Forbidden Fruit

[Maebella]

Carrying on...

This carries on after this thread just so the chronology is clear!

62 Zi'da 717

When Virikai leaned close to kiss her, Maebella melted. Her whole body relaxed against his as she sighed, lips parting willingly as her heart turned to a puddle within her. She was ready to curl herself around him and let him do whatever he wanted with her and to her. She wasn't even drunk! She hadn't drank anything at all in fact and yet here she was ready to give herself to him as willingly as when- No, she was more willing to give herself to him, to allow him to do what ever he wished and perhaps later that fact would scare her but right now, she had fallen quite literally head over heels. It actually made her dizzy with feeling for him.

When he finally broke away from her, the Eídisi hardly remembered how to breathe. Her body was boiling from the inside out, ready to send her fainting before him. However, she was indeed sober and so once they broke apart and she was able to look at him again, she became instantly shy. Her gaze dropped, her cheeks blazed but she smiled to herself, a small sign of self-satisfaction. Embarrassed though she was, she still felt as if she glowed from within. This was no dream but a wonderful reality, the undeniable proof that he actually wanted her and that it wasn't a figment of her imagination.

Her gaze flicked up at his blackberry comment, a very obvious smirk on her face although for once, she had nothing to say for herself. He had an excellent point about sweetness in small doses though. She had greatly enjoyed the kiss because it was such a rarity although she highly doubted that she could ever fail to take pleasure in it. Still, she wondered what he counted her as sweet or sour, or perhaps she was supposed to be a mixture of the two. She didn't even care right now. Instead, she simply grasped his arm, continuing to smile to herself as she leaned against him, her eyes shining with a new light that was probably readily visible to everyone. It was euphoria that was probably oozing from her pores, crackling along her skin, radiating from her face. Once more, he offered her fruit, a strawberry this time and she took it willingly.

"Thank you," she murmured, a weight to her words showing that she was talking about more than the fruit. She leaned against him, accompanying him willingly as they passed out of the greenhouse and followed a new passage. She had no idea where they were going but Maebella kept her questions to herself, not really willing to speak for change. The passages increased, maze-like and confusing to the scholar although the slave threaded them with practised ease. Soon, they reached steps that headed downwards, entering a cellar that left Maebella utterly bemused. There was alcohol. And then there was more alcohol. And then...

"What... what is this?" she asked, wide-eyed as she turned her white gaze on Virikai. "This is what you brought me for, isn't it? So plying me with fruit really only was a start!"

Credit to Rose Greenwood

[Virikai Talius]

It was to beautiful, Maebella’s reactions to him. He wondered if she was this responsive to her other love interests, if they had discovered how her blush was triggered, if they enjoyed it as much as Virikai did. He would kiss her over and over again, just to watch the colour flush her cheeks. It was her reaction, nothing more, that Virikai enjoyed… at least, that’s what he believed. In a gesture that would come across as fondness, the young scion stroked the woman’s cheek, before releasing her and they continued on their way.

Once the slave had led them down to the cellars of Burnt Wine, where Viden’s worst-kept secret was housed, Virikai smirked at Maebella’s outburst. She did not seem shocked at the sheer volume of alcohol stored down here, where bottles upon bottles of wine, cider and spirits were stored. Yes, the Intelligence Authority knew about Burnt Wine, and even the directorate, but it was not common knowledge among the citizens of Viden… unless they sought particular services from the Black Market. Maebella could not have known, by Virikai’s estimation.

Yet… here she was, professing shock that only went as far as to claim that Virikai had brought her here for vulgar reasons. “I brought you here to taste the finest liquors Viden has to offer, Maebella,” the Talius heir replied in a neutral, though almost rebuking, tone. “We are here to sample and enjoy, not to indulge ourselves with inebriation.”

Wondering what type of companionship the girl normally kept, Virikai gestured her forward, allowing her a moment to take in the sheer size of the cold cellar. Then, he guided her to a set of tables on the side of the room, pulling out a chair for her to sit before taking a seat himself. It was a darkened space - Virikai could not see the edges of the room. He had never drank himself to excess, even with access to the Aranaz stores, and enough money to pay for bottles of spirits. Instead, he drank for the taste, enjoying the varied flavours, depending precisely on how the drink was made. There was so much more to life than wasting it on nights one could not remember.

