---

She smiled whenever Aedan mentioned that his duty was to keep her safe, which was a conversation she had with him earlier on in the day. It made her feel much safer with him around now as she took another sip from her goblet of wine now. "That pleases me, Aedan." Julianna responded after her sip. She reviewed over Aedan's attire as he spoke about him dressing himself. She could not help but chuckle towards Aedan then shook her head towards him.

"Well, I must say you look pleasantly, Lord Aedan." She commented then looked over towards the prince as he had just came over, offering herself and Aedan a curt bow before greeting them. "Prince Antoine." Julianna said as she listened to the prince as he started talking as she nodded her head throughout his words. "Oh, thank you, Prince Antoine." She commented before continuing on with her words. "It hasn't been as stressful yet but Abhainn is a remarkable kingdom so I am sure that hopefully ruling it one day, will be fairly easy." She offered that bit towards Antoine as she turned back towards Aedan with a slight smile. "When I do become Queen of Abhainn, I'll appoint you with a much higher up position."

Julianna mentioned towards him, holding the goblet up to her lips now as she spoke before taking a sip. "Maybe a position in the Kingsguard, perhaps?" She then took a sip from her goblet then saw the Queen of Sliabh make her entrance, in a beautiful gown but without her mask covering her face. Julianna gulped her wine down loudly, completely just shaking her head towards her but she couldn't really be mad at her since she trusts her, for now anyway. Her eyes scanned throughout the room, eyebrow raised up as she wondered where King Jack was located at the moment. Not that it wasn't a bad thing that he wasn't in the ballroom but he is her brother, after all so she grew a bit worried about him.

The one thing that snapped her back towards Aedan and Antoine now was the words that were muttered from Antoine's lips now. "Whatever do you mean, Antoine?" She questioned towards him now as she interrupted him before he was to answer. "Has anyone seen King Maddox? But then again, I wonder why he hasn't sought me out." Julianna asked another question as she continued to scan the ballroom, looking for him but she'd more than likely speak to him later.

---

Diverting his eyes from Julianna for a moment, he observed the woman before him. Nothing obvious would happen tonight. The plans were too young. Everything would still be a thought. Especially in Maddox he guessed. No, the ideas had to be hatched first. So why not try to have some semblance of fun tonight? Even though it was a ball, William figured he could entertain himself. Maybe with a little game: guess the woman behind the mask. Her half-sarcastic reply came as a surprise to the prince. Half the room knew who he was and wouldn't dare speak like that. The other half didn't know who he was. William figured the lady was part of the later group.

"I did." he answered quickly, before taking a rather big swig from his wine. Why not go a little drunk as well tonight? "And I intend both of those things. Those driven away by but a mask would only waste my time with their cowardice." he answered, truthfully but not without lack of attitude. "Is it driving you away, my lady?" he teased back at her. Was she bold or shy? Daring or restrained?

Keir continued to study the man, his mannerisms, and his mask even as he turned his attentions to her and from his obviously intended target of interest. She felt a distinct sense of confidence--or cockiness--coming from him; she wasn’t sure which it was but the difference was meaningful. He was surely highborn, and his accent almost certainly marked him as being from Abhainn. She looked forward to probing further. His question now hanging in the air, she moved her left hand up to her chin in a gesture meant to portray thoughtfulness. After a few moments of ‘careful’ study, she finally spoke:

”Honestly, I have not quite made up my mind on it yet.” A slightly mischievous grin jumped to her lips even as she clasped her hands back together. ”Perhaps if I knew more about it? Did your lordship hunt it yourself or was it brought to you as a gift? I should verily be very frightened if the latter.” she quipped before turning to grab her own glass of wine from a nearby server. ”Thank you.” Keir always made sure to thank the serving staff even though she was often berated for such acts during her lessons on how to behave in court; she would do her best to fit in but she could never bring herself to treat the servants as furniture. As she turned back, Keir nodded her head towards the man while slightly raising her goblet towards him before taking a drink.

