Keep Calm and Keep Walking

[Kaiden Dellario]

When the other soldier bumped into him, Kaiden didn’t think anything of it. Sure, the path wasn’t narrow, but it was bustling with soldiers and servants or those seeking business. He offered a pleasant and passing greeting in acknowledgement but was quite unfazed by the interaction.

Until about a minute later when he was positive he was being followed.

Okay, not entirely positive, considering he got that feeling in Tresteria sometimes for no apparent reason, but in the few days since he had returned to the country, he’d been on the receiving end of a lot more flak than previously. So maybe he was being a little dramatic about the tail, but he knew someone was watching him. One of those gut instincts of eyes boring through his back on his way to leave the island for the evening.

When he was bumped into from behind he relented that his feeling was right. “Busy day, eh?” he said, entirely too positively, to the man brushing past him.

“What did you call me, sergeant?” The man’s tone was sharp as he turned and put a not-so-reassuring hand on Kaiden’s shoulder, stopping both of them in the walkway.

“Oh.” Kaiden didn’t realize he made the noise out loud. He hadn’t called the man anything. But maybe that was the point? He did have the look of a lesser noble about him and most nobles outranked the foreign duke regardless of time served. “Busy day, sir?” Kaiden guessed.

The officer gained a look of entitlement. So Kaiden was right about the rank. Still, he wasn’t sure why he-

“Your accent, you’re that foreigner?”

That foreigner? Lovely. “There are a few, sir. I’m Sergeant Dellario.”

The man wrapped his arm around his shoulders in a fake facsimile of a good-natured embrace and started leading them...back to the island. Somewhere. “Oh yes, the duke, my apologies, Your Grace. Let me start over. Lieutenant Steinn. What brings a discerning nobleman such as yourself to Tresteria?”

Kaiden wasn’t the nervous sort, but he did get the feeling he wouldn’t like where this was going. He wasn’t convinced he was resigned to his fate, but even if the guy was just going to “talk” he didn’t really want to be here. “The war. Ithias is very dedicated to our alliance and service,” he said, ignoring the heavy sarcasm dripping from the man’s words and the slight at his rank. Kaiden attempted to pull himself away, but found the guy had dug his fingers into his jacket. Extra lovely.

“Come now, Sergeant, you can’t expect me to believe that. A man like you come all the way out here just to be ordered around? I don’t think so. There has to be some other reason…” Steinn’s tone was both charming and suggestive. The worst kind of suggestive. Kaiden almost wished the guy would have punched him and started a scene rather than all this manipulating. What the hell did he want, anyway?

“My cousin-”

“The King?”

Kaiden stopped. Ah, so that was it. The whole business with King Edward’s death. He had been quite the military supporter, it made sense this noble liked him. Kaiden had too, in a way. He hadn’t known Edward personally by any means and knew only the vaguest details of his final moments. To say the king had been a good man might not be accurate, but Kaiden would never condemn a previous ruler out loud either. “Yes. My cousin wants to assure Tresteria our alliance is to the kingdom, not-”

Steinn tsked and continued them on their way out of the main walkway. “Bullshit.” Well, at least finally one of them was speaking plainly.

Nathaniel Starke

[Nathaniel Starke]

The day had been a rather long one and Nathaniel was tired and sore. His unit had been tasked with testing some sort of war tactic involving both the cavalry and infantry and it had taken more than several tries for them to pull it off. There was still a lot of work to be done, and he was sure they would be training for months, but they were at least starting to make some progress.

He had returned his horse to the stables, tended to a few things that needed his attention, and reported back to his Captain before he began making his way towards the port to catch the next ship back to the main Tresterian land. While he sometimes remained on Militaire Island for long periods of time, he found himself wanting to return home more often as of late.

As he headed down the busy path leading to the port, he was stopped by one of his privates.

“Excuse me, Lieutenant Starke?”

