Outside of King's Landing

[The Smith]

A small smile twisted on her face as she replied, "You can be honest, that actually happened to you didn't it?"

[Edric Stark]

Edric returned the smile and shook his head. "Oh no. I am not a Dornishman, you see. I am from the North," he said as if it was all the proof needed to assure her that this had not been the case. He guessed he could have maybe passed for one by now, courtesy of his tanned skin and dark hair. "I just got back from Stepstones, however."

He sighed and figured it was about time he introduced himself. "I am Edric Stark."

[The Smith]

"A Stark? I did not expect that." She offered him her hand. "I am Rose."

[Edric Stark]

Edric held her hand in his as he bowed to place a light kiss just above her knuckles. "And I never expected to meet the future queen of Westeros in a copse of trees south of King's Landing. It just goes to show you how different expectations and reality can be," he replied once he let go of her hand, faintly remembering a conversation much like this with someone else, but could not quite name its time nor place. "Your Grace," he added with a small smile, perhaps a bit regretful that he had made it official.

[The Smith]

"If you call me Princess Queen or Queen Princess... or whatever. I will have my legions of soldiers do bad things to you." Rose replied and slowly untied her horse.

[Edric Stark]

Edric laughed and watched her go about her horse. "Rose, then. Going back to your legions of soldiers?"

[The Smith]

"You think I should go the other way?" Rose looked away from King's Landing. "I should go the other way."

[Edric Stark]

He looked in the same direction and shook his head. "Not a good idea. There are people out there that are not half as nice as me." He walked over to his horse a few feet away and pulled him by the reins, having never really tied him up in the first place. The beast hardly ever wondered off.

Edric looked at the princess. "I understand why you would want to, though. But you have a duty. The trick will be telling the power-hungry apart from the ones that actually want to help you rule."

[The Smith]

Rose gives one last look south, and then starts walking North. "And how am I suppose to tell the gold from the fools?"

[Edric Stark]

"That is the question, is it not," said Edric and followed her also on foot. He had his own methods when it came to filtering people. "Rather difficult because they all look the same. Now, the bad people will often try to pass as good ones. For all you know, I could be one of them."

[The Smith]

"You do seem a tad shady to me." Rose replied. "Any one as ugly as you has to be evil."

[Edric Stark]

A corner of his mouth twitched, but since he was walking behind the princess, she could not have seen that so he decided to pull a straight face, be quiet and pretend to be offended.

[The Smith]

It was several steps before she looked back at him, "You have grown unusually quiet."

[Edric Stark]

"You don't have too many friends, do you, princess?" he asked as he met her eyes, smiling a little. "Eh.. Rose."

[The Smith]

Rose frowned, "What is the appropriate number of friends one should have?"