Time Under Chaos | TimeUnderChaos / Road to Ramblin' Queen: Ingrey & Sorcha browse

Ingrey turned around at Petra's subtle motion. For those who could seen Ingrey's face, the dour, serious mien melted as his eyes gazed up and found Sorcha. His body softened, too, and he raised an arm as he walked the several steps to offer her his arm.

"Sorcha, Signora bella"

"Sarei felice affinchè lo accompagni stasera." Ingrey continued. "I have a small token, a gift for you, too. I think you can guess what it is."

Sorcha's smile was warm and welcoming even as she chided him gently. "You do spoil me so, Ingrey." She took his offered arm and stepped down to meet him. "Do you wish a match tonight? I have found the most fascinating book on the game."

Ingrey continued his smile. "Of course. An evening spent in your company here can hardly be considered a success without one."

Ingrey only then managed to again notice the Prime Minister and Vikund and Petra.

"I am not surprised, that, given her skills that, even without warning of his arrival, that Lady Rossi has Lord Mandor well managed." Ingrey said to the vision in purple. "I suppose we will have to stay near or with them for a little while longer, perhaps through a meal, before Mandor will be distracted enough not to notice me nearby."

"And then." Ingrey smiled to Sorcha and let his fingers of his free hand briefly stroke the back of her neck. "I am entirely at your disposal."

He felt her shiver delightfully under his hand and she looked up at him through her dark lashes. "Then I shall come up with something worthy of your time and attentions. I did not expect to see you again so soon, but I am glad you are here. Vincenzo is the only one that plays chess with me."

Sorcha leaned in and whispered in his ear. "And I think he cheats." He could hear the smile in her voice and saw it when she drew back. "You are also much more appealing to sit across the board from."

"The Prime Minister's interest in visiting the Rambling Queen is the reason why I am here so precipitiously." Ingrey replied. "I feared that one of your other suitors would have claimed your services for the evening and I would have been left with a, to my eyes, lesser alternative. I am very glad that you are available."

He lowered his voice and continued his words in a low whisper, his breath rolling across the ear he whispered in.

"You're much more appealing of an opponent to play with than he is as far as I am concerned. In all senses."

One of the younger members of the staff approached at that moment. "Ambassador," he said with a slight bow. "Shall I put your cloak away for you?"

Ingrey nodded and took off his over-jacket and cloak and handed it to the young man, nodding as he recognized him. "Thank you, Zanipolo."

He then turned back to Sorcha and smiled again. "Shall we? Although as one might reasonably expect, the Proprietress already has the Prime Minister well in hand."

She turned back from watching Petra accept Mandor's invitation and smiled. "Of course. Would you care for dinner? It is certain to be an excellent meal and you can tell me more of your homeland."

Ingrey gave a nod to Petra and Mandor, gave a curious look at Vikund, and then turned back to his companion.

"I had thought that endless words about the Courts would have bored you to tears, my dear" Ingrey said. "However, it is perhaps time that we learned a little more about each other, and I would be happy to talk of House Wererathe and the Courts over dinner.

"We'll need to fortify ourselves, after all." Ingrey added with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, no," she hurried to assure him most earnestly. "How can you think it boring for me? It is something new and exotic. As I will likely never see it in person, I love to hear your descriptions and stories."

Ingrey favored her reassurance with a small smile.

"But, some now. Let us go to dinner." Sorcha smiled coyly and hugged his arm while skillfully maneuvering him the rest of the way down the stairs and past his former companions. "As you say, to fortify ourselves for the evening ahead."

Ingrey gave a nod to Mandor, already well in hand, and the bereft Vikund, before walking alongside her to the sumptuous dining room. He nearly beamed with pleasure at having the lovely lady on his arm.

"The seafood will be good tonight, of course, no doubt." Ingrey said. "It always is. But you wanted to know more about me and Chaos. Where should I begin?"

The dining room was both luxurious and elegant. Tables scattered about where never any larger than to seat a group of four, and most were for two. Candlelight illuminated the room from crystal globes tucked into flower arrangements at each table.

Ingrey's eyes scanned over the choices, and led Sorcha to one of the tables for two, toward the periphery of the cluster of tables. He walked to hold the chair for her to allow her to be seated before seating himself.