“Have you ever taken the time to enjoy a drink, Bella? To truly appreciate the care and expertise that goes into every bottle?” As he spoke, his fingers absently traced along the fabric covering the girl’s shoulder blade, hard enough to let her feel it, but light enough that she might question whether or not it was him, or the non-existent breeze.

He motioned to the slave, indicating to bring them out a bottle of wine. They would start of simple, with something easier on the tongue, if Maebella was inexperienced. There would be a number of bottles just for this purpose, rotated for those in the know to experience new sensations each time they returned. It was one of the many ways the Aranaz family kept their coffers flowing with gold.

The Ice Prince-

[/style2]

[Julian Aranaz]

Some time had passed since Julian stepped foot upon Viden’s icy foundations that he had almost forgotten what the giant wall of ice looked like against the morning sun of Zi’da. When he’d gotten off the ship nearly twenty trials ago, he didn’t think he could appreciate such a sight, having spent his time in the hot sands of Nashaki due to his father’s outcasting. Now that he was back, it was almost surreal.
Being away for so long had done something to him and, oddly enough, he felt a piece of his soul mend itself in place. Being in the shadow of his father had driven him madder than an Aukari overdosing on Ambrosia. He’d been filled with a rage that was bound to explode on his family if his father hadn’t sent him away, and while at first, he’d been upset at such a gesture, now he was thankful for the disgracement.
Julian wasn’t the same man, and while changed, he still held to some old tendencies and habits. He enjoyed feeling inhibited, drunk off of both liquor and women while drowning in the pleasantries that being back at the Aranaz Estate allowed. This was partially why he left and why he returned.
His father’s burial was concluded well before Julian returned, having been beckoned back home by his estranged mother, and when he did so walk past the gates into the family’s personal cemetary, the noble took such liberties as to spit on his father’s grave. The man he’d grown up with was a driven, power hungry, controlling monster. Such traits washed off onto Julian and still, he fought to correct the propensity that was ingrained in him at such a young age.
He groaned when the afternoon light hit his face as curtains were pulled open by a slave who jumped at the sound. “What are you doing in my room?”
She backed away, head bowed as her hands laced in front of her to appear as submissive as possible. “I’m sorry Master. I thought you’d already risen for the day and left.”
“You thought wrong.” He retorted with a sigh, pulling the sheets up over his head to bury himself within their warmness. It was then he found another surprise. Throwing the sheets back, his tone of voice shifted to displeasure. “Get out.” The naked woman there in his bed muttered something of a ‘Yes, Master’ before her and the other girl hurried out of his room with a click of the door being shut.
After a moment he sighed, then fell back into the sheets, willing himself to have the energy for the day…

It’d taken Julian nearly a break to prepare himself for inventory checking. They didn’t like to keep books, but there were some the man knew of that needed analyzing, especially with what they carried. Few knew of the Burnt Wine— the collection of alcoholic brewery craftsmanship the Aranaz family made its mark from— but that didn’t stop people from trying to steal from them. If anything had been stolen, Julian would know by the books.
It was like a maze, the Burnt Wine, with all of its tunnels winding underneath the estate and further out below the foundations. It was cold too, but the fermenting wine would not freeze from the temperature. The only thing that kept the tunnels from truly being frozen was a kind of magic contained within crystals lining the walls and greenhouses around the property. He’d grown up with this oddity, but never truly took it for what it was worth: Power.
Nevertheless, Julian passed through the maze of tunnels, scribing into the journal he carried while checking bottles, names, aging, turns, and coloration. By the time he was halfway through his work, the noble stumbled upon his old friend attempting to woo a lover. The slaves that prepared the wine halted in toe and bowed to him, greeting him with his official name.
“I’ll take that.” He pointed, then reached for the silver tray when it was offered to him. He watched from afar as Virikai woo’ed her, noticing a lot of tricks he’d done during his younger days in Viden. When he’d witnessed just about enough, Julian approached the table, fisting the neck of a bottle in one hand while carrying a platter of samplers in the other.
“Well, well, old friend.” Julian smiled, sliding the platter onto the table as he caught the other man’s attention. “Today is a day full of surprises.”

