Private In Veré’s Wake

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: I have enough friends.
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Corazona von Ascania

Aurelian listened as Sibylla spoke, really listened, and felt the compromise settle into him like a held breath finally released. She was not pushing him aside or dragging him forward. She was asking him to stand with her, even if his footing was unsure. That mattered. More than he wanted to admit.

He nodded once, slow and deliberate. "All right," he said quietly. "Questions first. Options first. I can live with that." It was not enthusiasm, but it was consent, and for him that was no small thing.

Then she took his hands again and turned them back toward the garden path, toward the table he had abandoned. Aurelian stiffened immediately.

"Oh no," he muttered, planting his feet for half a second. "Absolutely not. I have plenty of friends."

She gave him a look and kept walking.

"I do," he insisted, allowing himself to be dragged along anyway. "A robust, thriving social ecosystem. Carefully curated. Efficient. I keep my circle tight for a reason. Fewer knives pointed at my back."

Another step. Another glance from her that made resistance feel pointless.

"And now you want to add more people?" he continued, voice dropping into dry complaint. "What is this, a collection?"

She did not slow. He sighed and followed, shoulders slumping in theatrical defeat. "This is how it starts," he muttered. "Next thing I know I'm hosting dinners and remembering birthdays."

They reached the table. Aurelian stopped just long enough to square his shoulders, then sat down with a restrained huff that made his displeasure clear. He folded his arms across his chest and stared straight ahead for a beat before turning his head toward Cora.

His expression softened, just enough. "I'm sorry," he said, plainly. "I got too emotional. Lost my temper." He paused, then added, dryly, "I imagine you know a thing or two about that lately, what with the pregnancy and all."

He cleared his throat, clearly unsure if that had helped or made things worse. "It wasn't fair of me. None of it was."

Aurelian leaned back in his chair, arms still crossed, jaw tight but no longer sharp. The fire had burned down to embers. He glanced once at Sibylla, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his mouth, equal parts gratitude and resignation.

Then, as if remembering himself, he looked at the table, at the abandoned cups. "And," he added, quieter, "I'm sorry I ruined the tea."

​

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

THEED PALACE GARDENS
Mood: Thriving social friend circle… right…
Interacting with: Corazona von Ascania | Aurelian Veruna

"Let me guess who is in this thriving, robust ecosystem of friends of yours," she murmured. "Tona and I."

It was not a question, but a statement on how well Sibylla had come to know her beloved.

When he predictably bristled, she added softly, just as they reached the table, "You already remember birthdays and host parties. All the better to do so with people you actually enjoy, rather than those you merely tolerate for politics or networking."

She arched a delicate brow as he sat with a childish huff, catching the small smile he failed to hide. He was trying his best and she was grateful for it.

Sibylla waited until his apology was finished, then inclined her head with quiet grace.

"Thank you, Lady von Ascania, for your patience and understanding," she added quietly before she sat down, providing Cora and Aurelian a quiet opportunity together.

Indeed, she was truly trying to gently nudge the pair into a friendship, the young woman quietly finishing her cold tea before moving to pour a fresh cup not just for herself, but for Aurelian as well.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora pretended not to hear the tail end of their conversation when Aurelian and Sibylla approached the table. She politely ignored that they were holding hands, too - but the fact that they felt comfortable enough to do so in her presence meant that they did not mind her seeing.

While Aurelian sat himself down and apologized, pouting like a child, Cora sipped tea. Her free hand waved off his apology.

"You were emotional because you care. That isn't a bad thing."

While the pair had been off on their garden rendezvous, Cora, unburdened by societal expectation for the moment, had helped herself to several pastries. There were still traces of powdered sugar clinging to her fingertips, which she flicked at the interim Chancellor. A satisfied smirk crossed delicately painted lips as little white granules landed in perfectly coiffed dark curls.

"Quite the opposite, really," she insisted. Despite Jedi teachings about not letting anger control you, Cora had spent much of her life watching that very emotion simmer beneath the surface of many a noble facade, until it coiled and twisted itself into something sinister. "If you care for the Republic as you do the Lady Abrantes, then perhaps putting my faith in you wasn't a mistake."

A napkin dabbed at her fingertips, cleaning them of the remaining sugar.

"Worry not, I won't make you host too many parties in my honor," she murmured, faintly amused. "At least not enough to be gauche."

When Sibylla moved to pour the tea, Cora's hand suddenly shot forward to stay her.

