Wulfric was at a less crowded part of the catering tables, enjoying a glass of lemonade. Heâd had it ordered freshly made, so the cubes of ice inside were not yet melted, and he was able to enjoy its pleasant coolness. Some mint leaves had been added as well, which made for a truly refreshing beverage. His gaze swept across the ballroom, taking in the guests. He noted who was conversing with whom, and where. One of the people heâd been meaning to talk, Leo Smithwood, seemed free enough. His sister was enjoying the evening elsewhere, and his dance partner had departed as well. Finishing his drink, Wulfric strode towards the man he considered a good acquaintance, perhaps even a friend.
Sure steps carried him close, and Wulfric arrived in such a way that Leo was unlikely to miss him.
âLord Smithwood, good evening. It has been too long,â his tone was polite, but there was also a hint of warmth in his greeting. There were not many people he sought out primarily for their company, rather than another reason, but the Varian noble was counted among those few.
Leo, lost in his own thoughts, focused on noting who had danced with who, and who was now conversing with who, soon found his attention caught by Wulfric. The prince carried himself with more than enough presence that it was hard not to notice him. While Leo was on friendlier terms with this royal, he bowed just as respectfully as he would any other, but with Wulfric such signs of respect had been earned rather than simply obligatory. As he raised his head back up he wore a bright smile. There was something to be said about remaining on good terms with a future king, but more than just the addition to his social circle, Wulfric was one of the few nobles who really understood what it was to live. Heâd seen the prince hunt, seen him fight, and Leo saw a man who knew what it was to be in tune with both nature, and oneâs own nature.
âYour highness, too long indeed. Today must be my lucky day, to hold company with so many fine royals in the span of mere minutes. The Danrose house certainly means it when they offer us the event of the season, another exceptional ball.â Leo offered up the expected titles of respect and compliments, but his euphuism was genuine.
âAnd a tiger roaming the ballroom, that is a sight I never expected to see. Truly, I am in awe tonight, and how has tonight treated you?â He asked, and used the brief pause to scan the faces of the ballroom, searching for Thea, hoping she was having an equally grand night.
Wulfric inclined his head, accepting the acknowledgment of an event well done. Heâd had a hand in part of the organization himself, after all, even if not to the extent his mother had, for example. Heâd assisted in the budgeting and other administrative tasks, such as signing off on the invitations after his parents had done so.
âOur long expected Alidasht guests have certainly enhanced these proceedings. I must admit, I was initially skeptical of so many animals indoors. However, they are overall well behaved. As well, I have since learned that the Alidasht value their companions in a manner different than we do,â the prince was diplomatic enough to make allowances for behaviors he considered unusual, if nothing else. When Leo looked away, and was thus not paying attention, Wulfric assessed the manâs body. He was at least as fit, if not more so, than the last time theyâd seen each other, so he must have continued pursuing his active hobbies despite - or maybe because of - his personal loss.
Before the direction of his stare could be noticed, Wulfric redirected his gaze to the ballroom proper, and continued the conversation.
âBesides,â here, his voice took on a very dry tone,
âThere are some people here who are much more obtrusive than any of the animals could be.â He exhaled sharply through his nose in a light scoff. Wulfricâs gaze was inevitably drawn towards Kazumin, who had just knocked into
another person and was now juggling grapes for some inexplicable reason. Tempted to sigh, he instead rubbed his temples and looked away before a stress headache could befall him.
âOther than the interference from their ilk, my evening has been enjoyable, thank you.â As his attention turned towards pleasanter topics, his expression smoothed out, the previous brief bout of tension lessened.
âThe highlight of which has been speaking to Shehzadi Mayet, most certainly. I am truly looking forward to the promised dance with her,â he smiled, and his lids lowered in pleasure as he sought out her presence among the attendees. She was otherwise occupied, but whoever held her attention - including Lord Ravenwood, whoâd led her for the waltz - did not unduly worry Wulfric.
