Depends on who you talk to...

4th Forumidae, the 28th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

Lim strode up alongside Reglin as they both made their way toward the stands. The broad fellow just smiled just as broad as he was as he outpaced the younger guard and started to veer to the left, heading toward Lina if Reglin knew. “Say hi to Lina for me, ya oaf!” he yelled at Lim and continued to where the princesses and the ladies had been sitting.

With the women all talking quietly in conversational volumes in small groups, Reglin walked up next to the guards, Thedin and Vorn. The two looked at him with a casual nod, then Vorn spoke, “Nice bit of work out there…” He was dark olive-skinned, black hair lined with silver, and green eyes. He wore an almost delicately trimmed beard of black and silver that contoured a face that too was almost delicate, with high pronounced cheekbones. His voice was not so delicate though with a surprising bass to it. He looked as though he came from the coast of the southern duchy.

Giving a nod of the head to the two guards on duty, “Thank you… You gentlemen need anything? I can get you something if you’d like.” Reglin glanced at the ladies conversing and back to them, giving a wry smile, “I know how it is.”

“Oh, we’ve heard about that ourselves… Picked up a moniker from knowing how it is, it seems… Goldy.” Vorn, another grizzled looking vet with red/brown hair and beard and a sharp-pointed nose said, causing both guards to chuckle. “Just a bit o’ ball-busting, lad… We’re good though, thanks. Plus, don’t think the girls would be too pleased with you running off on em’.” The redheaded guard looked and sounded like he came from the Reaches. It was common practice to split up troops from those from their region to try and teach your comrades about where they come from and reduce a sense of loyalty to a region and increase it for the kingdom as a whole. That seemed to be the case with the palace guards as well from Reglin’s observations.

Shaking his head with an amused smile, Reglin gave a grunt of a laugh, “Maybe… Though some of those faces don’t look overly fond of me.” He looked at the youngest princess’s handmaiden as a point. The severe look on the girl’s face made her look probably ten years older than she was if he had a guess. She glanced in the men’s direction while hovering literally over her charge, standing a row up from where the princess was listening to her sister and Wilmyna talk quietly.

Princess Cirsha looked completely enthralled with whatever the topic was, but her maid looked less than interested. From the bit of information he could from looking at frame through her dress, the woman looked like she would rather be working a forge with the shoulders she had. Not to say she was unattractive. She had lovely angles in her face and a slight tilt to her eyes. But she just looked… hard.

The guards made small talk while maintaining awareness, Reglin asking about how they liked their shift hours, where they served before, and the like. After a few minutes, he saw Freighla break away from the cluster of women she was in and head toward him. She had a large fabric tote in her arms as she approached with a small smile, “Good evening once again, Master Reglin…” she gave a slight curtsey as sign of some respect, something that he appreciated given his standing.

Smiling, Reglin faced her and gave her a bow a depth beyond necessary for her station in thanks, “Likewise to you, mistress…” his eyes glanced to her tote with curiosity, but smiled widely at the northern maiden, “Once again, thank you for coming out. When I brought it up to Lady Wilmyna, I wasn’t imagining our small practice becoming some sort of social engagement.”

The tall blonde gave a dismissive wave of her hand, “Don’t put too much esteem behind that. I would put more weight behind the notion of it being a night of boredom for most.” She grinned at him with a glint in her eyes. He bet that she was just enjoying an opportunity to take any wind out of his sails. She seemed the sort.

When Reglin chuckled at her remarks, the handmaiden went to her fabric bag, “But anyways… the lady and I had an extremely productive afternoon. It was as if Lady Wilmyna was obsessed with getting this done.” She reached in and pulled out a mass of fabric, very rough in texture from the looks of it. “Now, this is but a very early rendition of what we have thought of, so hold your judgements on the look of it, obviously.”

She handed the fabric to Reglin, who took it with a quizzical look on his face. Holding what he though was one end, he let it hand and noticed that it was a vest of some thick fabric. “In but a few hours?” Reglin’s head rocked back with a ‘huhn’ sound, “I must say, I’m impressed…”

The statuesque Nordwoman smiled with a nod of her head, “Given its crudeness, don’t be. But we were hoping to get you to try it on so we can go forward with the finer materials once they’ve arrived.”

