Fareeha was about to reply when the doors behind them abruptly shoved open. In strode Niklas Konig of Konigreich der Welten, more casually clad in a simple, solid-color black collared shirt and a pair of jeans. Simple shoes, and he was wearing a fedora.

"Hello ladies! I heard through the grapevine that my dear betrothed was here. Just came to say good morning and give apologize for missing breakfast."

"But you haven't apologized or said good morning yet, and by Nekhbet, what is on your head?" Fareeha immediately sniped back, good-humoredly.

Niklas just gave a goofy grin at the trio of girls and replied, "A fedora. Aciras-born and made, from what I've seen, since I've never heard of it before. And, my apologizes, m'ladies, for missing breakfast, and therefore, your companies. May your morning be blessed in every way." Niklas gave an overexaggerated half-bow, dipping forward and twirling his hand a little.

He ruined the sincerity of his gesture by adding, "It's even more blessed with me around. Fareeha, you've already said hello. Princess Mai, Princess Liviana, how do you two beautiful gems do?"

Mai chuckled softly. "Oh, yes! I am very much looking forward to seeing what everybody is wearing as well," she answered Liviana cheerfully. Other than the obvious statement about fashion that one's attire made, Mai fervently believed that clothing said a great deal about personality as a whole. "It will really be quite the experience, all of us dressed up in a room together." And it will be quite an informative experience as well.

Mai was secretly relieved that her cousin, Zhou, was not scheduled to arrive at Aciras until a couple days after the ball. Other than the fact that his personality would invariably clash with Casimir's (as it had when they visited Ortha), Mai really did not relish the idea of keeping an eye on her unruly cousin for the entire ball. She could only cross her fingers and hope that he didn't cause too much trouble once he did actually arrive.

Just then, the doors to the library's ornate entrance hall burst open, and in came Mai's betrothed-Prince Niklas Konig of Konig der Welten, who had been noticeably absent at breakfast, which Mai had found to be rather peculiar. He wore jeans, a casual black collared shirt, and...was that a fedora? The ensemble would have made Mai cringe slightly, if she was the type to outwardly show her feelings. He looks like he came straight out of a Western magazine, she thought. I...I don't see why he thought the addition of headwear was necessary. It ruins the look for him, really, especially because he's wearing jeans. Mai sighed silently. I suppose it doesn't really matter. I'm just being very judgmental.

Niklas was as dramatic and as lighthearted as always, giving Mai, Fareeha, and Liviana an overdone bow and greeting everybody good naturedly. Mai smiled at Niklas, glancing up at her betrothed through lowered lashes.

"I am doing wonderful, thank you for asking," she replied warmly, subtly readjusting her dress. She pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, looking down then looking back up again with a small smile. "And yes, we did indeed miss you at breakfast," Mai added with a soft laugh. "Come join us, Prince Niklas," she invited, patting the spot on the ground beside her. "We were just discussing the ball that will be held tonight. I am sure that you are just as excited as we are."

Liv couldn't help but outright stare at Niklas. What was... what was that thing on his head? It was so... strange. Liv could understand a laurel wreath or even a wrapped scarf, as was favored by the inhabitants of the furthest southern city-states to keep off the sun. But... what was that thing? it looked terribly impractical, and while she supposed it might work aesthetically for some, it certainly didn't work for others. Like Niklas. ... wait, a feh-door-uh? What a strange name for an item of clothing.

She finally had the decency to avert her eyes, as she was quite bluntly staring... and then silently choked as Niklas referred to her as a "beautiful gem." Really. Really, Niklas? At the least you could have told me something believable. You could have even called me "cute"-- it's more easy to accept as truthful than "beautiful".

She belatedly realized that the "beautiful gem" comment had been leading up to a question, so she answered politely, if somewhat flatly, "peior consuetudinem fui." She sat still for a moment, then went even paler than usual, shrinking in embarrassment and gently clapping her hand over her mouth. In flustered English, even more heavily accented -and less coherent- than usual, she mumbled, "I am sorry, I slip languages when I am thinking less, I so am sorry."

And then, of course, she realized that she'd still not properly answered the question, but rather than babble /again/ she just squeaked out another "I am sorry..." and let her hair fall in front of her face, hiding her blush and embarrassed tears from the others.

Gods. Mother and Father were right. I really am useless at this. Girls really are too stupid to learn English. Except for Aeli and Claudia cause they managed it fine but they were taught by better tutors cause they were supposed to go with Felix to... wherever he went and they needed to know english so they were taught and I wasn't cause I'm just a stupid little girl who just needs to go home and get married down to some wealthy pleb who offers a good bride price and get forgotten about. The tears that had welled up in her eyes spilled over then, though she was mostly sure her hair hid it.

Niklas was the first to notice Liv's sudden embarrassment and attempt to hide in plain sight. He took off his fedora, holding it to his chest like a cowboy would with his hat, and immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry, Liviana. I don't know what I said- wait, no."

He approached her, carefully due to Fareeha's dagger-like warning stare, and kneeled beside her.

Summoning what he knew of her, and her backstory- of which he had extensive knowledge on most everyone- he gently laid a hand on her shoulder, as he- equally gently- laid his fedora on Fareeha's head (who glared with some amount of humor and bemusement).

"You are intelligent, Princess Liviana. Do not fear the unknown, do not fear what you might accomplish- or be unable to. Give it your all, and be proud of it. Princess Fareeha, here, would agree."

Fareeha nodded solemnly, before tossing the fedora across the library like a frisbee. Kneeling next to Liviana with Niklas (whom she pushed to the side), she added, "Princess Liviana, do you think I have not messed up before? Do you not think Mai has messed up? We have all had our mistakes, and we can still be however strong, graceful, goofy, or otherwise. I once punched my commanding officer- and in the military, that is a grave, grave offense. I stood by what I did, and will continue to do so. I may have been wrong, but in that, I will apologize- but I am also entitled to my thoughts, and my thoughts was that he needed a good punching."

She smiled, warm at the memory.

"If you ever need to take your anger, or your sorrows out on anyway, just punch Niklas. He will not mind, I guarantee you."

"And how do you know that, Fareeha?"

"Because I'll punch you if you refuse to let her do it."

That ended the query.

Mai felt alarm course through her veins at the sight of Liviana desperately trying to hide her tears. Oh dear. She must be terribly embarrassed. Perhaps my original theory on her choppy English was indeed correct. As this went through Mai's head, Niklas apologized and cautiously approached the other princess, kneeling beside her. He offered words of encouragement to Liviana as he gently placed his fedora on Fareeha's head, who soon discarded the fedora and comforted Liviana as well.

Mai smiled gently at Liviana. "I stand by what Prince Niklas and Princess Fareeha here have said," she said softly, and sincerely-which was a rather unusual occurrence for Mai. "We are not perfect. Princess Fareeha here punches commanding officers, Prince Niklas chose to wear that fedora today-" here Mai paused and gave Niklas an amused look-"and I, well, I had never seen a high heel in my life before I was in my teen years, and of course, the first time I ever dared to try to walk with them on, I fell flat on my face!" Mai exclaimed with a giggle. "It was terribly embarrassing, because the other girls in the room had practically grown up in heels." Okay, so she hadn't exactly fallen on her face-but she'd stumbled so many times that it was almost like she had fallen on her face anyway. There was a pang in her gut as she recalled that particular incident; it was only a little bit after they'd moved back to the palace, and when her uncle was appointing leaders to official governmental positions and such. Many of the candidates had been ministers and officials back when the socialist faction was in control, and of course, their daughters had lived in the capital with them. Mai remembered how those other girls had seemed so refined and sophisticated, while she was just a princess who had just come out of hiding that spoke the dialect of her village better than the official language of Liang. Mai grinned inwardly. I showed them though, didn't I? They could walk in heels, yes, but none of them were capable of throwing a dagger in stilettos, or using their designer stilettos as weapons, for that matter.

