ayzrules

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Anton stated that she, Niklas, and Fareeha were not three people he would have expected to find together. Mai tilted her head to the side slightly and gave him a curious look. "Well, to be quite fair, Prince Niklas and I are betrothed," she said light-heartedly, placing a gloved hand on his upper arm. "And as for Princess Fareeha, I certainly could not have passed up the opportunity to compliment her on her gown!" Mai declared with a small laugh.

He reacted in almost exactly the way I would have, if I were in his shoes. He was a little more blunt than I would have been, but still. Best keep an eye on that one, thought Mai shrewdly. Fareeha has the privilege of saying whatever the hell she wants to, given her circumstances and her nation's current standing in the world, but I, unfortunately, do not. Not that I would, anyway. It would be horribly rude.

If Anton was anything, he was a businessman, the same way that Mai was a politician and that Fareeha was a soldier and that Niklas was a prince. Being the businessman that he was, he would surely know how to negotiate his way around the other royalty (for businessmen and politicians like Mai herself weren't really all that different) to get what he wanted. And right now, Mai presumed, he wanted a wife. Mai certainly could see the advantages the Athenian Federation would gain from an alliance with Mamlakat Alssahra. Watching Anton try to get Fareeha to agree to marry him would be quite interesting indeed.

Just then, Liviana joined their little group. "Ave, friends. You all are beautiful this evening." She smiled. "Even you, Prince Niklas. The lack of a fedora suits you quite well."

Mai giggled quietly at the last bit, giving her betrothed a delightedly mischievous look. Mai was about to compliment Liviana on her gown-it seemed like that would be what she would be doing all evening!-when tension filled the air as Liviana turned and saw Anton. Liviana's muscles went taut, and her small hands clenched into fists. Mai mentally raised an eyebrow. Well. This is something different indeed.

Mai was aware of the relations in between the Lusitanian Empire and the Athenian Federation, of course, but she hadn't expected Liviana's reaction to be so...drastic. And horribly improper, too! Anton seemed to take the diminutive princess's hostility in a stride, giving her a pleasant, cordial greeting. He appeared to be totally in control of the situation, until Liviana said something about his grief and his duty. Then, an uncomfortable expression flashed across his face, and Mai inwardly grinned to herself at the look in Liviana's beautiful blue eyes. Politics aside, it seemed like the make-up was doing its job.

There was obviously history between Anton and Liviana, which was to be expected. Their nations were closely allied, and hadn't Anton married one of Liviana's cousins? Hmm. Liviana's making no secret of the bad blood, that's for sure.

Anton stepped in so that he was much too close to Liviana by all standards of polite society and hissed something about being silent. Goodness. Just how many breaches of propriety will I have to endure tonight? she wondered to herself, absurdly.

Then-and Mai could not believe that this happened, though she was secretly quite pleased at the effect that the red lipstick and winged eyeliner had on the younger princess-Liviana slapped Anton, right in the face! The side of Mai's lip twitched in a ghost of a smile. Liviana curtsied and muttered something under her breath, presumably in Latin, while Anton gaped at her.

Time to get involved, I suppose, Mai mused to herself. Throughout their entire interaction, she hadn't done anything but watched with sharp, focused eyes. Now, she wanted nothing more than to scold both of them on their manners, which was the most absurd thing to be thinking in this particular moment. But still. This was outrageous!

Instead of reprimanding them for highly improper conduct at a ball, Mai simply smiled sweetly at both of them. "My apologies, Prince Anton," Mai said, her chocolate-brown eyes positively twinkling. "I should have warned you beforehand-it is not a good idea to get all up in a girl's face, especially not one who is wearing make-up," she explained patiently. "There are million things that could be smudged, smeared, or otherwise ruined!" she exclaimed dramatically, then sighed and smiled coquettishly. "But I suppose this is an easy mistake for men to make, hmm? We cannot all be graced with such an impeccable sense of style, though I must admit, Prince Anton, your ensemble tonight is quite becoming."

There. That should lighten the mood a bit. Hopefully.

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Anton couldn't help but stare blankly at Fareeha for a moment. That... had not been the reaction he was expecting. Nonetheless he quickly reassembled his composure and again flashed his winning smile.

"I suppose that judgement may have been a bit hasty, I will give you that, Ms. Amari. But no, the truth of the matter is - as I have learned from many, many commercial interactions with a good number of the individuals here - people are predictable. And that is why I have found my way over here. If you will pardon the bluntness, you three are not a group I would have predicted becoming acquaintances."
===================
Liv cast around the ever-building throng of nobles, searching for Edwin, panic rising in her as she scoured the crowd and still came up unable to find him. The rational part of her mind told her to relax, he was probably just being fashionably late. She had sensed he must have a distaste for crowds and loud venues. To be quieter honest, she couldn't blame him. She didn't much care for it either.