Raising a brow at her words, “You want me to try this on?” She nodded. “Just right here?” another nod with a growing smile. “In front of these gentlewomen of society?”

Yet another nod and small giggled came from then, “If you would be so kind. I can assure you that they are busy being ‘gentlewomen’ to notice a guardsman who thinks so much of himself that he would cause such a commotion with a bare torso…”

Laughing and shaking his head at the woman cutting him with words, “I suppose it would not be such a commotion, as you say. I am just looking after my own sense of propriety, good mistress.” He offered the vest back to Freighla, who took it, and began to unlace his doublet then at her coaxing.

Freighla gave an audacious “Hah!” at his words about propriety, “Suuure… I know how much that means to you, Goldy.” That earned a couple of chuckles from Vorn and Thedin. Reglin looked at the guards as saw them looking on Freighla with approving smiles.

“You injure my delicate sensibilities with your prodding, sweet mistress. Injured gravely…” Reglin shook his head in melodramatic fashion as he continued to remove his doublet, leaving him in his longsleeves.

That too earned chuckles from the guards as well as the gorgeous woman in from of him, “I’m sure you are stricken to your core with such remarks…” the dryness of her words earned her a wider smile from Reglin as he began to shrug out of his sleeves. He glanced over at the huddle of women as he was doing so and noticed more than a couple of faces glancing his way in return, ‘So much for busy being gentlewomen’ he thought. Cirsha’s wide eyes hadn’t lessened since he had first seen her, but now they were the size of saucers as she looked at Reglin in undisguised interest, though she did try to turn her head away occasionally.

After he had pulled his shirt up and over, leaving him standing shirtless amongst numerous nobles including two princesses, ‘A totally normal thing to have happen, I’m sure’. His eyes glanced about furtively, feeling self-conscience. When Reglin’s eyes came back to the woman in front of him, the smile on her face was almost apologetic. She offered the vest back to him, and when he accepted, she placed a hand on his. Almost silent, she was more or less mouthing the words, “Relax” to him. But then, she went straight into getting an eye full of his naked chest. When he looked at her with widened eyes of astonishment, Freighla gave the faintest of a shrug of a shoulder, “What? It’s nice…”

Growing a bit exasperated, Reglin took whipped the vest away and glared at the handmaiden, “It’s nice?” he muttered. That caused Freighla to snort in laughter and then squinted her eyes shut tight, looking like she was trying to compose herself and not degenerate into a laugh riot.

“Oh, you do the incensed damsel routine pretty well, Goldy.” Freighla said quietly. “If I recall correctly, you might have objectified a northern woman or two’s endowments just this afternoon… So, don’t get all indignant, pretty boy.”

Reglin thrust one arm and then the other through the vest arm slots and looked at his fellow guards in his immediate vicinity. Both men looked like they were trying their damnedest to not crack up into laughter alongside Freighla. The young guard realize how ridiculous he was being and gave a sniff of amusement at himself before smiling, “Of course… I apologize… So, does it fit how you imagined?”

Freighla was now looking at him and the rough article of clothing appraisingly, “Hmmm…” She reached and grabbed hold of the bottom of the vest and tugged it downward. “Might have to loosen the chest a bit. When you flex those muscles of yours, it causes it to ride up. Or we add a bit of fabric here at the bottom.” She was still handling the vest, but her fingers had worked under the fabric and were playing lightly on his abdominal muscles, though he was sure it looked like she was still fussing with the garment.

His natural reaction was to watch what the beauty was messing with on him, so Reglin’s eyes were drawn downward. And those eyes were rewarded with a vision of Freighla’s enormous tits jiggling ever-so-slightly as she adjusted the clothing. He played it off however, instead asking, “So, this is just a fitting vest… What are you envisioning for the final form of it?”

Looking up at him through her lowered eyes, Freighla caught where his eyes had been looking. Her smile was one of mischief before she turned her head and looked at Wilmyna, raising her voice to be heard from the distance, “My lady… Would you be willing to answer the young guardsman’s questions regarding the uniform?”

