Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

_Place is still abuzz. It'll be nice when most of the staff is gone._ Robert thought as he ducked by some servants moving a trunk. _How are they not packed already._ He complained silently, once he reached the top of the stairs and continuing down the hall. 

_It feels like they've been packing forever._ He continued to complain. _I'm starting to sound like one of those fucking squires._ 

Robert eyed the doors, trying to remember which of the many rooms belonged to the queen. Once he turned a corner, he realized it was likely the one with the guards posted outside the door. He gave them 'The Nod' and they returned 'The Nod' and Robert took that as his signal he was clear to knock on the door. 

_Probably dinner and some catching up._ Robert assumed. 

He'd arrived back in Astoria not too long ago from Knight's Landing being informed that he'd be a sort of caretaker of Zahrada while Anya was gone. 

Robert knocked on the door clearly three times and waited to be greeted.
Joseph
**
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria
**
Anya had been ready to leave for hours. She was anxious, and hated everything about the impending trip. She didn't want to go to Taemar. She didn't want to leave Astoria and South Feyshore unattended. She didn't want to travel with all her loved ones during a _fucking plague_. And she most certainly- above all else- didn't want to sit through a Council of Marin. 

So when she had packed, only to be told that perhaps she should consider another trunk, in case they ended up extending their stay, she'd glared at her attendant and headed up to her chambers. They still weren't finished loading the caravan, and it made her feel sick watching the carriages be loaded from the balcony of her room. 

There was a knock behind her, and she twisted her torso towards the door. "Come in." She called, having no intentions of leaving her position on the balcony to go and answer the question of another squire asking some stupid question about the trip. If it had been up to her, she'd have burned the carriages by now and kept her and her court home. The door opened however to reveal Robert Cromwell, and she let her gaze move over him. He looked annoyed too. 

"Not enjoying the ruckus, Sir Cromwell?" She asked, pushing herself off the balcony's doorframe to turn towards him fully.
Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

Robert smiled when he entered, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to you all finally leaving." He joked, closing the door behind him. "You look excited for the Council of Marin? A damn shame I can't go and witness _history_." He said sarcastically. "Suppose I'll read about it in a history book ten years from now." 

"Anyway, you asked for me to come up?"
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria

"Or you can just summarize about it while you're throwing me and my court into a mass grave." Anya retorted, clicking her tongue and pushing off from the doorway completely to move into the room. "I wanted to assure you were fine with holding down the fort while we were done. I didn't really give you a choice, but if you are uncomfortable with the task I can inform a few of the others to stay behind." 

As she spoke, she moved to the small raised chest in the corner. From it, she produced two glasses, and filled them both halfway with a dark brandy that filled the room with a warm aroma. "And you're obligated to share a drink with me, since the world as we know it might fall apart. For all I know I attend the Council and the other rulers have me hanged for witchcraft."
Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

Robert took his glass and sort of half raised it to her. "I'll share a drink even if the world _isn't_ ending, and I somehow doubt our Lord Stafford would let that happen. If they tried, I assume a lot of Marin would be figuring out who the next kings would be. I have full confidence that you're going to be fine, erhm, from the other monarchs. Taemar hasn't reported anything about a plague being present. I'm also sure Lord Stafford will stop any sickly peasants from walking toward your progression." Robert paused, took a swig of brandy and then took a moment to appreciate it before continueing to talk, "I'll be fine in Zahrada alone. Since so many people will be gone, I might even organize a massive deep clean of the castle, just so we all have something to do."

Robert couldn't stand being idle and had been planning this deep clean of Zahrada since he received his orders. "If that's okay with you, of course."
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria

She waved a hand dismissively over her chambers. "Feel free, clean away. Just don't discard any letters you find. Cataloged, not tossed. I don't tend to horde things so if you find something it's been kept for a reason." She reminded him, and then took a sip of her own glass. It warmed but didn't settle the woman as she moved towards the couch that sat before the empty fireplace. She was tired, and had a feeling they wouldn't actually leave tonight despite her efforts to have them on the road hours ago. 