Mai came up next to Fareeha. She brushed back a piece of Liviana's dark brown hair and put a finger under the other princess's chin, gently lifting it up. "Oh my," she murmured softly. "You have such striking eyes, Princess Liviana. They are the brightest blue that I have ever seen."

She cocked her head to the side and studied Liviana's features. It is only her size that makes her look small and childish. I bet that I could make her look like a queen if I had enough time, Mai mused to herself. What she has on right now makes her look older, yes, and it is very pretty, but she doesn't look very...how would I say this in English? Not very regal? Not very...formidable? With darker, thicker eyeliner and darker, redder lipstick she would be quite a force to be reckoned with. Mai noticed that Liviana's tears had started to smudge her mascara. "Oh no," Mai said, taking her finger away from Liviana's chin and turning for her hand bag. She rummaged through the multiple cosmetic products (including an eyeshadow palette that concealed a small dagger) and procured a tube of waterproof mascara. She held it up in front of Liviana. "May I?" she asked lightly. "I have plenty of experience with mascara, I promise," Mai added with a smile.

Liv was bracing to be yelled at as everyone gathered around to... comfort her? Wait, what?

They weren't mad at her for speaking in a language they didn't understand, that wasn't commonly accepted in this country? And then for so shamefully losing all composure? Had she still been in Lusitania, interacting with other nobles of this caliber, her father would have had her publicly dismissed from dinner and then locked her in her room for a week with no company. There was a reason Lusitanian noblewomen were typically only taught Latin and Greek, that reason being so that they couldn't go and royally mess up in social situations that involved important people- cause important people always spoke English, when doing important things.

She still couldn't bear to look up at the others, listening silently as the various words of encouragement settled around her head. Niklas told her to believe in her own ability and intelligence, of course. What little she'd seen of him indicated that he'd be an eternal optimist who would offer eternally optimistic advice. It was a nice idea, of course, but not one she could ever live up to, not really. But the words did bring some comfort.

Fareeha's words nearly made Liv burst into giggles- she could just see the feisty princess dancing up to some gruff military type and punching him hard in the gut. Of course, the visual was somewhat helped by the fact that the tallest military person Liv had ever met would have, in his raised dress boots, matched a bare-footed Fareeha for height - yes, most Lusitanians were really that short. At the comment about punching Niklas, the girl couldn't help it, and folded over herself in quiet, strangled giggles.

All of her etiquette instructors would have had a fit- the lesson had been drilled into her head so many times. "Ladies never strike, and they sure as Fate don't strike first or they may as well book an appointment with Mercury." A confused eight-year-old Liv had once asked, "what about self-defense?" And she'd been given a death glare and told that if she shut her mouth and didn't stray from her husband, she'd never need to defend herself cause he would defend her, instead! She'd nearly asked how they expected her future husband, who was at that point barely able to shuffle along using a cane, to be able to defend himself, let alone her- but then she wisely took the hint about shutting up and bit her tongue and said nothing.

After a few moments of that, she straightened up at a gentle touch on her shoulder and under her chin, to peer into the warm eyes of Mai- wait, actually warm? If there was one thing Liv had noticed about the princess it was that her expressions very rarely reached her eyes, though at least right now they seemed sincere enough. She blushed brightly- or at least as brightly as an anemic girl can blush- at the compliment on her eye color, and mumbled her thanks in (thankfully) the right language. At the story the older girl told Liv couldn't help but giggle a bit more. Of course, only because she empathized. Since Liv was seven or eight she'd been made to try to wear heels, and absurdly high ones, at that, despite the longstanding traditions of flat footwear. Before every gathering there would be a congregation of maids marching into her room with a pair of strappy stilettos- and they would be quickly sent back out by Liv threatening to call her doctor, who at least had the sense to realize that anemia equals constant dizziness and being off-balance and dizziness, and being off-balance and dizzy in tall already-unbalanced shoes would be a recipe for disaster. Of course, then she had to put up with being a full eight inches shorter than even the smallest of the other noble girls her age.

Liv squinted for a moment, finally managing to focus her eyes on the object that Mai was holding up for her to inspect. A tube of mascara. The girl reached up and ran her finger along her lower eyelashes, wincing at the black runoff as she examined the finger. Of course, now her makeup was smeared too. She murmured, "Thank you very much, Mai." and leaned a bit closer, unfocusing her eyes so that she wouldn't spastically blink as the older girl applied the mascara.

Vaguely, Liv wondered what they must think of her- though she supposed that no matter how she sliced it, they must see her as weak. She wondered what the files about her said- she assumed there had to be files as it seemed as though everyone knew everyone else's life history, except for her. She cursed her parent's insistence that she not have access to the internet, on the grounds that it might spoil her traditional upbringing. She supposed they were right, though for the moment she was left feeling like even more of an outsider due to her ignorance.

In any case, she wondered what her files said. More than likely they would include a bit about her lack of public appearance- maybe, if they were detailed, the accompanying bout of muteness and lack of piano playing - that lasted for three years. If they didn't take into account her culture, and she was sure they wouldn't, it would seem as though she really was a useless crybaby. They wouldn't see that her people equate silence with strength. That while she was grieving she was expected to make a scene and act out, and her sudden acquiescence to the absolute control demanded of someone of her station was taken as a sign of maturity and growth, not of weakness, part of what factored into the decision to send her to Aciras in the first place- which in turn, once it was finalized and the arrangement was made, sparked the return of her voice, her passion for piano, and all of her other small "rebellious" traits.

The girl realized that she had become lost in thought, though thankfully just for a moment. She let go of her locket that she'd been subconsciously holding and glanced up at Mai, who was putting the mascara away, and then more shyly at Niklas and Fareeha who were still kneeling beside her. "Thank you all for the kind words... and I am sorry for my, well, outburst. In Lusitania people are somewhat less forgiving than they are here and I was convinced that I must have offended someone."

Liviana seemed taken aback by the fact that they were trying to make her feel better. I guess she doesn't get much of that at home, hmm? Mai mused. It seemed like Fareeha's words had more of an effect on Liviana than did Niklas's, and Mai had to grin at the sight of the other princess giggling. Liviana also seemed taken aback when Mai complimented her eyes, and it brought Mai some comfort to see her laugh once more when she recounted her fiasco with high heels.

Mai expertly reapplied the mascara, fishing around for a tissue in her hand bag to lightly wipe away the smudged make-up. Zhou had always found Mai's habit of carrying around cosmetics and compact mirrors and small packs of tissues to be exceedingly inconvenient, but then again, he was a boy, and what did boys know about how much effort it took to look good all the time? Honestly. Casimir is the only person of the other gender that I have ever met who appreciates cosmetics as much as I do. Besides, hand bags were also convenient places to hide weapons in, provided that nobody looked through the said hand bag. Mai doubted that anybody would want to go through the trouble of sorting through all the make-up supplies in her bright red purse, let alone open every single container in it to discover the small dagger she kept hidden inside an eye-shadow palette. I really should not be carrying around blades here in Aciras, Mai thought wryly. But still, how is it fair that it is acceptable for security officials and even some of the princes from more militaristic nations-my betrothed included-to carry around, in my opinion, poorly concealed handguns, yet if I were found with the dagger in my purse, it would be a cause for an international scandal? It is quite unjust.

