Flashback White Paint and Rose Gardens (Edmund Morealis)

[Adelaide Sitai]

76th Spring 501AV
Just after Lunch

Adelaide could not believe how slowly the clock was moving - was it even moving? She was not sure. Feeling bored beyond belief, she kicked her chair back and looked out of the window. Somebody from the Morealis plantation was supposed to be coming over that day and though Adelaide had begged her father to be allowed to meet them, he hadn’t judged it important enough to be worth skipping her music lesson for. Adelaide sighed and let her chair fall forward with a small clatter as Flynn, her tutor, turned back from the board, where he had written some notes.

“So, this one is…?”

“C.”

“Good. And this one?”

“F sharp.”

“Correct. Now I will play a couple of notes on the Gamba. See if you can recognise them.”

The girl felt ready to scream in frustration, but was content with merely letting her head slump forward and hitting the desk, so that only a mop of dark hair could be seen. At least this was better than Mathematics she thought. Maybe, one day, he’d actually let her touch the instrument as she so dearly wished. Mathematics, on the other hand, was completely useless.

“Miss Adelaide. Sit up.” said the tutor sharply, noting the inattention of his pupil, “Now, what is this note?”

“I don’t know.”

“Of course you do. Now pay attention. Each string represents a note. On the bass Gamba, those notes are A-d-g-b-e'-a. On a tenor Gamba, like the one we have here, the notes are G-c-f-a-d'-g'. Now, can you remember what the notes on a bass Gamba are?”

“A for Awful. D for Dull. G for the Gamba you never let me play. B for Boredom. E for Ennui.” The girl replied sullenly.

“For what?”

“Ennui. It’s a word that Father taught me. It means boredom. Then finally, A for, well, even more awful!”

Flynn smiled wryly then continued testily, “And on the tenor Gamba?”

“G for the Gamba you still won’t let me play. C for coma, because I think I’m going to have one. F for,” she paused, not sure what she could think of for F, before adding with a small laugh, “F for Flynn because he never lets me do what I want. A for…”

“Awful?” the tutor questioned, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise.

“Yeah. How did you know? Then D for dislike and G for,” she paused, before saying, as vehemently as she dared, “Well, for the stupid Gamba you won’t let me go anywhere near.”

“Miss Adelaide. You’re a poet.” said the young man sarcastically before standing up, putting the Gamba down at his desk and going to the blackboard where he proceeded to wipe off all the notes he had prepared. Adelaide had a moment of regret, seeing her tutor’s irritation. In spite of her rudeness, she really rather liked Flynn. He was much better than any tutor she had had before. Usually, he was quite patient, pleasant, at times fun, and at least he could actually play an instrument. Adelaide had a distinct, and joyfully caricatured, memory of her last tutor, a portly, mild man with terrible eyesight who had failed miserably at teaching her to play anything. Music lessons had become a joke under his guidance, or rather under the guidance of a thick, brown manual he had taken to reading.

“Is that it? Can I go now?” she asked hopefully, after a couple of ticks, turning her attention back to Flynn.

“No. I don’t think so.” Flynn didn’t turn away from the board, “Bearing in mind that you seem so completely opposed to anything involving the Gamba, I think it’s a good time for a Mathematics lesson. So, now, the times tables. Seven times six is…?”

Well, Adelaide felt she had somehow made a bad situation even worse. Looking out of the window again, she wondered in all earnesty how easy it would be to escape. It led out onto a balcony and then it would merely be a matter of finding a way down. She hated lessons in the Spring, especially when the sky was as blue as it was today. Who could stay indoors in this weather when everything outside was crying to live? To breathe. To sing!

“Seven time six. Come on now, you’re usually very quick at these.”

“Forty two.”

She could swear that he had done it on purpose, that he took some sort of sick pleasure out of making her suffer through mathematics. With each sum he fired at her, she sunk down further and further in her seat, until only her head was left, peaking out over the desk. Flynn didn’t mention this until Adelaide was practically sitting under the desk then, suddenly, he walked over, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled the child back up into her seat with a little click of the tongue, indicating his irritation. Adelaide flushed slightly, but then crossed her arms and stuck her head back. As Flynn took a pause from his firing sums at her to write something on the blackboard, Adelaide swung her chair back again and looked out of the window. The Morealis contingent had arrived and, quite to Adelaide’s surprise, they had a boy who seemed to be about her own age with them. Well, she thought with a mixture of jealousy and irritation, it didn’t seem fair that he be allowed out while she be stuck in the schoolroom reciting the seven times tables. As Flynn turned back again, Adelaide fell forward for a second time, this time the chair making a considerably louder noise.

“Please can you sit still? It’s most distracting to watch you swinging backwards and forwards in this way. Also, if you’re not careful, you’ll lose balance, fall back and crack your head open.”

Adelaide hadn’t paid attention until the last bit. She looked at Flynn with horror. Crack her head open? Crack her head open! That couldn’t happen, she was sure of it. She had hair, and wasn’t the purpose of hair to protect the head? For some reason, and though she knew it was the least of her worries, Adelaide couldn’t help thinking about all the blood too. It would stain the carpet which would make her stepmother angry and ruin her new red dress with it’s pretty lace collar and mother of pearl buttons, unless the blood didn’t show? Because red on red…

“Nine times twelve?”

Adelaide looked up and thought about it for a few moments Nine times twelve was basically ten times twelve, which was easy because you just added a zero, minus twelve. Right? So that would be one hundred and twenty minus twelve, which would be…

“You have to be quicker than this.”

“One hundred and eight?"

He smiled lightly then fetched a piece of paper from his desk, which he handed to her.

“Here. I need to go and fetch something which I left in the dining room. Start doing these.”

She looked down at the paper covered in multiplications and sighed. But, she thought, maybe if he went away then that would give her the perfect chance to escape. So, with this comforting thought in mind, Adelaide smiled charmingly and picked up her quill, showing her willingness to work. A few ticks later and Flynn was out of the door, causing Adelaide to leap up and run towards it. Unfortunately, and not much to her surprise, she gathered that he had locked it. She blew out testily, flicking a strand of hair from her face and returned to her desk. It was then that she looked at the window again. Maybe… maybe there’d be a way down? And even if there wasn’t, there was no harm in looking.

