Reporting For Duty

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden had returned to Tresteria a while ago, just around Yule, but he hadn't managed to organize a meeting with his General. Of course, he was sure Roland Savatier already knew much of what had happened and he was certainly still working and training in his army. He might not have properly presented himself, but he had been a little...uncomfortable in having to explain all that had kept him away.

No one had forced him to talk about it but he felt like he owed it to his commanding officer to at least let him know he was still dedicated to Tresteria. Kaiden didn't usually get much flak for being a foreigner, but at the same time, he didn't want to invite any issues.

So instead, he was inviting the General out to a drink. Slightly more casual. Not that he needed it, but he didn't want to walk himself up to the man's office. That place was much too stuffy and formal for what he had in mind. Hopefully, Roland would be in need of a light distraction too.

[Roland Savatier]

Roland made a point to know just about every person who was part of his army. What kind of General would he be if he did not know who he was fighting with... What strengths and weaknesses his men possessed and who they were as a person. He was a personable man. Despite his cool and somewhat intimidating mannerisms, Roland was a kind and charming man who cared. Sometimes too much.

He had received Kaiden's request, which seemed a bit strange, mostly because he often wasn't invited out for a drink. His interest was piqued, to say the least. Most of the military was back on Tresterian mainland for the death of the King and to celebrate Yule with their families (himself included). So, it was nice to be out in the public.

His tall frame moved quietly into the tavern, bright blue eyes shifting around the room until he spotted the young man, seated alone. He approached and stopped next to the table. "Lord Dellario. It is nice to see you." He offered a faint smile before he motioned to the empty seat across from Kaiden. "May I?" Despite the invitation, Roland was still polite and respectful of the man's space. If he was not yet prepared for his arrival, he would back off if needed, even though he did not expect such a response.

If Kaiden indicated for him to sit, Roland slowly lowered himself into the chair and folded his hands together, resting them on the surface of the table. He leaned forward, his body language quite clear that he was here to listen to whatever the man had to say and that there was no need for him to be formal or nervous about it.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden was a personable sort as well. While Ithias had it's understanding of ranks and class, there wasn't so much density as there was in Tresteria. Nobles associated with commoners most of the time. Being in the military here, Kaiden had learned the cultural rules rather quickly. He was respectful of the rules that allowed him to own land here and live well and be engaged to a well known and quite earnest noblewoman. But he was the sort to talk to anyone who was interested in talking to him. Initially, General Savatier hadn't entirely seemed to fit that description from his outward demeanour, but after long enpigh around the man, it was clear he cared.

That didn't mean the man wasn't a little nervous about the invitation. Not that he loked announcing when he was nervous. Kaiden glanced up from the table to Roland with a smile. He stood and offered a slight bow, more from habit. "General. I'm glad you could join me. I wanted to apologize for my extended absence. And my condolences for the King." His tone was a lot more reserved that it usually was. "Of course," he said and gestured at the open chair. He reseated himself before waving for drinks.

Kaiden didn't entirely mimic the General's posture, not yet considering neother of his two topics were ideal conversation but he did sit up straight and keep the warm smile.

[Roland Savatier]

It wasn't often that someone in his army would seek him out, mainly because they had their commanders who would often handle situations or deal with them. Any other typical General may have treated the men beneath him as such and urged them to seek out their commander. But Roland was different. He knew what it was like to work from the bottom up- he had done it, even with this army being his father's. His father had not played favorites, nor done him any favors. He had to work for it just like anyone else did.

He smiled at Kaiden and nodded, acknowledging his apology. The army was large enough to perhaps go unnoticed if you went absent, but Roland noticed everything. It was like a gap in a line, despite there being no gap. He lived and breathed strategy and training, so it was hard to miss things when it came to his men. He knew the names of each soldier, and maybe one or two things about them. Perhaps it was what set him apart from the other Generals of various armies that Tresteria had. There were rumors that the Savatier army ran more like a family, although perhaps those weren't rumors so much as it was somewhat true.

"I hope everything is alright? My condolences for your brother. How are things in Ithias?" Most of his soldiers were often blown away of how despite barely conversing with the man, he always seemingly knew what was going on or knew something about them as if he were one of their brothers. Roland tried. "And I trust you've already reported back to your commander?" He didn't want to assume.  Oftentimes, soldiers would go above their commanders if they did not feel their thoughts or concerns would be heard or if there was a bad relationship between soldier and commander.  He asked to get a feel of whether or not there was a problem at hand. 

