Diplomacy Fails Again

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She still didn't feel entirely comfortable with the idea of trotting out into the woodlands with the man she could hardly stand to look at, but the thought of just going for a good jaunt without the pressures of her future and current responsibilities weighing on her was enough to combat her misgivings. Mana was hesitant, her willingness to trust that Lance really meant what he said remaining at a low ebb, despite his obvious efforts to put her at ease. At least his was willing to admit, even in jest, that he was detestable. It did actually do something for the princess, somehow allowing her to relax a little, though of course this relaxation was infinitesimal compared to the highly strung portion of her that dominated her personality.

"I suppose I will see you soon." She eventually conceded, finding it hard to know what to say to him, feeling that perhaps a thankyou was in order, though she was currently too proud to offer such a thing. Rather than allow herself to feel weak in showing a basic courtesy, Mana simply turned away and headed back to her quarters. Once out of sight of the knight, her brisk pace slowed a little, her straight posture sagging as she allowed herself to relax ever so slightly. It was a miniscule change in her, and one that would likely last only a few minutes more.

The girl made short work of getting out of the dress that was already beginning to annoy her in its flamboyance. Of course, a maid was on hand to help her unlace it, and bustle about, getting in the way and only managing to annoy the princess so much that the poor girl was eventually sent away again. Mana did enjoy her independence, and as such dressed herself in a pair of breeches, pairing these with a plain riding shirt before weighing up whether she ought to at least wear some semblance of female clothing. In the end, Mana went with the prudent choice, slipping on a tan riding apron that gave the appearance of a skirt, without getting in the way like an ordinary one would.

Once ready, Mana did as she had been bidden, sending a servant with the message that she would be waiting by the stables. The princess made her way down lazily, reaching the stables and the outdoors in a few minutes, waiting just a second or two before the knight arrived. He was prompt, as always. "My hero." She spoke with a false smile, for once attempting to be sarcastic in a friendly manner, rather than trying to discredit or offend the one before her. It was a clumsy attempt, which was unfortunate, though its presence was at least encouraging.
 
He had the same thought though, he wasn't too sure about going anywhere with the princess; with how much she complained at the palace he wondered if she'd do the same in the woods. But then he remembered that she enjoyed being out so that canceled out the possibility of her at least complaining about the activity, complaining about him on the other hand he wasn't too sure about. Lance was a bit dishearten when what he said didn't really seem to calm the princess or make her hate him any less; what he had ever done to her before yesterday? For the many years he stayed at the castle, he never once talked to her no had he ever seen her before his promotion to become her royal guard. Maybe if she ever relax with him around he'd ask her but for now, it didn't seem like a wise idea.

Once he reached his chambers that's when he let out a drawn out sigh while eh rested his back against the door. The princess like usual was cold, not even bothering with a 'thank you', if she didn't wish to go or if she did she could have been a bit nicer and less cold. But he shook his head; that's just how Mana was, no point in complaining about it. The young knight walked over to his armor stand then started to unclasp what he had on so eh could wear something more practical for the hunt. His new attire was a dull green linen shirt, dull brown trousers, a pair of worn out boots, and a leather vest. He also replaced his sword for several daggers he hid all over his body, and finally a bow with a quiver full of arrows. The young man normally didn't allow himself to dress this way but maybe this would cause the princess to see him as a young man rather than a knight that took orders.

Once the servant arrived he thanked the young woman after slinging the bow across his shoulders and left his chambers. Though he wasn't in his impressive armor, many servants and knights respectively bowed their heads to him as he walked down the hall towards the stable. When he arrived and heard the princess' attempt at a friendly banter he normally would have had some kind of comment to reprimanded her but he was a different person once out of his armor. "You're knight in shining, well, leather as arrived." He stated with a chuckle as he foolishly bowed with a grin while walking. "I already have your horse saddled and your supplies ready." He told her then gestured to the horses that were being led towards them.
 
