[color=dodgerblue][center][h2]Intelligence Officer
[img]https://i.imgur.com/1v4GEuh.png[/img]
Lieutenant James Clearwell[/h2][/center]
Time:[/color] 10th Ignis, Evening
[color=dodgerblue]Location:[/color] Castle Ballroom - Starry Night Ball
[color=dodgerblue]Attire:[/color] [url=https://i.imgur.com/oVfIzdm.png]Formal Attire[/url]
[color=dodgerblue]Accent:[/color] Sorian Merchant Quarter
[color=dodgerblue]Interactions:[/color] 
[color=dodgerblue]Mentions:[/color] Lorenzo [@FunnyGuy], Calbert [@princess], Stratya, Nolan [@Remram], Ambrose [@Oso], ????, Hafiz

James had entered the ballroom from a servant’s side entrance. He didn’t care to be called out by a herald, and he rather hoped that the herald wouldn’t see him fit to be called in the first place. He wasn’t there yet. He’d kept to the sides, mingling idly with different crowds of nobility while he watched. There were a lot of important, influential people here, and he needed to know what was happening within the court, and what Alibeth’s death would bring for his Captain.

He’d missed Captain Durmand’s entrance, but not her at the meal tables with Prince Askel and Shezade Munir. She was not holding up well, but it seemed she was mustering herself.

He moved on, picking up a glass of wine, though he rather wished to take hers from her, instead. She was going hard, even for her. Hm.

Most of the nobles were too embarrassed that they forgot his name to ask him for it, which was just as well. Hearing things anonymously was much more entertaining. He peered past the nobles as he saw movement from the Edwards. Duke Gideon began to move away from his sons, and as he did, James caught sight of a very peculiar man.

It wasn’t very fashionable to wear a holy symbol.

The man’s gaze was watchful, but so affixed he did not notice James in turn watching him.

James took a sip of his wine and followed the gaze to the Captain. A slight breath was the only tell he gave of alarm.

She stood with Ser Nikolai Berova and one very tall Alidasht man. When James turned to find this holy man again, he was moving across the floor, toward her.

James could only trust she could handle this.


[color=#B39700]“and to my niece, Shehzadi Ranya, and Prince Askel of Varian!”[/color]

Interesting information. The latest Alidasht entourage arrived only yesterday. Something had happened quickly. More pressingly, Duke Vikena was here and speaking to the King. His appearances were always noteworthy in the wrong way. There was too much tinder lately; Duke Vikena would surely spark a blaze.

He turned his attention to the group of nobles he stood with, tactically apart from Victoria - she was the most dangerous thing to him right now, perhaps that was karma - and leaned to the man he stood next to,[color=dodgerblue] “the church has sent representation, this evening. See him?”[/color] He turned his head to indicate the man in black with the holy symbol. He’d intended to get the cleric’s name, but before his inquiry could get very far, Lorenzo began shouting.

The attention of the nobles around him unanimously shifted and James carefully slipped into a position where the crowd would shield him from Victoria. His eyes turned to find the Captain - moved again. His head turned slightly - there, dancing; more focused on her dance partner than the raised voices. Good. The cleric was still watching her. Hearing movement coming from behind him, James stepped out of the way readily, before Count Damian even needed to excuse himself to the officer for barging through.

Duke Vikena had gone still? That didn’t sound right.

His eyes widened as he saw the movement begin. A woman shouted from the dance floor. Duke Lorenzo Vikena meant to strike the King, but it turned out Count Damian’s earlier, carefully casual path had been with great purpose.

Count Damian calmed the situation and led Duke Vikena away. James stepped to the side enough to see past the crowd onto the dance floor, seeking the voice that had cried out. His eyes widened as he saw,

His friend, Nolan. With one hand, in particular, getting a little greedier with his [i]dance partner[/i] than he thought his friend would be. His eyebrows shot up and he casually turned his momentum to lead himself back behind the crowd. He’d have to give Nolan a hard time about that, later.

Was that [i]Princess Marina[/i]?

His eyes flicked toward Vic- Duchess Edwards, aware of how the lack of decorum might land with her, but found her talking to the Grand Vizier. The Captain had requested a dossier on the man, and the way Duchess Edwards moved straight to one of her gossip circles and started talking immediately told James she was “busy.” He got a bad feeling about it, did he dare to follow the Duchess to hear what this was about? There was too much happening to follow the Vizier, but perhaps figuring out what Duchess Edwards was doing would be enough.

The situation near the Royal Dais had dried up. James tactically finished his wine and moved to the wine table nearest Victoria, carefully never facing her fully, to get himself another drink.