The Tournament of Blades (Private rp with Abbster)

[Abbster]

Isabelle and Charlotte

Isabelle and Charlotte walked to their little tree, sitting down and beginning to talk. "So, whats been going on since the last time I saw you, little sis?" Charlotte asked. Isabelle smiled. "Nothing really, just been doing some more training with Talon, working on some new dressage moves with Sunshine." Isabelle said. "Hoping father will let you enter the dressage section of the tournament this year?" Charlotte asked. Isabelle nodded. "Yea, but you know how he is" Isabelle said. "Oh do I" Charlotte said, laughing. "Whats that mean?" Isabelle asked. "Nothing" Charlotte said. "So, have you met any of the knights yet?" She asked. Isabelle shook her head. "Not really, you know father is strict about talking with the knights before a tournament" She said. Charlotte nodded. Just then, the evening bell rang out across the kingdom. "Thats the almost supper time bell" Isabelle said.

[mainehorse]

Cass glances up from the tankard of ale she was drinking from when she hears the distant sound of the bell. It would be time to get supper soon enough. After a long day of training, getting enough to eat was definitely important to ensure one was preforming at peak condition. During times of war, it was especially important. A lot of the knights here seemed to be quite young though, young enough that they wouldn't have been serving in the last war despite it not having been too long ago. But getting enough to eat before a tournament was important as well. The stakes were just less dire, more a matter of honor than of life and death. She lifts her tankard again, taking another sip.

[Abbster]

"Mother and Father are having the knights eat in the castle tonight." Isabelle said. "Oh, right, they eat in the castle right before the first tournament" Charlotte said. Isabelle nodded and watched as some of the knights began to leave the barrack. One of them was the girl she had talked to earlier. "We should get going before mother sends out Oreo" Isabelle joked. Oreo, the family dog, was known to go running out around supper time to get Isabelle and McKenna. Isabelle stood up, as did Charlotte. The two sisters began making their way back to the castle to get ready for supper.

[mainehorse]

Once she had finished off the last of her ale, Cass rises to her feet to head upstairs to her room to get ready for supper. Once in her room, she lifts her arm to encourage Falcon to climb onto his wooden perch. It wouldn't do to bring him to the dining hall, and it seemed like all the knights were expected to dine there tonight. Nor would it do to go to supper in sweaty clothing from the day's training session. Once Falcon was settled, she busies herself about changing into a clean tunic and a pair of trousers. She still had her sword on her person, simply because it felt odd to go anywhere without at this point, even to supper. She runs a hand through her short, curly black hair as she began the walk to the dining hall. She locks the door to her room behind herself and then heads down the stairs and out of the barracks.

[Abbster]

Isabelle sat at her end of the table, watching as knights walked in, nervously. They all sat down where they had names assigned to them. Isabelle watched with slight caution as they sat near by. She didn’t like that her father always allowed the knights to sit in the castle a few days before the first tournament. Of course she wouldn’t argue as she would get in serious trouble. Her father tapped his glass with a fork and stood up, clearing his throat to silence the room.

[mainehorse]

Cass enters the dining hall, her mismatched eyes scanning the table to see where her name placard was. As she searches for her spot, her gaze lands for the briefest moment on the princess. She looked almost like a deer caught in lamplight, looking around at all the gathered knights as though she expected one of them to do something. Did she think they were all brutes or something? That they might hurt her? She shakes her head slightly, resuming her search for her spot. After a moment of searching the crowded long table, she spots the placard with her name listed on it, right next to where Gale was seated. Well that was a relief at least. She'd have someone she knew next to her for the duration of the meal. She makes her way over to her seat. Gale grins at her as she takes her seat. "I was wondering if you'd actually show up" he says, his tone teasing. "You know me, ever the people person." Cass says, her tone one of wry amusement. They both knew that wasn't true, she was far from being a people person. She falls quiet upon hearing the king call for silence.

