Vale chuckled, seeing how tense she had become from their close proximity. From her reaction, he could tell she thought he was about to kiss her, which was what he wanted her to think. He couldn't remember seeing her so stiff before, it was so very amusing. When he pulled back, he could practically see her body relax. He grinned at her comment, "It wouldn't have tasted as good." He replied simply, still having the sweet, tingly, taste on his tongue. He watched her place the jars and snacks back into their basket and a slight depressed feeling washed over him. Back into the carriage they go again. At least they were almost to their destination. He picked himself up, also dusting any debris from his clothes. He sighed, looking to her and nodding, " Ready." He stated, going over and seating himself back inside of the carriage, waiting on the princess to do the same. And when she did, it was back onto the road for the both of them.
-TS-
Vale's eyes remained closed when the carriage stopped it's movement. Finally, they had arrived at the kingdom of Zimid, where the Fae lived and floruished and he could feast his eyes on the visage outside the carriage window. It wasn't really known to Vale when he actually drifted off but he had been asleep for quite some time. Soon, his sleep was broken by the whining of the horses that pulled the carriage. A small twitch of his brow and an opening of an eye, he was awake. He immediately notice the lack of motion and sat up straight from his leaning position. Without even a glance outdoors, he only stretched and yawned looking to Eleanora for an expression. Knowing her she would look as excited as she did before. He also had a realization that he went back on his promise to stay awake with her the whole trip. He hoped she hadn't been too bored, but knowing her, it probably didn't bother her much. "Ah, I fell asleep. Sorry about that.." He said with the drowsiness in his voice. He pushed his hair back with his fingers and took a look outside, "I guess we're here. " He said with a small smirk, the only thing that could express his happiness considering how sluggish he was feeling.
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 1:43 pm
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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The trip was quite quiet once the prince had fallen asleep, while she wasn't going to lie she was a bit bored she was to busy watching the scenery to really care. The ride came to a halt after a good little while and Eleanora moved her head to look more out the window as they came to a halt. There was quite a gathering of people around the castle and even inside the courtyard of the grounds. Unfortunately for her she wasn't having the best day appearance wise but she couldn't let it show. At least not to the others. She'd change once she got inside and hopefully it would be quickly. She heard Vale shift about and glanced over at him as he apologized for falling asleep. She shook her head "It's fine. Better to have you fall asleep during the ride than during some important time." She looked out the window again and made eye contact with a few servants. They were familiar faces she was glad to see and she was looking forward to seeing how they were over the past while.
Flynn made an appearance outside the carriage making sure everything was ok for them to get out of the ride, the surrounding people weren't overly energetic but for some the excitement they felt was visible. Of course it'd be interesting to see how they felt about meeting the prince. With that she watched as Flynn got closer to the door of the carriage. She felt herself tense a bit before the door was opened, it was show time. She allowed herself to be helped out of the carriage and waited for Vale. While she had hope her father would be out here to help greet them she knew that was low in possibility thus they were greeted by the none other then the Queen and her siblings. Eleanora glanced around for the some of the council members but there was no sign of them. They were seemingly elusive at times. She curtsied to the Queen and smiled at her siblings "Your Highness." "Princess."
The exchange was simple thankfully and the two were done with each other for now. Flynn came to her free side and talked softly as they went forward closer to the castle. "I have informed the King that you expect an audience with him later today.. Also I have a message from one of your hand maidens. She says to met her in your room, or well old room." Eleanora nodded. Before she had left she had had two servants assigned to her for personal use only, of course with having to leave the castle and the two being of female they assigned Flynn to her as her temporary servant. How long the exchange would last was a mystery of its self. She knew that during her time at home Flynn would be off serving the council as he did before but would they have him be with her on the ride back to Toryn was the real question. Either way she didn't care entirely too much.
Flynn left her side once he gave her the message, she looked over at Vale. "We'll supposedly be meeting the king in a small while. Do try to behave somewhat until then."
As Flynn opened the carriage door, vale felt a wave of uneasiness when he noticed the large amount of Fae citizens. He wasn't surprised they were being greeted upon arrival but he wondered what they were thinking about him. He took a deep breath and stuck close to Eleanora, exiting the carriage along with her, following her up to where the unsightly queen and the princess's siblings stood. He simply followed Eleanora and bowed to the queen and the young ones. Strangely, that was the only interaction they made which was a breath of relief. He continued on, walking along side her while Flynn took her other side. As he did this, he took in the sight of the castle, which appeared to be a great establishment. Perfectly fit for the Zimid royals. He had many thoughts about the interior designs the castle may have or if he would be able to form a good relationship with the Fae citizens and royals. If he could at least do that, then maybe he could start thinking of ways to get the commoners of Toryn on board with the idea that Fae aren't evil or lesser beings. He sighed, with this new objective in mind, and receding his normal slouch and his usual hands in pockets, he postured himself and looked over to the crowd of people. He couldn't tell if they liked him or not based simply on expressions, but he gave a warm smile before hearing Eleanora's voice once more. "No worries. I wish to make a good impression, so I'll be on my best behavior." He said looking up to the castle once more. "So, in a small while, you say. What shall we be doing in the meantime?" He asked curiously and wondering how long 'a small while' is. Along with this, he tried thinking up how he would converse with the King. Although it mostly depended on his demeanor and personality, he couldn't think of many topics that he hadn't already discussed with Eleanora. And obviously, he couldn't be very political with him since he never really engaged in the politics in general. He wished to ponder more on it, but he knew that if he did he would screw up immediately. Simply letting it flow should be fine, hopefully. If anything, the main objective was to simply meet with the princess's father and perhaps be accepted by him and the other Fae. With this, he set all thought aside and concentrated on following Eleanora.
sweatdrop
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:18 am
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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Home sweet home. Eleanora was truly content in being home, while there were many objects and beings she was less then pleased to be seeing later on the idea she could just relax for even a minute without worrying about them was quite nice. Though being home made her vaguely miss the distance of Toryn. In Toryn she didn't have to worry about the Queen and keeping her away or dealing with her antics. It was funny though. How she hated Toryn before and now was vaguely missing it. The crowd was easily swayed to go other places, while they were happy to see the princess some were less than thrilled to see the prince. While not blatantly obvious if one knew how the people were it was self-explanatory. She glanced over at Vale "Good. The last thing we need is another war." While it was meant half serious there was a small thought on the possibility that it could happen. That if any of the higher classed people took offense from something Vale did that they may want war. While the outcome would be just unclear as it had been before, they weren't ready to be involved in another war. If they were it'd most likely collapse the Fae kingdom. Without enough bodies to be in an army and still have backup they'd be underpowered physically.
