“I assume you mean at my side?” Cool and composed, he would not have expected anything else of the Regent. Cool and composed, every time he saw her, verging on what one might call stony except for a sharp look in the eyes which suggested in the course of a split second she could transform into something very wild and, with no uncertainty, beyond the control of any man.
Naturally Eik was not afraid of such wildness. If anything he was drawn to it, same as he was drawn to the endless miles of dusty plains and the cloudless nights by the sea, for he was wild too. Time had worn him down, smoothed and sanded his edges like sea glass, but it had not broken him. Not yet.
The grey does not smile, but pleased amusement crinkles at the edge of his dark eyes. “Yes. Thank you.” Eik feels tension in his shoulders as they turn and walk further into the market, and he is not sure if it is because of the conflict he senses in her mind, or the sudden realization he had not prepared anything to say to her.
“I just wanted to learn more about my regime.” He speaks plainly and formally, soldier to regent. "Who are you, Antiope?" Still plain spoken, still formal, even though the question was surely not a conventional one. He glances at her from time to time, but mostly keeps his attention on the They walk slow and certain into the night, no rush at all to delve into the mysteries of the market.
“Also I…” He trails off as the market suddenly thickens around them. A troupe of dancers is moving through, brandished with colored veils and silks and flowers. “I need to know that Isra is safe with you.” He speaks to her directly with his mind, where he doesn’t have to raise his voice over the crowd.
@Antiope
Time makes fools of us all