Nathaniel stopped and turned to find the man approaching him, he raised a brow in question and nodded his head once, silently letting the man know he had his attention. The Lieutenant was mostly known for being a man of few words unless he needed to speak.

“I won’t take up much of your time, but I needed to ask you about our new drill today?” Nathaniel lowered his brows, giving the man a confused expression, that perhaps unknowingly came across as annoyed. These sort of things were discussed and questioned at briefings, or he mostly should have been speaking to his sergeant first. Still, he admired the man’s confidence in speaking with him instead. “Yes?”

The Private suddenly appeared nervous by the short answer and almost dismissive demeanor from his Lieutenant, but he pressed on., asking him about one of the specific tactics they had tried and how it wasn’t working out for the group he had been in, what he had witnessed, and what seemingly wasn’t working for them. It had mostly been that his Sergeant was not listening to the other men he had been grouped with, and was seemingly allowing his rank to get to his head. Nathaniel breathed out a frustrated sigh from his nose and nodded in understanding. Now it made sense why he skipped over the man and was coming to him instead.

Nathaniel listened quietly and attentively to the Private as he began rambling out ideas and suggestions, a bit ambitious of the man, but he could appreciate that.

It was then, that he overheard the conversation passing by between Kaiden and the other soldiers. His gaze shifted from the Private in front of him and he watched the scene unfold before he turned his attention back as the man finished his thoughts.

“Right. Thank you, Private Anders. I will look into it. If that is all?” The man nodded to him and thanked him for his time before he moved away.

Nathaniel stood there for a moment, his brown eyes moving back towards the men and he pondered leaving it be and returning on his way to port or interfering. Tresterian’s military was a large one filled with various armies, so he wasn’t sure if he recognized any of them. They did not appear to be of the Royal Tresterian army, at least not of the Cavalry.

He sighed and rolled his eyes when he heard the man, who introduced himself as Lieutenant Steinn, seemingly trying to use his rank and title to belittle the man. Talk about letting one’s rank get to their head. Nathaniel turned, deciding he’d follow behind and step in if things began to progress from where they were at now. He quietly followed behind, walking alongside some of the other soldiers, seemingly minding their own business, until they dispersed in various directions.

Yes, he had heard rumors about a foreign Duke amongst the ranks of the military, but he didn’t know much else, nor did he often believe half the rumors that were spread.
It wasn’t until the other Lieutenant called bullshit, that Nathaniel decided it was time to interfere.

“Is there a problem here, Lieutenant?” Nathaniel’s voice was deep and authoritative as if daring the man to continue on with whatever it was he was trying here, and he’d see what would come his way.

Steinn looked behind them and shot Nathaniel a doubting look, clearly unaware of who he was and believing him to be lower in rank than he was. “Mind your own business, unless you’d like to assist me in teaching this foreigner our Tresterian ways.”

Nathaniel raised a brow and turned his gaze to Kaiden, silently asking him if he needed his help or if he had things under control. It might not have seemed so, but he didn’t want to belittle the man much like this Steinn was doing. “Oh? And what exactly are those Tresterian ways?” His lips pulled into a tight line as he turned his attention back to Steinn. Nathaniel’s tone was laced in sarcasm. Whatever this man had planned, did not sound very Tresterian. The way he saw it, Tresteria’s military should consist of honorable men who looked after one another and worked together. Not this. Though he knew that wasn’t always the case and there were a few corrupt men among them. For example, King Edward- who had very much allowed corruption to take over him.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden was not new to swearing. He'd been quite the notorious trouble maker in his own family, always out on the town, always late coming home. His penchant for adventure and traveling had introduced him to sailors at a young age, and he had attempted to stow away more than once. It wasn't the swearing that shocked him, but the tone and that it was directed quite firmly in his direction. He bristled silently, knowing full well the moment he got defensive things weren't going to go in his favor. Not that he expected they would anyway, but...they would go downhill much faster.

