Fantasy The Devil's Throne - IC [Open]

[ElectricDandellion]

Elena Ravenswood

“Of course, Brother,” she spoke, Voice soft. “You don’t need anything or anyone, I shouldn’t have been so foolish to have thought overwise,” Elena spoke, her tone slightly jokey. But then, as he spoke of Catherine, she slightly shook her head. “Christopher, you don’t have to act so emotionless. Don’t detach yourself so. You may wish to have the rest of the family, perhaps the rest of the kingdom think what you say, but I saw the way you looked at her, and she at you, even when I was young. There is no need to cut yourself off from your emotions, I’m not exactly in a place to judge how one controls their emotions, we are far too much alike in that aspect.” In truth, most of the family were aware that the death of Catherine caused Christopher’s cold and calculated command. It wasn’t a secret, it was obvious. Elena felt herself take a sudden breath, slightly worried that she was drowning on too much, to the point that Christopher may snap. “The king lost a valuable person, not a valuable worker, Christopher.” She mumbled quietly, combing her untamed curls with her fingers in slight anxiousness. Oh she was really testing it now, correcting him. Elena hoped, if anything, he’d appreciate the comments she was making rather than despise her for it. For a few moments, she wondered how he felt about Rosalind. Did he blame her slightly? Catherine was killed due to the arranged marriage, after all. No. He wouldn’t. Despite his cold exterior, he wouldn’t. Elena knew that. Did she?

With a light shake of her head, she sighed. “You are advising me to become that of a sociopath?” Cocking an eyebrow, she looked over at her eldest brother questioningly. Then, she interrupted him. “There is no sentiment or emotions in the palace under our father’s reign. Are you telling me you don’t allow yourself the feeling of happiness, Brother?” Tapping her left heel against the marble floor twice, leg starting to go slightly numb from standing for so long, she exhaled rather audibly. “May I give you some advice?...You should not treat yourself so harshly. Perhaps then you wouldn’t have to be so desensitised and detached.” Though, looking into his eyes, she, for a few moments, could’ve sworn she saw a softness, and his bottom lip getting chewed by his teeth. She was tempted to whisper, to say she knew he wasn’t cold, she knew he didn’t mean to be, but she didn’t know that. He killed her friend. The very thought had her heart seized.

As she hugged him, she felt his hand rub her shoulder. Tending up slightly, unexpectant of the action, especially after he’d been as tense as a log when she had been hugging him. Her hug tightened slightly, before she let go completely.
“I’ll try not to make a fool of myself,” Elena grinned slightly, before adding, “Make sure you escort Rosalind into dinner. Be a gentleman,” And with that, she had walked off. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her brother as she walked, knowing he was forced by their father to act in such a way.

Her heels clacked ominously as she curved her way through the corridors, walking towards the dining room where dinner was to be held. The maids and servants, led by her favourite of her father’s employees, worked in the dining room for hours, making it perfect for them all, but mostly for the likes of Christopher and the King, for they were the most picky, and if they weren’t pleased, there would be hell to pay. It was as if when she were walking, she weren’t walking down the corridor, but deeper and deeper into her thoughts, where she found herself tunnelled amidst deep, deep thoughts. Too deep to realise someone was around the corner, and when she lifted her head, jumped out of her skin. “My God!” She exclaimed, hand clutching her chest. “You didn’t half scare me there, Cass.” Elena giggled, her breaths hitched as her body recovered from the jump. Cassandra had been in her father’s employment for as long as she could remember, and was practically a second mother to her. She spoke to Cassandra more openly than to her own mother, knowing her mother would be more open to punishment and judgement. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever, though I’m sure I saw you yesterday morning, you’re always so busy now,” Elena added, evidently saddened at the fact that she didn’t see the kind woman as often as she used to. Her father’s requests were getting more and more time consuming, so most of his employment were always busy with a few tasks at one given time.

“‘May I ask you a favour? The maids thought my hair looked nice down, though I argue it looks horrific!! It’s so frizzy and unruly. I’d ask Joce to do it, but you’re ever so good at making everyone’s hair look so beautiful. Mother and Joce together would kill me had I not look presentable. You know how they are,” with a warm smile, she quickly added, “How have you been? Well, I hope?” It was true, Cassandra was always good at tying the loose ends, making everything perfect and fixing every mistake that could have been possibly made by anyone in the kingdom. She always had a solution, one that would be beneficial for everyone, not just a few.

Misty Gray​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The queen awoke that morning with an aching headache.

She hadn't done much drinker, being as she was never a drinker. It could be because of the executions that were being held. Yes, that was it. She always got a headache when she knew people were going to die that day. Being queen, she was required to come to watch the unfortunate hangings. It made her sick to her stomach to watch with such an expressionless look on her face. She could only wonder how people saw her and what they thought of her. Well, she sort of knew. The mother of the psychopathic prince. It was times like that where she regretted being so weak when he was growing up, not protecting him from his father. In public, that is. She had had numerous numbers of arguments with the King about his treatment of their eldest son, but always she backed down.

Well, dwelling on the past wasn't something she was going to do. All day she hadn't seen much of her children or her husband, know they all would need a little space. To try and calm her headache, she took a walk around the entire grounds. From one end of the palace walls to the next. There were shortcuts and hidden pathways she took as she examined her home. In these pathways, she saw her children and observed them quietly. From Elena's drinking to Christopher chastising her for it. A certain feeling started growing in her chest watching the interaction that she couldn't place. She just sighed and watched on, letting them work out their own issues with each other. She spotted her eldest daughter, Jocelyn and her archery. The girl was cold since birth and only getting colder every day. Sometimes she sees her as being the part of her she sometimes wished she could have been in the beginning. Next was Hector and Alexander, quite possibly the only thing that brought a smile to her face all day. Even though she wasn't supposed to have favorites, he could've easily been it.

Soon she was back in her own chambers, separate from the one she and her husband shared. She wanted to make sure things were prepared for dinner that night and once she finished her bath, she quickly got dressed. Her closest servants were there to help her prepare, spilling gossip that was going around her home. It was here that she allowed them to speak freely and they did, trusting that she wouldn't tell a soil. She gave them the same trust by not saying anything to anyone. "I've heard that Marina, the servant girl who first arrived with Lord Benedict a few weeks ago, was caught in the garden with someone of a particularly high title." Her maid, known as Gweneth, spoke. "Oh, you mustn't spread silly things like that around! There's no way Marina would allow herself to be caught in such a scandal." The other, Lyla, berated. Krista shook her head then held it still for the girls to do her hair. "Sounds plausible... But girls, do keep that one here. I'd hate for her reputation to be totally ruined as a girl who simply sleeps with anyone." The two maids looked at each other and pursed their lips. Krista sighed. "People have already heard, haven't they?"