"Oh, anywhere," she said happily. "It is all so fascinating." Sorcha paused as they arrived at their table for two tucked away in a privacy nook. "Oh, I know. Do you have folktales in Chaos? I have never asked, which seems odd, as they are a hobby of mine." She smiled. "But then I have been distracted."

Ingrey looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Folktales. Oh! Legends and the like, you mean!" Ingrey nodded enthusiastically. "Many of the historical narratives of events that happened long ago in Chaos have become folktales, I suppose, becoming more myth and story than actual fact."

"This is true for every culture, I find," Sorcha nodded.

Ingrey had a thoughtful look at he looked into Sorcha's eyes. "I suppose if you wanted to hear one for your collection, I could tell you the story of the very first Wererathe. I prefer the embellished folktale to the dry history anyway."

"That would be new and wonderful," she smiled at him before lifting her eyes at the approach of Melanie, the room's hostess for the night.

"Good evening, Ambassador," the delicate blonde said softly. "Have you decided or would you like drinks while you do?"

"Good evening, Melanie." Ingrey bobbed his head respectfully. "I think drinks for the moment, I was about to add to Sorcha's collection of folktales and haven't actually settled on a dinner choice."

Ingrey lowered his voice slightly and focused on Melanie, favoring a mien of quietly seeking a confidence.

"Unless, of course, you could confide in us what Sergio is having the most success with this evening in the kitchens. I should think, given his culinary expertise and love of his craft, that such a dish would override anything so simple as ordinary proclivities on my part."

"Do you not agree?" Ingrey cocked his head in Sorcha's direction.

"You will be hard pressed to find any one thing being done better than another in that kitchen," Sorcha replied with a small shrug. "It all smelled wonderful this afternoon when they were starting."

Melanie was thoughtfully silent for a moment. "The menu leans heavily towards Cornaro this evening, though, as you know, you may order anythiing that takes your fancy that is not on the night's menu. The seafood is always excellent. Penne with Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce smells divine this evening. But so does the Veal Scaloppine with Spinach and Mushrooms, and the rack of lamb menu looked very inviting.

She turned her gaze back to Ingrey and smiled. "It is impossible for me to narrow it down further."

"Seafood. Cornaro." Ingrey seemed to be calculating his choices, as if playing on a chessboard, or wrangling a compromise in a negotiation.

He finally considered but his eyes and mien showed amusement at an array of options.

"All right, then. I will have the Shrimp Fra Diavolo with the Penne." Ingrey finally agreed. He looked to Sorcha. "If you are going to also have seafood, my dear, we'll get a full bottle of white, something from Bologna, otherwise just a glass of it for me."

Sorcha tapped her nail against her chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I believe I shall have the lamb, and we will trust Sergio to surprise us with his choices for the rest of the menu. I would like a Blended Vodka Daiquiri with Lime and Mint to drink before dinner.

Sorcha looked to Ingrey and smiled wryly. "Fresh seafood on demand has surprisingly started to lose its appeal for me."

Ingrey grinned and nodded.

Melanie smiled and also turned to face the Ambassador. "Will there be anything else?"

"I like Sorcha's ideas about Sergio surprising us with filling out the rest of the menu, and so I concur with her thoughts on the matter. I believe that will all suit us delightfully, Melanie. Thank you."

Ingrey politely waited for Melanie to withdraw and then returned to focusing his attentions decisively on Sorcha.

"In the Courts, Melanie's ability at memorization would have marked her for Mentat training at a young age." Ingrey remarked casually. His left hand fell beneath the table and found its comfortable, familiar perch on her right thigh.

Sorcha nodded agreably. "And in Cornaro she would have been snatched up by the Accademia di Magia, or recruited as a spy for the militare. But, alas, she is not from Cornaro and finds herself instead in a very well paying job on the Ramblin' Queen."

"Fortunate from the Proprietress' point of view, the Queen's, and ours." Ingrey nodded in agreement.

[Ingrey] "Now, though, where was I?"

Her leg shifted under his hand as she leaned in attentively. "Seduction through mythology, if I recall," she replied with an ernestness that was both serious and teasing at the same time.

"Mutual mythological seduction, I should think." Ingrey said. He allowed himself the pleasure of briefly closing his eyes, and focusing on Sorcha's breathing, and her scent, before opening them again.

