Under the Stars (Bella)

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Tiny fireballs hung suspended over part of the Grey Tower's gardens, providing light for the activity that was occurring below them. More than a few of them had been created by Liaran Sedai, who was now standing on a path that ran between a small clearing and the largest lake in the gardens, looking up at the lights as she tried to decide if any more were needed. After a few moments, she lowered her head and rubbed the back of her neck. No more lights for now, she decided. More might be needed once the sun set, but since it was only late afternoon, it wasn't an immediate problem.

The Aes Sedai left the path to intercept one of the Tower's servants who was heading towards the long table that had been set up in the clearing with a stack of large bowls in her arms. Insisting on taking some of them from her, Liaran followed the woman to the table and set them out as the Blues in charge of that part of the arrangements directed her. The rest of her afternoon was filled with a thousand other similar small chores, setting up for the party the Blue Ajah would be hosting that evening.

The work wasn't hard, but Liaran still would have preferred not to be bothered with it. She'd never really enjoyed gatherings like this, but the fact that her Ajah was hosting the event had left her with little choice but to contribute to it. After setting out a few last serving spoons on the long table, Liaran returned to the path to survey the afternoon's work. Even she had to admit that the effect of the fireballs was quite pretty as the light reflected on the lake below. On the other side of the path was the table she'd helped set up, with several small tables and chairs nearby as well as empty space for dancing.

Liaran did not think she would be joining that. Since she'd helped set up, she would have more freedom to try to enjoy the actual event, and hoped to get some time rowing one of the rowboats that were lined up on the shore of the lake. She would do that alone if she had to, and was perfectly capable of it, but part of her hoped that Haeden would show up and join her.

She was not at all certain that he would, since she knew very well that he enjoyed these events as little as she did. She had told him where she would be tonight so he wouldn't worry, but had been careful not to give him even the suggestion that he had to attend with her. He would not be needed as her Warder, and she would not ask the man she loved to be there beside her for no better reason than her own comfort. Still, as the sun began to set, Liaran pushed a few stray hairpins back into place, brushed off the bright blue silk of her dress, and looked down the path anyways.

[Bella]

They were two ridiculous people in love, when you thought about it.

Most people would think that just desiring someone's presence was more than enough to ask them to be there, but Liaran didn't. Haeden thought the same way. It was really something of a miracle that the two of them had come together at all, but they had and they were and the truth was, even if they would not ask for themselves, they did not hesitate to do for each other.

Thus, there Haeden was.

He had actually wanted to show up earlier and help Liaran with the setting up, but a string of issues in the Warder Yards had required his assistance. None of them had been emergencies, but they had needed to be taken care of in the moment and so he didn't show up until much closer to the start of the evening than he'd planned. Such was life in the Grey Tower, as they all knew too well. He'd taken even longer still since he wasn't showing up in his grubby training clothing.

As he walked down the garden path toward the evening's event, Haeden Ives Gaidin looked downright polished and proved that he could clean up well. Simple, but elegant. (He took after his mother.) His breeches were black with hints of silver embroidery down the sides, and he wore a deep blue shirt beneath a black jacket with understated blue-and-silver embellishments. His blonde hair was clean and pulled back in a neat ponytail, the hair hanging partway down his back.

Although there wasn't likely to be trouble, as a Gaidin, he was permitted his sword, which hung from his hip and seemingly complemented his outfit in color and shine. (He knew too well that trouble could show up in the middle of a Tower event and just in case, he would not be caught unprepared to defend his Aes Sedai. It had happened when first they'd worked together, and that memory remained seared into his mind.)

Following the line of his bond to his fiancée, it was only moments before he found her. His hands were loosely held behind his back, everything in his posture suggesting ease, even if the lines of a warder remained ready for anything. He came up behind her and leaned down slightly near her ear. "Everything looks wonderful for tonight," he said with a warmth to his tone that only she ever got to hear.

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Through the bond they shared, Liaran felt Haeden's approach long before she saw him. He could not hide that from her, but she stood still, allowing him to walk behind her. She was already smiling when he spoke into her ear, and turned around so that she could look into his eyes. While Haeden's presence here wasn't exactly a surprise, it still meant a lot to Liaran that he had made his own choice to attend beside her. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping back, still smiling up at her Warder. He was attractive to her at all times, even when he came home in the evening after a day working hard in the Warder Yards, but Liaran could appreciate his more formal appearance tonight just as much.

