Finding a Distraction

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

I'd read everything I could possible read and I needed a new story- it was the only way I allowed myself to escape my life. Besides, if I stayed inside too much longer I had a feeling I'd become allergic to sunlight. Eventually I would have to leave anyway and attend to business outside the house, things I had been putting off.

After only a few minutes in the brisk winter air I felt a little more like myself and I stepped into the bookstore, where I immediately began perusing the shelves for something new, preferrably as fantastical as possible. If I was going to avoid the world I was in for a few hours, it might as well be somewhere I couldn't normally go.

[Simon de Valais(D)]

This time I snuck from my house instead of being pushed by Kaillee, after hearing the news of not only King Ambrose's death but the deaths of two other royal family members I rode from my house at a quickened speed needing some thing to distract me. Finding myself at Mont Nuit I had spied a quaint book store and as I fingered through the bindings, finding a Journal of Medicines used in Alba as researched by Lord Russo de Vanderprague, I also spied a young woman with raidiant red hair. Duchesse Lessandrie de Mereliot!. I swallowed hard, she was standing mere feet from me, my breathing raced and I ran my hand through my hair. Elua, say something to her man, buck your courage and talk to her. I took a deep breath and stepped a few steps to her smiling politely I made a deep and some what elegant bow.

"Your grace," I said and righted myself. "I am Simon...de Valais...of Eisande, it is an...honor to meet you." Alright, not the most elegant speech.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Curtseying slightly as I nodded my head respectfully I said smoothly as I rose, "Lord Valais, it's an honor to meet you." He seemed unconfortable and it appealed to the healing part of my Eisandine nature. My smile became more understanding. "It is an honor to meet you as well. How have you been faring?"

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I smiled.
"Well Duchesse...thank you." I took a deep breath and smiled sadly. "Though I suppose I could be worse considering the state of the royal family." I pursed my lips and then looked to the floor and then off to the side then back to her, Brilliant! Say something else, quick she's loosing interest.

"Are you enjoying your time here in the City?"

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

My expression momentarily flashed to one of sorrow before returning to the carefully-schooled neutral one returned. "I'm not quite sure yet- I arrived soon after my mother's death only to find more death here, it seems. I can only imagine how the Royal family is feeling at the moment, being in the center of such happenings."

My conversation skills have gotten rusty, I thought ruefully. "Have you enjoyed the City while you've been here?"

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I nodded, Elua, why not bring up more painful memories?
"Of course, my sympathies." I said making a slight bow.

"I am enjoying the city well enough, I'm afraid I miss Eisande a bit too much. I can't see to sleep unless I hear the call of the waves." I smiled and chuckled softly.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Smiling with understanding, I said, "I know exactly what you mean. How can people live this far from the ocean all of the time? I suppose they wonder how we can bear the salty air at the same time." I was working more into my habits, old teachings coming back and making me more at ease with myself.

[Simon de Valais(D)]

Smiling and nodded again.
"It seems so...strange to not have the sound of water, and the smell of the ocean." I sighed remembering my nervousness and fumbled with my book dropping it. Shaking my head I chuckled, my brows pressed slightly together.

"Forgive me." I said as I bent down picking it up and standing, my fingers drumed at the hard cover of my book. "I'm afraid I can be rather clumsy in front of beautiful women." Elua! Did I just say that!

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Flushing slightly I tried to keep my composure while my brain tittered at the compliment. "No apology necessary," I finally said, trying to hold on to whatever bits of dignity I could. "Especially among two people who miss the ocean."

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I chuckled and simply stared at her for a moment then caught myself.

"Ur...um...have you been able to find any good books here?"

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Looking down at my hands briefly with a wry grin, I then looked back up at Simon and smiled slightly. "I'm afraid this is my first time in this shop; I haven't had much occasion or motivation to look around shops since coming here. Is there anything you would recommend?"

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I turned taking a book from one of the shelves and handed it to her.
"Its a wonderfull book, Zacherie Adriel's Compendium to Yeshuite Diagonsies in Carthage and Nubia, what he calls Tropical Sicknesses." I chuckled.

