[center][h3]The Date[/h3][/center]




Maoin frowned as Gwynn countinued to complain.  The kitten gave her mistress a short response.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"If you happen to encounter any dragons I will fight them off for you, my lady.  Please focus on enjoying yourself."[/color]  The thought of such a thing like that happening was ridiculous of course.  What could possibly go wrong at a magical academy with the world's most powerful wizards?




Maoin grabbed the hand of her mistress, and headed off in the direction of the tavern.  Truthfully, Maoin was jealous of this situation.  While her owner was out griping about eating expensive food with a [i]Prince[/i], she'd be cleaning the green dress her lady had thoughtlessly dirtied.




Eventually, the pair arrived at an expensive tavern.  Outside of it, a floating fountain magically spewed water towards the ground.  The building itself was what one would expect for a well to do resturant, and while it avoided leaning towards gaudy it was clearly elegantly designed.  The plants that sat out front were arranged perfectly, and if one looked around the place there would be a large garden in the back for more private seating.  Well dressed waiters headed between the tables, allowing those within to interact with them as little or as much as they pleased.




And Swen was standing by the fountain, leafing through one of his books to help fight off his nervousness.  The blonde's advice in his mind, he was sure he was going to do well.




Maoin looked up towards Gwynn, wide eyes curious.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"Didn't you sit next to him in class?  I guess your date hasn't arrived yet."[/color]  The kitten assumed that her mistress actually knew the names her neighbors and would have mentioned if she had met her future berothed.




Well, Gwynn at least had to admit the place looked nice. Not that she was particularly into fancy decor, but at least it wasn't some sleazy looking place. That said, she was incredibly surprised to find the guy from her class there. She supposed he looked rather nobley, but he certainly didn't act like one as far as she knew. Considering the expensiveness of this place, she could only assume he was one now.




[color=8dc73f]"Oh hey, I guess he got that date he wanted."[/color] She grinned, chuckling. "Looks like she hasn't arrived yet either, though."[/color] Well, unless he just liked hanging around a fountain or something. Not that it mattered, she wanted to spice things up a bit before her likely disastrous date. 




[color=8dc73f]"I'ma go say hi before I meet the sleezeball I'm seeing tonight."[/color]




Maoin decided to let Gwynn go with an eyeroll.  The neko spoke a few irritated words mostly beneath her breath.[color=DarkSlateBlue]"You haven't even met him though ..."[/color]  Still though, her mistress had arrived safely, and that was what mattered.  The kitten backed up several steps, out of their immediate view.




Breaking off from Maoin, Gwynn walked quietly over to Swen...before throwing another arm around his shoulder and giving him a hard pat on his back.




[color=8dc73f]"Heeey, fancy meeting you here, kiddo! Guess my advice worked for ya, huh?"[/color]




The Prince jumped slightly as he an arm was placed around his shoulders before putting his book away into his cloak.  He recognized the voice of his classmate and sighed slightly as he was teased.  [color=gray]"Hi ... yeah, She must be running late.  I always have my books, so if worst comes to worst I'll be satisfied."[/color]  Swen smiled weakly at the blonde, and decided to change the topic.  




As he thought about what to say, he took a quick look up and down his classmate, and started blushing slightly at how nice she looked for the evening.  [color=gray]"Have a date as well?  Did that girl from earlier change her mind?"[/color]




[color=8dc73f]"Eh yeah, got a 'date'."[/color] Gwynn scoffed, distaste for the whole thing still evident. [color=8dc73f]"If you wanna call it that anyways."[/color] She released Swen, taking a few steps away from him. [color=8dc73f]"More like something I'm being forced to come to because of my parents."[/color] She shrugged, as she turned to face the fountain, leaning over the edge of it.




[color=8dc73f]"Really, I'd rather be out doing something useful like killing bandits or I dunno...[i]something[/i]."[/color] She sighed. [color=8dc73f]"Meh, not your problem though. "[/color]




She fell silent after that, a bit unsure where to take the conversation. Just killing time and making small talk like this wasn't exactly her forte.




