The Power of Feminine Persuasion

[Lady Selena Lancaster]

As per her promise to Riordan, Selena sailed across the lake and up the river to Meirin in order to intercede with the Princess Emmaline and persuade her to return to Triadon. She had no idea how successful she might be, or if Emma would grant her admittance to the lodge that served as her current living quarters, yet she knew she had to make the effort. Hoping that another woman, one whom Emma knew fairly well, would be able to better understand the awkward and difficult position in which Emma found herself, Selena intended to use it as a launching point for what appeared a much needed opportunity to lay bare all of the troubles involved with the difficult relationship with the Sarkozsy Crown Prince. 

Aware that Emma was not alone, that her ladies and her cousin kept company with her along with Emma's personal knight, Selena considered that a benefit. Intending to speak with the ladies collectively and individually before seeking audience with Her Royal Highness, she wanted to be thorough yet considerate, compassionate but realistic. And knew she needed the support of the ladies in order to accomplish the desired end goal. 

Reaching the dock, she nodded her thanks to the captain of the ship and disembarked with the assistance of her escort, one of her father's men. No maid was dragged along; Selena preferred to tend to her own needs when possible and she was not intending to descend with an entourage in tow, not when discretion was key. Horses were obtained for the short ride to the lodge, approaching quietly and without fanfare as the lodge came into view.

She was admittedly nervous, dismounting and handing the reins to the knight before approaching the doors to seek admission. The first step was getting in the door... if Emma and her protectors would permit her to do so. 


Princess Emmaline Carlisle, Lady Natalie Kendall, Lady Serah Lancaster, Lady Rosalie St. Claire

[Lady Natalie Kendall]

It was Natalie that happened to be closest to the door when the servant announced the arrival of another lady. She made the necessary inquiry as to her name and a brow immediately winged upward. She was not opposed to Selena's arrival per se, but she was curious as to just why she was here. Natalie had yet the opportunity to meet with the woman, but she was well aware of her burgeoning relationship with the Crown Prince. Interesting. Picking up her amber skirts, the svelte woman made her way to the door.

A smile bloomed across her face but her eyes were curious and watchful. "Lady Selena, welcome, welcome." She was not one to deny the lady the hospitality, after all! "I did not know you were coming, but we've plenty of room within." She issued a command to a servant to see to her things, noticing that Selena had not brought a maid with her. Turning, she allowed Selena to enter first before following.

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Meirin was something else entirely, so Rosalie was experiencing. The girl took her sweet time exploring whenever the Princess had no need of her presence, though personally she thought that Her Highness could use a friend and as such limited her usual explorations. She was also of the frank opinion that Her Highness could use some news and an ear that could help her out more than she had, for Rose was not that knowledgeable of the events that drove the Princess to spend some time in Meirin aside from the brief summary. Wondering at that, Rosalie had the full intention of heading outside for a brief few minutes, and flitted toward the door, acknowledging the guards with a bright smile and a whisper to one of the pages to indicate her departure to Princess Emmaline. She was not going to be long at all, but just in case it seemed like a good idea to do. The arrival of Lady Kendall to the door first allowed her to hang back just in case, curious and inquisitive but for now quiet. She had no wish to intrude just yet.

[Lady Serah Lancaster]

Serah was in Meirin, not so much to attend Emma as she was to play chaperone, erstwhile companion and family member. It also granted her a blissful time away from her mother's too observant eyes, spies and a chance to think about her own future. Careful not to pressure Emma, the pale blonde was further surprised to hear a familiar voice. Her cousin Selena was here? Compelled to investigate as she heard Natalie welcome Selena, she came around the corner to stand beside Rosalie.

Lowering her voice so that only Rose heard her, she commented softly, "This could be good... or bad. It depends on if she came of her own choosing, or if Riordan sent her."

[Princess Emmaline Carlisle]

Emma chose Meirin on purpose. The lodge belonged to the Carlisle family, making it a logical and presumably safe choice. It also wasn't terribly far from Triadon that she couldn't get back quickly in case of an emergency, but she needed time and space to think, to clear her head and to try and reach a decision regarding Nikolai. The truth was, her father wasn't likely to cancel the betrothal, so she would either have to accept that her marriage would be a cold and formal one or find some way of breaking through to Nikolai. There had to be something more to him than that aloof, brusque and chilly surface. His sisters adored him, so clearly there was a human being in there. She just wished she knew how to persuade Nikolai she wasn't the enemy.

