She had lost the book the Tevinter Scholars had LOANED the University.
And she had tossed her office and lab to pieces looking for the tomb. On joint loan between the biology and mathematics department, she was going to be in so much trouble if she couldn't find the book. More so the University. It could cause a scandal let alone a war. And while she had giggled at the philosophy department saying that any society that separated it's scholars from it's warriors will have it's thinking done by cowards and it's fighting by fools, she also knew that the first act in war, in true war, was to target the scholars, the schools. Taking out the education system was the first step in damning a country to oblivion.
So there she was, hurrying through the corridors of the University, looking for Luce, and unable to find him. So she turned to the next person on her list of who she would go to -- Rene. And into his office she let herself, in a near panic, as she closed the door behind her and leaned again it, trying to catch her breath and explain at the same time, Book gone! Another huff. War! Oh, that made no sense, she realized as she struggled down a couple more breaths, waving a hand to try and cool herself down, her corset making her rather light-headed.
The book, the Theories and Prophesies of the Liar Zinovia is gone. It was on my desk, when I went to check on my recently transplanted trees, and when I came back it was gone. I've torn the place apart looking for the book and it's not there. Rene, I think I'm going to start a war if I lost this book... She was hyperventilating by the time she got there, her back on the door as she tried to figure out how to explain to Malachai that she lost the Consort Zinovia's prophesies.
He was enjoying a nap when she came barging through, the door bouncing off the bookcase with force before she closed it, all out of breath yelling and huffing between gasps. The newspaper lay draped over his face, the slight gap in the curtains allowing a single stream of light to illuminate the path through his office avoiding the chaise lounge.
Sensing she hadn’t marched past him in some panic, Rene half-groaned, half-yawned. I don’t think they are that unreasonable, Lia. Slowly, he pulled the paper down, his eyes still shut. She was overthinking, but she had also been in the depth of study and experimentation, so a break was required. If the Tevene were so easily offended I think we would all be dealing and arguing with sticks and stones, not parchment and ink. His voice oozed confidence despite the fatigued layer in his voice.
Then the irritated chiding began. Take a breath… come sit down. I’ll come help you after you remember to breathe
She ventured deeper into his office now that her eyes had adjusted to the room within, and she had heard the paper rustle to let her know where he was within the office. She wouldn't be like Nanny, and go and open all the drapes, she hated it when people opened her drapes with no warning, especially after she had finally got into a good bit of sleep. So instead, she came, and joined him on the chaise, knowing well enough where he would be, for her usual flop beside him to fret.
This wasn't an unusual occurrence now that she was working more closely on her research project with the University. How do you know though? For all we know they'll take great offense and then what? Bye Orlais, don't tell me you don't think they could, if there's anything I'm more certain of, it's that if they wanted too, they could probably cause the wards to finally fail. She let it go though, since he sounded sure of himself, and instead she tried to calm that irritation back out of him, her fingers going to that mop of curly hair on his head, gentle to try and comb it out some.
You're right, I probably.. it's like the people in the market. They're not really there. The book is probably exactly where I left it, and just the ... my mind isn't letting me see it because I'm still anxious over everything.
The lack of a curtain drawn was met with a suspicious slow rise of a singular lid. Others enjoyed, rather too fondly for his liking, the dramatic drawing of the blinds open that he’d only risked the one. The unfocused pupil searched blearily until clearly tracking her heading to his reclined form just before she unceremoniously flopped next to him. Rene offered a dusty chuckle, but made no comment until she carried on again.
I would say age before beauty, but then I need not flatter you given our recent trip. Brows wiggled knowingly. I don’t think your new Beau strikes me as one who really cares about ravaging Orlais itself. Now his grin became unfurled and feral with teasing her so openly. Though, there was an element of caution in her words. If the wards fall, they fall. No-one is even certain who cast them in the first place. Regardless, Luce and I have plans if the worst does happen. Tevinter invading over a book is the least of our concerns, Lia.
She’d probably scrape nails across his scalp for the comments he made over their recent trip, something which he didn’t overly mind but still flinched with a nod. I am a degree or two above you. I am right about many things, mostly the important things. Sitting up, Rene reached for a chord to tug, calling for an assistant. We’ll break for lunch, then I’ll escort you back to work it off searching for this book you’ve no doubt left in plain sight. All because some Vint fluttered his eyelashes at you and made your insides all… mushy and disgusting.
Lia stopped for a moment and watched his face as she rose up from her reclined position slightly, What do you mean you have plans if the worst does happen? Why wasn't I made aware of these plans? And don't give me it's because you didn't want me to worry, we all know I worry so much as is that there's no escape from the incessant march of things to worry about through my brain. Does it involve a boat? She wanted to know about these plans now, but all in good time, it was something she'd need to spend some time picking his brain for.
Just because you were accepted into the school first, I had to wait till Luce restore the family name and recognized me directly as an actual daughter before I could get in and start working on the degrees, give me time and I will catch up, you know I will. They only let me test so many at a time. Not like I don't already have the knowledge and the years of study, if they'd just let me sit the tests back to back then I'd have surpassed the both of you by now, you know it as plain as I do. And it's nothing to do with age. Okay, she could be insufferable at times, not that she wasn't at the best of times, but right now after he just woke up, those were her favorite times to tease him.
He did not flutter his eyelashes, okay, she paused, thinking back to the night in question, Maybe he did flutter them, I'm not sure, it was my birthday and you were making sure that the champagne was flowing excessively that evening! It's not my fault that my chaperone let me slip away to the bar and get accosted by an exceedingly attractive stranger who just happened to have soft kissable lips. And my insides have nothing to do with this, they remain, as always, un-moved, as a chaste and pure spinster should be. She sighed a little, thinking about her new friend from Tevinter, and how he really did have remarkable eyes. I don't think I've left it in plain sight, you know that's always the first place I look, and then under things, and then on things, then again, if someone happened to put it atop the high filing cabinet then that would explain why I couldn't find it, curse being so short, one would think my mother was dwarven or something to explain my lack of obvious height and growth over the years. And since no one would tell me directly and she died when I was little. A mystery still, since father decided to leave no notes at all.
Rene rolled his eyes, irritation at being prodded about the likelihood of their relocation. Nothing is set in stone, but only fools should ignore the fading magic and increasing… chill in the air. Procurement of a boat is not on the cards, but one cannot be picky when trying to outrun… whatever is coming to dine on our corpses. Shrugging he’d brush her concerns aside for the moment in lieu of chiding her lightly.
Oh Boo-hoo he chimed, You are established now. "Talk of Tevinter," I heard. Your influence carries more than you think. Be careful with that. Power, even new found power was tempting, one could easily fall under its influence or machinations. Rene rather she didn’t fall prey to some Tevene internal plot because of her discovery.
Her protest had him sit up abruptly. They certainly did. And you definitely fluttered them back. And his voice lowered to something more conspiratorial, I’m not just talking about your little birthday smooching. Pulling his body back deep into the lounger, Rene tugged the chord. Excuses. Soft kissable lips. Filthy girl.
Now he wasn’t so bothered by her rousing him, between observing both Phia and the Princess over the course of their trip he had been quite exhausted by ensuring they returned home no worse for wear. There had been no opportunity to press her on the details of her fraternising. He tried not to roll his eyes with her nervous babbling, hoping to sway him from prying into her affairs. There would be no such luck.
Perhaps he’s come to visit you and is waiting, naked, with only the book covering his person? Or was that perhaps a daydream of yours? He flashed her a wide, smug grin before dipping out of the chair to find a clean looking jacket to roam out with.