Swen listened to his newest friend, frowning slightly.  Something bothered him about it, but the Prince wasn't quite sure what it was.  Either way, her company was a good way to pass the time until his date arrived.  [color=gray]"I wish you the best of luck, then ..."[/color]  The gentleman would have gone further to offer his condolences ... but he couldn't say anything.  In an arranged marriage, it was always possible your spouse would be abusive.  He picked up on her silence however and thought of a way to change the subject.




The blonde did bring up banditry.  Swen closed the distance between them, debating whether or not to return her earlier grasp of comraderie ... [color=gray]"Killing bandits?  You're rather adventerous, aren't you?"[/color]  The prince gave her a small smile.  [color=gray]"And I've been trying to muster the courage to break into the restricted area of the school library.  Lots of secrets in there."[/color]  That wasn't a lie.  There WERE quite a few secrets in there.  The magierprinz had heard the difficulty of entering the place was quite the deterent though.  [color=gray]"Anyways though, protecting others is a very kind thing to do."[/color]  Would it be too much to ask how she got into that?  For now, he decided not to press further.




Now, that, was an idea. She wasn't exactly one for reading tons of books unless it was about history, but breaking and entering into the restricted section? Yes please. Gwynn gave Swen a grin, followed by an impish chuckle. 




[color=8dc73f]"Eh, I guess? Helping people has its perks."[/color] She chuckled with an impish grin, but quickly brought the subject back around to his earlier point. [color=8dc73f]"But breaking into somewhere I'm not supposed to be, is a lot more fun."[/color] She gave him an impish grin. That wasn't exactly the most sutble way of saying 'if you do this, I want in on it', but hey, she wasn't exactly a subtle perosn.




Swen nodded slightly.  The Prince wasn't so oblivious as to not be able to see Gwynn's enthusiasm towards that subject and obvious offer of a aid.  The man was a little saddened that the blonde wasn't acting out of charity but rather an adventerous spirit, but it wasn't his job to correct her.  There was information he simply needed to know: he wasn't the sort to enjoy breaking into another place.  But if someone was offering their aid, he'd accept that offer.  The nobleman was desperate for this information.




[color=gray]"... Perhaps we could have some 'fun' together after our respective dates then?"[/color]  The nobleman didn't catch the [i]other[/i] suggestion he made there, so his unwavering words sounded incredibly confident as he looked directly at the beautiful blonde lady.




Gwynn blinked, somewhat surprised, but pleased that he had seemed to take her up on that offer. Plus that offer of 'fun'. Well, she wasn't really into fun times on the first date, but...heh. Well, he certainly was a bit different than she had initially thought him to be. The blond grinned, extending a hand a second time to him that day.




[color=8dc73f]"Okay, remember when I said you didn't have a chance with me? Still don't think ya do."[/color] Honestly, this guy seemed like a lot more fun than meeting some stuffy noble. [color=8dc73f]"But I think I'd like to hang out with ya more. The name's Gwnn Foghlú, and I would very much like to have some 'fun' after our dates." [/color]




Swen returned her hand shake, smiling at his new friend as she introduced herself.  As Gwynn Foghlu', the girl he didn't have a chance with.




The Prince suddenly realized that he date hadn't arrived late, but that Gwynn had instead showed up just on time.  A slight frown went across his face as he remembered her earlier words.  His friend didn't want to be here, her parents had forced her to come.




A frown crossed his face as he turned away from Gwynn and towards the fountain, breaking any contact they previously had.  It was his duty to his people to go through with this.  It was the will of his parents.  And the man had to admit that this woman seemed like a lot of fun and ... would be a good companion in the future.




And yet, would that truly be right?  In every story the man had read, the Prince saved the Princess from some sort of disaster.  Swen knew he could muster the courage to fight a dragon.  But to be able to fight society?  That was harsher.  Especially when you didn't mind the way things would turn out.




