675-08-26 - Laying down the law for Avaline
| Laying down the law for Avaline | |||||||
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| Summary: Alajos and Avaline discuss Woriscant Law | |||||||
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The sun is low in the afternoon sky and the shadows are lengthening over Woriscant. Duke Alajos had kept himself busy in the study with boring stuff like, y'know, actually running the Duchy. Some clamour in the courtyard had alerted him to the fact that a travel party has arrived and soon enough he is informed that the Lady Avaline has arrived back. He knows he should go downstairs to welcome her back, but he is rather convinced that she doesn't really want to see him immediately after her long journey. Perhaps she'll eat and bathe first. Or even sleep first. Whatever. Yet, he is uncertain of what to do and can't focus on work anymore. So he paces the room, stopping by the window every so often to see what's happening below in the courtyard.
The time away to see to arranging what needed to be seen to, her belongs packed and ready to be sent along and family to be seen after having been away so long. And there was her cousin's little charity thing. But it had all come to pass and Avaline had to return to Woriscant, there was a wedding day that was growing ever closer. While her things would not properly arrive til later, well those beyond the 'essentials' that is, there was still a few trucks and attendents to be seen scurrying about. Thee young Lady herself having only been glimpsed straight off. Perhaps she'd gone to see how her rooms were progressing, or simply to the guest rooms to freshen up. Or not finding him arriving to greet her, assumed he was again in a mood where he wished nothing to do with her. All the same, there came a knock upon his study, a servant whom offered up,"The Lady Avaline to see you, Your Grace, if you are not busy."
Alajos had been staring out across the forests when the knock pulls him out of his thoughts and he nods to the servant. "Of course, certainly.", he says, a little surprised and perhaps secretly even pleased that she came to see him so soon after her arrival. He'll turn back from the window fully to face the door, hands clasped in front of him. He isn't dressed to the nines but not slobbily either in well-cut black trousers, polished back boots and a simple white shirt. The coat having been relegated to a peg on the wall. When she enters, he even manages a little smile. "Lady Avaline, it's good to see you again. I wondered if you had seized your chance to run away."
The servant bows before withdrawing and Lady Avaline is not long after appearing at the door. A courtsey gracefully given. A few moments having been taken to freshen up, but she yet wears the simpliar attire common to take to for travel. Not that she had ever seemed to quite show a habit of being...overly dressy. "Duke Alajos," a little smile coming in return," I thought I should come let you know, I had returned." Not that he wouldn't have discovered that well enough on his own. "I am not one to simply run away, Your Grace, from...what may be a difficult undertaking." There really was no sugar coating it, finding their way in this marriage would not be the smoothest. "It would have seemed poor of me, I think as well, to have done so....considering when I had departed, we had both spoken words of how would would try. Unless you have come to think otherwise while I was away?" Some thought that perhaps he had changed his mind again about it all. Not that it wasn't a political match and all.
"No no...", Alajos assures her quickly, shaking his head. He pauses for a moment and actually swallows before he adds: "I have been looking forward to your return... Avaline." Dropping the 'Lady' again now he knows her intention is to stay and see this through. "When you had gone from here it was like a ray of sunshine being swallowed by the clouds. I hope you had a good journey?", he asks, gesturing for her to take a seat if she so wishes.
For better or worse, it does seem to be her intention. A small incline of her head comes when he is quick to assure her that he'd not changed his mind. Avaline's brows rise with a touch of surprise at the words he adds, softly inquiring,"You were?" There is just a touch of color that rises to her cheeks as he speaks such flattering words, that her absence had seemed such a thing. "It was a good journey, the trip home was made more pleasant by the things you had put together. And everyone was quite delighted by being able to try the various food you had sent with me, Alajos." Drifting to take the offered seat, a hand lightly smoothing her skirts. "How have you been? Have....things been progressing smoothly here?" And as they aren't married....yet....there is that maid to be found settling in near the door, and surely a Brais guard or two outside it.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, yada yada. And that maid might just be sent to fetch up some wine for them both or at least find a servant to delegate the Duke's wishes too. "Unless you'd rather go and freshen up first after the journey.", he adds, even though she's already been sitting down. "Things here have been... the usual, I suppose.", he shrugs and looks towards the desk where scrolls and papers are piling high. "Work on your chambers has progressed though and I hope you will find them pleasing..."
