Edrys Kolsvalk

22 Years || Female || Knight || Orin || Mentions: Orin Royals, Kagha Royals, Kazimir

Edrys was silently lost in thought. Her expression and body movement said otherwise, but the Knight was good at making the outside world think different.

Was this.. truly their best option? Siding with Kagha? Granted, rumors are rumors, and as one of the more respected Knights of Orin she should have know better than to believe silly white lies, but she couldn't help but take them into consideration. From what she heard, witnessed, and observed, sometimes she truly believed not all of the rumors were lies but had a truth to them. Then again.. all rumors have a sense of truth to them, how else could they could be created. All one must do is find te truth, and twist it left and right, down and up, and there you have it.. a rumor. Who knew? Maybe Kagha was not what it seemed, maybe they were all kind, loving, sweet darling things.. almost like rabbits in mid morning. Or, they could have been savage crows, lurking in the shadows, waiting for any sort of chaos to occur, and feed upon the ruins. Edrys couldn't decide whether to believe them or not, all she could do was stay neutral, and take both ideas into consideration. Then, she would decide whether to act or leave it be. Only time would tell.

The Knight's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a pair of rapid foot steps, well created shoes clacking the ground beneath them. Princess Mirian. The woman was walking towards Edrys and Kazimir, dipping her head down to murmur something into her ear.

“Keep my family safe Dame Edrys. I would protect them myself, but the longer I stay on this tour, the likelier it is that blood will end up being shed. Stay quiet, but remain alert.”

Oh my.

It seemed that the Princess was rather upset- and planned on leaving the tour to go do someting else. Edrys would escort her away, but as the Princess spoke, she was told to stay here with the Royal Family. The Knight couldn't do anyting but nod her head, murmuring in response, "Yes, your Highness. I won't let any soul harm them."

As Edrys spoke, the Princess walked on, out of the woman's line of sight.

Whispering to Kazimir, she asked, "Go after the Princess, she mustn't be alone. I do not trust these walls, and so shouldn't you. Hurry."

She glanced to the Prince and his Personal Knight, eventually staring at the duo. Did they offend her Highness? Yes, they were no longer on Orinian lands.. but that gave these people no right to talk to any Royalty in any ill manner. Gritting her teeth, the woman looked away from the two, staring downwards, her ears listening to every shuffle, every ounce of movement. Even the wiggling of people's toes.. she'd hear them.

"I'd like to see this gardener in action. Dame Edrys,"

Glancing over to the King, she kept herself still, keeping her breathing fague. Everything mattered to a king, his subjects appearance, personality.. all Kings expected the best from their subjects, whether royalty or not. Edrys wouldn't want to be caught dead looking foolish in front of the king.

"hand a nice bloom to Zacharius here or maybe Rosenberg over there. Or even Kristopher over there."

Edrys wasn't entirely listening to the entire conversation, so she was quite puzzeled as to what stirred up those certain questions, but she didn't falter. The Knight slowly dipped her head, and slowly moved her legs, walking into the direction of a petite bush that held crimson red roses.. it reminded her of spilt blood, and her eyes almost gleamed at the thought of it. Along the petals, below its head, dark colored thorns reached outwards, curling downwards. The tips looked oh' so very sharp, and if one were to grab them with a bare hand, one would most certainly prick their finger and blood would trickle down its stem.

" Put it behind his ear if you wouldn't mind."

Aha- what.

Standing silent, the woman processed the King's request. She did not want to hand any Kagha resident a flower, let alone behind their ear like some.. who even would want to do that? A deceased flower just perched against your ear. Not even Edrys would think the King would request such a thing. But she was in no place to decline the order, and walked up to the Crimson Roses.

Reaching into a pocket hidden within her fur cloak, she pulled out a single leather glove, placing it over her right hand, sticking her hand into it, the soft leather carefully sticking to her skin. She pulled it to her wrist, and wiggled her fingers, retracting them and out. Edrys looked to the darkest of the roses, and reached for it, wrapping her fingers around the stem, about 2 or 3 inches away from the head, and plucked it off of the stem quickly.

There were 3 thorns sticking out from the stem, 1 large, visible, painful thorn and 2 soft, undeveloped stubs. She glanced to the Prince, an idea sparking quietly within her mind.

