Iseut + Adelle - conversation topics
Who: Iseut and Adelle
When: Yesterday.
Where: Sabreme Estate
Ratings & Warnings: G! Nothing really!
It was a pleasant masque. In this situation, pleasant meant that Iseut had been successfully polite to enough people to be considered cordial and was now content to stand at the edges of conversations and listen.
It did not amount to much but idle gossip. Dull idle gossip, at that. Iseut found herself drifting away in the direction of the food, keeping a furtive eye out for her stepmother. She'd appear like an eagle and carry Iseut away to more dull conversation, Iseut knew.
Adelle was resplendent in red and gold, her mask fashioned shaped and made with dyed feathers to resemble something like a phoenix. Or that was what she was telling anyone who asked. The young Vaux was aiming to have the time of her life in the time left before her upcoming wedding. She spun and fluttered from nobleman to nobleman to noblewoman, an innocent smile on her face while she chatted the night away.
At the moment, she was taking a breather and looking for a glass of wine. Was that Iseut Aronine? she wondered as she neared the servants and tables with refreshments. It was~ "My lady Aronine, why are you looking around so furtively for?"
Iseut had opted for the less opulent in theory, although the amount of money that went into her simple but well-designed mask that brought to mind a falcon was probably closer to the more elaborate masks.
"The sudden appearance of my step-mother and being thwarted from the food yet again, Lady Adelle." That was nearly clever; Iseut almost smiled at the thought of it. Cleverness did not come easy to her in conversation, and rarely with someone who was so dramatic as Lady Adelle.
Lady Adelle who was going to marry Prince Arman. Iseut had no reason to not believe that Lady Cataline's gossip was the truth. It was not, however, public knowledge, which meant that Iseut would not bring it up first.
Also, she had no idea how to even start that sort of conversation.
Adelle laughed, shaking her head. "You still don't know how to please your stepmother enough to get her to leave you alone?" She reached for a nearby wine glass and took a sip. "I'm sure now that I'm talking to you, there's less risk of that happening~"
She waved a hand at the food. "Go on, partake~ I'll fend off any nasty stepmothers." The young noblewoman's voice hid none of her amusement.
"Still?" There was no such thing. Adelle was quite the optimist. Iseut let the comment pass as she went for the food; she really had yet to eat since arriving, and she was famished.
"Are you enjoying yourself? Your outfit is very," she hesitated a moment, the finished with, "bright."
"Yes, still. Can't you put on a convincing act or tell her you don't need to be bothered for a while?" After all, the lady was her stepmother, not her actual mother. That made all the difference.
"Of course I am~" She smiled, sipping. "If I'm not enjoying a party, there's something wrong. Thank you. Your outfit is very you, Lady Iseut." She didn't really expect anything else from the Aronine. If anything, the other girl was predictable.
Iseut would have never known if it would have made a difference. She never got the chance to meet her real mother and her step-mother was ... not motherly. Iseut wasn't sure what she was, beyond overbearing and peculiar.
"Thank you, Lady Adelle." That was enough of a compliment for Iseut, who hadn't needed one anyways. She was personally surprised that she was allowed to wear something that was less flamboyant than many of the other guests. "It did turn out to be a falcon theme. I hadn't known until yesterday evening."
Laughing, she twirled the glass in her hand. It was only proper and courtesy to return a compliment or a quasi-compliment with another. As frivolous as she could be, it could not be said that Adelle didn't know the proper courtesies of a lady. "I know you love your animals so. There is no shame in showing the world."
It only told them what your weakness was, too.
It was not a very bright world if they did not already know that Iseut was fond of her animals.
"Mm." Iseut took a sip of her own wine. "Did you chose your dress yourself? It is very." Very what? "Daring. In color."
"Yes, I did~ I was very specific in what I wanted. I had an image in mind." Adelle tilted her head slightly. "It's not quite that daring. Maybe you should try to be a little more daring in your color choices." Her smile was pleasant. "I don't think it would hurt." A beat. "And it would probably dissuade your stepmother from trying as much with you."
"She likes a project," Iseut said, somewhat off handily. It was true, as far as she could tell, but not something she should actually say. "She picked this out herself, so I don't think she was all that disappointed in my choices."
It was all so daring in color. Iseut looked to the side, at the crowd of dancers and people just milling around. It was ... disconcerting in a way she couldn't decide.
Adelle delicately arched an eyebrow. "And do you wish to be her project?" No, the Vaux couldn't see that Iseut would, too awkward and uncomfortable with any kind of attention. "Even if she likes and picked out your dress tonight, do you really want her to be hovering over you all the time?"
