13org

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Early Evening
Location: Caesonia Castle Ball Room
Interactions: Wulfric @SilverPaw
Mentions: Lorenzo @FunnyGuy, King Edin.

---

The dinner with Wulfric went on without any issues, in part thanks to Mayet's choice of seats but it was also largely thanks to Nala as well. After all, not many were foolish enough to approach the tigress while she was eating. Many people around still found curious to see the huge tigress eating from a plate but none of them seemed to want to disturb her meal. The raw meat was delivered to the table by a rather nervous servant, not knowing if he should put the plate in front of the tigress or on the table near Mayet. It was only after a nervous exchange of stares between himself and another servant and an audible, annoyed sigh from Mayet that the servant simply put the plate on the table and quickly went away.

Despite the surprising variety of dishes, Mayet's choice was strangely fitting to someone who had a tigress as a companion, a sumptuous steak, seasoned with wine, fine herbs and accompanied with roasted potatoes with rosemary. Much to her surprise, the moment she was about to ask for a drink, another servant suddenly appeared, carrying a glass filled to the brim with wine, sent by no one other than Duke Vikena himself.

Raising an eyebrow, Mayet looked back to where Duke Vikena was, finding it strange that someone whom she had just humiliated would send her a glass of wine... Unless there was something on it.

Normally, having been raised on Alidasht, which was no different than a nest of vipers, Mayet's first thought would be that the wine was definitely poisoned. But if there was one thing Mayet had learned about Duke Vikena after what happened was that even though the man was a fool, he was a good-natured fool. Not only it was extremely unlikely for him to do something like that, but there was simply no reason at all for anyone to use him to harm Mayet for the simple reason that it was extremely unlikely that she would accept anything coming from Duke Vikena... After the huge commotion he caused. In the end, while Duke Vikena's gesture was a mystery for Mayet, she had no reason to refuse the wine and ended up simply accepting it.

Just the moment both Mayet and Nala had finished eating, servants started going around the ballroom, carrying beautiful bowls of fine porcelain, filled with small slips of paper inside. The explanation of what was happening came soon after as Wulfric, whom apparently seemed to have already seen such event happening many times, told Mayet that it was a random draw for the first dance.

"A curious custom, although not a boring one. I will play along. I am curious to see who will be my partner for this first dance." Mayet said with a curious, but amused expression as she grabbed one slip of paper from the bowl.

"People do often say to save the best for last, don't they?" she replied to Wulfric as they said their farewells.

The very moment Wulfric started walking away though, another servant approached her. Mayet was about to say that she had enough wine when the servant started speaking.

"He is not who you think he is. Be careful." the servant said in a mysterious tone, clearly referring to Wulfric before walking away as suddenly as she had approached Mayet, not giving her time even to talk or question them.

Mayet's reaction to the servant's words weren't one of surprise or apprehension but instead, of amusement. Whoever gave sent that servant to gave her that warning, they only made her even more interested on Wulfric.

"Oh? They say I should be the one to be careful? I think some of these nobles might be underestimating us, Nala..." Mayet said with an amused chuckle.

"If he really isn't whom I think he is, we just have to figure out his true self... And should he try to deceive us... Well... He will have the same end as so many others who defied me already did... Isn't that right, Nala?" Mayet said, gently patting Nala as she looked towards Wulfric in the distance with sharp eyes and a dangerous smile.

Avalia

Time: Dusk => Evening
Location: Desert
Interactions: Rosaria @Potter , Jomari @baraquiel, Mikazuki @Tae, Uzul @dragonpiece, Kuroi @hide on mana
Mentions:

Nuallán couldn't help but let out an amused, mischievous grin as he heard Jomari's reply, going as far as letting out a very discreet chuckle as he watched his reaction, getting away from him. Things only got even more amusing when Rosaria mentioned that, much to Jomari's own dismay, Jomari was a Geomancer. The desert he hated so much was, in fact, the element he should be more attuned with.

While it was true that Jomari had a very sharp tongue and didn't seem to have an ounce of respect towards others, it was undeniable that Nuallán was indeed finding his reactions entertaining. Especially after provoking him a bit. Regardless of how disrespectful Jomari was and how amusing it was to provoke him, Nuallán knew well that the trip through the desert was far from over and if he had any intentions of protecting his mistress and her guests should any danger arise, he would need every single bit of energy he could save. Besides, due to his position as Lady Rosaria's butler, Nuallán had to maintain his reputation as spotless and impeccable as his very image, something which would be hard to do if he made an habit of provoking Jomari.

---

As the sun began setting and the evening began, much to Nuallán's surprise, the temperature began to rapidly drop. While at first it was a good thing, a well deserved break from the heat, as the last bit of heat that the sand trapped from the scorching sun began to dissipate, the cool and refreshing climate began to get dangerously cold as the temperature showed no signal of stabilizing, instead only getting colder and colder.

It was only after much insistence from Rosaria and Mikazuki that Nuallán accepted to leave the first watch to them and it was only after they mentioned that they had some catching up to do that he reluctantly, accepted. He knew how close Rosaria and Mikazuki were and while it was his job to protect them, he didn't want to deny them some alone time for themselves.

Unfortunately, a small moment of carelessness was all it was needed for a disaster to happen. All it took was for Nuallán to let them have the first watch, give them a few hours of alone time for them to talk to their hearts content... Nuallán shouldn't have agreed with letting both of them taking the first watch, he should have been secretly watching them or at least he shouldn't had let his guard down and slept... But he didn't. For the first time, he had failed.

The moment he opened his eyes, still inside the tent, he knew there was something wrong. Even though he was undeniably tired as he laid down to sleep, he knew that Rosaria and Mikazuki would have to wake him up after some time for him to take the second watch. The moment they didn't, his brain refused to let him sleep even a second more and instead, made him wake up with an adrenaline rush.

Almost tearing the tent apart as he rushed outside with his sword already unsheathed, Nuallán quickly looked around him. The moment his eyes met Rosaria's bow, laid in the sand, Nuallán's heart sank. He felt his chest, his throat and his heart tightening as he frantically looked around, a deep sense of dread overcoming him as he saw the footsteps on the sand, each one of them going to a different direction. He had no way of knowing which one of them had taken Rosaria, no way of knowing what would happen to her.

Nuallán opened his mouth to try to speak, to warn the others but no sound came out. Instead, he simply let out a loud whistle, loud enough to echo through the empty desert as he looked to Jomari, Uzul and Kuroi. The calm expression and the pleasant smile that could always be found on Nuallán's face were gone, giving way to a cold expression unlike any other that Nuallán had made before and eyes that were enough to make anyone have nightmares.

Still without uttering a single word, Nuallán simply turned towards Uzul, Kuroi and Jomari as he pointed towards one of the group of footprints.