"You know you look ridiculous, don't you?" Mana couldn't help but ask him, finding his newly donned attire rather amusing, so much so that she almost laughed for a moment, and did in fact manage a sly smile. The princess was in a rather good mood, the excitement of being allowed to go out hunting, let her hair down and just be who she wanted to be, it was a rare opportunity. She didn't like to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and particularly not someone like Lance, but in this case she was coming around to the idea that maybe he was just genuinely trying to do something nice, as he had said, in an effort to find common ground. But still, how the event actually panned out remained to be seen, and Mana was more than ready to see some conspiracy or underhandedness where there was none.

The horse that the princess would be riding had been gifted to the princess on her fifth birthday, and it had seemed to mirror her mistress in every way. The well turned out chestnut had matched the growing princess in personality, by equal turns playful and mistrusting. It was not unheard of for a stable hand to spend hours trying to coax the beast from the pasture, the ornery young thing approaching calmly before snorting almost derisively at the hand and galloping away to another area. Of course, this animal was also rather grumpy, and went a step further than the princess, actually going for all out animosity when it suited her. Even now, as the two horses were just about held by the stable lad, the mare pinned her ears, bunny hopping at the rear while the front end focused on attempting to bite the poor boy that led her, or perhaps the horse beside her if she could reach him. And for all this, Mana still loved the animal, and was in fact the only person that prevented the troublemaker being either slaughtered or simply beaten into submission.

"Bianca." Mana spoke with a fondness that could not have been faked, taking the reins of the horse as they were all but thrown toward her. The second Mana had hold of the powerful horse, she calmed down, whickering to her mistress, ears pricked attentively as the princess whispered kind words to her beloved horse. "Now, do try to behave yourself today. I would rather not be deposited in a tree." Mana finished off her little speech to her horse, allowing the stable hand to assist her in mounting, then becoming her independent self again as she glanced over to Lance. "Are you ready? I hope you can keep up." Mana smiled for once, patting her horse as she readied herself for what she sincerely hoped would be a rough and ready ride.
 
Lance exaggerated turning for her while he looked down at his attire then back at her with a goofy grin. "Hm...maybe it's my little plot to look like this so you could feel more at ease." He teased then ran a hand through his hair. "But really, that's the reason why I'm wearing this; I want you to think of me as a young man ,possibly a friend, and just act however you want without worrying about duty. It's the least I can do to find some common ground and make up for how I've acted recently." The knight admitted softly and a bit shyly. Then he looked at her attire and a mischievous grin plastered his face as he step a step closer. "You look good, much better to see the real you then the pampered side. I'm also excited to see the almighty princess huntress who's skills are supposed to be unrivaled by any man or beast." There were several stories going around about her prowess as a hunter and he was very interested to see. "And here come our noble steeds." The young man mused while leaning to the side slightly.

How could Lance's horse be described in one word? Well, he was a pure white stallion and the complete opposite of Lance; always playful and energetic even when he was in a dire situation. The horse was the main reason why Lance hardly ever snapped during the mission or ever faltered because he always had his loyal partner to back him up. Unlike the princess' horse, the steed happily let his stable whether it was simply to graze, be washed or even when he and Lance raced out on a life or death quest. He was just happy to be with the young man and serve him; since they had grown up together when Lance still lived with his family. As the stable hand led them along the horse happily cantered along with whinnied at the female horse, almost like he was laughing at her display. Lance watching the too chuckled softly watching his horse then looked over at Mana's horse and almost fell to the ground as his laughter exploded. Even her horse was just like the princess, but he quickly stopped his display before the princess could yell at him.

At least Mana got the reins to her horse, as soon as ,Tyrion, Lance's horse saw him and charged and Lance let out a sigh. Then suddenly the knight was on the ground with Tyrion's head and snout pressed against his rest then moved up to his neck while the stallion snorted happily. "Ah...haha...alright...lemme up." The young man said through his laughter and mouthfuls of horse mane. Finally, Tyrion backed up and Lance stood up and brushed himself off before patting the middle of the horse's head with a grin. "Ready to go?" He asked which the horse replied by shaking his head. Lance was pleased by the answer then mounted his horse easily and swiftly as they turned to face the other two. "We're ready when you are. Believe me, we won't have any problems keeping up with your pace." The knight told his princess.
 
