A Foreign Affair v2[Closed]

[First Valerian Empire]

The Valyrian Monarch, His Imperial Majesty, Napoleon I eagerly awaited Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of the Isle of Kesha; Guinevere Octavia Lemon XIII, at Terminal 7 at Avalon International Airport. Terminal 7, was the Imperial Terminal and only those on official state business or foreign guests were allowed to land there, making it extremely secure.His personal ''Dating Service'' had managed to arrange for her to visit Valyria & tour the country with him as part of his annual State tour of the land.

He stood in a simple 2 piece suit, tailored to his body, made of Valyrian Silk & Water Spider Weave, making it extremely comfortable but durable. He had several Imperial Guards around the perimeter to ensure the safety of not only himself but of his ''guest''. He had only seen pictures of her, but he was sure he would like her, he thought to himself anyone that beautiful had to be a amazing person. Looking up into the air, he spotted the tiny black dot in the sky, the private jet that she would be arriving on. He steadied himself and awaited his lady's arrival.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxThe entire flight the Grand Duchess had been busying her staff while she sat in a large, comfortable seat and drank champagne. "I, I just can't decide." Guinevere XIII stated, her voice filled with indifference as she stared at the two dressed before her and took a sip of her champagne. The dress on the left was simple and beautiful, a very pretty yellow number. However, the dress on the right was stunning and extravagant, a dress made completely of feathers. She was concerned of what Napoleon I would think of her in each dress, however. If she wore the yellow one she was worried Napoleon would think she was not taking this very important meeting seriously. But if she wore the peacock dress she thought she would come off as more snobbish and wasteful than she actually was. Guinevere took another sip of her champagne before looking back at the dresses. "They're both so pretty, that's the problem." she sighed, thinking about how much of a burden it was to have this many clothes at her disposal.
xxxGuinevere reached over for a freshly baked, strawberry macaron. She took a bite of it and sighed. "I think I want the yellow one. It's easier to walk in." she said, standing and kicking off the heels she wore. She turned, and her staff swarmed around her, undressing and redressing her. She was soon in the yellow dress, as well as matching yellow heels and a large, white sunhat with a yellow flower. One of the member of her hat held a mirror in front of her and she looked at her reflection, making sure her hair and her makeup was perfect. She nodded her approval and sat back down. She cleared her throat before eating another macaron.
xxxGuinevere was a lot more nervous than she was letting on. She was hoping that all the champagne she was drinking and all the macarons she was eating would quell her nerves, but alas, they seemed to be making her feel worse. Guinevere was twenty-nine and unmarried. She had no children. She needed an heir to the throne, she needed a husband. She didn't want to pressure Napoleon I, but she was hoping that this would work out for the best.
xxxThe pilot announced that they would be landing momentarily. Guinevere buckled her seat belt, finished off her champagne, and waited for the landing. Once landed, she stood and brushed herself off. Accompanied by two guards armed with pepper spray, Guinevere stepped off of the plane. Her pace was quick as she stepped into Terminal 7. She did not have to look far for His Majesty, he was the rugged and sexy man with the guards. Guinevere's face lit up into a smile as she glided towards him, her stride practiced and much more confident than she was inwardly right now. Guinevere stood in front of him and curtsied, outstretching her hand. "Hello, Your Majesty, I am Guinevere Octavia Lemon XIII, the Grand Duchess of the Isle of Kesha." she said, her voice pleasant and friendly.

[First Valerian Empire]

Napoleon didn't have to wait long for the plane to land & park. It was obvious that the pilot knew what they were doing. Generally speaking, it was his experience that a well trained staff meant that the leaders were quality as well. As he waited, he shuffled his feet nervously, He had 3 such ''visits' in the last 6 months and all had turned out less than favorably. He hoped that this would be the last time he would have to do one of these things for a while,that is if she liked him and all.

He was completely stunned when this amazingly beautiful woman stepped off the jet, accompanied by two bodyguards. He was momentarily speechless, he could do nothing but stare as she approached and introduced herself.Her words were simple & direct, but to him it was as if the God had sent a Angel down to greet him. As a member of a very wealthy dynasty & being the reigning monarch of a relatively large nation, he hadn't been deprived of opportunities to see gorgeous women, but it was if all the others paled in comparison to the one standing in front of him.

After he gathered his wits & realized that she was done talking, he took her hand, and bent down & kissed it, as was customary in Valyria. He spoke firmly, hoping to mask the ''butterflies'' that were slowly attempting to overwhelm him, ''Greetings, I am Napoleon the First of Valyria, I would like to welcome you to my country.'' He said, his eyes rapidly scouted out every inch of her frame, she stood confidently, & boldly, despite being in a foreign country. He expected such, with her being a monarch but the grace that she presented herself with was shocking. ''Would you care to share a car on the way to the Imperial Palace?'' he said gesturing to the waiting BMWs parked directly outside Terminal 7.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxHe kissed her hand and she had to keep herself from melting. She'd been hoping he'd kiss her hand, it was the most proper and the most polite thing to do. It showed Guinevere that this man had been raised right and knew how to treat a lady. But, on another level, she'd been hoping he'd kiss her hand because he was such an attractive man. They did not have men like him in the Isle of Kesha, where people always looked as if they were going to a rave and men dressed rather femininely. He looked rugged, with broad shoulders and a powerful jawline. His voice echoed this powerfulness; it was firm and deep.
xxxWhen he asked if she wanted to ride with him, she nodded a bit too quickly. "Yes, of course, that would be lovely." she said before she could stop herself and plan out her words. Her cheeks grew slightly pink, but she kept her face constant with the same pleasant smile. "Lead on." she said, wondering what she should do with her hands. She kept them firm against her sides, which made her feel awkward, but she didn't know what else to do with them.
xxxAs the two (and their bodyguards, of course) walked to the BMWs, Guinevere walked a few paces behind Napoleon. She did this to steal a quick glance at the man's body. Her brown eyes ran up and down Napoleon, ignoring the fact the doing so made her feel like a teenage boy in a mall. He looked very nice. He was muscular and although she loved his suit, she assumed he would look marvelous without it. She slipped into the car when the door was opened for her, running her hands to keep her dress smooth.
xxxHer mind raced for topics of discussion. The first, horribly awkward idea was to talk about the weather. No. There was no way she was going to talk about the weather with Napoleon. She would look like and idiot, and she was not going to come off as an idiot. She could ask him about his country, after all, that was officially why she was there. No, that would be stupid. She should flirt with him. However, she could not think of any subtle way to imply that she though he was attractive. All she could think of were awkward things like 'You have nice shoulders' or 'You're sexy.' She swallowed and suddenly, words slipped out. "So, tell me about yourself. I assume that such an attractive man has a wife, a girlfriend, maybe a mistress in a far, far away land."

