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Taming the Gypsy Trade (Valanaer)

The biggest topic and concern seemed to be Saren's brother and at mention of the man everyone around the table seemed to tense up and become uncomfortable. It was a sensitive topic on both ends though, not only their guests but for Saren, his father, and all of the citizens in their city. His father's face had obvious shame on it and he turned to Saren, a bit of sadness in his eyes when he thought about how his son had fallen, because as much as his and Saren's relationship had changed, they were still not as close as the man and Kilel had been. He had been blinded by that love and allowed things to happen that even in his worst moods he would not have allowed. When it had all fallen apart near the end they had found out about more transgressions than the attacks, how much Kilel had really done and the Elves were not the only ones who wanted to forget.

Once again Saren stepped up, as the new crown prince and Kilel's brother he knew that they needed to know it was not tolerated and would never be allowed. "Kilel will not be coming back, his exile is not a limited time thing, it is permanent. His power as part of the royal family was stripped, our military has orders to kill him if he attempts to sneak back into the country. Now we have heard rumors he has entered one of our enemy territories but he has no power." Saren took a deep breath, looking over at Tari, she had been with him and met his brother, she knew what kind of person he was, but there was nothing his brother could do anymore. The simple fact was Kilel had nothing, he would not be bothering anyone else because he was no longer capable of doing so.

Saren wanted to make a point though because he knew the problems with Kilel extended to himself and his father because of their relationship and because his father had taken so much direction from his brother only months back. He leaned over and whispered to his father, seconds later a ring was produced, a royal signet ring like the one Saren kept in his room and like the one his father wore. It was Kilel's and their father kept it on him. Saren took it and sat it in front of himself on the table, "This is my brothers signet ring, it was revoked, so know that we are serious about this. I know words will not fix what he did to your people and to ours but I am not my brother and I want this to work and I believe it will, we just need to work together. I am committed to this, I hope you are as well." With that Saren leaned back, sliding the ring back to his father and looking over at the Elves to see their reaction.
 
The air around the elves was still as uncomfortable as it ever was, but the group seemed to be content with the explanation they got from the royal family. "If he decides to show his face again," one of the Elvin warriors threatened, but left it open, allowing the human's minds to wander about what was going to happen to the man. "And we'll, of course, be warning our siblings outside of the country." There was no question to that. The elves knew what they had to do and what should be done to protect each other and no number of humans could stop that. They expected the humans to agree to that, as they would expect them to do the same, if they had not done it yet.

Tari watched the ring as it was shown before it was taken away into the hidden location. Many of the Elves looked ready to burn the ring at the first chance they had, but lucky for the king, the ring was put away before any of them could spring forward. Tari took control again and gave them all a short, crisp nod. "We are just as committed as you," she promised, holding back the slight threat she wanted to give out. Despite the others on her end of the conversation, she wasn't ready to make any threats. "But... if he were to show his face again, if he really thought he could without being caught, what would you like done with him?"
 
The tension in the room was worse than ever and it was all because of his brother but it would pass, eventually the Elves would come to realize that it was over and that the man once known as prince Kilel was nothing. He had been stripped of power and even if he did try to continue his reign of terror he had never been strong enough a leader to do anything himself, he had always relied on others to do his dirty work, using money and position to get it done. It seemed their guests had certain things they needed to do though, such as warn their fellow villages and ensure revenge if they ever got their hands on the man. Saren denied them nothing, if his brother showed his face he would get what he deserved no doubt, Saren and his family had simply been unable to kill him, as most would with family, even if they had done such horrible deeds.

"If he shows his face again then do not treat him as anything more than he is, a criminal and murderer. Of course I would say bring him to the city to be punished officially for not only breaking his exile but his other crimes, a punishment which would be more harsh than sending him away, but truthfully I expect and understand you doing whatever you wish..." His father shifted uncomfortably at the idea of his son being killed for any reason but he remained silent still, accepting the fate his boy would suffer and allowing Saren to make the decisions without intervening. Saren looked around the table at all the Elves and took a moment to allow his decision to sink in before speaking, "Now, with that discussed I would like to say one thing. In order to truly move past this you are going to have to trust me, as I am going to have to trust all of you. I am sure my brothers actions and my families past prejudices make that difficult but I hope to prove that I can be trusted and to work with you to strengthen our bond. That being said, if you have something you would like to discuss feel free to bring it up now or anytime in the future and never hesitate to ask us for help or introduce new ideas." With that he nodded, opening up the floor to anything else their guests had in mind, Saren himself wanting the meeting to be over but also wanting to address all concerns.
 
