"Thank you, mademoiselle." Alena graciously grinned to the adorable beastkin bringing forth her succulent meal for the afternoon before pouring herself another cup of that ever delicious sake, feeling a tad tipsy but still sober enough to show elegance. She sampled a bit of the grilled fish, flaking some off with a small parring knife that was beside her when she took her seat and exquisitely popping the savory morsel into her mouth. Such delight it brought to the woman, the flavors of far-eastern cultures just tantalizing her tastebuds. The haddock, it was not too sweet, not too salty either, and with just enough smokiness to rather accentuate the natural flavor of the fish rather than overpower it, the same for the seasoning and the lemon butter, it all just culminated together so perfectly. She would have to try more, but her interests were established in that ring the young lad so boastfully exhibited. Boy was he in for a shock.

Nonchalantly, the woman took the ring from his hand, clutching it between her leather gloved fingers and [i]observing[/i] it as if she was interested in purchasing this mockery, but instead, and this may have come off as appalling to the boy, she tossed the ring so precariously to the hard cobblestone below her feet and as anticipated, she heard the resounding shatter of the [i]priceless[/i] blood ruby. Afterwards, she gathered the shards of tinted red glass and sat them carefully in the hands of the young man, indeed a look of concern upon her face, but inside...smug satisfaction for revealing this fraudulent exchange. "Why young sir, it appears you have been duped." Alena humbly spoke to him, shaking her head in shame of this bamboozling of a man's services. Such drastic measures were always taken with these kinds of folks in her line of expertise, for if an assassin was ever double crossed, there was Hell to pay indeed. "It was just as I suspected upon view of the gem. The ring is a forgery, and as you can see....your Blood Ruby was nothing but glass. I would most certainly be having words with that double-crossing elder if I were you." She then turned back to her meal, savoring more delicious bites of haddock before dabbing at her lips with a cloth napkin and giving a bright smile of approval to the master chef, "My compliments, mademoiselle. That haddock was simply to die for."