Fantasy Closed

[erised]

Prince Caelum of Freland
Prince Caelum was late to the party, as usual. Surprise, surprise. It was just that today was the first time in what felt like weeks that he had any time to himself, the rest of the time being occupied by "princely duties", as he called them. He was dismissed late yesterday after being told he had the morning and afternoon free, but was warned to make sure he was at the party early with the rest of the royal family. Though Caelum promised, everyone knew that it was an empty one and that the prince would inevitably end up arriving very late.

Caelum headed to the stables first thing in the morning, having not been out to see Hero in a very long time. He slipped on the horse's bridle but didn't bother with a saddle, instead just hopping onto the bay stallion's back and walking out of the barn. Finally away from prying eyes, Caelum had urged Hero into a gallop. They spent the morning like this, just riding around the castle's lands and then entered the woods. He allowed Hero a drink before guiding the horse over to a patch of grass, slipping off and laying down. Within minutes, Caelum drifted off to sleep.

When the prince opened his eyes again, it took a few seconds for him to figure out where he was and then looked up at the setting sun. Wait, setting sun? Panicking, Caelum jumped onto Hero and practically flew out of the woods. When he reached the stables, he handed the horse off to a stablehand before running as fast as he could back into the castle and used a few of the secret passageways to get to his room. However, Caelum took his time bathing. He knew he'd get chewed out for being late, but he really couldn't stand parties anyway. Forced to socialize with people he didn't know, acting all prim and proper... it just wasn't him. Eventually, he got out, dressed, and styled his hair before making his way down.

Caelum was walking down the staircase that would lead to the grand ballroom when he heard their national anthem being played. Cursing, he jumped down the last few steps and slipped into the ballroom in the middle of his mother's speech, hoping no one would notice him but of course, didn't get his wish as a few heads turned to him and started whispering. Caelum just gave them a small wave and started to make his way over to where his parents were standing, but had no intentions of joining them. He wanted to stay out of the spotlight, but figured it wouldn't happen.

He glanced around the room, seeing Klarion and Guinevere talking with different people and sighed. This was going to be a long night. Once his mother finished her speech, Caelum walked over to a table filled with wine and though the young prince absolutely despised the drink, he grabbed a glass and drained it in one gulp. It didn't go as well as he planned since as soon as he was finished, he started coughing loudly. Maybe he should stay away from the wine tonight and see if there were any other types of alcohol.

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion raised an eyebrow but took Matthias’ hand and shook it firmly, “One would think taking my hand would be a sin.” The bastard grinned, “It humbles me to no end you would even consider such a validating act.” His mischievous laugh echoed through the hall. His laugh was infamous. It was his calling card. You knew when you heard that laugh, you would find a fire or a comatose woman.
Klarion sighed and took a sip from his glass.
His emerald eyes found her. His other mother. The bastard prince clamped his mouth shut. He had a habit of spitting at the queen. He had promised Caelum he wouldn’t. It was still hard.
Klarion went to take another sip but realised his drink was gone. He’d finished a whole glass. He looked to his mother and mouthed, “please.” His eyes were switching from the glasses of wine on the table, her and the queen.
The bastard prince, as carefree as he acted, hated public events. He pretended not to hear the whispers or sneers. He pretended not to hear the queen and king arguing about him. He pretended not to notice the queen’s glares. No, he was Klarion, the Bastard prince. He didn’t care about anything.
His emerald eyes slashed into Caelum, coughing at the table. He winked at his brother. He nodded his head at the queen with a small smirk at the heir. It was almost as if he were saying, ‘She’s doing it again.’ The clenching of the fists. The tight lips. All the crown children noticed it.

||Interactions: erised PsychicSoldierAthena reinadeespadas DewOfTheMountains ||​

 

[Wert]

Perceus
Now she's done it. A concerned expression threaded itself into the man's dark brows, his lips pressing into a thin line. When he surveyed the room it was easy to see that some of their invitees were quickly becoming uncomfortable with Queen's speech, but alas it was not his place to interrupt her. His light eyes rested on Berwin, the King, hoping that the man would step in before she took things too far. Percy stood beyond the young royal children, just close enough to the band that a whisper would not have been heard even if he tried. He moved his arms from behind his back and gently pressed the book held in his right hand against his side, curious to see how the King would handle it without his consolation.

