Theodora was quiet and throughout most of the trip to Meganea, gazing out the carriage window as a small group of handmaids and retainers chattered in excited tones around her. Part of her wish she had insisted that she take the ride alone and stashed them all in another vehicle, but she thought she would get too lonely in the hours it would take to reach the province. Now, she was regretting that choice—loneliness would have been preferable to this inane banter, the back and forth gossip with little to no merit. Gods, did they ever stop talking?

Even better, she wished she could have accompanied her sisters, Xene, or perhaps her uncle and his side of the family. However, with Selene and Olympia leaving from Macendia, Nana taking her own retinue, and Imma leaving several days prior, her sisters were out of the question. Xene went with her mother and sister instead, and with Elise there… perhaps not the best idea. And as for Fotios and his clan, well, maybe that actually would have been worse than this. Especially with Dafni there.

Part of her had thought of asking Emilios to ride with her, but there was still strain between them, a strain she wasn’t sure would ever go away. Maybe it was not appropriate to accompany anyone but her husband to a wedding either, though she supposed Emilios was her brother now, and it wouldn’t have been too strange. Oh, well. Probably better not to tempt fate.

She couldn’t help but think that a Leventi wedding was tempting fate, anyway. After the disasters of her own wedding, there was a jittery anxiety resting in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t shake. Of course, she hoped for Evangelina’s sake that everything went smoothly, but after the catastrophe of her celebration, and the poor Leventi luck as of late… No, it would be fine. She and Gavriil seemed happy together, and everything would go well.

‘What do you think, Your Majesty?’ Theo looked up when she realized Althaia was speaking to her, pasting a smile on her face and easing the worry from her features. “My apologies, Althaia, I’m a thousand miles away. What do I think about what?”

‘About the wedding. Do you think Lady Evangelina is pregnant? Seems such a strange pairing.’

“Maybe,” the queen mused with a small shrug. “The age gap is… odd, but my cousin seems happy enough. It’s a good match on paper. All the better if they’re happy together.”

The women around her nodded in agreement, and Theo let her attention wander again, all but tuning them out through the final leg of the journey. Once the carriage rattled to a stop, she sat up a little straighter, peeking out the window to see many of the guests had already arrived. Late again, it would seem. Hopefully, nothing important had happened without her.

Theodora waited for the rest of her retinue to exit the carriage before she did, taking the hand of one of her guards as he helped her out of it. Blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the light, she smiled and nodded at the man in thanks. Sunlight glittered off the small gold coronet woven through her coifed locks, a pure white chiton falling in a graceful wave of fabric to the ground. Gold accents against the stark ivory of the gown dressed up an otherwise plain attire, the belt around her waist, the bracelets marching up her arms, and the ruby drops hanging from her ears reflecting the gathered sunlight, as well. She did not wish to outshine the bride, so had kept her outfit fairly simple, but she was also the Queen. It couldn’t be too simple.

Drawing herself up, she went to approach the bride and groom, a warm smile resting on beautifully sculpted features. “Evangelina. Lord Gavriil.” She leaned in to kiss her cousin’s cheek and gently reached out to touch her soon-to-be groom’s arm. “A million congratulations to you both. The gods will surely bless this day.”

She turned that same smile onto Dorothea at their sides before withdrawing to greet the others present. Even if she would have rather retreated to go find her sisters and linger with them, she had certain obligations she had to uphold first. A crown wasn’t all gold and jewels, and even if this wasn’t her wedding, she still had to make sure her presence was known.

Her greetings to the bride and groom done, she then said hello to her uncle and his clan, a warmer smile bestowed on Melina than her two sisters. They weren’t particularly close, but she was much preferable to Dafni, at least. They had books in common, if nothing else. “Good to see you,” she told them all before walking over to where Nana stood by the refreshment table.

Dropping a kiss on her cheek, she grabbed a glass of wine for herself before excusing herself to see who else was here. She was sure Imma was around somewhere since she had come to help Evie prepare, but unable to spot her, she simply shrugged and continued on. There were a few more familiar faces, but she stopped when she saw Xene, Gianna, and Elise. While she had no issue with Xene or Gianna, it was the former Queen Elise she was nervous about approaching.

