Juliette Coulombe (clearyourmind) wrote in emillion, |
So here he was, and maybe coming to this festival had been a slight miscalculation on his part since a pesky seller had not left him alone until Rivalen brought a bunch of white roses from him. Now the smell was making his nose itch uncomfortably and he was looking for the nearest person (or trashcan, he wasn’t picky) where he may deposit them. As luck would have it, it would not be a bin who ended up saddled with the flowers, but a person. He recognized Theo’s squire heading in his direction, familiar with her from the guild and from the dealings her once lord had with his. It had been a while. Juliette, in turn, recognized the man headed towards her as well. They had not encountered each other in months now, though she had seen him off and on at Ashwyrm Hall. The tight feeling that always came into her stomach whenever she saw someone from what she was beginning to think of as her former life was ignored. Surely he couldn’t want anything to do with her (when he had accompanied the man he served to the Demiel estate, he had left her largely alone). As she was about to pass him, she nodded her head and offered a polite, “Good afternoon,” set on going on her way. Rivalen wasn’t going to let her just pass him and it was obvious in the way he angled his body and stopped in front of her, offering a polite nod in return, “Juliette, it has been too long.” Feigned cheerfulness that was indistinguishable from genuine one, he smiled warm and inviting. “You were just who I was looking for actually.” “I… was?” She gave him a slightly bewildered look, though she fought to school her face to a more neutral expression. Why? she didn’t say. What business could he possibly have with her. “I… ah… am here,” she said, cursing the stammering that seemed to take over whenever she was in a situation she couldn’t predict. “That is… you appear to have found me.” The final word came off sounding almost like a question. Why was he looking for her? Had someone sent him? Rivalen laughed, pleasant and open — at ease because Juliette was young and not a threat. She also had nothing of interest to him, but her questioning demeanor was hilarious to him; it begged to be poked out for fun. With playful flourish he took her hand and kissed the back of it, as if she were every inch the noble lady her title declared her to be. “Yes, it appears I have and all the luck to me for it.” He shifted the flowers in his arms and offered the bouquet of roses to her. “For you.” Juliette’s cheeks went from scarlet to a white to rival the roses in only a few brief moments as the samurai performed his inexplicable series of actions; she took the flowers automatically even as her mind reminded her, frantically, that a great many people were watching this right now. “I…” The correct words were thank you, she knew, perhaps, you are too kind, but as she opened her mouth to offer a platitude, what came out instead was a very unladylike and baffled, “Why?” Her hand flew to her lips, as though she could take the word back, but it was too late now. This was more entertaining than actually courting someone properly, Riv took pleasure in watching her expression whiten as if he was spouting something inappropriate in her direction. “Because you’re a beautiful young lady and deserve some appreciation of your strength and beauty.” — and had he seriously just said those words with a sincere tone? Apparently he had, and Rivalen flashed a smile. “Nothing more, Juliette, just that.” Plus all the unknowing entertainment she was bringing him with her reactions. |