(Leisha n'ha Ursula: Laura Lulli; Congratulatia Elhalyn y Ridenow: Marcello Bellavista)

Congratulatia changed her clothes and exited the Castle, escorted by her multi-named maid and a couple of guards.

She headed for the entrance to the Terran Zone, where she was stopped by a couple of guards who interrogated her about her identity.

"My dear boy," She began in a hatefully honey-filled tone. "Who do you think I am? Who is the only Comynara with platinum-blond hair? Who is the best dressed, best made-up, most stunning Comynara residing at Comyn Castle, according to your extremely feeble mind? Now I will go taking care of other matters, but you would do better to know who I am by the time of my return, unless you want to cause a diplomatic incident and have your pathetic career definitely over."

She turned and headed for Leisha's Sweetshop, leaving the guards appalled.

At the Sweetshop, Congratulatia greeted smiling hel old friend and told her the big news about her 'di catenas' marriage to Jorik.

Leisha tried very hard and almost managed not to laugh in Congratulatia's face.

She'd have wagered the whole Sweetshop on Tula not having informed Jorik at all, about her plans! Where was he, right now? Not very close for sure...otherwise he wouldn't have allowed her to weave like this. But aloud she did only made a few congrats.

"The cooks of the Castle will all be at my disposal, of course, but since my auntie Emelda will be my primary maid of honour, it would be sensible of me to hire your services as well. Actually, dear Leisha, I want you at my marriage as my guest, but I also need you provide some of your specialties in order to please our collective palates. If you accept, you will be given complete authority over the cooks of the Castle as far as your specialties are concerned.

"Now, that's interesting!" A banquet! At Castle Comyn! Leisha start to make sums in her mind. Well, Jorik might not agree witht the marriage, but there was nothing wrong in catering for Congra. And her cooking was so good that the food wouldn't probably be wasted in any case. "I like your idea, Tula dear. I'll make my best for an old friend, in memory of our time at Arilinn" *Aldones, I didn't know I were so greedy!* Leisha was almost disgusted by herself.

"The other reason why I am here is that I would like to invite some Renunciates to my marriage in order to make it crystal clear that I support your organisation. I do not know them personally and I do not have the time (or the disposition) to know them personally, so I will trust your judgment in this. Please, invite some of your choice, but keep in mind the following restrictions: * Eliadha or whatever her name is, the one who had that scandalous liason with the young regent of Aldaran, is definitely and absolutely forbidden to come. She is too vulgar and bad-mannered for my tastes. * Lorina is Hastur-born, admittedly, but I fear for grandaddy Danvan's delicate health. Should she be present, he could suffer the umpteenth heart-stroke, and this - of course - is something we all want to avoid at all costs."

*She may pay good, but I don't think I can manage to stay silent after she insulted my friends...* thought Leisha.

"* The Renunciates who dared to be present at the Midsummer Ball with such outrageous outfits: I do not want scandalous behaviours at my marriage." Congra went on.

"There aren't many left I can bring, after you excluded my best friends among my sisters of the Guild, Congratulatia. I think you'd better write an official letter to the Mothers of the Guild, to make an official invitation, in order to let them to make the choice for you"

"Oh, please. I cannot write a letter to invite them and then specify 'I do not want this and this and this'. Oh, well, no matter. There will be no Renunciate, then, which I cannot say it displeases me (no offense meant to you, dear)."

*As if I gave a bit of your opinion* thought Leisha crabbily. But she managed a nice smile, and said "Of course, you'll have much less trouble, this way." Leisha paused. "And there's always me, as a representative of the cathegory! And I'll give you enough trouble, if I know dear Marci like I know him..." she concluded, grinning.

"Stop grinning, please. It does not become you, Leisha. I want one thing to be crystal clear: neither you nor Marcello will cause a scene; I expect both you and Marcello to behave. I will not have my nuptials disrupted." Congratulatia's tone was deadly serious.

"Listen Congra. I have nothing against you, and I'm too polite to cause trouble at a wedding. You better hold your dearest friend Marci, instead. And be sure that I won't stay silent if he ever dares to insult me like the last time we met." Leisha's answer was very crabby. And she was deadly serious too.

"Finally, I would like to invite dom Cormel Rockraven, but I do not know his current whereabouts. Since you had apparently forged a sort of bond with him, I am asking you to act as intermediary and invite him. Will you?"

Leisha's heart skipped a beat. Where was Cormel, indeed. She hadn't been hearing from him for ages, and her last "contact" with him had been that strange brother of his, Damon...and he seemed to have disappeared too.

"I'd be glad to invite Cormel for you, but I'm afraid I don't know where to find him at the moment. What's more, I'd be grateful to anyone who could give me some information about him..."

"Dom Rockraven is missing?!? This is most disconcerting!" Congratulatia opened her fan and started fanning herself. "What do you know about his disappearance? He is quite a private person: could it be that he does not want to be found? On the other hand, we do not know much about him: could he be in danger? Since when has he been missing? I see that you are worried. Have you already talked with Eduin about this? Admittedly, Eduin has more pressing business to attend to right now, however he was with us when we were trainees at Arilinn and is so talented: I am certain he would gladly lend you a hand if you asked him."

Leisha sighed. "I haven't seen him since the day after the Ball, and I didn't get any letter from him neither...But you're right...I may ask to the guards if they can look for him. Anyway, he did mention a trip to somewhere...maybe Aldaran..."

*I'd like to go to Eduin...we were quite near at Arilinn. But how I'll explain to him why I'm worried? Would he believe just to a bad feeling? Cormel could be simply at Aldaran, and not writing to me because he doesn't really care for me as I thought...*

Leisha's eyes filled with tears, that she angrily hid by bending abruptly for a fallen biscuit. She was sure, though, that Congra's sharp eyes hadn't missed the sight of her damp gaze.

"Oh, but you are crying, dear! I did not know that you and that mysterious dom Rockraven had grown so intimate..." Tula was using her fan to cool Leisha down.

"But I have the right solution for you. Since Eduin is investigating about that despicably dreary and devious Amanda Montpellier and her bomb attempts, he most certainly will pass by again. I am sure you will manage to slip your worry about dom Rockraven's absence amidst your speech with him..." She exhibited a comforting smile.

Leisha was even more angry. She didn't want to be pitied, most of all by a woman that dared to call herself the Future Queen of Darkover.

She could be right, though...maybe Eduin could help her for real...

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