(1867-02-16) The Chancellor's Wife
The Chancellor's Wife
Summary: Milicent Avathor visits Natalie Tyres at the Tyres Manse, for an enlightening conversation about Tyres fathers and sons. OOC: Natalie Tyres is NPCed by Guillaume's player.
Date: 16-19/02/2016 (Date of RP)
Related: Impending Wedding News and Meet the Tyres.
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Milicent  

Four Corners - Grand Canal - Tyres Manse

Impressive pale stone walls enlivened by the occasional carved vine surround the manse of Guillaume Tyres, the building itself two storeys high, in a new, quite functional but nonetheless grand style. Three steps lead up to the entrance, flanked by statues of white marble: a mermaid to the left with her long hair arranged just so to conceal yet still suggest the shapely curves of her human torso, and then scales below where her hips blossom into a huge tail fin; and to the right a merman, this one possessed of legs and feet with unnaturally long webbed toes, and a scaled garment covering his hips to keep to the rules of modesty, but also the martial detail of a trident in his right hand.

Behind massive double doors of bronze upon which are etched the two halves of an imaginary giant sea snake, is a broad entrance corridor which opens to the right into a larger hall which occupies the full height of the building.

The private wing of the building can be reached from the entrance hall through the door to the left, facing the grand hall; it is here where other members of the family have their quarters on the upper floor; while the lower floor has a second kitchen and a parlour, with adjoining servant quarters; this door will usually remain closed to visitors.

Fevrier 16th, 1867

An invitation had gone out from the Tyres Manse, a small note written on a piece of parchment in a rather curvy - feminine - handwriting, to be delivered in the late morning hours to the inn, where Milicent Avathor was staying with her family, in the best rooms available. And it would be to the redhaired lady in person, the errand boy would hand the following message:


Dear Milicent,

As I trust I may call you without any formality, as your soon-to-be mother-in-law.

You are probably very nervous with the upcoming changes to your life, and as we are going to live in the same house, I thought, you may like to come and visit me, so we can get to know each other better.

Guillaume will be gone till the evening today, on business errands, and other matters at the Darnis Palace, so it will just you and I. And any the boys maybe, if you would like to see them.

Either way, I am looking forward to your visit,

Natalie Tyres.


And so, in case Milicent would follow the invitation, she will be received at the door of the Tyres Manse by Natalie Tyres herself, dark eyes sparkling as they take in the young lady’s appearance, in the moment she steps forward to greet the young woman with a warm-hearted hug, if allowed.

Milicent is wearing a dark emerald dress. While initially looking like a heavy gown, this modest piece is actually made of layered light-weight linen fabrics allowing it to be much lighter than it originally appears. Floor-length, with generous wrist-length sleeves, and a tight, inch high collar the only parts of the body left exposed by this gown is the head, most of the neck, and the hands. A wide black sash-like belt surrounds the waist with silver adornments on the ends of the sash which feed into narrow, black belt straps joined by a silver buckle.

A light chain hangs from the neck to a couple inches below the belt where it ends with a silver trinket decorated in floral ornaments. The young woman’s brightly red hair are tried to be calmed and pulled back in a neat, tight, harsh bun. However, some of the red strands are sticking this way or that, giving some playfulness to the ginger.

Milicent accepts the hug with a mild surprise, but she doesn’t mind to squeeze a soon to be mother-in-law, expressing her friendliness like that. “Thank you for the invitation.”

“You’re welcome, sweet child,” Natalie Tyres smiles when her arms let go of the young lady, and she gives her a friendly yet assessing glance. “I thought you’d be either very nervous with the great day approaching, or eager to get it over with – or maybe even both.” The woman extends her arm as she reaches for Milicent’s hand, ready to lead her further down the entrance hall. The Tyres woman is clad in a modest dress of dark green, the fabric expensive even if the garment itself is of a rather plain cut. There are grey strands in her dark hair, that have been pulled back and done in a bun at the back of her head. A pair of golden earrings, a matching bracelet and a necklace are worn by Natalie, showing off her status, even if it does not go along with a haughty attitude.

Milicent may remember the Great Hall to the right, where she had met Guillaume and his family last time around. But it will not be where Natalie will be leading her this time; instead pausing at the door to the left, opening it before she beckons Milicent to follow her into the more private living area inhabited by herself and her two grandsons. After the door has fallen shut behind them, Natalie Tyres will turn and face her sister-in-law to be. “So…? How do you feel about it all?” They are in a second hallway that is in fact actually a smaller hall, with stairs leading up to the first floor but also a table with chairs, a hearth with more comfortable seats - a slightly smaller version of what is to be encountered in the greater hall. A fire is burning in the hearth, and there are torches at the walls; and on the table a two goblets have been placed, beside a jug of lemon water and a flagon of red wine. There is also a plate with a bit of cheese and fruit. It seems Natalia has indeed been expecting her.

