— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —

There was yet another pause between his offer and Ezran's reply. Brendan leaned back on the wall, looking at the number of nobles once more. While he was interested in speaking with some, one person caught his eye. He had not noticed the male earlier when the Grand Keeper was making his speech. Prometheus, a name he wouldn't forget for the life of him. Meeting the guy was one of Brendan's most interesting encounters, his life story wasn't all that dull either. He was always looking forward to his letter. But after a few years, the letters stopped coming. He had visited and yet he never approached him, seeing as he was different from before. Up to now, he still did not know the reason why.

His attention snapped back at Ezran as he finally spoke. The reply was short, blunt and would perhaps hurt some other person should they have not been Brendan. However, the blond male looked at Ezran with a smile, not at all bothered with his statement. His question, however, was a bit of a shock. While most would continue to ask about Tromania itself or the other members of the royal family, Ezran had expressed interest in Brendan in particular. Quite unexpected but willing to answer the question, if anything to continue the conversation. It's not a very sensitive topic anyway.

"Earn it? Well, I suppose I did. But even I was surprised when the nobles had started calling me that." He replied honestly. He was going to stop there with no intention of explaining how or why he got it. However, he thought that maybe Ezran wanted to hear why he got it so he continued, "I'm not very princely you see, and I never really had a reason to since not many people pay attention to me. And so, because not many people know or notice me, I tend to slip out of the castle, mingle with the common folk. I even go as far as other kingdoms, disappearing for days on end." Ah, such fond memories. Sneaking out of the castle to mingle with others, to be part of something. However, even when he disappeared days upon days, when he came back, his parents would only give him the cold shoulder and the one worrying would be his siblings.

Brendan rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled, "I think it's more of a derogatory term the nobles came up for me. But I think it fits well." While most Tromani households were kind and helpful, there were those select few who aren't so. Sad as that fact may be, it is the truth. But at least they were in the minority. "The common folk use it endearingly though so it's not that bad." He admitted. Well known in other kingdoms he might not be, most of the citizens of Tromania knows about the young prince and his tendencies to slip out to talk with them.

He had stopped there to await Ezran's reaction to the story. To be honest, he was glad he made his first stranger interaction with Ezran. The guy, as anti-social as he might seem, is actually the kind of person Brendan preferred talking to. He'd rather talk to someone who pays more attention on the person he's talking to, rather than the prefix that's added to his or her name. Status be damned, Brendan likes knowing more about the person than his family's accomplishments really. Maybe he's jumping the gun and assuming that Ezran isn't like that, but so far so good.

@Mcmolly

The Great Hall

@Shadow Daedalus

After taking his leave of Anareliea, Seldo made his way about the hall looking for old acquaintances or new notable people. He was looking forward to meeting Rhelissa again, but he was having difficulty finding her in the crowd. Perhaps she hadn't grown as much as he thought she would have in the three years they were apart and her small frame was being dwarfed by the larger students. He didn't dwell on it, though; he was sure he'd run into her eventually and they could catch up. For the time being, though, something caught his eye. White hair sat atop a grim, scarred, and utterly disinterested face. At first Seldo thought this man was a guard. He certainly didn't carry himself like a nobleman, and it was unusual for distinguished people to so blatantly ignore the game of the court, but his attire and apparent age suggested that he was high born like the rest of the students here. Seldo had no idea who this young man was, but his curiosity was piqued, so he approached.

The white-haired man remained motionless, making not even gesture of acknowledgement as Seldo approached. The prince did not know if this man was intentionally slighting him, or if he was utterly oblivious to the fact that social obligations were now upon him. So, to make it perfectly clear that he required at the very least a polite dismissal, Seldo gave Prometheus a gentle tug on the arm. Initiating a conversation through physical contact would have been unthinkable when Seldo was younger. Tugging on the wrong person's arm risked offending a potential heir to a powerful nation, which would be a diplomatic nightmare. However, Seldo was now the crowned prince. This man was at best his peer, and the slight of contact was merely his response to the slight of ignoring a prince.

"Wallflowers never blossom," Seldo said, giving Prometheus a cordial smile even as his eyes sharpened just a bit. "Such a dour expression is not befitting someone about to receive the finest education in the realm among a selection of the world's most influential young lords and ladies. Perhaps you're disappointed that there will be no wine for some time?" Seldo gave a jovial chuckle before continuing. "In any event, I do not believe we have yet been acquainted. I am Prince Seldo Leonine Forletus of Forlonia. What might I call you, Grim One?" Indeed Seldo's introduction was a bit more aggressive than usual, but he didn't like the fact that this lord, or prince, or whoever he was, thought he could just ignore the most important people in the world without so much as a bare minimum of pleasantries. Perhaps a sudden change in attitude would sway the prince's opinion of the white-haired man. Or, perhaps Prometheus would think just as ill of Seldo.

Telaivas Telamonius Turanis

“Telaivas! It is so very good to see you. But yes, I do agree it has been too long; years, even! I had heard from your father that you would be attending, but I did not know in what capacity. Are you finding The Conclave well?”

"Yes, at least, for now." Telaivas gave a small laugh. "I've not the time to explore much, you see."

