Fantasy Rags and Riches

[Elle Joyner]

((ugh... this not getting notifications thing is getting SO old ))


It was the night of the ball, and Bronwen was feeling less than prepared for her brief foray into high society. Despite having gotten the gown for a steal (quite literally... she wasn't entirely convinced it had been paid for at all), and the girls had gotten together hours before hand to help her with her hair, but as she made her way towards the gates of High City she couldn't help but feel like a black sheep, standing out in the worst of ways.


The dress was golden in hue, with a cream colored ribbon around the waist and delicate pearl work along the collar and hemline. It worked well enough, she supposed, with her skin tone and hair color, but she knew nothing about these things and felt a little bit like a dressed-up dog.


The girls, of course, had insisted she was beautiful... and Bronwen was hardly self-deprecating, but if she was to draw attention to herself, she had serious doubts it would be for any other reason than how terribly out of place she appeared. Still, she walked with her head up, refusing to let her abject lack of confidence show. She could tremble inside, but the fools on their high-horses would only ever hear her roar. She would be a lioness... and she would show them the salt of those they tried so desperately to pretend did not exist. She would not be the thing beneath their heel, tonight.


Entering the palace, chin up, eyes focused, Bronwen gave her name to the Page by the door, only half listening as he introduced her, before she made her way to where the food had been set out... too much food. Food that could feed her people for a year, carelessly kept, no doubt going to waste. Frustrating building in her chest, she grabbed a bunch of grapes and turned to face the crowd, letting her gaze travel among them, while she ate.


~~


Three gowns. Cressida had gone through three stunning gowns of the purest purples, before she had finally be appeased, and even then, she was hardly impressed with the quality. The Queen would barely recognize her, and that was simply unacceptable. But mother had begun to make faces and even Cressida knew her limits, so she had resisted the urge to demand a fourth, and returned to her chamber to be put together by her maids.


Twelve and a half hours later, she was a glistening pearl in a sea of swine... her elegant lilac skirts easily the fullest, her bust line the most ornate, her hair pulled away from her face, perfectly pinned with stunning sapphire combs. There would be no chance that anyone would confuse her with the riffraff and that, really, was all she had wanted.


She sat in a small canopied corner in the grand ball room, sitting straight upright on a plush cushioned chair, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her head held high as she tried and failed with all her might not to scowl at the people passing by. It was a circus... No matter how you dressed them up, vermin were still were still vermin, and dinner with rats was hardly a social inclination of hers.

 

[Lost Girl]

Alice had spent most of her time glancing over at couple who struck her as interesting. She watched them closely from her spot along the side of the dancefloor, as they danced, glancing away from time to time to keep her interest unobivious , but her curiousity always brought her back to the same spot. A tall dark man dancing along side a young women, who from the look of her seemed to be searching for something else and clearly was having little luck in the matter. It struck her as fimilar in some odd way, as something that she had seen before, but she couldn't remember why. She hadn't been to many balls in her life, but for some reason this sinario seemed odd. Perhapes, more odd than usually. They were just dancing, nothing risky or daring, but it made Alice nerves tense up for some reason. She went over the idea a few times in her head as she watched them cut across the dance floor, to near the balcony, where it was harder to spot them from her current position.


She might as well have left to focus on more important things, but her curiousity gravitated towards the two dancers and once she was curious, there was no stopping the young girl. Alice blended into the dancers as she made her way across the hall, sweeping gracefully across the floor until she was close enough to see them again. She barely glanced over at the king and queen when they made there grand enterance, she thought it was foolish to place everyone in maskes, but let yourself show off as higher. It was surprising to her that they were even masked at all. She hardly cared for them at the moment, she felt their affection was impossible to gain and competing with a hundred other strangers seemed worse than competing with her brother. Besides, her brother must be in here as well somewhere, no mask or act would be able to hide from her. She had watched him fight and speak since the moment she was born, she knew him in some ways better than he knew himself. Then again, if he ever saw her practicing her own arts than he would know her better than she could ever understand.


Alice's thoughts grew quiet for a moment as her attention was brought back to the dancers, who had now stopped dancing. The girl seemed stressed for some reason, but passed a normal level of stress, as far as Alice could tell their was something that she wasn't seeing. Some part of the puzzle was missing, and than she remembered. 'My painting?' The thought came to her of why this all seemed fimilar, but it seemed childish to beleive that she thought something was off beacuse of a picture she created in her garden when she was trying to pass the time. Part of her was fighting that it couldn't possibly be like that, but the other part cried out that it couldn't be anything else. She bit down on her lip, calculating in her mind what might be, but she doubted she had much time to act either way. If she got it wrong, than she would be causing more trouble than it was worth, but really either way would be trouble for herself. She was basing everything off a suspition, a fantasy, in more ways than one she really was a child.


