ratio et ordo

status: open

eleonora felt as if her head could collapse under the weight of her many thoughts. between her impending nuptials and the murder, she was desperate for even a few stolen moments of respite. she had left the estate with no particular destination in mind, and now found herself strolling through the gardens. they were as good a distraction as any, the colorful plants and blooming flowers as soothing to the soul as they were the eyes. it took a moment for the voice to register in her mind, and she blinked a bit dazedly as she turned her attention to a familiar face. "viola, dear," eleonora greeted, the smile that crossed her face the most genuine one in days. the cheerful expression lasted only a moment, as her companion soon introduced the topic on everyone's lips. "ah - i confess, i did not know the man myself, but it is a great tragedy, truly. how awful for his family," she murmured. if it had been one of her siblings - no, she could not bear such a line of thought. "and you? did you know him?"

to be married. his hands remained neatly folded on the table, though his thumb pressed unconsciously into the side of his forefinger. his gaze sought hers by instinct then, as if hoping to find a telltale crack that would render the declaration less final, but eleonora’s composure offered him no such mercy. courtesy rose up at once, smoothing his features even as another far less disciplined part of him balked and protested. asking when, and to whom, and why the thought of her belonging to another set his chest so unreasonably tight. "you… have my congratulations, lady pelliterri," he managed at last, the phrase was proper enough though it sat oddly on his tongue. he inclined his head, accepting the fact of it as one accepts a truth that cannot be argued with and leaned upon what was safest to believe. "i am— i did not know matters had gone so far. but i understand now, why you have kept away." the server drifted by and aryan accepted his tea, his fingers curled minutely atop the table and he lowered his eyes to the dark surface of his untouched drink. when he finally looked back at her, his smile was gentle and sincere but it carried a new restraint, as though he had drawn an invisible line across his own heart without fully understanding why. aryan, who had come in with all that gentle talk and reassurance, found himself quite emptied of it as if the words had been knocked loose and scattered under the table. still, he tried to lean on what was sensible. "i trust your brother's care where you are concerned." indeed, her brother was careful and her family would not choose poorly. he told himself firmly that this was good, that this was as it should be, that any pang he felt was no more than the natural discomfort of change. yet even as he spoke of her brother’s prudence, a quiet insistent voice whispered that he had never imagined her future without himself standing somewhere within it, however undefined his place. "it is as you would have chosen for yourself?"

eleonora eagerly met aryan's gaze, indeed searching for something - anything - that might inform her of what her friend was thinking. they said that still waters ran deep, and that sentiment was especially true when it came to this magnificent man. he offered his congratulations, and her throat tightened with the threat of tears. honestly, what had she expected him to say - that he was, in fact, madly in love with her, and was prepared to make her his wife that very afternoon? no, he was gracious and well-spoken as always, truly the picture of a gentleman. that was one of the many reasons she adored him, was it not? "many thanks, lord joshi," she replied in kind, her voice sounding choked to her own ears. "yes - ahem - there is much to prepare. i - i have missed you, though," she added, gaze on her lap as the phrase quietly slipped out of her mouth. she had thought of little else but their moonlit dance, wanting to commit the feeling of his hands on her to memory even as the hope that he might return her love had, painfully, begun to wane. she found herself gazing at one of those hands now, every inch of her aching to take it in hers, to lead him away and find somewhere the two of them could merely be eleonora and aryan once more. but that was impossible - he would be lord joshi from this moment forward, and all too soon she would be lady porta. warding off a shiver at the thought, she wrapped her hands around her tea. "alessio will always make sure we are taken care of," she agreed, the fondness in her tone unmistakable. "he is an elder brother first, and a human being second." sure, her brother had been surprised when she had first brought up the notion of marriage, but she hoped that she had thoroughly convinced him that it was what she truly wanted. and on that topic - aryan's question caught her off guard, and she inhaled a sharp breath through her nose before attempting to to mask her surprise with a gentle smile. "he is a kind and decent man," she said. "it is a good match. it would provide much-needed relief for my family." she found herself listing off the same merits she recited to herself in private, as if the repetition would enforce her conviction - and silence the protests from her heart.