Chivalry fought against itself in his mind, and the heir didn't know exactly what to do.  Rather than making some bold move, the Prince gazed further into the depths of the water.  But he would never lie.  Not even by omission.  A person should be proud of who they are, and if they aren't they should improve themselves.  [color=gray]"I'm Magierprinz Swen Runvall Von Zaberbuch.  Your date."[/color]  The words didn't sound snotty or overtly proud, but rather than he simply wanted to make sure understood exactly who he was.  Although for once in his life, he didn't sound happy about it.




Across from the pond, Maoin's ears perked up.  The kitten had been disapproving of their previous conversation, but this became very interesting.  The black haired girl tried to motion towards Gwynn to get them inside the resturant from across the fountain, but didn't move any closer to the situation.




For a few moments, Gwynn simply stared at Swen, absolutely stunned by this turn of events. This...this guy was her date? The one she was supposed to be married off too? This cute little guy here? Just...what. That was - well, he still had no shot with her but...he wasn't half bad if that was the case. Maybe Maoin was right about this whole thing. So the blond started laughing, really, really, loudly, genuinely amused by the turn of events. It wasn't her usual impish or mischevious laughter either, but something sounding genuinely joyful.




[color=8dc73f]"You gotta be kidding me,"[/color] She managed to sputter out through peals of loud laughter. She was probably drawing all kinds of attention, but she didn't care at all. [color=8dc73f]"You're the guy?"[/color] Once again, she tossed her arm around his shoulder, still laughing.[color=8dc73f] "Okay, okay, Swen. I guess I can give ya chance now. So come on!~"[/color] She said, releasing him once again by giving him a soft shove on his back.




[color=8dc73f]"Let's eat! I'm hungry. You're buying yeah?"[/color]




Swen looked at Gwynn ... stunned that things went so well.  A smile crossed his face as the girl started speaking between her laughter, and the Prince found himself joining in as well.  [color=gray][i]Apparently honesty really is the best policy.[/i][/color]  The man hardly noticed a few others staring at them, although the people went back to whatever they were originally doing.




As he was shoved forward, he nodded in response.  [color=gray]"It's only fair I buy my companion for the evening rations."[/color]  But rather than continuing to walk forward, he actually took a step back to be in line with her and ... Confidence.  This girl had said to be confident.  Coming up with stuff on the spot wasn't his forte, but he could follow instructions very well.




The Prince held out his hand to Gwynn, clearly offering to hold hers.  [color=gray]"Uhhh ... May I?"[/color]  He paused for a second, not sure if this was what he was supposed to be doing.  Swen's eyes looked back and forth sheepishly, anywhere but towards the stunning beauty before him.  [color=gray]"Is this the confidence you were speaking of earlier?"[/color]




Gwynn probably should have included something about communication in her advice.  Still though, Maoin passed clearly in front of Gwynn, gave her the most [i]I told you so[/i] look she could manage, and turned to return home.  The servant had a dress to clean, and her mission appeared to be more than accomplished.




At the suggestion, Gwynn gave him an unimpressed look, but before she could say anything she noticed her Familiar, Maoin waltzing off back towards home and giving her the most irritating look possible. Good for Swen, really, he was probably about to lose a few points there.




[color=8dc73f]"Hold that thought for a moment, Swen. Gotta go take care of my cat."[/color] Gwynn quickly chased after Maoin before she got to far. She ran up behind the black cat, placing a hand on her head.




[color=8dc73f]"And where do you think you're goin, eh?"[/color] She smiled as she roughly tousled her hair. [color=8dc73f]"Clean that dress? Nope, sorry, you work too hard sometimes you know that? Free food, Swen's buying! So come on, you need a break."[/color]  This was, in part a way to apologize for well, being an irredeemable idiot a bit. Sorta, wouldn't exactly be her money but giving her the night off from doing anything was the least she could do.




She didn't give the cat much time to answer either, and grabbed the cats hand, pulling her gently towards the resturant, passing Swen in the process, apparently ignoring his earlier offer.




[color=8dc73f]"Sorry about that! Let's go."[/color]




Maoin yelped as her head was grabbed and ruffled. [color=darkslateblue]"Mistress!?"[/color].  But the black haired neko obediently followed as she was dragged towards the resturant, using her free hand to fix her now ruined hair.  The kitten considered mentioning that only meant she'd have to clean the dress later, but she relented and decided to follow.  At least this way she'd be able to keep Gwynn in line and help Swen through any awkward moments.  The prince seemed to have more than enough awkward to spare.




