Why The Heck Your Name Nathaniel?

For the knight quest: Perilous Playdate
1,039 words (excluding headlines)

A letter about such a name

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"You know, have you ever sat down to think about what could make someone precious to you? There's an entire world of reasons to treasure someone, but in all honesty, I really really really... want to treasure someone with the name of Nathaniel.

In all my time so far in Bellacoste, I have yet to meet someone named that! If a pouflon was named this, I'd imagine he'd be very sensitive and maybe even fragile, shy when you first meet him, but a big sweetie pie once you know him. I desire so much to hug such a sweetie pie... I have to hug someone named Nathaniel!! Then whenever he would curl up and cry about a little loupine that tried to use his mane as tug-a-war practice, I would comfort him by fixing his hair up with the softest brush to the scalp.

Perhaps he'd even cry to himself every night curled up in the same position as he did when he was attacked by a loupine. That would make him all the more adorable to huggle!!!

I would give the world to, no, I would battle about twenty rogue knight clans for Nathaniel just to see his face everyday! Especially if I get to see him weep again because he's really cute when he's sad. Not to say I hope he's sad every time I see him... but I really want to see those watery eyes so I can wipe them away with happy words of big comforts!!

In fact he'd be so sweet, I would nickname him Music & Monsters after one of my favorite chocolate candies, you know, the tiny colorful chocolates with shells on them! Yes, my baby M&M would not be able to run away from the amount of bad feeling-destruction I'd want to prepare just for him! All those bad feels, beware, you won't hurt my baby M&M anymore!!!!!

- Gladis"

Hello Nathaniel

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Nathaniel was quite puzzled to have found this random and slightly distressing letter. Was it per coincidence that he had followed a mysterious shadow to it and it just so happened to mention his name? Who was this "Gladis"?

All these questions didn't make spending time with a young princess Nathaniel had opinions that could not be said aloud about any easier. It was painfully obvious why pouflon her age weren't around to spend time with her and Nathaniel was here as a sort of "replacement".

"More tea your highness?" Nathaniel asked and offered to pour the teapot for the princess.

"That would be much appreciated," Princess Fiorel quaintly replied.

This was his best flavor of floral tea Nathaniel could have one of his servants scour the southern coast for, and yet this young pouflon gave that tea a soured look. Waiting for time to pass with a bit less agony, Nathaniel decided to reread that letter, and in that moment, put it in his heart to meet this "Gladis" since such a pouflon would value someone so much ahead of time for their name alone. Given most of those above the age of a toddler had not given such value to Nathaniel, at this rate, he was desperate. Gladis, where are you in my life? Nathaniel peeked over his shoulder to see the princess was even more like a lemon in expression than the minute ago he last saw her. Gladis... where in this entire unfair world are you?

Why are you named this?

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In this short time, Nathaniel began putting his imagination to use and replaced the princess with the writer of the letter. Within a palace made of gold and sky blue marble did the tall knight walk up to a cheerful individual looking eager to see him. In his mind, he imagined Gladis to be of Aventre ancestry, still very young considering how that letter was written, and had a slight sparkle to her eye.

However there was no way it would be possible this pouflon was a unicorn type since Nathaniel had so rarely ran into those... so he spent a good four minutes of pouring an empty teapot of invisible tea into his cup trying to revision Gladis.

A young royal pouflon by the name of Gladis ran up to Nathaniel once again eager to meet him. She didn't have much trait-wise to say she was of royalty, but she was adopted by a noble that helped Nathaniel with other nobles that gave Nathaniel too many headaches (much like the one he was having right now). Much like her father, Gladis was very helpful to Nathaniel by showing him around the palace and offering him a fresh batch of macaroons that he wished to have for decades.

Upon his back, he carried the young pouflon to her study and spent two or so hours helping her learn more proper ways of writing to improve her letter writing skills. Given what her personality seemed like... all that time went to waste when Gladis bolted out the palace to go play outside just as they were in the middle of letter practice lessons!

The frustrated knight was forced to rush to the same outdoor garden to search for this disobedient little pouflon! To think he had to find Gladis hidden behind a tree with a little loupine in her grasp, the nerve! Nathaniel kneed to try to convince Gladis to let that pippet go as the loupine was crying out to Nathaniel to be freed. With an exhausted sigh, Nathaniel stood up with the loupine now in his grasp, and started giving Gladis a good lecture on forcing pippets into hugs against their will. It wasn't really a necessity since Nathaniel could care less about a happy child treating a pet like a pillow, he was only doing this to humor himself.

Nathaniel huffed a bit, and everything faded to reveal the gentle pink pelt of a real royal pouflon not giving Nathaniel any sort of positive expression. "Do you by chance have anymore of that tea?" this pink pouflon inquired.

What in the depths of Marshgrave was this sort of mocking question? This pouflon quite blatantly did not like that tea and she dared asked for more of it? Ah, the Royal Fakeness, a good theater I needn't be a part of...