Already Irina was beginning to notice the surmountable attention her rather elegant and beautiful attire was attracting, the red dress practically seeming as a magnet towards most men. First there was the King, though he was more considerate and courteous, as the gentleman he was, to the matter and didn't make such languishing and leering inappropriate stares to the woman while he complimented his daughter's Royal Attendant's evening gown and hair and made light and cheerful conversation with the woman as well, but the opposite could be said for the oft longing and...sort of awkward and disturbing long glances the carriage driver issued unto Irina with wide, beady eyes as she boarded the newly repaired carriage, reluctantly taking the lad's hand he so bashfully but eagerly offered to the knight, slippery and a chill to Irina to grip, with licentious and anxious perspiration of the palm, a common reaction of any hot and bothered young lad when his eyes fell upon the dazzling sight of a refined young woman such as Irina. "Ah...thank you, good sir." She hesitantly returned with a sort of feigned glee, a false smile of elegance as she stepped into the carriage's hold and took her seat next to the Princess, whereupon wiping her hand briskly upon her dress and giving a stern glare to the girl after her little chirp, "Another one of your jests I presume, M'lady?" Snarkily she inquired of Crystal, but her grim visage at that point in the moment twisted into a smirk to equal her lady's. "You may be clever, Princess, but I'm onto your little tricks, and as cute as they seem, I'm not falling for any this night, so consider that a challenge to you." A bit playful and jesterly of herself, Irina flicked the tip of the Princess' petite nose with her finger before leaning back in her seat with a relaxed sigh and taking in the splendor of the countryside outside the window, bathed in the cream white of the moon's peaceful rays.

For a while or so, they had traveled as fast as the four fair white steeds of the Royal Family could carry the weight of the majestic carriage, a weight that Argo could easily bare alone, needing not another team of horses to aid him, but the difference...he was a beast, mighty and strong, bred for war rather than recreation, while these others who lugged the mass of a large and elegantly decorated carriage, plus the combined weight of the driver and the two women he ferried about the serene forest paths to Inner-Alegasia City were more of a simple breed of horse, mainly bred for the way they look rather than how they could fare, as it seemed to the knight, given her knowledge of horses from her father, the man who taught her...well..practically everything up to this point. Taking her eyes from the window for a moment, letting them readjust to the dim glow of the inner-carriage, she looked towards the weight upon her arm, a small sincere smile forming across her lips as she glanced down at the Princess, sleeping peacefully against her protector. [i]Even if she is devious, I can't deny how beautiful she looks...even now....[/i] It was rather heartwarming to Irina, this girl resting against her figure, as if the knight were her only stability to keep her from falling over....in literal sense yes, but also...in a bit of metaphorical sense. Unfortunately, as the carriage arrived to the very front of the Royal Alegasia Theater, the Princess was awoken by the carriage driver, a slight disappointing to Irina, but again those nervous stares were towards the woman from the stuttering boy. Giving a sigh, she stood from her seat and followed the Princess out unto the cobblestone streets of Alegasia City, but not before feeling a disturbing brush against her backside...mainly...her rump. She perked up greatly at the indecent touch, her eyes widening and cheeks becoming red, but not just a simple blush, no this was a full burn of the cheeks...her other cheeks... Swiftly she turned with a quick glare of anger, knowing well who was the perpetrator of this vile act, but the lad...was already to the safety of his carriage. [i]If I ever catch that licentious cur again, I swear to the Goddess I will....ugh! It will not be pleasant for him![/i]

It seemed as the doorman announced loudly the arrival of the Princess and her Royal Attendant, hundreds of noble men and women flocked to Crystal's and Irina's presence, acting more as a cheering crowd than the refined Royalty Irina considered them to be, and the overwhelming attention was getting a bit on the woman's nerves. There was this one lass, with rose pink hair and a dress to match, who made her way through the throngs of parading people and quite literally jumped at the opportunity to land a kiss upon the cheek of Irina's Princess, all before the woman could even reach the girl. Judging by the style of her crown atop her head, and the heraldry identified by the type of gemstones, Irina was quick to deduce the girl who pressed her matching pink lips against the cheek of Crystal was a noblewoman of Avalon, perhaps their princess, and as Irina could tell from her travels to the eastern kingdom of Avalon, the women were....rather affectionate towards one another, and while Irina herself had no taste in men whatsoever, she still found the notion...a bit unnerving to her. It was strange, a woman sharing feelings of such with her own, and what was even more bizarre to the knight, albeit shocking, was upon noticing the princess of Avalon kiss her Princess...Irina grew a slight....jealous? How so? In a kind of trance, she stood there, feeling of her own cheek, as if the kiss to the Princess was a burn to hers, but the trance was broken upon her, as she quickly caught eye of Crystal...heading for more wine. 

