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Time: 11am
Location: Sorian Festival
Interactions: Sadie Camilia @Potter

Location: 11am
Location: Damien Estate
Location: @PapaOso Cassius @Heartfillia Crystal

---

A horse neighed in the distance as well as the sound of many galloping. Calbert was arriving with an entourage as always. His favorite dark-blue coat waved behind him as he approached. There was a look in his eyes possibly unfamiliar to his daughter and slightly startling to his son.

His black horse came to a stop with a nicker at the sight of Crystal. He climbed off abruptly and came to stand before his two blue-eyed offspring. Calbert hadn't expected the two of them to find it each other so soon but after a nightmarish night, he supposed he was down on his luck. "Hello Crystal, Cassius." Despite Crystal having her guards with her, he hadn't called off the several watchmen he had around Caesonia.

His gaze fell on his sweet daughter and his shoulders slumped. His expression moved with the sympathy he felt for her. This was probably so overwhelming. All he wanted to do was keep her happy at this point. There wasn't much to be done with an ordeal like this one, but at least he could come to explain as quickly as he could. "Cassius is my son from a previous marriage. "He took in a deep breath before continuing, "I did not have contact with his mother after the marriage ended...Nor knowledge of her and Cassius's whereabouts... I had supposed I would never see him again, but he's returned. His mother has passed now and he needs to stay with us. I know it's a lot to take in, my dear, but he is family..." Calbert's eyes slid to Cassius, "Please treat each other as such."

Calbert paused for his children to digest. He rested a hand on Crystal's shoulder comfortingly, "Do you have any questions, either of you? If so, please make haste. Crystal, please don't forget about the Prince's Court event. It would be a lovely opportunity for you and if you want to make it in time, I suggest that you go to your carriage very soon."

---

King Edin always loved when others knew their place: on their knee before him. He could not help but slightly smirk as the man bowed. Yes, yes. Apologize. That's it. His brow slowly raised as he introduced himself in the third person, pointing at himself. What is the meaning of this? Does he think I'm a fool? I'm very intelligent. He scoffed quietly at his own thoughts as Sjan-dehk had been speaking. Nonethless, this man seemed to be a lower noble.

Though this man was trying to sweeten his reputation by introducing himself initially as captain, King Edin had heard the word "servant" loud and clear. He wasn't anyone important at all. The names he was spewing were hardly familiar. He had wondered if this man had come to spew lies to his face until he did indeed recognize the name of the Queen. Oh so he's from over there. Egh. He was silent as he pierced Sjan-Dehk with his gaze while he spoke. He was quite intrigued by the idea of trade. King Edin wondered what luxury goods were being offered. He had wanted to obtain some more exotic decor to impress the Alidasht afterward. Subsequently, the mention of pirates made him turn up his nose.

Pirates? Hopefully not near me! Smelly criminals! I'll have them destroyed before they ever put their stinky feet on my soil... And he's brought them as prisoners! Ah!

King Edin did start to daydream even though the thought had disgusted him at first. If there were a lot of prisoners, he could put them all to work in the fields. Then he'd have more food. He licked his lips then shook away the glorious daydream as Sjan Dehk went on to offer him a ship, but a very damaged one.

Why would I want a fucked up ship? Is this what he's brought for trade?

Thankfully, Albert was quick on the move. He addressed everything in a short but sweet manner. He was glad Albert remembered after all these years how much he despised wasting time. He nodded his approval to his trusty advisor.

"Hmm yes indeed. We will accept these prisoners. I can send my boys down there to collect the smelly things. If the ship is indeed a gift, then after some review I can decide if it is worth fixing at my discretion. You are welcome to stay here in Sorian and rest as Albert has said... I am quite interested in hearing what you had in mind for trade. Has anything of intrigue been brought for trade?"

---

When Roman began speaking of the creatures he hunted back on his territory, Mayet couldn't help but be interested. Especially as he mentioned the snow cats.

"Snow cats...?" Mayet repeated, with a curious expression, much to Nala's discontent, which immediately looked to Mayet, letting out an annoyed growl.

"What? I'm just curious! No need to look at me like that, Nala!" Mayet replied, looking to Nala.

"I assume you dislike hunting those stone crabs as much as I hate hunting the giant scorpions, right?" Mayet asked with a smirk. Roman's description of the stone crabs had almost everything that made Mayet hate the giant scorpions back in Alidasht.

Mayet had just finished talking with Roman about the creatures they often hunted when she heard the noise of a horse approaching them and a familiar voice called out to her, inquiring if she really hunted giant scorpions when she was back home. The very moment she heard that, she knew exactly who that was...

Nala, who saw Munir approaching, sniffed his hand as he offered it to her, chuffing as she recognized him as a friend and someone close to Mayet.

"Of course not, my dear brother Munir! At least not actively..." Mayet said, crossing one arm over her chest and making a dismissive gesture with her other hand at Munir's comment.