However, Theodora was the current Queen, and she couldn’t let herself be intimidated, no matter how much she might want to tuck tail and turn the other way. Steeling herself, she approached the trio, standing back respectfully until she was noticed. “Your Highnesses,” she greeted them with a gracious incline of her head, smiling at Gianna and moving in to press a kiss to Xene’s cheek. Hesitant, she looked at Elise and her smile wavered a little as she recalled the woman’s behavior at the coronation. Maybe it was better to let bygones be bygones, but she wasn’t sure that Elise would feel that same way about her.

“It’s good to see you. All of you,” she amended, taking in the daughters, as well. “It’s a joyous day, is it not?”

Theodora seemed to be millions of miles away the entire time in the carriage. Eliana thought about asking something- but with the presence of her other ladies she knew it was best to just shut her mouth and wait for a better moment. Theodora would talk if she wanted to, and the other girls could enjoy this moment to chitter among themselves or rest in this silence.

About the wedding. Do you think Lady Evangelina is pregnant?

Oh, gee, your majesty. You look really distracted. Let’s gossip about how maybe your cousin is a slut, that’ll bring you back to reality. You know, because obviously someone your age can’t fall in love with someone so old. If looks would kill, Eliana would be going down for murder because Althaia would have been dead a hundred times over.

Of course, the women around Theodora nodded in agreement, as did Eliana. But in reality, she had a desire to roll her eyes so hard that she’d see the back of her skull. Gossiping idiots who didn’t even take in the context of who they were speaking to.

Luckily the carriage ride wasn’t much longer and soon everyone was out. Eliana made sure to always walk behind Theodora, but a step in front of Althaia. Eliana was annoyed with the older handmaiden, she didn’t quite deserve to be right behind Theodora. Hmph. Bitch.

“Congratulations, Lady Evangelina. Lord Gavriil.” Eliana said with a smile on her face, following the echoing of the other girls who offered their congratulations. A smile was also given to Lady Dorothea- who might Eliana add she looked lovely today. Then- just like that Theodora was gone and so was Eliana.

Dark eyes swept the party. She knew her family would be here- they would have to be. She felt that immediate tension in the back of her neck, only for it to loosen and for her to let go of her breath when she realized that they were not there yet. Eliana might not mind so much to see Rhea, but her father was not on the list of people she enjoyed spending time with. And Pallas- well, he’ll find the alcohol and entertain himself.

Before Eliana realized it- they had stopped walking and was near the Princesses and the former Queen. Well, while the princesses were fine and Eliana had zero opinion of them one way or another. She did wonder how interaction with Theodora and Elise would go- and whether Eliana’s insides would be cringing from the sheer awkwardness of it, or if a distraction would have to be made so Theodora had to walk away. Or, the best-case scenario was that Eliana could be silent- perhaps enjoy some wine and check out the various prospects at the wedding. Surely some man was visiting Taengea from some other kingdom that was handsome and single and would whisk Eliana away.

Oh, but she had duties didn’t she? Shit.

“Your highnesses,” she greeted them, adding an additional greeting to Elise in whatever title was most proper to the woman. Eliana was not looking to get involved in any feud with the past queen by being rude- she had better things to do than that.

Ah, weddings - like court, but with better food.

The journey to Meganea had been blessed with clear skies and mild temperatures, which was ideal for a wedding, particularly with one that took place mostly on the Dimitrou grounds.

As both Lord Orion and Lord Gavriil both preferred to remain in their home provinces as opposed to cavorting around the capital city like their kin, it had been a remarkable amount of time since they last kept one another's company. Many years of hunts, athletics, and minimal small talk had kept their relations mutually pleasant, as well as the similar ages of their daughters and their general social circles. Diogenes saw Gavriil in a more professional manner within the Senate, he was sure.

Still, though, this would be the first time Orion had seen the man since well before he heard of the engagement. Perhaps, had it even been since the engagement of his wayward son, Iason? It was hard to tell with the constant changes within the political and social spheres. After all, in the past half year, there had been the death of two kings, the exiling of another, and an entire war.

It was not out of line to lose contact with someone or another.

