Deliano Estate

DAWNY
Ceeci was doing everything she could to resist getting up and going downstairs to face her parents. They had told her the night before that they had some important news for her and important news was never good. First, she had ignores the sunlight streaming in her windows and slept until Jacy, the cook, had come and pounded on her door to tell her she was missing breakfast. Then she had taken a full bath, scrubbing every inch of herself. Then she had gone back to bed until she was afraid her hair would dry looking strange. She combed her hair out straight and then curled it with her finger and then combed it out straight again.Then she braided it and pinned it up. She spent ten minutes searching for favorite legging, and when she found them, she decided that she didn't want to wear them after all. She chose a dress of light green that was cut just low enough that it would make her parents frown, but not tell her to go change, and ended halfway down her calf. She strapped a leather belt around her waist, tied in sandals that laced up her legs, collected her purse, and finally emurged from her room and desended to find her parents.

DAWNY
When her parents finished explaining that she was to be married soon to a "respectable, successful young man" she very politely told them that she needed some time and stormed out of the house without finishing her breakfast. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry as she ran into the street. She felt more like being sick.

LIGHTY
Seph was dressed up. His clothes were sharply cut and well fitting, his sleeves rolled to his elbows, his shoes were polished... Even his black hair had been brushed well and trimmed for the occasion. He didn't shake, he didn't tense up, and there were no signs to portray Seph's nervousness besides his heart beat. He paused in front of the door of the Deliano Estate for a few long moments before his mother huffed and knocked. Seph felt his mother to his left and his father to his right and he knew there was no way to get around this. Seph took a steadying breath and waited for a response.

LIGHTY
A butler answered the door and let them inside. The Markey family was shown to a nicely lit sitting room where Evanov stood to greet them. "Arthur. Eleanor." He clasped hands with Arthur Markay and greeted Eleanor politely. Then he turned to Seph. Evanov noted the stiff posture and how the young man hung back in the greetings. The patriarch of the Deliano fanily turned to follow Seph's suddenly surprised gaze he found his daughter at the recieving end. He coughed to bring Seph's eyes to him. "I am Evanov Deliano. This is my wife, Leilian, and my daughter, Ceeci."

LIGHTY
The first person Seph had seen when he walked into the room was Evanov. The second, a girl around his age, with long blonde hair and a familiar wooden accessory adorning that hair. She hadn't looked yet and Seph felt like his heart had jumped to his throat. Was it really? He had made that hair piece for Ceeci alone and the hair matched. Seph's gaze went back to Evanov when the man cleared his throat and did introductions. When Seph responded he was polite, almost stilted in conversation. "Mr. Deliano. Mrs. Deliano. I am Seph Markay."

DAWNY
Ceeci wore the dress her mother had picked for her, light blue with a fluffy skirt and a fitted bodice under a cream shawl. The red wood pin in her hair didn't exactly match, but it didn't look too bad. She sat with her legs together, one ankle tucked behind the other under her skirts, hands clasped loosely in her lap and head bowed. She remained still and quiet as her fiance and his family were shown in and her father began the introductions. She smiled politely but didn't look up when she heard her father say her name. But then spoke up. She thought she thought she recognized the voice before he even said his name. She gasped and looked up sharply, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

LIGHTY
Seph's eyes went back to Ceeci when she gasped. He wondered if the surprised sound had been a good sign or a bad sign. She recognized him at least, and they had talked for a bit, so it wasn't too bad of a situation. His eyes widened a bit and a light pink dusted his cheeks. Ceeci looked more than pretty in her blue and cream outfit and the red in her hair didn't clash that badly at all. Seph wasn't really aware he had been staring until his mother's hand touched his shoulder and he was brought back to the situation at hand.

LIGHTY
Eleanor looked from Seph to Ceeci and gently brought her son back from his trance with a light hand on the shoulder.