Still, he toyed with falling the lieutenant's mother out just for the hell of it. Just to see what happened. Thankfully, another officer Kaiden didn't recognize stepped in and saved him from his moral conundrum. He offered the man a tight smile, but his eyes were a lot more...worried and appreciative than smiling. There was a problem, but he wasn't certain he was in a position to say anything without adding fuel to the fire.

He couldn't help but wince at this foreigner but it was more...playful than fearful. If Kaiden could pretend this was more a joke than it was, then it wasn't that big of a deal. They were all adults here, surely they could all handle themselves and not teach this foreigner anything. Kaiden had the same question on the tip of his tongue that the other man did and this time, the smile was a real one, if fleeting.

Steinn stiffened at the other man's persistence in defending a stranger. This wasn't his business. "The serious traditional kind about loyalty and honor and truth. What does it matter to you? Is the sergeant a friend of yours?" The word 'friend' here seemed to carry the same meaning as 'conspirator' the way Steinn said it.

Being called a liar to his face was one thing. Having it implied he was a traitor with fancy words was...even less appealing. Having that directed as some well meaning stranger made Kaiden even more uncomfortable. Certainly this other lieutenant seemed the capable sort, but Kaiden didn't want this to come to blows or to ruin the man's reputation. "Perhaps it is best Lieutenant Steinn educate me himself?" He suggested with false enthusiasm. Somehow, he doubted it would convince the other man from intervening and part of the nobleman sorely didn't want him to leave. But he at least wanted to give the guy a heads up in case the bully's name and rank meant anything.

[Nathaniel Starke]

A traditional lesson about loyalty, honor, and truth. Of course, those three things did describe the ‘Tresterian ways,’ but the meanings seemed lost on the other Lieutenant for some reason. Nathaniel raised a brow and stared at the other man with a stern and unamused glare. At his question, he turned brown eyes back on Kaiden, as if to see if he recognized the man at all. Was he a friend of his? Steinn’s words seemed to hold a sense of accusation behind them as if Nate answered that he was a friend, he’d suffer the same lessons that Kaiden seemingly was going to get.

His gaze returned to Steinn with that same unamused expression, lips parting to speak, but Kaiden’s voice filled the air instead. Brown eyes remained focused on the other Lieutenant and he finally shook his head. “I believe the only education needed here, is for Lieutenant Steinn to learn exactly what loyalty, honor, and truth mean, and to focus his attention on his own men rather than to pick fights with someone he should have no concern over.”

Nathaniel had an easy time reading people, and for whatever reason, he sensed that none of these men surrounding the foreigner in need of a lesson, were from the royal army. Strangely, there was a certain vibe that came from each of the armies and their men to what Nathaniel imagined trickled down from the Generals.

Steinn scoffed and glared at him. “Who do you think you are speaking to a superior officer like that? I could have you demoted like that!” He snapped his fingers to indicate that he could instantly strip Nathaniel of his rank if he’d continue to interfere.

He folded his arms over his broad chest and gave the man an annoyed look. “I’m Lieutenant Nathaniel Starke of the Tresterian army. And I’m going to make a guess here… You’re of the Savatier Infantry. I’m sure Captain Edgars would really appreciate hearing about your behavior. Or perhaps I should skip over the Captain and speak with your Commander Ashbrook? I’m sure it would be you who would be demoted just like that.” Nathaniel snapped his fingers in a mocking imitation of what the man had previously done in his quick assumption.  He wasn't the type to flaunt around about his rank or throw it in anyone's faces, so even saying it as if he needed to prove himself to the other man, nearly made him cringe.  Even so, he hadn't spoken his rank as if he were better than the man, but more so as if trying to prove a point and put the man in his place because of what he was doing.  

Steinn looked baffled and surprised for a moment and looked Nathaniel over as if trying to recognize him. How did he know such a thing, especially with being in a different army than him? The other Lieutenant was rendered speechless, his voice cracking as if to say something but not knowing how to counter in argument.

