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"Lesley, my lady," the gladiator replied politely to the request for his name. "You may have seen me fighting in the arcus."
He, too, glanced at Lady Circenia when she addressed the room, but then let his eyes roam again. Her words were not meant for him, and he had a job to do. He was still listening, though, and he was as skeptical as the woman beside him.
Granted, he'd actually met the princess once, though he hadn't figured it out until her servant came by later to pick up her purchases, and he'd be surprised if she had the first idea of what was required to rule, but she should still be here, granting legitimacy to her chosen regents. Unless she hadn't chosen them. His eyes narrowed, though as he wasn't looking at the clump of Stravoses, there was no indication it was because of something he'd heard rather than something he'd seen. Stravos should be desperate for legitimacy, after their not-so-little scandal. Something here was definitely fishy.
Was it his problem? No. Was he good at ignoring his curiosity about things that weren't his problem? Also no.
Lady Vasia's words, however, touched on something that was his problem, and he glanced briefly back towards the targets of her questions, wondering how they'd take it.
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"Lesley, my lady," the gladiator replied politely to the request for his name. "You may have seen me fighting in the arcus."
He, too, glanced at Lady Circenia when she addressed the room, but then let his eyes roam again. Her words were not meant for him, and he had a job to do. He was still listening, though, and he was as skeptical as the woman beside him.
Granted, he'd actually met the princess once, though he hadn't figured it out until her servant came by later to pick up her purchases, and he'd be surprised if she had the first idea of what was required to rule, but she should still be here, granting legitimacy to her chosen regents. Unless she hadn't chosen them. His eyes narrowed, though as he wasn't looking at the clump of Stravoses, there was no indication it was because of something he'd heard rather than something he'd seen. Stravos should be desperate for legitimacy, after their not-so-little scandal. Something here was definitely fishy.
Was it his problem? No. Was he good at ignoring his curiosity about things that weren't his problem? Also no.
Lady Vasia's words, however, touched on something that was his problem, and he glanced briefly back towards the targets of her questions, wondering how they'd take it.
"Lesley, my lady," the gladiator replied politely to the request for his name. "You may have seen me fighting in the arcus."
He, too, glanced at Lady Circenia when she addressed the room, but then let his eyes roam again. Her words were not meant for him, and he had a job to do. He was still listening, though, and he was as skeptical as the woman beside him.
Granted, he'd actually met the princess once, though he hadn't figured it out until her servant came by later to pick up her purchases, and he'd be surprised if she had the first idea of what was required to rule, but she should still be here, granting legitimacy to her chosen regents. Unless she hadn't chosen them. His eyes narrowed, though as he wasn't looking at the clump of Stravoses, there was no indication it was because of something he'd heard rather than something he'd seen. Stravos should be desperate for legitimacy, after their not-so-little scandal. Something here was definitely fishy.
Was it his problem? No. Was he good at ignoring his curiosity about things that weren't his problem? Also no.
Lady Vasia's words, however, touched on something that was his problem, and he glanced briefly back towards the targets of her questions, wondering how they'd take it.
It seemed the majority of Rafail's greetings had been taken well. It appeared none had noticed the awkward slip of his tongue when he had turned to address his youngest cousin, and even Danae, in all her typical impropriety when they were forced together, did not seem that thrown by his words. Her reluctant expression of gratitude was close to what he had expected to hear from her regardless, the pseudo-kindness forced by the proximity of her mother and the rest of the court (for this was hardly the location for them to have another of their frequent quarrels). Of course, her politeness could not last the duration of the evening - something for which Rafail too was thankful, else he would have thought her to have been replaced by some disturbingly courteous duplicate - and it appeared Danae could not resist a snide remark.
"Perhaps..." he muttered in response, knowing full well the danger of them starting some discussion in the public eye. She was not wrong, of course. Chara was a much more attractive woman to Rafail in every sense of the word, even if she too could prove irritatingly strong-willed at times, and he recognised the words she had chosen, but he added nothing further. "But I suppose every Stravos woman is beautiful in her own right." The comment came out almost forced in nature, even if it was partially truthful, but it was enough to avoid the confrontation which clearly threatened. Besides, there was noticeable negative tension hovering around his cousins' family, and a Stravos collapse was something which looked as if it could readily occur without his interference.
Elias seemed excessively late, although Rafail did not blame the man. There were far more exciting things in the world than court gatherings, for, although a well-desired opportunity to converse and impress the pretty noble ladies of Athenia, they came often enough, and the same faces on display each time grew repetitious and dull. The Marikas offered his friend a nod in greeting, although no words were exchanged between the pair, for he was confident he had just caught himself, quite involuntarily, amid some half-suppressed Stravos family squabble. Though internally he was relishing the budding conflict, he chose to step away from the small group, leaving them to their concerns before his aunt addressed the room.
It was nothing special. Rafail was as aware of the situation concerning their brief queen and princess as he wished to be, and he needed no further reassurances. So far as he was concerned, this was a matter the peasantry should have questioned, for those in the upper echelons of society were typically on good enough terms with one another that they were aware of these things, whereas the poor would often be left scrabbling with questions. Then again, he supposed their voices deserved to be left unheard.
People did seem to be vocalising their concerns, however, and the man would be damned if he allowed some less significant individual to voice their opinions on a matter before he gave his own. Something had been said about trade in the capital and, although Rafail did not know all too much about that particular economy, he was somewhat more well-versed in matters within his own province, which had recently fallen upon harder times. Of course, Thesnia had never exceptionally profitable, and the Marikas family had far more sources of income than a small stretch of landlocked farm, but it was still his, and he would rather see it flourish. Even his own economic changes had not yet begun to do all too much to reverse the momentary crisis it had suffered over the summer, though he still maintained faith.
"Speaking of trade," he called out, although his tone made apparent that he did not think much of Lady Vasia's speech, nor the hungry people of which she had spoken, "my own barony has been suffering lately from a miscalculation in the adjustment of taxes." It was a pointed statement, intended to make clear he was not blaming mismanagement on his behalf (such a thought would have been absurd). "Now, I have prevented this tragedy from going too far by my own means, and I am glad to say that Thesnia is on route to turn back into the prosperous province it has always been, but I would rather we did not suffer a scare like this again. Perhaps something could be done to ensure taxation rates are maintained more steadily throughout the kingdom? As for this trouble with the rest of the economy in the capital, I have some ideas that I would be perfectly willing to discuss if others were so inclined to hear them."
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It seemed the majority of Rafail's greetings had been taken well. It appeared none had noticed the awkward slip of his tongue when he had turned to address his youngest cousin, and even Danae, in all her typical impropriety when they were forced together, did not seem that thrown by his words. Her reluctant expression of gratitude was close to what he had expected to hear from her regardless, the pseudo-kindness forced by the proximity of her mother and the rest of the court (for this was hardly the location for them to have another of their frequent quarrels). Of course, her politeness could not last the duration of the evening - something for which Rafail too was thankful, else he would have thought her to have been replaced by some disturbingly courteous duplicate - and it appeared Danae could not resist a snide remark.
"Perhaps..." he muttered in response, knowing full well the danger of them starting some discussion in the public eye. She was not wrong, of course. Chara was a much more attractive woman to Rafail in every sense of the word, even if she too could prove irritatingly strong-willed at times, and he recognised the words she had chosen, but he added nothing further. "But I suppose every Stravos woman is beautiful in her own right." The comment came out almost forced in nature, even if it was partially truthful, but it was enough to avoid the confrontation which clearly threatened. Besides, there was noticeable negative tension hovering around his cousins' family, and a Stravos collapse was something which looked as if it could readily occur without his interference.
Elias seemed excessively late, although Rafail did not blame the man. There were far more exciting things in the world than court gatherings, for, although a well-desired opportunity to converse and impress the pretty noble ladies of Athenia, they came often enough, and the same faces on display each time grew repetitious and dull. The Marikas offered his friend a nod in greeting, although no words were exchanged between the pair, for he was confident he had just caught himself, quite involuntarily, amid some half-suppressed Stravos family squabble. Though internally he was relishing the budding conflict, he chose to step away from the small group, leaving them to their concerns before his aunt addressed the room.
It was nothing special. Rafail was as aware of the situation concerning their brief queen and princess as he wished to be, and he needed no further reassurances. So far as he was concerned, this was a matter the peasantry should have questioned, for those in the upper echelons of society were typically on good enough terms with one another that they were aware of these things, whereas the poor would often be left scrabbling with questions. Then again, he supposed their voices deserved to be left unheard.
People did seem to be vocalising their concerns, however, and the man would be damned if he allowed some less significant individual to voice their opinions on a matter before he gave his own. Something had been said about trade in the capital and, although Rafail did not know all too much about that particular economy, he was somewhat more well-versed in matters within his own province, which had recently fallen upon harder times. Of course, Thesnia had never exceptionally profitable, and the Marikas family had far more sources of income than a small stretch of landlocked farm, but it was still his, and he would rather see it flourish. Even his own economic changes had not yet begun to do all too much to reverse the momentary crisis it had suffered over the summer, though he still maintained faith.
"Speaking of trade," he called out, although his tone made apparent that he did not think much of Lady Vasia's speech, nor the hungry people of which she had spoken, "my own barony has been suffering lately from a miscalculation in the adjustment of taxes." It was a pointed statement, intended to make clear he was not blaming mismanagement on his behalf (such a thought would have been absurd). "Now, I have prevented this tragedy from going too far by my own means, and I am glad to say that Thesnia is on route to turn back into the prosperous province it has always been, but I would rather we did not suffer a scare like this again. Perhaps something could be done to ensure taxation rates are maintained more steadily throughout the kingdom? As for this trouble with the rest of the economy in the capital, I have some ideas that I would be perfectly willing to discuss if others were so inclined to hear them."
It seemed the majority of Rafail's greetings had been taken well. It appeared none had noticed the awkward slip of his tongue when he had turned to address his youngest cousin, and even Danae, in all her typical impropriety when they were forced together, did not seem that thrown by his words. Her reluctant expression of gratitude was close to what he had expected to hear from her regardless, the pseudo-kindness forced by the proximity of her mother and the rest of the court (for this was hardly the location for them to have another of their frequent quarrels). Of course, her politeness could not last the duration of the evening - something for which Rafail too was thankful, else he would have thought her to have been replaced by some disturbingly courteous duplicate - and it appeared Danae could not resist a snide remark.
"Perhaps..." he muttered in response, knowing full well the danger of them starting some discussion in the public eye. She was not wrong, of course. Chara was a much more attractive woman to Rafail in every sense of the word, even if she too could prove irritatingly strong-willed at times, and he recognised the words she had chosen, but he added nothing further. "But I suppose every Stravos woman is beautiful in her own right." The comment came out almost forced in nature, even if it was partially truthful, but it was enough to avoid the confrontation which clearly threatened. Besides, there was noticeable negative tension hovering around his cousins' family, and a Stravos collapse was something which looked as if it could readily occur without his interference.
Elias seemed excessively late, although Rafail did not blame the man. There were far more exciting things in the world than court gatherings, for, although a well-desired opportunity to converse and impress the pretty noble ladies of Athenia, they came often enough, and the same faces on display each time grew repetitious and dull. The Marikas offered his friend a nod in greeting, although no words were exchanged between the pair, for he was confident he had just caught himself, quite involuntarily, amid some half-suppressed Stravos family squabble. Though internally he was relishing the budding conflict, he chose to step away from the small group, leaving them to their concerns before his aunt addressed the room.
It was nothing special. Rafail was as aware of the situation concerning their brief queen and princess as he wished to be, and he needed no further reassurances. So far as he was concerned, this was a matter the peasantry should have questioned, for those in the upper echelons of society were typically on good enough terms with one another that they were aware of these things, whereas the poor would often be left scrabbling with questions. Then again, he supposed their voices deserved to be left unheard.
People did seem to be vocalising their concerns, however, and the man would be damned if he allowed some less significant individual to voice their opinions on a matter before he gave his own. Something had been said about trade in the capital and, although Rafail did not know all too much about that particular economy, he was somewhat more well-versed in matters within his own province, which had recently fallen upon harder times. Of course, Thesnia had never exceptionally profitable, and the Marikas family had far more sources of income than a small stretch of landlocked farm, but it was still his, and he would rather see it flourish. Even his own economic changes had not yet begun to do all too much to reverse the momentary crisis it had suffered over the summer, though he still maintained faith.
"Speaking of trade," he called out, although his tone made apparent that he did not think much of Lady Vasia's speech, nor the hungry people of which she had spoken, "my own barony has been suffering lately from a miscalculation in the adjustment of taxes." It was a pointed statement, intended to make clear he was not blaming mismanagement on his behalf (such a thought would have been absurd). "Now, I have prevented this tragedy from going too far by my own means, and I am glad to say that Thesnia is on route to turn back into the prosperous province it has always been, but I would rather we did not suffer a scare like this again. Perhaps something could be done to ensure taxation rates are maintained more steadily throughout the kingdom? As for this trouble with the rest of the economy in the capital, I have some ideas that I would be perfectly willing to discuss if others were so inclined to hear them."
Circenia of Stravos was an exceedingly clever woman whose wit was sharpened and honed on the grinder of time. While Elias wasn't the sort to have a deep respect for one's experience, when it came to those of his own blood exceptions could always be made. Of course, Elias valued Circenia's input, her counsel, and the love she admonished him with as his mother, but there were disagreements any son could have with his parent. The idea that a court gathering was held but the hostess provided none of the subject matter to be discussed seemed almost ludicrous. In fact, it could even be considered dangerous to allow the other nobles in the court any sort of say or control of the subject matter taking place therein. But, in the end, Elias could not blame her. Terrible was the responsibility of an appointed arbiter, for the hearts and minds of the nobility were far from at ease, and quelling their onslaught of questions might prove detrimental to the peace that needed to be kept.
It was for that reason, Elias surmised, that Circenia thrust the responsibility outward and back to him. Or, perhaps, while the woman was apt in keeping her emotions cloaked from the world, they existed nonetheless. There were oh so many factors in play and Elias of Stravos could see in the breadth of the court so many different expressions, to his great appreciation. The emotions of men and women weren't difficult to ascertain. Many wore their hearts on their sleeves, bleeding their feelings out for their opposition to grasp and take advantage of. Elias, for that very reason, preferred to wear his bravado, the vanity of his recovered nobility in tandem with the infinite blessings born from the Gods themselves. After all, who would contest the validity of that bravado? Even in his past disgrace, Elias of Stravos by virtue of his intellect, his beauty, and the nature of his existence was the only man in Athenia fit to be in the position he was in.
It isn't enough, he countered as he listened to Circenia whirl back towards the lavishing of her infinite praises for her only son. Admonishment was for private moments, where criticisms wouldn't tear into twain the "unbreakable" unity of the Stravos family. Perhaps, if Elias had spoken in place of Circenia, he would not have cast into light the doubts in the integrity of Stravos house. Perhaps, if he'd spoken, he'd have focused solely on the failings of Xanthos, of the farce that was their wretched grasps at the power they no longer deserved. The time for another royal family to wear the crown was nigh, and Elias of Stravos had already and would until it was so do everything in his power for his namesake to be the one to claim it. For all of the faults Elias had, it was difficult to argue that his royalty was weaker than Persephone's. Not the eldest royal son of Athenia by any measure of the word, Elias' claim was emboldened by the fact that Alehandros of Antonis seemed disinterested in the crown.
Wretched laws passed in haste by a fearful Senate robbed me of that crown once. It will not happen again, the Stravos repeated in his head, steeling himself as Circenia's impassioned speech grew to a close. It was difficult to read the room once she'd finished speaking, but he needn't do so, for the princess deigned it proper for her voice to supplement her passions with yet another praise in his honor. It was rather sweet, for his mother to sing his praises over and over, but Elias of Stravos wasn't here for Circenia's praises. He was here to make the world smaller.
How many people within the halls of the court and only a few deemed themselves worthy of being heard? Elias of Stravos turned his gaze first towards Vasia as she spoke, his eyebrows raised as the clever woman voiced her grievance. Trade was the predominant curse within Athenia at the moment. While Elias of Stravos could've focused wholly on the souring of Xanthos sentiment, there was no baseline in reputation tarnishment without a tangible reason that their reputation suffered for. People were dying within the capitol, starvation was running rampant. The provinces suffered as well, but the farmlands fended for themselves well enough. It was the working poor within Athenia that suffered, whose tensions embroiled higher and farther as the days went on. Soon, they'd reach a snapping point and Elias of Stravos might yet have his chance to watch Athenia crumble apart with his decisive attacks on its economy. Elias, of course, knew what to do to fix everything. He invented the problems Athenia was facing and was in the best possible position to fix them.
But why? Let the city toil in its misery until it's clear that the Xanthos will do nothing to save them, he mused. Then the Stravos parted his lips, letting a forlorn expression set upon his features before his answer was interrupted by Rafail. He echoed similar sentiments, though from a more personal and fiscal perspective. The taxes were one among many of the reasons for the suffering of Athenia's economy. It was, in truth, an issue that the nobility here could fix today. And, it was the center point of his reasoning for entering the fray of the courts altogether. Elias of Stravos hailed a servant, demanding papyrus and a writing implement as he decided to address the crowd verbally first.
"Our good lord and lady speak on the same point. Trade has been sparse, with the taxes on the imported good remaining at an all-time high point that the Queen Persephone left them at before her untimely disappearance. It's quite a shame that nothing has been done to adjust the rates, but our Crown Princess has greatly lamented the loss of a sister. She's fallen ill and the attentions of the crown have been left very much abandoned. However, with so many of us nobles in one room, we can work together and resolve the issues our Crown has been unable to deal with," he assured them. A small smile cast upon Elias' lips as he allowed his honeyed gaze to whirl about to search the expressions of the crowd. Of course, Elias had his own solution, which he'd pitch to them immediately.
"What I suggest, in order for our allies and neighbors to be encouraged that Athenia is the appropriate place for them to bring their trade.... that we temporarily suspend the taxation on imported foods. Athenia is suffering and our own farmers and workers are unable to satisfy the demands of the population. We'll also reduce the taxes on other imports by half, and allow the lowered cost of trade to swell the Athenian economy as the subjects are emboldened by the increase in supplies. If our esteemed nobility agrees to these terms and these adjustments are hastened into action, then we'll see very quickly the hunger of our people abated, and their anger quelled," he let his gaze settle over on Vasia, winking at the woman before he sought to catch his mother's gaze next.
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Check out their information page here.
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Circenia of Stravos was an exceedingly clever woman whose wit was sharpened and honed on the grinder of time. While Elias wasn't the sort to have a deep respect for one's experience, when it came to those of his own blood exceptions could always be made. Of course, Elias valued Circenia's input, her counsel, and the love she admonished him with as his mother, but there were disagreements any son could have with his parent. The idea that a court gathering was held but the hostess provided none of the subject matter to be discussed seemed almost ludicrous. In fact, it could even be considered dangerous to allow the other nobles in the court any sort of say or control of the subject matter taking place therein. But, in the end, Elias could not blame her. Terrible was the responsibility of an appointed arbiter, for the hearts and minds of the nobility were far from at ease, and quelling their onslaught of questions might prove detrimental to the peace that needed to be kept.
It was for that reason, Elias surmised, that Circenia thrust the responsibility outward and back to him. Or, perhaps, while the woman was apt in keeping her emotions cloaked from the world, they existed nonetheless. There were oh so many factors in play and Elias of Stravos could see in the breadth of the court so many different expressions, to his great appreciation. The emotions of men and women weren't difficult to ascertain. Many wore their hearts on their sleeves, bleeding their feelings out for their opposition to grasp and take advantage of. Elias, for that very reason, preferred to wear his bravado, the vanity of his recovered nobility in tandem with the infinite blessings born from the Gods themselves. After all, who would contest the validity of that bravado? Even in his past disgrace, Elias of Stravos by virtue of his intellect, his beauty, and the nature of his existence was the only man in Athenia fit to be in the position he was in.