"In the meantime I'll show you around most of the castle and we'll be heading to my room. I'm in need of a different dress if I'm going to meet father." She made her ways to the large doorway draped in climbing vines and white wood. The doors were opened quickly to reveal the white and pale colored interiors. The castle was mainly white with earthy visage in it from climbing flower vines up select pillars to small flower beds scattered here and there. There were floating balls of light located along the walls to illuminate the corridors when it grew dark. Some walls had large windows offering natural light and the highest point of the entrance way had a skylight just above the stairs leading to the left and right wing areas of the second floor. The castle had a square shape on the inside that was accessible from doors around the castle, it was an area home to a large white wooded tree with pale green leaves. She walked up the stairs and made a left. Her room was near the back of the castle, over looking the edge of the forest behind the estate.
"Guest rooms are mainly in the right wing but there are a few in the left. The left is mainly reserved for us." She pointed out the third room they crossed it had large dark wooden doors that had elegant bordering, two guards stood on the sides of the door. Nodding at the princess as she passed "That's the King and Queen's room. I wouldn't advise entering." She continued down till she had to make a right turn into the next corridor. "Farrin's room and Cateline's room are in the right wing. Strangely enough." She was about to reach the end of the corridor before stopping at another double-doored room. "This is my room or well for now it is." In truth she didn't want to part with her room, she wanted to stay in it. She knew every nook and cranny of the interior, it had been her room since she was little. She opened the door leading to her pale colored room. Eleanora had always lovd soft purple colors and white, it was something that was her signature colorage one could say thus her room reflected her liking over the room. Her room was white sheeted with light purple accents along the edges, to the left of her room from the entrance way she had a small doorway leading out to a balcony. She had a small table set up near the balcony way that was of white wood and ivory. To the right of her room she had an ivory fireplace with a white fur rug laying before it. It was light and airy and she simply loved it. Her small table seemed to be occupied by a familiar face. A blonde haired blue eyed female sat patiently at the table awaiting Eleanora. "Princess!" The girl was quick to get up upon the princess' entrance. "I heard you'd be back today. I'm so happy Toryn didn't end up tearing you up!" It was comment meant only for friendly ears and not for that of Vale. Seeing the Prince the handmaiden's smile fell and she went into a deep curtsy. "I apologize Prince. That was rude of me."
Eleanora found her hands in the maid's own soon after the apology though. "You must tell me all about the travel though. Though first we have to change you out of whatever it is your wearing." Eleanora gave a gracious nod "Please do." With that the handmaiden, known as Victoria, went about closing the doors to the room and going to the princess' closet. "What would you fancy for today Princess?" She followed to the closet and ran her hand over the materials. "Something simple." Victoria took out a light blue dress with white sleeves and white detailing. It was good enough for the occasion and definitely good enough to go out in public with. "Well this is the one?" A nod was all it took for Victoria to go to the changing screen in the corner of the room. Was she really expecting her to change with Vale in the room? Even if there was a piece of wood between the other's visual it was still uncomfortable and even awkward to think about. She slowly went behind the screen and murmured her unease to the handmaiden. "Hush. You'll be fine. It's only a quick change. As you always say the sooner it's over the sooner you're done with it." Eleanora frowned at having her own words thrown back at her but complied as she was stripped and changed behind the screen. It was more embarrassing than she thought it would be though Victoria made quick work and spared her from further awkwardness.
"Done. Would you like me to fix your hair?" Another nod and another quick fix. Soon Victoria had her hair splayed out and placed in a loose bun with freed wisps of hair to line her face. She looked decent enough now compared to what she was wearing before.
Hearing her response put him on edge. He knew the slightest slip up could ignite the flames of war once again, and this was based on his actions. Although he was a bit anxious, he knew to control himself, especially during this time of peace. Adding to this, they knew both kingdoms were not ready to enter any kind of battle since they were both still suffering from the previous war. He attempted to push this out of mind and focus on the current time, he will be sure to be respectful and be cautious of his actions when meeting others. He followed after the princess into the large doorway of the Zimid castle, and took in the inside of it. The castle, as well as the rest of the kingdom had the most beautiful appearance. He took in the castles details and wonders from the ascending pillar vines to the floating luminous orbs acting as the castle's light. The white color suited the castle's atmosphere as well as the flower beds. The white tree, however, took his attention the longest. He had never witnessed something so majestic For some reason, he felt almost warmer here than in Toryn. It was certainly better in appearance, and although he may not be liked as much here by the people, he felt very comfortable and serene. With this, he wondered why she had to live in Toryn with him. He honestly, would rather to stay here instead with Eleanora. But, of course, perhaps it was simply a politics ordeal.
He trailed behind her, looking around but also keeping track of where he was. Just like Eleanora, it may take some time for him to remember where everything was located. But he could get accustomed to it so long as he paid attention to her directions. Guest rooms, most on right, few on left. Ah, the left ones were reserved for them. Did that mean the two would be in separate rooms? In a way, he doubted it since the two were married already but did she truly have to keep appearances up here in her own home? Well, he would easily find out sooner or later when they were to be off to sleep. She pointed out the king and queen's room which he knew full well not to enter. That wouldn't be a smart thing to do for anyone without permission. He followed closely as she also pointed out her siblings rooms. He may keep that in mind if he were to ever find the desire to spark up a nice conversation with them.
