1x1 discussion

As she spoke, he noticed the moderate change in how she looked at him. While her eyes had been slightly narrowed this whole time, now she regarded him with wide eyes. Was it something he had said, did she not want him to go? Or had she finally recognized him? The thought made him feel how vulnerable he was again in front of this girl, this Pacific girl. A Brisbone should never feel vulnerable when it came to danger, instead they should see opportunities to prove themselves. Maybe he wasn't a very good representation of his kingdom afterall. If she was going to do anything now was the time, but somehow he sensed that would choose to let him be. He just hoped that she could keep her promise not to tell anyone about their meeting, because he planned on talking with her for many times to come. Emer flipped his hood up and examined her features as a last attempt to place who she really was. She seemed somewhat familiar in the eyes and bone structure... but no names came to mind. Oh well, she was good company and that was all that mattered for the moment. Also, she had a beautiful smile. Perhaps by their next meeting he would have figured a few things out himself. "Likewise, Lady Erin. I'll be waiting for you. Be on the watch for any looters," he told her with a cheeky smile. In one motion, he bowed a bit at the waist while touching two fingers between his eyes and waved them towards her - the usual parting gesture for nobles in his kingdom. With that, he turned and started the quiet hike back to his cottage.

In the short silence that ensued between her speech and his, Leila could sense an awkward tension as they both tried to figure out each other's next move, searching for clues to each other's identity. 'I will,' she answered, smiling at his tone. When she recognised the parting gesture which nobles from Brisbone used, she returned it with the traditional Pacific one. Straightening her fingers together, she briefly touched her palm on her chest, where her heart was, did a small curtsey, then waved her palm towards him. She stood there watching him disappear into the thick bushes until she couldn't hear his footsteps any longer. Then, she sank back down onto the stone she had been sitting on and breathed out a deep sigh of relief, worry and excitement. It had been a stressful and at first, scary meeting, but in the end it had been a nice and interesting conversation. She was quite sure that there was no other man in Pacific, noble or commoner, who had the same charm and intelligence as he did. Without a doubt, she wanted to see him again and no matter what, she would find a way to. She was reluctant to return to the cottage so soon, but she knew that if she didn't start off now, she would reach there too late and would probably be discovered, if her absence hadn't been noticed already. After a bit, she stood up and walked quickly back to get there on time to enter when the guards changed shift again.

He smiled brightly at her gesture, feeling honored to be on the receiving end. Emer glanced over his shoulder as he started the long walk back to the cottage, only just catching a glimpse of the fabric of her dress through the tangled branches. It had been a long time since he'd had a conversation had brought up such a mess of emotions in him. Usually he was met with either frustration or a boredom when he talked with the people of the court, but not at all with her. It was scary talking with someone from enemy kingdoms, but they had both managed to relax each other by showing that they had no malicious intent. At least, that he knew of. He knew so little about her and, although it was extremely dangerous, he would do whatever he could to come to know who she truly was. She was the first person he'd met who he felt he could voice his real opinions to, who even shared his views. This Erin was cunning, interesting, and kind. If she had been born in any other kingdom, she seemed like the kind of girl that his parents would have chosen as his betrothed. He was brought out of his thoughts as his saw the flicker of his guards around the house, making him snap back to attention. They didn't look panicked, which meant that they didn't know that he was gone. The trick was now to get in without alerting them. He stood there watching for a while until he saw the opening reappeared, and he darted to the back door. He slipped inside without making a sound and tossed off his cloak, smiling to himself.

Leila sat in her usual window seat in her little library room, reading a new book. Although it was interesting, it was not distracting enough to stop her from thinking about...him. She put her book down and stared out of the window, with her chin resting on her hand. It had been three days since she had met Lord Aeden. Even though they had only talked for less than an hour that say, she felt like he was someone that she could talk to comfortably, without the awkwardness that she felt when she was with her own Pacific nobles. That was why she just had to see him again. She had promised him that she would be there again, after all. So she got up and grabbing a coat on the way, sneaked out the back door. The guards were not changing shift any time soon, so she had to find another way. Using the guardhouse to hide herself from the guards, she cautiously made her way to the trees. Once she had gotten far from the cottage, she broke into a run and soon found herself standing in the clearing, next to the rock she had been sitting on yesterday. She looked across the stream and scanned the tree line for any sight of Aeden. Several minutes passed before she realised that there was a chance he might be busy today and couldn't come. What if he come yesterday when she hadn't been here? Or even worse, had he forgotten about her? She shook her head, not wanting to believe that he didn't care about her when she kept on thinking about him. But several more minutes passed and in her impatience she stepped across the stream at its narrowest point. There she wandered around the clearing, listening out for any sounds from the trees around her. Suddenly, she heard a rustle coming closer towards her. She spun around, with bated breath. She reminded herself that this time it might really be an assassin, and Aeden might have unknown motives for getting to know her, even though she really didn't believe that. She smiled widely when she glimpsed Aeden's face through the thick bushes.

Shortly after he had returned from their first meeting, he had written to his parents about his new interest in learning how to fight. The very next day his best friend, the real Aeden Brennen, was standing on his doorstep as his new tutor. He hadn't expected such a quick response, but he was happy to see his friend after so long of being in solitude. Aeden, however, made it clear that he was there to train him and nothing else. He set aside his studies and dedicated himself to learning the moves that the generals son had to show him, things that the Brisbones often learned as children. It was brutal at first, since the custom was to hold nothing back to get the student used to pain, but thankfully he found out that he could dodge with ease. By the third day he'd managed to get his arm, ribs, and legs sliced and bruised. One blow nearly blinded him in one eye, but he had managed to move in time so the blade only grazed his cheek. Yet no matter what Emer was put through, his mind always seemed to drift back to her. Lady Erin, the Pacific girl across the creek. His secret. No way could he tell his friend that he'd met someone from their enemy kingdom, it would be his sworn duty to carry out the king's order of arrest. Although he knew that he would be more than flattered to hear that he had used his name as a cover. She was the only person in his life at the moment that he felt he could speak his mind, which was strange considering that she was also the one most likely to cause him harm. It was risky, he knew, but he just had to see her again. On the morning of the third day, while Aeden still slept, he waited for the gap in the guard to reappear. To his relief and slight disappointment he didn't have to wait long. Wearing his cloak, new sword, and fresh bandages he darted past the line of guards and into the tangled wood. He ran in the general direction of where he thought the river was, and when he didn't immediately find it he got worried that he had gotten himself lost. But the roar of running water rekindled his spirits, making him smile so wide that it made the wound on his cheek sting. He carefully wove his way through the bracken, his heart skipping a beat when he saw her through its branches.

