Fanilly recognized one of the girls who was approaching her. It was a Knight who had been unable to participate in the raid on the bandits, an exceptionally rare existence in that she was half-dwarven. Normally, well, Dwarves were not only highly uncommon in Thaln beyond travelling merchants, but they also tended prefer the taste of their own folk rather then seek outside their race for marriage. From what Fanilly knew, Martina's story was a unique one. She smiled slightly at her approach.

"Ah, Dame Martina, it's go-"

And then the short girl's hand descended on her backside. Thankfully, it was not as if anything was... exposed(the blonde may not have been in full armor beyond her breastplate, but the knee length dress skirt and leggings she was wearing certainly covered everything), but it did not stop the event from happening. The captain's cheeks filled with heat and color, and she stood rigid for a moment.

"... Th... that... y-you..." Fanilly stumbled over herself for a few moments. Here, at a party, where so many could see something like that happen, it... And then, Sir Gillian chimed in with his own thoughts.

"Th-that's not what we're here for!" Fanilly exploded, drawing the attention of a few nearby partygoers. Thankfully, the chatter of the crowd drowned out her voice and she was saved further embarrassment.

"... P... please, we should conduct ourselves a... as politely and respectfully as we can manage," she said, taking a deep breath and trying to quell her embarrassment, "W-we are the Iron Rose Knights, after all."

She had to fight the urge to bury her face in her hands. Nobles had already been, well, staring. Not all of them had truly believed just how young the new Knight-Captain was.

Meanwhile, a certain Hundi was about to encounter an interesting challenge.

It wasn't every day that one of the Noble Warriors of the Hundi appeared at a gathering in Thaln, after all. He had almost immediately attracted several of the younger nobles, in their late teens or younger.

"Ah, one of the Iron Roses is a Hundi?" said one girl with trailing blonde hair and a white dress, "I've never seen one before! It's so very nice to meet you!"

A shorter, black-haired girl in a darker dress raised an eyebrow, looking him over. "Just being a hundi isn't impressive, he needs to tell us about things he's done..."

Another blonde, in a blue dress, was the next to speak. "Tell us about your adventures, Sir Ian! Tell us, tell us!"

Julianna had handed over her servants to Tyaethe for use, had at least gone out for the initial trip but then had quickly proceeded to her chambers to prepare for the ball. The royal courts were a battle field one had to prepare for, almost religiously as every action one made would reflect upon the person, their family, and their faction. So obviously the first major step was to be properly dressed for the occasion.

While her servants dolled her up with cosmetics, perfumes, styling, and all manner of cosmetic improvements they also selected dresses for the event. As befitted the daughter of a quickly rising household there was quite a variety to choose from, custom tailored and expensive of course. It was an absolute waste of money to be sure but in order to effectively play the game, one had to look the part and her parents had made sure that was always the case.

From all the different manner of dress Julianna quickly narrowed down to two. First there was a pearled white gown, a simple but elegant gown that would no doubt suite the taste of many in attendance. The white dress would match marvelously with her moonlight hair and the bare shoulders would help give emphasis to her lovely dark skin. The white also symbolized purity and would give her the impression of being humble as well as match her family name as a Silvern.

The other option was a much more extravagant yellow dress adored with a few yellow gemstones such as Topaz and Beryl. A mixture of white lace and frills with the golden color made for quite an impact and would be a testament to her family's rise to power. Admittedly it was certainly a much more fun dress to wear though perhaps she might come off as a bit too proud. This dress would certainly not emphasis her skin as much but would still complement her hair quite well.

Julianna allowed herself a sigh in the presence of her family maids, sometimes it would be nice to be able to just pick whatever she wanted to wear without having to think about the message she would be giving to other people.

"My lady, you must decide soon if we are to be fully prepared in time." Came a gentle, but firm reminder that a decision needed to be made.

"Of course, I suppose I will go with..."

---

In the end, Julianna had decided to go with the yellow dress. While perhaps a bold move, it was time to start flaunting that growing political power a little. Nobles tended to like those who shone confidently, giving the impression that they would be great leaders. While there were also those that preferred the more refined and reserved look that could also give the impression you were a follower rather than a leader. There were those who could use the pure look and still have a commanding and powerful presence but Julianna had to admit she was not quite there yet, so she would have to make it up cosmetically.

Julianna walked gracefully alongside Fanilly and the rest of the Iron Rose Knights who had a wide variety of 'formal' standards. Julianna observed everything around her while appearing to be the perfect lady. As the Herald announced each of the knights arrival, Julianna paid particular attention to the crowd's reaction. Some of the knights were treated with respectful gazes, lower born were, for the most part, given mock praise or even openly turned their noses up at them, Julianna herself was treated mostly to outright praise and admiration, especially from the replacement faction though there were also stern gazes and judging looks from the traditional faction who no doubt thought of her as a mere puppet of the change faction.

Fanilly was a interesting case to be certain, needless to say at first glance it was pretty much the opposite reaction to her own heralding, basically the opposite reactions from the two factions. Now, the thing was there were quite a few on the fence nobles and dignitaries that were still unsure of the little captain so it was most interesting to see their reactions. Most of them were very cordial and even seemed joyous at seeing the captain up close but it seemed that the word of what happened during the battle had spread throughout the entire court already, there were plenty of faces that seemed to be hiding their discomfort at the small captain's latest performance; while certainly a great victory the fact that so many dangerous situations had occurred precisely because of Fanilly's inexperience had made people think quite a bit about if she could be molded into a great captain.

It was a start to the seeds of distrust among the neutral camps but it was of course too early in the game to really persuade them one way or the other.

