Addison attends to the Tea Date with Flora. Alone. Unsupervised. He is rescued, beyond all belief, by Random.


Addison takes a step in to Flora's private sanctum as one of Flora's ladies answers the door. The look on his face is brave uncertainty, propped up entirely on the presence of his erstwhile Gentleman, Peabody.

Addison Feldane has been dressed by his Gentleman, Peabody, for tea with Royalty in the very finest of House Feldane. The suit is dove grey with crimson and proclaims the House Feldane arms over the breast. The tie is likewise crimson, setting off the creamy white of the shirt and grey of the silk. He is clean, shaved, and shining hair pulled back in a neat que at the base of his neck. Even the shoes shine in the lamplight. In short: he is presentable and can be plausibly show about in public.

Addison steps in to the room and bows with politeness and says, "Good Evening, Your Highness."

Peabody attends Addison, apparently to make certain that he does not spill tea and ruin his trousers.

A gorgeous tea has been laid out upon the coffee table of the seating area. Stacked plates hold small sandwiches and pastries, chocolate dipped fruit and savories. There is enough to feed at least eight from the spread.

Flora is gracing the corner of the couch, and upon hearing Addison's voice and this followed by his presence she does the uncustomary thing of rising and crossing towards him, one hand held out. "Ahh, Lord Addison. How lovely of you to join me for tea." Peabody receives the tiniest of frowns. "And how unfortunate of you to have brought your manservant."

Peabody clears his throat, almost subliminally.

Addison rises from his bow and takes Flora's hand. He lifts it to his lips and gives it sort of an air-kiss. He answers the query with, "Peabody attends tea marvelously. I felt you would be pleased he would attend to us? If you are not pleased, of course..."

Flora retrieves her hand and says, "He may keep Patrice and my other ladies entertained in my study. It is just down the hall and to the left, and well within screaming distance." A glance is cast that way. "They could use a man's influence."

Peabody takes a step back, and bows. "Very good, your Highness. Sir, please call if my services are required."

Addison gives Peabody a look that could come straight from the pages of PG Wodehouse. It is full of woe. It is a look so full of woe that never, perhaps, in history is there a look more full of woe. But it is swiftly gone and Addison says, "Absolutely, Peabody." Then he turns a beaming smile on the Princess and says, "The tea spread looks absolutely marvelous."

Soft waves of blonde curve against high cheekbones and dust shapely shoulders. Dark blue eyes gleam beneath luxurious lashes swooped with a cat's eye of kohl. Full lips have been painted a luscious shade of red. Graceful and attractive, her trim figure is skimmed by a knee-length Pucci dress with three-quarter sleeves. The blue, green, and grey geometric pattern draws attention to every curve; the V-neckline enhances without crossing into indecent. Tight fitting stiletto boots of black leather come to just below the knee.

Flora returns to and settles most gracefully into a corner of the couch. "Do join me, Addy," she says and pats the spot right next to her. Then those long legs cross at the knee to show off that top knee.

Addison may have never, ever, in any social setting, seen a woman dressed like Flora in his entire life who wasn't some screaming barbarian or some other uncivilized heathen. He is decidedly Victorian. He has decidedly Victorian mores. And for several long minutes, as the boots accentuate Flora's long legs and the knee flashes, he is absolutely rooted to the spot, the neurons firing but absolutely no one home. But then his brain wakes up and reminds him that this is not a social setting but a private setting. He gets his wits about him and joins Princess Flora in the spot where she pats, and asks as he sits, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Flora brushes fingers against him as she leans, and the dress leans, towards the teapot. "Do not trouble yourself, darling. I am fully capable of serving your needs." Two cups are poured out, more leaning as the pot is replaced, and more brushing when a plate is taken up. "Do help yourself to whatever you desire. I believe my ladies have anticipated anything a man might wish for."

Addison wonders briefly, if the ladies have anticipated his desire for an open window and a rope.

There is in fact a rope ladder near one of the windows for fire escaping.