Leila turned away slightly to hide her wide smile, not wanting to give him the wrong impression about what she thought their relationship was. She knew perfectly well that they were only meeting out of boredom. They were only acquaintances, although if things turned out well, they might be friends, but nothing more. 'Nothing more,' she reminded herself, so she would wipe that silly smile off her face. Turning back to face Aeden as he approached, she took a few steps back so that there would be enough space in the clearing for both of them. Of course there was more than enough space, but she didn't want to make things awkward by sticking so close to him. It was easy enough to stop smiling when she saw the wound on his cheek. There was a small cut going up to his eye, but stopping short of it. She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth to stop the surprise and concern from tumbling out. After a few moments, when he stepped into the clearing, facing her, she said, 'Are you alright? What happened? You look, well, hurt.' The only explanation she could think of was thta he had gotten in trouble with his guards or whoever was staying with him in his cottage, but she waited for him to tell her. She gently stroked his cheek with her hand, but pulled away when he winced in pain, and when she felt the embarrassment and shyness roll over. Besides, there was also the fact that she was eighty percent sure of his true identity, which had been troubling her ever since yesterday, when she had found out.

((Sorry that my replies have been really slow recently. There are just a lot of things happening now.))

His smile lessened a bit when she turned away, reminding him of the reality of their relationship. They were, after all, using each other as a distraction and nothing more. They could form some kind of friendship, but even that would have to remain a secret. It was inappropriate for him, a prince, to have a friend from a rival country. This was the only point in their lives that their paths would cross, and it wouldn't last forever. His parents would marry him off to some girl from some distant kingdom or a noble once he turned 20, just like they had done with his brothers. Then he would move back to the palace and most likely never see Erin again. He had only spoken with her once before, yet he dreaded the idea of losing her already. Emer stumbled through the bushes into the clearing and was brushing off a few pine needles when he heard her gasp. He wondered for a moment what was wrong before remembered his wound from yesterday. "Oh, that's..." he began to explain, trailing off when he felt her touch. Her fingers stung slightly, but her gentleness distracted him from the pain. With blood rushing into his pale cheeks, he looked away out of shyness. "It's nothing. Just a part of training... it's been a while since I've practice, now that I live out here." He hadn't used a sword since he and Aeden were children, and even then they had only been wooden blades. In Brisbone, wounds were things to be proud of, shown off, and her worried reaction was just another reminder of their contrasting backgrounds.

Leila simply nodded when she heard his explanation. But she knew immediately that his identity was a lie, and it proved her crazy theory even more. How could this supposed son of a general not practice fighting? Even if he was not a general's son or the prince she thought he was, shouldn't he at least have done some training before coming out here into the woods? If he truly was defending his uncle's property from bandits, she doubted he wouldn't have learned to fight. Besides, there were no bandits in the border forest, for if there had been, she wouldn't have been sent here. He was definitely not who he claimed to be, that was for sure. The fact that he had practised the very day after meeting her also seemed to be evidence that he was afraid she could be dangerous to him, which actually made her sad. She normally didn't care much about what other people thought of her, but she wanted 'Aeden', no, Emer, to like her. Because although they had only met once, twice now, she liked him. She could barely admit that feeling to herself though and she felt her cheeks redden just thinking about it. She had never liked any guy from her own kingdom before, and she had certainly had zero interest in the suitors that were admitted daily to the court. But it was true, and it was a sincere feeling, because she had felt it even before she had found conclusive evidence of his true identity. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should tell him what she had discovered about him or not. Realising that the truth would most definitely end their secret meetings, she decided against it. 'Oh. I see,' she said softly, catching sight of his sword's hilt and suddenly realising that she hadn't brought her dagger again. She really had to remember next time. She had no bodyguards to protect her out here, whether from Emer or any other threats lurking among the trees. 'So what have you been doing since we last met?' she asked more cheerfully.

Emer wished he could start from scratch with her instead of having to work with the broken identity that he had given himself at their first meeting. The persona that he had randomly grabbed for was so unlike his own reality that he couldn't make it work for long. Hell, judging from the knowing look in her bright eyes he knew that it didn't work at all. But oh well, he would rather her think of him as a liar than a - very valuable - prince. There was just too much for her to gain to turn him in, and he just couldn't trust his life in his. He shouldn't have come back after the first run-in, yet here he was, talking with this beautiful stranger again. Who was she? She could be lying about her own identity, he was sure of it actually, but he was afraid finding out would force him to return to the real world. Or, at least, the one that existed outside of the clearing. He had attempted to do some research into the Pacific court by requesting portraits and backgrounds of all known nobles and even the royals in the name of ignorance in his studies. He claimed that he knew more about dead, irrelevant Pacifics than today's enemies, which was mostly true. But, since he was a long ways away from Brisbone's archives it would take nearly a week for them to get to his hands. Also, it would take some time to make copies, adding more waiting time. Aeden had only responded so quickly because he had been scouting the Pacific border not far from here. Who was this girl? He guessed he would find out when those portraits arrived. He saw her eyeing his sword again and he quietly covered it along with the rest of his body with the cloak, not wanting her to catch a glimpse of is other wounds. He stepped past her, distracting himself from her question by pretending to admire the patches of sun on the river. Since he had last seen her all he had done was answer a handful of letters to his family and train with Aeden. Also, he'd attempted to sketch her likeness from memory with his spare charcoal. Looking at her now though he saw that he hadn't done her justice, and he predicted that he never would. He blushed as he remembered that he had very nearly brought flowers from his garden to 'Erin', a girl he had met only once. His parents had arranged him to meet with potential brides in his teens, but none of those women had clicked with him as she did. "Besides getting my butt handed to me?" he said with a smile. "An old friend came to visit, and he'll be coming and going for the next few months. He gets antsy in the forest, prefers being able to see the sky, but he keeps me busy. I've also been working on my sketches." He nodded to her. "And you? Found any excitement?"

