The Road to the Capital [Regular RP]

From behind the gentlemen, Lilithe quietly listened to their conversation. It was mostly to hear if her name was mentioned in case they were going to do any vicious thing to her. Though it seemed there wasn't. Her name was said once but there was nothing to do with her, so that was fine. From what she heard, they seemed to be going with the old plan, heading toward the capital. That was good.

Somehow, she started to feel that she could be a little more carefree with these nobles, she probably could trust them a bit.

The black mistress looked back for a bit just to see if there was anything following them. She had a bad omen about this, and it was quite accurate most of the time. She was not an extreme pessimistic for no reason. However, for now, everything was clear.

"I appreciate yer concern Lord Everrett, but I must say ya insult an old man." Jacob laughs heartily. "What kinda militant House'd I be runnin' if we weren't always ready fer anythin' in a state o' war. Well a state o' war that ain't got ma troops knee deep in sand wit dark magic flyin' everywhere. Ain't never gonna do that again. Anyways Fort Bannister ain't gonna fall ta no undead any time soon."

Stroking his beard Jacob yells to Sentinel. "'Ey Sentinel. Sit rep!" Looking back the armored giant nods slightly. "Right. Watch fer anything rotten an' foul." Another nod answer's her lord as she continues her march.

"I don't mean ta pry er anythin' Lady Lilithe, but ya mind me askin' where yer from? No offense, but I can tell ya ain't from 'round 'ere." Jacob asks turning his head to where he can see the mage knight.

"Lord Temple, I beg to differ!" Lawrence exclaimed at Lord Temple's overconfidence. "You've seen these monsters- the Risen are not to be taken lightly. They have capabilities far beyond that of a mortal human. We're fortunate that we were able to hold them off as well as we were. I do not doubt that your garrison is technically capable of facing them, but if they don't know the threat exists, they cannot prepare for it!"

"Your Grace," Leonard said. "The Risen are slow-moving and barely, if at all, sentient. I don't think they will launch a surprise attack at the fortress before we can send a Pegasus." When Lawrence's shoulders slumped slightly, a sign that he gave up, the Great Knight broke off. "I will ride out and notify you of anything that might threaten us."

"Yes," Lawrence said, "Do so." He then turned to Lilithe, smiling reassuringly when Lord Temple asked her where she was from. He was curious -he didn't recognize her accent- but he didn't want her to feel attacked.

"Very well, you are correct that my hometown is elsewhere." Lilithe pondered as she replied. As much as she hated to be a liar, she couldn't just tell Yllissian people she was from Plegia when they were waring each other. Suddenly, she recalled of a place in Plegian territory where neutral can live. Yes, she visited a place like that before. "It's a remote village somewhere in a desert bordering Regna and Plegia, near the inland lake, though nothing of importance is there."

In contrast of her smooth false word, the mistress felt bad inside, while hoping that the nobles will not ask further or she would hate herself even more.

"Which side o' tha border?" Jacob's voice goes from more jovial to serious as he asks. "I ain't been ta Ferox in a while but I can say I never heard an accent like yers there."

Sentinel continues her march a little ahead of the others. As she hears the word Plegia leave the horse rider's mouth she slows her pace to where the other's catch up with her. The armored giant stands between Jacob and the Lilithe woman. Sentinel trusts Plegians about as much as she would trust a bandit with her life. She cracks her neck to loosen up and trying to intimidate the possible Plegian from trying anything.

Jacob notices Sentinel's movement from the front to between himself and Lilithe. "Well since ya come from near Plegia ya got any idea if there's anythin' like this goin' on there too?" The lord slightly nods then shakes his head to Sentinel. Beneath her helmet Sentinel raises an eyebrow and keeps her shield and lance at the ready. She smiles to herself knowing the anti-rider enchantment on her lance along with weapon type advantage gave her a lot better chance of winning should she have to fight.

Upon Lilithe's answer to Lord Temple's question, Lawrence raised an eyebrow. The Plegia-Ferox border, was it? As much as Lawrence hated the Grimleal religion and followers, there was no reason to assume the Dark Knight was hostile. When Sentinel stepped in between his lord and the possible Plegian, the blue-haired noble defied protocol and called out another lord's servant. "Sentinel!" he called, "There is no need for that." Turning to Lord Temple, he explained himself.

"I will not stand for any Ylissean soldier lowering themselves to the level of the Mad King and committing violence against an innocent, Lord Temple." He knew well that not all Plegians were hostile- just as many innocent Plegians as Ylisseans had gotten caught in the crossfire between the Exalt and the Mad King. If Lilithe was Plegian, she was most likely a refugee who had tried to escape the fighting, and she didn't strike him as the kind of person to thrive in Ferox. Of course she'd come to Ylisse. If that reasoning was correct, then she was a refugee, for crying out loud! "I do pray your knight isn't intending to attack our guest. Would you really want foreigners to get that image of the Naganite people?"