Rubbing her fingers on the stem, seeming as if she destroyed the thorn on the rose, the Dame walked over towards the Prince, her eyes locked onto his with a blank expression. Walking up to him, she stared up to him, sighing quietly at the difference in their size. She looked.. so.. so small, it was so sad. She wasn't that small of a person- damn.

Lifting up the rose, she placed it onto the Prince's head, hiding the stem behind his ear, and twirled the rose over, hiding the thorn behind his ear, pushing it up against his soft skin.

I hope it is to your liking. The color may just match your blood.

Edrys smiled faintly, and dipped her head, taking a few steps backwards, standing beside King Randolph. The Knight was hoping the King didn't see the thorn, she did her best to hide it from plain view.

Kagha
Twenty-Four || Male || House Talmeren - "The Pale Bear" || Kaghan Commander || Acilia, Basil, Zak, Mir (ind)

Acilia was visibly disturbed by the actions they both had to... partake in, he could tell. Not only was she disturbed, but she was disgusted, too. From the people he was typically around, he knew what disgust meant; they didn't enjoy something, or, alternately, they simply didn't want to admit that they did. In her case, he figured it was the latter, and the latter he could use to his advantage. It'd been a long time since he was around women, so he may have taken his façade a little too far- especially considering that he'd nearly lost himself to her deceptive charms- but he was satisfied with the way his wits had won, seeing her face so stunned into silence.

His eyes followed her fingers as she moved to trace her lips. He was not fascinated, no, but by how shocked she was, it was unlikely she'd been in such an... active embrace before. People like her only taunted and then left others in want, not succumbed to their own personal desires. If he was right, his was likely among the first of her experiences with such intimacies. She looked rather uncomfortable, really, aside from the seemingly typical show-no-emotion visage she wore along with her mask. He tried, and failed, to smirk at the dazed look on her face.

"Yes, me. Are you surprised, little lion?" His smirk only broadened as he saw her eyes flick down, knowing he had the upper hand in the matter. She was trying to best a man who'd been navigating court his whole life... she would be lucky were she to beat him.

Her hands were trembling, and, being as close as he was, he could feel her forcing her fingers not to shake. It would be endearing, really, had he felt much for the woman. True, his heart was racing and his eyes studying her own, but he felt... very little. Did he? In truth, he wasn't sure, but there was one thing he knew: she had hurt one of their castle servants. She had tried to manipulate him, tried to get him to lower his guard so as to let her go, attempted to save her own life by threatening his. Being seduced by a woman such as herself wasn't a viable option at the moment.

His arms reached for the hilt of his sword as he saw her reach down for what he presumed was a weapon. When you were a knight, a commander, you didn't have time to look around and know. You had to assume that someone was a threat. If you didn't, you'd be found dead mere days later. "Oh, is it now?" His mouth quirked up, eyes flickering as he listened to her speak. He pulled her face close, close enough that he could feel her warm breath on his face. "I'm sure, given a different introduction, you might've said otherwise." Turning her taunting persona back on her, he pulled himself away as he studied her shaky expression. She'll learn not to play her game of cat and mouse with someone like me.

He noticed a darkness, a glint of malice, in her eyes as he watched them. She was like him; that was certain. She had already told him that she was a knight. The way she talked, it wouldn't be difficult to unravel her secrets- for him, at least. He found himself exploring his effect on her. It wouldn't be hard to use it, to manipulate her just as she had tried to him. "I suppose you'll have to find out, now, won't you? You've made a mistake, little lion, telling me who you are. You'll regret that." He merely smirked back at her, not bothering to tower over a woman in heels. If he bothered and failed, it'd show he was pathetically desperate. He wasn't about to do that.

"So you believe you've won? We could agree to disagree, but in a fair fight..." he leaned in, face next to her ear, "a wolf pack would win. And as far as I can see, little lion, you're all alone in a place you hardly know."

As if on cue, he saw a flicker of movement off to his left, where he noticed the Kaghan prince approaching. "Commander Kagha, fancy seeing you h-" Ka snapped his head over to Zacharius in the chaos, watching his puzzled expression at the interaction seeming to unfold before him. "I didn't take you for such an... amorous type of guy..." Despite the woman cursing him out and consequently pinning him onto the ground, his face was as neutral as a statue, calm, controlling. "You've known me much of your life, Your Highness. Do you believe this to be a hobby of mine?"

He scoffed, but it was hard with a whole body lying on his ribs. He wasn't even really trying to get her off of him.

