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Whilst the politics of Athenia have become murky and unclear, the scholars of the Athenian university have yet to blur their vision. Determined to find reason in the world that the Gods have created and apply themselves without the bias of House tactics and the instability of the crown. In an effort to draw in more funding and inspire the peoples of Athenia, the Scholeio have opened their doors (and their rooftops) to an outdoor educational experience.
The largest of the buildings in the scholeio has opened its winding staircases to a rooftop covered in cushions, chaises and blankets. Little turrets of metal dishes offer fires or refreshment atop their pedestals and the night sky is clear and encouraging in its decoration of stars. All nobles and royals have been invited and, for the smallest of charges or noble favours the commoners of Athenia have been permitted to join too.
Come and witness the glory of the sky. The show that the Gods have created for the eyes of mortal man. The lecturers of the university are ready to meander around the groups and visitors to explain the stories written in the night sky and impress upon all the significant of the astrological arts.
Event Ideas
-- Aetaea has recently been reported as suffering a fire. Rumours are rife! It was an accident, it was deliberate, Keikelius of Stravos was seen there, no it was Rafail of Marikas, but why? The Queen must have been hiding with her Argyris friends. But the palace declared that the Queen wasn't in the kingdom, maybe it was just that Argyris was popular in the Xanthos house... round and round the rumour mill goes...
-- There are secluded areas on this large rooftop, away from the torches... perhaps privacy is taken advantage of? The night sky is romantic, after all.
-- The lecturers are genuinely interesting and NPC-able - if you have the knowing in stars, go for it! Perhaps a particular lecturer is making a bit f a spectacle?
-- Remember this event is for funding, so the more gold that flows the better you'll be treated.
-- Wine is also available here. But he careful - it's a high building and a long way down!
-- Or anything else! If you want to do something wild and wacky that makes sense in this event then go for it! You can use it for your own personal drama, start a cat fight, declare a rivalry, reveal a secret in public to all. You can use the NPC lecturers as you like and come up with your own ways to make this Event fun and dramatic. Remember: there is no wrong way to do this. There is no plan. Just storm forward and go for it! Just remember to tag everyone who might be affected by your more curveball-y posts in the #roleplay-tags channel.
JD
Staff Team
JD
Staff Team
This post was created by our staff team.
Please contact us with your queries and questions.
Whilst the politics of Athenia have become murky and unclear, the scholars of the Athenian university have yet to blur their vision. Determined to find reason in the world that the Gods have created and apply themselves without the bias of House tactics and the instability of the crown. In an effort to draw in more funding and inspire the peoples of Athenia, the Scholeio have opened their doors (and their rooftops) to an outdoor educational experience.
The largest of the buildings in the scholeio has opened its winding staircases to a rooftop covered in cushions, chaises and blankets. Little turrets of metal dishes offer fires or refreshment atop their pedestals and the night sky is clear and encouraging in its decoration of stars. All nobles and royals have been invited and, for the smallest of charges or noble favours the commoners of Athenia have been permitted to join too.
Come and witness the glory of the sky. The show that the Gods have created for the eyes of mortal man. The lecturers of the university are ready to meander around the groups and visitors to explain the stories written in the night sky and impress upon all the significant of the astrological arts.
Event Ideas
-- Aetaea has recently been reported as suffering a fire. Rumours are rife! It was an accident, it was deliberate, Keikelius of Stravos was seen there, no it was Rafail of Marikas, but why? The Queen must have been hiding with her Argyris friends. But the palace declared that the Queen wasn't in the kingdom, maybe it was just that Argyris was popular in the Xanthos house... round and round the rumour mill goes...
-- There are secluded areas on this large rooftop, away from the torches... perhaps privacy is taken advantage of? The night sky is romantic, after all.
-- The lecturers are genuinely interesting and NPC-able - if you have the knowing in stars, go for it! Perhaps a particular lecturer is making a bit f a spectacle?
-- Remember this event is for funding, so the more gold that flows the better you'll be treated.
-- Wine is also available here. But he careful - it's a high building and a long way down!
-- Or anything else! If you want to do something wild and wacky that makes sense in this event then go for it! You can use it for your own personal drama, start a cat fight, declare a rivalry, reveal a secret in public to all. You can use the NPC lecturers as you like and come up with your own ways to make this Event fun and dramatic. Remember: there is no wrong way to do this. There is no plan. Just storm forward and go for it! Just remember to tag everyone who might be affected by your more curveball-y posts in the #roleplay-tags channel.
Olympus Rising Event - Athenia
Whilst the politics of Athenia have become murky and unclear, the scholars of the Athenian university have yet to blur their vision. Determined to find reason in the world that the Gods have created and apply themselves without the bias of House tactics and the instability of the crown. In an effort to draw in more funding and inspire the peoples of Athenia, the Scholeio have opened their doors (and their rooftops) to an outdoor educational experience.
The largest of the buildings in the scholeio has opened its winding staircases to a rooftop covered in cushions, chaises and blankets. Little turrets of metal dishes offer fires or refreshment atop their pedestals and the night sky is clear and encouraging in its decoration of stars. All nobles and royals have been invited and, for the smallest of charges or noble favours the commoners of Athenia have been permitted to join too.
Come and witness the glory of the sky. The show that the Gods have created for the eyes of mortal man. The lecturers of the university are ready to meander around the groups and visitors to explain the stories written in the night sky and impress upon all the significant of the astrological arts.
Event Ideas
-- Aetaea has recently been reported as suffering a fire. Rumours are rife! It was an accident, it was deliberate, Keikelius of Stravos was seen there, no it was Rafail of Marikas, but why? The Queen must have been hiding with her Argyris friends. But the palace declared that the Queen wasn't in the kingdom, maybe it was just that Argyris was popular in the Xanthos house... round and round the rumour mill goes...
-- There are secluded areas on this large rooftop, away from the torches... perhaps privacy is taken advantage of? The night sky is romantic, after all.
-- The lecturers are genuinely interesting and NPC-able - if you have the knowing in stars, go for it! Perhaps a particular lecturer is making a bit f a spectacle?
-- Remember this event is for funding, so the more gold that flows the better you'll be treated.
-- Wine is also available here. But he careful - it's a high building and a long way down!
-- Or anything else! If you want to do something wild and wacky that makes sense in this event then go for it! You can use it for your own personal drama, start a cat fight, declare a rivalry, reveal a secret in public to all. You can use the NPC lecturers as you like and come up with your own ways to make this Event fun and dramatic. Remember: there is no wrong way to do this. There is no plan. Just storm forward and go for it! Just remember to tag everyone who might be affected by your more curveball-y posts in the #roleplay-tags channel.
With little clarity with the goings-on of Athenia, sometimes it was good to just do away with it all. For one night Marietta wished to not hear the murmurings of rumors. She did not want to think of her best friend causing riots, marrying a Princess. She did not want to hear about the fire in Argyris and whether or not Lord Rafail or Lord Keikelius were seen. Just one night Marietta wished to pretend everything was right in the world. She wanted to do away with the worry that was gripping her heart. Just one night…
But even upon reaching the rooftops of the Scholeio to escape reality for just one moment and instead see a world that was different, could she not escape the rumors. They were everywhere, running rampant no matter where Marietta turned.
But why would Lord Rafail be there? It doesn’t make sense.
Then perhaps it was Lord Keikelius. He was there for his son!
But were there not trouble in the Stravos house? They’ve looked distant as of late…
Lord Elias was once lovers with Lady Iris of Argyris…
Maybe the Queen was really there…
“Oh, look at the sky!” Marietta spoke a bit louder than she intended and to no one in particular. It was rare for the Antonis girl to speak loudly. Typically her voice was just enough to be audible but easily drowned out by others. But Marietta did not wish to hear rumors of lesser nobles. They knew not what was happening… and neither did Marietta. What she wanted was not more questions and misinformation but facts. She wanted to know definitively what was happening. Was her best friend, the man she saw as a brother and cared for since she was six years old, a cause of all the terrible things happening in Athenia? Were there bigger forces in play? What was Lord Rafail’s role? And if he had a role, what about Sofia? Did Sofia know things that she kept hidden from Marietta? Why did every house seem to have some sort of dubious effect on the recent events but the Antonis? What were the other three houses doing?
Marietta knew no answers. What she did know was that her father had made his way to Aetaea to investigate. The Antonis heads were angry, and while they may lack in political power, they made up with it in the might of their military. Things were happening, just... not anything she quite understood yet.
For just one day Marietta wanted to put all of her thoughts and anxieties aside. She wanted to enjoy this night with a man she had become very close with. This was a night to think of not their kingdom, but the world and the gods that provided such a beautiful display. As the stars shined in the night and different constellations winked back at the mortals below, Marietta tried to allow her mind to wander. She wished to see beauty, the beauty that the gods have created and blessed them with. Perhaps she would paint the sky with the sun and moon on the horizon in dedication to Apollo, or create a beautiful song of the night to appease Nyx. Anything to erase the thoughts plaguing her mind and allow the muse to flow.
If only there was a device, say, that could just… make things appear like they were right in front of you. You could look at it in one end, and on the other there they are. The stars, the gifts the gods bless us with. A reflection of another world. A better world, one free of mortal sin and greed. One untainted by the evils of man, but of the glory the gods create. One free of doubt, and one that does not fear the answers when clarity is finally provided.
If only everyone could look to the stars, instead of facing the grim reality that was right before them.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
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With little clarity with the goings-on of Athenia, sometimes it was good to just do away with it all. For one night Marietta wished to not hear the murmurings of rumors. She did not want to think of her best friend causing riots, marrying a Princess. She did not want to hear about the fire in Argyris and whether or not Lord Rafail or Lord Keikelius were seen. Just one night Marietta wished to pretend everything was right in the world. She wanted to do away with the worry that was gripping her heart. Just one night…
But even upon reaching the rooftops of the Scholeio to escape reality for just one moment and instead see a world that was different, could she not escape the rumors. They were everywhere, running rampant no matter where Marietta turned.
But why would Lord Rafail be there? It doesn’t make sense.
Then perhaps it was Lord Keikelius. He was there for his son!
But were there not trouble in the Stravos house? They’ve looked distant as of late…
Lord Elias was once lovers with Lady Iris of Argyris…
Maybe the Queen was really there…
“Oh, look at the sky!” Marietta spoke a bit louder than she intended and to no one in particular. It was rare for the Antonis girl to speak loudly. Typically her voice was just enough to be audible but easily drowned out by others. But Marietta did not wish to hear rumors of lesser nobles. They knew not what was happening… and neither did Marietta. What she wanted was not more questions and misinformation but facts. She wanted to know definitively what was happening. Was her best friend, the man she saw as a brother and cared for since she was six years old, a cause of all the terrible things happening in Athenia? Were there bigger forces in play? What was Lord Rafail’s role? And if he had a role, what about Sofia? Did Sofia know things that she kept hidden from Marietta? Why did every house seem to have some sort of dubious effect on the recent events but the Antonis? What were the other three houses doing?
Marietta knew no answers. What she did know was that her father had made his way to Aetaea to investigate. The Antonis heads were angry, and while they may lack in political power, they made up with it in the might of their military. Things were happening, just... not anything she quite understood yet.
For just one day Marietta wanted to put all of her thoughts and anxieties aside. She wanted to enjoy this night with a man she had become very close with. This was a night to think of not their kingdom, but the world and the gods that provided such a beautiful display. As the stars shined in the night and different constellations winked back at the mortals below, Marietta tried to allow her mind to wander. She wished to see beauty, the beauty that the gods have created and blessed them with. Perhaps she would paint the sky with the sun and moon on the horizon in dedication to Apollo, or create a beautiful song of the night to appease Nyx. Anything to erase the thoughts plaguing her mind and allow the muse to flow.
If only there was a device, say, that could just… make things appear like they were right in front of you. You could look at it in one end, and on the other there they are. The stars, the gifts the gods bless us with. A reflection of another world. A better world, one free of mortal sin and greed. One untainted by the evils of man, but of the glory the gods create. One free of doubt, and one that does not fear the answers when clarity is finally provided.
If only everyone could look to the stars, instead of facing the grim reality that was right before them.
With little clarity with the goings-on of Athenia, sometimes it was good to just do away with it all. For one night Marietta wished to not hear the murmurings of rumors. She did not want to think of her best friend causing riots, marrying a Princess. She did not want to hear about the fire in Argyris and whether or not Lord Rafail or Lord Keikelius were seen. Just one night Marietta wished to pretend everything was right in the world. She wanted to do away with the worry that was gripping her heart. Just one night…
But even upon reaching the rooftops of the Scholeio to escape reality for just one moment and instead see a world that was different, could she not escape the rumors. They were everywhere, running rampant no matter where Marietta turned.
But why would Lord Rafail be there? It doesn’t make sense.
Then perhaps it was Lord Keikelius. He was there for his son!
But were there not trouble in the Stravos house? They’ve looked distant as of late…
Lord Elias was once lovers with Lady Iris of Argyris…
Maybe the Queen was really there…
“Oh, look at the sky!” Marietta spoke a bit louder than she intended and to no one in particular. It was rare for the Antonis girl to speak loudly. Typically her voice was just enough to be audible but easily drowned out by others. But Marietta did not wish to hear rumors of lesser nobles. They knew not what was happening… and neither did Marietta. What she wanted was not more questions and misinformation but facts. She wanted to know definitively what was happening. Was her best friend, the man she saw as a brother and cared for since she was six years old, a cause of all the terrible things happening in Athenia? Were there bigger forces in play? What was Lord Rafail’s role? And if he had a role, what about Sofia? Did Sofia know things that she kept hidden from Marietta? Why did every house seem to have some sort of dubious effect on the recent events but the Antonis? What were the other three houses doing?
Marietta knew no answers. What she did know was that her father had made his way to Aetaea to investigate. The Antonis heads were angry, and while they may lack in political power, they made up with it in the might of their military. Things were happening, just... not anything she quite understood yet.
For just one day Marietta wanted to put all of her thoughts and anxieties aside. She wanted to enjoy this night with a man she had become very close with. This was a night to think of not their kingdom, but the world and the gods that provided such a beautiful display. As the stars shined in the night and different constellations winked back at the mortals below, Marietta tried to allow her mind to wander. She wished to see beauty, the beauty that the gods have created and blessed them with. Perhaps she would paint the sky with the sun and moon on the horizon in dedication to Apollo, or create a beautiful song of the night to appease Nyx. Anything to erase the thoughts plaguing her mind and allow the muse to flow.
If only there was a device, say, that could just… make things appear like they were right in front of you. You could look at it in one end, and on the other there they are. The stars, the gifts the gods bless us with. A reflection of another world. A better world, one free of mortal sin and greed. One untainted by the evils of man, but of the glory the gods create. One free of doubt, and one that does not fear the answers when clarity is finally provided.
If only everyone could look to the stars, instead of facing the grim reality that was right before them.
There were too many things going on in the world. Some good, but most of them bad. Rumours were rife, and they were nigh on unavoidable. Evi had her own opinions about all of them - opinions she mostly kept to herself, which was unusual for the young woman. Normally she was very vocal about anything that reached her ears, always needing to get her opinions out and into the world. She always had something to say, sometimes arguing the opposite of what she believed merely for the sheer thrill of it.
But now everything seemed so serious, so negative, so frightening. She had lost some of her spark because of it.
The answer comes to Evi with the kind of perfect clarity she never expects from the world anymore, not since she grew up enough to realise how complex and nuanced it was. There was an event on at the Athenia Scholeío, somewhere Evi spent more than enough time at. Each time she spent in the library, some scholar or servant had taken the time to remind her of the stargazing event. She had even spent that very morning in the library, and had made promises that she would be in attendance, and hopefully much of Athenia would also be joining them, so there was good enough reason so want to attend.
It promised to be a good evening. Evi didn’t set much store by the stars. They were beautiful, yes, but she wasn’t a natural stargazer, she knew nothing about them herself. It would be a chance to learn something new, out of her fields of expertise. That was one of the other reasons she was so keen to attend.
She arrived after having gone home quickly to change into something warmer. She wore a deep green chiton and a lighter shade of green wrap to keep her arms warm against the night air. It was supposed to be a pleasant evening, weather wise, but they were still going to be high up on one of the scholeío’s buildings and the wind might pick up as the evening went on. Entering the rooftop, a servant immediately approached her with a goblet of wine, which she took with a quiet word of thanks. She glanced around at the gathering people, spying out anyone she knew. She recognised most in attendance already, but wasn’t quite in the mood to strike up a conversation with any of them.
