A few hours should be fine. Once we finish I will collect my gear and meet you.
Hezar smiles at Belina.
After about ten minutes or so, Janiries would finally sweep into the room, wearing quite the expensive outfit, a red and black strapless bodice and floor length, black taffeta skirt, swishing around as she comes into the room.
"Apologies for my tardiness, Lady Stendarr. One needed some time to look adequate, but thankfully your girl is quite the miracle worker."
Moving to sit down to the right of the Lady Stendarr, Janiries picks up a wine glass and holds it to her side, obviously expecting a servant to fill it and showing off her long black gloves in the process. The Sun Elf's jewellery, a diamond choker and silver chandelier ear-rings, topped off by the silver filigree cage holding her hair in a bun, glimmer rather prettily in the candlelight around the room.
Belgrin sits forward in his chair. "If it's guards ye need, lad, ye don't have ta ask very far. I'm no architect, but enough time in the mines taught me a thing or two about structural integrity, and me cousins likely know a thing or two further. We'll have a look after a good eatin'."
Landon enters the dining hall in the same state as his arrival to the estate. "Sorry for my lateness m'lady. My duties among the people kept me far longer than I expected."
There are murmurs around the table at Janiries' appearance. Belina gasps and stares; Marius quickly stands, knocking over his drink, and bows. My lady! he stammers.
Lady Stendarr stands as well as Janiries enters, never taking her eyes from the lovely elf. Before she sits, the Lady takes Janiries' hand and kisses her knuckles gently. Lady Janiries! I am truly enchanted by your presence! I am honoured to have such a guest - brave, and lovely beyond measure. I have reserved the seat to my right for you - I would ask that you accept this place of honour! The men of the household - and even the lady herself - wait for Janiries to sit before resuming their places. The lady smiles and nods as Janiries casually demands her wine glass filled; a young girl pads over quickly to fill her glass.
I was hoping to be briefed on the events befalling Tilver's Folly; I trust there are none whose report would ring as true as yours - or whose telling of it would enrapt me so. The lady has eyes only for Janiries - everyone else feels like they are spectators, on the outside looking in at the interaction between the two noble ladies.
Lady...i had no idea...
Hezar mutters totally shocked, the he whispers to belina
Belgrin cocks an eyebrow as he takes another sip of his drink, muttering to himself.
Throw on a dress and it's all kisses and titles, hmph...
"I would be delighted to inform you about those events, Lady Stendarr. But it might be better to do so at a later time, as the ghastly events that occurred there are perhaps not best suited for dinner? I'd hardly wish to spoil people's appetite."
Smiling rather warmly to the Lady, Janiries puts on a rather noble air and accent, sipping at her wine as she concentrates on the noble sitting next to her.
Of course, Lady Janiries, I imagine the events were dreadful. For one so noble - and so lovely - to have suffered through so much is difficult to comprehend. Was there .... by chance, did you happen upon sign of my brother? He was a lathanderite priest, set out for Tilver's Folly to see if he could stem the tides of undead we have seen.
The first course is served - a light, aromatic soup with a spicy taste. The serving maids - all young, attractive human girls - serve silently and efficiently, doing as little as possible to draw attention to themselves.
She smiles and blushes at your compliment. Thank you ... being with you makes me feel beautiful and desired. I do wish I had a gown like that, though!
I will have to get you one then!
hezar eats about 3 fourths of his, makes small talk with all, and probably flirts awkwardly w belina.
when no one is looking he puts his last bits of soup down for Apollo
"We can talk about that later, Lady Stendarr."
Trying to smile reassuringly to the Noblewoman, Janiries quickly tucks into the soup and attempts to direct the conversation towards polite small talk. Her wine glass seems to empty, and be filled, rather quickly as she exclusively to Lady Stendarr.
The second course arrives - a generous salad, with a creamy sauce and hardened bread crumbs to add texture.
The Ladys' salad goes virtually untouched, however - she is enrapted by what Janiries has to say, hanging on the elven beauties' every word and giggling when a joke is told.
The knight, Kaylan, speaks to the others at the table. We're hoping to have a caravan of supplies come in sometime soon - it was supposed to arrive this afternoon. Troubling delay, but it is a caravan guarded by Helmish troops from Zazzespur - presumably, if any can handle the undead, it would be a group of Helmites, whose God is well-known for his hatred of the evil undead.