Moments later she would emerge from her chambers and make her way to the kitchen.

Spoiler: Outfit 1

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[Angelofwishes7]

Alexander Rotinya Krow

​

Alexander kept a kind smile on his face as he looked at Hector and listened to his words."Well, I was actually looking for one of your siblings." He stated. pausing for only a moment to take a light breath before he continued. "One of my men had said that she had been down here and I always enjoy checking in with all of you to make sure you're doing alright. Especially on the more unpleasant days."

Alexander's thoughts went back to the executions that morning. He knew that the executions bothered many people in the palace, the royal children especially. But Alexander had been to so many, it was a bit sad to think that unless he really knew the person, he no longer hated or felt sick after seeing the deaths. He was expected to go to just about every execution, so he saw many people. of all shapes and sizes die to the gallows. Though it didn't emotional effect him anymore, it wasn't something he enjoyed, but he knew their fates were sealed, and there was nothing that would prevent that.

He quickly brought his train of thought back to the current situation, Hector. "And while I didn't find who I was looking for, I found someone of great value none the less." He gave his signature charming smile, looking hopefully to bring Hector's spirits up a bit more. He knew the day was rough, but he hoped it could end on a good foot. "I sure hope that besides the events that happened this morning, you have had a pleasant day." Alexander took a second to look down at his watch, checking the time, it was almost time for dinner and neither of them could be late for the event. "Do you plan on changing at all before dinner my lord?" Alexander questioned, not wanting to hold up the prince if he planned on changing or doing anything before dinner tonight.

-------------------- Interactions --------------------
Lost ​

 

[Misty Gray]

Christopher Ravenswood​

Christopher listened on as Elena continued to speak to him in what was a much nicer way than he was used to. He decided in that moment that he was more comfortable when she was showing him contempt and hatred. Those behaviours were much easier to absorb and feed off of. She continued to remind him about the feelings he had once had for Catherine, but he saw no point in dwelling on or recalling those days. He was to marry Rosalind now; a woman who was alive and well. The King never knew Catherine. She was nothing more than a worker to him. He was about to remind Elena that Grace was nothing to him other than a simple servant. But he held back, oddly not wanting to upset his sister again. Besides which, Grace wasn't just a servant to him, not in the weeks or days leading up to her execution. By the time the King handed Grace over to Christopher to deal with, she'd already been tortured. Every time she'd refused to confess to trying to corrupt Elena or to working for the Devil, she'd been tortured more. She never confessed to any of it and Christopher believed she was innocent. However, when he saw the servant - still a girl, barely older than Elena - he saw nothing behind her eyes. Merely an empty shell that he'd since heard used to house a person full of life, heart and aspirations. When forced to make a decision, Christopher decided to put her out of her misery and that was when he sentenced her to death. His decision was partly a show of mercy, but he knew he was also driven by bitterness for what happened to Catherine. Either way, whoever Elena knew was already gone before she was killed.

Christopher listened when she questioned his advice for her to become a sociopath. As far as he was concerned, she'd be much better for it - less emotional about all of life's little tragedies. There would be more of those, of that he was certain. Whilst he heard her words about him needing to stop being so detached, he chose not to accept them. He would not allow his father or anyone else take something else from him. The less things or people he cared about, the stronger he would be. He would not show weakness again. Not to the King, nor to the Kingdom.

When Elena told him to escort Rosalind to dinner, he nodded his head. He knew he would need to start getting used to the woman in time for their wedding. They were set to spend their lives together. Still, the fact she was an attractive woman made the whole thing much easier for Christopher.

Following his conversation with Elena, Christopher finally reached his private quarters. When he entered the into the main room he saw Arabella was still present. "Is everything now prepared?" he asked her. When he looked at her he noticed the transparency of her wet dress and raised a curious, almost cocky eyebrow in her direction. He wasn't embarrassed by the sight, more than able to control himself around a woman. Still, it wasn't exactly ladylike for her to be walking around like that. "Did you lose some clothes or all of your modesty?" he bluntly asked her. "I suggest you cover yourself up and find more suitable clothing."

ElectricDandellion (Elena) Emotional Enigma (Arabella)

 

[Misty Gray]

Cassandra Summers​

Cassandra raised an eyebrow when Elena was startled to see her. "Scare you? Either I look pretty rough or you weren't watching were you were going," she playfully told the youngest princess. "Do I need to teach you again? Stand straight, walk with your head held high and your eyes wide open," she said, standing up straight to demonstrate. "It pays to keep your wits about yourself."

The lady smiled as Elena said it felt like a long while since she'd seen her. "You're quite right, dear. Things have been more busy than usual lately. Plenty of new maids to train and existing ones to closely supervise. I'd hate for any of them to put a foot out of place," she explained. "His Majesty's birthday is tomorrow, so those arrangements have been pretty intense. I only hope you will all have the most wonderful time tomorrow evening," she told her. She prayed that would be the case.

Cassandra couldn't help but chuckle when the princess asked if she could ask a favour of her. "A princess doesn't have to ask a lady like me for favours," she assured her. Sure, it was her duty to serve the family, but she didn't need to be asked to do anything nice for the princess or the Queen as she liked doing it. "Your hair does look nice down. Still, I enjoy doing your hair. How about I style a pretty waterfall braid crown?

As she did the princess' hair, the girl asked her how she'd been. "I've been well, all things considering. A lady can't complain," she answered. Truth was, she was still shocked by Grace's death and even disturbed by today's executions. She would always be loyal to her King and Queen, as well as getting along with both of them. Still, she disliked such barbaric punishments and wished there was a way to make the King end the practice. As she carefully plaited Elena's hair, a solemn expression crossed her face. "How have you been, Your Highness?" she softly asked, wondering how she was coping since losing her friend.

