[IC] When the Flames Die

[DrowsyPangolin]

Sophia sighed and nodded. Gareth was right, everything would be fine.She too began to gaze around the grounds, which were beginning to fill with all sorts of people. She noticed many aristocrats milling in, some local, some obviously foreign. It was fascinating to see so many different people coming to the feast. The princess beamed, erasing the frown that had marred her face only moments earlier, and started walking away from the gift table. Gareth seemed excited for the feast as well. "I haven't the slightest idea where to even start...." She looked around her. More and more people were arriving. Not as many as had been at the earlier feast, but much more than she'd expected.

Jezin nodded. "Thank you, Sir Redwyne. I promise you I will be more... thoughtful, in the future." He stood up and downed the rest of his wine, placing the empty goblet on the table. He nodded to Sir Redwyne again before exiting the room. He walked along the path back to the party slowly. He wanted to get back to Sophia quickly, but he imagined she wouldn't be very pleased with him at the moment. He sighed and kept walking, noticing the crowd at the feast had grown substantially. It seemed merely finding Sophia would be harder than anticipated. He didn't see anyone familiar amongst the mass of people, and quickly shuffled through them. Still unable to find Sophia, he decided to ask for assistance. He saw a woman wearing a suit of armor. Oddly enough, the armor she wore didn't look very similar to the armor he'd seen other knights of Keilaudrin wear. He decided she might be a foreigner. He approached Payton with a quick bow. "Hello there, milady. I was curious if you had perchance seen a girl nearby? She's about sixteen, rather small, has dark hair. She's wearing a red dress and a lot of jewelry?" He realized he probably sounded like an idiot asking a complete stranger such questions. "Oh, excuse me, I seem to have forgotten my manners." He paused with a grin. "Jezin Tremora, of Lyok."

[Sightles]

Thomas smiled, and pointed towards a table towered with sweets and pastries, that various other guests were sampling from, "There's a good start, Your Grace." Thomas pointed, chuckling as he did. Thomas had no sweet tooth when it came to sugary foods, he preferred his typical diet of red meat, bread, and water, in order to make sure he was kept in top physical shape, but he imagined Gareth and Sophia would be delighted to try all the sweets, "The best bakers in Keilaudrin bake for the midnight feast, all those sweets were made probably only a couple hours ago." Thomas added, smelling the freshness of the sweets and pastries from here.

[ravenDivinity]

Gareth brought his left hand to his chin, and he released his grip on Sophia's hand. "Hm... I... I normally eat real food before I partake in sweets." Deep blue eyes changed their gaze to Sophia. "But... it wouldn't hurt, would it?" Harker grinned, for he decided that, for once, he would neglect his family's principles of putting healthy food first and delight himself in the night with fine baked goods and chocolate no child could resist. 'When in Mullen,' he supposed. It had been a long time since he enjoyed sweets, and he really quite missed them. His inner-child jumped for joy, and his desire for good eats showed in his eyes.

[Chazbarry]

Payton could tell she was being addressed, and turned her head to gaze at the man who had called to her, apparently looking for a missing girl. Payton recognized the man from the earlier confrontation with the Order of the Thistle members. Luckily, she had made a point to keep an eye on people of interest in the party, as she had always done, and she considered the girl, along with Jezin, as somewhat interesting, if not important, individuals. Payton glanced subtly to where she had last seen the girl, through the throngs of people, and sure enough, she could make out glints of a red dress worn by a smaller person, "I'm Payton. Nice to meet you, Jezin." Payton said, with a blank expression, but her tone was slightly welcoming, "I believe your girl is that way." Payton said, pointing with a figure through the throngs of people, to the glint of the red dress, "Foreigners are easy to spot here." She added, with a smirk.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Sophia's eyes glittered as her gaze turned to the mountain of sugary deliciousness that lay on the table before them. Pies, muffins, pastries, lemon cakes, and various desserts she had never even seen before were all arranged on the table, and the scent of these treats floated through the air. She looked at Gareth with a brilliant smile and nodded before heading towards the table, her eyes filled with wonderment. She Strode over to the mountain of sweets. Glancing around at her options, she spoke. "But where to start... there are so many..." She finally decided on what seemed to be some sort of muffin. She picked the dessert up and took a small nibble, her eyes lit up as soon as she did. The sweet taste of the muffin complimented the fresh blueberries interspersed throughout it perfectly. The princess smiled. "It's wonderful!" She exclaimed, taking another bite of the pastry.

