Court was in session, which was lucky because it was the first chance Rafail had to show off his handsome new teeth publicly. Since he had had them straightened and made as perfect of the rest of his face demanded they be, court had not been in session, and he had been just as impatient as a lifetime of coddling had ensured. Besides, he was grown out of that awkward childish appearance in full now, and tall and lanky and almost muscular in a way that girls seemed to like, which suited him just fine, and the Marikas had been eager to take advantage of it.

Blues, he had noticed, suited his complexion nicely, matching neatly with the similar colour in his eyes enough that others would comment to such a degree, and offsetting the gold of his hair. He wore the colour proudly, accentuated it with Marikas gold and allowed everyone to be fully aware of just how handsome he thought himself. One had to start the first court session of the year exactly as they meant to go on, and Rafail knew just how he wished to be perceived.

Once he had exited the carriage behind Papa, and the Marikas family had been announced as appropriate, the sixteen-year-old lord had curved his lips into a bright smile — the kind which made obvious his blindingly white teeth — and entered the fray. A goblet of wine had found its way into his hand, and he took a sip as he approached a gaggle of girls who were gossiping among themselves, ready to let them know that he was both a Baron and a Captain, and at his young age too. He had always been confident with those of the opposite sex but, recently, Rafail had found it infinitely more simple to do, as they appeared to cling to him with ease. He rather liked that.

He was half-leaning against one of the tall stone pillars that decorated the hall, making vague conversation about how much he liked the look of their gowns, and how he would like to get to see more of them soon (a line which they always appeared to like, despite its obvious connotations) when he found his attention drifting across the room. It was not that the man had a weak attention-span, though he absolutely did, and more that he had found something more interesting to look at.

Rafail's romantic interests had generally fallen onto women he had never met before, finding them more interesting because he did not know them, but he supposed that, as he had matured, he had noticed some degree of attraction for his cousin. Or rather, he had noticed the girl was growing up in the same way as he, and he could not help but let his eyes wander as she now entered the room. Speaking to her seemed far more fun now than listening to this short girl — though anyone appeared short since his sudden recent growth spurt — talk about her favourite vendors. He didn't care.

"Uh-huh," he answered, raising a hand into her face to make her shut up, already pushing himself off the pillar. "Maybe tell your friends. I'm busy." Rafail flashed her a smile that was clearly feigned, crossing the great hall to find his cousin and intercepting her before she could speak to anybody less entertaining than he. "Chara. I don't believe we've spoken in a long while, and I think that we might have, mm, plenty to discuss." He could not help but drop his gaze to her chest for a second, as though to clarify what he meant. "Don't you?"