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After John and Layla parted ways after the first dance, the doctor blended seamlessly into the background before reappearing back onto the balcony of the ballroom a few minutes later. His hands slouched on the balcony rail, carefully hiding the still heightened emotion from what he just experienced. He just had a dance with an Alidasht Shehzadi, and he did surprisingly ok. Dancing had been quite the bane of his existence in social events just because. Though to be completely honest, he was just playing the stupid pole for the Shehzadi to exhibit her true talent. In a way, it is symbolic of his social position. Oh well, that’s the life he chose.

Nevertheless, Layla. He had to say, piquing his curiosity would be at the very least of his impression. It might be a daunting thing to explore for a lot of people, but people also look at creatures that scare them from afar, and that was also what kept John from occasionally glancing at her from time to time from the balcony, not making direct eye contact but still observing. He did not notice her encounters with the Grand Vizier until the very end when they had already separated.

It wasn't long after that Nahir excused herself from the table that the pain in her head began to grow stronger. The added stress of seeing Layla and the Vizier- she shook her head as she weaved through the crowd, some nobles and servants alike moving out of her way once they saw the expression on her face. Thankfully, no one stopped her from reaching her destination. She could already feel the cool air somewhat soothing the growing headache and the tightness in her stomach.

Once she arrived at the balcony, she slipped a small silver case from a hidden pocket from her skirts and pulled a dark rolled cigarette followed by a match. As she walked over to the marble rail, she lit the cigarette and glanced at the man standing there. She recognized him. He'd been standing close to the King and Queen of Varian; he'd also been Layla's dance partner- the doctor. She eyed the man before blowing the sweet smoke into the air. Immediately after inhaling the earthy-sweet aroma of the cigarette, her shoulders relaxed, and she could feel some relief from the pressure in her head.

"I do hope my dear sister did not scare you away from the dancing." Nahir looked at the man as she shifted her weight from one leg to another as she tried to asses the man with looks alone. Layla had said he was only a doctor and nothing more of him. No name, no implication of a title, nothing. So she motioned to the cigarette nestled between her middle and index fingers. "Care for one, Lord...?"

”Oh…” He turned around and were a bit taken aback that before him was not any normal guest but another Alidasht Shehzadi, just as breathtaking as his dance partner, but in a more familiar Caesonian style, one that she adapted very well to her aesthetics rather than just putting on some clothes.

”Certainly not, your Royal Highness. I find her fascinating beneath the daunting veil.” He did not hesitate to give the traditional Alidasht bow to Nahir, his hands still a bit out of posture, but he stood up properly this time, rotating his wrist a little to unwind from the uncomfort. ”Thank you but I’m good. Williamson, but you’re free to call me by my first name John, since I’m no Lord or Duke.“

Not a lord, after all. Interesting. She looked at his bow and wondered if Layla had poked fun at it. "Good," was all she said in regards to her sister. She noted how his shoulders tensed and how his arms shook just the tiniest bit when he bowed. Nahir walked over to him, her free hand gently guiding his wrist so they were eye level and his thumbs faced down. "The Alidasht bow, quite hard to master." She pulled back, hand shaking as she did so, and tucked it under her other arm gracefully before he noticed. John kept the posture for a few seconds, untangled himself briefly and did it again, just to get used to it. Indeed it was hard, but he nodded with a grateful smile to Nahir.

"Tell me, John," She tilted her head to the side. "How does a man who holds no titles come to mingle with such high nobles and royalty?" There was no sarcasm or malice to her question, only genuine curiosity and perhaps a tinge of admiration. Certainly, no simple doctor would be so close to the King and Queen of one Kingdom without some great deed or groundbreaking discovery. The more she thought of it, the more intrigued Nahir grew with the man.

”Oh, well technically I do have the title Doctor, since officially I’m a Royal Physician for the Varian court.” John replied with his hands clasped. ”But when it comes to mingling with the fine ladies and gentlemen here, I am also a member of the Varian Royal Science Institute.” He continued, before shrugging his shoulders slightly and opening his hands. ”Us grumps typically aren’t invited either, but with such a grand meeting between the three kingdoms, I can only assume it’s a show of strength on our part.”

"Ah, a scientist- and one part of the Royal Court." Nahir, seemed pleased with the discovery. "A title indeed, one that could hold power and authority." She bowed her head slightly as she blew smoke out of her nose. "And how did you come to be a member of the Varian Royal Science Institute?" It was fascinating, to say the least, and Nahir made no effort into hiding her curiosity about the man standing before her. Alidasht had their own doctors and Shamans, but most had been born with titles under their belts.

”The Institute’s entry level is a bit more demanding than Royal Physician. It’s a scientific institution so they required concrete documented scientific work rather than just pulling someone from death’s door, but luckily I have one big one.” John walked over and rested himself on the balcony. ”I don’t know if you know, but the town I was from, Kolonivka, was struck with an outbreak known in Varian records as Khole Virus a few years ago, striking pretty much everyone, piling up hospitals and freezing the town’s activities, all the bad stuffs. I was just a country doctor then, but every hand was needed to treat and prevent cases. What we eventually found was an effective oral treatment that can be used for mild cases, and I kid you not…” He continued, his eyes looked up to the ceiling as he reminisced. He did give credits by referring to the participants as ‘we’, but in truth most physicians dismissed his hypothesis until things got dire, citing ‘bad odour’ as an explanation. Only he and Dr. Hunter, his future academic advisor and the man who gave John the recommendation along with Ms. Blackwood, were skeptical of the real cause. ”leaked waste pipe because some guy wanted to save money from the merchants and bought cheap material. My friend and governor, Ms. Blackwood, had some rather contamination with that person later on.” He chuckled. The details were not disclosed, but considering she experienced all that horror, it’s safe to assume that guy was probably banished.

”For me, after finding out the root of the whole mess, the outbreak was dealt with pretty swiftly. Ms. Blackwood gave me a boost into the royal court, but that outbreak and a couple other working projects that I did after being a Royal Physician got me admitted to the institute.” John said. He did realize it got quite lengthy, and perhaps a lot of information and terminologies, so he gave a quick shrug before cracking a joke at the Shehzadi. ”There are more that I would love to share with you, including my current projects, but when I tell this to ten people, nine and a half were asleep by the time I was done, the other half…were just being considerate. So no worries if you wanna switch subjects.”

Nahir waved off with a smile the self-deprecating joke as she leaned against the rail. "It is always quite interesting hearing what others have done in life to get them to where they are now. Your work is admirable, Mr. Williamson." She raised her cigarette as if toasting for him. "I have heard of the Khole Virus; we had a similar case back home."

"I don't remember much of it; I was four at the time." She looked away from him to look at the gardens below them. "The water system had been contaminated, resulting in many people falling ill." Quite a few of the people in the Royal Palace had fallen ill as well, Nahir and some of her siblings included. "After weeks of investigating, the Grand Vizier found what had been wrong. Some of the water waste from the farms had been leaked onto the city's water supply due to a similar situation as in Kolonivka. However, this case was not corruption or negligence. The Beylerbey, or Lord, who had been left in charge of the water system, suffered from an illness that impaired the man's ability to make clear decisions. There were signs in his home that the man was not well." Nahir could remember reading the report when she was younger after sneaking into the Grand Vizier's office to find something interesting to read aside from literature books. "Fortunately, the case was not severe, and many recovered after weeks." Others, mainly the elderly, were not so lucky.

”Oh yikes. That’s very unfortunate.” The doctor rubbed his chin upon hearing. Having spent a handful of times studying outbreaks after the incident, it wasn’t easy for a community to go through one unscathed. Caused by a sick man nonetheless, who might have been punished for something probably outside his control.

Nahir let out another puff of smoke before pushing herself away from the rail. "But I think we should leave such topics for another day," She glanced back to the laughter and music behind them. "We are supposed to be in high spirits today." Court intrigue had, of course, soured her mood but she would not let it spoil the rest of the night. Lord Smithwood's words still range in her ears reminding her of the many adventures the summer could hold- starting with the one that was just a few hours away.

”Certainly.” John obliged, clapping his hands together once. Now their position swapped, as John was curious. Alidasht had always been a land in the books, in the rumors, the gossip, ”Now that I thought about it, I didn’t know much about your Royal family. Your Royal Highness and Layla are Shehzadis, and…three or four more I’ve heard?” but nothing concrete was said. Different people told different stories about the royal family. So he figured this would be a good opportunity to learn more. ”If you don’t mind letting me know.”

Nahir turned her attention back to the doctor, smiling at his inquiry into her family. "Such a big family, is it not? It is a mystery that there are still so many of us." She glanced at him with a teasing smile at the dark joke. "Shehzadi Layla is the eldest, Shehzade Amir is next, followed by me." She didn't mention Kahrem. "Shehzadi Mayet, the tiger tamer, and finally little baby brother, Shehzade Munir." She wondered what would Kahrem would think of the ball and tried to imagine him dancing with a lady from another Kingdom. He would have loved the dancing, the music, the food, everything. "No grandkids, that we know of." If there were any roaming around back in Alidasht, no one would wonder who had fathered such children.

”That we know of?” John’s voice turned slightly mischievous. ”If this is a novel, this would be the drama to come somewhere down the line.” But it was mostly in good sports. ”But wow, it is a big family. How is it like growing up with such a vibrant family?” He never grew up with any siblings, mostly due to not having much interest from his parents, or rather viability. ”Just curious, since I’m a single child.”

Nahir chuckled, "I do not think it impossible," Their life did feel like a drama novel, one with enough of it to leave a reader stunned. Each and one of them had their own problems stemming from the same root.

"Loud, lively, fun even. " Layla and Nahir had never been very close, and as girls, they would often fight over trivial things. Now, it just felt like they lived in two separate worlds. After the loss of Kahrem, she could not bring herself to look Amir in the eyes. Mayet was her little cub, always would be. And Munir, they had shared so many drinks and laughs together it was hard to imagine a life without him- any of them. "When one of us would fight another the whole palace would split in two and it wasn't until our mother grew tired of us that she would finally put her foot down." She smiled at the memory of their mother sitting them down until they all apologized. It was all so different then.

”Oh wow. That does sound fun indeed.” His chuckle followed with a smile. Not as big as last time. It was more acknowledgement of curiosity than anything. He knew all of these, it just never occurred to him. ”Mine’s a lot calmer, as you might expect. I haven’t been exactly the confrontational type.” He said. ”But you guys turned out great shehzades now, your mother must have been relieved to see that.”

"It was more stressful than anything." She looked at him, finally paying attention to him. A simple coat, no jewelry or anything that would signify his position in the Varian court, and nothing that made him stand out. "Must have been relaxing." She glanced away from him once he mentioned her mother. Nahir wouldn't exactly say they turned out great, but perhaps passable at the very least. She would, however, be relieved that none of them had gone down the road of killing each other. Yet.

She stayed quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts. The cool air of Caesonia tingled her exposed arms as it blew away the smoke from her face. The sound of the music and laughter coming from the double doors almost drowned out her thoughts of her mother.

"Yes, she would have been." Nahir finally said, glancing over to look at John again.

She would have been?

”Oh…” His mind clicked almost immediately. The smile that he had earlier quickly dissipated as he slowly looked away into the distance. His hand leaned onto the rail, clasped together but fiddled with unrest, contemplating if he should have asked that question. An idiot would’ve realized that he just walked into a sensitive topic, despite never knowing what exactly happened. It felt bad.

There was a moment of silence between the two, the music coming to its climax before dying down. It took a bit for him to finally speak, but his hands stopped fiddling as he glanced back at Nahir. ”Sorry I said that.”

She shook her head, "No need to apologize, it is not well known." The Sultan did not talk much about her mother to any of them and he would probably not mention it to anyone outside the palace walls. Nahir would not be surprised if nobles and some royals thought of her mother alive.

She took one last drag from her cigarette before snuffing the cigarette on the marble rail. She pushed herself away from it and offered her hand to the doctor. "Now, Mr. Williamson," she smiled and offered her hand in front of him. "would you care to join me for the second dance of the evening?"

The offer was a bit unexpected. He walked into that but was rewarded with a dance? For such a stuck-up ignoble, he is hitting quite a gold mine with the two eldest Shehzades in Alidasht. Not too bad…

”I would love to.” Nevertheless, he never let his ego got even close to him, but rather the opposite. ”You would have to guide this broom through the dance though, as you might have seen with Shehzadi Layla. I’m quite dusty with my moves.”

"Worry not, doctor, I am sure we can make do." She shook her head.

There, the doctor accepted the Shehzadi’s hand with a happy smile. ”I believe I haven’t learned of your name yet. If you don’t mind.” He said.

Nahir smiled, looking at him for a second. "Not at all," she began to lead him back into the ballroom. "My name is Nahir Aysun Kadir."

”That is a wonderful name, Shehzadi Nahir. I am glad to be your partner.” With some confidence, he paced along.

Mathias had been avoiding the same two older ladies that had spotted him with Charlotte during the first dance. They had tried to make a beeline to him as soon as the music stopped, and upon seeing this he had hurried off in the opposite direction as them. Unfortunately, they manage to pull a pincer maneuver on the knight and stopped him just as he was about to greet the Queen and King of Varian. And like before, both ladies pulled him to the dance floor where their daughters awaited for some nobleman to approach them and ask them to dance.

They would not believe him when he told them that he already had a dance partner and continued to pull him forward until he saw Crystal just a few ways ahead of them.

"Ah, I see my dance partner." He bowed to them, like before, he apologized and hurried away from them and to Lady Damien, glancing back to see the two mothers glaring his way for running away, again. Once he was far away enough, he sighed and pulled on his coast to smooth it out, and approached his partner for the second dance.

"Lady Damien, a pleasure to see you again.” He smiled at her before continuing. ”Would you allow me the honor of making up your first dance of the evening, Lady Damien?" Mathias bowed, extending his arm in front of him.

Crystal smiled and curtsied, allowing him to take her hand as she said “Yes, thankyou…” not really knowing what else to say at that very moment. She followed him onto the dance floor. She glanced back at her sister with a smile before returning her attention to Mathias.

Mathias held her hand as they made their way to the dance floor; blue eyes kept glancing down at Lady Damien to make sure she was not uncomfortable. Mathias had only seen Crystal practically run away from the man towards the end of the first dance, and he was determined to make it up to her. Once in their spots, Mathias gave Crystal a bow before standing up straight and assuming the position, keeping enough space between them. A second later, the music began, even slower than last time. However, Mathias learned from his dance with Charlotte and kept the spins to the minimum. The Caesonian waltz did not include the spins he had grown so accustomed to.

"Lady Damien, I do hope that this night is not ruined for you," He started with brows furrowed together in worry. "You've probably been asked this, but my worry will continue to eat me alive if I am not sure- but are you truly okay?"

Crystal gave another curtsy as Mathias bowed for the dance, then taking his hand and putting her other hand on his shoulder. She looked up at him when he spoke. She glanced away in embarrassment for a moment, of course he saw what happened. Oh she felt like a fool, especially after talking with her sister. She brought up a very good point. “I am thankful that you are worried Sir Mathias. And I must apologize for making such a fool of myself. Earlier… I…” She looked up at him as she tried to find the right words. ”I do not get out much…as it is apparent.” She said sheepishly.

”But I am ok… I am mostly just embarrassed at this point..” She added with a nervous smile. She looked down to hide her embarrassment and also to make sure she didn’t step on his feet. However his gentle yet firm guiding touch truly helped her.

"There is no need for apologies, My Lady." Mathias assured her with a smile. He was sure she was tired of talking about the incident, so he moved the subject away to something else. He noticed how her eyes had lit up when he mentioned the ballroom was something out of a fairy tale. Mathias wished to see that expression in her eyes once more. "Lady Damien, are you a woman of literature?" Karla had been too. She would read aloud before his son was born, claiming that Lukas would move or kick inside the womb. Mathias continued to read to him even. To this day, he is always excited when Mathias approaches the boy with a book.

Crystal was very thankful he moved on from the subject. She almost laughed though when he wondered if she was a woman of literature… She had 5 published books to her pen name. But she was sure he hadn’t read her books. She smiled as she looked up to him. ”Yes! With a tiny hop in her next step. ”I love to read. All I did growing up was read books. I'm sure my father would say his library rivals that of the king and queens.” She said with a giggle. ”Why do you ask?”

There it was. Mathias returned her smile, bright and welcoming as ever. It seemed like Crystal's happiness was contagious. "A mere observation, My Lady." He shook his head a bit, "I saw the way you lit up when I mentioned fairy tales and when you told me you do not go out of your home much. If you do not mind me asking, what is your favorite piece of literature?"

She smiled more as he did. She cocked her head to the side though when he said it was an observation. Continuing on explaining how he came to his deduction. She gave him an impressed look as he gave his very logical reasoning. Giving him a nod to show she accepted his answer. She blushed and stammered a bit when he asked what her favorite literature was. ”I-uh..” She looked away for a moment, while she loved reading all kinds of books… and writing romance… She didn’t have a real ‘favorite.’ Also she read that men usually thought it was silly for women to read romance novels.

But she looked back up to him as she followed him in the dance.”You will think I am silly… She started… feeling he was not like other men. Her face reddened even more. ”I don’t have a single favorite piece of literature, but I…do love romance novels quite a bit…”

Taken back by the lack of favorites, Mathias arched a brow. "Not silly, at all, just a tad surprised to hear that you have no favorites." His face softened when he noticed the shade of red rising from her neck. "Romance novels, Lady Damien?" He smiled, "I think I would have to agree with you in that regard, they are far more interesting than reports or historical books." He did not wish for Crystal to feel ashamed of her interest. "Do you have a romance novel you might recommend to me?"

She relaxed when he said it wasn’t silly at all, only looking down and smiling. Crystal blinked as Mathias admitted he preferred romance novels as well. She absolutely did not expect that. Even more he then asked for her recommendation. She looked up to him with a warm smile. A royal guard and detective with an interest in romance novels? You are an interesting man Sir Mathias. She said with a giggle. ”Well before I recommend one. The reason I don’t have a single favorite is because I’ve read so many books that It’s honestly really hard to choose. I have favorites among every genre, it’s hard to place one at the top of all of them.

She looked at him for a moment, as if thinking what would be a good book for him.”I would recommend ‘The Princess and her Unorthodox Prince.’ by Violet Columbine. It has romance, adventure, and a few mysteries… I think you might like it.” She smiled. Feeling kinda awkward recommending her own book without saying its hers.

He smiled and looked away for a second as his cheeks darkened the slightest. "You flatter me too much, Lady Damien." Mathias laughed, shaking his head. "It is impressive that you have read so many books." He wondered if Crystal could fill a room with only the books she had read. "'The Princess and Her Unorthodox Prince?" The title was a familiar one; he was sure he had heard of it before but could not quite place from where. He was sure there was a copy of it back home in Karla's old studio. "I shall search for a copy; if you have recommended the title, I am sure it will be great read."

”All of her books have that theme to it. So you have a few to check out if you like it. But do you get time to read often?” She asked

"If you would consider reports and documents reading." Mathias continued, "But I do enjoy reading in my free time," He paused and hesitated before saying his next words. He would not admit to it, but Lady Vikena's subtle reaction to mentioning Lucas had made his heart sink- and he understood her reaction as well. It was rare to see a widowed man at his age, and others would often think of him as a married man when he was out with his son. "I do enjoy reading fairy tales; my son loves them so much that he will often beg me to read one every night before bed." His smile widened, talking about little Lucas. He took so much after him in looks, but all of his personality came from his late mother.

She smiled when he took her recommendation seriously, even though they’ve just met. But she continued to listen as he made a small joke. “Not the type of reading I was thinking of…” she said with a giggle. When he mentioned he had a son she was surprised, what would that mean about his wife? Was he still married, did she pass? She didn’t see a ring on his finger. There had to be a reason he was here, dancing with others.She smiled when she saw his warm smile. She could see instantly how much he loved his little boy with just that. It made her tear up a very tiny bit.

“Awwe…. I love children, they are so precious. He must really love his daddy to want to read to him every night. I know I drove my father mad, always asking for one more story when I was a little girl. I think I got him up to four stories in one night.” She laughed. “I highly recommend ‘Sir Ivan Whittlock’s collection of Fantastical true Stories.’ That was my favorite book as a child. All The stories inside have good lessons. And it's sure to last you for a few years,it's thicker than a dictionary..” She smiled warmly at the memories of both her mother and father reading it to her while tucked in between them when she was feeling sick. Making different voices for each of the characters.

“I can't wait for the day when I can read it to my children…If.. I have some that is...” She said with a worried smile. She thought of her mother, how she nearly died having both Violet and her. It is very likely that she would have the same complications her mother did…the thought frightened her greatly.

"Your father must care greatly for you, luckily my Lucas has only asked for two as of yet." Although he was willing to read as many as his son desired, of course, within limits. The boy had to sleep at some point. "I shall make an inquiry at the local book store, hopefully, they carry a copy. I am sure Lucas will love it," Mathias couldn't help but to grin at Crystal and just a hint of relief.

She smiled, [color=1e4fff]“I know he does.very much so.” She glanced up to where her mother and father sat.