Around them, men and women were walking in, most in the colors of their Ajah or their bondmate's Ajah, but Liaran's focus was entirely on Haeden. She said quietly to him, "I'm glad you think it looks nice, I just hope the other guests agree. You know I'm not good at this." She hadn't been the only one responsible for the setup, of course, and had mostly followed the directions given by the Blues who did enjoy organizing parties, but since she had to be here, Liaran wanted the event to go well.

She swatted a stray curl out of her eye, already regretting her decision to put her hair up, which she almost never did. What had sounded like a practical choice for an outside gathering was now becoming a nuisance, since her hair seemed to escape from its confines even though she'd used enough pins to feel as if she'd stuck all of them straight into her head. The dress she wore was more comfortable; it was a dress, and it was silk, with a little more embroidery than she would have worn most days, but it at least had the narrow, divided skirt she preferred. The Sea Folk woman gave it a tug anyways, still wishing she could have worn pants. "I'm glad you came," she said softly, for Haeden alone to hear. The evening would be much improved by being spent in his company.

[Bella]

"Not even death could keep me away," he said, both light-hearted and utter sincere all at the same time. (His mother had died and come back. Maybe that's genetic too?) "I have no doubt that the guests will appreciate the..." He paused to think of the word. "...the ambiance and elegance as much as I do. You and your fellow Blues have done wonderfully."

He knew that she hadn't worked alone, but it took concentrated effort to remember to include them and not just praise her. He had one target he could at least praise her solely on, at least...

"And you, my Aes Sedai, look even lovelier still," he said. His words were still pitched low enough for privacy, but fortunately, there weren't anyone too close and no one seemed to be paying them any attention anyway. He was perfectly alright with that, although he knew these private moments would only last so long or happen so often. This was an Ajah event after all, so he knew she'd have some duties to attend to on behalf of the Blue. At those times, he'd just be...a handsome decoration.

He took a moment to look around again before turning back to her. "Now, is there anything left to do that I could help you with?"

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Liaran looked away, just a little overwhelmed by Haeden's compliments, even though the bond told her that he'd meant every word. She had not done so very much here, in her opinion, certainly no more than any of the other Blues had. When she turned back to Haeden only seconds later, her cheeks were flushed with pink. It might not have been obvious to anyone else, with her coloring, but Liaran had the feeling that her Warder wouldn't need to see it in order to notice.

Still, she smiled, knowing he'd meant well, and said, "You look nice, too," while she studied him. It wasn't just the difference from his normal attire that Liaran appreciated, but that he'd chosen to wear clothing that she knew he didn't much care for just to support her here. She shook her head at his last question without even checking to see if anything else needed to be done. "You're a guest of the Ajah," she protested, if quietly enough not to be overheard by anyone else. "You're not expected to contribute." In a softer voice, nearly a whisper, she looked into Haeden's eyes and told him, "It...is more than enough.....that you chose to come tonight." She held his gaze for a moment longer, then gave the area around them one last glance. If anything needed to be done, she would do it herself, but everything was ready.

"I have to go greet guests soon," she warned her Warder with more than a little reluctance, "But there will be food, some conversation, a little dancing....and when I return, most of the evening will be our own."

[Bella]

Haeden nodded easily. The impulses within his mind remained and he would've complimented her more, but he knew that what had already been said was enough for this place and time. Neither of them took compliments all that well, really, and too much was overwhelming. He had no desire to overwhelm her, so he kept the rest to himself and simply smiled at her.

"I look forward to that, then," he said, "but I can mingle a bit until you're free. I'm sure there will be some other Gaidin here that aren't quite sure what to do with themselves." He chuckled softly, his voice a bit of a rumble as he kept the low pitch. A brief thought caught onto his mind and he gave the curiosity voice. "Would you be interested in the dancing later?" Somehow, he didn't imagine it to be her thing but as it had yet to really ever come up for them, he chose to ask.

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Liaran smiled up at Haeden as guests continued to flow in around them, aware that any privacy they might have had was rapidly fading away. Soon enough, she would need to leave him behind in favor of duty, a task she dreaded even though she was not required to attend to it for the entire time. She would much rather have been a guest herself, or better yet, not had to be present at all, but there was little she could do about it except smile and be polite.