It isn't enough, he countered as he listened to Circenia whirl back towards the lavishing of her infinite praises for her only son. Admonishment was for private moments, where criticisms wouldn't tear into twain the "unbreakable" unity of the Stravos family. Perhaps, if Elias had spoken in place of Circenia, he would not have cast into light the doubts in the integrity of Stravos house. Perhaps, if he'd spoken, he'd have focused solely on the failings of Xanthos, of the farce that was their wretched grasps at the power they no longer deserved. The time for another royal family to wear the crown was nigh, and Elias of Stravos had already and would until it was so do everything in his power for his namesake to be the one to claim it. For all of the faults Elias had, it was difficult to argue that his royalty was weaker than Persephone's. Not the eldest royal son of Athenia by any measure of the word, Elias' claim was emboldened by the fact that Alehandros of Antonis seemed disinterested in the crown.
Wretched laws passed in haste by a fearful Senate robbed me of that crown once. It will not happen again, the Stravos repeated in his head, steeling himself as Circenia's impassioned speech grew to a close. It was difficult to read the room once she'd finished speaking, but he needn't do so, for the princess deigned it proper for her voice to supplement her passions with yet another praise in his honor. It was rather sweet, for his mother to sing his praises over and over, but Elias of Stravos wasn't here for Circenia's praises. He was here to make the world smaller.
How many people within the halls of the court and only a few deemed themselves worthy of being heard? Elias of Stravos turned his gaze first towards Vasia as she spoke, his eyebrows raised as the clever woman voiced her grievance. Trade was the predominant curse within Athenia at the moment. While Elias of Stravos could've focused wholly on the souring of Xanthos sentiment, there was no baseline in reputation tarnishment without a tangible reason that their reputation suffered for. People were dying within the capitol, starvation was running rampant. The provinces suffered as well, but the farmlands fended for themselves well enough. It was the working poor within Athenia that suffered, whose tensions embroiled higher and farther as the days went on. Soon, they'd reach a snapping point and Elias of Stravos might yet have his chance to watch Athenia crumble apart with his decisive attacks on its economy. Elias, of course, knew what to do to fix everything. He invented the problems Athenia was facing and was in the best possible position to fix them.
But why? Let the city toil in its misery until it's clear that the Xanthos will do nothing to save them, he mused. Then the Stravos parted his lips, letting a forlorn expression set upon his features before his answer was interrupted by Rafail. He echoed similar sentiments, though from a more personal and fiscal perspective. The taxes were one among many of the reasons for the suffering of Athenia's economy. It was, in truth, an issue that the nobility here could fix today. And, it was the center point of his reasoning for entering the fray of the courts altogether. Elias of Stravos hailed a servant, demanding papyrus and a writing implement as he decided to address the crowd verbally first.
"Our good lord and lady speak on the same point. Trade has been sparse, with the taxes on the imported good remaining at an all-time high point that the Queen Persephone left them at before her untimely disappearance. It's quite a shame that nothing has been done to adjust the rates, but our Crown Princess has greatly lamented the loss of a sister. She's fallen ill and the attentions of the crown have been left very much abandoned. However, with so many of us nobles in one room, we can work together and resolve the issues our Crown has been unable to deal with," he assured them. A small smile cast upon Elias' lips as he allowed his honeyed gaze to whirl about to search the expressions of the crowd. Of course, Elias had his own solution, which he'd pitch to them immediately.
"What I suggest, in order for our allies and neighbors to be encouraged that Athenia is the appropriate place for them to bring their trade.... that we temporarily suspend the taxation on imported foods. Athenia is suffering and our own farmers and workers are unable to satisfy the demands of the population. We'll also reduce the taxes on other imports by half, and allow the lowered cost of trade to swell the Athenian economy as the subjects are emboldened by the increase in supplies. If our esteemed nobility agrees to these terms and these adjustments are hastened into action, then we'll see very quickly the hunger of our people abated, and their anger quelled," he let his gaze settle over on Vasia, winking at the woman before he sought to catch his mother's gaze next.
Circenia of Stravos was an exceedingly clever woman whose wit was sharpened and honed on the grinder of time. While Elias wasn't the sort to have a deep respect for one's experience, when it came to those of his own blood exceptions could always be made. Of course, Elias valued Circenia's input, her counsel, and the love she admonished him with as his mother, but there were disagreements any son could have with his parent. The idea that a court gathering was held but the hostess provided none of the subject matter to be discussed seemed almost ludicrous. In fact, it could even be considered dangerous to allow the other nobles in the court any sort of say or control of the subject matter taking place therein. But, in the end, Elias could not blame her. Terrible was the responsibility of an appointed arbiter, for the hearts and minds of the nobility were far from at ease, and quelling their onslaught of questions might prove detrimental to the peace that needed to be kept.
It was for that reason, Elias surmised, that Circenia thrust the responsibility outward and back to him. Or, perhaps, while the woman was apt in keeping her emotions cloaked from the world, they existed nonetheless. There were oh so many factors in play and Elias of Stravos could see in the breadth of the court so many different expressions, to his great appreciation. The emotions of men and women weren't difficult to ascertain. Many wore their hearts on their sleeves, bleeding their feelings out for their opposition to grasp and take advantage of. Elias, for that very reason, preferred to wear his bravado, the vanity of his recovered nobility in tandem with the infinite blessings born from the Gods themselves. After all, who would contest the validity of that bravado? Even in his past disgrace, Elias of Stravos by virtue of his intellect, his beauty, and the nature of his existence was the only man in Athenia fit to be in the position he was in.
It isn't enough, he countered as he listened to Circenia whirl back towards the lavishing of her infinite praises for her only son. Admonishment was for private moments, where criticisms wouldn't tear into twain the "unbreakable" unity of the Stravos family. Perhaps, if Elias had spoken in place of Circenia, he would not have cast into light the doubts in the integrity of Stravos house. Perhaps, if he'd spoken, he'd have focused solely on the failings of Xanthos, of the farce that was their wretched grasps at the power they no longer deserved. The time for another royal family to wear the crown was nigh, and Elias of Stravos had already and would until it was so do everything in his power for his namesake to be the one to claim it. For all of the faults Elias had, it was difficult to argue that his royalty was weaker than Persephone's. Not the eldest royal son of Athenia by any measure of the word, Elias' claim was emboldened by the fact that Alehandros of Antonis seemed disinterested in the crown.
Wretched laws passed in haste by a fearful Senate robbed me of that crown once. It will not happen again, the Stravos repeated in his head, steeling himself as Circenia's impassioned speech grew to a close. It was difficult to read the room once she'd finished speaking, but he needn't do so, for the princess deigned it proper for her voice to supplement her passions with yet another praise in his honor. It was rather sweet, for his mother to sing his praises over and over, but Elias of Stravos wasn't here for Circenia's praises. He was here to make the world smaller.
How many people within the halls of the court and only a few deemed themselves worthy of being heard? Elias of Stravos turned his gaze first towards Vasia as she spoke, his eyebrows raised as the clever woman voiced her grievance. Trade was the predominant curse within Athenia at the moment. While Elias of Stravos could've focused wholly on the souring of Xanthos sentiment, there was no baseline in reputation tarnishment without a tangible reason that their reputation suffered for. People were dying within the capitol, starvation was running rampant. The provinces suffered as well, but the farmlands fended for themselves well enough. It was the working poor within Athenia that suffered, whose tensions embroiled higher and farther as the days went on. Soon, they'd reach a snapping point and Elias of Stravos might yet have his chance to watch Athenia crumble apart with his decisive attacks on its economy. Elias, of course, knew what to do to fix everything. He invented the problems Athenia was facing and was in the best possible position to fix them.
But why? Let the city toil in its misery until it's clear that the Xanthos will do nothing to save them, he mused. Then the Stravos parted his lips, letting a forlorn expression set upon his features before his answer was interrupted by Rafail. He echoed similar sentiments, though from a more personal and fiscal perspective. The taxes were one among many of the reasons for the suffering of Athenia's economy. It was, in truth, an issue that the nobility here could fix today. And, it was the center point of his reasoning for entering the fray of the courts altogether. Elias of Stravos hailed a servant, demanding papyrus and a writing implement as he decided to address the crowd verbally first.
"Our good lord and lady speak on the same point. Trade has been sparse, with the taxes on the imported good remaining at an all-time high point that the Queen Persephone left them at before her untimely disappearance. It's quite a shame that nothing has been done to adjust the rates, but our Crown Princess has greatly lamented the loss of a sister. She's fallen ill and the attentions of the crown have been left very much abandoned. However, with so many of us nobles in one room, we can work together and resolve the issues our Crown has been unable to deal with," he assured them. A small smile cast upon Elias' lips as he allowed his honeyed gaze to whirl about to search the expressions of the crowd. Of course, Elias had his own solution, which he'd pitch to them immediately.
"What I suggest, in order for our allies and neighbors to be encouraged that Athenia is the appropriate place for them to bring their trade.... that we temporarily suspend the taxation on imported foods. Athenia is suffering and our own farmers and workers are unable to satisfy the demands of the population. We'll also reduce the taxes on other imports by half, and allow the lowered cost of trade to swell the Athenian economy as the subjects are emboldened by the increase in supplies. If our esteemed nobility agrees to these terms and these adjustments are hastened into action, then we'll see very quickly the hunger of our people abated, and their anger quelled," he let his gaze settle over on Vasia, winking at the woman before he sought to catch his mother's gaze next.
Only the fact he wasnalready ticked off kept his expression still; Lesley refused to look at Elias, he was already having enough trouble keeping his mouth shut. Impusive quite literally to a fault, the gladiator nonetheless did know his place, despite all appearances. He had rather pointed questions, but it was absolutely not his place to ask them.
He wasn't even sure they ought to be asked, at least in this forum. But - conveniently - there was a woman standing right next to him who had no compunctions about asking pointed questions, and who presumably had enough recent political experience to know the terrain. And who, even if she put her foot in her mouth, shouldstill not be willing to admit she'd taken debating advice from a guard. Lesley glanced towards the center of the room, checking that for a moment everyone's attention was on the regent rather than the woman who'd questioned him. Particularly Lord Rafail. Raf might recognize him, and that wouldn't do at all - Pavos' aby brother was all too aware of how little he kept to his place.
"If he's regent enough to authorize tax law changes without Her Higness's presence then he's regent enough to call the Senate. Why do this here?" he asked in a quiet mutter. And, pointedly, "Who's missing?"
He ought to immediately follow that up with a profuse apology for momentarily forgetting his place, but he just murmured "apologies" after a momemtary pause. Every word increased the chance someone would notice he was speaking to her, though he was sure no one had actually overheard. He drifted away from her again, just contining his circling of the room after having been momentarily distracted by Lord Elias's arrival. He couldn't be out of Raf's line of sight by the time she opened her mouth to draw attention this way again, but at least it wouldn't be obvious he'd spoken to her. As he carefully scanned the room yet again, he wondered whether he should have kept his mouth shut. Who cared who sat on the throne? Why say something that might delay them all dealing with the real problems?
Because he was willing to go hungry to watch people fight, even if it was only with words, was the true answer. Lesley just blamed his lack of impulse control and silently called himself an idiot.
And a second time an idiot - that had been remarkably fast to go from inviting debate to proposing they come to an immediate decision and while the topic Lady Vasia had brought up was reasonably predictable, if she'd been the first to speak simply to provide the illusion of debate and steer the conversation in the direction the Stravoses wanted it to go...
As usual, he'd find out whether his instincts were right when he either got jumped immediately or not.
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Only the fact he wasnalready ticked off kept his expression still; Lesley refused to look at Elias, he was already having enough trouble keeping his mouth shut. Impusive quite literally to a fault, the gladiator nonetheless did know his place, despite all appearances. He had rather pointed questions, but it was absolutely not his place to ask them.
He wasn't even sure they ought to be asked, at least in this forum. But - conveniently - there was a woman standing right next to him who had no compunctions about asking pointed questions, and who presumably had enough recent political experience to know the terrain. And who, even if she put her foot in her mouth, shouldstill not be willing to admit she'd taken debating advice from a guard. Lesley glanced towards the center of the room, checking that for a moment everyone's attention was on the regent rather than the woman who'd questioned him. Particularly Lord Rafail. Raf might recognize him, and that wouldn't do at all - Pavos' aby brother was all too aware of how little he kept to his place.
"If he's regent enough to authorize tax law changes without Her Higness's presence then he's regent enough to call the Senate. Why do this here?" he asked in a quiet mutter. And, pointedly, "Who's missing?"
He ought to immediately follow that up with a profuse apology for momentarily forgetting his place, but he just murmured "apologies" after a momemtary pause. Every word increased the chance someone would notice he was speaking to her, though he was sure no one had actually overheard. He drifted away from her again, just contining his circling of the room after having been momentarily distracted by Lord Elias's arrival. He couldn't be out of Raf's line of sight by the time she opened her mouth to draw attention this way again, but at least it wouldn't be obvious he'd spoken to her. As he carefully scanned the room yet again, he wondered whether he should have kept his mouth shut. Who cared who sat on the throne? Why say something that might delay them all dealing with the real problems?
Because he was willing to go hungry to watch people fight, even if it was only with words, was the true answer. Lesley just blamed his lack of impulse control and silently called himself an idiot.
And a second time an idiot - that had been remarkably fast to go from inviting debate to proposing they come to an immediate decision and while the topic Lady Vasia had brought up was reasonably predictable, if she'd been the first to speak simply to provide the illusion of debate and steer the conversation in the direction the Stravoses wanted it to go...
As usual, he'd find out whether his instincts were right when he either got jumped immediately or not.
Only the fact he wasnalready ticked off kept his expression still; Lesley refused to look at Elias, he was already having enough trouble keeping his mouth shut. Impusive quite literally to a fault, the gladiator nonetheless did know his place, despite all appearances. He had rather pointed questions, but it was absolutely not his place to ask them.
He wasn't even sure they ought to be asked, at least in this forum. But - conveniently - there was a woman standing right next to him who had no compunctions about asking pointed questions, and who presumably had enough recent political experience to know the terrain. And who, even if she put her foot in her mouth, shouldstill not be willing to admit she'd taken debating advice from a guard. Lesley glanced towards the center of the room, checking that for a moment everyone's attention was on the regent rather than the woman who'd questioned him. Particularly Lord Rafail. Raf might recognize him, and that wouldn't do at all - Pavos' aby brother was all too aware of how little he kept to his place.
"If he's regent enough to authorize tax law changes without Her Higness's presence then he's regent enough to call the Senate. Why do this here?" he asked in a quiet mutter. And, pointedly, "Who's missing?"
He ought to immediately follow that up with a profuse apology for momentarily forgetting his place, but he just murmured "apologies" after a momemtary pause. Every word increased the chance someone would notice he was speaking to her, though he was sure no one had actually overheard. He drifted away from her again, just contining his circling of the room after having been momentarily distracted by Lord Elias's arrival. He couldn't be out of Raf's line of sight by the time she opened her mouth to draw attention this way again, but at least it wouldn't be obvious he'd spoken to her. As he carefully scanned the room yet again, he wondered whether he should have kept his mouth shut. Who cared who sat on the throne? Why say something that might delay them all dealing with the real problems?
Because he was willing to go hungry to watch people fight, even if it was only with words, was the true answer. Lesley just blamed his lack of impulse control and silently called himself an idiot.
And a second time an idiot - that had been remarkably fast to go from inviting debate to proposing they come to an immediate decision and while the topic Lady Vasia had brought up was reasonably predictable, if she'd been the first to speak simply to provide the illusion of debate and steer the conversation in the direction the Stravoses wanted it to go...
As usual, he'd find out whether his instincts were right when he either got jumped immediately or not.
Circenia knew it was risky to put the reins of the Court back into the other nobles’ hands, but the princess took no risk without calculation. With her son the de facto ruler of Athenia and actually present for the proceedings, it seemed inappropriate for her to continue to take the lead—especially when Elias was the subject of so much ire. Had he not showed, she would have done her best to keep this lot under some semblance of control, continuing on with proceedings she most certainly had at the ready. But when her son had deigned to make his face seen…
Plans could be changed on a whim. And so they were.
The Stravos could not continue with their plans with so much of the nobility at odds. While she scorned them nearly as much as Elias did, if not more, she knew they could not go on being ignored. A king was no king without his Court, and her son needed to know how to navigate such choppy waters. No matter the feelings he might hold for them personally, he had to at least pretend to reach out. She saw no better opportunity than right here, right now.
Perhaps he was not so pleased about her so abruptly thrusting him into such a prominent position without warning, but she had faith that he would live up to the impassioned speech she had just given about him. Circenia had gone on doubting his intentions for too long, and she no longer aimed to keep making that mistake. He had asked for trust with such a pining intensity that had torn at the very core of her heart, wearing her anger down until it was nothing more than dust. She meant to give him that trust now.
And he didn’t disappoint. He took Lady Vasia and Lord Rafail’s questioning in stride, offering intelligent and thoughtful answers as if he’d been prepared for their inquiries all along. There was a certain smug satisfaction about Circenia while she looked on her son with pride, happy that her faith was not misplaced, after all. Recalling her own words to Vasia minutes before, she glanced over at the lady of Antonis with a self-satisfied smile—that smile flickering to a frown as she saw the brief interaction between her and the gladiator she’d hired for the event. What was that all about? Letting her gaze only briefly linger, she decided to file it away for later. Instead, she turned her attention back to her son, where it belonged.
Her pride and joy, shining in the glory he’d always been destined for.
When he met her gaze, she offered an approving smile and an inclination of her head to show her agreement. “An excellent plan, my lord. The last thing we want is hungry hands knocking down our doors.” Looking out over the others, she spread her hands in a gesture of inquiry. “What think you all, my lords and ladies? Do you have anything more to add?”
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Circenia knew it was risky to put the reins of the Court back into the other nobles’ hands, but the princess took no risk without calculation. With her son the de facto ruler of Athenia and actually present for the proceedings, it seemed inappropriate for her to continue to take the lead—especially when Elias was the subject of so much ire. Had he not showed, she would have done her best to keep this lot under some semblance of control, continuing on with proceedings she most certainly had at the ready. But when her son had deigned to make his face seen…
Plans could be changed on a whim. And so they were.
The Stravos could not continue with their plans with so much of the nobility at odds. While she scorned them nearly as much as Elias did, if not more, she knew they could not go on being ignored. A king was no king without his Court, and her son needed to know how to navigate such choppy waters. No matter the feelings he might hold for them personally, he had to at least pretend to reach out. She saw no better opportunity than right here, right now.
Perhaps he was not so pleased about her so abruptly thrusting him into such a prominent position without warning, but she had faith that he would live up to the impassioned speech she had just given about him. Circenia had gone on doubting his intentions for too long, and she no longer aimed to keep making that mistake. He had asked for trust with such a pining intensity that had torn at the very core of her heart, wearing her anger down until it was nothing more than dust. She meant to give him that trust now.
And he didn’t disappoint. He took Lady Vasia and Lord Rafail’s questioning in stride, offering intelligent and thoughtful answers as if he’d been prepared for their inquiries all along. There was a certain smug satisfaction about Circenia while she looked on her son with pride, happy that her faith was not misplaced, after all. Recalling her own words to Vasia minutes before, she glanced over at the lady of Antonis with a self-satisfied smile—that smile flickering to a frown as she saw the brief interaction between her and the gladiator she’d hired for the event. What was that all about? Letting her gaze only briefly linger, she decided to file it away for later. Instead, she turned her attention back to her son, where it belonged.