"goodness, you almost disappeared entirely into that role," unfettered mirth fell from his lips, free hand coming to rest on his chest in a futile attempt to subdue the laughter. "ah, well, thank you very much. i can assure you, you are also at the very top of my list." he tugged their linked arms gently, making a carefully placed side-step to jostle his friend a little. though, thinking on it, he would probably say he considered eleonora far closer to family than a friend. it was like having another sister and he loved it, and her. "of course you can. i cannot promise to be much help, but ask away."

eleonora giggled, matching sandro's unselfconscious humor with hardly a thought as to how unseemly it might appear to any nearby admirers of flora. at his reciprocation of the sentiment her expression softened into something more gentle, and she briefly rested her head on his shoulder in a gesture that she hoped would express how very grateful she was for his friendship. "i was just wondering how -" she paused, made a thoughtful noise in her throat as she considered how to vocalize her thoughts. "how difficult do you find it to strike a balance between making sure your younger siblings are happy and cared for while also ensuring the same for yourself? i fear alessio is focusing far too much on the former and not nearly enough on the latter these days. we worry about our elder siblings, too, you know."

he wagged a finger, eyebrows raised as if to say 'very good point'. "then perhaps to ensure great success in the matter, we should team up and teach them how to act. i am sure we would cover all possible bases that way." they would have the entire city sorted out in no time, of that alessandro was sure. an involuntary hum of pure contentment emitted as she took his arm, the chill in the air immediately minimised by the small gesture of affection. catching her looking, he flashed a smile and inhaled deeply as he considered her question. "oh, very well, thank you. i feel as if i have been in verona far longer than i actually have which i am taking as a positive sign." he missed home dearly, but memories of the place were somewhat marred by the circumstance of the exit. "i have no complaints. and you?"

"how right you are, professore trezza," eleonora said, affecting the air of a stuffy academic. she mirrored sandro's smile almost immediately, pleased to see such an expression on his face and what seemed like genuinely good humor. "yes, i understand exactly what you mean. verona is - " she searched for words, clicking her tongue when they failed to appear. "it is different than sicily," she remarked with a laugh. "but there are so many people i've met here that - well, it feels as if i've known them my entire life. you rank quite highly on that list, of course." sandro reciprocated the question, and she considered her response; she had had quite a bit on her mind lately, but she hardly wanted to trouble him with her concerns. although he might be able to offer a unique perspective on one of them in particular. "actually - something has been weighing on my mind lately. could i perhaps ask your opinion about something, as an elder sibling yourself?"

one glance at aryan and the willpower eleonora had built up these past few weeks promptly bid her farewell. she grasped for it before it could slip away entirely, managing to hold onto at least a few threads. oh, this was simply not fair; if she did not adore this man unendingly, she might have resented him for the sway he unknowingly held over her. "lord joshi," she reciprocated with a curtsy, nearly frowning at how alien his surname tasted on her tongue. but this was better, was it not? it was a gentle way to usher them into the next stage of their relationship, which she expected would fall on the scale somewhere between acquaintances and....well, whatever it was they currently were. "yes," she said, painting a smile on her face that felt more like a grimace. "quite well. i hope the same of you." she envied the stillness of his hands; her own twisted and grasped at one another in her lap, moving constantly in order to disguise their shaking. oh, she detested this - she wanted to retreat into the warm, safe, familiar waters of quietly adoring him, protecting the gentle flicker of hope that he might someday love her in return. this was uncharted territory, here be dragons, and she was already lost. she listened as aryan chattered, a twinge of fondness plucking at her heartstrings despite her nascent self-preservational instincts. when he finally fell quiet, she let the silence stretch for a moment. "i have been busy. al - al - a -" she pressed her lips together, dropped her gaze to her lap. she had never stuttered in front of aryan before - why should she, when she felt more comfortable around him than anyone else? she took in a deep breath and looked back up at aryan, considering an attempt at another smile before quickly disregarding it. "my brother and i have been discussing my prospects lately, and - well, i am to be married."

