A Hearty Meal, a Stein of Beer, and Thou [Closed]

[Shinigami]

Gabriel sat at a table in an open courtyard, paying relatively little attention to the paperwork he'd brought with him. It sat in a neat little pile off to the side, while he worked his way through a thick, satisfying meal that the Kitchens had whipped up for him for lunch. There was no sign of the light, delicate gourmet foods that they may have preferred to provide a King with, and not even the faintest hint of tea.

The drink of the hour was a tall stein of dark beer, dew condensed on the side, a perfect amount foam on the top. There was a perfect amount of hoppiness to it, just enough to give him a bit of a kick, and to cut through the rich, spicy flavors of his meal. Considering his present circumstances (and the fact that headaches were no longer ever much of a problem for him), he rather doubted that there was much that could make the world a better place at the moment.

Well, perhaps a little company. Yellow eyes looked at the empty chair sitting at the opposite side of the table, and he vowed to flag down the first person who might pass through here. It wasn't as if this courtyard was a particularly private place, or anything; it also wasn't as if he wasn't known for coming here to eat his lunch, rather than spending the whole time in his office.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary had decided to check out the courts. She didn't have anything better to do at the time, plus she wanted to see what Aunt Joe hated so much. She had heard rumors about the current Queen. All of them good. So why would her Aunt still have a stick up her ass?

It had nice architecture, that was for sure. She hadn't seen that many people walking around though. They couldn't be that understaffed could be? Or maybe it was just the time of the day.

Without much thought she walked into a court yard. It was hard to miss the brightly colored person sitting at the lavishly decorated table. Oh, and there was alcohol. She couldn't help herself now.

"I'm sorry to stumble on your meal, sir. I'm a bit lost." Which was a blatant lie on her part. It was just the fact that she had no place she really wanted to be.

[Shinigami]

Ah, and there was someone now! A lovely young lady, who was probably of an age with his own little Gabrielle, who smelled rather delightfully of...roses? Well, the scent certainly matched the elegant tattoos she was marked with. His King's ability kicked in, and though he didn't recognize Rosemary's name, she was certainly marked as a King of Clubs. As she approached - it looked as if he wouldn't even have to flag her down - he stood up to greet her, because it was polite if nothing else, smiling warmly.

"Oh, I don't mind at all! I am Gabriel Antonious Van Brookhoven IV, one of his Majesty's Kings, but please feel free to call me Gabriel; I know that my full name is a bit of a mouthful,"[/b] he said cheerfully, bowing with all of the ingrained elegance he had. "Might I ask your name?"[/color] Well, he knew it already, but it wasn't as if she knew about his ability.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary smiled. "It's very nice to meet you, your Highness." Oh manners. She had those tucked away for how long? Well, no matter, she was being nice and polite now. She was an adult and wandering the courts after all.

"My name is Rosemary, I'm just a wandering bard of sorts. I thought I'd see what the court was all about and why... someone I know has something against it." She was going to be honest though. That never really hurt before, and she doubt it would now. "I have yet to see why she doesn't care for a place like this."

It could be the politics. It could just be her heart basis. But that wouldn't explain her burning hatred for it. Burning was actually an understatement.

"You wouldn't happen to know someone who could show me around? I can't trouble a busy King like yourself for something so trivial."

[Shinigami]

Yes, manners. Unline the elegant Diamonds who wielded them as a matter of course, Gabriel had devoted much of his life to their upkeep in his personage. He much preferred being a Club to being a snooty Diamond, however.

She was a Bard? That explained much of her unique appearance, and also why she was traveling.

"Welcome to the Court of Clubs, Bard Rosemary,"[/color] he said, according her another bow. Bardic immunity would mean that, no matter which Court or Region she was in, she should go unmolested and unharmed. "I will admit that I am rather biased in the judgement of this Court, but I know that I truly care for this place, and those who reside here. Suit bias may have something to do with why some may or may not care for this place, however."[/color] Gabriel shook his head sadly.

"On the other hand, when previous Queens have ruled the Court, there may have been something that happened which garnered enemies; considering the constantly-changing political situation of the Courts, I would not be too surprised. I am very pleased, however, that you have chosen to try and look beyond that bias." Young Cards like her should not be constrained by the attitudes and actions of their elders.

