---

The late morning sun cast a honeyed glow over Sorian Park, filtering through canopies of cream-draped silk and flowering arches as if the heavens themselves had blessed the day with a soft, romantic haze. Petals floated lazily in the fountain’s breeze, mingling with the gentle strains of string music and the subtle clink of crystal from the nearby mimosa stand. Everything was picturesque–intentionally so.

And at the heart of it all stood Lady Mina Blackwood.

She was the picture of otherworldly elegance, dressed in deep garnet velvet that clung to her like a whispered secret. The heart-shaped cutout framed her porcelain skin with just enough wicked promise to hush conversations as she passed, and the black lace gloves that adorned her hands gave her the air of a woman who could either ruin a man or write sonnets about him. She stood near the stage, clipboard in hand, but it was clear no detail escaped her. From the perfectly arranged baskets to the carefully staggered auction order, Mina’s meticulous control was cloaked in velvet smiles and easy grace.

Yet beneath it all, something in her gaze remained sharp. Watching. Calculating. As if waiting for the moment, the performance gave way to truth.

Hearing approaching footsteps on the garden path behind her, she didn’t turn. Instead, she only tilted her head slightly, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips as she felt the familiar weight of Alexander’s presence beside her. He was well-dressed as always, but he seemed to keep his appearance more subtle, wearing a classic black tuxedo.

“Perfectly on time,” she said softly, her voice velvet and amusement. “Remind me to thank whatever deity managed to keep us both punctual and sober on the morning of Drunkards Day. I was half-expecting to start this event without either of those things.” Her words were met with Alexander’s crisp white smile as he took her hand in his.

“Oh, Lady Mina, I don’t see a moment of us ever disappointing each other.” He lifted her hand and planted a single kiss upon it. “We can always have that kind of entertainment amongst ourselves.” There was a telling look in his eyes as he brushed his thumb over the spot he had kissed— not wiping it away, but sealing it as he lightly pressed against it.

Mina turned then, eyes sparkling with mischief beneath the brim of civility.

“Shall we charm Sorian senseless?”

“We shall. Whatever may transpire, it will be fruitful.” He pointed his nose toward the adjacent stage where the silent auction would be held. “Whether splendor or romance, we will reap from the desires of those who participate. Those we seek to aid will then benefit.” He gently squeezed her hand. “I’m sure I’ve already expressed this, but thank you. You never fail to be lovely to me.” He flexed his left hand, his ring flashing a gleam against the lighting.

Mina’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile, her fingers curling ever so slightly around his in return. The warmth of his hand, the press of his thumb over her skin, didn’t fluster her, but it certainly didn’t go unnoticed either.

“You give me far too much credit, Alexander,” she murmured, voice silk and shadow. “But if you insist on being so flattering, I’ll have to make sure the auction ends in record donations just to prove you right.”

Her gaze flicked toward the stage, eyes narrowing with quiet calculation beneath the charm.

“Let’s make them fall a little in love with all of it, shall we? The baskets, the cause…” Her eyes glittered as they found his again, her smile turning wicked. “And if we’re truly lucky, maybe we’ll bring a few Sorians to their knees before the day is done. I do so enjoy that view.”

“As do I,” He said softly with a sly wink. Mina was making Alexander quite thirsty, so much so that he thought it was only right to get the event started before he had second thoughts on his plans for this morning. It was certain that Callum would show, but they did not need him to partake in any of the work, as it would give the wrong impression of the prince. “Shall we?” Alexander proposed starting as many of the seats in front of the stage were beginning to fill up. Welcoming, opening remarks, and then check on the attendance of our volunteers. The instructions agreed upon were repeated in his mind.

Mina allowed a final playful glance toward Alexander before gliding onto the stage with the fluid grace of someone born to command attention. As she stepped forward, a hush fell like velvet over the gathering crowd, drawn in by the deliberate sway of her movement and the quiet promise in her smile.

She paused at the center, letting the warm sunlight spill around her like stage lighting, then let her gaze sweep over the seated attendees–measured, magnetic, and just shy of wicked.

“Good day, dear Sorian hearts,” Mina began, her voice smooth as satin, curling through the garden air like a well-cast spell. “We are so grateful you’ve joined us on this beautiful day for romance, for revelry, and most importantly… for charity.”

A light smirk touched her lips as she continued, “We have quite a lineup of the city’s most charming and daring participants, each of whom has prepared a picnic basket with care, creativity, and perhaps a little mischief.” She let the last word hang with a teasing lilt.

