The day seemed very eventful after his reunion with Zyra. So much that the two had not had any time to catch up. Keryth was most interested in knowing why the elven princess had left the outpost. Was she kicked out after he stole the dagger? Or did she run? If it was the latter, he wasn’t so sure if he should be around her. The elven king would probably send a squad to find her and bring her back, and if he was near her, he would be caught too. He was sure that if the duo got caught, she would get a slap on her wrist and he, an axe on his neck. The thought made him gulp.

He had brought her to the finest restaurant in town. Zyra was a princess and she deserved the best; and he could afford it as he was swimming in jewels thanks to a stupid Rune Knight in Crocus. The dark-haired elf was more selfish than one could imagine, but he didn’t lack manners and knew how to treat a girl. He would hold the restaurant door open for her, pull the chair out, hand her the menu, pour her drink and do everything right. It was all a rehearsal for the wannabe noble. Once they had settled in and began browsing the menu, he would finally bring up the topic. “So… What brought you to Marigold?” he asked innocently.

She enjoyed the attention he was finally investing in her, as the two of them found some time for just each other's company. His question surprised her, she raised an eyebrow and her large lavender eyes settled on his form. 'What do you mean why did I come?' she counter questioned. Running her fingers through her long hair, she cocked her head a little before adding another question to clarify her first. 'We're best friends right? You had to run away, so I had to join you.' she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She now wondered if he believed otherwise. Did he believe she'd just let him go for her own benefit? In which case, was he surprised and glad to have her accompany him? Her eyes twinkled in anticipation as she awaited his reaction.

Zyra wasn't really the sort to fawn over people easily, she was usually the target for that, but something about Keryth drew her to him. He was so carefree, he lived by his own rules. The elf didn't have to worry about anyone breathing down his neck and Zyra craved a life like that, or at least she thought she did, it had hardly been a day since her little escape. 'By the way, what was in that box? My uncle went quite ballistic when it went missing...' she asked as she pulled her chair closer to the table. 'I've almost never seen him that livid...' she mused softly, it shouldn't have made her smile but it did. Her voice was a gentle sweet trill as she bombarded him with queries of her own. 'Was it tough getting away?' She wondered out loud, there were no signs of struggle on him, for which she was grateful... Scars would draw so much away from his natural unique handsomeness.

Her response to the question of why she was in Marigold took him by surprise. So, she did run after me. His lips twitched into a slight smile as his eyes scanned the restaurant. He looked at every other customer in there, wondering if there were other elves in there. If there were, it would be safe to assume they were after them. After everything he pulled to get under the radar, he is now sitting there with Zyra, who was practically a beacon. Bless her magic! he thought, thankful to her presence of mind in using it to change her appearance.

The problem was that he no longer can stay in a town for too long. Her disguise wasn’t going to work for long. Besides, in case he does get caught, having her by his side might help in keeping his head on his neck. “I’m flattered…” he said simply.

What came next was even more dangerous, but the elf had no option but to indulge in the conversation. The box he stole had a very beautiful dagger in it. At first, he hoped to sell it off for a great price and start working on ‘being a noble’. But then, he had a feeling that golden gemmed dagger was a lot more than just a pretty thing. He decided to hold onto it just a big longer and not give it away for nothing. He pulled the golden dagger out of his sheath and gently placed it on the table between him and Zyra. “Behold!” he said with a grin, pushing it slowly towards her.

Her eyes followed his, as the orbs roved around the interiors of the fancy restaurant, she wondered what could he possibly be on the look out for when she had graced him with her presence. While she was met with an urge to clear her throat or something, just to get his dark eyes back on her face, she refrained, the elf was taught to not act so self-importantly. It wasn't a lesson she'd learned too easily, but as she grew, she began seeing the importance in the finer details, just like the refined work on a robe or the way the jewels were carved into a crown... When he responded she waved her hand in front of him dismissively, 'Oh, its nothing, I know you'd do the same for me...' she said, very convinced that was the case.

Her eyes widened as he reached towards his belt to answer her question. She gulped softly when he relinquished the beautiful golden dagger and placed it on the table. Now it was her turn to throw covet glances at the people around, she'd been taught to not flaunt her riches too much. When he slid it towards her, she quickly latched onto it and pulled it onto her lap, hiding it under the folds of the tablecloth, as she lowered her gaze to observe it. Her fingers ran over the jewel crusted hilt. 'Wow...' she said, the word airy as the sheer allure of the weapon stole her breath. 'No wonder my uncle was so mad...' she said, a little giddily, stifling a naughty giggle.