Then she saw her older sister, Marietta, who was not yet on the arm of her new partner, Adrestus. The pair had been together for a little while now, but as far as Evi knew, they had not officially been out together in public. Evi wondered when they might venture out together... She smiled and made her way over to the pair, “Marietta,” she greeted with a wide smile.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
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There were too many things going on in the world. Some good, but most of them bad. Rumours were rife, and they were nigh on unavoidable. Evi had her own opinions about all of them - opinions she mostly kept to herself, which was unusual for the young woman. Normally she was very vocal about anything that reached her ears, always needing to get her opinions out and into the world. She always had something to say, sometimes arguing the opposite of what she believed merely for the sheer thrill of it.
But now everything seemed so serious, so negative, so frightening. She had lost some of her spark because of it.
The answer comes to Evi with the kind of perfect clarity she never expects from the world anymore, not since she grew up enough to realise how complex and nuanced it was. There was an event on at the Athenia Scholeío, somewhere Evi spent more than enough time at. Each time she spent in the library, some scholar or servant had taken the time to remind her of the stargazing event. She had even spent that very morning in the library, and had made promises that she would be in attendance, and hopefully much of Athenia would also be joining them, so there was good enough reason so want to attend.
It promised to be a good evening. Evi didn’t set much store by the stars. They were beautiful, yes, but she wasn’t a natural stargazer, she knew nothing about them herself. It would be a chance to learn something new, out of her fields of expertise. That was one of the other reasons she was so keen to attend.
She arrived after having gone home quickly to change into something warmer. She wore a deep green chiton and a lighter shade of green wrap to keep her arms warm against the night air. It was supposed to be a pleasant evening, weather wise, but they were still going to be high up on one of the scholeío’s buildings and the wind might pick up as the evening went on. Entering the rooftop, a servant immediately approached her with a goblet of wine, which she took with a quiet word of thanks. She glanced around at the gathering people, spying out anyone she knew. She recognised most in attendance already, but wasn’t quite in the mood to strike up a conversation with any of them.
Then she saw her older sister, Marietta, who was not yet on the arm of her new partner, Adrestus. The pair had been together for a little while now, but as far as Evi knew, they had not officially been out together in public. Evi wondered when they might venture out together... She smiled and made her way over to the pair, “Marietta,” she greeted with a wide smile.
There were too many things going on in the world. Some good, but most of them bad. Rumours were rife, and they were nigh on unavoidable. Evi had her own opinions about all of them - opinions she mostly kept to herself, which was unusual for the young woman. Normally she was very vocal about anything that reached her ears, always needing to get her opinions out and into the world. She always had something to say, sometimes arguing the opposite of what she believed merely for the sheer thrill of it.
But now everything seemed so serious, so negative, so frightening. She had lost some of her spark because of it.
The answer comes to Evi with the kind of perfect clarity she never expects from the world anymore, not since she grew up enough to realise how complex and nuanced it was. There was an event on at the Athenia Scholeío, somewhere Evi spent more than enough time at. Each time she spent in the library, some scholar or servant had taken the time to remind her of the stargazing event. She had even spent that very morning in the library, and had made promises that she would be in attendance, and hopefully much of Athenia would also be joining them, so there was good enough reason so want to attend.
It promised to be a good evening. Evi didn’t set much store by the stars. They were beautiful, yes, but she wasn’t a natural stargazer, she knew nothing about them herself. It would be a chance to learn something new, out of her fields of expertise. That was one of the other reasons she was so keen to attend.
She arrived after having gone home quickly to change into something warmer. She wore a deep green chiton and a lighter shade of green wrap to keep her arms warm against the night air. It was supposed to be a pleasant evening, weather wise, but they were still going to be high up on one of the scholeío’s buildings and the wind might pick up as the evening went on. Entering the rooftop, a servant immediately approached her with a goblet of wine, which she took with a quiet word of thanks. She glanced around at the gathering people, spying out anyone she knew. She recognised most in attendance already, but wasn’t quite in the mood to strike up a conversation with any of them.
Then she saw her older sister, Marietta, who was not yet on the arm of her new partner, Adrestus. The pair had been together for a little while now, but as far as Evi knew, they had not officially been out together in public. Evi wondered when they might venture out together... She smiled and made her way over to the pair, “Marietta,” she greeted with a wide smile.
If he had known how many memories of his teens he would end up revisiting, would he have accepted that fateful one night's job as extra security at the palati? Probably not. His life had properly begun the first time he'd stepped onto the Arcus floor; everything before that had been waiting for that moment, and not often comfortably.
He hadn't been to the scholeio in literally decades. He probably would have been more comfortable in his guise as silent bodyguard, but then again, perhaps not. He was out of uniform tonight, dressed slightly above his station - or what he felt was such, though neither clothing nor jewelry crossed the line to being presumptuous for a merchant's son. No, what was making him the most uncomfortable was how comfortable he felt. It messed with his perception of himself, but he couldn't deny that he could fit in here, if he chose. The quiet philosophical discussions he overheard weren't going over his head, the relaxed atmosphere wasn't setting him on edge the way formality among nobles did.
If he'd been accompanying some other noble, he might have found himself in a different situation, but Princess Emilia, so far as he could tell, didn't give two figs about rank beyond her inevitable unconscious biases. She'd always been comfortable dressing relatively simply, he remembered, and doing away with all the normal bowing and scraping. He hadn't recognized her the first time she'd visited his mother's shop, simply taking her for yet another younger daughter of some noble house or other, rather than a royal. If she had been less sweet, more stuck up, 'security through obscurity' would never have worked for them, but here they were, still no assassins on Emilia's tail nor angry relatives on his own. Tonight she would not go unnoticed, no matter what she wore; there were too many people who knew her personally. It simply wasn't a formal enough occasion to fuss over clothing.
He was rather surprised by the number of people he recognized himself, particularly among the fairer sex. When had that happened? He took a cup of wine from a servant, took a sip, and handed it to the young lady beside him. "It's a younger vintage than you are used to," he murmured as her fingers brushed his, "But a decent one." His eyes scanned the room. Hopefully this was far too academic an event for the men he disliked the most to attend? Then again, it was also a social event, so he braced himself for the presence of useless, stuck-up peacocks.
"If you wish to learn about the omens in the stars, I suggest speaking to Origenes," he added, indicating an elderly man across the room. "Or are we just here to speak with all your friends?" The gladiator's lips curled in amusement. He was supposed to be keeping her away from her friends, but as long as he could report that they had discussed nothing except clothes and boys, he expected that would be at least adequate. After all, he was not supposed to give the public the impression she was being secluded away against her will either.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
This character is currently a work in progress.
Check out their information page here.
Badges
Deleted
Deleted
If he had known how many memories of his teens he would end up revisiting, would he have accepted that fateful one night's job as extra security at the palati? Probably not. His life had properly begun the first time he'd stepped onto the Arcus floor; everything before that had been waiting for that moment, and not often comfortably.
He hadn't been to the scholeio in literally decades. He probably would have been more comfortable in his guise as silent bodyguard, but then again, perhaps not. He was out of uniform tonight, dressed slightly above his station - or what he felt was such, though neither clothing nor jewelry crossed the line to being presumptuous for a merchant's son. No, what was making him the most uncomfortable was how comfortable he felt. It messed with his perception of himself, but he couldn't deny that he could fit in here, if he chose. The quiet philosophical discussions he overheard weren't going over his head, the relaxed atmosphere wasn't setting him on edge the way formality among nobles did.
If he'd been accompanying some other noble, he might have found himself in a different situation, but Princess Emilia, so far as he could tell, didn't give two figs about rank beyond her inevitable unconscious biases. She'd always been comfortable dressing relatively simply, he remembered, and doing away with all the normal bowing and scraping. He hadn't recognized her the first time she'd visited his mother's shop, simply taking her for yet another younger daughter of some noble house or other, rather than a royal. If she had been less sweet, more stuck up, 'security through obscurity' would never have worked for them, but here they were, still no assassins on Emilia's tail nor angry relatives on his own. Tonight she would not go unnoticed, no matter what she wore; there were too many people who knew her personally. It simply wasn't a formal enough occasion to fuss over clothing.
He was rather surprised by the number of people he recognized himself, particularly among the fairer sex. When had that happened? He took a cup of wine from a servant, took a sip, and handed it to the young lady beside him. "It's a younger vintage than you are used to," he murmured as her fingers brushed his, "But a decent one." His eyes scanned the room. Hopefully this was far too academic an event for the men he disliked the most to attend? Then again, it was also a social event, so he braced himself for the presence of useless, stuck-up peacocks.
"If you wish to learn about the omens in the stars, I suggest speaking to Origenes," he added, indicating an elderly man across the room. "Or are we just here to speak with all your friends?" The gladiator's lips curled in amusement. He was supposed to be keeping her away from her friends, but as long as he could report that they had discussed nothing except clothes and boys, he expected that would be at least adequate. After all, he was not supposed to give the public the impression she was being secluded away against her will either.
If he had known how many memories of his teens he would end up revisiting, would he have accepted that fateful one night's job as extra security at the palati? Probably not. His life had properly begun the first time he'd stepped onto the Arcus floor; everything before that had been waiting for that moment, and not often comfortably.
He hadn't been to the scholeio in literally decades. He probably would have been more comfortable in his guise as silent bodyguard, but then again, perhaps not. He was out of uniform tonight, dressed slightly above his station - or what he felt was such, though neither clothing nor jewelry crossed the line to being presumptuous for a merchant's son. No, what was making him the most uncomfortable was how comfortable he felt. It messed with his perception of himself, but he couldn't deny that he could fit in here, if he chose. The quiet philosophical discussions he overheard weren't going over his head, the relaxed atmosphere wasn't setting him on edge the way formality among nobles did.
If he'd been accompanying some other noble, he might have found himself in a different situation, but Princess Emilia, so far as he could tell, didn't give two figs about rank beyond her inevitable unconscious biases. She'd always been comfortable dressing relatively simply, he remembered, and doing away with all the normal bowing and scraping. He hadn't recognized her the first time she'd visited his mother's shop, simply taking her for yet another younger daughter of some noble house or other, rather than a royal. If she had been less sweet, more stuck up, 'security through obscurity' would never have worked for them, but here they were, still no assassins on Emilia's tail nor angry relatives on his own. Tonight she would not go unnoticed, no matter what she wore; there were too many people who knew her personally. It simply wasn't a formal enough occasion to fuss over clothing.
He was rather surprised by the number of people he recognized himself, particularly among the fairer sex. When had that happened? He took a cup of wine from a servant, took a sip, and handed it to the young lady beside him. "It's a younger vintage than you are used to," he murmured as her fingers brushed his, "But a decent one." His eyes scanned the room. Hopefully this was far too academic an event for the men he disliked the most to attend? Then again, it was also a social event, so he braced himself for the presence of useless, stuck-up peacocks.
"If you wish to learn about the omens in the stars, I suggest speaking to Origenes," he added, indicating an elderly man across the room. "Or are we just here to speak with all your friends?" The gladiator's lips curled in amusement. He was supposed to be keeping her away from her friends, but as long as he could report that they had discussed nothing except clothes and boys, he expected that would be at least adequate. After all, he was not supposed to give the public the impression she was being secluded away against her will either.
While there had been far too many things going on, the sudden annoucement of the scholeio opening its rooftop to view the outdoor experience had been something Emilia had agreed to the moment she was asked if she wanted to go. Had Persephone been around, her sister would've likely been very surprised, for Emilia had balked at the idea of ever attending the scholeio, especially for educational events. But the speed in which she agreed was enough of a testament as to how eager she was to leave the palati, even for a brief moment of time.
That she had to leave Labros behind was but a small sore point for the princess, her mood quickly perking up as she reminded herself it would be a nice night out. Even if her freedom to wander outside of the palati had been relaxed ever since her engagement was annouced, nightime wanders were still not something she would be able to partake in, so the breeze of the cool night air was something Emilia had no idea she had missed that much.
Used to dressing in warm and bright colors so she stood out in the daylight or blended in with the colors in the sun, the night time muted tones required Emilia to pull out the rarely wore dark violet chiton at the bottom of her chest, getting her slaves to press it in a steam room to ensure it straightened out. Silver belts were looped around her waist to secure the silk material, a shade rare to find and even rarer to wear due to the difficulty in finding a source of dye in that particular color. A pair of silver fibulae was used to hold up the silken material over both her shoulders, and the material long enough to cover her legs, yet short enough so the tips of her silver sandals peeked out.
Her brunette locks had been curled and set over her left shoulder in a cascading waterfall of gentle locks, and her silver circlet embedded with purple gems sat atop her head as she exited the winding stairwell to the rooftop and was met with the absolutely darling display of fire flickering on metal dishes, with cushions, chaises and blankets arranged for all.
Easily enchanted with such aesthetics, Emilia's smile was automatic, something quite rare upon her lips these days, yet the atmosphere in general was making her feel far more relaxed.
For a brief moment, the young princess found her attention captured by the starlit sky, embedded like diamonds in a black bolt of cloth, and her eyes glittered with delight, not even noticing the rest of the nobles in attendance as she turned to Lesley when he addressed her.
Taking the wine he offered her, she had to stop herself from outwardly reacting as his fingers brushed hers (Persephone would be appalled, and that was the only thing that kept Emilia from acting on her silly crush on a man far too unsuitable for her, really) but instead tried a sip and nodded in agreement to his judgement. "You really do have to try the wine from Condos vineyards one day, Lesley. Perhaps I should sneak you a bottle." she returned with a gleeful grin and a cheeky glint in her eye. Turning her gaze to Origenes as he indicated however, Emilia wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "I would like to learn, but can't you teach me? Origines reminds me of my tutors." she replied, having told Lesley many stories of the tutors he had scared away. Surely he did not wish for her to just have lessons the whole night.
As her gaze began to wander, Emilia's eyes settled upon who she recognized as the Antonis sisters. She was a little hesitant in approaching them, for while Marietta had seemed all supportive in her marriage to Elias... Evi had, in turn, brought news which had thrown Emilia for a loop again. News which had kept Emilia awake at night, and news she decidedly wanted to keep away from. Having lost sleep over the last few nights, she had decided when Lesley had escorted her here, that Emilia did not wish to think of the recent problems in her life, and simply wished to have a night of fun. So could she approach them? Sure she could.
But did she want to?
Biting her bottom lip, the princess thought for a brief moment, and then grabbed Lesleys' lower arm to drag him away to a further corner where the dried refreshments were laid out. There, the brunette picked up a dried fig, nibbling on it before shaking her head at Lesley. "I don't wish to speak to... well, I don't know if you'd call them friends, Lesley." she finally spoke up with a wry smile, before asking, "But have you heard of the fire in Aetaea? Did you hear of what happened after?"
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While there had been far too many things going on, the sudden annoucement of the scholeio opening its rooftop to view the outdoor experience had been something Emilia had agreed to the moment she was asked if she wanted to go. Had Persephone been around, her sister would've likely been very surprised, for Emilia had balked at the idea of ever attending the scholeio, especially for educational events. But the speed in which she agreed was enough of a testament as to how eager she was to leave the palati, even for a brief moment of time.
That she had to leave Labros behind was but a small sore point for the princess, her mood quickly perking up as she reminded herself it would be a nice night out. Even if her freedom to wander outside of the palati had been relaxed ever since her engagement was annouced, nightime wanders were still not something she would be able to partake in, so the breeze of the cool night air was something Emilia had no idea she had missed that much.
Used to dressing in warm and bright colors so she stood out in the daylight or blended in with the colors in the sun, the night time muted tones required Emilia to pull out the rarely wore dark violet chiton at the bottom of her chest, getting her slaves to press it in a steam room to ensure it straightened out. Silver belts were looped around her waist to secure the silk material, a shade rare to find and even rarer to wear due to the difficulty in finding a source of dye in that particular color. A pair of silver fibulae was used to hold up the silken material over both her shoulders, and the material long enough to cover her legs, yet short enough so the tips of her silver sandals peeked out.
Her brunette locks had been curled and set over her left shoulder in a cascading waterfall of gentle locks, and her silver circlet embedded with purple gems sat atop her head as she exited the winding stairwell to the rooftop and was met with the absolutely darling display of fire flickering on metal dishes, with cushions, chaises and blankets arranged for all.