“Today, you won’t just be bidding on wine and sweets. You’ll be bidding on company. On conversation. On the thrill of the unknown and the delight of discovery.” Her gaze lingered on the crowd, eyes glinting like secrets half-revealed. “And perhaps, if you’re lucky, a moment worth remembering under the garlands and golden light.”

She stepped slightly to the side, turning just enough to offer Alexander the floor beside her.

“But before we begin… allow me to introduce someone equally invested in making today unforgettable. Mr. Alexander Deacon–partner in both charity and charm.”

She gestured with a graceful tilt of her hand, inviting him to take the spotlight. He stepped forward with a face full of joy and excitement.

“Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! It is with pleasure that I find so many of you in attendance today for Prince Callum’s charity event meant to stir hearts, spark romance… and of course ignite a bit of competition amongst those searching for something special during this wondrous courting season here in Sorian! As the beautiful Lady Blackwood has mentioned, all proceeds will be made to charity for the sick and starving in the slums of this great capital!” Alexander waved his hand toward the silent auction stage. “And if love is not your objective this season, The Black Rose Trading Company has placed aside surplus goods, ripe for the taking in a silent auction! Furniture, instruments, clothing, antiques, and many everyday items packaged in bulk will be offered, and for winners with the highest bids to take them home! Whether it's hearts or merchandise, don't be shy! Drunkard’s Day should be the day when we’re led by our desires!” Alexander performatively waved his hand up and down toward Mina, suggestively.

“Can we bid on her?!” One fellow hollered.

“Yes, I’d put everything I have on Lady Mina!” Another added, standing from his seat. Excitement filled the crowd at the prospect of having a date with her.

“Control yourselves, good gentlemen! Heel! Heel! Lady Mina is only our hostess… but who knows how this auction may play out…” Alexander shrugged, getting hopeful nods from the eager gentlemen.

Mina’s smile didn’t falter–if anything, it sharpened, the edges laced with a kind of delicious danger that made it very clear that she knew exactly what she was doing.

She stepped forward once more, a hand lifted gracefully in the air to hush the crowd, though the glint in her eyes only added fuel to their fire.

“Such flattery,” she purred, her voice wrapping around the moment like silk and smoke. “I daresay if charm could be bottled and sold, you’d all be walking out of here with empty pockets already.”

A ripple of laughter followed, and she leaned in just slightly, conspiratorial.

“But I must confess… as tempting as it is to let the highest bidder steal me away beneath a willow tree, I’m afraid I’ve already made myself quite unavailable today.” She cast a sly sideways glance toward Alexander before returning her gaze to the crowd, her tone growing more enticing. “Though, I suppose the day is still young and Mr. Deacon has a point that the auction may hold some unexpected surprises.” She gave them a small wink before continuing.

“Still, I invite you to turn that fevered energy toward those who’ve dared to offer themselves up for your delight. The ones who’ve packed not only treats and wine, but little pieces of their hearts into those baskets.”

She spread her arms wide, inviting attention toward the side stage where the participants were to be gathering.

“Each of them is a gift, waiting to be unwrapped, and each bid you place brings us closer to feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and leaving Sorian better than we found it.”

Her smile softened into something warm and irresistible. “So… bid generously, my darlings. You’re not just buying a picnic. You’re buying possibility.”

“Now, let us begin. First up…” Alexander started, looking toward the side stage expectantly.

“Hailing from the Caesonian vacation hotspot of Vermillion with beauty as her sword, poise as her shield, and a sense of humor that'll completely disarm you! A maiden with honor who sometimes wears armor, Knight-Captain of Caesonia
Stratya Durmand!”

Stratya Durmand

Time: 2nd Ignis, day
Location: Charity Event in the Park
Attire: Fine Dress
Boar Mantle of Spring Hunting - the head comes off?
Family Dirk + Crest
Swordbreaker
Interactions:
Mentions:

Somehow or other, she’d been convinced to wear a dress onto the stage. At least it wasn’t one of those frilly, overdone things that she’d have to be careful wearing, lest she damage the garment somehow. What she wore wouldn’t seem out of place in an upscale tavern. A bright red, two-layered skirt with a slit up the front left let a high leather boot peek out from underneath. Though the hem of each layer was beautifully decorated, the longer, inner skirt was more elaborately so. The artwork on the fabric disappeared beneath the hem of the shorter, outer skirt, where the pleats and folds had only a modest decor to display. The leather piece around her waist provided her with a place to fasten her daggers, and a thick leather strap on her hip held a satchel and canteen. A simple white, shoulderless blouse with very puffy sleeves sat beneath the mantle she had worn to the banquette. It would seem the head that had accompanied the mantle could be removed? Handy.