Quietly, Adelaide slipped on her little white boots and walked to the window, stepping quietly out of it and onto the balcony. There, to her great joy, she perceived that someone had been charged to paint the pillars of the house, whose whiteness needed a constant upkeep, and had left the ladder leaning onto the balcony. Quick as she could, Adelaide sped over to the ladder and started to clamber down it, not realising that the paint was still wet and had left great big white marks all over the back of her dress. With a smile of triumph, she landed on the ground, imagining a tide of applause as she did so.

“Thank you. Thank you very much.” she said, bowing with a flourish to the invisible crowd, "You've been a brilliant audience."

Now, where to go and what to do?

[Edmund Morealis]

76th of Spring, 501AV The Bloodflower Estate "Again, thank you very much, Uncle Dimeer, for letting me come with you today," Edmund repeated for perhaps the fifth time during their journey from Blacksugar. The two estates, Blacksugar and Bloodflower, were exceptionally close in comparison to the other dynasty dwellings, but even then the total travel time was something close to an entire bell. It left a lot of time to fill up, that was for certain. Dimeer chuckled in that characteristic way of his. "This is the sixth time you have said this to me, young man. It makes me proud to see you acting so polite, but keep in mind that unnecessary repetition can also become overbearing." "Apologies, uncle," Edmund sighed, leaning on the edge of their open-air carriage. "It is simply that these journeys between the estates are always such horridly long affairs, and I have yet to develop the patience of cousins Remy and Dimi. There is no other way I can think to open a conversation than with gratitude, so I do my best." "I know, Edmund. You are young after all, I would not expect you to have the patience of your cousins just yet. Frankly, it would be incredibly worrisome if you exhibited a level of patience equal to that of your cousins." The aging man smiled at the road ahead of them, keeping his eyes out in front while still talking to his nephew. "Eleven is too young an age to be developing the jaded nature of an adult. You are most certainly maturing, but mature too fast and you will not be able to enjoy your childhood while you are able to." Edmund frowned at the unfamiliar word, his head bobbing up and down in his hand as the carriage hit the occasional uneven surface. The young Morealis knew many words for his age, but he was still a mere child. "Uncle, what is the definition of the word exhibit? I do not believe I have heard that word before." Dimeer hummed in understanding for a short tick before answering. "Exhibit means to deliberately display something, either publicly in the form of art or socially in the form of a behavior. It is synonymous with words such as display and show, with the idea that it is out for others too observe." Nodding, Edmund looked between his uncle and the road ahead of them. The word did make much more sense in context. His uncle was always happy to provide meaning for such words that Edmund did not understand - probably in the interest of ensuring he was as knowledgeable as could be. "I see. Thank you, uncle. May I ask now, for what particular purpose have we come to Bloodflower today?" "You have come because you asked to," Dimeer answered smilingly. "I still am not comfortable sending you or Amarantha to the city, as your cousins all have jobs there. I hope you understand." "I do, uncle, do not worry. It is okay that we spend most of our time on our own plantation, as there is plenty of avenues for study and entertainment. I also understand that we are still in some minute danger walking in such a public place, despite our dynastic connection." Edmund had not the guile to deceive his uncle, and meant it truly that he was content to stay at his home for the majority of his time. Most other children his age would fins such a lifestyle stifling, but Blacksugar was a large manor with an even larger estate surrounding it. It was not as if there were a lack of activities. Dimeer smiled once more before continuing. "As for my purpose for being here, I am here to meet with the Head of the Sitai Household. It has been some time since we last had the chance to talk, so I am making an effort to extend cordial relations once more. It will help to know where exactly we stand with each other, and it always helps to do it over some amicable conversation and good liquor." Again, Edmund frowned. He disliked not knowing words because it reminded him how woefully limited his vocabulary still was. That his uncle had used two words he was unfamiliar with in under a chime was not a reassuring indicator. "Uncle, what does cordial mean?" "To be cordial means to be warm and friendly. As a noun, it refers to a drink, usually medicinal, which is particularly soothing and pleasant, so the reaction elicited is usually associated with comfort." His gaze shifted toward his nephew, and he saw the frustration on his nephew's face. After a chuckle, he wrapped one of his arms around Ed's shoulders and shook him gently. "You are fine, Edmund. You are only eleven after all, and to expect to know every word in use is an unrealistic standard." Though he knew uncle Dimeer was right, Edmund was not totally assuaged by the reassuring words. Nonetheless, he smiled back at his uncle, just as the sight of the Bloodflower manor came into view through the trees. At the same time, the ocean of roses of various colors rolled before Edmund's eyes, a vast collage of bright tints and hues. "Ah, the Sitai rose gardens," Dimeer remarked, drawing Edmund's attention. "The Sitai family maintains such a beautiful plot of roses that are simply pleasing to the eye in every way. The bright variety of colors, the simple sight of so many flowers, there is something for nearly everyone to admire about this place." Edmund could see what his uncle meant. This was his first time visiting Bloodflower, and hence his first time seeing its rose garden, and the sight left Edmund awestruck. His young mind could just barely comprehend such a large garden filled so densely with so many flowers. Though Blacksugar manor itself was the largest structure among the dynasties, its gardens paled in comparison to this vast field of flowers. So beautiful was the rose garden that it had enraptured both Morealis for a few chimes, before Edmund thought to look up at the manor itself. Bloodflower as a structure had its own charm as well, though for reasons completely contradictory to the rose garden's appeal. Rather than sport a wide variety of bright color, the entirety of Bloodflower manor was pure white save for the black shutters and railings. Alas, from their road they could only get a view of the side of the manor, but Edmund nonetheless got an idea of the architecture's feel, and he enjoyed it. Not as marvelous as Blacksugar, of course. "The Bloodflower estate is incredibly beautiful," Edmund told his uncle, his eyes still taking in the vast sight. "All the roses are so beautiful in all their many colors. I have seen only a small selection of these colors among the roses of our estate. It reminds me of Amarantha, and her name." This provoked a huge smile on the part of Dimeer, though his gaze had returned to the road ahead. "Yes, your sister was named for the beauty and allure of these flowers. She is a very pretty little girl already, do you not agree, Edmund? I have no doubt she will grow up to be a fine young lady, and you a fine young man." Just as Edmund was about to reply to his uncle, his eyes fell on one of the open windows of the second floor of the manor. It was still relatively distant - on the other side of the flower field - so it was difficult to see clearly, but his young and healthy eyes did manage to make out the sight of someone. More specifically, a young well-dressed girl. Too distant was she to make out any features, but she looked young, about his age or maybe closer to Amarantha's. Of course, there was no way to tell what kind of room she was in or what she was doing, but the angle of her back reminded Edmund of when he rocked back in his chair, so presumably she was bored. "Have you spied something, Edmund?" Dimeer asked, noticing his nephew's distraction. He tried to follow Edmund's gaze, but his aging eyes weren't quite good enough to make out the little face visible in the window of Bloodflower manor. For some reason, Edmund felt it best not to alert his uncle to his sighting of the girl in the window. Perhaps he did not want Dimeer to get the wrong idea, or perhaps it was because he was interested in attempting to talk to this girl without his uncle knowing. He was unsure. "Nothing, uncle Dimeer. I was just admiring the manor." It was not a lie, though it was not the whole truth either. Already he was playing the game of politics, and he was merely eleven. The next few chimes were traveled in silence aside from the occasional jolts as the carriage traveled along the uneven road. Eventually the road they were on circled around toward the front of the house, following the edge of the rose garden and joining the main road leading up to the manor. About ten chimes later they were in front of Bloodflower in all its impressive stature. The carriage pulled up to a stop right in front of its main balcony, and some Sitai slaves opened the door for the two Morealis males to step down onto the dirt. Before Edmund, a large curving staircase stood to either side of him, both leading up to the balcony an entire storey above where he currently stood. The rest of the house was as beautiful as he had suspected it to be, with its fine white columns and impressive metalwork railings. The building was not symmetrical, but again in spite of this fact the manor was oddly alluring, for reasons he could not identify. "Would you like to come in?" Dimeer asked. He had begun to follow one of the Sitai slaves up the right staircase, only to notice his nephew was not accompanying him. He had turned around to look curiously at the young Morealis boy, he was looking at the manor without entering. Edmund shook his head. "If it is alright with you, uncle, I would prefer to stay out here. It is a lovely spring day, and I would like to experience it before coming inside." Again, this was truthful in part, but it was not Edmund's primary reason for remaining outside. He still unsure why he was keeping it a secret, though a child's instinct was telling him it would be better that way. Uncle Dimeer merely smiled and nodded. "Very well, I see no harm in it. Just see to it that if you do stray far from the manor, make sure that you keep it in sight. I would hate to have to burden the Sitai household searching for you, or worse, if something happened to you that proved irreversible." Edmund beamed and bowed slightly - it might have been overly formal considering the recipient was his uncle, but he was taking every opportunity to perfect his manners. "Thank you, uncle, I understand. I will return within a bell at the latest. When are we due to depart?" "We shall see, but a bell is a good measure of time for which to return. The Sitai master and I might be unavailable at the time, since I intend to open some negotiations as well, but I am sure the Sitai servants will be more than happy to guide you to somewhere you can wait." With that, Dimeer smiled and nodded once more before turning back toward the top of the stairs and continuing to climb. Now on his own, Edmund looked around to the right of the house, where he had seen the girl earlier. He followed the contour of the staircase around to the side of the house, walking along its exterior with his eyes turned upward to the balcony. Then: "Thank you, thank you very much. You've been a brilliant audience." Edmund found his gaze drawn down to the ground level, hearing the voice come from somewhere behind the bush to the right of Bloodflower's facade. Peering curiously, Edmund took ginger steps along the greenery and looked around the bush to find the very same girl he had spied before, only on the ground and flourishing to the air. He also couldn't help but notice the massive white paint stains on the back of her radiantly red dress. "Pardon me," Edmund said tentatively, "but who are you talking to? How did you get down? And also, you seem to have..." He made gestures to the girl's back with his hand. "You appear to have some paint on the back of your dress."