"You really think it'll be that uneventful here? Not going to spend the time abusing my bathhouses or fine sheets? Partake in the wine cellar with your knights?" They were things she would have done if she was in his position. "How often do you get a castle to yourself?"
Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

"If by abusing your fine sheets you mean sleeping, then sure, I'll be sleeping often. I'll use a bathhouse sure, but I like keeping myself busy. I didn't bring too many people with me, if we keep everyone in one place where I know no one is sick, then they should hopefully not get sick. If I start moving people around, then I'm not sure. Maybe a glass of wine or two, maybe six." He shrugged, "But I like having a larger task at hand. Something to accomplish. Being idle gets me anxious." He took another swig.

"Don't worry about me here. You've got enough to worry about, I've ran a castle before. The place will still be standing when you come home."
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria

She laughed, and immediately the tension she'd been carrying broke. Her shoulders eased, and she pressed her fingers to her forehead as she shifted towards the end of the couch to allow him room to join her. "You're so reliable, Cromwell. I'm very _very_ glad to have hired you." She told him, taking another drink. When he moved to take a seat, she clinked her glass with his.
Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

"Reliable is a new one, thank you." He said, seating down and leaning back into the comfortable couch. "You know, never thought I'd end up sitting on a sofa drinking good brandy with a queen while she laughed at a joke of mine. We never end up where we think." He said, taking another larger swig and finishing his glass. "Where did you think you'd end up when you were young?"
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria 

"Dead." She answered, then when she realized the joke hit a little too close she shifted her answer. She placed her elbows on her thighs, nursing the glass between her knees as she drummed her fingers against it to hear the click of her nails on glass. "I don't know, I don't really remember. I thought I'd take my fathers place as head of Kath before the fall. Then I thought I'd be lucky to end up an old man's wife, maybe give him a few children and make a happy homestead while he was away." She realized this wasn't much of a better answer. 

"I always just hoped I'd be a good wife one day. And instead I became a ruler. Not an awful jump from one dream to the other. Kinda lonely though." Anya turned to look at him. "What did you expect of your future?"
Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

"Depends at what age. Initially thought I was going to be a carpenter, became a squire instead. Then I thought I was gonna be a hedge knight until a lance punctured my chest - that's how the guy that knighted me died - then the fall of Feyshore happened, so I went home to defend my parents when they were alive and my brother. After that, I became a lord. Now I'm a Head Knight. I almost always get ready to settle into my role, then a new one is handed to me. Never even had a thought to family other than what I already have. I'd like to take a day trip to see my nephew but my brother locked his holding down entirely." He sighed. 

"Really, I've just wanted stability since I turned thirty the days of living fast and exciting just got old. Now I'm well passed what I thought I'd live to be and I don't know what I want."
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria

The woman nodded, lifting her glass before them when he said he just wanted stability. "I'll drink to that. Stability has been the goal for everything I've done. I'm only here because I wanted to give Mikhail a head start." She let her drink linger in the air, admiring the deep honey color to it before taking a long drink. It emptied her glass, and she stood to go grab the bottle to refill both of their glasses. 

"Remind me of your nephew's name, I know he was only born a few months ago, but I can't remember the name." As she spoke, she found the bottle she had left on the chest, and circled back around to stand before the couch. Anya shifted her weight, kicking off one shoe and then the other before nudging them gently with her foot under the couch to be retrieved later and put away. She moved back into her seat and refilled their glasses. "Your brother is smart to lock down his home, I'd scold you if you actually tried to visit during a time like this."
Edward
Sir Robert Cromwell
Zahrada, Astoria

"His name is Kaleb, ehm, with a 'K' for some reason." He said before thanking her for the refill. 

"You'd scold me and my sister-in-law would hang me. Probably tie the noose herself too." He said with a smile. "I'd deserve it, of course. But anyway, everything there is locked down and he's living off his grain stores and farms in the immediate area. Going full siege rations, I suppose he had to learn _something_ form me."
Joseph
Anyanka Durkhan
Zahrada, Astoria

"Parents these days, always wanting their children to stand out." She teased, as if her son wasn't named _Mikhail_. She settled back into the couch, pulling her legs up to tuck beneath her. This time though, she couldn't stifle the yawn, and she brought her wrist up to cover her lips as she yawned. 

"I'd pardon your sister-in-law completely." She added, giving him a smile before pushing her hand through her loose curls. Another yawn made her jaw feel tight as she fought it, and she let out a heavy sigh, sinking further into the couch as she took a sip. 

"There's no way we're leaving tonight. They're going to delay until morning I'm sure of it." She muttered, resting her drink on her knee.