Well, this all seemed to be going relatively smoothly, at least. The two new knights seemed to be knowledgeable and adept at what they did, though without seeing them in action there was only so much that could be said. For a meeting being held in a bath, this was going somewhat decently. The girl couldn't help but flinch a little, however, when she felt Sult's hands on her back. Recalling getting the same treatment by her maids, however, she swiftly relaxed.

"It's... it's very nice to meet you," she began, attempting to ignore the 'cutest go first' comment. It was embarrassing... and then... then the older girl was massaging her. The smallish blonde trailed off, cheeks burning hot with embarrassment, as she felt Sult massage her back, lean in rather close... and then be done with it.

"... I, er... well..."

It took several moments for Fanilly to regain her composure.

From there, the girl managed to talk a bit more, mostly introducing herself and asking a few more questions about the new knights' interest in the order. Anything to keep herself from becoming an embarrassed mess.

[hr]

The next day, however, was quite a different one. The sun was once again sinking low, this time casting the sky in a vast array of oranges and reds, purples and yellows. Light played off the low-hanging clouds in a dazzling display of colors.

Fanilly's maids had braided her hair. Her armor and weapons had been cleaned to their most perfect condition. Now, there was only one thing that remained for her to do. She had to proceed to the party. She'd picked a fair variety of knights to accompany her, focusing on both new knights and a few veterans as well. They had been permitted to wear any formal attire they so chose, and Fanilly had decided to request that any armor must be suited to this if it is brought along.

This, she had realized, put Tyaethe in quite a predicament. But she couldn't deny she felt some desire to see what was under the 'immortal knight's' armor. It was such a mystery, after all.

Regardless of mystery knights' looks, Fanilly felt her nervousness rising. Her training as a child had not exactly left her attending a large number of parties, though she had been to a few small affairs in the past.

This was no small affair. The Royal Castle loomed ahead, a throng of guests milling both in the castle gardens and visibly within. Fanilly had been to the castle before, but... never when it was this crowded. The walls around the castle were strong and thick, but naturally the knights had been allowed through. They were both guests, and the Iron Roses themselves, after all. 

The castle itself was an impressive structure. Known as the Crown of Thaln, or the Spikes of Aimlenn, it was a rectangular building, four larger towers arranged at each corner with a much larger one in the center. It was made of a dark grey stone, decorated with white. The gardens around the castle were verdant and thriving, filled with small trees, a wide array of flowers, and small ponds. Even here, however, there were clear signs of spots where soldiers would hold their ground, in case of an attack.

But at the moment, there were no such soldiers. 

Fanilly led her knights through the crowd, to the castle itself. The interior hall was wide and spacious, and a herald declared each knight's status as they entered the room. Tables of food lined the walls, men, women, and children were everywhere, adorned in finery, and guards were posted evenly about the hall.

Fanilly couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous about such a large event.

But, this was it. The princess was no where to be seen, for the moment, but Fanilly was certain that would change quite soon.