Stratya Durmand knew a thing or two about having a good picnic. As a lass, it was not infrequent that she’d go out onto the scenic plains and find a good hill to have a meal atop. She’d stare out and watch the wind sweep over the grasses and flowers, feel it through her hair, smell the sweet scents carried from across Vermillion’s sweeping fields.

She knew what made a good picnic basket, too, naturally. The Knight Captain had, of course, prepared her basket with plenty of homemade goods.

She heard her name, announced loudly for the audience, and brought herself forward, into the center of attention. “Thank you, Mr. Deacon, Lady Blackwood."

Callum made his presence known before she could continue. To her concern, he climbed on top his carriage, but managed not to take a spill from there. That was a relief. He was supplying the gathering with liquor, which was the kind of charitable act she'd come to expect from the prince. Such was well, alcohol was known for loosening purse strings

"Aye, happy Drrunkard's Day! ‘ow’s t’ lo’ o’ ya? Better nao wit' a bit o' frree drrink, aye?" She had herself a chuckle, smiling warmly before she offered her name, "Knight Cap’n Strra’ya Durrmand. I ken a good picnic, so I’ve gone an’ whipped up a nice basket full o’ ‘omemade goodies. And m’ brrother’s mead. T’ otherr ‘alf tae good picnicin’ is t’ rreyt spo’, an’ I’ve go’ a few ideas in mynd.”

“Ooh, bu’ one thing at a tyme. In me basket, we’ve go’ plen’y of ‘omemade goodies, from brreads an' crrackers tae jams an' cookies. I’ve smoked some mea’s and bough’ some fyne cheeses. Perrfect f’rr a nice si’ down on a hilltop, or by a li’l brrook in t’ woods.”

Time: Day
Location: Sorian Park
Attire: Dress, Amulet
Interaction: @CitrusArms Stratya @FunnyGuy Alexander @Tae Mina

---

“From the very heart of Vermillion, Verimont's Darling—Lady Charlotte Vikena.”

At her name, Charlotte emerged from the side of the stage. The sunlight caught in her dark hair as she stepped gracefully forward. Her dress swept about her ankles, its soft colors chosen to flatter without ostentation. She smiled, sweetly yet with some shyness coloring her cheeks, before sinking into a curtsy for the crowd.

Straightening, Charlotte clasped her hands before her and let her gaze sweep across the rows of bidders, “Good day to you all. It is an honor to stand here for such a cause, and in such lovely company.”

She glanced over at Captain Stratya Durmand and gave her an encouraging smile as the others on stage introduced themselves.

It had been a long week...Longer than she cared to admit...and Charlotte wasn’t entirely certain she wanted to be standing on this stage at all. The whole ordeal felt rather contrived, and yet… she reminded herself why she was here.

Alexander Deacon.

The man was hardly trustworthy. Every instinct told her so. And yet, he dangled answers before her like fruit just out of reach, and she needed those answers more than she wished to let on. If keeping him close meant indulging his schemes and playing the game for a day, then she would do it. She would smile and curtsy and pretend it was all quite natural.

Still, she had never done anything of the sort before. The thought tugged at her composure. Her brows knitted and a subtle yet brief frown formed across her lips before she could hide it away. Tilting her head slightly toward Stratya, she let her voice slip in a hushed murmur.

“What does one do if no one bids on them?”

The words were in jest, but they also betrayed her nerves. She quickly smoothed her expression back into a bright smile for the crowd, but her fingers tightened just a little in her skirts as the others introduced themselves.

Time: Morning Ignis 2nd
Location: Charity event
Interaction: @osoCassius
Mentions: @FunnyGuy Alexander @Tae Mina @helo Callum


Violet moved through the crowd like a shadow stretched across the sunlit lawn. Her gown, loose and black, shifted with each breath of wind, stark against the brightness of the morning. Her raven hair fell long and unbound, though she had swept one side back with a red flower. It left her face bare, her eyes catching the light, red and unyielding, lit like rubies. They gleamed with every turn of her head, as though fresh blood burned at their depths.

Her body bore no trace of what it had endured with Cassius. No bruises, no marks. As if nothing had ever happened. But Violet carried it still, buried where no one could see. Just as she carried Alexander’s voice, threading into her thoughts even now. That night with him had left her unsettled in ways she hated to admit: his calm, his sharp truths, the way he had forced her to see herself without her excuses.

