[h1][center][color=#EEDC5B]Auguste[/color] [color=silver]&[/color] [color=9BBB82]Persephone[/color][/center][/h1][center][sub]MENTIONS: King Edin [@princess], Wulfric [@SilverPaw], Callum [@Helo], Anastasia [@princess], Wystan [@Mantou][/sub][/center] [hr] [color=silver]Auguste’s eyes caught his sister, Anastasia, escorted by Wystan. For both Callum and Anastasia to make trouble, he couldn’t help but smile and silently praise their youthful exuberance. It was a thing he couldn’t ever think to do. Auguste watched their exchange some more before a piece of paper was pushed onto Wystan, before Anastasia’s signature laugh echoed softly in the hall. Wystan now began approaching Wulfric. Auguste took a moment to piece it together. A laugh bubbled in his chest. Auguste cleared his throat, a poor attempt at pushing down the laughter that now threatened to escape his throat. With another cough, he stifled and transformed the laugh into a poorly concealed, soft chuckle. When Edin’s eyes landed on him he quickly turned away, suddenly fascinated by the ornate pillar to his side. [color=#EEDC5B]”I am unworthy of such high praises.”[/color] Auguste smiles, [color=#EEDC5B]”I hope my skill continue to impress, Lord Smithwood..”[/color] The prince’s interests were clear, with a noticeably happier countenance when the subject was about swordsmanship. A servant too held out a basket filled with papers, [color=#EEDC5B]”Thank you.”[/color] He says, unfolding the paper, studying the contents and then placing it in his breast pocket. Greeting the Princess would come later, as he soon heard the dance couples being called to the front. Auguste stayed in place, hoping that his partner would appear. After coming in from the balcony, Persephone grinned. Her hair was messy and she’d actually had [i]laughed[/i]. It had been foreign to her since the drama. Her bag had more food in it and was tucked away safely. She glanced in a mirror and adjusted her braid so it looked neater. When she turned back around, there stood a maid holding out a bowl with papers in it. Perplexed, she took one and began to examine it. Realisation dawned on her and she audibly groaned. A dance? She panicked and grabbed a piece of bread to stuff in her mouth while going to meet her partner. As she strode forward, she noticed the nobility moving into the middle and almost choked. When her number was called, she swallowed the remaining bread quickly. She looked up to see… [color=9BBB82][i]”Prince Auguste?[/i]”[/color] Were the Gods taunting her? There was no way in hell she was dancing with him. Persephone gazed around with confusion and then looked up with wide green eyes. [i]Act natural…[/i] She forced a smile on her face and waited for him. Auguste’s ears pricked up hearing his name called. He turned towards a blonde woman, who seemed surprised. [color=#EEDC5B]“My lady, are you perhaps my dance partner?”[/color] He gently enquired. His dull eyes met hers, he did not recognize the lady. For him and Wulfric to not be dancing with prospective nobility… it was likely to anger their father. A small laugh echoed in the back of his mind at the realization- Callum was being the filial son for once. [color=9BBB82]”Yes… Yes I am.”[/color] Her voice was quiet, then became confident and strong. She grinned at him as if she’d read his mind. [color=9BBB82]”I seem to be the lucky lad, or are you the lucky lad?”[/color] She teased while she put her hands on his shoulders. Although she was light on her feet, it had been ages since she’d danced. She took a deep breath and fitted a confident smile on her face. Was fortune on her side tonight? Would her luck run out? She prayed it wouldn’t. [color=#EEDC5B]“Perhaps it is indeed me who is lucky.”[/color] For the lady to not balk at being matched with royalty and even joke about such was unique, to say the least. Auguste smiled and offered his hand towards her. [color=#EEDC5B]“You will have to excuse my hand- it is rough and calloused. Unbefitting of a prince.”[/color] He said, [color=#EEDC5B]“I am Auguste Alden Danrose.”[/color] Although it was unlikely that he would be unrecognised, it was a matter of politeness. [color=#EEDC5B]“And you are?”[/color] Persephone took his hand and eyed it. Though it was rough and calloused, she found his hand looked nice anyways. She looked back up and wrapped her fingers over it. [color=9BBB82]”I don’t think we should judge a prince by his hand's condition. Mine aren’t the best either.”[/color] She commented and smirked at his introduction. He was a proper gentleman. [color=9BBB82]“I am Persephone, but you can call me Seph for short. Salvatore.”[/color] She added the last bit and dipped in a quick curtsy. [color=9BBB82]“I’m… obviously not nobility… I live over on the farms.”[/color] [color=#EEDC5B]“Ah, of course.”[/color] Auguste said, [color=#EEDC5B]“It is nice to meet you, Lady Persephone… er- Seph.”[/color] He made it a goal to remember notable families. The Salvatore family, a family that has met many unfortunate tragedies. A pang of guilt ran through him, although he did not show it. There was definitely more he and his family could do for the people of Caesonia. It was something he would personally see to in the future. Persephone’s hand was similar to his own. It was clear that she had experience with her hands- be it through swordsmanship or archery. [color=#EEDC5B]“Don’t worry about nobility or my father. It is what the paper dictated, after all.”