While Emer looked away from her, she took the chance to process her muddled thoughts. She had been doing nothing but deciding, counter-deciding and then changing her decision yet again during the past few days. The first day after meeting him, she had debated whether or not to tell him who she really was. Although it was the stupidest and probably easiest decision to make, she just couldn't bear letting him believe that she was a mere noble. It might be because she was a weak, naive girl, but she wanted them to talk without any secrets between them. Obviously, it was a little bit too late to change things and start over now. The second day, she had looked through all the history and other relevant books in her library room. After several hours, she had found the clearest and most recent picture of the king of Brisbone and his family. There had been four boys in the painting, but she had been able to identify Emer immediately. His appearance hadn't changed much since he was a fifteen-year old boy. It was conclusive evidence of his identity and Leilia had felt a sense of triumph when she had found it. But the rest of that day, she felt the burden of knowing the truth. Should she tell someone? Who could she tell without endangering his life anyway? She had decided not to tell anyone unless something happened that made it absolutely necessary to. It was obvious that Emer's parents, the king and queen of Brisbone, had probably sent their son here for the same reason that she had been moved here, for protection. As long as he didn't try to harm her, which she didn't think would happen, she promised him silently that she would keep his secret.
She smiled at his comment, then hesitated for a moment before answering his question. You. You're the excitement that I've found, was the first thing she thought to herself, but she wasn't going to say it out loud. She knew she should have been thinking of an answer when Emer had been considering his, instead of going over thoughts that she had already gone over before. A small frown tugged on her mouth, but she quickly regained a calm expression and gentle smile as Emer turned back to face her. Deciding that just telling the truth was easier, more natural and more believable, she said, 'Nothing very special happened in my cottage. More reading and more lessons with my housekeeper, who also tutors me, even though she really isn't as knowledgeable as my previous tutor. He had to stay in the kingdom and protect his own family when war broke out.' she explained, becoming aware that she was rambling on about trivial details again. 'And yesterday I was planting a new flower in the garden when a caterpillar crawled onto my hand. I was screaming so loudly that the guards thought I was being assassinated. The fact that I was not made them slightly irritable and a bit lazy about guarding the cottage, making it easier for me to leave the cottage this morning.'

He saw that she was self conscious about over sharing, probably thinking that she bored him, but he didn't mind it at all. Actually, he enjoyed hearing her talk even if it was just about the smaller events of her day. Emer furrowed his brows slightly and listened to her speak as carefully as he would any court official, tilting his head a bit to the side. When she brought up her guards he couldn't help but let his eyes travel briefly to her side of the river, realizing that he hadn't really thought to check to see if anyone had followed her. He'd been too distracted by her. His own guards had grown lazy, both from boredom and (from what he suspected) resentment. He was sure that his guards would rather be with their families or enjoying the excitement of battle raging away hundreds of miles away, but instead they were stuck here protecting a prince who had been too stubborn to follow tradition. Because of his choice for pacifism he had been treated differently than his brothers growing up by everyone around him, even his parents. However, he still managed to gain respect for his intelligence which at least made him useful when it came to planning and providing wisdom. Also his recent change of heart and training seems to have changed their opinions if him for the better. He should request a smaller, more dedicated guard but their negligence at least allowed him to sneak away, and see her... If they found out that he was meeting with a Pacific noble, or at least someone who claimed to be, he would be deemed either an idiot or a traitor. What would his father think, or his mother? What if Aeden decided to follow him one day and discovered Erin's existence? He tried not to dwell on what all could go wrong and put all of his focus on her, the girl who had filled his thoughts every moment since they had first met."I'm sorry about your old professor having to go away, but caterpillars... Really? They don't even bite." He laughed softly, his body losing all the tension that had built up since he left the cottage. "What flower were you planting during this attack?"

Leila smiled and answered in way of defence, 'I don't much care if they bite or not! They're just so creepy and disgusting. The only time I want to see them is when they become butterflies. And yes, I hate bugs, obviously.' she said with a laugh. It was nice to just talk about small things. It made their relationship seem more friendly. As she let her loquacious self take over, she fancied that Emer actually liked listening to her. She knew she was probably being silly and romantic, but she couldn't help imagining how wonderful it would be if he liked her as much as she liked him. If they had anything between them, it might also help stop the war. Both their families could get together and negotiate a peace treaty, uniting the kingdoms with their childrens' marriage. But even if that did happen, would she really want to marry someone so different from her? She found herself believing so, after all Emer did seem to have many peaceful characteristics in him, most obviously proven by the fact that he hadn't killed her or at least captured her yet. Whether she married someone for peace, or for love, she had always wanted to be with someone who respected her and loved her for who she was, someone like Emer. In reply to his question, she said, 'I was planting a red rose bush. We have white, pink, yellow and other colours of roses, but not red, so I thought it would be a nice addition to the garden. Complete the set. I do like flowers, but not the bugs that are in the soil.' Mentioning the roses, she wondered if she should have brought some, or at least one, to Emer. But she was glad she hadn't otherwise he might have rejected her, told her that he felt nothing for her and was only meeting her because he was bored. Even worse, he might reveal that he had been watching her, gaining her trust, waiting for the right moment to capture her. She could be used to force Pacific to surrender in the war. As these horrible thoughts tumbled into her mind, she was glad that she hadn't impetuously brought him a rose. She wanted to stay in this dreamy situation for a bit longer.

The roses reminded him of the little bouquet of bluebells he had lying on his desk, the ones he had almost brought today. He had given into the fear that giving her flowers would be much too forward, so in the end he had them pressed and sent to his neices. He was sure that she would have appreciated the gesture, but it would also imply that he might have less than desirable motives. He would hate to have her think that he was trying to manipulate her, but then again he still want sure if she was doing just that with him. For the millionth time since their first meeting, he prayed to the gods that the Pacific portraits would arrive soon. "Well, we need those unnerving creatures to get the gorgeous things like butterflies and roses. The ugly is just as important as the beautiful," he said, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the underbrush. Emerson smiled brightly as he found what he was looking for, a little fuzzy black and white caterpillar munching away on a leaf. He bent on and gently scooped it up, letting the creature curl up in his cupped fingers. Grinning wide, he presented it to her just inches from her face. "I personally have nothing against the little brutes." He remembered catching all sorts of bugs in the royal garden with his mother and father as a child, one of the rare times all three of them would be alone together. His parents had known each other for years before they married, which was unusual for for his family since couples were typically prearranged like his brother's marriages were. His father had been born a peasant, son of a soldier and a royal maid. His father had been raised in the palace with his grandmother as his grandfather fought in the war. That was where Emer's parents met, became friends, and eventually fell in love. To strengthen the bond between the Brisbone people and the royal family, their union had been approved and they have been living happily ever since. Although now that the fighting had grown more serious they have seen less and less of each other, and even he could see that it put quite a strain on their relationship. The royal family of Brisbone was busier than ever, and to ensure a future for their kingdom the King and Queen had chosen brides for each of their preoccupied princes. All the Lennox boys were married with their own children, or at least expecting, except for their youngest. Although his time to start his own family was fast approaching, sped up by Peter's sudden death. A sadness briefly took over his features as the grief for his brother resurafaced, but he was able to remain composed as he looked back at Erin. While he knew that any kind of relationship with this girl was just a dream, he just hoped that his parents chose someone similar for him marry. Someone that held no prejudice for titles who carried the same fire for adventure in their belly.