[Abbster]

King Albert began speaking. “Welcome.” He said. “We are very glad you’re here” he said. “Tonight you will be dining with me and my family.” He said. “Now, we do have some rules.” He said. “Rule number one, you may speak to your fellow knights, but you may not speak to any member of the royal family unless spoken to” he said. “Father!” Isabelle said, looking at him. Albert looked at his daughter. “Isabelle, we do these rules every year.” He said. Isabelle nodded a bit, and quieted down. “Rules number two” he said. “You may not leave until you are dismissed. If you wish to use the restroom, speak to a member of the royal family” he said. “And finally” Albert said. “Do not, under any circumstances leave this room without thanking either myself, or my wife. But if you can’t find us, you will thank my eldest daughter, Princess Charlotte”

[mainehorse]

Cass wordlessly exchanges a glance with Gale. It was awfully pretentious of the royal family to impose such rules on people they required join them tonight. Did they think themselves so much better than the rest of them, just because the majority of them happened to be born royalty? It was quite frankly ridiculous and if she weren't used to being talked down to by royals and nobles alike, she would be quite insulted. It was as though they didn't realize that knights were vital to the survival of the kingdom. Should all of them choose to go on strike to demand respectful treatment, then the kingdom would be in grave danger. They made up the front line of defense and handled all but the most major of criminals. And they worked hard to get where they were, unlike those who were either born royalty or married into the royal family. And yet they had the nerve to act all high and mighty. It rubbed Cass the wrong way, but she held her tongue. It was best to just get through the meal, play the part and move on with her life rather than risk causing a scene.

[Abbster]

Isabelle looked over at Charlotte, who was sitting next to her. “Are these rules really necessary?” Isabelle asked. Charlotte nodded. “Yes, because before you were born, we didn’t have rules. Things got kind of….intense with everything” she explained. Isabelle sighed, and rolled her eyes a bit. “I think it’s stupid” she said. “Izzy!!” Charlotte said. “It isn’t stupid sis, it’s needed” she said. “I don’t like it either, but we just need to go with it” she said as the meal arrived.

[mainehorse]

So that was it? Cass mused. Because one year, a group of knights caused trouble at the banquet, they decided that they were all troublemakers who needed to be controlled? If they felt that way about them, then why bother to invite them at all? Clearly the king and queen at least didn't think very highly of the kingdom's knights. But at least it seemed like neither of the two older princesses were too fond of oppressive nature of the rules being imposed on them. She turns her attention back over to Gale, quirking an eyebrow slightly when he lightly tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "Hmm?" She says quietly in return. "Just seeing where your head is at" Gale replies. "Don't worry about it" Cass responds. She was merely thinking, that was all.

[Abbster]

There was a bunch of talking that night as everyone ate their meal. Finally when everyone finished, the king dismissed the knights. Kennadee instantly got up and left the room. Heading back to the barrack. When she got to the house, she opened the door and needed inside, walking up to her room to get ready for bed. Kennadee brushed out her hair and then put it in a braid before she put on some comfy clothes and heading down to the common area with her book.

[mainehorse]

Cass takes a seat in an armchair in the common room. She had always been a bit of a night owl, so it would probably be a bit before she actually went to bed for the night. Gale takes a seat in the armchair next to one Cass was seated in. It was quiet in the common room. It seemed like most of the other knights had already turned in for the night. Though he could see another woman in the common area, reading a book. So at least three of them were still up. Of course, the others could still be awake, but just up in their rooms, unwinding for the night. With the tournament fast approaching, every day was busy. So it was no surprise that some of them would want to turn in early. Though he hadn't seen too many of them training in the arena.

[Abbster]

Kennadee closed her book and looked up. “Did that meal….seem strange to either of you two?” She asked, walking over to them. “Like what was with all those rules?” She asked, rolling her eyes as she sat down. “And I thought I heard the two older princess talking about how they thought it was stupid” Kennadee said. “I agree with them, it’s stupid. It’s like they think that jsut because we’re knights it means we’re like evil or something” Kennadee said. “Oh, I’m Kennadee, Kennadee Fox. But you can call me Kenn” Kennadee said.

[mainehorse]

"Sadly that was far from strange. Such treatment is the norm from nobles and royalty alike. You'll get used to it with time." Cass says flatly. Both she and Gale had started training for knighthood when they were kids, around the age of seven when Lord Barris had taken Cass as his page, and Sir Laurent had taken Gale under his wing. As a result, they had seen this sort of treatment for many years at this point. Cass was just shy of turning twenty-eight and Gale had just turned twenty-seven. "Too true. But you do get used to it. Unfortunately many people can't seem to separate their view of us from sellswords and simply think of us as brutes." Gale says pausing. "I take it that you two have already met. I'm Gale" he says in return.

[Abbster]

Kennadee nodded. She also sighed. “I just wish they would realize were not brutes.” Kenn said. She rolled her eyes for a moment. “Like I said, it’s stupid.” She said. “But honestly, I think it doesn’t matter. They can choose what they do, and if making these rules is one of their choices, so be it.” Kennadee said. “Was that the on,y time we will eat in the Royal castle for supper?” She asked, a bit hopefully. “Don’t know if I want to eat there again” she said.