It was a nice, warm Serenian night. Quite a relief - the silk ensemble Coriander was wearing did not provide a lot of warmth. The open-air reception in the gardens was a novel idea. He was looking forward to exploring it. Would he find some interesting flowers and a lovely scholar to describe their properties in detail? Maybe a telescope manned by an avid starwatcher? Perhaps he should sneak around and see if he could enter someplace he was not supposed to. There was no fun without risk, after all.
But the night was still young and he had plenty of time. The minstrels were beginning to play a popular dance, and it would be a shame to ignore their efforts. Even though Coriander mostly despised physical activities, this was one he was quite partial to. It was more about grace and skill than propensity for violence and brute force.
He glanced around the main courtyard, only to spot quite an intriguing woman. Was it the ambassador's daughter? He didn't know she returned from Thanatos already. He really should work on his gossip network a bit more! Either way, it was an opportunity, and he was not the kind to let one pass him by. What was the worst thing that could happen? He could get rejected, but he was certain that his ego could take the hit.
"I don't believe we've been introduced" he began, performing a bow that wouldn't be out of place on an illustration in an etiquette textbook. "I am Elethain Coriander. Might you be the child of Ambassador Moonglade I've heard about?"
Barely three days back in Serendipity, and here she was at yet another social function. Not normally one to complain, of course- typically she enjoyed such events- Kana couldn't deny that this particular evening she was just tired.
So she made a bit of a wallflower of herself; for one night only, she promised herself. It was not exactly an easy task, dressed as she was in a layered gown of gold and violet silk. The style was Serenian, but with a certain amount of Thanati "flair" to it, in the embroidery and the cut of the collar and sleeves.
She was just a bit taken aback when a young man she didn't entirely recognize approached her. She'd thought she'd been doing a decent enough job of keeping a low profile, eye-catching clothing aside. She did straighten up and smile politely at him though, returning his bow with an elegant, well-practiced curtsy.
"Master Coriander, a pleasure," she murmured sweetly, glancing up at him through her lashes. Her makeup too had been done in a way that harkened to her Thanati roots, bold red lines bordering her eyes and sweeping out to the sides, lips painted a deep burgundy. "I believe you're right- I can't quite recall having ever been formally introduced. And yes, Ambassador Moonglade is my father."
She smiled and held out her hand delicately. "My name is Kana."
Interesting. As she spoke, his mind worked, trying to put the picture together. Her dress definitely hinted at her connection to Thanatos, but the style followed the recent fashion. She must have had contacts in the capital, or just uncanny ability to predict how would the trends develop. And yet, this charming, talented young woman of high birth and excellent etiquette was doing here? If there was some kind of scandal that made everyone unwilling to dance with her, Coriander was sure he would have heard of it.
If he put his mind to it, perhaps he could have figured out the answer to this mystery, but he preferred action to overthinking. And it would be insulting towards Lady Moonglade to so openly prefer the contents of his own mind to her company.
"May I have this dance?" he asked, bowing.
Ah, yes. A dance.
"Of course." Kana smiled and took his hand, allowing him to lead her onto the floor. She smiled a little wryly and murmured, "I must admit I've been on the islands so long it's entirely possible the dances that I know are all out of fashion by now. You shall have to bare with me."
In contrast to her words, her movements were graceful and sure, flowing easily with the music and the steps of the dance, whether it was foreign to her or not. She tried to maintain eye contact, knowing it was the polite thing to do, though she couldn't help glancing at the table of refreshments that they glided by.
What I wouldn't give just for some soothing tea and a warm bed... But that was hardly the proper attitude to have at such a function, so she pushed it from her mind.
"I fear you may have overestimated the speed at which the progress marches" he commented. "Well, Lady Veresta has been trying, but she can't quite get the choreography down."
And speaking of choreography, something was off. Did someone plant insomnia orchids in the garden? What if one of his enemies bribed his servants to cover his new clothes in slowshroom spores? It wasn't just him - Lady Moonglade also didn't look that well-
Oh. But of course. He would kick himself for being so slow-witted, but dancing and kicking at the same time was far beyond his capabilities. He really should have put it together faster - after all, he knew that the ambassador's family returned home just recently, and while he has never been to Thanatos, a friend of his mentioned that getting accustomed to a different climate took a lot of time. And here he was, bothering Lady Moonglade like a complete idiot.