It took the visitors a moment, but in the end, nothing had to be said. The important topics were already discussed and many of them hadn't come thinking they would have the chance to speak to the prince, so they were simply not prepared. This could be used as a test at a later time though, in case they had another problem, they could see how easily the outer city could get a hold of the royal family and how quickly they would fix whatever the problem may be. The silence that fell over the table was, for once, calming and seemed to pull everything to an end.

Tari gave a slow nod before she inched forward in her seat. "I believe it's settled," she stated, pulling the meeting to a verbal close. The rest around the table settled on it as well and began to draw back what they had sitting on the table. Tari glanced to Saren and his father before nodding, standing up, followed closely by several of the humans and elves she had brought with them. "Is there a problem if a few of the visitors stay in the city for a few days? It's rare for anyone to come to the city for any time at all." She knew she would be staying, but she wanted to give the rest of the visitors a chance to remain and explore the city for at least a few days before leaving or wearing out their welcome.
 
The meeting quickly ended, Saren's quick and fair responses seeming to not only win over the other side of the table but also instill confidence in those representing the main city. As people started to get up his mind switched immediately away from business, instead falling back on the unbelievable woman now standing across from him, his eyes going up and down her body subtly for once. They had only been together once but he still remember the night in perfect detail, every kiss and every pleasure was burned into his memory. He didn't expect that to happen immediately of course, he knew they had a lot of catching up to do but as far as the prince was concerned, they could pick up where they left off, even if that meant getting to know each other a bit better.

"Anyone can stay for as long as they wish, the rooms will be made available to you and you all have free reign of the city, so enjoy yourselves." Saren knew he would enjoy himself and he rose with the rest of them, everyone on his side of the table getting to their feet with him. Most of them departed immediately, except Ashal who stayed around just enough time to go over to Saren and whisper something in his ear that cause him to sigh and push the man away almost playfully, muttering "Bastard" as his friend left the room. He did not leave though and instead he turned his full attention to Tari, looking at her across the table and just standing there, his arms crossed and confidence radiating from his body. He was definitely the same man and although there were some changes there were too many of his old traits to deny he was the same man, especially the arrogant smirk he almost always flashed to people he liked, especially Tari.
 
Several of the elves seemed unimpressed by the offer to keep their rooms, but two or three, along with most of the humans, were quite excited. It was hard to tell if the first group of visitors were really unimpressed or simply hiding their true feelings, but either way, the whole group of them started out of the room. They said their good byes, thanking the committee from the main city for their time before many of them started back to their rooms with joyful plans for the rest of the night. Tari was pleased to see that the meeting had gone well and took a moment to herself while she remained in the chair. She let her eyes slide shut, blocking out the slight noise around her for a minute before she returned to her surroundings.

Saren met her eyes and it was the first time since she had arrived that they had an 'across the room' connection. They had a chance to have a private moment in the prince's room, but the elf didn't see that sort of thing happening again for some time now that she had returned. For sure, the knights would want to see her, the group she had come with was planning several outings already and of course, she had her own plans. But seeing that overly sarcastic smirk let the thoughts drift away. She returned with a smile and finally rose from the seat, only to cross towards Saren.

"Planning on leaving, or just staring for a while?" she asked, returning to her first language to tease the man.
 
The across the room connection was not lost on Saren, he hadn't seen the woman in so long and that feeling her got when looking into her eyes was still just as strong as ever. He knew they would have time together but at the same time he was sure they would both be busy, other people would want to spend time with her and with his new responsibilities he would have things to do as well. For the moment he was enjoying just the sight of her and he let that last as long as he could, until she stood up and crossed towards him. He smirked as she spoke, his eyes trailing up her body until he was peering into her eyes again, "Oh I don't know, the view will just get better if you leave before me..."

As much as he would like to act as if he were the perfect gentleman it just wasn't true, sure he had changed and he didn't sleep with any woman that crossed his path but with Tari it was different, with her he still had those same feelings of love and lust and that wasn't going to change. Saren had not forgotten their night of passion together or how hard it was to let her go and while they had only known each other for a short time he felt very strongly for her. He stood though, not remaining seated or waiting for her to leave the room and simply stood in front of her, looking down at the woman and letting his eyes soak her in. "So Tari... Now that business has been discussed what are you going to do?" For all he knew she could be planning on returning to her room or going around town with some of her traveling companions but he hoped she had different plans, plans on sticking close to him for awhile, he would be disappointed if not.
 
