The agora was admittedly not Achilleas’ natural habitat. He had never been one to find any kind of distraction in the many stalls and traders that set out in the central square and usually was only found there if he’d been dragged along by his cousins -or gods forbid, sister- as an unwilling chaperone. Out of character then, that he’d ventured there voluntarily on this particular day.

But the Mikaelidas lord had found himself with a lot more free time on his hands all of a sudden, his actions at the senate meeting leading his father to air his disapproval in all but snatching the barony back from his eldest child. He had not done it in any official capacity, had only expressed his displeasure privately within the family. Achilleas kept telling himself that he should be grateful for that, but it was still a cutting move and one that had served its purpose in reminding him how beholden he was to the man.

It left him in an uncomfortable position. His true belief was that his cousin had been unfairly judged, and the Mikaelidas heir tended to steer true to what he considered right and just. But equally, he had not found himself having to place himself so squarely in opposition to his father before, and that was no easy thing to do either. He’d taken himself out of the archontiko early just to avoid running into the man.

Which was in part how Achilleas found himself at the agora, standing before a stall bearing golden trinkets and brightly coloured gemstones. He’d been toying with the idea of getting something for his betrothed, had even gone so far as to speak to her sister about what she might like and at the time Achilleas had thought it would be a simple enough endeavour. Now though, as he stood and gazed down at the jewellery before him, he was coming to see that he’d been mistaken.

Gold, silver, bronze...so many different stones, and he’d been looking for something with a lion, but the closest thing here was what looked like one of those scrawny Egyptian cats. He frowned, reaching uncertainly for the piece when a voice stopped him, and the Lord turned sharply, pulling his hand back as his gaze came to land on a vaguely familiar face.

‘Is that for Lady Theodora?

He knew the Lady Eliana in passing, had never paid overmuch attention to her until he’d come to realise she served as one of Theodora’s retainers. Now their paths kept crossing, and the fact he knew her to be close with his betrothed made him want to win her favour.

‘Pardon, my Lord, but if it is might I suggest something that… she would actually want to wear?’

“Lady Eliana, good day to you.” He flashed a brief, polite smile before returning his attention to the jewellery. "No, no it’s not." he’d answered without thinking because the way she asked the question left little room for doubt that those pieces he’d been looking at it did not pass muster. The Lord glanced sideways at the Kassotis girl. And then as Achilleas belatedly realised that it wasn’t any better to be thought buying jewellery for anyone else, he frowned a little and corrected himself.

“Oh, alright. Perhaps it was, but I am taking from your expression that it would not be to her taste?”

He could admit to himself that the spere of buying jewellery for the object of one’s affections was not one he’d had cause to find himself in before now, and perhaps it showed. He’d not considered there would be so many potential pitfalls to what was supposed to be an expression of his feelings toward Theodora.

The Mikaelidas lord clasped his hands behind his back and pressed his lips together as he looked back over the stall’s wares. He certainly didn’t want to get this wrong. Swallowing and not quite managing to disguise his bewilderment with the array of goods before him, Achilleas twisted to look at Eliana once more.

“If you have some insight I would not be...averse to some assistance?”