He stopped in the middle of a dance, garnering confused looks from people around him. "My apologies, Lady Moonglade" he spoke. "My regrettable lack of insight left me blind to your predicament, and led me to undertaking thoughtless actions. I shan't demand any more dances from you, but if you would permit me to impose upon your presence a while longer, perhaps I could get you some refreshments to apologize?" Most nobles had their servants carry trays to offer food and drink to the guests, but their host made a mistake of overreaching herself and inviting more people that her staff could serve.
"Oh." Kana's eyes widened and her cheeks blushed pink. She cleared her throat an admitted with a nervous little laugh, "I'm afraid you've caught be a bit off-guard, Master Coriander. I did not realize I was so easily seen through."
She felt a little guilty that he'd noticed her discomfort...but not so much that she wanted to turn down his offer. A smaller smile, though perhaps a more genuine one, curved at her lips and she dipped her head to him gratefully.
"Some refreshment would be wonderful actually, thank you. Though I wouldn't dream of asking you to fetch and carry, I'll come with you." She linked her arm through his and smiled up at him sweetly.
He felt a few eyes glaring at him as they were leaving the dance floor. Not too much of course, and if someone disliked his interruption enough to stick a knife into his back, it would be a fun way to meet someone new.
They made it to the refreshments table that stood modestly next to the hedge. "I'd offer you something, but I'm afraid my knowledge of the host's wine cellar is... subpar. I suppose I should send my army of covert spies to keep tabs on what every single lord and lady brings out for their guests" he commented. He really didn't have an army of covert spies, but that would be nice, wouldn't it?
"Let's see... There's Summer Bloom, an eternal classic, one might even say that it's getting boring... If you have a preference for white wine, Lady Moonglade, I would recommend Soulstoke 876 - a crisp and refreshing taste." Pity everything here was alcoholic, the last thing he wanted was to be accused of trying to get the ambassador's daughter drunk! There was always the water fountain a bit to the side, but it probably wasn't for drinking.
"That seems like a bit of a hassle, doesn't it?" Kana chuckled in response to his comment about an army of spies. Her eyes flickered appraisingly over the offered refreshments- and a slightly mischievous glint lit behind her gaze.
"Summer Bloom isn't all that boring, if you know a few tricks," she said with a wry grin. She glanced around to make sure no one was paying much attention to them, then flicked a hand out to snatch a strawberry garnish off some sort of tart. With her other hand she delicately took a glass of wine, then bit into the berry, held it in her mouth for a moment, then took a sip of the wine and swallowed.
She smiled at Coriander and snatched up another strawberry, holding it up to his lips with a playful little wink. "Try it. It brings out the fruit undertones." She proffered the glass of wine in her other hand, almost challenging.
She certainly felt much more alert.
Now he was intrigued! As much as he liked to pretend to be an expert on noble art of feasting and indulgence, there was still a lot he had to learn, and it appeared that today he would find out something interesting. He was always up for trying new things, and if it was tasty, all the best. If it was poisoned, at least the courtyard stone was clean so he wouldn't ruin his clothing while crumbling to the floor.
"You're right!" he exclaimed. "I never would have thought one small fruit can make such a big difference! Next time I throw a revel, I will make sure to have a good supply of those! Is it a Thanati custom to take fresh fruits with wine? I'm afraid I've never been there, though I suppose it has its own tradition of drinking. Some things never change."
"You should try sake," Kana laughed softly, taking another sip of her wine. "It's a rice alcohol native to the islands, best served warm."
She placed the glass to the side and mused, "I don't think strawberries would pair well with it, but I suppose it's something you could try." She was feeling much more sociable- funny how a little bit of wine and some pleasant company would do that.
"I think I'd be up for that dance now," Kana offered with a small, almost sheepish smile, "if you still feel so inclined."
"I've heard about it" he confessed. "Apparently it's very potent, one small cup is enough to get a person drunk." His sister mentioned in one of her letters that one time their captain got them some foreign alcohol to celebrate their victory. That was one fast way to get hammered. Visti kept some just in case she wanted to take down a peg some idiot who was too confident in his strong head.
"Rice, potatoes, grapes... the ability of people of Le'raana to turn pretty much anything into an intoxicant is truly amazing" he commented. And equally was amazing what a glass of wine could do for one person's strength. "I never thought that old Summer Bloom could restore one's vitality so quickly - or is it the strawberry?"
