[center][h3][color=lightcoral]Corvina[/color] & [color=darkorange]Airdan[/color][/h3][/center]

[color=silver]Airdan had left the company of Darius and the demoness as people had been arriving and began making small talk with other Light Elves that were befitting his position. As he’d done this he also made sure to pay attention to those who had been arriving at the ball. There were definitely some interesting attendees to say the least, but soon one had caught his eye. He at first had to take a double take, but the familiar pale blonde hair was unmistakable. He’d spent years with the woman, slept beside her, it was hard to forget such a person. Had he loved her at one point? Airdan honestly wasn’t sure if he was actually capable of love, however he’d been good at convincing her that he’d loved her. In fact the only reason he’d married Kenia Biralei in the first place was for the political advantage it gained him at the time. Now here she was, it was easy for him to identify her even after the many years he hadn’t seen her. It was likely she’d be able to recognize him as well if she saw him so he decided it was best to avoid her until the moment was right.

He took note of her companions, two Light Elves from the looks of it, one male and one female. He really studied the female as he wondered if he could use her in the future. Would he gain anything from antagonizing Kenia? Definitely not, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up if he were being honest. Just another way to rub it in her face that he’d taken everything from her and he could still take more.

The dances began and his were rather uneventful, not paying much attention to either of his partners, much to the disappointment of one. She’d obviously been rather infatuated with him, but he had no interest in the demi-human girl. What could she gain him anyways? The dances soon ended and he knew now was time for him to have a little fun. He’d been keeping Kenia and the other woman she’d arrived with in his sights and now was the time to act. The male elf that had arrived with Kenia seemed to have approached her and it looked like they were about to dance. There was a look on his wife’s face that he found quite intriguing. Was she falling for this new elven man? How delightful. What a shame it would be if he were to distract her during their dance.

His eyes moved across the hall until he spotted the other elven woman that had arrived with the two and he made his way towards her. [color=darkorange]”I do apologize for interrupting you, my dear, but I had noticed your beauty from across the hall and I found it increasingly difficult to keep from making your acquaintance.”[/color] He gave Corvina a very gentlemanly bow as he gave her a winning smile. [color=darkorange]”I thought to myself, ‘Airdan you must find what it would take to get such a beautiful woman to dance with you.’ So here I am, asking this goddess in the flesh what I must do to share a dance with her?”[/color]

Corvina had been dining on food after not finding her second partner. Rather baffled by the foods, she chose what looked familiar to her. Not wanting to look suspicious, she had chosen food at random. She had been surprised yet satisfied with it too. She’d have to ask Kenia and Malachi what she had been eating. She finished her meal and began surveying the dance floor. She watched as Avalians danced together and began trying to spot the other two. 

Kenai was with a demihuman, and then Malachi had been with Elsea. Cora smiled. She had been excited to find another human besides Rei. Meeting Risa, Kyran and Elsea had been fascinating. She had never met a princess before! How cool was that? Cora smiled to herself and began making her way over to her eleven parents when a man approached her.

His words caught her by surprise, and her face lit up. Blushing, but giggling, Cora curtsied in front of him. [color=lightcoral]”Oh my,”[/color] She straightened up and covered her mouth, grinning.  [color=lightcoral]”That was so sweet of you. Thank you. It’s a pleasure to meet you Airdan, I’m Cora.”[/color] She wasn’t sure why she’d given him her name. She wondered if this was a mistake and glanced around for the others. Did they know him? What would happen if she rejected him and he turned out to be an ally? Surely he’d understand. She wanted to find the others, not dance again. However, she soon saw Kenia and Malachi dancing together, which caused her to smile. 

She turned back to Airdan, wondering what this man truly wanted.  For now, she would play along. [color=lightcoral]”I would be honored, thank you.”[/color]

[color=darkorange]”Cora, what a beautiful name to match such a lovely woman.”[/color] Airdan said with a grin as he led Cora out to the dance floor. He skillfully began leading her in a dance, allowing a very brief moment of silence to fall between them until he felt like Cora was a bit more comfortable with the dance. Only then did he speak up again. [color=darkorange]”I must admit to you, Cora, that I didn’t just now notice you. In fact I had noticed you when you walked in.”[/color] He gave her a bit of a sheepish look and laughed a little nervously. [color=darkorange]”I must say I was quite concerned when I saw you enter with someone as dangerous as Kenia Biralei.”[/color] He watched for her reaction in order to gauge which direction to lead with this conversation.

