Private Tales A Softer Side

[Livia Quinnick]

Artesto. It made her smile, it breaking into a grin as she curled her arms tighter around him. "Then it is a good thing I have brothers to continue this family name." Livia rolled onto the tips of her toes to close the distance to his lips, leaving him with a soft brush of a kiss.

"From now on... I will wait to tell you." It was a promise she needed to make after seeing the hurt and frustration cross his face earlier. "At least try to. I do not expect to kill anyone else in the near future..." The guilt had been too much for her to bear, to simply do what she did best and sweep her emotions under the rug. Tell Arran was in the past now, many months gone now and it had not changed things between herself and the Initiate she had bedded with hours before their own near deaths.

Liv leaned her head so that it rested at Silas' shoulder, her breath tickling his neck. "You know there is no one else that I feel for the way I do for you? No one else I would go ahead and introduce to my family? I am always going to choose you, Silas... you." And she kissed his neck once, smiling.

A knock came at the door, and Okko's voice could be heard. "You are both not pashing are you? Mother's carriage is coming through the gates, if you would like to make your way to the dining room, Livs." And the sound of his footsteps receding came next.

Livia took a deep breath in. "In all honesty, I think she will like you. It would be hard to show, but I know she will. You grew up in the guard, your parents were guards, were they not? Mother will respect that foremost."

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas closed his eyes and smiled against the brief touch of her lips against his. Until tonight, he hadn't considered the idea of marrying Quill to be a viable one, at least not so soon. This, though, the two of them in one another's arms, talking about it so naturally... It felt right. Like he'd be wrong not to wed her.

Gods know how many people spend their entire lives looking for a connection like theirs... Why shouldn't he seize it while it was in front of him? As Livia rested her head on his shoulder and breathed the warmth from her lungs into the skin of his neck, he felt the tension in his body melt away, the stress in his gut leaving him in a sigh.

"We're Dreadlords, Quill... Initiates, at least. Killing people comes with the job..." It wasn't an easy part, granted, and Livia seemed to take it harder than a lot of them. Now, he understood where that disdain for killing came from. It had been instilled in her since her youth when her hand had been forced against her own flesh and blood. Soft lips pressed against his neck, and Silas shivered underneath her touch. "I don't think there's anybody out there who makes me feel the way you do, Quill... I've checked."

A knock on the door interrupted them, and Silas pulled his head away from hers, a bit worried about being walked in on by her Mother, of all people. Thankfully, it was Okko giving them fair warning to ready themselves. Given what was coming next, Silas wasn't sure how much better that made him feel, though.

Stepping back away from Livia, he brushes himself off and does the best he can manage of fixing his tousled hair. He nodded to Liv's assurances and offered his arm for her to loop hers around, still a bit flushed in the face despite her comforts.

"Respecting my folks and respecting me are different things, though..."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

She hushed his worries and words with another kiss before pulling him beside her. Guiding him through the halls of her home, Livia and Silas arrived to the dining room that she had spent many dinners and parties in growing up. Her seat had always been on the right side of her father, who sat at the head of the table, but relief fell over her when she saw the setting had been reserved for Bannon. To Bannon's side, their mother.

"We are to sit on the left side, as guests." She was not sure if she should read into that detail more than needed, but decided that she had been away from home for over three years now. Bannon was heir, not their father's favourite.

Livia did not sit down immediately. Hand still wrapped around Silas', she took one last moment to look up at him. "You truly do look handsome... let that not distract us later when I intend to show you more of my home. Promise?"

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

That they were the first to arrive in the dining room did offer some relief. It would have been far worse to enter with the eyes of her family trained on their every move. At the very least, this gave him time to settle into his surroundings before the onslaught of pure awkwardness began.

Looking over the table, Silas noted where Livia mentioned they were to sit, along the left side of the table. If there was any significance to the seating positions it was lost on him, but he figured Quill would tell him if it was something he needed to know.

Better to focus on the table and the seating than the rest of the immaculate dining hall; he feared taking it all in at once would blind him with sheer sensory overload. How people lived in these palatial estates escaped him-- it was all just so damned excessive.

