To answer the apartment caretaker’s greeting with a smile.
To enter the tree house. To ascend up to his parents' apartment.
To check his outfit. To breathe slowly. To pull himself together. To pretend everything was normal.
To knock on the door.
To blow out a last breath.
To smile to his mother who had opened the door.
The usual ritual of holeth lunchtime.
After the traditional prayer to Jena, a strange silence fell around the table. Even if it took Copal a moment to notice it.
His father's silence was not necessarily unusual. His mother's, however...
Copal forced himself out of his reverie. Had he missed a question? A remark?
His mother was looking at him. Seemingly waiting for something.
"Sorry lumnimae. I was thinking about something else.
- Or someone else probably."
His mother's smile was vaguely worrying. Copal glanced at his father.
He was eating calmly. But he paused to explain between two mouthfuls.
"If you wanted to be discreet, Avalae’s teleporter is not the best place for a rendez-vous."
He seemed oddly relaxed. Maybe even approving? Copal couldn't believe it.
But his mother was already chatting impatiently.
"What's her name? When are you going to introduce her to us?"
His father shrugged, as if to say that he didn't want to be involved in this.
Copal tried to evade.
"I can't introduce you to her right now. She just gave me permission to court her. I don't even know what she thinks of me."
That wasn't entirely true. It seemed to him that she wasn't completely oblivious to his company. But Copal wasn't sure he understood hominas. Especially this one.
And there was no question of introducing her to his mother for the moment!
"You can at least tell us her name anyway.
- She wears the colors of La Firme."
Now his father was getting into it.
Did he know enough about the inhabitants of Avalae to recognize a particular homina? Probably. It was part of the job.
But he didn't seem to want to say more. Concentrating on his meal.
To the great relief of his son. Who tried to apply the same strategy.
His mother seemed vaguely uncertain.
"La Firme? It's a good House."
He wasn't going to let his mother disparage it even unintentionally.
"It's a Noble House."
- Ah." That seemed to reassure her. "A homina of a good House. And from a good family I guess."
Copal stared at his plate. He was determined not to betray anything more.
"Isn't their leader a Fyros?"
His mother looked a little worried again.
Copal held back a sigh.
"Sil. Filira Zakkaria. He was also Royal Clerk for Avalae. But he retired. It is now Serae She-Peng who’s leading La Firme." He paused. "She is of zorai sap."
He wasn't really trying to shock his mother. But she seemed so provincial all of a sudden.
"And she's a Royal Minstrel."
His mother seemed torn between various feelings.
"You know all these people?
- Sil. I meet them at the Chamber of the Nobles. Or at the Karae Court. Or sometimes elsewhere in the Kingdom.
- You have become someone important. We are so proud of you, nya nidram."
He knew important people. This was not the same thing. But Copal did not feel brave enough to explain the nuance.
"I'm sure you've chosen a very suitable homina. And that you will introduce her to us soon."
Copal muttered a vague assent. And he was relieved for once when his mother moved on to the subject of the Karin's marriage.
Even though the speculative look she sometimes gave her son continued to worry him.
To enter the tree house. To ascend up to his parents' apartment.
To check his outfit. To breathe slowly. To pull himself together. To pretend everything was normal.
To knock on the door.
To blow out a last breath.
To smile to his mother who had opened the door.
The usual ritual of holeth lunchtime.
After the traditional prayer to Jena, a strange silence fell around the table. Even if it took Copal a moment to notice it.
His father's silence was not necessarily unusual. His mother's, however...
Copal forced himself out of his reverie. Had he missed a question? A remark?
His mother was looking at him. Seemingly waiting for something.
"Sorry lumnimae. I was thinking about something else.
- Or someone else probably."
His mother's smile was vaguely worrying. Copal glanced at his father.
He was eating calmly. But he paused to explain between two mouthfuls.
"If you wanted to be discreet, Avalae’s teleporter is not the best place for a rendez-vous."
He seemed oddly relaxed. Maybe even approving? Copal couldn't believe it.
But his mother was already chatting impatiently.
"What's her name? When are you going to introduce her to us?"
His father shrugged, as if to say that he didn't want to be involved in this.
Copal tried to evade.
"I can't introduce you to her right now. She just gave me permission to court her. I don't even know what she thinks of me."
That wasn't entirely true. It seemed to him that she wasn't completely oblivious to his company. But Copal wasn't sure he understood hominas. Especially this one.
And there was no question of introducing her to his mother for the moment!
"You can at least tell us her name anyway.
- She wears the colors of La Firme."
Now his father was getting into it.
Did he know enough about the inhabitants of Avalae to recognize a particular homina? Probably. It was part of the job.
But he didn't seem to want to say more. Concentrating on his meal.
To the great relief of his son. Who tried to apply the same strategy.
His mother seemed vaguely uncertain.
"La Firme? It's a good House."
He wasn't going to let his mother disparage it even unintentionally.
"It's a Noble House."
- Ah." That seemed to reassure her. "A homina of a good House. And from a good family I guess."
Copal stared at his plate. He was determined not to betray anything more.
"Isn't their leader a Fyros?"
His mother looked a little worried again.
Copal held back a sigh.
"Sil. Filira Zakkaria. He was also Royal Clerk for Avalae. But he retired. It is now Serae She-Peng who’s leading La Firme." He paused. "She is of zorai sap."
He wasn't really trying to shock his mother. But she seemed so provincial all of a sudden.
"And she's a Royal Minstrel."
His mother seemed torn between various feelings.
"You know all these people?
- Sil. I meet them at the Chamber of the Nobles. Or at the Karae Court. Or sometimes elsewhere in the Kingdom.
- You have become someone important. We are so proud of you, nya nidram."
He knew important people. This was not the same thing. But Copal did not feel brave enough to explain the nuance.
"I'm sure you've chosen a very suitable homina. And that you will introduce her to us soon."
Copal muttered a vague assent. And he was relieved for once when his mother moved on to the subject of the Karin's marriage.
Even though the speculative look she sometimes gave her son continued to worry him.