Comms and Other Long FE Oneshots

Thwack!

*For the Spring Prompt Test. :)

The snow had melted from the plains of Nohr at last, and therefore it was time for the spring fighting tournament. A very special spring tournament evidently, since the Crown Prince and his new retainer were attending.

It had been a very hectic, stressful winter for said Crown Prince, not that the people down below his special viewing box knew that. "You seem far more fascinated than I am," Xander remarked to the silver-haired man that he was very slowly getting to know.

"Mm. This is my first time seeing a jousting tournament," Laslow replied, indigo gaze flicking back to him for a moment before turning back to the two riders about to charge each other in the ring. "I've heard of them of course, but this is my first opportunity to actually attend."

Xander continued to study Laslow even as the bell rang and the cavaliers charged at each other, noting that he was wearing a different pair of earrings today, a pair of silver triangles that were just a tad more flashy than his usual pair of ivory that curved back behind his earlobes like horns. Still didn't seem like these would much get in the way of a fight.

Honestly, Xander was rather annoyed with the fact that he was here looking for a second retainer when he'd only had a month to try and figure out this man who was so very different from Ludger and Cibran- who he was still grieving for, thank you very much. He knew very little about this man as it was, which bothered him more than he cared to admit. He was the Crown Prince. He needed to be able to read people, but Laslow was... difficult.

The mercenary was a foreigner, he had two friends who were also foreign retainers. Camilla had accepted Selena with open arms filled with suspicion at first, but now it wasn't uncommon for the eldest princess to gush about her new friend whenever the redhead was brought up. Odin still had his work cut out for him getting into Leo's good graces, which Xander had brought up to Laslow in passing. He'd gotten a shrug and a smile in response, as well as a remark that Odin would earn his keep.

The lances clashed, the lack of splintering leaving Xander unimpressed with both of the cavaliers and therefore giving him room to keep thinking about his current retainer and his ability to be so outwardly and convincingly casual. Laslow was a paradox. Casual as any commoner, but able to talk around nobles easily without causing offense when he didn't mean to- save for women. Seemingly lax in duties, but everything got done and Laslow was by far one of the deadliest soldiers he had ever seen on the battlefield. The same age than the 17-year-old Crown Prince, but there were times that he seemed to be far, far older than anyone in the castle. Smiles came easily to him, but Xander had caught himself wondering how genuine those smiles were for several nights while he lay awake in bed staring at the ceiling. There were times he wondered how genuine the flirting- dear gods, the terrible, terrible flirting- was as well, but it was enough of a nuisance that he was coming to the unwelcome conclusion that it was both genuine and a fatal flaw.

The bout ended, one of the lances knocked from one of the competitors' hand. Xander noted their faces and sighed. "Yeah, they were only somewhat decent in the other events too," Laslow agreed- there was also that uncanny ability of his that Xander was somehow getting used to but still attempting to make himself harder to read to counteract it. A royal shouldn't be showing his emotions so easily that a man who had known him for a month could immediately tell what he was thinking in some situations.

"We probably won't be getting anyone worthwhile until the later bouts. This is the real test of skill." Xander leaned forward in his seat a bit. "Anyone can duel with a sword, but Nohr prides itself on its cavalry."