“Almost amusing if not for the poor timing. This is far less amusing, and I’m certain his royal highness would have little tolerance for threatening his guests with an ‘early grave.’ I prefer to handle my own matters, so, who put you up to this?”

Riona blinked once, twice. She didn’t understand what in the world he was babbling on about. Who put me up to this? I guess I’m not the first to complain, then. “The labor union?” she asked, half-jokingly. She heard rumors of its implementation somewhere in Varian.

She stared until the realization hit her, causing her to burst out laughing. Of course, why would someone who thought lowborns were an entirely different species think that they could get the upper hand on him without the assistance of another noble? Prank or not. Commoners were fundamentally incompetent; incapable of doing anything without the guidance of a highborn and thus wholly dependent on their overlords.

“W-wait,” she gasped between laughter, “wait, wait, wait.” Riona tried to calm herself, looked at Lord Smithwood’s face, and sniggered. “Let me guess...” The maid placed two fingers on her temple and extended her other hand toward the lord’s direction. She closed her eyes shut, pretending to focus all her mental abilities on deciphering the complex workings of a highborn’s mind. “You’re thinking… you’re thinking that commoners are… s…t…u…p…i…d? Cupid? Oh! Right, stupid… and cowardly. There’s no way this woman has the smarts or the guts to insult ME of her own volition! There must be someone of noble blood behind this. Yes, that’s it! It has to be!”

Riona opened one eye, “Am I right?”

She barked another laugh. “You lot are so predictable! Is that all tutors teach you in class these days? Gods! No wonder the quality of ‘noble’ in the nobility went down the drain. You need to get a refund, Smithwood, because you’ve got scammed out of a proper education.”

“But seriously, are you that dense that you need a nobody to point out the obvious? Ah… then again, you can’t function without nobodies assisting your day-to-day life, so it makes sense.” She sighed, “I’ll try my best to break it down for you so that you don’t have to think that hard, okay?” She answered for Lord Smithwood “Okay.”

Her voice changed into a tone reserved for little children. “You see, Smithwood, when you’re as charming as you are, you don’t need to be highborn to think you’re a horrible person. And when you’re a horrible person, people start to not like you as an individual. When people don’t like you, they’re more likely to take action to express how much they don’t like you. Depending on how much they hate you, the worse their actions against you become.” Without actually touching his lordship, Riona pretended she was patting the man’s head. “Does that make sense to you, boy? Or do you need pictures too?” She shushed him, “I know, I know, it’s a very complex and multifaceted idea, so it might take some time for you to understand. But since you’re highborn and don’t need to do anything to be great at everything, I’m sure you’ll get it by the time you grow up.”

“This,” she pointed to herself and Lord Smithwood, “here. Is an intervention. Not a threat, but a warning, a premonition.” Her finger settled on Lord Smithwood before moving it up and down, “You keep this up and you'll have people, regardless of their birth, wishing you dead. I’ll bet my money that a majority of them will be the people you’re supposed to be taking care of too. The people you think are insignificant, even if you can’t run a duchy without them. But you’ll overlook every sign. So what if they did hate you? What can the likes of them do anyways, right?”

What can the likes of you do?

Shut up.

“You’re far from invincible or untouchable, Smithwood. Even ants can kill humans.” Riona sighed, her anger spent. All that remained was a kind of pity for the man. The Varian was a typical Caesonian noble in the making, disconnected from the world, their own people, outside the aristocratic bubble.

For the first time, she wondered if Lord Smithwood was anything like his missing father. Which led to another thought. “...Are you deliberately making the servants around you feel as miserable as you are because of who your mother married?” Ladies-in-waiting were considered a prestigious position, but was even that too lowly?

Wulfric followed down the hall several paces behind his mother, who was just as disinclined to wait for him as he was to try and catch up. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary…until there abruptly was. The scent of the gardens was shortly followed by a shape appearing from the shadows as if it had simply been given form right there and then. The very moment these unusual events entered his awareness, the prince’s body reacted on reflex, turning towards the unknown, beginning to take on a stance more appropriate for facing a potential danger…

But it was just Count Hendrix.

Wulfric let himself ease into a more natural position, the familiarity of the man and the sudden departure of his initial tension enabling him to return the pleasantries as if nothing had been amiss. “Count Hendrix, how unexpected,” the tone was all pleased surprise as he offered a polite smile to Fritz. But he couldn’t help his curiosity, and allowed his words to subtly prod at the strangeness of the count’s uninvited presence.

He merely watched as the other man approached, listening to what he had to say. Ah. Your mistake, Wulfric thought, was assuming I enjoy flattery. The appeal to his pride was all too clear. Nonetheless, he added some appreciation to his smile. If anything was masterful, it was Hendrix’s performance. Quite reminiscent of Count Damien, actually.

“…its future even brighter…” Fritz was finishing his speech. Wulfric nodded graciously once it came to an end. “Indeed,” he replied, twisting the distant admiration at the count’s skillfulness into something approaching satisfied appeasement. Privately, he questioned just how much Hendrix had gathered from the meetings (one public, one private) he must have witnessed. Enough to tailor that particular compliment, certainly, but aside from that? A dotted outline, or the full picture? And what else…?

Despite his suspicions, Wulfric was genuinely intrigued by the offer – which he was sure the count knew – and did the expected thing when Hendrix leaned closer; reciprocated with anticipation. Overall, Fritz's words had the feeling of being a construct of unrelated truths. It was somewhat…concerning that someone had such information so handily. Admittedly, also impressive.

