strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff

Wessex would be lying through her teeth if she were to say she didn't delight in doing the unexpected. But this visit isn't entirely that, is it? She did say she'd stop by to check on the Manor, didn't she? Though no specifications had been offered, is it that surprising to find a Queen on his doorstep, when he is a Launceleyn and obviously known to others? She needs to see for herself what kind of man he is - if he takes after Zariah or Edy or is a breed unto himself. And truth be told, he is one of the few without any preconceived notions of her; gaining an ally would take some weight off her shoulders, strong as they are. Her brows furrow into a small frown at his courtly display, waving away the gesture and the title with a shake of her head and flick of her free hand. "None of that. Just Wessex." Though it was nice to hear, and she wouldn't mind hearing it again. At some point. "Unless I'm angry," she backtracks, "in which case, Your Majesty might work wonders," comes out as a throwaway jest, but wr all know there's some truth in jokes. The Ascended steps over the threshold with a nod of thanks and sense of familiarity, glancing around to see if anything's changed since Edy's death. If it has, she doesn't visibly comment on it. Turning to Loren once she's clear of him and the doorway, she offers an explanation. "I'm here to talk about the Manor and LongNight preparations. Mostly." Noticing a stray toy peaking out from underneath a cabinet, she looks back to the only adult Launceleyn left. "How are Zariah's kids? They ran off, after Edy's… and I'm ashamed to say I didn't even try to look for them. That wasn't a good move on our part," she confesses, meaning that neither her nor Ronin tried to take care of the brats. They would have, if they hadn't run off, but… so things went. And for the record, she understood why they did it. "I hope you know we never would have hurt them. I may not be good with kids, but I would never -" The Queen trails off, leaving the possibilities of what could have happened open ended.  Admitting it may not endear her to him, but at least she can own up to her failure for this one thing (the learning curve for ruling is steep and she's trying her damnedest to do it all at once). People appreciate that, right? WESSEX come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts unsex me here