[center][h2][color=92278f]Dot[/color][/h2][/center][hr]

Liese was…odd. He was at once exactly what Dot had expected a noble to be like, yet also strikingly different. It seemed to her that he spoke like the mummers at court did to their audiences, with enough zeal and bombast to make up for every poor dejected sod that had been turned away, and he was almost stiflingly proud about it too. But, he wasn’t [i]using[/i] that pride like she’d seen some of the other nobles do. Part of her had expected derision or blackmail, instead she got understanding, even [i]empathy.[/i] She wondered what the young noble meant about being judged himself, but she wasn’t afforded much time to think on it. 

To his last statement she nodded. His ambitiousness aside, he had motives she could certainly respect, and in fact fervently agree with. [color=92278f]“I hope we do.”[/color] she said, and found she meant it. [color=92278f]“And…thank you. For the confidence. I hope I can repay that trust.”[/color]

[color=ed1c24]“Good morrow, gentlemen!”[/color]

Dot turned to the newcomer, smiling on instinct, until he introduced himself as Nathaniel of House Lowthren, and she realized she was now in the presence of not one but [i]two[/i] nobles. It made sense of course. You didn’t fill the second seat at a table helmed by the prince with the ass of a nobody. But, then, why [i]had[/i] it been Nathanial? Granted, Dot wasn’t versed in Grayle’s social hierarchy, so there was certainly a chance that House Lowthren was simply just that important, but after only a brief conversation with them, Dot found it hard to believe that Liese wasn’t important either. 

Actually, hadn’t Nathanial been the one laid low by the Baker boy? Conversely, Liese had made short work of another noble in his own bout. By merit alone, should it not have been him commanding as second, or third? Adean would have scolded her for being presumptuous, but in the back of her mind, Dot couldn’t help hearing Liese’s words again. Perhaps the boy’s empathy had sincere roots. 

Nevertheless, just as Dot knew it would have been rude to turn Liese away, she also knew it would have been just as rude to redirect that unused spite at Nathanial. Even if he was just being formal, there was a friendliness in formality that she was particularly starved of, and while her susceptibility to smiles and kind words was a bit worrying, she decided for now that she’d take them with grace, and reciprocate as best she could. Besides, she’d already been pleasantly surprised by Liese. Perhaps Nathanial would surprise her as well. 

[color=92278f]“Thank you, mister, uh…second seat. Nathanial. I look forward to learning from you. With your aid the Eastern House will surely flourish.”[/color] She bowed to them both, deep and proper like she’d seen the dancers do in the presence of their betters. [color=92278f]“At your leave, then. I guess we’ll all be mingling again tonight once we have our quarters…and some food, hopefully.”[/color]

With that, she joined the rest of the gathering squadron, who seemed ready to make for the barracks. On the way she passed the blue-haired boy that was their third seat. Kaiser Underwall, another alleged noble from a House whose importance she could only infer from his position. His spar had been…interesting. Very straight forward. She admired it really, how brazenly he’d abandoned his weapon to run his opponent down, almost like a dog. Perhaps it was his intentional self-disarmament that kept him from being disqualified as she had. Regardless of all that, she’d been most impressed by the athletic feats he’d performed during the naming ceremony. She was worried her—admittedly nascent—style would get her ridiculed, but it was relieving to see one of their commanding members shared her penchant for acrobatic flair. 

[color=92278f]“That flip was really cool,”[/color] she said. Something about him didn’t put her on edge the same way the other nobles did. He seemed unkempt. Disarming. [color=92278f]“Bet you could get over someone at ground-level with enough momentum, if they were, y'know, swingin’ low or something. Would be pretty sweet…uh, sir. Sorry.”[/color]

She bowed her head to him too and kept going, a bit embarrassed by her own informality. Knights were meant to be all prim and proper, what with all their codes and honor and such. But she’d always read how soldiers were chummy with one another, sometimes even their superiors. Was that allowed here? She’d told herself she wouldn’t care about offending nobles but now that she was actually here it was suddenly much harder to actually [i]be[/i] rude. 

In most cases, anyway. 

Prince Rossweine was talking to the others one by one it had seemed. Getting to know his subordinates. Not exactly the mark of a tyrannical, egomaniacal leader. Nonetheless she found her jaw clenching the closer she drew to him, felt that hateful little flame flaring again, and beneath that there was undeniably fear curling her stomach. She tried to keep her eyes low, her face impassive, and whatever words were stewing in the back of her mind from boiling out of her mouth. 

Dot passed the prince without stopping, burying herself in the vanguard of the group headed for the barracks. [color=92278f][i]Food,[/i][/color] she thought, intensely enough to distract her. [color=92278f][i]Real food. Bed. Warmth. People. This was not a mistake. This was [/i][b]not[/b][i] a mistake.[/i][/color]