All four of the boys let out a nervous laugh at Lhurriel's confession about her secret intentions. Kaeden turned his gaze elsewhere, clearing his throat with a small smirk on the corner of his lips. She was certainly not like any of the normal ladies of court he was used to.<br/><br/>Mere minutes from Lhurriel joining the company at the dinner table the food had been served, (and the boys were quite thankful for that.) The staff was certainly efficient in the lord's house. The meal was quite pleasing as well; very close to, if not the same quality served within the dining halls of the king, himself. Tolan and William couldn't seem to let Lord Corsair know enough how wonderful the food was.<br/><br/>Lhurriel's consideration to the tension the guards had in her presence was certainly helpful. As they talked, it did not take long for them all to relax once again. Ghestin had found out he didn't much care for Lady Lhurriel as much as he appreciated Mage Lhurriel. He never truly took it upon himself to be present during distinguished affairs. Everything was far too over dressed and over flowered, garb, decorations, meals, and words a like. The thought of such "pleasantries," as they were called, gave the large man headaches he could certainly do without.<br/><br/>Tolan, being born of a quite reputable bloodline, was born into such lifestyle. He was a natural gentleman being the son of a well-to-do lord. (Possibly, though quite distant, kith and kin to the King himself.) However, the transformation from mage to lady was certainly radical enough for Tolan to be rendered just as speechless as the others. He was wonderfully excited to hear Lhurriel's erudition in, well, nearly everything. Being a man of politics as a result of his heritage, he was thrilled to hear her takes on certain issues. Truly, his companions were wonderful to speak with about such things, but after a while, opinions and stances on issues are known and there is little left to discuss between friends that hasn't already been so.<br/><br/>It was certainly a splendid evening meal. Corsair was more than generous with his accommodations; Kaeden had only planned for a night's rest within his quarters. The meal was more than filling, Kaeden had to decline the proffered dessert but accepting a cup of warm tea, Tolan following suit lest he make himself ill with another bite of food. The others, however, were delighted at the sight of something sweet and pointless, and certainly after such good food, the dessert would be indescribable.<br/><br/>William, still a very much a child at heart was enthralled with the treat before him. Taking up the fork atop the plate he scooped up a bit of the souffle and, mouth nearly watering in anticipation of the delightful taste, opened wide as he lifted it to his lips. Before he could stick the souffle in his mouth he heard Lady Lhurriel's voice in his ear. He blinked and glanced over to find the ladymage suddenly at his side looking quite... l-lovely.<br/><br/>To her request, he suddenly felt his cheeks go flush as he gave the others a curious sideglance. Kaeden, Ghestin, and Tolan had made it a point to conveniently not notice the ongoings between Lhurriel and William, each either busied with eating his dessert or sipping his cup of tea. Rohwik snickered in his souffle as he watched the exchange, though shrugged cluelessly in response to Will's desperate glance. Finding no sign of assistance from his companions William swallowed hard and looked back at Lhurriel.<br/><br/>"I.. uh.. mmrl..." he mumbled, suddenly unable to find any words in his reach.<br/><br/>He took in a deep breath and turned the forked souffle toward Lhurriel. He was noticeably shaken with nerves as he did so, praying any and all existing deities that nothing would come of this that would haunt him for the remainder of the evening, journey, and perhaps his life.