A Picnic

[Mirielle Bellamont]

I listened to him without interruption, noting how well he summerized his life.

"Well," I said as I sat back, my legs tucked up against me under the flow of my skirts, "I left at the age of eight to stay with the Trevalions. A few years later, both my parents died... supposedly of food poisoning." My face fell a little at the memory; as long ago as it was, it still bothered me. "I stayed with the Trevalions til I was eighteen and took my fathers title because of it, and then left for my estates, where I stayed until I came to the City."

I smiled, taking another bite of bread.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I looked down at my glass as she spoke of her parents.
"I heard about your parents, I'm sorry." I said swirling my glass slightly. "I meant to write, I was going to but..." I trailed off.
"I am sorry." I scrunched my face and looked back down to my drink bringing it to my lips and sipping. In truth I had sat down a thousand times to write to her, but couldn't manage to even put pen to paper.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"Don't be," I said quietly, watching him as much as I did my own glass. "I wasn't upset with not hearing from you. It was a horrible thing, yes, but.. well, life goes on, right?"

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I watched her when she spoke and felt as though my heart would break as the words flowed from her.
"Saddly so." I whispered taking another sip of wine. "August was there for you of course."

[Mirielle Bellamont]

The look on his face surprised me a little with how heartfelt it seemed. I offered him a smile to try and lighten the mood again, though admittedly it was only half genuine. "Oh, of course he was. Not exactly in the same way as he is now, but I had he, and Sabriel and their parents. I'm indebted to them more than I can say."

I looked down at my glass again, watching the sun sparkle off of it before looking back at him once again. "Enough of that, though - how is your Aunt doing? The last I saw, she was sprite and energetic, but it's been years too."

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I could have been there...

"She's well, I'm still not sure why she decided to pass the title to me. But she claims that she wants to live out her years away from the tedium of estate life." I teased breaking a piece of cheese and then took a bite.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

I nodded, eating the rest of the bread I'd thieved. "That's understandable. Do you think she's happy, wherever it is that she's hiding?"

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I chuckled.
"She's still in Azzalle," I said smiling. "She's happy, she had me where she wants me." I chuckled again at my own jest.
"Next time I write I'll let her know you send your greetings."

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"I hope you do, thank you," I said, flashing him a warm smile. The wind had carried a broken piece of last years foilage into his hair at some point; I hadn't noticed it til now. Reaching over, I gingerly drew it from his hair and dropped it off the side of the blanket, though I didn't really pay attention to what I was doing. "It sounds like you've faired very well these past few years," I said as I moved. "Who is the girl you courted, if you don't mind me asking?"

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I smiled softly as her hand came up and removed something from my hair. My gaze moved over her face, watching her once more.

"Her name was Searaliné de Miloché." I said smiling as I bit into my cheese again.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"Ah," I responded, smiling back at him before taking a small hunk of cheese to eat, as well as a bit of meat. "Her name is pretty at the very least. I'm sorry things didn't work out between you two."

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I chuckled.
"Yes, her name suited her." I brought my glass to my lips taking a lengthy sip.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

I smiled a little and took a drink of my own wine, then a bite of the meat I'd taken. "Oh, this is wonderful," I said after I'd swallowed. "Is it venison?"

[Damien Hughes (D)]

"Very good." I said smiling. "You are quite astute." I took a piece of meat as well and bit into it, chewing as I looking to Mirielle.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"Why thank you." I smiled a little broader, looking down at the meat as I chewed before back up at him again.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

"Did I tell you how wonderful you look," I said smiling. "You've changed so much since I saw you last. From a girl to a woman."

[Mirielle Bellamont]

My smile widened at the unexpected compliment. "Thank you, Damien," I said. "The same goes for you, from the boy to man. The years have been kind to you, it seems."

[Damien Hughes (D)]

"Ugh," I said waving my hand and smiling. "I'm as ugly as ever." I teased before rolling onto my back once more.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"Oh posh," I chided lightly before eating a piece of cheese. "You're simply not gangly anymore." I teased him back with an unrestrained jovial grin, my amusement hard to miss.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

"I was gangly?" I questioned with mock objection. "I am offended madame."

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"Ah, I am sorry, my lord," I said with a little too much sadness. "But I dislike lying. Shall we say you were gifted in both arm and leg?"

I grinned at him, feeling the corners of my eyes crinkle with the jest.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I chuckled heartily at her jest and took a sip of wine and a bit of bread.
"I can live with that."

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"I'm glad to hear it," I said back, flashing him a genuine smile. Abandoning the real food, for now at least, I reached into my basket and pulled out an apple fritter.

"I love these," I said idly, holding it up for him to see. "My cook here is amazing - even the cooks of the Trevalion household couldn't rival what she does with fritters. At least in my opinion," I added, smiling.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I leaned in examining it before reaching out and snatching it the way she had snatched my bread away earlier.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

He caught me by surprise and I laughed, letting him keep it without contesting. "Don't you know it's not polite to take things from a Lady?" I grinned at him, completely making up the rule on the spot as I dug out another.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

"You're no lady." I teased taking a bit of the fritter.

[Mirielle Bellamont]

My jaw dropped, and I picked up a piece of the bread and threw it at his head, grinning all the while. "I lied, you know," I said, "You still are gangly."

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I laughed.
"Yes, but I'm an attractive gangly." I said taking another bite. "You can't deny it."

[Mirielle Bellamont]

"That doesn't mean I have to confirm it either," I shot back, grinning at him before taking a bite of my own.

[Damien Hughes (D)]

I chuckled again.
"No, but it would help my ego. I do so have a problem attracting good females. An ego may help."