The elf gave a certain amused look to the prince and tipped her head in the direction of the door. With a comment like that, she wasn't about to leave the room first, if only just to bother him now. "I was hoping we could return to the pub we visited earlier," she admitted with a very slight move of her shoulders. "If you don't mind going out for a bit longer." She had a feeling that Saren wouldn't mind letting her do as she wanted, at least for a few hours if it meant she'd stay behind. The pub was one part of the city that she remembered and enjoyed while she was there. The food was wonderful and even with the mercenaries there, it was still an enjoyable experience.

"I know there's a few people who came with me who would be interesting in coming with us, if you don't mind. Perhaps making an event of it and bringing some soldiers along." Even if they didn't bring anyone with them, it still wouldn't be private enough in the pub to get away with anything, and Tari knew that several of the visitors wouldn't want to miss the chance to go to a 'big city pub' on their first night. Either way, she went with Saren out of the meeting room, starting down the hallway back to their rooms.
 
Tari seemed to want him to leave the room first, no doubt his admission at why he preferred she leave first giving her caution. He knew she didn't mind but just to deny him the sight she would make sure he left first. Saren had no problems with that, it was fun to have her back and messing with him again as she was still the only woman who had no qualms about treating him like an average person. 'I definitely missed that...' He didn't say it out loud but he was sure Tari could tell how happy he was at her return. Of course when she mentioned the pub and bringing along others he wasn't entirely thrilled but being good to her friends and letting some of his men catch up with her wouldn't be that big of a deal, he just kept telling himself that while they would be spending time with others for now that he would have her all to himself at some point or another.

So he stood up, walking out the door calmly and speaking in her tongue still, "Yes, the pub sounds fine, I can invite the knights as you gather some of your people, we can meet at the castle gate." He wasted no time and had no hesitation, Saren simply went along with her plan and walked down hallway and only turned to her when they hit the split point, "Alright, I will go gather the knights and meet you and whoever else at the gate." With that he went down the hallway and towards the knights quarters, he would grab whoever wanted to go and head out, some of them probably eating with family or having plans but the rest could come and have a good meal, speak to their old friend, and have some fun. Of course he was still slightly upset that he wouldn't be alone with her but it was more like a sulking kid than anything.
 
Tari gave Saren a small wave as they parted and she broke off into her own room. With a quick change of clothes, the elf was ready for another 'appearance', so to say. This time, she was wearing an outfit aimed for going out rather then a meeting. Her shirt had inched up, exposing the ornate tattoo around her navel, and the soft skin on her midsection. Her neck and shoulders were uncovered, all but a the thick over the shoulder strips of cloth to hold her shirt up in the proper location on her body. She made it a point to wear the amulet that Saren had passed to her earlier that night. Her evening clothing was a bit more extravagant, falling into dark reds instead of her old brown and green theme she used to wear. Since they had begun trading and working with the neighbouring tribe, several of the Phoenix clan's clothing seemed to change, if only for the more vibrant occasions.

The Elven woman looked herself over in the mirror set up in her room, twirling the long, loose skirt around her legs to get a feel for it before slipping on her low-cut walking boots. She kept her riding boots in her room, since she had the chance to bring along several items with the idea of staying in mind. Once she was satisfied with herself, she stepped out of the room and started down the hall to gather a few members of her 'crew', leading them down to the gates. Several of both the men and women were dressed far better then what they were earlier that day and were certainly ready for a night out after they had been travelling the day before. When the knights approached the same area, a few of the women looked over and gave them all eager, pleased smiles. They waved to the well trained men and Tari simply stuck her tongue out in what could be called a childish fashion.
 
When Saren made his way to the knights barracks everyone still there were arguing over what to eat for the night, the perfect opportunity for Saren to step it. So he made his way into the room and slammed his hand on the table to get all of their attention and once he had it a small smirk appeared, "Tari and a few of the people she traveled with want to eat out, who wants to join us for dinner on me?" They were all going to go, most of them, except for a few new recruits, wanted to see Tari even if only for a bit, but when Saren said it was on him well they all roared out and scattered, grabbing their things for the night out. Saren couldn't help but laugh, he was as close to his men as ever despite not being able to see them as much, sure he had his daily training and they had been in some battles but he was always so busy that he ended up working in the evening, it would be the first outing with them in a good month.

