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[rowancrowned]

 

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[shri]

I have and she... [ was Gwen ] referred me to you over it.

[rowancrowned]

Good. [ pleased. ] Then you understand the shape of such things. My [ uhh what is a human word that humans use. ] intended has no desire to be in the midst of such things, and I would spare her them.

Are you familiar with the arrangement of such things in your own world?

[shri]

Yes, she made it very clear on the time and level of involvement she was expected to have. [ A huff. ] I still have no idea how they get married in a day.

[ And that - well, she's smooth. ] Very familiar. [ She's expected to get the response that Gwen gave her so she says it as a matter of factly rather than with any sense of grandness over the notion. Just like rattling off a letter or recommendation and previous appointments. I, a woman of high repute, come thoroughly recommended - ] My own wedding took three weeks, itself, but I was marrying a King, so you can imagine the sort of affair it was. Granted I was quite young - [ a musing for latter she supposed. ] - but since then, I have organised many for my... court, as you would say, and even lower members have... certain expectations.

[rowancrowned]

As I understand it, the ceremony itself will take but a few hours. The reception is to be the actual affair worth considering. Due to the events of a few years past [ anders. ] the venue for the ceremony itself is small, and can only fit so many, few of them Inquisition. The mingling will take place at her grandfather's estate, and that is where we are granted some measure of freedom to... win hearts and minds, let us say.

Are you comfortable scaling down preparations to fit one single day, your majesty?

[ the wife of a king is traditionally a queen. and he has still not forgotten the iskander incident(s). ]

[shri]

Bai Saheba, or Rani, not Your Majesty.

[ It makes her feel... English, which is not worth explaining here and now, so moving on - ]

I most certainly can do such a thing, but I will need to know how much you intend to spend roughly before I hazard any thoughts.

[rowancrowned]

How do they translate to Trade?

[ because he parses out even his sindarin like a starving man conserving grains of rice, let alone other rifter tongues. he is assimilating. he is harmless, just a harmless big elf.

he then names a figure that could comfortably run the kirkwall outpost for half a month. ]

... that is not including my lady's dress, nor the customary donation to the Chantry for performing the ceremony, nor our carriage from the ceremony to the estate.

[shri]

Trade? [ What - Oh, right. ] Bai means lady, that same as in my name, Lakshmi Bai, and Sabeha is... respected, worthy, that sort of meaning. Rani simply means Queen, and for us, suffices as a method of address.

[ And Goodness, maybe she should be calling him Lakshmi, she hadn't seen that much money since the last time she looked at a United India sales record. Well that... had... more than she expected to have to work with. ]

Then my first suggestion would be to find out what can be outsourced to your local craftsmen.

[rowancrowned]

I assume 'my lady' will do, then?

[ there is the rustling of paper. he is not base operations, to have the full list at hand, but he does have a selection of merchants, importers, the folk the inquisition has done business with before and can trust to do again. ]

I will have the list delivered to you post-haste, unless my lady wishes to only to advise. I am comfortable with allowing you the use of the line of credit Duke de Coucy has in the city.

[shri]

It would be close enough.

[ That is a tremendous amount of trust to their family, and if she were there, she would bow her head in respect, as would be proper. But even so, she is... surprised. ] You honour me, thank you. If you think of any other details, please, I am now currently in the work of trying to assist any who come to us, and so...

[ But to carry on - ] My second, would be to provide entertainments in the streets during the hours of your reception. Bards - the singers - that sort of ilk. Things to share your cheer. Provided to all central places, so that wealthiest and poorest may partake of them communally. Perhaps things marriage and religiously themed? [ And what else - well, the simplest of all. The purposes of any festival if she was asked about it. He did, also, have enough money for it if she was going to get going. ] And for food, small cakes and the like, to be given out from the ... oh, Chantries, is it? To arrange a service to be done, and at that time for food to be given out in thanks to all who attend it.

[ damn her if she won't try, though, a carefulness in her voice as she picks out it. ] And if feel like the extra coin to be spent, a gift of blankets to the Chantries in the alienages for them to distribute, to show your goodwill in the name of your new faith. To those who shall be in need of Andraste's warmth once winter comes.

[rowancrowned]

[ politely, even a touch ashamed: ] If you are too busy to allow for this frivolity of mine, there is no need to allow me to impose upon your time.

[ she speaks, and then he thinks, ah, and his tone is still remorseful as he address her. ]

I think... that there has been some level of misunderstanding. Very little of that would be appropriate. That level of festival would be appropriate for a noble wedding. To force the whole of the city to participate would be to place what is being done before them, to force them to watch.