Mai finished with the mascara. She put the tube back into her purse and carefully closed it, resting one of her hands lightly on the flat part of the hand bag. As Mai did so, she realized that Liviana had been clutching the pendant or locket or something of that sort that Mai had noticed her touch earlier. It must be very important to her, Mai noted.

"Thank you all for the kind words... and I am sorry for my, well, outburst. In Lusitania people are somewhat less forgiving than they are here and I was convinced that I must have offended someone," Liviana apologized.

Mai smiled softly at her. "No, of course you have not offended anybody," Mai answered reassuringly. Liviana is very...I don't know how to put this. She acts very submissive, almost, but there's something about her that tells me that she is not. I'm not sure what it is, though. It's just a hunch. I suppose it has much to do with the Lusitanian Empire in general; they are very, well, traditional, when it comes to gender roles. Mai could sympathize with Liviana. Liang has some undercurrents of these traditional gender roles still. It seems like despite everything that the socialists did, they could not get us to shake off that part of our imperial past.

Gender roles had their uses, though. Nobody back in Liang would expect her to be proficient in martial arts or comfortable with blades. Nor would they expect her to use her shoes as weapons, or be able to use a weapon at all, for that matter. To them, she was just a harmless princess who spent her days shopping for new dresses and applying make-up. And that was how Mai liked it.

Mai suddenly had an idea that was very uncharacteristic of her. "Princess Liviana," Mai began. "Would you be open to the idea of having me do your make-up one day?" she laughed lightly at the absurdity of what she was doing. This is very unusual for me, she thought. Like Zhou says-since when have I ever done anything just for the fun of it?

"I am sorry if this seems like a strange request. I simply had a random thought while I was looking for the mascara, and, well, there is much that I could do with your coloring," Mai explained in a warm, slightly sheepish voice. I could make her a 皇后-an empress, if I had the right shade of red lipstick and enough gold eyeshadow and black eyeliner. Any black make-up in general would contrast wonderfully with her complexion, though it is quite different from the soft pastel colors that Princess Liviana usually wears. Oh my. This is going nowhere yet everywhere all at once.

Niklas watched the two Princess's exchange, marveling silently at their differences. Absently, he nudged Fareeha with his elbow, getting her attention. In response to her stare, he whispered- even though it was loud enough for all of them to hear- "I can ship it."

Fareeha elbowed him back- much harder than he did to her- and gave him a smug grin at his wince. Niklas really, really didn't want to see how hard she could elbow- he had no doubt it'd REALLY hurt.

Fareeha joined in on the conversation, deciding to go a bit more about the... camaraderie about all of this.

"And I'll wear something none of you would expect. We can all do something different for the ball- and Niklas, no fedora. Something sensibly different, not something that just doesn't look good."

Niklas was crestfallen, visibly so. He was actually, somewhat, childishly proud of his fedora, since he found it by accident. It was an odd contrast to the reason why he was out during breakfast in the first place, but that was currently besides the point.

Liv gave Mai a big smile, letting go of some of her inhibitions. She really did seem nice enough, and she seemed far less… stuffy, for lack of a better term, than the

And then the older girl asked if she could do Liv’s makeup- and gave a somewhat babbly explanation as to why. Liv couldn’t help but giggle softly- though secretly she was very excited by the proposition. She glanced at Mai again, taking in the perfect red lipstick and killer winged eyeliner- she looked so fierce. The small girl couldn’t imagine herself done up so dramatically. That was for the gracefully imposing sort like Mai… but it would certainly be a nice change from Aelia’s soft-handed cream and gold and brown and pink. And who knew? Maybe it would turn out that she liked it after all.

“I would like it very much if you did.” She said softly. Then she looked up in confusion at Niklas’s comment. Ship it…? As in, to pack something in a box, have it loaded on a barge, and taken halfway across the world?

“Niklas, I would remind you that I am Lusitanian, not Athenian- we might look similar but our cultures are really quite different. If you wanted to ship something, you should go talk to King Telesphoros of Athens. Last I checked his shipping company was the most reliable in the eastern half of the world.” Again she had a momentary panic for letting her tongue loose, face losing a shade of color and hand tightening on her skirt, though she forced herself to relax. They’d been okay with her forgetting her language temporarily, so they should be okay with her correcting Niklas- I mean it wasn’t like she’d been rude about it or anything, right?

In any case, Fareeha spoke then, mentioning wearing something that no one would expect… which gave Liv an idea. But first, she nodded in agreement to the comment about the fedora. “It is… not really of your style, Niklas… meaning no offense.” She added, half-absently (though still in the right language). She was mentally rifling through the entire wardrobe that she’d brought, which was a lot more extensive than the two small suitcases would indicate. Perks of being so tiny and wearing flimsy, easily-folded clothing: You could fit a hell of a lot into a relatively little space.

She had a few proper formal gowns with her. One was pale pink, one pale blue, one white, one dark purple and one deep blue. Something unexpected, Fareeha had said. That threw out the three lighter ones, given that she always wore pastels. The purple one was in a proper Lusitanian style, for all that her mother had deemed it too dark of a color… so that left the blue one, that her mother didn’t even know about, that had been an agreement between Liv and the seamstress that tailored all of Liv’s clothes. Which had an uneven hemline and was a bit too long for her anyway so it would be okay if she was in heels, if she could convince herself of how to wobble around in them, but heels meant she might feel slightly less ridiculous trying to pull off Mai’s look, which meant…

“Mai, if I might ask- and please do not feel you need to agree, I do not mean to inconvenience you at all, but… could you, maybe, help me with my makeup tonight, for the ball? Only if it would not inconvenience you or throw off your own routine, of course…”

Liviana smiled in response to Mai's offer. She seemed pleased that Mai had wanted to do her make-up, her blue eyes looking up shyly at Mai's face. "I would like it very much if you did," Liviana replied.

Mai grinned. "Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed. Mai wasn't sure why the prospect excited her so much-perhaps it was because developing a friendship with Lusitania would be very beneficial for Liang, given that less than 15% of Liang's land was arable and the fact that Lusitania was a primarily agricultural nation-or perhaps it was because Mai genuinely wanted to see the small, insecure girl strutting around like...like Fareeha. Zhou would be having a fit right now, Mai mused contemplatively, mentally snorting derisively. Since when have I ever done anything out of the sheer goodness in my heart? Mai laughed silently at the thought.

Mai rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Niklas's comment. "Have you forgotten that we are betrothed, Prince Niklas?" she asked in a coy, teasing voice, leaning over and pecking him on the cheek in an affectionate manner. Fareeha proposed that they all do something "different" for the ball, and Mai laughed lightly at her comment about Niklas's fedora. Different? Hmm. I could go for a more storybook princess look, perhaps, instead of the modern styles or the traditional Liangii styles that I am particularly partial to. I know that I would have done so back in Liang...ah! I have an idea.