Life. PsychicSoldierAthena


Madeline & Christine

Madeline had been curiously watching the other nobles just before the queen arrived, Christine still locked around her arm. She watched and listened to Semiramis's speech, taking nothing but a small sip of wine just as the talk of slaughter occurred, nearly spitting it back into the cup. The young queen hadn't yet noticed the new flag some of the soldiers marched with until Christine subtly gestured to it, her mouth left open with a slight gap between her lips. Although Madeline composed herself, her lady wasn't afraid to express the confusion she felt, her face riddled with it.

 

[NextGenRolePlayer]

Tenebris had gazed upon the looks of the mistress. Peculiar, I should’ve researched more on this mistress. The king must be embarrassed. He thought as he ate a piece of his bread. A nuisance had just entered the hall, one of the nobles had joined the party. Tenebris switched his eyes onto this new fellow and watched walk towards the snack table. Now, who might this be?

The prodigy walked closer to his brother just so he can get to know who these two figures were. Tenebris stood a few steps away from his brother. He overheard their names, unsurprised that he was right about their positions. His brother continued to greet them, even if they shouldn’t be acknowledged. You’re to spark some controversy, brother. He then focused his gaze on the Bastard son.

Of course he looked uneasy, it looked like he had despair in his eyes. The bastard looked furious or just unstable, one of those two, Tenebris thought. Tenebris decided to butt in, coughing loudly. "It's quite a surprise to meet you here," He said to Klarion. "I'm Tenebris, brother of Mattias. Pleasure to meet you." His tone was nice and obliviously innocent. This Klarion can be proved useful for me.

|Interactions: L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel Mentions: DewOfTheMountains reinadeespadas

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion took one look at Tenebris and grinned, “Well I do live here. And I am,” He ran his tongue along his teeth, “The prince.” He shrugged, dropping the dark tone, “A bastard sure but still a prince.” He became very conscious of his sword and moved it behind him. He didn’t want to seem more intimidating than he already was. “Alas, the pleasure is all mine.” He looked behind him at his brother. He pursed his lips.
As much as he tried to hate his brother, they still had the relationship all brothers do. Klarion always knew when Caelum was uncomfortable as he did likewise. Right now, they were both on edge and the steady stream of prim and proper nobles wasn’t helping.

||interactions: NextGenRolePlayer erised ||​

 

[deianeira]

It had been a good day, so far.

The Queen of Setlain and her entourage had been in the Freland kingdom for the past 2 days, and the Royal Welcoming was taking place today, but Ophelia figured she could get some work done beforehand.

Apparently, she was wrong in that regard.

As part of her duties, Ophelia was to trade information that she could weasel out of loose-mouthed Court attendees. It wasn't a particularly difficult job for her - Ophelia had always been good at getting people to spill their secrets - and she did find genuine enjoyment in serving her Queen in multiple ways, but it did involve retaining the information she received.

This was what she was doing now: writing down all that she could remember from the past few days.

That is, until she looked at the clock.

"Shit!" Ophelia yelped. She barely had anytime to get ready, now. Hastily throwing on her corset, she grabbed her dress and slipped into it. Her long red locks were soon to follow - put up into a simple French Twist - and her makeup applied lightly. After grabbing her fan, Ophelia rushed out the door.

She knew that she was late. This was a fact, nothing more, nothing less. However, the patrons crowding the halls were not helping her situation.

"Excuse me!" Ophelia exclaimed as loudly as she thought polite. She wouldn't want to risk her reputation, after all.

She continued elbowing people until Ophelia finally ran into someone she knew: Rowana, a kind, modest woman, and one of her fellow ladies.

"I am so sorry!" Ophelia apologized, "I forgot to make some kind of reminder. I suppose I'm too used to maids' reminders in the Setlain castle." Laughing awkwardly, Ophelia picked slightly at her dress, trying to return it to its original pristine state, ruffled only by her mad dash to the entry hall. "Where are Christine and Queen Madeline? Surely the address hasn't started yet..."

(I'll find a code for this eventually... interactions: Wert (Rowana)

 

[MasterRed]

Guinevere noticed her other brother, Caelum, had entered the hall. Of course, Klarion was only her half brother but to Guinevere that was a pointless distinction outside of politics, though she knew enough to know that being of a different mother meant Klarion was different to her and Caelum, at least in terms of politics.