Liv turned around to stare up at him one more time before they took their seat, and Silas offered that lazy smile of his in response to her words, a brow quirking up suggestively. "You sure? I think a distraction or two might be fun, in the right place..." He snickered, nodding gently, and leaning in to pepper a soft kiss along the edge of her lips. "I promise. I'll behave."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia fended off his small kisses, giggling and fixing him with what was an attempt at a serious face but she could not help but smile in his presence. It was such an odd feeling to have him here when she had spent so many dinners here just the family. "Silas!" She protested, this time taking a step away to plead with him. "We do not have much time here, and I would like to show you the home I grew up in. Who knows when we can sneak away for a night again?" Perhaps this may be the only chance she had to have her brothers and mother to get to know Silas. There was no way of knowing of where they both will be after graduation, but she hoped they both would be together.

The doors opened, and in filtered Okko. He shot them a grin and wink, stepping aside to allow the next guests to walk in.

Bannon found Livia quickly, a smile there that she suspected slipped from him before he could fathom she really was here. Attached to his arm, a woman of blonde hair pinned at the nape of her neck, and despite not dressed for the formal dinner, was still immaculate in fashion. Idella Quinnick had been fussing with her second son before his pause allowed her to look at the spread on the table. Seeing that there were two more place settings than usual, the icy gaze began to look around the room before falling on Livia and Silas.

"Livia..." Surprised, but she made no move to her only daughter.

Liv cleared her throat and turned to dip herself into a low curtsy, her head bowed slightly before lifting her green gaze to her mother. "It is good to see you again, Mama." She stepped to the side, taking Silas' hand and leading him closer to her mother. "This is Silas Artesto. We are... courting I guess." A strained smile there, but it was Okko who came to the rescue of both Initiates.

"You may get a wedding out of your children yet, mother!" He mused, grinning and winking once more before clapping Silas' shoulder. "Not everyone can be at a standard you trained our dear sister into having. Seems he did."

"Yes, perhaps we should sit at the table. The first course is probably waiting for us to settle." Bannon moved to withdraw the seat at the head of the table, gesturing for his mother to take it.

Livia shot Ko a look, surprised he would not sit at the head being the Lord of the house, but she had never sat at the table without her father before. She then looked at Silas and gave him a small smile. "Ignore Okko." And his talk of marriage they were still much too early to even contemplate. Her words made the elder Quinnick brother huff at his sister.

"Right. Rules of the house, if you remember your etiquette, Silas is to sit closest to Mother. It is only good manners that the guest gets proper time to converse with the head of the table." Okko gave them both a look before drifting to take his seat on the right of his mother. At least if Silas got lost in conversation and needed a save, Okko would be opposite him to help.

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

This was it, the moment they'd all been waiting for. Everybody except him, it seemed. Silas' eyes were drawn to the doors as they swung open, the sound of footsteps echoing into the room from beyond them. Every time somebody walked from the doorway into the dining room, Artesto felt himself flinch.

First it was Okko, the brother he'd gotten somewhat familiar with. Then came Bannon, and with him was a woman who Silas initially thought to perhaps be Bannon's own partner. She was an older woman, and not as formally dressed as the rest of them, but then she had no need to dress up when the aura of importance she exuded seemed to serve her just as well.

Silas looked past her, tilting his head to focus back on the doorway. Odd, nobody else seemed to be coming through. Livia's mother was either taking her time, or Okko had seated them too early after all. Gods, this was stressful. Why couldn't they just--

"Livia..."

The blonde woman spoke, and Silas snapped back to her. Only now did he connect the dots he'd anxiously looked past. This was no ordinary woman, this was Livia's mother.

And she was staring icy daggers at him.

Quill moved as quick as lightning, slipping her hand into his and pulling him over to stand in front of Idella. Artesto wasn't usually one to be intimidated, but something about all of the stories he'd heard about this matriarch, and the fact he was quite openly dating her daughter... it made him shrink under her presence.

Thank god Liv was there to do all the talking. She got the proper introduction out of the way, and Okko moved in for support before Idella could expect Silas to say anything himself. At least one of her brothers was trying to throw him a bone, if Okko wasn't already a rich man, Artesto would have offered him all he had to keep up the good work.

Still, that nagging common sense bug in the back of his blonde-matted head reminded him that he'd damn well better say something.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am." Silas bowed his head slightly. "Livia has told me much of you."

At least he hadn't stammered. That was due to change though, being that he was to be seated beside her. Lords, these ritzy types even had assigned dinner seating? What was the point? He held back his gripes as he found his spot, shifting uncomfortably into his chair as he tried to focus on Okko across from him more than the head of the house sitting next to him.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

"I wish that either of my sons gave me enough notice so that I may have dressed for such an occasion." Idella voiced as Bannon helped her in her seat. Her icy stare found Livia, who regarded her mother with the skilled patience of an Initiate. "Or perhaps been told my daughter was home."

