Meeting in Cologne, Phase 1

[Traudel Habermeyer]

Traudel hesitates for the briefest of moments upon Ferdinand's last two sentences. Lightly opening her mouth, only to close it again. Bright blue eyes wander from him to the bottle - then over to one of many flags. "That makes two of us. Neither am i, Herr Maréchal. But ... in this case, a toast will be all the more meaningful, won't it?" She proceeds to place the bottle down again, now that the selection had been made. Her way leads over to the desk in the back of the room.

"It is always the ones who come after us... who in the end suffer or profit the most. A healthy House and its members should, at all times, pay utmost attention to the course they pick and follow. For their children are what guarantees survival. I... " Picking up a corkscrew from the desk, turning it between her fingers, Traudel continues. "... thank you for those words. I am but one of many. But, i admit, i am among those with a more open mind - to an extent. Understanding is key, be it allies or enemies. No proper decision can be made otherwise. Not a good one at least. You, Herr Maréchal, embody the solid groundwork each House needs in order to survive and sustain itself. A keen eye for how affairs should be handled. Now and in the future. Not just centered on the self - but instead the whole. Paired with the knowledge that, sometimes, sacrifices must be made and nothing worthwhile is ever just handed out. It is earned."

Returning to Ferdinand, Traudel proceeds to open the bottle. "I admit, i was worried at first. That my rank might be ... insufficient for such a meeting. An affront to you. However, i quickly stopped worrying after our first few exchanged words." A clean cloth napkin is wrapped around the bottle's neck before pouring - Ferdinand's glass being the first. After that Traudel's. By the looks of it, the wine had been slightly chilled and only very recently been placed in the room. Setting it down again, Traudel finally sits down as well. Eyes now on him, right hand near the glass. Obviously the honor of raising a toast was his.