Faith in a Fountain(Open)

[Nathaniel de Beniér]

Nathaniel could not help but to notice how the noblewoman left her title out. Was she already trying to suck up to the commoner? He wouldn't be surprised. The woman - Cecille - she felt like a viper. Show your true skin to her, and she'll rip you apart. Nathaniel shivered on his place. He very much did not want to be ripped apart. Especially not by a viper.

Nathaniel walked, not very proudly, to Cecille's residence. Nathaniel noticed the crowds eyeing the trio curiously, as if it was some comic cavalcade from a local circus. Finally Nathaniel grew tired of it and walked up to the nearest crowd. "Listen, folks. I do not hate you people, nor do I dislike you. But if you continue to mock this man here - I will begin to hate you." A dead silence fell, and Nathaniel cast a triumphant glance at the crowd. Then he rejoined his companions, and the rest of the journey went without many interruptions except the occasional peasant staring at David. Now that he looked at him, he didn't seem to like it very much either. Nathaniel almost felt like talking to him, but something made him stop. Maybe his paranoia after the failed assassination attempt was at work again, but he simply couldn't speak to the man. Not yet, not on the streets, not when everyone around them could hear what they were talking about...

The manor was, just as he had expected, a magnificent one. Big, elegant and full of little details and textures, it was apt to a noblewoman of her caliber. The insides were a little shock to Nathaniel - everything seemed perfect. 'Almost too perfect,' he thought. A fine mat covered the floor, as clean and fresh as everything else in the manor. Now a warm smile rose to his face, almost like he finally felt at home and amongst friends after a long time of being surrounded by enemies.

"Cecille, David, I have thought about this trip to Cumberland and of the funding." He gave a short pause, so that the two would have time to react to his words. "And I think that you will need all the help you can get, David. I don't know why are you going there, and for what reason, but no doubt that will be settled soon enough." They entered the room now. He smiled at the both of them. "Bon. Shall we begin now?"

[Cecille de Val Royeaux]

"Pleasure to meet you both, then." Cecille said, nodding her head to the two noblemen. She turned and set off in a steady, confident pace.

As she strode through the streets in all her glory, people began to stare at the group. Two noblemen, a noblewoman, and a commoner. The first three could be an ordinary trio. The addition of David, however, caused the group to get a variety of reactions ranging from surprised to bladed-eyes. Cecille did not really care. Scandals were a common occurrence in the world of nobility. Cecille was involved in her fair share of false scandals due to her reserved nature when it came to the games. Avoiding the games could very well be what killed a noble. Hiding from them caused false scandals in an attempt to draw you out. Cecille knew not to fall for such trickery, and hired bards to expel such deception. Naturally, Cecille simply continued on her way at the outraged crowds.

She stopped when Nathaniel decided to put an end to the outrage. Cecille couldn't help but smirk at his blunt manner towards the crowd. She gave credit where credit was due, and he deserved credit for that. The initial reactions were simply priceless. He knew how to dyim a crowd, that was for certain. That would be a useful skill in the coming days should David become the champion. She had never really tried her hand at public speaking. Though, she had her fair share of charms she could utilize if necessary.

Once they finally arrived at the manor, Cecille gazed at it with pride. The one prideful possession her parents had left her. She pushed through and into the main hall, gently rubbing her heels against the welcoming mat. She pulled out her hairband, shaking her hair and letting it fall loose onto her back.

"Korali!" Cecille called, motioning the group to follow her. She led them into an extravagant dining room, with a long silver table and plenty of chairs resting in the center. An elderly, plump elven woman pattered into the room, rubbing her tired eyes. "Yes?" She glanced to the two noblemen before rolling her eyes. "Yes, mademoiselle?" Cecille shook her head with a smirk.

"Could you send the staff out for the rest of night, except the cook? And if you would, ask her to assemble something for my guests, yes?" The elderly elf rolled her eyes and swatted her hand to Cecille and began to stumble off, one hand rested on her lower back. "Yes, my queen." She grumbled as she exited.

Cecille turned to the group and smiled, nodding to Nathaniel. "Yes, let's begin. The cooking crew will not be listening to us while they are occupied. Now, you said you required some information. Shall we start with that?"

