Thomas nodded to Gareth, as he belong to take his leave, "I'll see you at the feast, Gareth, hope you'll be there." Thomas said, with a slight bow as he made his exit. Thomas quickly made his way to the Palace. As he entered the courtyard, he didn't enter through the main Palace doors, but instead walked around the Palace, and entered a tall tower. The tower was contrasted from the rest of the Palace, as it was made of pure white marble, and two flags hung from poles on either side of the huge wooden door. The flags of the Order of the Thistle. Thomas ascended the Tower, which had plenty of floors, and room. He eventually found his own lodgings and begun changing into his clothes. The rest of the tower was completely empty, as every other Order knight were on duty preparing for the feast.

"It'll be wonderful to see you all later." Gareth bowed to each party as they left, and he found himself lingering alone in the stands. The sun began to set and the sky grew into a blend of purples and blues and oranges, some stars beginning to show with the moon as Harker started off towards his home in the quickly fading light of dusk. He unlocked the door to his humble abode, a small living space with enough to live and still have some leisure, and he closed the door behind him, entering his house. It was a little dark inside, and he lit a candle or two in the darkest corners to brighten the place. In his own quarters, he began to strip and don his formal attire. Gareth would be only one of few commoners at the feast, and in his somewhat dapper appearance, hopefully he would be pleasing to look at and talk to.

The Lyoki trio made it back to their quarters without incident. As she opened the door, Sophia began to speak. "Now Jezin, you can't be wearing your armor to the feast. We brought some proper attire for you, so wear it, please." The bodyguard sighed, following the princess and her servant into the main room of their quarters. "As you wish, milady." He had grown so used to his armor that wearing civilian attire was somewhat awkward, still, he had to respect the princess' wishes. He reached to his neck, removing the golden necklace that Sophia had given him, and handed it to her. She took it and he departed to his room, shutting the door behind him.

Eva followed Sophia into her room. The princess began rummaging through her stock of clothing, trying to find something for the night. As she did so, Eva spoke up. "So how was the tournament, milady?" Sophia replied, still digging through the small mountain of attire. "It was fine. I'm not one for watching men beat each other to death, but at least I had some decent conversation." She smiled. A grin crossed Eva's face. "Oh yes, that boy that you were with. Gareth was it? He seemed quite dashing from what I saw of him. Is he interested in you, do you think?" Eva gave a slight giggle. Sophia's hands stopped moving through her clothes for a moment. She remembered their conversation. "No, Eva. I believe he is infatuated with someone else. He was lovely to talk to, though." Eva frowned. "Well, that is a shame. I'm sure you'll get plenty of attention at the feast tonight, though." Sophia smiled, picking out a dress at last. "Perhaps I will." She held up the garment. It was vaguely similar to the one she was wearing, consisting of the same red fabric, but it's style was different. It's sleeves ended near the elbow, and it had several layers of fabric, each embroidered with gold thread. It was also slightly longer than her current dress, reaching nearly to her ankles. "Beautiful," the handmaiden exclaimed.

Internally, she bristled with the immediate realization that her conversational partner was something less than willing. It didn't show on the messenger's face, though she strained a bit to keep her smile. "Well, I'm Feril Tatchet," The least she could do was remember her manners. She rummaged through the insides of her jacket for a moment, producing a small box and an affixed letter sealed with the blue roundel of the Arcarti state military. What Feril didn't know or notice and what a more cautious observer might was that the state used paper seals and their own messengers. "I was hoping a knight such as yourself would be able to show me where the postmaster in this palace is. I would just deliver this directly but there's no name on it, and he's got the ledger..." She'd of course tried the man's residence, but there was clearly a celebration going on and she figured, as her attention began to slowly drift away from Payton and over to the crowd flocking from the stands to the castle proper, either possible destination was currently at the party.

