If at all, Nolian was offended by her words, he didn't show it. Instead, as they walked along the gardens and the castle grounds, Nolian simply shook his head and remained more or less, silent. She seemed flustered and angry but not entirely at him. There was something else under her skin.

But it wasn't his problem. Even if he, immediately, felt like he could help or should help. It wasn't his problem and his own casual relaxed demeanor seemed to only piss her off more. Clearly, the best approach was to simply shut up, stay out of sight and trouble and not let his skills grow lax.

Skills?

"I think you may be wrong about me wanting to leave so soon," Nolian answered with a loose chuckle. "I don't mind staying for a little bit but I do wish it was under different circumstances." She wasn't wrong about him enjoying the company of a horse. After all, they weren't nearly as prickly or as hard to handle as people were.

He wouldn't let the fancy vest get dirty, no. He couldn't do that to Henry. Bless the poor man's heart. He was trying and doing his job and Noliam just wasn't exactly a noble man.

"I can't say I'm too well versed in royal matters," Nolian admitted with a loose shrug and a shy smile. "But is there any other reason to snag ... a not-Royal and make them royalty? Or try, let's be honest ... between you and me? I'm not much of a noble man."

((ack forgive the length I'm on mobile >.>))

Nolian's inner smile faltered just slightly. But under the scrutinizing eye of guards and literally everyone else, his outer smile simply remained as it was. He was trying so hard to keep calm, to be kind, to be respectful to the literal princess of the entire country and she was making it so hard.

It couldn't be that hard to just suck it up for a little bit, give him a little bit of grace or even just patience. But no, there she was on the border of snapping at him like he was a child--despite the height difference between the two. Inwardly, Nolian rolled his eyes and grumbled the thought that he definitely could make a better royal than she was. But the thought of all that responsibility reminded him of why he definitely was not going to be a royal for long.

Nolian shook his head lightly, sweeping his head back and forth for a long moment. What could he say in return? Something to stall for a bit while he gathered his own emotions into the calm, steady, relaxed and casual smile. The inviting face that he tried to keep up--to put others at ease.

"I would imagine that would get frustrating rather quick," Nolian agreed with a gentle note to his voice. "Having all of them come to the country--the kingdom--supposedly for you... and to have them looking elsewhere. You want to be the prize but it's not theirs. Why stick around?" He snorted lightly and shook his head. "It's not worth it. It's up to you, I guess. If you want to be left alone, I can do that. If you want to be the sole focus of my life, I can do that too."

He shrugged one shoulder, looking around the gardens. "But there has to be something else," Nolian ventured out on the small branch he had in front of him. "Something else that's giving you this reaction. You're tight and tense, drawn taut like a bow string waiting to either fire an arrow at something or snap under the pressure."

Or, in some case, a horse ready to spook and bolt. But why? That was his burning question. Why was she so tense?

"I'm just some idiot farm kid," Nolian's voice held a slight tinge to it, "I'm sure whatever you say will probably go right over my head anyways. Might as well tell someone rather than no one, right?"

There it was. Like a dam that just had a little bit of it released, the pressure of the water came out like a miniature flood. Nolian had figured out quite a bit of it but he figured that it'd be easier for her to say something along the lines of what she was feeling.

He had a feeling that she wasn't really consulted on anything considering the events of the day. Nolian recognized that look when he was first dumped in the royal courtyard. Confusion. Not just confusion of who he was but what was happening. That was the point of contention that was bubbling around in her feelings.

Noilan's lips pulled into a looser smile, a lopsided look on his face before he let out a small and quiet chuckle. "My lips are sealed," he promised with a firm nod that tossed blond hair up and down. He wouldn't tell anyone else what he had heard even if he had a feeling most people could infer it already. Or maybe they couldn't. He wasn't sure. He was used to reading folks as they rode in. Which ones had stress, which ones were just on a small vacation, which ones were traveling--the likes.

"Maybe," Nolian said slowly, glancing toward her briefly before looking back to the pathway, "I can help soothe some of those worries. My name is actually Nolian Terrence. I made it myself," there was a small touch of pride in his words, "I came from a stable in the North--just over the mountains. Well, it was more of an inn for the farmers and farmhands who traveled back and forth during spring and fall."

He paused for a moment, thinking and mulling his thoughts over in his mind. What else was there for him to say?

"I guess, in a sense, I'm a blank slate to myself. I don't have any memories from before... sixteen, give or take. Most I know is that I showed up to the inn looking like I had just come back from the dead. No memories, no name, nothing. Just kind of picked up on a few names, threw them together and called it mine," he relayed the information with an idle shrug. It wasn't that big of a deal to him.

Nolian added a loose chuckle. "I hope that helps at least."