Preaching Caution

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Following Lord Rupert was a well-established habit at this point; lingering was as much a matter of concern as curiosity, but as Vivianne noted the exchange between her patron and the Princess, she felt her mouth tighten into a grim line. This hadn’t been what she meant when she asked him to speak with Emma, nor what she intended… and should not have been seen by her.

He was going to get himself killed, if she was any judge, or worse, someone discovered this. Suppressing a sigh, she slipped away as the two started back for the encampment, deciding that she would wait for him to return to his own pavilion. It was easy enough for Vivianne to make her way back unobserved and unnoticed, entering his pavilion unseen.

Situating herself comfortably – she imagined there would be something of a wait before he returned – Vivianne turned her mind to how best to dissuade him from what promised to be nothing but trouble. Shrieking at him and demanding to know what he thought he was doing was definitely not the way to go about it; if anything, she suspected he’d be all the more inclined to proceed. Instead, she began mulling over quiet remarks of irrefutable logic that would express her concern in a respectful manner. She only hoped he would neither scoff nor ignore what she said.

Hands folded in her lap, Vivianne prepared to wait for quite some time, using the lull to her advantage to better hone her arguments. She was about to engage in a true battle, if she knew him. So much could be lost if he did not heed her warnings and practice caution.

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

Rupert took his time in escorting the Princess back to her pavilion and assuring that she would be safe inside. There was no real reason to suspect she was in any real danger, but these were odd times. Rupert still had a feeling that something was going to happen, even if he and his associates could not exactly pin what. Traitors were in their midsts and he would be the one to ferret them out, one way or another.

As he made his way back to his own pavilion, he knew Vivianne was going to be waiting for him inside. She saw the whole thing. Unlike most men, however, Rupert had no shame about what he did. The expression on his face was perfectly neutral when he entered, sparing a glance in the direction of his student. "Good evening. Do you have something for me?"

He posed the frankly glib question as he ventured to sit, wanting to remove his boots for the evening. It was time to get comfortable and ponder on the events of the evening.

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

So that was how he wanted to play it. Cool, casual, deflective. Alternately amused and annoyed, Vivianne remained calm and seated, observing him from her chair. "As a matter of fact, I believe I do. There's word from one of the port cities that we are receiving another Treniatan guest shortly. The dear sister of the Grand Duke is on her way. I haven't discovered why yet."

Giving him a few minutes to let that sink in, she made a point of studying her nails as she contemplated how to broach the subject hanging in the air. He was expecting her to shout at him, no doubt, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of predictability. Rather, she mentally shrugged and decided to play it cool herself.

Continuing to maintain that detached demeanor, Vivianne tilted her head and studied him overtly. "So. You are planning to return to Triadon. Do you think that is wise, under the circumstances?"

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

"Really? Another Treniatan? Interesting. Let me know what you find out. I've been keeping track of the Grand Duke, myself. He's shown a keen interest in Serah Lancaster, but I detect no nefarious intentions. Their lot rarely do. It's the Lintenese I need to keep an eye on. It's not that they are trustworthy, per se, but they do tend to act on instinct. They've been idle for now, but I am confident that will change." Rupert wiggled his toes once they were free from the boots.

The next comment was entirely expected but he was pleased to see that she was keeping her cool about it. "Wise? I don't know. When it comes to matters of the heart and soul, wisdom doesn't always come into play. Now, if you're concerned I'll do something foolish, don't be."

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

She took care to mix business with the personal where he was concerned, knowing that he didn't really want to discuss the illicit (in her opinion) moment with Princess Emma. A nod indicated she heard the instruction and intended to obey for now. "I'm not sure who needs more watching - Lord Cerevotos, or his friends. They seem pleasant enough, but they're also extremely aloof. It makes me wonder what they're up to. It might be nothing, but I find it odd that within days of Cerevotos making land in Demeria, so too did they."

Vivianne was not one to believe in coincidence under any circumstance, but narrowed her gaze at him. "A very true point. And no, I'm not concerned you will do something foolish. You are intelligent, you know where the lines fall and which should not be crossed. I'm merely worried that your actions may be misunderstood, or worse, that you'll get hurt." She refrained from pointing out the patently obvious, that there was no real chance for a future with Emma. They both already knew it.

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

Rupert nodded in agreement with her assessment on the Lintenese, but he opted to focus on the matter with Emma. "I'm going to proceed with caution. I don't want to hurt nor do I intend to do so. Can I completely prevent that from happening? No. No one ever can. However, if I can provide her comfort, whether long or brief, than I will do it. She deserves to be happy. She deserves to know how much she matters. She deserves comfort." On that point, he was resolute.

A dim smile formed at her concern about him getting hurt. "I already have my share of scars. I know what that pain is like and I am used to it." It wasn't exactly a depressing statement, merely a statement of fact. Rupert had been in a loveless marriage, had been rejected a number of times and had more or less resigned himself to being lonely for the rest of his life. That's what a life in the shadows yielded, was it not?

