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After Iason excused himself from the breakfast table, his hand lingering just for a moment on Persephone's should and followed his father from the room in order to conduct their discussions in private, Persephone found herself alone in the long dining hall with only Dorothea for company. Dorotheos had left the gathering first claiming to have pressing business to attend to after the morning fast break and thus leaving the two women alone after the father and son had departed. It was the first time Persephone had ever been in Dorothea's company without other present and it had only been a few hours since their last encounter, during which Persephone had been ill-suited for company. Hereby reading, entirely naked.
With a soft awkwardness about her form, a light colour blooming over her cheeks and a quickness about her movements that suggested the need to seek our efficiency to mask nervousness, Persephone stood from her seat at the table and carefully began to arrange dirty plates into more easily lifted and removed piles of stoneware.
Her task of busyness was quickly taken from her, however, as the servants of the Dimitrou house, practised in their tasks and responsibilities to the point where they had become habit, entered the room not a few moments after the men had left and began to take over the task at hand. Persephone simply stepped back to allow them the room to do so, her hands folding demured over the light yellow chiton she wore; one of the borrowed gowns from the Lady she stood across the table from. Without a maid to help her with her hair, Persephone had simply plaited it into a thick braid that hung almost to the small of her back.
She glanced at the woman across from there, taking several side steps out of the way of the maids completing their duties in clearing away the breakfast things. She smiled in the hopes of eradicating any awkwardness from earlier that morning before recrossing her hands, raising her chin and then offering an olive branch of conversation (as well as a means for her to renege on the promise she had made that could have very well just been to be polite).
"Are you still wishing for company this morning, Lady Dorothea?" She asked the woman, moving towards the large and impressive windows to the chamber, so that she was fully out from the firing line of servants moving around with towers of stoneware plates. "If changes have not been made to your plans, perhaps we could engage in something outside?" She asked with the raising of a hand to indicate the bright sunshine. Provided they stuck to the paved areas and harder terrain it shouldn't have been too muddy out in the grounds. "Though, of course, if you're required elsewhere... we can always rearrange?" She did not want to the woman for feel her presence to be a burden.
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After Iason excused himself from the breakfast table, his hand lingering just for a moment on Persephone's should and followed his father from the room in order to conduct their discussions in private, Persephone found herself alone in the long dining hall with only Dorothea for company. Dorotheos had left the gathering first claiming to have pressing business to attend to after the morning fast break and thus leaving the two women alone after the father and son had departed. It was the first time Persephone had ever been in Dorothea's company without other present and it had only been a few hours since their last encounter, during which Persephone had been ill-suited for company. Hereby reading, entirely naked.
With a soft awkwardness about her form, a light colour blooming over her cheeks and a quickness about her movements that suggested the need to seek our efficiency to mask nervousness, Persephone stood from her seat at the table and carefully began to arrange dirty plates into more easily lifted and removed piles of stoneware.
Her task of busyness was quickly taken from her, however, as the servants of the Dimitrou house, practised in their tasks and responsibilities to the point where they had become habit, entered the room not a few moments after the men had left and began to take over the task at hand. Persephone simply stepped back to allow them the room to do so, her hands folding demured over the light yellow chiton she wore; one of the borrowed gowns from the Lady she stood across the table from. Without a maid to help her with her hair, Persephone had simply plaited it into a thick braid that hung almost to the small of her back.
She glanced at the woman across from there, taking several side steps out of the way of the maids completing their duties in clearing away the breakfast things. She smiled in the hopes of eradicating any awkwardness from earlier that morning before recrossing her hands, raising her chin and then offering an olive branch of conversation (as well as a means for her to renege on the promise she had made that could have very well just been to be polite).
"Are you still wishing for company this morning, Lady Dorothea?" She asked the woman, moving towards the large and impressive windows to the chamber, so that she was fully out from the firing line of servants moving around with towers of stoneware plates. "If changes have not been made to your plans, perhaps we could engage in something outside?" She asked with the raising of a hand to indicate the bright sunshine. Provided they stuck to the paved areas and harder terrain it shouldn't have been too muddy out in the grounds. "Though, of course, if you're required elsewhere... we can always rearrange?" She did not want to the woman for feel her presence to be a burden.
After Iason excused himself from the breakfast table, his hand lingering just for a moment on Persephone's should and followed his father from the room in order to conduct their discussions in private, Persephone found herself alone in the long dining hall with only Dorothea for company. Dorotheos had left the gathering first claiming to have pressing business to attend to after the morning fast break and thus leaving the two women alone after the father and son had departed. It was the first time Persephone had ever been in Dorothea's company without other present and it had only been a few hours since their last encounter, during which Persephone had been ill-suited for company. Hereby reading, entirely naked.
With a soft awkwardness about her form, a light colour blooming over her cheeks and a quickness about her movements that suggested the need to seek our efficiency to mask nervousness, Persephone stood from her seat at the table and carefully began to arrange dirty plates into more easily lifted and removed piles of stoneware.
Her task of busyness was quickly taken from her, however, as the servants of the Dimitrou house, practised in their tasks and responsibilities to the point where they had become habit, entered the room not a few moments after the men had left and began to take over the task at hand. Persephone simply stepped back to allow them the room to do so, her hands folding demured over the light yellow chiton she wore; one of the borrowed gowns from the Lady she stood across the table from. Without a maid to help her with her hair, Persephone had simply plaited it into a thick braid that hung almost to the small of her back.
She glanced at the woman across from there, taking several side steps out of the way of the maids completing their duties in clearing away the breakfast things. She smiled in the hopes of eradicating any awkwardness from earlier that morning before recrossing her hands, raising her chin and then offering an olive branch of conversation (as well as a means for her to renege on the promise she had made that could have very well just been to be polite).
"Are you still wishing for company this morning, Lady Dorothea?" She asked the woman, moving towards the large and impressive windows to the chamber, so that she was fully out from the firing line of servants moving around with towers of stoneware plates. "If changes have not been made to your plans, perhaps we could engage in something outside?" She asked with the raising of a hand to indicate the bright sunshine. Provided they stuck to the paved areas and harder terrain it shouldn't have been too muddy out in the grounds. "Though, of course, if you're required elsewhere... we can always rearrange?" She did not want to the woman for feel her presence to be a burden.
So far Dorothea could say that the morning had not exactly gone to plan. And her plan had only been to simply provide the queen with some clothing, considering her considerable lack thereof. She had hardly expected to be quite the intruder to Persephone and her brother of all people. Though, she supposed, better her brother than anyone else. That aside, Dorothea had found herself rather more on the shocked end of the spectrum, hastily leaving the chambers, though not without a few tart words to throw at her brother. He deserved them, after all. If he thought she wouldn’t be brining this up for quite some time then he was mistaken.
The two appeared at breakfast managing to look inconspicuous enough. Dorothea had enough tact and grace not to openly stare, but she found herself watching the two of them out of the corner of her eye while listening to a chattering Alexa. Soon enough, the younger girl bounded off for her lessons and her father departed the table as well. She made careful note of Iason’s hand on Persephone’s shoulder before he followed their father, presumably to speak to him about his eventful night.
Dorothea sat in a comfortable silence, finishing her meal, keeping an eye on Persephone, wondering what the woman was thinking. She did feel rather badly for catching them in such a compromising situation, yet was able to laugh it off as a minor embarrassment. For herself, at least. She was not the one caught naked in the bed with a man. Almost as if the queen could hear Dorothea’s thoughts, she blushed and began awkwardly cleaning the table. For a moment, Dorothea dropped all pretenses of politely not staring and watched as the queen of Athenia cleaned the breakfast table. Dorothea could hardly think of a time when she herself had last completed such a task, so this was an entirely odd sight to behold.
For a moment, she had to remind herself to hold her tongue, a playful comment at the tip of it, wondering again the customs of Athenia. She didn’t want to offend her majesty, considering that she had already started off on the wrong foot. While Dorothea was swallowing her words, Persephone filled the silence. The Dimitrou woman returned the smile, glad at least her offer had been taken seriously.
“That would be lovely, your majesty,” she replied, standing herself and moving towards the other woman, her curls, loose for once, flowing free. Once they were close enough, Dorothea found herself looking into the queen’s eyes and smiling, extending the offer of her friendship. If Iason had decided to keep this woman in his life, then so must she. “I thought you might like to take a tour of our lands in the daylight? They’re quite lovely, even after such a storm.”
They began their walk out of the house, Dorothea steering them away from her father’s study so neither might hear if anything was happening inside. When they finally stepped outside into the bright sunlight, Dorothea grinned widely, closing her eyes for a moment, savoring the fresh air. “I’m afraid I’m not one to be cooped up indoors,” she remarked, leading them towards the gardens. “I prefer to spend much of my time outside. Iason as well,” she added casually. “He and I would hardly sit still for lessons growing up, except for when we were under our Reading Tree.” Those were the few times the two of them would settle enough, under the large branches, suns on their faces, a light breeze blowing. Dorothea gestured to the tree in question, a large olive tree that swayed gently in the breeze.
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So far Dorothea could say that the morning had not exactly gone to plan. And her plan had only been to simply provide the queen with some clothing, considering her considerable lack thereof. She had hardly expected to be quite the intruder to Persephone and her brother of all people. Though, she supposed, better her brother than anyone else. That aside, Dorothea had found herself rather more on the shocked end of the spectrum, hastily leaving the chambers, though not without a few tart words to throw at her brother. He deserved them, after all. If he thought she wouldn’t be brining this up for quite some time then he was mistaken.
The two appeared at breakfast managing to look inconspicuous enough. Dorothea had enough tact and grace not to openly stare, but she found herself watching the two of them out of the corner of her eye while listening to a chattering Alexa. Soon enough, the younger girl bounded off for her lessons and her father departed the table as well. She made careful note of Iason’s hand on Persephone’s shoulder before he followed their father, presumably to speak to him about his eventful night.
Dorothea sat in a comfortable silence, finishing her meal, keeping an eye on Persephone, wondering what the woman was thinking. She did feel rather badly for catching them in such a compromising situation, yet was able to laugh it off as a minor embarrassment. For herself, at least. She was not the one caught naked in the bed with a man. Almost as if the queen could hear Dorothea’s thoughts, she blushed and began awkwardly cleaning the table. For a moment, Dorothea dropped all pretenses of politely not staring and watched as the queen of Athenia cleaned the breakfast table. Dorothea could hardly think of a time when she herself had last completed such a task, so this was an entirely odd sight to behold.
For a moment, she had to remind herself to hold her tongue, a playful comment at the tip of it, wondering again the customs of Athenia. She didn’t want to offend her majesty, considering that she had already started off on the wrong foot. While Dorothea was swallowing her words, Persephone filled the silence. The Dimitrou woman returned the smile, glad at least her offer had been taken seriously.
“That would be lovely, your majesty,” she replied, standing herself and moving towards the other woman, her curls, loose for once, flowing free. Once they were close enough, Dorothea found herself looking into the queen’s eyes and smiling, extending the offer of her friendship. If Iason had decided to keep this woman in his life, then so must she. “I thought you might like to take a tour of our lands in the daylight? They’re quite lovely, even after such a storm.”
They began their walk out of the house, Dorothea steering them away from her father’s study so neither might hear if anything was happening inside. When they finally stepped outside into the bright sunlight, Dorothea grinned widely, closing her eyes for a moment, savoring the fresh air. “I’m afraid I’m not one to be cooped up indoors,” she remarked, leading them towards the gardens. “I prefer to spend much of my time outside. Iason as well,” she added casually. “He and I would hardly sit still for lessons growing up, except for when we were under our Reading Tree.” Those were the few times the two of them would settle enough, under the large branches, suns on their faces, a light breeze blowing. Dorothea gestured to the tree in question, a large olive tree that swayed gently in the breeze.
So far Dorothea could say that the morning had not exactly gone to plan. And her plan had only been to simply provide the queen with some clothing, considering her considerable lack thereof. She had hardly expected to be quite the intruder to Persephone and her brother of all people. Though, she supposed, better her brother than anyone else. That aside, Dorothea had found herself rather more on the shocked end of the spectrum, hastily leaving the chambers, though not without a few tart words to throw at her brother. He deserved them, after all. If he thought she wouldn’t be brining this up for quite some time then he was mistaken.
The two appeared at breakfast managing to look inconspicuous enough. Dorothea had enough tact and grace not to openly stare, but she found herself watching the two of them out of the corner of her eye while listening to a chattering Alexa. Soon enough, the younger girl bounded off for her lessons and her father departed the table as well. She made careful note of Iason’s hand on Persephone’s shoulder before he followed their father, presumably to speak to him about his eventful night.
Dorothea sat in a comfortable silence, finishing her meal, keeping an eye on Persephone, wondering what the woman was thinking. She did feel rather badly for catching them in such a compromising situation, yet was able to laugh it off as a minor embarrassment. For herself, at least. She was not the one caught naked in the bed with a man. Almost as if the queen could hear Dorothea’s thoughts, she blushed and began awkwardly cleaning the table. For a moment, Dorothea dropped all pretenses of politely not staring and watched as the queen of Athenia cleaned the breakfast table. Dorothea could hardly think of a time when she herself had last completed such a task, so this was an entirely odd sight to behold.
For a moment, she had to remind herself to hold her tongue, a playful comment at the tip of it, wondering again the customs of Athenia. She didn’t want to offend her majesty, considering that she had already started off on the wrong foot. While Dorothea was swallowing her words, Persephone filled the silence. The Dimitrou woman returned the smile, glad at least her offer had been taken seriously.
“That would be lovely, your majesty,” she replied, standing herself and moving towards the other woman, her curls, loose for once, flowing free. Once they were close enough, Dorothea found herself looking into the queen’s eyes and smiling, extending the offer of her friendship. If Iason had decided to keep this woman in his life, then so must she. “I thought you might like to take a tour of our lands in the daylight? They’re quite lovely, even after such a storm.”
They began their walk out of the house, Dorothea steering them away from her father’s study so neither might hear if anything was happening inside. When they finally stepped outside into the bright sunlight, Dorothea grinned widely, closing her eyes for a moment, savoring the fresh air. “I’m afraid I’m not one to be cooped up indoors,” she remarked, leading them towards the gardens. “I prefer to spend much of my time outside. Iason as well,” she added casually. “He and I would hardly sit still for lessons growing up, except for when we were under our Reading Tree.” Those were the few times the two of them would settle enough, under the large branches, suns on their faces, a light breeze blowing. Dorothea gestured to the tree in question, a large olive tree that swayed gently in the breeze.
Persephone had felt awkward around the other woman, not because she was embarrassed to have been caught unclothed (though that was mortifying in its own way, Iason had at least protected her from more than her bare shoulders being shown), but more because she was concerned of what the Lady Dorothea would think of her as a person. Of her morals and her opinions on right and wrong. She had, after all, already upset the household greatly with a childish display of emotion walking out into the storm like that. She had, she knew, materially damaged any hope of respect she might be able to yield from the family. But the last thing she wanted to do was compound that problem with what had occurred that morning.
What the girl must have been thinking of her, Persephone wasn't sure. That she was an imbecile? That she was a torrid and unfettered young woman - in the storm one moment, jumping into bed with a man the next? That she was mentally unstable? That she was - now having lost everything back home - trying to entrap or ensnare her brother to protect and look after her, through sexual connection?
None of the above were even close to any of the minimal rumours that had circulated regarding her in the Senate and Court back home for the duration of her life. Persephone's image and reputation had always been above reproach. Even more so. She had been the epitome of ideal. Deliberately. As a role model to Emilia and as a ruler of a kingdom, she had had to be as close to shiny and clean perfection as she could be. So, she had zero experience or knowledge on how to deal with negative public image. Especially when they were in the thoughts of people she was now committing herself to be part of the family of. She wanted these people to like her, even if they couldn't respect her.
