Amidst the Winter [Zane]

[Zero]

"This is pointless." Dimitri growled softly, arms crossed across his chest and slouched in his seat as he stared sullenly out the carriage window. His body swayed to the gentle rocking of the wheels traversing the carriage way leading towards the fifth, and thankfully last, manor he would be visiting during his journey around Moonspear. Weeks spent traveling from estate to estate had soured his mood, and one would not be incorrect to say he was sulking in his seat. Worse than the traveling were the women.

In five houses nearly a dozen girls to meet. The last four would be at the end of this path. Every nobleman and noblewoman with daughters of a marriageable age had sent him invitations to their homes. Those had begun pouring in the very day he'd taken his place as High Lord of Moonspear! Even before he had formally announced that he would be seeking a bride. That had annoyed him more than anything. The assumption was galling that they would pressure him immediately. Still, it was to be expected – the price to pay for being the highest lord, and most eligible bachelor, in the entire province.

He had to constantly remind himself that he did have to do this. It was non-negotiable, really. A High Lord needed a wife to produce heirs. House Orlov needed him to do this, and Dimitri would do anything for his house. Even marry some fool woman he didn't truly know. Even have children. That alone had him sighing and letting his head fall back against this seat. Babies were messy, noisy, smelly, fragile, and demanding. He did not understand the appeal some held towards the little pink monsters. At least he would not be expected to attend the children's every need. A lord was busy enough, but a high lord would be busier still.

"I am never going to find a woman that I am going to enjoy being married to. If it weren't for the need to reproduce to get the court from breathing down my neck I wouldn't marry at all. Simply picking a name out of a hat would be as good as this foolish parade, and it would be a lot less wasted time and energy. This has been so inefficient. Who talked me into this again?" Of course only silence was his answer, it wasn't as if Dimitri actually expected a response, he might as well have been talking to himself. Lazar sat silent and unmoving across from him, his eyes barely glowing as the construct conserved energy.

The carriage was slowly rolling to a stop anyway. Sitting up straight and smoothing his clothes and hair, Dimitri adjusted his appearance to not look as disheveled and road weary. He had changed into regal finery before making the last few miles of the journey, just as he had before each estate before this one. While he had met many of these men and women before in passing, this was his first appearance to most as High Lord of Moonspear. With all the resistance and opposition Dimitri wanted to make an impression on his subjects to drive home the message that he was now the ruler of this province, and they had best remember it.

As soon as the carriage had come to a complete stop, Lazar woke up, rising from his seat to help his master make minor final adjustments to his fitted long coat and vest, which were both black with gold buttons and embroidery. Indeed, his boots and pants were also black, his gloves and silk shirt with a high, stiff, and ruffled collar were golden thread. The House Orlov colors, naturally, were to be heavy in his wardrobe during such a trip. If one looked closely they could see the buttons were carved into tiny house crests.

The door opened and Dimitri took a deep breath before rising and stepping down out of the carriage, taking his first real look at the Manor of the Zamt'ris noble house. Truth be told it was a rather impressive sight to see the family's honor guard in all their finery, as well as the family themselves behind that. He stood before his carriage surrounded by his own guard in their ceremonial uniforms. At first the grand displays had really startled him, but by the third house they had become slightly dull.

As he was formally announced, Lazar stepped down from the carriage to stand silently behind and to his left. The construct brought him a slight amount of comfort. Perhaps even more than his honor guard, which parted to allow him to step forward to meet Lord and Lady Zamt'ris and their many children. Dimitri's posture and movements were carefully made to display regal grace and assurance, even as his lilac eyes moved over the four women standing behind the Lord and Lady. Any of them could become his wife. Or none of them. So far none had left quite a desirable impression on Dimitri from any of the previous houses, but he had to go through the motions even if he didn't think they would amount to anything.

