Naturally on such a long trip, certain accommodations were required. Seating arrangements, for an example. There was no real discussion of who would ride where, but there was nonetheless a negotiation. Loki would ride in the front with Balthazar (the driver) and the two Wests, brother and sister would enjoy the spacious back with its panorama views being, as they are, the tourists.
     The three and a half hour drive was largely uneventful. And considering the fact that the Older Brother was seated behind the Interloping Sister Seducer, this is nothing short of extraordinary -- particularly when gold-flecked eyes would check the rearview mirror -- in the interest of traffic safety -- to find the lovely face and lovely form of Madison Elaine West.
     The current demo was played, along with a number of other things -- Loki given the floor or airtime, if you will, to talk about the demo, the songs he wrote. Once England was in the rearview mirror, Balthazar began to point out sights more frequently. And up ahead, the village of Welshpool and the beginning of his family's holdings.
     Powis Castle is an amazing structure. Its red gritstone is visible from miles away and the closer the Land Rover gets, the more impressive it becomes. It is a true castle, a working castle, one that has seen constant activity and inhabitant since the 13th Century. The drive past the village of Welshpool (typical and quaint) leads up to the castle through the ground and gardens, ending in a circular drive around the Pegasus and rider statue. There are two other Land Rovers (one black, one dark green) parked along the drive. The one that ferries you here joins them.
     Car off, keys in pocket, Balthazar steps out of the car -- sort of bounds actually, the happy hop of someone glad to be home -- and he drags a hand through his cinnamon-brown hair and stretches. The air is crisp, even if it is almost summer. He opens the back door of the Rover for the Wests, "Welcome to Cymru and Powis Castle."
     He is clothed in a suit -- it's what works best, really -- and a pull-over. The suit is charcoal grey; the shirt is black and grey striped, horizontal strips like a rugby shirt. Beneath it is another shirt and a knotted silk tie with red and grey stripes. His shoes are black Converse. And his brown hair, with its bits of red and cinnamon, is artfully akimbo, short and mussed.
     "Oh, anyone allergic to dogs? I should have said something before. My grandfather's a bit nuts for dogs," Balthazar notes quietly. He looks to Maddie -- where else, who else? He can't help it, even though he's polite. The looks are never quite stares, but they linger past the polite glance.
     There's only so much he can do...

     The siblings are, for now at least, getting along fairly well. There's been some quiet discussion, nothing of which strays into territory of sex or betrayal or, well, anything else. They focus mostly on their absentee sister, and now and again chat crosses the invisible border between front and back.
     She is clad in a light summery dress of turquoise blue with white around the border and a pair of brown leather sandals, a brown bomber jacket two sizes too big over it. Maddie's hair is back in a ponytail - it's as unmanageable as ever - and she's not bothered to do makeup beyond some pale lipgloss with sunscreen. Not that the sunscreen's needed here. She smiles whenever she catches Balthazar looking at her in the rear view mirror...
     Pres is clad in what amounts to the prep uniform for such occasions : button-up shirt (his is pale, pale blue) with a navy pair of slacks and navy blazer, and his school tie. His hair is a little longer than it had been, and rumpled; and despite being officially a man in the eyes of the law, he still can't raise a beard despite all attempts to shave. His long legs are louche in front of him, and his cane laid between the seat and the rear door. He doesn't meet Balthazar's eyes in the mirror the entire drive and while he is perfectly polite, doesn't really seem to have an awful lot to say to him.
     "We're not allergic to dogs at all," Maddie tells Balthazar with a mischievous grin. "Our granddad's got dogs, too - water spaniels."
     "What else," Pres mutters. "They don't drown." He gets himself out of the Land Rover and stretches with the help of his cane, looking around and up at the castle. For a moment, there is an acute pang to his expression, quickly schooled. "I'm not allergic to any animals. Except maybe sharks."

