[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/dd1dfa33-b8c0-444a-8561-58aa2eea9b45.png[/img][/center][right][sub][@POOHEAD189] [@Scribe of Thoth] [@ThatCharacter][/sub][/right]
The dining hall seemed to calm down faster than Lienna did, her heart still thundering in her ears even as conversations resumed. She was largely deaf to the ensuing conversation at her own table, eyes locked on her unfinished food as she tried to ground herself. She was starving when she got here, but she’d definitely lost her appetite now; if that sort of “excitement” was what she could expect on the very grounds of Garreg Mach, she wasn’t sure if it would ever return. Wasn’t this supposed to be the holiest ground in all of Fódlan? The safest place in the world? She knew they’d be expected to venture beyond Monastery walls to fight, but she presumed that with nobles sending their children here, they’d at least be safe where they ate and slept. Goddess above, she’d uprooted her life and come here to [i]escape[/i] the sudden swarms of soldiers in the middle of meals. She left everything she knew so that she [i]wouldn’t[/i] have to live on her toes, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. She thought that was a curse of the borderlands, but once more her ignorance reared its head; perhaps this was just a dangerous world and she was doomed to live in it. 

Of course, if that was the case, then everyone bragging about the wonder of Garreg Mach had some explaining to do. 

By the time her heart finally slowed, the approach of a new figure stirred her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see a tall, dark-haired boy with a plate standing over them. Kellen jumped from his seat with apologies on his lips, but Auberon, to his credit, had none of it. He referred to the new one as “His Highness”, but if not for the newcomer’s comment about Eagles and Lions, Lienna wouldn’t have had a clue who he was. Memory jogged, she did remember the future Emperor of Adrestia being in their introductory class. She was still helpless as to his name, but frankly, that ventured beyond the limits of her interest. 

Ugh, but that was no way to think, was it? Now that the fright of the thief’s capture had passed, she was reminded of her [i]other[/i] reason for coming to Garreg Mach; it wouldn’t do to sequester herself away from potential future allies, and like it or not, the Emperor of a neighbouring nation would be a good contact to have. 

Taking a sip at her water, Lienna finally opted to speak. [color=baa7c7]“Good evening, Your Highness,”[/color] she greeted the Eagle, for once grateful that pompous highborn honorifics relieved her of the inconvenience of having to admit she forgot his name. That was about all he’d get from her, though; she didn’t raise from her seat or even nod her head, and quickly moved her attention to Auberon. Right, Kellen [i]had[/i] said something about chores. 

[color=baa7c7]“As for chores, it sounds like I’ll be in the same boat as Kellen,”[/color] she told him. [color=baa7c7]“Animals don’t seem to like me; you’ll get better results if I can give them a wide berth.”[/color] 

[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/683ee410-c8d3-423d-909e-a77be3f55da3.png[/img][/center]