A gem for your thoughts

[Emma Savatier]

Emma was opening her shop, a soft hum coming from the lady as the skit of her dress trailed behind her a bit as she placed new pieces into the display cases in her shop. The sun was already shining through and illuminating the white swirled marble floor and bouncing off of the gems to create their own little light shows that made her smile.

When she was done with that, she pulled out a small key to lock up the case and went to the door to make sure the open sign was there, waving at her guard before heading back inside to sit at her desk. She had a candle and a small kiln next to her, it kept her warm but also melted the metals she needed but first she needed to carve this wax into a shape.

She still hummed happily, leaning against her desk with a magnifying glass over her hands as she slowly worked to carve in the right spots for the gems in the waxy material, lifting up a metal dowel rod and checking the size before heating it and sliding it down until it fit the right size.

As she did, she would hear her door open, "Hello! Welcome to Bijoux Savatier, how can I help you?" Emma asked. The shop was large and spacious but held a small and intimate feeling as the woman looked up from her desk at who was here. 

In front of the desk she was at held glass display case of some of the raw gemstones she had in stock and directly across from her was a chase lounge couch to sit on to be able to talk to her while being comfortable.

Kaiden Dellario

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden had been surprised to learn that General Savatier's sister owned a gem shop. Or at least, was allowed to run her family shop? Honestly, the whole bias against women was rather confusing to him, though of course it wasn't his place to say anything. It was very different from his home. Certainly there were some things women were expected to do that men weren't and things men were expected to do that women weren't, but something like a shop...not that big of a deal. Everyone was expected to know a trade.

The fact that she was a noble who did so much of her own work was also only shocking for the country they currently resided in.

The nobleman of course had to visit the place. He had met Emma in passing, but hardly knew the woman. Still, that didn't bother him all that much. A few days after Yule, he was attempting his hand at more outreach than he had before. Partly for himself, but also partly because he was trying to make a good impression with his fiance. Though, considering how hostile Elysica's friends had been to him, he was...a little nervous and frustrated. Which was saying something for how much he wanted to make a good impression, since normally he didn't let that sort of thing bother him.

So, he was visiting the Bijoux Savatier. He paused outside a moment, to talk to the guard and attempt to reconcile his disbelief at all the glass and displays and the name. Gem Savatier? Was he missing something in translation? Maybe. Tresterian was his...third language?

Stepping inside, it was quite a delight to take in the sparkling jewelry, and an entirely different world from the jewel smiths he was used to on Ithias. It was...a lot. The woman's greeting caught his attention and he turned to face her and smile, almost not having noticed her amid the alarming amount of wealth simply...sitting in front of him. Kaiden was a noble. He had money. More at home than he did here, but in Ithias, people didn't display wealth in this way, even their skillful metalworking.

"Hello!" he returned the greeting with a polite half bow. "You must be Lady Emma? Kaiden Dellario. I was informed you run one of the more prominent jewelers..." And then he noticed what she was working on. "Excuse me, are one of the more prominent jewelers in the area?"

[Emma Savatier]

Emma would continue to carve into the wax carefully, a single curl falling into her face as she blew it out of her face a bit. Glancing up she gave a warm smile to the man, "I am yes, welcome," she called out to him warmly before a little pink stole across her cheeks at the compliment from her. She was proud of her work, her father was one to encourage it since it pulled her from her deep depression after the loss of her mother and brothers. Anything to keep her from following in her mother's fateful steps.

She would sit up more and place the items down and tuck the magnifying glass off to the side some, "You're too kind my Lord Dellario, please come sit, have some wine," she offered, holding her hand to the bottle of wine and the fresh glass by it. Emma tried to always be as hospitable as she could to those that entered- especially gentlemen as they always seemed thrown off by her running a shop. Since she did not own it, not many made a stir about it and for that she would be forever grateful.

"Is there something I can help you find or make for you my lord?" she asked him curiously, her tone right light and relaxed as she gave him attention.

On display in the shop was only a small fraction of what she had locked up but that information was kept a tight lipped secret. The shop was a general risk with what she kept out but she was careful and kept things locked up tightly and her father had guards here around the clock, so she was very confident that her items would never be trifled with.

[Kaiden Dellario]

"Kaiden, please, my lady." He waved away the wine and shook his head. He didn't really drink. Not that he felt the need to explain. Her offer was polite, however, if he was to get himself home and not buy half the shop, he was better off declining.

The offer to sit was...also awkward, especially along with the offer of a drink. He was here to look at jewels and perhaps make a purchase, but she seemed to think this was a personal call? Was he missing something? Sometimes foreign customs still confused him. He decided to play along where he could however and sat in the sofa. Maybe this was normal?