The stallion all but dwarfed the mare, which was hardly surprising, given their respective purposes. Bianca was of course a strong and well muscled horse, but she was of a suitable size for a young woman, by all standards almost a pony, as she had of course been the possession of a small girl. Tyrion, on the other hand, was a destrier tasked with carrying a knight into battle, capable of intense bravery, stamina and of course looking elegant and imposing when required. They each fulfilled their roles well, though Mana still maintained that her mount would best the other in the woods. She was smaller and therefore more agile in the often difficult and twisting terrain of the woodland. This said nothing of the fact that Lance's own was also used to difficult landscapes, as well as the tight press of battle, though of course she didn't even begin to consider this fact.

It did not take the princess long to set off, though she had little choice in the matter. Bianca seized the bit between her teeth, all but dragging the girl out of the yard, her hooves producing a steady clatter as they left the yard. They maintained a brisk trot, the mare visibly showing off her high stepping, elegant cadence as Mana attempted to maintain a false smile as they made a quick exit through the city gates. Although she did not scorn the public, she hardly enjoyed their attention either, and as such avoided public engagements wherever possible. Even just this little trot through town was more than she could easily cope with, and as such the princess breathed a genuine sigh of relief as the affluent city gave way to a few outlying farms that were scarcely populated. The private woodland lay beyond this, just a few miles down the road, a nice warm up before the fun of the actual hunt.

The princess did make polite comment on the weather, as well as the coming season of harvest, though it was quite clear that her heart was not in this. She remained relatively stoic for most of the ride, until finally they found themselves entering a sparse cluster of trees that would soon lead to the denser forested region that they so desired to enjoy. "Do you think father would be upset if I became a hermit out here?" She could quite imagine living somewhere in the middle of a wood, perhaps frightening the life out of children that dared to venture out here. It was a fun thought, selfish as they come, but it did cause a genuine smile to momentarily pop up onto the girls face, briefly showing a hint of relaxation with her escort, though she was swift to tuck this away again. She didn't want him thinking that she might actually appreciate his company, did she?

Once within the woodland, Mana slowed her horse to a walk, though the animal was even more on her toes than she had been to start with. The mare knew that they were apt to enjoy some fast and difficult work, something that she happened to relish, alongside her mistress. The princess rode well, preventing the little beast from charging away with her as she spoke calmly to Lance, "These are your woods, you know the best places to start our search." Mana spoke expectantly, though a hint of a smile played at her lips. It was quite difficult to tell if she really was being this demanding, or if she was only teasing, and even she wasn't entirely certain which it was.
 
Lance loosely gripped Tyrion's reins as he let the horse follow the two; he knew where they were going and tended to trot at his own pace; not that Lance minded. He and his steed barely had time to themselves let alone enough time to simply take a ride at their leisure. Mana may have thought her life was burdened with responsibilities and duties but the same could be said about her escort that was happily patting the stallion's neck. The knight enjoyed his work most the time but all the things he saw took a toll of his body and mind sometimes; either scars of old would flare up and cause his body pain or he'd go back in time and relive each moment he killed a foe. He'd probably never stop being haunted by his past deeds.

The white stallion nickered in amusement before he followed after the chestnut mare through the gates and out of the yard. Strutting with his head held high and a cheery spring in his trot. Lance and Tyrion both seemed to get a kick out of seeing the mare's high steps but easily concealed their emotions as to not be back lashed at our lectured. Unlike Mana, Lance enjoyed talking to the citizens and waved at everyone with a smile as kids ran around his horse before running back over to their families. He also pulled out coins from purse time to time and handed them to those he knew were having a hard time with finances because of the recent war, and he even pulled out newly made wooden toys, handing those off and waved away any thanks or gifts they tried to give him. Lance became a knight for one sole reason; to help those that needed it. Once they had left the city walls he was going to make a comment about her actually talk and genuinely smiling at her citizens but thought better of it as they arrived continued down the road.

Lance poltiely replied to her comments about the weather and harvest but didn't add much since he could tell she wasn't very interested. If she truly wished to talk about something, why not bring up a topic she liked? The knight may not have seemed like it becuase of his usual staid look but he often liked to learn and talk about new things. Hearing what the princess said as the entered a bit of forest caused him to perk up and start chuckling. "Oh, he would be absolutely furious if you did that. Knowing your father he would use all his resources to find you but if a certain princess asked a knight to lay a false trail, she wouldn't be found." He replied then stretched his arms above his head. "Though I imagine even you would get lonely sooner or later out here." It may have been a selfish thought on her part but he was the exact same; after all, he left his home to come here. "But, you could hunt to your hearts desire and I'm sure you'd get visitors from time to time." The knight then added with a smile. Who knew, maybe he'd even visit her.