"I think," she began cryptically as her gaze slowly gathered back upon Aurelian, "that the Chancellor will pour his own tea. And yours."

She smiled, polite, but with polished mischief threading through the line of her lips.

“Given that he was the one who ruined our tea.”

Aurelian Veruna Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: I am no common servant
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Corazona von Ascania

Aurelian glanced sideways at Sibylla when she named his entire social circle. He did not even blink.

"Yes," he said flatly. "Those are all the friends I need."

If there was humor in it, it was buried deep. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms again, eyes drifting to the table as his mind did the quiet arithmetic he never admitted to anyone. More people meant more dates to remember. More obligations. More moments where forgetting something important could cost him goodwill or blood. He already relied on Tona to remember half of it for him. Birthdays, anniversaries, names of distant cousins. Perhaps adding one more person would not end the world.

Perhaps.

He watched Cora with the corner of his eye as she flicked sugar into his hair, felt the faint tug of a reluctant smile he refused to indulge. Calling her a friend would complicate things. Which was exactly why it might matter.

Then she spoke.

Aurelian turned slowly, incredulous. "Pour the tea..." he repeated, as if testing the words for sanity. Something ornery stirred back to life in his chest. He stood abruptly, chair scraping the stone. "Absolutely not," he said, already tugging his shirt up and over his head with practiced ease. "I will not be bullied into domestic servitude."

He rolled his shoulders once, settling into the familiar rhythm of movement. "Clearly this conversation has reached its natural end. It is time to finish my run."

He offered them a deep, exaggerated bow, all courtly grace and mischief. "Ladies." He turned to leave, took two steps, then stopped. He sighed and pivoted back toward the table, eyes finding Sibylla again. Of course they did. "Oh, fine."

He picked up the teapot and leaned over her shoulder, deliberately close, his voice low and teasing. "For you," he murmured, pouring carefully into her cup.

As he backed away, already moving toward the path, he pointed once at Cora. "And for the record, I expect a grand party when I am named godfather to Aurelia. Lavish. Excessive. Something people whisper about for years."

With that, he turned and took off at a jog, not slowing, not looking back, and very deliberately not giving anyone the chance to argue.

​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora only managed stifle her satisfaction so much, the line of her lips curving upward into a pleased, albeit smarmy, little smile. She had to admit – there was a certain charm to riling Aurelian Veruna. Maybe there existed a universe where they really could get along, in a particular sort of way.

"There's nothing shameful in servant's work," she chided. "Pretend though we might, it isn't beneath us."

Up went her brows along with Aurelian's shirt, and this time she didn't bother to suppress the roll of her eyes. He really seemed to make a habit of the unseemly display. At the very least, Cora retained enough grace to hide the blooming smugness of her expression behind the cup, though her eyes did twinkle as Sibylla's tea was poured.

Some novel covers just seemed to sketch themselves.

"Yes, yes," she dismissed his pointed finger with a wave of her hand. "Provided you wear a shirt for the duration of the celebration."

As Aurelian fled – leave it to a man to run off when the conversation doesn't go his way – Cora turned her focus back to Sibylla. A long quiet moment lingered between them, giving the young Queen time to regain her composure should she need it.

"I won't ask what you said to get him to come back to the table. All I'll say is: well done," she mused. "Do you have anything else you wish to know about dreamwalking?"

Sibylla Abrantes Aurelian Veruna (byeeee)

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

THEED PALACE GARDENS
Mood: You need more playdates
Interacting with: Corazona von Ascania |

It was the affection that was hardest to hide from Sibylla's gaze as the entire interaction unfolded. That, and the subtle twitch at the corner of her mouth at Aurelian's and Cora's antics.

Yes, perhaps she and Tona were all Aurelian believed he needed as friends, but there were different kinds of friendships. Tona had been with Aurelian since childhood. He trusted her with his work and his life. He knew she would do whatever was necessary to see a task through. The kind of bond closer than kin.

Yet it was not the same sort of friendship one might have with another who understood, to a degree, what it meant to grow up as they had. As nobility. Sibylla could fill that space, in part, but they were still navigating how their relationship touched the many facets of their lives and how to move forward within it. Which role to answer with. Which version of themselves to bring forward.

It was a path neither of them had experience with once it became personal, and they were doing their best to walk it carefully.

