Santiana was collecting her wits, spending time sitting in the roaring fireplace as she mulled over recent news she'd received. Her brother was gone, well, she thought he was her brother. She was adopted? She was a member of a family called "Allemeade?" She had so many questions, and no idea who to ask them.

A knock came to the door, loud enough she was able to hear it. Immediately, she scrambled from the fire and attempted to wipe the soot from her face. She always wound up covered in ash when she did this. She would spent a few moments to wash her face while the servants answered the door.

Astor would be given a proper greeting and motioned to follow the servant to the study where Santiana was still trying to clean the soot off. Well, guess he would see, and she would simply be embarrassed, this time. Before the servant could announce Astor's name, she'd simply smile at him, attempting to hide her blush with some of her hair, and say, "You seem in unusually high spirits today. What brought this on?"

Santiana couldn't help the smile that spread on her features at Astor's energy. It was refreshing and certainly something she needed other than a distraction. She even giggled at his sneezing, which was entirely her fault, not that she'd say anything.

"Not the kindling. I was just poking the fire and the log collapsed into the soot. I know I should have let the servant handle it, but I couldn't help it. The fire is far to beautiful to let them have all the fun with it." Perhaps Astor wouldn't know her meaning behind such words, but she wouldn't give him any hints either.

And speaking of hints... "Let's see...you....earned a promotion?" was her first guess.

Staring into fires....sitting in them....same thing. Not that Santiana would say as much out loud. At least not now. "I like to watch the fire dance when I need to think," came the honest answer.

Her gaze had been drawn towards the fire briefly as well as Astor told her to guess again. "Well, if not a promotion.....you....had a growth spurt?" That one was more to tease.

Santiana giggled, then motioned for Astor to stand near the fire with her. She pointed at the logs. "Just look. The fire is not merely a wild animal that consumes and destroys, but it has its own dance, its own job in this world. In nature, it is renewal. Sure things may die, but the diseases they had are consumed along with it, so that the new generation may be even stronger."

She motioned as the fire seemed to rhythmically moved across the log. "And as you see, it has its own best, its own rhythm. Its own dance. The movements are elegant and graceful, and if you sway your body to the movements of the flames, you too would be performing it's dance."

She smiled again. She didn't get to talk much about this stuff with people, usually Gideon, but he was gone now. A bit of sadness was in her eyes briefly, but she shook it off and tapped her chin. "Well, surely there is no way you could be getting married so.....you got a puppy?" More teasing.