It seemed, at least for now, however, that her image hadn't been tainted irreparably with the Lady Dorothea. Whilst the young Lady Alexa had been mostly asleep for the duration of the storm incident and knew nothing of that morning - and so still saw Persephone as the beautiful Queen of a foreign land - she was too young for Persephone to make a strong connection with. The Lady Dorothea, however, Persephone greatly wanted to befriend. If she could. And the way she reached for Persephone's hands and helped to guide them both outside, had Persephone wondering if that might be a stronger possibility than she had feared.
When the lady offered her an insight into Iason, Persephone smiled sadly. How the man must have hated being cooped up inside the Athenian palace for so long while in her homeland. She hadn't known, of course, but then she hadn't taken the time to get to know. She felt like sighing, but her tutoring forbade it.
"I'm afraid I'm more of an indoor creature." She admitted, looking around at the gardens and lands of the estate. "Though perhaps that would change after staying here longer. Taengea is very beautiful." She inhaled, trying to find any particular floor that gave off a scent but she suspected it was something in her earth here... "It smells nice too." She added with a smile.
Athenia was all stone. Beautiful and pure and clean. Full of marble, limestone and rock. The white of the structures against the turquoise of the sea was a visual that had always strengthened and comforted Persephone. She was going to have to get used to the colour green now...
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Persephone had felt awkward around the other woman, not because she was embarrassed to have been caught unclothed (though that was mortifying in its own way, Iason had at least protected her from more than her bare shoulders being shown), but more because she was concerned of what the Lady Dorothea would think of her as a person. Of her morals and her opinions on right and wrong. She had, after all, already upset the household greatly with a childish display of emotion walking out into the storm like that. She had, she knew, materially damaged any hope of respect she might be able to yield from the family. But the last thing she wanted to do was compound that problem with what had occurred that morning.
What the girl must have been thinking of her, Persephone wasn't sure. That she was an imbecile? That she was a torrid and unfettered young woman - in the storm one moment, jumping into bed with a man the next? That she was mentally unstable? That she was - now having lost everything back home - trying to entrap or ensnare her brother to protect and look after her, through sexual connection?
None of the above were even close to any of the minimal rumours that had circulated regarding her in the Senate and Court back home for the duration of her life. Persephone's image and reputation had always been above reproach. Even more so. She had been the epitome of ideal. Deliberately. As a role model to Emilia and as a ruler of a kingdom, she had had to be as close to shiny and clean perfection as she could be. So, she had zero experience or knowledge on how to deal with negative public image. Especially when they were in the thoughts of people she was now committing herself to be part of the family of. She wanted these people to like her, even if they couldn't respect her.
It seemed, at least for now, however, that her image hadn't been tainted irreparably with the Lady Dorothea. Whilst the young Lady Alexa had been mostly asleep for the duration of the storm incident and knew nothing of that morning - and so still saw Persephone as the beautiful Queen of a foreign land - she was too young for Persephone to make a strong connection with. The Lady Dorothea, however, Persephone greatly wanted to befriend. If she could. And the way she reached for Persephone's hands and helped to guide them both outside, had Persephone wondering if that might be a stronger possibility than she had feared.
When the lady offered her an insight into Iason, Persephone smiled sadly. How the man must have hated being cooped up inside the Athenian palace for so long while in her homeland. She hadn't known, of course, but then she hadn't taken the time to get to know. She felt like sighing, but her tutoring forbade it.
"I'm afraid I'm more of an indoor creature." She admitted, looking around at the gardens and lands of the estate. "Though perhaps that would change after staying here longer. Taengea is very beautiful." She inhaled, trying to find any particular floor that gave off a scent but she suspected it was something in her earth here... "It smells nice too." She added with a smile.
Athenia was all stone. Beautiful and pure and clean. Full of marble, limestone and rock. The white of the structures against the turquoise of the sea was a visual that had always strengthened and comforted Persephone. She was going to have to get used to the colour green now...
Persephone had felt awkward around the other woman, not because she was embarrassed to have been caught unclothed (though that was mortifying in its own way, Iason had at least protected her from more than her bare shoulders being shown), but more because she was concerned of what the Lady Dorothea would think of her as a person. Of her morals and her opinions on right and wrong. She had, after all, already upset the household greatly with a childish display of emotion walking out into the storm like that. She had, she knew, materially damaged any hope of respect she might be able to yield from the family. But the last thing she wanted to do was compound that problem with what had occurred that morning.
What the girl must have been thinking of her, Persephone wasn't sure. That she was an imbecile? That she was a torrid and unfettered young woman - in the storm one moment, jumping into bed with a man the next? That she was mentally unstable? That she was - now having lost everything back home - trying to entrap or ensnare her brother to protect and look after her, through sexual connection?
None of the above were even close to any of the minimal rumours that had circulated regarding her in the Senate and Court back home for the duration of her life. Persephone's image and reputation had always been above reproach. Even more so. She had been the epitome of ideal. Deliberately. As a role model to Emilia and as a ruler of a kingdom, she had had to be as close to shiny and clean perfection as she could be. So, she had zero experience or knowledge on how to deal with negative public image. Especially when they were in the thoughts of people she was now committing herself to be part of the family of. She wanted these people to like her, even if they couldn't respect her.
It seemed, at least for now, however, that her image hadn't been tainted irreparably with the Lady Dorothea. Whilst the young Lady Alexa had been mostly asleep for the duration of the storm incident and knew nothing of that morning - and so still saw Persephone as the beautiful Queen of a foreign land - she was too young for Persephone to make a strong connection with. The Lady Dorothea, however, Persephone greatly wanted to befriend. If she could. And the way she reached for Persephone's hands and helped to guide them both outside, had Persephone wondering if that might be a stronger possibility than she had feared.
When the lady offered her an insight into Iason, Persephone smiled sadly. How the man must have hated being cooped up inside the Athenian palace for so long while in her homeland. She hadn't known, of course, but then she hadn't taken the time to get to know. She felt like sighing, but her tutoring forbade it.
"I'm afraid I'm more of an indoor creature." She admitted, looking around at the gardens and lands of the estate. "Though perhaps that would change after staying here longer. Taengea is very beautiful." She inhaled, trying to find any particular floor that gave off a scent but she suspected it was something in her earth here... "It smells nice too." She added with a smile.
Athenia was all stone. Beautiful and pure and clean. Full of marble, limestone and rock. The white of the structures against the turquoise of the sea was a visual that had always strengthened and comforted Persephone. She was going to have to get used to the colour green now...
As they moved down the path, Dorothea glanced at the queen, taking her in. She seemed rather thin, not only from her journey, but Dorothea wondered if the stress of everything had contributed to it as well. She had eaten this morning, but it didn’t seem like enough. In that moment, Doro decided she must watch out for Persephone, alongside Iason. He seemed bound and determined to keep her and so she wouldn’t starve herself on Dorothea’s watch. And perhaps no repeats of the previous night would occur either (the wandering about in the storm, not the in bed with her brother…well, Dorothea was just pretending that hadn’t happened for the moment).
Truthfully, that part of last night was entirely not Dorothea’s business. She wanted her brother to be happy and if that was what he determined he must do, then so be it. Though, she hoped that bedding a woman wasn’t going to be his only definition of happiness in this relationship. Dorothea didn’t claim to know much about relationships, but having watched the loving one between her parents in her early childhood, she was rather certain there was more to it than sex. Her parents had loved each other deeply and it was evident to even a young girl.
Although Dorothea had never quite imagined that for herself, she had hoped that at the very least her siblings could find love of some sort. That hope for Iason had diminished somewhat once he was to have an arranged marriage, only to be buoyed upon his return. She had thought for a moment that perhaps he wouldn’t have to have his arranged marriage, yet she realized she was too quickly to jump to conclusions. Iason would be Iason no matter what and he always honored his commitments. Likely, he was promising himself to this woman even though she likely had no more real advantages to give him. And based on what she observed at their arrival, Dorothea thought them highly unlikely to be in love just yet. This morning suggested something else, but love was very different than lust. Dorothea very much hoped that her brother wouldn’t continue to pursue this relationship out of lust. Duty was one thing, but lust….well, that would fade.
And for all her thoughts of her brother, Dorothea realized she knew nothing of the woman standing beside her. What did the Queen of Athenia want? What did Persephone the woman want? She knew Iason would follow his duties to no end and hoped he wasn’t blind to his woman’s wants and needs. He could be extremely persuasive and Doro could recount several times as a child that she had followed his plans well into execution before realizing what she was doing. Although she did not know Persephone, she felt obligated in some way, woman to woman perhaps, to ensure that she could be happy in this as well. Happy in a quiet life, here in Taengea.
She smiled, if not a little sadly, at Persephone’s comment. It seemed the women of Athenia were not so different than those of Taengea. The indoors and fair skin were always preferred to the freedom of the outdoors. Though, to be fair, she supposed Persephone had a fair amount of duties that kept her indoors as well. More than Dorothea could even begin to comprehend.
“Ah well, there’s still time to change that,” she smiled. “Taengea has a way of luring people in.” It was said lightly, but she wondered what the queen would make of it. Was she being lured in?
They approached the gardens, that perhaps the reason for Persephone’s smell. Doro had always loved the gardens, when she was younger, pulling the flowers up had been her favorite thing to do, but now she loved their simple beauty. She turned to look at the queen, impulsively taking her hand and giving it a squeeze, as she might comfort her own sister. “Your majesty, I feel as though I must say this, for I fear it has not yet been said on behalf of my family and myself.” She knew precious little details about what had happened, but had gleaned enough to have an understanding. “As happy I am to have Iason here, I am sorry for the circumstances which caused it. I am sorry for what you have lost. It hurts me to imagine it, so I know it must hurt you even more. I know this place is foreign to you, but I hope you will find some comfort in it and our people. If you ever need anything, you just have to ask.” She gave the woman’s hand another soft squeeze, before releasing it, hoping she hadn’t been too forward. She had felt as though she must say it, for she meant every word truthfully. Whether or not this woman was to marry her brother, she still deserved care and consideration.
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As they moved down the path, Dorothea glanced at the queen, taking her in. She seemed rather thin, not only from her journey, but Dorothea wondered if the stress of everything had contributed to it as well. She had eaten this morning, but it didn’t seem like enough. In that moment, Doro decided she must watch out for Persephone, alongside Iason. He seemed bound and determined to keep her and so she wouldn’t starve herself on Dorothea’s watch. And perhaps no repeats of the previous night would occur either (the wandering about in the storm, not the in bed with her brother…well, Dorothea was just pretending that hadn’t happened for the moment).
Truthfully, that part of last night was entirely not Dorothea’s business. She wanted her brother to be happy and if that was what he determined he must do, then so be it. Though, she hoped that bedding a woman wasn’t going to be his only definition of happiness in this relationship. Dorothea didn’t claim to know much about relationships, but having watched the loving one between her parents in her early childhood, she was rather certain there was more to it than sex. Her parents had loved each other deeply and it was evident to even a young girl.
Although Dorothea had never quite imagined that for herself, she had hoped that at the very least her siblings could find love of some sort. That hope for Iason had diminished somewhat once he was to have an arranged marriage, only to be buoyed upon his return. She had thought for a moment that perhaps he wouldn’t have to have his arranged marriage, yet she realized she was too quickly to jump to conclusions. Iason would be Iason no matter what and he always honored his commitments. Likely, he was promising himself to this woman even though she likely had no more real advantages to give him. And based on what she observed at their arrival, Dorothea thought them highly unlikely to be in love just yet. This morning suggested something else, but love was very different than lust. Dorothea very much hoped that her brother wouldn’t continue to pursue this relationship out of lust. Duty was one thing, but lust….well, that would fade.
And for all her thoughts of her brother, Dorothea realized she knew nothing of the woman standing beside her. What did the Queen of Athenia want? What did Persephone the woman want? She knew Iason would follow his duties to no end and hoped he wasn’t blind to his woman’s wants and needs. He could be extremely persuasive and Doro could recount several times as a child that she had followed his plans well into execution before realizing what she was doing. Although she did not know Persephone, she felt obligated in some way, woman to woman perhaps, to ensure that she could be happy in this as well. Happy in a quiet life, here in Taengea.
She smiled, if not a little sadly, at Persephone’s comment. It seemed the women of Athenia were not so different than those of Taengea. The indoors and fair skin were always preferred to the freedom of the outdoors. Though, to be fair, she supposed Persephone had a fair amount of duties that kept her indoors as well. More than Dorothea could even begin to comprehend.
“Ah well, there’s still time to change that,” she smiled. “Taengea has a way of luring people in.” It was said lightly, but she wondered what the queen would make of it. Was she being lured in?
They approached the gardens, that perhaps the reason for Persephone’s smell. Doro had always loved the gardens, when she was younger, pulling the flowers up had been her favorite thing to do, but now she loved their simple beauty. She turned to look at the queen, impulsively taking her hand and giving it a squeeze, as she might comfort her own sister. “Your majesty, I feel as though I must say this, for I fear it has not yet been said on behalf of my family and myself.” She knew precious little details about what had happened, but had gleaned enough to have an understanding. “As happy I am to have Iason here, I am sorry for the circumstances which caused it. I am sorry for what you have lost. It hurts me to imagine it, so I know it must hurt you even more. I know this place is foreign to you, but I hope you will find some comfort in it and our people. If you ever need anything, you just have to ask.” She gave the woman’s hand another soft squeeze, before releasing it, hoping she hadn’t been too forward. She had felt as though she must say it, for she meant every word truthfully. Whether or not this woman was to marry her brother, she still deserved care and consideration.
As they moved down the path, Dorothea glanced at the queen, taking her in. She seemed rather thin, not only from her journey, but Dorothea wondered if the stress of everything had contributed to it as well. She had eaten this morning, but it didn’t seem like enough. In that moment, Doro decided she must watch out for Persephone, alongside Iason. He seemed bound and determined to keep her and so she wouldn’t starve herself on Dorothea’s watch. And perhaps no repeats of the previous night would occur either (the wandering about in the storm, not the in bed with her brother…well, Dorothea was just pretending that hadn’t happened for the moment).
Truthfully, that part of last night was entirely not Dorothea’s business. She wanted her brother to be happy and if that was what he determined he must do, then so be it. Though, she hoped that bedding a woman wasn’t going to be his only definition of happiness in this relationship. Dorothea didn’t claim to know much about relationships, but having watched the loving one between her parents in her early childhood, she was rather certain there was more to it than sex. Her parents had loved each other deeply and it was evident to even a young girl.
Although Dorothea had never quite imagined that for herself, she had hoped that at the very least her siblings could find love of some sort. That hope for Iason had diminished somewhat once he was to have an arranged marriage, only to be buoyed upon his return. She had thought for a moment that perhaps he wouldn’t have to have his arranged marriage, yet she realized she was too quickly to jump to conclusions. Iason would be Iason no matter what and he always honored his commitments. Likely, he was promising himself to this woman even though she likely had no more real advantages to give him. And based on what she observed at their arrival, Dorothea thought them highly unlikely to be in love just yet. This morning suggested something else, but love was very different than lust. Dorothea very much hoped that her brother wouldn’t continue to pursue this relationship out of lust. Duty was one thing, but lust….well, that would fade.
And for all her thoughts of her brother, Dorothea realized she knew nothing of the woman standing beside her. What did the Queen of Athenia want? What did Persephone the woman want? She knew Iason would follow his duties to no end and hoped he wasn’t blind to his woman’s wants and needs. He could be extremely persuasive and Doro could recount several times as a child that she had followed his plans well into execution before realizing what she was doing. Although she did not know Persephone, she felt obligated in some way, woman to woman perhaps, to ensure that she could be happy in this as well. Happy in a quiet life, here in Taengea.