The thanks earned Keir a raised eyebrow. Who thanked the servants? No-one! Not even William did it. Though, neither did he really scold or abuse them. They were people but they were doing their jobs. But nobles, they never gave the lower classes a moment's thought. Highborns were rude, all of them. Except this lady. She, somehow, knew servants were just people as well. He let the thoughts swirl in his mind for a moment. Her mannerism told him she was rather well versed in the traditions of a court. However, at the same time she showcased a surprising amount of sarcasm.

"Lordship? Oh dear, I'm afraid you're wrong there. I'm no lord, my lady." He wasn't, technically. He was a prince. She couldn't even call him sir as he wasn't a knight yet either. Even though, as a prince, that could probably be arranged soon enough. "Oh in that case you have no reason to be afraid. I very much shot down the deer on my own. A terrible beast it was." His tone was obviously sarcastic. Hunting deer was rather simple, truth be told. The true challenge laid in game that would fight back. Wild boars were an excellent example. Yet a boar had none of the regal appearance a stag had. So, forced in his role as prince, he opted for the antlers.

"Now, as you are attempting to read through the mask, it would only be fair if I could do the same." his tone was rather cheery, but also quite challenging. "Purple, an interesting colour to be sure. Expensive as well. A gift from a rich admirer?"

She modestly sipped on her wine as it was his turn in the game to speak now. Her cogs turned as he seemed to willingly admit that he was higher born than a simple Lord; she certainly knew that he could not be otherwise by this point. That did not leave very many options at the high court. Keir certainly had not met all of the holder’s of Abhainn’s highest offices next to the King, but she was sure this wasn’t Maddox. Perhaps one of the many court advisors, royal liaisons, or even the elusive Prince of Abhainn she’d heard about.

At his admission of hunting and shooting the deer himself, she made all the appropriate reactions. ”Most impressive! Your bravery and skill are to be lauded. I do rather fancy a well-made bow myself. Do you train in any other weapons?” She used no more titles as of yet; this was turning into quite the a fun game of deduction and banter. She was ready for his attempts to dig deeper at her.

”Oh, of course! All ladies must have at least one rich admirer or she cannot truly be called a Lady.” Keir ran her free hand over the gown to feel the velvet now; it was quite possibly the best made dress on which she had ever laid her eyes. ”Royalty does so enjoy its purples and golds. In truth, I am not used to being quite so spoiled.” No lies were given here, though most likely Lady Julia was not the type of ‘admirer’ to which he was referring. Her blue eyes danced with amusement through the holes in the mask.

"The morningstar, sword, axe and lance. I'll let you choose which one you want to believe I practice." The axe was used out of necessity. In the woods it had a double job. Protecting and being used as hatchet. Sword and lance was a given to confuse her. He did use both, as was required in the honorable duels. But a great many knights practiced those lethal tools as well. The morningstar, finally, was a personal favorite. He often used it when hunting poachers. As it blows were not always lethal. Meaning he could capture rather than kill. Still, the one weapon he prefered was the sword. As he trained with it on a daily basis now. Getting ready to one day wield a bastard sword. And maybe a great sword later in his life so he could do real damage on the battlefields to come.

William had to stifle a laugh as Keir said no-one could call herself a lady if she didn't have a secret admirer. It felt so obviously noble. Some lady had probably said it before, surrounded by friends while sipping tea in the safety of her own chambers. But this woman, she dared to say it out here in a ballroom.

But then she mentioned royalty. Which immediately triggered alarms in William's head. There were only 2 royal families present. His eyes immediately darted towards Julianna. Did she bring a little sister? No, impossible. William was briefed on who of importance would be present. A princess would be at the top of the list. He took a big swig of the wine goblet in his hand and then turned to look at his half-brother, whispering: "Maddox...you wouldn't have..." He wouldn't have found another half-sibling. It was a well known fact that the King of Abhainn slept around in the hope of bringing forth an heir. It was well within the realm of possibilities that the brothers had a sister.