LIGHTY
"Lets sit." Evanov said. He brought the guests over to the couches and sat down next to his wife.

DAWNY
Ceeci dropped her hands back into her lap and clasped them tightly together. She looked away from Seph and caughter her mother's curiouse gaze. Her father might have been paying attention to Seph and his parents but she knew that her mother would have been watching her closely. Leilian glanced towards Seph quesioningly and Ceeci glanced away quickly. She gave Seph's parents a polite smile and then looked back towards Seph, trying to catch his eye.

DAWNY
"Thank you, Evanov," Arthur said, sitting on the couch and motioning for his son to sit beside him.

LIGHTY
Seph sat next to his father and his mother settled in on his other side. Seph's eyes met Ceeci's and his lips quirked up into a sort of smile. He felt Leilian's eyes on him for a moment and he could almost feel his own mother's curiosity and Seph wasn't sure what to do.

DAWNY
"Seph, as my husband said, this is our daughter, Ceeci." Leilian put her hand on Ceeci's shoulder. "I don't know how much your parents have told you about her, or any of the arrangements we're made?" She and Evanov had decided that it would be for the best to explain everything to Ceeci after she had met her fiance. One thing at a time.

DAWNY
Ceeci gave Seph a small grin before dropping her gaze back to her hands in her lap. She hadn't quite decided what she should expect, but she hadn't expected Seph. She was happy, much happier than she expected she would be. She still wasn't excited about the idea of getting married, but her fiance could have been much worse. At least now she wouldn't get Seph in trouble.

LIGHTY
"I haven't been told much about Ceeci, but I do know some things about the arrangements. There's been three possible wedding locations picked out that Ceeci and I can pick from, and there still needs to be talk of wedding colors, foods, and a guest list." Seph rattled off the information he knew.

DAWNY
"That's correct." Leillian nodded. "We wanted to give you two a chance to meet each other before you began planning out all the details. We also don't have an exact date for the ceremony set yet. None of that has to be decided right away. We have plenty of time." She turned to glance at her husband. "Is there anything else I should mention?"

DAWNY
Ceeci hoped that Seph hadn't gotten around to telling James that she wasn't his actually fiance because it would make it very awkward for him now. She wondered what was going to happen now. Her mother hadn't told her. Would they have dinner together? Would Seph and his parents leave after they'd finished talking? At the thought, she felt disappointed. She wouldn't get a chance to talk to Seph if they left.

LIGHTY
Seph really had to stop a smile at the 'chance to meet each other' bit. He was sure the parents would be very... disapproving, of what Seph and Ceeci did on their first meeting. Seph noticed that Ceeci was tense and he wondered if it was just her being nervous or if she was disappointed about him being the fiance. It was probably just the situation, Seph finally decided mentally, since Ceeci didn't want to be married.

LIGHTY
Evanov wasn't oblivious and he could tell that there was something going on with Ceeci and Seph. It was likely they had met somewhere before and Evanov wondered if there was more to them then the two were allowing to be seen. "No, I think you've covered everything that needs to be said right now." His eyes were focused on Seph for any sign of nervousness or unease.

DAWNY
Lielian smiled gently at her daugher and put a hand on Ceeci's shoulder. She knew that her daughter wasn't very happy with the arrangments, but she wouldn't do anything rude or rash, she knew. And once she really had the chance to get to know her fiance, she hoped very much, that Ceeci would happy. Seph was exactly the sort of person she would want her daughter to marry, and in time Ceeci would agree, she hoped. "Should we give them a few minutes?" she asked Eleanor and Arthur. "We can start dinner and they can come when they're ready."

LIGHTY
Eleanor sent her son an almost teasing smile. "Yes, Seph and Ceeci should talk for a bit. I'm sure they would feel more at ease if we weren't here listening to them." She brushed a black curl behind her ear and took her husband's arm that he extended to help her up. "Shall we?"

