Life is but a dream

[Ycharley]

It had taken Adrien a few days to make it to Reajh, and he wasn't honestly liking the weather. He liked it warm, but here, even in summer the air held a bit of chill to it. The girl though, this Samantha. If she was anything like he heard, she would be worth it. On his way to Reajh he had even stopped to buy a palace off of a nobleman who was going under, an accomplishment that Adrien was proud of. He was starting to really rack up the property which meant he could pretty much travel anywhere he wished and have a place to stay.

He had to admit that the girls parents mansion was nice, the achuteture was rather stunning. He smiled as he entered. He was lead to a comfortable sitting room with a large fireplace. He was sitting in a crimson red chair with a high decorative back. He looked around the room, enjoying the plesant faces of people in portraits.

Adrien straightened his high collar, and crossed his legs, leaning back in the seat. He was mentally proparing himself for what he was about to do. He was about to make a girl and her parents fall in love with him. He knew he could do it, he had done it before. Still part of him, the human part felt guilty, he knew that once her parents gave there graces and he had the girl to himself he wouldn't be the same man. Especially if she ever denied him anything he asked.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them, turning his head to the door. He heard footsteps coming down the hall and hoped they were for him.

[Zane]

Samantha was, less than pleased. Two weeks ago her mother had told that they were going to their summer manor up in Cannloath for some much needed vacation. Sam was overjoyed as it meant the absence of Suitors for the entirety of their stay up north. Her mother had a different idea. The entire trip to Connloath was to find new Suitors, Sam had knowingly made herself unavailable to most of the Suitors in serendipity, the others heard the horror stories and decided to stay away. The Liem family may be rich, but there were somethings worth more than money, and to the snot-nosed suitors of Serendipity it seemed to be keeping whatever morally unsound sense of pride they had intact.

Sam had heard things about the Suitor from her mother. He owned a Palace. Well a palace to her was just a fancy word for a castle, and castles were dark and cold and the people who owned them tended to be as well. Sam walked quietly behind her mother, her preemptive hatred for the man she had yet to meet only growing as they walked on.

Walking into the sitting room, Sam stood tall while her mother bowed to the man. Sam would not look at him, but if her were looking at her he would have a nice profile view of he face with a scowl written in her brow.

"Welcome to Liem Mannor, Master Kione." Her mother said in a respectful tone. Sam hated how she called all the Suitors Master, like she were some slave girl. That only inflated their already bloated ego. "This is my Daughter, Samantha."

[Ycharley]

Adrien offered a warm pleasant smile, returning the bow that the older women offered. He looked between the presumed mother and Samantha, making sure to keep his gaze above the collar bone. The girl had a rather pleasant face, though he felt a smile would suit it better.

"Please, call me, Adrien," He spoke, his voice a rich baritone. He offered his hand to the girl's mother and kissed her hand before turning to Sam. He offered the girl a bright smile, he could see the frustration and displeasure on the girl's face.

"You know, M'lady, a smile would do you lovely face more justice," He spoke before bowing to the girl, offering his hand to her just like he had her mother. Still he doubted that the girl would take his hand. He could tell she didn't like the idea of suitors, he could read it in her body langauge. He hoped that he could win her over, actually he was pretty sure he could. Every women liked a gentleman, and he was rather good at acting like one.

[Zane]

Samantha shook her head. "If you are trying to get a positive reaction out of me then you'd best have something better then petty complime-" That was when she saw his eyes. They were practically ageless, wise beyond his evident age. He was someone who could probably match her in wits, but something lurked behind his smile, something sinister, something that set her body on edge while the knowledge hungry Savant sought to know more. Her mother was quite surprised when the snide comment had come to an abrupt halt.

"Oh? Do I dare say that I see a spark?" Though her mother's comment only drew Sam away from the man's eyes, the scowl returning to her brow. Sam's mother deflated. "Well," She sighed, "I hope you are Hungry Adrien, we had our chef make something special." With that she lead them to the dinning hall.

In Normal circumstances, the father would be the parent interacting with the Suitor, but Sam's father was not the reason that the Liem Family was well known. Knowing him, he was probably drinking at the tavern. Rohka Liem, Sam's mother, was the head of the Liem household.

[Ycharley]

Adrien smirked, he had seen her face, her look. The game began and he had caught her attention, she would end up doing more of the chasing than he would. She sought out knowledge and she could tell that he held knowledge, the knowledge she wanted.

He looked back at Samantha's mother and placed his hand on his stomach. "I'm starving, I would be satisfied with anything eatable honestly, that and a pleasant conversation with Miss Samantha, is she would offer me that pleasure," He spoke following the pair to the dining hall. Adrien kept his eyes up but couldn't help using his peripheral vision to get a good but quick view of the girls curvy figure.

