Is is Beat or beet? (Kouzai)

Mehn followed a few steps behind him as she started her new mission and duty as Prince Erolass' Personal body guard and commander of his protection force. She did not care where they were going, only that she kept her eyes pilled. It was night time and Mehn knew for a fact that these streets were not safe in the slightest bit.

This solider could name several occasions for when thugs and criminals had lurked from the shadows, hopping to claim her valuable and her honor. Little did they know that she would not be taken down so easily - Which could bring up another point. There were also several individuals on this side of town that were very unfriendly with mehn and most likely to the point where they wanted her dead or worse.

Never the less it didn't matter right now. Her eyes were searching casually and her senses were opened as much as possible. Reaching the edge of the city, they moved on pass the limits and into the fields. Mehn only assumed that this was the way to the prince's home. It was so interesting to Mehn; knowing a man born into anything he wanted, would give up everything to be somewhat normal. It wasn't her place to speak so she didn't question it but at least she was still intitled to her interal thoughts.

"Mehn.." The sergaent heard her name as Erolass called to her.
"Yes, Your highness?"
"Would you, perhaps, mind if it I did a portrait of you? I would much like to start with a sketch...and then move to a large portrait."
Mehn stopped for a moment after he finished. Her eye focus on him a moment before she continued to follow before he noticed.

Mehn was confused for a moment and quite taken back by his request. She was a solider not a manikin. The women opened her mouth a moment as she wanted to decline immediately before she closed her lips once more: rethinking her response.

"If that is His majesty's command.. But I must remind you.. I am here to protect you, highness.. Not play art class." Mehn's words were bold and straight forward but not as bold as she wanted to present them before hand.

Erolass laughed as they walked down the abandoned dirt road, "It was a request, not an order," said Erolass, "You may say no if you want to. It just that your fairly well well, and also muscled exterior, along with your rough-along-the-edges appearance are something absent from art these days. Most women who are painted are airheads with little more than beauty and money to their name. But I believe you are someone with honour, loyalty, strength and independence, and that inner beauty, combined with your very obvious outer beauty would make a great painting, or perhaps a sketch...or maybe both."

Erolass zoned back into the conversation, and continued on track, "Yes, well regardless," he said, "You have a say in this matter, so you may refuse if it is not to your liking. I never like to force art, or anything for that matter."

And with that Erolass said nothing, leaving himself to his thoughts. He wasn't overly disappointed that Mehn said no, after all they had only just met and she was very professional. Erolass sketching her and painting her was more personal than it was professional. But still it disappointed Erolass that he could not paint such a beautiful person inside and outside, but he understood her reasons, and therefore said nothing more about it.

She started at him for a long moment before looking back to the road. 'Not an Order, huh..?' Mehn thought to herself. Her mind thought a moment as she decided upon her answer, "I apologize for declining your highnesses request but I am not the type to sit and be a satute for hours on end looking like a doll. Someone like me would have no training in that subject.." her words seemed to trail off as a few birds flocked through the sky.

Mehn was never given the luxury to learn proper manners or how to's on thing most nobles knew from the day they were born. No - This girl was born to a poor family, that had nothing and even as a child, she knew the struggle her parent went through just to keep food on the table. Ever since she joined the military, her life was not focused on the things she didn't have but the the things she swore she would acquire to accomplish her goals.

None of that included sitting still for a portrait while there were thing to be done.

The Wind gave a soft blew as she looked around. There seemed to be nothing but moving grass and the sound of ... Were was the sound? Where were the crickets? She looked forward, left, right, back and up very casually. Mehn rested her hand on her blade as she balled the other. Her muscles started to tighten as Mehn started to get a gut feeling. It seemed all of a sudden! Crickets started to chirp once more.

Mehn relaxed as she almost gave a relieved, silent Exhale. She looked back to Erolass, "If yoy don't mind me asking, My lord.. What was your Sister worried about again? To be more narrow, Who was is it, that she is ... Weary Of?"

"No, no" said Erolass calmly, "It's quite alright, I understand. However I would simply sketch you, which would only take an hour or two, and then paint from the sketch, however I understand your reason for denial and I am perfectly fine with it. If you ever do change your mind I'm more than willing to sketch you."

Erolass looked up at the moon, it was full tonight, and it was beautiful. The moon had always inspired him in the past, and he had several sketches and paintings of landscapes which involved or were of the moon directly. He truly loved it, it was so beautiful in all aspects. It was perfectly pale and white, and hung in the sky like a large pearl. The spotted craters and dots that covered it did not detract from its beauty at all, but instead added to it as it washed the landscape in its white light. Truly amazing. Then Mehn asked a question, and Erolass answered.

"Nothing in particular, just a great danger that would threaten our family," said Erolass, "To be honest the seer did say that it may not even effect our generation, but Naina worries when it comes to us, so she took exemplary measures just in case. Why do you ask?" Erolass wondered why Mehn seemed so on edge lately, was it perhaps they were being followed? And she was too nice or too worried herself to say anything about it? Or could it just be that she was all of a sudden on edge or uneasy after the thought of being painted or sketched.

"Nothing in particular, just a great danger that would threaten our family.To be honest the seer did say that it may not even effect our generation, but Naina worries when it comes to us, so she took exemplary measures just in case. Why do you ask?"

She remembered him saying that before now, "No reason for you to worry. I was just trying to remember." She said with a low and almost what some might think, a casual tone as she crossed her arms. The words weren't exactly like a lie but were more of a 'theres no need for you to know about it'. She looked around, less on guard now as the feeling she felt before was gone. For a moment she looked looked up at the moon.

