@scalesnsteel location: somewhere in Bergia notes: meetcute
Collecting sons and putting men through their paces. There was nothing Leander excelled more at than endearing and grating on the common ear. A dogmatic zealot without any care for personal boundaries - he'd come to the nation for dignitary reasons. Trade and other things that minds more apt for the challenge than his would handle, he was here to show face: power, influence, and to complain about the bitter cold these Bergians suffered through endlessly.
There was another thing he enjoyed, mead, for one. Apart from whatever was hanging between their thighs, the Bergians had another thing they'd gotten right. The air in the mead hall was thick with the scent of smoke and ale, voices rising in raucous laughter. Leander sat among them, bare-chested beneath his open furs, golden skin kissed by firelight and drink. He had started the evening nursing a quiet curiosity, but as the cups kept coming and the wagers began, he found himself drawn in with the same reckless enthusiasm as any man in the room.
At first, it had been simple things - who could drain their horn fastest, who could strike the center of a carved wooden target with a dagger thrown blind. Leander was no stranger to such games, and with the Medesi’s natural flair for showmanship, he won more than he lost. He played to the crowd, flashing grins between gulps of honeyed drink, letting his victories spill like warm laughter into the hall.
The real challenges began further in - contests of strength, of stamina, of endurance. The kind that separated warriors from common brawlers. Leander, emboldened by drink and delight, rolled the stiffness from his shoulders and spread his hands against the table, fingers drumming a challenge. He met the gazes of those around him, eyes alight with mischief.
“Well? Who among you carries the weight of your kingdom on your back? Who stands firm while others falter?” His grin was sharp, his voice rich with amusement - Leander propped his elbow back up on the table as he eyed a man noted for even just his attire alone. “You!" His grin widened, he'd know the look of a dragon rider anywhere. "Come, let me see the vigor of a rider at work.”