Jezin gave another bow. "A pleasure, Payton." The armored woman pointed out Sophia's location. The bodyguard found the red dress amongst the crowd, and watched as she, Gareth, and Thomas made their way to a table that seemed to be covered in desserts. He chuckled quietly to himself. He sometimes had to remind himself that the princess was still a child. Being content with having found her, Jezin decided keeping his distance would probably be best at the moment. So long as he could keep an eye on her he'd let her enjoy the feast. He turned back to the armored woman. "Well, thank you Payton." He smirked when she mentioned foreigners being easy to spot. "Ah, I suppose we are. So, where are you from then?" He held the same smirk.

[Sightles]

Thomas stayed back, watching the scene unfold in front of him as Sophia assaulted the table full of desserts. He forgot the last time he had actually ate a sugary treat, but it had to be at least a couple of years. Thomas smiled as he remembered how rough the food was in Alinor, having grown up on things such as raw vegetables and fruits, interspersed with the occasional swan meat. Thomas' father had been especially temperate, who would wake before the sun had rose, drink a cup of hot water to whet his appetite, and then go the whole day before eating a meal that night. He always used to tell Thomas 'The lion hunts best when he is hungry'. Thomas used to think his father was crazy for that, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized how his father was always ready to go, and in his best shape at all times, "Save some room for the big meal." Thomas said, with a chuckle.

[Chazbarry]

Payton's visage softened, slightly, as Jezin stayed with her, and asked her of her origins, "I was born here in Mullen. I've traveled all over the nation, however." She replied, as she, glanced over at Jezin's charge, along with two other people who seemed to be accompanying her, "And you?" She asked, her gaze slowly tracing it's way back to Jezin's, and locking eyes with him. Payton hadn't seen clothing like the ones Jezin and his charge wore. It seemed odd, and fairly exotic. Almost too exotic for Estovet. As the pair conversed, Payton caught something out of the corner of her eye. A man in armor that bore a pinkish tint. He was standing, still, on the edge of the party.

[ravenDivinity]

Gareth followed suit, and he immediately engrossed himself in chocolate and cream-filled cakes. Though he ate them slowly to savor their flavor, it was clear he planned on devouring the feast voraciously from the sounds of delight that came with each bite. "Mmm!" He picked up one of the cakes and handed it to Sophia. "Here, mm, try this." Harker giggled like a child, obviously enjoying the food, for the finest bakers in Keilaudrin prepared it. No less than what was on the table would suit an occasion like the king's feast, and the bakers outdid themselves this time around, Gareth thought. They'd move up in society without any doubt, or at least that's what the chocolate told him.

[DrowsyPangolin]

"Ah, a traveler. Interesting. You all usually have such great stories." Jezin smirked, but he wasn't sure if he believed the woman. Her armor was unlike anything he had seen in Keilaudrin thus far. He supposed she could've gotten it during her travels, however, and remained silent about his suspicions. He looked up, keeping an eye on Sophia at the dessert table. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "I, and my charge over there, are from Lyok, to the far east." He straightened his back and placed his hands in the pockets of his long crimson coat. "We're on a diplomatic mission... of sorts." He looked over to Payton. "So, that's an impressive suit of armor. Are you some sort of soldier?"

Sophia quickly finished the muffin. When Thomas spoke of saving room for the main course she smiled and nodded before looking at the mountain of sweets again. "I'll try..." Gareth handed her a cake and suggested she try it. The princess raised the delectable treat to her lips and took a bite, her eyes widening as she did so. "It's delicious!" She exclaimed, taking another bite of the treat. The bakers of Keilaudrin had created a masterpiece. She had never tasted something like it in Lyok. She continued nibbling at the cake, walking along the table and admiring the baker's hard work.

[Epsir]

The edge of the feast grounds made a sufficient, if not conspicuous, observation point. The crown had truly outdone themselves with the preparations, and from a distance she could appreciate both the layout of the party and the wonderful view of the harbor. Most of the rest of the party-goers wanted to stick to where the feast actually was, and that was fine for both of them. The time where she would have reprimanded herself for failing to enjoy the party had passed. Lexine was alert, standing rigid and uncomfortable as she made slow, sweeping scans of the area looking for any number of familiar faces. There were a handful turning up, and she was slowly realizing that most people had brought out considerably nicer clothing for the occasion. The thought lead her to look down, considering the outfit her and her partner both wore. Black trousers, white shirt, fourteen sets for each of them all cleaned, pressed, and boxed in a tavern room. Maybe it was a little plain. She shook her head, going back to her watch. It was true, they were early, but it was disconcerting nonetheless that neither her partner, Karl Leid, or even Bard Urien II had shown up to the party yet. Determined to patience, she continued to watch and wait for the right time.

[Chazbarry]

Payton nodded to Jezin's response of his origins, and smiled at the question he posed to her, "No, not a solider." Payton responded as she placed a hand on her hip, and smirked, "I just prefer armor to a dress. People tend to take me more seriously." She responded, "So, you and your charge are from Lyok? You've come a long way, sir." She observed, as she changed her gaze to look over at Jezin's charge, who seemed enamored with the sweets on a table, completely out of this reality, and in her own small world where only her and her sweets existed, "I assume she's royalty?" Payton said, locking her eyes with Jezin's and smirking.