"I am fine for now, though I should likely freshen and change before dinner, but there is time yet for that." The maid nodding and stepping to see the request sent along, she's seen the two together....it's not like there is truly much chance for something to occuring in the short minutes it'll take to give the request along. Avaline's pale eyes drift to look at the pile of scrolls and papers. "It does seem there is always something that needs to be done in running any household. Perhaps....after, " the wedding of course," there will be some things I can be shown and can help with to make it...less for you?" There is a mild pause, some remembrance,"I spoke with your sister, Duchess Ortensa, when I was back home. She has offered to...aid me, in learning as well." Afterall Avaline was quite young yet. "I am certain they shall turn out fine, your staff has fine skills at seeing things accomplished."
Careful, Ava, you'll end up with ALL the work in your lap. Not that Alajos would say that (or even think it). "If you would like to try your hand at speaking law, you are welcome. Most of this are petty squabbles...", he sighs, nodding towards the pile of scrolls, "Petitions from commoners... neighbour stole a sow, neighbour doesn't maintain the road, neighbour's horse shits on their lawn and so on...", he explains wearily, not caring about the language he lets slip. Though he does look rather alarmed when the name of his sister is mentioned. "You... met Ortensia?"
After the tournament....Ava has a sneaking suspicion she'll end up with most everything in her lap anyways. He did try to foust the tournament planning upon her afterall. "I...have not tackled law before, perhaps with some teaching, I could begin to handle the more petty matters. A steward perhaps, if you would not have time to take fto give such training." There is only a slight rise of a brow at his language, though truly....perhaps not all bad...if he's gotten comfortable enough? Avaline nods slowly,"Yes, I met the Duchess Ortensia. She requested to meet and speak with me, she is fond of you and seemed to wish to make sure you were not being saddled with a foul harpy that would make you miserable."
"Ah, dear old Ortensia, always looking out for me.", Alajos replies. Is that an undertone of sarcasm? "Well, I'm glad you have met her and that you... got along?" The rising tone implies it is actually a question. "Cousin Ralph knows the law well and so does my steward. If you wish to, you are always welcome to join me here... take a first-hand look at things perhaps?", he wonders, nodding towards the pile.
"We managed well enough, " notes Avaline. A faint pause before she does also not,"I am sure she was also trying to take measure of me and my political bearings. As she did also inquire to who my enemies were." The politics that never truly end in a nobles life, whether they wish to give them attention or not. Glancing towards the pile,"Perhaps some lessons may be good first, as I would not wish to....frustrate you with questions. Though to gain knowledge of your preferences, would be good."
"Preferences?" That has Alajos look up for a moment, seemingly confused. Then he realizes that she is talking about the piles of scrolls. "Well... uh. I try to be lenient.", he explains, "Times have been hard on the population, I do not wish to add to anyone's suffering. Unless THEY make THEIR neighbours' lives a misery. But certainly, we can sit together and go through a couple of cases. There was an interesting one today..." He gets to his feet to start rummaging around the scrolls and papers until he seems to almost have forgotten her presence.
Yes, those preferences...cause the others...yeah, she'll not be asking about them. Nope. Avaline nodding a touch as she listens, watching as she rummages about the scrolls. "What was it about," she inquires?" It also seeming to allow time enough for that wine to actually be brought along for them.
"Ah, here it is...." Alajos finally finds a paper and returns to the seating area with it. "A man came with the following complaint: He had married a woman who had brought a fine piece of land with her into the marriage. They created a garden to feed the family which had soon grown by three children. Then the woman left the man and married the neighbour who had been recently widowed and who had apparently made googoo-eyes at her. Now the woman demands the garden to be returned to her, while the jilted husband claims it has become his when they married and it is needed to feed him and the children. So how would you judge? What matters more? That a woman's possessions remain hers and are hers to take away again when a marriage breaks up or a family's right - children's rights - to keep what should be theirs now since they should not be punished for their mother's egoistical behaviour?" Having presented the conundrum to her, he reaches for the wine glass and takes a sip.
Avaline listens to the matter to be decided, there is a bit of a frown of thought that comes, it was no simple and clear matter. "If it were a man who had brought the land into the marriage, the decision would seem clear to all and it decided that it was his then to also keep when the marriage ended." But it is of course not a man, so everything changes. "I should have question first, I think on to whether it was truly the woman's land, or if it was her family's and given on to the husband in question as part of the marriage contract that had been agreed upon. To know this would give better insight to whom the land truly had belonged to. Assuming the woman somehow did come to own land herself, the garden was a work of both of theirs, least I assume. Thus is a work of both, the years that have passed make it no longer fully hers. " Speaking through her thoughts on it slowly, the matter was new to her after all. A sip of wine taken. "I think in the end, it is more between the woman and her ability to still support herself and seeing to her children fed. Thus if the land was the woman's, I should say it would remain hers, but that just because she might prefer another as husband this does not allow her to no longer have responsiblites to the children. Thus must yet give a portion of the produce reapped from the garden over to the feeding of her children."
