A taste of summer

While Norwyn meant family, Ishgard was mostly old friends and politics. He’d already had a taste of the latter as general of the army, but now as governor the politics were more important than ever. Having Sleetspire’s and Ravaryn’s best interests at heart still meant having to oversee the borders, knowing where and with how many soldiers were positioned, whether supplies would reach them, but now he also had to worry about trade, keeping the trust of his citizens, making sure the city was ready for winter, the list grew longer every day.

Here in Ishgard, it meant keeping up his relationship with important families and right now, he was on his way for dinner at Mortem Rizal’s. He had met the man before, at dinners or oficial gatherings, but he could not remember a time where he’d been alone in a room with him for more than a few minutes. These meetings stretched from when he was just a boy visiting the capital with his father, to when he was general of the Ishgardian army, to now. He was dressed to fit the occasion, but lighter than usual with only a thin fur coat appropriate for summer instead of the thick ones he usually wore, as the climate was much warmer here. Having arrived, he knocked on the door and waited to be let in.

Whenever feasible, one should always try to eat the rude.

His supplies started to run out. But it wasn’t that bad, afterall. If everything was set in motion, he wouldn’t be here for long. It made him think, and read. Reading about the customs in Xaila, the tradition, the things he would have to do when he was there. Probably the weirdest thing was the fact that this would basically be an open marriage. In Xaila, a polygamous marriage was natural. While he was set on having one wife and being with her till the end. Atleast, that was how Mortem had seen himself growing old. Still, he was surprised that he was the one getting the marriage proposal. He was not that high ranked within the family, and his niece was still single after the death of her late husband. So, why him?
Mortem was deep in thoughts when someone knocked on his heavy door and he looked up. Apparently his guest had arrived, good to know. He walked towards the front door and opened it. ”Ah, governor Trygg. Come in, come in.” He bowed slightly and stepped aside so the man could come inside. Mort snapped with his finger and a young man stepped to the governor to take his coat. ”Can I get you started with something? Ale, wine, brandy?” He asked while walking back towards his kitchen.

Sometimes, it still felt strange to be addressed as governor instead of general. It made him feel old and made him think about his father. He greeted the man before he stepped inside. Mortem was well dressed as always and the way his hair was transforming from raven black to salt and pepper suited him. “Brandy, please,” he answered. “I’m looking forward to what you’ve prepared for dinner.” Mortem’s cooking was well-known in Ravaryn and he hadn’t yet had the honour of trying it for himself.

Whenever feasible, one should always try to eat the rude.

Brandy, a man of culture. Mortem already liked him. ”One brandy, coming up.” He led the governor to the dining room. There he quickly opened a bottle of brandy and poured it into a glass, before placing it in front of his guest. After that, he walked back into the kitchen to check up on the food. ”I hope you don’t mind organ meat, I found a wonderful sounding recipe with liver and thought this was the perfect occasion to prepare it.” He stirred in the pan and lowered the heat a bit, before checking on his vegetables. Afterwards he poured himself a glass of wine. ”So, governor Trygg, tell me a bit about yourself.” He looked over the rim of his glass towards the man, before placing it on the counter and focusing on his food again. ”Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes, so please, make yourself at home.”