“I’m sure they do, it’s a popular book here in Caesonia. But if they don’t, please let me know, I know all the book store owners in the city. I can find one.”

"I am sure you will one day be able to have the family you desire, Lady Damien." And hopefully she would be spared from seeing her family break.

Crystal smiled softly, unable to tell him her worries. “I appreciate that….” She pushed the thought from her head. And decided to make a tiny joke instead. “Though… I am unsure if I could bear it… twenty children is quite a lot.” She said, giving him a smirk.

Mathias' eyes widened slightly in surprise hearing the number of children she desired. The surprise was quickly replaced by amusement seeing the smirk gracing her lips. "Having twenty children would be quite a lot," he agreed with a warm smile before continuing, "but I do think it would be quite adorable to have so many little ones running around." He had always adored children; even from a young, he'd always take care of little ones around the slums.

She giggled at his reaction. She nodded at his remark, she enjoyed having many children around her. They always had such a wonderful imagination. But it was also because she always wanted more brothers or sisters. So her remark about having twenty children was mostly a joke.

“Your son, what is his name? Is he staying back in Varian while you are here?” She asked softly

At the question about his son, Mathias could not help but light up. "Lukas, he's staying here in Sorian with me." He knew that if Lukas stayed back in Varian with Sir Oliver would make Mathias worry for his son that he would not be able to stay here in Sorian for long. "He must be in my quarters right now with his nanny." While he wished Lukas was here with him, he knew it wouldn't be appropriate for a boy his age to be at the ball. Especially after seeing that wild animal that one of the Alidasht Shehzadi walked in with.

“Lukas.” She said with a small smile. ”Wonderful name. I hope he enjoys his visit.” She looked up to him as she heard the music come to an end. ”Thank you Sir Mythias, for the dance. You certainly made my night. Perhaps we can meet again after?

^{A collab between @SilverPaw and @13org}

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Wulfric arrived at his destination a minute or two before the announcement for the next dances. Mayet was surrounded by family members, though by the looks of things, whatever conversation they were having had run its course, and the group around her was now dispersing. Some of the regulars of these events had already paired with each other, avoiding the scramble that usually followed right before the free dance started. Others had naturally found one person whom they were currently exhibiting their interest in.
The prince supposed he fell into the latter category, if any. Without interrupting the flow of things, Wulfric stepped closer to Mayet. He offered everyone still in vicinity the proper greetings, though they were not as highly formal as his initial introduction. He was, of course, still appropriately polite – but not overly respectful to the point where it would be seen as obsequious.
Then, he turned the full weight of his attention on his target.

“Shehzadi Mayet, I believe I promised you a dance?” the question was naturally rhetorical. At exactly the moment when Wulfric offered her his gloved palm, an attendant proclaimed the beginning of the second dance.

“Ah, and just in time, it seems,” he smirked. He couldn’t have timed that any better.

Mayet was about to stand up to search for Wulfric after she finished talking with her siblings when, much to her surprise, she found her next dance partner came to her, offering her his hand as he greeted those who were still nearby and hadn't gone searching for their own partners.

”Prince Wulfric. Your timing was indeed impeccable." Mayet said with a satisfied smile as she took his hand and stood up, much to Nala's dismay, who replied with a huff, already knowing she would have to deal with a lot waiting again.

"Oh, don't be like that, Nala! I said this one would be the last dance." Mayet said in a lower tone, gently petting Nala's head as she stood up as well.

Once Mayet was ready, and her animal companion appeased, he lifted his left palm, along with his partner’s right that she’d placed in it. This was to get into the starting waltz position, and along with that, he extended his right arm in open invitation. Once Mayet approached, he wrapped it around her upper back, and began the dance.

"I am glad you didn't forget your promise. Especially such an... unique partner for your first dance... I was afraid I was going to have to go there and forcefully take what was promised me." Mayet said with a mischievous, teasing smile towards Wulfric.

“I am not so forgetful. Neither am I in the habit of reneging upon my given word,” the prince assured her. At the comment of his first dance, his lips quirked.

“It was certainly an unusual match, though not the reason for my delay. That was mostly due to,” he sighed,
“well, ensuring my sister’s wellbeing at first. Afterwards, I was catching up to some acquaintances.” Wulfric then shook his head.
“Ah, but I do not wish to sound as if I am making excuses.”

"Don't worry. There was no delay, Prince Wulfric. Your timing was perfect. I was just about to get up." Mayet said with a smile as she heard Wulfric's explanation regarding the reasons why he was delayed.

A short moment passed as they moved a few steps. “Rather, would you tell me how your own paired dance was? You seemed to be enjoying yourself. Did Lord Ravenwood impress you?” he asked curiously.

There was no hint of jealousy, for Wulfric honestly did not envy them spending a good time together. However, he felt compelled to find out more about Mayet’s tastes in people, whether her interest in them was platonic, romantic, or otherwise. He wished to know her better, and discovering her likes and dislikes would contribute to that.

The moment Wulfric asked about her dance with Roman, Mayet couldn't help but let out a mischievous expression, certainly amused by his question.

"Lord Roman is a... refreshing person. Honest and straightforward, but nothing more." Mayet said with an amused, provocative smirk.

Wulfric hummed thoughtfully. It seemed that Mayet valued such honesty. Given he considered her to be a fairly open person, he wondered if that meant she disliked schemes. But perhaps it was for her as it was for him; that she appreciated the usefulness of sincerity in others.

"His reaction to my small... provocations were definitely bold and risky though. Amusing, but still risky. I am not known to be as tolerant to those who offend me as my sister Nahir..." she said with a dangerous smile.

Wulfric nodded to show his understanding. Truthfully though, he did not yet know where the line between amusement and offense lied for Mayet, especially since she seemed to be implying that Roman had nearly crossed it. Anyhow, she was clearly warning him to keep mindful of this risk.

"With that said... It was quite interesting to know that he is a master smith and know a bit more about his work. I definitely plan to keep him in mind, should I need more jewelry or a new blade." Mayet said as she continued dancing together with Wulfric.

Their steps were slow and purposeful, in accordance with the music. Before changing directions with a turn, Wulfric had them sway to and fro, bodies tilting to one side and another, movements clear and smooth.

"His proposal was quite interesting though... He offered to make me a custom piece in exchange for a sparring session with me, with the condition of me helping him, should he win." Mayet said with an amused chuckle, almost as if she found the idea of someone asking to spar with her and thinking they had a chance to win against her something worthy of laughter.

“Oh, a spar between Lord Ravenwood and yourself?” Wulfric’s interest was sparked. He’d known Mayet was a warrior herself, and had meant to ask for a duel himself, though as he’d already invited her to hunting, he’d intended to suggest combat at some future date.

“If I have the time, and if you allow it, I should like to observe,” he requested. “We could arrange for a match between the two of us, as well,” he added.

Mayet let out a mischievous, amused smirk as she listened to Wulfric's request for observing the spar and even try sparring himself as well.

"Oh, now that would definitely be interesting. I am sure Lord Roman wouldn't mind as well." Mayet said with a smirk.

"No need to be jealous though, Prince Wulfric, as you are definitely the one I'm more curious about at the moment." Mayet said, with a mischievous smile as she held him closer to her.

“I shall endeavour to keep it that way,” he smirked. Of course, he would strive to keep her attention only as long as his own interest in her did not wane.

“You are a man shrouded in secrets, aren’t you, Prince Wulfric?” Mayet asked, looking at him with sharp, but undeniably amused eyes.

The prince intentionally smiled mysteriously. “You could say,” he answered, with the slightest teasing drawl. He subtly gathered Mayet closer as he lead them into a double turn.

“I do believe there is no one without their share of secrets,” he confided in a whisper.

“Though most mysteries tend to resolve themselves with growing familiarity,” he gazed into Mayet’s eyes meaningfully. He did wonder if there was anything in particular she wished to know of him, though. He considered it natural to reveal little to those you did not trust, and the two of them had barely met today. Depending on what level of transparency she expected… well, there might come a time when she judged whatever kernels of truth he decided to offer as disappointingly little. But that should not be anytime soon - if ever.

Mayet heard his words with sharp, curious eyes, analyzing him as he spoke. Despite the rumors and secrets that seemed to surround him, Prince Wulfric was still an deeply interesting man.

"I don't dislike secrets. Unraveling them, most of the times, proves to be quite exciting." Mayet said, accompanying Wulfric as they danced.

"Although... I do hate being used..." Mayet said with a piercing glare as she suddenly made her grasp on Wulfric firmer, spinning along with him, breaking the tempo of the dance due to her sudden, quick turn before swiftly returning back to the same rhythm from before.

Wulfric tensed briefly when he was suddenly gripped more tightly, but that was enough of a cue for him to follow Mayet’s faster turn. He noted her warning, but merely smiled in response.

"I learned a few things by watching the other nobles dance and after practicing with Lord Roman." Mayet said with a mischievous smirk and a chuckle.

“So I see.” Raising a brow in challenge, he brought them into an even more pronounced oversway, his left leg crouched in front of him, his right extended behind. The position was mirrored for his dancing partner. They were quite deeply into each other’s space, thighs and abdomens brushing against each other as they rotated their upper bodies to one side. In time with the music, they rose once again, extended arms sketching an elegant ellipsoid as they swayed to the other side. They did this a second time, then lunged back in the previous direction. The last move was similar to the first one, though quicker. Afterwards, as the song was due to end soon, Wulfric eased them into simpler steps.

Despite the complicated movements, Mayet was able to follow Wulfric's steps, although that demanded absolute concentration and even then, due to her being largely unfamiliar with Caesonian dances, there were a few occasions where she had to quickly correct her steps in order to not step on Prince Wulfric's feet. After all, not counting the dance she had with Roman earlier, it the first time she was dancing the Caesonian dances. The only experience she could count on was her own agility and footwork, developed due to the years and years of combat training.

While Mayet's movements were agile and graceful to the other nobles that were watching her and the corrections she had to make to her own movements done in a discreet and almost imperceptible manner, Prince Wulfric would certainly be able to feel the sudden shift in her muscles and center of mass, due to how close they were to each other.

Still, Mayet couldn't help but find that dance rather exciting. Not due to the music or anything, but more due to the partner she was dancing with. The elegant movements had to be performed carefully and precisely, with little room for error so they could flow perfectly with her own partner's. In some aspects, it was somewhat similar to a sparring session.

"Quite a show-off aren't you? Or perhaps did you forget that this is only my second time dancing the Caesonian Waltz?" Mayet asked, laughing as Wulfric led them back to the previous rhythm and way easier stept. It didn't take much to notice that Mayet was enjoying herself quite a bit.

“Shall we say that I felt inspired?” he answered, a teasing note in his voice. It might have been somewhat petty on his part, but he had felt provoked by her claiming the lead momentarily. Her claim of having learned the dance well so far just added to the fact that he wanted to show her something more. “Regardless of your inexperience in this type of dance, your deftness more than makes up for it.” This had been the case with Wystan as well; being otherwise physically skilled, such as in combat, did transfer to some extent to capability in dancing. “Besides, if we ever do an Alidasht dance instead, you are sure to have me at a disadvantage.”

"I never expected Caesonian dances could be this... intense. They do look really boring to watch, after all." Mayet said with a surprised tone and a chuckle.

“Many believe our dances to be boring, either to watch, learn, or dance,” Wulfric shook his head pensively. “I understand that perspective to an extent, however…When you advance beyond the deceptively simple basics, even the waltz can be wondrous.”

"Indeed it is deceptively complex, despite how simple it looks and depending on the partner, it can be surprisingly entertaining as well." Mayet said with a mischievous smirk, clearly indicating that what made the dance interesting for her wasn’t the movements or the music, but the partner she was dancing with.

Far too absorbed into their conversation and their dance, Mayet didn’t notice that they were drawing a lot of attention, earning them a lot of stares and murmurs from the other nobles, both due to the way they were dancing and who were they dancing with. Wulfric on the other hand, did notice the stares, but ignored them. Whatever rumours were forming, he could find out later.

With the dance nearing its end, Mayet looked to Wulfric with a satisfied expression as the music started to slow down.

“I look forward getting to know more about you and your secrets…” Mayet said with an amused smile.

"Spending more time with you will definitely be very... interesting." she said, with a provocative smile.

“Thankfully, we have the whole of summer ahead of us to do so,” his lowered voice nearly resembled a purr. Yes, there would be many opportunities to put to the test this seeming initial compatibility of theirs.

---

Leo smiled and took Charlotte’s hand, leading them both towards the dance floor. Having parted ways from Wulfric, Leo let out a breath and relaxed more. When holding an audience with a prince, even one he considered a friend, he had to stay guarded; he represented not just himself, but his house and his country, and weakness in himself would reflect poorly on that which he held most dear. Similarly, when dancing with a shehzadi he had to remain a proper gentleman; collected, chivalrous, kind, a worthy representative of Varian. Now, with just Charlotte, he could be much more of himself. The music, and the steps of the waltz, were slower this time, which only put him more at ease.

“Looks like someone has managed to turn their night around rather stunningly. Tea with the crowned prince, dinner with the sultan, and the best dressed Caesonian in the room. Tell me, Lottie, how do you manage to be so fabulous?” Leo asked with only the slightest bit of teasing as he pulled Charlotte into a dance. Muscle memory allowed the simple box step to fall into place with as little thought as walking. Throughout countless balls and dances what remained true was that it was always the people that made these events most engaging rather than the events themselves. Leo’s words, partially meant to lighten the mood, were also true, and he found himself impressed at how well Charlotte had turned an unfortunate situation around so quickly.

Charlotte set her hand on his shoulder and her other in his his as they began moving in time to the music. Her shoulders relaxed as he spoke and she smiled at his words. It was a lucky thing that Prince Wulfric wanted to have tea on her. Women were always clamoring with each other for time with the well-esteemed crowned prince. Though, she had no idea why he had expressed interest in spending time with her of all people. She had initially thought perhaps Wulfric wanted friends, but she also wondered if he just pitied her.

When it came to the notion of eating dinner with the Sultan, she did not feel so lucky. Charlotte had a feeling they weren’t getting away with what happened as easily as it had seemed. ”Well. What can I say? Drowning in all this charisma over here. “She replied teasingly with a smile. ”Maybe it’ll rub off on you and you too can be fortunate enough to sit down with Sultan and his ever-so-friendly offspring for supper.” Her tone grew a bit sarcastic with this statement, but it remained playful nonetheless.

“And here I was counting myself fortunate to have merely danced with one royal from Alidasht, and you’ve already secured dinner with the entire family. I am so filled with envy I fear my eyes have turned green.” Leo replied with a grin. He could understand Charlotte’s reservations, some of the Kadir’s had publicly called for the spilling of her step-father’s blood, and expecting an amicable dinner after all of that probably seemed far-fetched.

“I can’t speak for the rest of the siblings, but Shehzadi Nahir holds a warm and adventurous spirit.” Leo spoke with full confidence on this one, though a single dance was not long enough to know much about a person, he believed his first impression to be accurate. “I believe I also spotted one Lady Blackwood having an engaging conversation with the younger Shahzade, she seems to like very few people so maybe he’s not so bad as well.” Leo continued, offering a bit of his optimism about the situation. “What an experience the sultan has granted you, to get to dine with his family, I’m sure very few here have had such an intimate view into their culture. To get to learn from the experience rather than to only read of it holds so much value.” Leo held a dreamer's look as he spoke before lifting their clasped hands to beckon Charlotte to spin.

Charlotte spun around slowly in tune with the song and smiled once she came to meet his eyes again, ”Oh my. They are indeed green just as they always are. You must be constantly envious then. But they’re a very nice green at least. ” She had not interrupted and waited until Leo was done speaking to comment further.

”Oh yes, I am envious of everything I have yet to experience for myself. It is what propels me forwards.” Leo answered, half a joke, but having said it he found it truer than he had realized.

It was great to see Leo get so excited about Alidasht and their culture. Seeing her old friend happy after knowing what he must have been through the last year made her smile. Charlotte herself loved reading books about Alidasht and the other kingdoms, dreaming of one day exploring the world. It was easy to relate to the longing in his eyes. She had been so busy being afraid she had gotten how excited she had initially been to meet the Alidasht.

”It should be quite exciting to be so up close and personal with them. Their culture is rather extraordinary. I’d actually love to visit there someday-Oh I have a book!” Her eyes lit up as the memory resurfaced, ”It’s called the Sun-Kissed Alidasht and it has all these lovely paintings of their land and architecture. It would be so amazing to see it in real life…Maybe I can ask them questions at your behest?" She paused then with a little gasp, she said excitedly, "Better yet! Maybe you should come with me to the dinner!”

Leo’s eyes immediately lit up, both excited and surprised by the offer. He opened his mouth to immediately accept the invitation, only to pause.

“Hmm,” Leo frowned as he thought more about the offer, “I’m not sure if it would be proper to show up uninvited by the host. I wouldn’t want to cause further trouble for you or make an ass of myself by, oh pardon my language Lady, by showing up uninvited. But that is very generous of you.” Leo grimaced slightly at his slip of using improper language in front of a lady. Such things might’ve been easily shrugged off as children, but now they only showed that he’d spent a little too much time away from official events like these.

She had heard enough curses in her lifetime to not even flinch at the sound of one. ”Oh and introducing yourself in the midst of chaos was not making an ass of yourself? Thought you were feeling adventurous tonight. ”Charlotte teased. She had not been too certain of his motive for going into the fray as he had, but it had been comforting to not be alone up there. ”... But not to fret, I will find out if I can bring a guest and get back to you so you feel more at ease.“

“I could only imagine that it must have been rather terrifying to stand before all those people, alone, during such a volatile situation. The alone part was the only thing I could alter. My deepest apologies if I appeared like an insufferable donkey, maybe it made you seem better by comparison? But if they grant you a guest, I will gladly attend, and I will find a far nobler animal to imitate.” Leo replied with a smile to show her words had inflicted no wound.

Charlotte was quick to assure him otherwise, replying, ”No need to apologize; it was simply a jest. You did great.”She then said genuinely, ”I wanted to thank you for coming up there. Things were a little less scary with you with me.”

“Glad I could help. How did your first dance fair? I didn’t catch who it was with.” Leo asked, making an effort to keep the conversation on more positive topics to keep Charlotte’s mood up.

”I danced with Sir Matthias, a royal guard of the Varian Kingdom. Perhaps you know him? He is a very sweet person.” Charlotte replied. Her gaze was stolen momentarily by the sight of Matthias and Crystal happily dancing together. She giggled before turning her attention back on Leo. ”And how was your dance with the Shehzadi ? You said she was warm and adventurous?”Charlotte gave Leo a playful look, grinning, ”You seem fond of her… Perhaps you’ll get to see the Alidasht Kingdom before I do.”

“I am familiar with Sir Matthias though even in Varian he remains a bit of mystery, a true gentleman though, any time I’ve encountered him, and a good father.” Leo said, keeping his words respectful towards Captain of the Varian royal guard. Of course, anywhere there was mystery, normally there was rumor to try and fill in the gaps, but the rumors around Matthias were scarce, and Leo found that a bit strange.

“Shehzadi Nahir was both a skilled dancer and stunning conversationalist. We did, in fact, exchange offers to host one another in our respective lands, and she expressed a love of travel and adventure. Kindred spirits, maybe, but both very much tied to our own homes. However, I did offer to help make her time here a memorable one, maybe you help. We can find some Caesonian adventures to embark on and maybe you’ll have made a friend for dinners. That is if you’re not too busy having romantic tea parties with Wulfric.” Leo did smile a little brighter as he spoke about Nahir but as always kept himself practical in his thoughts and words.

”Oh I doubt those tea parties will be romantic in the slightest. He is just trying to be nice...”Charlotte had told him though she was distracted.

His words had said much but his smile as he spoke about the Shehzadi Nahir had said more. She too had smiled though her eyes had saddened as she had felt a sharp pang of something that she did not expect to feel. Perhaps it was the remnants of the free-spirited child who had run amuck in costume wings and had proclaimed herself to all that she was a butterfly princess. She had longed to encase the younger Leo at the time in a pair of them as well to be the butterfly prince, though she could not recall if she had ever summoned up the courage to ask him to do so. As for part of her that was the adult now, she knew what she wanted was for him to be happy. Charlotte put on the biggest smile she could as she said, ”Of course I can help! You simply must come to the dinner and then we can make sure you sit by her. Distance cannot separate kindred spirits!”

“Distance, responsibility, limited freedom; that is future, for most of us. Something, recent events, have made far clearer. It is time for me to start practicing putting the needs of Stravy before my own. But it is always good to keep powerful friends, and I appreciate your help in making a new one. Speaking of, Wulfric is never just being nice, and don’t get me wrong, I hold the prince in the highest esteem, but he has little free time, and he does not waste it. If he wishes to meet with you he finds you worthy of his time.” Leo noted the forced smile he caught on Charlotte, as he had the momentary distance in her eyes as she seemed to drift away from the conversation a moment ago. Clearly, he had committed the gravest of ballroom sins; he was being boring.