Turning back towards Keir he said: "Must have been hard, adapting to a new life. With so much more...purple." His eyes portraying much more intensity towards Keir now. Was she truly a long lost sister? "Tell me, my lady. How did you grow up? If not surrounded by gold."

Keir mulled over the weapon options he listed in response to her question. To be trained in so varied an assortment of arms, he may well be some type of military strategist but she got the impression that he was rather a bit younger than the average war veteran or general. Though the war did make veterans out of many a young man. She knew that better than most with the loss of her father at such an early age; thankfully her brother was spared and now a lord in his own right. She had to drag her thoughts from that subject before it spoiled the evening for her. No, more likely she thought him to be related to a weathered combat veteran and probably had seen some combat himself. There always remained the possibility that he was the prince as well. Surely both would have the means and the opportunity to practice the art of war as well as the art of the hunt.

His stifled laughter brought her out of her ponderings on what she’d discovered thus far. It was rather gratifying to have her efforts positively reinforced in this manner. He seemed to be having as amusing a time as she was. That was until she mentioned that someone of a royal family had gifted her the evening-wear. Perhaps she had overstepped a boundary, though she was not lying. Nevertheless, she wanted to have her fun without spoiling the time for Lady Julia and either of the families. The man turned as if he was looking for someone momentarily but quickly turned back around. She thought she saw his lips move but heard no words until the next moment. Her head as well as her eyebrow quirked at the inquiry. She wasn’t sure if she’d been found out yet or not but she could answer these questions without being the slightest bit coy. It almost seemed like the look she saw in his eyes now demanded it.

”Well, certainly, with the coming of the war and the much wished for end of it, many people have had to adapt to new lives. I do apologize if I’ve led you to believe that I am something I am not.” She took her own large drink of wine now, finishing the glass before finding another to continue. This was not the topic she thought she’d be discussing at a Mask ball and she surprisingly found that she needed some liquid courage to dig the words up. ”I grew up surrounded by iron, steel, and coal. Also two very tiresome older brothers wanting to play ‘Prince’ and thus requiring a princess.” Her eyes seemed to be staring at something in the distance now as she remembered her childhood fondly. ”I would wander off into the woods hunting for dragons more often than not, poor princes.” She wanted to lighten up the mood now. It felt too heavy and she wanted to steer the discussion away from her humble beginnings towards the mysterious companion. Her reminiscing had revealed far too much about herself.

”Did you ever play ‘Prince’, my lord? Or perhaps you are a Prince and I should be calling you ‘Your Royal Highness’?” She gave a deep bow here, hoping to make up for any ill will she had generated by making him believe that she might exist above her actual station. She felt that this game was arriving at its end, and it had been an enlightening and interesting endeavor even if she hadn’t been able to suss out his own identity. She hoped to leave it as amicable acquaintances.

Her apologizing made him reconsider her status. Maybe not a long lost princess. But then what? Even though she asked him a question, he remained silent for a moment. His deep eyes observing her completely. Her figure, her hair, the color of her eyes. He took it all in. Even her very scent. Who was she? Whose was she? Slibah or Abhainn? Because William had slowly realized that there were still two factions in the ballroom. His eyes scanned the room without his head moving. Trying to see clues and secrets behind the many masks. Who was an enemy, who was a friend? Who supports the marriage and who would see it fall? Who wanted war and who craved peace? The politics of the day hadn’t finished once he put on the mask. They only started.

A sly smile formed over William’s lips. She grew up in between coal and iron? Then she could never be more than him. And nobody listened to the likes of them. William wasn’t a serpent in nature. But his mind was capable. He was his father’s son after all. “Ah, an educated guess. I must admit my defeat.” He said as he took Keir’s hand, made a small bow and kissed the back of it. “Prince William of Abhainn. You won quite honorably, my Lady. As a sore loser I should probably ask after the identity of such a smart woman. However-“ his eyes shifted towards Julianna again. His eyes ignited. His expression, his voice. It all shifted towards a less friendly tone. “Certain duties do call tonight.” He turned back to Keir and his face instantly became a lot friendlier again. “Goodbye, my lady. May we meet again. Soon.” With that he adroitly walked away from the mysterious Lady but also away from Lady Julianna. Now was the time to observe. Will the mysterious lady report his strange activity? Or will she remain silent. The masquerade hadn’t ended yet.