[Zane]

This is pointless, Amaya said to herself, watching the carriages pull to the columns of Guardsmen. She couldn't help but shake her head at the grandeur of it all, this person was little more than a man. Albeit, a man with an impressive title. It wasn't too often that a High Lord or Lady would visit the Zamt'ris Estate, in fact, Amaya couldn't recall it happening before. Maybe with was quite the event. Though it still lacked a cause, this was the last Manor that High Lord Orlov would visit on this tour, which if rumors held true, he would pick his bride. She knew of the houses that came before theirs, she suspected that he'd likely already found a bride and was merely going through the rest of the tour as a formality.

Not that it mattered to her. Call her strange, but she enjoyed her life, it was familiar and enjoyable. She wanted for nothing as it was, and while she were content why would she strive for more? No, avarice was unbecoming of her, but it didn't stop her from laughing at her sisters as they tried to make themselves seem so much more. Bellamy, her immediate older sister, had rigged an altered Cosette under her dress to make her bust look bigger. Altira, the youngest, wore some ungodly high heels as to accent her hips and chest. Her feet would be out for blood later. Juniper, the second youngest, had chosen to shine. Like literally shine, She wore such reflective jewelery that the sun glinted off her.

Amaya had gone for something more modest. Correction, as modest as she could get away with. Her normally worn mage robes had been replaced with a deep purple two piece robe with long flowing sleeves. It looked very reminiscent of the robes that you would see in the rare paintings of Fae Royalty, though her mother had made it painfully clear that it came from the far east, courtesy of the Sinclair Trading Company, whom Lord Zamt'ris was recently allowed access to a trade route though their acquired land. She also wore a necklace of brilliant amethyst and white gold. Still present around her neck were her necklace of Mediums, three animal claws on a length of string. Her hair had was an overcomplicated cascade of braids running down her back. It had taken hours to do, and was damn near impossible to do without a team of women braiding hair. She could have spent that time studying summoning, or trying to draw out a familiar to form a contract with, but no, this had been so much more important.

When Lord Zamt'ris spoke, his voice demanded the focus. The man looked like he could have been an opera house star in another life, he had a very broad chest that slimmed the further down his body you went. His dark hair had begun to grey, showing his age, his experience. The lord had been playing the political game for a long time and quite well. Like his family motto, 'Fortune Favors The Objective' he was everyone's friend. "Greetings My Lord" his voice carried throughout the courtyard with ease, "Welcome to the Zamt'ris Estate, My family and I welcome you." He and Lady Zamt'ris bowed, "These are my sons; Michael, Martin, David, and Neil. And my Daughters; Bellamy, Amaya, Juniper, and Altira." Each of his children bowed or curtsied in turn with their name being called. Though, that was hardly the most interesting thing.

Poor Altira, not that what happened wasn't totally foreseeable in every way possible way. As the youngest Zamt'ris went to curtsy to the High Lord, one of her heals snapped, causing her to tumble and fall on her ass. She would have continued to fall had one of the guardsmen not reached out and caught her on the shoulder blade, there preventing the young lady from smashing her head on the masonry.

As the guardsman helped Altira back to her feet, it was silent. And it was all Amaya could do to keep from laughing. But she had to not laugh, because once she started, she would be rolling in the laugh belting out guffawed tones. It was hilarious to her. But not to Lord Zamt'ris, while it did not show on his face or body, it made him quite irate to be humbled so soon before a new player in his Political game. The Lord merely smiled once the issue seemed resolved, "Shall we carry on? Our cooks have prepared quite the meal should it so please His Excellency."

[Zero]

The Lord and Lady bowed to him, and he respectfully bowed back, although not as deeply as they had. Each of their sons received an inclination of his head. They all knew that it wasn't the boys he was here to see. More's the pity, of course. Fine young men, he was sure, and that wasn't counting their appearance. Rather than let his eyes linger on them, he moved to the true focus and purpose for being here.

Dimitri let his eyes roam over each young lady as she was introduced. It took an effort of will and biting his tongue not to say anything as Bellamy curtsied to him. Fyarion preserve him! Was Lord Zamt'ris introducing a daughter or offering a buffet? He supposed another man might have found her revealing, attention-seeking clothing to be thrilling and enticing. All he could think was that he was looking for a wife, not a whore! He managed to keep his face schooled into careful neutrality, it wouldn't do to show clear disdain.

