[IC] 🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

[princess]

Charlotte & Leo

Part 2

The Dining Room

_{Part 1}

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Charlotte set down the book, her smile faltering as her expression grew serious. “...I heard about that party today from Count Fritz… Who I do believe is still here and might be trying to wrangle a rooster upstairs… Don’t ask about the rooster... But I can explain Count Fritz at least... “She said lowly with a sigh. There was a pause before she spoke again as she helped herself to some garlic bread to try to buy time to properly word it all in her head first.

“Lorenzo disappeared after the ball last night, carriage and all… After getting essentially threatened by Count Calbert, which is a whole other story, I ran into Count Fritz and he walked me home. Then, we searched everywhere for Lorenzo, including both my house and nearby establishments... We ended up spending half the night looking for him only for him to show up in the garden this morning. I was certain that I looked for him there, but I suppose I could be wrong… Still. ” She cut a piece of her garlic bread neatly with a fork and knife, assuming he probably needed a moment to digest all that nonsense.

Leo raised an eyebrow at the mention of Count Fritz being somewhere upstairs trying to catch a rooster, weird, instead of eating, extra weird, but he didn’t interrupt. “Count Damien threatened you?” Leo repeated the statement a bit in shock, almost needing to hear it said out loud again to believe it was true. “I would’ve never expected such a dishonorable act from the Count. Why is the obvious question.” He shook his head and made a note to keep an eye on the Count.

“Apparently, he wants me to keep Lorenzo away from everyone…” She had replied a bit bitterly, “He’s always been a massive asshole. He’s all an act. ”

He thought about the rumors of Lorenzo being known drunkard, and if maybe the Duke had simply gone out on a bender. But he didn’t say that. It wasn’t his place and his next thought was to wonder if Lorenzo’s disappearance was related to the party. Weird occurrences happening at about the same time, it didn’t seem a stretch to think they could be. “Did Lorenzo remember, umm, falling asleep, in the garden?” He half asked, half just wondered out loud. “I don’t think you’d have forgotten to check the garden when searching for a man so fond of plants. So maybe he was dropped off while you were elsewhere.”

”Maybe so… I don’t know what to think of that.”

She proceeded to take a book that had been on a nearby seat as she was chewing. Charlotte opened it to an empty page. “Would you mind telling me what you do remember leading up to the party? …I’d also like to make a list of all who went…” She clicked her pen. “ My thought here is that perhaps each of you remember bits and pieces that could be put together to solve the puzzle. “

Leo began with what he could remember from last night. The invitations personally handed out by masked individuals, Princess Anastasia rounding everyone up, and the carriage ride to a shoddy old warehouse. He named everyone in the carriage, including Kazu who they’d picked up, already inebriated, along the way. He also went over the lecture from this morning, that Kazu was not there, and mentioned Farim being there even though he had not been in the carriage.

He presented all the strange occurrences as objectively as he could. He was unconcerned when mentioning the near execution of the stable hand, but he was clearly concerned when he got to how both Ana and Callum knew who hosted that party and refused to speak. Occasionally he paused to eat and allow Lottie to ask any further questions about the details.

“What I can say for sure was this was not some drunken blackout. We were all, almost certainly, drugged. Several people, including both Danrose children, suffered terrible aftereffects, and Zarai appeared to have been beaten. Ana and Callum protected whoever did this over guests in their country, and over people they claim are friends. They are reckless at best, and should not be trusted.” He laid out his main concern, his voice dropping to a hushed tone when he mentioned any Danrose.

Charlotte had silently written everything down. She also made a note to start a list of attendees. “Not surprised. Those two have been getting into trouble since the dawn of time…I have to suppose best case scenario as you said they’re reckless and feel they must feel that the host isn’t to blame.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. Her eyes narrowed and she then tapped her pen on Ana and Callum’s names. “If we go off that possible route and given what we know, the younger Danroses must know something… And if they don’t know something, they are going to. They’ll certainly go to check on their friend if they’re that concerned for him.”

Leo nodded, it sounded like they were on the same page there and that eased much of his concerns. Speaking ill of any member of the royal family was a dangerous activity in Caesonia. “We’ll have to be careful. I’m certain the rest of the royal family has the same suspicion. Best to keep our investigations under their radar. Kazu is another suspicious character. There’s quite a bit just off about him, and he’s consistently involved or around trouble.”

“Right, Kazumin…” Charlotte was thoughtful for a moment, ” …From what I gathered, he’s an open book at the least so he’ll be someone we should talk to.”

She then decided to return to the initial subject to finish her thought, ” Well, maybe we can follow the younger two Danroses and see if either of them lead us to the host… Though that could be dangerous. I don’t know the extent of what’s happening. ” Charlotte ended her words with a sigh. She began to draw a line through the list of names as she listened to Leo speak again.

“I agree following the Danrose’s could be very valuable. So long as we are extremely cautious. Whatever is going on, does feel very dangerous. Earlier today, Mina fainted at the execution, and had it been just about anyone else I could believe it was heat or stress but Mina has a far stronger constitution than that. I could be wrong but it felt off, another strange occurrence to keep in mind. There’s too much happening for it to all be one big coincidence.” Leo paused long enough to help himself to the garlic bread, which was absolute perfection, before continuing. “And while this is upsetting rather than strange, Prince Felix has broken his engagement with Thea. I’m not sure what’s going on with our royals these days but it seems conducting oneself with honor has fallen by the wayside.” Leo remarked with a head shake.

“ Is Mina okay?” Charlotte asked with genuine concern etching her voice. She frowned. She quite liked Mina and especially owed her one after she had come to her aid at the ball. As she considered the subject of Thea, she let out a deep breath. “ Yes, that was another subject I wanted to talk to you about. She came to me distraught today and showed me the letter he wrote her. It was utterly vile of him to talk to her that way and I can’t wait to give him my opinion…” A rare bit of anger slipped into her tone. “Though I think I was able to bring her into better spirits, but…” She rose her head from the book to meet his eyes, “I’m still worried about her.“

“Felix ended things with my sister in a letter?” Leo asked, jaw clenching and his ears turning red at hearing that. He took a breath and shook his head again. “Thea is convinced he did so because her emotions frightened him off. But it is as you said, Felix is simply vile. I think the only thing that will lessen this wound is time. She’s already dealing with more than she should, and I hope a summer around friends like you will lift her spirits. I’m not sure what else to do besides give her the space to grieve and be there when needed.” Leo added, and he was thankful that Lottie was here for Thea as well.

“And Mina seemed alright, afterward she went with John, just to be sure, and there is no finer doctor.” Though he’d never admit it to John, Leo was thankful that the doctor helped look out for Thea as well.

Charlotte nodded, taking his words in. She then asked after a hesitation, “And how are you doing? … Are you okay after last night and … I guess everything in general. I hope you didn’t get hurt. ”

“Last night was not so bad for me, though whenever I try to remember anything about that party I get a terrible headache. Nothing serious. Beyond that, less okay, I guess. Living in a void with no answers for why he’s not here.” Leo didn’t feel a need to say outright who he meant, most of the time it was too painful to say it all aloud. To have to hear it from his own voice. “And I think knowing would help but it would make it all so permanent. So maybe I don’t entirely want that either.” Leo offered only what he could about his father’s absence with shrug, there wasn’t much to say and there was even less that he knew.

Charlotte's frown deepened at his words. She wanted to choose her words carefully, knowing the weight they carried. "It's strange," she began, her voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and frustration. "How we both ended up in similar predicaments around the same time." She spoke softly, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, mirroring the emotions bubbling up inside her.

"I understand how you feel," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "Sometimes, I just want to move on, forget about her, like everyone keeps telling me to... Apparently, ‘my mother would want me to continue on.’" She shook her head, her fists clenched tightly. Finally, she leaned in, meeting Leo's eyes as she spoke.

"I don't want to pressure you to hold on to this just because I am. It's not my place," Charlotte said earnestly, "But I need to say this just once." She paused again, "...Your father could still be out there somewhere. Alive or dead, someone could have hurt him, and they might still be hurting him."

"...And it's not just about our parents…If someone hurt your father or my mother, they could hurt someone else too. And if you've noticed, nobody else is doing anything about it." She waved her hand dismissively, frustration evident on her face. "I'm sure this party crap will just get swept under the rug too… I'm tired of it, honestly."

Charlotte then slid the paper toward Leo across the table. The names had been split into two groups. “...Are you with me?”

“I don’t think moving on means you have to forget your mother. I think forgetting is the worst thing we can do, because then all of them is gone. But the searching, the obsessing, I can’t help but wonder if it’s selfish to put so much into something without results.” But it wasn’t just something he wondered about, it was something he knew. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life obsessing over this. It would drive him mad.

“I think most of my effort has to go into what is still here. To Thea, my mother, and Stravy. My father placed duty and honor above all else, and the best way to honor him is in that.” This Leo had full confidence in, but there was an uncrossable cavern between knowing this and accepting it.

“But I have this summer for what I want, and that is to still look for answers. Because you are right, if I can find whoever is responsible for stealing my father from me, I want to make them pay. I didn’t have help before, but I do now. So even if we never solve this one, we can work on what’s happening now, and protect who we still have left.” Leo offered and there was the faint sting of tears held back by stubborn eyes.

“It means a lot that I have your help now.” Leo held back that he had no real help because his mother was too busy planning a wedding and parading around a wretched replacement. That just about everyone else he knew thought it a waste of time and Thea, she didn’t need additional burdens. Instead he moved to the other side of the table and hugged Charlotte for being able to understand what it was to feel things that there were no words for, that couldn’t be properly explained to people who had not felt them. “Of course I’m with you.”

[Helo]

Ariella, Anastasia, Farim & Callum

Part 4

Location: Prince Callum’s Tavern
Time: 3pm

_{Part 1
Part 2
Part 3}

---

Farim felt the cool breeze coming from the fan as the Princess fanned him. He couldn’t help but giggle and flush slightly (more than the alcohol was making him) as he felt the slight bit of pampering from his friend. “Oh why thank you, dear. You are too kind! Would you like me to fan you?” He coyly asked as he held his hand out to request the fan.

“Yes!” Anastasia handed the fan to him and waited eagerly.

His hand grasped the fan, letting it spread out with a flick of his fingers. With a single hand he began flicking the fan up and down to send small bursts of refreshing air toward her. He couldn’t help but keep a smile as he thought about the image of this. They were the fanciest-looking group in the entire building and were definitely the goofiest, but Farim did not mind one bit. He simply lived in the moment with his two friends, and that was more than enough for him. “Does this help you, Princess? Although I doubt no amount of fanning could stop you from being hot.” He chuckled, perhaps too loudly as he kept fanning her.

Ariella looked behind her shoulder to the loud chuckle coming from her friend’s table. Farim and Ana giggling and being silly. She sighed lightly but a smile spread on her face. She was happy for her friend, she wasn’t sad that clearly the emotions were strong between them but more so that it was so hard to find company that she could enjoy. She turned back around giving them more time to giggle amongst themselves. Thankfully she still had her book.

Callum cradled the glass of amber liquid in his palm. Its scent tickled his nose as he drank from it, the cheap spirit burned its way down into his unsettled stomach. But it was warm, it let him barrow warmth, and when he wasn’t drinking from the glass he was staring into it like it was the only thing left in the world worth loving. As he stared into the glass he felt the guards staring back at him, their disapproval obvious, so once the glass was half gone he felt ready enough to go speak with his sister. He caught a flash of red hair as he turned to look for Ana. Couldn’t be. “Ari?” He asked not loud enough for her to hear. He took a few paces down the bar, close enough to see that it was Arielle. He turned his head to see what she was staring at and caught sight of Ana and one of the Alidasht princes. Cal only rolled his eyes.

”Ari, welcome to my tavern, far more comfortable than the palace don’t you think? Callum liked the atmosphere at the tavern, it just felt like a place he belonged. Then he saw that Ari had a book with her and smiled. “Any good? He asked gesturing towards the book.

Ari was so deep into her book she hadn’t noticed Prince Callum walk in. Trying to drown out the giggles behind her and the general chatter she focused perhaps a little too hard on the words that crossed the page. Mindlessly, she slowly reached for her drink but a familiar voice spoke her name, pulling her out from her book.

“Oh!” she said rather surprised to see Prince Callums smiling,“Thank you, It..it really is, though maybe the palace would be better.” She paused with a smile on her face as she lowered her voice slightly. “Because then I wouldn’t have to listen to those two giggling like school girls behind me.” She closed her book and set it down on the bar top in front of her. “ Jokes aside, I really do love this place. I was just looking for some place to relax and my driver brought me here. It was a bit a surprise to say the least, seeing your name on a tavern but it is a very nice establishment. I may end up making it a go to place for a drink. “

She looked down at her book then back up at Callum with a sheepish expression. “ Oh, um.. Yeah” she laughed lightly “If you like tragic stories about two lovers who were destined to be together but fate was cruel to them.”

She paused for a moment to see if he was still interested in her story, seeing as he was she continued. “ The women was a servant in a rich home, who ventured out in the woods running into a prince who was escaping his duties for the day. They met and clicked, her bold nature and his curiosity seemed to just work. They continued to secretly meet until her jealous step mother found out and sold her to a slaver. Now the prince spends his days trying to find her but she fell ill from her poor working conditions. Not sure how its going to end just yet but I am not sure it will be the happiest of endings.” She smiled “ Sorry that is likely not what you expected to hear, I hope that doesn’t ruin your mood.” She took a sip of her drink “ What brings you to the tavern this afternoon?” she asked curiously.

Callum glanced back at Ana and the man she was with. They seemed like they were having a good time and he felt guilty for wanting to go over there and basically ruin the mood. He took another drink and thought about how much trouble Marek could be in just because Ana had decided to sell him out. For what? After that whole speech she’d done this morning what could Alibeth or Wulfric have possibly offered to get her to break? He thought about how he’d really believed her this morning and he didn’t feel guilty about it anymore.

He turned his attention back to Ari as she went into detail about the book she was reading. A tragedy, a genre he had a fondness for, but her summary ended without an ending. “I think tragedy has a lot to teach us because when the fates, or the gods, or the world, is cruel it is often so it can teach us to strive for something better. So now you’ll just have to tell me how it ends another time or I will be forever deprived of some great lesson.” Cal spoke, took another drink, and let the whiskey loosen his words. “For the second time today you have only improved my mood, and I didn’t even have to eat an onion this time.” He added with a smile.

”If the giggling is bothering you then you’re in luck. I’m here to talk to Ana and I’ve got nothing amusing to say to her.” He added.

Ari nodded at his understanding of a tragedy, a smile spreading on her face “ That is exactly why I enjoy reading them so much, so many layers to peel back. Life is complicated and messy, it's what makes it worth living. The ups and downs in our stories is what makes us in the end.” She smiled, taking another sip of her drink. “ I will be sure to share the lesson, perhaps over another drink sometime?” she suggested. He seemed much more comfortable here then he did at the event, and she couldn’t blame him. “ I promise, no onions then either. I am happy that I improved it, but it sounds like I may need to improve your mood after your conversation with Ana” A smile still on her face as she let out a small nervous laugh.

“Couldn’t agree more. And what one makes out of tragedy defines them so much more than what they make out of good fortune.” Callum added. “And if you’d like to continue this discussion over a drink, or trekking around barefoot in a ravine, I’m in.” Cal offered with more enthusiasm at the second option this time than when she’d first suggested it.

Ari turned in her seat and gestured to the bartender “ Whiskey please, make it a double.” she said. The bartender nodded and began to prepare another drink, sliding it across the bar. Ari pushed it over towards Callum. “ You may need this, she’s pretty deep in.” she smiled. “ I'm not sure anything you say could ruin her mood right now. I am happy she is happy, the giggling wasn’t that bothersome truthfully. I just quickly became the third wheel in the evening and decided I was best suited over here with my book.” She took another sip of her drink. “ May I ask what you plan to speak to her about?”

Callum thought for a long moment as he stared at the second drink. He didn’t know what he should tell Ari, because he did want Ana to know that he saw what she did as a betrayal. Not just to him, to Marek, to a friend. But he didn’t want to cause drama between Ana and the rest of her friends. He finished the rest of his first drink in a quick gulp before pulling the second one closer. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, but it was there and it would be rude to decline. There ya go Wulfy, best effort, I thought about not drinking this one. “Thank you, for the drink and the advice, I can’t let someone out drink me in my own tavern.”

“She let a friend of ours down. I want her to make it right. Beyond that, I think it’s up to her if she’d like to tell you about it.” Callum kept his answer vague.

“Well, no more third wheel, now we’re a whole carriage. I’d like to get this talk with Ana over with and maybe finally meet one of our guests from far off Alidasht.” Cal pushed the first finished glass closer to the bartender and picked up the second one.

Ari frowned, “That doesn’t sound like Ana, but I understand. Sounds like a situation indeed…Ah, Yes. The future Sultan. “ Ariella smiled lightly before finishing her drink. “ Common, let’s rip off that bandage of yours so you can actually enjoy that drink.” She slid off the chair, her feet finally touching the ground after dangling from the chair for so long. Reaching down to grab the hem of her gown again knowing full well her mother would kill her if she got anything on it. Ari began walking towards the table hoping Callum followed. She wobbled slightly as her legs steadied, the drinks were very much kicking in now.

