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 Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 5:28 pm
The grand ballroom was alive with music and a large press of people gathered to celebrate the birthday of some Earl or another's daughter. The glitter of gilt ceilings and gaudily carved woodwork no more impressed Anna than the jewel-toned gowns and waistcoats of the guests, but she did appreciate the elegance of the music and the quality of the food. It was all so very different from her homeland, and yet so very much the same, and she pondered this as she danced and made small talk with her current partner.
Ultimately, Anna decided that the surface details which had at first seemed to make this land seem so foreign and unknown were not really so very important. The spirit was much the same. Perhaps there was no fearful undercurrent of civil strife, but the elite were still wearing their smiling masks as they danced and doted and made small talk that meant nothing and everything. There was still subterfuge and back-stabbing, gossip and melodrama. There were still treaties to be signed, favors to be traded, and alliances to be made and broken. This was still the same world she had grown up in, even if in another country. She found it oddly comforting.
The song drew to a close and she skillfully begged off her partner's request for another dance. Instead, the young woman made her way over off of the dance floor, intent on procuring a drink to sooth her parched throat.
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Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 6:06 am
The polite chatter, the music, the dances. It was a scene that all noblemen knew intimately and one in which they had all partaken countless times no matter how young or old they were, and one that most accepted or even enjoyed as an integral part of their extravagant lifestyles. Most certainly, it was difficult to imagine a party without a banquet and men and women dressed to the nines and dancing to the tunes some distinguished chamber orchestra or other.
It was a familiar refrain, but a welcome one nonetheless. Most days, Andrus preferred a mindless ball to the dark gloom of Darrowdown at night. The vast property of his mother's family had enough room to house ten times the number that currently inhabited it, but apart from the servants, nobody remained on the grounds but Andrus and his mother. The house had become less of a home after his father had taken Andrus' younger brother away years ago, growing darker with each passing year to accommodate his mother's ever darkening spirits.
"If you are looking for something to make this party more enjoyable, I would highly recommend the wine." It was fine banquet, but it lacked any real sort of spark, and Anna was not the only one seeking refreshment. "My lady," he added, lifting the glass he had in hand toward her and taking a sip. It would not be prudent to find out now what sort of a drunk he made when he had company, but a dull buzz would not be the worst thing in the world. He was almost a better dancer when there was a little wine to loosen his limbs.
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 7:24 pm
It did not come as any surprise to be greeted yet again. In part, people went to the table for refreshment, in part to avoid dancing, but mostly it ended up being the center of conversation of all types. Anna was still relatively new in Sunderland's society. This worked both for and against her. Sometimes, she was ignored as no one of any consequence and other times, she was treated like a novelty - something new to be played with for a time. Of course, she gave as good as she got, which not everyone appreciated and which those of duller wit might not notice for a day or three...if ever.
Still, it was not so bad as all that. It was usually better to converse than to languish against a wall for the duration of a party. One could meet the most amusing of people. Anna looked at the young man and found him to be unfamiliar. Not particularly surprising, but it was still nice to see familiar faces now and again.
"My lord," she acknowledged with a slight nod, her Belastranan accent still rather marked. Then, she proceeded to select a juice instead. Anna did enjoy a bit of wine now and again, but of late it was not the most settling of choices. It tended to play havoc with her recently strengthening abilities, and the last thing she needed was to make them any worse than they already were. Oh, no. They managed to make more than enough trouble for her on their own, thank you very much.
"You do not find the party diverting?" she wondered, as much to be polite as to distract herself from her present line of thought.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:54 am
Her accent spoke of foreign blood, somewhere north or east or both of Sunderland, he decided. It mattered little, though it might make for interesting conversation; nobility was nobility no matter where it was from, and he had found that they were all more alike than they were different. And conversation in any country was still conversation. He did not need to know the intricate details of her life, nor she his, for their more intimate contact to make a difference in this otherwise impersonal party.