Addison simply sits there for a moment, blushing furiously already, and dearly wishing he was suave, awesome Errol. Then he says, "Tea is fine, Highness. Milk and sugar, if you please?" He looks around on the table for milk and sugar.

Flora uncrosses those long legs and accidentally brushes one against Addy as the milk is brought forward for him, and then the sugar. "I'll let you doctor it to taste. I never know if a man prefers the sweet or the brisk taste upon his tongue."

Addison has enough presence of mind to actually mix his tea with milk and sugar, although he lets out a very very tiny 'eep' when Flora brushes against him. It's amazing mental fortitude. Or, more likely, it is mental auto pilot. But tea is mixed and a cup is lifted to his lips with a bit of a quiver of the hand and he says, "You wished to talk with me, Highness?"

Flora leans back then slides onto a hip in order to stretch an arm across the back of the small couch, and place her hand very near to Addison's hair tie. "I have decided to take an interest in you, Addy, and when I take an interest in a man I like to get to know him better." Smiling softly, she leans forward a touch. "I wish to know everything about you. Everything."

Addison looks a little hopeful at this line of discussion. He takes another sip of tea. "Well... well... well... well... there is rather little to know, Highness. I am mostly what you see sitting before you, I'm afraid. Do you want to know something in specific?"

Flora quietly undos Addison's ribbon. "Let us start with where you studied law and then we may move on to whether or not you are dating and oh, maybe discuss your duties as Royal Counsel, how you perceive them, and so on."

Addison's chestnut hair falls out of its queue and falls about his shoulders. He gets a distinctly disconcerted look, and reflexively sweeps the hair off his shoulders with an unconscious motion. "Well, er, okay. Er. I studied Law at the University of Begma. I completed my studies and defended my doctorate beneath the tutalage of Dr. Harold Stackpole. I was barred in Begma and was planning on entering politics. Er, I have had a date. I am not sure if that qualifies as dating. As for being Royal Counsel, er, well, um, Amber Law is a very odd thing. I am simply trying to help the Regent be the very best man for the Kingdom."

Flora's nails seek out that chestnut hair and begin to drift in and out with light motions. "I see," she murmurs, admiring his hair and then his eyes. "Do you know what I like about you, Addy? I like that you enjoy strong women, strong women who are not afraid of what society thinks. My daughters are strong women, but they behave themselves properly. Do you like well-behaved women, Addy?"

"I... I... I..." Addison is having trouble concentrating with Flora playing with his hair. Big brown eyes look at his tea, which gives him not an inch of solace. "I, well." Addison takes a sip of tea. "I like educated women. Women who understand science. Women who read. A woman who has read the classics but understands contemporary literature. I do not know if it has anything to do with society or strength. I... I... I... suppose that's the core of it, yes?"

Flora twist a length of his hair around a finger and then withdraws. "Both of my daughters love to read, and they do seem to enjoy the sciences." Keeping close to him, she begins to fix her own tea. "Have you seen my brother Random lately? He also seems to have taken an interest in you."

Addison is instantly on safer ground. Huzzah! RANDOM! The concept of /being saved by Random/ has never passed his mind. "Oh yes, of course, Highness," Addison says with a sip of tea. "I've seen Random. A couple of days ago in the coffee shop. He's a good bit. A little bit mad, but everyone about here is a little bit mad. A bit afraid that he has the worst plans imaginable, but that is forgivable in being a good chap."

Flora reclines once more, cup in hand and bosom too near to his arm. "Do you find me a little bit mad, Addy?" She looks up at him, blue eyes peering beneath lashes and lips forming a small pout.

"I, uh, er, well, Highness," Addison says, with another sip of tea and full of OH MY GOD awareness of Flora and the location of her bosom, "Truth is, I am beginning to wonder if everyone in the whole of the Kingdom has gone 'round the bend a bit or if it is just me."

Flora blows lightly upon her tea, almost forming a kiss, with eyes still upon him. She does not sip, rather, "What about us has you wondering such things?"