Thomas had changed, and had made his way down to the courtyard, taking a seat on the edge of the stone of a fountain. Thomas had opted for a white buff jacket, with a gold trim, that reached down to his knees, with a white sash specked with gold. However, he still opted to wear his boots, as he detested the normal slippers and shoes that most wore to courtly events. Harmony still remained in a sheath on Thomas' side, showing that he was still prepared to act as a member of the Order of the Thistle if the need arose. Thomas waded his hand on the surface of the water, gently letting the water touch his palm, as he stared down into it. Thomas struck the appearance of a man deep in thought, and his normal smile was absent, replaced instead by somewhat blank expression, as he sat by the fountain.

Gareth returned to the palace courtyard, after he had walked the distance, neither long nor short, between his home and the palace. His hair was gently brushed to the right, and his face was void of emotion, its lack thereof belying his typical formula of anxiety and excitement. Harker had butterflies in his stomach as he arrived, the medium-sized group in the courtyard scattered across it in smaller cliques. The young man tugged his blue vest, tight cut to fit his body by the tailor he visited a week ago, and adjusted his tie, while his belt needed no adjustment—the gurtel was fixed around his waist close, it keeping his tanned pants held up above his boots properly. The only oddity in his attire was the bow and quiver strapped to his back, the weaponry which he carried that night for self-defense. He ambled around with his eyes cast low to avoid eye contact, and Gareth found a seat by the fountain, himself unaware of the familiar presence on the opposite side.

Sophia changed relatively quickly into the brilliant red dress she had selected. Eva slid a chair across the room, motioned for the princess to sit, and set to work on her hair. Sophia took a seat, placing her golden circlet on a nearby table. The handmaiden braided the back of the young girl's hair, wrapping it in ribbons of crimson and gold. The front of Sophia's hair was brushed to the right, leaving only the single strand of white hanging gently against her face on the left. When Eva was finished, Sophia looked fit to be royalty. The brilliant crimson and gold ribbons shown against her dark hair, and her long red dress danced about her like a flame. The princess smiled, admiring the lady-in-waiting's handiwork in a nearby mirror. "It's just lovely Eva, thank you so much." The servant bowed with a smile. Sophia looked about the room. "I need to get a few more things together, would you go and make sure Jezin looks presentable?" The princess giggled. Eva grimaced ever so slightly, but nodded and left the room.

The handmaiden knocked three times before entering Jezin's quarters. She was a bit surprised at what she saw inside. There stood Jezin, but his armor had been completely replaced. He wore knee-high black boots made of soft leather, with black trousers tucked neatly into them. At his waist was a simple but elegant black leather belt, bearing only his sword. He also wore a dress shirt made of white silk that looked rather expensive. It was tucked in neatly. Over all of this he wore a knee-length jacket made of bright red fabric, adorned with golden buttons bearing the insignia of Lyok. The jacket's collar was folded down. He actually looked like a proper gentleman. The bodyguard's eyes peered back at Eva blankly. The handmaiden spoke. "The princess told me to make sure you were ready." The soldier's eyes remained locked on her, glowing with a certain harshness. "Yes, I am." Eva felt uncomfortable under the man's gaze. His tone was flat and cold. He'd always treated her as such.

"Jezin, why do you feel the need to look at me that way. You always have contempt in your eyes, but I've never done anything to slight you..." Jezin frowned and retorted. "It's nothing you have done, Eva. I simply do not trust Taurans. Your people have proven to be undeserving of trust." He spoke with a voice as cold and hard as steel. The handmaiden felt heat rush to her face and clenched her fist. "You still hold that grudge? You still think all of us are monsters?" Jezin's face remained unchanged, but he nodded slowly, refusing to break eye contact. Eva's voice cracked as she continued. "Not every Tauran supported the rebellion. There were thousands of us just trying to live our lives in the countryside. We had nothing to do with any of it..." Jezin remained unchanged. "I still do not trust you." Eva slammed her fist against the wall. "Oh yes, we're monsters! But if we are then so are you! Or should I remind you who it was that burned my village to the ground? Well Jezin, do you remember who it was that killed my family? I know you do. Do you think what he did was right? We are just savage animals after all." The handmaiden couldn't help but raise her voice as she remembered all the hardships the people of Taura had faced in the backlash from the rebellion. Jezin's countenance changed. He gritted his teeth and brushed past the lady-in-waiting. "Tell the princess I'm waiting outside."