All of what he had heard was true, the girls body was to die for, he would have to work hard at this, he would have to hook her in. He started to consider what about himself he would reveal, what parts of his history he would be truthful about and what parts he would fabricate. He knew for sure he wouldn't reveal that he was an incubus, no girl had ever took that line very well, even the ones that he had truly fallen for. 

[Zane]

The first course was a salad. With lots of wild onions, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Salad was always the first course at Liem manor, as such it was one of Samantha's favorite meals, add a little bit of cooked chicken and you had her favorite meal. Though Sam made sure there was no chicken present in this meal. She would not allow anything that a suitor could use to form a bond with her.

Sam clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "Gods be praised for this mighty meal, to nourish use and move us forward in their will." Sam prayed at every meal. It was more to spite her mother though it did help to offer her a reason for her gift.

Her mother just scoffed, "I'm not sure why she does that. We are not a religious family. Gods did not give us our fortune. Hard work did." Sam just shook her head and began to eat.

[Ycharley]

Adrien smiled, "there isn't anything wrong with praying, who says there aren't gods. I'm sure if there were and they looked down on you with favor that it would give you a better chance to gain a fortune than someone that they frowned down on," He spoke offering both ladies a pleasant smile.

He liked the salad though he would have liked it more with less onions, he was never a big fan of onions.  Plus it would have been even better with a bit of meat. He let out a soft smile and continued to eat. It was a nice dining hall, warmer than he would have expected. The thought reminded him of the palace he had just bought.

He had ordered several chances to it that would make it more his taste. For one he had ordered different and more tapestries to be hung. For one it would make it warmer, second he didn't like the previous owners taste. He had also ordered several other cosmetic chances to be made, and ordered almost all completely new furniture. He wondered if Samantha would like what he had done with the place, or what her style was when it came to interior decorating.

Adrien looked up, looking at Samantha with a bright smile. "So Miss Samantha, tell me, what are your taste in decorating?"

[Zane]

Sam finished her bite of salad before answering. "It really depends on what is being decorated and who it belongs to. The grand monarch castles should be the epitome of extravagance, nothing should outshine the beauty of a monarch's home. Then you have places like my home, Liem manor. The Liem name is associated as a Marquess so our homes would be, as expected, something to look upon and marvel. But you and your castle," she paused and looked to Adrien, "I'm sorry but what is you social status and if you don't mind my asking but where is your Mont?"

[Ycharley]

Adrien offered Sam a broad smile, leaning back in his chair. She was a pushy one, very blunt. The more he thought about it the more he liked, nothing like a woman who liked to be pushy and stand up instead of just backing down and being a pushover.

"M'Lady I am an Earl, so a step down from your status, but I'm wealthier and have more political pull then most Marquess," He spoke, his words were kind, but had a slight edge about them, it was clear he wouldn't let her push him around. He was a gentleman, not a push over or doormat.

Adrien popped a cherry tomato into his mouth, enjoying the taste before he continued. "I just bought a palace in Uthlyn, my first home in Connloath I must admit, but I figured that if I was to court a women of the land I should atleast own a home in her home land," He spoke setting his fork down. "But I have homes of all sizes through out the lands," he added as he looked between the two women.

[Zane]

Sam smiled. But it was not a soft smile. It was a vicious smile. She had him in check mate. "So. You are a wealthy and well followed earl? And you look so young. But to have enough wealth to purchase a palace as well as other homes across the land. To have such an astounding wealth must mean your family has had a nobility status for a long time. So tell me, why is today the first time I've heard of the name Kione? Then you can go one to explain how an earl that I've never heard of would buy a mont of all things as to have a home in what you assumed to be my homeland. Every baron duke earl and marquess know the name of the Liem family and know that we hail from Adela but rose to nobility in serendipity. So not only is your story factually unsound but it leads me to believe that you ate little more than someone who got an expensive suit and tried to marry into a powerful family. I have know idea how you fooled my mother but as you can clearly see, I am not my mother. So you can either explain yourself, your intentions, apologize, then leave or you can get the hell out of my house right now." Her voice remain calm and even, control that was damn near scary to just about anyone. Even Rohka was cowering abit.

[Ycharley]

Adrien offered a smile just as wicked and vicious as Sam's, it was clear that he wasn't intimidated in the least. It appeared that he might even be having fun.

"Or that means that the Liem name isn't as well known as you assume, but if you would like we could take a little trip and I will show you all of my properties throughout the land. We can go inside and explore if you would like. I didn't have time to figure out where you haled from because I was too busy traveling from Essyrn after receiving a letter from your mother," He spoke leaning back in his chair, his voice almost playful. He looked her in the eyes, as if he was looking into her soul.

"Plus, wouldn't this be your mother's home? Unless you plan her dying in the next few moments," He added at the end with a wry grin and a slight chuckle. Adrien seemed completely relaxed and at ease. Like there wasn't a stressed bone in his body. He reached up and ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. The girl had some spark in her, he liked it. 