Easily enchanted with such aesthetics, Emilia's smile was automatic, something quite rare upon her lips these days, yet the atmosphere in general was making her feel far more relaxed.
For a brief moment, the young princess found her attention captured by the starlit sky, embedded like diamonds in a black bolt of cloth, and her eyes glittered with delight, not even noticing the rest of the nobles in attendance as she turned to Lesley when he addressed her.
Taking the wine he offered her, she had to stop herself from outwardly reacting as his fingers brushed hers (Persephone would be appalled, and that was the only thing that kept Emilia from acting on her silly crush on a man far too unsuitable for her, really) but instead tried a sip and nodded in agreement to his judgement. "You really do have to try the wine from Condos vineyards one day, Lesley. Perhaps I should sneak you a bottle." she returned with a gleeful grin and a cheeky glint in her eye. Turning her gaze to Origenes as he indicated however, Emilia wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "I would like to learn, but can't you teach me? Origines reminds me of my tutors." she replied, having told Lesley many stories of the tutors he had scared away. Surely he did not wish for her to just have lessons the whole night.
As her gaze began to wander, Emilia's eyes settled upon who she recognized as the Antonis sisters. She was a little hesitant in approaching them, for while Marietta had seemed all supportive in her marriage to Elias... Evi had, in turn, brought news which had thrown Emilia for a loop again. News which had kept Emilia awake at night, and news she decidedly wanted to keep away from. Having lost sleep over the last few nights, she had decided when Lesley had escorted her here, that Emilia did not wish to think of the recent problems in her life, and simply wished to have a night of fun. So could she approach them? Sure she could.
But did she want to?
Biting her bottom lip, the princess thought for a brief moment, and then grabbed Lesleys' lower arm to drag him away to a further corner where the dried refreshments were laid out. There, the brunette picked up a dried fig, nibbling on it before shaking her head at Lesley. "I don't wish to speak to... well, I don't know if you'd call them friends, Lesley." she finally spoke up with a wry smile, before asking, "But have you heard of the fire in Aetaea? Did you hear of what happened after?"
While there had been far too many things going on, the sudden annoucement of the scholeio opening its rooftop to view the outdoor experience had been something Emilia had agreed to the moment she was asked if she wanted to go. Had Persephone been around, her sister would've likely been very surprised, for Emilia had balked at the idea of ever attending the scholeio, especially for educational events. But the speed in which she agreed was enough of a testament as to how eager she was to leave the palati, even for a brief moment of time.
That she had to leave Labros behind was but a small sore point for the princess, her mood quickly perking up as she reminded herself it would be a nice night out. Even if her freedom to wander outside of the palati had been relaxed ever since her engagement was annouced, nightime wanders were still not something she would be able to partake in, so the breeze of the cool night air was something Emilia had no idea she had missed that much.
Used to dressing in warm and bright colors so she stood out in the daylight or blended in with the colors in the sun, the night time muted tones required Emilia to pull out the rarely wore dark violet chiton at the bottom of her chest, getting her slaves to press it in a steam room to ensure it straightened out. Silver belts were looped around her waist to secure the silk material, a shade rare to find and even rarer to wear due to the difficulty in finding a source of dye in that particular color. A pair of silver fibulae was used to hold up the silken material over both her shoulders, and the material long enough to cover her legs, yet short enough so the tips of her silver sandals peeked out.
Her brunette locks had been curled and set over her left shoulder in a cascading waterfall of gentle locks, and her silver circlet embedded with purple gems sat atop her head as she exited the winding stairwell to the rooftop and was met with the absolutely darling display of fire flickering on metal dishes, with cushions, chaises and blankets arranged for all.
Easily enchanted with such aesthetics, Emilia's smile was automatic, something quite rare upon her lips these days, yet the atmosphere in general was making her feel far more relaxed.
For a brief moment, the young princess found her attention captured by the starlit sky, embedded like diamonds in a black bolt of cloth, and her eyes glittered with delight, not even noticing the rest of the nobles in attendance as she turned to Lesley when he addressed her.
Taking the wine he offered her, she had to stop herself from outwardly reacting as his fingers brushed hers (Persephone would be appalled, and that was the only thing that kept Emilia from acting on her silly crush on a man far too unsuitable for her, really) but instead tried a sip and nodded in agreement to his judgement. "You really do have to try the wine from Condos vineyards one day, Lesley. Perhaps I should sneak you a bottle." she returned with a gleeful grin and a cheeky glint in her eye. Turning her gaze to Origenes as he indicated however, Emilia wrinkled her nose, shaking her head. "I would like to learn, but can't you teach me? Origines reminds me of my tutors." she replied, having told Lesley many stories of the tutors he had scared away. Surely he did not wish for her to just have lessons the whole night.
As her gaze began to wander, Emilia's eyes settled upon who she recognized as the Antonis sisters. She was a little hesitant in approaching them, for while Marietta had seemed all supportive in her marriage to Elias... Evi had, in turn, brought news which had thrown Emilia for a loop again. News which had kept Emilia awake at night, and news she decidedly wanted to keep away from. Having lost sleep over the last few nights, she had decided when Lesley had escorted her here, that Emilia did not wish to think of the recent problems in her life, and simply wished to have a night of fun. So could she approach them? Sure she could.
But did she want to?
Biting her bottom lip, the princess thought for a brief moment, and then grabbed Lesleys' lower arm to drag him away to a further corner where the dried refreshments were laid out. There, the brunette picked up a dried fig, nibbling on it before shaking her head at Lesley. "I don't wish to speak to... well, I don't know if you'd call them friends, Lesley." she finally spoke up with a wry smile, before asking, "But have you heard of the fire in Aetaea? Did you hear of what happened after?"
"No." Lesley snorted quietly. "I haven't spent more than five minutes away from your side in a week, when would I have heard anything you haven't?" An obvious exaggeration, as she well knew, but he certainly hadn't spent much time away from her. Just to report to Circena, or Elias, or go to the baths, or take a meal with the other royal guards... hmm.
"I have always found Origenes to have wit as well as wisdom," her bodyguard commented, quick to change the subject. "Come on, I should be polite enough to greet him, at least. And perhaps his presence will scare away the ladies you don't want to talk to." His lips curled up in an amused smile. "Epictetus says it is not pain or death to be dreaded, but fear of pain or death - I think the same might be the case for your education." Yes, he was definitely laughing at her. Not that he didn't sympathize - giving his tutors the run-around had been a prime pastime at her age. At the same time, he had enjoyed learning; he'd just hated sitting still.
The gladiator turned his face heavenward, and for a moment simply appreciated the beauty of the bright heavens. Sometimes, on a still night... but the night was not empty, here and now, and chatter and movement around them kept his overly-alert mind from finding a hint of quiet. Distraction couldn't take away from the visual beauty of the sky, though. "I can point out the katasterismoi," he admitted, "And I know some of their hero's tales. But to the question what each heralds at certain points in their arc across the sky, I'm at a loss. It involves a fair bit of mathematics, as I recall, and I was never terribly good at that. There's Orion," he observed, "and the Kretan Bull. Which means just past that - there's Ares. And there's Perseus."
That the man's eyes should jump first to those, and not to, say, Andromeda or Astraea, should utterly surprise absolutely no-one.
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"No." Lesley snorted quietly. "I haven't spent more than five minutes away from your side in a week, when would I have heard anything you haven't?" An obvious exaggeration, as she well knew, but he certainly hadn't spent much time away from her. Just to report to Circena, or Elias, or go to the baths, or take a meal with the other royal guards... hmm.
"I have always found Origenes to have wit as well as wisdom," her bodyguard commented, quick to change the subject. "Come on, I should be polite enough to greet him, at least. And perhaps his presence will scare away the ladies you don't want to talk to." His lips curled up in an amused smile. "Epictetus says it is not pain or death to be dreaded, but fear of pain or death - I think the same might be the case for your education." Yes, he was definitely laughing at her. Not that he didn't sympathize - giving his tutors the run-around had been a prime pastime at her age. At the same time, he had enjoyed learning; he'd just hated sitting still.
The gladiator turned his face heavenward, and for a moment simply appreciated the beauty of the bright heavens. Sometimes, on a still night... but the night was not empty, here and now, and chatter and movement around them kept his overly-alert mind from finding a hint of quiet. Distraction couldn't take away from the visual beauty of the sky, though. "I can point out the katasterismoi," he admitted, "And I know some of their hero's tales. But to the question what each heralds at certain points in their arc across the sky, I'm at a loss. It involves a fair bit of mathematics, as I recall, and I was never terribly good at that. There's Orion," he observed, "and the Kretan Bull. Which means just past that - there's Ares. And there's Perseus."
That the man's eyes should jump first to those, and not to, say, Andromeda or Astraea, should utterly surprise absolutely no-one.
"No." Lesley snorted quietly. "I haven't spent more than five minutes away from your side in a week, when would I have heard anything you haven't?" An obvious exaggeration, as she well knew, but he certainly hadn't spent much time away from her. Just to report to Circena, or Elias, or go to the baths, or take a meal with the other royal guards... hmm.
"I have always found Origenes to have wit as well as wisdom," her bodyguard commented, quick to change the subject. "Come on, I should be polite enough to greet him, at least. And perhaps his presence will scare away the ladies you don't want to talk to." His lips curled up in an amused smile. "Epictetus says it is not pain or death to be dreaded, but fear of pain or death - I think the same might be the case for your education." Yes, he was definitely laughing at her. Not that he didn't sympathize - giving his tutors the run-around had been a prime pastime at her age. At the same time, he had enjoyed learning; he'd just hated sitting still.
The gladiator turned his face heavenward, and for a moment simply appreciated the beauty of the bright heavens. Sometimes, on a still night... but the night was not empty, here and now, and chatter and movement around them kept his overly-alert mind from finding a hint of quiet. Distraction couldn't take away from the visual beauty of the sky, though. "I can point out the katasterismoi," he admitted, "And I know some of their hero's tales. But to the question what each heralds at certain points in their arc across the sky, I'm at a loss. It involves a fair bit of mathematics, as I recall, and I was never terribly good at that. There's Orion," he observed, "and the Kretan Bull. Which means just past that - there's Ares. And there's Perseus."
That the man's eyes should jump first to those, and not to, say, Andromeda or Astraea, should utterly surprise absolutely no-one.
The night that the Scholeio opened its doors to the public was always an exciting one for Danae. It was always a big celebration to go and see the stars as the scholars narrated the tales surrounded them, especially for a young, intelligent girl like Danae. This sort of event was always a highlight of the fall months as Athenia braced for the chilly winter ahead. This sort of thing had always been exciting for the girl, from the time that she could barely walk to even now where she ought to be too old to be excited about such things. Danae just couldn’t help it. She had always loved these events.
However, this year, she almost wished that she could skip it entirely.
One of the parts of the event that had always had Danae excited to come was how this event was something that she and her father shared together. It was easy even when Chara and Elias grew too old to hold a genuine interest in the intellectual value of the night. Normally it would just be her and Keikelius wandering through the crowds of scholars to hear the stories they told. It was a tradition at this point for the two of them to go… but that wouldn’t be happening this year.
For reasons that Danae technically understood, but her own stubbornness refused to let herself accept; Keiklelius had decided to distance himself from the family in order to appear to be working for Persephone. He couldn’t risk letting that image slip just to keep an unspoken promise to his youngest child. It was too much of a risk.
Still, Danae had clung to a secret hope that he would come home for this event. She had prayed to any god that would listen that he would remember how important this night was and he’d put everything aside for one night in order to keep this promise to her. That he’d remember that he had more children than just his precious Elias and there were things more important than crowns. Just for this one night. Certainly, that couldn’t be too much to ask for given how everyone surrounding her was coveting power and wealth. Danae was almost positive that the gods wouldn’t turn their back on the girl who just wanted everything to be normal again for a single night.
She was wrong.
Even though it was clear enough that Keikelius would not be coming home as he had not sent word in the days leading up to the event at the Scholeio, Danae had still held out hope. She had spent the entire day almost obsessively looking out the window, waiting to see him ride up to the front of the manor. But he never did. She was on the verge of tears when it finally sunk in that her father would not be keeping this promise tonight. It was nothing short of a miracle that Danae was able to keep it together long enough to make it from the Stravos manor to the observatory, but that didn’t mean that she was going to make it through the evening in one piece. Not when she found herself constantly turning to speak to a man that she kept forgetting was not there.
Looking at the crowd that had gathered so far, Danae could tell that they were likely to not give her much of a good time either. Practically everyone who was here was some sort of noble or royal. Even from where she stood on the outskirts she could see that the Princess and the Antonis girls were already in attendance among countless others. Had this just been declared as a regular court session (as it ought to have been based on who was in attendance thus far) Danae would have been expected to mingle with everyone and try to play damage control on behalf of her brother. She should have been sticking close to Emilia to ensure that she didn’t toe the line. But tonight? She couldn’t care. She didn’t care. This was the one night that she truly did not have the strength to play the role of her brother’s lackey and be barraged with a thousand questions about what on earth he was doing inside that palace. Surely, both Circenia and Chara were floating about somewhere. Let the people of Athenia interrogate them instead. Danae just wanted to be left alone tonight.
But even as she moved along the edge of the crowd, hopefully not drawing a large amount of attention to herself in her navy blue peplos, there was the simple fact that some people would not respect this desire of hers. There would always be people who thought that their own desire to have some questions answered trumped the fact that Danae was a bit of a wreck right now. Heck, some people might even set out to exploit it if Danae wasn’t so steadfast determined to keep her expression blank and unreadable for now. She was already fairly certain that her mother would not be pleased with Danae’s apparent desire to spend time with the scholars tonight rather than the nobles, but she just needed some time. Perhaps maybe by the end of the night, when it would truly sink that Keikelius was not there, she would be able to go and pretend to care about whatever Elias was doing this time that had everyone up in a tizzy.
For now though? She was far more content with pausing to listen to one of the younger scholars, who clearly had a passion for the arts, describe the various labors of Hercules with a bit of a theatrical flair thrown in. Surely, he would soon draw a crowd to him with his hilarious voices for different characters and overdramatic expressions. It was certainly bringing the faintest hint of a smile to Danae’s lips as she listened in.
Perhaps someone who was none the wiser to how upset Danae truly was would take this brief moment of a Stravos being alone and seemingly happy to approach her? Certainly, someone in this crowd had to be fairly curious about what the acting King’s sister had to say about the rumors surrounding the recent forest fires in Aetaea and the role her family played…
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The night that the Scholeio opened its doors to the public was always an exciting one for Danae. It was always a big celebration to go and see the stars as the scholars narrated the tales surrounded them, especially for a young, intelligent girl like Danae. This sort of event was always a highlight of the fall months as Athenia braced for the chilly winter ahead. This sort of thing had always been exciting for the girl, from the time that she could barely walk to even now where she ought to be too old to be excited about such things. Danae just couldn’t help it. She had always loved these events.
However, this year, she almost wished that she could skip it entirely.
One of the parts of the event that had always had Danae excited to come was how this event was something that she and her father shared together. It was easy even when Chara and Elias grew too old to hold a genuine interest in the intellectual value of the night. Normally it would just be her and Keikelius wandering through the crowds of scholars to hear the stories they told. It was a tradition at this point for the two of them to go… but that wouldn’t be happening this year.
For reasons that Danae technically understood, but her own stubbornness refused to let herself accept; Keiklelius had decided to distance himself from the family in order to appear to be working for Persephone. He couldn’t risk letting that image slip just to keep an unspoken promise to his youngest child. It was too much of a risk.
Still, Danae had clung to a secret hope that he would come home for this event. She had prayed to any god that would listen that he would remember how important this night was and he’d put everything aside for one night in order to keep this promise to her. That he’d remember that he had more children than just his precious Elias and there were things more important than crowns. Just for this one night. Certainly, that couldn’t be too much to ask for given how everyone surrounding her was coveting power and wealth. Danae was almost positive that the gods wouldn’t turn their back on the girl who just wanted everything to be normal again for a single night.
She was wrong.
Even though it was clear enough that Keikelius would not be coming home as he had not sent word in the days leading up to the event at the Scholeio, Danae had still held out hope. She had spent the entire day almost obsessively looking out the window, waiting to see him ride up to the front of the manor. But he never did. She was on the verge of tears when it finally sunk in that her father would not be keeping this promise tonight. It was nothing short of a miracle that Danae was able to keep it together long enough to make it from the Stravos manor to the observatory, but that didn’t mean that she was going to make it through the evening in one piece. Not when she found herself constantly turning to speak to a man that she kept forgetting was not there.
