[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PLyfcLV.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/b9KLVcc.gif[/img][/center]
[color=lightgray][color=ef82a5]Time:[/color] Evening
[color=ef82a5]Location:[/color] The Castle Ballroom
[color=ef82a5]Interactions:[/color] Farim [@Lava Alckon] Magnus [@Remram] Fareed [@Redking0380]
[color=ef82a5]Attire:[/color] [url=i.imgur.com/NbspWII.png]Dress[/url]
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Anastasia’s breath caught when his finger tipped her chin up. The kiss between was too quick, and yet it made her feel safer anyway. It was like her body believed him before her mind could. When he pulled back, she blinked slowly as if she had to remember where she was again. [color=ef82a5]“I am trying,” [/color] she murmured in return. 

As he guided her forward, she followed naturally. She kept up that smile that passed for fine, but her hand did not leave his arm. When he whispered that she could tug his sleeve, her lashes lowered briefly, relief overtaking her countenance.  They soon came up on the pair, and she let Farim do the opening. When her name was offered, she inclined her head to Fareed with the sort of grace that had been drilled into her this week, posture perfect despite her weary amber eyes. [color=ef82a5]“ Hello Shehzade Fareed,”[/color] she said softly and then she hesitated, gaze tipping up because he was genuinely enormous, and something almost amused twitched at the corner of her lips. Not quite a smile, but the effort of one. She had never seen someone so tall; he was even taller than Roman. [color=ef82a5]“It is a pleasure to meet you.”[/color]

She watched the man with the fair hair shake Farim's hand next. She vaguely recalled him as one of the Varian nobles.  [color=#35A8F0]"Lord Magus Pawonska of Irinaburg, a town in the Brustad region of Varian. If I heard the herald correctly, you are Shehzade Farim. A pleasure to meet you."[/color] She smiled immediately when his gaze slid to her. [color=#35A8F0]"It is lovely to meet you too, your highness."[/color] 

[color=ef82a5]“It’s so nice to meet you as well, Lord Pawonska,”[/color] she said with only a hint of the brightness that once was in her tone.

[color=#35A8F0]"I hope you both are finding this night agreeable. I must say, it is an impressive sight; it's comparable to Brenoven Castle."[/color]

[color=ef82a5]“For better or worse, it's my home. "[/color] she replied, and then, because she could not help herself, she added with a faint, wistful sincerity, [color=ef82a5]"Though I've always loved Breoven castle, too. It's always been more cozy on the inside than ours. "[/color] Anastasia followed his gaze, her irises darting as she took in the over familiar sight of the ballroom. The words had landed and immediately hollowed out, because it did not feel like home anymore, not with Callum missing and Alibeth gone, not with that empty space on the dais that kept pulling at her vision. Even the distance between her and Wulfric felt strange. Her shoulders slumped, but she moved on anyhow. [color=ef82a5]“Are you two here in hopes of finding a spouse this courting season?"[/color]






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