[color=A0A0A0][h2]Fleuri Jodeau[/h2][/color]

The development following Fleuri's return from the tavern were unexpected, but not unwelcome.  He was informed that Fanilly had selected him as one of the knights to accompany her to the royal ball, and thus the remainder of the day, and the next one, were spent preparing.  He bathed and groomed, then spent a few hours touching up on his formal attire.  It was likely an odd sight for the Flower of the North to be seen using a needle and thread, but given his family's relative lack of wealth, being able to maintain his own attire had been an important skill to develop.  By the late afternoon when the ball drew close, Fleuri was ready..

For the ball, Fleuri's attire consisted of a white mantle over a white long sleeved tunic, accompanied with black pants, boots, and gloves.  Both the mantle and tunic proudly the black fleur-de-lis symbol.  This archaic-looking ensemble was was his family's traditional formal wear, nearly unchanged in over a century.  While Fleuri was no longer relegated to wearing ancestral hand-me-downs, he still honored his family's traditions (even if, admittedly, the only reason the tradition existed was to not waste money chasing fashion developments) by donning formal wear crafted in the same style.  The only oddity was the sheathed greatsword poking from beneath his mantle and his dagger hanging from his belt, both having been brought at the request of the princess.

As he and the other knights followed Fanilly to the ball, Fleuri looked up at the castle.  He wasn't unfamiliar with these sorts of events, but he had never attended one as an Iron Rose knight.  House Jodeau wasn't completely removed from Thaln's high society, still commanding some prestige from their history of service to the crown and to the Church of Reon.  This time, however, he was representing an organization far more prestigious than a noble family- he represented the Iron Roses, making it all the more important that he not make any missteps.

As expected of a ball hosted by the royal family, there was no shortage of prestigious guests in attendance.  Among them, Fleuri noticed a pair of elves, likely relatives given their matching hair color.  If they were human, Fleuri would guess them to be siblings, but given how long elves live, they could potential be a parent-child pair, grandparent and grandchild, or potentially something even further removed.  Even more curious was the spider-woman in attendance.

[color=A0A0A0][i]I wonder how deft of a dancer she is, with those eight legs,[/i][/color] he pondered as he watched Cecilia approach her.  He wasn't sure what sort of interest the archer-knight had in the arachnoid woman.  Perhaps, like many people, she had a thing for exotic women with monstrous features, or maybe she just wanted some spider silk for a bow string.  He hoped that whatever her motivations, Dame Cecilia would remember to be discreet in her interactions.

Fleuri headed for the wines to sample what was available.  As much as he wanted to try some of the red wine, past experiences had taught him just how easily they could stain white clothing.  Consequently, he chose white wine instead, and was just about to take a sip from his goblet when Renar approached.

[b][color=ff5000]"I'll need to borrow you for a good few minutes.  Play along for a short while, and I'll be in your debt,"[/color][/b] the fellow knight spoke before "volunteering" Fleuri for some mingling with the nobles.  Fleuri complied, silently playing along, not entirely sure what Renar's game was.  Generally, the Jodeau family stayed out of the politicking of the nobility due to their relative irrelevance in Thaln's aristocracy, but ever since Fleuri gained a reputation as a successful tournament fighter, he had to getting dragged into the games on occasion.

Perhaps Renar was just establishing some credentials as a part of Thaln's nobility, having only recently gained the status due to being knighted, or maybe he was leveraging his newly gained station.

[b][color=ff5000]"You all wish to hear of the battle. Well, our Flower here mounted a griffin in live combat. But of course, he could tell that tale himself, yes?"[/color][/b]  So that was Sir Renar's game.  Very well, he would play along.

[color=A0A0A0]"Yes, Jeremiah and his bandits had captured a griffin.  I'm not sure what they wanted it for- it certainly wasn't following their orders.  During our attack on the camp, it broke out of its cage and we found ourselves fighting it,"[/color] he began, taking a drink from his goblet and setting the stage for the tale.

[color=A0A0A0]"Sir Lucas- one of the younger knights- and myself climbed the bandit watch tower and jumped onto its back while it was distracted by the other knights.  I wasn't keen on giving that beast a chance to take flight.  Instead of trying to buck me off like a horse would, it tried to crush me against the ground.  I haven't gotten off a mount so quickly since I took that lance to the chest in the Aimlenn Tournament two years ago."[/color]

At least some of the nobles here probably remembered seeing that.  It wasn't exactly his most glorious moment.

[color=A0A0A0]"Of course, the griffin was just a distraction, a spectacle,"[/color] he turned his head towards his fellow knight.  [color=A0A0A0]"Our victory that day was thanks to knights like Sir Renar here cutting the bandits down like weeds."[/color]

[@Psyker Landshark]