After a few days, I have more or less wrapped up some loose ends, and it is during a tea party that I decide to do some scouting of Iridian nobility. A lot of women, a few men from other species, even a Gravdian. He had been eyeing me the entire time. I was wearing a formal-casual outfit with a skirt and my boots. Plus a button shirt and a zip-up blazer on top of that with a high collar. My legs are bare. I found leggings in the humid, hot climate of Eridan IV to be rather uncomfortable.
Regardless, the Gravidan male was eyeing me up and down like an object. I resisted the shudder I had coming on at his gaze as I sipped a cup of tea, sitting with a few Iridian nobles. Among them was a princess of house Reghyn. Her name is Galinae. She was cheerful, if but clumsy. Insulated from the vicious world of Iridian politics. A few tables away, sitting with Farsa, was the matron of house Vanrea.
Vlondril, or Matron Vanrea, was a poised and attractive woman. With shoulder-length teal hair common to those born of Iridian blood, with an hourglass figure and wide hips. She was shorter than I, at about 150 centimeters or so with cream-color skin. Her outfit showed a lot of cleavage and covered her modestly sized chest down to her midriff, right after her last rib down her body. She wore a miniskirt and leggings with high heels and had a set of earrings in her left ear. Glossy lips and minimal makeup rounded out her attire and look. She was conversing with Farsa at their table as the others at my table mingled. I stayed silent and listened to their conversation.
“Gali, have you heard?” one of the conversationalists at the table was conversing with Galinae about the recent announcement from the high matron. “I have! There is a meeting of key houses from the military castes, they would not say why that is, only that it had to do with ‘recent developing circumstances’.” I quirked an eyebrow at this rumor.
My mind started connecting the dots and I glanced over to the Gravidian. We locked eyes for a brief moment and I resisted the urge to let my Telehaptic tendrils reach out. The purple-colored male with emerald eyes and a well-built physique was a military veteran with a scar down the left side of his face. The mark passes over his eye and an eyepatch resides over his left eye, but he carries himself as if he had been amongst Iridian society for quite a long time. I offered a disarming smile and went back to the conversation, sipping my tea slowly to allow me to regain my previous composure.
Galinae looks to me with a smug smirk. “I believe miss Kara has eyes for B’Nan.” she giggles at me and I inhale some of my tea, choking as I cough it back up out of my trachea.
After I recover from my coughing fit, I stare at Galinae a moment before I smile thinly “Surely you jest, I was simply gauging his disposition. Is there something you wish to share, princess?” It was Galinae’s turn to sputter and choke on her own drink. The whole table giggles at the spectacle and the princess pouts at me. “I do not even -like- him! he is always sneering at people.” she scowls before clearing her throat “Do you even have anyone special, Miss Kara?”
I blink at her. While it is true I *may* have once harbored feelings for someone, those days are long gone. It was a century or so too late, even! I smile gently and reply “perhaps in some other lifetime. And what of yourself?” Galinae sighs wistfully. “There is one person, though I do not see them often.”
A smirk forms on my lips, and I coo sweetly “Oooh? Do tell!” I sip on my tea briefly to allow her a moment to gather her thoughts. “Well.. I- erm.” the princess shifts and fidgets, then huffs “Nevermind that! Tell us about yourself Miss Kara! Where did you come from?”
I sigh, putting down my tea cup on a plate, and half-lid my eyes. They all watch me with anticipation. Great! Now I have to say something as all their eyes are on me! I sigh, and open my eyes, smiling. “Well, there is not much to say. I grew up poor, and I fought in the war.”
The girls all gasp at me “You.. Fought in a war??” I nod at them silently, and sip my tea again, finishing it. “Tell you what, how about a competition? If I win, I keep that to myself, if you win? You get to hear my entire story.”
