Imeeya had only been in Vasiliadon a few days and she was already starting to resent this unfamiliar city. She’d managed to find her way to go only to see off Vangelis and Nike. That hadn’t been too hard, what with the number of people who had gone to see someone off. But getting back to the Leventi manor seemed to be proving impossible. She had spent well over an hour trying to figure out how to get back, and she seemed no closer than when she had started.
When she was in Midas it was always simple to navigate, the city went downhill to the sea. All she had to do to get home was go uphill until she was in a familiar neighborhood. But here in Vasiliadon, the city plan seemed to have no rhyme or reason to it. Everything was so flat that all she could do is try to follow along the roads, but she was convinced that they were twisting and turning. Without anything tall enough to use as a reference, she was never entirely sure if she was even heading in the same direction she had started out in.
After the fifth time passing exactly the same house, Imeeya knew she was truly and deeply lost. She stopped and tried to take inventory of her situation, wiping the hair that had fallen loose out of her eyes. The heat of the late-summer day had not done her any favors, and the hair and dust from the road stuck to her face in the sweat that had beaded up across her face. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, thinking of the change of peplos and chilled wine that would be awaiting her at the Leventi manor.
Imeeya looked around again considering her options. She had thought it was the same house that she had passed but when she looked again, she saw something at the end of the street that she hadn’t noticed before. Suddenly, Imeeya was certain that she hadn’t been down this street before, she would have remembered if she had seen the Palati. Imeeya started towards the Palati. At the very least, she might be able to have a rest and something to quench her thirst before she had to try again to find her way through this accursed city. She would likely have to explain why she had shown up uninvited, but Imeeya was too tired to care at this point.
Xene had remained with the Queen and her sister for as long as she could stand. In the end, her restlessness had gotten to her and she had decided that she needed to take a walk to clear her head. To clear the anxieties, the frustrations, and the all-consuming worry that she couldn't seem to break away from. She needed her brother to come home alive. All of their men needed to come home alive.
And, despite her distrust, her uncle was among those who she desperately wanted to see walk back into the capitol city. Anything else would be unacceptable. Losing more members of her family so soon after the loss of her brother and her father would do little to ease her heart or the agony and anguish that still simmered under her skin.
She had woken that morning before the sun rose. A cold sweat had glistened on her skin, the nightmare still fresh in her mind. Xene had dreamed that none of them had come back. That she had lost her brother and her uncle and been left with only her sister, mother, and cousins for comfort. It had rattled her to her core and with the men hours gone, she hadn't been able to stand remaining in the palati.
With Heron silently walking at her back, they navigated the streets. He said nothing, which suited her just fine. And for a few minutes she felt she was able to breathe. She could stare up into the blue sky and forget for just a moment that Stephanos might not come back from this.
But the approach of a woman toward the palati had Xene straightening up and watching her with a lifted eyebrow. The woman appeared familiar, but she was sure she hadn't met the woman properly. She knew her name, at the very least, able to put a face to a name she'd heard in passing. Motioning for Heron to remain back, Xene approached the woman. "Lady Drakos," Xene greeted warmly, "Have the streets of Vasiliadon utterly confused you?" she asked politely.
With only a slight bow and little more pretense, the princess was offering her her hand. "You appear as if you could use refreshment. Care to join me?"
As Imeeya looked towards the Palati, she saw a figure that she recognized, at least in how similar she looked to her brother, while her hair color distinguished her from her sister. As much as Imeeya hated to admit that she found herself lost in the city, she was too tired to care that it displayed her incompetence. Still, she found herself at least wanting to look presentable to meet the Princess. She attempted to comb her hair back out of her face with her fingers, smoothing it back into the updo that it had fallen out of. She straightened out her peplos and smiled at Xene as she approached, hoping to make a less bedraggled first impression.
She supposed it must have been apparent that she had gotten lost when Xene pointed that out almost immediately. ”I admit, I find these streets completely incomprehensible.” Imeeya said with an edge in her voice from her annoyance at the city. Hearing her own tone, Imeeya made an attempt to soften her temper, it would not be a good introduction to the princess. ”Forgive me, princess,” she quickly corrected herself. ”I find, I have been out in the heat of the day for too long. Yes, refreshment would be greatly appreciated.” The heat had not been good for Imeeya’s temper, but she managed to reign it back in, trying to think instead of the refreshments that would await her within the Palati. Imeeya took the princess’s hand and walked back with her towards the Palati.