"Ah! M-M'lady, wait! You've already had enough wine!" An effort it was to break through the crowds to keep her Princess from becoming inebriated again, giving her most sincere, "Pardon me's" and "I'm terribly sorry's" as Irina made her most desperate of attempts to reach Crystal, but it was soon for naught, thanks to her rather...stunning appearance as a noble woman herself. [b]"I say by the Goddess, who might this ravishing dame be?"[/b], immediately she was stopped in the crowd by a [url=http://missabsolute.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/9/5/25952667/5561111_orig.jpg]young nobleman,[/url] giving her a bow and a courteous grin as he took the woman's hand in his and gently graced Irina's hand with his lips, warm and soft to the touch, though it was more repulsive to the knight than welcomed, giving in reply to the handsome man a nervous giggle and slowly retracting her hand from his as he bowed again and introduced himself, [b]"Byron Pursebain, Duke of Iftenreld, my fair lady, and who might you be I wonder? Certainly beauty as graceful and elegant as the Goddess herself must certainly have a name as heavenly."[/b] Speaking of the Goddess, Irina might as well drop to her knees and pray for a way to get out of this damned embarrassing situation, and strangely enough, it arrived....but more by cruel twists of fate than divine intervention.

[b][i]"Ah, there you are, my lady."[/i][/b] Instantly....it appeared as time itself had frozen, along with Irina as that haunting and ever familiar voice of a demon soured her ears with ill terror. [b][i]"Do you mind, sir? I must be borrowing this one for a while or two."[/i][/b] And it was as if Byron couldn't react either to the sinister man, as Irina's arm was seized by his almost lanky and skeletal hand and the petrified knight was wrenched away from the nobleman, forcefully, but not conspicuously, dragged through the crowd. Finally though, Irina was able to gain a hold of herself and brake the cruel man's curse upon her, wrenching her arm away from Varros' insidious grasp with a snarl, "I knew you would be here." Varros snickered, his serpentine eyes, the eyes of a monster, glowing sinister amidst the shadows of his [url=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0h6ATk5fDc/UoTvsL03YZI/AAAAAAAAAQk/haMb1kJC6Fk/s1600/wide+brim+hat+poster.jpg]wide brimmed hat[/url] along with an equally sinister [url=http://cdnpix.com/show/414683078158451020_WhXgNOZP_c.jpg]duster coat and vest[/url]. [b][i]"Oh so you do speak, Sir Knight....or should I say, my lady? Quite rude of you to stifle your tongue at me. If you were my guard...that very tongue would be severed from your mouth and your lips sewn shut with razor wire."[/i][/b] And equally sinister as well, his tone of voice he took with the fearful and angry knight, glaring deep into those yellow orbs of abysmal fire with the piercing blue ice of her own. "What are you doing here, you demon?" Irina growled under her breath to Varros, venom seeping through her teeth and burning like acid towards the vile man....who naturally scoffed at her biting comment, [b][i]"Demon? My lady, you sure are quick to make assumptions of others. That is a bad habit for the Royal Attendant of the Princess....is it not? And second as to why I'm here....I'm here because of the same reason as you and my lady Crystal, to enjoy the opera....which I can assure you...is going to be quite the show tonight."[/i][/b]

Such an urge Irina fought, the dying urge to grasp the knife sheathed in her garter and plunge it deep into the cold, blackened heart of this nefarious foe, but to do such...especially in the public eye....would bring ire to her, the ire of not just Alegasia, but all the Kingdoms, as many of their Royal subjects were indeed in attendance. So of course...the only rage Irina could inflict upon Varros...were mere threats whispered with clenched, bitter teeth, "I swear, you cretin of the abyss, by all of Alegasia and the Goddess...if you harm one single hair upon my lady the Princess...I will not hesitate to end your miserable life." Varros...he seemed swayed by Irina's venomous words, but only momentarily as he leaned in, that disgusting sneer upon his dry lips as he hissed to Irina, [b][i]"Speak softly your harsh words, my lady, for there are [url=http://cdn3.volusion.com/jeg65.yok3x/v/vspfiles/photos/N1042-6.jpg?1375076244]ears[/url] present to hear them should you speak a little louder."[/i][/b] He turned her attention towards the towering creatures, clad in robes as black as night without the moon to stave off the haunting shadows, their only feature contrasting against the black mass of robes...two sets of blood red eyes glowing viciously towards Irina. [b][i]"And they do not take kindly to threats...as do I, my lady."[/i][/b] Varros soon parted from Irina, his sinister entourage trailing behind him as he vanished into the noble crowds...leaving Irina.....paralyzed.....