"...We split. I will go after those." Nuallán said as he pointed towards one group of footprints, his voice shaking in a low, menacing growl and his hand clearly trembling with anger and hatred as he did so. It seemed as if every second that passed, Nuallán grew more impatient and nervous.

Raising his sword, Nuallán quickly turned his wrists, making the reflection on the blade of his sword flash, waiting for two seconds and then doing it again.

"Flash once should you find Rosaria, twice if you find Mikazuki, thrice if you find both. Flash once and hold if you are going back to the camp with only one of them safe. Twice and hold if going back with both of them safe. Hold twice if going back by yourselves." he explained, telling them a simple and direct code to communicate with each other.

Without saying anything more, Nuallán turned towards the direction one group of footprints went and began walking at first, then trotting and finally running. It took a few moments for him to pick up speed, given how unfamiliar he was with the terrain but after a few seconds, when he seemed to finally get accustomed with the sand, he began running at full speed.

The Five Senses

Karina Frost

---

At first, Karina was genuinely worried Týfurkh walked inside together with the disguised soldiers. While the plan was undeniably a good one, it was still a very risky move for Týfurkh and the soldiers disguising themselves as cultists. The longer they stood inside, the bigger was the chance the sightless would realize there was something wrong.

"Come on... Come on! Where's that damn signal!?" Karina mumbled, carefully watching for the soldier that was going to signal them if their bait had worked.

Only a few seconds after, a cultist came out to stay on the lookout. The moment he did, Karina immediately recognized him as one of the disguised soldiers. A few seconds after, he stopped and adjusted his boots, the signal they had decided for them to do if their plan had worked.

Just as that happened, Chres quickly looked to Octavio, signalling that it was time for him to do his part of the plan. As Octavio began concentrating, one after another, illusions started forming outside of the church, their inflamed voices fanning the fire of rebellion among those who had also fell victims to the cultists.

Just as if a small ember was thrown in the middle of dry grass, soon after Octavio's illusions stopped speaking, more voices joined, agreeing and shouting. One after another, until there were enough people that it would be simply impossible for the cultists to ignore.

"Perfect. We need to act quickly if we want to take full advantage of the distraction." Karina said, nodding towards Chres and agreeing with him as he said for them to storm the back of the church while the angry mob Octavio had started would go for the front entrance.

Unfortunately, it appeared it wouldn't be as easy as they had thought. Despite the huge confusion going on in the front of the church, the cultists still had left four of them to be on the lookout on the back of the church.

Just a few steps behind Chres, Karina simply nodded as she unsheathed her rapier, a thin layer of ice forming around it's blade as she lunged towards one of the cultists.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

&

^{A collab between @13org and @SilverPaw}

---

Mayet couldn’t help but to let out a chuckle, shaking her head as she heard Munir’s reply to her and his small ‘introduction’ to Lady Mina, the red-headed noble from before. Always the smooth-talker, Mayet could already see how effective Munir’s honeyed words would be with the Caesonian women, should they not build a resistance to his charms as soon as possible.

Giving another glance back at her father and the Grand Vizier, Mayet let out a mischievous smirk, satisfied. It seemed that even now, more and more nobles continued to approach both of them. Despite how annoyed the Sultan was, it seemed like he would still have to face all those annoying nobles, something that Mayet did not envy. In fact, she couldn’t help but be satisfied on seeing the Sultan suffer like that, after the harsh words he directed at her.

Turning her attention towards Wulfric once more, Mayet noticed him observing her. Despite being less obvious than Mayet herself was when looking at him, she still noticed his stare. Just like Mayet herself, both his image, his posture and the very air around him made it clear that he was someone who carried himself with pride. Someone who knew exactly who he was and was proud of it, something which both of them had in common. Despite that, she could also see in his eyes the overwhelming curiosity and excitement in his eyes.

“Playing with fire is always a gamble, Prince Wulfric. It can warm you and bring you comfort, but it can also burn and scar you if you are not careful enough…” Mayet said as she looked at Wulfric, curiously watching his reaction to her words.

“Oh, I am aware,” his voice deepened, and the shift in his smile hinted at approval. He had the self-satisfied mien of someone whose expectations were being met - or surpassed.

“Hence why some people are comfortable in simply watching it from far away but others… Others are attracted by this danger… The thrilling sensation of gambling with your own life on the line… The thoughts of the wonderful rewards waiting for them, should their gamble be successful… I wonder which one of those you might be…”
she said, with a mischievous smirk as she looked straight into Wulfric’s eyes, almost as if she was trying to read his very soul.

The prince laughed; a slow chuckle from his chest and throat, air sharply exhaled through his nostrils, shoulders twitching with the gesture. It was unclear if the sound was truly startled from him or something he allowed to happen, but it did not last long, as Wulfric brought himself under control. “Excuse me, please,” he shook his head ruefully. “But it is as if you have read my very thoughts,” he explained, eyes still a tad narrower in pleasure.

Upon hearing Wulfric’s next words as he mentioned that her companion, Nala, suited her well, asking if they enjoyed hunting together and even inviting her for a hunting trip, Mayet couldn’t help herself but let out an amused smile.

“You are quite an observant man, Prince Wulfric… It seems you definitely took your time ‘studying’ me, didn’t you?” Mayet asked, curiously watching his reactions with an amused, provocative smirk as she gave a step forward and leaned forward, only making it even more obvious on how revealing her dress was.

“That I did,” he teased, with the tone of ‘you’ve caught me’. As he judged that Mayet wished to show off, he let his eyes sweep downwards, appraising her assets. For her sake, Wulfric issued a small hum of approval. He was perhaps equally curious about the material of her dress; some of it was akin to cotton gauze fabric, while the rest was likely silk. The colour and jewelry had been chosen well, and while the cut was unlike anything one might see in Caesonia, such was to be expected from Alidasht.

All in all, his inspection had taken but a few seconds, and he soon raised his gaze to a respective height, peering into the green-speckled hazel of her irises. He did shift his body to mirror her open position, leaning slightly into her space.

Mayet was amused by Prince Wulfric's reactions. He certainly seemed to be much more interesting than the rest of the nobles. From his laughter as she mentioned him being someone who liked danger to him not being reserved about observing her, letting his eye dance on her body as she leaned forward, his reactions were definitely amusing to Mayet.

"You are an interesting man, Prince Wulfric... Not many are courageous or foolish enough to openly observe and look at me the way you do..." Mayet said, looking to Wulfric with an amused expression. It was clear to him that Mayet wasn't offended but instead, she seemed to be satisfied.

“I’d prefer to be classified as the former, if it’s all the same to you,” he drawled, though the quirk of his lips and his raised eyebrow were signed that he was entertained rather than offended. Given that he hadn’t been clearly rebuked for his actions, he did believe his judgement of Mayet’s aim had been correct.