Anareliea, one whose name she oft misspelled in her letters, had a similar interest in magic. As thus, she often writes and received letters all about those sort of theories and such. Her last letter to Anareliea was probably about her making gloves with copper tips on the fingers, or one where she used those gloves to control and move jointed dolls around as if they were alive. Of course, that meant Anareliea knew about her aptitude for magic, and the locket she used as a focus. Did Telaivas ever mention in her letters that she made the gauntlets Frua was wearing? Maybe, or maybe not. It matters not, for knowing what Frua was capable of doing wouldn't not influence much in the long run.

"Did you ever receive that last letter? I do believe I wrote one about the use of those gloves with the copper tips I made." She showed her right hand, where she wore one of those same gloves. It was made of simple leather, and true to the description, had each finger capped with copper. Wriggling her fingers for a moment, she continued, smiling genuinely this time. "I could give you a demonstration later on my quarters later on if you like."

Frua and Ser Aivas glanced briefly at each other at that, though they stayed silent behind their mistress. There was no reason for them to speak up after all, and Frua cannot speak until Telaivas explicitly orders her to.

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —

Opening his eyes at the address, Prometheus gave the amber haired prince a long and unintentionally piercing glance, his eyes quickly darting to Kara over his shoulder as she made an encouraging gesture and back before the other boy noticed. Resisting the urge to make a biting comment in retort, he replied in an as even tone as he could manage.

"Prince Prometheus Blackwater of Skyhaven."

While normally customary to follow such an introduction with some manner of pleasantaries, he simply couldn't bring himself to care enough to give any. Seldo was a prince, and Prometheus knew the type, but no amount of rings or jewellery would be enough to change the opinion that Prometheus didn't owe him any kind words. If anything, the blatant show of wealth only served to irritate the white-haired prince. It wasn't as if the act was a direct insult, or even uncommon in this hall of royality and noble houses, but the message of superiority permiated from the gold and gemstones adorning the slightly shorter prince and, although possibly unintentional, the only thing he could liken the feeling to was that of a peacock spreading its feathers to make itself more impressive. Without intending to, his words came out a little more sharply than was strictly approriate for a polite conversation.

"What was it that you wished to speak to me about?"

Kara, stood at a respectful distance from her lord and the other prince, frowned softly and stepped forward with an apologetic look. Her eyes held a look of slight admonishment for a brief moment until she turned to the other prince and Prometheus saw her face soften a bit. To an untrained eye, it might have appeared that she had fallen for the prince, but Prometheus knew from experience that she was only doing this to make the prince more... agreeable. After all, what kind of man can be angry at a woman when she has such a look of apology? It would take an exceptionally cold man to do that, not that Prometheus wasn't such a person. Nevertheless, he said nothing as Kara attempted to apologise on his behalf, even if he felt that it was unnecessary and that he didn't need to justify himself.

"I apologise for my prince's tone, Prince Seldo, but recent days have been weighing on him a bit."

Despite the apology, Prometheus' expression didn't change and neither did his position on the wall. He had no desire to play the political game Seldo wanted, and he certainly wasn't going to apologise for it. Instead, he remained still and waited for the other prince's answer, the temptation to simply walk out and tend to Vaylin and Othia slowly creeping higher in his mind. It was only the all but written rule that all students must stay to interact with one another that prevented him from doing so, so he hoped that at least this conversation would make it less insufferable for him...

@Hayazo

The Great Hall

@Shadow Daedalus

Seldo met Prometheus's piercing stare with his own hawkish eyes. Had the prince of Skyhaven returned fire with a verbal jab instead, Seldo may have grown an inkling respect for the man; at the very least he could appreciate the wit of such a jab. But a silent stare like this was something he expected of a lowborn, and even then only a rude one. His eyes narrowed a bit more, and he gave a slow, deliberate nod in response to Prometheus's introduction. The one thing both young men agreed on now was that neither was worth any more pleasantries.

"What was it that you wished to speak to me about?"

Seldo liked neither the tone nor the content of that remark. They were here to "mingle" and every other noble in the room seemed to understand that there was no specific matter to be discussed, especially among strangers. However, Seldo didn't think Prometheus was too stupid to understand this. No, that line was a dismissal. Before he could say anything, though, Kara spoke up on the grim prince's behalf. He was surprised to see a servant so young, but then again she didn't look that much younger than Catalina. He had to admit, that expression of hers was charming, however, the situation caused Seldo to let out a small laugh. Condescension and mockery were plainly audible as the smile crawled across his face.

Seldo took his gaze away from Prometheus and now spoke directly to Kara, his voice delightful and courteous. "Skyhaven's customs are indeed alien to me. In Forlonia a servant would never speak on behalf of a prince in public." Seldo knew very well that this was not a Skyhaven custom, but he also knew it was an even greater affront to disregard a lord and speak directly to his servant. Seldo was bearing his social fangs simply by speaking to Kara; he had no need to be rude to her, especially when she seemed to be fully aware of her prince's lack of etiquette. "Perhaps, then, you can pass a message on to your prince when he is in a more agreeable mood. Tell him that a lone wolf has fewer teeth than the pack."

With that, Seldo turned his back to both of them and began to walk away, a final insult before he moved on to a more pleasant encounter. However, he did not realize just how personal his words were. It was a simply a common idiom, and wasn't even a terribly insulting one, but to the victim of a wolf attack... Seldo was completely unaware just how biting those words could be.

