|
Post by Alain de la Fontaine on Mar 2, 2011 21:40:58 GMT -5
My wife had been gone for only a year now and it felt like such wounds were beginning to heal. One day, I knew I would see her again and she knew my roots, she was not the kind of person who would have wanted to see me mourning for too long. For Orchis was a House, rooted in laughter and happiness and though that did not mean I never got sad, I had always been an optimistic person at heart. We had almost made it to twenty five years of a happy marriage, though it was not without its bumps and cracks, as any other, we had pushed through them. There was an ache in my chest, an emptiness, of where she used to be but I knew I had to press on. There were my kids to think about and myself, if I got that far. I left our home to head to the City of Elua, the city I had grown up in, a city I had not seen in so long and in more than twenty years of my absence, it seemed like so much had changed.
Instinctively, as if called, I found my legs moving towards the Night Court of Blooming Flowers and a gentle smile appeared on my lips. I had been born but a lower aristocrat, raised an adept and after finishing my marque, married my beautiful wife and was currently living as a baron. Who would have guessed? It seemed too much favor had shined upon me, I was lucky, but also grateful and was also here to pay my homage to Naamah and Elua and to pray for my wife. It was time to move forward, but also time to take a second to look back. I deserved to pay homage to my house as well, for without it, I supposed I would never have met my wife, I would never be where I was now.
I entered Orchis House for the first time in almost three decades and lingered in the doorway. I had a sense of awe on my face. It wasn’t as if I were an adept any longer, and yet I didn’t feel entirely like a stranger seeing some fosterlings running on errands, elder adepts moving their way graciously the halls. Indeed, there was a wide grin on my face I must have seemed like an idiot, hands clasped behind my back as I took everything in. The memories were much too vivid, much too pleasant. I couldn’t move, I just had to observe and take everything in and it didn’t occur to me that as I was now, I probably seemed like a patron than an ex-adept coming home.
|
|
|
Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 2, 2011 21:50:42 GMT -5
Today was absolutely one of the slowest days I had ever experienced. Not one assignation, nothing going on throughout the City, no books even looked interesting in the library. Sighing, I made my way out of the library and was on my way back to my quarters when I spotted an older man standing in the doorway of Orchis, grinning like a fool with his hands behind his back. I didn't know if he was here as a patron or for an appointment or simply to enjoy company, so I smiled charmingly as I sauntered over to him.
As I reached the man, I noticed that, although he was a bit older, he was strikingly handsome, with snow-white hair and deep, intelligent eyes that held a spark of humor to rival any of my House family. If nothing else, I was simply curious unto death as to what this stranger could be doing here. As I caught his attention, I executed a flourishing bow and came back up smoothly, my smile turning into an impish grin.
"Good day to you my lord, I am Rémy no Orchis. Is there aught I may assist you with this fine day?"
|
|
|
Post by Alain de la Fontaine on Mar 2, 2011 22:01:43 GMT -5
When he called me lord and introduced himself, I could not help but let out a loud roar of laughter, probably a bit too much for my own good. I was generally quite mature and contained, but I could not help it. Never in my life did I think anyone would say that to me growing up and yet here it was, happening. How many times had I said that line with ‘Alain no Orchis’ instead? I shook my head, smiling at him. “Ah yes, I am sure there is much you can assist me with Remy,” Though I realized that that was a bit suggestive and I shook my head again. “Ah, please, I merely wish to talk. I am Alain de la Fontaine.”
I nearly ushered him in the direction of where I knew the sitting room was but I figured that he was the guest here, not the other way around, despite how familiar I felt with this place even after so long. “Would you mind telling me who your Dowayne is? I am curious...” I wondered who had taken the position after the Dowayne I had been under had left. Surely I would recognize the name.
|
|
|
Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 2, 2011 22:19:58 GMT -5
I couldn't help but jump slightly as the man's loud laugh echoed in the halls, booming across the entryway. Smiling politely, I gestured in the way of the sitting room as I spoke. "Our Dowayne is Alexandrine, my lord de la Fontaine. Would you like me to fetch her for you?" I offered, confused as to the nature of his business. A patron, mayhap?
As we walked into the sitting room, I stopped a passing servant and murmured under my breath for wine to be brought to the sitting room, please. The servant nodded and, with a grin, hurried off. Glancing back to Alain, I gestured to the furniture scattered around the comfortable, cheery room. It was made for entertaining, truly, with loads of comfy chairs and small couches. "Please, my lord, do have a seat," I murmured softly and awaited his answer on whether I should go to fetch Alexandrine.
The servant came in and set the wine down and I picked up the carafe to pour for the both of us, the line of my arm curved perfectly as training dictated.
|
|
|
Post by Alain de la Fontaine on Mar 2, 2011 22:29:47 GMT -5
"No, no, please do not bother her." I said, a hand up to stop the other from rushing off as we got into the sitting room. It seemed so long since I sat here, yet at the same time, as if it were only yesterday. How odd to be on the other side of the coin now and I was glad that I had come back for a visit as I took a sip of the wine. "Excellent, thank you." I was certainly going to have to give the boy a few coins for wasting his time with me when I was not here as a patron (at least, not yet anyway. How odd would that be, to contract someone from my own House?)
"Alexandryne..." I murmured, allowing my thoughts to drift a little as I wracked my mind until I remembered who he was talking about with a nod. "Ah, yes, yes, of course she would be the Dowayness." I was a bit older than her, if I remembered correctly, though not by much. We had been on good terms and she seemed to have a certain mannerism about herself, of high conduct, control and quality. I was glad she was the Dowayness, now. "And you, Remy, do you mind me asking if you have finished your marque yet? How close are you to completion?" I knew it was a bit personal though my curiosity got the best of me.
|
|
|
Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 2, 2011 22:42:54 GMT -5
I cocked a brow, wondering how he knew who my Dowayne was. A former adept, perhaps? I would have to ask him. He seemed easygoing enough. At his question, though, both of my brows raised. I did not mind talking about my marque at all, his question simply took me by surprise.
"I have most of it to go, my lord," I said, thinking of the design etched into only a small portion of my back. I was content with the progress; it was going along as well as I expected it to, and the patrons I'd had had been very kind. "It is about a quarter of the way up my spine."
|
|
|
Post by Alain de la Fontaine on Mar 2, 2011 22:51:13 GMT -5
“Ah, I see, excellent work,” I said with a smile as I finished off my wine and pulled a coin from my pouch at my side to flip to him. “Well add that to further your marque or merely treat yourself out. Thank you very much for your time, it was nice to visit after so long,” I said rising as I smoothed out my clothes. I did not want to waste the time of an adept I did not even know at all. I was sure he had important things to do and places to be.
“I’ll be sure to remember your name if I happen to come for an assignation,” I said with a wink. I wasn’t much into men as I was into women, but that did not mean that I had not had my time dabbling every now and then. “Thank you again, Remy, I truly appreciate it.” It had been nice to be led into these halls, to speak with a current adept and get updated on a bit of information for the time being.
|
|
|
Post by Rémy nó Orchis on Mar 2, 2011 23:00:51 GMT -5
I caught the coin nimbly in mid-air as he flipped it to me and tossed him a gracious smile as I pocketed it. "My thanks and my pleasure, my lord, and I hope to see you around our halls again soon. Visitors are always welcome."
|
|