Third Floor Common Room - Monday Morning

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

Claire was in a great mood this morning. She felt like a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders thanks to her conversation with Dinah last night. Plus there was the whole normal hormones thing.

And maybe thinking about Jon a little.

She was awake far earlier than she needed to be, so she headed down to the common room and found what she needed to bake some cookies. She put the radio on and might even be singing along a little.


[open as common rooms are!]

Comments

[future_sandworm]

"So both males and females can be part of your Court?" Leto asked, interested to understand more. "And have you met anyone here whom you find suitable?" He grinned. That was a nosy question.

[glacial_queen]

"Of course both can," she said, laughing. "The last thing I'd want is to have twelve males around with no one to fuss over but me! And I'll have a lot of the Province Queens serving me too, to keep an eye on me, as well as speak for her desmesne, and advise me. Ugh, I can't picture having no one but males to go to for advice!"

She wrinkled her nose at Leto. It was a nosy question. "It's hard to say who is suitable after only a few weeks here. But, yes, I've found several people who I think would make up an excellent Court. If you weren't already going to rule your own world, I would probably offer you a contract. Master of the Guard, most likely," she considered.

[future_sandworm]

He laughed. "I'm flattered. And my sister would probably tell me I should stop being nosy."

"So, which roles at the Court are reserved for females and which ones are reserved for males?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla chuckled. "The more I hear of her, the more I think I'm going to like your sister. Perhaps I shall woo her away from Fandom and Arrakis, and into my Court." She gave Leto a sly smile.

"None, really. Master of the Guard, the Steward, and the Consort or First Escort usually are, but there's no law or anything about it. But those are the three people closest to the Queen, and it's good for them to differ enough from her so that she's not constantly getting an echo-effect. She's most likely to go to them for information and advice, so they should have different viewpoints. Also the Steward is who people can usually go to when they need advice about the Queen, so it's useful to have a male there."

[future_sandworm]

If Leto wasn't sure that Ghanima would never abandon him, he might have been nervous. "Now that would be unfair? Who would I depend on?" he teased.

Watching Karla, he continued: "Your country is an interesting one. How do you manage to adapt to Fandom, considering the differences?"

[glacial_queen]

"Maybe she could switch off; a year here, a year there. I doubt she'd sign a permanent contract with my Court," Karla's grin was a bit wider, a little naughtier. "Though I wonder what I could offer to make that tempting. I mean, beyond unicorns and dragons and the like."

His last question caused her to wil, a little. "I don't know if I am, exactly," she admitted. "There's so much that I don't know, and can't understand. I'm taking it one day at a time, trying to do similar activities as I would at home, like the theatrical, and going out into the garden when it gets to be too much. But, I feel safe here, and that helps."

[future_sandworm]

"Perhaps I should warn Ghanima before I introduce you!" he told Karla, grinning.

"Safety does compensate for a lot," he said. "And I believe you have people who are willing to explain." She was friends with Dinah, after all.

[glacial_queen]

"But Leto, that would take all of the fun out of it," she pouted. "Or do you think you need that advanced warning?"

Saucy witch was saucy.

"And people do explain things. A lot. Generally without getting impatient even. But half the time their explanation needs an explanation of it's own."

[future_sandworm]

Saucy witch got her arm poked, accompanied by a mock hurt look.

"Dinah did quite a lot of explaining when I first arrived here," he said.

[glacial_queen]

Mock hurt look got an impish grin in return.

"Dinah does her best to explain things to me simply. She's very sweet, in many ways. And I hear she's still explaining things to you in an attempt to keep you from getting hurt," she said with a sidelong grin.

[future_sandworm]

"Yes, she has a good heart," Leto replied. "And yes, she still explains things. I feel honoured by her concern for my welfare." He grinned. "Anything in particular she told you?"

[glacial_queen]

"I think I'm more interested in what she told you," Karla teased.

[future_sandworm]

"Anything in particular you're curious about?" he teased back, starting to suspect what.

[glacial_queen]

"Would you honestly have treatedly me differently had she not warned you?" Karla asked, losing the teasing tone.

[future_sandworm]

He thought for a moment, wanting to give an honest answer. "I was more cautious to start with," he said. "I didn't wish to insult you, and Dinah didn't tell me exactly why I should be careful. I made an effort not to ouch you in case that would be offensive to you."

[bedtime!]

[glacial_queen]

Karla nodded. "That was kind of her. And...I appreciate her not really going into details, most for reasons I'n really going into right now." Though that would likely change.

"It isn't an insult thing, as it is a danger thing. Strange males can be a danger and you already know I'm...jumpy. It's possible I would have seen a random touch as a threat and reacted without thinking. Even now, I don't fully trust you," she said quietly, locking eyes with him. "Please don't take offense. There's no one here I really, fully trust yet." Her minor freak-out at Dinah had proven that. "Still too soon, I think. Though, to be honest, in Kaeleer, there are only two people who can claim that, either."

[Night!]

[future_sandworm]

Nodding, Leto said: "No offence taken. Trust isn't something to give lightly, after all." He smiled at her.

[glacial_queen]

She retuirned his smile, looking slightly relieved. "I feel as if not everyone here would understand that. That they trust immediately, and can see no reason others shouldn't. Some people seem very...young to me. And I can't decide if I envy them or if I'm frustrated by them. I think the answer is 'yes.'"

[future_sandworm]

"I believe it has more to do with many people living in worlds where trust can be freely given without endangering one's life," Leto replied.

[glacial_queen]

"I find that...hard to comprehend," Karla admitted. "Though I once did."

[future_sandworm]

"What changed?"

[glacial_queen]

"My parents died, my uncle took over, and Glacia became a hostile and dangerous place," Karla answered quietly, shredding the remains of a cookie.

[future_sandworm]

"What happened to you parents?" Leto asked carefully, assuming that the uncle wasn't a person to be trusted.

[glacial_queen]

"They died when I was nine. There was a tragic accident. My aunt, the strongest Black Widow in Glacia, and my uncle died, too."

Karla was willing to bet that Leto was capable of reading in between the lines there.

[future_sandworm]

Oh, he certainly was. He also assumed there was a reason Karla didn't tell him straight out.

"I am sorry."