No idea whatsoever Irina had as to how these gatherings and festivities of the nobles of Alegasia usually played out, only racking her head more at the Princess' mention of it was more stylishly acceptable to be late for these sort of occasions, but not too late that one misses the beginning merriment, just so others could see you make a grand appearance, and according to Crystal, she liked to make quite the appearance. [i]In more ways than one.[/i] Irina jested to herself, a bit of a giggle on the inside. The Princess was indeed one of the most fascinating of girls Irina had ever laid eyes upon. Charming on the outside, and despite her recent streak of deceptions and foul plays upon Irina, the lass' personality was rather decadent and charming as well, of course when she wasn't pulling the knight through mortifying situations such as nearly giving the woman a heart attack when she assumed Crystal was missing, only to discover her secret passage, and of course...the bath mishap. Despite the dread of it though, there was a part of Irina that....almost looked forward to the next shenanigan the white-haired beauty would pull upon her. Consider it her ambition to see a challenge through, and Crystal...she was definitely the challenge, proving that only just in the few hours Irina shared with her. A tad disheartened though was the knight as the Princess released her arm, but not before giving a bit of a squeeze to her forearm. [i]W-what is she doing?[/i] Irina wondered, her thin eyebrow raising in suspicion. Was the Princess...checking her muscles? [i]Well....she must be surprised as many.[/i] A small chuckle she gave. Most who knew of or seen her well toned physique, they could tell the woman was certainly strong, but not ripped and bulging all over with muscles, still able to keep a refined and feminine figure. One of her many peculiar traits she assumed. Closely, but not too closely, Irina followed behind the Princess into the hallway, still ever present vapors of calming lavender emanating from her lady's fair skin. [i]I swear to the Goddess....that must be how paradise smells...[/i] She sighed, closing her eyes a moment in her own bliss, taking in the wonderful scent yet again, losing herself in the very moment, before being brought from it by the Princess' chime of wine. Wine? Yes wine sounded lovely, but this early? And as Irina could tell from last night's feast and the faux pas with Crystal's chalice of chilled white cider upon Irina's lap, any sort of liquor and Crystal....just didn't mingle properly. So perhaps it was best to hold out on the wine before the event, Irina thought, cautiously trailing behind the excited and ecstatic young lass as always, until they passed quite the jovial face, [b]"By the Goddess, is that you Sir Irina?"[/b] The King, he was rather astounded at the sight of his noble servant, not clad in heavy armor and dust, as was the accustom of Irina, but a gown, an elegantly flowing red gown. [b]"My my. For a brave and noble knight, you certainly do make the most refined noble lady. Why I would believe you to be a Princess as well, Sir Irina."[/b] With a hearty chuckle, the old man smiled brightly and tipped his crown in courtesy to the woman. Irina, in return, practiced her best curtsey to Crystal's father, an equally joyous smile upon her face, "Gratitude for the compliment, Your Majesty. Tell me, will you be attending the opera as well?" The King replied, of course seeming to be disheartened a bit, but not losing his jovial spirit, [b]"Oh me? Heavens no, Sir Irina. I am much too old to be attending such, as these occasions are mainly for the youthful of Royalty, and I have some very important matters to attend to here at my home. My two guardsmen, Sir Pindel and Sir Versetti, have confessed to attempting to steal my Royal Mead, which led to today's earlier mishap with the barrel as they have told me, and so...I have punished them justly."[/b] "Aye, but certainly not with death, Your Majesty." Irina chimed in with an edge of concern. True, the nitwits did deserve a just punishment for attempting, but miserably failing at thievery to the Royal Family, but death....death seemed to Irina too harsh of a sentence for trying to nab a few drops of sweet mead. Luckily, the King had spared the half-brained, or in Irina's opinion no-brained guardsmen the headsman's axe, [b]"Yes, while theft is a most capital of offenses against the Royal Family, I decided to be lenient to the two. After all, they were only thirsty and I couldn't blame them, but as King, it is my just authority by the Goddess to deal a punishment, and so....I thought of a more....how do you say, constructive sentence."[/b] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [i]"CLEANING THE STABLES?!!! HAS THE KING LOST HIS HEAD ALREADY?!!!!"[/i] From the stables of the courtyard, the ranting and raving of the fat guard Pindel could be heard echoing raucously across the thin evening air, amidst a displeased neigh from an obviously angry Argo. [i]"I had to smell rotten cabbage all day!! The last thing I need to smell is horse-"[/i] But before that sentence of verbal abuse could even be completed, here came a rather well deserve stamp to his wide bottom from Argo's steel shoed hoof. [i]"Oof! Why you li'l bugger you!! I'm gonna-!"[/i] And yet another interruption from his scrawny, lanky sidekick, [i]"Pindel, don't hurt the horse. She's only mad cause you were yellin' at her."[/i] The thin one proclaimed with a bit of a dopey grin to the horse. [i]"She is a He, you dimwitted talking string bean!"[/i] Pindel retorted though, shaking his head in dismay of his chum's...lack of intelligence, to put it lightly. [i]"Hmph! Honestly, cleaning after the lady knight's steed and the Princess' fat wilderbeast of a hare? I'd rather take the headsman's axe any day than this!"[/i] He grumbled to himself, shoveling away the muck and the grime, when suddenly....the fat man was out cold, struck in the back of his head yet again.....by an obsidian black gauntlet. Quickly, Argo bolted up with a fearsome snarl and a high pitched neigh of distress, sensing indeed foul play was afoot in the stables, but to him, a hand was reached out, pale and sinister with a dark red aura engulfing every finger, and a whisper of, [b][i]"Sleep....."[/i][/b] Bleary and heavy eyed now was the muscular Clydesdale, cowering back from the hand and gently....being lulled into a peaceful slumber by the hand's dark magic....the hand belonging to no other.....than Varros.... Removing his hood from his ghastly dark cloak, he turned to his assistant, his knight, clad in armor as black as the abyss. [b][i]"Good work. Twas not much of a challenge dispatching these buffoons again. Humors me the old codger would rely on such idiocy to be his honored knights."[/b][/i] Such insults he spattered of the King. [b][i]"Now...you know your mission, my warrior. Go to the Princess' chamber and find it. Tear the room asunder if you must, but harm you not the King or his brave knights. I do not want evidence of my presence upon this castle, and the last thing Narsil needs in her dying hour....is another damn war. I must be leaving now, for I have an opera to attend to."[/b][/i] The knight, a towering beast of black looming over the slightly shorter Varros, fell to its knee before the haunting figure, even himself afraid of the horrific power this warlock possessed. Varros turned from the knight, stepping away from the courtyard, a sinister snicker and a sneer curling his devious lips.... [b][i]"As do my...esteemed guests...."[/b][/i]