"It is just... you are just... well..." Addison stutters because his brain is firing FLEE FLEE FLEE messages to the rest of his body. "You all are... are absolutely nothing like home. I mean, I mean, not Feldane. The Dares. Begma."

Flora takes a sip of tea and mmms, eyes closing at the simple pleasure of such a thing. "Ah," she exhales, blue eyes reappering but lidded. "You find us uncomfortable to be around? How odd that so many of us have taken a liking to you, Lord Addison. Why, I believe I would need fight my own brothers to have you."

"Oh there is no need to fight," Addison's mouth says before his brain can stop the run of words. "I took a Royal Commission. I serve at the pleasure of the Royal Family. I am simply concerned with Station."

"Station and pleasure?" The teacup is set aside so Flora might give him her full attention. "Your station is quite secure, that much I know. Pleasure, on the other hand, is something that you will need to seek out on your own. That we can not and will not force upon you, however pleasant the thought."

"I... I... I..." Addison scoots back away from Flora. "That is not what I meant, Your Highness. I mean, er... I... Sorry, that is not what I meant."

Flora stares at Addison as if he's gone mad. Then her head tilts, some sort of knowing strikes up behind her eyes, and she giggles. It turns into a laugh and from there a full on body shaking moment of mirth.

Addison looks mortified. And relieved. Because this is okay. He sets his tea cup down. "I told you. Either the entire city has gone mad or I have, and I am leaning a bit toward the latter."

Rising and wiping tears from her eyes, Flora says around giggles, "I hope you smoke, Addison, because I certainly need one. Join me in a drag?"

A banging on the door, shave-and-a-haircut.

Addison starts to reach in to the inner secret pocket of his waistcoat for his pack of cigarettes and lucifers when the banging on the door has him nearly jumping out of his seat and halfway across the room. "Dear God!" he says and almost knocks over the teapot.

To the door, Flora calls out cheerfully, "Who is it?"

Outside, someone calls back, "It's Random." There's a smirk in his voice.

Flora searches for and finds a handkerchief. "His ears must have been burning."

To the door, Flora calls, "Come in, brother dear."

Addison looks somewhere between horrified and relieved. "Must have been."

Outside, someone opens the door, steps back, and swings it wide so everyone gets a nice view of the inside of the suite.

To the door, Flora calls, "Don't just stand there, darling; come in." Flora is standing not too far from the open door. She has a handkerchief in one hand and a cigarette in the other (unlit). Addison is safe and secure on the couch, his clothes unrumpled.

Addison is sitting on the couch, but he is a bit scandalously close to the Princess Florimel for his own private mores. He is patting around his waistcoat in a frantic search for his own cigarettes, which usually lurk in a pocket. A cup of tea sits forgotten on the table by his hand getting cold and sad.

Outside, someone chuckles, waves to the others, and walks into Flora's den of beauty and terror.

Random steps in, trailing cigarette ash.

Flora says when Random enters, "Give us a light will ya, duck?" Her cigarette is held at the ready for that very thing.

Addison has finally found his own pack of cigarettes. He shakes one out and slides the engraved metal case back in his waistcoat.

Random obliges with the fire-bringing. "Sister," he says, followed up with an enthusiastic, "Addison. You and your brother and I really need to talk soon. About that trip into shadow."

Flora says, "I told you we all like you, Addy," then exhales a tight stream of smoke.

Addison lights up on one of his own matches. He shakes it out and sets it carefully on the tea plate while taking a drag for oh dear god life. Breathe, drag, breathe, then, when his hands stop shaking, "The trip to Prince Benedict's shadow. Oh yes. Absolutely. Although I still like the less than cunning plan where you take Errol and the girls. But then I would have to live with the thought of the girls exposed to /your/ cunning plan and perhaps I should simply go myself. We should take Cyrus. You two can punch something and then light it on fire."

"We're investigating," Random informs Addison. His tone is lofty. "Looking for, uh, clues. About who Dara is and where she's gone. We're not going to get into any unnecessary fights."

Flora snorts.