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden wasn't just another soldier. He had been once but he was an officer now. It wasn't entirely beyond him as an officer and a noble to reach out to General Savatier. It was also a way to be more assertive and get more attention so he could continue to work his way up. That wasn't his real goal of course and he was still a little nervous. Roland was different. But Tresteria was very different than home.

As for whether the army was his family...sometimes it felt thst way. Other times...he was still a foreigner and reminded that he was an outsider not matter what. Even after spilling blood with some of them. It wasn't something he liked to dwell on except that his current commander was one of those.

"Right as they can be," he said with a nod. "Thank you." He and Kyler had never been close but it was still a blow to lose family. Especially considering he had never intended to lead his family. It was something to think about, potentially moving back. He wasn't so surprised Roland k ew about his brother. It had been months he was away after all and he had complained about his older brother enough beforehand. "Ithias is well. Removed as usual from the world." And generally happier for it even if it they could be doing more.

He winced at the mention of his commander. But he had reported to him. "Yes, sir," he answered quickly and to the point. It wasn't a problem he hadn't dealt with before and didn't continue to deal with once people rralized he wasn't from here. At least most people didn't care.

"How have things been here?"

[Roland Savatier]

The barmaid brought over a couple of mugs of ale, setting them down on their table. Roland smiled at the woman and thanked her quickly and quietly, not wanting to interrupt Kaiden too much as he spoke.

He could certainly relate to the older brother front. Roland once had two older brothers, both of which had unfortunately passed, making him the oldest brother of the Savatier family now. Although he didn't speak of it much, Roland understood all too well what it was like to lose a brother.

At his mention of Ithias being removed, happier, but should be doing more, Roland tilted his head, shrugging a shoulder to meet his ear. "Their involvement with the Aralorian war put some hardships on them, I am sure. I understand their need to withdraw themselves..."

Roland lifted the mug of ale and took a quick sip from it, missing Kaiden's wince to his question. At his answer, Roland lowered the mug and nodded, smiling slightly, not saying anything more on the matter.

"Well- other than the death of the king, it's been quiet and good... We're all anxious to find out who will take on Regency until the young king is old enough to take over. There are rumors of the king's cousin, Triston deGrey, is trying for it... And we are hoping the rumors to be true and that he will take over. He was big into the military for a while before he fell into the council position. So I think he would be a strong choice to ensure the military remains strong."

He took another sip of his drink before glancing back at the soldier in front of him, "what are your plans now that you are back? Are you here to stay? Do you have plans on traveling again or returning home?" He was genuinely curious and wondered what kept the man tied to Tresteria currently.

[Kaiden Dellario]

He nodded. Ithias had helped with the war, largely because his cousin struggled to say no to anything. But Aralore and Tresteria were allies and the implication was that Ithias could expect the same aide should they ever need it. Not that Saelis seemed particularly interested in other countries. "We're still invested in our alliance," he added. That was partly why he was here, after all. Not in any official liaison capacity, but he wouldn't continue to support a country if they weren't allies.

The man didn't mind dealing with his own issues. It could be a lot worse than questions about his loyalty. And they weren't entirely wrong. He liked Tresteria, but it wasn't quite home.

Other than the death of the king. Was it that casual already? He supposed Edward hadn't made very many friends in the end. Kaiden felt for the man's sons however. His heir had a lot ahead of him, even with a regent. "I'm sure the council will make the right decision for the kingdom," he said simply. He knew little of the politics and most didn't care for his input. "Tresteria will have a strong military regardless, I suspect," he said, with a small smile and a knowing look at Roland. That the general preferred such a leader was telling of where he preferred the kingdom to go, but Tresteria was a military kingdom and it made sense.

Kaiden seemed to take more enjoyment in holding his drink rather than drinking it. "Travel is always appealing, but I am not sure it's the best...atmosphere for that sort of thing." What with a dead king and the usual worries of war. "I actually have a fiance here." Elyscia might not say it that way, but be would. He wasn't embarrassed. "Elyscia Demarais."

[Roland Savatier]

Roland hadn’t suspected that Ithias wasn’t still invested in the alliance, and he hadn’t meant that in what he said about understanding their withdrawing. But he was still happy to hear Kaiden confirm that was true. He smiled slightly and nodded. “I had no doubts,” he gave the man in front of him a curious glance. Did he feel he was accusing Ithias of not being invested or that he was disloyal? Roland pushed the thoughts from his mind and took a sip of his drink again before setting it back down on the table.

