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Mentions: [@princess] Edin [@SausagePat] Ruby [@Tae] Saiya

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The king certainly had some interesting sons, Sjan-dehk had to say. 

As with most others in the ballroom, his attention had been stolen by the echoing thud of someone hitting the floor. Rather painfully, he would add. The corner of his eye twitched in a fleeting wince even before he shifted his gaze, just in time to see the same white-haired, strange-eyed girl he had seen in the entrance hall clamber to her feet and scamper off. An onion rolled from her pack, which the prince she had been speaking with picked up. Normally, Sjan-dehk wouldn’t have paid any more attention to the scene, but the prince did something unexpected. Bizarre, even.

He peeled the vegetable and proceeded to eat it as if it were a fruit. Sjan-dehk could only imagine what its sting was doing to the man’s eyes and mouth. It couldn’t be pleasant at all. To the prince’s credit, his face didn’t seem to betray any hint of discomfort. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying it.

A life at sea had brought Sjan-dehk to many sights both strange and wild. Even so, he had to admit, this was likely the first time he had ever seen someone eat an onion in such a way. Between revulsion and an odd sense of admiration, he wasn’t quite sure what to feel. He settled for an uncomfortable mix of both. It [i]was[/i] a disgusting act, to be sure, but it was also one that was honestly quite impressive. The prince had surely proven his…

Well, whatever it was he wanted to prove, Sjan-dehk felt he definitely succeeded.

[color=DDB775][i]“Guards!”[/i][/color]

And whatever it was, the king clearly disagreed.

[color=DDB775][i]“Get that onion–”[/i][/color] The way the king spat that one word out, Sjan-dehk would’ve thought it to be some form of poison. [color=DDB775][i]“–woman away from my sons! Now! And Callum, conduct yourself with some respect for the ladies if not for yourself!”[/i][/color]

Sjan-dehk furrowed his brow as he returned his gaze to the floor. Calling the guards on a clumsy girl who seemed to be already on her way out seemed like quite the overreaction. Not at all becoming of a just and wise king. There was plenty he wanted to say; he could feel the words bubbling in his throat, but he bit his tongue. No, this was not the right time. He had to keep playing nice for now. From how things sounded, he had managed to pique the king’s curiosity in the [i]Sudah[/i]’s wares. Mucking it up now, just as negotiations were ending, would be both unwise and wasteful. 

Still, his honour wouldn’t suffer him doing nothing. He could already hear the guards moving behind him.

[color=DDB775][i]“If we’re quite finished,”[/i][/color] the king continued after collecting himself and clearing his throat. For the briefest of moments, Sjan-dehk wondered if he would rescind his orders; if he would realise the ridiculousness of his orders after having calmed down. It didn’t happen, but that didn’t surprise Sjan-dehk in the least. He had met far too many kings – self-proclaimed or otherwise – who enjoyed bandying their power about to last at least a lifetime. Maybe even two. [color=DDB775][i]“We can reconvene tomorrow to discuss my purchases. This will give you some time to settle into Sorian. There are plenty of inns to check into if you find sleeping on your ship distasteful. Remember to meet my people at one o’clock.”[/i][/color]

The king was still being far more polite with his words and offers than he needed to be, but now they felt a lot less genuine. It was strangely amusing how those few words, spoken in that one brief moment, could now colour all of the man’s current and future actions. As another great sage once wrote in yet another old book Sjan-dehk had read, the true measure of a person was not in how they acted when calm, but when they were enraged and agitated. And from what Sjan-dehk saw and heard, this king might not be the man he had assumed him to be at the beginning. 

Not that he was in any position to say that. If the king was putting up an act, then Sjan-dehk was being an absolute thespian. None of this came naturally to him. Perhaps that was why he didn’t ask about when he was to return to the castle the next day, or even attempt to squirm his way out of it entirely. [color=1E90FF][i]“This one will not forget, your grace,”[/i][/color] was all he said, followed by a simple. [color=1E90FF][i]“This one will take his leave.”[/i][/color]

Well, that was that. Whether he liked it or not; whether he changed his mind or not, Sjan-dehk was coming back to the castle tomorrow. He didn’t exactly relish the idea, but at least he wouldn’t be alone. At least, he hoped not. Unless a miracle happened, Adiyan herself would be in no shape to accompany him, but surely she would be able to find someone to lend him a hand. Someone who knew what they were doing when it came to mercantile affairs.

He decided not to dwell too much on those matters as he stood up and returned his hat to its rightful place atop his head. There were more pressing concerns that needed his immediate attention. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“My weapons?”[/i][/color] He asked the guard commander once they had walked a fair enough distance away from the king. The dour man didn’t say a word, and merely gestured to a couple of guards. They slipped away into a corridor for a moment before reappearing just as swiftly with Sjan-dehk’s array of arms. [color=1E90FF][i]“That was very quick. Your armoury is close?”[/i][/color]

[i]“No, but I have performed this role long enough to know when an audience is about to end, and thus act accordingly to expedite things for his majesty.”[/i] That came as a surprise to Sjan-dehk; he hadn’t expected the guard commander to offer an actual response. Pride dripped from his words as he continued, [i]“I had my men collect your effects once his majesty asked you to return tomorrow. I knew you would be leaving soon after that.”[/i]

[color=1E90FF][i]“His grace is lucky. Good guards are ah…Are hard to find, yes?”[/i][/color] The two of them stopped a short walk away from the exit, and within earshot of the guards approaching the white-haired girl. With a snap of his fingers, the guard commander beckoned the two guards to approach. One-by-one, they returned to Sjan-dehk his weapons, starting with the firearms. With each, he swiftly checked them for damages with well-practised eyes before slipping them back into their holsters. 