Her pride and joy, shining in the glory he’d always been destined for.
When he met her gaze, she offered an approving smile and an inclination of her head to show her agreement. “An excellent plan, my lord. The last thing we want is hungry hands knocking down our doors.” Looking out over the others, she spread her hands in a gesture of inquiry. “What think you all, my lords and ladies? Do you have anything more to add?”
Circenia knew it was risky to put the reins of the Court back into the other nobles’ hands, but the princess took no risk without calculation. With her son the de facto ruler of Athenia and actually present for the proceedings, it seemed inappropriate for her to continue to take the lead—especially when Elias was the subject of so much ire. Had he not showed, she would have done her best to keep this lot under some semblance of control, continuing on with proceedings she most certainly had at the ready. But when her son had deigned to make his face seen…
Plans could be changed on a whim. And so they were.
The Stravos could not continue with their plans with so much of the nobility at odds. While she scorned them nearly as much as Elias did, if not more, she knew they could not go on being ignored. A king was no king without his Court, and her son needed to know how to navigate such choppy waters. No matter the feelings he might hold for them personally, he had to at least pretend to reach out. She saw no better opportunity than right here, right now.
Perhaps he was not so pleased about her so abruptly thrusting him into such a prominent position without warning, but she had faith that he would live up to the impassioned speech she had just given about him. Circenia had gone on doubting his intentions for too long, and she no longer aimed to keep making that mistake. He had asked for trust with such a pining intensity that had torn at the very core of her heart, wearing her anger down until it was nothing more than dust. She meant to give him that trust now.
And he didn’t disappoint. He took Lady Vasia and Lord Rafail’s questioning in stride, offering intelligent and thoughtful answers as if he’d been prepared for their inquiries all along. There was a certain smug satisfaction about Circenia while she looked on her son with pride, happy that her faith was not misplaced, after all. Recalling her own words to Vasia minutes before, she glanced over at the lady of Antonis with a self-satisfied smile—that smile flickering to a frown as she saw the brief interaction between her and the gladiator she’d hired for the event. What was that all about? Letting her gaze only briefly linger, she decided to file it away for later. Instead, she turned her attention back to her son, where it belonged.
Her pride and joy, shining in the glory he’d always been destined for.
When he met her gaze, she offered an approving smile and an inclination of her head to show her agreement. “An excellent plan, my lord. The last thing we want is hungry hands knocking down our doors.” Looking out over the others, she spread her hands in a gesture of inquiry. “What think you all, my lords and ladies? Do you have anything more to add?”
This was supposed to be of great political import, but even before she stepped through the doors, Evi knew that there'd be many people present much older and much wiser than herself… if not more knowledgeable. But key to being the cleverest person in the room also involved watching and listening. She couldn’t argue a point if she didn’t know everyone else’s opinions.
Relatively new, all things considered, to Court, the seventeen year old Evi of Antonis had already made the decision of keeping much to herself during the proceedings. Athenia was experiencing something of a mild… conflict, and she knew her place, especially given her father’s lack of interest in the crown, was not in the centre of affairs on this occasion.
Entering the hub not long before Elias, it turned out that she had not missed much so far. She had settled in the corner, a book in hand, one that she had been reading prior to coming here. It contained Grecian law or, more specifically, Athenian law. Recent events had piqued her curiosity, and she had devoured the relevant information in the library. Not that she had any plans to hold the book up high and preach to the crowds. It was only for herself to understand as best she could what was happening around her.
Whatever had happened, or was said, before Elias entered was clearly of little import, for he seemed to bring all of the nobles to attention, eyes on him. But that was her distant cousin’s way. He liked the spotlight as much as she did, though for far more different reasons. He was someone to watch, though, and not because of his beauty. It was the way he held himself. He was meant to be there, meant to stand on a pedestal and control the room. There was its own kind of beauty. It was his entrance which caused her to close the book she had previously been reading.
And he had no time to even notice Evi, so her gaze was freely held.
But she couldn’t. She was here for a reason. If not to interject her own opinions, then to learn, as was always her way. Books would only take her so far on this occasion. No, this time, she needed to learn from those around her, not from dusty pages in a quiet library. Tearing her gaze away from Elias, Evi sought out her own family, and her eyes landed on another cousin. She approached Vasia, appearing silently at her side with a small smile of greeting, rather than speak and interrupt what was sure to be a fascinating dialogue.
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This was supposed to be of great political import, but even before she stepped through the doors, Evi knew that there'd be many people present much older and much wiser than herself… if not more knowledgeable. But key to being the cleverest person in the room also involved watching and listening. She couldn’t argue a point if she didn’t know everyone else’s opinions.
Relatively new, all things considered, to Court, the seventeen year old Evi of Antonis had already made the decision of keeping much to herself during the proceedings. Athenia was experiencing something of a mild… conflict, and she knew her place, especially given her father’s lack of interest in the crown, was not in the centre of affairs on this occasion.
Entering the hub not long before Elias, it turned out that she had not missed much so far. She had settled in the corner, a book in hand, one that she had been reading prior to coming here. It contained Grecian law or, more specifically, Athenian law. Recent events had piqued her curiosity, and she had devoured the relevant information in the library. Not that she had any plans to hold the book up high and preach to the crowds. It was only for herself to understand as best she could what was happening around her.
Whatever had happened, or was said, before Elias entered was clearly of little import, for he seemed to bring all of the nobles to attention, eyes on him. But that was her distant cousin’s way. He liked the spotlight as much as she did, though for far more different reasons. He was someone to watch, though, and not because of his beauty. It was the way he held himself. He was meant to be there, meant to stand on a pedestal and control the room. There was its own kind of beauty. It was his entrance which caused her to close the book she had previously been reading.
And he had no time to even notice Evi, so her gaze was freely held.
But she couldn’t. She was here for a reason. If not to interject her own opinions, then to learn, as was always her way. Books would only take her so far on this occasion. No, this time, she needed to learn from those around her, not from dusty pages in a quiet library. Tearing her gaze away from Elias, Evi sought out her own family, and her eyes landed on another cousin. She approached Vasia, appearing silently at her side with a small smile of greeting, rather than speak and interrupt what was sure to be a fascinating dialogue.
This was supposed to be of great political import, but even before she stepped through the doors, Evi knew that there'd be many people present much older and much wiser than herself… if not more knowledgeable. But key to being the cleverest person in the room also involved watching and listening. She couldn’t argue a point if she didn’t know everyone else’s opinions.
Relatively new, all things considered, to Court, the seventeen year old Evi of Antonis had already made the decision of keeping much to herself during the proceedings. Athenia was experiencing something of a mild… conflict, and she knew her place, especially given her father’s lack of interest in the crown, was not in the centre of affairs on this occasion.
Entering the hub not long before Elias, it turned out that she had not missed much so far. She had settled in the corner, a book in hand, one that she had been reading prior to coming here. It contained Grecian law or, more specifically, Athenian law. Recent events had piqued her curiosity, and she had devoured the relevant information in the library. Not that she had any plans to hold the book up high and preach to the crowds. It was only for herself to understand as best she could what was happening around her.
Whatever had happened, or was said, before Elias entered was clearly of little import, for he seemed to bring all of the nobles to attention, eyes on him. But that was her distant cousin’s way. He liked the spotlight as much as she did, though for far more different reasons. He was someone to watch, though, and not because of his beauty. It was the way he held himself. He was meant to be there, meant to stand on a pedestal and control the room. There was its own kind of beauty. It was his entrance which caused her to close the book she had previously been reading.
And he had no time to even notice Evi, so her gaze was freely held.
But she couldn’t. She was here for a reason. If not to interject her own opinions, then to learn, as was always her way. Books would only take her so far on this occasion. No, this time, she needed to learn from those around her, not from dusty pages in a quiet library. Tearing her gaze away from Elias, Evi sought out her own family, and her eyes landed on another cousin. She approached Vasia, appearing silently at her side with a small smile of greeting, rather than speak and interrupt what was sure to be a fascinating dialogue.
That the soldier was a gladiator rather confirmed Vasia’s thoughts that it had indeed been he who had fought with Stelios, and the conclusion drew a slight smile to the edge of her lips. “Oh I see” she offered in reply, casting her eyes about to see if she could see her brother. She did not know how the two men had left things, but it was not inconceivable that her hotheaded sibling would be displeased to find the man here. She would have to keep an eye on that.
But there was little time for such speculation before the impromptu question forum was thrown open, and Vasia had voiced her own in the silence that followed. She knew well enough that the Lord Elias could be clever with words, so she did not anticipate him falling on his face here and now, but still, was curious as to how he would field the nobles gathered when he clearly had not wished to do so in the senate.
His response, however, was delayed by an additional question from the Lord Rafail of Marikas, and Vasia did not dampen the cool look she sent his way. Far be it for a woman to have spoken before him in such a forum. The man was far more style than substance and the blonde woman could not help but take a little amusement in him being put out by her daring to speak. She did not roll her eyes as she might have been tempted too though, but instead refocused upon Lord Elias as the room awaited his answers.
And when they came, it did him little credit, she thought, that he deflected responsibility toward a departed queen and the very Princess that he and his family had appointed themselves caretakers of. That he had a solution so close to hand smacked of forethought, and if that were the case, why had the matter not been addressed already?
A low murmur from her side had Vasia lift her brows, for it would appear the gladiator was more than a brute in the arena, his words surprisingly observant, and she gave the smallest tilt of her head to acknowledge that she had heard him. There was truth t
And then Lord Elias finished speaking and she found herself looking into those dark eyes of his, only just able to suppress the snort of laughter when he winked at her. He was pleased with himself. For being able to field two mild questions. And the man thought himself entitled to be a King. Pressing her lips together a moment, she waited to see if anyone else would speak up, and was mildly exasperated when it was the Princess Circenia that did. Once again, she found her own voice one of the few offering a response.
“Only that the Lord Elias’ plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness. I look forward to hearing of the outcome”
It was, after all, how such issues should be resolved. Not at court functions such as this. For a brief moment, Vasia found herself hoping that she had not overstepped by being so vocal, but it was infuriating that so many others had remained silent. Silence would get them nowhere. Before she could indulge too much in self recrimination however, the Antonis woman was joined by her younger cousin, who she turned and greeted with a warm smile. The Antonis blonde had a lot of time for Lady Evi, finding the younger’s interest not entirely dissimilar to her own. It did not surprise her in the least that the girl was clutching a book even now. Still new to ways of court, Vasia didn’t doubt that the odd question and answer session would have stirred the girl’s own questions, but for now she simply rested a hand upon Evi’s upper arm.
“Cousin, it is good to see you. Tell me, have you found it so dull that you have resorted to reading rather than socialising?
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That the soldier was a gladiator rather confirmed Vasia’s thoughts that it had indeed been he who had fought with Stelios, and the conclusion drew a slight smile to the edge of her lips. “Oh I see” she offered in reply, casting her eyes about to see if she could see her brother. She did not know how the two men had left things, but it was not inconceivable that her hotheaded sibling would be displeased to find the man here. She would have to keep an eye on that.
But there was little time for such speculation before the impromptu question forum was thrown open, and Vasia had voiced her own in the silence that followed. She knew well enough that the Lord Elias could be clever with words, so she did not anticipate him falling on his face here and now, but still, was curious as to how he would field the nobles gathered when he clearly had not wished to do so in the senate.
His response, however, was delayed by an additional question from the Lord Rafail of Marikas, and Vasia did not dampen the cool look she sent his way. Far be it for a woman to have spoken before him in such a forum. The man was far more style than substance and the blonde woman could not help but take a little amusement in him being put out by her daring to speak. She did not roll her eyes as she might have been tempted too though, but instead refocused upon Lord Elias as the room awaited his answers.
And when they came, it did him little credit, she thought, that he deflected responsibility toward a departed queen and the very Princess that he and his family had appointed themselves caretakers of. That he had a solution so close to hand smacked of forethought, and if that were the case, why had the matter not been addressed already?
A low murmur from her side had Vasia lift her brows, for it would appear the gladiator was more than a brute in the arena, his words surprisingly observant, and she gave the smallest tilt of her head to acknowledge that she had heard him. There was truth t
And then Lord Elias finished speaking and she found herself looking into those dark eyes of his, only just able to suppress the snort of laughter when he winked at her. He was pleased with himself. For being able to field two mild questions. And the man thought himself entitled to be a King. Pressing her lips together a moment, she waited to see if anyone else would speak up, and was mildly exasperated when it was the Princess Circenia that did. Once again, she found her own voice one of the few offering a response.
“Only that the Lord Elias’ plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness. I look forward to hearing of the outcome”
It was, after all, how such issues should be resolved. Not at court functions such as this. For a brief moment, Vasia found herself hoping that she had not overstepped by being so vocal, but it was infuriating that so many others had remained silent. Silence would get them nowhere. Before she could indulge too much in self recrimination however, the Antonis woman was joined by her younger cousin, who she turned and greeted with a warm smile. The Antonis blonde had a lot of time for Lady Evi, finding the younger’s interest not entirely dissimilar to her own. It did not surprise her in the least that the girl was clutching a book even now. Still new to ways of court, Vasia didn’t doubt that the odd question and answer session would have stirred the girl’s own questions, but for now she simply rested a hand upon Evi’s upper arm.
“Cousin, it is good to see you. Tell me, have you found it so dull that you have resorted to reading rather than socialising?
That the soldier was a gladiator rather confirmed Vasia’s thoughts that it had indeed been he who had fought with Stelios, and the conclusion drew a slight smile to the edge of her lips. “Oh I see” she offered in reply, casting her eyes about to see if she could see her brother. She did not know how the two men had left things, but it was not inconceivable that her hotheaded sibling would be displeased to find the man here. She would have to keep an eye on that.
But there was little time for such speculation before the impromptu question forum was thrown open, and Vasia had voiced her own in the silence that followed. She knew well enough that the Lord Elias could be clever with words, so she did not anticipate him falling on his face here and now, but still, was curious as to how he would field the nobles gathered when he clearly had not wished to do so in the senate.
His response, however, was delayed by an additional question from the Lord Rafail of Marikas, and Vasia did not dampen the cool look she sent his way. Far be it for a woman to have spoken before him in such a forum. The man was far more style than substance and the blonde woman could not help but take a little amusement in him being put out by her daring to speak. She did not roll her eyes as she might have been tempted too though, but instead refocused upon Lord Elias as the room awaited his answers.
And when they came, it did him little credit, she thought, that he deflected responsibility toward a departed queen and the very Princess that he and his family had appointed themselves caretakers of. That he had a solution so close to hand smacked of forethought, and if that were the case, why had the matter not been addressed already?
A low murmur from her side had Vasia lift her brows, for it would appear the gladiator was more than a brute in the arena, his words surprisingly observant, and she gave the smallest tilt of her head to acknowledge that she had heard him. There was truth t
And then Lord Elias finished speaking and she found herself looking into those dark eyes of his, only just able to suppress the snort of laughter when he winked at her. He was pleased with himself. For being able to field two mild questions. And the man thought himself entitled to be a King. Pressing her lips together a moment, she waited to see if anyone else would speak up, and was mildly exasperated when it was the Princess Circenia that did. Once again, she found her own voice one of the few offering a response.
“Only that the Lord Elias’ plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness. I look forward to hearing of the outcome”
It was, after all, how such issues should be resolved. Not at court functions such as this. For a brief moment, Vasia found herself hoping that she had not overstepped by being so vocal, but it was infuriating that so many others had remained silent. Silence would get them nowhere. Before she could indulge too much in self recrimination however, the Antonis woman was joined by her younger cousin, who she turned and greeted with a warm smile. The Antonis blonde had a lot of time for Lady Evi, finding the younger’s interest not entirely dissimilar to her own. It did not surprise her in the least that the girl was clutching a book even now. Still new to ways of court, Vasia didn’t doubt that the odd question and answer session would have stirred the girl’s own questions, but for now she simply rested a hand upon Evi’s upper arm.
“Cousin, it is good to see you. Tell me, have you found it so dull that you have resorted to reading rather than socialising?
Gossip Rose In The Thorns
"I hear that the Princess Emilia has been so terribly ill and so long from society that she's caught her father's illness! The poor dear could be fatal!"
"Well, if you see her do not stand too close!"
"Speaking of seeing, did you hear the rumour down at the docks?"
"I did! But it can't possibly be true. The Queen is dead."
"Not according to the men down at the harbour. There were whispers for days that she had arrived in Athenia. Could all just be a falsehood though. Men like that hardly ever see a pretty face..."
JD
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JD
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"I hear that the Princess Emilia has been so terribly ill and so long from society that she's caught her father's illness! The poor dear could be fatal!"
"Well, if you see her do not stand too close!"
"Speaking of seeing, did you hear the rumour down at the docks?"
"I did! But it can't possibly be true. The Queen is dead."
"Not according to the men down at the harbour. There were whispers for days that she had arrived in Athenia. Could all just be a falsehood though. Men like that hardly ever see a pretty face..."
Gossip Rose In The Thorns
"I hear that the Princess Emilia has been so terribly ill and so long from society that she's caught her father's illness! The poor dear could be fatal!"
"Well, if you see her do not stand too close!"
"Speaking of seeing, did you hear the rumour down at the docks?"
"I did! But it can't possibly be true. The Queen is dead."
"Not according to the men down at the harbour. There were whispers for days that she had arrived in Athenia. Could all just be a falsehood though. Men like that hardly ever see a pretty face..."
Eager to escape the crowd that was quickly forming around her mother and brother, Danae took the lull in the idle chatter as her chance to drift away from the main group. Even though she was sure that no one would notice her absence the girl was sure to mutter a few polite excuses to the men and women gathered as she slipped away to the edge of all the courtiers gathered. It was there that the girl breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had always hated being the center of attention and that, as brief, as it was, was just simply too much for the young sixteen-year-old to handle.
That was why she hated court events like these; especially the ones where she was trussed up like a little doll to be paraded about by her mother and sister. Danae hated it when she felt like every pair of eyes was on her. She absolutely despised the nervous, choking feeling that would crawl up in her chest as she fretted over whether every giggle she heard was directed at the Stravos girl or not. That was why she preferred to be the wallflower at court events rather than the social butterflies everyone else in her family appeared to be. Being on her own with no one paying attention to her was where she honestly felt most at ease. People on the edges were not scrutinized too heavily and besides, who would pay attention to her when everyone could focus on the shining gems that were Circenia, Elias, and Chara all at the center. Danae could happily linger on the edges until she could take the chance to sneak away to the deeper recesses of the Palati or the gardens.
Or at least that was the plan before the idle chatter turned to a topic that was more aligned with Danae’s interests.
Trade.
The girl visibly perked up when the voice of Lord Rafail filtered over to her; speaking of problems that Thesnia recently had with the taxation mishap. If anyone who didn’t know of the countless squabbles between the pair saw how fast Danae’s head turn and saw how intently the girl was following the conversation from across the large room, they might have sworn that the girl must have had a crush on the young Lord. After all, why else would a sixteen-year-old girl strain her ears to hear men chatter about such dull topics as taxation and imports? Surely, there were other bits of idle chatter that should be more attuned to the interests of a young girl, weren’t there?