There had been so many rumors of the late king- a lot of them not very favorable. The man had begun to request some pretty shady things of the military, things Roland wasn’t allowed to disclose, but it had lost his respect for the king and though he’d not admit it out loud, he felt it was somewhat of a relief that the king was now gone. He had gone completely mad and had he continued down that path, if he had not been stopped, Tresteria may have faltered. He smiled and nodded at Kaiden’s affirmations that the council would make the right decision for the kingdom. Roland could only hope.

Tresteria was a strong military kingdom- but that was due to the fact that they had a leader who strived for such. Someone who did not know the first thing about war and military might stop the funding and the resources to keep things going. Military island could easily be converted and used for something else. Change happened with new leaders. If Triston was truly running for regent, Roland would throw as much of his energy as he could to ensure he was on the throne. He tilted his head and lowered his brows, looking to Kaiden as if he was a bit oblivious. “No- Not necessarily.” He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest. “Not if the leader has no interest in keeping the kingdom miliary oriented…Tresteria hadn’t always had a strong military. Not like it is now.”

Roland nodded to Kaiden. Yes, traveling certainly had its appeal. He often wished he had more chances to get away every so often- but he was needed where he was, so he remained. He raised a brow in surprise as Kaiden admitted he was engaged, and when he admitted who it was he was engaged to, Roland grinned and let out a quiet laugh. “Elyscia? As in the king’s cousin?” He looked Kaiden over for a moment. Well, at least this marriage arrangement was closer in age than the one he arranged with Cassandra and her husband. Or was he assuming that it was an arrangement? He hadn’t meant to- but it seemed like something King Edward liked to do--especially with his family. “Well, congratulations, then.” He raised his cup in a toasting fashion before he took another sip. “When is the big day?” He asked curiously.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Perhaps he was a bit...sensitive to the suggestion. He was defensive of his home. And he got a lot of flak from other soldiers. Usually, he handled it with jokes or brushed it aside. Like this time.

Kaiden chuckled. "I meant with you around, sir," he teased. Well, he wasn't that familiar with Tresterian history either so that had been part of it. But he also knew that just because the government pulled military funding, it didn't mean there would not be others. He nodded though, keen to pay attention to the man's wisdom.

He took another drink and snorted in faint amusement as the other man laughed at his personal life. "Your King's cousin, yes," he said with a grin. Everyone seemed related to royalty. He didn't miss Roland's gaze and had a few guesses as to what he was thinking but couldn't know for sure. Kaiden raised his glass slightly and then took a small drink. "Thank you. She's far too good looking for me, I know. And...we don't have one? We...are taking some...time..." He grimaced, not sure how to explain but very aware how it sounded. He was attempting to claim co-ownership for the situation when really it was Ely who wanted the space. Kaiden personally preferred her having a say but...traditionalists in Tresterian likely would not share that opinion and he didn't want any of that to blow back on Elyscia.

"Share your Yule with anyone, General?" He asked with a small curious smile.

[Roland Savatier]

Roland often found that men would invite him out to talk and have a drink with, and most of the time it was for their own gain, hoping that by befriending him and buttering him up, would earn them a higher rank. It, unfortunately, did not work that way--at least not for him or the way his army worked. He did not play favoritism and those with higher ranks did nothing but work their way up and earn them.

He laughed and shook his head at Kaiden regarding his comment about what he meant about Tresteria having a strong military regardless of who ruled the kingdom. It would seem that Kaiden might have been trying to suck up to him too, perhaps--or so he wondered if that was what he was trying to do at the moment. Regardless, Roland was a patient man who was willing to talk and listen to whatever his men wanted to talk about. When he had the time, he enjoyed getting to know whomever he could.

A chuckle vibrated from within his chest in response to Kaiden’s opinion of his fiancee. “Smart man--You’ve already learned to admit the lady is too good looking for you. Make sure to compliment her as much as possible, appreciate her, and treat her well… Any man can be replaceable to a woman...But if you don’t give her a reason to want to replace you, she’ll stick around and appreciate you back.” That was the best advice Roland could give the man. He smiled and gave him a small nod of understanding. “Time is good… Get to know one another and see if you are the right fit, rather than rushing into things… It’s smart.” He shrugged. “But it’s how you spend that time that matters the most, hmm?”

At Kaiden’s question, he smiled and glanced down at the cup in his hand, swirling the liquid around gently. “Ahh… Just with my family. It was nice to spend some time with them. And you?”

