober person.

"It's best for things to be in their proper order. A land with no ruler is a land that would not...work." She knew what things would look like if a King or someone in charge wasn't present. The results weren't pretty. A ruler was always required to lead their people. It didn't matter who it was, a good man would do. If someone didn't guide another, the land would fall.

"I know it may seem possible, but I doubt it is. The people would be lost in their free will. Their would be no order, instead, chaos would take it's place. People will fight over who dominates who." She meant everything she had said. She didn't want to change his views but she couldn't help but tell him hers. If this was in a meeting of the council elders or the royalty she would have been intimidated, but this was with a friend.

"I understand why you blame us, why you blame the kingdom." She looked at him, her cheeks loosing their blush. She was going pale, saddened a bit and going slowly into depression. An unknown illness of hers they have yet to diagnose. She was a sickly girl, it wasn't fair. "But wars happen, and consequences occur. I know we must've been unknowledgeable and unfair, however, it was the past. This is the present. I believe that we could make peace with the world in the current times, instead of trying to change the system"

"No, things aren't fine the way they are. Because we're just repeating history, following the same mistakes that always lead to war."

Rodyn was referring to many things, and a single thing, all at once. It was the same pattern. War, distrust, peace, people in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had seen the events with his own eyes. He had seen the monstrosities that this kingdom had to offer.

And how badly he wanted to tell her. Of the king's experiments, of the.. creatures, that had slaughtered almost an entire village. The events of the night were still hazy to him, but one thing was made clear from the information he gather - this was something the king had let loose accidentally.

There was also the cryptic way both that Solstace man and the King had talked to him that evening. The chilling way the king had said they'd see more of each other, and the withheld information from Solstace.

Then there was the knight, Cassius. He fought alongside with Rodyn, but he knew what was in the knight's heart all along. Even though he saw the injustices before him, he was still a soldier of the king, someone who firmly believed in his kingdom.

Rodyn knew Brielle was the same way. It's not that they turned a blind eye to the injusticies that happened, they knew the good outweighed them. The king was what everyone said he was - fair, generous, and a strong leader. Though he was young, and seemed a tad bit eccentric, he was a man humanity trusted.

It was why he wouldn't tell Brielle what happened that night. It would be unfair to her, to hear his one sided argument, and one that was mostly just based on guesses and random clues, with no full back to them. He wasn't one to think - only to act.

Then, she made a brilliant point - people wanted to be led. He knew this. And he had a solution to that.

"So if the people wish to be led.. then it isn't wrong for someone to want to rule the world, isn't it? Why else do you think these wars happen? Humanity tries to take over every civilization in order to have full control of everything in the world. The other races are at fault, as well - not only do they defend themselves, but they wish for the same things as well, thought they go through the matter differently than war."

And she was right - he did blame them. All of them. Everyone. It always takes more than one person to fight - not that surrendering all of your lands is an option. In truth, he knew that people wanted; no, had to be led - it's just that good rulers are so hard and few to come by.

"Peace will only be achieved if people can look at their past mistakes, admit they're wrong, and move on, hand in hand with their once past enemies. I hardly believe the current regimen would do that, though. They've all suffered from the past war, as well."

And he wouldn't tell Brielle what he really wanted to do. It wouldn't just be humanity. It would be the world. He would take down all forms of government, reshape it to a proper model, and even take on the mask of evil to bring about what this world truly needed. And he'd make sure Brielle would never be involved in any of this.. as best as he could.

"Once they admit they're wrong though, what good comes out of that? I understand you may think it's the right thing to do, and yes, admitting something wrong that you have been doing is a good start to an apology. However, what will that do to the opposing team? Do you think he can simply forgive a person just because of that? Lowering your pride is one step, but ultimate forgiveness is another. Moving on is difficult as well, and that doesn't really change the views of other people." She told him, not breaking any eye contact.

"I can understand. I know I'm being extremely stubborn here. And maybe I don't fully understand but..." She didn't want to finish what she had started. She knew though, if she didn't she would simply be like everyone else. Everyone else cowered at responsibility. Everyone else hid behind someone. She didn't want to be like them.

"But I can at least try to." She said, her lips showing off a small smile. Though small, it was wholehearted and she smiled meaningly. She knew that he probably didn't thinks he was mature enough to take on most of what he wanted to say. She thought that he probably thought she was ignorant about this situation. And she probably was.

"I just...I just want to know what is going on." She said. It was true. She hadn't the slightest clue of what was really really happening in the world. It hurt a bit, to be hidden from everything. But she wanted to heal the world, she was a healer after all.

Rodyn smiled as well, realizing the tension in the room was flaring just a bit above comfort levels. They didn't need to do this, this butting of heads. The last thing the both of them were were enemies. He nodded as she talked, trying to relax her into the fold of things.

"This world will always need people like you, Brielle. Keep your chin up and bright, because no matter the state of this world, you will always be needed. People like me are only needed to start something up."

Bringing his right hand up, he tussled his hair a bit. And here I thought I was coming to tell her I couldn't stay anymore. Now, I don't want to leave her. Maybe... maybe settling down around here wouldn't be bad. I could..

He brought his right hand back down to his lap, putting on a quick smile again, but as soon as it was gone, his face got serious once more. She needed to know some of the truths of her kingdom, but he shouldn't say anything that would endanger her. That was the last thing he needed.

