Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Attire: Starry Night Attire
Interactions: @Lava Alckon Drake @princess Marina @Tae Mina
Mentions:

---

Disarming was the term that most befitted the princess. Everything about her was designed to knock him off balance from the lack of restraint in her words to even how she carried herself. Almost everything about her was a left turn and it was becoming hard to determine if he was actually like this or if she was just messing with him. Or maybe both things were true? He would have to thank her for the mental image of a raccoon with red luscious locks and a princess' tiara sitting on a pile of trash munching on a half eating apple.

Whatever the case was, his simple question had caught her off guard. Even the agent of chaos like her could be caught off guard too though the problem was that he could not predict how she would respond. Nolan felt like his heart was beating between his ears as he waited for her answer once she came out of slack jawed bewilderment. If there was any hell that he wished not to endure again, it was that gap of silence of waiting in anticipation for her answer.

And then her expression lightened and she offered her hand. His heart fluttered in a way that was not unpleasant, but alien to him.

When Marina had finished her business, Nolan gave everyone—especially Mina and Drake— an appreciative bow of the head. Of course he appreciated his brother for giving him a push, or well, dragged him across the ballroom to put him in this position, but he was grateful for Mina who gave Marina encouragement to dance with him. So, he took her hand and led her away. It seemed like the Prince and that lady had much to talk about anyway.

---

He could feel it, the eyes of the people staring at him as if this was kindling for their gossip. The Edwards boy that never dared to shine now stood with a princess of Varian to dance. How could he not draw their attention and their ire and envy? He did not care what they said about him, however. One did not survive this world if they crumpled to every rumor and slight. No, he only cared about damaging Marina's reputation and...

What in the hell was she doing?

Nolan's face flushed with an intense heat when he was handed the piece of cloth from her dress. His eyes averted away as to not stare at her exposed thigh though his curiosity got the better of him. He took a peak and saw... pouches? And she opened one up and there was a bracelet studded with beads and two different kinds of beetles and to his surprise, she made it.

He continued to listen to her and the one moment where her smile dimmed had not escaped his notice though he dared not to press. This wasn't the time or place and he had no desire to coax that information out of her when it was obvious it was not something she wished to walk about.

Nolan slid on the bracelet and held it up to show it off to her. "I think it's a wonderful thing, Marnie." His smile was warm, kind though it held no condescension towards her sentimentality. In fact, on the contrary it was something new about her to appreciate and in a way, he wished he had something like that for himself. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about wanting to maintain that connection, to value it dearly. You never know its value until you lose it."

His hand found hers, his fingers intertwined with her while his other gently rested on her lower back. A pit in his stomach sat in his stomach, an anxiousness all too familiar to him that reared its head at a terrible time.

Don't ruin this for yourself, Nolan. She wants to dance, she isn't her. Just focus on her. He blinked and took a good look at the person who he was going to dance with. This unpredictable, adorable woman that was so close to him. Just focus on her.

Nolan took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. The ensemble had just begun to play a waltz.

One, two, three, one, two, three...

He leaned in and with a low voice said, "Follow my lead."

Nolan led them into the dance with a trained elegance of a dancer. His feet almost glided along the floor and his posture noble and regal and yet, rather than stiffness one would be associated with those that danced with a stiff upper lip he was relaxed, powerful, but not overpowering. After all, he wanted to dance with her. She was not an accessory to bolster his status or some bragging right to be earned, she was someone worth being around for the sake of her company alone.

He smiled at her, a small, yet fragile one, but a smile nonetheless.

---

Starry Night ball

Location: Grand Ballroom

@HylianRose
@Lunarlord34

"Glass of scotch to wash away the scent of the rat that just left us?”

”Gladly. I had not seen someone so presumptuous in quite some time. Last one…well, lets say they are no longer allowed within the palace grounds. If they even managed to walk that far.”

He takes a moment to swirl his glass, not quite done with a previous drink. An eye glazes over the crowd around and afar, not missing that woman who seems to be doing her best to sneak up on his current conversation partner. He wonders if they know each other?

"I don't suppose you've seen Strat-Captain Durmand around have you? I've been trying to locate her, but there's just...so many people, its rather overwhelming…”

Oh, that's a nice sounding cane. The kind that hits just the low timber of a musical tenor then the dull thud of wood or metal upon the ground. ”Call me Fareed dear lady, but I must impart bad news. You have missed the good Captain by moments, though you also missed a rather foul man who tried to take her hand. Why do you look for her?”

Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Attire: Starry Night Attire
Interactions: @Potter Elena @Chrys Amira @HylianRose Nora @princess Emil

---

"All my heart sees is a dead man and stupidity." Magnus stated with a simple coldness, that menacing gaze meeting a pompous one. His hand still held on to the count like a vice. That grip tightened, enough that it would have left a deep bruise beneath the skin, but just below the point of splintering Emil's bones. The only thing that saved Emil from becoming lame in one arm for the rest of his existence was not the political fallout that would have come from it, but the knowledge that Nora and Elena would have never wanted that from him.

But this man was truly beginning to test his patience.

The only reason his grip softened was due to surprise by a servant with a mustache who he could have sworn was glued on delivering flowers to that small Alidasht woman... from him?

Magnus' brows lifted towards the ceiling. There was not a snowball's chance in hell that those flowers came from him, especially when he had no idea who that woman was! All he knew was that there was some poor Magnus who had tried to deliver flowers to someone they were courting or even their own wife and they would never know.

He could see the shock plain on Nora's face when her head snapped around like it was on a swivel. Magnus mouthed back, I didn't! However, he was certain that Nora had not caught it.

There was not enough wine in the world to placate the headache that this night was giving him.

Magnus sullenly shifted his focus to Elena. Her brother gave her a half-cocked smile and a silent nod. Of course, he understood her. There was no need for him to get so worked up, not right now.

His hand drifted away from Emil's shoulder, but before Magnus walked away he leaned into the count's ear and whispered with venom, "Push your luck and you will be dancing with me tonight and believe me, I will not be gentle as Elena."

Magnus followed after Nora and the girl with the bouquet from another Magnus. He flashed his sister a smile, genuine, but tense. "You are looking quite lovely tonight, sister. I hope you have been enjoying yourself, such as the night has been." His gaze soon moved to the Alidasht girl and gave her a polite bow from the hip with his large frame. "I hope you have been enjoying your night as well, miss. I see that you've caught someone's eyes already."

He looked at her bouquet, black and blue as a starry night. A thoughtful expression painted his face. "Personally, I wouldn't have gone with black. It's a bit... dark."

color:ffce00
-Grand Ball Room-
-outfit-
-Interaction:@Tae Ranya @Remram Askel @AuthenticTomb Aslam @Lava Alckon Farim

Munir let out a low chuckle as Askel swept Ranya away toward the dance floor to finally do what everyone had gathered here for in the first place. Dance. Of course, the two of them being among the first to step onto the floor would only drag even more attention onto themselves.

Then again, that was Ranya.

Defiant to the core. Bold enough to reclaim what had always been hers to give in the first place, no matter who watched or whispered.

Turning his attention back to the company beside him, Munir casually slung an arm around Farim’s shoulder just as another round of drinks seemed to materialize from nowhere, summoned by nothing more than his presence and expectation.

"Ah, dear cousin, there you are. How good it is to finally see someone with proper taste. The purple one, hm? Fine. I’ll trust your judgment this once."

Munir reached for the blue drink instead, waiting until both his brother and cousin had glasses in hand before finally taking a sip of his own.

Minty. Effervescent. And beneath it all, something sharp. Slightly acrid.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"Gods, it’s good to finally be surrounded by decent company again. My brothers beside me, drinks flowing, music loud enough to drown out bad decisions. Beautiful. As for the... non locals?"

He smirked faintly before taking another sip.

"Things have certainly been interesting for me. Though I’m afraid those stories might be a little too provocative for tonight’s festivities. Wouldn’t want anyone here scandalized before the evening properly begins."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted briefly toward Mina and Nora, both occupied in conversations of their own. For the briefest moment, Munir’s expression soured.

Nora’s abrupt little escape with cousin Amira had not gone unnoticed.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Something had clearly rattled her enough to flee the scene in a hurry, and now curiosity sank its claws into him. Munir tucked the observation away for later. He would find out what caused that reaction eventually. He always did.

As Farim’s question shifted toward his brother’s experiences since arriving in the city, Munir allowed the conversation to drift around him for a moment. His thoughts wandered back through the events of the past days, replaying encounters, conversations, fleeting looks.