A more socially adept person would take Lady Moonglade up on her offer immediately, but if he left this matter alone, the curiosity would keep him up at night. "If this combination is a pick-me-up efficient enough to give you strength to dance, why not start the party with a glass? That would make handling any fools like me much more bearable, wouldn't it?"
The ambassador's daughter laughed and tilted her head to the side. "Perhaps. Though before you approached me I was actually hoping to avoid much interaction at this party," she admitted with a small smirk. "Though I must admit you've intrigued me, Master Coriander. May I call you Elethain?"
She reached out to take his hand again, leading him back toward the music and dancers.
Fair enough - the refreshments table was one place the other nobles were certain to frequent, and probably chat up each other. He imagined that Lady Moonglade would be more popular than him, due to the position her father held. Some sheltered aristocracts who've never been outside the city longed to hear the stories of the exotic Thanatos, and some more pragmatic probably could come up with a way to use her in their nefarious schemes.
Coriander wished he could come up with a nefarious scheme.
"But of course. It would be a pleasure" he responded. "And I'm glad to serve as a deterrent of further social interaction. What about the old good 'oh, my lord father is going to introduce me to a suitor, he would prefer that I don't speak with other young men-slash-women' excuse? After all, since Ambassador Moonglade is usually working away in Thanatos, he is unlikely to set them straight... although I imagine it would cause problems the second you chose to socialise and someone would bring it up." He didn't mind people calling him out on his lies - if he messed up and someone noticed, he deserved it - but he didn't know if Lady Moonglade shared his belief.
"You're not entirely wrong," Kana replied as she laid one hand gently on his shoulder and took his free hand with the other. "My father certainly wouldn't have much time to deter such falsehoods- were they falsehoods- but I find that weaving such webs more often than now entangle oneself rather than the desired prey."
She shrugged with a small smile and twirled easily through the bars of the dance. "And honestly, on most evenings I'd be more than happy to engage with such flirtations," she added with a playful wink. "It's one of the most enjoyable aspects of my position, to be honest. It would be rather counter-intuitive to create a fictional suitor then, wouldn't it?"
That was impressive. As much as Coriander enjoyed both weaving and navigating the webs of deceit, he couldn't help but admire those who refused to. There was some kind of admirable confidence in declaring that one was capable enough to deal without the valuable help of lies. It was a statement that held this additional weight, coming from an ambassador's daughter, someone who confessed to enjoying those social labyrinths. From any other lips, he would have dismissed it as naivete, but from her, it came as a boast of power.
"I see" he responded, letting her guide him through the dance. "I do agree that it would be counter-intuitive to choose a short-term gain that would prove to be disadvantageous in long-term. I suppose the world would be a different place if all people had the reason to make such choices."
"Perhaps." She shrugged. "People are people though, I find. At our core, we are all very much the same. Thanati, Serenian, Connlaothian, doesn't really matter."
She smiled and twirled away from him, then back into his arms in time with a dramatic flourish of the music. "Come then, tell me about yourself. You know who I am, you have me at a bit of a disadvantage."
"There isn't really a lot of interesting things, I'm afraid" he commented, taking a step back - at this point, he could just let his body go through the motions and focus on the conversation. "My family is minor nobility, made their fortune trading in spices. I have a brother who will probably inherit the leadership, oh, and an elder sister in the knights. Captain Visti Coriander, recently promoted."
"Well, give her my congratulations," Kana chuckled. She tilted her head just slightly to the side. "It seems odd we've never bumped into each other before at some function or another. Although I suppose I am often away."
That teasing glint came back to her eyes as the steps of the dance drew her in against his chest for a moment. "A shame I've missed out on such delightful company, it seems."
Was she talking about him, or his family? He supposed he could answer the latter. "I'm afraid I'm the only one with a social life in the Coriander family. "My father is working on raising my brother into a good heir, so I suppose they'd only attend the select social gatherings. My mother is busy running the family business, and Visti... well, she hates the intrigue and scheming. She rarely returns home to Arca, she prefers to be out there fighting the protect the good people of Serendipity. I think she'd rather go to a dragon's nest rather than a party."
She laughed lightly and twirled into a graceful dip, one arm around Elethain's shoulders as she looked up at him.