Lilithe's heart raced with the armored one's change in behavior, as though she was going to attack. She secretly prepared herself for battle, however, the other lord came to her protection quickly, saying something noble heroes would say. With this, in order to keep her lord's good relationship with the other family, the knight shouldn't attack her. The dark mistress did her best to keep her gesture calm.

Still, it was a good reminder for her to repeat herself that she wouldn't be able to be in a good term with these people. As soon as her secret revealed, most of the Ylissian wouldn't hesitate to turn their weapons to murder her for the justice, one that only them felt comfortable with.

"It's fine, Lord Everett. I understand." She said to Lawrence who covered for her before turning to Jacob to answer. "Although it is in Plegia's territory, we are neutral. Sometimes during war time, we even got protection from the soldiers from Longfort."

"Regarding the risen, I'm afraid I do not have a valid answer for you, as it has been a long while since I left." "Though I already made a note to visit my hometown next time I travel near."

"Sentinel you so much as raise that weapon without an attack on either of us and I'll have you an mess duty for a month!" Jacob gives a glare to Sentinel who visibly flinches at Jacob's command and moves away from Lilithe. "An Lord Everett ya may be a lord, but ya ain't one o' ma commanders. I command ma troops, you command yers. Sentinel was doing what she was trained ta do an' what experience taught 'er ta do. I'll take tha blame fer that one."

The armor lord turns to Lilithe and bows. "Ma apologies. I ain't gonna lie, I don't trust Plegians an' neither does Sentinel. I've had too may o' 'em tryin' ta give me tha dirt nap an' a few were 'allies'." Jacob rises from his bow. "Sentinel knows not to do anything that could be seen as hostile towards anyone unless there is reason to. An' as much as I'd like fer Plegia ta be gone, Lady Lilithe ain't done nothin' but help us. Again I offer ma apologies. I'd be happy ta compensate ya fer tha scare. But, if ya try anything that looks like an attack on any o' us I'll let 'er use that lance that does a number ta riders." Jacob turns back around and points his hammer forward. "March Sentinel!" With a nod Sentinel continues her marching staying just beside Jacob.

Lawrence successfully held off on turning red when Lord Temple called him out on issuing orders to a man not under his command. He had believed it necessary, and his judgment overrode protocol. Having lost much to Plegia in the last war, Lawrence understood his fellow noble's sentiments, but he did not share them. Responding to violence with violence would only create an endless cycle of hatred. If Lawrence had remembered his history lessons properly, then King Marth himself had employed a policy of forgiveness and benefit of the doubt. If it had worked for the Hero-King, then who were they to challenge that?

He decided to let the topic rest, as long as Lilithe was not actually attacked, and looked up when he heard hooves in front of the group. Leonard had returned, approaching slowly but calmly, to report. "The road is clear, my lord," he said. "We've a straight course to the main road- we will not take longer than two minutes in these blasted woods."

"Splendid." Lawrence smiled. "Onwards, then. To the capital."

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"...your word hardly make this lowly self feel better, but thank you for trying." Scary. As the weapon was mentioned, the Plegian couldn't help looking at the lance which was told to be a rider bane, and it looked apparently so. In fact, the armored soldier didn't need that great of an arm to slay her. "And as long as our ordinary discussion isn't turned into investigation, I believe it should be alright."

Actually, Lilithe wanted to shut her mouth forever until she arrived the destination, though she was afraid she would be even more suspicious doing so. Suddenly, like a guidance of Grimle, someone brought up another topic.

"Should we hurry up a bit once we get to the main road?" The dark mistress examined her horse, and noticed that it wasn't that tired yet.

Lawrence looked back to the Plegian woman, nodding. "Yes, let's. Lord Temple and I have lost enough time as the situation stands." He might have left early, but this entire mess with a bunch of Risen had eaten up enough time that he could still arrive late to the meeting. This was worsened by Guinevere's condition. She was unharmed, but a little rattled, which made sense- Lord Virgil, whom she had carried before Lawrence, had never fought Risen. If anything, Lawrence supposed, it was a blessing that his parents had never had to face these abominations.

As the mare struggled her way through the final bit of undergrowth, he pulled her to a halt on the clear pavement. Open skies, an empty main road, and at least another few hours' worth of daylight.

Maybe they could make up for some of the lost time.

~End~