WIP Started writing this before Milo was interacted with elsewhere. Apologies for breaking timeline. Will fix and repost later

---

---

Roman, his mouth full of roasted pheasant, swallowed and chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Lady Mina," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin and a slight reddening on his cheeks from the unexpected kiss, "you flatter me." He spoke with a smile and a glance towards Violet. "And Alexander, I appreciate the offer, but I'm quite comfortable. Besides," he gestured with his fork, "I wouldn't want to disrupt the... delicate balance of the king's table." He gave a subtle, almost imperceptible glance towards the head of the table where the King and Queen sat, taking in for a moment the plates of food the king had already gone through. He had a lot of ground to make up if he was going to give the king a challenge.

"And what of you? You haven't even touched any of these delicacies the royal chefs prepared. I understand how nerve-wracking it must be for someone of your..." He trailed off in thought while idly restacking more delectable meats and veggies onto his plate. "...bloodline to be in this place, surrounded by so many nobles and royalty. Unless, you think you're too good for the king's generosity and food?" A quick jab with a smile, he would continue this ploy of seeing Alexander as beneath him and play this ridiculous mask he'd built for himself. All so he could keep his eyes and ears open for more information, usable or not.

He once again glanced at Violet with a smile, "Lady Violet, I must say you look stunning tonight. I do quite admire the choice of attire." He spoke with confidence and joy, drinking and eating merrily while continuing to devour the large plate of food before him. Roman may have been eating quickly, but he was still maintaining his manners as best he could. Still, the comment Wulfric made just a few moments before had not slipped his notice. In time, he would find out just how much the prince knew of their common enemy.

Time: Evening
Location: Castle Dining Room
Interactions: @princess Charlotte ♞ @samreaper Kazu ♞ @Helo Rohit ♞
Mentions: [@princes] Edin/Calbert/Lily ♞ @Helo Callum ♞ @Rodiak Zarai ♞ @PapaOso Cassius ♞ @Tpartywithzombi Violet
Aesthetic: ♞ Dress ♞ Hair ♞ Shoes

---

The abrupt movement of Charlotte placing the amulet around her neck caused Olivia to freeze. Why had Charlotte given the amulet to her? She admired it. Speechless, she quickly told herself to speak up. As she went to utter her gratitude and confusion, the Damien entourage entered the vicinity. Olivia studied their reactions. Calbert, poised as ever with his wife, entered and commanded attention. How did his wife stand him? Was she as much a snake as he was? Violet and Crystal looked beautiful; and then last but not least, Cassius. Tension filled the banquet room between Charlotte and Cassius.

There might as well have been a mountain between them. She furrowed her brows. What happened between them? She turned to check on Lottie, but she fluttered away like a butterfly. Olivia watched her friend disappear into the crowd and then reappear. She approached the Smithwoods. Lorenzo glanced at her with eyebrows raised; a silent question of “what?” but she shrugged. It was none of her business to share it; that would be a breach of Charlie’s trust and confidence.

Next her gaze turned to the entrance. She watched as Kazumin waltzed into the banquet. What was he wearing? Her eyes widened and she pursed her lips. His outfit would draw too much attention. In the background, she heard Prince Callum’s voice and then King Edin’s. Her cheeks flushed, and fury rose inside of her. How dare they talk about him like that! She wanted to approach them and say something, but how could she? Her gaze turned to Asteroth and a snarl nearly escaped her. Suppressed memories raced through her mind. She didn’t know who she wanted to smack first; the royals, Damien, or him. She shut her eyes and took several deep breaths.

Kazumin’s arrival beside her pulled her out of her reverie. Olivia smiled and looked at him. ”Why yes, this is a grand feast. So nicely created by our esteemed ruler,” her voice remained smooth. Underneath, a layer of sarcasm was itching to creep out. ”Thank you, sir Kazumin. You look lovely as well,” She blushed at the sunflowers and laughed gently. Sunflowers were indeed one of her favorites. At her farm, she had dozens of them planted.

Then, he pointed out her amulet and froze. The abruptness of nearly saying her full name out loud caused panic to spike. His recovery was smooth, though, and she let out a deep sigh. ”Oh no, it was Charlotte’s. She was kind enough to let me borrow it. How sweet is she?” She smiled at his compliment and quick pat, one she wished she could return. Acting too familiar again would only raise more suspicion.

Prior to eating, she glanced round the room and turned in her chair. The noise level of the room had gone up significantly. The room was crowded with all these nobles. She saw familiar and unfamiliar faces. Nobody she knew, other than a few. Her throat tightened and panic surged through her. How would she survive this night? She didn’t belong here… She wasn’t truly noble. All these people knew one another and could mingle so easily. It was like looking at the scene from outside the window. She might as well have been outside. A cold sense of anxiety washed over her and she began bouncing her leg. Her gaze moved to the far corner. Most of the Alidasht were seated farther away. To her delight, she caught Rohit’s wave and returned it with a grin. Hopefully, she could talk to him later. Her chest briefly fluttered. There was a woman sitting beside Rohit she didn’t recognize and marveled at her beauty; Princess Anastasia, Hafiz, and then others she didn’t know.

Her gaze returned to her surroundings. Olivia quickly began to scoop food onto her plate. It was her safety net, her comfort and source of distractions. She looked over with delight at the mac and cheese serving and scooped plenty of it onto her plate. Then, she took the roasted vegetables and placed them over her mac cheese. She noticed Zarai had arrived and made a mental note to greet her later. There was a tall blonde haired woman with a wolf chatting with her. A live wolf was here? Olivia watched with fascination. She waved to Zarai and then turned back to Kazumin.

”All this food, and people are staring back home,” Her voice was hardly audible above the noise. ”It’s insane.” Olivia shook her head and continued eating and took more food, though guilt filled her inside. Then, her voice rose to a reasonable level. ”How are you doing tonight, Sir Kazumin?”