The prince straightened back up, raising his brows at the mention of a ‘respectable man’. There is such a thing as too convenient, you know. But he did want what was being presented, perhaps with some imprudent impatience on his part.

“There is no need for you to apologize, count, as you couldn’t possibly have known.” That was true; unlike himself, the count had no reason to suspect his siblings’ involvement last night. Though this was also much beside the point. “But truly, your resourcefulness does you credit. You clearly have me at a disadvantage, for I do not know whom you are referring to.” Wulfric watched Fritz curiously, letting him do with the implied request to reveal this man’s name as he would.

Time: 9:30am
Location:: The Park of Sorian
Interaction(s):: @FunnyGuy Lorenzo



Ruby had woken up with a blazing headache to the sounds of chattering people downstairs. She angrily had gone downstairs to see what the commotion was about. At first, she was in a fit of rage and had been about to start yelling at everyone, but then she was distracted by the news of free pancakes at the park. Without question, she bolted out of the door and made her way to the park as though she had been starving for months. Ruby had not even noticed she was still in her nightclothes and barefoot.

She was not phased by the crowded environment at the park, instead, she bumped into many people on her mission to get to the tables ahead of everyone else. One man, in particular, did not see her in order to move out of her way and she rammed into him as he had been getting in line for waffles. He had a mustache and scars on his face. She made a sound of disgust as if it had been his fault and stumbled. Then she glared at him and mumbled something under her breath. “Darn bootlicker.” Ruby had not noticed this was the line for waffles and remained behind him, grumbling about him audibly and secretly admiring his very nice coat. He seemed too rich for free handouts and she thought he was probably a greedy loser. She kept peering over everybody’s head as if to speed up the line with her eagerness.

Interactions: @heartfillia crystal
Location: Pancake Central


"I would be a benevolent god." She fanned her own loud words on this beautiful day, a silken fan whose ribbons matched those of her hat. The park had plenty of goers that would bear witness to her new change in hair, though it would probably only be those versed in the fashion community that would be shocked. Oh, how Priscilla loved her hair! It was a relic! And she had curled it yesterday in beautiful waves to bless these hungered masses and the eyes of her (few) friends and (zero?) public admirerers! The morning would be a vicious hunt for one of the fiercest girls in the city to find out everything that had happened the night before. Hopefully, no one had fun and died of boredom in her absence.

Her maid held a parasol at a suitable height above her head since Prissy just had to catch up on the latest newspaper that came out. "Everything would have gone swimmingly. If I could make mountains then Caesonia would have it all-- and of course, I would have it that women can be in charge of everything everything everything and that milk chocolate grew on trees." If one asked for input from her attendants, they would all agree that they found more annoyance in an annoyed Priscilla than an angered one. Her annoyance only resulted in verbal, unending tangents while true anger directed her to quieter, more productive actions.


"Very exciting My Lady, the festivities should be in full swing soon." See, her attendants understood to read underneath her outlandish remarks and saw what she truly had to say. Priscilla's scrunched face lifted into a spry smirk for a moment.

Perhaps with it being her first ball, Crystal would have absorbed every bit of it and would paint a picture with words over a bite. She assumed Crystal had still gone. If it were not for Priscilla having to delegate most of her office work to others and finish up her current projects before the social season, she would have insisted on traveling out to meet her and dress her and prepare her! That poor girl, she did not know that she still had yet to be dressed to the nines by the great Priscilla, a benevolent god of everything beautiful.

For example, it is only breakfast....but Priscilla looks wonderful. Dressed to compliment and be wrapped in gentle breezes and morning sunshine, she's a picture of peachiness. "You are absolutely correct Marabeth! And Alidasht is in attendance-- imagine if they love me. I already sense the future trade opportunities, and who here knows where to find quality goods and the right people to facilitate it if not me?" It is a better thought than recognizing her unfortunate marriage self-sabotaged marriage prospects. She did not wear anyone up and coming since she would be at Petunia Cooper's event later, and thus while the focus stayed on her clothes, Priscilla had enough information on her new collection so she wore some new gold pieces of jewelry from her ears to her ankles that would go with what the designer put on the rack. Really, an outfit is only complete with an accessory.

And there is a perfect person to appear within her perfect, flowing lacy dress. That person is just somewhere behind all...all the mighty fit people. "...is that my Lady Crystal?" it had been many months since they met in person, but there's something about a giant muscular bearded man that leaves something to be remembered. Priscilla held up a gloved hand, crumpling up a newspaper thoroughly read and remembered in the other hand. Her crisp, new slippers rung louder taps against the pavement as she picked up the pace, but quickly slowed down so that Crystal's bodyguards would not glare at her.

"Mmmm!"

The aroma of pancakes always brought on a rush of joy. She was smiling from ear to ear as she took in the sights. The atmosphere was uplifting, something she had needed this morning. She could not wait to cuddle up with a book under a pretty tree! She glanced at Lorenzo after a few seconds of admiring the park. "Let's get on the line while it's not too long."

Just as she spoke, the sound of a trumpet filled the park. The fanfare nature of the tune made her stomach drop. No way. The King and Queen aren't present, are they? Her eyes searched over the grassy surroundings until they landed on another table by the fountain. There was a red-headed man with a cane standing before a mountain of waffles. She could tell even from her spot that there were many different flavors. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to peer over to collect more details visually. The cane had a skull on top, and the man was awfully overdressed to give away free waffles. Nonetheless, a good number of folk broke off the pancake line with their plates and started to line up in front of the waffle table.

