Edward
Anyanka Durkhan
Astoria

"I'll assume librarians wouldn't appreciate eating in the library, quarters sounds like a better option." He said, turning to poke his head in to let the staff know where to take the food. He looked back at the queen. "Shall we?" He asked, stepping toward a staircase to Anya's quarters.
Joseph
Eric Stafford
Astoria 

It took a lot to not comment that the librarians had dealt with her dropping Mikhail's soaking and bleeding body onto the tables, ruining several tombs and scrolls worth of literature. Some had been salvaged, but she had already demanded copies to be made, not willing to let anyone use a book that was stained with her son's life blood, just in case their intentions weren't pure. 

She followed Robert up the staircase, heading to her own room on the third floor of the castle. It was warmer and quieter up here, with rooms and parlors reserved for the personal use of the family. And since it had dwindled to just her and Mikhail, and Mikhail tended to not be home, it was really just her these days. 

"Did you get the opportunity to spend some time with your brother and family for the holiday?"
Edward
Robert Cromwell
Astoria

Robert smiled, "I did, I met my new nephew who'd been born over the fall. My brother is enjoying his time as lord, the job suits him better than it did me." He opened her chambers door for her and allowed her to pass through first. "The snow was a bit of a travel hazard but I survived. Did you spend some time with Mikhail?"
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astoria

The woman mad a soft sound at mention of the new child, and she gave a small smile of thanks as she moved past him into her chambers. Her guards weren't posted, something she found peculiar but didn't question. Her head knight was holding the door for her, she felt safe enough with his company. 

"I'm glad to hear that, I worried you had been exaggerating his abilities to assure your own position here. But it's good to know he's thriving under his title." When he asked if she'd spent time with Mikhail she shook her head. 

"Did you want to spend Hogcock with your mother at fifteen?"
Edward
Robert Cromwell
Astoria

The question earned a laugh, "I suppose not particularly, but I was a little bastard at fifteen so I assumed other teenagers were better." He let her take a seat before he took his seat. "But yes, my brother is very much enjoying playing with economics and crop rotation. Administrating suits him."
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Astoria

"You, a bastard? I find that difficult to believe." She chuckled, immediately pulling the pins from her hair to let her now loose waves fall over her shoulders. Her hair had been freshly washed, and being twisted and pinned all day gave it a lovely texture when she ran her fingers through it idly to shake it out. 

"What trouble did you get into, what's normal for a boy his age?" She asked, knowing she had no personal guidelines as to what a boy _should_ be doing. She thought by now he'd have taken an interest in.Building his own court and politics, but it seemed he just wanted to sneak out and drink.
Edward
Robert Cromwell
Astoria

Robert gained a devious smile, " I was far worse than Daemon. I was fighting, gambling, drinking, sneaking across the border into Terresol was a favorite pass time, since I could get into trouble there and run across the border back to Feyshore. The list got long. I've stolen a horse and two, I could've been hanged for that one. When my Da' found out, I think I would've preferred the hanging. But my mother hit harder." He said, reminiscing the trouble he got into. Not a hint of bitterness in his voice, "I deserved all of it." He added, pausing, "Though I wasn't much of a nobility. So that trouble was normal for people of lower classes like me, but boys get into trouble often. We're stupid when we're young, surviving the stupidity is what mellows us out."
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada Castle, Astoria

She moved to take a seat on the edge of her bed, wanting the height so she could comfortably move to unlace her boots and still watch him as he talked. Her smile widened as he listed his exploits, until eventually the grin made her nose scrunch in delight. "You did _not_ steal horses. Robert Cromwell, the man who not an hour ago asked permission to punish his pupils? Gambling and drinking and stealing?" She let her boot fall to the floor and started on the other. 

"Maybe I should learn a thing or two from your mother, maybe keep Mikhail from stealing horses too." She paused, "Though I suppose he's got the title and potential to steal a lot worse, hm?" It wasn't fun to think about, and she stood when she'd loosed her other boot as well, picking them both up to move them by the door to be polished and put away by the staff later. 

"So this is you mellow then?"