[color=lightgray][center][color=red][h1]FLASHBACK - IGNIS 6 EVENING[/h1][/color] [h2][color=salmon]Lorenzo[/color] & [color=#D0B4EC]Lottie[/color][/h2] [color=salmon]Location:[/color] Vikena Estate [color=#D0B4EC]Time:[/color] Evening, Ignis 6th [/center] Charlotte sat poised at the dining table where the evening light filtered in and painted the brick walls in moonlight. Three candles were alight, positioned along the center of the table, flames bending whenever a draft slipped through. She had insisted on a simpler dinner tonight—fresh bread still warm from the kitchen, herb-roasted vegetables, a modest cut of meat, and some mashed potatoes. Her fingers laced together in her lap, then unlaced again nervously as she awaited her stepfather. Both Delilah and Gilbert had decided to eat in the kitchen together tonight, where they’d be available to summon with the ring of a bell. Her body still carried the consequences of the week, bearing a deep exhaustion that sleep did not fully mend. Her shoulders and thighs were still sore yet she had washed and dressed and pinned her hair back like a proper lady. When footsteps finally echoed beyond, Charlotte lifted her chin instinctively. There was also a cheerful humming of no particular tune, a sign that her stepfather was in quite a good mood. It was mostly due to this season’s events slowing down, requiring him to appear in public less often than at the beginning of the season. [color=salmon]“Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm! Charlotte! Hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm! Charlotte! Having dinner with Vermillion’s best! Charlotte! No one can argue who’se the fairest! Charlotte!”[/color] Lorenzo sang as he approached, looking her way with a smile. The stress he had felt for the many hours after the banquet had diminished greatly, and he could only owe it to the wise words of the pragmatic Alexander Deacon. However, the bit of distance he had given Charlotte was mildly bothersome. The days he yearned for were long in the past now. Still, he’d reach for them from time to time. To him, Charlotte would always be Lottie, even after she’s married and beneath another roof without him. [color=salmon]“How is the Duchess of the Vikena Library this evening? Peachy? Plummy? Or perhaps Peary?”[/color] He asked in a half official, half gleeful tone while taking his seat at the table. A smile formed on her lips and she had even clapped along to his song. [color=#D0B4EC]“You’re in a remarkably good mood this evening.”[/color] she observed brightly. [color=#D0B4EC]“and I confess it’s rather contagious. If I am peary, it is only because you’ve decided to insist upon it.”[/color] She folded her hands neatly on the table and added with sincerity, [color=#D0B4EC]“It is wonderful to finally eat dinner with you again.”[/color] [color=salmon]“And I you!”[/color] Lorenzo leaned forward, absolutely giddy. The stresses of Sorian had kept itself away from him. [color=salmon]“Peary is good. Not too squishy. Firm and still flavorful.”[/color] Lorenzo chuckled a bit more before finally settling. [color=salmon]“You know, to be frank, I almost thought about having us leave this place… but…”[/color] Lorenzo paused for a moment while averting his gaze from his confession. [color=salmon]“...Seeing you make so many friends makes me happy.”[/color] He smiled. She had meant to tell him tonight about the tavern, about Kilian… About all of it. Truly, she planned to. She’d spent most of the time waiting for him, rehearsing the words in her head—It’d be terrible to hide such big ordeals, such as the tavern ordeal from him after all… But how was she supposed to sit there and ruin that big ol’ smile when he looked so [i]happy[/i]? Charlotte smiled and passed the vegetables. [color=#D0B4EC]“In the worst case scenario, we return to Veirmont by the end of the season,”[/color] she said gently. [color=#D0B4EC]“Home will be waiting for us, as it always does… and I confess I have rather enjoyed the company lately.”