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You smile and fan yourself demurely, and proceed:
"But wouldn't you say that no single gemstone can be the most beautiful? Emeralds, I've been told, would go well with my eyes. I could put one around my neck and I am sure I could get at least some gentlemen here to agree it is the most beautiful thing in the world."
"Without a doubt." says Alejandro.
"I've also had the honour of meeting the princesses of the Nordic Alliance at a ball in Helfjord. They wore such beautiful twin tiaras studded with sapphires, I am sure the sight would leave breathless every man and woman here. But take that same sapphire, and fasten it to Giuseppe's belly, and, well--"
Racuous laughter fills the hall, Giuseppe slapping his thigh in approval.
You went nowhere near the ball in Helfjord, of course. Not only are you too low in the hierarchy of peerage, but it would be too much of a political liability for any nation with such close ties with the League to invite a baroness from Sternbergen. The small mountain kingdom has been resolutely resisting absorption into the Hanseatic League for years. But, you have a friend whose handmaid has a friend whose mistress did attend that ball. Since you are quite certain that none of the "ladies" and gentlemen in here are intimately acquainted with the politicks of the many small Allemanic kingdoms, and would not be allowed within a hundred leagues of Nordic royalty, you feel it's safe to embellish the story a bit.
"And what do you personally think of rubies, my dear?"
You playfully, and quite intentionally, twist a lock of your dark red hair, while pretending to think of rubies.
"That would be my personal choice. It is by far the most beautiful of the precious gemstones. Red is the colour of wine..." You raise a wineglass filled with red burgundy. Then you point it to towards the observation window. "... the colour of sunset..."
You look Alejandro directly in the eyes. "... the colour of passion".
His left hand is still on your shoulder. He uses his right to politely raise his glass in response. You can feel the eyes of every man and woman at the table on the two of you. You can taste the envy in the air. Surely, you are allowed to revel in it just for a bit.