Julianna was about to start her family duty of mingling with the crowd when she was greeted to a most amusing sight. Not a minute into the hall and Fanilly had already been greeted in a most embarrassing fashion. Of course in dwarvin culture it was just a highly friendly greeting, totally acceptable but even so, in the royal court no less! Julianna had to turn her face away quickly to avoid the possibility that her court face might crack into even the slightest smile. Thankfully she managed to succeed but she had a good laugh on the inside anyway.

Marianne Delacroix

Head held high and as always an inviting warm smile on her face, Marianne stood positively beaming as the herald announced her arrival. The chatterings of the crowd of nobles seemingly increased in their excited energy and volume upon her mention, though she paid it little mind. Crossing the threshold proper, Marianne found a relatively spacious and private spot from which to observe her surroundings. Eyes scanning the crowd for particular familiar faces and for any unexpected surprises. In the back of her mind, she had hoped to possibly see her older brothers and maybe even her parents present at this ball. Surely, they had received notice of this event and surely, they may have decided to surprise her by appearing without notifying her. Even if they hadn't she wouldn't become too crestfallen. With her quick scan, she wasn't able to immediately locate any family members of her's within the crowd. Instead, she looked about for her fellow Iron Roses, curious to see how some of the others had chosen to dress and doll up.

Events such as this were one of Marianne's joys in life. She always had an amazing time whenever she attended balls, banquets, and other formal events growing up. Not only was it one of her chances to dress up and shine, but she loved the general energy and atmosphere of such things. The friendly guests whom she had come to know very well and personally over the years. The wonderful food and drink. The beautiful decorations and glorious music all made for a treat for her senses.

---

Earlier that day, her and her maids spent quite some time making sure she was looking her absolute best. Marianne couldn't count how many times one of the maids had brushed her hair to a luxurious shine before affixing one of her white veils to it. One of the hardest parts to it all was deciding which of her many dresses to select to wear and exactly how much makeup was deemed appropriate. Eventually, she came to select a simple white dress with a red corset as her pick while her maids gathered around her to apply a little makeup. Applying a light layer of foundation to her face, lining her eyes into winged tips along with a brushing of pink eyeshadow to her eyelids, and smoothing on light pink lip rouge onto her lips. After all was said and done, she attached a concealable sword to a garter on her thigh as her maids sprayed a floral perfume on her body before getting dressed. Marianne applied the finishing touches as she attached her earrings to her earlobes and draped her necklace around her neck as she clasped it. All of which were silver crosses, the symbol of the noble Delacroix family.

"You do not think this dress is a little too revealing, is it?"
Marianne asked her maids.
One of which scoffed and waved her hand at the air.
"Nonsense, Lady Marianne!"
Another chimed in with her input.
"If it were up to us, we would have you select a different dress to show more of your back and cleavage."
"Or maybe even a slit in the skirt to display your lovely legs!"
A round of giggles from the maids as Marianne huffed, her hands on her hips.

---

As Marianne looked for Captain Fanily, figuring it best to remain at her side for the event, she gasped and covered her mouth when she saw an unfamiliar face suddenly smack her dear little Captain's backside. Not understanding why a little child would do such a thing, the audacity! As she walked over, careful not to move too fast so as to reveal her hidden sword, Marianne placed a gentle hand on her Captain's shoulder as she looked between the child and her flushed Captain.

"Captain Fanily, is everything alright?"

True to his word, Tiral had delivered the mistress to the Captain following his own studies, and, as he had expected, was told that he was going to be dragged along for formalities' sake. The thinly-veiled look of irritation was soon followed by one of dejected acceptance. An order like this wasn't something he was in any position to contest, and though he would have preferred to become something more useful to the Knights as a whole, this occasion seemed to take a higher priority to his superiors.

So the afternoon passed without incident as the ice mage returned to his room to find some sort of outfit that might possibly make himself look passable in any sense of the word. Even if he was a member of the Iron Rose, his origins were still low enough that it was likely that people would look down on him. That plus the fact that he funneled more money into research materials and magical equipment (that dagger sure as hell wasn't cheap, after all!) meant that was was somewhat... Unprepared for the event.

With a sigh, the ice mage dug through his own wardrobe, praying that there might have been something in there that would not let him be the laughingstock of the event. By some miracle, at least, there seemed to be some sort of clothing in that shallow closet that he called his own that wasn't picked out solely for comfort or utility. A pair of dress pants and some sort of shirt that looked... Sort of fancy? There was also a pair of shoes that didn't look like they had seen the hell of a battlefield lying around...

So at the very least, he wasn't going to look like a COMPLETE fool.

---

With his dagger concealed under his shirt and an annoyed expression that betrayed his current opinion on the matter, Tiral continued walking calmly behind the rest of the entourage. Everyone else seemed to have deeper pockets and more frivolous spending habits than he did (given how fancy everyone else seemed to look now), which ended up making the ice mage unsure how how much or how little he stood out. It'd be best if he could blend into the background during this ordeal, but given the invitation (and judging by how Sir Ian was currently being mobbed by women) the chances of that seemed very unlikely.

Before he could even try to do so, however, Tiral caught a glimpse of the Captain being...
...
Did that count as sexual harassment?

"...Uh... I... I'm not going to ask..." he sighed, turning away and shaking his head as the group entered the venue. It was every bit as grand as Tiral had expected, and though he was still averse to even come here in the first place, it wouldn't have been a lie to say he was impressed by the grandeur of it all.
...
Now, if only had this been under different circumstances might he not have been so irritable. Social gatherings were like the bane of his existence. The heat, the sweat, the superficiality of it all...
At least magicians told you when you screwed up. With these people, everything was all veiled behind smoke and mirrors.