As she cast around the crowd her gaze came to rest again on Mai and Niklas and Fareeha and... another individual, whose back was turned to her. She hesitated for a long moment - was it worth the breach of etiquette to go butt into their conversation?

She noted the tense lines of the stranger's body, Fareeha's confident smirk. Seemingly the stranger was not having a perfectly civil discussion after all. Maybe he would be glad for a rescue.

Liv wove her way through the groups of beautifully-dressed nobles, murmuring apologies as she went. As she approached her friends she put on a bright smile, sliding into the group between Mai and the newcomer, though she ignored him for now.

"Ave, friends. You all are beautiful this evening." She froze as she realized that she'd called Niklas, of all people, beautiful, but after only a small pause attempted to roll with her mistake, giving a small lopsided smile. "Even you, Prince Niklas. The lack of a fedora suits you quite well."

With that she turned to the newcomer, an apology on her lips that died as soon as she properly glimpsed him. Instantly her body tensed, her hands at her sides clenching into fists. "Andronikos." Her voice was curt and sour, and she did not offer him the grace of a curtsy.

"Ave, Liviana. I trust you are feeling well? You certainly look it." Anton's stance was easy, his voice light and smooth, a pleasant smile on his face - a perfect counterpart to Liv's clear belligerence.

The girl's mind was racing as she tried to parse Anton's English - he spoke fluently, with only the barest accent. Her words felt clumsy and thick by comparison, so she kept her sentences as clipped as possible. "I am. And what of you? I trust you are coping in your grief well? It is not too much of a burden for your duty to be fulfilled here?" Blue eyes sparked with satisfaction at Anton's brief flicker of alarm and discomfort.

Well, she'd certainly gotten more bite to her since the last time they'd spoken. Of course, that "last time they had spoken" had been two and a half years previously when she'd still been a sniveling little girl eternally in mourning grey, eternally silent and unwilling to interact with anyone.

Well. There was one way to test that. He turned to her, stepping a bit closer than comfortable, and hissed, "you will be silent about matters that do not concern you!"

She stared up at him, still belligerent, for a moment, then turned away. Her eyes stung as she fought to hold back tears. Then she looked back at Anton, taking a step closer to him, and brought her right hand up quickly to slap against his face.

He gaped for a moment, his mouth open as his hand went to the faint red mark that was already forming. Liv, her face turning slightly pink, took a few steps back, finally offering a proper curtsy and a mumbled Latin apology.

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

"Look at them, they're so green," said Niklas as they made their way through the ballroom. Mai followed his gaze to the various nobles assembled in the ballroom. She made no response to that, though she mentally raised an eyebrow. I would not have expected someone like Niklas to make such a...disparaging remark.

Niklas and Mai approached Fareeha, and she immediately spun around with eyes that sparkled mischievously and a wide smile on her face. She greeted them with an unusual amount of enthusiasm, or so Mai thought. You would almost think that she liked us by the way she's acting, Mai mused dryly to herself.

"Greetings Princess Mai Mei, and salutations Prince Niklas! Enough formalities, we've got that out of the way, check these beauties out!" she exclaimed, brandishing a round treat resembling a large chocolate truffle in her hand. She went on to praise its merits before telling Mai and Niklas that they could have the one she was holding up. Mai noted the wickedly amused gleam in her eye. Hmm. She wants us to share it, does she not? Mai's prediction was confirmed when Niklas turned slightly to face her, a questioning expression on his face.

Mai quickly considered her options. Would it be improper to take up Fareeha's offer, seeing as they were, well, attending a ball? Or would it be more impolite to refuse?

Mai arched an eyebrow and laughed. "Why, hello to you too, Princess Fareeha," she replied in a lightly amused voice. "Before we accept the delightful treat that you are so kindly offering us, I must compliment you on your gown. It suits you very well," she said.

Mai's attention was diverted from Fareeha to Prince Andronikos Telesphorides of the Athenian Federation as the newcomer bowed politely and introduced himself. Ah. The Athenian heir, yes? And already widowed too; what a shame. He is so young. We are all young, truth be told. But he has already married, which makes him different, I suppose. I know that things are different in Lusitania and the Athenian Federation, though. Well, this shall be quite interesting. Mai could guess why he'd picked their particular group to join; Fareeha herself was not betrothed. His first wife died without an heir, mm? It would make sense that he would seek out Fareeha, though I am not entirely certain why he chose to do so. Did he not read her reports at all? Does she look like the type of woman to be easily persuaded into a marriage, especially into a marriage to a prince from a nation that has, well, old-fashioned views of women?