Looking at the crowd that had gathered so far, Danae could tell that they were likely to not give her much of a good time either. Practically everyone who was here was some sort of noble or royal. Even from where she stood on the outskirts she could see that the Princess and the Antonis girls were already in attendance among countless others. Had this just been declared as a regular court session (as it ought to have been based on who was in attendance thus far) Danae would have been expected to mingle with everyone and try to play damage control on behalf of her brother. She should have been sticking close to Emilia to ensure that she didn’t toe the line. But tonight? She couldn’t care. She didn’t care. This was the one night that she truly did not have the strength to play the role of her brother’s lackey and be barraged with a thousand questions about what on earth he was doing inside that palace. Surely, both Circenia and Chara were floating about somewhere. Let the people of Athenia interrogate them instead. Danae just wanted to be left alone tonight.
But even as she moved along the edge of the crowd, hopefully not drawing a large amount of attention to herself in her navy blue peplos, there was the simple fact that some people would not respect this desire of hers. There would always be people who thought that their own desire to have some questions answered trumped the fact that Danae was a bit of a wreck right now. Heck, some people might even set out to exploit it if Danae wasn’t so steadfast determined to keep her expression blank and unreadable for now. She was already fairly certain that her mother would not be pleased with Danae’s apparent desire to spend time with the scholars tonight rather than the nobles, but she just needed some time. Perhaps maybe by the end of the night, when it would truly sink that Keikelius was not there, she would be able to go and pretend to care about whatever Elias was doing this time that had everyone up in a tizzy.
For now though? She was far more content with pausing to listen to one of the younger scholars, who clearly had a passion for the arts, describe the various labors of Hercules with a bit of a theatrical flair thrown in. Surely, he would soon draw a crowd to him with his hilarious voices for different characters and overdramatic expressions. It was certainly bringing the faintest hint of a smile to Danae’s lips as she listened in.
Perhaps someone who was none the wiser to how upset Danae truly was would take this brief moment of a Stravos being alone and seemingly happy to approach her? Certainly, someone in this crowd had to be fairly curious about what the acting King’s sister had to say about the rumors surrounding the recent forest fires in Aetaea and the role her family played…
The night that the Scholeio opened its doors to the public was always an exciting one for Danae. It was always a big celebration to go and see the stars as the scholars narrated the tales surrounded them, especially for a young, intelligent girl like Danae. This sort of event was always a highlight of the fall months as Athenia braced for the chilly winter ahead. This sort of thing had always been exciting for the girl, from the time that she could barely walk to even now where she ought to be too old to be excited about such things. Danae just couldn’t help it. She had always loved these events.
However, this year, she almost wished that she could skip it entirely.
One of the parts of the event that had always had Danae excited to come was how this event was something that she and her father shared together. It was easy even when Chara and Elias grew too old to hold a genuine interest in the intellectual value of the night. Normally it would just be her and Keikelius wandering through the crowds of scholars to hear the stories they told. It was a tradition at this point for the two of them to go… but that wouldn’t be happening this year.
For reasons that Danae technically understood, but her own stubbornness refused to let herself accept; Keiklelius had decided to distance himself from the family in order to appear to be working for Persephone. He couldn’t risk letting that image slip just to keep an unspoken promise to his youngest child. It was too much of a risk.
Still, Danae had clung to a secret hope that he would come home for this event. She had prayed to any god that would listen that he would remember how important this night was and he’d put everything aside for one night in order to keep this promise to her. That he’d remember that he had more children than just his precious Elias and there were things more important than crowns. Just for this one night. Certainly, that couldn’t be too much to ask for given how everyone surrounding her was coveting power and wealth. Danae was almost positive that the gods wouldn’t turn their back on the girl who just wanted everything to be normal again for a single night.
She was wrong.
Even though it was clear enough that Keikelius would not be coming home as he had not sent word in the days leading up to the event at the Scholeio, Danae had still held out hope. She had spent the entire day almost obsessively looking out the window, waiting to see him ride up to the front of the manor. But he never did. She was on the verge of tears when it finally sunk in that her father would not be keeping this promise tonight. It was nothing short of a miracle that Danae was able to keep it together long enough to make it from the Stravos manor to the observatory, but that didn’t mean that she was going to make it through the evening in one piece. Not when she found herself constantly turning to speak to a man that she kept forgetting was not there.
Looking at the crowd that had gathered so far, Danae could tell that they were likely to not give her much of a good time either. Practically everyone who was here was some sort of noble or royal. Even from where she stood on the outskirts she could see that the Princess and the Antonis girls were already in attendance among countless others. Had this just been declared as a regular court session (as it ought to have been based on who was in attendance thus far) Danae would have been expected to mingle with everyone and try to play damage control on behalf of her brother. She should have been sticking close to Emilia to ensure that she didn’t toe the line. But tonight? She couldn’t care. She didn’t care. This was the one night that she truly did not have the strength to play the role of her brother’s lackey and be barraged with a thousand questions about what on earth he was doing inside that palace. Surely, both Circenia and Chara were floating about somewhere. Let the people of Athenia interrogate them instead. Danae just wanted to be left alone tonight.
But even as she moved along the edge of the crowd, hopefully not drawing a large amount of attention to herself in her navy blue peplos, there was the simple fact that some people would not respect this desire of hers. There would always be people who thought that their own desire to have some questions answered trumped the fact that Danae was a bit of a wreck right now. Heck, some people might even set out to exploit it if Danae wasn’t so steadfast determined to keep her expression blank and unreadable for now. She was already fairly certain that her mother would not be pleased with Danae’s apparent desire to spend time with the scholars tonight rather than the nobles, but she just needed some time. Perhaps maybe by the end of the night, when it would truly sink that Keikelius was not there, she would be able to go and pretend to care about whatever Elias was doing this time that had everyone up in a tizzy.
For now though? She was far more content with pausing to listen to one of the younger scholars, who clearly had a passion for the arts, describe the various labors of Hercules with a bit of a theatrical flair thrown in. Surely, he would soon draw a crowd to him with his hilarious voices for different characters and overdramatic expressions. It was certainly bringing the faintest hint of a smile to Danae’s lips as she listened in.
Perhaps someone who was none the wiser to how upset Danae truly was would take this brief moment of a Stravos being alone and seemingly happy to approach her? Certainly, someone in this crowd had to be fairly curious about what the acting King’s sister had to say about the rumors surrounding the recent forest fires in Aetaea and the role her family played…
It was rare that Circenia would deign to attend such an event; the princess was not exactly known for her scholarly nature, and she held little interest in the philosophies of the skies above. The night sky held its mysteries, and so did she. They did not need to intermingle.
However, as much as she didn’t like to admit it, the Stravos matriarch was… lonely. With her husband seemingly estranged, her son living in the palati, Chara so rarely home, and Danae so often caught up in her own world, Circenia was floundering. Her family was everything to her, and to be separated from them so often pained her to her core. The princess was not a sentimental woman by any means, but she was a mother, and involved one, at that. She hated the feeling of a practically empty nest.
So, she decided that she would venture to the Scholeio, if only for the opportunity to be out among others. Court rarely convened these days, and she knew there would be a strong noble presence on the starry rooftop. If nothing else, she could linger and listen to the whispers that were sure to circulate, perhaps even insert a few whispers of her own. If she had to attend to an event that held such little interest for her, she would find a way to use it to her advantage.
Stepping onto the rooftop of the Scholeio, Circenia of Stravos was a vision in black. Swathed in an ebony chiton of the finest silk, the princess was clothed like the nighttime herself. Diamonds dripped from her ears, her fingers, her wrists, and dotted her coifed hair as if to mimic the look of the stars above. A silver tiara and thin chains crossing her waist completed her ensemble; it was a far cry from the normal rich jewel tones she preferred, but the paleness of her skin against the darkness of her clothing was striking enough to draw the same amount of attention. Even at her age, the princess was a striking woman, and she knew how to get the attention she craved.
Letting her gaze wander to take in those already present, cool eyes lingered for a moment on a pair of the Antonis sisters—her upper lip curling delicately at the sight of Evi. The affair with her son discovered, she couldn’t exactly say she was on… good… terms with the young woman, particularly after their little confrontation over breakfast. While she meant to keep an eye on the girl, ensure she caused no trouble, neither did she intend to speak with her unless it couldn’t be avoided. Evi of Antonis was irrelevant. A simpering mistress grasping for power, she was far beneath Circenia’s notice, as it was.
Finding her daughter next among the attendees, she approached Danae with a warm hand on her shoulder. “You look lovely tonight,” she complimented her child with a kiss to her cheek. Danae was tense, she could feel it, and she wondered at its origin. Was it simply the event, the other nobles milling around? She knew how uncomfortable her youngest child was in such situations, and that was not out of the question. However, she had a feeling it was something else, something deeper. She would question her about it later, when there weren’t quite so many ears to overhear.
Spotting Emilia with Lesley at her side, Circenia gently squeezed the shoulder she held. “I’ll return shortly. Stay out of trouble.” Offering a smile to add a bit of tease to her words, she approached her niece and let the smile on her face deepen. Inclining her head respectfully, Circenia greeted Emilia with a bit more warmth than was normal for the Stravos matriarch.
“Ah, my soon-to-be daughter!” Leaning down to kiss both the girl’s cheeks, she let her hand linger against the girl’s cheek for a moment, a forced gesture of affection. After all, a royal marriage was what she wanted for her son, wasn’t it? Should everything go according to the plans she wanted, the pair would soon be King and Queen in earnest. “How lovely to see you here tonight. I trust you’re enjoying yourself?”
Circenia hardly spared a glance for the gladiator at her side—a common man, it was expected that he should be beneath her notice. Of course, she knew the man far better than she ever would have admitted to; after all, he was in her employ. She was glad to see him here doing what she paid him for, trailing the young princess like a loyal dog.
“Has Elias mentioned if he will be in attendance tonight, as well?” she asked Emilia, pretending to ignore the nearby whispers of the fires in Aetaea. “I am surprised he is not here to escort you.”
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It was rare that Circenia would deign to attend such an event; the princess was not exactly known for her scholarly nature, and she held little interest in the philosophies of the skies above. The night sky held its mysteries, and so did she. They did not need to intermingle.
However, as much as she didn’t like to admit it, the Stravos matriarch was… lonely. With her husband seemingly estranged, her son living in the palati, Chara so rarely home, and Danae so often caught up in her own world, Circenia was floundering. Her family was everything to her, and to be separated from them so often pained her to her core. The princess was not a sentimental woman by any means, but she was a mother, and involved one, at that. She hated the feeling of a practically empty nest.
So, she decided that she would venture to the Scholeio, if only for the opportunity to be out among others. Court rarely convened these days, and she knew there would be a strong noble presence on the starry rooftop. If nothing else, she could linger and listen to the whispers that were sure to circulate, perhaps even insert a few whispers of her own. If she had to attend to an event that held such little interest for her, she would find a way to use it to her advantage.
Stepping onto the rooftop of the Scholeio, Circenia of Stravos was a vision in black. Swathed in an ebony chiton of the finest silk, the princess was clothed like the nighttime herself. Diamonds dripped from her ears, her fingers, her wrists, and dotted her coifed hair as if to mimic the look of the stars above. A silver tiara and thin chains crossing her waist completed her ensemble; it was a far cry from the normal rich jewel tones she preferred, but the paleness of her skin against the darkness of her clothing was striking enough to draw the same amount of attention. Even at her age, the princess was a striking woman, and she knew how to get the attention she craved.
Letting her gaze wander to take in those already present, cool eyes lingered for a moment on a pair of the Antonis sisters—her upper lip curling delicately at the sight of Evi. The affair with her son discovered, she couldn’t exactly say she was on… good… terms with the young woman, particularly after their little confrontation over breakfast. While she meant to keep an eye on the girl, ensure she caused no trouble, neither did she intend to speak with her unless it couldn’t be avoided. Evi of Antonis was irrelevant. A simpering mistress grasping for power, she was far beneath Circenia’s notice, as it was.
Finding her daughter next among the attendees, she approached Danae with a warm hand on her shoulder. “You look lovely tonight,” she complimented her child with a kiss to her cheek. Danae was tense, she could feel it, and she wondered at its origin. Was it simply the event, the other nobles milling around? She knew how uncomfortable her youngest child was in such situations, and that was not out of the question. However, she had a feeling it was something else, something deeper. She would question her about it later, when there weren’t quite so many ears to overhear.
Spotting Emilia with Lesley at her side, Circenia gently squeezed the shoulder she held. “I’ll return shortly. Stay out of trouble.” Offering a smile to add a bit of tease to her words, she approached her niece and let the smile on her face deepen. Inclining her head respectfully, Circenia greeted Emilia with a bit more warmth than was normal for the Stravos matriarch.
“Ah, my soon-to-be daughter!” Leaning down to kiss both the girl’s cheeks, she let her hand linger against the girl’s cheek for a moment, a forced gesture of affection. After all, a royal marriage was what she wanted for her son, wasn’t it? Should everything go according to the plans she wanted, the pair would soon be King and Queen in earnest. “How lovely to see you here tonight. I trust you’re enjoying yourself?”
Circenia hardly spared a glance for the gladiator at her side—a common man, it was expected that he should be beneath her notice. Of course, she knew the man far better than she ever would have admitted to; after all, he was in her employ. She was glad to see him here doing what she paid him for, trailing the young princess like a loyal dog.
“Has Elias mentioned if he will be in attendance tonight, as well?” she asked Emilia, pretending to ignore the nearby whispers of the fires in Aetaea. “I am surprised he is not here to escort you.”
It was rare that Circenia would deign to attend such an event; the princess was not exactly known for her scholarly nature, and she held little interest in the philosophies of the skies above. The night sky held its mysteries, and so did she. They did not need to intermingle.
However, as much as she didn’t like to admit it, the Stravos matriarch was… lonely. With her husband seemingly estranged, her son living in the palati, Chara so rarely home, and Danae so often caught up in her own world, Circenia was floundering. Her family was everything to her, and to be separated from them so often pained her to her core. The princess was not a sentimental woman by any means, but she was a mother, and involved one, at that. She hated the feeling of a practically empty nest.
So, she decided that she would venture to the Scholeio, if only for the opportunity to be out among others. Court rarely convened these days, and she knew there would be a strong noble presence on the starry rooftop. If nothing else, she could linger and listen to the whispers that were sure to circulate, perhaps even insert a few whispers of her own. If she had to attend to an event that held such little interest for her, she would find a way to use it to her advantage.
Stepping onto the rooftop of the Scholeio, Circenia of Stravos was a vision in black. Swathed in an ebony chiton of the finest silk, the princess was clothed like the nighttime herself. Diamonds dripped from her ears, her fingers, her wrists, and dotted her coifed hair as if to mimic the look of the stars above. A silver tiara and thin chains crossing her waist completed her ensemble; it was a far cry from the normal rich jewel tones she preferred, but the paleness of her skin against the darkness of her clothing was striking enough to draw the same amount of attention. Even at her age, the princess was a striking woman, and she knew how to get the attention she craved.
Letting her gaze wander to take in those already present, cool eyes lingered for a moment on a pair of the Antonis sisters—her upper lip curling delicately at the sight of Evi. The affair with her son discovered, she couldn’t exactly say she was on… good… terms with the young woman, particularly after their little confrontation over breakfast. While she meant to keep an eye on the girl, ensure she caused no trouble, neither did she intend to speak with her unless it couldn’t be avoided. Evi of Antonis was irrelevant. A simpering mistress grasping for power, she was far beneath Circenia’s notice, as it was.
Finding her daughter next among the attendees, she approached Danae with a warm hand on her shoulder. “You look lovely tonight,” she complimented her child with a kiss to her cheek. Danae was tense, she could feel it, and she wondered at its origin. Was it simply the event, the other nobles milling around? She knew how uncomfortable her youngest child was in such situations, and that was not out of the question. However, she had a feeling it was something else, something deeper. She would question her about it later, when there weren’t quite so many ears to overhear.
Spotting Emilia with Lesley at her side, Circenia gently squeezed the shoulder she held. “I’ll return shortly. Stay out of trouble.” Offering a smile to add a bit of tease to her words, she approached her niece and let the smile on her face deepen. Inclining her head respectfully, Circenia greeted Emilia with a bit more warmth than was normal for the Stravos matriarch.
