Setting: Rhinorth Apartments
You walk into a room of elegant splendor, dark green and the Rhinorth family crest a prevailing theme. One of the largest suites of rooms at the inn, money was obviously no object in its decoration. One side is set off as a receiving area, with a pair of very stiff couches, covered in green tapestry. A small cherry table sits between these with a delicate vase placed on top, filled with fresh lilies. To one side is a long dining table, made of the same polished wood. The seat covers of the stiff wooden chairs are green velvet with the House crest embroidered on them. To the back of the room are doors leading off into private bedrooms for family members, and throughout these rooms, guardsmen and servants wander.

Just relinquishing her light cloak still damp from the wet outdoors, Catelynn returns the smile with one of her own, extending both hands to her friend. "Of course I would come, my Lady. And have I not said for you to call me Catelynn?" Turning towards the presumed brother, she inclines dark-curled head for his salutation. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure. My Lord."

Kayl smiles lightly, his eyes shining, "Please...you are in our home, while here call me Kayl..." Kayl watches Catelynn in passive interest, watching how she moves and apparently appreciating what he sees. "And the pleasure..." Kayl looks Catelynn over again, "...is all mine, Lady."

Sydnia takes Catelynn's hands eagerly, with a bright smile. "Oh, Catelynn, tea's almost ready. How have you been?" Her eyes sparkle brightly as her full skirts swish lightly, glancing only a moment at her brother as he speaks, her sweet red-gold curls bouncing daintily.

"I've been well, despite the wet," replies Catelynn's soft soprano. Allowing herself to be led to the seating arranged for the tea she came to visit for, she parries with the same question, "And you? I do hope you have been faring well also?"

The outer door to the hallway is flung open, and once again--as so many other nights in the past--Dyarmedrid Saldrian and his manservant and friend, Donovan Tharbadrid, enter the formerly-quiet chamber speaking in loud voices.

"Right then, I couldn't believe you'd roll a seven," the former--the young lord, his hair a mess of sorts--tells his companion, who answers, "I didn't. They simply weren't watching the dice while you cracked that tough over his head..."

Giggling a bit, Sydnia nods. "Oh, quite. Though it is not usually preferred that I ride in the rain." As her other brother comes in, the middle one, Sydnia glances to the door, and her face falls slightly. Recovering, she turns back to Catelynn with a pretty smile and motions to the table. "Won't you sit down?"

Kayl turns his head slightly, his chin lifting ever so slightly as he lounges on the couch as if a foul air has tickled his ever so sensitive nose, raising an eyebrow his utter and complete ignoring of his younger sibling a testament to his thought on such boorish and raucous behaviour.

Dyarmid pauses in his business of tracking mud into the room, flinging out an arm across the trailing Donovan's chest to arrest his progress as well. "What then, Donovan! Seems we've found a pair of pretty ladies--and our sister, Sydnia, too!" The other man's cheeks flare red as he attempts to hold in a most improper laugh, again amazed by his lord and friend's impropriety.

Catelynn's examination of the room and its occupants is quick and encompassing, taking in the familiar features of another sibling with no more reaction than with the rest of her study. A rustle of skirts settles her into the chair proffered, arranged just so by slender hands that are clasped primly after. "You've gone riding in the rain, Sydnia?" she murmurs question, intent to continue their conversation no matter the interruption.

Sydnia seats herself as well, leaving her brothers to handle their own arguments. She nods, smiling at her friend. "Well, yes, early this morning, when it wasn't raining very hard. I'm afraid that I did get rather muddy, but sometimes inclement weather adds to the ride -- at least when you know that you have a dry change of clothes at home," she comments with a pretty, musical laugh. She looks over to a servant and nods, indicating for the tea to be brought.

Kayl leans back, sighing deeply, his eyes sliding closed as if hoping that not seeing it will make it go away. His eyes opening slightly to look over Catelynn again, he sighs in disappointment that the closing of his eyes will steal the sight of such beauty from him, but then...sometimes the sacrafice of something beautiful will remove the sight of something ugly as well. Sighing as he closes his eyes, he sits for long moments unmovingly.

"Oh really, Kayl, do grow up," Dyarmid quips bitingly as he circles the room toward a chair, still tracking mud upon the carpet. Tossing his cloak idly in Kayl's direction, the great garment incidentally spatters the elder Saldrian brother with water as it lands on a nearby chair-arm.

Blithely, Dyarmid watches Sydnia's girl fetch the tea in complete ignorance of his brother's plight, instead saying, "You always were a poor sleeper. Wake up and take your nose down a notch, there's a good lad. And Donny, find me some spice?" Donovan nods, eager to be away from his friend's siblings.