The next young woman, Amaya, was strikingly different from the first, and the others. Her hair was shock white and her eyes deep purple. She looked like her mother more than the other three. More than that, her robes were regal, but modest in comparison to her older sister. Indeed, of the four of them he would have to say she was probably dressed the most modestly and discreetly. That made him curious. Was she not trying to impress and entice him? Dimitri knew that he was here to meet all four girls, but perhaps Lord Zamt'ris was trying to direct his attention to one in particular. Maybe the oldest, given her shameless display.

It was a chore not to squint at the next girl. Juniper, was it? He had never seen such gaudy jewelry before in his life. It was a bit tasteless, was it not? At least Bellamy was trying to flaunt her own physical assets, as little interest to him as they might be. Did the girl think such jewelry, truly ugly in its opulence, would impress him? This really was a hopeless cause. What had ever made him think this was a good idea? A thousand girls could be paraded before him and he still wouldn't find one that he actually wanted.

Lastly came Altira, the youngest of them all. Her attempt to make herself stand out wasn't immediately obvious, until she attempted to curtsy. Dimitri was quite sure that was not the way in which she had hoped to make an impression! It took a great deal of effort not to flinch as the poor girl fell. While it was certainly embarrassing for her and her father, he was more concerned if she was alright. Thank Fyarion one of the guardsmen caught her before she struck her head. He was surprised when Lord Zamt'ris proceeded as if nothing had happened once the girl was situated again.

"I look forward to seeing the bounty your cooks have no doubt laid out. Please, do lead the way, Lord Zamt'ris." Dimitri had been torn about asking if the poor girl was alright, but since she was back on her feet he decided it would only embarrass her to draw attention to the incident. Instead he decided to pretend that nothing at all out of the ordinary had happened.

[Zane]

Though physically Altira was unharmed, her pride was more than a little wounded. It showed each time her height changed with each step. Amaya was smiling because of it. Served her right! After all their mother's warnings, it was proven true. Pride cometh before a fall. While it wasn't normally Amaya who would find the misfortune of others humorous, she couldn't help it here. Since hearing of the impending arrival of the High Lord, all of them had just become so vain and rude. Bellamy had tried to explain the honor in being chosen to wed the High Lord, to become a High Lady and experience the most lavish of lives. Amaya told her she was delusional, that is couldn't be much different than the life the already lived.

As the progression made their way to the dining hall, Dimitri was directed to one head of the table, Lord Zamt'ris on the other. Lady Zamt'ris sat to the left of her husband, Michael sat to the right of his father. As the eldest son, he had always claimed that spot, the other brothers filled in that end. On the other side of the table, Amaya and Bellamy were seated on either side of the far end, closest to Dimitri. Juniper and Altira sat to the left of the two older girls, a maid having brought Altira a more study set of heels. The first wave of food to be set out was not food at all, but bowls of hot water and lye soap, as well as a small towelette.

Lord Zamt'ris began, "So, Your Grace, how has fared your tour so far? I hear you visited the Martheens, truly a shame to hear about their daughter's ailment." And so it began, The Lord was quite the actor, he could point out great flaws in any family and make it sound like his heart bled for them, while in the same breath he would humbly brag about his own. "Bellamy recently stole the scene at a ball held by the Martheens, quite the dancer she is." Ah, there it was. Amaya finished cleaning her hands and dried them with the towelette. She briefly wondered how her father would praise her. The bowls were soon taken away and replaced with a green salad. As per custom, they all waited for the guest to start eating before taking up the first dish.

[Zero]

Dimitri was content to remain quiet as the rather flamboyant parade made its way to the dining hall. He wondered how much a spectacle they must appear to someone not familiar and accustomed to these grand displays of excess. At least this was the last house. Just another week of all the pretending and he could be home and back to business as usual. Except he would have to decide on a girl if he hadn't by then, and once he had picked one, there would be wedding plans. Half of Moonspear would wish to attend, no doubt.

