[color=#007985][b][h2]Sir Jerel Ban[/h2][/b][/color]Jerel nodded along. He did not balk at her irritation; he was not that stupid.

“I did not wish to presume, Tyaethe, I never doubted your standing,” his words were made from measured tones as he tried to sound earnest and not sycophantic, "Phoran Cal is an interesting figure; there’s so much written about him. That’s the trouble. I’ve never bothered searching any deeper, it’s not of great interest to me, but during this ball it struck me that there’d be no source quite so trusted as you, and I’d be a fool to…”

Over Tyaethe’s head he saw Fleuri approaching, tension and haste splinters in the once smooth grain of his composure. That alone was enough to put Jerel on edge.

Fleuri entered their orbit.

He shared a portent. 

It might have sounded crazy, had it not come from another knight, and Fleuri at that. There was trust. Jerel believed Fleuri had seen a disappearing girl, and the cake was indeed gone, that much Jerel could see as certain. Exactly what that meant, Jerel did not know, but to disregard the warning seemed sheer lunacy. He spared only a brief glance, searching for something amiss as his mind raced to process, trying to pick out anything immediate from the crowds.

People were watching them. For an instant there was a flash of panic. There were so many. But of course; a knight had just strode through them all, some were bound to pick up on that openly. Others were likely more subtle. 

Jerel clapped an arm around Fleuri’s shoulder and laughed, using this as a chance to manoeuvre his body and close the circle. The other knight didn’t reek of alcohol, another assurance.

“It may be an idea to look less concerned,” Jerel said with those same hushed tones, grinning broadly for whoever might be watching, “Unless you alert someone you shouldn’t.”

It had only taken a handful of seconds, but hopefully it would be enough to remove most of the curious gazes.

“What do you think?” He said to Tyaethe. Her authority here was absolute, and he tried to hide the urgency he felt for it.

Watch the crowds. That was the warning. Best heed it. He tried to do it discreetly, which meant that he was limited in what he could see.

It didn’t help. Smiles that might once have been cordial were now chiselled sharp by suspicion, malice-tipped and knowing. All movement held danger. 

In a place where all were pretending how could you spot the imposter? 

[@VitaVitaAR][@Raineh Daze][@Crimson Paladin]