Leila stared in silent horror, mouth slightly open, as he picked up the caterpillar with his bare hands. Frozen on the spot, she listened to his words, but she didn't flinch. She didn't feel as scared as she might have been since she wasn't the one touching the insect. Besides, she felt just a bit more brave being with him. She was also distracted by his words, which reminded her poignantly of what her father had once said. In fact, they were an exact repetition of what he had said - 'I personally have nothing against the little brutes'. Her father had said that a few years ago, when he was teaching Leila about the history of the war between the two kingdoms. She still remembered his words, 'You are learning history, the past. The pain and anger that the war has brought doesn't have to be the future. It doesn't even have to be the present. I am working hard to change this world, so we will not have war. Your brothers will too. And if you or one of your children become the rulers, you must as well.' Leila had known from the moment she was old enough to understand, that she would never become the Queen, and she didn't really mind. It was a stressful job, especially when you had to deal with enemies who just wouldn't even listen to what you had to say. Not that Brisbones were terrible, as proved by their youngest prince, but their general attitude caused a lot of anxiety and trouble for her father. 'I personally have nothing against the little brutes. My ancestors obviously had issues with them, but I don't.' he had told her, 'They are fighting for retribution, and that is very understandable. Care for our kingdom, but care for their's too. Both sides are suffering, and both sides are responsible for the war.' Lost in her memories, she barely noticed the brief look of pain on Emer's face. She guessed that he was missing his own family or perhaps thinking about his uncle. Leila suspected that his uncle's death was probably a lie, since his identity was a lie as well. He was probably thinking about...she thought for a moment about who in the royal family had died. It must have been his elder brother, she suddenly realised. She couldn't imagine how hard that must be for him. Her own brothers were still alive and well, although she wasn't sure how long that would last, since they were exposed to danger every day as they fought on the battlefield. 'I suppose you're right. But even if I don't hold any grudges against them, I still have a fear of them. So, if you don't mind,' she said and gently pushed his outstretched hand away. 'Do you want to take a walk around the area? We don't have to go too far.' she suggested.

He tried not to think about his brother much, or what could potentially happen to the other members of his family, but he couldn't help but let it loom over him. After all, he himself could have easily been killed that day. Peter was home for the birth of his son, but his other brothers and father couldn't have afforded to leave the battle field at the time. Emer and his mother had spent the weekend at a cousin's when his sister-in-law had suddenly gone into labor, and they had tried to get to the palace as fast as possible to meet the new member of Lennox royalty. However, a landslide on the mountain pass delayed their arrival by over a day. The night that they were scheduled to reach the palace, his brother was ambushed on his way to bed. Peter managed to fight off his attacker, but was mortally wounded by the time the guards had arrived. It had been a Pacific radical masquerading as a servant for some weeks. Right before their execution claimed that they had planned on "putting down" all royals that were to be present that night, including Peter's wife and young son. Although he hadn't died on the battle field, which was the traditional standard for Brisbone honors, they gave his brother the pyre of a warrior all the same. He remembered his father telling him that this hadn't been the first time that their neighbors by the sea had sent an assassin into the shadows, and that day he mourned for all his ancestors who had shared such a shameful death. He had been consumed with so much anger at the senselessness of it, as did most of the kingdom, and at the time he wanted nothing more than vengeance. Payback, justice, compensation. For once in his life he shared the blood lust of his kinsmen. But over time he was able to start to accept the loss and instead made it his goal to end this centuries long conflict, so that no one else would have to feel such pain. He didn't blame Erin for what her people have done, and he hoped that she felt the same with him. Emer smiled a little at first at her disturbed expression, but saw that look of deep reflection make another appearance. What could she be thinking about? He bent down and carefully returned the caterpillar to it's leaf, watching it inch back into a more comfortable position before straightening. "Lead the way," he said as he turned, motioning for her to go ahead.

((Super sorry about taking so long to reply.))

As Leila focused back on Emer, she could tell that he was also thinking about his past. It was quite possibly a painful memory, from the way he looked. 'We...nobility have it tough, don't we?' she said gently, trying to bring him out of what seemed like a dark thought. She had nearly said 'royalty', which would have been a dangerous mistake. 'I don't really know the forest well at all, but I'll try not to get us lost,' she said jokingly as she walked towards a small gap in between the bushes. Pausing for a moment, she waited for Emer to follow her before she continued walking, following the twists and turns of the river. She noticed the river rushing past them a bit faster, and the slope seemed steeper. 'If we follow the river upstream, we might find a waterfall.' she said, remembering what she had learnt about rivers. She also recalled that there were a few waterfalls in the forest. Part of the reason why her parents didn't want her to leave the cottage wasn't only because of the danger of assassins, but of drowning in the river or getting killed by a falling tree. Leila knew that she was a valuable princess and that her parents just wanted her to be safe, but she still thought that they were being too extreme. 'I hope we do find a waterfall. I've never seen one before, only in books, but not in real life.' she said. Since her kingdom was made out of relatively flat islands, there were no waterfalls.

((Do you want his brother to assassinate one of her brothers soon?))

((It's okay. And yeah, the next they meet his brother will be king and finishing planning the assassination. That okay?))

Emer blinked and realized that he must looked pretty distracted, which was not the smartest thing to do at the moment. If he was going to follow Erin into the forest, the least he could do was pay attention to what was going on around him. He couldn't help but consider the possibility of her leading him straight to a trap, but the sincerity of her request for a walk had him believing that wandering through the woods was innocent enough. He thought about her words as he followed her up the path, always staying close behind her and taking an extra second to look deeper into the shadows. The war affected Pacific nobility as much as Brisbone's, so he could imagine that they shared a similar upbringing. The stress and worry about the battle coming right to your door, the absent parents or siblings, and it wasn't all that rare to lose a loved one like he had. He wanted to ask what it had been like for her, what her parents do, if she had ever lost anyone. Everything. But he new that whatever he asked she could not give a true answer because of where they came from, and it left him frustrated. He perked up a bit when she brought up waterfalls because it gave them something to talk about. He hopped forward to walk beside her instead of behind, looking ahead to try to find any signs of one. "Really? There are hundreds in the mountains, but mostly smaller ones."