She smiled, if not a little sadly, at Persephone’s comment. It seemed the women of Athenia were not so different than those of Taengea. The indoors and fair skin were always preferred to the freedom of the outdoors. Though, to be fair, she supposed Persephone had a fair amount of duties that kept her indoors as well. More than Dorothea could even begin to comprehend.
“Ah well, there’s still time to change that,” she smiled. “Taengea has a way of luring people in.” It was said lightly, but she wondered what the queen would make of it. Was she being lured in?
They approached the gardens, that perhaps the reason for Persephone’s smell. Doro had always loved the gardens, when she was younger, pulling the flowers up had been her favorite thing to do, but now she loved their simple beauty. She turned to look at the queen, impulsively taking her hand and giving it a squeeze, as she might comfort her own sister. “Your majesty, I feel as though I must say this, for I fear it has not yet been said on behalf of my family and myself.” She knew precious little details about what had happened, but had gleaned enough to have an understanding. “As happy I am to have Iason here, I am sorry for the circumstances which caused it. I am sorry for what you have lost. It hurts me to imagine it, so I know it must hurt you even more. I know this place is foreign to you, but I hope you will find some comfort in it and our people. If you ever need anything, you just have to ask.” She gave the woman’s hand another soft squeeze, before releasing it, hoping she hadn’t been too forward. She had felt as though she must say it, for she meant every word truthfully. Whether or not this woman was to marry her brother, she still deserved care and consideration.
As they walked, Persephone found herself to be beginning to naturally like Dorothea. She had been impressed by the woman's wit and capabilities in a shocking situation that morning (not that she had been in much of state to compliment the girl or to offer her that sort of impression). She had liked that the Lady Dorothea had stood up to her brother, despite their genders and age. And that they had the sort of open relationship of almost common born families - able to converse and interact in a way that was natural and one a person-to-person basis. Rather than something they bore together as members of the same bloodline, their interactions controlled by social paradigms.
Persephone had always been closer to Emilia than some of the other noble women were to their own siblings. The two of them had grown up more or less motherless and such a bereavement had had them growing closer together. So, their connection and love was stronger than most other noble families she had interacted with in Athenia. But as they had been princesses of the realm, their interactions were still very strongly defined and guided by what was right and proper. They had never lost sight of how they were seen or what others would think of their behaviour - in and of itself, and with each other. Here, on Dimitrou land, away from the prying eyes of the capitol and the Senate, it struck Persephone that their family behaved exactly as they meant to - no tricks or restrictions.
It was an entirely bizarre concept that was so liberating it made her fearful. And personally, quite defunct. For, how was she to behave on a personal level with someone - mind to mind, soul to soul - if she herself was so much a blank question mark. She had been in a strong relationship with her sister as princesses because that was what she was very good at being. How was she to now adjust and see herself as solely a woman - as Iason's wife, as Dorothea's sister...? As a role model of sorts to Alexa and a daughter to Gavriil? How was she to adapt in that way and offer this family those things if she herself was not truly an individual or was still searching for her identity?
Perhaps she was overthinking things, but the entire notion made her feel uneasy.
When the Lady Dorothea offered to her that her being an indoor creature might change with time and that Taengea had a way of seducing those who came to live there, Persephone couldn't help but smile a little.
"Or perhaps it just catches people and offers them a safe place to land..." She offered as an alternative interpretation, her voice offering a small spark of self-degradating humour.
As they moved closer towards the pretty smell of the gardens, their process - which had fallen into a nice and natural step that they were both able to mimic in one another - was halted slightly by the woman beside her and Dorothea's tone and face had become suddenly more serious and sombre.
Persephone felt a moment of panic that they were about to enter into a conversation that she did not have the emotional strength to deal with after the night previous but she made no resistance when Dorothea took hold of both of her hands.
The words that then flowed from the lips of the eldest Dimitrou girl, had Persephone's expression freezing on her face. For total stoicism seemed the only way to cope with what the girl now brought up. Whether it was her reveries of her sister only a few moments ago, or the way in which Dorothea used her turns of phrases, Persephone wasn't sure. But there was something about the girl's genuine sorrow and sensitive condolences that had Persephone standing very quiet and very still.
When she drew to the close of her statements. When Dorothea assured Persephone that if there was anything she needed, she just had to ask, and her hands tightened around Persephone's suddenly cold fingers, it was the last of Persephone's undoing. Standing there, in the privacy of the Dimitrou gardens, Persephone felt her mask of decorum start to fracture. Felt her brow lower, her nose wrinkle. She smoothed them out for a moment, fighting back against the natural temptation but Dorothea's earnestness and sweetness of character held too strong a sway and suddenly Persephone's face was crumpling and tears were rolling down her cheeks...
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As they walked, Persephone found herself to be beginning to naturally like Dorothea. She had been impressed by the woman's wit and capabilities in a shocking situation that morning (not that she had been in much of state to compliment the girl or to offer her that sort of impression). She had liked that the Lady Dorothea had stood up to her brother, despite their genders and age. And that they had the sort of open relationship of almost common born families - able to converse and interact in a way that was natural and one a person-to-person basis. Rather than something they bore together as members of the same bloodline, their interactions controlled by social paradigms.
Persephone had always been closer to Emilia than some of the other noble women were to their own siblings. The two of them had grown up more or less motherless and such a bereavement had had them growing closer together. So, their connection and love was stronger than most other noble families she had interacted with in Athenia. But as they had been princesses of the realm, their interactions were still very strongly defined and guided by what was right and proper. They had never lost sight of how they were seen or what others would think of their behaviour - in and of itself, and with each other. Here, on Dimitrou land, away from the prying eyes of the capitol and the Senate, it struck Persephone that their family behaved exactly as they meant to - no tricks or restrictions.
It was an entirely bizarre concept that was so liberating it made her fearful. And personally, quite defunct. For, how was she to behave on a personal level with someone - mind to mind, soul to soul - if she herself was so much a blank question mark. She had been in a strong relationship with her sister as princesses because that was what she was very good at being. How was she to now adjust and see herself as solely a woman - as Iason's wife, as Dorothea's sister...? As a role model of sorts to Alexa and a daughter to Gavriil? How was she to adapt in that way and offer this family those things if she herself was not truly an individual or was still searching for her identity?
Perhaps she was overthinking things, but the entire notion made her feel uneasy.
When the Lady Dorothea offered to her that her being an indoor creature might change with time and that Taengea had a way of seducing those who came to live there, Persephone couldn't help but smile a little.
"Or perhaps it just catches people and offers them a safe place to land..." She offered as an alternative interpretation, her voice offering a small spark of self-degradating humour.
As they moved closer towards the pretty smell of the gardens, their process - which had fallen into a nice and natural step that they were both able to mimic in one another - was halted slightly by the woman beside her and Dorothea's tone and face had become suddenly more serious and sombre.
Persephone felt a moment of panic that they were about to enter into a conversation that she did not have the emotional strength to deal with after the night previous but she made no resistance when Dorothea took hold of both of her hands.
The words that then flowed from the lips of the eldest Dimitrou girl, had Persephone's expression freezing on her face. For total stoicism seemed the only way to cope with what the girl now brought up. Whether it was her reveries of her sister only a few moments ago, or the way in which Dorothea used her turns of phrases, Persephone wasn't sure. But there was something about the girl's genuine sorrow and sensitive condolences that had Persephone standing very quiet and very still.
When she drew to the close of her statements. When Dorothea assured Persephone that if there was anything she needed, she just had to ask, and her hands tightened around Persephone's suddenly cold fingers, it was the last of Persephone's undoing. Standing there, in the privacy of the Dimitrou gardens, Persephone felt her mask of decorum start to fracture. Felt her brow lower, her nose wrinkle. She smoothed them out for a moment, fighting back against the natural temptation but Dorothea's earnestness and sweetness of character held too strong a sway and suddenly Persephone's face was crumpling and tears were rolling down her cheeks...
As they walked, Persephone found herself to be beginning to naturally like Dorothea. She had been impressed by the woman's wit and capabilities in a shocking situation that morning (not that she had been in much of state to compliment the girl or to offer her that sort of impression). She had liked that the Lady Dorothea had stood up to her brother, despite their genders and age. And that they had the sort of open relationship of almost common born families - able to converse and interact in a way that was natural and one a person-to-person basis. Rather than something they bore together as members of the same bloodline, their interactions controlled by social paradigms.
Persephone had always been closer to Emilia than some of the other noble women were to their own siblings. The two of them had grown up more or less motherless and such a bereavement had had them growing closer together. So, their connection and love was stronger than most other noble families she had interacted with in Athenia. But as they had been princesses of the realm, their interactions were still very strongly defined and guided by what was right and proper. They had never lost sight of how they were seen or what others would think of their behaviour - in and of itself, and with each other. Here, on Dimitrou land, away from the prying eyes of the capitol and the Senate, it struck Persephone that their family behaved exactly as they meant to - no tricks or restrictions.
It was an entirely bizarre concept that was so liberating it made her fearful. And personally, quite defunct. For, how was she to behave on a personal level with someone - mind to mind, soul to soul - if she herself was so much a blank question mark. She had been in a strong relationship with her sister as princesses because that was what she was very good at being. How was she to now adjust and see herself as solely a woman - as Iason's wife, as Dorothea's sister...? As a role model of sorts to Alexa and a daughter to Gavriil? How was she to adapt in that way and offer this family those things if she herself was not truly an individual or was still searching for her identity?
Perhaps she was overthinking things, but the entire notion made her feel uneasy.
When the Lady Dorothea offered to her that her being an indoor creature might change with time and that Taengea had a way of seducing those who came to live there, Persephone couldn't help but smile a little.
"Or perhaps it just catches people and offers them a safe place to land..." She offered as an alternative interpretation, her voice offering a small spark of self-degradating humour.
As they moved closer towards the pretty smell of the gardens, their process - which had fallen into a nice and natural step that they were both able to mimic in one another - was halted slightly by the woman beside her and Dorothea's tone and face had become suddenly more serious and sombre.
Persephone felt a moment of panic that they were about to enter into a conversation that she did not have the emotional strength to deal with after the night previous but she made no resistance when Dorothea took hold of both of her hands.
The words that then flowed from the lips of the eldest Dimitrou girl, had Persephone's expression freezing on her face. For total stoicism seemed the only way to cope with what the girl now brought up. Whether it was her reveries of her sister only a few moments ago, or the way in which Dorothea used her turns of phrases, Persephone wasn't sure. But there was something about the girl's genuine sorrow and sensitive condolences that had Persephone standing very quiet and very still.
When she drew to the close of her statements. When Dorothea assured Persephone that if there was anything she needed, she just had to ask, and her hands tightened around Persephone's suddenly cold fingers, it was the last of Persephone's undoing. Standing there, in the privacy of the Dimitrou gardens, Persephone felt her mask of decorum start to fracture. Felt her brow lower, her nose wrinkle. She smoothed them out for a moment, fighting back against the natural temptation but Dorothea's earnestness and sweetness of character held too strong a sway and suddenly Persephone's face was crumpling and tears were rolling down her cheeks...
Dorothea wondered what the woman next to her was thinking. Was she simply taking in the beauty of their lands or distracted by something greater? Dorothea couldn’t even begin to imagine what Persephone was going through. She had lost her mother at a young age, but nothing to this degree. Not her entire family and birthright at the same time. It had to be an enormous shock. On top of all of it, she was now in a foreign land with a man she had barely known for more than a few months and his family. It was a lot to take in and process. And Persephone had to do that alone. She had no one here that she was close with, aside from Iason and Dorothea wasn’t sure what kind of bond the two of them had managed to form. She doubted it was a particularly close one as of yet, despite what she had witnessed this morning.
She was glad to see at least a small smile appear upon Persephone’s face at the notion she might become more of an outdoorswoman if she stayed with them. Of course, that might entirely not be true, as many Taengean women were not creatures of the outdoor world. Perhaps it was a trait that was more related to the Dimitrous than Taengeans at large. “Yes, that too,” Dorothea responded, liking the woman’s response. “We are a safe harbor for all who wish it.”
Although her words were sincere, Dorothea wondered if she hadn’t chosen the right moment to express them. Of course, there was never a right moment for giving out condolences, but perhaps this was a little too fresh. She watched as Persephone’s face froze in a stoic manner, her whole body becoming perfectly still. Others may have felt a different way, but Dorothea understood this reaction. This was the way in which she must cope. Once upon a time, Dorothea had done the exact same thing. Then, she had sprinted away to get lost in silence of the woods for a time, crying for what felt like an eternity before Iason found her and carried her home. Not all that unlike what had happened last night, she supposed. Dorothea hoped that Persephone wouldn’t run as she had as a little girl. It would be unseemly to chase after her.
And while she didn’t run, Persephone did cry as Dorothea did all those years ago. Luckily, Dorothea had grown up the sister and mother to a little girl who was prone to her fair share of heartaches and breaks. Although Alexa hadn’t experienced this, Dorothea had held her through enough things. Persephone’s tears provoked her sisterly instincts and Dorothea didn’t care that she barely knew this woman nor that she was outranked. She treated her as she would Alexa and pulled her in for a tight hug, giving Persephone all of her warmth and love. Murmuring comforting noises, Dorothea held the shaking queen her in arms wishing for a scenario in which this wasn’t happening. She’d gladly give up her brother again if that meant this woman’s family wasn’t gone forever. The throne she could care less about, but the family, that was the worst loss.
“I’m so sorry, Persephone,” she murmured, continuing to hold her tight. It was only when she felt the shaking begin to subside did she let her grip loosen. The tears were still there, but that was all right. She could cry all she wanted, Dorothea wouldn’t mind. Gently, she led Persephone to a nearby bench, sitting down next to her. She kept her arm lightly wrapped around Persephone’s shoulder, ready to move away if her comfort was no longer wanted. Until she, she would provide support.
“I can’t pretend to understand everything you’re feeling, but I do know what it’s like to lose someone you love,” she said quietly. “You’re not alone here, Persephone.”
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Dorothea wondered what the woman next to her was thinking. Was she simply taking in the beauty of their lands or distracted by something greater? Dorothea couldn’t even begin to imagine what Persephone was going through. She had lost her mother at a young age, but nothing to this degree. Not her entire family and birthright at the same time. It had to be an enormous shock. On top of all of it, she was now in a foreign land with a man she had barely known for more than a few months and his family. It was a lot to take in and process. And Persephone had to do that alone. She had no one here that she was close with, aside from Iason and Dorothea wasn’t sure what kind of bond the two of them had managed to form. She doubted it was a particularly close one as of yet, despite what she had witnessed this morning.
She was glad to see at least a small smile appear upon Persephone’s face at the notion she might become more of an outdoorswoman if she stayed with them. Of course, that might entirely not be true, as many Taengean women were not creatures of the outdoor world. Perhaps it was a trait that was more related to the Dimitrous than Taengeans at large. “Yes, that too,” Dorothea responded, liking the woman’s response. “We are a safe harbor for all who wish it.”
Although her words were sincere, Dorothea wondered if she hadn’t chosen the right moment to express them. Of course, there was never a right moment for giving out condolences, but perhaps this was a little too fresh. She watched as Persephone’s face froze in a stoic manner, her whole body becoming perfectly still. Others may have felt a different way, but Dorothea understood this reaction. This was the way in which she must cope. Once upon a time, Dorothea had done the exact same thing. Then, she had sprinted away to get lost in silence of the woods for a time, crying for what felt like an eternity before Iason found her and carried her home. Not all that unlike what had happened last night, she supposed. Dorothea hoped that Persephone wouldn’t run as she had as a little girl. It would be unseemly to chase after her.
