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"Good call."
Simon returned the soldier's smile, merely glad to be finished with the emotional portion of their conversation. He did, however, feel a little better after Roan's reassurances - this man had gone from being a casual fling to being his anchor among all the chaos, and a close friend.
"Oh- wow. I picked up a lemon... that could have gone over horribly."
With a small chuckle, Simon shook his head. Part of him was disappointed that Roan had actually noticed; it would have made for a hilarious situation.
He took note of the sudden change in the soldier's expression. It had become almost playful, which strangely enough was a side that Simon hadn't seen a lot in Roan's presence.
"Do you dare me to eat it?"
Simon raised a single brow at this challenge, positioning himself to that he was half-leaning against the table. "There's a lot of things I'd dare you to put in your mouth right now; that lemon isn't one of them," he teased, the corners of his lips displaying amusement that didn't show through in his voice. Simon reached behind himself and pulled the bowl closer, grabbed an apple, and tossed it casually in Roan's direction. He then grabbed one for himself. "Knowing your luck, that'd be when everyone decides they want to turn up."
This comment seemed to spark a realisation in the King and his eyes moved towards the entrance of his chambers, a small sigh escaping into the near-empty room. Even his own daughter hadn't bothered to show her face yet. "Give it five minutes before I'm out there dragging those assholes in here by their ears," he grumbled jokingly, as if they could hear his warning, before he took a hearty bite of his apple and placed the rest back on the table.
Simon returned the soldier's smile, merely glad to be finished with the emotional portion of their conversation. He did, however, feel a little better after Roan's reassurances - this man had gone from being a casual fling to being his anchor among all the chaos, and a close friend.
"Oh- wow. I picked up a lemon... that could have gone over horribly."
With a small chuckle, Simon shook his head. Part of him was disappointed that Roan had actually noticed; it would have made for a hilarious situation.
He took note of the sudden change in the soldier's expression. It had become almost playful, which strangely enough was a side that Simon hadn't seen a lot in Roan's presence.
"Do you dare me to eat it?"
Simon raised a single brow at this challenge, positioning himself to that he was half-leaning against the table. "There's a lot of things I'd dare you to put in your mouth right now; that lemon isn't one of them," he teased, the corners of his lips displaying amusement that didn't show through in his voice. Simon reached behind himself and pulled the bowl closer, grabbed an apple, and tossed it casually in Roan's direction. He then grabbed one for himself. "Knowing your luck, that'd be when everyone decides they want to turn up."
This comment seemed to spark a realisation in the King and his eyes moved towards the entrance of his chambers, a small sigh escaping into the near-empty room. Even his own daughter hadn't bothered to show her face yet. "Give it five minutes before I'm out there dragging those assholes in here by their ears," he grumbled jokingly, as if they could hear his warning, before he took a hearty bite of his apple and placed the rest back on the table.
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There were very few methods of torture that his people were barely able to survive with their heads held high, and this was one of them. With red fabric around his eyes, iron burning away the flesh of his wrists and dulling his mind, Zio was experiencing untold levels of pain. Considering he'd only come to this camp to deliver a rather helpful message to the King and his people, he felt that this treatment was a little unfair.
Of course, there was the ever-nagging thought that he deserved this for all he'd done. This wasn't even close to the suffering he'd caused for the King's mother. Luckily that guilt had not yet eaten away at him enough to cause visible distress. He was a relatively stoic man and his levels of endurance were through the roof. When the bandage had been wrapped around his head, he'd not said a word nor flinched a muscle. Even when they shackled his arms together with iron chains and he could feel his senses numbing, he hadn't shown fear. His body was as motionless as a statue, his mind keeping itself occupied in other ways.
That was until something brushed past his neck, and his body reacted with the sudden urge to launch forward. To his utter surprise, he was moving. In a split second, he brought his arms forward to catch his fall, and shot a quick glance upwards to survey his surroundings. Had he been teleported out of camp? He felt a knot in his stomach. This... didn't feel real.
It was at this moment he saw something move in the corner of his eye. A woman in her adult years; stunningly beautiful in a way that he was surprised she wasn't Fey, vain as it might sound.
By her body language, she didn't seem to mean him any harm, but he remained guarded nonetheless. Slowly, he picked himself up off the ground and dusted off his hands. He made no effort to speak until she did.
"Greetings," the stranger began. "What is your name, young man?"
Young man?
"Likely of very little importance to you," he answered. "But you may call me Zio, if need be."
Watching her with a fair deal of caution, Zio decided to cut right to the heart of the matter. There was only ever one reason that strangers felt the need to single him out. He was of no importance to anyone in this world, but Alec was wanted by most - for one reason or another. He would tell this female nothing until she spoke honestly about her own.
"You seek my Master, but so do a lot of people," he continued, taking effort to ensure that all hostility was absent in his tone, "and thus far I've not felt the need to speak his location nor his plans aloud... You would do well to understand that I have a duty to protect him."
Of course, there was the ever-nagging thought that he deserved this for all he'd done. This wasn't even close to the suffering he'd caused for the King's mother. Luckily that guilt had not yet eaten away at him enough to cause visible distress. He was a relatively stoic man and his levels of endurance were through the roof. When the bandage had been wrapped around his head, he'd not said a word nor flinched a muscle. Even when they shackled his arms together with iron chains and he could feel his senses numbing, he hadn't shown fear. His body was as motionless as a statue, his mind keeping itself occupied in other ways.
That was until something brushed past his neck, and his body reacted with the sudden urge to launch forward. To his utter surprise, he was moving. In a split second, he brought his arms forward to catch his fall, and shot a quick glance upwards to survey his surroundings. Had he been teleported out of camp? He felt a knot in his stomach. This... didn't feel real.
It was at this moment he saw something move in the corner of his eye. A woman in her adult years; stunningly beautiful in a way that he was surprised she wasn't Fey, vain as it might sound.
By her body language, she didn't seem to mean him any harm, but he remained guarded nonetheless. Slowly, he picked himself up off the ground and dusted off his hands. He made no effort to speak until she did.
"Greetings," the stranger began. "What is your name, young man?"
Young man?
"Likely of very little importance to you," he answered. "But you may call me Zio, if need be."
Watching her with a fair deal of caution, Zio decided to cut right to the heart of the matter. There was only ever one reason that strangers felt the need to single him out. He was of no importance to anyone in this world, but Alec was wanted by most - for one reason or another. He would tell this female nothing until she spoke honestly about her own.
"You seek my Master, but so do a lot of people," he continued, taking effort to ensure that all hostility was absent in his tone, "and thus far I've not felt the need to speak his location nor his plans aloud... You would do well to understand that I have a duty to protect him."