[/color] Auguste winked as the music began playing. Auguste decided on the dance- the Vienesse Waltz. A dance with variable levels of difficulty and complexity. He would change the difficulty depending on how well Persephone could follow. [color=#EEDC5B]“Shall we?”[/color] Auguste said. He slid his right hand to her left back. His left hand clasped her right hand. His right foot stepped forward, his left step continued to the side. Next he closes his right foot to his left. [color=#EEDC5B]“What brings you to this gathering, Lady Persephone?”[/color] He asked in-between steps. The next few steps were the same, except the first step started with the opposite foot. The first movement- the natural turn. It led to a clockwise movement, the simplicity highlighting the sharp refinement of each of the prince’s steps. Persephone giggled when he called her ‘Lady’. She had never been referred to by that title. It seemed to be saved for the noble families. She looked taken aback, but recovered quickly. His words calmed her a bit; he didn’t seem arrogant. In fact, he seemed to retain more humility than what she’d expected. When he indicated the beginning of the dance, she nodded and replied confidently, [color=9BBB82]“Yes we shall.”[/color] His question made her think for a moment and chewed on her words before spitting them out. She couldn’t tell him the exact truth and finally settled on a reply. [color=9BBB82]”Oh the food for sure it’s quite amazing isn’t it? I also thought it’d be nice to attend the grand ball. It’s quite extravagant isn’t it? Although, I’m sure you may be used to it.”[/color] She watched his footing for a moment and tried to mimic it, but she wasn’t certain what they were doing. He was quite skilled at this dance which made her cheeks flush. [i][color=9BBB82]Try to blend in…[/color][/i] but the girl honestly didn’t understand and looked at him with confusion but wasn’t willing to admit it out loud. Was anyone laughing at them? She felt her ears burn and bit her lip. Her eyes watered as she fought them back. [color=#EEDC5B]“Ah, the food, of course.”[/color] Auguste smiled, not an ounce of doubt in his tone. He leaned in closer to whisper his next few words, [color=#EEDC5B]“... After the party, you can head to the pantry in the back and mention that I sent you. The servants will give you the leftovers.”[/color] He saw it a waste to dump the excess food and has covertly been packaging away party leftovers to distribute to the poor. Auguste noticed her struggling to follow his steps. He slowed down tremendously. Her nearly tearful face reminded him of his cute sister during her youth. She pouted and hid when she struggled. He turned his head to his side, eyes meeting a leering noble. He smiled viciously at him, causing the man to turn away. [color=#EEDC5B]“Focus on my eyes, Lady Persephone.”[/color] Auguste said kindly, an attempt to get her to ignore her surroundings. [color=#EEDC5B]”I will assist you.”[/color] He replayed the first movement, but instead of continuing, he would wait until she had mimicked his step and placed her foot in the correct place. [color=#EEDC5B]“Exactly like that.”[/color] [i][color=9BBB82]Should I leave or should I go? Am I embarrassing him? He seems so nice. Am I humiliating myself? Will everyone talk about this clumsy, unaware farm girl?[/color][/i] Her mind was racing with anxiety and was trying to hide it. When he leaned in closer to her, panic filled her. What was going on? The words that tumbled out of his mouth caught her by surprise and halted her anxiety. She… had permission… To go to the pantry? A million ideas filled her head, but none she focused on. He was offering food to her for [i]free[/i]? Her stomach rumbled and she could see her townsfolk, the poorest of the poor, rejoicing. How could her luck be so good tonight? She didn’t have time to process this notion due to a leering noble who caught her eye. In her peripheral vision, Auguste’s vicious smile caused him to turn away. She turned back and looked into his piercing yellow eyes as giggles escaped her. For a moment, she was lost and blushed and cast her gaze away. She watched him replay his first move and blinked, then slowly repeated it. It was less graceful, but she’d understood the step. Heart hammering, she sucked in a deep breath and visibly began to relax. [color=9BBB82]“Tha.. Thank you…”[/color] She finally stammered, meeting his gaze again. Auguste smiled warmly as she chose to meet his gaze. He repeated the first movement a couple more times so that she could get used to it. Each repetition faster than the last.. [color=#EEDC5B]“You’ve picked up the first movement faster than I, Lady Persephone.”[/color] He complimented, [color=#EEDC5B]“I will move on to the next movement- the reverse turn.”