Restituta almost never thought that she would be here ever again—she had been here in her youth, a young girl with all the desires of living in the most cultured city in the continent. In fact, she found herself hosting a salon again to know the notable thinkers. It had always been a passion of hers, of course, to listen to the new ideas of her day. Rovirna had plenty of them, but most congregated in Sarponne.

She looked upon the guests whom she had invited. The most amusing of the lot and the one who stood out the most to her was none other than the Severian, Ardalion Mayakov. She had heard his speeches before—he was a man who despised all things traditional. Most found him incredibly engaging if not for the faint of heart. 

Restituta decided that he would be the most stimulating to spend time with, since  she usually spent time with milder people. Even her own husband was more a nationalist than ever an anarchist. Since Niccolo rented—with her approval—this huge house with a parlour, meant for a family larger than a mere family of five, it was a waste to not use it at least once before they left. 

Seated across from her was an elegant man in his mid-fifties, the aforementioned Ardalion Mayakov. He was dressed in a black coat, white trousers, and a fashionably tied cravat of a dandy. 

She made her first move, eager to start with Ardalion.  "Would you introduce yourself, Monsieur?" 

“Ardalion Ivanovich Mayakov, at your service.” The man smiled, revealing slightly yellowish teeth. “Pleased to meet you, Madame. I’m from Ivansburg, the capital of Severya.”

Restituta was surprised to hear the location but guessed that he had a less than noble background. That made him only more fascinating . “What brings you here to Sarponne all the way from Severya?”

“I’m here on business.” Ardalion replied, fixing his cravat with his right hand. “And well, some politics too, maybe. There’s a lot to learn here, especially from certain…individuals.” He gave Restituta an intense yet mischievous look.

“I’m here to learn as well,” Resittuta said with a dispassionate look. “It’s been such a long time since I've returned to this city. I have heard about your politics, so you might as well start there.” 

Ardalion crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Why don’t you start, Madame? I’m a guest in your country, so I’d like to hear more about what’s happening in your country before I talk about what’s going on in Severya. I’m sure I have a lot to learn.” He sipped a cocktail. “By the way, what is this? It’s exquisite.”

“I’m very much a guest here. I’m still discovering how much has changed here myself, although you can hear what went on where I’m from. But first, the new Emperor declared is that none shall require his permission to publish anything.” Restituta smiled. “I’m delighted to hear you're enjoying the cocktails." 

Cocktails had started becoming fashionable around town, although Restituta greatly prefered the strong stuff. They were a new invention. 

“Ah, so you’re not from Sarponne, either? Where are you visiting from, then?” Ardalion placed the cocktail glass back on the table. 

Restituta chuckled, for her answer was more complicated than that. "All the way from Itoro, and from Rovirna, the current capital." 

Ardalion gave a small grin. “Ah, Itoro. A beautiful country, full of art, history, and charming people. So how is Rovirna these days? Heard that…something’s brewing.” He lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret.