Home Semi-sweet home
Second of spring 517Av
Second of spring 517Av
The tropical lands had been unique, Hwyn might have even said nice if they hadn’t been hell on his cosmetics, it was funny to think that a city on a lake was less humid. But then again he’d been warned jungles were like that. None the less it was incredibly refreshing not to be damp for once. When they made it back to the estate Hwyn had joyously looked over the gaudy halls and the pompous airs of Eva’s siblings and had sighed in relief happy to be home.
Theye’d returned the day before making it home on the first, it’d been an interesting day Hwyn counted at least three of Eva’s Siblings looking particularly hung over, but justly enough the entire city was in a rough state of quiet recuperation even the maids who were generally terse as ever seemed to move in a stupor. It was decidedly a shame to have missed the festivities but the elation of returning home was sweet enough that He didn’t mind all that much. However knowing his mistress the fact that she’d missed out on one of the few times of the year when her drinking habits would pass off as “normal” Hwyn snickered at the word, might bum her out. Though there had been a time when he’d sought to perhaps curb her habits he’d accepted them as part of her nature. So this once he decided to indulge her more than usual, a, welcome home party for her of sorts.
As always he’d woken early just before the sun. Instead of moving immediately to Eva’s room to spend at least a half hour of trying to gently waking her he had other plans. Washing his face and hair in the woefully cold water provided to servants Hwyn combed his blond locks that no reached his mid back tell they shone and were free of tangles, his hair hadn’t been cut during their trip and it was beginning to reach a length to rival Eva’s. Then with an amused grin he pulled from his luggage a pair of undergarments Eva had once told him she liked donned them. Next came the maid uniform he hadn’t worn since he’d left the estate since it hadn’t been passable to wear in the jungle. Twirling once in front of the small mirror Hwyn took a moment to indulge his own vanity before heading off to get the other things he wanted. First the whine “cellar” Hwyn procured a bottle of older grape whine and took a moment to note that they were decidedly of shorter stock than they had been before. It was now certain that they had been more than liberal with their celebratory libations in the household. However, the thought of Eva’s father drinking or celebrating for that matter was beyond him.
Though Hwyn was trying to be nice, he still hated the idea of starting the Morning with wine, perhaps a chaser to breakfast but if it was in his power he was going to make that woman eat breakfast first. Thus it was off to the kitchen. Something easy on the stomach but still flavorful, Eva’s appetite had never been particularly fantastic to begin with but it had picked up during the vacation. In the early morning within the estate, even as the Nitrozean’s slept Hwyn was one of several of the staff awake. Luckily this included the resident chef who was laboring away at making bread. Now, it would be easy enough to procure a loaf by informing the cook of his intentions but some habits die-hard. However, before doing anything sneaky he did want to snag a small jar of preserves for the bread. Looking to the pantry Hwyn passed over several jars looking for the one that most appealed to him. It occurred to him that he didn’t actually know what Fruits Evarista liked, but going with his gut he chose the jar of cooked down apple preserves.
Now, for the bread. Tucking the wine and Jam under an arm hwyn looked about and cast his eyes on a broom, a slight smile curving across his lips. Leaving the pantry with the broom in his free hand he propped it against the door that was going to slowly edge closed. Now having made the embarrassing mistake of dropping a broom before he was well aware of the crack it would make when it struck the floor. The trick was now in timing. Letting the broom lean against the door he let go of it lightly for a moment seeing how quickly it was going to fall. Content that he was fast enough he adjusted the broom and door once before walking away and letting go.
One second, He was halfway across the kitchen,
Two seconds, Nearly at the loaves of fresh bread.
Three seconds, Crack! The chef’s head jerked up as he looked at the source of the noise.
Four seconds, with bread in hand Hwyn was halfway out of the question.
Five seconds, He was gone with bread in one hand and wine and jam in the other.
Lastly came presentation, and tea, getting a tray from the dining room Hwyn arranged the small breakfast like he had seen Byrony do many times before. For some reason he felt like she would have done it better, like she had some trick to make even mundane things look neat. Lastly the tea. This part actually made Hwyn frown, he realized he’d have to return to the kitchen. He needed hot water. He also felt like he was in hot water, hopefully the chef was too involved with everything to have even noticed anything was awry.
Stepping into the chefs quarters tentatively Hwyn decided to play it safe and talk to the chef as if he had a guilt free conscience.
“Ser, do you have any water on the boil?”
Thankfully the chef seemed as out of it as the rest of the house and hardly looked him over before nodding to the rather obvious pots of whistling water above a fire. Nodding in thanks as the red of embarrassment tinged his cheeks Hwyn snagged the last element of his good morning and made his way to his master’s room.
Making it to Eva’s room Hwyn was thankful for the silence of the morning as he gripped the tray on his way of the flights of stairs, which was another thing Byrony had always made look easy, the comfortable grace of balance; he would have to ask her her secrets on the matter someday.
Never the less without incident Hwyn made it to Evarista’s room slipping in quietly. Setting the tray on her desk Hwyn began to steep the tea leaves letting the aroma of tea and hot bread waft through the room. Deciding against rousing Eva for the moment Hwyn walked over the the window pulling back the curtains to gazoe over the brilliantly hued city colored by the first pink rays of the sun.
Credit to Shimoje, the bestest buddy