Upon entering his private reserve, Lance and Tyrion both became a bit more serious and alert. This was their stalking grounds and the thrill of the hunt always caused their blood to boil. Tyrion slowed down his stride when Bianca was now beside him and nickered softly but made sure to stay out of reach if she wished to harm him while the two riders talked. The knight turned his head to gaze at the princess and was a bit confused by her tone and facial expression, not sure what to make of it expect for one thing; he liked seeing her act freely without any worries. "I was thinking we'd start our search by the old water hole that's just south of us. Most animals start there and travel along its edge as they head to the river that flows through the heart; it will give us plenty of cover while also be kinder for our horses to walk on." Lance replied in a calm tone though he wore a smile. Excited for the hunt and possibly getting Mana to hate him less.
 
Beginning to feel a little relaxed, and even perhaps slightly trusting of this man was a very strange feeling. Mana did not like giving others power over her, and to her mind, affection or trust were both states that could be manipulated by the right person, whether that be the person themselves, or some outside influence. Either way, for a woman as flighty as this, it was difficult to allow others anywhere near her, and even her father was often kept at arms length. There was no surefire reason for this nervousness, although it was quite possible that losing her mother at such a young age had resulted in the girl becoming guarded and almost paranoid. Of course, were this the case, it was unlikely that Mana was consciously aware of it, and even if she had been, it was doubtful that she would ever admit to her fears. Showing fear was a weakness, and she had no desire to appear frail before anyone.

As they rode through the woodland at a rather relaxed pace, Mana had to work hard to ensure that her mount did not shoot off either upward, to the side or straight through the trees. Bianca tossed her head impatiently, occasionally pinning her ears and quite brutally baring her teeth at the innocent stallion beside her. There was little the princess could do to prevent these somewhat vicious lunges toward Tyrion, for the mare was understandably far stronger than the smaall princess, and more than happy to snatch the reins from her every so often. Even so, Mana often paused to murmur soothing words to Bianca, assuring her that, "We are not hunting for horses, dear one." A small reprimand spoken with an affection that no other could understand. Thankfully, the chestnut did not seem to be all out to kill her riding partner, and as such did not actually attack him, though she made a good show of prancing about like a bit of a floozy. Mana knew that despite appearances, her horse was containing herself rather well, and although she continued to throw in rather unorthodox movements, there was no real danger to herself or the ones she was with.

"You know, I think she likes you." Mana commented, somewhat surprised with the mare for not having kicked the horse beside her. She had once unseated an escort that had been charged with protecting the princess while she went for a relaxing evening ride. That had been a fun day, although Bianca had been in even worse favour after that. Even so, for now things were actually good, particularly with the idea of living out here in her head. It would always remain a fantasy, and one Lance seemed to actually understand, something that surprised her greatly. She said nothing in response to this, afraid of bonding over the shared fanciful scenario. It was perhaps a little silly to be so frightened, but she could at least hide this fact by insisting on keeping her mind focused on the task at hand.

She rode quietly to the watering hole that would serve as the beginning of their hunt, allowing Bianca to paddle in the water for a while, actually dismounting whilst still ankle deep in the water, climbing out onto the muddy mess around the body of water as she had apparently seen something interesting. They looked like fresh boar tracks, and although it was a rather ambitious quarry to take on, Mana was nothing if not daring. "Do you fancy catching a hog?" Mana spoke with a genuine smile, apparently enamoured with the task at hand. Her horse stepped out of the water, quite nonchalantly depositing some wonderfully dirty and icy water on her shoulder, apparently an affectionate joke. Mana glared at the little horse, though she was not truly angry. Instead of reprimanding the animal, she merely hopped back on, nudging the mare off again, following the tracks. "It can't be too far away, let's get to it." And she actually smiled over her shoulder, the first truly unguarded gesture toward Lance.
 