He took his place at one head of the table when directed, Lazar appeared immediately at the left arm of his chair as everyone took their seats. Dimitri removed his gloves fluidly and handed them to the construct, who took them with a bow before retreating from the table to stand quietly against a wall out of the way. Lilac eyes observed each of the other occupants of the table silently as he washed his hands and listened to Lord Zamt'ris begin the conversation, his expression was somewhat reserved, which he hoped they would simply attribute to weariness from a great deal of travel. Not entirely untrue, of course.

"Did she? A pity that I was not in attendance, but as you can imagine I have been very busy of late. Perhaps I will get to see all your lovely daughters dance soon, and maybe even have the opportunity to dance with them." Not that he actually had any interest in dancing with any of them, let alone Bellamy, but it would not do to be a rude guest. "As for my tour, I fear it has been quite wearisome. The hospitality I have been shown at each house was to be commended, of course, but long weeks away from home is not ideal, especially when there is so much to do."

A smile played across Dimitri's face as the salad was brought, "Every house after the first has seen the early conversation always turns to fishing for an answer to a question no one wishes to ask directly for fear of seeming over eager or rude. I am sure you and your daughters are very curious as to if I have come to a decision already after meeting a girl from one of the previous houses. I have not." With that he took the first bite of his salad, quiet content to see how each of the girls, and the entire family really, would react to that news. He was curious to see just how eager each would be at such a proclamation.

[Zane]

Amaya nodded at the proclamation with idle interest, it would have been rude not to, but seeing that the lord had begun to eat, so too did she. Briefly, the white-haired girl wondered how quickly she could be away from this dinner, back to her books or just roaming the garden with her familiars pondering unsolvable queries from the art of Summoning. She blew the thought from her mind. She was sitting next to the High Lord of all Moonspear, it was highly unlikely that she could just sneak away.

The rest of the room seemed to shift pressures twice. First with relief, then with anxiety as each of the girls tried to think of ways to gain the favor and affection of the High Lord. Amaya could see the upturned corner of Bellamy's mouth, or the wide and enthusiastic eyes of Juniper and Altira. Internally, she was groaning. Maybe it was just something she would never come to understand.

"If my memory serves me well" Surprisingly, it was Amaya who broke the silence first, she sought to turn the attention away from the bride picking, after all, it was somewhat uncommon for a High Lord to visit, "You are one of the youngest people to ever be named the High Lord over Moonspear, Do you think this is advantageous or disadvantageous?" Might as well squeeze in some actual conversation while they could.

[Zero]

Three faces looked hopeful, but one seemed only to acknowledge Dimitri's continued availability with the minimum required interest to be considered polite. Even if she feigned enough interest not to be rude, he still couldn't help but wonder if he should feel insulted. It was true that he had no real desire to find a wife aside from having no other choice, but this thinly veiled indifference was starting to make him itch.

That Amaya should be the first of the women to actually speak to him caused him to arch a brow at her curiously for a moment. Her question was even more interesting. All the girls before had only been interested in flirting, flattering, and fawning over him in the most disgusting of ways, or of subtly, and not so subtly, making sure he knew just why they would make the perfect wife. It was exhausting to say the least. Not to mention tedious beyond all reason.

"That is actually false and misleading. I am not even close to the youngest High Lord of Moonspear, I am merely the youngest to be appointed when the ruling house has changed hands. Which, of course, has only happened twice now. If my last name were not Orlov, were I from the previous family, no one would question my taking the position at court." It was a rather infuriating double standard. If the previous High Lord and Lady had a direct heir, even if it were but a child of fifteen, they would have taken the high seat and no one would have questioned it because of tradition.

"House Orlov served both of the previous ruling houses faithfully and without falter. We would have continued to do so, had the seat not become vacant. Some claim that I am too ambitious, or rash, because I am young. I am not so young as to have boyish naivety or foolishness. I have been the head of my house for near a decade now and House Orlov thrives stronger than ever. Some are merely jealous that I have both vision and am still young enough to pursue such vision. The only disadvantage to my age is the prejudice of my fellow lords and ladies. If it would silence them I would pray for grey hair, but it would not. Instead I will focus on more important matters, such as serving Moonspear and her people, as I always have."