Charlotte admired that Leo strove to do good for his family and his people. One day she could become the Duchess of Veirmont. Despite the awful start to the night, she had experienced positive conversations with two princes of Caesonia and with two heroes of the Varian Kingdom. Maybe it was time she started taking responsibility as Leo was.

The sight of Lorenzo in her peripheral vision made her briefly turn her head as he had approached. She mirrored his smile and let go of Leo’s shoulder to open her palm up to meet her father’s as he passed them. The smile fell as she saw who his choice in partner had been. Nonetheless, her gaze turned back to Leo as he spoke once again, her hand returning to where it had been.

“I have to admit, mingling is not the main reason I’m here. An event, lasting all summer, with every important noble and their guardsmen, seems the ideal place for investigating. Surely there is at least someone here who might hold a clue in solving my father’s disappearance.” Leo spoke barely above a whisper, and despite the difficulty of the topic, he knew Charlotte would not be bored by a mystery in need of solving.

Charlotte was surprised by his words, but she was quick to answer. ”It is quite possible, but if your father disappeared in the Varian Kingdom, I do believe more answers may lie with the Varian people…” She mused softly. After a hesitation, she met his eyes, whispering, ”I saw the body of my mother after she supposedly took her own life, but I always felt in my heart she was much too prideful a woman to do such a thing…” She could not recall ever voicing that opinion out loud before. Charlotte drew in a breath before continuing, ”I have also made it a goal of mine to find out the truth… So perhaps we could work together.” The two of them had both lost a parent around a year ago, but it was fortunate that Charlotte at least knew her mother was resting in a graveyard currently. Not knowing whether someone dear was dead or alive… She could not imagine how stressful that would feel. She squeezed Leo’s hand gently as she said with firm resolve, ”Either way, I promise I will help you find him.”

Leo’s eyes fell as she mentioned answers probably lay in Varian, where investigations had already been extensive and fruitless. With all the secrets held by the nobles here, he was sure one of them held a clue that could at least point in the right direction. He was about to simply agree with her and just ask her to forget the matter, but she continued to share her own suspicions about her mother’s death.

“I don’t think your mother would have ever chosen to leave you, her greatest source of pride. It would be an honor to help.” Leo said with sincerity. He was glad to hear Charlotte was still as interested in solving mysteries as she had been when they were children. “Consider the Vikena and Smithwood detective agency back in business, a slightly more important pair of cases than the missing cake caper or still unsolved mystery of who put all those toads in my mother’s shoe trunk. Well, the toad one was me, I thought we need some more exciting cases back then, and I suppose I should own up to my criminal past.” He added with a grin, remembering spending summers solving silly mysteries where more than a few of them had been orchestrated by him just to have something exciting to do when the palace got boring.

Charlotte was grateful he had voiced he had felt that way about Emina. She knew most others had simply believed that Lorenzo had been so unbearable that her mother couldn’t take it any more. His next statement made her laugh and she gave his shoulder a playful poke. ”Oh I can’t believe that was you! You had us on a wild goose chase for so long over those toads.” She shook her head, smiling, ”Ah nonetheless… If we are opening the Vikena and Smithwood detective agency back up, we will need to share what information we have so far.”

Charlotte then made a fist with her hand and moved it up to her face, pretending to hold a magnifying glass in hand as she widened one eye, ”You looked disappointed over my initial statement of the Varian Kingdom, so I can infer that you’ve already scoured it clean, but perhaps you might know more than you think. ”She returned her hand to where it belonged as their dance slowed in time with the decrescendo of the music. ”Probably best we discuss this not out here under other eyes and ears. We have yet to know the nature of all this…We’ll need a safehouse to convene.“ She then reminded him before he made the next possible joke, ”Better than a makeshift tent with a sheet and the dining room chairs… My house might be ideal?”

Leo chuckled as Charlotte poked his shoulder and shrugged. “I can’t believe you didn’t figure it out, who else had the motive? But it was a fun wild goose chase, along with a few others. Though perhaps I made a better criminal mastermind than I do a detective because I have,” Leo paused and made a zero with his hand, “nothing. Or Almost nothing which isn’t much better. But I have a good feeling about this, we won’t let them down.” He added with a smile, barely noticing how soft the music had gotten.

“And I think you're right, your house seems best. If we were seen trading secrets beneath a tablecloth tent, folks around here might get suspicious. Plus, your house always has the best snacks.” He said releasing her hand as the dance ended, and offering a formal bow. “Thank you for the dance, I look forwards to meeting with you soon, Detective Vikena.” Leo added, smiling.

”I have a good feeling about this too! Come over tomorrow afternoon and I’ll make sure we have the best snacks ready.” Charlotte then gave him a curtsy, ”Enjoy your evening, Detective Smithwood.”

Once at the balcony, Riona took off her ruined apron and used the parts that weren’t stained with wine to wipe said wine off of her face. Between wipes, the maid double-checked to see if there was anyone else present. Though there were none, she didn’t want to take any chances, so she led Callum to a corner of the balcony that was a blindspot from most eyes. For another person to see the two, they would have to walk out to the balcony or be spying on them from a specific spot in the ballroom.

She tossed her apron onto one of the benches and faced Callum. Riona stared at him, “Sorry beforehand if I ruin your clothes too. You look dashing in them, by the way. Absolutely miserable, but dashing.” She grabbed both of his arms, pulled him closer, and buried her face into his chest, letting out a long muffled scream. She needed to vent her anger somewhere. Since there was no pillow handy, however, Riona improvised. At least she didn’t punch or kick him like she did with the pillows.

She groaned. “Cal, remind me again why I haven’t blocked all the escape routes and set this place on fire?” Yet.

“Well, for one you’re a far better person than entirety of that viper pit and, two, it would be rather difficult to ensure that all innocent people made it out before the damn palace burnt to the ground. A third reason; Edin might well be an infernal demon from the bowels of hell and fire might not do the trick.” Cal spoke all three reasons as if they were all equally valid, and comfortably wrapped his arms around Riona in a hug.

Wine, inadventably, continued to soak into his clothes as well but it hardly mattered, there was a near endless stockpile of clothing inside the palace and it was all replaceable. He had given a small smile at the ‘dashing’ comment, dashing and useful was really all he was meant to be, like a nice piece of furniture or ornate decorative piece within the palace, currently, it seemed, he was only failing at being useful. Perhaps ruining the clothes would at least help him suceed in failing at both.

“And however will I recover my reputation, smelling of wine for the rest of the night? People might start to think I’m a drunkard.” He joked of his poor reputation with a small sense of pride. One day he’d have to find something better to live for than making his father’s life more difficult, but that day was yet to come. He kept a close eye on the balcony doors, knowing full well trouble would always be manageable for him and potentially devastating towards Riona.

She snorted at Callum’s list of answers. Two out of the first three reasons were up for debate, but she agreed that there were innocent people in there. To involve them would make her as despicable as King Edin. Yet the embers wondered, so what if she did? Fight fire with fire. Better people than she had tried and failed to oppose him without stooping to his level. How was a nobody supposed to go up against a king? She had nothing to her name, only the skills she acquired through the years. What if it was a necessary evil?

“Gods, I hate it when you talk sense… but… you’re right.” She sighed reluctantly before releasing the prince and taking a few steps back, assessing the damage. As to be expected, some of the wine transferred onto him. It was harder to see it on the darker colors, but there was no mistaking the small flecks of purple on the lighter colors. She reflexively rubbed the cloth with her thumb as if the wine was dirt rather than liquid soaked into the fabric. She noted what looked to be paper sticking out of his pocket, but she doubted it was rendered illegible. “You might have to give up on people’s image of you being a drunkard though. It’d be a hard sell if you’re covered in wine stains. Not to mention, you have a tavern named after you. Once they figure out you’re not the owner, people will think the tavern only needs you to keep business afloat.” Her fingers stopped the vain attempt to physically rub the stain away. Instead, she removed her hat and tossed it next to the apron. “If it makes you feel any better, you won’t be the only one labeled a drunkard by the end of this party.” The maid shivered at the image of the not-so-distant future, praying that it wouldn’t be as bad as midnight taverns.

“Thanks for the help out there. I might’ve lost my temper if you didn’t step in when you did.” As she expressed her gratitude, her brows furrowed by another thought. What was Callum doing there? Not that he wasn’t allowed to be specifically at that spot, but he wasn’t supposed to be there alone. “Aren’t you supposed to be mingling with the ladies? I thought you were assigned to one of Count Calbert’s daughters? Where is she? Did she ditch you?” Her eyes widened, “Did you ditch her?” Unlikely considering Callum’s disposition. Even if the dance was rigged for King Edin’s benefit, or Count Calbert’s for that matter, the Callum Riona knew wouldn’t have given his dance partner the cold shoulder just to ruffle King Edin’s feathers. He understood that they were being used as a pawn like he was by his father. He would never hold that against them.

“You’re welcome, but really I should’ve stepped in sooner. This is my home as well, and working here should not mean having to put up with that.” He shook his head, everything about this court was so woefully skewed by Edin’s cruel influence. He was a bit surprised to find her concerned that he was following his father’s instructions to the letter. He doubted Riona wanted to see the palace filled with more Danrose children or a satisfied grin on Edin’s face.

“It was arranged for me to dance with Violet, who did not want to dance. So I spoke with her for a bit, and later with her sister Crystal as well. Technically, I think I’ve fulfilled my mingling requirements for the night. Of course, Auguste and I both received the find a proper obedient wife talk, and Auguste has been assigned to court Beatrice, Varian’s princess. So far it seems he’s had no luck. Wulfric was dancing with Wystan, which I can’t imagine pleased father very much either. And Anastasia was lying on the floor for part of her dance, so it seems I will have plenty of company on Edin’s shit list after tonight.” Cal recounted much of what he’d seen throughout the night, smiling as he went over all his siblings had done to anger Edin tonight.

“Perhaps soon the time will come when his entire line is done with his shit and the stress alone causes the shriveled up raisin he calls a heart to fail. And you, are the last person I’d expect to want me focused on furthering the Danrose line.” He added and he offered the bottle of wine in his hand to Riona. He often found alcohol helped ease the frustration of having little control over one’s own life.

“And how has your night gone? Before recent events of course.” Cal asked, trying to gauge the decency of the rest of the guests inside, many of whom, especially those of Alidasht, he was unfamiliar with.

Riona spent half a second pondering if it was a good idea to drink right now before accepting the bottle from Callum. She already smelled like she was drinking on the job, what difference would it make if she actually did? She pushed the mouth of the bottle against her lips and tilted her head back, chugging the wine. She didn’t savor the taste of the vintage, just downed the liquid as if she hadn't had a drop of water in days. A terrible way to consume the wine, no joy in the act, and bordering on insulting to the winemakers who spent so much time and energy to create this one bottle. At least she drank it, unlike some other people. After taking a couple of large gulps, Riona sighed loudly and offered the bottle back.

“Are you actually interested in the fine details of cleaning after people? Because it’s really not that exciting. Downright boring when everyone isn't making a mess. You’re forced to stand around, waiting … and waiting, until something happens.” Riona pointed her finger at the prince, “Now if your real question is how’re our guests? Then I advise asking the staff that had to serve them. All I can say is that our Alidasht guests, especially the animals, have behaved better than a lot of our Caesonian nobles. Of course, they might just be restraining themselves for the party, but…” The dance with Shahzade Munir replayed in the back of her head, bringing forth a small smile, “So far, they aren’t too bad.” If Callum were to take his chances overseas by marrying one of the foreign guests, Alidasht might not be a bad option. It was far from Caesonian and they weren't afraid to fight off King Edin if it came down to it. Alidasht would have its own set of problems to deal with, but what country didn’t?

“And you, are the last person I’d expect to want me focused on furthering the Danrose line.” Her, wanting him to focus on furthering the Danrose line? Now that was the funniest thing she’d heard all night.

The maid’s chuckle turned into a hollow laugh. She waved her hand, “Sorry, sorry. I just… haha. Oh, Cal… Who said anything about procreating? I said mingle. You do know how babies are made, right? The birds and the bees? That whole spiel? Simply mingling with women won’t make them pregnant. Nor does getting married guarantee a child. Besides…” A prolonged silence followed her last word. Riona’s gaze drifted away to the night sky as she rubbed her arms.

Was Cal entirely interested in the fine details; did he need or want to know exactly how many things had been discarded onto the floor, how many glasses were broken, how much food had been spilled and wasted, all by those who thought themselves so much better than the rest of the world? No, but he was willing to listen if there was anything she needed to vent. But what she said Alidasht, was probably the highest praise he’d heard from Riona about any set of nobles so maybe this new group was not so bad.

“I can assure you I received a thoroughly repulsive talk on that subject from our king many many moons ago,” Cal said shaking his head as he took the bottle back from Riona. While it was likely awkward for all children to hear the sex talk from their parents, Edin’s delivery deserved to be a punishment in one of the deepest layers of hell.

“But that is the endgame for all this mingling. Edin hardly stays awake at night worrying about whether his children have found themselves a lovely group of friends. No, he sits around making lists of which asses he needs us all to kiss for him, and which ladies of the court will give him the most well-bred grandchildren. Talk to the wrong sort and he might just banish them out into the wilderness to die and call it mercy.” Cal added in as Riona paused to look up at the stars, guessing that if she was deep in thought, the words that were about to follow would be less lighthearted. He took a long drink as he waited for her to continue.

Her mouth moved to say something, then hesitated. “Callum,” she finally said, “you’re running out of time.” Her eyes locked on to his. “If you really want to escape this life… be free from Edin with as little political complications as possible… I don’t think you’ve much time left. As long as you stay here, you’ll be forced to marry, Cal. Don’t try to fool yourself by thinking otherwise. It might not be now or any time soon, but it will happen as long as he’s alive.” Maybe even after his death if the Danrose’s creed remained intact. It already outlived King Edin’s predecessors, it was unlikely to die along with him. “He’ll make sure you never join any monastery or any organization that forbids its members from getting married, in this country. He’ll chain you to your room if necessary. He’s a f**king dipsh*t, who doesn’t understand your worth as a person, but he’d never willingly give up a pawn he can take advantage of, no matter how rebellious you are… At the end of the day, he knows you won’t leave.” She took a few steps closer to Callum without averting her gaze, “Because you’re still here… In spite of all the things he’s done, you’re still standing here.” Which begged the question: why? Why was Callum still “here”? At the party; living in the castle; in Sorian, Caesonia; alive. Callum Danrose loathed his very own existence, cursed the blood that coursed within and the man who sired him, yet he was all of the above. What was keeping him here?

It seemed she too wanted to discuss everyone’s favorite subject; his poor choices. Coming from her, it did cut a bit deeper than from anyone else, but he also knew it didn’t come from a place of malice. The intensity of her eyes didn’t help, nor did the fact that everything she said was the sort of truth he knew and chose to ignore anyway. “Well, he’ll want Wulfric married first, he needs a proper heir. I’ve still got some time to figure something out.” He gave an awkward reply, and looked away and out towards the landscape visible from the balcony.

“And sure, I could leave, and then what? Be somewhere all on my own, with very little in the way of useful skills, always looking over my shoulder, never able to live a life that wasn’t a lie in some way. Best case scenario, I drink myself to death in some far away gutter. Doesn’t feel very free to have to lie and hide. At least here I have what I need, and enough free time to study magic.” He offered up an explanation in a quiet voice, but even as he said it he knew it wasn’t the whole truth, just one small factor. He drank again from the bottle, several long gulps that he needed if he was going to answer with the whole truth. He set the wine bottle down on the ground and walked over to the balcony, his hands studying the railing as he tried to put into words exactly what kept him in Sorien.

“I know they’re terrible, not just Edin, but all of us. I don’t even like them, most of the time, but sometimes they’re not so bad. Sometimes we feel like real siblings and that’s better than never at all. My mother, she does try, as much as she can, to make up for him. They are my family, I’m not going to get another one, and no matter where I go I’d still be one of them. Maybe it’s better to suffer with company than alone.” Did the occasional hug from his mother make up for his father’s abuse? Not really, but it was better than nothing. Sure all of his siblings had their faults but were they any worse than his? Another no. He belonged here with them; guilty by his own association, guilty of never having done anything meaningful to help the people of Caesonia, guilty of prospering from other’s pain.

“And if I left and somehow manage to find a good life outside of here, all of this still exists, nothing changes for the people of Caesonia, they still suffer. What right does a prince have to be happy, when so many of his people suffer?” Cal felt the sting of tears against his eyes, the pressure of all of it tight in his chest. He slouched against the banister, head hung low, and tried to subtly wipe the tears from his eyes. He wasn’t sure if it felt better to say it out loud or if it only made the truth sting more. “I don’t even know if there’s anything I can do to make any of this better, or if I just make it worse.”

A pang of guilt grabbed and twisted Riona’s heart in all directions at the sight of the prince's defeated frame. Tentatively, she placed her hand on his back and rubbed gently, attempting to soothe him. She wasn’t sure if the touch comforted him in any way, but it helped her from becoming overwhelmed by the prince’s torment. Every time he showed compassion for the common folk, Riona wondered if Callum was really a Danrose. When that happened, she asked the fates why Callum had to be King Edin’s child? Things would’ve been less complicated if he was just like his father, selfish and cruel. Then she wouldn’t have to feel anything except hate for him.

“And why do you stay here? Surely not because of your great loyalty and love for the royal family. There are better places to find work, better kingdoms to work in, and yet, here you are. Why don’t you want to be happy?” He asked taking a deep breath of the chilled air before lifting his head and turning back around to face her.

The last question startled Riona. The muscles in her body tensed up and she forgot to breathe. His question hit her harder than she wanted it to.

“Why don’t you want to be happy?” the stable boy asked. “Are you trying to punish yourself for something you had no control over? I’ve never met your parents, but I don’t think they’d want to live the rest of your life like this.” His hand, calloused and covered in dirt, reached over to her. “Let's get away from this place. You and me. We’ll find happiness together.” His words tempted the maid. She was struggling with doubts that festered for years and she was beginning to wish for freedom, to let the fires die for good. She took his hand, hoping that there was peace beyond the horizon. There was none to be had, however. When the boy was trampled to death weeks later, Riona believed it was a sign. She was never going to be happy. Edin’s death was the only thing she had to look forward to in life.

The lack of oxygen forced Riona to take in a shaky breath. She tightened the grip on her arm to regain composure. Slowly she whispered, “I’m here… because…” Her voice trailed off once again as she contemplated on what answer she’d give him. She could’ve lied or avoided the question altogether, but the look in his eyes made her reconsider. It was nothing tangible, only a feeling she got which compelled her to give him an honest answer —that or it was the alcohol kicking in. The simple truth was ugly as it was, so she chose to focus on the essence of the truth.

“I love my family,” she answered with a weak smile. It was no secret that Riona was an orphan, though she never elaborated on the details, she told Callum that her family was murdered. So her answer to his first question might’ve sounded out of place to him, but it was the heart of the matter and the most she was willing to reveal to him at that moment in time. Though there were days when she wanted all of it to end, Riona endured for her family. “And I’m… so scared of letting them down. If I left now or died today… then absolutely nothing would have changed since the day I came here. I-I…t-that can’t… ” The maid gasped sharply and turned her head up as if it would be enough to stop the tears from forming. “That’d suck,” she laughed between heavy breaths.

Cal wasn’t sure what he’d expected her response to be but what he got wasn’t anything he would’ve guessed. In Caesonia one was always expected to grin and bear it, no matter the pain, because emotional displays were unseemly. So it was awkward and unpractised to stand with some with no walls of his own, to watch theirs go down as well, and to exist in such an open space he’d never really found himself in before. And he had no words, there was nothing that he could do or say that would make the world feel any less awful and unjust. So he just listened, as she had done countless times for him, and he didn’t look away from her. Cal tried to do nothing that would make it seem like there was anything out of the ordinary for people to be this open.

Riona always seemed so effortlessly strong, so unbreakable and intense. He didn’t know how she kept it all up, going through so much, every day, working for them, smiling at them, at the same people who caused all of her pain. In all the years he’d known her he’d never seen a side this vulnerable, and she was not one to seek attention or sympathy, and all of that made seeing her like this so heartbreaking. Now, he saw all the effort her strength took, and it was even harder to understand how anyone could be that strong.

When she was positive that she wasn’t going to start crying, Riona faced the prince with a somewhat forced smile, “You have a better shot at changing things, Cal. All this talk about not being able to do anything or making things worse for everyone else sounds like the bullsh*t Edin likes to drill into your head.” Her fingers tapped Callum’s forehead in emphasis. “Why are you giving up before you even tried? Because Edin said so? Pssh, please. So what if you screw up and make things ‘worse’? Just try again then. Try until you get what you want. Mess up until you get it right, Cal.” Her smile turned softer, more genuine.

Riona took both of Callum’s hands into hers. She held one in the air while she guided his other hand to her back where she released it. Once she placed her free hand on his upper arm, the maid held the position.

Callum allowed his hands and arms to be moved with no resistance. One hand rested where she had placed it against her back, the other remained wrapped around hers. The music from inside could be softly heard slipping through the balcony doors, just enough to keep the rhythm and match her steps, but other than it was quiet. There was only the soft lighting from the night sky and the air was crisp, smelling faintly of the wine that clung to their clothes. Most of all, it felt entirely peaceful, with just enough distance from everything that remained inside for Cal to forget for a moment that the world inside the ballroom even existed.