Applause rippled through the park, drawing her eyes to the stage. Alexander stood at the center, Mina beside him. Sunlight gilded him, catching the fine cut of his suit, turning his smile into something dazzling. Every inch the master of ceremonies, he spoke, and the crowd bent to listen. Violet felt the pull of it, that easy gravity he carried.

Mina shone in her way, flame-haired and radiant, as though she belonged to the stage itself. The crowd leaned in, eager, their voices low with anticipation as Sorin’s auction began. Violet caught the glances exchanged between the two of them and felt the knot tighten in her chest. She hated that most of all.

Alexander was magnificent. Every word deliberate, every gesture practiced. A predator circling its prey, beautiful and merciless. Violet watched as he and Mina worked the crowd with ease, drawing laughter, coaxing purses open. The people leaned toward them as if they were caught in a spell.

But Violet wasn’t Mina.

He never looked at her the way he looked at Mina, with that bright smile and easy warmth. Yet she had seen sides of him that she could only assume no one else had. The mask stripped away, the charm gone. What it left was something else. Something she couldn’t name, a feeling that lingered like heat too close to the skin. She didn’t understand it, not yet, but it stayed with her all the same as she watched him shine on the stage.

Laughter broke across the lawn, loud and misplaced. Thankfully, it pulled her from her spiraling mind onto Callum. Drunk already, though the sun was still climbing. His glass tipped dangerously in his hand as his voice rose over the music and chatter. Reckless, as always. Too loud. Too exposed. He was a storm with no direction..

Then she saw Cassius.

The smell reached her first: drink, sharp and heavy, tangled with the cloying perfume of some whorehouse. She nearly turned her head, nearly walked past him, but then Charlotte stepped onto the stage. His face changed.

Violet stilled. She knew that look. The hunger in it, the shame stitched to it. A raw, unguarded longing. She had worn it herself once, and seeing it mirrored on her brother’s face made her chest tighten.

She moved without thinking. Crossing the grass, she slipped into the chair beside him. She did not speak. She did not need to. Her eyes stayed on the stage where Alexander’s smile shone like polished glass. Quietly, Violet reached for Cassius’s hand. Her fingers found his, cool and steady, holding him with a gentleness that said more than words could.

She did not look at him. She did not have to. Her hand was enough, an anchor, a promise. Even in the full light of morning, she could still be his shadow.

Stratya Durmand

Time: 2nd Ignis, day
Location: Charity Event in the Park
Attire: Fine Dress
Boar Mantle of Spring Hunting - the head comes off?
Family Dirk + Crest
Swordbreaker
Interactions: Charlotte @princess, Alexander @FunnyGuy, Mina @Tae
Mentions: Callum @Helo

“What does one do if no one bids on them?”

Stratya tensed with a barely-audible “geh!” and turned to give Charlotte an anxious glance, replying in a soft voice, herself “doan say tha’, I’m up firrs’.”

Though, she had nothing to worry about. The first bid for her went up and she relaxed a little. An older gentleman. She didn’t mind spending the day with an elder. He certainly wasn’t an Elder. Aah, but their wisdom makes them so long winded, isn’t it?

Another bid went up and she had to give the man an intrigued look. Did he want to spar or was he making a crass joke?

Another bid, and Stratya was relieved. Looks like she was a good opener for the event, after all. By chance, she glanced at Alexander, the man running the show. Was he satisfied with the bids? Disinterested? This was for charity, after all, none of the money would be going to the Black Rose or his own pocket. His affiliation was all the more reason to watch him.

That old man came back with a bid for 50, and the Captain turned her head back to the audience, surprised. He wanted the date that much? And– what else had he said?

“Someone’s more popular than anticipated.”

There had been something about Alexander that she couldn’t quite pin down, but whatever it had been.. perhaps she’d imagined it. It was gone, now. “‘s a bi’ flat’erin’, I mus’ say.” She was getting used to having gold, herself. To think someone would spend– seventy gold on a picnic date with her. Sure, proceeds went to charity, but still!

A hundred gold!?

That older man was determined. Yet, what was that he’d said earlier? “She’s mine”? Hmnn. Well, she’d do it for charity. She could handle herself, if he tried anything. Besides, perhaps he’d just gotten fired up during the bidding process. There had been a few enthused participants.

Captain Stratya Durmand brought herself to Lady Mina, to await her date with the older gentleman who’d won the bid. “Tha’s qui’e well, f’r t’ firrst o’ t’ day, eh?” She wasn’t being conceited, no, simply celebrating the successful start to the auction. “‘undrre’ gol’s a lo’ o’ food, an tha’s jus’ t’ starr’.” They would have much and more gathered by the time the auction was over, at this rate. However, now that they’d put some money together, the Captain found herself wondering about the little details. Hmm.. there wasn’t any way she’d be able to talk to the Prince about it today. Or likely tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow evening.