Charlotte was perplexed. Bizarre. She turned her gaze on Lorenzo as she asked him, "Do you perhaps like waffles? If so, I'm so glad there's something here you can enjoy too...As for me, I do feel more inclined for a pancake." Lorenzo did end up separating to go on the waffle line while she went up the pancake line.

The blueberry pancakes were a no-brainer. She licked her lips as she pulled some onto her plate. Oh yes. Absolutely magnificent. The next last table was certainly her favorite, and it was there she went to town on the syrup on her pancake. But the final ingredient was the most important: the whipped cream. Those in line behind her had watched in awe as she had practically created a tower of whip cream and then went as far as to put some extra whipped cream in a cup she had plucked from the first table. Once she was finished, she moved away from the table and glanced over at the waffle line. It was quite a bit longer than the pancake line had been.

That trumpet really did the trick. Charlotte raised a brow. The waffle man was chuckling to himself in pleasure. She did not waste much time pondering and simply waved to Lorenzo as she passed the line to gather his attention once again. Once his attention was caught, it was then she continued on to pick a spot for them to sit.

Charlotte decided on a shady area under a lovely oak tree. She spread out her blanket and set her plate down on it. Then most importantly, she retrieved Champion from the basket."Hello good sir." She cooed and held the kitten up. "We have important work today, don't we? But not without a treat for you first." Charlotte set the cat down on the blanket. Champion was quite alert to being in new surroundings but stayed nonetheless. He did indeed yowl for no reason one time. The cup of whipcream would now come to its full use as she picked it up and placed it in front of Champion. The sound of his grumbly eating noises brought a smile to her face as he immediately shoved his face into the cup. She then pulled her plate of beloved pancakes over and soon brought a bite into her mouth as she leaned up against the trunk of the tree.

Time: 9:30am
Location: Doorway of Anastasia's bedroom
Attire:Dress
Interaction: @Helo Callum

---

Anastasia's brows lifted, and a huge smile plastered her face. "Wait- He's safe! Callum, you're a fucking legend!" There was such a relief from stress that it felt in that moment that the greatest miracle in the world had happened. All had seemed so lost to Anastasia; if her actions had truly led to Darryn's death, she wasn't sure if she'd have ever been able to forgive herself. Though Callum had advised differently, she wanted to speak with him today. She needed to apologize to him and would be sneaky about it if she had to.

Callum's words had also made her realize that perhaps Wulfric's opinions had not been as foul as she imagined. With that in mind, she decided to give Wulfric back a few respect points on her mental list. It lifted some of her pain to do so anyway. Being so aggrieved with her eldest brother had broken her heart a little; she had not been sure if she had ever wanted to speak with him again if he had been resigned to killing Darryn. Callum, however, was overloaded with her respect right now. It was his next words that made her realize she, too, was being respected. This was something she did not expect to receive from anyone.

“You know, what you did, standing up to our parents, in front of an audience like that, it took guts. They might not appreciate it, but it was honest, brave, and for what’s worth, I think you did the right thing.” She felt her vision blur as tears threatened; Anastasia cast her gaze downward. “Thought you deserved to know that.”

It felt amazingly validating to be told something like that. As good as it had felt, there was a nagging feeling that she'd only suffer for her actions, especially the mistakes she had made the night prior. She had finally stood up publicly, but it was a whole different game than standing up to her mother in one of their many argument sessions. Now she had hurt their reputation and would probably not be trusted in a public avenue. This meant only further isolation. She could imagine even King Edin would say something about it, telling the others that "even Callum had not made such a mockery of himself."

But Callum deserved that.

He deserved to be finally recognized for his good qualities and not shunned as the failed brother. So if her demoting herself to the worst family member meant maybe he'd receive some long-awaited recognition, maybe it was all worth it. After all, she had meant every word she had said, and it had felt amazing to finally force herself to be heard. Anastasia decided she'd believe she had done the right thing as Callum had. There was no way she'd ever regret trying to protect Darryn.

Anastasia smiled faintly at Callum. The mixed emotions had been evident in her eyes for a moment before she practically dove into giving him a hug. She wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Thank you Callum. That means a lot to me." After a long moment, perhaps maybe not appreciated by Callum, she let go of him and put her hands on his shoulders. She looked up to meet his eyes. "You deserve to know something too... I want you to know you're worth more than anyone could tell you, and one day, you're gonna show everyone how stupid they are for doubting you." She paused before continuing. The tone of her following words was emotional, though a brief laugh had escaped her mid-sentence.

"I guess just know your crazy big sister is always on your side, okay?"

Time: 9:30am
Location: Damien Estate

---

When Roman had announced who he was, the guard had opened the gate without hesitation for him to enter. When his back was turned, the guard nodded to another standing by one of the front windows of the estate. If one were to look closely, the window was open. The guard by the estate turned around to face the window. Roman would notice the home was unusually well protected. The fence was huge, and there was an abnormal amount of men with weapons positioned all over the place.

As soon as Roman had been about to knock, the doors swung open, and Count Calbert Damien stood before him, glancing up at the huge man unflinching. His blue eyes lit up, and he smiled. ”Lord Ravenwood!” He opened his arms as he greeted him, his tone warm, “What a pleasant surprise. Please… Come in.” With a step to the side, he allowed room for entry.

The first thing Roman noticed was the metalworking of the gate and fence around the estate as he walked to the door. It was actually rather well made, and in some spots, spiked metal fences were sharpened at the top and the gate itself was reinforced. After a brief proof of credentials, he was let in, the brief movements from windows and the shadows of the building showed just how well protected this place was.