She briefly wondered if anyone would be missing her back at the Leventi manor. Asia had not come out that morning to see the men off to battle, and Vangelis would still be out fighting she supposed, though...a lot could happen while she was wondering the city. ”I take it there has been no word of the men while I’ve been wandering around the city?” Imeeya asked of her hostess, as they walked back towards the Palati. It would have been way too early, but if anyone had sent a message anywhere, she expected it would be to the queen, so she would expect the princess was most likely to have any recent news.Xene of Mikaelidas,
Xene noted the feeling of Imeeya's hand in her own, taking mental notes of the softness of her fingers and the slight glow of her skin. But she said nothing about the sweat that glistened on her skin nor the state of her hair. Pointing out such things was not only rude but unnecessary. Xene was entirely sure that as a woman of high birth, Imeeya knew exactly what she looked like and that Xene would not dare to judge her for it.
The streets of the capitol city were notoriously difficult to navigate. Had Xene not had guards that knew their way about the city when she was younger, it would have been very likely for she herself to end up lost. And on such a sunny day? With the weather so glaringly beautiful but also somewhat dangerous if one was not careful, Xene was not about to show any unkindness for the misfortune that the lovely foreign visitor had found.
"These streets take a lot of love and care to remember. I have lived here all my life and I'm not entirely sure I know every nook and cranny yet," Xene noted, giving Imeeya's hand a friendly squeeze. "There is nothing to forgive. I cannot blame you for not knowing your way around, but I can blame your hosts for not supplying you with neither guard nor guide," the princess' voice sounded amused, if not a little irritable that the visiting woman was left to her own devices.
Then again, many of the men had left that morning to fight. Xene still cringed at the idea, inwardly, at least. Leading Imeeya into the cooler halls of the Mikaelidas Palati, they walked for a bit before coming to a shaded sitting room. "Refreshments for myself and our guest," Xene noted to a lingering slave. "A spread of food as well," she called after, giving the lady a sweet smile. "Please, sit," she noted as she did so herself.
There was a slight pause as Xene considered Imeeya's question, "I was with the Queen most of the morning and we have heard little since," she noted with a weak smile. "I apologize. I know you must worry for your cousin and your men," she offered, glancing up only once as the slaves rushed back in with both fresh water, wine, and a large spread of food for the two of them. Xene gave Imeeya first pick of whatever she wanted to eat or drink with a slight wave of her hand.
"How much longer will you remain in Taengea, Lady Imeeya?" she questioned with a smile that could light up the sun itself. "Are you enjoying your visit?"
Imeeya allowed herself to be led inside the palati, the hospitality of the princess welcome after her time wandering the streets of Vasiliadon. She hoped she didn’t look to unpresentable, but if she did, Xene had been too nice to mention it. The princess had also been very understanding of Imeeya's apparent inability to navigate the streets of Vasiliadon. Still, it was unfair to blame her hosts for being left unchaperoned.
”Don't blame my hosts for my lack of a companion. I am afraid that the fault is my own. I did not inform the Leventis that I planned to go out today, for I didn't know myself that I would go to see off the soldiers, until I decided this morning. I am not accustomed to having to explain my comings and goings to anyone as I am comfortable moving around Midas without any escort.” perhaps Imeeya had been too forward in her explanation to Xene, but she did want to be sure that the Leventis took no blame for allowing her to come and go as she saw fit. The last thing she wanted was someone tasked with making sure that she had a chaperone at all times.
Imeeya sighed a bit as she entered the cooler halls of the palati. It was such a relief to have a break from the sun pounding down on her. At her hostess's request, Imeeya sat in one of the chairs, while food was ordered. She welcomed the thought of refreshments, but instead turned her attention to the news of the day. Imeeya wasn't that surprised that they had yet to hear about what had happened with the men they had sent to fight that morning. While she didnt know how long to expect the fighting to take, they would have to travel there and back at the very least. Imeeya sighed a bit. ”I suppose there's nothing we can do but wait.”
Luckily it was then that the food and drink appeared. As much as Imeeya was parched, she carefully poured herself a cup of water. Rushing to drink as she wished she could would only appear rude. She sipped her water and tried one of the dates from the platter that had been brought.
