• Memory • [Venora] My pleasure

Zvezdana and Xander meet while his parent's are visiting the Venora's.

The seven Duchies of Central Rynmere and their respective baronies, cities, towns, villages, and landmarks each overseen by a Duke of one of the seven noble families and ultimately controlled by the King of Rynmere.
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Xander Andaris
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[Venora] My pleasure

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20th Ymiden, Arc 715

The palace in which he stood was much grander than the humble home in which Xander had been raised. In some ways he felt out of place in the homes of nobles, never really feeling himself to be of the same class. However, through years of practise and observation he had managed to build a facade that hid his true feelings and instead represented a happy content noble. It was this facade that he would have to uphold for the duration of his visit, this facade that would help him make it through his time among these garden loving people. It was interesting how true some stereotypes were, his entire time in Venora had only showed him gardens and people obsessed with fashion. They certainly didn't appear ashamed of the weak stereotype they embodied.

He was unsure where his parents had gotten too, probably attending some meeting with the Duchess and her advisers. He was never invited to such meetings, his parents never invited him to do anything important. He had been amazed when they asked him to come to Venora with them, it was the first time they had ever asked him to come with them. In the past they had always attended things alone, or sometimes sent him to visit other nobles by himself. This time, however, they had even ridden in the carriage with him. Although, part of him had decided they wanted something from him and he was always waiting to see what they were going to spring on him.

As he walked the halls of the building admiring the expensive and fascinating decor of the place he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. He hadn't actually met any of the Venora's yet, his parents had been whisked away immediately on arrival leaving him to find his own way. He had to admit the large building was sort of a maze to him, the many halls and corridors were a little overwhelming. He found himself wishing for some form of guide, maybe he could find a servant to direct him to where he should be or away from where he shouldn't.

The sound of the footsteps was nearing as Xander straightened up his waist coat and prepared to meet whoever it was that was approaching. He assumed it was a woman, something about the sound of the shoe and the lightness of the step just wasn't masculine. However, Xander was certainly no expert on the sound of men or women's footsteps. Instead, he would find out that it was a woman when she rounded the corner before him.

Xander greeted the woman before him with a smile, clearly she was a noble from what she was wearing. He himself was dressed in his formal attire, his grey woollen trousers, a white shirt and his silver and blue waist coat. His double breasted tail coat had been taken upon arrival and so he felt a little under dressed before the woman. She certainly had a charming appearance, lush black curls that cascaded down her shoulders and back, blue eyes that rivalled even Xanders and a figure that many a woman would kill for.

Xander bowed his head before her and introduced himself. "Good morning, well met. Lord Xander Krome, at your service." He kept his head bowed for a moment in respect before raising it again, still smiling for the woman. If his mind had not been so distracted by revolutionary ideas he may have noticed her attractive appearance and thought more of it. Alas, as it was he thought little of the pleasures of women, his mind was far too preoccupied for romance and courting a woman by choice.
Last edited by Xander Andaris on Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:32 am, edited 1 time in total. word count: 624
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Zvezdana Venora
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[Venora] My pleasure

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"That self serving bastard."

Zvezdana gripped the bedpost as the servant girl tightened her corset. She was fuming at the fact that once again Alistair had undermined her. He had told her that the meeting with the Krome family was tomorrow, not today! Since she had not planned on doing anything of political importance, Zvezdana had slept in and lounged this morning. She basked in the morning sun while dress scantily in her nightwear. Everything had been going swimmingly as she plotted how to be helpful to her parents when the Krome's arrived. She dreamt of charm and grace, poise and beauty over wine and words. At least, until a carriage was seen entering the gates of Sabaissant.

"Of course he would lie to me so that he could be privy to the information and not me," Zvezdana hissed, her breath catching as the girl finished cinching her undergarments.

"I'm sure Lord Venora did not mean-"

"Silence. You don't know my brother like I do. He is a wolf in sheep's wool. He would do anything to secure his already golden boy position. Grab that dress. It will have to do since I'm already late."

