Château de D'Aubigne Courtyards - Noble's Quarter

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"This is absurd! Did you see him Ona?!" Lucius whispered, "That bastard Conqvist. He's here!"

Onatha nodded slowly. She was focused on looking, at the carriage, at the people and what she could see behind the scenes but her ears listened to Lucius. "I did. I saw him."  

Her words held little emotion. Right now she did not hold quiet the same vehemence as the others but she as not entirely happy either. She was not of these people so while the hatred was not there, there was still anger and disgust. She had bore witness to what happened in the streets. One simply had to be alive to know that things were not right.

"There are many people here."

"Nobility, inbred Sarifen high borns, and Ivalian harpies," Lucius swiftly answered as a Sarifen couple suddenly blocked his sight, "Follow in my stead and do try to remain inconspicuous! We need not expose ourselves amidst this serpeant's den."

Without another word, the Prince bowed as the Lord Sovereign traversed past. His gaze remained along the Chateau grounds and in so doing, dismissed the Lord Sovereign's attention. The women, mostly prominent Ivalian aristocrats and by nature, wealthy merchants littered the Chateau, discussing the status regarding imports, whilst remarking upon familial happenings and the latest in garments and notable fabrics.

Onatha curtsied to the man as he passed, following Lucius' lead. "Nobilty has not changed over time. It is as it always was."  Her tone was slightly apathetic. "Of course." She would do nothing to bring attention to herself. Her role was at Lucius' side to tell him what she saw.

"I would not know," Lucius hissed, "As far as I recall, the Sarifens do not take kindly to those not benefitting toward their standings and I would trust a Sarifen patrician as much as I'd treat snarling jackal."

"It is as it always was. Nobility looking down on those below them. Family's breeding with only those they see fit. It is all I mean." She looked at him, a nod of apology for speaking out of turn.

"On the contrary, you may find that our Ivalian visitors are not [i]quite[/i] as ruthless, however, I find their merchantile demeanor rather mercenary and entirely unscrupulous."

Onatha blinked once. "I would think I would not do much to meet anyone so perhaps you can tell me about them sometime." She wasn't here to socialize, she was here to be quiet and relay information. 

Oblivious, the Regent stalked past amidst the blaring trumpets. Following a short fanfare, the walkways exploded in festival as jesters, fire breathing performers, and juggling dancers peeled away to mix amongst the halberd carrying retainers. The sounds of flutes, incessantly light laughter, and rippling lyres carried into the mix and in a show of lively spirits, many guests rose to offer an arousing applause. Elsewhere, Conqvist's suspicious Crown Watchmen stood guard as they eyed the crowds for any notable troublemakers. There would be none this evening and amidst his welcoming applause, the Regent set about greeting various guests, both Sarifen and Ivalian alike.

Onatha looked to where the regent had gone. "He is greeting people. Servants are working in the kitchen. There are guards everywhere."  She turned to face Lucius. "What do you wish to do now?"  She wasn't sure if he wished to remain in the shadows in one spot or slowly circle the party. It was crowded but it would serve them better for blending and avoiding notice.

"To enjoy the gathering whilst we mask Conqvist himself," Lucius answered, smiling. Shortly afterwards, the Prince rose and had summoned a passing servant before seizing a sizzling kabob stacked in baked Ivalian fruits and well cooked fish, "You [i]must[/i] savor this Ivalian morsel!"

Onatha looked at the food Lucius grabbed. She gingerly took one from the tray as he had. She held it in her hands waiting for it to cool.  "I have never eaten like this."  She looked at the food, intrigued. Her eyes shifted to Lucius, waiting for him to take a bite first.

"My my ... I must say! He's certainly become much thinner," the Prince whispered, "Last I recall, the Regent sported several chins. Strange how the months may change a man ..."
    
"Thinner? How does one lose weight when one eats like this?"  She eyed the food, her stomach rumbling a little. She was not used to rich foods or anything so plentiful. She took a small nibble of the kabob. 