She walked up to her brother, making careful steps to avoid tripping on her dress. “Caelum! Greetings. I'm really glad to see... you...” she trailed off as she stifled a giggle. “Not to be informal” she said in a quiet voice “but you’ve got some wine on your clothes.”

 

[erised]

Prince Caelum of Freland​

As he started coughing, Caelum felt an all too familiar pair of eyes on him and turned to find Klarion winking and smirking at him. Figuring it was because of him coughing from the wine, Caelum rolled his eyes before pouting. However, he soon realized that the smirk wasn't due to his apparent inability to handle wine, rather, the speech his mother just made. "I know," Caelum mouthed to his brother. He absolutely did not approve of his mother's ways and the speech she just made, but nothing could be done about it.

Figuring he couldn't continue mouthing his thoughts across the room, he had begun to make his way over to Klarion when Guinevere came up to him and captured his attention. Grinning, he knelt down so he was at her height. "Hi, G," he said, calling her by the nickname he regularly used for her. "And sorry I didn't stop by to say hi to you today. The second I woke up, I went down to get Hero and just escape." He knew she'd understand. When she told him he had wine on his clothes, he gasped in mock surprise. "Do I? Well, I'm just going to use you to hide it for now until I can get changed," With that, Caelum picked her up and made his way over to where Klarion stood next to two people Caelum didn't know.

He walked up to Klarion, shifting Guinevere to his other hip so she wouldn't overhear. "Trust me," Caelum began in a low voice so only his brother would hear, "I know she's doing it," he said, referring to his mother, "I know she's doing it, and I don't like it. At all. And if I'm being honest, that was probably the worst speech you could give to start a party," he sighed. "G pointed out that I have wine on my clothes, so I'll use that as my escape, say, in about twenty minutes if you want to come with me?" He left it as an open offer, but Caelum would leave as soon as he could. He hated these parties.

It was then Caelum remembered that there were 2 others he didn't know. "I'm Prince Caelum, this is my sister Guinevere. I can see you've already met my brother Klarion. And you are?" he wondered, staring at each of the people in front of him. He was aware that it wasn't a very formal way to ask but didn't really care.

[ interactions: L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel MasterRed NextGenRolePlayer DewOfTheMountains ]​

 

[Wert]

Rowana
Rowana turned quickly when she ran in to Ophelia, the target of her search. She looked her up and down before she started quickly helping her fix her dress as she spoke, "It's okay, dear. It hadn't started before I left, but it may have just begun." Rowana had to stop herself from going overboard with trying to make Ophelia's dress perfect, knowing it would probably just be messed up again soon. "They are in the throne room. We need get there, too," She gestured for her to follow as she moved from where they stood and into the throne room, careful to keep an eye on her. Of course, with her bright red hair she was hard to miss among the other nobles attending the party. Rowana came to a halt when she made it to her queen, Madeline, and took in the scene before them. What?
deianeira

 

[DewOfTheMountains]

Matthias happily grinned when the prince shook his hand and watched as he tensed with the Queen's booming voice. This reaction was expected, but the crown prince was surprised at how quickly the other royal was affected. He could only send good wishes from afar as Tenebris introduced himself. His younger brother was never very good at social interaction, so Matthias was quite proud that he had chosen to interact with other people.

Looking around as they talked, he noticed the heir to the throne of Freland lingering in the background. He must've come in late, Matthias thought. It reminded him of when he was younger and he too would show up late to important meetings. His eyes softened at the memory of simpler times. Things were much more complicated then they back then, there's a war now and he had to prepare for it.

He watched as the younger heir approached with what appeared to be the young princess Guinevere. The two brothers talked quietly to one another and then the younger of two introduced themselves.

"I'm Prince Caelum, this is my sister Guinevere. I can see you've already met my brother Klarion. And you are?"

"I'm Matthias, Crown Prince of Astrya, this is my younger brother, Tenebris." He said, joyfully slinging an arm around his sibling's shoulders. "It's a pleasure to meet all the young Freland royality in one place, I suppose I should go get our sister, Camille, but it appears she's busy as well." He added, gesturing towards the blonde across the room. She was talking to a rather interesting fellow, probably someone of the court.

