Thedor 44, 229: Pre-Wedding Visit

Pre-Wedding Visit
Summary: Just hours before the wedding, Ronan and Nimue visit and information is both sought and given.
OOC Date: 13/2/2014
Related: TBA
Players:
Nimue Ronan 
Trueborn - West Tower
This first floor of the West Tower has been converted into a sitting room. The parlor is decently appointed for comfort with good seating, a brazier for warmth in winter but no fireplace, and a small table for taking a meal or tea with others. There is a case with books and scrolls, a desk with inkwell and quill, a small cabinet housing flagons of wine, cups, makings for tea. There are no window slits on this floor so the room must be lit from within by candles or sconces but it makes for a welcome gathering place when the weather is not so pleasant outside.

A stone staircase spirals around up to the next floor above.

44 Thedor, 229

Housing for guests is at a premium at the castle, what with the keep burned down to shell and under reconstruction. Temporary rooms have been arranged in the several towers. The rooms normally used by the Duke are currently given over to the Princess Roslin and her servants, and most of the rest of the towers to her royal family with little room to spare, cramped. Ronan himself is staying in a small servant's quarters for lack of space but they serve his needs for a few more days.

The base of this tower has been arranged into s small parlour where guests or household may mingle. Wine and tea are set out and a servant who is not Rosley arrives to attend to his Duke. Kierne takes Ronan's armour on up to the second floor in preparation for dressing the Rioga for his wedding while Ronan himself offers Nimue a chair. He's been on his feet or kneeling all the night through for his vigil so Ronan is glad to sit down and rest a moment. To the servant he says, "Bring me something to break my fast. Light meat, bread, cheese, fruit… and whatever the lady desires." The man will pour wine or tea for each of them first, then bow and head out to see that trays are prepared.

The Lady has followed along quietly, making conversation whenever spoken to but is clearly thinking and is not exactly the easiest to engage outside of that. She can only hope it will not be thought of as rudeness on her part. Once arrived at the keep itself she finds herself frowning, not yet having come to look around and therefore not having seen the damage to the building.

Once in the parlor she finds herself able to relax now and she first addresses her own men, bidding them stay outside since they're not needed for now, and all but one of maidens are dismissed to see to whatever will be needed for the wedding and following reception. That done, she sits down. "I will be fine with whatever the Duke desires for a meal, thank you," she murmurs, accepting tea for her drink. "I thank you for allowing me your time, Your Grace."

Nimue is given her choice of teas, or white or red Sutherland wine. For himself the Duke has a glass of the white wine since the red is strong and Ronan has eaten nothing since the day before. He sips of it lightly and watches Nimue, "I always try to make time when it is requested of me, as I have it to spare. What is it that you would ask of me, Lady Forrester? If it is reasonably within my power to grant or assist, I will try to do so if I have no moral objection."

The tea Nimue chooses for herself is a sweet fruit tea, left alone save for a drop of honey added for a bit more sweetness. The first sip is relished and she can not help but to smile, seemingly content with it. The cup is held on her lap when the conversation begins, held delicately by its handle. "I do not think this should be anything that you might find cause to object to, morally or otherwise. I merely want to ask you about your Uncle Aidan. Ask you what kind of man you believe him to be, see if you might be able to give me ideas as to what he might find to be interesting." In other words, Ronan is being asked to gossip about Aidan. Not that men gossip, of course.

The question surprises him. Ronan lifts a dark brow, amusement coming into his dark eyes as he lowers his wine to study her. "I see." He smiles, "I see little of him, my Uncle, but he seems a good, solid man. He and I have much in common, it seems. We both take our duties very seriously, and value family. I believe we are both passionate, honorable men. Only he is older and wiser of the world than I, even though we both have something of a temper, Lady Nimue." Nooo! Ronan have a temper? Piff. Aidan? Double piff! He /must/ be joking. Well, no.

This younger Duke's mouth curls almost imperceptibly at the corners, "Do I surmise correctly that perhaps … you might have a fondness for my Uncle, my lady? He was married to my beloved Aunt for a number of years and they adored one another. I can tell you he treated her very well and she was a strong willed woman. He did not smother her, nor cage her. Indeed, she and he are more my personal role models than any other besides my own mother and father, for what a marriage should be. Strong and balanced, supporting one another and sharing of the burdens of the Duke."

A pause to taste his wine before Ronan asks, "Or is it my cousin, his son Hadrian you might really prefer to inquire after?" You know women, sometimes they like to come at something by angles instead of directly. Ronan is a rather direct man.