A thin smile stretched the guard commander’s lips. [i]“How kind of you to say so. I won’t claim to be the best guardsman, but I do try my best.”[/i]

Sjan-dehk glanced up from the lock of the carbine. [color=1E90FF][i]“Humility.”[/i][/color] The way those syllables tumbled from his lips reminded him of the clumsy girl, and reminded him that he didn’t have much time to pull off whatever mischief he had planned. [color=1E90FF][i]“That is a fine virtue.”[/i][/color]

The commander chuckled. Sjan-dehk slung the carbine across his back, then took both swords out of the guards’ hands. [i]“You are far too kind, but yes, that’s true.”[/i] Both scabbards slid back into their frogs, metal fittings catching securely onto the rough-cut leather. The guard commander continued to talk, but by now Sjan-dehk was no longer listening. [i]“Sadly, virtue isn’t something easily found these days. It doesn’t make it easy recruiting more guards. If I had the choice, I would–”[/i]

His words were cut short by the sound of steel scraping against wood. 

With a look of as much innocence as he could muster, Sjan-dehk had pulled one of his swords half-out from its sheath. Bright metal gleamed beneath the ballroom’s light. [i]“What do you think you’re doing!”[/i] the guard commander bellowed and raised his weapon. The rest of his men followed suit, and from what he could hear, Sjan-dehk guessed some of those sent against the girl had shifted their attention to him. [i]“Put that sword away, now!”[/i]

[color=1E90FF][i]“Calm, calm.”[/i][/color] For Sjan-dehk, the real challenge here was to keep the playful mischief sparking within him from seeping into his words. A tinge of fear and worry tugged at his mind, but he paid it no heed. It wasn’t as if he had pulled out his sword in its entirety, or had a pistol drawn. The guards wouldn’t be so quick to kill him just yet. He simply had to be careful with his words and actions. [color=1E90FF][i]“Just ah…checking the blade, no? You do not do this here? After you let another touch your weapon?”[/i][/color]

[i]“Not in the presence of a king!”[/i] The guard commander hissed. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“Oh, apologies,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said, doing his utmost to sound genuinely surprised. The rounded hilt of his sword clacked against the scabbard as he sheathed it with a flourish. [color=1E90FF][i]“I am still not used to your customs here. In Viserjanta, it is okay to draw weapons at court.”[/i][/color] His words were sheepish, but it was a bold-faced lie. He wouldn’t even be allowed to openly carry a fruit knife in his own father’s halls. Not without explicit permission, at the very least. However, Sjan-dehk felt quite certain that no one in this ballroom knew much about Viserjantan customs. It was an advantage he was determined to push while it lasted. 

The guard commander took two large steps towards him. His eyes burned with barely-disguised fury and his words were just as incendiary. [i]“This is Caesonia. You will learn our ways and you will remember them if you want to stay out of trouble while you’re here. We’ll have none of your savage ways.”[/i]

A younger Sjan-dehk, and a more impulsive Sjan-dehk, would have certainly responded to that final slight with a challenge of his own. It would have been justified; the guard commander had practically spat on the honour of all of Viserjanta before his very eyes. Experience was a harsh teacher, however, and Sjan-dehk remembered her lessons well. This was not a fight worth pursuing. He had already pushed his luck far enough and achieved whatever he could hope to achieve. 

[color=1E90FF][i]“I will do that, captain.”[/i][/color] This time, he was unable to suppress his cheeky grin. Not that he would’ve wanted to, anyway. There was no point in putting up an act any longer. [color=1E90FF][i]“Your advice is most welcome.”[/i][/color]

The guard commander fixed Sjan-dehk with his cold gaze for a few moments. [i]“Him and the girl,”[/i] he said to his men without taking his eyes off the Viserjantan. [i]“Escort them out. Now.”[/i]

In hindsight, Sjan-dehk realised that he had gone through all that trouble for painfully little. The girl was still escorted under guard out of the ballroom, only now he followed several steps behind. There was one saving grace, he supposed; between the two of them, the guards were understandably a lot more wary of and kept a closer watch on him. Maybe that took some of the pressure away from the girl, or maybe it didn’t. Who knew? Sjan-dehk was happy enough knowing that he did something. That was a small victory he could walk away with. 

It didn’t matter, in any case. Soon enough, he was back in the entrance hall, and lost sight of the girl in the thronging waiting crowd. Sjan-dehk didn’t dwell too much on her, either; his mind was far too occupied with what he needed to do once he returned to his [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. First of all, he had to tell Hai-shuun to forget about any big repairs and focus on making the [i]Celestine[/i] look presentable for an inspection in short order. Then he had to send someone to the [i]Sudah[/i] to ask for trade samples for the king’s representatives to peruse, and after that there was of course his dreaded meeting with the [i]Sudah[/i]’s captain for an undeserved tongue-lashing, and then he had to meet with Adiyan to let her know the day’s events–

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt himself bump into someone. It was a little harder than what he would’ve expected jostling through this crowd, and so he spun around and saw a woman before him. She was a head or so shorter than him, with tawny skin that reminded him of – of all things – a ship which had paled beneath the sun. Her clothes marked her apart from the crowd, and Sjan-dehk guessed that she was, like him, not a native to these lands. [color=1E90FF][i]“Apologies!”[/i][/color] He said quickly, placing a hand on his chest and bowing deeply. [color=1E90FF][i]“It was my fault. I did not see where I was going. Are you hurt?”[/i][/color]