"Nothing specifically. Not yet," he said, glancing around. He very much wanted to get up and look more closely at the displays but the suggestion he sit had him...confused. "I thought I would study some jewelry of Tresterian make. To see the difference from home." He wasn't sure she knew he was a foreigner. He didn't announce it usually.

[Emma Savatier]

Emma gave a warm smile to that and nodded. She often invited people to sit or drink when they arrived, never knowing what they wanted in truth but wanting to be hospitable in this place because it felt like a second home to her with how much time she spend in her.

"Not yet? Well, let me know and I can show you a few pieces I keep tucked away if nothing out there is to your liking," she offered to him, tucking her legs under her chair as she crossed them while lifting up the wax ring and looking it over some. She would bring a candle closer to her before she gave a little smile at what he said.

"Oh really? Well, I think in every country, you'll find each jeweler has their own...voice with gems but here...I can't say I would know what other countries do honestly, I just know I like having the gems speak for themselves, so to speak I mean," she told him, stopping what she was doing to look up, an inquisitive look on her face, "I'd like to see it- other places jewelers I mean...so where is home, if you don't mind me asking," Emma said as she dipped back to adding the final touches to the ring, melting on a long piece of wax to use as a hand hold for herself as she would lift a small pail of wet sand and a small wooden tall case to place the ring mold in.

[Kaiden Dellario]

He glanced at some of the displays from where he was seated. Maybe visiting a jewelry store only days after meeting Elyscia was coming on a bit strong but he would rather make it clear he was interested than leaving her guessing. Certainly the man had played aloof before in his relationships with women, but this was different. Not because it had once been arranged (though that was a factor) but because he was at least serious about getting to know the lady in waiting.

Since he had already gotten her a ring and a necklace, both of which he considered quite serious forms of jewelry, he considered a bracelet or earrings. A bracelet was perhaps...too friendly? Did Elyscia wear earrings? He couldn't actually remember. "Earrings, maybe?" he suggested, if she wanted to show him a few pieces. Whether he was buying something today or not was still to be determined, but he was open if something of Emma's caught his eye.

Kaiden nodded agreement. Certainly each jeweler was different within a country, but there were still ways of doing thigns that varied on the larger scale. "Ithias. There's a lot more fine metal working, even over gems." Not that gems and jewels weren't part of it of course, but there was often more emphasis any symbolism in the metal used. Here, in Emma's shop, he could certainly see that her words were true. The gems spoke for themselves, prominent features to each pieces as opposed to accents. "These are lovely," he noted, absently watching her work.

"I brought a few pieces from home with me...for my fiance." Saying it was both strange and...well, kind of exciting.

[Emma Savatier]

She settled the piece she was working on in the mold and set it to the side when he said earrings, "Sure, let me pull out my case of them. Do you have a color you prefer or style?" she asked curiously, wondering if he had something in mind or if just looking was it. Either way, she would open a drawer next to her and pull out a small box (about 8x8 inches in size)and would undo the small latch and open it up to display what was inside.

The top of the box had simple studs in either gold or silver inlays but with various cuts of gemstones and at the bottom of the box were the more ornate pieces; blue drops, green variants, a stunning red, diamonds with ruby, quartz and ruby, various blues, crackled white, and finally purple with flowers.

"Here is a few of the pieces I've made in the past months, I've been trying my hand at other designs for fun," Emma told him with a smile before her eyes went wide hearing where he was from, a smile still on her face, "I've never been there myself but I've heard of the beautiful works from there- oh...thank you, I'm making a ring for an older gentlemen to give to his wife. He snuck away her old ring that was falling apart so I'm trying to make an identical but stronger copy," she explained as she reached over to gingerly pick up a ring that had been next to her resting on a little pillow, "Your fiance? Congratulations," she told him happily. 

"Does she live here in Tresteria?" Emma asked curiously, wondering if she might know this lucky lady.

[Kaiden Dellario]

At her question of him having a preference of color or style...he only blinked at her. "Ah..." He didn't know much about Ely but...well, favorite color it was then! "Greens. Violets maybe?" He smiled and shrugged helplessly. As for style... "Something minimal." That one was his own preference. Large jewelry felt like compensating for something or showing off too much and Ely certainly didn't need to do either.

He surveyed the boxes contents. Definitely an emphasis on the precious stones over the metal that housed them. The size of some of the rocks was honestly quite alarming for him. Could he afford the more grand pieces? Definitely. Did he want to? Not at all. "It's quite the variety," he noted. The piece were all well made from the little he could tell. The purple was a lovely hue, but a bit much. The green he didn't quite like the shape of. The simple blues were a bit more what he was looking for.

He hadn't meant the specific ring, but the pieces in her shop in general, but the man saw no reason to correct her. The ring she was working on also fit, the colors were similar to what he had bought for Ely before.

