Setting
At least was was fully and fashionably dressed. That would have been simply demoralizing. Kampf likely preferred woman of angles and muscle, rather than Linde's regrettable softness.
He eyed her as they moved, and even as they stood in the room, though he avoided doing such when she looked to him, preferring to meet her gaze at such. She had grace about her that he rarely saw outside of the Gotteshalle, and even within, and there was something about it that appealed to him. Probably had something to do with the fact that this had been a predominantly militant-based dictatorship for the past five centuries... "I do trust things have been going well for you, Sieglinde?"
He blinked, pushing the thought from his mind. "I'm sure that Liese will be most excited to hear such."
He approved.
Offering forth a hand, he silently asked to see the tablet with a quick blink, smile still present on his face.
Hopefully he didn't look too out of place.
He allowed the servant to open the door and announce his arrival, Josef preferring to tuck his arms behind his back and bow his head slightly, looking the humble part. He would play this up as best he could, hopefully getting a chance to sit beside lady Sieglinde.
He was getting ahead of himself. He needed to enjoy what he had, especially since he had another chance to speak with Sieglinde outside of paying her a visit, and she never seemed to be too keen on such things. She was rather proper, he would give her that, a true Scatterran lady if he ever met one. He took his seat as the servant offered it, and with an idle movement placed the napkin in his lap, looking instead to the table at hand, meeting gazes that were soon turned away, back to their own conversations.
"You have quite the audience here tonight, Sieglinde."
Linde smiled at her guests, her smugness well hidden, and summoned the servants to begin serving the food. There would be no speeches at the beginning, but perhaps at the end. This was, after all, a social occasion. "Please so forgive my guests if they stare."
It made little sense.
"How has Tannhäuser greeted you, Sieglinde?" The small talk was all part of the act, after all, that's what they did at these things, wasn't it?
No. That was probably a bad idea. Best to keep things on a more personal level here, after all, it was a social dinner. "I'm surprised to see, or rather, not see Liese here." He looked about for another moment, down the table, "But then, this is your event, it's only proper that you host it."
"Lady Sieglinde, could you introduce me to our honored guest?" Oh drat. Were it not for his social standing, the young Lord across from her would not be anywhere near.
"Certainly. My Lord, this is young Lord Adalbert. Lord Adalbert, this is our Lord, Emperor Kampf." She was not introducing him by his first name to this one.
Adalbert thought this over. "I believe I may join your service, my lord. After all, there is no greater honor, is there? It isn't as if I would be serving commoners." That was a pointed remark, and Linde did not care for.
"After all, we're all cogs in a machine, right Linde?" He hadn't meant to call her by her familiar name, at least not vocally, it just rolled off the tongue. Damn. That would send these people into a frenzy.
Josef was glad that he didn't have to deal with the fallout from this situation, thanks be to whatever powers there were that he was emperor.