"I would recommend you look for Mir's little pet gardener." Looking at Zak with a rather calm expression, he had a feeling the prince would catch on to what he hinted at, but he may have been wrong. After many years and experiences, they had a way of each figuring out what the other was meaning. "A lover's quarrel, hmm? Now wouldn't that be interesting, for two lovers to call each other assholes and shitfaced bastards, bringing out knives like the pleasant little darlings they are." He turned his attention placidly to the woman who had already punched his mask off his face, but his dignity was spared by the fact that he almost instantly writhed under her weight and extricated himself from the situation. And that meant barely being missed by her dagger, of course, which he was highly grateful for.

Get angry, you bastard.

Directing his passive, fiery thoughts into his skills with a blade, he quickly got to his knees and dodged the dagger she aimed directly at his neck and chest, mind racing for a way to escape the devil woman. Of course. He dropped his own dagger and grabbed her chopping arm, holding it back as he held his other arm out at her exposed neck. Were he not trying to be less malicious in the face of royalty- he did see the Orinian King, strange as he seemed- he would've slammed her head on the floor, promptly cracking her neck. Alas, there were people watching, so it was less a death blow and more a highly forceful shove, strong enough to bruise the back of her head with ease.

As soon as she was beneath him, he wrestled the knife out of her grip and threw it to the side, promptly sitting himself on top of her. His face was mere inches from hers as he moved his unoccupied hand to her other wrist, preventing her from moving much other than her head.

"You thought that I was a weak little soldier... cute." He smiled, a brief, devious smile, and searched her eyes for a reaction.

"Zacharius there spoiled my secret... ah, well. If you must know my name, it is Kagha Talmeren, Commander of the Kaghan Armies. Rather appropriate, no?"

Basil and Acilia

MaleFemale | 1923 | ServantKnight

Mentions: Everyone at the gardens

Acilia huffs, her eyes narrowing. She kept her mouth shut but hearing his rank made her grin. "A commander? Such a lovely rank for such an enchanting man." Mouth spewing venom. Her eyes shift to the half-dressed royal standing over them. Examining him thoroughly then sets her sights on the king on his back. "A half-dressed royal with an old man on his back. This kingdom is the weirdest one I've been to." Acilia couldn't hold back a chuckle, "Hosting a freak show, your highness?" Licking her lips, blood leaking from them due to the impact between her and the ground. Those were her final words before she went quiet. Something felt wrong-it was making her stomach sick. What could be causing that? She shifts uncomfortably, not because of the man on top of her, but something else.

Someone is pissed. An omen has befallen those in the garden. Acilia's body hardens, and her blood is icy cold. Whoever was doing it was putting real fear in her. Whoever they are, Acilia eagerly wants to meet. Was she a big fan? Not, Acilia isn't a fan of anything or anyone. So, why does she want to meet this person? Was she excited yet terrified of meeting the stranger? Most certainly, the answer is a strong yes. She gives a glance up to the sky that started to darken. The Sun was officially gone. Now, it was a cold breeze that swept the garden. Cold hands touched Acilia's face, and she could've sworn that she saw her breath.

Acilia's eyes grew dim, shuffling under Ka's body. In a quick motion, she looks at him-a smile on her face. "Do you feel that, Commander Wolfy? Someone has murderous intent. Aren't you eager to meet them as much as I?" She starts laughing. The laughter-filled with fear, and it was choking her. Great, now her breathing is losing control. Acilia bites down hard on her bleeding lip, and her eyes focus on the castle.

━━━━━━ • ✿ • ━━━━━━

Basil's legs crossed with the one holding the leg bouncing in a sloppy rhythm, his face in his hand, and he was muttering to himself. His breathing was strange-rapid and nervous. Everything was hurting. Everything inside him was angry. The light swarming him was gone. His little ray of sunshine was gone. Everything Basil ever known about himself was gone. He felt empty, with no joy in his heart, and he felt numb. It was uncomfortable. Unfamiliar. He was never this unhappy about something before. Correction, he has never been upset so mildly over anything. He wanted to cry. Basil wanted to punch something. He needed to stab someone.

Basil huffs and puffs, his bottom lip trembling. He desired to scream slurs into the sky. He must do something to release all the frustration built up inside him.

He's a ticking timebomb that's close to exploding under any circumstances. No matter how big or small it seems, it will set this little bomb off.

He was dry-sobbing, no tears left him, and the air in his lungs couldn't handle the rapid changes. Basil was close to fainting. He was suffocating, but he couldn't stop.

"Basil," Julia's voice came to him. He forcibly took his hand from his face to stare at the woman. His shiny eyes of joy were gone. He was unaware of the eyes of servants staring at him-fear in their eyes and concern. No one dared approach the hyperventilating man as they were unfamiliar with this sort of reaction from Basil. "I think you should head back to your room and rest. You're tired and a bit drunk. Go lay down and sleep it off."

Basil's spark came back. A strained smile on his face, "Alright. I will. Can you," his throat was sore from the cold air rushing in, "help me?" Julia's tight body loosened-relieved while helping Basil up to his feet. Hand in hand, the two were making their way towards the door. The sunshine was returning, and the room's unknowingly heavy atmosphere was lifting.

It was until Basil felt something in his soul. It was twisting in discomfort. It was begging to be left alone.

...pluck...

Someone had taken something from him. Someone has stolen something valuable from his hard work.

That's it.

That's what set Basil's bomb off. The Sun replaced by the Moon. It was frigid. It felt like nothing-he felt nothing. Mindlessly, his thoughts were soaring around. Basil was struggling to keep everything together. Keep everything held down. That's what he's been doing for years, and it worked.

So, why isn't it working now? What changed?

Julia's words weren't listened to-his brain shut down completely. She was trying to calm him down, but it was failing. Julia was pulling away when his presence was suffocating to linger. Basil grew insulted that she pried away-glaring at her with his eye. His shaking fingers rake through his hair, causing everything to fall out of place. His hair pin met with the floor, including his hair tie. How could anyone handle anger? How do they manage it without losing their minds?

Basil couldn't handle it. Acilia's words echoed in his empty mind. All those taunting words that she said about him spoke true. How can he scream if there's no more air in his lungs?

That's when he stormed off-murderous intent running clear in his mind. Those familiar faces he smiled in the halls were nothing more but blurred faces. Strangers he never met. Where was he going? He doesn't know anymore but was aimlessly following the silent cries. It came from somewhere. But where? Julia was disturbed at the sudden change in Basil-everyone witnessing this was. She went after him, calling his name, but he couldn't hear her.

No.

He doesn't want to listen to her.

It could've been the near-death experience that made his brain tick. Yes, that must've been the answer. Basil's steps had a fire to them-smoldering the floors beneath his feet. He was running over to the doors that were the exit to the gardens. To him, those doors were Holy gates to a paradise. A paradise where he can relax and enjoy himself in peace.

Now, the doors were corrupted-bearing goodwill no longer. Basil was getting ready to enter his state of anguish.

BAM.

The doors shoved open with a force that matched that of a tornado. The palace guards who were patrolling there grew startled and confused. Why was the kingdom's ray of sunshine now ill-lit like the moon?

Two Suns have set that day. One of the Suns was ill.

Basil lets his feet carry him to the bush that used to hold the red roses. The flowers around him wilting-cowering in terror as Basil approached. The butterflies swarming the gardens scattered and hid away. In Basil's perspective, the flowers were black-they were nothing but shadows that bear no detail. His only eye wasn't the bright amber, not anymore.

It was crimson red, like the blood of man.

Basil trudges past the group of people there, not saying hello or making no movement to let them know that he notices them. They were figures with no faces. They were nobodies. The only thing he cared about was his bush of roses. That's the only thing his mind wanted him to see.

He comes to an eerie stop in front of the bush. His eye scanned the bush to search for the missing flower. He worked hard to grow this bush.

He'd to make sure he planted them in the right season.

He had to give it the right amount of water.

Basil had to keep up with feeding fresh fertilizer.

Pull out the damn weeds that dare to invade its space.

He had to take extra measures to keep the insects from eating them.

All that work. Only for someone to take a flower that's not fully ripe. Why didn't no one wait until it was ready? Why were they so selfish? Do they hate his work this much?

His eye turns to the characterless forms, checking out all of them for that missing flower. Indeed, he found the flower. It was sitting right up there-slowly dying due to someone's self-absorbed decision. Basil approaches Zak, staring at the flower with a solemn face on the usually cheerful man. He brings his hand up to take it and gently holds the stem between his pointer and thumb. Basil stared at it for a couple of minutes. Without warning, he crumbles it with his hand. The sharp thorn cut the palm of the said hand but did not flinch. He didn't cower away from the pain, let alone the smell of his blood.