The Aes Sedai would even have preferred dancing with her Warder to chatting with the guests, though it wasn't an activity she enjoyed. If Haeden did, he had never spoken of it to her. The Aes Sedai looked into his green eyes as they watched her, shaking her head in response to the question. The motion caused a few more strands of her hair to spring free, and Liaran frowned as she pushed each of them back into place before speaking.

"I don't really know how," she murmured quietly. "It isn't something my people do, and after I chose to come here, I just never learned." Liaran left out the fact that that was largely due to her own lack of interest in it. She was, after all, born to the Sea Folk....she knew how to compromise. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she said to Haeden, "But if you'd like to.......for you, I could try."

[Bella]

A warm smile lit his usually-austere features. He didn't care much for who was watching as he leaned forward slightly to take her hand and kiss the back of it. "I am not especially inclined to it myself, though your willingness to accommodate me if I were brings me joy." He didn't let their hands linger together for long, since they were in public and all.

"My mother has taught me how to dance so I am capable, should it ever be required, but I am not necessarily drawn to it," he went on to explain, his emotional economy mostly back in place. "Although for some affairs, it is useful knowledge. I could teach you a few basic steps, at a future time." I.E., when they were alone and not in the middle of a party.

[Alianora]

Liaran Sedai

Liaran tilted her head and looked up at Haeden without speaking. She'd never before considered the possibility of having to attend an event where knowing how to dance would be strongly advisable. Left to make her own decisions, she could simply opt not to go, but being here tonight was enough to remind her that as an Aes Sedai, there were certain occasions when her presence was all but required. Still watching Haeden, Liaran gave him a smile that was real, brilliant, and not meant for anyone else's eyes.

She said softly, "I think.....I might like that, but definitely at some other time. Not now.....and not here." Not in front of anyone else, she thought, knowing that she did not need to say so for Haeden to understand. Somehow, the idea of dancing did not sound so tedious if it involved nobody other than themselves.

Liaran's smile disappeared when she heard someone call her name and turned to face the speaker. The woman awaiting her was one of the other Blues who had been assisting with the setting up, come to get her for the rest of their duties for the night. Before following the other woman, Liaran turned back to her Warder and said, "I have to go now, but I will come find you as soon as I have time." Her expression changed to one of stately Aes Sedai serenity as she walked away to attend to the guests of her Ajah.

That part of her evening was one that at best, Liaran barely tolerated. She could put on an appropriate smile, make polite conversation, travel from small group to small group trying to be welcoming, but she did not enjoy it and found the effort she had to put into it to be draining. By the time she was excused from her duties and free to trace the bond back to her Warder, Liaran wanted nothing more than to just wrap her arms around him and rest for a while.

That was, unfortunately, not something she would actually allow herself to do out here in the gardens where just anyone could see them. Just standing close to Haeden, saying nothing, helped Liaran begin to relax. The smile she wore now was faint, but reflected her actual emotions of relief and happiness at seeing him instead of those an Aes Sedai was expected to assume. Still quiet, she looked around, searching the gardens for somewhere to go that was, perhaps, a little less crowded. There would not be true privacy to be found, she knew that, but the two of them might manage to get a little further from the larger group, now that she was able to do so.

[Bella]

Although Haeden naturally would have preferred Liaran's company for the entirety of the evening, as it usually was after both their day's work was done, he understood that she had other duties. He had little trouble keeping himself entertained in the interim, since he was hardly the only warder there for the night.

He was able to spend some time chatting with his sister, given that she was a Blue, and his mother was even there to represent the Green Ajah. Derren was there on behalf of the Grey as well, looking about as stiff as he usually did. Being around the Grey was always...interesting, given that on a technical scale of familial relationships, the Asha'man was Haeden's nephew while being almost three times his age.

Life in the Grey Tower, right?

He indulged in a bit of the excellent food and a little bit of the drink while chatting with family and fellow Gaidin. Before long, he felt his Aes Sedai's intent as the bond began to move toward him and he excused himself from his pleasant chatter.

"Welcome back," he said warmly. They stood for a bit so she could recoup a little from all the socializing and overseeing. "It seems to be going well. I think I've seen quite a few from every Ajah." He said this as he watched her begin to look around. It was a small, inconspicuous gesture but didn't take much to guess what she was looking for.

Haeden gestured slightly to a table that was set toward the furthest edge of the circle of socialization. "That table seems clear," he offered. It was near a tree, giving it a hint of seclusion.