And while she didn’t run, Persephone did cry as Dorothea did all those years ago. Luckily, Dorothea had grown up the sister and mother to a little girl who was prone to her fair share of heartaches and breaks. Although Alexa hadn’t experienced this, Dorothea had held her through enough things. Persephone’s tears provoked her sisterly instincts and Dorothea didn’t care that she barely knew this woman nor that she was outranked. She treated her as she would Alexa and pulled her in for a tight hug, giving Persephone all of her warmth and love. Murmuring comforting noises, Dorothea held the shaking queen her in arms wishing for a scenario in which this wasn’t happening. She’d gladly give up her brother again if that meant this woman’s family wasn’t gone forever. The throne she could care less about, but the family, that was the worst loss.
“I’m so sorry, Persephone,” she murmured, continuing to hold her tight. It was only when she felt the shaking begin to subside did she let her grip loosen. The tears were still there, but that was all right. She could cry all she wanted, Dorothea wouldn’t mind. Gently, she led Persephone to a nearby bench, sitting down next to her. She kept her arm lightly wrapped around Persephone’s shoulder, ready to move away if her comfort was no longer wanted. Until she, she would provide support.
“I can’t pretend to understand everything you’re feeling, but I do know what it’s like to lose someone you love,” she said quietly. “You’re not alone here, Persephone.”
Dorothea wondered what the woman next to her was thinking. Was she simply taking in the beauty of their lands or distracted by something greater? Dorothea couldn’t even begin to imagine what Persephone was going through. She had lost her mother at a young age, but nothing to this degree. Not her entire family and birthright at the same time. It had to be an enormous shock. On top of all of it, she was now in a foreign land with a man she had barely known for more than a few months and his family. It was a lot to take in and process. And Persephone had to do that alone. She had no one here that she was close with, aside from Iason and Dorothea wasn’t sure what kind of bond the two of them had managed to form. She doubted it was a particularly close one as of yet, despite what she had witnessed this morning.
She was glad to see at least a small smile appear upon Persephone’s face at the notion she might become more of an outdoorswoman if she stayed with them. Of course, that might entirely not be true, as many Taengean women were not creatures of the outdoor world. Perhaps it was a trait that was more related to the Dimitrous than Taengeans at large. “Yes, that too,” Dorothea responded, liking the woman’s response. “We are a safe harbor for all who wish it.”
Although her words were sincere, Dorothea wondered if she hadn’t chosen the right moment to express them. Of course, there was never a right moment for giving out condolences, but perhaps this was a little too fresh. She watched as Persephone’s face froze in a stoic manner, her whole body becoming perfectly still. Others may have felt a different way, but Dorothea understood this reaction. This was the way in which she must cope. Once upon a time, Dorothea had done the exact same thing. Then, she had sprinted away to get lost in silence of the woods for a time, crying for what felt like an eternity before Iason found her and carried her home. Not all that unlike what had happened last night, she supposed. Dorothea hoped that Persephone wouldn’t run as she had as a little girl. It would be unseemly to chase after her.
And while she didn’t run, Persephone did cry as Dorothea did all those years ago. Luckily, Dorothea had grown up the sister and mother to a little girl who was prone to her fair share of heartaches and breaks. Although Alexa hadn’t experienced this, Dorothea had held her through enough things. Persephone’s tears provoked her sisterly instincts and Dorothea didn’t care that she barely knew this woman nor that she was outranked. She treated her as she would Alexa and pulled her in for a tight hug, giving Persephone all of her warmth and love. Murmuring comforting noises, Dorothea held the shaking queen her in arms wishing for a scenario in which this wasn’t happening. She’d gladly give up her brother again if that meant this woman’s family wasn’t gone forever. The throne she could care less about, but the family, that was the worst loss.
“I’m so sorry, Persephone,” she murmured, continuing to hold her tight. It was only when she felt the shaking begin to subside did she let her grip loosen. The tears were still there, but that was all right. She could cry all she wanted, Dorothea wouldn’t mind. Gently, she led Persephone to a nearby bench, sitting down next to her. She kept her arm lightly wrapped around Persephone’s shoulder, ready to move away if her comfort was no longer wanted. Until she, she would provide support.
“I can’t pretend to understand everything you’re feeling, but I do know what it’s like to lose someone you love,” she said quietly. “You’re not alone here, Persephone.”
Persephone smiled lightly when the woman suggested Taengea to be a safe harbour. It was true. Persephone couldn't fault the way in which Taengea - or more specifically, the House of Dimitrou - had supported her as she had fallen. She had done so ungracefully, emotionally and in keeping with giving them large amounts of trouble and hassle and yet they attempted to support her still. She was due to meet with the Lord Gavriil that afternoon and she had no idea what he would say upon the matter of Iason and Persephone continuing with their plans for betrothal. She would just have to wait and see if the sister of the Dimitrou house voiced opinions shared by her father...
When the girl had been unarguably kind and had offered her condolences, Persephone hadn't been able to hold back her tears any longer. She hadn't bawled, hadn't cried out or wailed in her moment of grief. She had just held herself impossibly rigid, with her hands furled into fists and her arms shaking a little with the tension, her face breaking down like a three-year-old about to throw a tantrum. But her tension came not from petulant anger and from the efforts she was putting in to not cry.
All such efforts were eventually meaningless, however, as tears rolled down Persephone's cheeks and the Lady Dorothea reacted out of pure kindness. There was no rank, social decorum or expected reaction to someone crying in front of a near stranger; for, by social standards, it should never happen. And yet, Dorothea didn't miss a beat nor appear to be in any way uncomfortable as she folded her arms around Persephone and allowed her to cry.
Attempting to at least keep herself in check enough that she didn't wail like a baby as she had to Iason the previous night, Persephone was too tightly coiled to be able to reach out and return the hug. Nor was she familiar with human touch enough to do so. She couldn't remember the last time she had embraced anyone outside of her own family - barring Iason of course. So, the feeling was a little foreign. The scent of a woman she wasn't family with, two feminine arms of someone her own height coming around her. It was an alien experience that shut off her brain a little and sent her deeper within herself for a moment, her frame taut with the efforts of controlling just how much she embarrassed herself.
When her shaking seemed to calm and her breathing became a little easier, and the tears flowed just a little slower, Persephone felt the Lady Dorothea draw them towards a bench nearby. It was there that she offered her an arm around Persephone's shoulder - just lightly and a little awkwardly touching to show that she was there for comfort but not wishing to make her feel trapped - and an ear to listen as she expressed how sorry she was for Persephone's loss and how it was the greatest of griefs to lose someone you love.
Persephone recalled that Lady Dorothea's own mother had passed away, the same as her own had done when she was young, and knew the girl spoke the truth of her empathy.
In an attempt to gain back some of her dignity, Persephone straightened on the bench, wiped quickly at her eyes as she turned away to do so - it seemed silly to hide the gesture now but it was far too long drilled into her to not show emotion for her to not fall back on her teachings in the moment - and deliberately steadied her breathing. She folded her hands demurely in her lap as she looked out at the gardens before the two of them.
"I think that your family must think me a useless sort of person." She mused aloud. She glanced at Dorothea. "I truly thank you and your family for your kindness. I am simply embarrassed of my behaviour thus far in my acquaintance of you all. I fear I shall never achieve a position of respect within your House." Persephone bit at her lower lip, worried that she had gone too far in such an admittance.
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Persephone smiled lightly when the woman suggested Taengea to be a safe harbour. It was true. Persephone couldn't fault the way in which Taengea - or more specifically, the House of Dimitrou - had supported her as she had fallen. She had done so ungracefully, emotionally and in keeping with giving them large amounts of trouble and hassle and yet they attempted to support her still. She was due to meet with the Lord Gavriil that afternoon and she had no idea what he would say upon the matter of Iason and Persephone continuing with their plans for betrothal. She would just have to wait and see if the sister of the Dimitrou house voiced opinions shared by her father...
When the girl had been unarguably kind and had offered her condolences, Persephone hadn't been able to hold back her tears any longer. She hadn't bawled, hadn't cried out or wailed in her moment of grief. She had just held herself impossibly rigid, with her hands furled into fists and her arms shaking a little with the tension, her face breaking down like a three-year-old about to throw a tantrum. But her tension came not from petulant anger and from the efforts she was putting in to not cry.
All such efforts were eventually meaningless, however, as tears rolled down Persephone's cheeks and the Lady Dorothea reacted out of pure kindness. There was no rank, social decorum or expected reaction to someone crying in front of a near stranger; for, by social standards, it should never happen. And yet, Dorothea didn't miss a beat nor appear to be in any way uncomfortable as she folded her arms around Persephone and allowed her to cry.
Attempting to at least keep herself in check enough that she didn't wail like a baby as she had to Iason the previous night, Persephone was too tightly coiled to be able to reach out and return the hug. Nor was she familiar with human touch enough to do so. She couldn't remember the last time she had embraced anyone outside of her own family - barring Iason of course. So, the feeling was a little foreign. The scent of a woman she wasn't family with, two feminine arms of someone her own height coming around her. It was an alien experience that shut off her brain a little and sent her deeper within herself for a moment, her frame taut with the efforts of controlling just how much she embarrassed herself.
When her shaking seemed to calm and her breathing became a little easier, and the tears flowed just a little slower, Persephone felt the Lady Dorothea draw them towards a bench nearby. It was there that she offered her an arm around Persephone's shoulder - just lightly and a little awkwardly touching to show that she was there for comfort but not wishing to make her feel trapped - and an ear to listen as she expressed how sorry she was for Persephone's loss and how it was the greatest of griefs to lose someone you love.
Persephone recalled that Lady Dorothea's own mother had passed away, the same as her own had done when she was young, and knew the girl spoke the truth of her empathy.
In an attempt to gain back some of her dignity, Persephone straightened on the bench, wiped quickly at her eyes as she turned away to do so - it seemed silly to hide the gesture now but it was far too long drilled into her to not show emotion for her to not fall back on her teachings in the moment - and deliberately steadied her breathing. She folded her hands demurely in her lap as she looked out at the gardens before the two of them.
"I think that your family must think me a useless sort of person." She mused aloud. She glanced at Dorothea. "I truly thank you and your family for your kindness. I am simply embarrassed of my behaviour thus far in my acquaintance of you all. I fear I shall never achieve a position of respect within your House." Persephone bit at her lower lip, worried that she had gone too far in such an admittance.
Persephone smiled lightly when the woman suggested Taengea to be a safe harbour. It was true. Persephone couldn't fault the way in which Taengea - or more specifically, the House of Dimitrou - had supported her as she had fallen. She had done so ungracefully, emotionally and in keeping with giving them large amounts of trouble and hassle and yet they attempted to support her still. She was due to meet with the Lord Gavriil that afternoon and she had no idea what he would say upon the matter of Iason and Persephone continuing with their plans for betrothal. She would just have to wait and see if the sister of the Dimitrou house voiced opinions shared by her father...
When the girl had been unarguably kind and had offered her condolences, Persephone hadn't been able to hold back her tears any longer. She hadn't bawled, hadn't cried out or wailed in her moment of grief. She had just held herself impossibly rigid, with her hands furled into fists and her arms shaking a little with the tension, her face breaking down like a three-year-old about to throw a tantrum. But her tension came not from petulant anger and from the efforts she was putting in to not cry.
All such efforts were eventually meaningless, however, as tears rolled down Persephone's cheeks and the Lady Dorothea reacted out of pure kindness. There was no rank, social decorum or expected reaction to someone crying in front of a near stranger; for, by social standards, it should never happen. And yet, Dorothea didn't miss a beat nor appear to be in any way uncomfortable as she folded her arms around Persephone and allowed her to cry.
Attempting to at least keep herself in check enough that she didn't wail like a baby as she had to Iason the previous night, Persephone was too tightly coiled to be able to reach out and return the hug. Nor was she familiar with human touch enough to do so. She couldn't remember the last time she had embraced anyone outside of her own family - barring Iason of course. So, the feeling was a little foreign. The scent of a woman she wasn't family with, two feminine arms of someone her own height coming around her. It was an alien experience that shut off her brain a little and sent her deeper within herself for a moment, her frame taut with the efforts of controlling just how much she embarrassed herself.
When her shaking seemed to calm and her breathing became a little easier, and the tears flowed just a little slower, Persephone felt the Lady Dorothea draw them towards a bench nearby. It was there that she offered her an arm around Persephone's shoulder - just lightly and a little awkwardly touching to show that she was there for comfort but not wishing to make her feel trapped - and an ear to listen as she expressed how sorry she was for Persephone's loss and how it was the greatest of griefs to lose someone you love.
Persephone recalled that Lady Dorothea's own mother had passed away, the same as her own had done when she was young, and knew the girl spoke the truth of her empathy.
In an attempt to gain back some of her dignity, Persephone straightened on the bench, wiped quickly at her eyes as she turned away to do so - it seemed silly to hide the gesture now but it was far too long drilled into her to not show emotion for her to not fall back on her teachings in the moment - and deliberately steadied her breathing. She folded her hands demurely in her lap as she looked out at the gardens before the two of them.
"I think that your family must think me a useless sort of person." She mused aloud. She glanced at Dorothea. "I truly thank you and your family for your kindness. I am simply embarrassed of my behaviour thus far in my acquaintance of you all. I fear I shall never achieve a position of respect within your House." Persephone bit at her lower lip, worried that she had gone too far in such an admittance.
Dorothea waited patiently for Persephone to finish crying. This was only one spell to be sure. The grief she felt was surely immense and Dorothea would be shocked if these were the only tears she shed. There was no shame in crying, at least not in her opinion. Sometimes there were simply too many emotions to contain and they must leak out. She knew this but had heard that the Athenians were less prone to emotional outbreaks. They were more contained than most Taengeans, but if there was any time for an Athenian to cry, Dorothea supposed this would be it. Persephone had suffered unthinkable losses and to not express any emotion would have been more concerning.
And so, she kept a gentle grip around the woman, watching for any sign that Persephone wanted to break away and have her own space. Dorothea didn’t mind that the hug wasn’t reciprocated. It wasn’t for her; she was lending her support without any expectation of anything in return. She focused on pouring all of her positive energy and love into Persephone, knowing that it could only do so much, but hoped it would help in some small way.
As they sat on the bench, Dorothea looked out upon the gardens, marveling that such a beauty could exist in the wake of grief. She had remembered thinking as much when her mother died. How could the world keep moving when it felt as though it had ended? How could the seasons continue to change and the flowers bloom when the one she loved was no longer there to see it? Time had begun to heal those wounds, but there wasn’t a season when Dorothea wondered what her mother would have thought or felt about the passage of time. Would she be proud of her or disappointed that she hadn’t managed to marry? Although Gavriil’s love and guidance had always been enough, there was a part of her that questioned what her mother would think. Growing up with only men for role models had been good in some ways, but there had been plenty of times when she wished for a mother’s love. Although she was not Alexa’s mother, she hoped she could provide some of that feminine comfort that had been missing from her own childhood.
Although she was focused on her own thoughts, Dorothea hadn’t let herself get too distracted from Persephone, wanting to be attentive, but not more invasive than she already was. As the woman straightened, Dorothea withdrew her arm from around the queen and folded her hands in her lap, giving her as much privacy as she could in the moment to collect herself. When Persephone finally spoke, Dorothea glanced at her, her face a neutral, but sympathetic mask.
She raised her brows slightly at the queen’s admittance, but found herself in disagreement with her words. Useless? No. From what Dorothea understood, the queen was quite capable and had argued for her own right to rule, despite being a woman. Dorothea rather admired the woman, if she was being honest. Perhaps her behavior thus far had been a little unorthodox, but there was no normalcy in grief.
