In Kislev, as in most places, war was considered business for men and so Camilla had little choice but to watch Rishnekov lead Cydric out onto one of the torch lit balconies. Her attention returned to the elf infront of her. Indendre was the first elf she had met up close and she had to admit he was striking. Elves were legendarily beautiful and this one, with his chiseled features and intense eyes, seemed to bear out the myths. His hair was longer than Imperial fashion and seemed to be so soft as to invite touch. Men often spoke of elves as effeminate or foppish but with his strong jaw and wiry muscles Indendre looked nothing if not masculine. Camilla’s practiced eye could pick out slight swordsman’s calluses on his palms and a number of very faint scars on his forearm which she doubted very much came from anything so civilized as a duel.

“You are a most interesting woman Frauline Richter,” the elf said in oddly accented Reikspiel. The tone of the syllables was perfect but the emphasis was slightly off as though a half beat ahead of where it out to have been. 

“You are too kind Master Elf,” Camilla replied with a professional smile. She wasn’t entirely sure why there were elves in the Kislivite court but she knew that there was no reason whatsoever they should be taking an interest in her. Judging from the looks she was getting from the other ladies of the court, she wasn’t the only one who noticed that she seemed to be getting a special treatment. 

“Indendre please, there is already more than enough formaillity for my taste,” he added with a conspiratorial smile. Camilla nodded her head.

“I have heard it said that elves find the speech of men unpleasant?” she said. The elf shrugged his shoulders in a motion that at once suggested ‘what can you do’ amusement and a disagreement with the sentiment.

“You seem to have rather a talented tongue, from Tilea I gather?” Indendre pressed. Camilla shrugged a shoulder of her own as though the point were not important. The elf made on the barest contact with her, certainly nothing inappropriate between conversation partners but she felt a slight tingle at the contact which was not unpleasant. She had the impression that the elf was searching for something, some reaction or tell, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was. What in the name of Ranald was Dietricha playing at bringing them here, they should be on their way south already, not stuck in a besieged northern waste with only a few days until the height of the winter. 

“You are very beautiful for a human,” Indendre said unexpectedly. Camilla’s attention snapped to the elf and then saw the look of blankness on the faces of those near her. THe other elves were looking at Indendre as though he had lost his mind. Camilla opened her mouth to reply but her brain caught up to her a moment later. Indendre had not been speaking Reikspiel, or any language that she knew of, yet somehow she had understood. The elves dark inscrutable eyes bored into her.

“I… Im sorry I don’t understand,” she lied. Immediately the other elves relaxed though Indendre’s eyes never left her.

“My apologies, Riekspiel is not my native tongue afterall, I was merely noting that the musicians seem about to start playing, would you care to dance?”