The ball was bustling. People were everywhere. The girls talking with Sir Gerard. Lady Veilena, briefly eyeing Velbrance as she prepared to speak. The First Princess, excitedly approaching two of the three living founding Knights. The grim visage of Haelstadt observing the ball from the sidelines.

Fanilly opened her mouth. She was going to greet Veilena, and Dame Serenity.

But then there was a voice in her ear.

It was a little girl's.

[i]"Ahead of the First Princess. Look now."[/i]

"Ah...?"

Her eyes travelled swiftly across ball, and widened when they fell upon something that shouldn't have been there.

A hooded figure, exceptionally small, a short crossbow in one hand, leather and cloth in dark colors covering her body. Almost-gleaming yellow eyes beneath the good. Somehow no-one around her seemed to notice as one delicate hand trained the crossbow on First Princess Elisandre-

Fanilly was already turning, running. She didn't understand what was happening, how the small assassin had managed to get so far without even a single person seeing her. But she had to be stopped, she had to!

"Stop her! Stop her now...!"

The trigger was pulled.

The bolt flew.

But it never reached its target.

It had stopped, one delicate, elegant hand gripping it and having ended its trajectory instantly.

Lilette's stern gaze fell upon the would-be Assassin, as she lowered her hand. Crimson dripped from her palm, but still she held fast on the bolt.

"Iron Roses, to arms!" cried Fanilly, "Stop her! Do [i]not[/i] let the assassin escape!"

An attempted assassination of one of the royal family, here, now? So brazenly in the middle of the ball? But how was it that no-one had seen the assailant until now? These questions raced through the Knight-Captain's mind.

But that was why the assassin had to be captured, not killed.

"BAR THE EXITS!" bellowed Sir Adeforth's voice over the crowds, "What in the blazes were you doing!? Bar them now! Now!"

The crown knights were moving as swiftly as possible to bar any potential routes of escape. But the small assassin was moving, too, swiftly, even after having frozen in shock at being discovered she was darting away as quickly as possible.

"Haelstadt!" came Veilena's voice as well, "Get ahead of her!"

The towering black knight as moving now, as well.

They had to stop the assassin. They had to capture her.

The had to know what was going on...!

[@Creative Chaos][@Raineh Daze][@Rune_Alchemist][@Saiyan][@The Otter][@Crimson Paladin][@Psychic Loser][@Richard Horthy][@VahkiDane][@Psyker Landshark][@HereComesTheSnow]