#lathander.01

It is not the first time that Theano meets Lord Lathander, nor will it be the last if she has anything to say in the matter. Any connection to other houses is a powerful tool, and one she cultivates with great care. A connection with an heir? She guards those with zealously. Theano is not an heir, herself, so she has to make herself known to those who are. Her brother is well known because of his gifts and positions, so she must make herself known by any means necessary. In the case of lord Lathander Tethalune, the way forward is through flattery and gifts. Not quite bribery, for she is not asking for him to do anything but keep her in his thoughts. Not quite bribery, because at the end of the day House Eluwe already benefits from the exchange. All the velkynar from Vallarion are beautiful, so to adorn them with the fruits of House Eluwe’s labor? Well, it is simply just another way to spread the word of their jewelry’s superiority. 

“Thank you for granting me this meeting, my lord,” she says as she straightens from the curtsy she offered in greeting and gestures to the tea table, prepared with care and holding the tea, the refreshments, and an exquisitely carved box. 

“I wanted to present you a gift from House Eluwe, as a thanks for House Tethalune’s generosity in your hosting,” she offers, a pretty smile on her lips as she moves to sit. “It is a design of mine, one that came to mind when I first laid eyes upon you back in Moira, and as such, I hope that it will be to your liking.”

Secrets are best crept in the dark, far away from all who desire to pry. It does not surprise Nayara that the Tethalune heir had decided on a place that met both those conditions for their exchange. What is bemusing is that while he had left a note on her chambers on when and where to meet her, he had not technically given her directions on how to reach the small clearing he had picked. For that alone, she had left the feast a few moments earlier than she had been requested, hoping to get some time to comb the forest for such a place as described. For all that Nayara did not know if she truly wanted to give voice to doubts creeping inside of her, she knew the importance of such a sacrifice and would not cower before it, even if she stepped forward to face it with reluctance. Ergo, she could not be late, even if every bone on her body told her to turn around and ignore the sacrifice. Yet she continues forward with determination, until the forest is clear ahead. And it comes into view, she cannot help a huff of amusement as her eyes fall on the very person she is meant to meet. 

Perhaps it is a sign of the Fates, both that she must confess her secrets to an heir in Vallarion, and that she encountered him before entering the forest.