“While Nala might be well behaved, she is far from being a ‘tamed’ animal. I consider her as being my companion instead of my ‘pet’.” Mayet said with a chuckle as she gave a step back, patting Nala, whom despite being apparently calm, still kept a watchful eye on Wulfric.

At the change in the topic of conversation, he straightened back up, listening attentively. He glanced at the tiger - tigress - and saw it - her - watch him. “I assumed that might be the case,” he nodded. “Here, in the Northern Kingdoms, animals are generally treated either as tools or as pets. The bond you share with Nala is quite novel, though it may be typical for those of you hailing from Alidasht.”

“I first met Nala when I was 14, on my first hunt. The tigress we had hunted ended up having a cub and as the one who dealt the final blow, she was given to me as my ‘reward’. I have been raising Nala ever since. She has been my precious companion for quite a long time.” Mayet said as Wulfric mentioned the ‘bond’ she shared with Nala.

The prince hummed to show he was paying attention, but besides curiously tilting his head at the pair, observing them with new information in mind, didn’t comment further. If they did go on a hunting trip together at a later date, he would show her how hounds, horses, and bird of prey were sometimes used to assist in the procedure. At this point, however, he didn’t feel a need to mention any of those.

“I heard rumors saying that Caesonian nobles dislike such… barbaric hobbies such as hunting or sparring… It’s quite a pleasant surprise to see that these rumors are wrong!” she said with a satisfied smile, clearly appreciating Prince Wulfric’s invitation.

At the mention of a rumour, Wulfric huffed lightly. “Now that is most certainly false,” he shook his head in bemusement. “There are plenty who enjoy either hunting or combat - or both. Though there may be many others who do not,” he lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug.

"It seems like my stay on Caesonia won't be as boring as I previously thought it would be. Who knows... If the rumors I've heard are indeed false, Caesonia might have more in common with Alidasht than both me or my siblings might have thought." she said with a chuckle.

“Well, I certainly look forward to establishing…further commonalities,” though he did mostly mean that diplomatically, he’d put a certain emphasis on those last two words. It gave his statement a more personal, intimate touch. Though he did not intend to insinuate anything improper, it might have come across that way.

“I definitely look forward to our next hunting trip.” She said with a curious smile as she looked at Wulfric.

“So do I,” he affirmed, pleased his offer had been accepted. Adelard then quickly looked around the ballroom, judging the mood, and the time passed. Turning back to Mayet, he issued another invitation. “There should be time enough to partake in the feast before the transition to dancing. If you would agree to dine with me, I would be most glad,” he bowed perfunctorily, though gallantly. Acknowledging the tigress, he added, “Fresh meat would be brought for Nala as well, of course.”

Mayet couldn't help but let out a mischievous smirk as Wulfric mentioned that there should have some time for them to dine before the dance.

"That was a very smooth invitation. A dinner, undoubtedly followed by a dance, am I right?" Mayet asked with a chuckle, looking to him almost as if she had already discovered his 'plans'. According to her expression though, it seemed like having mentioned Nala and offered some food for her was a step on the correct direction as she seemed to be satisfied, both by the invitation and Prince Wulfric's offer to have some fresh meat for Nala.

“That is correct,” he acknowledged, inclining his head. “I had intended to ask for a dance,” he confirmed.

”I would be delighted to accept your invitation…Maybe even the other one too…." Mayet said with a mischievous expression towards Prince Wulfric.

The only indication that Wulfric was aware of what Mayet was referring to with her last remark was a light dusting of pink upon his cheeks. He realized he’d been a bit too in the flow of things to notice earlier, and had thoughtlessly implied something he usually wouldn’t have. Ignoring that, he verbally responded only to the first part of Mayet’s assent. “Wonderful. Shall we then?” he turned to sweep a hand to the food laden tables.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Early Evening
Location: Caesonia Castle Ball Room
Interactions: Wulfric @SilverPaw, Lorenzo @FunnyGuy, Munir @Infinite Cosmos, Layla @Potter, Nahir @Rodiak, Amir @Omni5876, Felix @Mole, Thea and Mina@Tae, Charlotte @princess
Mentions:

---

It was no secret among the Alidasht royal family that Mayet wasn't that close to Amir, at least not as close as she was with the other siblings. Their opinions diverged in far too many points for them to keep each other company without clashing. With that said, Mayet couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow, surprised as she saw Amir to step forward and start speaking. Something he normally avoided as much as he could. Unsurprisingly, Amir seemed to be quite committed to make the foreign nobles to see him in a favorable way, taking a neutral positioning regarding the situation and suggesting that they should simply forgive Duke Vikena, not even mentioning any further punishment.

Mayet didn't even try to hide her reaction to Amir's speech, rolling her eyes and letting out an audible sigh. Even if his intention was to deal with that entire situation in a diplomatic way, giving Duke Vikena a punishment was a matter of honor. They had to show that anyone who incurred Alidasht's wrath or wronged them would receive what they deserved, no matter who they were.

When her sister Nahir spoke, Mayet couldn't help but let out a smirk as she looked to her. Staying true to her position and fame, despite everything that was happening and the absolute chaos, she was still able to remain calm and also tried reach a diplomatic solution to the situation. Unlike Amir though, it was evident that she was as offended by what happened as Mayet and Layla were agreeing that no matter how the situation might be solved, Duke Vikena still deserved a punishment.

"Sister Nahir, you give me too much credit. He won't get away from his punishment so easily. To see this vermin put into his rightful place, crawling, is only a fitting apology for me, whose grandiose entrance was so rudely interrupted and ruined." she said, looking to the Duke almost as if she was looking to an insignificant insect.

"I am sure our dear sister Layla, the Grand Vizier and the Sultan have different plans for him. They might not be as merciful as I am, given what happened to them. Don't you think so, Duke Vikena?" Mayet finished as she looked to Duke Vikena with a cruel smirk of someone who had given him hope just to take it away again.

Just as she finished saying that, once again she heard the sound of clapping. Despite her warning, someone still had the audacity to clap. Immediately after hearing the sound, Mayet turned towards the poor noble who thought that clapping was a good idea. To everyone around Mayet, her expression and her eyes were a clear indication that something terribly bad was about to happen, should that clueless noble continue clapping.

Fortunately, for everyone involved, it seemed like he was clapping merely to draw attention. Something very dangerous seeing what had just happened but technically it worked. Not only he had Mayet's complete attention, but pretty much everyone around as well. Despite the terrible first impression he caused, he was undeniably good with his words. His approach was adequate enough for Mayet to give him another chance, despite the clapping. Truth be told, after hearing his proposal, Mayet was somewhat intrigued by it. While she wasn't sure if the Sultan, the Grand Vizier or even Layla would allow anything less than severe punishment for the actions of Duke Vikena, she was curious to see what that blonde noble had in mind.