[Maebella]

The Eídisi woman had never come across so much alcohol before but in truth, it didn't surprise her as much as it maybe ought to have done; it made sense. Alcohol sale and consumption was controlled throughout the city and while there were many who respected such things and didn't want to change them, there were also those who'd prefer to have greater freedom. In other words, there was some demand. It made perfect sense that if you had the facilities to grow all manner of fruits that you could siphon some of those off and use them to make alcohol. If you were as rich and powerful as the Aranaz family then really who was going to check or try to stop you? She had a feeling that she was one of the few commoners in Viden to be brought here. It seemed like a paradise for the city's aristocracy and no doubt, a great deal of their wealth ended up in the Aranaz coffers.

Maebella wasn't going to give Virikai her thoughts on that matter, the sense of greater inequality between those who had the most and those who had considerably less. She knew that no one in Viden was truly poor or deprived but it still stung that those who were rich and powerful enough had access to something more. To them, it seemed that there was never enough. And yet here she was, let in on the secret and no doubt expected to keep her mouth shut about it too. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, the complicity of it.

His words drew a sigh from her, the scholar giving a subtle shake of her head. "Of course I didn't think that you intended to- Forget it," she muttered, exasperation in her tone. She'd been teasing him and yet he'd almost taken offence. She wondered if he actually had brought her here with some manner of vulgar intent and he resented being caught out. Better to say nothing more about it. Maebella always seemed to say the wrong thing around him and she was tired of feeling like an utter fool. He hadn't reached the age of majority yet and there wasn't a huge age gap between them but she was still left feeling as if she was arcs younger than him. It was amazing really but the Talius scion always made her feel incredibly inferior to him, which was not a sensation to which she was accustomed. Although, she still enjoyed his company and was attracted to him. Greatly attracted to him. Worryingly attracted to him.

His question about enjoying a drink elicited a soft laugh. "Oh Virikai, do you really think that I spend a lot of my time drinking? I've only ever done it in a social context and I view it as a necessary evil but certainly not a frequent one," she explained. "Nobody invites me along with them when they go out. Surely, that's evident. I-I've told you that people don't tend to enjoy my company," she added, her gaze dropping and her voice.

A shiver went through her at his touch but she didn't glance up, not fully aware that he was the cause as she found herself slipping into a brooding state of mind. Perhaps it could have taken stronger hold if a man hadn't appeared who quite evidently was not a slave. If she had to guess, she'd say that he was part of the Aranaz family, one of the owners of this illicit little establishment. The fact that there was familiarity in the way he spoke to the Talius heir only seemed to reinforce that idea. Slaves were one thing but this man would probably make a more active judgement of the pair before him and she hadn't had good experiences with the way people regarded them as a couple. They seemed to get the wrong idea. By Yvithia, it hadn't been until he'd kissed her that she was sure that they were an anything, never mind a couple.

The scholar had no idea how to greet him or any idea what to do with herself and so she murmured a soft hello and resorted to blushing instead, an almost habitual state of being these trials when she was in Virikai's vicinity. However, in this new social arrangement, she felt rather surplus to requirements. She was the odd one out.

Credit to Rose Greenwood

[Virikai Talius]

“Ah, you cannot expect me to believe that you are a complete social pariah anymore,” Virikai murmured as they waited for the slave to return. His lips curled upwards, reminding her with a pointed glance of their last meeting, where she had proclaimed to have the attentions of multiple men. “Regardless, I have told you before how I disapprove of your self-depreciating remarks. I will not tell you again, Bella.”

Julian’s arrival was not a particular surprise to Virikai - after all, he did own the place. The scion inclined his head, smirking at the half-serious, half-mocking gesture of respect he displayed to the new Lord. Virikai had not seen the other for at least two arcs now; Virikai having been… removed from the public eye some time before Julian’s own father acted against his disobedient son. Virikai was glad the man was dead. He was glad to see his friend once more.

