When Dolores told him to take a break she could at least do the same, right? Tea was better with company anyway and she looked like she too could use a moment to breathe.
So now he sat across the elderly woman, a small table between them. By now the baklava had arrived and been placed on top of the table, along with a can of earl grey tea, two cups, honey, nectar, sugar, milk and whatever other things people could possibly want in their tea. Valerion himself usually drank it without anything but since he was not alone the options were available to Dolores.
"Please, just take whatever you like." the prince said, before taking a sip of his tea. He had the habit to put his legs on the chair as well when not in official meetings because for some reason he just found it more comfortable, so that was what he was doing right now as well. What a practical thing that elves just weren't giants, even compared to their own furniture, so it did actually look at least like an okay thing to do and not too awkward.
"Are you alright here?" the prince asked Dolores. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He always wanted to make sure guests were comfortable when visiting the palace, it was just common courtesy, really. (At least in his opinion.) "I'm afraid it is rather cold here, compared to other places... is your hometown much warmer? How is it like? If you don't mind talking about it."
Maybe Valerion had been cooped up in his office for too long but he really liked to hear stories about other places these days. Or even just descriptions... anything that was not nobility sending letter after letter to complain about having to pay their staff, really. How could people...? He would not get into that right now. Instead he would listen to Dolores, if she felt like talking, drink his tea and have some baklava. That surely was a good plan for the 'ordered' break, right?
Sorry it took me ages xx
It was odd to not see a sky covered in stars, like he was used to. But it certainly was interesting. Were the reasons for this phenomenon known, he wondered. Apart from the weather, of course. That made it impossible to see anything, after all. Sometimes he thought of his brother, if he had seen similar things on his travels or if he led an entirely different life while he was away... He had a feeling Lior would not tell him about evenings like this one, even if he had attended them. Gods, why was he even thinking about this? Even though he did not say anything and certainly did not ignore Xander he felt rude.
Valerion looked back at the singer and nodded, before his brain actually processed what had just been said. "Thank you." he added, before taking one of the pastries, turning it in his hand for a moment, to inspect it further. Food in different places was really interesting, and a good distraction as well. "It does look different than the honey I know from back home." he agreed, before taking a bite of his pastry. He had tried similar treats before, but the honey did give it a unique taste he found himself enjoying.
"I agree." the prince nodded, offering Xander a brief smile. "Don't worry about it, I don't think anyone will judge you on your pronunciation of 'baklava' - at least I won't." People who did that were really just petty, weren't they?
"I'm sure I can." he answered the question regarding the recipe, before continuing to listen to Xander. Even when he was talking the man had a pleasant voice, almost soothing. Or maybe Valerion was just weird, that was very much possible.
"You may." Valerion chuckled inaudibly, "It is a lovely feast." the prince replied, his tone polite as ever, though he was grateful that Xander actually asked other questions, since he always found it difficult to say a lot about how he liked a festivity. They were nice, he was just not poetic enough to express it in a way that sounded as pleasant as it probably should. "It is quite different, but that makes it all the more interesting. The festivities at home are either very strict and political or, well, I suppose almost the exact opposite. We may be known for cold climate and an even colder royal family", he absolutely made fun of himself there, though one probably could not tell since his voice didn't change, "but the celebrations are rather lively and bright. Especially the ones around spring." When asked about the tea he had to think for a moment, trying to find the right translation. "We mostly have black tea, sometimes with bergamot (aka Earl Grey), although we do also have lavender and verbena tea. Separately or combined." he explained. "Not much grows in a climate that cold, so most things with spices are more an occasional luxury than anything else." Well, considering the current weather maybe Xander was aware of that last part. At least Valerion assumed it was not too different here.