A friendship with Lady von Ascania would nurture aspects of Aurelian that Sibylla could see but could not cultivate alone. He wore his reputation and infamy like armor. People saw the audacity, the sharp wit, the brazen commentary. But there was more beneath it. A desire to protect, to defend, to make Naboo stronger, to use his brilliance not only for structure but for the betterment of those who relied upon it.

Corazona saw him for what he was and met him there, willing to push when needed and to allow grace where it was earned. She saw past the sting of his barbs for what they were -- defense and deflection.

It took all of Sibylla's restraint not to chuckle when Cora directed Aurelian to pour the tea. It helped that he turned it into a theatrical display, removing his shirt once more without a shred of concern.

Hazel orbs lowered then flicked up immediately in response to his exaggerated bow.

Yet nothing quite prepared her for his sudden proximity as he returned. Her spine straightened instinctively, her chest rising with a subtle hitch of breath as the scent of musk, sweat, and salt drew close for the briefest moment while he poured her tea. From that vantage point, there was no missing the contrast of his tanned arm against the fine porcelain of the teapot, and her thoughts raced with imagery she had no business indulging.

She swallowed hard. Focus.

"Thank you," Sibylla managed, lips tightening as she willed herself to focus. The pink flush warming her cheeks betrayed her efforts nonetheless.

Thankfully, Lady von Ascania drew her attention back to the matter at hand. Only then did Sibylla realize she had been holding her breath. She released it with a faint, smiling exhale, eyes lowering to her teacup as she took a sip.

"It was quite a bit to take in for anyone," Sibylla replied gently. "He only needed some breathing room."

After a moment, the Interim Queen gave a slow nod, the expression over her heartshaped face settling into a more composed one. She had promised Aurelian, now she would ask it.

"I do," she continued. "Aurelian raised the possibility that there may be other options besides dreamwalking. Is there a way to remove the fragment of Vere into another vessel? Or to gather the necessary information without requiring dreamwalking at all?"

She paused, thoughtful.

"I am uncertain of the full scope of the Force's capabilities, which is why I wished to discuss all available options before moving forward with any decision."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora drummed the pads of her fingers against the porcelain body of the teacup. "I've experience in cleansing dark spirits, and though she is not dark, it stands that the same could be done with Vere. Although…"

As she thought, her lips pursed into a little frown. "I've never extracted a spirit from a living being. Only removed. I may not be able to transfer the fragment into another vessel."

While Sibylla and Aurelian had taken a moment to themselves, Cora had ruminated on this very question. And now, she ruminated on whether or not to convey that particular train of thought.

"There is a technique. A dark one," her voice lowered. "Where consciousness can be transferred between beings, or even into objects. I've not attempted it, only learned of it."

Cora sought Sibylla's eyes here, holding them with a firm gaze. "I am telling you of this in the event that you stumble across such an ability elsewhere. I would advise against it, as there's not guarantee that your consciousness would not suffer, intertwined with Vere's as it is."

Cora's gaze broke away from Sibylla, following the path that Aurelian had disappeared down. "Perhaps with dreamwalking, you and the Grandmaster may be able to safely untangle Vere's consciousness from your own."

Sibylla Abrantes

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

THEED PALACE GARDENS
Interacting with: Corazona von Ascania

Sibylla listened carefully, her attention never wavering as Cora spoke. The mention of cleansing dark spirits stirred a faint knot of concern in her chest. She could see it in Cora, even now. The residue of what such work demanded. The cost it took, not just in skill, but in spirit. It was not lost on Sibylla that such acts left marks, even on those who survived them whole.

And while Cora was right that this was not the same thing, the comparison alone was enough to make her tread carefully. The thought of her own consciousness entangled further, frayed or diminished, was not something she could ignore.

Still, there were options now and a few more paths to consider. This was good. A start for what she had just promised Aurelian, as much as for her own knowledge and safety on what was next.

"In that case," Sibylla added with growing confidence, "I will speak with the Grandmaster regarding what you have brought up and take it from there."

A small, genuine smile touched her lips as she looked back to Cora.

"Thank you," Sibylla said warmly, her hazel eyes beaming out at Corazona with gratefulness. "For your guidance and knowledge.... and for assisting me with the conversation with Aurelian." She didn't add more to that; that Aurelian had been concerned over her well-being was evident enough. There was no question that, as his Voice, a King would be. Even if there was more to it than that, despite the fact that they both thought they could keep it as quiet as they could.

Either way, the conversation did not provide a clear answer, but it was a direction, and for now that was more than enough.