The Northern lady made a show of not paying attention until that moment, but Reglin had notice her glancing their way on occasion. She looked to the princesses, said something that the young guard could not hear, and smiled widely. She then started in Reglin and Freighla’s direction with the whole group of ladies following in tow.

When the group of nobles made it to them, Reglin was surprised to her Yelena speak first. Her voice was never loud, always seeming like she was talking ot a close friend, “So, the idea is that you wish to design an alternate uniform for the guards inspired by the Northern Duchy… One that could be worn on days of import in your culture and when the palace entertains northern dignitaries?” The petite princess asked, sounding like she had a good grasp of the concept. Reglin watched the brown/blonde princess’s glance go from Lady Wilmyna’s face, to her rather substantial amount of cleavage her dress provided, to Reglin’s face, and finally to his barely covered chest. The vest would definitely show how hearty he was if he were to wear this on the seas.

Nodding in approval at the princess’s estimation of the two Nordling women’s project, “Indeed, your Highness. Our fashion is not just to shock other cultures…” She went on to describe what Reglin had learned this afternoon regarding. All the women present nodded along thoughtfully and smiled widely at Wilmyna’s mention of Reglin’s words of praise for her own dress she was wearing that day.

“No doubt that he would appreciate such bravery from such a beauty, Lady Wilmyna… He has always been one to do his best to help in any way. Ever since he was little.” Yelena smiled sweetly at him then, the look was far more familiar than what a princess and a guard should share. “For that, I would tell you that you can take him at his word. If he cannot help, it will not be due to a lack of effort on his behalf.”

Feeling his cheeks heat at Yelena’s words, Reglin dropped his eyes to the ground, her judgement of his character causing some awkwardness for him in front of the current crowd of nobles. When he looked up moments later, he saw a few amused faces at his apparent discomfort.

Lady Vidala, the olive-skinned lady from the south, spoke then, her eyes squinting at Reglin, “That is quite a contrary assessment of this young man compared to that of your sister, you Highness…” Her voice had a natural sultry drawl to it. She placed her forefinger over her lips in thought, below that proud nose of hers. Reglin still caught himself looking at her face and surprising himself by thinking such a prominent nose fit so perfectly.

Yelena smiled a friendly smile at the southern lady, but her words, though soft, held an edge to it, “You will find if you spend any time with me, Lady Vidala, that my older sister and I are possibly the definition of ‘contrary’. To the absolute horror of my parents, I’m sure…” a small shrug of her shoulders.

All present were quiet for some moments, taking in the Princess’s words. Princess Cirsha seemed to know what was said to be true, as she nodded with a knowing look on her face. She broke the silence, looking to Wilmyna, “So, the guards will wear vests… What do you ladies see it looking like finally?” The youngest princess had that excitement in her words, and the fact that her words mirrored his own told Reglin that she was listening in on his and Freighla’s little talk.

Wilmyna took the opportunity then to approach Reglin alongside Freighla. She took a hold of the vest in the armhole, touching his shoulders as she did, “We are thinking that we may have a summer and a winter version… Both will be sealskin that we will treat with a dye of crimson to honor the House Polivander.” The white-blonde noble moved her hand to the chest opening of the vest, taking hold there after a glancing touch of her fingertips over his chest, “The collar will be furlined on both. Northern white bear fur… We will treat it to a black dye to go with the crimson. However, we are thinking that the winter version will be lined completely on the inner lining with it for warmth’s sake.” She then patted his chest over the vest softly, “And we will line the inside with some sort of armor. It won’t be obvious, but we figure that the guards should still have some protection.”

“I do not think that I am going out on a limb in saying that we appreciate your consideration in that… Not all of us are as hale and hearty as you northerners.” Reglin was genuine in his words but offered a smile on top of that.

Both blondes gave gracious nods at that with Wilmyna then turning to ask Yelena and Cirsha to approach. For the next few minutes, the buxom tandem talked to the princesses about the intricacies in their ideas. Both princesses were smiling and tittering at the words the Nordling women said, using their hands to hold parts of the vest that Wilmyna referred to. Reglin did his best to remain still, acting as wardrobe dummy while the four women pawed at him subtly. Well, three were subtle about it. Princess Cirsha was somewhat ham-handed about her attempts, appearing nervous and giggling throughout it. To Reglin it appeared that she had very little experience with men, if any at all. It was terribly endearing to him and made him want to wrap her up in an embrace. She was like a kitten with its first ball of yarn.

