Who: Una and Dex What: A visit and an announcement When: Summer 1888 BACKDATED Where: Dex's home in London Warnings: None
The preparations for her visit to the dragon's lair had been made already. The request had been made; the invitation received; a small and appropriate gift procured; and her dress carefully chosen to withstand both a potential dousing and the vagaries of a child with perhaps insufficient control of his fire. Which was not a certain thing, but it wasn't as if Dex had ever cared what other people thought, unless it was to take delight in annoying them: a trait Una understood all too well.
Una presented herself at the appointed hour, her coachman assisting her down from the carriage, and let her servant announce her.
Dex was sure of the visit from Lady Nicnevin was about, but he would not turn her down if he could help from it. If she wanted to meet with him, he assumed it could be of some importance. He had sent his son, Samuel, out with his governess to visit the library and then to the museum. It would keep him busy and from underfoot.
Tea was made and little treats sat upon a tray in the sitting room where he would receive his guest. He pulled out his pocket watch to look at the time and had to give a small smile as he heard the maid answering the door. On time as he suspected she would be. He stood and waited for the maid to deliver her to the sitting room and gave a slight nod of his head to his help when his guest was announced.
“Lady Nicnevin,” he approached her, taking her hand and giving a slight bow over it in his greeting “It’s a pleasure to see you, as always, and you look lovely today,” he said with an easy smile. “Please have a seat. Would you like a cuppa?”
Her hand in his was cool, as always, and she smelled, or at least felt, of chilly winter springs: a complement to the fire of summer.
"I would," Una said, leaving off the words of thanks her people did not use or even found offensive in favour of, "Your courtesy is perfect, as always." There was a pause, and she added, "I took the liberty of bringing a small gift," which she offered to Dex. From the size of the elegantly-wrapped package, it was an art book of some sort.
Dex did not care much about what people thought of him and tended to go by his own rules, but he did mind manners. He had been raised with manners, no matter that he was a dragon. Manners were important, or so his mother had always said.
He poured tea for Una and then handed her the little cup on a saucer with a tiny teaspoon, all of which always looked strange in his enormous hands. In his other hand, he took the book she offered and then made sure the tray was close for her to use cream and sugar if she wished.
“You needn’t have,” he said with an offered smile. Carefully opening the package, a book he was sure, he unveiled a book of James Ensor etchings. “This is quite the gift, madam,” he said, opening it and flipping through some of the pages, already interested in what the book held. “Is this the reason of your visit? You found a book and thought of me? Or is there something you are wishing to discuss?”
"There's a thing I wish to tell you. Not for reasons of gossip," Una clarified, "but because of our friendship and my respect for your office." The fact that he held a position in the House of Shadows made him a leader of some sort among his people, just as Mac's service to the Queens made him a leader among the Sidhe. Also, Dex's genuine appreciation for the arts--not to mention his own genuine nature--had elicited a fondness in her. "But the book was merely something I thought you would enjoy. I have quite the partiality for Mr Ensor's work."
Dex nodded. He had assumed that she’d come to discuss something with him, not expecting her to really make a visit for no reason. He closed the book and set it to the side and gave Una his entire attention. “I do appreciate the book,” he said. “I don’t have this one yet, and it will look good in my collection,” he smiled. “Now, what is it that you wish to tell me?”
"I am to be married to the Earl of Ravensworth in the autumn." Una gave Dex a moment to react to that before continuing. "It is a political marriage, and I have already discussed the implications for the House of Shadows with Mac." Who, as the official representative of the Sidhe Queens, needed to be the first to hear the news, and represented proper order and precedence; that Dex came close on after Mac represented her esteem for Dex. "Mac doesn't like it, as you can imagine, but he at least understands my reasoning, and that I am working to maintain the peace and balance rather that to undermine it.
"I know that this decision will excite significant speculation and discussion of my motives; I am here in part to answer any questions you may have, since you represent the dragons. You, too, have a stake in maintaining the peace, even if you weren't drawn into the last war." Which put on the table that Una was not sure that there wouldn't be another one sooner rather than later.
Dex wasn’t sure what to say. His tea was set aside and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and peered at Una as if he was checking to see if she were teasing him. She wasn’t. He wasn’t sure Una knew how to tease, or at least not in something like this.
“I don’t understand,” he furrowed his brow. “Why would you do this? For what political reasoning does this make sense? Other than another war,” he shook his head. “Is there another war coming, Una?” He said, going familiar with his words. He wasn’t exactly politically minded and kept out of most of it when he could, but this didn’t seem like something he would be staying out of. If she married as she said, to the man that she said, it messed with the balance of things greatly.
"Between us two, I fear there might be. Not because either the vampires or the werewolves seek it, though I think there are members of both groups who would. I feel agitation, as if--" Una had to struggle for a metaphor that would make sense to Dex "--as if something large swims in the water under us, that we cannot see but only feel by the motion of its passage. And Ravensworth is where I need to go to find it, and where I can do the most good as a balance, to keep the peace if there is someone agitating for war."