Coming in from the gardens where she'd been working with the rosebushes, Emma paused as she heard another voice, one vaguely familiar to her. She moved to stand behind Rosalie and Serah, peering over their shoulders to see... Selena? What was she doing here? And why? Frowning, she stayed quiet in order to listen to the exchange between Natalie and Selena, curious as the two who shielded her.

[Lady Selena Lancaster]

Selena had to hand it to Emma - she chose her protectors well. They were a formidable trio, the svelte brunette, the pale little blonde, and the impish golden haired dragon. Fighting the urge to laugh, she focused her gaze on Lady Natalie, aware the other two? three? were listening, if her eyes did not deceive her regarding the Princess skulking behind the two blondes. "Forgive me for arriving unannounced, Lady Natalie, but I am here of my own volition," she pitched her voice to carry back to the trio's ears. "No one knows I am here but Prince Riordan, who is very concerned for his sister's well-being."

That said, she stepped inside more fully to let the door close. Uncertainty swamped her for a moment, but Selena composed herself. "I do not plan to remain long, but hoped I might speak with Her Highness, if she will see me."

[Lady Natalie Kendall]

"Come into my parlor," said the spider to the fly...

"Oh, but you must at least stay for dinner." Natalie gently insisted, knowing that Emma would not be so rude as to deny at least a meal or two to a guest, especially one that was the daughter of an influential duke. The fact that she was here of her own volition made her relax some, but the mention of Riordan made her wonder. Natalie was most aware of what had transpired between the siblings. It had not gone well. Still, in Natalie's opinion, it spoke positively of Riordan if he wanted to maintain a good relationship with his sister.

"I will certainly ask her," though she knew Emma was hearing every second of it. However, she was not going to call her friend out. "Would you like to have a seat in the parlor? I'll have some tea brought in. Are you hungry?"

[Lady Selena Lancaster]

Selena was privy to the situation, if only from Riordan's perspective. While she respected the Crown Prince greatly and harbored significant hopes for him as a man and a King, he was still a man. There were some situations where a woman's more delicate touch and perspective were needed. "Thank you, Lady Natalie. Some tea would be appreciated, though with all due respect, I'll refrain from accepting further invitation." She knew Emma was there but did not want to treat the young woman like a child, or worse, a criminal in what was technically her own home. "A seat in the parlor would be lovely."

Careful not to look in the direction of the trio, Selena allowed herself to be ushered in and seated comfortably, prepared to wait as long as it took for the four to dissect, discuss and decide how to handle her uninvited and likely unwanted presence.

[Lady Serah Lancaster]

Shifting to better conceal Emma, an ironic effort given her shorter stature, Serah eyed the Lady Selena as she listened. So Riordan knew she was here, but did not send Selena herself. That was portentious, but why was her cousin sticking her elegant nose into this? She had her suspicions, of course, but kept her mouth closed on it until invited to comment. Glancing over her shoulder at Emma as Selena went into the parlour, she spoke gently, "Do you want to speak with her, Emma? It's probably fair to presume she's here either to hear your side, or to attempt to coax you back to Triadon, but Selena is a reasonable and fair woman who will hear you out and give you sage advice."

[Lady Natalie Kendall]

Once Selena was secured within the parlor, Natalie emerged and closed the doors behind her. She arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Serah's words. "She is not here at her brother's behest, but rather his request, instead. I do not get a feeling she's going to be particularly demanding, though. Her manner does not allow for it." Still, Natalie was feeling especially protective of Emma as of late. She had been hurt quite enough, thank you. "She also does not wish to overstay her welcome."

[Lady Rosalie St. Claire]

Rosalie hid a quiet giggle behind her hand as she felt two more ladies come up behind her. Lady Serah was a brief acquaintance, and the other young woman made her shift a little closer to the former, hopefully they wouldn’t be overheard. “It could be both,” she murmured just as quietly, hint of curiosity slipping into her voice. She was sure neither lady would miss that note, but she honestly couldn’t help herself. Perhaps it was her inability to do so that she thought made her such a brilliant actress, but the girl felt it wasn’t the time for levity just yet. “I expect we will find out soon enough.”

