[center][b]The Grand Ball, a meeting of Drow with their Valsharess[/b][/center]

Frowning, Andrea observed the heretic Drow of all people leave the presence of the Valsharess, what had he to do with her? She scowled, watching his back before ignoring his entire presence from her mind and approached the Drow part of the Underdark representation at the ball. Like a dutiful servant, and not wanting to become spider food, she waited till the Valsharess deigned to notice her presence and allow her to come closer and speak.

Which was nearly immediately, as the Valsharess had yet to mingle back with others when Andrea approached. "Ah... Andrea." She murmurs as she impulsively turns to face her. With a single hand motion her guards move to each side, though they could not see this hand motion, they knew to obey. "What do you wish, child?"

She smiled and approached, glad to speak in her native tongue once more and not just with Ceann. "Merely to welcome you to the surface and the realm of Renalta my queen." She bowed and even the animated snakehead of her whip seemed to show submissive behaviour towards the Drow Valsharess. She glanced at some of the Dwarf congregation nearby, who either had found the ale or brought their own. "I see the alliance sought with the Dwarves has been accepted." She smiled but her eyes showed disdain for the runty little creatures.

Turning back to her queen, she stepped closer, "I have not yet been able to travel far here on the surface, but if my opinion matters on this realm and its rulers." She could not spot the queens, no doubt obscured by other representatives but she continued, making a brief scowl, before making a few quick signs with her hands and fingers. *Strong but fools. They banished their gods without regard of the consequences and now have to reap them, taking us all with them in the coming storm.* "Make decent rulers." She said while signing.

The Valsharess looks around the room and spots Kouri, speaking with Davian and Florence. The two seemed to get along well, and she was introducing them. Responding with sign language, she rapidly weaves words through the air using her hands. *The strongest Drow did not depend on Llolth, they loved her. They still love her. She is wiser than you give her credit for.* Her eyes wander back to Andrea, examining her form, though noticeable stopping on the snake whip. "Wonderful..."

She reaches out and gently touches the snake whip's head, seeing it coo she sighs with satisfaction. "You learn quickly here, I see." The tone of the Valsharess' voice indicated mixed feelings on the prospect as she steps back from the snake. "What else, did you come to me for?"

She looked down at her whip whose tongue slipped out as it tasted the air, thinking about what the Valsharess just signed to her before she continued speaking. "Wondering if I, and Ceann, need to continue serve the interests of our people as you stated still, or if things have changed." She continued signing, *She is strong here, I am cut off from the Underdark but I feel her presence still and her continued blessings* The snake reared it's head as if in response, wrapping itself once around Andrea's waist. *Will we keep it a secret.*

The Valsharess raises an eyebrow in slight surprise. "Of course, child." *To both questions. We are Drow. Secrets are our currency.* Looking around she notices Duncan Rocklover stumbling over to her, drunk as a sea rat. One exhale told her enough as her face wrinkled in disgust. "EEhhhhh... Hic... Dark lady!" The guards get in his way as she slips into the crowd, leading Ceann and Andrea with her. "Dwarves." The inflection of her voice was anything but pleasant as she turned to look at Ceann. "... You were both wounded up here... What happened to you, my children?"

Andrea blinked, looking back and was able to resist a shudder or looking surprised at seeing the stealthy bodyguard there, not even she had sensed her, her paranoia flared suddenly, was Ceann here to protect her like she had been told or had she been send along to watch her?

She had been watching, as always, the people in this ball did not notice her, not when she didn't wanted them to, although a few individuals, did seem to notice her, which was quite a remarkable feat for them. Now that the Valsharess had deigned her presence she spoke up, softly, as always. "They call it the carnival of Chaos, they, or it's leader, deemed that Kouri... the Queens Blades of Renalta needed to learn a lesson, or be tested by fire. Sowing chaos in a village with explosive devices that needed to be disarmed, we got injured during the blast after a Queens Blade, put in the weird combination to disarm the device. A enemy vampire and his Aasimar lover were involved, the former who was able to command spiders, to which Andrea of course objected and seemed to earn favour by swaying one of the spiders, but not both."

She hissed, "That was because the others killed that one before my commands could settle in it's mind. But other than that, Ceann gave a adequate report. Another queens blade died but... has also been... restored to life, a angel was involved, or so I am told."

