Private The Prince and the Principled

[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

The Swan's words still lingered in Aurelian's mind, yet they hadn't wounded him. Cruelty, pragmatism, whispers behind thrones, these were old tricks to him, making for entertaining ink but little substance. Still, Naboo's society devoured the column, and he knew well how easily perception could be manipulated with a turn of phrase. He always read it all, even when he had to wear a mask of amusement.

He sat in a riverside restaurant, the paper spread across his table, a pot of steaming tea at his elbow. The "Future Regents Dinner" was noted in the corner of his papers, a detail he kept circling mentally. Dominic Praxon , had won the bid to enjoy his company. Aurelian dreaded it. Men like Praxon never sought true companionship in these events, they wanted leverage, or worse, absolution by proximity. To be seen with Aurelian Veruna meant sharing in his light, his danger, his controversial name. Praxon wanted something specific, Aurelian was certain, and he would be ready.

He raised his cup, the bitter tea cutting through his wandering thoughts, and let his gaze drift out over the river. Afternoon light rippled across the water, gilding the stone bridges and strolling figures with a painter's grace. That's when he saw her.

Loria Sorelle entered, radiating an elegant composure, moving with the practiced serenity. House Sorelle, if he remembered correctly, championed the arts, the stage, the salons where polite applause held more weight than power. Their paths had seldom crossed. She was his age, yet always kept her distance, appearing too kind, or perhaps too guarded, to risk the dangerous sharpness that shadowed him. He wondered if she had been actively avoiding him, or simply, like many others, had been frightened.

Aurelian's lips curved into that dangerous smile, the one that left people wondering if they were being invited or ensnared. How convenient. Praxon's sanctimony was a dull weapon, but if Loria could be coaxed or influenced for information, she might make the upcoming ordeal far less tedious.

He neatly folded the paper and set it aside. When she glanced his way, he lifted a hand, beckoning her toward the empty chair opposite him. Surely she wouldn't refuse, few ever did when the Prince summoned them.

"Lady Sorelle," his voice smooth as silk. "What fortune, to find you here. Come, join me."

The smile lingered, sharp and unreadable. He wasn't entirely sure yet what information he wanted from her. But he would find out. He always did.

Loria Sorelle​

 

[Loria Sorelle]

LORIA SORELLE
Riverside Restaurant, Naboo

The quiet hum of the restaurant filled the air. Quiet tapping of cutlery and the gentle rings of glassware and fine Nabooian ceramic offered a sense of familiarity and comfort to patrons. Warm light filtered through the restaurant, only interrupted by stone columns and busy staff.

Loria had intended for a quiet afternoon by the river. A book sat nestled in her arms as she meandered into the restaurant. Her eyes gently glossed over the patrons of the restaurant as she made her way further inside- walking comfortably and with a degree of confidence that one could only achieve with familiarity.

Moments passed before she stopped in her tracks, her soft eyes locking on to a familiar sight: Aurelian. A soft, polite smile tugged at the corner of her lips as her heart fluttered nervously, glancing at his beckoning hand; Her direction changed towards him, convention prompting her to accept his invitation.

'Prince Veruna,' she spoke softly, her warm voice barely carrying over the noise of the restaurant. 'A pleasure to meet you, at last,' she began, moving to take a seat across from the Prince as a host nearby moved quickly to seat her. 'Thank you,' she mouthed quietly as he skittered off.

'Last I saw you, you were bidding at the Calarian Estate, I believe?' she continued, placing her book down face-first onto the table in-front of her, almost as if to hide the cover.

She watched as Aurelian's gaze hovered over her, his sharp smile holding as she made herself comfortable. Usually, she was a good judge of character, yet Aurelian appeared to allude her. Whether it be a result of her own nerves, or whether he be adept as masking his own emotions, she'd never know.

All she could do was offer her own smile back. Oddly, the two never crossed paths, though she suspected she only had herself to blame for until recently she had much enjoyed the pleasure of her own company and her close friends. It wasn't until the auction that Loria had made her first public appearance on her own, representing the Sorelle family and taking her first real steps into the public image.

After a few moments her lips pursed, unsure what to say or where to take the conversation with the Prince. And she was equally unsure as to why her company was sought after from a nobleman such as Aurelian...

Aurelian Veruna

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[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Aurelian's gaze sharpened the moment she approached him. He watched her walk with quiet composure, the book cradled close, her polite smile showing a faint tremor of nerves. This was interesting. Most people tried to mask their discomfort around him, pretending at confidence as if they could match his danger. Loria, on the other hand, let her nerves show at the edges. That made her easier to read, or perhaps harder, because sincerity was so rare in these circles it almost looked like a disguise.

He rose slightly as she arrived, offering a gesture that was part courtesy, part calculation. His hand, light against the back of her chair, guided her down with ease before he sat back down. The scent of spiced tea lingered in the air between them, sharp and warming all at once.