They continued up to her room. Going inside, he took in the gentle colors which suits her room very well. She had a well furnished room to which everything complimented one another. And once again, that warm feeling washed over him, making him want to stay for a long time. But he knew, of course, that was out of the question. The white sheets and the beautiful pale purple took hold of his attention, keeping it for seconds, even minutes. Such soft colors that he began to like, even when all he was used to was black, dark red, and royal blue. Perhaps even a tinge of gold here and there. But in Timid, in colors ranged from white to beautiful pale green and purple. The bright colors were so eye catching and lovely too look at aside from the dark colored Toryn. Hardly noticing her entrance, a lady called out to Eleanora. And with the comment she made, he wasn't all too surprised. He felt a bit uncomfortable about it, but not to where he needed to lash out on her. He knew humans weren't seen too lightly here, but did they appear to be beasts of some sort? Vale created a smile, one which Eleanora could possibly deem fake, but most others could not. "It's fine." He said nonchalantly, simply letting it fly. Soon after this, Eleanora went to prepare for an outfit change. However, Vale didn't expect the handmaiden to be so calm with him also in the room. "Perks of marriage I suppose.." He thought to himself and, to help with the strange atmosphere, he continued his gander around the room, pretending as if he was not completely interested with the situation. Although he kept his eyes away from their general direction, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the idea of a cloth-less Eleanora. Shameful, he knew it was, but he simply couldn't help it. And by his imagination, it was a very nice visage. But of course, he would not tell her this. Ever. His face had turned slightly red by the time the two were finished. He brought his eyes back to Eleanora, in her new outfit and with her hair being fixed by the handmaiden. The bun she made looked pretty good on her, along with the strands that complimented her face. It was simple yet so dazzling to him. He grinned, "You look nice." He said in regards to her appearance and awaited what they were to do next. Since they were now in her kingdom, he had come to the conclusion that he would follow whatever Eleanora pleased at this point. He didn't know how things worked here, and he didn't wish to find out the hard way if it meant it could put the kingdom's relationship with Toryn in danger.
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 2:14 pm
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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Eleanora tucked at the sleeve lightly as she stepped from the side of the changing screen, she nodded at Vale's compliment. She was still slightly bothered by the aspect of having just changed in the same room as the male but she couldn't allow it to get to her any more than it had just then. "Thank you." She looked from her sleeve up to Vale. Her father must have been ready by now. The sooner she had the two meet the sooner they could get into town. Eleanora liked her visits into the city, while they were few, she did have places she liked to go on the occasions she was allowed to. Her handmaiden called her attention by stepping from her side and inching her way closer to the door. "I'll be off Princess unless you need me for something more?" Eleanora shook her head. "Nothing else is needed." The maid curtsied and left, closing the door behind her. Eleanora walked from the screen over to her closet, reaching up to the shelve at the top she pulled down a small jewelry box before going to the bed and sitting it down. She opened the lid to the box and pulled out a necklace. It had a long silver chain with a singular piece of moonstone hanging from it. While simple, it was by far her favorite necklace due to the moonstone on it. She closed the box and put it back on the shelf she got it from. "Well what do you think so far?" It was a question in regards to the castle. While there was still more to be seen she wanted to hear what he thought of the temporary home. She was curious to see if he liked the change from the dark rich colors of Toryn to the light airy ones of Zimid, let alone the change of atmospheres. It would be nice if he did but if not, well he'd simply have to accommodate for now. She fastened the necklace on and made her way to the door. "Lets see if he's ready."
With that she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. The King spent much of his time these days in a secluded area f the castle. It was, by all rights, part of a tradition. The older the ruler got the closer they were thought to be to nature and thus long ago there was a whole section of the castle dedicated to that time. The Hall of Nature, some even decided to give it the title of. It was placed underground and attached to the castle by a set of stairs and hallways. While underground it was a sight to see. Even Eleanora was only rarely allowed to go into the Hall due to it being only meant for the King and a small set of special guards. She made her way down the stairs and towards the back of the castle before opening a set of doors that lead down another set of stairs. The stairway was dark and wasn't bothered to be lit due to how rare it was for people to be going down the stairs. Thus she created a small ball of light in her hand and held it up enough to light the way down the stairs. "This way." She made sure to hold her hand back enough for Vale to see where his own feet were going and kept herself at a pace where she wouldn't leave the male to far behind her. Once they came to the bottom of the stairs they had another set of doors awaiting them. They were heavy doors that required a bit of struggle on her end to open them up but with a good push they opened and revealed an area that was bright and airy just like the castle above. The only difference in being that the hallway looked more in touch with nature. With vines growing just a bit more wild then they had upstairs. There were butterflies scattered about here and there that flew about. While rare to enter, it was surely pretty especially the inner chamber. She allowed Vale to step into the hallway before pushing the door closed behind them. "He should be right up ahead." She dismissed the ball of light and stepped forward. The halway seemed to branch off to other areas. It was a small house under the castle reserved only for the one in charge. Due to he history of Zimid having really only one ruler the area was small to accomodate the lone person. It had a living quarter and a study besides the main chamber where who knows what happened. Eleanora went down to the very end of the hallway to the vine covered door and opened them. Inside there was yet another set of doors at the end of a small hallway. It was wide and lined with plants and suits of Fae armor covered in vines and other plant life. At the end there was a set of guards standing at the door. Eleanora edged closer and they called her to halt. "Business?" "Audience with the King." The guards nodded and opened the giant set of ivory doors, revealing the main chamber. It was open and looked more like they were outside then underground with how spacious it was. There was a lone tree in the center of the room, with a tall Banyan Tree in the center. Of course this tree was different though, magically speaking. The roots that hanged from the tree weren't average roots and were transparent in color, glowing a light purple. The bark of the tree was stark white while the leaves were a rich dark purple.