Earlier on Viviane ever the one to be prepared had a dress that she ended up taking a bit of time to make sure it was on correctly. Due to her lack of maids to be able to help her it took awhile to make sure it was on perfectly. Beyond that she couldn't help but believe that even if she was doing it alone she grew learning how to do these by herself should the need arise. Despite not believing she would need to do such so soon. She chose to pick a elegant like dress that did not impede her movement should the need arise for her to run. The navy dress Showed quite a bit of her back though and a bit of her chest. Some would say it was a daring choice due to the amount of skin it showed but it was honestly one of her better choices. In the end she decided to forego her traditional style for her hair and fixed it in a more elegant braid suiting the occasion she thought to herself. Standing up she walked towards the large mirror adorning her borrowed room spinning around to see how it looked. Deciding to use a more subdued colors rather than her vibrant red for color choice really made her seem like a different person she supposed.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Walking down towards the ball room her large heeled boots seemingly clacking with each step as she looked around for the captain or at least a familiar face. Being somewhat paranoid at what could happen she did not go unarmed. a small dagger was hidden expertly on her body as well. Reaching the ball room she didn't have to wait long to spot the captain before she was given a odd greeting. Seeing it as a good time as any to approach she stepped forward a demure smile gracing her lips. "Ah honored Captain it is a pleasure to see you again." Viviane spoke up as she faced the captain. "Pray tell how do you fare this eve?" She added as well her lessons from her childhood on how to act in these events showing itself.

Tyaethe paused to regain her composure at the entrance to the palace and, more importantly, readjust her sword so that it wasn't dragging on the ground again. It was so inconvenient to be carting it around out of armour but, whilst she might be willing to sacrifice her protection in order to attend a ball, she was never going to try protecting her Captain with anything less than her best offence. It wasn't like the guards minded terribly--the sword was sufficient proof of her identity and position amongst the knights.

She tuned out the introduction that accompanied her entrance into the ball; it wasn't like there was anything important there. Much better to try and focus on how to adjust this dress: it was too frilly and lacy but it had been the only thing the undead had dug up that was both suitably formal and fit. That didn't excuse how the lace on the sleeves extended past her fingers or how some overly enthusiastic dressmaker had chosen to embroider pearls all over the place and give the skirt multiple layers. Had it been up to Tyaethe, the frilly and cute abomination would never have been brought into existence.

Refusing a gift would have been wrong.

Admittedly, the cloth-of-gold scarf probably wasn't helping with making it any more comfortable. She'd be damned before she stopped wearing scarves, however, and the two century old ribbon had been dusted off and put to use. Scarves were one of the easiest ways to recognise her--if the pale skin and red eyes didn't, surely the completely superfluous scarf would?

The paladin made her way over to the numerous refreshments, sizing them up, before grabbing the darkest ale hidden along the tables and shooting glares at the onlookers asking if that was entirely a reasonable choice. She was already suffering through this by being out of armour and there was no way that the red-eyed paladin was going to abstain from something she enjoyed after two centuries without. All the fancy wines could be left to the poncy nobles.

Now that she was suitably braced for the inevitable politics that were going to happen, Tyaethe stomped her way over to the captain. There were numerous clues for the knights at who had joined their little conglomeration, after all, but the biggest came from similarity to a certain portrait stuffed in a corner of Candaeln. There were the familiar features seen through a visor, the enormous sword slung across her back, but most telling was the portrait's ankle-length white braid and its golden bow. Tyaethe in the picture had, however, been considerably more practically dressed. She had also been an adult.

For some reason, the Immortal Knight of the Iron Roses appeared to be nine years old and incredibly grumpy about the whole affair.

What was all the commotion about? It was as though these people had never seen a dwarf greeting a trusted comrade before! Was it because she didn't have a beard? It was highly unusual for even a female dwarf to shave, but... Well, maybe it was due to her human-half but Martina had never liked the beard. Too itchy, for one thing, and it looked... Weird on her. Father didn't approve, of course, but mother was perfectly fine with it. They'd even had their monthly argument over it last night as she begrudingly prepared for the ball.

Still, she couldn't let this stand, and so Martina gave Gillian a stern look right in the eye. Of course, she had to stand on her tiptoes in order to do so, but the effect was there at least.

"Now listen here, lad," she growled, her legs trembling just slightly as she tried to maintain eye contact, "ain't you ever seen a dwarf before? It's a traditional dwarven greeting between friends, you hear!" It was a well known fact that dwarfs often liked to remind non-dwarf races that they were, in fact, dwarfs, and with Martina only being half-dwarf sometimes she overcompensated a little. Laying her feet flat on the ground again, she gave Gillian one last glare before turning back to Fanilly.

For a moment she pondered repeating the gesture, but her common sense prevailed for the time being. Maybe later.

"Of course everything's alright, lass! Me and the captain go way back!" she assured Marianne, her brow twitching ever so slightly at the assumptions plain to see on everyone else's faces. "Ain't that right, captain?"

Even as she tried to clear the air, Martina couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a young child approach the knights. Maybe she was just curious about them, but hopefully she wouldn't stick around for too long. The Iron Rose Knights were no place for children, after all!

After Marianne had made her departure Sir Garrett looked at the maid who had remained. “Sorry for the morbid story. I think I’ll be headed to bed now.” Standing Sir Garrett let her take his dinner plate and with that he returned to his room to contemplate how he could have handled such a delivery better. Probably spare the gory details next time. That might help

As he disrobed for bed he caught a glance of himself in the mirror. Tracing his left hand up his side he frowned as his fingers followed the wicked scar that traced its way up his ribs. It was an ugly thing and had shocked more than a few people. For the most part it was hidden by his arms and posture but when he held his arms above his head it was quite apparent. With a heavy sigh he tossed aside his shirt and flopped onto the bed with a loud creak. Rolling over he closed his eyes and tried his best to get some sleep.