DAWNY
Leilian stood motioning towards the door. "This way, if you would," she said, smiling. She paused at the door and glanced back at her husband. He hadn't stood yet and she thought that perhaps he wanted to hang back to say a few words to one of the young people, or perhaps he simply wanted to be the last one out. Either way, she hoped he wouldn't be harsh with their guests. She led the way out of the sitting room towards the dining room adacent to their kitchen.
LIGHTY
Eleanor kept her hand resting gently on her husband's arm as they followed Leilian. She glanced back once at Seph and Ceeci and Evanov before allowing Arthur to move them into the next room.

LIGHTY
Evanov looked at Seph very closely and issued a warning to his daughter's fiance. "I want no funny buisness. If you try anything with Ceeci know that I am in charge of an army and you will not get very far. Your punishment will be very severe if anything innapropriate happens in the next hour." Deciding that his threat was enough, Evanov followed the other adults into the adjourning room.

LIGHTY
Seph had frozen when Evanov started speaking. He understood where Ceeci's father was coming from but that didn't make the man any less terrifying. The blue eyed young man let out a breath once Evanov was out of earshot and offered Ceeci a weak grin. "I didn't expect your father to be that scary." Seph then added, in a more quiet tone, "I didn't expect you either, but I'm glad it's you and not a complete stranger."

DAWNY
"Dad!" Ceeci protested, rising to her feet when her father started threatening Seph. She glared at him as he left. "He's not normally like that, he's normally not scary. I'm sorry," she appologised and crossed the room to sit next to Seph. "I think I'm glad, too." she giggled. "What did you tell your friend about us?"

LIGHTY
"He knows nothing besides what he heard the last time we were at my shop." Seph admitted almost shyly. "I wasn't quite sure what to tell him, and since he's been busy it was easy to avoid the topic." He was relieved that he wouldn't have to work out that mess. No doubt James would laugh at him for eternity if Seph had told him Ceeci wasn't his bride to be only to find out she was.

DAWNY
"Well, I'm glad you didn't tell him anything because now its all true." Ceeci said. She jumped back to her feet and stood in front of Seph, holding out her hand. "Come up. Oh, I wore your hair pin! My mom wanted me to use a different one, but I promised." Her other hand went to the back of her head to touch the wooden pin.

LIGHTY
Seph took Ceeci's hand and stood. His hand lingered a little before he let go. He wasn't going to risk Ceeci's father's wrath and he didn't want Ceeci to feel uncomfortable. "I noticed," Seph told her, "I saw when I came in. It looks very nice in your hair."

DAWNY
Ceeci grinned. "Thank you," she replied. "Its very pretty." She waited until Seph was standing and then stepped close and put her arms around him in a hug. "You made me promise to give my fiance a chance, but I don't have to." She was still irritated at her parents for arranging a marriage for her but she no longer felt gloomy about her future and she knew that she owed that to Seph.

LIGHTY
Seph wrapped his arms around Ceeci after she hugged him first. "I know you aren't thrilled with this situation, but we can work, right?" Seph asked. "I promise I will do everything in my power to make you happy and to make this marriage be the best it can be."

DAWNY
"Mmm hmm. Me too. I promise too." Ceeci closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Seph's shoulder. He was nice and warm and so comforting. She'd spent the whole day tense and stressed and anxious about meeting her fiance and about the rest of her life and she was so relieved. She didn't really understand why, she had only met Seph once before, but she was.And now that she was relaxing, she was starting to feel tired from all the worrying.

LIGHTY
"You've been anxious all day, haven't you?" Seph asked. He knew the answer already, Ceeci's shoulders were still tense despite how she was relaxing more by the second. "Do you..." Seph paused, unsure if his offer was proper or if Ceeci's dad would kill him for asking, "Do you want a massage?"

DAWNY
Ceeci chuckled. "Um, yeah, sure. If you don't mind." She lifted her head and stood back, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "You weren't worried?" She asked. "You have to have been worried at least a little bit. I mean, you wouldn't have to stress about whether your fiance liked you, but what if she was really mean or something."

