Perhaps one of her favorite gifts she had acquired from Tribute had been the cloak given by the woman Hiram had taken back into his room. She had it sitting on one of the chairs in her room and she often ran a hand over the soft fur and leather. It was still a bit too warm to wear it out, but soon Heims would be here and it would guard her against the cold quite well.

Today she had stood looking at the cloak, tapping at her chin thoughtfully. The girl had almost made Hiram bracers, which he had had zero interest in, but they were far too large to fit her own arms. Still, she wanted a pair of gloves to match the cloak. Surely the girl wouldn't be too difficult to find.

So Adeline had set off into the dirt ridden streets in search of this girl. Thankfully this time there had been plenty of Dresmondi who knew who she spoke of and pointed her in the correct direction. She didn't think she could've handled wandering the streets all day as she had when trying to find Embric.

And she wouldn't have to search the girl's home for her either, it seemed, as they came face to face in front of her hut. A wide, friendly smile came to Adeline's face when she immediately addressed her properly. She studied the girl and her dyr for a moment before speaking. "I'm glad I was able to find you so easily. You gave us those cloaks at Tribute, yes? I am looking forward to wearing it throughout Heims."

She placed her hands on her hips lightly, "But I was thinking it would be even better if I had a pair of gloves to match the cloak. Are you able to make a pair for me?"

Adeline dipped her head, a smile that was patient, for the time being, settling on her face as the girl accepted her praise quite gracefully. She did note that the woman seemed nervous to be speaking to her. It wasn't an uncommon reaction to the presence of an Eldouir though, especially one of the Queens herself, so it didn't strike Adeline as odd.

She did take the time to study the woman quietly, her eyes traveling up and down her body. This was one of two that Hiram had asked to be taken to his room during Tribute. She didn't know specifics of what had happened in his room with the two girls, but she had been in his room enough times to speculate. At this moment she wasn't finding anything particularly special about the girl, but she knew that hardly mattered to Hiram.

She nodded her head slowly at the girl, glancing between her and the door to her home. She didn't say anything, assuming the Dresmondi would hurry off to get whatever supplies she needed. She the Dresmondi returned, Adeline would hold her hands out without being asked, her gaze steady on the woman's face. "What is your name?"

Adeline's head tilted to the side as she studied the creature curled up at the door. She had no fear of the animals the Dresmondi had. She had seen time and time again what happened to Dresmondi when their dyrs were killed and she knew they were wary of that. It was an easily exploited weakness and one they had used to their advantage when they first swept through the lands.

Her eyes moved from the animal to the door the woman had disappeared through. Making a small sound of distaste, she looked over the tiny hut. At least this one lived in something other than a broken wagon, though it wasn't much better.

But the woman returned quickly enough and soon she was working to take her measurements. "Xanthe," Adeline repeated slowly, committing it to memory. "Yes, I quite like what the cloak was made of. Be sure to use the same materials." Looking over the woman's shoulder at the tiny hut again, Adeline pursed her lips. "If you need help acquiring more of it, do speak up about it. I will get you more of it for my gloves."

A generous offer, in Adeline's mind. Even if it was for purely selfish reasons. "You seem to be quite well known for your tailoring. It is interesting that you do not have the means to live a bit better than this."

Pursing her lips at Xanthe's refusal, Adeline narrowed her eyes and considered the girl quietly for a moment before shrugging. "Suit yourself. Just as long as the gloves turn out well." If the Dresmondi wanted to be ungrateful and refuse her offer, that was on the girl's head. If she struggled over the winter and needed more supplies, she would certainly not be getting them from the Eldouirs.

As the girl stepped away from her, Adeline clasped her hands in front of her, her face twisting into a look of distaste. How could they be content with so little? "You all say the same thing. You could build great homes with your little plant dyrs and yet you all squander away in these pitiful shacks or those broken wagons. Even the poorest in Lorendale had better homes than this."

Her nose remained wrinkled as she surveyed their surroundings. "If you cannot be bothered to build better for yourselves, perhaps I will simply order one of our soldiers to do it for you." She brought her gaze back to Xanthe, an expectant gleam in her eye.

Adeline's gaze did a quick once over of Xanthe before she sniffed and tossed her hair. At least the girl knew how to remain humble in front of her queen. "Perhaps if you all have nicer homes, you will see the benefit of living a grander lifestyle. You're all such lowly creatures and we must teach you to be better than that."

After all, children didn't know how to bathe themselves before being taught by an adult. That's all these Dresmondi were, children who needed to be taught how to live properly.

Deciding she was bored of this coversation, Adeline's eyes lit interest as a new topic popped into her mind. Bouncing forward a few steps, she trailed a slow circle around Xanthe, studying her from head to foot. "So, how did you enjoy our time in our estate?" She continued her slow circle until she came to a stop in front of Xanthe once more. "It is not common for Hiram to take such an interest in Dresmondi women."

Adeline's head tilted to the side as Xanthe explained her time in the estate, considering her words. Something crossed the girl's face when she spoke of the other Dresmondi. Jealousy? Anger? She couldn't be sure, but it was certainly an interesting tidbit of information.

A small pout came to her face, a show of pity for the girl. Adeline had never known the sting of rejection. She always took whatever she wanted. Even the pity she felt was twisted as she assumed the girl would've been pleased to have been favored by Hiram, the King and Head of the Eldouirs.

"Poor thing," she crooned. "We are not all meant for such preference in life. But you are such a pretty girl, even if you did not meet Hiram's tastes, I'm sure you will catch someone else's eye. Perhaps even another Eldouir."