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[h2][color=#fcba03]Callum Prosser[/color][/h2][/center]
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Callum stood still, his face an impassive mask as he received his ring from Vulluin. Given the choice, he would have preferred [i]not[/i] to be kept so front-and-center to everything, though after Raiden's last escapade in the bowels of the ship he'd rightfully guessed that his time going unnoticed by the crew and attendants had come to an end. At that point he'd stopped being 'that random tagalong with Anabel', dragged into an audience with the queen after a perplexed posse of tailors had seen to making sure his garments were presentable; instead, it had become clear that they'd recognized he'd been brought along for some special purpose, alongside the likes of captain Thorne and the young, newly-minted court mage.

That she'd sent one of the goldsmiths she'd retained for the voyage to him specifically only further confirmed their views, given that there really wasn't any [i]hiding[/i] that sort of thing aboard a ship. [color=#fcba03][i]At least his sizing was perfect,[/i][/color] he thought as he slid the ring home on one finger. Insurance in the event he should find himself overboard, whether intended or not; even before she spoke up to remind him, he knew that her wish would be that he remain on deck. Above water, watchful for any sign of that which she was worried about—

He could only sigh at the roar that rang out overhead, as lightning rained down on the deck. The force around him exploded into activity even at that, some moving to contain the damage, others to make their way to surround and protect the queen. Before any of them got far, Callum's eyes landed on the [i]newest[/i] visitors, one of whom had already sought his gaze the moment he'd apparated in. His hand fell to the hilt of his sword, about to draw it and step forward, when Hayworth's men surrounded the trio, one darting off behind the queen with Hayworth himself close behind. The royal guards themselves had quickly regrouped from the initial surprise and onslaught, pushing back against the ghostly intruders.

The waves of fire coming from the [i]Swiftsure[/i] next to them made sure to keep the one low enough that they could reach her; the other was lost within the press of bodies so swiftly surrounding him. Faced with such a melee, the urge to draw his blade and dive in ebbed away rapidly...beyond that, it had been made rather abundantly clear to him that his duty wasn't just to engage in a fight to defend the ship. Even over the ride from Tarin with her, he'd gathered just how much of Anabel's service to the queen was in an intelligence type of role; it was unsurprising, then, that his recruitment was expressly for him to act as some sort of [i]counter-[/i]intelligence. Were it not for how prominently she'd just shown him aboard the vessel, he'd almost think he was intended to be some sort of secret police.

[color=#fcba03][i]Of course, given that nobody[/i] actually [i]knows why I'm here yet...[/i][/color]

Perhaps the comparison was more apt than he'd thought.

He quickly ran to the side of the ship as Duchess Agustria's craft came closer yet, leaning over the railing and yelling at the other vessel: [color=#fcba03][b]"Look up and fire on that dragon!"[/b][/color]