Emilia had been failing her classes.

Though, when it came to a princess, "failure" was an odd word. For in truth, the royal family was often heralded as the bar upon which to measure all others, so was it really possible for the princess of her kingdom to be lacking in studious victory?

If you asked Persephone, the answer was yes.

Lucille of Leventi, mother to both princesses had always liked to say that it was royal's responsibility to be the very best of the best. Not for themselves - for it was not within their own interests to be smarter and more cunning than others. But for the good of the people whom they led. A stupid, ignorance or uneducated leader made poor choices. And poor choices affected those whom they led. It was important for any and all rules - including their immediate families who also had power within the lands - to be able to hold themselves accountable to the decisions they made. And someone without thoughts or knowledge behind such choices was not one who could stand by them.

As such Lucille and by extension Minas, had always been confident and forthright that both of their daughters should be able to wage verbal war with the best of the Senate debaters, understand nuance and inference with the sensitivity of the highest born lady in the courts and be as learned and book smart as the highest achievers within the Athenian University.

Persephone had attained these victories already.

Emilia, on the other hand, in her gaiety and youth, had not.

This was not, however, due to a lack of desire or effort on the part of the younger princess. Emilia had complained to her older sister come mother figure on numerous occasions at the dinner table, insisting that she had always tried in her lessons. That she had always worked hard to achieve the result she was supposed to. But that, somehow, she just couldn't get her mind to latch on. Emilia struggled with focus. Not a book learner by nature, it was hard for her to wrap her mind around pages and tomes of information. Especially when so many other thoughts were whizzing through her head.

Of the two of them, Persephone had always been the more focused in things such as academia so she couldn't altogether understand how her sister struggled so. Yet, she trusted the young girl that her efforts were pure and true... Which meant that the issue was in the teaching.

Which meant that Emilia required an additional or replacement tutor for her studies program.

As such, Persephone had gotten in touch with the head of the University seeking more able scholars then he had already provided the royal house. She tried to make it clear with him that the academic achievement of the scholars he offered was not in question. But that pure knowledge was not the key to teaching. Communication was. And if he could not provide her with a man - or even woman - who was able to communicate the information they held such information passion for, they would fail in their responsibilities of engaging Emilia's attention, and the results of her studies would not improve.

After several weeks of searching, it was in a weekly court session that Persephone was given the idea to seek a meeting with Linos of Nikolaos. A member of one of Xanthos' most loyal Houses, Persephone had been open to such a concept but nervous as to his youth. Would a man of his age have learnt enough to be considered an appropriate tutor? Would he have the patience for a young lady of Emilia's temperament. As a princess and courtier her sister was a joy to spend time with. As a student she could be an agonising terror.

Sketching out and then finalising a letter to the youngest Nikolaos boy, Persephone had sent an inquiry as to whether he might be interested in interviewing for the role of her sister's tutor. She had received a reply to state his enthusiasm for just such a thing and so her next letter had included today's date and time for an appointment he should attend in order to be vetted for the role.

Checking with one of her scribes for the time, Persephone found it to be closer to the pointed agreement than she had expected and therefore instructed the scribes within her work space to leave and attend to their midday repasts.

For herself, she kept to the study, ordering servant to open the windows and ensure fresh sunlight. Blowing on a piece of parchment to dry the ink she had written upon it and then moving her current workload to one side where it was invisible to any guests, Persephone simply waited for the guard outside her private rooms to knock and declare the nobleman's arrival.

Nodding to the servant assigned to her rooms, Persephone did not raise her voice towards the door but she stood in her position behind her desk, placing her hands together before her in a state of decorum. In a chiton startlingly white against her tan skin and raven black hair, Persephone stood like a white beacon in the window, waiting for the man on the other side to prove that he would be the one to capture her sister's mind and finally direct it towards a career of learning...