[First Valerian Empire]

Her answer was quick & simple, he suspected that was a little nervous but he quickly dispelled such a foolish thought. A women such as her, couldn't possible be nervous. He lead her to the waiting BMW, which was to shepherd them to the Imperial Palace in Avalon. As he helped guide her into the car he couldn't help be notice your curves. She was filled out in all the right places & he had to physically remind himself that he was the leader of a country & not some teenage boy in heat.

As he slid into the seat behind her, he wondered to himself if he should innate the conversation. The last time he talked to a foreign woman, he had made the near fatal mistake of going first. They had happened to be something akin to Amazons & particularly violent ones at that. He dueled & drunk, and managed to bed one of the more charming ones all in one night. What a night it was, but she solved his problem for him by speaking first. Asking him in that angelic voice of hers about himself. He would have preferred for her to do the talking, as he didn't think his was a very remarkable story & resolved to keep it as brief as possible, as his tale wasn't exactly the most honorable or peaceful one that could be told.

'''Well, for starters, I born abroad & spent my formative years being shuffled around by security & trying to learn as many different languages as possible, while at the same time trying to remain normal.'' He chuckled to himself, he got extremely nervous talking about himself.''' Well, once I reached College age, I went to England and received by Master's Degree in Political Science & Bachelor's in Military History. Then a came back to Valyria & retook the throne from the usurpers and I have been running the show ever since, fighting off liberals,conservatives, and advisers pressuring me to find a woman.'' He realized his mistake too late, he shouldn't have brought up finding a woman, he might make her think he that was all he wanted from her, a quick political marriage and that was it. He smiled and looked away trying to hide the embarrassment rapidly creeping across his face, looking out the window he saw the Spires of the Holy Valyrian Cathedral, where his grand parents where married. He hoped he didn't blow it already.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxShe listened to his story intently and with great interest. It sounded similar to her own life, similar to the lives of all monarchs and nobles of just wanting to be normal. Although she'd heard tales of seeking normality before, she was no less interested and could always identify with the story. When Napoleon mentioned having to win his throne back, she was intrigued. Never once had she heard a tale like this one, well, never in person. It was fascinating, and added to the man's aura of mystery and power that she liked. Once again, she was able to relate when he mentioned those who thought they knew how to run the country better, especially with the advisers.
xxx"I have a very similar childhood. Mother mostly kept me in the palace, unless there was an event and she wanted to parade me around. I was educated by the finest educators within the Isle of Kesha. They made sure I knew all of the necessary languages of Europe - Croatian, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Greek... oh, and of course English. Um, anyway, I went to college, too. Mother wanted me to stay in the Isle of Kesha, something about making sure the people knew that our colleges and universities are sublime. Before I went I traveled the world, though... have you ever been to Kenya? It's simply divine, you must go there. I lived in a small village for a while and there were these hippos... did you know that hippos aren't as friendly as they seem? They're actually quite mean. But at college I studied political science, which is something Mother made me do, and art history, because art is simply fascinating, wouldn't you agree? I had to deal with a kind of similar position; the people of the Isle of Kesha weren't happy that were were still an absolute monarchy. They cried for political rights and when I didn't give it to them, came very close to cutting off my head. Of course, I couldn't allow that, so I wrote up a constitution with a lot of help and yeah." she took a second to breath before she continued, "Now we have a constitution. And I know what you're talking about with advisers. They were not happy when I took the throne unmarried and they're very unhappy that I'm still unmarried. And they're especially unhappy that I don't have a child. I swear, they look at me as if I'm about to dry up."
xxxHer voice was moving through topics with great speed and as she spoke, she spoke through her hands, her hands flying through the air with nerves. She giggled as she spoke, touched his leg gently at one point, and when she was finished realized how much she'd really spoken. Her cheeks became red and her lips curled into a sheepish smile, knowing that he would obviously know how embarrassed she was and how nervous for this meeting she was. "I'm sorry," she said with wavering confidence, "I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

[First Valerian Empire]

Napoleon listened intently as she gave him a rapid rundown of her rather eventful life. He could relate to her story, with overbearing parents and guardians watching and criticizing your every move, it was frustrating and he knew exactly how she felt. While his mother wasn't exactly around to be overbearing his father more than made up for it in all the worst possible ways. He had to make sure he wasn't weak or mild mannered, he was essentially bred to keep their bloodline going, and it wasn't exactly in his father's plans for him to take the throne.

He noticed that she was very ''animated'' talking through your body language, as a hunter & former soldier, Napoleon had learned to read body language a long time ago. As he glanced over her body, this time trying in vain to remain objective about it, he noticed that she seemed quite nervous but confident at the same time. Sure about herself but not necessarily about him, that was something he could also understand, being in a foreign land,with foreign people being taking around was at the least nerve racking.

''No, Your perfectly alright.'' He said, attempting to reassure her with his smile.'' While I haven't had a chance to visit Kenya, I did spend a significant amount of time in France & the Pacific Islands, it was a very unique experience to say the least.'' He said, chuckling slightly, he was trying to lighten the mood. Quickly, glancing out the window, he noticed they were nearly to the Imperial Palace and the main structure was in sight. '' I remember when I was taking the throne from the usurpers, I was literally fighting for my life. At the Battle of Golan Pass, we were ambushed and we came out of our tents in our underwear,battle helmets & Rifles to fight the Loyalists off, ha ha ha, Nothing like Dodging bullets to make you feel more noble.'' he said laughing out loud, he had a habit of laughing at particularly unpleasant stories or things regarding his past.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxGuinevere was comforted when Napoleon smiled at her. She felt a warm, almost fuzzy feeling in her body - it was in her stomach or in her heart, she though - when he smiled at her, his face lighting up a little. He had a great smile, which was probably one of the most important thing for Guinevere. That and nice teeth. But a smile suited his face, it showed her a new side of his rugged charms, a side that she liked. She was further comforted by a chuckle. She was glad that he didn't find her soliloquy off-putting. She reminded herself that he would find it off-putting if she continued speaking so much and that she need to get her nerves under control.
xxxGuinevere was about to ask about Napoleon's time in the Pacific or in France, but then he looked out the window. Curious, Guinevere leaned over, touching the man lightly to see what he was looking at. She was impressed by the palace she saw. It was slightly off in the distance, but she could tell it was gorgeous and lavish and that she would love it. Guinevere had an affinity for beautiful things, some might call her materialistic, but Guinevere was known for collecting beautiful works of art, beautiful works of literature, beautiful clothes, etc. Guinevere was especially known for her taste in architecture, as she made sure every official Keshan building was sublime and lavish and almost baroque.
xxxShe was about to comment on the beauty of the palace when Napoleon spoke again, this time lamenting a tragic tale of war. Guinevere swallowed unsure of what to do. This subject matter was completely foreign to her. She had experience war - the Isle of Kesha had abolished their military ages ago. She'd merely heard tale of war in books she'd read. But if what she'd read was accurate, war was not a happy place. It was a place filled with nothing but horrors, a place where your nightmares really came true. But Napoleon laughed, which she found curious. Nonetheless, Guinevere placed her hand gingerly on Napoleon's knee. "I'm sorry, I truly am." she said, her voice slow and calm, "That's absolutely horrendous. I can't even imagine what you were subjected to."