Sleep did not come easy for the big man.

Oh dear brother. I miss you so.

@harinezumikouken

---

Standing at the back of the pack Sir Garrett rested his left hand on the head of the axe which hung from a loop on his left side. It was a single headed curved head axe which he’d brought with him to the Knights. It was covered in Hillscript which chronicled his deeds prior to and including his time with the Iron Rose Knights. The tiny tick mark like language had covered the haft of the axe and was starting to infect the head of the axe. The most accomplished warriors owned a pair of the axes covered in their deeds. In a few more years it would be time for a new axe to compliment this one.

After much contemplation Sir Garrett had finally gone with a grey poet shirt with embroidery. Over the shirt had gone a black overcoat that terminated right above supple leather boots that were covered in similar embroidery to the shirt. When he was younger he’d owned a hunting coat that reminded him of the Black overcoat and that was no doubt why he enjoyed the coat.

The black and grey stood in stark contrast the the Ivory bracelets and necklace he wore over the top of the poet shirt. The bracelets and necklace were composed of polished ivory and preserved, polished, animal bone. Hanging from his left wrist was a bracelet which chronicled his mother’s family and her deeds prior to his birth. On Sir Garrett’s right wrist the bracelet Chronicled his father’s deeds prior to his birth. The two bracelets told the story that had lead to his and were a reminder that one day he would leave behind a legacy of his own when the time finally came to pass on a similar bracelet to his children. Around his neck the necklace was a statement as to the legacy Sir Garrett had inherited. It was a mark of his station within the Hill barbarians of Velt and to others who could recognize the markings it was clear as day who he was.

As the others were announced Sir Garrett braced himself for the announcement. Very few of the Knights knew Exactly who he was and only slightly more knew what his given name was. To all of his friends and peers he was simply Sir Garrett of Velt, civilized barbarian from the foothills of Cahladren. Stepping up so that he could be announced he kept his face carefully schooled.

Sir Valdoth Thorn of Clan Skildren, Count of the Western Reach, Sword of Clan Skildren...

Sir Garrett cringed ever so slightly as the Herald nailed down every little bit of his title breathing a sigh of relief that it was over he almost retched when the herald managed to get even the last part of it right.

Heir Presumptive to the Jarldom of Skildren.

Much paler than he had started the party Sir Garrett immediately made a beeline for something incredibly strong to drink. It was going to be an interesting night indeed as he could feel more than a few eyes on his back. Not that too many people really cared about the Hill clans in Velt but their were vast tracts of land in the foothills controlled by the Jarls of the six clans and the herald had neatly painted a target on his back as an Heir Presumptive. Admittedly there were six other Heir Presumptives for the Jarldom but Sir Garrett was generally considered one of the two real contenders.

After securing something that appeared to be a brandy Sir Garrett edged away from the majority of the people and did his best to focus on getting the whole brandy down as quickly as possible.

Gillian had to stifle every urge he had not to look amused by Martina’s outburst. He was by no means offended. He’d met few dwarfs in his time but almost all had a forwardness that he could not help but find refreshing. He also knew most did not cotton to being (for lack of a better word) belittled. Nor did they respond well to being patted on the head, as the urge struck him at the moment. Such acts, more often than not, were followed swiftly by some form of physical retaliation (and then drinking, depending on the quality of the brawl).

“I apologize ma’am.” He says, an amused grin bubbling to the surface only for a second as Delacroix rushed to the captains side, clearly as flustered by the display as the other nobles. “We’re just so far from the Grey Mountains I’d forgotten the tradition. Nor did I recognize your heritage at first glance, so the fault lays squarely on me.” He returns his gaze to Fanlily, still clearly a little amused, though thankful for the half-dwarfs presence. If nothing else, she’d make more enjoyable company than the nobles sharing drinks and crocodile smiles. “I apologize captain; I’ll attempt to be the model of civility from here onwards.” He says, cheerfully ignoring the annoyed growls of his diminutive fellow knight.

While many were preoccupied with dwarven hospitality Julianna had already started to mingle with the guests, careful to keep an eye and ear on her surroundings. It did not take long for her to notice the red-eyed child for instance, the immortal knight who seemed to have gotten...younger? Probably a side effect of being undead though certainly a strange one. In any case it would be interesting to see how many of the nobles could manage to realize who she was. She certainly seemed a lot less intimidating without her armor.

Of course her keen ears also picked up on a certain title belonging to one of their most robust knights. "To think that Sir Garett was actually in line for a throne of sorts, certainly more than a few nobles took notice though most of them no doubt wouldn't consider those clans as being anything noteworthy." Julianna mused to herself as she laughed at a dry joke given by a young man of nobility. She had long mastered the art of auto piloting in social arenas so she could observe her surroundings, also so she could effectively get away from the more monotonous of conversations.

"Forgive me but I must speak with a colleague of mine but thank you for a marvelous time." With a slow curtsy to the young man Julianna made her way over to the barbarian, sort-of prince. He certainly didn't mesh well with the majority of the guests with all his ivory and animal bones but in essence his attire just made him like a foreign dignitary. As he probably would not be all that interested in the festivities and politics it was a good time to have a quick chat.

There was also the extra blessing that not too many of the crowded population would bother to approach him so in a way he made a decent little air bubble to take a breather from the ball, not that she needed one already but once she really got engaged, no doubt her chance would be long gone.

She managed to make her way over near him and said, "I'm afraid most of the alcohol here is probably rather light for your tastes." Frankly, it looked like the man was attempting to use the drink as a means of escaping but he would have to drink a lot more than that to be effective.