Time enough for that, later, Ingrey thought, especially with the build up of anticipation.

"Yes. House Wererathe. Once upon a time, there were born a trio of sisters, Araneidae, Agriope, and Synema. All with hair dark as mine and fair of face."

His fingers on his resting hand slowly flexed and moved against the skin and fabric, his palm remaining still as he continued to speak and devote his aural and optical attentions on Sorcha.

"They were all the scions of a House of Chaos now long lost. They were triplets, born together in a creche." Ingrey continued. "Their prodigious family, already large, now counted too many for their parents to support, and so the father was set on keeping one and leaving the others to fend for themselves."

"The sisters, however, despite their youth, would not be separated, and they fled their home and hearth together, to find their own way in the world, and build for themselves a place of power, a House of their own."

Sorcha listened attentively and even Melanie returning with their drinks did not take her attention from him. She was his entranced audience and nothing seemed more important then listening to him spin his tale. When he paused, she observed; "Have you noticed how so many stories of the creation of something involve unpleasant family members?"

Ingrey nodded, smiled into her eyes and continued to focus on her, his eyes and hearing on her face, his hand underneath the table finding a slit in that purple skirt. Ingrey casually slipped his fingers through the slit so that they could stroke and touch bare skin instead of silk. For the time being, he kept his fingers well away from her pelvis, but his fingers never stopped their brush strokes even so.

She frowned slightly. "But weren't they terribly young? How did they get by, overcome their obstacles?"

"I've told you that the symbol of my House is a Bell, I'm sure." Ingrey said. "It's part of my own crest, for one thing. Well, as it turns out, the myth goes that the three sisters, although young, found a Bell, in what we call a Lost Ways...an old, abandoned, ruined piece of Chaosian architecture. In a folktale like fashion, the three sisters took up residence. They say the arcane properties of the Bell was the original source of the Wererathe ability at Shadowmastery...at Chaosian construction."

"The three sisters begged, borrowed and stuck together as they grew in maturity, living together in the Lost Ways and surviving a hand to mouth existence. Once adults, though, they began to apply their new skills and founded a new House. To this day, there is a demand for Wererathe crafting of Ways. Their ultimate triumph, it is said, came when their father came begging to ask for their skills, not knowing it was his own daughters who had set up the new minor House of Wererathe."

Sorcha's eyes gleamed with the sisters' victory, and possibly other reasons. "And did they? Help him?" She paused to sip her drink. "Was he shown the error of his ways, much to his horror and regret, or did they let it go?"

Ingrey took a sip of the wine, and nodded.

"He was shocked to discover them so successful, much less alive. High were the fees that they charged for their work, but their father gave them one last gift, though he did not intend it to be so.

"Upon finishing the work and paying the high price for it which nearly bankrupted him, the father exclaimed. 'You three are as cruel as spiders!'

"Araneidae, Agriope, and Synema decided henceforth that spiders would be the patron form of their new House." Ingrey explained. "Also, there are, to this day, somewhat more female Wererathe than males, and there is a rumour amongst other Houses that Wererathe females sometimes devour the males after mating, in the fashion of spiders. It is said that their father began this rumour."

Ingrey smiled as his fingers continued their play.

"A false one, I assure you."

Sorcha had been looking a bit pale at the ending of the story. "I should certainly hope so," said in a slightly strained voice. "That seems a bit ... extreme."

She took another moment to drink. "Do all the Houses have founding stories that have passed into legend like yours?"

"They all do." Ingrey said, relaxing his hand's motions once he realized that the ending to his story was somewhat unnerving to Sorcha. "I admit that I am far less familiar with those and what they entail, especially since a couple of the eldest Houses, like Hendrake, actually predate the Courts as an active entity. But I am sure that all of them have been half-mythologized by now. Why, the story of Emperor Primus is another tale I will have to share sometime with you."

Ingrey took another sip of his wine before continuing.

"Its been told to me, Sorcha, that your library, in your quarters, is nearly as large as the public one here." Ingrey continued, putting a face of respect. "I will have to make sure that, the next time I visit back to the Courts, to pick up a copy of the tale of Araneidae, Agriope, and Synema's founding of Wererathe.