[/color] A thought pressed at the back of her mind—the question of whether she ought to keep enjoying it, when misfortune seemed to trail after those she spent time with. [color=#D0B4EC]“It’s been quite nice to see old friends like Lord Ravenwood, and Lord Drake and Lady Ariella Edwards,”[/color] Charlotte continued. [color=#D0B4EC]“And I believe Lord Nolan Edwards is said to be back in town, so it will be lovely to see him at the ball.”[/color] She then added, a touch softer, [color=#D0B4EC]“Oh—and Olivia and Kazumin are rather delightful new friends, of course.”[/color] [color=salmon]“And all of that is exactly why we’ll stay… even if it’s past courting season.”[/color] Lorenzo had given the idea a great deal of thought. As wild as the events occurring in the capital were, if they ever reached Veirmont, he’s not sure he would be afforded the same security as Sorian, especially not witchhunters. [color=salmon][i]There would only be one solution…[/i][/color] Lorenzo couldn’t help feeling embarrassingly flustered. [color=#D0B4EC][i]Past courting season?[/i][/color] She paused mid-movement as she had been about to pick up a bread roll. [color=salmon]“Um! Ahhh…”[/color] Feeling like the nature of his thoughts was being displayed over his head, Lorenzo sloppily tried to change the subject. [color=salmon]“Any courting happening?”[/color] He failed. Charlotte stared at him for a moment, brows knitting. Then she reached for a bread roll slowly, buying herself a second to choose her words. [color=#D0B4EC]“Not in the way you mean,”[/color] she answered finally as she picked it up and held it in the air thoughtfully. Lorenzo’s eyebrows perked with interest. [color=#D0B4EC]“I… I think I feel something for someone.”[/color] She set the roll down on her plate and her gaze lowered. [color=#D0B4EC]“He has been kind to me... In ways I did not expect. And I am grateful for it.”[/color] Her stepfather subtly nodded along, but was waiting for the blow that would topple the short stack of niceties. Her throat tightened. [color=#D0B4EC]“But it is not… sensible,”[/color] she finished, the faintest flicker of frustration passing through her eyes at the unfairness of that word. [Color=salmon]“Well,”[/color] Lorenzo started with a tone loud enough to usher in the attention of a small crowd. [Color=salmon]“That is perfectly fine, Lottie. Courting season is…”[/color] He trailed as he tried to find the right word. [Color=salmon]“It’s like trying to choose the tastiest hors d'oeuvre from a platter.”[/color] He nodded, finding the analogy suitable. [Color=salmon]“You might pick one that looks pretty with some of the ingredients you like… But then you find it lacking… It could very well be tasty to someone else… Lottie, if this season is a platter, you have plenty of chances to try something else… or maybe you could try again later, because you might just have had a bad sample... Hmm, unless you're allergic, I suppose.”[/color] Lorenzo peered upward pensively. [Color=salmon]“I should work on that analogy, I think.”[/color] She let out a giggle despite herself. [color=#D0B4EC]“I do think you’ve surmised it rather well, regardless,”[/color] Charlotte said warmly. Her smile lingered, but it softened slightly as she looked at him more carefully. [color=#D0B4EC]“But what about you?”[/color] she asked. [color=#D0B4EC]“Have you had any luck… or is it still too… ?”[/color] [Color=salmon]“Lottie!”[/color] The sudden excitable raise of his voice struck Charlotte’s uneasily delivered question. [Color=salmon]“I am so glad you asked.”[/color] There was a gleam in his eyes as he slightly leaned forward. [Color=salmon]“Last we spoke of this matter… I felt as if it was only best that I respect Emina’s memory and not complicate things with… other women in the household, but I had my eyes opened rather recently! I want to see you be happy for whomever you choose to be with, and you want to see me be happy in the same fashion. Your worries for me should not be what holds you back, because you will marry without fear of leaving me by my lonesome!”[/color] Lorenzo slapped his right hand down against the table, invigorating himself as both announcer and audience. [Color=salmon]“The Vivacious Viper of Vermillion, Duke Lorenzo Vikena [b]will[/b] remarry before this courting season has ended!”