ROLEPLAY HQ - knight-from-the-north

TW: Possible violence, discussion of trauma related events, mentions of war, mentions of assassination attempt; more to be added. (edited)

"I will not argue this no longer, you WILL have a personal guard to protect you at all costs! End of discussion!" Emmaline stormed away from her father, the King that day. Leaving her half eaten dinner behind, she couldn't be bothered. The Queen placing her hand atop her husband's to calm him before he took off after his daughter. "Let her be, dear...she needs to cool off." Emmaline spent that night in her room practically fuming. She wanted to live a free life, and not be watched over by some random guard. And from the sounds of it, the intention is that this guard will likely never leave her side as much as possible. What about her privacy? What about her wanting to sneak off and enjoy the kingdom? How is she to do that if there's another person breathing down her neck? Quite some time passed after that argument and the Princess' outburst. The day came where the knight finally came and was appointed, and Emmaline was summoned to the main room to meet and be acquainted with him. The King gesturing to the man. "Emmaline, dear. This is Xifos Astego. He is going to protect you personally from here on out, on top of our increased head count around the castle." The King nodded once at this, stepping aside so the two would meet. Emmaline Vortun put on her best for this, she wanted to at least make a good impression. She curtsied and tipped her head gently. "A pleasure to meet you, Sir Xifos." Emmaline dressed today in a yellow gown, A line with off the shoulder sleeves. The beading all along her torso, one part branching up to her shoulder. She wore a crown to match, all gold with yellow gems embedded in each socket. She practically looked like a ball of sunshine, and the staff would likely agree should Xifos get to know them. @Cecowl Hoovey

Xifos Astego grew up a peasant in the northern territories, barely a coin to his name. He lacked special skills, couldn't read, and didn't seem to be going anywhere with his life. That was, until war struck his country. Being an able-bodied man, he was forced to fight in the war in his late teens, and it wasn't easy. The training was extremely hard on all the recruits, but Xifos adjusted. Then, the fighting was hellish. Xifos made it through. It changed him, though. He was always a quiet guy, but that experience in the war made him colder, more distant. It was stupid to make friends in war, because they could easily die in front of you on the battlefield.. After the war finished, Xifos found that he didn't feel like he belonged at home any more. There wasn't a purpose for him back home. So, he took up the sword once again and started working as a mercenary, going from company to company, honing his skills until he came to a unique dual-wielding style, which became his defining feature. This was his life through his early twenties, and soon after he turned 26, he got a.. different request. A king was requesting that he play bodyguard to his daughter, the princess, in exchange for a hefty sum of cash. He accepted the job, as it was something different for once. Xifos arrived on the day he was supposed to, promptly arriving at dawn and washing up. However, it was still clear that he didn't fit into high society, because of how he dressed and carried himself. His pure white hair stood out for his age, his silver eyes carring a steely gaze, scars covering his face and hands.. Though it was his clothes that really gave it away. Ragged blue cloth covered by dark leather armor that had clearly seen use. Despite just being washed, there seemed to be specks of something that couldn't be washed out.. To be blunt, he stood out worse than a sore thumb.

05:32

Despite that, he carried himself with confidence. Nothing these nobles could say would bother him, they lived their lives, he lives his. In fact, his way of living is what allowed them to live theirs so comfortably, without war reaching their cities. Emmaline Vortun was the name of the girl he was supposed to protect. Apparently she had a bit of a rebellious streak, which was one of the reasons he was being hired. 'Keep her safe in the castle', he had been told. Like that was going to happen. He was being paid to be a bodyguard, not a babysitter. He wasn't going to force her to stay anywhere, he'd just keep her safe no matter where she went. "And to you as well, m'lady." He bowed his head to her. "I swear upon my life to protect yours, should anything try to take it." God he hated formalities. Royals were always so annoying in how they required it.. Kings especially. "I don't suspect you'll want to stand in here all day, so why don't we take a walk around the castle, so I can learn the layout and you can get used to having me around." @lonidalegend