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —

"Tell him that a lone wolf has fewer teeth than the pack."

An Icy chill danced down his spine, images of fangs and claws tearing into his mind before Prometheus stepped forward sharply, lightning dancing behind his eyes as his normally cold emotions spiked heatedly, only to stop at the gentle hand on his chest Kara had placed to calm him. He hissed softly though his teeth before leveling his glare at the retreating prince's back.

"A lone wolf's fangs are still enough to strike down the jackal foolish enough to provoke it..."

Without regard as to whether or not the other prince heard him, Prometheus returned to his previous position on the wall, his head hitting with a dull thud before he looked at Kara, his cold eyes softening a little at her worried expression.

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Are you sure? It seemed like you were thinking about it again..."

"Like I said, I'm fine. Back then I was weak, now I am not. Getting emotional would only distract me from my surroundings and expose me to danger."

A shade of sadness crossed the girl's face, her lips dropping as she looked down, at the scarring around his jaw. Her words were quiet, and meant only for him.

"Please stop saying that. Emotions aren't weaknesses..."

Prometheus said nothing at this and his lips perked up on one side in a sad smile. Anyone watching wouldn't have found it too hard to realise this isn't the first time they've had this conversation, right before they entirely forget in favour of the instinctual feeling of self-preservation stemming from the ice-cold glare Prometheus seemed to focus in all directions simultaneously. Satisified that any overly-curious nobles were sufficiently anxious, he spoke, clearly and without excess emotion.

"Kara, go and ensure that my room is prepared, in the event that we are excused from classes today. I'll be along when I have the chance. And don't worry about my safety, I can handle any prissied up nobles that might challenge me to any pointless duels."

"As you wish, Prince Prometheus."

His hand dropped to rest gently against his sword, a brief spark of lightning dancing across his leather glove to reinforce his point, and Kara bowed slightly before turning to leave with a quick reply. Watching her depart for a brief moment, he turned with the intention of crossing to another part of the hall, only to nearly knock down another student in his movement. Had he not looked down by reflex, he would have entirely missed the much shorter girl, standing at only 5 foot by his estimation. The pale skin, raven black hair and burgundy eyes stood out in the sea of monotony, but he couldn't place a name to her admitted rather attractive but mildly irritated face. Unsure if to start a conversation with girl, he offered a simple two words.

"My Apologies."

@Hayazo@Gowi

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —
— 6th Day of Summer —

That was pointless.

Rhelissa wasn’t sure to make of The Conclave at this point in time, but she did feel bored and unimpressed significantly by what impressions she had experienced thus far. Outside of Telaivas’ brief suggestion to meet with her later in the evening and the headmaster’s dull speech there was really nothing to be had of interest and her friends for the most part hadn’t approached her out of their own whims. She wasn’t sure why Ezran hadn’t graced her with his presence yet— a fact that was a bit more present when she began looking for him in the crowd following her interaction with Telaivas.

Prince Ezran of Darkthrone was her closest friend, a fact that wasn’t as obtuse as it sounded even if you removed the political intrigue that was going on in the background of both of their nations. A marriage that produced an heir between her and Ezran would make their child inherit two kingdoms due to the succession laws and it created an interesting game. A game that Rhelissa knew about; which brought her to many speculations of her life in the future if she took the challenge in earnest she knew she would be playing political circumnavigation with her own family and Ezran’s for the rest of her life. It was one reason why she was unsure of a betrothal between him and she. She wished Ezran would’ve at least took the knowledge of their respective families and their plotting in earnest seriousness but he always wrote it off as ridiculous— a reaction that made her feel insulted.

As she moved forward there was a flutter of movement and she nearly collided with another student— one she had never been introduced to.

"My Apologies."

“Yes.” She replied, matter-of-factly. It wasn’t quite a ‘princess’-like response but it got her point across well enough. Her blunt comment probably being seen insulting or at the very least obtuse to the young man in front of her whom she looked over with a coldness. She blinked for a moment. “I do not know you.”

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —
— 6th Day of Summer —

“Tell him that a lone wolf has fewer teeth than the pack.”

“A lone wolf's fangs are still enough to strike down the jackal foolish enough to provoke it...”

A wide smile curled on the lips of Princess Lyriel of Northwatch, a bemusing curiosity flowing through her mind as she witnessed the passive aggressive retorts between two dignified nobles whom she had never met before. She could not think of a better way to mark the beginning of the school year as far as her perspective was concerned. She lived for this kind of discontent and distaste as it not only amused her but got her little mind thinking of ways to escalate situations or tap into it for even more gratuitous results. After all, when Princess Anareliea thought you were a frightening element at The Conclave that was saying a lot of what kind of individual you were.

Toxicity brewing between others! and on the first day as well! How quaint this is.

With a wide smile she approached the man who had started the slight disagreement, the Prince of Forlonia himself. Her smile faded before he could see it as she curled it into a frown. The intent was to approach things from an angle that seemed authentic and simple— a comfortable albeit reasonable response from another noble. Such intent required her to appear sympathetic and see where the conversation could progress. Truth be told that she wasn’t even sure what she wanted out of their dialogue but she knew she was bored enough for it to seem like a good yet entertaining distraction. She could hear some hushed murmurs as she spoke out to Prince Seldo which delighted her greatly. A passive reaction with the crowd was enough to make her think she was ready to amuse herself by making some new waves.

