Lion Head Mesa not the same without you here [wp]

Set any time during the party, in the main party area <3

Aquene was admittedly excited to be leading the expedition to Akashingo. She had heard of the Mesa extensively, and yet never set paws there herself until this moment. She had left the kids under @Towhee’s watchful eyes. Weddings were such a joyous occasion, even if Mereo did not hold them with such pomp and circumstance. It was the way of the soldier to do so, Aquene was aware, but it was nice to take time to enjoy and celebrate the unions that were brought together.

It also felt like quite the event for the Matrona to attend... more civilian. She could only imagine Germanicus' discomfort if he had gone in her stead to this festival of sorts... the idea almost made her chuckle.
 
She remained at the party for some time, wishing in that moment that her husband might have been able to join her… time away from the children, away from many of the responsibilities that Mereo had brought… but alas, his absence due to the mission that Germanicus had set him on echoed in her heart. It had caused her to remain at the edges of the dancefloor, open to idle talk and feasting but partaking less in the movements that lingered.

ramesses did not know this woman. she was not the lady ruenna, with her noticeable limp; she wore the rank of matrona but was not wife to the imperator.
pharaoh was pointedly interested, and now alight with drink; the crowds parted for him as he strode directly toward the leader of the roman pack.
"lady aquene," he purred in silken, courtiers' tone when he had reached her side. "come and walk with me a moment. it is good to meet the new matrona of mereo."

Aquene supposed she should not have been surprised when Ramesses approached her, given the nature of her position and how they had never met before this occasion, a polite smile on her features as she dipped her head in both respect and greeting. “Pharaoh, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She offered cordially, attempting to suppress the nerves of meeting a foreign diplomat for the first time within her new rank.
 
“Of course. And congratulations on your nuptials.” She offered, her smile relaxing from the cordial and polite manner into the more comfortable and genuine nature she tended to carry. Conversation was not so hard, right? “And the Imperator sends his best as well, along with the rest of Mereo.” She had not heard much in terms of the pack between the death of the old queen, the investigation leading into it, and the trip for the royal wedding. “I wish my own children had been able to attend. I imagine they would have had quite a bit of fun but alas they are still a little too young for such a trip.”

pharaoh enjoyed aquene upon his proverbial arm, as they took a turn around the outskirts of the party where she had already lingered. noting how she spoke at once of the imperator, he took this to mean that the good lady was not so secured in the role as she would be with him here.
a projection?
"i assure you, the pleasure is mine."
ramesses settled into the winsome game he loved greatly: prising upon a figure new to the cunning nature of his perfect court. a fellahin paused, offering the royal and his guest a selection of the prepared berries. and he took a goodly amount. "you are a busy woman. matrona, mother, and diplomat." he allowed his voice to be admiring. "you did not mention a husband. why did he not join you tonight?"

They began to move, Aquene accepting a few berries, conserving herself before chuckling softly at his words. “Primarily a healer, diplomacy is still somewhat new to me, as is the role of mother. I was the pack’s medicus for quite some time before Germanicus asked me to be Matrona in Ruenna’s stead. My children were born just a few months back. Your healer, Qiao, assisted with their delivery so I would not have to oversee my own care.” She explained to him, assuming the details were fairly public knowledge, particularly after she had acted as consult to Germanicus when it came to the medical knowledge behind the murder of Ramesses’s former wife.
 
“My husband, Kallik, is away on business for Mereo, I am afraid. It is a long trip and he was not able to make it back in time for the festivities.” With it came the pangs of sadness, the opening missing of the man. It still felt so crazy, knowing a year ago she never would have dreamed of being in a pack or married much less having twins to chase after or acting as Matrona for Mereo whilst Ruenna sought out more advanced treatments for her pain.

ramesses knew she was not accomplished at courtfare; she gave much away. in one fell swoop she revealed that ruenna had stepped down, which pharaoh was pleased to take as implication his marriage too was in the same way. furthermore, her own husband was gone, and it seemed far away.
at what did the roman dog play?
ramesses studied her expressions, the play of them upon her exquisite face. "what did you make of our festivities, matrona?" he inquired. "i am pleased that lady qiao was able to help you in your hour of need. what she has brought to the palace has been invaluable."
he continued to walk. "are you familiar with our physician, tavina?"

