Common Tea Party

[Bradshaw Ku]

Jeeves, one of the senior servants for the Palace, approached the circular table erected in the center of the Palace gardens on Chasin City, Commenor. He did so with a practiced, quiet dignity. Not to be noticed, but always to be of service. The elder man squinted just slightly against the white glare of clean afternoon rays shining into the city. In his gloved hands were the refreshments Bradshaw requested for this afternoon’s small meeting. Onto the table he set down a silver many tiered serving dish with a selection of sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and cakes. Next to that, was placed a sizable, Bradshaw knew his mother after all, teapot with the Queen’s favorite tea brewed inside. At each place setting was the full range of small plates, silverware, and tea cups. Then, with a nod of Bradshaw’s head in thanks, Jeeves stepped back to stand next to a hedgerow, hands folded respectfully at attention, still within earshot in case he was needed, but otherwise inconspicuous.

Bradshaw squeezed [member="Jairdain"]’s hand warmly as they waited together for the others to arrive. His mother had been notified of the small garden tea meeting through the regular channels. So too had his mother’s advisor, [member="Adron Malvern"], though he half assumed the man would’ve attended anyway. In the message to [member="Lady Kay"], he’d also asked for her new assistant, [member="Rys'sya"], to join as well. Jairdain had told him a few things about the young woman and he was eager to meet her.

Calm blue eyes watched for the other’s arrival. He wore a simple white robe like but still different from those worn by Jedi. It was not the old, weather-worn robe he’d originally returned wearing. His beard however, was still long and somewhat unkempt.

The pleasant weather and delicate, scrumptious tea party setup masked the seriousness of the meeting. There was so much to say and so much to learn, not least of the subjects was what had happened to his step-father and former King, [member="Veiere Arenais"], while he’d been away.

Breath in​

All in its own time

Breath out​

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was expecting a meeting with her son [member="Bradshaw Ku"] , but not in such a way. She was expecting him to show up at her office or something for a private chat, yet for some reason he has taken a vow of silence. That was annoying.

[member="Rys'sya"] had let her be aware of the tea meeting. The young woman was quick to look after all of her messages for her, as well as making all of her tea. There were times when Kay wanted to remind her that she wasn't a slave here, but she knew that it'd take some time for her to get used to that.

Progress would be made in babysteps.

"Well, I think that it's time to see what this meeting is about. There's plenty to talk about, that's for sure." She led the way to the Palace gardens. At least Brad was smart enough to have tea there waiting for them. He didn't forget that."

[member="Adron Malvern"] [member="Jairdain"]

 

[Jairdain]

In their time together, Jairdain had advised him and in his turn Brad had assisted her in certain ways. In the past, he had come to her and asked for advise and help. They had gone away together and fell out of contact with everybody. During those days, it was then he had helped her the most. In their return, almost two new people had come back.

Jeeves seemed to know how to arrange things, but Brad oversaw the completion . The butler moved off to the side and Brad came to stand beside her.

One of the changes in Brad was his expressiveness, luckily Jairdain used the emotions of others to see and could tell how he felt. They had grown closer in that time separate from Commenor and she could feel him far better than anybody else. He might be showing an outward calm, but that wasn't entirely the case within. The slight squeeze on her hand and his breathing indicated he was trying to hide from outward view what was going on inside.

Returning the squeeze, she wasn't so well at hiding her emotions from being seen by others. Being without sight had never taught her how to hide them. If one could read those external signs, it would be noticed she was truly in love with Brad. Additionally, she was apprehensive of what others felt about everything that had happened while they were gone. Time would tell, but right now, they needed to anchor each other and support one another.

At least you cleaned up since the last time. Just need to get beard of your neatened up. Why do you run around with it all tangled? ​

His humor had faded slightly, but hers had remained.

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Bradshaw Ku"]

 

[Rys'sya]

Given the young Miraluka's nature of perception, she inadvertently picked up that an unspoken conversation was happening ahead of herself and the Queen, as the the two approached the garden. Rys'sya was dressed as an aid to the Queen should be. Simple blouse, long skirt falling just past her knees (as she was loathe to don breeches), and a pair of black, wedge-heeled, ankle-high 'boots'. The young woman had a data-pad in hand that she was almost incessantly updating information for the Queen's benefit.

She had no idea what to expect to come from this, tea party, but at the behest of both her Queen, and the request of her son, the young Miraluka complied and joined. But as she approached, heels clicking a few paces behind [member="Lady Kay"], the young woman could feel the Presnce of the Light. It was quite apparent that this individual, whom she realized was standing in waiting along side [member="Jairdain"], would be able to pick up the Dark side taint that the young Miraluka had still yet to shake off. Years of being raised Sith tended to leave a lasting mark that was far from easy to shake.

Her stride faltered, her anxiety spiking, but after a quick swallow to try to clear the sudden catch in her throat, the young woman kept moving forward, not wanting to lose her position a few steps behind the Queen. Her mind raced as they came to stand before the two, it was kind of striking the contrast of presences before her. Jairdain was a cool, radiant aura of a controlled will. The man, whom she was assuming to be Prince [member="Bradshaw Ku"], was a brilliant burst of light, almost blinding enough in this proximity to cause Rys'sya to avert her sightless gaze reflexively. And then there was the Queen, who seemed almost non-existent within the Force, when comparing her candle-like flicker to the inferno of the one, and brilliance of the other.

Had the Miraluka not been so distracted at the moment by Bradshaw's appearance to her sightless vision, she might have taken more stock in the Queen's appearance within the Force....

But, in the moment, the young woman merely dreaded the scrutiny she was certain she would receive under the Prince's gaze, as she and the Queen approached.