“I am surprised that did not escalate further, such a shame to see others who present themselves with no poise and cause issue with their peers.”

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —
— 6th Day of Summer —

"Did you ever receive that last letter? I do believe I wrote one about the use of those gloves with the copper tips I made. I could give you a demonstration later on my quarters later on if you like."

Due to her study under the Keeper of Magic, Mathis Thornwell, Anareliea’s interest and understanding in the study of magical sciences had only exponentially increased since the first time her and Telaivas shared their interest in the field with one another out of earnest fascinations. She wondered with Telaivas being inventive and smart how quick she would come with the tutelage that she was going to be introduced to in the coming weeks. If she followed along as Anareliea had herself, it would be no surprise if the amber-haired girl from Xahria would excel just as well as she had. The possibility that she would be even better came to Anareliea’s mind and it did bring an anxiety bred from suspicious caution about the prospect; after all when it came to her own independent studies she knew Telaivas was more inventive and receptive than she had been, and with the addition of proper study she began to worry that with her friend’s personality what she could accomplish.

Still, she kept her face on even with the dawn of such thoughts.

“Of course. Such inventions are very interesting, but of course I have also come a long way in my own studies. We could share my competence in the magical sciences that you’ve yet to see firsthand when we exchange our learning in the eve.”

She had to keep up the appearances that she was more interesting than every person she talked to and she had to say the right things every single time as well.

“I am sure you are excited to learn under Thornwell himself while you are here. As we all have been.”

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —

— 6th Day of Summer —

"Thank you for your time, good tidings. Enjoy your six days of peace and remember if you need me do come find me.”

Good grief... I'm not usually this impatient, but I did not suspect to have to sit through such a drawn out speech. I think I should start to fear whether or not I'll be able to even withstand the possibly longer ones in the near future.

Maybe the Princess of Faeron had half suspected it, though. Nebetah couldn't think of much else coming from a powerful man who ran a powerful academy, so sitting through a speech that sounded like it could have lasted her entire lifetime was sort of likely. The boredom she couldn't help but feel would soon develop into impatience, which would sprial down into her feeling much more restless and weirdly hot than usual. And that was saying something, seeing as she wasn't one to express her disinterested self through her mannerisms, and seeing as though she had lived with and endured the searing southern weather her whole life.

Way to make first impressions at her first experience at The Conclave.

"You're looking a bit dazed there, Anora. You weren't actually bored of the Grand Keeper's speech now, where you?" Nebetah whispered as she looked down to her side, letting out a soft giggle. About time to brighten things up a bit. Her friendly tease had caused her young trusted servant to erupt in embarrassment, most likely oblivious to Nebetah's true intentions.

"Oh, n-not at all my lady! It was actually quite informative, even though I'm not exactly attending here. But I certainly didn't doze off during the middle of it! That would be such an unforgivable offence I don't even want to imagine what would happen if they saw me disrespecting such an important man..."

Nebetah replied with another light chuckle. "Forgive me for that, Anora. I had no idea you would end up so flustered like that, nor did I have the intention to make you feel that uncomfortable. Please, I'm just teasing you a little."

A sigh of relief escaped Anora's lips knowing that she wouldn't be scolded. However, while she did find the whole thing a bit tedious to sit through, she didn't realise that it was both her and Nebetah that weren't particularly fond of the drawn out speech.

"W-Well, in any case, I think it would be suitable if I carried out any further preparations in your room and tidy up everything else. I'll need to sort out the rest of your clothing also."

"Please do, Anora, that would be much appreciated. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, my lady?"

"If you do happen to spot Falisia anywhere... Please inform me if she's doing all right on her own."

The whole of the Princess' morning was spent grooming and worrying, as she had made the sworn promise to let her year younger sister Falisia roam more independently within the walls of the Conclave a few days before their depature. But even just after one day of being separated, Nebetah was experiencing her worst gut feelings to date, especially keeping in mind that her little sister had very 'sneaky' tendencies. Many unlikely and likely situations swirled in her head, so much so it was getting a bit silly and unrealistic. She doubted that Falisia had the power to scale a wall unnoticed like a spider.

"I assure you, you should not worry, Princess Nebetah! I'm sure the lady is in good health. With a cheerful attitude like hers, I think there's little to fret about her own well being and interactions with other people. Meanwhile, I believe it's time to really make your own first impressions, Princess!"

A small smile on her face, Nebetah replied, "Well I do suppose that I should put this morning's preparations to use. First impressions are a key element to forming strong bonds with other nobles, after all. But that aside, I should let you begin your work, Anora. Thank you again."

"Of course, my lady. You needn't thank me either; it is my job to make sure that you are comfortable and well, after all."

It didn't take long for the girl to disappear into the crowd and to leave Nebetah in a sea of significantly shorter people. She could just about see a raven haired girl of about only five foot almost being slammed into a boy of around the same height as Nebetah herself, and a blonde haired one around the same height as her own sister that had just finished his confrontation. This hall wasn't filled with anyone Nebetah knew well enough to call acquaintances, however. In the back of her mind she did recall a few names from southern kingdoms and even fewer from the west. But honestly, what did it all matter? The purpose of this event was to become acquainted with nobles and fellow royal figures. Nebetah most definitely wasn't a shy person, so she would do just that.