He could've replanted it-given it another chance to grow. However, the idea didn't cross his mind. He was too angry to think logically at this point. Opening his palm and drops the flower. Basil walks back over to the rose bush and kneels to lower himself. He touches a rock. His fingers glide over it flawlessly, then grips it.

His hand was shaking-not by the weight but the rage that rushed to his hand.

He throws it at one of the figures. Not caring who it was. Basil sees a worm wiggling in panic. He picked that up and hurled it.

His focus landed on a terracotta clay figurine of a fairy. That got tossed too.

An empty garden pot settled peacefully on the ground is now soaring.

A snake was slithering away from the chaos, but that got chucked in the direction of the figures.

Everything that he got his hands on was aimlessly went flying. Going as far as throwing flowers-something he cherished the most. That's when he noticed something familiar.

Those cold blue eyes filled with dark intentions, and that's what set him off. He remembers those cold eyes, and he remembers vividly the person who held the blade to his throat. His bloodied, dirtied hand went to his inner thigh, and that's when his fingers touched his dagger.

With a single flick of his wrist, he tossed the weapon towards the eyes of blue. The blade landed centimeters away from the eyes of his attacker. "You," his words were cold and empty, "you threatened to kill me." The truth is out in the open, and the stage is set. Now, the drama will begin, so bring your bag of popcorn and enjoy the show. Acilia didn't pull away from the dagger. She was thinking that it was going to miss.

It did miss, but only by a couple of centimeters. The blade dug halfway into the ground-another surprise for Acilia. She never excepted Basil to have throwing strength like that. "Indeed I did, but it's your fault for tailing after me in the first place. Did your parents not warn you about following strangers?" The garden that was a breath of fresh air became a battleground. During his throwing fit, Basil's shawl fell off his shoulders-revealing his neck that had a cut on it.

Hyacinth Moichigo Thezmaer
Male :: 19 :: Prince Of Orin :: Mention: Sori, Zacharius, Mirian, Those In The Garden

The young prince was quite excited to see the Kingdom of Kagha. It was an enigma to his people - and he wanted to know more about them , just like his older sister Sori. He found the entrance to the Kingdom quite beautiful - and what struck him were the beautiful ocean waves they could see on the carriage ride. So that's what an ocean looked and sounded like. He could see children running around and giggling with ribbons and big hats on their heads. Their mothers running after them with beautiful billowing dresses - their laughter carrying across the breeze. It was such a beautiful scene.

He looked around and rarely if he saw someone begging or who looked poor - they were being taken care of , not ignored. This made his heart happy. He was soon surprised when they reached the castle of the Kagha people. It was quite a sight to see and he had to give a small impressed gasp at the sight of the castle. Everything was moving so quickly once they stepped out of the carriage. It seems a young noble lord that was also a knight had been sent to greet them. He was very polite and respectful to them. But his older sister Mirian didn't think so, and he had to cut a glare at her at seeing her being such a, how do you say brat. Not to mention Edrys wasn't acting much better at the moment. He had to suppress an eye roll at her ill-mannered behavior. However the Kaghan Prince seemed to take it gracefully. And his lovely sister of course managed to swiftly take control of the situation like the Queen she was born to be. And a soft smile graced his features as he watched her in action.

Soon they were being ushered in the castle and given a tour by the Crown Prince himself, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. He seemed so cheerful and rather a nice guy - but his sister was acting like there was a stick up her ass and a cactus where her heart should be. He hopes that the poor guy wouldn't be stuck in some dumb marriage with Mirian. He didn't believe him to be worthy of Sori - just yet. The prince did treat her with upmost respect and was trying to do the same for Mirian (who was being a little pain in the ass as usual.) The young prince kept in tow with Sori.

He had to grumble in annoyance when Mirian and Sori were arm in arm. He didn't like Mirian, especially when she was acting so buddy-buddy with Sori - he knew she was a snake, not a intelligent one though. Because even a snake knew how have precise - yet, cautious blows. Because the way she called Lord Rosenberg a foreigner - directly to his face without an ounce of shame or brains had him reeling. But the way the young lord handled her had him giggling . He heard his older sister mutter words about getting her.