Truth be told, Andrus himself was not quite sure whose party it was or for whom it had been held in the first place. After all, this was what the upper class thrived on at the heart of it all: wine, dance, and mindless mingling. Networking was the key and always would be in a world where wealth dominated over merit.
"Diverting?" Andrus echoed, sipping his wine and savoring the blend of fruit and wood that rolled across his tongue. "Heavens, no, my lady." He allowed himself a laugh. As far as parties went, this one was almost dull enough to lull a guard dog to sleep. "But I'm vastly more entertained now than I was before you appeared at this table."
It was harmless flirting and something that seemed almost programmed into his interactions. Flattery, he had been taught all his life, was the key to earning people's trust and friendship and flattery came as easily to him as the smile that so many had called perfectly charming before. It had yet to land him in any real trouble.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Ah, another flirt. Not uncommon in the least, especially amongst the young elite. Flirtation was just another form of manipulation and negotiation, albeit considerably more enjoyable than most others. Of course, there were different levels, and this was amongst the mildest of those. Really, there was no harm in it. Besides, at least this one was handsome.
Anna smiled slightly. "You flatter me, sir," she demurred. "But I must confess, it is not as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be, either. Perhaps we may keep each other from expiring of boredom." She tilted her head slightly and lightly tapped her folded fan against her chin. "Though if we are to help each other, I believe I must know to whom I am speaking."
She did not recognize the man by sight, but perhaps she had heard of him. Any hint was an advantage in society, and she did not yet know if this man was a friend or a foe.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 8:38 pm
More than once, his mother had demanded why he continued to attend parties and flatter all the right people if he never intended to take any one of them for a wife. Societal expectations, he always said with a vague shake of his head, to which his mother always demanded why he thought fit to fulfill half of society's expectations if he didn't intend on fulfilling the other half with a promising marriage. Andrus didn't know how to respond to that. There was no way to cite his mother's own loveless marriage as a source of discouragement without hurting her in a way that she never deserved to be hurt; not by him, anyway.
"Only giving a lady her due," he said. As automatic as his praises might be, he did believe women deserved to be complimented and respected. Society would be sorely lacking without them, after all. "An excellent proposition, my lady," he declared, very much pleased by the prospect. An ally in these matters went a long way to keeping one sane when the party was not... hopping, as it were. Andrus was anything but disillusioned with their world of extravagance, and he knew well enough that success and party were two words that could be used together; there was always the risk of going to a dull affair, though, nobody could deny that.
"Andrus Kinross, if it please my lady, of Darrowdown Manor." Darrowdown had been home to his mother's family for generations, but the Regents had fallen to financial troubles long before Andrus had been born.
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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2012 5:42 pm
The name did not mean much to her, but in her defense, Anna was still learning the who's who of Sunderland. The Kinross family was not one of those that she had heard any gossip about as of yet. Perhaps they were a minor family? Or perhaps they were not often in town? Well, guessing would get her nowhere. She supposed she would simply have to figure it out as she went along.
"Anna Petrova. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kinross."
Anna had to admit, though she was not a particularly shy or recluse woman, and she could easily stand on her own two feet, she dearly missed her brother in such social functions. She knew he was often busy these days, now that they were in this country and their status was very unclear and he had his guardian to tend to and his research to keep him occupied, but still. It would all be so very much easier to face if her twin were with her. He might not be a social butterfly, as such, but he had his own charm and his mere presence was enough to balance her. If he could not be with her all of the time, then she was at least glad that she could meet people such as Andrus. Though he doubtless had his own agenda for the evening, at least he was courteous and pleasant to talk to.
"I confess that I have not attended many parties since arriving here, but I do wonder that I have not seen you before," she mused. "Surely I would have remembered you."
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:00 pm
"The pleasure is mine, my lady," he answered. That Anna had yet to hear any gossip about his family could have counted as a victory; the very reason his father had returned to his childhood home had been to take Jordun out of the public eye and shield the family from the rumors that might have arisen. Oban Kinross had trusted his wife and eldest son to keep the family name in the good graces of the upper class, and Andrus liked to think that he had succeeded. Then again, when it came to functioning within the confines of the myriad unspoken rules of the nobility, Andrus was good at what he did.