“Paranoia, perhaps lots of enemies, what did she say? Her family deals in secrets. So spy’s… best to keep my wits about me here” these thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open to reveal Count Calbert Damien with a rather chipper response to him. Roman nodded with a smile and stepped inside, his brow furrowing for a moment but his gaze lightened as he was able to admire the architecture of the entryway.

“Hello, Count Calbert Damien. It is a pleasure to meet you, Violet had nothing but good things to say about you and your family last night.”

Slight flattery to show the other man that he was also in a good mood and thought well of them and their family. Anything to butter up a possible business partner and maybe just maybe a future family member. He could only wonder as to where Violet might be off too.

The flattery was welcomed; hearing that his daughter had said nothing but good things about them only caused his chest to tighten and his throat to constrict. Tears threatened, but he didn’t allow them to show and instead reinforced his expression with a genuine jovial smile. Nobody could find out, not yet… especially not dear Crystal, who had braved the ball yesterday. He took a deep breath, reminded himself of his remaining daughter, and nodded his appreciation.

“Thank you for your kind words, Lord Roman. Please, right this way.” Calbert replied and led him to a tea room. His walk was brisk and his tone pleasant. There, he gestured for Roman to sit down in a blue-cushioned chair. Everything around them seemed to be in cooler color shades and perhaps uncomfortably clean to some. The marble floors seemed almost reflective in nature, and most rooms had high ceilings.

A maid had followed them in with her head down. He nodded to her to begin serving them tea as he awaited Roman to take a seat. He wanted to make this quick and easy. He had Kazumin to deal with later, plus the grief of losing Violet to deal with on his own. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

Roman walked slowly with purpose as he was here for a reason but not to intimidate, still even with this mindset he found himself looking at the artwork, building design, and even the polished floors. Everything is very neat and orderly, not so much a stark comparison to his own home in Emberstone but definitely different. Whoever made this definitely would have a challenge in the northern parts of the Varian kingdom.

Taking his seat across from the count with a smile and adjusted himself. Roman always found that his choice of clothes were always, as some of the other nobles have called it, of a lower class. Today he looked like more of a wealthy merchant than nobility. This was just fine with him as he wasn't showing off one of his weapons or a set of armor but jewelry. Simple yet complex, not unappealing or large and bulky but streamline and symmetrical. The small Ravenwood crest etched into the various metals making up his rings that rolled across his index middle and ring fingers on both hands.

With a quick thank you to the maid for pouring his tea he picked up the cup and took a sip.

“I'm not one to beat around the bush but I would like to say that you have done a marvelous job at raising both of your daughters. So first off, I would like to apologize for any trouble that I may have caused last night. I can assure you the rumors in that newspaper floating around are false. I am a man of honor, and to do something or allow something like what they said to happen would put a mark on that honor. I was simply admiring her beautiful scars.”

He took another sip of his tea before continuing.

“So the reason for my visit. I found myself very much intrigued by Violet during the dance, and I believe that my feelings were reciprocated by Violet. So I am here to officially request your permission to court your daughter and see where that road takes us.”

He finished with a smile and hoped he did not over or underdo his simultaneous apology and request to the man. Either way, this would be a good spot to learn how to gauge the count.

“Ah.” Calbert had been silently sipping his tea as Roman spoke, not uttering that final word until he had finished. He had usually had a good gauge on if someone was lying, and he felt Roman was an honest man if anything. It was completely inappropriate for Violet to have shown him her scars in such a manner, but he was glad it was not as lewd as the rumors had made it out to be. He had quite a few thoughts and concerns about the fellow already, especially with what had happened. However, he knew at this moment that the two of them were both at the loss of Violet Damien.

Perhaps considered a talent, Calbert was careful to keep a juxtaposition between his thoughts and outer expressions. He met Roman’s gaze and allowed a little of his emotion through as he smiled sadly. ”You seem like a good and traditional man, Lord Ravenwood… Though I’m afraid I have disappointing news.” He let out a sigh and covered his mouth. The body language of one with regret and something they did not want to have to tell another. “ Lady Violet left with her mother early this morning to return to our hometown. She’s been getting into some troubles lately and, unfortunately, did not feel ready for a courting season quite yet. If you can understand, it is not my business to elaborate on, but I do feel this was all overwhelming for her and too soon.”

He raised his gaze and met his eyes with a comforting smile, “I am terribly sorry you came all this way. Please do not let this hinder your season here as it will be an undefinable amount of time before Violet is ready for such an adventure…” Calbert’s expression contorted with worry as if he had just been remembering an important fact, mumbling to himself in a manner that was still audible to Roman yet as if he had not meant to say it out loud, “Not to mention the gentleman back in Montauppe she’s so enamored with…”

Roman remained stoic as the count spoke, occasionally sipping his tea and giving the man a more somber smile when he finished. Due to his early teenage years of working the forge and industry and not wearing hearing protection, some mumbled words escape his grasp. If he remembered correctly, he said something along the lines of ‘i'm young I don't need protection for that’ it seems his sister had the same attitude when she was young as well now he's an uncle.

So the last few things he mumbled he had to strain to hear, yet all he picked up was ‘gentleman’ and ‘enamored’. Well, he was a gentleman and she did seem quite enamored with him, so if they can't be lovers, then maybe friends. Still, something tugged at the back of his mind, this didn't feel quite right. Either the man was extremely more protective and corrective of his daughters than he initially thought or something else. He needed more information but he did not believe that right now was the time for more questions.