[David]

David walked into the manor, an he had to admit it was truly splendid.  It reminded him much of the homes he and his mother often went to when he was younger, when she tutored the nobility of Jader.  And, in David's mind, it was made all the more splendid by its owner and occupant.  But that was another thought.  On to business.

"I can answer his question first Cecille.". David replied, looking over at Nathaniel.  "Truth be told Monsieur, the reason I am entering the tourney is twofold.  First, I would love nothing more than to see Gespard squirm uncomfortably when the Champion not selected by him won.  It has the potential for nobles, such as yourselves, to show Gespard that you are displease with his rule, albeit it can be done subtly.  Second, if I win, I may finally be able to return to Jader, and perhaps earn a promotion.". 

The last part was the first time he ever admitted his desire to rise socially and militarily, even to himself.  He continued.  "I've been a lower ranking officer for years, and I'm tired of having to listen to nobility who are still wet behind the ears when it comes to combat.  It's led many a good men to an early grave, and I'm tired of writing condolence letters to family members of men killed because I was given a stupid order.". He sighed heavily.  

"winning this tourney would be a means to both our ends Monsieur.  What else is it we need to discuss?"

[Nathaniel de Beniér]

The commoner, rather wearily, now began to speak. Nathaniel listened closely, but as David mentioned his plans after the tourney he was close to shouting at the man. That's it? The big mystery of his journey was to give a blow to the Emperor's self-esteem? Nathaniel exclaimed desperately. "Come on! What will this accomplish? You must be mad to even--" There was a sudden pause in his speech, as if he had realized something. His eyes flashed briefly as he continued. "Forgive me. I mean to say, that it would be madness to only try to dishonour our lovely Emperor. It wouldn't accomplish anything, and thus would render your plans rather useless. But I have another offer", said Nathaniel, his eyes glimmering mysteriously. He let his words sink for a few seconds. "If you win this tournament, then there will be much room for us to capitalize. While not going as far as proposing a revolution, I think that there would still be a plenty of room to shake the foundations of our lovely Emperor... Gespard de Chalons." The noble diplomatically smothered the quail caused by mentioning the Emperor's name.

"The winner of the tournament would be in a very delicate position, you see. Perhaps he could even... get to know the Emperor. And trust me... I know how Gespard's mind works. I've...known him since childhood, although I never liked him. In fact, I feared and hated him as soon as I knew what these feelings were." Nathaniel was surprised that he was telling so much of his life to these strangers. He also wasn't the religious type, but somehow it seemed like a sign. These people would not betray you - or at least David. He still couldn't grasp the woman. She was a lot harder to get wind of. After a short pause, he continued in a dry tone: "Well, those are my concerns at the moment."

[Cecille de Val Royeaux]

Cecille watched the men curiously, folding her arms across her chest. She was content to sit and listen until she deemed her intervention was necessary. It felt sort of surreal. She had never figured she'd be plotting against another noble, much less an emperor. She glanced to the ground, half-listening and half absorbed in her own thoughts. Now that she thought about it, Gespard was a fool. Why would the nobles sit idly while he performed these deeds? She should have seen something like this happening.

"Not every noble is a fool when it comes to battle, monsieur. You'll need to keep that in mind if you're to contend with most of the warriors of the tournament, and especially if you plan to deal with our grand emperor himself." She looked up as David concluded, turning her attention to Nathanial. He didn't look very pleased with David's explanation. On the contrary, he looked vaguely angered at it. She slid her hands to her hips, eying him over and listening to his much greater scheme.

What a grand if not dangerous plan he had. He claimed he was not proposing rebellion, but Cecille knew better. She narrowed her eyes with a smirk, shaking her head. "Monsieur, if I may be candid, I'd say you are indeed proposing some fashion of rebellion. Having him get close to the emperor to merely shake his foundation is more foolish than simply winning the tournament to do the same. If we're going to have him 'infiltrate', if I may put it that way, having him act lightly in the face of such danger will only get him killed. It's either go in swinging, or plan lightly to attack lightly. There's no middle ground when you're dealing with an emperor, especially when he is Orlesian. And if you do indeed know much of him, then that information will be valuable no matter which course we take."