Mikael, the guard captain, clears his throat. They can drop off their supplies and go. The last thing we need are Helmish busy-bodies poking their snouts in and preaching their creed. We are a house that honours Siamorphe - she protects us and cares for us, as long as we keep the social order and obey the word of our God-chosen leaders. He looks at Lady Stendarr while saying this; she either ignores or does not hear him, as she reaches out to touch Janiries' arm while making a point in their conversation.
"Well I don't think I've ever been referred to as having a snout before Mikhael. But you're certainly right that you don't need us Helmites poking our noses in your business, after all your men were more than able to find that agent of Shar actively working within these walls."
Hezar stops mid chew and stares.
Belgrin sips his soup, enjoying it and pacing himself, rolling his eyes at the two women chirping away over nothings, rather than bringing any interesting conversation to the table. As he crunches down on his salad, he hears the name of Shar and almost chokes on the mouthful he is currently swallowing. He stares, incredulously, at first Landon, then Mikael. He then looks down at his salad and starts chomping away, trying to get through it as quickly as is safely possible. He grumbles under his breath between chomps, "Ye have to be joking, lad. 'Bout to ruin a perfectly good meal 'fore the main course."
Janiries' ears visibly twitch at the mention of Shar, though she keeps her attention on the Lady Stendarr, hopefully distracting her too.
Mikael starts for a moment - his eyes dart over to Lady Stendarr, who seems not to have noticed, talking animatedly to Janiries. I don't know what you're talking about, he quickly stammers. you Helmites see threats in every shadow! What exactly have you been up to? Stirring up trouble amongst the rabble outside? We've quite enough to handle keeping peace amongst them, without you rooting about!
Hezar watches Mikael closely for signs of dishonesty or evasion.
Under the table he squeezes Belina's hand.
I hope this doesn't get bad
Perhaps the situation is being blown out of proportion, Katrina, the seneschal, speaks in order to end the awkward silence. I'm quite sure things are under control, though I applaud our guest for his diligence in rooting out evil.
There are murmurs of agreement, though Landon and Mikael continue to eye each other across the table.
The third course arrives; lamb with a minty sauce, and roast potatoes. The atmosphere of the feast has certainly taken a turn for the worse; with the host and Janiries fully engaged in each other, everyone else is left to fend for themselves.
Belina squeezes your hand back. It's not so bad! she reassures you. My family dinners ALWAYS went a lot worse than this one has!
She reaches out frequently to touch you; when she does, her touch lingers just slightly overlong. You are truly beautiful, she tells you. When we first met, you struck me as the very definition of royal grace and elegance. To see you in this gown, these accessories - I have never felt so overcome by another person before!
Belgrin sighs with relief at the arrival of the aromatic cuisine. Least we made it to the real stuff before someone broke up the meal.
"Nothin' like good old meat and potatoes to fill the needs of hungry folk, aye?"
He shoots a glare at Landon and Mikael. "Arguments taste better once they cool, lads; but food's best when served hot. Eat now, bicker later, would ye?"
"After we finish this lovely lamb, perhaps you could show me the rest of the estate, maybe spend some time away from this commotion"
Hezar smiles at Belgrin's words, and more so at the lamb. He dives into his with abandon, and has the servant bring a leg, with only small bits of meat left on it for Apollo to chew on.
She smiles charmingly, a flush on her cheeks, as she quickly sips her wine. You see all the signs; a flush upon her skin, the way she looks at you, then darts her eyes away; the way she sits angled towards you...the lady adores you.
@ Hezar: The little puppy yips eagerly and gnaws on his treat. After several minutes, Tethys comes padding over silently and lifts the little gray beast in his jaws, by the scruff. He proudly parades around the table with his prize, before replacing the puppy on the ground. A long period of grooming begins as Tethys cleans the little beast from nose to tail with his rough tongue. The puppy falls asleep under the panther's ministrations.
Winking back to the Lady, Janiries continues the pleasant conversation.
Like putty in my hands..
She whispers conspiratorially. Do you think I should do something about Mikael and that knight of yours ... Landon? They seem at odds.
After her question, Janiries' casts half an eye over to Mikael and Landon to observe them, before quickly focusing her attention back fully to the Lady Stendarr.
"It did seem like something of an issue, didn't it? If there are followers of the Lady of Loss in amongst the people, that speaks poorly of the morale of the people outside, and it needs to be rooted out right away. I, personally, would command Mikael to work with Landon this night to get to the bottom of this. Mikael will put duty before any personal dislike, and his scepticism will prevent Landon going overboard with any inquisition."
Hezar watches with a broad smile. He slices off a good chunk of lamb and when Tethys is done he scruffs him behind the ears and under the chin.
Thank you my friend. This is for you, but don't tell Marius.
Then he gives him the lamb.
@ Belina A cute little guy isn't he?
Lady Stendarr arises from her seat. Mikael, if there is a threat, you should investigate it with this noble servant of the Great Guardian. I would expect that you would take seriously any threat to this house, or it's people. She nods in thanks to Landon before resuming her seat.
Belina smiles at the sleeping puppy. He is adorable! When he grows, he will be a stout companion, strong and fierce when need be! But inside, he will always be your puppy. I had many cats when I was younger ... I do love them so, all animals really.
Tethys pads over to claim his prize, headbutting your legs and purring loudly. You plump beast! calls out Marius. I knew you were waddling over there for food! Hezar, you are going to make my cat so fat that he will need only to sit on his foes to overcome them! He smiles as he says this, however, and his voice reveals only friendship for you and love for his feline companion.
He is too handsome right now, I need to make sure I remain more attractive than he is, or a special someone might start spending more time with him than me! Hezar replies, teasing Belina and Marius simultaneously.
Belgrin chortles at the parading Tethys and the mental image of a bloated, squatting panther atop a crushed zombie. "Heh. Fat cat."
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@ Belgrin: Tethys trots over and gives you a big headbutt on the leg; he then stands on his hind legs, forepaws on your leg, and looks longingly at your food, and then your eyes. You can almost hear him saying: I'm sorry for doing a poo in your bedroll! Want to share your food?
Content to sit down and allow everyone else to enjoy the meal, Landon only drinks water citing the recent events outside as the cause for the loss of his appetite. He casually exchanges small talk with anyone that engages him but it is quite easy to tell that his mind is on other things.
Landon's defences are up and he carefully examining everyone's movements, demeanour and speech for signs of danger.
He will also spend the required time searching them all for evil auras.
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Belgrin rubs Tethys's head vigorously for a moment, but eyes the panther skeptically, pushing his food a little farther from the table's edge. "Ye got a treat already, cat. Maybe if ye don't sit on top the heaviest stone next time, eh?"
"You did great, my lady. Don't worry about how he looked at you, he'll learn to obey in time. As for being an advisor to you, well.. I'd be honoured if you took my advice."
- the Lady of the house is young, scared and hates her role as ruler. She is uncomfortable in her current garb, but is wearing it to impress someone - almost certainly Janiries. She is totally enrapted by Janiries, as well ... she hangs on every word the lovely elf says. You sense no evil in her.
- the seneschal alternates between boredom and being embarassed by the Lady as she moons over Janiries. She casts quick glances of hatred at Janiries - perhaps she is afraid of losing influence to this newcomer? Also, not evil.
- Mikael seems more ignorant and arrogant than evil. He seems used to sweeping things under the rug and keeping the lady out of the loop. He seems most interested in casting lecherous gazes at Janiries and the serving girls than solving crimes. Not evil, just a jerk.
- Kaylan is difficult to read - he does truly seem noble, and concerned for the Lady. Not a hint of evil in him.
- the serving girls are all young, pretty, and well-disciplined. Many were probably village girls, or even refugees, and don't want to go back to that life. No evil amongst them.
The fourth course arrives - smoked fish in a creamy sauce, with steamed vegetables on the side. Tethys' eyes grow huge and he paws at Marius and begs vociferously for a fishy treat. Marius eventually gives in and shares with the large black cat.
Kaylan stands up and bows to Lady Stendarr. My Lady, if I may be excused, I must prepare for tonight's patrol. He turns to the table. Friends, if any of you wish to join me, please meet me at the barbican gate in an hour. We likely won't be more than an hour or two. With a nod from the lady, the knight is off.
Hezar finishes his meal gently places Apollo in Belina's lap says his goodbyes,promising to see her soon then changes into his gear and makes his way to meet Kaylen
"Oh, seafood, is it? Don't get much o' that in the mines. Never understood why the clans don't bother much with cuisine. So much good stuff missed."