"So Sir Garett, or perhaps count would be better?" She could not help but joke a little since he seemed a little distraught at his full title being used. "You were quite the hero during the last battle, if not for your intervention things could have ended rather badly." Julianna gave a meaningful look over to Fanilly as she spoke. The young captain could have possible died if it had not been for Sir Garett getting to her side as fast as she did.

Julianna snagged a small glass of what appeared to be a sherry and started to twirl the liquid gently in the vessel. "I will be blunt, I do find it rather interesting that a man such as you joined our order. You are certainly a strong knight and we are glad to have you though, if you really are in line to be a Jarl, would it not be in your best interests to be back with your people to try and solidify your claims? Being with the Iron Rose Knights seems a little counter productive to that aim."

It was a very straightforward question to be sure, but probably the man was much more accustomed to bluntness so she was trying to keep her court face to a minimum in her interaction with him. She had to admit, she was quite curious after hearing his full title. She gazed down at her glass and started to circle the rim with her middle finger, making sure not to make any noises however as she was just doing it to amuse herself a bit.

The look on Sir Garrett’s face was that of someone who had just bitten into a lemon. Of course it was Julianna who appeared the second there was a chance he was nobility. Or someone she could leverage. Careful, remember what happened the last time you made an assumption about someone?

“Don’t call me Count. I hate that title; the majority of my holdings are largely tracks of empty hills and forgotten Barrows. If I wanted to reclaim it I’d have to call on the portion of populace who were displaced from that part of country. And I don't particularly feel like making use of manpower like that. Not only would it be arrogant and an irresponsible use of my resources, but I don’t feel like making a pass at being a self made ruler. Most people hate you when you do that.”

Grimacing at his now empty glass he set it down on the table next to him and eyed the table of drinks again. Trying to determine if it was worth the socially polite dash through the nobles that were there to celebrate with the princess. “Thank you, by the way. Even though I was just doing my job. The Captain is unfortunately two things: young and naive. An unfortunate combination but I do infact believe that is the point of the Captain position within the Iron Rose.” Looking at Julianna again he carefully raised an eyebrow at her. She was totally after something as it had been rare for the two of them to interact in the past; however the second his titles had been mentioned she appeared out of thin air.

“As for why I’m with the Knights. I’m an Heir Presumptive, not an Heir Apparent. In theory all of my siblings could take over the Jarldom. My older brother and I are the best two candidates. There is an argument that could be made that my time here makes me more capable of diplomatic relations and leadership. It was certainly the argument my brother made to get me to leave. He wants the Jarldom more than me frankly and the Elders will probably vote with him even though I’m almost completely certain I can beat him in the trail of blades. Not that it matters anymore.”

Turning he offered Julianna his arm. “I’m fine with being the Sword of Clan Skildren, I’m valuable and command respect and part of my clan. Why do I need it all when I can be here and do what I enjoy? Being a leader limits your freedom to choice.” Regardless of whether she took his arm he started towards the drink table. She’s too much of a political player to alienate if I plan on surviving here now that everyone knows who I am. Where is Marianne when I need backup.

“To answer your question as directly as you asked it: I don’t want the Jarldom. Being the Sword means I only have to answer a call from the Jarl if the clan is in danger. Which it won’t be with my brother and siblings. In the end my current best interests are here, I enjoy being with the Knights and frankly I’ve always wanted to see the world.” He could still hear the laughter and the words from his nightmares the night before.

And I’m still running from the past

@IceHeart

It was certainly a very stimulating conversation, also one very different from the usual she had to contend with. His straightforward answers were certainly a breath of fresh air as nobles could be notoriously stuffy. Of course as they conversed she quickly started to file away all relevant information she could glean. Sir Garett was, in a sense, second in line to the Jarldom and while he probably had a decent amount of support his older brother was the more likely candidate. The most important fact though was that Garett really just didn't seem to want to be a ruler, preferring to wield his sword and see the world than to be stuck in politics.

Julianna graciously took his arm with her gloved hand as he started leading her to the drink table. "Being a leader limits you freedom, a truth I know all too well." She thought of her own parents briefly, the Silvern family heads who were always doing their utmost to rise in power and prestige which meant quite often acting in a way to appeal to the other nobles. It was just such a life that she had been bred for, her parents were using her as a tool for their own ends but she accepted their will as if it was her own. They were put her in the captain's seat of the Iron Rose Knights and then she too would be completely encased in that game to bring about change to the kingdom.

There was also the princess herself, she would be expected to be the pride and joy of the ball no doubt as her royal duty demanded it. Leadership was complicated, sticky, and frankly Julianna just could not see Fanilly raising to the ocassion as the leader of the Iron Rose Knights. Tradition could work for a while, but eventually the reality of the position would come to bite anyone not prepared because they were put into position without proper training.

So Julianna was quite unsure of what to think when Sir Garett had said that the point of the captain position was to be young and naive. Admittedly the young part had its merits and Julianna herself was still young in comparison to most knights, but the naive part just seemed like a very poor fit for the position.

As they walked Julianna took a sip from her glass. "That being said a strong leader is a necessity, even if that leader may not want to lead. That being said, there is a bit of romance to the fact you have the freedom to choose your own path. It's a quality I certainly do not dislike, it even makes me a little envious even." Julianna mildly alluded to the fact that her path in life had already been chosen for her, but her happiness was her family's happiness.

They had just made it to the drink's table when a noblewoman intercepted them. "My, my quite rugged gentleman you have their my dear. A suitor of yours perhaps?" The noblewoman was wearing quite the dashing red dress despite being a tad on the older side though she could have been quite the looker in her youth. It was mostly just some semi-polite teasing on her part, possibly designed to make them feel awkward but Julianna was too used to such tactics so she lightly smiled in return.