Swen just watched as his offer was ignored as Gwynn went off to fetch ... what seemed to be her familiar.  He shrugged, following the pair into the resturant.  In the grand scheme of things, their conversation had been short and the three members of the party were escorted towards the back, where a table made of fine wood sat in a garden beneath a small structure supported by fine steel bars that would keep the rain off in the worst of days.  Two fine chairs sat beneath it, although a stool was in the corner of the structure where a musician could play for them or a familiar could wait at an appropriate distance.




A brown haired middle aged server wearing a well fitted black suit waved his hand towards the table.  "For my lord and lady, please take a seat."  The man pulled the chair out for Gwynn, offering to let her sit first.  Maoin headed towards the stool, sitting down on it and looking at the table some ten feet away before closing her eyes.




Gwynn took a seat, though didn't  acknowledge the man being courteous. Mostly because it was probably his job, and she didn't really feel the need to acknowledge him for it. A bit rude, perhaps but she didn't particularly pay any attention to it. Instead, she rested her elbows on the table, giving Swen a cat like grin of her own. She didn't pay much attention to the atmosphere, and instead focused on what they had just planned to do. 




Break into the schools restricted section.




For one, such a thing likely wasn't gonna be easy so just waltzing in there wasn't gonna be something they could just do. Only teachers and the headmistress herself had access. It was likely guarded, too. They would need a plan...and what better time to plan then now? It'd likely not be suspicious at all, considering the reason they were here. If they played their cards right, they could probably get away with it easily enough.




She'd just need to wait for the servers to leave.




[color=8dc73f]"So, you're Swen huh? Gotta say, you're a lot different then I was expecting. I was thinking you'd be some sort of...stuck up pervert or something that I was gonna end up murdering by the end of the date."[/color]




Swen sat down after Gwynn did, lowering himself into the chair.  It was only the polite thing to do.  He returned an easy smile at the blonde's grin, wondering what was going through the lady's head.




The server snapped his fingers and a second later a menu appeared before both of the resturant's patrons, along with two engraved glasses to the right of both Gwynn and Swen.  One glass was filled with water, the other remained empty.  At the feet of maoin a small mug of water appeared along with a slice of bread on a small wooden plate, although the kitten didn't seem to be paying much attention.




The brown haired man raised an eyebrow at Gwynn's initial conversation, but dissapeared quickly from beneath a platform.  Swen however resonded with a raised eyebrow.  [color=gray]"Glad to have exceeded your expectations, Gwynn.  I enjoy living."[/color]




[color=gray]"And here I was expecting a starry eyed damsel, but my father apparently thinks a criminal would suit me best."[/color]  Based on the tone of the response, it was easy to tell it was intended in good nature.




[color=8dc73f]"I'd say less of a criminal, and more roguishly suave."[/color] Gwynn laughed at his response, picking up the menu and looking through it. She wanted something with a lot of spices in it. Preferably something with Cinnamon, Nutmeg or Saffron. So she quickly began scanning the menu for something with those, though she could probably get them added regardless. Wasn't like she was paying after all, and she intended to take full advantage of that. 




[color=8dc73f]"Huh, this place actually has stuff from Ireland."[/color] She replied, a bit surprised. Well, that'd make this easy, but she wanted something a bit new. Taking only a few seconds to decide, she settled on some rather delicious sounding chicken-dish and of course, with some added spices for extra flavor. She was also tempted to order the strongest alcohol on the list, but getting drunk right now was [i]probably[/i] a bad idea. At any rate, now that she knew what she wanted, she turned to Maoin.




[color=8dc73f]"Maoin. I said you'd be getting the night off, so order whatever you want. Swen will pay for anything you want. Try the expensive stuff! It'll be delicious. Probably."[/color] She gave Swen a cheeky grin as she spoke.