Keir blinked in consternation as Prince William introduced himself to her but this expression would be hard to read with only her lips--which now hung slightly ajar--to give her away. It had been more a jest than a guess. She honestly had not yet come to that conclusion but she suddenly felt very exposed even in the many layers of fabric she wore. Even if he’d been receptive and returned the banter in kind, there was a certain way you were supposed to behave with royalty and her own behavior had been far from it. She then tried and failed to put together some comprehensible sliver of an apology in response but it was too late by the time her mind had sorted itself; the prince had given his farewells as quickly and concisely as his conceding of the game before disappearing back into the crowd.

---

More diplomatic and civilized interactions awaited him. Intricacies and layers upon layers of lies that they wear when talking to each other, establishing fake, shallow, short-lived meaningless connections that are formed at the moment and discarded just as quickly. What a wonderful way to pass time no? That is why he liked the purity of battle. Everyone was their true self amidst the gore and brutality of the battlefield. The last thing they expect is to survive it. Yes, survival, the core that everything revolves around and the thing that shows when faced with imminent death, their true nature. Nothing can beat that sincerity, that purity.

thud thud thud

The noise of the foot soldiers marching in at a stop before the enemy armies. The 2 kingdoms meet again in battle at one of their many fronts. Jack rode his horse to the middle, the enemy general doing the same. A short silence endued before the general began talking.
"What do you want?"
That question may seem out of place without the proper context. The Slibah army had gained ground on previous Abhain territory, sending many raiders to loot, kill and destroy the nearby villages. The Abhainian scouts had reported that among all the corpses and rubble, no children were found. They were assumed to have been taken prisoner though the hopes for their survival weren't high. But now, as the 2 armies stood in front of each other, one showing its soldiers at the front, the other displaying crying children, kneeled before the front line soldiers, a hand grabbing their heads with a knife in front of their throats. The general had come to negotiate.
Jack had only one word to say to that.
"Nothing."- and he raised his hand, the signal for executing the order, executing the children.
One after the other they all dropped, all 730 of them. At first there was shock, the general was stunned seeing all those young bodies drop before him, the future of the country that he had sworn to protect, then was anger as he drew his sword and attacked the King who parried the blow. The battle had commenced as both armies dove in for the attack. There were loses, sure, but the end result was a victory for Slibah. Several battalions of cavalry aided them from their southern front, believed to have retreated after their most recent loss.

thud thud thud

Slowly he opened his eyes. He always fell in a deep slumber after a fresh kill, something about the act made him more calm. Getting up from the bed he opened the door.
"Father, apologies for disturbing you but the ball is halfway through."
He looked straight at his operative but not him. He was looking at the space between them, still caught up on that memory.
"Call for a maid."- the soldier took off as soon as the sentence was finished.
Jack opened his closet and ruffled through many wears then he looked to a basket , his blood stained clothes still hanging there. The shirt would make a nice piece, the arms still covered in splatters of dried blood. The maid entered in just as Jack was looking at his bloody shirt, now in his hands.
"I..I'm so sorry my king. I would have cleaned it earlier but I didn't want to distur-"
"Shhhhhhhh"-he said as he put his index finger over the girl's lips, still looking at his bloody shirt-"It is just... perfect."