It was quite obvious that Fareeha had immediately deduced Anton's true purpose in approaching them as well. She greeted him, and Mai noticed her point to include 'special forces'. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That was rather unnecessary, but that's Fareeha for you, she thought to herself. Fareeha gave Anton a grin that was almost threatening and pinned her laser-sharp stare on the slim young man.

Anton himself was dark-haired, dark-eyed, and had a small build for a boy. He was lean and wiry, though Mai stood a full inch or two taller than him in her high heels. Mai appraised his ensemble-Anton had gone for a sophisticated look that gave a sleek, utilitarian, and modern air as well as a classically elegant vibe at the same time.

Mai gave him a winning smile. "It is both a pleasure and an honor to make your acquaintance, Prince Anton," she said warmly. "I am Mai Mei of Liang," she continued, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She paused and glanced pointedly at Fareeha, who was staring him down, and laughed softly. "Please do not be too terribly put off by Princess Fareeha here," Mai said in a light-hearted tone. "We are delighted to meet you, and it would be quite an honor to get to know you tonight," she went on, chuckling slightly. "So, how are you liking Aciras so far? I am finding it very pleasant, and I am finding that the other princes and princesses-especially Prince Niklas here-are very pleasant as well," she finished, a small, slightly coy smile on her face.

Although Mai made sure to keep her expression arranged in one of polite, friendly interest, she was picking apart his every word in her head. Did he seriously just use 'intellectual conversation' as a pretense for coming over here? Mai wondered. Goodness gracious. He comes off as almost as pretentious as the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Romonova of Noslainia.

Mai spotted Liviana in her peripheral vision. She inwardly grinned-the blue dress was gorgeous on her.

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Princess Fareeha Amari's head turned gracefully to Anton, head tipping to the side slightly to take him in. It took a moment in a half to recognize him, and then recollect her thoughts about who he was, what she knew about him, and the personality information on him that she had studied. He hadn't been one that was originally coming- probably a last-minute guest, like herself. His wife had only recently died, which meant that he was here for a new one.

The ball had only just started; the room was especially starting to fill as the rest of the people finally arrived. Even Niklas and Fareeha had only just begun speaking; they hadn't even replied yet. There had been no time to talk to anyone else, for any of them, and they were in a room filled with the world's leading edge in nations ranging from leaders in fashion to technology to militaries. Outside of a scientific convention, it's doubtful you'd ever find a room of such clever people- they were all politicians, if not anything else.

So she found it very doubtful that he just came over here by accident, or that he came over here specifically for that 'intellectual discussion' that he'd fail to find anywhere else here.

She ran over a brief list of possible responses, and settled on one.

A second after she first turned to look at him, she replied without moving a single muscle, "Welcome to the party, Prince Andronikos Telesphorides." She made sure to pronounce his very... unique name effortlessly. It hurt her tongue. "You'll likely already know me as Princess Fareeha Amari of Mamlakat Alssahra, special forces. I'll have to agree with you as well; I too haven't had any time but to begin speaking with only one couple." She enjoyed tacking on that 'special forces' bit.

A grin settled on her face, very slightly coy, as her eyes bored into his.

"So," she challenged, just a hint of her supreme self-confidence showing through, "What brings an Athenian to my corner of the Ball of Royalties? Besides how... intellectual we surely are."

Her grin widened, just a bit. It wasn't the sort that one would describe as 'warming', or 'welcoming,' but rather 'predatory' and 'scary.'

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

“There.” Claudia stepped back from where she stood in front of Liv, causing the small girl to wobble dangerously for a moment and then yelp and spread her arms out for balance. They’d been practicing dancing in the spacious open area of her suite. Ordinarily Liv would be good enough at dancing to get by with most partners, but…

The tiny princess looked at her reflection in her mirror, peering uncertainly at the gold-toned strappy heels she wore. Somewhere around four-ish inches high, perhaps… it was about three and a half inches higher than she had ever worn to a dance, but over the last few months she’d often put them on at home and wobbled around, so she could at least /walk/ in them neatly. Dancing was still… a bit awkward. But she’d deal with that when the issue came. Likely, while trying to dance with Edwin, the heights would likely cause more than enough awkwardness and mask whatever clumsiness came from the shoes.

Liv was shaken out of her reverie a few minutes later by the quiet words of, “Liviana, it’s time to go.” Aelia said. She took another look at her lady, at the heavy – but undeniably lovely – makeup that Mai Mei had put on her, the ornately chaotic hair, the midnight blue and gold dress that was far too daring and hugged what little curvature the tiny princess had… Claudia had actually put some extra padding in the fitted part of the dress to make it sit right. Whatever the artificial embellishments, Liv looked… good. Almost like she belonged at this gathering.