The Prince cringed slightly as Gwynn did not hestitate to make this meal worth a small fortune.  He nodded slightly as he spoke to both of them, [color=gray]"anything for a lady as yourself and your loyal companion."[/color]




Putting his hands together, the nobleman smiled at Gwynn and pointed to his empty glass.  [color=gray]"Wine from Venice."[/color]  His glass filled with a dark liquid which he took a small drink out of.  The drink granted him a little courage, which he countinued with.  [color=gray]"You certainly are a rouge.  I'll have to tell my father this berothal will be ... straining our treasury."[/color]  His eyes returned to the menu, scanning it once more.




Maoin followed her mistresses directions, walking over to Gwynn and looking over her shoulder before pointing to something in the seafood section.  It was reasonably expensive, and the description described a dish including the finest of salmon with a side of pasta.  Still, she wasn't sure exactly how much Gwynn was willing to let Swen part with despite her claims.




Suddenly, the cat entered what she called her 'irresistable' stance.  Her tail waved back and forth and ears twitched with enthusiasm as her hands curled in front of her like paws in the most adorable of manners.  Her eyes looked slightly down from Gwynn's ambers and begging pout crossed her face.  After several experiments the kitten was convinced that no mortal could resist her like this.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"Could I have that ... Please?"[/color]  If Gwynn took to long to answer, Maoin would rub her head against her mistress' arm.




Swen looked on, trying to avoid laughing with a hand over his mouth.  In truth, Maoin was trying to give a small performance for the pair to give them another topic of conversation.  If the price of that was unnceccessary begging, she would do it.




There was an audible silence as Gwynn simply stared at Maoin for a few seconds, and then cuddles happened as soon as the cat's head touched her arm.




[color=8dc73f]"Maoin, stop being so cute."[/color] Gwynn laughed, wrapping her arms around the kitten and pulling her into a hug. [color=8dc73f]"Of course you can have it. Swen said he'd pay for it."[/color] She then looked over to Swen, giving him a pout of her own. How could anyone say no to the both of them like this? 




Swen nodded as the laughter forced it's way out.  The two girls in front of him were literally begging, and it was a little too cute for him to be handle.  [color=gray]"I already said yes!"[/color]  Maoin backed away from Gwynn after that confirmation, spinning as she walked back towards her seat.  The kitten's animalistic features made her satisfaction with the outcome obvious.




The Prince rolled his eyes, drinking a little more from his glass.  Looking up into Gwynn's eyes, he asked her a question in a stage whisper as he gestured towards Maoin.  [color=gray]"With skills like that, your familiar might be the one bossing you around."[/color]




Gwynn rolled her eyes, giving a quiet chuckle. Bossing her around? Please. There was obviously only one boss here.




[color=8dc73f]"Hey Moain, give Swen a kiss."[/color] She ordered, taking a sip from the water in her glass.




Maoin heard an order and responded, [color=DarkSlateBlue]"Of course mistress,"[/color] before really thinking about it.  After a second though, she turned around slowly, her face the color of tomato as she looked downwards nervously.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"... Did ... come again ... mistress?"[/color]  The kitten knew her hearing was far to refined to mishear that, but what her owner just said defied everything logical in the universe.  It wasn't her place to question her owners commands but ...




Swen on the other hand simply looked at Gwynn, stunned and blushing as well.  He wasn't doing much better, his mouth gaping slightly as he slowly put down his wine glass.




A grin spread across Gwynn's face as she placed the glass back on the table. Point proven, she thought...but this was just too hilarious to not pursue further. Maoin was adorable when she was blushing like that, and Swen's own reaction was priceless as well. Gwynn could only poorly attempt to hide her giggles as she continued.




[color=8dc73f]"Well, if you don't want to give him a kiss, you could always give me one."[/color]




Maoin looked back and forth between the Prince and her mistress as the insantiy was confirmed.  The kitten's blush expanded down to her neck.  Her owner had mentioned doing things 'later' at many points, but this was a direct order.




The kitten's mind went through what the best option was as her eyes looked at the floor.  Kissing Swen was out of the question.  The scandal that would occur for their house if such a thing happened would be outrageous - a man having sexual relations with his wife's familiar.  On the other hand ... the black haired girl's eyes drifted up towards her mistress.




