Sheltered from the hustle and bustle of court, Rhea was seated once more in the library, now dressed in an apple green gown that was far more comfortable than what she had donned on the day of the ball. Ever since the arrival of the audacious newcomer, all the young noblewomen saw her as a threat to them, and thus dressed with even more care than usual, which only invoked Rhea's scorn at their fallacious vanity. Lady Carthenn dressed as she usually did, not deigning to follow the flighty whims of the women at court.They really thought that they could prove themselves better than her by methods of dressing, and treating Lady Alys with the most chilling sangfroid the young ladies could muster. Rhea found that behaviour rather hypocritical, seeing as they were bubbling with curiosity about he and from whence she had came. Of course, they were hasty in denouncing her manners as crass and unwomanly, yet they inwardly marvelled at the backbone she displayed in her discourse with the royals. Lady Alys seemed fearless, a glib barbarian, yes, but her steel was quite something to the flock of hens at court.
She surreptitiously turned a page over, occasionally glancing behind her shoulder to check for intruders. It would not do to be caught like this. The library was the only place that she could mayhaps read this in peace, she had feigned a headache to a chary Ivette, who departed for the Queen Mother's suite with an assemblage of Rhea's murmuring attendants. Rhea allowed a flicker of a smile to be imparted on her countenance as she recalled how after making sure the coast was clear, she had sped away to her safe haven to voraciously peruse her new book. She stroked it lovingly, in a similar manner in which her peers would undoubtably caress their fine fabrics. It was a fresh copy of yet another one of the books Rhea adored, though branded 'heretical' and 'blasphemous' by an indignant Ivette. The tome had been smuggled into Raylea by a well paid smuggler, and Rhea was determined not to let this one fall into the hands of Ivette, who would no doubt burn it, and escort her Lady to Aleirity to atone. She was nearly halfway through it, going over a thought provoking treatise as to how and why the myths of deities were disseminated to the general public, all the while mercilessly dissecting the fables the pious clung to so stringently, completely engrossed that she did not notice an entrance.
With a light, almost cat like manner, a young man who was none other than Adalius Falerion languidly made his way into the library. His pupils dilated to adjust to the darkness that engulfed the room, the curtains had been drawn, despite it being the middle of the day. Quickly, the gears in his brain began to work, the servants surely would not be so indolent as to neglect this fundamental part of their job, they knew better than that. His keen hearing alerted him to the sound of the rustling of a page. Someone was here, he could feel it. And they didn't want to be found. A devilish smirk spread on his face. Too bad for them, because he intended to find just who it was that sought to elude other people by hiding in the library of all places.
Noiselessly, his feet glided expertly on the floor, his movements adroit as he deftly manoeuvred himself in a manner that would cause his quarry to be completely unaware of his presence. It was a rather stark juxtaposition to his usual overwhelming young lord's presence, but he made the most of this remarkable ability of his. His amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark, almost catlike, really, as he prowled the perimeter.
Rhea was not one with heightened senses, she hadn't Adalius' advantage of having her senses honed by being on the hunt or other such activities, nonchalantly turning a page, unaware of what was to come. The lord king managed to discern a shadowy figure, though his tiger eyes resembled that of a feline's, he did not possess the laudable vision of cats, but it was enough to go off on for Falerion.
When he stepped closer to this figure, he caught a whiff of almost imperceptible perfume, which both nonplussed him, as most ladies of the court had a penchant for dousing themselves in Alynthian perfumes, to the point that they became repugnant instead of alluring as the perfume bottles claimed they would be. In comparison, this fragrance was far more appealing, and didn't threaten to block off his nostrils like that one time with a Cohanythian whore and her inordinate use of perfume, but that was a tale for another time.So this was definitely a woman, for her perfume was still able to be scented, but she was probably rather eccentric. An oddity, he mockingly thought to himself. Who could it possibly be?