Everyone was swept up in the excitement, Roran being absolutely pumped to go out and even Ashal showing a bit of interest, as he was usually quite calm and passive in such situations. When they arrived at the gate the men got even more excited at the group of ladies that were a part of Tari's group, some of them still being single, including Roran who had been complaining about it for weeks ever since a younger knight had his wedding ceremony. Saren was in rare form though and he didn't even slip into his old ways of thinking, his mind was focused on Tari. Not that it was difficult with her new attire, it was't just beautiful but it revealed some of Tari's finer points for the eye to see. Her playfulness dragged his mind away from her body though and he simply smirked at her childish action, walking over to her as his men introduced themselves to the others. "I must say you look stunning, I am glad I came out tonight." He kept calm but in the back of his mind he couldn't help but think he would need to make sure no other men went after her, it was not everyday such a beautiful woman, no matter the race, was in the city. "Shall we?"
 
Several of the women approached the knights with joy, finally meeting the attractive, muscular men in the knight ranks. Immediately, they came forward and batted their eyelashes at the men, showing great interest in who was going to be joining them for dinner. The Elves kept their distance away from the human men, eyeing them carefully, but showing a great deal of interest of their own. "Lead the way," one of the male Elves responded, letting them all pass first to lead the pack to the tavern. He wasn't too impressed with the knights, but saw each and every one of them as a challenge, which he was more then willing to take up at a later time.

Tari on the other hand, took the offer the prince was giving out. She wasted no time to leave the castle and although she didn't fully remember the way, wandering before dinner would give them all a chance to see the marketplace and she could take a chance to see what had changed. She crossed her arm around Saren's, settling her own elbow in the crook of his arm and followed the path out of the castle. The women behind her were speaking quite enthusiastically to the knights behind them and lucky for Roran, he had two girls on his arm; one a human about his age, with sun bleached blonde hair and eyes the colour of the purest, melted chocolate, and an Elven girl, looking to be a few years younger them himself, but quite energetic with flaming red, ginger hair and fire red eyes, burning like the brightest fire on a dark night.

"New shops?" Tari asked, looking towards Saren as they walked. There were conversations going on behind them, but she didn't feel the need to pay attention to the others as much as she felt the need to speak to Saren.
 
It was nice to see his knights and the new arrivals to the city getting along so well and even better to see Roran so thrilled, a woman on each arm. The boy wasn't smooth in the least but his innocence seemed to attract girls just as easily as Saren's charm did. Then there was Ashal who, while not looking for a woman, was enjoying some conversation with the males and females of the Elven group, speaking in their language with such perfection that he almost sounded like a native. While he was glad to see all of this one thing still trumped all others and that was Tari. Saren was a tad surprised that she got so close to him in front of the others, he had assumed she would be less familiar with him around the other Elves since it made it so obvious they knew each other in such a way.

Tari seemed comfortable being so close in front of others though and Saren was not one to complain about closeness so he simply walked with her, a small smile touching his features as they went. "Quite a few actually, we have been undergoing a lot of changes, other races taking up permanent residence in some of the shops and other merchants of the city even forming businesses together with them. We still have just as many stalls and stands but there has been a large amount of change. As they walked he remembered their outing into the city, then it had been strange for her to be in the city as an elf and even more so for her to be with the prince, now even the group comprised of many elves barely got a glance as it was no longer odd. "In fact I bet you would enjoy shopping her now, there are so many imported ingredients and items, not to mention an Elven couple moved in a few weeks ago and opened a restaurant, it serves quite a few Elven dishes and drinks, Miruvor excluded of course."

Despite their scenic tour nobody seemed to mind, all the knights and newcomers seemed content to walk around, talk, and see what the city had. Saren was just happy to be in Tari's company, having her back making him happier than he had been in awhile, a feeling of calm over him that could only come from being with her, even if it took them hours to arrive at the Inn he would have been fine with it, although by then the others would probably not be.
 
Tari wasn't surprised that the Elves didn't offer Miruvor, but she was when she heard about the Elven couple. With a casual smile, she let her eyes float around the stalls around them, taking small notes of what may still be open when they return from their dinner. Luckily, the group wasn't too hungry, because there were a few times when one of the members would wander away to get a look at a stand. The rest waited, wanting to stay together rather then wander and possibly get lost on the way to the inn. Tari didn't seem to wander away as much, but she had her own moments of interest, when she broke the physical touch with the prince and approached a table.