With a deep breath, allowing her body to relax and a charming fake smile to form across her lips, Alice started to walk over the couple. Hoping, in some part of her mind, that she was completely wrong. That every thought that she had was childish, that her painting was childish, that she was an idiot. It would be so much simpliar if that she the case, but the girls expression was starting to comfirm her thoughts in her mind and she couldn't turn around now. She grabbed a glass of wine as she made her way over and took a gulp so it would look partly drunk. It gave her a slight buzz as she moved, but it wasn't enough to muddle with her mind. She hoped that the glass would make her seemed like she had been drinking all night, if her suspitions were correct it could be a benifit to her to look helpless.


She came up beside the two of them politly inturupting them with a graceful bow of her head. She spoke clearly in the manor of someone who was higher born, her words soft and kind in nature. "Im quite sorry to interupt you two, but I was simply enthralled by your dancing. If your partner doesn't mind, I would simply love to have the next dance?" Alice was good at making herself seem nievee, she hoped that her chance to dance wouldn't be regetted. She glanced over at the girl, trying to see if the girls eyes would tell her anything. If the girl looked closely enough prehapes she could tell that Alice suspected something was strange. Or prehapes the night would continue as it did before, without any excitement or trouble. With Alice, as a wallflower with only her thoughts keeping her from her everlasting curiousity, but than again some part of her hoped that things would be much more exciting than that.

 

[Nightfang]

Seraphim kept his hand near his sword when he saw the dark stranger enter the ball grounds. He had seen enough assassins to know their type by the way they walked, but hopefully this one wouldn't be on a job. Blast, where was Sean when you needed him. He signaled urgently to one of the servants.


"Find my brother, I have a request for him," He hissed.


He was surprised when the assassin made a beeline for Lady Beaumont, judging by the necklace. He remembered trying to buy it from her once, but she insisted on keeping it for her daughter one day. Chimera? Chimere? Anyway, his scouts had informed him she was writing to a rival family, but had doubted her mother would be one of the first targets, unless a bigger game was afoot. Seraph growled and made ready to intercept them when he was approached by a fair haired lady in a golden dress.


"My Lord, what a great clothing you are wearing tonight."


Seraphim chuckled at her question, well nobody had said that yet. He tipped his head slightly in her direction.


"You flatter me m'lady. I hope you don't mind but I was just going to the balcony, perhaps you'll join me?" As he walked he began thinking up a plan. "Of course that means I need to review the situation." He muttered under his breath.


An assassin enters and addresses a lady of the Beaumont family, wearing no jewelry but an eye-catching necklace. It was probably a sign for somebody specific. Then there was the letters, perhaps the younger lady was a traitor. Now of course his brother is missing so there's no way to find the truth in time, not to mention the golden haired lady following him.


"Of course!" He cried as they stepped onto the balcony, there was a commotion behind him and he turned to see the king and queen enter. "M'lady, I don't believe I caught your name." He commented, already inventing a plan.

 

[Kattz]

"Im quite sorry to interupt you two, but I was simply enthralled by your dancing. If your partner doesn't mind, I would simply love to have the next dance?" Chimere turned to see a girl in white politely bow to them. Her soft voice sounded familiar, but that wasn't her concern at the moment. She could get herself, or both of them, killed.


"But still..." Chimere thought to herself. "That voice sounds so familiar. And her timing is suspicious." Chimere glanced around at the crowds all turning to face the masked couple that was so obviously the King and Queen.


"No my lady, it is I who must apologize for you see, I think I have found my one true love and wish to spend every moment that I can with her." The assassin eloquently said. Chimere's face was rather passive until that point when she shot him a murderous glare. She received a sharp poke with the blade that was hidden between them as a result.


She had been racking her brain throughout the while trying to figure out what had been bugging her about the girl. "It couldn't be Alice could it? No, that's ridiculous." In reality she knew that the girl's voice, body type, choice of clothing, and reckless disregard for her own life in respect for another's matched the princess who she had come to know over the various times that their families had met with each other. In reality, Chimere was just upset that she was able to recognize Alice better than her own blood relation whom she had been searching for that night.


Chimere was taken from her thoughts and smiled as she glimpsed an angry Lyla making her way towards them with a very distraught suitor in tow. She smiled to herself and gave Alice an understanding look to let her know that she knew that she knew what was going on. A plan began to formulate in her mind as the King began his speech.