Based on the man’s reaction, Nathaniel assumed his own assumptions and guesses were correct. He was good at observing and learning all he could where he could because it was his life. He had spent years at military island, much sooner in age than most of the men did. He met a lot of people and got involved however he could.

“I suggest you walk away and go on with your day. Perhaps visit a library and look up what honor, truth, and loyalty mean, and maybe you’ll learn that you don’t treat your fellow army men the way you apparently do.”

Steinn grumbled under his breath and mumbled something almost inaudibly, calling Nathaniel something unpleasant certainly.

He raised a brow and tilted his head in curiosity, ignoring whatever it was the other Lieutenant muttered, because he really just didn’t care. “So what’s it going to be?”

[Kaiden Dellario]

Steinn's grip dug painfully into Kaiden's shoulder as Nathaniel unleashed the gates of hell. Calling down the names of superior officers was a very direct threat and even should any of them agree with the confrontational lieutenant, they would be hard pressed to ignore the fact that he had been caught attempting something so openly. Sure, not everyone who had passed them on the walkway had stopped, but there were plenty of witnesses.

Kaiden was just as surprised to hear the threat. Not in the least because it was delivered so...casually. There was nothing dismissive nor aggressive about the fact that his savior laid out to the man, simple the events as they would occur. The sergeant was glad to know the man accosting him held no more authority than any other lieutenant. That or this Starke had balls of steel. Either was a win.

As Starke continued to grill the man, Kaiden couldn't keep the smirk off his face. He had to remind himself to be quite, to not rub anything in as much as he sorely wanted to. The foreign duke knew even before the question what Steinn's answer was going to be. Bullies didn't handle pressure very well and they certainly didn't handle threats. There was a reason Steinn had picked on him while he was alone.

"Fine," he growled, shoving Kaiden solidly at the wall. "Keep your man on a tighter leash, lieutenant," he hissed before storming off, the title clearly not used in respect. Seemed both of the men left standing there had not made a friend that day. Good riddance.

Kaiden managed to get his hands up to avoid face planting but the impact still shook him and scrapped his hands up. He sighed and leaned against the wall for a minute before chuckling. "Pretty sure I'm in his company, not yours," he mumbled. "Thanks for that." And then realizing who he was talking to, he quickly pulled himself away from the wall, straightened and saluted the lieutenant. "Sir," he amended.

[Nathaniel Starke]

Nathaniel continued to stare at the other lieutenant with a narrowed gaze as he waited for the man’s answer. He was only partially surprised by the man’s behavior and attitude, mostly because it wasn’t really Steinn’s place to be throwing such judgment on the foreigner. He assumed if Kaiden was an issue or threat to Tresteria, he wouldn’t be serving in their military. Everyone had a story, and for all any of them knew, Kaiden could have moved here in search of a new life. If this was how others were treating him, it almost saddened him that the man would have a wrong impression of what Tresteria was and should be.

As Steinn forfeited his plans and shoved Kaiden aside, Nathaniel kept his gaze on him, showing no emotion or reaction to his attempt of an insult and the disrespect that was thrown his way. When he stormed off, Nathaniel shook his head and glanced back over to Kaiden as he spoke.

"Pretty sure I'm in his company, not yours," Nathaniel raised a brow and looked the man over, that same unamused expression remaining on his features. “The Savatier one?” Nathaniel shrugged and gestured a dismissal of the man’s show of respect in saluting him, “No need to thank me… I’m sorry you had to deal with that.” He held back a sigh but shook his head. “General Savatier is a good man, seemingly... I meant no disrespect in calling him out.” Nathaniel explained confidently. While he couldn’t exactly explain how he knew the lieutenant was from that particular army, he hoped Kaiden hadn’t taken offense by it.

“Where are you headed to?” But the tone in his voice didn’t so much come out as a question, but rather a statement, inviting--or rather, suggesting that the man walk with him if he so wanted to. To perhaps avoid another instance such as the one that had just occurred.

