Meetings and Open Office Hours

Confirmation, from the older man, that he hadn't done anything yet to gain his benefactor's ire, took some of the weight off his shoulders. There had been his slipping control recently, that had made him wonder if he was going to wake up one night to find Malachai standing over him, a bleeding finger, telling him that he was beyond all hope any more. It was a nightmare that he had frequently as his 30th birthday had come upon him. He had precious little time for anything else than trying to hold back the curse from destroying everyone around him.

I'm not afraid of that burden, of that responsibility. My shoulders are uniquely strong enough to balance it and my duty to the Realm for a while longer still. He took the glass that was handed to him, raising it up to take in the bouquet of the deep red hued liquid. There was the distinct impression that this bottle had been among the cuvee of the vineyard it had come from -- the best of the best -- simply by aroma alone. There was no sharp edge, and the well aged red hadn't been left to air for too long like a younger wine needed, no, this was a straight pour, To the Realm and your continued leadership, and as he took his first taste, it was just as it smelled, velvety, herbaceous, and downright easy to drink. A dangerous proposition for ones that were unaccustomed to drinking -- there was no alcoholic taste, the wine had been fermented from the best grapes, and cared for like a newborn it's entire life.

But Deme was right, a single glass of this would not dull his abilities, nor his senses -- this was crafted to be an all day, every day wine for a palate that could tell the differences in the different herbs that had been grown along the edge of the trellis, rosemary and mint, pink peppercorns for a mild spice finish to the herbals. It was a wine he would want to serve to Seraphine, he realized, quite late that his mind had turned to her, when he placed the taste to a tea he sometimes drank, the same qualities that made the tea so refreshing, made the wine so delicious -- it covered the curse's demand for rarer meat, blood pudding, and various other means to try and sate it. If we need to make sure that my schedule puts me firmly here at your disposal, then I am certain that those arrangements can be made, He was better at talking about his work, with Deme, than about personal things, at least, while still in this chamber. There was the constant reminder that he sat at the Archon's pleasure in this place -- in a library, or a sitting room, he could be candid -- here? The walls had eyes.

@Demetrius Arvina