And no matter where his mind wandered, it kept circling back to the same constant.

Mina Blackwood.

Location: Grand Ballroom
Attire: Starry Night Attire
Interactions @Tae Ranya
Mentions:@princess Hafiz

---

His hand settled on her lower back with great familiarity; his fingers having already memorized the gentle curve of her figure and how she rested against his palm, not delicate, but something that he knew was valuable and needed to be treated with absolute care. And then they joined the swelling rhythm of strings, brass, and woodwinds playing in time, playing their parts with perfect precision to the fine people of the royal court who in turn were playing their parts with perfect precision though his focus tunneled on her.

She was close, as close as last night and just as warm. It was the warmth, tinged with the scent of vanilla and jasmine, that eased his soul and calmed the very nerves that steeled against Hafiz's fangs. He wanted to lean into it, for her to envelope him, and preserve this singular moment in time.

And then her voice anchored him back to reality.

Her apology made his heart strain with equal parts woe and anger. Woe for the fear that lived by her side; the fear of losing whatever bits of happiness she could gleam before being snatched away and the pain that resulted because of it. Anger for how her agency and person had been stripped away by people who saw her as something to use or something to preserve so it could never break, never tarnish, never live.

His violet eyes locked on to her emerald eyes—those eyes that he adored so welling with tears, softening his gaze. Askel's lips curled into a smile, warm and tender. "Wildflower, you have nothing to apologize for. After conversing with your uncle I can understand why you'd want to keep me out of his arms' reach. He is an odious creature, but he won't sway me."

If Ranya's movements were edged with desperation then he was of reassurance, of measured temperament that belied the fire beneath it. He leaned in towards her, their lips a breath apart only separated by her veil. "I told you did I not? I will endure and I will fight for you." His words were colored with devotion, ever steadfast and true. "I refuse to let that snake of an uncle ruin tonight, not when I have the most beautiful woman in the room in my arms."

He pulled back and looked at her with an admiring gaze. She was beautiful, unbelievably so; the veil did absolutely nothing to hide it though it was a different kind of beauty than last night. "Though if you were to ask me I think the Ranya dancing with reckless abandon, smelling of wood smoke, and tasting like beer is just as beautiful. Maybe more so," he said with a playful, yet honest. grin.

He could not say that he presented himself as he did last night either; the man with wild messy hair and sleeves rolled up now dressed as a prince, immaculate in presentation.

Time: Evening
Location: Starry Night Ball
Attire: Dress & Hair
Interaction: @HylianRose Lucian
Mentions: @princess Marina @Remram Nolan @Lava Alckon Drake



A gentle warmth began to settle in Mina’s chest as Lucian stood close beside her, the nearness of him almost enough to soften the bitter taste left by the morning and the memory of her uncle’s sternness. She could not help but recall how, only days before, he had withdrawn his hand from her cheek in the sitting room, and she had braced herself for the distance she feared would follow. Yet now, as his gaze lingered on the golden roses she had stitched into her dress, Mina felt exposed in a way that unsettled her, though there was a strange comfort in it as well. Those roses had been sewn with careful hands and a quiet hope she had never dared to speak aloud.

When he leaned in, his breath brushed softly against her ear, and the low timbre of his voice sent a shiver down her spine, making her acutely aware of the tightness of her corset and the way her heart seemed to flutter beneath it.

“I’ve been waiting all night to say that...”

Her heart skipped a beat, uncertain and unsteady. For a brief moment, the heavy burden of the Blackwood secrets faded into the background, and the worries that usually haunted her seemed quieter. If Lucian kept looking at her as if she mattered, she was not sure she could keep her composure. She wanted to hold onto this feeling, even if it was fleeting.

Mina slipped her hand into his, her fingers curling around his with a quiet need she could not quite hide. She gave Drake a grateful nod as he excused himself, leaving her and Lucian alone as the music swelled around them.

"Then I suppose it is a mercy that I saved the best of my embroidery for you, my Prince," Mina murmured, her voice dropping into that low, velvety silkiness she reserved only for him as they stepped out onto the glistening marble floor. She allowed her left hand to rest against his broad shoulder, her touch light but anchoring, intensely aware of the stark contrast between her deep midnight gown and the rich, dark tones of his coat. "Though I must warn you, if the court ladies truly do attempt to copy it by next week, I shall expect you to defend my honor against their terrible needlework."