But before Kaiden could respond, Leuitenant Steinn was coming up behind Nathaniel quickly, grabbing him by the back of his collar and yanking him around where he sent a fist right into his face, before he had been able to react. The other man started yelling in Nathaniel’s face, obscenities about how he should not have interfered and made a fool out of him and that he would pay for it. Nathaniel lifted an arm, maneuvering it so that his elbow could come crashing down on the man’s arm, allowing him to escape from the man’s grip. He quickly turned and stood in a ready stance, should the man come back at him. Nathaniel tilted his head to the side, giving Steinn a daring gesture. Was he really going to do this? Out in the open where various other soldiers moved about? How stupid was this man?

“Step down, Lieutenant…” Nathaniel, slightly out of breath, ordered the other man, even still in a calm and collected, yet stern tone, as if he hadn’t just been punched in the face. The man laughed and shook his head. “No-- I want a fight.”

Regardless of what the man wanted, Nathaniel didn’t want to fight. Not here. Not with the risk of being penalized if it had somehow gotten twisted around and he was blamed for the fight. He laughed slightly and shook his head. “The only fight you should be having right now is an internal one with yourself. Get out of here.”

Steinn growled and charged forward, only to be quickly close lined by Nathaniel’s arm. He wrapped that arm around his chest, lifted him, and slammed him down into the ground before he moved to stand over him defensively. “I said enough!” The tone of his voice escaping him more harshly this time, as he was quickly beginning to lose his patience now.

[Kaiden Dellario]

He relaxed at indication to be at ease. He was just trying to go home, not cause a scene or get dragged away for a brawl or disciplinary action. Kaiden didn't smile, but his eyes brightened a little in thanks and in amusement. "No need to apologize, sir," he replied, mirroring the man's response. He raised an eyebrow at 'seemingly' and if he was being honest, wasn't entirely sure if the man liked or disliked the General or simply wanted to distance himself that far from any judgement call. He seemed certain, regardless and Kaiden decided it was best not to push that line of conversation.

He flinched a little at the question, partly because it was often another way that soldier liked to 'buddy up' with him and harass him a little. Most never came close to blows, but threats of violence weren't uncommon. Before he could answer, however, their friend returned.

Kaiden stepped forward, considering he could clearly see the man coming, and got a glancing hook to the jaw before Steinn grabbed Starke. Kaiden stepped back, more than prepared to break up a fight if he had to. The problem? Well, Steinn was right about some things, officers got away with quite a lot and while he trusted Starke to explain the situation, disciplinary action was not his to hand out. Not against Steinn and not for Kaiden. And there was nothing to say about what might happen to the other lieutenant himself. So, provided none of them pulled a weapon on the other (not to mention Starke could clearly hold his own) the sergeant stood back, as much as he would have loved to clock the other man. It wasn't worth it.

It quickly became clear Steinn had a vendetta or something, or maybe he really was just a jumped up aggressive idiot who got high off of fights. Kaiden could have said the same about himself in some situations, after all, but this was stupid. The sergeant looked over the two men and caught sight of quite a few rank and file who had stopped to look over at the scuffle and that, more than anything, made him step in. Officers weren't supposed to fight. Posture and sneer and belittle, but they were a unified front of nobility. A force. A Power. They were supposed to give the rest of them orders. How could they possibly provide that certainty and power and safety if they were fighting like dogs?

Starke's ultimatum seemed to fall on deaf ears as Steinn growled again and kicked Starke's legs out from under him. Or at least tried to. Even should the man move, he swung himself to his knees and reached for a knife to lunge toward the man. Kaiden was ready this time, however, and before the blade even cleared the sheath, he kicked him in the groin. As Steinn whimpered and reached down defensively, Kaiden punched him in the nose. He winced and shook his hand. "Not my best idea," he mumbled, trying to laugh off the pain and the frustration. "I might get lashes for that," he added, sounding like he was joking be also confident that he wasn't. He glanced over at Starke and then back to the other soldiers and grimaced. "Are you alright, sir?" He wanted to compliment the man on how well he had handled himself but...now probably wasn't the time.