'I'm pretty sure it belonged to the king or something... Which would mean, that its a inheritable dagger... and you know what that means don't you?' she asked gripping the dagger under the table tightly as she leaned towards him eagerly. 'It's technically mine...' she whispered and then winked. 'And because you're my best friend, I can just... give it to you, so it is yours now.' she added, her smile widening. By her deductions, if the dagger truly belonged to her and she just chose to offer it to him, no one could fault them, they'd basically no longer have to worry... If it came down to it, she'd even face her family and let them know.

Keryth gave a nervous laugh when he heard how sure she was that he would do the same for her. The girl couldn’t be any further from the truth. He would never put his life at risk for her; not unless he knew he would get some great reward out of it. But, it would be foolish to clear up that misunderstanding and he knew that.

At first, he was glad the girl had the brains to quickly cover it under the table before the rest of the world took note of the captivating dagger. But then, when she began questioning who it actually belongs to, he gulped. Was he a fool to just hand it over to her? What if she was here just to get the dagger back? If that was the case, he just made her job a lot easier by travelling all the way to Marigold and handing the dagger to her.

Even though they were inside an air-conditioned restaurant, the belief that he was going to lose his most-prized possession made him sweat. “Umm…” was all he could mutter as she started talking about the hereditary line, finally leading to the technical conclusion that the dagger belonged to her. “I guess… Haha!” he said, forcing a smile to ensure she doesn’t see the fear underneath. But what the girl said next next made him want to sit back on his chair and give a huge sigh of relief followed by a satisfied laugh. But he did none of that. Instead, his forced smile simply became a genuine one and he thanked her as she gave the dagger to him. “Oh! That’s so sweet of you… Thank you, my lady!” he said, taking the dagger from her mimicking the act of a knight taking the blade from the princess he had sworn to protect. It was all a joke to him; an act. But would she really see through it? He doubted it.

Her insides gloated as he referred to her as my lady. A faint pink tinge painted her cheeks as she clasped her hands and held them over her chest, delighted. When he reached out to accept her gift, she followed his lead in their dramatic exchange, bestowing the dagger upon him like she had just knighted him. 'Rise as my protector and savior, young knight!' she said gleefully, but ensured her motions were swift when it came to actually handing the dagger over, so he could quickly sheath it, ensuring no one's greedy eyes fell on the item.

Finally a waiter shuffled to them, he looked bored and he eyed them with suspicion. The elves were pretty young even for the human race and thanks to their large life spans, they must have looked younger than their human counterparts. 'Are you two accompanied by someone who can actually pay for your food?' the waiter asked, stealing so much from the sweet little moment Zyra had just shared with Keryth. 'What do you mean? We can pay for our own food!' she exclaimed instinctively and a little cross.

After a moment, her eyes darted to Keryth as reality dawned on her. She realized something very important. The elf cleared her throat and swallowed, 'Er... we can, can't we Keryth?' she then asked, hesitantly. She found herself wondering if they actually had enough to afford the fancy restaurant. The elf wasn't actually carrying any money other than the small amount they'd earned helping out around the town. She herself, had not stolen any money from her home before leaving, the elf had just packed her clothes along with some personal items, all stuffed into a well made cloth sling bag...

Keryth quickly sheathed the dagger immediately after Zyra let go of it. That was intense! He knew he didn’t have to guard it from her anymore; she just gifted it to him. But, he made a mental note to never just hand it over to someone without knowing their intentions. The smile on his face widened as he kept eye contact with Zyra. Even he couldn’t ignore the fact that he was extremely lucky to have her as a friend. The princess was extremely beautiful, charming, and was the only one who understood him at least partially. He had asked himself so many times why he bothered to travel so far to find her, and every time he convinced himself that it was because she held power and influence within the elven community. But, while that may be true, it wasn’t all the reason why he was attracted to her.

Before he could admit the actual reason to himself, they were interrupted by a very wary waiter. Of course, Keryth’s immediate urge was give a snarky reply, but he had learned not to do that to people who handled his food. So, instead, he simply pulled the large pouch of Jewels out of his pocket and placed it on the table. “Of course we can,” he said, looking innocently at the waiter. “Order anything you like,” he added, winking at Zyra.

After seeing how heavy the pouch was, the waiter’s attitude changed almost instantly. “Forgive me, Sir, Ma’am!” he said, bowing to both the elves. He then began treating them like royalty, which was exactly why Keryth came to such an expensive restaurant. “I’m still browsing the menu…” Keryth said, casually flipping the pages. “Of course, Sir! Take your time,” the waiter responded. Keryth had already decided what he wishes to have, but was simply making the man wait because he could.