Milky gaze trailed along his friend’s form, noting the changes. Julian, though younger than Virikai had been well into his majority before he left, as humans had different milestones than eídisi. Even so, there was something about the way Julian now held himself… he seemed more mature. The self-confidence was still evident, but the Lord seemed slightly more demure, calmer, less… rebellious. Virikai felt a pang of jealousy at the other’s newfound freedom.

But that did not stop the unfamiliar sensation of joy bubbling deep inside him. Virikai, much like Julian he thought, did not believe in friendship, but Julian was as close to friend as anyone could get. They were too alike: both aristocrats of a similar age, both other shadowed and controlled by their fathers, both devoid of emotional and moral limitations, they even looked somewhat alike.

“Julian,” Virikai smiled - perhaps his first, genuinely warm smile in seasons, as he reached out his hand for the other to shake. “Welcome back to Viden. I was glad to hear of your return, though my condolences over the unfortunate circumstances which bring you home.” Finishing the required pleasantries, he indicated to the eídisi woman sitting beside him, “May I have the pleasure of introducing you to Miss Maebella Arval.”

The late Lord Aranaz’s death had been well publicised around the city, even though the funeral had been a quiet one Maebella would have certainly known about it, as well as hearing the rumours about the return of the newest Lord to Viden. “Maebella, this is Lord Julian Aranaz, owner of this fine establishment. If anyone can teach you about the value of a good drink, it is this gentleman.”

The Ice Prince-

[/style2]

[Julian Aranaz]

Julian returned the smile, his hand extended to take Virikai’s in a firm grasp of a handshake. Julian looked taller, more at ease with an aura that still commanded authority, though not as ragefully as he once was. Being in Nashaki— stranded with no money, no allies, and no reputation— had saved his life more so than he cared to think on it. He’d finally transitioned from a spoiled brat into a capable man.
“Yes, unfortunate circumstances.” Was all he gave, retracting his hand only to slide it into the pockets of his trousers, the thick, dark, wool sweater clinging warmly to his shape. His eyes moved to the woman that Virikai accompanied, sweeping brown orbs over blue complexion before doing something so out of the norm, even Julian was a bit surprised by himself.
He held his hand out for her to take, and if she would, he’d greet her with a quick kiss upon its surface. Julian was sure the rumors of his disgracement were heard throughout the city, so there was no reason for him to doubt that Maebella knew of his treatment of women. Julian still didn’t believe them to be more capable than a man, but he’d charm them all the same. Besides, he didn’t want to be rude and piss off his friend. Regardless, the two were also potential buyers and he had much in the way of alcohol that could be purchased at a reasonable price.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Arval.” His voice was smooth as he spoke, righting himself once more only to grab the bottle he’d carried in hand and two empty glasses. The bottle’s cork having been pulled already, he very gracefully poured the pink colored liquid into the two glasses and handed them off to the pair.
“Yes, well, in Viden, any drink is a good one.” He jested lightly with a smirk, nodding for them to drink the wine. “This one specifically is sweeter than the rest. Probably our sweetest. It’s made with grapes imported from a village outside of Etzos. Of course, we grow them on the property, since shipment of fruits to Viden would spoil in an instant.”
As they tasted, Julain turned towards one of the corridors. “Excuse me for a moment.” He told before heading toward the kitchen to prepare a cheese plate for them to sample with the wine.

[Maebella]

The young woman bit her lip, ready to point out that she'd never called herself a pariah and that his attention hardly changed things but then she realised the full implications of his words with a soft gasp. Hurt flickered in her gaze briefly before she turned it away, jaw setting. Attracting Jevan had been entirely accidental and had had serious, unpleasant consequences for her. Virikai knew that the human's ex-girlfriend had attacked her over an infatuation that she'd been utterly clueless about at the time. That certainly hadn't been healthy and in all seriousness, better a social pariah than that. Maebella wasn't in the slightest bit amused that he'd brought it up, more upset than truly enraged.