 

[TGrape]

Alexander was actually surprised to hear that, he had not realized the extent that the lower class had lost trust in the Royal Family. He watched his mother and father walking through the crowd, begrudgingly hand in hand. Although he could not see their faces, he could see their stiffness and rigidity as they walked slowly around the room. They would take a good fifteen to twenty minutes to promenade around the space and reach the podium where the King would make his announcement.


He looked over the dancers, watching as they weaved in and out of the path of the Queen and King. He noticed his sister, he could tell by the way she seemed to float on air, her artistic nature showing through whatever she wore. He could always tell his sister apart from a crowd, almost as if they were twins.


He watched as she floated next to a fine couple, a tall man in dark, and a woman in finery and jewels. He smiled under his mask, perhaps his sister would find herself a love tonight as well. Finally he turned back to the woman sitting next to him.


"Really? Why's that, miss?"

 

[jukeboxingirl90]

Catherine von de Carlais





Catherine just clasped her own hands as she heard the man's response and smiled. The man was not insulted with her pleasantry, so that meant he dressed like that on purpose. She just wanted to reply the man's answer when she heard him muttered some words. Catherine didn't hear the full sentence but she was sure he said '...review the situation'


'Ah... So the man was interesting not only in the fashion department.' Catherine thought in delight. The man was clearly up to something.


"Certainly, My Lord." Catherine once again casted a smile when the man asked her to join him. She certainly would be there to observe him. As long as the man didn't do any crime in the process, she thought his act would kept her entertained.


When they entered the balcony suddenly the man yelled 'of course!' and made her eyebrows raised a little. Had he just came up with a brilliant plan? Well, she wouldn't mind to see that. But if that involved her maybe the man had to .... had her consent first.


Catherine's eyes traveled on the man's face as she heard him asked her name. She moved a little closer and looked at where his eyes locked at. Catherine hoped she would learnt what the situation was.


"I certainly would gladly tell you, but what's in a name my lord? For which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Catherine teased, quoting one literature she had read. But the man was unpredictable in her eyes right now, she didn't decide yet if he was dangerous or not. So she didn't want to give him her full name until she was conviced otherwise... Or at least learnt his true full name so she could track him down if this night gone wrong.


"Why don't tell yours first? A fine gentleman like you surely lead. Especially when conversing with a woman." Catherine added calmly, the smile still appeared on her face when she looked at the man, before her eyes traveled back to the scene. In her eyes that was not a strange one. She just saw a crowd of dancers. Among them there were three people, a man -quite tall- and two women, with one had just arrived and seemed starting a conversation with the other two. Perhaps the woman just wanted to ask the man to dance. But from what she saw the man and the woman just stayed together for quite a time. Were they lovers? Or they found each other interesting? But if it just the case then the scene was not unusual. And certainly not interesting enough to have another man locked his eyes to. Unless this man beside her was the woman's another lover. Now that was worth a juicy gossip between noble ladies.

 

[Nightfang]

Seraphim gave a light hearted chuckle. "Well well, it must be a lucky night to meet a lady as well read as she is beautiful. Im afraid I cannot give you my true name, for true names hold power and as a rogue even my name is liable to change. You, m'lady, may call me Sue."


She seemed to be up to something, Seraphim was well versed with flirting, and this lady, while indeed attractive, probably didnt have a romantic bone in her body. She was a schemer, just like most nobles, but just a hint more cunning. definately not the kind that would let themselves get so close to their own assassin. He grinned broadly, he could use that."Perchance, my fair nameless lady could help me. You see, I came in the company of my sister. That is the young girl with the necklace, but not long ago she was taken by the man in black. I trust one as clever as you can figure out his type. But I would hate to cause a scene now that the king and queen have arrived. You see my problem?"

 

[Lost Girl]

Alice smiled brightly and laughed carelessly, but in her mind she was calculating her next moves carefully. The room was like a game of chess maped out in her head, at the moment. Her next words had to be thought out, for anything could happen if she slipped up for half a second, if she lost her mask that she had created and the person that she truely was showed through the cracks. It seemed like a simple game, hidden behind drinks and words to make it seem vague. But in all games one false step and the opponate has the upper hand. She knew she would easily make a mistake, than try and hide behind her lies and words. Lies seemed much easier than telling the turth for Alice. Pretending to be nievee, when in actuallity she was. She didn't know anything. She had simply had well placed luck so far. She had gotten herself into trouble agian, but she would rather have herself in trouble than another person. She couldn't let another person suffer through something without atleast trying to help, even if she had to sacrifice her own safety to garentee theirs. It was just part of who she was.