"A tale...? Intriguing..." Mayet said, looking to the blonde noble with sharp eyes. Whether the attention the blonde noble had earned from Mayet was a good or a bad thing, only time would tell.

Before the blonde noble could say anything more, the Sultan suddenly spoke up, harshly reprimanding both Layla and Mayet hersef. Something that made Mayet extremely angry. Especially when he compared her to the Duke.

"Don't compare me to that vermin!" Mayet replied, clearly outraged as she pointed the huge ring-blade towards the Duke, swinging it without any difficulty despite it's size before she put it over her shoulder once again.


"Don't you think I deserve at least a proper apology after having my entrance ruined like that? Whatever punishment you will decide for him later is not for me to decide, but I won't stand being insulted like that! Me? Mistaken by a commoner?! A mere tamer?!" Mayet said to the Sultan, making her discontentment clear.

"Or would you expect me to simply lower my head after being insulted and humiliated? You know well I wasn't raised like that. You didn't raise me like that... Father." Mayet said, looking to the Sultan with a piercing stare.

Meanwhile, just after Mayet had finished to display her discontentment to Sultan's words, another noble approached the group. This time it was the same red-headed woman whom Munir was previously exchanging heated stares with. As she started to speak the red-headed noble mentioned how unfortunate Duke Vikena's life was, saying how he lost his wife recently and still fought to be accepted in the court. Despite her efforts to tell Duke Vikena's tragic story, Mayet didn't seem to care at all as she simply rolled her eyes. She didn't care if Duke Vikena had a tragic backstory or not. The fact that he insulted and humiliated them didn't change. While the situation that happened wasn't something that could be forgiven with just a pat on the back and a kind smile, Mayet still had her doubts upon accepting Charlotte as a servant. She simply couldn't see the logic in making someone else pay the price for the sins of another. But again, despite what she thought of that, accepting Charlotte as a servant or not wasn't her decision to take, besides, she had already spoken her mind about that.

Despite how serious the situation was though, it seemed like all the nobles from that ball were slowly approaching them, apparently seeing in that crisis, some sort of opportunity to make themselves known, earn good favor from the Sultan or try to at least express their apologies for the disastrous reception that the Alidasht party received. This time, the ones taking such 'opportunity' were the empty-headed girl and the ghost-like noble who had applauded them a while ago, before the entire problem with the Duke happened. Mayet couldn't help but simply sigh as she looked to the Sultan, which was clearly starting to get as annoyed as Mayet was with this entire situation.

Before any other noble had the brilliant idea to butt in, the Sultan finally looked to the Duke, asking himself what he had to say about all that mess.

The scene that unfurled in front of Mayet was nothing short of disgraceful. Nothing like the previous man whom entered the ballroom and insulted them with such confidence and arrogance, after everything that he heard, after realizing what he had done, the Duke simply crumbled, falling to his knees as he seemed to be unable to control his own feelings as tears began roll down his face and his daughter came to hug and console him. In the end, it turned out that it wasn't arrogance nor the story that the red-headed noble told about the Duke a lie in order to make others see him in a better light. Duke Vikena was simply a fool who ended speaking too much for his own good and was unfortunate enough to be exactly in the wrong place and in the wrong time.

Such display was so pathetic, so disgraceful that even Mayet ended up simply sighing as she looked away. Whatever she could do to that man wasn't worse than what he had done to himself. It was such a pitiful sight that Mayet's rage simply disappeared. Why would she waste her time and her patience with someone who didn't have a shred of self-respect or dignity? Words coming from someone like him had absolutely no weight, be them insults or praises.

Regardless of her feelings though, Mayet couldn't help but let out an acid, sarcastic chuckle once the Sultan said which would be the 'punishment' he had decided for Duke Vikena...

"... WHAT?! Father!? Are you serious?! A dinner? Once a week? Are you punishing him or giving him a reward for insulting us?! At least make him wash our dishes or something..." Mayet said, simply not believing what she had heard, before she walked towards Duke Vikena once again.

"Dignity and pride aren't things that are given to you, nor they are something that you are born with and can't be lost or taken away. They are things one must earn and conquer. Both with their words and their actions." Mayet said, looking to Duke Vikena with a cold, harsh expression. Unlike previously, there was less anger and rage on her face and instead, more pity and disgust.

"Raise your head. Understand and accept your mistakes and face the consequences for them with dignity and pride. Nobody will ever respect you, Duke Vikena, if you don't learn to respect yourself first. I don't want to see such a pathetic sight again, are we clear?" she said, with a cold stare towards him.

"With that said, regardless of this 'punishment' that was decided for you..." Mayet said, walking closer to Duke Vikena until she was just a few steps away from him.

"There won't be a second time, Duke Vikena. You should be very mindful of your words around me and my siblings..." She said, looking directly into his eyes before she turned away.

Both her tone and her eyes were more than enough to clearly tell that she wasn't making an empty threat. Despite her small size, those words and the stare she gave to the Duke were enough to send a chill down one's spine.

With the music starting again after the king and the queen's declaration, Mayet walked towards Nala, who was still agitated even with Munir calming her down, both given how agitated Mayet herself was, with many nobles were approaching them and the tension in the air.

"It's okay Nala, I'm calm, I'm fine..." Mayet said, hugging the huge tigress as she rubbed her face on Mayet.

"That is exactly why I don't use palanquins..." she said to Munir, with a mischievous smirk.

"Thanks for taking care of Nala." Mayet said, smiling towards him as Nala went to her side.

"Let's go, Nala. If any more nobles approach to try and gain some benefit from this situation, I'm afraid I'll tear them to shreds myself... Besides... I see someone that might be a bit more interesting than the rest of these nobles..." She said, as she walked towards Prince Wulfric.

With her eyes fixed on him, Mayet walked towards Wulfric with a confident stride, with both Nala by her side and carrying her weapon over her shoulder. Her intense, piercing gaze towards Wulfric was almost as if he was watching a predator stalking a prey.

"Prince Wulfric Danrose... That was the second time you surprised me since I entered this ballroom... You have earned my attention." She said, looking to him with a smirk and a wild curiosity in her eyes.

"Shehzadi Mayet Kadir." she said, in a brief introduction as she looked at Wulfric, her eyes seeming to analyze every bit of his body. From his clothes to his posture and even his movements.

