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54th of Fall, 518
Madeira smiled as she reached out her hand to shake. It was a demure thing, a curl of the lip and a flash of white teeth. An unguarded, open kind of expression. Just the right amount of eagerness and poise, a tip of her head to show deference. She had practiced this smile.
"It's an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, Ald'gare Dusk.”
The patriarch of the Dusk family rose from his seat in the inner sanctum of their tower and waved the man escorting Madeira away with a word of thanks. This was the moment where she would truly know if this journey and effort was truly worth it. This was the first impression that would decide the tone of her entire life here. And she had prepared. She wore a new dress, a black velvet patterned with the stars the Lavitians were so fond of. Her gloves were pressed, her hair braided back and shining in the morning light, her omnipresent rings clean and sparkling.
Yet as she stood there, trying to size him up as surely he was sizing her, all she could think was how much less there was of him than she had expected. Not in terms of body or size, as he was an older gentleman but, tall and steady despite his years. But from all she had heard, from how he was one of the wealthiest men in the city, to how he ran a respected educational facility, and his abilities as a leader and a politician, she had expected the man’s presence to take up more space. She was expecting Madara Craven’s frigid indifference, or Godric’s low burning ego. But when Ald'gare stood to shake her hand, the friendly grip of his two hands over hers was only welcoming.
Though even as his hands welcomed her, his answering smile was a disappointed little twist.
"Madeira Craven, we are so glad to see you've arrived safely. Welcome to Lhavit. And while I appreciate your adherence to the social niceties, I find starting these sorts of relationships with dishonesty tends to set a precedent… I hope you understand."
Madeira’s paper thin propriety crumpled to be called out on something so fundamental to the social game. Nobody expected honestly in an introduction, or to answer ‘how have you been’ with anything other than ‘good’. But what shook her more was that he was right. She was anything but pleased to be in his city, with his family and his loved ones, when she had been exiled from hers. As she fought to straighten her wits she was sure she heard a chuckle. She glanced down and saw only a beautiful glass vial on a chain around his neck flash from between the collar of his robes.
"Of course, if it is something more personal about myself that has earned your displeasure..." he continued, with a delicate wave.
"No, no, of course not, sir." Madeira snapped out of her uncertainty and struggled to keep a smile on her face, even as she dropped his hand like it had bitten her. "I must apologize. It has been a long journey and I did not leave under the best of circumstances. But I truly am grateful for the opportunity to learn here.”
Since when could brown eyes be so searching? She fought the urge to fidget like a little girl as the man looked her in the eye. There was a strange feeling that he was seeing more than just the colour blue in there. Eventually the Dusk patriarch nodded with warm understanding and motioned for her to follow him further into his family's private sanctum. They passed several doors down a long hall that bordered on a beautiful garden in a riot of full summer colour, and a handsomely carved door to their right opened into what looked to be a private study. High walls were covered with neat shelves where expensive books, writing tools and curiosities were kept on practical display. A large desk and chairs stood in the back, but he lead her to a more intimate cluster of deep, comfortable chairs arranged around a low smouldering fireplace.
"I understand, this must have been a trying few months. We ourselves are grateful for the opportunity to learn from you and your family in kind. And we can only hope you and your companions find our city as extraordinary as we do."
How did he know she wasn't travelling alone? She supposed her family might have mentioned Allister, but she was certain he was too far beneath their notice for them to specifically mention him. Unless they wanted to warn the Dusk's of their ward's 'unconventional' partner? Then another thought hit her. He did not say 'companion', he said 'companions'. If Allister was under the Craven's collective consciousness, Madeira's servants did not even register. She shook this mystery away for now and let him take her hand as she lowered herself into a plump chair.
"I'm sure we will be quite comfortable here”, she smiled with as much sincerity as she could summon from her tired heart.
"Oh, speaking of comfort," the man chuckled. "I have neglected to offer my guest refreshment! One moment, I'll send for some tea. We do have the best tea in all of Mizahar, you'll find."
"It's an absolute pleasure to finally meet you, Ald'gare Dusk.”
The patriarch of the Dusk family rose from his seat in the inner sanctum of their tower and waved the man escorting Madeira away with a word of thanks. This was the moment where she would truly know if this journey and effort was truly worth it. This was the first impression that would decide the tone of her entire life here. And she had prepared. She wore a new dress, a black velvet patterned with the stars the Lavitians were so fond of. Her gloves were pressed, her hair braided back and shining in the morning light, her omnipresent rings clean and sparkling.
Yet as she stood there, trying to size him up as surely he was sizing her, all she could think was how much less there was of him than she had expected. Not in terms of body or size, as he was an older gentleman but, tall and steady despite his years. But from all she had heard, from how he was one of the wealthiest men in the city, to how he ran a respected educational facility, and his abilities as a leader and a politician, she had expected the man’s presence to take up more space. She was expecting Madara Craven’s frigid indifference, or Godric’s low burning ego. But when Ald'gare stood to shake her hand, the friendly grip of his two hands over hers was only welcoming.
Though even as his hands welcomed her, his answering smile was a disappointed little twist.
"Madeira Craven, we are so glad to see you've arrived safely. Welcome to Lhavit. And while I appreciate your adherence to the social niceties, I find starting these sorts of relationships with dishonesty tends to set a precedent… I hope you understand."
Madeira’s paper thin propriety crumpled to be called out on something so fundamental to the social game. Nobody expected honestly in an introduction, or to answer ‘how have you been’ with anything other than ‘good’. But what shook her more was that he was right. She was anything but pleased to be in his city, with his family and his loved ones, when she had been exiled from hers. As she fought to straighten her wits she was sure she heard a chuckle. She glanced down and saw only a beautiful glass vial on a chain around his neck flash from between the collar of his robes.
"Of course, if it is something more personal about myself that has earned your displeasure..." he continued, with a delicate wave.
"No, no, of course not, sir." Madeira snapped out of her uncertainty and struggled to keep a smile on her face, even as she dropped his hand like it had bitten her. "I must apologize. It has been a long journey and I did not leave under the best of circumstances. But I truly am grateful for the opportunity to learn here.”
Since when could brown eyes be so searching? She fought the urge to fidget like a little girl as the man looked her in the eye. There was a strange feeling that he was seeing more than just the colour blue in there. Eventually the Dusk patriarch nodded with warm understanding and motioned for her to follow him further into his family's private sanctum. They passed several doors down a long hall that bordered on a beautiful garden in a riot of full summer colour, and a handsomely carved door to their right opened into what looked to be a private study. High walls were covered with neat shelves where expensive books, writing tools and curiosities were kept on practical display. A large desk and chairs stood in the back, but he lead her to a more intimate cluster of deep, comfortable chairs arranged around a low smouldering fireplace.
"I understand, this must have been a trying few months. We ourselves are grateful for the opportunity to learn from you and your family in kind. And we can only hope you and your companions find our city as extraordinary as we do."
How did he know she wasn't travelling alone? She supposed her family might have mentioned Allister, but she was certain he was too far beneath their notice for them to specifically mention him. Unless they wanted to warn the Dusk's of their ward's 'unconventional' partner? Then another thought hit her. He did not say 'companion', he said 'companions'. If Allister was under the Craven's collective consciousness, Madeira's servants did not even register. She shook this mystery away for now and let him take her hand as she lowered herself into a plump chair.
"I'm sure we will be quite comfortable here”, she smiled with as much sincerity as she could summon from her tired heart.
"Oh, speaking of comfort," the man chuckled. "I have neglected to offer my guest refreshment! One moment, I'll send for some tea. We do have the best tea in all of Mizahar, you'll find."
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