After having satisfied himself that he was right behind this person, and inwardly marvelling that she had yet to catch wind of his presence, he leaned down to where he thought her ear would be, and seductively whispered, "Sweetheart, what are you doing all alone in a dark library like this? I do believe that I ought to keep you company, but mayhaps I'd be too much of a distraction," He purred his words luxuriously, even if this woman, whoever she was, turned out to be an odd one, he was overweening in his courtship abilities, there oughtn't be any trouble. So it came to him as a rather great shock when he heard a hiss under the stranger's breath, and felt himself pushed backward onto the floor. Bewildered, he attempted to get his bearings, to understand just what had happened, when a scornful voice called out, "I should have known I'd never be able to get any peace and quiet, not with you on the prowl,"
Adalius let out a low whistle, "So it's you, Rhea Carthenn? I must say, this discovery has not disappointed me in the slightest," He stood up once more, assiduously brushing the nonexistent dust of his clothes, before resting his gaze upon the irate form of Rhea Carthenn, her cheeks mottled red with vexation, her lower lip bitten in frustration, which only served to bring Adalius' signature smirk onto his face.
"Alas, I cannot say the same for you, and what in Lumaena's name are you smirking at me for? And milord, it is most impudent of you to address me without my proper title," Rhea spat vituperatively, her honey coloured eyes incandescent with rage, flashing with irritation, which only elicited a hearty laugh from Adalius. It was extremely rare that any woman spoke to him like that, the only other one being his extraordinary sister, the future Queen. He remarked to himself that Rhea was surprisingly attractive when she was in a rage. Well, all the more reason to vex her, was it not?
He luxuriously stretched, taking his sweet time before responding, "Impudence is my middle name, my lady, and has anyone told you how unusually comely you appear when you're in a rage?" He snickered softly, savouring just how furious she appeared. His gaze landed onto the book Rhea had been reading, and his eyes slightly widened as he descried the title. It was a banned tome, as it was deemed too heretical to be perused, yet here it was, being read by none other than Rhea Carthenn. The title of this illustrious book was The Gods: All the myths unravelled. He had always known that Rhea was studious and inordinately fond of reading, but surely she knew that if she were caught reading this by anyone else, she'd be publicly disgraced? For all her snobbish intelligence, she was a fool if she thought that this was enough privacy in which to read such a pernicious book. If a non-noble were found to read this, they would be hanged, no questions asked. What would become of Rhea? An unwilling gasp escaped his lips.
Rhea followed his gaze and her eyes narrowed at him. She seemed determined, and unperturbed by the threat that Adalius posed by having witnessed her reading the proscribed volume. He admired her mettle, her unwavering expression and proud stance. This was what a noblewoman ought to look like. His reverie was interrupted by her words, "So, you've seen it. I suppose it'd be of no use bribing you? The wealth of the Falerions is only inferior to that of the Crown's and even that is debatable, judging by the rate at which your coffers are inundated with gold," Her voice was level and unharried, almost as if this was of little import.
Adalius matched her nonchalance, his hands finding their way into his embroidered pockets as he assumed an indolent stance, "Bribery wouldn't work, Lady Carthenn, but if you were to implore me movingly, I would have no choice but to take this secret with me to the grave," He said lightly, and immediately Rhea's brow furrowed at his words.
"I'd be most obliged to you if you'd stop spouting arrant nonsense, Falerion. Normally, I'd trust the honour of a nobleman to keep silent, however, you possess none at all, and I'm not the type to believe in nonexistent things," Her slender shoulders were squared in a defensive position, eyes flashing with clear contempt, which only sparked more amusement in Adalius' gaze. So she thought him dishonourable and a scoundrel? Interesting. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly the most scrupulous individual, spending time on his knees in Aleirity had always been a chore for him, whereas exploring the delights of Aelbourne had always been far more congenial.
Leaning over slightly, he grinned at her, "Ironic how you sound almost like a priest in the way you denounce me and my mannerisms. Non-existent things. How about we add the Gods to that list as well, hm?" He gestured to the composition, "Must have been most enlightening if it were able to rivet you to the point you didn't notice my approach. And if it's convinced even the cynical mind of Rhea Carthenn, I really ought to read it sometime,"
Rhea looked most unimpressed with his statement, but something in her gaze changed, it thawed a little, and Adalius had to stifle his smile at seeing that. "I absolutely object, I sound nothing like those dogmatic charlatans. The Gods......" She briefly considered whether she should reveal her opinions or dissemble.