âSpeaking of, you were indeed fortunate in todayâs luck of the draw, were you not?â this referred to the fact that Leo had been paired with Shehzadi Nahir Ibn Raif Kadir.
âHow was it?â the prince raised a brow inquiringly, curious if the man had made good progress in getting acquainted with a foreign royal - and what level of interest existed between the two.
Leo followed Wulfricâs gaze to Kazumin, the man with the cowlick heâd seen talking to Thea at the start of the ball. It was clear the prince didnât like the man, and there Kazu was playing with grapes and making more of a disruption than the several wild animals in attendance.
âAh, yes that one, do you know him? I was starting to assume someone had brought their jester with them tonight. I saw him speaking with Thea earlier, should I be concerned?â Leo asked, his features tightening. The last thing his family needed was a destructive force, like some jester dressed as a nobleman, drawing his sister into further turmoil.
âI do not know his name, but you might recall he claimed to be a storyteller during that whole drama with Duke Vikena. Even then, he interrupted when it was not his place to do so, but the Sultan was intrigued,â he briefly summarized for Leo whoâd either forgotten or had not noticed the manâs presence at the time in the first place.
âAs for being concernedâŠwhoever he was paired with for the first dance ran away from him for some reason while crying. However, it seems Anastasia voluntarily approached him and was thoroughly entertained by him. My conclusion would be that though any harm he causes may be unwitting, there is a surely a risk involved in having someone so foolish and careless around.â Wulfric was inclined to be frank on this matter; more eyes on a potential nuisance could only be helpful.
Leo nodded, paying careful attention to what Wulfric said and thinking about the deeper meaning behind his words. The majority of cowlick ladâs antics were basic buffoonery, the sort of pest that would likely be resolved without intervention, but hearing that heâd made a lady of the court flee his presence in tears was an entirely different concern. Leo nodded again, this time slower, to show he understood, he too would be keeping an eye on the blonde stranger, and Leo would certainly be keeping him far from Thea.
âI see,â Leo added but said nothing further on the matter. It was also clear that Wulfric didnât want to waste too much time discussing the foolish lad and neither did Leo. He returned the discussion to more pleasant matters.
âAnd I have been fortunate indeed, to have danced with Shehzadi Nahir. An illuminating experience; from kingdoms so vastly different and all I found was common ground. Well, common ground and golden eyes I found myself lost in. The entire building couldâve fallen down and I doubt I wouldâve noticed.â Leo relaxed as the subject was changed, grinning as he thought of his dance with Nahir. Wulfric noted the manâs wide smile, and thought he was rather dashing when he was so expressive. His eyes were especially intriguing, not only due to the lighting enhancing their sparkle, but also the joy reflected in them. Of course, neither Leoâs reaction nor his interest was intended for him, so Wulfric suppressed these stray thoughts.
âNow, Shehzadi Mayet, she must be the spitfire with the tiger? I wish you the best of luck, though I hardly think Caesoniaâs favorite prince would need it. How did you fare in the dance lottery?â He asked, knowing full well that King Edin always handpicked the dances for his sons, and simply wondering who the monarch was hoping to add to his family.
âYes, she is, and her companion is in fact a tigress,â Wulfric replied, smirking. He did not believe he needed luck with her either, but heâd take the well-wish regardless. He could certainly use the luck for dealing with his father in regards to the dayâs events, when heâd unavoidably have to speak with (or be reprimanded by) him. At the following question, he shook his head.
âCuriously enough, thereâs been an interference today,â he said, voice automatically lowering as he imparted this.
âWhile there has never been a true luck of the draw for me before this very dayâŠLet us say the usual servants must have been waylaid,â the hint of viciousness on his emphasis made it clear he believed that someone was behind this. He intended to find who - he had a good guess anyhow - but more importantly, the various
whys of the situation.