[Kaiden Dellario]

He was a bit taken aback by the...advice? the unmarried man was giving him about his personal life when he had not asked for it. Did the man know her? Or have some other stake in her well-being that he was so...entirely uncaring of the fact that Kaiden himself had feelings either. It was as if the General thought only the woman's opinion mattered. Compliment her as much as possible? Replace him? Don't rush into things? What was this? It all sounded rather feminist and Kaiden wasn't entirely sure whether to take the man seriously. He sat there shocked for a moment.

It was, quite frankly, offensive. The general wasn't wrong, of course, but it was still...uncalled for and degrading personally. As if he didn't know anything about relationships, as if his feelings didn't matter, as if he had to prove he was good enough and she had to do nothing at all. That didn't sound at all like a healthy relationship to him. Both sides needed to put in the same work.

The sergeant nodded. "Yes. I think it's smart," he echoed, finally seeming to process. He was certain the man was serious. Which was still surprising, but not in a bad way. Knowing the man was more enlightened than his brethren that women's happiness and opinions mattered. But... "I should think, if we're both invested in this relationship, that she should do those things as well," he said carefully. And, he supposed, it would be rather telling if she didn't. Their letters seemed to suggest she was, at least.

He was more than happy the conversation pulled away from talking about the woman, relaxing again. And then the conversation went right back. Still, there was something...almost giddy about getting to say her name, even if he tried to keep it to himself. It was difficult. "I returned here by ship that night. And spent some time with Lady Elyscia at the ball," he said and then chuckled softly. "I think I slept through the entire next day, after so much travel."

[Roland Savatier]

Roland’s eyebrows furrowed as he noticed Kaiden’s expression change suddenly by his advice and he did not speak right away. Had he said something wrong? Well, he knew not everyone knew him enough to fully understand the meaning behind his words and what kind of man he was. He didn’t often allow much insight into his personal life--including whether he was single or even married. He was a private man, for the most part, and no one knew much about his personal life, and he ensured it stayed that way.

“Hmm…” He quietly hummed before Kaiden spoke, agreeing that he was being smart about holding off on a wedding until he and his fiancée got to know one another more. But his next words caused him to sit up straighter and he gave the other man a puzzled look. “Did I say that she shouldn’t? I believe I just said if you ensure that you treat her right, then she will appreciate you and want to stick around and be with you. Of course, it goes both ways...But you only have control over how you treat others... You cannot control them… So if you treat others fairly, one would hope they’d return the same sentiments, no?” He breathed a quiet laugh before lifting his drink to take a sip from it.

He offered Kaiden a smile as he spoke of his Yule and the day after. “I’m sure-- Travel can be quite tiring. Especially attending a ball just after your return,” he chuckled quietly. “It’s good to see you are rested though?” He questioned him as he nodded in understanding. “And I hope your return and everything has been going smoothly for you?”

[Kaiden Dellario]

"It was heavily implied," he pointed out. Being told to appreciate her and learn she was too good for him and that he was replaceable. It made it all very confusing. Couldn't he also want to be complimented and treated right? Or was that asking too much of a woman he was betrothed to? Perhaps it was, in this society. Tresteria was so strange. Kaiden shrugged. "Yes, I suppose so," he said quietly. It still felt a lot like the man was judging him but he supposed he had asked for it on bringing up the topic at all. The best he could do was accept the advice.

The man wasn't wrong, especially once he added that it went both ways, it just all felt...very narrow minded to the foreign Duke. He took a drink and tried to calm down.

"I do enjoy traveling though," he admitted. As tiring as it could be. The Ball had been a rather pleasant ordeal, if a short one but it hadn't helped him acclimate to the island. "Ah, yes. Smoothly as it can be, I suppose. Hopefully the same can be said for you after the holiday festivities?" Well, and all the politics he had missed while he was away.

[Roland Savatier]

Roland took another sip from his drink, eyeing Kaiden curiously from the rim of the glass. He had heavily implied? Well, it hadn’t been his intention, but if the soldier wanted to take it that way, he couldn’t stop him from thinking what he wanted to think or hear what he wanted to hear. “Well, I apologize for my implications, then,” and he left it at that.

He quietly listened as the Sergeant explained his enjoyment in traveling and that his return had gone smoothly. At his question, Roland nodded, his lips pulling up into a tight smile. “Yes, of course. It’s always a pleasure to spend time with my family, but I enjoy what I do, and it was nice to see everyone else back. I appreciate seeing all the soldiers rested and with smiles on their faces after the time off...Though I wonder if that means I am too harsh and do not provide enough off-time?” It probably wasn’t the fairest question to ask one of his soldiers, but Roland asked it in a genuinely concerned and curious manner. He did care about all of their well-being, and he was open to any criticism or perspective that he may not have been seeing.