Maoin didn't really want to kiss her mistress either ... did she?  In truth, their natural bond as familiar and master made any sort of physical contact feel enhanced, and Gwynn's pets felt better than anybody elses without a doubt.  It would be far less scandelous for someone to have sexual relations with their own familiar - it was in fact incredibly common.  However, it would be the source of endless jokes.  And Maoin felt far more frustration than pleasure from the noblewoman's prescence in general.




Disobeying an order from one's owner was grounds for easy punishment and was simply [i]wrong[/i].  After the stressful day, Maoin didn't want to be disobedient at the last moment.  Also ... she had promised to do whatever Gwynn wanted this night so long as her mistress had followed through with her responsibilities ... and her owner wasn't just going to the date, but based on the smile crossing her face actually [i]enjoying[/i] herself and giving the Prince more than a fair chance.




Thinking about the command specifically, her mistress specified what to do in the case that she didn't want to kiss Swen - which was kiss her.  Maoin didn't really want to kiss her mistress either, but there hadn't been any orders for that situation.




Maoin took a few steps forward, lightly sat down in her mistress' lap ... took a small breath and put her face toward's her owners. 




Well this had gone horribly wrong.




One second she was teasing the kitten, the next the kitten was on her lap. She was also close. Really, really close. Like close enough she could probably reach out and boop her nose with her nose. That was a little bit closer for comfort than even she liked being with. Not to mention, Maoin wasn't exactly her type...so that made this a tiny bit more awkward.




Almost instinctively, Gwynn firmly placed her hands on Maoin's shoudlers, and held her at arms length away before she could do what she was thinking.




[color=8dc73f]"Uh-uh-uh, that's uh, not,"[/color] Her own cheeks were pretty red at this point, and this was not something she was entirely used too. [color=8dc73f]"You [i]really[/i] gotta learn when I'm just messing with you, Maoin."[/color] Gwynn managed to reply, though she was obviously a little bit embarrased by the act.




Maoin felt herself pushed off before she managed to go in for the kiss.  The kitten blinked a few times in confusion, then frowned slightly as her ears dropped.  Her owner's face was red.  Did she not obey her mistresses order properly?  Was there something she had missed about it?  The kitten turned around and saw Swen awkwardly sitting on the other side of the table, doing his best to ignore them by looking into the garden.  Had she done something to embarrass and fluster her mistress?




The kitten's eyes looked downwards, ashamed at her failure.  If she was one thing, that was loyal.  That was one of the qualities she had been picked out for.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"Mistress ... please forgive me for my failure.  My incompetency has caused you great duress ..."[/color]




The culmination of exhaustion, hunger, frustration, and this failure made Maoin's eyes drift downwards to the floor as they started to water.  Remembering she was still in her owner's lap, the kitten looked back towards her stool.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"I ... I should go sit back down."[/color]




Gwynn simply sighed, unsure of what to say. Really, she didn't understand why the cat was always so...loyal. So, obedient. It honestly kind of pissed her off just a little. If she was in the cats place, she'd have laughed, said no, and proceeded to order one of everything on the menu. She really couldn't understand why she was so...loyal. So obedient. She however, could tell when she was upset even if she didn't entirely see why. Plus, seeing a crying cat was a bit too much even for her. She even said she was gonna give the cat the night off and here she was making her cry.




So she did the obviously smart thing, and flicked the cat on the forehead to get her attention.




...also to see if she would meow in an adorable fashoin, but details, details.




[color=8dc73f]"Oh come on, don't cry about it."[/color] She softly said, reaching up and putting a hand on Maoin's head. [color=8dc73f]"Now get up, drag that stool over here and sit! I said you're getting the night off so you can enjoy yourself, so you're gonna do that, and we're gonna not talk about anything else but fun stuff."[/color]




Maoin gave her mistress a surprised yelp as her mistress flicked her across the forehead, and blinked a few times.  Her owner hadn't punished her yet, but even so the kitten was grateful that her owner seemed to be merciful.  The cat was even more surprised to be recieving a light petting and instructions to enjoy herself.




