A Bite To Eat (Open)

[Elmaryia Grey Leonard]

Time stamp: Month of Imperios

INC: It was the third brightening and so far her visit to Prime was going quite well. With documents in hand she walked down the stairs and entered the common room of the Crown. In her short time in Prime she had found that the Crown lived up to its reputation. In the bustling capitol their were various races and classes from all sorts of walks of life. While the city was beautiful and vastly populated, she could see how one may still feel alienated.

Only when she was alone did she miss Straylor. In her bed she missed his warmth and the sound of his soft snoring.This was the first time once their feelings were known to each other that they were parted.

Of course she did not discuss her feelings with Iseult, her cousin would most likely chide her for loving a man so strongly. Her cousin her poor bitter man hating cousin. Still she was happy for her company and Cirians she had grown quite fond of her fiances brother.

Finding an empty table she took a seat and spread her documents on the table. Their were many things that needed to be done, particularly the development of her gadget tournament. In the next brightening she would compose a letter to the adile of Trysvale.

" It seems that you are working like a busy bee. I bet you would like to eat something to stifle your appetite." Hearing the voice the ambassador lifted her head. The voice belonged to a pretty elven bar maid with long blonde hair and green eyes and a willow like frame. " Greetings yes I am quite hungry I would like the The Bountiful Sea and a glass of elven tea." Upon hearing the order the bar maid nodded her head and left.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Val hadn't been to the Crown since her darkening out with Nikki, before she had left the Capitol for the Zali'mau. As such, she kind of wanted to make a return visit, for purposes of nostalgia if nothing else. Besides, she was hungry, and that was enough of a reason.

Umbrosus, her huge, white canine companion, wasn't very happy with this decision. He would much rather have gone straight to the Palace -- he didn't much like the city, and there wasn't anything for him to do. But Val wasn't going to be dissuaded, and so he simply laid down by the door. If anything untoward happened, he would be right there to protect her, but otherwise, he was just going to rest his legs and wait for Val to finish her meal.

As always, the half-vysstichi girl seemed to have arrived at the worst possible time; the whole place seemed to be full. A bit piqued, she looked from one side of the establishment to the other, trying to find some place where she might be able to sit down. There were precious few options -- at a table with two legionnaires who were busy tossing back mugs of ale, next to a young couple who were probably on a date, or...at the table with the woman who was busy with her paperwork.

"Pardon me, ma'am," Val said to Elmaryia, her voice quiet and deferential. "Would you...would you mind if I sat at this table too. I won't interrupt you. I just...don't see another seat." She shrugged apologetically. Val didn't make any motion to sit down unless she was invited to do so, having made her initial overture. It was better to be polite, especially in public.

[Elmaryia Grey Leonard]

The stranger's approach was so quite that at first she was not even aware of her presence. Hearing a voice Elmaryia raised her head. She was quite beautiful and her hair was so blonde that it was almost white and her skine tone was a light grey.

In her time at Haroloth she had seen woman like her before, Orion had often kept them as slaves to serve his carnal pleasures. When Elloria and her were children they would often hear the screeches of the slaves as they were abused by Orion. Due to the vyschetti high archy he was particuarly ruthless with the half breed females.

While she bore no ill will to the female vyschetties she was careful. What if Orion had highered one to bring her back to the tunnels of Haroloth? She would die then go back, even if it was by her own hand. Letting an ernest smile curve her lips she moved the papers.

" It is no interuption at all. Please sit down. My name is Elmaryia I am here on buisness with the govenor. This is quite a beautiful and bustling city, still with all of the people one can still feel alone here. Are you a citizen here or are just passing through?"

[Nikki L'Evienne]

The woman sitting at the bar turned and looked as Valanthia walked in. Of course, she would, really, since it was her sister who had stepped in. She slid gracefully down from the seat that she was on and she smiled as she walked over. She didn't think Val had seen her, which wasn't surprising since she was round the corner a bit, basically. However, as soon as Nikki caught sight of her sister she grinned and walked over.

The woman who walked over was tall and slender with long chocolate-brown hair. Her moss green eyes were bright as she looked at the half-Vysstichi. She was wearing a long white dress, covered by a floor length black cloak. The dress was tightly belted to show off her waist and curvaceous figure.