Alice stood tall with her drink in her hand. Her shoulders brought back, giving her an air of confidence and maturity. She smiled and laughed at the mans comment and spoke kindly. "True love in one night?" Alice joked pleasantly, her words smoothed and light as they normally were when she was trying to get her way. For anyone who knew her well, knew how she was when she becaming more alluring. She was trying her best not to let a single thing bring her words off course. Every word was thought out, but came out as if she hadn't had to think at all. Her one gift she had spent years trying to muster, hopefully her lies would pay off. "Must be love at first sight than. Almost like a fantasy?"


A deep breath of air exhaled from Alices body in a quick, gentle sigh and her eyes wandered down to the floor for a moment. It looked as if she was almost a nervous little girl worrying about her affections getting in the way of someone elses life. A well rehearsed act, she was attempting in hopes to ease the situation, but her mind told her there was no chance it would work. Even if it did there was no way that it could go smoothly. 'You just have to stall until someone else figures it out.' Alice told herself again and again, but it was all wishful thinking, trying to carefully organizing the peices of the puzzle in her head without much luck. Hoping that her attempts wouldn't be all for nothing. She would do anything to make sure that the other girl got out alright. She hadn't yet realized that her friend was the one standing before her, the one she was trying so hard to save was someone she actually knew. If her attempts to help failed than she wouldn't easily forget what she had did was all for nothing in the end. She had already made a valuable mistake.


"Are you planning on a wedding if you get the chance to stay together after this night?" An ignorant comment, nieeve and childish, but prefectly thought out. An attempt to snare the man into some kind of trap if it was possible. The peices of a chessboard moving into there positions. She didn't beleive that anything was as it was. That these people were being honest. She was a liar herself, she had been from the moment she learned that it could get her what she wanted and lying to a liar was an interesting task. Two cheats playing a game is simply a new game in her mind. She felt that was exactly what was happening right now.

 

[jukeboxingirl90]

Catherine von de Carlais





Catherine laughed softly at the man's remark. That man had set the pace of their 'dance', so his lead she would follow.


"Your words are true my lord, for a king's name spoken in ill omen will have your head separated from its body" she joked lightly, "Then, mister Sue, I am Kate. For this very night." She bowed lightly at the noble man -she was sure now that the man in front of her was a noble, judging from well-chosen words coming from his mouth- and continued to listen what he said.


After he ended his sentences, Catherine once again looked at the scene and understood. The man beside the woman (who wore a significant necklace) was her own assassin. That explained the closeness displayed by them. There must be something sharp behind her back.


"That is very unfortunate situation for your... sister, mister Sue" Catherine paused on purpose, somehow doubted she was the man's sister, for said man showed very little sign indicating he was worried about her. Anyone who knew their loved ones were in danger would be frantic at least. Unless they were estranged of course.


"I'm gladly give my aid to you Sire... For a price. But they can be discussed later." Catherine clapped her hands softly, her expression turned serious "now, I assume you have a plan for this?"

 

[Nightfang]

"Hmm." Seraphim thought for a minute before an idea came to him, "I'll play the part of a drunken fool stumbling out onto the balcony and into somebody, meanwhile you find a distraction somewhere near the punch bowl." He grabbed a glass of wine from a passing servant and splashed it on his face, allowing his smile to grow into a crocodile grin and shoulders to sag, "I'll see ya after, alright?"


The merchant started his tumbling gait toward the two, then stopped as if he noticed something, "Seraphim!" he called out, waving at the assassin "Seraphim Tordjas, if it isn't you! I haven't seen you since Lucinda's ball!" He jogged lightly over to the talking trio. "Don't ya remember me? Jones, David Jones? 'Course in this situation you kin just call me Davie. I tell you we had those ladies running when our friend called them. Funniest thing I ever saw." He nodded at the two girls, "iffen you don't mind me sayin'." Then back to the assassin, "To tell the truth, I was pretty fond of the blonde, t'would be a shame if something happened to her." He nodded somberly like an old man thinking of a past companion. "'How about we go for a dive into the crowd, eh? For old times' sake?"

 

[jukeboxingirl90]

Catherine von de Carlais





Catherine rised her eyebrows at the man's suggestion, but nodded nonetheless. It was an unusual for her to create a distraction, which she was sure he meant that involved a little chaos. But if she must did that, she wanted to ensure that her reputation was not wounded.