Alajos remains silent while she speaks, a little smile playing around his lips. "I am not surprised you would side with the female.", he finally says softly, "But you also take the children's needs into consideration... which shows your sense of justice, Avaline." He lets that sink in for a moment and drinks more wine, before continueing. "But what of the deserted husband? He's lost his wife, he's alone with three children... would he not deserve some sort of compensation if the land itself is returned to the woman?", he asks.
A faint smile comes when Alajos speaks of not being surprised, and giving the bit of praise for having a sense of justice. Drawing a small sip or two of wine before giving a nod to his words. "Aye, but I am not certain it is the woman whom should give such compensation, while it is her responsibility to yet see to the welfare of her children, it is the neighbor whom has taken away the wife and her land to replace the one he had lost. I believe it is he who should be tasked to give compensation to the man he has thusly wrong. " Even if she might side with the woman and it being her property, Avaline is still keenly aware that women themselves are still in some way a form of property. And well the neighbor did start it all by making googoo-eyes and seeking to tempt the woman away.
Again, Alajos nods, clearly pleased by her words. "why, Avaline, I don't think you will need a great deal of learning... you show a sense of justice that comes naturally and cannot be acquired by studying written words. I believe this is well-spoken and will just be what I decide to rule. What kind of compensation would you suggest for the jilted husband?", he asks curiously. Surely the rotten neighbour hasn't some other woman tucked away somewhere he can hand over.
There had been that slight uncertain look after she'd spoken, Avaline uncertain if her thoughts were quite right, least right by his eyes. It eases away as he seems pleased, a touch of a smile even coming. The new question brings about another thoughtful look,"Perhaps some percentage of his earnings for each year the pair had been married before he stole the woman away? Or similar, that would be appropriate for what sort of work he does." As indeed, if he had other women tucked away, he'd not have needed to steal his neighbor's wife!
"I believe he is a farrier...", Alajos replies, though sounding not too certain, then chuckles. "Perhaps he could pay the other man in horse shoes? When it doubt, have them come up with a suggestion themselves.", he recommends, "You will often find them more generous than you had thought - mainly out of relief that a resolution is at hand and they can buy their peace and quiet. Also, it saves a lot of thinking on my part..." He points towards a shelf of heavy leather-bound tomes on a shelf behind the desk. "If you wish, you can read through these... they contain judgements spoken by my father, his father and his father before him." Four generations of stuffy jurisprudence. Joy.
There is a slight 'ah' from Avaline," Then perhaps it may bee at least interesting to see what the man himself suggests? " Her eyes going to the tomes he points out. A little light reading there. "I would think there to be some wise judgements to be found within them, perhaps as I have time. " Or cannot sleep and have need for aide in finding it.
"Yes... judgement spoken by wiser men than me.", Alajos agrees. Which isn't really hard. He places the paper down on the table with an apologetic expression. "I shouldn't have bothered you with this though, you must be weary from the journey.", he decides. And after all, she has only a little dainty female brain! "Would you like for the servants to start preparing a hot bath for you? Then I shall bring these dreadful things here to a close and you can tell me all about your journey over dinner?"
"Wise men become wise by learning from those before them, from their own days, you will be so wise as well," a gentle encouragement, Avaline knew it was rather a role he'd been thrown into rather then trained for. There is a turn of a smile, a slight admission,"It was a bit much to think over after such a trip. And a hot bath to soak in before dinner does sound like it would be quite a delight. I am sure, I would look less a fright after as well. " Some hint of shyness perhaps showing for a moment, actually caring how she looks for him! The world must be ending. "I will see you then at dinner, Alajos?"
"You always look lovely, Avaline.", he mumbles as if he's just lost all his teeth and being very busy with the paper he's picked up from the table again. Then he looks up at her again, managing a shy smile. "Yes, Avaline. You shall. And I look forward to it." The world is ending indeed.
There is a blink, a glance as if Avaline is checking to see if she heard right, and of course a fine bit of blushing. Her eyes looking away rather quickly again as he busies himself with the papers. The last of the wine sipped and the goblet set aside before she seeks to rise. A soft little smile offered to him, her hand just briefly brushing his,"As would I, Alajos." The young woman moving to take her leave. Her maid following her along, surely torn between being pleased the two are making progress....and disapproving of it, since it might require a closer eye on the two!
