"Hm? What was that? I'm just wearing the clothes native to my culture, I can't figure out what you're trying to communicate."

Orr is (or, well, was) rather warmer than Kryta. This had effects on fashion.

He laughs and kisses her. "Shall we go meet my monarch?"

"Yep. Let's go. Very excited."

She is not excited. She looks sort of like she wants to go run off and hide in a cave.

James can hold her hand on the way. Might reassure her.

It helps a bit, but auuuughhhhh.

Can they please get this over with? Please? She would like to go back to flirting with her boyfriend without having a meeting with royalty hanging over her head. Is someone going to try to drag her into politics? She doesn't want to get dragged into politics! Especially not Krytan politics, ew.

    Eventually they get there, and the royal guards salute them. "Commander!" they say, in unison.

"Gabriel, Mary, good to see you!"

    "Good to see you, too, sir," says presumably-Mary. Both guards relax their pose.

"The Queen asked us to come at our earliest convenience. Doubtless she knows this would be about now."

Vetareh tries on a smile that manages to edge into sincerity, despite her discomfort. It helps that James addressed them by their names, it makes it easier to see them as people instead of instruments of her impending polite interrogation over tea.

"Hello," she says, wondering why she didn't spend that free time James was spending exploring the mursaat fortress trying to invent an invisibility spell. Resurrection is probably more important? Really? Then why doesn't it feel like that right now...

    "It's a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

"Lady Vetareh, Spellbreaker and Professor of the Orrian Crown," James says primly, causing a few seconds of silence.

Followed by shrugs. It's the Commander, after all.

    "If you'll follow me?" says presumably-Gabriel.

In they go.

Are the royal guards prone to gossip? Because if so: oh, good, thanks ever so your royal majesty, that's very appreciated, breaking out her official Orrian titles for use in front of royal gossiping guards so that everyone in this damn city can be aware that there is a new shiny thing to look at and augh, she does not want to think the worst of these people, they actually haven't even done anything to her.

It's fine. She's fine. It's fine, see? James is doing the talking. He's good at that. It's fine.

Yeah, she's just going to follow her boyfriend and look pretty.

    Gabriel steals looks at her out of the corner of his eye every now and then in a mostly discreet way but otherwise makes no conversation. They walk in silence until they reach the throne room, at which point he announces: "The Lord James Orland of Shaemoor, Lightbringer of the Order of Whispers, Commander of the Pact, Slayer of Dragons, Peacebroker of the Maguuma, Unifier of Races, Conqueror of Madness, and Guardian of the Egg, and the Lady Vetareh, Spellbreaker and Professor of the Orrian Crown." Then he bows and turns away.

The Queen stands up to walk to them, followed by a woman in a dark blue outfit that seems to somehow fit her personality perfectly even though Vetareh knows approximately zero about said woman's personality. "Welcome, my friends. Commander, it has been a while."

"Oh, you know, I have been kept busy by this or that."

    "This or that, indeed," says the woman-who-is-not-the-Queen with a smirk.

"Lady Vetareh," says the Queen, "it is a pleasure to meet you in person. And this is Countess Anise," she introduces, gesturing at the other woman, "Master Exemplar of the Shining Blade as well as my personal advisor and close friend."

She studiously does not hide behind her boyfriend, even though it's very tempting and she really, really does not want to be here.

"Pleasure to meet you both," she says, with a polite curtsy, even though it kind of isn't. She meets their gaze evenly, trying to look as innocent and sincere as possible, and... okay, no, this is stupid.

"Okay, look, I realize that it's probably alarming to have a foreign mesmer show up on the arm of he-who-has-a-few-too-many-titles. I want to help clear things up. I am really actually who I say I am, which you've probably figured out, but I feel is worth stating aloud. I am not using James in a bid to seize power or to blow up the capital or assassinate someone or whatever it is I realize lots of naive young mesmers who have mastered their very first illusion think they can pull off. My intentions to you and the people under your charge are to not cause trouble and not get pulled into politics, and do my best to keep them from being eaten by dragons, respectively. My goals are to live a long and interesting life filled with lots of research, the possible restoration of lost ancient magics, and not to be eaten by dragons." She lets out a breath of air through her teeth. "Questions?"

The Countess bursts out laughing. "Oh, I like her. You did always have a talent to find the most interesting people, didn't you, Commander?"

"I swear it happened by accident."

    "Of that I am certain, my dear."

"It is most reassuring to hear you say that," interjects Queen Jennah. "Every ally in our struggle against the Elder Dragons is welcomed and much wanted."

Oh, good. For the first time since she got here, Vetareh starts to relax. A little. She even actually smiles.

"I imagine they would be. Not to mention how sick you must be of stupid vapid power struggles when there are more important things going on."

"Oh, you have no idea. I believe you've met our friend, the Minister Caudecus Beetlestone, in Bloodstone Fen? Charming figure," says the Countess. "Speaking of which, Commander, I'd like a word or two with you about it, if you don't mind?"

Not that she's waiting for him to mind before moving somewhere.

James offers Vetareh a sheepish smile and a shrug, then turns to follow the Countess.

She sees Countess Anise runs a tight ship.

"Please don't trip headfirst into anything exciting until after we're done talking, darling," she informs James, amused.

Then, back to Jennah: "Are there any other reassurances you might like to hear? I've only been here about a week and spent most of it on the Fire Islands, so I'm afraid I might be a bit miscalibrated for what sorts of justified worries you might have. I stuck with just the very obvious ones."

"Reassurances are easy. Why don't you come for a walk with me? I could show you the royal gardens and we can get to know each other. I'm very curious about someone who's managed to catch the sights of the Pact Commander; Lyssa knows how many have tried over the years."

"I would be delighted," she says, and... that one's actually true, she's actually having fun with this now that all of the boring standard mesmer crap has been cut through.

"I can imagine. Poor souls must have been so frustrated. Mostly I went, 'ooo' instead of 'Aah!' over the adventure, and it was remarkably straightforward from there."

Jennah starts leading the way out of the throne room. "He had a... reputation, when we were both young. I didn't think much of him, back then. It was very surprising a few years ago when the Hero of Shaemoor turned out to be James Orland. I believe the people of Shaemoor thought so, too."

Vetareh follows, of course.

"A reputation...? Troublemaker, or... oh, I see. Yes, I can imagine how a pretty noble boy would seek to entertain himself before he fell in love with something of substance. I can't say I'm sorry to show up after, I'd have likely found him insufferable."

The Queen chuckles. She has a way of doing it that is way more composed and regal than it should have any right to be. "I didn't get to actually meet him, back then, so I don't know what he was actually like. Before his parents passed away they tried to set him up with a large number of noblewomen, and when he turned out to... ah... have more eclectic tastes than that, there were rumours that they tried to see if male suitors might have a higher success rate." She smiles to herself and pushes open a door to the gardens.

They're gorgeous, of course; a large open terrace with tasteful fountains decorated with flowers and the occasional tree, vines in pretty patterns crawling along the walls and stone arches, and stone walkways leading to shaded tables and wooden benches in locations prime to enjoy the view. It is currently empty, but the bending of the grass and the glittering of the coins inside the fountains for wishes betray somewhat more frequent use of the place than just soirées and the entertainment of othertimely guests.