Leave it, lunch with Asune sounds complex enough without throwing a Goddess in the works

Sitting in the carriage with Asune is a very different experience compared to sitting in one with Anastasia. Asune sits on her side and never crosses it. But that isn't the biggest difference, the biggest is the conversation.

"You healed very quickly." Asune remarked as the carriage rolled through the academy's gates.

"Just reuniting muscle, skin and a few veins, didn't not much to it." You didn't like the reminder of you recent fight. "How is your arm?"

She holds it out. Her porcelain skin not showing a hint of blemish from the complete break one of her bones had suffered. "Perfect. Would you leave a scar if I asked?" She looked at you with curiosity and you instantly regretted getting in the carriage.

"No." You answer feeling your stomach shift before the carriage hit a bump.

"Ok. I like being around you." She sounded a little uncomfortable herself.

A silence stretched between the two until you could take the discomfort and asked, "Where are we going?"

"My family estate. My mother wanted to meet you before she reached out to your father to discuss your dowry." Asune answered thankful that you resolved the silence but that was not the sort of response you wanted.

Neither Asune nor Vatarie knew you weren't the son of Duke they were still falling for Anastasia's scheme. That dinner at her estate confirmed that much. More importantly for you, if Asune's mother asks the best way to get in contact with your father the scheme will come to a very quick end. "Isn't it a little early to meet your mother?" You asked hoping for a way out of it.

"Yes." Asune answered then look at you waiting.

It took a second for the gears to turn. Going to her estate and meeting her mother were two separate statements. "What are we doing at the estate?"

"I have had the staff prepare a lunch and I have prepared your present." She gave you a happy smile firmly believing that whatever the present was you would like it. Which was a somewhat unsettling prospect. How is that you keep deciding to end things with this woman yet you always end up deeper down the rabbit hole. Were rabbits a thing in this world. You presumed there must be some borrow creature but you haven't studied much of this worlds flora.

You knew you were letting your brain ramble because you were uncomfortable but you didn't really want to focus on this situation so you let the rambling go on for a while. The carriage turned to ride along the road skirting the park at the bottom of the academy's hill. Asune didn't say anything until you reached the end of your mental rambling and looked out to people watch.

"Do you wonder what they are thinking?" She asked looking out your window without leaning over to you. "I can never tell."

You see a mother playing with her children in the park and point at her. "She is probably wondering if her kids will be tried enough after they finish playing to let her rest in the afternoon." You say.

Asune followed you finger and looked at the woman. "How can you tell?"

You smile at her curiosity. "Parents take their kids to parks so kids have space to run about and tire themselves out."

She pondered this for a moment. "What about him." She pointed at a man by one of the vegetable patches.

The man was inspecting what you thought were herbs and didn't have an basket of tool to harvest with him. "He is thinking about the next time he needs to tend to the garden."

Asune seemed fascinated by this and kept pointing at people. She looked both happy and impressed so you didn't have the heart to tell her you were mostly just making things up. As the carriage turned away from the park your little game became rapid fire. With no gentle curve and much closer subjects she would pick someone out and you only have a few seconds to see them and say something. You could use your magic to give yourself more time but that felt like cheating and Asune was having real fun and you liked seeing her faint smile as she marveled at your apparent skill.

When you reached another park the game slowed down and as you started to travel up the hill it ended.

"When we arrive I'll show you around, even though we will be living at your families estate you should know the layout of my ancestral home." Asune said and you almost missed the sentences inbuilt assumption of your marriage. You smile and nod not wanting to tacitly agree to the presumption but not wanting to deny it totally.

When the carriage comes to a stop you follow her out and look at a somewhat familiar building. It looked something like the palace but unlike the palace with its well manicured garden separate from the building, this one had ivy growing along its walls. It still have well manicure gardens but they look a little wilder. A well condition natural growth seemed to be the way to put it. Not many flowers around but lots of greenery that stretched above head height limiting visibility of the full estate grounds from the carriage driveway.

Asune wraps an arm around your waist, the most physical contact she'd initiated. You put your arm around her side and she lifts it to her her shoulder. Together you walk to the estates door and you feel her aura shift. Unlike her usual placid tones now her aura was wrapped around and shifted to resemble the ivy growing along the walls.

"My mother shouldn't be home but she expects the mask." Asune says by way of explanation leaving you wondering if her mother was fully aware of her daughters personality quirks.

When you walk inside you are greeted by a natural decor, lots of dark coloured wood on every surface, plants and paints of plants broke up the expected portraits of ancestors. Asune makes no comment about the room so you don't either. As she leads you up stairs and down a corridor you feel people moving around just out of sight. You presume they are staff but you aren't used to staff avoiding your presence leaving you wondering what Asune has done to warrant that behaviour but not brave enough to question. You had been having something of a nice time in the carriage ride, now you were kinda ruining it yourself. Asune led you to a room with a balcony looking over the estates garden. On the balcony is a small table and the first person you'd seen so far. A short slender man wearing a very tight black cloth tunic and mid thigh length pants, standing in the corner of the room who smiled when he saw Asune.

"Mistress." The man said with a curtsy, there seemed to be much loose allowance of formal greeting in this world, some bowed some curtsy and you mentally rambled. Pulling your focus back to the room Asune led you to the table and you each took a seat. The man walked over and knelled next to Asune. "Your food has been prepared and will be provided when you wish."

Asune looked at you as her hand idly moved to stroke the man's hair. "We will eat now." She said as the man stood up, curtsied and walked out of the room. Asune didn't say anything about that and you decided to just accept it and wonder if all of the staff dress like that.

Very soon after the man left food is brought out and wonder upon wonder, nothing is sweet, not even the water. It is surprising how sick of sweetness you got so quickly but put it down to being bombarded by it. Asune ate in silence but kept watching you as you did as well. "Do you enjoy it?" She asked after a while.

"Glad to not be eating yet more kista drowning my food." You say surprised by the vim in your words.

"I do not under people obsession either." Asune said with a faint smile as she went back to eat. You made small talk for a bit longer. She was better at it now than when she had been in the carriage so you put it down to her now wearing her 'mask'. At the end of the lunch and after some more idle chatter she asked, "Are you ready for your present now?"

Well that's a loaded question if you've ever heard one. You know you shouldn't make assumptions but right now you were assuming the hell out of this present mostly based on the fact that you hadn't seen Rasia, Edin's cousin who may have had a hand in his abduction a few days ago, since that day.