"The last time I hunted one, I spent almost HALF a day under the scorching heat of the desert! We had to wait until it finally slipped up and gave us an opening so we could pierce it's armor! Such annoying, persistent creatures they are! To make things even worse, they seem to know exactly how hard their armor is!" Mayet said, clearly annoyed as she remembered of the last time she hunted a giant scorpion.

"In the end, hunting a Giant Scorpion is basically an endless staring contest! No thrill, no excitement... Ugh! I hate those things!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Besides... Do you know how much my hair and my skin suffered after almost all that time in the desert? It's not easy to maintain such a perfect figure, you know?" Mayet said, making clear that the only times she would even consider hunting a Giant Scorpion again were when there was no other choice but to do so.

Munir's grumbling and Roman's words did raise a valid concern to Mayet though, regarding the game that would be available for them to hunt on that forest.

"It wouldn't be surprising if that was really the case... Especially with a forest this close to the castle. I imagine that most of the dangerous creatures are purposely kept out of these hunting grounds, so some fat, incompetent nobles can have their fun..." Mayet said, annoyed.

"Who knows... They might just turn into the hunt if any one of them dare shooting a single arrow at me or Nala..." Mayet said, turning to the other nobles and sending them a sharp glare towards them just as Hanna finished telling them to keep out of Mayet, Roman and Munir's way.

"Even if it's just small game, they would at least serve as a snack for Nala." Mayet said, gently patting Nala.

The very moment she did that though, Nala suddenly turned her head, looking to some brushes nearby. Following Nala's stare, Mayet was able to see some movement coming from the brush, just enough to identify it as a small rabbit, running away as soon as it saw Nala.

"A snack will do fine for now, won't it, Nala?" Mayet said with a smirk, as she climbed on top of Nala and both of them began running after the hare.

"We'll soon be back." Mayet said as both of them disappeared inside the forest.

Even if it was just a rabbit, nowhere as 'exciting' as the bigger prey that she used to hunt back on Alidasht, the thrill of the chase was enough to make both her and Nala feel 'alive' again. The brushes and trees quickly passing by them as they continued chasing the rabbit, despite all the sharp turns it made, trying to lose them, the desperation as the rabbit fought for it's life...

Unfortunately, it was still merely a 'snack'... As fun as it was, it wasn't going to last long and the excitement quickly died down after a minute or two. Deciding to end the chase, Mayet waited until the rabbit headed towards an opening in the forest before she jumped forward from Nala, over the rabbit and landing just in front of it.

Alarmed, the rabbit stopped running for a second, abruptly changing directions as it tried to go back from where it came, only to see Nala quickly approaching.

That brief moment of hesitation and panic from the rabbit was everything Nala and Mayet needed. Unable to run, it wasn't able to do much as Mayet pounced at the rabbit, grabbing it by the neck, still alive.

The rabbit squeaked desperately, surprisingly loud for such a small creature as it struggled against Mayet's grasp for a moment, only to realize that it was useless and instead simply kept squeaking, almost as if it hoping Mayet would get annoyed enough and let it go.

"I think I'll keep you for now..." Mayet said, raising the small rabbit as she looked at it, much to the poor creature's dismay.

Time:11am
Location: Park of Sorian
Attire:Dress
Interaction:@Lava Alckon Farim

---

Anastasia was surprised to see Farim miss all three times, but she supposed maybe they didn't have games like this in the Alidasht. she was certain Farim had much more important impressive skills. He still seemed a little embarrassed as he approached her. "Aw I'm not that good of a shot. Just some dumb luck! I think you were really close!" She told ahold of his hands and pulled them upward to face directly toward her. With a smile, she placed the bear with the yellow ribbon in his hands. "This is for you... Now we can always be friends because when we look at these bears, we'll think of each other!"

With a giggle, she responded to his next words, "I am a little thirsty. Mind if we grab something to drink before we continue our prize collection? And you're right! This is really a lot of fun! " Her mind wandered as she paused and the words spilled out as if on their own accord, " ...I wish my brothers were here to enjoy this. It would be nice to see them smiling. " Her smile faded just as little. ...And Darryn too. Maybe I should have tried to find him and brought him out with me. I have to go see him after this at the least and apologize.

For now, she had to pay Farim attention. She pulled the smile back up and began doing a scan of the stalls, her eyes pausing at the one pouring liquid into a glass, "I see a drink stall right next to the sorbet stall over there! Let's go!"

Charlotte blinked a few times. Dr. Williamson was not surprised by Layla's behavior yet he was still interested in engaging in more interaction. Considering the man had pulled a knife on someone so just moments prior, she supposed she should not be surprised either.

It didn't help her uneasiness that he was wearing such a delighted smile on his face as he had declared so.

He clearly enjoyed living on the wild side to say the least. She wasn't sure what to make of this new image of the doctor; he had presented a kind and polite disposition normally. She took a long sip of her tea.

"Marriage is such a tool nowadays." She held the teacup in her hands as she drew it away from her mouth. "I met a colleague while in the fields that's getting married to this older woman who he hasn't even met once. He's younger than I am. All 'cause she's from a noble household so he could have the prospect of advancement."

