Reunion

[Eoteb]

Summer 48, 512 “If you’ll excuse me.” “Yes. Of course.” The words caught on Eoteb’s teeth and went stiff in her jaw as she watched the West Winds woman take her leave. It had been too long since she had spoken to one of those farmers and longer since she had attended any event of theirs. In that time, her work had gone stale without another true botanist’s mind to flavor it. She had hoped to learn a thing or two, something that had not sifted through the gossip mill or that she had forgotten from her studies, but she had lost touch with the peculiar graces required in obtaining that information. Eoteb was not stupid enough to expect anything but the keenest subtlety from her fellows in nobility, but talking to these people was like treading through a bed of wild roses. Soft courtesy had been set on a pedestal above decent honesty and ambition. Humility did not suit her, much less when it was as deliberately false as these people seemed to expect. And the night was young. That woman—she had already forgotten her name—was only the second to lose interest in her unpolished peer, but Eoteb did not think she would be the last. Turning down the path like she had some equally urgent place to be, she took an eager sip of her drink and managed to finish it. Even as the refreshment reached her parched throat, she decided that the whole garden was too warm in that midsummer evening and the fires that lit it did nothing to help her mood. She was glaring absently at the nearest torch when a painfully familiar face found the corner of her eye. Eoteb cursed under her breath. She turned around again, fleeing for the cool shadows.

[Sahreni]

Although Sahreni was usually a minor fixture at these occasions, a small novelty for those mildly familiar with Sehebre's scandal, he could never quite keep himself from feeling severely out-of-place. It may have been less his ignoble origins and more that Iseret enjoyed making herself the centerpiece of many West Winds events. Whenever she had the spotlight, her bastard step-son would naturally be in her way, no matter how he tried to stay out of it. It didn't really bother him. There were worse things. At least he was invited. He sipped from his glass quietly, leaned upon the side of a stone fountain. He had strategically placed himself nearer to the musical performers. The deep hum of a cello effectively drowned out most of the conversations nearby, granting him a measure of peace in his own private corner of the party. Occasionally he did have the boldness to be outgoing and polite, but most nights—including this one—he simply had little patience for the frivolous concerns of high society. He'd either let it come to him, and sometimes it did, or he'd resign himself to silence and do little more than exchange smiles and greetings with passing guests. Tonight was proceeding no differently from most others of its kind, and expecting no surprises, Sahreni was already on his third glass of wine. It was halfway gone when he crossed eyes with a face that had scarcely changed in all the years since he'd last seen it. Aha. It's you. That wasn't so much the surprise. What was, was seeing her quickly remove herself from his sight as if she'd done something wrong. Sahreni narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. This wasn't like her at all. Reluctantly, Sahreni abandoned his peaceful stake near the cellist and proceeded to cross the garden. The wine in his hand helped to remind him that he had no idea what he was going to say to her, once he found her, but the reason in his mind told him that it would be a mistake to let this matter stay unresolved. If she was going to be avoiding him for whatever reason, new rumors might spread. Ones he couldn't afford. Sahreni turned around a hedge, identifying Eoteb's familiar shape beneath the torchlit shadows of the red canvas overhang. He allowed the sound of his footsteps scraping upon the sandstone to hail his approach, followed by a cursory silence as the moment absorbed the both of them. "If you're looking for more refreshments, I'm certain the servants can help you." Sahreni neatly folded one arm behind his back, while the other held his glass. His poise was perfect, but the look in his eyes was not. Alcohol had diminished his ability to polish his veneer. His eyes were cold, instead of cordial. He wasn't smiling. Instead of floundering for the perfect words, Sahreni defaulted to his usual automation. It ended up sounding more mechanical than warm. "Hello, Eoteb. You look well. I'm pleased to see you accepted the invitation to Iseret's gathering. Are you enjoying your stay at the Villa?"

[Eoteb]

Eoteb pivoted as soon as she heard him. Her eyebrows rose in candid exasperation, a spark of truth that was immediately snuffed by a gracious smile. While most could mistake the slip for poor conduct, others might recognize it as a glimpse of respect. It was gone as soon as it came. “Yes,” she lied. “Iseret has always been a delightful hostess. I could not refuse.” In fact, she had refused more than one of the woman’s invitations in seasons recent, as well as those from other corners of the city. Eoteb was only a dependable face in her own house, where she had since decided that sophistication and conviction both were honored properly. Only as she saw Sahreni’s face, svelte and cold and beautiful in the half-light, did Eoteb realize that this first reappearance at the Villa might be seen as more than a coincidence. An embarrassed tongue leaned against the back of her teeth. Her eyes met his. “The music is lovely,” she mentioned, without otherwise acknowledging the band. She passed her empty glass to an inconspicuous lower hand, unwilling to part from the conversation in order to fill it again. “And always a little lovelier after a few drinks. I never did appreciate strings until I met you.” Something like familiarity edged on her voice, but ultimately her tone followed his flat-lipped lead. As she realized her own foolishness, her attention dipped to scrutinize his attire. It was habit, or so was her excuse, among women of her rank and alliance. She lingered a moment too long on the alien lack of arms at his side, but then her gaze settled just below his right ear. “How have you been?”