[ and the truth: ] I am only being allowed this for a handful of reasons, chiefest among them that I am considered a Rifter by the Chantry authorities, and not an elf. Marriages of this sort are not legal, and to ask the nobles who have declined invitations, let alone the elves to witness that would not do anything for the Inquisition's reputation.

This event cannot have a hint of foreignness to it, and only enough pageantry to flatter Gwenaelle's father's nobility, and the standing of the Inquisition. We could manage, perhaps, some bards, and the distribution of uneaten food to Lowtown, but there is a line here.

[shri]

You are giving me a joy of any community which wars have taken from me for years, and a new way to do the task which I have been set. No, I would bless you every day for this, it is no imposition.

[ A pause, hesitant - oh, she loathes this place and its understandings about what is too much, she thinks of Magni and Marcoulf coughing in shock over what she had spent on her spices for a simple meal. Or, literally coughing, in Marcoulf's case, when he'd taken a bite into it. Like she'd served him garam masala raw itself. ] A nobles wedding at least has at least three plays performed and a parade of horses and at least two elephants, to my reckoning, and it wouldn't dare go for a day. [ she sighs, irritated but there isn't much for it. It isn't her wedding after all. ]

Alright, then I will insist on the gifts given to the Chantry for the poorest, but we can forgo the rest.

[rowancrowned]

If you would bring me the receipts for the purchases, it would be much appreciated. I will look the fool if I am not familiar with the good works done in my name.

[ he translates 'eliphant' to oliphaunt neatly enough, and thinks that legolas would enjoy that. perhaps if his son ever shows the inclination, he would contact lakshmi again, and make arrangements for excess. ]

You are content with your work? We must find meaning here.

[shri]

You will receive reports of everything I do, I will not leave you looking confused in the face of those who judge us so harshly.

[ As for the rest - there's a noise, and it cannot be called pleased. ]

Meaning? My meaning never changes, neither in my durbar hall, the battlefield or the worst streets of the alienage. [ Bitter, vicious. ]

[rowancrowned]

Thank you for understanding.

[ he knows that class of noise, even if it's one he does not make it himself. ]

Sometimes the best work is done quietly.

[shri]

[ By quiet, you mean, levelling a city block, right? ]

Naturally. I prefer working when it comes to it.

[ Or you know, that no one knows *you* did it? ]

[rowancrowned]

[ maybe he can get anders to do an informative group lesson on explosions. ]

You have settled into the Thedas way of things?

[ you know, like how they bring in ex addicts to tell kids not to do drugs. ]

[shri]

[ The second she works out how to get some gaatlock it's all over. Where on where is her good boy Tesla? ]

How courteous you are.

[ It's laughed, as quick as her initial bitterness. Snapped away as fast as that. ]

[rowancrowned]

Where do I sit, and what do I have laid before me?

[ rhetorical, as always.

but she is not an elf, so she does not have to assume her actions will be held as evidence of a rifter's behavior and another groups', too. ]

One does not play chess with backgammon pieces and find sympathy when they are trounced. Do you have any questions left unanswered about why things are done a certain way, or why some matters are not spoken of? My door is open for just such questions.

[shri]

Nothing I do not already know the truth of the answer too. What I do not know, I have seen similar enough to guess. Though they have less clever beasts to fear, and I suppose I must remember that about them.

[ But there is a sigh. ]

Anything else I fear the trouble it might cause you for my own indulgence and I have no need or want to cause such issues.

[rowancrowned]

Better you make me blush now than worry later.

In my optimism, I presume our success against Corypheus and have devoted no small measure of thought of thinking of after, of when there are no more rifts for us to close.

[shri]

Mm.

[ Mild as sunlight. ]

I am glad someone of us has such a hope for Rifters.

[rowancrowned]

I am long-lived, and I will have a wife to consider. Perhaps children.

[shri]

[ Oh, children. She's sure Gwen will have perfectly little squalling rolly-polly little babies that never give her a moment's peace, like she deserves, but even so - ]

Then I pray you keep that hope alive. For surely the great blessing of mortal men's short lives will keep that dream from them as far as any of these people are concerned for us.

[rowancrowned]

That is the purpose of your office, is it not? To make them care?

[shri]

Help is provided because help should be provided. It is the only reason such positions should be given out and should exist.

[ For one moment they could cry out your name, swear you the hope of your people, you could even do for them now as she wished to do for Thranduil. See someone only the greatest happiness.

But night will come, night will always come, and they will turn belly up like cowards. They will sell out their own people for the right price, and so many will die for it. She will not be that fool again, she will not be betrayed again. She will not let other people pay for her naivety, her hopes, her foolishness. Because she had believed something to be true. ] But I learned too long ago that you may give everything of yourself away to the point of starvation, goodwill still will not be something you can always trust.