[Adelaide Sitai]

Adelaide had just about decided to pass by the Kitchen to see if her kittens were being taken care of when she heard a voice behind her. Immediately, her first instinct was to imagine that she had already been caught, that some busybody adult was just about to tell her to get back into the house, back to her mathematics lesson and back to the horrendous quantity of sums which Flynn had given her to do. Her freedom had been so fleetingly short, even shorter than usual. Then she turned around and saw a boy standing there. It was the Morealis boy she had noted earlier and her face broke into a smile which then faded into a look of mild panic as she realised that he had witnessed her little fantasy, her talking to an imaginary audience. She shook her head wildly, ready to say that she hadn't been talking at all, that he had imagined it, but then he continued speaking. As Adelaide turned around to look down with horror at the back of her dress, she registered a mixture of emotions... fear of what Jafara, her stepmother, would say but, mostly, embarrassment that the boy had caught her twice in an uncomfortable situation. Talking to herself and with white paint all over her.

"You need not be so rude." she said finally, crossing her arms but flushing slightly too much for comfort, "I got down through the window, as is customary when one is locked into a schoolroom with no way out. Anyway, I might ask you what you're doing in my garden? Trespassing!"

Of course, she knew what he was doing there, knew that he was a Morealis and that he had come with his Uncle to visit her Uncle... but he didn't have to know that she knew that. Still, why wasn't he in the house with his Uncle rather than out here alone? Supposing that, like her, he couldn't bear to be inside on such a marvellous day, she raised her eyebrows and feigned the perfect expression of fright.