"I suppose I can't entirely blame her," she giggled. "I've been to my share of parties where a dragon or two certainly would have improved the atmosphere."
"Unfortunately, my suggestions that she visits Adela fell on deaf ears" he sighed. "I would think that this would be the place to achieve her dreams of partying with dragons."
The musicians finished their piece and the other dancers began to break away. Coriander considered his options. They could stay here and hope that some nice dance would be played, or they could go enjoy the party somewhere else. "I've heard - from my army of spies, of course - that our gracious host is spending a small fortune on getting a hedge maze for his garden parties" he began. "Shall we go and see the progress on it?"
"That sounds delightful," Kana enthused with a quick smile. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and gestured vaguely. "Lead the way. I'm afraid I don't exactly know my way around the grounds."
Neither did Coriander, but it would be awkward to explain it now, wouldn't it? Either way, he doubted that the good lord would let people just wander into unfinished section, so it should be barred off, or guarded. He noticed a man in armour and the house's colours standing near one of the gates. A good start.
It was time to begin the act. He widened his eyes in fear and moved in an inelegant, half-scurrying way as he approached the guardswoman. "Good s-sir-" he began, stuttering as if he saw something he couldn't believe. "I- I believe I might have witnessed an attempt on your lord's life!"
She gave him a look one might expect from a parent saddled with an unusually awful child. "My lord, I believe if there was a murder attempt, more people would notice it. Those things are hard to hide."
"No, I- I saw a woman in blue dress pour some kind of powder into a wine glass! Must be poison!"
The guardswoman's eyes narrowed. No matter how stupid his story sounded, this wasn't something she could just ignore. "Can you describe the woman in more detail?"
"Oh, I wasn't paying attention, she wasn't my type... blue dress? Long hair?" He intentionally gave her the broadest description possible.
The guard grumbled in response. "I will... go look for her. Please wait here in case we need you to verify her identity."
Coriander waited a few seconds for her to leave before waving at Kana. "I believe the way is open now."
"I do hope that doesn't come back to bite us," Kana murmured with an arched eyebrow as she tucked herself a little more securely against Coriander's side. "Though I suppose that is certainly one way to clear any potential nuisances."
"Well, if it does, you can always say that you followed me here because I looked suspicious and you wanted to make sure I'm not a spy or an assassin" he suggested. Getting a reputation as a spy or an assassin would be so cool. Completely worth getting thrown out of the party. Better that than having to go home because a drunk lady puked on his new ensemble.
"Ohh, how exciting," Kana said with a soft laugh. "Imagine, little ol' me stopping an assassin." She wrinkled her nose playfully with another chuckle.
Coriander glanced down at Lady Moonglade's boots. She appeared to be a type holding common sense above the whims of fashion, as she wasn't wearing any high heels or other abomination. "Well then, madam, can you snap the neck of an assassin by stepping on it? I've tried doing it once, but didn't work out - perhaps I need instructions."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Ah...when on earth did you have occasion to test that out?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"Why, on an occasion when I attended an assassination" he joked. "But I should probably tell the whole story, now that I've mentioned it." That, and the details weren't really secret - Lady Moonglade would be able to find out with minimal amount of searching anyway. "I was attending a party Lord Haldane threw to celebrate the engagement of his son. Turned out one of the servants offering wine to the guests was an assassin who infiltrated the place in order to murder either the lord or his son, I can't remember. I wasn't exactly told the details."
"His intention was probably poison, but Haldane's son was being gallant and offered his fiancee the wine. When she started choking, the assassin threw all caution and pretenses of discretion to the winds and just charged at them. A fight broke out, and against common sense, I moved in to get a better look. The assassin rolled close, probably trying to disengage. I saw an opportunity and tried to stomp on his neck, but he tripped me and used me as a hostage. Oh, how amused Visti was when I described this whole incident in a letter to her!"
"Goodness!" Kana pressed a hand to her lips. "Were you hurt?" she asked, concern plain in her tone and eyes, and she tightened her grip on her escort's arm just a bit. "I mean, obviously nothing too serious or I doubt you'd sound so cavalier about it, but that sounds just harrowing."
In Coriander's experience, it was actually best to be cavalier about harrowing matters. It was perfect for misdirection - most people, when looking for weaknesses to take advantage of, would gloss over what they targets described in cheerful terms. Then again, the biggest injury incurred on this particular evening was to his pride - by taking him hostage, the assassin proved that he had no interest in his life. He would have to work harder to earn the degree of importance of being valuable enough to be wanted dead.
