Children of War

[Zero]

Lillian wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, and she looked genuinely confused and surprised. Surely he was jesting. No one could seriously believe that her sisters did nothing but work. It isn't as if any of them had chosen to be what they were. Being Adhara was bad enough with the ridiculous restrictions already placed on her. If she was only allowed to stand at attention all day when not on task she thought she'd go mad.

"People don't really believe that, do they?" Lillian asked frowning as she took his offered arm without a second thought. She honestly didn't know if other Adhara would have taken his arm like this, but she didn't see why it would be a problem and it seemed rude to refuse. "The Mordecai are allowed to have families, they're really not that much different than a regular knight, better trained and equipped, maybe, but other than that only their ability separates them from the others. I guess the same could be said for my order as well, except we're far more restricted and much rarer."

[Lion]

"I'm sure it's a sentiment shared by several groups of people.  I mean they can't help it really since the Adhara are so exclusive, and I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I was among the ignorant.  Until now.  Perhaps we ought to enlighten the masses on the fact that even though you are among Connlaoth's warrior elite, you too, are still ordinary people.  But...not quite.  You still are a Knight of the White Lily.  And that in itself can pose an altar of intimidation, not undue of proper respect.  Perhaps that only apart of the problem, however."

[Zero]

Lillian's expression by the time Jude stopped talking was one of complete and utter confusion. Not that it lasted for long, instead it was replaced by frustration. People were intimidated by her? That was absurd. Of course the Grand Duke probably wanted to keep his famous knights up on some unreachable pedestal to better keep the masses in awe of his might or something equally as unsavory.

"Can't I ever just be me?" Was her irritated response. Ever since they had realized she was an adhara her entire life had been pulled out of her control with other people making all the decisions for her. She hated it.

[Lion]

The frustration in her expression was apparent to all, but it made Jude curiously frown.  His mouth was crooked and he tilted his head at her. "Of course," he said genuinely.  "What the lady wants, the lady gets.  And I'm a man of my word.  You will always simply be you in my eyes."  He gave another smile.

[Zero]

Lillian blinked and arched a brow at Jude with a grin. "Is that right? I've come to understand it is rather the opposite, isn't it? Ladies haven't all that much say, our fathers pick our friends, our husbands, our homes...I say ladies very rarely get what they want, wouldn't you?"

She had a rather devious glint to what should have been innocent jade eyes. While it was quite true that on the surface, men did have the say and the power, it was equally true that men were easily manipulated by women. Lillian, for example, had her father and two older brothers' heartstrings wrapped around her little finger. The Coleridge men would generally fall over themselves in an effort to make her happy, it was just the way of her family.

[Lion]

"Hm...no, I'm afraid I wouldn't say," Jude murmured tentatively.  His eyes gleamed still, a brow quirked upward as he regarded her.  "At least not in my experience.  It...wouldn't be very prudent of me, shall we say, for me to believe otherwise, in a way I'm sure you can understand.  So to me...what the lady wants, the lady usually gets."  His smirked at a wicked gleam to it, and he surprised himself just how comfortable he could be even in the presence of Knight of the White Lily.

[Zero]

Oh yeah, he was a whore. A very high-class whore, but still essentially a prostitute. She'd almost forgotten. He really did behave like a proper gentleman, didn't he? Lillian arched a brow coolly as she regarded him for a few moments before breaking out into a grin. "Fair enough. I amend my assessment - you don't count. Women pay you to get their way, I think that's cheating."

[Lion]

"It's not cheating.  Okay, maybe just a smidgen.  But overall, I wouldn't call it cheating.  I may be paid...and well-paid at that, to give a woman her way.  I in no way however, wouldn't see it any differently even if I weren't paid.  Women are underappreciated in this nation, and it's that kind of sentiment that - in a purely cold-blooded calculative way - keeps me in business in a manner of speaking.  But I suppose it would be the great deal of ...feminine influence in my life that's made my social view all that it is.  That, and a happy woman, is all that much more fun to please," Jude explained with a wicked smirk of his own.