Mai grinned cheekily in Fareeha's direction. "Oh, you will?" she asked in a light voice, before chuckling softly. "You could pull off dark lipstick and black eyeliner very well, and the color gold suits you nicely, Princess Fareeha," Mai continued, tilting her head to the side and surveying Fareeha's features. A body-hugging black dress would accentuate her figure, and depending on the length of the skirt, her legs as well. I can see her in thigh-high boots and a miniskirt, though I do not believe that she is very fond of such things. Mai inconspicuously noted the numerous scars that she could see (the files on Fareeha had mentioned them and their origins, of course, but the scars themselves were not terribly noticeable unless somebody was specifically looking for them) and let her gaze fall upon Fareeha's hair, which...well, in its current state, it needed some work. "If you wanted to look particularly intimidating, Princess Fareeha"-here, Mai paused and giggled-"I would suggest flat-ironing your hair. Your hair is naturally straight, so I do not believe that it would be too terribly difficult." Couple that with that look in her eye that says "I will murder you if you touch me" and she will scare every potential suitor away. Hmm. Perhaps I am a snake after all. Fareeha's files lead me to believe that she does not want a betrothal, but her parents certainly wish for her to make some sort of alliance or agreement; otherwise, why is she here? And betrothals are the easiest ways to forge alliances, are they not? I would certainly refrain from going to war with another nation if my son or daughter was married to the ruler of the aforementioned nation.

Mai's train of thought was interrupted by Liviana's confused voice. She flatly told Niklas that he should contact the king of Athens if he wanted to ship something. Mai was momentarily puzzled, until she remembered that Liviana had no access to the Internet. Goodness gracious, poor girl.

"Princess Liviana, I think that Prince Niklas means 'ship' in a different sense," Mai said gently, flashing her a reassuring smile. "It is slang for...how does one explain it? To 'ship' people means that you think that they would make a good match," Mai elaborated. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly again. "Prince Niklas, would you be so kind and apologize to Princess Liviana here for causing confusion?" Mai winked playfully to show that she was merely joking.

Then, Liviana asked if Mai would be willing to do her make-up for the ball. Mai smiled brightly. "It would be an honor, Princess Liviana," she answered. "We must get started soon, though, or we will not have time to pick everything out!" Here, Mai hesitated before speaking again. "And we shall have to decide on what I will actually be doing, of course. I would not want to accidentally do anything that makes you uncomfortable in any way."

Niklas was mature enough to admit that he wasn't entirely mature- a bit of irony there- and Mai's sudden kiss made him even more aware of it. He fidgeted for a moment, honestly unsure of how to properly respond- he was much more used to getting yelled at or simply given an order- before he settled on a type of response.

He grinned back, and inclined his head gratefully. "An excellent point, Mai. I don't entirely know how to romance you- or anyone, for that matter- but at least, we're in this together, no?"

He sobered, slightly, unknowing of Fareeha's bemused expression- she isn't betrothed to anyone, and unless she changed that, then it'll stay that way.

Fareeha looked between the two princesses, noting how very opposite they were in many ways- and also having the rather dreadful feeling of being left out. There will probably be something special between those two, and she was disappointed to know that she won't be part of it. She also acknowledged that she disliked this more because she wanted to be in everything, rather than genuinely wanting to be part of some special bond. She'll grumble about it to her Farih later.

"I wonder if Farih would look good in a hat..."

Niklas fidgeted slightly before he responded. Mai laughed softly at his reply. "Indeed, Prince Niklas. Indeed."

Time Skip to Early Afternoon

Mai found herself armed with an arsenal of lipsticks, eye shadow palettes, make-up brushes, mascara wands, eyeliner pencils, curling irons, straighteners, hair gel, and every other cosmetic product imaginable as she surveyed the vanity that stood against the wall in Liviana's quarters after a light lunch. Apart from the make-up that Liviana and Mai themselves had brought with them to Aciras, Mai had nothing at her disposal until Ayreesha (who Mai had decided to keep in her service as a sign of respect to Casimir) returned with the items that she had asked her to fetch. But that was alright. Mai had plenty to work with as it was.

Mai examined the one-shoulder midnight-blue gown that Liviana was planning to wear. The layered chiffon and beaded crystal embellishments was simple yet elegant, and the loose, sheer fabric of the lace sleeve and the "sheath" sewn onto the dress at the shoulder made for a particularly unique look. "This gown is beautiful," Mai murmured, stroking the fabric gently. I am surprised that Liviana has chosen to wear this dress. It is not as conservative as one would expect of a princess from Lusitania. It seemed like the other princess was embracing the challenge to "wear something unexpected" wholeheartedly.

Mai glanced up to see the waiting eyes of Princess Liviana and her two handmaids-one of them with auburn hair and brown eyes, the other with golden-brown hair and green eyes. "Well, we have many options," Mai began with a crooked smile. "There is much that can be done with the supplies that we have gathered." Mai turned to Liviana. "Before we begin, though, is there anything in particular that you had in mind, Princess Liviana?" Mai asked gently, mentally applying a dozen different styles to Liviana's features as she spoke. I assume that she wants something different from her usual palette-the make-up she wore yesterday and earlier today was plenty, of course, but it was all rather subdued and made to make Liviana look older in a more natural way. The gold eye shadow was a nice touch, yes, but a tad too light, especially for Liviana's complexion; at least in my opinion. If she wants something dramatic, we will have to go with the more metallic gold as opposed to the paler, softer gold. The mascara stays, of course, though I shall be sure to slip a tube of waterproof mascara to one of her handmaids at some point. I was actually thinking about metallic gold or silver eye shadow that faded out into a smoky sort of hue paired with thick, defined eyeliner.

And as for her lips, that pale pink gloss was very, very natural. If we put on a shade of lipstick that brought out her eyes and complexion more, it would make her look much older...perhaps one of the deep crimsons that I like so much? It would go well with her hair, though maybe a cooler tone would match her eyes more...

Gods save her, there was so. much. makeup. Strewn all across her dresser and the small tables around the room, more eyeliners, lipsticks, mascaras, and eyeshadow palettes than Liv had ever seen- and Mai had still seemed unsatisfied, having sent Ayreesha to get even more products.

Liv blushed faintly at the comment about her dress. She’d had her seamstress order it three months ago, as soon as the Aciras arrangements had been finalized. It had been a very secretive thing, of course- she knew her mother would have /never/ let her even consider owning a dress like this, let alone wearing it to what was probably the biggest event of the entire three month gathering.

As Mai moved around the room, Liv glanced at her maids. They were unusually tense- sure, they often sat perfectly still, but there was tension in every line of their bodies, and were staring at Mai with eyes that were too blank. Liv nudged them lightly with her elbows, trying to get them to relax, but they just glanced at her blankly. The girl rolled her eyes, which ironically enough got a response from them in the form of a sharp, pointy elbow jammed into her ribs. She quickly sat up, folding her hands in her lap properly and crossing her ankles, looking down at the floor again until Mai spoke once more, asking what style of makeup Liv wanted.

She glanced again at the older girl’s thick, defined eyeliner and bright red lipstick… while she very much doubted she could pull off such a bright shade, she’d glimpsed some deeper, less-saturated reds in Mai’s makeup bag...

“I really like your style of eyeliner, though I’m not sure how well it will work on me… but if you think it might work we could try that? And maybe a bit of a brighter gold shadow? I.. don’t think your normal lip color will work on me but maybe if you have something a little darker and more muted…?” she trailed off uncertainly, earning another elbow from Claudia.

