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Dareca smiles at Falcrin, "It is so good of you to have come and seen me again Lord Falcrin, and the arrows are lovely. You are sure they shoot as well as the ones you had on our little hunting trip?" She pours another cup of tea for Falcrin.
Falcrin smiles at Dareca, "Yes Princess, they are of the finest quality, I checked the balance of each shaft, and they fly true." He takes a sip of his tea.
A servant opens the door and announces in a respectful tone,"The Lord Fenevall comes to call, Princess." Then the man drops to a deep bow and awaits acknowledgement. The lord is somewhat less formal. Cordell strides in behind the servant, the manicured nails of his left hand tapping lightly against the hilt upon which it rests. He inclines his head in a slight bow towards Dareca, then nods similarly towards Falcrin. Returning his gaze to Dareca, he says in a mild tone,"I understand from.. numerous sources that you wish to speak with me, Princess."
Dareca rises gracefully to her feet to greet Cordell, "Ahhh Lord Cordell, I wish for you to meet Lord Falcrin of House Jagad of Shienar" she says gesturing toward Falcrin. "You good to have come to see me Lord Cordell though I did not expect to see you so soon. Please won't you have a seat and join us for a little tea or perhaps something a little stronger?" She smiles at Cordell knowing full well the rumours about the man's excessive drinking. She sits down and smoothes her fine silk gown.
Falcrin rises from his chair, he nods to Cordell, "Nice to meet Lord Cordell." He looks Cordell over, examining him carefully, before taking his seat once again.
The servant bows his way out of the room and closes the door behind him. Cordell turns to face Falcrin again, as he is introduced. He nods a very slight bow to the man, then replies with just the hint of a smile,"Grace favor you, Lord Falcrin." His smile widens slightly when the faces Dareca once more. With a slight shake of his head, he says,"Tea will be fine. I have decided to try one of these tourneys without a hangover. Perhaps the result will be different." Gracefully, he seats himself in the nearest empty chair, unbuckling his swordbelt in one smooth motion, as he does so, in order to rest the scabbard across his lap.
Dareca graciously pours a cup of blackberry tea for Cordell and one for Falcrin and another for herself then drizzles some honey across the top in an elegant swirl. She gathers up the teacup and saucer with silver demitasse spoon and hands it to Cordell then does the same for Falcrin. "I have been looking for you Lord Cordell I wish to know what you plan to do about the unfortunate situation with Lady Richendra? I would like to write to her father and tell him a date for her marriage and I was hoping you could tell me when that was going to be." She gathers up her own cup and takes a soft sip of the hot tea.
Falcrin takes a sip of the tea handed to him by Dareca, he leans back in his chair, listening to Dareca speak. After hearing what she has to say he turns his attention to Cordell, waiting to hear his reply.
Cordell accepts the cup graciously, then carefully places it on the tray next to his chair. Softly, he mutters,"Thank you." His expression grows quite serious, though, brow furrowing above his golden eyes. In what is likely a habitual gesture, he smooths his pants legs with his hands before allowing them to come to rest on the scabbard across his lap. Fixing his gaze upon the princess, he sighs softly and says in a tired tone,"A large part of why I took the oath in the square of Tammuz is because the Game wearies me. I wish to know two very important things. Firstly, what this woman thinks she'll gain from my House. And Secondly, what advantage there is for me to grant her wish instead of opposing it."
Dareca balances her teacup on her lap while her other hand tucks in a sapphire about to slip from her hair. Her back is straight as an arrow as she sits in the overly stuffed chair. She considers Cordell's words carefully before speaking then says, "I can't possibly see what she'd have to gain from your House. You...you are what?" she narrows her eyes at Cordell, "a Cairhienin isn't it?" She shrugs her shoulders lightly, "I would think the advantage would be to your house." Dareca takes another sip of her tea as she considers the second part of Cordell's question. "What advantage is there for you? Well let me see here.....not considering an alliance with a powerful house like House Jagad nor the Shienarian Lances nor her father's wealth, nor the estates, nor the horses, nor the timber,.....I can't imagine a single one." She smiles cunningly at Cordell.
Falcrin looks over at Cordell and for the first time notices his golden eyes, he startles for a second almost dropping his tea before regaining his composure. He sits the glass down on the table next to him and wipes his hand on his pants leg. He sits up straight and firm, "What is it that you have against Lady Richendra? Are you saying that House Jagad is not good enough for you?" He frowns at Cordell.