"An angel?..." The Valsharess narrows her eyes and glares at Andrea, suddenly all the amused masquerades were gone. This was serious. "What was his name." How she knew the gender of this angel was beyond their knowledge, and from the slight uncertainty in her eyes, her own.

"Gabriel." Andrea replied simply and at once at the demand of her Valsharess to know the name.

Ceann remained silent, merely looking around the ballroom if the angel in question was in attendance to point out for the Drow queen.

"Gabriel..." The Valsharess repeats softly, Ceann would notice sharply that the name was almost intimiately famliar to the Valsharess. Andrea noticed nothing, however. "... He seeks to restore other angels..." Quietly she makes sure no other Drow were around to watch as she uses sign language once more. *Llolth needs an angel for her cause, but we need an angel to create an angel.*

"Perhaps, I learned from another Queens blade, a Aasimar as it happens, that she intends to travel with this angel to a enclave of his kind that have been stuck on the mortal coil." While saying this she signed, *Willing or captive.*

Ceann barely raised her eyebrows when the Valsharess seemed to be familiar with the angel's name, her purpose was not to question however, if she deemed they needed to know more she would tell them.

The Valsharess smiles warmly to Ceann. Slipping past Andrea, she rests a hand on Ceann's cheek, slowly running her thumb across Ceann's nose. "Loyalty is such an underappreciated quality." Her hand drifts down to Ceann's shoulder before slipping off her body. Looking to Andrea she takes a deep breath. "Ensure they succeed. We need the angel more than we need the crown."

Andrea blinked and for a moment, a look of intense jealousy crossed her features when she saw what the Valsharess did to Ceann and seemed to praise her, she gritted her teeth and remained silent however, swallowing any bile she might have been about to say and instead bowed, "It will be done." What crown? She wanted to ask but bit her tongue on it.

Ceann felt pride and joy at being recognized but did not let it rise to her head, she was the servant after all and also bowed. "It will be done." She signed quickly, *Must this be kept away from the angel here*. She felt like she had to ask that, if they needed to inform the angels somewhat of their intent or if they needed to seek out a angel, other than this Gabriel and somehow convince him, or her, to go to the Valsharess.

"Good." The Valsharess notices the jealousy from Andrea and chuckles. Without warning she wraps her arms around the priestess' waist, and pulls her in for a deep, long kiss. After a few moments she looks her eye to eye. "Feeling better, child?" Looking between Ceann and Andrea, she finally responds to Ceann's question. *Yes.*

Ceann blinked once and nodded, her purpose and mission clear once more.

Andrea blinked but melted, kissing back meekly, unable to resist a whimper as she nods, taking a deep breath. "Yes, mistress." She shuddered and then frowned, "These surfacers are weird however... I have been informed... this event will not end in a orgy, like we are used to at our own grand gatherings of nobles..."

The Valsharess glances back towards Duncan Rocklover, who was whooping and cheering on a small but controlled fist fight between a dwarf and a Rheinfelder. The dwarf was winning. "Oh, there will be one in the Coalition's part of the guest quarters... But..." Her eyes drift over to Andrea and Ceann, a small, devilish smirk reaching her lips. "I feel as though a priestess and her pet would be... Quite a welcome addition to the crowd."

Smiling Andrea bowed, "We would be most happy to attend, after mingling of course, with so many delegations of the surface gathered, there is so much to learn." Though she did hope to not see any Dwarves at the orgy, or at least none she would have to couple with.

She was surprised to be included but bowed her head.

Andrea smiled still, beaming actually it seems, tracing over the head of her snake. "Our thanks for seeing us Valsharess, we strive to please you and the spider queen."She bowed again, expecting to be dismissed, since they had been able to give their report and receive a new, curious mission.

"Good." The Valsharess notices Duncan motioning her over and with a roll of her eyes and a sigh, she starts walking over to him. "Take care, children. Llolth has great interest in you."

They walked away and remained silent before Andrea turned to Ceann, "So, Liveria, have you been there before?"

Ceann tilted her head and then slowly shook her head, "No, well not for long, the country did not appeal to me. They have their secrets, but they are rather private about it all, perhaps as close as our own people."

She nods slowly and looked for the Liverian delegation. "Perhaps we ought to introduce ourselves to them and see what we can learn." *Without revealing our true purpose, naturally*.

She just nodded and off they went.