She supposed it was one of the many downsides to the way she had been raised; there had been no measure of tact or secrecy, no spies to root out information… only soldiers and war. The information did not matter because on the battlefield, who was married to whom would not help them in any way… at least, not in the ways of the Bratva.
 
“They are quite grand; I must admit I have never attended such a celebration as this before. I have been enjoying myself and I’ve seen even some of our coldest soldiers enjoying them as well. I was hoping I might see Qiao today, to see how she has fared since we last spoke but I am afraid I have not seen her yet.” It was easier for wolves like Tierra than wolves like Reyson, but everyone seemed to find their own ways to celebrate. “I am not familiar, I am afraid. My duties as medicus have kept me mostly within the confines of Mereo, so I have not had the pleasure of meeting physicians from other packs.” That was something that would be changing, she was aware.

ramesses found poor aquene so formal; he wanted to say something to rattle her. but of course she was; the lady was far from mereo, representing her pack and without germanicus. he too would have liked to see the imperator here, uncomfortable and ripe for teasing.
"a feast such as this can only bring happiness. and the lady qiao is traveling. i believe she will return."
their path began to circle the crowd once more.
"perhaps you will see her while you are here. there is another wedding to be had, another two or three days of festivities." his blue eyes smouldered a moment. "i would like to see you here for it all. and perhaps at some point you will enjoy lunch with myself and the queen."
he heaped honours about her, garlands of golden looks and necklaces of amber words; and waited for her to falter, testing the woman that germanicus had sent as representative.

The stiff formality came naturally to Aquene. Only a few had managed to break through and pull the more carefree side from her: her husband, Towhee, Ruenna… occasionally Tamar and Arsenio when they could pull her from her work, and then when she would come to tease Germanicus. The stiff formality was an intrinsic part of her being that would not waver, not even as they circled the crowd and she caught the hints in his voice, the way his eyes smouldered as they peered at her to send an uncomfortable shiver down her spine.
 
If Kallik were here right now, she had little doubt her husband would be going for his neck… especially given her past dealings with men who were ridiculously full of themselves and the loyalty that she and her husband shared to each other.
 
She had told him then, and if she were there, she would tell him now: she could fight her own battles. “The entourage from Mereo will be remaining for the rest of festivities, Pharaoh. Such a sacred union between two individuals, and their loyalty to each other, deserves celebration, and Mereo is honored to take part in the festivities.” The words were pointed this time, her smile falling back to a more polite nature in turn.

ah, there it was; some little fire. some redirection. ramesses was piqued but deferred in silent change of their discourse. yet his lazuli eyes remained admiring, for he did not know if she knew the ways of the palace. yet he would not lecture her on them. "akashingo is pleased to have the alliance of so strong a pack. i had thought to make germanicus my royal chief tactician. but it seems his tastes run to the rough."
and did his tastes run to aquene? did the roman displace her husband for himself? ramesses doubted it; a story of such intrigue and deception and romance was far too nuanced for the latin dog, who preferred to eke out children onto cold stone and had married not into nobility but for normalcy's sake.
"i will send an invitation to you in the days to come, matrona." his smile glowed as they stopped and he gave a small bow.

There was something almost… familiar about his mannerisms, the way he carefully poked and pried and yet she could not place where precisely she had seen the behavior before. She had been made aware of the customs of Akashingo, surely, but she knew the man was also well-read on the strict regiment of Mereo, and Aquene had no intention of straying from her husband and the loyalty she carried for him regardless of the role she had taken up. “Yes, the Imperator certainly has his own way of doing things… though strategy has always been his forte. He would have made a good tactician for your court has his interests not led him to the canyon.” She could concede that. She did not always agree either, but it hardly felt like something to bring up to someone outside of the pack.
 
“I look forward to it, Pharaoh.” She offered simply, a polite smile as she dipped her head in a bow. “For now, however, I should return to my delegation.” It was where she felt more comfortable, around those she knew and was familiar with. A part of her was saddened to hear that Qiao, at least for now, would not be in attendance. She had hoped to see the woman and speak with her. “And once again, congratulations.”