Dex studied Una, listened to her words and tried to find something that sounded like betrayal. Was she betraying them all? He took in a breath and wished there was something he could do, but he knew there wasn’t. “But marriage? You are sure this is what needs to happen in order to gain information that you aren’t sure might be there?” He frowned. “Marriage should be something more than that,” he stated. “Do you really think it is on you to do this, to find a way to keep a peace you might not be able to </i>if</i> there is something there?”
Una shook her head in the negative to Dex's pleas. It was well-meant, and genteel, but she could not let herself be swayed. Not by any of her friends. "I do not know that there is no other way, but I do know this is a sure path, if a dangerous one. I don't fear the Earl--he has been nothing but gracious to me--and his advisors value me and the influence I bring.
"And yes, it is my duty. I sat aside during the long years of war, and it is now the winter of Victoria's reign." She let out a long sigh. "I think Mac believes he knows why and some of his reasoning is correct. Part of it not so much. But he took the burden on and even if he carries the office from Mab, it doesn't excuse me. I have spoken with her, and while it it not my Queen's command that I follow this course, she has encouraged me.
"It's not a royal command that I marry Ravensworth, but Mab does want me to find the source of the trouble. And she agrees that this is a viable path to do so.
"If you must be sure, ask me three times. I would have you be certain." Under most circumstances, it would be a grave insult for a mortal, or a even a supernatural such as Dex, to ask her in that manner. The invitation was extraordinary.
Dex let out a breath of air and sat up, pushing a hand through his hair. He didn’t like this. Yes, it sounded sound. A plan to find the source of trouble, but the consequences of what could happen. Her life could be on the line and he didn’t like that.
But not matter how he did not like it, he knew that he couldn’t ask her to not do it. As she said, it was her duty and she had consulted with Mac, apparently, and Mab. It wasn’t a command, but it apparently was the good course of action.
“I won’t ask you three times,” he shook his head. “I know that if you had any misgivings you would not do this,” he frowned. “Una…” he looked at her endearingly, afraid for her. “Please be careful,” he said gently. “It would be horrible to not have you walking upon this earth.”
"I promise you I will be careful. I cannot predict the future, but I have no intention of dying, or even of being wounded so badly that a retreat for healing is necessary." Una shuddered delicately at the idea. "If I believe that I'm in danger, I will ask for help. I know there are things I cannot face alone. And you will be one of those I call on." She reached out to twine her delicate fingers around Dex's large, meaty ones; her hand was cool, like a chill wind, because that was her nature.
Dex let her take his hand and gave a small smile. He liked the coolness of her touch, had always liked it. “You make sure you do that,” he said. “Call on me when and if it’s needed.” There wasn’t a lot he could do, his ability was limited to water, but he could do damage if the need arose. “So,” he let out a breath of air. “When is the wedding?”
"It will be in the fall, sometime toward midwinter. There will be an engagement party at one of the bank holidays in August, and of course you'll be invited to that as well, and have a chance to meet my fiance." Una patted Dex's hand with her free one. "Both of them will be grand affairs, with artists and poets and all sorts of creative people. The House of Worth will be designing my dress and trousseau."
“That soon?” Dex asked, though it was somewhat rhetorical. If information was what she seeked, then she would have to move quickly and get into her position as a wife. “Of course, I would like to meet your fiance,” he offered her a smile. Which meant that if got the invites, he would be going to the party and the wedding. “Are you excited to be having a wedding?” He wondered, even if it weren’t for love, if she would be excited at planning something so grand.
"It had never really occurred to me that I would have a wedding--it's a long slog of events, which makes it sound tiresome, but there is a lot of planning involved and it's not as if I can do what mortal girls do, and have my mother make all the decisions for me." Una laughed, because the idea was genuinely amusing. "So on the one hand it's all planning and planning and planning, although my husband-to-be has all sorts of servants to carry out the plans once they're made, and then it will be parties and parties and parties, which will be the fun part of it. And the trousseau is quite the thing. I don't generally plan for quite this much of a change of wardrobe in a season, so it's been both a joy and a lot of choices."
Dex laughed lightly. “Well, at least you are going to have a lot of fun with it all,” he smiled. “If I know you, the parties will be the talk for quite some time to come,” he said with a nod. “Is there anything that you would like for me to do?” He asked her.
Una's eyebrows rose speculatively while she considered her answer. "At the wedding? I had thought perhaps a reading, if you're comfortable with that. At the parties, simply your presence. Otherwise--just an ear to the ground, and if people are behaving too strangely, or doing something suspicious, tell me. Or if there is trouble with the dragons, as there has been with the werewolves and the vampires. We must act together in this, Dex, if only because they want us not to." She patted his hand again and released it to take up her teacup.
“A reading?” Dex asked, surprised. “I’m sure I can manage that,” he then gave a nod. He could also be present at all the parties, or at least most of them. “I’ll let you know if anything comes to me that might be strange or otherwise,” he agreed. “You have my support, even if I think it’s all a terribly, horrible idea,” he offered a small smile. With his hands free, he took to his own tea cup and sipped quietly. “Just remember, if there is anything that you need, you reach out to me. Anything at all.”