[First Valerian Empire]

As he looked off into the distance, admiring his country, he was jolted from his thoughts by a foreign feeling. This most magnificent woman had once again touched him. He had thought she had done it before, but he wrote it off as her hand accidentally touching him in passing, with her rather unique hand gestures but no, this time it had to be deliberate. It could only mean that she must have felt something more than a passing attraction in him, he allowed himself to hope, if only just for a moment that maybe he wouldn't die alone like all his friends had done during the civil war.

He turned his head slowly, dreading the response he might get if he looked into her eyes, he tried to make himself turn the other way but it was as if the angels themselves were forcing him to look at her. His eyes turning to meet hers in a immortal gaze, such beautiful eyes, he feared that she was looking directly into his soul, it was if his worst nightmare & most amazing dream had melted into his reality, he felt her gazing into his soul, if only she would look harder and she would see that he truly was damaged goods wrapped in a pretty package. Scarred by war & death, his soul wept , & his his heart skipped a beat.

''It was truly unique experience. Most of my closet friends served along side me during the civil war, but enough with the depressing subject of war. We have arrived at the Palace.'' he said as the car stopped. He exited quickly, to ensure that he was the one to guide the Grand Duchess out of the car.''Mi'lady, allow me to welcome you to Le Palais impérial à Avalon,'' he said pronouncing the Palace's french name like a Native frenchman.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxNapoleon looked into her eyes and she looked into his. She was not sure what she saw within those gorgeous eyes of his. She did not see the sparkled of wisdom and power she saw whenever she looked into her mother's eyes. She did not a glittering sense of ecstasy and joy that she saw whenever she was with her dearest friends. She did not even see the defeat she saw whenever she went to the soup kitchens of Isle of Kesha to try and fight poverty. What she did see was a contradiction, a juxtaposition that should have made no sense to her. She saw nothing in those eyes, and his gaze reminded her of the art she'd spent so many hours pouring over. He stared right through her, as if she was not even there, as if he was not even there. He stared as if it was not real, this was not happening. When she'd first seen this gaze in pieces of art, the words to describe it had evaded her. However, it'd soon some to her, a spark that starts a wild fire. 'Haunted'. He was haunted.
xxxShe wanted to make him feel better, but did not know how. Obviously he had more demons than the average person, demons that were undoubtedly worse than Guinevere's own. Guinevere remembered when she'd broken one of her mother's priceless vases. Her mother had been furious, but because she was the Grand Duchess, her mother had pulled a few strings and gotten it repaired. It looked good as new, but when Guinevere had run her stubby, childish fingers over it she could feel the scars. She remembered when her dear friend Amelia had been dating this guy who'd broken her heart. She'd fixed Amelia by telling her that her ex was an idiot, ugly, and that she could do better. Then they'd gone clubbing, and Amelia was better after that.
xxxSomething told Guinevere that glue or clubs would not fix or help Napoleon at all. She searched herself for something she could do, something she could say that would help him. She came up empty. Frustrated with herself, she settled on a small smile that she hoped comfort him slightly.
xxxNapoleon ended any possible discussion before it could begin when they arrived. He rushed out of the car and graciously welcomed Guinevere to his palace. Guinevere reached over and grabbed his hand, helping herself out of the car. As she did this, a smile graced her lips and she said, almost to herself, "My, my, aren't you a gentleman." When she gazed upon the palace in person, up close, she was in awe. The sight was comforting. The architecture was distinctly French, something that Valyria and the Isle of Kesha had in common. In fact, this palace reminded her very much of her own palace, which she found very comforting. "Votre palais est magnifique." Guinevere commented in shaky French, hoping to impress Napoleon slightly.

[First Valerian Empire]

''Merci Madame'' He said, visibly delighted to return to much more familiar surroundings and being out in the open rather than confined in the car. Napoleon was never much of a small talker and usually communicated through gestures & non verbal cues. He was never one for the happy chitter chat, but rather one of those people you could stand next to and feel the happiness.

He grabbed the Grand Duchess by the hand & lead her rather enthusiastically into the Palace, pointing out various statues Or monuments as they made their way into the palace. ''There is the Monument to the Battle of Golan Pass, & there is a statue of my Father, and that is the Golden Eagle of Valyria, the first thing settlers saw when they landed here.'' clearly enthused to be showing off he country's heritage as well as his own personal residence, something few every did get to see without being in his inner circle.

He would have continued on about the various statues & monuments if his aide hadn't pulled him aside, informing him of some rather pressing business. His face changed from delight to stone, he eyes shedding what light they contained to reveal the eyes of a leader to often burdened with the affairs of the state. He whispered something back quietly before glancing at his guest, the aide said a few more words and then left quickly. 'Je dois m'excuser, there is a urgent matter I must attend to at the moment. I will return later, so we may dine together tonight. Pierre will guide you to your Apartment in the Palace,'' he said sorrowfully, gesturing towards the driver of the rear BMW in their convoy, before walking off with several large stately looking men and getting into a different set of BMWs.

The Man Named Pierre smiled brightly at the Duchess,extending his hand for her to take, so he could lead her to her Apartment. He was one of the Emperor's many Secret Service Agents, men dedicated to serving the Emperor in any way required, usually in less peaceful ways. He would escort her to the Magnificent Apartment she would be occupying for the duration of her stay, watching over the building while she got settled in, and prepared for Dinner later on tonight. The Emperor had arranged for them to dine at a private restaurant, where there would be no private citizens to ruin the night. He would call upon her at the apartment so she shouldn't stray far but he was under instructions not to hinder her movement.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxGuinevere felt the rougher hand grasp her own hand. She felt Napoleon wrap his own fingers around her long, elegant fingers. He was holding her hand tightly, but not tight enough to make the hand holding feel uncomfortable and forced. If Guinevere had wanted to, she easily could have broken it. However, the idea of pushing Napoleon away was far from the Grand Duchess' mind. She was pleased by his boldness, and, determined not to be perceived as passive or uninterested, grasped the man's hand back. She could not help herself as her thumb caressed Napoleon's hand ever so slightly, the motion barely noticeable, the touch light as a feather.
xxxSoon, the pair was walking into the palace and Guinevere was not surprised to find that the palace was as pretty, if not prettier, than it had been on the outside. Napoleon was enthusiastic in his leading, Guinevere couldn't help but note, overwhelming her with statue after statue. It was better to be overwhelmed than underwhelmed, she reminded herself as her neck turned and twisted to each and every statue, not able to stop her knowledge of art's history from bubbling in her mind. She appreciated each statue - each and every one had artistic significance and was masterfully crafted. Guinevere felt the urge to inquire as to whether or not Napoleon had any paintings, but decided against it for they soon came to a stop.
xxxThey were stopped by a man, who Guinevere assumed was a butler of some sort. She was fully prepared for him to inform the pair that whatever extravagant and lavish evening Napoleon had planned was ready. However, he stood close to Napoleon and the two talked in very hushed voiced that Guinevere, who stood very close to Napoleon, had a very hard time making out the words. As she tried to listen, she thought she made out the word 'unicycle' and she thought this was a funny thing for them to be talking about in such low voices. She assumed that she had heard wrong and gave up on her eavesdropping attempt.
xxxHe told her that he had to leave, he had something very urgent to address. Her smile faltered a little, but she understood his duties. She was sure that if they were back home, in the Isle of Kesha, something would find some way to interrupt their date, or, well, meeting. She assumed that the Grand Council would require her to give her opinion on some bill or the Keshan Front would decide it was the perfect moment to release some horrible statement that she would need to address. She made sure that Napoleon knew she was understanding, placing her other hand on his arm and smiling at him, "People always want something from you when you're ruling a country." Guinevere dropped his hand, her smile constant, and said, "I really do understand. Please hurry back, though."
xxxGuinevere walked with Pierre to her room. When she entered, she was impressed. It was beautiful, everything in the room seemed like a work of art in its own right. Guinevere smiled at the room and walked to the bed, and like a child her first action was to jump on it. She was met with a what felt like a cloud, something she wanted to lay on forever and never get off of. It reminded her of her own, overstuffed and fluffy bed back home. Pierre gave Guinevere some space, and Guinevere took the opportunity to call in her staff to unload her clothes.
xxxDress after dress and shoe after shoe entered the room, creating piles and piles of clothes and shoes and accessories. When a small, skinny staff member told her that the last of the clothes was finally unloaded, she went to work to plan her next outfit. There was no way that she was going to wear the same dress to dinner, after all. That would be tacky, and there was no way in hell Guinevere, who had been ranked in the top ten best dressed rulers for the last four years, was going to be tacky.