“And, um.. thank you again for agreeing to do this for me, Mai.”

Mai smiled. "Oh but of course! There's no need to thank me," she murmured. Ayreesha returned with the rest of the things that Mai had asked her to bring, and Mai thanked her softly before sending her off. As Mai rummaged around, she could feel the eyes of Liviana's handmaidens on her. Though they hid it well, Mai could tell that they were rather tense. I suppose that's to expected. I know I would be, if I were in their shoes.

Mai processed Liviana's words. Liviana wants eyeliner like mine? I could make that work, yes...and brighter gold eye shadow will not be a problem. As for the lipstick, I know I have a delightful shade of burgundy that would be perfect for her coloring.

"Alright, I can do that," Mai answered with a soft smile. She turned to Liviana's handmaids-who were introduced as Aelia and Claudia-and gave them a wry look. "I would very much appreciate it if you two lent me a hand," she said gently. "I do not think that I am capable of doing everything by myself in time for the ball," Mai continued with a light laugh.

They set to work. First, foundation-layers and layers of it, in an effort to bring some color to Liviana's pale cheeks. Mai soon found that the handmaiden named Aelia was particularly skilled at cosmetics, though she was a touch too...cautious, if you will. I'm assuming that she is the one responsible for Princess Liviana's make-up every day? Mai mused to herself. Then, Mai and Aelia carefully brushed eye shadow over Liviana's eyelids. Mai first set down a coat of soft dark grey, before brushing on a layer of bold, metallic gold that shimmered quite eye-catchingly when it caught the light. The edges of Liviana's eyes remained predominantly soft grey, and Mai worked with Aelia to blend the two colors smoothly.

Eyeliner pencils and liquid eyeliner tubes in hand, Mai slowly and carefully created the winged eyeliner look that Liviana had requested. After that came (waterproof) mascara-and a good deal of that too, which made Liviana's eyelashes appear long and thick. Finally, armed with an eye shadow that was the same color as Liviana's eyebrows and another eyeliner pencil, Mai filled in the younger princess's eyebrows to give her the defined eyebrows that were currently in style.

Mai paused and surveyed her handiwork before grabbing a set of brushes and a couple of blush palettes. With Aelia's help, Mai brushed on a base layer on top of the coat of foundation that had been laid on earlier. She then moved on to contouring Liviana's cheekbones, making them stand out more than they already did (Mai found that Liviana's small stature did nothing but emphasize her delicate bone structure). Last but not least, Mai put a clear gloss over Liviana's lips before painting them a deep, burgundy red.

Now that the make-up was done, they moved onto hair. Claudia stepped forward, and the two brushed out Liviana's hair until it gleamed. Liviana's hair is always pinned up, and her hair styles always incorporate some sort of braid, Mai thought as she worked. It's a very Lusitanian look. I suppose that we should stick to that for the ball, but what she normally wears is definitely missing something...it doesn't give off a particularly regal vibe on Liviana. If she had been taller and looked older, yes, I would say that it is suitably refined and dignified...but Liviana does not happen to be particularly tall nor look particularly old, so we shall have to settle with something different. Perhaps a style that highlights the length of her hair? It is quite long, and there is so much that can be done with long hair.

After a brief consultation with Claudia, they settled on a half-braided style that left the bulk of the hair hanging down the back. First, Mai straightened the other princess's chocolate-brown locks. Then, they began to actually style Liviana's hair, with plenty of hair gel on hand. Claudia's fingers were quick and nimble, and Mai let the handmaiden handle most of the detail work. Mai placed a hair piece that resembled a tiara made of golden laurel leaves on the back of Liviana's head where the "braided" portion began.

Mai took a step back and surveyed the hair. Hmm. It's a bit plain as is, though nobody in the entire world can dispute that it looks very nice on Liviana. What to do, what to do...? Ah! I have an idea.

Mai rifled through the various bags and boxes in Liviana's quarters, finding nothing but cosmetic products. Mai turned to the handmaidens. "Do you know if Princess Liviana here has brought pearls with her to Aciras?" Mai questioned. "If so, I would be very much obliged if one of you could bring me the thinnest string of pearls you can find."

Aelia and Claudia searched for strings of pearls, and soon enough, Mai had what she needed. Each strand was so thin that it was almost invisible, and the milky white pearls were also very small. "Thank you. This is perfect," Mai said. She then unclasped each necklace and wove the pearls into the length of hair that hung down Liviana's back. Mai smiled. "There. I think we are done," she proclaimed. Mai stepped aside to give Liviana a clear view of her reflection in the vanity mirror. "Do you like it?" she asked. I must say, she does look a lot more regal than she did this morning, though the make-up and hair is only half of it. Her facial expression, the way she holds herself, her posture-it all makes her seem rather uncertain. I do not know if I can do much about that, but maybe I can try.

Liviana had, through practice, become quite used to holding still for many minutes on end while people poked and prodded at her face with brushes and other tickly things. With two sets of hands, the makeup and hair didn’t seem to take all that long – perhaps half an hour, or a touch longer. When the shuffling of supplies being put back into a bag and a murmured conversation between her maids, she figured it was as good a time as any to open her eyes and see what all had been done.

She couldn’t help but stare for a moment, a bit uncertainly until she finally realized that – oh wait – she was actually looking at herself, and they’d actually managed to make her look… almost-royal. She straightened her spine a bit, picking her head up … wow. Okay, yes, this makeup was helpful. She felt… almost like a badass. If Mai always wore that killer eyeliner and red lipstick, it was no wonder she was so confident. For a moment she felt like she could take on the whole world. Of course, that image evaporated the moment she stood up and remembered that she came up to approximately the waist of nearly everyone around her.

Well, there was something that could be done about that, too. But it was also something that Mai should probably not see – While Liv was so thankful for having had the older princess’s help, there was something about the thought of a near-stranger watching her learn to walk in heels that was just a bit… too familiar.

With a soft smile, Liv turned to face Mai. “Thank you, Mai Mei. Your work is… well. I feel as though all of this…” She gestured vaguely at her face. “Might, at the least, permit me to make eye contact with people and not flinch away, for once.” It was a dramatic understatement, of course – but saying the first thing that had come to her mind, that she felt like a queen, could have… not come off well. “I am so very grateful to you… if there is anything I, or my handmaidens, can do for you for so long as we’re here, we will do all we can to make it so. I do not think I should monopolise any more of your time, however… I understand you must have your own preparations and I do not want to be the cause to delay them.”

---

---

Andronikos Telesphorides strode through the halls of the palace, absently thumbing through his sleek silver smartphone. He had arrived a day late to Aciras – not by any accident but by his family’s contrivance. There was sufficient tension on many of the Mediterranean governments and Anton’s presence… would not have been welcome. Had he been introduced during the ceremonies the previous day, it was quite probable that Liviana would have up and left the gathering, and the Lusitanian Fair Commerce Act fallen through. She blamed him for her niece’s death, of course. And that he was here not six months later, actively seeking a new bride… well, he could understand why that might be… alarming.

Anton turned his attention back to his phone as he keyed into his room. It was rather sparsely furnished, though he’d brought many things from home. Most notable was the stone altar sitting on the desk, though for the moment he ignored that. Instead his eyes lighted on his attendants, his nephew and his wisened old former-schoolmaster. He offered a small bow to the schoolmaster, the respect that the old man commanded.