They neared the café that he'd indicated just down at the end of the block.  Some people cast them strange looks.  No doubt the sight of a Knight of the White Lily, hanging on the arm of a clean-cut gentleman would certainly strike a few people as odd.  But Jude couldn't help himself as he smirked at a few passersby and winked at them and stood with Lillian just a little closer to him.

[Zero]

Lillian absorbed what he said carefully, subtly watching his face and expressions, amusement flickering behind half-hidden jade eyes. Well wasn't he refreshing? She was willing to bet that he used very similar lines on women while attempting to woo them frequently. Everyone liked to feel important, and to an oppressed woman that might sound incredibly charming. Hm. Or maybe he really just was trying to convince her. Gabriel was so much better at this.

Speaking of one of her brothers. "You know, you kind of remind me of my brothers - both of them. In different ways. They're pretty different, night and day, those two. Or so you'd think listening to them. I think they've got way more in common than either would admit. They hate being compared to each other. Cyrus thinks Gabriel is a whipped brat. Gabriel thinks Cyrus is an uncouth mongrel."

[Lion]

"Ahh there's plenty of gossip to go around concerning them, that I know," Jude chuckled.  "I heard your brother Gabriel married himself quite a beauty and a firebrand at that, or so it would seem.  What was her name, aaah, Valia.  Valia Chandos.  What do you make of her?"

[Zero]

Lillian rolled her eyes. "Valia Chandos, or should I say Coleridge, is a lovely young woman that my brother is completely smitten with. They have a beautiful son, really, my nephew is adorable." Honestly she wasn't fond of Valia, but her brother didn't tolerate people speaking ill of her. Actually, aside from Gabriel, she was pretty sure there wasn't a single person in Orchy that did like Valia. Well, maybe their child, but then again, she never had anything to do with the poor boy.

[Lion]

"Ah, I'm glad to see you speak so highly of her, even if you seem to be lying out of your arse, if you'll excuse my frankness.  Oh, don't give me that look, I'm only jesting.  Personally I've no opinion of her myself.  But I've only heard good things about your family and your brother and I'm sure she'll find whatever it is she needs most in that.  One can only hope," he said with a nodding bow of his head.

[Zero]

"What that brat needs is a good kick in the arse." Lillian muttered sourly. Valia was a spoiled child. Lillian might have been several years younger, but she was far more mature than her sister-in-law. Gabriel was too good to her. What she needed was for people to actually hold her accountable for something instead of letting her get away with everything all the damn time. "Anyway, it doesn't matter what I think of her. My brother loves her and that's all that matters, I guess."

She shrugged her shoulders, not really sure what Jude expected her to tell him. Was he fishing for information? There honestly wasn't much she would actually say. "How about you? Any family?"

[Lion]

"Ah well," Jude patted her hand - not that he assumed she really needed it - and softened his smile a little.  "If their love is strong enough, then perhaps that is all that matters."  Really, it was just a manner of being updated on the latest gossip and making small conversation,  and yet...  When it turned to him, Jude's expression turned cool and he gave her a raised brow.

"Well, now, I don't have any family of my own, nothing worth staying with unfortunately," he said, distinctly vague.  "As far as I know I have no children of my own, that simply wouldn't do for a man of my reputation, I'm sure you understand.  And in my sort of field, reputation is everything."

[Zero]

Lillian didn't want to talk about her brother and his wife or whether they loved each other or how strongly they did. It wasn't really her business what went on in their marriage, and frankly, thinking about marriage or married couples made her annoyed as a general rule.

She listened politely to his vague answer, only making a soft, non-committal sound about his family or lack thereof. "Reputation is everything in the world of nobles, too. I guess I can relate. Does it get lonely, though? I mean, I know you have clients to keep you company, but that's just business. Family is different."