[Sightles]

As Gareth and Sophia gorged themselves on the sweets, Thomas quietly slipped away, heading to the edge of the drop off, where the sea laid out before the viewer. Not many people gathered around the edge, no doubt anxious about being close to such a long fall with so many people around, but Thomas had no such fears. Thomas casually gazed out onto the sea as he stood. He could see the harbor down below, the same harbor he had arrived on years before after leaving Alinor. As Thomas remembered that, he remembered how difficult it ended up being actually leaving his old home. He had been hunted by members of his father's household guard, skilled swordsmen who had dedicated their lives to the King. Thomas had made most of his way across the vast country safe from anyone pursuing him, mainly due to the help of some personal friends, but it all came to a head once he reach the port town that would ferry him to Estovet. He could remember the entire exchange as if it had been yesterday.

Thomas approached the docks of the old port town in the middle of the night, flanked by 4 friends. Thandrin Wull, Sir Dustyn 'The Red' Lander, Kain Rills, and the Master-at-Arms of Lily Palace; Galbert Hent. As Thomas and his entourage approached the seemingly abandoned dock, three shadows stood at the end of the pier, but the shadows were no ordinary shadows. These men all possessed a white tree, no leaves, emblazoned on their black cloaks. Men of his father's personal guard. All three of their faces burned in Thomas' mind, as he stared the men down, "I looked for you at Lily Palace." Thomas said, as he placed his left hand on Harmony. "We were not there." replied the man at the lead of the three, who was obviously Commander Rypken, "Woe to you if we had been." replied another shadow, his sword hanging low in his hand, at his side. "I had killed our King with a dagger, and I wondered where you were to stop me." Thomas said, shifting uncomfortably. "We were far away," spoke the lead shadow, "or Archibald would still be king, and you'd be rotting in the ground." Thomas was unsettled. The men who stood before him could easily cut him down before he could draw his sword, "Bend your knee to your true King now, and I'll spare your lives." Thomas replied, his voice stern, but it was obvious he was shaken, "A true king would not be running to foreign ground." The third shadow stated, blankly, his hand now on his sword, "And our knees do not bend so easily." The lead shadow pointed out. "I had hoped you would of fled Alinor with my mother, and my sister, along with Sir Daniel and the rest of the Palace Guard." Thomas spoke, a knot now in his throat, as he gripped the hilt of Harmony ever tighter, "Sir Daniel is a good and true man." The second shadow spoke, "But not one of us." The lead shadow pointed out, "We. Do. Not. Flee." As the first shadow spoke, the third shadow stepped forward, his blade slowly being drawn from it's sheath, "Then, or now." The lead shadow placed his own hand on his sword, taking a step forward, "Some of us take our vows more seriously than others." He said as he drew a blade as black as his cloak, and as shiny as the surface of water. Thomas could hear his entourage draw their blades and step up beside him, ready for the fight, "Our blood won't flow as easily as your father's did, traitor." The third shadow spoke, "No, but it will flow." Thomas responded, as he quickly drew Harmony, and charged forward in a flash of steel and cloaks.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Jezin raised his eyebrows. He supposed the woman was right, usually people in armor were taken a bit more seriously. He smiled, still keeping a watch on Sophia. "Yes, we have come a long way. It took nearly two weeks for us to reach Keilaudrin by ship." Payton deduced that Sophia was royalty rather quickly. The bodyguard looked back at her. "Yes, she is. Third daughter of Empress Angelica Octavia." The Lyoki shoved his hands further into his pockets. "So are you just here for the feast? Or did you have some other reason for coming back to Mullen?" The bodyguard looked around him. Glancing to the edge of the festivities, he noticed Lexine seemingly observing the feast-goers. So, she had made it to the feast as well.

[ravenDivinity]

Gareth sighed, and he noticed Thomas drift off. It didn't bother him; Thomas might have needed to be alone and look around. There he stayed by Sophia, among themselves consuming all manner of baked goods sweetly and quietly, himself trying to savor the flavor. He put a hold on the sweets after a few more cakes, and Harker leaned back against the table with his hands on its front edge, cautious not to put his hands on anything other than the table and make a mess. "Ah, that was quite refreshing. Hmm..." His eyes combed through the room, the half-elf spotting a good-looking man or two and thinking of what to do. Hands combed an imaginary beard as he aimlessly stared into the crowd at no person in particular.