“No,” Dorothea replied, voicing her thoughts. “I don’t believe we are under that impression. Even my father, no matter what he might do or say. We are no stranger to grief here, yet even we have not endured what you have.” She turned more, giving Persephone a smile. “You are new here yet. There will be plenty of nights for you to prove that last night was not normal. Even so, you have managed to help run a kingdom capably for some time. We have heard of you, your majesty. Do not believe that we had sent Iason off with no idea of who he was to marry.”
She paused, wondering what to say on the subject of her brother. She would protect him no matter what, if she could, but there was potential for Persephone to threaten that. So far, she had found herself liking the woman, but her brother would always come first. Finally, she decided upon, “We just wish to see Iason safe and happy, that’s all. If he has chosen you, then I trust his reasons for doing so.”
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Dorothea waited patiently for Persephone to finish crying. This was only one spell to be sure. The grief she felt was surely immense and Dorothea would be shocked if these were the only tears she shed. There was no shame in crying, at least not in her opinion. Sometimes there were simply too many emotions to contain and they must leak out. She knew this but had heard that the Athenians were less prone to emotional outbreaks. They were more contained than most Taengeans, but if there was any time for an Athenian to cry, Dorothea supposed this would be it. Persephone had suffered unthinkable losses and to not express any emotion would have been more concerning.
And so, she kept a gentle grip around the woman, watching for any sign that Persephone wanted to break away and have her own space. Dorothea didn’t mind that the hug wasn’t reciprocated. It wasn’t for her; she was lending her support without any expectation of anything in return. She focused on pouring all of her positive energy and love into Persephone, knowing that it could only do so much, but hoped it would help in some small way.
As they sat on the bench, Dorothea looked out upon the gardens, marveling that such a beauty could exist in the wake of grief. She had remembered thinking as much when her mother died. How could the world keep moving when it felt as though it had ended? How could the seasons continue to change and the flowers bloom when the one she loved was no longer there to see it? Time had begun to heal those wounds, but there wasn’t a season when Dorothea wondered what her mother would have thought or felt about the passage of time. Would she be proud of her or disappointed that she hadn’t managed to marry? Although Gavriil’s love and guidance had always been enough, there was a part of her that questioned what her mother would think. Growing up with only men for role models had been good in some ways, but there had been plenty of times when she wished for a mother’s love. Although she was not Alexa’s mother, she hoped she could provide some of that feminine comfort that had been missing from her own childhood.
Although she was focused on her own thoughts, Dorothea hadn’t let herself get too distracted from Persephone, wanting to be attentive, but not more invasive than she already was. As the woman straightened, Dorothea withdrew her arm from around the queen and folded her hands in her lap, giving her as much privacy as she could in the moment to collect herself. When Persephone finally spoke, Dorothea glanced at her, her face a neutral, but sympathetic mask.
She raised her brows slightly at the queen’s admittance, but found herself in disagreement with her words. Useless? No. From what Dorothea understood, the queen was quite capable and had argued for her own right to rule, despite being a woman. Dorothea rather admired the woman, if she was being honest. Perhaps her behavior thus far had been a little unorthodox, but there was no normalcy in grief.
“No,” Dorothea replied, voicing her thoughts. “I don’t believe we are under that impression. Even my father, no matter what he might do or say. We are no stranger to grief here, yet even we have not endured what you have.” She turned more, giving Persephone a smile. “You are new here yet. There will be plenty of nights for you to prove that last night was not normal. Even so, you have managed to help run a kingdom capably for some time. We have heard of you, your majesty. Do not believe that we had sent Iason off with no idea of who he was to marry.”
She paused, wondering what to say on the subject of her brother. She would protect him no matter what, if she could, but there was potential for Persephone to threaten that. So far, she had found herself liking the woman, but her brother would always come first. Finally, she decided upon, “We just wish to see Iason safe and happy, that’s all. If he has chosen you, then I trust his reasons for doing so.”
Dorothea waited patiently for Persephone to finish crying. This was only one spell to be sure. The grief she felt was surely immense and Dorothea would be shocked if these were the only tears she shed. There was no shame in crying, at least not in her opinion. Sometimes there were simply too many emotions to contain and they must leak out. She knew this but had heard that the Athenians were less prone to emotional outbreaks. They were more contained than most Taengeans, but if there was any time for an Athenian to cry, Dorothea supposed this would be it. Persephone had suffered unthinkable losses and to not express any emotion would have been more concerning.
And so, she kept a gentle grip around the woman, watching for any sign that Persephone wanted to break away and have her own space. Dorothea didn’t mind that the hug wasn’t reciprocated. It wasn’t for her; she was lending her support without any expectation of anything in return. She focused on pouring all of her positive energy and love into Persephone, knowing that it could only do so much, but hoped it would help in some small way.
As they sat on the bench, Dorothea looked out upon the gardens, marveling that such a beauty could exist in the wake of grief. She had remembered thinking as much when her mother died. How could the world keep moving when it felt as though it had ended? How could the seasons continue to change and the flowers bloom when the one she loved was no longer there to see it? Time had begun to heal those wounds, but there wasn’t a season when Dorothea wondered what her mother would have thought or felt about the passage of time. Would she be proud of her or disappointed that she hadn’t managed to marry? Although Gavriil’s love and guidance had always been enough, there was a part of her that questioned what her mother would think. Growing up with only men for role models had been good in some ways, but there had been plenty of times when she wished for a mother’s love. Although she was not Alexa’s mother, she hoped she could provide some of that feminine comfort that had been missing from her own childhood.
Although she was focused on her own thoughts, Dorothea hadn’t let herself get too distracted from Persephone, wanting to be attentive, but not more invasive than she already was. As the woman straightened, Dorothea withdrew her arm from around the queen and folded her hands in her lap, giving her as much privacy as she could in the moment to collect herself. When Persephone finally spoke, Dorothea glanced at her, her face a neutral, but sympathetic mask.
She raised her brows slightly at the queen’s admittance, but found herself in disagreement with her words. Useless? No. From what Dorothea understood, the queen was quite capable and had argued for her own right to rule, despite being a woman. Dorothea rather admired the woman, if she was being honest. Perhaps her behavior thus far had been a little unorthodox, but there was no normalcy in grief.
“No,” Dorothea replied, voicing her thoughts. “I don’t believe we are under that impression. Even my father, no matter what he might do or say. We are no stranger to grief here, yet even we have not endured what you have.” She turned more, giving Persephone a smile. “You are new here yet. There will be plenty of nights for you to prove that last night was not normal. Even so, you have managed to help run a kingdom capably for some time. We have heard of you, your majesty. Do not believe that we had sent Iason off with no idea of who he was to marry.”
She paused, wondering what to say on the subject of her brother. She would protect him no matter what, if she could, but there was potential for Persephone to threaten that. So far, she had found herself liking the woman, but her brother would always come first. Finally, she decided upon, “We just wish to see Iason safe and happy, that’s all. If he has chosen you, then I trust his reasons for doing so.”
The woman who sat beside Persephone was mature for her age. Whilst the girl was only a year older than Persephone, she knew herself to be of this classification also. Her company, since the age of twelve, had always been that of women substantially older than herself. Women who were already experienced in Court and in handles the men of the Senate. It was these women that she had mimicked, learnt from and adopted as her models of behaviour. Not to mention the fact that, as eldest daughter of a king who respected learning and academia, Persephone was far more educated than a woman of her rank and background would normally be. Whilst she might have been trussed up and beautified in the same way others of her stature were, Persephone was woken early and kept up late every day of her teenage years in order to accomplish both the feminine tasks of being visually appropriate as well as the learning of the mind. As such, she was far more mature than your average twenty-two-year-old. It appeared that the Lady Dorothea had had a similar upbringing. Perhaps not in the same elements or in the same way. But it would seem that she was far more level headed than most of the women Persephone had met at her own age. Which meant that the Lady Dorothea was rapidly forming an impression in Persephone's mind as someone who might be that which she had never had - a true friend.
The displays of maturity were simply that of knowing when to offer support, when to allow Persephone her own space to compose herself and rein in her grief once more - a feeling that she knew wouldn't be gone for many years but needed to be handled and displayed only in the right moments. The Lady Dorothea was accommodating of all this and then still attentive when Persephone spoke and considerate of her ideas and thoughts as she polite refuted them.
Persephone found herself watching the girl in curiosity as to her responses. She then offered a soft and small smile that was almost humorous.
"I almost fear to ask the reputation that follows me overseas." Persephone commented. "But you clearly love your brother so perhaps I should assume it to be flattering if you had sent him willing to my court." Persephone rolled her hands together a little, cleaning them of the tears she had wiped from her face, hoping that she was once more presentable. "I have yet to speak with your father, but he would have every right to turn me from your hospitality after last night." She commented with a calming exhale as she surveyed the flowers before them. "But, should he allow me to stay, I shall endeavour to prove the normalcy of my evenings, as you say." She flashed a quick smile at the girl beside her.
When the topic came around to Lord Iason, Persephone felt the Lady Dorothea's gaze become sharper, more passionate. Rather than making conversation or offering alternative perspectives of the world, this was clearly a topic that Dorothea was intent upon and eager for information regarding. Persephone felt her stomach tightened and her throat go dry as she wondered what she was supposed to tell the girl. That Iason had renewed his intention to marry her last night? That she had agreed to it? That she had done so, knowing that as an exiled Queen she offered Dorothea's brother nothing. Not even a dowry or family name to be connected with? The union that Iason had declared he so wanted was nothing by degrading for him and Persephone had no idea how his family would react to that. And... it was childish but... she so desperately wished that these generous people might like her.
Deciding that it would be inappropriate to speak with Dorothea regarding the engagement until Iason had spoken with his father (which she suspected he was doing right now and Persephone had now wish to consider that conversation until she knew its outcome) Persephone simply stated truth without detail.
"Whether your brother wishes to choose me or not, my Lady, I can promise you that safety and happiness are all I wish for him also." And then she smiled, in the hopes of proving her words genuine.
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The woman who sat beside Persephone was mature for her age. Whilst the girl was only a year older than Persephone, she knew herself to be of this classification also. Her company, since the age of twelve, had always been that of women substantially older than herself. Women who were already experienced in Court and in handles the men of the Senate. It was these women that she had mimicked, learnt from and adopted as her models of behaviour. Not to mention the fact that, as eldest daughter of a king who respected learning and academia, Persephone was far more educated than a woman of her rank and background would normally be. Whilst she might have been trussed up and beautified in the same way others of her stature were, Persephone was woken early and kept up late every day of her teenage years in order to accomplish both the feminine tasks of being visually appropriate as well as the learning of the mind. As such, she was far more mature than your average twenty-two-year-old. It appeared that the Lady Dorothea had had a similar upbringing. Perhaps not in the same elements or in the same way. But it would seem that she was far more level headed than most of the women Persephone had met at her own age. Which meant that the Lady Dorothea was rapidly forming an impression in Persephone's mind as someone who might be that which she had never had - a true friend.
The displays of maturity were simply that of knowing when to offer support, when to allow Persephone her own space to compose herself and rein in her grief once more - a feeling that she knew wouldn't be gone for many years but needed to be handled and displayed only in the right moments. The Lady Dorothea was accommodating of all this and then still attentive when Persephone spoke and considerate of her ideas and thoughts as she polite refuted them.
Persephone found herself watching the girl in curiosity as to her responses. She then offered a soft and small smile that was almost humorous.
"I almost fear to ask the reputation that follows me overseas." Persephone commented. "But you clearly love your brother so perhaps I should assume it to be flattering if you had sent him willing to my court." Persephone rolled her hands together a little, cleaning them of the tears she had wiped from her face, hoping that she was once more presentable. "I have yet to speak with your father, but he would have every right to turn me from your hospitality after last night." She commented with a calming exhale as she surveyed the flowers before them. "But, should he allow me to stay, I shall endeavour to prove the normalcy of my evenings, as you say." She flashed a quick smile at the girl beside her.
When the topic came around to Lord Iason, Persephone felt the Lady Dorothea's gaze become sharper, more passionate. Rather than making conversation or offering alternative perspectives of the world, this was clearly a topic that Dorothea was intent upon and eager for information regarding. Persephone felt her stomach tightened and her throat go dry as she wondered what she was supposed to tell the girl. That Iason had renewed his intention to marry her last night? That she had agreed to it? That she had done so, knowing that as an exiled Queen she offered Dorothea's brother nothing. Not even a dowry or family name to be connected with? The union that Iason had declared he so wanted was nothing by degrading for him and Persephone had no idea how his family would react to that. And... it was childish but... she so desperately wished that these generous people might like her.
Deciding that it would be inappropriate to speak with Dorothea regarding the engagement until Iason had spoken with his father (which she suspected he was doing right now and Persephone had now wish to consider that conversation until she knew its outcome) Persephone simply stated truth without detail.
"Whether your brother wishes to choose me or not, my Lady, I can promise you that safety and happiness are all I wish for him also." And then she smiled, in the hopes of proving her words genuine.
The woman who sat beside Persephone was mature for her age. Whilst the girl was only a year older than Persephone, she knew herself to be of this classification also. Her company, since the age of twelve, had always been that of women substantially older than herself. Women who were already experienced in Court and in handles the men of the Senate. It was these women that she had mimicked, learnt from and adopted as her models of behaviour. Not to mention the fact that, as eldest daughter of a king who respected learning and academia, Persephone was far more educated than a woman of her rank and background would normally be. Whilst she might have been trussed up and beautified in the same way others of her stature were, Persephone was woken early and kept up late every day of her teenage years in order to accomplish both the feminine tasks of being visually appropriate as well as the learning of the mind. As such, she was far more mature than your average twenty-two-year-old. It appeared that the Lady Dorothea had had a similar upbringing. Perhaps not in the same elements or in the same way. But it would seem that she was far more level headed than most of the women Persephone had met at her own age. Which meant that the Lady Dorothea was rapidly forming an impression in Persephone's mind as someone who might be that which she had never had - a true friend.
The displays of maturity were simply that of knowing when to offer support, when to allow Persephone her own space to compose herself and rein in her grief once more - a feeling that she knew wouldn't be gone for many years but needed to be handled and displayed only in the right moments. The Lady Dorothea was accommodating of all this and then still attentive when Persephone spoke and considerate of her ideas and thoughts as she polite refuted them.
Persephone found herself watching the girl in curiosity as to her responses. She then offered a soft and small smile that was almost humorous.
"I almost fear to ask the reputation that follows me overseas." Persephone commented. "But you clearly love your brother so perhaps I should assume it to be flattering if you had sent him willing to my court." Persephone rolled her hands together a little, cleaning them of the tears she had wiped from her face, hoping that she was once more presentable. "I have yet to speak with your father, but he would have every right to turn me from your hospitality after last night." She commented with a calming exhale as she surveyed the flowers before them. "But, should he allow me to stay, I shall endeavour to prove the normalcy of my evenings, as you say." She flashed a quick smile at the girl beside her.
When the topic came around to Lord Iason, Persephone felt the Lady Dorothea's gaze become sharper, more passionate. Rather than making conversation or offering alternative perspectives of the world, this was clearly a topic that Dorothea was intent upon and eager for information regarding. Persephone felt her stomach tightened and her throat go dry as she wondered what she was supposed to tell the girl. That Iason had renewed his intention to marry her last night? That she had agreed to it? That she had done so, knowing that as an exiled Queen she offered Dorothea's brother nothing. Not even a dowry or family name to be connected with? The union that Iason had declared he so wanted was nothing by degrading for him and Persephone had no idea how his family would react to that. And... it was childish but... she so desperately wished that these generous people might like her.
Deciding that it would be inappropriate to speak with Dorothea regarding the engagement until Iason had spoken with his father (which she suspected he was doing right now and Persephone had now wish to consider that conversation until she knew its outcome) Persephone simply stated truth without detail.