âWaylaid? A strange plot, through interference in such a minor matter only means theyâve tipped their hand too soon. No doubt youâll get to the bottom of this in no time, but if you need a hand, mine are always free.â Leo offered, pressing no further for details into the princeâs dance, as always, Wulfric shared what he wanted to. The idea of a conspiracy at play was not a surprise, but to go about it by attempting to embarrass a prince with a mismatched dance didnât exactly give the impression that a mastermind was at work.
âHave to wonder, what exactly their endgame could be, those responsible would have to be fairly confident in their ability to remain hidden to waste the first move like that. You think youâre dealing with foolishness or hubris?â He added, thinking out loud.
âYes, an odd maneuver, to be sure,â Wulfric agreed. If his guess as to who was correct, the person could afford to make it, but the reason as to why this particular action at this particular time was beyond his understanding at the moment. This was partly why he didnât intend to implicate whom he thought might have done it; it was so strange of an action, his suspicions may very well be incorrect. Before enacting a counter-move - and revealing inconclusive evidence or all his unformed thoughts to Leo might count as one - he needed a firmer grasp of the plot.
âThank you for the offer. If I find myself in need of assistance, I shall take you up on it,â he was genuinely grateful, and did intend to accept if he believed it sensible to do so.
Wulfric didnât think that this open interference was a first move at all, but didnât say so. To the posed question, he answered,
âThe latter.â Then, he offered some of his perspective on the matter, though not the reasoning behind it.
âIt seems to me that it is either someone who doesnât care if they show their hand or someone who intends to taunt me by doing so.â Perhaps Leo would guess that in his mind, the culprit in this instance didnât necessarily
need to remain hidden, and why the prince supposed that might be the case.
âWell, sounds as if the hunt is on, Iâm sure youâll have your quarry in no time. Iâll be sure to keep my eyes and ear open, for any signs of treachery.â Leo said, although he had already planned on keeping alert for an entirely other conspiracy, the troubling mystery of what had happened to his father. He doubted the two matters were related, and one did not just ask a prince for a favor with nothing to offer in return. It was troubling, however, to hear that someone had made any attempt to undermine a Caesonian prince. It seemed as if the fabric of order that held both Varian and Caesonia together was beginning to unravel, a most disturbing trend.
Then he noticed Charlotte being pushed towards them by a lady he did not recognize. Leo immediately packed away such thoughts, and offered a welcoming smile to one of his oldest friends.
âLady Charlotte, a delight as always, please join us.â He moved his hand to beckon her towards them, hoping that the animosity between the heads of the two Caesonian houses did not extend to their heirs.
Charlotte had stumbled as she had been pushed forward into the crowd. As she caught her footing on the other side of it, she was greeted to the sight of Lord Leo Smithwood, unsurprisingly as that had been the target destination, and surprisingly Prince Wulfric.
Oh no. Prince Wulfric is surely going to hate me after all that. This canât be good. Charlotte pulled together a smile and made her way over to stand before them.
âHello gentlemen! Uhm-Your Highness.âShe hastily bowed to the prince politely, hesitant to make eye contact.
âHope I am not interrupting anything.âAs their talk of the mysterious plot concluded, they both caught sight of Charlotte approaching. Or rather, someone had urged her in their direction. Wulfric stared at the young woman whoâd done so in contemplation. Though heâd only seen her from the back as she fled the dance floor, her dress and blonde hair were distinctive. Though heâd not met her, there was something about her that wouldnât quite give his mind a rest. This was why he disregarded Charlotteâs strange awkwardness - she was likely still uncomfortable due to the incident her father had caused - and decided to ask her about her acquaintance.
âLady Vikena,â he greeted her neutrally, and gave a quick but courteous bow.
âYou did not interrupt,â his assurance was curt, however; he was eager to make his query before the opportunity escaped him.
âIf I may, who was the young lady by your side a moment ago? I feel as if I should recognize her, and yetâŠâ Wulfric trailed off, frowning off into the distance, trying to find Crystalâs silhouette once again. However, the woman had already disappeared, blending in with the rest of the gathered. Thus, he returned to calmly observing Charlotte. He rarely had occasion to speak with her, and did not mind the idea that he might get to know her better.