"Be careful - I wouldn't want Varya to catch you. She's a Myrian and, if you know anything about Myrians, then you'll know that they're super dangerous, liable to tear your throat out with their teeth first then ask questions later. It may not mean much to a trespasser, but the thought of your throat being slit does upset me a bit so..."

Adelaide realised that her voice sounded slightly too gleeful as she detailed this gross over-exaggeration, and laughed wryly as she finished, letting the untruth of her words hang in the air. After a moment, she looked slightly more closely at the boy with a small, enthusiastic smile. In truth, he seemed nice enough - maybe he'd be fun to play with, though the stiffness of his countenance potentially suggested otherwise.

Not being able to refrain a comment on this subject, she asked, "Have you swallowed a poker or something?" then, with a winsome smile, kinder and happy to see that she might just be making a new friend, "Would you like to see my cat? She's just had kittens. They're awfully sweet and it seems," she gestured to her dress, "That I'll need to find someone to wash this before Jafara sees and tells me off again or, worse, tells Father. She's already angry because I let the twins use my crayons, and didn't stop them from writing all over the walls. Come on. They're in the Kitchen. The Kittens, that is, not Jafara and Father."

She took the boy's hand and was ready to speed off, before she thought of something.

"Wait a tick."

She reached back behind her and started undoing the buttons of her dress, not noticing as one fell off and rolled into the grass. Then, she reached down and pulled the dress up over her head so that she was left standing in her white slip and petticoats.

"This way it won't get any dirtier," she indicated the dress which she was holding in a bunch in her left hand, before adding with a laugh (too loud - everyone always complained about that)"And it was really too warm to be wearing all these layers anyway."

She started skipping off towards the back of the house, then ran back to where Edmund was standing, "Come on! Afterwards, I can show you the Rose Garden properly. And, if we're lucky, the Cook will give us a try of whatever cakes or desserts she might be cooking. Yesterday, I got a whole gooseberry tart, not a big one but still..." she paused, before adding, looking up at the boy, "I'm Adelaide. What about you? What's your name?"

[Edmund Morealis]

"You need not be so rude," the young girl protested as she spun around to face him, a flush filling her cheeks as her face twisted into a frown. Had Edmund embarrassed her? It appeared so, that would be the logical explanation, though what reason she had to be embarrassed Edmund had not the faintest idea. "I got down through the window, as is customary when one is locked into a schoolroom with no way out. Anyway, I might ask you what you're doing in my garden? Trespassing!" For all her embarrassment, the girl certainly was not shy when it came to speaking her mind. Edmund's head cocked at the first comment she made, but just about as he was to ask for a further explanation she asked him rather pointedly the reason behind his presence. At this, Edmund had to raise his eyebrows. He was a guest, but perhaps he was overstepping courteous boundaries by entering the garden both uninvited and unsupervised. Yet before he could reply or attempt to defend himself, already the young girl was accusing him of trespass. Even Amarantha doesn't talk this much. "Actually, I-" "Be careful - I wouldn't want Varya to catch you." Yet again, before Edmund had the opportunity to explain himself or ask any relevant questions of his own, the young girl before him burst out into chatter. She seemed a lot less energetic from the window. "It may not mean much to a trespasser, but the thought of your throat being slit does upset me a bit so..." Sighing inwardly, Edmund tried his hardest to keep a straight face. He had hoped that his demeanor came off as mature enough to avoid such hyperbolic descriptions, though it appeared that he was incorrect yet again. Even if he naught about Myrians, such a savage slave would not be allowed on the plantation of any dynasty. Not that one could believe her anyway, not with the artifice in her voice and laugh she ended her words with. It was difficult to not show any outward signs of disappointment or weariness, but Edmund had plenty of practice unfortunately. Despite all his efforts to acting mature, he would forever be a child in the eyes of the world, it seemed. This girl clearly had no such problem, though that was not to say that he disapproved. If anything, he found it oddly endearing, her talkative demeanor and tendency to spin tall tales. Quite a lot like his sister, if he had to admit it. Edmund thought about making a reply, then realized the girl likely would not give him the chance. This time, he was right. "Have you swallowed a poker or something?" Clearly this girl was content to be a child for as long as she could. "Would you like to see my cat? She's just had kittens. They're awfully sweet and it seems that I'll need to find someone to wash this before Jafara sees and tells me off again or, worse, tells Father. She's already angry because I let the twins use my crayons, and didn't stop them from writing all over the walls. Come on. They're in the Kitchen. The Kittens, that is, not Jafara and Father." Indeed, definitely more talkative than Amarantha. Even in her movements she was busy and energetic. In the time it took for an adult to give him instructions, the girl had gone from taking his hand to removing her dress. So enthusiastic was she in her movements that one of her buttons popped off and fell into the grass as she undid them. This time, Edmund allowed himself a quiet sigh as he leaned down to pluck the button in question off the ground. He looked down at the little piece and twirled it around slowly in his fingers, playing with it while the girl struggled with the rest of her dress. In spite of his seeming impatience for the situation, Edmund was enjoying himself a rather surprising amount. This girl was much like his little sister, only far more energetic and less proper. It was endearing, to say the least, and a smile pulled at his lips as he turned to the girl, who had bunched her dress under her arm. "This way it won't get any dirtier." The girl laughed loudly and Edmund just shook his head. The logic was sound, he supposed. Though perhaps she was missing the point of running around in nothing but her slip. Skipping away, the girl quickly changed direction and came running back to him before she'd gotten more than ten paces away. "Come on!" she exclaimed, talking on and on about the Sitai garden and her cook and what she ate yesterday. It was amusing just how interesting she found the trivialities of life. "I'm Adelaide. What about you? What's your name?" It appeared introductions only came after five chimes of chatter here at the Sitai household. "Edmund Morealis," he replied, offering a slight bow and a smile. "Honored to meet you, Adelaide. Please, lead the way."

[Adelaide Sitai]

Adelaide liked the boy's way of listening to her speak and not interrupting her at every opportunity with useless chatter. However, she was also conscious that he seemed rather too stiff, too unnatural, and such a thing seemed dreadful to the young girl. There was plenty of time to be stiff and reserved when one was an adult or, better still, dead. After all, many colloquially referred to corpses as "Stiffs".

