Bull in a china shop

It felt weird to be in a room with the king. Just her, and the king, the pledge her allegiance. She had seen the king before, of course, but from afar and she had never spoken to him. But now she had stood in front of him, in her best attire, but still it screamed Norwyn. Her black dress was embroidered all over with white golden thread, hopefully pleasing the king with wearing Ravaryn colours. She had braided her hair in a tight crown on the back of her head, woven from multiple braids from different sizes, and bedazzled with golden pins. She wore golden jewelry and a black bear pelt lay over her shoulders, kept in place by a delicate golden chain. And there she had bend the knee and pledged her loyalty in the name of Ranaan. All part of her new function as governess.

If had felt weird, bowing her head for anyone. She got homesick immediately, but she had more duties in Ishgard still. For once, she was invited to have tea with the princess while she was in the castle. An offer she could not refuse, so a guard guided her through the many halls of the castle. She fet very alien in this place. It was so different from her humble - compared to this - abode in Norwyn. There most of her staff dined and drank ale together on long tables in the hall. Where a fire crackled in every room. This felt grand and expensive and hot. She should not have worn fur.

Soon she arrived in the room where the princes would be waiting. She walked in the room when the door was opened for her, and soon closed after her. And there was the heir to the throne, a beautiful woman, and Rán did not know what to expect. So she just stood frozen on the ground, determined to not fuck up her first visit to the capital as as governess. ‘‘Your majesty,’’ she greeted Arianna Ylindar, unable to hide her thick Northern accent.

Rán stood still on the ground, frozen in place. Arianna took over the conversation so easily, with her posh choice of words and the elegant way she spoke. It was like she had set foot in a whole different world. The walls were different, the floors, even the ceilings. It was built to perfection, detailed in every single corner she looked. Her Norwyn fortress was a mere shed in comparison to this. But for now, all she could wish it to be home, where she knew walked in familiar halls. But the crown jewel of the room was the princess, dressed in Ravaryn colours as well. She was dazzling, like every princess in the stories. ‘‘Of course, princess,’’ she answered the young woman as she walked over to the chairs.  

But before she sat down, she casually unhooked the chain that kept the fur in place on her shoulders. She placed it on the back of the chair before straightening out her dress and sitting down beside the princess. She had started to regret her statement wardrobe. She fumbled with the folds for a dress a moment longer, before she decided that she was being an absolute wuss. She was from a great family, she was always supposed to be governess one day, and it was normal to make small talk with the royal family. So she raised her chin again and looked the princess straight in the eyes. ‘‘Thank you for inviting me in your home. It's wonderful.’’ She cracked a polite smile, but it didn't last very long. ‘‘I am honored,’’ she continued. She felt like she needed to get the official chit-chat out of the way. The polite things to say.

But then she didn't know what to say to the princess. She was around the same age as her little sister, but she couldn't order and bully her around. It felt so awkward, that by every passing second, the longing for home started to grow. The girl that was excited to leave Norwyn and travel to the capital was gone. But still here she sat, struggeling to find words like some starstruck teenager. ‘‘I have not visited Ishgard for a while now. I always forget how different it is from Norwyn.’’  

Rán had folded her hands over each other on her lap. She decided to just focus her gaze on the princess, stop looking at every small detail in the stonework. The masons in this part of the country were certainly more patient than those up north. Everything in Norwyn was made with brute force and haste. If only her masons and carpenters were as skilled as their boat builders. Because it were the boat builders that had created the detailed wooded doors, littered with nods to their patron.

Rán's fingers brushed past the bear ring on her finger. Ranaan had to be with her to survive this meeting. First the King, and now the princess, who was everything she was not. She smiled softly when she called her grand palace "not much". What a weird way to joke, calling the the grandest building in the country not much. Did the princess want to sound relatable? She raised her eyebrows for a moment. ‘‘Just some roof over your head, is it not?’’ The princess would not know better and she could not blame her. She even doubted if the girl had ever held anything more dangerous than a butter knife in her hands. Would she be simpleminded to judge a royalty for her soft life?

It was the talk about Norwyn and Ishgard to get the small talk on their way. It was still very platonic, nothing much going on. But the governess preferred it that way. Their relationship was nothing but pragmatic, was it not? She could not hide a grin and a soft chuckle when she mentioned visiting Norwyn. Rán looked at her hands to compose herself. Arianna would stick out even more than Rán was right now. But she could not help but spot the hidden backhanded compliment. She basically said Norwyn was a shitty place, but it's people were "alright". Were they beneath her? Was that what she was sating? The old Odirian blood was running through her veins. If the princess wanted to know what that meant, she could show her. ‘‘You would be surprised if you take a closer look. It is not as desolate as you might think.’’ And if you went more North and breath in the freshest air known to mankind, you could just feel magic all around you. ‘‘You should come and visit,’’ Rán continued. She would love to see the princess in her pristine heels dredge through the snow. ‘‘Especially in Frostcrown, when the snows fall and the sea is frozen over. You could see the ice fishermen at work and if you are lucky spot the Northern lights.’’ She smiled softly. ‘‘It's magical.’’

The princes was a bit more feisty than Rán had expected. It was hard for her not to imagine anything else than a pampered, rich, little girl. So the governess had not expected her sharp tongue. Or maybe she had grown so used that everybody would agree with her no matter the situation. She had grown used to being in charge, being able to command with only looks. The royal court was a place not accustomed to her, and she not to it. Rán looked at the girl with slightly narrowed eyes as she was deciding if she only wanted to defend herself or to be hostile. Was that a hidden warning in her words? Or another insult.

Whatever it might be, the Norwyn woman was slightly amused. Rán was a terrible diplomat or politician, so her first instinct was to raise her voice and threaten back, but less subtle. But she managed to copy the princes' politic correct tone. ‘‘Of course, princes. I could not agree more.’’ Rán replied to the words of not liking narrow-minded people. But Rán still thought her hypocritical. What did she know of the country, stuck in her exquisite castle? How broad was her mind? But the governess bit her tongue on that, not wanting to rile up the princes any more. However amusing that might be, she did not come here to start a war. ‘‘I bet our country is laden with diamonds in the rough that we just not know about yet.’’ She still disliked the terminology the princes used for her home. It was like comparing her polished up diamond Ishgard, with it's shabbier little brother.

Rán hated it to back down from a fight. But she was not that thick to just stir up troubles her first visit to the royal family as governess. Her father taught her better than that. Luckily Ariana was easily distracted by the mention of the Northern lights. She could imagine they would not be visible here. When she was younger, she used to hunt for the lights. They would use dog sleds to travel up North in the freezing cold at night, sometimes for multiple days. It were the craziest adventures, some that were of the table for quite some years now. Rán nodded at her question. ‘‘Yes, many times. In rare occasion they even shine above Norwyn.’’ Rán leaned back in her chair a bit, making herself a bit more comfortabel as she laid an hand on the armrest. ‘‘Then you should certainly come if you want to see them. We could set up an expedition.’’ Rán heard her say the words out loud and almost immediately regretted them. Having royalty in Norwyn would shake up town for a couple weeks. But the governess gave a small smile anyway. No backing down from that offer now.