Snippet #1747169

Chad wasn't sure what to expect from Princess Ari. Since they were both children raised near the castle close, they grew up seeing each other rather often. Chad might have gone out on a stretch and said that they were friends in their early years. But then by the age of 11, Chad left the castle to travel around with Matthew. He hadn't seen anyone from the castle during those years, and after he met Lugh, they left for Ruthen. The last thing Chad ever did in Tibolt was help a group of pirates steal a Tiboltian trade ship and sail out of the port. He didn't know how Ari would feel about him after that. He knew from a few messages that he got from some of friends in the villages that he'd helped that the people of Tibolt had mixed feelings about him.

She didn't seem unhappy to see him, however. She turned her still startling, scarlet eyes on him and she smiled. "Chad. It’s been quite some time. The last I saw of you was the back of your head. You were passed out face first in the dirt after one of our sparring matches as I recall," she said, her smile turning into a smirk as she remembered the event. Chad cringed, also remembering the memory. Back in those days, he hadn't had the training that he would receive from Matthew and Hiess, and so he was a little...unskilled. Couple that with a bit of childhood stubbornness and a certain female Oni and you get several embarrassing memories.

Chad covered his face with his hand and groaned, looking mournfully at Ari. "Thanks for reminding me of that, I'd almost forgotten about all of those lovely times. Yeah, yeah, I guess I do owe you still. Here, I'll buy you a drink." He waved to the bartender and called him over, ordering another of whatever she was having and something not very strong for himself. When he had the drink, he tipped it at her and inclined his head. "To the princess," he said, the standard toast that he'd done many times when he was living in the castle, and took a drink.

The drink was very fruity, and almost cloyingly sweet. Chad crinkled his nose and set the glass back on the bar, resolving not to touch it again as he tried to get the taste out of his mouth. He'd forgotten how disgusting fancy drinks were, after living off what you could get in Ruthen. He'd probably forgotten several little details like that that he'd have to relearn if he was to pick back up his life amongst the nobility.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked, as if remembering that he couldn't have been called here as a noble, otherwise she would have heard about it. Chad shrugged his shoulders, distractedly fingering the stem of his drink glass. "Same reason you're here, I guess; to serve His Majesty, the High King's will. I was dragged outa the little home I'd made for myself and told that I had to marry a princess." Chad rolled his eyes and glanced out among the partying nobles. "And why do I have to marry one? To keep the different kingdoms from killing themselves. You'd think you nobles could keep the peace between yourselves without the help of an ol'throwaway like me..."

From his vantage point, he was able to see most of what was going on in the room. Most of the nobles were chatting, eating, dancing, or any combination thereof. Some people were being a bit adventurous, though, as Chad saw a guy and a girl tossing something from a balcony onto the people below. Chad cracked a smile at their actions, silently giving them his support. The world needed people like that to brighten up situations like these.

Chad turned to look at Ari once again, taking in her appearance. She'd changed a lot over the years too. Before she'd been about the same height as him, but now she looked to be much shorter than him. Her hair had grown out, falling down her back sleekly, just as dark as ever. She'd grown well, and had the elegant figure that he'd expect from blueblood lady. She truly looked the part of a princess now, and the fact amused Chad a it. The rough and tumble girl who used to spar with him was now really a princess.

"So Ari, have you been called here to get married too? I feel sorry for the guy that gets hitched to you," he teased, thinking of some poor guy trying to deal with her fiery personality.