Tehr smiled as he realized what the black fabric was.  Emily d'Ravos certainly was a deviant minded woman for today's age.  Were circumstances different, she a human or he a halfling, things may have been different between them.  Then again, he realized, perhaps the distance between them, the gulf that was the racial separation, was why she felt free to be so overtly sexual with him.  He grinned, and unable to resist, brought the undergarments to his nose and inhaled.  He then set them down beside the letter and pulled out his writing paper to pen an immediate reply.<br/><br/><em>Mistress Emily d'Ravos<br/><br/>I very much enjoyed your letter, though not half as much as I enjoy your company.  However I must thank you for the kindness you've shown in writing to me.  It is my greatest displeasure in life that I have not the time to do all the things I wish.  Have not the time to converse with the people that bring me joy.  I do however count you as one of those people.  I thank you for the gift included with the letter, and hope that you understand that it had the effect that you most likely intended it have.<br/><br/>In regards to visiting your ancestral homelands, I assure you again, that it is my great desire to do so.  I think that such a cultural exchange that would come along with such a visit would benefit me greatly, and would, I hope deeply, cement the friendship between our two houses.  In uncertain and turbulent times like these, a man like me can use all the loyal friends he can take.  Likewise, I'm sure that house Ravos will not suffer any for having a positive relationship with a house as old as Wynt.  However I think the earliest I would be able to leave Londinium would be three days henceforth, Tew's day of the twentieth.   My sister has just arrived from our home, and I do not wish to abandon her so soon to the tribulations of Londinium until I am settled.  Or, should she choose to accompany me, I do not wish to subject her to a cross country trip so soon after she has just arrived.  In addition, there are certain 'royal' arrangements that must be seen too before I leave the town for a week.<br/><br/>That being said, I greatly anticipate the tender care of you, your sisters, and whatever other comforts and joys that you may have to offer.  I likewise wish to experience it before the weather turns too cold.  In that vein, I'd like to invite you to high tea tomorrow, the day of the Sun, eighteenth of September.  You may meet my sister, and we may discuss plans for the trip, including whether or not she'll be joining us.  Further, should you be able to make a visit tomorrow, I should have the magical item that we discussed completed.  I've spent hours laboring over it today, and it needs but some more of my attention before it is ready.  I'm sure that if you come visit, we can make sure that the item in question has a suitable target for testing.<br/><br/>No reply is needed to this post.  If I see you tomorrow for high tea at third bell in the afternoon, then I shall be delighted.  If not, I shall contact you with more formal plans for our trip on the Moon's day following.  I regret only that at the moment I have no gift to send along with this letter as you so kindly did for me.<br/><br/>~ Master Tehr Kahiel ir'Wynt</em><br/><br/><br/>Tehr smiled as he signed his name with a flourish.  Then sprinkling sand over it to soak up any excess ink, he rang the bell for Angelique.   As he waited for her to come and collect the letter, he shook the sand off then folded the letter in a simple two fold design.  There was no need for a more intricate or complex fold, nothing in the letter was especially damning.  Tehr also had no doubt that the servants knew at least some aspect of the relationship between himself and Emily, servants always tended to know such things.  Then heating some wax, dropped it on the overlap and pressed the seal for his house into the hot wax.  Just as he was picking the letter up and shaking it to make sure the wax had sealed, Angelique entered.<br/><br/>"Perfect timing as always my dear," he said smiling at the pretty half elven woman.  He held out the letter and said, "This can go back with the halfling woman with my thanks.  I'm going to stay and try to finish this work.  Please let me know when dinner is served, and prepare some court clothing.  I need to make a late night trip to the palace after dinner but before the sun is set.  I may return tonight I may not.  But prepare the house for visitors for high tea tomorrow afternoon as well."<br/><br/>He smiled at his most trusted servant, and possibly his best friend, knowing she'd understand all of his directions.  Then he smiled and added, "If you please."  Remembering that while she was a servant, and would follow such simple directions, it never hurt to be polite and kind.  Especially to someone he did care about and who he'd known for so long.