Mina had merely smirked to herself as she’d walked away from the Alidasht prince, quite pleased with how that interaction had turned out. She now had to focus on the task at hand as she made her way to the front of the ballroom, curious as to who her dance partner would be this year. She’d danced with all sorts of people over the years and felt as if she were prepared for anything. Truly anyone would be better than the older count she’d once danced with that tried to continuously be handsy with her. She’d merely kept readjusting his hands the entire dance while still staying pleasant. Thankfully she wasn’t going to have to deal with that man again this year as she found herself in front of Lord Hendrix, someone she had yet to formally meet yet knew of. ”Lord Hendrix, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I am Lady Mina Blackwood. It seems we are to be dance partners, is that correct?” She said with a smile as she curtsied to him.

Ryn reflexively returned the smile and curtsy with a smile and bow of his own to Lady Blackwood. He showed his paper to her and checked her number. Despite King Edin’s questionable decisions concerning other matters, Ryn approved of this type of ice breakers. What a terrific way of potentially expanding one’s social circles without the burden of thinking about how to initiate a conversation. “It seems you are indeed correct.” Ryn took the paper from Lady Blackwood’s hand and stuffed both of their papers into his outer pocket. He could have just thrown the paper onto the ground like the others, it may have even been customary to do so. Ryn, however, couldn’t stand the idea of littering the place knowing full well that someone else would have to clean up after him. Sure, one could argue that it was the servant’s job and that two pieces of paper would not make a whole lot of difference to them, but what did people gain from intentionally making other people’s jobs harder? Their time and energy were better spent elsewhere.

“The pleasure is entirely mine, Lady Blackwood,” the count offered his hand to escort her to a suitable space on the dancefloor, “How does Kolonivka fare? I hope all is well.” Once they were facing each other, the man held his left arm upward and extended his right arm forward, welcoming Lady Blackwood to step closer. He placed his right hand on her left shoulder blade once she lifted her arm. “I am glad to see that Count Blackwood is in good health today.”

Mina took note of Ryn sticking the papers in his pocket instead of tossing them on the ground like so many others did. It was a slightly curious act, but Mina felt as if it spoke volumes to the type of person he was. She made no comment on it, however, and simply took his hand when it had been offered. ”All is quite well for us currently. We had quite the bountiful harvest season last year which helped us make it through the winter quite nicely.” She said with a smile as she stepped in closer, taking up her position for the dance. She followed his lead, easily falling into the steps of the waltz.

”I am quite glad my Uncle made it as well. I did force him to rest up the entire afternoon after we arrived as I thought it incredibly important he attended this event this evening.” She said with a small laugh as she briefly glanced over to her uncle who was actually participating in the dance as well. It seemed he’d actually gotten paired with Duchess Alice Smithwood and she briefly wondered how that was going. Her attention was quickly back to Ryn, however, as it was rude not to give her partner her full attention. ”How is your business fairing? I have heard nothing but praise about your family and your trading company.”

“Why, thank you! I couldn’t possibly take all the credit, though. I mean, here I am dancing with a gorgeous woman, eating delicacies, and meeting such wonderful people while everyone back home is battling mounds of paperwork and shipments.” Ryn clicked his tongue, “Suddenly I feel guilty for being here… Perhaps I should host a party like this one when I go back so that they don’t feel like they were left out. Maybe even invite some of the people I meet here? Would you like to join? If you don’t mind the presence of commoners, that is.” Ryn stared at Lady Blackwood for a beat before gasping. “Oh! Dar—sorry, no, excuse me. That’s not at all what you asked is it? Business is doing quite well. In fact, we are considering officially expanding outside of the Three Kingdoms. Have you ever traveled overseas, Lady Blackwood?”

Mina let out a small giggle. ”Lord Hendrix, you are by far the sweetest man I’ve met tonight and you flatter me.” His upbeat nature had her positively grinning. Truly it was rather refreshing if she were being honest. ”I would be delighted to join. The presence of commoners won’t be a problem in the slightest. They deserve just as much respect as either you or I and they, too, deserve to have a grand night like this. They are the backbone of our kingdoms, after all.” It was nice to find someone who seemed to view commoners in a positive light as there were so many nobles who looked down on them. She supposed it did make sense as his family did come from humble beginnings.

He then went on to apologize as he hadn’t exactly answered her question. ”Please, no need to apologize!” She shook her head, smile still in place. ”I’m glad business is going so well! That expansion will be a huge accomplishment. I commend you and your family for all your hard work. As for your question, sadly I have not.” The last part she said with a sigh. ”The only overseas travel I’ve experienced is through the books I read. I would love to travel some day, but I’m currently too preoccupied with caring for my uncle and making sure the people of Kolonivka are cared for.”

Ryn’s eyes softened, “Such is the fate of an admirable leader. Kolonivka is truly blessed to have you as their future countess. Do make sure you give yourself some time for yourself, though, Lady Blackwood. I’m sure you don’t need me to state the obvious, but just as you care about your uncle and people’s wellbeing, so do they care about you.” Carefully Ryn raised the hand that held Lady Blackwood’s hand so that she could do an underarm turn. When she came back, he continued, “You should definitely travel overseas if you get the chance. It can be such an eye-opening experience! As informative as books and pictures can be, they don’t always do the place, or its inhabitants, justice. Even the best of them can leave details out that could completely change what you believed for so long.” The count’s voice dropped to a near whisper as his smile faded slightly, “You can’t always believe what’s written down in books or depicted on paintings.” Ryn’s jovial expression returned quickly, however, “Not that I dislike books or art, mind you. I’m actually quite fond of them. Excellent way to travel to far-off worlds when you don’t have the time or means to do so.”

”History is written by the victors, rarely is what we read in books or see in paintings are the truth.” Mina stated softly with a small sigh, her face falling a little as she thought of her mother. She was painted as a harlot and ostracized for it, but speaking with her uncle it seemed that may not entirely be the case. She met Ryn’s eyes once again and found herself smiling at him again. ”You are a wise and kind man, Lord Hendrix. Perhaps I should take some time to myself and attempt to travel. I would love to see the different wonders of the world and attempt to paint them.” She sighed once again, though. ”Unfortunately, though, many look down on a woman traveling alone. I know my uncle would worry about my safety as well. He would urge me to find someone to travel with.” She gave a small laugh at the end of her statement.

When Ryn saw Lady Blackwood’s countenance as she made her comment about history being written by victors, he belatedly realized that he accidentally struck a nerve. The power of stories, true or false, knew no bounds. They had the ability to spread like wildfire, twist reality as people knew it, and drastically alter lives, for better or worse. Rumors were no exception. Solely through word-of-mouth, Lady Selina Blackwood’s scandalous reputation spread down south. Every community farther away from Kolonivka added a bit more to it, transforming the story behind Lady Mina Blackwood’s birth into something more nefarious, to the point where even tavern bards sang fantastical songs about it. The crudest variation Ryn heard was that both Selina and Sebastian Blackwood were practitioners of the dark arts and as a part of a magical ritual they conceived Mina. Astonishing how people could conjure up so much from so little.

Thankfully, Lady Blackwood changed the subject back to traveling.

“I can see why your uncle would be worried, it can be dangerous traveling alone… but if that’s the only thing preventing you from traveling, why not use Crosswinds Trading? I’m sure my family would be ecstatic to serve as your guide, and I would gladly accompany you if you would have me.” The invitation flew out of his mouth before Ryn had time to consider what he was going to say. If he had, he would’ve known how much it wasn’t a good idea. There was nothing to assure Ryn’s fate in Caesonia, thus he was in no position to make promises he couldn’t keep. “Then again, I suppose having a man you barely know accompany you on your travels is exactly what Count Blackwood is trying to avoid.” Ryn turned his head to the side to look at the people gathered in the ballroom, “Perhaps… you can invite a number of your friends along? Oh yes, that should be fun! A trip overseas with your friends and paint set, a short break from… all of this.”

Mina let out a small giggle, but found herself nodding. ”Honestly that’s a really good idea. I think my uncle may be more comfortable with me traveling with you since your family has such a high reputation.” She knew that her uncle was quite impressed with the Hendrix family and their success, she had little doubt he'd be opposed to her traveling with Ryn, but she couldn't completely speak for him. ”Besides I couldn’t travel till after this season ended so it would give us plenty of time to become acquainted with each other and him acquainted with you.” At the mention of friends her smile faltered only a tiny bit, but was right back to where it was. ”That could be a fun trip, yes, but first I’d have to find true friends to do that with.” She laughed. ”Where would you suggest I travel first? As I’ve mentioned, I love to paint and read. I also love places that have wonderful desserts to try.”

“One of the most charming ladies of Kolonivka with no true friends? No, it simply cannot be. What hopes do I have to make friends if you don’t have any? This will not do. We must rectify this while we’re here. We will have so many friends by the end of the season, that we’ll need two ships to accommodate everyone for the trip!” He was exaggerating, of course, but he did find it surprising that Lady Blackwood had no one to call a true friend. Was it because of the rumors surrounding her and her family? Or perhaps she simply was not the type to make close friends.

“As for where you should travel first… Hmm. That might be a harder question than you realize, Lady Blackwood. It’s the equivalent of narrowing down a book recommendation. There are just so many options! And they are all wonderful in their own right. It really depends on what mood you’re in. For example, Nexeio might seem like a boring place to go at first. It’s a windy place with nothing but vast plains as far as the eye can see. What people who give up early don’t realize is that almost everything there changes with the wind. The denizens are nomadic. Their lives revolve around the winds. Settlements do exist, but they’re rarely permanent like they are in the Three Kingdoms. Truely, a cartographer’s worst nightmare. But if you do manage to find a settlement, you’ll notice them from miles away. If not from the brightly colored ribbons and kites the Nexeians love so much, then from the sound of wind chimes.” Ryn’s eyes lit up with excitement, “Did you know they know how to ‘fly’? Not literally, of course, but they have very clever methods of gliding through the skies and hovering midair as if they did have wings. Imagine what you’d be able to draw from up above!” He paused. “Actually, you’d probably just get a better view of how expansive the plains really are, but I digress. If you like sweets then I believe they have plenty of interesting ones to try out. Many of them are very light and fluffy. There’s one that even looks like a cloud. It melts away the second it hits your tongue. Speaking of melting, there’s this other place called…”

During the remainder of the dance, Ryn tried to list as many places in the world Lady Blackwood could travel to in the allotted time. He talked about the land that was left in perpetual dusk as if both the morning sun and evening moon forgot of its existence. Candied rose petals were the most popular treats there. The city of fog and shadows, where the haze never dissipated, and everything outside only looked like shadows. Unable to do much outdoors, the city’s inhabitants take great pride in their interior decorating. A megalopolis that was carved into an expansive mountain range and was blessed with an overabundance of precious stones and metals. There are luminous crystals in their caves that “sang” when struck. The Forest of Many Wonders, a place brimming so much with life and chaos that the word improbable held no meaning. Legend has it that treatment to any ailment could be found within the forest, given that its seeker was willing to risk life and limb for it. The beautiful islands in the far east that were located in the most dangerous waters on Eromora, and home to warriors who were fabled to be so skilled in water maneuvering that a well-coordinated group could easily take down a Kraken with nothing but harpoons and fishnets. The fruits grown on these islands were the sweetest things Ryn ever had. He was even able to squeeze in a bit about the tribe that revered pudding above all else. Ryn would have continued if given the chance. He loved to watch the wonderment on people’s faces when he told them about these places that seemed too foreign to be real.