"Sister, sister." He said looping his own arm with Sori's . A cat-like amusement present in his own eyes, "don't worry your pretty head about such a lost case. It's obvious she chases things she can't even begin to understand. Her little tantrums and poorly veiled threats shows her disregard for diplomacy and ruling. Because if she thinks as a Queen of Orin she can have such manners in a foreign land then she is poorly mistaken." He gave an annoyed sigh, " because who in their right mind would go out of their way to offend both princes of a Kingdom that we need an alliance with and that has graciously opened themselves as hosts when they are known for their secrecy." He couldn't even finish his rant when his sister openly threatened Lord Rosenberg .

Was she fucking mental? He groaned in annoyance, he usually wasn't one to get involved in his sister's petty squabbles but this was out of order. He could only hold a sharp and serious gaze as he addressed Mirian, " Mirian, you really don't have room to talk about being rude to foreign royalty to their face. As if you haven't been beyond rude to our host Prince Zacharius - not to mention having your face scrunched up like you've smelled something bad when the castle is very breathtaking. And then directly insulting Lord Rosenberg for some petty reasoning and then indirectly insulting the other Kaghan Prince. Why should the Lord have to deal with your insults to his home just because you've decided to be a real pain in the ass." He spoke with a deadly calm and icy tone, "and not to mention: you couldn't have done a damn thing at home. How could you dare to say you'd have his head for isults, when the Princes's here have most likely been very lenient with your speech towards them. And secondly, you are not the fucking Queen, so get of your high horse and stop being a self-centered, egotistical, narcissistic, spoiled brat. And I don't care if you are mad at me, be mad and stay mad. Because you've already chosen the bed you lie in. You chose to chase something you're simply not worthy of and ignore those who you need in your corner to obtain your goal. And quite frankly, you're too late to earn my respect."

And at the mentioning of leaving he could only scoff, "You only saw what you wanted to see."

He gave Blair a knowing look. Like yes, he was enjoying the drama and he enjoyed being the drama. He then made his way to his true sister, Sori and locked his arms with her quite content to be with her. He watched with amusement as Zacharius gave their father a piggyback ride - quite easily he may add. The rest of the tour went rather smoothly. And he unhooked his arm form Sori as she began telling the story of a childhood fable. But what surprised him was when Lord Rosenberg added on to the story. Ah, so he had a parent that was a native Orin. That made sense. He had to give a small laugh at Zacharius saying they liked to scare their children.

"What can you say. It builds character." Hyacinth said rather amused.

He then looked in excitement at Blair when they mentioned the garden. He then couldn't express the happiness in his heart at the site that was the Kagha Royal Garden. The flowers looked like they were meticulously cared for and it made his heart happy. He had to kneel down and gently touch the petals. He frowned at the mention of the flowers being picked.

"Father, don't you think that's a bit rude. After all the Prince did just say no flower picking." He said a bit concerned.

No sooner than he spoke, he could feel a chill in the air. It was dangerous and quite scary. He soon could feel himself jump out of his skin at the sound of the doors being open with such force. The persona was dressed rather nicely , and could be described as a flower nymph coming to avenge their sisters. Because he did not expect the person to being throwing things randomly in a fit of rage, and what was tossed towards him and Blair was a simple rose. And he watched as the young man accused a random guest of attempting harming him and then throw a dagger that nearly hit said person.

Just who exactly was this gardener. Because, damn he was cute. Hyacinth could feel his eyes watching the Gardner with interest and possibly a bit of a crush was forming. He could feel his face grow red at the thought.

Randolph Cornelius Thezmaer | 53 years | Male | King | Orin | Mentions: Zacharius, Kristopher, Mirian, Sori, Moriah, Mircea, Basil, Kagha, Acilia, Hyacinth

"Hyacinth," he glared at his son. "What have we said?" No spats with his siblings in front of other nobles. To not use such strong language unless they were wanting to cause a war. While Randolph was not great at ambassadorial positions, he had a few tips from his wife. Besides, she had recommended that everyone keep their mouth closed. The less information they gave out the better it might be until negotiations came around. Randolph had a feeling that they all would be getting a talking to. He moved on from his son and spent a lot of time looking around. He didn't get his son's admiration for this castle. He liked his own just as much and much more since he lived there. Perhaps he was trying to be polite?

