Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

While he looked a bit worse for the wear, Niall was still dressed in his finest, cape, medals, and all. He stood in a sort of relaxed parade rest, waiting at the front gate, checking his chrono occasional.

After all, if he was entertaining a guest, he needed to look the part.

After the intense sport of Huttball, Cynella had to rinse herself off. She didn't have enough time, though, to go the full mile with hair and makeup. So while she was still her usual affable self, she certainly hadn't dressed to impress.

So in a way, Niall put her to shame. "Good showing out there! I can see why people rally to your command."

Niall chuckled. "What, you mean at the Huttball? Thank you, I suppose. It's not how I'm used to commanding, but nevertheless." He shrugged. "I actually played a few games back on Nar Shaddaa. With Sith." He paused a moment. "It was a strange time."

He gave another one of his bows. "You played quite well yourself, actually. How did a Kuati heiress learn to do that?"

"I suppose a Captain... and most certainly a Major would have more macro-level decisions to make. That and I highly doubt that Huttball is exactly the same as a blaster fight, but I digress," she said, shifting in her spot. "Wait, did you say you played with Sith? Like against or were you, for some reason, on the same team?"

She returned the bow. She'd gotten pretty good at it by now! "Oh I think it naturally came with all the exercise I do. Great food and affordable time allows for a good physique, so I've been told."

"Both." Niall said with a sigh. "As I said, it was different times back then. Only two invasions." He smiled wryly. "But really, I was younger. I'm not sure if I was more willing to give chances then, or simply more naive." He shook his head. "I suppose it doesn't really make a difference, so long as I continue to do what is right."

Smiling again, he inclined his head. "May I show you inside?" With a sweeping gesture, he opened the gate; the manor house itself was still some distance away.

Cynella smiled faintly. "I don't think much harm came from playing Huttball then. Now, after your sterling reputation, it might become more of an issue. That and the, well, recent events." She coughed.

"But yes! I would love to see your manor. I must admit, I've been looking forward to it all this time." It couldn't be any worse than that Thul place...

Niall smiled. "Well then. Shall we?"

He lead the way through the gate, along the speeder path up to the manor. However, he turned off another path. "Actually, I'd like to show you the garden first. I would often take walks here with my friends, or my relatives, or my wife."

The garden was alongside the manor, and well but loosely kept. "My mother and my sister used to tend to this. Lately... it's been more just the staff. But it hasn't changed much." The path was tile, lined with a variety of plants, winding around a fountain.

"Oh! Sure, yes, a garden sounds lovely. I wonder how it compares to the ones at the festival." She smiled meekly. "Seeing as I'm unfamiliar with Alderaanian flora, you'll have to let me know. But perhaps your House prefers different arrangements?"

She noted the mention of family and nodded a couple times. "I see. Has your wife not picked it up herself?" If she hadn't, she couldn't blame her; Cynella herself lacked a green thumb.

"Well, we have roses." Niall waved his hand at a collection. "And, uh, other things." He cleared his throat. "I used to know them all, really. It's been a while since I've made a study of them."

They circled around the fountain, then back towards the manor. "She hasn't." Niall said, walking with hands clasped behind his back. "Aly has other interests. Although it may be something we can work on together."

He glanced at Cynella, eyebrows going up. "And how has the festival been treating you so far?"

Cynella covered her lips as she giggled. "Don't fret. I wouldn't have been able to name ones in a Kuati garden. I'll admire them all the same."

Her eyes widened (and hopefully she hadn't found out this information before in some strange time paradox). "Aly? Alysele then? My goodness, I met her on pure happenstance during a jog. I thought of you when she'd said she was married but... I assumed then that was too big of a coincidence."

Her good humor faded when she thought of the festival. "It's up and down like a rollercoaster. I don't know if you have those here." She tapped her lips in thought. "No matter. I visited House Thul and was surprised to see Her Majesty and Prince Joran there. I... May or may not have told Her Majesty that my best quality was my fertility."

A cough. "More importantly, that estate was kind of spooky! There was this masked person who kept saying creepy things and took us to this doll room."