"Whether your brother wishes to choose me or not, my Lady, I can promise you that safety and happiness are all I wish for him also." And then she smiled, in the hopes of proving her words genuine.
Just two days ago, Dorothea never would have imagined that she would have been speaking to the Queen of Athenia. Perhaps because she hadn’t believed there to be a Queen of Athenia, but also because she hadn’t expected Persephone to be at their doorstep. It was an odd twist of fate and one that had left one of the two women devastated. All things considered, Persephone was handling everything rather well. Aside from the night before, of course. However, Dorothea was quickly realizing that seemed to be rather out of character for the woman. If it had been in character, surely that would have been made some sort gossip even in Taengea.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Dorothea returned, commenting on Persephone’s statement. “Though perhaps I’m being too generous when I say that I had any input whether or not Iason left us. He makes his own decisions most of the time.” Pappa made the rest. Although Dorothea had essentially been the lady of the house for most of her life, she did not hold equal rank when it came to making such decisions. At least about Iason. She had so far succeeded in convincing her father that she needn’t be married off. And she suspected that she would have a rather influential voice when it came to Alexa’s future plans.
“Please,” Dorothea said, shaking her head slightly at Persephone’s second comment. She laid her hands gently upon the other woman’s, offering reassurance. “My father is a quiet man and can be hard to read at first. But he cares greatly for others. He won’t turn you away.” She was confident in that fact, but on the off chance that she was wrong, she knew that both she and her brother would talk sense into him. Dorothea wondered if she should prepare Persephone in some way for her conversation with Gavriil, but wasn’t entirely sure what to say. She was uncertain how he would react, even though she was confident he wouldn’t ask her to leave. After a moment, she settled on saying nothing, trusting that Persephone would be able to handle herself no matter what Gavriil threw at her. The woman was a queen, after all. She could deal with gruff old men like her father. Even though Gavriil had a heart of gold. He was far from the courtiers she was probably used to dealing with.
Dorothea examined Persephone carefully as the topic turned to her brother. The woman would have dearly loved to pump her new friend for all the information regarding Iason and their relationship, but was tactful enough to realize that now was not the time for that. Things were likely still too new between the two of them. So many things had changed for them recently. One such thing was that they were here when she was clearly the queen of another country. How that would effect their relationship, Dorothea could only begin to guess. She was far more ready to draw all of the details from Iason than Persephone, as they still had so much to learn about each other. Yet, she was curious about what the other woman had to say. Perhaps she could still offer some hints.
The young woman was only mildly satisfied by Persephone’s answer, sensing something more was hiding beneath her answer. What that could be, Dorothea had a million guesses. She would have to be patient and wait it out. Although, patience was not always her strong suit. However, Persephone had satisfied at least one question. Though, Doro was sure the woman wouldn’t be so cold as to show a lack of care towards Iason in front of his sister.
She smiled at Persephone. “Well, I am very glad to hear that. And it seems to me that he wishes the same for you. I haven’t had a moment to say more than a few words to him, but I can tell by how he looks at you. He’s very lucky to have found you, although all of this was rather planned.” Seeing the two of them happy together was already one of Dorothea’s greatest wishes.
The two women sat in silence for a few minutes, looking at the gardens. Finally, Dorothea said, “My mother planted many of these flowers. Over ten years later and many return to us every year. Our lands are very prosperous.” She turned towards Persephone. “I promised you a tour, your majesty. Would you care to see more?”
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Just two days ago, Dorothea never would have imagined that she would have been speaking to the Queen of Athenia. Perhaps because she hadn’t believed there to be a Queen of Athenia, but also because she hadn’t expected Persephone to be at their doorstep. It was an odd twist of fate and one that had left one of the two women devastated. All things considered, Persephone was handling everything rather well. Aside from the night before, of course. However, Dorothea was quickly realizing that seemed to be rather out of character for the woman. If it had been in character, surely that would have been made some sort gossip even in Taengea.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Dorothea returned, commenting on Persephone’s statement. “Though perhaps I’m being too generous when I say that I had any input whether or not Iason left us. He makes his own decisions most of the time.” Pappa made the rest. Although Dorothea had essentially been the lady of the house for most of her life, she did not hold equal rank when it came to making such decisions. At least about Iason. She had so far succeeded in convincing her father that she needn’t be married off. And she suspected that she would have a rather influential voice when it came to Alexa’s future plans.
“Please,” Dorothea said, shaking her head slightly at Persephone’s second comment. She laid her hands gently upon the other woman’s, offering reassurance. “My father is a quiet man and can be hard to read at first. But he cares greatly for others. He won’t turn you away.” She was confident in that fact, but on the off chance that she was wrong, she knew that both she and her brother would talk sense into him. Dorothea wondered if she should prepare Persephone in some way for her conversation with Gavriil, but wasn’t entirely sure what to say. She was uncertain how he would react, even though she was confident he wouldn’t ask her to leave. After a moment, she settled on saying nothing, trusting that Persephone would be able to handle herself no matter what Gavriil threw at her. The woman was a queen, after all. She could deal with gruff old men like her father. Even though Gavriil had a heart of gold. He was far from the courtiers she was probably used to dealing with.
Dorothea examined Persephone carefully as the topic turned to her brother. The woman would have dearly loved to pump her new friend for all the information regarding Iason and their relationship, but was tactful enough to realize that now was not the time for that. Things were likely still too new between the two of them. So many things had changed for them recently. One such thing was that they were here when she was clearly the queen of another country. How that would effect their relationship, Dorothea could only begin to guess. She was far more ready to draw all of the details from Iason than Persephone, as they still had so much to learn about each other. Yet, she was curious about what the other woman had to say. Perhaps she could still offer some hints.
The young woman was only mildly satisfied by Persephone’s answer, sensing something more was hiding beneath her answer. What that could be, Dorothea had a million guesses. She would have to be patient and wait it out. Although, patience was not always her strong suit. However, Persephone had satisfied at least one question. Though, Doro was sure the woman wouldn’t be so cold as to show a lack of care towards Iason in front of his sister.
She smiled at Persephone. “Well, I am very glad to hear that. And it seems to me that he wishes the same for you. I haven’t had a moment to say more than a few words to him, but I can tell by how he looks at you. He’s very lucky to have found you, although all of this was rather planned.” Seeing the two of them happy together was already one of Dorothea’s greatest wishes.
The two women sat in silence for a few minutes, looking at the gardens. Finally, Dorothea said, “My mother planted many of these flowers. Over ten years later and many return to us every year. Our lands are very prosperous.” She turned towards Persephone. “I promised you a tour, your majesty. Would you care to see more?”
Just two days ago, Dorothea never would have imagined that she would have been speaking to the Queen of Athenia. Perhaps because she hadn’t believed there to be a Queen of Athenia, but also because she hadn’t expected Persephone to be at their doorstep. It was an odd twist of fate and one that had left one of the two women devastated. All things considered, Persephone was handling everything rather well. Aside from the night before, of course. However, Dorothea was quickly realizing that seemed to be rather out of character for the woman. If it had been in character, surely that would have been made some sort gossip even in Taengea.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Dorothea returned, commenting on Persephone’s statement. “Though perhaps I’m being too generous when I say that I had any input whether or not Iason left us. He makes his own decisions most of the time.” Pappa made the rest. Although Dorothea had essentially been the lady of the house for most of her life, she did not hold equal rank when it came to making such decisions. At least about Iason. She had so far succeeded in convincing her father that she needn’t be married off. And she suspected that she would have a rather influential voice when it came to Alexa’s future plans.
“Please,” Dorothea said, shaking her head slightly at Persephone’s second comment. She laid her hands gently upon the other woman’s, offering reassurance. “My father is a quiet man and can be hard to read at first. But he cares greatly for others. He won’t turn you away.” She was confident in that fact, but on the off chance that she was wrong, she knew that both she and her brother would talk sense into him. Dorothea wondered if she should prepare Persephone in some way for her conversation with Gavriil, but wasn’t entirely sure what to say. She was uncertain how he would react, even though she was confident he wouldn’t ask her to leave. After a moment, she settled on saying nothing, trusting that Persephone would be able to handle herself no matter what Gavriil threw at her. The woman was a queen, after all. She could deal with gruff old men like her father. Even though Gavriil had a heart of gold. He was far from the courtiers she was probably used to dealing with.
Dorothea examined Persephone carefully as the topic turned to her brother. The woman would have dearly loved to pump her new friend for all the information regarding Iason and their relationship, but was tactful enough to realize that now was not the time for that. Things were likely still too new between the two of them. So many things had changed for them recently. One such thing was that they were here when she was clearly the queen of another country. How that would effect their relationship, Dorothea could only begin to guess. She was far more ready to draw all of the details from Iason than Persephone, as they still had so much to learn about each other. Yet, she was curious about what the other woman had to say. Perhaps she could still offer some hints.
The young woman was only mildly satisfied by Persephone’s answer, sensing something more was hiding beneath her answer. What that could be, Dorothea had a million guesses. She would have to be patient and wait it out. Although, patience was not always her strong suit. However, Persephone had satisfied at least one question. Though, Doro was sure the woman wouldn’t be so cold as to show a lack of care towards Iason in front of his sister.
She smiled at Persephone. “Well, I am very glad to hear that. And it seems to me that he wishes the same for you. I haven’t had a moment to say more than a few words to him, but I can tell by how he looks at you. He’s very lucky to have found you, although all of this was rather planned.” Seeing the two of them happy together was already one of Dorothea’s greatest wishes.
The two women sat in silence for a few minutes, looking at the gardens. Finally, Dorothea said, “My mother planted many of these flowers. Over ten years later and many return to us every year. Our lands are very prosperous.” She turned towards Persephone. “I promised you a tour, your majesty. Would you care to see more?”
Persephone's air left her lungs in a little gust of amusement when Dorothea voiced that, perhaps, she was giving herself too much credit to suppose that she held any sway over her brother's decisions. Persephone couldn't help but feel the exact opposite. In all she had seen of Iason, he seemed to make every decision with an air of self-sacrifice, naturally putting the thoughts and needs of others above his own personal concerns. His very willingness to attend to Athenia for an arranged marriage that would secure a great boon for his family despite his hopes for a romantic future with his prospective wife was proof of that. Persephone strongly suspected that if Dorothea made it clear to her brother that a decision that he was set to make would hinder her or upset her greatly, he would immediately change the plan to avoid the damage done to his beloved sister. Strange how family saw it so differently. Persephone was certain she had made several decisions with Emilia's best interests at heart and yet the young girl had been against the choice itself.
The thought of Emilia had Persephone's heart tighten painfully and she turned away from the memories as quickly as possible. She did not need to be breaking down into tears for a second time in front of the woman beside her. Once was inappropriate but excusable under the circumstances. Twice would be unrecoverable from.
When the Lady Dorothea mentioned that she believed it to be an impossibility that Lord Gavriil would wish to turn Persephone from his home, regardless of her behaviour, Persephone was fairly certain that she agreed with the girl. Given the man's reputation, the few exchanges she had had with the Head of Dimitrou and the way in which Iason mimicked several such traits and she could never imagine the son behaving in the way she might fear the father to... collaboratively, such experiences gave Persephone fair confidence that she was not about to be turned from the manor. But she suspected that that would have more to do with Gavriil's personal code of ethics than it would any kind of friendship or liking of her as an individual. And, given that she had now agreed to be Iason's wife, she would have preferred that her allowance of home would be given with the latter as motivation over the former. After her embarrassing display the previous night, however, she was unfair to expect anything else. She would have to be happy with what the Lord was willing to bestow as far as good favour went.
Persephone felt a heat creep in over her cheekbones when Dorothea offered her an observation over Iason's attentions to her and his level of concern and wishes for her and her future. She glanced at the sister when she mentioned the brother's manner of looking at her, his emotions apparently in his eyes. As Persephone had struggled to bring herself to look at Iason in public settings since they had arrived in Meganea, Persephone wasn't sure she could confirm such glances. She looked away again when given credit of being a good influence in Iason's life, their meeting dubbed as lucky. She wasn't sure what to say in regards to this for she, personally, felt that she had brought nothing by difficulty and grief to Iason's world and family. But to say so out loud felt gauche and awkward. Instead, she simply nodded shortly and offered a small smile to the girl in thanks for her flattering assessment of the circumstances.
When the Lady Dorothea allowed the conversation to fall into a not uncomfortable silence, Persephone found herself looking out across the gardens, the breeze tugging at her braided hair and her inner emotions slowly seeming to cool and calm back into their natural equilibrium.
As if sensing the change and the direction of Persephone's gaze, Dorothea spoke up once more and commented on the flowers that her mother had planted so long ago that continued to bloom and grow every year. She smiled.
"It must be wonderful to have such a reminder of your mother year upon year." She told the girl, before nodding at the girl's suggestion for a tour.
Walking beside one another, naturally linking arms this time - as if the moment on the bench had crossed a boundary between the two of them and brought them closer, Persephone was genuinely interested in the flora and plant life that the Dimitrou gardens housed and listened carefully as Dorothea spoke of the species and their hardiness; their determination to grow bright, vivid and lush every year.
"I think your gardens are very appropriate to the Dimitrou House." Persephone commented after a moment, pausing to stroke the long and glossy leaf of one of the plants, its texture smooth and soft. She glanced at Dorothea, hoping her next words would not cross some boundary given that - with the arrangement between herself and Iason - Persephone was already highly aware of the inner workings and finances of the Dimitrou home, even if she was new to the people and residence. "I feel like the Dimitrou name has taken some difficult winters in the past." She offered a strong smile emblazed with respect... "... and yet comes back still stronger every year...?"
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Persephone's air left her lungs in a little gust of amusement when Dorothea voiced that, perhaps, she was giving herself too much credit to suppose that she held any sway over her brother's decisions. Persephone couldn't help but feel the exact opposite. In all she had seen of Iason, he seemed to make every decision with an air of self-sacrifice, naturally putting the thoughts and needs of others above his own personal concerns. His very willingness to attend to Athenia for an arranged marriage that would secure a great boon for his family despite his hopes for a romantic future with his prospective wife was proof of that. Persephone strongly suspected that if Dorothea made it clear to her brother that a decision that he was set to make would hinder her or upset her greatly, he would immediately change the plan to avoid the damage done to his beloved sister. Strange how family saw it so differently. Persephone was certain she had made several decisions with Emilia's best interests at heart and yet the young girl had been against the choice itself.
The thought of Emilia had Persephone's heart tighten painfully and she turned away from the memories as quickly as possible. She did not need to be breaking down into tears for a second time in front of the woman beside her. Once was inappropriate but excusable under the circumstances. Twice would be unrecoverable from.
When the Lady Dorothea mentioned that she believed it to be an impossibility that Lord Gavriil would wish to turn Persephone from his home, regardless of her behaviour, Persephone was fairly certain that she agreed with the girl. Given the man's reputation, the few exchanges she had had with the Head of Dimitrou and the way in which Iason mimicked several such traits and she could never imagine the son behaving in the way she might fear the father to... collaboratively, such experiences gave Persephone fair confidence that she was not about to be turned from the manor. But she suspected that that would have more to do with Gavriil's personal code of ethics than it would any kind of friendship or liking of her as an individual. And, given that she had now agreed to be Iason's wife, she would have preferred that her allowance of home would be given with the latter as motivation over the former. After her embarrassing display the previous night, however, she was unfair to expect anything else. She would have to be happy with what the Lord was willing to bestow as far as good favour went.