“Ah, my soon-to-be daughter!” Leaning down to kiss both the girl’s cheeks, she let her hand linger against the girl’s cheek for a moment, a forced gesture of affection. After all, a royal marriage was what she wanted for her son, wasn’t it? Should everything go according to the plans she wanted, the pair would soon be King and Queen in earnest. “How lovely to see you here tonight. I trust you’re enjoying yourself?”
Circenia hardly spared a glance for the gladiator at her side—a common man, it was expected that he should be beneath her notice. Of course, she knew the man far better than she ever would have admitted to; after all, he was in her employ. She was glad to see him here doing what she paid him for, trailing the young princess like a loyal dog.
“Has Elias mentioned if he will be in attendance tonight, as well?” she asked Emilia, pretending to ignore the nearby whispers of the fires in Aetaea. “I am surprised he is not here to escort you.”
Emilia's face fell a little when Lesley admitted he didn't know much. The princess was like a man in a desert, thirsty for news as the man would be for water, cut off as she was from most sources of information. But while Lesley had spent time away from her, she had no reason to believe her bodyguard was lying to her, and merely sighed in dissapointment before proceeding as Lesley instructed to Origenes. Did she want another lesson in astronomy and stories? Not entirely. But what else did she have to do?
Laughing lightly when Lesley subtly poked fun of her, the princess rolling her eyes at the man. She was not in denial, and knew full well she wasn't a stellar student when it came to her studies. She had driven away enough tutors to not be blind to that fact - but was she fearful of the lessons? No, she was just uninterested sitting down for hours at a stretch of time, when she had far better things to do outside of the library walls.
Her denial made her steps slow as they approached the scholar Lesley had pointed out, but as the gladiator turned his gaze heavenward, Emilia did the same, and her glance and smile turned soft at the mesmerizing sight. She often bought diamonds and jewels from merchants of Lands Afar who often came selling precious stones. Like a magpie, Emilia is often easily enchanted by the way the stones shone in the light.
Now those same stones looked as if they were embedded in a bolt of black velvet that was the night sky, and her bottom lip dropped a little as she watched the way they sparkled, looking too far to the touch, but near enough to be appreciated.
Following Lesley's figer to Orion and the Kretan Bull, Emilia couldn't help but cock her head. "Why do they call it the Kretan Bull?" she couldn't help but ask, confused. It was a pretty display of stars, but in no way did it look like a bull, really. Leaning against the edge of the roof, she had a perplexed look on her face as she tried to make out the stars, she completely didn't notice the approach of Circenia until the elder princess spoke up.
Starting in surprise, Emilia didn't move as her shock wore off, standing stock still as Circenia planted her welcoming kiss on her cheek. Their position mean Circenia would miss the uncomfortable wince at the name - her talk with Evi had made her realize a few things just a few days ago, one of which being that Elias, while brilliant in handling his province, wasn't exactly someone Emilia thought would be suited as a king... not yet, at this moment anyway.
But the princess had enough sense to not tell such a matter to the mother of her fiance, so instead, the brunette merely smiled as pleasantly as she can, casting an uncertain look at Lesley before turning back to Circenia. "So far, yes. Although if I had to go visit Origenes, I may fall asleep." she murmured with a wry smile, casting a gaze at the wizened scholar who now had a small group of curious people around him.
"I'm uncertain, Aunt Circenia." she murmured in response, truly unsure. Elias had sent a carriage for her to be able to attend the event, but in terms of his own attendance.... "Perhaps? I have yet to see him. I assume he's been busy." she murmured.
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Emilia's face fell a little when Lesley admitted he didn't know much. The princess was like a man in a desert, thirsty for news as the man would be for water, cut off as she was from most sources of information. But while Lesley had spent time away from her, she had no reason to believe her bodyguard was lying to her, and merely sighed in dissapointment before proceeding as Lesley instructed to Origenes. Did she want another lesson in astronomy and stories? Not entirely. But what else did she have to do?
Laughing lightly when Lesley subtly poked fun of her, the princess rolling her eyes at the man. She was not in denial, and knew full well she wasn't a stellar student when it came to her studies. She had driven away enough tutors to not be blind to that fact - but was she fearful of the lessons? No, she was just uninterested sitting down for hours at a stretch of time, when she had far better things to do outside of the library walls.
Her denial made her steps slow as they approached the scholar Lesley had pointed out, but as the gladiator turned his gaze heavenward, Emilia did the same, and her glance and smile turned soft at the mesmerizing sight. She often bought diamonds and jewels from merchants of Lands Afar who often came selling precious stones. Like a magpie, Emilia is often easily enchanted by the way the stones shone in the light.
Now those same stones looked as if they were embedded in a bolt of black velvet that was the night sky, and her bottom lip dropped a little as she watched the way they sparkled, looking too far to the touch, but near enough to be appreciated.
Following Lesley's figer to Orion and the Kretan Bull, Emilia couldn't help but cock her head. "Why do they call it the Kretan Bull?" she couldn't help but ask, confused. It was a pretty display of stars, but in no way did it look like a bull, really. Leaning against the edge of the roof, she had a perplexed look on her face as she tried to make out the stars, she completely didn't notice the approach of Circenia until the elder princess spoke up.
Starting in surprise, Emilia didn't move as her shock wore off, standing stock still as Circenia planted her welcoming kiss on her cheek. Their position mean Circenia would miss the uncomfortable wince at the name - her talk with Evi had made her realize a few things just a few days ago, one of which being that Elias, while brilliant in handling his province, wasn't exactly someone Emilia thought would be suited as a king... not yet, at this moment anyway.
But the princess had enough sense to not tell such a matter to the mother of her fiance, so instead, the brunette merely smiled as pleasantly as she can, casting an uncertain look at Lesley before turning back to Circenia. "So far, yes. Although if I had to go visit Origenes, I may fall asleep." she murmured with a wry smile, casting a gaze at the wizened scholar who now had a small group of curious people around him.
"I'm uncertain, Aunt Circenia." she murmured in response, truly unsure. Elias had sent a carriage for her to be able to attend the event, but in terms of his own attendance.... "Perhaps? I have yet to see him. I assume he's been busy." she murmured.
Emilia's face fell a little when Lesley admitted he didn't know much. The princess was like a man in a desert, thirsty for news as the man would be for water, cut off as she was from most sources of information. But while Lesley had spent time away from her, she had no reason to believe her bodyguard was lying to her, and merely sighed in dissapointment before proceeding as Lesley instructed to Origenes. Did she want another lesson in astronomy and stories? Not entirely. But what else did she have to do?
Laughing lightly when Lesley subtly poked fun of her, the princess rolling her eyes at the man. She was not in denial, and knew full well she wasn't a stellar student when it came to her studies. She had driven away enough tutors to not be blind to that fact - but was she fearful of the lessons? No, she was just uninterested sitting down for hours at a stretch of time, when she had far better things to do outside of the library walls.
Her denial made her steps slow as they approached the scholar Lesley had pointed out, but as the gladiator turned his gaze heavenward, Emilia did the same, and her glance and smile turned soft at the mesmerizing sight. She often bought diamonds and jewels from merchants of Lands Afar who often came selling precious stones. Like a magpie, Emilia is often easily enchanted by the way the stones shone in the light.
Now those same stones looked as if they were embedded in a bolt of black velvet that was the night sky, and her bottom lip dropped a little as she watched the way they sparkled, looking too far to the touch, but near enough to be appreciated.
Following Lesley's figer to Orion and the Kretan Bull, Emilia couldn't help but cock her head. "Why do they call it the Kretan Bull?" she couldn't help but ask, confused. It was a pretty display of stars, but in no way did it look like a bull, really. Leaning against the edge of the roof, she had a perplexed look on her face as she tried to make out the stars, she completely didn't notice the approach of Circenia until the elder princess spoke up.
Starting in surprise, Emilia didn't move as her shock wore off, standing stock still as Circenia planted her welcoming kiss on her cheek. Their position mean Circenia would miss the uncomfortable wince at the name - her talk with Evi had made her realize a few things just a few days ago, one of which being that Elias, while brilliant in handling his province, wasn't exactly someone Emilia thought would be suited as a king... not yet, at this moment anyway.
But the princess had enough sense to not tell such a matter to the mother of her fiance, so instead, the brunette merely smiled as pleasantly as she can, casting an uncertain look at Lesley before turning back to Circenia. "So far, yes. Although if I had to go visit Origenes, I may fall asleep." she murmured with a wry smile, casting a gaze at the wizened scholar who now had a small group of curious people around him.
"I'm uncertain, Aunt Circenia." she murmured in response, truly unsure. Elias had sent a carriage for her to be able to attend the event, but in terms of his own attendance.... "Perhaps? I have yet to see him. I assume he's been busy." she murmured.
Why are the Antonis sisters here? Do they even care about their province? Look at the Princesses. What if they both were involved?
Marietta wanted to ignore the whisperings. Since the day Elias opened the senate… she felt uneasy. She felt hurt. She felt confused, and she felt… angry. And this was supposed to be the night that Marietta forgot about that. This was supposed to be the night where she could look at the stars and let it all melt away.
But that was naive. That was… idiotic. With the burning of Aetaea having happened so recently, and the rumors running rampant, one more ridiculous than the next… how could Marietta escape? And when she was so desperate for real answers, she couldn’t just ignore everything that was going on around them.
Her sister once said, he could have said the sky was scarlet and I would have believed him. It got a lecture out of Marietta. And while Marietta could see the sky was not, in fact, scarlet… she wished it so. She wanted to believe it was scarlet with every fiber of her being.
What if the Queen was really there? Then the Antonis got what they deserved.
Marietta felt her lips purse for a moment, before she grabbed her sister’s hand, forcing the widest smile on her face. “Let’s go greet the Princesses shall we?” Honestly, Marietta was terrified. After speaking so openly against Elias she feared just one stare from Circenia would be enough to have Marietta collapse on the spot and shove her into the depths of Tartarus. And after the horribly awkward conversation with Emila, where she tried so hard to highlight her friend’s best qualities despite being so unsure of them herself, she didn’t much fancy talking with Emilia either. But to stand here and listen to the gossiping lesser nobles, or even commoners who bought their way in was worse. For on one side, they painted a portrait of her best friend mad for power. On the other side, it was her family who was wrong, and it was Marietta and Evi who was uncaring to the plights of those in Aetaea.
Marietta just wanted to scream. What if there was lightning? What if Aetaea burned because Zeus was angry one day. What if… what if it was an accident! A child playing with fire! These rumors were just that. Rumors!
She pulled Evi over to Princess Circenia and Princess Emilia, bowing her head in a polite manner. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Marietta said quietly. This was perhaps the first time she ever approached either of them and certainly the first she ever spoke to Circenia without so much of a stutter. She was, however, gripping onto her sister’s hand for dear life, despite the mask of calm on her face. “You said Lord Elias was busy, Princess? I had hoped he would come here. I wanted to… apologize for my brash words the other day.” No, she didn’t want to apologize. She just… honestly, Marietta didn’t quite know what she wanted anymore.
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Why are the Antonis sisters here? Do they even care about their province? Look at the Princesses. What if they both were involved?
Marietta wanted to ignore the whisperings. Since the day Elias opened the senate… she felt uneasy. She felt hurt. She felt confused, and she felt… angry. And this was supposed to be the night that Marietta forgot about that. This was supposed to be the night where she could look at the stars and let it all melt away.
But that was naive. That was… idiotic. With the burning of Aetaea having happened so recently, and the rumors running rampant, one more ridiculous than the next… how could Marietta escape? And when she was so desperate for real answers, she couldn’t just ignore everything that was going on around them.
Her sister once said, he could have said the sky was scarlet and I would have believed him. It got a lecture out of Marietta. And while Marietta could see the sky was not, in fact, scarlet… she wished it so. She wanted to believe it was scarlet with every fiber of her being.
What if the Queen was really there? Then the Antonis got what they deserved.
Marietta felt her lips purse for a moment, before she grabbed her sister’s hand, forcing the widest smile on her face. “Let’s go greet the Princesses shall we?” Honestly, Marietta was terrified. After speaking so openly against Elias she feared just one stare from Circenia would be enough to have Marietta collapse on the spot and shove her into the depths of Tartarus. And after the horribly awkward conversation with Emila, where she tried so hard to highlight her friend’s best qualities despite being so unsure of them herself, she didn’t much fancy talking with Emilia either. But to stand here and listen to the gossiping lesser nobles, or even commoners who bought their way in was worse. For on one side, they painted a portrait of her best friend mad for power. On the other side, it was her family who was wrong, and it was Marietta and Evi who was uncaring to the plights of those in Aetaea.
Marietta just wanted to scream. What if there was lightning? What if Aetaea burned because Zeus was angry one day. What if… what if it was an accident! A child playing with fire! These rumors were just that. Rumors!
She pulled Evi over to Princess Circenia and Princess Emilia, bowing her head in a polite manner. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Marietta said quietly. This was perhaps the first time she ever approached either of them and certainly the first she ever spoke to Circenia without so much of a stutter. She was, however, gripping onto her sister’s hand for dear life, despite the mask of calm on her face. “You said Lord Elias was busy, Princess? I had hoped he would come here. I wanted to… apologize for my brash words the other day.” No, she didn’t want to apologize. She just… honestly, Marietta didn’t quite know what she wanted anymore.
Why are the Antonis sisters here? Do they even care about their province? Look at the Princesses. What if they both were involved?
Marietta wanted to ignore the whisperings. Since the day Elias opened the senate… she felt uneasy. She felt hurt. She felt confused, and she felt… angry. And this was supposed to be the night that Marietta forgot about that. This was supposed to be the night where she could look at the stars and let it all melt away.
But that was naive. That was… idiotic. With the burning of Aetaea having happened so recently, and the rumors running rampant, one more ridiculous than the next… how could Marietta escape? And when she was so desperate for real answers, she couldn’t just ignore everything that was going on around them.
Her sister once said, he could have said the sky was scarlet and I would have believed him. It got a lecture out of Marietta. And while Marietta could see the sky was not, in fact, scarlet… she wished it so. She wanted to believe it was scarlet with every fiber of her being.
What if the Queen was really there? Then the Antonis got what they deserved.
Marietta felt her lips purse for a moment, before she grabbed her sister’s hand, forcing the widest smile on her face. “Let’s go greet the Princesses shall we?” Honestly, Marietta was terrified. After speaking so openly against Elias she feared just one stare from Circenia would be enough to have Marietta collapse on the spot and shove her into the depths of Tartarus. And after the horribly awkward conversation with Emila, where she tried so hard to highlight her friend’s best qualities despite being so unsure of them herself, she didn’t much fancy talking with Emilia either. But to stand here and listen to the gossiping lesser nobles, or even commoners who bought their way in was worse. For on one side, they painted a portrait of her best friend mad for power. On the other side, it was her family who was wrong, and it was Marietta and Evi who was uncaring to the plights of those in Aetaea.
Marietta just wanted to scream. What if there was lightning? What if Aetaea burned because Zeus was angry one day. What if… what if it was an accident! A child playing with fire! These rumors were just that. Rumors!
She pulled Evi over to Princess Circenia and Princess Emilia, bowing her head in a polite manner. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Marietta said quietly. This was perhaps the first time she ever approached either of them and certainly the first she ever spoke to Circenia without so much of a stutter. She was, however, gripping onto her sister’s hand for dear life, despite the mask of calm on her face. “You said Lord Elias was busy, Princess? I had hoped he would come here. I wanted to… apologize for my brash words the other day.” No, she didn’t want to apologize. She just… honestly, Marietta didn’t quite know what she wanted anymore.
There were few events in Athenia that Cicero could honestly say he looked forward to attending. There were those of course that he had a professional interest in and others where his presence was deemed necessary, but on the whole, they were not occasions he held any affection for. More things he could not afford to miss because of what might arise rather than any interest in what certainly would.
Such was not the case this night, the scholeio already one of his favoured haunts and many of his friends and peers involved in the hosting of such an event. If he were going to be forced to endure mixing with the masses then he’d rather do it whilst surrounded by some others in possession of intellect.
He had been, if it were possible, even more, impatient in waiting for Elysia to ready herself. Of course, it wasn’t just Elysia, for her cousin seemed intent on repaying them for their unscheduled visit to Aetaea by taking up the guest room in their city home with her husband and so the spymaster found himself pacing the foyer waiting for not one but two women to deem themselves ready for public consumption. After a shared bemoaning of the fact with Aimias, the two men had lapsed into silence that was not entirely companionable.
