“But of course, milord!” There had been no need for the other to thank him. After all, it wasn’t as though Odin did anything more than what he was expected to ( : serve. ) Regardless, the simple praise seemed to raise the corners of the swordsman’s lips ever higher. It hadn’t been often that Leo agreed to any offer of his assistance… Perhaps Odin had been making some progress! If this was the prince he had sworn to protect - the first step was for Leo to allow him to be of use!
Of course, Odin was always eager to prove he was such.
Legs were quick to move, swiftly allowing him to catch up to the other man and settle a pace at his side. Odin’s gaze then shifted in front of them, peering down the length of one of the castle’s many halls and listening to the sound of their footsteps bouncing off the stone walls.
‘ I was beginning to assume that my skills had been deemed unworthy.‘ was something Odin almost felt inclined to pronounce, though the thought was chosen to be kept to himself. And rather - turning his head back towards the prince - he inquires, “Do tell me - what is the destination we seek?”
The sincerity of his retainer’s smile did not go unnoticed. Even so, the familiar surge of magic humming within his chest asserted itself beneath his ribs as Odin trotted an inch too close beside Leo, looking just as eager as a puppy (and at this moment, Leo briefly considered the consequences of his apparent adoption). His fingertips burned with a cautious anticipation and the prince resisted the temptation to flex his hand in an attempt to soothe the magic blood buzzing underneath his skin.
“Have you visited the records hall, Odin?” Leo’s mistrust was not evident in his behavior. Although he had not yet instilled his trust in the other man, virtually a complete stranger, he was not cruel enough to cast judgement without reason. Naive he was not, but unreasonable was just as great a crime. Ignorance was a beast of many masks-- Leo would be the last to fall prey to its deceptions.
He allowed the steady rhythm of his heels against the corridor’s floors to occupy the air for a brief moment before speaking again, this time turning his head to meet his adherent’s eye.
“You’re into noble tales and legends, aren’t you? I would think that you’d be interested in burying your face in the castle’s books.”
There was little the Nohrian royal knew of his newest retainer apart from his passion for storytelling and glaring oddities, but it would be a blatant lie to claim that he was primarily interested in a heart-to-heart or getting to know Odin through small talk contrived while pawing at dictionaries. He wanted to trust him.
That, however, was up to Odin. Not Leo.
Perhaps he had ulterior motives at the heart of his invitation to bond over filtering fingers through the pages of novels, but Leo truly did wish to understand the swordsman as best he could. Whether or not this desire was born of genuine interest in Odin’s personality or unearthing his secrets was irrelevant to Leo.