[color=#007985][b][h2]Sir Jerel Ban[/h2][/b][/color]When the princess was announced Jerel watched her breeze into the room. Everyone did. 

A dollop of frills and spun-sugar elegance, she drifted into this private world. Her feet may never have touched the floor. 

So young, so innocent… 

How much was an act?

He had kept his lips sealed with a smile at Indrau’s words, and nodded at his departure. Stubborn recklessness seemed a feature of the elder knights. Did they know more than him, or had they just stopped caring?

Tyaethe likely had her reasons.

“Better you than me,” he said as Indrau left.

Which meant he was alone. Yet the disturbance that rippled through the social clusters reassured him; a lone knight would go unnoticed for a few moments more.

He had seen the princess before, had even met her eyes at one function, though she likely would have forgotten his face by now. Either way, he was in no rush to greet her, so was relieved when she was beset by another knight whose name he could not remember. 

Instead Jerel did as he was wont to do: he watched. He saw. 

A child with clothes too-big tottered to Fleuri. He seemed pleased to humour her. Gerard was involved in a conversation with two ladies, far too intent to disturb. The Knight Serpenta was hard to miss. 

For all Jerel saw, he could not find the slighted lord, Velbrance. Perhaps that was best; trying to soothe over such offense was best left for a better time and better people. 

Quite by chance, his eyes fell to Tyaethe, unengaged in a section he had been ignoring. The religious contingent seemed able to accuse with just a look.

He had no intention of going over there. Not until he realised the spell the princess had cast with her entrance was slowly unwinding. Several oily and shrew-faced individuals eyed Jerel with a hunger only scavengers knew. He did not want to go, but he did not want to stay exposed.

“A moment of your time, Paladin Radistirin?” Jerel said, standing before her, saluting, careful to keep his eyes on her and not the priests and holy people around. He wouldn’t have admitted it then, the uncertainty, the fear, the guilt that confused his insides, nor confessed its source, even to himself. 

“And a measure of your company? You haven’t seemed best pleased this ball. I take it everything is as it should be, or close enough?”

[@Raineh Daze]