When the assistant, a young nobleman from from a family of middling importance whose name did not immediately spring to mind, opened the door and bowed, Alinore briefly nodded to him before stepping forward. She considered the newly promoted captain’s office as she strode inside. It was simple, practical, and plain.

Much like the man himself.

As he circled his desk and bowed, Alinore noted that he, at least, remembered his manners. It was always gratifying to know that some men remembered their place, though reminding those who overstepped of exactly where they belonged would be a duty she would never hesitate to undertake. After all, when so many had convinced themselves that they were more than sheep, someone had to maintain the proper world order.

“I have.” She offered him a polite nod. “I trust you are also well, Captain Woodwick.” A slight stress on his new title, accompanied by a quirk of the lips. When he gestured toward his office, she cast another glance about the space and considered his invitation. Alinore hadn’t expected to speak elsewhere, but as the idea settled in her mind, she found that she had no objections. More often than not, her meetings with others were sedentary affairs, and long hours passed with little chance to stretch her legs. Resolute, the Minister of Foreign Affairs nodded. “Yes, I should think a walk would be pleasant. The docks will do.”

She would allow the captain or his assistant to open the door, and as they began their journey toward the water, she would walk beside him. “I do believe congratulations are in order. Captain is quite the accomplishment.” A brief pause as she let the words sink in. “I suspect they have made sure you have earned your keep these past couple days. Yesterday’s parade was quite impressive, and I hear the tournament this morning was entertaining.”

Though, of course, none of his soldiers had won.

She acknowledged his gratitude for her congratulations and subsequent pledge with a slight nod. Of course he had every intention of making himself as useful as possible; he was simply that kind of dedicated, straightforward man. No wonder he excelled in the military.

With the poise of a proper courtier, Alinore listened as he elaborated on the parade and the tournament, acknowledging with a nod his comment on the importance of looking their best. “I expect it was,” She agreed, lips quirking upward. She knew very well how important appearances were when one wanted to send a very particular message, though, of course, the one delivered by a parade through the streets of Skia was hardly nuanced or difficult to decipher. The commoners that made up a significant portion of Nevermere’s military, however, undoubtedly lacked any appreciation for or capability of understanding such intricacies of society, and Alinore did not envy the captain the futile task of attempting to transform sheep into something suitably impressive. “You may take comfort in knowing that your efforts were not in vain, Captain, though I imagine your soldiers did not appreciate them as they should.”

When he held the door for her, she offered a quiet word of thanks and stepped through before him, pausing long enough for him to fall into step beside her before they carried on. “Perhaps we ought to have discussed my work first,” Alinore mused idly. “Upon reflection, I fear the excitement of the past week makes my days appear entirely uninteresting. After all, paperwork and meetings are hardly striking when compared to the grandeur of a gala.” Though, of course, the most important duties rarely were. “I have, however, spoken with the Dresmondi. He is a curious individual, but then his kingdom is so very different from ours.” Zevran had more manners than one might have expected of a man whose people traditionally lacked any form of civilization and spent their days roaming unfettered in the absence of any leadership. “Have you had the opportunity to meet him?”

Polite discussion demanded that she return the inquiry, but she was not here to discuss the Dresmondi. Instead, hidden behind a courtly mask of interest, her attention shifted to other matters at hand. Though her perspective was often tinged with disdain, it was Alinore’s job to understand people, and Captain Woodwick was a very easy man to understand. Content to linger against the wall if he even made an appearance at court, he might have had more sense than most, but he was still an ordinary nobleman with a traditional sense of propriety. Despite the frequent complaints of his subordinates, he cared not what they thought of him as long as they returned home at the end of the day, and when they inevitably died on the battlefield, he was the kind of leader who would feel their loss. And, most importantly, as all of their interactions had shown, he was wrapped around Alinore’s finger.

