[center][url=https://fontmeme.com/signature-fonts/][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190120/b458a81531631a6916fa9413063c5f80.png[/img][/url][/center][right][sub]Interacting with: [Achronum] [Trainerblue192][/sub][/right]
The moment that followed Salem’s piece was tense, but that familiar embarrassment crept up on Aaron again when Count Varis replied, the mage wishing they could all go back to the silence. His ears burned, but he didn’t know what the Count wanted from the two of them; true, their answers [i]weren’t[/i] solutions, but what were they supposed to do, just tell the [i]Queen[/i] how to vote?

Taking a breath and another sip of his wine, Aaron supposed he should just let it go and be thankful. After all, it was a rare honor to be invited to offer a view on anything when it came to nobility, especially the Queen, even if whatever he offered was destined to be dismissed. And of course Varis’ comments stung, but they were borne of some semblance of truth. Maybe that's what made Salem's response so odd in Aaron's mind. He was preaching progressivism that could only come from a misunderstanding of how things had to be, taking a principled stance that sounded like he would be happy to see mages have all the same freedoms as vampires. Aaron mused that he might be a fine match for some young Marivaldi if Lucan hadn’t gotten him. At the very least, he knew Lucan well enough to know that Salem was in little danger of repercussions for his views; The Night of the Evening was a bit of an elitist, but he wasn't malicious. Voicing those views so openly, however...

Thankfully, the subject was shifted from the preeminent incompetency of mages to something rather more involved, a breeding deal gone sour. Even Aaron had to agree with Varis to some extent on that one; he’d been honest when he said mages were duty-bound, as Varis reiterated, and Aaron had no qualms with denouncing this mage’s behaviour. Even without considering the flagrant defiance and disregard for his mistress, how much of an idiot would this mage have to be to know the consequences of his actions and [i]still[/i] go through it? 

Apparently Varis had read his mind, and Aaron nearly shivered at his question, tune changing rather abruptly. Despite disapproving of these mages’ actions, knowing that they were selfish and wrong and that they brought it on themselves, he couldn’t help but remember the sickening feeling he’d gotten as a teenager when he learned what could legally be done to mages who reproduced without permission. It sent a chill up his spine even now. Needless to say, it had been more than sufficient to stop him stealing glances at servant girls.
 
[color=f0d705]“Whatever their vampire sees fit, Master,”[/color] Aaron replied dutifully, if not a little stiffly. The human deep down within him still bristled at ‘Master,’ but Aaron ignored it. [color=f0d705]“They know their mages best, they’d know the most effective repercussions for them. I’m sure the Countess will find the legal range of punishments available to be [i]more[/i] than adequate for her purposes.”[/color] He barely spared a glance to a servant as the courses were changed, not daring to touch the new food until Lady Sinnenodel’s mage started eating. [color=f0d705]“In this case, whether the Countess resorts to extremes like sterilization would have to depend on how she assesses the risk of her mage repeating this behaviour going forward, though I do think it’s prudent that he was removed from the breeding pool. With that kind of recklessness and rebellious attitude, it sounds like he has some temperament issues. Best to ensure he doesn't pass them down.”[/color]

He glanced to Salem when he finished, having caught the rather loaded question the Princess had thrown at him. Not that Varis’ inquiry was any less double-edged, but Aaron was curious to see how loyally Salem would follow the idea he had formed in his head about him. Briefly, Aaron feared that his answer to Varis would only worsen what he was sure was a declining opinion of him on Salem’s end, but he had to push the thought away. He’d enjoyed their time together earlier in the night, but Aaron had no duty to him; he couldn’t fly in the face of his superiors just to save face with a mage he’d only met earlier that day. Even [i]if[/i] said mage would, more likely than not, be a frequent feature in his life going forward.