Wriothesley never expected furnishing a house to be so complicated.
The Duke stands in the middle of his sitting room, a steaming teapot in one hand as his gaze sweeps across the finished interior. Afternoon sunlight pours through the tall windows overlooking Fontaine's waterways, gilding polished wood and casting warm reflections across glass and brass. The house felt comfortably lived-in now. Not empty. Not temporary. It feels like a ... home.
The word still felt strange. For most of Wriothesley's life, he'd never had much use for one. His icy eyes lingered on a bookshelf overflowing with novels. A decorative cabinet stood nearby, displaying a collection of porcelain tea sets. Paintings adorned walls that had once been bare, while potted flowers brightened corners he distinctly remembered leaving empty.
A low chuckle escapes the warden. He still wasn't entirely sure where half of it had come from. The answer, of course, was obvious. Melusines.
An entire battalion of them had brought ‘home welcoming gifts' for The Duke, little decorative objects that made a nearly bare house more comely. Afterall, Wriothesley didn't have much from his office to fill a whole house. No doubt Sigewinne had some part in it. Still, he chuckles to himself.
Just then, the doorbell rings and Wriothesley smiles. Right on time.
Setting the teapot down, Wriothesley crosses the foyer and opens the door. Neuvillette stands waiting on the other side, composed as ever. The afternoon breeze stirs pale hair and the tails of his coat. A familiar sight. One that draws an easy smile from the Duke.
“My, Monsieur Neuvillette, how wonderful it is for you to join me this afternoon for tea in my humble home. Please, do come inside.” *. @fatisornata.*