The man who was with Nikki L'Evienne did not move, the man at the bar, but he was there, watching her in one of the mirrors. Across the bar was a lone lionoid, drinking quietly. She wouldn't come out without her bodyguards, no matter how much Milo might think otherwise.

But still, she was not thinking of them as she stepped forward into Val's sight and grinned "Well, I'm sure that last time I was here, you were here too!" she said, a beaming smile lighting her face. Nikki's hair was shorter than last time Val had seen her and she looked a little thinner, but her smile of greeting was genuine and she looked honestly delighted to see Val again. She then turned to Elmarya and nodded "Serale, nice to meet you."

She assumed that the woman was with Val and so the smile and nod was friendly indeed.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

"It's a pleasure to...to meet you, Elmaryia," Val said, sitting down as she did so. A small, rueful smile came over her face. The other woman had described perfectly how Val herself felt about Prime, a massive group of edifices without a soul. "My name's Valanthia. I suppose...I suppose I live here as much as I do anywhere else." In the Palace, given that Milo was her brother, but she didn't normally bring that up when she was first meeting people.

At this point, however, her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. Upon seeing her sister, what was for Val a very large smile broke over her face. "Nikki!" she exclaimed. "Fancy seeing you here again. You're going to make me feel...underdressed." Val was wearing the same jagged skirt/blouse combination as always, and indeed, didn't look much different than she had at their last meeting, save perhaps that her gray skin had been slightly darkened by the suns.

"Nikki, this is Elmaryia. We've only...only just met, but she's been kind enough to let me sit here. Elmaryia, this is my sister Nikki." Despite the fact that Nikki was clearly 100% human, the similarities in their facial structure obviously branded them as relatives.

"I...I don't want to intrude on you," she said, giving Elmaryia an apologetic look. "We can...can go somewhere else to sit if we're going to be an inconvenience." The other woman was, after all, on business with the Governor, and despite her eye-catching last name, Val didn't actually have a governmental position anymore. Val hardly wanted to interfere with official business if the reuniting sisters were going to prove too boisterous for their tablemate.

[Elmaryia Grey Leonard]

The young woman did not know much in the way of politics and the sisters prostegious last names. She had only been free from the tunnels of Haroloth for three months, and to a slave politics mattered little.

Also the woman did not give much stock in titles after all it was the man that made the title and not the title that made the man. " It is a pleasure to meet you Valanthia. A wanderer that is exciting. I too enjoy travelling." The half breed woman seemed shy and soft spoken, traits that were uncharacteristic of the vyschettie blood line.

It seemed that the woman had some roots in the city, when another woman joined their table. She was quite beautiful and dressed in a beautiful gown.

Silently she observed the greeting between the two woman whom were obviously quite fond of each other. " Sereal to you as well." Elmaryia said in a pleasent tone.

Sisters.

The realization caused a smile to curve her lips and her heart ache. Every brightening she had missed Elloria her twin. It was an ache that would never go away a wound in her soul that would never heal. She did have her brother, but he had left her without even a good bye. Off to make his fortune in gold weilding his sword.

" Nikki it is a pleasure to meet you. If you wish please join us." Turning her head she smiled at Valanthia. " It is not a inconvience at all. I was just reading over some papers. I would enjoy the company. Though if you two sisters wish to catch up, I will understand." The young woman did welcome the company. She loved her cousin very much but her brooding could only be taken in small doses, and she was growing tired of Dilligences longing gazes. The young ambassador of Trysvale was growing quite tired of Dilligence and his words of adoration. He would not be pleased to have his post in Prime, but she could not stay in the city indefinetly.

" Do any of you know of any wedding dress shops in Prime? The maket district is so vast. I am sure I am going to get lost." Elma said with a soft chuckle as she straightened out her papers and placed them in a pile on the table.

[Nikki L'Evienne]

Nikki looked.... different, in a way. Not in any physical way, truthfully, although her hair was shorter, but in her eyes. They seemed older, wiser, more haunted. Her eyes shone with delight, however, at seeing Val and she leant forward and hugged her sister in a most unusual public display. "Val.. it is good to see you. How are you?" she asked, taking Val's hand and squeezing it gently. She did not leave go for a fair while, either, holding on to her sister with pleasure. Of course, Nikki had not seen Val for a good long while, and such a lot had happened in that time. So it meant that she was especially pleased to see her sister and she showed it.