He couldn't help but think that if Jordun would likely have accidentally knocked over an age-old suit of armor by now, or at least spilled wine down some poor lady's gown. His brother was not the most graceful of men, nor the most adept at handling social situations, and crowds had a curious habit of bringing out the worst in him. But that, at least, was what made Jordun who he was and Andrus quite loved his brother for that.
"Ill luck, perhaps," Andrus ventured a guess. "We must have been at all the wrong parties. A grievous mistake that has now been rectified. I feel quite lucky."
He turned to the table to find himself a new drink. "If you don't mind, might I ask where you are from, my lady?" He added. "Your accent is quite lovely."
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:50 pm
"Yes," she agreed. "I suppose it must have been." After all, there were so many parties here in the capitol, one could hardly attend them all. Not even if one were an avid socialite. As of late, Anna had been anything but social. However, that was beginning to to turn around and soon she would surely know the Sunderlandian court as well as she had known the Belastranan. After all, she was already making new acquaintances.
Anna's fan fluttered daintily about in a manner suggesting humility at a compliment. "From my perspective, it is your accent that is interesting," she demurred. However, she deigned to answer him anyway. After all, her country of origin was hardly a state secret, and she doubted that her accent was truly that difficult to place, anyway. "I am from Belastrana, you see. Very different from here, but perhaps not so different at all."
Of course, Sunderland was not suffering from political turmoil, but that much was obvious without pointing it out. Besides, it was hardly a suitable topic for a party.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:43 am
"We must then simply agree to find each other fascinating," Andrus proposed with a light laugh. It was understandable of course; if he ever found himself in Belastrana, he would be just as intrigued by its people, customs and traditions. As Anna said, it was very different. Of course, nobility in all countries had some similarities, and Andrus didn't doubt that at the heart of the matter, they were all based upon the same principles.
"I have only ever read about Belastrana," he admitted. As a boy, his tutors had made sure to give him plenty of material on other countries. There would come a point, they had argued, when his knowledge of foreign politics would come of use and knowing it would undoubtedly give him some sort of edge. What exactly that edge was, none of them had been able to articulate. But young Andrus had read the books anyway; they represented homework, nothing more, and he had dutiful read anything and everything his tutors presented to him. They had often remarked that his attitude was nothing like his brother's; Jordun read enthusiastically and seemed able to find a personal stake in almost everything he read. But at least Andrus had still gotten the job done.
"It is awfully cold there, I hear," he added. Sunderland was slipping into what many thought would be one of the harshest winters in recent memory, but it must be less impressive to someone who hailed from the cold reaches of Belastrana. "I must say, I would not be adverse to the prospect of visiting one day." The traveling he had done in his life was limited. Leaving Darrowdown for extended amounts of time had become all but impossible since his father had taken Jordun back to Ennisfree five years ago, and even before, their family had not been one to travel. It was simply more trouble than his father believed it was worth.
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 6:34 pm
"It seems so," she agreed. Such frippery, really. Anna was just as capable of casual flirtation as the next noblewoman, but still. Sometimes, she wondered at the ridiculousness of it all. However, it served its purpose, so she was not going to complain over much.
"Now, that is a shame," she said. There may be some who only had ill feelings for her homeland, or who were more focused on its problems than its blessings, but Anna was not one of these people. Instead, she genuinely loved her country and its people and its harsh beauty, no matter how unforgiving it could be. She took fierce pride in it.
"The winters are nothing to laugh at, I suppose," she mused. "But even that is beautiful in its own way. And it is more climate in the summer. I think visiting would be worth your while, no matter the season."
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:36 pm
Andrus had limited experiences with which to compare Belastrana's seasons. Anna was not wrong; it certainly was a shame that the family had not traveled more when he and Jordun were younger, there entire family perhaps, though Andrus knew as soon as the thought crossed his mind that it was a foolish one at best. His father had always been the type of husband who would have walked the length of Sunderland to avoid the awkward company of his wife, and to think that they might have spent any extended amount of time together in the stifling confines of a carriage... Andrus almost laughed aloud at that, though the laugh would have been bitter.
