In earlier years there had been more shared between them, but as time passed and responsibilities had shifted in their lives, meetings such as these had become something often found merely by chance. He had his responsibilities to his own house as well, as his obligations to the Queen and her Court, while she had her own interests to see to. It was a complex design of connections they each worked, and she was grateful for those that brought her into circles of interest similar to his own.
Had they not been standing where any member of the Court might notice them, their greetings would have held a much less formal tone. In the face of this, her quiet amusement held as he bowed to her, his words coaxing another easy smile to her lips. "Cleverness is not wisdom, my Lord, and I am the difference between," she returned, "Wisdom is intending to find you at this precise moment when you are not otherwise occupied with your growing list of obligations and, therefore, leaving your attention blissfully free to be focused on myself and myself alone."
Unlike many in the court, she did not shy away from Mikino's most influential skill. Rarely did she intended to hide her intentions and in those moments when such a thing was necessary, she found silence a friend. It was not a friend widely kept in the Courts, however, and she might have been envious of his ability to so easily see through the tangled web had she not found her own ways over the years. Instead, she saw it simply as yet another gift best applied to keeping balance and order.
"However, you may continue to feel flattered should you choose to," she continued, falling comfortably into old patterns of banter that were not so easily forgotten. He had cropped up at the exact moment she had needed such a thing, an accomplishment that she was grateful for. Regardless of their brief interactions at the gala, she was glad to see him again so soon and that allowed her to drop just enough propriety to tell him without the mess of proper titles.
"It is good to see you, Mikino. You are well, I hope?"