"It isn't self-deprecating, it's the truth," she managed to get out between her teeth before she went back to pursing her lips. At least Julian's appearance provided her with a reason to be uncomfortable and thus, allow her demeanour to soften into shy awkwardness instead. Her gaze flitted between the two, intrigued by the warmth between them, especially the Talius scion's smile. She didn't think he'd ever smiled at her that way. She felt a pang of sadness, doubting their relationship once more.

When the introductions were made, she understood precisely who Julian was: the new Lord Aranaz. She'd heard about the death of his father and so it was obvious what had brought him back, what his new position in life must be. She found her tongue slow and clumsy when she wanted to offer condolences, especially when he extended his hand to take hers and surprised her by kissing it. She only had trill to register what he would do, her eyes flicking briefly to Virikai, as if seeking his permission, before she was reduced to blushing furiously, wondering if every aristocratic man was like this with women.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lord. A shame that it's under such sad circumstances. My condolences," she murmured, the scholar ready to retreat into herself. The Eídisi didn't think that she could sit here between these two men and deal with the pressures of the situation. She doubted that Julian would attempt to touch her again, but yet she was anxious about how her... well, whatever Virikai was, would react. She chewed her lip. Was he her date? Was this a date? She supposed so although she hadn't considered the matter before this. Strange to think that she'd puzzled over how he regarded her but had never attempted to surmise anything from their circumstances, only his attitude and behaviour towards her.

The Aranaz lord poured them drinks and Maebella eyed her glass a little warily, only made worse by the fact that the man seemed to be waiting to see them drink. She picked up the glass tentatively, white gaze focused on the pink liquid in an effort to distract herself from the eyes of the newcomer. She was also worried that she'd find Virikai's eyes on her if she chanced a glance his way. He too would be interested in her response. The girl took a delicate sniff before taking a careful sip, relaxing a little as Julian moved away. It gave her the opportunity to actually taste the alcohol in peace, allowing it to swirl over her tongue. It was definitely sweet, reminding her of the strawberry that she'd eaten not so long ago, although it carried that slight burn that seemed to cling to the back of her mouth where it sloped down into her throat. Even once the alcohol was gone and she swallowed reflexively, her saliva failed to get rid of that slight tingle.

The young woman frowned at it for a moment, fine lines collecting at the inside of her brows as she considered the flavour. She took another sip, seeing if it would alter her opinion in any way.

"It is quite sweet. I'm not sure if it's to my taste," she admitted softly to the Talius scion, setting the glass down and fiddling with her hair so that it fell in a curtain in front of both cheeks, obscuring her face at least in part, which was her intention. "Is it all right to say that to him or will it cause offence?" the young woman questioned, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she pondered what etiquette might dictate in this situation and hoping that her companion could help her.

Credit to Rose Greenwood

[Virikai Talius]

The scion’s eyes remained alight with unconcealed happiness as pleasantries were passed between the trio. The pair of young men had been raised among the swells; they knew how to act appropriately, but Virikai had always found himself most able to be… himself when around his age-matched peer, as opposed to the stiffs who demanded propriety at all times. Not that they did not fall into the role easily - Virikai even liked the uptown life he got to live - but it was far better to do so in the company of a contemporary who understood the pressures.

As their host excuse himself, Virikai’s gaze lingered on the retreating man, “Truth? Or fact, Bella? Truth is a subjective concept, not built on empirical evidence. Your truth will never be mine, for we have experienced the world in different ways.” He turned to face her once more, eyes hard. “I am a busy man and I make a point of not associating with those unworthy of my time. Is that what you would rather? Because your insistence on this matter is rather fervent.” He raised a brow, “Stop.”

He took the wine, glancing at it first before taking a small sip. He held the crimson liquid on his tongue for a moment, allowing his tongue to become accustomed to the taste before swallowing, then settling in for a second, sightly larger, sip. This time, he was able to actually enjoy the flavours of the wine. “What do you think?” He asked softly as he turned to Maebella. He frowned a little, not because he disapproved of the girl’s response, but because he would have had her pegged for enjoying the sweeter drinks.