Reaching the table she held onto the sturdy object for balance, swaying slightly as she steadied herself. Ariella smiled at Farim and Ana, “ Hopefully I am not interrupting anything too serious. Ana, look who I ran into.” She said, looking over her shoulder to Callum.

“Ariella!” Anastasia’s eyes snapped to the red-haired girl as soon as she heard her voice. She smiled wide and reached for her friend with wiggling fingers. As her words sunk in, she had then noticed Callum approaching as well. Somehow, her smile grew bigger. The princess then clumsily got to her feet to throw herself forward to capture her brother in a hug. “My favorite little brother! “ She let go after a moment, realizing she was probably embarrassing him. “Are you doing okay? I hope you don’t feel ill today after last night.”

Farim kept the fanning motions going for a moment, feeling his hand begin to sloppily waft the blades to and fro after a few swings. Then he saw the Princess get up and practically jump towards someone after a short few words from Lady Edwards. He got up from his chair and turned to the duo who had returned to the table and placed the fan onto the table. With both hands on his hips, chest slightly puffed up he greeted the both of them with an enthusiastic and joyful grin. “There you are, Lady Edwards! I was honestly worried I had scared you off suddenly. But I see you went to the bar for a drink and found a man instead!” He chuckled for a moment before realizing what the Princess’ words meant. Little brother? Oh so this….Ohhhhhhh~!

If his grin could grow bigger, it would. “This must be who you were telling us about! Well it’s certainly nice to see you, Sir Danrose.” He stopped for a moment realizing that Callum could hardly react to him given that his sister was in the process of nearly toppling him over with her enthusiastic sibling hug.

Callum, having been basically tackled by Ana, nearly fell over. Why is she always so nice? It was always so much easier to be mad at Wulfric. Cal kept a tight hold of his own drink, it had nearly spilled everywhere, and while he didn’t push Ana away, he didn’t return the hug either. Ari wasn’t kidding when he mentioned how drunk his sister was. He glanced over at the ‘future sultan’ and gave his best attempt at a friendly smile. “Just Callum is fine. It’s nice to meet the future sultan.” He offered, very clearly cringing at being called Sir Danrose.

He ignored Ana’s questions and instead offered up his own. “Got anything you want to tell me? Like how Wulfric got that name he was looking for this morning.” There was nothing but disappointment in his tone as he asked.

As Anastasia released her grip on Callum, she quickly picked up her drink and took a sip. However, his words caught her off guard, causing her to spit out a little, fortunately not hitting anyone nearby. She stared at him incredulously, her eyes widening. " “Wait. What?” The words took a moment to sink in, and she frowned. “Wulfric knows? This is like, sooo bad.” She ran her hands through her hair in distress, lamenting, “We need to warn… him… but he’s so hard to find in the day. I was going to find him tonight but what if they find him first? …Fuck.”

The realization then dawned on her that if Wulfric knew, and they were the only two who had been aware, then…

“Holy shit… Callum. Did you snitch?”

[Conscripts]

---

He didn't expect such a violent response from the Duke. He stumbled into the man whom asked him for help, but unlike the pancake this morning nor the ball yesterday night, neither John and the nobleman fell, only thrown off-balance for a moment. Hearing the pouring vomit of obnoxious self-righteousness at the doctor at his request, the nobleman got visibly angry, but the Varian doctor simply raised both his hands at the man, wordlessly letting him know that he got this. It was not a simple appeal to non-violence to the man though. His countenance were very firm, and it seemed to deescalate him quite fast.

Turning around to Lorenzo, John didn't respond at first, preferring to readjust his attire neatly first. All the while, he looked upon the duke with his head leaned slightly forward, his eyes looking upward at Lorenzo. Not a shameful bow of guilt, but rather shaming the duke back like a disappointed father to his son, a teacher to their student. He's the Duke of Vermillion, he governed vast lands, riches and people. And yet he's acting like a complete buffoon comparing to this peasant doctor in front of him, who is just trying to help someone on demand. Given, he has not been exactly in good mental state since yesterday, and John was quite sympathetic seeing Charlotte's father like that. But that didn't grant the duke any excuse of not knowing any better.

"Duke Vikena." John finally spoke after the adjustment. "I'm certain there is a misunderstanding. This gentleman here asked for my expertise. I was told she passed out all of a sudden."

John maintained a cordial smile as he explained, both his hands in front of him with full intention to deescalate, but his tone wasn't sentimental nor soft. "Thus, it's purely a checkup. It could be dangerous unattended, but as of now, you are obstructing me from doing my job."

It was authoritative. Calm, strict and commanding. Cold even...

@FunnyGuy@SausagePat

[Apex Sunburn]

Interactions: Roman @ReusableSword
Mentions:
Time: 1530

“They don’t know what true suffering is, but you do. My people do.”

Sjan-dehk couldn’t tell why, but those few words struck a particular chord with him. It resonated within both his head and his heart, the note low and baleful. Scattered memories he couldn’t recall forming washed up upon the shores of his mind. Reddened decks and stinging smoke; burning timbers and dancing flames; a flash of steel and crack of gunpowder; piercing screams and desperate pleas. All so vivid. All so familiar and yet at the same time, not. It was almost as if he was seeing the echoes of someone else’s life.

In the back of his mind, he knew what he was seeing. The minutiae of battle, the little details one could so easily overlook once taken by the raging blood. Images and sounds so gruesome and frightful that a calm and sane mind would try to forget. To pretend it never happened. To pretend that all was normal, that one was the same person they had been before the fight. To keep all these dreadful recollections locked away until some random event, some coincidental happenstance, brought them all back out.

With a blank stare, Sjan-dehk gazed out at the arena. He pondered over Roman’s words, and despite not wanting to pass judgement on anyone, he found himself agreeing with the man. Duels carried their own set of dangers – Mayet had proven that rather strikingly – but they were nothing compared to the horrors of war. At least in a duel, you knew where your possible death would come from. You would know exactly how you died. With enough skill, you could even put up enough resistance to make it an honourable end.

There was no such luck in war. One could know every stance and every move of every school of martial arts in the world; could memorise every manual-of-arms and military treatise of every weapon that existed; could cut swathes through enemy ranks, and still they would fall easily enough to a stray musket shot, be reduced to nothing by cannon fire, or simply cut down from behind by a passing foe. Sjan-dehk did his best – he really did – but he couldn’t help but wonder how the two duellists from before would fare amidst the frenetic confusion of an open battle. He found no answer. He doubted he even wanted one.

Sjan-dehk drew in a deep breath and rested his elbows on his thighs. Leaning forward, he dipped his head and rested his forehead against his fingertips. For a moment, he closed his eyes. He exhaled slowly, then filled his lungs to the brim once more.

The war was over. It was all in the past. To opine on local ways was not his place, and to contemplate the nature of peace and strife was even farther from what he needed to do. Roman had given a suggestion, and so all he had to do was to simply respond to it.

When he sat back up, stretching his arms in front of him as he did so, it was as if nothing happened. There was that usual ghost of a smirk tugging on his lips, the mischief twinkling – albeit somewhat dulled – in his eyes, and his typical levity laced his floundering speech. “That is…Very interesting. Your idea.” Even as he said those words, he doubted Lady Adiyan would be receptive to it. There were still too many unknowns to make his plan palatable.

Even so, Sjan-dehk made a note to mention it to her. “I will tell Lady Adiyan. She will, ah…Likely want to meet with…The one who speaks for your lands. All of your lands. Your kingdom. To hear and see things for herself, yes? Viserjanta, it is very far. Long journey for your cra– craftsmen. And ours. A lot to discuss before we can make decision.” He hoped that it was a satisfactory answer. As things were, Sjan-dehk felt quite sure that he had far overstepped his boundaries as far as responsibilities went. Until Lady Adiyan recovered and was well enough to receive visitors, he wouldn’t know for sure.

And that was when Sjan-dehk realised he forgot to mention one very important detail. “Ah, Lady Adiyan, it might be…Time? Some time before she can meet. Or talk. She was wounded on our journey here. Maybe a day, maybe two, before I can meet her.” He paused for a moment, trying to think of anything that he may have forgotten. Finding none, he simply added, almost apologetically, "So you might need to wait."

[princess]

Ariella, Anastasia, Farim & Callum

Part 5

Location: Prince Callum’s Tavern
Time: 3pm

_{Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4}

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Callum stared back at Ana, several seconds just caught in disbelief at what she’d said. Had she really just… She was really going to accuse him of betraying Marek? He felt the whiskey burning in his stomach, catching and spreading through his veins. A different kind of burn, not the sort that melted away all his problems but one that this problem into sharp focus.

“No Ana, I spent this morning bargaining with Wulfric and hoping our fuck up last night didn’t lead to a man's death. I certainly haven’t sent him after someone else. So what’s Wulfy offering for betrayal these days? I kinda think you must know.” His full attention was only on Ana, and while he spoke in a quiet voice none of the whiskey’s heat made it into his tone, his temper had always been cold and harsh.

Ariella stood on the sideline watching the interaction unfold. She understood more now why Callum didn’t want to express much when it came to this conversation. Her eyes widened slightly as his tone seemed to drop after her question. Slowly reaching out, she wrapped her fingers around Anas glass slowly taking it from her fingers and holding it in her own. She didn’t need alcohol flying around the bar, seemed like such a waste.

If the sudden shift in atmosphere didn’t sober up Farim, the sharp accusing tone from Callum sure did. All his bubbliness and goofy attitude came to a grinding halt as he watched them both begin what he could only assume would be some sort of sibling feud. The Princess had been rather bold, somewhat accusing and somewhat asking Callum if he had told but he knew that someone would be on the defensive if put in the spotlight like that. He walked to the two and coughed awkwardly as if to break the pregnant pause that had taken place after the exchange of words.

”Firstly, I’m flattered that you think I have a better shot than any of my cousins at being Sultan. Secondly, what is all this? You are both 2 drinks deep in a public setting. This is not the place nor the time. I am not meaning to intrude on your family affairs but surely this could wait until the night or tomorrow morning?” Surely this isn’t about last night? He thought back to how Anastasia had deflected the wrath of multiple royal parents, but inevitably the one stable boy had been sent away…D..Darryn? He thought again, but realized putting the pieces together while slightly inebriated would take some more time and work, so he left it at that for now.

Ariella stood there confused, looking between the three parties. She had no clue as to what any of them were speaking on and instead just slowly raised Anas glass to her lips and took a sip. Her eyes darted around the bar to see if anyone was paying attention but most if not all the patrons were still talking away minding their own. Perhaps she should venture out of her little hiding place more often, certainly a lot more entertainment in here then out there.

Anastasia's brows furrowed as her lips pressed into a thin line. She was more than buzzkilled; she was starting to feel quite angry. Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as the negative emotions, the ones she had been running from, finally made their return. Her eyes had flickered to Farim briefly; he had brought up quite a valid point, but it was too late to back down now.

Her gaze fell back on Callum. "Are you serious right now? " She asked incredulously. Anastasia was well aware she had asked if he had snitched, but she would have taken his word for it if he had said he had not. It had been more of a blurt on her part. "I’d never betray my friends. If you want proof, then you can ask Wystan and Zarai because I spent all day with them since this morning.

"...You were there when you watched me refuse to give up his name…Why would I put myself through all that just to give him up? What could Wulfric and our mother really offer me to get me to send our friend to their death? You know me, and you know the answer's nothing."

"And you know what, Callum?" Her voice rose. "Because I fucking trust you, I trust your answer. I'm not gonna stand here and accuse you of doing something like that again. I am sorry I asked. I shouldn’t have. But you should also be sorry for even considering that I'd do something like that…There must be someone else who spilled the beans. "

“Yeah, watched you put on quite the show. I even believed it for a bit. But who else knew?” Callum shook his head and really all he could think about was how godsdamn proud Wulfric looked when he’d said Marek’s name. It had to be Ana, no one else from last night knew, could even remember, Cal was sure of that. So she was lying to him and that made sense because that was all his family ever did. “I think I’ve finally started to realize I can’t trust anyone in our family.”

Cal turned his attention to Farim and shrugged. “Just a simple family discussion. Or is your family the only one allowed to have public spats? He asked, but even as he was saying it he knew he shouldn’t. This definitely wasn’t being hospitable to their guests and he didn’t even dislike Farim. “Sorry to ruin your afternoon. But I don’t think this can wait until later.” He tried to sound sincere but instead, he only sounded annoyed. So he turned his attention back to Ana.

“Someone has to send a warning and it can’t be me. I don’t care if you want to admit it, just try and fix this.”

“You care enough to bring it up… Yet you want someone else to send the warning for you and don’t care enough to do it yourself. Right.” Anastasia had commented under her breath with an eye-roll.

Farim felt his brow furrow for a moment as the man only responded in annoyance to his attempt at de-escalation. Fine then…have it your way. He felt himself grow slightly more animated, perhaps in part due to the alcohol as he looked at the man with a slightly stern look. “That…was at least behind closed doors. You are berating your sister in front of a few dozen people. And as I’m sure you saw by my FABULOUS blunder this morning I tried to absolve things there, too.” He turned towards Anastasia to deliver the next part, often oscillating his gaze between the two of them.

”Whatever this disagreement is, it isn’t worth getting mad at each other. If your entire family is not worth trusting, then perhaps you both can salvage the one good relationship you still have.” He knew that getting angry wouldn’t be the best idea but he felt himself growing exasperated at their growing annoyance towards each other and likely him as well. He chose to ignore the part about a warning for now, thinking that it held more significance to both of them rather than him. ”Instead of pointing fingers, perhaps, Anastasia suggested, we look into the possibility of someone else finding this name of yours or whatever this is all about.” He took a half pace backward to create some space and hopefully put some ease in the air between the drunken group of nobles.

Ariella looked at the three people, feeling the tempers rising as words began to fly around. She placed the drinks down on the table and readied herself. She pursed her lips as she waited for the right time to step in and say something. Just as she was about to Farim interjected as expected to Callum's comment so she stood back again keeping her comments to herself. Once things seemed to be aired out finally she stepped forward.

“Listen, I don't normally involve myself in other people's business, however, I think a non biased outside opinion might be beneficial.” She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Thankfully with all the drinks she had, it gave her the courage to speak up, unsure if it was going to do more harm than good.

“ Clearly there is some information that was not supposed to be shared. It is also very apparent that you’re family.” She said gesturing to Ana and Callum, “ Have a lot of ..” She paused trying to choose her words.

“...Personal growth to go through, but let's not forget that your family holds a lot of power…power that people have been known to kill each other over. '' She bit her lip nervously trying to read the room but decided to continue, “ I know Ana, good and bad, and she would never betray even a mouse. She certainly would never betray her family, especially you Callum. A person who drones on about how much she loves a person does not simply turn their back on them. No matter the reason. “ She paused.

“That being said, and that notion aside, power makes monsters of people..titles..money..thrones. If you two were not the ones to share this important information, it is not in the realm of impossibility that someone could be using this as a way to pull your family apart even further so they can find their way in. Has any of that occurred to either of you? “ She paused for a moment before continuing

“ Information is deadlier than a blade, and to me it looks like if that is indeed their plan then it's working. You two should be working together, not against. You don’t need to trust people simply because they are family but out of anyone that I’ve met you two were always the more bonded. “ She looked over at Ana, “We’ve known each other since we were children, yet Callum you only spoke with me today. “ She paused for a moment, realizing just how sad that statement was.

Her tone lowered slightly. “I’ve been around…” She paused to take another breath. “I’ve just been quietly existing in the shadows…not for reasons important to this but who is to say there aren’t others?” Ariella shrugged her shoulders, her arms crossing against her chest. “Until you both have physical proof , some kind of hard evidence, put your differences aside and come together to find the truth. You will both be stronger as a unit, you can find the truth, present the evidence to who is questioning the validity of the information and protect your friend. At the end of the day, that just seems to be the common goal you both share. Once that information has been found, and you have actual evidence not just words or whispers then you should revisit this conversation. “ Taking a long deep breath she let out a drawn-out sigh waiting for her scolding from one of them. “..Okay I’m done.” she said softly taking a step back again.

“I wouldn’t call what you said this morning a blunder. I appreciated that you spoke up. A lot of people said nothing, you tried.” Callum tried to force himself to relax as he spoke to Farim, he didn’t want to redirect all that anger onto him or Ari.

“If Ana would never betray a mouse then I guess she values rodents over people. Ari, I don’t know if you heard but last night Ana and I both risked a man's life so that we could get fucked up on whatever was available. Because that is the kind of people we are.” He said it like it was a joke, smiled like it was funny. And maybe it was, in an ironic way because for all the time he spent whining about how awful everyone was, he was just as bad. “Even after all that, here we both are trying to drink ourselves to oblivion.” He laughed a bit at that before drinking his second glass all at once. He set down the glass on the table.

The argument didn’t really matter. Ana wasn’t going to admit to anything and these were her friends; they were loyal, they trusted her, and of course, they would be on her side. Cal knew he couldn’t fault them for that. But it wasn’t about winning an argument, all he had to do, all he wanted out of this, was for Ana to agree to warn Marek. Because he couldn’t and she was the only other person he knew who could warn Marek. “You’re both right. No more arguing. Just that one favor, yeah, and I’ll leave you alone.” Cal offered, looking back at his sister.

