[PRP Jauhaur] Not So Noble ( Ichil and Naevius )

[bobaTJ]

For all Ichil hated the facade of nobility, she had to admit that this particular trip was going quite well. She had made a new friend who enjoyed rebellion as much as she did, if not a bit nervously. It could only go better if she found another. If not, a chat with the soldiers was more interesting than sitting around in her family's tent with her hands in her lap. She was still smiling from a chat with a brave young prentice, dressed in her least-noble outfit. Her skin was still modestly covered, but she wore a sort of flowing pair of pants and a simple top. Their colors were still deep and the fabrics rich, but it was the most common clothes she could manage. She was only wandering now, looking for her best chance at fun.

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

No matter how busy she had been kept, or how humble things were here in the camp, Naevius still thought her father sending her in his place was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Not only was she surviving, she was thriving! Sure she didn't have her family's estate to hide in to do her beast taming, but she was out from the watchful eyes of her family and most nobility and it was refreshing for her. Being of higher nobility, Naevius could pretty much do what she wanted. Of course, there were some social aspects that she had to make sure she paid attention to like some of the nobles' parties. But even then, she would show up long enough to greet the hosts and thank them, be seen for a little bit and listen for anything important to send back to her father, and then she would be free! Well, other than the guard or two that went most places with her, but they always stayed well out of sight so Nae could feel like she was on her own.

Today, she was out among the soldiers. She had some common clothing on since she tried to blend in when away from the Nobility tents and it definitely helped her bond with some of the soldiers. Even among the soldiers in common clothing, she would never be mistaken for a common girl. Her movements held too much grace, her posture too straight, her words too enunciated. Nae would always stick out, but it gave her some reassurance that she at least dressed like them. Surely the nobles would frown upon that if they knew, but Naevius found it to be one of the best ways to figure out the moral of the troops and hear anything that may be concerning. Befriending the soldiers also meant she was almost always sure to have a get away when she wanted to try some beast taming. She was talking to one of the soldiers before she would make her get away. He was regaling her with his tales on the battlefield, adding in jokes and quips here and there. He was only a little older than she was and Nae really liked his company. And like this time, he always made her laugh, a genuine laugh. One of which, rang through the bustle of the soldiers.

grasshopper pie

It seems my muse really likes Naevius right now! Lol sorry for the long response!

 

[bobaTJ]

The laugh of a female soldier was much different than the learned twitter of a noblewoman. While Shalvesta was certainly noble, that was not the sound of her laughter. Had another noblewoman entered the fray of the average man? She'd certainly like the meet the woman, if so. Of course there was always the chance that her husband was one of the soldiers out there, but she knew of so few! Curious, the prentice weaved in and out of groups of soldiers, sharing greetings with some as she searched the crowd for a noble face.

It would have been difficult to miss the king's cousin. She had seemed something of the sort to rebel in the few times Ichil had formally met her, maybe. She imagined it was easier to get away when you were so highly-ranked that nobody questioned you. Now, to approach or to stay away? She had never actually met the girl and by nature had very little interest in common nobility, especially the pursed lips of the uppers. Naevius had laughed, though. Maybe it would be a positive experience.

Ichil entered the group with a smile, offering a nod to the soldier who was speaking as he continued his story. His attention sure did seem to be on Naevius. The poor man.

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

The soldier was almost finished with his story when another entered their little group. Naevius eyed her quickly, she was dressed rather nicely to be out here on the battlefield so she knew she wasn't a soldier. Upon looking at her face more, Nae recognized the young woman as one of the lesser nobles. Oh, what was her name? It seemed she was here for a reason at least, as she nodded to the soldier to finish his story. Politely, Naevius turned her attention back to the soldier who finished his story rather quickly before giving them both a stiff bow and making his way back with some other soldiers. She smiled and said her goodbyes to the soldiers with a half frown before putting a full smile on when she turned to the woman. "Ichil, isn't it? It's nice to see another young noblewoman out here."

grasshopper pie

Sorry its kinda short! D;

 

[bobaTJ]

All of a sudden, Ichil seemed unhappy with the attention paid to her. Without a commoner, it would certainly end up some formal noble liaison, wouldn't it? Except Ichil would be in trouble for being out here, and Naevius probably would not. Still, she offered a stiff smile. How did the woman remember her name at all, if it wasn't some necessary evil?

"Ah... yes. And Naevius, if I remember right." Unsure of what to do, she offered a shadow of a bow with her head and shoulders. "I have to say, I don't usually see many noblewomen out here either... or noblemen, especially. Bal'ar, though, he.. um." She looked around, and the behemoth of a man was nowhere to be seen. "Well, my father's an officer. I know some of these men, and it's a nice reprieve from stifled nobility, I'd say."

She probably shouldn't have said that, should she.

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

As much as Naevius tried to suppress it, the laugh still escaped her mouth. "To be honest with you, it really is." She told Ichil with a genuine smile on her face. "Ah yes, your father is an officer. Well please send my regards to him as he and the other officers carried out the attack with efficiency. I almost with other nobles would venture out here to see our soldiers. They should feel appreciated, so I try to make them know that they are and their hard work isn't going unnoticed by all."

Motioning towards a direction further among the soldiers and the noise so that their quieter noble voices might be covered up by the noise of the army. "It's nice of you to visit the soldiers you know. I'm sure they appreciate it." She commented lightly to the other.  

[bobaTJ]

Ichil was a little taken aback by the laughter and even more so by the noblewoman's statement. She received so much backlash for visiting the common people, and Naevius talked of it as if it was nothing. Then again, her intentions seemed different than to simply escape. Ichil supposed that the soldiers would feel more appreciated if more nobility came to see but, again, it was generally considered a negative notion. Maybe she should have been born into the king's family herself...