“I see, that is unfortunate, but I will not stand in your way of whatever decision is best for your family. I hope I did not waste too much of your time.”

Placing the teacup down on the plate, he gave a polite nod.

“I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

"Likewise."

Time: 9:30am
Location: The Park of Sorian; behind the Oak Tree
Interaction: @princess Charlotte

---

“You’re in over your head, Charlotte.”

A voice had come behind the trunk of the oak tree. She’d be able to recognize it was an older male, but not one she recognized. “A young girl of your standing should not be traversing the city in the dead of night.” Though the statement might have implied concern, there was none evident in his voice. “Who knows what could happen.”

He was not hesitant to say more. “Lady Vikena, I highly suggest you refocus your ambitions back where they belong… to keep you from more unfortunate circumstances... Speaking of which, I think you should consider avoiding Count Fritz from now on as it would be in your best interest. ” His tone was one of intimidation and coldness. He had hoped this would be enough to stop her advances for the boss, but if needed he would show more aggressive force. A warning was good enough to get his point across in the meantime. The man had nothing more to say from that point on leaving before she would find him. He was sure she’d inevitably turn around to get a look at him, but she’d find no one.

---

It wasn't really a secret that Mayet didn't trust the Grand Vizier, but when he started speaking, outraged by how the king and the queen were treating the issue, she couldn't help but silently agree with him. Whether the Royal Caesonian Family really had something to do with all that and it was all their scheme or if it was someone else, who was merely using that situation to try and undermine both countries' relations, the way Queen Alibeth and King Edin were trying to save face by hiding and silently dealing with what happened was infuriating, to say the least. Their attempts to trivialize the multiple 'issues' that happened since they had arrived in Caesonia was insulting, to say the least.

Even though Mayet said nothing as the Grand Vizier was speaking, her sharp, cold stare was more than enough to send the message that her thoughts were the same as his... Especially when he mentioned her father's overwhelming merciful behavior until now. To hear that Nahir also agreed that a punishment was in order was also refreshing. To have such offenses go unpunished would be to sully Alidasht's honor and name.

With the 'meeting' they had with the King and the Queen nearing it's end after the Sultan's declaration to leave some of his men to aid on the investigation... and undoubtedly to be his eyes and ears regarding the same, Mayet got up as well, getting ready to leave the room before she turned towards the Sultan, the Grand Vizier and her siblings and cousins.

"I have a bad feeling about what's going on in Caesonia... I'll keep my eyes open and my blade sharp until this entire situation is dealt with." Mayet said with a serious tone with a small bow before she walked away.

---

The very moment Mayet got out of the room, Nala gave an annoyed growl, clearly letting Mayet know how she was feeling after spending that entire time they were on the 'meeting' doing absolutely nothing.

"We both deserve some time to relax and calm down... Unfortunately... Due to the recent 'events', it's not a good time to go hunting..." Mayet said, sighing as she gently patted Nala.

"I promise we'll go hunting together once all this is solved... Until then, we'll have to find another things to do." Mayet said with a smile as she looked at Nala.

Fortunately, she knew exactly what they could do. The Sorian Park. It would be a perfect place to lay down in the grass and rest under the sun for a bit with Nala. Especially if it was as empty as it was when Mayet happened to take a glance at it when she arrived on Caesonia.

Unfortunately, Mayet was completely unaware of the event that was currently being held on Sorian Park. Due to that, she was quite surprised when she saw the amount of people at the park and the many tables serving pancakes and even waffles.

With that said, there was still a small saving grace on that situation. Due to the 'pancake bar' event, most of the people who were in the Sorian Park were gathered relatively near the fountain, where the tables were at. Thanks to that, it didn't take much time for Mayet to find a nice, empty clearing near some trees where she and Nala could rest.

Completely unfazed by how much attention she was drawing or even the fact that even the people serving the pancakes stopped doing so to watch her, Mayet simply continued walking just past the fountain, until she found herself on the small clearing she saw earlier.

"This seems to be a nice, quiet spot." Mayet said as she sat down on the grass, with her ring-blade on her lap, followed by Nala, whom laid down just besides Mayet, letting the sun bathe her fur as she stretched herself on the grass.

Despite the fact that many people kept looking at Mayet and Nala from a distance, enthralled by Mayet and Nala's exotic beauty or their imposing presence, few dared get too close from them, either due to the huge tigress laying down on the grass, without a single leash or anything preventing it from jumping and mauling someone or the glint of the blade Mayet carried with her.

Time:9:30 am
Location: Danrose Castle/ Alden’s Room → Castle Dining Room

---

Alden was observing himself in the mirror, analyzing the bruises on his neck and lower body. He had woken up in his shirt ripped up, and his clothes soaked in what seemed like sweat, as if he was wrestling and got himself in a fight. He just couldn’t help but to say to himself, What the hell happened last night?!

He was trying to recall the events that had occurred, to piece together exactly the events that had transpired. He vaguely remembered flashing lights, the moon, and even… Blood.Then he remembered the events that had led him up to this point. Though he couldn’t recall if he had gotten into a fight as well, considering the shape that he was currently in. It doesn’t necessarily matter though, he was here alive, and that's all that mattered. He took a deep breath and laid out the plans in his head again. Things may have taken a turn last night, whatever they may have been, but he was still a few steps ahead of everyone else. That was a fact he was certain about. He smiled at himself in the mirror as he recomposed himself, What happened last night shall remain a mystery. Now, it is time to present yourself.