"I must declare it to be a pleasure to meet you too Edmund Morealis,"responded Adelaide, her serious face hiding her gentle teasing well enough, mimicking his tone of voice and curtsying in response to his bow, one hand twirling to the side, the other flung back slightly above her head in a gracefully arabesque - like the curtsy of a dancer who has just finished her performance, "This way, good Sir."

In spite of her teasing, she decided she rather enjoyed bowing and what it meant - people ought to do it more often. Then, quick as a whip, she sped off around towards the back of the house where there was a back entrance leading into the Kitchens. She paused a couple of times, insuring that Edward was right behind her and eager to see what his face betrayed about what he thought. She nodded towards the dynasty building.

"It's pretty isn't it? It's so balanced and white, though I know that Father doesn't like the colour. He says white is oste... osten... osten..." Adelaide gave up on the word and shrugged, "Never mind. The Kitchens are this way."

Adelaide crawled through a bush, since it was easier than trying to navigate around the garden features, then passed under a tree, pushing a branch away and out of her face. Standing up, she turned back towards the house, where there was a four steps leading to an open double door, through which the smells of warm bread, fish and baked apples were wafting. She smiled at Edmund, took his hand and started up towards the steps, before letting go in order to use her arms to propel and balance herself as she jumped double-footed up each step.

The Kitchen was a large and tastefully decorated room. The wall on which there was the large, open fireplace, and indeed the fireplace itself, was an old red brick. The other three walls and the ceiling had been painted a pastel anis green, with white shelves and counters, while there was a thick chartreuse rug on the floor and plant dotted all over the windowsills of the large windows which let a large quantity of sunlight in, making the room look warm and welcoming. Over the large fireplace, hung large, ornamental silver plates emblazoned with the Sitai crest. On a work table in the middle of the room was what looked to be a pyramid of cooking apples, a bottle of dessert wine and a whole salmon, its scales glinting slightly and its eyes still in - something which made Adelaide shudder slightly, but visibly. It was no secret that Adelaide had absolutely no problem eating everything that was put down in front of her, from giblets, organs and intestines to odd vegetables that family members would bring back from journeys, showing them off proudly to the rest of the family while they oohed and aaahed in all the right places. All apart from chocolate, which she couldn't eat without getting a rash, and anything which still had a face after being cooked. In the same spirit, an entire pork carcass was hanging from a meat hook in the corner under which there was a brass basin, collecting the blood which would otherwise have gone to waste.

"Looks like we'll be having black pudding sometime soon." remarked Adelaide gleefully.

Oddly enough, there was nobody in the kitchen, something which she was far from accustomed to. Not that it worried her.

"On a hot day like this, the house slaves and domestic staff are surely transferring the more perishable foodstuffs to one of the cooler pantries. Unless they're in there." she pointed to a wooden door to the right of the room, painted chartreuse with a brass handle, and wisely decided that it was for the best not to reveal that they probably ought not to have been in the room alone, "That's an extension to the Kitchen. Anyway, here are my kittens."

She ran over to another work table in the far left corner of the kitchen and ducked under it, beckoning Edmund over. Next to a silver bowl with all manner of leftovers, there was a shallow wooden box with "Tobacco" emblazoned in red on the side, showing that it had been repossessed for a different purpose than it had originally been intended for. In it was a silver tabby cat and four kittens sitting on a purple cushion. They were playing with a couple of wine bottle corks, pawing them between them as their mother looked on.

"This is Marjoram," said Adelaide, picking up the cat, "I've had her about two years now." The car nuzzled against her and a veil of black hair fell across Adelaide's face as she looked down to bury her nose in its silver and black fur, all making a stark contrast with the whiteness of her slip. The cat purred and Adelaide purred in return, loudly. Without a warning, she reached out and deposited the cat in Edmund's lap with a grin, "Don't worry. She's quite docile and gets along with most people. Not the twins though - they pulled her tail and she scratched them. They made a fuss about that and told Jafara who told Father who then told me to leave her in the Kitchen when I wasn't with her. And these two," she indicated two kittens, one silver tabby and one completely black, "are Crescent Moon and Mischief. Finally, the other silver tabby is Rabbit and this little one with the white socks is Lady Littleboots."

Adelaide picked up the latter and started playing with the kitten, sitting cross-legged and dangling a loose string from her dress in front of it. She smiled at Edmund, anxious to see if he was impressed or not, and inched closer to him.

"Well kind Sir," she said, returning to the tone of voice she had used earlier and bowing her head respectfully, "What dost thou think?"[/left]

[Edmund Morealis]