The group made their way to the inn almost an hour later and the hostess took a moment to take in the crowd before choosing to lead them to the largest table they had, hidden off to the side of the room. They added another table, just to be safe, and waved them all to the seats, with a small bow directed towards Saren. The host had been around long enough to know that when Saren came in the with knights, it was a bit more relaxing then if she were to see him simply in town, but since the prince had been raised to the position of 'first son', things had changed and she knew better then to treat the crown prince as just another visitor in the inn.

The Elves scattered themselves around the table, taking the chance they had to use a knight to learn the menu from a local rather then remain awkward and clueless during the whole dinner. Tari took a seat between Saren and a male she had travelled with to the city. "I suggest you just take over and order plenty of food." Family style was how the Elves were used to eating and for a group that was unfamiliar to what they could get in a city this large, it would be easier to simply share the large plates instead of having separate meals for each person.
 
When they finally got to the inn Saren was relieved, not because he disliked going around the city but because to be totally honest he hadn't eaten in a good amount of time. Getting a seat wasn't really a problem, he visited often enough to where they had set up some larger tables and become use to making room for himself and his knights, adding a few others was no trouble. As usual since he became the first prince things were a bit different, he didn't like it but it seemed that no matter how much he protested people didn't want to risk offending the royal family. He was not much different, he had stopped playing around with women and he was given more responsibility but the man was the same as he had always been. Of course it was a matter of respect and so he tried not to be too persistent in his protests. He could always take comfort in knowing that none of his men treated him any differently, to them he had always been the leader.

Tari didn't mind either, she hadn't cared that he was a prince to begin with so caring that he was suddenly the first in line didn't seem to have any effect on her. He was glad of that fact, if she had treated him differently it wouldn't have gone over well and most likely he would have been pouting for awhile. There was the intimacy of their walk though, she had been right beside him unashamed to show some form of affection and that was new but not the kind of change he minded at all. She even sat down next to him at the table and so he was content. Her suggestion that he order wasn't a bad one, he knew a few dishes they would like and it didn't mean people couldn't order their own food either it would just take a lot of the trouble and guess work out of it for most of them. So when the waitress came around to the table he looked over and smiled, "I think we should just order some bigger things so if you wouldn't mind, could you bring out a pot of the vegetable soup, a roasted pig with that spice mixture I like, and some mixed greens to go with it, oh and throw in some potatoes, I bet that will be a treat, with fixings on the side for whoever wants them."

The order was huge but his men could eat and he knew the guests would like it, besides it just meant they could sit around the table munching on things for awhile and talk, all of them enjoying themselves. With the food order in she came back and got drink orders next and the knights all, with the exception of Ashal, ordered strong alcoholic beverages to go with the large meal. Saren was no different, he ordered an ale to go with his and Ashal ordered a spiced cider, suggesting it to anyone who didn't wish to partake in heavy drinking with their meal. Saren turned to Tari with a smirk, "You going to drink something strong or something sweet?" He knew it would be fun if she drank a bit but he also knew she wasn't a heavy drinker, he was curious to see which she would pick.
 
The Elves ordered light to begin, but several of them went ahead and got an ale to calm their nerves as quickly as possible. Tari's eyes settled on Saren and she cracked a smile. "Sweet for now," she told him and made a small gesture towards Ashal with the words "Cider" to go along with it. Once the drink order was placed, the waitress dashed into the back kitchen to place the large order as fast as she could.

"Tari, Tari," an elf called down the table and the woman leaned forward, looking around the knights to see her companion. It was one of the girls sitting beside Roran, holding a mischievous look in her eye as she spoke. "You brought some of your father's mix, didn't you? Think we could break into it when we get back?" A grin broke over her lips at the idea, which could only end badly for the unprepared humans.

Tari rolled her eyes. "We'll see Nienna," she responded. "We don't want people drinking us out of house and home."

"No, she'll do that herself!"

A light blush touched the female elf's ears, but Tari brushed it away in an instant. "Don't get jealous now," she responded with a teasing tone. A few humans chuckled at the conversation. They knew enough of the language to know what they were generally talking about, without having to understand the exact details.
 
Saren pouted playfully when Tari said sweet, it didn't bother him but he would have liked her to let loose, it would have been fun. Some of the others decided to get ale as well though so it was sure to be a party. Saren's attention was taken when one of the girls speaking of some mix Tari's father made and he was immediately interested, although it seemed Tari was a bit hesitant to share or at least for the time being to break it out. He was of course interested as one of the few people who knew exactly what it was they were saying and he was sure Ashal has some slight interest in the matter as well but Ashal was always the polite one, leaving others business alone and focusing on other things. Roran immediately turned to the girl who had brought it up, showing off that he had been trying to learn the language to his new friend. Saren took a more direct approach with Tari and leaned over, speaking softly so that only she could hear, "Do tell, what is this mix that has you so bashful?"

