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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 9, 2011 23:04:12 GMT -5
I felt nervous as I busied myself preparing the tea for this afternoon. Not that I was having a guest, no, I rather enjoyed meeting new people and having parties and that sort of thing, but rather it was this particular guest. The way she'd looked at me that day at the memorial, and more than that, what she'd said. As if she knew, somehow, what was in my mind. It made me uneasy, and yet intrigued, all at the same time. The mystery of it was fascinating, that I could not deny, and if there was one thing that got my interest, it was a mystery.
Erie wasn't going to be here for tea, which was just as well, all things considered. He was finishing up last minute instructions for moving from his family's townhome into the home I shared with Denyse. I had to stay here, she was in my care and I was taking care of her estate for her, and Erie didn't seem to care either way. I was excited to have him here, and so was Denyse, though Eros had elected to remain behind, and that weighed on Erie's mind.
I gave the kitchen last minute instructions on serving the cakes I'd bought, pretty pink confections decorated to look like flowers, and told them to use the best tea set we had, then went to the sitting room to wait for Sirena's arrival.
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 10, 2011 12:24:19 GMT -5
Since I'd returned to the City I hadn't had much chance to visit with any of my family members or friends- but then with the things they were going through that wasn't too much of a surprise. Ana was considering the death of her love and the life in her belly, Gabriel was sad about the death of the Queen and the others had never been very close to me anyway. If not for the return of my Talenon I would have been very lonely indeed, but he was back from his time with the dead shadows and I was glad of it underneath all of the other sadness I felt.
This made the invitation from Sophine for tea at her home that much sweeter and I dressed in a gown of dark sapphire velvet with white lace at the cuffs and bodice, my hair free to float around my shoulders and my tiny flechette necklace on its chain around my neck. Tal was always more of the reclusive sort and I hadn't pressed him to join me. It would be easier to convince him of things once I returned and had the plan set in stone and the voices had spoken their peace anyway. The walk from her home to mine wasn't far so I'd gone on foot, a mysterious, melodic song ringing in my head and I hummed with it as I went.
Once I arrived I cheerfully gave my name to the servant who answered the door and let myself be led to the appropriate room. Once there I saw that my hostess was waiting for me and gave her a pleasant smile as I drifted closer to lay a light kiss of greeting on her cheek. "Good day, cousin," I said in a lightly lilting tone, pushing some hair behind my shoulder. "I hope you're doing well." Shush voices, shush. We should start with pleasantries, it's polite and there's always more time. They always needed to be reminded of that lately it seemed.
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 11, 2011 13:34:24 GMT -5
I returned her kiss of greeting happily, not sure why I was so excited to see her, but feeling in my bones that something was happening here. Something that would help me find my brothers, or at least help me get out of Terre d'Ange, which was not that easy given the current climate of fear and unrest. Getting out of the City itself was going to take extensive preparation, and I had been informed that I would have to be questioned before I left. Ridiculous, of course, why on earth should I poison the Queen, but since I had nothing to hide, I had no objection.
"I am, as I hope you are?" I said, gesturing for her to sit in one of the high-backed chairs near the window. There were two, patterned in a lovely shade of sage green, and a small table between them, set with the tea things that someone must have brought in while Sirena and I were greeting each other.
I sat down in the other chair, pouring Sirena's tea and then gesturing toward the other things on the tray. "Cream and sugar?"
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 11, 2011 21:46:04 GMT -5
"Very well indeed, and glad to hear you are the same," I replied in a cheerful tone as I moved to one of the seats she indicated and sat down gracefully, smoothing my skirts around me as I did so. She'd taken a lot of care in her work as hostess, that much was certain, and I was flattered that she had gone to the effort though it was completely unnecessary. Family was always a joy to see and I'd missed mine though they often seemed less than eager to see me. It was a silly idea of course. They all adore you, for you are the treasured, precious, sweet Rena with the songs. Yes, right.