His smile lingered, dangerous yet deliberate. "The pleasure is mine. You seem to have adapted to our Royal circles quickly, though I confess, I'm very curious. Where have you been hiding all this time?"

He let the words hang, not pressing for an answer, just letting them coil in the air as he leaned back in his chair. One leg crossed neatly over the other, his hands folded with casual elegance, as if they had all the time in the world. He lifted his cup once more, brushing the porcelain against his lips as his eyes never left her face. A silence stretched, deliberate, testing. He had found that most people revealed more by trying to fill it than they ever would under interrogation.

When he finally spoke again, his tone had lightened, playful, but with enough weight to remind her who he was. "Ah, yes, the Calarian Estate. I did enjoy that evening. Ravion certainly knows how to dress a garden, though my attention was only on the bidding floor." A memory curved his lips, though his eyes carried a sharper glint. "I won a piece that evening, something I have very particular plans for."

The smile sharpened further. He let her wonder for a heartbeat, then inclined his chin toward the book she had quickly placed face-down on the table.

"And you, my lady? Did you win anything worth mentioning?" His tone dipped into intrigue, with the faintest tease. "Perhaps a book? I notice you keep yours turned away, as if it holds more mystery than the auction itself."

His eyes dropped to the hidden cover, then rose back to hers, studying her expression. She fascinated him, not for her lineage or looks, but for the way she seemed to walk a fine line between timidity and resolve. He wondered if she would retreat, or if she might surprise him by stepping closer into his web.

Either way, Aurelian Veruna would know soon enough. He always did.

Loria Sorelle​

 

[Loria Sorelle]

LORIA SORELLE
Riverside Restaurant, Naboo

'Thank you,' she whispered, taking her seat with a quiet grace.

Loria laughed lightly at his observation. 'I've been… about. Though I've only just graduated from the University of Theed.' She hesitated, catching herself, her words softening. 'It does take up rather a lot of one's time.'

For a moment, silence settled, broken only by the murmur of the restaurant. When he spoke again of the auction, her smile turned faintly sheepish. The Prince's poise unsettled her- his smile could mean many things, and she wasn't sure which she wished it to.

Clearing her throat gently, she asked, 'And what did you win?' Her eyes brightened with curiosity, though she herself had paid little attention to the auction. Her mind had been... elsewhere.

She smirked at the idea of winning anything. 'Not I. Though I did contribute a first edition…' She paused, a small tug at her lips. 'It wasn't this book, sadly.'

The holobook she did have? Her heart gave a nervous flutter. She tried to steady it, smoothing her tone. 'It's… a romance,' she admitted, almost as though the word itself embarrassed her. 'Part poetry, part prose- rivers and countryside, all painted in rather dreamy detail.'

Her fingers brushed the spine, where a small emblem of a swan glimmered faintly. She drew her shawl closer, smiling as if to move the moment along.

'And yourself, Prince Aurelian?' she asked, tilting her head with soft curiosity. 'Do you read much?'

Aurelian Veruna

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[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Aurelian listened. He didn't interrupt, letting her words unfold in the restaurant's quiet hum. Every detail, from her casual mention of Theed University to the sheepish admission about her book, clicked into the puzzle forming in his mind.

The University, he mused, watching her over his teacup. That explained a lot. She hadn't spent her time in salons or power corridors, but rather secluded with lectures, libraries, and professors convinced of their own wisdom. His world and hers were vastly different; he had no patience for academics. Yet, this only made her more intriguing. A mind honed by books, not ballrooms. He could definitely use that.

He leaned back, relaxed but still attentive. "A set of wooden statues," he finally said, answering her question with deliberate ease. "Set and Vere. A prize, I hope, given what I paid for them." His wry tone suggested the cost was trivial, but the message was clear: he always came out ahead.

Then came her confession: a romance. Aurelian tilted his head, his smile deepening, not cruel, just knowing. The nervous catch in her voice, the way her fingers grazed the book's spine, told him everything. He noticed the swan emblem, a faint glimmer, and mentally noted it. A hopeless romantic, then? Someone drawn to rivers and poetry, whose heart still dared to dream. The puzzle clicked. So, this was the game. Dominic Praxon, that sanctimonious son, was courting Loria Sorelle, using her perhaps. And they call me cruel, Aurelian thought.

His private smirk was unmistakable. "Romance, then. Part poetry, part prose. Very interesting," he mused.

When she turned her curiosity on him, he laughed, a low, amused sound, shaking his head. "Tell me, Lady Sorelle," he said, leaning forward to lock his gaze with hers, "do I look like a man who reads?" The question came with a dangerous smile, a challenge in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, letting the silence hang before adding, "What would you suppose I read, if I did?"