“Do you remember when you got healthy enough to start taking dancing lessons? You were so bad at it so we decided to practice together? You stepped on my toes and we tripped each other so many times, I’m kind of surprised we still have feet to walk on. Don’t even get me started on the number of times you dropped me during a dip because I was too fat.” The exact word he used was “heavy,” but she chose “fat” instead to tease him. Callum was still a sickly boy at the time and had barely any strength to speak of. Of course, the girl was too heavy for him to hold. “Look at you now, you haven’t stepped on my toes or tripped even once. If this isn’t proof that people can learn from their mistakes, then I don’t know what is.”

“Riona,” and there were so many other things he wanted to say but couldn’t for countless reasons, “I never called you fat,” was what he went with, a slightly scoff at the word. “But I guess I was a whiny brat of a child, I could hardly blame someone if they wanted to throttle me,” he added, and his tone was light, as playful as it ever got, and there was no trace of a grudge in his words. “And I am grateful that you are here. You’re right, I think I have improved some since we last danced if you care to try again, I promise not to drop you.” He spoke with a sincere smile.

“I distinctly remember the last time you said that, I still hit my head on the floor. Theories are all well and good, dear scholar, but I want hard evidence. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.” Riona taunted. Mentally she simultaneously prepared herself for the dip so she wouldn’t be taken by surprise if it were to happen and for herself to hit the floor so that she could at least keep potential injuries to a minimum. It never hurt to be prepared for either scenario.

Cal paused for a moment, doubt slipping in, noting subtly changes in her form made it clear she still expected him to drop her. The pause only cause his footing to fall out of rhythm, the misstep turned his focus on avoiding Riona’s feet and he thought it might just be better for the both of them if he didn’t try and add anything else in. But Riona had always been more forgiving of his flaws than most. So once his footing was was again sound he lifted his arm just above her head and for a spin before releasing their lightly clasped hands and placing the now free hand against her back. Cal dipped Riona, keeping her close to him, and holding her parallel to the floor for a brief moment before pulling her back up without fail. “I guess I only had to mess up until I got it right. I’m glad my previous attempts never left you with any lasting head trauma, otherwise I might not get to hear such wisdom spoken in this palace.”

The prince’s steady hand on her back allowed Riona to feel safe enough to place her free hand over her forehead pretending to swoon when the dip came. As he held her weight, she glanced in Callum’s direction and grinned, before he pulled her back up. “Me too,” she simply said.

As the two continued to dance and banter, the voice in the back of Riona’s head scolded her for what she had done. None of that was supposed to happen. The carefully maintained distance between them threatened to be disrupted and both couldn’t let that happen for their own reasons. She blamed a lot of things for her lapse in judgment such as the drunk nobles who angered her in the first place and the wine that loosened her tongue enough to ask needless questions. Questions which led to Callum and Riona becoming more vulnerable than they intended to be, exposing wounds that bound them to Danrose castle. Callum may have made things complicated for Riona, but she made it even more difficult on herself by giving a damn when she knew that it would only hurt them more in the end. The words from the past repeated to her through the prince’s mouth reminded her of what she was doing here. She needed to refocus on what truly mattered.

“I forgot to ask. Are you planning to stay till the end of the party? You said you reached your mingling quota for the night.”

“I spoke mainly in jest and Edin is in a strange mood tonight, I think the guest from Alidasht have him on edge, seems like it would be a mistake not to try and get to know them better.” Cal knew better than to think he could just pop in and out of these events whenever he wanted, likely he had already been gone from his father’s sight long enough now as it was. “And after this there is another, informal, party to attend out by the docks.” He added glancing at the letter that peaked out from it’s pocket. He didn’t see any reason to hide anything from her; she knew far more damning secrets of his than underground parties. “Why? Is there someone you think I should be mingling with?” He asked.

So that’s what it is. She shook her head, “No, nothing like that. But now I know that I’m going to have to check your room later to make sure you’re back before anyone else who’ll rat you out notices. So please try to be back before sunrise?” If the paper in his pocket was an invention it usually meant Princess Anastasia was or wanted to be involved. The maid’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Doubly so if Anastasia is going with you. I don’t want to drag two drunks to their beds in the dead of night without attracting too much attention, clean Gods knows what off them, and change their clothes before my shift even starts… ever again. Seriously, Cal. Never again. Be back by dawn.”

“Back before the sun, quiet as a mouse, no messes. I’ll make sure Anastasia does the same. Hand to the Gods. And I am entirely capable of changing my own clothes.” Cal promised raising one hand up to the sky and he meant it. Truthfully he’d probably do just about anything Riona asked of him, because of all his flaws his most damaging was how attached he found himself to anyone who was kind to him. Entirely desperate to have people like that around him even while knowing how it left him easy to influence or manipulate. Not that he’d ever held any doubts in his trust in Riona, among all the people he knew she was among the most honest.

Riona’s ears detected the sound of steady footsteps approaching, warning her that someone was making their way to the balcony. She tapped Callum’s arm in warning and stepped closer to whisper in his ear, “Incoming.” Her foot took one step back as she added, “Thanks for the break. It was fun.” Riona gently squeezed his hand that held hers before completely stepping away. Once a respectable distance away from the prince, the maid lowered her head, “Of course, your Highness. It will never happen again.”

The new arrival turned out to be another servant holding a hot towel in one hand and a stack of folded white cloths in the other arm —most likely a clean set of gloves, apron, and bonnet for Riona. They bowed to their prince in greeting and waited patiently for the exchange between Callum and Riona to end.

Cal gave only a sad smile as she tapped his arm and warned him, held onto her hand a little tighter at the same time she had squeezed his before letting go and letting walls and distance return. The doors to the balcony opened up and it was no longer a place that felt any different from the rest of the palace; a place where no one could really be or do as they wanted. He only nodded and snatched the wine bottle back up from where it rested on the floor. “Good, see that it doesn’t.” He tried to sound official but his words only managed to come out hollow. He gave a nod and forced a polite smile to the other servant before heading back inside, bring the bottle to his lips and finishing the contents before placing the empty vessel on a serving table.

Time: During the second dance
Mentions: @Helo Leo @Tae Thea @Mole Felix @Rodiak Nahir

---

Valerie wrapped her arms around the blue-eyed duchess, her arms around her waist as the soft sound of the piano caressed their ears. The lovely brunette had her hair in a bun and wore a red dress that complimented her eyes ever so well. Yet no matter how well she looked, glares were cast in her direction. It had not taken long over the last year for rumors of what had happened to go from one kingdom to another. The ever opinionated Duke Feralt was difficult to forget. He had always made his appearance well known at every ball. His absence as well as the Duchess Emina's was a looming feeling that all the guests could feel in their bones, even a year later. Valerie, a lady-in-waiting who had been there in Duchess Alice's grief, was the victim of rumors. Valerie had heard the whispers all night long.

"She murdered Duke Feralt to be with Duchess Alice."

"That Valerie does not even yearn for women I'm certain, she's just a power-hungry snake."

"Alice better keep watch over her offspring before Valerie kills them too."

"Such a pretty little song. Are you certain you do not long to dance with me?" Valerie had asked softly in her ear, leaning her on Alice's shoulder.

Alice pulled a hand that was about her waist up to her lips to give the back of it a gentle kiss. She then held the hand close to her body as if it were the dearest thing in the world."My love you know I'd dance with you as even the world crumbles beneath our feet... but I want tonight to be about my children. I want to see that they are happy tonight. "

"Is that why we let Thea dress like that?... Again?" Valerie comfortingly gripped the hand she held, "You're an incredible mother, Alice, but I am afraid you can only let this go for so long. "

With a sigh, Alice shook her head, "I've been letting things go with the both of them. I had been possibly overbearing, controlling their every move and making sure they did not have even a hair out of place. But once Feralt disappeared... It feels as if I lost them too. I have dreams of them running away from me as I reach out. Further and further away..."Her voice cracked and her eyes brimmed with tears. Valerie hugged her close, "I thought maybe if I give them their space, go easier on them, that with time they'd heal but my sweet Thea just seems to drift more and more away every day."

"Thea..."Valerie breathed her name with sadness as her eyes fell on the beautiful yet underdressed woman as she danced with Prince Felix. She watched Alice's head turn in the same direction. "He'll be good for her, Alice. She just needs someone to fill the hole in her heart."

"...I know he would have loved the kind and gentle girl I raised, but I worry that he will misunderstand her current behavior and not see that girl."Alice told her wife, "With her fragile disposition of late, I dread what a heartbreak could do to her. "

"If Prince Felix does not see how wonderful Thea is, then maybe he is not worth his salt."Valerie gently took her shoulders and turned her around about by her shoulders to meet her gaze. She smirked at Alice, "Thea is stronger than you think and she is also stronger than she thinks. Like mother like daughter, you both have a fire within that cannot be put out so easily... She's going to be okay, Alice, you just need to reach out and...perhaps lay down some boundaries once again. She may be an adult now, but as long as she's under your roof, you have the right to set rules."

Alice looked over Valerie's shoulder at Thea. She seemed to actually be enjoying the dance with Felix more than she had expected. "But if what setting rules pushes her further away from me?"

"Give a little, take a little then. Set some guidelines and offer some freedoms. Everyone loves a compromise."

The Duchess exhaled her stress. "She has taken upon all the freedoms she practically could. I have no idea of what to offer her."Her tone became a bit of a groan. "I'll have to think on this."She turned about to the dance floor once again and let her eyes search for her son.

"I will think on it as well. With my miraculous, one-of-kind brain, you have nothing to fret over." Valerie managed to get a giggle out of Alice with that one.

"Look, there's Leo." Alice nodded her head in her son's direction, "He's with Lady Charlotte." If Thea had been hard to reach, Leo had been perhaps even harder. He had been cross with her for moving on after his father's disappearance and she could understand why. Still, her heart ached to have a relationship with her son again.

Valerie looked the black-haired girl up and down for a moment, "That's the girl from earlier right? Daughter of Duke Lorenzo? I recall he had stood up to join her side to introduce himself." She nudged Alice,"The question beckons: is she worth her salt?"

"She was very close with both my children when they were all young. What a bundle of sunshine she was, always so polite and full of energy...Thea and her were certainly the golden girls. Then just as my children had when their father passed, she changed. Though she still spoke to my children from time to time up until a year ago, when her mother also passed away." Seeing confusion cross Valerie's face, Alice further explained, "Duke Lorenzo is her mother's second husband."

Valerie could not help but grimace, "Yikes. Does she have any siblings? Do not tell me that poor soul was left with only the company of that Duke Lorenzo.." Alice nodded and Valerie sighed, "How bizarre children born into such wealth could live such tragic lives....I understand her backstory and all but still the question... Is she worth her salt...?"

Alice glanced at Valerie and shrugged her shoulders, "After seeing how much my own children could change, I have no idea what kind of person that young woman is or if my son even is looking for a wife in her. All I know is that they are friends and despite her little display earlier, I might even prefer it be kept that way."

"...Really?"Valerie asked.

"I feel certain that Prince Felix will provide Thea with stability she needs. Leo also requires stability and..."Her voice lowered as she met Alice's eyes, "He requires power and opportunity. Charlotte cannot provide him that in her position. Her hands are tied until the Duke dies. However, he danced with a Shehzadi from the Alidasht earlier and that... That is more promising. Leo is similar to his father. He will be happier doing what benefits his status. "

Valerie was silent a moment before asking, leaning over and getting in Alice's face, "So is the Sheh-za-whatever worth her salt?"

Alice pushed her face away with a laugh, "Stop with that already!"

---

Anastasia pleasantly sung as she took Wystan’s hand and eagerly began leading him over to the dessert table. It was easy to keep up a facade of her energetic self. Behind that sweet song of hers was a mess of emotions. If she were to reveal such a thing, it would cause the watchdog to worry. Thus, she had decided she’d just try to pretend the cocktail of fear and longing was simply not there. Avoiding her issues was essentially a hobby of hers, so it was easy enough for her to shove them into the back of her mind for now.

The sight of beautiful cakes was a tremendous help. Oh you glorious, beautiful distraction. She thought with adoration as she put her hands behind her back and leaned over to admire the view.

Following closely behind, Wystan had resumed his ever-observant state with increased vigilance since the end of the second dance. Everyone would understandably be tired, and thus such a time was perfect for unsavory encounters to occur. The watchdog subsequently kept a close surveillance on the various pairings that dispersed from the dancefloor, where they were each headed, and the gaps in between the crowd to gain sight on the idle folk within the ballroom. Entrances and possible exits were swept over with familiar ease, noting their locations and that they were free from obstructions, before moving on to confirm all the positions of all the nobles he’d gathered intel on. First the Caesonians, the Varians, and then the guests from Alidasht. All seemed to be well within view, save for the few by the balcony. Curious. Nothing happened beyond there to alert the crowd, but still something to note.

Lastly, where the Danroses were situated. Princess Anastasia, by his side. Prince Wulfric, leaving the dancefloor with Shehzadi Mayet. Prince Callum, departing from the middle with Riona. Lastly, Prince Auguste, evidently approaching soon after his concluding chat with an unknown female character– an observation duly acknowledged. Near contact with the second prince meant she was someone he would need to look into later.

With all seemingly in order, Wystan moved his watchful gaze over the dessert table to carefully survey the food. ”Quickly now, they might run away.” He smiled at Anastasia, before moving to her side. It was in his plan to taste any of the food she chose before her– an additional yet highly important precautionary measure that was necessary for gatherings with this number of attendants.

Anastasia had giggled at Wystan’s words and replied playfully, ”I am now imagining the cakes growing little legs then hopping off the table. Moments later those sweet babies would be lost in the crowd… What a tragedy that would be. ” Before Wystan would be able to reply, a voice would startle them.

Ezra had stayed near his table during the dances. Silently he had seethed as he watched his girl and this pathetic and ugly looking dog, dancing. He had made sure to avert his gaze whenever the dog faced him so he wouldn’t know. Once or twice, however, he had managed a mischievous smirk to dance across his face. It was his luck now that the dances were ending that he could showcase his baked goods. Ezra was about to stand up and introduced himself to King Edin - and noticed he had … other plans. Rolling his eyes, Ezra moved over to the table to sulk. However, fortune had paid him a visit: the lady and her pathetic dog were coming over. Ezra stood for a moment, frozen, but her singing voice raced through his head, and would live rent-free. He grinned as they approached, giddy like a child on Christmas.

”Welcome!” He greeted them cordially as he bowed to them both, but faced Anastasia more. He grinned as he straightened up and met the beautiful girl’s gaze. For a moment his breath hitched; then he remembered his place and relaxed. It was now or never. Five years of hard work would finally pay off. ”I hear you’re interested in the cake. I own the bakery on Fifth street. I baked all of this.” He gestured to the numerous cakes, all different flavors; there was chocolate, vanilla, strawberry shortcake and red velvet. He’d made cupcakes too. Ezra smiled as he continued: ”What would the princess like?” He took her hand and politely kissed it, ignoring Wystan.

Anastasia met the gaze of the happy man, giving him a warm smile as he welcomed them. It was always exciting to talk to someone new. However, the more she took in the sight of this man, the more she felt uneasy. He was familiar somehow… She hadn’t noticed her hand twitch in Wystan’s direction as she had contemplated it for only a moment. But then she recalled her emotions were a little on the heightened side right now and she was most likely being silly.

I shouldn’t be rude to a baker this talented. His stuff looks so yummy that I am probably going to be visiting his bakery. Gotta be on good terms with him! Her gaze followed his gesture to each cake, which she found herself then distracted by the wondrous sights. “Ooooo woooweee…These are amazing. Look at those frosting flowers…”

Then he took her hand and kissed it.

She blinked in surprise. Her mind had been so zoned in on the cakes that it had caught her off guard. After a pause, Anastasia giggled, “You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you? … Strawberry shortcake for sure!”

Besides Anastasia, Wystan remained calm and absolute. While there was truly no need to have his own hand kissed, the bodyguard took note of the baker’s minute gestures and general demeanor towards their collective presence. The man’s introduction comprised of a rather focused, yet affable greeting towards the princess (as proper) and complete disregard for himself as a retainer - a common attitude that suggested an inclination to either quickly cozy up to nobility, stay indifferent to servants, or both. In time, however, it became clear to Wystan that the man was fond of the princess, a detail the watchdog was able to confirm by observing the unmistakable look in his eyes as he spoke to Anastasia. An uncomfortable, yet minor detail for now, but one he would stay mindful of for future reference as he simply nodded in respect to the dessert spread.

”Not as charming as these delights are.” He grinned in response. Ezra cut her a piece of the strawberry shortcake, placed it on a lacy plate, and handed it to her. Remaining calm, Ezra glanced this time at Wystan. He studied him carefully while Anna was distracted by the cake. The way the man studied him while whatever miniature brain cells he had, worked in overdrive, told Ezra enough about him.

For now he’d be meticulous; five years of hard work would not go out the window. Besides, there were others he had to be wary of too. He’d have to remember to ask Torie to find out more about this… dog. Ezra despised dogs…. But soon this one would be without its leash. ”And what would you like, sir?” His voice was calm and sincere as he met his gaze for a moment. There was nothing about Ezra’s expression or body language that portrayed animosity.

Wystan’s eyes were narrowly pinned to the cake that landed too quickly in the princess’ hands and missed the baker’s question. "Please excuse me, Your Highness, I will need to taste it first.” As per standard procedure. The bodyguard began to reach for his own fork.

Anastasia grinned, slightly biting her bottom lip in focus as she took up the fork he was reaching for. She then scavenged up a generous piece of her cake and faced Wystan. Her other hand went under hers to avoid crumbs spilling on him as she moved it towards his mouth, “Here you gooo, darling!”

”...” Wystan uncharacteristically blinked his eyes wide in surprise. A hard blush threatened to creep up on him then, so in quiet alarm, he forced himself to focus solely on the feel and texture of the cake. Because surely he must have misheard her. Or perhaps it was a slip of the tongue - it was a rather common nickname she used to refer to other people, after all. ”T-thank you, Your Highness. Ahem.” The watchdog cleared his throat lightly then gave her a nod in gratitude to do all of three things: compose himself, signal his thanks, and confirm that the cake was indeed not poisoned. Then, he turned to the baker. ”...It is quite good, sir.”

The scenario before him went from being a dream, to a nightmare, in the span of five seconds. Panic settled in. Did she like this dog? Was she that dense? A cold sweat formed over him. While the duo were distracted, Ezra stared hopelessly. His jaw nearly dropped, but he regained control of his muscles. There were too many people here to react this way. He simply put his hands in his pockets to clench his fists. When the dog finally digested the precious cake he’d meant to give to Anna, Ezra’s expression was calm and collected. There wasn’t any sign of any anger or animosity. ”I am delighted to hear that!” He grinned at them both and bowed cordially. When he straightened up, his eyes were on Anastasia.

”Would this miss be allowed to try a piece now? She seemed pretty excited and I wouldn’t want to burst her bubble.” He smirked as he faced Wystan now. An opponent… An annoying and challenging one, but an obstacle that would be removed. He would have to ask Torie for another favor; the bitch owed him anyway….. ”I’d be delighted if you tried more of my cakes! They shouldn’t go to waste, right?” He inclined his head to Anna while glancing between them both.

”Oh yes! Here I go!” Anastasia took a bite next and her eyes flashed with intensity. Her expression lit up as she chewed it and she looked at Ezra, ”What! No way! This is the best cake I’ve ever had!” If he had gone to all this work, she certainly couldn’t waste his amazing cakes. She cut herself a slice of the chocolate to taste that as well, layering it on top of another piece. ”Mmm, mm, mmm!” She had the fork still in her mouth, smiling with her eyes closed as she swayed slightly in a happy dance.

Ezra grinned now, his panic lowering. She enjoyed the cakes and even had more. He stifled his laughter and passed it as a cough. ”Oh my goodness. I didn't expect you to eat so much! You’ll get a stomachache!” It did not matter though, as the seed had been planted. He managed to let out a few jovial laughs and nodded. ”Careful you don’t fall down, Princess. History tends to repeat itself.”

Wystan furrowed his eyebrows ever so slightly at the baker’s remark. History tends to repeat itself? Up until this point, he had set aside the man’s ingratiating tendencies and even managed to grow a smile over the princess’ childlike innocence over the delicacies. However, that comment could not be overlooked so simply. As he hovered a hand behind the princess to keep her from losing balance, he analyzed the possibilities before them– both of which left a repulsive aftertaste the more he turned them over in his mind.

As far as the watchdog knew, this would be their first time meeting. Neither Anastasia nor himself knew the man’s name, in fact. There was no history involved between the baker in question and the princess. Or at least, there should not have been. At this implication, though barely-there, the bodyguard clenched his fist, assigning this concern a significant priority in his reports for later review. This evening, he would need to communicate with his contacts in the underground to gather intel on the so-called bakery on Fifth Street.