My eyes took in what she did with the tea interestedly and I smiled a bit wider as she prepared things. Graceful hands and manners for this cousin of mine, and though she wasn't one of the more lauded ones of us I felt as though she should be. Such a noble heart when so few had any at all, like my Tal. His heart was the best of them all though. "Yes, a bit of sugar and cream would be nice," I replied after a moment, my head slightly cocked as I listened to the song of this meeting and the room itself. Peaceful accord with the crying underneath, like so many of our kin's places. We seemed to breed drama. "How is the rest of your family? I have heard things that could make one sorrow."
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 13, 2011 19:19:44 GMT -5
I added some cream and sugar, not much, as she specified, and then did my own, all the while considering her question.
"My family?" I asked, surprised that the topic should come up so quickly, as if she knew... but that was impossible, so few people knew about Marc and Henri and their possible peril that it was too much to believe that it had simply gotten back to her somehow. "Mostly they are well," I answered cautiously. "And what of your family? I confess that though I have married into it, I only really know Erie and Eros." It was strange, actually, to sit across from one of their kin, with her blue-black locks and eyes that could have been my love's, and yet she was wholly herself. The pull was still there, though, that indefinable something that made my heart beat just a tiny bit faster. It was a bit uncomfortable, and yet at the same time, the discomfort only made this visit a bit more exciting than it might have been otherwise.
"It's good to meet other Shahrizai, to make friends," I added, hoping that indeed we could be friends, because I had the strangest feeling that I would need them soon.
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 13, 2011 20:59:36 GMT -5
It was an interesting answer, one filled with more questions than it had ever probably conceived of, and I had to quiet the laughter in my mind as I took the teacup with a smile. "Thank you," I told her in a polite, pleasantly musical tone as I cupped the vessel between my hands, letting the warmth of it sink into my skin in a pleasurable way. I may have burned on the inside but there was at times a chill to my flesh, as though my inner fires were so contained it took them burning like an inferno to reach my skin.
"Married or not kin is kin- that is the way of it to me," I told her after a moment, my smile widening a bit in genuine cheerfulness. "I've always done my best to know as much of our family as possible because in some ways we are all linked. Just as you are linked to the some of yours who are not well." Her earlier statement had caught my attention, as had her phrasing. You didn't say 'most' if there weren't some who weren't, that was logic, and if she didn't know many Shahrizai it likely wasn't them unless she had the call in her blood too. In any case we were all joined anyway, marriage to blood to soul. Where one of us is, all of us are. "But my closest family is well, though I haven't seen them to make extra sure of that."
"I have to admit that I don't know your Erie or Eros very well myself. They always stayed a bit apart," I said with a light laugh after I'd taken a sip of my tea. This one had the spark, the taste for the pain, and all Shahrizai had it in different amounts. She could feel the draw of it, and I could feel the lure, but that was the nature of the beast. I was the Siren, calling and calling with songs that never stopped, but I would do my best to make sure this one wasn't crushed in the waves too much. Family deserved that chance. "If you'd like to meet the others there are plenty enough here, some of whom are very nice indeed. And the not-nice ones you'll be able to tell I think. You could sense them."
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 14, 2011 23:23:07 GMT -5
"I can imagine that they have," I said with a light laugh, thinking about Erie's penchant for hiding away and being taciturn. "But that's one thing I love about this family, you all genuinely care about each other, even those you don't know well. I think that's something that a lot of families are missing." Even mine, to an extent, and maybe that was why I was so desperate to find Marc and Henri. Maybe if I found them, I could change things, and we could be as close as we were as children. I was already rebuilding my relationships with Guy and Marcel, and though it was too late for Dyan and I, maybe there was hope for Jacques as well.
"I would love to meet the others, truly," I said, thinking about Eros' idea to throw a family party just to introduce me. "But I'll be going away soon, so it will have to wait, I suppose." I threw it out there, almost casually, but I really was intrigued that she had seemed to sense that I was going to be leaving. It could have been simply her Shahrizai nature, but I didn't think so, it didn't seem to fit.
