Kingdom of Jeridia, House Filangieri Manor
As Bartolomeo marched upon the steps towards the noble districts of Jeridia, his golden eyes settled straight towards the elegantly constructed manor that awaited him right beyond the stairs. He pushed through the metal fence that solidly defended the main entrance to the estate, and upon reaching the door, Bartolomeo knocked.
After five seconds the door opened from within due to the efforts of a bronze skinned, female seeker, with eyes vibrant in shades of violet and long black hair. She wore a white gown, its edges stained with dirt. Dark eyeliners were present around her eyes, and it clearly seemed that someone had strangely decided to dress up the miqo'te. Her gaze met the young man's, without empathy.
Bartolomeo smiled politely and with anxiety he inquired, "Ah- m-m'lady... Is mother here?"The miqo'te twitched as her gaze sighted down towards the man's surcoat. She hissed and revealed her fangs at the young knight until a booming voice from behind emerged, "Dalia! Who is it?!" The miqo'te's gaze trembled at the man's tone, her ears lowered in submission.
The door completely opened, and the miqo'te slid back inside while what appeared to be her master came towards the entrance. "....Tis only my son." It was Francesco Filangieri, a red chaperon was resting on his head while wearing a navy blue jacket. He smirked down at his son and gestured him in, "Come in, your mother and brother are certain to want to talk to you." A firm hand rested against Bartolomeo's shoulder as Francesco guided him into the main corridor.
Bartolomeo marched up the staircase that led up towards the manor's studyroom, from there he caught sight of a middle aged woman, dark brown hair that was properly tied into a bun, makeup pampered her pale face and concaled her wrinkles. The young knight gracefully walked inside, "Mother..."
The woman turned around only to give Bartolomeo a weak smile that quickly evolved into a frown. "Your father told me already..." Her gaze was full of concern as they fixated on Bartolomeo's. Bartolomeo didn't feel at ease to respond, and immediately his mother rose up and embraced him, tears poured down her face. "Please- I know what can happen to those who stay beyond the walls for t-too long...don- don't let it change who you are - Barto..."
Bartolomeo embraced his mother in return, but was unsure in what to respond with, the words and reaction was entirely unexpected for him. It was until footsteps that the footsteps of Ildefonso emerged that interrupted the short bonding between the two, "Sir Filangieri! The Grandmaster requires your presence immediately - gather your belongings as the march to Dolfino will soon commence!"
Bartolomeo reluctantly released his mother and gave her a reassuring smile as he gradually stepped back towards the staircase, "...I will return mother, even better than I am now...I promise." With that Bartolomeo followed Ildefonso down the stairs, with the intent at venturing to the city gates.