Zaltar and all 12 warlords were waiting for them when they arrived at their temporary camp in the land behind their castle, beyond the small stream, but before the king's forest. Thunder leaped the stream and Dan clutched the side of his chest in pain from the sudden movement, then quickly tried his best to hide all signs of his discomfort. Mark and Bret kept pace on either side and his uncle, and his men followed close behind. He rode up and issued a Harnizian greeting before dismounting before the Warlords.
"I'm afraid, there were some unexpected problems last night and so, my father and brother will be busy elsewhere and not joining us on our ride this morning. I hope you do not mind that my Great uncle came in their place." He fibbed as best he could through the guilt.
"That is fine, some of our leaders have important problems to work out too. Perhaps just a small group of us could ride out together and get to know one another, my grandkids have been excited to meet you." Zaltar said. The 12 warlords nodded as if they had planned this and six of them stepped back and began ushering the growing crowd of curious onlookers away. Six teenagers took their place, mounting the tall lean Wildland horses with ease.
"That sounds wonderful." He said knowing this would still be a political outing rather than a relaxed ride regardless of the teen's presence, they were likely meant to help lower mental guards and ask questions adults might not be able to get away with politely. Everything was political, he would need to keep his wits about him.
A young man stepped up beside Zaltar and the old man smiled fondly at him "This is my Grandson, Kamar," he said with pride "and War Lord Lemir's daughter Jazelin and…" he introduced the rest of the children seemingly from the eldest who seemed close to his own age to the youngest who seemed about 14.
Dan introduced his and his great uncle's guards and they were on their way riding threw the meadow to the woods that lay beyond. He didn't spend a lot of time out this way, but he had been enough that he knew the way, and the trails through the forest were kept clear and were easy to follow.
Jazelin kept trying to talk to him, and seemed to hang on his every word; he didn't trust it. He had met noble women who would do the same thing when trying to charm a particular man, and liking that person often had nothing to do with it. The younger kids darted in and out of the main group asking all sorts of questions many of which he suspected were scripted but all were innocent enough. He took the opportunity to ask similar questions back making several of the intimidating warlords smile and relax.
In their culture, it was a good sign when others showed interest and allowed them the chance to share their own perspectives and stories. besides if he kept them talking there was less he had to answer, and the pain in his right side was slowly growing worse with the bouncing of the horse's jaunt. Three long hours later they finally made their way back to their camp and brought all the horses to the stream to drink.
Just over a hundred meters away, on the other side of the river, his sister sat under a tree playing with her beloved pets. The rabbit had plumped up quite nicely with all her pampering and it now willingly played with her rather than trying to run and hide. Kamar broke into his pleasant observation with a simple question.
"Who is that beautiful girl over there?" he asked. Dan looked around for another girl, but there were only two male guards with his sister today (one more than usual likely due to the events earlier in the morning) and no lady's maid, maybe she had gone off to get lunch or something? It took him a moment to process that Kamar must have meant… his sister…?
"My sister, Princess Eliza." He said looking back to see Kamar staring at her in wonder as if she were some kind of mythical creature like a unicorn.
"A princess? She looks nothing like what I remember from the welcoming committee…" he said absently.
Dan watched her playing with the rabbit, a hound, and a cat. The hound she had insisted on raising when she had found out they were going to drown the runt and the barn cat had apparently been so fluffy and cute she just couldn't bear to leave it be. She took them all outside to play as often as she could and because playing with a rambunctious tracking hound and a clawed cat and as yet unpotty trained rabbit could do a number on fancy dresses, she had on a strange assortment of play clothes. Pants to protect her legs from the dirt and cold and a knee-length skirt because their mother didn't like the idea of young ladies wearing pants but her sister didn't want to trip over the hem while playing.
As she rolled around in the last of the snow with her hound he could see why the Harnisian was surprised, she showed none of the proper rigidity and decorum their royalty was known for.
"Most of us save the fancy clothes and courtesies for public events, it would be unbearable to act so stuffily all the time." He said.
"Then why put on such an act?"
"Are you going to tell me that none of your people have acted differently from their norm when coming before us?"
Kamar thought about it and shook his head.
"All cultures have their own forms of posturing, though the customs are different, and some are more excessive than others, they still exist," Dan said with a tired sigh because he often wished they did not.
"And what are you like when you're not posturing?" Kamar asked.
Dan smiled his thought going to quiet evenings at the wall with Vera reading books and talking. Even some of the crazy adventures she had dragged him on that had ended up kickstarting some of his political movements. Even his banter with the kitchen staff and his closest guards. "I'm happy." He said simply. There was a long silence as Kamar simply nodded.
After a while of watching his sister play, Kamar added "She looks happier too, when she is not posturing. It is better this way. Why then do you think we all do it?"
"For protection, if people know the real you, and what you care about, they also know how to hurt you, and no one wants to give that power to someone who has not gained their trust."
"Even a princess must fear this?"
"All people must fear this, especially those of high rank or power, and those closest to them."
"There is truth to your words. And it hurts, because it feels wrong. Yet I know of no solution."
This time he nodded, and the silence stretched again.
Soon after they said their goodbyes and he went to the healer before sending a message to his family that he would be skipping dinner to rest and asked not to be disturbed, then after leaving Mark to guard an empty room he snuck down to the crypts, and from there to the wall to sleep on the cot there knowing he would not sleep well in his own room for a while. But here, here he felt safe.