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 15, 2011 22:41:22 GMT -5
"Blood is blood, and being a stranger to it doesn't mean you have it any less," I said pleasantly, taking another sip of the tea and finding it very nice indeed. There were very few of my family that I would no longer tolerate and even some that I didn't like, but they were still blood and I knew that Kushiel would judge all of us on our loyalty to that as much as that to ourselves or our country. After all they had his blood too and to honor that blood was to honor Kushiel himself insomuch as most could. Honor the blood, yes. That's what this is about, said the most loved of my voices. Yes, I will listen to you.
Sophine's words about leaving on a trip made me cock my head slightly as I considered her words, a traveling tune rising through my mind and the voices running in counterpoint to it. So many things they had to say today! Thank Kushiel that Tal was back so I could be strong enough to listen now and then put them away later. "I would offer to introduce you to the others, Ana is generally nice though more sad these days, but I know you'll be leaving soon and have a lot to prepare to travel so far," I said as I looked down at my teacup for a moment, then back up with my eyes flashing slightly in amusement. "I've always wanted to go other places and it's better to go with company, there's more eyes to see what needs to be seen."
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 17, 2011 23:11:27 GMT -5
I liked the way she spoke, so musical and soft, and the things she said were intriguing. Was I mistaken, or was she expressing interest in coming along? I sipped my tea to give myself time to formulate a response. I liked the idea of having more people with us, just because it seemed safer somehow. Sandrine had already bowed out, worried about getting in trouble with the Dowayne of her House, even though her marque was made ... it appeared there were still some politics involved, one could not just up and disappear. As it stood, only Erie, Eros and I were going, and to be frank, Erie was not very excited about going all the way to Tiberium. Perhaps having Sirena about would make the trip more exciting? And she was right, more eyes might find the truth with a bit more ease.
"We're going to Tiberium," I said, gauging her interest. "My brothers are studying there, but I haven't heard from them in awhile, so I'm going to make sure they're all right."
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 18, 2011 9:36:06 GMT -5
There were many thoughts swimming in Sophine's head, but they were all hers, not the voices that always kept me such company. I was not one who read minds so I couldn't say exactly what she thought but the murmur of those voices were such that I had many suggestions. A trip, a hesitant trip that brings fear, said one, and Caution, care and unknown darkness, monsters and things, said another. Silly friends, make up your minds. I should be paying attention to my hostess. You're making me a bad guest.
"I've never been outside of Terre d'Ange, but I think that Tiberium must be a wise place to visit," I told her, my eyes catching hers again for a moment before I took another sip of my tea. "Especially for the sake of brothers." But there is more, said the steadiest voice, the dark, resonant one that was like Tal but unlike. The golden road, the scent of sand and blood, screams and rage paving it but not with grace. Sloppy. "And a long journey, sandy and salty and not ending there if the brothers are not in such a place. And at the end there may well be gold to find, gold forged of blood and anger with darkness underneath. May Talenon and I go with you?"
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 18, 2011 22:52:16 GMT -5
The things she said made my blood run cold in my veins, because there was the ring of truth to them that I could not deny. Gold and blood and anger, had I not seen those things in my worst nightmares? Suddenly I wondered if I shouldn't abandon this folly and my brothers with it, but I knew that I could not live with myself if I did so. When she said she wanted to come with me, and Talenon as well, I was nonplussed at first, surprised that she had come so readily out with it. But her company was not unwelcome and without thinking about asking my husband's opinion, I nodded.
"I would very much love to have your company," I said, "though we do plan to leav within a fortnight, is that enough time for you?" I did not wish to delay, though it meant missing my brother's wedding and subsequent crowning as King, but Marcel did not need me the way Marc and Henri did, so I would not worry about him overmuch, trusting Guy to keep him from going the way of our Queen.