Tyrion, even though he was a large horse surprisingly made very little noise as he trotted beside Mana's mare and every so often scanned the route and their surroundings. Leo no longer had ahold of his horse's reins and instead now had his bow lying across his lap with an arrow already notched and ready to fire at a moment's notice; though he looked calm his body was always tense and ready for any action. The stallion saw no harm in what the mare beside him and it looked to be as if he was either enjoying the attention or that he was amused by it. Probably both. Lance leaned forward and patted the large animal's neck before he leaned back to his original spot then once again scanned around, sometimes when they went hunting he would see something of suitable size to bring back but so far he saw nothing except leaves.

"That's good, I'd hate to be on her bad side. Especially seeing her foot work and how she was towards the stable hand." Lance replied, then glanced at the mare he was riding beside. He had the chestnut steed in action before he wouldn't wish to anger her in someway, shape, or form. The escort for her on that day had told him and the others his tale of the story and most of them simply laughed at the young man while Lance knew for a fact that his fellow knight hadn't been making it up. Then he pulled his gaze away from the horse and returned it back to the path they were following, the knight was honestly surprised with how well this time together was going. They hadn't insulted or yelled at each other yet which seemed to be a step in the right direction in his book along with how she seemed pleased about his answer to her living out here. To be honest, there were a few times he had also thought about building a cabin in the woods and living there while still being a knight for her and her father.

Once they reached the watering hole he had slung the bow back over his back and put the arrow up before he dismounted Tyrion and silently trudged in. There was a slight curiosity building in him when Princess Mana walked over to something and he pulled himself out of the mud before following her. The knight sat on his feet to get a closer look as he touched the tracks with his fingers to see how fresh they were; they were still wet and muddy which meant the pig wasn't too far from them. "A hog huh? Been awhile since I've had the fun of hunting one." Lance smiled as he rubbed the two muddy fingers together and stood back up. His own steed walked to his left but didn't pull any jokes on him, he was flaring his nostrils as the boar's scent hit him. "I agree, it's probably close by and rummaging for food." He smiled back then mounted his horse again. "Looks like while your father will be hunting some stag or elk we'll be hunting something more fulfilling."
 
Being this relaxed in the company of another person was not something Mana was accustomed to, and she certainly hadn't expected it here. She had never seen Lance as anything other than a snake in the grass, masquerading as a noble knight that sought only to serve his king. Changing this perception would not be easy, and even now, despite her gradual easing into relaxation, the princess still found worrying doubts niggling at the back of her mind. What if this had been the plan all along? What if he was some kind of spy, and he was going to kidnap or kill her on this very day? Certainly these were weak possibilities, and the somewhat paranoid girl couldn't completely write them off. She did of course know that the idea was fantastical and stupid, but it didn't help either of them for the thoughts to exist in the first place.

"You know it could just be an elderly pig. We may find ourselves entirely underwhelmed." Mana pointed out with a hint of amusement. She wasn't so sure she would mind if that did turn out to be the case, for it was not the culmination of the hunt that gave her the rush. It was simply the ability to be free of rules, acting on a simpler impulse, living in the moment for hours on end. It was all rather liberating, although the poor animal would probably disagree with that analysis. Indeed, she voiced this little thought, "I doubt the hog appreciates your attempting to be kind. You've sentenced it to death for diplomacy. Poor thing." Of course, she blamed him for it, rather than the fact that she had so far been doing everything in her power to ensure she did not become friendly with the one man that stood between her and the dangers of her life. These words may have been said in jest, but the accusatory and almost derogatory undertone was unlikely to be missed by Lance, even if the one that had first spoken them had not detected her own snide comment.

Ahead of them, a relatively young pig snuffled about in the undergrowth. He was almost full to bursting with the days forage, and as such was burrowing away into a tangle of foliage that would serve as his resting place. He did not yet know that the approaching footfalls of shod animals signalled danger. Bianca stepped lightly, walking calmly, ears pricked as she for once bothered to focus on the task at hand, allowing her mistress to keep an eye on the ground below, as well as the area around them. She searched for any sign of her prey, following its tracks, though in the relative darkness of the dense forest, it was by no means an easy task.
 
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