"Like much Court Literature, it's not commonly found in translated editions. Allegra might have to read it to you. But I think it belongs in your collection irregardless, don't you think?" Ingrey changed his mien to a smile.

Sorcha's eyes had lit up with excitement at the idea of a completely new tome. It was a brand of excitement he hadn't seen in her previously, "Would you really?" she asked breathlessly. "Oh, thank you, Ingrey! That would be - that would be *wonderful*!" She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Oh, Allegra will be so excited," she added with a flutter of her hands. "She'll want to thank you too, I'm sure."

"I'm certain." Ingrey agreed.

The excitement of Sorcha was contagious. Ingrey bowed his head slightly in respect and smiled. "I am certain that you will both be pleased. I will make certain to obtain a copy." Ingrey put a finger under his chin in thought. "Perhaps two, to keep her from borrowing your copy overmuch. And, Allegra doesn't yet have a regular client, does she? She deserves a copy of her own."

Ingrey smiled. "I was going to wait until later, but the talk of gifts, and since our food has not yet arrived..."

He pulled out the small velvet lined box that he had been carrying since the Embassy and presented it to her. When Sorcha opened it, she discovered it was indeed another chess piece for her slowly growing collection. This one was a Black Rook, done in Onyx, with a single jewel, a dark red garnet, mounted in the well made by the crenelations.

"Does my Favorite find favor with the gift?" Ingrey asked, with a sudden slight tone of nervousness.

Sorcha had opened it carefully, a smile playing across her lips. She ran a finger down the curve of the small tower before taking it out of the box and holding it out into the soft glow of the table's light. The candlelight caught and danced over the surface of the garnet.

Ingrey watched with care as the chess piece was revealed.

She turned her now brighter smile to Ingrey and kissed him again. "It's perfect."

Ingrey beamed again. "That makes 14 pieces, does it not?" Ingrey said with a smile. His eyes watched delightfully as Sorcha held the piece was held under the table's light.

"I'm glad you like them so. I shall have to, once you have all thirty two, find you a board worthy to place them upon," Ingrey added.

"You are very sweet, and I am looking forward to being able to play with this set," Sorcha replied. She placed the piece back into its case and set it out of the way as their food arrived. "But do you think you will be able to find a worthy board?"

Ingrey gave a glance over the food, and then back and up at Sorcha. He nodded in a look of long considered thoughfulness as his fork slowly moved through the pasta with the intent of impaling one of the shrimp for his culinary desire.

"A very fair question." Ingrey finally said. "And one I began thinking of after, oh, I think it was the third or fourth piece I gave you. I already cast my mind to the possibility that you would enjoy my attentions enough, and vice versa, to be able to complete the entire set." Ingrey admitted.

"It may be that I will have to trade a favor or two with one of my kinsmen extraordinarily skilled in the Logrus, rather than trying to find a board by mundane means." Ingrey said. "That, or find an artisan who can bring the vision in my mind's eye to life, without bankrupting a poor civil servant in the process."

"Well, we shall worry about that when the time comes," she offered with a reassuring smile. She picked up her fork and knife and proceeded her meal.

"How have things been with you since I saw you last, Ingrey?"

Ingrey answered between bites, relaxing and feeling comfortable in his skin, as evidenced by his unforced words and his pleasant demeanor.

"Things have been well." Ingrey launched into as interestingly put account of recent events at the Embassy and in his personal life as he could, for Sorcha's benefit, sprinkling his narrative with anecdotes about his compatriots.

And Sorcha seemed to hang on his every word. She laughed when appropriate, made small noises of understanding at the correct places in his narrative. She had the uncanny ability of making it seem like there was nothing else in the world but herself, Ingrey and their little corner. Small touches while he talked furthered the illusion, light touches of her hands to his arm, his hand, his leg next to hers. It was one of her strengths, her ability to listen and shut out the rest of the world so it seemed nothing else was ever as important as the conversation they were holding.

"Actually, I have been away for most of it," she responded lightly. "Petra makes sure we all get regular time away, as you know, and it was my turn. Aura's and mine, actually."

Ingrey nodded in agreement, his eyes and ears for Sorcha alone.

"We spent some time at Aura's home and the rest in Cornaro. It was a fascinating trip, even if Aura's madness for shopping far exceeds my own."