"Through certain... strenuous activities," Daedhel spoke quietly, eyes glancing around. She had stuck close to Lucius and Onatha for the short time they had been there, curtseying low as Conqvist went past and keeping her eyes on the ground just in case the fury and hatred she held within herself escaped the cold mask on the outside. The rest of the time she merely spent observing. 

Onatha looked at Daedhel and tilted her head as if thinking on her comment. Green pools shone as her eyes widened. "Oh."  Her head turned and looked to where Conqvist walked amongst the party goers. "I see." 

She placed her food back on tray as a servant passed. Her appetite had turned. She had spent too much time as a slave in the past. Her arms wrapped about herself a little. 

Laughter filled the courtyards as performers and musicians delivered catchy tunes and mesmerizing dances in the form of their instruments. The panduras, rhoptron, tambourines, various lyres, and aulos all formed a synchronized melody whilst the dancers leaped and whirled into circles. Lucius could not help, but stare as several scantily dressed young girls leaped through the crowds whilst twirling and fluttering silk streamers  over their heads. 

Various guests peeled away to watch as more laughter and clapping engulfed the marble courtyard floors and as the dancers stepped to the beat. Amidst an arousing applause, a lone orator loudly hauntingly expelled a convicing tale of Ivalia's founding of Midia, the jewel of Ivalian civilization as well as the grace mother Athirat bestowed upon her daughters as they formed sisterhoods to expanded across the seas.

Dae glanced around, eyes skimming over the various guests that she could see and mostly ignoring the entertainment and ignoring the music that filled the air as she tried to concentrate more on the conversations between the guests around her. Who knew what interesting information she could pick up purely through listening. She frowned slightly as she followed Lucius' gaze, but did not comment. "We should do what we came here to do, rather than getting distracted."

"Dae, Ona," Lucius hissed as ravishing male performers flirtatiously whirled around his companions. Simultaneously, several curvaceously figured girls danced in his direction, provoking the Prince to sink further into the crowds to avoid their mesmerizing performances. 

"This is all rather temptuous," he hissed again, "However, I am sensing something awfully wrong about this gathering. Our performers are primarily Ivalian and Valanian and I fear that the Ecuyer maybe testing our abilities. Presently, I am finding Conqvist's presence increasingly difficult to track. Let us not lose sight of his whereabouts!"

"Of course something is wrong," Dae replied in a slightly sharp tone, eyes narrowing as she ignored the dancers around them. Craning her neck slightly she struggled to even see where Conqvist had gone. While her short stature often came as an advantage for infiltration and going around without being detected, it did not help here. "You would think that he would be easier to track," she murmured. "It's not like he shuld be trying to hide himself." She shook her head slightly. "Maybe if we move somewhere quieter, with less... distractions and tall people around he will be easier to find?"

"Yet again, we find ourselves of similar minds," Lucius flatly answered, "Of course, I do recall our last encounter involving like-minded suspicions and ... I'm certain you relish the notions of keeping your firearms loaded. You remember a familiar name, spelling the words Vercelli Heights, don't you?"

"Firearms loaded, and knives within easy reach," Dae responded. Of course, that was most often the case for her. She was always prepared. "I do remember the name, of course." She glanced up at Lucius, gaze almost scrutinizing. "I'm not sure of the relevance, however." She shrugged slightly with a thoughtful frown. "I believe that the best course of action is to continue to try and blend in, however we should try move some to a place where it is easier to track Conqvist. And, of course, be prepared for something to happen. Because it undoubtedly will." After all, she had been invited to this event in the first place. That in itself was suspicious.

"Somehow, I fear you fail to realize how much you put your kind to shame, Dae," Lucius playfully answered as he tilted his glass. His eyes remained fixated upon the thinly wasted Lord Regent as his laughter boomed across the courtyards. The man's smile proved to have intoxicated his Ivalian company as they swept their richly colored tunics across the floors. Several moved to whisper into the man's ear, earning a dirty grin amidst the evening's revelries.

"My kind?" Dae raised an eyebrow, before rolling her eyes. 

"To be perfectly honest, Dae, it's not of our lives I fear tonight; it's that of our foes. I pray you shall keep several alive for questioning; otherwise, our endeavors may inevitably prove fruitless ..."