Mina listened to his recommendations with genuine interest, finding all of them to be fascinating places. She hadn't commented on his disbelief of her not having friends simply because she wasn't sure how to explain it. It really boiled down to her not putting in enough effort to make more than acquaintances. She rarely approached others to converse with them unless she absolutely had to or if they approached her first. She'd never really realized how unusual it was for a girl like her to not have any friends. Well she couldn't say she didn't have ANY friends. She did have Dr. John who she would consider to be her closest and possibly only friend. Perhaps it was time to change that.

The music came to an end and there was a genuine smile on her face as she curtsied to Ryn. ”I must thank you for this wonderful dance and all the wonderful suggestions, Lord Hendrix. You truly have convinced me to want to travel as well as made me realize that perhaps this should be the season that I become better acquainted with others."

“You flatter me, but I fear I was just prattling at the end. Thank you for listening to me. I do hope it was, at the very least, entertaining to some extent.” The count turned his attention to the people in gold and added, “If I may make one more suggestion, Lady Blackwood. Alidasht is also a fine place to travel. Relatively close too. And unlike the other places I suggested, we’re fortunate to have natives of Alidasht to speak for themselves. I would think they would be thrilled to tell you more about their home if you ask them.” Ryn bowed, “May you have a delightful evening, Lady Blackwood.”

She got ready to turn and leave, but then paused. ”Don't let my lack of friends discourage you, my lord. You shall easily make friends with how charming you are. My lack of friends is due to a lack of effort on my part, but I do hope to fix that. With that being said, I do hope that you and I can become better acquainted over the season here." Mina gave him one last smile before she left to go find herself a little something to eat.

Ryn stood silently while he watched Lady Blackwood make her way to the tables. True friends. Though he had verbally encouraged her to try to make some, Ryn also knew all too well that friends were a double-edged sword. They can be a great source of happiness in the best of times and the strongest moral support in the worst. That was why their betrayals cut deeper than what any enemy could inflict.

---

Roman watched violet leave, lingering on the balcony looking over towards where she said her family was. His thoughts wandered as he looked from Violet and over to her father, he needed to know more about her family he needed to talk to her again tonight maybe for the second dance. These dances, although troublesome in their own right, was something he guessed he missed. getting lost in his work too much these last few years made him forget about the dates.

Finding himself watching all those in the ballroom while he lurked in the back for a moment, he almost didn't notice the maid carrying the bowl of numbers up to him; he took one and thanked her. The man didn't know why she hurried off a bit quicker than she arrived but he figured it was due to his size. It wasn't often but occasionally others would stare and whisper things about barbarian or wanting to climb that mountain. He had been mountain climbing before and did not think the lady’s that spoke such things could handle it.

Glancing at the note again Roman began heading towards the line of male dancers waiting for their partners and paused seeing a familiar face. The two servants he had helped earlier stood hidden amongst the drapes and shadows of a pillar. He stopped and looked at the two who did not meet his gaze and stepped up to them. He could have sworn one of them was shaking as he stepped up to them.

As stoic as ever he was quiet while he stood before them for a moment, “My name is lord Roman Ravenwood, it seems I will be staying here for the summer. Please inform whomever is responsible for you two that I am requesting the two of you to assist me and only me. let them know that you will require extra rations, i will pay for it of course and you may find that you learn something from it. I expect to see the two of you in the morning.”

Stepping away from the duo and back towards where the dance pairing was being held. He was just as sure as to who his partner was as he was sure of what those young men were thinking when he left them, which was no idea at all.

It was only after a considerable time waiting that her number was finally called. Mayet, whom was already getting visibly annoyed and tired of waiting, moved to the front of the room with a confident stride and, as always, closely accompanied by Nala.

Much to her surprise, the man who approached her was... 'unique' to say the least. A single look was all it took for Mayet to realize that the mountain of a man who approached her definitely wasn't meant to be among nobles. It wasn't only his size that make him stood out among the other nobles, but his muscular physique made that fact even clearer.

What did make Mayet curious though was how was that huge man able to hide himself for her to not have noticed him when she entered the ballroom. Someone like him would certainly draw her attention, given how much he stood out from most other nobles. Either he had quite the talent in hiding himself despite his size or he wasn't one to socialize with the other nobles that much. Regardless, Mayet was undeniably curious about the man that approached her.

"Shehzadi Mayet Kadir. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mayet said, greeting the man with a very slight and brief bow as she looked at him with a curious stare, studying his posture as he approached her.

"Don’t be afraid to approach us. Neither one of us will bite, unless provoked, of course.." she said with an amused chuckle.

When it was his turn to step forward to meet his dance partner he couldn't help but show a slight smile. the girl with the tiger, his eyes scanned over her for a moment as they stepped up to meet each other. tone muscles, a fierce gaze, confidence you only see in the most skilled knights and royalty, an exotic beauty that these royals are not prepared for. every step she took held its own grace and power, a fighter if he ever saw one, the headdress she wore like a crown facilitating her likeness to the tiger walking next to her.

Roman did not hesitate and walked with his own stoic confidence almost like two prize fighters entering a ring, where she was a predator he was a mountain, two spirits of fire. “Lord Roman Ravenwood, A pleasure to meet you as well.” the smirk he held faded for a moment with his own bow towards her.

“I've held the gaze of a predator before.” his rather deep voice matching his stature spoke nothing but truth, “and that of a tigress.” stepping respectfully up to her and offering his large hand to her. “A gorgeous specimen, large animals are not strange to me. I do believe my uncle still has his old brown bear with him back home.”

Mayet couldn't help but let out a satisfied smirk as Roman said that he was no strange to predators. His confidence as he walked towards her and Nala only further reaffirming that fact.

"A man who is no strange to the gaze of a predator... Interesting." Mayet said with a curious expression, watching as Roman offered her his hand.

"There are only three types of person who normally say such things. Those who respect them, those who have learned to fear them and those who have very short lives." Mayet said with a chuckle.

"Unlike most of these nobles, you know how to appreciate the deadly beauty of a predator, don't you?" Mayet asked, looking to Roman with an intrigued expression as she gently patted Nala, making it impossible if she was talking about the tigress or herself.

"That makes me curious though... Have you ever danced with one?" Mayet asked with a chuckle and a mischievous smirk, teasing Roman as she gently put her hands over his, which were easily twice the size of hers. At that moment, Mayet couldn't help but find the size difference between them rather amusing.

“I live far to the north at Emberstone stronghold. These southern provinces are rather tame compared to my home. The comparison does remind me of Alidasht, I have always found your land to hold that untamed beauty of Wildlands.” Roman guided the two of them down to the dance floor and took up his position to begin the dance.

“You must always respect those who are meant for the hunt and never underestimate them.” he continued to speak with a smile. Although being rather large and what one might expect to be clumsy, Roman danced quite well even with a partner that bearly stood up to his chest.

“I believe my favorite part about Alidasht is either the sea’s of sand or thick jungle forests. Our homes are similar, just opposite temperatures.” he did have fond memories of his time in their kingdom even if it was short.

Mayet heard with curiosity as Roman spoke about the territory he lived in, including the comparison he made with Alidasht, which made her undoubtedly interested.

"I would have found strange if you told me you live here like the rest of the nobles. The place of a wolf isn't among the sheep... With that said, it is curious that you are the second wolf I have met on this ball today..." she said with an amused expression.

"Or maybe I should say a bear? It would fit you way more than a wolf, wouldn't it?" Mayet said, raising an eyebrow as she looked to Roman with a chuckle and a teasing smirk.

"The northern territories of Emberstone do seem exactly like the place someone like me would enjoy." Mayet said as she followed Roman.

"The cold might be a challenge at first... But I'm sure if I ever go there, I will find something to keep me warm... Be it hunting or sparring." Mayet said with a smile.

As soon as the dance began, Mayet couldn't help but give a small smile as she realized that Roman danced with a surprising grace, despite both his size and being someone who seemed to be more suited to fighting.

"Normally I would never let anyone lead me, but this time, I'll allow it, since I'm not familiar with the Caesonian dances... Besides..." Mayet said as she followed Roman's lead, looking at him with a surprised expression.

"You move with a surprising grace for someone your size! I am impressed! Although... There is something you could improve..." Mayet said with a mischievous expression as she suddenly got closer to Roman, tightening her grasp around him.

"You should try getting a bit closer. Don't treat me like a precious little thing that might break should you mishandle it." she said with a provocative smirk, carefully watching Roman's reactions.

The smile on his face couldn't help but grow. This one definitely knew how to talk her way into trouble with the way she pulled herself closer to him and caught him off guard. Did not surprise him though. "I am proficient in many weapons and fighting styles. Dance fighting is one of my favorites."

With that Roman tightened his own grip around her waist taking her up to his full height for two steps with ease then returned her to the floor still tight to him. A thought flickered through his mind that she may think he was being childish showing off his strength but he doubted it. "I am a fighter but not a knight or soldier. My strength is due to my work as a master smith. That was actually the reason I was in Alidasht four years ago. And I would never think of you a porcelain doll especially with your physique."

" All Ravenwood's are craftsmen to some degree. Very few get to the title of master with armor, weapon, and jewelry smithing like I did. If you look closely at many of the high nobles, the kings and queens, you will find the ravenwood crest on their jewelry, weapons, and armor." His voice remained deep and stoic, he obviously took pride in his work and family. "For us, in order to make a weapon or armor we must be able to use it in the first place."

Mayet's reaction to Roman tightening his grip around her, picking her up for a few seconds wasn't one of embarrassment, but instead one of surprise and amusement. Few were those who had the courage of being this bold with her. After all, there was a very fine line between something that would amuse or impress Mayet and something that would offend her. Fortunately for Roman though, it didn't seem like she was offended by his little show of strength.

"You indeed weren't lying when you said you had already held the gaze of a predator before, were you?" Mayet asked, looking at Roman with an amused smirk and a chuckle as he put her down again.

"I would advise you to be careful though... Most predators are extremely competitive and most of them would recognize such a show of strength as a direct challenge..." Mayet said, looking deep within Roman's eyes with a piercing, dangerous stare. Despite the fact that Mayet was definitely amused by what he did, there was a subtle, but definite warning in her eyes as she said so.

"... And like most of them, I also hate losing..." she said, suddenly going back to her previous expression, showing only amusement and curiosity.

When Roman mentioned he was a master blacksmith, Mayet seemed to definitely be interested. Especially when he mentioned two words that were among her favorite words: Weapons and jewelry.

"A master smith that is not only experienced in making both weapons and armor, but jewelry as well? I almost have the urge to take you back to Alidasht with me and make you my own personal blacksmith..." she said, teasing Roman as she looked at him with a surprised expression.

"I have already seen some works engraved with the Ravenwood crest... The quality behind these works are definitely undeniable. Both the jewelry, the armors and the weapons." she said, nodding to Roman as he mentioned his family's crest engraved on the works made by the Ravenwood smiths and their belief that in order to make a good weapon or armor, one should learn how to use it first.

"That makes me curious though... You mentioned you have already been to Alidasht four years ago. Not as a noble, but as a Blacksmith..." Mayet asked, looking at Roman with an intrigued expression, clearly wanting to know more about the time he spent on Alidasht and what he did there.

“Forgive me Shehzadi if i was too bold, picking up on subtle cues is not my best aspect. it does get me into trouble from time to time.'' Although proud in his own right, Roman still knew enough to at least try not to take things too far. “As for failing?” he couldn't help but chuckle, “I strive to fail, everyone should fail just like every predator does. Failure leads to wisdom and forces you to grow. For each of my masterpieces there are hundreds of failures behind it.”

