"Prince Leo. Lady Annali."
Mikhail wanted to catch the Östsun duo before the teams gathered for the Hunt. Outside the castle walls so his cousins could join as well. Once the three had gotten their attention, the prince produced a thermos of a bitter-smelling concoction, with Dmitri holding the mugs.
"It's not the same. Since we don't have access to the same flora as Östsun. But we had our cooks and medicine makers come up with something that should at least act similarly to your kingdom's soup."
It was awful. It was so awful. Such a strong bitter taste that even Lazuli twitched a bit when she downed hers. Mikhail had to take a moment to compose himself as the taste lingered in the back of his throat.
"... My father also wanted to participate in this ritual before the Hunt ... I will understand completely if you wish to refrain when the time comes..."
@desiderium-eden || Unprompted but previously discussed sisterhood
"Prince Mikhail." A smile was already warming the prince's face as the other approached with his own entourage, and yet the smell that wafted from the thermos had it freezing in place. It was, while a bit different, familiar enough to turn the male's stomach. Styrka...that accursed soup?! Here?! How?! He'd thought he had managed to escape that misery here so far from his homeland. He had no idea how his cousin and her family downed the awful concoction the way they did before each hunt. 'Bracing' his ass, they were lucky it didn't kill them!
Could he find a way to bow out? He wasn't a Knight, so technically it wasn't his tradition to abide by. But Prince Mikhail had brought enough mugs for them all to drink. Gods...
"Such a kindness, Prince Mikhail!" Leo reached out to take hold of a mug and rather skillfully avoided the urge to retch as the scent wafted closer from the action. Gods.
Annali's smile was a great deal more genuine, he bet.
"You honor us with this." His cousin held her own mug up and tossed it back in one go. She didn't even shudder, show off.
He liked to think he did admirably in masking his revulsion as the bitter, grassy concoction slid down his throat. The only thing it had going for it was that it was hot. But at least it was done with. "Oh, well--"
"While we customarily only partake of the soup once, we would be honored to share our custom with Navka again."
