Valerie found herself unable to keep from smiling, mostly from the slight awkwardness Markus was displaying. He was handsome in a rugged mercenary way, but it was somewhat obvious that he wasn't really in practice when it came to these sorts of things. Was it a bit early in the day for drinks? Perhaps not, with the chaos of the fight and the subsequent quiet of the aftermath, Valerie had lost track of time a bit. Maybe it was a bit early for [i]her[/i], but then, she was a mercenary now, and probably needed to get used to it.

Come to think of it, she'd never really been asked to get a drink in this way, like the common people did it. It actually made her feel a bit awkward to think about it. It was always over-groomed courtiers in the throne room, presenting themselves before her and her father, always with the very visible [i]strings[/i] attached, in the form of whatever benefit their family would bring the Winters from a pairing. All things considered, she found the simple approach much more appealing.

"Alright," she said, doing her best to make sure her tone was encouraging. "I'd like that. Lead the way."