Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Zeno had arranged for a small dinner in a dining room. Not the ball room, since that would be silly, but just a cozy one near the kitchens. The serving staff were mostly taking care of other things, so it was not some great lavish feast, but he had made sure that it was comfortable and pleasant enough there for the most part.

He waited for the arrival of his invited guest. He knew that she'd be a bit sensitive given the news of Bryson's death. But there was little he could do about that. He wondered if offering condolences would even be appropriate from him, given he had been hunting him as well. Would it make her think that she might have saved him by turning him over, or doomed him to a different fate, or... all conjecture. A waste of time to consider. He'll decide in the moment as he always did.

Riss would arrive, as was requested. Cascader resting on her wrist to make sure that some of the more physical signs of exhaustion weren't as noticeable as when they normally would be. Not dressed any more proper than when she'd joined all the others in walking into the throne room. Riss sauntered up to the Thul estate with her hand resting passively on the blaster at her hip. Greeted at the door, walked in, she'd been here before under less clear circumstances but even then she'd normally be looking around and observing. One trip, after all, wasn't enough to see everything. However, this trip in she was completely content with just being lead to the room where Zeno was waiting.

As she enters, she takes a spot to stop and stands there. Hand shifting from the comfortable position over the blaster on her hip onto her hip proper.

"Wasn't.. quite expecting this," she says with a slight quirk to her smile.

"Well, I heard the news from Ziandra about House Lanar's impending return before everything went bad," he says, standing and moving to pull a chair out for Riss.

Ross didn't say anything until she'd taken the seat offered. Settling her arms down on the table as she thought, "Today was.." she shakes her head. "Yea, looks like Lanar will be back on the map. Me in charge. It's.. strange? Strange.. you'd think it'd be the strangest thing that happened to me, following my life," she chuckles mirthlessly.

Shaking her head, "But it's like the most mundane thing.."

He slides the chair in beneath her as she sits. Moving back to his own seat he nods. "It has been a difficult day. But I am glad that you made it through. And pleased that you could accept my invitation, Duchess Riss of House Lanar," he says, using what woul be a more proper full title.

"There's likely no comfortable way to say this, given the circumstances of how I learned of him and what my interest had been. I offer my condolences for your loss of Bryson Rist. I can't know exactly how close you were, but I do understand that he was important to you." Apparently the decision was made and he had said it, trying to clear that air as soon as possible.

"He was," she says, her voice taking on that shakiness as she looks up nearer the ceiling. Taking a moment, two, and then three all trying to keep herself composed.

After a minute, maybe two, "Is.. that why you asked me down here?" she asks, voice trepid but perhaps she was tires enough that the desire for a fresh topic was far more apparent than she'd otherwise intend to reveal.

"It is not," he said, moving on since she seemed to need that. "Please, eat. Today has been exhausting."

"No, I asked you down here because I wanted to see how you are doing with all the changes and chaos. As well as to offer my personal support for your efforts to rebuild House Lanar."

Given a quick chance she checks down at her commlink fob as it gives a little notification:

"Omandri Rist" wrote:Hey, glad you made it through today ok. My door is always open if you want to talk, or just don't want to be alone.

Before answering she looks back down to Zeno, all of it giving her enough of a pause to separate herself from the thoughts a second.

She considers a moment, "I have no idea yet how I'm doing I'm just- moving forward. Your support is.. appreciated," she says taking a moment to think via answering Omandri.

Riss' wrote: ::>> Thanks

"I'm.." she shakes her head. "This something more tangible or just a.. I got your back, kid, kinda thing?" she asks, there's a wry smirk that forms but doesn't maintain itself.

"Tangible," he replied. "As much as I can help. We are about to be in a period of repair and rebuilding. I will see about adding some of the costs for Lanar holding repairs to our leger," he takes a bite, chews a few times, then swallows.

"And I will also provide rooms for those you need for reconstruction, as my guests, until such time as you can house them yourself. Our estates are the closest and most convenient for that after all."

"And until your house has adequate security, I will augment it with our own."