Falling quiet, lest the two of them will be overheard and attract attention, Rose fiddled a little with her skirts, both impatient to get outside and curious as to their visitor, and not quite knowing what to do about it. For now, she stayed still, though the stillness was hard to come by. Listening to the ongoing conversation with curiosity, Rosalie wondered whether she should offer her help to Lady Kendall, but decided that the other woman would call on either of them if she needed it. So far it did not seem so, and she turned to face Natalie, looking between the three of them to see what was to be decided. “I believe we should hear the lady out,” she suggested gently, wondering whether her opinion was warranted.

[Princess Emmaline Carlisle]

Much as Emma wanted to argue with all of them, logic simply couldn't be refuted. Selena Lancaster was a sensible woman, one who might have her eye on Riordan but as her cousin, Serah knew her well enough to gauge her motives. Natalie was also an excellent judge of character, and she trusted Natalie with her very life. It was tempting to continue to hide behind her ladies, but... no. Emmaline Carlisle was no coward. She sighed, but nodded. "Agreed. From what I know of Lady Selena, she is a good-hearted lady. There's no harm in listening to what she has to say."

Moving around the two, she smiled at her personal protectors. "But I would like the three of you to join us as well. I keep no secrets from you, and I'd like your impressions of the discussion once it is done. I have a feeling how long we stay is about to depend on Lady Selena's words."

[Lady Natalie Kendall]

"Certainly," Natalie gave a support smile and even reached out to touch her arm to further communicate such. "Give me a few moments. Get settled and then I'll bring in the tea. Don't worry, I won't add any special ingredients to make the situation, mm, more relaxed." Though the thought of putting a bit of brandy in the tea was still appealing! With a wink to all of them, Natalie moved off to the kitchens to find a servant to help prepare the tray.

Several minutes later, the woman returned with a tray in hand. She made certain to include a plate of biscuits. Sometimes it helped to do something your mouth in addition to your hands during tense moments. Still, Natalie strove to appear pleasant.

[Princess Emmaline Carlisle]

The brandy sounded ideal, but Emma nodded. Better she kept her wits about her for this discussion. With a nod, she looked at her two blonde protectors and smiled. "Let's go, ladies. We are keeping Lady Selena rudely waiting." Lifting her chin to a proud tilt, she called on her training and knowledge, sweeping into the sitting room to smile politely at their guest. "Good afternoon, Lady Selena, this is a most unexpected surprise indeed. You already know Serah, but have you met Lady Rosalie St. Claire yet? Rosalie, this is the Lady Selena Lancaster."

Taking a seat on the sofa, she left room for Serah and Rosalie to sit beside her if they chose, or one could sit elsewhere. Whichever they preferred, Emma felt better for their presences.

[Lady Selena Lancaster]

Selena rose when Emma made her entrance, flanked by cousin Serah and another blond young lady, who had the look of a St. Claire about her. A polite bow of her head acknowledged the two ladies in waiting, but to Emma, she curtsied in respect. "Good afternoon to you, Your Highness. Yes, Lady Serah and I are well acquainted, and I believe Lady Rosalie and I have met before as well. Good day, ladies." Once the trio was seated, Selena resumed her seat and perused Emma's face, seeing wariness and fatigue mingled within the dark eyes.

She weighed her next words, but opted to speak directly to the point. "As I told Lady Natalie, I came of my own choice, hoping to persuade you to return to Triadon. Not because of Prince Nikolai or matters involving the Sarkozsy delegation, but to rejoin your family, who are very concerned for your well-being." Selena paused, then added candidly, "Riordan knows that the situation between you and Prince Nikolai is extremely tense, and that you needed some time to clear your head. He asked me for some counsel, and my observations on the situation after your efforts to talk with him."

Deciding full disclosure was in order, Selena finished quietly, "I have a letter for you from him. I assured His Highness that I would deliver it." Reaching into the small reticule she carried, she produced the sealed parchment and offered it over. "If you would like some privacy to read and think it over, I'd be delighted to walk in the gardens with Lady Natalie or Lady Rosalie." She smiled then, calm and serene, and leaving the power in Emma's hands... where it belonged.