Had she realized that she was unnerving the boy, Kris would have most certainly backed off with a flustered apology. Unfortunately, she had no idea at all, apparently too blinded by the sparkling stars in her eyes to notice. She had always loved to talk the ear off of whoever would listen to her about her dreams of becoming a knight, and apparently she had found a new victim in the poor boy before her. Her grip on his hand tightened slightly when he revealed that he was here for the same reason, and she suddenly yanked him forward a little. From this point on, escape was futile. The girl's expression was one of delight, her mouth pulled into a grin. "That is wonderful! I'm here for the exact same reason--I too wish to serve Prince Marth." How wonderful it was to meet someone who had the same goal as she did! Perhaps they were destined to be the best of friends? Wouldn't that be nice! Her father had expressed some worry about her getting along with the other knights-to-be, but she was certain that he'd be quite pleased to hear that she had met a boy (he wouldn't) on her very first day. "There is no greater honour than being able to serve and protect the kingdom, wouldn't you agree?" She stared up at him with round, expectant eyes, and then suddenly perked up when she realized she had failed to give this stranger her name. Oops. Though her full given name was Krista, she had grown much more accustomed to her nickname. "Ah, by the way--my name is Kris! And you are...?" She was still holding on to his hand. Either she had simply forgotten that fact, or she was intent on never letting it go.

Kris expected to discover new things and enjoy new experiences as a Knight of Altea. It was one of the reasons he had been so excited when he left his little village. All he did was train, which was an honor, but he was left with an itch that couldn't be scratched by three hundred practice swings a day, or reading ancient history out of a moldy tome. This was just plain nightmarish. This girl was hiding some kind of monster strength. Was she even human? Admittedly, he didn't have much experience with women. The girls in the village were all so demure, waving to him and giggling whenever he passed. Then, there were the older women, who would occasionally give him treats that were to be kept a secret from his grandfather. They were all kind and gentle. Where did this girl fit in? She was no serene pegasus knight or delicate healer. Hers was the grip of the swordsman. She declared she also wished to serve Prince Marth, and protect the kingdom. Worthy values--his own, in fact. Then her name, which was...also his own. He felt a couple beads of sweat form on his brow. The training hadn't even begun, and he was already being exhausted. What would his grandfather say? "There will be many challenges as a Knight of Altea. Endure. Being at Prince Marth's side is the most important thing." That sounded right. So, he must stand firm. He steeled his mind and his expression. "I agree!" he answered her loudly, his vigor returned to him. "Which is why I will become a noble Knight of Altea and protect Prince Marth--myself!" The hand that the other Kris held clenched into a fist. "My name is also Kris, from now on, we will be competing to serve our country! And when it comes to Prince Marth, I will not lose!" Then he turned and strode towards the proving ground, leaving the other Kris stunned with his display of resolve and passion. That is, he would, if she weren't still holding his hand captive. "Ermm..." he looked from her clasped hands back to her face. He wasn't quite sure how to approach this after his little speech. "Excuse me, could you let go now? I'm sure we're supposed to be gathering in the proving grounds..."

This must be fate, She thought to herself, nodding sagely. Sure, she had the tendency of referring to any little coincidence as "fate" or "destiny", but she really believed it right now! After all, they were both new here, were both gunning to become noble knights that served that land, and had just so happened to bump right into one another (granted that she had done most of the "bumping" in this case, but that was apparently irrelevant). The revelation that they both shared the same name--or at least, nickname--did nothing to dispel the girl's belief. On the contrary, she looked just about ready to launch herself at him in a hug. Fortunately, Kris refrained from doing so, which was probably a good thing. Considering the iron grip she was using on his hand, one could only imagine what a bear hug from the otherwise deceptively small looking girl would be like. Possibly crushed organs and cracked ribs. It was a long shot, but it was probably best to avoid being captured within her arms in the first place. The only thing that made the bright glimmer in her eyes dim slightly was when the other Kris informed her that they'd be competing. The mental image of them being the next Cain and Abel shattered in her mind's eye. Did that mean that they couldn't be best friends? A most fearsome duo that everyone respected? Her grin began to falter as well, and there was a beat of silence...before she instantaneously brightened up again. For the time being, it seemed as if his request for her to release his hand had flown right over her head. "Rivals!" Kris declared, her eyes suddenly blazing, "You're on! Just you wait though--I will be the one to protect Prince Marth! Rest assured that I will not lose, Kris the second!" Because she was the first Kris, of course. Then she finally let go of the poor boy's hand.

"Kris the second...?" Kris repeated this moniker to himself, while rubbing his hand. He did not like it. To be second was to imply that she would be first, that she would be better than him in some way. No, he was trained for this -- trained by the best. Kris was representing his grandfather and all that he had worked for since he was barely out of his crib. But this was a distraction, of course. The correct thing to do would be to ignore her. His victory would be one of solemn dignity and triumph over the obstacles in his path, just as his grandfather had-- "Then may the best man win!" he declared. "I'll see you inside, other Kris." Then he turned around and marched right into the proving grounds. And yes, he did realize he never picked up the canteen he had dropped, but he would not lower himself to that level. He would just...go without the water. That's right. It was a good exercise. What if he and Prince Marth were in some god-forsaken desert, and he had to go without water for his liege's sake? Then he could look back and say, "I sure am glad that I, the one and only Kris, practiced going without water when that crafty girl tried to usurp his rightful place at Prince Marth's side." No, the other Kris wasn't getting to him at all. Certainly not one bit. ----- A wizened man in a set of purple plate armor watched the new recruits as they filed in to Altea's Proving Grounds, a patch of green on castle grounds that were usually used for the Knights of Altea's training drills. He sat atop a tall warhorse outfitted with orange armor, where his dark, stony eyes could see all types. The bold and the calm. The big and the small. The strong and the weak. Each would be tested -- perhaps to the breaking point. He had tested potential trainees before -- before the War of Shadows -- but seeing it in the new era of peace was fresh even for a seasoned veteran like him. After two trainees entered - a man with brown hair and a dark-haired woman shortly after him -- he strode forward to address the group. "Attention!" he called, his booming voice only very lightly choked with age. "I am Jagen, Prince Marth's personal advisor! Each and every one of you has shown the willingness to be accepted into the Knights of Altea, and thus we have opened the gates for you this day. However, we are looking for more than willingness in our knights! You must also show your strength, your discipline, and your wit! You will be pushed to the height of your abilities, and most of you will fail. But to those of you who can weather the training, you will join me as a defender of this land! As is Altean tradition, blood has no bearing on your success! You will be measured solely by your abilities! Now, gather into pairs! For this first test, you will be facing off against real Altean knights in mock combat!" ----- Kris, who had nearly been brought to gleeful tears by Jagen's speech, soon found himself struck as a fawn glancing down the shaft of an incoming arrow. He had not considered that he would have to pair up, and especially not for the first test. Because he had came in somewhat late, thanks to that girl, he had not the time to socialize with anyone nearby. In fact, the closest one to him was that girl, and he certainly didn't want to risk letting her get to him during something as important as the first test! No, there had to be someone else...but as he looked around, all he could see where others getting into pairs, leaving him increasingly isolated. Could he handle such a task by himself? Would that impress Sir Jagen, or anger him? Kris was finding himself already at a loss with his first assignment. The one thing he never received training on was communicating with other warriors, and fighting alongside them. There was only one person he had been instructed to fight alongside: Prince Marth.