Emmaline smiled to Xifos, chuckling faintly and giving him a soft nod. "Can do. I can give you a grand tour of the castle, and I'm sure we will have lunch announced to us at some point as well." The King then stepped in to speak. "Just the castle and our grounds, Emmaline. Please. We do not want our new guard to be chasing you down on his first day. Please, behave." Emmaline wanted to roll her eyes so badly, but, she behaved. She had her best behavior face on. "Yes, Father. I will stay on the property, not to worry. Come along then, Sir Xifos. I think you'll like it here." She beckoned him along with a smile, leaving behind the King as he turned and walked the opposite way. After they had a few steps away from her father, she exhaled quietly. "Ugh...he can be so annoying. I'm sorry if he's been shoving things down your throat since your arrival. He does that a lot." Emmaline noted, starting to walk with him in the main hall. Which would be nicely decorated with various things, chandeliers, paintings, pillars with flowers wrapped around them, and so much more. It was clearly more decorated for public arrivals, but it smelled lovely too. The floral scent wafted over them as they walked, the windows had stained glass, letting in colorful light across the floors and on their bodies as they passed it. "Was your journey smooth, at least?" @Cecowl Hoovey

He nodded to the princess as she agreed to show him around. If she was able to get used to him just being in the background, it would make it much, much easier for him to do his job. Nobility were good at letting those lower than them fade into the background, so he fully expected her to forget his name after the first week, and then he could really do his job. His eye twitched slightly as the king said to keep it to the castle grounds. Did he not think that Xifos could do his job? That a little runaway princess would be too much for him? He fought in wars, dammit. Nothing could really faze him at this point. He didn't voice these feelings, allowing the princess to speak instead. Fade into the background. Let them forget you exist. That's what he needed to do. Xifos's eyebrow raised slightly as she called the king 'annoying'. "He's been a bit of a pain, but not enough to really stand out. He's a bit protective of you, isn't he?" Why else would he go out of his way to hire a renowned warrior as his daughter's bodyguard? Especially if the warrior was nothing but a lowborn man. Xifos glanced around the hall, taking note of everything he saw. A part of him was disgusted at how well-kept and pretty everything was here, especially compared to the struggles people had on the border towns. His distaste wouldn't have anything to do with him doing his job, however. He was being paid to do perform this task, so he would do it without complaint. Well, within reason, of course. If the king or the princess or whoever did something stupid, he'd make it known. "My journey? It had its ups and downs. Traveling from the north wasn't easy at first, due to the rough terrain, but I'm used to it. With enough preparation, it was easy enough." @lonidalegend

Maybe unfortunately for Xifos, she doesn't just let anyone melt into the background. She knows so many nobles do that, and in a way it's rude. Everyone should be recognized, and included. "Yeahhhh... he's pretty protective over me. I guess I can understand why? But like...ugh. I'm an adult and he just won't let that go. It's very infuriating." The Princess would lightly complain, shaking her head as they walked. She listened as he mentioned his travels, a little unsatisfied. She wanted details. "Sooooo...you didn't see anything like, super cool out there on the way here?" She would prod, smiling over to him. A glimmer in her eye, that of fascination for a brief second, like a child hearing about these grand adventures. She had that hope deep down in her. Like something crazy happened on the way. @Cecowl Hoovey

"Well, if you don't have any siblings, maybe he's just trying to keep the line of succession going. If you were to die, who would take up ruling this place once he passed?" It was the same story every time. Protect the heir, protect the remaining son. Kill the heir in battle and end the line of succession then and there.. There were many different angles that his job forced him to look from, all depending on who was paying him at the time. And every time, he did what he was paid to do. Xifos noticed the twinkle in the princess's eye, the same kind of look that the village boys had when he returned home from battle, wanting to hear about all that he had seen when travelling abroad. "Well, I do try to keep outta most people's way.. Trouble tends to follow mercs like me.." He paused, glancing around the hall once again. "But i've seen my fair share of strange situations. You ever see one of those scrawny mage dudes beat a soldier in an arm wrestling match? I have. The dude walked straight up to the table and challenged this strong dude, beefy soldier type, who'd been kicking everyone's ass that night and had won a pretty pile of cash. This mage just put a stack on the table and put his arm out. The two of them struggled for minutes straight, until it looked like the mage got a second wind and slammed his opponent's arm down like that. Fists went flying after that." Xifos chuckled to himself at that thought. @lonidalegend