"Oh, well, I should dig in to the histories, then," Addison says. "No doubt something is hiding in there somewhere. Some reference, some mention, something useful."

Random says doubtfully, "Probably not. It doesn't sound like anyone's heard of Dara before. You could try, I guess. Wouldn't expect anything, though."

"You never know," Addison says, "All sort of bizarre things are crammed all over the archives in this city."

Flora says, "Perhaps you can ask Benedict as he refuses to listen to any of us on the matter."

Random shrugs. "Yeah, we've talked. But you know Benedict. Anyway, listen, Flora, I don't suppose you know a son of Gerard's named Gromph?"

"Gromph?" Addison says. "He has a son named /Gromph/?"

Flora is positively baffled by the name. "Gromph? He named his son Gromph?"

Random barely suppresses a snicker. "That's what one of the thanes of Kitezh told me, anyway. Hoped you would know him. Guess not, though. You don't, do you?"

"I don't know anyone named Gromph," Addison says, "But I see I must aim to change that as soon as possible."

Flora says, "Nor do I and if I did I would suggest the young man use his middle name."

"No way," Addison says. "If I was named Gromph I would introduce myself to /everyone/. You cannot go wrong with a name like Gromph."

Flora says, "I do not know of a single girl who would shag a Gromph."

Random smirks openly at Flora. "I can think of plenty."

Flora says, "Who do not do it for money, Random."

"I would put a Gropmh on a rowing team in a heartbeat," Addison says. "And if he won at Boat Race Night, no doubt plenty of girls would shag a Gromph."

Flora mutters, "Had to have been good scotch." With a sigh, she lifts the cigarette to her lips.

Random says, offended, "Gromph. It's a primitive name, you know? Says something about a guy. Anyway, he's a sorceror. Gerard's son, can you believe that?"

Addison drags, breathes, and is feeling much better. Sadly, this means he probably owes Random for saving his sanity. "Really? Did you ask him about the whole, you know, the whole thing going about? The bit with the barrels? I meant to find a ritual sorcerer and was a bit sidetracked by other things that came up that needed doing."

Flora notes with sympathy, "It is very easy to become distracted in the palace."

Random replies, "No. I asked because I was wondering if anyone knew where to find him." He flashes a grin. "The thanes of Kitezh seem very anxious that I not speak with him without one of them present. So of course I'm trying to find him alone, you know?"

"Work needed doing. For the Crown," Addison says. "If they do not want you to do something, you absolutely should go about doing it at your nearest and simplest convenience. Otherwise, how do you find out what they do not want you to know?"

Flora says, "Gerard may know. Tell him I asked you to find the boy so I might meet him."

Addison says, "And bring him a bottle of scotch. Either of them."

Flora says, "Or both."

Random smirks. "I'll do that," he says. Now he looks between them and then proffers a slow, knowing grin to Addison. "Just wanted to pop in and ask, anyway. So I'll, uh, leave you two to it, huh?"

Addison can imagine the rumor that will start simply because the rumor will be Funny, and the steps he will have to take to counter the Funny with his own Funny because it is the only thing for it and a road of pain and sighs and drags on his cigarette a whole lot and says, "We were simply talking about the Crown. Nothing particularly interesting. And I believe we were... wrapping up?"

Flora says, voice even, "I believe we were finished, Addison. It would be impolite of me to keep you tied up all evening."

Addison blushes, suddenly, because work is not what flashes across his mind /at all/.

To judge from the broad smirk that instantly appears on Random's face, he's having the same thought.

Addison says, but his voice quivers and cracks a bit, "Of course, Your Highness."

Flora smiles around the cigarette poised at her lips. "Have a good evening, gentlemen." She takes a deep drag and with a wink to Random, heads down the hall to the bedrooms.

Random drawls, "I'll leave you to your amusements, sister." Addison gets a nod and a wave of the cigarette as he sidles out the door, still smirking.

Addison gives Random's back a look as the Prince leaves. He sits at the table in the receiving room alone for an extra long few minutes before venturing outside and to the Feldane Suite down the hall.