"it is a uniquely wonderful sensation, to feel as if one has traveled miles around the world when one is simply sitting comfortably at home," eleonora remarked with a bright smile. she knew that sometimes, perhaps, she relied a bit too much on living vicariously through her more daring literary counterparts, but it was so tempting to be able to enjoy all of the thrilling adventure of a story without hazarding any of the dangers. (so, too, was it irresistible to dive into a love story in which the reader was certain that the lovers would be together in the end, when they were overcome with doubts about such an event coming to fruition in reality.) she pulled a tome from the shelf, reverently turning the pages simply to see the ink pressed into the paper. "what would we ever do without books?" she thought aloud, more to herself than to emeline.

"oh, i disagree. i think it would take precisely someone like you to have any real effect." he laughed regardless at her emphasis on 'polite'. it was not one of the first words that generally came to mind when one thought of verona, thanks mostly because of the city and its inhabitants reputation on the matter of conflict. though in its defence, since arriving, alessandro had seen very little real evidence of the feud. he hoped it stayed that way. overall, his experience had been nothing short of pleasant. "and nobody would have you any other way, topolino." he plucked another of the same flower before straightening back up, tucking it into an inside pocket where it would sit with his grapevine cutting for safe keeping. "as multifaceted as all living things, maybe." said softly, a thought accidentally voiced, though there was not a safer space to do so than with eleonora. "you are most welcome, my friend." he smiled warmly, returning to her side and offering his arm for her to take.

"as we have established that we are kindred spirits, it seems that it would, in fact, take someone like us," eleonora teasingly pointed out. she flushed at the nickname, another warm rush of affection for her friend sweeping over her, and smiled at her shoes. carefully slipping her arm through his, she absently stroked her thumb along the fabric of his overcoat in the same habit of when she walked with her brother. alessandro had always felt much the same to her as alessio did, a comforting and fraternal presence who seemed to exude pure goodness. "very true," she agreed, examining alessandro's face a moment longer and trying to determine if she should be concerned about his moment of seemingly absent thought. "how has life been treating you, caro amico?"

"i know that," responded breathily, exasperation dancing at the edge of the slightly clipped tone. perhaps it was that luciano knew he could not be the one to provide that for alessio that set him on edge, or perhaps it was the growing desire to escape the conversation at hand. "nor do i." he affirmed, silently wishing that said desires would find another centre of focus. preferably far, far away from him. a slow nod. "very well, then. was there anything else you wished to know or might we be free of this conversation and pretend it never happened?"

eleonora remained silent, giving luciano one last searching look, before stepping back and affording him a curtsy. "i thank you for your time, my lord. all i ask is that you keep what i have said in mind moving forward." she thought about saying something else, reminding him once more of the damage that had been done to her brother, but she knew that if she had not already made her point clear it would be a fruitless task. hoping that she would never have to see the man's face again, she turned away and went off in search of alessio.

"oh, no apology is required," eleonora insisted. she was always happy to discuss books, a favorite topic of hers. a soft smile crossed her face at the other woman's impassioned recollection, finding herself very much in agreement. "i, too, was enthralled," she admitted. "such a sweeping tale! and the romance was beautiful." she flushed and looked down at her hands, a bit embarrassed by her dreamy tone. another smile graced eleonora's features, and she shyly looked back up to direct it at emeline. "why, thank you. we seem to be of one mind when it comes to literature, do we not?" she returned her gaze to the shelves, mulling the other's question for a moment before answering, softly, "love stories." she could not tell if reading such tales eased or exacerbated her own heartache, but she continued to seek them out regardless. she cleared her throat and shook her head, looking back to emeline. "how about you?"

