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"N-No! Please do not think ill of me!" The man exclaimed. "I left Reta due to my situation! I could not afford to live in that country! My eldest son was deciding on becoming a bentien, please! Do not mistreat me because I am from that country!" And soon bowed, fingertips together as he bowed, forehead touching them. "Please do not hate me!"

"It will be hard not to be wary, young knight." Elliot spoke with every ounce of authority the royal family had. "The kingdom of Nalenyr does not discriminate, and nor shall I. However I do suggest you remain away from Lily until I am satisfied you have no ill will common in your birth country. Even the kindest of men can be cruel." Though whether that was an observation or a threat was hard to discern, but Elliot began to eat again, noticing how Lily had stopped, trying to hide his trembling hands. "Ipo,"

"Yes my prince?"

"Why don't you and Lily go on a walk? You two will be travelling together and no doubt in each other's company while I am busy. Get yourselves acquainted."

Ipo stood and walekd to Lily with a smile, holding his hand out. "Let's go. I spotted a bird's nest not to far from here! And I found a place where you can look down the mountain!" He said happily with a smile.

"He must have made you awful nervous, hadn't he Mistress Lily?" Ipo asked with a much smaller smile, though Lily answered his question with another question. "We are not incredibly close, no, we are only close due to a mishap Kashi made. He used to be Elliot's personal servant until the prince caught him, well, pleasuring himself on his bed. After that Kashi was removed and Elliot had been without one. I was offered the job but I refused. The Prince learned how to do thing son his own without a servant for a year before he met you, Mistress Lily, and dare I say he smiled quite often." He climbed upon a rock, pointing down at the scenery. "We have been employed five years at the kingdom, before that we had been employed by a noble in the kingdom of Kasp."

"If you weren't behaving wouldn't the prince have punished you? He constantly corrects the Prime Minister saying you're his friend and companion, or so I've heard." And looked from Lily to the scenery of the mountain. "I think the Prince kisses my brother on the head both as an apology and one of pity. The prince seems to have no preference for either gender. Kashi said that when the prince found him he told Kashi to clean up when he was finished before leaving again. No horror, no staring, just calm. It was the head butler that told Kashi he had been demoted on the prince's request." Ipo frowned, thinking a moment. "I worry about the prince, as a bystander. The year he was without a servant he seemed incredibly alone. it is hard to make sense of the man when the color remains white." He chuckled and smiled. "But here I am bringing the conversation to a somber tone. You have been with the prince the most, Mistress. Is he as kind as everyone says he is? I myself have never been in his service until this evening."

Ipo's gaze turned back to Lily as she spoke, listening carefully and doing what any good servant should do, looking for little movements, expressions and tone changes to signal how the other was feeling in order to act accordingly. Yet the Mistress seemed utterly distraught about not acting like a bentien properly, almost horrified at it. But at the mention of the prince he saw the smallest of smiles, the tiniest bit of happiness in the blue eyes. The footman chuckled, turning his eyes back to the scenery. "I do not know what a bentien is, so you are the Mistress. But as for the Prince, Mistress Lily," He turned his head fully. "If he is truly so kind, and speaking of him makes you happy, are you taking advantage of him or is he allowing the changes? He did say that you are in a new country, and the title of being a bentien no longer applies." But he smiled happily, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Do you love Prince Elliot? My brother has the same look in his eye when spying on him."

This servant, was forcing herself to believe all of this, repeating words someone must have told her. She was looking down, away, she was frowning. Was it that bad, being a bentien? It sounded as though Lily should have been as emotionless as the master if not more. "Mistress," He started softly, lowering his ears somewhat. "If your look of love toward Prince Elliot is an expression with no deeper meaning, why are you trying so hard to prove otherwise? Why," he bit his lip, knowing full well he was overstepping his boundaries. Elliot wanted him to take care of her. "Why are you trying so hard to defend yourself?"

Ipo flinched, thinking Lily was going to hit him, but when he finally looked he saw the horror and fear in her eyes, her body. But what caught his eye was the mark, a cruel and sadistic mark indeed as she explained herself, her job. The rabbit ears lowered completely, flopped at the sides of his head. "So not a single bentien has fallen in love before? Not one has escaped from such a life and found happiness? That doesn't seem right, not at all." he murmured, shaking his head and giving the softest of sighs. "I wronged the Master, I was not supposed to make you so fearful. Master is indeed kind, so he won't punish me for it. You would hope not, rumor has it that the night the queen's guard was disbanded the lights and Elliot were all hateful and full of rage. Of course Kaitlyn told us that, saying the Master passed her and was full of rage. But she's a gossip." And chuckled. "Not a mean bone in that man's body."

Ipo stayed silent, looking down at his shoes, scenery forgotten as Lily continued to explain of the life of a bentien. However back on topic of the master he glanced up, ears perking ever so slightly. "So he really was angry? Did you see it?" The long white ears continued to lift more. "He saved you? Master saved you?" Ipo thought a moment but stayed silent. How odd, how odd indeed. They would be gone from Nalenyr for a month, so he had time to think his plan through. "How long should we stay away from the master, Mistress?"

Ipo took her hand. "it was no problem! it's my job!" And led her back toward the group, ears raising when the sound of metal on metal hit his ears. His steps quickened and he saw Elliot and the knight from the peninsula dueling. The clash of metal he had heard were the swords. "Henry?! Why are they dueling?"

The old man looked up. "Morning exercise. Enjoy your walk Lily, Ipo?