The servant girl zipped her lip, far more afraid of Zvezdana than having an opinion of her own. That was how most of the girls were around here. They simply did as they were told. Especially around Baron Venora. Kaleb had a much stronger hand than she. Zvezdana's words were the sharpest tool that she had. With the help of her maid, Zvezdana shimmied into the purple, silk underdress with the gold embroidery. The blue, chiffon overdress parted down the middle as a lovely accent to the purple. It was one of her favorite dresses of all time.

"M'lady, your hair!"

"Forget it. It will look fine loose. I have to go!" Zvezdana yelled over her shoulder as she raced out her suite door with her skirts in hand. Through the halls she sped, her heels clicking as she moved. Her steps were longer than a walk, but at least one foot was on the ground at all times so she wasn't running. As an educated, classy woman, she had to remain some sort of control over this distressing situation.

As she rounded the corner, she nearly bumped into an unfamiliar man. An unfamiliar and attractive looking man. Zvezdana stopped in her tracks just before colliding with him. He seemed to be just as surprised to find her there but was quick to correct it. The way he lowered his head was appropriate, but she was slightly perturbed by the lack of a complete bow. He should practically be on his knee before her.

Or so she thought until he introduce himself. Quickly she found herself leveling the playing field by dropping into a polite curtsy. After all, his status rivaled hers. "Lord Krome. It is my pleasure. I am Lady Zvezdana Venora." She spoke sweetly, if not a little exasperated. "I was just on my way to greet you and your parents. I do apologize I was not there on time."
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Xander Andaris
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[Venora] My pleasure

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The woman's dress was exquisite, a the blue and purple complimented each other perfectly and it had clearly been tailored to fit her body perfectly. He knew little of fashion it was true but even he could tell that the dress was expensive, more so than any clothes he owned. She seemed a little surprised to see him, all though it made sense. There was no way she could have expected to run into the visiting lord in such a random place, for all he knew he could have wandered into Zvezdana's personal wing of the place.

"I am sorry, you seem a little startled. I promise it was not my intention to surprise you my Lady." The surprise was clear in his own voice as he fiddled to make sure he was neat for the Lady Zvezdana. "It is quite alright, it appears our parents were in a rush. They were taken to talk immediately on arrival and as usual I was left to find my own way around this most enormous home of your's." He looked around the large corridor to further express his point. He was admittedly lost and he had no idea how to return to the entrance from where he had originated.

He looked her over again now, taking some more time to appreciate her attractive appearance. He had heard that the women of the Venora house were attractive, so he was not surprised to have run into one such attractive Lady. He had not, however, expected to meet one who was both attractive and polite. He had met some very rude nobles in his life and sometimes the attractive ones were worst, they seemed sometimes to think their appearance and status meant they could treat others like dirt.

Yet, his first impressions of Zvezdana were good, not bad. He found her firstly flustered response to running into him rather flattering to her. He realised he was allowing his deep and hidden desire for a woman to replace his lost sister managing to worm its way through the many layers of alternate personality he had placed on top.

"You seemed to be heading somewhere, I wish not to delay you. May I accompany you my lady?" He offered up his company to the woman, hoping both to find his way and learn about the noble. It was important for him to learn of the other people of power around Rynmere. If he wished to succeed in his future goals he would need to find allies within the other houses, why not start now with the charming Lady Zvezdana Venora.
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Zvezdana Venora
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[Venora] My pleasure

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It appeared that the Krome family were slightly unorthodox. Or maybe, they were just un-Venoran. She would never have been allowed to roam freely around a noble manor without direct supervision of a Venoran servant, her parents, or her teachers. She had always been watched from the very moment she was born. Zvezdana could believe that it was strictly political, to ensure that she was not releasing information that was secure to House Venora. It certainly was not out of concern for her well being or out of love. Her parents, and her house, always had other motives. Carefully, she gestured before her, as if signaling that she was heading in the direction he had been coming and that he was welcome to join her.

"I had been coming to greet the Krome family. It appears that I was too late to meet you at the door. Although not the formal meeting I wished to have, it is a lovely to meet you Lord Krome. I hope your journey was pleasant." Zvezdana started, careful to remain in stride with him. The corridor was long, but just before it bent away into the heart of the building there was a door. This door led outside into one of the smaller gardens of Sabaissant. She hoped he might find pleasure in talking on a walk through the roses with her. Especially since neither would be allowed in the meeting at this point. They were far too late.