"He is quite the catch isn't he?" She gave his arm a light squeeze for fun, "Unfortunately my parents would never allow a relationship with one such as he, forgive me kind sir." Julianna looked up at Sir Garett as if in longing to make the statement even more dramatic, but then she returned to the task at hand. "Needless to say he is one of our order's best knights and an esteemed colleague of mine Countess Prawm, though I am sure you know of Sir Garett by reputation alone."

"But of course," she quickly responded though most likely the woman didn't actually know who the man was, other than his title. "A great honor to meet such a knight in person. I wish you both the very best." The woman retreated to her posse, no doubt to the relief of Sir Garett.

"I certainly hope that did not scare you for life Sir Garett but since things are only to be expected I am afraid."

I didn't take long for Ian to find himself confronted by three young noble girls, the usual crowd that gathers around you when you're an exotic race with puppy ears, though at least rather then having to endure a flurry of petting and rubbing he was asked to tell of his adventures, That was quite honestly a new one to him.

He shrugged "well, I've traveled from Ithillin all across Velt, I've certainly got a few tales to tell if you want to hear them" He folded his arms and took a short glance at the commotion stirred up over by the captain and some other knights "though, maybe somewhere that isn't the middle of the entryway" He made a gesture at the floor and hoped these girls would lead him somewhere that, at the very least, wasn't the middle of the blighted room.

whether or not they started moving he would eventually say "I don't believe I caught your names before" and give them an inquiring look.

"Th... there's... everything is fine, Dame Marianne, Dame Viviane" replied Fanilly, when the older girls approached, taking a deep breath as she did. Yes. Everything would be fine, she was certain. It'd... have to be. She was not about to make her first formal function as Captain of the Iron Rose Knights into a mess. She had to show she was capable of leading them in any scenario. She couldn't fail them, and she couldn't fail herself. Not on the battlefield, and not here. That meant handling this properly.

"Dame Martina and I have indeed, er..." Ah, she couldn't just start stumbling over herself so now... but this was more people in one party then she'd ever seen before. Many of those who were not a part of the Iron Roses were growing rather close, to listen in on their conversation. She took a deep breath. "We've met before. But, er, Dame Martina, that was very sudden and... a little embarrassing."

A little was an understatement, really. "And thank you, for the apology, Sir Gillian. We're at this party to meet the Princess on her request, and I'm certain she would rather see us behaving politely."

Admittedly, Fanilly had never met the Princess. She only knew the girl was not far off of her own age, and that she was very popular with the common folk and many nobles. But, well, she was a princess, and politeness was only proper at a formal gathering.

It was about then, however, that she noticed a little girl in a highly ornate dress had approached them. Probably one of the Noble's daughters, though the white hair, red eyes, and extremely pale skin was very striking. "Oh, hello, are your parents near..."

She trailed off, however, when she realized there was a rather enormous sword strapped, carefully, to the little girl's back.

"..."

The noble girls surrounding Ian grew even more excited, at this point.

"You've been to Velt?!" exclaimed the first girl.

"What was it like there?! Did you get to see the Reonite Cathedral?!" cried the third. Velt was home to the two largest centers for the worship of the goddesses, an enormous cathedral and temple in the country's capital, for Reon and Mayon respectively.

"Velt's not that exciting," remarked the black-haired girl, flatly, "My cousin lives there."

Regardless, the three did lead the hundi knight further inward, towards a set of comfortable-looking armchairs.

"Oh, our names, Sir Knight... My name is Mariegolde Tielane," introduced the first girl, her flowing blonde hair swishing as she turned in front of the chairs to curtsy.

"My name's Angenese Barthel!" declared the other blonde brightly, curtsying enthusiastically.

The third was looking rather bored, and distracted, her curtsy noncommittal.

"Violette Cadrenne," she introduced herself, flatly, before sitting down.

Of course, not a few moments later, there was a stir at the front of the room.

"Presenting the Young Lady of the Throne and the Heir Apparent, Princess Eliabelle Tanenway Falthaen!"

Fanilly, who had been utterly baffled by the little girl with the enormous sword, looked up in time to see the girl stride out. She was smiling brightly.

Princess Eliabelle was known for many things. Her friendly demeanor, her popularity, and her beauty. Her elaborate dress was tailored, it was rumored, by an elven seamstress from beyond distant Lethienvel, although this seemed far too unlikely to be true.

She stopped before the thrones where her parents, occupied with other matters, would usually sit.

"It's wonderful to see you all!" she said, brightly, "But, I must admit, my reason for holding this function was both to grant everyone a pleasant time shared with friends, and to meet the Iron Rose Knights! I would be delighted if they would take some time to speak with me."

She curtsied.

"Thank you!"

Tyaethe cast the captain a withering look, paying only token attention to the discussion of dwarven customs. The girl certainly seemed a bit on the tall and beardless side for a dwarf but the undead wasn’t one to question what other people claimed about themselves. Maybe there was some hidden criteria to being a dwarf that she hadn’t been made aware of? They were all a bit far away.

“Captain, whilst I am considerably smaller than when in armour, I would have hoped that you recognised the sword,” she said, voice on the low side for her apparent age but definitely not as deep as from within her armour. “On top of that, my arrival would have been announced less than a minute ago.”

The paladin took a deep draught of the beer and stepped over to one of the guests to drag him before the captain. It was remarkably good beer, which was all the better after two centuries of abstinence from any worldly pleasures. “Please repeat my introduction.”

“Ah… Her Grace the Duchess of Meren?”

“Thank you,” Tyaethe said, having not yet taken in the introduction and pushing him off back into the crowd, “As you just heard, I... what?”

