"Well it doesn't seem like we're late..." Reggie said with a little confused tone as he looked about the garden. He made sure not to stand too close to the pond.
Reggie wore a white buttoned vest with a teal eton jacket with matching pants. Though he bought a top hat that came with the outfit, he refrained from wearing it. Ag, in contrast, wore a large dark red leather greatcoat with several gold silk soutaches along the collar and breast. Both stood at a lazy attention looking for any sign of life.
The eastern garden which sat on the right side of the palace was one of the most open of the palace gardens. Sporting a sizable fish pond and multiple rolling flower beds. An old dark wood gazebo combined with a small dock sat at the pond's northern edge.
"So what was all that about at the tailor?" Reggie started asking. "You've had a dumb smile on your face since we left the palace."
"Oh, right. I'm often stuck in my armor for weeks on end, so anytime I can dress nicely is a very pleasurable change of pace." Ag said still with his giddy smile.
They both turned noticing a finely dressed man directing a few servant staff who were carrying furniture towards the gazebo. As a table and several chairs get moved into the gazebo Reggie and Ag walked over. Noticing their approach the man turned to face them. The evening sun glinting off his spiky ginger hair that covered short pointed ears, all accented by a chinstrap beard. His sharp face smiled as he recognized the two. "Aye! It's good to finally meet you two!" He raised his hand to be shaken.
Reggie was apprehensive at first noticing the man's uniform as it was the General's uniform of the Arkisium military, a forest green dolman with black laces and several braided gold cords to indicate his rank . "And you are?"
"Right, of course Zack and my brother wouldn't have mentioned me knowing them. The name's Prince Hawthorne Winshire. A pleasure to meet both of you." He finished while shaken both their hands with a firm grip. "Both of you are quite early."
"The invitation stated 'late-evening'. We both assumed it was about this time." Ag said looking over the invitation again.
"Right... You guys are from different worlds so of course there would be some discrepancies. We consider late-evening the moment the sun just falls under the horizon." All three looked towards the setting sun that was still fully visible over the outer walls of the palace. "My mother and I just got done with our weekly hunt, so she's getting cleaned up and dressed in her room. So fill free to meander for a bit."
"Excuse me, Prince... Your hunt?" Reggie asked mostly curious as to why a queen would be out hunting.
"You can just call me Hawk. My full name is a mouthful." The prince gave a laugh. "And yes, me and my mother have a day where we head out to see if we can catch anything."
Reggie turned and gave a mixed concerned and confused look over to Ag who simply replied by raising his eyebrows in a facial shrug. They were quite confused why a queen of all people would be kicking about in a forest looking for game. They both walked away from the gazebo to talk amongst themselves.
"Hey, you understand nobles better than I do. Is it just me or is the whole royal family and their subordinates a little off?" Reggie asked.
"From my observations, quite so. But this could simply be a cultural thing. We are in a world similar to our own, but it doesn't mean everything is the same. Though that being said... we've yet to actually meet any other nobles. They could all just be exceptions to the rule." Ag pondered out loud looking towards the pond in thought. Reggie looked around with a nervous shake.
"Are you okay, Reggie? You shouldn't let skepticism develop into paranoia." Ag asked puting a hand on his partner's shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just a lot... on my mind..." Reggie's speech slowed as his eyes made contact with the pond. A constant nagging in his body to approach it combined with his instincts telling him it's a fatal idea. It's been a while since Lady has made an "attempt" which freighted him greatly.
XXXXX
Almost an hour later.
XXXXX
Both Vanity and Dian both finally arrived in the garden. Hot and out of breath, they found and approached their two male companions who were off looking at a grouping of bird topiaries. Reggie's jaw almost dropped at the two babes who just approached, but Ag remained much more stoic.
Dian wore a forest green military dolman with black lace bindings over her usual black turtleneck, as well as black pants mostly covered up by a pair of high-heeled jackboots that added a good few inches to her already massive height. Vanity instead went more feminine with a full red and yellow sleeveless bodice that matches her eyes with a flounce dress that barely scrapped against the ground.
Reggie let out a long whistle. "Dang, you ladies clean up nice!" He complimented.
"Thanks." Dian replied with a cool smile on her face. "I would say the same, but it seems you forgot the two smears of rat shit on your upper lip."
Reggie sneered at her while running his fingers over his poor excuse of a mustache. "At least Vanity put in the effort to actually dress womanly." His snide little remark instantly sparked a hair-trigger in Dian.
"Firstly, you don't get to decide what I wear and if it's 'womanly' or not! Secondly, I couldn't find any dresses that didn't make me look like some two-copper harlet!" Dian barked back at him.
"What? Afraid you might show a little shoulder? Or a little neck for that matter?" Reggie jeered back. Meanwhile Vanity and Ag we're having their discussion on the side lines.
"I really think we should stop them... but damn if a noble doesn't like some drama here and there..." Vanity started.
"I'll let them get it out of their system. For now." Ag said with a prepared look in his eye as it followed Dian's hand as it went straight for Reggie's collar.
"Listen here you poor excuse of a man! You should be weary of what you say to a member of the Cecht household!" Dian pulled him close to stare into his eyes as Reggie could see a dark blue glow under her mask.
"I don't keep skeletons in my closet, as I'm much better at digging graves."
Dian tossed Reggie to the ground and turned away from him. She then screamed in pain as she keeled over clutching her chest, gasping, as she vomited water into the grass. As she lay on all fours choking; she turns her head back to Reggie. Strands of her black hair falling infront of her face boiling with scorn. "What the FUCK did you just do to me!"
Reggie still laid on his back propping himself on his elbows. "I'm fine with being berated, but I don't do handsy women." He sneered.
Dian replied with a agitated yell as she stood up drawing a kukri from the inside of her right boot. She charged with the blade pointed forward aimed directly at the human man.
"STOP!" A large scaly hand halted Dian in her tracks. "What has gotten into you two? We are supposed to be a team!" Ag chastised looking back and forth at both of them. There was a brief moment of heavy breaths as everyone calmed themselves.
"That's not the first time you pulled that dirty trick on me." Dian growled. "But it will be the last." She then turned to compose herself and fix her hair.
Ag turned to Reggie with a curious look hoping for some clarification. Reggie noticing this as he stood up on his feet. "It wasn't me."
Technically, he wasn't lying.
As the two wondered off in their own directions Ag yelled again. "Make sure you all get your faculties in order before the queen arrives!" Ag then sighed closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "Ry frozh, xibs zh jtxsajkh." He quietly prayed in his native tongue.
Vanity stepped up behind him giving a solitary hand on his back. "Give them time. We've been here for less then a month and not everyone is as adjusted to it as we are."
Ag grumbled. "That's why we need to work together so we can leave sooner."