And now he and Jordun were grown men both, and he had duties to fulfill here in Palisade.
"Is it much worse than this awful winter blowing down from the north?" It promised to be as cold and harsh a season as Andrus had ever known, and it was taxing to think there might be places even colder and more ruthless than this. How exactly did one survive the days to make his way back to a warm bed and a toasty fire besides? "The rumor going around is that it's so terrible it's blown the Wolves back into the country." An interesting thought at that, much one with no more importance than old children's tales, he supposed.
"I will make sure to visit one day," he agreed. "Perhaps bring my mother, show her what the country is like." But that, he knew, was likely an empty promise.
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Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:56 pm
Anna seemed terribly amused at his question. "I think it very quaint, what passes for a bad winter in this country," she confided, her smile clear in her voice.
The men of Belastrana seemed to revel in the challenge of their winters, as though he who appeared least affected was the strongest. Though the peasants took a different approach. They boasted of their hardships to any who would listen, as though proud of their difficulties. See? they seemed to ask. See what I have been through? Yet here I stand before you, none the worse for wear. Who but a Belastranan could endure what I have endured?
It was a strange thing, this perverse pride, and not something easily explained. But it was something Anna understood well enough, for she shared in it.
"But perhaps you are right about this winter," she conceded. "Strong or not so strong, it does seem to be cruel, yes? I would not be surprised if the wolves truly had fled south."
Though her last sentence was said lightly, there was a curious ring of conviction beneath the surface that one might miss if one were not listening for it. Anna often dreamed, and those dreams were littered with visions of fang and fur and blood. Great beasts as large as horses stalking entire villages in the night.
Another smile dismissed the brooding thoughts. "I am certain that your mother would thank you for it. You must be certain to visit Ledograd. There is no city to rival it."
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:35 am
"In that case, you seem singularly suited for life in Palisade," Andrus said in response. "While every other lady is shivering by her fire, you can be out and about taking advantage of the cold." In a society in which every social event unattended was an opportunity lost, that certainly seemed a useful skill. In several weeks, the new year would renew the vigor many a young lady's efforts to locate a suitable husband and no doubt many of them would envy Anna's comfort in the cold that would keep many from leaving the warmth of their homes.
"Cruel, indeed," he agreed. The rich did not receive much news about the commonfolk in the towns and the countryside, but sometimes Andrus found himself wondering how many lives the winter had already claimed and how many more would follow. It was not something he could hope to know, however; nor was it something he was expected to concern himself with. Better he keep to his business and the commonfolk to theirs. That was the way his world worked. "I suppose it is the suddenness of it all. Nobody was quite prepared for this."
But soon enough, his thoughts turned to Ledograd and the visit that was unlikely to occur. There were duties to be upheld here in Palisade, and if nothing else, Darrowdown needed a lord. "I don't imagine she would," he added, amusement dancing in his pale eyes. "She is not fond of the cold."
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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 5:34 pm
At that most unusual compliment, Anna could not help but laugh aloud. "Surely you cannot mean that all of the ladies sequester themselves away every winter!" Did these Sunderlanders truly dread a little snow so much that they hid from it like hibernating bears? Oh, that would be too much. "What of ice skating? Sleigh rides? Do you not have ice sculptures here?"
Surely there was something that could tempt them out of doors. Anna herself had always been particularly fond of the ice sculpture displays that were done every midwinter. The best sculptors could make entire castles of ice and snow. It was particularly stunning in the evening, when torches lent it an almost fae atmosphere. Yes, Anna would be most disappointed if there was no winter art here. Perhaps if there was not, then she could organize something for these silly Sunderlanders to tempt them out of hiding. Surely an appreciation of winter could be taught to at least a few ignorant students.
"Such a pity," she added, thinking of his mother. "It is a sight to behold."
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