The giant’s smile did not fade as he thought of what to say next. “thank you for your kind words. I'm afraid the most you could do would be to commission something from me. I can't tell you who commissioned the work or who it was for but I'm sure you would have seen it. an interesting contraption. a bracelet in the shape of a gold jewel encrusted scorpion. a hidden function, with the right flick of the wrist the tail strikes forward with speed, a hidden needle in the stinger holds a small reservoir containing whatever the user wants is emptied.” Technically the one who commissioned the piece did not sign the non-disclosure agreement so he could disclose the item itself but they never talk about who commissioned it directly unless otherwise agreed upon.


Roman could tell that the song was going to come to an end soon and sighed trying to think of something as she spoke of his and his family's ability and talent with metal working. “I can do one thing for you but it comes at a cost, one of these next few days we will spar, no weapons, best two out of three wins to submission or unconsciousness. if you win i'll make you something just for you. if i win…” he paused for dramatic effect with a devilish smile to throw her off. “I'll still make something for you but you have to help me make it.”

Mayet couldn't help but to laugh as she heard Roman's words about the work he was commissioned to do on Alidasht. She knew exactly who was the one who commissioned such bracelet... It simply had Munir's name written all over it.

"Munir... It has to be him!" Mayet said, still laughing a bit.

"In fact, I would be very surprised if it wasn't him." she said, shaking her head with a chuckle.

"Regardless of my dear brother's peculiar commission... It seems to be quite a complex piece... I'm impressed you were able to complete it. Assuming you did, of course." Mayet said, looking at Roman with an intrigued expression.

Just as the song was almost reaching it's end, Roman gave her an interesting offer. In exchange for a sparring session, he would offer Mayet his services. Should he win, she would help him and should he lose he would make it by himself. Normally Mayet would immediately agree with such a proposition, but the fact that Roman said that they would fight without weapons made her raise an eyebrow and chuckle as she looked at his devilish smile.

"Would you ask for a tigress to fight without using her claws?" She asked, laughing at his proposition.

"Besides... To fight someone of your size without using weapons would be putting myself in a heavy disadvantage... Unless that is what were you aiming for all along..." she said with a mischievous smirk.

“I was simply wondering if you would go for it or not. melee weapons it is then, i look forward to our bout and what you think you may want for your… gift.” he said with his continued smile. The sight of a small blonde girl running from the dance floor caught his attention for a moment then turned back to Mayet.

“I can't say for sure if it was your brother, all i can say is that i delivered it to the palace and a servant took the package from me.but yes it had several challenges but over the course of a few months we were able to get everything right and in working order. the tail was obviously the most challenging but it was not the most challenging thing we have made.'' The song came to an end and it seemed like there would be a brief pause before the next dance.

Before leaving to go and find his next dance partner he gave his dance partner a slight bow, “it was a pleasure to meet you Shehzadi Mayet Kadir. I do hope that you enjoy the rest of your evening.” His words were truthful, this one turned out to be a strong individual but not rude or annoying, someone who can get their hands dirty. perhaps someday they could grow to become good friends, maybe more but for now only the norn’s knew of that.

Mayet let out a discreet smile as she heard Roman saying he would look forward to their sparring session... and that she should start thinking about her gift...

"Don't worry, I promise you I will think of something rather special. All the tales about your skills made me look forward to my 'gift'..." Mayet said with a chuckle.

Mayet couldn't help but to let out a smile as she heard Roman speaking about the scorpion bracelet. Such a complex and 'unique' taste. It simply had to be Munir. She would definitely interrogate him about the bracelet later...

"I'm quite certain it was him. Nobody else has such complex and... 'unique' tastes... Well, maybe my sister Layla would also want something similar, although themed around serpents…" Mayet said with a thoughtful expression.

“Then… There’s me.” she said, with a smirk.

“Weapons and jewelry. Two of my favorite things to collect in this world. Guilty as charged.” she said, shrugging with a mischievous smirk on her face..

“As long as you’re willing to take mine and my siblings’ commissions, I am sure you will have plenty of challenging and exotic pieces to work with.” Mayet said, laughing.

As the dance finally ended, Mayet gave a step back, letting go of Roman as he did the same.

"The pleasure was all mine, Lord Roman Ravenwood. It was surprising to find someone so honest and straightforward to talk with. It was certainly refreshing." Mayet said with a small, brief bow, with a genuinely satisfied expression.

Callum disliked many things about noble life, but dancing had never been among them. A waltz was predictable and calming, the steps a simple pattern that flowed together with ease. The dance itself didn’t occupy much of his mind, but it did ease his nerves about attending the ball itself. It meant only having to interact with one person at a time and paired with Lady Violet meant he had no reason to put up a charade; she was as safe as any of them from Edin’s wrath

As annoying as it was that King Edin would be watching the interaction he’d designed, at least Count Calbert was not around to further instigate the plot. Cal had no intention of keeping Edin’s desire for a wedding a secret, and he was fairly certain Lady Violet had no part in their father’s plans. “I’m betting both our fathers had a hand in setting up this dance. Our king has deemed you to be made of exceptional wife material, though I’m sure you have bigger dreams than a marriage designed to make me look better.” Cal spoke freely as he led the dance, curious to hear what Violet thought of the attempted arrangement.

Violet's face said a lot. Her body moved along with the music complying with each step but her face showed utter distaste for the dance. She sighed deeply as the small talk continued. “ I am very certain that is what is happening. Not to be rude, but dancing is not something I would have signed myself up for voluntarily. Though that is nothing against you M’lord, I simply do not like these rituals, makes me feel like I am a show pony.” she said as her eyes looked around at the other dancers, Spotting her sister.

“No offense taken,” Cal said, his eyes following the same direction as Violet’s, spotting the rarely seen younger Damien sister. “I take it your sister is well? Nice to see her out and about.” He added but put no further effort into continuing the forced small talk.

“We could always abandon the dancing, ruin their plot, enjoy the wine instead.” He offered with a grin.

Violet nodded slowly “ Yes, Nice to see her out” she said with an undertone of concern in her voice. She felt saddened by the small, frail and pale looking lady yet she also felt happy all at the same time for her.

She turned her attention towards him with a heavy relieved sigh “ Yes, please..” Although Violet was not one for drinking , she felt at this moment in time she needed one.

Cal nodded, he had no desire to force someone to dance with him and he’d never turn down the chance for a drink and to dash his father’s hopes that he’d be complying with the king’s wishes. Both the night and the season were young, he’d have another opportunity for dancing soon enough anyhow. The youngest prince of Caesonia subtly led Violet from the dance floor, mindful enough to not bump into any of the other couples who moved and twirled about.

“These events are rather dreadful, aren’t they? If it wasn’t for the wine and the music I’d assume they only existed to torture us all.” Cal spoke once they were far enough away from the dancing couples. He let his posture drop back into a slouch, shoulders moving to fight off the stiffness of the dress clothes. Once they had reached the tables laid out with wine and food he poured two glasses of wine and offered one to Violet.

“So, anything here that redeems these parties for you?” He asked, content to watch the others and make simple conversation. He noted that not only was Wulfric dancing with Wystan, but Auguste too seemed to have escaped the forced pairing as well and danced with a woman who was clearly not from any of the major noble families. Tonight it seemed, every one of his siblings was outperforming him in further angering their father. Rather than jealousy, he only smiled proudly at them.

Violet followed him , mindful of the dancers as well. Reaching the table she accepted the glass “ Thank you , your highness” she smiled at him politely before taking a small sip. She looked around at the dancing patreons and caught a glance at Roman. “ I suppose the friends you can acquire makes it rather interesting. “ Her attention is moving back to him. “ What is that smile for? “ she asked curiously as she noticed the prince looking at his brothers. “ What about you? I suppose I'm surprised that someone as yourself finds displeasure in these events as well.”

“I can’t help but notice each of my siblings dancing with someone who lacks a proper title, and that will certainly displease my father, an upset with his status quo. Now that does please me.” Cal couldn’t help but chuckle at Violet’s assumption that he enjoyed these things.

“These events are just another way my father shows off. People of Caesonia starve and suffer while we dance and feast, it’s more than a bit grotesque. As for friends, most here would prefer to find themselves in the king’s good graces rather than mine, and I get more honesty from the servants than I do from most of the lords and ladies here. I’d rather spend my time in the library far away from all this. I don’t enjoy being a show pony nor a pawn anymore than you do.” Cal admitted, taking a much longer drink from his own wine. “Meet anyone of interest tonight?”

“ I suppose you would know that more than myself, your highness.” she said taking another sip of the wine “ I don't envy your position I will omit. I agree that there are more masks in this room than there are true faces. It makes me rather guarded as you never know who you are really speaking with.” she chugged back the drink , and grabbed the bottle pouring another glass. “ I don't hold much interest in anyone, your highness. As many have declared me tarnished due to my outwardly appearance. “ she adjusted the collar around her neck “ It doesn’t paint a lovely image for my partner to have a wife with a deformity. I've learned long ago that even though people may say to my face this isn't the case, their actions speak much more to this than words. “ she took a pause, taking a sip of her drink again. Looking over at him “ I apologize for being forward, but I don't have anything to hide, what you see here is what I am. You don't really need to hide anything. “ she smiled towards him. '' I do enjoy reading myself as well, my sister, she is a really good author as well. I always carry her books with me. I make sure my handmaid stitches pockets into my gowns for such a thing.” she pulled out a small handwritten novel out of her pocket “ Don’t tell her that however, she may get a bit too excited about it.” she smiled.

“An author? How wonderful.” Cal said admiring both the book and the secret pocket, a bit jealous that his own clothing was often tailored too tightly to hide things of use, like books. “No need to apologize for honesty, it’s refreshing, and I won’t tell a soul, I am an excellent secret keeper.” He said, pausing for a moment as he thought about his next words.

“I suppose I can lift my own mask for a moment. I don’t desire a match between us, my father does, and playing the obedient son is the last thing I wish to do. I take great pride in being my father’s least favorite child. But for anyone to claim a few scars makes you tarnished is deeply stupid. You survived something many would not, that is a sign of strength. And it sounds like you’re wise enough to see through much of this court's nonsense. Both are admirable qualities that matter more than flawless skin. As for me, there are many here who find me too soft, unlike my brother’s I’ve never taken to swordsmanship or hunting, my interests lie in nothing that this court sees as a showing of strength.” He offered up one of his own flaws, something he’d been vexed by for much of his childhood, before lifting his wine glass for a toast.

“So here’s to our imperfections, and if you think about it would you wish to read a story about someone who was absolutely perfect?” He asked before finishing off his glass.

She stayed quiet, sipping on her drink. It was always so interesting to hear people's perspectives, yet actions always proved so different. The only exception was Roman, who nearly cursed himself into an early grave from the passion he felt against her comments. Yet others were so quick to just disregard everything and say it's no big deal yet she had been made to feel as such growing up with all of these familiar faces. They have simply gotten wiser with their words.

Violet drank the last of her wine and set the glass down as the music had slowed and the dances had finished. She watched her sister run off in a panic from her partner when she got concerned. “ I am sorry your Highness, If you’ll excuse me. she said curtsying before moving towards her sister.

Reaching her as she finished talking to their parents she pulled on crystals arm gently “ are you alright?” she asked, concerned.

---

Charlotte had hurried over to her stepfather once Count Calbert had sauntered out of view. She came to stand beside him, her hands clasped with worry.“Are you alright?”She asked Lorenzo in a hushed voice. Her eyes were searching his expression for any signs of distress but her father did as he had always done. With his eyes averted from hers, he rapidly shook his head. He had always tried to make Charlotte worry less. He usually failed but he always tried not to burden her.