The second probability meant that the baker had witnessed the princess during her dance with the cowlicked blond. Even so, despite the scene itself being one that was difficult to miss, it is the baker’s job to stay vigilant over their menu. Being asked to contribute for a royal event was not easy as not only does the food have to be decent– it needs to remain safe. Drugged food was not a rare occurrence, and more often than not, blame fell onto the chef managers in charge, resulting in less than savory results for the contributor’s career. Surely, this was the standard, as even the watchdog himself would often instruct event contributors to keep watch over their own tables - for their own sakes, if not for commendations from the guests. So, what was this baker in particular doing, letting his eyes wander and then settle so attentively on the princess? Even at this time?

”...The cake must be good, Your Highness. Be careful, unless you’d like for me to act as your crutch for the rest of the evening.” Wystan teased with a smile, all signs of suspicion hidden under a face of steel.

Anastasia barely heard either of them as she nommed a few more bites. However, Wystan’s words did eventually register and she glanced at him, tripping over her words, “I would- I mean I’m good-...”She gasped as a thought crossed her mind, “Ooooh that gives me an idea!”She set her plate down with an audible clink of the china.”I bet my brothers would love this cake. I should summon them.” She pursued her lips thoughtfully as her gaze gradually searched the crowd.

Her expression fell and she suddenly looked very sad. ”Oh no… I am short.”Anastasia randomly complained out of context. But before the men could be too confused, she turned to them and asked. ”Can either of you pick me up on your shoulders, please? If it’s not too vexing, that is.”

”...On our shoulders?” Wystan inquired, a little concerned about the attention it would draw to the princess. Indeed, there was such a risk. After all, he himself was not sure of every single person’s motive present in the ballroom. Even still, he was in no doubt that at least a good number of them were unsavory. Erring on the side of caution, he proposed a suggestion. ”It certainly would not be vexing at all, Princess.” As a person who was more than capable of carrying two Anastasias, he was confident in his assurance. ”But… perhaps may I suggest I go look for them with you, instead? I’m sure they can’t be all that far.” The bodyguard’s words were coupled with a look– one that said: for your own safety.

Ezra glanced between them, studying their reactions. The furrowed brow of the watchdog made him smirk, though he didn't show it. He was cordial and even laughed at his comments. The idea of inviting the brothers was welcomed. Anastasia's proposition made him blink with surprise. ”I don’t think that would be wise, Princess.” As much as he’d enjoy antagonizing the watchdog, he knew it would be unwise. Instead, however, he offered her his hand. ”We could go with you and find them together. How’s that?” He glanced back at the cake with a sad frown. ”.....I just hope the cake isn’t gone before they find it! This is quite the dilemma isn’t it?”

Anastasia was thoughtful about the choices presented to her. She could take both their hands and merrily skip toward each brother together. She fantasized with a smile over the adorable image in her head. But then Ezra brought up a good point. If they left, other people would eat the cake then her brothers wouldn’t have any to eat. After a moment of careful deliberation, she made a firm decision to start climbing on top of a nearby empty table. She stood up on it and began looking through the crowd, putting a hand over her eyes to focus her vision. Then she started to wave down each brother one by one, attempting to catch their gaze. She first found Auguste, then Callum, and finally Wulfric. If she could not catch their eye, she planned to next start hollering across the ballroom. People were starting to stare at the elevated princess as she was garnering a lot of attention as she waved her arms about.

If one wasn’t as quick-witted and adaptable as he, they wouldn’t have known how to act. The grin on his face couldn’t be hidden now. He glanced around to the back of the table and held up a hand for her to hold. ”Please don’t hurt yourself over the cake, Princess.” He eyed the floor and wondered if she injured herself, could he blame her guard?

Sometimes in life, one encounters other people who are impossible to please. Everything one did was wrong in the eyes of these people. One’s success was their greatest fear and one’s failures tasted sweeter than honey. For Ryn, or rather the Hendrix family, those people were Duke and Duchess Lesdeman of Puerto Vira, Erwynn’s closest neighbor. According to his grandparents, this had not always been the case. When the Hendrixes were merely one of many merchants in Varian, they presented the family with business opportunities and connections. The Lesdemans benefited most from these exchanges, of course, but there was no denying that they played a role in the growth of Crosswinds Tradings. Things started to change when the company grew a little too big for the Lesdemans’ tastes. Though they were never openly hostile, they began interfering with the family business in various ways, some more subtle than others. The one and only time the Lesdemans publicly opposed the Hendrixes was when the royal family was considering ascending the merchant family into nobility. The Lesdemans lodged a complaint to the Varian crown, declaring the Hendrix family unfit to rule over any land. Fortunately for the Hendrixes, everyone else disagreed, and the title of Count was bestowed upon Fritz Hendrix. Ever since, relations with the Lesdemans became ever more complicated.

As the leader of a Dukedom, Ryn knew that one or both of the Lesdemans would be participating in the annual gathering so he steeled himself for an awkward meeting. While he was mingling with the nobles, he spotted Duchess Lesdeman but found no signs of her husband. She too must have noticed Ryn, because every attempt Ryn made to properly greet her, she managed to evade him. The count understood why she was disinclined to converse with him and he had no real desire to talk to her himself. He could not, however, leave the ball without properly greeting her lest she used it as an excuse to complain about him. So he waited for the opportune moment to approach her.

The moment came when Ryn found her distracted and unaware of his presence. He armed himself with a practiced smile and a chipper voice as he opened his arms towards the duchess’s direction, “Oh my, is that you Duchess Lesdeman?” he said loud enough that those around the duchess witnessed his arrival. When she turned her attention to him, Ryn gasped, “It is! Fortune smiles upon me, I am happy to see you here, Your Grace.” He bowed theatrically, “It has been far too long! How do you fare?”

This evening, Duchess Francesca Lesdeman had been searching for a nice young gentleman who could dance with her innocent yet misguided daughter. She had heard from other mothers of a knight from Varian, whom Francesca thought could be a fine fit for her daughter. An assertive man, one in command was sure to handle and tame her Zarai. Instead, she found herself facing that Hendrix boy. She'd been avoiding the man ever since spotting him during her entrance to the ball and ever since she'd been trying to avoid this situation altogether.

"Count Hendrix," Francesca's voice was melodic and welcoming, but her cold eyes betrayed the sweet words that poured out of her mouth. "Far too long, indeed." She could see other nobles around them looking in their direction; there was no other option than to go along now. "Excellent! How have you been faring? I hope your family and business are faring well."

Not far from them, Zarai stood by the dance floor, eyes still on the commotion, until she saw Prince Callum step in and defuse the situation. She still had to say hello to the Princes and Princess of Caesonia; Anastasia would be upset if she did not stop by to at least say hello- and her mother would think it rude. Eyes still on the youngest Prince, she followed him with her eyes until she spotted a somewhat familiar figure standing with her mother.

"What. The. Fuck." Zarai's heart sank to her stomach watching Fritz, a commoner man she'd befriended months ago during one of her visits to a tavern in Erwynn. It couldn't be; her eyes must have been deceiving her. She took one step forward, but the image of her mother's angry voice filled her mind and forced her foot back. No, it couldn't be.

But the more she looked at him, the more she was sure that it was, in fact, Fritz.

“It is, it is, and it is all thanks to House Lesdeman. Your family’s contribution was paramount to its success. I believe I would not be exaggerating by saying that I wouldn’t be standing here tonight if it were not for you and your husband. Words are not enough to express how grateful we are.” Ryn looked around the ballroom, pretending to search for the duke, “Is Duke Lesdeman here too? I absolutely must convey my—…” His eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face and froze, “Deepest…” A face that he didn’t expect to see here, of all places. “Gratitude.” Luz.

The individual Ryn knew by the name of Luz stood in the distance dressed in a lavish attire befitting a Lady, a far cry from the usual clothes he had become accustomed to seeing her in. Based on her physique, specific mannerisms, and occasional slip of the tongue, Ryn suspected that she hailed from a well-to-do family, however, it never occurred to him that she was wealthier, more influential than she led him or the other tavern patrons to believe. A high-born.

Francesca gripped her fan with both hands, glad that the silk gloves covered the discoloration of her knuckles. "Of course, we are most impressed and overjoyed at the rapid success of your family, Count Hendrix. We are so very proud to have been a part and hope we can continue to form such strong bonds." She smiled sweetly at the count as the ornate fan in her hands began to twist slightly. "Duke Lesdeman decided to stay back in Puerto Vira to take care of business." The Duchess arched an eyebrow at his pause.

Behind her, Zarai's eyes narrowed when she saw recognition on his face. Before she knew it, she slowly made her way to them. Fritz, or who she thought was Fritz, looked far from a commoner, but so must she. Zarai had no idea what she would say to him or her mother. Why was he talking to her mother? Did they know each other? Had she sent him to spy on her?! Had he, someone she had grown to consider a friend, just been a plot from her mother to keep a close eye on her during her trips out?!

Her steps became quicker the more she questioned his involvement with her mother and the more she cursed herself for falling for such a ploy.

It took a bit of effort on Ryn’s part to tear his gaze away from Luz to face the duchess. Right before he succeeded in doing so, he noted the change on Luz’s face. At first, there was shock, a sentiment Ryn shared wholeheartedly, yet the scowl that followed soon after was unexpected. Did he do something to her recently to warrant the glare? As far as he could recall, the answer was no. This, unfortunately, did not change the fact that she looked very cross with him and approaching fast. Considering Luz’s temper at the tavern, he doubted this would be pleasant. In front of Duchess Lesdeman no less, the one woman in this room who would use anything and everything against him. What to do…

“Forgive me, Your Grace. I must have spaced out there for a moment. It is just that… This is so overwhelming.” He sighed deeply, placing both of his hands over his chest, as if he was trying to still his racing heart, “I truly cannot believe we made it this far. It all feels like a dream.” The count lifted his hands and pointed them to the general direction of the ball, “Absolutely breathtaking.” He turned to a random group of nobles nearby without lowering his hands, “Do you not agree?”. The group of nobles who had no part in the conversation up to this point, caught off guard, stared at the count in confusion, but politely smiled and nodded in agreement. He smiled back at them and he held his arms tightly behind his back as he turned to the duchess, faintly aware that Luz was only a few strides away from them. “Truely, a dream that House Lesdeman made into reality. It is a pity Duke Lesdeman could not be present tonight. Will he be joining later in the week? Perhaps we can meet after he arrives so I can properly thank the both of you?” He firmly planted his feet to the ground, ready for whatever was to come. He only hoped that if Luz was going to hit him, that she would go easy on him.

As unusual as it seemed, there was a reason for the dramatic display: to show exactly where his hands were located when Luz confronted him. Ryn resigned himself to being punched in front of the duchess. There was really not much he could do to stop Luz if she wanted to hit him. Though it would be an uncomfortable experience, to put it mildly, there was only one thing that he needed to protect at this moment in time and that was Count Fritz Hendrix’s reputation. Ryn and his family knew very well the lengths the Lesdemans took to tarnish the Hendrix name. More than once have they twisted the truth, ever so slightly, to portray the Hendrixes in an unflattering light. Had Ryn’s hands been anywhere but behind him if ‌Luz hit him, there was no doubt in his mind that there would be rumors about Count Hendrix assaulting a Lady —who justly defended herself by striking him back— circulating through the guests by the end of the party. So he made sure that there were eyewitnesses and, more importantly, that the duchess knew others were watching as well.

The Duchess looked at the count with a bewildered expression. While not out of character, his actions were, in fact, a tad strange. Count Hendrix, for Francesca, was no doubt an odd man, one that she would consider a scoundrel and opportunist. Though, she never considered him one to be into the theatrics- from what she had seen so far. His actions, however, seemed to her like he was trying to gain some sort of ground with her following the over-the-top flattery.

"You flatter us, Count." Francesca's hands continued to wring the fan as he continued, even bringing in some lesser nobles into their conversation. "Unfortunately, he will not be joining us this week. However, my husband will be-"

"Mother." Zarai stepped beside her mother, gloved hands folded in front of her. Though her expression had somehow softened, much like her mother, Zarai's eyes remained cold. "I see you found a dance partner for me." She flashed an innocent smile at her mother, the years of lying and deceiving her seemed to pay off when the Duchess took no notice or indication that Zarai knew the count. However, she did notice the change in her mother's face. "Would you ever be so kind as to introduce us?" She grinned at Fritz, much as she did before landing a punch at some drunkard's face.

Ryn’s hands gripped his arms tighter behind his back, but his face returned the smile with ease. A beat later he realized he almost missed something important. Did she say “mother”?

The Duchess, despite the bubbling in her stomach, smiled. She could not scold her daughter, not in front of the Count or the other nobles around them. Years of shielding her oh-so innocent daughter from what the Hendrix were; a bunch of thieves, liars, and no good-for-nothing family. And now, her Zarai was finally going to meet the man she had been warning her about; the awful Hendrix boy.

"Count Fritz Hendrix, this is my daughter Zarai Lesdeman. Zarai, this is Count Fritz Hendrix." Francesca said in a tight voice.

What?

"Wha-" Zarai cleared her throat, completely taken back by the introduction. "I mean, it is a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you, Count Hendrix." She curtsied, smile still in place despite the shock in her eyes. He was the Fritz? The man who her parents always warned her about? The one villain in her parent's stories? The Fritz who loved to sing and dance and drink-- at least one thing was clear now. The Duchess had not sent him to spy on her.

Ryn studied the young woman in front of him with fresh eyes. During the many visits to Puerto Vira and social events that the Lesdemans participated in, the one person the Hendrixes were unable to meet was the ever-elusive heir to Puerto Vira, Lady Zarai Lesdeman. Every single time they her questioned her absence, the duke and duchess had an explanation prepared: she was ill, she had lessons or an important event to attend to, she was traveling, et cetera. Even if all the reasons were true, Ryn knew they had no intention of introducing their precious daughter to the Hendrixes. Not when they put the extra effort of hiding all imagery that depicted her from their sight. Little did they know that their plan had failed long before this party. Or did they? Was it truly a coincidence that Luz walked into that tavern that night? Would the duke and duchess use their only child for espionage? Unlikely did not mean it was completely out of the realm of possibilities.

Ryn relaxed his body to bow, “It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance, Lady Lesdeman. I have heard much about you from your parents. You are as lovely as your mother described you to be… and then some.”

And then some? Zarai rolled her eyes when her mother wasn't looking.

"Of course she is," Francesca said through a tight smile, too focused on her own growing rage to catch her daughter's small slip. She did not want to appear rude to the other nobles around them, and there was nothing else she could do but watch her precious daughter now dance with the very man she had so meticulously tried to keep her away from. While she knew it would happen eventually with their territories and business intertwined, both the Duchess and Duke had hoped for a later meeting. One where Zarai was already married and under control. Nonetheless, Francesca motioned Zarai to step closer to the count, and like a good lady, she followed her mother's orders.

Zarai stepped closer, and without waiting for the Count of Erwynn to offer his arm, she hooked their arms together and pulled him towards the dance floor. Only stopping to wave back at her mother briefly before continuing on. Once they were far enough from her mother, Zarai glanced up at Fritz. "Count Hendrix, huh?" She turned to face him when they reached their spot, arms up and ready for him to take his position.

“Yes, Lady Zarai Lesdeman, future duchess of Puerto Vira. I am, in fact, Count Fritz Hendrix, your friendly neighbor from Erwynn. Quite the promotion from a merchant is it not?” He took his position and began to lead her in the dance. Their movements were mechanical; automatic and perfectly executed, but no enthusiasm or spontaneity from either dancer. It was obvious that neither of their hearts were into it. Ryn was more invested in what Luz had to say for herself than the dance itself.

“I must admit, I had not expected to see you here, Lady Lesdeman. I was under the impression that you abhorred this type of gathering, preferring a more… casual setting. Does your mother know about your favorite pastime?” The count did not drop the formal tone even though he was aware Duchess Lesdeman was too far away to hear their conversation. He did it because he sensed an accusation in Luz’s voice. As if he was the only one who lied about, or at the very least hid, their true identity. Could it be that he was merely projecting onto her? What a hypocrite that would make him.

"Quite a large promotion indeed." Zarai kept her tone calm and relaxed, primarily thanks to her little smoke break on the roof. The effects of the drug were slowly enveloping her mind with its effect. The initial shock had pumped enough adrenaline into her bloodstream to sober her up momentarily, but it was fast dissipating now.

"Count, if my mother knew of my excursions, I would not be standing before you, enjoying this lovely dance together. I would most likely be shut in my room like the Damien girls." She continued, "Or far worse, here in Caesonia serving as a lady in waiting for Queen Alibeth and around the waste of oxygen these people call a king." Zarai tried to keep her eyes on his, even as the timed spin came; she did her best to maintain eye contact with Fritz. Sadly, she couldn't hold his gaze without thinking of the many nights at the tavern together singing and playing their instruments until their fingers couldn't anymore. The shared laughs in the candlelight, unaware of who they were, just of who they wished to be at that moment.

So she wasn’t sent to spy on us then. There was a great sense of relief when Luz essentially told him that their meeting was pure happenstance. It felt good to know that the time spent together was not riddled with malicious deception. Though it also made him wonder why she seemed so upset with him. Ryn opened his mouth to ask the question.

"Luz is short for Luzero. My middle name." She said before he could reply. She would not allow her mother to ruin another friendship, directly or indirectly.

When Luz’s eyes kept swimming, Ryn initially thought it was because she didn’t want to look him in the eye due to anger or guilt, not because she was in the process of letting her kite soar high into the sky. The distinct smell of recreational Alidasht herbs with a hint of cigar followed Luz as she spun around. Ryn sniffed the air multiple times to confirm it. Ryn sighed, “Oh, Luz.” Ryn stopped spinning the woman and stepped closer to her to plant a hand firmly behind her back, worried that she might stumble over if there was nothing to secure her. Even though this made their waltz look awkward, at least he’d be able to catch her if she did fall. “Couldn’t you have waited until after the party to get high? Now your mother will think I drugged you.”

Upon hearing him call her by Luz again, she couldn't help but smile up at him, visibly relieved that her words had worked- to an extent, but at least he dropped the formal tone. She leaned into him, her head a mess from either the spins or the drug or a combination of the both. "If I had known you'd be here, I would have saved it for later, maybe even shared it with you." Zarai grinned, glad of the hand behind her back to help her ground herself enough to not stumble during their dance. "I suppose you don't happen to have a perfume bottle on your person?"

“That’s sweet of you, but I’ve yet to properly say hello to your childhood friends and I’d rather not go down in history as the count who was high during his formal international debut.” Ryn readjusted his posture when Luz leaned into him in attempt to compensate for the change. The further change in position turned the barely passable waltz into a dance that simply wasn’t. Ryn did his best to maintain the pace to avoid running into any of the other dancers. “So, no. I don’t conveniently have a perfume on me that can magically cover that smell. What’s your excuse?” He smirked, “You’ve managed to hide what you’ve been doing from your parents this long, shouldn’t you be the one with the magic perfume?”

A laugh emerged from Zarai's lips at the thought of a high Fritz going around meeting all the royals and nobles alike. With bloodshot eyes and a goofy smile while bowing to the Princes and Princess that she called friends. "It would be quite funny, but you are right. Wouldn't want you meeting Wolfy and smelling like me- don't ever call him that either. He hates it. I can go with you, to meet them. I still haven't greeted them." She pulled away when she felt him change the position, suddenly remembering that they were still on the dance floor and her mother was most likely keeping a venomous eye on them. "I usually do, must have dropped it in the broom closet..."

Memories of the food when he was talking with Duke Vikena and Dr. Williamson reminded him what he could and could not smell. “Then again, with the amount of perfume the majority of guests are drenched in, maybe you won’t need one.”

"Hmm, or maybe some of yours will rub on me." She returned the smirk.

“Or, more likely, what you smoked will rub on me.” He looked down at his dancing partner when he felt Luz’s footing falter slightly and began to rub her back, “Luz, if you’re not feeling well we can stop dancing.”

Zarai shook her head, correcting her posture, even more, when he suggested that they'd stop dancing. "I'm fine, grand even. Really." While the heaviness of the drug had begun to spread over her person, she did her best to keep her movements as graceful and natural as she could. She did not wish to give her mother any more fuel against Fritz or his family.

Ryn eyed her with unconcealed suspicion, but made no further comment. For a while, the future duchess and count danced in silence before Ryn finally asked the question, “Can I ask why you were upset with me when you saw me with your mother?”

She lowered her eyes briefly, opening her mouth before closing it again unsure how to start. Finally, after a few moments of gathering her already weightless thoughts she answered his question. "My parents, more specifically my mother, have always tried to control who I speak to. I thought that if I got out of the social circle she controls I would find a real friendship- and I did." Zarai shrugged a shoulder, "And when I saw you with her I just thought she had done it again... but it turns out that that wasn't the case." She frowned, "I am sorry that I hid my real identity from you, Fritz."

Fritz. Ryn almost barked a laugh at the name. If there was one truth Duchess Lesdeman unintentionally told to any ear that would listen, it was that Hendrix was a House built on half-truths. “Luz” symbolized freedom for Zarai Luzero Lesdeman, a respite from a world she wanted no part of, while “Fritz Hendrix” was a ticket to enter that world she desperately avoided. Was an apology necessary? If it was, then was she the one who needed to apologize? To him?