Saren was being a bit flirtatious as he prodded her for information, his hand not venturing anywhere odd but brushing her arm ever so slightly before turning to greet the waitress as she and a few others brought all the drinks. He took his and wet his lips with the ale before turning back to Tari as the others were handed out. He expected an answer but who knew perhaps she would continue to keep it to herself. Whatever it was he was interested but not only because she hadn't explained but because it seemed to bother her a bit, making her blush which was something she hadn't done at all with him, not even when they were intimate. In fact the thought that something so simple embarrassed her but nothing he did had brought about that touch of shyness pissed him off, his selfish and spoiled side kicking in a bit.
 
Tari glanced to the man beside her and allowed a smile to play on her lips. "Well my father brews Miruvor. And he has this new mix that..." She paused to think of the proper way to describe it, but words, in either language, simply weren't coming to her. "It's strong," she finally said with a small shrug of her shoulders. With another, closer lean in, she admitted something softly to the prince. "Perhaps if you're good, you'll get some." She drew back and glanced down the table as one of the conversations erupted into laughter. She listened in for a moment and cracked another smile.

The girl Tari addressed as 'Nienna', or Helyanwe as she introduced herself to the others, was explaining a miss understanding between the humans and the elves during the beginning stages of making peace. The forest covered, Salamander clan's city was known for killing for offerings to their bloody god, and that had a tendency to frighten people who didn't know what exactly they were doing. The humans went into the forest to speak to the elves and stumbled upon what looked to be a sacrifice, using one of their own. The scouting party, of course, didn't take well to that idea and immediately began to argue, attempting to stop them mid action. They weren't about to listen to reason, despite the elves attempting to explain. But eventually they gave up and decided to simply chase the intruders from their forest, as if they were about to use them for the same sacrifice.

Now that they both looked back at what had happened and simply laugh, using it as a perfect example of how their two cultures were completely different.
 
Saren was still not use to being teased by any women, least of all one who did it to well but as she refused to explain and told him he could possible get some if he were good, well it just caused him to crack a smile. It was never easy with her and he loved it, she gave him some excitement he couldn't get anywhere else. He didn't respond to it though he just sat back and sipped from his drink enjoying the environment around him, enjoying spending some time around his men, the newcomers, and especially Tari. So he listened to all of them without being too talkative, he especially liked the story of misunderstanding being told and laughed as everyone else did. Of course the more he thought about it the more he realized how hard it must have been for the humans at that time, luckily it had ended well and now it was a good story, similar to his and Tari's meeting.

In fact for a moment he considered telling the story of how they had met but he considered how some of them wouldn't have liked it, he knew slavery was a touchy subject, even he didn't like it but at the time he wanted her and he hadn't done anything bad to her but still. So he kept it to himself, deciding not to reveal how he had been so cruel to her at first, although honestly he had just had fun teasing her and he still did, he just had to do it a different way now since it wasn't so easy to get a rise from her. Besides, he had treated her well, good food and whatever she needed for herself, even letting her have complete control of her magic. Then again at the time he was quite sure he had the upper hand and was doing nothing more than making the game more fun. It made him think about how much he had changed since meeting the feisty Elf, he had never expected to fall in love but it happened and his life took a much different course.

He continued to sit around simply listening until the food arrived at which point everything got louder as people went for the feast sat on the table in front of them. Saren himself jumped into the mix and went for the pig first, everything else there would be plenty of and he could get afterwards but with the pig he wanted to get in quickly in order to get the best parts. So he went for his favorites, grabbing enough for himself and Tari before letting others have their shot, smirking at Ashal who had wanted some of the same cuts and was giving him a look. He turned to Tari as he pulled the plate over and sat it between them, "Eat from this plate, I made sure to get the most succulent bits I am sure you will agree." With that he took a slice and began munching on it, using the time to grab soup and other side items as well, all the while looking around and just enjoying being with other people, having been cooped up in the castle for a bit too long for his liking and finally feeling free.
 