[DrowsyPangolin]

Sophia finished the chocolatey treat, and turned around. Thomas had left them, it seemed. The princess frowned briefly, before taking a look around. The place was beginning to fill with more and more people. Gareth was glancing around at the people around him, his hands combing through a beard that just wasn't there. Sophia giggled slightly at the sight, trying to contain herself. She was about to ask the young man what he wanted to do next, when she heard the sound of a drum. Across the courtyard, in the area that had been set up for dancing, a group of musicians were beginning to play. The princess smiled as she heard a beautiful melody floating across the courtyard. A look of excitement crossed her face. She grabbed the half-elf by the hand. "Gareth! Dance with me." She laughed and tugged on his arm, heading towards the music.

[Epsir]

The arrival of a band prompted an agitated sigh from Lexine. They weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination but the last thing she wanted was a gaggle of loud musicians to stand next to her for the next few hours. She ventured away from them gradually, shifting away from the noise and towards the quiet, unpopulated stretch of ground before the drop off. Unpopulated was incorrect, she could recognize the knight from earlier minus his armor standing at the edge, ships and water beyond him. The view was pleasant, but for the moment she was more concerned with watching the party. That task was rapidly becoming impossible as more of them took to dancing and disappeared in the rapidly developing human tangle. Knowing but not yet accepting that it was a futile effort, she turned away to watch the horizon. Even she couldn't bear standing in silence at the cliff face though, and soon enough spoke up to the man beside her, although aware he'd shown a tendency to walk off. "Not enjoying the party tonight?" She asked, a touch curious as to what one of the king's guards was doing standing with his sword nowhere near the feast.

[Sightles]

Thomas shifted his glance, slightly, noticing the woman who had attempted to talk to him earlier, before turning his gaze back to the ocean laid out in front of him, "I stopped enjoying parties when I had to start looking out for the people who attended them." Thomas replied, with a slight smirk. He was happy he was the Champion for the Order, however. It meant he didn't have to be on full alert, as he was suppose to be off-duty. It was nice to enjoy the breeze, and relax a little, instead of looking every shadow for a possible killer, "I never caught your name, Miss." Thomas stated, turning his head to look at the woman, now fully appreciating the fact that the woman had clearly not dressed for a party, and instead opted for a uniform that made her plain and normal as possible. It had the reverse effect, however, With most wearing elaborate and decorated outfits, her plain outfit stuck out more than most. Thomas didn't like the vibe he got from the girl. Too mysterious for the normal guest, too odd for a person with no ulterior motive, and too dry for the normal women who attended these feasts.

[Epsir]

What a familiar answer he had given. Lexine could sympathize with Thomas' sentiment, currently worrying about three separate missing persons although she figured she cared less for Bard II than the knight did. "They're quite right to want someone looking after them. Keeps me employed, I suppose," she commented, a dry voiced reflection on an occupation she honestly only had a dubious familiarity with. For the second time that day he asked her name, and she remembered that in fact her first greeting had been interrupted. "Lexine Tristan," she said shortly, quick to continue afterwards. "And your name is?" Of course, she knew of Sir Thomas, but opted to return the formality out of respect. She'd done her homework like any true bodyguard, and hadn't intended to let Karl Leid walk into a court she wasn't very familiar with. Well, Karl Leid had been more familiar, it turned out, because they couldn't find him in the actual court's building.

[Sightles]

"Sir Thomas of the Morgans, knight of the Order of the Thistle." Thomas said, some what lackluster in his delivery, "Lexine Tristan? I don't believe I've ever heard of you." Thomas added, turning his head back to the sea, "So, you're a bodyguard of some sort, then?" Thomas asked, slightly interested. Thomas wondered just who her charge could be, and if he was at the party at this moment. Almost on cue, Thomas turned his head back around, momentarily searching for someone that might be watching Lexine, or waiting on her, such as a charge. However, Thomas saw no such person, and returned his attention front-face, "Are you not enjoying the party, Miss Tristan?" Thomas asked, this time with a smirk and a small chuckle. They were the only two off to the side of the party, enjoying the monumental view the cliff side presented to the feast goers.

[Epsir]

"I imagine most people have not. I don't do much to put myself in the public eye. But yes, acting guard to Karl Leid. Thankless work, but essential," She answered evenly, running down the list of facts for Thomas. The idea of a foreign bodyguard was likely familiar but disliked by the local guard, so she had settled on giving on the man quick, honest answers to keep any untoward interest well away from her. Saying that she was protecting Karl Leid was a wake-up call to the woman however. She'd just about given up on him save for her token efforts to monitor the party. This late in the game, her job was changing hour to hour and pretty quickly it would be solely finding out where her partner had gone. It wasn't as though he was hard to spot, she doubted that she'd simply missed him walking out of the palace. Thomas' question pulled her attention back to him, and she looked over to the knight to return his smirk. "I stopped enjoying these stuffy parties when I had to start learning the politics behind each of them."