But they were in public so she turned her attention to this other woman, Elmariya. She smiled a gentle and honest smile to her and nodded "Thank you, it would be a pleasure. And although Val and I will catch up, I'm sure, the company would be more than welcome."

She sat and when Elmaryia asked her question, Nikki's eyebrows raised and she smiled in delight "A wedding dress shop? Ohhh, how exciting! Are you getting married? There isn't a wedding dress shop per se, but the tailors are very accomodating. Are you looking to have something made or bought off the peg? When are you getting married?"

She sipped the wine that she had bought and looked at the woman with interest. And wondered where Val's big dog was.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Val's big dog was, in fact, lying down by the front door of the Crown. He was too big to bring into most establishments of this type now, and so that was where he usually stayed.

"It's been a...a long season, Nikki, but I'm all right," she said, squeezing Nikki's hand back. So much had happened since the last time they had talked -- the Zali'Mau, her visit to Herozzal, her adventure with the Mirror in Jaedaxia -- and she hardly even knew where to begin. Val didn't miss the subtle change in Nikki's countenance, and wondered if something analogous had happened to her sister during the intervening time. She didn't know if this was the time and place to ask, so she simply gave an understanding nod.

Turning back to Elmaryia, a brief smile flickered on her face. "Married? That's...congratulations. Nikki knows the shops better than...better than I do, certainly, so I'm sure she can...point you in the right direction." Although, come to think of it, neither Nikki nor Val were likely to be shopping for wedding dresses any time soon, at least as far as the half-vysstichi knew.

The girl flagged down a passing waitress and politely requested a small meal -- a salad, a glass of water, nothing fancy or heavy. She'd have more than enough of that when she got back to the Palace, after all. She probably shouldn't show up back there on an overly-full stomach, no matter how much her body reminded her that she'd been traveling hard for the last several brightenings.

[Elmaryia Grey Leonard]

A small pang of jealousy stung her heart never would Elloria and her share happy words of greeting or embrace again. The bond between sisters was strong and all consuming at least that was how it was with Elloria. Though she was far more then just a sister, they shared the same face and trials and tribulations.

The young woman had few friends, other then Ilista and Iseult. Well Iseult was her cousin and often took the personality of a mothering hen. Letting a small smile curve her lips she watched the exchange between the sisters.

" Yes I am getting married this comming winter, that is if Straylor does not get cold feet, and if he does he better ware thicker socks. My wedding will be the first that I shall ever attend. So I am not familure with the formailties of such an occasion. Though it does not matter weither it is off the peg or tailor maid." It seemed that Nikki was more girlish out of the two sisters. While Val was beautiful and had very striking hair, she seemed more reserved.

Once the barmaid came Elmaryia ordered a glass of ale and a salad. She would be meeting the govenor in a few brightenings. While Elmaryia did not think what Liselle would think of her, El hoped that she would not make a fool out of herself.

The young ambassador was oblivious to the matter of politics she did not even know who the regent was. Not that she cared about matters pretaining to politics.

" Thank you Val for the congratulations. I am sure that it will be a lovely occasion. Their is much to do in the matter of planning. That season is going to be quiet busy. The same season I shall be hosting a gadgeetering tournament. I am currently the ambassador of Trysvale. I am trying to show the public that their is far more to do then watch the corn grow." Elmaryia said with a chuckle.

So have you two lived in Prime long? This is my first visit to the capitol. It is a rather large city and full of culture, far bigger then Trysvale."

[Nikki L'Evienne]

ooc: thanks for waiting for me! So sorry for the delay..

A wedding? Oh that sounded lovely. Nikki didn't have any wish to ever get married herself thank you very much, but it was a wonderful excuse to dress up like a princess and have every single pair of eyes on only you. Now that she thought about it like that, marriage didn't sound so bad. A twinkle of amusement lit Nikki's face as the thoughts flitted through her mind but she turned her attention to the others.