The Friestan Incident, a Fantasy Sci-Fi Fusion RP

^{Interaction: Anki @Medili, Srikandi @Kumbaris, Zavim @Sanity43217, Fei Bai Ho @Shirly Swad,
Almira and Galmira @Kumbaris, Sumiye @King Cosmos, Garret @ShiningSector, Q-T @DracoLunaris}

---

Catherine couldn't help but to shrug, letting out a mischievous smirk as she heard the dragon mentioning that she was 'incompetent' regarding conversation, both completely unfazed and unsurprised by such words, as she herself had said before that she wasn't exactly an expert at diplomacy. While it was true that Catherine wasn't exactly known for her interpersonal skills, most of that was thanks to the fact that Catherine, had no qualms or even hesitated in simply stating the logical truth, no matter how cold or harsh it was. For her, feelings and the such were irrelevant details when compared to logic and truth.

What did surprise Catherine though was the strange logic that the dragon, Galmira, seemed to have as she mentioned Catherine's act of using the dead dragon's corpse as something 'disrespectful' and continued elaborating on it, saying that the 'code of dragons' wouldn't accept 'treacherous' means of combat and so on.

"Exactly Anki! Her logic does not make sense... at all... After all, I am quite certain that dragon wouldn't have any qualms in feeding on our dead corpses..." Catherine said, agreeing with Anki whom also seemed to be as confused as Catherine herself after hearing Galmira's words.

"There is no such thing as 'honorable combat' on nature. Predators will use of any means they have to secure their meals and the prey will do whatever they can in order to survive. Such is the fight for survival, the cycle of life..." she said, finding it extremely difficult to understand Galmira's words and the whole thing about the dragons' 'code of honor'.

"What could be considered unnatural was if we refused to make use of his body, despite having killed him... Or even if we willingly put ourselves in a disadvantage to try and fight with him instead of using every means we can in order to win... That would be akin to a rabbit to willingly jump inside a wolf's jaws..." she finished, shrugging, apparently giving up on understanding Galmira.

"So... I suppose I should give up on the idea of eating dragon tail steak tonight... right?" Catherine asked towards Anki, Srkiandi and Dumas in a low tone as Galmira turned to the other strange individuals that came with her.

"Talking about food... Someone should wake Fei Bai Ho up. He will probably still be feeling like crap, but at least there won't be any permanent damage to his nerves or organs." Catherine said as she fetched a small vial from inside her pockets with a clear liquid inside.

"Just open it and make Fei Bai Ho smell it. He should wake up right away." Catherine said, handing the vial to whomever might take it.

Just as Catherine finished saying that though, she noticed the dragon pointing towards her as she spoke to it's strange companions and the automaton and waved back at them with a smile, barely being able to hide her curiosity about them, including their origins, equipment their physiologies and even the strange automatons that they had brought with them. Fortunately, unlike the dragon, they didn't seem to display any particular hostility towards her or the group.

With possible conflict with the dragon woman not being a threat anymore, the same human that the dragon had talked with, approached the group, as she began to say something in Pataliputran. Which, unfortunately, wasn't one of the languages Catherine was very good at. She was able to read, write and even understand Pataliputran decently well, but she her pronounciation was simply terrible.

"Perfect! I can write, read and even understand some Pataliputran, but I always had trouble with speaking it." Catherine said, with a satisfied smile towards Srikandi, when she said she would translate their introductions to Almira.

"I'm Catherine Blackwood, an alchemist." Catherine said, in an extremely simple and straightforward introduction.

"Now, to the actual questions... I believe I overheard the dragon over there saying something about your 'wares'... Would you care to elaborate on that?" Catherine asked, looking to Srikandi and then to Almira with her eyes shining with curiosity and excitement.

"Was that meteor some kind of vehicle of yours? These automatons... are notably different from the ones the Kingdom of Oberia makes... the materials also seem to be quite unique! It seems to have some sort of artificial muscle fibers... Incredibly advanced ones at that as well!" she said, looking towards the red automaton, analyzing her with her eyes as she quickly approached her and began walking around Q-T, her curious eyes sweeping every centimeter of the automaton before she turned her attention back to Almira.

"Would you mind giving me a small sample of blood and maybe take part in some small tests? If we assume that you came from outside our planet, the fact that your physiology seems to be, at least superficially, identical to ours is quite intriguing to say the least!" Catherine continued, doing exactly the same of what she had done with Q-T but with Almira this time.

The endless stream of questions Catherine was throwing towards Almira and the strange automatons was already enough to make anyone dizzy, especially seeing how Catherine seemed to jump from one subject to another, and unfortunately, judging by the look on Catherine's expression, she was far from over with the questions and would definitely continue doing so, unless someone interrupted her.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Aldrakh
Interactions: Astra and Vrexen @FunnyGuy, Alaia @Alivefalling and Maeryn @princess
Mentions:

To be honest, Myra was a bit surprised that Vrexen accepted to travel together with the Dark Elf hunter and the pretty fairy girl. While she had already assumed Astra would accept, she was expecting Vrexen to be against the idea of travelling with them, so it came out as a surprise when he did so.

The dark elf hunter, whom introduced himself as Maeryn, not only seemed to be very reasonable, which reminded Myra of Astra herself. While the gesture he made, of offering his hand was a bit strange for Myra at first, she immediately remembered how Astra normally held other's hands and gave it a little shake when she was 'trading' with them. Assuming that was the same thing, Myra simply looked at Maeryn with a smile, deciding to trust him. The moment she took her own hand to shake his though, she remembered that she was still holding her shiny spheres, so instead of dropping them, Myra simply wrapped the tip of her tail on Maeryn's hand and gave it a small shake, trying to mimic what she had already seen Astra doing.

Knowing that they would be travelling together and that both Astra and Vrexen decided to trust them, Myra thought it was a good idea to try and at least see if the fairy girl was okay to be near with. Fortunately, the fairy girl didn't seem to agree with the idea of going to ask the orcs and instead waited besides Maeryn and quickly went to speak with her after Myra had finished 'evaluating' Maeryn as a potential new traveling companion. Once again, Myra got a bit confused by the fairy's behavior. Her instincts told her that there was something suspicious about her, but both her tone of voice and the way she approached her seemed to be friendly enough. Despite this dilemma, Myra decided to trust Astra and Vrexen's decision and simply greet hew new travelling companion, just as she did Maeryn.

While Myra was definitely still a bit wary about Alaia, she slowly approached her, sniffing the air around her and looking directly into her eyes, watching her movements as she did so. While Myra didn't know what a 'cutiepie' nor a 'puppy' were, Alaia's tone seemed to be similar to the tone of voice Astra sometimes used to praise her so, in return, Myra simply gave a smile towards Alaia, approaching her even further and, in a show of trust, delicately patting her head just like she had done with Vrexen and just like Astra often did with Myra herself, something which always made Myra happy.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Early Evening
Location: Caesonia Castle Ball Room
Interactions: Wulfric @SilverPaw, Leo Smithwood @Helo, Charlotte @princess, Lorenzo @FunnyGuy, Count Calbert Damien, Munir @Infinite Cosmos, Layla @Potter, Nahir @Rodiak, Amir @Omni5876
Mentions: Felix @Mole, Thea and Mina@Tae

---

Mayet could feel the stares of the Caesonian nobles on the Alidasht party as they walked down the ballroom. From fear and bewilderment to amazement and admiration. Few were those who were able to even open their mouths as they made their entrance and even fewer were those who dared to keep staring towards them for too long.