For now, Silas escaped the matriarch's scrutiny.

"The Lord Quinnick saw us both in Vel Anir. Invited us to dine. I, too, wished there was more time to prepare. Luckily, Silas here has a most useful magic in traveling fast." Livia gave Idella a polite smile. "It is good to see you again, Mama." She repeated the words she had used not even a minute ago.

Idella let out a soft sigh before casting a glance to her sons. "So it is just the Lord's whim this evening is such an affair? I thought we had agreed to a celebration after her graduation. To celebrate Livia's eighteenth birthday."

"She could be shipped off to the North, or the West for all we know. Let us steal her for a night. After all, there is much to celebrate now that Little Livi is a better master of her magic." Okko beamed at her. "The first Quinnick Dreadlord! We should have booted you off to the Academy sooner."

"I can feel the love, Ko." Livia rolled her eyes as the first course was being set before each of them. A warmed soup, most likely something light and creamy, but delicious nonetheless.

Idella now turned to Silas.

"Artesto? Affiliation with the Guards?"

Silas Artesto

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas, by his own admission, had a big mouth that oft got him into trouble. That didn't mean he didn't know when it needed to stay shut though. The boy seemed to shrink back into his seat as the Quinnick matriarch had a bit of verbal sparring with her children, understandably irked by the unannounced nature of this meeting.

Sil had figured that might lose him a few points, but it seemed Idella was reasonable enough to not blame him for the choice that hadn't been his. Small favors, he supposed. In actuality, he was more concerned about anything being taken out on Livia. His love didn't seem as chummy with her mother as some parent-child pairs, but he could tell Idella's opinion held weight with Quill.

He didn't want her to lose favor over him.

Thankfully, Okko seemed an expert on navigating these treacherous waters, and with only a few reassurances it seemed Idella's ire was averted, at least for the moment. Silas managed to muster a small smile as his eyes briefly met Livia's his shoulders unwinding a bit as he allowed his defenses to dip, just a tad. It helped that whatever brew it was that was being passed around the table had an aroma that was to die for.

"Wow..." Silas held back the obscenity he would normally have used instead. "That smells incredible! May I ask what it is?" He hadn't even tasted the soup yet, and already wanted to know where he could scrounge some for himself once he'd left. Alas, Idella had finally seen fit to address him. At his name, Silas sat straight up and nodded quickly.

"Yes ma'am. Raised by the Guard until my talent manifested and I could be sent to the Academy. I'm to graduate beside Livia."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Graduation.

Her family blinked at her, as if remembering truly that they had sent her away to the Academy to learn to control her magic, to become the first Quinnick Dreadlord. The fact that she was already ready to graduate after four years of attending seemed to remind them how long it had been since they truly saw Livia living in this estate. Bannon contemplated this after sipping from his spoon, Okko had tried his best to not think too much on the night he escorted his youngest sibling to an institution known for the cutthroat life as an Initiate.

Idella simply was surprised with her only daughter.

"Sylvian... Artesto. Is that your father? Was good friends of my brother's, Fionn Adalstein. Elves murdered him when he was unarmed... your father attended the funeral." Livia had not heard her mother speak of the uncle who died before Bannon had been born, and it was probably back then that Idella Quinnick had talked at length about the Guard. The remaining siblings of Idella's and their grown children were all in the Guard, stationed in Vel Anir. Only on a few occasions had Livia seen a cousin or two during a mission, but they always kept to themselves than socialise with a Dreadlord, even an Initiate.

"Mother used to be a Lieutenant before she was married off to... my father." Livia hesitated at the word, but quickly spooned some soup to her mouth to keep from talking more. After a few spoonfuls, she brought up her gaze and looked to those sitting at the table. "She taught Ko and Ban how to wield a sword when they were young."

Even with her education at the Academy, she was still bitter that her mother had taught her something instead of Anirian Guards and their weaponry.

"Have you kept up with your ballet training, Livia?" Idella did not raise her gaze to meet her daughter's, busying herself with consuming her soup at a leisurely pace.

Livia stiffened, turning her head to stare at the sweet mead being poured into her crystal goblet by an attendant. "When I could not sleep, I would train until my feet bled. Just like the sessions I did with you." There was hardness in her voice, as if she were treading lightly around a topic she loathed but all the same took pride in. Not many got to see her as a ballerina, but knew of her to be a capable dancer. She was no free spirit like Houri when she danced. Livia was conditioned to pain to get her feet and legs and body to move with precision and grace.

Silas Artesto