They pause a moment, and contemplating that offer, they look amongst themselves. Some have doubts about the offer, but their relatively young and inexperienced nature takes over. This ploy would not work on someone like Farsa or Matron Vanrea. They nod in assent, I smile at them “first person to put a candy into Matron Farsa's cup, wins-”
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I was not finished, but all the same. They grab a few candies and take their shots at Farsa’s cup of tea. Pelting Farsa with some candies as they miss. She shoots a glare at them before walking over. I sip my cup to hide a smirk on my face. Farsa has an indignation expression on her face as she approaches our table. “Girls! Why are you throwing candy at me?”
“W-we were trying to get one into your cup on a bet!” Farsa flicks a teal eyebrow and glances to me with an inquisitive look which bodes no argument. It is a good idea under this circumstance to be truthful, and I have nothing to hide anyway. So I smile disarmingly “A simple bet. If they win, I will tell them a story.” Farsa now had both eyebrows raised. “Oh? What story?”
I sigh and pour more tea into my cup “A war story.” as I lift my cup to my lips for a tentative sip, Farsa eyes me curiously. I set my cup down “but first, they have to win the bet.” I smile at them. “The first person to get three candies into a tea cup wins. We take turns at our shots. Similar to the old cornhole or beer pong party games on good old earth but with tea cups and hard candies.”
One of the younger girls snerks at the words ‘corn’ and ‘hole’ and receives a slap upside the head from her older sister. “Owie! That was funny though!” she whines as they glare at her. I shake my head. “Well, shall we?” I look around the table at them.
A few minutes later, a small crowd gathered around to watch the spectacle. Never before had such a game been played at a tea party, so everyone was naturally curious. Galinae was first up, and she made an over-hand toss that fell short. She cursed silently at her mishandling of the throw and looked to me.
I took a bit of time to aim, before underhand tossing a hard candy at the teacup. It bounced with a ring off of the rim of the cup and fell to the table. ‘Slightly low’. I look to Galinae as she readies her next hard candy. I watch her as she copies my technique but falls short of the table.
“Damnit! This is hard.” she grouses. I smirk and ready my next throw. This one lands in the cup with a resonating ring of ceramic tableware. “That’s one.” I nod and step back to allow Galinae to throw. Her toss misses, too high.
I step back up wordlessly and throw again, another ringer, and another point. Galinae looks at me with a curious stare before she steps up and throws. This one lands in the cup. One point for her. “Yes! Two more.” she celebrates as I step up, this is my last throw. I pause and smirk to myself, and I trip, not exactly by accident, but I do so on purpose. “Whoops!” my throw lands too far and bounces on the table, before landing in the shrubs.
Farsa cocks an eyebrow at my feint as Galinae steps up. I reached out Telehaptically to reassure her “that was intentional, matron. Trust me. I just want to make things more interesting.” Farsa pauses at my message reaching her mind, and nods at me, which I return with an imperceptible nod, then turn my attention back to watching Galinae throw.
Galinae’s throw lands in the cup. Bouncing in off the rim of the ceramic cup. The crowd claps quietly and I step up. the score is now two and two, and the next throw I make decides the game and who wins the bet as I wind up the toss.
My throw lands inside the cup. The crowd makes an astonished sound and applauds politely as I step away and sit at the table, gesturing for Galinae to sit. “You tried princess, but you lost the bet.” I smile coyly.
“That I did. But can I ask you one thing?” Galinae looks at me inquisitively. “Go ahead and ask, princess.” I smile again, this time it is more affable. “What did you do during the war?” I raise an eyebrow, thinking through my response.
“Well, I was in a rather unrecognized position, princess. I received neither credit nor recognition for my deeds. I spent a lot of time managing risks.” she lifts a brow at this revelation, and I sigh “That said, I’d truthfully rather not talk about what I did in the war.”
She protests "but-"
My interruption cuts her attempt to coax further "It is classified."
Galinae nods in understanding “That is fair, so how did you meet matron Farsa?” she asks. A rather dangerous question for me to answer, so I reply. “Well.” I sigh. “That is something I’d rather not share at the moment.”
She squints at me inquisitively before dropping the matter “Very well.” I clear my throat “Anyhow, I heard about your visit to the main house of House Vanrea. Why not tell me about that? I am rather curious.” And I smile coyly at the opportunity to gossip with other girls.