“Andronikos.” He spoke, his voice gravelly and stern.

“Yes, my beloved tutor?” The English was flawless, if mildly archaic, as the Greek prince strode across the room to rummage in his wardrobe for something to wear. While part of him ached to wear a traditionally formal style, there was no way in hell that the media at home – or his teacher, for that matter – would allow him to go out in anything less than cutting-edge style. Athens had to show that it was a power to be reckoned with, on the leading edge of everything.

“Uncle, I have laid out a suit for you in the washing-room.” His nephew spoke. Cyrus was a boy of twelve, still growing – too young for military training and also for marriage. It was a tradition that the members of the indirect lines of the Athenian noble houses have their children trained as servants to those who were directly in the line of inheritance. If nothing else, it made the younger children reliable, hardworking, and honest… though it also gave the nobles the headache of dealing with them.

“Thank you, Cyrus.” Anton replied. It was about at that time that he realized that – respect or no – he had still tuned his tutor out completely. Quickly he scrambled to reassemble the fragments that had just been spoken, just as the tutor asked what his thought on the matter was.

It was about Lusitania and Carthage, of course. Carthage was bursting to the seams with people and its land was being overused, and so the Carthaki king was getting antsy and attempting to push Lusitania for territory. Lusitania itself was getting desperate for assistance – with a population of a measly five million scattered across their massive holdings, it was nigh-impossible for the Lusitanians to assemble any sort of army. They were seeking aid from the Athenians. Of course, the Athenians were not going to do anything in much of a hurry, as it was the crown prince’s (mostly-ceremonial) duty to lead the army in the event of a foreign war. He would never be placed in any real danger, of course, but there was always a base threat of being in enemy territory. Many things could be said about the Athenians, but it could never be uttered that they were anything less than scrupulously careful. The crown prince ought to have an heir before he would go to war. And given Lusitania’s unfair demands, it would only make sense that the mother would come from their noble stocks, would it not?

Of course, that then left the unfortunate problem of the only currently marriage-eligible Lusitanian royal being Liviana, whom was firstly already betrothed to one Edwin of Britannia, and secondly, if one would believe the rumors, unable to bear children. It really was quite the plight for Lusitania.

All hope wasn’t lost for them yet, of course… if the marriage into Britannia worked out, then the Brits would send in their forces to help fight off Carthage. At that point it would be quite likely that Lusitania would break with Athens, freeing the Federation to go fight on the Carthaki side. The Carthaginians definitely remembered their debts (certainly to a higher extent than Lusitania), and it had been made clear in under-the-table negotiations that if Athens were to help, they would get a handsome cut of the profits, including some of the most prized commodity – territory. Lusitania had never offered it, and the demand had never been made, or it had been watered down to the point of inconsequentiality. The idea had been passed around for the Federation to, with its far-superior man- and fire-power, simply overtake Lusitania. But then they’d be fighting the Carthakis, whom would likely be better to have on their side. No, it was better to wait and let the Lusitanians box themselves into a corner.

Anton once again shook himself out of his reverie to give a smart, succinct reply to his tutor, something along the lines of trying to subtly sabotage the relations of Liviana and Edwin – for political gain only, of course. His cousin helped him dress during the exchange, meticulously creasing the cuffs of his dress shirt.

The coming eve was full of potential, and Anton would be damned if he didn’t use it to its fullest.

Mai smiled as Liviana responded in a surprisingly candid manner. "Oh, why of course," Mai said. "It was my pleasure." Her smile widened as Liviana continued speaking, telling her that if there was anything that she could do for Mai while they would in Aciras, she would do all she could to make it so. "Thank you, Princess Liviana," Mai answered in a soft voice. "I appreciate it." And I shall remember this, Mai added silently. Mai glanced at the time at Liviana's mention of her own preparations. "Oh please, do not worry," Mai assured Liviana. "I will be fine. Nevertheless, I shall be on my way now. I am sure that you would like to have some time to yourself with your handmaidens before the ball, and I would hate to intrude." Mai nodded and smiled at Aelia and Claudia before taking her leave.

Mai strode briskly through the corridors of the elegant Aciran palace back to her own quarters after gathering up all the make-up that she'd brought with her to Liviana's room. When she returned, Zheng was there. "How has everything been?" she asked him.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he replied. "Zhou left Liang this morning, but I am sure that you were already aware of that."

Mai laughed softly. "Indeed. I do hope that he doesn't cause the poor pilot too much trouble on the way here." She left Zheng to whatever he was doing before and retreated to her own chamber.

Mai immediately set to work. She had curled her naturally wavy hair just a little bit earlier that morning, so there was no need to do that again. She slipped into the dress she had prepared for the occasion, taking a moment to critically examine herself in the mirror. The dress itself was a dark grey at the bottom that faded slowly into the white of the bodice. It was loose and billowy, and the skirt was decorated with red accents that resembled flower petals. There was a thick black sash with a rose that cinched the dress in at the waist. The dress itself was strapless, which gave Mai the perfect excuse to don her favorite pair of black satin gloves that ended halfway in between her elbows and her shoulders.

Next came her hair. Mai had curled her naturally wavy hair just a tiny bit that morning, so there was no need for a curling iron. Mai ran a brush through a few sections of hair and slowly and carefully arranged her ink-black tresses into an artfully loose hairstyle that involved the bulk of her hair being messily braided back and a couple of curly tendrils left in the front. Mai completed the look with a silver hair piece that glittered nicely under the light.

Finally, it was time for make-up. Mai left the deep red lipstick that she was wearing mostly as it was, though she gave it a few slight retouches. She carefully wiped away the eye-shadow and eyeliner that she had applied for breakfast, replacing the thick, defined eyeliner with a softer, more subtle look. She re-applied the black eyeliner, this time opting for a thinner, less conspicuous line (though it was still rather noticeable). Mai replaced the light coating of black eye-shadow with a dusty bronze hue that emphasized the chocolate-brown of her eyes.

Mai surveyed herself in the mirror, and satisfied with what she saw, and she slipped into the high heel suede "laser-cut" booties that she'd selected. She added a few pieces of jewelry to the ensemble-strands of pearls for her neck and dangly pearl earrings for her ears-and picked up a black velvet clutch, into which she placed a few emergency make-up supplies and a bladed fan made of black lace. She checked the time-the ball was due to begin any minute now. She supposed that it would only be proper to arrive with Niklas, so she set off with Zheng on her arm in the direction of the ballroom in the most roundabout route that there was, hoping to stop by Niklas's quarters as they did so.

Niklas König thought he looked positively [url=spiffy] in his suit. It was of an older fashion, and something he had privately always enjoyed the appearance of. Of course, one might say that this young heir might not be as up-to-date as he ought to be, but he'd simply reply that knowing one's roots can be just as important. And besides, the first thing his servant had laid out was something that suited a dancer, or maybe the Peacock, a little bit better. Niklas may be proud of his muscles, but he's not going to wear a v-neck tuxedo that'd make a woman hesitate to wear it. And it was so tight! No thank you, he'd much rather wear this thing- which he had actually intended to wear for funzies.

Nonetheless, he strode down the hallway towards Mai Mei's rooms, armed with much more common polished formal footwear and his usual charm and confidence.

The moment he caught sight of Mai Mei, he halted for a brief moment, appraising her, before bowing at the waist slightly in her honour.