((When are you usually online?))

((Sorry! I've been really busy this month, and was overseas last week. I'll try to reply more often, and hopefully things will settle down here soon.))

Leila couldn't help smiling at the situation. It was so romantic, but at the same time dangerous, and in truth, just tragically impossible. Although she was trying to deny it, she knew that a moment like this would probably never happen again. Even if she was able to meet Emer once more, he would probably find out who she was soon. She didn't want to imagine how he would feel about that. But she kept on wondering if perhaps he would take it better if she admitted to it first rather than letting him find out the truth for himself. 'Really? Well then, you're lucky. Hang on, do you hear that sound? I wonder if that could be a waterfall.' she said, walking just a bit faster in the hopes of finding something to justify her sudden wish for a walk in the woods. When they came to a slightly steep slope in the forest, she tried not to think about their relationship and all that nonsense, and instead focused on not tripping and falling down. As she reached the top of the little hill, she smiled, seeing the medium-sized waterfall in front of her. She beamed at Emer and bouncing slightly on her feet, said excitedly, 'I can't believe that I'm seeing one at last! It definitely looks way better than in paintings and books.' She was partly aware that she was behaving like a five-year-old, but she did feel rather excited about it.

Emer saw that there was definitely something larger than this waterfall on her mind, but he didn't get the chance to ask as the distinct sound of water hitting rock cut off his thoughts. He paused for a moment, trying to discern the exact direction it was coming from, but he didn't stay long as he saw that Erin already had quite the head start. Going into a half-run, he followed quickly behind her and was ready to catch her if her fell. As they reached the top of the hill, he took a few deep breaths and looked over to see her reaction, grinning himself. He loved how genuinely excited she looked, with that glint of child-like wonder making her eyes shine. "No artist could capture something like this." He didn't know how long they could keep meeting like this, but he would make the effort to come to the river up until the moment his guards decided to pay a little more attention to their charge's whereabouts. Although he knew it was impossible for them to become anything more than what they were now, it was worth all the risk just to see that smile of hers. Sighing, he turned his focus onto the beautiful waterfall before them. He slid down the small slope and walked to the edge of the little pool, carved out of the stone by hundreds of years of falling water. Without really thinking, he carefully pulled his shoe free and dipped his pale foot into the near-black water. It was pretty cold, but living in the cloud-smothered mountains made him used to such temperatures. "We could swim..."

((It's okay, where did you go overseas?))

Leila looked at the waterfall with eager eyes, trying to remember every detail of what it looked like, the sound it made when it fell, and Emer standing there in all his royal grace. As her focus fell on him once again, she thought he heard him sigh. She wondered if he might be thinking about the same thing she was thinking of. She followed him to the edge of the pool and sat down, taking off her shoes and putting them on the grass beside her. Without hesitating, she dipped her feet into the water, kicking her legs a bit. Since her kingdom was surrounded by sea, she was used to the wind and the relatively cool temperatures. 'Sure, I love swimming! Obviously,' she said with a small smile. 'But in this dress, I'm not sure...' she said rather regretfully. She certainly had not planned so far ahead to bring her swimsuit with her. She glanced at him and added, 'But you can if you want.' She didn't want him to feel obliged to not swim just because of her.

((Can't really say, sorry.))

((Oh, no problem :) ))

Looking over, he liked how at peace she appeared to be, so content and one with her surroundings. Emer watched her feet bob lazily in the cold water, his own foot just grain the surface, when he fully realized his mistake. It caused him to blush, when he actually thought about it. Swimming with his brothers and palace children in his youth was one thing. Two mostly grown nobles alone in the forest was another. He had simply suggested it as something to do, to share something that they both enjoyed. Now he just hoped that she knew that he didn't mean anything by the offer. "Oh, of course. You don't have to go all the way in..." He looked back at the water, knowing that it had been almost a year since he had last swam. Smiling to himself, he kicked off his other shoe and tugged at the strings securing the cloak, causing it to pool around his ankles. Trying to maintain his modesty, he shed everything but his underclothes and cuff. His sword rested patiently beside his cloak, snug in it's sheath. Too afraid to meet her eyes, he waded into the dark with little hesitation. The cold water stung his wounds for a split second before the familiar numbness began to set in. In this moment of peace, all those questions he had sitting at the pit of his belly since their last meeting rose up into the forefront of his mind, attacking his serenity. Who was she, what is her real motive, what does she know? He breathed in the mist carried over from the waterfall and dug his toes into the soft gravel of the riverbed, nervous about what he was about to ask. "Are you really who you say you are?"

Leila felt herself blush when she heard Emer's tone, realising how she might have misunderstood his meaning, but fortunately didn't. It had been months since she had last swum, since she didn't have a convenient lake situated right in her garden or anything. The last time she had gone swimming was with her brother, Richard, in the lake behind the palace, just before the war had begun. Richard was the youngest of her brothers. Although Leila treated all her brothers with equal love and respect, her favourite brother was definitely Rick. She didn't quite know why, but perhaps it was because no matter how busy he was, he always made just a bit more time to talk to her than her other brothers did. He gave her as much advice as her parents gave her and treated her like an equal, not as if she was still a young child. Since he was the best with words in the family, his letters to her cottage were always longer than the other epistles from her family, and she treasured each word dearly. Hearing Emer enter the water, Leila turned her attention back to him. Folding her dress up above her knees, she slid her legs down into the pool. The water was dark enough that they couldn't really be seen. The suddenness of Emer's question caught her completely off guard. But, as if to match the peaceful surroundings, her reply came out calmly and smoothly, 'Of course not. But it's not like you're telling the truth either.' The conviction in her voice was obvious and such a tone could only have come from her knowing the truth about Emer, which she did. She wondered if he had realised that.

((Not trying to tip you off on who to kill. Or am I? :) ))

((I gotcha ;) ))

Hearing her detached tone, he looked over in surprise to see her as calm as ever after saying something like that. What else could she have said? They were both smart enough to know that their identities were false, he was just afraid that she knew what he had tried to hide. He stretched his arms out and dove forward into the water, his narrow body shooting into the deepest parts of the pool. The cold caused every cell in his body to scream, making his thoughts disappear in the shock, which was what he had been going for. He stayed under for a few seconds with his eyes wide open before he turned over and slowly rose the the surface. Emer popped up just a few feet away from her and he took a few deep breaths, scraping his hair out of his eyes. "What's the point of lying when no one is convinced?" he said, turning his focus back onto Erin. Her name wasn't real and neither was her title, she could be anyone. A peasant, a spy, an assasin... For all he knew she could be the princess. It wouldn't be that far fetched, now that he thought about it. It was possible that the Pacifics had had the same idea as his own parents to hide their youngest in these secluded woods. "Who do you think I am?"