Catelynn smiles for Sydnia's laugh, still careful and polite as is her wont. Waving a single hand dismissively, she adds her agreement to the statement just presented. "Oh, truly I understand. There have been many afternoons that have caught me and my intended paintings in some unwelcome weather. And as pleasant as a shower can be in the heat of the summer...well, you've already pointed out its redemption." Azure gaze flicks to the one insisting on being acerbic and loud before settling on Sydnia again.

Taking the porcelain teapot from her servant carefully, Sydnia turns back to Catelynn with a polite smile. "Would you like some tea?" she asks softly, her capacity for ignoring the ill manners of her brothers not yet breached. The servant sets the tea tray down at the edge of the table for her mistress.

"Don't mind if I do, my darling sister," Dyarmid pleasantly offers as he swoops in for the tea clearly not intended for himself. grinning for Sydnia's benefit, he pours a small cup, then turns his attention to Catelynn. Suddenly the epitome of manners, he inquires, "Sugar, my Lady Bortawin?"

Kayl sighs opening his eyes and standing, pure hatred burning in his eyes. Nodding to Catelynn and Sydnia, he heads toward the door, "Please, excuse me, Ladies...I am in no mood to deal with him." Kayl's voice is unusually hard and cold, and very far for the silken and soothing tones he almost always uses with Sydnia.

Kayl touches his sisters shoulder lightly in apology as he leaves. Kayl leaves the Rhinorth Apartments.

Catelynn's aplomb is wrapped tightly about her slender form, nary a blink nor marring of those calm features with Kayl's departure and Dyarmid's interruption. She inclines her head once, slowly in response to the question of sugar. "Tea is most welcome after the slight chill in the air with the constant drizzling."

Dyarmid nods slowly, lowering his chin to carefully observe his work as, with a silver spoon, he stirs in a small amount of sugar. The picture of propriety now, he hands the cup-and-saucer across to Catelynn with the smooth hands of a nobleman. "Tea, Your Grace," he says without the faintest hint of mockery--then stands.

Sydnia looks after Kayl worriedly as he exits, then turns back to Dyarmid. "Why don't you go back to gambling, dearest brother?" She takes her own tea, a slightly annoyed look on her face, biting her lip furiously.

"So sorry your favorite ran off, Syd," Dyarmid replies in a tone so pleasant that it bleeds of irony. Turning a sickeningly-sweet smile to Sydnia, he folds his hands together and answers, "He's such better sport than cards or dice. The faces on a deck of cards never get quite so amusing as Kayl's."

Catelynn's acceptance of the teacup is no less smooth than the hands offering them, a nod accompanying it. An experimental sip of it keeps her quiet long enough to allow Sydnia to speak to her brother and await answer. Quick glances from brother to sister miss nothing of their exchange though, for all the silence she adopts.

Sydnia sets down her teacup neatly, rubbing her hands together neatly. "Perhaps you should follow him and see what other contortions his face will go through. Or perhaps he can recommend a pretty barmaid to you." She motions to the table. "I just wasn't aware of how much my teapot interested you."

"Frankly, it doesn't, dear sib," Dyarmid ripostes, pouring a third cup of tea for himself--Donovan has yet to return with the requested 'spice'. "I'm in for the night--you'll notice it's late--and I've better things to do with my time than your new beau, that Tiigril, what's his name... Lauren? Imagine, keeping a mistress already. What a tosser."

As she hasn't been spoken to yet, Catelynn wisely keeps her own counsel for the moments following; some things of interest may well come up that way, without her interference. And so, polite and in keeping with proprieties taught her, she bestows her attention on the unspeaking hot liquid captured in the delicate porcelain in her grasp.

Sydnia seems to believe that she is already in the Pit, and this brother is sent by the Dark One himself to torment her. "Lyren Tiigril and I are simply friends; there is nothing at all romantic between us. I must say, though, I am surprised that you're in already. Why, you spent last night here, and two nights in a row must be a new record." She smiles cordially and sips her tea, praying desperately for someone to save her.

"Kayl snores. I can hear him from the next room, or from Tear on a clear night, I'd imagine," the brother tosses off with an acid tone. "Assuming he sleeps in his own--oh, forgive me," Dyarmid actually halts himself, looking to Catelynn with a smile that somehow manages to be bashful! "Some things should not be said outside the family. Forgive me, Lady Bortawin."

Lady Bortawin smiles to her teacup, from the direction her gaze has taken upon offer of apology. Presently the direction is corrected, raised to meet Dyarmid's and accompanied with a soft, "Forgiven, my lord." With the opportunity presented, she turns back to Sydnia "You have been keeping company with Lord Lyren Tiigril? You two seemed quite at ease in each other's presence at that gathering some days back."