[/color] For Auguste, dancing bore many similarities to movement in a spar. Almost eerily so. As such, he had very little issue with learning dances- from the simpler dances to the more advanced ones. The reverse turn. Auguste’s left foot moved forward, his right foot moved to the side, and finally his left crosses in-front of his right foot for the first half. In the latter half, his right foot stepped backwards, the left foot moved to the side, and the right foot closed on his left foot like the first movement. Like earlier, Agusute did these steps slowly, waiting on Persephone for each step. [color=#EEDC5B]“You are doing well. A simple trick to remember is that it is done in a three step motion. Three-Two-One,”[/color] He counted each step, [color=#EEDC5B]“... and One-Two-Three.”[/color] Persephone felt her cheeks burn at his warm smile. The complement caused a genuine bright smile to appear on her face. She watched his movements and thought for a moment. It was an intricate and complex dance, yet it was also fun once she had the hang of it. It was something she knew she’d have never learned if she hadn’t come. However, she stumbled every now and then and regained her footing. Having not eaten much the past few weeks was definitely beginning to wear on her, yet she refused to give in. Fatigue was going to come for her sooner rather than later and she hoped she was alone when it did. When he told her the recipe of the dance, she nodded. It made sense to her but was still puzzling. She decided to piece it together like she would learning the art of the sword or the bow. Each had their specific instructions and rhythm to it. [color=9BBB82]“Thank you, and you’re a good teacher.”[/color] She realised how she was enjoying herself and had forgotten about the rest of the ballroom. She didn’t feel King Edin’s angry eyes boring into the back of her skull as if trying to telepathically kill her. Persephone also didn't notice the leering noble now watching with surprise. His humility, kindness, and patience, had surprised her. [color=9BBB82]“So… What is the name of this dance and is it taught to all the nobles?”[/color] She wondered if it was a dumb question so she quickly moved on. [color=9BBB82]“I’m sure being a Prince you know can use a sword and bow. Am I correct?”[/color] [color=#EEDC5B]“My thanks.”[/color] Auguste replied to her compliment. [color=#EEDC5B]“The dance is called a Viennese Waltz. I believe most of the nobility are at least well acquainted with the dance.”[/color] [color=#EEDC5B]“You are right, Lady Persephone.”[/color] He said, [color=#EEDC5B]“I have a penchant for swordsmanship. A bit moreso than others, I’d say. It’s gotten to the point where my hand is truly unbefitting to that of a prince.”[/color] He chuckled, [color=#EEDC5B]“At least my father seems to think so.”[/color] [color=#EEDC5B]“And what hobbies do you partake in?”[/color] He asked with genuine curiosity. Auguste led both of them into a change step. A quick stopover step that lets them change the direction of their spin from clockwise to anti-clockwise. At the same time, Auguste skillfully spun them around each dancing couple. He was impressed at the speed she picked up his instructions, soon their speed became quicker. Soon they both settled to a comfortable and manageable speed, as Auguste picked up her exhaustion. [color=9BBB82]“You’re welcome.”[/color] She nodded in response to his answer. Persephone listened to his answer and grinned. However when he mentioned his dad again, she had trouble not rolling her eyes. Her hatred of King Edin burned for a moment and she took several deep breaths. She hated him so much she couldn’t wait for him to get his karma. Expressing these thoughts and emotions would not go over well, so replied to his question. [color=9BBB82]“I enjoy using the sword and horseback riding… I also enjoy sewing and knitting.”[/color] She chose not to indulge too much information. The bow, rifle, and agility and fighting would be her secret for now. He seemed sweet and innocent, so she felt guilty, but didn’t let it show and smiled instead. [color=9BBB82]“Maybe we could spar in the future.”[/color] Auguste’s face became complicated at her change in demeanour at the mention of his father. He was no fool, he knew of his father’s debauchery and general reputation within Caesonia. For now he chose not to comment. [color=#EEDC5B]“A fellow swordsman, huh?”[/color] Auguste replied, his face noticeably lit up. [color=#EEDC5B]“I accept your challenge, Lady Persephone”[/color] Persephone felt herself grow smaller at his expression change. Had she upset him? She sighed and chose not to comment on it. The swordsmanship discussion caused him to light up and she was back to grinning again, genuinely. Hopefully she could repair it. [color=9BBB82]“You name the time and place and I’ll be there, Prince Auguste.”[/color] She replied and curtsied as the music began to slow down. [color=9BBB82]“It was a pleasure to meet you and dance with you. My thanks goes out to you.”[/color] [color=#EEDC5B]“And I, you, Lady Persephone.”[/color] Auguste placed his right arm over chest and bowed. [color=#EEDC5B]“Keep in mind what I mentioned during the beginning of our dance.”[/color] With a short reprieve, he made his way to the food tables to grab some snacks and water to refill his energy. [/color]