Jovis, Year of Severus, 15, I.R., the 51st day of Fall, Arenfall

---------------

The camp was eerily silent and still. There were no birds singing or passing by and even the wind was a tad shy to blow its gentle breathe over the camp. Prince Arterius with the rest of his men were at a standstill. Lady Bieroff just marched over to their camp and demanded she take it for her house's name—Lucresia's. Arterius somehow managed to delay the inevitable by non-chalantly asking for the veiled Lady to do a discourse over a wonderful cup of tea.

His knights hurriedly set up a tent big enough to fit 20 men of each side and took the long table that his godfather used for their strategic planning. Lord Prestonheim offered that table for them to have an ample space incase the discourse goes awry.

Stolas entered the tent along with two knights carrying Prince Arterius' heavy chest. The knights placed the heavy chest atop of the table while Stolas carefully opened the locks. Prince Arterius stood up from his seat prompting the other side to jitter.

"Relax, dear guests…" He sighed. "I just stood up to open my box and offer the honorable Lady a choice for her tea." He slowly opened the chest and revealed his jars of dried leaves. "My Lady, I suppose you would like to choose from these?" He offered.

Lady Bieroff stood up from her chair and approached the chest. She tapped her chin using her forefinger as she pouted her lips. Prince Arterius noticed how she tried her best to look as seductive as she possibly can—maybe to dissuade him from continuing his pursuit over the mines.

Lady Adrena still looked young for her age. She might've been the same age as his mother, but she looked ten years younger than the rest of her age. She had no crow's feet on her eyes, no wrinkles when she smiles and her body was nicely shaped, that it rivals that of a maiden.

Now that he noticed it, he also saw how deep the neckline of the dress she was wearing. The black dress with a plunging neckline was beautifully embroidered with golden threads patterned as flowers and reeds.

She was beautiful and definitely smart, but she was also conniving and manipulative. She had a beauty of a belladonna with the same amount of poison that came along with it. She moved her hanging hair aside before pointing at the small, bottled tea leaves at the right upper corner of the chest.

"Is this an Eastern Fire Leaf?" She asked as she took the bottle from the chest.

"You have good eyes, Lady Bieroff…" Prince Arterius applauded her. "That is indeed an Eastern Fire Leaf, a rare tea leaf to get by. Have you ever tried one? What am I even asking?! I apologize for my ignorance! Of course, you did! This sort of opulence is to be expected from the Lady of the House Beiroff." He tried flattering her ego.

Lady Adrena was amused by his comment. She smiled sweetly at him, "Indeed, I have tasted one like this before but alas this was very hard to come by that not even my husband and brother could gift me one." She sighed. "But an heir to the throne surely hadn't have any problems procuring such exquisite item." She opened the bottle shook the leaves around.

"I have my own struggles, Lady Bieroff and it took me a lot of wealth just to acquire one of these." He lied.

In actuality, the Eastern Fire Leaves were from a farm his family owned. It was only he and a few who knew how the tea tree was being grown, and normally for this species it had to be grown away from sunlight or inside a cave which he conveniently had. It took the young prince only a few gold coins to acquire the trusted men he needed to farm such wonderful tea.

"If you would my Lady…" He reached out his arm and asked her for the bottled tea leaf. "I would like to help you reminisce the exotic flavors of this tea." He smiled.

Lady Bieroff smiled back at him and offered the bottle to him. "Yes, I cannot wait to get a taste of that tea once more."

Prince Arterius nodded. "Stolas! Get the brewing equipment! We shall—"

"I'm sorry, Prince Arterius!" Lady Bieroff interrupted. "I thought…It was you who'll brew me tea." She pointed at her.

Prince Arterius calmed his men immediately before his godfather and ward could react. He raised his hand and gestured everyone to calm down. He looked back to see Lord Prestonheim's intense stare at Lady Bieroff which the lady didn't seem to care or mind one bit.

"Stolas, would you care to set up the equipment for me? I am certain that Lady Bieroff wouldn't mind that?" He asked her politely.

The lady nodded giving him the approval. After Stolas set up the brewing equipment, Prince Arterius began his show.

The right of preparing tea or food in front of your guest was a long-forgotten tradition made by the early Arterians. It was a way for them to show their honesty and hospitality towards their guests; that they mean no harm in inviting them at their home.

This forgotten tradition had long ended during the reign of his deceased grandfather, but he was expecting already that Lady Bieroff might try and ask him to do it at some point; he was never wrong.

He prepared the tea by boiling the water he first tasted at the jug for Lady Bieroff to see. His small clay pot filled with water was placed on the open fire of his alcohol-fueled glass burner and waited for it to boil.

The waiting part seemed like a lifetime for both sides. No one dared to speak nor interrupt him as he moved along with making his tea. He looked around and felt the heavy tension weighing down on them. He saw the knights' itchy fingers twitching as they held their pummels. Prince Arterius have to break the insanely tense silence.

"Lady Bieroff," he caught her attention. "Would you like fresh milk and honey over your tea? He asked.

The Lady smiled back at him and thank him for the options, but she was adamant of only getting the crimson-colored tea without sweeteners or creamers.

"I prefer mine raw and real." A premise where Prince Arterius made a note of.

There was once again an awkward silence. Prince Arterius wanted to start their conversation already about the mines. He wanted to get it over with, but Lady Bieroff seemed to be stalling him from speaking about it.

Instead of him stalling what looked like the inevitable, the Lady was also doing the same thing, but for what reason?

Prince Arterius' mind asked the question over and over again. "What is taking her so long?" He scratched his head as he tried to see what he was dealing with here. He looked past beyond his guests and saw her army bored and slumped on their horses.

It was then he realized that Lady Beiroff came here only to intimidate him and not to drive him away forcibly. Firstly, the Lady knew the consequence she had already risked herself by raising armed men against a royal blood. Secondly, she knew about the Principalian Order and knew fully well that even with her brother's influence the Order was above all else.

Thirdly, he also seemed to understand that the only reason why she went there was because of his brother's orders. Now that he was able to look at her in the eyes. He noticed how her eyes seemed to avert away from the mines or from his mere mention of it.

Lastly, even if she wouldn't admit it regardless of whether he asked her or not, Lady Bieroff seemed to understand the position she is on right now and her likely ability to get a better deal from him rather than from his brother. In short, she was taking this time to think of a way to get a result for her family out from this. Either that, or she was just putting that façade the whole time.

There was only one way to find out…

The water boiled violently on the clay pot. Prince Arterius turned off the flame and was handed a mortar and pestle by his ward. Upon seeing this Lady Adrena raised an eyebrow and demanded what sort of sorcery he was about to do.

Prince Arterius calmly laughed at the question. "Oh! Forgive me my Lady!" He wiped the tears from his eyes. "I was just amused by your question! But there is no sorcery or magic at play here!"

He scooped a few spoonfuls of the exotic tea and poured it to the mortar. "Lady Bieroff, I know that this tea is already exotic on itself alone. But what I'm doing is making it more flavorful than what it already is!"

Lady Bieroff calmed down and silently stared at Prince Arterius as he powdered the dried tea.

"As what I said earlier, on its own, this tea is already delicious…" Prince Arterius looked at her straight to her eyes. "But given the right intervention and mixing, it will even surpass that of its original flavor."

Lady Bieroff smiled, "Hmm… impressive Prince Arterius! But I would like to discuss this over tea." She adamantly said.

"Of course." Prince Arterius smiled at her as he continued to pulverize the tea. It seemed like Lady Bieroff got the message—hopefully."