The small princess gave her attendants a shaky smile as they appraised her, appraising them in turn. In the few minutes she’d zoned out, wondering about how the evening was going to play out, her maids had gotten themselves ready. Given that they were nobles in their own rights, they had just as much right to attend as any of the other generals, lords, ladies, and such who were doubtless in attendance.

Both had donned flowy tunics in the traditional Lusitanian style and braided their hair and piled it on top of their head – every inch the perfect Lusitanian nobles. Claudia wore a soft reddish brown tunic with a rose gold wrap embroidered in metallic thread, and copper-toned sandals, and a copper wire-wrapped hair clip. And Aelia…. Liv winced. The girl wore a soft but still faintly metallic tunic in a shade of gold, with a black sheer wrap and bright metallic gold embroideries. Her golden-brown curls were partly covered by the wrap, which was pinned in place by bright gold clips in the ever-present shape of laurel leaves.

She looked like a princess. Liv felt a surge of envy.

Claudia stepped close to her, then, to roughly lift her chin up and press a hand on her back to get her to straighten it. “Confidence, Liviana, and quit shaking. It is most un-royal of you.”

The two maids stood at Liv’s sides, flanking her as she walked out of her room and down the stairs. She hesitated for a moment before the ballroom’s doors, then straightened her spine and walked quickly forwards, into the glittering whirlwind of color. Almost immediately she was swallowed up by the crowd, separated from both of her maids and weaving aimlessly through the crowd. She noticed the cameras, of course – of course the ball would be televised – though she figured they were ignoring her, for the moment at least.

Now she just had the usual problem of social gatherings… finding someone she knew. Heels or no, being up to people’s shoulders, instead of their elbows, didn’t exactly make the matter of finding specific individuals any better.

---

---

Anton strode into the ballroom confidently, his polished dress shoes clicking on the floor. He was the very picture of modern sophistication, a sleek, slim black tailcoat and pressed dress pants, starched white silk shirt and waistcoat, and a white silk bowtie.

He scanned the crowd, his eyes grazing over two rather small girls wearing conspicuously dated fashion. If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, that was Aelia Hadrianus and Claudia Balbinus of Lusitania… which meant that Liviana would be here somewhere.

Ah, yes. There. She was hovering near a wall, likely trying to blend in… she looked rather, well. Different than one would expect of her, though from the distance he couldn’t see much of the makeup or be able to tell that she was much taller than before. Obviously he noticed the scandalously-revealing dress, a fact which he filed away for later.

No matter, he was not going to intervene with her for now. Instead his gaze traveled over to the table of refreshments, to the unlikely trio of Niklas Konig, Mai Mei, and Fareeha Amari. Niklas and Mai were a matched pair, he knew, but… Fareeha? As far as he knew, she was unclaimed.

With a vague thought in mind he moved deliberately towards them, gracefully weaving through the crowd to arrive in front of them.

Ignoring the tension in the air – and the chocolate ball balanced in Fareeha Amari’s palm, the freckled youth stepped up to the group, offering a small bow. “Salutations. I am Prince Andronikos Telesphorides of the Athenian Federation, but please address me as Anton. I hope you do not mind my interjection into this, ah… social triangle, but I fear I have encountered no one else tonight who looks as though they might be willing to engage in intellectual discussion.”

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Prince Niklas turned his smiles to Princess Mai Mei, and found himself genuinely enjoying her company. He was no stranger to beautiful women- even though his squadmates probably were, and even now were probably salivating over the fact that he just gets to marry this woman- but this one stood out a little bit above the rest. Not traditionally beautiful, not according to old western views, but she was exotic and alluring. Being married to her would be, he suspected, a constant battle of wits.

Marriage... by then, his father's plans would've been slightly more apparent. They'd be gathering momentum- harder to keep from prying eyes. He felt a brief twinge of guilt about what had to be done- what's already done, before he momentarily examined it. Her brother, half-brother, pirate brother, won't be taking any more room in their royalty. A necessary evil, but the man had no control- heaven knows what the man might do when the truth of the world comes out to him. Niklas examined his guilt a moment more, and then... extinguished it. There was nothing to be guilty about- to mourn, yes, but not to regret.

"That's agreed upon, my dear. It simply wouldn't do to be normally late, eh? Someone as classy as myself and as exotic as yourself couldn't possibly be allowed to arrive on time. It's showtime!"

And with a flourish of one hand and a quarter-bow from the waist, led the Princess past the servants stationed at the ballroom's entryways, and into an artificial sunset of color.

Reds, blues, purples, golds, yellows, it all adorned the walls, the ceilings, in ways that he'd never be able to design or sketch, much less recall. Even he had limits, it seems. Ah, and the princes and princesses of various nations weren't the only one mingling.