LIGHTY
Seph's hands went to Ceeci's shoulders and he started to press and circle his fingers to ease the tension in Ceeci. He didn't answer her right away, instead he thought about his answer. "I was worried," Seph admitted, "but I know that I cannot change anyone but myself. I know what I am to do for my family, and if I liked her or not didn't matter in the end. I would marry this mystery girl and I would be the best husband I could be. I would try to make her happy and any children that might be born would be provided for and loved, no matter how I felt about their mother or how she felt about me. I trusted my parents enough that I believed they wouldn't pick a girl that was cruel or one that I wouldn't have a chance at caring for. And if our personalities weren't fully compatible I would adapt." Seph's hands moved with ease over Ceeci's shoulders, slowly dispersing the tension there. He moved on to her upper arms after finishing with her shoulders, making soothing circles with his thumbs. He paused for a moment as some of her words sunk in. "What did you mean by how I 'wouldn't have to stress about whether my fiance liked me'?"

DAWNY
Ceeci took one of her hands away from Seph's shoulder to cover her mouth. He was so sweet and selfles. It was a wonderful way to go about it, she thought, if one could manage it. She felt ashamed for worrying so much about her self. She was really so lucky. Anyone would have been lucky to get someone like Seph, deturmined to make the best of it, to do the right thing, to be the best person. She wanted to hug him again. She grinned when he asked about her comment. "Well, you wouldn't have to worry about it. Anyone would love you, right?"

LIGHTY
Seph's face flushed in embarressment. "I don't know about that." He said quietly, averting his eyes from Ceeci's face. "I mean, I'm not anyone special." His hands returned to her shoulders and before he could question himself he pulled her closer into a hug. He spoke so quietly it was a whisper by Ceeci's ear. "Thank you though, for the compliment."

DAWNY
"I do," Ceeci whispered in return, putting her arms around Seph. "You're the sweetest person I've ever met and I think I'm one of the most lucky girls to ever have an arranged marriage. I've got to thank my mother, I think." She turned her head and kissed him on his cheek. "And maybe your mother too."

LIGHTY
"My mother was pushing for this more than my father was." Seph said, a hint of a smile on his flushed face. His arms were wrapped around Ceeci, keeping her close, and he rested his forehead on hers. "I'm lucky too. I was nervous that I'd be engaged to someone that wouldn't meet me halfway, someone that wouldn't want to even give me a chance, but it's you. I met you once and you've been in my head since then and I am lucky. So lucky that it's you."

DAWNY
"I was almost that person, I think. I might have been if I hadn't met you. Even if it was you." Ceeci shook her head the tiniest bit and squeezed her eyes closed. "I would have been awful. I would have been so nasty and unfair." She snorted and opened her eyes. "Really?" She asked, realizing what he'd said. "I've been in your head?"

LIGHTY
"But you're not, and that's what counts." Seph said quietly. Then he focused on a point over Ceeci's shoulder to avoid her eyes. "I don't, I mean, I guess.... Yeah." Seph finally admitted. It was too late to take back the words. "I wanted to ask you out that day we met. If you hadn't been engaged, and if I hadn't been engaged, I would have. And then after that I kept telling myself that it would be best if we were never to meet again, because no matter how much I wanted to see you it wouldn't be fair to my fiancee or to you."

DAWNY
Ceeci giggled and moved her hands to either side of Seph's face. "That's adorable. I would have said yes, if you had asked. I would have. I would have gotten you into so much trouble. You would have been trying to do the right thing and a still would have gotten you into trouble. I'm still going to get you into trouble."

