The boat rocked gently on the aquamarine water, swaying her head side to side slightly. But she kept her head held high, eyes trained on the waterway before them. The two hunters seemed to be kind enough, not unfriendly in the least bit, but nonetheless Mira was slightly worried for how she could converse with them. She'd never really met with the hunters and definitely never remembered their names.
I should at least commit the names to memory, that's what a good ruler does..."A pleasure," she said, mimicking a slight smile that she'd seen her mother use. Pleasantries were sometimes a lot harder to copy exactly. "I hope... you were not inconvenienced by this abrupt happenstance. But it is what is needed to ensure the safety of the people here."
"Ah, excuse me? Pardon the interruption but I must ask for your name," a high-pitched voice squeaked from behind her. She shifted to look at the man in the eyes, but he was not afraid. Rather it seemed he was...ecstatic? "J-Just for reference of course! For record-keeping."
Record-keeping? What kind of outsider is this? "Mira. Heir to the throne. Now I suggest to stay quiet, lest your throat is silenced for you." Her tone was not angry not feeble, but stable and soothing despite the threat she had uttered. It had worked well enough, for the man stayed quiet, eyes trailing all over the city.
Once they approached the docks at the foot of the castle, the train of boats slowed to a stop to allow everyone to step off. Many people were gathered around the pathways and windows nearby, waiting still for her reaction. She felt all the stares burn through the back of her head and began to sweat from nerves. She swallowed it down and directed the outsiders indoors, ushering only the guards to follow from behind. "Hunters stay positioned outside until further notice."
And with that, the doors closed behind her, leaving her with the foreigners.
"From the North? That's quite a distance you all have traveled," the king boomed, shuffling before them and looking them in the eyes. No, rather, he was looking into their very cores and it scared the hell out of Adal. "Yet merely for research? It seems far-fetched."
"It may sound ridiculous from your side, y-your majesty," he chimed, trying his best to stand tall and keep his cool. He was still internally freaking out about the idea that they'd found such a mystical island with some of the most powerful beings ever heard of, but he had to keep playing it down. "But the Kingdom of Aysel has expanded a great deal and we are interested in exploring the furthest reaches of our continent and even the world. This is solely a product of our combined curiosity and seeking of the truth."
The princess, Mira, narrowed her eyes at this, but Adal pushed on. "We have no intentions to harm you or disrupt your lives. We cannot leave just yet, for we have not stocked up on supplies. If you can please spare and aid us, we will do our best to cooperate and be of assistance." This garnered a murmur from the guards and he felt Mira's glare intensify. But she didn't dare to speak up.
The king stroked his scruffy neck, glancing over at his queen in hesitation. "We are not a brutal, unkind people, you must know. But to trust your word is a breach of the security of our homeland. It is not easy to say we can blindly put our trust in a man who claims to be a researcher."
Adal's face flushed a bit. "We are only a small group, sire. It's your people, of whom you have thousands of, against this small crew. If we do anything to wrong you, surely you can execute us when you see fit and dispose of us without any trouble." His crew behind him also stirred, unsettled by his words. But Adal knew what he said was true and, undeniably, hard to disagree with.
"He's correct. These folk appear weak from their long journey. They are in no way capable of battling our numbers in their state," Mira stated, cutting her father off before he could say anything. "Izohir's teachings instruct us to show kindness before might, father. I will hold myself accountable for the actions of this group and oversee their work here. In turn, I expect you will work on a day-to-day basis with our people who need it most.
"And," she added, after brief pause, her eyes settling on Adal, "if you dare to cross my people, I will personally see that you are shown no mercy. That is our trust."
Adal shivered. Her eyes went to meet with her father's, who drew a breath before nodding curtly. "Very well. We grant you permission to stay until you are prepared. Welcome to Izohir, Northlanders."
His crew cheered behind him and he couldn't help but begin to tear up at the thought of the great work that would from his research of this place. He smiled widely, joining the others in the tightest hug he could ever possible give. When he let go, he found himself swaying a little before puking this morning's breakfast onto the beautiful stone floors of the castle.
~
When they returned outside, Adal knew what the first thing he wanted to do was. He shifted past crowds of people coming from across the bridge to meet the newcomers, scanning the docks for the two 'hunters' he shared the boat with. "You two, Kuruk and Raylen was it?" he called out to them. "Adal Northrup, a pleasure to meet you. Can you please allow me to join you on your hunt?" His black pocket book was already out, pen in hand as he scribbled hastily all he managed to absorb thus far while talking to the siblings.
Mira stood behind him, already beginning to follow through on her promise to keep a close eye on the group, but at this point Adal could not care less. He would ask her more questions later, but he first wanted to establish a close relationship with the locale on the island.