[Sahreni]

How have you been. It was such an innocuous question, but Sahreni found himself suppressing an inflammatory response. He shifted visibly and glanced to the left, at the wall of the Villa, rather than the party off to the right. Ah yes, the strings. A favorite of Sahreni's mother, and so it was his as well. He was surprised she remembered. Eoteb's presence still had an effect on him, and he didn't like it. It threatened to dishevel his carefully collected composure. Never in his adulthood had Sahreni come undone in a public setting, over anger, or love, or any fruitless passion. Seeing her laid open wounds he once thought closed, forcing him to remember familiar aches that he knew could not be easily soothed. The lilt in her voice had not changed. Not so long ago, it once whispered in his ear. Asked him what he liked. For a moment, Sahreni nearly considered honesty. How have I been since you ripped the heart out of my chest? How dare you ask me that with a straight face? He drew in a careful breath as he lifted his head to face her again. "Quite well. I have been working more often with my uncle at the distillery. It is often busy work, but it's honest." It was best to keep this tête-à-tête professional and impersonal. The history between he and Eoteb was irrelevant, even if she made subtle allusions to the contrary. Where she found her taste in music mattered about as much as who had chosen her ensemble for the evening. Or who had chosen to paint her eyes so colorfully. Sahreni leaned his head back and finished off the other half his wine in a single go. "You haven't aged a day since I last saw you. Have you been faring well in your work? Medicines, wasn't it?" Among other things, he recalled.

[Eoteb]

For a moment Eoteb thought things might be a little like they were. Not the same; she was not an idiot, but she had hoped that, having approached her, Sahreni might be the only one in this place with something worthwhile to say. If he was, then he had buried it as deep as the rest of his family did. Perhaps she did not deserve any more than that. “Ah, busy. Yes.” As much as she hated it, she could not help but feel a little thrill between the social pangs that haunted her this night. She could have left hours ago, but she had not. She could have been honest with him too, but she had not. “Everyone keeps it how they can.” The words were even emptier when spoken to this man, for whom Eoteb had often forsaken much of her eypharian diligence. His absence had left her more studious, if not less entertained. Their separation was a necessary evil, her cruelty an insurance policy. It was easy to forgive oneself for lies uttered in a distant past and so Eoteb remembered more the genuine happinesses of days before their last. She had hoped he might do the same, but she saw now that she was not forgiven. She fashioned a perfunctory smile at the compliment. “Thank you. My work keeps me busy as well. Rosshe is bedridden nowadays, but she still reads. If only I could make tonics that tasted like your brews, perhaps she might take them as often as she should.” What was meant to be a laugh emerged a short sigh. “What of your family? I trust your uncle is well, and your father?” The absence of the true mother in the inquiry gaped in the short silence between them, but for all her hypocrisies Eoteb would not be the one to mention her, not after what she had said so many nights ago.

[Sahreni]

"My father is fine," Sahreni answered without ceremony. He examined his wineglass, as if it now offended him by being empty. If he looked perturbed, it was because it had been troubling to hear about the diminishing condition of Eoteb's sister. Years ago there had been more hope for her, but now the inexorability of her fate had been expressed in one deceptively bland word: "bedridden". How long could she possibly have left if she couldn't even walk? He glanced upward at the crowd, like he'd just remembered they were there, and made a gesture toward one of the servers. Sahreni swiveled his head back to Eoteb, but appeared to focus his eyes on her feet. "Your sister is a sweet girl." Perhaps he was implying that Eoteb was not. "It pains me to hear her condition has worsened. I should visit her, some time, and give her something nice." It felt silly to still be angry at the past when he knew that some people had real problems, but he suspected a ploy on Eoteb's part. Still having intimate knowledge of what ruthlessness she was capable of, Sahreni suspected she was not above using her sister as a way to manipulate his emotions. She might have been trying to rob him of his license to be angry. He hoped Rosshe had not suffered any as a result of Sahreni and Eoteb splitting apart. During his visits to the East Winds Palace, his presence had been kept relatively low key by necessity. She probably didn't miss him. Sahreni sighed, watching as his newly arrived server refilled his glass. Sahreni and Eoteb. There was a time when those two names fitted together with the same grace and surety as Syna and Leth. Youth makes fools of us all, so his father often said. "My brother, Nascht," Sahreni's word choice implicated that Eoteb required clarification on who Nascht was, "is approaching marrying age, and is letting everyone know it. Lately he has become taken by an actress from the North Winds House, though he is loath to admit it." He sipped his wine again, his fourth glass now, and straightened his posture as though it refreshed him. "I'm rather surprised to hear that someone as striking and elegant as yourself is still without a suitor."

[Scarab]

Congratulations! Sahreni Skills Points Lore Rhetoric 2 XP Eoteb: Former Lover Observation 2 XP Eoteb: A Painful Past Investigation 1 XP Eoteb: Ruthless Heartbreaker Politics 1 XP Rosshe: Bedridden Acting 1 XP Exercising Self-Restraint When Antagonized Using Rhetoric To Mask True Feelings Items and Consequences : None. Eoteb Skills Points Lore Rhetoric 2 XP Sahreni: Former Lover Observation 1 XP Sahreni: A Painful Past Politics 1 XP Sahreni: Does Not Forgive Easily Acting 1 XP Nascht: Sahreni's Brother Nascht: Looking For A Wife Nascht: Attracted To An Actress From The North Winds Using Rhetoric To Mask True Feelings Items and Consequences : None. Scarab's Notes I'm so sorry that this was cut short! It was an absolutely beautiful read. The back-and-forth between the two ex-lovers was excellently portrayed, and Sahreni and Eoteb's relationship has me completely intrigued. If Eoteb comes back and the two of you decide to continue this thread, I would be more than happy to re-grade. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me.