Whether or not such orders were a surprise, the kitten soon completed them.  The stool was brought to the table, and just as she lowered herself into it, dinner arrived.  Considering they never ordered, it must have been by some sort of magic that the resturant knew what they wanted.  Seeing the fish, the cat's mood immediately improved as she noticed the fish.




As for Swen, he recieved a german dish called 'Imperial Caviar' consisting of Caviar, scallops, specially cooked potatoes, and a few other ingredients.  Gwynn recieved the dish she requested as well, and even the harshest food critic would not be able to say it was poorly made.




With great food in front of them, the date resumed it's previously happy go lucky mood as Maoin's ears animalistic features expressed her joy at having eaten the best meal of her life, as Swen drinked a bit more and talked to the pretty girl across from him, and as Gwynn was relieved that her kitten hadn't gone suicidal on her and had drank a little on her own. Didn't stop the occasional teasing from Gwynn, though.




After some small talk when they were done eating and a few pets for the kitten, the plates were taken away again by the server.  After being told to jokingly drink a little, the combination of drunkeness and exhaustion made her fall asleep against the table.




Swen got returned to their prior buisness at that point.  [color=gray]"So about the fun stuff ... basically this,"[/color] the Prince gestured toward the two of them [color=gray]", Doesn't make any sense.  At least, it shouldn't."[/color]  The prince reached into his cloak, pulling out a three ledgers listing national statistics.




Gwynn listened to Swen wordlessly, still drinking a bit. She didn't entirely know where he was going to go with this, but it wasn't like she could just not listen. Well, she could probably drown out his droning by just petting Maoin's hair, but she'd show a bit of restraint and not.




[color=gray]"This makes sense from your parents perpective.  England has been at your doorstep for the past two hundred years, and an alliance in a rising household could help you maintain your independence or at least grant you favorable negotiations.  Without this, your people could easily be put to slaughter as the Normans countinue their conquest."[/color]




[color=gray]"But it doesn't make sense from my father's.  I initially thought my father was hoping to expand family lands - if we had a child, he would inherit both of our family holdings.  However, it would be difficult for someone to control land from the center of the Empire AND off on the emerald island."[/color]




The young noblewoman had no idea what he was even talking about, however, and she mostly remained silent through the conversation, giving him a fairly bored look as he continued.




[color=gray]"And even if my father didn't think it would be difficult, he had better offers.  Directly bordering our lands is a county with ..."[/color]  The magierprinz's eyes searched through the ledgers for a few moments.  He turned the ledgers listing the Foghlu' family lands next to the one he was comparing them to.  [color=gray]"Likely four times your area's population, three times it troop count, three and a half times your tax income, and with a far more prestigious household that has ties to the imperial court.  It even has exclusive trade rights with the Hansa.  Additionally, a single daughter is currently the heir, and she's about your age."[/color]  Swen didn't comment on the fact that they knew eachother from their childhood.




Leaving the ledgers for her to examine, he countinued.  [color=gray]"I asked my father about what was going on.  He didn't answer, and the next day a few books were gone from our library.  I looked into this school's library as well, but information on your territory is sparse at best.  There's something missing here - perhaps your family has artifacts I am unaware of, or maybe there is a tomb located somewhere within your territory that your family doesn't know about.  Whatever it is, if information can be found on it, it will be in the restricted section."[/color]




By now, Gwynn had just a tiny bit to drink herself and was a bit on the tipsy side. She could hold her alcohol fairly well and wasn't really in danger of getting completely drunk, but it was rather obvious to anyone who ever knew her that when she was drunk, she turned into the grumpiest, snarkiest person in existence. Which unfortunately, the young Swen was now going to be subject too.




[color=8dc73f]"...Oh, so basically your families getting screwed over. Well, maybe they should call off this marriage, yeah?"[/color] She grunted, taking another sip of the alcohol in her hands. [color=8dc73f]"And please, my family is nothing special. Bunch of losers descended from some sort of...raider lord or something. I dunno. We don't exactly have a prestigous history."[/color] She took a long drink of the alcohol, finishing it off. Her tone of voice was clearly agitated and her entire body language indicated that someone should probably take the alcohol away from her soon.