It was the oppisite of the sun - source of Fire benders. It was common knowledge that the moon was the power source of the all waterbenders Bending. Waterbenders.. Mehn had nothing against them but The moon did remain her of that day. That night when she she lost every thing only to gain more pain then she would ever feel.

Mehn rose her finger tips to her eye patch as she kept walking. A soft sigh tugged from her lungs as she closed her eye. Looking back down, and straight forward, The woman breathed in the night air, clearing her mind of all her past thought from her childhood.

Erolass noticed that Mehn seemed...off, perhaps it was something about the moon? It was just something about the way she was staring at it...and the way she touched her eye when she did. Erolass was always very good at reading people, and he could always tell their emotions through their reactions, many people say it was a gift he inherited from his father, but Erolass never knew his father well enough to see if it was true.

"Are you alright Mehn?" said Erolass, "Forgive for not addressing you by Sergeant, I just feel that if we will be working so close together it would be better to be on a more personal note, that way we may trust each other better; also forgive me if it is not my place to ask, I just noticed that you seemed rather...dejected as of late. Again, forgive me. You need not answer if you do not wish to."

Erolass did not care if it was not his place to ask, Mehn was his guard, and hopefully eventually his friend. He cared about others and how they felt, and he was just trying to help, and he did not like apologizing for helping, but it would be considered rude if he didn't, and so he did it anyway.

The armored Arms crossed around the helmet as her eyes looked to Erolass. Her eyes looking at the back at him. Was her exterior actions so transparent to her inner thoughts? Mehn's face was blank as she continued to look to Erolass; trying to figure out what to say, "Just thinking about nonsense, sir." She breathed, looking forward. "Nothing to concern yourself with."

Mehn was still professional, she didn't let her guard down so easily. Especially on a mission, AND with the Prince of the Vermillion Empire. She rose her chin as the two came closer to the villa. "Looks as if we will be arriving very soon.." Her mind was set on almost changing the subject.

Mehn was not a liar but she was not one to share information easily. If she didn't want you to know, then there is a good chance you'd would know from her lips. There was a time back when Mehn first joined the Military. She went through training for interigating both for personal reasons and for Professional reasons. It was almost her theropy then in cause of her past experiences. And today It just helps her stay in control and keep her emotions at a distance.

Moving from the thoughts, Mehn found herself stopping at the edge of the Prince's estate.

Erolass looked up at his estate, true it was a gift from Owlan, but at the same time it was a way of escaping from the very people, family and means that got him this house. His escapism was gifted from his problem. Quite ironic really, as was most of Erolass's life, but none-the-less he took it and remained silent, never telling anyone of this irony. No one knew him as the Vermilion Prince or Royalty; as he was hidden away for most of list due to 1. His late blooming at fire bending 2. His parents neglect for him and his siblings 3. His own doing in order to stay away from the lime light.

All of this had worked in his favour, as he now lived on his own, supporting himself by making paintings, sculptures and sometimes creating buildings for other countries who were in need. He had built up his OWN reputation that was not dependent on his status, titles or his family, and least of all his brother. Erolass was his own man, and he was proud of himself for it, and no one was going to stop him from being independent.

Erolass then looked at Mehn, and smiled, pushing open the large iron gate with one hand and gestured for her to go first. "Please," he said, "After you, by all means." Erolass was fairly polite, far more polite than either of his brothers, something else he took pride on. While Owlan would rather walk in WITH his guest, and Erolass would walk in before, Erolass was not ashamed to walk in after them, allowing people to see his grand hospitality. "Please, don't be shy, so long as you are here this is your home too," said Erolass with a smile.

"Please, don't be shy, so long as you are here this is your home too,"

Mehn looked to Erolass as she eyebrows crunched with discomfort. Her eyes blinked at him as she walked past him, actually slightly comfused. 'Thats a first..' She thought simply, looked back at Erolass and waited for him to enter before she proceeded. As soon as he was inside the estate, Mehn turned around. Her eyes fell upon the well build villa. It was nice but what else would she expect from royalty and for royalty. 'My home too, huh?' She thought, walking further along into the gated area and looked around.

Mehn had never really considered any place she was "Her Home". Even the bricks in which she spend most of her life living in. She prefered not to get attached to things, it just make it easier to say goodbye. 'The same will be with this place..' Her mind had an inner conversation with it's self once more. Mehn looked back at Erolass as she finished scanning the outside are and starting to memorize the ground's area.

"You live well, your highness." She attempted to the estate as she waited for him to get a complement to take the lead. She just felt uncomfortable if she took off, looking around, in someone elses home. It was only polite to wait and never ask for anything not offered - Common knowledge & something even she was taught as a soilder,

"Thank you," said Erolass, "It can be a little too much sometimes to be honest, but really I don't mind. Just more room for me to keep my paintings and sculptures and sketches and models. And my endless supplies of wine....something about my family that never really left me was wine making. Owlan does it, so does Eldunar, the two of them like to compete with each other but....well, I just prefer to drink mine."

Eldunar smiled and followed Mehn through the gates, walking slightly behind her, and allowing her to get comfortable with the lay of the land and how the estate was mapped out. 1. For patrol duty 2. For comfortability reasons 3. So that she felt more at home, and used to the scenery. Mehn would no doubt be spending a lot of time here until Naina felt it was no longer necessary, and with Naina's approval of Mehn guarding Erolass, it would mean Mehn would not have the see the front lines of the war.

"I suppose you can say that one good thing that came out of this guard duty is that you no longer have to worry about dying in the front lines of the war," said Erolass, "Unless of course you enjoy the thrill of battle, personally I never have been much for it, and I doubt I will be visiting the front lines at all. But personally it is not all that bad; you get to live longer, and not worry about injury or poor living conditions or death. Wouldn't you say?"