“N-no need to worry dear Lottie.” He put on his finest smile, his eyes had finally found hers. “The count just wanted to know how we were faring this evening.” He reached out towards a passing servant with a tray of prefilled wine glasses, and with the most graceful. move he’d perform this evening, he grabbed two as the servant passed. Not even a drop left either glass as he continued speaking after what appeared to be a naturally easy movement. “He was very surprised we showed up today. Something that should be expected.” Not a moment was wasted. The glass in his right hand reached his lips.

Charlotte couldn’t hide the doubt from her expression. Last time he had said there was no need to worry, there had certainly been a need to worry. Though she had quite enough alcohol this evening, she knew Lorenzo well enough to know both the wine glasses were for himself. One was more than enough for him tonight.

“Oh how kind of you to think of me as well.” Charlotte said with thinly veiled sternness. She suddenly took one of the glasses and then reached it toward him to clink together. In response, Lorenzo raised his eyebrows and lowered the glass from his face. ”Cheers?” She gave him a smile.

*Clink*

After taking a long sip, she told him, “He asked to speak with me after the ball…” Lorenzo gulped down all the contents of his glass and looked upon Charlotte with a shocked expression. “He seemed quite cross with me so I cannot imagine he was very pleasant with you either.” Count Damien had visited numerous times over the year to essentially passively-aggressively threaten them in his annoyingly smooth voice. However, Lorenzo had usually always been there when they were having one of their discussions. She had never spoken alone with the man and she ideally never wanted to.

“Was that all?” He asked pensively. “Did he say anything more?” His tone almost demanding an answer.

“All he said to me was…” Charlotte cleared her throat as she prepared to mimic a demanding tone. She got on her tippy toes and put her hands on her hips to also copy his looming-over stance. "You will speak with me tonight after the ball...For now, you may enjoy the party, Lady Vikena…” She rolled her eyes after and smirked at him, the tone perking back to her usual as she said simply, ”He is stupid.”

“Indeed he is…” He averted his gaze for a second but visibly relaxed. He did not want Charlotte speaking to the count, especially not tonight. “Are you… Are you enjoying the party?” He wondered himself if Calbert was correct in what he said about Charlotte being doomed in any pursuit of finding a worthwhile husband. He did not want the devil of a man to be correct. He could NOT let that man be right!

Charlotte wasn’t certain herself the answer to that question. She had spoken to some nice gentlemen tonight, but the likelihood of any of them remaining her long-term friend felt low. It would be a better night perhaps once she got to rekindle with her old friends. She replied after a pause, “Yes, it’s been nice, I guess. I just danced with a royal guard from the Varian Kingdom. I think we could perhaps be friends…”



Lorenzo reflexively winced at the word but was also relieved she had not fallen head over heels for anyone. He desired the best for Charlotte but not even he could clearly describe what that was.

“Um.” It was clear Lorenzo was attempting to continue but lacked any direction. Discussing courting had not been a topic he was ever comfortable with. “Lottie- Charlotte, you may take as much time as you need. I-I want you to know this because I only want you to be happy with whoever you choose…” Lorenzo’s eyes began to water and blinked several times to prevent the tears from escaping again. Twice in one evening… “Just find love. Promise me this… please.”

Charlotte softened her expression. She reached over for a napkin from a nearby table and began to dab gently at his eyes. “I promise… Don’t worry. It’ll happen on its own. Can’t force such things.” Truthfully, she wasn’t sure if love even existed or if it was just an ideal only to be found in novels. She withdrew the napkin and sighed. “The man I danced with was married I believe. So no such luck there… But I’ll keep an eye out.” She knew that the goal of a woman her age was to find “love” and settle down. But was that all there was?

“Both eyes.” Lorenzo forced a smile. He couldn’t ask for better company. She had giggled at Lorenzo’s joke, replying with one of her own.

”Alright. I’ll keep all three eyes open.”

“As I said, no rushing to it. And we still have a second dance. Now, I would request to share it with myself but I think it’s best you continue to… get out there and meet people.” Lorenzo appeared to be cheering up. “Just don’t let me beat you to the altar.” Lorenzo couldn’t resist which only made Charlotte pat his shoulder as if to make him alert.

“It's a race to the altar then. You’re on, Lorenzo.” She teased. “You better find yourself a nice lady to dance with.” Her words were almost making the man appear confident again… and perhaps the wine helped too. Once again, he was prepared to take on the world but this time he wasn’t completely in over his head. No embarrassment this time! He had to make this night right, or else Calbert would be… and Lorenzo could NOT let that man be right!

---

Even after having left the group behind and that unpleasant chill, Kazu still found himself unable to shake off the cold sensation causing him to shudder. He rubbed at his shoulders trying to warm up and rid himself of this icy phantom." Jeeze...I could swear someone wants me dead or something." And with the way those two were treating him so coldly; such suspicions seemed highly plausible though what he was feeling now seemed worse than what that prince was giving off.

" I'm going to catch a cold at this rate. I think it's high time I returned to the food and get something hot in my belly." The mention of food had his belly rumbling in turn; a clear answer to the suggestion made to himself. Eating might also do well to help get his mind off things as the night has been quite the strange one for the blonde farmer. Having his story rejected by the sultan and being reunited with an old friend thought dead and he even wound-up dancing with a princess, if one could call twirling around like children dancing. Only for it to end with earning the bone chilling ire of her brother and that companion of his. Then there was the incident he wanted to forget; how he wished he could go find the girl and apologize for... well, he had no idea what exactly but it did not matter whatever he did for he owed an apology regardless. Gods, now he was beginning to sink back into depression and after Ani went out of her way to cheer him up and now his mind was reeling with the fact a princess bothered to pay a nobody like him any attention.

It was at that moment that he took notice of a servant carrying a tray with empty glasses and an unopened bottle of wine, likely to go around offering refreshments. Unfortunate for this servant, they found themselves in the line of a thirsty predator who, without warning dashed by swiping the bottle from the tray with fingers so nimble the tray barely shifted as he passed by. Spinning on the spot with a pop of the bottle." The hunt has been successful and I bid you my thanks and apologies." Continuing to walk backwards as he carried on with a respectful toast towards the bewildered staff." But alas, tis I who needs this most wondrous elixir to soothe this woeful heart of mine at this time." Giving a salute while downing a big gulp or two of the bottle; using the servant's confusion to slip away towards the dining tables.

Unfortunately, Kazu had done so walking backwards and still laughing at his expertly crafted bit of thievery when he suddenly felt his back struck against something.

He came to a stop with a grunt, but before he could do anything would see grapes falling around him, some bouncing off his head." Grape rain...never seen that kind of weather before." He said aloud to himself and came close to laughing had he not noticed the presence behind him, turning halfway to take notice of the young lady he bumped into." Oh, sorry about that miss.... guess my mind is a bit more scattered than I..." Trailing off upon taking notice of that expression on her face which made Crystal's distraught face and tear filled eyes flashed in his head.

*Oh sugar honey iced tea?!* The words screamed in his mind; eyes wide as he began panicking and fretting. He already made one lady cry tonight, were he to do it again then he might as well just save everyone and himself the trouble and just dive off the balcony right then.

His eyes were searching all around as he frantically scrambled to think of something, anything to stop the unknown woman from crying and were he not holding the bottle, his arms would be flailing about. He soon saw the grapes littering the floor around them and in his frenzied mind a most laughable idea came to mind, but right now it was the only one. Kazu quickly placed the bottle down on the nearest table then held out his hands in a hold it motion." Wait! Before you say or do anything please humor me." Asking his request with a weak laugh then moved down to scoop up as many fallen grapes his hands could hold." First and foremost, I offer my apologies and will gladly get you some more grapes or whatever food you desire but before I do so. It is only right I give these grapes a use so they're not wholly wasted." Nodding his head rapidly, eyes still wide in disbelief at this whole ordeal or what he was about to do and started juggling the grapes. Juggling one then a second was added then another and another until juggling 10 or 12? Eventually moving frantically in order to keep the momentum going. An almost impressive feat that he juggled for as long as he did, but trying to do so with grapes which are both quite small and slippery meant it was only a matter of time till they were falling and tumbling all over him.

By the time it was over Kazu was left standing there blinking stupidly and uncertain of what to do next except finish this off like as a performer should. Lifting his arms up to give a little half-hearted jazz hands shake." Um....tada?" The cowlicked blonde started to feel as if he simply could not win this night.

Mentions: @JJ Doe Ríoghnach @Rodiak @13org
Interactions: @Tae Lady Mina/Saiya @Rodiak Nahir @13org Mayet @Potter Layla/Percy

As the dance ended and Riona quietly faded into the crowd, Munir let out a small sigh. That was...surprisingly fun. It was unpretentious. Sure, the dance had it's tense, awkward moments, especially when she reminded him that he already knew her name. Munir softly shook his head as other pairs of dancers started to vacate the floor since the song was over. He took out his wine skin and drew a mouthful of refreshing liquid from it. The taste of home steadied his mind. Thus far, the evening has been quite eventful already.

And the night is still young.

Lithely, Munir made his way to the food table. Picking up a glass of the prepared drinks, he took a quick and shallow sniff and decided against it. Setting it on the empty tray of a servant walking by, he turned his attention to the food on the table. The customary finger foods were all present. He shrugged slightly and picked up a small piece of cured meat and local cheese and popped it into his mouth. The saltiness of the cured meat and the mellow, fermented aroma of the cheese permeated his oral cavity. Washing it down with a small sip from his own wine skin, he noticed his sisters are, somehow, all nearby. With a devious smile, he approached them individually and discreetly.

"Sister Layla, it looked like you got paired with a rather stuffy dance partner... He wasn't wearing something that really screamed 'I'm a noble, look at me and my finest plumage~'. I'd bet that you had tons of fun there..." He said, giving her a quick, brotherly peck on the cheek before sauntering over to the next sister.

"Sister Nahir~ By the smile on your face, it looks as if you just found out there is a secret party after this one..." Munir's tone grew much softer "Is there a secret party after this one? You wouldn't withhold such precious information from me, would you?" Munir put on his best puppy-dog impression, then sauntering away with a small chuckle.

"Sister Mayet. Now now. what kind of trouble did you get into? Remember? We have to behave ourselves here. We're here to represent Alidasht's best, aren't we?" He said with a small wink. "And that man you were dancing with. He is a big boy isn't he? Those mighty and calloused hands." Munir shook his head and let out a small 'oof'. "I suppose thats what it takes to tame a lioness like yourself, huh?" Offering her a small, mischievous smile, Munir moved to the last Alidashtian woman present.

"Ah, sister Saiya. You had the absolute luck of being paired with Brother Amir. I'd bet that was a ton of fun, being swung around by a wooden board." Munir raised his eyebrows quickly and followed it up with a quick shrug. "But then again, if you want to be Sultana of Alidasht, he'd be your best bet. Though..." He continued, now back to his usual, sultry ways, "If you wanted to have fun and explores the wonders of the world, I'd be your guy." His tongue traced the bottom of his upper teeth, peeking through his lip ever so briefly.

Then he noticed. Mina. OhmyfuckinglordtheresheisBytheSunGodsLookAtHerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

He took out his wine skin, taking another small sip from it. He held the wine in his mouth for a small moment before swallowing so the fragrance would linger a bit longer. He then circled around slightly so that he would be behind her. He walked up, trailed his hand softly across her lower back, going from her right to left. Once he was on her left side, he whispered to her "Oh mistress, how I've missed you." Before moving away from her.

