Octavian, a silken spaniel, Ruslana Stormshead, an aide in Kennex livery, 2 Kennex corsairs arrive, following Zoey.

Captain Curls, an attentive, ebony guard poodle, Aspira arrive, following Quenia.

Micana, an efficient assistant, 1 Saik Guard arrive, following Lucita.

(OOC)The scene set/room mood is now set to: The room is set up for dinner, with tables arranged for optimum seating. For appetizers there is choice between stuffed olives or lobster bisque. Dinner is a choice between fresh braised lamb with red wine and prunes or seared scallops, with a choice of red potatoes or summer vegetables. Raspberry chocolate cups or creme brulee are the options for dessert.

Lucita strolls into the family dinner, a bit tired looking, a faint hint of the sea about her. "Sorry for being late. I just got back from a trip with the Grimhalls to a trouble spot in the Mourning Isles. Only had time to give hugs to the family and drop my gear before it was time to be here!

Dinner is set in place on various tables throughout the room to be shared. Quenia is seated at the cozy seats by the fire. Servants are busy pouring drinks. She rises whenever someone new arrives to greet them, offering warm smiles and light-hearted greetings.

Ian comes in with Zoey -- or he comes in beside Zoey, but given the way Ian tends to watch his feet when he walks, he always gives off a sense of being alone, even when he's walking with someone.

Zoey is happy to keep pace with Ian as they come in, smiling warmly when Quenia greets them. "Good to see you again, Marquessa," she says. Lucita's words capture her attention. "The Grimhalls, you say? You must tell us all about it over dinner."

Quenia glances over at her cousin, tilting her head a bit, "An intersting visit?" she wonders. She then spies Ian and Zoey entering the dining hall and she offers them each a warm smile. "Lord Ian, Lady Zoey. It's always a pleasure to have you both here at Domis Igniseri. Do please be welcome," she offers, motioning to any numbers of places to settle. There's already a plate of food before Quenia on one of the side tables.

Lucita takes a plate with some of the food and a glass of wine before seating herself. A sip of the wine is taken first before she slowly begins to speak. "We got lucky, the sail there was calm, none of those furious storms we had earlier. We arrived to find the port all but deserted, no workers or dock master, no seamen, no merchants or anything about and in the market was a poster inviting all to come to some sort of a meeting at the manor about 'what' that county would do. I spotted three strange ships at a private dock behind the manor.

Ian waits for Zoey to sit, and then takes a seat beside her. He listens to Lucita as he settles in.

Zoey takes her seat along with stuffed olives and a glass of cool water. She hangs on Lucita's words, nibbling as she listens. "Oh? How were they strange?"

Quenia settles in with her wine and her meal, enjoying the fire on this cold autumn evening. She tilts her head at Lucita's comments, and opens her mouth to say something but Zoey beats her to it. She seems content to just listen for now.

Lucita waggles one hand vaguely. Hard to explain. I don't know the proper terms but the angles and curves were... just different, and the cabin part, masts seemed spaced not like on our ships. Turned out, once we got inside we saw four skal'djain there at the table with Count Piotr Redsea. The count was all angry and getting ready to sign something.

Ian picks at his food while he listens. "Might have been Eurusi ships."

"Given his company, I would think so," Zoey agrees. She smiles to Lucita. "I want to hear what happened next, but after I can tell you of our own dealings with the Skal'dajans."

Lucita says, "They had persuaded the Count to abandon the Compact and become one of their... vassals. They promised him expanded land, and revenge on someone who killed one of his Scholars.. I think maybe kinsman here in Arx and was never caught. Duke Valdamar said he never received a message from the count and it took some fancy talking on behalf of us all to persuade him to hold off signing and to support the compact once more. I was able to help a little but am so ashamed. I tried singing the Song of the Sentinel, to remind him Justice comes from the Sentinel, one of our Gods. Only... my instrument.. did not fare well in the sea humidity and where it had been stored was so damp.. its mellow voice was a screech, horrible. But ... with the effort of all, we managed to succeed."

"Oh no!" says Zoey. "The damage was not permanent, was it? Well, if you only just returned, you may not know just yet."

Lucita says, "To the instument? I don't know yet. I've got it at the woodworking shop being checked over. They think maybe the neck warped and will need replacing but we shall see. They want to get it dried out thoroughly while in some clamps or something. But I have others, thankfully."

Ian continues to listen politely, while sipping from a glass of wine.

Lucita says, "But enough talk from me." She eyes her plate with a little grin and starts eating. "My turn to listen to what has been happening with you all!"

Zoey nods. "That is good that it can be fixed. I know that is not always the case." She sips her drink. "Well, Ian and I just recently returned from a County called Songsorrow. As it turned out, they were dealing with their own issues with Skal'dajan infiltrators."