Charlotte had nodded her agreement. There had been a time when she had thought marriage and love were such wonderful, romantic notions. Nonetheless, she had been taught how wrong she was at a very young as her parents threw things across the room at each other during their yelling matches. It didn't get better when her mother married Lorenzo either, perhaps even worse. Even during events and whatnot, couples had seemed together for transactional reasons. There always had to be something to benefit from. She had only borne witness to real, beautiful love only in her books. Charlotte liked to think she was okay with that. "Such a shame, isn't it? ...Love seems like it could be so magical and darling the way it's written in books."Charlotte added softly. "Two souls just happy to be at each other's side for a lifetime. I could not think of anything more precious."

Almost as if taunting her wishful thinking, fate had delivered a despondent Thea into the drawing room. She set her teacup down quickly and rose to her feet at the sight of her. Charlotte hurried over without another word to take her hands and block her from the view of the two men. "No, no. What's going on?" Her concern was evident in her tone as her expression fell. It wasn't like Thea to show up like this. In fact, Thea had grown distant since her father had died. She hoped her mother and Leo were alright. Anxiety took a tight grip on her as she squeezed Thea's hands gently, telling her sternly and softly, "You take precedence right now. If you want to go talk in another room, we can. "

Her gaze did wander over her shoulder, "It's just my cousin Devan and Dr. Williamson. You need not fret over them."

That didn’t quite go as Sjan-dehk had planned.

Or maybe it had, but he just didn’t know it yet. Either way, he didn’t receive the definitive answer he had hoped for. Nothing he could relay to Hai-shuun with confidence, at the very least. As far as he understood, there was still a chance of the Celestine falling into Caesonian hands, and that alone was enough to bring him some measure of displeasure. Thankfully, he caught the dreary sigh of resignation just as it formed in his mouth and manifested it in his head instead. If only he knew more words – better words – to describe the state of the hulk.

Not that the royal tutor would have ever taught him such words, even if plied with the right amount of rice wine from the Sudah’s holds. Sjan-dehk doubted the overly-sober and staid man would ever teach him how to say ‘an utterly fucked shit-heap with piss-all to sail’ in Caesonian.

Regardless, there was no point dwelling on the matter. Whether or not he would be able to keep his prize was up to fate, and – as many a wise philosopher had said – she was as fickle and uncertain as the wind and waves. In all honesty, he would much rather take his chances with the latter two. At least they could be somewhat predicted.

For the first time since kneeling, Sjan-dehk straightened his back and looked up. With deliberate yet crisp movements, he brought both hands down, lying his left flat on his chest. Had he his sword, his right would be resting upon its hilt. Instead, he balled it into a fist and pressed it against his hip. Normally, he would have waited until permission was given to be at ease like this, but Sjan-dehk doubted either the king or his advisor knew much about Viserjantan courtly rituals. Besides, he felt certain that they wanted this to be over and done quickly as much as him. Mucking about with pomp would just waste everyone’s time.

“Thank you, wise one,” he said to the advisor with a shallow bow at the waist. Sharply dressed and with an erudite air about both his words and person, he looked exactly how Sjan-dehk expected a man who could stand beside and have the ear of a king to look. Clearly, he was as capable as he looked, as the king all but echoed his words. “This one and Sada Kurau do not tire fighting pirates. Your words are…” He tried to think of an appropriate word, but could only come up with, “most welcome, wise one. This one will pass your words to Lady Adiyan.”

Sjan-dehk shifted his gaze over to the king. When the Viserjantan had first stepped into the ballroom, the imposing man had appeared to dominate and fill the entire space. Up close, however, Sjan-dehk couldn’t help but notice how normal the man looked. He still sat in the same domineering position, had the same domineering visage, and domineering posture, but now Sjan-dehk saw dark familiarity in them. Years of fighting in a dreadful civil war had seen him face many such people. Those who had the force of person to seek and acquire power in a time of chaos. Those who crowned themselves king over lands they did not deserve and played with lives them had no rights over. Most of them, Sjan-dehk had slain in battle. The rest, he had sent to the hangman’s noose for a traitor’s reward.

Biting on his lip, Sjan-dehk averted his eyes and blinked the thoughts away. Now was not the time for him to go back down that hole. The war was over. Only just, but over it was and more importantly, it had been fought on lands and seas far, far away from here. Nothing to do with Sorian. Nothing to do with a king who had so far – understandable snappiness aside – treated him with nothing but courtesy and politeness.

A king whose question required an answer, no less. Sjan-dehk cleared his throat and focused his gaze on the floor just in front of his foot. “This one thanks you, your grace. This one will make sure the crew does not cause your grace trouble.” He dipped his head slightly in a quick bow. “This one would…Humbly ask that this one is with your grace’s men when they go to Sada Kurau. This one’s crew do not speak your grace’s tongue well. This one also…requests your grace to…inspect the captured ship when this one is present for the same reason.”