Still, by boat then by carriage, Orion arrived without much fanfare to the estate. Immediately assessing the decor and the layout of the festivities, he gave a slight glance to Diogenes. He was positive that his brother's mind was tinkering away at the adjustments and changes he would make had he been set to organize the event.

One day, Kalopisti Sappheire would host such a wedding for one of their children, and there was no doubt in this mind that his brother would make it the most unforgettable event of their lifetime. These such thoughts were what kept the pleasant courtier's mask in place, particularly as his eyes wandered across the sea of faces to find that of his daughter, Eliana.

If all were to go to plan, come one way or another, she would find herself wed within a year's time, per their arrangement.

All in due time.

As the welcoming line progressed, Orion made his pleasantries with the familiar faces around them, allowing Diogenes to take the lead on the tiresome queries regarding friends and families.

Then the time arrived and they approached. Orion allowed Diogenes the first of the salutations, his charm and charisma leading the way for their party like a beacon of light. There was a damn good reason he was head of the house, and it was moments like these that Orion thanked the gods of the secondary nature of his birth.

"Yes, a blessed day indeed to you both," Orion supplemented, bowing appropriately and then catching Lord Gavriil's eye with an amiable look of bemused sympathy. After all, not every man enjoyed being central to the attentions of others, as Diogenes did. "Congratulations, my friend. The next hunt in Argothia will be in honor of this day."

With that, they were dispersed among the other wedding attendees. It did not take long for his kindred to find their way to their peers. Orion meandered toward the buffet and managed to handle the first order of business by placing a chalice of Condos wine in his hands.

Once settled there, his eyes wandered across the crowd, watching with interest as Queen Theodora and his daughter engaged in conversation with the Dowager Queen Elise and Princess Xene - a terse yet cordial interaction, he imagined, for the looks of it. After all, who could forget the startling events at the coronation? His brother was far more familiar with the Dowager Queen, given his closeness with her late husband, King Zenon.

Eyes sliding over once more, another curious sight - as if the ghosts of the past were coming to haunt the newly minted and distinctly solitary queen, in came the former Queen, Olympia of Mikaelidas, formerly of Leventi.

Shortly after she made her greetings with the bride and groom, Orion took a few steps closer to the also-distinctly-alone Mikaelidas royal, offering a warm smile to her. They were familiar in their circles and he could not recall the last time he had seen her before the mess of her escape - all of which had only been hearsay and rumor to his ears.

While now was certainly not the time to get the story, a little warming of the waters could set the course for some future talk. After all, he could only imagine how alone she felt in this, apart from her family. Not that he felt any particular feelings towards it - merely an understanding, and an opening for conversation.

Once she had finished visiting with the bride and groom, Orion crossed to her with a smile, bow, and greeting before his eyes immediately fell to the child she carried. While his own children may have a number of things to say about his rearing of them, there was still the draw that any parental figure could have towards the smallest of children.

"Quite a sight, she is, Your Highness. Tisiphone? A strong choice of name." The purpose and meaning behind the name was not lost on him, though the subtle acknowledgement was left lightly in place. "I can only imagine your father is besotted with her."

Evangelina said a small prayer to the Gods that Gavriil wasn’t particularly found over overtly rich foods. Had he been, there was a distinct possibility she might have weighed as much as Altair by this morning. Instead, the combination of arrangements, her mother’s bustling about, the fiasco with Lord Nikos and Lord Nikolias, and the general idea that the spotlight over all of this would be upon her had generated a lithe, elegance that was probably the closest she’d ever look to graceful while not on a horse.

The eyes of her uncle would no doubt be focused on both herself and Gavriil. That was a very unnerving thought but soon… soon whatever holds he thought he held upon her would be gone and she could go about her life believing and acting however she pleased without wondering when her other slipper would slide off. Sucking in a breath, she was prepared to handle the day… she would get through it.

As she bounced up next to Gavriil, she felt a pang of contriteness for the way Dorothea slipped away from her father. Gavriil’s eldest daughter returned the smile that Evangelina had offered. The first wave of guests approached robbing Evangelina of her time to nervously chatter. That was a feat of luck. Pasting on that perfectly practiced Leventi smile that dripped with ease and a confidence that was neither felt or believed at a deeper level, she thanked the guests.