Cordell's fingers tap lightly on the scabbard as he listens, a patient expression on his face. When they are finished, he decides to answer Dareca first,"I seriously doubt you are trying to arrange a marriage without knowing the details of my House. More wealth or influence is of little interest to me. The head of my House is the current ruler of my nation. I would think that she is kindly disposed towards me after some services I have performed." He shrugs slightly as if that is of little matter, then continues,"This Dragon has made it clear he wishes the Trakand woman to be the next Queen of Cairhien. Last I checked, she was still cousin Taringail's daughter. Or to put it another way, I already am allied with a powerful House. I belong to one." He falls silent for a moment as he turns his gaze to Falcrin, examining the man carefully. Finally, he says to him,"Other than the fact that she is making false claims against me, I really can't say I know enough about this supposed Lady to have anything against her."
Dareca sets down her tea cup and takes out her fan, she smiles at Falcrin briefly, then opens the fan displaying a charge of the lances into the Blight. She brushes the fan under her chin and in the language of the fan, cheering Falcrin and his words to Cordell. She then holds the fan in a neutral position and simply fans herself. She shrugs indifferently at Cordell, "You may claim your house is powerful if you like but as I recall Andor recently warred against Cairhien and won and as yet I only see a Taravin near the Andoran throne, soooo" she smiles sweetly at Cordell. "I can assure you that House Jagad will not take kindly to you making a Lady of their House pregnant and then dishonouring that House by refusing to marry her."
Falcrin stares at Cordell coldly, "Are you to tell me that you got Lady Richendra pregnant, and now you refuse to marry her? Are you a man or a coward? If it is true that you got Lady Richendra pregnant then you have an obligation to uphold." He leans forward slightly in his chair, one hand resting on his knee. "I do not know of these false claims she makes, but I ask you do you claim to not have slept with her?" His face looks cold as he stares at Cordell.
Cordell smirks broadly at Dareca and says,"Yes, I am sure they would not take it kindly. Perhaps even less kindly than I am taking these lies." His smirk fades as he turns to face Falcrin, his expression going completely flat. The fingers of his right hand idly caress the heron emblazoned on the hilt across his lap as he replies in a flat tone,"I not only claim to not have slept with this woman, I claim to never have met her. Furthermore, it is not just a claim, it is the truth. At least you have shown the foresight to phrase that as a question. I can choose not to take it as an insult that way. Implying that I am a coward again, though, would be unwise. This situation has left me with little patience and no humor."
Dareca closes her fan and gently taps Falcrin on the arm with it indicating she wishes him to stay his hand in this matter at this time. "Yes, Lord Cordell claims to have never met Lady Richendra and furthermore it is very possible to be the case because Lord Cordell can at times or so it is said, be....how should I say? not very discriminating with the amount he drinks?" She doesn't smile at Cordell this time and her voice is firm, "Just because you don't recall it Lord Cordell is no reason to call Lady Richendra a liar. I dare say no few people do believe it is quite true. Now then, what date shall I write to her father? I would suggest a wedding in Caemlyn, I don't think Shienar nor Cairhien would well suited given the feelings on both sides in this matter."
Falcrin stares at Cordell, his eyes follow Cordell's fingers as they caress the heron marked blade, he looks back up at him unconcerned. "I do not wish to insult your honor Lord Cordell, I just merely want to find the truth. I hope you can understand from where I am coming from?" He leans back in his chair, taking up his tea he takes a sip as if everything was casual.
Cordell's fingers go still on the hilt. For a long moment he is silent. When he finally replies, he speaks softly, absently,"I do not see how you hope to avoid dishonoring this lady if you persist in this manner. The fact is that there are only two ways to look at this. Either she is lying in order to manipulate a marriage, or she frequents common taverns and goes home with patrons too drunk to remember her. I assure you I have no memory of her at all. Furthermore, the .. legends, shall we say, of my drunkenness are exaggerated. It does, however, almost without exception, occur in establishments frequented by commoners, not nobility."
Dareca reopens her fan this time showing the other side with its painted picture of grand city of Fal Moran, she runs her fingers over the ribs indicating to Falcrin she is going to want to talk to him. "Lord Cordell you seem to suggest that a noble Lady has no right to enter a tavern if she so choses as if that somehow makes her a woman of the Night. It is not at all uncommon" she begins to instruct Cordell, "for noble Ladies to go to a Tavern to met someone. I've no doubt you arranged the meeting yourself to try and spoil her reputation. Futhermore, Shienarin women are used to going where they will." She shrugs, "but if that is your stance I have no choice but to write back to her father on the situation, Light only knows what he is going to do."