Telling a king – or any higher-ranked noble, for that matter – what to do was always risky. Sjan-dehk had been on the receiving end of many a tongue-lashing for that very reason before. Usually when said noble made the mistake of believing military acumen came with their titles. He just hoped that this king would be able to see the reason behind his words.

That brought him to the question of trade goods.

Sjan-dehk knew what the Sudah held in her holds, of course. Every good captain knew better than to sail with a ship whose cargo was unknown. Details of any plans for trade, however, were a mystery to him. As far as anyone on this expedition was concerned, he was just an escort. Lady Adiyan was the one who had been planning negotiations and whatnot. Sjan-dehk couldn’t tell the king that, however; it wouldn’t inspire any confidence and would likely cause Adiyan trouble later on. “This one apologises.” A sprinkling of truth was always a good and comfortable way to begin. “Lady Adiyan knows more about trade. But this one knows the Sudah carries silks, wines, spices, jewels, metals, books, wood works. All the best Viserjanta can offer, your grace.”

There were other things Sjan-dehk had seen on the cargo manifests, things he had refrained from telling the king on purpose. War had seen every Viserjantan fiefdom and kingdom manufacture arms on massive scales. Now no longer needed, they were little more than barter goods. Everything from muskets and rifles to bows and swords, from crossbows to cannons, were buried deep in the Sudah’s holds. Judging by the numbers Sjan-dehk had seen on the manifests, there was likely enough to equip a small army. Had he his way, none of that would have been brought here. If Lady Adiyan wanted to trade with them, then she could tell the king that herself.

He said nothing more. Hopefully, the king would be content with what little details he could share. Well, he had to be. There was not much else Sjan-dehk could add without starting a tapestry of lies, and he wasn't about to do that. There was already enough headaches on his plate, namely the souring of the muscles in his legs from all this kneeling, and the tiring of his tongue from speaking this unfamiliar, foreign tongue.

Jacob sighed heavily as he used one of his massive Mittens to facepalm himself. ”Oh ye a special kinda huddy…” then slapping the back of Cassius's head. ”Haud yer wheesht” As Liah began to speak

”You made the scene... This was to just make sure you don't run off.” Liah said coldly. Twisting the blade slightly from her hip so the tip was aimed towards the neck of Cassius, though a few feet back. But the blade then turned on Jacob.

Jacob raised a hand, despite being a foot and a half taller and twice as wide. He looked slightly worried.”Luve, the idjit is of his trolley. Ye know this clearly.” He said as he slightly side stepped ever so slightly behind Cassius.

Crystal touched Liah’s arm and she dropped her blade’s tip toward the ground. Before sheathing it once again. Crystal finally spoke up.”I do believe I said we were taking you to MY father in the first place. But first…” She said as she looked over to Mathias, trying to work up the courage to walk over to him and give him the book. However she heard horses coming up on her and turned again to see her father approaching and dismounting from his horse.

”Perfect.. Fa..” Crystal began, hoping this would be over quickly so she could speak to Mathias, But was cut off as he quickly confirmed Cassius was his son. She stared at her father with her mouth slightly open as he went on to explain he was married before, that he knew he had a son…

Her shock did not fall from her face as she tried to wrestle with this new information… with her gaze going to Cassius. Normally she would have been sad for him for losing his mother but it didn’t really register for her.

Her father rested his hand on her shoulder and reminded her of the prince court event. She pulled away without thinking. Logically it made sense why he wouldn’t speak of him, it was probably hard for him to talk about. But she was still hurt…She couldn’t help that feeling.

”I-um.” She started, as her eyes flicked back and forth between the two. She could now clearly see the resemblance between them. ”Does…mom know? Violet?”

She waited for his answer while hugging her books even tighter, so much that the bindings might have been crushed. Her thoughts turned to her bugging her parents for a little brother as a child… She pushed the thought away as she shook her head. ”I-I cant deal with this…right now…” She looked to Mathias weakly, she couldn’t go to him now. Her face was red with embarrassment.

”I-” She started to say as she looked at them both, Before shaking her head and walking away towards her home. She was suddenly stopped by Liah who offered a hand and indicated to Crystal's arms. A brief hesitation before she gave a tiny thankful smile and allowed one of the books to slip from her grasp. Before glancing at Mathias and moving on out of embarrassment.

Jacob quickly followed, bowing his head to Lord Calbert as he left then half jogging to get up next to Crystal. Bending down and Whispering something to her.

Liah watched as they left, tucking the book she took from Crystal against her chest with one arm… She bowed her head to Lord Calbert and only gave Cassius a cold glare, before turning and walking towards Mathias.

Once she reached him, she quietly said”Lady Crystal regretfully has an appointment to keep. However she wished to give this to you in person, but could not given the unforeseen interruption.” Liah offered an old leather bound book that looked very well worn and used, but at the same time seemed well taken care of.