[/color] Charlotte’s brows shot up, and her eyes went wide at the sudden slap and proclamation. For a moment, she just stared at him as if her brain needed an extra second to catch up with the sheer audacity of what he’d just announced. Her thoughts immediately tried to connect it to all the nights she had presumed him to be missing, and a possibility made something in her chest loosen in a hopeful manner. Maybe it really had been something simple like that. Maybe it wasn’t danger, or distance, or him pulling him away mysteriously at night. Maybe it was just… a woman. An unmistakably large smile broke across her face before she could stop it, and she popped up from her chair with clumsy enthusiasm. [color=#D0B4EC]“This is great news, Lorenzo! I wish for nothing more than your happiness!”[/color] She leaned forward, and then immediately stumbled into questions. [color=#D0B4EC]“Wait—are you already pining for a woman? Is there a woman? Do you have a name? Do I know her? Oh my goodness—”[/color] she cut herself off with a quick inhale. Yet she was not the only one who had lost their balance in this conversation. Lorenzo too stumbled with each prying question from Charlotte. Each one asked was ahead of his proclamation that was nothing more than an ambition unfulfilled, cried out by a desire that might very well be a fleeting one. In a way these questions tested the resolve of his claim, and he had to hold firm or his words might mean nothing. [Color=salmon]“I have…”[/color] He didn't have anything. What was he trying to say? Lorenzo didn't want to lie. He didn't need to lie! He was talking to Charlotte, not someone whom he needed to wield his pride against. [Color=salmon]...prospects. Potentials. You see, Lottie, I have to be quite careful of my selection.”[/color] He nodded more to himself, satisfied with his initial answer. [Color=salmon]“I may even require your assistance if I prove to be too picky.”[/color] He raised an eyebrow as voiced the opportunity, doing his best impression of the ever charming Alexander Deacon. [color=#D0B4EC]“Of course. I’d love to help!”[/color] Charlotte said at once, the enthusiasm in it immediate and sincere. [color=#D0B4EC]“The upcoming ball will prove rather fruitful, no?”[/color] [Color=salmon]“Mhm!”[/color] [color=#D0B4EC]“Hopefully this one will go better than the last,”[/color] she added with a strained laugh. [color=#D0B4EC]“It cannot possibly be as bad as that tavern—”[/color] Her mouth closed abruptly and her gaze dropped to her plate as if the mashed potatoes might save her. She cleared her throat and took a sip of her water to pass some time. [color=#D0B4EC]“Anyway,”[/color] Charlotte continued too fast, forcing out the question: [color=#D0B4EC]“what do you think you might wear?”[/color] Lorenzo didn't answer while he eyes remained affixed to Charlotte after her conversational stumble. Naturally, he wanted to know what Charlotte was obviously hiding from him, but as he parted his lips to speak not a word escaped. It was not the inability to speak that prevented him, but a sudden and unnatural loss of concern for it. It was as if the flames of his desire were mysteriously extinguished, leaving nothing but barely smoldering kindling. The dying embers were not worth feeding… [Color=salmon]“I think I'll be wearing traditional Alidasht attire, to properly welcome are neighbors across the sea properly this time. I’m sure they'll be smitten with me this time!”[/color] Lorenzo express this boldly before stuffing his mouth with bread. Charlotte, meanwhile, was grateful he did not seem to notice her slip of the tongue. [color=#D0B4EC]“I suppose that is one way to show appreciation. I did hear more of their royals have arrived in town.”[/color] She tapped her chin, still uncertain about the idea. [color=#D0B4EC]“As long as you keep your words kind and watch your step, everything will hopefully go quite smoothly.”[/color] She waited for him to finish his bread before asking the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind. Unfortunately, it took Lorenzo some time to swallow it all, leaving a slightly awkward silence while Charlotte busied herself with her own food. Finally, she asked, [color=#D0B4EC]“So… I have been curious since that meeting with Wulfric. How long have you been investing in the Black Rose Trading Company? Are they truly as interwoven into Vermillion’s economy as you said?”