"Ah, but it would not be a problem at all!"[/color] he said, lighting up with a smile. It would undoubtedly be far more entertaining than dealing with simple paperwork that he could just about do in his sleep. "I would be delighted to show you around our fine Court. Before I do so, however, I must inquire as to whether you have eaten today or not; it is certainly the proper time of day for such thing, and if you haven't, I would love to invite you to join me for midday meal."[/color] One brightly-furred hand gestured gracefully to the table where he had been seated previously, the empty chair open and inviting.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary was certainly taken aback by the well mannered King. She had a lot to learn when it came to conversation, she was terribly blunt when it came down to it. Fanciful speech and eloquent manners were just something she never managed to get.

However she heard something about food before the tour. Now that was more like it. "Actually... I haven't had much of anything to eat. A good meal would be absolutely lovely! Thank you so much for inviting me to such a wonderful meal, Your Highness!"

Rosemary wasted no time in taking a seat. How could she refuse such an amazing banquet. She paused to take in the scent of... chicken? Her ears perked up instantly. And there was something spicy covering it. That didn't mean much to Rosemary, she took the mysterious looking enchilada like creation and took a large bite of it.

Mmmm. This made her day so much brighter.

[Shinigami]

"Then come, sit down, sit down! A good meal always makes a good day far more enjoyable, especially when taken in such company as yours, good Bard,"[/color] he said, pulling the chair out for her and waiting until she had seated herself before resuming his previous seat. Gabriel knew that she wasn't quite as practiced as he - it was fairly obvious, but he felt no need to abandon his own manners, though he would also make no effort to try and modulate her behavior. He would treat her as a proper King of Clubs, and as a proper Bard of good reputaion.

"Is there anything in particular you would care to drink?"[/color] he asked, cutting through the borsht on his plate absently. "The kitchens have recently acquired several very satisfactory brews, if you care for those."[/color] From what he could tell, he and Anoushka were some of the odd ones out of the Court nobles, most of whom seemed to prefer tea, or delicate wines, in their preference for hearty beers and meals that weren't nearly so 'elegant.'

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary looked up with wide eyes from her food. She licked a bit of the mess off her muzzle before grabbing a napkin so she could talk without looking like an idiot. "You actually have beer? I thought the courts were into wine and dainty things like that."

Of course she had never been to any of the courts, and this was her first time visiting the court of clubs. Maybe she should make a new goal and try visit all of the courts to compare them. It was nice having so many reachable goals.

"You wouldn't happen to have any Marzen brew would you? I'm particularly fond of the stuff, but considering the time of the year.... it's kind of hard to find." Rosemary shrugged. And it was the only kind she was particular fond of and too cheap to pay for. She may have been a free spirit, but she was a penny pincher.

[Shinigami]

Gabriel chuckled - her youth was so refreshing! - and tapped the side of his own stein of beer. "I do not know about the other Courts, but considering at least two Kings in this Court - including The King - enjoy a good beer, I do not see how we could not have some!"[/color] For that matter, he'd seen servants sent running from Annoushka's office if they dared bring her what they considered to be a "proper" meal for the nobility; something dainty, as Rosemary had said, rather than something that the Torquehelm King had asked for. On that note, he himself had had a few encounters with meals he didn't particularly want, though he had been undoubtedly far more polite when sending the meal back.

"Marzen? Actually, we do have some; it isn't the most refined brew, but it's still a good drink, and so I've made sure we keep some around."[/color] He raised a hand and a servent practically materialized at his side. "A pint of Marzen for the good Bard here, please."[/color] Gabriel made sure to glance at Rosemary once more for confirmation; if she wanted a different brew, or a different size, he'd be perfectly willing to allow her to change her mind. She was his indulgence for the time being.

[Kari Muffin]

Rosemary nodded that it was the correct order and watched the servant hurry off. Mmmm. Beer. She didn't get to drink as often as she would like to... of course if she drank more she was pretty sure all the members of her family would call her alcoholic. That or her father would have smacked her upside the head.

She took another bite of her meal, and did he best to stay as neat as she could. Then again, everything looked messy against white fur. It was difficult to look regal when you were covered in some random sauce. Licking her muzzle she tried to think of conversation that didn't involve telling one of her stories. Small talk wasn't something she did on a normal basis. She was more of an action based child.

"You, good Highness, are quite the gentlemen, and I must say that you've inspired me to visit the other courts to see if I can find a reason for my Aunt's hatred." Then again with as complicated as her Aunt was, she doubted the answer was easy.