Nebetah would proceed to interact with the new faces she came across, not afraid to strike up a small conversation simply to get to know a few people. It would be your standard 'greetings', 'pleased to make your acquaintance', and so on. Not anything she hadn't seen before, but she didn't necessarily mind.

But after all that conversing and craning her neck down so she could actually look at the person she was talking to, Nebetah felt that it was about time to get all her stresses of her chest. Ease up a little. Mingling was fun, but Nebetah had come to cherish those quiet moments she shared only with herself or with her sister accompanying her. So, after speaking her final farewells to one of the female nobles, she left for the courtyard.

Nebetah felt the rush of a familiar ocean breeze as soon as she stepped out, a reminder as to how thankful she was for not having to travel too far away from home. Never would she grow tired of the sight of the sea she was so fortunate to be able to gaze upon any day. If the Conclave had been situated where all you could see was a bunch of trees and grass, Nebetah would have felt more left out than she already did, since she barely knew anyone here. That was probably how other nobles from different kingdoms other than the ones from the south were currently feeling, however.

To her surprise, there already seemed to be someone enjoying the ocean view. Judging by their clothing, they didn't seem to be from the southern areas; while Nebetah had settled for a simple deep burgundy dress with the usual gold bracelets on her biceps and bangles on her wrists adorning it, it appeared that this person had decided to go for actual sleeved clothing. In all honesty, Nebetah had long been wondering how the people back in the hall were faring in their coats and whatnot, despite walking in with a ankle length black cloak herself.

"You seem to have become accustomed to the south's heat quite well already," she said as she approached the lone figure. "It suppose it does take a lot of time to get used to, but I guess some are capable of adjusting much quicker than others."

The Great Hall

@Gowi

Prometheus's final hiss was lost in the buzz of chattering nobles. But, perhaps it was best that Seldo didn't hear it; the white-haired prince was already getting under his skin, and his intentions were not to make trouble today. In all honesty, Seldo would be happy if they simply never crossed paths again. Skyhaven was quite literally on the other side of the world, so it mattered little what the relationship between their kingdoms was like. What, would they march their armies across the entire continent? No, he was free to hate that prince as much as he liked. It seemed, though, that their little spat wasn't all bad...

“I am surprised that did not escalate further, such a shame to see others who present themselves with no poise and cause issue with their peers.”

Apparently, he had attracted the attention of one of the ladies nearby, and attention was always a good thing as far as Seldo was concerned. He did not know the young lady who was approaching him, but he had to admit he found her very pretty. He could find not a strand of her long, golden hair out of place and her bright eyes were full of life. It was no wonder that a woman so perfectly exuding her social class would understand why he had acted so disrespectfully to that other prince. Seldo put on a charming smile and looked back at Lyriel with gentle eyes. "Do not worry yourself about him, milady," he said, giving a dismissive gesture. "If our grim prince wishes to sulk in the corner, then let him. He is nothing to us." Seldo gave a gentle laugh, trying to enjoy his chat with this new lady, but still, he wanted to address one other thing that she had said.

"He is no peer of ours. He carries himself like a lowborn, so in my eyes he is a lowborn. There is no need to entangle ourselves in the affairs of a lowborn, don't you agree milady? Besides, with white hair like that..." Seldo lowered his voice to a whisper so that only Lyriel could hear. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was some half-elf bastard whose father claimed he was legitimate simply to save his own reputation." Seldo chuckled and then returned to his normal jovial voice. "Ah, but we haven't been properly acquainted, have we?" He gave the lady a graceful bow. "Prince Seldo Forletus, heir to the throne of Forlonia. It is a pleasure, milady."

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —

"I do not know you."

Prometheus blinked slowly at the blunt response, a small part of his mind appreciating the straight forwardness of the girl in front of him, a fresh contrast to the falsely pleasant walking jewellry box he just had the misfortune of speaking to. His altercation with Seldo had brought him as close to his limit for politics and double-speak as he dared, which was saying a great deal about his opinion of the Forloni prince considering he grew up in a house that hated him.

"As I not you. Prince Prometheus Blackwater."

His posture relaxed a little, his hand slipping off of his sword's scabbard, his hand having been ready to draw it subconsciously without his conscious intent. The coldness in her eye had little effect on him, the coldness in his own reflecting it back to create a chilled atmosphere that he found oddly relaxing, like a cool bath on too warm of a day. Having introduced himself, he gave pause for her to to the same. His eyes also caught sight of Brendan again, still in conversation with the black haired prince, and briefly entertained the thought of speaking with him again before he focussed back on the much smaller girl in front of him as she looked up at him as if to reply, a strange thing to observe considering they couldn't be more than a year apart in age.

Success! At least apparently, which was a measure more than he usually found interacting at these sorts of things. Perhaps there was something to be said about putting the minimal effort into formalities, at least at this level of social interaction. Annoying as it was, he couldn't quite argue with results, assuming this wasn't just a fluke. Keeping in a sigh of resignation, he decided instead to enjoy the success and treated the girl to his largest grin yet. Perhaps this year would be easier than the previous one at the Conclave.