Catherine strolled toward the punch bowl and looked around. There was a servant who was bringing drinks on a tray, and looking quite nervous. She quickly bumped said man, and resulting the drinks to fall on the marble floor, the sound of glass crashed was loud. Thankfully her dress was not tainted, but she quickly dropped her handkerchief to make it like an accident.


"Aah!" Catherine screamed, made sure that her body trembled by the accident. "You... What are you doing?!" Her voice high, making the man looking more terrified, his body shaking as he mumbled apologize over and over. That gained some attention as required for this mission.


A man (noble, she was certain by the rich garments he wore) came to comfort her and glared at the servant. She faked a sob, muttering to the man that the handkerchief was important thing to her. That was a lie though, it was one she just bought a day prior to this ball. Now she had some excuse to buy new ones. Catherine felt bad at the servant. Slightly though.


'Now... Where the scene was going to be?' She peered to the previous direction, when mister Sue, who had became David Jones if her ears were not failing her, joining the group. She was curious how it would become.

 

[grapedrank]

((Ugh sorry for taking a while to respond you guys, I stopped getting notifications))


Emera paused to think of the question the man asked her for a moment. The answer was simple really. "I am 22 years o' age." Approximately. There are no birth records of Emera to give her an actual birthdate, but Emera tried her best to keep track of the years. "In all my years, I ne'er heard a word from the other side o' the wall 'til late," she commented. "Why now? Is it p'litical? Is it guilt?" Emera voiced her confusion and suspicions.


She had always been wary since the rumors first began to pop up, not wanting to believe that the nobility suddenly had a change of heart and wanted to help them. After all, the last they heard of the nobility prior to this was when the gates closed and her people were being left behind to suffer from plague, drought, and starvation. "They ne'er once tried t'help us out before," she commented, her grip on her sword tightening unconsciously. "E'eryday for me -- for us -- was about survival. I did som'things I ain't proud o' just t'get a scrap o' food at th' end o' the night." And sometimes that wasn't even enough, she thought to herself as she recalled the many nights she had gone hungry and wondered if she'd even make it to the end of the week. "I was lucky -- I survived. But others? Not s'much. I seen lot'a good men and women die o'er in Low Town and ne'er once in all those years did 'nyone from High Town reach out."


Her grip on her sword loosened as she was finished. It was a habit she had come to obtain over the years for whatever reason. Whenever she got agitated, her whole body tensed, her hands especially. They often tensed around the hilt of her sword as if she were about ready to defend herself at a moment's notice. She wasn't one who typically let her guard down.


Emera had kept her eyes on the King and Queen as she spoke, but finally tore her gaze away from them as she turned to look at the man beside her. She blinked as if suddenly realizing the large rant she went on. "I 'pologize, sir," she said hastily, "ye didn' need to listen t'me go off like that," she spoke as she got a good look at the man. It was hard to tell with the mask, but Emera could see that he was a young, attractive man. His skin was a healthy pallor, it seemed to her, and he appeared to be sufficiently well-fed. Not all Low Towners held the bitterness against the nobles that she herself held, and several of them could live quite comfortably.

 

[TGrape]

Alexander had been completely enthralled by the woman's speech. He had never realized to what extent the lower class was living in squalor. He wanted to help, to give them food, shelter, his Crown Jewels. He suddenly detested becoming king even more. And he complained about becoming king! At least he never had to worry about dying from lack of food or clean water.


He had to make this conversation quick before the Queen and King made it to the podium and would ask their children to join them, something about standing as one to show the people of the kingdom that we were a unified nation.


"Nah, 'twas nah problem. I like a woman 'o's passi'nate. Tell me, miss, what do ya do fer a livin'?"

 

[grapedrank]

Emera smiled gratefully as the man waved off her apology. She hadn't meant to go off like she did but was grateful that the man truly didn't seem to judge her.


Leaning back in the seat she occupied, Emera glanced over once more at the man. "I lead a small milita wi' o'her men n' women in Low Town," she said nonchalantly. "The people are grateful fer th' protection, much to th' gangs' dismay." She spoke the last part with a small devious grin. Her militia has put quite the bounty on her head since it's inception as they had stood in the way of many smuggling and gang activity since they became involved. Emera was as close to a leader as the folks of Low Town would get, and that angered people -- so much so that she had many of those that wanted her dead. But she was content. Their anger meant that her men and women were bringing change, even if it were only a small effect. "And y'rself?" She asked.

 

[TGrape]

Alexander's eyes widened behind his mask, he hadn't thought about needing a job to play this role. He was intrigued by this woman who led what sounded like a small army, he had never heard any reports of such activity behind the wall. He was learning so much about his kingdom, and he was loving every second of it.