The Lady senses Ronan's surprise and can't help but to smile. For as proper of a noblewoman Nimue is she finds it pleasing to be able to do such to a man, especially one such as Ronan. "I see. A sense of duty and values family. Very important traits and those I also try to uphold." Her cup lifts and is drank from again, hiding her soft smile and the way she blushes slightly, now. "Tempers are to be expected," she muses to herself as well as to her host, "and hardly a trait I can fault anyone for as long as the temper is not used to belittle or abuse." That is something she feels strongly about and for a moment her face tenses when she remembers how such can be used to harm.

The Duke's response continues and she blinks once, the blush going very hot when he puts a finger on the point, her eyes lowering as she suddenly finds it difficult to look him in the eye. "No, Your Grace, it is your uncle I am inquiring about." So she was being direct when asking Ronan about Aidan. "I am fond of him, yes, and I do believe that is something mutual but I dare not speak for him. I just…" And this is where things become difficult for her. Speak too boldly and she might wind up with her foot in her mouth but if she does not speak boldly enough her intentions might go unvoiced all together. "I know he loves your aunt, Ronan. Even to this day he speaks of her with nothing but love for her and holds her in nothing but the highest regards. And I do not wish to replace her in his heart in any way. But I have come to care for him, I will not lie." It is almost as if she is asking for his permission to allow Aidan to court her, if it ever comes to that point where he might seek to.

Ronan only smiles at what she confesses and leans further back into his seat to rest and take his wine as he regards her. There is a silence for a time before he lowers his cup, "I wish nothing more than to see my Uncle marry again, Lady. A passionate man needs something to love, and ideally something to love him back. To give him a reason to live when he ails, or in his case, grows older. Especially when he has disappointment in his son, my cousin Hadrian. Whom may not be a good match for you, as his father would be. I do not know my cousin well, mind you, mostly what others tell me. Which is entirely unfair to Hadrian perhaps. Nonetheless, my Uncle Aidan is an alley unto me, and in these days, a father to whom I can go to when I find myself crushed by troubles of the world. Being a Duke is not an easy thing, a heavy weight. One I never wanted, but one he has been helpful to guide me in."

A slow breath drawn in while he considers, "It is more your brother's place to come to speak of such things than yours, so you surprise me. Yet I shall not chastise you for it, Lady Nimue. My Uncle is a fine man and would never use a woman ill, be she not of poisoned heart. Your heart is certainly a good one that might well help heal the hurts of his own. I do not believe he is a man who can only ever love one woman and her alone. I would favor such a match, though I shall have no say in it."

"I can see a deep sadness in your uncle. One I do not expect to fully remove him of. But if I can perhaps be there for him when, like you say, he becomes old or ailing or when the sadness creeps up onto him, then I feel my duties as a woman would be fulfilled, would they not?" Not to mention how she desires to be a source of happiness to Aidan but that much should be obvious by now thanks to what she has said so far. Nimue looks back up and regards Ronan now, no longer blushing but still slightly wary.

As she is reminded that this truly is not her place she presses her lips tightly together, brows knitting as she thinks. "You are right. This is something better discussed by Harmon as this is not what a proper Lady does. But I had hoped that you could give me some insight into the man I am still learning about, Your Grace." Ronan has no desire to reprimand her, however, and that puts her at ease. "I do thank you for your honesty even though I do overstep my boundaries, Ronan. Such is truly appreciated by me. If there is ever a way I can repay you for your kindness and willingness to be open with me when such conversations with a woman are not common, please let me know."

"Not at all, you are fine. It is our custom to have another make such arrangements and I have had to do my own when … frankly, I would have preferred by far to have let my brother arrange my marriage, or my father, had I that choice. As I did not, I had to deal with it myself. I've done the best I could and I can not say I'm not pleased, for I am. Though, I do wonder if I might yet have done better for /Mobrin/ with the Kundari alliance." The Duke shrugs, "Nonetheless, I can understand your desire to … seek information, to find out what you might be getting into once you /do/ ask your brother to request negotiations. I think you should, Lady Nimue. I think you would be good for my Uncle."

The servant returns with a tray and another server behind him with something for the lady. Snacks really, something to get Ronan through the coming ceremony in good order that he may focus upon it rather than be hollow of stomach. "Thank you, Luxtiv." The man refills Ronan's glass of wine as well, and offers to refill Nimue's tea ere they will withdraw.

"I am pleased you feel able to come to me to ask of my Uncle. He is a man who truly has my respect, and I can not say that of a great many men, Lady Forrester."

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