[Zane]

Amaya regarded his words while delighting in her salad. Her sisters each looked at her with varying levels of shock. Amaya continues as the salad was replaced with pan seared lamb-chops, "All people in great positions have faced oppositions, The fact that the only opposition to arise so far is your age and name is perhaps a very good sign." The serving staff started laying out glasses of wine as Lord Zamt'ris finally spoke up, trying to regain control that was arrested from him by his own daughter.

"That's my girl. Amaya's got a good and optimistic head planted firmly on her shoulders. She's also an accomplished summoner! Now then.." And the lord started to drone about various happenings with the Zamt'ris Fief, such as opening trade to the Sinclair Trading Company and the good and wealth it has brought it. Amaya took a sip of the wine, uncaring for the updates that came from her father. While both her younger sisters considered her with some amount of shock, though Bellamy seemed to have recovered.

[Zero]

"It is a sign only that those are the most easy things for them to currently attack." Dimitri said with as much amusement as he could muster. Which wasn't a lot. His eyes had moved to Lord Zamt'ris as he picked up his wine glass, bringing the glass to his face and swirling it softly to savor the scent for a moment before taking a sip with satisfaction as he listened to him speak of trade dealings and how his lands were doing.

Topics to be expected, and ones he actually paid careful attention to. After all, it was his duty to know the goings on in Moonspear. Even lords opposed to him needed to prosper for the good of all of the province. These trade deals with the Sinclair family were of keen interest. Featherfall was one of Moonspear's neighboring provinces, and he liked hearing news from all over the kingdom. It was such a shame, he'd heard that Lord Sinclair's daughter had vanished without a trace. How tragic, and unfortunate. The Sinclair family had risen from very successful merchants into the nobility, and as such were quite young at court in comparison to Orlov or Zamt'ris, but one did have to admire such tenacity.

For a few minutes he was content to let Zamt'ris talk while he tucked into his lamb-chops, which were excellent. The wine had been very good as well. Everything always was the very best at each house he stopped at. Everyone was scrambling to impress him while there was a chance for a daughter to become the High Lady. So far the only truly interesting thing he had learned about any of the young women was that Amaya was a summoner.

"Excuse me, Lord Zamt'ris, please do forgive the interruption, but if I may redirect the conversation slightly? You said that Lady Amaya was a summoner and I find myself curious if any of your other daughters possess any magical skill. It is a topic of great interest to me. Only a few of the young women I have met on this tour have had any skill to speak of in the arcane."

[Zane]

Altira suddenly perked up while Juniper seemed to deflate to a proportional level to her sister. "Martin has been teaching me about Telekinetics! Watch this!" The youngest daughter extended her hand to her glass, which was a handful of inches from her hand. For a moment, nothing happened. Then slowly, her glass started to shake, yet still planted in the spot. Then very slowly, the glass slid to her hand with ease. An observant person might have noticed that Martin was readjusting his wedding band, fingers subtly moving because of it. Altira raised her glass and beamed at Dimitri, her pride restored and swelling.

Bellamy was biting her lower lip, saying nothing. She had knowledge of the arcane too. But it was more than a little tabooed within Moonspear. Her fingertips could drive men and women mad, though, not in the same ways that anyone else could. She knew primal magic. While her two eldest brothers had been training as recruits for the Order of the Moon, she nicked one of their books detailing the magical art. At the time, she had been jealous of her sister, learning summoning. Now she was well versed in the art, and practiced more than a little bit. It's how she was never at a shortage of willing bedmates, how she never seemed to come of child no matter the number of men she bedded. If caught, it likely cause her to be put to the sword.

