[sub][b]Chateau de Monfort[/b]
[color=edc9af]Q U E[/color]  ⇌  [color=BF1600]Q I U[/color]
[color=808080]↪  Collab between [@cerozer0] & [@murdoc][/color][/sub]
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Que had been counselled against letting his guard down too readily. He’d also been warned that coming here would be akin to stepping into a den of lions, though perhaps wolves would be a more fitting description. Back home, his circle of advisors had recounted with varying degrees of horror stories about the perilous courts of Vertiron. There was no doubt that many were here to further their own interests, and those of their families as well. After all, it’s what he and Qiu were here for.

Standing off to the side, he had an excellent view of the people milling about. His cane was rather unwieldy, and so, he preferred to hover somewhere where he would not get in the way. The ballroom was filled to the brim with tittering debutantes and dashing young heirs – not quite the wolves he’d been expecting. While many believed that a man of his interests would find the world of politics an impossible riddle to decipher, Que had always been a fast learner. He wasn’t quite as adept as his sister, of course, at maneuvering among nobility, but he was no dullard either. From the moment he was born, his entire life had been about playing the role he was given, and he was very good at doing so. He was a dutiful son and brother, first; then a soldier, and finally, a Marquis. Had any of this been what he wanted? It’s hard to say, though what he wanted would likely remain a mystery for the foreseeable future, even to himself.

Sensing a shift in the air, many from Euhijan had seized the opportunity to join the annual gathering at Vertiron. It was just as well, Que supposed. The Kingdom of Euhijan had made far too many enemies in the past, devouring neighbouring lands and beyond with all the force of a tsunami. If they were to make amends, it would be wise to commence their efforts sooner rather than later.

[b][i][color=edc9af]“So, what do you make of all this?”[/color][/i][/b] Que asks Qiu in their native tongue. More than anything, it was a rhetorical question, and as he speaks, his gaze is drawn up towards the huge, crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. [b][i][color=edc9af]“It’s a little extravagant for my tastes.”[/color][/i][/b]

To match the ceremony that was apparently required, Que was likewise clad in some of his own finery. There were no padded doublets or stiff, heeled shoes; instead, he wore a many-layered, loose-fitting robe dyed a dark shade of indigo, its collar crossed diagonally, left over right. The sleeves were embroidered with golden thread in an intricate design of waves that gleamed against the light of the ballroom. Tied around his waist was a silk sash, dyed a dark navy and fastened at the back. The hem of the robe came down to his ankles, concealing the brace around his left leg. On his feet, he wore a pair of flat cloth shoes, useless for anything more vigorous than a leisurely stroll around the courtyard.

The whole ensemble was quite a bit heavier than what he was used to, and he shifts his weight from one leg to another, tightening his grip around the handle of his cane. Seeking a distraction from his growing discomfort, he lets himself lean closer to Qiu, voice tinged with a droll sort of humor that he reserved solely for his sister. [b][i][color=edc9af]“See anyone that catches your eye?”[/color][/i][/b]

[color=BF1600][b][i]“They certainly have a domineering aesthetic in Vertiron.”[/i][/b][/color] Qiu’s voice was tinged with something akin to distaste; confusion, perhaps, or maybe just an irritated sense of curiosity. She was only in this Court for one reason and one reason only, and that was to ensure some sort of kinship with another royal of another kingdom. It was a simple enough task, one every young man or woman would perhaps have to go through, and honestly Qiu had a small flicker of hope in her heart for something exciting to come from this visit, but so far she has been steeped in the traditional formalities that have been suffocating her from birth. 

She stole a glance at Que as the two of them walked beneath glittering chandeliers and painted ceilings. He looked regal despite his slower gait, though the cane might as well have been a glittering sign of his weaknesses. Like her brother, Qiu was dressed in fashionable layers popular within the lands of Ehujian. She contrasted his dark, cool colors with a visage of the height of autumn. A white blouse, silken and shiny in the unnatural light of the hall, was tucked into a long, dragging skirt that matched the bright red color of her robes. Layers of stiffer fabric looped around her shoulders and hung in front of her skirt, depicting scenes of trees in death and cranes flying through a sunset-red sky. It was not the fanciest garb she owned, but it was enough to make a startling first impression, especially in a court where no one seems to appreciate the concept of an empire waist.

At Que’s comment she huffed, eyes narrowing and scanning out toward the many men and women who dawdled around them. Most were attractive, as it was their place to be. She was caught, for a moment, by the King of Vertrion, and a rather impressive looking lady with shiny red hair. Her eyes returned to Que, smoldering like dark coals.

