Beren gave her an ostentatious bow, speaking in an upper class Andredian accent. "Your magical aptitude is only matched by your stunning intellect."  

"I read many books and my pedigree is the envy of the Academy of Vorriellioune." She said haughtily, standing above him and waving her arm with very little direction, overracting to an incredible degree.  

"Hey, who are you two?" A grumbling voice asked, causing them to open their eyes like surprised deer. An older man with the outfit of a clerk looked at them, his muttonchops and scowl a sight to behold. A few other drifters looked at the commotion over the racks of clothes and rows of shoes. "You came in here just to mock my store? Get out of here so my customers can get back to browsing."

"No, we uh... it's a long-" 

Jocasta placed a hand on Beren's mouth. "Our humblest apologies sir, we will vacate the premises immediately." She said, and took out a silver lordling, nimbly flipping it in her hand and tossing it onto the desk he stood just beside. It twirled and then fell flat. "A token of apology. I insist." 

Beren caught on, and hid it from his face. He extended his arm to Jocasta, and the two waltzed out of the store before the man could even deny the rightful payment of the clothes he did not even recognize. Once they made it out, they shared a grin and then started laughing. The sun was starting to set, and the usual cold was turning freezing. They hurried back to the manor, arm in arm. They didn't speak, but somehow they just felt comfortable in such close proximity. 

Perhaps it was all the times she landed in his lap? 

[hr] 

[i]The next day...[/i] 

Beren and Jocasta had spent the night and day doing their own thing. Sleeping, eating, speaking to the servants and meeting with Baron Marius. They had only spent a couple of hours together, talking about the party that night and just talking like they had known one another for years. Beren had managed to go out a few times that day, running errands he wouldn't talk about. Once the hour was drawing close, the two changed into their clothes and were provided with baths beforehand. 

Now, they stood on the giant-sized street brimming with people at the foot of the Grimstone Citadel, the seat of governmental power and central monument to the entire city. Men and women danced in the streets, torches and shows of fire from acrobats and magicians on a nearby street corner were alit as the sun began to sink behind the city walls. A few small pops of varying contraptions went off in the distance, but no fireworks as of yet.

Carriages drawn by well-bred horses and thoroughbred oxen routinely pulled up to the red carpet that was laid out at the entrance. The gateway to the greathall were two great wooden doors atop twelve wide steps of well paved stone, the carpet cascading down the stairway and led to the very edge of the street. Guards in breastplates and tabards with the symbol of Iskura tood with halberds at the fore, blocking the pathway with their pole weapons to keep the citizenry from entering. 

"Halt! Without the proper papers you are not allowed to enter. Back up." The guard they approached warned, redirecting his polearm to better brain Beren with if it came down to it. Beren gave him a smile and produced the letter he had received with the seal of Baron Marius. Jocasta did the same and smiled wickedly. 

"Oh...uh..." he stammered. 

"If you'll excuse us." Beren said, taking Jocasta's hand and leading her past the guard, who stepped aside sheepishly. Beren gave him a "thanks" and walked into the great doors to ascend to the top floor, rumored to be using a pulley system from within the castle. Inside the great hall, they found the rumor to be true, as there was a section of the wall where the platform rested, and a chamberlain waited upon it with his hand on a wheel, attached to a mechanism. 

"The top floor I presume, my lord, my lady..." He said to them.