[/color] [Color=salmon]“Hmm…”[/color] Lorenzo met her question with raised eyebrows, not expecting such a topic to come up. [Color=salmon]“Well, I guess it makes sense that you might grow curious about our duchie’s economy eventually. Then there's the matter of the Black Rose Trading Company…”[/color] Lorenzo let loose a light sigh. [Color=salmon]“A little over a year. I've been investing in the trading company for a little over a year. To be honest, I don't remember the details of how everything started… It was not a great time for us, but I guess I invested just enough for Marek Delronzo to catapult his business in quick time. His success benefited Vermillion greatly as goods moved in and out of our ports. The better his company does, the grander Vermillion becomes as its primary base of operations! Vermillion was already so perfect, so Black Rose Trading Company has only made it even better. I honestly think if we were left to our own devices, Vermillion could survive on its own.”[/color] Lorenzo failed to be careful with his wording. Instead, he basked in it pridefully. Charlotte’s chewing slowed. At first, she only nodded as if Lorenzo had offered her an ordinary answer. Black Rose’s primary base of operations was in [i]Vermillion[/i]... and Marek’s success had benefited Vermillion. Only a week ago, Lorenzo had sat before Prince Wulfric, looking uneasy while Black Rose was named as a suspected source of corruption. He had heard the same warnings she had: memory theft, organized crime, magic. [i]So why did he sound proud now?[/i] If Vermillion was Black Rose’s heart, then why were Marek Delronzo and Alexander Deacon even here in Sorian? And why had Alexander sought her out, the stepdaughter of such an important investor? Then there was also Lorenzo’s missing memory. That bothered her most of all. A duke did not simply forget the beginning of an investment important enough to enrich his entire duchy. He remembered the prosperity. He remembered the pride. He remembered what Vermillion had gained. But the beginning was blurred? Charlotte finished the last few bites of her dinner in silence. She looked across the table at him and considered how he was proud because he thought he had helped Vermillion flourish. He had no idea that someone might have used that love for his territory against him. She folded her hands in her lap. [color=#D0B4EC]“A little over a year,”[/color] she repeated softly, [color=#D0B4EC]“That is remarkably quick, is it not? For a company to become so important to an entire duchy.”[/color] Her gaze lifted to him. [color=#D0B4EC]“If the beginning is difficult to recall… do you remember the first time you met Mr. Delronzo himself?”[/color] She paused, then added. [color=#D0B4EC]“Or whether Mr. Deacon was involved at that time?”[/color] Lorenzo chuckled to himself at the posed question, but because it was a poor one. [Color=salmon]“Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve never met the genius behind the trading company?!”[/color] Lorenzo chuckled again. [Color=salmon]“I’d assume the company must have started with a bit of a hostile takeover of smaller trading companies of the Kingdom’s eastern region, but it is quite peculiar when you think about it… Oh and I'm not sure about Mr. Deacon. All I know is that a young lady such as yourself should be careful around him.”[/color] Lorenzo did not chuckle this time. He didn't even smile. He looked at Charlotte without a hint of playfulness, a stark change in expression from the man she was just speaking with. Charlotte held his gaze despite the circumstance. [color=#D0B4EC]“What makes you say that?”[/color] She asked after a brief pause. Lorenzo leaned in and looked around to ensure no one else could overhear. [Color=salmon]“That man…”[/color] Lorenzo started in a hushed tone. [Color=salmon]“Seems like quite the lady-killer. Hahahaha!”[/color] Lorenzo was absolutely giddy with himself and his joke. The joke did little to ease her. Nonetheless, Lottie managed a laugh even as her brows furrowed. Then she rose suddenly and smiled. [color=#D0B4EC] “ I think I shall retire for the evening. It was nice to enjoy supper together, Lorenzo.” [/color] [/color]