"In the coming days, when you starting hearing rumors of things going on in this castle and of wars and battle, I only want you to do one thing. Trust your heart. Trust whatever it is that will make you feel like you did the right thing. And know that I'll do my best to protect you from anything.. even if it's myself."

Vague, yes, it was. But the less she knew what the king was doing - and Rodyn wasn't even sure of it himself - the better off she'd be. She should make informed decisions based on what she believed was right. And that's all he wanted for her, truly.

"You really think so?" She had been complimented. She didn't know that she was a fairly nice person, she actually thought she might have been awful. But Rodyn had told her that the world needed more people like her. It was truly a compliment. Brielle had never been told something so grand as that. That was something not ordinary people receive, it was extraordinary. She smiled warmly.

"I think the world needs more of you as well. A different statement is always great." She told the monk. It was true, he was different and the world needed a difference. It needed a change in habits and that was what his point was. Though the system was good, if people started evolving for the better the world wouldn't be so horrid after all.

Rodyn was a great person and she saw that inside of him. He was a nice person to her and that felt good. Everyone else was kind to her because she was royalty. But Rodyn, he was friends with her before he even knew who she was. They had bumped into each other one day and she realized after that the two couldn't have been separated. Even by natural disasters. He was a true friend. That was when he said something that made her heart melt.

"Rodyn, you're a kind man. Thank you for your inspirational talk. And my gratitude for you saying that you would protect me." She was thankful for that. He was a very good person at heart. She recognized his wholeheartedness. It was amazing. She found him a very nice person to be around. She thought that he was indeed genuine. Genuine people were hard to find nowadays.

Rodyn nodded, glad to have her approval. At the very least, he knew the two of them understood each other now. Though their two ideas of how they'd would do their best to protect humanity seemed different, they both had the same sort of goals, and it was clear to see that now.

Smiling, he replied to her gratitude. "I'm only speaking the truth. Though we're in a time of peace, we're all still living a rough life." He then noticed her color. She had gone fairly pale before, almost as if she were stricken with some sort of sickness. She visible got better, though. Cocking his head to the side, he wondered if maybe she was just tired from their walk, and then a sort of heated argument between them.

"Hey, are you okay? You seemed a bit sick before.. should I go get someone for you?" He looked at her with great concern, wondering if she was coming down with a cold or flu, maybe. It was a bit odd that she didn't seem to think anything of it, as if this were a daily occurrence or something.

"Oh yes, I'm all right. it's not as bad as it should be today. Don't worry about it, I was never really healthy to begin with." It was true. If there had been a class and the teacher asked all the students to point out who was the most sickly in the room, all fingers would be pointed to her. Though pointing was quite rude, she was indeed incredibly a sickly person. It was quite ironic how she had white magic as a specialty.

"I was born a few months early. That wasn't the start to it. I was the only child that had survived from my parents' long streak of tries. All the previous babies had died during birth." She told him, quite scared of death. She shivered at the thought of it. She would feel traumatized if she had been in her parents' shoes. To have a baby dying. That was the scariest thing ever.

"I've been diagnosed with plenty of illnesses, most of them not lasting too long. However, I do have anemia and I doubt that they could get rid of it." She had said. She was extremely shy about this. Now she was thinking that he would avoid her once he knew. She didn't want him to get sick, but she wasn't contagious. She was just very sickly.

"Don't worry about me though...I just got a my medications refilled." She smiled warmly. Though choking down a few pills daily looked like hard work and stuff, she was used to it. It was tiring, and not many people would like to do something like that. But she didn't just need to do it, she had to do it. Her medications were a part of her.

A look of worry and concern crossed his face as soon as she told him that she was always a sickly child, suffering from several illnesses in her life already. Her body was weak, something he was used to seeing in his travels. Of course, there was nothing he could do for her. He could only smile warmly at her, as soon as she told him about her medications.

"I'm glad you're taking this so well. You're much stronger than you let on, you know." Moving his chair over, he grasped each one of her hands, holding them in his palms. His hands were warm and comforting, just like the smile on his face.

"You're a fighter, okay? You've lasted this long, despite the odds being against you. Continue fighting, it's the best thing you can do for yourself right now."

There was nothing else he could do to help her in this situation. He was no doctor or shaman. But he was her friend, and he'd give her the support she both deserved and needed.

"Thank you, Rodyn. You're truly a great person." She told him, his hands still holding hers. It was quite odd, his touch that is. She had never held hands so casually like this with an outsider. It was the first time she had actually done this with anyone. Because of this, it was special to her. She was definitely happy as he did so, and her cheeks turned slightly pink. Biting her lips, she tried to make the blush go away. Hopefully it wasn't that clear.

"I have been wondering something about you..." She blurted out quite smoothly. It didn't sound like something that was said randomly, it sounded as though it was part of the conversation. She had been wondering about Rodyn, she was quite tied to him being a monk. Thus she had plenty of questions. Questions that didn't include his hair or why he was bald. She had that answered already.

"I thought you said you were a wanderer, so why are you staying in Kreine?" She asked politely. She didn't want to sound rude. She didn't want to sound as though she was chasing him away. She liked his company and she didn't really want him to leave her. She would bite her lip slightly, awaiting an answer.

"I'm not trying to shoo you away, of course. I'm just curious, really." She wanted to assure him that she liked his company.