Leaning in she placed a chaste kiss on Melina’s cheek, grasping her hands momentarily. “Thank you, please just enjoy yourself.” But she wasn’t able to linger as long since Xanthippe was there right behind her. The closeness the woman was to her uncle’s family left her suspicious by nature, she was privy to far too much information and that could only mean one thing...she was in Fotio’s pocket. No one knew things that Fotios didn’t want learned. But Evangelina produced that same smile and thanked the woman, letting her eyes follow her for a moment before she hazarded a guarded look up at her future husband.

‘As soon as the line is done we can leave them to their drinking and eating.’

She was filled with a warm happiness and was again relieved at her choice in men. Wrapping her arm around his, she reached down and gave his hand a small squeeze in a silent thanks. People continued through the line, and Evangelina said what was expected to each of them, but her mind was fluttering haphazardly. The curious stares, the doubtful stares, the looks that people passed between one another as they tried to understand what would possess a young woman with Leventi connections to look twice at the elder of the Dimitrou household only amused Evangelina.

People could be so short-sighted. So, set on only seeing the things right there in front of them instead of looking at the full picture. The Dimitrou family was as old, royal, and wielded a silent power that she could use. Gavriil was old enough to already have obtained his titles and by marriage she would be the wife of a head of the house. Those would all have been acceptable reasons to marry Gavriil, and granted… maybe when she’d first considered him any one of those might have been the reason she’d agreed. That wasn’t the reason now though…

The corners of her eyes crinkled a little as she glanced sideways at him again and another wave of bliss washed over her. Somewhere in all of this they’d become a team. They would spend their days learning about one another… It wouldn’t be easy, they’d fight and have misunderstandings but she knew it would be alright because she’d picked the right person. She’d picked someone who could see her and was there for her to lean on. His steady presence was just one of the many reasons she’d fallen in love with him. Her teeth caught her bottom lip between them as she nibbled on her lip, her eyes dancing about with that small secret. These people could judge or wonder why they’d married one another but she knew and wasn’t about to say a single thing to them.

It was Elise’s words that pulled her from her small revelry and caused her big dark eyes to blink for a moment. The former Queen knew how to unsettle people with an airy elegance, Evangelina caught herself and remained unpulsed, at least on the outside. She didn’t want to tempt the fates in giving her future husband some sort of accident that would render her a widow before the ceremonies were complete. Xene spoke up though and she found her gaze flitting back and forth between mother and daughter. Ah… That was something Evangelina could understand well.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Earnest warmth flowed out of her at Xene’s well wishes. Letting go of Gavriil she reached out to take the gift that was offered. Unwrapping it and she stared down at the two fibulaes of golden stags with emeralds. They were beautiful and absolutely the perfect sort of gift. Passing them to Gavriil, she broke protocol and reached out and embraced Xene. “They are beautiful and perfect, we shall wear them today.” Reaching back she took one of the stags and started to pin it to her dress. “Please make yourself at home.”

As the Mikaelidas princess disappeared, Evangelina was still glowing from the present when Nikos approached the pair. Was that a bit of tension crackling like lightning in the air? Her smile wavered but she sucked in a breath and pushed every thought out of her mind except for right here and right now.

‘I do hope that the cases of wine all made it here in one piece? I wished to ensure you both had the best for such an event as this.’

Shifting subconsciously closer to Gavriil she pasted on that perfect Leventi confidence as she tilted her chin up and met the eyes of the man who’d almost been her everything. “Of course, thank you. The wine paired perfectly with the food that was chosen for today, my lord.” A part of her hurt for the man, he was so used to living on a pedestal that when he’d stopped living on her pedestal the world had crashed pretty cruelly down on him. Reality could hurt like a bitch sometimes. At least the scratches on his face were healing up.

Her thanking him didn’t feel adequate but she wasn’t sure what else she could say that would make any of this less awkward. So doing the rare thing, she simply closed her mouth and offered him a smile. She was starting the next chapter of her life… he needed to too. And silently, she was glad that there were still people waiting to be greeted.