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion sighed and lowered his voice, “You can’t just run away from everything. You’re going to have to get used to these events.” He grinned, “I’m ready when you are just say the word.”
He paused, “Can we stay for the dance though?” He bounced up and down on his heels, “I love the dance.” He didn’t. He just loved the girls. The woman of freland threw themselves at him. The whole bastard bad boy act seemed to be a magnet for ladies. Klarion certainly wasn’t complaining.
As his brother adressed the two men, Klarion tickled Guinevere’s chin, “how is my sister dealing with her,” he paused, “hellish garment?”

||interactions: erised MasterRed ||​

 

[NextGenRolePlayer]

Somehow being an idiot, Tenebris was oblivious to the fact that the queen gave a speech to all the party members. Wait, did I really miss out on the queen's speech?! What did she say? I believe it was along the lines of 'Thank you for coming. We celebrate because of peace...? The prodigy felt like a total moron. It was like he totally forgot what his tutor said and answering a question he didn't know the answer to. Okay, okay, just keep your composure. He calmly breathed in and out. He looked around the room for any other notable royals. The King and Queen seemed fine, happy but had a pinch of awkwardness to it. "Yes, we celebrate for peace...!" Tenebris quietly cheered, blushing as he did so.

"I wonder where elder sister might be," he muttered to himself. I hope she's not doing anything crazy to embarrass our kingdom. Then, two royals had walked up to Klarion; the Prince and Princess of Freland. When the prince introduced himself, Matthias introduced the both of them. "Hello! It's nice to see some other young royals." This kind act is kind of getting old...

"Um, your parents seem to be fine. She made a nice speech." Tenebris tried to say to not to offend anyone. It's odd seeing both Princes being together and not at each others throats, he thought they would be distant and hated each other. Still I can work with this. But I need to know about the King and Queen.

|Interactions: MasterRed erised Mentions: deianeira DewOfTheMountains

 

[MasterRed]

Guinevere smiled. “Greetings, Matthias and Tenebris, Princes of Astrya. Is there anything I may help you with? I'd be loathe to let any of you go home with bad memories of the evening, even if you have to deal with my brother.” She laughed. “Klarion, I’ve been wearing these things since I could be took out of the nursery. My life has been nothing but a string of dresses five times as heavy as me. Oh, woe is me! Surely no one has a life as tough as we.”

 

[erised]

Prince Caelum of Freland​

"I know, I know," Caelum mumbled when he heard Klarion's words. "But just because I can get used to them doesn't mean I'll ever enjoy them. And you're one to talk, you hate them just as much as I do," he finished, returning the grin. The next sentence, however, caused him to roll his eyes. "You don't love the dance, you just love the people you get to dance with," he pointed out. "But yes, we can stay for the dance," he agreed, but probably wouldn't dance himself.

Caelum raised a brow when he heard who the two others were. "Ah," he grinned. "Matthias and Tenebris. I've heard a lot about you. All good things, I promise. But it's nice to finally put a face to your names. And we'll have to meet your sister some other time, then." Caelum's brow raised when he heard Tenebris' comment. "Yeah, it was a very 'nice' speech," he mumbled, making sure that everyone knew just how unpleased he was.

[ interactions: DewOfTheMountains L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel NextGenRolePlayer ]
​

 

[DewOfTheMountains]

"Yeah, it was a very 'nice' speech,"

An awkward tension filled the space between them, Matthias knew the queen was a sensitive subject, however, his brother seemed to have missed the subtle memo. He tried to cut away at the silence with some comments of his own. "I have yet to meet the queen, she seems very... strong and capable. Although, I must admit, I am a bit afraid she might impale me with her great sword and leave me to bleed to death on the floor of the hall." Hopefully the small joke would ease the tough air. He patted Tenebris' shoulder as a sign of reassurance. It's the boy's first time meeting with other royals and it's gone a bit dry, it was an understandable mistake, but surely one that would haunt the younger brother for a few days.

 

[Life.]

King Berwin of Freland
Had it been years ago, a light of happiness would have shined in the king's eyes when he saw Semiramis. But nowadays all that showed was muddled confusion and sadness. The woman he once loved was now more an estranged wife. His fists had tightened by his sides as the queen approached him. The king had braced himself for her austere presence, literally holding his breath as she took her place next to him. Even though he was expecting some manner of intimacy to act out their status of a couple, Berwin had to hold back a squeal when he felt the icy touch of the woman's hand in his own. What once was familiar and warm was now freezing and foreign. It felt unnatural. It felt...empty. Well up until the point when she was slowly tightening her grip on his hand. His eyes had flickered over to the queen's face when she began her speech. As much as he wanted to figure out a way to keep his hand intact, the changing tone of Semiramis' speech demanded Berwin's attention.

Having lived with the woman for decades, Berwin felt the change in her aura before her slow shift in tone sounded. His eyes had looked over to the room full of people and watched as curious, concerned or confused expressions appeared on the guests' faces before them. The queen was moving astray from his true purpose of the celebration. Clearly, the king and queen were not on the same page of reasoning, really they have not been on the same page for anything. The more words that flew out of the queen's lips, the stronger Berwin's sense of urgency increased inside of him. He needed to do something about this. Each time the queen glanced over to the queen, the colder Berwin's soul felt. His turning point on taking action was when he spotted what appeared to be a different, more crude version of the Frelandian flag. Oh, Berwin was certainly going to be having a word with Semiramis later when he has enough wine in his system.

A slight pause surfaced in Semiramis' speech that Berwin decided to step in, despite his heartbeat accelerating into a dangerous rate since he was aware of his consequences for his action. The king cleared his throat and gave out a hearty, joyous laugh before he took over the speech, "Ah my dear Semiramis surely knows how to grab the attention of anyone in the room, but as the queen has stated, we cordially invited your presence here to celebrate the peace of our kingdoms and relations. May we continue to see peace in the future as well as success in all our kingdoms! We are grateful for your attendance and please enjoy the provided selection of food and the rest of the festivities. In a little while here, we will be initiating the social dance! Once again welcome and enjoy the celebration!" Berwin took a step forward and raised his arms up to the room before him as a grand gesture of welcome and to project his message. The last thing he wanted was to scare the guests away, and if Semiramis had continued then they certainly may have been. Berwin knows the feeling.

Tag(s):
PsychicSoldierAthena

 

[reinadeespadas]

Crystina eyed the room around her. The shift in mood was palpable enough she swore that it could be cut with a knife. Gaze shifted and landed squarely on Berwin as he spoke up, trying to smooth everything over. She knew. She was part of the problem. Not entirely, because it took two to tango, and the Queen returning from that battle left her changed. Everything was different now, from so many years ago. And tonight made it evident to the world. She needed to speak to him, alone.

Her glass of wine was half full up until she downed it in one swift movement. The emptiness didn't last long- the castle staff knew to keep it full. And as it were filled, she reached out to her son, hand looping around his forearm as if to assure herself that he were still there, still safe.

Glancing over to the group of royals that had commented on the speech, she let out a wry chuckle. If only they knew how far the mighty Queen was falling.

(Interact: L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel
Mention: DewOfTheMountains erised NextGenRolePlayer )

 

[LadyLuckTakeTheWheel]

Klarion bumped Caelum with his hip and laughed, “Am I not allowed to have fun brother?”
His hearty banter was cut short as he felt his mother take his arm. He eyed her and leaned in close, “That’s your last drink right?”
The prince tended to be a hypocrite with these kind of predicaments but he wanted his mother to stay sober. He loved his mother dearly but hated her under the influence. She already had a fiery rage much like his own. “Alcohol is flammable mother. Let it not be fuel for your fire.” Both the nobles struggled with a raging temper. Klarion seemed to be the only one who could calm his mother in the rages.

||interactions: reinadeespadas erised ||​

 

[deianeira]

Camille Giroux, Princess of Astrya

Camille jolted at the sound of a voice next to her. She hadn't been paying attention in the slightest. "Your Highness, Princess of Astrya. How are you enjoying the event so far? I am the healer of this court, so it seems we will being seeing each other around the castle from now on."

Smiling as widely as she dared, Camille nodded in return. "Yes, certainly. The decorations are especially exquisite." She definitely had thrown out her thoughts on the people of this certain event, but Camille wasn't kidding about the decor. The Freland colors of red and gold and the Royal Family's crest were absolutely everywhere. It was a beautiful sight, no matter how much Camille disliked socializing in Court.

This man, though, he at least seemed pleasant enough. She might as well be polite in return.

"And how about you? I'm sure you're busy with your duties as a Healer, but the Court still must be enjoyable? After all, it is so lively in here." Camille glanced around the room as a way of gesture, but a group of armed guards entering the Grand Room caught her eye.