[Zero]

Dimitri watched as Altira perked up, eager to tell and show him what she had learned. It was certainly an interesting display to watch the glass shake unsteadily before suddenly it miraculously moved with ease. Well, miraculously if you did not take not of wiggling fingers further down the table. To be fair, her brother did try to be very subtle, and had Dimitri not been looking for such signs, he might have missed the magical intervention.

"How very marvelous, my lady." He feigned a smile and raised his glass to Altira, not willing to crush the obvious pride she was feeling at how she had 'moved' the glass, especially after her embarrassing tumble earlier. It wouldn't do to tear down her confidence as she was trying to learn. Although he had to wonder just who that intervention had been for. Had her brother done it so his sister would feel pleased with herself or so that she would not make another blunder in front of him? Impossible for him to know without asking, which would be rude and no guarantee of the truth.

Turning his eyes to the other women, he noted their expressions. Ignoring Bellamy, he focused his attention on the seemingly disappointed Juniper. Judging by her reaction she must not have any magical gifts. He did not want her to feel bad about it. After all, magic was not a requirement by any means. Dimitri smiled warmly at her over his glass. "Lady Juniper, you have a sister that dances beautifully, a sister that is telekinetic, and a sister who can summon. I am simply dying to hear what special talent you must certainly possess. Perhaps you have a lovely singing voice or play an exquisite instrument?"

[Zane]

Altira seemed to radiate happiness, what with being complimented by the high lord of all Moonspear and all. Juniper, however, felt rather put on the spot, her mind seemed thick, like syrup. She struggled to find something redeeming about herself, something that stood out.

"She's a damn good Violinist." Came the rough voice of Micheal, he paused to take a drink of wine before adding, "An even better pianist, easily the most musically gifted of us all." Juniper seemed to shrink under the compliment, as bashful as she was. "She could likely learn any instrument you could give her, have a few songs picked out by hour." Added Altira as Juniper's cheeks reddened harshly. Bellamy chirped in, "It's thanks to her that my own playing is tolerable, as opposed to causing deafness." before Amaya added, "And if she should you get her to play a harp, you'd find it more relaxing than the softest bed."

Even in the half light of the dining hall, the blush on Juniper's cheeks were unmistakable. Her family had rallied around her when she faltered, much like they always did. Juniper was the glue that held together decency when the family dynamic turned dramatic. She was the family sweet heart, the one that could unite them to a common goal no matter the situation. Despite any quarrel, the job of a family was to build each other up, and thanks to that, Juniper found her voice. "Yes, Milord, as my brother and sisters have said, I am good with an instrument."

[Zero]

Poor girl, Dimitri observed her struggle, his gentle smile never changing as his lilac eyes regarded warmly. It was almost inspiring the way her siblings rallied around her, singing her praises in regards to musical talent. Any one of her sisters could have tried to downplay any desirable traits, could have tried to announce their own strengths to him, but they hadn't. It was a closely knit family, it would seem. At least from the outside looking in.

"It would honor me if you would play for me sometime during my stay, Lady Juniper." He had to go through the motions. Dimitri smiled and said what he was expected to say. The young women would hear what they wanted to hear, but there was no real heart in it. This had told him much about Juniper herself. She was bashful and had practically wilted under pressure. There would be a lot of pressure as the High Lady.

What a gifted family, each in their own ways. Nearly all of the young women he had met on this tour were fine young ladies, each worth knowing. It didn't matter. He could enjoy the company of most of the young women, but there would never be a spark. There would not be lust or passion no matter how many he spoke with. His marriage would feel hollow regardless of who he chose and that made it all the harder in some ways to choose.

"Such lovely daughters you have, Lord Zamt'ris. How is a man to choose between them?"

[Zane]

Lord Zamt'ris raised his glass to Dimitri and bowed his head, the usual response to a great compliment. "With no small amount of hard thought, and perhaps the council of those that know them best, Your Grace." As the lambchops were replaced by healthy portions of chocolate rum cake and wine glasses were topped of across the table.

