[hr][hr][h2][color=rosybrown][center]Fareeha Amari[/center][/color][/h2]
Fareeha Amari wasn’t unaware of how pale and tense Ariel was when she offered to let her pet Hadi. It was understandable, even if it saddened Fareeha a little. However, it [i]was[/i] progress when Ariel reached out and touched Hadi, even relaxing a little bit. Until Hadi looked at her and flicked his tongue out.

Nonetheless, she smiled softly and told her, “Salam, Ariel, peace. Rwh Hadi has only ever bitten me once, and pythons don’t even have venom. Hardly even hurt, and Hadi was just doing it because she was nervous. You’ve nothing to fear from me or my pets. Well, some of my pets. I didn’t bring any that I didn’t trust, though. Normal dogs are normal pets, and aren’t very well suited to the desert- and besides, no one else here can say that they’ve slept next to a lion or played with a king cobra.”

This was the one time that she gave the girl a smile- talking about her animals. 

“Feel free to speak as freely as you want, Ariel. If you are terrified of snakes, and don’t wish to see Hadi, that’s fine- there’s no reason for you to talk to me while you are afraid.”

[hr][hr][h2][color=burlywood][center]Niklas König[/center][/color][/h2]
Finally! Everyone had arrived and he could head inside. He’d been standing out here too long- he didn’t like not moving, just waiting. Social niceties, of course, the norms of being royalty. Terribly boring, but it had its uses, and despite being so boring, he didn’t really mind too much.

So with all that done, he spun neatly around, as per the style taught back home, gave an encouraging nod to his friend, Raven Willow, and then marched inside to get to know some of these people.

He had taken a dozen steps into the large, spacious, opulent room, and stopped, surveying the crowd and studying everyone. That One Casimier, strutting about with a small group, Princess-soldier Scary Amari, talking to the Princess Ariel, servants here and there talking to each other or bustling about, the polar-height-opposites of Edwin and Liviana ‘socializing’ with each other, and more.

Ah, politics and diplomacy! So many interesting characters, and he was sure he’d get to beat up one of them in the near future. He’d make sure of it!

Then he caught sight of Mai, and vice versa. They lcoked eyes for a brief moment before he made a snap decision. Candidly and easily, he started towards his betrothed, and when he reached the woman, he bowed.

“Princess,” he said by way of greeting, “I see that both natural or artificial lighting both do nothing but agree with you. How do you think of this… selection of royalty, thus far?”

He gestured around vaguely, before continuing- “The Peacock, the Snake, the Raven, the… hm. I’ve no idea what animal could represent Liviana.”

Trailing off in thought somewhat, Niklas stared into the crowd of royalties, lost in thought as he tried to figure out what animal Liviana would be. Tactical attempted to offer some suggestions, but he just silently vocalized a negative for each of her suggestions.