     Neutral territory among the various factions of an uneasy truce is not where Loki is used to finding himself. He's put up with it remarkably well for the length of the car ride, as with no active war breaking out all it requires is keeping a weather eye on conversational trends for drift towards the wrong topics. Music is a safe topic. So is Gillian, to his mild surprise.
     Nonetheless, it's with some distinct gratitude for being free of the confined space that he follows everyone else in climbing out of the car. After a moment of trying to de-wrinkle his clothing with nothing more than the flat of his palm and sincere hope for tidiness, he spares a longer look for the castle and grounds. "What kind of dogs does your grandfather keep?" Maybe he'll be lucky and everyone will stick to pleasant, acrimony-free topics for the entire length of this trip. Like dogs. If he's very, very lucky.

     Sharks and Sisters' Boyfriends. Maybe there's not much of a difference. Balthazar glances to Pres as he heads for the stairs and the main doors. "Corgis, the twelve-inch terrors. That's what I call them. I think he calls them King and Country. Your grandfather and my grandfather would probably get along well. They seem the same temperament," Balthazar says to Maddie, in particular, though with a glance he includes Three as well. He smiles to her and says something quietly, something in passing, something dear to be sure, as he heads up the stairs. "There aren't many steps," he mentions to Pres. "And I've made sure to have you appointed in one of the ambassador apartments, suites really, on the main floor. Just for convenience sake. But if you want something else, Pres, just let me know. Since the building's privately held, it's not as accessible as others, unfortunately." Sharks and Sisters' Boyfriends, maybe there's not much of a difference but at least he's polite.
     Balthazar opens the main door, holding the oak door wide open. The red and white marbled floor can be seen, and some of the decor. "I'm not sure how many of the family are actually here yet. We might not have that much of a gauntlet to run right at the beginning." He certainly hopes not. He would like to have a moment to catch his breath -- maybe steal a kiss -- before he has to face the entire clan.
     Balthazar smiles to his friends, and his love, holding the door for them to pass through. He tips his head back, leaning against the wood with the red stone all around him. He makes more sense in a place like this. There is a kind of subtle context that is provided. A piece to the puzzle pops into place. His gaze, his smile, the air around him is warm with it.

     "Thanks. I'll be fine." Pres is equally polite, nodding to Balthazar with a rolled shrug and a little lift of his cane with its ebony handle. He feels like he needs a top hat, but he doesn't say anything about what's going on behind his cerulean blue eyes. He glances over at his sister, then at Loki, and he shrugs. It is what it is, right?
     Maddie is just delighted - and awed - and both show with mixed emotions on her face for a moment, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet. Good thing she picked ballet slippers tonight. She leans up to kiss her boyfriend's cheek, winding her arm through his, leaning in against him for just a moment. "How do you feel after all that driving?"

     Loki returns that shrug to Pres, while Maddie and Balthazar are busy being distracted by each other. It is what it is. He can feel that warmth around Balthazar, like watching a safer reflection of the sun, and there's a moment of imagining how he might mirror it towards other people--
     But it's not his job to start playing with energy he doesn't even understand, and Pres could likely use reassurance and attention of the more mundane sort first. He falls back to walk beside Pres, surveying the entrance with polite interest.

     There is a glance to Pres -- okay, so maybe the Shark, the Sister's Boyfriend, is a little nervous -- but he bends to meet her part way, to accept the kiss and the winding of her arm. There is a little static; it makes him smile in the lean. It is an embrace, however subtle, however polite. And he is thankful for it. He wanted it -- he can't hide that. "I am glad to be standing," he says quietly and with an ever-warming grin.
     Sunrise...Sunset...
     Balthazar winds her arm in his, keeping the connection as he holds open the door. "The family tends to gather in the gallery and music room. It's close to the gardens. I'll give everyone a map. Ah, the main restroom, if you need to find them -- there are of course appointments now in each room... and a few shared as well. Anyone need coffee, tea, food? I need all three..."
     As soon as the door was opened, there was some silent alarm -- not an actual alarm perhaps, but one that servants understand. Someone is here. Probably hungry. There is the sound of an approaching cart on marble...
     "I think you'll like the gardens. There's an orangerie, which is nice, and an aviary remarkably stocked with birds despite my grandfather's fondness for hunting and the corgis fondness for snacks." Balthazar smiles, closing the door and turning to the lovely girl on his arm. "I think you'll like the gardens," he says low to her. And the lean becomes a hug at last, culminating in a kiss on the crown of her head. "I think I hear a cart," he announces with a humored smile. "I think they have the door rigged, personally..."