Which, of course, may have been true if Danae was like other girls. This was simply not the case. The youngest Stravos had no interest in comparing jewelry or discussing where to find the best makeup. Instead, she was far more fond of what was entailed in her father’s vocation. Danae was known to be a fixture in his meetings, but most people didn’t know that the girl was secretly putting the things she learned under her father’s guidance to good use. Save for the few people who lived with her, no one in the room knew that the sweet little Stravos girl who was noticeably uncomfortable with these events was building a small financial empire right under everyone’s noses. Not a single courtier present knew that sixteen-year-old was quite the ruthless loan-shark behind closed doors. No one could possibly know. Everything she did was either in her father’s name or under the table so it couldn’t be traced back to her. It was one of the best-kept secrets within the Stravos family -- which was certainly saying something as the anchors had quite a few of those, to say the very least.
Needless to say, Danae had quite an interest in all things related to finances and trade. That was why she was latching onto every word that was passed between Lord Rafail and her brother -- even before the latter turned the conversation from a private one to one that the whole court could muse over. From what the girl overhead, it seemed to be that the problem her mortal enemy was having was that the farmers that populated his province couldn’t move their goods to other markets because of the miscalculations in the taxes and the Marikas lord was seeking a resolution that would prevent him from needing to empty his coffers.
To Danae, this was a simple problem was a simple solution. If the people couldn’t pay to get the food out of Thesnia than Elias should force Emilia to open the treasury so that the crown might cover the costs. It would be a drain on already emptying coffers, but the girl thought that it was well worth the risk, given the other issues in the city. The people were starving. Even she in her ivory tower above the common folk knew this to be true. If the girl understood the root of Rafail’s problem properly, then it stood to reason that the crown could arrange for those goods to be brought to the capital.
From there, the simple mechanics of supply and demand would step in. The hungry people of Athenia would buy the food from the farmers of Thesnia, putting a substantial amount of gold in their pockets as desperate people would be willing to pay more for the goods they would offer. The Thesnians would then turn around and invest that extra gold into the artisans of the city as they bought these specialized services that weren’t affordable during this crisis. Those artisans would then go and buy more food from the Thesnians… within a short while, the market would return to normal and the economy would thrive again. To Danae, it was that simple and straightforward that she could see a solution that would benefit all of Athenia; not just a few complaining souls who suffered some financial losses with the misguided taxations. Any Stravos child should be able to see this as well within a millisecond of hearing the problem…
… So, what in the name of Zeus’s balls was Elias thinking with this plan?
When her brother opened his mouth, Danae was visibly taken aback by the sheer stupidity that tumbled out of it. What was Elias thinking, speaking about reducing foreign tariffs when the issue was solely a domestic one? The solution was so obvious that there was no reason to open a discussion about trade between the other Greek kingdoms. Nevermind the fact that Elias’s plan was just generally foolish. If he waived the tariffs now, who’s to say if the foreign merchants would ever want to pay them again? Plus what would the crown do to replace the funds that would normally come from the tariffs? The treasury was already in dire straits as it was, this plan would spell ruin for the little funds that were left. Nevermind the other large gaping plot hole that came in the form of the simple fact that it would take a month, at least, for any foreign merchants to catch wind of the waived tariffs and sale to Athenia to sell their goods. Athenia did not have that month to spare. The people would either be dead or the market would have likely healed itself by then.
This plan was stupid. It was so, so stupid that she could not possibly believe that a child of Keikelus was dim-witted enough to present it.
At first, Danae thought that someone with half a brain cell would speak out against it, to point out the obvious issues with it. However, to the young girl’s horror, no one seemed to see the flaws as she did. Everyone who spoked seemed to be in support of this plan. As more and more voices concurred what Elias had to say, a panic much stronger than the one she felt while surrounded by all those courtiers earlier rose in her chest. She had to put a stop to this, right this second.
However, she couldn’t say anything. Girls like her should not the ins and out of trading systems. They should not understand how supply and demand works. Those were concepts that were left to their husbands, brothers, and fathers. Young girls should only reap the rewards of a strong economy with no understanding of how it worked. Danae couldn’t risk revealing how much she knew or deep her interest in the field went or she might face the shame that came with not conforming to the standards of her gender. Even if she could take such a risk, this whole night was supposed to be about unity from the Stravos house. Danae could not be seen publicly speaking out against her own brother’s so-called brilliant idea.
Her eyes looked around the room, hoping against hope that she would see the familiar visage of her father. She was practically praying to Hermes that Keikelius would have decided against attending to business and would have secretly come to surprise Circenia… but of course, Danae knew that he wouldn’t do that. He was just as uncomfortable at court as she was. The man would not suddenly make a surprise appearance. Her heart sank when this was practically confirmed to the girl. Her father was the only one that Danae would have been comfortable confiding her fears in. He would have been the only Stravos who would have no qualms about suggesting changes to his proposal. He was the only one who could have fixed this.
And he wasn’t there.
Danae glanced frantically about the room, trying to see if there was anyone who would speak up against this idiotic plan. Although she found no hero to save them all from Elias, what Danae’s eyes did settle on did give her an idea. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a gaggle of girls who did not give two thoughts to the serious topic being discussed. Instead, there were all whispering among themselves and every now and then the Stravos girl could catch snippets of their conversation -- something about Emilia being sick? Whatever, Danae didn’t care. There were more pressing things than that little brat’s health and surely they did too. But it was what happened next that had Danae’s attention. Another girl picked up their whispers and turned to share it to her friends, creating a little chain of gossip.
That blind repetition of what they heard gave Danae the idea that she desperately needed to get her thoughts across without it being publicly attached to her. She would have to trick someone into stating her opinions as their own. And the perfect candidate was easy to find as her eyes glanced about the room and settled on a man that in a getup so ostentatious that you would think that he was a Stravos woman with how many eyes he wanted on him; Lord Makarios. He was a bit younger than Elias and was the younger son of one of the Marikas barons, hence his outlandish name, but he was well-known within the courts for his big mouth and his more than slightly misogynistic attitude. He was enough of an oaf that Danae was sure that if she played her cards right, he would repeat everything that she wanted to and be none the wisher that a girl tricked him into doing so.
It was perfect.
However, that would require Danae not making a fool of herself. The girl tried her best to pretend that she was Chara as she traveled around the edge of the outer ring and made her way to Lord Makarios’s side. She waited a moment, just long enough for Vasia to speak about the Senate needing to hear Elias’s proposal, before turning to the man and saying in the sweetest voice she could muster while acting as if she was nothing more than just a dumb, little girl like the Lord would see her as; instead of the master puppeteer she was attempting to be “ Forgive me, Lord Makarios, I can’t seem to follow along with what my brother is saying… can you help me understand?”
Danae wanted to vomit as the words came out of her mouth. She did not want to play dumb like this, especially not in front of a man like this who only smirked at the younger girl as he said, ‘Of course, Lady Danae. I’m sure that such things as taxes and imports are far too complicated for such a pretty woman like yourself.’ If Danae wasn’t so laser-focused on turning the group against this stupid plan, she might have sneered at the Lord for thinking that she was too simple-minded for this sort of thing… but she didn’t as that was exactly what she needed from him and his small head.
“ Thank you, I thought that I would be left in the dark for the whole evening! I am correct in that my Lord Brother is planning to use funds from these ‘import-taxes’ to pay for those poor farmers in Thesnia to bring their crops to the capital?” Danae continued to say while batting her eyes and smiling sweetly. She knew full well that this was not what Elias was planning to do, but she wanted to put the idea in his head. It seemed to have worked when Lord Makarios condescendingly chuckled at her and responded to her, dismissively, ‘Of course you would think that, Lady Danae. He’s --’ Danae didn’t let him finish his sentence as she quickly glanced over his shoulder and announced with excited glee, “ Father! Oh, he’s here! Excuse me, Lord Makarios, I must attend to him!”
With that, she hurried away from him and disappeared into the crowd. However, she was not moving to join Keikelius as he was not there. Instead, Danae found herself by the side of another dimwitted lord who thought lowly of women and then another, feeding them all the similar lines of thought as she played the role of the innocent and utterly confused sister almost-perfectly.
After all, the girl could barely contain her knowing smirk and side glances at Elias when the familiar voice of one of the men she had spoken to sound out above the din, directed solely at her brother.
‘My Lord Elias, if you don’t mind, I have a suggestion on how to address this issue…’
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Eager to escape the crowd that was quickly forming around her mother and brother, Danae took the lull in the idle chatter as her chance to drift away from the main group. Even though she was sure that no one would notice her absence the girl was sure to mutter a few polite excuses to the men and women gathered as she slipped away to the edge of all the courtiers gathered. It was there that the girl breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had always hated being the center of attention and that, as brief, as it was, was just simply too much for the young sixteen-year-old to handle.
That was why she hated court events like these; especially the ones where she was trussed up like a little doll to be paraded about by her mother and sister. Danae hated it when she felt like every pair of eyes was on her. She absolutely despised the nervous, choking feeling that would crawl up in her chest as she fretted over whether every giggle she heard was directed at the Stravos girl or not. That was why she preferred to be the wallflower at court events rather than the social butterflies everyone else in her family appeared to be. Being on her own with no one paying attention to her was where she honestly felt most at ease. People on the edges were not scrutinized too heavily and besides, who would pay attention to her when everyone could focus on the shining gems that were Circenia, Elias, and Chara all at the center. Danae could happily linger on the edges until she could take the chance to sneak away to the deeper recesses of the Palati or the gardens.
Or at least that was the plan before the idle chatter turned to a topic that was more aligned with Danae’s interests.
Trade.
The girl visibly perked up when the voice of Lord Rafail filtered over to her; speaking of problems that Thesnia recently had with the taxation mishap. If anyone who didn’t know of the countless squabbles between the pair saw how fast Danae’s head turn and saw how intently the girl was following the conversation from across the large room, they might have sworn that the girl must have had a crush on the young Lord. After all, why else would a sixteen-year-old girl strain her ears to hear men chatter about such dull topics as taxation and imports? Surely, there were other bits of idle chatter that should be more attuned to the interests of a young girl, weren’t there?
Which, of course, may have been true if Danae was like other girls. This was simply not the case. The youngest Stravos had no interest in comparing jewelry or discussing where to find the best makeup. Instead, she was far more fond of what was entailed in her father’s vocation. Danae was known to be a fixture in his meetings, but most people didn’t know that the girl was secretly putting the things she learned under her father’s guidance to good use. Save for the few people who lived with her, no one in the room knew that the sweet little Stravos girl who was noticeably uncomfortable with these events was building a small financial empire right under everyone’s noses. Not a single courtier present knew that sixteen-year-old was quite the ruthless loan-shark behind closed doors. No one could possibly know. Everything she did was either in her father’s name or under the table so it couldn’t be traced back to her. It was one of the best-kept secrets within the Stravos family -- which was certainly saying something as the anchors had quite a few of those, to say the very least.
Needless to say, Danae had quite an interest in all things related to finances and trade. That was why she was latching onto every word that was passed between Lord Rafail and her brother -- even before the latter turned the conversation from a private one to one that the whole court could muse over. From what the girl overhead, it seemed to be that the problem her mortal enemy was having was that the farmers that populated his province couldn’t move their goods to other markets because of the miscalculations in the taxes and the Marikas lord was seeking a resolution that would prevent him from needing to empty his coffers.
To Danae, this was a simple problem was a simple solution. If the people couldn’t pay to get the food out of Thesnia than Elias should force Emilia to open the treasury so that the crown might cover the costs. It would be a drain on already emptying coffers, but the girl thought that it was well worth the risk, given the other issues in the city. The people were starving. Even she in her ivory tower above the common folk knew this to be true. If the girl understood the root of Rafail’s problem properly, then it stood to reason that the crown could arrange for those goods to be brought to the capital.
From there, the simple mechanics of supply and demand would step in. The hungry people of Athenia would buy the food from the farmers of Thesnia, putting a substantial amount of gold in their pockets as desperate people would be willing to pay more for the goods they would offer. The Thesnians would then turn around and invest that extra gold into the artisans of the city as they bought these specialized services that weren’t affordable during this crisis. Those artisans would then go and buy more food from the Thesnians… within a short while, the market would return to normal and the economy would thrive again. To Danae, it was that simple and straightforward that she could see a solution that would benefit all of Athenia; not just a few complaining souls who suffered some financial losses with the misguided taxations. Any Stravos child should be able to see this as well within a millisecond of hearing the problem…
… So, what in the name of Zeus’s balls was Elias thinking with this plan?
When her brother opened his mouth, Danae was visibly taken aback by the sheer stupidity that tumbled out of it. What was Elias thinking, speaking about reducing foreign tariffs when the issue was solely a domestic one? The solution was so obvious that there was no reason to open a discussion about trade between the other Greek kingdoms. Nevermind the fact that Elias’s plan was just generally foolish. If he waived the tariffs now, who’s to say if the foreign merchants would ever want to pay them again? Plus what would the crown do to replace the funds that would normally come from the tariffs? The treasury was already in dire straits as it was, this plan would spell ruin for the little funds that were left. Nevermind the other large gaping plot hole that came in the form of the simple fact that it would take a month, at least, for any foreign merchants to catch wind of the waived tariffs and sale to Athenia to sell their goods. Athenia did not have that month to spare. The people would either be dead or the market would have likely healed itself by then.
This plan was stupid. It was so, so stupid that she could not possibly believe that a child of Keikelus was dim-witted enough to present it.
At first, Danae thought that someone with half a brain cell would speak out against it, to point out the obvious issues with it. However, to the young girl’s horror, no one seemed to see the flaws as she did. Everyone who spoked seemed to be in support of this plan. As more and more voices concurred what Elias had to say, a panic much stronger than the one she felt while surrounded by all those courtiers earlier rose in her chest. She had to put a stop to this, right this second.
However, she couldn’t say anything. Girls like her should not the ins and out of trading systems. They should not understand how supply and demand works. Those were concepts that were left to their husbands, brothers, and fathers. Young girls should only reap the rewards of a strong economy with no understanding of how it worked. Danae couldn’t risk revealing how much she knew or deep her interest in the field went or she might face the shame that came with not conforming to the standards of her gender. Even if she could take such a risk, this whole night was supposed to be about unity from the Stravos house. Danae could not be seen publicly speaking out against her own brother’s so-called brilliant idea.
Her eyes looked around the room, hoping against hope that she would see the familiar visage of her father. She was practically praying to Hermes that Keikelius would have decided against attending to business and would have secretly come to surprise Circenia… but of course, Danae knew that he wouldn’t do that. He was just as uncomfortable at court as she was. The man would not suddenly make a surprise appearance. Her heart sank when this was practically confirmed to the girl. Her father was the only one that Danae would have been comfortable confiding her fears in. He would have been the only Stravos who would have no qualms about suggesting changes to his proposal. He was the only one who could have fixed this.
And he wasn’t there.
Danae glanced frantically about the room, trying to see if there was anyone who would speak up against this idiotic plan. Although she found no hero to save them all from Elias, what Danae’s eyes did settle on did give her an idea. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a gaggle of girls who did not give two thoughts to the serious topic being discussed. Instead, there were all whispering among themselves and every now and then the Stravos girl could catch snippets of their conversation -- something about Emilia being sick? Whatever, Danae didn’t care. There were more pressing things than that little brat’s health and surely they did too. But it was what happened next that had Danae’s attention. Another girl picked up their whispers and turned to share it to her friends, creating a little chain of gossip.
That blind repetition of what they heard gave Danae the idea that she desperately needed to get her thoughts across without it being publicly attached to her. She would have to trick someone into stating her opinions as their own. And the perfect candidate was easy to find as her eyes glanced about the room and settled on a man that in a getup so ostentatious that you would think that he was a Stravos woman with how many eyes he wanted on him; Lord Makarios. He was a bit younger than Elias and was the younger son of one of the Marikas barons, hence his outlandish name, but he was well-known within the courts for his big mouth and his more than slightly misogynistic attitude. He was enough of an oaf that Danae was sure that if she played her cards right, he would repeat everything that she wanted to and be none the wisher that a girl tricked him into doing so.
It was perfect.
However, that would require Danae not making a fool of herself. The girl tried her best to pretend that she was Chara as she traveled around the edge of the outer ring and made her way to Lord Makarios’s side. She waited a moment, just long enough for Vasia to speak about the Senate needing to hear Elias’s proposal, before turning to the man and saying in the sweetest voice she could muster while acting as if she was nothing more than just a dumb, little girl like the Lord would see her as; instead of the master puppeteer she was attempting to be “ Forgive me, Lord Makarios, I can’t seem to follow along with what my brother is saying… can you help me understand?”
Danae wanted to vomit as the words came out of her mouth. She did not want to play dumb like this, especially not in front of a man like this who only smirked at the younger girl as he said, ‘Of course, Lady Danae. I’m sure that such things as taxes and imports are far too complicated for such a pretty woman like yourself.’ If Danae wasn’t so laser-focused on turning the group against this stupid plan, she might have sneered at the Lord for thinking that she was too simple-minded for this sort of thing… but she didn’t as that was exactly what she needed from him and his small head.
“ Thank you, I thought that I would be left in the dark for the whole evening! I am correct in that my Lord Brother is planning to use funds from these ‘import-taxes’ to pay for those poor farmers in Thesnia to bring their crops to the capital?” Danae continued to say while batting her eyes and smiling sweetly. She knew full well that this was not what Elias was planning to do, but she wanted to put the idea in his head. It seemed to have worked when Lord Makarios condescendingly chuckled at her and responded to her, dismissively, ‘Of course you would think that, Lady Danae. He’s --’ Danae didn’t let him finish his sentence as she quickly glanced over his shoulder and announced with excited glee, “ Father! Oh, he’s here! Excuse me, Lord Makarios, I must attend to him!”
With that, she hurried away from him and disappeared into the crowd. However, she was not moving to join Keikelius as he was not there. Instead, Danae found herself by the side of another dimwitted lord who thought lowly of women and then another, feeding them all the similar lines of thought as she played the role of the innocent and utterly confused sister almost-perfectly.
After all, the girl could barely contain her knowing smirk and side glances at Elias when the familiar voice of one of the men she had spoken to sound out above the din, directed solely at her brother.
‘My Lord Elias, if you don’t mind, I have a suggestion on how to address this issue…’
Eager to escape the crowd that was quickly forming around her mother and brother, Danae took the lull in the idle chatter as her chance to drift away from the main group. Even though she was sure that no one would notice her absence the girl was sure to mutter a few polite excuses to the men and women gathered as she slipped away to the edge of all the courtiers gathered. It was there that the girl breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had always hated being the center of attention and that, as brief, as it was, was just simply too much for the young sixteen-year-old to handle.
That was why she hated court events like these; especially the ones where she was trussed up like a little doll to be paraded about by her mother and sister. Danae hated it when she felt like every pair of eyes was on her. She absolutely despised the nervous, choking feeling that would crawl up in her chest as she fretted over whether every giggle she heard was directed at the Stravos girl or not. That was why she preferred to be the wallflower at court events rather than the social butterflies everyone else in her family appeared to be. Being on her own with no one paying attention to her was where she honestly felt most at ease. People on the edges were not scrutinized too heavily and besides, who would pay attention to her when everyone could focus on the shining gems that were Circenia, Elias, and Chara all at the center. Danae could happily linger on the edges until she could take the chance to sneak away to the deeper recesses of the Palati or the gardens.
Or at least that was the plan before the idle chatter turned to a topic that was more aligned with Danae’s interests.
Trade.
The girl visibly perked up when the voice of Lord Rafail filtered over to her; speaking of problems that Thesnia recently had with the taxation mishap. If anyone who didn’t know of the countless squabbles between the pair saw how fast Danae’s head turn and saw how intently the girl was following the conversation from across the large room, they might have sworn that the girl must have had a crush on the young Lord. After all, why else would a sixteen-year-old girl strain her ears to hear men chatter about such dull topics as taxation and imports? Surely, there were other bits of idle chatter that should be more attuned to the interests of a young girl, weren’t there?
