|

|
"Of course" He said, shaking his head. "Sorry, I'm stupid and I just assumed you had a sheath" He said, running a rand nervously through his hair. "Let's get you one, darling" He said, the nickname slipping out. "Sorry, I really gotta stop being so comfortable like that...I'm not trying to be like that, I was just...I don't know how to explain it...I'm rambling" He said, shaking his head and going to the leathermaker. "Please size this young lady for a dagger sheath that holds two--one on either side--by request of Prince Caelan Thorne" Caelan directed, nodding to the leathermaker. The mannodded, shocked. "Yes, sir. Of course, sir." He said, surprised Caelan hadn't used the royal lathermaker for this. Caelan knew they had one, just he marked all of his pieces with the Night Kingdom's emblem and Caelan wanted Adele to be able to wear it without targeting. In about an hour's time, the leathermaker had measured Adele, cut the leather, made it into a belt and made sheaths for either side of the hips. "Here you are, ma'am." The leathermaker said, handing the masterpiece to Adele. Caelan paid the man extra, despite the merchant trying to refuse. "I insist" Caelan repeated, the man eventually giving in. "Thank you so much, sir." The man said, turning back to his previous project. Caelan led Adele to the castle once more, ordering the horses to be very gently saddled--Caelan may or may not have thrown in a very detailed htreat to the stable hand if he didn't take upmost care with the horses--and brought around to them. By the time the horses were ready, Caelan was able to load blankets, food, daggers, drinks, and extra clothes for them both in the packs attatched to the saddles. He had something made for her and was excited to give it to her when they got to the spot. "So what do you want to know about self-defense first?" Caelan inquired once they were out of earshot
|
|  |
|
|

|
"No, it's okay." When Caelan called her darling she flushed and looked down at her hands. She didn't say anything, but in her head she accepted his apology. Adele watched curiously as the leathermaker worked his magic. When he was finished, she fingered it in awe, then slipped it on and added the daggers to the sheathes. She liked the way the sheath fit, and the weight of the daggers on it. It made her feel invincible. Back at the castle, Adele excused herself and dashed up to her room to change into more comfortable clothes, then returned to the stable and mounted Calvin. She had chosen a dress with a shorter skirt (so she didn't trip on it). When she stood, the skirt was about a foot off the ground. It was a beige color with a black and brown corset and accents along the edge of the skirt. The sleeves were loose, and medium in length. On the ride to the cliff, Adele thought about how Caelan was so kind to the leathermaker, and much more uptight with the stable hand. She wondered why. "Hm... I really don't know. What would you recommend learning first?" Adele asked, rubbing Calvin's neck. He nickered happily and held his head a little higher.
|
|  |
|
|

|
"Probably just the basics. How to hold your blade, attack directly, and block other attacks. Simpler stuff. It'll take some time, but I'm sure you'll get it." He said, smiling at her encouragingly. Once they reached the spot, Caelan untacked both horses and laid out the blankets. "Let's practice, then I hsve something for you." He said softly, directing her to the middle of the meadow. "Stand like this, yeah, just like that..." He directed, showing her an example. "Hold your blade like this and take a small step, squat just a tad, and twist your wrist...not exactly, here watch me....Yeah, like that" He instructed softly, being patient
|
|  |
|
|

|
Adele nodded along with his idea, knowing he knew what he was doing. She hopped off Calvin and helped the prince untack him, then followed Caelan to the center. She tried her best to follow his instructions, and sometimes did it correctly, but more often she got it wrong. All the stances and such were so different from what she had been taught: poise, elegance, and grace. But she would get it. She'd just have to practice. After about half an hour, Adele was worn out and her hands hurt from holding the daggers for so long. "Can we... take a break?" She panted, leaning over to catch her breath.
|
|  |
|
|

|
"Of course. Sorry, I'm used to going for longer..." He muttered, sitting on one of the blankets. "We'll resume tomorrow?" He offerd, handing her a bottle of lemonade and a candy
|
|  |
|
|

|
Once she got her breath back, Adele said, "No, you're fine," with a wave of dismissal. She sheathed the daggers and plopped down on the other blanket, legs crossed. She gladly accepted the food and took a drink of the lemonade, savoring the sour taste. It was followed up with a croissant slathered in grape jelly. Adele realized she must look pretty stupid gobbling to food, so she slowed down and said, "Sorry, I'm just really hungry." She wiped her mouth with a cloth and took much smaller bites and gulps of the snacks.
|
|  |
|
|

|
Bro I have 400 ebs before show entries T_T) "It's really quite alright. I have plenty." He said, gesturing to the saddle bags with a chuckle. "Eat as much as you'd like." He wasn't too hungry, so he ate a few things and sipped his lemonade before laying down on the blanket. He folded his hands behind his head with a sigh, the sun making him looking like he was glowing. "What do you want for your future?" He asked softly, turning his head to Adele after a while with a small smile.
|
|  |
|
|

|
(oof that's rough. Sorry >.<) Adele took a few more bites then set the food down, her hunger nourished for now. "I've had a lot of time to think about my future, and I still don't know. I mean, I want to live as happily as I can, but don't we all? I want to make an impact, not just exist. I want to be the queen everyone remembers, but not because I like fame. I want to help my people and anyone else who lets me. Other than that..." Adele shrugged. "I don't know... Marry who I want to marry? Have kids... Live right on the beach, and ride horses every day." She smiled wisfully, then continued. "I don't know. There's not much I can do about my future right now. Even if I was back home at the castle, I don't really have control of what I do there or anything else. I guess I'll just... cross that bridge when I come to it?" Adele shrugged again, then looked over at Caelan. He looked like he was shining, which surprised her a little bit since his features were so grayscale. Then Adele said, "What about you? What do you want your future to be like?" She lay down on her side, facing the prince, elbow on the ground and hand propping up her head.
|
|  |
|
|

|
"I don't really know..." He muttered. "Justmarry someone nice who isn't just after a title and have some kids that aren't just heirs, but truly my kids and I'm their dad--not just their father and king." He said, a soft smile on his face while he turned to Adele. "I want my kingdom to be happy and not fight yours any longer. I want to be able to- Never mind" He said, his face turning red as he was about to say 'kiss you'
|
|  |
|
|

|
"I don't really know..." He muttered. "Justmarry someone nice who isn't just after a title and have some kids that aren't just heirs, but truly my kids and I'm their dad--not just their father and king." He said, a soft smile on his face while he turned to Adele. "I want my kingdom to be happy and not fight yours any longer. I want to be able to- Never mind" He said, his face turning red as he was about to say 'kiss you'
|
|  |
|