Cora smiled pleasantly, starting to feel uncomfortable with his continued flattery. Besides that, he was older than her; how much she wasn’t certain. She smiled nonetheless, beginning to think of excuses to leave. For now, she had to stick it out. The silence followed with her not replying to his comments. As he spoke again, her eyebrows rose. So this man had been watching her. It seemed that Avalia had its creeps too. Trepidation filled her and she nervously 

[color=gold]What did this guy want?[/color], she thought with confusion. It didn’t take long for her to discover it. His mention of Kenia made her blood run cold and the smile evaporate from her face. Eyes narrowed, she tilted her head to one side. So was this her ex-husband? She tried to remember the paintings of Kenia’s children, but it had been a brief memory. Cora took a quiet, deep breath, and managed a friendly neutral expression. [color=lightcoral]”Oh? What makes you say that?”[/color] 

Airdan gave her a bit of a puzzled look at her question. Now was the time to strike, to thread a seed of doubt in this girl's mind. To hopefully turn one of Kenia’s allies against her. [color=darkorange]”You really don’t know, do you?”[/color] He put on a face of genuine surprise and then his expression saddened. “I’m so sorry, I thought surely you’d know at least a little of what happened.” He sighed and only hesitated briefly before continuing on. [color=darkorange]”See I was once married to Kenia and we had two beautiful twin children. Something happened to Kenia and she began trying to harm the children and I. So I feared for their lives and spirited them away from her in the middle of the night.”[/color] He explained, looking worried as he did so.

Cora stared at Airdan. This was Kenia’s ex. She stared at him as she listened to his story. This had a similar topic: the children. But his story didn’t add up; why would Kenia have tried harming her children?  What would have happened to her to cause her to harm them? His story confused her. This was different from what she had seen with Kenia. That woman had been crying and singing about them, then durnknely confessed to their group. She didn’t buy it.

She had to get out, but how? [color=lightcoral]”Thank you so much for sharing with me. I’ll keep it in mind.”[/color] Cora began lightly moving herself from his grip. She kept a neutral expression on his face. He was creepy and definitely ominous. Her brain was screaming for her to leave [i]right now[/i]. Cora nodded politely to him. [color=lightcoral]”You have a good night, sir. I will go back to the ball now.”[/color]

Airdan could tell she wasn’t entirely buying the story, but that was fine. He’d planted the seeds, all he had to do now was wait for Kenia to do something to water those seeds which he had no doubt she would. [color=darkorange]”Of course, I won’t keep you from enjoying the rest of the ball. Please, though, just be cautious around her. She’s a dangerous woman who has killed many to try and get to me and our children. I’ve had to constantly move the children around to protect them. If you ever wish to validate my claims please seek out Lady Neia Pafaren, she was their nanny through their younger years.”[/color] He explained before bidding her good night and disappearing back into the crowd.

Even if Cora didn’t believe him it wasn’t a complete loss of the night. While dancing he had managed to move them past Kenia and her male companion a few times and was positive she’d seen him. Now she walked past them once more and caught her eye, giving her a smirk before weaving the rest of the way through the crowd.

Cora felt a sigh of relief fill her as he left. She didn’t want to think wrong of Kenai, but it was true she didn’t know them well. Still, that woman had been in serious pain and wasn’t fake crying. Despite it, she did keep a mental note of that name. Maybe that woman would have answers on this creep. Cora glared at the back of him as he left. Something was wrong about this man and she wasn’t going to toss her loyalty away from Kenia. That woman had sacrificed so much to protect them and she wasn’t going to ignore that.

While they had danced, they had passed Kenia and Malachi a few times. She had been trying to give them a questioning, yet pleading look, until she was moved away.  She shook her head as he left and went to find a table to quelm her rising anxiety and fear. 

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