"He doesn't seem inclined to acquiesce," Zelda said softly, laughing a little at the exchange between Alistair and Duncan. Both could be obstinate, in her experience, and the face-off between the two was always something amusing to her eyes.
"Perhaps you can catch more flies with honey? I'm willing to give it a go."
Alistair had been in the middle of a stare down he refused to lose when he noticed Zelda had wandered by. Duncan was immediately happy to see her, as if he expected her to save him from the horrible things Alistair was suggesting.
"She's on my side, you know," he told the hound, then looked over at Zelda. "You're welcome to try. He's certainly not interested in listening to me."
"Do you have soap?" Zelda asked Alistair, keeping her attention focused on Duncan for the moment. "Duncan, it's nice in the water. I'll even get in with you if you like."
Zelda had taken to wearing one of the modern bathing costumes beneath her clothes. It made it easier to go for a swim whenever she pleased and she tugged off her dress to try and coax Duncan to follow her to the pool beneath the waterfall. Once there, she splashed a little.
"See? It's very fun. And if you let me wash you, I'll give you a treat."
"Here," he said, moving aside to pick up the liquid soap he used at the Compound when he washed himself. He assumed it worked for dogs if it worked for humans. It made sense, at least, which is what Alistair thought he ought to go on.
Duncan continued to look skeptical, but the word treat was a powerful force, even for a war hound. He whimpered, pawing at the water, looking unsure of himself. He did eventually go in enough that his paws were in the water, but didn't go any deeper.
"Come on, now. You're already halfway in," Alistair sighed as he went in himself to wipe the dirt that had gotten smeared on his chest in his attempt. He handed her the bottle of soap before he did.
"Duncan, please?" Zelda asked, wiggling the hand that held the soap. "I'll give you lots of pets afterward and a treat, if you like. I know you like treats."
She laughed a little. "Do you always have this much trouble, Alistair?"
"I purposely try to find any reason not to do this," he admitted with a grin. Usually he didn't need too much in terms of cleaning - it wasn't that Duncan was against water in general, it's the washing part he didn't enjoy.
Duncan, however, did seem swayed by the idea of both petting and treats. With a few more moments of hesitation, he trotted into the water to the point right before he'd need to swim.
"...You listen to her and not me? That's no fair," he pouted.
"A woman's touch sometimes can soothe the savage beast," Zelda said wryly, gently lathering Duncan's fur. "It used to work for the more temperamental horses in my father's stable. He had a stallion I was especially fond of."
"Or he's doing it to spite me," he grumbled, eying the hound. He soon moved to join Zelda, however, not wanting to place all the responsibility of washing the animal alone. Duncan barked a greeting as he approached, and Alistair just rolled his eyes as he took some of the soap himself to get Duncan's other side. "Where I grew up, the only animals that were usually around were the fish that were caught, and they were surprisingly resistant to people attempting to soothe them."
Zelda laughed. "Beautiful waterfall, yes, and a princess as a chambermaid. I suppose that Duncan does have a fairly posh life. I know some princes who don't have this luxury."
"He'll be expected to be hand-fed next, I'm sure," he said, and Duncan barked. Alistair gave him a pointed look as he got one of the last portions of the animal that wasn't covered in suds. "Don't even think about it."
Zelda shook her head. "I'm not a servant, Duncan. Just a friend. Keep that in mind when you're wanting me to hand feed you and let you sleep on a bed."
Zelda tilted her head a little and looked up at Alistair. "Do you think we could spar later, perhaps?"
"Perhaps you can catch more flies with honey? I'm willing to give it a go."
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"She's on my side, you know," he told the hound, then looked over at Zelda. "You're welcome to try. He's certainly not interested in listening to me."
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"Duncan, my sweet. If you expect me to pet you, we'll have to get you washed. Ladies don't like to dirty their hands, you know."
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Duncan was focused on her, however, and gave an argumentative bark and then whined, clearly trying to convince her otherwise.
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Zelda had taken to wearing one of the modern bathing costumes beneath her clothes. It made it easier to go for a swim whenever she pleased and she tugged off her dress to try and coax Duncan to follow her to the pool beneath the waterfall. Once there, she splashed a little.
"See? It's very fun. And if you let me wash you, I'll give you a treat."
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Duncan continued to look skeptical, but the word treat was a powerful force, even for a war hound. He whimpered, pawing at the water, looking unsure of himself. He did eventually go in enough that his paws were in the water, but didn't go any deeper.
"Come on, now. You're already halfway in," Alistair sighed as he went in himself to wipe the dirt that had gotten smeared on his chest in his attempt. He handed her the bottle of soap before he did.
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She laughed a little. "Do you always have this much trouble, Alistair?"
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Duncan, however, did seem swayed by the idea of both petting and treats. With a few more moments of hesitation, he trotted into the water to the point right before he'd need to swim.
"...You listen to her and not me? That's no fair," he pouted.
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"I imagine the fish were quite against any comfort you could provide. In my experience, fish are meant to be eaten, not kept as familiars."
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He made it a point to look right at Duncan as he said it. He was a prime example, after all.
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Zelda tilted her head a little and looked up at Alistair. "Do you think we could spar later, perhaps?"
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"Of course," he said with a nod. "I'd have to go get my sword in my hut, though."
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