"Look at them, they're so green." He was referring to the dukes, the counts, the barons, of a dozen different nations, all of which were invited for this particular ball. Servants that he hadn't seen before- large servants, men and women who had that steel edge of a Defense agent- swept through the crowds, alternatively serving and watching the nobility that mingled in the ballroom. Dresses and gowns of various colors, fabrics, and decency mixed together into a blur, it seemed.

But that was at the northern end of the ballroom, closer to where a great curtain had obscured the Aciras King's throne. Here in this half of the room, less important and younger persons mixed, as well as the less assured and influential princes and princesses of the major kingdoms and city-states in attendance.

And as Mai pointed out, Fareeha Amari had already taken up a vigilant guard over the southern side's buffet table, picking over it with a practiced eye. Once they approached, she spun around as if having eyes in the back of her head, eyes twinkling and a delighted smile on her face.

"Greetings Princess Mai Mei, and salutations Prince Niklas! Enough formalities, we've got that out of the way, check these beauties out!"

Without further ado, she spun around and around again, one hand held triumphantly up between the couple.

On the flat of her palm, a dark chocolate sphere sat, criss-crossed with a similarly smooth red chocolate.

"The most delicious red velvet cake I've ever tasted, coated in one of the finest layers of dark chocolate, and what tastes like primarily cherry sauce-mixed chocolate drizzled over the top. You two can have this one."

Niklas glanced at Fareeha again; there was a mischievous glint in her eye. Ah, she wanted Mai Mei and Niklas to share a single cake ball. Clever girl, he thought.

But he wasn't one to assume what others wanted, so he turned his eyes to Mai, lips already curving up in amusement. He said naught, but his eyes conveyed a question- would she slip her way out of it, as she most certainly could, he knew, or would she go for it?

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Mai and Zheng had only made it a couple of steps before Mai spotted Niklas approaching them, all smiles and warmth. Trailing after him was an older man who appeared to be some sort of military officer. Based on her prior knowledge of her betrothed, Mai guessed that he was a captain, one that was quite close to the royal family of Konig der Welten and Niklas in particular. Mai extricated her arm from Zheng's and waited for Niklas to come within speaking distance.

Niklas bowed, and Mai gave a small curtsy in return. "Exquisite as per usual, Princess Mai. You really have to stop doing that, or some of the others might get a little jealous, if you know what I'm saying," Niklas said by way of greeting. His voice was light and welcoming. Mai smiled coyly.

"Oh, is that so, Prince Niklas?" Mai responded with a soft laugh. "I must say, you are looking quite the gentleman yourself tonight. Perhaps you should stop doing that yourself," Mai answered, a glimmer of mischief in her brown eyes. Niklas offered her his arm, and Mai looped hers through it. Niklas was wearing a light brown suit reminiscent of a time long gone. He apologized for keeping her waiting and mentioned that the captain was lecturing him on "the importance of being fashionably dressed, and fashionably late". He went on to say that he was apparently old-fashioned. Mai grinned at that.

"Well, if this choice of attire is your definition of 'old-fashioned', I would take that over 'modern' any day," Mai told him, her eyes twinkling. Indeed, Mai could see why Niklas had chosen his present ensemble over a sleek, ultra-modern tuxedo and dress shoes. She allowed herself a quick smile at Niklas's muttered comment about an "old dinosaur", noting their subtle, silent exchanges. The captain gave a politely detached smile, while Niklas's smile grew even wider.

Niklas then proceeded to ask where the ballroom was, pointing in the opposite direction. Mai laughed lightly. She was more than certain that Niklas knew exactly where the ballroom was-she expected that he had pored over the floor plan of the palace before arriving in Aciras, the same as she had-but nobody could doubt that Niklas was perfectly charming. "This way, Prince Niklas," she said in a gently amused manner, guiding his hand in the other direction. "Let's go, yes? We would not want to be so late that we are just plain old late, instead of fashionably late," Mai added with a teasing grin.

They started off in the direction of the ballroom, passing regal portraits of long-dead Aciran rulers, who solemnly stared out at them from their gilt frames. As they walked, Mai smiled and nodded politely to the occasional passerby, many of whom were other princes and princesses on their way to the Grand Ball as well.

Arriving at the ballroom, Mai's eyes quickly swept over the lavish decorations and crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Soft music was playing, and she discreetly took note of the princes and princess who had come earlier than she and Niklas. Among them was Fareeha, who was wearing a sleek black dress with a slit in the skirt and a silver 'armored' bodice. Mai mentally arched an eyebrow. That dress is certainly unexpected, but it practically screams 'Fareeha', she thought. Now, if she were wearing heels, that would really impress me. Fareeha does not seem like the type of woman to appreciate high heels.