Leo only nodded in agreement with Wulfric, momentarily distracted by trying to catch a glimpse of the woman who had pushed Charlotte forward. He hadnât recognized her either, and while there were several faces here he didnât know, he simply assumed if he didnât know who someone was by now, they werenât worth knowing. The exception, of course, being those from Alidasht as they were all new to him, but heâd been mingling with the nobility of Varian and Caesonia for many years. Still, if Wulfric was taking an interest there had to be a reason, and he waited for Charlotteâs response.
Charlotte followed their gaze for a moment. Her brow slightly raised with intrigue. She wondered if Wulfric was interested in Crystal. She was glad her friend was gaining attention; Crystal was a sweet girl who deserved the attention of suitors.
âThatâs Lady Crystal Damien. â The last name was informative enough to not require any further explanation.
âIt has been some time since she graced the public eye, but she has ever the lovely personality.â Her gaze moved to Leo and she smiled at him,
âWeâve been friends since young just as Lord Leo and I have. Small circle this all tends to be.ââAh, of course,â there was an appreciative realization in Wulfricâs voice. He did enjoy putting a name to a face. Though both had been known to him years ago, heâd thought Crystal might not ever make another appearance at court, and what little impression sheâd made on him had faded during that time. Though it was wrong of him to have forgotten, heâd avoided revealing that embarrassing detail to Count Damien, if nothing else.
âThat it is,â he replied, in agreement that due to their relatively few numbers, the nobility did tend to form close ties - or bitter enmities.
Neither was true for him or Charlotte, however. And while her courageous self-sacrifice to the Alidasht had been impressive (and frustrating), it had already tarnished her reputation, and might do so even more severely, depending on the kind of rumours that would form. Her repute was not beyond repair, but would he be willing to aid in its recovery, however minorly, merely to sate his curiosity? There was the potential of alliance between them, but that was an unlikely goal of questionable worth. StillâŠhe had had that faint idea that making her Dutchess sooner rather than later might resolve the Lorenzo issue neatly. If her father was relieved of the duty of making public appearances, or at the very least of the burden of serving as Lord of his House which he was clearly unsuited for, wouldnât everyone fare better for it? It would be one of his speculative gambles, but he felt in the mood for it.
âSince the two of us are barely acquaintances, though - and when you arenât otherwiseâŠoccupied,â this referring mainly to the compulsory dinners with the Alidasht, and whatever else they might decide to have her do in the privacy of their rooms,
âPerhaps you could join me for tea sometime,â he said offhandedly. His casual invitation was certainly in contrast to the amount of thought heâd put behind it, but thankfully the contents of his mind were not so easily discernible.
Charlotte had been perplexed by his initial statement, murmuring under her breath as she tasted the words,
âOtherwise⊠occupiedâŠâ It was only magnified when he then invited her to tea. She paused.
I guess he doesnât hate me. Well thatâs good. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Wulfric and his siblings did not receive the same opportunities as the rest of them had as children to build close bonds with the other nobles. King Edin had certainly kept them busy. Perhaps her mentioning such with Leo and Crystal had caused Wulfric to long for friends too. She had never realized how melancholic such a notion was.
âO-Okay. That would be nice⊠Letâs have tea sometime then.â After another thoughtful hesitation, she added,
âI know perhaps we havenât all had the chance to be friends in the past but now is as good a time as any. I think with everyone here for the season, we should all become friends.â She gave Wulfric a warm smile. The prince was surprised by this addition, but nodded gracefully in acceptance.
âBy the by, speaking of friendship, did Lady Damien inform you what that infernal man whoâd been paired with her did that caused her such distress?â Wulfric naturally assumed that Charlotte would know what he was referring to, given the claimed bond between the two women.
