Rinlos had not awoken at five. The musician normally slept until 6:30, and as such as still asleep when Arquis knocked on the door. He opened the door in his nightshirt, which was falling off one shoulder, and a loose pair of cotton pants. It was what he slept in, and he had been expecting a servant, not…Arquis. Rin was only barely awake, and they looked…not very put-together, in all honestly. Their hair was messy and he definitely had a bit of bedhead, and when he spoke, their voice was low and a bit husky. "Is, uh, everything alright?" they asked slowly, blinking at Arquis stupidly. "Am I supposed to be gone already?" they wondered for a moment if they had very badly overslept and now Arquis was here to kick him out.
“It is snowing,” Arquis declared, absolutely beaming. He sounded light and giddy. He couldn’t help it; he was glad that Rinlos had to stay at least another day, and the sight of them in such a sleepy, casual state made him happy. The huskiness in his voice didn’t hurt, either. “You won’t be able to leave the estate grounds until it clears up outside, and by the look of things that won’t be for a couple of days. The staff will take care of you, of course, and provide you with food, heating, and other necessities. You won’t have to pay for a thing.”
He stopped talking to breathe. Perhaps he’d been a bit too eager—there was a faint ache in his chest from rambling on too long. He waited for it to subside before continuing.
“Could I treat you to breakfast and then a walk around the grounds? Would that be alright?”
Rin blinked at him, taking a long moment to process Arquis's words. He smiled a little at the news that he could stay a bit longer. "I…that would be wonderful, but could I have perhaps 15 minutes to change and freshen up? I would vastly prefer not to wander your palace in my pajamas." he smiled again, running a hand through their hair and hoping they didn't look too unkempt. Then again, if they did, it was Arquis's fault for waking him up with no warning.
“You look nice as is,” he blurted, then flushed and stepped backwards. His nod was almost comically frantic. “Yes, yes, of course. Fifteen minutes. I will be- well, I will be here, but not- I won’t be standing outside your door- I mean, I will, but not in that way. I-“ He looked mortified. “Please forget I said anything. Go ahead and take your time. I will be waiting for you when you emerge.”
Rin laughed at Arquis's mortification; not in a cruel way, but in a genuine, amused way. "My thanks, Arquis." he replied, giving the nobleman a soft smile before going back into his room, closing the door behind himself as he headed over to his bags, pulling out some more casual clothes. He took them into the bathroom, washing his face and brushing his teeth, as well as other normal bathroom activities, before getting dressed. He took a moment to run a comb through his hair, trying to tame the bedhead that had developed while he was asleep.
Arquis leaned against the hallway wall and cast a look out through a nearby window. The snow didn’t seem as if it would stop anytime soon. It fluttered to the ground in great flurries, piling up in hills on the lawn. He thought it was awfully pretty. His fingers itched for a sketchpad and his watercolors, but he put the thought aside. He had bigger plans for the day than painting.
The thought crossed his mind that Rinlos was probably changing in the other room. He went pink in the face and quickly shook his head, trying to stop himself from imagining it—that would definitely be crossing a line—before looking out at the landscape once more.
Rin set the comb down, and put on his shoes, leaving his room and looking over at Arquis. "Done." the musician was wearing a white shirt and dark slacks, along with a black jacket. Nothing fancy, just casual clothes. They had obviously been worn frequently, but had been well taken care of and still looked nice.
“Excellent. Now, let us have some breakfast. I do not feel as if it is best to eat in the dining hall. There is bound to be a residual crowd from yesterday, as you are not the only traveler who will not be able to leave for a while. I think it would be better to eat in a tea room. Follow me.”
He strode off towards the nearest staircase, following the mental map of the Palace in his head. The tea room Muria used was up high, so they would go to the one closer to the kitchen. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he realized that he must have gone a touch too fast. He was having a bit of difficulty breathing. He chalked it up to eagerness once again and ignored it, continuing forward to unlock the tea room doors.