Alden cleaned himself up and disposed of his worn out and torn clothes in his closet for now, he will properly discard them later, and got into new clothes. First, I should seek out the wretched king. It’s been long enough since I made my debut. He went into the halls, thinking back to what he knew of Edin and what he recalled that he was a man who very much enjoyed his breakfast. So Alden then made down into the dining room and easily found King Edin sitting at the end of the table as servants began setting down plates upon plates of food. He was the only one sitting there so it could only be assumed it was all for him. How repulsive…

“Good morning, your majesty. Enjoying your meal this morning?”

King Edin’s head rose and his eyes widened. The sound of his utensils clinking filled the room as they fell out of his hands onto the table. For once, he looked a little afraid. Who is that?...Is that a ghost? …I remember him I think but…I am certain he died. Yes, yes. I sent him away on a perilous journey… I don’t recall why I did that, but… He never did come back… No, no, not for years. Hm. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized him without speaking yet. Too opaque. I suppose he’s finally returned.. Albert… Yes. Albert.

Alden observed the king’s reaction, as if he was frightened by his appearance. He couldn’t help but to smile. He should be, if he knew what was coming. At the very least, it seemed like he remembered him well, and decided to use this to his advantage for the moment. He then proceeded to speak in a calm yet friendly manner to him. “Terribly sorry to frighten you, your majesty. I have just but recently returned from my venture, and I have many things we need to discuss. I have collected and gathered valuable information which I know would be beneficial to you. May we discuss when you have the moment?”

“... Albert! You’ve been gone for years!”King Edin finally blurted out in astonishment. ”What the fuck happened to you?”

This DUMBASS MOTHERFUCKER! ALBERT! HOW DISGRACEFUL!! Alden kept his warm smile as he had thought to himself. If he could display his rage right now, he would absolutely express it. “Hahahaha I suppose it has been a while. My name is Alden, I am your royal advisor. You sent me on a journey to obtain valuable information from far off kingdoms. I suppose you could confuse me for Albert after a long time, hahaha.”. If only Edin understood his sarcastic undertones, he would probably get the hint.

King Edin nodded as if he had known all that. “Yes, yes of course. Aldoon. Well it’s most fortunate that you are not dead. Spectacular actually! You’ve put me in a wonderful mood… Come! take a seat, Aldoon. We can feast together and talk about your journey.” He waved him over with a smile. Advisor huh? We certainly needed him earlier. Well. I’ll have to tell him about all that insanity and see what he thinks.

Instant regrets filled Alden’s mind. It wasn’t even worth the hassle to correct him on his name at this point. With a composed and professional demeanor, he proceeded to fit next to the king. He wasn’t even hungry, but at least he could discuss matters and proceed with his next steps in his plot. “ Thank you for your generosity, your majesty. The journey has been rough, but brought plentiful fruits of valuable information. But before we discuss my findings, I would like to know, what has occurred after all this time? I have been away for long, and it seems trouble has been brought upon our kingdom. I would like to be caught up, from your knowledge.”

King Edin sighed as if he had asked the heaviest question ever to be spoken. First, he selected a big boiled egg and took an aggressive bite out of it. He was silent as he chewed it. He set it down after and did not bother to finish it. He looked at the dark-haired man in front of him and then began to fill him in on what had occurred over the years. It was a brief overview as not much had been occurring since he left and also because he was not in the mood to go into detail about years worth of information. It seemed Aldoon was interested in the night prior anyway. He luckily had a copy of the newspaper of the day handy so he pulled it over and set it front of Aldoon.

The moment Aldoon had paused to read it, he snapped his fingers at a maid, “Get over here and feed this man. He’s of high status don’t you know? Fill his plate!” He demanded. The maid had a look of confusion on her face as she obviously did not recognize Alden, but began to fill his plate nonetheless.

”So. Aldoon. We finally were able to get some visitors from the Alidasht to visit during courting season… And as you may recall, Duke Lorenzo was an imbecile and still is. He created a scene and made the Sultan fall off his chair… You can read the article there for more information, but if you must know, we’ve made an awful impression on theme.”

King Edin paused to finish the egg in one bite. Aldoon had to wait for him to finish chewing. “...To make matters worse, there was a party of some sort and my two youngest led all of the Sultan’s royal offspring there and brought them back absolutely wasted to the point some of them think that they were possibly poisoned... There was an attempt to smooth things over this morning but it went all to shit if you could imagine. None of them remembered last night nor would they tell us who threw the event.”

Well if there is one thing we could agree on, Lorenzo is definitely an imbecile….. There was also something that caught Alden’s attention. The king had mentioned a party, and he was able to briefly recall that transpiring. He pondered if he went there as well. He would certainly remember if he did, but strangely enough he couldn’t recall many events that happened that night. As the maid brought Alden his food, he reviewed the newspaper that the king handed him. He saw the readings of what happened at the ball, and briefly reviewed the wanted poster. He wondered what her crimes were, as there was no mention as to why she was on the front pages. Probably for petty thievery. Then there was the gossip on the “morning tea. This section is filled with hogwash anyways, only half this paper has provided anything useful. . He had put the paper down and simply sighed.

”That part’s true. Charlotte Vikena did offer to be a whore. Never did offer me to me yet though. ”King Edin tapped the paper with a chuckle of amusement.