"He didn't even leave me a cool scar to show off" he grumbled. "I would think I'd get at least something out of the experience! What an ill-mannered assassin!" He glanced back at her. The reaction seemed to be genuine, rather than feigned out of politeness or convention. "Judging by the tone of your voice, I'd assume assassinations aren't very common in Thanatos?"
She shook her head slowly. "Not...exactly. At least not in the circles I traveled." Her brow furrowed slightly. "There was a boy I knew, a maoin. I'd heard...but never mind." She forced a quick laugh and shook her head with a smile. "I'm sure you're not interested in island gossip."
Bugger.
Coriander's disappointment was quickly shoved aside at the dilemma presented to him. Were her evasive words a genuine attempt to get him to forget about the earlier tantalizing hint of intrigue, just a conversational ritual, perhaps maybe even a way to test his interest in the matter? Most of the time, he prided himself on the ability to read other people and figure out his true intentions, but this time, he was at a loss. And rightfully so - he was talking to Ambassador Moonglade's daughter after all, he shouldn't expect her to be as easy to read as just another person.
"We could swap gossip, then" he offered. "I keep up with all the juicy rumours here in the capitol." There was little else he could do, after all.
"Oh?" She raised one eyebrow delicately. "Pray tell then, what is the most interesting rumor you've hear lately?"
Coriander tapped his chin. "Well, you probably heard about Lord Mortigen's hunting accident." It wasn't exactly something that would be new to her - everyone in Arca was talking about it, even though Lady Moonglade has just arrived, it was unlikely that she hasn't at least heard of it. But he hoped that at least the tidbit he was about to reveal would be juicy enough. "Well, a friend of mine's maid knows one of the grooms who tended his horse, and apparently the strap was cut just before the hunting party left. It's not exactly an assassination attempt like the one we've been discussing, since he survived and the house healer says he's going to recover, but it's something."
Coriander personally suspected it was a play on the part of Lord Mortigen himself - the man wasn't very fond of the new guard captain his wife hired, and missing something like that would provide him with an excuse to fire her.
"Oh yes, I had heard." She tutted and shook her head. "That's terrible though, just terrible. I wonder who would have the motivation to do such a thing," she mused, brow furrowed and lips pursed slightly.
"Oh, people have been thinking up theories about it. Personally, I think that... oh."
They reached the goal of their little excursion: their host's maze-to-be. It was clearly a work in progress, for the hedges were obviously not ready - the tallest of them barely reached up to Lady Moonglade's head. Coriander suspected that a gardening mage or a few were hired to speed up the growth, considering the diversity in their size and maturity. When it was finished, it would probably be a wonderful place worth visiting. Right now, it wasn't much of anything.
"Ah, our destination," Kana laughed lightly. She eyed the hedges a moment, then suddenly bounded ahead a few steps before spinning and grabbing Coriander's hand to tug him after her. "Come on, let's see how far in we can get."
"I fear any intellectual pleasure that can be found in solving a maze would be diminished by the fact that we can see the whole design and therefore we are not approaching it from the perspective it was meant to be approached" he commented. "Alright, I'll stop being a party pooper." He could always learn the path through the maze, wait until their host had the work completed, then lead others through to amaze them with his brilliant mind.
It wasn't even that he was bad with puzzles - he just preferred riddles of people to riddles of the mind. The hurt child's mother cheating on her husband was a more compelling story than the healer brought in being the mother herself. Still, he could every now and then enjoy a purely intellectual entertainment. "If I remember correctly, the idea is to always turn in the same direction in order to reach the exit?"
"I believe so," Kana said, eyes sparkling, "but actually solving it isn't the point right now."
She took his hand and stepped back between the hedges. "We're just seeing how far we can get from the party before it becomes suspicious."
A satisfied grin spread on his face. He always enjoyed the thrill of doing something if not outright unacceptable, then at least something that could get him in trouble. The sweetest fruit is the forbidden one, as the saying went. "The bushes aren't very tall, but I suppose that's one of few advantages my sad height grants me, so perhaps we might hide there, should someone come looking."
"I wouldn't call it sad," Kana laughed as she started into the maze. "I'm not exactly a giant myself," she pointed out, twisting to throw him a quick grin and a wink.