Eva cursed to herself and returned to the princess' room, trying to hide her anger. "What's wrong Eva, is something the matter?" Sophia's soothing voice floated across the room as soon as she entered. "No, your grace, nothing is the matter. Jezin waits for you outside." Sophia was unconvinced, but didn't want to push the matter further. She walked out of her room, heaving the king's gift up into her arms, and walked out the door. "Have a good night, Eva." The handmaiden nodded.

Sophia met Jezin outside the door of their quarters. She handed him the box containing the gift, and they set out towards the courtyard. She complimented his change of clothing, but he only nodded. "Did something happen between you and Eva?" Jezin frowned. "She mentioned my brother." Sophia looked up. "Oh." Jezin's brother had been the commander of a legion in Taura at the time of the rebellion, but had remained in the country for nearly a year afterwards, looting and burning local villages. He had eventually forced the Empress to send another legion to put him down. He'd been killed in the conflict. "I'm sorry, Jezin. But don't let such things weigh on you tonight. It's a celebration, after all, and you're actually dressed for it for once!" Jezin smirked. "Fine, princess, have it your way." As the pair made it to the courtyard, Sophia noticed Gareth and Thomas sitting on opposite sides of the fountain. "Gareth! Thomas!" The princess rushed towards the fountain, her elegant dress billowing around her as she ran. Jezin followed more slowly, looking more proper than usual.

Thomas jerked his head up at his name being called, and noted that Gareth's was also called. Thomas glanced behind him, seeing the young man also sitting at the fountain. Thomas quickly rose, turning to face Sophia, and bowed slightly, "Your Grace." Thomas said, his blank expression completely gone, now replaced with his welcoming face and soft smile. Thomas nodded to Jezin, before turning back to look at Gareth, "Well, it looks as if we're all here." Thomas said, still with his smile, "And now that we're all dressed for the occasion, we can begin our way to the feast early." Thomas added, resting his left hand on the hilt of Harmony. Thomas noted Gareth's and Jezin's weapons present on their persons, something Thomas doubt would go unquestioned by Sir Redwyne, if Redwyne had also made it a point to get to the feast early as well.

Gareth perked up as his name was called, and he brought up his head to see Sophia arriving, his face softening into a smile. "Ah, salutations. Yes, it seems we are all here." His cheeks flushed, finding Thomas's eyes on him, to which he responded with a gentle nod of acknowledgement. "Sophia, you look beautiful this evening, and Jezin, Thomas, quite handsome." Harker held his hands behind his back, and he stood at ease before the others.

Sophia gave a slight bow to Thomas as Gareth as they approached. She smiled when Gareth complimented her. "Thank you very much, Gareth, you look quite handsome as well." Her voice was as cheerful and musical as always, floating through the air like a warm summer breeze. Thomas had proposed that they should head out early to prepare for the feast. The princess nodded, thinking it'd be interesting to get a look at everything the feast would entail before everyone else arrived. "Yes, that sounds like a lovely idea. Let's." She grinned.

Jezin gave a slight smile at seeing Thomas and Gareth. He followed the princess, holding the red wooden box containing the Empress' gift tightly by his side. He didn't look out of place in his clothing, though he certainly felt it. He thought of what his life would've been like if he hadn't become a soldier. He'd have been wearing clothes like these everyday. He cringed at the thought. Jezin gave Thomas a nod of acknowledgement and bowed slightly when Gareth complimented everyone. Hew noted the bow on the young man's back. It seemed a bit odd to be carrying such a thing into the feast, but the bodyguard reminded himself of the sword hanging on his side. "Lead the way then, Thomas."

