(D1 MA) Well, This is Embarrassing

[Cynella Andrim]

Cynella appeared entirely unphased by such direct talks of courtship and romance. "I agree that it would be best to think about me more than my sister," she said with a playful smile. "Although I am surprised that you think I wouldn't stay in touch with my family. I'm quite close to them... I imagine if I wasn't, then I'd feel less inclined to care for my parents' wishes for me."

She tapped her lips in thought. "I haven't met anyone here that I'd think of causing much trouble. A friend perhaps might, though nothing so scandalous as violence. She's just rowdy is all." She held up her hands. "Again, I only mean to tease them. I don't actually expect them to cause a huge problem."

And she had so hoped that Alderaan was going to be a simple vacation where she'd meet the royal prince and run off into the sunset. "I don't think there's ever a time where things are stable and, well, 'normal,' whatever that means. The Ten of Kuat have their own little games that I won't bore you with. I barely pay attention to them myself."

[Aurilie Alde]

"Everyone's situation is different and I imagine that there will be some changes once marriage happens. Admittedly, I'm not so close with either my young sister or brother. Our pursuits and aspirations are different from each other. They've gone into far different ventures. Maybe my marriage could bring me closer to my family but I'm unsure about that, to be honest." She said pensively on the matter.

"Hopefully you won't be held responsible for whatever they choose to do," she said with a small smile, meaning to call back on what she said about Aurilie and Keyhote. "Any scandal, even non-violence, would entice some wild rumours and the occasional wild story. You are rather amicable, admittedly, and I wouldn't want to see that happen to you. As for Alderaanian politics, you probably needn't worry about that for now. Not until you're married, at least...but your investment is appreciated."

[Cynella Andrim]

"Marriage is going to always change up some aspect of life, isn't it?" She smiled faintly. "I'm not suggesting that I am, say, tied to the hip with my siblings. But we do speak fairly regularly despite our different pursuits and aspirations, as you put it."

Cynella pursed her lips. "Oh no, I don't see myself having any sort of scandals. I'm glad to have your concern and your compliment nonetheless," she said, looking away in mock embarrassment. "Ah, well, I think much of my investment at the moment is because I've nothing else to do for fun. I mostly have the festival and all the wonders that entails!"

[Aurilie Alde]

"That's good," she said with a few nods, they were a touch solemn. "At the end of the day, family is important and I would highly recommend that you keep in touch with them regardless of where you may find yourself. It's all too easy for a family to drift away, by circumstance or otherwise. If you can help it, you should hold on to them."

They found themselves finally out of the twist and turns of the maze and suddenly toward a flat wall leading down an equally narrow corridor as before with a few entries points on one side. Aurilie looked curiously at them as she went down the path.

"That's unfortunate," she said with a concerning tone, "and definitely something that should change. Perhaps we shouldn't be worrying about falling into scandal or getting into trouble when we're clearly two adults with a good idea of propriety. Regardless of your decision when it comes to marriage, I believe that it is at least my responsibility as a noble member of the house to ensure that your stay here is as pleasant as possible and you are only impressed by the grandeur of Alderaan. It would wound me if you thought of our great world as mundane, my lady."

[Cynella Andrim]

Cynella smiled. "Shouldn't I be telling you such things? You're the one who admitted to being rather distant from your siblings, after all. I have no intentions of leaving my family behind even if I live here for the rest of my life."

Like before, Cynella was perfectly content with trailing behind Aurilie's pathfinding. She grazed one finger against the shrub wall, confirming that plants didn't feel much different from Kuati ones. At least, that was true for these ones.

"Oh, by no means has it proven to be mundane thus far. I'm perfectly capable of finding entertainment, like mulling over a foreign government's political situation more than my own." She pursed her lips. "It is rather odd of me to have that difference in investment, isn't it?"

[Aurilie Alde]

Aurilie tittered at the comment, a touch rue but also amused at the same time. "Well, in this case, you'd be an exemplar of such a lesson. Perhaps it would be something if my potential partner could inspire me to do the same. I haven't burned any bridges, to be clear. It's just the general state of our relationship I suppose." Some strain here and there.

She slowed in her steps somewhat but one could see there was an entryway that seemed to have an elaborate arch atop of it near the end of the path. "No, I suppose not. Some attribute to pondering over politics as something people would do for work than leisure. However, I won't fault anyone who considers the political landscape of Alderaan fascinating, I will admit that we've found ourselves in interesting times. Yet, I'm unsure if it should be considered to be a point of pride. I mean the situation, not the great foundations we've achieved here, to be clear."

[Cynella Andrim]

"Perhaps familial relationships are a metaphor for the state of Alderaan. It just wouldn't do to go around annihilating the other Houses over some disagreements, would it?" She clicked her tongue. "Though perhaps some are not in such great standing?"

Cynella drew some of her hair back. "I don't think such a lovely place would have sprouted from anything less than greatness. That would be like saying a beautiful rose garden sprouts from nothing!"

[Aurilie Alde]

"Of course not, it would be truly a sad day if it came to that..." Aurilie said on the matter. However, there was the nagging suspicion that there was precedence on this but she wasn't going talk about that part of history on a pleasant occasion.

"Well said and that was exactly what I was getting at. You might be just ready to become an Alderaanian yourself, Lady Cynella," she chuckled.

Making her way to the archway at the end of the pathway seemed to have brought them to the exit of the maze, at least one of them. Suddenly they found themselves no longer confined to twist and turns, nor narrow pathways, but confronted by long stretches of open fields of flowers. She blinked once and turned to look at Cynella with a triumphant smile. "Ah, so it seems that we've managed to find our way out. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether this was the intended ending of the story or thanks to my pathfinding skills."

[Cynella Andrim]

"It would be an odd day at that. I'm not sure if it's the same for Alderaan but the Ten of Kuat have been stable since, well, the founding of such a system." Cynella smirked. "Perhaps you'll need to learn more about them, though I suppose the specifics of a betrothal could be worked out in due time."

The exit came to Cynella as a surprise; she had become resigned to wandering forevermore. "I will say, the timing of it was superb. I do believe that we have your pathfinding skills to thank entirely."

[Aurilie Alde]

Aurilie gave a glance back from where they came and looked back at Cynella with a good-natured laugh at perhaps the fact she caught herself bragging. It was unlikely the maze was truly meant to be a wilderness pathfinding challenge but it would be amusing to think of it as such. Well, other than the fact there could be people still wandering the maze forevermore.

She dipped in a gracious bow. "Well, I should thank you for your patience and the good company that you've provided me, Lady Cynella. It seems only right that you weren't left in the maze on your lonesome, especially when there is so much more to be enjoyed on Alderaan. On that note, I should take my leave to get ready for tonight's event. I'm sure we will meet again."

[Cynella Andrim]

Cynella smiled at the laugh, letting the Prince of Joral have her fun. "Yes, I suppose it would be tragic if I was forever lost to that maze. I think I owe my rescue entirely to you then," she said with a bow. "The festival cannot be so massive. We'll see each other in due time, don't you worry."

[Aurilie Alde]

"Even more fortunate that I've found you, Lady Cynella," she chuckled. "Please have yourself a pleasant day. Until we meet again."

With that, the prince walked down the path and made her way out.

/exit