Tari silently thanked the prince and nodded before she reached forward and pulled apart a small section of the pork with her fingers, ripping it off and taking a bite. He was right, the section of meat the man had picked held the most flavour and was certainly the best part of the pig. She took her own plate and places a few of the vegetables and extra sides, placing it between the two to use for their own use. The rest of the Elves weren't surprised by the amount of food, as what they had on the table was just a small part of a normal supper. Despite their calm expressions, the group dived into the food, ripping at the pig, dividing the sides and quickly began to devour all that was in front of them. Several people surrounding the table were impressed by the amount of food the warriors were now packing away in their bodies, but many weren't surprised all the same.

Although there was food laid out, the table refused to go silent. Whatever conversations that were going on before were continuing, despite the breaks for food and drink. Tari spoke to a few of the people around the table before they all fell into their own conversations and the elf turned to the prince beside her. Without saying a word, she reached forward, picking up Saren's cup to take a drink, letting her eyes settle on the man beside her as she lowered it once again. "This plate is the best," she agreed with a firm smile, setting the drink down once again.
 
Saren got slightly caught up in conversation for a bit as they all ate, digging in himself while joking with a few of the knights about an incident that had occurred the week before between Roran and new knight. Both Ashal and himself had been present as the now experienced knight was taken down by a younger and much less experienced knight. Of course it had been a fluke, in fact Roran had been so mad he didn't lose at all for the rest of the day to any of the knights but they all gave him hell for it and as the story was told he got embarrassed, not liking to look bad in front of the girls. Saren didn't pick on his too much though instead focusing on the people who had come with Tari as they had stories he hadn't heard and honestly just the sight of a group of Elves sitting among them brought him great joy, as his efforts had definitely paid off. At one point he and Ashal shared a look which conveyed that, his best friend knowing what he had gone through and he had helped him along the way, no doubt he felt near the same way.

He turned back to Tari as she reached over, taking a drink out of his cup and complimenting his choice of meat. Once again he was slightly surprised by how open she showed intimacy, which was exactly what drinking out of his cup had been, perhaps not a large amount but it definitely showed something between them again. He had come to the conclusion that she didn't much care who noticed. His men knew from the beginning so that was one thing but the other Elves and humans, that was what surprised him. In fact he had been careful not to show anything as hard as it was, back when he returned her to her home and now, but if she was going to he wouldn't be so cautious and would make himself comfortable. "Oh I know, did you expect any less?" He didn't expect an answer and he went ahead and took another sip of ale before eating a bit of the meat and vegetables before leaning back a bit in his seat.

Roran on the other hand was anything but relaxed and he was still blushing an embarrassed trying to explain his loss to a few of the other knights still messing with him. While he thought it was making him look bad the fact was that the girls seemed to find him cute as his muscular knight like exterior was shattered and the young man in him came out. Saren took the chance to say something and he looked over to Tari really quick and then back to the knight, "Well if you want to prove you've become more skilled you could always see if you can beat me, been awhile since we had a match. Unless you would rather challenge someone else who you've yet to beat." He had never beaten Ashal either but Saren was pointing to Tari and that seemed to get the attention of the table like they wanted to hear the story from Tari and Roran shaking his head knowing he still wasn't good enough to beat Saren or Tari, despite his training.
 
Lucky for knights, there was only one conversation going on at once. The travelling group was just as interested in hearing stories about the city as the city folk were about their own tales. Roran's epic quest against the younger knight drew several snickers and silent comments from the visitors and the human female was taken back slightly. Just as in the city, the strongest were granted privileges and honours, such as living in a larger home and getting first pick at the food that was offered for each meal. The women were brought up at an early age to believe that the stronger the man, the more he could do for her. And although Roran seemed quite strong, the girl was slightly surprised. That was until she heard that Roran refused to loose a match after that, and her thoughts were dropped and she returned to fawning over the man beside her.

While Tari ha been listening in, she also kept an ear out for Saren's deep voice. When she heard it, her attention swiftly turned to the prince, picking another piece of the meat from the plate. "Of course not," she responded sweetly. "I was simply agreeing with you." Her attention shifted away though as the conversation turned back to Roran, most likely for more harassment. The women beside him were both listening to his excuses, but sadly the Elf was not accepting them. She kept mentioning how fake they were and pestering him, trying to convince him that loosing wasn't a failure, simply a way to learn. But that all was cut off when Saren spoke.

Tari chuckled at the idea of Roran facing Saren again, but completely missed the gesture in her direction. Not until a few of the travelling companions seemed to agree by nodding their heads and verbally commenting as a joke. The elf turned her head though and blinked, swatting the prince's hand away. "I don't think so," she told him, responding back in the common tongue. "We already had this fight, remember?"
 