"It seems like our glory and might are too radiant for some of them to handle." Mayet said with an amused expression as she looked to her siblings with a proud, satisfied expression.

While there were some among the nobles who had a more negative reactions, Mayet simply didn't give them any attention. After all, there were people who were simply incapable of understanding true glory and greatness even if it hit them in the face. Besides, Mayet was simply better than those people. Those types didn't even deserve her attention.

Still, there were some reactions that were definitely surprising. One of which was the white haired, pale noble whose cold eyes not only met Mayet's gaze without looking away, but also raised his glass in a silent toast towards her. Being one of the few who were able to meet her gaze and not falter under it, he had already caught Mayet's interest, but his cold piercing gaze made him stood out from the rest. Curious enough to make Mayet let out a discreet but amused smirk as she looked at him, marking him as someone who would definitely be more entertaining than the other nobles.

The other nobles who caught her attention, albeit in a bad way, were the nobles who first had the audacity to clap to their entrance, treating them as if they were performers that acted simply to amuse and entertain others. Mayet did take special note of the nobles who did so. Did they even know what was happening? Mayet wasn't sure if they were drunk or got so excited by their grand entrance that they ended up forgetting their place and to pay their respects to the Alidasht royals... Regardless of their reason, they would soon learn to respect and fear Alidasht, especially Mayet.

With their grand entrance nearing it's end with the Alidasht royal party paying their respects to the hosts, Mayet couldn't help but roll her eyes and let out an mischievous smirk towards both Nahir and Munir as she noticed that both of them seemed to have already found some toys to play with among the other nobles.

"You are welcome, dear brother." Mayet said in a playful, teasing tone towards Munir as he looked towards a red haired noble, which seemed to be entranced both by him and Nala.

Her sister Layla's actions also caused her to let out and amused, satisfied smile, as she ordered some of the guards to raise her in their shoulders as she looked around, being sure everyone was able to see her. Just like Mayet herself, Layla made sure to let everyone present know their glory. Zilal, which seemed to be overjoyed to be near Layla, laying his head on her shoulder, gave Layla's image a 'dangerous' charm, which only made her presence even harder to ignore.

"Layla! You know how competitive I am... I'm almost feeling left behind! Not only you are already taller than I am but Zilal is absolutely stunning today!" Mayet said to Layla in a low, discreet tone as she gave her a playful smile.

From the almost solemn silence that their entrance caused to the reactions of the nobles and even the expression of the hosts, everything was going extremely well. Such grand entrance was only fitting for the mighty kingdom of Alidasht and especially Mayet herself. She was personally satisfied with her and Nala's parts on it too. That was... until a loud, irritating voice suddenly interrupted their entrance, announcing his own entrance in an obnoxiously loud and arrogant way seemingly unaware of the terrible mistake he made by interrupting their entrance.

Mayet's satisfaction and good mood after such a perfect entrance immediately turned sour as she looked at the foolish noble as he continued his little spectacle, despite the clear warnings he was being given. What was happening was such an absurdity for Mayet that she could only look, outraged and speechless, still finding it difficult to realize that was really happening. Not only he had the gall to interrupt their grand entrance and walk where they had walked, but he also had the audacity to call them commoners, refer to them as mere performers, going as far as to say that her and her sister Layla were mere tamers!

It was the first time Mayet had been so humiliated and insulted. Someone of her standing, someone as perfect as she was, mistaken by a commoner, a performer no less? Was that a plot by the Caesonian royals to ridicule them? It was utterly unbelievable that someone could purposely be so tactless as to act like that man did. Even his loud, uncouth and foolish behavior made Mayet find it incredibly hard to even believe he was a noble. Without missing a beat, Mayet immediately looked back towards the king and the queen. Her enraged expression and her dangerous stare were more than enough to send shivers down the spine of most people and were definitely enough to tell them how insulted she felt. The moment she did so though, she realized how nervous and distressed both the king and the queen seemed to be and the idea of all that being a plot to mock and humiliate them immediately disappeared. Her anger was then directed towards the only one responsible for all that mess... Duke Vikena.

Unfortunately for everyone present, Duke Vikena's antics were far from over, almost as if he wasn't satisfied of insulting and making a mockery of the Alidasht royals and their party. As he began to approach the chevron formation where the Sultan and his children were, Nala immediately began growling towards him in an incredibly dangerous way. Mayet, with her eyes and expression clearly showing an equal amount of danger as Nala did, was simply unable to calm Nala down, as she was almost dealing with that vermin herself. It was only thanks to Munir's interference, whom approached Nala to at least make sure she wouldn't rip that sorry excuse of a man to shreds that she stood down, despite the loud and dangerous growls.

When one of the guards finally decided to act as the "Duke" Vikena got dangerously close to the Sultan, charging towards the offender, the latter shifted his footing and ended up tripping the guard, whom ran right into one of the men who were holding the Grand Vizier and the Sultan's palanquins. After an unfortunate chain of events, both the Grand Vizier, the Sultan Raif Kadir and her sister, Layla, who was standing on the shoulders of two guards ended up falling on the ground. Only to further aggravate the offenses that were already made to the Sultan and the Alidasht royal family until now. The ballroom became completely silent, no one dared to even open their mouths after what happened. No one other than the foolish Duke Vikena, of course, whom despite all that, still went towards the king and the queen to present himself.

"You! Bring me my weapon... Now." Mayet said, in a dangerously low tone towards one of the dancers, which was standing completely still, almost as if she was trying to become invisible. The woman, after seeing everything that happened was almost completely pale, her eyes open wide as she covered her mouth, unable even to breathe properly.

Immediately after hearing Mayet's orders, the dancer nervously nodded her head as she hurriedly ran outside, going towards the carriage where they came in. Not even the guards had the courage of stopping the dancer, seeing how angry Mayet was at the moment.

Unsurprisingly, Mayet wasn't the only one that was fuming with anger. The Grand Vizier was the first to let everyone know how outraged he was. While Mayet didn't really like the Grand Vizier that much, she could totally understand his anger. After all, if she was on his place, she would want to kill the one responsible for that herself...