It was a pretty tree and matched the one above ground, maybe that was why they had it. The cieling of the room had the illusion of the sky thanks to magic. The illusion changed with the time of day outside, going from day to night as time went on. The room had windows with another set of illusions that made it seem like the sky, light came in from the windows as rainbows. How it was all made possible was beyond even Eleanora, whatever her ancestors had down to create the underground room they had done with skills even she didn't possess. Her father stood near the tree. The doors closed behind them with a bang and Eleanora stepped closer to the tree. Her father wasn't old looking at all, given his age which was considerably old. He looked more around Vale's and hers than his own. "Father." She stood few a few feet from her father and curtsied to him, his attention was put quickly on her and Vale. "Eleanora." He turned from the tree to them and looked at Eleanora. He gave her a soft smile and she closed the distance between the two of them, he embraced her a light hug before letting her go. "It's good to see you in high health." She nodded "You too father. I hope you haven't been staying down here too much." He kept his soft smile and placed his hands behind his back. "Don't worry I've only been visiting here only a few times a day to make sure everything is in working order." What exactly he meant by 'working order' was a mystery for her. In all honesty not much was said or even known about this area of the castle besides the fact that it was off limits unless stated, no one but the ruler and their guards were allowed in the area, and it was meant for the older rulers. Other than that the area was a mystery, it must have been knowledge passed down to the person when the time came, however that happened. The King put his gaze on Vale and the smile fell slightly. The King wasn't too fond of humans, if so more than how Eleanora had been at times. "Prince Vale of Toryn. I'm glad to finally meet you. I hope Eleanora is being well taken care of in Toryn." The King nodded in greeting to Vale and allowed his eyes to wander the male, taking in his appearence.
While Vale waited patiently for Eleanora to finish up her business, he took a look at her face and carefully inspected it. He was trying to figure out if she was anywhere as flustered as he was on the whole "changing" matter, but of course she was cool and collected as usual. He nodded to her thanks, removing his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms instead. Were they to see her father afterwards? Vale stood thinking about the features he would have. Would he be old looking and fragile as some kings were? Perhaps even strong and stood firm? Whatever the case, he would be sure to be polite when meeting him and hopefully nothing wrong would be said in his presence. While thinking, he hardly heard the handmaiden taking her leave, but he saw Eleanora move away from the screen and into a closet. What was she doing? He followed her movement with his eyes which rested when she sat on the bed. She pulled out some type of jewelry that looked very ordinary and simple, which seemed to be something the princess liked over flashy and expensive things that he saw other royals and higher-ups wear to prove their royalty and high status. This was something he liked about her, in a way. He looked closer at the necklace and saw the blue tint that it gave off. He had seen jewelry of this type, but before this he didn't necessarily care enough to know the name of it. She placed the box back to where she found it and proceeded to ask him of what he thought about the castle so far. He smirked and thought about where he could start. "It's amazing, really. There's nothing here that doesn't catch my attention. " He paused for a moment watching her fasten her necklace. "The colors are lovely and it feels...warm." Though he said this with a bit of vagueness , he knew she could figure out it wasn't about temperature. "It's comfortable." He ended his response with this and proceeded to tail Eleanora out the door.
There they were, on their way to greet the king of Zimid, and the nerves started to hit him. What exactly was he nervous about? He had no clue whatsoever, and this wasn't like him. Usually he could easily meet royals, flash an adequate smile, speak a few words, and be on his way. But he had an awkward feeling he would be seen through. That his pleasant fake smile would be deemed rude or his few words wouldn't be enough. It wouldn't be the fact that he was a king. It couldn't be, since it wasn't his first time around royals. Was it because it was Eleanora's father? Maybe. But that would be strange as well. Whatever the reason, he was a bit nervous but perhaps it was a normal feeling. He wondered if Eleanora was nervous at all when meeting his father. Thinking back to it, he only remembered the two having a sarcasm contest upon their first meeting. He wanted to ask her how she felt. But he assumed she would just state there was nothing to be nervous about. He would simply have to suck it up. Especially, since he so urgently requested to have a chat with him. He followed her closely through doors and many sets of stairs, leading to a darker set, which was lit by the princess's magic. The things this princess could do never ceased to surprise Vale. Thankfully she held it up enough for him to see where he was going. Surely he would have fallen simply because he was staring at the ball of light more-so than his surroundings. Then, they reached some heavier doors which, in a way seemed a bit much for just the princess. Of course, he didn't want to deem her weak, but out of spite, he pushed the door along side her to assist. The room seemed just like the castle, but with more plant like and other nature growing around the area. It was a very pretty sight, just like everything else he had seen around the Zimid castle. He stepped inside and was too taken by the environment to remember to help close the doors too. He continued like this until he noticed she began to move again, and just as before a followed quietly up to yet another door, which was also smothered in nature. He had never seen anything like this. Everything in Zimid was completely surrounded, no, bathed in plants and wildlife. While Toryn was nothing by stone and metals. It was amazing to see how different the two kingdoms were. They were almost complete opposites.
The two walked up to a set of guards, which Vale knew the king would be behind those doors. And when the doors were opened, everything which he had seen before couldn't compare now. The tree in the center was like the one above, but it was more beautiful in Vale's eyes. They were underground, yet there was a sky. He felt his heart race a bit, something he didn't feel too often. Only when jousting did he feel this type of excitement. Everything left him awestruck. Down near the tree, stood a lone person. That was him. He followed her up the her father, unfolding his arms and having them rest at his side. Vale bowed when she curtsied to the king and awaited patiently for acknowledgment. He stood quietly while the two spoke to one another. Of course they spoke with a lack of formalities being that they were family. As they did this, he couldn't help but notice he didn't look how he imagined. In fact, he looked almost way too young to be a father and a king. It was scary almost. While the smile he had for Eleanora was calming and nice to see, it immediately dropped when he looked to Vale. And this made him tense. Should he smile? No, maybe not. It wouldn't be genuine. Maybe he should to show politeness? He was too nervous to get his thoughts together. He could tell the king didn't like humans much. It showed all too well. Be cool. He chanted this to himself and cleared his throat. " It is nice to meet you as well, sir. King of Zimid." He said, with the nerves a bit present in his voice. "Ah, yes sir. I have made sure of that. And I will continue to take good care of her, sir." He stated with a nod. He realized he sounded as if he were speaking to a general and he was but a lowly recruit. He could feel the king's eyes graze over him and a cluster of thoughts ran into his head. Should he have changed his attire? Did he look too nonchalant? Was it the depressing colors? He didn't know. He knew not to ask either. "Your castle is lovely, as well as the rest of your kingdom. It is very beautiful." He said calmly while swallowing a bit, awaiting the response from the king after he was finish sizing him up.
Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 8:10 pm
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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Eleanora watched in silence as the two exchanged greetings, Vale was nervous and her father would no doubt realize it. Vale was polite though thankfully, while she didn't openly word her doubt she still had a few thoughts on it, something caused by their first meeting. The memory of when she had first arrived in Toryn was still a fresh memory in her mind. Vale had changed since then though and she was glad that they decided to visit now after he was used to the idea of Fae rather than before. Her father nodded in approval to hearing Eleanora was being taken care of. "Good." The statement was stern but didn't lose his usual pleasant tone. It was a sign he was satisfied with the answer and wished to keep it that way. While she didn't expect Vale to get what her father's underlining messages were, she knew he'd learn. She took after her father on some aspects of herself, mainly the cool level-headedness she showed. Her father had to be happy on the compliment about the castle right? She herself was happy that Vale liked the castle. While their stay wouldn't be long it was nice to know that if they ever did come back Vale wouldn't dislike it. Her father nodded another time, he had a small smile slowly come on his face. "Thank you but I take no credit for it. I merely maintain our ancestors work. As for the kingdom we are working on reconstruction on a large portion but thank you." He turned his glance to Eleanora and she straightened her back. "How are you two finding your room?" Eleanora shifted slightly. They hadn't seen it nor had they even heard where they were to be put. "It's quite lovely father. Thank you." The king smiled happily at her approval. "Good. I thought you might like it." She watched as his gaze was slowly traveling back to Vale and before he could get anything out she was quick to bring up a new topic of conversation. Better to move past this one and have her little lie found out than get caught and both of them get some sort of ear full from her father. "Father. I seem the work you've done on the surrounding forest has gone quite nicely. It looks almost as good as good before the war." The King turned his attention to Eleanora and nodded somberly. "Yes. It's been a part of the slow efforts to rebuild like I told you before. I've gone ahead and had some of the men still surviving help repair some of the nearby villages that got destroyed while I work on repairing the forests themselves. We lost quite a bit so it's been a lot of work getting new trees and plants planted where needed while making the surviving grow again."
Eleanora nodded in understanding and inched closer to Vale. "I'm glad that everything is slowly going back to the way it used to. Thank you father for having and audience with us on such sort notice." The King nodded but waved his hand lightly, dismissing her thanks. "It was the least I could do. I needed to see the Prince anyway." She nudged Vale slightly as she curtsied. "We'll be taking our leave now Father. I'll be showing Vale around the city." The king seemed pleased by the statement "Well don't let me keep you. See me again Eleanora.". She nodded as she slowly turned away from him, didn't realize how nervous she had been till her back was to him. She hadn't seen her father in some time and not only that but to have Vale be in the same room as him. Anything could have transpired during the light conversation.
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Just realized I forgot to put a photo of the king... Here it is!
Vale slowly felt his tense shoulders ease themselves and his stifled lungs become clearer. He knew his nerves were present, but the simple replies her father made calmed him down. He was expecting so much from such a simple conversation between the two. And although he may not like humans, his tone was like that of any father who met with their daughter's husband. The approving nods and the small smile that crept on to the King's face after hearing of his compliment gave Vale the room to exhale. Vale could only assume he was doing okay since he was able to get him to smile a little bit. And with Eleanora watching intently, he wasn't doing too bad. He just had to continue this until they were dismissed. Vale stood firmly and listened to the King as he told him about the castle and their ancestors. He spoke about the kingdom's reconstruction and Vale assumed they were still rebuilding from war. He wished to say something more, but his mind went blank. But, by the way the king said his statement, it probably didn't need an answer. A nod, however, was in order. The Fae King then asked about their rooms, which they had not gone to yet. Vale was beginning to open his mouth in response but Eleanora seemed to have gotten to it first. But a white lie is what escaped her lips. Vale was ultimately confused on the matter and he wrinkled his brow a bit, but he simply let it be, since it could be for a particular reason. And just in case Vale were to change his mind, Eleanora immediately brought up another topic instead. Vale looked to her when she began to speak on the forests surrounding the kingdom. He knew it was a breath taking sight but was even more-so before the war? He could only imagine the view of the forest being even more beautiful than how it was now.
Hearing the two speak about the rebuilding of the post war results, made Vale a bit uncomfortable. He knows he took no part in the war but there was a time where he thought the way the other humans did. No care in the world for their trees or plants. Burning down their villages and destroying everything as if they deserved it. As if they were monsters that had no right to live in luxury. Now, Vale almost felt like the humans were more like monsters than the Fae would ever be. And he knew convincing them to think otherwise was going to be a problem. Vale began drifting off into his thoughts when he noticed Eleanora slowly making her was closer to him. Ah, they were getting ready to depart. The short conversation that could change history was about to come to an end. "Ah, yes. Thank you for seeing us today." He thanked along side her and when the nudge from the princess was felt, he bowed deeply to the King. Now they were about to head to the city, where Vale was ready to feel what Eleanora felt in Toryn. The stares of bystanders. However, he doubted the citizens wouldn't be as confident and curt as the humans back home. As she turned away, Vale gave a final nod to the king before doing the same and following the princess just as he did before. He kept his posture until the two were out of sight, and let out a breath of relief.
Once the two had made their way back through the dark halls and many doors, Vale looked over to the princess and exhaled deeply. "That was a lot scarier than I imagined it would be.." He said cracking a small smile, almost laughing at himself for how he seemed to have acted not too long ago. He couldn't remember a time when he was so nervous and even if he was, he didn't show it as much as he did today. "How does your father look so young? If I didn't know any better, I could have easily been fooled." He chuckled, thinking about all the other comments he wished to say but couldn't, being that they were in his presence. Vale place his hands within his pockets casually, trying to get himself to relax again and wondering where in the city the two were to go first.
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 9:37 pm
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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With Vale's thanks Eleanora gave a bow of her head and the two departed from the room. The doors they had entered in opened once more and the two made their way through the dark stairwell up to the main floor of the castle. Once the last door was closed she heard a loud exhale and turned her attention to Vale only to find he had his on her. So he had been nervous, not that she doubted it but it did seem like he had calmed down a bit during the conversation with her father. "You did good." She gave an approving nod before walking away from the door leading to the stairwell. "We'll go to the town square first." They slowly made their way through the castle to the grand entrance, she was excited to be out in the city once again. While she liked being home at the castle the capital city of Zimid was quite pretty, especially this time of year. She paused briefly and gave Vale a slightly confused look. Why did her father look so young? Was that an honest question? Of course, it was but she felt sort of lost for words on it. He expected the Fae to age the same as the humans? She formed her words slowly as she went about explaining it. "Well we don't physically age the same as humans. We only really age the closer we are to the end of our lives. The closer it gets the more we look our age." That was a suitable explanation, at least for now till Eleanora found a better way to somehow explain their aging process.