     The kiss is noticed by the Sister's Boyfriend and politely ignored. If Pres looked the other way any harder, he'd need a chiropractor in addition to anything else. "Food, maybe something to drink. No coffee for me, thanks," he says politely, glancing to Loki. "I'm betting Loki wants coffee, though. It's usually a safe bet."
     Maddie grins, holding onto her boyfriend's arm and winding her own arms around his. "I'm sure I'll love the gardens," she retorts, just as low, giving him a look which is filled with adoration and intimacy that seems to come naturally, even under the circumstances. "A cart? What kind of cart?" She tilts her head to listen, but doesn't unlatch.
     "Coffee is always a safe bet. I'd say except when I'm already asleep, but I can forgive being woken up if coffee is available at the time, so there you go." Loki does not have to look at Balthazar and Maddie to be entirely aware of the kissing, and so he's making no particular attempts to look away. "If it's a tea cart, I'll also settle for more traditional yet less aggressive forms of caffeine."

     "Food cart," Balthazar says to her, and he twists, seeing two on the way. "Da bnawn," he calls out to the two approaching. "Chymerwn 'i i mewn 'r blas , dybia." The language trips and lilts from his tongue, his own accent a bit strange even to Welsh ears. While fluent, his Welsh is colored by his other native tongue. To the untrained ears, it often sounds like a waterfall, or of haphazardly falling notes in a song. It has an inherent lyricism to it.
     "We'll ... take the tour in a bit," he offers, "...and I'll show you your rooms. First things first," Balthazar smiles, "Food." He gestures to the approaching carts, signaling his movement toward the great hall. Hand in his girl's, he nods for the others to follow him.
     What one was a royal great hall, the place where kings and princes held audiences, is now an enormous living room. There are two massive fireplaces back when such were needed -- and come December and January, they'll be needed! -- and several areas for family sitting. There are three such sitting areas, distinct but coherent in design and passage, with confidant sofas, and antiques from the 16th through the 19th Centuries. The floor is the same red and white marble, but covered in rugs, some from the conquest of India, some from Persia.
     Two female staff members are wheeling in the carts from another direction, setting up the coffee, tea, beef and rabbit pies and other snacks at the largest of the seating areas -- one with two couches, a settee, a divan, three chairs and two ottomans. "Ddiolch 'ch," Balthazar says to them both -- the girls with the apple-cheek faces and lovely clothes.
     "Ach chroesawa , syr," they reply, giving a nod to each of the guests.
     Lifting a dome from one of the trays, Balthazar starts taking a pie. "I love these things. I could make myself sick on them..." He grins to Maddie, his fingers moving against her own as he takes a seat on something not moving. For a change.

     He is impressed. How could he help but be impressed? Pres looks around, limping his way to sit on one of the chairs so he can put his bad leg up on one of the ottomans. "How do you do?" he offers to the staff members politely. Not so politely that he stands up again; he leans back, closing his eyes. Maybe it's because of the discomfort. Maybe it's so as not to watch his sister and her boyfriend. Maybe it's just so as not to look around more than he ahs to.
     "Hi!" Maddie chirps, grinning as she goes on hugging Balthazar's arm. One arm does unwind from his to snag a pie as well, to try it. She grins up at him as well, then promptly perches next to him. Not in his lap, but close to him. And if her brother weren't in the room, it probably would be in Balthazar's lap.
     Pres opens his eyes and gives Loki an apologetic look. "Er. Would you mind?" He gestures to the carts, then to his cane. He really doesn't want to get up, now that he's finally got his leg fully stretched out.

     "Not at all." Loki moves into acquiring snacks-and-beverages for Pres as smoothly as if he'd been planning to do so all along, something polite and vague said to the women at the carts in greeting on the way. It's not that he's ignoring them, as such. It's only that the thermos of coffee ran out half an hour into the trip, and he can't rely entirely on Balthazar's sunny nature to maintain his own good mood. He delivers plate and coffee to Pres, and takes a seat beside him with just coffee for himself.