Zyra could barely stifle a giggle, when Keryth flaunted the money they had earned. She marveled at the generosity he displayed and a soft blush crept on her face as she interlaced her fingers, and held them at her chest. 'Aww, Keryth! Don't you know how to treat a-' she paused, recalling that she mustn't announce her status this way. '- el-' she paused yet again, clearing her throat this time She wondered how rare elves were in this town, even the halflings... Suddenly, she grew a little conscious of her pointy ears. Unclasping her hands she, undid her lavender her, running her fingers through the silken strands while attempting to surreptitiously cover her ears. '-girl like she is a princess.' she finally finished.

Nervously she threw a smile at the waiter, who still lurked within ear shot. Perhaps, he was wary of the source of all this money, but maybe they could just pass of as rich kids, or rather elves, because her stunt had definitely garnered attention towards the part she was trying so hard to conceal. While still ideally playing with her hair, she beamed at her friend again. 'So generous...' she mused, acutely unaware of how wrong she was. Zyra would play this smart though, she'd show him how she wasn't going to take advantage of his kindness. It was time to let Keryth know that she was no spoiled princes and that she could find joy in simple delicacies too... Besides it made sense to save some money, she didn't want to return to her family with her ambitions tucked away, only because they'd lavishly spent everything they'd earned within a single day.

Zyra noticed that Keryth was taking his time in ordering as well, perhaps he was going to be prudent too... She sought the most inexpensive dish on the menu, but instead of calling the waiter, she decided to get her dark haired friend's opinion on her choice first. 'What about this? Is this ok?' she asked softly, turning the menu towards him and pointing at her choice.

While the waiter waited for them to make their order, he brought in a large pitcher of water, some hot garlic bread and a nice sauce to go with it. Keryth chuckled inwardly, watching all this. He could never get over how money made things go around like a cartwheel in the world. Finally, he was ready to order and he put the menu down on the table. He smiled at Zyra as she complimented him on how well he was treating her. “You are my Princess,” he said simply. It was the truth after all. When Zyra showed him her choice, he leaned forward and looked at the dish she had chosen. It was the cheapest one on the menu, in complete contrast to what Keryth had decided upon, which was the most expensive one there was.

“If that is what you truly wish! But I suggest you make a choice without looking at the price. It is time to celebrate our reunion. I want it to be special,” he said. It wasn’t completely a lie. Besides, he was feeling particularly friendly towards her that day; after all, she decided to let him have the dagger and not to mention, left her home in search of him.

Keryth would wait for Zyra to reconsider her option before hollering at the waiter, who was hovering just a couple of feet away from them. “I’ll have the venison steak with port sauce… and…” he then pointed at Zyra to let her make her order. The waiter would jot down their order gleefully and ask if they would like anything to drink apart from the water. Obviously, they weren’t allowed to serve alcohol to the two young elves, but who could ever guess if an elf was underage or not. So, if the princess wished for a glass of wine on the fine day, Keryth would make it happen. “Would you like wine?” he asked confidently to Zyra without letting a hint of guilt slip. The waiter bought it and assumed the two were of age. “We have the best aged wine here. I recommend our famous home-brewed Moscato,” he suggested eagerly. Keryth looked at Zyra and winked with a smile.

She raised her eyebrows, as he called her his princess. While logic dictated to not read much into it, since she literally was his princess in the elven community, her heart couldn't help it... She wanted to read into his words, wanted this to be something special and not just him noting the status she'd given up. 'Even now? Even when I'm here and not technically royalty?' she asked softly, her voice a hushed whisper. The gentle hesitance in her tone must have betrayed her meaning. While she didn't exactly admit that her feelings and expectations were of a romantic nature, she definitely highlighted her yearning to want to be special... To be more than just friends, more than just the princess and her guardian.

He'd seen through her intent behind the dish rather quickly. When he pointed it out the bit about the price, the reddening of her cheeks intensified, a tad out of embarrassment now. While she wanted to appear down to earth, she also didn't want to appear miserly. She cleared her throat and peered at the menu again. She had already noticed another fancy sounding dish that she wanted but didn't want to instantly change her order without even pretending to reconsider. 'In that case...' she said as her eyes roved the page again. 'I guess I'll have this.' she said pointing to another dish, this one considerably more expensive but still cheaper than his choice, which she was momentarily made aware of.

Her eyebrows shot up when she realized he was consuming meat, her family usually refrained from doing that, in fact, the Elroths often didn't even procure foods that used animals as a resource. The lavender haired elf reserved judgment though, she always admired Keryth for his rebellion, this was just one more fact to add to that list. She cleared her throat and made her own order. 'Sweet potato canapes with spinach quiche and lentil sprouts.' It was vegan, she still didn't have the heart to go against something that was so ingrained in her...

When he mentioned wine, Zyra giggled softly, it was something she had always wanted to try, but since the elves had now made peace with humans a lot of the same age restrictions applied to the elves too. She maintained her poise and didn't break a sweat either, being a prankster meant being able to pull off such deceits. 'Yes, of course.' she said calmly. 'When do I ever say no to wine?' she added rhetorically, trying to pretend as though this was a daily affair.