They had returned from Aetaea a little the wiser but there was nothing that could be done to mitigate the fact that the Arygris province was ruined. It would take time for the lands to recover, and it appeared that in the short term at least the couple had decided to fling themselves upon their hospitality. It had been a little strained, to say the least, but fortunately, Cicero was not one to be affected by the emotional overspill of others.
“Well don’t you both look delightful” he observed dryly as both Elysia and Iris appeared. “ Its almost as if you are hoping people will be looking at you rather than the heavens themselves” Waiting for two to alight the carriage that stood ready, Cicero followed them and Aimias up and rapped sharply on the roof to tell the driver to move off, the journey to the University blessedly short.
“Are we all feeling convivial?” he asked with a glance between their assembled party. “ There will be questions of course. Lady Iris, and well wishes from those who have heard of the fires”
It was his less than subtle way of pointing out that she should be prepared for such and not dissolve into tears at the mention of her home if it could at all be avoided. Or do anything worse. With what they had learned off the back of their trip to the fire-ravaged province, things for Athenia were very delicately balanced and didn’t need tipping one way another based on some reaction born of emotion and devoid of logic.
When they arrived, Cicero led them without hesitation through the maze of hallways and up the sweeping stairway to the flat roof of the scholeio. He had brought Elysia up here in the very earliest days of their acquaintance, so she would be well familiar with the route. Underneath the stars, the citizens of Athenia common and noble had gathered to learn more of their mysteries. Or, and Cicero felt this had slightly more to do with the turnout, to hear whatever gossip now flooded their city. As was habit, he took an immediate recce of who was and who was not present, lifting his hand in greeting to some of the Professors before turning drawing their group over to an unoccupied seating area. “Do try not to let her incite a riot” he said in an undertone as he leaned in to press a fleeting kiss to his wife’s cheek, before glancing to Iris and her husband saying more loudly. “Wine? I shall endeavour to have Aegeus come and speak with you, he is by far the most knowledgeable of all of the wise men here. And if Jace approaches you, do not pay him any attention. He knows nothing of the skies and will just try and con you into funding his pointless study of his own navel.”
With that warning given, the spymaster swept away to greet his fellow senators and make the rounds to see what had tongues wagging that night.
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There were few events in Athenia that Cicero could honestly say he looked forward to attending. There were those of course that he had a professional interest in and others where his presence was deemed necessary, but on the whole, they were not occasions he held any affection for. More things he could not afford to miss because of what might arise rather than any interest in what certainly would.
Such was not the case this night, the scholeio already one of his favoured haunts and many of his friends and peers involved in the hosting of such an event. If he were going to be forced to endure mixing with the masses then he’d rather do it whilst surrounded by some others in possession of intellect.
He had been, if it were possible, even more, impatient in waiting for Elysia to ready herself. Of course, it wasn’t just Elysia, for her cousin seemed intent on repaying them for their unscheduled visit to Aetaea by taking up the guest room in their city home with her husband and so the spymaster found himself pacing the foyer waiting for not one but two women to deem themselves ready for public consumption. After a shared bemoaning of the fact with Aimias, the two men had lapsed into silence that was not entirely companionable.
They had returned from Aetaea a little the wiser but there was nothing that could be done to mitigate the fact that the Arygris province was ruined. It would take time for the lands to recover, and it appeared that in the short term at least the couple had decided to fling themselves upon their hospitality. It had been a little strained, to say the least, but fortunately, Cicero was not one to be affected by the emotional overspill of others.
“Well don’t you both look delightful” he observed dryly as both Elysia and Iris appeared. “ Its almost as if you are hoping people will be looking at you rather than the heavens themselves” Waiting for two to alight the carriage that stood ready, Cicero followed them and Aimias up and rapped sharply on the roof to tell the driver to move off, the journey to the University blessedly short.
“Are we all feeling convivial?” he asked with a glance between their assembled party. “ There will be questions of course. Lady Iris, and well wishes from those who have heard of the fires”
It was his less than subtle way of pointing out that she should be prepared for such and not dissolve into tears at the mention of her home if it could at all be avoided. Or do anything worse. With what they had learned off the back of their trip to the fire-ravaged province, things for Athenia were very delicately balanced and didn’t need tipping one way another based on some reaction born of emotion and devoid of logic.
When they arrived, Cicero led them without hesitation through the maze of hallways and up the sweeping stairway to the flat roof of the scholeio. He had brought Elysia up here in the very earliest days of their acquaintance, so she would be well familiar with the route. Underneath the stars, the citizens of Athenia common and noble had gathered to learn more of their mysteries. Or, and Cicero felt this had slightly more to do with the turnout, to hear whatever gossip now flooded their city. As was habit, he took an immediate recce of who was and who was not present, lifting his hand in greeting to some of the Professors before turning drawing their group over to an unoccupied seating area. “Do try not to let her incite a riot” he said in an undertone as he leaned in to press a fleeting kiss to his wife’s cheek, before glancing to Iris and her husband saying more loudly. “Wine? I shall endeavour to have Aegeus come and speak with you, he is by far the most knowledgeable of all of the wise men here. And if Jace approaches you, do not pay him any attention. He knows nothing of the skies and will just try and con you into funding his pointless study of his own navel.”
With that warning given, the spymaster swept away to greet his fellow senators and make the rounds to see what had tongues wagging that night.
There were few events in Athenia that Cicero could honestly say he looked forward to attending. There were those of course that he had a professional interest in and others where his presence was deemed necessary, but on the whole, they were not occasions he held any affection for. More things he could not afford to miss because of what might arise rather than any interest in what certainly would.
Such was not the case this night, the scholeio already one of his favoured haunts and many of his friends and peers involved in the hosting of such an event. If he were going to be forced to endure mixing with the masses then he’d rather do it whilst surrounded by some others in possession of intellect.
He had been, if it were possible, even more, impatient in waiting for Elysia to ready herself. Of course, it wasn’t just Elysia, for her cousin seemed intent on repaying them for their unscheduled visit to Aetaea by taking up the guest room in their city home with her husband and so the spymaster found himself pacing the foyer waiting for not one but two women to deem themselves ready for public consumption. After a shared bemoaning of the fact with Aimias, the two men had lapsed into silence that was not entirely companionable.
They had returned from Aetaea a little the wiser but there was nothing that could be done to mitigate the fact that the Arygris province was ruined. It would take time for the lands to recover, and it appeared that in the short term at least the couple had decided to fling themselves upon their hospitality. It had been a little strained, to say the least, but fortunately, Cicero was not one to be affected by the emotional overspill of others.
“Well don’t you both look delightful” he observed dryly as both Elysia and Iris appeared. “ Its almost as if you are hoping people will be looking at you rather than the heavens themselves” Waiting for two to alight the carriage that stood ready, Cicero followed them and Aimias up and rapped sharply on the roof to tell the driver to move off, the journey to the University blessedly short.
“Are we all feeling convivial?” he asked with a glance between their assembled party. “ There will be questions of course. Lady Iris, and well wishes from those who have heard of the fires”
It was his less than subtle way of pointing out that she should be prepared for such and not dissolve into tears at the mention of her home if it could at all be avoided. Or do anything worse. With what they had learned off the back of their trip to the fire-ravaged province, things for Athenia were very delicately balanced and didn’t need tipping one way another based on some reaction born of emotion and devoid of logic.
When they arrived, Cicero led them without hesitation through the maze of hallways and up the sweeping stairway to the flat roof of the scholeio. He had brought Elysia up here in the very earliest days of their acquaintance, so she would be well familiar with the route. Underneath the stars, the citizens of Athenia common and noble had gathered to learn more of their mysteries. Or, and Cicero felt this had slightly more to do with the turnout, to hear whatever gossip now flooded their city. As was habit, he took an immediate recce of who was and who was not present, lifting his hand in greeting to some of the Professors before turning drawing their group over to an unoccupied seating area. “Do try not to let her incite a riot” he said in an undertone as he leaned in to press a fleeting kiss to his wife’s cheek, before glancing to Iris and her husband saying more loudly. “Wine? I shall endeavour to have Aegeus come and speak with you, he is by far the most knowledgeable of all of the wise men here. And if Jace approaches you, do not pay him any attention. He knows nothing of the skies and will just try and con you into funding his pointless study of his own navel.”
With that warning given, the spymaster swept away to greet his fellow senators and make the rounds to see what had tongues wagging that night.
“I think I would fall asleep too,” she admitted to her niece, the curl of her lips just barely hinting at a smile. “Listening to scholars drone on is not exactly my first choice of entertainment either, I will say that much.” There was an offended look from one such scholar as he passed them by, the princess offering a sweet smile, but no apology.
Turning back to Emilia, a frown just barely creased Circenia’s brow at the young woman’s comments on her son. Did Elias even want to be king? He connived for power, but once placed in his hands, the princess couldn’t help but wonder if he would simply let it all sift through. Why was he not here to escort his fiancée, particularly at an event so soon after his disastrous fires? Did he not want to take the suspicion off him? Did he not want to turn the tide of the Court in his favor?
Apparently not. Apparently, she must be the one to clean up his messes. As usual. It was becoming a full time occupation at this point.
Keeping these emotions from her face, the Stravos matriarch smoothed her frown back into a smile. “Well, let us hope he shows himself. Perhaps his business will not keep him too long.”
Before she could say another word, they were approached by two young ladies, the very two she was hoping would keep their distance. It was all Circenia could do to keep the distaste from her features, particularly after hearing about Marietta’s rather uncharacteristic outburst. It was not hard to ascertain the girl’s nerves, however, the tight clutch of Evi’s hand a rather clear indicator of such anxiety. That was about as much as she expected from the mousey woman, fighting to keep her lip from curling.
“Lady Marietta,” was her bland greeting, a curt nod offered to the woman, while her sister was pointedly ignored. “You are interrupting, actually. But say what you need to.”
Circenia nearly apologized herself when Marietta continued speaking, offering some contrition for her behavior some days past. However, the princess was not exactly the type to back down, and so she simply stared down her nose at the young woman. “I should say an apology is warranted,” she responded, her voice dry as the deserts across the sea. “My son is not exactly pleased with you, my lady.” Nor am I, was the unspoken addition to her sentiment, the icy look in her eyes saying as much. “A woman of your status ought to know when and how to hold her tongue.”
Her barbed speech was cut off as she noticed the next arrivals, the Master Informer with his wife and none other but Lady Iris in tow. No doubt there would be a sore spot there; the woman had just lost her home. Did Circenia feel sorry for it? No. But she was sorry the fires had not done their job better. Wouldn’t it have been nice if the baroness of Argyris had perished alongside the erstwhile ‘queen?’
Turning away from them and back to her companions, her smile was brittle as she caught Marietta in her stare once more. “If he does not show, I shall be happy to relay your apologies to him, my lady. I am sure he will be… overjoyed.”
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“I think I would fall asleep too,” she admitted to her niece, the curl of her lips just barely hinting at a smile. “Listening to scholars drone on is not exactly my first choice of entertainment either, I will say that much.” There was an offended look from one such scholar as he passed them by, the princess offering a sweet smile, but no apology.
Turning back to Emilia, a frown just barely creased Circenia’s brow at the young woman’s comments on her son. Did Elias even want to be king? He connived for power, but once placed in his hands, the princess couldn’t help but wonder if he would simply let it all sift through. Why was he not here to escort his fiancée, particularly at an event so soon after his disastrous fires? Did he not want to take the suspicion off him? Did he not want to turn the tide of the Court in his favor?
Apparently not. Apparently, she must be the one to clean up his messes. As usual. It was becoming a full time occupation at this point.
Keeping these emotions from her face, the Stravos matriarch smoothed her frown back into a smile. “Well, let us hope he shows himself. Perhaps his business will not keep him too long.”
Before she could say another word, they were approached by two young ladies, the very two she was hoping would keep their distance. It was all Circenia could do to keep the distaste from her features, particularly after hearing about Marietta’s rather uncharacteristic outburst. It was not hard to ascertain the girl’s nerves, however, the tight clutch of Evi’s hand a rather clear indicator of such anxiety. That was about as much as she expected from the mousey woman, fighting to keep her lip from curling.
“Lady Marietta,” was her bland greeting, a curt nod offered to the woman, while her sister was pointedly ignored. “You are interrupting, actually. But say what you need to.”
Circenia nearly apologized herself when Marietta continued speaking, offering some contrition for her behavior some days past. However, the princess was not exactly the type to back down, and so she simply stared down her nose at the young woman. “I should say an apology is warranted,” she responded, her voice dry as the deserts across the sea. “My son is not exactly pleased with you, my lady.” Nor am I, was the unspoken addition to her sentiment, the icy look in her eyes saying as much. “A woman of your status ought to know when and how to hold her tongue.”
Her barbed speech was cut off as she noticed the next arrivals, the Master Informer with his wife and none other but Lady Iris in tow. No doubt there would be a sore spot there; the woman had just lost her home. Did Circenia feel sorry for it? No. But she was sorry the fires had not done their job better. Wouldn’t it have been nice if the baroness of Argyris had perished alongside the erstwhile ‘queen?’
Turning away from them and back to her companions, her smile was brittle as she caught Marietta in her stare once more. “If he does not show, I shall be happy to relay your apologies to him, my lady. I am sure he will be… overjoyed.”
“I think I would fall asleep too,” she admitted to her niece, the curl of her lips just barely hinting at a smile. “Listening to scholars drone on is not exactly my first choice of entertainment either, I will say that much.” There was an offended look from one such scholar as he passed them by, the princess offering a sweet smile, but no apology.
Turning back to Emilia, a frown just barely creased Circenia’s brow at the young woman’s comments on her son. Did Elias even want to be king? He connived for power, but once placed in his hands, the princess couldn’t help but wonder if he would simply let it all sift through. Why was he not here to escort his fiancée, particularly at an event so soon after his disastrous fires? Did he not want to take the suspicion off him? Did he not want to turn the tide of the Court in his favor?
Apparently not. Apparently, she must be the one to clean up his messes. As usual. It was becoming a full time occupation at this point.
Keeping these emotions from her face, the Stravos matriarch smoothed her frown back into a smile. “Well, let us hope he shows himself. Perhaps his business will not keep him too long.”
Before she could say another word, they were approached by two young ladies, the very two she was hoping would keep their distance. It was all Circenia could do to keep the distaste from her features, particularly after hearing about Marietta’s rather uncharacteristic outburst. It was not hard to ascertain the girl’s nerves, however, the tight clutch of Evi’s hand a rather clear indicator of such anxiety. That was about as much as she expected from the mousey woman, fighting to keep her lip from curling.
“Lady Marietta,” was her bland greeting, a curt nod offered to the woman, while her sister was pointedly ignored. “You are interrupting, actually. But say what you need to.”
Circenia nearly apologized herself when Marietta continued speaking, offering some contrition for her behavior some days past. However, the princess was not exactly the type to back down, and so she simply stared down her nose at the young woman. “I should say an apology is warranted,” she responded, her voice dry as the deserts across the sea. “My son is not exactly pleased with you, my lady.” Nor am I, was the unspoken addition to her sentiment, the icy look in her eyes saying as much. “A woman of your status ought to know when and how to hold her tongue.”
Her barbed speech was cut off as she noticed the next arrivals, the Master Informer with his wife and none other but Lady Iris in tow. No doubt there would be a sore spot there; the woman had just lost her home. Did Circenia feel sorry for it? No. But she was sorry the fires had not done their job better. Wouldn’t it have been nice if the baroness of Argyris had perished alongside the erstwhile ‘queen?’
Turning away from them and back to her companions, her smile was brittle as she caught Marietta in her stare once more. “If he does not show, I shall be happy to relay your apologies to him, my lady. I am sure he will be… overjoyed.”
Iris would not have impressed herself upon the hospitality of her cousins unless she had had no other choice. Upon returning to her home within the city, both she and Aimias had spent all of five minutes in their home before noting that things had been rummaged through. With Gaios nowhere to be found initially, Iris was very aware that her steward did not leave things in such disarray. It was hardly noticable until one considered that Iris and Gaios, and even Aimias, kept their office space immaculate. Iris could tell anyone the exact position her favorite quill had been lying on her desk and the order that her paperwork had been placed in.
