LadyAeldra
02-20-09, 11:48 AM
(Sorry for being gone so long. Life happened and I got a bit out of touch. This thread is just for practice, to help me get back into the swing of things.)
This home was quite beautiful, Aeldra had to admit. True, the sitting room where she now stood was the only room of the mansion she had seen. But it was larger and grander than any room she had ever seen, which was enough to impress her. The dark wood panneling was freshly polished, and seemed to glow with it's own light rather than simply reflecting the light of the lit candlabras on the walls. The hand-carved furniture was crafted from the same dark wood as the walls, and was all covered in blue velvet, even the bookshelves in the far corner. The floors were made of a dark, cold stone, an unusual contrast to the rest of the room. Everything looked well-kept, although she had yet to see a single servant.
There was a strangely chilling atmosphere in this place, however. There were no windows in this room, so it seemed as if it might be the dead of night outside, when really it was only mid-morning. And she had the oddest feeling that the man who sat before her on the velvet-covered chaise was not the only one who gazed at her intently. In fact it felt as if the room itself was staring at her.
"Alright then, young lady, show me what you've got," the smartly-dressed man grumbled in an undertone. Even standing right in front of him, Aeldra could just barely understand what he was saying. This was Lord Veon, the great talent agent in Scara Brae that everyone had told her about, with his deep voice and his heavy eyebrows shadowing his piercing grey eyes. He was not truly a lord, nor did he have any royal ancestry whatsoever. But he was so rich that he could have been, and often was, mistaken for one. He was a strong-looking man in his mid-fourties, tall and imposing, who at the moment was staring at her with an annoyed scowl on his face.
Aeldra wondered what she would do if he did not like her. Scara Brae was beginning to grow on her, and she had even succeeded in making a few friends. If he dismissed her, would she be able to find work here at all, or was he the type who might run her out of town? She was running out of money, money that she had intended to save in order to fund her search for her father. But if she could not settle down somewhere soon, at least for a while, she would have nothing left. Meaning that this interview could make or break her.
"W-what would you like to hear?" As soon as the words had escaped her lips, Aeldra knew that they had been the wrong ones. She winced, silently scolding herself. What had she been thinking? Now he would know that she had come to him unprepared. Taking a steadying breath, she studied his face for an answer. His scowl deepened, and the look he gave her told her that he was wondering if he was wasting his time with her.
Then he seemed to think better of it. His face softened and the tiniest hint of a smirk could be seen on his face. "Sing me a song that I have never heard before, and in a way that pleases me, and you will have a job."
Aeldra wracked her brain for an answer to his challenge. One that he has never heard before... Obviously, from the look on his face, he did not believe that she could do it. It was no wonder, though. He had probably heard hundreds of songs before, some of them more often than he would have liked. But this might be her one big chance to prove herself; she simply could not let him win this game.
Her mind had gone blank. Though she fought to remember some of the lesser-known songs, it was if they had been thrown into a deep chasm, and she had not the time to go down in search of them. What was truly only seconds felt like an eternity to her. Finally, she remembered an obscure little poem she had heard somewhere, which she had given music to just for fun when she was younger. Part of her wondered if it was the right one, whether it would amuse or anger him. But he was tapping his polished black shoe on the stone floor, awaiting a song, and he would have it. Let happen what would afterwards, Aeldra would make this the best song she had ever sung.
This home was quite beautiful, Aeldra had to admit. True, the sitting room where she now stood was the only room of the mansion she had seen. But it was larger and grander than any room she had ever seen, which was enough to impress her. The dark wood panneling was freshly polished, and seemed to glow with it's own light rather than simply reflecting the light of the lit candlabras on the walls. The hand-carved furniture was crafted from the same dark wood as the walls, and was all covered in blue velvet, even the bookshelves in the far corner. The floors were made of a dark, cold stone, an unusual contrast to the rest of the room. Everything looked well-kept, although she had yet to see a single servant.
There was a strangely chilling atmosphere in this place, however. There were no windows in this room, so it seemed as if it might be the dead of night outside, when really it was only mid-morning. And she had the oddest feeling that the man who sat before her on the velvet-covered chaise was not the only one who gazed at her intently. In fact it felt as if the room itself was staring at her.
"Alright then, young lady, show me what you've got," the smartly-dressed man grumbled in an undertone. Even standing right in front of him, Aeldra could just barely understand what he was saying. This was Lord Veon, the great talent agent in Scara Brae that everyone had told her about, with his deep voice and his heavy eyebrows shadowing his piercing grey eyes. He was not truly a lord, nor did he have any royal ancestry whatsoever. But he was so rich that he could have been, and often was, mistaken for one. He was a strong-looking man in his mid-fourties, tall and imposing, who at the moment was staring at her with an annoyed scowl on his face.
Aeldra wondered what she would do if he did not like her. Scara Brae was beginning to grow on her, and she had even succeeded in making a few friends. If he dismissed her, would she be able to find work here at all, or was he the type who might run her out of town? She was running out of money, money that she had intended to save in order to fund her search for her father. But if she could not settle down somewhere soon, at least for a while, she would have nothing left. Meaning that this interview could make or break her.
"W-what would you like to hear?" As soon as the words had escaped her lips, Aeldra knew that they had been the wrong ones. She winced, silently scolding herself. What had she been thinking? Now he would know that she had come to him unprepared. Taking a steadying breath, she studied his face for an answer. His scowl deepened, and the look he gave her told her that he was wondering if he was wasting his time with her.
Then he seemed to think better of it. His face softened and the tiniest hint of a smirk could be seen on his face. "Sing me a song that I have never heard before, and in a way that pleases me, and you will have a job."
Aeldra wracked her brain for an answer to his challenge. One that he has never heard before... Obviously, from the look on his face, he did not believe that she could do it. It was no wonder, though. He had probably heard hundreds of songs before, some of them more often than he would have liked. But this might be her one big chance to prove herself; she simply could not let him win this game.
Her mind had gone blank. Though she fought to remember some of the lesser-known songs, it was if they had been thrown into a deep chasm, and she had not the time to go down in search of them. What was truly only seconds felt like an eternity to her. Finally, she remembered an obscure little poem she had heard somewhere, which she had given music to just for fun when she was younger. Part of her wondered if it was the right one, whether it would amuse or anger him. But he was tapping his polished black shoe on the stone floor, awaiting a song, and he would have it. Let happen what would afterwards, Aeldra would make this the best song she had ever sung.