Mother, I'd Like You to Meet My...Friend

[Darastrix]

Zira teleported into Talen'sul, his fingers laced with Kleio's. Zack had initially wanted to tag along, but had to admit he had no intention of not speaking his mind if he ran into Lord William, so the bard had remained in Anarlina at Zira's request. And sulked.

"Well, welcome to Talen'sul," he said, looking around at his old home. "This is the section of the city where the upper class live." Zira gestured at the large estates, some more elaborate than others. "I would say I grew up here, but I was inside most of the time. Actually," he mused, "this is the first time I've really seen this place by daylight."

[Kender Bard]

"Then I must say it's a dazzling sight, wouldn't you agree?" Kleio noted, looking all about though his eyes clearly kept straying back to the buildings. Though he was no architect, he still appreciated the inherent art that went into the noble estates. "These buildings are beautiful."

[Darastrix]

"Mmm-hmm," Zira murmured, turning to view one estate in particular. It was large and decorated in with tasteful, simple elegance. Since it was summer, the greenery planted about the grounds gave it a warmer, more inviting appearance than some of the other estates that used primarily stone and metal in their decor.

"That's the Fell Estate there," he said, squeezing Kleio's hand a bit more tightly as he sent a quick prayer to the Forces that his father would not be home. It was the beginning of the season, so that was entirely likely. Taking a deep breath, he began to lead the way up the neat stone path across the grounds and to the door.

[Kender Bard]

Kleio glanced all around, gawking like the tourist he was. "Gosh this is a beautiful place," he sighed, the artist within him gleefully taking in the sights like a child gorging on sweets. "Is the inside as pretty as the outside?"

[Darastrix]

"I always thought it was rather nice, though I much preferred the garden at night," Zira said with a smile as he knocked at the door.

After a moment, a plump, middle-aged woman answered the door, and stopped and stared for a moment, surprise clear on her face. "Young l-, ah Mast-, er...." The poor woman wrung her hands in her apron as she stammered, unsure what the proper form of address she should use with the former heir.

"Zira will be fine, Mary," he said, sighing inwardly. "Is my mother home?"

The maid nodded dumbly. "Um, she's in the south drawing room. If you'll wait outside the room while I announce you and your friend....?"

"Kleio," Zira supplied.

Mary nodded and hurried off the the drawing room, Zira gesturing for Kleio to follow.

~I suppose everyone else is going to be as ill at ease here as I am~ he said silently to Kleio.

[Kender Bard]

Kleio patted Zira gently on the shoulder as he thought, "Well you can't blame the servants for tripping over titles a bit. Though if you want to have some fun you could call yourself Royal Prettyboy and see if that sits better with them."

[Darastrix]

Zira pressed a hand to his mouth to muffle a sudden burst of giggles which he quickly attempted to cover by coughing. ~Don't do that!~ he exclaimed, his mental "voice" tinged with laughter.

Mary glanced back briefly at the two young men before entering the drawing room and announcing the pair and stepping back to let them in.

Lady Jane Fell was seated in a chair, watching the door with wide blue eyes as the little heir played in the floor with a large stuffed toy. When Zira stepped inside, she practically jumped to her feet and crossed the room to her son.

"Zira? Darling, is that really you?" She reached out as though to touch him, then pulled her hand back, fidgeting with her skirt, much like how Zira toyed with his feathers. "You look so...." Her hands fluttered nervously in the air in front of her.

"Normal?" Zira suggested, reaching out to gently take his mother's hands. Turning aside slightly, he said "Mother, I'd like you to meet a very dear friend of mine, Kleio. Kleio, this is my mother, Lady Jane."

[Kender Bard]

Kleio dipped into a deep, formal, and courtly bow. "Lady Jane, it is a great honor to meet the fine woman who raised such a remarkable man," he greeted.

One didn't spend so long with King Twilight without picking up the court manners.

[Darastrix]

Jane curtsied gracefully in return, smiling kindly at the young man. "I am glad to finally meet one of Zira's friends," she replied. "Please, be seated."