Seeing the cover finally she could see it was called ‘Sir Ivan Whittlock’s collection of Fantastical true Stories.’ She glanced at the man's child and gave him a small smile. Before looking back towards Mathias. ” Her personal copy…” She said softly with an intense knowing look. She then gave a very slight nod, looking the man up and down clearly before turning on her heels and walking in the direction Crystal went.

Interaction: Mayet @13org Roman @ReusableSword Hanna @potter

"Oh my, lord Atwood. I'll be sure to visit your lands to to see these stone crabs for myself... Surely they would make for a wonderful trophy... As for the hunt today, I'll be sure to stay out of your way. Lest a stray arrow pierce my chest." He returned the jest in kind, with a soft, inviting smile.

"Ah Sister Mayet, but the thrill of the hunt comes from the knowledge that one must wait for the prey to lower it's guard then deliver a precise blow, or suffer the consequences of missing one's strike." Munir responded to Mayet with a small smirk. Of course, he would never hunt a giant scorpion for game. Munir would only attack on should it present a danger to whatever, or realistically whoever, he was doing at the time.

"The caress of the Alidashtian sun and the embrace of the sands has always made your already radiant beauty shine that much more, Sister Mayet. Wouldn't you agree, Lord Atwood?" He said, giving Roman a small nudge. "Besides, I'm sure your bath after that hunt was filled with milk, laced with golden honey, and covered in desert rose petals. Otherwise, how else would your skin make such a miraculous recover after such harsh conditions?" Munir said to Mayet, trailing the back of his right index and middle finger from her wrist to her elbow.

"Anyways, on to the hunt." Munir turned slightly and placed his right index and middle finger against his lips. Munir whistled as he tilted his head up slightly, panning from right to left. A swift shadow appeared in the skies, descending rapidly. In one smooth motion, Munir brought up his bow from the left side of the horse and nocked an arrow against the gorgeous ebony bow. The raptor dove towards a patch of tall brush, about 150 yards away from Munir. By this point, Mayet had mounted Nala and took off after her prey. "Well, Lord Atwood, thats my cue. Please do not shoot me in the back." Munir said, ending his sentence with a wink.

" HA "

Munir squeeze the belly of his steed with his calves and gave it a small kick with his heels. The horse neighed and took off. Munir's prowess at horseback riding was in full display. He bounced on the horse with grace, lithely dodging branches and other obstructions. Munir worked the horse into a gallop, taking a parallel course to the course the raptor took during it's dive. The tall brush swayed and rustled as a small figure can be barely seen coursing through it. Munir fully drew his bow, arrow at the ready. Leaning his upper body slightly to the left of the horse to keep his balance, Munir took aim and traced the path of the small figure in the brushes. Aiming ahead of his prey, Munir took a moment to steady himself against the galloping steed. With a quiet whoosh, the arrow was loosed from Munir's bow. Munir's target was about 25 yards ahead of him and his horse took just a few steps to close the distance. Holding on to his bow with his left hand, Munir pulled back on the reins and slowed the horse slightly. The arrow impacting the ground kicked up some dirt and dust. Munir did not fully stop as he rode past the arrow stuck to the ground. He released the reins and leaned towards the left of the horse and pulled the arrow from the ground, aided by the momentum of the horse.

At the end of the arrow was a small rabbit, brownish in color, still twitching as it's muscles spasmed from the sudden shock of having it's life taken from it.

Munir sighed slightly, mumbled a small prayer in Alidashtian and started his slow trot back towards the group. The shadow of the raptor circled him hungrily as if saying it deserved the kill that Munir had gotten.

The chill-day quickly got complicated, as someone else showed up at Charlotte's place. The one person John least expected, and probably vice-versa from her end. She was in no better condition than from what he saw her yesterday. She immediately tried to back off but Charlotte quickly went after her. John put down his cup of tea and stood up from the sofa as Charlotte was reassuring Thea not to worry over him. He also approached the two ladies over at the door, but slowly and more composed.

"Sorry if the situation gets a little complicated." He raised his hand to steer away from any indication of aggression. A very brief glance at Thea was already enough to him he shouldn't escalate any further. "I was supposed to check up on her this morning, but I have to cancel our appointment due to a scheduling conflict." He lied straight up, but Charlotte wouldn't know that. Only Thea knows, but would she be honest to admit that it was her who cancelled it despite being right after a major hangover? This wasn't the first time he warned that it could have consequences, so she knew.

"Is it alright if we can talk for a few minutes?" He said to Thea softly, giving her a sympathetic look. "I promise you it would be quick, then I'll leave you alone." He was hopeful that she would, but he was giving her a way out if things didn't go as planned. The last thing that she needed was to be pressured right in front of her friend. To Charlotte though, he thought she might find it a little untimely for him to be talking to her about the doctor's appointment during this moment of distress, so he gave her a reassuring but rather ambiguous response. "Don't worry, I know."