They were flanking a pair of royals who Camille assumed to be the King and Queen of Freland. Suddenly, flags were raised in the air, and heralds began singing from the rafters. It certainly was an impressive sight, but she had no clue about what was going on.

The king and queen ascended the stairs and Camille tried to take note of their attitudes, even at the distance that she and the Healer were watching from.

The king looked nervous, while the queen looked very, very cold. Certainly not what a Court Welcome should be like.

Laughing awkwardly, Camille turned back to her conversation partner. "I suppose we should listen!"

At first, all seemed normal, other than the appearances of the two monarchs at the front of the room. The stony-faced queen began a welcoming speech containing all of the usual welcomes and warm greetings. It was only when Queen Semiramis turned to her husband that her address took a turn for the worse.

"For you see, today my dearest husband and I have decided to celebrate the order and stability of our mighty nation, for many years Elamite bandits have rebelled against our rightful rule, and terrorized our hard working citizen, killing, stealing and destroying homes! But we prevailed once more against them, and the bandits, along with their sympathizers, have been reeducated. I personally gave them new reasons to join Freland as an honest citizen..."

Camille didn't exactly hear herself gasp, but the hand that she had unconsciously placed over her mouth was enough of a signal. What on earth was this queen doing? 'Is she trying to start a rebellion? That was essentially a threat!'

Trying to remain calm, Camille quickly cleared her face and removed her hand from her face, albeit a bit nervously. She took another sip of her champagne while the King, obviously just as worried about his wife's actions, tried to excuse her behavior with some laughter. He stuttered through his explanation, but Camille wasn't stupid. These two were certainly not on the same page.

With all of this commotion, Camille had almost forgotten about the Freland Healer behind her. "They're not... always like that, right?" She frowned slightly. This wasn't going to be the relaxing escape from her parents she thought it would be if the queen was always at someone's throat.

(Interactions: Solomon kibou )

 

[PsychicSoldierAthena]

A moment, just a moment to take her breath, to recollect her thoughts and remember her speech, and it was just enough for that buffoon to not only interrupt but also to dismiss her. Everyone in the room felt the room temperature dropping, the fire of hatred in Semiramis' eyes was enough to send a chill down the spine of those who knew her well. The king was lucky that her dearest wife wasn't holding his hand anymore, as her knuckles were turning white from the fierce grip of her punch. But she had to take a deep breath, it wasn't the right time to turn the throne room in a murder scene.
"Yes. The dance. We have summoned Freland's finest musicians and dancers... We hope the food and entertainment will bring joy in your heart and I personally wishes that you'll enjoy this day as if it was the last of your life..." Semiramis said as she forced a smile, her left eye ticking and trembling uncontrollably due to her repressed rage.

"Maaaan, that's some deep sh*t the king got into..." Phyllis said sardonically before chugging down a whole goblet of wine. Unlike most of the royals she and her sisters were loafing around on the sides of the room, patrolling and keeping an eye together with the guards. However Roxy, the middle sister known for her strength and jolly attitude, got distracted by a dashing valet, who despite being flattered by her compliments and... fine remarks about his lower torso, was really trying to get back to his job. Mary however approached Solomon ( kibou ), the court healer. "Hey sawbon- Uh... I mean Mister Seville... Yer good with potions, medicin' an' all that jazz, innit?" The lanky young woman asked, shifting her eyes from side to side as if she had something very embarrassing to ask. "Oh! Madamme!" The lanky girl said awkwardly as she noticed Camille ( deianeira ) as well, bowing before the woman of higher standing.

Semiramis meanwhile grabbed Berwin by the hand as the musicians began to play and dancers playfully dragged the guests on the dance floor. As the royal couple they had to dance the first round, their hands together, smiling and moving in harmony, just like the lovely couple they so desperately tried to sell to the whole world. Semiramis had a bright smile on her lips, and yet she had the horrid stare of the executioner fixated on her husband's eyes, mechanically moving her feet at the same pace of the music, yet her steps sounded like those of a butcher lurking in search of her prey.
"Do you remember this song Winnie? Remember the many dances we had together when we were young and naive?" Semiramis said, almost like a whisper. "We loved each other so much back then... living life like it was the last day... Whispering sweet nothings as if they were our last words..." the Queen kept dancing, smiling like a devil ready to devour a poor sinner, and her cold hands were almost crushing the rattling bones of the king.

 

[Wert]

Madeline, Rowana, Christine
Madeline removed her arm from Christine's when the king finished his part of the speech. Her expression wasn't as composed as before, an obvious distaste lingering on her face. She turned back to the table, taking a cup of wine into the palm of her hand to drink. Rowana watched her with concern, knowing what was brewing beyond the spark in her queen's eyes was more than unease. The gentle girl took steps towards Madeline, preparing to try and calm the young royal, but her soft voice was quickly interrupted by Madeline's own. "Are we supposed to feel safe here, after that?" The young queen's tone held a tinge of anger, but she wasn't a fool, she didn't speak loud enough that the two dancing nobles could hear, "it was practically a threat." She quickly finished her wine and grabbed another, taking a gulp.

"Madeline, some things are best discussed behind closed doors," Rowana hissed through closed teeth in hopes of silencing the anger before someone else did. Yet, she was too concerned about her attitude to notice the queen had even changed glasses. To Rowana's relief, Madeline huffed and looked away in defeat, letting the cup of red wine remain at her lips. Though, the lady knew this would only hold for a few minutes if she was left standing there. "-Uh, why don't you have something to eat. You haven't touched any of the food here yet, and having a bit of food could help calm your nerves." She knew that Madeline was more concerned about what that so-called welcoming speech meant for their country should they fail or Freland's Queen become worse. Yet, there was a part of her that wished her queen would have more self control.

Although begrudgingly, Madeline complied with Rowana's suggestion. She walked towards the food tables, hazel eyes scanned the various pastries on the spread when she made it there. Only ever being outside of her country a few times, she hadn't tried many of the ones there before. After a moment of mental deliberation she took one of the cakes that was baked with something that looked like blueberries. However, after taking a bite Madeline quickly found that it was actually blackberries. It wasn't much of an unfortunate mistake since the cake was still quite delicious even if it was a bit dry. Ignoring the warmth starting to rush to her cheeks, she continued to drink and watch the other nobles and royalty near by. Now reposed with her back against the wall, she played a guessing game in her head of who was who, knowing that she'd find out sooner or later.

Meanwhile, Rowana moved to the other ladies when Madeline swiftly walked away from her. "I don't know what to do when she is annoyed," she admitted, her hand resting on her stomach as she watched their Queen from a distance. "We could dance," Christine chimed in, breaking her own silence, "It would get her mind off of the speech, and the wine." Her left brow lifted at that last word, having been more observant than Rowana earlier. She was being lighthearted despite the situation. "What do you say, Ophelia? You don't have to join us if you don't want to, but do you think we can get them to play some music for us? Setlaindish, Astryan....something up-beat, maybe?"

deianeira (Ophelia)

 

[deianeira]

Ophelia Walsh, Lady-In-Waiting

Ophelia winced as her queen grabbed glass after glass of wine. Hopefully, Madeline would be less of a lightweight than usual, though, in the back of her mind, she knew this was simply wishful thinking. She and the other girls would just have to jump in if the Queen started to do anything rash.

Ophelia could certainly understand why Madeline was so perturbed by the speech. If it was in her perimeters of work, she would be the one gulping down wine. The address was a barely-veiled threat, a warning to those that had thoughts of rebellion and minds that were brewing the ideas of a revolution against the monarchy. Keeping the balance in political relations was important, but only up until Setlain's safety was guaranteed. If the Queen of Freland was already this hostile, Madeline certainly wouldn't cooperate with it.

Rowana, ever the logical one, had enough thought to whisper warnings into their queen's ears. At sometimes, Ophelia believed Rowana too strict with their monarch - she was her own ruler, best to let her gather her own reins - but she was beyond grateful at this point in time.

Madeline did pick up something else off of the snack table (thankfully not another glass of wine). A pastry, as per Rowana's "suggestion." Unfortunately, the young monarch seemed unsatisfied, as she quickly stormed off from her three ladies, yet another glass in hand.

Rowana seemed upset, but Christine's smart ideas of dancing were promising to Ophelia. It would probably get Madeline's attention, even if she didn't completely forget about her woes. "I think that's a great idea, Christine!" Ophelia smiled slightly, "It may be in our best interests to avoid any Setlainian music as for now; we wouldn't want to remind Queen Madeline of the speech. Astryan pieces may be a good bet. Lead the way!"