Which, of course, may have been true if Danae was like other girls. This was simply not the case. The youngest Stravos had no interest in comparing jewelry or discussing where to find the best makeup. Instead, she was far more fond of what was entailed in her father’s vocation. Danae was known to be a fixture in his meetings, but most people didn’t know that the girl was secretly putting the things she learned under her father’s guidance to good use. Save for the few people who lived with her, no one in the room knew that the sweet little Stravos girl who was noticeably uncomfortable with these events was building a small financial empire right under everyone’s noses. Not a single courtier present knew that sixteen-year-old was quite the ruthless loan-shark behind closed doors. No one could possibly know. Everything she did was either in her father’s name or under the table so it couldn’t be traced back to her. It was one of the best-kept secrets within the Stravos family -- which was certainly saying something as the anchors had quite a few of those, to say the very least.
Needless to say, Danae had quite an interest in all things related to finances and trade. That was why she was latching onto every word that was passed between Lord Rafail and her brother -- even before the latter turned the conversation from a private one to one that the whole court could muse over. From what the girl overhead, it seemed to be that the problem her mortal enemy was having was that the farmers that populated his province couldn’t move their goods to other markets because of the miscalculations in the taxes and the Marikas lord was seeking a resolution that would prevent him from needing to empty his coffers.
To Danae, this was a simple problem was a simple solution. If the people couldn’t pay to get the food out of Thesnia than Elias should force Emilia to open the treasury so that the crown might cover the costs. It would be a drain on already emptying coffers, but the girl thought that it was well worth the risk, given the other issues in the city. The people were starving. Even she in her ivory tower above the common folk knew this to be true. If the girl understood the root of Rafail’s problem properly, then it stood to reason that the crown could arrange for those goods to be brought to the capital.
From there, the simple mechanics of supply and demand would step in. The hungry people of Athenia would buy the food from the farmers of Thesnia, putting a substantial amount of gold in their pockets as desperate people would be willing to pay more for the goods they would offer. The Thesnians would then turn around and invest that extra gold into the artisans of the city as they bought these specialized services that weren’t affordable during this crisis. Those artisans would then go and buy more food from the Thesnians… within a short while, the market would return to normal and the economy would thrive again. To Danae, it was that simple and straightforward that she could see a solution that would benefit all of Athenia; not just a few complaining souls who suffered some financial losses with the misguided taxations. Any Stravos child should be able to see this as well within a millisecond of hearing the problem…
… So, what in the name of Zeus’s balls was Elias thinking with this plan?
When her brother opened his mouth, Danae was visibly taken aback by the sheer stupidity that tumbled out of it. What was Elias thinking, speaking about reducing foreign tariffs when the issue was solely a domestic one? The solution was so obvious that there was no reason to open a discussion about trade between the other Greek kingdoms. Nevermind the fact that Elias’s plan was just generally foolish. If he waived the tariffs now, who’s to say if the foreign merchants would ever want to pay them again? Plus what would the crown do to replace the funds that would normally come from the tariffs? The treasury was already in dire straits as it was, this plan would spell ruin for the little funds that were left. Nevermind the other large gaping plot hole that came in the form of the simple fact that it would take a month, at least, for any foreign merchants to catch wind of the waived tariffs and sale to Athenia to sell their goods. Athenia did not have that month to spare. The people would either be dead or the market would have likely healed itself by then.
This plan was stupid. It was so, so stupid that she could not possibly believe that a child of Keikelus was dim-witted enough to present it.
At first, Danae thought that someone with half a brain cell would speak out against it, to point out the obvious issues with it. However, to the young girl’s horror, no one seemed to see the flaws as she did. Everyone who spoked seemed to be in support of this plan. As more and more voices concurred what Elias had to say, a panic much stronger than the one she felt while surrounded by all those courtiers earlier rose in her chest. She had to put a stop to this, right this second.
However, she couldn’t say anything. Girls like her should not the ins and out of trading systems. They should not understand how supply and demand works. Those were concepts that were left to their husbands, brothers, and fathers. Young girls should only reap the rewards of a strong economy with no understanding of how it worked. Danae couldn’t risk revealing how much she knew or deep her interest in the field went or she might face the shame that came with not conforming to the standards of her gender. Even if she could take such a risk, this whole night was supposed to be about unity from the Stravos house. Danae could not be seen publicly speaking out against her own brother’s so-called brilliant idea.
Her eyes looked around the room, hoping against hope that she would see the familiar visage of her father. She was practically praying to Hermes that Keikelius would have decided against attending to business and would have secretly come to surprise Circenia… but of course, Danae knew that he wouldn’t do that. He was just as uncomfortable at court as she was. The man would not suddenly make a surprise appearance. Her heart sank when this was practically confirmed to the girl. Her father was the only one that Danae would have been comfortable confiding her fears in. He would have been the only Stravos who would have no qualms about suggesting changes to his proposal. He was the only one who could have fixed this.
And he wasn’t there.
Danae glanced frantically about the room, trying to see if there was anyone who would speak up against this idiotic plan. Although she found no hero to save them all from Elias, what Danae’s eyes did settle on did give her an idea. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a gaggle of girls who did not give two thoughts to the serious topic being discussed. Instead, there were all whispering among themselves and every now and then the Stravos girl could catch snippets of their conversation -- something about Emilia being sick? Whatever, Danae didn’t care. There were more pressing things than that little brat’s health and surely they did too. But it was what happened next that had Danae’s attention. Another girl picked up their whispers and turned to share it to her friends, creating a little chain of gossip.
That blind repetition of what they heard gave Danae the idea that she desperately needed to get her thoughts across without it being publicly attached to her. She would have to trick someone into stating her opinions as their own. And the perfect candidate was easy to find as her eyes glanced about the room and settled on a man that in a getup so ostentatious that you would think that he was a Stravos woman with how many eyes he wanted on him; Lord Makarios. He was a bit younger than Elias and was the younger son of one of the Marikas barons, hence his outlandish name, but he was well-known within the courts for his big mouth and his more than slightly misogynistic attitude. He was enough of an oaf that Danae was sure that if she played her cards right, he would repeat everything that she wanted to and be none the wisher that a girl tricked him into doing so.
It was perfect.
However, that would require Danae not making a fool of herself. The girl tried her best to pretend that she was Chara as she traveled around the edge of the outer ring and made her way to Lord Makarios’s side. She waited a moment, just long enough for Vasia to speak about the Senate needing to hear Elias’s proposal, before turning to the man and saying in the sweetest voice she could muster while acting as if she was nothing more than just a dumb, little girl like the Lord would see her as; instead of the master puppeteer she was attempting to be “ Forgive me, Lord Makarios, I can’t seem to follow along with what my brother is saying… can you help me understand?”
Danae wanted to vomit as the words came out of her mouth. She did not want to play dumb like this, especially not in front of a man like this who only smirked at the younger girl as he said, ‘Of course, Lady Danae. I’m sure that such things as taxes and imports are far too complicated for such a pretty woman like yourself.’ If Danae wasn’t so laser-focused on turning the group against this stupid plan, she might have sneered at the Lord for thinking that she was too simple-minded for this sort of thing… but she didn’t as that was exactly what she needed from him and his small head.
“ Thank you, I thought that I would be left in the dark for the whole evening! I am correct in that my Lord Brother is planning to use funds from these ‘import-taxes’ to pay for those poor farmers in Thesnia to bring their crops to the capital?” Danae continued to say while batting her eyes and smiling sweetly. She knew full well that this was not what Elias was planning to do, but she wanted to put the idea in his head. It seemed to have worked when Lord Makarios condescendingly chuckled at her and responded to her, dismissively, ‘Of course you would think that, Lady Danae. He’s --’ Danae didn’t let him finish his sentence as she quickly glanced over his shoulder and announced with excited glee, “ Father! Oh, he’s here! Excuse me, Lord Makarios, I must attend to him!”
With that, she hurried away from him and disappeared into the crowd. However, she was not moving to join Keikelius as he was not there. Instead, Danae found herself by the side of another dimwitted lord who thought lowly of women and then another, feeding them all the similar lines of thought as she played the role of the innocent and utterly confused sister almost-perfectly.
After all, the girl could barely contain her knowing smirk and side glances at Elias when the familiar voice of one of the men she had spoken to sound out above the din, directed solely at her brother.
‘My Lord Elias, if you don’t mind, I have a suggestion on how to address this issue…’
Only that the Lord Elias' plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness.
Vasia of Antonis was an intelligent woman, one who had proven herself in earlier conversation to be capable of the verbal fencing that was prevalent within the court of Athenia. She seemed to keep her answer diplomatic, to which the heir to Stravos gave credit where it was due. To blatantly contradict his ideas wasn't her place, and in truth, the ideas he brought to the forefront weren't ideal to bring to this place at all. The chuckle sought to escape Elias at the gall of being placed in the forefront of the courts of all places, but if Circenia of Stravos sought to test her son in this way, far be it from him to refuse it.
This is not worth my time, was the thought that mustered within him. Among all of the court, he could count two senators within it. One was himself and the other was his best friend, Rafail of Marikas. Both were barons of provinces, and both were well beneath their means in this place. Elias suspected that Rafail was here for the accolade of being seen by the women of the court and, in truth, Elias could probably find a similar motivation. However, there was too much piled on top of the base desire to galivant and frolick. Times had changed.
And so have I.
The thought whirled through the mind of Elias of Stravos as he heard the echoes of whispered words course throughout the chamber of the Grand Hall. He did not seek to immediately draw silence, for it was in the base rumours within the courts that one could draw their mind to the topics at hand. Truly, the Stravos had no desire to further his conversation on politics, for the matters could be fixed with the awareness of the courts but not permanently so. It was a question that required an answer, but an answer given as a red herring. If the courts decided on passing his suggestion, then there were repercussions to consider. Elias, after all, had no mind for the suffering of the people today. Some would perish from starvation in the meantime and the peasantry, those that would suffer the greatest, mattered very little to Elias. No, the people could grow weaker and weaker and it would only suit him. The talk of the court often did not subsist outside of these walls, and the peasantry would blame the Xanthos lineage for the dwindling supply of food as he set his sights towards the future where he could seize the throne for himself.
When Elias heard talk of the princess' illness, he realized the relative folly of his hiding her away so intensively. No, the people needed to see Emilia of Xanthos about, but in a manner that was to his sensibilities. He ruminated on the idea of letting her into the public, to let her be seen with those who could control her. There were minds that worked on axes to his liking, trusted confidants who could act as stewards to the princess as she stretched her legs but remained within his grasp always. He'd bring the point up to some of his associates, rather pleased with the second outburst of the courtiers wanting to keep their distance. Yes, stay far away from her. Look at the princess from the distance. Then, Elias listened to the third and final rumours that whirled about. The idea that anyone would see the Queen at the harbour was ludicrous. Elias had his eyes on the harbours of Athenia, not only his spies but the deckhands that worked Stravos ships.
Conjecture, but conjecture that merits further inquiry. It costs me nothing to pull on strings that have been left to settle for too long.
It was beneath Elias of Stravos to actually acknowledge the rumours aloud, for he continued to await to see if any would question his suggestion and point out the flaws in it. The heir to Stravos, after all, needed to gauge whether those of the courts truly invested any sort of understanding into the practical world. But, it seemed that there was only a few faces that seemed to even understand anything that he had put forth. What he did notice, however, was the beaming face of his mother, watching with pride as he mustered up his red herring. Elias of Stravos had already laid his plan out for Thesnia, and Rafail of Marikas knew very well what was happening. His sister, however, showed that she had her own opinion as to the repercussion of his plans. It brought him amusement, for he could see her mind whirling, seeing the little flaws in his idea. What he suggested took time, and time was something that the common people did not have much of.
By all means, Danae, say something. I know you want to.
However, instead she moved, weaving forth through the court and this instead brought ire. She was weaving machinations, and he could see her mouth moving as she caught the attention of some foolish lord that the heir to Stravos knew the face of, but not his name. Some wretch that languished within the courts yet dared never to venture into the Senate. Elias, after all, had his reasons for keeping the Senators from meeting. Amusement curled upon Elias' lips, but festered for merely a moment as he saw Danae wander to and fro, spewing her words quietly enough. Elias gave his sister credit where it was due. A worm though she was, crawling through putrid soil in search for her reward, she was smart enough to see flaws where they existed. Just as the lord began to make his suggestion, Elias of Stravos raised his hand to silence him.
"One moment, please. Perhaps it is improper, my lord, but I cannot help myself. My little sister, Danae, is overeager to learn and it seems that she's bothering several people in her efforts to see what's going on. Would you draw closer, Danae?" he asked, so very close to showing all of his teeth in the eager venture. He wanted to get her out of the crowd, lest her resentment form a poison that was more difficult to control than this. In time, his lips certainly did form that smile, though it was portrayed as well-meaning. Within that expression was the deep-seeded anger that his sister would dare have the gall to contradict him.
Don't you see this is all a game? The court is no place for these matters and making them more apparent is a fool's errand.
Elias beckoned for his sister to join him where he stood, for in Elias' place, all of the eyes of the courts could be seen. It would be quite amusing for Danae of Stravos, who lingered in the darkness spilling secrets and assuming the names of her betters, to be caught in the limelight with her 'benevolent brother.'
"Come, come! Please, sister. Someday, it might be you instead of our dear mother, the princess, calling these meetings and bringing the issues of the kingdom to the attention of the courtiers, right?"
Elias of Stravos didn't wait for his sister to obey him. Instead, he looked to his mother to help him in the effort of controlling the wayward daughter, if she was so inclined.
"I'm sorry, my lord. Now that this has been addressed and my beloved sister has a better chance of sitting the court, would you like to voice your concerns?"
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Only that the Lord Elias' plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness.
Vasia of Antonis was an intelligent woman, one who had proven herself in earlier conversation to be capable of the verbal fencing that was prevalent within the court of Athenia. She seemed to keep her answer diplomatic, to which the heir to Stravos gave credit where it was due. To blatantly contradict his ideas wasn't her place, and in truth, the ideas he brought to the forefront weren't ideal to bring to this place at all. The chuckle sought to escape Elias at the gall of being placed in the forefront of the courts of all places, but if Circenia of Stravos sought to test her son in this way, far be it from him to refuse it.
This is not worth my time, was the thought that mustered within him. Among all of the court, he could count two senators within it. One was himself and the other was his best friend, Rafail of Marikas. Both were barons of provinces, and both were well beneath their means in this place. Elias suspected that Rafail was here for the accolade of being seen by the women of the court and, in truth, Elias could probably find a similar motivation. However, there was too much piled on top of the base desire to galivant and frolick. Times had changed.
And so have I.
The thought whirled through the mind of Elias of Stravos as he heard the echoes of whispered words course throughout the chamber of the Grand Hall. He did not seek to immediately draw silence, for it was in the base rumours within the courts that one could draw their mind to the topics at hand. Truly, the Stravos had no desire to further his conversation on politics, for the matters could be fixed with the awareness of the courts but not permanently so. It was a question that required an answer, but an answer given as a red herring. If the courts decided on passing his suggestion, then there were repercussions to consider. Elias, after all, had no mind for the suffering of the people today. Some would perish from starvation in the meantime and the peasantry, those that would suffer the greatest, mattered very little to Elias. No, the people could grow weaker and weaker and it would only suit him. The talk of the court often did not subsist outside of these walls, and the peasantry would blame the Xanthos lineage for the dwindling supply of food as he set his sights towards the future where he could seize the throne for himself.
When Elias heard talk of the princess' illness, he realized the relative folly of his hiding her away so intensively. No, the people needed to see Emilia of Xanthos about, but in a manner that was to his sensibilities. He ruminated on the idea of letting her into the public, to let her be seen with those who could control her. There were minds that worked on axes to his liking, trusted confidants who could act as stewards to the princess as she stretched her legs but remained within his grasp always. He'd bring the point up to some of his associates, rather pleased with the second outburst of the courtiers wanting to keep their distance. Yes, stay far away from her. Look at the princess from the distance. Then, Elias listened to the third and final rumours that whirled about. The idea that anyone would see the Queen at the harbour was ludicrous. Elias had his eyes on the harbours of Athenia, not only his spies but the deckhands that worked Stravos ships.
Conjecture, but conjecture that merits further inquiry. It costs me nothing to pull on strings that have been left to settle for too long.
It was beneath Elias of Stravos to actually acknowledge the rumours aloud, for he continued to await to see if any would question his suggestion and point out the flaws in it. The heir to Stravos, after all, needed to gauge whether those of the courts truly invested any sort of understanding into the practical world. But, it seemed that there was only a few faces that seemed to even understand anything that he had put forth. What he did notice, however, was the beaming face of his mother, watching with pride as he mustered up his red herring. Elias of Stravos had already laid his plan out for Thesnia, and Rafail of Marikas knew very well what was happening. His sister, however, showed that she had her own opinion as to the repercussion of his plans. It brought him amusement, for he could see her mind whirling, seeing the little flaws in his idea. What he suggested took time, and time was something that the common people did not have much of.
By all means, Danae, say something. I know you want to.
However, instead she moved, weaving forth through the court and this instead brought ire. She was weaving machinations, and he could see her mouth moving as she caught the attention of some foolish lord that the heir to Stravos knew the face of, but not his name. Some wretch that languished within the courts yet dared never to venture into the Senate. Elias, after all, had his reasons for keeping the Senators from meeting. Amusement curled upon Elias' lips, but festered for merely a moment as he saw Danae wander to and fro, spewing her words quietly enough. Elias gave his sister credit where it was due. A worm though she was, crawling through putrid soil in search for her reward, she was smart enough to see flaws where they existed. Just as the lord began to make his suggestion, Elias of Stravos raised his hand to silence him.
"One moment, please. Perhaps it is improper, my lord, but I cannot help myself. My little sister, Danae, is overeager to learn and it seems that she's bothering several people in her efforts to see what's going on. Would you draw closer, Danae?" he asked, so very close to showing all of his teeth in the eager venture. He wanted to get her out of the crowd, lest her resentment form a poison that was more difficult to control than this. In time, his lips certainly did form that smile, though it was portrayed as well-meaning. Within that expression was the deep-seeded anger that his sister would dare have the gall to contradict him.
Don't you see this is all a game? The court is no place for these matters and making them more apparent is a fool's errand.
Elias beckoned for his sister to join him where he stood, for in Elias' place, all of the eyes of the courts could be seen. It would be quite amusing for Danae of Stravos, who lingered in the darkness spilling secrets and assuming the names of her betters, to be caught in the limelight with her 'benevolent brother.'
"Come, come! Please, sister. Someday, it might be you instead of our dear mother, the princess, calling these meetings and bringing the issues of the kingdom to the attention of the courtiers, right?"
Elias of Stravos didn't wait for his sister to obey him. Instead, he looked to his mother to help him in the effort of controlling the wayward daughter, if she was so inclined.
"I'm sorry, my lord. Now that this has been addressed and my beloved sister has a better chance of sitting the court, would you like to voice your concerns?"
Only that the Lord Elias' plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness.
Vasia of Antonis was an intelligent woman, one who had proven herself in earlier conversation to be capable of the verbal fencing that was prevalent within the court of Athenia. She seemed to keep her answer diplomatic, to which the heir to Stravos gave credit where it was due. To blatantly contradict his ideas wasn't her place, and in truth, the ideas he brought to the forefront weren't ideal to bring to this place at all. The chuckle sought to escape Elias at the gall of being placed in the forefront of the courts of all places, but if Circenia of Stravos sought to test her son in this way, far be it from him to refuse it.