[color=8dc73f]"I mean really! How the hell are we even nobles! We should be all like...criminals or something, right? How do pirates and bandits become nobles in the first place?"[/color] Her voice got a bit louder towards the end of that sentence. [color=8dc73f]"OI! I want another drink over here! Hurry up, Bring me one in the tallest mug ya got!"[/color]




Swen frowned slightly as the woman ordered another drink, as she had obviously lost the majority of her self control.  This was despite the fact that you could summon more to drink simply by pointing at the glass and requesting it.  Still though, Swen needed to get some allies for this adventure.  [color=gray]"And there's probably locations of dragons and interesting spells back there as well, adventure to be had."[/color]  The nobleman avoided saying anything about her family in case she remembered it later, and instead smiled at the woman across from him.  [color=gray]"Don't worry, I'll go get you some."[/color]  The Prince proceeded to walk into the resturant and inform their server to cut off the magic to Gwynn's cup and prevent it from refilling.




The Magierprinz returned to the table, handing Gwynn one final mug of ale.  [color=gray]"There you go, glad I managed to find it.  Anyways, will you help me out with this sometime later this week?"[/color]




[color=8dc73f]"I don't care about [i]reading[/i] about dragons! I wanna fight one! Now!"[/color] She loudly complained as Swen brought her a mug of ale. [color=8dc73f]"Gah! I'd be rich! We could solve all of the problems if we found one and raided its horde, but nooo, dad says finding one is too dangerous."[/color] Gwynn took a long drink of the Ale, practically chugging it, slamming the thing down on the table with a loud thud, seeming to be somewhat calmer as she processed his request.




[color=8dc73f]"Pfft, sure yeah, of course we can. As long as you don't mess anything up, we can do it probably. You got any skills aside from being cute or something?"[/color]




The Magierprinz raised an eyebrow as she called him cute, and a sly smile crossed his face along with a slightly pink blush.  [color=gray]"Well in addition to being cute, I also have a strong understanding of magical traps and can generally detect them easily.  I have a book that can store spells as well, so if we plan on teleporting out it would be easy.  And what can you do aside from being pretty?  Is Maoin coming along with us?"[/color]




[color=8dc73f]"I can kick a dragons scaly ass, that's what."[/color] Gwynn replied with a grunt, not commenting on the compliment. [color=8dc73f]"And of course Maoin's coming with us."[/color] Really, compared to breaking and entering places, she was likely the least skilled here. That said, she wasn't going to so easily admit that. She could at least boss 'em around and come up with a good plan, probably. 




Of course, she was a bit too out of it from drinking to think too hard about it at the moment.




At this point, Swen decided to tap the sleeping kitten a few times.  [color=gray]"Well, I'm sure that will come in handy.  Thanks for the date"[/color]  The prince placed a pouch of coins on the table, standing up and giving Gwynn the best smile he could manage.  [color=gray]"Maoin, could you make sure your mistress is comfortable when she returns?  Do you remember the way back?"[/color]




The kitten hadn't drunk in some time, but a quick glance at her mistress allowed her to understand exactly what was going on.  Maoin put a hand into her owner's trying to help her up from the table.  [color=DarkSlateBlue]"You highness, I think we will be alright.  Come on mistress, it's time to go home."[/color]




Gwynn chugged the last of the alcohol, letting herself be pulled up by Maoin, stumbling slightly but otherwise more or less fine.




[color=8dc73f]"I can...walk myself, Maoin."[/color] The blond replied, pulling her hand from Maoin's with a huff. [color=8dc73f]"I can drink a bit more than that before I'm done for."[/color]




Maoin watched as her mistress stumbled slightly, but obeyed.  If it looked like her owner was about to faceplant, then she'd step in to help.  But otherwise, Maoin didn't want to upset her noblewoman any more than she already had and settled for keeping a close eye on her.




Swen walked with the two of them to the door, then set off to return to where he lived.  He was sure that the neko would be able to take care of his date.