     Balthazar chuckles, his laughter both adoring and amused as Maddie and pie (Maddie and Pie are two of his favorite things -- the very thought they could be combined is almost more than he can stand) settle next to him. He bumps her leg against her own, the connection held there, held and maintained. Head tilted toward her, he grins. He smiles at the static, at the buzzing of the air around them.
     It becomes charged... and supercharged...
     Cinnamon eyes lift to the others in the room, his smile winding to look at Loki and Pres. "Oh, and my grandfather has a pub built in. There are billiards, if you're interested. It's the best pub in Wales, and best of all... there are no other people to get in the way of your enjoyment or your beer."
     Glancing to Maddie, Balthazar quickly winks.

     From down the hall, there are voices. The sound of one, or maybe it's more, approaching...

     Legs bump, and her hand tangles with Balthazar's, her other hand lifting pie to her lips as she smiles. Colour lifts in her cheeks, and she lets her head tilt against his upper arm, sliding her cheek sleekly against him like a cat marking territory. She knows what she wants.
     Pie is only a small part of it.
     Maddie opines, "Pres should be brilliant at billiards. He even brings his own stick." She grins at her big brother impishly.
     Pres grins reluctantly at that, shaking his head at his sister. "Thanks, Loki." He takes coffee and food, propping the plate in his lap and closing his eyes for a moment. There is regret and longing in him, both held at bay by sheer force of will, kept off his face by the well-bred, well-trained prep school education. "I don't mind other people generally, really." Just some people in specific.

     There is no good way to do a poke in the shoulder and check on emotional status under the circumstances. Doubly so when Loki already knows the real answer to the question he was going to ask, whatever Pres would say. He sinks back on the couch, drinking coffee. "Good thing, too, since it's hard to get a good game of billiards going solitaire. You can beat me at that later."

     Balthazar looks from Maddie to Pres and Loki. "I think Pres would likely beat me," there's a double entendre if one ever heard it. "... I never really picked up the knack. I always seem to overshoot, or there is too much spin." Read that as you will. Looking from Pres and Loki to Maddie again, he smiles, finishing the rabbit pie.
     Sparks lift and sparks fly, moving in the air like fireflies. Legs bump and fingers twine. Balthazar is quiet -- content to be so as he looks between the three in the room, Loki, Pres and Madison. There his gaze rests a while, and a while more.

     "Oh, there you are," the voice is male, smooth in intonation. Iowerth Rhudd Draig had paused in the doorway but his stride resumes. He is clothed in pearly white -- white trousers, white pullover. His auburn hair is streaked now and then with gold and bronze. He looks like an older Balthazar, though his complexion is cream to Balthazar's deeper caramel.

     Looking up at the sound of a familiar voice -- it won't be the first or the last -- Balthazar sees his father and he rises. "I wasn't sure if you would be here this early or not. I'd like to introduce you around it you have a moment..."

     Iowerth looks to each in turn, a slight smile on his expression. "Certainly..."

     Pres is caught not only sitting, but almost napping. He's seated, he's pinned by plate and glass, right when an elder is coming in. He looks around - and sighs silently. There's no real convenient way to handle it. "Sir," he offers politely from his position, a hand descending onto the cane both to keep it from going anywhere and to draw a little attention to it so that hopefully it won't be taken as rudeness.
     Well, I'm getting off on the right foot. Not. He looks over at Loki with a wryly frustrated expression, then looks back to Iowerth, and to the man coming in behind him.

     The man entering behind Iowerth is of the same generation; tall, a little more on the slender side, though still solid, and with the soulful blue eyes and dark curls of Ireland's dark Irish. A full mouth, and a gaze as calm and as endless as the Aegean look over the room with mild inquiry, following in white shirt and black trousers, silver touching at his temples as he follows in his husband's wake. "I hope we aren't intruding," he interjects quietly. "You had a good drive? Hello, everyone."
     Maddie sits up a bit more alertly. Adults. She doesn't go so far as to slide away from her boyfriend, but her posture becomes just a little more precise, a little more drawing room, and she smiles hopefully. She stays quiet, waiting for the moment for Balthazar to perform the introductions.

     Loki is on a delayed We don't stress this so much in L.A. reaction timer, sitting up straighter and looking properly attentive a moment behind the Wests. He has enough manners to stop hiding behind his coffee while he waits on Balthazar along with the rest.