Seeing much of it out of place, Iris had been quick to take Aimias' arm and back them both back out of their home, her brows knit in strained frustration. "Things have been tampered with," Iris stated at first and then they had made their way back to the home of Elysia and Cicero. Upon arrival, she had accosted her cousin for a quill and papyrus to write a letter to Gaios for him to investigate. She wanted to know exactly what was missing, if anything, and what someone had been looking for. Gaios knew how Iris kept things, and it was likely that he was the best individual to sort out the matter of their disheveled home in private while Iris and Aimias played nice with their cousins in the hope that such a fact would not come to light so quickly.
The night had been awkward, but Iris was happy to distract herself by the prospect of attending a public educational event. One based around the stars was even better. She would have rather looked to the stars, and the gods, for guidance instead of the many judgemental faces she already knew so well. While her pain and her grief was at the forefront at her mind, it shared space with the orders given to her by Queen Persephone. Find her allies. Find her people that wanted to fight on her side. Who were not and would not be afraid to stand up against the Stravos.
That, she could do. That, Iris thought, was a good enough distraction from her crumbling province. There was the hope that, when the queen retook her throne, money would be funneled back into the province to aid in its recovery. If not by the Antonis, but by the Xanthos. If Persephone owed Iris anything, it was even the slightest bit of aid in recovering what Iris and Aimias had lost. Persephone could not give her back her manor home and all of the memories inside of it, but she could help her create new ones.
She dressed beside Elysia, choosing one of Elysia's gowns for her own use and a promise that she would buy Elysia a new one for her kindness. She was careful with her hair and her makeup, not wanting to appear underdressed and in mourning when she was supposed to appear and feel strong. She wore a gown of sky blue, a color shared between her own house and the Antonis. Pleased with her appearance, she glided out into the sitting room of her cousin's home to meet Cicero and Aimias. Her gaze traveled the length of her husbands form, admiring him not looking sooty and unkempt. Shaving his face had certainly been a good idea. He had such a strong jaw.
Iris only glanced at Cicero to nod her appreciation of his backhanded compliment, a light smile settling on her lips.
And then they were getting into the carriage. It had been so long since Iris had been back in the city that she stared out the window of the carriage the entire way, working silently to bury the rage and impassioned words that were constantly on the tip of her tongue. This night was not going to be purposeful in releasing such thoughts and anger upon the court. At least she truly hoped that it would not.
She had been caught up on much of what had happened in Athenia since she had taken her leave, and all of it really pointed to Elias peacocking his way through the city, trying to make himself out to be a savior of the people he was in the midst of opressing. It was with these thoughts on her mind that she stepped out of the carriage, holding to the arm of her husband as they entered the scholeio and then climbed up to the roof of the building. She vaguely heard Cicero's words to Elysia about not allowing Iris to incite a riot, though that thought was now fixating in her mind. What a wonderful idea, Cicero. She could have kissed him for his brilliance.
Bah.
Her irritable glace slid toward Cicero when he spoke louder for Iris and Aimias, to which she gave him a peaceful, though man-eating smile and lead her husband away with a soft call, "Thank you so much for your insight, cousin," she said lightly, directing the two of them toward the table of wine. Taking a cup for herself, she supped delicately from the cup for a moment, letting Aimias grab for his own refreshment, before she was disconnecting herself from the warmth of her groom. Her gaze levelled toward the group of courtiers all gathered together, meeting the gaze of Princess Circenia. Saying nothing and moving not an inch closer, Iris took a deep sip of her wine as she held the Princess' gaze.
The feeling was mutual, she was sure. She'd heard that the Stravos house had burned and she would have liked to hear of a charred body in the gardens and seen the absence of the courts most troublesome courtier on this night. It would have been a breath of fresh air not to feel the command in her voice or the snark lacing her tone as she held those around her in equal parts esteem and contempt. But the Princess was not alone. Princess Emilia was with her, as were a number of other courtiers, Lady Marietta of Antonis included.
And that struck the match she needed to get this party burning before she would flit off to observe the scholars in their raving glory. Bringing her cup from her lips, Iris strode slowly toward the group, coming up behind Lady Marietta and carefully looping her arm with the lady's so that Aimias could not pull her back out of the group without removing another person. "Lady Marietta, Lady Evi," she greeted in a smooth tone, her gaze drifting to the side to fix the young woman with a small smile. "I hope that you can extend my thanks to your father on his involvement in investigating the fires in Aetaea," she said simply, "I favor the Lord's deep insight on the events of that night," she added as a musing, bringing her gaze back toward Circenia as she took yet another sip of her wine from her cup.
Then her greeting was to Princess Emilia, "I am sorry for my rudeness, Princess Emilia. I hear that congratulations are in order. I am sure that Lord Elias is elated to have your hand as his own. It seems he shall obtain everything he ever wanted, will he not?" Another sip from her cup before she smiled at Princess Circenia, "You appear well, your highness," Iris noted, feeling somewhat cordial even though she was very much looking forward to seeing how the princess took her presence at all.
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Iris would not have impressed herself upon the hospitality of her cousins unless she had had no other choice. Upon returning to her home within the city, both she and Aimias had spent all of five minutes in their home before noting that things had been rummaged through. With Gaios nowhere to be found initially, Iris was very aware that her steward did not leave things in such disarray. It was hardly noticable until one considered that Iris and Gaios, and even Aimias, kept their office space immaculate. Iris could tell anyone the exact position her favorite quill had been lying on her desk and the order that her paperwork had been placed in.
Seeing much of it out of place, Iris had been quick to take Aimias' arm and back them both back out of their home, her brows knit in strained frustration. "Things have been tampered with," Iris stated at first and then they had made their way back to the home of Elysia and Cicero. Upon arrival, she had accosted her cousin for a quill and papyrus to write a letter to Gaios for him to investigate. She wanted to know exactly what was missing, if anything, and what someone had been looking for. Gaios knew how Iris kept things, and it was likely that he was the best individual to sort out the matter of their disheveled home in private while Iris and Aimias played nice with their cousins in the hope that such a fact would not come to light so quickly.
The night had been awkward, but Iris was happy to distract herself by the prospect of attending a public educational event. One based around the stars was even better. She would have rather looked to the stars, and the gods, for guidance instead of the many judgemental faces she already knew so well. While her pain and her grief was at the forefront at her mind, it shared space with the orders given to her by Queen Persephone. Find her allies. Find her people that wanted to fight on her side. Who were not and would not be afraid to stand up against the Stravos.
That, she could do. That, Iris thought, was a good enough distraction from her crumbling province. There was the hope that, when the queen retook her throne, money would be funneled back into the province to aid in its recovery. If not by the Antonis, but by the Xanthos. If Persephone owed Iris anything, it was even the slightest bit of aid in recovering what Iris and Aimias had lost. Persephone could not give her back her manor home and all of the memories inside of it, but she could help her create new ones.
She dressed beside Elysia, choosing one of Elysia's gowns for her own use and a promise that she would buy Elysia a new one for her kindness. She was careful with her hair and her makeup, not wanting to appear underdressed and in mourning when she was supposed to appear and feel strong. She wore a gown of sky blue, a color shared between her own house and the Antonis. Pleased with her appearance, she glided out into the sitting room of her cousin's home to meet Cicero and Aimias. Her gaze traveled the length of her husbands form, admiring him not looking sooty and unkempt. Shaving his face had certainly been a good idea. He had such a strong jaw.
Iris only glanced at Cicero to nod her appreciation of his backhanded compliment, a light smile settling on her lips.
And then they were getting into the carriage. It had been so long since Iris had been back in the city that she stared out the window of the carriage the entire way, working silently to bury the rage and impassioned words that were constantly on the tip of her tongue. This night was not going to be purposeful in releasing such thoughts and anger upon the court. At least she truly hoped that it would not.
She had been caught up on much of what had happened in Athenia since she had taken her leave, and all of it really pointed to Elias peacocking his way through the city, trying to make himself out to be a savior of the people he was in the midst of opressing. It was with these thoughts on her mind that she stepped out of the carriage, holding to the arm of her husband as they entered the scholeio and then climbed up to the roof of the building. She vaguely heard Cicero's words to Elysia about not allowing Iris to incite a riot, though that thought was now fixating in her mind. What a wonderful idea, Cicero. She could have kissed him for his brilliance.
Bah.
Her irritable glace slid toward Cicero when he spoke louder for Iris and Aimias, to which she gave him a peaceful, though man-eating smile and lead her husband away with a soft call, "Thank you so much for your insight, cousin," she said lightly, directing the two of them toward the table of wine. Taking a cup for herself, she supped delicately from the cup for a moment, letting Aimias grab for his own refreshment, before she was disconnecting herself from the warmth of her groom. Her gaze levelled toward the group of courtiers all gathered together, meeting the gaze of Princess Circenia. Saying nothing and moving not an inch closer, Iris took a deep sip of her wine as she held the Princess' gaze.
The feeling was mutual, she was sure. She'd heard that the Stravos house had burned and she would have liked to hear of a charred body in the gardens and seen the absence of the courts most troublesome courtier on this night. It would have been a breath of fresh air not to feel the command in her voice or the snark lacing her tone as she held those around her in equal parts esteem and contempt. But the Princess was not alone. Princess Emilia was with her, as were a number of other courtiers, Lady Marietta of Antonis included.
And that struck the match she needed to get this party burning before she would flit off to observe the scholars in their raving glory. Bringing her cup from her lips, Iris strode slowly toward the group, coming up behind Lady Marietta and carefully looping her arm with the lady's so that Aimias could not pull her back out of the group without removing another person. "Lady Marietta, Lady Evi," she greeted in a smooth tone, her gaze drifting to the side to fix the young woman with a small smile. "I hope that you can extend my thanks to your father on his involvement in investigating the fires in Aetaea," she said simply, "I favor the Lord's deep insight on the events of that night," she added as a musing, bringing her gaze back toward Circenia as she took yet another sip of her wine from her cup.
Then her greeting was to Princess Emilia, "I am sorry for my rudeness, Princess Emilia. I hear that congratulations are in order. I am sure that Lord Elias is elated to have your hand as his own. It seems he shall obtain everything he ever wanted, will he not?" Another sip from her cup before she smiled at Princess Circenia, "You appear well, your highness," Iris noted, feeling somewhat cordial even though she was very much looking forward to seeing how the princess took her presence at all.
Iris would not have impressed herself upon the hospitality of her cousins unless she had had no other choice. Upon returning to her home within the city, both she and Aimias had spent all of five minutes in their home before noting that things had been rummaged through. With Gaios nowhere to be found initially, Iris was very aware that her steward did not leave things in such disarray. It was hardly noticable until one considered that Iris and Gaios, and even Aimias, kept their office space immaculate. Iris could tell anyone the exact position her favorite quill had been lying on her desk and the order that her paperwork had been placed in.
Seeing much of it out of place, Iris had been quick to take Aimias' arm and back them both back out of their home, her brows knit in strained frustration. "Things have been tampered with," Iris stated at first and then they had made their way back to the home of Elysia and Cicero. Upon arrival, she had accosted her cousin for a quill and papyrus to write a letter to Gaios for him to investigate. She wanted to know exactly what was missing, if anything, and what someone had been looking for. Gaios knew how Iris kept things, and it was likely that he was the best individual to sort out the matter of their disheveled home in private while Iris and Aimias played nice with their cousins in the hope that such a fact would not come to light so quickly.
The night had been awkward, but Iris was happy to distract herself by the prospect of attending a public educational event. One based around the stars was even better. She would have rather looked to the stars, and the gods, for guidance instead of the many judgemental faces she already knew so well. While her pain and her grief was at the forefront at her mind, it shared space with the orders given to her by Queen Persephone. Find her allies. Find her people that wanted to fight on her side. Who were not and would not be afraid to stand up against the Stravos.
That, she could do. That, Iris thought, was a good enough distraction from her crumbling province. There was the hope that, when the queen retook her throne, money would be funneled back into the province to aid in its recovery. If not by the Antonis, but by the Xanthos. If Persephone owed Iris anything, it was even the slightest bit of aid in recovering what Iris and Aimias had lost. Persephone could not give her back her manor home and all of the memories inside of it, but she could help her create new ones.
She dressed beside Elysia, choosing one of Elysia's gowns for her own use and a promise that she would buy Elysia a new one for her kindness. She was careful with her hair and her makeup, not wanting to appear underdressed and in mourning when she was supposed to appear and feel strong. She wore a gown of sky blue, a color shared between her own house and the Antonis. Pleased with her appearance, she glided out into the sitting room of her cousin's home to meet Cicero and Aimias. Her gaze traveled the length of her husbands form, admiring him not looking sooty and unkempt. Shaving his face had certainly been a good idea. He had such a strong jaw.
Iris only glanced at Cicero to nod her appreciation of his backhanded compliment, a light smile settling on her lips.
And then they were getting into the carriage. It had been so long since Iris had been back in the city that she stared out the window of the carriage the entire way, working silently to bury the rage and impassioned words that were constantly on the tip of her tongue. This night was not going to be purposeful in releasing such thoughts and anger upon the court. At least she truly hoped that it would not.
She had been caught up on much of what had happened in Athenia since she had taken her leave, and all of it really pointed to Elias peacocking his way through the city, trying to make himself out to be a savior of the people he was in the midst of opressing. It was with these thoughts on her mind that she stepped out of the carriage, holding to the arm of her husband as they entered the scholeio and then climbed up to the roof of the building. She vaguely heard Cicero's words to Elysia about not allowing Iris to incite a riot, though that thought was now fixating in her mind. What a wonderful idea, Cicero. She could have kissed him for his brilliance.
Bah.
Her irritable glace slid toward Cicero when he spoke louder for Iris and Aimias, to which she gave him a peaceful, though man-eating smile and lead her husband away with a soft call, "Thank you so much for your insight, cousin," she said lightly, directing the two of them toward the table of wine. Taking a cup for herself, she supped delicately from the cup for a moment, letting Aimias grab for his own refreshment, before she was disconnecting herself from the warmth of her groom. Her gaze levelled toward the group of courtiers all gathered together, meeting the gaze of Princess Circenia. Saying nothing and moving not an inch closer, Iris took a deep sip of her wine as she held the Princess' gaze.
The feeling was mutual, she was sure. She'd heard that the Stravos house had burned and she would have liked to hear of a charred body in the gardens and seen the absence of the courts most troublesome courtier on this night. It would have been a breath of fresh air not to feel the command in her voice or the snark lacing her tone as she held those around her in equal parts esteem and contempt. But the Princess was not alone. Princess Emilia was with her, as were a number of other courtiers, Lady Marietta of Antonis included.
And that struck the match she needed to get this party burning before she would flit off to observe the scholars in their raving glory. Bringing her cup from her lips, Iris strode slowly toward the group, coming up behind Lady Marietta and carefully looping her arm with the lady's so that Aimias could not pull her back out of the group without removing another person. "Lady Marietta, Lady Evi," she greeted in a smooth tone, her gaze drifting to the side to fix the young woman with a small smile. "I hope that you can extend my thanks to your father on his involvement in investigating the fires in Aetaea," she said simply, "I favor the Lord's deep insight on the events of that night," she added as a musing, bringing her gaze back toward Circenia as she took yet another sip of her wine from her cup.
Then her greeting was to Princess Emilia, "I am sorry for my rudeness, Princess Emilia. I hear that congratulations are in order. I am sure that Lord Elias is elated to have your hand as his own. It seems he shall obtain everything he ever wanted, will he not?" Another sip from her cup before she smiled at Princess Circenia, "You appear well, your highness," Iris noted, feeling somewhat cordial even though she was very much looking forward to seeing how the princess took her presence at all.
He did not wish to attend at all.
Aimias usually could be found at these types of things, if only to hear other scholars converse and debate topics that mattered. And while the advisor was not a fan of large, social events, he usually attended simply because people were more likely to speak openly at events like these. He could keep his ears open and use it to better inform the King of the comings and goings of the kingdom. There was no reason for him to attend this year, in his opinion.
There was a desire to refuse to attend in protest. If he didn’t show, it would have made Elias furious. And there was a joy in that option. He wanted to make the bastard angry.
It would be fitting, after all. The home of his wife had been burned. Every memory, every happy moment that she had was gone. And there was very little she could do about it at the moment. Grief had assaulted them so forcefully in the past few weeks, and little happiness they had found in each other felt strained on more than one occasion. There was little chance for them to settle into a married routine in the middle of the chaos of… this.