[First Valerian Empire]

Napoleon was forced into a cabinet meeting to address some terrorist issue or the other. Militants fighting in a different country, the Pope preparing for his Annual visit to one of the largest if not the largest catholic countries in the world. To Napoleon it was all unimportant at the moment as all he could think about was leaving his fair lady alone at the Palace. His thoughts drifting from one extreme to the next, what if she was insulted and left to go home, what if some assassin think she was him & tried to kill her, what if some other more charming nobleman came in & impressed he more than he could ever try? These thoughts occupied his every thought & every attempt to dispel them was futile.

After the meeting was adjourned and his Cabinet Members each had their concerns addressed & they were satisfied that the Emperor was informed about the country, was he allowed to leave. He the Emperor of a country of more than four hundred million people, being kept in a meeting like some child, but that was his fate as a ruling monarch rather than those figureheads that most of the world have. He was the single most powerful man in the country & when he finally managed to get a quality date, the affairs of the state attempted to intervene in his life. But he resolved that no matter what, this woman would receive his full attention as long as she wanted it. After all, he was less than a week away from giving up his search for love & marrying some noblewoman from a important family, for the sake of the Bloodline.

Entering his personal convoy of BMWs, the ordered his driver to ''step on it'', and to return to the Palace as quickly as possible. The Driver having been trained in all manner of techniques & skills as a member of the Valyrian Secret Service, was able to arrive back at the palace in less than twenty minutes, where Napoleon Practically jumped out of the car & ran down the hallways, heading for his own chambers to get dressed.

His tailors had picked out a very simple White & Baby Blue Tuxedo, which Napoleon Rejected as he hated the color blue & he instead wore a very simple but elegant Black Suit with a Dark shirt & White Tie, with his sidearm comfortably tucked into its waist holster. He marched out of his Dressing room & Straight to the Imperial Apartment that had been arranged for his fair lady.

He stopped just short of the door, remembering that while his passions were strong, he wasn't sure if she felt the same way about him. He resolved that he would test her feelings tonight at dinner. It was going to be a extremely private affair, he had cleared the entire dining hall for the night & cordoned off an entire section of the Palace just for her enjoyment & he hoped she would let her guard down, like he had. In the course of a few hours, he had become feel into a deep infatuation with her or maybe it was something deeper. He was sure it wasn't lust, while he craved to feel her, it wasn't the only thing on his mind & simply being in her presence was enough to satisfy him but he was sure that this phase wouldn't last very long so he promised himself that he would enjoy it. He was well known for not being the best sport when denied his desires. He knocked on the door to her apartment and said ''Madame, il est Napoléon''.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxAs Guinevere applied the finishing touches to her vibrant, red lipstick, she heard a knocking at the door followed by the sweet sound of Napoleon's voice. "Un moment, s'il vous plait!" she called, pressing her lips together to make sure the red was evenly coated. She smiled at her reflection into the vanity, her brown eyes darting over her teeth to make sure that no lipstick was on them. Before she moved, however, she ran over her face one last time. Her eyes looked smokey, and she felt as if it added to an aura of mystery and power she wanted to project, while the small amount of pink blush on her cheeks gave her a more girlish appeal. Glitter was an essential element of fashion in her homeland, and with every small movement a heavenly glow seemed to emit from the Grand Duchess.
xxxGuinevere stood, brushing off her dress and spraying herself with Hot Couture by Givenchy, her personal favorite scent because she was able to feel sophisticated but also not like her mother. She was accessorizing simply, merely wearing a chain of pearls that her dear friend Edwina had given her on her birthday the year prior. Now, Edwina was one of Guinevere's oldest and closest friends, however, Guinevere was the first to admit that Edwina was not the brightest crayon in the box. At her party, Edwina had begun explaining the fascinating process of pearl production. She'd explained that one took some coal, put it in a 'machine-thingy', then you have all the lovely pearls you could ever hope for! Everyone had smiled and nodded, as everyone thought Edwina to be blissful in her ignorance. Before she could walk to the door, Guinevere looked at herself one more time in the mirror. She scanned herself up and down before deciding she was satisfied.
xxxGuinevere's red high heels made a clacking sound as she walked across the room and over to door. She opened it and grinned at Napoleon, who looked very fierce in his suit. "You always look so handsome." Guinevere said, her brown eyes gazing into his own eyes, a small sparkle of dreaminess glimmer within them. Of course, she knew she probably sounded like an idiot. She'd seen him in all of two outfits, but still. He had always looked very attractive. He was kind and polite and able to find humor in anything. The fact that something was obviously bothering him, something that hid very well and very deep within him danced in the back of her mind, but Guinevere ignored it. That could be addressed later, for now they were going to have a wonderful, carefree night together.
xxxThe Grand Duchess offered her hand to Napoleon and allowed him to lead her wherever he pleased. He could have walked to Antarctica and she would have followed, because his presence made her feel warm and made her feel like she was gliding along. After a few moments of silence, Guinevere asked, "Do you prefer English or French?" She wanted to make him happy, and she wanted to know even this trivial fact about him. She wanted to absorb as much information about him as she could, wanted to be a sponge. But in a totally non-creepy way.