     "This is Madison Elaine West," Balthazar says first, turning to Maddie. "Maddie, this is my father, Iowerth, and my father,Tiernan," he smiles, to his fathers and to his girlfriend. He looks to his fathers, "This is Preston West III, Maddie's brother, and Loki Worthington-Smythe..."

     Iowerth looks to each one in turn, smiling lastly, but certainly not least, upon the young woman. "Madison, a pleasure. Welcome to Wales. Preston," he echoes, "Loki. A pleasure to meet you."
     There is a radiance around him. Like father, like son -- he seems to draw sunlight toward him.

     Balthazar is already exchanging a hug with his father Iowerth. Iowerth is as tall, with Balthazar sure to pass him in the next year. They could be mirror images, with only slight variations.

     "Maddie. Please." Maddie's grin stays hopeful, though it is not without its poise and charm; she stands up now, holding out a hand to whichever of the two older men seems less immediately occupied first. "I'm glad to get to be here! It's beautiful here; I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Balthazar's been trying to tell me about everyone, but it's better to get to meet people for myself."
     She is a little nervous. Well. A lot nervous. She's not quite babbling, but she is blushing a little bit, drawing herself up to her full height and squaring her shoulders bravely.
     Pres eyes his sister, then appears to take pity on her. Plate's set aside; coffee's balanced, and he takes up his cane to push himself up to his feet with a faint wince, the coffee put on a suitably stable, flat surface as he limps his way over to a discreet remove. "Thank you for the welcome, sir. It's very kind of you to open your home to all of us. We'll try not to get in your hair too much. Right, Maddie?" He lightly pokes his baby sister in the shoulder. "We've been touring family reunions this month, it feels like. Next week: the Hatfields and the McCoys."

     Tiernan chuckles, shaking hands and then turning to collect a hug from his son, however briefly. "Some things are better experienced than explained," he mentions, exchanging a brief, wry glance with his husband. Nothing is going to prepare them adequately for this family, Io. You know that. Do you think Balthazar does?

     Behind Pres comes Loki, a hint of valley boy drawl to his voice when he says, "Pleased to meet you. Sir." He's following the established trend on hand-shaking, gaze pleasant but bland as he falls back into the quiet and observant approach.

     Iowerth glances to Tiernan, a smile tracing his expression. Yes, of that I am completely certain.
     There is kindness in his face, and humor, as he takes her hand, "Maddie," he repeats with the corrected name. "Thank you. It is a good old home. We are happy to have you, all of you, here with us. I don't expect you to remember everyone's name. We have placed cheat sheets under everyone's pillows, however, just in case."
     He shakes Pres' hand, "Of course, and please... our home is your home. Enjoy it." Iowerth chuckles. "Hmm... well... Hatfields and McCoys," he drawls humorously. "We will try to keep the shooting and moonshine running to a minimum. Though we have been known to have our feuds." He shakes Loki's hand as well, nodding to him with something extra. Knowing. "And you. Does everyone have enough to eat? I'm not sure two carts is sufficient with Balthazar and I in the same room..."

     Balthazar retakes his seat on one sofa as Iowerth pours tea for himself and his mate. "Who all is coming?"

     "Well," Iowerth drawls out slowly in thought, pivoting to hand Tiernan the cup. "Your grandfather and grandmother are here, of course. Your uncle Gwilym and Aeron and Bran. Your sisters and your mother are coming, tomorrow?" He looks to Tiernan for confirmation. "I think it is tomorrow." He smiles, lifting his periwinkle eyes to the others. "I'm sorry. I don't want to make anyone nervous. We have two large family gatherings every year: the beginning of summer and Christmas. I have all of you in the family quarters, main floor, second floor and third floor."

     Balthazar settles on the sofa, looking at Maddie. "My sister, Sabira, is fifteen. I think you will like her," he murmurs. "I am looking forward to seeing mom. It's been a bit," he says suddenly. A few weeks, he thinks.