Looks like the Vikena’s are in deep water for whatever actions that occurred. He doubted that Charlotte would do such a thing, but Lorenzo, most definitely. Someone had actually questioned if he was fucking Calbert….

Wait, CALBERT!

Alden's head perked up as he remembered the snake that man was. The only thing remotely interesting to him was the wanted poster, and most definitely Calbert would be most likely to post something like that. After all, what had happened last night, he would be looking for answers, and would blame anyone. He was the source and fool Alden needed to further enhance his plans. Then there was also the mention of the party the King briefly explained.

“Hahaha looks like the Vikena’s are a troublesome duo indeed. I wonder, considering how things transpired between those two, would they happen to know anything about the party? Has anyone asked?”

His eyes lit up and he slapped the table. ”NO! No one has!”He exclaimed as if an epiphany had hit him, ”Aldoono you’re a genius. It’s all connected.” He poked his fingers together as if connecting puzzle pieces to further demonstrate his point. “Today, I shall have you seek out the Vikenas and question them.But first, do you see any way we appease the Alidasht for now? … I know my wife is going to throw together an investigation team, but I feel the quicker the answers the better.”

King Edin lowered his voice as he told Alden, “We don’t want a war right now.”

You may not want a war, but I certainly do. Alden simply smiled and looked at the king as he proceeded to speak in a calm and low voice. “I will address the Vikena’s as soon as I can, and as for the Alidasht…. It is under my best impression that we await what the investigation team could come up with. I would recommend that the team comes together and try to be as friendly to the children of their kingdom as possible. They probably have more information that could be gathered. As for the Sultan, perhaps the best deed we can do is if you address him directly, one on one, about the events that transpired and the actions we are taking. Afterall, with such a noble king as yourself taking action and addressing him, it would certainly smooth things out…”

... or make things worse hehehe…

“Genius Albert! Genius! It’s the effort and the personal experience of a one-on-one conversation that can finally improve our relationship… And I am so charismatic. He’ll love me.” King Edin chuckled joyfully to himself and looked down at his face in the reflection of his now empty plate. “Look at me!” He gestured toward it and laughed again, delighted with himself. This situation would all start to make more sense once Alden spotted the nearby wine bottle.

Yes, certainly the Sultan would love to have your head on that platter.

Crystal took a bit longer than she requested of course. With her hair being a monster to tame and getting completely dressed. She grabbed two books when she finished and wrapped her arms around them before walking out into the waiting room. She sighed and looked at her father, who was standing with four people. Three large men, and one woman. She smiled at them. She already knew the woman, a tall redhead with a stoic expression on her face, breaking only with a tiniest of smirks at seeing Crystal. Her name was Liah Gibbs, and has been a guard for the family ever since Crystal was little. She was so close to the family that Crystal felt she was more like a protective older sister than a guard. Strict but kind, with a glare that would make a grown man whimper. It's true, Crystal saw it first hand.

Beside her was the other guard she saw as family as well. Jacob Gibbs was impossible to miss, as he stood at 6’11. He easily could have been mistaken for a bear standing on its hind legs. With long brown hair and a full beard with a few beads braided into it that came to his chest. As soon as he saw Crystal he grinned. “Took ye long enuf. Thought ye might’ve gotten distracted wif ye tipey eh..watcha call it…”

“Type writer dear…” Liah said softly

“AYE THAT.” he said with a hearty chuckle. He pointed to Crystal's hat. “Ey I love the hat! It suits yu.” He blinked and said as an after thought. “Mehbeh I should get me a hat like that...?” He said looking to his wife Liah who gave him a simple look.

“Ahh yer right. Not very practical. But it’s gunna be a sunny day…It be nice and co-”

Liah blinked and tilted her head ever so slightly.

“Right… nope. Nev’r mind meh.” Jacob said, as he straightened up and looked away from his wife to Crystal. Getting the clear message to shut up.

After being introduced to the two new guards, Crystal gave her father a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Just as a servant came up and announced that Lord Ravenwood was at the gate.

This was her que to leave. She quickly made for the door, her guards in tow. As the door opened and the fresh air blew in she took a deep breath. It was then she saw Lord Ravenwood by the gate still. Hesitating for a moment, as a flash of his face angry with her last night popped into her mind. She shook it from her head and strode forward, remembering that Jacob and Liah were just behind her. Her arms wrapped around her two books as she walked quite quickly towards him.

Roman waited for the guard to check his paperwork wondering quietly if he was stalling on purpose. He was about to question the man when he noticed movement at the front of the house. the ever elegant form of Crystal Damien strode out carrying a few books with her. yet she was not alone, a tall lean woman with red hair stepped out after her. her confidence and physique shouted soldier, experienced too. the one bringing up the rear caught him off guard, you could say it was the man's height, build, or giant looming ax. but for Roman he was familiar, he knew the man was from Emberstone or at least the area. The look of puzzlement couldn't quite clear his face as they got closer.

Crystal uneasiness grew while she got closer and he didn't move. He just stood there. She realized he wasn't going to move and came to a sudden stop. She honestly did not want to speak with him. Not after last night. She didn't look up at him, but simply stared through his chest. Her arms tighten around her books. She cleared her throat softly. "L-Lord Ravenwood." She hesitantly said while Jacob towered over her and glared at Roman, His lips twisted as if he just tasted something spoiled. his eyes never leaving Romans. It was clear that he heard Crystal call him Ravenwood, but it seemed that he didn't care a bit that he was a lord.