Looking at the mirror, he saw his outfit. The dark red color danced flawlessly with the dark marks as did the dried blood over his black shirt. If you saw this in a masquerade ball for the first time you wouldn't think twice of it being blood but just a part of the design. Now that he was all set and ready, he headed for the ball, hopefully it was over already. And with those thoughts he entered the ball room, false hopes were thrown in the gutter as he carried on. The sounds and voices turned down a notch as an instrument momentarily went out of sync. All eyes were on him, the brute murderer, the criminal that invaded their homes. The displeasure could be seen on their face, even beneath the masks. Displeasure at this foreign enemy, now dining with them, displeasure at their king, for opening the doors and letting the wolf in. They all knew of the atrocities he had committed in battle, the savage way that he fought which had earned him the name of Black Jack as the dried blood, coming from all his defeated victims took the shade of a dark red and formed a second layer around his skin. As he looked at all those faces, talking and whispering to each other he had the feeling he forgot something. Yes, the mask. That was what the ball was about, masking yourself even more than you usually do. Looking around he also noticed that his wife wasn't wearing a mask either. He doubted it was because she had forgotten.

Not soon after a noble approached him, leaving his group of friends. Attention seeker? A challenge to see if he could go a minute without being beaten to death? He was thin, wearing a green mask and a dark green half-coat.
"A pleasure to finally meet you your highness."
"Yes it is."
The man was caught a little off guard by that abrupt response but then continued.
"You are quite the topic among the people. Your actions in battle as well as the most recent ones have made you infamous."
"Glad to hear it."-he responded as he finished another glass and was halfway filling another one all the while walking, taking the noble along with him. Looking around he spotted multiple groups. He noticed, aside from his wife, the other king, his sister, basically anyone whom he had seen before. If you already recognized a face, the hair, the shape, you couldn't not recognize them. 2 other groups of people he didn't know also caught his attention. A group of 3 men, chatting loudly where one of them was constantly eyeing Jack, a hate in his gaze when he suddenly burst into laughter enticed by the other men. And then there were the 4 young ladies some distance away in the corner, all eyeing Jack but one who was looking at the trio of men. Then she turned to Jack a smile painting her lips before turning to her friends. Not soon after they were all giggling. Jack stopped in his tracks and looked at his now human tail.

"Be of some use and tell me the name of that lovely blonde lady right in front of us."- as he said so the man looked at where the king was looking and with a smirk on his face he responded:"That is Lady Kate. She is known for her beauty, as you can see, and for her support for the poor. She is loved by the people but I suppose that is negated by her other half, her husband."- he told Jack while nodding to the trio of men from before-"The one in the middle, Lord Baringstan."-he quickly added. Curious, so both husband and wife were eyeing him. His hopes for a threesome weren't that high, well on the husband's side of course.
"What can you tell me of him."
"For one he completely hates you."
"Nothing out of the ordinary.."
"But he has more reason than others to do so. Other nobles despise you based on what they have heard of you, your deeds in the battlefield and the countless losses to their troops and money. It's more about the money really. But Lord Baringstan sent his 3 sons to the battlefield. His only 3 sons, one of which you impaled with your spear and waved him in the sky like a flag, or so they say. Now he has no heirs to his house, all because of you."
As the noble was talking, Lord Baringstan had just downed his fourth cup, slamming it in the table, all the while looking at Jack while only giving quick glances to his friends. On the other side, his wife, was still stealing glances at Jack amidst chattering and giggling.
Well, he had no more use of this guy as he didn't plan on socializing with anyone in this room. At most the peace treaty was temporary. Just to buy enough time for him to fully reform the army, strengthen his ties with the outside kingdoms and bring a few thousand payed mercenaries from overseas. Not even knowing his name he had to lose him somehow. Finishing his third cup he dropped it and didn't even look at it while it rolled away.
"Pick up that cup for me."
The noble waited a second before going after the cup and just as he was about to reach it, it hot kicked away by another Lord. With a sigh he followed it again, bent his body and picked it up. Turning around he saw that Jack was already gone. A loud laughter was heard from a group of 5 people, lords and ladies, the group he initially left to talk to Jack. Now sweating with anger and shame he let the cup fall from his hand and retreated outside for some fresh air.