Anastasia was silent as everyone spoke. She had been initially fuming, but as Farim and Ariella had spoken, she had time to gradually calm down. It had also been enough time for her to tear herself apart internally and retreat into the clutches of her mind, which was perhaps almost as horrible a place as the current conversation. Knowing Callum no longer trusted her and probably no longer even liked her was hard to bear. Like with Darryn, she had thought they’d always be friends.

Why Callum seemed hellbent on blaming her was beyond her, but she supposed maybe it was for the best. Maybe she really wasn’t a good person to be around. After all, now she was just embarrassing poor Farim and Ariella. She was responsible for what had happened last night, what happened to Darryn, and maybe she was responsible for Marek’s name being found out somehow. It made sense in the story.

Her eyes were glossy with tears and she hadn’t commented until there was a long pause. She finally looked up, rubbing her forearm. “I already planned on talking to him tonight. I’ll let him know… I’m really sorry Callum. I know it’s easier to mistrust than to trust. I get how you’re feeling… So I’ll make it easy for you.“ She met his gaze intently. “I told Wulfric, but he didn’t offer me anything or try to manipulate me into telling him. I just told him.” Her voice was somber. “So… I’ll fix it and make it right like you want.” She then looked toward the other two. “I think I’m gonna leave for now…I’m sorry about this all. I kinda lost my cool and I’m not feeling so good.”

Farim took everything in. Many valid points were being made, but also there was a fair amount of missing information on his end.This entire story seemed relevant to him but he didn’t have the ability to provide much more than a reassuring word to his now distraught friend. He saw everyone’s emotions bubbling up and with his buzz slowly fading, he began to see more of a reason to keep things civil despite his initial stern outlook. He began his response with a nod. ”Ariella, you are very wise. I think what you say is just about spot on, and that much being said is very emotionally charged.” He would say there was no evidence against Anastasia except for the fact that she outed herself right there, but Farim found it confusing. She even initially said "If you want proof, then you can ask Wystan and Zarai because I spent all day with them since this morning. . So why pivot your response? He shelved the idea for now, and instead placed a hand on both Callum and Anastasia’s shoulder. He first looked at Callum.

”I appreciate your compliment about this morning. But I do know that sometimes saying nothing and saying the right thing can mean a world’s difference. I will not pretend like I know your struggles, but you do not strike me as a cruel man nor one worth the wrath of a family. No one really deserves such things.” He then turned his head towards the Princess. ”La bas, Annie you do not need to fret. I am not the least bit uncomfortable. You should see my family dinners at home, they are far more dysfunctional. Nothing was ruined, you introduced me to some lovely sights and even lovelier people.” He turned to look more toward Callum and Ariella. ”Whom I would love to get to know more personally as these days move on, if either of you would have me.” His tone was serious and genuine, not flirtatious or cocky like he normally spoke.

”But if you wish to leave, would you at least like some company home? I am needing to head that way anyway to prepare for dinner, and perhaps some cool air will clear the mind, no?”

“No, thank you though... I have my guards so don’t worry about me.” Anastasia said softly without meeting his eyes. She was rather hasty to leave the scene before the other two could react as she then proceeded to return to her guards. She took a moment to whisper to one of them. When she finally did leave the tavern, it was with only one of the guards. The other guard remained and turned their gaze on Callum.

Ariella let out a soft sigh as she watched Ana walk out of the building. She knew she was lying, Ana would do anything for her brother even admit to something she didn’t do just so he wouldn’t be upset. She could also tell Callum’s passive laughter was nothing more than a facade for his hurt. She knew that one all too well because she also did that. No matter what the truth was in the end, two people were hurt, and the circumstances, in the end, weren’t really important.

The silence was deafening, the ambiance from the Tavern not really matching the events that took place. “Maybe, Farim, you could follow her at a distance. I know she has her guard with her but perhaps just knowing a friend is nearby will help her. “ She offered him a smile “ It was very nice meeting you though, I hope our next meeting is a little less chaotic.”

Ari then turned her attention to Callum she wasn’t sure what kind of mood he was in now but after their conversation earlier maybe he could use a pick-me-up. “ Forgive me if I’m being a bit bold with my suggestion,” Ariella said, “ You mentioned earlier before everything took place that you would be interested in my offer from earlier and I happen to know that walking barefooted in a ravine is a great medicine for many issues.” She looked over towards Farim then back to Callum, “ Farim has his dinner to prepare and I was invited so I will be going to that in a few hours but in the meantime I think that is where Im headed so I’m just extending the invitation.” She gave Callum a smile hoping he would agree to come, she really did believe it could help not just him but her. She was already feeling nervous about attending the dinner.

Callum didn’t respond to Ana and didn’t add anything as she announced she was leaving either. Because he really had been so sure that no one else could’ve been Wulfrics sudden miraculous source of information until she claimed responsibility. Ana’s confession didn’t sound like the truth. If anything it reminded him of his own desperate and false confession this morning. Was he just being an asshole for no reason? That sounded equally likely as another member of his family lying to him.

Ari drew him from his thoughts, she mentioned the ravine, and he nodded. “Well I am being bold today,” he said. There was a small problem with her plan and that was the intrusive babysitters that hadn’t taken their eyes off Callum all afternoon. Technically he’d only promised Wulfric he’d take the guards with him when he left the palace, it was not his fault if they couldn’t keep up after that. “Of course we can’t take them,” his eyes briefly glanced at the guards. “They’d never agree to remove their boots, breach of uniform, utterly scandalous.” He decided he would think about the Ana situation later, it wasn’t as if they weren’t going to run into each other soon enough. It would be tomorrow’s problem.

Ariella tried to hide her excitement, her arms dropping from her previously crossed stance. “Really!?” She asked shocked that he actually would agree. She hadn’t really followed through with showing anyone her secret place but it came in handy when ever she was having a bad day and it made it so happy she could possibly make anothers day better as well. “Yes, Terribly scandalous.” Ari snickered finding it even funnier as Ana and her would strip down to their undergarments so their dresses wouldn’t get muddy. She wouldn’t tell him that though, this was Prince Callum afterall.

“ I have a carriage out front, I could ask the driver to bring it around to the side where you could slip out the side entrance where the deliveries are brought in. The carriage driver is sworn to privacy , my mother makes sure of that. So the driver can take us close to where we need to go and then its just a bit of a walk from there. I assure you though, it will be worth the trouble.” she smiled. She looked over at Farim, “ Maybe you could talk to guards , ask them about Ana and where she went while I bring the carriage over. It could help keep them more distracted so if anyone asks them hopefully they will only remember you.”

“I like this plan.” Callum said with a genuine smile, it was nice to have others willing to help with mischievous activities for once.

Farim looked on as Anastasia left the tavern. His eyes seemed to linger on the door as it swung shut. He let out a slight sigh and felt himself lost in thought for a moment. Musif. Poor girl. He paid little attention to the conversation until he heard his name. His mood seemed to swap quickly, merely to keep up appearances. He looked towards Ariella with a mischievous grin as an idea formed in his head.

”Oh, habibi, distraction is my middle name. Give me a moment and I’ll bring Thara back from above and give them a little show while you bring the carriage around.” He had another reason to bring his bird back from its cruise among the clouds, but he would conveniently leave out that detail. “I can buy you a few minutes. It has been a pleasure. And do not fret about the circumstances, chaos is just the spice of life….and I simply love some heat in my food.” He laughed softly, giving a bow to the two standing before him and walked out the door. As it swung closed he could be seen chatting up the guards, followed by a sharp whistle. After a few moments the sound of a distinct “CAW” could be heard from outside.

[Lava Alckon]

Farim

Location: Outside Callum's Tavern
Time: 3pm
Mentions: Callum @Helo and Ariella @Tpartywithzombi

Disclaimer: I am using rough translations of words so major apologies if I mis-interpret or mis-use certain verbs.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Farim walked out of the tavern with a slight jump in his step, seeming almost too excited to begin this little scheme. He placed his pointer finger and thumb into his mouth, blowing harshly until a sharp whistle came from his mouth. A brief pause followed by a resounding CAWW!!! filled the air as Farim's favored pet came from atop the tavern where she had been roosting until now. The two nearby guards looked surprised as the foreign man began to converse with his bird.

"Oh my beautiful falcon how are you this evening~?" He spoke almost as if he was about to sing, talking sweetly to the bird whose head naturally craned into his hand, almost begging for small pets. Farim of course gave his falcon all the pets she could ask for, and gently ran his hand over her head and down her back. "Were you waiting all day for me to finally call you back? You are too precious." He turned his head, acting as if he just now noticed the guards looking at him with quizzical glares.

"Oh trust me. I may seem silly talking to her, but she is very smart! She understands my every word!" The two men seemed skeptical, one of whom piped up. "Right, that's what they all say." Farim took his hand and placed it over his chest, as if to feign being offended by the mere notion of Thara being just like any other animal. Wallah, you do not believe me? Watch!" He fixed his posture and looked at his bird with a nod, which prompted her to nod back. The two guards looked at each other in disbelief, both of them smirking as if this was all just some carnival act.

Farim then snapped his fingers and Thara jumped from his arm, circling above for a few moments. "Yaghus!" Thara immediately pulled in her wings and dove to the ground, pulling up mere inches from the ground. "Taklifa!" Farim shouted another phrase in his homeland's tongue while pointing at the guards. They both looked confused as Thara came down once more and quickly flew between them, catching them both by surprise. One even reached for his blade at his hip with a stern look. "The hell's your problem?! Trying to get us to put you away, you fancy clown in women's clothes?" Farim felt a slight tinge in anger rise up, but chose to keep his cool in lieu of the fact that his plan was very much working.

"Hayaa, what do you mean? You said you did not believe me so I provide proof. Here, something less terrifying for the proud royal guard!" He chuckled to himself as he softened his posture, clapping his hands and spouting another word: "Yahum!" Thara came back down, much slower than before, and batted her wings to stay afloat as long as she could before inevitably floating down to the ground. "Mawja!" Yet another foreign word escaped his lips, causing Thara to raise her wing and, in a slight waving motion, gesturing towards the guards. Farim smirked and walked up to them, saying one final word to end his little show. "Aelaa, Thara, aelaa." He spoke softer as Thara came up to his arm once more, and stood to look at the guards before posing his next statement.

"Now I hope I have softened your moods some. I suppose the Princess will not be looking to join myself for the Shehzadi dinner this evening? She seemed rather dour in mood...Will she be okay?" The first guard piped up, keeping as professional a tone as he could. "Her highness will be unavailable this evening, at her request. She said you would understand." Farim nodded, turning his attention to the other guard. "Before I forget, that little quip you shared earlier...." The second guard felt himself grow a little stiff from embarassment, not realizing he had insulted one of the Shehzadi guests from Alidasht. "I could care less what a sellsword thinks of me, but if you see anyone who looks like me dressed like this and make similar remarks..." He took one step closer, lowering his voice into a whisper. "A flying bird will be the least of your worries." His expression seemed grim, almost both a promise and warning to the guard, before he flipped it back to a much more personable look. All the guard could do was nod, but he kept himself stern and unmoving to not show any form of emotion or fear to the man who just casually threatened his life.

That should have bought them enough time. He took a step back, giving a long and formal bow to the two guards. "Well I shall begin preparations for my evening, if either of you gave a damn. If the Princess asks, I am not offended nor upset by her choice, and will happily find her at a better time. Good day to you both." He began to walk away, seeing what he believed to be Lady Edwards' carriage taking off from behind the tavern. With a grin he looked back to his bird, continuing his walking pace. "Speaking of plans...Thara, I have a favor to ask." The bird cocked her head, as if completely ready to hear what Farim had to say.

[SausagePat]

Time: 3pm
Location:: Edin Theater
Interaction:: @Conscripts @FunnyGuy

Clouds in the sky… here an eye, there an eye.. The cloud looks like a fry! A fry with great big eyes! Ruby was looking up at a partly cloudy sky, focused in on a particular one. She used to do this for hours at a time when she was a child– just lying down on the ground with her brother Jack, looking up as the clouds drifted off to their new place in the world. She had quite the imagination when it came to simple pleasures, mostly out of necessity. As she was enjoying her cloud-watching session, her body felt a sudden jolt move through it. Whoa! What in the heavens above? She looked down at her sprawled out figure and observed her hands as she turned them side to side. She seemed to be okay. Back up toward the clouds she brought her eyes, but suddenly they started to fade and so did everything else.

A rough tapping on her cheeks struck her awake. Her dream felt so real that she had to take a moment to come about. After that, she fixed her wide eyes on the man kneeling in front of her. Good afternoon to you.. she gazed with admiration at the young man. What was he doing there? Should she ask? Or shall she accept the opportunity that has been presented to her? Ruby sat up in her seat, abruptly noticing that the play had begun. Did I fall asleep? Oh! The hat contest.. Waffle-man… I think I just won an argument? she thought, attempting to put the pieces back together. She looked over her shoulder to Lorenzo next to her, whose face looked rather vexed, and then turned back distractedly to the man. Ruby assumed that he was a high-class man judging from his tidied appearance, and great head of hair.

“Hello! Did you come to join a gal in viewing the inner workings of people’s minds?” the words came out of Ruby and she was not sure that what she said made complete sense, but it was an effort at mimicking a classy woman. She brought her hand over to the empty seat to her right, patting it. “Don’t worry, there’s a seat for you.” she smiled, nodding her head at the man. He looked a bit familiar, and for a second, the thought of a sharp knife came into her mind. But Ruby’s mind was in a bit of a fog still. The fact that he was handsome and presented without a foul smell was enough for her to welcome a stranger to join her.

[Tpartywithzombi]

Ariella& Callum

Part 1

Location: Secret Location
Time: 4pm

Farims escape plan seemed to work without a hitch. Ariella and Callum had exited the tavern with no issue. Jumping into the carriage and heading off toward the gardens. She was grateful for Farim, he didn’t even seem to hesitate when she asked for his help, They likely wouldn’t have been able to sneak out if it wasn’t for him.

Some time had passed since they left the Tavern and after a good trek, the pair arrived at a wooded area behind the youth education buildings.

The woods were lush and thick, appearing to be untouched by any human hands for a very long time. Large bushes of various berries and smaller plants littered the forest floor alongside multiple logs and branches that had fallen off the surrounding trees.

Ari and Ana had come here during their younger years, Ana would sneak boys back here while Ari tended to just hide with her books and drawings. Some of her best memories were shared in this forest. It took them almost a year before they even found their little spot but when they did it was the most magical place Ariella had ever seen. Still to this day, she felt like she was stepping into another world when she walked through the gate. Ana and Ari made a pact that they would only bring people who would appreciate this place, respecting it for what it was and hopefully, they could keep it as their special oasis forever.

Picking up the hem of her dress she trekked over and around the large logs and sticks, moving in and out of them like an expert. After another short walk, the two ended up at a gate. The gate was made of overgrown vines and flowers that had taken over an old wooden structure. The woods had grown over any existing man-made object covering everything but the door. Normally this would be where Ana and her would remove the top layers of their dresses, hanging them off some branches that grew from the sides of the fence. However, with the prince being here she would just need to be extra cautious with her dress.

Callum followed quietly but couldn’t help but wonder why there was a fence and a gate in the middle of nowhere. Had someone lived out here before? The denseness of the forest and the amount of overgrowth made it clear that this area had not been maintained in a while. The air was less irritating than he’d initially thought, though he could still feel the tingle of pollen aggravating his nose and eyes, it was not nearly as overwhelming as the botanical gardens near the palace.

Ariella turned back to look at Callum with a pure and genuine expression on her face. " You are one of few now who know of this place, it's top secret. I ..." she paused for a moment holding back a giddy smile " I just hope you like it as much as I do. " Ariella turned back around and pushed open the gate, the wood scraping against some old concrete stone that seemed to create a path inwards.

“Sometimes the place matters less than the company, but this place is beautiful. And not like anything I've seen before. More like, something from a fairytale.” Callum offered a nod, he understood; places and things that were kept secret deserved reverence when shared. He understood from the way Ari talked about this place that it meant as much to her as magic did to him. He already planned to be properly respectful and to try very hard to only see the positive side here. And it was much easier than he truly expected.

Walking through the gate she let him take the lead, She after all had seen everything before. Falling back slightly she held her hands up around her face, the expression of an overly excited child on her face.

Walking further into the woods the path would lead them to a ravine filled with crystal-clear water. Inside the ravine, small fish can be seen swimming up and down hiding under small lily pads that sat on top of the calm water. The water cut across the stone path wrapping up around a very large gazebomade of beautiful marble that also was covered in vines, ivy, and flowers.

Off to the right of the gazebo was a Swing that Ari and Ana had put up years and years ago. Just behind the swing in the far-off distance was also a fountain that too had been grown over by the various foliage.

The air here held more than pollen and tiny creatures that buzzed about. Something almost sacred, almost exactly the same feeling the air within the god's temples held. It was entirely serene, with none of that frantic energy that encapsulated the rest of the city. Here everything was calm and at peace, that feeling was so easily taken in with the air here. As he walked, and breathed, in the silence he better understood the magic of this place. He continued to follow the stone path, which flowed as smoothly as water, as it twisted its way around the ravine.