[color=BF1600][b][i]“Most of them catch my eye, brother. I could ask the same of you.”[/i][/b][/color] She said, offering him a sensible arm to hook on to if he so needed it, [color=BF1600][b][i]“I will be surprised if you actually have a fascination with anyone, though. You have not spoken to me about matters of romance before.”[/i][/b][/color]

[b][i][color=edc9af]“That’s because, sister, I have no wish for half the kingdom to learn who I find attractive.”[/color][/i][/b] Que scoffs, but takes the proffered arm after a moment’s hesitation. Truth be told, he held little hope of finding love; even a decorous marriage seemed far out of reach for someone like him. Yes, he’d been a great swordsman in the past, and now, he had a title that granted him a modicum of respect from his peers, but things were no longer be as they used to be. So much of his life had been spent practicing the art of war – Father would only ever truly smile after a victory – it was laughable how easily everything crumbled after the incident. And yet, as his gaze sweeps across the room, he feels himself drawn to some of the charming lords and ladies present.

[b][i][color=edc9af]“Besides, no one in their right mind would want to spend the rest of their days with a cripple.”[/color][/i][/b] Even Que himself is startled by the bitterness of his words, though he quickly recovers, playing it off with a humorless huff of laughter. [b][i][color=edc9af]“You know, you should really be off socialising instead of staying here playing nursemaid to your brother.”[/color][/i][/b]

Qiu’s reaction to her brother’s cruel words was sudden and vicious. Her grip tightened on his arm, vice-like, curling like a snake, and then she released him. Like the waves receding, she pulled back and flared, roaring internally as she struggled to find the gentle words to tell him to shut up, to keep an open mind, to stop being so depressed--

God, she needed a smoke. Qiu pinched the bridge of her nose and rolled her eyes. [color=BF1600][b][i]”I am not playing nursemaid; I don’t think that highly of myself.”[/i][/b][/color] She said, [color=BF1600][b][i]”But if you’re going to be a sad sack maybe I should go off.”[/i][/b][/color] Her words were harsh, cold. She didn’t really mean them but she couldn’t help but let them spill. Her heart still shook with some sort of guilt every time Que spoke lowly of himself. If only she could speak to him, actually speak to him. If only she could have been there to save him. If only she wasn’t stuck in a court full of people expecting her to be absolutely emotionless.

She bit down on her lower lip, lifted her chin, and said, [color=BF1600][b][i]”Smile, brother. We must look very happy and peachy for the happy and peachy court, right?”[/i][/b][/color]

[b][i][color=edc9af]“I’m afraid that's rather beyond me, at the moment.”[/color][/i][/b] Que retorts, though he does make an effort to smooth out his expression into something a little more approachable. Whenever Qiu was around, the matter of his leg always seemed to be a touchy subject. Que, on the other hand, saw no point in dancing around it. Fate had dealt him a bad hand, and that was that.

[b][i][color=edc9af]“I can take care of myself. Don’t worry about me.”[/color][/i][/b] Voice dropping to a murmur, the corner of his lips quirk up into a smile he hoped was reassuring. In spite of their differences, they were still twins, and he wanted nothing but the best for his sister. If that meant having to set aside his self-pity for the time being and striking out on his own, then so be it. He couldn’t very well spend the entire night standing here by himself, could he? And Que’s presence next to his sister certainly appeared to have the unfortunate effect of dissuading potential suitors from approaching.

Reaching out, he steals a glass of honeyed wine from a passing servant, and downs its contents a single swig – for courage, if nothing else. He grabs another before taking his first step towards the thick of the crowd, though this one he doesn’t drink quite just yet. Instead, he turns around to fully face Qiu, and offers a suggestion. [b][i][color=edc9af]“There’s all sorts of interesting people here. Why don’t you go talk to them? See what you learn, and you can tell me all about it after.”[/color][/i][/b]

[color=BF1600][b][i]”... Fine, since you’re so stubborn about it.”[/i][/b][/color] Qiu scowled, taking her own glass of wine and tipping it back in a rather unladylike manner. Once drained, Qiu returned the glass to another passing butler and bows sarcastically to her wallflower of a brother. [color=BF1600][b][i]”See you around, my dear brother.”[/i][/b][/color] And she turned and vanished into the surrounding crowd, instantaneously adopting an air of regalness and approachability once out of Que’s radius. 
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