seeker of nobles [adell]

All in all, Asgard didn't seem too bad. Certainly better than his unfounded pessimism would have him believe. It was small, yes, and certainly backward in terms of culture and technology. But it was quiet, and he preferred the humble buildings and common people to a writhing mass of discontent people. Certainly easier on his nerves. It seemed unlikely that anyone here would have the skills, connections or resources to have the princess assassinated, and the people seemed far from rioting or trying to inflict mob justice on the daughter of their conqueror. It didn't mean Adell could let his guard down, but it was better than being greeted with jeers and thrown stones.

He was still trying to get a feel for the town and its people, and roaming the streets had given Adell something of a mental map to work off. It was something of a shock to see how diverse the people were. Elves, beastmen, faeries, not to mention foreigners; not too many Heimites, as far as he can tell, but it was a stark contrast from the humans he was used to dealing with. Sure, he had grown up alongside a winged girl, but it was a stark contrast, no matter how he looked at it.

 His scouting done for now, Adell made his way back to the inn, though he stalled at the entrance. He blinked, hesitating for a moment.
"Xara?" The distance was closed, and Adell greeted her properly with genuine smile. "I thought your ship was still a day out. Haven't been poking around town too long, I hope." It would be just like Xara to scour the entire town looking for them instead of just inquiring at the counter as to their whereabouts. Probably would have devised some over-complex plan to resolve the situation as well. While someone might point out that Adell was the noble here, and he should probably be talking in a less familiar fashion, he knew the maid far too well for that. Being that stiff and rigid was trying enough with Lycoris. Attempting to do the same with Xara wouldn't last a minute. "Good to see you, though. How was the trip?"

"Not too long. It's not as though we have a clear idea on where to star, anyway, so we've pretty much been killing time as it is. I've been scouting the town, and I think her highness is just trying to enjoy some of her newfound freedom." Maybe it was part of being the third child, or a close acquaintance of the crown princess, or just his nature, but 'Lord Windsor' still sounded a little odd to him, especially coming from someone like Xara. But appearances needed to be kept up. It wouldn't do to have rumors spread, and there weren't too many accepted reasons for a commoner to refer to a noble familiarly. Backward or not, Adell had to remember to mind his status, if only to dispel the notion that Xara and his relationship was anything more than platonic. Sharing a room would certainly not help in that regard, but at least there were separate beds. It wasn't that he disliked Xara by any means, but it would be akin to eloping with a cousin, or a sister. The notion just felt altogether wrong.

It was better not to think about it, and Adell tried to move on from the subject. "Yes, it is quite different. Has a lot more non-humans than I was expecting, for one." Was that a bad thing? Adell couldn't really say. Elves and beastmen and the like were unfamiliar, sure, but they were still people. Better to judge each of them on their merits. "It's not bad, though. I might go stir-crazy in a few weeks' time, but the quiet's a welcome change, for now." He could do without the feeling that he was smack dab in the middle of enemy territory, but he would take what he could get.

 Adell blinked, then reached into a pocket, and retrieved the spare key. "Oh, right. Here's your key to the room. We're sharing one, so..." Adell did not want to leave that open to interpretation. "I-It'll take a little getting used to." He cleared his throat, and indicated the interior of the inn. "Come. I'll show you the way." Adell almost offered to help Xara with her belongings, but enforced habit and taught behaviors quelled that notion. Whilst she was a woman, and he was expected to be chivalrous, she was also a maid, and he a lord. Neither had much room to trespass on each others' territory.

Adell shrugged, considering the matter for a moment. Lycoris was far from incapable or dependent, but it was a shift from the city life. "I think she'll manage. Might take a little bit, but she's not exactly inflexible. She may not grow to like Ilusia, but... she'll manage." That was Adell's take on the matter, anyway. Whether Lycoris would become grumpy and unhappy with being in Ilusia, or would take it as an opportunity to lighten up a bit remained to be seen, but Adell was an optimist at heart.

"Well, there is a tavern. As for an arena... Ilusia's not exactly a militant place. It barely has a garrison, let alone a gladitorial school." Just what was Xara expecting to find in Ilusia? Still, with Xara, he wouldn't be too surprised if she somehow managed to get one of her own running. Probably twisting his arm to help somehow.

However, Xara did not give Adell much of an opportunity to dwell on that line of thought. Unsurprisingly, Adell stumbled mentally and physically, and he could feel the heat rising to his face. He may not be the best at picking up social cues, but that was far from subtle. Just what was she expecting from their sharing a room...?

That was a question he wasn't sure he wanted answered. Adell coughed, and sped up his pace. It would be arguably better to lay down some strict rules, but Adell wasn't sure how that would come across. They were both mature adults, right? Despite the gender difference, they would surely be able to treat each other with respect, and try not to cross any boundaries. The room was finally reached, and Adell unlocked and opened the door.

"Well, this is it. I've taken the near bed." There were separate beds, at least, and taking the near bed made sense on several levels. Better for him to be the one closest to the door. "The inn serves the meals, so... you'll work it out eventually." Conversation wasn't coming too easily at the moment, but Adell had to make an attempt to dispel the potentially awkward silence. "Is there anything you need to know?"

Why did his plans suddenly have to involve members of the opposite sex? Adell was beginning to worry as to what exactly Xara thought was the purpose of his being here. It wasn't anything he was worried about being stopped or judged about. Despite the fact that he likely had every right to play the part of the disgruntled and demanding noble, and Xara was being more than inappropriate, Adell still felt the need to tread somewhat carefully. Both to ensure that he didn't accidentally agree to something he'd regret, and to avoid needlessly hurting Xara's feelings. Commoner and servant she may be, but Xara was still her friend.