Falcrin looks at Cordell, "Are you admitting Lord Cordell that you do go to taverns, get drunk and take home women, not remembering them in the morning? Are you saying that there is no possibility what so ever that perhaps you were drunk one night, and that you happened to charm this lady, and take her back to your place?" He shakes his head, "I don't know what to think Lord Cordell, except dishonoring her is in fact dishonoring myself and House Jagad. I know you say you don't remember her, but have you seen her since the incident? If not I think maybe you should arrange a meeting with her, so that we could better work things out."
Cordell arches an eyebrow at Dareca and replies coldly,"What I am implying is that I do not arrange meetings with noble women in taverns. Had I arranged to meet her, it would have been somewhere more suited to our stations." He leans forward in his chair, voice growing more chill and body more tense as he adds,"I no longer find it in the slightest amusing that I am being called a liar and a drunkard by the agents of a woman I have never met." He turns his icy gaze on Falcrin and carries on,"So yes. I should meet her. And no, I have not seen her since the incident, nor before the incident. I have NEVER met her. I have many faults, Jagad. Lying is not one of them. I do take women I hardly know to my rooms. I also remember all their names. I'd prove that, but surely even with the strange customs of the borderlands, you can understand why I will not divulge that list. The name Richendra does not occuply a place on it. In fact, I only have your word that she even exists. Produce this woman and have her make her own claims." Throughout the speech his voice grows angrier and angrier until at the end, his pale face is flushed red and his body tense to the point he looks ready to burst into sudden violence.
Dareca arches an eyebrow at Cordell but remains calm, calm as an Aes Sedai in the wake of all his mounting anger. "Well Lord Cordell, I see no harm in your meeting with Lady Richendra. But you will not take that tone with her and you will not show such anger. She is in a delicate state and I will hold you responsible if in the course of this meeting she goes into labor and delievers a stillborn." She sighs finding Cordell quite annoying with all his tension. "And you will not call her names nor suggest she is anything but the Lady she is." Dareca snaps her fan closed and hits herself across the palm to emphasize her point. "And it will not be a long meeting, I do not wish to tire her. Tomorrow be fine with you Lord Cordell?"
Falcrin looks over at Cordell and then at Dareca, "Well I guess this matter is settled then, Lord Cordell shall meet with Lady Richendra, and we shall hopefully get down to the bottom of this." He looks at Cordell and nods before picking up his tea and taking another sip, with it being cold he sets it back down on the table.
Cordell rises to his feet, the tension so evident in his body somewhat masking his natural grace. With sharp movements, he buckles the swordbelt back around his waist. Even with his evident anger, he takes the time to make sure his coat is straight and belt arranged just so. Once his appearance is again immaculate, he faces Dareca and says in a tightly controlled voice,"I have two ways to look at this, now. Either I am being coerced into giving my name to someone else's child, in which case there exists a possibility that once my anger grows cold it will nudge me into trying my hand at the Game once more. Or, I am taking pity on an unfortunate woman who would otherwise be disgraced." He inclines his head very slightly towards Dareca, then turns and repeats the process to Falcrin, before making his way to the door. There, he pauses. Looking over his shoulder, he says to Dareca,"It would be in everyone's interest to cater to my kindness instead of pushing me into something many more than just we three would regret."
Dareca rises to her feet as Cordell readies himself but she is expressionless as she watches him. She nods toward him in return again saying nothing. But upon his last comment she raises her eyebrow, "No one is trying to punish you Lord Cordell. I don't even know you. But I will look after my own people." She raises her nose slightly in a most arrogant way, "I would have it desperately if she'd name another than you, any one than from .... from Cairhien" she nearly spits the word out and there can be no doubt she holds Cairhien in some measure of disdain.
Falcrin rises to his feet as Cordell stands, he returns Cordell's nod, "I hope the next time we meet Lord Cordell, it will be under better circumstances for us all"
"The Light send it is so," Cordell says with a tone which strongly implies he holds little hope for that end. With a calmness that would almost have to be forced, he opens the door and steps out, closing it lightly behind him. His teacup remains on the tray beside his chair. Untouched.
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