His lack of interest in attending was only strengthened by the obvious assault on their manor in the capitol. When they first had entered, everything had seemed as they left it. It wasn’t until he entered into his study that it was apparent that it had been searching. And it wasn’t overly obvious. No, most of the things had been put back where they belonged. But his favorite quill was left on the table instead of put away where it normally belonged, the cup that contained the rest shifted every so slightly to the right. His usually neat stack of papers were askew in a way he would have never left them. Instead of fixing the office the way it was, he had quickly found Iris to confirm what her and Gaios had found as well.
And then they left.
His hope of avoiding the party was undermined by his wife’s desire to make her anger known. And he didn’t see a reason not to allow it. One, he wouldn’t have stopped her from doing anything she wished, so long as it didn’t put herself in danger, and two, he probably couldn’t have stopped her if he tried. So he dressed in his usual somber tones of black, not even bothering to hide the fact that he had little to no clothing of his own. Aimias was glad for the ring that he wore, the one that showed him as Baron. And his presence there would let Elias know that burning down his home (with him still in it) would not go unknown. He would stand by his wife, however she wished to address this.
Delicately, he hoped, as Cicero had been right about their position.
Aimias said nothing at the appearance of his wife, simply pressing a kiss to her head before they loaded into the carriage. He was angry, but for him, angry made him more silent, more aware. He did not explode, like he had known his wife to do. Instead, he internalized it, not quite sure how to publicly express it without letting his own bias get in the way. And perhaps that was what he did with the majority of his emotions-- not knowing what to do with it, he would just clam up and manage on his own. Luckily, the ride over was short, the walk up to the roof quiet. As the entered, the advisor tried not to think about the events of years past, how Persephone would have been in every corner of something like this.
It was easy to see that Elias would have no desire to be at anything of this sort. Night and day, the two of them were. And he hoped it was becoming more and more obvious that Elias’s ‘superior’ gender made not one difference-- he would be an ineffective leader.
As tempted as he was to stay at his wife’s side, he had his own conversations he wished to have. She could rile up the woman of the room, and he needed to figure out just what everyone else thought of the events. So, another kiss to her temple and he was off with Cicero, his eyes never off his wife for long. “If she murders Circenia, you make the distractions and I will get her out. Deal?” He whispered to Cicero as they moved, knowing that eyes were on him as he continued through the place.
Good, news of the fire was causing a stir. That was exactly what they wanted.
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He did not wish to attend at all.
Aimias usually could be found at these types of things, if only to hear other scholars converse and debate topics that mattered. And while the advisor was not a fan of large, social events, he usually attended simply because people were more likely to speak openly at events like these. He could keep his ears open and use it to better inform the King of the comings and goings of the kingdom. There was no reason for him to attend this year, in his opinion.
There was a desire to refuse to attend in protest. If he didn’t show, it would have made Elias furious. And there was a joy in that option. He wanted to make the bastard angry.
It would be fitting, after all. The home of his wife had been burned. Every memory, every happy moment that she had was gone. And there was very little she could do about it at the moment. Grief had assaulted them so forcefully in the past few weeks, and little happiness they had found in each other felt strained on more than one occasion. There was little chance for them to settle into a married routine in the middle of the chaos of… this.
His lack of interest in attending was only strengthened by the obvious assault on their manor in the capitol. When they first had entered, everything had seemed as they left it. It wasn’t until he entered into his study that it was apparent that it had been searching. And it wasn’t overly obvious. No, most of the things had been put back where they belonged. But his favorite quill was left on the table instead of put away where it normally belonged, the cup that contained the rest shifted every so slightly to the right. His usually neat stack of papers were askew in a way he would have never left them. Instead of fixing the office the way it was, he had quickly found Iris to confirm what her and Gaios had found as well.
And then they left.
His hope of avoiding the party was undermined by his wife’s desire to make her anger known. And he didn’t see a reason not to allow it. One, he wouldn’t have stopped her from doing anything she wished, so long as it didn’t put herself in danger, and two, he probably couldn’t have stopped her if he tried. So he dressed in his usual somber tones of black, not even bothering to hide the fact that he had little to no clothing of his own. Aimias was glad for the ring that he wore, the one that showed him as Baron. And his presence there would let Elias know that burning down his home (with him still in it) would not go unknown. He would stand by his wife, however she wished to address this.
Delicately, he hoped, as Cicero had been right about their position.
Aimias said nothing at the appearance of his wife, simply pressing a kiss to her head before they loaded into the carriage. He was angry, but for him, angry made him more silent, more aware. He did not explode, like he had known his wife to do. Instead, he internalized it, not quite sure how to publicly express it without letting his own bias get in the way. And perhaps that was what he did with the majority of his emotions-- not knowing what to do with it, he would just clam up and manage on his own. Luckily, the ride over was short, the walk up to the roof quiet. As the entered, the advisor tried not to think about the events of years past, how Persephone would have been in every corner of something like this.
It was easy to see that Elias would have no desire to be at anything of this sort. Night and day, the two of them were. And he hoped it was becoming more and more obvious that Elias’s ‘superior’ gender made not one difference-- he would be an ineffective leader.
As tempted as he was to stay at his wife’s side, he had his own conversations he wished to have. She could rile up the woman of the room, and he needed to figure out just what everyone else thought of the events. So, another kiss to her temple and he was off with Cicero, his eyes never off his wife for long. “If she murders Circenia, you make the distractions and I will get her out. Deal?” He whispered to Cicero as they moved, knowing that eyes were on him as he continued through the place.
Good, news of the fire was causing a stir. That was exactly what they wanted.
He did not wish to attend at all.
Aimias usually could be found at these types of things, if only to hear other scholars converse and debate topics that mattered. And while the advisor was not a fan of large, social events, he usually attended simply because people were more likely to speak openly at events like these. He could keep his ears open and use it to better inform the King of the comings and goings of the kingdom. There was no reason for him to attend this year, in his opinion.
There was a desire to refuse to attend in protest. If he didn’t show, it would have made Elias furious. And there was a joy in that option. He wanted to make the bastard angry.
It would be fitting, after all. The home of his wife had been burned. Every memory, every happy moment that she had was gone. And there was very little she could do about it at the moment. Grief had assaulted them so forcefully in the past few weeks, and little happiness they had found in each other felt strained on more than one occasion. There was little chance for them to settle into a married routine in the middle of the chaos of… this.
His lack of interest in attending was only strengthened by the obvious assault on their manor in the capitol. When they first had entered, everything had seemed as they left it. It wasn’t until he entered into his study that it was apparent that it had been searching. And it wasn’t overly obvious. No, most of the things had been put back where they belonged. But his favorite quill was left on the table instead of put away where it normally belonged, the cup that contained the rest shifted every so slightly to the right. His usually neat stack of papers were askew in a way he would have never left them. Instead of fixing the office the way it was, he had quickly found Iris to confirm what her and Gaios had found as well.
And then they left.
His hope of avoiding the party was undermined by his wife’s desire to make her anger known. And he didn’t see a reason not to allow it. One, he wouldn’t have stopped her from doing anything she wished, so long as it didn’t put herself in danger, and two, he probably couldn’t have stopped her if he tried. So he dressed in his usual somber tones of black, not even bothering to hide the fact that he had little to no clothing of his own. Aimias was glad for the ring that he wore, the one that showed him as Baron. And his presence there would let Elias know that burning down his home (with him still in it) would not go unknown. He would stand by his wife, however she wished to address this.
Delicately, he hoped, as Cicero had been right about their position.
Aimias said nothing at the appearance of his wife, simply pressing a kiss to her head before they loaded into the carriage. He was angry, but for him, angry made him more silent, more aware. He did not explode, like he had known his wife to do. Instead, he internalized it, not quite sure how to publicly express it without letting his own bias get in the way. And perhaps that was what he did with the majority of his emotions-- not knowing what to do with it, he would just clam up and manage on his own. Luckily, the ride over was short, the walk up to the roof quiet. As the entered, the advisor tried not to think about the events of years past, how Persephone would have been in every corner of something like this.
It was easy to see that Elias would have no desire to be at anything of this sort. Night and day, the two of them were. And he hoped it was becoming more and more obvious that Elias’s ‘superior’ gender made not one difference-- he would be an ineffective leader.
As tempted as he was to stay at his wife’s side, he had his own conversations he wished to have. She could rile up the woman of the room, and he needed to figure out just what everyone else thought of the events. So, another kiss to her temple and he was off with Cicero, his eyes never off his wife for long. “If she murders Circenia, you make the distractions and I will get her out. Deal?” He whispered to Cicero as they moved, knowing that eyes were on him as he continued through the place.
Good, news of the fire was causing a stir. That was exactly what they wanted.
A small smile of amusement curled her lips upwards at her aunt's agreement. Afterall, it wasn't often that someone agreed with her of lessons being boring. Her tutors used to purse their lips up in the most displeasing manner, and her sister would remind her of the importance of lessons, reminders which tended to float pass her head each time. Emilia just didn't see what was so great about sitting in four walls everyday listening to something that has already happened, when she could see or experience what was happening now.
Her comment on Elias was met with a nod of the princess as well. She did hope Elias would show himself - afterall, he was supposed to be her intended husband, and with her not being entirely comfortable with the idea herself just yet, not having had time to get used to it sprung upon her so suddenly, Emilia knew she'd feel far more at ease if someone else who supposedly knows much more would be around to answer such questions.
Turning to Marietta when he interjected, Emilia winced at her aunt's direct words. Circenia's blunt honesty was something Emilia had known all herlife,and quite honestly, did her best to avoid it. It didn't mean she was deaf to it however, and tried her best to soften it by offering Marietta a soft smile of her own, and nodded. "I'm sure he'll arrive soon, Lady Marietta. You may speak to him when he does? I do not need his company just yet." she murmured, briefly glancing to ensure Lesley's presence, before turning back to the Antonis lady. "So do seek him out when he does come."
Eyes drifted over to where Cicero and Lady Elysia arrived, two beings in which Emilia knew by name, but would also be people she rarely interacted with. The brunette princess had always far preferred speaking to people who understood her likes and dislikes, and many of those involved fabrics and baubles, and not of politics and secrets, something Cicero and Elysia far preferred. The Lady Iris however, was someone Emilia had spoken to fairly often, for the Argyris young lady was a kind soul, and they all received a grateful smile from Emilia as they approached.
Eager to hear of the news, Emilia's ears perked when Iris spoke of the thanks to Marietta and Evi on the help extended to the fires in Aetaea, a short phrase that confirmed Emilia's supicion. Fires were rare in Athenia, their temperature balmy thanks to the close proximity to the sea. So how could a fire possibly start spontaneously?
Tamping down her curiosity momentarily however, Emilia nodded respectfully to Iris, and shook her head. "Perhaps, although we can't be sure I'm a part of that parcel, my lady." she murmured in return, appropriately levels of humility in place. "I do hope all is well in your place, Lady Iris? I hear of a fire, although I must confess I do not know much else of it." Emilia couldn't helpbut ask curiously, even if she had an inkling Circenia would not agree to her prying in such a manner. But she was deathly curious on all that was going on in the kingdom now that she was so cut off from it, Emilia barely noticed the end of her dress sweeping past a fire bowl as she turned to Iris so eagerly, not realizing the ends of her dress beginning to smoke and ember into a flame licking quickly across the fine fabric.
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A small smile of amusement curled her lips upwards at her aunt's agreement. Afterall, it wasn't often that someone agreed with her of lessons being boring. Her tutors used to purse their lips up in the most displeasing manner, and her sister would remind her of the importance of lessons, reminders which tended to float pass her head each time. Emilia just didn't see what was so great about sitting in four walls everyday listening to something that has already happened, when she could see or experience what was happening now.
Her comment on Elias was met with a nod of the princess as well. She did hope Elias would show himself - afterall, he was supposed to be her intended husband, and with her not being entirely comfortable with the idea herself just yet, not having had time to get used to it sprung upon her so suddenly, Emilia knew she'd feel far more at ease if someone else who supposedly knows much more would be around to answer such questions.
Turning to Marietta when he interjected, Emilia winced at her aunt's direct words. Circenia's blunt honesty was something Emilia had known all herlife,and quite honestly, did her best to avoid it. It didn't mean she was deaf to it however, and tried her best to soften it by offering Marietta a soft smile of her own, and nodded. "I'm sure he'll arrive soon, Lady Marietta. You may speak to him when he does? I do not need his company just yet." she murmured, briefly glancing to ensure Lesley's presence, before turning back to the Antonis lady. "So do seek him out when he does come."
Eyes drifted over to where Cicero and Lady Elysia arrived, two beings in which Emilia knew by name, but would also be people she rarely interacted with. The brunette princess had always far preferred speaking to people who understood her likes and dislikes, and many of those involved fabrics and baubles, and not of politics and secrets, something Cicero and Elysia far preferred. The Lady Iris however, was someone Emilia had spoken to fairly often, for the Argyris young lady was a kind soul, and they all received a grateful smile from Emilia as they approached.
Eager to hear of the news, Emilia's ears perked when Iris spoke of the thanks to Marietta and Evi on the help extended to the fires in Aetaea, a short phrase that confirmed Emilia's supicion. Fires were rare in Athenia, their temperature balmy thanks to the close proximity to the sea. So how could a fire possibly start spontaneously?
Tamping down her curiosity momentarily however, Emilia nodded respectfully to Iris, and shook her head. "Perhaps, although we can't be sure I'm a part of that parcel, my lady." she murmured in return, appropriately levels of humility in place. "I do hope all is well in your place, Lady Iris? I hear of a fire, although I must confess I do not know much else of it." Emilia couldn't helpbut ask curiously, even if she had an inkling Circenia would not agree to her prying in such a manner. But she was deathly curious on all that was going on in the kingdom now that she was so cut off from it, Emilia barely noticed the end of her dress sweeping past a fire bowl as she turned to Iris so eagerly, not realizing the ends of her dress beginning to smoke and ember into a flame licking quickly across the fine fabric.
A small smile of amusement curled her lips upwards at her aunt's agreement. Afterall, it wasn't often that someone agreed with her of lessons being boring. Her tutors used to purse their lips up in the most displeasing manner, and her sister would remind her of the importance of lessons, reminders which tended to float pass her head each time. Emilia just didn't see what was so great about sitting in four walls everyday listening to something that has already happened, when she could see or experience what was happening now.
Her comment on Elias was met with a nod of the princess as well. She did hope Elias would show himself - afterall, he was supposed to be her intended husband, and with her not being entirely comfortable with the idea herself just yet, not having had time to get used to it sprung upon her so suddenly, Emilia knew she'd feel far more at ease if someone else who supposedly knows much more would be around to answer such questions.
Turning to Marietta when he interjected, Emilia winced at her aunt's direct words. Circenia's blunt honesty was something Emilia had known all herlife,and quite honestly, did her best to avoid it. It didn't mean she was deaf to it however, and tried her best to soften it by offering Marietta a soft smile of her own, and nodded. "I'm sure he'll arrive soon, Lady Marietta. You may speak to him when he does? I do not need his company just yet." she murmured, briefly glancing to ensure Lesley's presence, before turning back to the Antonis lady. "So do seek him out when he does come."
Eyes drifted over to where Cicero and Lady Elysia arrived, two beings in which Emilia knew by name, but would also be people she rarely interacted with. The brunette princess had always far preferred speaking to people who understood her likes and dislikes, and many of those involved fabrics and baubles, and not of politics and secrets, something Cicero and Elysia far preferred. The Lady Iris however, was someone Emilia had spoken to fairly often, for the Argyris young lady was a kind soul, and they all received a grateful smile from Emilia as they approached.
Eager to hear of the news, Emilia's ears perked when Iris spoke of the thanks to Marietta and Evi on the help extended to the fires in Aetaea, a short phrase that confirmed Emilia's supicion. Fires were rare in Athenia, their temperature balmy thanks to the close proximity to the sea. So how could a fire possibly start spontaneously?
Tamping down her curiosity momentarily however, Emilia nodded respectfully to Iris, and shook her head. "Perhaps, although we can't be sure I'm a part of that parcel, my lady." she murmured in return, appropriately levels of humility in place. "I do hope all is well in your place, Lady Iris? I hear of a fire, although I must confess I do not know much else of it." Emilia couldn't helpbut ask curiously, even if she had an inkling Circenia would not agree to her prying in such a manner. But she was deathly curious on all that was going on in the kingdom now that she was so cut off from it, Emilia barely noticed the end of her dress sweeping past a fire bowl as she turned to Iris so eagerly, not realizing the ends of her dress beginning to smoke and ember into a flame licking quickly across the fine fabric.
