She would offer Merryn a subtle wink as Ivalyn introduced her to their growing group, earning a slight blush from the woman she entrusted to run the day-to-day operations of Aurora Industries. She understood how hard it was to resist a Yvarro woman, and Ivalyn was everything that attracted Merryn to an individual. It was just highly amusing that the secret Sith Adept had found herself in such a position.
"If that is the case, Judah, then I would be more than pleased to have discussion later about where Salacia could have more of a footprint out that way," she said. She would offer Makai a smile, even as Iaacen and his children rejoined their group for a moment, as he insisted that he not be called Mr. Dashiell, saying, "Makai it is then, and I would be honored to have a dance later in the evening. I am disappointed that your wife couldn't make it, but I'm sure Myra is herself busy. And it is a pleasure to meet you, Thessa, as well."
Her smile widened at the joke of using nametags.
"To be honest, it has been a learning experience for me as well," she admitted. The atrium of the gala was not the best place to get into the family history, of course, and the recent events that had drawn them all together again. "But I feel like that would be cheating if I didn't take the effort of learning all their names the hard way."
Her gaze was caught by the woman in the green gown and pearls approaching them that Ivalyn was needling her son about, and she could see that he could definitely pick them. The children rushed over to their mother, and she would offer her a brilliant smile as Fiolette introduced them to the woman. "Nothing was going to stop us from getting them back, I'm just happy we were able to... given the situation."
Her voice would carry a trace of the deepest regret she felt, considering why they had been taken in the first place and how they had been so vulnerable. A broken family was easy to target, but if Strosius had done anything good with his gambit, it was to bring the Raaf clan together again. Give them a chance to rebuild and relearn what it meant to be family.
"I'm sure we will all have a chance to speak more later," Taeli continued as she watched Aerys' wife, Saeunn, lead her middle child over with their daughters into their group. She very much wanted to reconnect with them, and to apparently get to know the... other grandchildren. It was still a dizzying concept for her, but as it appeared time was growing short until the opening ceremonies, she would have to leave that for later in the night.
"We would love to get to know them," she remarked, turning her attention to the pair and their daughters. "And it would be greatly appreciated. I am not as familiar with the palace layout as I should be. Would be quite embarrassing if one of the opening speech givers can't even find the podium."
A moment of levity to hide the shot of nerves through her, but she would give her wife a grateful look at the kiss on the cheek and the squeeze of her hand as she would follow Aerys away from the group towards the ballroom and where the speeches for the opening ceremonies were to be given.
The short walk between mother and estranged daughter was heavy with quiet, tinged with bitterness on the part of the daughter and awkward regret for the mother. Taeli was unsure how, exactly, to talk with Aerys and the escort to the waiting area on the side of the stage for the speeches wasn't exactly long enough for any sort of meaningful conversation.
Still, she had to attempt something, anything, to begin thawing the ice.
"You and your family look happy together," she said quietly as Ivalyn began making her way to the podium to begin the proceedings. The ballroom was filled with the guests, both those of the Commonwealth and the Sith. Even the Emperor had made an appearance, and she could practically feel the disapproval roll off the Commonwealth citizenry for the lack of decorum and proper procedure for his arrival. She would need to mitigate that.
"I'm glad you came," she continued, "when the celebrations are wrapped up, we have a lot to talk about." She knew it was a cliched thing to say, but it was the truth. There was a lot that needed to be said between Aerys and her mothers, feelings that had never been properly expressed or explained, events that needed context, and she truly wanted to have that discussion with her middle child.
"I understand that much of what has been established in the Commonwealth was thanks to you and Ariel," she added as Ivalyn wrapped up her speech and introduced her to come take the podium. "I know it won't mean much yet, but you should be proud of what you helped build. I know I am." She would give her daughter a soft, though tinged with sadness, smile before sweeping out onto the stage in the regal-looking dress she had been forced to use as her backup.
As she walked up to the podium, the orchestra behind her swept into a few bars of the Sith's national march before they quieted down as she took her place, giving Ivalyn a gracious nod of her head.
"Thank you, Representative Yvarro, and I must extend all of our thanks on behalf of the Sith for hosting this most momentous event to celebrate the establishment of this alliance and unification," she began. Her gaze would sweep across the ballroom to all those gathered there, nodding slightly to the Empress as she raised a glass in her direction. "Long have the worlds that form the Commonwealth and the Sith have maintained ties, whether it be our historic alliance during the Great Galactic War between the Tenth Empire and the First Order or even more recently when the Commonwealth graciously accepted refugees from the destruction that occurred within the Panatha Reach. It brings me great pleasure to have helped facilitate the re-establishing of such historic bonds as we face a rapidly changing galaxy and to have helped rebuild the worlds of this region."
She would pause for a moment.
"We stand today in a testament to the strength of will and fortitude that many of you within the Commonwealth have come to exemplify, a strength that can only serve as an example for many more to follow, a strength that demands and receive the respect it is due. You, the Commonwealth, are an example of how, through the adversity and challenges the galaxy might throw at us, that any challenge may be overcome, and it is my hope that, combined with the might and power of the Sith, even greater heights can be reached.
"I look forward to what we, together, might be able to build. But none of this would have been possible without the efforts of many others. One of those others need no introduction to you, those from the Commonwealth, for her tireless efforts in shaping the structure of the region and in her service during the Second Great Hyperspace War. Please, join me in welcoming one of the founders of the Commonwealth's constitution and someone I am proud to call family, Lieutenant Colonel Aerys... Fortan."
She would move away from the podium, clapping as she did, to stand near Ivalyn as looked on towards her daughter.
