With pursed lips and a furrowed brow, Irina carefully followed with a bit of a slow trudge behind the embittered young Crystal, still agitated no less by the woman trailing close behind her, though Irina was making sure to at least keep to a reasonable distance between her and the Princess. Twas best that way anyways, especially in this most daunting of situations the knight had found herself in, confused as to what she had done so wrong to incur her lady's spiteful wrath. She was being a good body guard, was she not? Already thrice has Irina thrown her life to the dogs in due course of defending Crystal's, but still the girl seemed just....just irritated to no end with the knight's chivalry and her disregard for her own well-being. But what value was Irina's life compared to that of royalty? If lives could be measured in sack-fulls of gold and silver, then what worth would there be to a lowly peasant trotting about in her father's armor....in contrast to a beautiful maiden of royal birth, whose on life could be valued even higher than the treasures of this world alone? [i]I don't get it![/i] She spoke flustered in her mind, glancing off to the side as she tarried behind Crystal. [i]I don't understand her at all. Am I too overbearing? No. I mean...I don't believe I am. I'm not attacking every lad who dares to point their finger at her, and I try to give her as much freedom as I can, but with her....it feels as though I must keep vigilance upon her at all times. Perchance I am being a bit overbearing.....[/i]

She sighed deeply, giving a stretch of her arms as high as she could, restricted a tad by her cumbersome armor. [i]And strange for me to say this, but I cannot wait to get out of this damn armor too. I could use a bath as well....[/i] And she thought Varros would be the only trouble upon her already befuddled mind. One day...just one day with the Princess...and already she felt dejected by the girl. Ah how hard the softest of hearts can be at times. The knight paused a moment, hearing her lady utter that something was terrible, and what else could possibly be terrible for her, everything the knight assumed, Irina becoming her personal attendant, her guardsmen making a fool of themselves before her, the arrival of Lord Varros, and.....the fact that almost everyone was out for her blood. Admittedly....Irina felt a tad sympathetic for the poor soul. [i]All this to become a knight. Hmph....father would be proud...or perhaps writhing in his barrow.[/i] "M'lady, are you....." Irina whispered, a hint of concern for the troubled lass exhibited upon her face, but it quickly changed to a more startled expression when the Princess turned to her and sharply responded with.....words that practically drove the woman's cheeks to burn red, both with mortification and....displeasure, just about having it this instant with her lady's snarkiness, "Now look here, you, I-!" She was about to pounce, but again....damn her for falling to the girl's allure.

"I....I...." Again she was taken in by those lovely hues of purples and violets, the softness of the girl's pale lips and the radiance of her fair skin and her snow white hair, as white as the graceful wings of a morning dove. And again what was the use in raising her voice to chide those lovely features, to mar the face of the girl who brought a peace to the woman...just with one glance of innocence. Shaking her head, the knight sighed yet again, running her iron fingers briskly through her hair and leaning next to her ward against the railing. The view of the courtyard from atop the sky-bridge was indeed lovely, but not as captivating as when Irina set eyes upon Crystal. "M'lady....it would be rude of me to do such a thing, to look upon you....disrobed." Her cheeks blushed lightly, a small hue of pink against her skin. "Plus....as selfish as it may seem of me....I'd never want to do anything to ruin this grand opportunity. My entire life....I felt as though I were nothing, nothing but a sword, for the right price of gold, someone could wield and swing in whatever direction they desired, but once their bloody deeds had been committed....I was cast aside, with what but a bit of gold to stave off my hunger and keep me alive for another month or so. My father...he wouldn't have wanted that for me. He'd have wanted...this...to live in a castle, to serve His Majesty the King and all of Alegasia...as a knight...not some hired sword." Another deep and disheartened sigh left her. "I know at times, I can seem overbearing, and I talk too much of honor and duty and...whatever, but...I just want to make my father proud. This was his legacy I must carry on after his passing." She turned not to face the girl, rather keep her eyes affixed to the glowing greens of the grasses and shrubbery below....so that Crystal could not see in Irina's eyes....the welling of warm, disgraced tears....