Niall grinned, as he often did when discussing Aly. "In fact, it took a number of coincidences to bring us together. But yes, she and I were married about this time last year.

He'd been maintaining the leisurely pace, but he had to stop and stare at her at that comment. "Your... fertility...?" Niall asked, one eyebrow going up. "Really? I mean, that's something to be considered in the royal line, but... really? You put it that plainly?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I must know. What did she say?"

"I imagine she's quite the acclaimed Jedi, like most of them are," Cynella said. "Only the best for Captain Alderaan, hm?" Maybe Keyhote had been right about her being a simp. Damn!

"I didn't phrase it that way exactly but the implication was there." Cynella shook her head. "I thought she'd be excited by the prospect of strong grandchildren. My mother keeps hinting at it and apparently both of my grandmas did too."

She bit her lip, thought about it, then nodded. "Right. I said it because she wanted to know why I was a good fit for His Highness. I gave the... aforementioned answer and she wanted to hear about other qualifications."

"Yes, well, I'm very fond of her, anyway." Niall said, smiling. And perhaps a touch smugly; his wife was a hottie, after all.

Niall cleared his throat. "Yes, well... adoption is perfectly legitimate on Alderaan, even among royals. So exactly how fertile you are perhaps isn't as important."

He continued to lead the way around the garden, to the garden entrance to the manor.

"I can see why! She was quite a pleasant jogging partner. Perhaps I'll have to go again with her and perhaps that time you could join as well?"

Cynella pursed her lips. "I suppose the best example is Unther. He's a viable candidate for the throne, is he not? I haven't gotten to know him very well. I'm curious what you have to say about him.

"By any means, he probably couldn't be shadier than those Thuls. Oof."

"Perhaps so." Niall smiled pleasantly, pressing the controls to open the door. The corridors were brightly lit, and in an older style, the manor looking like a very well-kept relic of an older age.

As they walked down the hallway, Niall frowned. "In truth, I don't know him nearly as well as the others; he came to the family later, when I was less aware of things. He seems to be a good sort, though."

Chuckling, Niall glanced at Cynella. "Quite. Are you speaking from personal experience now, or just what you've heard still?"

Once inside, she took a moment to glance around the place. Older Alderaanian aesthetics didn't align with the Kuati equivalent so the differences caught her interest.

Cynella tapped her lips. "Yes, so far he's proven to be a mystery. I suppose nothing there's nothing to be done short of speaking with him directly."

She shivered. "Oh yes. There was this masked person who kept talking about vile things like cleaning up blood and whatnot. But worst of all was this doll room. I don't know what it was about it but... Just a bunch of dolls in display cases is weird!"

Once more, Niall found himself stopping to stare at Cynella, this time less amused. "... what?" He asked, perplexed.

He frowned. "Is there any possibility that this person was just, well, messing with you? I find it odd that they'd talk so openly about cleaning up blood. Although I suppose it fits with someone who names themselves Lady Massacre."

Cynella shook her head. "No, this wasn't Lady Massacre. I suppose they might have been sarcastic, though." She tapped her lips in thought. "His Highness and I tried to explore the estate. Perhaps it was a mockery of us finding out anything."

She sighed. "I suppose any dastardly secrets would be better hidden than what we could've uncovered."

"But... the doll room? That was real?" He asked.

Niall frowned, pausing in the hallway. "I begin to think... Thul is a villainous house. But I'm growing more certain that just because they are a villainous house does not mean that they are villains." He chuckled softly. "That might not have made much sense. Rather, I think they are behind fewer of the current troubles affecting Alderaan than one would expect from looking at them."

He frowned again, crossing his arms. "Although really, it's not like House Organa designed their uniforms."

"Oh yes. I'm sure I'll remember the doll room for the rest of my life."

Cynella tapped her lips, contemplating on her idol's words. Then, she lifted up her finger when the revelation struck her. "Ah! Like perhaps how an actor may be hated for playing a villainous role so well but he's actually a decent person in real life?"

Her enthusiasm waned, though, as she considered House Thul in particular. "They also chose to be called Lady Massacre and such. I wouldn't call myself Lady Righteousness or Lady Valorous," she said, though her resolve on such a matter waned on the latter one.