Milicent politely accepts the soon to be mother-in-law’s arm and follows the woman into that more private room. She has not been here before, so the young lady looks around quite curiously. It would be hard to guess if she likes the place or not. She is not that emotional. Maybe this is a way of freaking out to Milicent.

Once they are in the room and settle down on the comfortable seats, the young ginger smiles at the other woman, “I am not fully sure how I feel. Maybe I am a little bit excited. Though, it is a big change in my life. I am scared. Although I consider myself a very strong woman who overcomes all the fear. It’s not like a battle!” She laughs.

It is in fact the more private wing of the building, as there are several rooms that can be accessed from this smaller hall. Natalie studies Milicent with unobtrusive curiosity, and she smiles when she observes that rather guarded manner of the lady. “You should be excited,” she opines softly, canting her head a little to the side. “At least I was… so many years ago.” Dark eyes flit towards the flagon of wine and she pours them both, her demeanor turning a bit pensive there. “Even though… back then was not half as grand an affair as your wedding with my Guilllaume will be.” Her smile widens a little in an encouraging manner as she hands Milicent the goblet. “You will manage,” Natalie states then, as she raises her goblet to her lips. “And yes… marriage is actually not quite unlike real battle, my dear.”

“Is marriage harder than the battle?” Milicent asks, taking the goblet into her hands, “Guillaume mentioned, that your current husband, his father, likes to visit the chambers of other women,” Her eyes widen and she takes a huge gulp of the wine, to chase down the inappropriate question. “Forgive me for being so blunt. I just know the habits of Guillaume. Everyone does, and I can see how other women are staring at him. I am not of a type to put up with such behaviour. I am a very temperamental person…” She chuckles and takes another huge gulp of wine.

“I can hardly tell,” Natalie replies, her eyes narrowing as she leans back in her seat. “As I have never been to real battle. But yes. I assume it must be,” this admitted after a moment of contemplation, when her lips curve upwards just so, in faint amusement. Amusement, that is bound to dim when Milicent Avathor quite directly references the Chancellor of Four Corners. “Master Frederick Tyres,” she intones in a slightly officious voice, her warmth of address temporarily cooling, “is my husband yes. But in fact your assessment of him is wrong, my dear Milicent. Frederick does not visit the chambers of other women. He lets them come to him. He shows himself at public soirées and on official occasions with an ever changing pair of those luxurious sluts they call courtesans.” A slightly exasperated chuckle there, her indignation evident, when Natalie Tyres closes her mouth and her lips form a firm line as she lets that piece of information sink in. “I forgive you your bluntness, child, but you have no idea, of how this most respected man of Four Corners is. With Guillaume…” Here Natalie’s expression softens into a smile, “it is different. I know he has his faults. But. I believe, with the right woman at his side, he can still become the most respectable husband you could wish for. You have temper. You have fire. You can keep him busy, I’d wager,” she continues, meeting Milicent’s bluntness with a bluntness of her own. “Sufficiently so, that he doesn’t have any need nor stamina left to long for other women. He has been married before, and yes… he tried. For a moment I thought he was cured of his rather…distracting diversions.” She sighs, and her shoulders lift in a shrug. “I know my Guillaume is not a paragon of matrimonial faithfulness. But he can become one, Milicent.” She smiles. “You can make it happen, child.”

Milicent’s cheeks blush brightly, listening for the words of Guillaume’s mother. She just nods her head and finishes the first goblet of wine. That was a bit too tense conversation to her. She is not a drunkard or something. The girl offers a bit nervous giggle and nods again, “Aye aye,” she confirms the woman’s assumptions before changing the subject, “Lady… Mistress… Lady?..” Here she fails to start another subject, “Forgive me again, but are you a lady? Were you noble, when you married Master Frederick Tyres?”

Natalie smiles and has another sip of the wine, before she pushes the plate with the refreshments towards her charming guest. “Would you like some fruit, perhaps?”, she asks, noticing the slight awkwardness of the young lady’s part. The question of address and station seems to amuse the Tyres woman and she lets out a hearty chuckle. “No! I am of common birth, my lady. A daughter of the merchant family Belantre in Murias. That is also, where I married Frederick. Long before Four Corners came to existence. In fact, I doubt there has ever been any noble blood before marrying into the Tyres family. You are our first lady.” She smiles at that. “And I believe Frederick is quite happy about the match.”

“Ah, I see…” Milicent nods, reaching for the fruit. She chews on it for awhile, being quiet and just staring at the soon to be mother-in-law. Sometimes she looks around the room a bit idly. The ginger speaks out just when the fruit is swallowed, “I feel more excited to meet Master Frederick than to marry, to be honest. Many describe that man to me in various different words. After all, I will have to… I mean, usually, boys are very similar to their fathers. Plus, I will be able to see the future of Guillaume through Master Frederick, if you understand, what I mean. After all, Guillaume will take his place, yes? What about Guillaume’s boys? To what type of a future they are prepared? I know, that I will never replace mother to them, but I would love to become close friend and support them, help them. We will be family, after all.”