"How could I be so impolite?" he sighed in false despair. "I must beg your forgiveness for my careless words - I was deeply scarred by childhood trauma stemming from my height. I still remember, with horror, how my siblings used to hold all toys just out of my reach to mock me!"
He paused for a breath before adding "At least I save a little money on the fabric whenever I place an order at a tailor. Take that, tall people with your long limbs."
She laughed again, turning and walking backward a few steps to look at him with sparkling eyes. "Indeed," she chuckled. "I suppose I have Thanati heritage to thank for my height. Though to be frank it's not all that bad. I am at perfect shin-kicking height, should the occasion call for it."
Coriander made a show of carefully stepping out of shin-kicking range. Not that it would help - he had all the reflexes of a glacier in spring, and from what little he saw of Lady Moonglade so far, she was rather quick and graceful, she could probably kick him before he even saw her move. Still, there was so much fun to be had in theatrics. "And did your Thanati heritage grant you the secrets of some mysterious shin-kicking art from the isles?" he asked. "Am I being boring? I bet half of the nobility here does little but ask you about Thanatos and your father's work..."
"Oh, that's alright," Kana laughed quietly, waving him off. She winked at him over her shoulder. "It's the curse of an ambassador's daughter, I'm quite used to it."
She paused a moment, waiting for him to catch up.
That sounded like a sensible choice - if there was no way to change the situation, it was best to learn to enjoy it. Coriander never was the sensible kind, but he could appreciate... sensibility. As long as it wasn't melting into dullness. But Lady Moonglade wasn't the kind of a person that he would consider dull - she went with him in search of a labyrinth, after all.
"I would ask whether you prefer Thanatos or Serendipity, but I have a feeling any clever person would know the answer" he continued. "After all, why waste time and effort traveling between those two countries so frequently, if not for a deep fondness for both? Although I am curious about how the work of an ambassador to the islands looks like - from what I've heard, the people there aren't too fond of foreigners - or is it just a misconception?"
Kana shook her head. "Not entirely misconception. Though once you know the history of the islands, it is an understandable attitude." She laughed softly and flushed a bit. "Forgive me-- I'm sure you don't really want to listen to me ramble on about history and politics."
He chuckled. "Do I have a reputation of a complete uneducated barbarian? I may not be as scholarly as my brother, but there are few educational pursuits I enjoy - and those would be history and politics. I love people, and history and politics perfectly compliment my interests the way strategy compliments war. How else can I understand the people I speak to, if not by learning of the history that produced them, and the politics that shaped them?"
"Now I never said that," Kana murmured hurriedly. "I just meant...don't you think it's boring. It's my life and sometimes I think it's boring."
"Perhaps this is exactly why" he chuckled. "I can't get enough of court intrigue - perhaps because I have not experienced enough of it. Maybe it's my layman perspective allows me to see it as such fun. I would call myself anything but an idealist, but I suppose the same principle would apply - this naivete and lack of experience leading people to... hasty judgments."
His mind was fully capable of understanding this point of view from a logical perspective. Even the most entertaining activity could be made dull by repetition and routine. Perhaps he misunderstood the work of an ambassador, and rather than test their wits against the intrigue of both Thanatos and Serendipity, Lady Moonglade and her father had a much more boring task ahead of them. Or perhaps he's just made a hasty judgement, as he said. Or-
He tripped. It was dark, and the ground in the unfinished maze was not as smooth as in the rest of the garden. He smothered a curse - stupid accidents were no reason to be uncouth. And he doubted that the earth had any mother to insult to begin with. He reflexively glanced at his clothing as he picked himself up, but it was too dark to see if he got anything dirty. As fond as he was of the cover of the night and its many uses, sometimes it worked against him.
"Oh!" Kana whirled as she heard him stumble, darting forward to catch him a moment too late.
She knelt beside him and tutted, grasping his shoulders as she looked him over. "Oh dear, are you alright? Here, let me see..." She reached up to place a hand against his cheek and tilt his head from side to side, searching for a bump.
He fought the temptation to say 'most of the time, I expect dinner and flowers before I let a lady put her hands on me'. Maybe he could use that line later. He let her examine him, going along. "I suppose there's isn't much to see without any light" he mused. "Still, I don't feel any crucial parts of my face missing."