”L-Lycoris is staying in the adjacent room.” At least he didn't stammer too much, and it was something of a relief. Of course, it was only a relief until he realized that, in Xara's perspective, Adell was still sharing a room with one 'lovely lady.' Which meant they had greater privacy. Now, more than ever, Adell was incredibly grateful for the separate beds. Xara should and would know better than to do anything incredibly invasive, but the idea of sharing a room with a woman to whom he was not married was bad enough. Sharing a bed... it was hard to see how that could possibly end well.

”As far as plans go...” Why did Xara have to be so good at entirely derailing entire trains of normal, rational thought. He was even reasonably sure that majority of the not-so-subtle hints were mostly in jest. Reasonably. ”This isn't a pleasure trip, but I'll need to find some way to kill the time.” Keeping tabs on and protecting Lycoris would be a full-time job, but he would need to be able to keep himself entertained as well. And of course, thanks to Xara, his mind started to turn in other directions. He was still unmarried, and not having much in the way of an inheritance gave him a certain freedom that other nobles wouldn't be able to enjoy. Sure, marrying a commoner – especially an Ilusian commoner – would kill any chance he had for advancement, but would that realy be such a terrible thing? He would be a petty noble within a generation.

Whether or not Adell would be single by the end of this venture was a moot point, however. He was becoming increasingly aware that he was alone with Xara, who had not stopped in her suggestive words since they had met. ”Uh... I've got a pretty good feel for the layout of Asgard, now. Did you want to take a look or... um, unpack?” No, leaving that sentence open-ended would be incredibly dangerous.

"The arrangement is how it is." Adell was not about to suggest that he and Lycoris occupy the same room, especially considering that there was likely only one bed, and it would be... way too forward, not to mention completely and utterly out of line. "And, to be honest, I don't think Lycoris is really in much danger here. Ilusians may resent Heim, but, if they were that displeased about the state of affairs, they would have done something by now." Maybe not an outright rebellion, but a riot, a protest, a refusal of taxes; something that showed defiance instead of simple discontentment. "They're a meek people. I won't let my guard down, but there's no sense getting overly paranoid, either." That wasn't to say Adell didn't worry, but even he could recognize that they had hardly stepped into a dangerous place, despite his initial misgivings.

There was no sense in telling Xara to not go out and collect rumours, especially since she had a much better chance of actually finding out something useful. As for himself, he had no idea on how to really begin. Straight-out asking questions about the royal family would be conspicuous, and fruitless. Those who didn't know would feed him the stock story, as would those who did know. It wouldn't be much of a secret worth investigating  He looked unsure, but nodded anyway. It was an idea, at least.

It seemed that business was not going to remain in Xara's mind for long. It wasn't unexpected, but it was frustrating how easily and reliably she managed to fluster him. 'A good face'... well, Xara surely knew far better how he looked to the opposite sex than he himself ever would. Still, Xara's suggestion caused unease, not pride. There was that definite feeling of being advertised as some kind of commodity. It wouldn't be so bad if it was only Xara attempting to 'sell' Adell, but his mother's attempts were a bit draining as well. Adell did not blush as heavily as he had before, but still avoided Xara's gaze. "You... don't have to do that, Xara. Thanks." There was that glimmer of attraction to the idea, but shame kept that in check. There was a feeling that a list of suitable women would materialize, no matter what he said or did.

"Our work aside, are you looking forward to your stay here?" Hopefully that would successfully change the subject, since Xara seemed so fixated on it.

Was Adell sure? No, not really. He knew he was pretty hopeless in the romance department, and his position in the family ensured that he would never have the simplicity and trials that came with an arranged marriage. Would it be the worst thing in the world to wind up marrying an Ilusian woman? Maybe it'd be a sign of good faith. Even though Adell was only a minor noble, he was still Heimite nobility.

An eyebrow was raised, Adell entirely unsure of how Xara had arrived at that topic. He was somewhat grateful for the change, but the question still caught him off-guard.
"I know how not to drown, but not much more than that." Well, it was a useful skill, but if he ever fell into deep water in actual armour... he mentally shuddered at the thought. It would be a horrible way to die. Eventually, Adell nodded. "So, yeah, I can swim. Why do you ask?" Best to just be blunt, though Adell was growing a little worried that it wasn't a complete change in subject. Was this another way for Xara to tease him? He'd find out soon enough, he supposed.

He had not intended on sounding so guarded or unsure, but Adell was never that good at masking his thoughts in his tone or face. It wasn't that he mistrusted Xara, but it never seemed like a terribly good idea to let her have free reign on things.

Was Xara even capable of subtlety? He gave her a flat stare in response to her waggling eyebrows and comment on resuscitation. It was always a bad sign when Adell could tell what was being hinted at, and this was no exception.
"I've no objections to learning how to swim more effectively, but I am not so certain about Lycoris." She had become incredibly hard to read as of late, and Adell was left to wonder about her mood and thoughts more than not. It wasn't as though he could blame her, but it was difficult to see someone he knew so well and for so long become that... cold.

"I hardly see why we would ever need to climb a building. Stairs and ladders exist for a reason, Xara." Swimming was at least a semi-practical skill, especially in a place surrounded by water. But climbing buildings... what was the point, exactly? "As for cooking..." Adell allowed himself a smile at that, finally seeing an opportunity to tease Xara in response. "You wouldn't be trying to shirk your responsibilities, would you Xara?" By his tone, it was clear that Adell was not seriously admonishing Xara. "Besides, I thought you were concerned about our safety. I'd say we run a fairly high risk of setting fire to something or poisoning ourselves." If Lycoris wanted to cook, as unlikely as that seemed, there was precious little Xara or himself could do about that. As for himself... well, he'd rather leave it in the capable hands of Xara, or at least the experienced hands of the inn staff.