LIGHTY
A quick glance in the direction of the doorway made sure that the adults were not coming back right away. Plus, Seph couldn't hear any voices besides his and Ceeci's. He turned back to her and his eyes were bright in a way that they hadn't been when he first arrived. "You are going to get me in trouble," Seph admitted with a smile, "but I hope not too much trouble." His eyes flickered to the doorway again, and he turned back to Ceeci with a teasing look. "Ceeci, may I kiss you?"

DAWNY
She noticed how she kept glancing at the door. Was he expecting someone to come in, she wondered. She grinned and nodded when he agreed that she would be getting him in trouble. She definitely would
LIGHTY
Seph pulled Ceeci closer to him, tilted her chin a bit, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He wasn't exactly a stranger to intimacy--there had been two girls before Ceeci, one a serious relationship and the other more casual--but his heart raced as he held Ceeci in his arms. This was right. Holding Ceeci was right. When he pulled away he kept her close, and then Seph leaned down and kissed her again.

DAWNY
Ceeci curled one hand around the back of Seph's neck when he kissed her. He was so gentle. None of the other boy's her kissed her had been so gentle, she didn't think. She stood up on her tip-toes to get closer and grabbed his tie. Tall people...

DAWNY
Arthur had waited around a bit while Eleanor and Leilian chatted and prepared the food. Now all that they could do was wait. The mothers set the table and waited in the kitchen for it to be ready and Leilian had ordered Evanov to stay, but Eleanor had made no such order. He remembered when he first met Eleanor. It had been one of the most uncomfortable first conversations of his life. He decided to go save the two of them from that awkwardness. But when he opened the door, he didn't find them sitting across from each other making boring conversation and staring at the floor like he'd expected. He cleared his throat.

LIGHTY
Seph pulled away from Ceeci in one of the fastest movements he had ever made. He took a step away to create more distance and he started speaking to try to explain himself. "I, um, Father, it, um, oh gods this is bad." Seph was sure his face would be permanantly red.

DAWNY
“We've met before," Ceeci said quickly before Seph could muddle it up. "Its not bad, we're actually engaged. I hope you haven't forgotten already," she told Seph in a slightly quieter voice.

DAWNY
Arthur held up his hands. "I'm glad to see your getting along. Shall I go tell your mother. Dinner's almost ready, I think. Shall I go check?" He was smiling even though he was trying not to.

LIGHTY
"Please don't tell Mom..." Seph groaned. He wasn't even sure how to react. "Yes, please go and check. We'll follow in a minute."

DAWNY
"If I don't tell her, you have to tell her," Arthur said, and then closed the door before his son could change his mind.

DAWNY
Ceeci started giggling the moment that Seph's father closed the door behind him. She reached out and grabbed Seph's hands and pulled him a few steps closer to the door. "At least it wasn't my father. He's grumpy today. Your father took it very well. I should probably tell my mother and maybe she can tell Daddy. You're face is all red, maybe we should wait until it goes back to normal. You're adorable." She leaned in and pecked him on the lips before moving backwards again, another step towards the door. She didn't know how well Seph's father kept things, especially from his wife and she thought that it was manybe best if he didn't tell everyone first.

LIGHTY
Seph's face cooled and returned to its usual color after some moments. He took a deep breath and mentally prepped himself for heading to see the parents again. Hopefully Ceeci's dad wasn't a mind reader. "Ok," Seph said, "lets go eat."

DAWNY
"Hmmm," Ceeci surveyed Seph. She fixed his tie and tugged at his collar and sleeves to make his jacket lie straight and then nodded and smiled. "Okay, you're good." She smoothed her skirt and then turned towards the door and lead the way into the dining room. Leilian was standing behind her chair, chatting with Evanov and Eleanor and Aurthur was just setting down a bowl of salad as they entered. He purposefully didn't look at them.

LIGHTLY
Eleanor perked up when Seph and Ceeci entered the room. "So?" She asked with a sly grin. "Are you two getting along alright?"

LIGHTY
Seph nodded, luckily able to keep a straight face. "I think we can make this work." He told his mother truthfully.

