After Thomas left, Jezin began meandering back towards the great hall. He needed to prepare for the tournament, but Sophia was still his top priority. She was probably in little danger during the feast, the knight thought, but even so it was his duty to protect her. He doubted he would need a great deal of preparation time, anyway. He walked through the gates of the hall and began scanning the room. His eyes came to a rest when he saw the familiar streak of brilliant white hair. Sophia seemed to be safe, enjoying the feast as he was sure she would. He kept his distance, leaning against a nearby wall. He saw no need to impose on the princess' interactions. The tournament still sat in the back of his mind. Thomas and Redwyne Cole were likely to be fierce opponents, and there was no way of telling who else would be involved.

 Sophia listened, quietly enjoying her fish as the men talked around her. The bearded man introduced himself as Hal Berning, and began talking about the north. Another man mentioned Lachne. Sophia gathered from the conversation that this land was a source of problems for Keilaudrin. She knew very little about Keilaudrin's politics, outside of the basic necessities. Her eyes glanced over to the edge of the room, where she noticed that Jezin had returned. He had probably already signed up for the tournament. Jezin was a skilled warrior, she had witnessed that much firsthand, but she still couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry for her guardian. She took another bite of fish, silently pondering what drove men to want to bash each other half to death for a bit of glory.