Ryn’s brows furrowed slightly as he stared into Luz’s face, “Don’t be. I was surprised, but I understand why you did it… and how betrayed you must’ve felt. Just know that I never have or ever will conspire with your parents against you. As… plain old ‘Fritz’, Luz, you are a dear friend and I wish you only the best. I hope that one day Lady Lesdeman doesn’t have to pretend anymore.” He truly did. At the same time, he also knew that Luz being Lady Lesdeman forever changed their relationship. Whether he liked it or not, every interaction would be subtly tainted by the knowledge that she was Zarai Lesdeman —someone close to the Danroses’ children, close enough to call the future Caesonian king “Wolfy”.

He inhaled deeply and in a barely audible voice said, “I am sorry for—...” Hiding? No. That night, he did not conceal that he was Fritz Hendrix, he simply introduced himself as Fritz, because Luz introduced herself as “just Luz”. However, was Ryn truly Fritz? No. Then there was only one apt word to use. “...lying about mine.” Even now, despite her honesty, he kept up the charade.

Betrayal would have only been the start of it. Zarai nodded slowly, a smile returning to her lips with ease now that Fritz knew and she knew too. But something in her chest twisted, a tiny but painful feeling that she blamed the drug for. "Thank you," Now, they could go back to normal. After this, they'd be able to meet up at the tavern again and have drinks like they used to. Sing and dance without the weight of both of their families or their feud between them, right?

Ryn quickly switched topics, “Speaking of overbearing parents, is she all right? I think she’s changing colors.” He turned Luz’s attention to Duchess Lesdeman by leading their gaze in her direction. Displeasure was evident on her features, a miracle that the duchess had not snapped her fan in half yet. All because her precious doll wouldn’t do what she wanted her to do; what she was supposed to do. A sudden urge to see the fan in pieces bubbled up inside the count. “On a scale of dirty looks galore to hiring assassins, how much would you like to rile up your mother tonight?”

Zarai spotted her mother when they had last left her staring at them, unmoving and unreactive. Her face was red with what she could only assume was anger, and even from their spot on the dance floor, she could see the fan bent in a way that at any moment it would sure snap in two.. She would have said dirty looks galore if she'd been sober, knowing that her mother would get over it quickly. But she wasn't sober, and Zara didn't care right now, nor did she want to think of the consequences.

"Enough to see her make a fool of herself." She grinned excitedly up at Fritz.

Ryn mirrored Luz’s expression. It was a terrible idea, and they both knew it, but stupid fun that hurt no one, aside from the duchess’s pride, and painted the new noble as eccentric at most, was a hit Count Hendrix was willing to take. If everything he did was wrong for Duchess Lesdeman, then the least he could do was to do something right for Luz, no matter how dreadful of a friend he was.

A ruckus caused by two young individuals momentarily distracted Ryn. A pair of blonds were twirling around batting the air to catch something that was not there. Butterflies, if the yelling were to be believed. He turned his head back to Luz and cocked an eyebrow. You didn’t. Zarai just laughed and shrugged, giving him an innocent look of I have no idea what you're talking about.

He shook his head with a smile. With a performance like that happening nearby, it was less likely that they would leave as much of a lasting impression as they originally thought when all was said and done —not that that bothered him, he would even argue it worked out in Count Hendrix’s favor. The only audience they needed to captivate was the duchess. And she was already obsessed with both of them.

The man wrapped the arm he had anchored to Luz’s back around her waist, pulling her closer to him, as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. He deliberately leaned to the side of her face that was facing way from the duchess, leaving much to the imagination for her mother. The two nobles swayed side to side, gentle as the light ocean waves on a calm, windless day.

“This is not the ballroom in Sorian filled with nobles. We’re in Ye Olde Bone. Where nobody has a title. Just cheap ale —that, as Karleen so eloquently described, tastes like donkey piss— and the best company anyone can ask for. Everyone is being their rowdy selves. Somehow Peter is hanging upside down from the chandelier. I don’t know how he got up there or how the old thing hasn’t dropped from the ceiling and burnt down the tavern yet, but it still hangs there. Sturdy as the tavern keeper. It doesn’t stop Udo from trying to make Peter fall off though. We just finished one song request.” The sounds of feet tapping and hands clapping cut in from a distance. “And they ask for more. Because they can’t get enough of you.” He focused on the rhythm the other dancers were producing and then began to hum a familiar tune.

The tune started off slow then gradually sped up as he tried to time the tempo just right. He added tapping of his own to the noise playing in the background, creating a music of their very own. The marble floor lacked the impact wooden floorboards made when stomped on and his shoes were not fitted with metal, so the sound barely reached the count and future duchess’s ears, let alone the couples dancing next to them. It was not as great as it could have been, but the makeshift instrument for the impromptu gig did its job well enough.

Once he knew what he had to work with, Ryn released Luz’s waist and stepped back. Zarai had picked up the tail of her emerald coat and draped it over one arm, excitement running through her body.They stood there, unmoving. One final check between the musicians before the show began.

And just like that, they were back in the tavern. The smell of the stale ale and the scent of cigarette smoke hung heavy on the air making her nostrils tingle with familiarity. The audience cheered around them, banging on the table in anticipation for the next song to start. Marline in the back whistled their way before breaking out in a burst of belly laughter. Everything so far away from her mother's ever judging eyes. Zarai looked at Fritz, a wide smile on her lips before giving him the signal. He nodded.


Their voices blended together in harmony as the music filled their minds. They were no longer Count Hendrix and Lady Lesdeman but just Fritz and Luz now. The ballroom of Sorian had been left far behind them as hips and feet began to move along with the rhythm of their song. Laughter escaped Luz's lips as the speed of the song picked up. She could feel her kite reach the stars now as she took Fritz's hand and lifted her arm up high for him to spin. Once, twice, three times, and then it was her turn.


She could feel Fritz's hands-on hers and hers on him as they twirled and spun along with the beat of their song. Other dancers around them began to take notice of them now, some laughing along with them and others whispering amongst themselves. And neither of them seemed to be paying any mind. No matter how clouded and light her mind felt, Luz, kept her eyes on Fritz. Her cheeks burned, but she was unsure if it was from blushing or smiling so much.


She heard them, Peter clapping and laughing from the chandelier and Marline from the bar laughing in a drunken stupor. All of them banged their tankard against the worn-out wooden tables as their voices echoed in her mind like endless ripples on a lake. It felt like she could almost fly as they spun, fingers digging into the fabric of Fritz's tailcoat as she threw her head back and stared up at the ceiling of the ballroom. The giant golden plated chandeliers twinkled from the reflection of the many candles that lit the place, and Luz wondered if it was magic that made them shine so bright.


Luz stood there, staring up at Fritz as their song came to an end. His shoulders visibly moved up and down, trying to catch his breath, as his smile beamed down at her. Applause erupted around them; whistles from the drunks and cheers of others drowned out her laughter. She finally let go of Fritz's hands, taking a step back to bow for her partner. In return, Fritz playfully curtsied. And just as she rose, the applause subsided and slowly dissipated into the monotonous melody of the waltz. There were no more cheers of joy, no laughter, no Peter, and no Marline. They were now back in the Sorian ballroom, back under the ever-watchful eyes of high society, back to Lady Lesdeman and Count Hendrix. Yet, it didn't matter. Not to Zarai.

Ryn rushed over to Luz’s side when she stumbled over slightly, locking their arms together to support her. “Bravo, Luz. Bravo.” He carefully guided her away from the dancefloor, back to the duchess to evaluate exactly how much damage they caused. “Let’s go see if she’s made a fool of herself, shall we?”

The ornate fan’s durability far surpassed Ryn’s expectations. No matter how much torsion the duchess applied, it refused to snap. It tempted him to ask where she bought the item, however, he was not sure if the red duchess would answer honestly even if he asked. “Oh my, would you look at that. I’ve never seen her in that shade of red before. It looks absolutely smashing on her, really brings out the blue in her stone cold glare.” Ryn said quietly to Luz. After giving her a wink, Ryn returned to the role of the count.

The heavy haze still covered Zarai's mind from the drug as she held onto Fritz while she tried to regain her composure. She giggled at his words, glancing up at her mother, expecting to see her face full of nothing but rage, but instead, she was met with an icy cold stare despite the color of her face. There was an uneasy stillness to the Duchess and if Zarai were not soaring through the stars right now, a cold shiver would have run down her spine.

“Your Grace, you have taught your daughter well in the art of entertaining guests. I have not had that much fun dancing in ages! So avant garde!” The count lowered his gaze to the floor, as if he was ashamed to say what came next, “I confess, I had the misconception that the ball would be strictly formal. I was terribly nervous when I got here. So worried that I would make a mistake and become the laughing stock of the season.” Ryn eyes focused back on the duchess, eyebrows arched high and a broad smile on his face. “But it seems I cannot hide anything from the sagacious Duchess of Puerto Vira. I tried to put a brave front and you saw right through it. That is why you paired me with your daughter for the dance, yes? Your kindness knows no bounds, Duchess Lesdeman. I feel much more relaxed now. Thank you for allowing me to dance with your daughter.” The count looked at Luz, expression soft and warm. He purposely waited for the stare to last long enough to raise the duchess’s hairs before letting out a long sigh. “She is truly delightful. It is such a shame we’ve not met sooner.” His free hand reached up and enveloped Luz’s hand, adding more to further sell the illusion that Lady Lesdeman besotted Count Hendrix.

Zarai stood beside the Count, an innocent smile in place to help suppress the giggles that were threatening to slip past her lips. The Duchess, however, just stared down at her daughter without sparing a glance at Fritz as he spoke. Some of the nobles that surrounded them looked at the Duchess, whispering amongst themselves about the display they had just witnessed, from them and the other blond couple as well.

"I am glad you enjoyed the dance with my daughter, Count." Francesca said, her voice void of any emotion. She finally looked at Count Hendrix with a cold gaze that contrasted the color of her face. It was evident that the Duchess was trying, and failing, to keep her composture. Crack. The wood of the fan fractured just the slightest at the sight of the Count looking at her daughter in such a disgraceful way. Zarai swore she saw her own mother crack in a similar way.

"Oh mother, it truly was lovely. How have you kept me away from Count Hendrix for so long?" Zarai had held onto Fritz's gaze as long as he had, ignoring the needles in her chest as she did. "Thank you so much for the dance match; I could not thank you enough!" She looked at her mother with a wide grin, reaching over with her free hand to take her mothers.

The Duchess pulled back, her hands twisting the fan further. "I apologize, Count, but it looks like we will be retreating to our chambers," Francesca looked back at Zarai, "Now."

"But mother, I've yet to greet the Princes and Princess. Oh, and I must say hello to the King and Queen! I mustn't be rude; that is what you always tell me, is it not? Besides, I had promised Count Hendrix I would introduce him to them, and a lady must always keep her promises." Zarai gave her mother another smile, knowing she could not say no lest she'd be seen as rude. It was common knowledge that the Lesdeman and Danroses were close friends and -

"I said, we are leaving, Zarai." Francesca's voice was tight and direct. "You've had your fun, my daughter, and now we must leave." Hearing this, a few of the nobility around them murmured amongst themselves, shooting side glances at the Duchess. Francesca lifted her chin up high, not willing to give in. She would not allow her daughter to be near Count Hendrix for another minute. "Suelta lo, ahora Zarai o vas a ver cuando lleguemos a nuestro cuartos." Out of instinct, Zarai's arm tightened around Fritz's. The hand covering hers gently patted it reassuringly.

Ryn gasped loudly, “By the Creators! You haven’t greeted our hosts yet!?” The count quickly covered his mouth, turned around to look at the spectators and then lowered his voice to a normal volume, “Mea culpa. Had I realized the both of you were jeopardizing House Lesdeman's reputation just to make a newcomer like me feel welcomed… I, I am at a loss for words.” The count closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose, brows furrowed as deep as he could make them, “I am mortified that I caused such disgrace!” After a dramatic pause he released himself from the pose, “No. It is not too late to rectify this, Your Grace. I will personally accompany Lady Lesdeman to greet the hosts and explain that I am entirely to blame for the delay.”

He held his hand up when Duchess Lesdeman opened her mouth, silencing any protest that would have come out otherwise, “I insist. I must repay your generosity. The least I can do is apologize in behalf of House Lesdeman.” Ryn finally looked back at Luz, “Lady Lesdeman, would you kindly lead the way?”

Zarai watched as her mother's hand trembled with rage. Tiny little splinters of wood had settled on the white silk gloves embroidered with golden thread. "Worry not, mother! Count Hendrix will help us save face." She smiled, knowing that her mother was screaming and kicking from the humiliation in her mind. How dare a Hendrix come to the rescue of the Lesdeman? With that, she beamed at her mother before looking up at the Count. "This way, Your Excellency." Zarai hooked her arms with the Count again before leading them away from the Duchess.

Behind them, a few of the nobility and servants stared in disbelief at Duchess Lesdeman. It seemed like they cared very little if the Duchess heard them or not as Francesca stood there glaring at their hooked arms. The whispers around her grew louder and louder until she had enough. CRAAAAACK! A few ladies around Francesca gasped as splinters flew. The fan snapping in two.

Backs facing the duchess, Ryn smirked a little upon hearing ‌wood breaking. Without looking at Luz directly, he offered his free hand for a fist bump. Mission accomplished? Zarai returned the fist bump with giggle. Mission accomplished.

---

Auguste was always up to any challenge… any competition lit a fire within him. Be it dancing, swordsmanship, or even a simple parlour game. Many would purposefully (and noticeably) lose to him either to avoid antagonizing royalty or to curry favour with him. Both annoyed the prince to different degrees, and he soon ‘ices’ the relationship to simple formality. It was a rarity to have others take him seriously and attempt their best, moreso to fragrantly state it to his face. It was why he had respect for Wystan’s style of combat, a true spectacle to behold.

A competitive gleam shone in Auguste’s eyes as he reignited his smile. ”Well, it remains to be seen, then?” He offered his hand out to her in a slight bow. Saiya took his hand as she offered a curtsy, having caught the look in his eyes and deciding that this dance was likely going to be quite fun.

”Don’t go thinking for a second I’m going to go easy on you either just because you’re a prince. I like to knock princes off their high horse.” She said teasingly to him, allowing even a slight flirtatious tone to enter her voice. She was feeling excitement for the challenge that lay ahead of her and she only hoped that she wouldn’t disappoint him.

The music began as the second dance was announced. ”I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Auguste replied, ”Being named as the Caesonian prince who managed to outdance an Alidashtian? Well, think of the stories and ballads.” A chuckle escaped his lips.

Auguste led the duo, the dance already made up in his mind- The Slow Foxtrot. He placed his right hand under her shoulder blades, his left hand enclosed her right. Three quick steps, with meticulous footwork. The beginning steps of his chosen dance. The steps alternated in speed- quick and slow. However, Auguste would purposefully speed up or slow down much quicker than the initial step. His small smile beamed at her as he did this.

Saiya was quick to follow his steps, taking only a moment to understand the dance he chose. Definitely a challenging dance, especially with how he decided to speed up and slow down at times, but a grin remained on her face as she kept in time with him. ”Very impressive, I wonder what would happen if I take over and do this?” She said with a smirk as she took control of the dance. She kept with a slow foxtrot for the time and led them into stepping in a tight circle, but half way through she paused for a beat then reversed the normal step.

Auguste’s eyes widened at her changing the pace of the dance and even taking the lead and turning him to a follower. It seemed that she truly kept her word. Were it not for his training as a prince for dancing and footwork, he likely would have stumbled. ”My, what a quick change. I’m impressed, truly.” He said, ”Although it is under unexpected situations that I…” He observed her movement and ascertained her intent and followed steps. ”Thrive.” Following her lead looked almost simple to observers, as if Saiya was the lead from the beginning. He bided his time, waiting for an opening, a simplistic step to overturn her control.

Auguste would soon find his quarry. He predicted her next step and took control once more. He unfurled their closed position and released his right hand to perform a fan exit. Next he would pull her with his left hand and place their combined hands over her left shoulder. In his mind had awaited what she would do from this position.

Saiya let out a small, surprised gasp as he took control once more, but she managed not to stumble. He pulled her back and she followed his lead until she was in a position with her back towards him and their arms across the front of her. She took a moment to pause there and grinned up at Auguste. ”You almost had me there, Prince.” She said to him as she decided on what her next move would be. ”Almost.” With that she spun out and away from him, keeping hold of his hand. She then changed up the steps as she moved back into position, closer than they originally were as she took up a rumba.

”I wonder if I’ve met my match with dancing?” She said as her hips swayed with the steps of the rumba.

”Truly so.” Auguste replied, noting the change of pace to Rumba. ”Perhaps it’s indeed me on the back foot.” He followed her steps once as he racked his mind for a dance he could potentially transition into to take back control. The duo danced around the couples, missing a few by mere inches as they were entranced by their own competition.

Auguste smiled, and bent backwards. Letting her catch his back so he could be pulled back up into another transition. This time, the steps were the ever-familiar Viannese waltz. The same dance he had taught Persephone. Although this time, turned up to eleven. He danced each step with flourish and speed, not leaving room for mistakes or hesitance. Saiya let out a small laugh of joy now, finding the continuation of switching dances increasingly fun. They seemed to be dancing circles around the other couples. She decided she’d back off for a little while and let him lead as she needed to make more conversation before this dance was over.

”Tell me, Your Grace, are all princes of Caesonia required to become so skilled in dance or are you unique?” She asked him, a grin on her face. ”It also has me questioning what else you’re skilled in as well?”

”It is indeed a sort of pre-requisite for princes. Although, I’ll say my brother Wulfric is fairly skilled.” Auguste said, ”While he’s no slouch, I daresay I could dance circles around him.”

”The art of dance bears passing similarities with another passion of mine.” He continued, a glint in his eye. ”I very much enjoy swordsmanship, as you may have heard.”

”Not many could follow my steps as easily as you, Lady Saiya. The only other one who could truly keep up is dear old Wystan.” Auguste complimented, ”I wasn’t holding back either, yet you still rose to the challenge.”

”Alidasht may well and truly hold the best dancers across our continents.” He slowed the tempo of their dance in-line with the music. He noticed that she still seemed energetic and followed his steps with the same speed and precision as when they started. ”What about yourself, Lady Saiya? Your steps signify you as an excellent dancer. Is that truly all?”

"I thank you for the compliment, Prince Auguste. Your own dancing has impressed me as well, though it makes sense knowing your love of swordsmanship." Saiya replied with a grin, though a part of her was increasingly intrigued by the skill of the other princes. It seemed she'd gotten quite lucky choosing Auguste to approach first.

"As for whether dancing is the only skill I hold, I can assure you it is not. There is far more than meets the eye with me. However…" She gave him a sly grin as she began to relax more into the dance, no longer feeling like they were in a competition and now feeling as if they'd transitioned merely into talking. "What fun would it be if I revealed everything about myself to you now? We have a whole season to learn about each other. Perhaps it could be another fun competition between us, since you seem to enjoy competition just as much as myself?"

"My, it appears my penchant for swordsmanship is well renowned across the seas." Auguste replied. "Well, I hope I may be able to witness Alidashtan skill with the blade with my own eyes."

”Truly so, we do indeed have an entire season to learn about each other, Caesonian, Varian, and Alidasht alike. Perhaps to the betterment of our kingdoms” Auguste smiled at the prospect. ”Perhaps you will see me sooner rather than later, as I may be attending the dinner the Sultan has planned with the Vikenas.”

The music began lulling to a stop. Auguste released their clasped forms. "It has been an honour." He performed a form-perfect bow. "I hope you enjoy the rest of the night Lady Saiya."

”I have a feeling that’s going to be quite an interesting dinner.” Saiya said with a small laugh, but there was a nervousness in her voice at the thought of it. She felt a little bad for the Duke as she had a feeling certain people would make the dinner as hellish as possible. ”The honor has been all mine, Prince Auguste.” She said as she dipped into a curtsy. ”I hope you do as well.” She said with a friendly smile before turning and taking her leave.

Mentions: @Mole Felix @baraquiel Beatrice

---

The King and Queen of the Varian Kingdom had been nearly silent as they had watched their children during their dances. King Alixandre was in awe of Beatrice’s beautiful dancing. He knew she was an extravagant dancer but to see his little girl out on the ballroom floor. He was happy to see her with Verrick as he had a lot of respect for him and appreciated the protection he provided his daughter. Queen Rosa had also seemed happy, smiling as she too had watched. Though secretly, she was a little concerned.

“Rosa, I think I might cry… It feels like yesterday she was my little girl and look how she’s grown-... “Alixandre had stated as he had watched, his eyes brimming with tears. “I don’t want her to get married and leave me so soon, but if she falls in love with Verrick-... Yes, she will stay within the Varian… This could be good!”

Queen Rosa looked at him and put a hand on her shoulder. The two of them were seated off to the side in comfortable chairs, their servants and guards at their sides. “No need to worry so, my dear. Things will happen as they should and will. It’s not in our control, sweetheart.”

