Common Room: Rose and Lion Inn, Caemlyn

The common room of The Rose and Lion is a merry place. The patrons here appear happy, and sit at stout wooden tables, or at the long bar, in groups of twos or threes. There is much drinking, talking and laughing.

The crowd is large tonight, and laughter and chatter fills the common room to the rafters. The smell of the spring flowers in full bloom fills the common room with a sweet scent. A stout wooden door leads back out to the busy Caemlyn Road, a smaller wooden door leads to the stables, and a well-worn staircase leads up to the private bedchambers and common sleeping areas.

Journeyer
Cassandra
Morden
Rio
Anluan
Caenna
Siobhan

Demonder enters The Rose and Lion, looking around the common room.

Caenna watches the three other card players at the table, eyes alight with curiosity.

Cassandra seems interested in Morden's comment as she leans in closer towards him from her seat on his friend Jack's lap. "Where and who?"

Rio is seated at the fireside table with two women and a man. She is playing poker with them. When Rennar and Demonder enter the common room, she notices their arrival with a slight nod, but her attention appears to remain focused upon the game at hand.

The doors to the common room open to reveal a few House Roesone guards that walk inside before Lord Demonder is seen escorting Lord Rennar inside. There mood is not light, not with the times, but better then on days in the past. As they enter, Demonder stops them some feet away from the door, his eyes scanning those within the Inn. He looks to Rennar in question for a moment, before slowing moving forward to choose a seat.

Morden says "Her name is Sasheem and she owns a tabacco shop on the White Lion way. You should go pay her a visit sometime."

Siobhan doesn't seem to notice the newcomers, studying her cards.

Rennar pauses just beside Demonder, looking about the Inn. She nods toward the Window Table, noticing some of her usual spots taken. She does smile pleasantly enough, though not overly so. "There is fine." She comments, her voice softly spoken.

Cassandra smiles slightly, "I expected a man, Jules, but I suppose you know what you're doing. Anything else I should know about this woman? Oh, and will she arrange for my room?"

Demonder escorts Rennar toward the window side table, pulling out a seat for her before taking one opposit hers. As he adjusts himself at the seat, the few Roesone guards sink into the background as a server brings by menus for the two nobles. "Rio Sedai playing dice? I always thought it foolish to play such games with an Aes Sedai," he notes with a light grin.

Caenna turns her head, with a grins, says clearly, "Cards."

Rio eyes the pot speculatively and gathers her cards together in preparation to display them to the table. As Anluan puts his cards on the table, a slight frown forms upon her face. "You have the luck of the light with you." She doesn't bother to display her cards and instead tosses them down lightly upon the table. "Now...where did that server go off to?" she murmers quietly.

The young Andoran noble woman shakes her head slightly from side to side, giving Demonder something of a warning look, "I'd watch what you say here. I have heard that the Tower sent several Aes Sedai this way." She sighs lightly, shifting in her seat.

Caenna gathers up the cards again. "Who's shuffling?"

Cassandra smiles slightly, "I expected a man, Jules, but I suppose you know what you're doing. Anything else I should know about this woman? Oh, and will she arrange for my room?"

Rio holds her hands out to Caenna, "I'll do the honors this time."

Caenna hands them over, with a nod.

"You have?" Demonder's voice reaches higher pitches before returning to its deeper form. "At the request of Queen Aislynn, I would imagine?" he ponders slowly.

Siobhan picks up her wineglass, and sits back.

Taking the cards from the young woman, Rio fingers them like a woman that had lived and breathed the air of taverns for a long portion of her life. She shuffles the cards quickly and without mishap before placing them into the center of the table in a neat pile.

Caenna's attention is rather firmly on the two newcomers, at least for now. And speculation is written on her face.

Anluan scoops up the coins and stacks them at his side. "A miighty thanks to you ladies for graciously contributing to my...dinner fund." He smiles and waits for the next deal of the cards.

Rennar shifts her shoulders into a light shrug, "Perhaps. I do not know their mind or her Majesty's. Likely, she has several important matters to attend to." Rennar speaks in quieted tones. "What Aislynn does..." She forgets herself momentarily, calling the Queen familiarly by her first name, "... is her own business."

Demonder has been quick witted enough to hear when or when not Rennar uses the title. And yet, he looks completely confused for a moment before straightening himself out. "Has she made any attempts to speak with you? Or you her?" The last question comes faint, as Demonder already likely knows the answer to it.