From what she had been taught, Krome housed hooligans. They were unrefined in comparison to the southern house, taking to their beer and brawls. Venorans preferred fine wine and class as far as she was concerned. So far, Xander was not reading by the book. Although he was underdressed, he was better dressed than she would have expected. His manners were adequate before a lady and he seemed quite keen on making nice with the hosting house. Zvezdana angled a wary eye on her company. Even laid in her blank face, her eyes suggested suspicion. Why would his parents drag him all the way south to visit with Venora if they had little intention of bringing him to the meeting.

They reached the end of the corridor. She had been acting too wary herself. Better to start breaking the ice if she knew what was good for her. "Out this way. By now the meeting has started, so it is pointless to join them. Besides, it must be political conversation. Dull if I had to put my finger on it. The gardens are far more pleasant, especially this time of arc. Please, if you would do a young maid the kindness, would you accompany me?"
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Xander Andaris
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[Venora] My pleasure

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"It was a long trip and my parents have a tendency to go on and on, incessantly, about often pointless topics. Like earlier this trial they spoke for a whole two breaks about whether they should have the servants make turkey or chicken for the next visiting guests we have." He chuckled as he looked over at the Lady Venora who was keeping stride with him. For her height she was doing a good job of keeping up with his much longer stride, he had been careful to shorten it as he walked beside her. He did not wish to go walking off ahead of his host, especially not one as interesting as the Lady Zvezdana.

They appeared to be heading down the hallway towards a door, one that he had not come through before. He had assumed they would head back to the main part of the building. Apparently his assumption had been wrong but that was okay, the Lady made for good company. At least for the time being she was pleasant enough, easy on the eye, seemingly kind and at that moment soft spoken. Xander had no problem with spending time alone wit her, why should he, part of him even thought that she was the reason his parents had brought him with them. He ignored the idea though and instead returned his attention to Zvezdana.

As he examined her more closely he noticed that her dazzling blue eyes seemed to hold a look of suspicion. The rest of her face seemed calm and more controlled, it gave away little of her emotions and left Xander wondering her opinion of him. He was sure he had differed from the stereotype his own house had, savages and beasts. He had no doubt that many of the Southern Houses thought of the Kromes as wild men with no chance of being tamed and becoming sophisticated. It was a stereotype that was often true, he did like the occasional fight and drink like any man. However, his parents were much greater lovers of the Venoran way and for that reason he had been raised to have much better manners than some of his house.

Zvezdana made a good point for not going back, they certainly would not be allowed into the meeting now. "Of course, it will be my pleasure to walk the gardens with you my Lady." He bowed his head like he had upon meeting her and then opened the door, allowing her to exit out into the warm sunshine first. "I am sure your company will be much more enjoyable than talk of politics and the state of our two houses economies." As the light crossed Zvezdana's pale skin Xander would begin to notice just how stunning she was, not to mention white like snow. To him she appeared much like one of the soft and elegant flowers her house were famous for growing.

"So, Lady Zvezdana, what is it that you like to do with your time?" He was curious to learn more about the Lady, having someone to gain information from was important. He had been told by Badon that this was called networking, gaining new acquaintances and friends who could provide you with information. Although, he doubted that this intelligent lady would give up much valuable information at this time. "I would assume that a Lady with a pleasant and charming appearance, such as yourself, would enjoy to dance or take part in some other such elegant art." He decided that attempting to seduce the woman may make her more open to him, not to mention it was a completely valid assumption. At least that was the case in his mind.
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Zvezdana Venora
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[Venora] My pleasure

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"I do not do much with my free time. I spend a great majority of time with my tutors." Zvezdana offered. Had she had free time, she would have no idea what to do with it. When he mentioned the elegant arts, she smiled. To be a ballerina or a musician would have been nice. Instead, her brother had been the artistic one. Her cousins were quite talented as well. Alistair had politics shoved down his throat while she was being groomed to make a good wife for the perfect man of another noble house. "I suppose I like stitching little things in front of the window and watching the servant children playing. That kind of freedom is beyond our grasp. Our bloodlines do not permit us to frolic in such a carefree way. We are patrons of the arts, but I do not think my mother would have permitted me to learn ballet or the harp."

