Perspective was quickly something Eric was learning to appreciate. Considering his rather rocky first two encounters on the journey to find a future bride, his current situation wasn't honestly that bad. Even if that current situation involved rubbing at the feet of the Knight-Princess who had just defeated him at a game he had never lost at before. As degrading as it was it wasn't as bad as, say, being stepped on repeatedly or used as a personal sex toy.

Lea's feet were by no means either easy to work with or pleasant to be near. They were as calloused as her hands, rough and difficult to properly knead at. It was obvious they spent most of their time in her boots and that she was constantly on long marches or intense training regimens. The smell of course was dreadful, the scent of sweat and leather far more overpowering than it had been with Amelia. However compared to his earlier difficulties this wasn't actually that bad.

Not to say he didn't complain because he most certainly did. "This is revolting." He commented as he strained to rub at the rough skin beneath his hands.

"You agreed to my terms at the beginning. I won, you lost, fair is fair." Lea responded.

"Technically, ah, you said I won." The homunculus said, grunting as Lea pushed at him lightly with her foot.

"You won my interest, not the game. The fair princess may adore the prisoner of war, but he is still a prisoner. Stop whining and put your back into it." She said with a chuckle.

Erik muttered a few unflattering words under his breath as he kneaded at the rough skin, all but pounding at it. The work was actually quite grueling and much more difficult than he had first anticipated. Her feet were much larger than he after all and in his current position he wasn't really having much effect he suspected. He stopped after a few minutes of his, his arms sore from having to work this continually.

Lea shifted her foot and smirked at him. "What, too much work to give me a massage?"

"Maybe if you turned it on its side I could cover more ground." Erik said, glaring at the princess.

She rolled her eye and turned one of her feet onto its side, giving Erik a much more accommodating condition to work with. With this he started kneading at her sole now that he could reach it, straining to actually do something through her thick callouses. She let out a slight sigh of pleasure so obviously he was having an effect. Encouraged by this the prince worked harder, putting his whole body into the task.

Minutes quickly turned into an hour and by that point Erik had actually discarded his shirt, sweat pouring down his body as he had moved onto her other foot. Of course she allowed him breaks here and there, a merciful and graceful victor really. However after a few minutes it was right back to work, his hands becoming quite familiar with every crease and callous. He felt sympathy for those that actually had to do hard labor for a living. If this was what it was like then he was very glad he was born a prince.

As he worked however he also had time to think. Marrying Lea... it wouldn't be terrible he supposed. The main issue is that he would have to leave his homeland to live in hers as she was to be the Order Master-Queen of her nation when her father died. Which meant leaving Eteria forever. However Erik could see himself tolerating her enough that he could spend his life with her. Assuming of course these little foot massages weren't something she'd want frequently. However he supposed it would mean he could end this journey finally.

Eventually Lea shifted her feet, laying them flat on the table and splaying her toes. "Good enough, now get between the toes."

Erik gritted his teeth and stared at the wriggling digits in resignation. Maybe he thought a little too favorably of her. This bit blew the rest out of the water in terms of being awful. He actually had to hold his breath as he worked between each of her toes, ending up getting whatever filth and dirt that had been in her boots upon his hands. The skin of her webbing was especially sensitive it seemed and was actually rather soft compared to the rest of her feet. She actually let out a few sighs as he got to work here.

That wasn't to say there weren't difficulties aside from the smell. More than once her splayed toes would clench on reflex of his touching the sensitive skin, squeezing his face between the digits. He was actually on his knees as he worked, degrading as it was. There was some bitterness in his loss but Lea didn't attempt to deliberately torment him as he worked. At times he found himself getting a little too lost in the task, his pride unwilling to let him fail at something as simple as this after his loss at their game.

"Not bad at all, Prince Lostrem, I think you might have found a calling there." Lea quipped as he toiled away between her toes.

Erik snorted. "I have, ah, higher ambitions than slaving away at your feet, Knight-Princess Silverhand."

"Maybe it wouldn't be so grueling if you built up some muscle. Try working out a little, might help pass the time a little more on your journey. You are a tad... scrawny. Get some more food in your belly as well." She shot back.

That certainly prickled at his pride, though as his arms burned from the strenuous task of just massaging at the feet of one of his suitors there was obviously something to what she said. As he sucked in slightly he could indeed see his own ribs, his tendency to work and research for long periods without food having caught up to him. His field had always been one of the mind rather than one of the body. As she was now, outside of her armor, Erik could see that Lea's muscles were lean and taut from endless hours of physical training. Few homunculi chose to pursue physical disciplines; it was in fact looked down upon as being too 'human'. Still, who could say what the journey might hold before the end?

