DrowsyPangolin

When the Flames Die

Sophia smirked a bit at Gareth's indecision. The boy's nervousness seemed to constantly bear down on him, but the princess didn't think less of him. People were quirky, after all. "I suppose we should get a seat before they're all filled up." The princess motioned to the large group of people, who were quickly occupying all the available seats. Sophia began walking towards the tables, motioning for Gareth to follow her. She moved quickly, brushing by the slower attendees, and managed to snag a seat which placed the king in plain view. She pulled out the chair directly next to her own, saving it for Gareth. She motioned towards the chair. As she turned, she noticed that the king was beginning to sort through his gifts. She smiled. Surely the sword would make a good impression. Her mother had had the finest smiths in Lyok craft the weapon. It wasn't a tool for war, obviously, more of a show piece, but it had come out absolutely beautiful. The gems alone had a value equal to a moderately sized castle, and probably the surrounding lands as well.

When the Flames Die

Sophia continued dancing for a moment after Gareth asked his question. "I'm not sure, surely he should've shown up by-" She was cut off as she noticed the king and his entourage approaching. The king hailed no fantastic entrance, merely taking his seat quietly. The princess stopped mid-twirl and looked towards the king's table quizzically. Odd, she thought, that a ruler would enter into his own celebration in such a stealthy manner. Perhaps something weighed heavily on the king's mind? She resigned to make no judgements, hoping she would actually get an audience at some point. That was when she would get her impression of Bard. She motioned towards the party to Gareth. "It seems he slipped in right under our noses." The princess laughed softly. "Should we go get a seat, Gareth, or would you rather keep dancing?"

When the Flames Die

A sly smile crossed Jezin's face. "I'm sure you'll do fine, my lady." He led the woman to the dancing area, the same smile still holding. He saw Sophia and Gareth dancing nearby. He gave a slight bow to Payton and smiled before taking her by the hand once again. His feet began to move, slowly at first. Despite his profession, Jezin moved with every bit of the grace of a proper gentleman, his long cloak blowing slightly in the sea breeze. He wasn't an amazing dancer, but clearly he had some idea what he was doing, and maintained a cool composure as moved to the music, still lightly leading Payton with his hand.

Sophia continued dancing about, the brilliant smile still on her face. "See, you're getting it now." She grinned at Gareth before spinning again, raising herself onto her toes. Despite this, she was still marginally shorter than her dancing partner. That was fine though, she'd always been small. As she floated about, she noticed Jezin making his way to the floor. He was leading an armored woman. Sophia smirked, her anger having died down some. It was just like him to do something like this. Even getting taken into custody hadn't slowed his attitude, as far as she could tell. Regardless of the earlier incident, she was having a wonderful time now. She wondered when King Bard would arrive as she spun again, her crimson dress billowing in the breeze.

When the Flames Die

Sophia quickly made it to the dancing area, and turned to Gareth. She giggled a bit when he claimed he couldn't dance. "Anyone can dance, Gareth, you just have to let yourself." She smiled as he began making his best effort to move to the music. He still seemed quite nervous, though. The princess took in a deep breath. The air smelled of ocean salt. The brilliant flames of the torches around them seemed to dance in rhythm against the night sky. More and more people were making their way to the dance floor. The girl began to sway in time with the music, the flames illuminating her face and shimmering off of the gold circlet on her head. He rhythm of the music seemed to align with her own heartbeat, or perhaps vice versa. As the band picked up, a smile of sheer contentedness crossed her face. She spun around quickly, her dress catching the wind and billowing around her like a red whirlwind. She moved about with an uncommon grace, seemingly lost within the music. Dancing was an important part of court life in Lyok, and she had learned it's finer points at a young age. Sophia grabbed Gareth's hand and spun again. With a smile she spoke, her whimsical voice falling in time with the music. "Just relax."

Jezin watched as the party-goers, Sophia included, headed to the dancing area. Still keeping an eye on the princess, he turned his attention back to his conversation with Payton. Jezin smiled when she asked about Lyok. "It's quite a large empire. Thus, the terrain and people can be quite varied. I, and the princess, are from the heartland around Veranthium, the birthplace of the empire as it were. It's quite arid there; there are few trees and vast expanses of desert, but we have a number of rivers that provide ample water, and the trade in gemstones, silk, and precious metals has made Lyok quite wealthy." He continued to watch the festivities around them. "As for why the Empress sent us here, though, I suppose it's mainly an extension of goodwill. The merchants are always seeking new places to trade, and the Empire has more than enough enemies in the world. I suppose the Empress sought to try and make some allies on Estovet." The bodyguard saw no need to go into the more delicate details of the Empress' reasoning. He knew full well there was an ulterior motive behind her machinations. There was another empire, one based in Estovet, that Lyok had long been wary of. Trade with Arcartus flourished, but the empire made the Lyokis a bit nervous. The primary reasoning behind their visit to Keilaudrin was to give them an ally close by, and thus a way to watch Arcartus more closely. The bodyguard looked off towards the ocean for a moment before turning back. "Well, my lady, I'd hate to seem abrupt, but would you like to dance? It is a celebration, after all." Jezin pulled his hand from his pocket and extended it towards the armored woman. He wasn't sure just yet if she was the dancing type, but it seemed rude not to ask.

When the Flames Die

Sophia finished the chocolatey treat, and turned around. Thomas had left them, it seemed. The princess frowned briefly, before taking a look around. The place was beginning to fill with more and more people. Gareth was glancing around at the people around him, his hands combing through a beard that just wasn't there. Sophia giggled slightly at the sight, trying to contain herself. She was about to ask the young man what he wanted to do next, when she heard the sound of a drum. Across the courtyard, in the area that had been set up for dancing, a group of musicians were beginning to play. The princess smiled as she heard a beautiful melody floating across the courtyard. A look of excitement crossed her face. She grabbed the half-elf by the hand. "Gareth! Dance with me." She laughed and tugged on his arm, heading towards the music.