During this time the sun had dropped down below the horizon and darkness was setting in. Two guards from Evening shift had brought two poled lanterns each for light, before turning and heading back.

Freighla looked Reglin in the eye then, holding his shirtsleeves and doublet in her arm, “I think that will suffice for this evening Master Reglin. We will need the master for your vest now though if you don’t mind.” All four women were within arms reach and looked at him with varying levels of interest. Freighla finding the most amusement, followed by Wilmyna and Yelena who looked somewhere between amused and appreciative. Then came young Cirsha. She looked absolutely transfixed by the situation, giving no end to Freighla’s silent tittering.

There was nothing to be done for it, so Reglin stripped off the vest with as much delicacy as possible, given the state of the garment. Cirsha was trying very unsuccessfully to appear nonchalant while taking in Reglin’s physique at such a proximity. That caused Yelena and Wilmyna to chortle in amusement at the baby Polivander, which caused the darked haired, dark eyes Princess to blush and glare at the two uneasily.

The northern handmaiden decided to play it straight, trying to subdue her own amusement. She handed Reglin his shirt, which he pulled over with some haste and tied up. Only after getting his doublet on and fixed into its proper position, did he feel a bit more comfortable.

Lady Wilmyna turned to the Princesses Polivanders then and curtsied deeply, “Your Highnesses, it has been great fun to join you tonight and we look forward to possible further outings with you. Perhaps the next time we have to bring this oaf of a guard in for fittings we can entertain you both with chilled wine during the ordeal…” She gave Reglin side eyes and a mysterious smile. “But I believe it is time for us to head back to the palace if you will excuse us.”

Princess Yelena gave her friendly smile to the women but gave a nod of the head that was more regal than Reglin had ever seen from the little princess, “Of course Lady Wilmyna, Mistress Freighla. It was a delight to get a chance to finally spend some time with individuals from the some of the other duchies.” She raised her head to try and see to the other ladies that had kept to the back and spoke up as much as her little voice would allow, “I am sorry that we did not have much of a chance to speak Lady Vidala, Lady Falina. I promise that I do wish to hear more of your lands as well. I think this thing that Lady Wilmyna is working toward might be something that we all should do. A sharing of our cultures.”

The two ladies in the rear and their handmaidens both smiled cordially and bowed their heads deeply. Almost in unison, the southern and western ladies said, “Of course, your Highness…”

Yelena looked to her guards on duty, “Master Thedin, Master Vorn, would you two gentlemen be so kind as to escort the ladies to their quarters? I will be fine here with Master Reglin, I am sure…” She looked to Reglin for confirmation.

Reglin gave a solemn nod to the princess then to the other guards, “I swear it… No harm to her will be done.” The older guards looked amused, but both nodded and each grabbed a lantern pole and moved to escort the ladies.

As the group moved away from the stands Reglin was left with Princess Yelena, Princess Cirsha, Mistress Oliyah, and Mistress Iridia. The last did not appear to be overly pleased with the developments. Oliyah was still seemingly oblivious to all as she knit. That left the Princesses for him to really focus on.

The older princess looked at Reglin with a shaky smile then took a deep breath. Reglin really looked at her and noticed that the petite royal woman’s hands were shaking. After she let out that deep breath just a slow, an excited smile replaced the nervous one, “Thank you Reglin!” She moved toward him and took a hand of his, however improper it was, “That was… nerve-wracking. Those ladies I had always assumed to have little interest in us younger sisters.”

At being mentioned in the conversation, Princess Cirsha smiled a wide grin just as energetic as her sister’s, “I will say, it was nice to be out with others and not just the two of us, sister. No offense, of course. Though, why do you thank Master Reglin for it?” her smile remained, but her eyes and brows showed curiosity.