As the Queen stepped forward, Evangelina accepted the kiss on the cheek and graced one on her cousin’s. “Your Majesty.” There was a faint cheekiness in her smile knowing full well how much her cousin enjoyed the title. “Please enjoy Meganea’s beauty today.” As Theodora disappeared, to find her sister, a pang of sadness pricked the small Leventi as she wished that Theodora’s husband had been able to be here. Achilleas had very quickly taken up residence in her life as being a grounding sort of friend. He’d been one of the first people, even before her own family, that she’d told about her and Gavriil.

A few more people filtered through the line and then there was a familiar face she’d not seen since she’d arrived back in Taengea. “Pia!” The name erupted out gleefully. She kissed her cousin’s cheek quickly and waved away her cousin’s uncertain sort of bow. “I would have been tremendously hurt if you hadn’t come.” Would it have been rude to snatch her new niece? Her fingers itched and she found herself grasping on to Gavriil to keep kidnapping the baby. “You are always welcome here…” Evangelina stressed the word always and hoped it conveyed that should her cousin run into issues among their peers that Evangelina would happily toss any one of them out.

As Lord Orion spoke with Gavriil, she leaned in a little closer to Pia. “I’m glad you are home…” She murmured and let her eyes fall to her niece again as she bit her lip. “She’s beautiful, Pia. Might I hold her later?” She pulled her gaze back up to eyes so similar as her own and bit her bottom lip again practically quivering with desire to snuggle the baby. She offered Lord Orion a smile at his mentioning the strong name, as if anything else would be suitable for a child from Olympia.

As Lord Diogenes stepped forward, Evangelina offered the man a side smile but her mind had shifted on how to get her hands on the baby. Which was an odd thing indeed considering for the most part Evangelina didn’t particularly care for people, but there was something innocent and breakable about the baby and every instinct to cradle her seemed to wash over her. She knew the very first demand she was going to make of her future husband. Her gaze shifted to Gavriil, if he had any idea she was calculating how long it would be until she could have a child of her own he’d have probably taken off at a run. But if life wasn’t about finding someone to raise horses and babies with then… What was the point?

The line was never ending. Face after face after face, greeting after greeting after greeting. He nodded his head to Melina, giving her a pat on the shoulder. Being his daughter’s closest friend, he was as familiar with her as with the rest of the main fixtures of people that came and went from his estate. She passed and Gavriil watched her and Dorothea walk on together. Evangelina squeezed his arm and he offered her a smile but not more than that because there were yet more people congratulating them. Being a person who did not prefer the attention of the entire world on him, Gavriil bore all of this as steadily as he could but he was looking forward to the end of this line.

When the dowager queen and Princesses Xene and Gianna came through the line, Gavriil bowed and thanked them for coming. The gift that Princess Xene presented was beautiful and he accepted it from Evie, doing his best to look pleased. The gift was then about to be handed off to a servant because he couldn’t be expected to hold everything gifted but Evie plucked hers right back out of his hand and pinned it to her gown. He did the same, though it felt weird to have too many pinned to him. The women drifted away and Gavriil looked up to find Lord Nikos standing there. His gaze flattened and he said nothing to the man except to nod at the congratulations offered, believing none of it.

There were way too many queens at this wedding. Queen Elise, Queen Theodora, he could see the former Queen Olympia down the line...they almost had a card game going. One more queen and they’d have a set. Persephone would have done well for that...but she and Iason were gone off on a fool’s errand. He nodded to Queen Theodora as Evie hugged her. The queen briefly touched his arm and he gave her a small smile. All was calm, formal, and dull until “PIA!” burst forth from the bride. Gavriil didn’t jump but he almost did. That was a name he hadn’t expected to hear. What he’d expected was something along the line of a hushed, ‘Your Majesty’ or even ‘Olympia.’

Despite himself he looked around, not truly expecting to see her husband hiding somewhere and definitely hoping he wouldn’t. That would be awkward. He bowed to her, as low as he would have if she was still queen, but his eyes weren’t on her but on the would-be-princess in her arms. A pretty, lively baby and as much as he wanted to, he resisted reaching out to poke the baby’s fat cheeks. He’d heard she was in Taengea but hadn’t laid eyes on her until this moment.

