Devaniée nodded her head with a wondrous smile. She was positively glowing, her cheeks lightly flushed at his compliment.
"You are too kind. We are just elated that we had the opportunity to attend." She looped her arm into her husband's and gave Tristan a cordial nod. "I'm sure you know how busy my husband can be, what with the university and his research. They have been conducting many interesting things. Perhaps we can all discuss it later." She bowed with grace, holding onto the side of her skirts with her other free hand before rising her eyes to Tristan's, then to her husband. But as the Acaulian's moved to step away, a breath caught within Devaniée's throat as she clutched onto her husband's arm.
Her parents were in attendance. Her parents..
She hadn't seen either in quite a while, and for now, it seemed her mother was preoccupied with the guests, but that didn't stop Devaniée from feeling uncomfortable, so it might have seen peculiar to her husband when she turned to Doryx and asked, "Say, why don't you and I get a drink?" She idly played with a loose curl of her blonde hair. "The road has been long for us from Darken Vei. I'm sure Lord Anell has provided a wonderful array of drinks. Being so close to the ocean allows for fruitful trade, and I know this area is known to have good nectar wines and flowering drinks and punches with floating fruit pieces." She hugged onto him tighter, made a rigid turn, and began to guide him away to the drink able, which was perfectly placed on the opposing side of the room from her mother. THat must have been the one thing that was good about living in Darken Vei. Her mother rarely visited, only traveled for prestigious occasions (prestigious to her meaning balls and other gala events where she could strut her social wiles to the public).
She knew her mother has been gloating about her daughter's marriage to the Lord of Darken Vei ever since. But that was years ago. Letters since have been from her mother pressing grand children, reminding Devaniée how scandalous it seems they've been married for so long without even the announcement they were trying for an heir. But each reply was the same, and every time it became increasingly more difficult to read her mother's letters. Everytime she had to read one, it was as if her mother was watching her over her shoulder, ready to lecture her on the right way to dress, to walk, what to wear, and how to treat her husband. In one sense, her marriage had made her free of her parents, but in the same breath, it was almost feeling like a death trap.
She felt her skin growing hot, and was glad to find an enormous punch bowl on the drink table and didn't wait for her husband to offer to pour her a cup. She went to get it herself, pouring half of the contents with the ladle outside of the cup rather than into it, as she gave a frustrated sigh. Half of a cup was fine, she didn't try to pour more as she lifted the cup to her lips and downed the drink within seconds.
This party would definitely prove interesting, especially when the cursed dragon bracelet on her wrist was the last thing she was worried about. Any curse in the world would seem like a vacation to the stifling hold her mother held upon her, and as she remained over by the drink table, having already finished her first cup, it was there Lady Acaulian's mother turned and caught sight of her, giving her daughter that plastic, fake smile she always did. And Devaniée felt sick. SHe forced herself to smile back, but let her eyes drift away, her body jerking back towards the punch bowl.
"This is rather good!"s he said hastily, fakely, and began to pour a second glass and was already downing it as she leaned ungracefully over the table. "Perhaps you should have a cup for yourself, my husband." But no matter how quickly she was drinking it, she was having a hard time keeping herself from shaking. Perhaps if the dancing would start soon it would work the nerves out of her. She had no idea she'd act this way infront of her mother, but she also had no idea her mother would have been in attendance.