The King wrapped his arms around his intelligent wife in a hug to which she returned, “You’re right. And what’s most important to me is her happiness. But if and when she leaves us, I’ll really miss her.”

”Me too.. Beatrice and Felix make me so proud every day.”

At the mention of Felix, the two glanced in his direction as he had danced with Thea. King Alixandre visibly bit his lip at Thea’s clothing with concern but tried to cover his mouth to hide it. “Oh what a lovely couple. I can’t wait for their wedding. Do you think Felix is happy…?”

Queen Rosa did not answer that question as she watched them. She hadn’t been sure what her son felt about Thea, but she did know they were opposites. She worried that perhaps Thea might be too much for her sweet, calm son, but wanted to give the two a chance to make it work. Things had seemed to be going much better than she could have hoped for until the dance ended and Thea looked visibly upset as they had broke apart. What on earth happened?She wondered.

She glanced at King Alixandre but he seemed to have missed what she had seen. He was distracted once again by the ceiling seemingly. Felix soon ended up by Duke Lorenzo and Lady Crystal. He seemed certainly happy to talk to Lady Crystal, but she could not tell from the expressions alone what they were conversing about.

I suppose Felix doesn’t know Thea is upset. …Did anyone else notice?

---

---

Violet felt his rough hands reach for hers. They felt so small in his with the coarse feeling of his skin rubbing against her smooth unworked hands. Something about how they felt sent a shiver down her spine, as she eyed his scarring and markings that trailed up his arm as if telling a story that she so desperately wanted to read. She was not expecting to fall so hard and fast for a person, no one had ever caught her eye before this. Yet, his rough exterior and soft nature, the look in his eyes as he watched her..it all added up to a very deep connection between them. It was scary.

“Don't look too hard then, you may end up running away.” she said softly. He was right, there was a lot of pain and anger built into her. Years of being toted away from others in worry she may be injured, watching her sister recieve all the praise and attention due to her fragility….her sister…Violets eyes widened as her expression turned to one of utter shock. ” This whole time i’ve been so distracted..I forgot about crystal.” She said slightly panicked. Though that moment only lasted for a short time as she looked at Roman. She really had been putting so much of her life aside for crystal, to dote over her and care for her that much of the time she forgot about herself. She shook her head knowing she was going to hear an earful from her and likely her parents. ” Truthfully..” she dropped her gaze ” I am going to be a bit selfish and leave her to fume, which I expect she is doing." She twisted her fingers in his grasp moving them along his rough skin as she felt the butterflies in pit of her stomach flutter around. ” I am not very good at dancing” she said nervously ”I pretend I hate it, but the truth is I really do enjoy it. I could never pass my dancing lessons, so I slowly just gave up

“We all have our problems, the things that keep us up at night.” He didn't notice that he reached for his crystal pendant, the slight teal glow shone faintly in the night air. “Mines a sad story, a few of them actually. Those are stories for a different day though.” Roman looked up towards the stars for a moment and returned to staring into her eyes with a hint of sorrow behind his smile. “Someday I might tell you.” gently rubbed the palm of her hands. “You have a remarkable ability to pull me into the moment and push through some of my walls. I've only ever met one other person who could do that, she does it through more stubborn will than anything. But what are mothers for than to make sure their children are okay.” he hoped she didn't feel put off by that comment but he assumed he would figure that out.

When she mentioned crystal he frowned for a moment as the tinge of guilt came back to him, “I suppose I should thank her for guiding me to you even if it was a joke. If you don't mind, what sort of things does your sister like? I might be able to make her something.” Roman began thinking of a few ways he could do so and ideas, “it would have to be a trinket or jewelry, she's too weak for weapons or armor, no muscle mass for either. Could be a trinket, she doesn't look the type to stand out, she's kind of adorable like that.” eventually pulling away from his thoughts he looked back up to Violet when she mentioned dancing.

“I actually enjoy dancing. It's kind of like fighting but slower and with a rhythm. That rhythm also reminds me of forging or masonry with every hammer strike. All you have to do is follow my lead and don't worry about stepping on me. I'll be sure to catch you.” his warm smile returned. Glancing back towards the party he could see the band was getting ready for the next dance. “Looks like they are going to start soon.”

Violet felt him rubbing her hand, it took all the restraint in the world to reach for me. Her mind drifted into inappropriate thoughts for a lady to have. She pictured his arms wrapping around her, swallowing her into an embrace. His large,wide and strong arms enveloping her as she would melt into him.

Pulling out of her thoughts, she was grateful for the brisk night hair keeping her from turning red. She offered him a smile at his comments about her being similar to his mother. She supposed that there were worse things she could be compared too. However, the idea that she had the ability to make him as comfortable as he made her continued to keep the soft smile on her face. “ A Tiara” she joked letting out a soft laugh “ she wants so badly to be a princess, I am sure that would be fitting.”she paused as nerves began to grow “ oh..I hear the music.” she took her hand back slowly before turning to watch the dance floor as various couples began to set up for their dances.

Violet's heart skipped a beat as she felt the nerves building up in the pit of her belly. Her normally pale face seemed to get a shade lighter as she bit her lip nervously. “ You know we could just not..dance.” she said reluctantly. Her body language said everything, but the thing that made her the most nervous was being so close to Roman. The idea of having his hands on her body sent sparks of nervousness all over her. She looked over at him “ I suppose we should go?” her voice was a bit shaky. She wasn’t sure why she was being so vulnerable around him, normally her tough exterior was up and strong but after spending the last hour or so speaking with him she seemed to have dropped it completely.

“Hmm a tiara and a bookmark maybe.” he spoke quietly while he was thinking about the designs he could use, his eyes searching through the crowd inside for the small girl. At least he had the hight advantage to see over most of the people gathered. This advantage gave him just the right line of sight to pick up Crystal talking to Callum. He did enjoy Callum’s advice, he is a smart, intelligent man with a lot of book smarts. At least enough for him to know to keep his head down in a bar fight. Roman smiled slightly remembering how the two met in that bar, his smile grew slightly as he could see Crystal give the prince a peck on the cheek something that caught even more stares and whispers from the other attendees.

“I don't think you have to worry about Crystal seeing as how she just kissed Prince Callum on the cheek. It is always fun to see him flustered like that.” looking back at Violet with the same smile she had given him since they first met, his posture relaxed not at all like his statuesque posture he had earlier in the evening. “Violet you should never turn down a good time you never know when you will have the opportunity again. So smile, laugh, relax and have some fun. I'll protect you, I won't let you fall. If you have to, just place your feet on mine and I'll dance for both of us. As long as I'm dancing with you in my arms I'm sure we will have our fun.”

Violet smiled at his ideas, the creativity he showed was inspiring her own thoughts “ oh! What about a special quill holder and ink jar.. I know that is likely small for the things you normally make but I think she would get alot of use out of it.” Violet smiled, but it slowly faded when he mentioned Crystal and Prince Callum. Of Course she caught herself a prince. “ I would say I'm surprised, but I'm not.” she said shrugging. “ Crystal always was our parents favorite for a reason, she’s been so set on snagging a prince even her books are starting to go that direction. That and she seems to have a strange infinity for coffee.”

She saw him relax as he turned to look at her , his words making her laugh lightly at the idea of her small feet gliding around the dance floor. She too seemed to relax “ As long as you promise.” she smiled and started to head towards the dance floor.

Roman followed slowly behind her scanning the crowd for a moment then back to her, his soft smile ever present. Her words about Crystal didn't seem too happy, “I'm not going to stand here and pretend to know the relationship between you and your sister, but you should be happy that she is happy. Don't let these things stick to you, it will only sour and bring negative thoughts. Our time here on this realm is fleeting, some pass on early and all you're left with is… negative emotions towards them.” his thoughts drifted to some of his family and friends he has lost through his life.

His smile faded for a brief moment before returning in stride, “so enjoy the moment, be happy for them, even if you're not or you could care less. No one lives forever, the gods will call us all home eventually.” he had led them to the edge of the dance floor as everyone seemed to be getting ready. “So I don't know about you Lady Violet Damien, but I will be enjoying every moment I have with you to the best of my ability no matter how long that might be.”

She sighed, here she was killing the mood with her petty issues with her sister. Deciding to not spoil her night she decided to ignore his attempt at trying to settle her mind. He was right, he didn’t understand..no one ever did.

Reaching the edge of the dance floor, she turned to him ”shall we?” she said gesturing towards the dance floor as the other couples flooded

Roman politely led her out onto the floor with confidence just like he had with Mayet. Turning to face her with a small bow and taking her hand with his left hand and carefully wrapping his right arm up under her left placing his hand on her upper back to begin the waltz. “Remember this one is slow, just follow my lead and it's ok if you step on me.”

Violet followed along with him, curtseying as he bowed. She felt his arm around her , pulling her in and her other hand fit well into his. A cringed expression passed over her face as he mentioned stepping on him. Thankfully her shoes had nothing pointed on them, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the first few steps caused her to stumble. “Okay” she said nervously, the butterflies fluttering as she looked at him, their bodies so close together.

The music started slow and seemed to stay that way for a while. Roman kept his grip on her hand and back but was careful not to be too tight with her in his grasp. The two were very close now, closer than they had been all night. He liked that she didn't tighten up her collar as much as it had been before and he could see her scars better now, “do you know the area around the castle well? I have not been here for some time. Do you have any favorite spots in this city to hide away at?” he thought he might as well continue with their conversations instead of silently focusing on just the dance.

“Oh and what perfume are you wearing? It smells delightful.” he couldn't quite make out the aroma that seemed to follow her and her alone as they danced. Even he was wearing a subtle mountain jasmine perfume, going as far to keep a few of the delicate flowers tucked in his clothes while they slowly danced to the song lost in each other's company.



The dance slowly came to an end and Roman could help but smile at his new friend. He was surprised they grew so close in only a matter of hours but he was happy and that's all he wanted. This summer was definitely going to be a fun one.

“Lady Violet, it was certainly a wonderful night made even greater still by your beautiful presence. I think I will talk to your father tomorrow to let the events of the night settle.” His smile never faded as he spoke to her trying not to get lost in her eyes.

Roman Reached into his right jacket pocket and pulled out a small cluster of Mountain Jasmine he had kept there and handed it to her, “it seems that the festivities are dieing down for tonight. I do hope you have a fabulous evening. I do hope to see you again tomorrow… I just hope you like me when I don't have to be formal.” he chuckled at his last statement. With a smile he slowly let go of her hands stopping for a moment with a smile, he didn't want to go but his anxiety with this place was starting to get to him.

Roman only hesitated for a moment before pulling away entirely and heading back towards the wall and into them away from the crowd of lingering nobles. Picking up a few handfuls of what was left for bread and meat from the food table as he passed. With the letter in his pocket he knew he had to get some food down for the drinking that came next.

@Tpartywithzombi

From a corner of his eye, Wulfric saw that Anastasia was once again on top of a table, and was waving…towards him? What could it be this time? She shouldn’t have had the opportunity to get drunk… Regardless of the reason, this was something he needed to deal with before she caused a greater scene than she was already causing. To Mayet, whose company he’d been enjoying, he offered a quick apology, “Excuse me, but it seems my sister is once again up to something inadvisable. I must go, but we shall be seeing each other soon, as promised.”

That said, the prince quickly departed. His stride was as swift as could be while still counting as a walk rather than a jog. Thus, he was at Anastasia’s side in no time. He eyed the scene; a dessert laden table, Anastasia standing on an empty one besides it. Wystan was there too, presumably distressed that the princess had acted so willfully. Then there was an unknown commoner man; a baker, by all accounts. He was grinning as he held a hand out for Anastasia. Wulfric cut in, physically interrupting the stranger’s attempt to help as he moved between them, offering his own hand instead.

“Let me guess,” he drawled as he raised his arm for his sister, “this fellow here was desperate to advertise, and you were so impressed by his creations you decided this is how you should help?” Raising an eyebrow, he crooked his finger in a come-hither motion. “Now, please, if you’d step down. Carefully,” he cautioned.

Auguste promptly excused himself one more time from Lady Saiya’s presence as he eyed Anastasia stumbling onto a table and climbing it. It appeared that she was calling to him, as well as his brothers. The second prince took quick, striding steps towards Anastasia, Wystan and the unknown man that accompanied them. “Now, now, brother, he was simply trying to help.” Once he had arrived, he crossed his arms and waited for Anastasia to safely step off the table. He still felt more comfortable at having Wulfric help Anastasia rather than a stranger, however. “Yes, please step down carefully dear sister.”

Auguste also took a quick glance at his parents’ reaction. Given that it was Anastasia, it was likely to be waved off, but King Edin was at his wit’s end from earlier observations.

“Perfect timing Wolfy, without you around some of us might actually have fun. Imagine the scandal.” Callum spoke as he approached the table, making no effort to hide any bitterness in his tone. Cal had no idea why Anastasia was standing on a table, but it did seem to bother both of his older brothers which meant it suddenly seemed like great fun. He paused and took a drink from a nearly full bottle of wine that he’d grabbed on his way over to his sister.

“Callum,” Wulfric warned, eyes narrowing in irritation. “I know there’s an after-party you’ll surely attend, so do feel free to cease with the dramatics,” he snarked.

“Ana, hold this for me will ya.” He added with a grin as he held up the bottle of wine to her. Then, he proceeded to not so gracefully climb up onto the table as well. “So, what are we doing up here? People watching? Table dances? Causing a ruckus?” Cal asked looking around, table shaking some beneath his own unstable footing.

Auguste unclasped his arms and wordlessly drew closer towards Callum’s side of the table, ready to catch him at a moment's notice should he lose his footing. He was sure Wulfric or Wystan would catch Anastasia. “While the woodworkers who made this fine table are of high repute, I’m certain they weren’t made with a person standing on them in mind, nevermind two.”

“See, Auguste knows we aren’t going to break the table.” Cal said with a nod, proving his point by stomping his foot a couple of times on the table, only drawing more attention towards them. “And the view from up here is much better. I can see just about everyone.” Unlike his two brothers, Cal was very much acquainted with negative attention, so a room full of nobles staring in shock, disapproval, and confusion didn’t bother him.

Anastasia did indeed take Wulfric’s hand, however, she did not climb down. ”Wolfy, I just wanted you boys to taste this cake. He didn’t ask me to advertise or anything.” She then leaned on her knees to whisper down to him, ”It’s the beeest caaake eeeeverrr. “ Afterwards, she excitedly pointed at Ezra, ”This man’s a genius!”

Wulfric briefly glanced at the baker, but didn’t have the time to spare him much attention just then. Instead, he gently tugged on Anastasia’s arm, trying to convince her to descend. “I don’t particularly care for sweets, but if you come down, I will give it a try,” he said. At least with Anastasia, she could be convinced, bribed, or otherwise lured to do the sensible thing. The more worrisome one was Callum, who in each and every situation strived to cause the utmost chaos.

She proceeded to take a moment to wave to Auguste with a smile, ”I am so happy you walked over! Oh-oh and I know you probably won’t eat this since it’s unhealthy. I just waved you down since I missed you!” Auguste had always been very kind to her and she genuinely enjoyed his company despite the fact he was a goody-two-shoes.

Anastasia then noticed Callum approaching as well… with a wine bottle. ”Oh yeah!” She exclaimed as the beautiful gift from the heavens was suddenly bestowed upon her. ”Hey Callum!! Thanks! …I called you over to eat cake.” Anastasia grinned at her brother as he joined her upon the table. She had been about to get down, but she decided it would be rude to ditch her favorite younger brother all by himself. Without much delay, she took the opportunity to begin to chug some of the wine straight out of the bottle.

Wulfric twitched when his sister received the wine bottle. “Anastasia…” the prince was evidently harried. “Can you not save this for later?” he questioned. If they had to have an outlet for their wildness, at least the after-party would be the proper event for it. “Come now,” he motioned for her to come closer. While she remained standing, however, he didn’t have much hope of removing her from the table. If she at least sat down he could reach her waist, and lift her down. “The ball should be ending soon enough, so you need remain patient and sober for only a short while yet.”

Anastasia had glanced down at Wulfric and considered his words, only to be distracted by Callum’s words as he spoke up.

“Sober? Are there sober people here? With all this fine wine? What a waste.” Cal offered a smug smirk as he replied to Wulfric. This was the perfect opportunity for a bit of harmless chaos; draw some attention to a baker and, if Ana was to be believed, his incredible cakes, while embarrassing both Wulfric and Edin.

“So we’re here to eat and advertise cake?” He nodded slowly at Anastasia, looking from her over to the baker that she had called a genius. “Quick, sir, what’s your name, and where is your bakery located?” He asked Ezra before clearing his throat and shouting across the ballroom.

“Attention guests, we have here the finest cakes in all of Caesonia. A delightful treat and personal favorite of Princess Anastasia, do yourselves a favor and try some tonight.” He paused, making a grand gesture with his arms towards the other nearby table covered in cakes. He waited for Ezra to answer his question, planning to encourage everyone to pay a visit to the man’s bakery.

Ezra watched Anna’s brothers approach, each with a unique reaction. First, Wulfric, the one he kept an eye on the most, was standoffish and mistrusting. That didn’t surprise him at all and he knew he’d likely take Wystan’s side; however, even the strongest fell sometimes. However, Auguste, forever the people pleasing bitch of the family, was friendlier and kind. This was something Ezra knew he could capitalize on. He had noticed from his observances he and Anna were closer. Then, came the world’s disappointment, Callum. Why the King bothered to keep this child alive was beyond him. That wasn’t his concern, as he too was closer to Anna, and was aiding him rather than hurting the situation. Anna being drunk before the party… It took all his self control not to grin.

Nonetheless, he remained calm and quiet, observing rather than acting. Callum standing on the table would embarrass King Edin and would give him unfavorable attention. He smiled shyly when Anastasia, the world’s angel, called him a genius. He would forever remember that compliment. When Callum spoke to him, now asking his name and advertising his food, he bowed while gratitude split smoothed his facial features from smiling.

”Your majesty, I am honored to be of your service. My name is Ezra and my bakery is located on 5th street.” He straightened up as he glanced over at Prince Auguste and Wulfric apologetically, ”Your majesties, I extend my deepest apologies that Princess Anastasia climbed onto the table. She was delighted by my cakes and wanted to share them with you. I do not want either of you to fall and hurt yourselves. I do think we’ve gathered enough attention.”

Ezra gulped as he glanced over to find people staring. His gaze darted around as he shifted his feet to indicate nervousness. This was, however, key, because now everyone would be tired from the ridiculous dancing and have a hunger for his sweets. Could his luck continue? ”I do appreciate you advertising my bakery, it was very kind of you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” His voice was quiet and meek as he pretended to dare glance up at Prince Callum. ”I’d like to give whatever’s left over to the non royalties as well. I would hate for this to go to waste. Is this something you could help with?” In more ways than one…

Callum gave Ezra a nod before adding, “Stop by the Bakery on 5th street, right near the tavern with my very own name on it, and pick up one of Ezra’s many finely crafted treats.” He gave a mock bow to those who were still watching, his grin only widening at the increased annoyance of those around him.

“Sir Ezra is right.” Auguste said, still looking up towards Callum with his ever-present smile. “Please notice that you are causing him discomfort.” Despite a majority of his attention being commanded by his rebellious siblings, he still paid some attention to Ezra and his introduction. Auguste had peripherally caught his body language. He eyed Anastasia and then Callum before speaking. “Surely you wouldn’t want to trouble the dear baker any longer?”

Auguste gave Wystan a passing glance. From the years he’s known his ward and personal bodyguard, he likely had already formulated an initial impression of this Ezra. Wystan had that look about him. Auguste had spied the trio speaking with each other whilst conversing with Lady Saiya. He’d hear more from Wystan later. As of now, the man seemed normal enough- a pleasant sort that felt uncomfortable around royalty. There were many he had met during his ‘outings’ that were like that.

Such spectacles weren’t uncommon for Callum. Being around the court whilst accompanying Wulfric had made him accustomed to attention from nobility. Still, it did not make dealing with Callum’s antics any easier as his brother frequently took any small opportunity to cause as much disruption as possible. Talking him down proved to be a difficult endeavor at times.

“I see no issue with your work being distributed to everyone.” Auguste replied to Ezra with a quizzical look. “Surely these cakes weren’t made only for royalty?”

”Hehe it’s okay, guys. We’re just having a little fun. We’ll come down in a moment.” Anastasia was glad that the baker was getting his well-deserved attention and that her brothers were kind enough to help a stranger. Though, she could tell the three men below were upset about them being on the table. Callum undoubtedly thought it was hilarious and she kind of did too. She patted Callum’s head, ”Should we get down?”