Morden nods. "It's being worked on as we speak..>As far as things to know goes...She's a good woman. i think you will like her."

It is likely that Rennar does not even realize what she's done, somewhat relaxed these last few days. "Pardon...?" Confusion sets within her own eyes. She shakes her head, murmuring quietly, "No... we have not spoken. I told you," she pauses briefly, "I am not going back to the palace unless summoned by the Queen herself."

Caenna says "You?"

Cassandra smiles, "She's not the one you like, is she?"

Siobhan nods a little ot Caenna, and leans over to cut the cards for the people at her table.

Morden nods with a lopsided smile

If Rio Sedai has overheard the remarks of Lady Rennar, she makes no admittance of the fact. She seems quite absorbed by the poker game. Nodding, she agrees with Anluan. "That would mean you, Siobhan."

Demonder nods very slowly, obviously not liking Rennar's mind-set on all of this, but not arguing the point either. "So long as you are summoned under better circumstances then my last summon before Queen Aislynn," Demonder notes with a slight touch of amusement, that would almost seem arrogant. "I'd rather avoid the scorn of an Aes Sedai, and much more so of the Queen." Interesting, how Demonder puts that. "And you would like her at our wedding, would you not?"

Cassandra grins, "Well then I'll be extra nice and polite, since she's the boss' lover. I'll even complain to her that you're one of the only men who've ever turned me down. All right?"

Salia walks down the stairs quietly.

"That is something I would have to consider." Rennar answers the question quietly. Thankfully, for her at least, the server decides to show up at the table then. She turns her attention to the young woman coming to take her order, "I'll have some chicken and potatos, and if you have it a slice of apple pie."

Morden smirks and nods. "Sounds good to me." he takes a drink and looks to James. "Is it just me or was there a lot of money in the guild treasury this morning when I had a look at the books?"

Journeyer goes home.

Demonder sits down at Window Table.

Rio is seated at the fireside table with Caenna, Siobhan and Anulan. They are all playing a friendly game of poker. When Salia walks down the stairs and enters the common room. Rio's gray eyes follows her movement. Turning to the others at the table, she asks, "Are you going to deal the next hand, Caenna?"

Caenna looks startled. "No, Rio Sedai, you are dealer this time." She pushes out her ante coins.

Cassandra seems to renew her interest in Jack. "You handle the gold? All of it?" she sounds quite impressed.

James nods "I don't think i can remember a time when we had so much. I've been having a look at things...trying to figure out where it all came from I never knew we had a practical stranglehold on so much around this place." James smiles and gropes Cass a little. "Well no not all of it...I get to count it mainly."

Rio takes the cards from Siobhan with a gracious nod. "Very well then," she says before she starts to deal out five cards to each of the players at the table. The cards flow smoothly from her fingers as if weaves of air were guiding them to their places. For those that can see such things, however, they would note that the Aes Sedai was not channeling at this time. 

Demonder only opens the menu as the server returns. "Steak, done rare, with potatos. Oh, and a bottle of red wine for the table." Demonder pauses briefly before looking to Rennar in quiet consideration. "I fear House Roesone has its own problems. Lord Pitor will be walking a fine line in his plots, I think. I'm not certain he will walk the fine line of supporting the Queen while remaining in alliance with the Children well. I had not known that the Children of the Light are a main financial channel for the distribution of Roesone wine..."

Cassandra takes a sip from her glass while continuing to smile at Jack, encouraging his touch. "And I suppose you always get the right count, everytime?"

Anluan catches his cards and holds them as he did before untrustingly not holding them in a fan as most. He begins the process of shuffling the front cards to the back and the back to the front

Rennar's eyes fill with concern upon hearing Demonder's words. She lowers her voice appropriately, She mutters to Demonder, "I... you support... the... heir... House, if... job as... make..."

Demonder senses "Rennar's eyes fill with concern upon hearing Demonder's words. She lowers her voice appropriately, "I would have whomever you support to raise as the next heir or whatever to your House, if Corwyn is not doing his job as heir, to find someone who can make certain you've better financial avenues.""

Caenna frowns at her cards, the order displeasing her. Re-arranging them, she glances around the tavern.

Siobhan glances over her cards, and plucks one out to toss to the table.

Rio looks up as the server finally arrives with her ale. She takes the drink from the girl and hands her a copper.