"Well, I believe that the dressmakers here are very good. I'm sure that you will find something wonderful. It sounds like you've got a lot to be doing, that's for sure. Being an ambassador sounds like a busy job, but giving people things to do is a good ideal, I'm sure."

At the question of how long she'd lived in Prime, Nikki smiled "Well, I've lived here a fair while now. I live with my brother and sister-in-law, and generally mooch of them. It's a lovely place, though, Prime, full of everything really. It has its problems, of course, and its poverty, but the Governer is doing her best and I'm confident that it's making a difference...."

Nikki lapsed into a silence, then, for a few moments until she looked over at Val. "Have you ever been to a wedding, Val? I love the idea of getting married, I just don't like the idea of all that commitment afterwards.... the day, the dress, all eyes on me sounds fun... but all that 'till death parts us' sounds like something I wouldn't be able to maintain..."

Her smile was cheeky when she asked her sister that, and once Val had replied, Nikki turned to Elmaryia and smiled "So tell us about your husband-to-be... he's a lucky man" she said, interestedly.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Valanthia couldn't help but break out into a smile as Nikki described her life here in such vague terms. "Nikki's being...a bit modest," Val said. "Her brother is the...the Regent, and the place she's been staying is the...the Imperial Palace." She raised her eyebrows laconically. "If you're going to mooch off of someone...it's not a bad choice, really."

After the ambassador from Trysvale replied to this knowledge however she would, Val considered Nikki's question. She looked down at the table, counting the grains in the knotted wood, pondering how to respond. It was something of a sensitive subject for the girl. After all, she'd been in the middle of an engagement of sorts once. And then there was noise, and then there was flame, and then there was lifetime after lifetime of the aftermath, with her once-beloved close enough to touch, but forever separated from her.

"No." It had taken her too long to answer, and she hadn't kept the spirit of Nikki's teasing, but there was nothing to do about it now. "I don't suppose that I...that I ever have." Marriage didn't exactly mean the same thing in Herozzal that it did topside, and all of her few friends here were either already happily married (like Milo), or unlikely to be so (like Nikki, come to think of it).

Trying to lift the mood of gloom that she'd thrown over the table, Val turned back to Elmaryia. "Yes...tell us about your husband. Is he from Trysvale too? And how...how long have you known him?"

[Elmaryia Grey Leonard]

While the thought of eternity being bound to someone may have frightened some it welled Elmaryia's heart with joy. Apprehensive she may be but not fearful.

" Well perhaps I shall take a look. It is helpful to have assistants with my position. Though I never did fancy being the authorative type and telling someone what to do without good reason. Though I do enjoy the position and I am to be meeting the govenor soon."

Listening to Nikki speak about her time in Prime, Elmaryia paused and took another sip of her ale. A soft chuckle escaped her lips upon hearing Nikki speak of her husband and his wife. Even if the young woman had everything handed to her, El bore no judgement. As family took care of family and while Straylor had enough coin to support them both and provide her with a lavish life style, Elma wanted something of her own. A life without a your own dreams and aspirations was a dull life. No Elmaryia could never be a kept woman.

" Well that is how a family should be taking care of each other. Though I am sure that you have your own dreams and aspirations Nikki." Elmaryia knew little about the govenor and the impending meeting in a brightening's time put her at a slight unease. Not for the reason that Elmaryia doubted her own skills, but rather that it was intimidating to meet a public offical and Elma did not want to come across as a country bumpkin.

Upon hearing that before her were the sisters of the Regent, Elmaryia's blue eyes widened with surprise which was followed by a chuckle at her own folly. She must have come across as a dim witted ninny, but then again when you spend era's in the dark you are not overly concerned about politics. Turning her head to Valanthia Elmaryia smiled.

" I had no idea that you were the sisters of the regent. Then again I never did pay much attention to poltics. Oh this is quite humerious. Well it is better to know that I enjoy your company and not as a result of blood lineage. That must be annoying to not know whom your friends are and who wish's an audience with you as a result of who your brother is. I always believed that it is the man that makes the title rather then the title that makes the man. Though I am sure that the regent is a fine man if he is simular to you both."

The topic of Straylor was one that Elmaryia would speak of eagerly. " Oh Straylor is a wonderful man, and when I met him in Archadoon he was aspiring to be the chief constable. Upon our meeting then he asked if I wished to be his assistant. I accepted the invitation and we ended up falling in love." Of course their were more exciting elements to her story, such as her kidnapping and how he was with her when El was reunited with her mother. Though she did not know the women very well and few knew of her former era's as a slave in Haroloth.

" He is also quite impulsive one brightening he had purchased one hundred goats," Elmaryia said with a chuckle.

Their engadgment was indeed a short one, and Iseult had voiced her displeasure of the quickness of it. " We had known each other for a few a few months before our engadgment. He is quite the romantic. When he made his feelings known he had sent many fire flies into my room and then had them align to form the words, Please be mine. Also when he proposed he transformed me into a bird with a potion that he purchased in Zinnsunn. Then we flew to a beach and ones transformed he proposed. I shall tell you that looking at the Empire from high above it seems less troubled, and the freedom of flying is difficult to explain."

[Nikki L'Evienne]

"My own dreams and aspirations?"she asked with a cool shrug of her shoulders "Not really, I'm quite happy as long as I can attend all the parties and wear all the pretty dresses. Its what comes of being a spoiled brat all your life, I'm afraid. But that's allright, I'm deeply shallow" the grin on her face told that Nikki was either completely serious and genuinely was shallow, or she was mocking herself slightly. Val, certainly, had seen the expression on Nikki's face before, usually when talking to Milo about how she should have an "appropriate suitor" (his words) and how that would be "absolutely delightful as long as he doesn't mind me flirting with every man I meet and buys me all the dresses!" (her words).

At Val's telling of their brothers job title, Nikki grinned a little wider and sat back, sipping her drink "Well, to be honest, Elmaryia, I haven't really made friends since I came out as publically being the Regent's sister for just that reason. You never know who wants what from you. And yes, he is a very fine man indeed." Nikki swelled slightly with pride at their brother and then sat back and listened to Elmaryia's tale of her engagement, thinking as she did that she had asked Val the wrong question, her sister seemed to lapse into a melancholy at the answer. Nikki considered that she really had so much about her sister that she didn't know and that gave her pause to think about maybe how much they didn't know about each other. She resolved to remedy that as soon as she could and then turned her attention back to Elmaryia.

"Well, it sounds like you're happy, certainly. And since he is a romantic that must be delightful.... although having feathers and having to flap my arms to move isn't my idea of fun. I'm more the kind of girl who'd rather take the carriage there, really. Much less strenuous...."

She sipped her drink and thought about how marvelous it must be to have someone who went to so much trouble for you. A tang of jealousy had shot through her at Elmaryia's words and Nikki found that quite strange. Obviously, she was not quite over Eren, she decided and she put the silly feelings out of her head. She had no wish to be married, thank you very much. Far too much like trouble.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Nikki's sardonic comments would be enough to make anyone wonder what was going on inside the girl's head. Val didn't know everything about her sister, or even most things, but she certainly knew enough to know that Nikki wasn't anything like as superficial as she made herself sound. She glanced at Nikki and raised one eyebrow -- a brief gesture, but one that Nikki would probably be able to pick up.

Val had, perhaps, had some success in finding a few people who might be considered friends -- Kella, for instance -- but she was also acutely aware of her need to be on her guard. In a way, she almost felt more relaxed when she was traveling under her assumed name. Not only was she fairly certain that no one would kill her just because they recognized her name, but she also knew that anyone who was kind to her at least wasn't doing it just to ingratiate themselves with the Regent's sister, whatever their other motives might be.

"It sounds like you...like you are happy," Val said when Elmaryia described her husband. Certainly, the other woman seemed as if she was quite pleased with the match. If it was a bit hard for Val to imagine falling in love with one's employer, it was easy for her to think that someone interested enough to pull off the whole transforming into a bird thing would be difficult for most women to resist.

Val's salad had arrived by this point, and she stabbed at a piece of lettuce with her fork. She'd gotten lost enough in her own thoughts that she'd almost forgotten that she was interested in eating. Her water was here too, and she raised the glass to her lips, allowing the cool liquid to run down her throat.