(1310-12-05) A Chance Meeting
Summary: A chance meeting between Rajiya and Etienne at the Leaping Fish Inn.
RL Date: December 5, 2018
Related: None
etienne rajiya 

Leaping Fish Inn - Market Promenade

The Main Room of the Leaping Fish is tidy and well-kept - and warmed by a fire in the hearth to one side on colder days and evenings. An old tapestry depicting a pair of two leaping fish is adorning the opposite wall - a reference to both the ruling House of Mereliot and the name of the inn. The common room has five tables of sturdy oak with chairs and benches, between which two serving maids move to take orders or bring food and beverages. The air is filled with tasty smells of freshly cooked meals, and murmurs of conversation - and occasionally even melodies rippling through the room, when a lute player is around to provide entertainment. The fare is of good quality that even would not disappoint noble tastes.

There are stairs leading upstairs towards a number of comfortable and well kept rooms the inn has to offer.

When looking out of the windows, you see: It is a fall night. The weather is cool and clear.


Etienne arrives, a rather stunned and thoughtful look on his face. He is in his very best green and black tunic with matching hose and boots. His hair has partially escaped from the confines of it's ribbon, to hang in long black curls arround his face. He orders a simple fish dinner and ale and peers around the moderately crowded room for a good place to sit.

Seated at a corner table is Rajiya, the young princess alone except for a female guard in black that stands nearby. There's a plate that has just recently been delivered on the table before her, the selection studied carefully before a bite is taken of the flakey grilled fish. A passing look of pleasure might be spied, the entree found acceptable.

Etienne walks over and bows deeply, with a characteristic simple grace. Head still lowered, "I am Lord Etienne D'Arguil. We met briefly, once. May I beg the honor of eating with you on this fine evening.

At his approach, Rajiya looks up, her attention turned from food to the young lord, "Oh, yes, I remember you." At the request, she smiles, gesturing to one of the chairs, "Please. Company would be nice." With a graceful gesture, she calls one of the servers near so that a place setting can be laid, and any drink fetched for him. "I hope you are getting along well?"

Etienne gives her a bright smile as he settles, "I have. I've made some friends and have an eye on some rooms to move into. I even went to a consortship ceremony. And how are you finding Marsilikos?"

Picking up her glass of wine, a careful sip is taken as Rajiya listens, a brow lifted, "This is good, yes? And.. consortship ceremony?" Curious is the young princess before she smiles, "I am finding it quite well. Preparing to go to the city of Elua for a short time." Likely with many of the other nobles who are flocking there for the Longest Night.

Etienne smiles, all dimples and ernestness, "Oh yes. the wine is quite nice here. Consortship… It's a sort of official relationship blessed by elua, but not as binding as a marriage. It is a thing done for love…. I've never been myself. I am not sure if I am going or not, though I would like to…. I was wondering if you might tell me what you home is like? I imagine it's very different, though also beautiful."

"Who was it between?" Rajiya does wonder, to the consortship, that is. "My mother spoke how husbands and wives might marry, but have consorts. For love, if they were not so lucky to find love in their marriage." While her food sits before her, she will wait for his own to be delivered to eat any more of it. When asked of her own home, she smiles further, "IT is.. quite warmer. There are jungles.. the animals are far different than those here. My father was appointed as ambassador to Chi'in as well, so we spent several years there.. but while I found it interesting, it wasn't home."

Etienne grins wider, "Between Lord Thaddeus and Gemma, whom you met here the same day we met. It turns out my friend, Lord Symon de Perigeux, knows Lord Thaddeus Trevalion. The Trevalion family is a very important one; Gemma's is not, and so they may not marry, since likely his family will want someone of similar degree for him… This I surmise, as I barely know Lord Thaddeus, but Travallion is a very importanthouse in the North, where I am from." His fish arives, cooked in a simple, savoury cream based sause. He listens to her wih real fascination. "What sort of animals? have you unicorns and Wyverns?" He looks so terribly, niavely hopeful.

"Ah, yes.. well I will have to send them a note of congratulations upon their consortship." Rajiya answers, nodding, seeming to find this a happy bit of news. Listening still, she sips on her wine once more, and with his food's arrival, will lift her fork for another bite, though his question draws a quiet laugh, "Not so fanciful, though I suppose some might think our elephants and tigers are quite intriguing."

Etienne's fork moves slowly, "Are they very fierce? And what do the cities look like?"

Rajiya lowers her fork, "Tigers are. Elephants can be if they aren't tamed.. they are huge. It is what I know how to ride better than horses." A wry smile is given before she hmms, "The cities are different.." A henna-ed hand lifts to gesture to the building, "Different in looks, yes?"

Etienne has good table manners and eats with the enthusiasm of a young, active man. "That must be exciting to ride so high up! I bet you can see everything. Different how? I wish I could go and see them all.