     "Oh, good. One place in the world where I won't get in trouble for cheating." Maddie laughs, the colour still high in her cheeks as she shakes hands with first one and then the other. "I think I'll manage to make do with the food that's on my plate, but if not, I guess I'll have to forage, or dip into my chocolate stash." She sits down again, a decorous three inches between her thigh and Balthazar's. "I'm sure I'll like any of your family," she murmurs to him sotto voce. "They're your family, after all."
     "I think we'll manage to muddle through without running screaming, sir. We come from a sizable family ourselves," Pres answers with a more natural smile than earlier. "But we'll try not to let it get to us. It's good to meet you, though."
     Inside, he is feeling uncomfortably as if he is there under false pretenses, however. He keeps it well to himself, and unconsciously steps back towards Loki a bit.

     Tiernan looks slightly amused, moving to one of the carts and fixing himself a cup of tea and leaving it at that. "Everyone is coming," he agrees. "It won't be all at once, though. You'll have time to freshen up from the trip, and to settle in and see the grounds if you want to." He smiles, and there's a kindness to his eyes as he pats his husband on the shoulder. "Balthazar can play host for the day; we won't be in your way too much."

     Loki has his company face on. Being pleasant and unmemorable for Balthazar's relatives of assorted nebulously defined supernatural power and titles isn't all that different from doing the same for his father's exec friends. Introductions done, he falls back beside Pres, reaching for the coffee again.

     "No," Iowerth chuckles, "I need to nap in preparation for the twins," his mouth forms a wry smile. He takes a seat on the other sofa. One cup and we'll leave them to it. He looks among them all, but it is to Maddie that he turns most of his attention. He grins. "Cheating, in this instance, is not only permissible, it's recommended. And whatever you like, the kitchen can make it to order, and they are happy to do so. Please do not hesitate. Think of it as your home... only with room service."

     Balthazar looks to each one in turn -- father to father, friend to Girlfriend's Brother. His leg moves, closing the distance between Maddie. He glances from her to Tiernan. "It would be nice to have a day to sort of ease into it." His mouth twists in quiet amusement. He looks to Maddie, the look lingering a moment. "We can walk around the castle, help you get your bearings, then walk outside to the gardens."
     Yes... it would be nice to have a moment... with you... with no one else around...
     The air is close, charged. It is conductive between them.

     Iowerth smiles, glancing to Tiernan briefly before turning to the other two. "The village has a few sights to see, a good pub, though we have one right upstairs. If you need an extra car, just let the staff know. We're happy to provide one." He sips at his tea, settling back upon the sofa. "There are libraries, a music room, pub and billiards and a general game room, there are the grounds of course, if you wanted to do a little golf driving, the corgis are happy to play caddy."

     "Is Gruffydd coming?" Balthazar wonders suddenly, looking from Maddie to his fathers.

     "He is," Iowerth nods. "Maria is going to handle things in his absence, I think. He's looking forward to it...or he was the last time I talked to him." He glances to Tiernan for confirmation. He Who Knows All...

     "Room service! Then I'll share my chocolate instead of tipping." Maddie laughs, her natural exuberance showing in the tilt of her head and the lift of her chin. "Thank you, sir. Only, I'm not quite sure what to call either of you." She turns a candid grey-eyed gaze up onto Iowerth, then Tiernan. "I hope you'll help me out, here; I tend to need a cue card, at least at first."
     Is it Lord So-And-So? Duke? Sir? Mister? I don't know...
     Pres grins a little at his sister's straightforward approach. "Libraries sound like Loki's thing," he comments, glancing sidelong to his friend. "I'm afraid I'm not much of a golfer, but I'll wander a little. Music room sounds like it could be interesting, if it won't be inconvenient to others." He looks mildly curious at the mention of Yet More People, but doesn't ask. All shall be revealed in due course! In theory.

     "He should be here soon," Tiernan agrees. "Maria is ... doing well, I think. She will be managing a few things while he's visiting, and he'll have a little time off the leash. Gruffydd's taking over some elements of the family business," he asides with a small smile to the others. "We tend to keep him on short reins so he appreciates all the more when we let him off it." He makes his way over to Iowerth, slipping an arm around his lover's waist. "Is there anything else we can do for you? Balthazar knows the ways around, of course."

     Loki raises his cup of coffee by way of explaining his own relative comfort. "I'll follow him to a library and be happy there for the day."