This is not worth my time, was the thought that mustered within him. Among all of the court, he could count two senators within it. One was himself and the other was his best friend, Rafail of Marikas. Both were barons of provinces, and both were well beneath their means in this place. Elias suspected that Rafail was here for the accolade of being seen by the women of the court and, in truth, Elias could probably find a similar motivation. However, there was too much piled on top of the base desire to galivant and frolick. Times had changed.
And so have I.
The thought whirled through the mind of Elias of Stravos as he heard the echoes of whispered words course throughout the chamber of the Grand Hall. He did not seek to immediately draw silence, for it was in the base rumours within the courts that one could draw their mind to the topics at hand. Truly, the Stravos had no desire to further his conversation on politics, for the matters could be fixed with the awareness of the courts but not permanently so. It was a question that required an answer, but an answer given as a red herring. If the courts decided on passing his suggestion, then there were repercussions to consider. Elias, after all, had no mind for the suffering of the people today. Some would perish from starvation in the meantime and the peasantry, those that would suffer the greatest, mattered very little to Elias. No, the people could grow weaker and weaker and it would only suit him. The talk of the court often did not subsist outside of these walls, and the peasantry would blame the Xanthos lineage for the dwindling supply of food as he set his sights towards the future where he could seize the throne for himself.
When Elias heard talk of the princess' illness, he realized the relative folly of his hiding her away so intensively. No, the people needed to see Emilia of Xanthos about, but in a manner that was to his sensibilities. He ruminated on the idea of letting her into the public, to let her be seen with those who could control her. There were minds that worked on axes to his liking, trusted confidants who could act as stewards to the princess as she stretched her legs but remained within his grasp always. He'd bring the point up to some of his associates, rather pleased with the second outburst of the courtiers wanting to keep their distance. Yes, stay far away from her. Look at the princess from the distance. Then, Elias listened to the third and final rumours that whirled about. The idea that anyone would see the Queen at the harbour was ludicrous. Elias had his eyes on the harbours of Athenia, not only his spies but the deckhands that worked Stravos ships.
Conjecture, but conjecture that merits further inquiry. It costs me nothing to pull on strings that have been left to settle for too long.
It was beneath Elias of Stravos to actually acknowledge the rumours aloud, for he continued to await to see if any would question his suggestion and point out the flaws in it. The heir to Stravos, after all, needed to gauge whether those of the courts truly invested any sort of understanding into the practical world. But, it seemed that there was only a few faces that seemed to even understand anything that he had put forth. What he did notice, however, was the beaming face of his mother, watching with pride as he mustered up his red herring. Elias of Stravos had already laid his plan out for Thesnia, and Rafail of Marikas knew very well what was happening. His sister, however, showed that she had her own opinion as to the repercussion of his plans. It brought him amusement, for he could see her mind whirling, seeing the little flaws in his idea. What he suggested took time, and time was something that the common people did not have much of.
By all means, Danae, say something. I know you want to.
However, instead she moved, weaving forth through the court and this instead brought ire. She was weaving machinations, and he could see her mouth moving as she caught the attention of some foolish lord that the heir to Stravos knew the face of, but not his name. Some wretch that languished within the courts yet dared never to venture into the Senate. Elias, after all, had his reasons for keeping the Senators from meeting. Amusement curled upon Elias' lips, but festered for merely a moment as he saw Danae wander to and fro, spewing her words quietly enough. Elias gave his sister credit where it was due. A worm though she was, crawling through putrid soil in search for her reward, she was smart enough to see flaws where they existed. Just as the lord began to make his suggestion, Elias of Stravos raised his hand to silence him.
"One moment, please. Perhaps it is improper, my lord, but I cannot help myself. My little sister, Danae, is overeager to learn and it seems that she's bothering several people in her efforts to see what's going on. Would you draw closer, Danae?" he asked, so very close to showing all of his teeth in the eager venture. He wanted to get her out of the crowd, lest her resentment form a poison that was more difficult to control than this. In time, his lips certainly did form that smile, though it was portrayed as well-meaning. Within that expression was the deep-seeded anger that his sister would dare have the gall to contradict him.
Don't you see this is all a game? The court is no place for these matters and making them more apparent is a fool's errand.
Elias beckoned for his sister to join him where he stood, for in Elias' place, all of the eyes of the courts could be seen. It would be quite amusing for Danae of Stravos, who lingered in the darkness spilling secrets and assuming the names of her betters, to be caught in the limelight with her 'benevolent brother.'
"Come, come! Please, sister. Someday, it might be you instead of our dear mother, the princess, calling these meetings and bringing the issues of the kingdom to the attention of the courtiers, right?"
Elias of Stravos didn't wait for his sister to obey him. Instead, he looked to his mother to help him in the effort of controlling the wayward daughter, if she was so inclined.
"I'm sorry, my lord. Now that this has been addressed and my beloved sister has a better chance of sitting the court, would you like to voice your concerns?"
The Master of Secrets had kept his presence mostly quiet at this strange event. Arriving with Elysia, the couple had quickly parted and gone their separate ways; Elysia to be the social butterfly that she was, and Cicero to circle the room like a shark, observing the prattling and showboating that was going on. He did not draw attention to himself, clad in a simple chiton of darkest green, ebon fibulae at his shoulders. His wife was the showy one of the two of them, and why would she not be when the gods had blessed her with such beauty. Indeed it served Cicero rather well that she tended to draw eyes wherever they went because it meant he did not, and then he could observe uninterrupted.
His sharp gaze had already picked out the absence of those he thought valid, each recorded and filed away with what he deemed necessary information, and now the man was paying close attention to those who were there. The Stravos family of course, with the Lady Circena holding court as if she were the queen herself. Cicero had some respect for the woman even if he could not be described as liking her. But she was offering little of interest, her sniping with Vasia of Antonis a sideshow and nothing more. That the Antonis daughter smiled so pleasantly over her slightly acidic words had the spymaster lift a brow, but he made no move to join the ladies, not when the awkward Stravos girl joined them either.
Now she was an interesting one, and Cicero already had plans to pay a little more attention as to what the young Danae found herself getting up to. She was a clever little thing, there was no doubt about that, but again, it was not enough to hold the man’s attention today. Marakas boy, nothing to observe, little Evi of Antonis with her nose stuck in a book. Cicero at least could appreciate her desire not to have to talk to these people, but he was working, so he doubted he’d be able to avoid it entirely.
When the self-styled king Elias of Stravos made his appearance, Cicero melted back into the recesses of the room. He was intrigued as to what the reaction of the senators would be to whatever rubbish poured from the young Lord’s mouth. And that was peculiar, he noted, watching the interaction towards one of the paid louts from the arena and the blonde Vasia. He could hardly imagine what the two of them would have to say to one another, and his keen eyes observed the way the man muttered to her as the nobles put their little questions to Lord Elias. His lip curled a little: he knew enough of the man’s predilections to have some opinions of him already, but perhaps he ought to pay a little closer attention. Yes. They should talk perhaps.
Moving with some subtlety until he found himself behind his wife once more, Cicero leaned in to speak briefly in her ear, slipping one hand onto her waist as if it was just a moment of affection. “That gladiator.Lesley of somewhere or other. You know him? I’m wondering what he might be talking to the refined Lady Antonis about…”
It was enough, and Cicero stepped back and was about to move on once more when he caught the edge of a murmur he was rather hoping would have stayed quiet a little longer. Having caught wind of it a little earlier, he supposed he could be in a worse position than to be able to witness the reaction it caused first hand.
"Speaking of seeing, did you hear the rumour down at the docks?"
"I did! But it can't possibly be true. The Queen is dead."
Was she indeed?
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The Master of Secrets had kept his presence mostly quiet at this strange event. Arriving with Elysia, the couple had quickly parted and gone their separate ways; Elysia to be the social butterfly that she was, and Cicero to circle the room like a shark, observing the prattling and showboating that was going on. He did not draw attention to himself, clad in a simple chiton of darkest green, ebon fibulae at his shoulders. His wife was the showy one of the two of them, and why would she not be when the gods had blessed her with such beauty. Indeed it served Cicero rather well that she tended to draw eyes wherever they went because it meant he did not, and then he could observe uninterrupted.
His sharp gaze had already picked out the absence of those he thought valid, each recorded and filed away with what he deemed necessary information, and now the man was paying close attention to those who were there. The Stravos family of course, with the Lady Circena holding court as if she were the queen herself. Cicero had some respect for the woman even if he could not be described as liking her. But she was offering little of interest, her sniping with Vasia of Antonis a sideshow and nothing more. That the Antonis daughter smiled so pleasantly over her slightly acidic words had the spymaster lift a brow, but he made no move to join the ladies, not when the awkward Stravos girl joined them either.
Now she was an interesting one, and Cicero already had plans to pay a little more attention as to what the young Danae found herself getting up to. She was a clever little thing, there was no doubt about that, but again, it was not enough to hold the man’s attention today. Marakas boy, nothing to observe, little Evi of Antonis with her nose stuck in a book. Cicero at least could appreciate her desire not to have to talk to these people, but he was working, so he doubted he’d be able to avoid it entirely.
When the self-styled king Elias of Stravos made his appearance, Cicero melted back into the recesses of the room. He was intrigued as to what the reaction of the senators would be to whatever rubbish poured from the young Lord’s mouth. And that was peculiar, he noted, watching the interaction towards one of the paid louts from the arena and the blonde Vasia. He could hardly imagine what the two of them would have to say to one another, and his keen eyes observed the way the man muttered to her as the nobles put their little questions to Lord Elias. His lip curled a little: he knew enough of the man’s predilections to have some opinions of him already, but perhaps he ought to pay a little closer attention. Yes. They should talk perhaps.
Moving with some subtlety until he found himself behind his wife once more, Cicero leaned in to speak briefly in her ear, slipping one hand onto her waist as if it was just a moment of affection. “That gladiator.Lesley of somewhere or other. You know him? I’m wondering what he might be talking to the refined Lady Antonis about…”
It was enough, and Cicero stepped back and was about to move on once more when he caught the edge of a murmur he was rather hoping would have stayed quiet a little longer. Having caught wind of it a little earlier, he supposed he could be in a worse position than to be able to witness the reaction it caused first hand.
"Speaking of seeing, did you hear the rumour down at the docks?"
"I did! But it can't possibly be true. The Queen is dead."
Was she indeed?
The Master of Secrets had kept his presence mostly quiet at this strange event. Arriving with Elysia, the couple had quickly parted and gone their separate ways; Elysia to be the social butterfly that she was, and Cicero to circle the room like a shark, observing the prattling and showboating that was going on. He did not draw attention to himself, clad in a simple chiton of darkest green, ebon fibulae at his shoulders. His wife was the showy one of the two of them, and why would she not be when the gods had blessed her with such beauty. Indeed it served Cicero rather well that she tended to draw eyes wherever they went because it meant he did not, and then he could observe uninterrupted.
His sharp gaze had already picked out the absence of those he thought valid, each recorded and filed away with what he deemed necessary information, and now the man was paying close attention to those who were there. The Stravos family of course, with the Lady Circena holding court as if she were the queen herself. Cicero had some respect for the woman even if he could not be described as liking her. But she was offering little of interest, her sniping with Vasia of Antonis a sideshow and nothing more. That the Antonis daughter smiled so pleasantly over her slightly acidic words had the spymaster lift a brow, but he made no move to join the ladies, not when the awkward Stravos girl joined them either.
Now she was an interesting one, and Cicero already had plans to pay a little more attention as to what the young Danae found herself getting up to. She was a clever little thing, there was no doubt about that, but again, it was not enough to hold the man’s attention today. Marakas boy, nothing to observe, little Evi of Antonis with her nose stuck in a book. Cicero at least could appreciate her desire not to have to talk to these people, but he was working, so he doubted he’d be able to avoid it entirely.
When the self-styled king Elias of Stravos made his appearance, Cicero melted back into the recesses of the room. He was intrigued as to what the reaction of the senators would be to whatever rubbish poured from the young Lord’s mouth. And that was peculiar, he noted, watching the interaction towards one of the paid louts from the arena and the blonde Vasia. He could hardly imagine what the two of them would have to say to one another, and his keen eyes observed the way the man muttered to her as the nobles put their little questions to Lord Elias. His lip curled a little: he knew enough of the man’s predilections to have some opinions of him already, but perhaps he ought to pay a little closer attention. Yes. They should talk perhaps.
Moving with some subtlety until he found himself behind his wife once more, Cicero leaned in to speak briefly in her ear, slipping one hand onto her waist as if it was just a moment of affection. “That gladiator.Lesley of somewhere or other. You know him? I’m wondering what he might be talking to the refined Lady Antonis about…”
It was enough, and Cicero stepped back and was about to move on once more when he caught the edge of a murmur he was rather hoping would have stayed quiet a little longer. Having caught wind of it a little earlier, he supposed he could be in a worse position than to be able to witness the reaction it caused first hand.
"Speaking of seeing, did you hear the rumour down at the docks?"
"I did! But it can't possibly be true. The Queen is dead."
Was she indeed?
Where her husband was draped in cheerless green, Elysia presented herself draped in a cascade of fluttering vermilion fabric that swirled about her legs as she drifted among the principal groups in the room. Never staying overly long with any one person. She smiled, murmured a few words here, nodded in concern there, and accepted the wine goblet pressed into her hands by a lady friend of hers who couldn’t handle being without a drink and didn’t feel Elysia should be without one either. Elysia hung onto it, taking the smallest of sips but having absolutely no intention of losing her wits during a session such as this. As soon as she was able, she broke away from that woman and meandered past Vasia of Antonis but did not speak with her as yet. Lady Vasia was busy and Elysia didn’t feel that Vasia would miss her all that much.
Lady Circenia and Lady Sera stood next to one another, conversing about nothing in particular, when Vasia happened upon them. Elysia edged toward a group of women she could depend on to say nothing important and used their proximity to listen to what was being said by the women she was actually interested in. She picked up interesting snippets.
Emilia was ill? Interesting for a girl so vibrantly healthful most of the time. Stravos wasn’t communicating with Antonis at all? Probably not, going by Vasia’s surprise that her brothers were not contacted about extra men. Stravos wanted to use only their own people? Paranoid.
Elysia sipped at her wine and glanced over her shoulder. All of this she could have guessed, but she liked it confirmed.
Lady Circenia openly admitting she had no personal connections to Antonis? Now that was useful. Elysia made a mental note, turning her eyes back to her friends but keeping her attention on the women behind her. When Lady Danae walked up and expressed the same sentiments of not being in touch with her cousins, Elysia made a gentle hum into her cup. So Stravos and Antonis were not allies. Again, something she could have guessed. But guessing was a gamble and Elysia liked to make sure her information was solid.
The conversation was turning inane, with Lord Rafail turning up to give his greetings to his family. Elysia was about to move on but she stayed when she heard the princess’s name brought up again. She thought that was interesting phrasing that Lady Circenia used: “We thought it best others didn’t see her” as though Princess Emilia had no say. “Lord Elias tends her night and day”. Oh yes, he was famed for his nurturing nature.
Elysia moved away so that she could hide her derisive snort with a dainty cough. Just as she’d secluded herself away from most people, Lord Elias swanned into the room, ignoring social niceties and greeting Rafail of Marikas, with a warmth and charm that Elysia did not find all that shocking. She did find the barely hidden hostility between mother and son interesting and watched on with quite a few others.
Hiding her surprise by sipping her wine, Elysia listened with everyone else to Lady Circenia’s assertions that all was fine and opened the floor for questions. To no one’s shock, Lady Vasia spoke first, but it was to do with politics. Nothing Elysia cared about. Lord Rafail also asked questions that, again, Elysia cared nothing about. A miscalculation in taxes was, of course, something that should be looked into but all this chatter about the famine? Elysia rolled her eyes. As though the Stravos family were strong enough to prevent it or end it.
Elias answered the questions put to him in his loud, flamboyant way, but Elysia was only half listening. Cicero had come up behind her and she covered his hand with hers, though didn’t lean back into him like she wanted. Instead, she listened without the intention to speak as he directed her to listen to Lady Vasia and the gladiator before her husband disappeared back into the edges of nowhere. She didn’t even look around at him.
She listened quietly as the gladiator pointed out observations about Lord Elias’s influence and power than Elysia supposed a man of low intelligence would have noticed. Guards had thoughts, and they had mouths, but they usually didn’t voice opinions. Wandering along behind Lesley at her husband’s request, she kept her attention on those in the room, listening and speaking when spoken to.
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Where her husband was draped in cheerless green, Elysia presented herself draped in a cascade of fluttering vermilion fabric that swirled about her legs as she drifted among the principal groups in the room. Never staying overly long with any one person. She smiled, murmured a few words here, nodded in concern there, and accepted the wine goblet pressed into her hands by a lady friend of hers who couldn’t handle being without a drink and didn’t feel Elysia should be without one either. Elysia hung onto it, taking the smallest of sips but having absolutely no intention of losing her wits during a session such as this. As soon as she was able, she broke away from that woman and meandered past Vasia of Antonis but did not speak with her as yet. Lady Vasia was busy and Elysia didn’t feel that Vasia would miss her all that much.
Lady Circenia and Lady Sera stood next to one another, conversing about nothing in particular, when Vasia happened upon them. Elysia edged toward a group of women she could depend on to say nothing important and used their proximity to listen to what was being said by the women she was actually interested in. She picked up interesting snippets.
Emilia was ill? Interesting for a girl so vibrantly healthful most of the time. Stravos wasn’t communicating with Antonis at all? Probably not, going by Vasia’s surprise that her brothers were not contacted about extra men. Stravos wanted to use only their own people? Paranoid.
Elysia sipped at her wine and glanced over her shoulder. All of this she could have guessed, but she liked it confirmed.
Lady Circenia openly admitting she had no personal connections to Antonis? Now that was useful. Elysia made a mental note, turning her eyes back to her friends but keeping her attention on the women behind her. When Lady Danae walked up and expressed the same sentiments of not being in touch with her cousins, Elysia made a gentle hum into her cup. So Stravos and Antonis were not allies. Again, something she could have guessed. But guessing was a gamble and Elysia liked to make sure her information was solid.
The conversation was turning inane, with Lord Rafail turning up to give his greetings to his family. Elysia was about to move on but she stayed when she heard the princess’s name brought up again. She thought that was interesting phrasing that Lady Circenia used: “We thought it best others didn’t see her” as though Princess Emilia had no say. “Lord Elias tends her night and day”. Oh yes, he was famed for his nurturing nature.
Elysia moved away so that she could hide her derisive snort with a dainty cough. Just as she’d secluded herself away from most people, Lord Elias swanned into the room, ignoring social niceties and greeting Rafail of Marikas, with a warmth and charm that Elysia did not find all that shocking. She did find the barely hidden hostility between mother and son interesting and watched on with quite a few others.
Hiding her surprise by sipping her wine, Elysia listened with everyone else to Lady Circenia’s assertions that all was fine and opened the floor for questions. To no one’s shock, Lady Vasia spoke first, but it was to do with politics. Nothing Elysia cared about. Lord Rafail also asked questions that, again, Elysia cared nothing about. A miscalculation in taxes was, of course, something that should be looked into but all this chatter about the famine? Elysia rolled her eyes. As though the Stravos family were strong enough to prevent it or end it.