She gave him a moment to soak it all in but while he did so Ari had already started pulling off the murderous shoes she had just trekked in to get here. Letting out a soft moan as her bare feet touched the cool ground she let out a long sigh of relief. Standing back up she smiled at him, " Shoes off, it's the rules. "

“I am a known rule-breaker so if I abide by this one you’ll have to keep this secret as well or my reputation will be ruined.” He joked as he went ahead with the removal of shoes and socks. He didn’t entirely understand the need for this step, how the addition of feeling slimy rock with his feet added to the magic of this place but seeing as he’d made everyone uncomfortable at the tavern he could stand to be uncomfortable for a while.

Ariella chuckled at his comment “ Your secret is safe with me. Plus, anything done or said here doesn’t leave beyond that gate.” She smiled at him. She put her hands on her hip as she looked around “Well..this is it. I know the shoe thing might be sort of weird but…” she paused looking down at her wiggling toes on the dirt “ Not only do women's heels create a lot of damage to the ground from walking around but so do men's shoes digging rivets into the path it just keeps the places more true to nature, we are the guests here.” She looked back up towards the Gazebo “ We tend to spend a lot of our time in the Gazebo, it's great for keeping any sun off of us or any stiff winds that may break through.”

Callum only nodded to indicate his understanding, this was respect for the earth. Fair enough. “Is there anything inside that gazebo?” He asked.

She was a bit taken aback by his question. She should have figured he would have been curious, it's not unusual to ask such a question being in a new place but the gazebo certainly had a lot of things inside of it. If he hasn’t judged her yet, this may be the moment he does.

“ There are..things,” she said softly her voice trailing off as she felt a bit shy omitting what was in there. “ Easier to show you I think…” Ariella started to walk towards the Gazebo. Stepping over the ravine to the other side where some marble steps lead up into the large structure. Standing near the door she grasped her hands nervously. “ Ana doesn’t really come here that often anymore so I’ve kind of taken over the space. I have never shown anyone this so I'm strangely nervous for some reason” She laughed nervously as her fingers played at the fabric of her dress.

“I think you’ve already seen me at my wo-,” No not his worst, not even close, he pivoted his words. “Well not my best and you let it go so unless this gazebo is where you murder unsuspecting princes I think I can do the same.” Callum said, grinning. As the door to the gazebo opened he felt the familiar presence that was Starcatcher radiating from inside. He hesitated before he even set foot inside, he avoided even looking in the Book’s direction, and he said nothing, keeping his attention fixed on Ari.

Ari felt his eyes fixated on her, she looked over at him feeling his reluctance to go inside. “ I promise no murdering of unsuspecting princes takes place here. “ She offered him a friendly smile. “At least not yet “ she joked.

Callum didn’t have to look at the crimson grimoire with its pages lines in golden text to know it was there. The Book held a force more powerful than anything else he’d ever experienced. More than drink, more than drugs, It called out to every part of Callum; body, mind, spirit, and blood. He would have expected the secret prince murdering room before ever guessing to find the presence of this very book.

Inside the Gazebo were tons of books along the edges and floors, stacking so high in some areas they would be up to his knees. Many of the books were various romance novels, herbology books, greek tragedy stories, and mythology books. Alongside, the books were homemade wax candles, dried leaves and flowers, little trinkets, and rolls of twine. The center of the gazebo was clear except for a large plush fabric cushion where an opened book sat comfortably on it.

He may notice a familiar book sitting amongst her pile with a red binding and gold lettering. The title read star catcher, with a tassel hanging out the side of it. Around the book were some recently burnt candles, twigs, and a lock of hair that matched similar to Ariellas. She had nearly forgotten it when her eyes noticed the book open from the other night. Her eyes widened slightly as she hoped he wouldn’t take notice, that he would just see it as another one of her books since there were so many.

she looked around nervously as she started to ramble “I spend a lot of time here, I don't like being at home. A lot of my books I’ve collected over the years, read them all but couldn’t seem to get rid of them. Each and every one of them here is important in its own way. Lots of lessons to be had in this room” she joked laughing nervously again.

“I don’t really have a home, I have a palace I live in but don’t belong in and there is none of the warmth that makes a building into a home. Last night our Queen who calls herself my mother found her two youngest intoxicated enough to worry we might not wake. But what she really cared about was how it looked to the rest of the world. So today she thought executing Darryn, the man who drove our carriage, would be an appropriate punishment. She thought her embarrassment and our disobedience were worth innocent blood. That is the sort of family I come from, and that is why it is nearly impossible to put my faith in anyone who shares my blood.” For the second time today he offered up an explanation for why he acted in all ways he did. He began to walk the perimeter, taking in the titles of a variety of books that lined the room. Many he recognized, some he did not. But he was still thinking of only that Book.

Ariella listened to her friend, and Callum certainly seemed to need one. She felt her back press up against the cold marble pillar as she looked over at him. Ana had told Ari about a lot of what happened in her family, all the things that her parents did..or didn’t do. As she got older the stories dwindled but so did Ana, drowning herself in whatever she could find to keep the smile on her face. She started to realize that while Ana drowned herself Callum wore a lot of guilt and anger on his shoulders.

“ My mother, although she would never execute someone mainly because she really doesn’t have the power to I assure you that if it made her look better or put fear in her station she would. She forces me to treat people a certain way, put on beautiful lush gowns and expensive jewelry, and parade myself around like a circus animal. She belittles and treats people like they aren’t anything more than a cockroach under her shoe and how dare they mess up her pretty little shoe. If I don't comply, then I am locked in my chambers with guards posted at my door day and night. “ Her eyes dropped to the ground, and she focused on her feet planted against the cold stone.

“ You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Our situations are slightly different but our burdens are very similar. I will never judge you, you don’t need to explain.” She shrugged her shoulders softly “ In a lot of the books I’ve read it's common for the misfits, the forsaken, or the misunderstood to find their family with others who don’t share their blood. Finding people you trust and making your home with them instead. You have a home here..if you want it” she said softly looking up at Callum her face unable to provide anything more than a look of understanding.

[princess]

The Blacksmith and the Bookworm

Location: The Edin Theater

ACT 2

@SausagePat@FunnyGuy@Conscripts

There had been a lot of murmurs in the theater as people were quite unhappy about all the noise in the front. Luckily before any formal complaints could be made, the next act began.

The curtains reopened, revealing a new scene in the opulent ballroom of the castle. The set is adorned with sparkling chandeliers and fine tapestries, and the actors, Adam and Raven, stand in the middle of the ballroom, still in shock from Raven's father's unexpected arrival.

Raven's father, the Count, paces back and forth, waving his sword dramatically in the air, while Raven tries to calm him down.

“Father, please!" Raven cried, her eyes filled with tears. "You don't understand! Adam is a lord, and we love each other!"

The Count swings his sword with a flourish, narrowly missing Adam's nose. "Love? Nonsense! My daughter will marry a prince, not some common blacksmith!"

Raven's desperation grew. "But Father, Adam is a lord, and he makes me happy! I won't give up on our love just because he's not a prince!"

The Count laughed, his mustache quivering with amusement. "Happiness? Ridiculous! A prince will provide you with wealth and status, my dear, not some lowly lordling with a forge and a sword fetish!"

Adam looked furious at that point. He unsheathed a sword of his own. "I challenge you to a battle! And if I win, I can marry your daughter."

The count snorted extremely loud at this. "HA! You think you can defeat me?" He pointed his sword at Adam.

Raven gasped and took a step back. Adam held up a hand suddenly. "Wait." He suddenly ran off the scene. The count mistook this as a surrender and began to laugh maniacally.

But then Adam returned, making the count's laughter stop short. He was now head to toe in a makeshift suit of armor out of pots and pans that he found around the kitchen. He donned the ridiculous armor and charged at the Count with a ladle in hand, ready to defend his love for Raven.

The count somersaulted and then cartwheeled, narrowly avoiding the swinging ladle of Adam. He suddenly loops his leg in the way and trips Adam, who was slow to recover and stand up.

Raven, not to be outdone, pulled out a hidden arsenal of quirky weapons from her skirt, including a feather duster, a rolling pin, and a rubber chicken. She started throwing each item at her father to keep him from attacking Adam as he got to his feet.

The Count grunted dramatically as if each item that hit him had hurt him immensely, especially the rubber chicken as it squeaked through the theater. Roman was back on his feet now and charging at him again, swinging the ladle around chaotically. The crowd of the theater started to roar with laughter as a man on a unicycle with a thick mustache rode out from behind the curtain. He started cycling around the battle, juggling stuffed animal ferrets. This man looked a lot like Duke Lorenzo.

As the fight continued, books keep falling out of Raven's skirt with each twist and turn, creating a comical scene of books flying everywhere and characters tripping over them. The man on the unicycle, however, was fantastic at avoiding them.

In the midst of the chaos, Adam declared dramatically,"Raven, you're my library! Your love has filled my heart with words and stories, and I want to write a new chapter of our story together!"

Raven, giggling and wielding a rolling pin, responded with equal fervor, "And you, Adam, are my knight in shining armor! Let's write our own fairy tale, one filled with love, laughter, and a touch of absurdity!"

While the two had been confessing their love, the count had dove at the man on the unicycle and launched him to the floor. The man remained on the floor in a heap of ferrets.

Then, the count clumsily got onto the unicycle. The Count was now perched on a unicycle. It was from this higher place in the world that he realized he was no match for the determined duo. He conceded defeat, dropping his sword in surrender. "I really want to ride this unicycle right now." He admitted softly to the crowd.

"...Fine, fine!" the Count suddenly exclaimed, catching his breath. "I see now that true love knows no boundaries, not even those of class or royalty. Adam, you have my blessing to marry Raven, but you better keep her stocked with books for a lifetime!"

Just then, a band of musicians started playing a lively waltz from the side of the room, and couples emerged in ballgowns from the curtains; they began to dance around the trio. Raven and Adam locked eyes, and without a second thought, they joined the dance, spinning and twirling to the music.

The Count watched in dismay as the couple dances away. He subsequently rode off the stage on the unicycle, leaving Adam and Raven to revel in their love. A book or two fell out occasionally from Raven's skirt as the curtains gradually closed.

"That's the end!"

[Rodiak]

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______________________________________	__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R S H E H Z A D I N A H I R K A D I R ♖ o u t f i t ♖ F A S H I O N D I S T R I C T 3 : 0 0 P M I N T E R A C T I O N S : M E N T I O N S :

After her little talk with her dear sister, the young Shehzadi felt utterly drained. So much so that she never made it across the hall to her room. Nahir had instead made a sharp turn down the hall that had startled Ece and Ali. Ece bid her farewell and raced after her, following her outside the guest house to the busy streets where the palanquin was still waiting for any of the Alidasht royals to use.

"Fashion District," Nahir said as she pushed the curtains of the palanquin with unsteady hands and entered. ”Tell Suhasini to run to the market for more silk thread." She said, knowing Ece was already standing outside the little window. Outside, she heard Ece call a random servant over and order them to delay the coded message to Nahir’s lady-in-waiting.

The palanquin rattled, shook, and jumped around Nahir as her entourage moved slowly down the streets to the Fashion District. It’d been a while since she had allowed herself to let go and spend to her heart’s desire. A while was the short trip across the sea from Alidasht to Caesonia.

Her fingers itched to touch the fabrics on display, for her fingers to feel the perfectly smooth silks, to have the vicuña tickle her fingertips, and the thick Qiviut fur to swallow her hand whole in its softness.

Nahir would enter the shop, and the owners would promptly empty it of anyone in sight to give the Shehzadi full access to view and examine the merchandise without disturbance or distraction. Fabrics after dress after ring after shoe– all of them packed into parcels and sent to the address provided.

Once did her guards have to stop some lowly nobles from throwing a fit outside the shops, demanding to be let in while she shopped. Claiming she was just another spoiled rich brat. She was spoiled, and she was rich. That was for sure, but she wasn't a brat.

Nahir had looked as Ece talked to them with darkened eyes. One of them reached for his cane, ready to discipline the woman who had just dared to threaten him and his group. It was only met by Ece's blurred figure pressing cold hard steel against the man's throat before he could even raise the cane.

"Do you know what the punishment is for slandering a Shehzadi? A princess?" Ece whispered into the man's wrinkly ear. Nahir watched with amusement as she'd twiddled with sapphire earrings in one hand. The look he gave her when he realized what her status was and who he had insulted. Called a brat. "Shehzadi Nahir is merciful. She will forgive your ignorance, but be not mistaken that your stupidity has been taken into account, my lord."

He'd practically run away as soon as Ece released the man, leaving behind his wife and friends.

If she could, Nahir would have spent the rest of the day walking down the Fashion District, basking in the envy of the nobles that tinted the streets green. Spending coin after coin until she was satisfied.

Whole.

Complete.

At least for the moment, and that was enough for her.

The last stop was “Extravagancias de Toledo” The woman inside, who had been helping a rich-looking couple, gasped loudly when the bell rang, and Nahir entered the establishment. She promptly ushered everyone out while the Shehzadi browsed the merchandise on display.

Click. The lock.

“Shehzadi Nahir!” The woman smiled once the front door of her shop was closed. “So long has it been since you graced me with your beauty.” The voice sported a teasing tone, her bright eyes tugging at something playful between them.

"Madame Petra," Nahir offered her hand for the woman to take, a smug smile playing at her lips."Not too long I hope." Madame Petra was tall, two heads taller than Nahir, with long straight black hair she wove into braids. So when Petra kissed the back of Nahir’s slender hand, she had to bend down.

Smooth skin graced smooth skin sending tiny shocks through the Shehzadi's body.

“Not at all, my shehzadi.” Madame Petra's eyes met gold as she looked up to see Nahir staring at her. No. Not her. Her lips. "Come, as soon as I heard that your family would be gracing us this summer, I got to work. I saved lotus silk from Catalonia–" Petra began to turn when Nahir caught her wrist.

"That can wait. I, on the other hand, cannot." Nahir said, pulling the woman toward the end of the shop, past the silks and furs, past the jewelry display, and finally past the curtains that read "employees only."

[ReusableSword]

Time: 1530hrs
Location: the arena watching the fighters > short intermission?
Interactions: Wasun Sjan-dehk @Apex Sunburn
Mentions in order: Crystal @Heartfillia

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Roman listened to the man as the arena started to calm down. Apparently it was a short intermission or possibly the end of the matches for the day he wasn’t sure but everyone seemed to be getting refreshments or chatting happily with their neighbor about the two fighters and who did the best at what including some not so savory comments from some of the on lookers. The man next to him went quiet for a moment before he continued to speak.

Roman nodded along with the other man’s words. He had a few good points but it seemed that roman once again wasn’t entirely too good with explaining the situation but decided to roll with it. This was still a good way to learn about each other as well as each other’s customs and courtesy’s when it came to social interactions. This would be more than enough information to tell Erik so that he could relay it to the queen and prepare for a better and more understanding encounter.

“Ahh yes I agree, the craftsmen trade is something we do after trade routes are established and friendly relations are gained on both sides. No need to worry about our sailing capabilities, Sailing is just as much of a second nature to the Ravenwood clan as crafting. I am personally better at crafting then sailing, my sister Sasha Ravenwood, is much better at sailing then I am.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

“As for our leader, her majesty Queen Rosa Camilia and his majesty King Alixandre Camilia of the Varian kingdom and all of their territories, is who you speak of. I do believe they will be leaving soon but I will make sure that a message will reach them about your Lady Adiyan. We do have some of the best doctors in town as well if you believe that she needs further medical care.”

He was being honest about his words, even if he was unsure if there was enough time for the king and queen to possibly meet with this Lady Adiyan or at the very least one of their advisors may be able to stay behind. Roman would make a point to notify them of this to hopefully gain a new trading partner one that would likely value them more than the kingdom here.

“By landmass Varian is a little smaller compared to the Caesonia and Alidasht kingdoms but our populations are about the same. I find that the royalty and people in charge of Varian tend to treat our people with a bit more respect than the people who have the same roles here but I am a little biased. Yet just like us our country is always looking for ways to grow and build new partnerships with other far off kingdoms.”

Roman turned from him and back to the crowd, he knew dam well he was biased if it came down to it he knew that he could and would burn this city to the ground if they were ever at war. It was a scenario that he had gone over before in training, war games meant to test strategies and defenses even during peace time with the hope they would never have to be used. They even had similar strategies for Alidasht and Varian cities if they ever fell into the wrong hands or turned against the crown. It was a depressing thought as he did genuinely enjoy this city and the common people in it.

Such abundant variety for the capitol city, he liked the people he had come to know as friends but knew that if duty calls for it he wouldn’t hesitate. Now that the giant was thinking about how much he missed this place and thinking about the people of this place, he realized he may have been a little rude to Crystal earlier today. The lord still didn’t believe that it was that bad but an apology may be in order, would give him a chance to pick on the big guy again.

[Apex Sunburn]

Interactions: Roman @ReusableSword
Mentions:
Time: 1530

As Roman spoke, Sjan-dehk did his best to commit the man’s words to memory. It was unlikely he could remember or even understand enough to reproduce them with any sort of coherence later, but to sate his own curiosity and as a brief, first day’s report to Lady Adiyan, it would suffice.

His brows arched in pleasant surprise when the larger man mentioned his people’s – and in particular, his sister’s – affinity for the sea. Immediately, he began to wonder what their ships were like. Were they quick and agile in the water, or did they favour a slower and steadier approach? Did their hulls bend and roll with the waves, or were they solid beasts that ploughed through all with strength and determination? And their sails; did they billow in the wind as a net would fill with fish, or were they battened things that would clatter as they corralled and bent the ocean gusts to their will?