"Errr, well, ahhh, ya see, miss, I..." Grasping at straws, "I collect the people's 'deposits' if ya catch meh drift." Praying silently that she did and that that was a real job.

 

[Wrath Of Athena]

Rita cursed herself for her tardiness to arrive at the ball. She walked into the Royal Ballroom, and was in awe of its size and architecture. She'd never seen anything like it. Well, she had, but never legally. She had received a dress for the ball. It was black, and beautiful, a bit too big for her, but it really was more of a blessing than anything. At least it wasn't too tight, as she'd seen with others. Other women she'd seen looked almost in pain. It was a wonder anyone wore dresses their own size without suffocating. Another reason she tended to avoid wearing them. Her long red hair was actually brushed, for the first time in her life. Um... What do I do now? She wondered. She'd never done anything like this. She didn't really know how to socialize or do small talk. She wandered over to the food table. Her eyes widened. It was the finest cuisine she'd ever seen. She began scarfing down food, then realized how undignified she must look. She stopped, and began eating slower, careful not to get any on her dress. She decided to wait for someone to talk to her, instead of putting herself at risk of embarrassment.

 

[Kattz]

Chimere watched as unexpected events unfolded, making her throw out her original plan in favor of a new one. "Okay then..." Her face passive as her friend, servant, and pseudo-bodyguard Lyla left her wannabe suitor behind and made her way to join them. She had expected Alice to stall for time and she was very grateful for that, but the drunk man was another factor, one that she could not easily control. It worked to her advantage, however, as the number of people starting to surround her and the man in black made him start to loosen his grip on her. He was probably seeing his chances to take Chimere's life slowly dwindle. With the loosed grip, the blade no longer poking against her rib cage, and Lyla now standing nearby, Chimere said one word. "Chimera."


At the same time as a crash and a commotion she heard a ways away, Chimere pushed the assassin's hand with the miniature blade down. It tore at and got caught in the fabric of her dress's skirts, but gave Lyla enough time to move past Alice an attempt to take out the man. Chimere grabbed the princess's hand to make their escape while Lyla dealt with the man. She headed for the doors with guards lined against them, holding onto the tear in the dress at her side and trying not to make a scene at such a huge and important event.

 

[Nightfang]

As soon as Chimere and th eother girl dashed away, Seraphim pushed the asstounded assassin against the balcony edge. Surprised when a fourth girl joined him in resriaining the assailent, he didnt drop his guard until he had finished tying the other mans hands with a bit of rope he found in hi pocket. Silently thaneing his brother, he turned to the servant girl.


"Well well, Im just surounded by fair maidens tonight, if I new als like this were so popular, I would have hosted my own." He hoisted the assassin over one shoulder. "Ill deliver this to the guards and check on the commotion, you make sure your lady is safe."


The merchant began leading the assassin to the wall of guards, grimacing at the sight of the serving boy. "remind me to compinsate him later."


"What?" Seraphim looked at the prisoner as if just realizing he was there, then dropped him at the feet of the guards.

 

[grapedrank]

Emera tilted her head in confusion at the man's vague response. She had no clue what the man meant by his words and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. As she was about to voice her suspicions, however, the sound of a commotion nearby drew her attention.


Immediately, Emera's hand moved to the hilt of her sword as she drew it out. She had no clue what was happening, but she would sure as hell find out and do her part. "If you'll 'scuse me, sir," she murmured distractedly to the man next to her, "pleasure talkin' but it seems som'thin happened tha' may require my arm," she said as she stood up quickly and made her way to a line of guards. There was no panic or commotion at the moment, there were too many people focusing on the King, Queen, and the festivities to pay attention to any scuffles that may have broken out. She figured that many of those here chalked the commotion up to a simple Rag insulting a noble or something similar, but Emera wanted to be sure that nothing too conflicting happened tonight. She felt bad for leaving, she was quite enjoying the conversation, but Emera was a woman of duty before a socialite and that was a quality in her that was unlikely to change. It was one of the reasons the woman had so few close personal relationships in her life, after all, no one wanted to be brushed off in favor of doing work. But that was Emera's life and the responsibility she chose to take on, and that was unlikely to change.


As she made her way over, she analyzed the situation, spotting the man on the ground. "What seems t'be the matter 'ere?" She asked as she realized she recognized the man beside the guards from the other night. Emera's shoulders squared and her eyes narrowed as one of the guards explained the situation. She turned to the man from the other night and smirked ever so slightly "Nice job there," she spoke as she gestured to the ropes that held the assassin. "You should let me take 'im t' my men, they can question 'im," she said addressing the guards. " 'is knife is made by a Low Town smith I know, we can find out more 'bout 'is plot n' who hired 'im," she spoke. Besides she had many militia who had not attended the party and Emera and her people had ways of getting people to speak that noble military would never do.