((Sorry if I take a while))

((I'll post later. Tired now after visiting family!))

((No problem : ) ))

Leila stopped kicking her legs in the water. She stared down into the water, embarrassed about the question and wishing that Emer hadn't asked about it. Even though she really liked him, they just weren't close enough yet to talk about these things, in her opinion. Although, if they just revealed their identities to each other right no, maybe they would be able to get close comfortably. But she just couldn't be sure how he would react. Finally, she looked up and saw Emer appear out of the cold water. 'You're right. It is rather silly. And it makes things kind of awkward.' she said, trying to focus on him and not look away, because that would reveal how pressured she felt. But her confident expression faltered when he asked his question. After a few moments of serious deliberation, she said slowly, 'Before I tell you what I think, I need to tell you some other things first. I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't want to stop meeting you. And I don't want you to think I have some interior motive.' Taking a deep breath, she said, 'I like you. Emer.' She felt her heart beat faster and stared at Emer, scared and nervous about how he would react to that.

His eyes narrowed, but otherwise he didn't look away. The shock of hearing his name, his real name, on her lips wasn't as harsh as he had anticipated. He had known that this was a possibility when he left the cottage that morning, but it unnerved him nonetheless. She herself looked shaken by the confrontation, which made him think that maybe she really was telling the truth. Was she afraid that he would get spooked and that the reveal would scare him away for good? That she would lose a friend? Or was she afraid to lose his trust and let her mark slip through her fingers? Emer didn't know what to think about her, or any of this, but he was still willing to wait and see what happened. Pulling himself halfway out of the water, he sat beside her and pulled his knees up to his chest. "I see... Well, Lady, since I like you as well I will stay and hear what you have to say." He told her quietly, not hiding it now as he scanned the trees for any hint of a guard, very concious of his sword laying just a few yards away. "I would like to keep meeting you in the future, regardless of your knowledge of my true identity. However, if at any time I feel in any danger I will have to go into hiding. This time somewhere where your people have no chance of finding me, it might even mean some kind of retaliation. I would rather it not come to that, you understand?" he said cooly, although his stiff shoulders revealed how on edge he really felt. He didn't want to make threats, especially to this girl who had known him nothing but civility, but he felt that it was necessary.

((Sorry but I'll have to post later again.))

((It's okay))

we could start doing shorter posts if you prefer

Sorry, I do have a post but its saved on my ipad and I haven't gotten the chance to go online there...

((No worries, I just get antsy))

Leila froze and couldn't think at all during the seemingly long silence that passed between them. Her heart beat faster as Emer approached her and sat next to her. Knowing that he would be suspicious of her even more after her confession, she understood his wary glances around the forest. Pulling her knees up to her chest as well, she leaned her elbows on her knees, looking down in embarrassment and dread of his reaction. As she listened to his words, which were harsh but lovely to her ears, a wave of emotion overwhelmed her. Before she knew it, tears were falling and streaming down her face. She was so happy to hear him say that he liked her, but yet so distraught at the fact that they couldn't be together. Brushing her tears off her face, she felt like she ought to explain herself to Emer. 'I'm sorry for crying - I just, it's so much all at once. I haven't heard such nice words since I've been here. Neither have I heard such threats...I just haven't had any contact with someone my age and I'm worried that I like you only because of that, although I don't think that's the reason...' She trailed off and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She expected that Emer would be the next one to panic when she told him the most important point. 'I suppose you something about Pacific royalty. Maybe perhaps that our princess is called Leila. Well, I'll teach you something new. I'm Leila. Princess Leila.' she said softly and slowly, collecting her courage to look directly at him.

((I understand, I am being rather slow, so sorry about that! Especially since this is one of my favourite roleplays, with the story plot and your detail.))

((No I totally understand, life gets busy sometimes. And thank you, this is one of my favorites as well. I've been role playing since I was 13 and now it's my main outlet for creative writing so sorry if I bug ya :) I haven't been able to teach myself to write all on my lonesome just yet. Sorry if my writing seems a bit 'eh'))

Scrounging up a bit of courage he managed to actually look at her and he regretted it immediately, horrified to see that she was crying. Anger he could handle, one had to when one grew up in a court with fire in its heart, but he never knew what to do when when the tears started. Brisbones rarely slowed down long enough to let the embers of their rage dull into grief, and if it did they made sure that there were no witnesses to such weakness. He himself had been in near isolation for months and he still hadn't let himself get to that point. His anger may have dwindled into nothing but a spark, but he wasn't ready to let that part of him go out just yet. But this was happening. Emer had made someone he tentatively considered a friend cry and he had to fix it... somehow. Did he really have to be so straight forward about it, should he have heard her speak first? He didn't enjoy threatening her with the retaliation of his kingdom, but he still felt it had to be said either now or later. She said that he had been the only one to show her kindness since her practical exile and that she even liked him... his attention sharpened a bit at that part. When she seemed to calm a little he gently laid his hand over her back, not without some hesitation. First it was just the fingertips, then slowly his palm followed to press softly into that wonderful area between her shoulder blades. He was worrying over whether or not this was appropriate when she brought up royalty. Her secret. Her identity. Her name. His fingers curled and he slowly retracted his hand. He said the first thing that popped up in his head, not giving himself the chance to let it sink in. "Leila suits you."

((I've been roleplaying for a few months, I'm 14, and it's definitely helped me with creative writing too. Now I've started to write short stories and I feel like my writing's improved, although I'm not sure how good it actually is. And your writing is really good, I feel like I'm reading a story :D ))

After revealing her true identity to Emer, Leila looked down into the dark waters of the pool again. She had never cried in front of someone whom she had only known for a few days, and she regretted it slightly. It had probably made things more awkward than they needed to be. But at the same time, she felt much better after releasing all her stress and negative feelings through her tears. She smiled a bit feeling his hand on her back, feeling her normally inactive girly girl part of her get all excited and swoon inside her. But she brought herself back to reality when Emer pulled his hand away. With bated breath, she waited for his reaction, expecting a violent outburst characteristic to Brisbones. But the outburst never came. She glanced back up at him, surprised and confused. When she heard his short answer, her smile was wiped away and a small frown replaced it. It took her a few moments to remember that he probably was in shock over the situation. Leila had had a whole two days to think about it and get over the shock, but Emer had only just found out. This was quite a normal reaction, she supposed, considering Emer was more peaceful than others in his kingdom. 'Thank you.' she replied quietly. She had already thought of what to say when it came down to this while she had been at the cottage, so she decided that now would be a good time to say it. 'If you want, you could go back to your house and think about things. Then I promise I'll meet you tomorrow again so we can talk about it. Unless you're ready to talk about things now?' she asked gently. She didn't want to push Emer, because she knew it would be unfair that he hadn't had any time to process this. Watching his expression carefully, she bit her lip nervously and waited for an answer. She couldn't tell how he felt about it, but she feared that sooner or later anger would show, and for the first time, was afraid for her life.