"Of course we don't live forever, we just live longer than humans. Which plays a role into our reproduction and aging." She added the statement in while she pushed open the doors to the outside. The guards on duty straightened as she and Vale passed by. Thankfully though, none seemed to question what the two were doing. It was an unfortunate thing she had grown used to during the war. She lead the way for Vale as the two went into town, which was a bit of a walk but just looking at the scenery was pleasant. They crossed a bridge which connected the castle to the town. Once on the outskirts of it it was clear to her that the city was busy today which wasn't uncommon but she assumed that today's busy bustle was thanks to the two's arrival. She made her to the town square which had a fairly large fountain at the center of the cobble paved streets. The markets were to the west while the houses were to the east, and having come from the north to the south was the entrance to the city. Eleanora sat down on the fountain's walls. "Town square is here. The castle is in the north while the market is in the west and the houses are in the east." She pointed just behind her. "Head further south and the entrance to the city is there."
The square was busy, while there were few children playing there were quite a few teens and even young adult fae in the area. She made her way to the market and on the threshold to the area she looked around. While not often she did visit one place often in the area. It was a small tailoring shop, she often had the lady in charge tailor her clothing and because of that the two had a small sort of bond becoming friends even. She walked through the streets and made her way to the small shop. While the city to her was busy in all honesty compared to human cities the city was quite barren. It was as busy as a mild day in the human market with scattered clusters of shoppers. She knew it was improper to refer to the town being busy to Vale but for the usual it was. Eleanora glanced over her shoulder to make sure Vale was following along. Of course she didn't just beeline to the shop as much as she would have liked to, right now was a time to show Vale around and thus she made herself remember that. "Any shop you want to visit?" She looked around at the small shops set up, there were quite a bit of pastry shops along with clothing and even jewelry. There was an occasional armoury shop that sold weapons and armor but that wasn't much of interest to her right now. Then again she did need to get her outfit ready for the competition. While the set date was soon she didn't have much time to get her things ready. While it was, of course, a magic competition it wasn't only just mentally requiring it also was physically so. She'd have to go in there and check out the leather bracers and chest pieces. While she doubted she would need them in the end it was better to have the pieces then to go into the arena with just her clothing on. Eleanora looked around the market to a jewelry stand. Curious on the pieces she crossed the street to the stand. They were pretty, some had matching moonstones similiar to the one on her necklace. Of course the difference was her moonstone was a rainbow one compared to the regular stones. They were pretty none the less and she found herself picking up one of the rings and trying it on. It was made of silver and was embedded with a lage oval moonstone enclosed by two smaller circles ones on it's sides. Eleanora bit back the temptation and put the ring back before looking at the other wares. People were staring, less at her and more at Vale. Some whispered and went about their way while they passed them by while other stopped and stared for a little longer than they should have. Either way she didn't like it, in fact it irritated her slightly. She had no real reason to get irritated by it but maybe it was the fact they were staring at Vale and most likely saying some unpleasant things. She could care less if they had done so with another human who she wasn't familiar with nor had somewhat positive feelings towards but with Vale it was a different story though. She put the irritated thoughts to the side and looked over to Vale. "What do you think?" She held up a sapphire adorned ring, the silver band was a bit smaller than the moonstone one and the sapphires in it were quite a pretty blue. She wasn't much of a ring person but she'd be willing to get one if it was pretty enough, though she did whatever she could not to find herself going back to the moonstone. The stone was by far her favorite amongst the jewels, and while not as vibrant as the sapphire, the moonstone had its own charm. She slipped the sapphire ring onto her ring finger and looked at it. It didn't suit her did it? She sigehd as she took it off and put it back in it's place.
That made sense. He knew the humans and Fae didn't age the same but he just didn't think it was to this extent. It was just a bit strange to see a father and daughter stand side by side and look as if they were born a year apart. But of course, Vale knew he was to put aside his traditional views and take in the new information as something new he had learned from Eleanora. The doors to the outside were opened and the two walked along side by side. During this walk, he took in his surroundings and its beautiful appearance. He was starting to get used to this. Everything was vivid and beautiful and the architectural design of the Kingdom always left him in awe. He felt so comfortable and warm, something he hadn't felt since he was a mere child. The two crossed a bridge that led into the town and once there he noticed the small amount of people resided in the area. It wasn't anything compared to Toryn, which was something he liked. It wasn't too loud. No taverns with every day bar fights and cheering. No loud children causing trouble in the streets. It was a nice thing to take in. He followed her into the town square where a large fountain stood tall in the center. She began to show him where everything was located. Houses were in the east, markets were in the west, castle was north, entrance was south. Seemed simple enough. He kept this information in his head, just in case he were to get lost or something along those lines.
He looked around, seeing the small children and teens? He still had difficulty telling the ages around the area but it seemed there were many adults as well. He was almost embarrassed by it but he decided not to mention his inability to differentiate the age groups. She began moving again and so did Vale, tailing her closely. Closer than normal actually, because of the fact he was beginning to notice the eyes watching him. Some would simple glance while others took it upon themselves to burn holes through him. It was very nerve wracking but something he would have to simply ignore. It was a bit funny since back in Toryn, if anyone stared at him in such a way they would be called out on it. But then he remembered Eleanora. When the human citizens would stare at her as if she were so strange. It irritated him. He looked over to the princess, wondering if she was noticing the bystanders. But it wasn't something he needed to bring up, being that it might kill his happy mood and perhaps hers as well. She asked if there was a shop he wished to visit. He didn't necessarily care where the two went but if he were to choose he would say the pastry shop nearby. He was a bit peckish, he had to admit. And the smell emitting from said shop wasn't helping. Before he could say something on it, he noticed an armory shop, as well. He did, in fact, want to visit this shop as well but he also wanted to be considerate of what she wished to do as well. And having her stand there while he made googly eyes with weapons was something he couldn't sit well with.