 

[Nightfang]

"Nice job there." Seraphim spun around at the familiar voice.


Spying the woman he met in low town, he chuckled heartily. "Well if it isn't lady Emera." He offered a deep bow before listening to the rest of her request. "I think that's a fine idea, so long as my brother and I can be there. I would hate to miss out on such an adventure." He turned to look for the others he'd met, but saw nothing through the thick crowd. He puled a face like a young boy who'd just lost a piece of candy.


"For now I appear to have lost my dancing partner, so if you'll excuse me." He began walking off and singing a happy tune.


"Now when I was a young man


We lived near the sea strand


And me folks kept a tavern called the Admiral's Head


And old salts by the fireside


Would tell of the seas wide


The far foreign shores and the lives that they led~"

 

[Kattz]

As Chimere reached the door guards to one of the many hallways, she slowed her pace to that of an ill maiden's hobble. "Excuse us sirs," She said in her most "sincere" tone. "Unfortunately I am not feeling too well. We would very much like to take a small stroll. Hopefully that will alleviate my nausea." She let go of the princess's hand and fanned herself for extra effect, her other arm still wrapped around her side and clutching at the torn fabric of her dress in an effort to hide it.


"I would like to come as well." Chimere turned to see Lyla coming up to her side. They both looked at each other to check if the other was fine. Chimere, less of a sentimental person, looked away first and back at the guard, waiting for permission. The one blocking the door moved out of the way and allowed them their exit. Chimere thanked them, Lyla curtsied, and they made their way out into one of the lesser used hallways.


Lyla looked over to notice Chimere walking at a slower than normal pace, but when she spoke up, Chimere ignored every word. When she finally acknowledged her servant friend, Chimere grimaced. "Alright, I think we're far enough so... No. one. Panic." She removed her now bloodied glove of a hand from the stained dress with the blade still lodged in it. "We cause a commotion at this event, someone uses it to their advantage and, worst case scenario, the wall stays. That. Can't. Happen." Chimere took a deep breath to try and ignore the pain. "Now help me." She hooked her arm around Lyla's neck and to use her as a crutch. "Hopefully there not a blood trail."

 

[TGrape]

The mysterious woman looked suspicious for a moment, until something caught her attention. She quickly stood and gave a quick goodbye before he had a chance to say anything. He couldn't let this conversation end like this. He had to know her name at least, there was so much he still didn't know about the lower class, and she was the first intriguing person he'd met this evening. She disappeared into the crowd following after something that he obviously didn't see. He tried to follow her pushing past various partners in the midst of all manners of dancing.


He lost her.


He stood dead center of the ballroom and turned around looking for the mysterious woman, it reminded him of an old fairytale his grandmother used to tell him as a child.


"Attention, citizens of Ottilia." The King's booming voice made Alexander turn around to see him standing at the royal podium, the Queen standing behind him and to the side. "As I'm sure many of you have guessed by now, I am your King!" With a flourish he removed his mask, the Queen removed hers as well.


"We thank you for attending tonight's ball. We hope that this will help bring unity to our kingdom. As a sign of that unity may I ask my son and daughter, the crowned prince and the princess of Ottilia, to join my wife and I?" Alexander sighed and began making his way towards the podium, sad that his identity would be known now, and that there would be little to no chance of meeting his mysterious friend again.

 

[Nightfang]

Seraphim jumped at the announcement and turned to look at the royal family. "Good old king, always has a flair for the dramatic," He muttered, then noticed the princes outfit. He was dressed completely like a pauper and was grudgingly making his way through the crowd. That would amuse the king, the merchant knew it amused himself. What was he thinking? That would turn much too many heads. Seraphim shook his own head and chuckled. The dramatic king had a hopeless romantic of a son, one who'd been so ever since he was a child, always dreaming about running off like in some fairytale. "Oh, not like you at all, Seraphim. How many times have you wanted to cut ties to the nobles and start sailing?"


"Hey, Seraph, looks like you got a rival in tha romance department!" The young noble heard a grating voice behind him.


"Sean, where have you been?"


"I'll have you know I've been chasin' thieves all over tha castle 'cause you asked me to."


"Looks like you missed one." Seraphim gestured to Emera and the assassin, the brown haired twin sneared.