He waved his hand, summoning a waitress without glancing away from Loria. "Tea for the lady," he instructed smoothly, then settled back, an ankle resting neatly over his knee.

Then, as if an idea had just struck him, his tone shifted. It was casual, yet pointed, aiming directly at the core of his curiosity. "Tell me, does Dominic Praxon read as you do? I noticed you both were quite engrossed in conversation at the auction."

His eyes lingered, watching for any flicker of reaction, weighing if her response would be rehearsed or instinctive. The tea between them steamed faintly, filling the air with spice and the sharp, unspoken game beneath their words.

Loria Sorelle​

 

[Loria Sorelle]

LORIA SORELLE
Riverside Restaurant, Naboo

'Oh how lovely,' she commented on Aurelian's purchase of the Set & Vere statues.

Loria's tone was warm, welcoming, and polite. Though she struggled to mask how she felt a little intimidated by the Prince- something she would never admit openly.

Her eyes shifted skittishly around the room as the two conversed, though she remained poised in her demeanor. She'd smirk back as he repeated the theme of her book, though she found Aurelian's next question fascinating.

She thought for a moment, in a way that illustrated she was seriously considering her answer. 'I'd say so,' she began, smiling as a cup of tea landed in-front of her. 'You seem like a man of philosophy, non-fiction perhaps?' she pointed out sharply with a sly grin upon her face.

'I can picture you reading tomes on diplomatic accords, the autobiographies of established leaders and diplomats, the musings of philosophers around the galaxy.'

Whether Aurelian thought so or not, her words were intended to compliment the young Prince. She knew she was a dreamer herself, and she felt as if she'd recognize a fellow dreamer, a fellow romantic- to which she thought Aurelian was most certainly not.

Then his next question came: Dominic.

Flustered, her face turned light-red. He had noticed the two at the auction? Who else would have noticed? Her reaction was perhaps telling.

'I uh-' she chuffed with a growing smile forming upon her face. 'I believe he does! He bought the first-edition book I had contributed to the auction, after all. And I believe there was talk of a public reading at the Praxon Estate, perhaps.'

She took a sip of tea as her voice calmed down; It brought back a memory of her own.

Her eyes squinted slightly in a knowing, curious manner as her mouth opened to speak.

'I noticed you spent some time with Lady Sal-Soren?'

Aurelian Veruna

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[Aurelian Veruna]

X | X​

Aurelian listened as her words unfurled, his expression composed, but his mind weighed each syllable. Philosophy, non-fiction, the biographies of leaders; she pictured him as a man of study. He neither confirmed nor denied it, simply inclining his head with a private amusement. He felt the answer was too great a luxury to offer freely. Let her see him as a man of ideas and contemplation. Externally, it painted a flattering portrait. Internally, it was just another mask he wore when convenient.

He remained silent at first, his fingers tapping idly against his teacup's porcelain rim as she shifted the conversation to Dominic. Her cheeks immediately flushed, a faint color betraying her even as she tried to compose herself. Aurelian's lips curved into a dangerous smile. So, she blushed at Dominic's name. That was curious and telling. She went on about the book, Praxon's purchase, and a reading at the estate. He listened, weighing every pause and the slight flutter of her smile.

Then she turned the conversation back to him, mentioning Blaire Sal-Soren. Aurelian's gaze flicked down, then up again, a sharp grin tugging at his mouth. "Yes," he said, his voice even and cool. "Lady Blaire and I exchanged a word or two. It was brief, yet fascinating. She is not easily read, certainly not as readily as others." His eyes lingered on Loria a beat longer than comfortable, a deliberate reminder of how transparent her earlier blush had been compared to Blaire's enigmatic nature.

He didn't dwell on it, smoothly redirecting with a cutting edge. "Tell me, Lady Sorelle, are you finding yourself spending more time with Praxon these days?" His tone was mild, even conversational, yet his eyes never left hers. He leaned forward, elbows brushing the table, his hand steepled beneath his chin as if she were the only puzzle in the room worth solving.

Aurelian let the question hang, then pressed further, his voice dropping lower, heavy with a curiosity that bordered on accusation. "Does your father know you keep company with his political opponent?" He let the silence bite, then offered a smile, a warmth that seemed a shade too practiced, as if to soften the blow. "I hope he doesn't mind. You know, I support your father. I would see him serve Naboo in the Assembly. He is a man of culture and refinement, precisely what this planet needs."

He eased back, sipping his tea, his gaze never leaving her. The smile that touched his lips this time was quieter, more dangerous in its restraint. "Though," he added softly, "even a cultured man might frown upon his daughter spending evenings with the champion of virtue himself."

Aurelian's silken tone carried a sharp current of curiosity. He wanted to see how she would answer, and more importantly, if she would stumble, or finally reveal something true.

Loria Sorelle​