[First Valerian Empire]

Napoleon’s eyes darted over her body, soaking up her beauty as if it were the nectar of the gods. He loved everything about her sense of fashion, it’s simplicity, the way that despite the options available to her she still chose the more practical of dresses, but the one thing that spoke volumes about her personality was her choice to were dresses in the first place. There were women in the Western Provinces of Valyria that chose to forsake dresses, to express their newfound independence, but he found such women distasteful. But It wasn't just her physical appearance that he found attractive, it was something that he couldn't pinpoint, it was if she was the sun & he was the earth, and all he could do was revolve around her & hope to receive some of her sunlight.

He took her well manicured hand into his own, and led her down the well-lit & wide corridors of the Imperial Palace. There was no need for them to head outdoors as they were going to ‘’stay indoors’’ tonight. He wanted to do something grand & Romantic hoping to impress her enough that she would let down her guard years of nobility & beauty had made. It was nothing for him to cordon off a entire wing of the Imperial Palace, and close the Kitchens for the Evening. The waiters & waitresses would cater to them only tonight, which would make the evening all the more special & private.

Her question surprised him slightly; he had not even noticed that he was switching in between English & French. It was a nasty habit that was a byproduct of being born in France & educated in England. ‘’It does not matter to me, which ever you are most comfortable with.’’ He said, hoping that he had not caused her any displeasure. It truly was an honest mistake & he intended to correct it. He quickened his past in nervousness, hoping that by springing his surprise early, he could cut out the awkwardness that he felt whenever he was in semi-confined spaces with her.

They arrived at the Main Dining area rather quickly as a result anxiety. His friend, Butler, Bodyguard & personal Aide, Pierre greeted them. ‘’Votre table est prête, mon empereur’’, he said. Giving Napoleon a very stern look, it appeared to be one of caution & proud. Despite Napoleon being the man’s elder by more than fours, Pierre was his closest companion & advisor, being more of a influence on his behavior & decisions than his councilors, cabinet members or even his own personal friends could ever hope to be. It was a product of living, fighting & nearly dying together. It was often said by Pierre that nothing brings to unlike people together like war.

Pierre gestured for them to follow, which Napoleon did, leading Guinevere by the hand gently. As they entered the Main Hall, he squeezed her hand ever so slightly, it was a light squeeze and he hoped that she had not felt it, but it was unlikely as his hands while smooth, were anything but small. The main hall was deserted of all furnishings or other patrons with the exception of a small table in the center of the room & four white clad individuals standing around it. As they approached Napoleon glanced at Guinevere, hoping that she was impressed or at least had her standards met. Compared to her nation, Valyria wasn’t exactly the largest nation, & while this was a strictly private matter, Napoleon felt as if he had to out due whatever lovers had come before him, if that was the appropriate word to describe their relationship.

The four Individuals bowed deeply as the couple stopped at the table. The man on the left spoke first, he was a large portly looking man, with a large beard & the same piercing eyes that seemed common to all Valyrians.’’ I am Edward Stark, & I will be your chef for this evening. I am at your personal service, & your wish is my command. These individuals will be my assistants.’’ He said, gesturing towards his companions. Napoleon thanked him rather quietly; He hadn’t been expecting the staff to make a introduction. There was voice in his head that said, they had done so to gather information on the woman that had recently occupied the time & thoughts of the Emperor, it was well-known among the Palace goers that the Staff were the most notorious gossipers. The group bowed once again, and made their leave. Napoleon released Guinevere’s hand & pulled out her chair for her so she could sit down before taking his own seat & smiling brightly at her.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxNapoleon took her hand and the two began walking down a very large and very beautiful hallway. As they walked, the only noise the sound of her heels clacking along, Guinevere took a moment to allow her eyes to drift over and gaze upon her... date? She did not know exactly what he was. She liked to consider him a date, however, she knew that there was a strong possibility that Napoleon was merely a guide and that this trip throughout his country was actually totally platonic. This had not been the case in the past (she recalled being called away to many different countries at many different times in her life for similar "trips". She recalled hosting many, too. She was sure that Napoleon had done the same. It was something single monarchs were force into doing - they had no choice in the matter. Guinevere's last trip had been to a far away nation of rolling green hills. She recalled the large number of goats of the country, as well as the smell of the old man who hoped to court her. He had smelt like cheese left out in the sun. It had not worked out.) but she knew that Napoleon was not like other rulers. He was an individual, completely himself, and for that she was appreciative.
xxxShe had been lost in thought, and had almost missed his answer to her question. It was a very wishy-washy answer, and half of her appreciated it. It was polite of him to leave it up to her, to consider her own feelings in the matter. However, Guinevere really wanted to be immersed in his own country, she was unsure which language was more common. Additionally, all she wanted was for him to be comfortable and happy in her presence. She decided that it would, therefore, be best to reply with a small smile and not decide, she would simply speak in whatever language he spoke to her or whatever language she felt like speaking.
xxxGuinevere and Napoleon were led into a Main Hall by the man who had escorted her to her room... his name escaped her. It started with a P and was a very French name... it must have been Pierre. As they entered, Guinevere felt a squeeze on her hand. She thought about it for a moment, but dismissed it. It must of been a twitch or accidental movement if it was real. She had probably been imagining things. The Grand Duchess, at first, found it strange that the Main Hall was bare, stripped of all of its furnishings. It was completely unexpected, usually her suitors had something extremely outlandish planned for her. (Her favorite had been a group of elephants that had performed tricks. She remembered she had been allowed to ride one and she had adored the experience.) However, as her eyes drifted down, they landed on a small table for two in the center of the hall.
xxxGuinevere could not stop her heart from melting at the sight. She could not stop the corners of her her mouth from curling up into a smile that radiated warmth, she could not stop her eyes from sparkling as she watched the simple, white table. This was such a romantic and beautiful gesture on Napoleon's part. It was like a scene directly out of a movie and she loved it so very much. Never before had a suitor treated her so... so normal. They always treated her like a Grand Duchess, and forgot that she was a woman about to enter her thirties who just wanted a simple, romantic gesture of affection like this one.
xxxIt was at that moment that Guinevere decided that this was a date. She decided that this date was going splendidly, better than many of the other meetings she had been on.
xxxGuinevere and Napoleon walked towards the table. Four staff members, each in white coats, introduced themselves. Guinevere liked this, and she smiled at them. She had been hoping to talk to them before they had prepared food. As was the law of her country (as well as her own personal viewpoint), she was vegan, not eating any animal products. "I hope this isn't too much trouble," Guinevere said, her voice with a hint of warmth and politeness, "But I just want to make sure that you know I'm vegan."
xxxWhen the left, Napoleon pulled out her chair and she smiled warmly at him. "How kind." she said as she took her seat, running her hands quickly over her dress to smooth it out. When Napoleon was seated she smiled at him again, then, before stopping herself, apologize. "I'm sorry about being so fussy with the food," she said, "It's just very important to me not to eat animal products. It's tradition in the Isle of Kesha not to and against the law, actually, to eat animal products." She paused for a moment, "But I am totally comfortable with you eating animal stuff in front of me. I'm not that easily offended." She smiled at him, trying to conceal a blush by looking down. She wished she had some champagne or wine to drink.

