10 Zi'da 717
Gaining an invitation to the Barony of Astedia from Baroness Celeste Andaris herself had sent Valeria into rapturous delight. When she'd initially received word, she hadn't been able to believe it. The notion that the woman who was in line to become the Duchess of Andaris and who was one of the most important people in Rynmere could have noticed her was too incredible for the young woman to grasp. When she'd recovered from the initial shock, she'd written straight to her parents to inform them of the good news, even if it was only a simple social engagement. In the world of Rynmere's political sphere, there was no such thing as "simple" when it came to anything social.
Her delight had quickly evaporated though when she began to panic over what she was going to wear, how she was going to present herself, if she ought to bring something with her and all the other trivialities that could have a lasting impact. Obviously, she knew that she could use Zanik's mark to assist her but she couldn't solely rely on it for such an important matter. It was almost enough to set her to ripping her own hair out in her anxiety, almost reduced to tears on more than one occasion as she dashed wildly around her home. Alena had watched her in bewildered curiosity, obviously wondering why her owner had gone insane but not too concerned as the cat soon grew bored, settling on grooming herself and glancing up every now and then.
When the Burhan noblewoman arrived at the estate, she felt under-dressed and under-prepared. She hadn't wanted to don a proper gown, which was for parties, and she hadn't wanted to dress to richly and appear desperate to impress the prospective Duchess. Foolishly, she'd convinced herself that a nice skirt and blouse would be sufficient for the occasion, a ludicrous fantasy that had held until she'd caught sight of the stunning white stone facade of the house she'd soon be entering. The men who were dotted around the place in the name of security seemed better dressed than she and the Lady found that she had more regrets than she could count. Worse still, she didn't have anything to make up for it having shown up empty-handed. Valeria only had herself to offer and right now, she didn't feel as if she was nearly enough.
The only things that she could be proud of was the Ouroboros pendant necklace that she'd received from her parents for her 18th birthtrial and the stunning crown of blonde curls that she'd managed to tease into a simple but attractive style, much of her hair swept back into a loose ponytail while a few carefully arranged golden ringlets framed her forehead. Even her make-up had been kept simple with the barest touchings of rouge on her cheeks and a far more muted lip stain than was her wont. A small amount of eye paint had lightened the lids around her kaleidoscopic irises so that she seemed bright and fresh-faced. Now she wondered if her seeming lack of effort would be taken as an insult.
Alighting carefully from the carriage, she approached the residence, undergoing a near interrogation about her business on the estate, even after she presented the Baroness' invitation. Security was understandably tight, given the importance of the occupants but she didn't fully realise the precious state of the noblewoman until she was shown into a stunning parlour after being shown glimpses of a building that proved that the wealth of the Andaris family far eclipsed her own.
When she entered the parlour, she found the brunette seated but of course the woman rose to meet her guest, providing Valeria with the opportunity to see her swollen stomach which strained against the fabric of her clothing. It seemed that the Baroness was well on her way to popping out an heir, a fact that the Burhan noblewoman chided herself for being unaware of such a thing.
The blonde bobbed an elegant curtsey, remembering the lessons that had been so carefully instilled into her. She didn't automatically offer her hand for the other to shake, taking her cue from her hostess. She'd already been announced by the servant who'd shown her in so a self-introduction was unnecessary; such an announcement had been mere formality in any case for she'd been expected. There were many social niceties that had to be upheld on this occasion and she prayed to Zanik that she could manage to present herself well. She held onto the source of power that the Immortal had bestowed on her and carefully allowed an ability to come to the fore, allowing the mesmerising aura to effect her facial features as she smiled so that she'd appear more radiant than her natural good looks would typically allow.
"I thank you for your kind invitation, my Baroness. You honour me greatly by allowing me into your presence, especially during such a blessed time," she explained, her voice oozing with genuine gratitude. "I congratulate you on your good fortune and may the Seven bless you with a beautiful and healthy child."
Her delight had quickly evaporated though when she began to panic over what she was going to wear, how she was going to present herself, if she ought to bring something with her and all the other trivialities that could have a lasting impact. Obviously, she knew that she could use Zanik's mark to assist her but she couldn't solely rely on it for such an important matter. It was almost enough to set her to ripping her own hair out in her anxiety, almost reduced to tears on more than one occasion as she dashed wildly around her home. Alena had watched her in bewildered curiosity, obviously wondering why her owner had gone insane but not too concerned as the cat soon grew bored, settling on grooming herself and glancing up every now and then.
When the Burhan noblewoman arrived at the estate, she felt under-dressed and under-prepared. She hadn't wanted to don a proper gown, which was for parties, and she hadn't wanted to dress to richly and appear desperate to impress the prospective Duchess. Foolishly, she'd convinced herself that a nice skirt and blouse would be sufficient for the occasion, a ludicrous fantasy that had held until she'd caught sight of the stunning white stone facade of the house she'd soon be entering. The men who were dotted around the place in the name of security seemed better dressed than she and the Lady found that she had more regrets than she could count. Worse still, she didn't have anything to make up for it having shown up empty-handed. Valeria only had herself to offer and right now, she didn't feel as if she was nearly enough.
The only things that she could be proud of was the Ouroboros pendant necklace that she'd received from her parents for her 18th birthtrial and the stunning crown of blonde curls that she'd managed to tease into a simple but attractive style, much of her hair swept back into a loose ponytail while a few carefully arranged golden ringlets framed her forehead. Even her make-up had been kept simple with the barest touchings of rouge on her cheeks and a far more muted lip stain than was her wont. A small amount of eye paint had lightened the lids around her kaleidoscopic irises so that she seemed bright and fresh-faced. Now she wondered if her seeming lack of effort would be taken as an insult.
Alighting carefully from the carriage, she approached the residence, undergoing a near interrogation about her business on the estate, even after she presented the Baroness' invitation. Security was understandably tight, given the importance of the occupants but she didn't fully realise the precious state of the noblewoman until she was shown into a stunning parlour after being shown glimpses of a building that proved that the wealth of the Andaris family far eclipsed her own.
When she entered the parlour, she found the brunette seated but of course the woman rose to meet her guest, providing Valeria with the opportunity to see her swollen stomach which strained against the fabric of her clothing. It seemed that the Baroness was well on her way to popping out an heir, a fact that the Burhan noblewoman chided herself for being unaware of such a thing.
The blonde bobbed an elegant curtsey, remembering the lessons that had been so carefully instilled into her. She didn't automatically offer her hand for the other to shake, taking her cue from her hostess. She'd already been announced by the servant who'd shown her in so a self-introduction was unnecessary; such an announcement had been mere formality in any case for she'd been expected. There were many social niceties that had to be upheld on this occasion and she prayed to Zanik that she could manage to present herself well. She held onto the source of power that the Immortal had bestowed on her and carefully allowed an ability to come to the fore, allowing the mesmerising aura to effect her facial features as she smiled so that she'd appear more radiant than her natural good looks would typically allow.
"I thank you for your kind invitation, my Baroness. You honour me greatly by allowing me into your presence, especially during such a blessed time," she explained, her voice oozing with genuine gratitude. "I congratulate you on your good fortune and may the Seven bless you with a beautiful and healthy child."