Time: 11 AM
Location: Guest House—>Execution at the Athletic Arena
Attire: Outfit
Interaction: @Helo Leo
Mentions:



Mina had seemed to sleep in far later than she’d intended, but what was one to expect when they were up until the early hours of morning. It seemed her uncle had already ushered out the young, lesser noble man who’d spent the night in her bed. She hadn’t even heard him stir, she had been so exhausted. She yawned some as she slowly got out of bed and smoothed out her nightgown. On quiet feet, she padded towards her bedroom door and opened it a crack to glance out into the drawing room. ”Uncle, are you awake yet?” She called out, but a maid answered her instead.

”I’m sorry Lady Mina, but Count Blackwood headed out about an hour ago. He said he had some business to attend to.” So her uncle was feeling well enough to go out and about? Well that was a good sign. Mina thanked the maid and requested some tea before going to get dressed for the day. She decided to go for a bit of a different look today, finding a pair of black pants and pairing it with a white ruffled shirt. She left the top few buttons undone, showing off some of her cleavage before putting on a black underbust corset. She then paired the entire thing with some black boots, finishing getting dressed just before her tea arrived.

She sat down to drink the tea while reading over the morning paper. She took note of the poor woman who seemed to have a reward out for her, wondering all of what she did to piss off some noble. They wanted her alive so either someone wanted to exact justice themselves or she wasn’t all that dangerous. She then moved onto the gossip column, reading over the absurd things written there. Whoever wrote this certainly had a wild imagination and Mina was rather surprised that she hadn’t ended up in the paper yet. She knew she likely would at some point and she would get a good laugh when she did. She didn’t laugh, however, when she read Charlotte’s name. Instead, Mina felt a bit of irritation for whoever decided to drag the poor woman through the mud like that. If she ever found out, she would certainly have some strong words for the person who wrote the Morning Tea.

Once she finished up, Mina decided it was time to start her day. She’d taken a moment to memorize the events that were happening for the day and truly wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. At very least, she could head to the execution that was scheduled for 11. The public display of an execution was something gruesome and horrible, but it brought some useful things. First, people often were loose lipped at executions as they longed to gossip about whatever they heard. While gossip wasn’t always completely truthful, it could help one discover what was the truth. Second, it displayed the power and stability of the government and often brought out what the people thought of such things. Mina was more interested in the former reason, curious on what this man had done to earn such an end.

Mina had entered the arena just before they led the man out, quietly listening to those she passed and eyes scanning over the people who’d decided to attend as she looked for a spot to watch. She was mildly surprised to see that neither the King or Queen attended this execution, something she found to be a poor decision. It indicated that they cared little for their people nor would this man have even a chance to be pardoned. His fate was sealed and Mina felt a moment of pity for the man, despite knowing that he could very much be guilty of whatever crime they claimed he committed.

Her eyes caught sight of familiar curly, red hair and her gaze fell on Lord Leo Smithwood. A soft smile crossed her lips as she made her way towards him, seeing an empty spot that would suit her need to watch the execution. ”I’m thankful to see a familiar face here, Lord Smithwood…or is it Duke Smithwood now?” She greeted him as she dipped into a brief curtsy. Her eyes traveled back to the convicted man once more and she let out a small sigh. ”A shame that such barbaric displays of power are still felt to be necessary. It’s no wonder many sentenced to death try to find ways to escape or kill themselves before being put on display.”

Time: 10am → 11am
Location: Edwards Estate → Danrose castle
Mention: @FunnyGuy Lorenzo @Silverpaw Wulfric @Inertia Auguste @Helo Callum @Heartfillia Crystal @Tae Thea
Appearance:Dress, Hair style but red,shoes,Portrait

---

“Ladonna’s last season perfume? Really? What are we, homeless?”

Victoria was a tornado as she stormed into the room and right past the maid near her stepdaughter. She plucked the round perfume bottle out of the little woman’s hand just as she had been about to squeeze the atomizer pump. She flicked the maid in the chest hard and the young maid with the thin braids took a step back.

There were three women around her daughter that she had assigned to prepare Ariella for the Prince’s Court. Surely three people would be enough to have one beautiful girl in excellent condition, but this duchess was not impressed. It wasn’t like they’d need to do much. If she had been her own daughter, then perhaps nothing would have been needed at all. Luckily for Priscilla, only one maid had been sent as she had her mother’s blood to help her appearance.

Tall and stunning with the eyes of a siren, she stared down at the maid from high above, her expression deadpan. She lowly asked as she twirled the perfume bottle in one hand, “What were you doing? ”

“I… I was just going to spray her in perfume so she’d smell nice.”

“You mean to say you were going to spray her with a perfume that’s now on sale and in technical reach for the middle class? You know normal people can buy this, right? Maybe even someone as poor as you. “ The girl looked as if she wanted to shrink back, but there was nowhere to step. Victoria scoffed but gave the girl a few moments to respond all the same. Only silence followed.

“Hello!? Are you stupid?”Victoria slammed her hands down on the vanity in front, making the other two maids drop what they were doing. ” Ariella is my daughter! She’s going to meet with the PRINCES! Do you think they wanna marry anything less than perfect? …I know you all have one brain cell between the three of you trying to spray this trash on her. God do I have to do everything myself. I can’t stand any of you.”