Anastasia paused as she watched some of the other guests coming over to try some cake. ”Hehe. I wonder if we jumped in the crowd if they’d catch us and carry us.” She whispered to Callum with a mischievous giggle. ”Actually… If we get down soon, we might be able to get lost in the crowd and get out of here so we can get ready for the real party… “

“Augs makes a good point, we don’t want to embarrass the baker, but I think jumping into the crowd would make it harder to sneak out of here, and they’d certainty drop us.” Cal said, considering Anastasias offer for second. Then Cal jumped down from table, feet hitting the ballroom floor and stumbling only a bit into Auguste. He gave Auguste a couple of pats to the shoulder as he regained his footing. “Now let’s eat some cake.” He said, reaching a hand up towards Anastasia and gesturing for her to give him the wine bottle back. Anastasia handed the bottle to him and then hopped off the table. She was quick to then pick up her plate of cake and continue her progress of consumption.

Wulfric sighed near-silently. The situation was now dealt with, though not at all how he’d planned for it to happen. It took too long, too much attention was on them, and a veritable crowd was now approaching the dessert tables. The baker got everything he wanted, and more. But he’d be damned if he contributed any further to his madness; if nothing else, he wouldn’t have it said that he had directly assisted in this marketing scheme. Thus, he turned to leave without further ado.

Auguste felt himself relax as both his siblings safely stepped off the table, untensing with each pat of the shoulder. He exhaled softly, mostly in relief. Now that the spectacle came to an end, he stepped away from the front of the table to give the approaching crowd leeway. Unlike Wulfric, Auguste stayed. Figuring that he had a moment to watch his siblings enjoy their cake before he needed to fulfill his obligations of greetings and socialization.

Zarai had spotted Anastasia up on the table waving down her brothers shortly after departing from her mother. She pulled Fritz along towards the growing crowd around the Danrose children with a grin. It was refreshing to see Anastasia continuing the tradition of being the chaotic sibling that kept all of the brothers on their toes. She was about to call out to her when she noticed Wulfric's perfectly styled hair leaving the scene.

"Wulfy- ah fuck, he's leaving." She cleared her throat and cupped her hands around her mouth before calling out to the eldest Danrose. "Woohoo, His Royal Highness, Prince Wulfric!" She wasn't sure if she called out to him loud enough; all of the sounds around here were starting to mash together, and at the same time, she could hear her own heartbeat. Even so, she pulled Fritz along towards the other Danroses and the baker.

Wulfric did indeed hear and recognize his dear friend’s voice. A frown briefly marred his façade of indifference, but by the time he turned around, his annoyance wasn’t visible any longer. That Lesdeman was accompanied by Count Hendrix was a pleasant surprise, however, and the prince eyed the man curiously. Though he felt resistant to the idea of rejoining the crowd, he did turn back, and headed towards his acquaintance so as to intercept her.

“Lady Zarai,” his tone was as polite as the public venue called for, though he did raise a sardonic eyebrow at her. If they’d not been within hearing range of someone else, he might have commented that Zarai being attracted to the presently chaotic situation was entirely too predictable. As it was, he merely turned to greet Fritz as well. “And Count Hendrix. A pleasure,” though he genuinely meant that, his words were rather perfunctory.

Udo once told Ryn that words held power: the utterance of a thought, no matter how big or small, breathed life into it. Experience taught Ryn that this was true to a certain extent, but rarely did he bear witness to its effects in such a short duration. Apparently, he did believe that this party would be strictly formal, giving little leeway for mistakes, because the last thing he expected to see was the Caesonian prince and princess standing on a table advertising cake. Now he was confident that his dance with Luz would be a mere speck in the guests’ memories by the end of the night. With one exception, of course. Ryn spared a few seconds to watch the King and Queen of Caesonia, wondering how similar their parenting styles were to those of the Duke and Duchess of Puerto Vira.

As the count allowed himself to be pulled to the crowd by Luz, he felt his back automatically straighten at the sight of Prince Wulfric. Ryn bowed as deeply as he could with his arm still locked with Luz’s, “Good evening, Your Royal Highness. It is an honor.” With the amount of guests far more important than him, Ryn was surprised that the First Prince even made the effort to remember the name of a foreign upstart noble. He turned his head to the crowd. “I hope we did not catch you at an inconvenient time.”

Wulfric nodded in acknowledgment at Hendrix’s greeting. When the count looked at the gathering mob of people, the prince did so too. “Well,” making false assurances wasn’t his style, but he was still politic. “I will not claim it’s convenient, but I prefer to meet you than not, regardless of the situation.” He tilted his head to watch the other man’s expression. “Due to my interest in business, I have been looking forward to the opportunity to make your acquaintance,” he explained. “If you are staying here for the summer, perhaps you’d agree to meet with me for a more in-depth discussion?” Though the invitation was casual enough that the count had the leeway to refuse it, Wulfric stared at him intensely.

Ryn cocked his head to the side, mirroring the man in front of him. As he pondered whether Prince Wulfric was extending the invitation out of courtesy or from a genuine desire to learn how businesses operate, he noticed how intently the prince was staring at him —and that Ryn was also mimicking his expression.

The gray blue eyes bore into him, searching for something. Like the twins when they tried to beat him in a game of cards. In the process of trying to find his tell, the analytical scrutiny gradually turned into a staring contest and then ultimately devolved into a “try to make Ryn laugh” contest. In this instance, Prince Wulfric won. Ryn covered his mouth when the memories of the twins surfaced in an attempt to suppress a chuckle. He managed not to laugh, but he was unable to wipe the smile off his face so he decided to redirect it to the prince.

“That sounds like an excellent proposition, Your Highness.” Though the count did not know the prince enough to discern his true intentions, this was an opportunity to get closer to the Danrose family. It would be imprudent not to accept. “I am at your service. Please summon me at your earliest convenience.” Ryn slightly bowed his head. Then his eyes glanced over to Luz, mostly to see if she wanted to say something, partially to check if she was still with them.

Zarai had been staring at one of the buttons on Wulfric's coat, her eyes distant and void of any emotion. It wasn't until she noticed that both men had finished talking that she snapped out of her trance and took a deep breath. After a few blinks, she looked at Fritz and gave him a thumbs up. "It was an honor to see you again, Your Highness" She swallowed down the giggles as she gave a curtsy. Zarai did not want to mess up Fritz's first impressions with any of them, especially now that Wulfric had invited the count over for some talks. A second later she glanced over to the other three siblings and gave them a wave. Auguste caught her wave and returned with a wave and a smile of his own. Anastasia had blown her a kiss as she was sneaking through the crowd

Wulfric noticed the count was either amused or pleased by his invitation. He nodded, and replied, “Then I shall.” He followed Hendrix’s cue, and turned his attention to Zarai. She was a bit out of it, and that look in her eyes…He furrowed his brows at her, but didn’t comment. It was mildly surprising that the count’s presence motivated her to attempt to appear courteous. She usually did that only for his or her mother. “I appreciated it as well. I must take my leave now, but I am certain we will speak to each other soon,” he told her. Then, he said his farewells to the both of them, “I hope you will enjoy your stay here, and wish you a wonderful rest of the evening.” Then, he did as he’d intended to before Zarai called out to him, and departed. While he did not leave the ballroom proper, he did position himself in the vicinity of his parents, to help oversee the conclusion of today’s event.

---

After her dance, Mina had moved over to one of the food tables and started looking over what was available. As she was looking at the fruit and grabbing some strawberries, someone trailed their hand across her lower back. She glanced over her shoulder and heard Munir speak, "Oh mistress, how I've missed you." She smirked at him as she picked up a strawberry. ”Good, just how I want it.” She said to him before biting the strawberry and licking her lips. He moved on and she continued her task at hand of picking food.

Once she’d gotten what she wanted she moved to the side of the room and began eating. When she was finished, a masked figure approached her and handed her a letter. She thanked the man and quietly opened the letter. She read the contents and grinned as she tucked the contents away. As she did so it was announced that the second dance was to begin, but she didn’t move. If someone wished to dance with her then they would have to find her and ask.

Munir smirked at Mina’s response. When she bit into her strawberry, he reached out and took her hand and took the rest of the berry into his mouth before letting go. For the moment, Munir had moved away from her to mingle with his sisters and a lady in blue who had a slight accident from overeating it seems.

During this time, Munir got himself some finger food and took small sips from his wine skin, deciding to forgo the drinks they were serving. He just could not get used to what these Northerns drink regularly. As he was tucking his wine skin away in his waistband, it was announced that the second dance would begin soon. This dance was to be a ‘free-for-all’ it seems. Munir chuckled slightly as he definitely has his target in mind.

Lithely making his way through the crowd, spotting Mina through the drones of nobles present. There was another man who was speaking to her and asking her to dance. When he would reach her, he offered a proper Alidasht bow to the pair and addressed the other man sharply. “Sir, surely there is another lady that would gladly be your dance partner. I’m simply here to claim what was promised to me, what was given. This woman here is mine, you see.” He added a small smirk to his words, one that dripped with poison. Munir then proceeded to pay the other man no mind, turning to Mina and said ”Lady Blackwood, may I have this dance?” He would also right out his right hand in anticipation of her response.

Mina’s attention quickly turned to Munir, an odd sense of relief crossing her features as she went to take his hand. ”Um, excuse me, but I believe I was speaking to Lady Blackwood first. I’ll be damned if you were promised anything.” The man began to object and Mina looked back at him. ”Oh I do apologize, Lord Vauthry, but as the Shahzade has pointed out he was promised this dance. So I’ll be damned if you think you have any right to me.” A sweet smile never left her face, but her words dripped venom and the man looked baffled. She then turned back to Munir, taking his hand now, and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.

”It seems I may owe you now for rescuing me from that pig of a man. How can I ever thank you?” She asked once they were far enough away, a playful smile on her face now.

“Oh, were you? I’m sorry Lord Vaulty” Munir said, making sure that he mispronounced the other noble’s name. “But quite simply, I don’t give a fuck who you were talking to before I got here.” The tone switch must have been quite jarring for the other noble, for the expression on Munir’s face turned from his previous jovial, carefree look to one of quiet anger, as if another opportunistic predator is creeping up on his prey. “Now piss off back to whatever backwoods you spawned from, before you meet more of my dear friends…” Munir said as he gently put a hand on the noble’s shoulder, a golden bracelet with an ornate scorpion on it.

As Munir and Mina made their way to the dancefloor, Munir chuckled slightly at Mina’s question about repayment. “Ah Lady Blackwood, you already know how. As for Lord Vauthry , he won’t be a bother anymore. I’m sure of it.” Munir said as he shot two quick, inconspicuous glances at his personal bodyguards, notifying them of the other nobleman. Turning his attention back to Mina, and as the soft piano sounds filled the hall, Munir gracefully took Mina’s waist and began moving to the ethereal music of the second dance. “Though, as Lord Vauthry clearly has no rights to you, does that perhaps mean the right to claim you has already been taken by another?” Munir quipped softly in Mina’s ear as the pair swayed slowly to the music.

Mina had taken note of Munir’s bracelet and found it quite interesting. The scorpion was quite the contrast to her own spider choker. She found it funny that they both favored those arachnids. ”Well I do truly appreciate your help and I’ll be sure I sufficiently make it up to you.” She said as she followed his lead in the slow dance. At his next question she let out a small laugh and grinned mischievously at him. ”While there are a few like Vauthry that wish to claim me, none have succeeded in doing so. I won’t be claimed by a man…” She then leaned in closer to him and softly said back to him, ”Because I’ll be the one to do the claiming.``

”Oh, is that so?” He quipped back at Mina’s answer as the pair spun slowly to the music. ”Would I be one of the ones you claim? Not that I would mind that very much. It would be a nice change of pace… Munir said as he turned slightly and gave Mina a small dip. When she would stand back up, Munir quickly brushed some of the stray locks of hair behind Mina’s ear. With a small, light push, Munir extended his right arm, ‘pushing’ Mina out from where she was previously. Of course, Munir was cautious as to not throw her towards another pair of dancers. With a small tug, Munir ‘pulled’ Mina back towards him, this time placing his hand at the small of her back a bit more firmly than before.

“Do tell me though…” Munir practically whispered to Mina “What would it be like if I was to be claimed by you? Would you use me, ruthlessly? Would you lock me away from the world? Would I be the tool of your pleasure?” Munir’s expression did nothing to hide the voracious fire that burned within him.

Mina followed his lead in the dance, allowing him to dip her and then unfurling out into an open position. "If I were to claim you…" She began with a devilish grin on her face as she stepped in closer to him, pressing their bodies together. "I'd have you on your knees, worshiping me as a goddess." She'd leaned in, speaking softly into his ear with a sultry voice. She then took a step back, resuming the proper distance of the dance.

Munir, along with Mina, continued to sway to the music, slowly. When Mina answered Munir’s question, it did nothing but further stoke the already raging fire. All Munir could do was offer a guttural, almost beast-like, grunt in reply. ”My my. How ever would you do that? I wonder…” Munir quipped back. Continuing, he said ”But enough about what we both know is bound to happen later on this season. Tell me more about your home. Tell me more about yourself. Afterall, I’m not just some sort of animal. I have more on my mind than carnal desires.”

Munir took a small moment while Mina was formulating an answer to his question to study the room. There were other nobles dancing, of course. He also noticed some of the non-nobility had joined them in the dance as well. Being that this second dance was not prearranged. Of course, Munir spotted his siblings, all dancing at one point or another. Not to be outdone, Munir smirks slightly and added some Alidashtian flare into his steps.

”Keep up, Lady Blackwood. Surely you’ve noticed my siblings dancing with their partners as well. We’re not to be outdone here. Munir, ever jovial, let his competitive side shine through this one rare occasion.

”I suppose you’ll just have to wait and find out.” Mina said with a devilish grin in response to him asking how’d she get him on his knees. She enjoyed the flirtatious banter, but she was mildly surprised when he asked her to tell him more of her home. Was he truly curious? She took a moment to ponder this before opening her mouth to speak. ”My home is a place many in this ballroom would consider harsh and ugly, but to me it’s that harshness that makes it beautiful. We’re surrounded by snow capped mountains all year long and the sun rarely shines, but it fits the area. It’s cold most of the year, but we keep our homes cozy with a nice fire.” She knew she probably wasn’t selling it, but to her it was her safe place. It wasn’t extravagant, but she loved it.

She was about to speak a bit more about herself when he told her to keep up and she let out a small laugh. ”I believe it is you that needs to keep up with me, dear Shahzade. Do you need a lesson in our northern dance?” She teased him, but kept up with him easily.

“Very interesting. I’ve only ever heard of this weather pattern called snow. As you know. My country is one of sun and sand…” Munir responded back. Even though he is one of the royals, it was rare for him to have traveled so far, let alone even further North. “And to think, somewhere that some in this room will call harsh and ugly as produced a beauty such as yourself. I must make it a goal of mine to visit. Perhaps even ask you, my dear Lady Blackwood, as a guide, to see all there is to see in Kolonivka” It didn’t matter how Mina described it. It genuinely interested Munir. Growing up, all he has know is the sands of Alidasht, and the occasional visit to the woods of Kisoma. But never snow, or mountains for that matter.

“Is that a challenge, Lady Blackwood? I think you will find I’m a worthy partner, and in this case, student, to this Northern dance. So, if the music fits, please lead on.” Munir said with a smirk. It is true, Munir fancies himself an above average dancer, one that learns quickly and eagerly. In the meantime, Munir kept their pace and movement to the waltz the music was meant to be paired with. “Come now, tell me more about Kolonivka. Surely snow and cold aren’t the only things you can talk about…” Munir prodded on, waiting for Mina to add on to what she said previously.

”I do love a good challenge, don’t you?” She asked teasingly as she took some control of the dance. While it wasn’t traditional by any means for a woman to lead the dance, she wasn’t about to pass up the challenge. ”Prepare to dip me.” She instructed, waiting for him to do so before continuing on with talking.

”Also I would be happy to be your guide, then I can keep you warm if you get too cold.” Mina responded with a small giggle and devilish grin, but she found her heart warming a little to Munir as she picked up on his genuine interest in her home. It was nice to know there was more to this man than just flirtatiousness and desire. ”Oh there are a great many things I can talk about regarding Kolonivka. Like the people are warm and welcoming. Someone will always invite you in and offer you a nice hot bowl of stew. We all care for each other, we’re like one big family.” The love and adoration of her people was clear in the way Mina spoke of them. She smiled softly to herself as she thought of her home. After a moment of silence she was pulled back to the present as she realized she was still dancing.

”And what of yourself and your home? I’ve read of Alidasht in books, but I’ve never been there. I’d love to visit at some point, though.” She asked, genuine curiosity of her own shining in her eyes.

“Oh definitely. I love a challenge. Munir quipped back, matching her energy. Munir then allowed his body to relax even further, letting Mina take the lead. When she asked him to dip her, he replied “Yes, ma’am. and slid his right arm to the small of her back and swung her down towards the ground. In one smooth motion, he brought her back up so she was standing.

“Keep me warm huh. I think I’ll have enough furs with me for that. Perhaps you can join me inside those furs. Munir responded. “A guide would be most welcome though, seeing as I would be as lost as new born camel in the great vast sands.” When Mina talked more about Kolonivka, the genuine smile on Munir’s face was evident. The way she spoke of her people showed Munir that there was more to this woman than her outer appearance. She genuinely cared for her subjects, the same thing cannot be said about many of the other nobles present. [color= ffce00] “One big family, huh. That would be interesting to see…” [/color] Munir allowed his voice to trail off. The idea of commoners not bowing and immediately backing away whenever he approached was very novel to him. It is something he has never experience.

“Ah Glorious Alidasht. What can I say. Sun, sands, warmth, to be simple about it. Though not as approachable as your people, as it would sound anyways, the people of Alidasht are as prideful of their country as any in the lands. They understand how to exist with nature, to take what she gives and making the most of it, since there usually isn’t much. Sure there is the wooded area of Kisoma to the Northwest, but that is only a small piece of the country. Most of it is quite barren, I must say. Though, that has bred toughness, and resourcefulness, over the years. The palace is, of course, as grand as any in the lands, if not more so. You must come visit the Hanging Gardens, an architectural marvel in itself. Father explained it to me as the creation of some genius engineers by the order of one of my forefathers to appease his queen who has apparently come from a land far more green than our own. The royal bathhouses isn’t bad either. Somehow, some engineers centuries ago were able to figure out how to route fresh water from the coasts to the royal palace, and keeping it cool in the process. We have our own private reservoir of cool water whenever we should need it.” Munir paused, noting that he has been blathering on. “I’m going to stop myself there. I can’t reveal all of our secrets and pleasures without you paying us a visit yourself. When you do visit, I’ll be sure to guide you through them all. This next part was kept in Munir thoughts, and not spoken, “And maybe I can see just what exactly are you hiding underneath that ball gown you’re wearing right now…

”Or you could just join me under the furs on my bed.” Mina said with a wink and then a giggle escaped her. He went on to talk about Alidasht and she listened in wonder, having always been quite intrigued by the place. ”How about I make you a deal? If you come visit me and my home then I’ll come visit you. Then we can show each other the wonders of our home. Does that sound fair?” She asked, a genuine smile on her face, finding as the conversation went on she liked Munir more and more. There was just something about him that was drawing her in and she couldn’t quite figure it out. Did she dare allow herself to get closer to this man? Only time would tell.

”Oh! I wanted to inform you that there will be a…well, a secret after party tonight. It is required to leave all titles at the door, in case you were interested. I’d be happy to give you the details as I feel you’d really enjoy it. Besides, it’ll be a good way to learn more about this country.” She said, her voice lowered so that only he could hear her.

“We can save that for after the tour through Kolonivka…” Munir replied, offering her a small chuckle. Munir noticed the music was starting to wind down. For one reason or another, he did not want the dance to end. Munir had been with countless women in his past, both nobles and commoners. However, he found himself irresistibly drawn to the woman in his arms right now. There was just something about her. She does not cower in his presence. She does not simply submit to his words. She lets herself shine through, despite Munir’s ‘radiance’. All that was new to him, and oh so attractive. Its was like placing a lit torch in the dark night, and Munir was the moth.

Munir listened to Mina’s proposal. Of course he was going to accept. There was no way he would decline that. He had been meaning to visit the Northern kingdom for some time now. This would not alter his plans at all, only enhance it. However, for the time being as the dance approached it’s end, Munir simply smiled. Mina also seemed to have presented him with an invitation to a party at the end of the ball. It was only logical for Munir to make an appearance there. It would be outside of his character if he didn’t go.

As the dance concluded, Munir released his hold on Mina and took a small step back. Offering her a proper Caesonia bow. Beneath the bow, he unclasped a small golden scorpion ornament that was clipped to his waist. He stepped up to Mina, took her hand and kissed the back of it softly. In one smooth motion, he stepped slightly closer to her and whispered “That is a deal. I’ll plan a visit to Kolonivka immediately. I wish I could depart and take you with me right this second, but, as you know, duty calls…” As he was close to Mina, he reached up swiftly but gently and clipped the small scorpion ornament to the top curve of Mina’s right ear. Continuing to whisper “With that, I claim you as mine…” Munir offered a small wink “I’ll be looking for you at this party you spoke of, Mina.

Stepping back to a more ‘respectable’ distance, Munir spoke up in a more normal volume “Lady Blackwood, I thank you for the pleasure of this dance. I bid you farewell.” With that Munir stepped back and away from Mina, fading away into the crowd.