Roleplay

@Shaynalie

Rolin seemed uncomfortable with the idea of just letting them go. He knew they could defend themselves, but he was worried they would get lost. He'd rather not have to send out a search party on the first day they were there. "Can't you wait and do it another day?"

Zeza shook her head. "I have people who need to be fed, and your taverns are...."she tried to figure out how to say disgusting without being insulting.

"Our people would rather make their own meals, but we kinda need food to do that. We have meat and can get that on our own, but anything that comes from a farm, well...We're low on that. It won't take us long to find what we need and if it makes you feel better, Eli can come with us."Lynne quickly chimed in knowing her sister was ready to insult the prince.

Rolin looked at Eve and Eli and then back at the sisters. "Alright, that's fine."

@pbg146

Eli didn't give any sign that he'd been surprised at Lynne's volunteering him to go with them, though he really was somewhat caught off guard that she'd recalled his name. He couldn't count the officials and the royalty he'd escorted who either didn't remember his name or never asked for it, yet this girl asked for and remembered it.
He looked to Eve and she jutted her chin out slightly; Go with them, the motion confirmed. That was proof Eve was all business even when it was detrimental to herself. Eli blinked in acknowledgement and took a handful of steps to take up a position by the two assassins, not looking back.
He'd gotten his instructions.

Eve, meanwhile, tore her gaze from Eli's retreating back to look momentarily over at Rolin. His eyes were on the sisters; he clearly wanted to ensure their safety, nevermind they could probably lay out anyone who attempted to touch them. She didn't speak, allowing him to offer his parting words, waiting for him to give an indication of where she was supposed to follow him to.

@Shaynalie

Rolin smiled softly."We'll see you back at the castle in about an hour then."

Zeza nodded and then turned and headed into the marketplace, Lynne following close behind her. Once they were out of earshot of Rolin and Eve, Zeza let out a very heavy sigh.

"You need to learn how to relax around people."Lynne said.

Rolin sighed softly as the three disappeared into the market. "I'm sorry about earlier."he said to Eve, turning and heading back to the castle.

@pbg146

Eli did his best to blend into the surroundings, knowing just from that first sentence that he shouldn't be hearing this discussion. He somewhat tuned out the ssound of the girls' voices, walking along behind them like a dark shadow. He couldn't imagine what Lynne meant by her comment as it seemed Zeza had relaxed fine for Rolin, but maybe that was her tense.

Eve wordlessly quirked an eyebrow at his apology, not offering a response. There really was no good way for her to respond, as his rebuke on her edginess had made her feel so many different things. She followed along two steps behind him, figuring that was where she actually belonged. Very few guards actually walked beside those they protected unless in a tense, dangerous situation; Eve had always walked beside Rolin because she'd always seen them as equals, not one a leader and the other a follower. But maybe it was time for her to acknowledge what she was and what he was.

@Shaynalie

"I'm sorry it doesn't come as easy to me as it does you."Zeza muttered. The conversation seemed to end there as Zeza started talking to a man about the potatoes he was selling.

Lynne had fallen back and was standing beside Eli. "What do you know of the farmers around here?"

Rolin slowed his step so he was even with Eve. "I know you're worried about me and having two assassins with us isn't easy...I just didn't think you needed to be as up tight as usual." He really hoped he hadn't just ruined their friendship. He valued Eve a lot more than she knew and if he weren't next in line to be king he would've made a move already.

@pbg146

"Farmers?" Eli echoed, a bit surprised that she was addressing him again in a comfortable, familiar manner. "Honestly I'm not out here very often, but if there's something in particular you'd like to know, I could probably answer it or get you to someone who could."

Eve glanced sideways as he slowed up to walk next to her, a motion she hadn't expected. "...you want to tell me to not be uptight when you're literally showing not one but two assassins the city. When they're staying in the palace," she responded, fingers tightening on the handle of the knife strapped to her thigh. "If this is an apology, you're really doing a terrible job at it. You don't know how embarrassing it was for you to call me out in front of other royalty and then ignore me. Entirely."
Nope, she'd gotten too close, it was all too obvious. If things like this were going to start happening, she'd either have to distance herself or, heaven forbid, change assignments. The thought stung, but if she'd gotten close enough to where her judgment was affected, she had to think of Rolin first. If she was no longer his best protection, she needed to get him whoever was.

@Shaynalie

"Fruits and vegetables. That's what we really need."Lynne said, following Zeza as she continued on.

Rolin nodded, understanding her feeling. "You were being a bit more defensive than normal. I know you're worried and just doing your job, but there's no reason to treat them differently. They're here for political reasons. If they wanted me dead, they would've killed me by now."

@pbg146

"That's what you're looking for? Well, are you looking for really good quality, quantity, or an even split of the two?" Eli replied as they headed further into the market. Talking to Lynne was distracting him from really keeping an eye out for anything suspicious, but he really doubted anything would happen.

Eve wordlessly bit the inside of her cheek, knowing this conversation was going nowhere. All it was doing was making her feel progressively worse for doing her job; yes she'd been edgier, but edgier when you're a guard wasn't a bad thing. "Fine, I'm sorry. Can you just stop making me feel worse?" The whole situation had already done whatever damage, and his continued insistence that it was her fault wasn't helping; he could've at least acknowledged that it had been kind of rude for him to call her on it in front of others.
She shook her head. "I don't even know why you're bothering to say whatever anyway. I apparently screwed up my job protecting you, you called me on it, end of story." I'm just a guard, how I feel doesn't matter.

@Shaynalie

Lynne nodded."A mix of both.We had a lot of people with us and they all need to be fed."she said. She was keeping an eye on things, as was Zeza. To them it was second nature to stay alert while having conversations.

Rolin blinked."You didn't screw up your job..."he said and then let out a heavy sigh, knowing he wasn't going to repair what damage had been done.

@pbg146

"Then you'll want to talk to River," Eli answered, gesturing up ahead and slightly to the left. "He lives up past the dress shop, between the bakery and a pen of cows belonging to the butcher." He wasn't too concerned about his drifting attention; these two could definitely take care of themselves.

Eve stopped walking, whirling on him. "Every time you repeat that I was too on edge, you make me feel like I have," she informed him, resisting the urge to the kind of person she usually protected him from. "I get it, I was too defensive. I know it was wrong but I couldn't overlook the possibility of a threat from two trained assassins! So yes, I was edgier. Yes, I didn't trust them as far as I could throw them. Yes, I knew I didn't need to be but-" But I care about you too much.