They all stared at her without a word. Victoria sighed and pointed at the door with narrowed eyes. “ Get out.” She softly ordered. She watched them awkwardly scramble out of the room with a smug grin pulling at her lips. She danced her shoulders with delight then whirled on her daughter. Her expression softened as well as her tone. “Sorry princess. I was in such a good mood and then those imbeciles just made me fall off the rocker… Ridiculous, wasn’t it? At least that crisis was averted.”

She knelt down to take a good look at her where she was seated. “Darling you look delicious. They’re going to eat you up like a panna cotta.“ Her gaze seemed to pierce into hers. She was thoughtful as she continued to smile at Ariella. “How about I do your hair for you like I used to? Then we can make sure we find you the best perfume we have.”

Rolling her eyes and letting out a deep exaggerated sigh, Ariella shook her head and gave the maids a dirty glance as they left the room. “ Where do we even find good help these days, Honestly. It’s like some of them simply do not have the brains or class for their jobs anymore.” She pulled her hair over her shoulder, Her red locks twisting in their natural wave as her violet eyes admired herself in the long full-length mirror. “ Honestly, it is not hard … they are so lucky they don't have all the worldly pressures that we have. It is so difficult and a lot of work to make sure you look your best.”

She spun slightly in the mirror admiring her new dress that she was given for this event. A pain sat in her stomach however, her eyes wandered in the mirror to the sad-looking expression on one of the maids who sat near the door. She felt horrible about how she needed to treat them, she learned long ago that her mother was not interested in an independent woman who enjoyed the sound of running water while they sat under a large green oak tree. Someone like her. She needed to mold herself into the daughter her mother wanted so she could be accepted by her. This was the only way she stayed in her good graces. Having to wear two masks was exhausting but needed for survival.

“ Yes please mother, I need to look my best. I am sure there is a lineup of women waiting and I MUST stand out. There is no better match than a prince for me, and I won't let a single hair out of place ruin that chance for me. “ She walked over to her vanity table and sat down, grabbing a powder poof and gently dabbing her face. “ I still can’t believe they tried to use that horrible scented perfume, next thing you know they will want to dress me up in one of their work outfits.”

“You’re right, sweetie. You’re not the only pretty noble woman, but we are going to make you THE pretty noble woman.” The dress Ariella was wearing was more extravagant than she doubted any other women even had access to. As for makeup, Victoria had made sure the maids had painted her face like a doll.“You will have some competitors even then though.”

Her tone grew a tad more serious as she moved behind her to dabble with her red locks. “ Lady Crystal’s kindness will get men with mommy and daddy issues around their finger. You will have to be soft and sweet with Prince Callum. King Edin places the least importance on him and I’ve seen how that’s manifested in his behavior. “ She paused to giggle, “Seen him drunk stumbling by the brothels. Lady Thea from the Varian Kingdom might take his interest if she bares her bosom as always. Be sure to adjust yours and show a little more when it comes to him.” Victoria then sighed, “Honestly, probably our last choice if we can help it, but still worth seducing... Ooh and I’ve heard through the grapevine his relationship with good ol King Edin is unmentionable... I suppose every family has their least favorite child.”

“But stable, smart men like Prince Auguste-” She tightly fastened the top half of her hair into a beautiful braid as she continued on. “ He will want a smart girl with a level head on her shoulders. Someone like Lady Violet or Lady Charlotte, if she dares to make an appearance, may interest him. Prince Wulfric, well, he may be the hardest to get a grip on as I could never tell for certain if the charming facade he gives to the public has any authenticity..” She left the braid and allowed the bottom half of her hair to cascade down in a red waterfall. Victoria brushed the bottom locks over each of her shoulders.

She giggled, “Speaking of the Vikenas, you should ask me why I was in a good mood.”

She paused and stared at her mother in the mirror for a moment, Sounds like her and Prince Wulfric may have more things in common than her mother may know. They both have things they hide from the public, pretending to be something their not. “ Well I guess I will need to try and outshine them then. “ She said pushing her chin up as she didn’t show the fear she felt in her belly. “ Why are you in a good mood? Did Father give you the coin purse again? Oh, please say he did! I could use new stockings and shoes “ She wasn’t wrong, she had lost the other pair she was gifted from him somewhere in the woods about a week prior.

“Oh that’s right! He did! ” Victoria initially replied giddily. She loved carrying around lots of gold coins and was quite elated that her dumb husband had indeed given her a full coin purse early this morning. “Oh but that’s not why. You see, I went to the park today… I had a carpet laid out before I stepped, don’t you fuss. Oh but then I saw Lorenzo Vikena causing a commotion at the event, Pancakes for the Poor or whatever, and it was such a delight to see. He had the whole line yelling at him and things even got violent. Oh my, my if you could have seen! …He was so miserable. ” The duchess infamously hated Duke Vikena.