She nodded respectably to him. She was not sure yet if he deserved respect, but the best way to find out was to give it. She walked along the dining room table, sliding her finger across the chairs. "If I may be forward, I say we fight. We follow your plan, and then strike at the head of the serpent. If we do indeed rebel, we will have allies across Orlais. It'll be dangerous, obviously, and difficult of course, but we have much to gain from it. If we just lay down and let him trample over us then we're doomed either way." She turned and sat at the head of the table, motioning to the other chairs. "Please, sit down if you'd like. I do not wish for your first visit to my home to be an uncomfortable one."

[David]

David listened to everything with a growing sense of trepidation.  Rebellion?  The most he had planned to do was genuinely poke fun at the emperor, not cause an all out war.  And here were these two nobles planning to use him to, if he understood correctly, get close to the emperor to stab him in the back?  

"Hang on, are you both insane? Rebellion?  I had never mentioned any of that.". He sighed.  "what you are suggesting, using treachery against the emperor is... Dishonorable.". David stood up, and was about to leave, disgusted that he had even entertained such thoughts.  Phillip, however, grabbed his arm and stopped him, saying "Celene lives."

At those two word, David's eyes widened, and he stared at his long-time friend, confused.  "what?"

"Celene lives David.  I received a communique the other day.  While she did not divulge her whereabouts, she is very much alive."

David sat down, in mild disbelief.  The true empress... Lived? That... That changed everything.  The woman he had sworn an oath of fielty towards on the field of battle was alive.  David looked back at the two nobles with a new fire in his eyes, one of a man who had just found his new purpose in the great game.

"So, subvert the usurper to bring back the rightful empress?  I'm in.". He sighed.  "if we fail, we will all be killed, you know this?"

[Nathaniel de Beniér]

Finally David accepted the offer. What a relief, truly. Nathaniel had a simple plan in his mind - it was not to use the man; he was far too intelligent to become a simple pawn. No, Nathaniel wanted David to become the Knight, equal in strength, prowess, and most importantly in rank with the nobles. Well, no doubt if they'd succeed in their plan Celene would make David a noble, but for now he would have to be contempt with a lesser, yet as prestigious position. "Excellent news! I believe that we all share the idea of rebellion and accept it. Yet, I would advise against planning too much for now. No point in planning ahead too much, when we still don't even know if David is going to win that tournament - or lose it."

"Back to our original topic, however... David, I think that we can provide you ample funding for your journey and accompany you there", said Nathaniel, and glanced smilingly at Cecille. It was a wolf-like grin, one you would often see sparkling on his face. Yet, it only revealed amusement, but still it left you wondering what else might be hidden behind that wolfish mask.

"I'm sure that Cecille accepts this plan. All of us need to be present. I also know that the second we leave for Cumberland, the Emperor will know about it, so we must travel to Cumberland separately and alone and then perhaps meet up at the local inn." Dropping his official tone, he continued: "We really don't have to plan any more than that. We can speak more in that inn anyway. We all know how effective the Emperor's spy network is, so we must do this or risk losing the first step of our rebellion.", he ended emphatically.

Nathaniel still intended to fulfill his plans, to subtly raise David higher in rank. Nathaniel often asked himself why was he doing it, but never really got any more of an answer than: "It'll be for the welfare of Orlais." Usually he was contempt with it, but sometimes he began to wonder if it was something deeper than that. Something like preparing for the worst. If Celene would die, then who could step up and unite the rebels? David. Perhaps. Maybe David, if he'd be in a high enough position and prove himself time after time to the people and the nobles. Either way, Nathaniel would help him to achieve his goals. If not for any other reason, then at least to shock Cecille a bit. He still didn't like her that much.

[Cecille de Val Royeaux]

Cecille raised her eyebrow as Philip revealed the truth on Celene. She was alive? Interesting. That snipet of info would definitely push the group forward. This was especially evident for David. The news seemed to give him a drive. A drive to overthrow the emperor that he did not previously have. Yes, the info would be enough to push him to do what he thought was revolting a few moments prior. Cecille rested her arms across her chest, a frown spreading across her face. This was clearly not on David's list of morals. Was it right to use him like that? Sure it would benefit everyone, even David. However, would it hurt him sometime in the future if he broke his morals? Cecille casted her eyes to the ground in thought.