He then noticed another woman at the table, wearing a long blue dress. By her decorum, and how her hair was made up, Munir was thinking that she was another noble that he hadn't met yet. Just before he made his way over to make his introduction, he noticed how she was going at the food. He was taken aback slightly. Her outer appearance screamed lady of the court, however her actions screamed "I haven't eaten in days, the fuck you mean free food? Give!" Munir, cautiously, approached and said "Uh...hi? You good?"

Time:Evening
Location:Caesonia Ballroom
Interaction: @FunnyGuy Lorenzo

---

After all this time, it appears that very little has changed.

Alden appeared in front of the castle walls, returning from his trip from across Eromora. As he looks upon the castle that drapes over the night sky, he begun reminiscing about the adventure he was returning from that King Edin had sent him on many years ago. Though the original purpose of this task was to gather information about the economic standings of other countries and the potential to better improve the image of Caesonia, Alden also returned with better knowledge and new skillsets that could certainly benefit his current position and goals. He smiled at the very thought of it. I'll be a bearer of great change.

As he approached the doors of the castle, he quickly took notice of the unusual high amount of carriages that were nearby. Certainly not all owned by his kingdom, he suspected that some sort of event was being held in place. Then he remembered the time of year it was. The gathering of courts must be in session. Alden briefly contemplated whether or not to postpone his reintroduction. After all, all the nobles were probably present, and he didn't desire to make an utter fool of himself arriving late to the occasion and unannounced. He simply laughed at the thought of anyone making that kind of mistake. However, this was also the perfect opportunity to mingle and get to know the other patrons that were present and understand any new relations that might have developed during his absence.

I suppose it is as good at time as ever. I wonder what possibilities are in store now? Alden left his horse outside and gathered his belongings. He felt it was important to at least return to his quarters first and prepare for the occasion. With little issue passing guards whom have remembered him well, Alden walked up to his room, and looked around his surroundings to see if anyone was nearby. From out of under his cufflink, he pulls out a odd shaped key and opened the door. A sense of familiarity had hit him, and upon observing the portrait of himself, he smirked and walked in, closing and locking the door behind him.

In fresh new clothes and a polished new look, Alden proceeded down the main halls. He carefully peers through the grand doors, to observe exactly which portion of the celebration is being enacted. He notices that people are settling down, perhaps they have just finished dancing? Upon observation, he noticed most of the nobles, particularly the King, from across the room. He briefly glared at his direction as he quickly regained his composure as someone may have spotted him. Then from the center, he saw Princess Anastasia with one of the prince's watchdogs. Alden could not help but to think how much both of them have grown, and only imagine how the prince's have faired as well.

Then from the corner of his eye, there was a pair present that he was seemingly interested in yet never interacted with personally. He recognized Duke Lorenzo from years ago, yet he seems to appear distraught in thought this time around, while the other must be young Lady Charlotte. He looked back at the king and thought "Our talk could wait just a little while longer, don't you agree, your majesty?" Alden had reset his composure, and during the commotion walked through the doors, bringing little to no attention to himself. He proceeded to walk towards Lorenzo, who was caught off guard due to the Alden's random occurrence.

"My apologies for the interruption. My name is Sir Alden D. Plannington, Royal Advisor to King Edin himself. Pleasure to make your acquantance, Duke Vikena."

---

Charlotte had set her empty glass aside before she folded her hands in front of herself, leaning slightly against the table behind her. She supposed mingling with someone new would be a good use of her time now. Though Lorenzo seemed to want her to chat with men, she was more interested in telling a certain best friend about the song she wrote for her novel. She glanced around the room until she found who she was looking for. Craning her neck, she was able to spot Crystal was just over yonder, but she was conversating with her sister presently. It would be rude to interrupt, unfortunately, so she’d have to wait for an opening.

Auguste had taken enough of a break. He was up, conversing and mingling with the nobles that did approach him. This flattery, of course, was simply a play for establishing a relationship. Many just sought his connections or power as royalty, something he duly noted. It did get tiring, at times. To speak with people hiding behind masks and with their own agendas was truly a vexing exercise. Still, he fulfilled his duty as a prince, politely conversing with them until they were satisfied.

Soon, getting away from them, Auguste spotted Charlotte sitting by herself. The events that transpired this night likely weighed on her and her father heavily. At the very least he would greet her and see if the night has been going well for her. Although his father most certainly would not approve of mingling with the Vikenas, he made it a habit to greet all the Caesonian nobles.

Auguste sauntered to Charlotte slowly, greeting her with a polite half-bow. “Lady Vikena.” He meets her eyes, “... I hope the rest of the night will treat you well. While I was not around for the incident, I do apologize that the Danroses were unable to back up our own nobility.”

Charlotte was startled by the voice of Prince Auguste, jumping out of her skin just a little as he approached. She glanced in his direction and gave him a smile. She hoped the Danroses did not despise her and Lorenzo much more than they probably already had. Gathering the fabric of her dress, she gave him a curtsy. “Good evening, Prince Auguste!”She greeted perhaps in a more friendly manner than she had initially intended.

“ I-Um… Yes, indubitably it has been a night to never forget. I am grateful that Your Highness King Edin has hosted such an extravagant occasion.” She then quickly waved her hands as if to wave off his apology once his words had registered, “Oh no, no. Please don’t worry. I’m so sorry that everything transpired the way it did. As I had publicly stated, I take responsibility for all that... Certainly not your job to clean up my mess.”

Although Auguste still wore a smile, there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes. “I see.” He said, “The events were retold to me with scant details.”

“While not under the best of circumstances, it is good to see Duke Vikena in one of our gatherings again.” He continued. “It seems that you have inherited your father’s tenacity and strength of will.” In hindsight, his words were odd. The two were not blood-related, Auguste knew that. But there was a certain trait strength to the two that he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

There was a brief look of puzzlement that crossed her face. She nodded nonetheless. ”...Thank you. I am glad you think so as I think there is a lot to him that is overlooked. He is a very well-meaning man.” She replied with a warm smile. Charlotte then asked, ” But what about you? Are you enjoying the ball?”

Many men would have balked and surrendered in Lorenzo’s position, to be able to get up and try again is something noteworthy. Auguste kept these thoughts to himself, as talking any further may be out of place.

“As much as a prince should.” Auguste replied with a soft chuckle, “It is a nice change in pace from the usual political meanderings, but the Alidasht have at least made this ball… interesting to say the least.” He was unusually blunt in his words, his guard down due to the nature of the gathering.

“... Although the animals,” Auguste glanced over to some birds, “May have been a bit much, I’d say.” He let out another chuckle. “It seems that rumours of their penchant for flare are true.”

”Oh dear… Political meanderings… You poor thing.” Charlotte said in a sympathetic yet light-hearted tone. She followed his gaze over to the birds. ” They’re beautiful, but perhaps bringing them inside a ballroom is a little much. I would have love to travel to see such fascinating animals in their natural environment.” She tilted her head thoughtfully and then told him with a soft giggle, “To think I volunteered to be their maid…”

“Ah, it seems like I was complaining but I was not.” Auguste smiled, “Truly, it’s a pleasure. Anything for the betterment of Caesonia and her people.”

“They are fascinating animals indeed.” Auguste continued. There were even a few that he did not recognize from books. Perhaps they were animals native to Alidasht. He was taken out of his rumination by Charlotte’s next few words.

”Really? Sounds like Caesonia is fortunate to have such a caring prince like you.” Charlotte had said, returning the smile.

“I am flattered.” Auguste replied.

Auguste’s countenance grew a tad grim at her volunteering to be a maid. He was initially going to ask to accompany her for the dinner with the Alidasht royalty, but it may just be trampling on her pride at this point. He was unsure what they had planned, it likely would not be too dangerous but it was better safe than sorry. “Lady Vikena, if need be I-” he stopped himself, remembering her earlier words of personal accountability. He cleared his throat, “Never mind… I would advise exercising due caution at this dinner, my lady.”

When his expression changed slightly, Charlotte frowned with concern, despite the joking tone that lingered at the end of her next words. ”Oh? Are you sure? Now you leave me curious.” She then let out a shaky laugh, continuing, ” Oh yes… Believe me, I will. I fear that one of them has made some more dinner plans between me and her snake… So if I ever go missing and you see a snake with a Charlotte-shaped belly, you know what happened.” She had meant to sound teasing, but she had never been good at lying nor hiding things. It didn’t help that it had been a long time since she had let herself get this inebriated…Charlotte had nearly forgotten that terrifying woman. Knowing she was going to have to spend more time with her was not the most pleasant thought.

Auguste let out a sigh, hesitating on whether he should finish his words. “... I was going to offer to accompany you to the dinner. It might be safer that way, the Alidasht royalty may not try anything with a Caesonian prince present.”

He let out a chuckle at her joke, but it was clear by her tone that she was a little frightened. “... Although I dare not trample on your resolve to shoulder the burden yourself.”

Charlotte rubbed her own forearm. She felt guilty for agreeing to his offer, but she knew it was one she could not pass up. The past year had indeed been a burden as though Lorenzo was kind, their bond lacked the constant guidance her mother had bestowed on her all her life. With his sometimes silly mishaps, she felt as if she were the one responsible for keeping everything from crumbling. She wasn’t so sure she could protect him from the Alidasht all on her own. ”Oh. That’s very kind of you…”She drew off, then reluctantly said, ”If you really wouldn’t mind, I’d appreciate that as it might help them to refrain from being unpleasant to my stepfather.”

There is no shame in accepting help. Auguste believed that for society to thrive, cooperation is a must. It is also why he is a strict adherent of peace, seeing war as the last card any sane nation should employ. “Of course.” He replied, “It ought to be a royals duty to serve their people.” At the very least, it was a vision he hoped to bring to fruition in the future.

“I can feel Count Calbert staring daggers into my skull.” Auguste said, a hint of pride and jest in his tone. His voice turned serious at his next few words, “Be careful of Count Calbert, Lady Vikena.” He bowed once more, “I will have to take my leave here. I hope you have a pleasant night.”

Charlotte glanced over his shoulder to meet the deadly eyes of Count Calbert across the room. He seemed to have paused his conversation with his wife just to give the two of them that lovely look. He narrowed his gaze at her once eye contact was made. Why must he always glare at everyone? She thought to herself. ”So he is.”She agreed almost dryly. ”..I hope you have a pleasant night as well, Prince Auguste. Thank you again for checking on me.”

Auguste turned around, giving her a nod. He faced Calbert, a neutral smile on his face. He waved at the count jovially before he began greeting other nobility who wanted to converse with him.

---

---

Crystal turned around when she felt a gentle pull on her arm to see her sister. “Vi!” She said as she gave her a hug. Afterward she pulled back and nodded while holding onto one of her hands with both of hers.. “‘Mostly…I think I had a run in with a stalker somehow…” she said softly. Looking to kazu then back to Violet. “ he started telling me a story that sounded exactly like my life… I’ve never met him before. Father said he would handle it.”

“I’m more mortified that I did that in front of everyone at this point… she said just loud enough for Violet to hear while looking down and covering her red face of embarrassment.

Violet offered her a reassuring smile, but she was rather confused. ” A stalker?” She raised a brow, her hands still gently in her sister's grasp. ” A similar story to your life? Crystal..You're practically living a storybook tale. I wouldn't be surprised if he just happened to read a book that resonated with what is happening with you. “ She offered her sister another hug as she covered her face. She pulled back, reaching for her hands and pulled them down slowly. “Dont show any emotions , you remember what Dad has always said. We are in the middle of a pack of wolves, the minute you show a sign of weakness they will attack. Keep your chin up” she put a finger under her chin and raised it slowly “ No one is here to harm you, I promise you that. You look too beautiful to hide your face.” She offered her a soft smile.