Thomas smiled at Gareth's compliment, bowing his head slightly to Gareth. Thomas nodded to Sophia, and Jezin, and took lead to head to the feast. There was a long tradition of feasts being held outside in Keilaudrin, apparently. Thomas had no idea why people would want to be out past 12 at a feast, as he would imagine they'd freeze. But he remembered that Keilaudrin's climate was about as perfect as you could get for midnight feasts, with their warm nights and slight breezes. Thomas led the pair around the Palace, passing by other attendants to the midnight feast that were also making their way there. After a bit, Thomas rounded the corner of the Palace, arriving at the back of the huge building. In front of them sprawled 3 huge long tables, arranged in an incomplete square, with a massive wooden chair sitting in the middle of the head table. All around torches had already been lit, and were in their respective stands. Perhaps the greatest view, however, was the slight drop off not far from the feasting grounds, where the Palace grounds ended and a cliffside begun. Far out from the bottom of the cliffside was the sea, where all could view the harbor and various ships crowding it's waters. Located off in front of the 3 long tables was an obvious dancing area, marked out by torches aligned in a square with plenty of distance in between each one. Some members of the feast had already sat down, and were awaiting the feast to actually begin. Order of the Thistle knights were clearly visible walking around, checking various things, and standing at posts. One man stuck out more so than the rest, Sir Redwyne, who stood off to the side, eyeing each guest to come around the bend of the Palace. As Thomas and the group came around the corner, Sir Redwyne made a start towards them.

Sir Redwyne had seen it before. Bodyguards, or those particularly well-trained in battle always wanted to bring their personal weapons to a feast, either to show off, or to protect their charge. As Redwyne made his way to the group, he noticed Thomas standing with them, dressed in casual attire, and was also armed. Thankfully, Thomas was a Order knight, meaning Redwyne wouldn't have to ask for his weapon. As per normal rules, I'll have to ask for your sword," Sir Redwyne started, looking down at the sword at Jezin's side, "And your bow." Redwyne added, changing his gaze over to Gareth.

Gareth smiled at Sophia. "You are welcome, my lady, and thank you." His smooth voice flowed off of his tongue, and he nodded when they indicated they would be moving onto the feast. Harker followed behind the group, until they were stopped by Sir Redwyne and he almost bumped into Thomas who led them. He would have to part with his weapon, which seemed sensible for the guard to request, but nevertheless he grimaced, for he did so at the cost of his ability to act in defense during the feast. "Ah, yes, sir." He bowed his head and produced his bow from behind him, handing it to the knight, Gareth's hands shaking a tad.

Jezin froze when Redwyne asked for his sword. He hated the idea of being completely defenseless. He stood still, staring at the man with a blank expression for slightly longer than was appropriate. He threw a glance back towards Sophia, who motioned for him to go along with the man's request. Noticing the half-elf next to him giving up his bow, the bodyguard sighed quietly and reached for his side. He removed the weapon, still in it's sheath, from his belt and held it out to Sir Redwyne, his eyes carrying a faint distrust. At the same time, he moved the box in his other arm slightly out of view, though it looked as though he were just adjusting his grip.

Sophia was impressed with the setup for the feast. The arrangement of the tables, the torches, and the sea shifting calmly in the background made the entire area seem quite pleasant. She came to a stop as Redwyne Cole approached them, asking for Jezin and Gareth's weapons. The bodyguard was visibly opposed to the request, as the princess knew he would be, but she motioned for him to give up the weapon. He wouldn't need such a thing at a feast anyway. Sophia watched as Gareth handed the knight his bow, noticing the shaking in his hand as he did so.

Thomas watched as his friends gave up their own weapons to Redwyne. Thomas noted the slight pause that came from Jezin, and by the look on Redwyne's face, he had noticed it to. It was the same look Thomas had received before when arriving late to meetings. Thomas caught Jezin adjusting his grip, slightly, taking Thomas only a moment to understand what Jezin was doing. Thomas smiled to himself, and stifled a small chuckle. It was almost as if Jezin was putting up a kind of resistance. As Redwyne took the weapons, Thomas nodded to the Commander, acknowledging him.