Her eyes immediately shot up, however, when Nathaniel mentioned accompanying David in his trip. His wolf-like grin... he was playing with her. There was no denying it. Cecille was no fool. He was turning her affections into a game for his amusement. Her eyes narrowed as she grinned at Nathaniel deviously, as if asking him to mess with her. He was expecting her to be surprised and excited. She would give him none of that. This gave her a conclusion on who to trust in the room and who not to trust.

David was definitely trustworthy. Philip seemed trustworthy enough for the time being. Nathaniel proved that he was enjoying himself a little too much judging by the satisfaction in his wolfish grin. He was for the rebellion, of this she had no doubt. When it came to personal matters, however, she knew not to give him the time of day.

"Yes, accompanying him would be optimal. We can barely support a champion if we're only hearing about his wins from our cozy couches, no?" Her mischievous grin turned into a pleasant smile as she turned her attention to David. She must admit, the spark the news about Celene gave David was quite attractive. She gave him a subtle wink before standing up and leaning on the table.

"Well, it seems like we have a plan. We accompany David to the tournament. If he wins, we make a move on the emperor. If he loses, then we'll need another solution. And although planning too far ahead is foolish there will need to be planning done. A rebellion does not just form at the snap of a finger. This is warfare, monsieur, not just a dinner party at the local restaurant, mmm? For now, yes we should hold off on planning too much. Is there anything else we need to discuss? If not, you are all welcome to dine here or not, whatever you wish."

[David]

David sat attentively as he listened to the nobles talk, leaning back on his chair. How did this turn from funding a trip to the tourney to get him back home into a full blown rebellion? When did that happen??? David sighed as he looked over at the man who had brought him here in the first place. Phillip. After all, he was the one who suggested all this in the first…

David’s eyes narrowed as he noticed Phillip’s expression. He had a wide, almost mischievous grin on his face as if he… He knew this would happen. “Son of a bitch,” David thought to himself “This was never about the tournament… Or going home… He knew damn well where this would lead…” That was why he introduced him to Nathaniel. It had to have been. David eyed Phillip carefully for a second, realizing he may very well have to be more wary of his ‘friend’ from now on. He was still, after all, just a soldier. How many men like him have been played by the nobles before? How many will be played long after he is buried? Well, there were no questions in his mind about one particular aspect however. He belonged to the great game now. And in this game of nobles you either win or die.

David spoke up after the other two had finished their little game of sniping and poking at each other. Yes, David could see very well they did not trust each other. He sighed, realizing that he would most likely have to be the one to keep this little cabal together and functioning. If not, it would fall apart from mutual distrust.
“Pardon Mademoiselle, but it appears to me that winning a tournament is not sufficient preparation to make a move on the emperor. Would it garner fame and notoriety for me? Unfortunately, yes it would…” David said, his tongue in his cheek as he looked down to the corner of the room a second. He still wasn’t very comfortable with the realization of accepting the limelight. He continued, looking back at the three nobles seated in front of him. “Perhaps… What usually happens after a tournament? The champion is usually taken to the side of the ruler of that country, at least for a little while non? Often even given higher command in the army. This is how we could work it. After I win the tournament,” He did not lack for confidence on that matter, “ His grace will probably give me command of some sort of household guard or the like. With that position I will be able to subtly turn the members of that unit to our cause by revealing, cautiously mind you, the truth of the fate of the rightful monarch. This may embolden other generals sympathetic to Celene as well, and then once we have a good portion of the military and populace on our side, we can strike.”

David finished, unsmiling. It was a preliminary plan, with too many variables to count. Still, it was a start, of that they all had to know. He looked each of the nobles over for a second, thinking what to say next. Nathaniel, another soldier. He would be crucial in rallying the nobility of the sword, of that David had no doubt. They were too damn proud to listen to a tutor’s son. Phillip, he would most certainly be the man to cover our tracks. He was good at that, almost scarily good. Celene… She was beautiful, intelligent, from a noble house… She would have to act as the spy in Val Royeaux, getting information otherwise unavailable to the group. But enough David thought to himself. This can all be discussed in Cumberland, or after the tourney. Things would have to move quickly after the tournament though, of that he was certain. Finally, after some thought, he spoke once more.