The room itself was cozy. There was a fireplace, though it was unlit, against the furthest wall. Standing before it were a couple of small tables covered with lacy tablecloths. Each table had a teapot on a heated tray, a tiered tower of fresh breakfast pastries, and a simple flower arrangement. The perfume from the flowers made him cough a couple of times as he pulled out Rinlos’s seat and then settled into his own.
"Alright." He followed Arquis through the halls, doing his best to keep track of the twists and turns. He did not want to end up lost in this palace; something told him that it might not end well. Once in the tea room, he sat down in his seat, giving Arquis another soft smile. "My thanks, Arquis." He hadn't been reprimanded for using Arquis's name, so he assumed it was not a problem. The musician looked around the tea room for a moment, taking in the decorations and flowers.
A few beats passed before a butler in a coat and fur boots came to their table. He poured one cup of tea, left for a couple of seconds, and came back with a metal espresso maker. The aroma of dark coffee drifted into the air as he filled a small cup.
“I do not mean to intrude, sir, but you might want to dress more warmly,” the butler said to Arquis. “Especially if you plan to walk the grounds as usual. The temperatures dropped tremendously overnight, and I heard from your sister that you were ill.”
“Oh, I’ve recovered, but thank you for your concern.” Arquis snatched the espresso cup and downed it, wincing as it burned his throat.
The butler smiled uncertainly, but he didn’t press the issue any further. Once he left, Arquis pinched a cream cheese and blueberry tart between his fingers and lifted it from the tiered display. He placed it on his plate and promptly ignored it.
“Your performance last night was wonderful,” he said bashfully, suddenly a bit shy. “You’re very talented, Rinlos.”
Rin took the mug of tea, taking a small sip from it. "Thank you." He said. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He took a small tart for himself, taking a bite of it. He was hungry; as a bard, sometimes he didn't know where his next meal would come from or when he would eat it, so he always ate when he got a chance. "Are you feeling alright? You've been coughing, and the butler said you were ill?"
“Hm? Oh, yes, I am absolutely fine. The whole illness thing was a bit of a ruse, there is really no need to fuss over it.” Arquis smiled a little as he looked to the side. He brought the espresso to his lips again, only to realize that he’d already drank most of it. He swallowed the dregs, put the cup aside, and steepled his fingers together.
“Originally I thought it might be nice to wander the grounds, but I recognize now that they might be crowded. Would you prefer instead to walk to the nearby village? It is a bit far—perhaps a thirty minute walk, give or take—but it looks rather lovely in this weather.”
"Alright then." He had no reason to question Arquis's statement, so he didn't. "A walk would be lovely, if you're sure about it." He smiled again, taking another bite of food. He was hoping this wasn't rude, but it was breakfast time and he was hungry. Even if Arquis wasn't eating, that was no reason for him not to.
“Yes, I think some fresh air might be nice,” he responded. There was an itch in the back of his throat that he swallowed down. He made a mental note to tell a maid to stop dosing the flowers in perfume; the scent was absolutely overwhelming.
The butler returned to get Arquis a cup of tea, but he shooed him away politely. He picked up the teapot himself, prepared it, and lifted it to his mouth. Before he took a sip, he drummed his available fingers on the table in a pattern, unconsciously tapping out the beat to one of the songs Rinlos had played the night before. The blueberry pastry lay untouched on his plate, growing colder by the minute, as he finished the tea. He placed the empty cup down on a saucer and knitted his hands together once again.
“Will you be alright in the cold? I can send for a scarf, if you’d like.”
Rin nodded. "I'll be fine." He replied with a soft smile. "Don't worry about me, my jacket is plenty warm enough for me." He adjusted the jacket on his shoulders, still eating his breakfast. He didn't tell Arquis to eat; Arquis was an adult and if he did not want to eat, then that was his choice. "Thank you, though."
“Of course. There is no need to thank me.”
His fingers had returned to lightly tapping out the rhythm the song. It wasn’t on purpose; he wasn’t even aware he was doing it until he knocked into his fork. He nudged it back into place and wrung his hands together under the table. For some reason, he was full of nervous energy; he couldn’t wait to get outside and stretch his legs.