"You can see a lot from up there." Rajiya agrees with a slow nod of her head, "Perhaps you might one day, get to travel there?" So many young men seem to have that travel bug, "There are always trade agreements to work out,s hould your family wish such things." That pointed out, she hmms, "Different materials and lines.. " That said as to the architecture differences.

Etienne sighs sadly, "I very much wish I could, but I am the Heir to my house, and could never go so far from Terre D'Ange in case I am needed back home. This is likely as far as I will ever go…. Oh! Trade deals… Do you you thinkthere would be much interest in cow's milk cheese or pickled herring?

Rajiya ahs softly in understanding upon hearing that he is the heir of his family, "Then stories I can tell, and pictures I could share with you sometime." As for the items, she hmms, "There might be for both? The foods are quite different between our homelands."

Etienne nods emphatically, "I would very much like that." He blushes faintly and looks at his rough, calloused hands, "I've some cheese upstairs. I would like to make you a present of a small wheel of camembert, if you would excuse me for the few minutes it would take to fetch you some.

Rajiya smiles, "I can wait, though you could fetch it once you are done eating?" The suggestion made, she leaves it up to him as to get it right then, or wait. "Where exactly are you from? Are you enjoying your stay here?" Meaning, in Marsilikos, that is.

Etienne rises, "Oh! It won't be but a few minutes!" He gives her a deep bow, and isup the stairs and back so quickly he is a tad red and out of breath. he kneels to present it to her, as if it were a jewel, but really it is just a wheel of soft cheese with a protective white crust.

Rajiya does blink as he ups and hurries off, leaving her there to peer at him disappearing up the stairs. A soft laugh is given, a quiet word from the silent guard nearby. Before she can do more than take a bite of fish, he is back, kneeled before her to present the chees.e No doubt, his kneeling earns a few looks from people at nearby tables. Leaning forwards, the wheel is accepted, "Thank you. I will look forwards to trying it later."

Etienne rises again, as smoothly as if he had not just made a public spectacle of himself, "Truly, it is an honor for cheese made on our own estate to grace the lips of a Princess." He sits again. "I am from a place called Berk, on our North east coast. Likely, the winds are rough right now back at home and they are drinking mulled cider by the fire. It is much milder here. One barely needs a cloak, and yet it is nearly Longest Night."

Rajiya actually may blush a little at his words, the cheese to be tucked off to the side, handed to the guard to hold so she won't forget it. No doubt, she will hear about /that/ move later from the quiet female in black. Listening quietly, she hmms, nodding her head slowly, "That would be near Eire and Alba? " Trying to get her layout right in mind. "I can't imagine. It's cold enough here to me." She likely has a nice fur lined cloak stashed somewhere's nearby to wear once she leaves the inn.

Etienne nods again, clearly impressed by her geographical knowledge. After all, he is always struggling to explain to other D'Angelines where his home is, "Yes, across the straights from there. I met an Ambassador from there in the market and got to practice my Cruithne with a native speaker! It was very exciting!"

That she remembered correctly draws a warmer smile from the Bhodistan, "I'm glad that I remembered right." Laughing, she ohs, a brow raised, "I think I might have seen them around the ducal tower. It is where most of us are staying." Ambassadors, that is. "It is not a language I know, but then, I have had no reason to learn it."

Etienne is genuinely curious, "Might I here some of your language?"

Rajiya smiles, then begins to speak. The tongue is light, rolling vowels and constants. After what seems like at least a couple of sentences, she stops, smiling a little more at him.

Etienne's eyes go wide, "Oh! It is like music! Truly beautiful!"

A soft laugh is given, Rajiya to say then, "What I said was… I have enjoyed talking to you. My hope is that one day, you might get to visit my homeland, and see the elephants and tigers for yourself."

Etienne is really moved, "I would truly like that very much. You are incredibly kind."

Rajiya ducks her head, but smiles, "Thank you. So are you, my lord." Wine glass is reached for, to be lifted for a sip then.

Etienne sips as well, "It must be strange for you, so far from home. I know it is for me, and the language is the same and the customs not that different from home."

"It is different, and yet not so different." Rajiya begins, soon to add, "My mother is a Sommerville, you see. She taught me and my siblings, about her homeland, her language, her traditions with my father's approval. " She pauses, taking a sip of her wine before she adds, "So while it was strange, ti wasn't too strange?"

Etienne's eyes widen, "Oh! A Sommerville and a Princess!" He eats the last of his fish, "Thank you very much for your patience and kindness. You truly are as kind as you are beautiful." he rises to give her another graceful bow.

Rajiya nods, "I am, yes.." He might have picked up on the scent of apples that often hangs around her to some degree. As he finishes, rising to bow, she dips her head, "It was a pleasure to get to speak with you, milord. May your day be well."

Etienne says, "And yours. May the sun be warm and gentle on your back." And then he is gone up the stairs, leaving the faintest hint of orange from his pomade behind."

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