After he had finished answering her question, she paused for a moment and opened up a new avenue of discussion. “I will admit, Captain Woodwick, that I do have another reason for seeking your company today besides offering my congratulations.” Alinore paused, letting the words and the subject change sink in. “As I recall, at open court, you were interested in seeking my counsel. Is that still the case?” Another pause. “I ask because I find now that I have one matter - nothing too serious, I assure you - that I should like to bring to your attention.“

“Wonderful.” Despite the coils of satisfaction that his expected confirmation brought her, her tone didn’t change with the acknowledgement. Her smile, however, was faintly warmer, a show of relief as calculated as every word she spoke. After all, something had to conceal with anticipatory glee that had risen within her now that they had arrived at the real reason for her visit.

Knowing that he would wait for her to speak, Alinore let a momentary silence fall as if she had to collect her thoughts. Then she paused in their leisurely stroll and turned to face her companion fully, looking up to hold his gaze with her hands folded neatly in front of her. “Captain Woodwick, I had the pleasure of encountering Officer Aldrich Abbott a short time ago. I believe he is a man under your purview?” She kept her tone light and inviting and would wait for his answer before continuing her explanation.

“He had taken on the task of catching a wayward sheep that was meant to be sold at the market.” There was a momentary pause in which she silently invited him to consider the value of an officer who wasted his time and energy performing a job better suited for an inexperienced recruit. But that was hardly the point of this discussion. “He was having a rather difficult time with it and seemed quite flustered. In fact, he was so distressed that he forgot how to properly address a lady such as myself.” Her voice did not hold any hints of accusation or reproach as she made this observation. After all, this was merely a minor concern that she had deemed fit to bring to a superior officer’s attention.

How fortunate it was that said officer felt as strongly as he did about addressing ladies such as herself with the respect they were owed.

“Now, I am not here on my behalf,” Alinore continued, gracious. She was accustomed to playing in a viper’s nest where every action and word was scrutinized. While she highly doubted the Captain beside her capable of such analysis, she offered an explanation as a precaution, lest he dare consider her motives clouded by any personal vendettas. “I consider myself quite forgiving; after all, who among us does not have challenging days?” Though, of course, none of hers had been caused by a farm animal. “Rather, I am merely concerned for the possibility of this behavior’s recurrence. Since Princess Ophelia has returned to us, we can expect to have more frequent guests from Arynn Frey, including members of the Llwellyn family.”

Another pause. “I’m confident you understand my interest in the matter, Captain Woodwick.” Her expression shifted into one of concern. “To our allies, the conduct of every ranking official in His Majesty’s military is a reflection upon the King, and I should hate for a breach in etiquette with someone less understanding to result in a diplomatic incident.”

With games such as these, the reception of her words was just as important as the delivery. Alinore watched Captain Woodwick as she delivered her well-disguised complaint, eyes drinking the nuances of his nearly unreadable features as they danced across his expression. What she saw pleased her. When she had reminded Officer Abbott that her world of false smiles and genteel backstabbing was a battleground of its own accord, she hadn’t been exaggerating.

The men of Nevermere always seemed to forget that the true power of their kingdom lay not in the swing of their swords but in words.

The right words uttered by a single witch at the proper moment could cause far more damage on any battlefield than any man could hope to achieve with a blade. In this, however, Alinore hardly needed to go to such lengths for retribution. Though her magic was an indisputable power, she saw no reason to lift a finger herself when she could so easily convince an eager-to-please captain to do the work for her. Indeed, that was power in its own right.

As gracious and attentive as ever, she listened to the captain’s words and offered him a smile, genuinely gratified though likely not for the reasons he suspected. “Your apology is appreciated and, of course, accepted, Captain Woodwick,” She replied with a nod of her own. “And I, in turn, wish to express my gratitude for your willingness to listen and understand my concern.” Alinore could think of many men who would have disregarded her. “I shall entrust the resolution of this matter to your capable hands and, with your reassurance that such an incident will not repeat itself, think of it no more.”

When he invited her to continue walking, she would oblige with a nod, metaphorically and literally doing as she promised and leaving their previous topic behind. His words piqued her own curiosity. “I am in no hurry,” She told him, head tilted upward to meet his gaze. “And I could hardly deny you your opportunity to speak when have so patiently listened to my thoughts, Captain.” A polite smile, before she invited him to carry on, “Please, continue.”

Martin Heroux. Alinore recognized the name. A frequent face around court, he was one on the endless list of men whose company she tolerated because she had to. Certain family names carried enough influence that they required some level of deference, and though a Heroux was no Thornhill, his family’s social standing still demanded acknowledgement from her. While the nobleman himself was far from the worst offender court had to offer, he held a shade of the same attitude as nearly every man who walked across those stone floors.

Despite participating in a court where only male voices were invited to speak, some liked to claim a certain open-mindedness with regards to equal treatment of the sexes in politics. Women were clearly not without power - after all, the King’s Hand was a witch, as were all his Ministers of Foreign Affairs - so why would any witch in court think otherwise?

Life as a woman in Nevermere was exhausting in a way that men would never understand.

Suffice to say that Alinore understood perfectly the perspective - or lack thereof - to which Warren Woodwick was alluding, but as to whether she was interested in advising the girl herself? “It would be my pleasure, Captain Woodwick.” Just like it would be her pleasure to use this favor to wrap him that much more tightly around her finger. A smile that, as always, betrayed nothing of an ulterior motive accompanied the nod with which she accepted his request. “Given your position, I expect you know as well as I that time invested in our younger generations is time invested in the future of our kingdom. In what better way can we secure Nevermerean might than by preparing our youth to one day step into our shoes?”

A quiet, thoughtful hum. Arynn Frey, of course, would be the ideal kingdom for the girl to visit if her interests lay in foreign affairs. Despite what Alinore had led the captain to believe, their alliance with the Llewelyn family was far too secure for the bumbling of a man like Abbott to cause considerable damage. The young Lady Heroux could learn what she needed to without worrying about the tensions that plagued Coheed and Cambria. “When does she leave for Arynn Frey? If we are to correspond primarily through writing, I should think it prudent to meet with her, at least once, prior to her departure.” It was, after all, far easier to gain the measure of a person through conversation than it was through text, and Alinore liked knowing exactly who she was dealing with.

I am most assuredly in your debt, he said.

See that you remember it, Alinore did not say.

Any other man might have received the reminder and veiled threat neatly wrapped into five little words, but such displays of authority, though satisfying, were hardly necessary with the man beside her. Instead, she turned and granted him the small, reassuring smile of an acquaintance ostensibly pleased that she could perform such a favor.

To the backdrop of water gently lapping at the wooden posts of the dock, she strolled beside the captain toward the ocean and delicately told him that she did indeed anticipate an uptick of work within the next few weeks, but subsequently offered the reassurance that she would find a time to meet with his niece. After all, it wouldn’t do to keep the young lady in Nevermere for longer than necessary – though Captain Woodwick’s opinion of necessary likely differed from Alinore’s own thoughts. While his new position in the military made him one of the more powerful men in the kingdom, she had no intentions of prioritizing this courtesy to the captain over more important obligations. Let that be a first, free lesson to Miss Heroux.

For all of the differences between the two kingdoms, the sea that graced both of their shores shared enough similarities that Alinore had learned to find comfort in the ocean, the sound of its waves, and its salty sea breezes. When, in Arynn Frey, she found herself longing for the familiar comforts of Nevermere, the Minister of Foreign Affairs would make for the cliff walk or the beaches of Elyusian, and the cool wind that now tugged at her long, dark hair reminded her of such times. For a moment, she closed her eyes and simply breathed, idly listening to the captain speak of his niece as if he were still trying to impress Alinore enough to agree to his request.

Perhaps he simply did not realize that if the men in the Woodwick family were as simple as him, it would hardly take much for any proper woman to establish superiority over her male relatives.

With delicate fingers, she tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear and offered him another smile as a touch of humor entered her voice. “Who among us does not see the best in our own blood?” Alinore, for one. “But perhaps some bias can be excused, Captain Woodwick, when one’s relatives are as remarkable as your own. I have seen how the court holds your sister, Lady Heroux, in high esteem, and I have no doubt that any daughter of hers is equally impressive.”