When the Flames Die

Jezin raised his eyebrows. He supposed the woman was right, usually people in armor were taken a bit more seriously. He smiled, still keeping a watch on Sophia. "Yes, we have come a long way. It took nearly two weeks for us to reach Keilaudrin by ship." Payton deduced that Sophia was royalty rather quickly. The bodyguard looked back at her. "Yes, she is. Third daughter of Empress Angelica Octavia." The Lyoki shoved his hands further into his pockets. "So are you just here for the feast? Or did you have some other reason for coming back to Mullen?" The bodyguard looked around him. Glancing to the edge of the festivities, he noticed Lexine seemingly observing the feast-goers. So, she had made it to the feast as well.

When the Flames Die

"Ah, a traveler. Interesting. You all usually have such great stories." Jezin smirked, but he wasn't sure if he believed the woman. Her armor was unlike anything he had seen in Keilaudrin thus far. He supposed she could've gotten it during her travels, however, and remained silent about his suspicions. He looked up, keeping an eye on Sophia at the dessert table. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "I, and my charge over there, are from Lyok, to the far east." He straightened his back and placed his hands in the pockets of his long crimson coat. "We're on a diplomatic mission... of sorts." He looked over to Payton. "So, that's an impressive suit of armor. Are you some sort of soldier?"

Sophia quickly finished the muffin. When Thomas spoke of saving room for the main course she smiled and nodded before looking at the mountain of sweets again. "I'll try..." Gareth handed her a cake and suggested she try it. The princess raised the delectable treat to her lips and took a bite, her eyes widening as she did so. "It's delicious!" She exclaimed, taking another bite of the treat. The bakers of Keilaudrin had created a masterpiece. She had never tasted something like it in Lyok. She continued nibbling at the cake, walking along the table and admiring the baker's hard work.

When the Flames Die

Sophia's eyes glittered as her gaze turned to the mountain of sugary deliciousness that lay on the table before them. Pies, muffins, pastries, lemon cakes, and various desserts she had never even seen before were all arranged on the table, and the scent of these treats floated through the air. She looked at Gareth with a brilliant smile and nodded before heading towards the table, her eyes filled with wonderment. She Strode over to the mountain of sweets. Glancing around at her options, she spoke. "But where to start... there are so many..." She finally decided on what seemed to be some sort of muffin. She picked the dessert up and took a small nibble, her eyes lit up as soon as she did. The sweet taste of the muffin complimented the fresh blueberries interspersed throughout it perfectly. The princess smiled. "It's wonderful!" She exclaimed, taking another bite of the pastry.

Jezin gave another bow. "A pleasure, Payton." The armored woman pointed out Sophia's location. The bodyguard found the red dress amongst the crowd, and watched as she, Gareth, and Thomas made their way to a table that seemed to be covered in desserts. He chuckled quietly to himself. He sometimes had to remind himself that the princess was still a child. Being content with having found her, Jezin decided keeping his distance would probably be best at the moment. So long as he could keep an eye on her he'd let her enjoy the feast. He turned back to the armored woman. "Well, thank you Payton." He smirked when she mentioned foreigners being easy to spot. "Ah, I suppose we are. So, where are you from then?" He held the same smirk.

When the Flames Die

Sophia sighed and nodded. Gareth was right, everything would be fine.She too began to gaze around the grounds, which were beginning to fill with all sorts of people. She noticed many aristocrats milling in, some local, some obviously foreign. It was fascinating to see so many different people coming to the feast. The princess beamed, erasing the frown that had marred her face only moments earlier, and started walking away from the gift table. Gareth seemed excited for the feast as well. "I haven't the slightest idea where to even start...." She looked around her. More and more people were arriving. Not as many as had been at the earlier feast, but much more than she'd expected.

Jezin nodded. "Thank you, Sir Redwyne. I promise you I will be more... thoughtful, in the future." He stood up and downed the rest of his wine, placing the empty goblet on the table. He nodded to Sir Redwyne again before exiting the room. He walked along the path back to the party slowly. He wanted to get back to Sophia quickly, but he imagined she wouldn't be very pleased with him at the moment. He sighed and kept walking, noticing the crowd at the feast had grown substantially. It seemed merely finding Sophia would be harder than anticipated. He didn't see anyone familiar amongst the mass of people, and quickly shuffled through them. Still unable to find Sophia, he decided to ask for assistance. He saw a woman wearing a suit of armor. Oddly enough, the armor she wore didn't look very similar to the armor he'd seen other knights of Keilaudrin wear. He decided she might be a foreigner. He approached Payton with a quick bow. "Hello there, milady. I was curious if you had perchance seen a girl nearby? She's about sixteen, rather small, has dark hair. She's wearing a red dress and a lot of jewelry?" He realized he probably sounded like an idiot asking a complete stranger such questions. "Oh, excuse me, I seem to have forgotten my manners." He paused with a grin. "Jezin Tremora, of Lyok."

When the Flames Die

Jezin nodded appreciatively when Redwyne poured him another glass. He decided it would be his last, as the Keilaud wine was rather potent. After taking a sip, he spoke. "Three servants accompanied us here. Their names are Jorun, Alia, and Eva. I'm not certain where the first two are, but Eva is likely still in our quarters. I was the only military escort afforded for this journey. The Empress thought sending too many armed men would be seen as an affront to Keilaudrin. She made it clear to us that this was to be a peaceful endeavor." He felt a tinge of guilt. He had already managed to royally foul up the Empress' plans. He took another drink from his goblet.