Mai turned slightly to face her future husband. "Shall we go on over and greet Princess Fareeha?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side and letting her eyes stray over to the buffet table where she was making conversation with another prince. "It would be impolite not to, I suppose, seeing as we made her acquaintance this morning. I would very much like to compliment her on her dress."

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Niklas König thought he looked positively [url=spiffy] in his suit. It was of an older fashion, and something he had privately always enjoyed the appearance of. Of course, one might say that this young heir might not be as up-to-date as he ought to be, but he'd simply reply that knowing one's roots can be just as important. And besides, the first thing his servant had laid out was something that suited a dancer, or maybe the Peacock, a little bit better. Niklas may be proud of his muscles, but he's not going to wear a v-neck tuxedo that'd make a woman hesitate to wear it. And it was so tight! No thank you, he'd much rather wear this thing- which he had actually intended to wear for funzies.

Nonetheless, he strode down the hallway towards Mai Mei's rooms, armed with much more common polished formal footwear and his usual charm and confidence.

The moment he caught sight of Mai Mei, he halted for a brief moment, appraising her, before bowing at the waist slightly in her honour.

"Exquisite as per usual, Princess Mai. You really have to stop doing that, or some of the others might get a little jealous, if you know what I'm saying." Trademark grin of goofiness and warmth, nothing but welcoming. Like a proper gentleman, he approached her and spun around, neatly aligning himself to her and extending his arm for her to take, like a proper gentleman.

"Time for the festivities, don't you think? Many apologies to keep you waiting, by the way, herr Hauptmann here was just lecturing me on the importance of being fashionably dressed, and fashionably late. Apparently I'm somewhat old-fashioned."

He grinned to himself, this time, and mumbled under his breath, "Definitely a statement coming from that old dinosaur."

The Captain, who had been ghosting behind Niklas the entire time, gave him a pleasantly blank expression, one that somehow conveyed a what-I'd-do-if-you-were-under-my-command sort of message. Niklas just beamed at the man, knowing full well that he'd pay for in training later.

"Now, Mai Mei, you seem to have a better grasp of the palace than me," he gestured wildly around them, before pointing in completely the wrong direction. "The ballroom's that way, right?" He knew full well where it was, but nonetheless, it was his part to be the bumbling man.

---

Fareeha Amari rolled to her feet, almost refusing to go to the ball altogether. She wanted to sleep! Her servants and maids pushed and prodded at her, trying to be as forceful as they could without overstepping their bounds. M'lady, m'lady, you must go to the ball! All the men want to see how lovely you are, and it'd be terribly rude for you not to show! Fareeha was quite tired of it. Well, not that, but of the run she took earlier. Though, run really didn't quite sum it up- it was more of a desperate sprint to escape a super 'dangerous' black-furred predator that had a tongue that leaked too much saliva.

Well, to be fair, Fareeha did tag Farih first. If the hyena couldn't keep up, shame on him- he was supposed to be fast.

Fareeha had leaped out of the way, thrown herself from the salivating jaws of the laughing beast time and time again, only to be finally tackled by her pet as the rolled on the ground, playfighting and mussing each other up.

Several stablehands had come out to watch, and all of them were either pale-faced and uncertain from watching a princess be chased by and wrestle with a live hynea, or were grinning from ear to ear at the very human royal from a very distant, exotic land, rolling around on the ground with a laughing feline-like animal.

It took about an hour and a half for her to get cleaned up, and the two or three small cuts from the hyena's dulled claws to be properly mended. Not like she cared much about it, but the maids that follows one of her status made a right fuss of it.

And now she was all dressed up. And in a dress, no less! Her maids gently scolded her as they tried to smooth out the imaginary wrinkles in her dress. As they did, the gentle pokes and rubbings made her shiver. She turned to stare at the most insistent of them, catching the maid's eyes with her own. The girl- she couldn't be more than 18- froze like a deer in headlights, a sudden, small blush appearing as she tried desperately to hide it.

After a moment, she found the girl's name in the recesses of her mind. Silently adding this exchange to her name, she asked with a sudden wolfish tongue, "Cat caught your tongue?"

Without another word, she slipped into her slippers- she could go with heels, but decided not to this time- and swept out of the room, leaving confused and tense silence behind. What just happened, all the maids wondered.

Fareeha marched through the hallways, smiling at anyone who even glanced at her. She really liked this slit in the dress- it let her really march quickly. When was the last time she wore a dress like this? She didn't remember. Fareeha'll have to wear these more often.

Then she finally arrived at the ballroom. Without any sort of pomp, ceremony, or dramatics, she just marched right in, glancing around curiously. She took little notice of her own guard ghosting behind her, or any other guard; she'd keep them in mind, and then ignore them. Princes and princesses- oh hey, there was a new one in the room.