“Quirisa and I used to spend a lot of time outside when it snowed,” he murmured, not fully sure why he was saying it. “It’s always gorgeous out, especially when it snows early in the fall. I’ve never managed to capture it accurately; it’s something you’ll have to see for yourself.”
Rin leaned forward just a little, in order to be able to hear Arquis better. "I see. It sounds lovely, and I can't wait to see it for myself." Arquis seemed an awkward but earnest young man, and Rin found themself wanting to know more about him. This extra time they had would be nice, he decided. It would be enjoyable.
(Arquis being painfully awkward 24/7 is not a direction I was expecting this to go in but I’m really enjoying it tbh)
Arquis looked up through his dark lashes at Rinlos. He was surprised that the musician’s face was a bit closer, and he moved back in his chair, concerned that he’d accidentally invaded their space. It sent his mind racing. Was he just being polite and entertaining him? Should he have let them sleep in? Had he been forcing them into situations they didn’t want to be in this whole time? He bit his bottom lip and pretended to study his plate.
That itch from before had returned, scratching at his lungs. It made him turn away from the table and cough into his elbow, but only once. When he turned back, his face was flushed.
“Ah, my apologies. The perfume that the maids put on these flowers always makes my allergies flare up. I’ll be glad to be getting away from them.”
(lmao mood)
Rin backed up when Arquis did, concerned that leaning forward had been an overstep. "It's quite alright. What sort of allergies do you have?" he questioned, hoping that they were not being too pushy by asking such a thing. "I understand if you would rather not tell me, either." they ate a bit more food.
“I do not know them all,” Arquis replied, realized it was a poor lie, and looked down at his feet. “Just that rather strong scents usually give me trouble. It will be alright.”
A different butler came over this time. When they offered to fetch him something from the kitchen, he declined, instead handing them his plate and getting to his feet. He could feel anxious energy thrumming throughout him. He twisted his hands together before finding an appropriate target of interest: the fireplace. There were matches on the mantle. It took him several tries to light one—his hands were a little unsteady, probably from the caffeine—but he eventually succeeded in setting the hearth ablaze.
He returned to the table and sat. “My apologies for leaving so suddenly, I just thought it was a little dark in here.”
He raised an eyebrow faintly at the deflection, but did not push farther. It wasn't his business. "It's quite alright. Are you, ah, going to eat?" he hadn't meant to ask but Arquis seemed very nervous, and maybe food would settle his stomach? It always had for Rin, but then, Rin was a different person than Arquis was.
Arquis paused, flustered, his eyebrows drawing together. “Haven’t I already? I thought… did I… well, I suppose I’m not all that hungry. Sometimes that happens in the morning, especially after a long night.” Then, he broke out in a smile. “It is very considerate of you to ask, though. I hope your food is satisfactory?”
He nodded slowly. "I see. Yes, mine is very good, thank you." he took another bite. "I was just wondering, because you had not eaten and I was not sure if that is normal for you." he knew some people did not eat at breakfast; he did not understand that, since he didn't always know where his next meal would be coming from.
“Skipping breakfast isn’t a common practice around here, if that is what you’re curious about. It’s actually Marsiquia’s favorite meal.” Arquis tilted his head to one side. “I guess I don’t often have time for it.”
The thought made him uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure whether his neutrality towards food was a good or bad thing. Perhaps it was a sign of his privilege that he did not eat much. At the very least, it was a sign that he did not work hard enough; if he was truly pushing himself, then surely he would work up more of an appetite.
He tried to recall the last full meal that he’d eaten, but nothing came to mind. There was the lollipop from the day before, though that was more sugar than substance, and a lot of coffee. He thought he remembered eating something small briefly before the party to settle his stomach.
The corner of his mouth twitched to the side in annoyance as he considered it. How wasteful it was to have an entire Palace bursting with food and not eat. Still, he didn’t reach for any of the tarts on the tray. He just wasn’t in the mood.
Rin watched him quietly, letting Arquis think in silence as the musician ate his breakfast. He wasn't going to try and make Arquis eat. If Arquis wanted to eat, or not, that was his choice. He was an adult and could maake his own choices. Rin kept eating and sipping at his tea.