((You're pretty good so far, keep it up! Role playing helps with a lot with creating the basis of a story, and it's a great way to keep in practice for writing your own independent pieces :) It also helps with peer review. Just don't make it into a crutch, you know. I just turned 18 and I'm always trying to find ways to refine/find my style. And thank ya, let me know if you need another pair of eyes for your short stories and want a second opinion))

Processing the news, his eyes remained fixed on her face, he body going still. Now that he had a name he was able to connect it to the royal Pacific portrait they had had in the kingdom's archives. She had to have been around eight at the time, but he distinctly remembered the little girl surrounded by her older family members. At the time he had been focused on the neutral faces of her parents but now that the real princess was right in front of him, her curious eyes unearthed themselves from his memory. In just a few days, when that order had arrived from the archives, he could have found her identity all on his own. Here they were, stripped of their guises and weak to the will of the other. He could might life a living hell just as much as she could with him. They each had the power to run back to the safety of their guard and point the swords in the other direction. A number of things could happen now. Capture, torture, death - it all depended on whose guards got there first. Not only did he feel vulnerable to trust his secret with her, he also felt a little sick to be carrying her's. It was the same feeling he got when his father had first asked him to follow his brothers' footsteps and become a soldier. He couldn't imagine harming someone just because they were born in a different kingdom, let alone take their life. He still felt this way even though he knew that not acting meant putting his security at a high risk. All Emer knew was that he wasn't going to be the whistle-blower. She had known who he was for a while, maybe since she first saw him, and she hasn't told anyone about him as far as he knew. He was so zoned out that he almost missed what Leila had said, making him blink. He looked away and rubbed at his eyes, considering it. "I... think we can talk a bit more about it now, but I do have to get home soon. Aeden, the real one, is waiting for me back there and it's only a matter of time before he starts sticking his nose in this neck of the woods," he said peaking over his shoulder. Taking time to let it all sink in would be ideal, but he couldn't just leave it like this. Not yet. The prince folded his knees up to his chest and looked at the water fall. There was one thing that he had to get out of the way for this to continue. "Don't get offended when I ask this but... did your family have any part in my brother's- Peter's, death?" he asked, turning to meet her gaze as he spoke his name. "I wont be... angry if what I've heard about your family is true. In a way, you were only defending yourselves the swiftest way possible. I just need to know before we continue with this."

((Thanks :) I agree, it's definitely helpful. Sorry for taking so long to reply this time!))

Leila looked down during the silence, not sure what to say to fill up the awkward space between them. She wanted to do something so badly, but it didn't make sense to apologise. Although there was a sense of threat and danger around, she didn't feel fear either because she knew Emer's secret, and surely he wouldn't dare do anything to her, or so she hoped anyway. She definitely wouldn't do anything to harm him, because unfortunately she was at heart a weak Pacific girl who needed protection from her powerful father. She hated that position, but she knew she couldn't deny it. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to fight or betray Emer in any way, so she hoped she never had to. After all, he was just a royal in the same position as she was. Although she knew it was a disadvantage to her, she couldn't help feeling glad that her guards were nowhere near. Because she had sneaked out like an experienced thief, her guards had no clue where she was. Even if they did discover that she was missing, they wouldn't be able to get to her in time. Leila knew that really wasn't the best thing to think to herself right now. Here she was, out in an uninhabited forest with her enemy sitting right next to her. Literally right next to her. He was sitting less than a half a metre away from her. She didn't remember him being so close to her. Had he moved closer to her? Or was she just imagining it? She shook the distracting thought out of her heard and focused back on the matter at hand. She would just wait for Emer's reaction after he had processed the situation a bit. Then she would answer him and react accordingly. Despite having this plan, the sound of his voice startled her slightly. Quickly turning her head to look back at him, she listened to what he said, nodding. 'Oh. Right, that Aeden.' she said with a small smile. 'Well at least you don't get bored since you have a visitor.' All her girl friends were back home in their mansions and forts, too busy being guarded and protected from any Brisbone threats to visit her in her lonely forest hideout. Emer's next question surprised her with its unexpectedness. 'Umm,' Leila hesitated, still confused as to why he would be asking. For a few moments, she couldn't understand what his reason for asking might be, but after thinking about it, she suddenly realised his motivation. Remembering the incident, she answered gently, 'Oh. Well, if you're asking if it was intentional on my family's part, it was not. I know what the rumours were, that it was some sort of assassination planned by my family. We did know that your brother was fighting on the field, but we didn't know that the attack our soldiers made on your troops would affect him. I guess my father thought your brother would be more protected than he was. It was surprising, to us anyway, that he was among the normal foot soldiers, at the front line too, so I heard.' Leila reached out a tentative hand and patted his shoulder, then withdrew it shyly.

((No prob! Is there an easier way to reply for ya, like would you prefer to use an app or something? Oh yeah, maybe his brothers death could be like a conspiracy? He thinks that he was killed by the Pacifics because that's what he was told/where the evidence leads to, she thinks it was pure chance that they killed a prince instead of a soldier, but really it was for political reasons. Like maybe his brother was secretly planning on creating a treaty/helping the Pacifics/just deviating from the norm in an attempt to stop the war. Someone finds out about this, particularly someone who would benefit from the war to continue, so they hire someone to kill him. If the hit man told them that he was with the Pacifics, that he ambushed him, and it was on the night of his sons birth it would make the Brisbone nobility feel more justified to be fighting and the war would be going for even longer? And tye Pacifics were told by the same person that they had killed him on the field and that was why they think that the Brisbones are hell bent on revenge? Does this make sense or am I rambling?))