although the words spoken had echoed in his mind almost non-stop since the news of the pelliterri's move to verona, there was something very... jarring about hearing them said aloud. even more so as they were coming from his sister, maybe. luciano brushed a little at being so directly told what to do to manage a situation that was near enough none of her business... but eleonora was right, and he agreed with her. he knew that and he knew she was right about how anything else would only drag the whole painful thing out unnecessarily. the logic did not make it any easier. the truth of it was, as much as he liked to tell himself otherwise, that he was not really done with alessio. how could he claim to be when his thoughts often wandered? and it would only get worse now that they had reunited. "i know that. and i will." try, at least. "but i implore you to do whatever is in your power to remind him of the danger, too. these things are easier said than done and your brother is highly adept at increasing that difficulty."

luciano's description of the elder pelliterri was hardly inaccurate, but it rankled nonetheless. this man knew - had known - alessio, perhaps better than she did in certain regards, but the familiarity in his words did not sit right with her. it felt, to her, as if the two of them were discussing a mutual acquaintance in whom they both had equally vested interest. "he wants nothing more than practically anyone with a beating heart does," eleonora replied, particularly defensive in spite of - or because of - what she had just advised luciano to do to her brother. "i do not begrudge him his desires." she merely questioned his choices - then again, who was she to judge? "as i said, i will not speak ill of you in front of alessio - but, yes, you can rest assured that i will do everything i can in order to steer him away from you."

addressed to: anyone & everyone where: book store/anywhere that sells books

eleonora traced a finger along the shelves, a soft smile gracing her features as she imagined the worlds contained inside of the books stacked neatly atop them. in dire need of a new read, she had decided to stop by her favorite bookseller as an incentive to complete a few other errands. quiet speaking nearby caught her attention, and she looked curiously over to see what book the pair were speaking of. she had not realized how long she had been staring, and when she finally made out the title, she realized she had been caught out. "oh, no, i - " she flushed and let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "forgive me, i was eavesdropping. i quite agree with your recommendation; i read that one not long ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, myself."

he mirrored her attempt at a solemn expression, doing a far worse job before giving in to the soft laughter that bubbled forth. "consider your apology accepted, lady eleonora. awfully big of you to acknowledge such a mistake, too -- have you ever thought of giving the rest of society lessons?" a great many of them could do with schooling in humility. alessandro smiled as she grazed his shoulder, silently grateful for the gentleness he had come to associate with eleonora. physical touch was something of a point of contention, an unwelcome development for one who so freely gave and was always keen to receive it. sometimes, an explanation was required, but he was acutely aware of what he gave away to whom. if eleonora had asked, she would receive the truth... but she had not, and selfishly, sandro was a little glad. it seemed with her that he could be his unfiltered self and not even have to think about the reminders he lived with for once. "and now who is engaging in flattery?" even if it was flattery, he could not keep the appreciation of the idea of her viewing them as kindred spirits from his face. "well, that is alright." he had not expected her to know, of course, but it was nearly always worth asking. "ah! see, and now i have learnt even more than i intended to." attention returning to the flower, he crouched slightly to brush its petals once more. "a great many things for one flower to represent." plucking one from the patch, he extended it to his companion with a smile. "for friendship, trust, and gratitude."

"oh, i think it would take much more than the likes of me to make any sort of impact on the - ahem - polite society of verona," eleonora mused with a prim smile. sicily had been full of memories, the bad unfortunately outweighing the good, but she had still been loath to leave the only home she'd ever known. now, however, she could no longer imagine living anywhere else, specifically because of its residents. "facts are not flattery," she insisted with as indignant an expression as she could muster. "besides, flattery would imply that i hold myself in such high esteem, and you know full well what a modest little mouse i am," she said with a slight laugh. though spending time with people like alessandro helped build her confidence - surely such kind, genuinely good individuals would not welcome her company if they did not see some glimmer of the same in her? "they seem to be as multifacted as we are," she observed in a murmur, watching alessandro examine the flowers further. she accepted the bloom with a smile, but it took another moment for his words to register. "sandro -" she began, a bit of thickness in her voice. she looked back up to him, wishing she were eloquent enough to express just how much his gesture and words truly meant to her. as it was, she could merely reply, "thank you, my dear friend. i shall press it and keep it forever."