"Assassin, got paid a pretty penny, but not that skilled, wot 'bout 'im?"


"The lady wants to take the man to low town for questioning, I want you to follow them. But first, how many nobles got their things back?"


The other man began waltzing excitedly around the first, "Why'd you ask summin' like that, don't ya trust me?"


"With some things, yes. Others? Not so much." Seraphim sighed and looked at the ground, then something caught his eye. A trail of blood on the ground leading to a door. He smacked his brother on the arm. "Do you see that?"


Sean stopped dancing abruptly and looked. "Aye, so we missin' our lords grand speach?"


Seraphim knelt down next to the blood. Either that little lady was wounded or there was another assassination, either way something was likely to follow. The noble cursed himself for letting her out of his sight. "Sean, we need to get some friends, there's a trail to follow"


"So no great speech." Seraph glared daggers at his brother, "Okay, okay, I'll go ahead, you get a couple of your girlfriends to follow." Seraphim grunted at the comment, there was no disrespect, Sean just meant to imply he should bring a guard with him. He began going through a list of who he should bring.

 

[jukeboxingirl90]

Catherine von de Carlais





Catherine sighed slightly after she had done her part and paid her attention toward mister 'Sue'. She saw him dragging the man in black to the balcony, but she didn't know clearly what he did to the man after that. Not that she really care. The ladies (with another one who had just came) quickly headed to the main door, so Catherine assumed that, whatever it was, the incident had been resolved. Now Catherine must find the eccentric dressed man and gave her part of the deal. Urgent situation or not, her words must at least be heard first if she wanted to gain a benefit on her previous act.


Distracted a bit from the confession of the King and Queen (she would jokingly reprimand her peers that the King's revealation of himself was very Grand), she continued her search. When Catherine found the sight of 'Sue', she hastily walked toward him, who was engaged in conversation with another man. He looked like he wanted to go toward the door.


"Mister Sue, my lord." Catherine said calmly as she gripped the man's arm, softly but firm. "I assume you have an urgency on your behalf, but a quick words with you if you don't mind?" Catherine narrowed her eyes a little, her face expression tried to remind him that she wanted to have a deal with him as a payment for her aid.

 

[Lost Girl]

In Alice's mind everything seemed to slow down for half a second. In a flash of events she found her hand intertwined with Chimere's, leading her out of the mess of scenes that were unfolding. She hadn't expected that stalling for time would have done much good in the end, but this time it was the reason that things didn't get worse. Everything happened quickly, for a moment she was replaying the moment in her head, trying to figure out what exactly happened. A drunk man, or a brilliant one, got the assassin away and now the military would be dealing with whatever was left behind from the mess. When she heard Chimere speak to her servant, Alice quickly put the missing pieces into her puzzle. She had been blind to not notice that it was her friend, but she had had more than one distraction tonight and her problems seemed to be getting bigger, every time one was sorted out.


Glancing at Chimere as she let go of Alices hand to speak to the guard, she noticed the place she was covering with her other hand and remembered the assassin had a knife he was wielding. Before she had time to open her mouth, Chimere slipped away from her, with her servant following closely behind her into the hall. Alice stopped for a moment and looked up at the king and queen as they removed there masks and gave the start to his speech. She was certain he had been practicing all week for this moment, while Alice was practicing her dancing which she never got to use. It was disheartening that she would be forced to perform only for the nobles again if the walls closed down. Tonight, the goal was to make certain that the walls stayed down. She would be certain to feed her parents only lies about the night when she got the chance to tell them how it went.


Alice had been half focusing on everything, lost in her thoughts and the commotion that was happening all around her. "May I ask my son and daughter.." was all she heard before she realized that she was in worst of a state than before. She was not told, not even mentioned to, about this part of the event. She seemed to always be the last to know about things. Right now, her fathers speech was the lest of her worries. She was positive that her brother could fabric an excuse for her absence, he was good with words. One of the few things that they shared. She glanced back over to the guard. A look of distraught spread across her face as her friend left her. "May I go with them? Im worried for my friends well being." The guards looked uncertain, glancing at each other, but let her slip by them when she gave them a reassuring, half hearted smile.


She ran down the halls to where Chimere was. Noticing the blood from the cut and taking her arm. "I can help. My room is not far from here. We could wash the cut and cloth it and I can give you a change of cloths if you are fine with me helping you?" She questioned, but had seriousness in her voice. Alice couldn't tell how serious the injury was with Chimere's hand covering it, but she knew that what she had to offer could be helpful. She wanted to help as much as she could, especially now that she knew who it was.