He hesitantly knelt to check the man's pulse and make sure he was breathing and both luckily and unluckily, he seemed to be coming back around already.

[Nathaniel Starke]

If this man was always this way, Nathaniel wondered how he had been able to rise up in the ranks to become a Lieutenant. An officer wasn’t supposed to pick fights with anyone. They were supposed to be fighting with one another, not against. And while he could easily lose his temper himself, he at least knew how to control it.

A smart man would have realized by now that the fight should have ended (or not began in the first place) when he ended up on his back with a fellow commanding officer yelling at him to stand down. Yet Steinn couldn’t seem to let it go and Nathaniel felt the man kick at his legs, to knock him down, in which he had succeeded. He hit the ground, catching himself on his thigh to avoid any damage from the impact, and with the momentum, he was able to quickly stand back up just as the other Lieutenant was reaching for his knife. you’ve got to be kidding me, he thought to himself.

His light brown eyes glared at the man, and out of his peripheral vision, he noticed the crowd beginning to gather, yet no one bothered to step in? That is, until Kaiden did, kicking the man in the groin before punching him, sending the man to the ground, unconscious.

Nathaniel gave a nod of acknowledgment to Kaiden as he hunched forward, resting his hands on his thighs and letting his head hang down as he tried catching his breath. When the Sergeant asked if he was alright, he nodded before he glanced back up at him, using his thumb to brush against the spot on his face he had been punched, when he pulled it away he noticed the blood. “Yeah, I’m fine. You?” He asked, still catching his breath.

While Kaiden checked on Steinn, and the man seemed to already be coming around again, Nathaniel glanced up at those who had gathered around and he called out, a hint of annoyance in his tone. “Would any of you like to go find a commanding officer or guard, please?”

Just as the man was coming to, Nathaniel moved over towards where Kaiden and Steinn were and he crouched down, yanking the man off the ground and pulling him up by his arm, twisting him around and pinning his arms behind his back. “I told you to stand down,” he growled at the man’s ear, before pushing him up against a stone wall, keeping his arms tightly pinned behind his back, and he would hold him there until someone came along to take the man off his hands.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden took a calming breath himself, not nearly so out of breath as the Lieutenant, but considering he had only caught the end of the fight that made sense. He noticed the other man was bleeding slightly. He was still on his feet and breathing for the moment though. Kaiden didn't want to step on the man's pride. After Steinn and some of the other less than pleasant officers' treatment of him, Kaiden didn't want to push Starke. the nobleman shrugged and flexed his fingers slightly. "Not bleeding, sir," he expressed, which was pretty good in his book. And perhaps a very slight implication Starke was less okay than he was.

Despite the whole harassment and assault issues, he was glad to see Steinn was coming around again. He still seemed a bit unsteady, but awake was a relief. Not that he had thought he hit him that hard. Kaiden glanced over at the other soldiers, most of which stiffened at the direct address from Starke. Those in the front row glanced at Kaiden and then at each other until finally one elbowed the man next to him and turned on his heel to do as the lieutenant said. Meanwhile, Kaiden helped Starke get the man to his feet and then stood off to the side awkwardly.

Considering they were near enough to the bridge, it didn't take long for them to return with a guard captain and two other guardsmen. The captain directed the two guards to seize the dazed Steinn from Starke. "What's going on here, Lieutentant?" The man addressed Starke, gaze lingering on Steinn and barely glancing at Kaiden. "Street brawls will not be tolerated," he added and then toward the crowd. "Nor will tardiness, be it among your commanding officers or your wives," he growled, which seemed to be more than enough for the majority to disperse back to their business. It still surprised and discouraged Kaiden that so many were willing to watch and do nothing.

He decided to keep quiet and differ to Starke for the moment.