Redwyne wanted a moment longer than normal before taking Jezin's sword, but not long enough for it to become awkward. Taking Gareth's bow, and Jezin's sword in one hand, he nodded to the group, "If you have any gifts, they can be placed on the gift table." Redwyne said, as he pointed towards a normal sized table sitting near the drop off of the grounds, but well enough away to be safe, "The Order appreciates your cooperation." Redwyne finished, as he nodded towards Thomas, acknowledging him in turn, and walking off to place the weapons he had confiscated away.

Sophia frowned when Redwyne motioned to the gift table. She had really hoped to present the king with his gift directly, but it couldn't be helped. She walked towards the table, motioning for Jezin to follow. Despite her disappointment, the feast still seemed like it would be quite exciting. As she reached the table, the princess gazed out over the sea. For a brief moment, she missed her home. The feeling quickly faded as she reminded herself of her duty to the Empire. Still, the sea was beautiful. She turned and faced Jezin and the others as the bodyguard made his way to the table with the gift.

Jezin nodded to Redwyne Cole as he left, quietly resenting the man for taking his only weapon. Protocol, he supposed. It was their duty to protect the king after all. He smirked, talking to Thomas as he walked. "He's all business, isn't he?" The bodyguard placed the long box on the table, when an idea occurred to him. He looked towards Sophia. "Princess, we should probably open the box and make sure the gift hasn't been damaged in transit. Sophia nodded, unknowingly giving Jezin permission to make a faint retaliation for his damaged pride. He knew damn well what was in the box, and that it was probably fine, but he couldn't let the opportunity pass. He unlatched the leather box, and opened it, revealing the gift within. A longsword in a sheath made of solid gold lay on a pillow of red silk. The hilt was made of heavily engraved ivory, and the pommel and guard were made of gold, encrusted with numerous rubies. A long tassel made of crimson silk was tied to the pommel. Jezin picked the weapon up, drawing it partially from it's sheath and cutting his eyes towards Cole and the Order knights nearby. It wasn't terribly difficult to get a weapon through security, it seemed. The blade of the weapon seemed to also be made of gold, though it was difficult to tell, as it was encrusted along the entire length with gemstones of various colors. The gems seemed almost like a scaly skin, protecting the weapon. The wealth of the Empire, the bodyguard thought to himself before replacing the weapon in it's sheath and closing the box. Longswords were not common in Lyok. The gift had been specially made for the King of Keilaudrin.

Gareth hoped he'd be able to have his bow again after the feast, and he bit his lip in frustration. He assuaged himself and loosened his expression. While it bothered him mildly, he had to accept being without it for a short time. He had an evening of food and celebration ahead of him, and that was enough to ease his tensions and relax into the night of partying. "Ah, where shall we start?" Harker broke the silence with a trivial question for Thomas, as Sophia and Jezin left them.

"As many assassination attempts we have prevented, our Commander has to be all business all the time." Thomas replied, as he watched the group leave to place their item on the gift table, "Well, the feast won't start for a good while longer, so we'll be free to do whatever we wish in the mean time." Thomas said with a smile, as he turned his gaze to Gareth. Thomas turned his attention momentarily back to Jezin and Sophia, watching as Jezin handled the case. Thomas curiously watched as the pair unlatched the case, opening it to reveal one of the most beautiful swords Thomas had ever seen in his life. Opulence as it's definition. Thomas marveled at the sword, but was snapped out of his admiration by the sound of a different sword being pulled from it's own sheath. Thomas whipped around to witness Sir Redwyne approaching the group rapidly, his sword half-way out of his own sheath, with other Order knights, and some guests looking on in worriedly, "Maybe it's best if we put some distance between ourselves as them, for now." Thomas said, as he back away slowly. If Jezin's pride carried his actions, it's unlikely the situation would end in anyone's favor.