"Mh, I suppose you are right. But still, he doesn't need to be so...suffocating." She sighed, rolling her eyes. As Xifos talked about a mage beating someone in an arm wrestle, she chuckled at him. "Really? That's incredible! Do you think he might have used some type of magic to his advantage, though? Because that seems nearly impossible!" Emmaline exclaimed excitedly, as if she had seen this herself, and was reliving it with Xifos. While they walked, she led Xifos to their Grand Library. It was stunning, to say the least. The ceiling itself was a statement, with murals along it and windows that allowed natural light to enter. But, there were literal walls of bookcases, filled with books that seemed to never end. There were some nooks here and there to sit and enjoy reading. However, it seemed this library was more suited and meant for research and storage. The Grand Library was an impressive sight, a building designed to hold a vast collection of knowledge. It was imposing, a testimony to the power of knowledge. But it was also comforting, a place of solace and refuge. "Sooooo, here's our Grand Library. I don't really hang out in here. There's like a bunch of books and stuff about history and all that. Not really my style." @Cecowl Hoovey

It went the same way in a lot of places. Kings were overly protective of their firstborn child, especially if they didn't have any other kids, which led them to being rebellious because they felt trapped.. And seeking freedom led to the very thing their parents were afraid of, a knife between their ribs or an arrow to their chest.. He'd seen it many times in the north, especially during times of war. Sometimes he had even been the one to end their lives. Such was the life of a mercenary. He did whatever job he was paid to do, and during wartimes.. It got messy. Always so messy. Yep, that was the reaction he was expecting. These princesses and princes who get all cooped up because of their overprotective parents love a simple story about his experiences.. It was like they could have just a little bit of adventure through him. Which.. honestly made sense. It wasn't like they'd be able to ride into the battlefield with him, so they were stuck with the stories he told. "Oh, absolutely. There are several kinds of subtle magic he could've used, i'm sure. No way in hell someone as thin as him could've beaten a soldier without it. Not that I know anything about magic." Shaking his head, he shrugged with a grin. Magic wasn't super common in the north, and when it did appear, it was usually tied to bloodlines. Most of the nobles had it, more than the common folk at least.. It wouldn't surprise him if that mage had some kind of royal blood in him..

22:10

Xifos hesitated for a moment as Emmaline brought him to the Grand Library.. As a commoner, it wasn't expected that he'd be able to read. Especially where he came from, commoners couldn't afford to spend all that time learning how. It was better to spend your time working the land, or doing whatever you could to make enough money to get to the next day. Rocky terrain and frigid plains didn't lend itself well to wasted time.. But it was a skill he had picked up somewhere along the way. It came with the territory.. He learned strategy, economics, how to read.. All of it was important to do his job effectively. After all, being able to decipher the vague demands on hidden slips of paper was vital to doing several of his jobs. It wasn't like people could be all that open about an assassination, could they? The sheer quantity of books here was.. baffling. It was the largest library that Xifos had ever seen.. And he'd absolutely have to spend some time here when he had the time.. Though with the fact that Emmaline didn't like to hang out here, that was unlikely. "..A shame. Having a good understanding of one's history is important.." With a nod, he turned back to the princess. He'd have to convince her to spend some time in here one of these days.. But that was for another time, of course. There had to be somewhere she enjoyed spending time, which was where he needed to get used to staying at more than anything else. His own personal interests came second to his job. @lonidalegend

"Oh wow...I wonder what kind of magic..." Emmaline pondered with a smile, and then she frowned a bit at Xifos' suggestion to spend time in the library. "Ugh...I could, I guess. It's just...I dunno. Boring. There's no fun fairy tales in here or stories or anything! It's all just history this, war and troubles that...not that I don't care about that, it's affected our people terribly even now. I just...can't sit there and read it. It's so many words on endless pages. And it can be painful to read." Emmaline sighed, shaking her head as she walked them through the library, to a secondary pair of doors. The library has two sets of doors! When they exited, they were a little further down the hallway then before, and closer to more doors. "I'm sure you saw the Grand Dining room before we met but if you didn't, it's in this room nearby, with the kitchen attached next door." Emmaline gestured to the rooms coming up on their left, while the windows on the right still illuminated them. "Hmm...what is a room you'd like to see? Anything that sparks your interest? Perhaps a rumor you heard before, and want to see if it was true or not?" She smiled eagerly, beginning to head towards a staircase, grand and spiraling upwards as she waisted his answer. @Cecowl Hoovey

He had his own guesses as to what kind of magic that mage had used, but it wouldn't be anywhere close to the truth, since he knew absolutely nothing about magic except how to avoid it. He was a warrior, not some kind of fancy wizard. Though.. To be frank, he didn't blame her for not wanting to read what the library had to offer, given her description. She was a princess who didn't have to be at the front lines of combat. Understanding every aspect of war didn't matter as much to her as it did him, since it wasn't her entire life, like it was his. "I can understand that." Was his only response. The dining room wasn't going to be anything special, he was sure, but he still poked his head in nonetheless and got a quick lay of the land, noting any potential places for enemies to hide- Things to look more into while he stayed here. "..Where do you like to spend most of your time?" That was the most important room for her to take him to right now, because that's where they'd be the majority of the time. "Also, if i'm going to be protecting you, I need to know where your room is in the castle compared to where I'll be staying.. Which your father neglected to inform me of." He knew there was something that the king had forgotten.. @lonidalegend

As they walked and talked, Emmaline ascended the stairs to where she would eventually lead him to one of her favorite rooms. "Ah, of course he did. My dad always has so much on his mind, he probably assumed I was just going to show you where you were sleeping. Which...he's not entirely wrong. You have a room literally next door to mine. It's pretty nice, hopefully you'll like it. I'll show you it after my favorite room." She smiled at this, her favorite room was one that was mostly occupied by her, and it was on the same floor as where they would both be sleeping. She would walk down another decently long hallway, where there were some rooms that had instruments and practice rooms, where someone was practicing violin. Other rooms may be unknown to the Knight, like alchemy and target practice but for...the more magically attuned. But, Emmaline's favorite room...she approached the door and opened it. (Pic for inspo)It was...breathtaking. It breathed magic, and the books she did have were all about it. Was she perfecting her art, maybe? She didn't say she had magic, but it could always be safely assumed. If Xifos looked, it seemed like a lot of the magic mentioned was more leaning towards healing and protecting, only harming if it resulted in the previous magic mentioned. There was a floating bed, held up by some chains by some arched windows, and flora and fauna was very present in the room. The sunlight poured in, nearly making the floor shimmer. "This...is where I study. I ah...would rather be outside so this is the closest I could get. Uhm...feel free to look around..?" She asked gently, as she stood awkwardly with her hands folded behind herself after walking in. She couldn't sit in this dress, unfortunately. At least not comfortably. @Cecowl Hoovey (edited)

"Well, that's convenient." He remarked as he glanced into each of the rooms he passed. While he had some experience with instruments, he didn't think that he was all that great at playing any kind of music.. His hands were made for war, not song. His eyes especially didn't linger on any of the magic rooms, since he had none to speak of. The feeling of magic in the air made his hair stand on end as she led him to her favorite room.. That kind of feeling was almost always followed by a lightning bolt blasting through the sky. So, to be blunt, this room put him on edge. It'd have to be something that he'd have to get used to with time.. "It's certainly a pretty room.." He said as he walked into the room and looked around, taking mental notes about the magic books. "I can see why you don't spend time in the library if you have this place to go to instead." The nervousness in her voice was obvious, though. "No need to feel anxious. This is your space, me being here doesn't change that." @lonidalegend