Adalius nodded encouragingly, gesticulating slightly as he explained, "Go on, and let's face it, even if I decide to bring this story to the High Priest, it'd be easy enough for you to deny it, burn this damning evidence that is the objectionable book, and since I'm a dissolute young man only protected by his illustrious surname, and it'll end in a deadlock equally embarrassing for the both of us, will it not?" His words were spoken seriously for once, which led to a raised eyebrow on Rhea's part. He stopped himself short, examining how just then he hadn't been his usual glib self. How very curious indeed.
Rhea's words were clearly measured carefully before she spoke them, still chary of Adalius as he had the upper hand in this situation, and did not wish to exacerbate her own situation by misspeaking, "The system was made to control the minds of the populace, by making them fear some higher authority, so that they wouldn't step out of line for fear of incurring divine wrath and being banished to the Netherworld in the 'afterlife' they've created for themselves. The mountebacks of the Aleirity don't wish for us to think, if Lumaena is a goddess of mercy even when she allows Asden to wreak havoc and Bellator to lay waste to the land with his war, we are to accept that with no question. It's a form of repression. I still respect people who believe, but I ask of you, when will the Aleirity stop hanging learned men and women because they dared to question doctrine? When will they stop trying to influence politics, which is clearly out of their scope?" Her voice was low and impassioned, the colour in her cheeks heightened as she was clearly invested in what she was saying. It intrigued Adalius, that all along, this aloof young woman had been harbouring such criminal thoughts and seemed so utterly unrepentant.
Again, her voice snapped him out of his admiration. "You're oddly silent, for once, you aren't running that mouth of yours like you're being paid to. What's the matter?" Her mien was judgemental, the passion that had enriched her features while she had been speaking was gone, now, she looked scornful and slightly irate.
Adalius sighed slightly, putting on a face of mock melancholy, placing his hand upon his heart as he heaved a dramatic sigh, "Must you denigrate me even when I am contemplating the weight of your words? You really are most cruel, Lady Carthenn, I do hope you know that," His words were greeted by Rhea rolling her eyes in exasperation, and he swiftly became serious, discarding his glib attitude for the nonce to express his thoughts, "You do have reason in your arguments, but I must ask, how much of it is you reciting the contents of this book verbatim? I don't believe you're one to be swayed easily, for you are one of sound judgement, yet I must know. When have you started questioning all of this? Surely Prycrest is not a hotbed of heresy? I doubt it was your father who inculcated such thoughts into you,"
A peculiar look appeared on Rhea's countenance, as she reminisced of days long gone by. It was starkly different from the sharp disapprobation or the frigid politeness she tended to exhibit, and Adalius took note of that. As she began speaking, her stance became less defensive as she shared something that was oddly personal for the austere Rhea Carthenn, "It was when I was a lass of four and ten, and the passing of my Lady Mother Joslyn when I realised that..." She trailed off seeing Adalius' intent expression as he gazed at her. "What are you looking at me like that for?"
He exhaled in utter disenchantment, he had been that close to getting the frostily distant Rhea Carthenn to let her guard then, and at the last minute, she had reinforced her walls and kept him out just as he had been about to glean the secrets of her complex mind. However, his signature smirk rose to his lips, which prompted a scowl to appear on Rhea's face. "Is it not human nature to appreciate such radiant beauty?" A skeptical raised eyebrow was the response he got, followed by Rhea shaking her head in dismay.
"Your sweet talking just makes you look fatuous. Here I thought you were capable of serious intellectual contemplation, yet your libertine side never fails to exhibit itself, does it?" She got up and smoothed out her clothing, before taking her book and purposefully striding towards a bookshelf, concealing the objectionable tome between almanacs that no one ever perused. Rhea was about to go to the exit before she halted, tilting her head backward as she held Adalius' gaze solemnly, "Can I trust your discretion, Falerion? A slip of the tongue would be fatal, as you very well know,"
Adalius took her hand and pressed it to his heart in a melodramatic gesture of pledging fealty, "You have my word of non-existent honour, Lady Carthenn. As satisfying as it is to see you beseeching me for aid, we don't have all day, as I'm sure you're aware of," His jocular tone did not earn him any favour with Rhea, who wrenched her hand away from his grasp, walking away without a second look back. The young lord sighed, seating himself on top of an upholstered armchair, a faint look of boyish disconsolation upon his mien.
"Ah, that Carthenn, what am I to do with her? She'll ruin the game at this rate....."