"I must declare it to be a pleasure to meet you too Edmund Morealis," Adelaide replied, and Edmund had to laugh despite attempts to suppress his amusement. Children would be children, after all, and though he wished to be treated as an adult there was certainly no harm in acting puerile with someone his age. It was doubtful she would care for the impression he tried to give the adults of the other dynasties, so he could loosen up a little most likely. Easier said than done. Before Edmund could get himself under control, Adelaide did a wonderfully ridiculous bow that mimicked his own, making him lose control a second time and choking out a laugh. At once he was tempted to repeat his bow but with the added hyperbolic extravagance that Adelaide had worked into her curtsy, but decided it would just drag this out. She looked ready to bolt, and he did not wish to deny her excitement. "This way, good sir." And just like that, Adelaide bounded off around the side of the massive white manor with energy that Edmund doubted he could match. So, instead of trying to, he walked at a quick but comfortable pace, careful not to fall too far behind the little ball of energy prancing ahead. It was fortunate for him that she was considerate enough to pause every once in a while so that he had the opportunity to draw nearer before hurrying onward. As he caught up with her about the fourth time, Adelaide nodded at the Bloodflower manor. "It's pretty isn't it?" Adelaide asked rhetorically, letting Edmund follow her gaze until they were both staring at the large plantation house together. "It's so balanced and white, though I know that Father doesn't like the colour. He says white is oste... osten... osten..." "Ostentatious," Edmund offered smilingly. "It means to be deliberately conspicuous in a pretentious manner. His issue is most likely that it feels too gaudy to have an entire house painted only in white." Inwardly, Edmund sighed that he was able to identify and define at least some words from an educated vocabulary. Not all those days spent in the pages of a book were in vain. "The Kitchens are this way," Adelaide said quickly before dropping to her knees - careful to carry her dress - and crawled through a bush. Edmund moved to stop her, but she had already made her way deep into the groomed hedge where he could hear her rustling the leaves and the grass. Dimeer will kill me if I dirty these clothes, Edmund thought to himself in trepidation. Still, it was not as if he could just let himself fall behind Adelaide and get lost on the Sitai property. That would be potentially even more egregious. So he crouched down to the ground, and carefully crawled his way through the hedge, walking on his hands and feet in a deliberate attempt to avoid getting dirt on the knees of his trousers. The young Morealis lad was not used to such... interaction with the natural world, so he was very careful when pushing aside the branches of the bush and then a sudden tree that he had to crawl through. For a moment, he had only the sound of Adelaide rustling through the bushes herself to guide him, and that was not a very strong directional indicator. It was under favorable circumstances and a small bit of luck that led Edmund to emerge from the underbrush where Adelaide had been waiting for him, smiling at the young visitor as he rose from his crouch. Then, without delay, she took his hand and bounded up the steps of Bloodflower manor, only to let go again once she began hopping on the small slats of wood so that she might use them to balance herself. It appeared Adelaide had a fondness for sudden and limited contact, though Edmund could not understand why. Handshakes were a sign of amicability and agreement, and he had read that holding hands was a sign of fondness. He was unsure what this was, however. They breezed through the Kitchen rather quickly, Adelaide skipping down the familiar environment and Edmund too concentrated on keeping up to really take in his surroundings. "On a hot day like this, the house slaves and domestic staff are surely transferring the more perishable foodstuffs to one of the cooler pantries," she said in nearly an offhanded manner, to which Edmund had no reply. There was no real reason to know where the Sitai kept their foodstuffs, but he would pay attention to the young girl anyway. "Anyway, here are my kittens." Then she really took off at a peel, and by the time Edmund caught up - keeping his walking gait, of course - she was already sitting down and sorting through her cats, introducing them to each. He took a seat beside her as she picked up what looked to be the biggest of the bunch. Marjoram, its name was. All of a sudden, Marjoram found her way into Edmund's lap, much to his shock. He had little experience with animals (or anything living, quite frankly), and as such he was at a bit of a loss. Not that there was anything that he really needed to do, since Marjoram just curled up in his lap like he was a temporary cushion, which he supposed he was. As he gently scratched the top of Marjoram's head, between her ears, he was introduced to all of Adelaide's other pets in quick succession. He knew better than to try to speak, as anything he said would simply be passed over or ignored outright, but he did not really have anything to say either. Just listen as he was used to, that was his only real need at the moment. Though he had only just met them, there were the eyes and faces and fur to tell them each apart. Of course, Lady Littleboots also had her socks, which helped a tad. Then there was a way that she looked at him anxiously and eagerly, scooting closer to him as he absentmindedly scratched between Marjoram's ears, that Edmund felt was both fond and oddly familiar. It was almost as if she were seeking his recognition, or at least his acknowledgement. Does she not have many friends either? "They are cute," Edmund answered, largely disregarding her humorous tone of voice. This was likely to be one of his few chances to actually speak. "I have no experience with pets whatsoever, but when I read fictionalized tales from time to time the protagonists often have pets of their own. Cats, I have read, like to be scratched on their head behind their ears, for example." He paused, devoting some of his attention to moving his gentle scratches around Marjoram's head. "Earlier you said that you were locked within the confines of a classroom. I assume you were being tutored when I saw you through the window from my uncle's carriage, though you looked terribly disinterested. Bored, even. How come you took me to meet your cats, rather than a sibling or cousin? Is there any particular reason that you chose to visit your pets over your family?" The way he spoke made Edmund seem mildly disinterested himself, when in truth it was quite to the contrary. Still, he realized he might be coming off as a bit unfriendly, so he decided to cut to the chase. "Are you lonely, Adelaide Sitai?"

[Adelaide Sitai]

Marjoram seemed to like him, something that Adelaide noted with pleasure for (to her mind) it proved that she had not been wrong about him - that he was indeed a good sort of person. Otherwise Marjoram, who was an excellent judge of character, would not have curled up so happily into his lap, pawing idly at his knee and purring contentedly as he stroked her.

"You've read that cats like to be scratched behind their ears?" asked Adelaide melodramatically, eyes widening as she placed emphasis on the second word. Then, realising that he might be offended, and in order to break any tension that her disbelief might have created, she added teasingly "I suppose you've also read that dogs bark and that sausages and bread taste nice? Or that sunflowers are yellow and trees are green."

The child's lips wrinkled into an urchin-like smile, that slowly grew wider in self-gratifying amusement at her own thoughtless words.

"You're weird. I like that! Not the reading. I read too - all the time. Just your... manner of being, so to speak."

Truth be told, Adelaide did not know many people to compare him with but he was certainly unlike herself or the twins or Zuleikha. When he asked her if she was lonely, she frowned and bit her lip, mildly affronted.

"I'm not lonely. There's Zuleikha - though she is much more devoted to her lessons than I am to mine - and Father, even if he is busy all the time, and sometimes I am allowed to play with the slaves, in a manner of speaking. Oh, and I'll see somebody from another dynasty maybe eight or nine times a season. Not that I always like them. There's one who comes regularly, perhaps every ten days, called Calisha. She's awfully spoilt and bratty, turning her nose up at everything, and last time she made a fuss because I splashed her with water. Even though water does not stain and, it being a hot day, I told her it would dry very quickly. Jafara thinks she'd be a good friend to me because she's supposed to be clever but she never says anything about anything other than herself and how clever, talented and pretty she is. And yes, she's pretty, but I wouldn't say that her brains stretch beyond repeating what she's been told. She's a beast. Her brother's alright though I don't see him as often."

