When they were little girls, dancing in front of the looking glass had been a great amusement to them. They had found ways to enhance their busts by stuffing pieces of cloth or ribbons and what not to create the artificial appearance of adulthood. They had pranced about, swinging their hips, flipping their hair and had even on one occasion borrowed some of their aunt Eirinni’s beauty products to paint their faces. They had looked more like an opening comedy act for a traveling troupe then the courtly beauties they imagined. But so were the games that little girl’s played.

Evangelina felt she was above the mirror dancing for the most part. She’d have positively died if anyone knew that she occasionally still walked in front of it, practicing the now more subtle swing of… well her almost round hips. Or occasional pucker her lips and bat her eyes pretending to give a come-hither sort of look. That was usually where she drew the line though, batting her eyes like that just seemed to make her look like she had something caught in them or worse… like perhaps she was a bit of a simpleton in the head. Yep, that was when Evie drew the line. What did it matter what she looked like anyway? No one was ever going to notice her when there were women who looked like Selene and Theo and even Pia present, and they were always present.

Nana was an entirely different creature. Where Evie looked in the mirror, she saw a too thin of frame, too sharp of a face, a nose that had been broken one and had not healed quite as perfectly as it should have been. Granted she had nice eyes, nice large, beautiful, dark eyes that lit up with mischief and a particular contrariness that went hand in hand with her mischief. She had a nice mouth too, perhaps a bit too wide to be like a rosebud but when she smiled or laughed it seemed to be infectious, contagious even in the way those around her smiled too.

Imma having lost interest in Nana’s need to prance about the mirror had been the first to abandon the threesome. Evie envied that the girl could withdraw to her quarters and lose her self in some happy world she was painting onto the canvas. She wondered what it was like to see the world in the eyes of an artist. To see the details in the day to day or the way shadows shifted darkening or illuminating the world depending on where you were. She wondered about the various shades of colors artist saw. It seemed Tino only saw things in red and blue and green… and so on. She at least saw things in a dark wine red or a light soft snowy ice blue… or how about a delicious, juicy apple green. But having watched Imma blend her paints creating other colors, Evie still believed that artists saw more colors then even she did. It would forever be an unsolved mystery for the pint-sized Leventi.

Evangelina parted ways about the same time she saw Nana going for those yellow sandals. Was it possible for your intelligence to drop the longer you exposed yourself to nonsense? Evie scurried out of Nana’s room, leaving her to finish playing dress up and dance on her own.

Retreating to her own quarters long enough to grasp her ‘fake journal letters’ and some ink and a quill before she ambled back to the main living areas of the house and settled into a quiet spot at a desk and began to spin some sort of story in order to hide it, knowing her little brother would be anxious to snoop once he visited her here again. She did keep a real journal, one that held her up most secrets, but this one was purely fictitious. It contained all sorts of sordid things, things her imagination could go wild with. Things that would definitely make her brother’s hair stand up.

Oh yes… That was exactly what she wanted. Her lips lifted in a most nefarious sort of way as she imagined up what she was going to write, and then scribbled it on paper.

Sometime later, she heard Nana moving about, going into her father’s room. For a little bit of nothing she’d have gone and drug Nana away from her father. He needed his rest. Her aunt Evelli had mentioned that a healer was coming. She didn’t want to admit it but concern seemed to wrack through her at that thought. He was not so much older than her own father and if such a strong man could become so sickly and frail so quickly… would her father become sick too?

Her lost moment of thought was interrupted as one of the household slave’s called loudly, “Lady Nana, Lady Evie, your guest has arrived!"

Nana passed the room at a speed Evie was sure was one of her cousin’s fastest. Yet surprisingly, not a single strand of blonde hair moved. What was she using on her hair this time?

Rising from the small cubby hole, she’d been inhabiting she stretched, for someone no taller than she was, she possessed legs that were almost as long as those of someone three or four inches taller. Most of her life she’d considered herself colty looking, all long-limbed and rail thin but in the last couple of years she’d filled out a bit more and taking on more look of a finely sculpted vase with soft and delicate curves.

Her silk chiton was a vibrant, rich grape purple today and accented by a shimmery gold silk string girdle. Evie’s darker hair was tied into a low, twisted ponytail at the nape of her neck, and draped over her shoulders in soft waves you’d expect after a day of playing at the beach. She wasn’t particularly beautiful but she did create a striking image of a young woman.

Moving quietly, her dark eyes flickered from the young man who’d been shown into Nana and then back again. She should have been awarded some sort of metal for not rolling her eyes at her cousin’s indecent question.

“Yes, yes it does. Nana. I swear for a moment when I saw you I thought you were Agnes.” Evie answered in the stead of the young healer and knowing that being compared to Evangelina’s rather portly tutoress back in Acharist. Placing her hands on her hips, she did her best to stare down at her slightly taller cousin before tilting her head and settling her dark gaze on the healer.

