“Ah, of course. Avis Tsukaka, I remember,” he nodded.
Brow rising with surprise at the fact he did, Stare paused a moment before lifting her open hand to the front room. “The front room,” she said quietly, “Which has been cleared for your personal use.”
Rafael moved closer to the room and peered into it, eyes moving over the suitably sized space with a curious eye. He nodded as he moved back. “It will do.”
For a moment the kenku paused, then turned, and walked him through to the blue room, the smaller reception room that she personally used for administration and meetings with the managers of Vitruvion's various businesses. It was a fine, small space with sofas and a small armchair, perfectly sized for her. The walls were panelled and painted in a soft sky azure.
“Very good,” Rafael commented. “Now, tell me how your arrangement with your master works. You are …”
Stare sucked in her breath as silently as she could as she showed the court official and private merchant into the drawing room. It was a little used reception room that adjoined right onto the dining hall. “I am paid a salary, Maester Rafael, for the work that I do. This is the drawing room, used for larger gatherings that we have here.”
“Ah. That is extremely interesting. He does not need to, but he does,” the foreigner said as his eyes glanced around the room. Stare lead him straight in to the dining area, where the six portraits of Vitruvion at the various stages in his life glared down at them like ancestors.
Stare pressed her beak halves together in a thin line of irritation. She knew this was going to be thrown at her - the legal ties between her and Vitruvion. Part of Maester Rafael coming here was going to result in questions being asked. Yet still, though prepared for them, she felt ill.
“Dining room,” she grunted.
“I see. Yes, he mentioned your arrangement was unorthodox.”
“Library,” she gestured, leading him into the long room, every wall lined with books. Her eyes caught movement out of the side of her eye. Quietly she neared the Maester and spoke in a low voice. “Maester Rafael, our arrangement is that it is a private matter. Between myself and Sir Elssmith. I would respectfully ask that you be careful who is around when we speak of it.”
The Maester glanced over his shoulder and true enough Agatha, housemaid, was currently outside the door. She curtseyed as she saw Rafael, then continued with her task of cleaning.
Turning back to Stare he fixed her with an intrigued eye. A smile flickered onto his face. “If that is your arrangement then so be it. I am in a different culture of my own, where the sort of relationship is more common.”
“And Sir Elssmith's private study is through there,” she nodded at the double doors at the end of the library. “Would you care to see your sleeping arrangements?”
The foreigner kept his smile on and nodded elegantly. “If you would care to show me.”
With a small hesitation to her step, the kenku led the merchant and official up the stairs around around the balcony, to the room that last Nevin had stayed in, only a few days previous. It had been done out in more sumptuous dressings now, with fine warm blankets and many pillows. Throws and fabric hangings with rich colours, the type of decoration that Stare had been told was common in Hernsford, filled the room.
“The bathroom is across the hall,” she gestured out again. “Sir Elssmith's room is beside it.” She nodded at doors set into the back wall. “There are wardrobes and cabinets there for your use, and if you need anything then …” she spread a finger out to a bell on a fine silver tray. A small cultural item, she had been told, from Hernsford, that was used to summon a servant. Or slave, in their case.
The Maester paused and inclined his head. “Thank you, Stare.”
She gave a short curtsey, then rose.
“Is there anything else you need, Maester?”
“Nothing that I am sure Guilia could not find.
Stare paused, connecting the woman that she had seen outside with the name and offered her a small greeting. With Rafael's title and disposition Stare concluded that the young woman must be his accompanying slave for this journey. With a small nod she took a step back.
“Then I will leave you to settle, Maester,” she said politely, and turned to leave.
She felt his eyes watch her with rising intrigue, but she ignored him. As he said nothing else she took it as her leave to go and thus she went out of the room, closing the door partly behind her.