 

[Bradshaw Ku]

[member="Jairdain"] returned his squeeze of her hand. It was comforting. Centering. Then, she let loose with the humor she’d gained in their travels, the very same of which he had lost. Or, perhaps not so much as lost, but stowed away deep in the closet of his mind. A necessary change to make room for the seriousness, focus, and determination he needed for those many months of training, studying, and survival alone in a harsh galaxy.

The stories he could tell…

But like his vow of silence, it was only temporary. A means to an end, and now like his vow of silence, he was ready to pull that dusty box from a cluttered closet and breath new purpose into it.

To care about people’s approval, is to always be their prisoner… why should I take time to groom my beard for others, when I can spend that time to improve myself?​

He telepathically projected in response. But then humorously added –

Besides, you did this to me. You wanted me to learn to live simply and discover what it means to survive, well, as some great philosopher once said – be careful what you wish for….​

He didn’t bother giving her a sarcastic look, but he did project one through the force.

Soon he noticed his mother and her new assistant approaching along the garden path. As usual, [member="Lady Kay"] was concealed masterfully in the force, but not so was her assistant. Though [member="Rys'sya"] was dressed like a perfectly normal professional assistant, the aura she gave off told a very different story. A murky feel stained the young woman’s presence in the force in a way that spoke volumes. However, Bradshaw was prepared for this, already knowing that she was once a Sith apprentice but that she had runaway to Commenor. Such an action too spoke volumes. It said there was much hope for her, but the darkness was not so easily shaken off, as he knew all too well.

His gaze on her was not as it might have been more than a year ago: lustful, flirtatious, and immature, nor was it scrutinizing or judgmental. Instead, his blue eyes looked to her with inviting warmth and understanding.

When they neared, he gestured toward the refreshments and the first words he spoke in more than three months would be—

“Care for some tea and sandwiches. It’s such a lovely day for a meal outside, don’t you think?” After a short pause he added more seriously, “And while we eat and drink, maybe you could fill me in on what happened to [member="Veiere Arenais"] and where he is. For months I have felt a gloom in the force where once his light shone brightly and I sense from everyone here that my fears are only too real.” He said, primarily looking to his mother for answers to these pressing concerns.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Bradshaw Ku"] gestured to the food before even doing so much as wanting to give his mother a hug. So she approached him, disregarding the sandwiches and tea and wrapping her arms around him tightly. "No love for your mother after disappearing without so much as a note?" Not to mention that it took this long before he even spoke to her.

She tried to keep the mood light, yet his questions on [member="Veiere Arenais"] caused her mood to shift into a range of emotions such as sadness, betrayal, loss, anger, frustration and anxiety. Kay let go of him and stepped back a little. "He's gone Dark...He attacked Deneba as some way to close that chapter of his life, yet didn't see the full consequences of such an act. He's banished now, though there are bounty hunters after him to bring him in to face trial. I..can't be with him anymore." If Brad had looked, he may of noticed that she was no longer wearing her wedding rings. They weren't divorced, but they were separated. Their people had to come first. Between the two of them, Kay was the last to accept that.

How much detail Brad had wanted, she wasn't sure. But more than likely she'd find out.

[member="Jairdain"] [member="Rys'sya"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Jairdain]

She was sure they had informed Lady Kay they were going away for an extended time and they would be out of communication while they were gone. Maybe the message had been lost, forgotten or never sent. It didn't matter now though. What did matter was they had returned and were once again getting active in their respective roles.

Me? I did no such thing, my prince! Learn to survive and all that yes, not be somebody that isn't fit...​

The final approach of Kay and Rys'sya stopped her from finishing what she was going to say to him. Instead she sent him an image of himself, well groomed with that beard in order. She might have been blind, but there had been a few times in her life where vision had been granted to her. So Jairdain had an idea of what he should look like with that beard cleaned up.

Only a little surprised when he spoke, it wasn't the speaking that caused it, but the fact his voice wasn't rough from not being used for so long. He got right to the point and asked what was on his mind. A good way to start things, Jairdain thought.

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Bradshaw Ku"] [member="Rys'sya"] [member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Rys'sya]

The Miraluka busied herself, as she was feeling distinctly out of place at this familial gathering. While her Queen was greeting and embracing her son, the young woman set about pouring a cup of tea for each of them, once she sensed that the tea had reached an optimal state of steeping. She then set the cups out at where she perceived each of them would be sitting, before moving to stand behind the seat she intended to occupy, off to the Queen's left. She couldn't quite keep her fingers from nervously dancing for a moment on the back of her chair, her sightless gaze shifting between each of the three in turn. She could feel that the Prince held no open hostility or distrust of her obvious taint of the Dark Side, or at least was doing a masterful job of concealing it. But, she also felt it wouldn't be off to assume that he, like his mother, was accepting and forgiving of one who was actively seeking redemption and change from ones darkened past.

But when the Queen started talking of her husband's decent into the Dark, the young assistant lowered her sightless gaze, her heart aching at the rend in Kay's heart over the metaphorical loss of her husband. Try as the Monarch might, she could not hide the hurt from Rys'sya, given the close proximity the two shared daily, and the Miraluka's natural affinity of Empathy. But, in this circumstances, and given her limited time to earn the trust required to offer empathic aid to the Queen, the young woman could only watch silently, observing in her own agony as the Queen suffered on her own. The young woman would have loved nothing more than to envelop the Queen in warm thoughts and emotions, to comfort the Queen, to lessen her burden in this dark time. But, it was not her place to do so, and she would never dream to disrespect Kay in such a manner as to actively use the Force to effectively 'manipulate' the Queen's emotions into a more positive state.

So in silence the former slave observed. In silence she stayed.

[member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Bradshaw Ku"] | [member="Jairdain"]​