"Exquisite as per usual, Princess Mai. You really have to stop doing that, or some of the others might get a little jealous, if you know what I'm saying." Trademark grin of goofiness and warmth, nothing but welcoming. Like a proper gentleman, he approached her and spun around, neatly aligning himself to her and extending his arm for her to take, like a proper gentleman.

"Time for the festivities, don't you think? Many apologies to keep you waiting, by the way, herr Hauptmann here was just lecturing me on the importance of being fashionably dressed, and fashionably late. Apparently I'm somewhat old-fashioned."

He grinned to himself, this time, and mumbled under his breath, "Definitely a statement coming from that old dinosaur."

The Captain, who had been ghosting behind Niklas the entire time, gave him a pleasantly blank expression, one that somehow conveyed a what-I'd-do-if-you-were-under-my-command sort of message. Niklas just beamed at the man, knowing full well that he'd pay for in training later.

"Now, Mai Mei, you seem to have a better grasp of the palace than me," he gestured wildly around them, before pointing in completely the wrong direction. "The ballroom's that way, right?" He knew full well where it was, but nonetheless, it was his part to be the bumbling man.

---

Fareeha Amari rolled to her feet, almost refusing to go to the ball altogether. She wanted to sleep! Her servants and maids pushed and prodded at her, trying to be as forceful as they could without overstepping their bounds. M'lady, m'lady, you must go to the ball! All the men want to see how lovely you are, and it'd be terribly rude for you not to show! Fareeha was quite tired of it. Well, not that, but of the run she took earlier. Though, run really didn't quite sum it up- it was more of a desperate sprint to escape a super 'dangerous' black-furred predator that had a tongue that leaked too much saliva.

Well, to be fair, Fareeha did tag Farih first. If the hyena couldn't keep up, shame on him- he was supposed to be fast.

Fareeha had leaped out of the way, thrown herself from the salivating jaws of the laughing beast time and time again, only to be finally tackled by her pet as the rolled on the ground, playfighting and mussing each other up.

Several stablehands had come out to watch, and all of them were either pale-faced and uncertain from watching a princess be chased by and wrestle with a live hynea, or were grinning from ear to ear at the very human royal from a very distant, exotic land, rolling around on the ground with a laughing feline-like animal.

It took about an hour and a half for her to get cleaned up, and the two or three small cuts from the hyena's dulled claws to be properly mended. Not like she cared much about it, but the maids that follows one of her status made a right fuss of it.

And now she was all dressed up. And in a dress, no less! Her maids gently scolded her as they tried to smooth out the imaginary wrinkles in her dress. As they did, the gentle pokes and rubbings made her shiver. She turned to stare at the most insistent of them, catching the maid's eyes with her own. The girl- she couldn't be more than 18- froze like a deer in headlights, a sudden, small blush appearing as she tried desperately to hide it.

After a moment, she found the girl's name in the recesses of her mind. Silently adding this exchange to her name, she asked with a sudden wolfish tongue, "Cat caught your tongue?"

Without another word, she slipped into her slippers- she could go with heels, but decided not to this time- and swept out of the room, leaving confused and tense silence behind. What just happened, all the maids wondered.

Fareeha marched through the hallways, smiling at anyone who even glanced at her. She really liked this slit in the dress- it let her really march quickly. When was the last time she wore a dress like this? She didn't remember. Fareeha'll have to wear these more often.

Then she finally arrived at the ballroom. Without any sort of pomp, ceremony, or dramatics, she just marched right in, glancing around curiously. She took little notice of her own guard ghosting behind her, or any other guard; she'd keep them in mind, and then ignore them. Princes and princesses- oh hey, there was a new one in the room.

She adopted a little more grace, and glided over to the nearest prince. At her approach, the man turned to her, smiling, They greeted each other, Fareeha making just enough small talk to be polite- and then asked where the buffet table was.

Ahah! You have fallen into my trap!

The next five minutes were spent snacking on sausage balls while another Prince asked about her pets.

Mai and Zheng had only made it a couple of steps before Mai spotted Niklas approaching them, all smiles and warmth. Trailing after him was an older man who appeared to be some sort of military officer. Based on her prior knowledge of her betrothed, Mai guessed that he was a captain, one that was quite close to the royal family of Konig der Welten and Niklas in particular. Mai extricated her arm from Zheng's and waited for Niklas to come within speaking distance.

Niklas bowed, and Mai gave a small curtsy in return. "Exquisite as per usual, Princess Mai. You really have to stop doing that, or some of the others might get a little jealous, if you know what I'm saying," Niklas said by way of greeting. His voice was light and welcoming. Mai smiled coyly.

"Oh, is that so, Prince Niklas?" Mai responded with a soft laugh. "I must say, you are looking quite the gentleman yourself tonight. Perhaps you should stop doing that yourself," Mai answered, a glimmer of mischief in her brown eyes. Niklas offered her his arm, and Mai looped hers through it. Niklas was wearing a light brown suit reminiscent of a time long gone. He apologized for keeping her waiting and mentioned that the captain was lecturing him on "the importance of being fashionably dressed, and fashionably late". He went on to say that he was apparently old-fashioned. Mai grinned at that.

"Well, if this choice of attire is your definition of 'old-fashioned', I would take that over 'modern' any day," Mai told him, her eyes twinkling. Indeed, Mai could see why Niklas had chosen his present ensemble over a sleek, ultra-modern tuxedo and dress shoes. She allowed herself a quick smile at Niklas's muttered comment about an "old dinosaur", noting their subtle, silent exchanges. The captain gave a politely detached smile, while Niklas's smile grew even wider.

Niklas then proceeded to ask where the ballroom was, pointing in the opposite direction. Mai laughed lightly. She was more than certain that Niklas knew exactly where the ballroom was-she expected that he had pored over the floor plan of the palace before arriving in Aciras, the same as she had-but nobody could doubt that Niklas was perfectly charming. "This way, Prince Niklas," she said in a gently amused manner, guiding his hand in the other direction. "Let's go, yes? We would not want to be so late that we are just plain old late, instead of fashionably late," Mai added with a teasing grin.

They started off in the direction of the ballroom, passing regal portraits of long-dead Aciran rulers, who solemnly stared out at them from their gilt frames. As they walked, Mai smiled and nodded politely to the occasional passerby, many of whom were other princes and princesses on their way to the Grand Ball as well.

Arriving at the ballroom, Mai's eyes quickly swept over the lavish decorations and crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Soft music was playing, and she discreetly took note of the princes and princess who had come earlier than she and Niklas. Among them was Fareeha, who was wearing a sleek black dress with a slit in the skirt and a silver 'armored' bodice. Mai mentally arched an eyebrow. That dress is certainly unexpected, but it practically screams 'Fareeha', she thought. Now, if she were wearing heels, that would really impress me. Fareeha does not seem like the type of woman to appreciate high heels.

Mai turned slightly to face her future husband. "Shall we go on over and greet Princess Fareeha?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side and letting her eyes stray over to the buffet table where she was making conversation with another prince. "It would be impolite not to, I suppose, seeing as we made her acquaintance this morning. I would very much like to compliment her on her dress."

Prince Niklas turned his smiles to Princess Mai Mei, and found himself genuinely enjoying her company. He was no stranger to beautiful women- even though his squadmates probably were, and even now were probably salivating over the fact that he just gets to marry this woman- but this one stood out a little bit above the rest. Not traditionally beautiful, not according to old western views, but she was exotic and alluring. Being married to her would be, he suspected, a constant battle of wits.