Looking back over to the princess, he hardly realized she had crossed the street over to a stand which was selling pieces of jewelry. Going over to her side, he looked over her shoulder, examining the many gems and stones. Some of them looked like the one she had around her neck, but hers looked just a little bit different. He couldn't lie, they were very nice looking. And to see that she was very curious about them made him observe her reactions to them. She would look at some, pick one up and try it on. He wasn't much for jewelry nor did he understand the fascination people had to them. But it seemed that Eleanora liked this type of jewelry, and with the other things, he also kept that in mind. The first one she picked up seemed to have caught her attention the most but it also seemed that she couldn't have it, which was a bit strange to Vale. She picked up another, one that was a bit smaller and she asked of his opinion. Honestly, they all looked nice so it didn't matter much to him. But if he were to choose, he would want her to have what she wanted most and that was all that mattered, really. But saying this probably wouldn't help in her decision. She placed them back to their original place and an exhale escaped her. He looked at her, silently taking her hand and holding it gently while using his free hand to pick up the first ring. He slipped it onto her finger gently and smiled a little. The ring caressed her finger nicely and had 'Eleanora' written all over it. "This one." He said quietly, releasing her hand after realizing the prolonged time he held her hand. He placed hands back into his pockets and cleared his throat, glancing over to the pastry place once more. "How about we grab a bite? I can smell the pastries from here." He said smirking with a slight tint of red donning his face and ears. In a way, he was a bit excited to see which pastries were better, Toryn or Zimid. And since Zimid was currently winning in that department, he wouldn't be surprised. Eating would else assist with him ignoring the stares.
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2016 1:14 pm
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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Eleanora's gaze was still wandering the jewels as she felt her hand being taken. Her head pivoted to Vale's direction as he held onto her hand, taking up a ring and sliding it onto her finger. It was the moonstone one. She had so many of them already but maybe another piece was in suit. She nodded as the contact remained just a little longer than it should have. It seemed Vale noticed it too and released her hand. She turned her head and nodded the stand keep. "This one it is than." She showed it to the seller and they nodded. Without her coin purse she'd have to send a servant with payments down later. It was a perk of being royal, though as she negotiated with the sales person they shrugged off her words and just told her to keep it. As a present of sorts. She nodded and bowed her head graciously. "Thank you." Before turning and leaving the stand. That was quite nice of them. She admired the piece though looking at it reminded her of the just recent contact between the two. She shied away from the heat that was slowly wanting to come to her face. No need to react like that. It was just a little long, nothing special and nothing to get caught up on. Her gaze went to the corner of her eye and she saw even Vale seemed slightly embarrassed by the contact. While she went to the pastry shop that Vale was looking at she paused. There was a better one down the street. Not only were they gracious with the sweets but with the amount of fruit they topped some of their desserts with. All in all it was better for a sweet lover like Eleanora. "There's a better one just down the street a little." She pointed down further into the market and once she reached an intersection in the area she turned left and stopped.
She pointed to it and walked through the doorway into the shop. It was bit hot but the smell was wonderful. It was thick with the smell of sugar and fruit. Two things she loved, while she was normally quite restricting with herself on how much sweets she ate coming to a pastry shop was her absolute weakness. She didn't often get to come out to the shop and when she did she couldn't help wanting quite a bit. Walking up the counter she was greeted by happy smiles and excited faces, mainly belonging to men but a few women were scattered in the mix. "Princess! So good to see you! What can I get you?" A male walked up to the other side of the counter and awaited her request. She pondered over what they had, looking over the small display of what they had. "How about a batch of Milk Fritter and some cooked pears with sugared almonds." Those were her usual things she got and she looked over to Vale. "Anything else? Their apple fritelles are good." While she was ordering the things she liked she wouldn't over look Vale's own likes. While she only got a few items it was still enough to share. If she honestly felt like sharing. Call it being a princess but they were generous with her when it came to the things she liked. Maybe she should get a thing of jam here too. Their jam was good too, along with their honey cakes. She could have gotten a little of everything if she really wanted but that would take away the thrill of coming down here and looking forward to a new treat. Eleanora watched as a few of the men disappeared into the back to start working on what she wanted so far. It wouldn't take long but the wait always felt like ages when she was waiting for something she really wanted. Thankfully though she had a grip on her outer appearance and didn't look as eager to get the items as she felt. She played with her new ring as she waited for Vale's own choice.
He kept his sight off of her for a moment while she finished up with the ring, waiting patiently and oblivious to the shy princess. He had his eyes on the pastry shop across the street but the princess suggested one that was even better. Of course, being that this is her home, she would no better than he did. So he simply went along with it and followed her to it. He wasn't sure what the difference between the two would be but it didn't matter much to him. He was just a bit hungry and wanted a small snack before they continued their sight seeing.
The two walked into the shop and a wave of sweet smells rushed him immediately. It was a very nice aroma with fruity and a sugary, syrupy smell as well. The bread could be smelt as well and with all of these scents combined it made him wonder why he didn't sweets more often. He was so used to the meats and alcohol served with every meal in Toryn that it never crossed him to have something sweet once in awhile. Perhaps it was the fact that the king wasn't fond of sweets and the nearest bakery was out of Vale's preferred walking distance. Regardless, he regretted his lack of confections. When the pair came up to the counter, Eleanora was obviously given wide smiles and warm welcomes. By a lot of men, no doubt. Of course, this was nothing for Vale to cause too much attention to, since there were also women within the group. He wouldn't be too sure with all men though.
