[center][h3][color=7bcdc8]Liviana Traianus of Lusitania[/color][/h3][/center]

For a split second, anger clouded Liv’s vision. Then she realized that the Liang prince was clearly clueless and not intentionally trying to insult her.

[i]"What Zhou means to say is that he is terribly sorry for what happened and that both he and I would love to have dinner with you. To be truthful, I am glad that you decided to confront Zhou. I've been dying to ask you about that gorgeous wrap all day."[/i]

Liv flashed a (slightly strained) smile at the princess. [color=7bcdc8]“I’m sorry, Princess Mai. I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner with your cousin. My name is Liviana Traianus, but please, call me Liv.”[/color] To the comment about her wrap, she smiled, brushing her fingers over the soft fabric. [color=7bcdc8]“It’s a traditional garment of my people. The palm fronds,”[/color] she said, indicating the gold embroideries [color=7bcdc8]“are supposed to signify victory, although to be honest I’m not sure what exactly I’m supposed to be victorious over.”[/color] She gave a little laugh, trying to calm the nervous fluttering of her heart.

[color=7bcdc8]“I absolutely love your hairpins; that beading is simply divine.”[/color] she said, returning the compliment with no less sincerity. [color=7bcdc8]“And your shoes are exquisite as well, though I would never be graceful enough to walk in shoes that tall without going tumbling. [i]That is, tumbling more than I already seem to.[/i]”[/color] Just the slightest barb tinged those words, as her gray eyes darted over to the dragon-hyena prince Zhou.

She was distracted from anything further by the princess of Aciras making an announcement. Wordlessly she listened to the change in the betrothals, her face going even paler than usual.

[color=7bcdc8][i]“Lenwood Heath? Who in all the Underworld is Lenwood Heath?!”[/i][/color] she hissed, in Latin, to Aelia. Her words were so rapid and quiet that even Liu, with his pseudo-latin skills, wouldn’t be able to discern the words, much less decipher their meaning.

The maidservant had an angry blush on her cheeks, and she frowned, leaning down to whisper in Liv’s ear. [color=f49ac2][i]“Lenwood Heath is the second-born child, and only prince, of Alduin. And his family announced [/i]months[i] ago that he wasn’t to be attending.”[/i][/color]

Liv felt an angry rush of heat up her neck and face, but she carefully kept her eyes blank, though the blush would likely betray her true thoughts. [color=7bcdc8]“I should protest.” [/color]She whispered, barely more than a breath of air, still using her native language. [color=7bcdc8]“I should call Father right now and tell him that it was a waste of time to send me.”[/color]

Aelia grabbed Liv by the forearm, under the table, and, still in Latin, whispered. [color=f49ac2][i]“Damn you, Liv, you will do no such thing. If you go back to Lusitania it will be in disgrace. People will [/i]never[i] let you forget how you were so immature that you had a temper tantrum and got sent home from the gala.”[/i]
[/color]
Liv hissed in pain, her maidservant’s sharp fingernails drawing blood, and leaving a bruise, on her wrist. [color=7bcdc8]“And if I go back in three months, what will they think? That I was betrothed and my future husband left me for some prettier girl? That he likely only left after soiling me and ruining me for future marriage?”[/color]

[color=f49ac2]“You WILL stay here, Liv. Who knows? There could be a late arrival. They could re-match everyone again. Stay for two months and if nothing is sorted out, then you can leave and go back home and marry Petrus like everyone thought you were going to.”[/color]

Liv rolled her eyes, but the angry color was mostly gone from her cheeks. She turned to Mai when she was again addressed.

…Oh, of course. Mai and Zhou were going to go talk to their future partners. Liv could not stop herself from slightly deflating.

[color=7bcdc8]“Thank you for your invitation, Princess, but I must decline. No sense in me being awkward and ruining the first conversations either of you will have with your betrothed. I shall wait here and see if my future husband makes himself visible.”[/color] The girl spoke in a somewhat strained tone, but smiled as sincerely as she could at Mai and Zhou. 

After the two from Liang walked away, Liv sighed, looking around at the crowd disinterestedly. 

A proper princess would have protested. Claudia or Lucia would not have taken such a disgrace demurely. 

Liv squared her shoulders and went to rise, her eyes on the dais, but Aelia again grabbed her by the wrist, digging her nails in and drawing blood a second time.

[color=f49ac2]“Liv, are you insane?! You can’t go confront the king of Aciras about this.”[/color]

[color=7bcdc8]“I can and I will.”[/color] She said, using her other hand to grip Aelia’s thumb in such a way that she could break it, if she applied enough force.

Aelia took the same grip on Liv with her other hand, her golden eyes smoldering. It was with an iron-hard voice that the maid said, [color=f49ac2]“No, you won’t.”[/color]

Liv struggled for a moment, then went limp. [color=7bcdc8]“I won’t. Okay. But you had [i]better[/i] come up with a way to explain this to my father.”[/color]

[color=f49ac2]“Don’t you worry your little head, princess.”[/color] Aelia said, with a sarcastically formal tone, as she let go of the death grip she had on Liv’s wrist and other hand.[color=f49ac2] “Now, do quit looking so glum, dearie, you’re scaring away all the potential suitors.”
[/color]
Liv just frowned, her gaze darkening again. This evening would doubtless take forever. 

[hider=summary]
Liv is just like, “Do you even Latin bro?” to Zhou and Liu.
Complements Mai’s shoes and hairpins, quite sincerely.
Goes wishy/washy back and forth on whether or not she should confront the Aciras royalty about the mistake in her new betrothal, or lack thereof. 
Declines Mai’s offer that would enable her to be an extremely-obvious fifth wheel, instead preferring to be a slightly-less-obvious seventeenth wheel.
Aelia shows off her badass lethal maidservant skills, by mauling Liv about.[/hider]