“You must forgive, my darling cousin, everyone else does…” She murmured, her gaze never flickering away from his own. “I’m Evangelina of Leventi, Lord Konstanos' daughter." She clarified. It was a bit like being a soldier and having to offer one's name and rank when you were one of the many, many Leventi girls. People often got them confused, especially the lesser known ones. "I suppose you’d like to see, his Lordship? Is there anything we can do to assist you?” Her gaze softened just a tiny bit when she asked if there was any way they could assist. This particular pair of Leventi girls would no doubt do their best at helping but… one of them would be entirely too concerned about their clothing and the other one… well… let’s just say when she’d come to stay with her aunt and uncle, her aunt had made it a point of moving all of the expensive knickknacks, vases, and other decorations either away somewhere safe, or had made sure they were securely fastened to prevent any accidents that could occur.

Agnes who? Whomever Agnes was, she must have been large in size! Nana gasped at her cousin's answer, miffed that the response she had been avoiding the entirety of the day was heard right in front of her father's healer! "Hmph," Her pursed lips pushed out the disapproving sound before returning her gaze to Alexandros.

Perhaps her gaze went far longer than it should, as her cousin greeted him, she took as many a time as any to 'Look'; He was tall as all men were, and his eyes... If Imma were around, she would admire his eyes for it were as multi-layered as each of her art pieces and many colors swimming about. Despite harboring little to no wits, the blonde Leventi made up for it by her attention to the smallest of details, it was an underlying strength to her shallow character. He was... pretty for a man, soft plush lips tickled pink and as he stepped into the mansion's doorway... fingers without the slightest hint of gruesome labor. "Oh," She thought aloud, taken aback in admirable by his hands and features alone. Where did healers like Alexandros come from? Perhaps somewhere far from the capital, of course she was ill-aware since the appearance of those lower than her did not matter, with the exception of their dress of course.

Shaking her head ever so slightly, she scoffed. "We can request that the slaves will aid you in the check-up," Nana said, making her way to the front of the man to... examine him a bit more. "Certainly, there won't be much to check; it's just a slight chill, hopefully you can expel it just in time." Lord Georgios was fine , there was nothin to worry about, her father was a sturdy man! There was nothing to fret about!

Taking her time towards the staircase, she looked over her shoulder to check if both Evie and the comely healer lagged behind. A hostess would start off with an inquiry about which refreshments a guest wanted, but the all too curious Leventi blurted out a question not so out of the ordinary. "So, Alexandros, where do you hail from?" Her intention was to wonder if there were other healers like him... not at all for his skills, his skill mattered should matter less with a face like his.

Alek was pretty oblivious to the Lady Nana's oogling—he was momentarily distracted by the interior at the entrance, it wasn't anything particularly special but definitely more extravagant than anything in his own home. Turning his attention back to the ladies of the house, he nodded at her reply as she grew nearer. If Nana wasn't so delicate-looking he might've taken a step back. He gave an awkward smile and glanced elsewhere a moment, unsure of how to handle the attention.

"A chill you say? If that's all that ails him, worry not..how long has he been bed-ridden?" He had a sneaking suspicion, a gut-feeling really, that it was something else, but he wouldn't know till he saw him with his own eyes.

Following the females over to the staircase, Alexandros blinked before opening his mouth to answer the question suddenly sprung upon him, "A..Acaris, my lady." His gaze strayed to Lady Evangelina as she spoke soon after him. The healer gave another slight bow in her direction and then proceeded to head up stairs after Lady Nana.

“A week… maybe a little more,” Evangelina spook up after it became apparent that Nana was momentarily preoccupied with something. Hopefully, it was on her father rather than her own appearance. She cleared her throat softly to offer aid to this healer. The linens still in her hand she moved into the room where her uncle slept to lay them in a chair on the opposite side of the room.

There was an acrid smell that followed the sick, lingering like an unlucky coin in one’s pocket. She’d have liked nothing more than sweep the curtains backward and open the wooden shutters to let some fresh air in. The room needed airing out, but not at the risk of her uncle’s health.

“I believe he fell ill about the same time as the coronation,” She said, her dark eyes looking to Nana for confirmation. Blinking she looked back at Master Alexandros she tried to smile but it didn’t quite make it all to her eyes. “I’m afraid. I didn’t arrive until the coronation. It’s taken us all quite by surprise.”

The door softly creaked open drawing her gaze away from the young healer to the door to see Imma who’d changed and made herself presentable. Offering an encouraging smile, before she looked to Georgios who appeared to be sleeping. His usually warm face seeming lackluster and pale. The faint sheen of sweat along the underside of his neck and around his hairline.

How short life was? She swallowed, Imma’s voice drawing her attention back as the youngest of his daughters sat beside him.

“Imma, Let’s let Master Alexandros look at him before he tries to speculate.” Evie looked to Nana, wanting to snap her fingers at her cousin. “Nana.” She tried to break the silence. “Nana, why don’t you make sure those linens I brought in are the right ones.”

Looking back at the almost too young healer, she met his gaze, “Is there… Is there anything I can do?” For a moment, her confidence wavered and she bit her bottom lip. “I’d like to be helpful if I could…”