Persephone felt a heat creep in over her cheekbones when Dorothea offered her an observation over Iason's attentions to her and his level of concern and wishes for her and her future. She glanced at the sister when she mentioned the brother's manner of looking at her, his emotions apparently in his eyes. As Persephone had struggled to bring herself to look at Iason in public settings since they had arrived in Meganea, Persephone wasn't sure she could confirm such glances. She looked away again when given credit of being a good influence in Iason's life, their meeting dubbed as lucky. She wasn't sure what to say in regards to this for she, personally, felt that she had brought nothing by difficulty and grief to Iason's world and family. But to say so out loud felt gauche and awkward. Instead, she simply nodded shortly and offered a small smile to the girl in thanks for her flattering assessment of the circumstances.
When the Lady Dorothea allowed the conversation to fall into a not uncomfortable silence, Persephone found herself looking out across the gardens, the breeze tugging at her braided hair and her inner emotions slowly seeming to cool and calm back into their natural equilibrium.
As if sensing the change and the direction of Persephone's gaze, Dorothea spoke up once more and commented on the flowers that her mother had planted so long ago that continued to bloom and grow every year. She smiled.
"It must be wonderful to have such a reminder of your mother year upon year." She told the girl, before nodding at the girl's suggestion for a tour.
Walking beside one another, naturally linking arms this time - as if the moment on the bench had crossed a boundary between the two of them and brought them closer, Persephone was genuinely interested in the flora and plant life that the Dimitrou gardens housed and listened carefully as Dorothea spoke of the species and their hardiness; their determination to grow bright, vivid and lush every year.
"I think your gardens are very appropriate to the Dimitrou House." Persephone commented after a moment, pausing to stroke the long and glossy leaf of one of the plants, its texture smooth and soft. She glanced at Dorothea, hoping her next words would not cross some boundary given that - with the arrangement between herself and Iason - Persephone was already highly aware of the inner workings and finances of the Dimitrou home, even if she was new to the people and residence. "I feel like the Dimitrou name has taken some difficult winters in the past." She offered a strong smile emblazed with respect... "... and yet comes back still stronger every year...?"
Persephone's air left her lungs in a little gust of amusement when Dorothea voiced that, perhaps, she was giving herself too much credit to suppose that she held any sway over her brother's decisions. Persephone couldn't help but feel the exact opposite. In all she had seen of Iason, he seemed to make every decision with an air of self-sacrifice, naturally putting the thoughts and needs of others above his own personal concerns. His very willingness to attend to Athenia for an arranged marriage that would secure a great boon for his family despite his hopes for a romantic future with his prospective wife was proof of that. Persephone strongly suspected that if Dorothea made it clear to her brother that a decision that he was set to make would hinder her or upset her greatly, he would immediately change the plan to avoid the damage done to his beloved sister. Strange how family saw it so differently. Persephone was certain she had made several decisions with Emilia's best interests at heart and yet the young girl had been against the choice itself.
The thought of Emilia had Persephone's heart tighten painfully and she turned away from the memories as quickly as possible. She did not need to be breaking down into tears for a second time in front of the woman beside her. Once was inappropriate but excusable under the circumstances. Twice would be unrecoverable from.
When the Lady Dorothea mentioned that she believed it to be an impossibility that Lord Gavriil would wish to turn Persephone from his home, regardless of her behaviour, Persephone was fairly certain that she agreed with the girl. Given the man's reputation, the few exchanges she had had with the Head of Dimitrou and the way in which Iason mimicked several such traits and she could never imagine the son behaving in the way she might fear the father to... collaboratively, such experiences gave Persephone fair confidence that she was not about to be turned from the manor. But she suspected that that would have more to do with Gavriil's personal code of ethics than it would any kind of friendship or liking of her as an individual. And, given that she had now agreed to be Iason's wife, she would have preferred that her allowance of home would be given with the latter as motivation over the former. After her embarrassing display the previous night, however, she was unfair to expect anything else. She would have to be happy with what the Lord was willing to bestow as far as good favour went.
Persephone felt a heat creep in over her cheekbones when Dorothea offered her an observation over Iason's attentions to her and his level of concern and wishes for her and her future. She glanced at the sister when she mentioned the brother's manner of looking at her, his emotions apparently in his eyes. As Persephone had struggled to bring herself to look at Iason in public settings since they had arrived in Meganea, Persephone wasn't sure she could confirm such glances. She looked away again when given credit of being a good influence in Iason's life, their meeting dubbed as lucky. She wasn't sure what to say in regards to this for she, personally, felt that she had brought nothing by difficulty and grief to Iason's world and family. But to say so out loud felt gauche and awkward. Instead, she simply nodded shortly and offered a small smile to the girl in thanks for her flattering assessment of the circumstances.
When the Lady Dorothea allowed the conversation to fall into a not uncomfortable silence, Persephone found herself looking out across the gardens, the breeze tugging at her braided hair and her inner emotions slowly seeming to cool and calm back into their natural equilibrium.
As if sensing the change and the direction of Persephone's gaze, Dorothea spoke up once more and commented on the flowers that her mother had planted so long ago that continued to bloom and grow every year. She smiled.
"It must be wonderful to have such a reminder of your mother year upon year." She told the girl, before nodding at the girl's suggestion for a tour.
Walking beside one another, naturally linking arms this time - as if the moment on the bench had crossed a boundary between the two of them and brought them closer, Persephone was genuinely interested in the flora and plant life that the Dimitrou gardens housed and listened carefully as Dorothea spoke of the species and their hardiness; their determination to grow bright, vivid and lush every year.
"I think your gardens are very appropriate to the Dimitrou House." Persephone commented after a moment, pausing to stroke the long and glossy leaf of one of the plants, its texture smooth and soft. She glanced at Dorothea, hoping her next words would not cross some boundary given that - with the arrangement between herself and Iason - Persephone was already highly aware of the inner workings and finances of the Dimitrou home, even if she was new to the people and residence. "I feel like the Dimitrou name has taken some difficult winters in the past." She offered a strong smile emblazed with respect... "... and yet comes back still stronger every year...?"
Dorothea gave Persephone a wry smile when the queen remarked upon her reputation. Of course, she could not be truly surprised to find that she had one, even in Taengea. Most nobles did and royals were not an exception. However, she was right. They would not send Iason to meet his doom, even if he thought it was the best thing to do. Not that Dorothea pretended to have much of a decision in the matter. She was not part of the head of household, despite her status as the eldest female. However, she had never been afraid of making her opinion known around their home. These were people she cared about, after all.
“Despite all appearances, we do care for Iason very much,” she joked, smiling. Dorothea was fairly certain that they were one of the more affectionate families, especially when within the confines of their own estate. There was nothing to stop her from tackling either of her siblings when she saw them. Especially a brother that she considered to be lost to them for a time. It was refreshing to have him home.
“But truly,” she assured Persephone again, “My father may appear stern, but he has a soft heart. He will not turn you away. Though he may give you a lecture. I’m sure you’ve faced worse.” Dorothea hoped that she was the slightest bit reassuring. There were several people in the household that didn’t wish to see Persephone kicked out and there was no doubt that her father would go so far, no matter how displeased he was.
There were times when Dorothea wished for a moment that she could know what it was like between a man and a woman -- to have an intimate connection with another being like that. Then, perhaps, she could begin to understand some of what was passing through Persephone’s mind. Of course, she had read some on the matter, but this was one topic she believed that it was truly better to experience it than to read about it. Then, she would really understand. Still, she would support these two people who were important in her life.
“I wish every happiness for you too, Persephone. You do deserve it.” Dorothea meant it sincerely and hoped that those words would make some small difference to her new friend. They sat quietly for another moment, Dorothea not wanting to rush the royal on or into any more feelings she wasn’t ready to have.
Finally, she asked, “Are there any questions I can answer for you? I have quite a knowledge of our estate, our family, and most things Iason. What can I do to orient you to your stay?”
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Dorothea gave Persephone a wry smile when the queen remarked upon her reputation. Of course, she could not be truly surprised to find that she had one, even in Taengea. Most nobles did and royals were not an exception. However, she was right. They would not send Iason to meet his doom, even if he thought it was the best thing to do. Not that Dorothea pretended to have much of a decision in the matter. She was not part of the head of household, despite her status as the eldest female. However, she had never been afraid of making her opinion known around their home. These were people she cared about, after all.
“Despite all appearances, we do care for Iason very much,” she joked, smiling. Dorothea was fairly certain that they were one of the more affectionate families, especially when within the confines of their own estate. There was nothing to stop her from tackling either of her siblings when she saw them. Especially a brother that she considered to be lost to them for a time. It was refreshing to have him home.
“But truly,” she assured Persephone again, “My father may appear stern, but he has a soft heart. He will not turn you away. Though he may give you a lecture. I’m sure you’ve faced worse.” Dorothea hoped that she was the slightest bit reassuring. There were several people in the household that didn’t wish to see Persephone kicked out and there was no doubt that her father would go so far, no matter how displeased he was.
There were times when Dorothea wished for a moment that she could know what it was like between a man and a woman -- to have an intimate connection with another being like that. Then, perhaps, she could begin to understand some of what was passing through Persephone’s mind. Of course, she had read some on the matter, but this was one topic she believed that it was truly better to experience it than to read about it. Then, she would really understand. Still, she would support these two people who were important in her life.
“I wish every happiness for you too, Persephone. You do deserve it.” Dorothea meant it sincerely and hoped that those words would make some small difference to her new friend. They sat quietly for another moment, Dorothea not wanting to rush the royal on or into any more feelings she wasn’t ready to have.
Finally, she asked, “Are there any questions I can answer for you? I have quite a knowledge of our estate, our family, and most things Iason. What can I do to orient you to your stay?”
Dorothea gave Persephone a wry smile when the queen remarked upon her reputation. Of course, she could not be truly surprised to find that she had one, even in Taengea. Most nobles did and royals were not an exception. However, she was right. They would not send Iason to meet his doom, even if he thought it was the best thing to do. Not that Dorothea pretended to have much of a decision in the matter. She was not part of the head of household, despite her status as the eldest female. However, she had never been afraid of making her opinion known around their home. These were people she cared about, after all.
“Despite all appearances, we do care for Iason very much,” she joked, smiling. Dorothea was fairly certain that they were one of the more affectionate families, especially when within the confines of their own estate. There was nothing to stop her from tackling either of her siblings when she saw them. Especially a brother that she considered to be lost to them for a time. It was refreshing to have him home.
“But truly,” she assured Persephone again, “My father may appear stern, but he has a soft heart. He will not turn you away. Though he may give you a lecture. I’m sure you’ve faced worse.” Dorothea hoped that she was the slightest bit reassuring. There were several people in the household that didn’t wish to see Persephone kicked out and there was no doubt that her father would go so far, no matter how displeased he was.
There were times when Dorothea wished for a moment that she could know what it was like between a man and a woman -- to have an intimate connection with another being like that. Then, perhaps, she could begin to understand some of what was passing through Persephone’s mind. Of course, she had read some on the matter, but this was one topic she believed that it was truly better to experience it than to read about it. Then, she would really understand. Still, she would support these two people who were important in her life.
“I wish every happiness for you too, Persephone. You do deserve it.” Dorothea meant it sincerely and hoped that those words would make some small difference to her new friend. They sat quietly for another moment, Dorothea not wanting to rush the royal on or into any more feelings she wasn’t ready to have.
Finally, she asked, “Are there any questions I can answer for you? I have quite a knowledge of our estate, our family, and most things Iason. What can I do to orient you to your stay?”
Persephone felt herself becoming more and more in love with the family and lands that had revealed themselves to her over the course of her, so far, short stay. Whilst the two families of Xanthos and Dimitrou were so entirely different in circumstance - one Athenian, on Taengean, one rich, the other on harder times, one new to the line of royalty and the other one of the longest serving bloodlines in existence... When it came down to the actual people, they are not dissimilar at all. Raised by a single man, two daughters - with the addition of a son to the Dimitrou name - on a manner that put family before royalty... There was an intense love and devotion in both families that was rare in noble dynasties.
The only difference appeared to be the singular existence of Iason. With no son in the Xanthos line, the role Persephone was to play as Princess and possibly future Queen had always been a responsibility that weighed far heavier than it might on say Dorothea, who held the shield that was a male heir, protecting her freedom as an individual, separate from her role as a Lady.
Looking out across the grounds when Dorothea offered to help her in whatever she wished, Persephone smiled and her lower lip naturally tucked in beneath her teeth as an idea bloomed.
"I feel it might be arrogant to suggest that I already know a lot of the lands and estates of your home." She said, glancing at the girl. She had a good memory for homes and corridors - had to when she was raised in a palace five times the size of the Dimitrou estate, and the similarities between their families meant that she was getting to know the people as if she had always known them.
Yet, she and Iason had recently come to the agreement that she would marry him. That she would stay in Taengea and become baroness of his lands and mother of his children. If she was to do that... then there were certain skills that she would need to add to her talents. For fancy linguistics and courtly intrigue would be of no use to her in the rural estates of Chaoedia and Meganea...
Persephone looked around at the girl beside her, wondering how her next request would go down...
"Would you teach me archery, Lady Dorothea?" She asked her with a strong tone of respect. "I hear you are skilled in such a task and I fear I will be at a loss in such things if I'm to remain in Taengea..." She wrinkled her nose a little in amusement, verbalising her internal thoughts. "I sense that knowing exactly which utensil to eat seasons quail eggs will be of little help to me outside of the capital and I wish to be useful however I can be. Perhaps if you know anything regarding cooking? Or fabric work? I can ride at least, but I fear this might be my only applicable talent."
Persephone's tone was amused, self-deprecating and wholly un-arrogant. But her words hinted at a real fear of inadequacy now that her life had drawn her into an entirely different circumstance where her own talents are rendered null and void.
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Persephone felt herself becoming more and more in love with the family and lands that had revealed themselves to her over the course of her, so far, short stay. Whilst the two families of Xanthos and Dimitrou were so entirely different in circumstance - one Athenian, on Taengean, one rich, the other on harder times, one new to the line of royalty and the other one of the longest serving bloodlines in existence... When it came down to the actual people, they are not dissimilar at all. Raised by a single man, two daughters - with the addition of a son to the Dimitrou name - on a manner that put family before royalty... There was an intense love and devotion in both families that was rare in noble dynasties.
The only difference appeared to be the singular existence of Iason. With no son in the Xanthos line, the role Persephone was to play as Princess and possibly future Queen had always been a responsibility that weighed far heavier than it might on say Dorothea, who held the shield that was a male heir, protecting her freedom as an individual, separate from her role as a Lady.
Looking out across the grounds when Dorothea offered to help her in whatever she wished, Persephone smiled and her lower lip naturally tucked in beneath her teeth as an idea bloomed.
"I feel it might be arrogant to suggest that I already know a lot of the lands and estates of your home." She said, glancing at the girl. She had a good memory for homes and corridors - had to when she was raised in a palace five times the size of the Dimitrou estate, and the similarities between their families meant that she was getting to know the people as if she had always known them.
Yet, she and Iason had recently come to the agreement that she would marry him. That she would stay in Taengea and become baroness of his lands and mother of his children. If she was to do that... then there were certain skills that she would need to add to her talents. For fancy linguistics and courtly intrigue would be of no use to her in the rural estates of Chaoedia and Meganea...
Persephone looked around at the girl beside her, wondering how her next request would go down...
"Would you teach me archery, Lady Dorothea?" She asked her with a strong tone of respect. "I hear you are skilled in such a task and I fear I will be at a loss in such things if I'm to remain in Taengea..." She wrinkled her nose a little in amusement, verbalising her internal thoughts. "I sense that knowing exactly which utensil to eat seasons quail eggs will be of little help to me outside of the capital and I wish to be useful however I can be. Perhaps if you know anything regarding cooking? Or fabric work? I can ride at least, but I fear this might be my only applicable talent."
Persephone's tone was amused, self-deprecating and wholly un-arrogant. But her words hinted at a real fear of inadequacy now that her life had drawn her into an entirely different circumstance where her own talents are rendered null and void.
