She just couldn't place her finger on it, absolutely befuddled as to why a brave and noble knight as she would cower and squirm in absolute terror of this loathsome and detestable cur of a man. What was it? What was it about Lord Varros, this disturbing creature who crawled from the blackest wretch of the abyss, that struck such a deep pang of paralyzing and ill fear within the woman's heart? Why the very moment her eyes were locked with the demon's, she felt as though his glare alone hoisted heavy chains of iron upon her arms and legs, and a hefty weight was crushing her lungs, her ribs and her heart, making breathing, the most mundane and simplest of human tasks, a challenge, a feat just to inhale her quivering and burning lungs with air and exhale, instantly frozen at the sight of those fiendish, gleaming yellow eyes. But once the eyes were gone, along with the man, Irina unleashed from her tightly pursed lips a deep sigh of relief, a hand reaching over her bosom to stall her frantically undulating heart, threatening to burst from her chest should Varros had been any longer in the terrified knight's presence. She gave a few more deep breaths to relax her frazzled and tantalized nerves before gathering herself together finally and continuing onward through the crowd, finding it rather difficult again to traverse the sea of large, flouncy dresses the noblewomen adorned so flauntingly, and of course the dashing and debonair noblemen, all at once crowding over Irina, the same pick-up lines dashed here and there as they so elegantly and flowery boasted of the woman's beauty, comparing it to everything, the sun, the moon, the meadowlark, Irina had heard it all, a gruff sigh she gave with a roll of her eyes after escaping the men, possibly leaving a few broken-hearted, but Irina cared not for these men to go on rambling about how charming she looked, really she cared not for men in general.

"Princess! M'lady!" She tried her best to call loud enough over the rancorous banter of the men and women, their jovial and debauchery-laden laughter seeming to do all it could to drown out Irina's yelling over the crowd, only infuriating the already frustrated woman all the more. [i]Damn! Where is she? Now that I know that bastard Varros is here, I certainly cannot let her out of my eye anymore.[/i] And for damn good reason she shouldn't let Crystal tarry close to the beast of a man, for Irina...again that paranoid and frantic ticking of her mind, knew certain in her flustered heart he was here...up to no good. She could deduce clear as day Varros was planning something rotten, something nefarious this night, just by his tone of voice, the way he carried his frightening self, slender figure and all, amidst these unsuspecting people, and of course...his two brutish guards in the black cloaks, lurking about the crowds as though vicious feral wolves stalking about the dark trees of the forest....awaiting their prey and the perfect moment to strike. It only made Irina more hasty in her traversing through the cheerful opera goers, and albeit a bit more careless. "Oof!" By accident, she bumped into someone, a heavy set fellow was he by the mass Irina felt herself unexpectedly crashing into. "I'm sorry, M'lord. Please-" She managed to stammer out an apology, but too soon did she realize who she collided into. "Oh dear Goddess...." 

Suddenly, the tall brute in the cloak whipped around in a fury, his insidious crimson eyes flashing with a quick lightning of rage arcing about him as his thick and muscular gauntleted hand, equal shade of darkness to his obscuring robes, latched onto the fabric of Irina's dress and yanked the woman close to him, so that he could snarl to her viciously from beyond his muffling shroud, [b]"Watch where you're going, you damn wench! I don't like people just bumping into me, and I certainly don't like anyone from Alegasia either! Begone with you!"[/b] Coldly the hooded creature in black shoved the knight away, turning sharply from the woman's piercing glare towards him and storming away into the thick of the crowd. "Well....he was certainly the charming prince, wasn't he?" Irina remarked to herself, dusting off her gown and smoothing out where the bastard's hand ensnared her. "Now...where is Crystal?" Finally she spotted the familiar head of white hair, beaming bright against the nobles. "Princess!" quickly she made her way through the crowd, and out went her hand to grasp the girl's arm and pull her towards the knight, relieved she finally caught up with the runaway. "I swear this crowd is so unruly. Next time I'll be sure to bring my armor." Irina was not aware though of the Princess also meeting the dark and mysterious Lord of Narsil.....