"Rebuilding could be good," she finds herself with an even, held tone which she makes some effort to maintain and lets the cascader pick up her slack where it can. "I'm.. a little overwhelmed by the prospect of who exactly I would go to. Can always figure it out.. I'm good at that," she smiles, it's very brief. "But- knowing good contacts would help more than anything. Not.. sure yet what I'm actually working with, but soon.. soon.." she shakes her head.

"Regardless.. yes, that- some of that would be very appreciated. Just not the security, mm? I.. appreciate it, but having active Thul guards in the Lanar estate might unnerve some of those I'd be wishing to call home, if they're around. They'll.. get used to this whole working together in time," she pauses, glancing down, "kriff, I will too," a shake of her head, "but, for now.. help when and if I need it would be appreciated, but I'd rather not have the unease while I'm still convincing folk this might even be possible.."

He eats another bite as she responds, taking his time with it.

"That is fine. I can get you a list of the contractors we use for construction and property maintenance. They already know the lands so that should help."

"As for identifying new people to bring on, the ADF holds regular job fair events for those that are leaving the service. You can potentially pick up some skilled veterans. I tend to prefer hiring from there when I can. I'll bring you along next time I attend one if you like, just to make introductions to the folks that run them."

"I would.. appreciate that," she says, taking in a breath as she settles herself. Nerves. Trauma. All of it, just swallow it down and push on. "Being away for as long as I have.. it would be good to get the advice from someone who's been here.. even if that someone," she shakes her head.

"Past is past, after today.. we all need a little more of that, mm? Just.. moving on," she says with a soft sigh.

"I can imagine that it is difficult for you. And will be for others. But in a few generations we'll all be gone. We can do something to establish a better relationship for our children and theirs. No reason to stain their perceptions with our opinions."

"I.. don't know. Maybe there's kinda something to that, mm? Knowing how much I.. I still hate you, kinda, for the deaths of my parents and- whatever became of the rest of my siblings," she said, there's a directness to her tone but not overly aggressive. Like laying out the truth as if it were as simple as that, tinged with the emotion but also calm. "Letting them know that you can hate someone like that but still.. still work together despite it, build something together," she says, a exhausted sigh.

"Something Bryson wished for before he died was an Alderaan less concerned with parties and.. squabbles, to do something right, to make the world and galaxy a better place. I want that too. I wanted that too. I didn't.. completely agree with his choices, how it should get done but now.. maybe I'm- maybe we're in a position to do that, or will be," she says, glancing down at what food was likely in front of her untouched.

"Feel that hate, remind me of how you feel it every time you see me. I can bear it because I understand the pain of having family killed over political battles. But it is an unrequited hatred. You have not hurt my family."

He takes a sip of wine.

"Bryson's wish would be a dream come true for me. I can live without the parties, the frippery and the banquets. I go because it's expected but there are things I'd personally rather be doing. But we are not likely to be able to change all of that for Alderaan. High society love's it's parties."

"Can't get rid of it all.. it letting it lose focus, we could do more of that. Pushing our energy into really making a bigger difference because we can," she said, hitting the main note before she glances away a moment. Brow furrowing slightly, "But.. kriff, I'm angry Zeno. Pained, and hurt, but I'm not cruel. Not sure how you used to do things back home.. but that kinda kriff? Ain't me, ain't my style. Not gonna lie about it.. but- just- kriff."

"If it's not your style, then I am glad you know yourself. Also, there is no back home. This is home. There is a back then filled with horror stories though. If you are ever curious about what it takes to make a monster, you can ask and I'll share it."

Grimacing a bit, she glances down and shakes her head. Busying her hands by finally tending to what food was prepared, "No.. no I don't think I'm ever going to care to hear the specifics. Know enough.. that the details don't really matter," she says, a slight rise to the corner of her lip, more alike a twitch than anything else.

He took another bite with her response and nods at that. Nobody ever really needed to hear it, and most people didn't want to. So he kept it locked in that inky blackness that roiled in his mind.

"Did you eat before you got here?" he asks, curious. She had looked at it earlier but seemed afraid to touch it.

"No, today's just- difficult. For more reasons than everyone else and.. I haven't slept," she admits, closing her eyes for a moment as she inhales deeply. Slowly letting the breath pass back out between pursed lips. Settling, picking up some utensils, "Sorry. Easily distracted."