Victoria then moved around her body to spray the area in front of Ariella with an expensive perfume named La Rose de Wulfric. “ Shimmy through it. Go on. Then you’ll be ready to go.”

Ariella let out a soft chuckle over her mother's delight. “ Yes, Well, can we really be surprised. Sounds like the fates just bringing him what he deserves, a life full of embarrassment.” She stood up from the table and floated through the cloud of perfume, herdress floating behind her as she spun around presenting the completed painting to her mother. “ Does this please you?” She asked doing a slow 360-degree turn to show off every angle of her. She was lucky she didn’t have a single bad one. “ I should probably get going. I don't want to be fashionably late not actually late.” She snapped her fingers and a maid ran over with a shawl and her small purse that matched her dress. Everything was custom and handstitched, nothing but the best for her. Ariella was keeping a brave face but as the realization of the event loomed she continued to get more nervous. She would much rather strip off all the clothing and actually wear one of the maid's uniforms to sneak out into the woods until someone came looking but this was her job, she had to bring the prestige back to her family. It was her duty.

“Yes! You look like expensive! Absolutely the prettiest woman in the kingdom! That dress is to die for.” Victoria exclaimed with enthusiasm as she admired her work. “The carriage is just outside waiting for you. I can’t wait to hear about it all. Remember, Ariella, be confident. Fake it until you make it if you must.”

Ariella nodded and took her to leave out of the palace. The maids were fussing behind her, fluffing up her dress and making sure it didnt get dirty. She stopped outside at the entrance of their home and stopped to turn to the maids. A short silence was heard until soft giggles and smiles appeared on all their faces. “ I am so sorry about my mother.. You know how she can be. You all did a wonderful job and I couldn’t thank you all more.” The women made their final adjustments and offered her a warm smile “ It’s alright m’lady, we are just so excited for you maybe you can finally get that happy ever after like in the books you love to read.” Ariella let out a soft sigh ” if I am honest with you, I am not sure my prince will be an actual prince but I suppose we shall see. We all need to make sacrifices I suppose. I accepted a long time ago that I’d need to marry for status and not love, but I guess love can surprise us.” she smiled optimistically. The women nodded and began to shoo her to the carriage.

Spinning around she headed towards the carriage and managed herself inside the carriage. After a long ride, the carriage pulled up in front of the event. There was already such a large line of women waiting for their chance to speak with the princes. She almost felt a slight embarrassment that she was about to line up as well. She couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of the princes being behind a glass wall while others gawked at them like an exotic pets.

Slipping out of the carriage she walked up the stairs, taking the long trek up them until she reached the back of the line. Now she waits.

---

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Verrick nodded but he noted the hesitation… he sighed inwardly. Beatrice would have bantered back and said whatever. He had to realize he was not as close to her as he was with Beatrice. He couldn’t be as blunt as he was with her older sister.

He was shocked though when she took his hand and dragged him along. Clearing his throat as he suppressed the urge to pull away his hand. Holding a princess’s hand while guarding her wasn’t a good way to blend in. But he didn’t want to make her feel bad or silly if he pulled away.

Soon enough though she did let his hand go when they got close to the stalls. He watched as she looked around, her eyes wide and full of excitement. He stayed a few paces back, scanning around the stalls before she started moving…then stopping to talk to a woman sitting alone in an odd uniform. It bore casonias colors but looked like an older style… he couldn’t quite place it as he thought back to his historical studies as an apprentice.

Her sword screamed “look at me!” As well. Likely it was more ceremonial rather than being her practical weapon. But nobles were mostly never practical.

He put the thought to the side as he waited close by. Far enough to give them space, but near enough to easily hear their conversation. Leave it to Princess Sadie to zero in on someone who was sitting alone. She was always aware of the odd ones out. It was something he admired about her, and glad she didn’t Inherit her elder brother's traits.

He noted a food stall next to him as he listened, placing a coin down. His eyes didn’t stray far from the two, except when he noticed Princess Anastasia playing a ring tossing game with an Aladashi man, apparently she was luckier in her attempts.

He did raise an eyebrow when Lyra mentioned she was from the Kingdom Baltyria. He heard of it, from reports he read. It was a real place, but it took over a year of travel to get there. One woodsman made it there and back long ago. Barely…it was a dangerous place. There was more info, but he would have to look into it.

He received two funnel cakes, grabbing both. He slowly moved over towards Sadie and Lyra, just as she offered Sadie her snack, he placed one of the funnel cakes directly between them from behind. It would seem it was just a coincidence but he blocked it on purpose. Sure the snack was probably not poisoned. But he felt more comfortable this way. Standing directly behind Sadie he said without looking at Lyra.”Cassonia is a bit far for just passing through if you are from Baltyria.” He said in a gravely tone.

Once Princess Sadie took the plate from his hand he would look at Lyra, his own eyes narrowing as he noticed her unique eye color. ”To my recollection, there never has been a party who’s traveled out of there…for any reason. So why now?” His gaze didn’t falter as he waited for her answer. Though, he did take a bite of his own funnel cake.