Morden smiles watching the 2 get along. "I think you have the Queen to thank for that one James. She was the one who gave us the money for it at least." James blinks. "all that money came from her?" jules nods. "Damn straight." James looks to the young beauty in his lap. "Ah usually, there are others who recount afterwards to be certain. We are very thorough."

Anluan hopes that this hand will be as lucky as the first and antes then discards one card. He looks to the women with a wide grin on his face. His mind wishing that next card to be the one he needs.

Caenna tosses out three cards.

Demonder nods in an unspoken agreement, settling back on the chair before moving forward again to speak in a quieter tone. He mutters to Rennar, "Lord Pitor will position... he attempts... with... Queen, though... could... own... he thinks,... long... ago... But... not certain. There's..."

You sense Demonder nods in an unspoken agreement, settling back on the chair before moving forward again to speak in a quieter tone. "Lord Pitor will position himself well. I believe he attempts to gain favour with the Queen, though how, I'm not certain. Regardless, I don't think I could support him as High Seat, Renni. He's my own brother, I know how he thinks, and a long time ago we might have thought the same way. But now, I'm not certain. There's something I don't like about him."

Rio reaches into her pocket and pulls out a few coins. She then deals Caenna three new cards and two new ones for herself. Again, Rio simply looks once at her hand and then places it face down on the table.

Cassandra almost sighs in disappointment, though she does stop herself, changing it to a small frown instead. "Oh, I suppose that makes for good business. What does the queen buy from you?"

Siobhan waits for her replacement card, before tossing in a silver piece into the middle of the table.

Rio deals a single card to Siobhan and then turns to the one man that sits at the fireside table. As she waits for his card decision, she takes a sip of her ale.

Anluan looks to the coins already finding their way to the table. "I'm affraid my friends that the company has been splendid but Alas I will have to depart after this hand." He taps his finger on the one card he has already discarded waiting for a replacement.

"I must admit, I never liked him." With that, Rennar turns her eyes down, shrugging her shoulders a bit. The server wanders off into the kitchens to place the order.

Caenna stares at her cards, without really seeing them. To those that can see, she's tapping into saidar.

Morden smiles clapping his hands together. "Not a thing. that's the beauty of it...It was a donation if you can believe it."

Salia walks up behind Rio, watching the game distantly.

Rio nods to Anluan, "As will I. Although, this has been most enjoyable. I can't remember the last time that I played a hand of cards in a tavern." Then Rio blinks and stares intently at Caenna.

Siobhan nods to Alsuan, then glances over at Caenna to await her bid.

Cassandra arches an eyebrow, "A donation? For which aspect of your enterprise?"

Salia blinks a bit.

Rio glances between Caenna and the woman at the bar that has been flirting with the men. A slight smile forms on her lips. Then, she places the cards down on the table top. "I'll call the final bid." She tosses the appropriate amount of coins on the table.

Cassandra seems to shimmer midsentence, then the woman sittingon the man's lap, seems to have gained considerable years and poundage, now appearing as a rather matronly woman of middle-aged, dressed in clothing that is the height of conservatism at it's best.

Caenna starts a bit. "Oh. My bet?"

Anluan looks to his cards and then to the money already on the table. He lets out an exasperated breath. "I fold."

Siobhan glances around, then turns back to her game. She matches Rio's bet, then raises it with two silver.

Cassandra is thankfully quite unaware of the transformation, as there aren't any shiny surfaces around herself at the moment. She waits for Morden's answer while sipping from her wine glass.

The door of the common room open up to reveal a man that is clearly a servant of House Hune. After a quick look over, he walks over to Rennar's table, whispering a few things into her ear. Demonder seems to get the same message, at which point both stand from the table, and begin to head out of the common room.

Rio tosses in two more silver coins into the pot, however, her attention is more focused upon the bar at the moment. She does finally notice that Salia has moved up beside her and gives the girl a slight nod.

Morden was about to answer that question from Cassandra but then stops midsentance, mouth snapping shut. James looks suddenly as though there were a snake on his lap or something. He ever so gently...nudges her OFF. Morden scratches his head with his cane. James is far less tactful about it. "What is wrong with you?" he is clearly talking to Cass.

Rennar sighs faintly, nodding to her servant. "Thank you." She holds out her arm for Demonder to take as he leads her away.

Demonder escorts Rennar out the doors once they lock arms. Two House Roesone guards follow in behind.

You push through the wooden door and head back out to the stable yard.