Of course, none of them were questions pertinent to the matter at hand. They were, however, enough to almost distract Sjan-dehk from the fact that Roman had misinterpreted his concerns. Any sailor with a map and some level of bravery would certainly find their way between their lands. It was the physical distance Sjan-dehk had been trying to talk about. After all, a distant heart ached the hardest, as it was said, and the distance between Viserjanta and this new continent was definitely vast.

He decided against correcting Roman. It wasn’t a big issue and besides, he’d more likely than not simply make things even more confusing for the two of them.

Only when Roman was done did Sjan-dehk begin to formulate his reply. The first order of business was to politely and respectfully decline the generous offer of the services of his people’s doctors. “Lady Adiyan, I think she is…Alright.” That ran a little too close to being a bold-faced lie for Sjan-dehk’s liking, but he didn’t know how else to say that even though she was likely to lose a leg and had more shrapnel in her than a loaded canister, she was stable and out of any immediate danger. “For now. Healers, we have. But I will see her later and know more. If we need help, will let you know.” He paused. “Thank you.”

Now all he had to do was to talk about Viserjanta. A task easier said than done.

Had he known more of the local tongue, he could’ve waxed endlessly about the history – both distant and recent – of the Commonwealth; of how it had once been a kingdom, then empire, governed by rulers both wise and wicked. He could have spoken about the rich histories of the myriad of people and cultures that called the scattered islands home, left behind by sagacious scholars and dutiful courtiers. If time allowed, he could have even touched on the various schools of philosophies founded by great thinkers and worldly visionaries, their words and deeds recorded for posterity by their loyal students.

Unfortunately, Sjan-dehk didn’t know enough of the local language.

And so, he had to settle for something a little more basic. “Viserjanta, it is a land of islands. Many islands, big and small. Also many ah…Ways? Different peoples, different ways, yes? Viserjanta has a lot. I-” He patted his chest. “-From Jafi. We are…Ajadi.” His brows knitted together as he struggled to think of a way to describe a march. “Viserjanta, the…West? We protect. So they call our land Ajadi. Many types of lands, but all bow to the High Queen.”

There wasn’t much Sjan-dehk could say about Daraya the Second. He had met her once – personally, no less – when she had paid Jafi a visit after the war to convey her appreciation for the march’s loyalty and its services to her cause. She seemed nice enough; not at all the stuffy aristocrat Sjan-dehk had expected, and more of a soldier-queen with a temperament that reminded him of his sisters. They had shared a few words – mostly over the Far Western theatre of the war, and Sjan-dehk’s extensive experiences – before she had to be called away to meet with his father, and he had to return to his ship for duty.

“The High Queen, she rules all. Queen of kings. With her…Damasaang. It is many nobles, they meet and decide Viserjanta’s…Path.” Crown and council, that was the cause Sjan-dehk had fought for. It was still a cause he believed in, even if their decisions sometimes frustrated him. “Jafi, and other islands, we have own Damasaang. It is…The Way. Harmony.”

He stopped and drew in a deep breath. Translating his thoughts into the local tongue had taxed his mind a lot more than he had thought it would. He could feel his head throbbing from just behind his eyes to the back of his head. That was enough sharing about Viserjanta; if Roman wanted to know more, Sjan-dehk could offer a few books and maybe volunteer one of his crew to help translate. Or confuse. It was really a toss-up between the two.

It was only then did he realise that while the ring had been empty for the entire time the two of them had been conversing. He nodded towards the empty arena. “More? Or finished?”

[JJ Doe]

Shh, hush…

◆◆◆◆◆ "△△△" ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Time: 13:00~15:00
Location: Vikena Estate

△△△ faced his audience watching from the other side of the glass. A deluge of birds amassed every window ledge and perched on the nearby tree branches, their beady eyes fixated on him with a detached curiosity. △△△ expelled a long sigh as he walked to the nearest window and opened it.

In a flurry of feathers, the birds took to the sky, their wings sliced through the warm rays of the sun with a rhythmic beat that echoed through the air. With each movement, some soared higher and higher into the endless expanse of the sky, leaving behind a trail of chirps and whistles. Four ravens, three adorned with ribbon-wrapped legs, flew back to the window and settled themselves on the sill. They stared at △△△—the fourth bird’s piercing gaze, in particular, belied an uncommon depth of knowledge for a bird, even a raven, but had been present in the rooster a while ago.

Once it became evident that they had said their peace, △△△ broke the silence. “I don’t know where you birdnapped him from, but promise me you’ll take the rooster back home?” The fourth raven meticulously arranged each feather with their beak, treating the task as paramount. △△△ folded his arms. “I’m serious. The poor creature’s had a rough time. And I’m starting to think he has a family who’s worried sick about him right about now.” As the raven groomed their feathers, they intermittently glanced over to gauge whether the count would drop the subject before finally acquiescing with a non-committal, single kraa. “I’ll hold you to that.” Now then…

As he crouched before the murder of ravens, △△△ retrieved two scarlet fabrics: the handkerchief that veiled “Mary’s” face and the washcloth he used to clean “Vincent.” One at a time, he presented each cloth to the birds, murmuring a name into it. The ravens with ribbons snatched each name and blood-soaked cloth and flew away.

The ribbonless raven hopped closer. They emitted a series of croaks to capture △△△’s attention, then pointed their beak at his pocket, prompting him to pull out the white feather that the rooster plucked from Duke Vikena—the once pinkish-orange feather that guided him from Sorian Castle to the Vikena Estate. △△△ shook his head. “Just store them for now.” He habitually collected samples, unsure when they might be useful. He examined the feather, now indistinguishable from any other ordinary feather, one last time before discarding it.

With their transaction complete, △△△ expected the last raven to depart like the rest of the flock. However, the bird remained where they stood. He blinked and signed. Yes? The raven faced the door Lady Vikena exited from. They could have been referring to anything, but he imagined them asking only one question. He sighed. I don’t know. They might not be able to. She has a lot on her plate and Lorenzo… △△△ eyed the pistol on the wall. Duke Vikena might be in deep trouble.

He held his hand up, preventing the raven from responding. I know, but I can try, can’t I? Even if they decide not to get involved, I can’t just leave it like this. The raven bristled. Because of the matter with Udo or Peter’s grievances towards the duke, △△△ had no way of knowing. It’s hard enough as it is being an outcast. The raven deflated, their feathers smoothed out, and their body became less tense.

Let me work on this a little bit longer. No matter what happens, tomorrow, I’ll change avenues. We can decide afterward if we should continue.... He gestured at the surrounding space. This. The raven appraised △△△ before they poised themselves for flight.

“Wait.” The raven halted, swiveling their head around. Keep an eye out for Duke Vikena when you’re at the circus, Wayra.

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◆◆◆◆◆ & Gilbert & Delilah

Time: 15:00
Interactions: Chef Gilbert & Miss Delilah @princess

The tantalizing aroma of various delicacies hit △△△ before he set foot in the kitchen. The sounds of bubbling, roasting, and cutting were gentle and calming as a lullaby. Chef Gilbert moved deftly around the kitchen, effortlessly taking on the tasks of multiple cooks, a true one-man kitchen brigade. Yet, even from the eyes of an amateur, △△△ could tell there was still quite an amount of work left with how much it seemed the chef wanted to impress the soon-to-arrive guest.

The incredulity etched itself into Chef Gilbert’s face when △△△ volunteered to help. After all, what use could this pampered man possibly be in the kitchen? Chef Gilbert spent years honing his skills, and he was not about to entertain the notion of a greenhorn intruding upon his domain, especially when Lord Smithwood was due to arrive soon. With a curt answer, Chef Gilbert initially dismissed △△△’s offer.

However, after some back and forth, Chef Gilbert relented, albeit with caution, and assigned △△△ to simple tasks. △△△ proved to be more than adequate for the job and the chef promoted him from kitchen hand to apprentice chef. By the time the dishes were ready to be carried into the dining room, △△△ had climbed the proverbial ladder to Chef Gilbert’s sous chef.

When asked where the count learned how to cook, △△△ spoke of a small town his Caesonian relatives lived in. There, everyone pitched in on the daily chores, including cooking. He remembered the fun he had in the kitchen as he worked together with others. He also mentioned how his distant cousin had a natural talent to turn every dish into a visually and olfactorily unpleasant mess, no matter what. The food was, fortunately, still edible, incredibly bland, but edible. Everyone reassured his cousin that he’d get better one day. He never did.

“Where’s this place?” The chef asked.

“It’s gone now. Bandits raided the area and torched it.” According to the papers, that is. Before Chef Gilbert formulated a followup question, △△△ continued. “We still keep the tradition alive back in Varian, though. I think cooking is a useful skill to have regardless, but even more so if you travel. One time we got shipwrecked in…” He regaled the chef of his food-related adventures abroad.

The cooking-centric conversation seemed to warm Chef Gilbert up to △△△, just enough for him to share a little about himself and the Vikenas. He had been under the Vikenas’ employment for several years. Despite their dwindling reputation, Gilbert remained loyal as they had treated him with a kindness that he had never experienced from his own family. With the Vikenas, he was a part of the family, not just another staff, and they were Chef Gilbert’s most avid supporters. It was why he followed them wherever they required a chef, even if the place was the dreaded city of Sorian, where so many belittled and ridiculed the Vikenas; a place that was even more difficult to stay after the Duchess's death.

The death of Dutchess Vikena struck a devastating blow to her family, leaving their hearts shattered. Lady Vikena withdrew further into seclusion, and Duke Vikena was pushed into a dark place that seemed impenetrable to anyone’s reach. The chef described the duke as “a poor soul who can’t run away from the destiny of failure.”

“They must’ve loved each other deeply,” △△△ commented.

“He does.” Chef Gilbert answered. This time, △△△ refrained from commenting.

The chef seemed to respect the late Duchess, but there was a certain undertone he had when talking specifically about her and not the Vikenas as a whole. As it turned out, this was not mutually exclusive to the chef.

Miss Delilah appeared in the kitchen to offer her assistance and was surprised to see that everything was moving along smoothly. Chef Gilbert told her how △△△ helped him expedite the process, and △△△ mentioned how he enjoyed the time spent talking and cooking with Chef Gilbert. Miss Delilah showed a sudden interest in the details of the conversation that took place between Chef Gilbert and △△△.

“He was giving me tips on how to leave a good impression on a particular maid,” △△△ said, full of cheer. “On a completely, absolutely, unrelated note, I’d like to know more about you, Miss Delilah.” For a moment, he saw the beginnings of a warm smile bloom on the woman’s features when a flash of suspicion cut it short. She quickly hid that expression with the kind of “friendly” smile △△△ knew all too well.

Which was why Miss Delilah’s confession that she was the secret love child of a maid and a baron caught him off guard. As soon as the baron discovered his fling was with child, he left the picture, leaving Miss Delilah’s mother to raise her alone. Together, Miss Delilah and her mother worked at Sorian Castle until her mother passed away when she turned sixteen. Despite her efforts to handle the workload of two people on her own, it became overwhelming because of the heavy demands and horrid work environment.

This was the point when △△△ interrupted her. Although he did not intend to, he found himself taking her hands into his and closing his eyes tight. He felt her muscles tense from the sudden contact and slowly relaxed as he just stood there. “I’m sorry,” was all he said before releasing her. “Now you have sauce all over your hands,” he added in a more jovial tone.

“You’re not touching anything in this kitchen until you wash your hands,” came the stern voice of Gilbert.

△△△ saluted the chef. “Yes, chef.”

As they washed their hands, Miss Delilah reassured him it was not all bad. When it became increasingly obvious that she could not live up to King Edin’s standards, he got rid of her by sending her away to Duke Vikena—Duke Walter Vikena—as a present for his newly born daughter.

Miss Delilah talked about the late Duke Vikena with pure admiration, praising him for his kindness and compassion. He had enough love to shower Lady Vikena with adoration and act as a father figure to Miss Delilah. While she did not speak overtly ill of Duchess Vikena, the undertone in the chef’s recounting of the duchess was present in the maid’s voice as well. No, it was something more... △△△ sensed an accusation.

Both Chef Gilbert and Miss Delilah seemed to agree on one thing: Duchess Emina Vikena was a proud and ambitious woman whose love for her daughter rivaled her obsession to restore the Vikena reputation, and leave behind a great legacy of her own. However, this obsession, combined with the pressures of the royal court, weighed heavily on the late duke. The fissure that formed between the Vikenas grew into a chasm as more issues piled up. When the title of Duke Vikena passed to Lorenzo, echoes of that chasm remained. No matter how hard he tried to fill his predecessor’s shoes, he only brought further embarrassment to the duchess, driving her to fight even harder to restore her family’s reputation. That was why Duchess Vikena’s supposed suicide came as a shock. It was inconceivable that a woman so scrupulous about her image would end her legacy in such a way. Perhaps they did not know their duchess as much as they thought they knew. Lady Vikena, in particular, became obsessed with uncovering the truth behind her mother’s death.

“I’m sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, Miss Delilah.” △△△ said once he and Miss Delilah returned from the dining room back to the kitchen.

“No, no. I’m fine.” Delilah had told him with a smile. “I know… the story seems rather bleak but I have hope perhaps both the Duke and Lady can find a sense of stability.” Delilah's smile faltered slightly as she then carefully chose her next words. "I do hope Lady Vikena can find happiness in more ordinary pursuits," She said softly, her gaze fixed on him. "The season for courting is a time for simple joys, and I wish for her to experience them fully." Delilah's tone carried a hint of concern, and her eyes held a flicker of worry.

“One not involving magic.” △△△ said as he collected the scraps of food into a bowl. His dark eyes softened at her reaction, “I’m a big boy. You can speak your mind… I can’t promise that I won’t be crying in the corner later, though.”

Delilah held his gaze and gave a curt nod after some thought. “ I wish the same stability for you as well… Please be careful.”

“...You’re very kind.” With the food in hand, △△△ exited the kitchen and requested Miss Delilah’s assistance in setting up a basic trap for the rooster. He was lining the floor with a trail of food when he returned to the subject. “Truth is, Miss Delilah, I worry if it’s even possible for my clan to obtain stability. We tried, of course. We lived as peacefully as possible, avoided conflict when we could, and looked after our friends. But sometimes… existing is enough of a threat to some, regardless of what we did or didn’t do.” The jolly conversation between Lady Vikena and Lord Smithwood echoed through the foyer. “And when those people happen to be someone of great influence and they’d do anything to eliminate us… it feels as though the world itself wants us gone.” He looked up at Miss Delilah, “How do you protect yourself from something so… absolute?”

Delilah’s eyes downcast thoughtfully. “I have days where I’m afraid the baron will come to either claim me, or maybe he’ll decide I’m too much of a loose end. My mother had warned me he could decide to come for me any day… He’s a dreadful person.” She looked up, her eyes straying toward the direction of Lady Vikena and Lord Smithwood’s voices. “But I don’t let that fear control me. I have my family here with me now and I want to cherish that… Lady Charlotte, Duke Vikena, Nathaniel… I’m happy to be here.”

She smiled to herself before meeting eyes once more. “We’re not the only ones at fate’s mercy… Terrible things happen to good people all too often. You deserve to be in this world just as much as anyone else. Cherish your time and don’t let the fear of threat take it away from you, Count Fritz.” She paused then gave him a friendly grin. “A handsome man like you should be out enjoying the courting season. Anyone who’s threatened by your existence can kindly deal with it.”

△△△ barked a laugh. This was not how he envisioned the conversation going, but he appreciated her words. “Well, if this baron drops by and you need a little extra help dealing with him. You know you can count on me. Strength in numbers, yes?” After ensuring that the sizable wicker basket was secured, he offered his arm to Miss Delilah, “Now then, lovely madam. May I have the honor of escorting you back to the kitchen, where piles of dirty pots and pans await us?”

“Thank you.” Delilah smiled and looped her arm through his, “Of course, you may.”

[princess]

Charlotte & Leo & △△△

Part 3

The Dining Room

_{Part 1}

_{Part 2}

---

Leo’s words had been wise.

Charlotte had thought so as she had listened, but it was then she knew deep down she was a little different from Leo. For better or worse, she wasn’t sure she could let this go. Nevertheless, she returned his hug warmly, comforting him with a gentle back rub.

“You always have my help.” She assured him. Once they had broken away from the hug, she then added, “ You’re right. We need to protect the people we care about who are here now… Maybe we don’t have what it takes to solve what happened to our parents yet.” If at all. ”...But we could start somewhere and at least help other people before it’s too late. Maybe also pick up the skills we’ll need down the line this way.”

“An excellent idea, we focus on what’s happening now, and maybe that will help us uncover what has happened in the past.” Leo agreed, and the present had to matter more, because losing anyone else was not an option. He grabbed the list Charlotte had made from the other side of the table. “So what’s this for?” He asked as he looked over the list of names.

“This is a list of everyone who attended the party. I figure maybe we split them up between us and see if we can get any information from them… I think perhaps we can both go to dinner with the Alidasht tonight and see if we can find time to talk to them.” Before Leo could remark on that proposal, another voice filled the air.

“Pardon the intrusion, Lady Charlotte, Lord Smithwood.” △△△ announced as he slipped into the dining room with a tray in hand. His dark eyes scanned the table. “If there are any empty plates, I’ll take them.”