He watched her reactikn closely, leaning a bit closer to her than he realized. It what he had asked was a part of a completely different line of conversation that they were having right then, but he still had to know. His brother's murder was the only thing that he held personally against her kingdom and, if the theories were true, her family for arranging the whole thing. Emer had no idea what to expect from her answer, which was the defining factor of whether or not he would keep seeing her. He definitely hadn't expected to hear a story about Peter dying on the field. What she described was a common way of death for his royal ancestors. The Brisbones believed that all folk were equal in battle and the monarchs were no different. Since the nobles oftentimed had more training they were traditionally put at the front, the first and last to fight. It was just the way of things. Peter very well could have died in that manner, along with his living family members, but he knew for a fact that this wasn't so. He had been there when they scrubbed Peter's life blood out of the floorboards, seen no uniform on his body for the pyre, and read the interrogation records of his killer. He looked at her hand on his shoulder and watched as she withdrew, frowning in confusion. She seemed to be sincere in her words as well as in her sympathy for his loss. "Have they not told you, Leila? He was killed in the palace, by a Pacific extremist who was undercover as one of our servants. I'm sure of it..." He trailed off, looking hard at her features a bit longer to see if there was anything that gave her away. When he saw nothing that indicated anything other than complete innocence he allowed himself to relax. Right then he decided that he would trust her, but still not enough to not be wary. He leaned back on his elbows to let the sun fully hit his wet clothes, starting the slow process of getting dry enough to get fully dressed. "Sorry about asking like that, I didn't mean it to sound like an accusation. Just wanted to, well, make sure before this went any further." he told her, softly clearing his throat. "Who told you that he was killed on the battlefield?"

((Oh wow. That's a good idea :) But actually it was a totally honest mistake on my part. So to clarify first, who's the brother that did die on the battlefield?))

((No prob, it just gave me that idea :) He didn't have any brothers die yet on the battlefield, but I think the King is going to die that way soon. Would you want the next time they meet to be when Emerson gets taken? :) ))

((But I read a previous comment of yours and you said that Emer was wearing a cuff for his brother who died in battle. I'm kinda confused now. Anyway, I'll write my post and we can do the conspiracy theory.))

((Oh I meant like they loosely cosine red him to die that way since he was fighting the guy before he died idk. Sorry I'm kinda scattered and wasn't clear :/ ))

Leila blinked at him, stunned and confused. She clearly remembered the day when they had heard the news of Peter's death. Her family had been eating dinner in the royal dining room, as usual, when the head general of the Pacific army had rushed into the room and announced the confirmed death of the Brisbone prince. Hearing the news, her father had paled, and her mother had teared up. The general had then brought in a foot soldier, who claimed to have personally witnessed his death. They had all believed him, because after all, what was there not to believe? It was widely known that Peter often fought in the war and was not very protected. Clearing her throat, Leila quickly explained, 'A soldier claimed to have seen your brother die in battle, and he came personally to us in the palace to tell my family. We announced it to the people the next day, and we actually had a one minute silence on that day in Peter's honour. I believe nearly all, or at least the majority of the Pacifics mourned for him and truly felt sorry for his death.' Now that Leila was hearing the truth from Emer, she started to doubt the words of that soldier. What if he had been hired by that crazy Pacific extremist to lie to her and her family, deceiving her whole kingdom? Perhaps that soldier was even the one who had carried out the assassination, although she suspected he would have been caught by the Brisbones already. But just to check, she asked, 'So, what happened to that Pacific? Did you arrest him? What happened to him?' she asked, a bit hesitantly. She didn't want him to misinterpret her curiosity as suspicious or dangerous or anything. Trying to reenforce the fact that her family had had nothing to do with the incident, she added, 'We had no idea what truly happened that day. We believed the soldier fully, after all, there was no reason not to. I'm sorry that he died this way. I really am.' Although she tried to look calm, she was really quite shocked. She kept on thinking how to tell her parents about it when she wrote to them after she got back home. But if she told them, they would ask her how she knew, and she would have to admit that it was Emer, which didn't seem like a very good plan. Sighing, she knew she wouldn't be able to tell them unless they found out themselves somehow.

?

((Sorry, Sorry, I've been working))

As he listened to her family's reaction to the news of his brother's death, he racked his memory to pin anyone that had seemed even remotely suspicious in his court. Who would do this to his family, to her family? It had to have been someone who knew that Peter would be alone that night, someone who had been told about Emer and the Queen's delay. That left only only a handful, mostly messengers and servants, but who knows who they could have come in contact with. What if the assassin hadn't meant to target Peter and really had meant to slaughter as many Lennoxes as possible, and hadn't known about the delay? It could have been anyone, in that case, but nevertheless someone who still knew their palace and probably his family's basic schedules. He wondered how many other assassins and false messengers, like the one that Leila had encountered, were out there. Waiting for his brothers, his parents, him. He wouldn't be surprised if they had gotten a hold of the location of his cottage, or the other safe houses. Hell, the girl he had given his letters to every week could be one of them. A spy. Emer leaned forward and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyelids, sighing. He hadn't been this paranoid since the murder first happened, which left him constantly looking over his shoulder for days before they sent him here. His home was no longer safe. But now he was thinking that as long as his royal blood, even if he wasn't an heir, ran through his veins he was in danger no matter where he went. This... traitor had to be stopped before this terror on his family went any further. "It is what it is, I suppose. Your family couldn't have known any better... Thank you for doing such an honor for my brother and showed him the respect that he deserved, even if he was an enemy. He would have liked the gesture, I believe. At times I thought I could see the same desire for compromise in him, the same as you and I, but he wasn't strong enough to change the tide. A loyal soldier..." He looked back at her as he spoke but frowning a bit when he said the actual word. Enemy. They were technically each other's rivals, yet here they were sitting peacefully without their hands yearning for each other's throats. Actually, at the moment he trusted her more than most of his kingdom. "As for the so-called Pacific, they found him red handed. Literally. The man was arrested and was put under heavy interrogation for the greater part of two weeks." He shifted uncomfortably, remembering the noise. The palace was fully of it. The sound of horses arriving for the funeral, the weeping, the excited chatter, the angry declarations, and the wails of their prisoner. He didn't know what to expect in that situation. A Brisbone's life was just as loud in death as it was in life. "It wasn't hard to get it out of him that he was a Pacific, and his original plans. But it took several days to get it out of him that he hadn't acted alone, and after that he refused to talk. No matter what they did to him. After the soldiers deemed that he was no longer useful, they beheaded him. I heard that they, uh, threw his remains into the river. No burial or pyre." He didn't know why he was telling her all of this. A simple 'he's dead' would have done, but he hadn't been able to talk about it to anyone before. Everyone close to him had already known what had gone down, so it felt strange to have to explain it. Yet relieving.

.

((Great post! I'll answer by today or tomorrow, promise))