     The smile to Maddie is warm. "My name's a bit difficult to pronounce. I'm not a big stickler for formality. Edward is fine, Maddie." Iowerth. Edward. Setting his cup aside, Iowerth begins to rise. "You are all friends of my son, so... the next best thing to family, oes? It's a much simpler protocol, I think." He gives her a conspiratorial wink -- as if he and she are in on the joke. He turns in his lover's grasp to look to Pres and Loki. "Please, feel free. And it won't be inconvenient, I assure you. Enjoy Powis Castle to the fullest. Oh, there is an elevator," he glances to Balthazar, "...we finally repaired it. It's likely easier than the spiral staircase. The steps are a bit narrow," he explains to Preston West III. "They had exceptionally small feet in the Thirteenth Century."

     Balthazar rises as his father stands. "I'll see you later, hmm?" He gives Iowerth a hug, and then he turns to Tiernan. "Good, I'm glad he's coming," Balthazar says. "I'll try to pop up to see Ani in a bit."

     "Alright," Iowerth says with a smile and an exhale, "... I think we'll leave you to your evening. We will see you tomorrow for lunch..."

     "Edward," Maddie repeats thoughtfully. She nods. She'll tuck that away so she won't forget. "It's great to finally meet you." She gives Balthazar's hand a little squeeze. See? It's all going just fine.

     Tiernan smiles. "Terry," he supplies, expression as calm and good-natured as before. He gives Balthazar a thoughtful look. Try to see more of the castle than the bedrooms, son. She is still very young.
     He is, after all, still a dad. He smiles again, turning to head out with Iowerth. "Enjoy the castle," Tiernan suggests. Let's go enjoy ourselves as well, because deus knows it's only a matter of time...

     Pres nods cautiously to Edward and Terry. It's all perfectly normal - well, the two dads thing is a little outside the norm, but he's a Democrat, after all. "I'll look forward to exploring it, sir," he says respectfully. He sneaks a glance at Loki, then moves to pick up his coffee again. "I'm going to go find the music room, I think..."

     The thoughtful look trying to break through the company face on Loki doesn't have much to do with two fathers, or greetings. He catches Pres's look, and only gives a faint shrug in response. He's not up for being readable right now. The two men receive a polite nod each as he plays the fade-into-the-background game. Better than even odds he can get directions to a library out of Balthazar before his friend disappears with his other friend's sister.

     Iowerth looks to Tiernan, heading with him toward the door. There is an easy intimacy between them. The marriage is a good one, apparently. "Have a good night, everyone."
     And with that, the two men depart...

     Balthazar looks to Pres, his hand reaching out to take Maddie's. "The music room is through the gallery. If you go out to the main corridor we were in earlier and you go to the east, you'll come into the gallery. The music room is through the gallery. It was once the grand ballroom."
     Balthazar looks to Maddie, fingers fiddling with her own. "Want to take a tour of the gardens before sunset? It gets a bit cool once the sun starts to set..." He glances to the other two. "The library is upstairs, Loki. Well, there are several. One of the main libraries is on the third floor, I believe..."
     Balthazar rises, his hand still in Maddie's. He looks to her and her alone for a moment. Even at the risk of being caned. Severely. "We can feed the peacocks," he murmurs with a smile.

     Loki finishes his coffee, and refills the cup to take with him. "I'm sure I'll be able to find one," he says to Balthazar. One last glance over at Pres, and he heads for the door, one hand in his pocket. It's been too long since he checked email anyway.

     "Thanks." Pres doesn't sound entirely happy, but bears it with good grace. He gives Balthazar a brief look, and then rises. He's lost his appetite for now. "Enjoy the library," he offers to Loki, entirely sincerely. He isn't fishing for company. Truth be told, right now he's not so sure he could bear any. He heads towards the gallery, expression darkening. I hope I'm not going to have to explain to my baby sister that it's in poor taste to have sex in public when it's your boyfriend's family home.

     Maddie for her part is looking at Balthazar as if the sun rises and sets on his countenance. Which, after all, might not be entirely false. She gives his hand a little squeeze. "I haven't seen peacocks since India," she answers with a dreamy look. "Show me?"

Posted by rowan at May 17, 2009 10:50 AM