Charlotte smiled in greeting, “Hello Count Fritz. No intrusion at all. Please join us… There’s plenty of food and I can clean up after; please don’t trouble yourself.” She then gestured to Leo. “I’m assuming you two have met before?”

Leo’s eyes moved from Charlotte to Count Hendrix and back to Charlotte in a brief moment of confusion. Right the count who was here looking for a rooster. Leo wondered if that was some sort of euphemism but Lottie had asked him not to ask and it wasn’t really his business.

“Actually, I’ve never had the opportunity.” Leo spoke, his tone friendly, but he looked at Count Hendrix in much the same way he would if a rat had just scurried into a dining room. Fresh nobility was really scraping the bottom of the social barrel but Hendrix had helped Charlotte last night so, for her sake, he tried his best to stay friendly. “Collecting plates is hardly a job for a Count. Congratulations on your success.” He offered an empty smile to the man, who really should know better than to go around offering to do servant work. “And dinner with the Alidasht guests sounds perfect.” He agreed, much of the questioning could be done in a relatively short amount of time.

“Shall we say, it’s penance for failing to evict our feathered guest?” △△△ pointed to the ceiling as he circled around the table. “I was able to get Mr. Rooster off the closet, but then we had a little scuffle. He’s now taken up residence under His Grace’s bed and I ended up having to tidy up extra mess.” When he reached Lady Vikena, he whispered into her ear so that only she could hear, “There are three items on the table, in his room, I think you should be aware of.” The bullet, one of the opium flasks, and the bottle of gin. “What you do with them is up to you but… the fact that your father has them is concerning.” △△△ pulled away from her and placed an empty plate onto the tray before he continued circling the table.

“Since nothing else worked, I decided to set a trap, lure him out with food. However, I felt hesitant to just take food from the kitchen, so I offered to help Chef Gilbert. Now here I am.” He picked up another plate closer to Lord Smithwood. He returned the smile with greater affability than what the lord offered.

“My thanks, Lord Smithwood.” It was not as if △△△ did not recognize the hollow compliment or the absolute contempt in the young lord’s eyes. He simply was used to all of that. Lord Smithwood was not the first, nor would he be the last, person to be offended by ◆◆◆◆◆ ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆’s unworthiness. He wondered if Duke Vikena ever received the same treatment from his daughter’s friend.

After picking up the last empty plate, △△△ placed the tray aside and took a seat right next to the lord. His gaze pointed at the list on the table. “I see the investigation is officially afoot. Can I be of any help?”

Charlotte let out a deep sigh. "I don't understand how the rooster even got in here," She muttered under her breath. As if on cue, a whisper tickled her ear, causing her to furrow her brow in perplexity. Despite her curiosity, she refrained from mentioning it aloud.

After a moment, she turned to Count Fritz beside her, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Ah, yes. We were just discussing our plan to approach the party guests and see if we can obtain any information," She stated. "I'm glad you're here because I wanted to ask you something… How exactly did you hear about the party anyway?" Charlotte inquired. She couldn’t help but wonder why everyone else had seemed to hear about it, with the exception of her, last night.

“The first time I heard of a party was at the library, when we were searching for His Grace. I wasn’t aware that it was the afterparty until later.” It still perplexed him how random people in the library knew about it, but only select members of the upper echelons were aware of its existence. △△△ rubbed his chin, “Although… I suppose I suspected something of the like when I saw envelopes being passed out during the ball.”

Charlotte frowned a little. How come I wasn’t invited? … Maybe I seem too dull.

Again, Leo wondered why a rooster was running loose in the house, but that mystery made even less sense than why a Count was playing housekeeper. Did Hendrix really have nothing better to do? Leo might’ve let his eyes roll a bit as the other man made a show of picking up plates. Did Hendrix really think catching roosters and doing servants' work would gain him favor? But he said nothing, only focused on controlling his reactions and on the conversation. He was entirely too relaxed in Lottie’s home and such fresh nobility was too unpredictable to be relaxed around.

As Count Fritz decided to seat himself right next to Leo, the air around them both just felt off. Leo briefly wondered if their colognes simply clashed or if he truly had some sort of allergy to men not worth his time. Both seemed equally plausible.

“Gossip in Sorian spreads like wildfire. Certainly aids in gathering information.” Leo spoke up. “And this party's orchestrator seems to lack discretion which can only work in our favor as well.” He then forced himself to again look at the Count with a dreadful haircut and offer a quick update on their plans. “We’ve decided to use tonight's dinner with the Alidasht to see if we can get any more information about last night.”

“...Certainly does.” Charlotte's eyes briefly flicked between them, her gaze tinged with curiosity. Does Leo not like him? She wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought as she realized she might be overthinking the situation.

"If you are willing to assist, perhaps you could try to find individuals who are not attending the dinner. This way, we can complete the list in one evening," Charlotte suggested, picking up the list. She then scanned through the names. "...May I suggest Roman and Zarai? Both are Varians whom you may already be acquainted with and could perhaps easily come across. We’d like to see if anyone remembers any details at all."

“Someone will also need to speak to Prince Callum, and he might be a bit difficult to get ahold of at the right time.” And by the right time Leo mostly meant sober enough to hold a conversation. “If you find yourself with the opportunity and feel up to the task, it would be quite helpful. I could check in on Princess Ana.” Leo offered, taking the opportunity to subtly reference his rapport with one of Caesonia’s royals. But he certainly had no desire to speak with Callum, and he found some humor in the idea of Count Fritz going on a fool’s errand.

As the intensity of Lord Smithwood’s disdain radiated off his being, △△△ fixed his gaze on Lady Vikena. He gave her a sly wink before turning his head away, concealing his expression from both of them. When called, △△△ whipped his head around, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes darted around Lord Smithwood’s face as if too embarrassed to meet his gaze directly. “Pardon me. Your forwardness and boldness caught me by surprise.” He cleared his throat. “While I’m flattered to receive such fervid attention from someone as dashing as yourself, My Lord, you must understand that it may give people the wrong impression that you’re interested in me.” He batted his eyelashes.

Charlotte raised a brow, perplexed by his change in behavior. She had indeed caught the wink, but the motive underlying this act was unknown to her.

“And to refer to Her Royal Highness as ‘Ana’ and not by her proper name!” △△△ said in a theatrical voice. He leaned closer to the lord. “How daring!” His pale fingers lightly grazed below his own nose, as he stared at remnants of the adhesive on Lord Smithwood. “...And humorous.”

“I see why you want him to be your plus one, Lady Charlotte. You two make a lovely pair.” A playful smile danced on his lips as △△△ observed their reactions. “While you both enjoy your dinner date, I’ll make an effort to talk to the other guests. Might there be anyone else you would like me to question, apart from the aforementioned three?”

"Oh, um..." Charlotte's voice trailed off. She quickly regained her composure and added, "Perhaps 'top secret mission' is the better description. We do have a little detective club forming here, after all." She flashed them both a smile, her gaze slightly averted.

Leo was briefly confused by the sudden change in the Count but quickly settled on an explanation, Count Fritz was a ham squealing for attention. While Leo could admit that the man might hold some appeal if only seen in a portrait, in the flesh, there was little to find desirable. Unsurprising, for a ham was a creature who loved to roll about in filth and Leo had already had more than enough of filth-riddled creatures lurking about Sorian. He glanced at Charlotte who seemed equally confused.

“Humorous? Interesting wording, but having known her royal highness for a number of years and I can assure you she would not mind and already knows she has my deepest respect.” Leo simply informed the Count with complete confidence. Respect and trust were entirely different concerns for Leo. “Apologizes if there’s been some sort of misunderstanding, what impression do you feel I’ve given you." Leo asked, his tone calm, giving the Count the attention he so clearly wanted. Hoping the answer would offer more insight as to what sort of game the other man was playing.

“No apology is necessary, My Lord, for there’s no misunderstanding. You’ve made your antipathy towards me very clear. Ever since I entered this room, I noticed it in your demeanor.” △△△ glanced at Lady Vikena. “As you also noticed.”

“The question is why. Where did this distaste stem from? I initially assumed that my status as a newcomer to the court with a commoner background was what disturbed you. I am aware that there are nobles who feel threatened by people like me and despise us for it.” His gaze drifted to Lady Vikena as the thought of her two fathers crossed his mind. “However, I don’t believe this applies entirely to you, Lord Smithwood. You appeared unsettled when I performed a task typically designated for a servant, so you do believe in hierarchical roles. Despite my previous status as a commoner, now that I hold the title of count, such tasks ‘should be beneath me.’” Why didn’t he respond when Lady Vikena said that she’d clean up? “By calling the princess by her nickname, you’ve shown that you don’t strictly adhere to the hierarchical boundaries.” Or perhaps he’s the exception to his own rules.

“Then I wondered if the animosity was jealousy in disguise. It seems unlikely. Lady Charlotte appeared more fazed by my remark about you two making a lovely pair than you were.”

△△△ pointed at the lord’s face, then tapped below his nose where the fake mustache would have been. “It’s clear that you have a sense of humor. Yet here you are staring daggers at me as if I rolled in the pigsty and ruined your good shoes. Why?” The count turned so that his entire body was facing the lord.

“If you dislike me because I’m an upstart, I apologize, but I cannot change my lineage no more than you can change your noble birth. We play the cards we’re dealt. I am well aware that I’m ill-equipped to rule over people, I wasn’t raised with the appropriate education or training for it. All I can do is serve my subjects to the best of my capability.”

“If it’s jealousy, then be reassured.” He gestured towards Lady Vikena. “You were the very first person she wanted on her side, and her laughter was unrestrained with you. My Lord has nothing to be worried about.”

“Regardless of what the cause may be, if it's within reason, I will endeavor to make myself more tolerable in your presence. However, if that is something that cannot be changed, respectively, set your feelings aside. We cannot allow this antipathy you harbor against me to negatively impact the investigation. As much as you may not like it, Lord Smithwood, there must be a modicum of trust if we are to work together. As equals.”

Charlotte blinked in surprise as he initially began speaking. She felt as if she had missed something leading up to this. Though he was right, Leo had been acting strange, but she also had found Count Fritz’s earlier behavior to be bizarre as well. There did seem to be some tension potentially at the end of the day and it needed to be pushed aside if they were going to get anywhere as a team.

After thinking through her words, she commented, “Any hesitation to trust others fully may just be due to the political climate both of us grew up in… It could take some time to get to know you and feel comfortable with your intentions for Lord Smithwood.” Her gaze slid to Leo. “If Count Fritz has perhaps given a poor impression for any reason, then I think maybe you should consider giving the count a fair chance. He’s shown me nothing but kindness thus far and It never hurts to have more allies.”

Once again Count Fritz’s choice of words bothered Leo. The comment about shoes was far too on the nose to be entirely random. It only added suspicion and a fresh taste of destain. Leo was grateful that Charlotte spoke up next to allow him a moment to better hide it, even though he couldn’t stop heat from rising to his ears.

“Do you believe that everyone you meet will like you? Have you not ever encountered someone who you found to be generally irksome for no other reason than perhaps your personalities simply clashed? Or it could be that in addition to discussing last night's strange party, we had also been discussing deeply personal matters just before you entered. Grief can put one in a strange mood." Leo’s voice was calm, but his eyes were not as he kept them focused on the Count before him.

If Fritz was going to be playing the card of a slighted man new to the world of nobility, then Leo could certainly play cards of his own. Leo had no rational explanation for why he disliked Fritz other than the man seemed to be an amalgamation of traits he’d found irritating in others and paired with none he found desirable to be around. “Demeanor is often outside one’s control, but I don’t believe I have chosen to express any dislike towards you.” He added, and he paused for a second to remind himself of all questions Fritz had brought up.

“As for Her Royal Highness Princess Anastasia, well that full title is quite the mouthful when not necessary, and I have never found her to be attached to strict formality. So in a casual setting, simply Princess Ana suffices, and I believe nicknames and terms of endearment do more to show her that she is thought of as a dear friend rather than a valuable ally in political games.” Leo offered an entirely honest opinion on this subject; he did not entirely trust Ana, but that did not make him dislike her. Ana was someone who exuded infectious joy, and that made her an incredible presence to be around. He enjoyed bragging about who his friends were but that did not mean he did not value them as well.

“As for Charlotte, I have no desire to attempt to influence or control who she wishes to spend her time with. Nor am I bothered by your thoughts on the nature of our relationship. And I find it abundantly clear that anyone standing near Lottie would be stunning even if only from their proximity to her.” Feeling that he had answered Fritz’s questions, Leo then looked towards Charlotte with a softer expression.

“I’m sure you know that I am careful with whom I extend my trust, but it has never hindered my ability to work with others. Clearly, your new friend is capable of leading an interrogation, if you want his help, I entirely trust your judgment." Leo offered, but he saw no value in accepting Fritz as an ally or even in forcing himself to like the other man. If Fritz could be useful that was reason enough to work with him.

△△△ briefly turned his head in Lady Vikena’s direction. “I understand how uncomfortable this is, but we must acknowledge the problem instead of brushing it aside if we want to work together effectively. Ignoring a problem does not mean it no longer exists. We cannot allow it to fester or we might find ourselves in a very different kind of trouble.” He saw firsthand how neglecting to promptly tend to problems of this variety allowed them to insidiously take root and weave through people’s hearts like a noxious weed, eroding trust and sowing discord.

The raven-haired man returned his gaze to the lord. He chose not to address the topic of the princess or Lady Vikena, as he shared the same opinion as Lord Smithwood. “Based on how you answered the question… not even you know why you dislike me. That’s fine, I do not mind that you don’t like me ‘because you simply don’t.” He truly did not. He could barely summon the fervor to hate those who sought to ruin him and his family. The very thought of it was wearisome, a burden too heavy to bear. The toll it must exact on one’s body, mind, and soul to carry such a weight of animosity for years was beyond his imagination. “However, if that is the case, then you agree to set your feelings aside? So that your emotions don’t get the better of you and cloud your judgment.”

Abyssal spheres fixed their gaze upon Lord Smithwood, their dark depths seeming to peer into his very soul. Yet, they revealed nothing, only reflecting back the visage of the other man. “We work together as equals.” △△△ extended his hand toward the redhead and waited to hear the words from his mouth. A promise made, with Lady Vikena as their witness.

Leo found the other man’s dark eyes to be unsettling, and even that seemed not a strong enough word but the right word didn’t come to him. Instead, he thought of darkened waters that masked their danger by only reflecting back that which gazed upon them and revealed little about what lurked beneath the surface.

Instinct told him it would be a mistake to lie as he looked into such dark eyes. His upbringing and deeply held ideals prevented him from making a gentleman’s agreement without looking into the other man’s eyes. “For me, trust only comes with time. What I can offer is that few of my opinions are set in stone, and I will not allow them to interfere with our investigations. What I can promise you, is that I only harbor true ill will toward those who have brought it to my door first and I am willing to allow you the space to show your worth.” He extend his hand and shook the hand Fritz had extended.

He could not look Fritz in the eye and tell him he saw him as an equal but that was not because he disliked him. Leo knew very little about the man across from him, only the shallowest of impressions and nothing of the sort of character that lay within. It mattered to Leo that nobility held some traits that were admirable, that there was something noble in their character. He’d seen nothing of the sort as of yet, he had only felt a bad feeling deep within his gut, but Charlotte’s assurances were enough to agree to keep looking.

If the count noticed that the lord avoided calling them equals, he made no indication of it. Warmth returned to his countenance as he enveloped the man’s hand with both hands. “Thank you.” △△△ gently pulled Lord Smithwood closer and leaned forward to whisper, “I didn’t want to say this out loud, Detective, but there’s still some adhesive left and a strand of hair stuck on your face.”

[SilverPaw]

Wulfric & Charlotte

4 pm

---

---

The Oasis Tea Café was a charming locale, located on the southern end of Priscilla Street. It had a nice view of the sea, but was still far enough from the hubbub of activity at the ports. It was a fairly popular, well-visited location. While not so prohibitively expensive that only nobles would visit it, it was still a high-class locale. Besides members of the peerage, merchants, businessmen, traders, tourists, and other relatively well-off patrons favored it.

It was seaside themed, and only very loosely reminiscent of an oasis. The façade was beige, and there was both local and imported foliage grown inside and outside of the building. The furniture and décor were tasteful yet with a feel of casual relaxation about it.

Wulfric was found on the upper level, on the terrace. He sat in a section which had been cleared of everyone else. He’d stationed a few guards on the imaginary borders. They were there to ensure that no curious onlookers from the other parts of the terrace strayed into his space. He could afford the privacy. Of course, he’d notified his guards and the host of the café that if Lady Charlotte sought him out, she should be permitted into his presence.

He sat on a couch by a long table adjacent to the railing, overlooking the street below. The table he had chosen could sit four comfortably, six for those who enjoyed crowding. There was one drink on his table. It was a so-called iced tea; a specialty of this café, with an assortment of tastes available.

Here and there, he sipped at the glass through the black straw provided. In one hand, he held a book that he leafed through casually. Occasionally, he set it on the knee he had crossed over the other. Seemingly in thought, he would then gaze over the railing, observing the environments and the populace below. Despite being at ease, he radiated elegance as if it were in his very nature. His attire was also more relaxed than usual, consisting merely of white trousers and a light, blue shirt. He did not know if Lady Charlotte would be able to arrive or not. Thus, he was taking the opportunity to read, think, and not do much else of import.