She laughed lightly and rolled her eyes, though she took perhaps a moment to long to withdraw her hand. She tilted her head at him. "Anything hurt?"
"Just my pride - but it will survive, as long as you don't tell all the gossip-mongers in Arca and Thanatos that I can't walk a few steps without tripping over my own boots. Otherwise, well, I suppose you can add my pride to your list of victims."
He wanted to make a necromancy joke, but he didn't know enough about Thanatos to make an educated one. The last thing he wanted to was to look like an uneducated buffoon.
Kana chuckled again and stood, holding a hand out to help him up. "Your secret is safe with me," she assured, eyes glinting merrily now that she was sure he was unhurt.
Coriander accepted the hand - and the help. He smothered the instinct to smooth over his clothes - it was dark, he wouldn't be able to tell if he was smearing soil or worse all over the fabric, rather than fixing the creases. Perhaps there was no real need - he never heard about Lady Moonglade being able to see in the dark. But he would still like to look his best, for his own sake, and in case they were surrounded by assassins sneaking up on them.
A shiver ran up his spine, and it wasn't one of excitement. The climate of Serendipity always seemed acceptable to him, but the nights could get chilly. He looked at his companion. "Are you cold as well, Lady Moonglade? I've heard that Thanatos is a rather warm place - it must be difficult to get used to Arca's temperatures again."
"Yes, it can make the chill seem more intense," she replied with a crooked little smile. Her eyes suddenly glinted playfully and she added, "I've an idea to warm up, though."
Easily, she tucked herself under his arm and against his side, pressing as close as she could feasibly manage. Entirely improper. "There. Much better."
He would have performed a bow, but it was rather hard to do with a lady under his arm - literally. He would have to make do with verbal rather than physical etiquette. "Looks like I was given the privilege of becoming your personal heater. It is an honour I shall not soon forget."
Kana laughed and shook her head at him. "Do you take anything seriously?" she teased lightly, pressing a little closer as another soft breeze rustled through the gardens.
Tucked against his side, she looked up at him and tilted her head slightly. "Master Coriander, would it be terribly forward of me to ask if I could kiss you?" she asked rather abruptly, an almost calculating glint to her eyes.
"Well, I do take a lot seriously. I take my clothes seriously, ever since Baron Thalance's kid verbally roasted me for my doublet a year ago. I take my sister seriously, as should all who met her. Let's see, what else do I take seriously..."
There probably wasn't a lot of things. Why should he? Taking things like love, religion or ideals seriously only ever resulted in bloodshed - and while he didn't mind some blood, physical violence was crude and primitive. But any further thought on this subject was interrupted by a rather sudden request. Granted, it wasn't the first time a woman expressed a desire to kiss him, but it was still something he didn't expect at this stage. But then again, why not? It was dark, and no one was watching, at least as far as he knew.
But what truly made up his mind was this calculating glint he spotted in her eye. He found women who knew what they wanted - and took it - very attractive. Especially when those women were planning something. His weakness to clever plots was something he truly didn't mind exploited. Now he was looking forward to finding out almost as much as to the kiss itself.
"Oh, I would not find it too forward at all."
The ambassador's daughter smiled, shifting her position slightly so she could lean up on her toes and tilting his face toward hers with a delicate touch.
Her eyes still glinted as she cupped his cheek in her hand and pressed her lips to his softly, almost carefully. Like she was testing, or perhaps drawing up results in her head.
That didn't take away from the sensuality of the touch. Either Kana Moonglade was simply exceptional at nearly everything she tried, or she had a fair amount of practice in this particular activity.
Perhaps he should lean down. It was never something he had to try before - usually, his partner would have to either find something suitable for him to stand upon, or just pick him up for the duration, as one knight ended up doing. Fortunately, Lady Moonglade had her own ways. He then proceeded to do what he did best in those situations: follow the lead of the lady.
He kissed back, cautiously - at this point he had enough experience to match any level of intensity, but it was simply bad form to try tongue on the first kiss without prior consent.
Kana gave a soft humming sound in the back of her throat, resisting the urge to smile. As expected, Coriander was an adaptable partner, something she could admire.
Gods, it was so nice when they already knew what they were doing. She hated when she had to spend weeks training a partner to kiss the way she liked.
She tilted her head to the side slightly to deepen the contact for a few moments, letting her lips part gently against his-- then she pulled back, settling back on her heels as her eyes glinted up at him. "That was lovely," she murmured, smiling softly. "Thank you."