Perhaps, just perhaps the girl was trying to push for an anti-stepmother coalition.
"One day she will have children and I will be far less interesting to her." Iseut waited and prayed for such a day, but it was unlikely to happen soon with her father gone for the rest of the winter. "Or I will marry and join my husband's household, and she will have to find someone new."
Barely managing not to scowl at that, Adelle shook her head slightly. She and Iseut were more and more different as the minutes passed. Adelle hated the idea of her new stepmother being with child. Anything that dared to threaten the line of inheritance in her family was unwelcome.
"Oh~" she said with interest, glad to latch onto this subject instead of the former. "Do you have potential suitors, my lady?"
"No." Not that she knew of. Iseut saw how they arranged her aunt's marriage, and was fairly sure that was how hers would go. She just hoped it wouldn't be any worse than she had now, but she had enough faith in her father that they weren't entirely blinded by politics. "It is still something that needs to be considered, as I am of that age."
A moment too late, she realized that this was the topic that she was going to avoid discussing with Adelle.
"That's true~ I'm sure your family will arrange one even if you don't go seeking," she said ruefully. "I hope whoever you're matched with is a good one."
Adelle smiled brightly before tipping back the rest of her wine down her throat. She would not mention her impending marriage unless Iseut would. If the Aronine heard already, then she heard. If she hadn't, the Vaux was not going to be spreading that truth. Rumors were her game, as were truths, but this was something she didn't need to think about. "It's a lovely life we live, isn't it~" She laughed cheerily, not a hint of bitterness in her tone.
"I hope so too. I have faith in my father." Or else it would be horrible. Iseut looked at her glass of wine blankly before taking a sip. She could barely taste the wine.
Adelle's laugh drew her attention back to the other woman. What was she thinking about all of this? Not something Iseut would understand. Not yet, perhaps not ever. They were so different. "Yes. It could be far worse."
"It's good that you have faith in him," she said softly, her smile almost becoming insincere. Her issues with her own father were mounting slowly the longer her father was married and the more he gave into her stepmother's wiles instead of hers.
"It could be a lot worse." Handing her glass off to a servant walking by, she gave a small curtsy to Iseut. The talk of marriage had soured her mood a bit. "I'll leave you to your food, Lady Iseut. Hopefully, I talked to you long enough that your stepmother won't swoop by and snatch you again~"
Iseut nodded. "Have a good rest of the night, Lady Adelle."
When: Yesterday.
Where: Sabreme Estate
Ratings & Warnings: G! Nothing really!
It was a pleasant masque. In this situation, pleasant meant that Iseut had been successfully polite to enough people to be considered cordial and was now content to stand at the edges of conversations and listen.
It did not amount to much but idle gossip. Dull idle gossip, at that. Iseut found herself drifting away in the direction of the food, keeping a furtive eye out for her stepmother. She'd appear like an eagle and carry Iseut away to more dull conversation, Iseut knew.
Adelle was resplendent in red and gold, her mask fashioned shaped and made with dyed feathers to resemble something like a phoenix. Or that was what she was telling anyone who asked. The young Vaux was aiming to have the time of her life in the time left before her upcoming wedding. She spun and fluttered from nobleman to nobleman to noblewoman, an innocent smile on her face while she chatted the night away.
At the moment, she was taking a breather and looking for a glass of wine. Was that Iseut Aronine? she wondered as she neared the servants and tables with refreshments. It was~ "My lady Aronine, why are you looking around so furtively for?"
Iseut had opted for the less opulent in theory, although the amount of money that went into her simple but well-designed mask that brought to mind a falcon was probably closer to the more elaborate masks.
"The sudden appearance of my step-mother and being thwarted from the food yet again, Lady Adelle." That was nearly clever; Iseut almost smiled at the thought of it. Cleverness did not come easy to her in conversation, and rarely with someone who was so dramatic as Lady Adelle.
Lady Adelle who was going to marry Prince Arman. Iseut had no reason to not believe that Lady Cataline's gossip was the truth. It was not, however, public knowledge, which meant that Iseut would not bring it up first.
Also, she had no idea how to even start that sort of conversation.
Adelle laughed, shaking her head. "You still don't know how to please your stepmother enough to get her to leave you alone?" She reached for a nearby wine glass and took a sip. "I'm sure now that I'm talking to you, there's less risk of that happening~"
She waved a hand at the food. "Go on, partake~ I'll fend off any nasty stepmothers." The young noblewoman's voice hid none of her amusement.
"Still?" There was no such thing. Adelle was quite the optimist. Iseut let the comment pass as she went for the food; she really had yet to eat since arriving, and she was famished.
"Are you enjoying yourself? Your outfit is very," she hesitated a moment, the finished with, "bright."