"That Lyren and I should trade places," Dyarmid opines thoughtfully as he wanders over to gather up his cloak, discarded as it was earlier. "He's a perfect Saldrian--bland and tasteless as Kayl, and just as pretty. Adelina, on the other hand--you'd do well to be more like her, Syd. Always losing your temper and such. It's unbecoming."

Sydnia nods politely, setting down her teacup, smiling serenely. "Ah, yes. Lyren and I have since become rather close friends, for in addition to dancing well, he also rides well and keeps a cordial tongue," she says, darting a glance to her brother. "As for Lady Adelina, I had tea with her and Mother, just the other day, if you'll recall, for you wandered in right in the middle of it."

"Perhaps the only reason he keeps a 'cordial' tongue," Dyarmid ponders as he folds the cloak over his arm, "..is for that he lacks the wits to master a biting one. Light knows, he's more like Kayl than I thought!" Grinning at this final exclamation, the young Lord Rhinorth sweeps a courtly bow for Catelynn's honour. "My Lady, I must retire. Your presence has charmed these cold apartments with a warmth to which they are poorly accustomed."

"A good rest to you, my lord," Catelynn replies as social graces dictate, followed by another sip at her tea. Sweeping azure gaze towards Sydnia once again, she awaits her friend's answer so that their conversation might survive the brash and acidic interruption.

"Oh, and you too, Syd," Dyarmid adds negligently over a shoulder as he turns to move deeper into the apartments. "Say hello to Mum for me... I'll try and be gone before she turns out with her horrid 'Fullers' again."

Sydnia looks to Catelynn again, nodding. "Yes, Lyren and I have become quite friends now..." She looks tired of the subject, it having been brought up by the Dark One's own child. She looks over at her brother once more and smiles weakly, "I shall tell her. Sleep well."

"He seems a well-mannered young man," the dark-haired Cairhienin girl murmurs, glancing towards the direction Dyarmid just took, "Quite unlike the colourful sibling you seem to have." A mild observation, of course, said with no more rise to tone as if she were commenting on the merits of one blade of grass over another. "Is your brother's implication true? Come, there's no need to mince your words with me, Sydnia."

Sydnia blushes slightly, shaking her head. "Between Lyren and I? Nothing more than a close friendship." She laughs lightly and adds, "Though all who see us or hear of it think it's more." She shrugs a bit, sipping her tea once more.

The level of tea in Catelynn's cup has decreased considerably with all her ministrations to it during her self-invoked silences. She pays it no mind, only smiling carefully at her friend's reaction. With a simple nod, she indicates acceptance of the words, moving on to other topics, "And the Lady Adelina? I'm afraid I've not had much opportunity to speak with her either."

Sydnia sets down her teacup again and smiles pleasantly. "Ah, Lady Adelina is well. She had tea with Mother and I just the other day, and I find her company quite enjoyable." A mischievous twinkle comes into her eye and she adds, "Though she does complain that I have stolen the companionship of her brother from her. Still, she looks forward to returning home, as do we all."

Catelynn nods again, assuming a curious tilt to her head as she does so, "Ah, they are close then? Lady Adelina and Lord Lyren? I would like to be able to make their acquaintance further. I've exchanged some words with Lord Lyren on occasion, and none at all with Lady Adelina." Yet another sip of her teacup renders the delicate vessel empty, and she places it on the table carefully, "As to returning home, I shall admit my own eagerness. Partly out of some concern for my parents who are caught within the city's closed walls."

Sydnia smiles thoughtfully. "I believe they are very close, as they have lost their parents. Such things seem to bring siblings together. Perhaps before long I shall have the pleasure of introducing you to them," she says pleasantly. "I am certain that we shall be having some such social occasion to allow for it."

Catelynn's surrender of her teacup signals some conclusion in her manner, for she moves forward slightly in her seat in preparation to rise. "I shall look forward to such an occasion. But for now, I shouldn't impose my presence longer upon your hospitality. Thank you for the tea and I eagerly await our next meeting."

Sydnia nods, rising with her friend. "It is always a delight to have your company, and I hope you will join me again soon. Perhaps next time, my brothers will recall their manners." She smiles apologetically.

Catelynn chuckles softly, moving to the door to reaccept her cloak. "Perhaps they might, nonetheless, it's you I am visiting. Fare you well, until the next occasion." Once arrayed in her outdoor wear again, she extends a single gloved hand in clasp of friendship before proceeding out the door.

Sydnia clasps her friend's hand and accompanies her to the door. "Farewell to you as well," she says politely, a pleasant smile on her face. "I am so glad you could come."