Everyone around the table pouted a bit as Tari shot down the fight and seemed not to want to tell the story but Saren wasn't about to let all the eager listeners get nothing. Sure he wasn't the best story tell but as he sat forward they seemed to get the idea that he was going to relay to them what had happened. "Well it all went down near when Tari first arrived and let's just say there was still friction between Tari and myself. So I decided it would be nice to introduce her to the knights and took her to the training grounds where Roran just happened to challenge her, believing her to be some random beauty I decided to bring along as I was prone to doing in those days." Saren took a sip of Ale before continuing, watching as Roran sat back and sulked over the story being told. Saren would make sure not to make him look too bad but it was all in good fun. "Unfortunately for Roran and his previous inexperience that was incorrect. The battle was over fairly quickly, granted he is the third ranking hand to hand fighter in our military now and could no doubt put up a bit more of a fight but at the time he underestimated his opponent and was laid out for it."

Roran sighed and decided to at least make himself look a bit better, "Yeah but you're our strongest fighter and you took a couple hits so I don't feel ashamed." He muttered something else underneath his breath but it was over, everyone was either laughing or throwing questions at Tari to hear about the first battle or inquire into the sparring match with Saren, some of the human females more interested in him than the actual fight but they got over it rather quickly. With all the commotion Saren ordered another Ale, finishing off the first and when receiving the second sitting it between him and Tari like everything else. The man just began to pick at his food as others talked, feeling himself beginning to get full but enjoying it all the same. He turned to Tari and smirked, "You could always tell them how you beat me at archery, although I doubt any of them would think otherwise..." He shrugged his smirk turning into a soft smile as he gazed upon her, wondering just how they had made it front their meeting as a spoiled prince and enslaved Elf to sitting at the table trading soft glances. However it happened he was just glad it hadn't diminished in the three months... He was glad she hadn't found another to comfort her yet.
 
Tari let out a laugh and began to replay the sparing match with Saren, skipping completely over the kiss this time around. She had told this story to a few of the elves in her own village, making sure to alter the ending to make it more appropriate for the group she lived with. As she expected, when things settled down, elves still didn't completely agree with the idea of a human sleeping with an elf, but luckily things were beginning to change. By the time they left, the elves were beginning to open to the idea of more then friendship, but to that point, they still hadn't heard about what Tari had done with the prince. She would keep that a secret for as long as she could, until everyone in her tribe accepted what they had done.

The memory of the archery challenge drew a chuckle from the elf. "That wasn't that impressive," she teased. "Everyone would expect something like that." The elves didn't bother to ask, knowing what the outcome would have been before it was even mentioned. Another story was brought up by one of the humans, covering another early story about the two races simply learning about each other and exploring the differences. Tari turned away and nudged Saren's leg under the table with her own foot. "Any fun stories from your end?" she asked with a smile.
 
It was a good thing Tari decided to tell the story as when she left out the kiss between them it drew the line. It didn't upset Saren that she neglected to speak of their kiss or anything more between them than some slight intimacy, he understood her situation. Besides, they may have both missed each other but they were yet to see how things went after their time apart. So for the time being he wouldn't kiss her or do anything else to show her companions how far they had gone. The knights seemed to get the idea as well and although Roran had a rather sour look on his face about the left out part of the story, still a huge fan of Saren, he didn't say anything. Of course the archery competition wasn't a big deal and conversation moved right on but he still sat there thinking back to the bit of time they had spent together, every part of it fresh in his mind, especially the kiss and their night together.

He wasn't so deep into thought that he missed Tari's question and he simply shook his head, "Afraid not, we haven't had that many good times. In fact it has been more or less peacekeeping and boarder skirmishes. It seems my rise to first prince made some of our rival counties decide to test us." Ashal nodded in agreement but added a bit to it, "He is being a tad dramatic, it hasn't been all war, sure we have been in battle numerous times but one of our knights had a baby and our prince got himself a marriage proposal." Ashal smirked and everyone began to ask about the story, even some of the knights hadn't heard about it yet and Saren sighed, it wasn't what people thought but Ashal made sure to lure everyone in. In fact he began the story as vague as he introduced it. It wasn't until he got towards the end of the story that he revealed the girl who had been following Saren around the city had been a young human girl barely eight years old. That was when the laughter started and Saren just shook his head, especially when Ashal mentioned how he had tried to stop her from crying when he told her he couldn't. He looked over to Tari, "It was hard to tell her I couldn't, she was so cute and started crying..."
 
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