[First Valerian Empire]

He sat down quickly & smoothly with the grace & ease of a seasoned celebrity. He was used to official & Unofficial visits from foreign leaders & diplomats but this one was different. There was a certain persona that he donned for each situation but didn't have a mask to hide behind this time. Yes,she was a foreign leader but this was a romantic dinner. He wasn't sure if he should be completely formal or should he disregard her rank & treat her as he would have treated any one else he intended to develop a relationship with.

He sipped on a glass of water,listening to her chat about her vegan practices.He didn't think it would cause much of a problem for the chefs,besides restricting her course options. The waiter had been instructed beforehand to return five or so minutes after the introductions to take the order, so as to allow Guinevere time to get comfortable & settle in.

He personally disliked vegans himself, but that was mainly in relation to the male adherents rather than his female ones. He felt that men should eat like men & vegans disrupted the Natural order of things.He leaned forward,bringing his upper body closer to the middle of the table so as to reduce the physical distance between them. It was a slight move but one that would be noticed.Why exactly did you choose such as restricting lifestyle? I could not imagine going more than a few weeks without eating something with a little bit more substance, he said gazing into her eyes intently.

Sorry it's not really a good post, I'm having a major case of writer's block right now.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxHe did not reply to any of Guinevere's ramblings. Guinevere did not know what to make of his silence, so she took a sip of her water. He was looking at her with what Guinevere first perceived as interest, but she could not tell if it was feigned or not. Who really wanted her to explain why she was vegan? It was silly of her to keep talking. She wondered if she had offended him. She knew nothing of Valyerian food - perhaps it mostly consisted of meat. Then it would look like Guinevere was insulting the culture of his entire nation. She gave Napoleon a small, pleasant smile and took another drink from her glass of water.
xxxThe next five minutes were sluggish. Guinevere did not know what she should bring up for discussion. She sat there thinking of talking points, but none of them seemed like they would hold a deep discussion. Guinevere was unsure of what to do with her hands, and resigned to keep them in her lap. Gradually, Guinevere finished her water. Instead of looking at Napoleon, Guinevere's eyes wandered, taking in the stupendous architecture of the palace.
xxxWhen the waiter came to their table, Guinevere smiled at him. "I will start with a salad, please. And could you please bring out more water? Thank you." she looked away from the waiter and right as he was about to take Napoleon's order, Guinevere interrupted. "Could you also bring out your finest champagne, too?" she gave a small, embarrassed giggle before thanking the man again. The waiter was patient and nodded, then took Napoleon's order and left.
xxxGuinevere decided she would not allow silence to continue. "What do you do for fun?" she asked Napoleon, looking back to the male across from her. She was genuinely curious. Being monarchs, there was little time for fun due to busy schedules. Therefore, every moment spent having fun had to be precious. Plus, what a person did for fun allowed insight to a personality. If a person went out clubbing for fun, there were probably wild and crazy. If a person collected stamps for fun, they were probably a little on the boring side.

OOC: Sorry for the wait and the low quality.

[First Valerian Empire]

The Boredom was killing Napoleon. He had never been one to allow himself to be distracted and always kept himself busy in one way or another but sitting there in his chair across from the beautiful Guinevere and not saying anything left him feeling powerless. He didn't know if he should attempt to restart the conversation or move on to a new topic. It was compounded by the fact that she wasn't from Valyria and was ignorant to certain Valyrian customs and moors. He figured that he was simply allow her the opportunity to make the first move.

Waiting and waiting and waiting was beginning to kill him a little inside. He said a little prayer when the waiter came back to take their orders. He figured that he would have a traditional Valyrian dinner, consisting of a simple appetizer of Fruit & Bread and a main course consisting of a large steak lightly covered in spices & sauce, Diced potatoes, & corn, for desert he ordered a simple chocolate cake which happened to be a specialty of the chef. He figured that it was a simple meal and by only ordering a simple steak he hopefully wouldn't offend her detestable vegan sympathies.

If she had been a man seeking election in Valyria she would have been ran out of the country once it came to light that she was a vegan. It had long been a tradition of his people to include meet in everything. Since their beginning the Valyrians had been hunters rather than farmers and Valyrian Beef was known to be some of the best in the world. After obtaining his throne he had worked for more than seven months straight to convince the Japanese government to release a few hundred Wagyū cattle to Valyria so they would be able to produce their own ''Kobe Beef''. Officially it was one of his greatest successes as a diplomat but unofficially it had cost him over a billion dollars personally in bribes and other costs but once the deal was done one of his personal corporations were given the honor of purchasing over a hundred of the cows from the government, it had turned into quite the money maker by now.

Smiling confidently at Guinevere when she asked him of his hobbies, he couldn't help but chuckle slightly to himself. It was a common question and he had been surprised they had managed to avoid to topic this long, which he attributed to them not being together for a insane amount of time like common couples would be after the initial meeting.Thinking quickly, he figured that while his reserved approach had worked on other women, he suspected for this relationship to succeed he would have to be completely open and forthright and he could think of no better time to start than right here on the first official & unofficial date.