"Ah, thank you, my lady." Kaiden spoke gently, tone friendly and relaxed. "My new fiance is Elyscia Demarais." He wasn't about to start every conversation with such a thing considering they were still figuring it out, but he wasn't about to lie about it. Besides, he was in a jewelry shop for that reason and he wouldn't be here otherwise.

[Emma Savatier]

She would take what he said, he could see her thinking for a moment as she opened another drawer up and opened a box, purse her lips and shut it before opening another, "Ah, I have some more simpler ones in here that are of the purples and greens, maybe one of these?" she asked him as she carefully opened and laid out the box next to its counterpart in case he might want her to mesh ideas. Inside the box would be;purple gems, dangles, raw gemstones, two different colors, green dangles, and emerald flowers

"Thank you. It...it might sound silly but I tend to stare at the stones and play with them like a puzzle to see if they would work well with others or should be on their own," she told him with a slight chuckle. "But I try to have a little for everyone, we all like different things," she said with a bit of a smile as she would reorganize the boxes in case he wanted to see something else.

Emma would bite her lip some and then shake her head, "I fear I've only heard the name but not met the lady behind it. She must feel lucky though, a gentleman going out his way to pick out earrings, not an easy task sometimes." Emma said with a little playful joking as she settled the ring back on it's pillow so that it wouldn't get bumped and broken.

She would check the mold and then carefully wiggle it some to open it up and pop out the carving before placed the two halves back together and using a wire to tighten it. She was moving easily in her space, shifting back some to add a bit of tinder to her little smelter kiln next to her to heat up the fire before adding raw bits of silver into a dish on the table.

[Kaiden Dellario]

The second round of earrings was less loud and much closer to what he was looking for. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure what Elyscia might like. It was helpful to have some more ideas of what styles were out there and what he should pay attention to. "These are lovely," Kaiden said. He particularly liked the ones that did, in fact, let their purple gemstones speak loudest, without a metal frame even. He doubted she would fine the uncut stones as quietly pleasing as he did however. "I told myself I wasn't going to buy anything but those purple tear drop ones...how much for those?" he asked.

He nodded. It sounded a lot like how he treated cooking. Emma really seemed to love her craft with a passion. "Not silly at all. The variety is impressive!"

"That's alright. Until I met you, I had only know of you through your brother. It's a big world out there," he mused. Especially for someone who traveled but even here in Tresteria alone. He smiled. "I'm trying my best. Jewelry is a little beyond me, but hey, thought counts too," he joked. Whether Ely felt lucky...well, he wasn't sure he could speak that. Did he feel lucky to have her? Kaiden felt like he was, yes.

[Emma Savatier]

Emma was smiling, happy that someone appreciated her work. "Thank you, that one there is an amethyst," she explained to him before he pointed to the teardrop ones she had. She would turn then to her to look. She had made these a few months ago and lifted them out, "This set is only twenty gold," she told him with a little smile as she would hold them out for him to look at closer if he liked to.

"Thank you, some find it a little silly because it's a stone but thank you for not," she told him again with a smile.

That had her blushing a smidge and smiling, "Ah so that is how, do you know my brother well?" she asked him curiously before nodding, "It really is, I hope to see a bit more of it in my future," she told him with a smile before nodding, "The thought counts the most honestly. You know colors and now it's just a matter of finding what you feel fits her personality. Gems should be accents to the lady to help her shine more or to help a gentleman stand out a little more," she told him easily. It was what she believed at least how gems should be. Unless you were royalty and wanted to flash that in everyone's face, she didn't see the overall need to be incredibly flashy but to complement. Then again she was not one to judge another's style.

[Kaiden Dellario]

He'd have to start remembering the names of gemstones now. Kaiden felt almost a little awkward in that moment. Was he doing too much? Sure they had just met but... Well, Ely wanted to "take it slow" which to him meant...well, he wasn't sure what that meant exactly. Maybe she didn't like him as much as he thought? Still, he was set on putting together a nice outing with the woman, because he did want to know her better. And it didn't really matter if she said no after.

He considered the piece for a moment, but didn't take it from the woman. He didn't need to touch it or feel the weight or anything so personal as that. It was just some pretty rocks. He too considered jewelry a nice way to accent. But also as a way to show someone he cared and maybe, if they liked him, a way for them to accept that affection publicly by wearing it. "Let's get those then, before I get too worried about being too affectionate too early," he said, teasing himself. Relax, Kaiden. It's just some pretty rocks.

"Honestly, not half so well as I would like," he admitted. "But he's a General. Personable, but...still in charge." He'd enjoyed having drinks with the man though. He'd do it again. Actually, saying all that out loud, Kaiden wondered if Roland actually had that many close friends and actually went out to drinks that often. Maybe it would be good for both of them.

