Ravion had arrived to Ukatis only around two hours ago, he had arrived alone, without escort and carrying only the case he still held at his side. His staff had frowned at the idea, yet he had done it for a simple purpose. A High Republic Senator should be able to travel safely within their own borders, freely, without protection. Yes it was a gamble, but Ukatis was part of the Republic, so his protection was on them.
He had so far only spoken to three people, a surprising and unusual affair for the man of many words, yet Ravion was maybe playing his true face for a time, or he would until the right moment and as he stood watching the attendees he appeared to blend in far too well for a man of Senatorial importance.
He approached only once Thessaly Veruna, the sister of the interim Chancellor, had completed the graceful arch of her curtsey, timing his entrance with the instinct of a man who understood stagecraft and politics in equal measure. The thinning crowd obliged him with a quiet parting, though none created nearly as much space as they had for Thessaly Veruna. He didn't mind. She carried her own gravity.
"Your Highness," Ravion greeted Princess Corazona and her husband with a refined bow, one that was deep enough to show the necessary respect, yet shallow enough to remind them he was a Senator of the Republic and not a courtier.
His eyes flicked briefly to Thessaly, offering her a small nod of acknowledgement,
"My Lady Veruna." Recognition flared through his words.
"It seems Lady Veruna's generosity has outpaced us all," he remarked with warm admiration as her attendants unfolded the Aurorastag pelts.
"A gift of rare elegance… the value they hold is a reminder that the old nobility of Eliad knew how to honour a lineage properly. Until they didn't."
He reinforced the prestige she offered; he would not steal her stage.
Then he lifted the slender velvet case he held in his own hand, the gesture smooth and unobtrusive, complementary to Thessaly's grandeur rather than competing with it.
"If I may add something more humble, yet deeply rooted in the history of Ukatis itself," he said.
He opened the case to reveal a single restored relief tile, no larger than a handspan. Etched across its pale stone surface were stylised figures of an ancient Ukatan harvest rite. A mother, a child, a circle of protective hands. Gold leaf had been carefully reapplied to the faint grooves of the central figure, catching the winter light with soft dignity.
"This piece was discovered in a collapsed granary outside old Nenvar Ridge," Ravion explained gently, his art dealing whisper breaking through even the sound of the party around them.
"It dates to the early agrarian period, before offworld maps even marked Ukatis as settled. It depicts the blessing of Shelter and the belief that every newborn should be welcomed into a community that safeguards them."
He angled the tile so the Princess could see the delicate restoration work.
"I thought it fitting," he added, voice warm,
"for a household preparing to welcome a child of its own."
Then with deliberate and smooth intent, his gaze slid to Thessaly, offering her a faint smile that carried the softest undertone of understanding.
"And of course, I am grateful to stand alongside Lady Veruna today. Our gifts, I hope, speak with a shared intention, that Ukatis is not merely observed by the Naboo's nobility…"
He let the emphasis on
Naboo sit.
"But supported by the whole Republic."
He closed the case, offering it with both hands.
"May your home continue to prosper, Your Highness. And may your child enter a world made stronger by unity rather than division."
Ravion closed the velvet case and the Princess's attendants stepped forward to receive it. With the formalities tended to, he eased into a smoother, more conversational warmth, he was still courtly, still measured, but freed of the ceremonial edge.
"Your Highness," he said with a bow of final respect.
"May your Life Day be peaceful, and may the coming season bring only strength to your household."
Then he stepped back and turned toward Thessaly.
For a moment, the winter air caught her fur-lined silhouette in the lantern glow, casting auburn warmth against the snow-muted world. Ravion's smile shifted into a rare yet small and subtle change of unmistakably genuine appreciation of her presence.
He extended his arm to her, the gesture refined and without presumption.
"Lady Veruna," he said softly, just for her.
"Allow me the honour."
Only once she accepted did he incline his head slightly, his tone lowering into something meant to be heard by her alone as they moved away
"I confess, I am profoundly glad you're here. I feared I might have to face this… rustic pageant without an ally of proper discernment."
A faint glance at a crooked lantern garland. A muffled peal of laughter somewhere entirely too close for decorum.
Ravion's voice warmed into amused resignation.
"There are only so many indignities a man can suffer before noon. Your arrival, fortunately, has improved the state of affairs considerably."