Ian nods along wit what Zoey says, although he seems to be letting her tell the story.

Lucita continues to eat her meal though from her expression and the way she watches others it is clear she is paying attention and interested.

"So, some time ago, someone started sabotaging his ships," Zoey continues. "We arrived to find the Count and one of his Barons arguing, and there was a beautifully Eurusi woman with whom the Count was clearly taken. We all sat down to dinner together, and as conversation went on we discovered that she was not in fact from Vel'ichalah, as she claimed, but Skal'daja. When she put a blade to the Count's throat, well, that was that. Princess Natasha Thrax was able to extract information from her, and Lord Griffin was able to help Ian identify and remove her coconspirators."

Ian shakes his head. "I still don't get why she did that."

Lucita says, "Oh...wow. That was a lot more exciting than what happened with us. There may be consequences though. As the four Skal'daja left... they seemed to study those of our group... memorizing who we were as if taking note of us for ... later."

Zoey frowns at that. "I certainly hope they were just trying to intimidate you on the way out, but all the same, I hope you are taking precautions." She fills her plate with braised lamb and red potatoes. "I do not fully understand her motivations either."

Lucita slows her eating down and finally sets the fork aside. A final sip of wine is taken. "It sounds... horrible to have had happen. You said knife to throat... did he survive or did you have to deal with her as a killer?

Ian raises his eyebrows. "She just... didn't kill him. She slashed another guy who was there and then tried to run by me and leave."

"I like to think that somewhere inside she thought better of it, or maybe that she even cared about him, and decided just to run instead," Zoey admits with a sigh. "But life is not a romance novel."

Lucita shakes her head. "Very strange. I hope some useful information was found out from her and that the noble who was threatened realizes his own danger.

Captain Curls, an attentive, ebony guard poodle, Aspira leave, following Quenia.

3 Scarlet Phoenix Guard arrives, following Yelana.

Lucita is seated at the table, her meal seemingly finished, wine goblet almost empty as she watches Ian and Zoey speaking, her attention focused on them.

Ian rubs his forehead for a moment. "Count Lostsong's a little young for the responsibility that he's got. Maybe he grows into it, maybe not."

Yelana enters the room, slipping through the doors, pauses a moment. "I must have missed another family dinner." She offers a smile, "Good to see everyone." She makes a move to where some wine is kept.

"He is a Kennex cousin. We could always offer help," Zoey points out. "Especially once Helianthus is dealt with. I suspect that whole branch of fealty will need assistance." She nods to Lucita. "She at least gave up who a month the Eurusi were working with her so we could sort them out." She looks up to Yelana. "Lady Yelana! Glad you could join us. The lamb is very good. Come have some!"

Lucita just a small group this time. I barely got back in time from that diplomatic mission I assisted the Grimhalls with in the Mourning Isles. It went alright but Lady Zoey and Lord Ian, do tell Cousin Yelana what happened with you all, that was much more exciting to hear about.

Ian shakes his head to Zoey. "Given who his liege is, us getting involved would probably do more harm than good." He nods to Yelana.

Wine in hand, Yelana heads towards the table. She fixes herself a bit of the Lamb, "Yes, do tell, I feel like I miss alot of the outside world while lost in the stacks."

Lucita simply makes a little gesture of the hand to encourage Zoey to speak up while she smiles and gives Yelana a quick hug when she is near enough to do so.

"Only for now. After may be different," Zoey tells Ian. She smiles to Yelana. "It seems the Eurusi have resorted to trickery to convince some of the Isles houses to join them and Helianthus. They were sabotaging ships and trying to blame the Compact."

Lucita says, "And offering vengence against Arx for failing to find a Scholar's killer."

Yelana's eyes widen a bit, "And are these lies still believed? Or are the islands starting to leave that alliance?" She nibbles absently at the food before her.

Lucita says, "The count we spoke with was so angry he was blind to anything else. It took a group effort to calm him enough to reconsider."

"And once we exposed the Eurusi woman as a liar, it was easy to win over Count Lostsong." There is a moment where Zoey looses the proper rigidity of her posture, and she looks at Ian before addressing the group again. "Forgive me, it was not my intent to eat and run, but... I am rather tired. I should probably return home."

Ian braces on the table and uses it to push to his feet. "We only just got back to Arx, too. It was good to see you again, Baroness."

A smile, "Well it was delightful to see you all again, welcome back everyone." Yelana stands, to see everyone out.

Octavian, a silken spaniel, Ruslana Stormshead, an aide in Kennex livery, 2 Kennex corsairs leave, following Zoey.

Zoey leaves, following Ian.

Lucita watches Ian and Zoey leave then looks toward Yelana tiredly. "I haven't even unpacked yet, wanted to do it myself since Jatal is busy helping Quenia and Micana is busy with another project. I best be getting home, too.