An odd thing happens, when Milicent mentions being interested in meeting Frederick Tyres. Natalie’s eyelids lower until her dark eyes are hardly visible anymore. Her brows furrow, and she straightens. “There is only one word to describe my… husband,” she intones in a disapproving mutter.

“Power.”

A sigh then, as she deposits the goblet of wine on the table, and her hand reaches out for Milcent’s to apply a light squeeze to the young woman’s fingers. “You don’t know what you are saying there, child. My husband… is the devil. It has been always been about him. Always. His goals. His political relevance. His… personal pleasure.” Words she spits out with an obvious bitterness to her tone.

“He wasn’t always like that.”, she allows then, her eyes opening fully as they lock with Milicent’s blue eyes. “And Guillaume… He is /not/ like his father. He knows how it feels to be discarded. He has experienced it, back then when he was a child.” Her hand lets go of the redhead’s fingers, and Natalie Tyres makes a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Who knows really who will be the next Chancellor? This is Four Corners. We don’t rely on blood so much as on our wit. Why…” And here she leans forward, hesitating before she murmurs, “I wouldn’t be surprised if our next Chancellor would be Master Mattias Thynne… He’d surely be cunning enough to fill the spot.”

And then her features warm in a smile, and Natalie says: “Amalric and Geoffrey are most dear to Guillaume. He /is/ a good father to them, as you’ll see.”

Milicent’s eyes grow wide, when the older woman starts speaking about the devil, who happens to be her husband. In fact, such change of the woman’s behaviour scares the redhead and she was ready to withdraw her hands from soon to be mother-in-law grasp. The ginger is too late to do so, though, and Natalie will be able to feel a few tiny twitches of the pale fingers.

Milicent frowns, when Master Mattias Thynne is mentioned. She parts her lips, but says nothing.

However, when the topic is left aside, the redhead sighs and clasps her hands on her lap in safety. She watches the other woman with a bit of caution, but in a friendly manner still. “Yes, indeed. Good father. Guillaume. Forgive me for the urgency. It was a pleasure to meet you, but I believe I should go. I already disturbed you for quite a bit!”

Seeing Milicent’s reaction, and feeling the twitch of the lady’s fingers beneath her hand, Natalie soon appears to regret the harshness of her words, even if they were not directed at Milicent, but a certain Chancellor. The hand is released, and Natalie leans back in her chair, her dark eyes gleaming with sentiment. “I have scared you, haven’t I? But it is a truth, you need to know. Haven’t you ever wondered why I am living here, beneath the roof of my own son, instead of…in the Darnis Palace, where Frederick resides with his concubines?”, she inquires, in a more casual manner, regarding the red-haired lady before her with her head tilted to the side. The hesitant remark of Milicent Avathor is waved off with an apologetic chuckle. “And I believe you should stay. I am by no means disturbed. And neither should you be. The Tyres…” A brow lifts above a faint glare. “The Tyres are a complicated family. And it would be only fair to inform you, before you marry my son, wouldn’t it?”

The Chancellor’s wife reaches for a grape from the bowl, eyeing the fruit, before her dark eyes lift again to meet Milicent’s gaze. “I only wanted to stress that Guillaume, despite all his faults, is a good boy. He… felt awful when Felicity died. He vanished for a couple of days. We were all very worried, back then.”

Milicent chuckles a little bit nervously and shakes her head, “No, not at all. You didn’t scare me. I can understand your pain and disappointment…” She settles down on her chair once again, a bit more comfortably. Her hands land on the ap, where the redhead starts playing with the fabric of her skirt, “I know that Guillaume is different for now. Nobody can say what type of a man he will become later…” Milicent sighs and then beams brightly, “I will keep him in my fist, in case he will try to run away to concubines or something. I won’t allow him to become like his father is.”

The smile on the ripe yet still pleasing features of Natalie Tyres deepens, when Milicent chuckles and gives her reply. “It is a fate you will be spared from, One willing,” she assures softly, lowering her gaze to the grape in her hand, before she pops it into her mouth. “Guillaume has already been marked by his experiences, in a way,” she states then with faint amusement. “He may have the best intentions. But then again… he is a man.” The optimistic announcement of the young lady Natalie receives with a slight lift of a brow, her lips pursed in pleased agreement as she dips her head in a nod. “Good. I trust you will be able to keep him on the right track, Milicent. But if there is anything… any worries… and help or even counsel you may need… Don’t hesitate to come to me.”

The Chancellor’s wife smiles. “So… with that off the table. Would you like me to send for the boys?”

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