“Because, my dear sister, this guard here was a friend from my childhood. And he is now… sought? Let us go with that… He is now sought after by some in the palace. Apparently, he spent some time with the Lady Wilmyna and spoke of me well enough for her to ask me to join her this evening when we met in the halls.” Yelena explained what must have happened later this afternoon to both her sister and Reglin.

Reglin looked to Cirsha, who looked a bit crestfallen at her sister’s words, “Your Highness, I could speak intelligently enough about you to the North women. Though, the fact that Princess Yelena holds you with such regard speaks volumes to me. I do hope that this will not be the last interaction we have. It might be assuming of me, but I would love to get a chance to watch you ride. I have much to learn in sitting the saddle. Perhaps I could offer training in exchange?”

Mistress Iridia snorted at that, and Cirsha shook her head a bit despondently, “I am afraid that would not be possible, Master Reglin. As much as I would love to learn how to defend myself, my father forbids such things of his royalty and nobility.”

Nodding at that, Reglin knew that was the answer before he even asked. But he was planting seeds for his new channel to hopefully find fertile ground to grow. “I know… There are things that we find unacceptable here in Polivandria that I wish were not seen as such taboos. After all, it is good exercise… And I believe that it is never a bad thing for one to be able to defend one’s self.”

The smirk on Yelena’s lips was clear, “I am sure that you only wish for us to embrace the north’s notion of all hands are capable of defeating an enemy, and not the dress that Lady Wilmyna was wearing tonight.”

Blinking a couple of times at the older princess, then shrugged, “I would never deny that her wardrobe was inspiring at all. She shows that no storm will **** her below deck. Yet, I think she would be hard-pressed to defend herself in it…” His brows furrowed in thought.

Both women laughed fully at his face, “You cannot be serious… As much as I might envy how she looked in that dress, if she were to swing an axe, all around would be able to see everything above the waist.”

Nodding slowly in thought, Reglin pursed his lips, “Sure… that may happen. But if there was an enemy in front of her or those that follow her, I guarantee you that they, nor she would care if her breasts were exposed. Now would it be practical? No. But the symbolism is there…”

With those thoughts put out to them, the Princesses Polivander both had smiles, but looked contemplative at that. Yelena gave a ‘hmmm’ then, followed by a nominal nod.

“And I would love to offer my assistance to those that would like to learn.” He looked to Cirsha and smiled, “If I were able to learn more of how to handle a horse with more grace than I have now, that would be outstanding. At the moment, I can work a horse that is military-trained and put them through those particular paces… Yet, I lack… artistry?”

The youngest sister blushed a bit at something going through her mind, but gave nod, “There is nothing wrong with that. However, you are doing those great creatures a disservice by not letting them work to their fullest. I am by no means an expert, but I could show you some things.” Right after those words her blush deepened.

The older sister played her role well, “Do not let her deceive you, she is very much an expert. I am more than a competent rider and she can ride circles around me.” Cirsha gave Yelena a grateful look.

“I’ve no doubt. I’ve seen enough of her riding while patrolling that I knew as much… It would be an honor to have the opportunity. However, I think it is time that I get the daughters of the King back to the palace.”

Yelena’s face was a sly smile as she looked at Reglin. Whereas Cirsha looked disappointed at the ending of the interaction. Reglin would carry it on further, but he was not overly sure of how far he could carry on with the young brunette princess. It was best to call it an evening before he made a fool of himself and let the artifact work its magic, literally. Best safe than sorry.

The whole party of the two princesses, two handmaidens, and Reglin strolled back to the palace, talking about more some other small cultural concepts. Reglin was able to learn a bit more about the way that a royal mind might see things.

When they reached the palace interior Reglin made his farewell to Princess Cirsha, telling her that he really hoped to have a chance to train with her sometime. When the sisters shared a look, the youngest nodded and left, leaving just Yelena, Oliyah, and Reglin.

Yelena leaned in and spoke into Oliyah’s ear quietly. The handmaiden didn’t bother lifting her head, only nodded, turned and left. Not farewell in any form. That made Reglin laugh, shaking his head.

Leaving the two former child friends alone, Yelena turned to face him. Her petite form more than a foot shorter than Reglin. She looked up at him with a small upturn on her lips, “So, what are you going to do now, if I may ask?”