Hopefully Elyscia would see it that way too, that he was thinking about her. That would be enough for him. "Well, I'm still getting to know her. But...she's radiant already." Another reason why he didn't think he needed something large and flashy. That and...well, it was cheaper. "I think...it will just be the earrings for me today," he said, somewhat uncomfortable by her suggestion of gentleman needing to stand out. Normally, he would considering that an invitation to flirt with her. But...well... Kaiden smiled at Emma. "How long have you been running this shop?" he asked instead.

[Emma Savatier]

Emma didn't mind that he didn't take it, just letting him think it over until he said he would take them. "Never too early. Earrings aren't as...forward as a necklace or ring, earrings are a good start to anything," she told him confidently as she would take them and set them down while reaching for a simple worked box and place a soft bit of cloth in it before placing the pair gently on them and closing it.

"I'm sure she will love them and I'm glad these get to finally have a home," she told him with a smile as she pulled out a simple pink ribbon and tied it around the box and made it into a rather pretty bow. The bottom of the box would be a small ES stamp on it to mark her name and that would be it on the box as she set it on the desk for him.

Emma couldn't help but smile and nod at that, "He is but he's a good man, I'm a tiny bit biased but he's really easy to talk to if you ever needed it," she told him. She wholly believed that Roland would do what he could to help, that's what made her brother special. She missed him and looked forward to whenever she got to see him again.

The compliment to his lady was sweet, her head tilting to the side some at it, "Well enjoy it, it sounds like, from my stand point, that you're a little smitten already?" she asked, not wanting to assume. Emma would give a nod to him saying it just being the earrings, in which she would close the drawer with boxes in them. "Oh boy...I've had the shop itself for maybe three years but I've been selling my jewelry for about eight years maybe? Something like that. It started as just a simple hobby when I was a girl and then grew into this," Emma told him, a little pink to her cheeks, "I got lucky, my father let me run this business but he watches over everything," she told him. It was hers but not hers at the same time.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Emma's comment only served to make him second guess himself more. The nobleman blushed. Oh, he'd already started with a necklace AND a ring. But maybe it was best not to tell a near stranger that. He had told her Elyscia was his fiance, right? Still, at this point he was committed and still mostly happy about it. And he didn't just mean to buying earrings.

Her notion that the gemstones needed a home was a bit more odd than her notion about fitting them together in a puzzle. That was a little silly, but he only chuckled faintly. "I hope she likes them," he agreed. the box and bow were a thoughtful touch. "Thank you," he said, pulling out coins as she prepared the small package.

Easy to talk to... Kaiden wasn't so sure about that. From a sister to a brother, yes. From one soldier to another, maybe. From a soldier to his commander? Well, Kaiden liked to be easy to talk to himself, so maybe he just needed to talk a step back and give both himself and Roland some breathing room. Let the General worry about over stepping. The General was very sincere, he knew that much. Hell, Kaiden trusted him with his life.

Smitten wasn't quite the right word. Or maybe it was. Was there a half step down from smitten? Probably not. "Well, we're still getting to know each other but...I do like her." He smiled.

"That's impressive! Most noblewoman here seemed to want more than just hobbies, so I am glad to see you made it." Well, relatively speaking. "It's all very different from home. Everyone is expected to be capable of something in Ithias. Commoner, noble, man, woman," he shrugged. Men were still how a family lined passed, there were some things women didn't commonly do, but there was much less discrimination. "You have a good family," he agreed. Better than most around here. "Progress takes time."

[Emma Savatier]

Emma did not miss the blush that rose to his cheeks which only served to make her smile a bit more. It was a good color to him and it made her wish she knew his lady to be able to divulge that he was a little flustered from the looks, in her shop.

"I am very sure she will, you're most welcome," she told him as she would take the coins and check them really quickly before putting them into a drawer. Once that was done she made sure his package was perfect before giving it to him, "If they become damaged in any fashion, please bring them to me and I will fix them- no charge," she told him. She often did repairs with little to no charge and with earrings it didn't hurt to do it without.

She wholly believed her brother was an easy man to speak with, willing to listen to his men and those around him as long as he was respected by them.

Now it was her turn to blush, looking down some at her hands, "Thank you, I think we do but most...don't ever ask. Thankfully, my father has a soft spot for me and see's how well this does for our family, so he gladly lets me," she told him with a smile. It had taken some time for her to be allowed to do this but once she was allowed to, it made it all the better for her and she was happier with this place.

Emma looked up, listening to him and giving a small nod. She did wonder what it was like in other countries and how their women were treated but she accepted her lot in life and so long as she had her shop, she felt she would be happy. "I do and I am not sure it will happen suddenly here but I can hope for other women to be able to follow hobbies and turn them into passions as I have. I love my work and sharing it with people...I do hope more grow brave enough to ask," she admitted before straightening some. It wasn't an overly dangerous topic but she needed to still be careful as most everyone here did not like the notion of women working. By now, she should have been wed with children but she was not and that too caused people to whisper.