"Thanks! My dad and I actually compromised on this room. Actually...kinda the same reason you had. He wants me to learn about history and such. But he was happy to know that I'm at least self-improving and studying. But he didn't want me outside all the time doing so. Risks of getting burned, hurt, all that. So...this room was the birth of the compromise." She smiled faintly afterward, and then nodded to Xifos. "Ah yeah, my bad. No one else has really bothered to come in here unless they were to get me for something." Emmaline shrugged, loosening up a little and moving to a desk in her room, that was terribly cluttered with notes and an open book, along with writing utensils and...a gem of some type? Interesting. "Well, um...I can show you your room now, if you wanted?" Emmaline asked after cleaning up, turning to face him now. She reached up to fix her crown slightly, and then her hair afterward. "I think lunch will be soon...I could be wrong. I'm a bit hungry is all." She laughed, shrugging it off. @Cecowl Hoovey

"..My reasons for learning history and other things related to it are probably far different from your father's." He commented as he nodded along. "Well, now that you've got a bodyguard, he should be able to loosen up some. Will he? No idea." It didn't surprise him that nobody really came up here. This was fairly out of the way, presumably because of the princess's request, so it wasn't an easy place to get to on a whim. "I'm going to be here when you're here, so you're going to have to get used to me." All she needed to do was get used to him and forget he existed. That's all it would take. Xifos made sure to take note of every random object he'd noticed, since they'd likely be important to remember later, should it come up in conversation. "Fine with me." He nodded. "After you show me to my room, I can go ask the kitchen staff when lunch will be served, if you'd like. Maybe get you a snack, if it'll be a while yet." @lonidalegend

"Will my father lighten up? Never. In fact he might be more intense, but who knows. He can be unpredictable sometimes." Emmaline added with a soft shrug, seeming unbothered regardless. She then quirked a brow at him mentioning that she would have to get used to him being in here. "Well, that's the point, right? I mean I get it. But I won't ignore you. I'm sure being a bodyguard could be boring, just standing around all the time. I mean, I guess ask the guards that are stationed about the castle. I don't envy them." She then glanced at the door and slowly stood, smoothing her dress out and fixing herself. Making sure her hair was nice and pretty and that her crown was perfect upon her head. "Alright. I'll show you to your room and we can then head to the kitchen." Emmaline smiled, opening the door to leave and making sure he was sure to follow. Once they left, they started making their way back to the kitchen area. The kitchen itself was vast, and the dining hall combined with it could be big enough for a home to four in the kingdom. There were numerous chefs and helpers cooking lunch for everyone in the castle. It had a...seafood smell. Perhaps it was the theme for lunch today. Regardless, Emmaline was always happy and greeted everyone they passed and saw, that was something that was going to be very common. @Cecowl Hoovey

It wouldn't surprise him if the king never lightened up. Not one bit.. "It has its moments, i'll admit. But it's certainly got its perks. The difference between the battlefield and this castle, for example, is pretty damn vast. Cities have far better food and beds than overcooked stew and a cot or hay, if i'm being honest. Guards here don't get how good they have it, compared to wanderers like me." His room served such a purpose, and he couldn't really complain about it, even if he didn't expect to spend very much time here in the grand scheme of things. He'd be here to sleep, and that was it.. The rest of his time would be spent with the Princess, wherever she decided to go. That was his job, and he fully accepted the responsibility.. Though a part of him would yearn for action sooner, rather than later. While the two of them walked to the kitchen, Xifos was quiet, especially when she was greeting people. It was clear that he carried a serious air to him, and his eyes were constantly moving- Always taking note of the environment around him, seeing where people could come from, where they could be ambushed.. He was vigilant, aloof. Obviously a man who fought for his survival and had very little handed to him. "..I smell.. the sea. Guess your chefs get seafood brought in." It was a small comment, but back north.. a lot of what they ate was fish and other seafood, since the soil was too rocky and the climate too cold to grow a lot of crops. That, as well as things like goats. So it was.. strange to be reminded of home. @lonidalegend