Then, quite unlike she had been up until then, she turned silent and considered the question in a little more depth, burying her nose in Lady Littleboots soft pelt to hide the annoyance on her face which, she feared, would reveal too much. She was annoyed thinking about Calisha but she was also irritated by Edmund's question. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was lonely. Yes, there was Zuleikha, but they were sisters and that could be a problem in spite of the love they had for each other. Zuleikha never wanted to play anymore either. Whereas, at ten, Adelaide was still rather immature and indeed revelled in it, her elder sister had been perfectly happy to act as a grown up from the age of eight. Of course, there were the twins, but they preferred the company of each other and tended to hide away. Not to mention that Flavia could never stop herself from pointing at Adelaide's nose and giggling. There was Father, of course, and Father was great fun, but he was also very busy looking after the House and the Estate. Finally, the slave children could be fun enough but they always made sure that Adelaide would beat them at every game and win every race they started. Although Adelaide was, by nature, competitive, she liked the feeling of accomplishment that came from knowing she had beaten everyone else through the talent and skill she had cultivated rather than because she had to be looked up to and revered on principle (On merit would have been acceptable) Slaves never argued either and Adelaide enjoyed arguing... feeling that if she had a natural gift for anything then it was for winning arguments.

"I like you. I introduced you to my cats. I didn't introduce Calisha to my cats. They'd bite her anyway since they're a good judge of character." she looked back up at Edmund and smiled, "Now I have you for a friend!"

With that, she flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him energetically. Marjoram had leapt out of Edmund's lap just in time to avoid getting squashed by the little girl and, as cats always did, landed on her feet just a metre away, looking on disapprovingly before strutting off out of the Kitchen door. Not noticing the cat's departure, Adelaide looked up at Edmund, her face a mixture of good humour and smiles, all teasing but tinged with a certain admiration for the older boy who seemed so much more grown up than herself. She assumed he could only be a year or two older than herself, but he acted like he was ready to be an adult. And if that partly saddened Adelaide, she could not prevent herself from deciding that it took great strength of mind to be able to mature so very quickly. Just like Zuleikha but more serious-minded and less talkative. Were all the Morealis like that? Somehow she doubted it.

"You are a little unorthodox Edmund," she professed, failing to perceive the irony in what she was saying, "But it's always nice to meet someone who offers you a different perspective on life. Right?"

[Edmund Morealis]

Adelaide’s teasing did not offend Edmund, but he found it nonetheless exasperating that she chose to react in that manner. People often regarded his lack of worldly experiences with disbelief - who, by the age of twelve, had never petted a cat before? - and often thought that he was speaking in jest. That was not the case, and it always bothered Edmund that people were so unwilling to accept his words at face value, or - as it most likely was in Adelaide’s case - fail to understand the full implications of what they meant. "You're weird. I like that! Not the reading. I read too - all the time. Just your... manner of being, so to speak." How many times have I heard that before? Many, many times I would think, thought Edmund to himself, a gentle smile on his face. Though it was not as if Adelaide - or any dynasty child, for that matter - would have enough experience for a basis of normalcy, he was glad that at least she liked his own brand of peculiarity. Then Edmund listened to the anticipated rant prompted by his questions. It would have been foolish to assume that denial was solely an adult trait. There were a number of people listed during her tale; the first was a girl by the name of Caroline, who Edmund presumed to be Adelaide’s sister - the closely followed mention of her father reinforced that notion. Then there was a girl, Calisha, who received a rant all her own, and her brother after that. The name sounded somewhat familiar, and Edmund felt that he should have recognized it. Was she a Radacke? If he had ever met her, it likely wasn’t for any longer than a brief meeting. Regardless, the list of people Adelaide bothered mentioning was extremely limited, and though it would be possible to not feel lonely with so few people it seemed unlikely given how little time she spent on each. Calisha received the bulk of Adelaide’s focus, and it was clear Adelaide had no fondness for that girl. Then Adelaide went quiet. So he was right. "I know from experience what loneliness feels like, and thus what the symptoms are," Edmund said smilingly. "It is sometimes hard to find people who understand you, but do not worry. There are many people in the world, so I am sure someone will come along who understands you well. Just be patient, for I doubt you will be lonely much longer." "I like you. Now I have you for a friend!" Without further ado, the young girl absolutely flung herself at Edmund, forcing Marjoram to make a mad leap to escape. The Morealis boy himself had to fumble with his arms and steady himself to avoid landing on the floor, the collision pushing him back onto his hands. For once, he was at a loss as for how to proceed. "You are a little unorthodox Edmund, but it's always nice to meet someone who offers you a different perspective on life. Right?" Why am I reminded of Ammie all of a sudden? Smiling, Edmund tried sitting up a bit, in the end having to crawl out from under Adelaide a little before he was able to look level at her. "I suppose that is true for you, since none of the other children I have met have responded so... enthusiastically." He chuckled. "So what should we do with the time you have before someone notices you are missing from your lesson? I doubt we can just meander around the house without being seen, which means eventually someone will come to drag you off to your lesson." Edmund's gaze turned toward the door, where Marjoram had skittered off to. "Perhaps somewhere outside will buy us some more time? I do not have to be going for more than half a bell."

[Adelaide Sitai]

She had made him smile, even laugh! Adelaide noted this with a surge of victory, even if he had pulled away from her hug. Perhaps she did not understand what he was laughing for but she was not the type to suppose he was making fun of her. She didn't exactly understand what he meant by "other children" responding less enthusiastically either but her young mind neither felt the need nor the desire to dwell on the subject.

"Of course we could meander around the house without being seen." Adelaide jumped up and pressed her back to the Kitchen Wall, striking a dramatic pose, "Like detectives. Or mice, scurrying from one hidey hole to another." the girl giggled, "Or mouse detectives. We'd just have to think up names so as to completely embrace the part," she cleared her throat then took two steps forward before taking character. She hunched her shoulders over and her eyes squinted as she re-adjusted an invisible pair of glasses, pushing the space at the ridge of her nose, between her nose. All before saying, in a squeaky voice, "I am Detective Cheese. Together we can navigate the ancient corridors which played host to generations of the great Sitai family. I know all the best holes. From the great door under the corridor coffee table to the heavily-trodden tunnels weaving through the beams that transverse the first floor rooms. Come with me..."