DAWNY
Ceeci had debated pretending that she didn't like Seph because he'd probably have the cutest reaction and his father's expression might be almost as funny, but she figured that it would make explaining things just that much more complicated so she didn't. She gave her mother and Eleanor a genuine smile and stood a bit closer to Seph than she strictly needed to. "I think we're going to get along fine, Mrs. Markay."

LIGHTY
"Eleanor, dear. You can call me Eleanor. We're going to be family." The black haired woman smiled at Ceeci and Seph.

LIGHTY
"Well, the food is ready so everyone should find a seat at the table." Evanov said to the group.

LIGHTY
Seph pulled a chair out for Ceeci and offered her a smile.

DAWNY
"Alright, thank you Eleanor." Ceeci nodded to Seph's mother and smirked slightly at Seph before taking the chair he'd pulled out for her. "Thanks, dear," she mouthed to him and then turned her attention fully to her father. "Daddy, how did you meet Eleanor and Mr. Markay?"

LIGHTY
"Your mother met Eleanor first." Evanov admitted. "There was this big charity ball at the palace and they bonded over clothes and children. You were two at the time, Ceeci. Your mother called me over to introduce me to her friend and then Arthur came over to check up on Eleanor."

DAWNY
Ceeci glanced at Seph. "I knew Seph when I was two?" she asked almost dubiously. She didn't remember that. But she didn't remember much about what happened when she was two.

LIGHTY
"You were with a nanny that night." Evanov corrected. "But your mother and Eleanor joked about the idea of you and Seph being together. I didn't honestly think there was any possibility of it happening until last year."

LIGHTY
Seph looked at his mother and sighed. "You would do that mother..."

LIGHTY
Eleanor did her best to look innocent.

DAWNY
Arthur chuckled almost to himself. "So you hadn't met each other before. But you're getting along so well now, I expected more fuss." He said, looking at his son.

DAWNY
Ceeci poked at her food and didn't raise her eyes from her plate, but she watched her parents and Seph out of the corner of her eye. Arthur would tell the others eventally, she assumed, if she or Seph didn't.

LIGHTY
"Ah-ha, well, I already told you I'd be a good sport about it, didn't I? And I have faith that Ceeci will meet
me halfway soo yeah... No fuss." Seph awkwardly chuckled.
LIGHTY
Eleanor raised one delicate eyebrow at her son's words. "Are you sureeee that's all? You're acting terribly suspicious..."

LIGTHY
Evanov looked on with interest. This was going to be good.

LIGHTY
"I'm not suspicious. Not at all. I'm just tired." Seph said. He seemed to find his food fascinating suddenly.
"I have to say, I hope you don't mind dear," Leilian said, "But I expected the transition to be much rockier. It's a stressful time. I'm sure Eleanor and Arthur can attest to that. But when you two were introduced...perhaps I'm mistaken. But you did seem like you recognised each other?"

DAWNY
Ceeci pushed all of her grean beans into a pile, putting the ones that fell over back onto the top. She looked up and gave her mother an innocent smile briefly before looking back down. Perhaps it would be best to simply tell them, she thought, but she didn't think it was her place to speak up. It was Seph's father who had seen them and Seph who stood to get into more trouble.

LIGHTY
Seph sighed and finally gave up the pretense of being innocent. "We met once before." He admitted. "Just over a week ago. I gave Ceeci the hair pin she's wearing." Seph didn't mention that he had made it for her because he could.

LIGHTY
Eleanor smiled widely. "I thought that the hair pin was your work!" She announced. "Well this makes everything so much easier."

DAWNY
Ceeci glanced up and smiled hopefuly at her mother and father. Leilian was smiling, but she wasn't the one Ceeci was worried about. She hoped her father wouldn't take it the wrong way, or take it the right way and get irritated anyways "I was upset after you told me that I was engaged and he let me come into his shop and gave me hot chocolate," she said defensively.