“But you are right Nathaniel, we will have time in Cumberland to plan. I plan on arriving by boat a few days before the tourney, though it would be wise if we all arrived on different days, and by different means. Also, we should all rent rooms in different inns. If we are all in the same inn, that may lend to some suspicion. We should designate a meeting place, date, and time. Any ideas?”

[Nathaniel de Beniér]

Nathaniel glanced at Phillip. David cast furious glances at the man; to be perfectly honest, Nathaniel wasn't that pleased with the man either. All along he had played with their strings like a puppeteer, and they had played along like good boys. Frowning, he cast a disapproving glance at Phillip. The man deserved it, and more - he could not allow him to try to manipulate anyone. It would do good to keep him away from David for a while, and have a talk with David about him. It would be a disaster to have someone pulling his wires, instead of letting him run free; it would truly be a disaster. Greed! What in the world has made a man like Phillip greedy? Or is it greed? What is he truly planning? We need to send him away and talk this over... suddenly I do not trust the man anymore. Yet now was not the time to think it through. That time would have to be found later, it had to.

"I will depart on horseback. I enjoy the scenery. The journey will probably take at least five days, so I will leave a week before the tournament begins." Taking a deep breath, he used the few seconds it gave him to look over his shoulder at the doorway. He wondered when would be the time to leave. Leaning back on his chair, he almost fell from it; a shadow looming against the light. Man-shaped shadow, apparently tensed and listening. Quickly straightening himself, he now fully turned in his chair to gape at it. Releasing a relieved sigh, he turned back to his co-conspirators. Just a shadow, coming from the lamps. How stupid he was. "Apologies. I thought I saw something at the doorway." He undertook a graver tone as he continued. "As for me, I fear I do not know many inns in Cumberland. I suppose that I will stay at the first inn I come across, but it would be good to know the names of the inns we each stay in, and the one we will meet at. David ought to know something about the inns, and it is high time for me too to learn something more about Cumberland. But we should hear what Celene has to say first." He glanced at Celene seriously, if not expectantly. He expected something of value from her, as well; his eyes told as much, but only as a faint flicker that vanished as quickly as it had come.

[Cecille de Val Royeaux]

Cecille looked from David, to Nathaniel, to Philip. Philip's grin and David's reaction told her enough. David was not reacting fondly to Philip's manipulations. She could understand the anger. She was used to seeing people being manipulated by each other. That was just a part of Orlesian nobility. The problem was David was not. She watched the three men closely, scanning them over.

Philip had already proven that manipulating each other was not out of bounds. David was a political naivety and Cecille knew she would not have to worry about him. Nathaniel also gave Philip a look of disappointment. Perhaps Nathaniel would play fair. Then again, he could very well play a different sort of game with someone he doesn't like. Like me.

"A house guard? Monsieur, this is no small tournament. The emperor will surely give a rank higher than that of a house guard commander. You're competing in the Grand Tourney, no small tournament a few nobles put together here in Orlais." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "But you're right. We can discuss these details when we arrive."

She turned her attention to Nathaniel, who seemed to have been trying to spot something from the doorway. She searched for the shadow he mentioned, tracing it back to a simple piece of furniture. Nathaniel was quite paranoid, it seemed. Not only did he come across as a tad skittish, he also clearly had not invested much trust in her. She was right in her decision to keep an eye on him.

When he turned the attention to her for input, she could see respect dissipating from his eyes in a mere second. This man played her for a fool. In fact, the other two probably assumed the same. She was just a pretty face who could think a little harder than the other noble women. She crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head. Her eyes narrowed but a smile remained devilishly sweet on her tanned face. They had no idea she was not only more level-headed than Nathaniel anticipated but also stronger. She could fire a bow rather well, and that strength and precision put her further ahead in the race than the men expected. She knew she wouldn't be the one fighting in a tournament for the face of the rebellion, but she was getting much less credit than she could garner if she so wished.

"We should plan the inns we stay out. That way we don't rest too close to each other, or possibly coincide in our inns. We wouldn't want any suspicious whispers about us, now would we?" She held her gaze with Nathaniel for another moment before giving David a genuine smile. Perhaps it'd best to keep her hidden strengths hidden for a while longer.