Persephone felt herself becoming more and more in love with the family and lands that had revealed themselves to her over the course of her, so far, short stay. Whilst the two families of Xanthos and Dimitrou were so entirely different in circumstance - one Athenian, on Taengean, one rich, the other on harder times, one new to the line of royalty and the other one of the longest serving bloodlines in existence... When it came down to the actual people, they are not dissimilar at all. Raised by a single man, two daughters - with the addition of a son to the Dimitrou name - on a manner that put family before royalty... There was an intense love and devotion in both families that was rare in noble dynasties.
The only difference appeared to be the singular existence of Iason. With no son in the Xanthos line, the role Persephone was to play as Princess and possibly future Queen had always been a responsibility that weighed far heavier than it might on say Dorothea, who held the shield that was a male heir, protecting her freedom as an individual, separate from her role as a Lady.
Looking out across the grounds when Dorothea offered to help her in whatever she wished, Persephone smiled and her lower lip naturally tucked in beneath her teeth as an idea bloomed.
"I feel it might be arrogant to suggest that I already know a lot of the lands and estates of your home." She said, glancing at the girl. She had a good memory for homes and corridors - had to when she was raised in a palace five times the size of the Dimitrou estate, and the similarities between their families meant that she was getting to know the people as if she had always known them.
Yet, she and Iason had recently come to the agreement that she would marry him. That she would stay in Taengea and become baroness of his lands and mother of his children. If she was to do that... then there were certain skills that she would need to add to her talents. For fancy linguistics and courtly intrigue would be of no use to her in the rural estates of Chaoedia and Meganea...
Persephone looked around at the girl beside her, wondering how her next request would go down...
"Would you teach me archery, Lady Dorothea?" She asked her with a strong tone of respect. "I hear you are skilled in such a task and I fear I will be at a loss in such things if I'm to remain in Taengea..." She wrinkled her nose a little in amusement, verbalising her internal thoughts. "I sense that knowing exactly which utensil to eat seasons quail eggs will be of little help to me outside of the capital and I wish to be useful however I can be. Perhaps if you know anything regarding cooking? Or fabric work? I can ride at least, but I fear this might be my only applicable talent."
Persephone's tone was amused, self-deprecating and wholly un-arrogant. But her words hinted at a real fear of inadequacy now that her life had drawn her into an entirely different circumstance where her own talents are rendered null and void.
Dorothea hadn’t really known what she meant when she made the offer to Persephone. It was partly out of kindness and partly out of her love for Iason. She would do anything for him and that meant doing anything for his wife to be. If they were to be sisters, Dorothea hoped that she could have another person to trust and perhaps eventually to confide in. She had always wondered what that would be like. Yes, she had Alexa, but the age difference made it impossible for the two of them to be on the same level. Unfortunately, because of their position and general dislike for the capital, she had fallen distant from the girls she had grown up with. Now, there were many factors that might prevent a close union from occurring.
However, a sister was a different story. Tied by family, they didn’t have the competitive ties that might separate them. Dorothea had yet to see if that was a possibility between the two of them, but the thought shone in her mind like a marvelous idea. It would be nice to share a close bond with someone she could trust and turn to about all manners of issues. It would be nice to share the sometimes burden of playing mother to a younger sister. Yet, she wouldn’t let herself get too far ahead. That was still a fantasy, though one that was remarkably more achievable than it had been ever before.
Persephone’s request was one that she hadn’t quite been expecting. Teach her archery? Dorothea had heard that request many times before, even from royals. But it felt a little surprising for a reason she couldn’t quite pin down. Perhaps it was because she had been anticipating something else. Dorothea firmly believed that women could do anything and Persephone certainly seemed strong-willed enough to do so. Far be it from Doro to stop her from trying.
As the queen continued on, Doro felt a smile twitching at the edges of her mouth and a slightly bemused expression coming over her face. It seemed the queen might not know everything there was to know about bucolic life. For some of the things she listed Dorothea had never attempted to do in her life.
“Yes, of course I will teach you archery,” she responded, forming her thoughts. “I can even teach you the ways of hunt should you wish. Not everyone has the stomach for such a thing, but there are essential survival skills I can teach you. As for your other requests…” She paused, hoping she would sound polite enough. “I cannot pretend to be more knowledgeable than you are. Though we live in the country, we still learned courtly ways. My father hoped he would find good matches for us and so we spent our time on slightly less practical skills. I promise, you’ll have someone to cook and mend for you at my brother’s estate.”
She smiled to express no harm meant or taken. “It might be hard to imagine now, but you’ll find your place here. Everyone does.”
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Dorothea hadn’t really known what she meant when she made the offer to Persephone. It was partly out of kindness and partly out of her love for Iason. She would do anything for him and that meant doing anything for his wife to be. If they were to be sisters, Dorothea hoped that she could have another person to trust and perhaps eventually to confide in. She had always wondered what that would be like. Yes, she had Alexa, but the age difference made it impossible for the two of them to be on the same level. Unfortunately, because of their position and general dislike for the capital, she had fallen distant from the girls she had grown up with. Now, there were many factors that might prevent a close union from occurring.
However, a sister was a different story. Tied by family, they didn’t have the competitive ties that might separate them. Dorothea had yet to see if that was a possibility between the two of them, but the thought shone in her mind like a marvelous idea. It would be nice to share a close bond with someone she could trust and turn to about all manners of issues. It would be nice to share the sometimes burden of playing mother to a younger sister. Yet, she wouldn’t let herself get too far ahead. That was still a fantasy, though one that was remarkably more achievable than it had been ever before.
Persephone’s request was one that she hadn’t quite been expecting. Teach her archery? Dorothea had heard that request many times before, even from royals. But it felt a little surprising for a reason she couldn’t quite pin down. Perhaps it was because she had been anticipating something else. Dorothea firmly believed that women could do anything and Persephone certainly seemed strong-willed enough to do so. Far be it from Doro to stop her from trying.
As the queen continued on, Doro felt a smile twitching at the edges of her mouth and a slightly bemused expression coming over her face. It seemed the queen might not know everything there was to know about bucolic life. For some of the things she listed Dorothea had never attempted to do in her life.
“Yes, of course I will teach you archery,” she responded, forming her thoughts. “I can even teach you the ways of hunt should you wish. Not everyone has the stomach for such a thing, but there are essential survival skills I can teach you. As for your other requests…” She paused, hoping she would sound polite enough. “I cannot pretend to be more knowledgeable than you are. Though we live in the country, we still learned courtly ways. My father hoped he would find good matches for us and so we spent our time on slightly less practical skills. I promise, you’ll have someone to cook and mend for you at my brother’s estate.”
She smiled to express no harm meant or taken. “It might be hard to imagine now, but you’ll find your place here. Everyone does.”
Dorothea hadn’t really known what she meant when she made the offer to Persephone. It was partly out of kindness and partly out of her love for Iason. She would do anything for him and that meant doing anything for his wife to be. If they were to be sisters, Dorothea hoped that she could have another person to trust and perhaps eventually to confide in. She had always wondered what that would be like. Yes, she had Alexa, but the age difference made it impossible for the two of them to be on the same level. Unfortunately, because of their position and general dislike for the capital, she had fallen distant from the girls she had grown up with. Now, there were many factors that might prevent a close union from occurring.
However, a sister was a different story. Tied by family, they didn’t have the competitive ties that might separate them. Dorothea had yet to see if that was a possibility between the two of them, but the thought shone in her mind like a marvelous idea. It would be nice to share a close bond with someone she could trust and turn to about all manners of issues. It would be nice to share the sometimes burden of playing mother to a younger sister. Yet, she wouldn’t let herself get too far ahead. That was still a fantasy, though one that was remarkably more achievable than it had been ever before.
Persephone’s request was one that she hadn’t quite been expecting. Teach her archery? Dorothea had heard that request many times before, even from royals. But it felt a little surprising for a reason she couldn’t quite pin down. Perhaps it was because she had been anticipating something else. Dorothea firmly believed that women could do anything and Persephone certainly seemed strong-willed enough to do so. Far be it from Doro to stop her from trying.
As the queen continued on, Doro felt a smile twitching at the edges of her mouth and a slightly bemused expression coming over her face. It seemed the queen might not know everything there was to know about bucolic life. For some of the things she listed Dorothea had never attempted to do in her life.
“Yes, of course I will teach you archery,” she responded, forming her thoughts. “I can even teach you the ways of hunt should you wish. Not everyone has the stomach for such a thing, but there are essential survival skills I can teach you. As for your other requests…” She paused, hoping she would sound polite enough. “I cannot pretend to be more knowledgeable than you are. Though we live in the country, we still learned courtly ways. My father hoped he would find good matches for us and so we spent our time on slightly less practical skills. I promise, you’ll have someone to cook and mend for you at my brother’s estate.”
She smiled to express no harm meant or taken. “It might be hard to imagine now, but you’ll find your place here. Everyone does.”
Her words and suggestions seemed to surprise the young Lady of the Dimitrou House. And as the returning comments left the young woman's rounded lips, Persephone immediately understood her error and coloured lightly across her cheekbones.
She hadn't meant to imply that the Dimitrou house was more plebeian than it was. She hadn't even meant to comment on the idea that Dorothea would be responsible for those types of task within the household.
Whilst she knew that the Dimitrous were a royal Dynasteia and she respected them for it as much as she would have any of the houses in Athenia who gave a strong aesthetic of elegance and arrogant superiority, she had also noticed that the Dimitrous - whether through their location away from the capitol, or their natural personalities - behaved more like a family than a clan; that they were a little more down to earth, connected to their lands and common folk people.
She hadn't meant to imply that Dorothea completed the tasks of those common folk people herself, but more that she would know how to, so as to be able to manage her servants and ensure that they were performing their jobs to high standards of quality.
Which, now that she thought about it in those terms was like suggesting her to be in the position of Head of the Kitchens or a Chief Slave.
She was immediately contrite, and simultaneously affectionate towards Dorothea - more than she had been before - when the young woman didn't find offense or demand apology for Persephone's ignorant assumptions. The young woman truly had the greatest of graces and patience.
Smiling a little in her awkward embarrassment, Persephone tried to correct the matter.
"You're far more good than I deserve, Lady Dorothea. My tongue has run away with me, without due consideration from my mind. You have my apologies." This last she said with a quick reach out to rest her palm upon the other woman's arm.
With a nod at her congenial offer for archery lessons, Persephone's smile brightened.
"I wish that I could share in your confidence of my finding a place here, though I will aim to try. I shall also look forward to such lessons with you." She wrinkled her features a little in amusement - a shared joke between them. "If nothing should progress in my skills with a bow, perhaps I shall at least embarrass myself further in front of you and strengthen our friendship through humorous vulnerability."
Taking the natural lull in the conversation as a moment to turn back towards the estate, Persephone detached herself from Dorothea's company and offered a dip of her knees and skirts in a farewell curtsey.
"As of now, I must see to your father, if he is at leisure but I have enjoyed our walk, my Lady." And with a bright, friendly and - above all - thankful smile, Persephone left Dorothea to her own thoughts and occupations for the day, determined to be no more of a burden than necessary upon the girl and her family.
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This character is currently a work in progress.
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Her words and suggestions seemed to surprise the young Lady of the Dimitrou House. And as the returning comments left the young woman's rounded lips, Persephone immediately understood her error and coloured lightly across her cheekbones.
She hadn't meant to imply that the Dimitrou house was more plebeian than it was. She hadn't even meant to comment on the idea that Dorothea would be responsible for those types of task within the household.
Whilst she knew that the Dimitrous were a royal Dynasteia and she respected them for it as much as she would have any of the houses in Athenia who gave a strong aesthetic of elegance and arrogant superiority, she had also noticed that the Dimitrous - whether through their location away from the capitol, or their natural personalities - behaved more like a family than a clan; that they were a little more down to earth, connected to their lands and common folk people.
She hadn't meant to imply that Dorothea completed the tasks of those common folk people herself, but more that she would know how to, so as to be able to manage her servants and ensure that they were performing their jobs to high standards of quality.
Which, now that she thought about it in those terms was like suggesting her to be in the position of Head of the Kitchens or a Chief Slave.
She was immediately contrite, and simultaneously affectionate towards Dorothea - more than she had been before - when the young woman didn't find offense or demand apology for Persephone's ignorant assumptions. The young woman truly had the greatest of graces and patience.
Smiling a little in her awkward embarrassment, Persephone tried to correct the matter.
"You're far more good than I deserve, Lady Dorothea. My tongue has run away with me, without due consideration from my mind. You have my apologies." This last she said with a quick reach out to rest her palm upon the other woman's arm.
With a nod at her congenial offer for archery lessons, Persephone's smile brightened.
"I wish that I could share in your confidence of my finding a place here, though I will aim to try. I shall also look forward to such lessons with you." She wrinkled her features a little in amusement - a shared joke between them. "If nothing should progress in my skills with a bow, perhaps I shall at least embarrass myself further in front of you and strengthen our friendship through humorous vulnerability."
Taking the natural lull in the conversation as a moment to turn back towards the estate, Persephone detached herself from Dorothea's company and offered a dip of her knees and skirts in a farewell curtsey.
"As of now, I must see to your father, if he is at leisure but I have enjoyed our walk, my Lady." And with a bright, friendly and - above all - thankful smile, Persephone left Dorothea to her own thoughts and occupations for the day, determined to be no more of a burden than necessary upon the girl and her family.
Her words and suggestions seemed to surprise the young Lady of the Dimitrou House. And as the returning comments left the young woman's rounded lips, Persephone immediately understood her error and coloured lightly across her cheekbones.
She hadn't meant to imply that the Dimitrou house was more plebeian than it was. She hadn't even meant to comment on the idea that Dorothea would be responsible for those types of task within the household.
Whilst she knew that the Dimitrous were a royal Dynasteia and she respected them for it as much as she would have any of the houses in Athenia who gave a strong aesthetic of elegance and arrogant superiority, she had also noticed that the Dimitrous - whether through their location away from the capitol, or their natural personalities - behaved more like a family than a clan; that they were a little more down to earth, connected to their lands and common folk people.
She hadn't meant to imply that Dorothea completed the tasks of those common folk people herself, but more that she would know how to, so as to be able to manage her servants and ensure that they were performing their jobs to high standards of quality.
Which, now that she thought about it in those terms was like suggesting her to be in the position of Head of the Kitchens or a Chief Slave.
She was immediately contrite, and simultaneously affectionate towards Dorothea - more than she had been before - when the young woman didn't find offense or demand apology for Persephone's ignorant assumptions. The young woman truly had the greatest of graces and patience.
Smiling a little in her awkward embarrassment, Persephone tried to correct the matter.
"You're far more good than I deserve, Lady Dorothea. My tongue has run away with me, without due consideration from my mind. You have my apologies." This last she said with a quick reach out to rest her palm upon the other woman's arm.
With a nod at her congenial offer for archery lessons, Persephone's smile brightened.
"I wish that I could share in your confidence of my finding a place here, though I will aim to try. I shall also look forward to such lessons with you." She wrinkled her features a little in amusement - a shared joke between them. "If nothing should progress in my skills with a bow, perhaps I shall at least embarrass myself further in front of you and strengthen our friendship through humorous vulnerability."
Taking the natural lull in the conversation as a moment to turn back towards the estate, Persephone detached herself from Dorothea's company and offered a dip of her knees and skirts in a farewell curtsey.
"As of now, I must see to your father, if he is at leisure but I have enjoyed our walk, my Lady." And with a bright, friendly and - above all - thankful smile, Persephone left Dorothea to her own thoughts and occupations for the day, determined to be no more of a burden than necessary upon the girl and her family.