It took but a second of scouting the ball to find his wife. The one without mask. Approaching her he started:"Seen anything of interest? Or if you'd like, I can make it interesting. We wouldn't want you to get bored now would we?"
Rhoslyn was like the clean up crew after a mess, his mess. She was usually the one to apologize, be polite, play the social games... decent human interaction with hopes of calming the fires after the tornado had passed. Fires which, in Jack's eye were burning matches. Burn small, burn quickly, of no consequence. It was actually amusing, seeing her put a facade, faking sorrow and apology before others. How annoyed she looked..

---

It was a blessing that Antoine excused himself then. How awkward it would be for Maddox's future nephew to witness him rekindling a relationship with a past lover. It certainly wasn't something he wanted Julianna hearing of from anyone.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Antoine," the king replied, inclining his head subtly. Maddox had just begun to turn towards Lissa when Antoine caught his attention once more. He gave a slight nod. "Of course. I hope that you and I can be quite frank about these matters with each other. It is a good thing to be able to trust family."

It was as Antoine moved away that he looked back towards Lissa and couldn't help but make a slight face in passing. Perhaps they would be able to trust each other about most things at least. He met her gaze for a moment as she took a step closer. As her eyes brushed along his form, he too took the opportunity to take all of her in. He had missed this.

"Hello, Lissa," he returned softly. Maddox moved his hand slightly, yearning to take her hand in his, but he clenched his fist and brought it back to his side. "Do I?" He gave a soft laugh. "Does it show that much?" Maddox looked back to her again in response to her lilting tone.

"It has been such a long time," he breathed. How he wanted to take her hand and run off with her like they were teenagers again and had no obligations. But then she mentioned Julianna and his smile faltered. His lips pursed, but he kept a steady gaze ahead as he watched Julianna move through the crowd.

"Yes, she...she is." And she was. He felt a pang of disappointment in himself, for she certainly seemed to be a good woman. But he could feel his emotions for Lissa bubbling up. Maddox let his hand reach for her hand, pulling it towards him in what he hoped could be taken as a respectful gesture. "So are you."

The achingly familiar touch of a hand dragged Lissa out of her frantic thoughts, and, automatically, her fingers loosened to mold into his grasp. Her eyes, for a second, rested on his lips - an action out of habit, she told herself as she forced her gaze up to meet his. She yearned to just melt into him so that they could dance under the stars forevermore, or run away to somewhere there wasn't prying eyes watching or beautiful princesses stealing Maddox away from her. Instead, she let out a deep sigh and gently withdrew her hand. She knew better than to believe in fairytales.

"You're too kind, your majesty." Her sentence stopped abruptly, her lips left slightly parted as if she wished to say more. She did not, however, and allowed a brief silence to shroud the pair of them. Then, speaking suddenly as if she wanted to get the words out before she changed her mind, Lissa's mouth worked frantically.

"You know, I'm -... well....I -" she hesitated, taking a second to figure out how she would put what she intended to express into words, before blushing daintily and continuing.

"I'm sorry, Madds. I'm sorry for being so frivolous and reckless and stupid. I'm sorry that I had to leave to some foreign kingdom and, most of all, I - I'm sorry for not saying goodbye." Biting her lip, she kept on talking, one part of her mind sighing with relief at the feeling of finally being able to express herself, while another was screaming at her to shut up.

"I wish things were how they used to be, you know? I really do. But I suppose they can't. Of course they can't...can they?"

The question that trailed off at the end of her spiel held a note of vulnerable hopefulness that she could only cringe at. She knew with upmost certainty that things would never be the same, and with that certainty came the shame of her outburst as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

Within a second, however, she was smoothing down her skirts and straightening up again - all signs of vulnerability vanished. For the first time in what seemed like months she welcomed the familiar coldness of her court stature in, and lifted her head once more to address the King with that soft voice paired with a rare, mixed accent that she possessed.

"On the other hand, I must congratulate you on your engagement. It must be truly wonderful to be able to unite our kingdoms like this."

He probably thought she was deranged by now with her ever-changing manner of speaking, but it was merely her way of struggling to gain control of herself. She wasn't used to being this flustered - she had never felt this way around her husband (or any other man, for that matter). The one thing she yearned for now was to just dance like she used to - it would free her mind from the confusion, her heart from the ache, and her fingers from trembling as they were now. She had made a vow to herself, however. Lissa would not dance so carelessly any more. It was improper.