The childish undead seemed to have been brought to a halt by that little bit of information and, after having squeezed herself close to Fanilly’s elbow, simply stood there taking an occasional swig from the large flagon. She didn’t even display much of a response to the Princess’s arrival, though her eyes took note of the “interesting” cut that the girl seemed to have chosen.

Marianne Delacroix

Marianne switched looking between the two children that stood close to Fanily, but a 'child' herself. One of them spoke rather loudly and brashly in an odd dialect her ears had never heard before. Making it difficult for her to understand what it was the little girl was actually saying. She mentioned something about her and Fanily having a long history with each other? Was it possible they were friends or...something else? She couldn't quite understand. To make matters worse, the little girl with pale skin and red eyes looked terribly familiar to her. As if she had seen her somewhere before but she couldn't place her finger on exactly where. The scarf and sword gave her some hint, but there was no possible way. It just couldn't be, right? Marianne couldn't help but lean in towards the girl slightly, squinting her eyes as she scrutinized her.

But, at that moment, the herald had announced the arrival of Sir Garrett. Shaking her from her thoughts on the two odd girls as she couldn't believe her ears. Sir Valdoth Thorn was his name? Then why did he go by Sir Garrett? He was even an Heir Presumptive to Jarldom? It seems her comrade had much to hide, the fact made even more apparent when he scurried away in search of something strong to drink after the announcement of his known titles. She needed to have a word with him. Turning to her Captain, she excused herself momentarily.

"Excuse me, Captain Fanily. I must have a word with Sir Garrett about some matters."
Turning to each of the nearby guests, she bowed her head and curtsied to them all.
With the gentle clacking of her heels, Marianne then stepped off towards Sir Garrett at the table of refreshments.

However, someone else had beaten her to Sir Garrett. That being Dame Julianna. Only having made it halfway there, Marianne stood amidst the crowd of chattering nobles and authority figures as she watched on with a stoic expression. Dame Julianna was warming up to Sir Garrett in a rather friendly manner to say the least. Even having taken his arm and clinging closely to him for some odd reason. She wasn't sure what was being said as she couldn't hear anything from where she stood, but she hesitated in moving any closer. Why? She didn't know. The scene that was playing out in front of her, her mind couldn't comprehend it. It was possibly only Dame Julianna commenting on his titles and position of power, the same as Marianne's intentions. But even still, there was some other emotion she couldn't quite decipher.

Undaunted, she reorganized her thoughts and decided instead to speak to Sir Garrett later. Now she decided to speak to Dame Julianna herself. More specifically how gorgeous she looked in her golden dress. It complimented her dark skin and light hair rather well, she looked positively radiant. A smile playing on her face, Marianne then finally approached the two and gently touched at Dame Julianna's shoulder with her hand.

"Quelle jolie fille! Is that you, Dame Julianna? My, you look so wonderful!"
Turning her head to look at Sir Garrett, she stopped for a moment. Giving him some indecipherable look.
"And Sir Garrett too! You look quite dashing yourself!"
She smiled, laughing.
She turned back to Julianna as she spoke.
"Where did you get such a dress? I simply must know!"
Their conversation was temporarily stalled upon the arrival of the Princess, Marianne turning away to give her attention to the royal before making a mental note to introduce herself later to the Princess.
"Your dress is simply beautiful! C'est magnifique!"
Truthfully, honestly, Marianne did adore Dame Julianna's dress as she looked her comrade over.
She looked absolutely ravishing.

@IceHeart, @Themerlinhawk

As Tyathe approached the group, Gillian couldn’t help but to gawk slightly. He could remember clearly the first time he’d step foot in Candaeln, having caught a glance at the famed undead knight standing sentinel in the main hall like something out of the epics. Though, now faced with the woman herself, he could only ask “..h…how?” as he noted the sudden height disparity with clear confusion. “I…I’m just going to assume some sort of magic is at play.” He says, giving up trying to figure what the undead did to her armor to add that much bulk, much less how she carried it all.

The Princesses entrance was a welcomed distraction from the spatial conundrum. He had to admit, Eliabelle was certainly shaping-er...growing into a fine young woman, and he'd heard nothing but good things about her. That did not, however, put him at much ease and he fought the urge to roll his eyes as the princess explained her motivation for the knights being there. "As always, the capital boils the Iron Rose's duties down to ceremony..." He thinks. The captains presence he could understand, but his and the others time could have been better spent than attending to the fancies of the royal heir.

Still, it was only a minor annoyance, one born of goodwill (and perhaps a dash of entitlement) at that. He takes a deep breath and walks carefully over to the princess, intent on fulfilling his duties to the young woman and dismissing himself as quickly as possible. "Not that she'd have much in the way to say to someone of my station." He thinks, bowing slightly in greeting. "Good evening Your Royal Highness." He says, suddenly thankful for what few lessons of courtly manners he'd learned for Parnella. "I am Sir Gillian Reynaud of the Iron Roses. I thank you for the generous hospitality you've shown our order this evening."

Julianna was even more devious than he given her credit for as she continued to dance around with their conversation. It was clear from the way she thought that she was resigned to her fate. Or was it?....She Wanted to be a part of her family's schemes to replace Fanilly with their own. It was a truely interesting perspective being able to peer into the political machinations of Thaln. It was not something that he would happily take part in but given that he no longer could hide behind Sir Garrett there was no doubt in his mind that he would soon be drawn into it. A foreign noble with a decent amount of resource and leverage was something even Garrett could see being useful to one of the nobles here.