[Zane]

He was lying about his social status, that much she could tell, she new the first and last name of every person whom has ever held the rank of Earl in the last one hundred fifty years. He was not one of those names. "I apologize for my outburst Earl Kione but one can never be too sure." though it was evident that his statement proved nothing to her.

The waitstaff came and removed the salad bowls from the first course and brought in the next one, it was bread dough that had been flattened out with tomato sauce spread over it and over that shredded cheeses, meats, olives and peppers, then baked at a high heat in a bread oven.  It was a meal that Samantha had designed and the family cook created. Her mother noticed this. "Oh this is the meal Samantha created with the help of the chef, it tastes divine." Samantha shot her a glare.

[Ycharley]

Adrien chuckled to himself, he knew the girl hadn't memorized the names of the earls past two-hundred back. He had been given the title Duke when he was two-hundred and thirty-six, which was nearly three hundred years before. Of course if she had she wouldn't believe him, until she saw a picture. He could hear the doubt in her voice, she thought her logic was completely infallible. He smiled, knowing she needed to go study more.

Adrien looked down at the food, the aroma was amazing if he did say so his self. "Well this looks and smells absolutely amazing," He stated with a smile looking up at Samantha. He was half tempted to ask why she was so bitter. It wasn't like she had had a terrible life. Adrien instead took a few bites, and found that it tasted just as amazing as it smelled.

"If it would be okay, could I have your cook send my cook this recipe?" He asked Samantha's mother with a broad smile before turning back to Samantha. "So M'Lady, tell me about yourself?"

[Zane]

Rohka nodded. "I don't see why not."

Samantha, once again, finished her bite before speaking. "When I was little, it was evident that I was smart, exceptionally so. By the time I was eight, I had memorized my family's library, all twelve hundred and forty two books, and could recite them with near perfect accuracy. At the age of twelve I knew everything that my tutor could teach, better than he did in some cases, he described me as a Savant after that. Then at fourteen, suddenly my mind was less interesting to people, though I'm sure you can see why. Then Suitors started coming two years ago, when I was fifteen. Why don't you tell us about yourself?"

[Ycharley]

Adrien sat back in his chair, smiling for a moment while deciding how much he wanted to tell her. "Well I spend the majority of my time traveling to my different estates to deal with business, living the bachelor's life I suppose. When I'm not busy with business I enjoy reading, horseback riding, and a tad bit of fencing. Both of my parents are dead, I don't have any brothers or sisters," Adrien spoke with a sigh, not knowing what exactly what she would want to know.

[Zane]

"That is most unfortunate, you have our condolences. But you and Samantha have a lot in common, when she isn't reading, she is in the stable with her horse, a stallion that one is, Sam tamed him herself." Rohka stated much to Sam's displeasure.

"Aye, it is very unfortunate that your parents are no longer among the living." The Waitstaff took that dish away and came in with the next course, a collection of wines, Samantha selected a sweet red wine. "Pick your poison Adrien." Though it was of course not poison, just very strong wine, one of the products of the Liem family.

[Ycharley]

"Thank you for your condolences, but it happened so long ago that I have moved on," He replied with a soft smile. He looked towards Samantha, "Would you object to accompanying me on a ride later today?" He asked trying to let a little of his persuasion to leak into his voice.

"I'll have what Miss Samantha is having," He spoke to the waitstaff. Once he was handed the glass he turned back to Samantha. "There is no better way to learn what someone likes then to experience it yourself."

[Zane]

Samantha's face fell, "Normally I would love to go riding, but something is wrong with my horse, he has not eaten since we got here three days ago and I have yet to figure out why and he won't let anyone but me near him." she sipped her wine, she was telling the truth about her horse, it hadn't eaten in the last three days, but the horse was conditioned to eating little to nothing unless they were traveling but he would eat if she told him to. She would go and feed him after Adrien left.

[Ycharley]

Adrien's eyes softened at the mention of her sick horse. He honestly believed her until he looked at her face and the sound of her voice. She would have more emotion if her horse was actually sick. He took a sip of his wine and found that he liked it.

"You should let me look, I seem to have a way with animals. But since he is sick we could go for a walk, if that would be okay," He spoke, his voice sounding calm, hiding the fact that he was growing rather impatient. It wasn't that this girl was being hard to get. This girl was being absolutely impossible and unpleasant.

[Zane]

"If he will let you near him then by all means you can look. But I'm not sure he will, he isn't particularly fond of men." Samantha didn't answer about the walk yet, she was thinking. She knew next to nothing about him but didn't feel like she could trust them, her mother would send their personal guard after they left and she has the knife strapped to her arm under her sleeve should the need arise. She finished her glass of wine, holding the last of it in her mouth before swallowing, "I don't see why not, there is a waterfall about two miles from here, we can go there."