Taking a deep breath, Reglin spoke, “Well, I was thinking that I would head over to the library to get some studying in.”

Stepping in closer to him, but still a respectful distance, “Studying? I was there earlier this evening getting some guidance from the Magistricia…”

That caused him to raise a brow, but giving away not much more, he hoped, “Oh? Curious…”

The tiny princess smiled wider at the obvious restraint that Reglin was showing, “Yes Reg…” She paused, “After you left, I took the opportunity to take up some of the time she had available without having you as a pupil. It was an eye-opening experience. We talked of auras… She taught me how to see them.”

That was very interesting to the young guardsman, “Wow… That is quite a revelation. You remind me that I need to get some more practice in that arena.”

The small blonde raised a brow at that, “Maybe we can get together some time and practice at that?” She reached out and gave his forearm a soft pat, “I will leave you to your… studies… Have a good night, Reg. Thank you so much for your nice works with the ladies…” she turned and walked off.

~This is knowledge for the Reader~

The Affection Multiplier

~Mana: 266 (+110) 376~

~Mana Channels: ~Labiae Passionii (Lips of Passion) free, ~ Corpu Vigorii (Vigorous Body) 100, ~ Uirtau Proelium (Martial Prowess) 100, ~Mensu Lucidae (Bright Mind) 100, ~ Tactu Beatae (Blissful Touch) 100, ~Plurem Amatrixae Normalii (The Normalcy of Many Loves) 500, ~Corpu Libidaem (Lustful Body) 100, ~Corpu Spectabilum (Intimidating Body) 100, ~Mentulae Potencii (Potent Cock) 150, ~Limbu Infinitum (Endless Loins) 100, ~Voluptae Gustatum (Delightful Flavor, Gratify the Appetite) 100, ~Figurae Cultura (Shaping Culture) 500, ~Vulgum Venerae (The Love of the Masses) 500

~Lovers~ A: 200 E: 200 L: 200

~Tabitha~ Affectionae: 100 Erosii: 100 Libidae: 100 (Effective 58)
~Asha~ A: 100 E: 100 L: 100 (Effective 42)

~Royal Polivander House~ A: 27 (+22) 49 E: 5 (+5) 10 L: 1 (+5) 6

~Princess Katya~ A: -52
~Princess Yelena~ A: 71 (+12) 83 E: 5 (+5) 10 L: 1 (+5) 6
~Princess Cirsha~ A: 8 (+10) 18

~Nobles~ A: 63 (+17) 80 E: 2 (+3) 5 L: 18 (+10) 28

~Lady Wilmyna~ A: 43 (+11) 54 E: 2 (+3) 5 L: 18(+10) 28
~Lady Falina~ A: 13 (+3) 16
~Lady Vidala~ A: 7 (+3) 10

~Royal and Noble maidens~ A: 111 (+20) 131 E: 1 (+2) 3 L: 36 (+17) 53

~Maiden Caterina~ A: 18 E: 1 L: 2
~Maiden Gwynfuir~ A: 15
~Maiden Erynna~ A: 5
~Maiden Oliyah~ A: 10 (+2) 12
~Maiden Iridia~ A: 2 (+2) 4
~Maiden Freighla~ A: 45 (+10) 55 E: 0 (+2) 2 L: 28 (+12) 40
~Maiden Deela~ A: 9 (+3) 12
~Maid Camilla~ A: 7 (+3) 10 L: 6 (+5) 11

~Day watch~ A: 238 E: 3

~Grahm~ A: 40
~Lim~ A: 62 E: 3
~Boll~ A: 40
~Halpern~ A: 29
~Nimit~ A: 22
~Gamil~ A: 7
~Magnurs~ A: 10
~Canith~ A: 12
~Yohan~ A: 9
~Sebestin~ A: 3
~Yorick~ A: 4

~Evening watch~ A: 13 (+9) 22

~Thedin~ A: 6 (+4) 10
~Vorn~ A: 7 (+5) 12

~Night watch~ A: 6

~Palace Staff~ A: 46 (+2) 48 L: 6

~Lina~ A: 46 (+2) 48 L: 6
~Govren~ A: 2