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 19, 2011 11:00:21 GMT -5
It almost made me laugh the way she considered for a moment whether or not she'd say yes, but then how could she have known that she would before she decided to? She finally came to agree though and I simply smiled in a pleasant way, as though I'd suggested nothing more than running down to the cafe or a dress shop. With the state of the nation these days they could be nearly equal in danger anyway. By the time we were back they'd at least have a plan though and that would be easier to feel.
"Oh yes, that should be quite enough time- there's very little to do," I replied nonchalantly. I'd have to tell Talenon about this, of course, but whether he went or not I was going to go and that may well persuade him. Maybe during its time away his body had been to Tiberium and he'd remember something about it. "Perhaps there will even be a chance to leave sooner once the supplies are together and there's nothing else standing in the way and speed is always preferred in a chase."
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 19, 2011 15:01:14 GMT -5
"I would love to leave sooner, actually," I said, relieved that at last there was someone who shared my desire to leave as soon as possible. Erie was trying to convince me to wait for the wedding and coronation, but I could not possibly wait that much longer. There was so much to do, though! I had to get either Guy or Marcel to take Denyse and take care of the estate, and then get together the money for supplies. I'd taken a loan from Denis, of all people, and was borrowing some from Denyse's estate, but getting to Tiberium, and possibly beyond, wasn't going to be cheap, even if we were traveling light, as I intended.
"I wasn't planning on bringing much," I said, hoping that she wouldn't be like one of those women who had to bring trunks of gowns on even the simplest excursions. "No carriages, just horseback and what we can carry in packs. I've got enough coin saved to stay at inns, at least, and to buy food, but it will probably not necessarily be a fun trip the whole time." I felt that I should warn her, at least, that this could end up being a hard trip.
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Post by Sirena Shahrizai on Feb 20, 2011 16:51:17 GMT -5
"Oh, never fear, I generally travel light," I replied somewhat haphazardly, the voices in my head quickly suggesting this or that and most of my attention focused on quieting them. If you meet a king you need to look your best. Fine, fine- one nice gown to save away, but the other one will be plainer and the one I wear on the ship will be equally sensible. Why must all of you argue? Tal would help me with that, though he had no interest in gowns or clothing past making sure he was in something that covered him, but that would suffice. And his sword. Yes, yes, fine.
My cousin's mention that the trip may not be fun for the entire duration I nearly laughed, a light giggle of it leaving my throat before I muffled it with another sip of tea and quieted myself into a slight hum before I swallowed. "It may not be fun for nearly any of it- or perhaps the entire trip will be one journey of necessary merriment," I offered helpfully. "And I will be able to help with the money problems a bit, so we're at least not eating crickets along the path. Gold is needed to buy what is being sought anyway." I knew that I seemed delicate to many, and in some ways I was, but what my body lacked my will was strong enough to force obedience from any simple flesh, even if it rode my own bones. I could make the journey and keep up so long as they could.
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Post by Sophine Shahrizai de Amodour on Feb 21, 2011 17:40:46 GMT -5
She was an odd one, this cousin of Erie's, but I found that I liked her. She saw things that others might miss and that was a quality that I knew would be useful, not only in dealing with others, but with helping me figure out my own motives.
"Crickets sound horribly crunchy," I said, laughing slightly as I sipped my tea. I was relieved, I realized, that she was going to be coming along, she and Talenon both. With Erie and Eros that made five of us, perhaps six if I could try once more to persuade Sandrine to come. Five or six was certainly better than three, and I could hope that with such a party we would be immune to common traveling dangers such as bandits or travel accidents. Now that that was settled, I turned the conversation to more mundane topics, interested in getting to know Sirena better.
The tea was a smashing success, as I told Eros about later, while she brushed my hair and alternately drove me mad with little kisses or pinches until I was driven to my husband's bed to calm my fiery blood, at least for a night. In the morning, the true preparations would begin.
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