She looked to him from under her lashes. "I learned some interesting things in Atlantis."

Ingrey gave an unscripted and unforced shudder, but of something far removed from fear. His eyes brightly focused upon Sorcha as he responded. Sorcha's familiarity with him likely allowed her to see the delight and lust in his eyes.

"I have not ever managed to convince her Excellency of the usefulness of a diplomatic mission to Atlantis." Ingrey admitted, his voice soft. "I do not suppose you are unaware of the fact that, before my attentions focused with constancy upon you, that Aura was one of those few who accepted an assignation from me."

"I knew that," Sorcha admitted. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "That's how I knew what was the perfect surprise for tonight."

She sat back to sip her wine and gave him a smoldering look over the rim.

Ingrey had, in several decades in Amber rising through the ranks in the Embassy, dealt with God-Kings and supercilious officials alike. He usually had what a couple of the staff on the Queen had called a "Poker face", although Ingrey was only passingly familiar with the card game.

The look from Sorcha blew away that poker face. Ingrey closed his eyes and nodded and spoke in a low voice. "Then, even with all of the delights of the evening before then, I very much look forward to when your surprise is unveiled. I have never been disappointed in your surprises before now."

He opened his eyes again, regarded that smoldering look that Sorcha gave him, and responded with a look of lust of his own.

Her whispered promise was delivered with a smile. "And you won't be this time.".

But then their raising of the local ambient temperature was interrupted by the arrival of their desserts, delivered by one of Sergio's waiters. They hadn't seen Melanie again, but they likely wouldn't have noticed anyway and everything had been delivered perfectly as it was.

Ingrey blinked slightly as the mutual seduction was interrupted, if only briefly, by the arrival of the waiter with their desserts. Ingrey gave a nod to the waiter as the dish of Zuppa del duca, sometimes known as Tiramisu, was placed before him.

"This, now." Ingrey said, taking a finger and running along the top of the glass the Tiramisu was served in and taking a small portion of it on his index finger, "is something Cornaro can teach even Atlantis."

One of the nice things about the dining room of the Ramblin' Queen was that because of the placement of the tables, the arrangements of flowers and various design elements, alcoves of privacy were creasted at nearly every point in the room, no casual spying was possible. One had to actually look if they were looking. Petra's promise of intimate privacy that she made to her original investors still held firm. This night was no different. It was why Sorcha felt comfortable with their seduction at the table. She was ever conscious of Ingrey's status and the importance of his public perception. Even here.

But in the lazy privacy of their table, Sorcha's hand took his and raised his finger to her lips. Her gaze held his as she very carefully, very slowly, and very thoroughly licked the small amount of the chocolaty trifle away.

Ingrey had intended, at first, once he had taken the portion of the dessert onto his finger, to consume it himself, to somewhat chastely try the decadent dessert himself. Still, Ingrey far from resisted once Sorcha reached for his hand to capture his digit and sample the dessert straight from it.

Ingrey exhaled in pleasure and sighed as he watched, rapt.

"You're doing a very good job of seducing me, my little minx." Ingrey said softly. "Even more than you usually do."

She smiled and her thumb traced a path along his sensitive palm. "You work hard, Ingrey. You should play hard too."

Ingrey smiled at the subtle double entendre. Was it any wonder that, before he had laid eyes on Sorcha and made her his favorite, that his attentions had not only alighted on Queen's sensual Atlantean, but also the leggy but intelligent Ornella?

"Sometimes Her Excellency thinks I work TOO hard." Ingrey said wryly, but without malice toward himself or any other. "Learning to *play* hard is a lesson that has only slowly come into my portfolio of knowledge.

"With your tutelage being important in that, of course." Ingrey added.

"I take that job very seriously," she said solemnly, though the tone never effected the fire in her eyes. Without taking her eyes away from his, her free hand found the long handled dessert spoon. With acute awareness of her surroundings, still not taking her eyes from his, Sorcha scooped up and offered Ingrey the first actual bite of the dessert.

Ingrey's other hand ducked under the table again, back to the thigh, and through the slit that provided access to Sorcha's bare skin. His fingers resumed their strokes, in time with the strokes of Sorcha's thumb tracing along his palm. Ingrey exhaled, parted his lips, and looking into Sorcha's eyes, accepted the spoonful of dessert with half lidded eyes and a murmur of approval.