Finally after a long while Lea removed her feet from the table and Erik slumped over, his arms feeling like lead and sweat coating every inch of his form. His chest heaved as he stared up at the Knight-Princess, marveling that such a simple thing could take so much out of him. The woman leaned forward and shook her head slightly, a smirk upon her lips. The tiny prince fancied that she had a rather nice smile. Her face was not as beautiful as Amelia's or Marie's had been, her ugly scar and lack of an eye certainly detracting but there something about it he liked well enough.

"I believe my point stands. Work out some and eat more. I'm certain your other suitors will appreciate it for aesthetic reasons if nothing else." Lea remarked.

Erik raised a brow. "Here I was pondering ending my little journey by asking for your hand."

She simply shook her head. "You interest me, Prince Lostrem, more than other suitors but I feel as though you can be more."

"Oh? I'm already quite intelligent as you've stated." He pointed out.

"Indeed, however you could not beat me. Not only that but I am but the third name upon your long list. Perhaps at the end of your journey, should you remember me, I will offer you another game and we will see well what you have learned." Lea said.

Erik frowned at that. Wasn't the point of his father sending him out to find a suitable woman to marry? Clearly the Knight-Princess was implying there was another reason. He thought over it for a few moments before giving up, settling focusing on just how sore his body was. It was probably the most he had ever worked physically. His head thudded against the wood of the table as he wiped at his brow. If nothing else had come of this, Lea had at least given him something to think about.

The Knight-Princess gave him some time to cool off and even offered him a bath and a quick meal, which he gratefully accepted. Lea gave him his privacy in those matters, returning once he was finished to take him out to leave. The homunculus felt a tad regretful to have met a halfway enjoyable suitor only for them to part so quickly. Still she had stated her reasoning and he could only accept it for now and hope that there were more like her on his journey and less that were like Amelia.

Lucius stood at attention and accepted Erik back, raising a questioning brow at his charge. The homunculus would fill the man in later on the situation, perhaps leaving out the massage from the tale. All in all this had been a surprisingly good meet up; certainly Lea was not at all what he had expected. The Knight-Princess had fewer knights waiting outside than when he had entered however they all stood at perfect attention for their lady.

"Before you leave, I would leave you with a parting gift. A show of good will from my people to your, regardless of how your journey goes." Lea said, half turning to the gathered knights.

"Ryna!" She bellowed.

A woman, likely in her early thirties, stepped forward from the gathered pool of knights. She was slightly shorter than Lea and possessed short red hair and a freckle ridden face. A single scar cut along the bridge of her nose. She looked rather as well composed as her fellow knights... until she tripped over her cloak and ended up falling flat on the ground in a noisy clatter of metal. Erik lifted a brow and Lea let out an exasperated sigh. Lucius chuckled lightly at the misstep.

Ryna scrambled to her feet and stood as straight as she could. "Y-Your Grace!"

Lea turned to Erik. "Ryna has been one of my personal attendants for a long time, a tad... clumsy as you can see but sharp as a spearhead and good with her blade. I offer her to you so that you might have more protection upon your journey and perhaps eventually find your way back here."

The homunculus hadn't been expecting that. "I thank you for the offer, though I assure you my retainer Lucius is quite well trained in combat. He protected my father for many years."

"That may be so and I do not mean to insult your abilities sir, however your path is long and it will be very dangerous before the end. Having another sword at your side might well be useful. Besides, Ryna is also quite the good cook." Lea said.

The homunculus looked up to Lucius, who simply shrugged to indicate he had little opinion upon the matter. Erik stared long at Ryna, the woman looking rather nervous at the new assignment set upon her by Lea. There was logic in her words and he supposed the carriage certainly had room for another on their journey. Also, neither he nor Lucius were exactly culinary geniuses. He considered the offer for a good long while until Lea spoke again.

"Before, when you told me your theory of the king's power in chess, I found it to be incomplete. You stated he was powerful however he is also wise." Lea said.

"The king possesses few skills of his own, and thus he trusts in the individual abilities his subjects can bring to the table. A wise leader understands that it is the company that surrounds him that makes him powerful, that their skills and talents make up for the gaps in his own." She stated.

Erik blinked at that theory. He actually smiled when she finished and finally nodded in acceptance of her offer. Despite his loss he felt as though he had learned a bit from the woman and her ways, just as he liked to think he had given her a few things to ponder. After this Ryna stepped forward.

"Knight Ryna of Squad One, First Company, Sixth Regiment! At your service and disposal, Prince Erik Lostrem!" She said loud and clear, her chest puffed out and it looked like she was standing on her toes to make herself look a little taller.

The homunculus blinked and wiped a bit of spittle that had fallen from her lips from his face, causing her to pale slightly. Lea shook her head slightly and the young prince wondered if perhaps this wasn't a mistake after all. Only time would tell he supposed.