They had left the confines of the house, stepping onto the balcony. As she talked, she led him down the stone steps into one of the many gardens of Sabaissant. Roses were twirling from their bud in a variety of colors. Pinks, red, yellows, and whites popped up from the deep green leaves. Her heels clicked on the stones as she avoided the grassy patches. Sinking a heal into the soft earth was not on her agenda this morning. She ran a hand up her face, pulling a dark lock of hair behind her ear. "Tell me Lord Krome. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? It does not sound like you enjoy coming South with your parents to explore the lush lands of Venora. Perhaps you would rather hunt wild animals on muscular horses and play a game of "mine's bigger" with your chaps at home?"

What was the point of spending time with a hand man if she were not able to goad him into a fight. Zvezdana spun on one foot, taking a step backwards so she could face him while they talked. Not looking where she was going made it more difficult to place her heels on the stone path. Just one step and her heel would catch. For now, her balance was perfect and she continued to walk backwards along the garden path.

"Tell me, Lord Krome. Why did you come all the way down here with your parents? Do you not have a lovely lady at home waiting for you? You could be spending this unsupervised time with her doing all sorts of," Her voice trailed off and her eyes went skyward as she searched for the right word. Erotic was too blunt and unladylike. Fun was just bland. "...ribald activities."

If she were lucky, he probably didn't know what the word meant. Afterall, he was a Krome. They were uneducated savages, were they not?
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Xander Andaris
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[Venora] My pleasure

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She was an interesting Lady, she seemed so sure of herself and proud. Even when she was admitting that she had not been given much choice in how to lead her life, when speaking of her lack of free time there was something strong about her. It was clear she was not shy and she had not been one to worry about free time as she had none. It was sadly the way for many nobles, they had to sacrifice the freedom of hobbies and choice that the citizens of Rynmere got to enjoy. He was rather lucky, relatively neglected by his parents he had been able to choose his own path. All be it he had selected a path that had instead been suggested by another but it was one he truly believed in and wished to see one day come to light.

The garden was lovely but Xander was too busy focussing on his new companion to really pay any attention. Besides, he was not a lover of flowers but a lover of seeing the great flower that could one day oppose his aims wilt or fall under his control and call. He was amused by her expectations of him, clearly his houses reputation was worse down south than he would have ever imagined and certainly worse than he would have hoped for. Part of him wished to go wit the the stereotype of his house and see how she reacted but his pride was too great.

Instead he let out a warm chuckle and looked at her with a charming and pleasant smile, being the good guest as was expected of him. "Not exactly my Lady, I think you will find that I am much more civilized than the rumours would have you most delicate southerner's believe. We are not all animals Lady Venora, some of us are much more real and human than those you would find at the highest dinners in Andaris." He walked on the stone with her, the clack of her heels surprisingly soothing to listen too. He could only imagine what would happen if she were to step into the grass in them. "I think you would be much more likely to find me reading a book or organising the household." Xander smiled and awaited her next attack, sure one would come.

Again came another amusing idea, one that he would have a woman waiting at home. Xander had no time for such things, nor did he have the emotional capacity to care for a woman. He fought back the smile at her suggestion and he even had to fight back a greater smile when he curiosity was relieved. The poor lady sunk her heel into a grassy patch he had been too busy listening to her to have noticed. Of course Zvezdana went off balance and began to fall, Xander had half a mind to let her do so. But he had an image to uphold and so with a quick lunge forward he caught her and stopped her falling with two strong hands on her waist.

He had not known what the word she said meant but it was obvious what was implied by it. "I think you would find Lady Venora that I have no time to go dabbling in that kind of exploration with a woman, I am far too busy for such shenanigans." He held her waist still and then righted her pulling her up straight and smiling at her as he released her hips and stepped back. "I am here because like you with your lack of spare time, I have no choice my Lady, although it appears I was lucky enough to have this meeting you with. It has been, eye opening, a most enjoyable experience."

"Now if you will excuse me my lady, I really should be seeing where my parents got too." He offered his hand in order to take hers and kiss it as was expected of a gentleman.
word count: 668
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