Elias answered the questions put to him in his loud, flamboyant way, but Elysia was only half listening. Cicero had come up behind her and she covered his hand with hers, though didn’t lean back into him like she wanted. Instead, she listened without the intention to speak as he directed her to listen to Lady Vasia and the gladiator before her husband disappeared back into the edges of nowhere. She didn’t even look around at him.
She listened quietly as the gladiator pointed out observations about Lord Elias’s influence and power than Elysia supposed a man of low intelligence would have noticed. Guards had thoughts, and they had mouths, but they usually didn’t voice opinions. Wandering along behind Lesley at her husband’s request, she kept her attention on those in the room, listening and speaking when spoken to.
Where her husband was draped in cheerless green, Elysia presented herself draped in a cascade of fluttering vermilion fabric that swirled about her legs as she drifted among the principal groups in the room. Never staying overly long with any one person. She smiled, murmured a few words here, nodded in concern there, and accepted the wine goblet pressed into her hands by a lady friend of hers who couldn’t handle being without a drink and didn’t feel Elysia should be without one either. Elysia hung onto it, taking the smallest of sips but having absolutely no intention of losing her wits during a session such as this. As soon as she was able, she broke away from that woman and meandered past Vasia of Antonis but did not speak with her as yet. Lady Vasia was busy and Elysia didn’t feel that Vasia would miss her all that much.
Lady Circenia and Lady Sera stood next to one another, conversing about nothing in particular, when Vasia happened upon them. Elysia edged toward a group of women she could depend on to say nothing important and used their proximity to listen to what was being said by the women she was actually interested in. She picked up interesting snippets.
Emilia was ill? Interesting for a girl so vibrantly healthful most of the time. Stravos wasn’t communicating with Antonis at all? Probably not, going by Vasia’s surprise that her brothers were not contacted about extra men. Stravos wanted to use only their own people? Paranoid.
Elysia sipped at her wine and glanced over her shoulder. All of this she could have guessed, but she liked it confirmed.
Lady Circenia openly admitting she had no personal connections to Antonis? Now that was useful. Elysia made a mental note, turning her eyes back to her friends but keeping her attention on the women behind her. When Lady Danae walked up and expressed the same sentiments of not being in touch with her cousins, Elysia made a gentle hum into her cup. So Stravos and Antonis were not allies. Again, something she could have guessed. But guessing was a gamble and Elysia liked to make sure her information was solid.
The conversation was turning inane, with Lord Rafail turning up to give his greetings to his family. Elysia was about to move on but she stayed when she heard the princess’s name brought up again. She thought that was interesting phrasing that Lady Circenia used: “We thought it best others didn’t see her” as though Princess Emilia had no say. “Lord Elias tends her night and day”. Oh yes, he was famed for his nurturing nature.
Elysia moved away so that she could hide her derisive snort with a dainty cough. Just as she’d secluded herself away from most people, Lord Elias swanned into the room, ignoring social niceties and greeting Rafail of Marikas, with a warmth and charm that Elysia did not find all that shocking. She did find the barely hidden hostility between mother and son interesting and watched on with quite a few others.
Hiding her surprise by sipping her wine, Elysia listened with everyone else to Lady Circenia’s assertions that all was fine and opened the floor for questions. To no one’s shock, Lady Vasia spoke first, but it was to do with politics. Nothing Elysia cared about. Lord Rafail also asked questions that, again, Elysia cared nothing about. A miscalculation in taxes was, of course, something that should be looked into but all this chatter about the famine? Elysia rolled her eyes. As though the Stravos family were strong enough to prevent it or end it.
Elias answered the questions put to him in his loud, flamboyant way, but Elysia was only half listening. Cicero had come up behind her and she covered his hand with hers, though didn’t lean back into him like she wanted. Instead, she listened without the intention to speak as he directed her to listen to Lady Vasia and the gladiator before her husband disappeared back into the edges of nowhere. She didn’t even look around at him.
She listened quietly as the gladiator pointed out observations about Lord Elias’s influence and power than Elysia supposed a man of low intelligence would have noticed. Guards had thoughts, and they had mouths, but they usually didn’t voice opinions. Wandering along behind Lesley at her husband’s request, she kept her attention on those in the room, listening and speaking when spoken to.
He was an excellent orator, Evi continued to muse. The way he held the room, the way he spoke of the troubles of the state, rather than lingering on the troubles of the crown. Admittedly, Evi was not entirely sure what he was angling for, but she could not fathom how anyone could deny his words. It stood to reason that heavy taxation would affect Elias greatly: his barony, his business, relied on the import and export of produce from his lands. His income, and the betterment of a considerably fledgling business (it had been going for less than a year after all) was bound to be affected more than the income of other lords present at this assembly.
Close enough to her cousin, she overheard another man’s muttered words. she looked at him and decided instantly that he didn’t quite fit in here. He looked more like a fighter than a lord, with tattoos and scars covering the visible portion of skin. Yet he held himself and spoke of matters of import in a way that made him fell right had home in this circle. It was curious, to say the least.
Vasia seemed to agree with the tattooed man’s words, sharing the sentiment that the decision of this body should ultimately be brought before the Senate. Evi found herself agreeing, though it felt like that decision directly contradicted what Elias and his mother were implying they wanted to happen.
“And you, Vasia,” came the girl’s soft reply as the general discussion around the forum continued. “Not at all, dear cousin. This book is a fascinating read, I must say, but not nearly as riveting as the discourse of this room.” Evi smiled. It was no secret that the middle two Antonis sisters found a lot of comfort in books, though at least Evi also thoroughly enjoyed companionship just as much.
“But I am struggling to understand. If this matter is important enough to bring to the Senate, why was it not immediately raised with them? What is the point of this forum at all if nothing can be decided by the Lords and Ladies of Athenia? Elias’ arguments is...” she needed to phrase her words carefully, she knew, “Compelling. But it seems that whilst some people do not disagree, they are unwilling to move forward with it.”
Rumours abound, Evi found herself doing what she did best and taking time to listen in on other conversations nearby. she didn’t know if she believed them all. But she brought the question to her cousin all the same, “It can’t be true that the Princess is afflicted by the same illness as the King?” If she is... does that mean it is contagious? It could spread - what an excellent plan, to put all of Athenia’s nobility into one crowded space.
It was a painful sight, to watch Danae of Stravos be humiliated by her brother. Evi didn’t know her well, but what she did know of her was that she had a formidable mind with consummate skill in trade and politics, or so she thought. Evi also knew well the trickery of feigning ignorance for personal gain, having done similar many times herself. It seemed that Elias was either blind to his sister’s intelligence, or fully aware but willing to embarrass her nonetheless. Evi didn’t think Elias capable of such cruelty. He must be unaware that his sister had been trying to pull off an act, to whatever means.
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He was an excellent orator, Evi continued to muse. The way he held the room, the way he spoke of the troubles of the state, rather than lingering on the troubles of the crown. Admittedly, Evi was not entirely sure what he was angling for, but she could not fathom how anyone could deny his words. It stood to reason that heavy taxation would affect Elias greatly: his barony, his business, relied on the import and export of produce from his lands. His income, and the betterment of a considerably fledgling business (it had been going for less than a year after all) was bound to be affected more than the income of other lords present at this assembly.
Close enough to her cousin, she overheard another man’s muttered words. she looked at him and decided instantly that he didn’t quite fit in here. He looked more like a fighter than a lord, with tattoos and scars covering the visible portion of skin. Yet he held himself and spoke of matters of import in a way that made him fell right had home in this circle. It was curious, to say the least.
Vasia seemed to agree with the tattooed man’s words, sharing the sentiment that the decision of this body should ultimately be brought before the Senate. Evi found herself agreeing, though it felt like that decision directly contradicted what Elias and his mother were implying they wanted to happen.
“And you, Vasia,” came the girl’s soft reply as the general discussion around the forum continued. “Not at all, dear cousin. This book is a fascinating read, I must say, but not nearly as riveting as the discourse of this room.” Evi smiled. It was no secret that the middle two Antonis sisters found a lot of comfort in books, though at least Evi also thoroughly enjoyed companionship just as much.
“But I am struggling to understand. If this matter is important enough to bring to the Senate, why was it not immediately raised with them? What is the point of this forum at all if nothing can be decided by the Lords and Ladies of Athenia? Elias’ arguments is...” she needed to phrase her words carefully, she knew, “Compelling. But it seems that whilst some people do not disagree, they are unwilling to move forward with it.”
Rumours abound, Evi found herself doing what she did best and taking time to listen in on other conversations nearby. she didn’t know if she believed them all. But she brought the question to her cousin all the same, “It can’t be true that the Princess is afflicted by the same illness as the King?” If she is... does that mean it is contagious? It could spread - what an excellent plan, to put all of Athenia’s nobility into one crowded space.
It was a painful sight, to watch Danae of Stravos be humiliated by her brother. Evi didn’t know her well, but what she did know of her was that she had a formidable mind with consummate skill in trade and politics, or so she thought. Evi also knew well the trickery of feigning ignorance for personal gain, having done similar many times herself. It seemed that Elias was either blind to his sister’s intelligence, or fully aware but willing to embarrass her nonetheless. Evi didn’t think Elias capable of such cruelty. He must be unaware that his sister had been trying to pull off an act, to whatever means.
He was an excellent orator, Evi continued to muse. The way he held the room, the way he spoke of the troubles of the state, rather than lingering on the troubles of the crown. Admittedly, Evi was not entirely sure what he was angling for, but she could not fathom how anyone could deny his words. It stood to reason that heavy taxation would affect Elias greatly: his barony, his business, relied on the import and export of produce from his lands. His income, and the betterment of a considerably fledgling business (it had been going for less than a year after all) was bound to be affected more than the income of other lords present at this assembly.
Close enough to her cousin, she overheard another man’s muttered words. she looked at him and decided instantly that he didn’t quite fit in here. He looked more like a fighter than a lord, with tattoos and scars covering the visible portion of skin. Yet he held himself and spoke of matters of import in a way that made him fell right had home in this circle. It was curious, to say the least.
Vasia seemed to agree with the tattooed man’s words, sharing the sentiment that the decision of this body should ultimately be brought before the Senate. Evi found herself agreeing, though it felt like that decision directly contradicted what Elias and his mother were implying they wanted to happen.
“And you, Vasia,” came the girl’s soft reply as the general discussion around the forum continued. “Not at all, dear cousin. This book is a fascinating read, I must say, but not nearly as riveting as the discourse of this room.” Evi smiled. It was no secret that the middle two Antonis sisters found a lot of comfort in books, though at least Evi also thoroughly enjoyed companionship just as much.
“But I am struggling to understand. If this matter is important enough to bring to the Senate, why was it not immediately raised with them? What is the point of this forum at all if nothing can be decided by the Lords and Ladies of Athenia? Elias’ arguments is...” she needed to phrase her words carefully, she knew, “Compelling. But it seems that whilst some people do not disagree, they are unwilling to move forward with it.”
Rumours abound, Evi found herself doing what she did best and taking time to listen in on other conversations nearby. she didn’t know if she believed them all. But she brought the question to her cousin all the same, “It can’t be true that the Princess is afflicted by the same illness as the King?” If she is... does that mean it is contagious? It could spread - what an excellent plan, to put all of Athenia’s nobility into one crowded space.
It was a painful sight, to watch Danae of Stravos be humiliated by her brother. Evi didn’t know her well, but what she did know of her was that she had a formidable mind with consummate skill in trade and politics, or so she thought. Evi also knew well the trickery of feigning ignorance for personal gain, having done similar many times herself. It seemed that Elias was either blind to his sister’s intelligence, or fully aware but willing to embarrass her nonetheless. Evi didn’t think Elias capable of such cruelty. He must be unaware that his sister had been trying to pull off an act, to whatever means.
Rafail was not usually an easily satisfied man. Mama had always spoiled her second son - it had typically been chalked down to the fact that he had been the first successful birth after her long illness - and he had been raised without the need to wait for most things he desired. He had learned impatience from such an upbringing and, more importantly, he had learned that he was rarely entirely pleased even when it appeared he was getting what he wanted. It had seemed unlikely that any response Elias could give would quickly content him, and his face had already begun to contort into a slight frown when the first words his friend spoke did not address his issue directly. So what if Princess Emilia was ill? Women were not suited to rule regardless, and it was unlikely her decisions would be wise ones even if she had not been distressed by the loss of her sister (only another woman for which Rafail did not care in the slightest). There were others - men - who should have been able to handle the situation, and should have resolved it before now. Papa, for one. Papa should have stepped up to the plate as soon as the opportunity had presented itself. Papa should have been King, really, and then Rafail could have been born a prince, just like he was supposed to be.
That would have been better. Perhaps if Papa had been the King, and Rafail had been born a prince, he might be treated with the respect he deserved by all individuals, and not ridiculed by others who had no place doing so. That gladiator, for one. His cousin, for another. No, if he had been born a prince, then perhaps Danae might have shown him greater respect, and maybe then she would have learned to act like a proper lady instead of a twelve-year-old boy in the skin of a court lady. His gaze drifted across the room momentarily, falling upon his youngest cousin and watching the way she too seemed to flit her gaze around as if confused. He wondered if it was because she did not understand the words her brother spoke, words he was, in truth, not even currently listening to, despite them being formed in response to his query. He watched the way she sidled - glided, really, almost like her sister did - across the hall, approaching some other man as if she wished to offer him her heart.
Danae never did that for him. Bar her own brother, Rafail was the most eligible bachelor in Athenia, and at least thrice as handsome as any other man in the room that day, and yet there she was making conversation with some idiotic lord who barely held a title of his own. Makarios was stupid, and boring, and had been forced into plenty of interactions with Rafail in his life solely because they were both the younger sons of their father, despite the several year age gap. Rafail had offered him a place on one of his frequent hunting trips a few months past, and had thought him an absolute dullard despite his frankly gaudy dress sense (and the Marikas baron would know gaudy, so keen as he often was to display his own wealth through fashion). He was the kind of man that a woman would only fall to when the best options had been exhausted.
And then she was gone, and flitting away to another man, and then another, and yet not one of them was Rafail. Not one! She was wasting her beauty on these men who were nothing compared to the second Marikas son, all less intelligent and less handsome and poorer and — wait. His mind seemed to pause mid-thought, as if it could not believe itself, and he retraced the thought until finding the source of the confusion. Beauty. The word seemed wrong, and never one he would want to associate with the girl, but it stuck in his mind and refused to vanish, as if he could not force himself to think any other thought about her. It was true that her red-and-gold peplos was stunning, and her jewels were opulent, but he found himself uninterested in such details when he thought of how beautifully each accessory had highlighted her natural features. It was why he had stuttered in his initial greeting to her that evening, and why he had found nothing to say bar a single compliment.
Oh, gods.
This was not a feeling with which Rafail was wholly familiar. He associated it, typically, with silly girls who threw themselves upon him in the hopes that he might take them to his bed to share a passionate night. He had never thought that it might befall him, and he had never once believed that it would do so with a woman as despicably outspoken as Danae of Stravos. His mind had not even once strayed to the fantasy of seducing her or ravishing her, as it so often did when he considered women he liked the look of, and he even thought for a moment that he would not mind if she saw him without every attention paid to his outward appearance. And that was how he knew.
He could feel the colour rising to his cheeks again, and he bit his tongue as hard as he could as if to stop the humiliation, until he could taste the blood. He desired any other thought in the universe at that moment, and attempted to focus his attention back on Elias, thinking that perhaps the political chit-chat might distract him.
Oh, gods. Could it not have been any other woman?
Of course, turning back to Elias was no help either. Rafail had already missed every word he had given in response to his previous query, and, so it seemed, half the court's conversation in the past few minutes that he had allowed his mind to wander. His friend was not even saying anything of dramatic use, only calling out to Danae in a mocking manner - there she was again, as if now that he had had the thought, he could not escape her - only the humiliation irritated him. It had never done so before. Rafail had even shared an insulting conversation with his sole male cousin about the girl they both disliked, and he had laughed at every comment and shared his own less-than-kind thoughts. But now, he found himself speaking up apparently against his will, as if he wanted to defend her honour, as if she deserved the protection.
"Elias," he called out, as though he inexplicably cared not for propriety, interrupting the start of the other lord's response, his arms crossed in a manner which served both to prevent himself from doing something stupid (for he did not fully trust his own actions at that moment) and to express some degree of authority. "Leave her be." His voice hesitated, as he attempted to catch himself, and make his strange call to her defence seem the opposite, because he could not let any other know of his sudden thoughts. The next words seemed hurried, however, as if fully to display the cover-up he had intended for them. "Perhaps it would be best to leave Danae to spread her nonsense amongst our more idiotic lords, and if they are so ignorant as to listen to the words of some foolish girl, then perhaps it would be better to know which are the weakest among our court in advance. I cannot imagine you are keen to have such imbeciles in your court, and weeding them out earlier might prove a valuable tactic."
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Rafail was not usually an easily satisfied man. Mama had always spoiled her second son - it had typically been chalked down to the fact that he had been the first successful birth after her long illness - and he had been raised without the need to wait for most things he desired. He had learned impatience from such an upbringing and, more importantly, he had learned that he was rarely entirely pleased even when it appeared he was getting what he wanted. It had seemed unlikely that any response Elias could give would quickly content him, and his face had already begun to contort into a slight frown when the first words his friend spoke did not address his issue directly. So what if Princess Emilia was ill? Women were not suited to rule regardless, and it was unlikely her decisions would be wise ones even if she had not been distressed by the loss of her sister (only another woman for which Rafail did not care in the slightest). There were others - men - who should have been able to handle the situation, and should have resolved it before now. Papa, for one. Papa should have stepped up to the plate as soon as the opportunity had presented itself. Papa should have been King, really, and then Rafail could have been born a prince, just like he was supposed to be.
That would have been better. Perhaps if Papa had been the King, and Rafail had been born a prince, he might be treated with the respect he deserved by all individuals, and not ridiculed by others who had no place doing so. That gladiator, for one. His cousin, for another. No, if he had been born a prince, then perhaps Danae might have shown him greater respect, and maybe then she would have learned to act like a proper lady instead of a twelve-year-old boy in the skin of a court lady. His gaze drifted across the room momentarily, falling upon his youngest cousin and watching the way she too seemed to flit her gaze around as if confused. He wondered if it was because she did not understand the words her brother spoke, words he was, in truth, not even currently listening to, despite them being formed in response to his query. He watched the way she sidled - glided, really, almost like her sister did - across the hall, approaching some other man as if she wished to offer him her heart.
Danae never did that for him. Bar her own brother, Rafail was the most eligible bachelor in Athenia, and at least thrice as handsome as any other man in the room that day, and yet there she was making conversation with some idiotic lord who barely held a title of his own. Makarios was stupid, and boring, and had been forced into plenty of interactions with Rafail in his life solely because they were both the younger sons of their father, despite the several year age gap. Rafail had offered him a place on one of his frequent hunting trips a few months past, and had thought him an absolute dullard despite his frankly gaudy dress sense (and the Marikas baron would know gaudy, so keen as he often was to display his own wealth through fashion). He was the kind of man that a woman would only fall to when the best options had been exhausted.
And then she was gone, and flitting away to another man, and then another, and yet not one of them was Rafail. Not one! She was wasting her beauty on these men who were nothing compared to the second Marikas son, all less intelligent and less handsome and poorer and — wait. His mind seemed to pause mid-thought, as if it could not believe itself, and he retraced the thought until finding the source of the confusion. Beauty. The word seemed wrong, and never one he would want to associate with the girl, but it stuck in his mind and refused to vanish, as if he could not force himself to think any other thought about her. It was true that her red-and-gold peplos was stunning, and her jewels were opulent, but he found himself uninterested in such details when he thought of how beautifully each accessory had highlighted her natural features. It was why he had stuttered in his initial greeting to her that evening, and why he had found nothing to say bar a single compliment.