"Ah, yes. Well. I do hope so." So unsure was she of Naevius' manners that she wasn't sure whether to remain upright and posh or share her true emotions. What would Shalvesta do? She had no idea. Maybe curl up in a corner. "The battle was quite a resounding success, I think. They should be able to relax now and... do what soldiers do in their off-time." Sometimes very inappropriate to discuss with a lady.

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

Suddenly, Naevius wished she had more "true" interactions with people so that she didn't always have to worry if she was seeming too distant as many nobles did. Looking at Ichil once more, she wondered just how genuine she could be with this girl who looked to be the same age as herself. Deciding to go ahead and be bold, her brows creased.

"I do think that they should relax. But to be honest with you, I'm not sure how much time they do have to relax. I'm sure the king won't be content with just one win, nor am I sure that the rudimentary Tendaji people will be content with us in their land since they're not smart enough to see that it would just be better for them to surrender."

Nae wondered if she said too much. Since Ichil was out among the soldiers, she figured she had to have at least a little interest in battles or battle tactics, especially since her father was an officer.

grasshopper pie

 

[bobaTJ]

Ichil's brow furrowed and the corners of her lips turned down. Unfortunately, her face often spoke she words she wouldn't. This was a cousin of the king, though, and speaking of his Highness and the war effort. Now was not the time to make any dissenting remarks, lest some sort of treason fall on her head.

"Well... yes. It goes without saying that they may only rest until the next battle, my father among them. I do believe there will be more of a push in the future, of course. I haven't had the opportunity to speak to any of the other races, but I can't imagine anyone enjoys an offensive force mowing them down." It was not her place to talk politics, and although it was clear that the other races of Tendaji were not so civilized nor as strong, she wasn't sure if she would call their actions 'stupid.' She imagined that Oba would fight back until it died out if someone had come to try and seize them.

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

Naevius nodded along as Ichil spoke, it was clear she had some sort of opinion but was unlikely to share the full of it. "No, I don't suppose anyone would. I guess it could be considered admirable of them to fight even in the small odds of winning."

They walked along in silence for a few moments before she decided she would divulge some information she hadn't told many people. "I've met one. I think they're called...shifters? I foolishly went out on my own when I ran into an interesting beast. My family is known for beast taming, and I couldn't resist the urge to find out about the animal. But the animal had an owner. I learned things, well that I hope were truthful, about their animals, and fed the girl some enriched stories about our animals. One piece I did get that I find interesting, is that Tendaji has a desert that sounds similar to home." Nae wondered what Ichil would think of her, with this piece of very un-noble like actions.

grasshopper pie

 

[bobaTJ]

"Oh?" Ichil hoped she was decent at hiding her surprise. Personally, she believed that all nobility should be more than allowed to follow whatever whims they so chose. The ones higher up rarely did, though. The fact that Naevius had met a 'shifter' was actually a point of jealousy. Now she would have to go out herself and find her own foreigner to brag about.

The desert concerned her less. Her father sometimes told stories, and his men often backed them up in their own ramblings and exaggeration. This noblewoman had simply run off, and noboody questioned her. She had spoken to one of the enemy. At least Ichil was trusted enough to hear about it.

"You talked about animals the whole time?"

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

Laughing nervously, Naevius figured that must sound kind of strange to someone else who didn't aspire to be a beast tamer. On one hand, she was glad to have told someone about this, she hadn't even sent a report back to her father yet. But on the other, Nae was worried about what Ichil would think of her.

"Surprisingly yes. I know that must sound awfully boring but it was very intriguing. You must think I've been in this forest too long don't you?" Naevius looked away, feeling awkward all of a sudden. She scratched the non-shaved side of her head and hoped she didn't just make a fool of herself.

grasshopper pie

 

[bobaTJ]

All of a sudden, Naevius seemed less like a high noble and more like an average person. She seemed almost... embarrassed? Ichil wasn't sure why, but it was comforting to see some kind of humility in the young woman.

"No, of course not," she replied, "Everyone has their niche, don't they? There was no conflict, though? No terrible hard feelings? I can't imagine just having a conversation with a lesser race."

Nilah44

 

[Nilah44]

Naevius exhaled a deep breath in relief. At least there wasn't anything Ichil said that implied any negative thoughts about her actions. "I suppose everyone does have their own niche, unfortunately for me, mine's beast taming." Nae admitted. For whatever reason, it was easy to be honest with this girl, she hadn't really experienced that with any other person.

"Surprisingly, no. I haven't really thought about that. It was a very odd conversation, but if the other was telling the truth, it was very informative." Nae wondered why she hadn't really wondered about any conflict or hard feelings. How had they been able to have a relatively civilized conversation that didn't turn out to bloodshed? Was it something that was possible between their races? This she knew not to say out loud though, she would be contradicting her own families ideas. This she would keep to herself. "Well, what about you, Ichil, what's your niche? If you don't mind my asking of course."

grasshopper pie

 

[bobaTJ]

"Why "unfortunately'?" Ichil asked, her lip curling slightly. Why should anyone be ashamed of their passions? Was it her nobility, perhaps? Ichil was well aware that most noble ladies were meant to be just that; dutiful ladies at the hand of a man. Perhaps Naevius' family had the same expectations of her.

"I, uh... I don't really have one," she admitted then with a little shrug. Sure, she went out and socialized, she got into trouble, but she hadn't really consider her place in a system of weaponry. Her father would kill her if she tried to join the war effort, if the other races didn't get to her first. In just this moment, she realized how she may resent him for that fact. Perhaps she should begin discussing classes with the commoners... "They try to keep me as well under lock and key as possible. Luckily, nobody's asked to marry me yet, and I'd like to keep it that way." Would Naevius be assigned a nobleman to marry, or did she have the opportunity to fall in love?

Nilah44