Crystal stood there and listened to her big sister. She made a really good point… she suddenly felt even more sheepish at her reasoning. Groaning slightly as her sister hugged her. Allowing her hands to be pulled down she looked up at her sister without lifting her head as she quoted father.She resisted lifting her head up at first but allowed Violet to do so. But in defiance she only kept one eye open.

“Thank you…” She said softly as a mouse. Her face is still as red as ever. ”Oh god…now i just feel silly…” she said with a sniff and fanning herself with her hand to attempt to cool herself to no avail. She tried to change the subject. “Well you look beautiful as always Vi… How was your dance…with?” She looked around for the man she danced with. She didn’t know who anyone was here.

”Darling sister, you have nothing to feel silly about. I just don’t want you skipping out on such a great event for you.” She offered her a soft smile as she changed the subject. Taking in a deep breath ” Prince Callum..” she sighed heavily ” It wasn’t much of a dance, We took two steps and headed to the wine table.” She took her sister's
arm, locking it into hers as she faced the others who were all chatting amongst themselves. ”there was one…He pulled me aside and ..Crystal I have never had such a connection with someone but …” she sighed lightly ” He seemed rather entranced in his dance with his partner that perhaps that connection I felt was merely empty. I don't have it in me to fight over a man, if It were up to me, I would simply say that if a man cannot see my worth then they are not worth my time to begin with.” there was a sense of disappointment in her voice. Truthfully Violet felt a jealous tinge hit her when she watched Roman and Mayat dance together. Unsure of why she cared so much she tried to hide the fact it bothered her. ”Doesn't matter, I am perfectly happy playing matchmaker for you. “ she smiled ”anyone of interest for you?” she scanned the ballroom.

She cocked her head to the side as she heard the clear disappointment right away. Her eyebrows peaked. Apparently she wasn’t very interested or impressed with the youngest prince, not even really dancing with him. It made a little sense, he was younger than both of them. She looked at here sister as she locked arms with her and smiled. Enjoying this moment as they now started to talk about “boys” Not just hear her talk about her encounters.

When she started talking about another man that she had a strange connection with, Crystal blinked. She seemed so intrigued with the man and she was just going to let it go. She tried to change the subject to anyone crystal was intrigued with. ”No No No. You’re not dropping that on me and suddenly switching to who interests me She said stubbornly. The fact was she only met two men here…one of whom she…might have overreacted on. Sir Mathias did interest her as well, but there were other men she always wished to meet. Though she couldn't even see the tall man amongst the sea of people

”You can't just give up on this man. At least point him out to me!” She said softly leaning close to her and standing up on her toes, as if their brains got closer she could mentally get a visual of the man while looking for him in the crowd.”Would you rather be with this man, someone who you feel a connection with… or be set up with prince Callum because father said so? Perhaps he didn’t get the memo…I've read many times boys are sometimes as dense as a plank of wood and they need a few chances before they realize.”

She looked at Violet ”Ill tell you about the man i met before the one I danced with. IF you promise me you won't give up.”

She sighed ” Well, he noticed the print on my dress. You know how I love ravens, well I had stitched some into my dress a few nights prior and he took notice. I didn’t think much of it, but we took our conversation out to the balcony and well…He was very open and honest, it was refreshing. “ she smiled lightly “ He called my scars beautiful…” her voice trailed off into a whisper.

She shrugged “ His name is Lord Ravenwood, he’s a blacksmith as well.” she gestured to him in the crowd as he had just finished his dance with Mayat “He and the lady he was dancing with appeared to be laughing a lot…” she shook her head “ I shouldn’t get my hopes up, I didn’t expect to find much here anyways so there is no point to change that. However, he did ask who our parents were…not sure why…I just was really hoping that I could find my own match before father decided what princely title would be best suited for me.”

Crystal nodded as she started to give more details. Her eyes widened as she mentioned he said her scars were beautiful. Wait… She glanced at her neck, like she thought they were very well hidden.SHE WOULDN’T As her own face turned red. Did she show her scars to this man? She looked up at Violet who had moved on to explaining more about this man.

She followed Violet’s gesture. The man was HUGE. He stood a full head and a half over everyone else. She looked back to Violet as she started saying she was hoping to find her own match. Yet was just giving up on this guy.

”VI VI” She said, astonished yet in a whisper. Her face red as a rose. ”You did not…” She glanced over shoulder to make sure father wasn’t watching. But he was still too close. So she looked back at her and pointed to her own neck and to Violets and back again. With a knowing look in her eye.

Violet saw the shock on her sister's face as she looked towards their fathers direction. She opened her eyes widder and nodded slowly before shrugging her shoulders again “ Yes..He saw..part of them, I was not going to undress myself in the middle of the ball” she whispered into her sisters ear.

What Violet said, gained a loud squeak from Crystal. As she suppressed her own surprise. Her face was crimson now ”VI!” She Whispered again. Crystal then looked back at this Roman. Blinking a few times her hands against her cheek to cool them down. Never did she ever believe Violet would do something like that. She never spoke like that. And yet here she was about to just let this bear of a man go because he laughed with another woman. ”Violet, comeon you need to at least get to know this man some more. Perhaps he is just a very outgoing and social person.”

“Perhaps..But what if I am just chasing some silly fantasy, i’ve been reading too many of your books as of late. Getting my head too far into the clouds to think something like that could even be possible for me. I simply gave up on the thought and figured father would have his way with something. It’s not what I want but it's what I've been handed in life “ her mood seemed to be more cold then normal.

Crystal sighed and looked at her sister. Arguing with her at this point would do no good. She was so stubborn at times. But she understood why she felt this way. She saw how her sister was treated because of her scars.

She looked back to the crowd of people talking during the intermission, and her eyes only hardened with determination. “If I can make one of my dreams come true.” she said softly. Squeezing her older sisters hand before saying while looking to her.[color=1e4fff] “You can most certainly do it, you’re far stronger than me.”

She knew she wasn’t going to get father with this so she decided to bring up her other interest to bring her sisters mood up again.. [color=1e4fff]“Ok, so there was a man who I met just getting in here, a Sir Mathias Larson. He is a Royal Guard for the King and Queen of Varian. “

She got even more excited and added while getting super close to her sister. “And he is apparently very close friends with Verrick!”

“Wait, so you are interested in the guard or Verrick? “ she asked slightly confused

“Well…. I guess both? But Verrick wouldn’t ever be interested in me, and it’s just that he was the inspiration for my book…It’s more of I just might get to meet him.” Crystal replied.

She side eyed her sister raising a brow “ Yet, your telling me to not give up on Roman but here you are being a hypocrite “ she smiled at her teasingly

“That’s…not, I meant…” Crystal realized her mistake and could not think of a proper response. She huffed and gave her sister a pout. Even though she knew it was a tease she felt she had to defend herself still. “Of course it would be wonderful if he was. But you know it’s just a silly little crush.”

Besides, surely with the stories she heard from her source, the ’Princess and her unorthodox Prince.’ Had to be a thing…other than in her book.

She shook her head to rid it of the thought. “ANYWAYS.” She said, giving her sister a pointed look. “Sir Mathis was a true gentleman, helping me out when I didn’t know where to go. I even helped him escape a few older ladies that were following him I guess.” She said with a smile.

“ well I am happy you're enjoying your time here, I really am. It’s nice to see you out of your room socializing, and I do hope something happens for you .. I really do” she gave her sister a squeeze on her wrist.

Crystal smiled and said, “I hope something happens for BOTH of us.”

---

Not quite the reaction he had hoped for but hey, at least she wasn't crying or giving him those cold eyes. She was, however, annoyed at him for ruining the grapes with his juggling." Oh...yeah guess you could have....sorry about that." Lowering his head a bit, scratching at his cheek while mentally chastising him for screwing up again. Course, he didn't figure that any woman in this hall would be fine eating grapes that have been dropped onto the floor, well except maybe one person he could think of that might.

He blinked at her statement that he needed to pick them up and gave a few nods of his head with an awkward laugh." Right uh, yeah I should do that. Seeing as I made this mess...twice." Glancing down at the floor littered with grapes; not wanting to cause trouble or give any more work than needed to the staff.

Kazu was preparing to get to work on doing just that when he noticed the woman circling around and eyeing him over which had him feeling like he was some kind of show pony on display. His almond brown eyes which were still settling from a near panic attack held no sign of deception; in fact, Kazu was a person that practically wore his emotions on his sleeve with the way he was standing there in an awkward and uncertain manner. Then he felt those fingers trailing along the back of his shoulders causing his body to tense up from the unexpected touch with a nervous shiver running down his back. The young blonde was at a loss on what to think of this and could do nothing but blink and wait for her to finish... whatever it was she was doing." Hm? Oh, right. Good to uh meet you, Lady Zarai and sure, I don't mind helping with a favor seeing as how I owe you one." This time rubbing the back of his head when he heard her comment about something being curious making him raise a curious brow of his own as he turned his head to look over his shoulder at her." Huh? What is?" He asked though didn't really dwell on it for long." But, anywho. I should get to picking up these grapes before someone ends up slipping on one."

With a half-hearted laugh Kazu dropped down onto hands and knees to grab a few grapes nearest him before stopping." Oh and if you like, feel free to share in some of that wine if you are thirsty." He added without raising his head, instead raising his right arm up over his head to point at the opened bottle resting on the table nearby. Soon going back to grabbing up the grapes, whistling as he did so showing it was no bother for him to do so.

Ryn took the opportunity to wander around the ballroom and greet people he had yet to properly converse with. When he wasn’t talking to someone, Ryn surveyed his surroundings, carefully observing the movement of people as they went about their business. There were many guests so the process was slow, but not entirely fruitless.

The more people he talked to, Ryn began to question how many Caesonian nobles fully supported King Edin. Not a single soul was blatant enough to vocalize it, but the signs were there in their body language, in their voice, the words they chose to use, and the timing in which they decided to use it whenever the subject of the king came up. Small, subtle things that said more than the person intended to. The alliance of the Caesonian noble circle appeared to be a flimsy one, barely held together by loyalty gained primarily through fear and money, and not much else. Though, if there was something else, Ryn was interested in finding out what it was.

While King Edin’s precarious position made Ryn’s life a lot easier, it came with its own set of problems: his children. In comparison to their father, they were viewed in an infinitely favorable light. First Prince Wulfric garnered the most support from the nobility while the youngest Prince Callum was more popular amongst the disenfranchised commoners. Prince Auguste and Princess Anastasia seemed to be liked by people from all walks of life, but old-fashioned values made many regard Princess Anastasia as an unlikely candidate for the throne. Underestimating the influence she had. Ryn would not make the same mistake; he wasn’t allowed to make such a mistake. They were all a potential threat to him and he should treat them as such. He needed to remind himself not to focus all his attention on the children, however. For many species of snakes thrived in Caesonia.

The smell of strong wine filled Ryn’s nostrils as Duke Vikena stared at “Caesonia's beloved count” with disdain. A dash of apprehension crossed his face when the snake slithered his way to Lady Vikena. His whispers sucked the color out of the young woman’s face. The delight he derived from messing with the Vikenas was evident. Yet others seemed blind to it. Did the count’s family know that he liked to play with his prey?