He waited patiently for Eleanora to make her order which happened to be a little lengthy. He wasn't too picky with sweets especially since whatever she had happened to be good, hence the honeyed oranges from earlier. He shrugged and looked back to her. "Then I'll have some apple fritelles." He said, stifling a smirk at the fact he could tell she enjoys sweets a lot. "I hope you will let me try everything you ordered. They all sound too good to miss." He said jokingly, looking over the the shop keepers and nodding. "Thank you." As the two waited for their orders to be filled, he watched Eleanora fiddle with the ring she obtained not too long ago. He didn't really notice it, but it made him smile widely. She seemed happy to have such a basic item but it seemed to have a good affect on her. And it was nice to watch her do this, it was almost cute. It looked well on her hand just as the necklace did around her neck. He couldn't lie, she does have a good eye for jewelry and clothing. Ah, clothing. Perhaps they should go out for some after their done with their pastries. Fae clothing seemed to have a different feeling, which he could see the difference from Toryn clothing and Eleanora's. Ah, and when was the magic tournament? He hoped very soon. He couldn't wait to see the things the Fae were capable of, including Eleanora. He still hadn't decided if he were going to cheer openly for her or not. He may choose the latter so that she wouldn't feel embarrassed. But as for right now, he could tell the pastries were on their way shortly and he couldn't tell on the outside, but he felt Eleanora wanted them badly. "Which one is your favorite?" He asked, wondering if there was one she valued over others. Not that it looked like any did, it seemed like she enjoyed all of them. But it was still a try.
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2016 12:06 pm
ᴇʟᴇᴀɴᴏʀᴀ ʙʟᴀɴᴄʜᴇᴛᴛ
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Eleanora's eyes drifted up from the ring to the men behind the counter as they left with Vale's order. She was a tad bit surprised he went along with her suggestion but maybe it shouldn't have been. He was in an unfamiliar area so maybe it was best for him to follow along with her suggestions. She shifted and looked up at him. "Well there's enough to share so I doubt you wouldn't be trying the rest." She responded with a slightly irritated tone, she had gotten so much for the exact reason of there being two of them. If it had been just her she would have only gotten one thing or two small orders of things. She waited patiently for the food to arrive and once it did she sucked on the inside of her cheek to contain herself. "Here you go Princess. Right off the fire so they're hot." She nodded and took the cloth handed to her, followed by a small pouch and two spoons. She held the items in hand as she worked out the payment. "Thank you." The main man attending to their order nodded and waved the two off. "Thank you for coming Princess. Please stop by again your highness." With that she made her way out of the shop and onto the street. They could take it to the forest, but it might get cold on the way there. She crossed the street and stood to the side as a horse passed. She pondered Vale's question on which was her favorite. She liked all equally but maybe the fritters were her most liked. "Favorite? I would have to say milk fritters. Though I do like them all equally." She nodded at her statement and made her way down the street.
"Here." She passed the cloth to Vale for him to hold onto. It had both the round balls of milk fritters and the apple frictella. The fritters took up much of the cloth due to their size but the frictella were on the side. They were small half crescent shaped dough filled with apples. While there seemed to be about six of the milk fritters there were only two of the apple frictellas. She'd wait to eat, while she was somewhat hungry just looking at them she wasn't so much so that she felt the need to just grab one and eat it. "There's a spot we can go to that isn't so public." She wasn't too fond of the idea of eating in public, even if it was good for the reputation of the both them and the royal family. Showing that the two were on good ends like the citizens were made to believe and that even the royals were wanting to see how their people were doing. While she wasn't against it she just didn't care to do so right now. With Vale getting stared down eating somewhere quiet and a bit removed would be better. While going outside the city wasn't going to be a good idea she could work around it with the forest surrounding the city. They could always head to her little area of the forest but by then the food might get cold, though the walk to the area was worth it. For today though she'd stay close to the city with Vale. "After we eat I have an errand to run. It doesn't need to be done right away but I can't leave it unattended for too long." She turned to the side and slowly drifted to a fenced area, it was small and easy to climb over but it lead to the forest. She looked over her shoulder to see if any guards were patrolling, with none in sight she lifted her legs over the fence and pointed up ahead into the slowly thickening trees. "Up ahead there is a clearing we can eat at."She stood to the side to allo Vale ample room to climb over the fence.
Vale chuckled softly at her irritated tone. Hasn't heard that tone in a bit. But of course, he had learned not to push it anymore so he kept quiet instead and waited for their orders to arrive.The odors became even stronger as time passed and it was becoming overwhelming. Not too long after, they received a pouch and some utensils which, as the man said, was 'right off the fire'. Vale nodded as a thanks to the people and headed off with Eleanora. It was interesting to see how nice the Fae people were towards their royals. Or, to rephrase, how genuine their generosity was. It could be just him, but in Toryn you could sometimes hear the counterfeit tone in any common folk voice. They would thank them, but their thanks didn't sound sincere in the slightest. More like they were required to be kind because he was royal. However, in Zimid, it was a bit different. It could possibly be they were good at hiding it but it didn't look that way. Vale could see the differences pile up between the two kingdoms. It was almost beginning to worry him, but his thoughts were interrupted with the reply the princess gave to his earlier question. Milk fritters? He hadn't had those before. Of course, if Eleanora liked them over other sweet delectables then they must be very good. He could probably get some of the royal cooks back in Toryn to make some for her. Or just begin to make sweets again in general. He would probably have to ask his father, unfortunately.
Suddenly, he was given the cloth filled with goodies. He could smell a bit of apple coming from it, assuming his order was with it. With that, he nodded and followed along as he had been their entire visit. He wondered, however, why did they have to go somewhere that wasn't "so public". He didn't mind eating in public, plus the scenery was very nice as well as the weather. But then he was reminded of the ongoing looks and quiet chatter. Would he be able to eat normally like that? He wouldn't know, and now that he had thought about it, he wasn't willing to find out either way. Perhaps this, not-so public place was better.
An errand? What could she be planning on doing? And it couldn't be left unattended apparently. Perhaps she is meeting with other royals? And was she planning on taking him along on this errand or would he be on his own for awhile? Before he could ask, the two ended up near a fence to which the princess did a quick scan and lifted herself over. He was relatively surprised at the princess's actions but intrigued nonetheless. She never ceased to amaze him. Without a second thought, he did the same, lifting his legs over and landing over the other side. Looks like the two were going to eat in a clearing in the forest. And the way she was scanning beforehand, he had the slight impression they weren't suppose to be here or someone wasn't suppose to find out. Which, he didn't care too much about since he was having fun. Now the two were set to eat in a quiet little clearing and Vale had some questions. He glanced at her and then to the direction of their destination. "So what type of errand is this?" He asked curiously, seeing if the answer will help solve whether or not he will be attending said errand as well.
