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They get to Casasha. Shara gets her cream puff and her fruit. Strangers incline their heads to her and call her "pennon"; a few recognize her personally or just know that there aren't any other Swanpennons her age and call her "princess". Casasha is pretty densely populated - there's farmland in parts of it, but the place the wilds spit them out in isn't it; it's a largish city by the source of the river they've been following, and after they spend a night in an inn there - and their horses are more thoroughly seen to than is possible on the trail - they'll be proceeding on a well-trafficked highway to the royal household.
try_me
Zeviana seems to find all of the people energizing and exciting. She goes from place to place, curious, asking questions about a city she's never seen before - meeting people, talking to people, and, at one point, flirting with a waitress.
in_tatters
Adarin is a bit more reserved. He hangs around Shara, is polite, and is not be particularly huggy in public. Not because he isn't feeling huggy, but because he's worried about how it would reflect on Shara herself.
pleating
Kayam finds it highly entertaining that Zeviana flirts with a waitress. She doesn't flirt with anyone herself, but directs a couple of girls at Zeviana. She's also happy to play tour guide.
Shara answers questions about her adventuring from curious strangers - apparently it was reasonably common knowledge that she'd be doing some of that - and confirms that the paler of her companions are rescuees. She leaves Adarin in total control of the hugging level.
And after their night in the inn, on to the capital they go.
"When we get to the palace my parents are going to want to meet the people I rescued, especially if it counts," says Shara. "And, um, considering how they met, they might be looking particularly close at you."
And after their night in the inn, on to the capital they go.
"When we get to the palace my parents are going to want to meet the people I rescued, especially if it counts," says Shara. "And, um, considering how they met, they might be looking particularly close at you."
in_tatters
He raises an eyebrow. "Why? How'd they meet?"
(He thinks he already knows.)
(He thinks he already knows.)
"Well, he rescued her. And like forty other people, but yeah."
in_tatters
"And I am a young man around the same age that generally agrees with most of your outlooks on life and is planning to play bodyguard to you specifically," he finishes. "Well."
Adarin coughs, and looks generally embarrassed. But not particularly put out.
Adarin coughs, and looks generally embarrassed. But not particularly put out.
"Yeah. They might ask. But I'm not under any particular pressure to get married in spite of the princess thing because the succession doesn't have to be traditional. So that's the most they'll do even if they adore you, promise, you aren't going to be subject to pushy crowned people."
in_tatters
"Makes sense. Is there anything in particular I should tell them?"
"I was thinking the truth? Is the truth complicated in some way of which I am unaware?"
in_tatters
"Truth's fine, I was just making sure there was no - forbidden lover or something you would like me to cover for. I'm a terrible liar, by the way, don't ever ask me to, I might try if it's important but that doesn't make me good at it."
"Pff, no, I have not been forbidden anyone and have no lovers even of the bidden kind. The terrible liar thing is noted."
in_tatters
"They sound nice, so far - or, your father at least, saving forty people."
"Well, you already knew at least one of them had gone on a crown-impressing adventure, didn't you?"
"It was him. He wasn't a prince, before, he wasn't even in the principal Swanpennon branch - full-on pennon, no tricky commoner ancestry making it awkward for him to try on the crown when it came up, but not living in the Swanpennon estate most of the year. He was - I think the nearest foreign equivalent is a knight? They're just called blades, here - flag blades if one disapproves of state-sponsored violence and likes to call anybody with a sharp object a blade. And he went around the town he lived in doing that policing misbehavior as it cropped up and then there was a flash flood - people think it was a weather raveler, but it's not clear - and Karaz got everybody who couldn't swim or who'd got hurt in the original wave out of the low-lying area. Including Auriny, my mom."
in_tatters
Adarin smiles. "He sounds nice, yeah. Good for him on saving people."
"They actually didn't start courting until years later, although still before the then-princes and princesses had aged past their first shot and therefore before Karaz had a crack at it."
in_tatters
He nods. "Makes sense, it's still - kind of a cute way to meet. You know, aside from the flood in the first place, of course."
in_tatters
"Is it common for the monarchy to meet via - rescue? Or was it just a thing with them?"
"It's - traditional more than it is common?" says Shara. "It's the obvious story. But not overwhelmingly typical."
in_tatters
Adarin laughs a little. "Ah, I see. Am - I going to cause rumors by my very presence?"