Lord Diogenes made his presence known, then, followed closely by Lord Orion. Diogenes could always be counted on to flirt and he did so with a deep timbered flare. Gavriil smiled. “You missed your chance,” was his dry response. “When is your son to return, Gavriil? Send him to Argothia when he gets back, he'll need some fun to cleanse him of that Athenian stuffiness!”

Gavriil didn’t shift from foot to foot at the question, but he didn’t answer it, either. Personally he didn’t want Iason in Diogenes’ gambling dens. “I will let him know your invitation is open,” he said. Orion offered a hunt in Argothia and that did get Gavriil’s attention. He nodded to that but then the two men were passing and the line went on.

All at once, a loud screaming struck the air and Gavriil looked around for the source, thinking at first it was a woman in some distress...possibly Elise again. Except he saw two beautiful peacocks sailing through the air and alighting on the grass. People stopped and stared. The male’s tail plumed out and he and his hen wandered towards them. The female of the two tilted her head towards him and Evangelina and Gavriil could have sworn there was some sort of intelligence there. It was a good omen and he smiled at Evangelina.

“Extra sacrifices to Hera today,” he said. It would be courting disaster not to.

It felt better to be embraced by her mother, rather than be avoided. She felt like she could breathe again in that moment, and the pricness found herself struggling in equal earnest to keep her own composure when she was pulled into the arms of the dowager queen. The princess put her arms around her mother's body for a moment, breathing in her perfume and thinking about how happy just a simple hug had made her in that moment. It was something she hadn't felt in so long, for the princess had not sought our her mother to grieve. She had tried to do that on her own, and it was in that moment that Xene wished they were alone so that she could properly tell her mother absolutely everything that had wounded her from the time her father and brother had died to now.

But they wouldn't get that chance here. They would have to stand up proudly and put on proper fascades for those around them. The giving of gifts to Evangelina and Gavriil was quick, and Xene found herself taking in another emotional breath when Evangelina pulled her into a hug as well. When had she become the target of such physical shows of affection? The princess wouldn't complain. It all made her heart flutter and brought warmth to the colder parts of herself that she had built up to protect herself from those around her.

And then she, her sister, and Queen Elise were moving away from the happy couple, arm in arm. But they paused together when the Kassotis lady spoke to the three of them, but mostly the queen. Xene fixed a careful gaze on her, lifting a slight eyebrow at Lady Eliana, looking up at her mother for a moment. It seemed as if Eliana wanted to speak to the older queen, and the princess considered breaking off from her, but decided against it.

Xene's gaze lifted to Queen Theodora as she approached, a soft smile coming to her lips. "It is. I am incredibly happy for Lady Evangelina and Lord Gavriil," she said lightly, offering Theodora her free hand. "We should eat together, cousin."

The wedding had been interrupted by a pair of two peacocks that had the princess taking in a slow breath, a smile on her features. Oh, this was delightful. The approval there. She did not miss the slight glance of the creatures toward the queen, though, reminding herself to remain composed for the moment. For she could approach the queen later. “Lady Eliana,” the princess greeted when the moment with the birds had passed. “How are you enjoying the festivities? Do they not look positively glowing? Happy with their match?” Xene offered as she looked back in Gavriil's and Evangelina's direction. “I am pleased that they have found one another. It is a good match,” the princess observed.

Then, the princess gave the young woman a quiet smile, “Would you like to join us for the feast, my lady?”

But then the presence of Lord Diogenes had the princess shifting a bit, her cheeks flushing a little when the man spoke of her mother as a bride. The princess looked toward her mother, absolutely able to picture such a thing. There were no images of her likeness on her wedding day, but the princess could imagine what her mother looked like, standing before King Zenon with a smile on her features that had carried over year after year. Queen Elise had always been deeply in love with her father.

"I've heard that said many times before," Xene said softly to Lord Diogenes, pausing a moment to bow deeply to the older man. "I only wish that perhaps their day will be just as glorious," the princess murmured, looking toward Gavriil and Evangelina. "Will you join us as well, my lord? For the feast? I am of the thought that friends should always eat in the company of friends."