After a few minutes, the brief sound of a metal chair screeching against the floor for a moment disturbed Wulfric’s peace. Charlotte promptly withdrew her foot from the chair's leg, hoping to obscure the fact that her heart had momentarily skipped a beat at her error. As their eyes met, she offered a gracious smile to the heir. Her hair was neatly arranged in a bun, with softly undulating locks that framed her countenance. She wore a yellow dress with a diaphanous shawl. A heart-locket necklace adorned her neck.

“Your Highness.” She gave him a respectful curtsy with poise. Internally, she was cursing herself for the clumsy entrance. Despite her vexation, Charlotte remained as outwardly composed as she could.

Truthfully, Charlotte was rather nervous. It had been easy to forget herself as she had weaved between the tables. Her attention had easily slipped away from where she was stepping. It hadn’t been the guards that had eyed her down as she had approached, it had been the sight of Prince Wulfric on a couch amongst a sea of empty tables.

The air was still and the faint sound of the waves crashing had been filling the air. As her eyes had laid on him, she had found herself admiring him. When she had found herself face to face with the heir in the past, he had normally been intimidating. Seeing Wulfric relaxed, casually reading a book was a different experience, however. He had always been admired by many for his looks, but in this vulnerable state, his beauty was even more apparent. The prince was actually rather ethereal looking with his ashen hair and youthful face. His lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and his downcast eyes gave him a pensive expression that seemed to add to his allure.

It’s just the two of us here.

She supposed she should have assumed he wouldn’t have wanted other people interrupting, but it hadn’t quite dawned on her what she would be walking into.

Charlotte could not remember the last time she had spoken to Wulfric so intimately. In fact, she hadn’t really spent much time with anyone the last year before the ball. She approached closer with folded hands but did not immediately seat herself. She couldn't afford to let her nerves get the best of her after everything Lorenzo and her had been through.

Wulfric had become aware of the company as soon as she’d passed his guards, but had elected to let her arrive without staring her down. That was, until an abrupt metallic screech resounded. He raised his head then, and met her gaze, eyebrow quirking up questioningly. The clattering noise reminded him of the incident with that heterochromatic peasant, who had stumbled over a chair when nerves had gotten a hold of her and she’d fled Callum’s presence.

Granted, this was far less offensive, though still somewhat surprising. He hadn’t taken Charlotte Vikena for being clumsy. He supposed she had grown distracted watching him - he had noticed that - which was an effect he had on many.

But she had remained acceptably collected throughout the embarrassing ordeal.

And, at the very least, there were no onions involved.

Nor did he expect there’d be any nonsense of the kind her father was a veritable harbinger of.

When she greeted him calmly, he gave an approving smile. “Welcome, Lady Vikena.” He worked in some warmth into his otherwise neutral tone.

He closed the book he had been reading, and deposited it to the side of the table. Charlotte would see from its title that although he’d been perusing it so leisurely, it was in fact a volume on economics. Elegantly, he uncrossed his legs, and with remarkable fluidity stood up to return her curtsy with a proper bow. “Please, do take a seat.” He gestured to the seating opposite, which was also a couch. Thus, there was no need for him to pull out a chair for her, but he did wait for the lady to settle in. Only then did he retake his seat as well. This time, his position and posture were more proper. Yet, the usual oppressive formality was absent.

“I am glad you had the opportunity to accept my invitation on such a short notice,” he commented, smiling charmingly.

“I’m very grateful for the invitation.” Charlotte replied with a smile in return, then seated herself on the couch. She sat up straight, holding her chin high and her shoulders back, just as her mother had instilled in her.

“How have you been faring?” He started their line of conversation with a polite inquiry.

Charlotte stifled a dry laugh that had risen in her throat. He certainly did not want to know about the day she had. It was best she redirected the target of conversation as to prevent the need to lie incessantly. “I’m doing well, thank you. And how about yourself? …What was your day like? ” Charlotte replied, her voice calm and composed. Her gaze set on him with genuine curiosity. It was hard to imagine a man like him having any flaws within his life, but she did suppose he had to deal with having King Edin for a father. With that in mind, she wondered if his life was truly the painting of sophistication he seemed to present to the rest of them.

There was no change to Wulfric’s expression but it absolutely did not escape his notice that Charlotte had avoided answering. Or rather, her reply had been the courteous non-answer of those who did not wish to speak about their day. He could only assume she’d dealt with something unpleasant. The exhaustion from the events at the ball? Perhaps the attack on Damien - her neighbor - had affected her? Though, that was the kind of thing people were usually ever so fond of retelling.

“Quite well,” he responded. “I attended some events, such as the archery and dueling competitions. The court as well, of course. I also managed to catch the tail end of the race,” he summarized. “Did you attend any?” he asked, curious about her activities now.

Charlotte's eyes sparkled with interest as she allowed herself to lower her guard slightly. “I wish I would have had the time to attend those competitions… Did you participate in either of them? Regrettably, in my youth, I was never permitted to touch weapons…” Her words trailed off for a moment then she thoughtfully added with a smile, “However, I suppose there is nothing to stop me now. Sword-fighting seems to be quite… Invigorating!" She concluded wistfully. "...Anyway, to answer your question, I did sample the pancakes at the park this morning. For the remainder of the day, I was occupied with entertaining guests at my home."

“I did participate in the swordsmanship tournament. It is, in fact, invigorating,” he confessed, leaning in a tad closer. Briefly, a tiny grin flashed across his face. Inevitably, as it usually did when it came to dueling and the like, a sharp glint appeared in his gaze. This time, there was a greater degree of vicious excitement to it, as the memory of his match against Mathias was still fresh in his mind. “If you are interested in learning…” he tilted his head at her, “I could introduce you to some people.” His first thought was Zarai. Based on Charlotte’s words, he’d surmised her mother (and possibly also her biological father) had been against her learning the blade, which was a situation rather similar to Zarai’s.

“That would be amazing!” Charlotte beamed.

At the mention of the park, Wulfric nodded. Rather than sighing, he picked up his drink and took a sip from it. She and Lorenzo must have attended together, and her father had mentioned violence. He’d not pursued the matter with the duke, but supposed he could with her. “Ah, the park,” he stated once he deposited the glass back onto the table. His countenance had smoothed out; his demeanour neutral to serious. “I heard there was some altercation there involving your father?” he questioned. “If you are willing, I should like to know what happened.” He affected a mildly concerned frown, because the details of that situation were something he’d prefer to know.

Charlotte's smile faded slightly as he fixated on the topic of the park dilemma. "I believe there was a misunderstanding, but I had missed the initial part of the argument." She began, her tone growing more serious. "I had rejoined my stepfather when I heard shouting. At that moment, a person began to verbally insult both of us… He even attempted to push Duke Lorenzo, which led to the nearby waffle table to topple over. The situation devolved into chaos from there… Ultimately, we decided to leave the park.”

“An unfortunate beginning to your day,” Wulfric noted regretfully. “And the kind of situation which would have benefitted from the presence of a guard, I imagine.” One situation in a long line of many. His gaze was drawn to the left, towards the city. It swept across various locations, not fixing on any one in particular. Better strategic placement? Perhaps, each event and gathering should have some enforcers in place as a precaution. But then, there was also the matter of their usual patrols. And to increase their response times…? His fingers tapped at his leg. But, before he could get too absorbed in his own thoughts, he mentally shook himself out of it.

“Oh, but please excuse me,” he turned back towards his company, offering her a slight smile. “We were in the middle of discussing our days,” he redirected his attention back to the conversation at hand. “Would you like to hear more about any of the events I attended? Or did you wish to say more on those guests of yours?” Wulfric purposefully gave her the choice here.

“Yes. I suppose I should have foreseen that the gossip from the newspaper and last night’s events would have traveled fast, and brought along a guard.” Charlotte agreed. However, the last thing she needed was a guard. They would just get in the way. Her thoughts had also ventured until Wulfric’s voice had pulled her back to the conversation. “Hmm, well, there isn’t much to say about my guests. I had Dr. John Williamson, Lord Smithwood and Count Fritz from Varian visit as well as Lady Thea. They were all wonderful company and I have no complaints.”

“I had meant the city’s guards should have been available…” Wulfric waved a hand, dismissing both the notion that he’d accused her of not ensuring her own protection, and the topic in general.

She then tilted her head and mused, “I would love to hear more about your experience in the sword competition… Though first… I am curious. You said you attended the horse race? Did you…” Her brows furrowed and worry crossed her expression, “Did you happen to run into my stepfather? “ She softened slightly, “… Lord Smithwood did inform me that he did well.”

At the mention of the duke, Wulfric’s expression acquired a further degree of severity. “Your father…yes,” he confirmed. “He did well - on the surface of it. However, when I chose to speak to him…” He gave Charlotte an intent look, and quite suddenly, there was the pervasive awareness that she was speaking to the crown prince. It had been a subtle shift, but now, his presence was heavy with the full weight of the authority befitting his status.

“Several issues were revealed to me,” he finished his sentence. “I assume you wish to learn of them, despite the fact that this will undoubtedly add to your already taxing day.” Though it had been a statement, the prince waited for the lady’s affirmation.

Only after she gave it, did he continue. “Duke Lorenzo Vikena is suicidal, has a penchant for abusing drugs recreationally, and seems rather…emotionally unstable.” Wulfric’s crystalline gaze settled on her as he gave her however long she needed to process this.

Charlotte’s countenance crumbled and it felt as if her heart had as well. The word "suicidal" reverberated in her mind, sending shockwaves through her entire being. For a brief moment, the horrific image of her mother's lifeless body sprawled out on the grass flashed before her eyes, etching itself into her memory with painful clarity. Her heart started to race in her ears, a deafening drumbeat of fear.

Charlotte only realized she had been staring down at her lap the entire time when she noticed a tear stain on her dress through her blurred vision. After a hard swallow, she blinked away tears in an attempt to compose herself. Then, she raised her head to speak, but it was difficult. Her words felt heavy, like trying to sift through a fog of emotions.

"What?" Her voice was barely a whisper, so she took a deep breath and tried again, putting more effort into her words. "Are you... are you certain? I've never seen Lorenzo suicidal nor using drugs.... I know he drinks occasionally, maybe a little too much at times, but..." Her voice cracked, betraying her own inner turmoil. Wulfric wasn’t high on the list of kindest men in Caesonia, but she was sure he wouldn’t fabricate something so serious.

The prince reached into his inner shirt pocket, and took out a very neat handkerchief. Carefully, he reached over to the other side of the table, and deposited it in front of Charlotte. Then, he leaned back and took care to gentle his tone for his next words. “He was intoxicated when we spoke. That it was more than alcohol is a suspicion on my part. A fairly strong suspicion based on his behavior and words, but I am not a medical professional. You may want to confirm this for yourself, however,” he said.

She had graciously taken it with a nod and patted at her cheeks. I need to get it together.

“As for the other matter…” his demeanour was calm, though reminiscent of one trying not to spook a wild animal. “It was but a fragment of our conversation…Yet, I deemed it concerning. Apparently, he believes that he was at fault for your mother’s death; that he might cause you to follow in her footsteps; or that perhaps you might be better off without him,” he summarized. “I do not know how seriously he meant that, or if it is a general disposition of his…his mood changed rather quickly,” he explained.

A longer exhale followed. “I wish I had something more comforting to relay to you.” Wulfric seemed to think on it for a moment. “If nothing else…he was in good spirits when we were concluding.”

"I… I see..” Charlotte lowered her gaze. “... Thank you for telling me.” If Lorenzo was truly suffering this much, she had been a fool to miss the severity. After a pause, she looked up at him once more. “If there’s nothing more, I think maybe I should depart… I do have the dinner with the Sultan to prepare for after all. Though, I am grateful for your time here, Prince Wulfric.”

Wulfric inclined his head in understanding. “May the Gods’ blessings be upon you,” he wished her as a farewell. She’d need quite some fortitude to deal with all that had occurred (and all that still would). It was unfortunate their conversation couldn’t have been pleasanter, but what he’d told her was something she needed to know.

[Helo]

Ariella& Callum

Part 2

Location: Secret Location
Time: 4pm

“You will no longer have to bend the knee,” he began to recite from memory part of the Books introduction. For only the second time in his life, Callum did not feel a need to hide this aspect of his life. “But be forewarned my gifts are not free.” He’d copied every line of this Book dozens of times, careful to burn the evidence each and every time until it lived without form in his own mind.

“If you are greedy…If you take too much from me, I can guarantee I will take everything from you.” A warning or a promise, he wondered sometimes about that line. There was much he wished magic would take from him; status, pain, dark impulses, his own life. Very little he wouldn’t offer up to magic if it meant getting what he wanted. It took every bit of will Callum had to not mistreat magic, to only offer his deepest respect and purest intentions and never anything else. The rest of his impulses ran wild, but never this one. “There are things no one, not even a king, has a right to forbid. This more than anything.” Cal added a voice barely above a whisper as his eyes moved toward the Book.

Ariella’s eyes widened Make sure you are alone as this is a good way to get executed He had just finished talking about what his mother had done to someone who was innocent. Would he tell her about the book? Would she be next? Her arms wrapped around her body defensively as she took a few steps back away from him, her eyes fixated on him as the color in his face disappeared. ” I-I..I “ She stammered “It's just a book, A silly book” Her voice was riddled with panic and fear as she tried to find some excuse or reason why she would have it. “ Please, Prince Callum...I swear I haven’t done anything but open a few pages” she lied, but what else was she going to tell him that she had been using this place to practice her skills? That was the first time since the ball she had referred to him as Prince Callum maybe she had been too comfortable with him.

As she stepped back further away her foot caught on the hem of her dress tripping her as she fell backward onto her butt. Tears swelled in her eyes from the fear and panic that flooded her. Anyone caught practicing, reading, or even speaking of Magic was punished or killed. He wasn’t just anyone either, he was the PRINCE the one person who could do either of those things if he wished so. “ Please” her voice cracked as a tear ran down her cheek “ I will just get rid of the book…I-I’ll burn it or..or Bury it …” she managed to say between her tearful breaths.

Cal was entirely focused on the Book and the objects around it, taking all of it in, a careful study because seeing another’s approach to the same thing was so unbelievably rare. In his excitement, he missed much of her panicked reaction, only catching some of the words. Silly? Why would anyone call it- His attention shifted, he caught the expression of pure fear.

“Ari, I am not some sort of witch hunter.” He spoke softly, kept himself as still as possible, and tried very hard not to reveal how much it stung that she would so quickly think the worst of him. Who wouldn’t, he was, after all a Danrose. “Everything here stays secret, and I would say we share the same crime but magic is far too sacred to deserve to be called a crime. I would rather burn upon my own pyre than send another there. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Ariella sniffed softly as he stood still, clearly seeing how much of a panic she was in. She watched him keep still along with his reassuring soft tone it felt easier to believe him. She was slightly shocked to hear that he too practiced magic. Her body seemed to instantly relax. She felt horrible to think he would ever hurt her, he had given her no reason to believe he was anything like his family but Magic was such a taboo topic she wasn’t sure who she could trust with it but now it seems like she did. She could trust him.

“Barefoot,” he wondered out loud, “to better connect you with the earth?” Whether intentional or not much of magic was divined from intuition and now this practice made sense.

Ari slowly stood back up, catching herself as she steadied her wobbly footing. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as he spoke about her connecting to the earth. She took in a sharp breath and slowly nodded “ When I was really young my mother played dress up with me, putting me in all sorts of strange clothing and outfits. I would escape from my nanny and run off into the woods behind our home, Tossing all the clothing I had on me off. It felt like shedding a mask in a way.”

Her arms still wrapped around her she gripped onto herself tighter. “When my shoes came off it felt like…” she paused trying to find the words “I was being drawn into the earth yet being recharged at the same time. A flow of happiness, joy…life..” she paused as she wiped her eyes again, her breathing slowly steadying but the fear was still written all over her face. “Ever since that day I felt drawn and compelled to continue doing it, like a high that I cannot explain and no one ever seemed to understand. I just grew up being that weird little girl who was barefooted all the time covered in mud but the whole time…I was drawn to that feeling…I don't really know how to explain it” she said softly still keeping herself at a distance.

“I would call that strong intuition, it’s how magic guides us, and connects us to it. Almost like magic itself has a way of protecting itself, even in a world where it is forbidden, so that it can never be snuffed out entirely. Magic called to you, deemed you worthy, and that is powerful.” He offered his own thoughts on how magic worked, he may not feel the call from deep within the earth but he believed it was there too. “I feel it most around water, and sometimes the air, when it is just right.”

Ari went from looking distraught to excited as he spoke. Her eyes had dried off the tears and the only thing on her face was a bright smile. “ Yes! That is exactly how it feels. That is why I spend so much of my time out here, at first it was because I just found it to be a safe place where nowhere else felt safe. Then, I found that book… It just showed up one day. I don’t even remember where I was, I just couldn’t keep my eyes off it. I knew it was something special the moment I held it. I didn’t even allow time for my thoughts to sink in, I just took the book and ran here. Since then I’ve just been reading the pages over and over again. I was going to attempt one of them but got too scared. Just afraid I'm not ready or …” She sucked in her breath and while letting the air escape slowly she shook her head “ ..or..That I may become addicted.”she looked at Cal with a look of seriousness “ I already feel I am…It's all I think about, It's all I want to learn about, and I worry I may lose myself to it.”