[David]

For a second, as Nathaniel turned to look at the shadow, David followed in suit, staring in the direction Nathaniel was looking with his hand reaching for the knife in his boot. Never know when you'd need to... Wait. There was no one there. He looked back at Nathaniel with a confused look, then noddedly slightly as he re-sheathed the knife. It appeared Nathaniel was a bit paranoid. Not that he could blame him. Losing your entire unit in combat, that was something David could sympathize with. It left your mark on your very soul. There are times when he himself fell into that kind of paranoia. Came with being a soldier.

Finally, after everyone agreed that more would be said in Cumberland, David smiled and spoke. "Well, we are in agreement. All that is left is the suit of armor I require for the tourney, but that can be discussed with a blacksmith for another day. I think today's meeting has been fruitful." That was an understatement. "But I still have alot of work I must do today, and it appears we have let time escape us. I must take my leave." He stood up and politely bowed to the nobility, as Philip did as well. He himself explained that he had some tracks of ours to cover, and left before even David did. As David began to walk, he turned and smiled at Cecille, and a small fun thought came to his head.

"You know, actually, Phillip can cover most of the work I had to do anyway." That was a lie, but really, going to the requisitions office to demand better armor for the army of Jader could wait a day or two. He walked back over to Cecille and said "If you so desire, we could always go to dinner now at that pub I mentioned before. Unless you have a better place in mind where we could dine together. The choice is yours mademoiselle." His smile was soft, sweet. He really wanted to talk to Cecille a little bit more, without the other nobles there. She was still... Intriguing. She held her cards close to her chest, that much he could tell. What would it take for her to show her hand? Nathaniel was easier to figure out. All nobles desired power, and he was a soldier. Soldiers, be they noble or commoner, had at least a base understanding of one another. Cecille... She was pure nobility. But he could tell from her hands and from the tone of her muscles she was no Orlesian wall flower, she could clearly hold her own to some capacity. What that capacity was he intended to find out.

[Nathaniel de Beniér]

His mind tried to fumble over what had been said during their long discussion. He was still a noble - it ran in his veins like acid - and he still knew some of dealings between nobles. He knew that his performance had not been very good - he had revealed too much of himself, yet now when he thought about it it could even turn out to his advantage. He suspected the others thought him simple; simple like a soldier, yet there were more layers to him, only hidden beneath that straightforward soldier. But he still suspected she would get the better of it - he knew enough to recognize an experienced player at the game, game that most of the nobles called life. No doubt Phillip was deep in it too, the way the man had been acting. Well, he would not even need to cut the strings; the noble had more strings in him, all originating from Cecille, Nathaniel and David, than he had in them. He would be forced to follow them and submit himself. And then there was the paranoia. Losing his unit had affected his mind, true, but most of the time he could hide it and fight it back. It wouldn't work, though, when it caught him unawares like just now. And still, it was wise to expect an attack at any time now that they had agreed on a rebellion. Well, agreed to plan one.

Seeing their meeting concluded he stood up, making sure not to glance towards Phillip as the man passed by and hurriedly exited the room, and moved his indifferent glance at Cecille. He had to figure out the woman sooner or later. Perhaps he could even begin to like the woman, at least enough to stop the deep urges to scowl at her at every opportunity. He added a little warmth to his voice, but made sure not to make it sound too warm - just enough to appear friendly.

"I would too wish to dine with you, Cecille. Perhaps tomorrow, no? As for today, I must attend to my preparations, and I wish you two good luck."

Then he noticed David's look. The man was close to Cecille, of course, but he had not noticed it before taking his eyes off the woman's mask of friendliness. Well, it was a mask only to him. When facing David, there was something - a touch of genuieness, he thought - that convinced him the woman had developed an interest to David. Apparently David shared her interest, as well; somehow it did not bother him.

As for Cecille, David could entangle her as much as he wanted. Or perhaps she would not allow to be entangled by him. Either way, it could be useful. For the very least thing it could accomplish, the two would become close friends. Nathaniel didn't intend to stay out of it completely, though.

