The Serpent & the Crow

(What's an animal you might find in the northern realm that could represent life and creation?)

"Sera and Adrianna taught me. Adrianna is the best, but she's really busy so she said I couldn't bother her. Have you ever stitched before?" Tiberius looked at his work proudly.

"No, I can't say that I have," he said. Adrianna. That was a new name. "Who's Adrianna? A friend?"

He found himself relaxing a bit in the presence of Tiberius. Unlike his brothers, he didn't seem to hold any ill will or ulterior motives; seemingly, he genuinely just wanted to talk. Clearly. Without double-meanings or hidden motivations.

Tiberius nodded vigorously. "She's the stewardess, too. That means she's in charge when Papa's busy. She's my cousin and she knows everything! She helped teach me to read when I was little."

((I'm still thinking about that question XD))

Stewardess, Adrianna. Four siblings: Tiberius, Mattathias, Regulus, Marcella. Headed by Lord Ash. If there was a Lady Ash, he hadn't yet heard of her. Then there was Sera, the apothecary.

"Do you like reading?" he asked, shifting his weight and grimacing. The herbs helped a bit. Not as much as the ice had, of course, but it was enough to keep him from having his vision twist.

(So am I.)

"Not really." Tiberius frowned, scratching at his beard. "It's really hard. Sometimes Papa or Marcella or Regulus or Matt read to me, though. I like it when they do that because it's easier. Do like it?"

"Yeah, but it took me a long time to learn it properly. My brother helped me when I was little. I've always liked stories more than the real world. I can't see very well, though, so it can be hard without my glasses."

"What are glasses?" Tiberius tilted his head, curious. "Is it like the glass cups in the kitchen? Or like an hourglass?"

"No, like, uh...Spectacles? You wear them on your face, they sit on your nose. Usually a little glass lens with a wire frame." Were glasses not yet a thing? When had they been invented? He was pretty sure they were around by the 13th century, but this was a different world.

"I've never seen something like that." He looked up as Sera reentered with a stack of shirts. "Sera! I need help with my stitching because Adrianna is busy." Tiberius held up the hoop.

"I'll be with you in a moment, Tiberius," Sera said patiently, offering the shirts to Cornyx. "Off you go, lad. Come back to me tomorrow for more herbs. And move carefully. The bindings aren't perfect."

Well. Hopefully he'd forget about it. Or people wouldn't take him seriously. God, he was so dead.

He reached up to take the shirts, grimacing as he shrugged one of them on. "Thank you, ma'm. Have a fair evening." He pressed himself to his feet, a bit of a pained expression on his face. "You as well, sir," he added to Tiberius, dipping his head and then heading for the door.

"Bye!" Tiberius waved. Sera bent over to see his needlework.

Marcella was waiting in the library as promised, buried in a book.

((Tiberius is just so nice man))

He took pause in the hallway for a few moments, resting his shoulder against the wall. Finding his breath again. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to sleep that night. He closed his eyes. At least it was quiet here. Quieter than it was at home.

Then he rose. Found his feet. Pressed open the door, quietly padding inside of the library.

(He really is. He's a whole sweetheart.)

Marcella didn't look up as he entered, completely immersed in her book. Gaius was there as well, seated at a table. He was poring over an ancient atlas, tracing a line with his finger. His eyes flickered up to Cornyx.

((I think that's the most laid back conversation that Cornyx has managed in this entire thing XD))

Lord Ash again. He dropped his eyes, not particularly wanting to engage, much less challenge him in any manner. Instead, he merely waited for Marcella to take notice of his presence; no reason to jar her out of whatever she was in the middle of. Silence didn't bother him.

(And will ever manage.)

Three minutes later, Marcella was still reading. Gaius glanced between them.

"Can I help you, Cornyx?" he asked coolly after a moment.