She adopted a little more grace, and glided over to the nearest prince. At her approach, the man turned to her, smiling, They greeted each other, Fareeha making just enough small talk to be polite- and then asked where the buffet table was.

Ahah! You have fallen into my trap!

The next five minutes were spent snacking on sausage balls while another Prince asked about her pets.

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Mai smiled as Liviana responded in a surprisingly candid manner. "Oh, why of course," Mai said. "It was my pleasure." Her smile widened as Liviana continued speaking, telling her that if there was anything that she could do for Mai while they would in Aciras, she would do all she could to make it so. "Thank you, Princess Liviana," Mai answered in a soft voice. "I appreciate it." And I shall remember this, Mai added silently. Mai glanced at the time at Liviana's mention of her own preparations. "Oh please, do not worry," Mai assured Liviana. "I will be fine. Nevertheless, I shall be on my way now. I am sure that you would like to have some time to yourself with your handmaidens before the ball, and I would hate to intrude." Mai nodded and smiled at Aelia and Claudia before taking her leave.

Mai strode briskly through the corridors of the elegant Aciran palace back to her own quarters after gathering up all the make-up that she'd brought with her to Liviana's room. When she returned, Zheng was there. "How has everything been?" she asked him.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he replied. "Zhou left Liang this morning, but I am sure that you were already aware of that."

Mai laughed softly. "Indeed. I do hope that he doesn't cause the poor pilot too much trouble on the way here." She left Zheng to whatever he was doing before and retreated to her own chamber.

Mai immediately set to work. She had curled her naturally wavy hair just a little bit earlier that morning, so there was no need to do that again. She slipped into the dress she had prepared for the occasion, taking a moment to critically examine herself in the mirror. The dress itself was a dark grey at the bottom that faded slowly into the white of the bodice. It was loose and billowy, and the skirt was decorated with red accents that resembled flower petals. There was a thick black sash with a rose that cinched the dress in at the waist. The dress itself was strapless, which gave Mai the perfect excuse to don her favorite pair of black satin gloves that ended halfway in between her elbows and her shoulders.

Next came her hair. Mai had curled her naturally wavy hair just a tiny bit that morning, so there was no need for a curling iron. Mai ran a brush through a few sections of hair and slowly and carefully arranged her ink-black tresses into an artfully loose hairstyle that involved the bulk of her hair being messily braided back and a couple of curly tendrils left in the front. Mai completed the look with a silver hair piece that glittered nicely under the light.

Finally, it was time for make-up. Mai left the deep red lipstick that she was wearing mostly as it was, though she gave it a few slight retouches. She carefully wiped away the eye-shadow and eyeliner that she had applied for breakfast, replacing the thick, defined eyeliner with a softer, more subtle look. She re-applied the black eyeliner, this time opting for a thinner, less conspicuous line (though it was still rather noticeable). Mai replaced the light coating of black eye-shadow with a dusty bronze hue that emphasized the chocolate-brown of her eyes.

Mai surveyed herself in the mirror, and satisfied with what she saw, and she slipped into the high heel suede "laser-cut" booties that she'd selected. She added a few pieces of jewelry to the ensemble-strands of pearls for her neck and dangly pearl earrings for her ears-and picked up a black velvet clutch, into which she placed a few emergency make-up supplies and a bladed fan made of black lace. She checked the time-the ball was due to begin any minute now. She supposed that it would only be proper to arrive with Niklas, so she set off with Zheng on her arm in the direction of the ballroom in the most roundabout route that there was, hoping to stop by Niklas's quarters as they did so.

make-up

The Royal Potato (aka When Royalty Collides but not really)

Liviana had, through practice, become quite used to holding still for many minutes on end while people poked and prodded at her face with brushes and other tickly things. With two sets of hands, the makeup and hair didn’t seem to take all that long – perhaps half an hour, or a touch longer. When the shuffling of supplies being put back into a bag and a murmured conversation between her maids, she figured it was as good a time as any to open her eyes and see what all had been done.

She couldn’t help but stare for a moment, a bit uncertainly until she finally realized that – oh wait – she was actually looking at herself, and they’d actually managed to make her look… almost-royal. She straightened her spine a bit, picking her head up … wow. Okay, yes, this makeup was helpful. She felt… almost like a badass. If Mai always wore that killer eyeliner and red lipstick, it was no wonder she was so confident. For a moment she felt like she could take on the whole world. Of course, that image evaporated the moment she stood up and remembered that she came up to approximately the waist of nearly everyone around her.

Well, there was something that could be done about that, too. But it was also something that Mai should probably not see – While Liv was so thankful for having had the older princess’s help, there was something about the thought of a near-stranger watching her learn to walk in heels that was just a bit… too familiar.