As she walked with him she continued her commentary on freedom. It didn’t really seem to bother her that she was a pawn in her family's games. If anything it bothered him more that she was totally okay with the whole situation. Then again being a leader also grants you immense power does it not? Fanilly after all was the ultimate example of power; even though she didn’t get it. The Order was not their to serve her but to make her be the best she could possibly be. That was the point of an uncorrupted, pure, naive leader. Atleast so long as she appeared to be on the outside. The Knights were the ones who really had to do the heavy lifting; which was fine with him. It wasn’t about Fanilly leading, it was about how the Knights made sure she appeared to be.

Continuing to listen politely it was apparent she wasn’t going to reveal her motivation for appearing any time soon. Perhaps you truly just wanted to talk? I don’t believe that for a second. As he was retrieving a drink he caught a noble approach from the corner of his eye and braced for impact. Julianna navigated the verbal thrust smoothly and in the process made it look like she meant it. Taking a smooth sip of the drink Sir Garrett looked down at Julianna who was still on his arm and then back up at the countess. “Although frankly I’m certain I can break them of their opinion. After all, who wouldn’t want an army of Barbarians ready to come to the assistance of their new family members.”

It was a joke but he let the implication sink in as he took another sip. “It was a pleasure to meet you Countess, I hope you enjoy the party.”

@IceHeart

After delivering his thought provoker Marianne arrived and began laying on the praise for Julianna. It was true Julianna was quite beautiful. Eyeing Marianne as she continued to compliment Julianna; Sir Garrett smiled into the next sip of his drink. The Delacroix Knight was plenty beautiful herself and he had no doubt that the maids had something to do with it. Are you here to save me from Julianna. Please say yes. Sir Garrett chuckled to himself. What in the world have I gotten myself into?

Turning at the announcement of the princess he raised an eyebrow at her appearance. They certainly did not do her justice when they said she was beautiful. That was certainly at least a part of why she was favored by the masses. No doubt she was also at least partially a philanthropist; as beautiful as she was there was no way that it was the only reason the people loved her. Musing over it Sir Garrett flicked his eyes to the side to observe Marianne again. I Think tonight is going to be bearable. Smiling into his drink again he finished off the second glass, the alcohol was certainly helping.

@harinezumikouken

@Themerlinhawk@harinezumikouken

While it seemed like she was entirely leading Sir Garett on, he managed to maintain his composure quite well. It was really quite remarkable actually, for someone who did not have much experience in the Thaln court. Even when there was some noble banter the tall knight even managed to put in his own zinger to her mention of a relationship.

“Although frankly I’m certain I can break them of their opinion. After all, who wouldn’t want an army of Barbarians ready to come to the assistance of their new family members.” The man could think on his feet outside of battle and he was even testing the waters and her intentions. It was quite amusing in its own right.

"My, my Sir Garett; whatever could you be implying?" She teased, taking a last sip from her glass and then placing it down. Before she could say anymore Dame Marianne arrived and proceeded to compliment her on her choice of dress. During this time the princess made her appearance and like most everyone else in the room, Julianna had to get a good look at the princess before returning to the conversation.

The princess was quite the pretty thing, young, beautiful, pale skin, a dress so well adorned that it had to cost a fortune, and rather ample assets. She was a gem whose beauty rivaled the goddess Reon herself and even her personality was a great boon to her popularity. Julianna could not help but think that this was a person she could put her whole being into following.

Then back to the matter at hand. The Lady Delacroix was quite the elegant beauty herself, wearing her somewhat simple white dress with a red corset her attire was quite tasteful and refined. With her porcelain skin and raven hair she exuded an air of purity and grace that Julianna doubted she could match even if she had gone with her own white dress. Skin tone could really change how a color made one appear to other people.

"Thank you very much Lady Marianne, though I must simply counter by saying you look stunning yourself." Julianna gave a short curtsy, though hardly moved as at the moment she was still attached to Sir Garett. Marianne was a very upright and noble knight associated with a family with plenty of history. Julianna had to admit she was a wonderful person and certainly hoped they could remain friends so it was unfortunate that their two families were essentially opposite in views, especially on tradition.

"If you must know, the dress was a custom production by one of the best tailors in Thaln. My parents were quite giddy when they managed to procure the talents of the great Thateous Germain. That being said it is only thanks to his magnificent talents I could come even close to your own radiance." Julianna smiled, she admitted she might be laying on the compliments at bit thick but at events such as this it was only expected.

"But I digress, we are leaving poor Sir Garett out in the cold with our talk of dress." Julianna patted his arm lightly with her hand as if he were a great prize. "He was just enlightening me to the great mysteries surrounding his lineage. Can you image? This man is one of the main contenders of Jarl and yet he prefers our own company rather than secure his station. Quite the noble sentiment in its own right."

Ian nodded at each girl in turn as they introduced themselves and sat down before he himself took a seat, his tail curling around into his lap to avoid being squished in the seat. Once comfortable he started to answer Mariegolde.

"hmh, I saw more of the land in Velt than it's cities, but even so I found it wonderful. There's something freeing about wandering the mountain ranges in the north, perhaps it's the wind" he shrugged "though I never got to see the cathedrals, or anywhere fancy really. This is even my first time inside a castle like this...heh, but you wanted to hear tales of adventure, yes? hmm, what to tell..."

Ian's life has certainly had it's glorious moments but there were honestly not too many things to tell about and he didn't have the intention of over-embellishing a mundane story. He did take a good lookover of the three girls while he tried to recall a tale for them, the two blonde ones were a little amusing with their excitement but the dark haired one seemed like she wouldn't even be there if she wasn't friends with at least one of the other two.

Before he was able to speak again the announcement of the princess' arrival sounded catching his attention for moment to hear her speak before looking back to the girls infront of him. He was getting a feeling that even if only a few Rose knights were brought up to speak to the princess he was going to be one of them...