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[hr][color=#E15436][b]Location -[/b][/color] Abhainn's Ballroom
[color=#E15436][b]Interacting With -[/b][/color] Lady Amaryllis {[@FilthyMudblood]}; Lady Alice {[@Lionhearted]}; Future Queen Julianna - mentioned {[@HushedWhispers]}
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Maddox finally let his gaze make its way back to Lissa, for he could begin to feel a sort of tension in the air. Quickly, however, he lost any perception of it, for he was quickly distracted by the discussion the two women began to engage in. There was an edge in each word, he wasn't stupid enough to miss those obvious signs. But such speech was quite common in the royal court, and so he thought very little of it at all.

His gaze locked with Lissa's for a moment, and Maddox felt the shadow of a smile prick at his lips for a moment as though he were trying to reassure her or offer some comfort. Both women meant much to him. Lissa had been one of the first women he had had relations with and the only he managed to have lingering affections for, and Alice had been a close companion and confidante before and after Lissa had left for Sliabh. And hadn't the two of them known each other before then? Certainly they were close due to fact that they were two similarly aged women in the court.

Maddox's attention was drawn back to Alice once more as she responded to the other lady. He hadn't noticed how close the two had physically become in that moment - nor had he picked up on the fact that he had physically distanced himself from Amaryllis relative to Alice.

He felt heat around his ears as Alice made her snide remark on Lissa's seemingly fleeting loyalties. A strong feeling in his gut told him he had no place in the discussion and that he ought to flee promptly, and yet where would he have gone? And what good would it do to let the two of them fight each other on a night that had already been almost overshadowed by the afternoon's bloodshed?

Maddox quickly picked up where Alice had left off, virtually blurting out a response as he hurried to fill the silence, lest one of the women fill it instead. 

[color=#E15436]"I was grieved to hear of your husband's passing, Lady Amaryllis,"[/color] he stated bluntly. And then there was that silence again. [color=#E15436]"And you...you know Abhainn welcomes you back with open arms."[/color] Maddox gave a quick swallow, his throat bobbing as he looked between the two women.

His gaze lifted for a moment, skirting the ballroom for some escape - his brother, a nobleman, but he managed to spot the dress and mask he had had sent to Julianna's chambers. But the woman who wore them most certainly was not his betrothed, bringing a slight frown to his face. He hardly knew Julianna well enough to pick her out of a crowd this size.