Oh, gods.
This was not a feeling with which Rafail was wholly familiar. He associated it, typically, with silly girls who threw themselves upon him in the hopes that he might take them to his bed to share a passionate night. He had never thought that it might befall him, and he had never once believed that it would do so with a woman as despicably outspoken as Danae of Stravos. His mind had not even once strayed to the fantasy of seducing her or ravishing her, as it so often did when he considered women he liked the look of, and he even thought for a moment that he would not mind if she saw him without every attention paid to his outward appearance. And that was how he knew.
He could feel the colour rising to his cheeks again, and he bit his tongue as hard as he could as if to stop the humiliation, until he could taste the blood. He desired any other thought in the universe at that moment, and attempted to focus his attention back on Elias, thinking that perhaps the political chit-chat might distract him.
Oh, gods. Could it not have been any other woman?
Of course, turning back to Elias was no help either. Rafail had already missed every word he had given in response to his previous query, and, so it seemed, half the court's conversation in the past few minutes that he had allowed his mind to wander. His friend was not even saying anything of dramatic use, only calling out to Danae in a mocking manner - there she was again, as if now that he had had the thought, he could not escape her - only the humiliation irritated him. It had never done so before. Rafail had even shared an insulting conversation with his sole male cousin about the girl they both disliked, and he had laughed at every comment and shared his own less-than-kind thoughts. But now, he found himself speaking up apparently against his will, as if he wanted to defend her honour, as if she deserved the protection.
"Elias," he called out, as though he inexplicably cared not for propriety, interrupting the start of the other lord's response, his arms crossed in a manner which served both to prevent himself from doing something stupid (for he did not fully trust his own actions at that moment) and to express some degree of authority. "Leave her be." His voice hesitated, as he attempted to catch himself, and make his strange call to her defence seem the opposite, because he could not let any other know of his sudden thoughts. The next words seemed hurried, however, as if fully to display the cover-up he had intended for them. "Perhaps it would be best to leave Danae to spread her nonsense amongst our more idiotic lords, and if they are so ignorant as to listen to the words of some foolish girl, then perhaps it would be better to know which are the weakest among our court in advance. I cannot imagine you are keen to have such imbeciles in your court, and weeding them out earlier might prove a valuable tactic."
Rafail was not usually an easily satisfied man. Mama had always spoiled her second son - it had typically been chalked down to the fact that he had been the first successful birth after her long illness - and he had been raised without the need to wait for most things he desired. He had learned impatience from such an upbringing and, more importantly, he had learned that he was rarely entirely pleased even when it appeared he was getting what he wanted. It had seemed unlikely that any response Elias could give would quickly content him, and his face had already begun to contort into a slight frown when the first words his friend spoke did not address his issue directly. So what if Princess Emilia was ill? Women were not suited to rule regardless, and it was unlikely her decisions would be wise ones even if she had not been distressed by the loss of her sister (only another woman for which Rafail did not care in the slightest). There were others - men - who should have been able to handle the situation, and should have resolved it before now. Papa, for one. Papa should have stepped up to the plate as soon as the opportunity had presented itself. Papa should have been King, really, and then Rafail could have been born a prince, just like he was supposed to be.
That would have been better. Perhaps if Papa had been the King, and Rafail had been born a prince, he might be treated with the respect he deserved by all individuals, and not ridiculed by others who had no place doing so. That gladiator, for one. His cousin, for another. No, if he had been born a prince, then perhaps Danae might have shown him greater respect, and maybe then she would have learned to act like a proper lady instead of a twelve-year-old boy in the skin of a court lady. His gaze drifted across the room momentarily, falling upon his youngest cousin and watching the way she too seemed to flit her gaze around as if confused. He wondered if it was because she did not understand the words her brother spoke, words he was, in truth, not even currently listening to, despite them being formed in response to his query. He watched the way she sidled - glided, really, almost like her sister did - across the hall, approaching some other man as if she wished to offer him her heart.
Danae never did that for him. Bar her own brother, Rafail was the most eligible bachelor in Athenia, and at least thrice as handsome as any other man in the room that day, and yet there she was making conversation with some idiotic lord who barely held a title of his own. Makarios was stupid, and boring, and had been forced into plenty of interactions with Rafail in his life solely because they were both the younger sons of their father, despite the several year age gap. Rafail had offered him a place on one of his frequent hunting trips a few months past, and had thought him an absolute dullard despite his frankly gaudy dress sense (and the Marikas baron would know gaudy, so keen as he often was to display his own wealth through fashion). He was the kind of man that a woman would only fall to when the best options had been exhausted.
And then she was gone, and flitting away to another man, and then another, and yet not one of them was Rafail. Not one! She was wasting her beauty on these men who were nothing compared to the second Marikas son, all less intelligent and less handsome and poorer and — wait. His mind seemed to pause mid-thought, as if it could not believe itself, and he retraced the thought until finding the source of the confusion. Beauty. The word seemed wrong, and never one he would want to associate with the girl, but it stuck in his mind and refused to vanish, as if he could not force himself to think any other thought about her. It was true that her red-and-gold peplos was stunning, and her jewels were opulent, but he found himself uninterested in such details when he thought of how beautifully each accessory had highlighted her natural features. It was why he had stuttered in his initial greeting to her that evening, and why he had found nothing to say bar a single compliment.
Oh, gods.
This was not a feeling with which Rafail was wholly familiar. He associated it, typically, with silly girls who threw themselves upon him in the hopes that he might take them to his bed to share a passionate night. He had never thought that it might befall him, and he had never once believed that it would do so with a woman as despicably outspoken as Danae of Stravos. His mind had not even once strayed to the fantasy of seducing her or ravishing her, as it so often did when he considered women he liked the look of, and he even thought for a moment that he would not mind if she saw him without every attention paid to his outward appearance. And that was how he knew.
He could feel the colour rising to his cheeks again, and he bit his tongue as hard as he could as if to stop the humiliation, until he could taste the blood. He desired any other thought in the universe at that moment, and attempted to focus his attention back on Elias, thinking that perhaps the political chit-chat might distract him.
Oh, gods. Could it not have been any other woman?
Of course, turning back to Elias was no help either. Rafail had already missed every word he had given in response to his previous query, and, so it seemed, half the court's conversation in the past few minutes that he had allowed his mind to wander. His friend was not even saying anything of dramatic use, only calling out to Danae in a mocking manner - there she was again, as if now that he had had the thought, he could not escape her - only the humiliation irritated him. It had never done so before. Rafail had even shared an insulting conversation with his sole male cousin about the girl they both disliked, and he had laughed at every comment and shared his own less-than-kind thoughts. But now, he found himself speaking up apparently against his will, as if he wanted to defend her honour, as if she deserved the protection.
"Elias," he called out, as though he inexplicably cared not for propriety, interrupting the start of the other lord's response, his arms crossed in a manner which served both to prevent himself from doing something stupid (for he did not fully trust his own actions at that moment) and to express some degree of authority. "Leave her be." His voice hesitated, as he attempted to catch himself, and make his strange call to her defence seem the opposite, because he could not let any other know of his sudden thoughts. The next words seemed hurried, however, as if fully to display the cover-up he had intended for them. "Perhaps it would be best to leave Danae to spread her nonsense amongst our more idiotic lords, and if they are so ignorant as to listen to the words of some foolish girl, then perhaps it would be better to know which are the weakest among our court in advance. I cannot imagine you are keen to have such imbeciles in your court, and weeding them out earlier might prove a valuable tactic."
Only that the Lord Elias’s plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness. I look forward to hearing of the outcome.
It was no less than what she expected of someone like Vasia of Antonis, but Circenia’s smile was tight, nonetheless. She held a reluctant respect for the young woman that she should so boldly toe the line of propriety like she did, but greater was her annoyance than her admiration. A pretty thing like her ought to be seen and not heard.
“As you know, Lady Vasia, my son does not have the power to call the Senate to meet,” she replied sweetly, flashing glittering teeth in a smile that held no mirth. “Nor do I. I merely thought we might address the people’s concerns in a venue that I could provide, you see.” It was rare that the Stravos matriarch didn’t have an answer for something, and tonight was no exception. She’d always been quick on her feet. “Our dear Princess Emilia is the only one left in Athenia who does have the power to open the Senate’s doors, and as yet, she still refuses to do so. However, I will be more than happy to address your concerns to her. I agree, it has been too long.”
Granted, that was about the last thing Circenia actually wanted, but it served her better to openly placate Vasia than to be truthful. Besides, what could the lady of Antonis really say in response? While the Stravos had all but taken over the capital, what the princess said was true. They did not technically have the right to let the Senate convene, even if they held the means to do so well within their grasp. But that was not a direction she wanted to nudge Emilia. At least not yet.
Falling silent again as the chatter rose and fell around her, the Stravos matriarch simply observed and listened. Curiosity piqued at the vague mutterings of Emilia’s illness, her smile was hidden behind the rim of a wineglass. Yes, let them think she bore the same malady as her father. They would be less likely to keep questioning her lack of public appearances.
What interested her more, however, was this talk of spotting the Queen on the docks. Taking a few subtle steps in the direction of the speaker, she covered her intentions by stopping to greet one of her nieces. The assertion was countered with another’s insistence that Persephone was dead, but Circenia knew for a fact that wasn’t true. While she didn’t know precisely where the Queen was, she did know that. Could it be true that she had returned? She would have to look into such claims…
Tucking that bit of information into the back of her mind, Circenia returned her attention to the matters at hand, watching curiously as her younger daughter wove though the crowd. What exactly was she up to? To see her addressing noblemen of her own volition, especially those with such poor reputations had the princess subtly furrowing her brow in confusion, clear blue eyes never leaving Danae’s path. She was up to something; she had to be.
When Lord Makarios finally spoke, that was when she understood what the girl was doing, her gaze flicking between him and her youngest child with a grudging respect. It never ceased to amaze her just how smart Danae really was, though this was not the place for it. She understood what Elias was doing, even if his sister did not, and openly questioning his plan was not exactly the direction she hoped her daughter would go in. At least she was smart enough to have someone else do it for her, but unfortunately, she was not the only one who saw through Danae’s ruse.
A flush coloring her cheeks when Elias called his sister to speak in front of the Court, Circenia’s icy gaze narrowed. While she did not necessarily approve of what Danae had just done, neither did she approve of her son using public humiliation to solve it. They were meant to be seen as a cohesive and united family unit, especially when they were at a public event like this. They could not let the rifts show.
Stepping forward and opening her mouth to say something, anything that might fill in the hole Elias and Danae had just dug, she closed it in surprise when Rafail of Marikas spoke out instead. Seemingly defending and insulting her daughter in the same breath, Circenia cocked a brow in his direction before walking over and wrapping an arm around Danae that was both a warning and a protection.
“Quit while you’re ahead, child,” she muttered just loud enough for her daughter to hear, lips barely moving. “Embarrassing your brother is not the route, not this time.” While she’d never say it aloud, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever been prouder of her daughter than she was in that moment. But, she meant it. Exacerbating his temper was only going to set the whole family back, and that was the last thing they needed.
Louder so others could hear, Circenia spoke up, “My daughter is indeed an eager girl and seeks only to acquire further knowledge. Who among us could punish her for such a thing? We were all sixteen once, doing the best we knew how. She’ll sit back and listen with me so she might learn how Court is properly conducted.”
Gently but firmly squeezing Danae’s shoulder to reinforce what she just said, she shot a subtle look in her direction. Now was not the time to argue.
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Only that the Lord Elias’s plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness. I look forward to hearing of the outcome.
It was no less than what she expected of someone like Vasia of Antonis, but Circenia’s smile was tight, nonetheless. She held a reluctant respect for the young woman that she should so boldly toe the line of propriety like she did, but greater was her annoyance than her admiration. A pretty thing like her ought to be seen and not heard.
“As you know, Lady Vasia, my son does not have the power to call the Senate to meet,” she replied sweetly, flashing glittering teeth in a smile that held no mirth. “Nor do I. I merely thought we might address the people’s concerns in a venue that I could provide, you see.” It was rare that the Stravos matriarch didn’t have an answer for something, and tonight was no exception. She’d always been quick on her feet. “Our dear Princess Emilia is the only one left in Athenia who does have the power to open the Senate’s doors, and as yet, she still refuses to do so. However, I will be more than happy to address your concerns to her. I agree, it has been too long.”
Granted, that was about the last thing Circenia actually wanted, but it served her better to openly placate Vasia than to be truthful. Besides, what could the lady of Antonis really say in response? While the Stravos had all but taken over the capital, what the princess said was true. They did not technically have the right to let the Senate convene, even if they held the means to do so well within their grasp. But that was not a direction she wanted to nudge Emilia. At least not yet.
Falling silent again as the chatter rose and fell around her, the Stravos matriarch simply observed and listened. Curiosity piqued at the vague mutterings of Emilia’s illness, her smile was hidden behind the rim of a wineglass. Yes, let them think she bore the same malady as her father. They would be less likely to keep questioning her lack of public appearances.
What interested her more, however, was this talk of spotting the Queen on the docks. Taking a few subtle steps in the direction of the speaker, she covered her intentions by stopping to greet one of her nieces. The assertion was countered with another’s insistence that Persephone was dead, but Circenia knew for a fact that wasn’t true. While she didn’t know precisely where the Queen was, she did know that. Could it be true that she had returned? She would have to look into such claims…
Tucking that bit of information into the back of her mind, Circenia returned her attention to the matters at hand, watching curiously as her younger daughter wove though the crowd. What exactly was she up to? To see her addressing noblemen of her own volition, especially those with such poor reputations had the princess subtly furrowing her brow in confusion, clear blue eyes never leaving Danae’s path. She was up to something; she had to be.
When Lord Makarios finally spoke, that was when she understood what the girl was doing, her gaze flicking between him and her youngest child with a grudging respect. It never ceased to amaze her just how smart Danae really was, though this was not the place for it. She understood what Elias was doing, even if his sister did not, and openly questioning his plan was not exactly the direction she hoped her daughter would go in. At least she was smart enough to have someone else do it for her, but unfortunately, she was not the only one who saw through Danae’s ruse.
A flush coloring her cheeks when Elias called his sister to speak in front of the Court, Circenia’s icy gaze narrowed. While she did not necessarily approve of what Danae had just done, neither did she approve of her son using public humiliation to solve it. They were meant to be seen as a cohesive and united family unit, especially when they were at a public event like this. They could not let the rifts show.
Stepping forward and opening her mouth to say something, anything that might fill in the hole Elias and Danae had just dug, she closed it in surprise when Rafail of Marikas spoke out instead. Seemingly defending and insulting her daughter in the same breath, Circenia cocked a brow in his direction before walking over and wrapping an arm around Danae that was both a warning and a protection.
“Quit while you’re ahead, child,” she muttered just loud enough for her daughter to hear, lips barely moving. “Embarrassing your brother is not the route, not this time.” While she’d never say it aloud, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever been prouder of her daughter than she was in that moment. But, she meant it. Exacerbating his temper was only going to set the whole family back, and that was the last thing they needed.
Louder so others could hear, Circenia spoke up, “My daughter is indeed an eager girl and seeks only to acquire further knowledge. Who among us could punish her for such a thing? We were all sixteen once, doing the best we knew how. She’ll sit back and listen with me so she might learn how Court is properly conducted.”
Gently but firmly squeezing Danae’s shoulder to reinforce what she just said, she shot a subtle look in her direction. Now was not the time to argue.
Only that the Lord Elias’s plans sound worthy of being presented to the Senate, your highness. I look forward to hearing of the outcome.
It was no less than what she expected of someone like Vasia of Antonis, but Circenia’s smile was tight, nonetheless. She held a reluctant respect for the young woman that she should so boldly toe the line of propriety like she did, but greater was her annoyance than her admiration. A pretty thing like her ought to be seen and not heard.
“As you know, Lady Vasia, my son does not have the power to call the Senate to meet,” she replied sweetly, flashing glittering teeth in a smile that held no mirth. “Nor do I. I merely thought we might address the people’s concerns in a venue that I could provide, you see.” It was rare that the Stravos matriarch didn’t have an answer for something, and tonight was no exception. She’d always been quick on her feet. “Our dear Princess Emilia is the only one left in Athenia who does have the power to open the Senate’s doors, and as yet, she still refuses to do so. However, I will be more than happy to address your concerns to her. I agree, it has been too long.”
Granted, that was about the last thing Circenia actually wanted, but it served her better to openly placate Vasia than to be truthful. Besides, what could the lady of Antonis really say in response? While the Stravos had all but taken over the capital, what the princess said was true. They did not technically have the right to let the Senate convene, even if they held the means to do so well within their grasp. But that was not a direction she wanted to nudge Emilia. At least not yet.
Falling silent again as the chatter rose and fell around her, the Stravos matriarch simply observed and listened. Curiosity piqued at the vague mutterings of Emilia’s illness, her smile was hidden behind the rim of a wineglass. Yes, let them think she bore the same malady as her father. They would be less likely to keep questioning her lack of public appearances.
What interested her more, however, was this talk of spotting the Queen on the docks. Taking a few subtle steps in the direction of the speaker, she covered her intentions by stopping to greet one of her nieces. The assertion was countered with another’s insistence that Persephone was dead, but Circenia knew for a fact that wasn’t true. While she didn’t know precisely where the Queen was, she did know that. Could it be true that she had returned? She would have to look into such claims…
Tucking that bit of information into the back of her mind, Circenia returned her attention to the matters at hand, watching curiously as her younger daughter wove though the crowd. What exactly was she up to? To see her addressing noblemen of her own volition, especially those with such poor reputations had the princess subtly furrowing her brow in confusion, clear blue eyes never leaving Danae’s path. She was up to something; she had to be.
When Lord Makarios finally spoke, that was when she understood what the girl was doing, her gaze flicking between him and her youngest child with a grudging respect. It never ceased to amaze her just how smart Danae really was, though this was not the place for it. She understood what Elias was doing, even if his sister did not, and openly questioning his plan was not exactly the direction she hoped her daughter would go in. At least she was smart enough to have someone else do it for her, but unfortunately, she was not the only one who saw through Danae’s ruse.
A flush coloring her cheeks when Elias called his sister to speak in front of the Court, Circenia’s icy gaze narrowed. While she did not necessarily approve of what Danae had just done, neither did she approve of her son using public humiliation to solve it. They were meant to be seen as a cohesive and united family unit, especially when they were at a public event like this. They could not let the rifts show.
Stepping forward and opening her mouth to say something, anything that might fill in the hole Elias and Danae had just dug, she closed it in surprise when Rafail of Marikas spoke out instead. Seemingly defending and insulting her daughter in the same breath, Circenia cocked a brow in his direction before walking over and wrapping an arm around Danae that was both a warning and a protection.
“Quit while you’re ahead, child,” she muttered just loud enough for her daughter to hear, lips barely moving. “Embarrassing your brother is not the route, not this time.” While she’d never say it aloud, she wasn’t sure if she’d ever been prouder of her daughter than she was in that moment. But, she meant it. Exacerbating his temper was only going to set the whole family back, and that was the last thing they needed.
Louder so others could hear, Circenia spoke up, “My daughter is indeed an eager girl and seeks only to acquire further knowledge. Who among us could punish her for such a thing? We were all sixteen once, doing the best we knew how. She’ll sit back and listen with me so she might learn how Court is properly conducted.”
Gently but firmly squeezing Danae’s shoulder to reinforce what she just said, she shot a subtle look in her direction. Now was not the time to argue.