Time: Early Evening
Location: Caesonia Ballroom
Interaction: @Infinite CosmosThe trip from Kolonivka to Sorian was always a long one and Mina was never entirely fond of it, but this time she had something to look forward to. The fact that the Alidasht kingdom had been invited to join the season this year was something she was quite excited about. Through her studies and love of books she’d always found the exotic continent of Alidasht quite interesting. The difference in their culture and customs was quite interesting and now she was to interact with them firsthand.
They were only an hour or so from the castle now and Mina had closed her book she’d been reading to stare out the window of the carriage. The difference in scenery from Kolonivka to Sorian was always something that she found interesting. There were no snow capped mountains, it was full of sunshine and green, and it was much warmer as well. The heat wouldn’t be so terrible if it weren’t for the humid climate that came with it. Thankfully they would still have a couple weeks before it got too unbearable for her. At that point she would be longing for the mountains and the cool air.
”Mina, darling, that sun is becoming quite unbearable for me. Would it be okay if we closed the curtains?” The voice of Count Sebastian Blackwood, Mina’s beloved uncle, hit her ears and she found herself glancing sideways at her uncle. He had his eyes closed and was rubbing at his temples as if he were trying to ward off a headache. She took one more glance outside before closing the curtain, causing the inside of the carriage to become quite dark minus the candles they had burning to provide some light.
He’s looking so pale, I wonder… Mina thought to herself as she looked her uncle over.
”Did you take it this morning?” She asked him and he quickly began waving her off.
”You fret too much over me Mina. I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep well last night.” Her eyes narrowed at him and her jaw clenched slightly. He always wished for her to not fret over him, but he failed to realize that he was all she had left in this world and his health was important to her. If he wasn’t taking what he needed to keep up his strength and stay healthy then she would make him.
She quickly snatched up the satchel that was beside him which he in turn quickly tried to snatch back, but she smacked his hand away. She dug through the satchel until she found several vials and began counting them. A flash of irritation crossed her features as she quickly looked up at the man in front of her who was now trying to avoid eye contact.
”For God’s sake, Uncle, you know tonight is important and you need to be well for it. I know you hate it, but this is what life is right now until we can solve this. So you will take these right now with no complaints and then you will take a second dose before we head down to the ball tonight, do you understand?” One may be appalled at the commanding tone she used when speaking to her elder, but many didn’t realize that Sebastian viewed his adopted daughter as an equal to him and he’d raised her to be strong and commanding. Truly he was proud of the woman she’d become.
She’d thrust her hand out towards him with two vials and he sheepishly took them from her. He stared at the liquid for a long moment before speaking once more.
”It’s getting worse, Mina.” The red haired woman’s face softened and a small moment of sadness appeared in her eyes as she closed them and fought back tears. When she opened them again she reached forward and gently took his empty hand.
”I know. We’ll figure this out soon, I promise.” It took everything in her to keep her voice from breaking. Finally the Count let go of Mina’s hand, uncorked the viles, and downed the contents.
They’d arrived the the Caesonian castle without anymore issue and were led to the suites they were always given to stay in. Mina was thankful for the consistency as the familiarity of the rooms helped her feel a bit more at home. They had some time to settle in before they were to get ready for the ball. Mina had chosen a
black chiffon dress that had an open back and intricate lace sleeves that were sheer and fitted. Down the center of the front was the same sheer lace that left one wondering if there was a piece of cloth that matched her skin tone perfectly or if it was a bit more risque. Her hair was pulled back into a
loose messy braid that was pulled over her right shoulder. Adorning her neck was a black choker necklace that had
a white, oval gem in the center surrounded by two crescent moons. If one were to look closer at that gem they would notice a pretty little spider encased within it.
Once she was ready, she took one last look at herself in the mirror.
Alright Mina, no worries tonight. Focus on having some fun for once, you deserve it. She thought to herself with a sigh before emerging from her room to find her uncle waiting on her.
”Mina, you look absolutely lovely.” He said to her as he held out her arm. She gave him a thankful smile, but was actually assessing the state of him. He looked much better than he did earlier, not near as pale, and it brought her some relief as she linked her arm in his. It seemed he actually took the dose like she told him to and that fact alone lifted some worries off her shoulders.
They entered the ballroom shortly after the two duchesses of Varian and their family, utilizing the distraction to go fairly unnoticed by most. Neither of them liked being in the spotlight too often, but they would accept it if it happened. Once inside, the Count leaned over to his niece to whisper in her ear.
”I’m going to go speak with friends I haven’t seen in a long time. You should go have some fun and don’t worry about me as I’m feeling just fine.” With that he left his niece to stare after him, worry still crossing her face even though he told her not to. She couldn’t help it, she had a feeling she would always worry about her uncle.
After a moment longer of watching him, Mina decided to find herself a drink and stand to the side to people watch as she often liked to do. She gave a friendly smile and a greeting to a few people that approached her, but they never stuck around for long as they were social creatures and Mina currently didn’t have to be. She did keep her eyes open for a few specific people, however, like her dear friend Dr. John Williamson. She spotted him and considered briefly going to say hello, but it seemed he’d found someone to interact with so she held off. There would be plenty of time to find him later.
She also noted Lord Roman, another friend of hers, had also joined this time, which surprised Mina a little. He hadn’t seemed like one to ever wish to come to this big court gathering, yet here he was. She made another mental note to visit with him as well.
She then found her eyes scanning for another she hadn’t seen in a very long time, Lady Charlotte Vikena. When they were younger, the two would exchange book recommendations and discuss the different books they’d read. Mina had truly enjoyed the girl's company, but she’d been so guarded at the time she didn’t allow herself to grow too close to the girl. So, unfortunately, their communication was limited to the times they would see each other at court. Mina had heard, however, that the girl had lost her mother over the last year and it had caused Mina to worry how she was doing. She knew that her stepfather loved her dearly, but the poor man had a rough time at court. She remembered the ferret incident and many weren’t fond of the creature. Mina had found it rather cute, but unfortunately her word mattered little at the time. She only hoped they were doing well.
As she was scanning the room for Charlotte, the highly anticipated guest seemed to arrive. The theatrics of the Alidasht party were surprising, yet Mina found it quite delightful, especially since she knew King Danrose would not be thrilled about being shown up on theatrics. In fact, she briefly glanced at the King just to see his reaction. She had to give him props for keeping a fairly pleasant face, but it was evident to her by a tiny twitch of his eye that he was secretly fuming. She wanted to praise the Alidasht even more after that.
Her eyes fell back on the party as she took in each person she figured to be the royals.The first one she saw was a woman directly to the side of the Sultan was absolutely stunning with light green eyes that contrasted with her beautiful tan skin. Next to her was an equally handsome man, however he looked so stern and cold. She knew his appearance would intimidate many in the room. Then there was another woman with almost golden colored eyes and beautiful hair. Just like her other two siblings, she was absolutely stunning.
On the other side of the Sultan her eyes fell on a smaller woman dressed in a beautiful outfit that just enhanced her own beauty. Then she saw a dark tiger and Mina only had a moment to marvel at the creature when she felt eyes upon her. Her eyes met those of the man, noting his expression, and she found a smirk of her own spreading across her lips. The tiger roared, but Mina didn’t even flinch as she continued the silent, seductive staring competition, even going as far as to obviously look him over. The rim of her wine glass met her smirking lips as she took a sip. She maintained eye contact for a moment more before looking away, feigning boredom, yet the smirk was still there. Perhaps this would be a fun night after all.
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