These talks were, more or less, boring for Amaya. It was, however, petty interesting to watch Lord Orlov and try to gauge his thoughts. He hadn't looked in Bellamy's direction for more than a few seconds. He wasn't even considering her. The White-haired Lady wondered what had caused it. Logically speaking, Juniper was likely also no longer a feasible option for a wife. She faltered under the generally small amount of pressure that was around the table. That would be nothing compared to life of a High Lady.

Casting her eyes about the room, she took stock of Lord Orlov's servant. Were his eyes... glowing? With her hands politely under the table as she waited for Dimitri to take the first bite of the dessert, she began to rub her hands together. Her brand of summoning magic required three things, a Contract, a Medium, and a Catalyst. Usually, the Contract determined the Medium and the Catalyst. This particular spell was with the spirit of a firefly, the Medium was heat, the Catalyst was friction. It was useful having something she could always summon.

Within a few seconds, the firefly was in her hand, asking it's purpose into her mind. She willed it to explore the servant, learn about him. Meanwhile, Micheal spoke up again, "My pardons, m'lord, but would it be out of line if I were to inquire about any skill you possess with a blade, bow, or spear? I am certain that m'lord will pick a fine champion, but it would be reassuring to know that my Lord Sovereign is versed in the ways of conflict should the need ever arise."

[Zero]

Oh yes, of course Lord Zamt'ris would want to weigh in on which of his daughters became the next High Lady. He was sure every single member of the family had a favorite of the four. Dimitri felt weary just thinking about the long, probably tedious discussions that would assault him in the coming week. Although discussion was being generous, no doubt his talking would be at a minimum and it would be more like hearing a sales pitch from an ambitious trader. At least, if past experience at the other four houses were any indication of what he could expect here.

"I look forward to hearing the council of you all, and to spending time with your daughters to learn more about each of them, of course." Dimitri hated to lie so extravagantly, but anything less in this instance would be considered rude. Hopefully the women would surprise him and simply be themselves, he was sure they were probably very pleasant young ladies in such context. Unfortunately he doubted he was likely to see much of the real women. They would probably be too busy posturing and fawning over him. All for a title and some illusion of a grand lifestyle they undoubtedly had.

At least desert had arrived, and more wine. He wasn't sure if he was more excited about how decadent the cake looked or the fact that it signified that dinner was nearing an end. Either way he took a bite and savored it, knowing that no one else would touch theirs until he had, such tedious posturing it all was. Still, tradition and customs were important culturally as a whole, so he went through the motions as he was taught to.

He turned his eyes to Micheal as the young man spoke, regarding him thoughtfully for several moments. "Allow me to try to reassure you, then. My person is under excellent guard, as you no doubt saw upon my arrival. I was educated in military affairs, but steel is not my weapon. I am a politician, a scholar, and a mage. My magic and mind are my weapons and armor. Forgive me if I disappoint you, but I am no warrior."

Against the far wall, Lazar remained a silent and immobile sentinel until the little firefly approached him. The construct raised on gloved hand to hover before the very small gap between collar and hat, allowing the little spirit to land and rest upon his finger as he quietly observed the little creature and it, in turn, observed him.

[Zane]

Amaya chewed her bite of cake thoughtfully, she loved rum cake but barely tasted it. She was a bit distracted by the small amount of information that the firefly fed her. So the servant was a magical construct, and it seemed to possess some amount of sentience or Dimitri was able to control it from afar. Maybe she would get the chance to ask him about it during his stay.

On the other end of the table, it was Martin who replied instead of Micheal, "I beg your pardons, Milord, but you're wrong. All people are warriors in their own right. No less than a knight or a ranger is a warrior, the only difference is the weapon, and a weapon is merely a means to an end. Take Juniper and Bellamy for example, their weapons are music and dancing, respectively. Both tools are quintessential in the battle for the moral of a group. Your weapons serve you best in your battlefield, the courts of Moonspear." To which Micheal interjected, "You'll have to excuse him, he thinks he's far more profound than he actually is. As you can see, Martin possesses the depth of a puddle after the rain." The comment sent both brothers into silent, shoulder shaking laughter. Seems the wine had been flowing far more freely on that end of the table.