Adelaide broke character and returned to Edmund with a little moue, frowning as she took a moment to think seriously about the question, "On the other hand, if we are to play, it would be better not to have to be... quiet. Not to mention that the likelihood of being carted off by Flynn to more mathematics would be high enough. He's very perceptive and clever for a non-Dynast. Let's go outside. Do you like trees? I have a tree. Well, not my tree, but I'm the only one who climbs it."

She made a move to skip off out of the Kitchen's double door then stopped herself, taking three steps back to note a large apple tart on the sideboard. Without a word, she started picking out the biggest, best apple slices, popping them into her mouth with a smile of contentment. Then, realising that the gaps would be noticeable, she started moving the apple slices accordingly to cover them up. With a puzzled look, she tilted her head to the side, wondering if the cooks would notice. Probably not. Still, she felt reasonably that she had better not stick around so, with determination, picked up two apples, slipping one each into the pockets of her white slip and ran over to Edmund to grab his hand.

"Come on. We could also play in the Rose Garden. Blind man's buff is always fun, especially if a limit is set as to the area we're allowed to move in. You can be blind first!" Adelaide said the last with large, innocent eyes that bridled with a certain glee.

With that, she practically pulled Edmund out of the Kitchen, tripping a little down the first step and only just managing to retain her balance by suddenly grabbing on to the only slightly larger boy.

"Sorry about that. I have weak ankles - it's ridiculous really. I'm also clumsy. Those two things should not mix. I am always tumbling down hills, stumbling down staircases and falling from trees. Oh, but it's all a lot of good fun."

[Edmund Morealis]

There was something about the earnest enthusiasm that radiated outward from Adelaide that drew Edmund in closer, the excess energy spilling out and making him feel active even as he did nothing but watch. It was a trait that reminded him of Amarantha, who was very similar in her demeanour. Bristling with spirit that pulled Edmund to do things other than sit and read and talk, both Amarantha and now Adelaide seemed to be pulling him off his feet. Was it a weakness to be sucked into the thrall of such ardor? Edmund did not identify it as such. "Of course we could meander around the house without being seen," said Adelaide all of a sudden, popping up and enacting out her own little dramatic fantasy, still wearing nothing but her slip. "That is... imaginative, I suppose," mused Edmund aloud. Am I supposed to play along in this little charade? Edmund wondered to himself, getting up off the floor and dusting himself down. As infectious as Adelaide's energy was, there were simply some inhibitions that he could not lower so easily on a whim. In addition, his acting skills were terrible. "Though I was quite serious about you getting caught. I do not know this house well, but logically we would have a much better chance escaping notice outside." Those words seemed to prompt Adelaide to turn around, though whether Edmund could take credit for that or the young Sitai had just come to her senses was uncertain. "On the other hand, if we are to play, it would be better not to have to be... quiet." Edmund said nothing, but smiled and nodded in agreement. Once again, he was happy to fade back into an accessory to the vigorous Adelaide, soaking in the abundant energy she radiated. Flynn was a name he did not recognize, but given the context he was Adelaide's tutor in at least mathematics, and a Freeborn by the sound of his exemption from a dynasty. He had his opinions, to be sure, but voicing them now would be like talking to the wind. Trying to affect its course alone was worse than pointless. After some final business with a tart, Adelaide saw fit to drag him outside at last, Edmund carefully metering his steps to as avoid falling behind but still managing to avoid a trot. "Come on. We could also play in the Rose Garden." The girl was incredibly excited at the notion, maybe disproportionately so, but she was also hiding from her duties of studying. If there were any exhilarating sensations for a child, there was the exhilaration of shirking responsibility. Though the glee in her eyes was mildly unsettling. "Blind man's buff is always fun, especially if a limit is set as to the area we're allowed to move in. You can be blind first!" I would rather not, but I will get the chance to tell you later. After all, what have we to use as a blindfold? Then, without warning, the smaller girl was sent tumbling down the final step out into the garden, prompting the young Morealis to wrap his arms around her to save her from falling to the ground. Fortunately, she had also thought to grab on to him, and between them she avoided a collapse. "Sorry about that. I have weak ankles - it's ridiculous really." She said it all quite nonchalantly. "I'm also clumsy. Those two things should not mix. I am always tumbling down hills, stumbling down staircases and falling from trees. Oh, but it's all a lot of good fun." "It does not sound very fun to be falling so often," Edmund said, helping right Adelaide to her feet. "Though I do suppose that it would not bother someone such as you." Since this was the first Edmund had seen of Adelaide's falls, he did not believe them to be very frequent, but nevertheless he propped the smaller girl up against his arm and helped her through the garden, sticking very deliberately to the already trodden paths and refusing to stray into the bushes. If Adelaide felt that the offer of support was unwelcome, she could free herself of his arm and he would drop it, only to continue walking decidedly forward, leading the way for the first time in their encounter. After all, he had a strong desire to see as much of the rose garden as he could, and so he would not be pulled away so easily just yet. "One thing that must be said for your estate," said Edmund, looking out at the flowers, "the colors properly overwhelm guests in the right ways. Blacksugar might have a grand expanse of a building and many gardens indeed, but they are also eclectic, which undermines slightly the grandeur of their size. Bloodflower is much simpler, and so simply overwhelming in its presentation. Though I suppose I have yet to see the interior of the estate, which may be just as eclectic as the other plantation houses." With a chuckle, Edmund realized that he was likely talking more than Adelaide was used to listening to. So he quieted down and stopped, looking over to the Sitai girl. "I do not think blind man's buff is such a good game to play out here, but I would like very much to see your tree, if you can direct us toward it." Who knows? I might even climb it. Ammie has gotten me to do stranger things.