“Oh? I did not imagine you to prefer a more dry wine. No, he won’t be offended,” It was sweet that she would worry over such a thing. “People spend a lot of money in these cellars. The Aranaz fortune was not built on patrons pretending to enjoy something.” Virikai paused, smiling at a memory long in the past, and barely remembered. “Once a group of us came down here and Julian made it his mission to identify everyone’s favourite wines. We must have gone through at least two dozen bottles that evening.”

He glanced up, seeing the shadow of the new Lord returning to them in the darkened cellar. “Some of the later bottles we drank were rather old, and even rare. We might have been able to find our favourites within that selection, had we not been so inebriated by that point. Julian’s father was… not best pleased.” He shook his head and took a never sip. “Nor was my head the next morning, actually. I don’t think I touched another drink for an arc.”

The Ice Prince-

[/style2]

[Julian Aranaz]

The scion took his time preparing the plates that would be distributed to his guests. It was obvious the two were here for far greater purposes than the exchange of ideal, and unfortunate, pleasantries with Julian and he didn’t care much to entertain such things. He’d already heard a number of people give their condolences over the loss of his father, and while it was a kind gesture indeed, it only served to remind the Lord of his mother and the seemingly permanent loss of her company. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, his features resembling that of the deceased enough to cause her emotional pain. So she took to the east wing and buried herself in books, small parties, and drank to the bottom of a number of bottles.
Julian hated his father, probably more so than he ever did when he was alive. The man was intolerable at best and at worst, well… dangerous. His mother had been the victim of Tobren’s wrathful nature plenty of times, his punishments twisted in a way that paralleled a slave’s treatment rather than marriage. After a time, his mother began to wane from obedient wife to quiet husk, only answering when asked to and only doing as she was told to. Julian assumed that once his father had passed, his mother’s shell would crack and she’d arise the woman he remembered her to be, but it was nearly the opposite.
Thus, he had to take over everything. The family. The business. The slaves.
He held a hand up towards a woman who’d stepped towards him with her head bowed, preparing to speak. For a moment, red hair caught his eye and he thought maybe his little slave had returned, but the color was washed in waves of blonde and not so hearty red like what he remembered her hair to be.
“Go fetch me a loaf of the Nymian bread, the Feme roll, a loaf of Sourdough bread, and a basket of the rye and the wheat crackers. I also need jars of pickled Sonhal Olives, Recay Olives, Sonhal Red Peppers, Mushrooms, Garlic Cloves…” He paused, ”Will you remember this?”
“Y-Yes, Master.”
“Just get those things and return to me when you have them.”
“Yes, Master.” A bow later and she was gone.
Julian entered the pantry, looking for the appropriate spices, jams, cheeses, herbs, fruits, and vegetables harvested from the greenhouse that day. Everything would be fresh and easily prepared. Half of the items were pickled, kept in preservation to preserve not only the quality of the food, but the flavor as well.
Returning to the kitchen, Julian laid out a number of flat, stone plates before turning to dismount several small pots from where they hung on the ceiling. Once in hand, he laid those too on the island table that was covered in both food and plates, taking time to sprinkle olive oil, herbs, spice, and butter into several of the pots before moving to unwrap the garlic the slave had brought from its flaky shell.
Finishing the task, the scion moved to stoke the fire in the hearth before adding the pot of garlic on to cook. The next to follow were the mushrooms and peppers until both were evenly roasted in the oil and butter. Julian took time to lay out the platters; using his hands to pull apart some of the bread loafs to add texture to the palettes, placing the crackers in neat arrangements next to the jams, setting a bowl of olives mixed in herbs and oil, arranging the roasted garlic, peppers, mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, pickled green beans, and fruits all in a way to appeal to the eye.
The last part of the platter was the cheese and the Lord quickly went about cutting them and placing four different types onto a plate by themselves. Once through, the platter looked splendid and readily, he waved his hand towards the slaves that stood ready to serve him.
“Carefully now, take it out to them. You,” He snapped his fingers, “Retrieve a silver platter and glasses from the closet. Make sure they’re cleaned and make it quick.”
While the pair were examining the food being brought to them, Julian left to fetch a few more bottles of wine, porter, and brandy. They were small bottles that were meant to be opened for occasions like this and so, he didn’t think much of it when he popped them open.
Finally, after everything was done, the man returned to his guests who were now surrounded by an enormous cheese and cracker palette, served with the wine he’d brought from the cellars, several tasting glasses, metal forks, and sampler stone plates.
“My apologies for the wait, but I couldn’t let you all leave here without having gotten the full experience.” He smiled before taking a seat.