Slowly, the paranoia faded from him, and he began to see things more clearly - for example that a friendship with Cecille was beneficial, and achievable none the less. And she was still peculiar in her own way, seductive, and mysterious. Yes, figuring her out would be hard. But Nathaniel knew that eventually, he would. Women like her were more predictable than the regular village girl - they were consistent, calm, more like men, to be honest, although with their own delicate differences. He turned his back to the pair of them, walking out of the room seemingly in no hurry, but as he reached the courtyard of her little palace he quickened his pace to a trot. As a matter of fact, he did have preparations to do.

[Cecille de Val Royeaux]

Cecille nodded to David and Philip as the discussion ended. She turned around to the table and hastily began to correct any small piece of furniture that had been moved during their unending discussion. When David suddenly had a change of heart, she turned slightly to face him and his proposition with a smile. She contemplated for a moment. Any other dining locations they could visit? No place she was used to dining at would gladly accept the duo. A soldier eating with a woman of Cecille's status was not the social norm.

She was rubbing her temple in thought when Nathanial suddenly broke her thoughts with a proposition of his own. Dinner. With her? What was he planning? That was quite a switch. Moments before he had been subtly scowling at her, now he wants to eat dinner with her? What a confusing man. Or a conniving one. Cecille turned her smile to Nathanial, though her eyes narrowed.

"Of course, monsieur. Perhaps we could dine here at one our estates?" She nodded to him as he then hurried off. Her smile turned into a downright scowl as he left. She turned back to David, her scowl softening. Her smile slowly came back as she eyed David up and down for a moment. She glanced to the ground for a moment, sighing.

"I don't trust him. He was scowling at me not a minute ago, and now he suddenly wants to have dinner with me. That's generally not a good sign when it comes to nobles." She let out a soft "hmm" before shaking her head. "But yes, dinner. If you'd rather go to one my haunts, I have some slightly... fancier costumes you can try on. I'm quite sure they wouldn't react kindly seeing a soldier and a young noblewoman entering together. If you'd like to avoid that trouble, we can go to the pub." She looked back up to him with a smile. "Not sure if I'll be able to stomach the cheaper food, of course."

To be honest, she was curious as to how David would react in a high quality restaurant. He may have been lower class, but he was by no means a barbarian. Plus he had the charm to get in and looked good too. A small change of attire could very well allow him to pass for a noble. That would also help them with the shock factor.

"If we go out as we look, we'd certainly get as many stares as earlier, if not more. A noble and a soldier, sitting in a pub."

[David]

As Nathaniel extended an invitation to Cecille to dine with her at some other time, David couldn't help but look a bit... Puzzled. Wait, wasn't Nathaniel basically disapproving of her the entire time they had been conversing? They were hardly friends... Was that some nobility thing where you played nice with other people even though you disliked them? Because typically you didn't invite someone you disliked out to dinner. Hell, Cecille even stated as much after Nathaniel left. Then he thought about it. They were all going to be in this rebellion together. They needed to all trust each other, or this rebellion was over before it began. He shrugged.

"I can understand you both distrust each other, but you both have a common goal. Overthrow Gespard, and restore the true monarch. Just play nice with him. What's the worst that could happen?" Death, poisoning, betrayal, rape, being used as a pawn, the list went on. David kept his warm smile anyway. Trust is always slow to build anyway. Sometimes it takes a leap of faith to build it.

When she mentioned going to one of the fancier restaurants, David's smile waned a bit. When she mentioned borrowing one of the 'fancier costumes', it disappeared completely. "Maker please, I've had enough of costumes since the damn Coronation Feast I got dragged to..." he still shuddered a bit at that. He fucking hated wearing noble clothing. If he had to pick between living with the barbarians and the aristocracy, he'd highly consider the barbarians a superior option... If they were mad at you they made sure you knew it, instead of sneaking behind your back. But all that aside, he knew just the perfect tavern to go to.

"Trust me, the place I was planning to take you is owned by a friend of the family's. The food is good, the people friendly, and I promise you'll have a good time. I'll give you time to change." He offered his hand as the soft friendly smile returned to his face, with a light fire of mischief glowing in his eyes. "Come on, I'll show you how the other half has a good time."