"I'm looking forward to knowing you too, there'll be plenty of time for it throughout our stay here, either fortunately or unfortunately. If you'd like..."

Haytham caught himself before the thought finished. Being too forward could certainly ruin any relatively good impression he'd managed to make so far. On the contrary, stopping where he did would only risk him looking a fool, which quite frankly was an opinion plenty of his peers already had of him. No real loss there, the results of his studies more than proved such an assumption dangerous, and he would rather be underestimated than overestimated. He looked between Aleandra and her guardian briefly, before resigning himself with a shrug and continuing.

"... I'm pretty eager for a new sparring partner, although forgive me if I'm reading you wrong. I'd be happy to have permission to fight with your retainer too, if not."

Lest she have time to become indignant or offended and cause a scene in case he had read her wrong, Haytham began turning away with a casual wave offered as a farewell.

"Just a thought. I'll look forward to an answer when things aren't so hectic!"

Haytham hummed to himself as he pulled away, making a note to track down the princess later. It would be nice to have someone to cross swords with outside of duels, an experience he had grown sick of over the past year. They were fun to him at first, win or lose, but he saw them as more and more petty each time. If not... Well, it didn't hurt to lose what one didn't have.

The sight of Nebetah from across the room interrupted his thoughts. Familiar faces were extraordinarily rare for him at the conclave, but the southern lords were all acquainted since the forming of The Three Sands. She had certainly grown in the years since they'd last met, and he almost bounded over to her before she walked out of the room, to his disappointment. He briefly entertained the thought of following her before rejecting the idea; there would be time for that later. Besides, the Haytham she would remember was different from the Haytham he was now.

Without a goal in mind he picked six new targets and drew his mystical helper from his pocket. It had done a splendid job of picking his first interaction of the day, and who was he to question the good judgement the goddess had blessed the instrument with? With practiced precision he cast it onto the ground once more and stopped it with his foot.

3 again.

Not a beautiful woman this time, but two boys by the look of it, with contrasting blonde and black hair. With a shrug, and embracing his fate, Haytham made his way over to the two, coming up behind the blonde haired one as he was speaking.

"I think it's more of a derogatory term the nobles came up for me. But I think it fits well. The common folk use it endearingly though so it's not that bad."

"Hah, the derogatory things I've heard from nobles' mouths in this place. It's good you're already accustomed Northern Prince."

Brendan Tromvara and Ezran Taake, provided Swift had been correct. Both princes, although Haytham didn't have any more info than that to go off of. Men had a tendency to jump to violence when offended than women did, so he had tried to avoid them in general, but the die of fate had been cast. May as well try to make the most of it. He was being even less formal than his interactions with Aleandra earlier, but that had all but exhausted his reserves for the day.

"I see you have both managed to survive the Grand Keeper's speech, there are few things in this world more dangerous. Death by boredom is a slow killer, to be certain."

Telaivas Telamonius Turanis

---

“Of course. Such inventions are very interesting, but of course I have also come a long way in my own studies. We could share my competence in the magical sciences that you’ve yet to see firsthand when we exchange our learning in the eve.”

That... was not exactly the response she wanted from her. While she had started the conversation without any expectations, such a response was definitely not what she wanted. With such a lukewarm reaction and the casual dismissal of her creation, one she had toiled to make with her own hands, it was hard not to feel slighted. True, she did not hunt the deer and cure its hide for the leather, nor did she forge the caps herself, but crafting it into gloves, attaching the caps, and making sure everything fits was solely her work and hers alone. She filled a book, and gone through a few quills and ink wells writing solely about the gloves alone, in her efforts to actually make it work.

“I am sure you are excited to learn under Thornwell himself while you are here. As we all have been.”

"Why yes, there would be scarce any person who would miss such a chance after all." She had gone back to her usual mannerism, wearing that same light smile and gentle demeanour most know her for. "I do hope I'm worthy of such tutelage. It'd be dreadful should they find my skills lacking."

She laughed a little at that, crinkling the corners of her eyes slightly as she did so.

"Ah, but I do apologize, I did not mean to keep you to myself. I assume you have better to do than listen to me drivel on about myself." Giving a small curtsy, she continued. "Farewell for now."

With that, Telaivas wandered off though the hall, tailed by Frua and Ser Aivas. She stayed long enough so as not to be considered rude, meeting other less significant people, and then made for her quarters, taking determined strides once she was certain no one could see.

Her pent up emotions exploded almost immediately after she stepped through the door to her room and locked it behind her, locking Ser Aivas out in the process. "That stupid stuck up dumb HARLOT!"

Frua moved as if to say something, before a backhanded fist slammed into her face, sending her reeling backwards. She barely had enough time to recover before Telaivas threw another punch at her, catching her in the ribs. Collapsing, she made no effort to defend herself, as the princess started kicking her, venting her rage at her servant. It did not last too long however, for soon Telaivas collapsed on top of Frua, exhausted but still fuming. Wordlessly Frua wrapped her arms around her, sitting up as she did so. Breathing heavily, Telaivas leaned on her maid, muttering curses under her breath.

"Ah wait, that's right. Frua," she spoke, smiling broadly. "You can speak now."

"That fucking hurts you bitch. Going on a tantrum because some tart won't give you the time of day? Bloody kill yourself why don't you? Save me the pain of another beating because you can't handle some pompous arse."