''I have a variety of hobbies that I kind of drift to from to time. I take great pride in my fencing and European Football(soccer) skills which are more physical passions but I also am a avid Chess player and have consistently placed in various tournaments in France and even won a small tourney we held among the Palace goers two years ago.Another small passion of mine is wine collection and tasting, I had a large storage facility at my personal estate in the mountains in the East of Valyria and it holds of two thousand bottles of wine.''' He said grinning to himself, he was obviously proud of himself and his various talents and he hoped that they might share at least one interest.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxGuinevere noticed offhandedly that Napoleon would be eating a steak and could not help but wonder if he would enjoy the Isle of Kesha. There was no meat there at all, it was illegal to consume animal products within the isle's borders. Most Keshans, in fact, considered it immoral to consume animal products. Guinevere understood the view of her country was radical and did not expect other countries to do the same. She had grown used to watching people consume animal products in front of her and it no longer bothered her. But she was concerned about Napoleon. He did not look like the type that would be satisfied by tofu.
xxxGuinevere pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind, reminding herself that it was not guaranteed he would ever visit her home country. After she asked him about his hobbies, she wondered why she had. Although she did want to hear his answers, she felt stupid and silly for asking. It was an awkward question, a question that screamed she had no other things to talk about. It made her seem like she was not intelligent enough to start and maintain a deep conversation, funny enough to make him laugh, or daring enough to flirt with him. The question was generic and made her feel like a stupid character from a stupid movie.
xxxPretending not to notice her feelings of stupidity, she listened to his answers with great interest. Guinevere found herself listing off his answers in her head: Football, chess, wine tasting, wine collecting. The answers pleased her.
xxxGuinevere was reminded of her teenage years. She had spent most of them in a prestigious boarding school in the Isle of Kesha. The school had been filled mostly with the children of lords and ladies, however, there had been some commoners there. It had been the most fashionable place to send your children to school. Guinevere had been on the tennis team and the co-captain of the soccer team and she'd been the captain of the synchronized swimming team.
xxxChess was something a little more foreign to Guinevere. She had played chess countless times and she had enjoyed it, but she'd never been particularly good at it. Her whole chess experiment had started when her mother had gotten it in her head that it would be a good idea for her daughter to learn chess - as chess was a very strategic game that would help Guinevere when she started running the country. Once she learned the rules she'd been able to win a few matches here or there, but then she'd gotten bored and she started losing on purpose so her mother would let her go do something else.
xxxIt had worked.
xxxGod, wine. It was absurd how much the idea of him collecting and tasting valuable wine was to her. There was no legal drinking age in the Isle of Kesha - it was up to the parents to decide when their child should be allowed to drink alcohol. Guinevere's mother had decided that her daughter should start early and from a young age Guinevere was a connoisseur when it came to fine wine and champagnes and basically any alcoholic beverage. Guinevere enjoyed wine tastings as much as, if not more than, the next person, but she often had a habit of swallowing the wine where others did not. And when Guinevere was nervous, she had a habit of drinking too much, be it water or wine.
xxx"I enjoy sports, too. I played tennis, football, and, this is kind of embarrassing, but I was on the synchronized swimming team. Captain, actually. Synchronized swimming is the most popular sport in the Isle of Kesha, followed closely by rhythmic gymnastics. I haven't played since high school, but I do run whenever I get the chance," Guinevere said, her hands moving as she spoke, allowing Napoleon to see that she was nervous. She decided to lie about chess, "I haven't ever really played chess!" she allowed a small giggle to escape her lips here, "You should teach me!" here she reached across the table and took Napoleon's hand in hers, "Oh, it'll be so much fun! I warn you, though, I can be a bit dense. You'll have to have patience when you decide to teach me, it might take forever," she laughed again, removing her hand, before saying, "I love wine. A lot."
xxxGuinevere cleared her throat before she began on her own hobbies. "I like shopping. The shopping scene is very good in the Isle of Kesha, and I like taking full advantage of it. I also like shopping in the traditional shopping cities like Paris and Milan and even Oslo. Oslo has a nice shopping scene, surprisingly. And I love art. Painting is one of my favorites forms of art, but I also really like printing. I even love researching art, it was one of my majors, I think I told you. And one of my favorite things about art is collecting. My palace has a personal art gallery of all the works I love. If I love it, I buy it. Simple as that. And then I like reading and writing, particularly poetry. I have a little library in my palace. It's filled with copies and originals of the finest works of literature and poetry and such." Guinevere gave a nervous giggle and stopped talking. She hoped he would pardon her for talking way too much.

Sorry for the wait! And I just want to make it clear that by football I mean soccer.

[First Valerian Empire]

Napoleon anxiously awaited the appetizer to arrive. In Valyria, dinner was the most important meal and it was custom to have a light breakfast and lunch in preparation for a big dinner. However, the affairs of the state had caused him to miss both Breakfast and lunch today and the only snack he was able to squeeze in had been a nutrition bar Pierre had given him during the midday day break. So for lack of a better term, he was rather impoverished. He had little time to snack as he prepared for hisevening with Guinevere.

Thinking about how hungry he was caused him to drift back to the rather peculiar fact that she a vegan. Maybe it would be rather insensitive to eat steak directly in front of her, especially on the first date, as it was very important to him that he made a good first impression. His thoughts drifted to the future and the land of possibilities, and the possibility that this meeting worked out and they maybe began a relationship and maybe even were married. How would that work he asked himself, she was a vegan and he was flesh lover in more than one way. His mind continued to race form one subject to the other, all of his thoughts about or involving Guinevere.

He forced back into reality in the present when he realized that she was talking to him and was not paying attention, he had allowed himself to get lost in her beauty and daydreams of the future. She had apparently been talking about some of her own interests,something along the lines synchronized swimming and being the captain of the team.He personally did not know that swimming was a recognized sport but he would keep that bit of information to himself.As she continued speaking about her interests, he was slightly surprised to find out that she was a virgin of chess. He had thought it common practice for those being groomed for leadership to be taught to simplest strategy exercise but perhaps his own experience was unique.He would be delighted to give her aprivate lesson on the finer points of chess later on.

He was not surprised however, to find out that her homeland had something of a decent ''shopping scene''. He expected a country ran by a woman & rather pacifistic to have some type of diversion and shopping was one of the best. His luck didn't last & he was once against pleasantly surprised to find out that she was something of a art lover. When he assumed control over the country, he single handily restored and enlarged Valyria's rather modest art collection and it now rivals those of the actual renaissance nations themselves.

Speaking to Guinevere he said rather slyly, ''The Imperial Palace has a very modest Art collection, I wouldn't mind giving you a private viewing of it if you have the time.'' Formal dinners were one thing, and private,artistic areas were something entirely different in his mind. Once he had gotten to know her better he hoped to be able to speak frankly and honestly about his hopes and desires in relation to her visit.

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxGuinevere was very pleased when Napoleon invited her to a private tour of his palace's art gallery. She could not hold her tongue and stop herself from saying, "Oh, that would be divine!" Guinevere had noticed a particular slyness in Napoleon's voice, but she had ignored it, deciding it was relatively unimportant. She was growing more comfortable around Napoleon, as they had been chatting freely for a while and with each second the weight of her country and his country was lifted ever so slightly and Guinevere hoped that maybe, at some point, the two would forget about their respective countries and just act like normal people. The wine Guinevere had steadily been sipping on had undeniably helped, too. She was not drunk, not even close as all Keshans had a high alcohol tolerance, but alcohol had a way of loosening her up.
xxxThe servers entered just as Guinevere had finished her glass of wine. With them they carried Guinevere's and Napoleon's appetizers and with them the bottle of wine. They topped of Guinevere's glass and placed the two appetizers in front of their respective ruler. With a polite and almost ceremonious parting, they were gone and Guinevere reminded herself that she needed to eat like a lady. Eating like a lady had been instilled in her from a young age, as proper table manners and etiquette were instilled in all royals around the world. Guinevere sat up straight and unfolded her napkin, placing it delicately in her lap. She then reached for her salad fork and began stabbing (gently, of course) small amounts of salad onto her fork before gingerly bringing it to her mouth and chewing it daintily.
xxxGuinevere politely placed her fork back in its proper place and reached for her wine. She took a sip and then placed it back down. She gave Napoleon a small smile before saying, "I'm so excited to see your gallery." She genuinely was. Her studies of Valyerian art were limited, she had not delved deeply into the country's art during her time in college. So far, she had liked what she'd seen of Valyerian art and architecture. She assumed that Napoleon would have even finer works in his palace's gallery and was excited for the opportunity to expand her horizons.
xxxGuinevere took a quick bite of her salad before she decided to speak. "Do you paint at all?" she asked. She found it hard to picture Napoleon painting, but if he did it would certainly not hurt him in her book. But if he did not paint, he at least had respect for art. She hated men and women who did not appreciate art. She recalled one visit she had hosted in the past. The man had been from a far away country and was tall and muscular with dark skin and long, beautiful eyelashes. As she walked with him through the palace, he had asked her about a painting she had had painted. It was a beautiful portrait of herself by a local Keshan artist. It was very abstract and expressionist, and for that Guinevere adored it more than her other portraits. She had explained this to the man, and he had laughed in a condescending fashion at her. He told her that artists were silly and that that painting was not art.
xxxThe meeting had not gone well to say the least.
xxx"And who do you like?" she found herself asking, "Artistically, of course." She wanted to know about his tastes and his preferences. They might give her a small clue into his personality and she wanted to compare what he liked to her own likes. Even if the two disagreed about the world's best artist or painting or art movement, Guinevere knew that Napoleon liked art and therefore could not be that bad. And from what she had experienced so far, he was pretty awesome.