âOh my. Infernal?âCharlotte looked over her shoulder toward her friend with worry,
âShe did not mention anything to me about it ⊠I hope she is alright.â It wasnât hard to spot Count Damien in the corner of the room nearby with a furious countenance. His wife seemed to be speaking to him lowly. She found herself for a moment feeling more sympathetic for whoever had upset Crystal than the girl herself.
At the revelation that Charlotte did not, in fact, know what it was that had happened, he hummed thoughtfully. He followed her gaze towards the Count, who was visibly enraged.
âI suppose she has confided the matter to her family, then,â he concluded.
âBut just in case he ever thinks to bother her again, let me point him out to you.â He subtly inclined his chin in Kazuminâs direction.
âSee, that one with the cowlick over there?â Just then, the man in question was crawling on the floor. Had he managed to offend someone to the point of having to beg for forgiveness, now? Wulfric shook his head in disbelief.
Leo watched the interaction between the two for a moment, relieved to see it turn out to be an amicable one. Prince Wulfricâs offer of tea was a kind one, but it also did not escape his notice that this was the second time Wulfric had asked for information on Kazumin. Leo wondered if Kazumin knew exactly how many potential enemies heâd likely made for himself in the span of one night? At best if the man continued to make a scandal of himself it would at least split some of the heat away from the Vikena house.
âInfernal.â Leo repeated the word to show he agreed and glanced at the blonde man crawling about on the floor.
âHow else could you describe someone who goes about causing trouble for the more, sensitive, ladies of the court?â He added with a shake of his head. If he remembered rumors correctly, and he usually did, Count Damienâs mysterious younger daughter was said to have inherited her motherâs fragile constitution.
âThough if your friend has already informed her parents of the situation I have no doubt adapt hands are already on the matter.â Leo continued, and one rumor he had little doubt in, was that the silver-tongued schemer, Count Damien, was a dangerous man to cross.
Charlotte had gazed in the direction of the fellow on the ground, nearly raising a brow. He was infernal? He certainly did not look so.
âOh heâs something straight out of the depths of hell.â Charlotte couldnât help but reply with a little sarcasm. The mysterious blonde with the unkept hair collecting grapes on the floor was the last person she expected to be pointed out.
Still, if he had truly hurt Crystal, sheâd would be cross with him. Her own voice echoed in her head as she had promised her friend that sheâd have her back.
âI-I will confront him before the ball ends and find out what happened.âShe finally told the two of them. Charlotte was a little afraid to do so as she had not been in any sort of confrontation since grade school. However she wanted to be a good friend to Crystal and if she had confronted the Sultan himself, then this would be a walk in the park.
Wulfric didnât think Charlotte confronting that buffoon was necessary at this point, nor did she seem particularly invested in doing so. However, all he said was,
âIf you like.âShe clasped her own hands together and nervously tried to change the topic,
âAnyway, Lord Leo. How have you and your sister been fairing? I-..â This subject was potentially worse. Tears were threatening to form but she very stubbornly did not let them as she lowered her head to blink them away.
She sighed as she finally said,
âIâm sorry.â Charlotte was apologetic for not writing often enough, for not taking a carriage to their kingdom to be there for them, and for everything they had to go through. Yet it was hard to find the words past the apology itself. She could only hope as she raised her gaze to look at him that he would still understand her enough to know how much that simple phrase had carried.
The prince tilted his head to the side curiously, watching as Charlotte came dangerously close to crying. Was she so deeply affected by the disappearance of a friendâs father? It had been quite some time for her to still be saddened. Nonetheless, this was evidently a topic she needed to discuss with Leo - perhaps in private. However, Wulfric did want to hear the answer to Charlotteâs question, because although he might not be as emotional about the topic, he did care enough about Leo to discover how he was.
âThea and I, have both found our own ways of coping with his disappearance but closure will only come with answers. Your condolences are appreciated.â Leoâs reply was rehearsed and controlled, said with a forced smile. He had known the topic was bound to come up multiple times this summer and family matters were best kept private, or at the very least not spoken too freely in such a public venue. His coping mechanism was feeling alive by searching out danger, Theaâs it seemed, was numbing everything away, both destructive in their own ways and hardly made for light conversation.