Keryth was surprised at Zyra’s question. He couldn’t understand what she meant by ‘even now’. No matter where she was, she was still an elven princess. “Of course! No matter where,” he answered promptly, dismissing it like it was obvious. The dark-haired elf might be great at thieving, but he was a complete stranger to romance and couldn’t grasp the true nature of her question. Frankly, the only time he ever thought about marrying her was when he still considered it a viable option of becoming royalty. It still wasn’t a bad plan; but he wished to attain that status among the humans, where he was allowed the luxuries that he otherwise wouldn’t be in the elven outpost.

The dark-haired elf waited patiently as she reconsidered her option, this time choosing something more classy compared to the first one. Keryth noticed that she had picked a vegan dish. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the typical elf within her. It did however make him wonder if it was a bad idea to order meat with her around. But, he wasn’t going to give up on an opportunity to taste something unique fearing her judgement. So, he called the waiter and made the order as planned.

Keryth liked how Zyra played along for the wine. It reminded him why he really liked having her around. “Well… The lady has spoken. Home-brewed Moscato it is,” Keryth said, smiling at the waiter. The man noted it down quickly and bowed out, after promising to bring their food and wine as soon as possible. Once the waiter was gone, Keryth laughed softly. “You played along well, like always,” he said, as he filled her water glass before his.

His answer was so matter of fact, Zyra wasn't sure if he understood the implication after all, she just took solace in the promptness of his words. If nothing else, perhaps it was safe to assume they had something, some sort of bond, that went beyond mere friendship. That transcended just their elven roots. After their orders were made and the wine was decided upon, she smiled at Keryth and nodded, allowing the conversation to take a turn towards something less intense and more casual. 'Well, of course I did... Because face it, we look way too young to be asking for alcohol.' she admitted, leaning in and hissing softly, then casually she coiffed her hair with her fingers again. 'So I had to try something...' She added, now leaning back on her chair and crossing her legs. She reached for the garlic bread and broke a piece, spooning some sauce into her starter plate, she swiped some of it with her bread and took a small careful bite.

'Oh...' she said as the bread crust cracked to give way to the well-baked chewy dough. 'This is pretty good, I think they bake their own bread too...' she said, softly again, not wanting to give the restaurant so much credit out loud. After a few more bites, her hand wrapped around her belly. 'I'm so hungry, I feel like I'll fill myself up with just the bread...' she whined softly. Almost on cue, the waiter brought out the bottle of wine, popping it open for the elven couple. He looked at them warily, but then cast his gaze upon the pouch of jewels, it became apparent that the waiter was in it for the money, and hence was turning a blind eye towards their appearance. Just to ensure it stayed that way, Zyra casually threw in the names of the two people they'd worked for. 'I'm probably going to take something for the princess the next time I'm here...' she said loudly enough for the waiter to here, but not for things to become suspicious. 'Are you going to get something for Alice? She's always complaining about being hungry between scenes...' Zyra added, unable to keep the scorn out of her voice.

Zyra laughed nervously at his observation when it came to the elves. She didn't quite disagree, in fact, it was one of the reasons she'd bolted first chance she got. 'Indeed...' she said, but uncertainty plagued her words. On the occasion, she did understand the purpose of all the rules and restrictions that the elves imposed upon themselves and each other, there was a good side to it. It was just that she didn't have the discipline to follow them all and firmly believed that a little indulgence wasn't immediately going to make her a bad elf.

Her fellow elf seemed to appreciate the simplicity of the garlic bread, much like her. Either that, or he too was famished... Perhaps both. 'I can't... clearly...' she said taking another piece. Her brows furrowed when he mentioned that she could indulge because she wasn't going to get fat. 'Oh I'm not worried...!' she exclaimed, pointedly taking a larger chunk of the bread and swiftly chewing and swallowing it before saying 'See.' much like the child she was, like she had to prove to Keryth that she wasn't anxious about weight gain, by drawing attention to the fact that she was eating.

Before she could bring up Alice and her weight, Keryth did it himself, eliciting a giggle from Zyra, which she swiftly curbed and then placed a hand on Keryth's to stop him from saying any more as the waiter arrived with the wine. While she was certain Alice was infamous for her attitude, she still was famous for her beauty and acting, it'd be unwise to publically make too much fun of her, just a little was enough.

Unlike Keryth, she didn't risk sipping the bubbly liquid straight away, she was a little nervous, wondering how she'd react to it. He seemed fine, at least that negated all the old wives tales that elves brewed to try and keep the young away from such things... 'How is it?' she asked keenly.