Redwyne had just finished giving the weapons to a Order knight, when the sound of a sword being pulled from it's sheath was something Redwyne was more than used to, by this time in his life, and his eyes led himself to where he heard the noise. Jezin had a sword, half-pulled out of it's sheath from a gift box they had brought. Redwyne's visage steeled as he marched towards the group, sword half-drawn. As Redwyne got closer, he noticed the blade was obviously a gift of opulence, but no swords would be pulled in his presence here, "I think you need to come with me, sir." Redwyne asserted, not a man to handle slights well, especially when it could possibly endanger his king. The Order had not stopped as many assassination attempts as they had, without running the tightest of ships.

Jezin turned on his heel in an instant at the sound of a blade being pulled. It seemed his little taunt had caused more backlash than he'd planned. Still, he wouldn't be intimidated. He faced Sir Redwyne, immediately noticing the partially drawn blade. He sidestepped in front of Sophia and raised his hands, showing he had no intention of violence. His eyes met the knight's, and a faint smile crossed his lips. The court training and his own pride were wrestling within him. "Oh, Sir Redwyne. I apologize, I just had to make sure the king's gift had made it here in one piece." The same slightly sarcastic smile remained on his lips. He didn't like the idea of leaving Sophia, but he'd be damned if the princess had to spend the rest of the night being interrogated along with him. "The woman behind me is Sophia Octavia, Princess of Lyok and daughter of Empress Angelica Octavia, I kindly ask that you would not deprive her of her bodyguard."

Sophia's eyes widened as Redwyne reached for his sword. She hadn't realized what Jezin was doing until it was too late. Curse his pride. For the second time that day she wished Jezin could just let things go smoothly. Jezin stepped between her and the knight, so she couldn't see Redwyne's face. Her hand shook slightly at her side. She hoped desperately that Jezin could talk his way out of his blunder. She looked over to Thomas and Gareth, who seemed to be getting as far away from Jezin's escapades as possible. Her eyes seemed to plead for help, though she knew there was nothing either of the men could likely do in the situation.

Gareth frowned, watching the scene very closely. That was not a good position to be in, especially with such an uptight organization as the Order. "Ah, I... suppose." He broke away from Thomas, and Harker headed towards the cliff side near the gift table, pretending not to notice the events transpiring nearby, even though he caught Sophia gazing from afar. His underlying motive was for eavesdropping, as though the party from Lyok were foreigners and strangers, at that, he had his eye out for them. If something broke out, he intended to help them. All the while listening in to the conversation, he peered out over the sea and adored its beauty.

"Hiding behind a woman to escape the consequences of your own actions is unbecoming of a bodyguard, sir. There's 20 Order of the Thistle knights here to guard the guests, and you can be rest assured that Princess Octavia will be treated with the respect due to guests who attend by the rules." Redwyne spoke, his voice gruff and stern, as his hand still held tight on his sword, "King Bard II is a man with no direct heir, and no wife. His life is ten times more precious than any man here, today. I assume, as a bodyguard of such esteem, you'd understand why I must insist you come with me." Redwyne added, as he stared at Jezin, unphased by the bodyguard's attempt to diffuse the situation. Drawing a sword at such a place was uncalled for, especially when the one drawing said sword was a foreigner, something that placed Redwyne on more of a alert. While he was almost sure the man had no ulterior motives, rules must be adhered to. A couple other knights, donned in the pure white armor of the Order of the Thistle took up position behind Redwyne, although they made no move whatsoever towards their swords.

Thomas watched as Gareth broke off away from him, taking care of his own business. Thomas preferred to stay where he was, and watch the events unfold. It was unlikely Redwyne was going to back down from such an affront, no matter how harmless it was. Thomas glanced over at Gareth, a worried look on his face as he watched the young man. It looked as if he was attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation, and was doing a good job of it, judging by his current position. Despite circumstances, Thomas stood firm, making eye contact with Sophia. It was obvious Thomas wanted to help, but he had no power in this situation.