Roman was caught off guard for a moment and instinctively took a step back shaking himself from his tunnel vision with a slight bow. "Apologies Lady Damien, just seeing a tiny ghost. I hope you have a marvelous day." his gaze shifted up to the mountain. "Try not to eat anyone on your first day, Johnathan. Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation."

He did hope he got the man's name correct; it had been sometime since they were sparring partners as kids. The smile he held on his face only grew bigger as he seemingly disregarded the other woman with them. not intentionally being rude but he basically just saw a ghost from his past and was trying to remember the man that he could only remember a few fond memories other than a few others where they traded pleasantries passing each other on the road.

Crystal didn't look up, she huffed slightly as he acted like nothing happened yesterday. While he stepped back he didn't step completely out of the way. Jacob glanced at Crystal and back at Lord Ravenwood, His scowl deepening. Not at the fact that Roman clearly didn't remember his name, but that he still didn't catch ques...such as getting out of a lady's way. "Still dense as eva Rrroman. Ye in the wee lady's whey still. Away an bile yer head ye eejit or ill smack some manners into that sad excuse of a mug of yers." He said in a deep growl. as he used his free hand to shoo him to the side, indicating he was still in Crystal's way.

Liah took a step closer to Crystal while Jacob went off on Roman, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and coming to her side. Giving a clear indication she would simply walk through him if he didn't move. Her stoic features are not faltering.

Roman took a second to look down and sure enough he was still in the way. taking another step back out of the way this time, "About a decade later and you still remember me." he did not have a problem understanding the bears words a local dialect of the northerners. "you know what my father always said, 'Roman you got to read between the lines when it comes to social ques' problem is I cant read." he knew he was being unprofessional in the current company but seeing fellow people from where he is from, his people, always brings this side of him out. "Have a good day bear, remember to mind your manners these southerners aren't used to us."

“Yer dense noggin of cluelessness is the thing of legends, like one of those terrible ditties that you can’t get out of yer head.” Jacob said as Liah gently pushed Crystal and they slipped between the two giants.

“Don’t ye worry your little noggin about me manners when yer having the issue wif em.” He started to follow Crystal and Leah and called back without looking at him. “And It’s Jacob ye tube!”

Roman couldn't stop his snicker and knew on the inside the bear was laughing too, "Oi, at least I was close." the trio along with two more large guards began to move away but Roman still called after them, "I bet you a new ax you still cant drink me under the table!" Roman smiled and spoke to himself, "I missed that glorious bastard and his beard... what did he mean by clueless though?"

Crystal sighed with relief when they finally moved far enough away. She was grateful that her father decided to send them along.

Liah waited till Jacob caught up to them Then asked calmly.“Are you going to tell me what that was about? Or am I going to have to force it out of you…”

Crystal could feel the narrowing vision of the taller woman burrowing into the back of her head. She hesitated for a moment when she noticed Charlotte and uncle Lorenzo walking ahead of them. It would seem her dear uncle managed to get home last night...that is good. She noticed a cat with Charlotte as well...when did she have a cat? How did it get along with the Ferrets?

As much as she wanted to go right over to Charlotte and her dear uncle, She decided to stop and explain everything that happened last night. If she didn't answer her, Liah would only pester her with her cutting glares and doing everything in her power to make sure Crystal was Absolutely safe from anyone and anything...including that cute cat.

Once done explaining to them what had happened the night prior, Crystal looked up at the sound of Jacob's knuckles audibly cracking as he tightened around the shaft of his ax.“That piece of jobby. He is goin to need two wagon teams to pull his head out of his own arse once I’m through with ‘em.” Jacob muttered angrily behind them. Having half a thought to turn around and serve his justice right away. “Damned dobber tryin to remind ME of manners…” He grumbled under his breath.

“What Jacob is trying to say dear…” Liah spoke up. Giving Jacob a look to calm down. “Dont you worry about him, we will make sure to keep him far away and let you enjoy your day.” She said with a warm calm tone. “Thank you for telling us. Let's go… I’m sure you are hungry.” She said with a small smile.

Crystal nodded with a smile. “Thank you…” Before turning back around. The park wasn’t far from her home….it was only a few hundred yards from her home. She could already smell the pancakes. The smell made her smile. She couldn’t wait to be sitting under a tree enjoying the breeze with a warm sweet dish to enjoy.

Before she could take ten paces into the park, she heard someone call out her name. Looking over to her left she saw Pricilla running towards her. It took her a moment to recognize her with hair cut as it was. But a large smile appeared on her face as she moved quickly past Jacob as her heeled boots clicked on the cobblestone path and she nearly tackled her with a one armed hug around her shoulders. Her other hand is still holding her two books.

“Prisilly!” She teased. I'm so glad you are here! I was hoping to surprise you last night.” She pulled back. ”I’ve never seen you with such short hair before! It looks great.”

While they spoke, her guards slowly rounded them, but gave them a wide berth seemingly spreading out and giving them space. However, Liah and Jacob conveniently took a position between the two friends catching up and a certain lady with a large companion.

“Big kitteh…” Jacob said softly, impressed and intrigued. However his stance was casual as used his large ax as a staff to lean on. Looking down at Liah, “Ye suppose we can get one of those? I kno ye always wanted a wee cat.”

Liah glanced up with a smirk, she didn’t say anything as she folded her hands behind her back and looked back to Crystal and Lady Pricilla. She stood close to Jacob, looking more like a couple at the moment while on guard.

Jacob nodded, then rested his chin on his hand which was gripping the top of his ax. “No.. Yer right. We don’t have room fer a litter box that size.”