Quoted By:
This issue of social order is aggravating to you of course, and one you're ill-suited to deal with since it's a matter of culture and times strange to you. Fortunately the other problem is one you are intimately familiar with; love. Beauty and appeal that you are, you're no stranger to suitors and advances. Back in Eindward, among a populace it was a constant occurrence that you dealt with from men and women alike, seduced by your presence and appearance even without your effort or intent. You've the experience to deal with these things though, for any who got past Tyne in the first place, but furthermore there was the distant nature about you to dissuade most others. Because you were seen as this important public figure and often surrounded by crowds, it's certain that many who fell in love with you never acted upon it because of how difficult it would have seemed to get your attention or to stand out from the rest.
Here though among a small group having such a direct and personal relationship with them all and traveling beyond civilization together, there's more than enough time aside for each of them to seek your attention and profess their love. Some better at it than others, some more forward and aggressive with it than others. You're always flattered regardless of course, though wonder how you should answer these advances, beyond initially stringing them all along without definite responses or outcome; the same way you are with all suitors. Particularly this concern, because it's obviously causing more tensions among the group. Whether or not they are all aware of each other's pursuit of your affection, there's an implicit sense that they could be competing for your favor. Thusly are they constantly trying to outperform and one-up each other, and take offense at anyone perceived to be getting too close to you or stepping out of line. Again, you have to keep intervening to keep them from killing each other for your sake, but on this issue you getting involved among them seems to just worsen the suspicion and perception of threat.
Oh, the matters of the heart, and love!
Fortunately before anyone does actually kill anyone else, the lot of you manage to reach Bexley after almost a week of difficult and rough travel. Avoiding roads, open forests. On constant fearful lookout for elven scouts or patrols, and frequently having to scramble for hiding spots hours at a time when elves actually do stray near. Everyone is tired and frustrated with the harsh survival and camping, clothes torn and belongings lost from wilderness travel, and none of the horses left after too many close calls with the enemy.