To feel her hand is his once more was a sensation he hadn't thought he would experience again. Their eyes locked in a moment of intimacy, and he could swear it felt just like it had in the years before she had gotten married and moved away. Maddox felt the urge to pull her in or to pull her after him as they raced away from the ball, seeking the company only of each other.

But then she pulled her hand away, and the moment dried up and died before he could process it all. "Lissa..." he started, trailing off as she spoke suddenly and abruptly. Maddox waited, hoping she might finish her statement, but there was a silence that descended over them, masking what had been such a tender moment for a few heartbeats.

Her emotions spilled over all at once, and he found himself taking a small step backwards as if to compensate for the sheer power of her panicked apologies. The moment was shattering, he was thrown once more into the present, to the horrid realization that the only reason they were here was to celebrate him marrying some foreigner against his will because some damn treaty said he had to.

”Lissa...stop,” he started to say, his voice registering much quieter than he had hoped. Maddox cleared his throat gently, as if generating a new wave of gusto or motivation to speak up. "We can...we can have what we once had. What I had for you...that isn’t dead, Lissa.” Maddox struggled to salvage the moment, floundering slightly as he struggled to find a response.

But whatever transpired for Lissa in those few moments was enough to revert her to someone he had never known. She was no longer an anxious young girl, and instead, he saw her as the woman who had returned from so many years in Sliabh. She was cold, and he hated it greatly.

"Thank you, my Lady," he replied, his voice becoming one of a true royal now, losing its familiarity far too quickly for his tastes. Why did it have to end like this? "I hope the union will be prosperous for both kingdoms." Maddox's focus was broken by Alice's approach, and he turned suddenly to look her way, catching her gaze as she curtsied to him, flashing the way her dress cut almost too low to be considered proper. Blood rushed to his face instinctively, and he returned her gesture with a slight inclination of his head.

"You are far too kind, my Lady." He beamed back at her, his smile only broadening as she winked his way. She was his close companion, a friend he had been able to count on for years - especially in Lissa's absence. And yet he found himself blushing like a boy at her. Perhaps it was the wine - his head was still spinning gently, and his encounter with Lissa had not made that any easier.

His retreat from the passion he had spoken with hurt her more than it should have - and she found that every cold word spoken was as if a dagger had pierced her heart. Lissa was not surprised, however, at his withdrawal. It was necessary, wasn't it? Anything else would be stupid.

She let her gaze fall to the floor. "Yes. As do I."

Lissa was just turning to leave when a voice, infuriatingly familiar, made itself known to their left. The audacity. It took every ounce of Amaryliss' willpower to stop her lip from curling in disgust at the woman - despising the fact that she was outshining Lissa in every aspect possible. Her dress, her mask, her hair, and even the way she held herself was superior to Amaryliss and it was maddening. Her irritation was magnified as Lady Alice swept into a graceful curtesy and adopted a tone dropping with silken seduction.

Lissa didn't even bother to return the empty smile to Alice, for fear that her face may split in two. Instead, she accepted the malicious sweep of the Lady's sharp gaze with her usual look of superior contempt. Her jaw clenched momentarily at the flirtatious glances she insisted on shooting the King and moreso his reaction to them, yet that was the only signal of annoyance she dared to display. There was no way hat she would allow this harlot to be alone with Maddox, so all previous thoughts of a hasty escape vanished.

"Yes. You did seem rather...flustered upon our last encounter, Lady Alice. It's rather flattering that my presence could have such an effect on you." As she spoke, Lissa didn't bother to even meet the dame's eye, her gaze fixed on Maddox, until the end of her original statement. She then continued, with a complacent tone and a burning stare, to answer Alice's question. "Nevertheless, I feel as at home as I did back when we were young. Abhainn will always be where I belong - nothing could change that."