It made for a strange scene, for Frua's neutral expression or inflection barely changed during her rather scathing speech. Stranger still was Telaivas' reaction, or lack thereof, for her grin never left her face during that tirade, nor did she seem fazed by her own servant badmouthing her to her face.

"About that last part," she stretched out a hand towards the ceiling, glancing at the glove she wore. "I may already have a plan for that."

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —

"Hah, the derogatory things I've heard from nobles' mouths in this place. It's good you're already accustomed Northern Prince."

Ezran was not given a chance to talk when someone had approached them. It was soon after the last words of the sentence was uttered when one other person commented about it. Brendan's eyes turned to the male. His face is not familiar, and his lack of formality is quite refreshing. A smile crept to his face when the unknown male had stopped talking for a while. He then looked towards Rivellia who had smiled as well.

He knew fully well why she was smiling as well. It was just a minor error and it was fine. However, she said nothing but that small gesture was enough for him to understanding what she was thinking. He then caught her hand signal something. It was subtle and he almost didn't catch it. But it was definitely a signal for him to start talking to the newly arrived prince and so he looked back at him.

"I'm afraid he's the one from the North." Brendan had gestured towards Ezran as he spoke. "I am from the West. So I guess that would make me a Western Prince... unless of course you were talking to Ezran." He was lightly teasing the male by correcting him but hopefully the guy would respond kindly. While the people in Tromania would know to not take much of anything Brendan says to heart, not many royals and nobles in other kingdoms know about it.

"Brendan Tromvara, a pleasure to meet you." He then extended his hand towards the new male. He was quick to make pleasantries with the male. It was best to know his name first before anything. After all, he needed to so he would know at least some background on him. Unless of course he's from a place where Isaiah hasn't been, and there's quite a few of those here and there.

"I see you have both managed to survive the Grand Keeper's speech, there are few things in this world more dangerous. Death by boredom is a slow killer, to be certain."

For the small while that he had been talking, Brendan grew more interested in the male. A lot shared a small amount of hate for boredom, but not many think it's deadly like he does. He already found common ground between him and this prince. That's nice. He'd rather not speak with someone he can't continue a conversation with. He then glanced at Ezran, unsure why he was still so quiet. Then again, the guy did say that he wasn't too big in social interactions. Perhaps it was because he was alone that Ezran had decided to humor the young prince and talk with him.

But now that there was two. Or perhaps he was just overthinking everything, which he usually doesn't do... or maybe he does? He could never be too sure. That was when he noticed that he had allowed silence to reign over them by not replying and spacing off. He set his eyes on the other prince and replied, "I would rather die from a blade than boredom to be honest." He accompanied the joke with a light chuckle so they would know that he wasn't entirely serious. He then lowered his voice so that only Ezran and the new prince and their servants could hear him. "I think the Grand Keeper likes hearing his own voice... that or he likes putting his students through oral torture."

He then looked around, as if to make sure that no one else had heard him. He could feel a sharp jab to his side and he looked at Rivellia who was looking away again. The others might've seen Rivellia move her elbow towards her charge and then back to her side very quickly. Brendan rolled his eyes at his cousin and then went back on looking at the others. He wasn't sure if they would comment on that, especially since it's pretty unbecoming for a servant to do that to their master, but he wouldn't mind answering their question for that.

@Snagglepuss89@Mcmolly

— Imperial Courtyard, The Conclave —
— 6th Day of Summer —

“Some people I am not.” He laughed as he turned to the source of the voice that decided to approach him.

“I wouldn’t quite say I am quite accustomed to it. My homeland is westward past the River Edenbridge that separates the southern heartlands from the western approach; so as you may imagine the wind’s being this humid and flustering is not the most comfortable or relatable. However, I feel moping about the weather is so… without point. Wouldn’t you think it more pertinent to lament about the beautiful prison we have been sentenced to?”

Ydrian did always have a flair for the dramatics when he so suited, but it had never slighted him in the past considering how well people took to his personality and how simple he seemed to ease into things. After all, he was amicable and friendly to all that approached him no matter of their station or reputation. He wasn’t quite sure who the lady in question he was talking to but as was the curse of being the equivalent of a tower-locked maiden who was forced to his own exile within his lands never to truly love as he wished to; regardless of such he would most certainly find out with his manners present and ready. He showed no fear or distance for her approach even with her towering height in comparison which possibly showed his nature of being friendly and unfazed by things that others may have found issue with.

He did an appropriate bow, “My apologies, m’lady, I should have introduced myself before beginning to ramble. I am Prince Ydrian Kareth of House Hawkhart, the Lords of Kalcia and protectors of the River Edenbridge. If I may be so bold, may I make your accquiatance?”

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —
— 6th Day of Summer —

“Princess Rhelissa of House Fel.” She replied in turn, her tone remaining steady and unmoving.

The purpose of coming to The Conclave did not simply remain on the shoulders of academia as she was very much well aware. Her father intended her to meet many others and forge alliances to strengthen trade and military presence of Aladore— a situation that was sorely needed as their neighbors got more confident in the security of their own kingdoms. Aladore had always been the strongest of the northern raven’s and intended to remain that way through any means necessary. However, Rhelissa was thinking beyond her father as it would be likely his injury would eventually lead to an early demise or abdication by the time she was in her twenties; she needed to be ready for that and beginning alliances by knowing who was who and how they reacted to her was something she needed to do.

