On the surface, it seemed as though Panos had not accomplished much today, but perhaps that was not fair. A creature of habit, the Lawgiver woke at the early hours of the morn, convinced with the belief that, while the comfort of weighted sheets and warm pillows, one had to rise from rest and occupy the mind with the business of the day. As such, as soon as he was up from his bed, the tending slaves of the time tended to their master, preparing his robes, combing his beard and organized the jewels he would wear for the day. Based on one of the wax tables that contained his schedule for the day, he would mostly be working on matters of administration today, and thus, there would be no need to dress in an overly-formal manner. Thus, as good taste and rules of convention dictated, he adored himself with only one piece of finery, his private signet ring, containing only his personal seal as the elder of the Marikas.



Once the great lord had been up and about, he settled for a rather humble breakfast, not due to his lack of funds, but rather his penchant for having small meals in order to not feel dragged down by overconsumption and gluttony, which he considered counter-productive to business and work. Thus, he took his food beneath the light of one of the multiple atriums in the palatial estate, finishing just in time to hear the first of many audiences and formal visitations that clients, nobles, merchants and workers would officially organize ahead of time and with weeks in advance. It was a rather formal affair, fitted with all the ritual and circumstance of the occasion, and while Panos was free to dress as he wished, his requestors could not do so, and had to dress in finery and formal wear. He would not judge those that came upon his reception hall harshly, for he did not expect men like stonemasons and farmers to be particularly skilled in courtly etiquette, but they still had to abide by the rules of such matters, using elevated language and respectful bows to plead their case for whatever matter they had requested Panos’s help.



Many of these were often trivial and quite insignificant, but it was required of him to tend to these matters, as was his place as both a Marikas and senior statesman. Besides, many of these audiences were brief and short, with the only one allowed to sit being the Great Owl himself, and everyone else being forced to stand upon their own two feets so as to avoid comfort and lounging, which encouraged long-winded conversation and took away from his precious time. This was not to say that he did not pay attention, for if anything, it was the contrary, with the great lord having his attendants and assistants provide him with briefs, summaries and detailed accounts on both papyrus and parchment. Moreover, while his method for tending to his audiences was a bit more formal than most royals of similar status, Panos did hear petitioner with absolute attention, making his personal notes and devoting all of his time to the person in question when it was their moment to plead their case. In one instance he even felt a chuckle escape him when an old friend in the form of a scholar of the university arrived in gowns and robes to ask for additional funding for his research, which, of course, he was more than happy to comply with, as long as as he got a personal copy of the investigation.



And so Panos spent much of his early hours, arbitrating between his clients until he noted a name that made him raise an eyebrow. It was a Rene of Nikolaos, a name whom one of his servants had to remind him about, before the memory of the Great Owl immediately was returned to its proper place and he recalled what matter had seen to a Xanthos noblewoman travel to his estate. Realizing that this had been an inverse of the occasion, and for now, it was Panos who had a request instead, the Marikas elder asked of his attendants that she be afforded extra time and be escorted to the majestic gardens of his sprawling mansion. With a creaking sound escaping his chair as he rose up, the well-dressed man quietly walked towards that collection of greenery and flowers that was the envy of the entire kingdom. As he walked his attendants followed suit, making for an intimidating mass of slaves who were dressed more like merchants and nobles than laborers and property, a hint at the care that Panos showed to his staff. Afterwards, the massive bronze doors that led to the verdurous park were pushed open and an usher announced his regal presence.



To call this place a garden was perhaps a bit of an understatement, for the grounds of the Marikas Archontiko could put tears in anyone’s eyes with their sheer beauty and majesty alone, reflecting an undisturbed grandeur that was befit more of Olympus than Athenia. It was a paradise of greenery, comprised of perfectly organized shrubbery, perfumed plants, breathtaking topiaries, ancient trees and flowers that came in about every color available. Their was an impressiveness to it all, one that reflected the proud magnificence of this family, with marbled statues of kings, queens, princes, princesses, warriors and statesmen of note dotting the place, and the pleasant sounds of pure, refreshing fountains that led to meditative, reflecting pools that ran for leagues upon leagues calming just about ever thought one may have. The size of the entire grounds alone was enough to lose oneself for hours, and still have excess time left to keep exploring the famous gardens. In terms of layout, the gardens were perfectly symmetrical, with an outer court that had the largest collections of picturesque labyrinthine display of massive herbages meant to impress, and an inner court that Panos had strictly prohibited anyone from entering aside his family and a very select few, containing the rarest and most beautiful flowers that they owned. Stone benches were periodically arranged for rest, and fields of golden roses stretched as far as the eye could sea, with fruits such as peaches, plums, apples, and sonorous songbirds blessing the senses with the exquisiteness that the Marikas always knew how to impress upon others.



As he strolled through that utopian wonderland of green and pleasant lands, Panos walked steadily and calmly, looking entirely nonchalant as he kept his pace, almost as if that boundless beauty did not move him at all. In reality, Panos cared a great deal about the upkeep of this place, but he was not about to lose his mind over a place that he knew like the back of his hand. He arranged for the woman to be escorted to the outer court, for he did not have any desire for her to peer into his innermost sanctuary. Slowly, almost painfully so, he came to show his appearance, the walking embodiment of eminence and regality that he was. His head was held high and his steps were barely audible, drowned by both the lightness of his steps and the pleasant melodies that were sung by the colorful birds. As protocol dictated, once he arrived before the woman, Panos held out his hand, showing his ring so she may kiss it and proper respect was shown. Afterwards, he began to speak, channeling a voice that was unspeakably ancient, authoritative and demanding, like if he were an old titan since the times of Kronos.



“Lady Rene of House Nikolaos…” He said, his voice unnerving and powerful, a clear contrast to the unparalleled beauty that surrounded them. As manners dictated, he nodded his head gently to recognize her. Subsequently, he laid his frigid eyes upon her, as if conjuring the weight of century behind his intimidating stare. “I trust you had no difficulty in traversing here?” It was a straightforward question, but therein lied an examination of sorts. Panos was a calculating man, and everything he did had a reason. He would judge her character before anything, and only then would he allow her to remain any moment longer in his enormous gardens. “Have you everything you considered perhaps necessary?”