While the Sultan Raif Kadir was able to contain his feelings a bit better than the Grand Vizier, it was clearly evident by both his tone and his hands that he was dangerously angry. Fortunately, the king himself seemed to understand that very well, even bowing down and apologizing. Such a scene once again confirmed to Mayet that King Edin was also an unfortunate victim of Duke Vikena's ignorant behavior.

With the proper apologies being given by the hosts, there was only the punishment of Duke Vikena left to discuss. Which was something Mayet was sure that not only her and her sister Layla but the Grand Vizier and the Sultan themselves would also demand. He had to pay for his behavior. He would be made an example to the other nobles. An example of what awaited those who wronged Alidasht.

When one of the nobles around suddenly started speaking, trying to defuse the situation and blame everything on a random servant, Mayet simply couldn't stay quiet. As the room started to erupt in applause, encouraged by that insignificant nobody, Mayet could only feel even more mocked and ridiculed.

"I DEMAND SILENCE!" Mayet shouted, just after the people began applauding, followed by another loud roar from Nala, who was visibly agitated and still being held by Munir, who kept trying to calm her down. Unfortunately, unlike Nala, there was no one trying to calm Mayet down.

"Do not treat us like some street performers that act for your own amusement! Applause, especially after such humiliation can only be seen as an insult!" she said, looking around to the nobles that dared to applaud with a fiery, dangerous stare.

"You... Whoever you are, you would do well to be very careful with your words... Or better, just keep your mouth shut. " Mayet said, looking towards the noble who first suggested the applause with a piercing, fiery gaze.

"Not only we were humiliated by that sorry excuse of a noble, but you now are insulting our intelligence, saying that it was 'someone else' who is to blame for all this? Or are you trying to insult our soldiers and our military force, saying they were the ones to blame?" Mayet asked, looking towards Count Calbert with a clearly insulted expression.

"The Sultan's words are Alidasht's words. We demand retribution." Mayet said, with a fierce stare as she looked at both Count Calbert and the King, whom had also entertained the Count's suggestion for the applause.

It was at this exact moment that a pale, delicate looking woman approached them, introducing herself as Charlotte Vikena, presumably Duke Vikena's daughter. Despite her shaky voice and visible nervousness, Charlotte still knelt down, trying to take the blame for her father's foolish behavior, even though she was nowhere near him when Duke Vikena started to insult them.

Looking at that girl was almost as if she was looking to a rabbit that was about to be eaten by wolves. Despite her frail appearance and evident nervousness though, she still was brave enough to step forward and take the blame for her foolish father, something that Mayet could definitely respect.

Much to Charlotte's own dismay though, the one who laid eyes on her was no one other than Layla herself and Mayet knew very well how cruel her older sister could be to those who had incurred her wrath. Her expression and her words as she approached Charlotte were certain to give the frail, porcelain-doll looking girl nightmares.

Before Mayet could intervene though, a red headed noble approached them, more specifically her sister, Layla. Despite the excessive flattery, his polite approach was appreciated, paying the proper respects Layla deserved as a Shehzadi. But just like the other noble before him, he too tried selling them a ridiculous excuse, this time blaming everything on the servants, whom according to him, over-polished the floor.

"Leo Smithwood, Heir of Stravy, do not insult our intelligence with such ridiculous excuses." Mayet said, with a piercing stare towards the red headed noble, clearly referring to what she had just said a few moments ago to Count Calbert.

Surprisingly enough, the same noble whom had piqued her interest a few moments ago, the white haired noble with cold eyes approached them, introducing himself in typical Alidasht manner, much like Leo Smithwood did. Prince Wulfric was the first Caesonian noble that gave a reasonable suggestion since all that confusion began. Much to Mayet's own surprise, not only his thoughts were similar to hers, but he was surprisingly good looking, despite his extremely pale skin. Mayet intended to let him know that she was satisfied with him as she gave him a nod of approval, despite the tense situation they were in and how on edge Mayet was at the moment.

It was at that exact moment that the poor dancer whom Mayet had sent to get her weapon finally arrived. Still sweating and extremely nervous, the girl handed the weapon, which was wrapped around a silk cloth in order to protect the blade, to Mayet which she received with a nod, before sending the girl outside with a wave of her hand. The poor girl would probably pass out if she got any more nervous than she already was.

"I make of Prince Wulfric's words my own. Your frail daughter, despite being nervous and afraid, has thrown herself to the lions in order to save your pathetic self, Duke Vikena." Mayet said, being sure her sister Layla was hearing her words and trying to redirect her anger towards the one who was truly responsible for that instead of Charlotte, which seemed to be guilty only of having someone as incompetent as Duke Vikena as her guardian.

As she approached Duke Vikena, she started to take out the silk cloth from around her weapon, revealing a big, razor sharp, ring-blade. Despite it's simple design, the exotic weapon was adorned with complex, golden patterns inside, a clear indication of Mayet's personal touch to the weapon.

Holding the ring-blade over her shoulder, she walked towards Duke Vikena, with a vicious look on her face.

"If we were on Alidasht, I would have your mouth sewn shut for your insolent behavior or have you thrown into the desert and force you to walk back with only the clothes you were wearing... But in respect to our hosts who seem to also be victims of your inexcusable behavior, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself." Mayet said in a dangerously low tone towards Duke Vikena.

"You, who seem to put so much importance on your own self, arrogant enough to interrupt and insult the Alidasht royal party on their own grand entrance..." Mayet said with a piercing stare.

"You will grovel! Kneel, put yourself where you belong and beg for our forgiveness. Accept the consequences for your own actions, whichever they might be and at least keep what remained of your own honor after letting your poor daughter take the blame for your foolish mistakes..." Mayet said, as she approached Duke Vikena,

"Or refuse to atone for your mistakes and face my wrath. Now choose, Duke Vikena." Mayet finished, both her authoritative tone and her presence exerting a pressure which was surprising to see from someone so young and petite like her.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Time: Early Evening
Location: Caesonia Castle Ball Room
Interactions: Too many to tag lol

---

The beginning of the trip to Caesonia for Mayet and the rest of the Alidasht's royals was marked by Nala's annoyed growls, which, unsurprisingly, summed up Mayet's own feelings pretty well as both of them weren't that good with long, boring trips. Especially by ship... As they boarded the ship that would take them to Caesonia, both of them immediately headed towards the room Mayet had demanded especially for herself and Nala, filled with the finest and softest silk pillows in Alidasht and all the comforts she could ask for the trip, including aromatic incenses and even fresh food for her and Nala. Still, despite all that, it didn't change the fact that the trip was still quite a hassle and both of them were already annoyed by it, even though it had barely begun.

"Believe-me Nala, I hate traveling by ship as much as you do..." Mayet said with an annoyed sigh as she laid down on the pillows, shortly followed by Nala, who laid down just besides Mayet, letting out a soft, annoyed growl, much like Mayet's own sigh.