[Interactions: Rowana, Christine, Madeline (indirectly) Wert ]

 

[kibou]

Princess Camille seemed a bit surprised to see Solomon, but smiled back at him.

"Yes, certainly. The decorations are especially exquisite.... And how about you? I'm sure you're busy with your duties as a Healer, but the Court still must be enjoyable? After all, it is so lively in here."

He politely nodded along in agreement- they really had gone all out, but he expected any less could chance leaving the foreign royalty with a less than satisfactory impression. Then again, he wasn't an expert on these types of events, and either way it was a lovely sight.

"They are quite impressive. Thankfully work has not been too busy lately- less work means people are well," Solomon replied, and then let out a chuckle, "Yes, the Court is certainly lively."

His mind went to the earlier shenanigans of Freland's royal children, and as if on cue a few of the castle guards entered the hall carrying odd flags, making him raise an eyebrow, and the King and Queen ascended to the dais hand in hand. Princess Camille suggested they listen, and he nodded once more and turned his head. The royal pair looked tense as always even from where he was standing, but hopefully at the very least it would be chalked up to the stress of the incoming drama of the treaties and marriages.

And then the Queen began her speech.

The longer she spoke, the worse it was, and by the time the King finished trying to cover for her Solomon's brows were furrowed and the corner of his mouth pulled back in mixture of concern and confusion. His conversation partner seemed to be just as horrified at the display as he was, her hand covering her mouth in shock, and a quick survey of the room showed that everyone had the same opinion.

"They're not... always like that, right?"

He let out the breath he realized he'd been holding in a sigh.

"Her Majesty the Queen..." he trailed off, his gaze trailing down towards his parfait, as if searching for the proper way to answer in the cream and berries. To his luck, before he was forced to finish the sentence, another voice interrupted.

"Hey Sawbon."

Sawbon? ....Ahh, one of the Queen's ladies.

"Uh... I mean Mister Seville... Yer good with potions, medicin' an' all that jazz, innit?" Her eyes kept darting back and forth, anywhere but directly at him, and it took her a moment to notice Camille. " ....Oh, Madamme!"

Solomon's eyebrow raised once more.

"Lady Mary. I'd like to think I'm quite good with potions, how may I help?"

Tags: PsychicSoldierAthena deianeira

 

[reinadeespadas]

Crystina let out a derisive laugh at her son's comment. The last glass? Please, child.

"I'll stop drinking wine the day I die, which," she looked to the Queen and King out of the corner of her eye, muttering only just so her son could hear him, "Could be any day if we aren't persuasive enough with our guests or your father." She had leaned in, masking her sentiment with a small laugh as she pulled away. Unlike the King and Queen, Klarion and Crystina could pull off rife moments with some amount of grace.

Again lifting the glass to her lips, she took a sip, eyeing the dance floor as more and more nobles made their way out. There would likely be no dances for her tonight; the mistress of the King was invited, but she wore a metaphorical scarlet letter. It was unlikely that she would be approached by Berwin in front of his insane wife, if he knew what was good for him, her and their son.

"Go see to little Guinevere will you and give her back the stone to her dress."

She moved away from Klarion then, releasing her hold. It was more or less an invitation for him to join the party, to even enjoy, while she made her way towards the back of the room, putting as much distance between her, the father of her child, and the woman whose mind seemed to deteriorate day by day.

(Interaction L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel , mention MasterRed

 

[erised]

Prince Caelum of Freland
Caelum grumbled when his hip was bumped, pretending that it hurt. He reached down to rub his finger over the spot before grinning and dropping the act entirely. "That's not what I meant," he began. "Of course you're--," But he was cut off when Klarion's mother came up to him and gripped his arm, Callum taking that as his cue to resume conversation with the other royals.

He walked a few steps forward, sort of blocking the pair from view. It wasn't that he was trying to ignore them, rather, was trying to give them so privacy. Caelum turned to address Matthias. "Yes," he began, "she's quite strong and capable. And no, she wouldn't run you through with her sword," Though, despite his assurances, his tone still held uncertainty. He'd like to think that his mother wouldn't do that, but to be honest, he really had no idea. She was quite unpredictable these days.

[ interactions: L LadyLuckTakeTheWheel DewOfTheMountains ]