[First Valerian Empire]

Napoleon watched his date carefully. So far it was going relatively well at least in his book. He was never a fan of the opening stages of a relationship as it normally included awkwardness and embarrassing moments that he neither wanted to remember or create.Guinevere had been marvelous so far and was a excellent guest, she had said nothing inappropriate or obscene and was at least in his eyes a picture of feminine poise and class.

The servers returned, quickly and quietly delivering their load of food & refilling their glasses before scurrying off quickly like mice. They would be rewarded later for their professionalism but right now had to continue to focus on not messing this night up. He immediately went in to the appetizers, his stomach threatening to ruin the night with it's rather unpleasant noises, but he hesitated for a moment. He thought it better to watch how she tackled her food first, he had learned a long time ago that the way a woman eats will tell you more about her than she will tell you herself.

She didn't disappoint him either, she continued to impress him with her dignity & tact as she delicately sipped her wine and enjoyed her food. As he watched her, he couldn't help but to think that the way she slowly and carefully chewed and swallowed eat bite was slightly enticing, surely a lady sure as herself had had many intimate friends & was no virgin in the ways of men and their weaknesses. He couldn't help but think that she was toying with him but he slowly dismissed the thought from his mind as she accepted his rather sly invitation for a private art viewing & inquired about his own art tastes.

Pausing for a second to gather his thoughts, he replied confidently, ''I find myself oddly attracted to the work of Raphael. It's just something about his serene and harmonious style just strikes me as something I can relate too.''

[Isle of Kesha]

xxxGuinevere nodded as Napoleon spoke, her brain making easy connections. She had, of course, studied the three Italian Renaissance masters extensively. She recalled that Raphael had great bodies of works in the Vatican. Guinevere had liked studying the three Italian Renaissance masters. She recalled the vivid colors of Raphael's works, particularly the greens and reds in his portrait of Pope Julius II. Obviously, her favorite da Vinci piece was the Mona Lisa. Guinevere could close her eyes and picture the Mona Lisa before her, she could describe it in every detail. Besides the Mona Lisa, Guinevere liked other da Vinci work, too, but the Mona Lisa was just so famous and gorgeous. Michelangelo stuck out to Guinevere because of his sculptures, particularly of the famous David. David was gorgeous and beautiful and perfect. There was not a flaw within the sculpture.
xxx"I really like Raphael's works, too. The whole big three of that period are obviously spectacular. But my favorite artist is Käthe Kollwitz. She's by no means as famous as Raphael, da Vinci, or Michelangelo, but I think she's spectacular. She just manages to convey such powerful and vivid emotion through her pieces. Just a glance and you can feel every single feeling that she herself feels. She's just spectacular." Guinevere said, gazing steadily into Napoleon's eyes. She enjoyed talking about art a lot and was thrilled that Napoleon seemed well educated on the subject. It was not common one found someone who was able to maintain deep conversations about artists and such.
xxxGuinevere took one last fork-full of salad and ate it. She placed her salad fork in its rightful place and looked up at Napoleon, folding her hands in her lap. She found herself watching Napoleon again, and she hoped he would not notice. It really was remarkable how attractive he was. They did not make men with the rugged good-looks Napoleon possessed back in the Isle of Kesha. And to top it off, not only way Napoleon very pretty to look at, Guinevere was very much enjoying his company. Napoleon was very courteous and polite, but he was clearly not stuck within these barriers. She was sure that Napoleon was one who knew how to have fun. Additionally, Napoleon was intelligent had a flirtatious edge she liked.
xxxGuinevere looked away from Napoleon, not wanting to seem creepy. "So, Napoleon," Guinevere began, reaching for her wine. She took a small sip of it, "I know that this is a lot to ask, especially over dinner, but would you tell me a little about your country?" she laughed a little, knowing that she was asking a lot. But she had officially come to Valyria to learn about and experience the country, and she planned to do so.
xxxIn a thought that came quicker than a lightning strike, Guinevere wondered whether or not all Valyrian men looked like Napoleon or if he was just extraordinary. Guinevere blushed, embarrassed by her thought, and pretended she had never thought it.

[First Valerian Empire]

Talking about artists & paintings had revitalized his more intellectual side. Most of the women he treated to private outings cared little for such intellectual pursuits and preferred to spend his money or attempt to use his power and influence for their own or their father's personal gain. He had grown used to such attempts, it was common practice in a stabilizing nation where one man holds almost absolute real power even though in theory the proletariat hold most of the legislative power though in reality anything Napoleon wanted he got regardless of legality or popular opinion.

His feelings for Guinevere were growing deeper each minute he spent with her, she was like a drink that he couldn't get enough of. He had grown to distrust his feelings as they had led him astray a great many of times but he thought this time might be different. She was beautiful,intelligent and reserved, everything needed in a Empress and everything he desired in a potential wife with the exception more private traits that he hoped to explore later. Looking down her realized that he hadn't really touched the appetizers as he had become rather engrossed the conversation. He looked over to Pierre was standing on the far side of the room to Napoleon's two o'clock, and motioned quickly to have the main course brought out as he wished to dine now.

He looked over at Guinevere as she finished off her salad with respectfully. He wondered if she could get accustomed to eating meat. His father always said their family was born with a rifle in one hand, a steak in the other, a target on our backs & a pocket full of money. It was a odd saying but one true none the less. From what she had told him, she was actually born into her throne and while all countries have their troubles he was sure that he had a rather healthy serving of trouble compared to her modest tasting of domestic life. She spoke about her own interests in art and specific artists before shifting gears so skillfully that it caught him off guard, she asked him about his own country. It was a odd question but one that he supposed that he would have to answer but he would have her narrow it down so he didn't scare her away with the boring history facts & what not.'' Well that's a very broad question, I'm afraid that I don't think I can answer it and be truthfully at the same time, there are just so many faces to Valyria. Is there anything specific that you would like to know?'' He said, slyly extending his arms over the middle of the table, as if he was offering them for her to take.