Adeline had sequestered herself at the end of a table in the dining room, having come in late from that mornings training session. Mostly everyone had had their lunch and were already away continuing the rest of their duties for the day, and for that she was grateful. She needed the silence.

But she also needed her food, and that seemed to also be missing. Pulling over a second chair to prop her legs up on, she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the door to the kitchens. She was still staring directly at it when Xanthe would emerge from it, carrying the tray of food in her arms.

The anger in her gaze cooled slightly with intrigue at the sight of the girl as she tracked her all the way to the table. She didn't speak as the food was laid out before her and Xanthe questioned if she needed anything else. Instead, she finally dropped her gaze to her food and drink, surveying it before she picked up a fork, speared a potato, and popped it into her mouth. As she chewed, she looked to Xanthe once more, swallowing before she would speak again, a small smile now playing on her lips.

"Xanthe, right? The girl Hiram brought home from Tribute." She surveyed her once before popping another potato in her mouth. "So, Hiram decided to finally keep you, did he?" she asked around the food in her mouth.

She looked Xanthe from head to toe, still absently chewing on the food the girl had brought her. She was quite pretty, around her own age certainly. And she didn't seem overly terrified of speaking with the young Queen, which was a rare commodity indeed.

Taking her feet off the second chair, she pushed it out a bit and motioned towards it with her fork. "Sit, let us chat a bit." If Xanthe took the seat offered her, Adeline would slide a small plate further between them that held some pieces of fresh fruit, a peace offering of sorts.

"Hiram does indeed have his moments of kindness. Not that anyone could blame him for wanting to keep you around." She cast a glance at Xanthe again. "Does he have you doing anything specific now that you're living here with us?"

She watched Xanthe as the Dresmondi plucked up a piece of fruit and ate it, the enjoyment at that small morsel plain on the woman's face. A small smile came to Adeline's face, pleased by Xanthe's evident gratitude.

She paused in her own chewing at Xanthe's request, eyes shifting to the dog-like creature that sat next to her. After a moment's pause, though her nose wrinkled slightly in distaste, she nodded and motioned her approval with the fork in her hand, returning to her own meal. She picked up a piece of bread and dipped it into some of the juice from the roasted meat on her plate.

She hummed thoughtfully, glancing around the empty dining room. "We did already have plenty of servants, I'm sure having you suddenly appear messed with the flow of things." She took another bite from the bread, appearing to think, though the Queen already had something in mind. "Have you ever heard of a handmaiden?" she asked Xanthe. "My previous one... didn't work out. Perhaps you could take her place."

Adeline tsked at Xanthe's bowed head, ripping her remaining bread in half and placing one piece on the plate in front of Xanthe, "Come now, don't pout. Order demands to be interrupted from time to time, otherwise life becomes quite boring."

She sat back to take a few bites of the meat on her plate while she waited, assumedly, for Xanthe to eat the bread she had offered her. Eventually, she hummed, "You would act as my personal servant. You would get your own room closer to mine. I'd see to it that you were actually fed properly. Couldn't have you wasting away or falling ill, after all. This would extend to your dyr too, of course."

Waving her fork towards Xanthe, she added, "And we would have to see about getting you some proper training. Pack some muscle on that small frame and see to it that you know how to use your magic properly." Another pause before she asked, "What is your element, anyway?"

Adeline smiled at the surprised, nodding her head once. "Of course. You must be near so that you can answer my calls quickly, and I could not have you distracted by anyone else."

Deciding she was full, Adeline pushed her plate across the table to Xanthe. It still contained a bit of the meat and vegetables the Queen had been picking at. Motioning for Xanthe to eat her leftovers, Adeline huffed and sat back, picking up her goblet of wine and swirling it. "Well, certainly not the most useful element. But I suppose that's why you were left to a servant's life and not taken for the military."

Taking a sip from her cup, Adeline shrugged, "No matter, we will still see to it that you are trained in combat, if only to put some muscle on your bones." An assessing glance was passed over the Dresmondi's body, the corners of Adeline's lips curling slightly. "Do you have any questions?"

"Good," was Adeline's only comment, "You should always strive to be useful. There's no reason to keep something around that has lost its value." Her lips curled up into a feline smirk, dark humor flashing in her eyes.

But the girl brought up another reason she would be of use, and the darkness shifted to interest as Adeline slowly nodded her head. "Yes, I remember the coat. It was quite nice. I should like to have a few other pieces to match it." Nodding more in earnest now, Adeline rocked back into her chair, "Retrieve your tools. Do be quick about it, as well."

Pushing back her chair, Adeline stood. "I trust you'll clean up after us when you're finished here. I'll have them clean out the room intended for you and then someone will be along to show you where it is." A flash of a more girlish smile, and perhaps even a bit of excitement shone in her blue eyes. "We're going to have such fun together."

With that, Adeline strode out of the mess hall.