Marriage... by then, his father's plans would've been slightly more apparent. They'd be gathering momentum- harder to keep from prying eyes. He felt a brief twinge of guilt about what had to be done- what's already done, before he momentarily examined it. Her brother, half-brother, pirate brother, won't be taking any more room in their royalty. A necessary evil, but the man had no control- heaven knows what the man might do when the truth of the world comes out to him. Niklas examined his guilt a moment more, and then... extinguished it. There was nothing to be guilty about- to mourn, yes, but not to regret.

"That's agreed upon, my dear. It simply wouldn't do to be normally late, eh? Someone as classy as myself and as exotic as yourself couldn't possibly be allowed to arrive on time. It's showtime!"

And with a flourish of one hand and a quarter-bow from the waist, led the Princess past the servants stationed at the ballroom's entryways, and into an artificial sunset of color.

Reds, blues, purples, golds, yellows, it all adorned the walls, the ceilings, in ways that he'd never be able to design or sketch, much less recall. Even he had limits, it seems. Ah, and the princes and princesses of various nations weren't the only one mingling.

"Look at them, they're so green." He was referring to the dukes, the counts, the barons, of a dozen different nations, all of which were invited for this particular ball. Servants that he hadn't seen before- large servants, men and women who had that steel edge of a Defense agent- swept through the crowds, alternatively serving and watching the nobility that mingled in the ballroom. Dresses and gowns of various colors, fabrics, and decency mixed together into a blur, it seemed.

But that was at the northern end of the ballroom, closer to where a great curtain had obscured the Aciras King's throne. Here in this half of the room, less important and younger persons mixed, as well as the less assured and influential princes and princesses of the major kingdoms and city-states in attendance.

And as Mai pointed out, Fareeha Amari had already taken up a vigilant guard over the southern side's buffet table, picking over it with a practiced eye. Once they approached, she spun around as if having eyes in the back of her head, eyes twinkling and a delighted smile on her face.

"Greetings Princess Mai Mei, and salutations Prince Niklas! Enough formalities, we've got that out of the way, check these beauties out!"

Without further ado, she spun around and around again, one hand held triumphantly up between the couple.

On the flat of her palm, a dark chocolate sphere sat, criss-crossed with a similarly smooth red chocolate.

"The most delicious red velvet cake I've ever tasted, coated in one of the finest layers of dark chocolate, and what tastes like primarily cherry sauce-mixed chocolate drizzled over the top. You two can have this one."

Niklas glanced at Fareeha again; there was a mischievous glint in her eye. Ah, she wanted Mai Mei and Niklas to share a single cake ball. Clever girl, he thought.

But he wasn't one to assume what others wanted, so he turned his eyes to Mai, lips already curving up in amusement. He said naught, but his eyes conveyed a question- would she slip her way out of it, as she most certainly could, he knew, or would she go for it?

“There.” Claudia stepped back from where she stood in front of Liv, causing the small girl to wobble dangerously for a moment and then yelp and spread her arms out for balance. They’d been practicing dancing in the spacious open area of her suite. Ordinarily Liv would be good enough at dancing to get by with most partners, but…

The tiny princess looked at her reflection in her mirror, peering uncertainly at the gold-toned strappy heels she wore. Somewhere around four-ish inches high, perhaps… it was about three and a half inches higher than she had ever worn to a dance, but over the last few months she’d often put them on at home and wobbled around, so she could at least /walk/ in them neatly. Dancing was still… a bit awkward. But she’d deal with that when the issue came. Likely, while trying to dance with Edwin, the heights would likely cause more than enough awkwardness and mask whatever clumsiness came from the shoes.

Liv was shaken out of her reverie a few minutes later by the quiet words of, “Liviana, it’s time to go.” Aelia said. She took another look at her lady, at the heavy – but undeniably lovely – makeup that Mai Mei had put on her, the ornately chaotic hair, the midnight blue and gold dress that was far too daring and hugged what little curvature the tiny princess had… Claudia had actually put some extra padding in the fitted part of the dress to make it sit right. Whatever the artificial embellishments, Liv looked… good. Almost like she belonged at this gathering.

The small princess gave her attendants a shaky smile as they appraised her, appraising them in turn. In the few minutes she’d zoned out, wondering about how the evening was going to play out, her maids had gotten themselves ready. Given that they were nobles in their own rights, they had just as much right to attend as any of the other generals, lords, ladies, and such who were doubtless in attendance.

Both had donned flowy tunics in the traditional Lusitanian style and braided their hair and piled it on top of their head – every inch the perfect Lusitanian nobles. Claudia wore a soft reddish brown tunic with a rose gold wrap embroidered in metallic thread, and copper-toned sandals, and a copper wire-wrapped hair clip. And Aelia…. Liv winced. The girl wore a soft but still faintly metallic tunic in a shade of gold, with a black sheer wrap and bright metallic gold embroideries. Her golden-brown curls were partly covered by the wrap, which was pinned in place by bright gold clips in the ever-present shape of laurel leaves.

She looked like a princess. Liv felt a surge of envy.

Claudia stepped close to her, then, to roughly lift her chin up and press a hand on her back to get her to straighten it. “Confidence, Liviana, and quit shaking. It is most un-royal of you.”

The two maids stood at Liv’s sides, flanking her as she walked out of her room and down the stairs. She hesitated for a moment before the ballroom’s doors, then straightened her spine and walked quickly forwards, into the glittering whirlwind of color. Almost immediately she was swallowed up by the crowd, separated from both of her maids and weaving aimlessly through the crowd. She noticed the cameras, of course – of course the ball would be televised – though she figured they were ignoring her, for the moment at least.

Now she just had the usual problem of social gatherings… finding someone she knew. Heels or no, being up to people’s shoulders, instead of their elbows, didn’t exactly make the matter of finding specific individuals any better.

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Anton strode into the ballroom confidently, his polished dress shoes clicking on the floor. He was the very picture of modern sophistication, a sleek, slim black tailcoat and pressed dress pants, starched white silk shirt and waistcoat, and a white silk bowtie.

He scanned the crowd, his eyes grazing over two rather small girls wearing conspicuously dated fashion. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, that was Aelia Hadrianus and Claudia Balbinus of Lusitania… which meant that Liviana would be here somewhere.

Ah, yes. There. She was hovering near a wall, likely trying to blend in… she looked rather, well. Different than one would expect of her, though from the distance he couldn’t see much of the makeup or be able to tell that she was much taller than before. Obviously he noticed the scandalously-revealing dress, a fact which he filed away for later.

No matter, he was not going to intervene with her for now. Instead his gaze traveled over to the table of refreshments, to the unlikely trio of Niklas Konig, Mai Mei, and Fareeha Amari. Niklas and Mai were a matched pair, he knew, but… Fareeha? As far as he knew, she was unclaimed.

With a vague thought in mind he moved deliberately towards them, gracefully weaving through the crowd to arrive in front of them.

Ignoring the tension in the air – and the chocolate ball balanced in Fareeha Amari’s palm, the freckled youth stepped up to the group, offering a small bow. “Salutations. I am Prince Andronikos Telesphorides of the Athenian Federation, but please address me as Anton. I hope you do not mind my interjection into this, ah… social triangle, but I fear I have encountered no one else tonight who looks as though they might be willing to engage in intellectual discussion.”