At first, Leo assumed Charlotteâs sudden emotional display came from her own similar loss. But, her eyes seemed to hold more than just grief, perhaps a similar sense of guilt at having not reached out more.
âAnd I apologize for becoming so withdrawn, but I find solitude to be easier in trying times. Iâm sure you understand, I know things have been difficult for you as well. The presence of Dutchess Vikena is greatly missed.â He added words that came out shaky and unrehearsed, but carefully chosen to show he understood.
âBut, we are all here now, Iâm willing to make up for lost time, and Iâm sure Thea could use a good friend.â He added, and guessed Charlotte would be able to infer that his concern for Thea outweighed his concern for his own well-being.
Unsurprisingly, Leo did not reveal much. Heâd been just as reticent in the few letters they exchanged, but Wulfric understood the desire to not reveal your own pain to another. It was unwise to expose your own weaknesses, and awkward besides.
âI am glad you are well enough to have made it tonight,â Wulfric said, expression sincere as he caught Leoâs gaze. He was possibly overstating it by saying Leo was well, but it was likely better than to say he was now ready to be in public. Though the man had admitted as much himself, it could have unintentionally come across as a dig by implying heâd been previously incapable. It was one thing to say something of oneself than it was to have it be said of you, after all.
Though it had been some time since she had seen Leo, Charlotte had known him long enough to remember his real smile. She couldnât help but think Leo seemed quite different from the last time they spoke. Perhaps it was due to Wulfricâs presence or just the nature of the sensitive topic, but he seemed guarded. He was right about one thing though, at least they were all here now. Thea and Leo would be present for the summer and she could make up for the lost time.
âThank you. No need to apologize. I do hope I can be a good friend to you as well, Lord Leo.âHer expression softened as she recalled a memory and she said,
âThings have changed so muchâŠSometimes I wish we could go back to being kids sliding on our socks down the floor of the hallways. Though youâd always knock into somebody. â Charlotte managed a giggle.
âIâm glad I made it here too, clearly it wouldâve been a tragic mistake to have missed all this.â Leo returned to a more genuine smile, taking a moment to breath in just how breathtaking the royal ballroom of Caesonia was, to see all the exotic animals that walked its marble floors, and so many familiar faces that he hadnât realized until now that heâd missed.
Wulfric, as always, remained a bit hard for Leo to read, he hoped he hadnât inadvertently insulted him by implying not attending had been a serious thought, or if he simply understood the need to ensure one was composed before stepping back into the public image. But it was that same enigmatic quality that made the eldest prince so intriguing. He grinned wider as Charlotte recounted an old memory,
âNow who says we wonât be sliding down the hallways in socks?â He countered, though he understood the sentiment behind her words. Some things had to change, there was no avoiding that, but it didnât have to change all at once, and it didnât mean everything had to change.
The musical cue for the next round of dances began to start up, this round, however, was simply by choice. So Leo bowed to Wulfric,
âA pleasure as always, your highness, enjoy your dance.â He said before turning to Charlotte and offering his hand.
âWould you like to dance with me?â He asked.
Charlotte laughed,
âOh goodness. Iâd still do it!â Sliding down the a slippery floor in socks was always a fun time, no matter the age. She still secretly did it in her own home. As the music started up again, she also bowed to Wulfric.
âSee you sometime for tea, friend.â âYou two enjoy yourselves as well. I shall be seeing you both during your stay here, Iâm sure.â Wulfric nodded to his conversation partners, then left quickly. Heâd spent more time catching up than intended, and he needed to ensure heâd meet with Shehzadi Mayet on time. Thankfully, he knew where to find her, and people were generally inclined to get out of his way when it was clear he had somewhere to be.
Charlotte looked in Leoâs direction. With a smile, she took his hand,
âOf course.â 
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