Her cold eyes looked at his own wandering eyes as they looked over to the direction with Ezran.

“You seem interested elsewhere, Prince Prometheus. Would you wish to strike dialogue with them?”

— The Imperial Great Hall, The Conclave —
— 6th Day of Summer —

How scandalous if such a rumor were to grow in the halls of The Conclave, Prince Seldo.

The fact that the Prince of Forlonia had fabricated such a wondrous rumor without even thinking about it was unbelievably interesting and considering how deliciously fun the prospect of such a belief could grow with the proper tending entertained Lyriel quite well. She wondered how far the prince would take it with the right amount of suggestion; in the first day of the academic year and she already had found such delight! It set such an awe-inspiring precedent that she was sure to keep in mind in the days to come.

Additionally she had also attracted the attention of the crown prince of Forlonia— the heir. How much power could she wield if he were to become her ally? How could she make a mockery of her brother and the “power” he held over her. Even moreso, what if she were to become so fond of this noble of significance that she could take him as her lover? Forlonia was more powerful, more economically secure, and had pretty much more strengths then her home of Northwatch could even dream. Her imagination slowly began to develop as she considered the possibilities; such infinite ones they could be. As he fully introduced himself she kept her polite smile and gave a courteous bow.

“Oh my, a crown prince. I shan’t think I am prepared for the honor it brings.”

She was teasing, but she was also playing.

“The pleasure is all mine. I am Princess Lyriel of House Swiftwind, the younger sister to the King of Northwatch.”

The Great Hall

@Gowi

Seldo caught on to Lyriel's playful tone and let out a delighted laugh. It was always nice to meet someone who wasn't afraid to use a bit of sarcasm in front of him. If this were one of those social gatherings he had attended, Lyriel would have just passed the first test: be interesting without being disrespectful. "Fret not, milady. Merely inheriting a crown is not a matter of honor. Rather, it is what we do with our crown that makes us honorable or not, don't you agree?" His lips curled into a friendly smile, and it was clear that his mood had completely recovered from his brief spat with Prometheus. "And I suppose my time here will tell whether or not a man with my admittedly limited abilities is worthy of the crown." He met her show of exaggerated humility with one of his own. It was clear from the tone of his voice, that he was teasing Lyriel right back.

"Ah, Northwatch you say. Milady is certainly a long way from home." Admittedly, Seldo knew very little of Northwatch's affairs. It was yet another kingdom on the other side of the world that Forlonia had few dealings with. Still, he had heard of some accident that had taken the king's life long ago. If the current king was Lyriel's brother, though, then Northwatch had a surprisingly young ruler. However, Seldo wanted to avoid that topic for now. He was sure Lyriel didn't want to talk about her dead father any more than he wanted to talk about his dead brother. "If my geography serves me correctly," Seldo continued, "Northwatch is farther away from The Conclave than any other kingdom. It must have been quite a long trip for you. I hope you are settling in alright." She certainly didn't look to be particularly fatigued, but nobles were notoriously good at hiding their discomfort. Seldo wasn't sure how high his own spirits would be after making such a long trek.

"It would be nice." Aleandra limited her response, taking another thought about the second-year, from what she could make out of him at least. She tried to ignore all the simple things which she caught on to, trying to be somewhat forgiving. He seemed nice at the very least, and it really wasn't all too bad that his attitude was so light. At least he wasn't acting all high and mighty, He had a slight pause, with his next statement lighting a smile up on the swordswoman's face.

"I'm sure that answer would be one we both like. I look forward to talking with you." Aleandra gave him a nod of the head, with a soft wave as the Prince left. With a smile, she turned to Calisone, gesturing for him to come forward. He seemed pretty nice, and the girl looked forward to opportunities to spar with him in the upcoming weeks. Adjusting her cuff after the wave, that little habit keeps popping up as Aleandra focuses her attention on her own physical appearances, on top of the social ones. Not like she hadn't already kept all those up long before she exited the room. "He seems nice. He offered a sparring match with the both of us."

"Again, my Princess, try not to get ahead of yourself. You have a habit of crashing after your failures." Her mentor spoke from experience, both in his own matches with her and by seeing her with other people. Granted, she mostly keeps it in, though there is a moment where she lets loose in a lot of matches and all of her small little anger from her own slight imperfections all get channeled into her blade. That little remark got her a bit irritated, although the returning gaze was enough to remind her that Calisone knew enough about her.

With a deep breath, Aleandra's hands went behind her back, looking once around the room. "I'll head outside, just for a bit of fresh air. Please stay by the door, if possible." After confirming nod from her guard, Aleandra stepped out to the door, keeping her hands behind her back. As she exited the hall, she took a deep breath of the sea air, somewhat refreshing. Taking a quick gaze around the courtyard, she caught onto a face she recognized.

Ydrian. Old friend of hers, one of the few that she had. The familiarity of people was somewhat reassuring, as she could play catch up with several of her older friends, maybe see how much they've all changed. After all, she remembers a change of her own. She noticed that her old friend was somewhat busy in conversation, so she stopped her approach an appropriate distance away from the boy, gazing out to the water as she awaited for him to initiate.