A quiet laugh slipped from her, unguarded and genuine. As Lucian guided her into the first slow turn of the dance, the hem of her gown whispered against the floor, but Mina kept her gaze fixed on his face, tracing the familiar lines she had come to know so well.

"And do not tease poor Lord Nolan," she said, her tone lighter than it had been all evening. "Marina is not easily managed. It takes a certain strength to keep up with her." Mina allowed herself a small smile, knowing Lucian was only looking out for his sister as always.

“As for the slumber party... I suppose it is quite a scandal to unleash upon King Edin's tightly wound court. I can already see the court gossips twisting themselves into knots trying to figure out what political strategies we are plotting over pillows and late-night sweets and talks of who we have our eyes on."

The dance carried them gently into the center of the marble floor, its surface glistening beneath the candlelight. As the music swelled, the chatter of King Edin’s court seemed to twist and warp at the edges of her awareness. At the periphery of her vision, the air grew dense and heavy, and a translucent, weeping figure began to take shape against a gilded column, threatening to pull her into that overwhelming tide of sensation that so often left her trembling. Mina felt a cold prickle of panic tightening beneath her corset.

Not tonight, she told herself, her delicate fingers tightening around Lucian’s hand as she forced her gaze to anchor on the familiar warmth of his auburn hair and the steady blue of his eyes, using his presence as a shield against the dead. She needed a distraction, something vivid and intoxicating to drown out the murmurs of the veil and the lingering bitterness her uncle had left behind.

A lazy, brilliant smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she leaned just a little closer, letting the silk of her gown brush softly against his boots. "So I know your mother likely has a very specific, very polite checklist for a future bride, Lucie." Her storm-blue eyes caught the light, a sudden, wicked glint of mischief flickering there as she looked up at him through her lashes. "But I must ask… do you think your reputation can survive a dance with a woman who refuses to behave at all?"

Time: Night
Location: Ballroom
Attire:imgur.com/TBp3fyc | Magic ring on pointer finger
Interactions: @potter Kira
Mentions: @FunnyGuy Alexander @princess Edin @oso Cassius @potter Olivia

”Thank you for allowing me to join you, Lady violet. I do appreciate it and wine can be your best friend at events.” Kira replied sweetly. ”I’m from Alidasht and I recently moved here with my parents.”

It was odd, she had never heard of her before nor did she introduce her family name. The Alidasht people were proud of their lineages, often boasting about their family names. Here and certainly in Alidasht names meant something. Curious.

”Who are your parents?” Violet asked curiously as she leaned back against her chair. ”I don't know much about the Alidasht families so forgive my naivety. she smiled softly.

“Oh, there are quite a few interesting men here.”

”The Shezhades are attractive, I do think that the Varian nobility are both attractive and fascinating. I don’t know much about the Varian Kingdom, sadly. So, I find the men there interesting, but nobody in particular yet.”
Watching her eyes scan the crowds she noticed a few people the woman decided to pick out with her gaze, but her looks seemed less one of attraction and more one of curiosity.

”What about you, Lady Damien? Surely someone noticed your beauty by now? And if not, I could help you,” Kira sipped her wine.

Violet smiled behind a sip of her wine, not at the thought of someone but that someone would notice her beauty. Her scared up face was not something she ever considered to be beautiful. However, there was someone she wanted. Wanted to see her the way she saw them but after their last moment alone, she wasn’t sure that would happen. Her eyes didn’t falter from the women, as Alexander’s absence from the event was already on Violet's mind.

”Maybe once upon a time…” she said softly. ”But there is no help needed, I am aware of my situation.” Her lips parted as if to speak again but the booming voice of Lorenzo pulled her attention towards the King.

Violet watched with curiosity until she saw Charlotte, then Cassius followed towards the scene. She shook her head lightly knowing full well her father would not allow Cassius to do anything in front of the crown. She suspected it was only a matter of time until he would step in.

Still she watched with interest, hearing bits and pieces of the conversation as Olivia then Kazu joined as well. what did they expect they were going to do? At the kings ball… what are they doing?...

”Interesting turn of events… her crimson eyes unflinching from the scene as she took another idle sip of the wine.