"I'll feed you the other half." he said, licking his lips clean.

"Actually," she smiled slowly. "I have a better idea..."

Sorcha leaned in and whispered a very detailed description of the idea in his ear. An idea that involved, them, creamy chocolate and a very sensual Atlantean. She nipped his earlobe before pulling back just slightly.

If anyone had come around and broken their privacy to intrude upon Ingrey and his Favorite, they would have seen his eyes widen, more than perceptibly as Sorcha leaned in to reveal her surprise and idea.

"The surprise may now be revealed." Ingrey said, giving a shiver as Sorcha pulled away after claiming the nip on his earlobe. "But that just allows me to prepare myself for it.

"I can only hope Lord Mandor will have a tenth of the pleasure tonight that you have arranged for me, little minx." Ingrey finished.

Sorcha's smile never waivered, but there was a very fleeting flicker of worry in her eyes that passed so fast it might have been the candlelight. Mandor was a topic Sorcha had never asked Ingrey about. They had all heard stories, of course. Rumors, mixed with speculation with the ocassional truths tossed in. Sorcha was sure that there was a cold blooded monster hidden under that smooth, condescending facade, and she wasn't ashamed to admit the Prime Minister frightened her.

Those thoughts were fleeting though as she held her smile. "I'm sure that Lord Mandor's enjoyment of the evening will depend on Lord Mandor. He's in good hands."

"He is at that." Ingrey agreed. "He's not really my superior, although I do have to cooperate and work with him. I think my boss was happy when I gained sufficient rank, prestige, and face time that she could send me to negotiate with Mandor, and she could, to quote Larissa Ericsdottir, 'not stir from Spire Hills'

"I've had much more practice and work experience with Lady Paloma of course." Ingrey continued to change the subject toward his true superior, as if he subconsciously knew there was a bit of unease at the topic of Mandor. To be truthful, the Prime Minister could and did unnerve everyone, Ingrey Wererathe included.

"She'd probably never come here, though, although I have suspicions of just where she finds...distraction." Ingrey said with a smile. "But, then, I could be wrong. If you think that I make a suitable diplomat." He preened slightly, and squeezed the hand that Sorcha still held in her own, "she was literally born to be one."

"Still." Ingrey leaned in and kept his voice low. "Sometimes I think a visit here would do Paloma a lot of good, even if she sniffed in disdain when she learned I formally established an account here."

"Stalmos, perhaps, could, ah, *negotiate* with her enough to let her hair down."

He let his breath wash over her ear before drawing back, and losing himself again in her gaze.

Sorcha laughed lightly with her thoughts now on more pleasant topics. "I am not sure I would call what Stalmos does negotiating by any definition. It is more of a stealth take over."

Ingrey chuckled. "It would be at that. Paloma might reclassify it later as a negotiation, to herself, though, to save face. Unless of course she admitted to her enjoyment of the experience to herself enough to want to do it again."

She carded a hand through his hair in an intimate gesture. "And your boss may be surprised at just who has an account here. Not many people do. Petra doesn't let on that's an option. She has to like you, and she's a bit ... fussy."

"As I have suspected." Ingrey agreed. "She didn't like the first time I met her and addressed her by her father's surname. I've learned not to make that mistake in front of her again." Ingrey said. "I mentally do think of her that way still. House tradition."

Sorcha smiled. "It's a lovely night. Why don't we take coffee on deck and watch the moonrise for a little while?"

Ingrey smiled, nodded, and placed the spoon back into the dessert, trusting that it would be taken care of by the staff, and suitable replacement found when necessary to make Sorcha's idea for later come alive.

Ingrey held up a finger for one of the waiters, and made the request in low tones, his eyes returning as quickly as they could back to Sorcha, illuminated by the light so softly. Once the cups of coffee came, to each of their tastes and preference without even specifying, Ingrey rose from the table, and bowed formally and respectfully to her before picking up his cup and saucer, and walked around the table and gently pulled her chair back to permit her easier egress.

He offered her his free arm to hook around to accompany her upstairs.

See Chadwick Plot Begins to Thicken thread.
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