[Maebella]

As they were left alone, no witnesses to see how he spoke to her, he began to pick apart her words. It made her set her jaw, the muscles tense as she pressed her lips together quite firmly, eyes downcast so he couldn't see the blaze within them. It wasn't that she disagreed with what Virikai said but rather Maebella was frustrated by how he managed to have the perfect logical argument for everything and leave her ready to plead with him, explaining that of course she wanted him to continue associating with her. The fact was that she could see it, understand it, knew how he could twist things to his advantage and yet, she was still ready to throw herself after him. The Eídisi needed him and it wasn't something that he was necessarily doing to her on purpose; he didn't have a true sense of her feelings for him because there was no way he could.

Still, the aristocrat was entirely correct and it made her want to kick herself. Of course the truth was subjective but that didn't mean that her version of the truth wasn't valid. Not that she said anything, just submitted quietly, letting it slide.

When he explained that Julian wouldn't be offended by her dislike of the wine, she was relieved but she was also curious about why the Talius scion had thought she'd favour sweet wines like this one. The scholar couldn't see any reason why that would be so but perhaps there was some societal thing that she was missing. Maybe women typically preferred sweeter wines. As far as she knew, she hadn't given any indication that she had a particular like for sweeter things so it seemed an odd inference to make.

"Why did you think I'd like sweeter wines?" she questioned, her face openly curious as she turned her gaze on him, head cocked a smidgen to the side.

While they conversed, Virikai falling into reminiscence, a slave kept coming to where they sat, depositing platter after platter of a wide array of foods. Although she was listening to what her companion had to say, the young woman was very focused on what was appearing before her. So much food, a ridiculous amount of food in truth given that there was just the two of them. Well, Julian would return but even then, it was too much. She wondered why it was necessary to provide them with such a variety, a wide array that they could never hope to eat all of but only pick at really. This was what they did, the truly rich. They could afford to be disgustingly wasteful. The young woman didn't know how she felt about participating in such gluttony.

Viden was richer than many cities, she knew that. There was no class in the northern city that was truly poor, certainly not starving but there certainly weren't many who could afford to try so many different foods, truly fresh produce and thus, looking at it made her feel guilty and more than a little disconcerted. Ordinarily, Maebella was one of those people who couldn't afford such a thing. If she'd known of this place and been able to come alone then she could never have afforded such luxury, that was guaranteed. It made her feel the economic divide between them, even in the memory that he so fondly relayed.

Once, she'd told Caius about how her eldest brother Fraeon had become extremely ill after he'd drank too much. He had detested the sight of alcohol for awhile too but he'd probably suffered more than Virikai had. She'd heard that the better the quality of the alcohol - usually the more expensive - the less severe the hangover. Fraeon hadn't been drinking old and expensive rare wines.

By the time Julian approached, bearing the last few items to complete the spread, the young woman was well embroiled in an internal dispute. As he explained that he'd wanted them to enjoy the full experience before they left, she couldn't help but speak up, a question loosed from her lips before she could think about it too deeply.

"Is this... typical? People who come here usually partake in all of this?" she asked, eyes wide as she took in what was before her. Julian might not pick up on the guilt and disgust that she was suffering but Virikai might well do so. It didn't mean that she wouldn't eat and drink as she was meant to do; the scholar just wouldn't be well pleased with it. It was too much, a monumental waste and she didn't think that she could fully condone it.

However, she would do anything for the Talius heir's benefit, anything that would keep him happy, even if she had personal doubts. This was his life and she'd have to get used to it.

Credit to Rose Greenwood