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Since he brushed aside the Lintenese for now, so too would she. Sober as a judge, Vivianne looked up at him, examining his face and eyes while he spoke. She didn't presume to know him at all, but she trusted her senses and the evidence of her eyes, and what she saw made her own heart ache. "I agree, she does deserve to be happy. To know how much she matters. And to be comforted. I also believe that you care far more than you probably should. For Triad's sake, don't ever let Lady de Vere know of this. Word is she's looking to secure a new marriage for you, and if she discover this..." Vivianne winced in sympathy and dread. Carissa de Vere was not someone she wanted to cross.

"You have too many scars," she quietly commented. "What that... bitch did to you was monstrous, and had I know of it sooner, I might have killed her myself. But that doesn't mean you should go out courting pain. I didn't think you were the sort to embrace it, however much of your life you spend in the shadows."

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

"Personally," he commented somewhat dryly, "I'm going to keep it absolutely private. You're the only that is going to know what is going on and it doesn't go past this pavilion." There was no edge or threat to his tone, simply cool fact. "It's not going to be permanent and it will not be love for all eternity. It will last for as long as she wishes. And then I'll move on with my life." At least, that is what he assumed. It couldn't last. He was a Lord at most and she was one of jewels of Demeria.

The comment about scars resumed the dim smile on his face. "I've done worse things, Vivianne," he said in attempt to dismiss the actions of his former wife. "I've done worse things to advance my own goals and to protect the kingdom. I'm the monster the Kingdom needs to keep it safe and intact." He raised a finger, "I do agree that she was a rather horrid woman, however."

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Her loyalty to him was absolutely, and he knew it. When he informed her it would go no further, Vivianne bowed her head in mute acceptance and silent vow. Dramatic as it might have sounded, she would never betray him, not when he'd seen past the mousy exterior to the potential she was slowly unlocking within herself. "So you say, my liege. And if she breaks your heart, well... I'll do my best to help you pick up the pieces." A faint, weary smile touched her face, understanding what went unsaid just as much as what he verbalized.

Hearing him describe himself as a monster made her narrow her gaze, yet she knew he was right. The times had come, would come when she too would face those choices. They did what must be done to preserve their homeland and their King. "Agreed, and I will be there as well. But yes, she was dreadful. We're well rid of her."

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

"I'll be fine," he said in the face of her offer. "I'm made of tougher stuff than that." It was proving to be an unusual conversation for Rupert. It was not common for him to interact with people that actually cared for his well-being. He knew Marisa cared deeply and Carissa cared as well. Yet, the de Veres had their own way of showing their affection and care. It was not like most families, but ... Rupert accepted it for what it was. Vivianne was different. He couldn't quite put a finger on it. "I... still appreciate the offer."

"I'm not certain you'll ever go to the extremes that I have. You're an excellent spy and you gather good information. That is half of my task on the council. The other half... I'm not certain I want you to exposed to that."

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Vivianne nodded, knowing then that the subject was closed. She'd said what she needed to, he graciously listened. It was over now but for what might or might not come. Only time itself knew what that would be. Instead, she snorted lightly. "What makes you think I haven't been exposed to that other half? You and I both know I came to you with none of the delusions and half-baked ideas that most who think they can be spies have. I know just what depravities people are capable, and the masks they wear to hide it."

She shrugged, wishing suddenly for a drink as she looked away. "If you're worried that I can't handle it, well... don't be. I'm no naive innocent, and at the rate I'm going, I expect I'll wind up the way my sister did. Maybe it's best."

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

That was an interesting response, he hadn't quite been expecting it. "It's not that I doubt your ability to handle it," he stated in the face of her protests. "It's more that I don't wish blood on your hands when I can take it for myself. I feel it's a heavy weight." He then raised a hand, "But if that is what you wish, then we shall work our way toward it."

He eyed her in regard to her sister. "That never was solved, I thought?"

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

Vivianne stilled her initial protests regarding blood on her hands, instead taking a few minutes to think it over. Despite her looks, despite the act, she hadn't been a child for a very long time. To say so however was to prove the opposite. Instead, she replied quietly, "I appreciate your concern, truly I do, but isn't half the point of taking on an apprentice to lighten your load? I know I cannot take it all from you, just as you can't protect me from everything. I will wait until you feel I am ready, though." She knew she had years of learning and experience before she could even pretend a claim to mastery.

Hearing him inquire about her sister made her face turn stone solemn. "Never officially solved, but there was enough evidence to convince me she is dead, and at the hands of someone I know."

[Lord Rupert de Vere]

She was taking his caution in the spirit in which it was given rather than as an insult. If he didn't feel that she could handle the work, he would have not assigned it to her... but at the same time, he wondered if she truly wanted to handle the other dark aspects of their work. Only time would tell, he concluded. Vivianne would choose that path. He would not force her down it. Thus, he merely nodded in an answer to her declaration.

"Mm, I see. Are you going to pursue the matter? Would you like some resources to help you?"

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

She didn't answer right away, instead seeming to stare down at the complex pattern of the carpet covering the grass that was the floor of his pavilion. The question was a weighty one, but if she accepted his offer, Vivianne knew too many secrets she couldn't afford to reveal would come out. A slow shake of her head was given before she raised her eyes to his. "Is there really any point to pursuing it? It's my word against someone more powerful. I prefer to choose my battles more carefully than that. I can only trust in divine justice now."