"Yes, still. Can't you put on a convincing act or tell her you don't need to be bothered for a while?" After all, the lady was her stepmother, not her actual mother. That made all the difference.
"Of course I am~" She smiled, sipping. "If I'm not enjoying a party, there's something wrong. Thank you. Your outfit is very you, Lady Iseut." She didn't really expect anything else from the Aronine. If anything, the other girl was predictable.
Iseut would have never known if it would have made a difference. She never got the chance to meet her real mother and her step-mother was ... not motherly. Iseut wasn't sure what she was, beyond overbearing and peculiar.
"Thank you, Lady Adelle." That was enough of a compliment for Iseut, who hadn't needed one anyways. She was personally surprised that she was allowed to wear something that was less flamboyant than many of the other guests. "It did turn out to be a falcon theme. I hadn't known until yesterday evening."
Laughing, she twirled the glass in her hand. It was only proper and courtesy to return a compliment or a quasi-compliment with another. As frivolous as she could be, it could not be said that Adelle didn't know the proper courtesies of a lady. "I know you love your animals so. There is no shame in showing the world."
It only told them what your weakness was, too.
It was not a very bright world if they did not already know that Iseut was fond of her animals.
"Mm." Iseut took a sip of her own wine. "Did you chose your dress yourself? It is very." Very what? "Daring. In color."
"Yes, I did~ I was very specific in what I wanted. I had an image in mind." Adelle tilted her head slightly. "It's not quite that daring. Maybe you should try to be a little more daring in your color choices." Her smile was pleasant. "I don't think it would hurt." A beat. "And it would probably dissuade your stepmother from trying as much with you."
"She likes a project," Iseut said, somewhat off handily. It was true, as far as she could tell, but not something she should actually say. "She picked this out herself, so I don't think she was all that disappointed in my choices."
It was all so daring in color. Iseut looked to the side, at the crowd of dancers and people just milling around. It was ... disconcerting in a way she couldn't decide.
Adelle delicately arched an eyebrow. "And do you wish to be her project?" No, the Vaux couldn't see that Iseut would, too awkward and uncomfortable with any kind of attention. "Even if she likes and picked out your dress tonight, do you really want her to be hovering over you all the time?"
Perhaps, just perhaps the girl was trying to push for an anti-stepmother coalition.
"One day she will have children and I will be far less interesting to her." Iseut waited and prayed for such a day, but it was unlikely to happen soon with her father gone for the rest of the winter. "Or I will marry and join my husband's household, and she will have to find someone new."
Barely managing not to scowl at that, Adelle shook her head slightly. She and Iseut were more and more different as the minutes passed. Adelle hated the idea of her new stepmother being with child. Anything that dared to threaten the line of inheritance in her family was unwelcome.
"Oh~" she said with interest, glad to latch onto this subject instead of the former. "Do you have potential suitors, my lady?"
"No." Not that she knew of. Iseut saw how they arranged her aunt's marriage, and was fairly sure that was how hers would go. She just hoped it wouldn't be any worse than she had now, but she had enough faith in her father that they weren't entirely blinded by politics. "It is still something that needs to be considered, as I am of that age."
A moment too late, she realized that this was the topic that she was going to avoid discussing with Adelle.
"That's true~ I'm sure your family will arrange one even if you don't go seeking," she said ruefully. "I hope whoever you're matched with is a good one."
Adelle smiled brightly before tipping back the rest of her wine down her throat. She would not mention her impending marriage unless Iseut would. If the Aronine heard already, then she heard. If she hadn't, the Vaux was not going to be spreading that truth. Rumors were her game, as were truths, but this was something she didn't need to think about. "It's a lovely life we live, isn't it~" She laughed cheerily, not a hint of bitterness in her tone.
"I hope so too. I have faith in my father." Or else it would be horrible. Iseut looked at her glass of wine blankly before taking a sip. She could barely taste the wine.
Adelle's laugh drew her attention back to the other woman. What was she thinking about all of this? Not something Iseut would understand. Not yet, perhaps not ever. They were so different. "Yes. It could be far worse."
"It's good that you have faith in him," she said softly, her smile almost becoming insincere. Her issues with her own father were mounting slowly the longer her father was married and the more he gave into her stepmother's wiles instead of hers.
"It could be a lot worse." Handing her glass off to a servant walking by, she gave a small curtsy to Iseut. The talk of marriage had soured her mood a bit. "I'll leave you to your food, Lady Iseut. Hopefully, I talked to you long enough that your stepmother won't swoop by and snatch you again~"
Iseut nodded. "Have a good rest of the night, Lady Adelle."