Imeeya found the overly cheerful smile slightly unnerving, but she didn't comment on that as she informed Xene of her plans in Taengea. ”I don't know how long we are staying for certain. We weren't originally meant to come to Taengea at all. We had meant to go to Meganea to visit my cousin's cousins, but we had to come here instead because of the storm.” Yes they weren't even meant to be in Vasiliadon in the first place and yet, Vangelis and Nike had gotten roped in to fighting for a country that was not their own. Xene of Mikaelidas,
Xene respected Imeeya's ability to protect her hosts' honor. The explanation was acceptable enough for the princess, though she thought to subtly hint to Lord Leventi about the hassle that the visiting noble had experienced in a city that was not her own. She knew for a fact that if it had been Xene alone in the city, either her brother or one of the passing nobles would have taken it upon themselves to escort her. Then again, she knew the streets of her city inside and out. It was unlikely for her to ever end up lost. Had she been in Midas or Athenia, she would have found herself utterly backward.
She only hoped that the Lady Imeeya would show her the same kindnesses.
"Midas must be incredibly safe for a Lady to move around without at least one guard or escort," Xene offered. Her home was also safe, in a sense. But the death of her brother and father had left the entire royal family on edge. If her Uncle saw her without an escort or even her brother, there would be trouble. A great amount of trouble. "I shall have to forgive your host family, then. The Leventis are kind. They would not have wanted you to find yourself lost in an unfamiliar city. Should you need anything during the duration of your visit, please don't hesitate. I'll ensure you have everything you need," Xene commented as an afterthought.
Taengeans were known for being incredibly hospitable and affectionate. That often extended to their visitors as well as their own friends and family.
"Waiting is always the hardest part," Xene commented with a weak smile, reaching forward for her own cup of water, sipping it easily. She took a piece of fruit and chewed it thoughtfully, glancing through the columns of the palati and into the adjoining gardens. The soft breeze fluttered the curtains, shimmers of color floating in the sides of her vision.
"I heard about the storm," Xene commented quietly then, "I trust you made it to shore okay, else you would not be here." Her smile had faded slightly, though she seemed no less content for the company. "Was it your first time traveling, Lady Imeeya?" Then, the princess settled her goblet down, "If you do remain for a few days more, I might show you the city, if you will allow me the pleasure?" Xene was curious and wanted to know more about the Colchian lady and Colchis itself if she would give her the chance to get to know her past simple pleasantries.
Imeeya was finally relaxing a bit as she sat in the cool environment of the palati and slowly sipped water. ”Midas has always been a safe city for me and my family.” The woman was a new enough acquaintance that she didn’t wish to worry her with tales of the fire that had recently swept its way through her city. Although her mind also wandered to her encounter with various unsavory men down at the docks, the only time she had felt unsafe in one of the two cities she called her home, she was not prepared to share that information even with her best friend Asia or sister Essa, much less this woman she barely knew.
”I greatly appreciate the hospitality that I have received here so far. I won’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything I need,” Imeeya reassured her hostess. She again sipped from her glass as the breeze floated by, gently cooling Imeeya and for the first time in over an hour, Imeeya began feeling as if she wasn’t sticking to her clothes. Imeeya only nodded in agreement at Xene’s agreement that waiting was difficult. There wasn’t much to add to that observation. The men would’ come back when they came back, and there was nothing they could do back here to change that.
The storm, Imeeya had done her best to push that to the back of her mind since they had reached the safety and solidity of Taengean soil. ”I think Poseidon himself must have been protecting us in that storm. I don’t know how else we managed to stay afloat.” Imeeya stated, not wanting to go too much into the details of that terrifying experience. ”This is my first time outside of Colchis. Though I have been enjoying my time in Taengea so far.” It was a polite gesture. While Imeeya had found Taengea pleasant enough, things had been tense enough with their arrival and with the men going off to fight that Imeeya wasn’t quite sure she could say that ‘enjoying’ was quite the right word. Though she might finally be bordering on enjoyment now that she was here relaxing with pleasant company in the Palati.
”While I’m not entirely sure of our plans. If there is room in my schedule, I would love to see more of the city. I’m sure with a few more viewings I would be able to better find my way around.” Imeeya certainly hoped that that would be true. She had hated the feeling of not knowing where she was. ”If we do not manage to arrange a time to visit the city together, is there anything I should make a point of visiting during my stay here?” The question was mostly a polite way of making conversation, though if she did have to find a way to entertain herself in the city, the information would be invaluable.