"Which is it?" Solae asked after a moment of reflection. "Is the wrong so egregious or is it so complicated that you can not come to a resolution? I understand that there is a need for assistance," the duchess reassured. She was not trying to place her Kalderi host on the proverbial spot, instead merely seeking greater clarity on exactly what type of situation they had volunteered to help resolve. If there was a particularly egregious crime committed they would have a vastly different approach than if this was an issue of cultural dissonance. Truth be told she highly suspected it was the latter of these possible scenarios was hoping for confirmation of the same before her assumptions started to hamstring her mentally. They had already dealt with enough cruel examples of humanity to last a lifetime- something with shades of grey would be a welcome change of pace.

Lithyll paused, as if considering whether or not it would be more rude to respond or decline to comment, but after a moment she exhaled through her nostrils in something akin to a sigh. "There is no consensus on what transpired," the alien confessed with reluctance, "and so a consensus can not be reached on what we should do. Our community considers the matter complicated, but we can not deny there be an egregious wrong as well."

It was a diplomatic answer as she expected it would be, but it did offer insight into the nature of the conflict. This was not a cut and dry case of abduction. Why a human would spirit away a Kalderi was a perplexing mystery, especially since news of this transgression had not traveled to anywhere they had been. Given a choice between this world of harmony, of technological superiority, and wonder, she would have chosen to stay rather than 'escape' to a colonized world of the empire, with the exception of some of the jewels of their civilization. One could surmise the human man was not welcome to dwell here or he needed to take a Kalderi with him elsewhere for his own means.

Biting the inside of her cheek thoughtfully she ruminated on the feelings of the missing Kalderi. Last night's attendees had been, by all appearances, content with their position in society as well as their lives in general, happy to exchange polite conversation about their accomplishments or interests. It was possible the Kalderi female was the catalyst for leaving Ranal Pindi rather than the merchant, petitioning him for safe voyage or sanctuary. Utopia was an unattainable ideal. Tempting as it was to believe it had been achieved, she knew that beneath the lustrous gleam of first contact there was grime, that not everyone could be pleased in tandem. Lithyll had shown them the best their species had to offer just as she had shown him the best hers had to offer. If a Kalderi frequently found themselves at odds with the consensus, or trivialized for the sake of the majority, they might seek lands where their individually was emphasized to a larger degree. This theory would be shared later with her consort if only to verbalize remind herself that perfection was a goal that was by definition elusive. The sooner she absorbed that she was not visiting paradise the better it would be for all involved.

"What will happen if we help resolve the matter?" Solae inquired, sipping at her drink. The table spread was incredibly [i]healthy[/i]. She found the food to be tasty, yet she missed the decadence of Ten's feasts, which had prime cuts of meat expertly cooked, imported alcohol of the finest vintage, exotic desserts, and stimulants to help them energize in the morning. Her head pounded from the lack of sleep and sheer willpower kept her from finding a flimsy excuse to return to bed. "Will we be considered to have a voice?"

"It is very rare for an outsider to assist a Kalderi community," Lithyll prefaced, gently reminding that this was an irregularity of the highest order. "There is no word for it in your language, but you would be honored and respected, not as a voice in our community but as a... " she struggled briefly for a way to explain the concept. "There would be a measure of... influence. You would be seen as the voice of another community that is like a friend or an ally, who we must consider in our decisions, and could not ignore." This was an oversimplification of the nuanced status they would hold, but it was the best way to express it in a way they might comprehend. Just as there were cultural expressions and concepts unique to humanity, so were there to Kalderi.

"May I ask another favor of you?" Solae asked as she finished her plate and nursed the remnants of her beverage. Her long blonde hair had been pulled back and twisted into an elaborate up-do secured by decorative sticks. Many members of nobility relied upon a retinue of attendants to manage their aesthetics, but she had grown her locks so long it wasn't practical to wait for someone to help her wash, brush, and style each dawn. She had very generously proposed plaiting Rene's hair into tiny braids, but as amused as he was, he had declined. It was just as well. The stoicism of Yarue and Dasin would not have outlasted such a ridiculous sight. "You mentioned that the Kalderi language was outside our vocal capabilities?"

Lithyll nodded, drooping her wings characteristically, as if to apologize for having to gently allude to the physical limitations of her guests. "That is correct. The chords in your neck are different from ours," she stated serenely, patient but curious where this line of questioning was leading.

"If you are agreeable, would it be possible for me to study your language, so that I could understand it? I may not ever be able to speak it, but it may prove easier if in the future I interact with those less eloquent than yourself. Totlya, for example, might be more comfortable if he could speak Kalderi to me and know I understand," she suggested. It was a matter of when she would ask rather than if she would ask to her friends; her love of linguistics ran so deep that she could not be satisfied until she pleaded with them for the opportunity. The average diplomat was friendly and congenial, finding it rewarding to negotiate and network, with linguistics as a necessary skill to develop and nothing more. By contrast, she was more well-rounded, equally thrilled by customs, eccentricities, and figures of speech, as she was making connections and treatises. In the embassy her fellow aristocrats often complained about difficult translations or how it was busy work when a computer could handle the task. It was true that artificial intelligence was an excellent translator, but they often missed details in the original syntax that could make a boring report be a passive aggressive thinly veiled insult.

"You wish to learn despite this?" Lithyll repeated with mild surprise. It was work with little reward by her estimation. Sole would go through the effort of mastering Kalderi only to make it easier on the Kalderi who wanted to interact with her and were not fluent with the universal tongue.

"Yes. I can upload whatever you provide to me to Mia, the computer for our ship, and I will do my best to study when we are traveling. Currently I have been attempting to solve a personal mystery," she divulged, trying to be vague to respect the privacy of her beloved, "but I would appreciate having more to do, and I have always enjoyed the study of language. I would be in your debt if you would humor my amateur attempts," she emphasized with a courteous nod of the head. Solae was humble but she was no novice; she had passed her intermediate levels faster than her peers on account of her diligence and zeal. This would be trying to learn through a different format, but she was more than capable of adapting, just as those in olden times might practice via submersion.

"I will make the arrangements," Lithyll agreed, seeing no reason to object.