Cecil, noticing the slight change in her posture and tone of voice, smiles honestly and motions to the nearest empty table. "Oh, I'm sorry, before I forget myself, my name is Cecil, Cecil Palmer."
As he sits down, he waits for the artist to join him before starting, "Well, like I said, I am from what we call Aecrocia. We're across the sea some way, and we border another kingdom called Magis. My father was a powerful man in our nation, and as power is wont to do, he set me up to marry the neighboring kingdom's daughter, Diane, in an effort to help bring our nations together.
"He was never... The best father, but I know he cared. I mean, he got me off the island," he rambles very briefly, before smiling and shaking his head,
"Anyway. The day he told me this, I had just finished my morning announcements. He came into the room to greet me and tell me the 'good news', that I was to be wed to someone I never met. I was shocked, but of course I had to thank him; he was looking out for our nation." Cecil pauses a moment, taking in a deep breath.
"And then everything changed when the fire nation attacked. And the next thing I knew, we were under attack from artillery fire. My father started off immediately, telling me to meet him by the docks. The second salvo landed dangerously close to the building I was in, and threw me down a flight of stairs. I'm sure I twisted my ankle then." He pauses a second, rolling his ankles under the table. I'm sure they don't hurt any more. How long has it..?
"Anyway, the shelling continues as I run through the street to the harbour for evacuation, pieces of buildings raining down on me. I make to to the docks, and there's my bride-to-be, Diana Crown, standing there waiting for me. Funny enough, my first impression of her was, 'I'm glad she looks like she can carry her own weight', considering we were about to board a small ship to what we thought was nowhere."
"And, just before boarding as the soldiers told us to, my father rolls up in an automobile to say goodbye. I was able to hug him one last time before he took off. I'm.. Not sure if I managed to tell him I loved him one last time."
The story continues through, Cecil going against his ways and embellishing little, as he felt the story sounded embellished enough as it is.
And when it comes to the events of the previous night, he spares no thought in speaking of the most minor detail.
"And I suppose... That catches us up to now, where I wasn't paying a lick of attention when I walked past your cart and bumped into you. I know it's hard to believe everything I have told you as truth, so I hope you at least found it a good story."