Lord Zamt'ris snapped his fingers and two servants came from the shadows at the edge of the room and started to help the older brothers out of their chairs. The Lord has noticed that his sons were both well into their drinks, and now that they were starting to speak, it was time to remove them from the area, "Apologies, Your Grace, but I should tend to my sons. I do so hope the meal was satisfactory, Amaya can show you to the guest quarters. The rest of you, off to your rooms." It was only as the rest of her family started to filter out, that she spared a glance at the waterclock. It was well after eleven, fast approaching midnight. Where had all the time gone?! She quickly dispelled the firefly before smiling towards Dimitri, "Would you like to head to the Guest Suite now, Lord Orlov? Or we can stay and chat while we finish our cake. Or I could show you around the Manor. Wouldn't want you to get lost during your stay."

[Zero]

Dimitri's initial reaction when Martin began speaking was to arch a brow at him, very few people would tell him he was wrong about anything. Of course the very wordy little speech that followed was greeted with the same unreadable expression as the high lord held his tongue while staring at Martin with his pale purple eyes. It quickly became apparent that both Michael and Martin had lost their heads in their wine, probably consuming more than they should under the circumstances.

Lord Zamt'ris was quick to usher them, and his entire family, from the meal. Bringing the dinner to a close as gracefully as he could. Dimitri could only incline his head slightly to his host as the family began to file out. Except Amaya, certainly the most unique-looking of the daughters. While relieved it was her and not Bellamy, he had to question why the eldest daughter had not been charged with tending to the guest. Something for him to ponder later, for now he turned to Amaya with an easy smile.

"So many options, my lady. It is rather late for a tour, and I beg your forgiveness, but I am weary from so much travel. Although it shames me to pass up an opportunity to explore with such a lovely guide. Perhaps tomorrow? More importantly, how ungentlemanly it would be of me to not allow the lady to finish her dessert? Especially when it is this excellent." With a chuckle he took another bite of his cake. All of the food had been quite delicious, and he was looking forward to seeing what would be served throughout the week during his stay.

[Zane]

"Apologies, M'lord, You are right, A tour this late at night run risk of being left in dreamscapes. I could come and get you in the morning, before breakfast? That way It can be fresh throughout the day." Amaya took another bite of her rum cake, wondering why she had been chosen as opposed to Bellamy. It occurred to her that her father had likely noticed what she had.

In truth, she didn't know what to try and talk with him about. And for such a small plate there seemed to be quite alot of the dessert left. On both their plates. "I hope my brothers hadn't offended you. Their good men, the both of them. And the fact that they would even attempted something like that, under the influence of the cups or not, shows that they think you too are a good man, one worth knowing."

[Zero]

"No apologies needed, my lady. I think a morning tour before breakfast sounds delightful." Dimitri really was interested in seeing more of the property, so his interest did not even have to be feigned on that matter. Also, of the four young women he was expected to spend his week with, he could certainly say that Amaya was not the least pleasant. Hopefully the time would not drag by and the company would be at least tolerable.

They had plenty of dessert left, and though it was good he wondered how they would even steer the conversation between eating. What did he really talk about to a woman that he might have to marry? He turned his eyes to her as she spoke about her brothers, considering what to say while savoring a bite of his cake. "They have not offended me, and I suppose I should feel complimented in that case. I do like to think that I am not a completely without my merits. Although I do not know if I would call myself a good man. That seems...presumptuous, somehow. I am an imperfect man that tries to do good things."

Dimitri chuckled at himself. "Listen to me. I am becoming as philosophical as your Martin. A sure sign of particularly good wine."

[Zane]

Amaya chuckled softly, "Perhaps that is not a bad thing, Lord Orlov. Some of the greatest minds in magic have been sage-like hermits. It's part of what makes their journals so difficult to decipher. Like a giant riddle." she picked up her wine glass, looking at the dark red liquid before setting it aside. The alcohol already warmed her, any more and she risked making a fool of herself. "If you don't mind my asking, were you always gifted with magic or were you taught? Or was it a mix of both?"