"Hm? Oh, yes. Good evening. Nice to see us all here to discuss matters of urgent importance, such as... oh, what's on the schedule for this evening." He looked down at the parchments which were being distributed around the room. "The implications of the Exarch's new taxes on bread, wine, and salt, and how this will impact the market for magical goods and services." With a rather blank look on his face, he sat the documents flat down on the round table he was sitting at, right next to Rosalinde. This would be a boring one, and as chipper as he was earlier, the look of excitement which had adorned his snout earlier had fled as fast as it had come. 

Nevertheless, he was happy to see her. Rosalinde was always one of the more interesting mages to speak with, and it helped that she was easy on the eyes. And while there was no way to judge from her manner of walking alone, he got the feeling that she had adopted such a sultry gait in order to gain the attention of the other archmages. A pity that most of them were either taken, clueless, or were so absorbed in their own power and importance that they paid little heed to her. On top of that, only about half of the mages in the room were fully human, with several half-breeds and many non-humans. The High Councilor himself was quarter-elf, three-fourths human. 

"Perhaps we could discuss matters of, ah, greater import after the formal session is over, Rosalinde. In the gardens, perhaps? You know, the ones with the emperor's cabbages? They say the ones growing there now are descended from the strain he planted centuries ago. And maybe something more interesting than food products. This palace is a masterwork of-"

"The Council of Mages will come to order!" Cyprian fell silent as the High Councilor spoke. The meeting itself was just as long and drawn-out as he imagined it would be, but a break was finally called three hours into it, just as the sun began to set. Obtuse as he could be, a thought still dawned on the Dracon.

"Rosa- oh, may I call you that? Perhaps we can continue discussing this matter outside. By the seaside." He rose from his seat and, refraining from spelling it out, gestured at the setting sun through the window.