"That is if you're dull and boring like me." I took the book back after a moment. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid my reading is limited to medical books and the occasional book on mythology in the known world."

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Smiling, watched the book and chuckled slightly. "I might understand more on the subject of medicine than most would expect- after all, I am still Eisandine. I will admit that I am more in the mood for something a little more fantastical, something set far away in time or location from where I am. Books are my escape even as they are my way of learning about the world."

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I chuckled.
"I know what you mean." turning I moved down a bit and found a book I enjoyed. "Its from Kriti, a story of a man and a creature half man and half bull." I handed her the book. "A Minotaur. Its all been translated to D'Angeline so you don't have to worry about trying to learn Kritian first."

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

"Actually, I happen to know Kritian," I said with a sweet smile. "We do trading with them on occasion and my mother wanted me to learn every language that I had a possibility of interacting with. But it looks like a wonderful story- my thanks for the recommendation."

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I cleared my throat, of course she would know Kritian!
"It...it is." I swollowed again. "Will you bee attending the Midwinter Masque your ladyship?"

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

A little saddened that I'd managed to make him uncomfortable again, I gently said, "Please, call me Lessandrie- even Lessa if you would consider me a friend. Midwinter is one of the few things I've been looking forward to about being in the City- will you be going?"

[Simon de Valais(D)]

Smiling I said. "Yes...Lessa, I will be going though I haven't figured out as what." I ran a hand through my hair again.
"What about you? If I may be so bold to ask, do you and your companion have a theme to wear?" I swallow, smooth, just because she's a Duchesse doesn't mean she's got a companion, have some hope!

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

I got the distinct impression that he was broadly hinting at something. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to dedicate as much time as I should have been to finding either a costume or a companion for the evening," I said, watching him for clues as to his motives. "I've only been in the City a short time and not out and about much."

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I smiled hopefully.
"If it pleases my lady, I would be honored to accompany you to the Midwinter...that is unless you find a companion more suitable." I think I just stopped breathing.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

I could feel my eyes shift to a more suprised expression and knew they probably glimmered a little more green than blue for a moment. In the space of a fraction of a breath my composure was regained and I smiled. "I can think of no one more suitable than youself- I would be honored to have you accompany me."

[Simon de Valais(D)]

Taking a deep breath I smiled.

"Excellent, may I help you find some reading?" I said politely and fair more assuredly.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

He looked much more at ease with himself and a hundred times more handsome when he smiled. "That would be lovely, thank you," I said with a grin. Maybe I was starting to find a niche in this City after all.

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I offered my arm.
"I'm not a reading proficient, I'm afraid I stick to medical books...oh I told you that already." I said catching myself and trying not to smack myself on the forehead. "But this one is nice." I said handing her a story of a young maiden stuck between marrying for love or for the stability of her nation.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Taking his arm, I accepted the book her offered and looked at it before shaking my head and smiling. "No, no storries of Terre d'Ange or difficult choices- my reading choice today is going to be purely about escaping into another world, with nothing to remind me of this place."

Turning for a moment, I picked up the story he'd shown me earlier with the Minotaur and held it in my other hand. "I think you were closer when you suggested this one to me," I said with a grin. "You shoudl trust your instincts more."

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I chuckled feeling myself almost blush.
"Then how about this one," I said reaching up to a higher book and pulling it down. "Its about a young boy that find a secret doorway to another world. Inside he meets a young girl and they become best friends." I smiled handing it to her.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

"That sounds wonderful," I said with a smile as I took the proffered book. He really was quite charming, in a shy and understated way, and the shop had a wonderful selection. I would be stopping by here more often.

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I smiled feeling nervous again, Elua!.
"Or this one," I said reaching for another one and handing it to her. "Its a Ummaiyyt, I don't suppose you speak that as well?" I smiled nervously.

[Lessandrie de Mereliot-Romanov]

Shaking my head, I said, "I'm afraid not- there's only so much room in a person's head for languages, I guess, and mine was filled with the more common ones long ago. Do you speak it?"

[Simon de Valais(D)]

I shook my head. "I wish, this book has been translated to D'Angeline but I've heard from more then a few sources that its better in it's native tongue...I guess most books are like that." I offered it to her incase she was interested.