Jane looked back to her son as she scooped Tristan into her arms before sitting. It was plain that she wanted to say more, but Jane was too polite to bring up family matters in front of a guest, and Zira knew it would fall to him to broach the subject.

Zira took a seat on a low couch that left room for Kleio to sit beside him and smiled softly at the blonde child who regarded the two newcomers with an oddly serious expression before reaching for his older brother. "Zi'a."

"I'm surprised he remembers me," he commented as Jane smiled and passed Tristan to him. "The heir of House Fell," Zira said, turning to Kleio, "Tristan Angelo Fell."

Tristan clung tightly to his brother's shoulder and stared at Kleio with wide eyes.

[Kender Bard]

Kleio sat down next to Zira and smiled brightly at the little boy. He reached out a fingertip and tapped the child playfully on the nose. "Well if his brother and mother are any indication, he'll grow up to be quite the little heartbreaker I suspect," he chuckled.

[Darastrix]

Mother and son both blushed at Kleio's comment, while Tristan hid his face shyly against Zira's shoulder, peeked at Kleio, then hid his face again.

"So, Kleio," Jane said, after ringing for tea, "how did you become acquainted with Zira? Zack has been his closest friend for so long, it's almost strange to see him with anyone else."

[Kender Bard]

Kleio's smile was a little fainter this time around but that was the only sign of any outward distress. "I met him while he was at the royal wedding," he admitted. "He seemed like an agreeable fellow and so we struck up a conversation and many more followed after that."

[Darastrix]

Jane smiled fondly at her eldest. "He's always been fond of weddings and the like. He read more romances than anything else."

"I still do," Zira admitted. "And Anarlina is a rather romantic place itself. I feel very much at home there," he added with soft smile.

"You do look very well," she conceded. "Are their healers truly that skilled?"

Zira shook his head. "I was fortunate enough to have been blessed by the Forces. And to have been given another as well." He paused, then added, "Our Lady said that she was happy to see me in a relationship."

Jane brightened at that. "Oh, dearest.... Do you mean you've found someone? Is that why you visited Anarlina so often, besides to see Zack?"

Zira nodded,considering how best to phrase what he had to say as he nuzzled his brother's soft hair. "I have missed you," he murmured. "Both of you," he added, looking to his mother. "And I am sorry. I shouldn't have stayed away like I did; it was unconscionable of me."

"But why did you leave the family?" Jane asked softly, now that the topic had come up. "Who could you possibly have chosen that you felt such a drastic step was needed? Even if she's very low born, your father and I wouldn't care. I wasn't born into the nobility either, you know."

He nodded and continued, choosing his words with care. "Because it isn't a matter of breeding. Talen'sul at large isn't at the point yet where such a coupling would be readily accepted, and with Tristan able to carry on the line, I felt that it would be best for all of us if I gave up my birthright. You know I was never eager to run father's business anyway."

"Well, yes," Jane said, her brow knit in confusion. "But dearest, I still don't understand. Is she a Clear?"

"Not a Clear, no," Zira said, shaking his head as he glanced to Kleio.

~I'm sure I can get it out. Would you? Please?~

[Kender Bard]

"Dear lady, you've already met the object of Zira's affection," Kleio interjected, moving a little closer to Zira with a smile. "It would be me."

[Darastrix]

Kleio's words seemed to only confuse Jane further. "But you're a-- Aren't you?" She asked, then quickly pressed a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me," the noblewoman murmured. "But...," she trailed off helplessly, unable to think of anything to say as she looked back and forth between the two men.

Zira drew his wings in tightly against his back and rocked Tristan in his lap, afraid of seeing the same disapproval in his mother's face as his father had shown months ago.

Jane rose from her seat at seeing her son's distress and hovered near him like a nervous bird, reaching for him and pulling back as though afraid to touch him.

"I'm sorry, Zira," she finally said, wringing her hands together. "I don't understand. Is is another sickness like you had with light?"