Coriander responded with his best charming smile. It was something he worked at for a long time - nothing ruined the mood like people grinning like idiots. "It was my pleasure, my lady." He almost called her 'Lady Moonglade', but it would be awkward to still use this form of address after sharing a kiss. Unless she was into it, but that was something he could discover later.
"Would it be terribly forward of me to recommend myself for any future... needs?"
She laughed and shook her head, eyes still glinting playfully. "No, I don't think that would be too forward of you at all, Master Coriander," she assured with a soft smile. Tilting her head slightly, she added, "And you can call me just Kana, if you like."
She didn't really wait for him to respond though, wrapping an arm around his neck and kissing him again, still almost testing, teasing, calculating. But despite that there was some real warmth to the embrace, and she cupped his cheek carefully in one palm as she tilted his face toward her to offer a slightly more intimate angle.
Ah, that was one of great benefits of etiquette. All those layers of titles and politeness made progressing through them far more pleasant than just starting on the first name basis. And far more meaningful. He leaned down slightly to allow her to better manipulate his position and responded with wounding one of his own arms above her waist. Back when he was young and inexperienced, he struggled heavily with proper placement, and got slapped plenty of times because he accidentally put his hand too low! That was one experience he didn't care to repeat - he would far prefer to get hit for something he actually aimed to achieve!
Kana grinned against his mouth as his arm came around her, twining her own lazily around his neck.
Humming consideringly as she pulled away from the kiss, she tilted her head and asked, "Exactly what sort of needs are you recommending yourself for?" The calculating glint was back in her eyes, a sure sign she was planning something.
Coriander grinned back. His original impression was getting confirmed - this wasn't just a sudden rush of passion, the ambassador's daughter was planning something. While he was as vulnerable to emotions and their power over him as any other human, he did like plans and scheming, and he liked clever women who leveraged their advantages even more. It was clear that Kana was planning something, and trying to figure out what was on her mind was very entertaining. Most of the time, it was making a suitor jealous, but if it was a show to be witnessed, she wouldn't go with him deeper in the garden, where the guests wouldn't see them. So it must be something else, something more complex.
But he could think it over later, now he had a question to answer! "While I do not have quite enough informants to brazenly offer my espionage services, I can still keep you apprised of the happenings here in Serendipity whenever you return from Thanatos - the recent fashion trends, the juiciest gossip... I would offer my company whenever it's welcome, and my best efforts to assist."
"Hmm..." Kana tilted her head, pretending to consider. A soft smile quirked at her lips, eyes dancing. "I think your company should be enough, but your services seem quite extensive," she teased lightly.
Her hands settled themselves loosely on his shoulders and she tilted her head the other way. "Would you be amiable to me calling on you again, Master Coriander?" she asked after a moment. "After this evening, I mean. I would very much like to see you again while I'm still on the mainland."
He was quite stoked to find out what she had in mind, but perhaps this was to be expected - revealing too much to someone she just barely met would be risky, and Kana Moonglade didn't strike Coriander as someone as reckless as himself. He would give her the time to finalize the plan, perhaps engage her own ways of acquiring information to find out whatever she needed to know and didn't trust him to tell the truth about - and rightfully so! There was no use rushing her - best laid plans required patience. And she was even kind enough to give him a roughly definite estimate of how long he would have to wait! He wasn't very familiar with Ambassador Moonglade's schedule, but he could find out.
"It would be a pleasure to hear from you again" he smiled. "Should you wish to contact me, please feel free to send a servant to my estate to inquire. My family's mansion is located in one of the outer district - it's a large sandstone building across Gallowbloom Plaza." It probably sounded like a strange location, but the Coriander family history excused it. They only made their fortune around two centuries ago, when Arca was already a sprawling metropolis and finding a good house that wasn't taken by a more important and influential nobles was, according to the ancestors, more trouble than it was worth.
She nodded, smile creeping across her face again. "I'll be sure to visit soon," she promised, her eyes glinting with a mix of playfulness and cunning. "But enough of that."
She twined her arms around his neck and leaned into him, letting about half her weight press against the front of his body. Rocking up on her toes, she kissed him again, letting her eyes slide closed and humming softly in the back of her throat.
Yes. If her impression of Coriander was correct, she thought this might be an incredibly fruitful relationship.