((OOC: Combo Post with Drajhan and Angela))

As it appeared the firbolgs were ready to escort the group, Draj felt there was little left to say to them. As Evyr stepped forward to ask the questions about the Gate, the dragonborn took this opportunity to give a quick nod of thanks to their new allies and return to his bedroll to pack up. Annoyingly, however, the roll was currently being vigilantly guarded by his supposed fiancée. It seemed there would be no subtle way out of this one.

Drajhan stepped forward and without a moment of hesitation, bent down to begin rolling up his blankets. “Lovely morning, is it not, Miss Gillian?” Draj said nonchalantly. “First we get ambushed by fiend-lovers, then by fey, then by wolves, and now by these fellows. At least they seem friendlier than the rest.”

Angela was stunned to see Drajhan was the one sleeping by her and she blushed. [color=lightpink]”Yes, it is. A wonderful morning, even though I never would have expected to sleep on the ground,”[/color] Angela said. She giggled slightly.

“Ah yes, travel is not conducive to a comfortable sleep,” Drajhan replied, tying up the bedroll and strapping it to his pack. “A tavern is a far more comfortable bed, and even then, you have to pay a fortune for a reasonable place to stay. I trust, however, that you feel well-rested.” The noble’s skills at small talk were not to be underestimated.

She smiled at what Drajhan had said. [color=lightpink]”The rest could’ve been better if I didn’t have that dream. I usually sleep on my bed at home. The experiences I am learning outside of my kingdom are quite different from being stuck in the palace of my home,”[/color] Angela said kindly. She had an air of curiousness to her body language. She wanted to know something but couldn’t figure out how to say it.

Drajhan grunted in response. Dreams that were not his own mattered little to the dragonborn, but it seemed that Angela wanted to talk about it. On one hand, his pack was ready to go, and he was certain the others would be waiting. On the other, she [i]was[/i] his betrothed. He played over the potential scenarios in his head for a few moments, and in no case did it seem to him that delving deeper into her personal affairs ended in a beneficial experience to him. However... The dragonborn gave a heavy sigh as he stood and looked back at Angela. “Tell me about your dream,” he requested with all of the enthusiasm of a drowned rat.

She smiled at his request of wanting to know of her dream. [color=lightpink]”My dream entailed me being approached by my father Rowan. He told me of my betrothal to a noble from the south of my kingdom. My parents are ashamed of me…,”[/color] Angela said. She started getting teary eyes because it is a painful memory and dream. [color=lightpink]”I never felt so helpless in my life when my father was blunt about being ashamed of me. Do other nobles feel the same I felt that day?”[/color] Angela asked. Her tears were going down her face in a stream. [color=lightpink]”I have been coddled and protected by my parents for most of my life but when my father told me that I was heartbroken. In terms of being ashamed of me,”[/color] Angela sobbed. She covered her face with her two hands since she was crying.

[i]Oh. Wonderful. She’s crying.[/i] Drajhan looked away from Angela and rolled his eyes before reaching over and gingerly patting her back. “There... there... don’t cry,” he said flatly before clearing his throat. “Nobility is as much a curse as it is a gift. Sure, we have money and power, things that many others strive for their whole lives. But with that power comes great expectations. We are expected to behave a certain way among our peers, and the common folk hate us when we do so. But if we behave around them like they wish us to, our peers see weakness and strike at us. Helplessness is one of many things that all nobles feel.”

Drajhan looked down at Angela and began to wonder if his tone were making things worse rather than helping. “I mean, we also get fresh vegetables and meat whenever we want it, so there are some positives as well. And as long as you have the favor of the people, you can do pretty much whatever the hell you want. I would say the best thing you can do as a noble is to build up a tolerance to shame. If you break down crying whenever anyone pulls your pigtails,your enemies will sense your weakness and you will be decimated.” That certainly must have helped.

She heard what he said about don’t crying and his gingerly patting her back did help somewhat. She slowly took her hands off her face but she was still crying since her tears were going down her face. She had many things going in on her head, when he started to speak about the in and outs of nobility and smiled when she heard [i]‘helplessness is one of many things that all nobles feel.’[/i] [color=lightpink]”The only people that make me feel this way in the state of what I am in. Are my parents, they are the only ones that hurt me this much. The entire population of Gillian’s Fort loves me for my charity work.”[/color] Angela sobbed. She heard the rest, smiled and slowly calmed down. She looked down at her bedroll and then looked up to Drajhan with a gentle smile. [color=lightpink]”I have had something on my mind for awhile now. What was your bedroll doing near mine?”[/color] Angela asked curiously.

“Isn't it obvious?” Drajhan replied, hoisting his bag over his shoulder and heading back towards the group. “I thought you were someone else.” He turned his head away and smirked. “Better finish packing up, kiddo, before some imps pull your pigtails.”

Angela was startled in that they were about to leave. She gently rolled her bedroll up and tied it to her pack. She put her pack on her back and was flustered by what Drajhan had said. [color=lightpink]”Yeah… You are pretty funny Drajhan,”[/color] Angela said. She walked towards the group behind Drajhan.