Based purely on what Ryn could observe, whatever happened between Count Damien and the Vikenas remained between them. While he interacted with his wife and daughters, Count Damien was as many described him to be. A charming, well-mannered man who loved his family immensely and was not ashamed to express it out in public. Was the light playing tricks on Ryn’s eyes when he saw that cruel smile? Even so, the impact his presence had on Duke Vikena was undeniable. Taking into account that Count Damien seemed to have some sway on King Edin, he may be more dangerous than people realized.

The other thing Ryn noticed during his periodic people-watching was the presence of a masked individual. At first, the mask caught his eyes only because there was no one else wearing one. Ryn then witnessed the masked man passing out envelopes to a select few guests, which piqued his curiosity. When he saw the envelope in Prince Callum’s hands, Ryn excused himself from the present company and left the ballroom as nonchalantly as he could.

Past the ballroom doors, down the hall, and away from the hustle and bustle of the constantly moving castle staff, a group of servants from different noble houses, except Alidasht, were standing around, drinking, eating, and chatting amongst themselves. Even though the ballroom was large, to avoid overcrowding, extra servants who were not needed in the room were asked to be on standby somewhere near the ballroom. There, the servants waited patiently for Danrose’s servants to inform them that their respective masters were requiring their service.

Amongst the group of people, Ryn spotted two familiar faces and walked toward them. He removed his ostentatious tailcoat to not alarm the other servants as he made his way to the two figures drinking next to a service cart that was reserved for the guests’ servants.

Karleen was a giant of a woman, taller than the average man in the Northern Kingdoms, with muscles that any warrior would envy. She had hazel eyes, shortly trimmed bronze hair, and countless scars from her days in the fighting arena etched on her limestone skin. When standing next to Karleen, Peter looked much smaller and lankier than he actually was, but he was a man of average height and a body built for acrobatics. He was a ginger with amber eyes, and pale ivory skin covered with freckles. He was smoking a pipe when Ryn approached the duo. As soon as they noticed him, Peter greeted him with a wide smile, smoke escaping from his mouth through the gap between his teeth.

“Ain’t it a bit early to call it a night, Boss?”
“That it is. How are you two doing? Not too bored I hope.”
“Eh, we’ve been entertaining ourselves. I just came back from my ‘walk’ and was about to trade places with Karl so she can take her ‘break’.”
Karleen hummed in response.
“Anything happened that I should be made aware of?”
“Aside from the fact that every other servant here is spying on everyone else? Not really.”
Ryn didn’t expect any less. It would have been more surprising if there weren’t some amount of snooping happening.
Karleen cut in, “Masked man.” She took a sip of her drink.
“Oh yeah, there was this one dude who must’ve gotten an invitation for the wrong party cause he was wearing a mask. This isn’t a masquerade party, right?” Ryn shook his head. “Thought so. Uh… aside from that… Uh… I guess if you know a woman called Helga then I can tell you that she's really upset about something.”
“Oh? What happened?”
“We were hoping you’d tell us. She came out from the ballroom complaining about something the princess did.”
“Huh. I must’ve missed it then.” Ryn lowered his voice, “There is so much going on at once, it’s hard to keep an eye out for everything.”
“I bet it is. You sure you don’t need one of us in there too?”
“As much as I would like that, I need you all to stay focused on what you’re doing…” He sighed, “I said before immediately contradicting myself… I need some help with some other things.” Ryn looked at the two apologetically. He didn’t want to distract his companions with additional tasks, but he could not ignore what he saw.

Karleen pushed herself away from the wall she was leaning against and walked past Ryn to face the service cart, conveniently hiding Ryn from the other servants’ field of vision. Peter remained where he was, but turned his head to face the other end of the hall, keeping an eye out for any passersby. “Whatcha need, Boss?”

Ryn whispered, “I need one of you to tail Calbert Damien and Callum and Anastasia Danrose after they leave the ballroom tonight.”

There was a pause before Peter asked in a quiet voice, “You sure you want to do that, Boss? This might be the only time this place is as unguarded as it’ll ever be.”

And there are only five of us. They were both aware that their resources were limited here. It was a conscious decision on Ryn’s part. It made coordinating easier and a large group would have been too conspicuous. It also simply reduced the number of lives that would be at stake should the worst happen. This, of course, meant that Ryn had to be careful of who he deployed and when.

“If I’m being entirely honest. No, I’m not sure at all.” Ryn rubbed the bridge of his nose, “But that masked man you saw? I saw him handing out envelopes to people and one of them was Callum. I also thought I saw Anastasia handing a similar looking envelope to another man. I’m not sure if they’re related, but if they are, I think if we follow one of them, they’ll lead us to the person who sent out those letters and the people who received them.”
“Super secret people giving out super secret letters for a super secret meeting? With one, maybe two, Danroses involved? Does sound super secret. I’ll get Udo to follow them.”
Ryn nodded, “As for Calbert… There seems to be something going on between him and Lorenzo Vikena.”
“I thought they were friends.”
“Do friends usually do long-distance glaring contests across the room every chance they get?”
“Sounds more like they’re checking each other out.”
“I–... Huh… the thought never crossed my mind.”
“Star-crossed lovers,” Peter waved his hand slowly to gesture an arch, “the forbidden romance between a recently widowed Duke and a Count, the supposedly devoted husband.”
Karleen sighed wistfully as she collected petit fours onto a plate.
“Ah, so we have a scandal on our hands and blackmail to boot. Splendid.”
“Blackmail? Oh, Boss I love it when you talk dirty.”
Ryn shook his head, but the smile that grew on his face remained as he warned Peter like a mother would to her child, “Behave.” Ryn adjusted the coat in his arm so that he could stick his hands into its pocket, “I better go back before I miss out on all the action… and the animals.”

Karleen returned to her original position and popped the petit four into her mouth. “And for a hot second, I thought he was busting his a** working like the rest of us.” Peter grabbed a tiny cake off of her plate and shoved it into his mouth with his fingers, “Have fun.”

“I will. Before I go, though,” Ryn pulled out the papers from the pocket. “Do you have any idea where the dustbins are? I walked all over that damn ballroom and there’s not one dust bin in sight.”

Ryn could barely hear Peter through his chewing, “Aren’t you supposed to throw it on the ground?”

Ryn knocked his head back and let out an exasperated sigh just as Karleen placed the fork on her plate and reached her open hand out. “I'll take that.”

---

“Common sense would dictate that there should be at least one dustbin in this room, yes? Or has it come to the point that the nobility are so detached from the mundane world they don’t know how to use a dustbin? Do they know what a dustbin is? Do I know what a dustbin looks like? Is that why I failed to find one?” The count turned his head to the black tigress who sat a few feet away from where he stood.

After the incident with Duke Vikena, Ryn had been somewhat hesitant to approach the Alidasht corner of the ballroom. He had thought it would be better to wait until everyone had calmed down, and now that the tension had returned to a level where the countries were at no risk of going to war, for the moment at least, Ryn decided to do what he had wanted to do ever since he first stepped into the ballroom. Get a closer look at the animals.

He approached the Alidasht animal handlers and was successful in buttering them up enough to the point where the friendlier of the bunch began to show off their prized beasts. Though he was only able to touch the docile creatures, he was more than satisfied to be able to observe the animals up close. The one animal the handlers advised against getting too close to was the black tiger, Nala. There was only one person in the entire world she trusted, and that was Shehzadi Mayet. The best thing anyone else could do in terms of positive interaction was to feed her something that was not themselves and avoid getting mauled by her. So, obviously, Ryn asked if he could feed her.

The count slowly inched his way towards Nala with the plate of food provided by the animal handlers, striking up meaningless conversations with the big cat. The handlers started to place bets on whether he would survive the encounter. Evidently, they thought the odds of him leaving unscathed were stacked against him, but Ryn wasn’t deterred by it.

Eventually, he managed to get close enough to the tiger to place his offering of sliced raw meat on the ground and take a couple of slow steps back. He knelt down and waited with anticipation.

Nala, who was laying down and patiently waiting for Mayet to finish dancing, simply looked towards the strange man who was approaching her. While she didn't display any hostility towards him, at least not openly, the piercing gaze she gave to the man, watching every single movement and step he took was more than enough of a warning for him to be careful with his movements.

Nala was relatively used to life at the royal castle in Alidasht, but that was only because she was basically raised there by Mayet. She considered that place her and Mayet's territory. She had seen the servants that worked on the castle long enough to know their scent and to be sure no one of them would harm her or Mayet, especially since they all knew the correct manners to enter Mayet's room and approach her and Nala.

With that said, that wasn't the case here. Not only was Caesonia a completely unknown place for Nala, but the people here were complete strangers to her as well. More than a few times, Nala had to give a low growl to warn some overconfident nobles who tried to approach her while she watched Mayet and the other man whom she was dancing with. Fortunately, this particular noble seemed to be different than the rest. Nala could feel the scent of meat coming from the plate the man got from one of the servants that had come with them from Alidasht and the way Ryn approached her was slow and careful. Despite that, Nala still gave a low growl the moment Ryn got too close to her, just before he offered the raw meat and took a few steps back.

Curious, Nala leaned forward, without taking her eyes from Ryn as she carefully sniffed the meat. After confirming it was safe, having felt no different scent and the faint scent of the servants she knew from Alidasht on the meat, Nala lowered her head, her eyes still locked on Ryn's as she took the entire meat in her mouth, eating it in a single bite.

While it was definitely difficult for anyone but Mayet and those who were very close to her to know what exactly went through Nala's head, the huff she gave to Ryn seemed to be one of approval, before she turned her head towards Mayet once more and continued watching her.

Ryn watched the black tigress with keen interest, as she accepted his humble offering and resumed her vigilance. He grinned before retrieving the empty plate and returning to the group of Alidasht servants. “So… if no one wagered on me not getting hurt, at all, does that mean I get the money by default?” He teasingly asked them.

---

"My God."

King Edin was gripping the sides of his chair as he sat up to stare at his beloved, prized son Wulfric dance with one of their bodyguards. His expression betrayed his fury and disbelief. People were glancing with curiosity between him and Prince Wulfric. "I… can’t believe this… Who is responsible for this?!” He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. Queen Alibeth averted her gaze and leaned her chin in her hand to cover her mouth, her body subtly shaking with laughter. She did not dare let even a peep escape her lips. ”He could have walked away. Why go forward with the mistake? Look! Everyone’s looking at them!”

”You should not work yourself up dear. You remember what the doctor said about your blood pressure…”Alibeth’s voice came softly from his side, but she was still turned to face away from him.

”Oh shut up.”King Edin grumbled angrily. His eyes narrowed on Wulfric, trying to catch his gaze. ”He’s going to face consequences for this, Alibeth. Wulfric knows better than to embarrass me on a night like this. After what the moron Lorenzo did tonight. What do you suppose he’s even thinking?”

”It’s a dance, darling. You are acting as if he is out there in his undergarments.”Alibeth said dryly. She glanced at King Edin finally, catching his angry gaze. ”You remember who that is, right?”

”Ugh… Mistman... Rooster... Roostan. Wutang. Whalestim…Woostin… “ King Edin seemed to strain himself trying to recover the correct name, then snapped his fingers, “Yes, Woostin. Auguste’s bodyguard. Quite so. “ King Edin said gruffly then shot daggers with his eyes at his wife, “ I certainly hope you do not think I’d ever forget a face or name. I am a highly intelligent man I’ll have you know. I remember everything.”