Time: Day
Location: Sorian Park
Attire: Dress, Amulet
Interaction: @CitrusArms Stratya @Potter Kira @Oso Cassius
Mention: @Helo Callum @FunnyGuy Alexander

---

“Prince Callum Danrose is piss drunk.” It had been nearly impossible to halt the irises of her eyes from lingering Alexander's way briefly. "Do recall his mother was arrested before at least half of the Caesonian nobility." Charlotte informed him in a whisper through the teeth of her smile. Her gaze slid to Callum momentarily, and she took a moment to fully take in the presence of the monkey as the chorus of voices swelled:

“21 on the Knight Captain!”
“30 for Stratya! I like a woman who knows her way with a sword!”
“Over here! 37 for Stratya!”
“50 for Stratya! She’s mine! Back off you youngins”
“Oh fuck off you old bastard! 70 fucking gold!”
“100 gold!”

“100! 100 for Stratya! 100! 100 for Stratya… Going once… Going twice… Three times! Congratulations sir, you have won a date with Stratya Durmand of Vermillion! Please provide your bid to Lady Blackwood and please do enjoy your wonderful picnic with one of the fairest of our ladies!”

Charlotte shifted on her feet. The whole thing had been entirely overwhelming. She couldn't believe how quickly people could be bid off like prized pigs. Something about it all gave her the wiggins. She sent Stratya a sympathetic, conspiratorial smile, then edged close enough to murmur, “If any of this proves disagreeable, come signal me. I am here for you.”

“Another maiden from Vermillion, and I say this with no offense to my favorite Knight Captain, but Lady Vikena is the grand jewel…

The smile stayed; it always did. But it went thin at the edges, and the line of her shoulders drew a breath tighter. She was a jewel. A polished, prized jewel placed on a velvet cushion to be admired and appraised. And Stratya, so casually set aside with an apology, as though a woman could be footnoted.

Charlotte veiled the brief flicker of irritation in her eyes, her brows furrowing as she tried to drown out Alexander's words in her mind. Her fingers smoothed her skirt once, then stilled, pressing into the fabric as though to anchor herself.

Then the callers started again.

“Lady Vikena starting at 50 gold! 50! 50 for Lady Vikena!”

Her pulse answered in time with the numbers. Each one landed like a coin dropped in a dish, and she hated the sound. Charlotte held her poise anyway, since that was what was expected as the calls continued.

”120 gold!”

The new voice made her brows lift. A woman’s voice. Curious, Charlotte’s gaze sought the source, and soon found her: dark-skinned, beautiful, eyes gleaming in the light. Her mind wandered back to the Royal Curd, plucking the name from the depths of her mind: Mira? ... No Kira. Olivia was beside the woman, shrugging. A soft giggle escaped Lottie's lips.

For the briefest moment, her chest eased. Same-sex courtships were hardly the fashion in Caesonia, not when dynasties demanded heirs. But Charlotte saw no harm, and less still in kindness. She let her smile warm as she looked at her, offering Kira a grateful nod.

“Two hundred.”

She could have plucked that voice out of a crowd of thousands. Her eyes fell on him instantly, and her lips parted.

Cassius.

The sight of him hit her like a strike to the chest. He looked battered, her scratches doing him no favor, and his eyes were darker than she remembered. For the briefest moment, something sharp tugged inside her, a rush of worry she wanted to ignore. That face, once, and unfortunately still, capable of making her heart race with something she could not name, now also made her body feel unbearably heavy. Pain, grief, confusion, anger—all of it tangled together, with one word repeating over and over in her mind like a metronome: why, why, why... At first steady, then quickening until it drowned her.

But just as swiftly, suspicion rushed in to fill the space. Her lashes lowered again, and her fingers knotted into her skirts, her fists barely trembling. Perhaps he had drunk himself sick like Callum. Perhaps he only meant to stir at old wounds, to make a spectacle of her while she stood vulnerable on this stage. And yet… his expression did not quite convey mockery. That left her more unsettled than if it had.

Was it for his father? For his own vengeance?

Her pulse rose with the thought. She found herself pouting at him, her brows lowering, her eyes darkening with anger she did not bother to hide.

Why do you insist on haunting me, Cassius?

Her eyes burned, not only with sorrow but with a righteous anger. Her lip trembled before she mastered it, lifting her chin high to glare down at him. Fear had no place in her gaze anymore.

If you think I’ll let you… then you are sorely mistaken.