With a soft smile, Liv turned to face Mai. “Thank you, Mai Mei. Your work is… well. I feel as though all of this…” She gestured vaguely at her face. “Might, at the least, permit me to make eye contact with people and not flinch away, for once.” It was a dramatic understatement, of course – but saying the first thing that had come to her mind, that she felt like a queen, could have… not come off well. “I am so very grateful to you… if there is anything I, or my handmaidens, can do for you for so long as we’re here, we will do all we can to make it so. I do not think I should monopolise any more of your time, however… I understand you must have your own preparations and I do not want to be the cause to delay them.”

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Andronikos Telesphorides strode through the halls of the palace, absently thumbing through his sleek silver smartphone. He had arrived a day late to Aciras – not by any accident but by his family’s contrivance. There was sufficient tension on many of the Mediterranean governments and Anton’s presence… would not have been welcome. Had he been introduced during the ceremonies the previous day, it was quite probable that Liviana would have up and left the gathering, and the Lusitanian Fair Commerce Act fallen through. She blamed him for her niece’s death, of course. And that he was here not six months later, actively seeking a new bride… well, he could understand why that might be… alarming.

Anton turned his attention back to his phone as he keyed into his room. It was rather sparsely furnished, though he’d brought many things from home. Most notable was the stone altar sitting on the desk, though for the moment he ignored that. Instead his eyes lighted on his attendants, his nephew and his wisened old former-schoolmaster. He offered a small bow to the schoolmaster, the respect that the old man commanded.

“Andronikos.” He spoke, his voice gravelly and stern.

“Yes, my beloved tutor?” The English was flawless, if mildly archaic, as the Greek prince strode across the room to rummage in his wardrobe for something to wear. While part of him ached to wear a traditionally formal style, there was no way in hell that the media at home – or his teacher, for that matter – would allow him to go out in anything less than cutting-edge style. Athens had to show that it was a power to be reckoned with, on the leading edge of everything.

“Uncle, I have laid out a suit for you in the washing-room.” His nephew spoke. Cyrus was a boy of twelve, still growing – too young for military training and also for marriage. It was a tradition that the members of the indirect lines of the Athenian noble houses have their children trained as servants to those who were directly in the line of inheritance. If nothing else, it made the younger children reliable, hardworking, and honest… though it also gave the nobles the headache of dealing with them.

“Thank you, Cyrus.” Anton replied. It was about at that time that he realized that – respect or no – he had still tuned his tutor out completely. Quickly he scrambled to reassemble the fragments that had just been spoken, just as the tutor asked what his thought on the matter was.

It was about Lusitania and Carthage, of course. Carthage was bursting to the seams with people and its land was being overused, and so the Carthaki king was getting antsy and attempting to push Lusitania for territory. Lusitania itself was getting desperate for assistance – with a population of a measly five million scattered across their massive holdings, it was nigh-impossible for the Lusitanians to assemble any sort of army. They were seeking aid from the Athenians. Of course, the Athenians were not going to do anything in much of a hurry, as it was the crown prince’s (mostly-ceremonial) duty to lead the army in the event of a foreign war. He would never be placed in any real danger, of course, but there was always a base threat of being in enemy territory. Many things could be said about the Athenians, but it could never be uttered that they were anything less than scrupulously careful. The crown prince ought to have an heir before he would go to war. And given Lusitania’s unfair demands, it would only make sense that the mother would come from their noble stocks, would it not?

Of course, that then left the unfortunate problem of the only currently marriage-eligible Lusitanian royal being Liviana, whom was firstly already betrothed to one Edwin of Britannia, and secondly, if one would believe the rumors, unable to bear children. It really was quite the plight for Lusitania.

All hope wasn’t lost for them yet, of course… if the marriage into Britannia worked out, then the Brits would send in their forces to help fight off Carthage. At that point it would be quite likely that Lusitania would break with Athens, freeing the Federation to go fight on the Carthaki side. The Carthaginians definitely remembered their debts (certainly to a higher extent than Lusitania), and it had been made clear in under-the-table negotiations that if Athens were to help, they would get a handsome cut of the profits, including some of the most prized commodity – territory. Lusitania had never offered it, and the demand had never been made, or it had been watered down to the point of inconsequentiality. The idea had been passed around for the Federation to, with its far-superior man- and fire-power, simply overtake Lusitania. But then they’d be fighting the Carthakis, whom would likely be better to have on their side. No, it was better to wait and let the Lusitanians box themselves into a corner.

Anton once again shook himself out of his reverie to give a smart, succinct reply to his tutor, something along the lines of trying to subtly sabotage the relations of Liviana and Edwin – for political gain only, of course. His cousin helped him dress during the exchange, meticulously creasing the cuffs of his dress shirt.

The coming eve was full of potential, and Anton would be damned if he didn’t use it to its fullest.