She forced a smile. ”Simply brilliant.” She then continued before he started up again, ”He is taking advantage of the situation to relay information to our son most likely. A strategic positioning. You will see later on that they will provide us a summary of their findings.”Alibeth this time narrowed her eyes at him, ”Remember Edin…There may very well be more enemies than comrades in this ballroom tonight.” She did not stand up to Edin all too often, but when it came to her sons, she would sometimes push her luck.

King Edin was silent. In fact, it did not seem he had even been listening. He was zoning in on someone else now. Alibeth sighed and followed his gaze to Auguste. He sneered after a few minutes, ”...What is that thing he’s with?”

Alibeth rubbed her temples.

”Auguste too! What insolence is this. I should those boys beat… This has to be purposeful. They are conspiring against me Alibeth- Having some sort of teenage rebellion in their twenties! Those bastards. After everything I did for them, all the help and kindness I gave them tonight… And they dare defy me. Me!”

Alibeth hastily pointed at Callum, ”Look. Callum is dancing with Lady Violet. Just as you suggested.”

Edin visibly calmed down for a moment, peering at him. Then he said,”Eh. He’ll fuck it up, I’m sure…”His face twisted in disgust at the sight of Callum, ”Fucking good for nothing little shit. That Callum. Ugh. To think my perfect Auguste and Wulfric would do this then Callum suddenly decides to do the right thing for once in his pathetic life..” King Edin was mumbling angrily now. It was barely audible to Queen Alibeth, but unfortunately she had to listen to it. He snapped his fingers again, ”It’s a plot. This is all a clever rouse to make Callum look like he’s changed. Wulfric and Auguste have taken pity on him. They are trying to get in my good graces so I won’t notice Callum scurrying like the rat he is through a hole out of my castle tonight to some forsaken brothel! …Ohoho they thought their father to be a fool… No, no, no. King Edin is no fool… He is-”

”Oh dear. Who is Anastasia twirling around the room with? Alibeth found herself genuinely concerned with her daughter but also wanted to change the subject. If she had to listen to him talk so awfully about their sons for one more minute… She shuddered to shake off her annoyance. ” I worry for her. You know how fragile she can be and how easily trusting.”

King Edin scrutinized Alibeth at first,”Huh. Who..? Oh. Yes. Anastasia…” He glanced over at her thoughtfully. The emotion fell from his expression and he fell silent, watching her and some funny-looking man twirl around as if they were a spinning top. Finally he said, ”It’s fine... We’ll just say we don’t know her if anyone asks questions…The people forget about her all the time.”

“For God’s sake, Edin, that is our daughter.” She looked at him incredulously. “Did you actually forget about her? Again?”

”Noooo…”He drew off uncertainly, ”Of course not. She’s my only daughter. How could I? Hmph. As you said she’s fragile, so chastising her could break her silly female mind. ”

The dances finished after some time after that. King Edin kept grumbling on about his sons, but he was behaved for the moment. Though, it wasn’t long before King Edin was up in arms again. “Now Auguste is talking to the Vikena whore. He’s going to catch a disease! Someone go tell him to step back.”

“Edin!” Alibeth was a little shrill this time.

”Oh please. We all heard her offer her ‘services’ to the Sultan…Hmph! She’s never offered me her services. Eager to please the Sultan but not-” He gasped suddenly, ”That’s it. I know how to make myself look better against all this humiliation. I will call forth my concubines to come run their hands over me. Those Alidouche fuckers will see how beloved I am. The Sultan will seize up in jealousy!” He called over a servant and whispered in their ear.

After a few moments, a few women in seductive gowns started moving to Edin’s side from the sides of the room. They were all over him, tickling under his chin and rubbing his arms as he chuckled in pleasure loudly. The whole ball needed to know how lucky he was. ” Yes ladies! Come spend some quality time with your King! Haha!”

”Kill me now.”Alibeth groaned to herself.

---

Crystal smiled as she stood next to her sister, Looking out into the sea of nobles. What little of her confidence was back again. She saw Charlotte standing at the perimeter of the dancefloor. She looked at Violet and said softly, ”Ok. Promise me you won't give up on the bear. Ok?! I have to talk to Charlotte real quick before the next dance.” Before squeezing her hand and quickly walking away.

It didn’t take long for her to reach her best friend. Charlotte! How was your dance? She said as she gave her a hug from behind. She tried to act normal, not wanting to bring up her own in case she didn’t see it.

”Crystal!”Charlotte whirled around to hug her best friend back with a smile. She gave her a gentle squeeze before letting her go. ” I’m so happy you’re here tonight. You look well!”She told her pleasantly, before answering her question, ”It was nice. Sir Matthias is a royal guard from Varian Kingdom. He seemed to be an amiable sort…I think I saw him approach you before, yes ? Did he ask you to dance with him?”

She smiled more when Charlotte hugged her back. Thank you, I feel great! Especially when Mom hasn’t killed me yet for sneaking over here by myself” She then mentioned Sir Matthias and she nodded, Yes he saved me from embarrassing myself when I walked in. Though he would claim I saved him from some older Ladies that were not too happy he left. But yes, yes he did. I think we will dance this next one.” She added with a bright smile.

”He did tell me he was a Royal guard, but also he’s friends with Sir Verrick! I didn’t know he had a close friend!”

”Oh that’s great! I bet he’s going to just adore you.”Charlotte giggled.

No… not when he’s already danced with you! You two looked cute together!” Crystal added quickly, waving her hand in front of her face as if to fan away the idea he might adore her.

She took her hand gently and began to assure her, ”I am positive he will! Make sure to ask him for some stories-” She broke off and suddenly said with excitement, ”Oh! Speaking of stories, I spoke to Verrick tonight! I want to introduce him to you at some point.”

Crystal smiled at Charlotte when she took her hand. Surely the man would not be interested in a girl like her, stuck at home and reading books all the time. But she nodded just the same. Her eyes went wide when she then changed the subject to saying she actually met Verrick tonight. She knew he was here, the princess of Varian was here. But the fact that Charlotte spoke to him just made her excited. That and she wanted to introduce her to him as well. She grabbed both her hands with hers and said very excitedly, Oooh I would love that. Thank you! “ She always wanted to meet him of course, he was a childhood crush of hers. Hearing stories about him even in Casonia inspired her to write. That made her realize…was her source here as well?” She looked around the room for a bit. Like that would have helped as she never met the man.

I am sure he's busy with the princess though…We shouldn’t bother him.” She said with a light sigh. But she quickly turned to Charlotte, So, is there any other man that caught your eye tonight?”

”Of course, I know how much he means to you. It would make my night to see your dream come true… I am sure we can catch him at some point. ”Charlotte told her genuinely. Through thick and thin, Crystal had always been so sweet to her. It had been hard for her to keep friends after the Vikena family reputation had sunk so low, but Crystal had stuck by her, even writing to her when she shut herself out the last year. She was one of the few people she could be around and come out of her shell. Helping Crystal meet Verrick was the least she could do.

Her cheeks reddened a little at the idea of someone catching her eye. “Oh dear, um….” Romance was a notion she hadn’t bothered considering for herself at times. It was certainly something that made her giggle to herself late at night when her romance novels made her giddy, but it wasn’t something she ever thought would be in her cards nor something she was certain to even be real. After seeing her mother’s attempts at romance always utterly fail, she had grown to have a pessimistic opinion. ”I don’t think anyone’s interested in me. “Charlotte finally admitted with a sad smile, I, well…Had an embarrassing start to my night that may have left not the best of impressions. But… I think I would like to find Lord Leo Smithwood again tonight. I promised him some of my time. ”

Crystal smiled when she said she could introduce her to Sir Verrick. That it would make her night to see it happen. She really appreciated Charlotte so much. Despite not being able to leave her home, she came often to visit. Where any other girl her age simply just let her be and moved on. She also encouraged her writing and even gave her insights into her social life so Crystal could relate: even keeping her updated on the latest gossip.

Obviously Mathias could introduce her as well, but that would be a little rude really as they are all here to mingle and get to know each other. Especially when he was so kind to her.

She looked at Charlotte and grabbed her hand. ” I highly doubt no one is interested in you…” she said softly. It would seem that we both had an embarrassing start tonight in our own ways… She added giving a comforting squeeze. ”Lord Leo Smithwood?” she asked. It sounded familiar, But she couldn’t remember where she heard family name. But she smiled. ”Well if you promised some of your time, that means he asked for it??” She said with a happy grin. She began to look around, ”Which one is he?”

Charlotte got up on her tippy toes and craned her head as she searched around the crowd. She finally spotted a head of curly red hair and pointed him out. ”There he is.” Her heels dropped back to the ground and she said after a pause, her expression saddening, ”... His father passed away last year.”She told Crystal, her voice dropping in volume, ”Him, his sister and I had all been friends since we were children. I wrote them ...maybe two letters at most over the year. I do not feel I was nearly as good a friend as I could have been. I’ve been… procrastinating speaking with him. It’s difficult to find the words to apologize correctly for such a situation.”

Crystal mimicked Charlotte almost perfectly as she got on her toes as well. Once she pointed him out she smiled and nodded. She looked over to see Charlotte look a bit sad. Explaining her relationship and that their father passed as well a year ago. She wrote them, but she felt she wasn’t nearly as good as a friend. Crystal shook her head. ” You can’t be hard on yourself. You lost your mother at the same time, you were dealing with the same pain as well.” She hugged her. ”You have always been the kindest person I know. The fact you still reached out during that time shows how amazing of a friend you are. You can't deny that. Your best friend said so. So thus it is.”.She said with a grin.

”Oooh Crystal.”Charlotte smiled and hugged her back, ” Those words could move me to tears! Thank you for being so sweet.” She took a deep breath. ”You’re right. Maybe he’ll understand and see it that way too… It matters more what I do now then in the past as they say.” She rubbed Crystal’s arms in a friendly and comforting manner, ”...Have you been okay? If you are in better health, maybe we can visit each other’s houses more…” Her eyes widened and she bit her lip to keep from gasping out loud, “...Then I can play you a song I wrote for the heroine in your story. I’ve read it twice this last year! I just loved it so much. It’s rather romantic and soft in the beginning, but the tempo changes, and the tune gradually becomes more epic to showcase her character development!” She looked ready to squeal. Though Charlotte was usually not a loud girl, especially not in public, she was known to get excited when she talked about her favorite topics.

Crystal nodded while Charlotte convinced herself that it would be ok. ”If he doesn’t understand. I'll make him.” She said with a small grin. Not that she could do much. But maybe a surprise kick to the shins or other parts would work. When Charlotte moved to her heath she smiled and nodded more definitively. ”Yes, much better I would lov-” She started to say when she was surprised by her friend's sudden enthusiasm. Which only made her smile more. She blushed at her saying she read her book twice this year. She had mentioned in her letters she loved it, not that she read it twice! That made her feel wonderful. She mentioned she wrote a song for her latest books, and she laughed. She had done this before with her other books as well, and they were all wonderful. ”I can't wait to hear it! You make the most wonderful songs! I keep telling you, you need to compose more. Then I can support you like you do me! ”

Charlotte was elated to hear her positive reaction. She was happy she had gotten to speak to Crystal tonight; the nervous feeling that had been plaguing her all night had finally left her in peace. “I would love to compose more for you. I promised you I’d always have your back and I meant it.”

”I would love it. I also never doubted your promise, I promised to have your back as well and I meant it.” She said with a smile. ”Now to keep that promise. Stop hiding on the edges here…”She said moving slightly behind Charlotte and placing her hands on her back. She began to push her gently towards Lord Leo which was also on the way back to her sister which she would go back to after.”Stop procrastinating and go ‘apologize’ to him. Though I'm sure it's not even warranted.”