“Pah,” Randolph grumped. “You’re just walking on flat ground. It’s more challenging when I’m deadweight on rough terrain.” Although he had been needling him so they could leave his wife alone, he really had expected Zacharius to be more of a wimp. He was curious how long pride would keep up his stamina. He heavily clamped his strong hand around Zak's neck intending to feel his pulse. Sheesh. His pulse wasn't bad at all. Randolph snorted when he heard about the flower crown. Not that he could talk. A flower behind your ear wasn't super manly either. He really appreciated flowers, probably more than Moriah. They had named his son Hyacinth after Randolph's favorite flower. He sighed a little after he was done sneezing. Some might take it that after sneezing felt better, but he was enjoying the view of the garden.

The glorious variety of plants was calming. He was becoming less miffed by everyone arguing earlier. Randolph supposed he should have told Mirian off so that she wouldn't have constantly gotten poked at. Now she had stormed off who knows where. Randolph was annoyed that Hyacinth would scold his sister for so long. How boring after almost all of the Kaghans had had their turn.

Randolph’s little mind kept eating at him. How angry could a gardener get? Surely, it was normal for children to pluck flowers? He turned to Hyacinth. "What are flowers for but enjoyment? Sometimes you can't be outside to appreciate it." He avoided the truth that it was rude. "Besides, it's more like a guideline. I also heard that the gardener is very sunshiney." He nodded approvingly at Edrys to reassure her that he was serious. He had been curious who Edrys would choose. He was surprised when there was no fight from Zak, because he noticed the sharp little thorn and hoped that wouldn’t be a problem. It’d be really annoying if it stabbed into the side of his leg for the rest of the tour. In addition, he couldn’t mention it. If this led to another quarrel he wanted to be able to claim innocence.

He turned his head to watch the lover’s quarrel that Zak pointed out. Didn’t people around here get a room? Their body language didn't suggest lovers although the position of their bodies didn't really leave anyone with a different impression. "I want the story here." He said to no one in particular after Kagha started throwing her around. "I find the hatred here quite intriguing. I wonder what she did to get that kind of treatment."

Randolph saw a stiff figure heading their way. “Oh shit,” Randolph hissed at Zak. “You said that he would be an angry blur. You didn’t say he would cry.” He whispered down at Zak full of awe and confusion, “Can he really see where the missing flower is?” Randolph stared at Basil as he crumpled the flower. Pretty aggressive move for someone who loves their flowers. Guess jealousy was a serious thing if he didn’t want anyone else to enjoy the flowers unless they were on his terms. He thought it was a little cruel. If someone was going to pluck the flower, it meant they wanted to enjoy it and bring it with them. Why was he so angry about that? Alright, Randolph didn’t have the right reasons for having a flower picked, but surely Basil didn’t know that. While Randolph did feel a little guilty for being the main reason for making the gardener cry, he was getting a little annoyed at the illogicalness of this.

Randolph’s eyes widened as objects flew through the air. He was even more amazed when he saw a worm rocketing across the way. He started hunching behind Zak. “Dodge, dodge, dodge!” he shouted. He rocked around precariously holding on and probably messing up Zak’s balance. He hated that he looked so cowardly. If he hadn't been on Zak's back he would have done something about the young gardener. Grabbing onto Zak’s hair he started shaking it and firmly kicking his sides before realizing that Zak wasn’t going to respond like an equine. “Forwards." He pointed in the direction he wanted to go. "Stop the little weed! Alright, you little plant!” He was getting tired of wondering if he was going to be hit by a projectile.

“Why do you care…” his voice dropped off when Basil threw a dagger. “Shit! Shit! Shit!” He ducked back behind Zak as well as he could although plenty of him was still exposed. “Wah, what the hell?” Had someone threatened the gardener? Basil was certainly throwing his displeasure around quickly. Should he know who that girl was on the ground? "OoOoohh," he said in that drama-inducing tone.

“Hmmm. That’s one of yours I suppose?” he vaguely indicated in their direction, but he meant the man holding the girl down. “I was going to ask the gardener why others weren’t allowed to enjoy a flower and bring it with him, but this is so much juicier.” He sat back up straight making himself more comfortable than hiding behind Zak.

“Mirian!” He turned back the way they had come from seeing a figure that could be his daughter and waved throwing his mount off balance once more. “So you have decided to rejoin us? Of course, you missed the flying projectiles. Typical.” He huffed a little out of breath.

He eyed Hyacinth next wondering if he was going to be an unbearable "I told you so."