Ari had returned to her position from before, leaning against the pillar of the Gazebo. “I’m sorry for my initial reaction as well…” Her voice softened “I’ve just been so scared of everything I mentioned that the idea of someone who I know wouldn’t bring harm to me could possibly be someone who detests magic. The stories I've read about people turning on their loved ones, their families, and friends…It's just horrible…I just didn’t know who I could trust but maybe that’s why I was drawn to your table at the palace today. Perhaps my Intuition was leading me to you knowing it was safe” She shrugged her shoulders “Whatever it is “ she smiled “ I am happy to have a friend who loves Magic. Have you attempted any of the spells yet?”

Callum waited, kept still, and listened. Only after Ari had seemed to regain her composure did he move closer to her and further away from Starcatcher. But he could feel its pull, its magic pleading to make its way back out into the world. “I think magic must be approached with respect, it must work through you and not consume you. That’s the line, and lines like that are hard for me to see.” He spoke as he walked and eventually rested against the pillar nearest Ari.

“I would think if you were prone to addiction it would show itself in other aspects of your life, so maybe what you feel is simply magic calling out to be expressed. It has a will, just like rivers need to flow, magic needs to be expressed, released back out into the world. Some of us hear that call, a longing for freedom, and it resonates in deep places. You are empathetic, you understand its call for freedom, so magic asks you to listen.” Callum spoke softly of magic the way some people spoke about a lover.

“I have tried things from that Book, and from other books as well. Rituals, spells, potions, sometimes they work, sometimes not, but never has it been something I’ve regretted. To practice at all is such a gift but you are right to be cautious. People here have been killed for lesser crimes, and the punishment for this is terrible. Because magic is powerful, and those in power only want their power to remain the only force in this world. I would love nothing more than to see magic disrupt those in power, but few share this sentiment, you are right to be careful about who you share this with, especially around nobility.”

Ari listened, completely in awe of his views. She had never heard it put so beautifully before, things started clicking in her mind. So much of what he said lingered in her mind that all she could do was stand there silent. She was so afraid of it because of the draw yet nothing else called her like that. Perhaps her fear was important in the matter.
“ Well, you are the only one who knows. I don't really have friends, the only person I would consider that would be Ana but as lovely as she is, she is very flighty and hard to find when you may need a friend. I’ve just gotten used to the silence and loneliness that I seemed to have befriended it.” she smiled at him softly, making sure he knew that wasn’t meant to be a pitiful statement but rather a truthful one.

“ You know…After our conversation at the Prince's court, I kept feeling like I need to talk to you more. Maybe it was for this reason, it was like leading me to someone who too can help release its power. Perhaps there is something there. “ she softly shrugged her shoulders “ I really did mean that this could be a home to you if you choose.” she laughed lightly “ I’ll need to clean up my mess but there is lots of room for whatever you may want to stash here. “

“I don’t have many friends either, I’ve got Roman, he’s a good guy and I would trust him with just about anything, but sharing this with others puts them in danger just by knowing. I think it would be selfish to drag others into this mess just to ease my loneliness. My family can never know, my brothers are too loyal to our parents. And Ana, I don’t think she would intentionally get either of us hurt but she is flightly, and hard to predict. Edin would love nothing more than an excuse to finally be rid of me.” Callum said, it seemed there was a lot that drew him to Ari, not just magic, but a shared sense of not belonging in the world they lived in.

“Maybe it’s as simple as being drawn to someone who shares the same pain. I’ve never really had a place that has felt like a home, but there is something deeply special here, and to have another who understands is a good start.” Callum found it difficult to think of any place as a home; a word he knew only by its definition and by its absence in his life. A place that was quiet and peaceful where he felt safe enough to be open about all aspects of his life, made it feel like a possibility. Callum said nothing about stashing things here, there was a reason he kept his things hidden in his room despite it being a risk for him; he made an effort to keep everything he had where Riona could have easy access to it as well. But that wasn’t something he could say; other people’s secrets were not his to speak of.

Ari nodded with a smile “ It is a very good start. “ She wasn’t going to pressure Callum on anything, the simple fact that he felt even the slightest amount of connection to the place she held so dearly meant the world. She was so happy she could finally share her true authentic self with someone and felt no sense of judgment but only acceptance. She just hope it lasted.

“ Well, how about I show you around some more? I found some interesting plants and foliage around here. When dried and used as powders in various forms it can add a lot to small consumable drinks for various alignments. Kind of like…natural medicine I guess, just more magically infused. “ She smiled “Oh! And I’d love to meet with this Roman you speak of. If you trust him as much as you say he certainly must be someone special. “ Ari moved away from the pillar and back down the steps towards the Ravine where she started showing off different types of plants that grew around the water.

[JJ Doe]

&
Ríoghnach "Riona"
Reohg Knock

Time: 3PM (After Auguste’s match, before Mayet and Reohg’s match)
Location: Athletic Arena
Interaction: Prince Auguste @Inertia

The deafening roar of the crowd’s cheers blended and morphed into screams of terror and agony. Flames erupted from every direction, devouring everything and everyone in their path. Their fiery tongues licked the night sky in attempt to eat the moon and stars too. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning wood and flesh. Blood spread out, pooling beneath the fallen bodies that littered the ground like discarded dolls and stained the ground a deep, dark red. Amidst the raging inferno, a group of figures stood outside the once-beautiful castle she called home—a place of safety and comfort reduced to a charred, smoldering ruin. A silver streak, followed by a spray of blood, added more red to the portrait of Hells on earth.

Familiar faces turned to the girl. Dread drained the color from them, the last wisp of hope was snuffed out from their hearts as the golden aberration, and its amber-eyed bride next to it, fixed its piercing blue gaze onto her. Slowly, it began to move in her direction. Each step sent ripples across the red carpet that expanded with every swipe of its blade.

The girl stood frozen,

fear

her father’s body weighing her down

the weapon embedded in her

everything that was supposed to stay inside a body, spilling out

childish bravery

… rooted her to the spot as she watched the creature draw closer. She couldn’t run. There was nowhere to hide. No one to save them.

More blood splattered across the canvas. The abomination’s face twisted into an expression of unadulterated pleasure. Its lips curled upwards, baring rows of pearly whites. Its eyes glinted with a predatory hunger as it took in its prey before it.

Ríoghnach opened her mouth, but she no longer had the strength to breathe. So Hatred urged her to take a breath. Ríoghnach gasped, but she couldn’t speak. So Rage gave her a voice. Her cries were drowned out by the spectators’ frenzied uproar of cheers, whistles, and clapping.

Through the holes of the headgear that masked her face, Riona watched the offspring of the abomination stride offstage with feigned innocence. Just as he was about to continue past her, she spoke up, “You’re a monster.” Both of you are. All of them are. Prince Auguste stopped midstride. When his insidious yellow eyes landed on her, she was already facing him straight on, arms crossed.

“I am sorry, Ser, I didn’t quite catch that.” Came his voice, tone friendly and polite as always. His expression is a mix of genuine confusion and a tad bit of hurt; he may have actually caught her words but it was as if he wanted to be certain.

She scoffed, “You heard me the first time, Danrose.” Riona pointed her chin in Altare Remulus’s direction. “He saw you for what you are.” Even from a distance, she could see how shaken the fight with Prince Auguste left him. “Most people do once they see how hot and bothered you get when you beat people up.”

“Ah, Lieutenant Altare?” Auguste replied candidly, brushing past her initial words- luckily Wulfric wasn’t within earshot. “A fine knight. He is a man of mettle.” The Prince simply raised a brow at her following words. His duel with Altare certainly wasn’t a one sided beat-down, atleast he believed so. Of course, Auguste himself is dreadfully unaware of his presence whilst fighting. “Saw me for what I am? Apologies, perhaps it is due to my exhaustion but I don’t quite follow your words, Ser.”

This time Riona laughed. “HA! Wow. You’re either delusional, f**king oblivious, or more two-faced than I gave you credit for. … Or maybe you’re trying to avoid the truth?” Riona sighed and mumbled typical under her breath. “Can you read people’s expressions?” She pointed at the Lieutenant, who noticed the gesture. At first, he appeared puzzled by the attention, then as his gaze shifted to Prince Auguste, so did his expression. Fear flickered across his features, betraying the unease that took hold of him. “Tell me, what emotion is that?”

Auguste kept his expression neutral, having had more than enough practice navigating the mire of the political court. He disregarded the discourtesy of the masked swordsman as he wasn’t naive enough to believe that the entire kingdom had liked the Danroses. Still, a certain unease bubbled within him, it couldn't only have been from her blatant rudeness. “Of course.” He replied, “It appears to be one of fear or consternation. It was harder to ascertain such when he had his helmet on.”

“A hardened veteran is frightened of you, even though the fight is over. Strange, right? There shouldn’t be a reason to be scared of you now.” She watched the Prince’s expression carefully. “Remember the fights you’ve been a part of? Doesn’t matter if it’s just training.” She paused to give him time to dig up his memories. “You recognize that face, don’t you? You’ve seen it more than once. And not just on your opponents either, you’ve seen it on people who were just watching too.”

Internally Auguste had always picked up on that look that many of his opponents wore after a duel with him. This time he stayed silent, internally ruminating the words that she had given him. He didn’t see a reason why they would display such fear.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure why she was taken aback by his blatant lack of self-awareness. Suppose that was one of the perks of being born into a powerful and filthy rich family—the luxury of not needing to be self-aware. Those around you went to great lengths to shield you from the ugliness, covering your eyes with rose-colored lenses and playing beautiful symphonies of distraction. “You smile when you fight.” Riona said frankly, “and it gets wider the longer the fight lasts, the bloodier the fight gets… the more terrified your opponent becomes.”

“You like to hurt people, Auguste Danrose. You love it when you overpower them and they can’t fight back anymore.”

“Just like your father.” A wide grin spread across King Edin’s face as he watched them struggle in vain. A carnal smile that grew impossibly wider when they begged him to stop.

“Like your cousin.” Lady Morrigan’s expression melted into that of ecstasy. An impassioned moan escaped her lips, mingling with her heated breath, while her victim lay irreversibly broken beneath her.

“And your brother.” Prince Wulfric’s dilated pupils stared at the marks he inflicted on Sir Mathias with a thirst so palpable, as if there was nothing else in the world he desired more than to lick the cut, widen it, and create more.

“Just like a monster.”

The realization hit Auguste like a ton of bricks. Have I really been doing that? He always enjoyed duels. It was one of the scant ways he destressed after particularly taxing days that come chained with royalty and politics. He covered his mouth with his hand; what she had said contained truths. He certainly did take pleasure in duels, one where his life was in true risk. He himself recalled the times he had fought, he always made sure to never go through if the enemy could not continue, but perhaps it was simply to ease his guilt.

There were a few opponents that had given him trouble who showed no such fear- Wulfric, Wystan, and a few others. But they seemed to be an exception rather than the rule. They were all exceptional swordsmen, one who could hold their own against him.

Would he really have been able to give up one of his ‘vices’. Did he even have the strength to?

“I see…” Auguste finally said. “While I don’t agree with everything you’ve said, you have made me aware of a fault of mine albeit brusquely, for that, I give you my sincerest thanks.” He bowed lightly to her. This was certainly an issue that stung, he reminded himself that it should be an issue one must ponder through logic rather than emotions.

“While I thank you for your candidness, Ser, please avoid such talks if possible. Anyone hearing of such would consider it treason.” Auguste said, a small smile rose on his face despite her words, “Not many would say such brutal and honest remarks towards the Danroses, and I like you for that, Ser, so I’d prefer if you were alive.” Although it was likely Callum would laugh alongside her and proclaim his agreement. Still, his words weren't intended as a threat but rather a cautionary warning.
“I am sure my words won’t mean much,” Auguste had an inkling that she did not like the Danroses one bit, he had met more than a few in his jaunts pretending to be a commoner, those who… disliked royalty to say the least. “But I apologize if I’ve offended you in any way.” He couldn’t bring himself to apologize for his family, it wasn’t his right… It likely would have festered wounds rather than close them.

Riona’s glare remained firmly in place, but she could feel that fire inside ebbing without anything to stoke it. Part of her expected a much stronger reaction from him. “You’re right. Your words mean nothing. It’s always easy to say things. If you were even half as sincere, you would’ve actually done something by now and not be just another dog waiting to follow the crowns’ orders, desperate for their approval.”

Riona turned her head away from the Prince when she heard the announcer summoning Reohg Knock. She approached the weapon rack on the side to pull out one of the swords provided by the arena. “Your opponents aren’t a substitute for your father. Why don’t you beat the living sh*t out of him for a change?”

Auguste's eyes momentarily turned stony. “Best of luck to your match, Ser.” He replied before turning away, walking to the observer's stands.

The fire belched, emitting plumes of smoke and embers, as it consumed the new kindling.

[princess]

Time is now 6pm

@Helo@Tae @Mole @ReusableSword @Rodiak @JJ Doe @Aerandir @Conscripts @Infinite Cosmos @Potter @13org @Heartfillia @Tpartywithzombi @samreaper @Silverpaw @Inertia @mantou @Terrance420 @Potter @FunnyGuy @SausagePat @Lava Alckon @CitrusArms @Blizz @PapaOso @Prosaic @Apex Sunburn @Ojo chan 42

[princess]

Location:Guest House Dining Room

ATTENDING GUESTS:@Rodiak Nahir, @13org Mayet, @Lava Alckon Farim, @Potter Layla, @Helo Leo @FunnyGuy Lorenzo @princess Charlotte @Inertia Auguste, Ariella@Tpartywithzombi. Grand Vizier Hafiz and Sultan Raif, @mantou Wystan

Posting Rules

Because there are so many of us, a collab would be hectic, and posting one by one would be too slow. So, for an extra level of sweet chaos, it is free real estate my friends. Anyone can post when the mood suits them. This begins once everyone is in the dining room. However, I have one rule.

You must allow two different people to post before you post again.

Hypothetical scenario: I post Charlotte now, and I wanna post Charlotte again, I must wait. Mayet gets posted the same day after I do and Farim is posted the next. Then would be the time I can post again.
If this is not clear, let me know.


As you enter the dining room, the air is filled with the aroma of Alidasht spices, instantly awakening your senses. The room is warmly lit, casting a soft glow over the scene before you. The centerpiece of the room is a long wooden table adorned with a vibrant red tablecloth that adds a touch of elegance and richness to the setting. The table is surrounded by twelve matching wooden seats, each one upholstered with comfortable fabric, ensuring a pleasurable dining experience for all.

Despite the room being on the smaller side, it creates an intimate setting that either adds to the charm of the occasion or possibly upsets you.

The Sultan has brought in his own personal cooks from his homeland, ensuring that his offspring can enjoy their favorite home-cooked meals just like they would back home. You can hear the bustling activity in the kitchen, as the servants prepare the food with utmost care and precision.

As you take your seat at the table, you can't help but admire the exquisite craftsmanship of the tableware, with well-designed expensive Alidasht plates, bowls, and silverware.

The Sultan can be found seated at the head of the table. Atop his head sat a majestic turban, adorned with jewels that sparkled in the light, adding a dazzling aura to his presence. The turban is intricately wrapped with layers of richly colored silk, embellished with precious gemstones that shimmered with every head movement. His robe is a work of art, crafted from the finest silk fabric; it drapes elegantly from his broad shoulders. To be quite frank, his entire outfit and accessories are on the excessive side.

As for the Grand Vizier, he seems to be running a little late...

But don't worry, he's still coming.

[princess]

LOCATION: Sorian Park
INVITED GUESTS:@Rodiak Matthias/Zarai, @ReusableSword Roman, @Conscripts John, @JJ Doe Count Fritz @Mole Prince Felix @Potter Sadie, @Helo Leo(technically invited)

Sadie's invitation

During the hours of 4pm and 6pm, the lucky Varians in Sorian found themselves holding a delicate invitation adorned with pink flowers and written in sweet purple writing. It was unmistakable which Varian Princess had sent the letter even before it was read. As night descended upon Caesonia, the festival at the park came alive. Enchanting string lights and lanterns adorned the trees, casting a warm glow over the festivities The sizzle of hot oil greeted visitors as they approached a stall serving piping hot funnel cakes. The deep-fried dough was dusted with powdered sugar. The stall next to it boasted an assortment of freshly baked churros, coated in cinnamon sugar and served with a side of chocolate dipping sauce. For those craving something savory, there were options aplenty. A stall was serving piping hot corn dogs, where plump sausages were coated in a golden cornmeal batter and deep-fried to perfection. Another stall offered juicy turkey legs that could satisfy a hunger pang. Many patrons gathered food to bring back to their picnic blankets and tables, eagerly anticipating the upcoming fireworks show.

Game stalls were also still abuzz with excitement, filling the air with joy. Some of the games featured were balloon darts, a wheel of fortune, raffles, ring toss, a shooting gallery(using water squirters), and obstacle course challenges.

Princess Sadie's guests would have no trouble finding her, as she had assembled possibly the largest collection of picnic blankets in the park. They were laid out in a large square neatly on a small hill near the front of the park, to the side, creating a cozy and inviting seating area. Alongside the blankets, she had also brought an ample supply of plush pillows and an array of delicious food. Now, all that was left was for her guests to arrive. But would they show up?