---

---

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If there was one thing that Alice would remember about Amaryllis, it would be the way she reacts when she's put in a situation that angers or annoys her. The way that she didn't return the fake smile, the explicit poker face that she maintained even after Alice implied rude gestures and passive-aggressive remarks. In this unpredictable interaction, with one that she held a strong love for, and the other, the opposite: a boiling hatred that stems from a held grudge, Alice seemed to be more focused on the apparent rivalry. Alice took pride in the way she looked for the evening, even if it seemed over-the-top with her laced, revealing gown, and her glimmering jewelry to match, attempting to take every moment and every situation to outshine her enemy.

Alice stood much closer to King Maddox than Amaryllis, from trying to show to Amaryllis that she was, in fact, growing more fond of the King than she was due to her absence, and from not wanting to lash out and attack Amaryllis savagely if things got out of hand. Alice has never been the type to deal with her anger well, becoming defensive and brutish if things were taken too far for her liking. Nevertheless, it was clear that Alice was taking enjoyment in the situation in which she made an attempt at seducing the King for a little more than a 'tasteful' moment, for annoying an old enemy, and for interrupting a relationship that Alice deniably thought could rekindle.

Alice gave a fake laugh at her comment, maintaining a perfectly, fake smile to match. "Oh, but if you're promised a life with riches and anything you wish for, you'll be gone in a heartbeat again, I'm sure." Alice gave a sly wink with the teasing remark as her gaze was locked onto her eyes, showing that she did not fear her cold stare, nor her presence, this time.

Alice fixed her posture and flicked her falling, barrel curls out from her face, moving into Amaryllis at an attempt to grab her hand,"I heard about your late husband, Lissa. I do hope his riches went to his dearly, beloved, widowed wife -- unless that is why you came back after disappearing for so long." Alice shot her a look of pity, though the comment was obviously insincere due to the conflict that she was continuing to stir up. The mention of her nickname that Alice used to call her all the time showed the pity she had for her, and was meant to prove to her that Alice thought lowly of her, as if she was only but a girl that Alice once befriended.

Maddox finally let his gaze make its way back to Lissa, for he could begin to feel a sort of tension in the air. Quickly, however, he lost any perception of it, for he was quickly distracted by the discussion the two women began to engage in. There was an edge in each word, he wasn't stupid enough to miss those obvious signs. But such speech was quite common in the royal court, and so he thought very little of it at all.

His gaze locked with Lissa's for a moment, and Maddox felt the shadow of a smile prick at his lips for a moment as though he were trying to reassure her or offer some comfort. Both women meant much to him. Lissa had been one of the first women he had had relations with and the only he managed to have lingering affections for, and Alice had been a close companion and confidante before and after Lissa had left for Sliabh. And hadn't the two of them known each other before then? Certainly they were close due to fact that they were two similarly aged women in the court.

Maddox's attention was drawn back to Alice once more as she responded to the other lady. He hadn't noticed how close the two had physically become in that moment - nor had he picked up on the fact that he had physically distanced himself from Amaryllis relative to Alice.

He felt heat around his ears as Alice made her snide remark on Lissa's seemingly fleeting loyalties. A strong feeling in his gut told him he had no place in the discussion and that he ought to flee promptly, and yet where would he have gone? And what good would it do to let the two of them fight each other on a night that had already been almost overshadowed by the afternoon's bloodshed?

Maddox quickly picked up where Alice had left off, virtually blurting out a response as he hurried to fill the silence, lest one of the women fill it instead.

"I was grieved to hear of your husband's passing, Lady Amaryllis," he stated bluntly. And then there was that silence again. "And you...you know Abhainn welcomes you back with open arms." Maddox gave a quick swallow, his throat bobbing as he looked between the two women.

His gaze lifted for a moment, skirting the ballroom for some escape - his brother, a nobleman, but he managed to spot the dress and mask he had had sent to Julianna's chambers. But the woman who wore them most certainly was not his betrothed, bringing a slight frown to his face. He hardly knew Julianna well enough to pick her out of a crowd this size.