"At least it will be worth it once we arrive. I've been told that one of the biggest reasons for this ball being held is to welcome our arrival in Caesonia and according to the rumors, the Caesonian royals do know how to treat their guests of honor very well." Mayet said with a smile, just as Nala gave a soft growl, letting her head fall on top of Mayet's lap.

"You are so cute when you act spoiled like that! Come here, just lay down and relax so you wont get seasick. If you're feeling fine later, we can go stretch our legs, maybe even visit Layla's room, okay?" Mayet said, hugging Nala for a moment before she began to softly caress Nala's head.

---

Just like the rumors and the stories she had heard, the Caesonia Castle, more specifically it's ballroom, didn't fail to impress. While the architecture was very different to the preferred style on Alidasht, it was undeniable that it couldn't be called anything other than a masterpiece. Both the architecture of the building itself and how the interior was decorated seemed to be prepared with painstaking effort. Even those who disliked that style of architecture couldn't help but admire it. The interior definitely did not betray the expectations from those who saw it from the outside. From the beautiful, vibrant blue curtains and the gilded structures which decorated each pillar to the musicians playing and even how every single torch seemed to be placed in order to not only make the corridor well lit, but to further highlight the details and beauty of the halls and the ballroom. It almost made the long and boring trip worth it.

"So the rumors weren't just exaggeration after all! The Caesonian Ballroom is surely a marvel to look at." Mayet said to herself as she walked through the halls together with her siblings, following the Sultan and the Grand Vizier, just a few steps behind in a V formation.

"And to think all of this was prepared to welcome our stay on Caesonia..." Mayet said with a satisfied smile.

"Well... It would be rude to disappoint them, wouldn't it? After all, they prepared all this for us. Let them bask in Alidasht's glorious presence!" Mayet said with a confident smile as she looked to Layla, just as the doors to the ballroom opened and their entourage began entering.

"Don't worry Amir, I'll be sure to steal your spotlight!" Mayet said with a mischievous smile, teasing Amir, whom she knew well didn't like being the center of attentions.

"And Munir, Nahir... Please behave yourselves... Especially among other women and men." she said with a teasing grin towards both of them. Both Munir and Nahir by themselves were already too good at partying... When both of them were together... Things tended to quickly get out of hand...

Unlike the Sultan and the Grand Vizier, Mayet didn't chose to be carried on a palanquin. Instead, she chose to walk besides Nala. Those watching could easily imagine Mayet mounting the huge tigress, seeing it's impressive size compared to the rather petite Mayet. The tigress carried herself with pride, never leaving Mayer's side as she looked to the people around them with a fierce expression, a clear warning against those who dared to approach Mayet without her consent.

The beautiful midnight blue dress she wore not only highlighted her body due to the revealing and figure-hugging design, but the darker color also seemed to complement both her skin tone and the multitude of golden jewelry she wore incredibly well. Every step she gave exuded power and confidence. The confidence of a woman who knew who she was, of someone who carried herself with the pride of a royal. Her presence was almost palpable as she walked through the ballroom, despite her size and being one of the youngest children of the Sultan. Her posture, her expression and even her fiery, piercing gaze as she looked around the ballroom, the weight of her stare enough to make most people have the reflex of look away when their eyes met. Those who resisted said reflex and stared back earned a small, discreet, but curious smile from Mayet.

"Nala, let them know... We have arrived." Mayet said giving a glance to Nala, whom immediately gave a few steps forward and roared, loud enough to almost drown the music on the background before she calmly walked back to her position besides Mayet.

Following such entrance, Mayet gave a short, half-bow towards the Caesonia king and queen, just enough to not be considered a disrespect towards the hosts, but a clear indication that she did not see herself as less than anyone on the room. Regardless of their position, age or gender.

Avalia

Time: Dusk
Location: Desert
Interactions: Rosaria @Potter , Jomari @baraquiel, Mikazuki @Tae, Uzul @dragonpiece, Kuroi @hide on mana
Mentions:

Nuallán heard Uzul's explanation in silence, paying attention to his words. Even if he couldn't be sure of Uzul as an ally, seeing both his past and his reasons to guide them, he was still experienced in moving through such harsh lands. And experience was something the entire group needed more than anything as it became evident when Uzul warned them about the venomous animals that lived on the desert and the danger they could pose to the group and warning that it was almost certain that there would be dangerous animals on the oasis they would be stopping through their desert trip. Truth be told, that idea was undeniably worrisome. Not only they would be fighting on unfamiliar terrain and uneven terrain, Nuallán didn't know much outside the basic knowledge about the creatures that lived on the desert. Fortunately, he didn't seem to be the only one able to fight. Uzul seemed to be capable and experienced enough himself and he was sure that Kuroi, who joined the team a bit later, was also capable enough to take care of himself, judging by the way he moved himself and his eyes, which were still sharp despite being behind a mask, keeping a watchful gaze over everything around him, both the terrain and his own 'allies'. Just the type of person Nuallán himself would be incredibly wary of, should he not be Princess Mikazuki's close ally, that it.

As he heard Princess Mikazuki's reply and watched as she offered her spot under the parasol for someone else, Nuallán couldn't help but let out a discreet smile. It was no wonder that his mistress and Princess Mikazuki were such close friends. They were both incredibly kind, understanding and humble.

When she mentioned Jomari though, Nuallán couldn't help but to look at him with a mischievous smirk for a brief moment, before his expression suddenly changed his expression to the practiced, calm smile he always had.

"Mistress Rosaria and Princess Mika- Mikazuki's guests are my guests. I would be glad to offer you a spot under the parasol, should you want to rest from the sun for a bit." Nuallán said with a slight bow, definitely teasing Jomari, with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he did so.

"Mistress Rosaria, Princess Mikazu-" Nuallán began to say before he stopped himself, remembering her request to call her simply 'Mika' and still a bit uncomfortable on treating a royal by her nickname.

"Mikazuki, we should avoid any possible conflict with local fauna, in order to conserve our strength." Nuallán said, finally deciding on partially attending her request, dropping the title but refusing to address her by her nickname, out of respect.

"But should we find ourselves in a situation where conflict is unavoidable, I would ask that Mistress Rosaria and Princess Mikazuki to not put themselves into danger. Despite the uneven footing and the unknown terrain, I am confident that I can still fight well enough to protect our group. Or at least to buy some time." Nuallán said, bowing his head towards Mikazuki and Rosaria as he said so.

As Princess Mikazuki approached Kuroi to talk to him, Nuallán couldn't help but to lean towards Rosaria with a smile on his face.

"Once again I am reminded why you two are such close friends. She is kind and humble, just as you are, my lady." he said with a kind smile on his expression towards Rosaria.