ElectricDandellion (Elena)

 

[Emotional Enigma]

Arabella was about to grab a towel before Christopher walked into the room. She froze in embarrassment and covered her torso with her arms, "I-I'm sorry, your majesty," She was visually flustered as she struggled to cover her body, "Your clothes are set out and your bath is ready," She avoided his gaze as the chill of the air bit her arms and adrenaline flushed her cheeks, "D-Do you think I may be able to borrow a towel to return to my room?" In her letter she planned to write tonight, she was sure this was something she'd have to leave out; Dear mom, how are you? I showed the Prince my transparent dress today. She reached for a neatly folded towel on the ornate dresser and wrapped it around her shoulders. Arabella bowed her head to the Prince once more before ducking out of the room and speeding back to her room. The cold evening air was cruel on her soaked skin.
Once there, she shut the door quickly and carefully as to not disturb any guests on their way to the dining hall. But she didn't immediately change. She slumped to the floor feeling discouraged and shameful and embarrassed. The light of the day had just about dissipated and was slowly being replaced by the light of stars through her small window. Her room was nothing short of a luxury broom closet, only housing a small bed, desk and wardrobe. The sound of guests arriving filled the space and Arabella wasn't sure she could muster the motivation to leave her room again to the Prince's quarters. Alas, she got up again and changed into darker dress of the same style. It flowed down around her ankles and held tightly at her waist. She prayed no accidents happened to this dress too as she didn't have many.
Arabella left her room once more in secrecy, hoping to not catch anyone's eye and traced her way back to the Prince's quarters. She didn't see the Prince immediately and assumed he was already soaking in the bathtub.

Interactions: Misty Gray​

 

[ElectricDandellion]

Elena Ravenswood

Elena smiled at Cassandra softly. “You look pretty rough?” She joked, before quickly adding “I was lost In thought,” to back up her joke and to not seem so rude. As she spoke of posture, Elena obediently straightened herself out. “Perhaps if I can keep this up, father will find me a suitable lord,” she mumbled playfully, though it was clear she was dripping in sarcasm. “Cassie? Do you think he’ll make Joce and Maggie get married? I hope he doesn’t. I also hope I don’t have to. It’s cruel,” she mumbled quietly, though her joyous tones still remained- today she’d had enough being sad. It was time to have at least a moment of happiness, right?

Elena nodded understandably. “Much too long,” She knew, as well as the rest of those in the palace, that Cassandra was extremely dedicated to her position, making sure everything everywhere was perfect and better than it shouldn’t be. She was phenomenal at her job, hence why she was one of the longest standing workers. On the plus side, her parents liked the supervisor too, and so she wasn’t going to be leaving anytime soon. Had she ever had to leave, Elena knew that she’d have a hard time coping with the missing presence of one of her favourite palace people. “You deserve much more breaks than you have, although you’re too much of a perfectionist to allow yourself one!” Smirking mischeviously, she then added, “Yes. Is there going to be a ball? Oh please tell me it’s masquerade! Oh Cass. You know it’ll be wonderful!” Now with excitement in her step, she practiced jokingly her Waltzing. “I still remember the steps you taught me,” she mimicked, head dipped as she watched her feet. “Hopefully tomorrow if I find a dance partner, I will not have to keep staring at my feet so! Perhaps you’ll find a lovely fellow to dance with too, Cassandra. I’ll make sure of it!” Elena promised herself that during this ball, if there were to be one having not had Cassandra’s confirmation of a ball at that minute, she would allow Cassie the time to relax and find someone to dance with. It would surely relieve the stress of having to see whether all of the royals enjoyed themselves.

“A polite lady asks another lady for a favour. I am no favourite to such formalities that being a royal requires everyone to do as I say at any given time. It is not the way to be, as I have been taught. But I appreciate the gesture,” Leaning her head slightly to allow for the supervisor to acces her hair, she nodded. “That sounds lovely,” she admitted, knowing full well Cassandra’s talented hand at hair and beauty. Elena always felt bad when the maids were always inclined, well forced, to wait on everybody, no matter the task. Though, when she needed it, she wasn’t one to complain particularly.

Relaxing as fingers combed through her hair, she listened carefully to the woman before her. “All sounds well,” she replied, voice soft. “It’s good to know that you are well, I got worried having not seen you since yesterday morn. It was unusual.” The young woman admitted, trying not to make a blatantly obvious reference to the fear she had for all domestic workers within the palace after what had happened to Grace. As Cassandra asked how she was, she felt a sigh droop from her plump lips. “I’ve been coping,” she mumbled, now quite quietly, “but Grace wouldn’t have wanted us to be so melancholy, so I’m trying not to be.” Smiling after what she said, she turned her head slightly, not too much as to disturb the plait, but to make eye contact with Cass. “I’m sure it’ll all be fine soon,”

Misty Gray​

 

[mkuchiha]

Romeo grimaced as the rope tightened around the first prisoner. He was close enough to where he could hear and see the veins bulge up on the victims neck and the strangled gasp he made when the rope tightened. Though executions were common place in the palace, it still didn't make the experience palatable for the youngest prince. The other two men followed the same fate.

Romeo turned to check his brothers expressions. Christoper looked unfazed, albeit slightly annoyed, and Hectors expression resembled his own. Disgust, hidden with defeat at the fact he could do nothing about it. Nothing but follow along quietly and hope things return to normal.

After the executions and the crowds exit, Romeo headed back into the castle to get ready for supper. His father was very adamant about everyone showing up to dinner on time, and the young prince did not want to find out what would happen if he were to be late.

 

[Misty Gray]

Christopher Ravenswood​

Christopher remained standing straight as Arabella fumbled around and asked to borrow a towel. He turned to look at of the window at the setting sun, but also pointed in the direction of a towel she could take. "Leave it in the laundry once you're finished," he flatly told her. He was quite dismissive in the way he spoke to her. Though he could be naturally rude, this wasn't his conscious reasoning this time. He simply did not want any mixed signals or any assumptions to be drawn, neither from Arabella nor from anyone who might rudely walk in.

Once she had left, Christopher headed to the bathroom area, drawing the curtains for privacy. Having wasted enough time already, he had a quick bath and dried himself just as fast. As he put on his prepared clothes, he heard the door to the quarters open again. With his trousers on and the last button on his shirt now fastened, he stepped out into view to see Arabella had returned. As he put his boots on, he reached to the dresser to retrieved a gold-handled dagger, which he slotted between the buckled straps. He figured a sword wasn't appropriate for dinner, but he always made sure to have a couple of weapons handy should the need to protect himself arise.

Christopher looked to Arabella to see she had changed into something less revealing, so he chose to let her previous error slide, this time. "I suppose we should head to the dining room," he told her. No doubt his father was already there or was at least making his way there, being that he was a stickler for being the first one to arrive. "Have you seen Rosalind on your travels? I will accompany her to the dining room."

Emotional Enigma Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Cassandra Summers​

When Elena asked if she thought the King would make Jocelyn and Margaret get married, Cassandra couldn't help but let out a sigh. There was no doubt in her mind that it was exactly what the King would do, and she wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't already making plans for it. Both Jocelyn and Margaret were out of their teens now, so it was surprising it hadn't already happened. Cassandra could only assume they had Christopher and his stubbornness to thank for that as the focus was all still on getting the heir married off first. "Let's hope your father is too focused with Christopher's marriage, shall we?" she suggested. She couldn't lie to her but she also didn't want her to dwell on it.

"Oh, what would I do with a break anyway?" she asked, with a faint smile. Well, she was sure she'd get more time to socialise with the other staff and relax more out in the gardens, but she knew her duties came first. "Your elders are the perfectionists, Elena. I just have to maintain the illusion that everything is perfect!"

Cassandra smiled brightly at mention of the ball. "Oh, there will certainly be a ball, but I don't think it's a masquerade one. Perhaps I should have suggested the idea much sooner, but it's too late to make any changes now, I'm afraid." She then laughed at mention of finding her a dance partner. "We'll find you one, but you'll have your work cut out finding one for me. There will be so many beautiful young ladies at the ball for the men to dance with. I'm not getting any younger, dear."

Cassandra sighed as she listened to the Princess talk about Grace. "You're right. She wouldn't have wanted us to be sad. She would want you to have a good time tomorrow and to keep smiling like you did before her death."



ElectricDandellion (Elena)

 

[Misty Gray]

King Robert James Ravenswood II​

The King had spent much of his day in his private study. Some of his time had been taken up confirming tomorrow's arrangements, with Christopher's assistance. His eldest son had been grating on him today and though he was sure the feeling was mutual, Robert felt he could irritate whomever he pleased and they would simply have to deal with that. His son included. The truth was, he still saw weakness in his heir and he felt that needed to be rectified as a matter of urgency. Every execution and every arrest he would push Christopher to be involved in. A kingdom was only as strong as its leader and with his own health secretly deteriorating, he feared his family and country would be left in the hands of a young man incapable of ruling.

Robert had taken the rest of the afternoon to himself, retreating to his chambers, knowing Krista would most likely be in her own for now. He had the best view of the palace gardens and would spend great amounts of time taking in the beauty of it all. Today, he decided to read through some letters he'd received from the noble houses, accompanying the activity with two glasses of wine

When he was ready for dinner, he headed out to make his way to the dining room, taking pride in always arriving a little early. As he walked, he noticed the Queen making her way there too. "Ah, there is my wife," he called out. He then caught up to her so they could walk to dinner together. He kept his arms folded at his chest as they walked. "How has your day been, Krista?" he asked her. His voice was pleasant and he was even smiling as he spoke to her. Clearly, his earlier bad mood didn't extend to his wife. It rarely extended his children either. Typically, he took his anger out on Christopher and the servants. Most people saw the good side of their King, much to his heir's - and the Queen's - frustrations.

Melanin-Gxdess (Krista)

 

[Lost]

Hector Ravenswood
​

Hector frowned. He'd forgotten about the scheduled dinner, with all that had happened, and the prospect of a terse, awkward meal shared with the king did little to improve his mood. Still, he knew his father was not to be denied. They were all expected to attend, formally dressed, and attend they would. That was simply the way of things in King Robert's palace.

"I suppose I should. The last time I showed up underdressed, father looked ready enough to have my head." Hector threw Alexander a grin to show he meant nothing by it.

In truth, though he jested, the memory still made him shiver.


Hector pushed open the large, grandiose doors that led to the dining room, a stricken look on his face. His outfit, a mottled green shirt with brown riding pants, was a far cry from the regalia he usually wore to events like this. He hadn't had time to change after a horse ride gone awry; a howl had frightened the beast, and by the time Hector had regained control it was near time for dinner. The gallop home had taken all the leeway he had, and it was a miracle he'd managed to make it, period. He only hoped that the king would be understanding. He was stern, sure, but a good man nonetheless.

As he stumbled to his seat, Hector risked a glance towards his father. Outwardly, he was as calm and collected as always, a good-natured smile upon his kindly face. Something felt off, however; and when Hector finally met his father's gaze, he felt his heart sink. Those eyes, usually filled with laughter and kindness, now held the fires of rage. A rage that, for the first time, was directed at him.


His father hadn't said anything that night, aside from a few offhanded comments, but the message was clear enough: the king was not to be trifled with.

It had been the first, and last time Hector hadn't dressed up.

Shaking the thoughts away, Hector stood. "Better to do it now while time remains," he muttered, before turning back to his companion. "Thank you for the reminder, Alexander. I shudder to think what might have happened had I forgotten."


Angelofwishes7

 

[ElectricDandellion]

Elena Ravenswood

“We can only hope” The youngest princess agreed. Despite her age, she was well knowledgeable and knew that the marriage with her eldest brother and his fiancé would keep her father distracted, but only for a few months. Then her siblings would be shipped off one by one. After all, they were all at age, if not older than the typical marriage age. Then it’d be her turn, but perhaps by then, Christopher will be in charge and hopefully she will not be forced to marry anyone under his rule.

“I feel that perhaps you’ll get bored with a break. You’re always worrying about the workforce.” Elena smirked warmly, shaking her head lightly as her gaze met Cassandra’s. “You’re always so busy, it may be nice for once to have a little break from things, though I know father doesn’t believe in such things as breaks. Just laziness,” Frowning at the mention of her father’s thoughts on such matters, she felt a sigh tumble from her plump lips. At the mention of an illusion, Elena felt herself chuckling. “Well, you’ve been creating a rather realistic illusion! A very believable one at that,” She mumbled. Cassandra seemed to be too modest to admit that she was excellent at her job and keeping the royals happy with every detail in their home and lives. Hence why she had been employed for over 10 years.

“No matter if it’s not masquerade! If you’ve arranged it, it’ll be brilliant even so. I look forward to it.” Hearing the woman relax and laugh painted a soft smile on her own face. “‘‘Twas no joke, Cassandra. You doubt yourself so, but I’m sure there will be plenty of men willing and happy to dance with you, a beautiful woman yourself! As for me, I’m certain my age repels men away from me. Certainly with my sisters around too, but no matter. I’m fine to just drink and socialise where I can.” Playing with her thumbs in her lap, she then added, “It’s nice to see everyone happy at one given time. I do love a ball,” Elena admitted, her tone growing excited yet still calm and soft. “It would be lovely to meet a charming young man though,” with a slight rusty rose brushing her cheeks, she giggled slightly.

“I’ve been trying to convince myself that, and soon I’ll have to believe it, but for now I think it’s time to go to the dining room. It surely is time by now. Will I see you there?” She asked, eyebrows raising slightly at the question. “I’m sure father will be there already, and you know how he is waiting. He will not be pleased if any of us are late to say the least!”

Misty Gray​

 

[Emotional Enigma]

Arabella was startled once the Prince had stepped into view. She grasped at her chest, "Heavenly Jesus, Mary and the lamb, you frightened me.." Anxiously, she adjusted her dress though it was not ill placed to begin with. She figured she was constantly adjusting for fear another accident would happen, and she tried to focus on keeping her hands still. The room smelled of roses like the petals she had sprinkled in the bath which served to calm her a bit, "I cannot go sir," It felt like a Cinderella moment and she winced realizing how silly she was about to sound, "I have not organized your clothes for tomorrow's festivities or organized tomorrow's events. Surely, these things are important if everything is to go smoothly and I know how important the day will be for you and the family. I would hate if anything went astray," She clasped her hands together in her lap politely noticing that she was talking far too much and too fast due to her nervousness, "I have not seen Ms Rosalind, would you have me fetch her?" She gently touched the pearl necklace around her neck as she had earlier; a simple reminder to stay focused.

Misty Gray​

 

[Misty Gray]

Christopher Ravenswood​

Christopher didn't give much reaction to Arabella's shock and exclamation about him giving her a fright. Whilst he hadn't intended to, it was certainly one way of keeping others in their place. If they feared him then they were more likely to do the duties as they should. When she told him she couldn't go he furrowed his brow, wondering why she suddenly felt the need to show him defiance. Then she continued to explain why and it seemed her reasons were so she could complete the other tasks she had been given. She was under the assumption that the success of the King's party mattered to him. He was torn between the intense desire for the celebrations to be a disaster and the need to prove to his father that he could manage such an event. He reminded himself of how patience tended to pay off. He must continue to go along with his father until it was finally his own turn to be King. "You're quite right. My clothes do need to be organised. I would hate for His Majesty to be at all disappointed tomorrow."

Christopher felt he was ready a little early and that presented an opportunity too good to pass up on. "I've changed my mind," he said, now looking directly to Arabella. "I will head to the dining room now, by myself. I need you to find Rosalind and escort her there too. I would hate for my fiancee to be late to dinner."

There wasn't much time for argument as Christopher left his chamber and headed straight for the dining room. Any voices or things out of place were for once ignored as the heir was intent on reaching his destination. It all paid off when he was the first to arrive to the dining room. The end of the dinner table was where the King would sit, as always. The Queen would sit to her husband's left side. Christopher sat at the place to the right of his father's, folding his arms as he watched the door to see who would enter next. The main thing was that he had arrived first and he knew it would irritate his father, yet the King would be forced to keep such a petty loss to himself. The Prince grinned at that thought.

Emotional Enigma
@ Also, anyone now arriving for dinner!

 

[Misty Gray]

Cassandra Summers​

"Perhaps it's in my nature to worry. I worried for you and your siblings when I was your nanny. Now I worry for those I supervise and train. If any of them displease your elders, then it's my duty to ensure it doesn't happen again," she explained. "I will have a break tomorrow, of course. The King and Queen have actually permitted me to attend the celebrations as a guest rather than staff." She was noble - a Lady - after all. Even with that in mind, Cassandra didn't doubt she'd end up doing little bits to help where needed.

"Well, when that man for me comes along tomorrow, you will have to pick me up from the floor. Such an occurrence would truly be a shock to me and would knock me out cold!" she joked. Whilst she was purposely exaggerating, she really did believe her chances for love had now passed. "I will keep an eye out for a young man for you, Elena. One who deserves to take your hand."

With mention of dinner, Cassandra nodded. "Of course, I will be there shortly," she answered. She liked to remain close at mealtimes should any kind of disturbance or emergency crop up for the servants or the royals. "You get yourself there now, Elena. I'd hate for you to be late at my expense," she softly told her.


ElectricDandellion (Elena)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

Elena Ravenswood

“Maybe so,” Elena agreed about Cassandra’s tendency to worry. The young woman had always believed it to be that she didn’t want others to fail or be ridiculed- it was a positive reason to be worried, she had always thought. As Cassandra talked of a break, Elena nodded, a smile tugging at her plump, petal lips. “That is just marvellous! But I don’t doubt you’ll stop worrying even so,” Giving the young woman a sympathetic glare, she stood, posture perfect like Cassandra had taught her to do always. “I do hope you’ll enjoy yourself. At the ball, of course. Dinner will be hectic, inevitably. I’m sure some drama will strike with father, always does when he drinks,” taking a deep swallow, a grin still plastered on her face, she fiddled with her hair slightly, pleased with the way it felt beneath her fingers.

At her remark, Elena laughed rather loudly. “You don’t fail to humour me, Cass, but I know you’ll find someone. In fact, I may have a match in mind! You’ll just have to wait and see,” Gently grasping Cassandra’s hands, and giving them a reassuring squeeze, she thought about the leading man in security, Alexander. His high title meant he would surely be a good suitor for Cassandra, but she’d just have to wait to see if they would hit it off when they met. Given that Elena could manage to prise Alexander away from his security duties. “I would allow any man to take my hand if for a dance. But I do hope father won’t mind too much,” the idea of a man wanting to dance with her striked her mind, and she quickly added, “No need to worry though, Cassandra. I’d rather a man want to dance with me rather than being told to or persuaded to. I appreciate it though,” She nodded gently, releasing the grip on Cassandra’s hand.

Nodding once more at the mention of dinner, Elena straightened the bodice of her dress with her palms. “Thank you ever so much for doing my hair Cassandra, I don’t know what I’d do without you!” She locked her gaze on the woman, a warmth filling her eyes at the Mother-like figure Cassandra portrayed to her. “Good luck tonight. Wish all of the maids good luck from me, and to be close with the wine. Father got irritable last time when it took too long for wine. I’d hate to see another member of the catering to get ridiculed in front of the whole family again.” Leaning forwards, Elena planted a gentle and polite peck on Cassandra’s cheek, like she had been taught, in farewell. “I shall see you later on, I’m sure.” She mumbled, before rushing off down the hallway towards the dining room.

Grabbing the hem of her skirt, Elena ran to the dining room, worried she’d be late with no means of time on her to keep track. Her heels clacked across the mahogany wood, it creaking ominously under her small weight in a way that made her anxious to enter the dining room. Nearing the closed double doors, she quickly collected her breath, straightening out her dress once more. She wanted to look nice for her mother and father, so for a few minutes, she made sure that her appearance was as good as it could be. And, with a sigh, she opened the double doors, an excuse starting to fall out of her mouth. “Father I apologise for-“ As she looked up, and saw only Christopher in the room, she halted her words altogether. “...father isn’t here yet? That’s unlike him,” she whispered slightly, looking over at Christopher who had a smile on his face. Pursing her lips in confusion, she walked towards the table. The end three seats were seats specifically for her mother, father and eldest brother. The other seats still had their places, and Elena was usually the last sibling to be seated, usually late to dinner. Her seat sat across from her eldest sister usually, but it sometimes alternated depending on which sibling came into the room first. As she took to her seat, one rather far away from Christopher, a maid rushed over, leaning to pour water into her glass. Immediately, looking over to Christopher slightly nervous, she shook her head. “Water, please,” The young woman quickly mumbled, her soft voice creating the woman to pause, briskly walking to the beverage shelf, and pulling out the glass bottle of water. The scent of the wine had Elena’s belly tumbling in a nauseating fashion, and she felt herself gritting her teeth to cope. The maid rushed over to fill her glass, before Elena thanked her and waved her off to stand where she was rather than behind her shoulder.

Lifting the glass to allow the crisp liquid to pool into her empty stomach, Elena let out a frustrated sigh. “Where’s Rosalind?” Elena questioned, raising her voice to allow her brother to hear. “I thought you were escorting her here. She may get lost on the way,” raising her gaze to look up at Christopher, she shook her head lightly. “Perhaps I should find her. Or do you think the maids will have escorted her here? I have no doubt they would have. They follow her almost everywhere,” taking another’s sip from her water, she cocked an eyebrow and looked at the cutlery, perfectly laid out on the table. Light fingers brushing the gold metal, she found herself looking towards the door. “I wonder what has kept everyone,”

Misty Gray

​

 

[Emotional Enigma]

Arabella watched as the Prince's decision became plain on his face, "I've changed my mind, I will head to the dining room now, by myself. I need you to find Rosalind and escort her there too. I would hate for my fiancee to be late to dinner." She sighed to herself as he departed and let her muscles relax. Her hand rubbed her forehead as she tried to think if the Ms would be in her quarters still or if she'd be off entertaining other festivities. She closed the drawers to the Prince's dresser and standing wardrobe and departed the room. Her light steps barely audible against the marble flooring and the moonlight that once graced her small room, now casting silhouette shadows in the halls. Arabella couldn't recall the last time she had laid eyes on the young Ms. so this only worsened the task of hunting her down.
She wandered past the dining room, peering in only briefly from around a corner, to see beautiful, bright lights and candles lit everywhere. Cassandra was conversing with Elena, and Arabella couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of her dress. She had never seen so much sparkle on a dress before nor would her parents allow her to show off so much skin. Through bobbing heads, she caught a rough glimpse of Hector as well. She noticed he wasn't dawned in his normal, formal attire. She wondered what the reasoning could be disregarded the idea when she saw his gentle smile. The kingdom was truly a nice place given the people and hadn't had many friends growing up, so being polite to people she only saw in passing was a step up from her dog Jasmine and her horse Zeus.
Her eyes settled on Christopher. He had not known it, but she'd hide in her father's wagon sometimes on his way into town when she was a wee, little girl. One of those fateful times, her father had delivered some vegetables to the castle gate, as they didn't let him come any closer, and outside she saw another child. She saw the eldest prince in his youthful glory, chasing a horse around the yard. He seemed full of life and happy. She had never seen him after that one experience though she had tagged along without permission many times after. Only a handful of times was he ever commissioned to go to the castle for deliveries, but she never saw the young prince again. Her father had reprimanded her for tagging along but she hadn't forgotten that fruitful laugh the prince once had. She was saddened by how it had deteriorated.
Arabella tip toed past the door on the side of the dining room and whisked herself into another hallway. The smell of food was intoxicating as she reached the kitchen. Cooks scurried throughout the kitchen, throwing vegetables in pots and cutting large slices of meat. It smelled heavenly.
"Comment va la nourriture?" She asked as a cook in a dirty smock brushed by her. The male cook looked at her under a sweaty mustache,
"Pas assez de temps" he smiled. Arabella strolled through the kitchen, her eyes glossing over the immense food as it glistened and cooked.
"By any chance," She asked in English this time, "Have any of the cooks seen Ms Rose?" Her eyes halted on a bottle of wine. It was enticing to say the least but she'd have no time to drink it tonight unfortunately.
"Non," The cook wiped his bear paws on his smock, "Avez-vous vérifié ses quartiers d'habitation?"
Arabella shook her head, "No, I just hoped she was ready already and had left. Merci et au revoir" She bowed her head respectively and departed the kitchen, still on the hunt for Rosalind.

Arabella headed down another hallway towards Rosalind's personal quarters, hoping she'd be there when she arrived.

Mentioned: Bellz Lost Misty Gray ElectricDandellion​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Krista was doing a thorough check over all of the food. After recent events, she wanted to be sure no one was trying to slip anything into their food. She wasn't the one testing, of course, but she was watching with a stern eye. Her family was at risk everyday; this she knew. It's why she trusted so few and even fewer to prepare their meals and such. Once she was sure their dinner was fine, she left the kitchen and again started for the dining room when she was called out to. Turning on her heels, she found the voice. It wasn't a voice that she could ever forget, honestly. She gave him a look, questioning his usage of 'wife'.

"Just your wife?" She stated, looking offended. It was a tease and not something to be taken seriously as she held her chin high and crossed her arms. "No special adjectives added to that word then? Just a woman who bore your children, successfully might I add and all I receive is wife?" She was trying her hardest to avoid the smile that was creeping onto her lips as the two of them walked to dinner. It was times like this, the ones where they weren't arguing or she felt like nothing, that she cherished; the good ones. "I suppose you could say my day was lovely... After the unfortunate events that occurred this morning." She took a pause before clearing her thraot. "I took a walk around the estate; quite nice really." She told him. "Though, I think it may have been better had you joined me." Her voice had a hint of remorse at not spending time with her husband the past few days. ​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Jocelyn walked into the dining, not too much later than her siblings. Walking through the doors, she saw Christopher sitting in his assigned seat as well as Elena. It was sort of a shock to see Elena there, as usually she was late to their dinners. Noticing her mother and father were still absent, she raised a brow but quickly dismissed the thought about their whereabouts. Usually her parents were the ones waiting on them for dinner. Well, the day had already been quite a different one so far so this went along with it. Walking past her brother she squeezed the pressure point in his shoulder. "It's your fault all of these servants and maids are acting all squeaky, you know. Can't have a decent conversation with any of them because they're too afraid of offending me." She rolled her eyes and sat in her 'assigned' seat before crossing her arms in a huff.

She wasn't exactly throwing a tantrum, but she was at the same time. A maid quickly rushed over and poured her a glass of wine and scurried off. Jocelyn pointed to her as she scurried away and looked at her brother. "Exhibit A. No hello, no how are you, nothing. Now usually I wouldn't care - and believe me I don't - but I'd still like to have my own option of ignoring them and giving half assed answers before they run off." ​

 

[Misty Gray]

Christopher Ravenswood​

When the door opened, Christopher was both surprised and amused to see Elena step inside rather than his father. The fact the youngest sibling had made it to dinner before the old man made it even more amusing to him. "No, father has not arrived yet. Perhaps he's going senile in his old age and has forgotten to attend dinner," he flatly remarked. He watched as the maid poured Elena some water. He waited until the maid had returned to her position against the wall before he beckoned her back over to the table and held up his empty wine glass. He didn't speak, simply watching as the servant filled his glass with wine. He then dismissed her with a wave of his hand before taking a sip of wine and looking back to his sister.

"I don't know where Rosalind is. I changed my mind and asked Arabella to escort her here. I'm not in the mood for chasing after people. I'm sure she'll know her way around the palace by now, unless she's a complete moron." He shrugged his shoulders when Elena wondered where everyone else was. "Clearly they're not as organised as you and I."

Jocelyn then entered the room. Yet another person who wasn't the King. Christopher was soon dragged from his thoughts by his sister squeezing his shoulder to cause pain. She then began berating him for the fact the servants were afraid to talk to her now. This caused him to roll his eyes and shake his head. He let her continue, highlighting the way the maid didn't speak to her and instead had simply rushed away after serving her. Despite wanting to inform Jocelyn of their father's hand in all of this, he decided to simply let her continue to believe it was his own fault.

"Perhaps you should be thanking me for saving you the trouble of having to ignore them," he remarked. It didn't bother him that servants could hear what he was saying. Why should it? He then reached for his napkin and lifted one of his table knives from its place, holding it into the air. He'd seen an imperfection on it before even sitting down, but hadn't yet acted upon it. "Maybe the servant who left a fingerprint on this knife's handle should be hanged next," he flippantly suggested. As he cleaned the knife himself, he glanced to his sister's from the corners of his eyes, before carefully placing the cutlery back in its place.

ElectricDandellion (Elena) Melanin-Gxdess (Jocelyn)

 

[ElectricDandellion]

Elena Ravenswood

Elena felt herself smirk at the mention of their father becoming senile with old age. She found herself lifting a hand to cover her mouth as she quietly chuckled, to then cover it up with a hesitant cough. “We can only hope,” she remarked jokingly. Her fingers combed her cutlery reluctantly as she watched him beckon the maid over as soon as she had gotten back to her position; Elena glanced daggers in his direction, disgusted at the way he was treating the servant, and then rudely dismissing her just as quickly. “Thank you, Mary,” The young woman spoke loudly, her gaze sharp at her brother. His rudeness towards staff could be overwhelming to say the least.

“Chasing? That’s your future wife. At least a few times you have to do what you may feel reluctant to do. She hasn’t been here long, how can she possibly know where to go exactly,” Elena felt her good mood starting to deteriorate slowly. It would only continue when her parents joined the table. As he mentioned being organised, Elena shook her head in disbelief. “It is surely a criticism to be here after I have arrived. Father will surely be appalled,” she grinned, taking a sip of her water from her glass.

The sound of the door opening had her eyes snapping to the doorway, only to see her eldest sister, Jocelyn, entering. She almost instantly strode to Christopher, pinching his shoulder in what Elena assumed was an action of pain. Elena was excited to see her older sister, her face growing childish as she smiled without teeth, cheeks bunching up happily. Her gaze grew amused as she watched the two with alike tempers interact, that was, until they mentioned the maids. Face tightening, she clenched her jaw. “Would you both shut your damned mouths about the maids being fearful. We all know why, and I simply do not care to hear your...your shit about how they won’t talk to you, and how Christopher wants them to fear us. It’s simply not fair to discuss this at the dinner table! I’ll be damned to sit here and listen to the two of you bicker over power.” Raising her hand to beckon the made, she chewed her bottom lip in annoyance. “Port, please, Mary,” she mumbled, eyes flashing in a mix of anger and sadness. Elena didn’t want to argue with her older sister, and she didn’t want to upset her, but she was too tender to talk about the issue so openly and over dinner too. Especially when the cause of the work force’s fear was due to Grace’s execution. The port was usually her father’s, but at that current moment, she just wanted to stop herself screaming at her siblings. She could only imagine when the whole family were to sit down.

“Jocelyn, perhaps after dinner would you join me to the stables? Unless you’re busy of course. I would like to see Alistair, I haven’t taken him out in a few days,” she mumbled, changing the subject and ignoring her brother’s comment about another execution, gingerly drinking port as he spoke. The taste made her wince, and she scowled in slight disgust at the bitterness, and took a deep gulp of water afterwards.

Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray​

 

[Angelofwishes7]

Alexander Rotinya Krow

View attachment 416695
​

Before Hector left Alexander gave a short bow in respect. "It was a pleasure speaking with you my lord." Alexander could tell that Hector was still struggling after today's activities, but at least now he knew that the prince was safe within the castle walls. Alexander smiled as he watched the prince return to the castle to get ready for dinner before he took another look down at his watch. It was about time for dinner and he doubted any of the other royal children would still be out and about. They would be getting ready to finish their day by sitting with the rest of their family for a meal, a pleasant thought for most commoners, but only if it was such a way with the royal family as well. Of course, not all of the royal family dinners were bad or troublesome, but on a day like today, Alexander stood on guard, ready for anything.

Alexander gave a soft sigh as he looked around at the wonderful colors of the garden once more. The sun would soon be setting and the flowers would soon be closing for the night. He smirked, seeing such beauty, then turned toward the castle and slowly made his way inside. The walk to the dining room was short and quiet, that didn't seem correct. He stopped outside the dining hall for only a brief second, It was quiet, or at least he thought it was till he walked into the dining hall. Alexander smiled, his eyes looking at who was already at the table, surprising it wasn't the king and queen who had gotten to dinner first, but some of the royal children.

This was a bit unexpected, but the argument he had accidentally walked into was. He paused, trying to figure out what everyone was fighting about, but honestly, it was none of his business so he didn't listen in for very long. He let his gaze fall slowly on each of the royal family, giving a kind smile and bowing his head in the greatest of respects before making his way over to one of the far walls of the room to keep watch over the dining room as he waited for the rest of the royal family to gather in.

-------------------- Mentions --------------------
Lost ElectricDandellion Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess

-------------------- Interactions --------------------
Open​

 

[Misty Gray]

King Robert James Ravenswood II
& Christopher Ravenswood​

The King turned to Krista and raised his eyebrow when she questioned him addressing her as just his wife. Then as she went on to ask if there was more to accompany such a title, a chuckle escaped his lips. Of course, he often made errors like those and she would usually pull him up on them. It wasn't that he didn't have feelings for his wife that reflected those additional adjectives she desired. He was often just too preoccupied to remember such courtesies to the most important lady in his life. "My love? My beautiful love? Hmm? Does that cut it?" he teasingly asked her. He unfolded his arms and placed a hand on her lower back as they walked.

"I'm glad you've had a lovely day," he told her. "You mustn't concern yourselves with events such as this morning's. Let Christopher deal with those," he suggested. He was happy to pass such tasks onto his son. He smiled at mention that her walk would have been better had he joined her. "I will walk with you next time, my love. Today was simply filled with plans for tomorrow and plans for Christopher's wedding. I feel it should happen much sooner..." he trailed off.

There wouldn't be much chance for Krista to react to his comment about the wedding as they had now reached the dining room. The guard on the corridor opened the door for the King and Queen, with Robert allowing Krista to enter the room first. He was surprised to see some of his children already seated at the table. Either he was running late or they were early. Obviously, they were early - it couldn't possibly be his own fault. Still, the smug expression on Christopher's face annoyed him, though he wouldn't show such a thing in front of everyone else.

The King sent Alexander a friendly smile before taking his place at the head of the table. He respected the Master of Security and as such treated him in a friendly manner. They'd spent enough time in each others' presence to strike up conversation and also discuss matters of the palace's security.

"Father," Christopher coldly greeted the King, his jaw tightened as he did. He then looked to Krista and faintly smiled, reaching his arm across the table to gently squeeze her hand with his. "Looking radiant, Mother. I hope today has treated you well," he told her.

Melanin-Gxdess (Krista)
Mentions: Angelofwishes7 (Alexander) ElectricDandellion (Elena) Melanin-Gxdess (Jocelyn)

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Jocelyn just gave her brother a look as he tried to justify his actions. It wasn't that she wanted to ignore them all the time, more like if they annoyed her she would. However, she was no longer even given the chance to decided. All they did was as they were commanded and they were gone the next second. Her attention then turned to Elena, quite possibly her favorite sister... Sometimes. Definitely not now since she had interrupted Joce by ranting on about the way she and Christopher were talking about the servants. She just stared at her and waited for her to finish. "Technically, we can. Dinner," she said as she gestured to the empty table. "Is not yet served but fine." She honestly just didn't want her sister to be any more upset, knowing that it sort of hit close to home for her.

Her head snapped back to her brother, who commented on hanging someone else. She rolled her eyes and spoke. "Not even king yet and already making life or death choices." She sarcastically added, "I'm so proud." Taking a sip of wine she started speaking again. "Another hanging? You sure you'll have time in between looking at yourself in the mirror? And it's hung you illiterate shit." Turning her attention back to Elena, she nodded her head. "Sure, we can do that." She simply said, catching Alexander's eye. In her head, she made a note to speak with him about nothing at all. She simply wanted someone who wasn't afraid to speak their minds, even if she did ignore them. She was going to say more until she saw her parents walk into the room. She nodded her head at them and gave a soft smile when her mother made her way around, kissing their heads. "Hello, mother. Father." She greeted.

Krista leaned into her husband once he placed his arm around her. She gave a slight chuckle at his responses, nodding her head along with it. "Oh yes, those sound much better. I do expect you to address me as such, my love." She teased back, her hand traveling up his back giving him a loving rub. However, at the mention of letting her son deal with unpleasant matters made her smile quiver. Her hand fell from her husband as she cleared her throat, looking right in front of her, her facial expression unreadable. "Well, while I do prefer it if we didn't have to deal with it at all, I would like you to at least help him manage it. He's not king yet, you know." She told him, jumping to his defense. Her smile returned when he told her he'd walk with her, but again faltered. He mentioned Christopher's wedding and moving the date up and when she opened her mouth to respond, he was already opening the door to the dining room.

She was also surprised to see that most of her children were in the room before the two of them. With a smile, she went around the room and planted a kiss on each of their heads, Christopher last. She lingered on Christopher and whispered in his ear with a smile. "My future king.." She sat in her seat and nodded her head at her son's question. "Oh, indeed. Took a walk around the estate, saw some things I think most didn't want me to see." As she said this, she looked at Elena, throwing hints at her drinking her way. She had that motherly smile that you knew you were going to get in trouble for something, but at a much later time. Besides, Krista would never chastise her children, if she didn't see it as too much of a big deal, in front of Robert. "Where are the rest of your siblings? And my future... Daughter in law?" ​