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"Thank you so much, madamme, I am sorry for the trouble caused." apologized Merthyr having noticed her slip and loose grip earlier in the task. He gladly accepted the fruit and handed it to Taff for him to carry least they crossed paths with his father when they made his way back to his quarters.

"If you need to see the other maid, she's in next door to my quarters, in the guest chambers, feel free to enter at your leisure" assured Merthyr with a warm smile saluting The Hanged Man

"Sorry for the interruption, Sir Crow" excused Merthyr nodding the head respectfully and waving for Taff to follow, taking a peach into his hands to eat it along the way

"I hope they made peach tart... last time they served it, it tasted divine, one good reason for attending tonight would be for the deserts" muttered Merthyr reaching his rooms and getting changed for the feast.

Voletta would throw an appreciative glance towards The Hanged Man before turning to face Merthyr, smiling as he gave them permission to visit Elesa and Lilim at their leisure. She would have to go to them quickly, for it would only be a matter of time before the other guards came and locked her in her room. The king usually never let her go to such events, always saying that her figure was to disgraceful for public eye. So she would run out of the room as the sun had practically set and the guests arrived, before sprinted towards her cell. She would open up the closet doors and skim through the dresses she had in there, before finally pulling one out and going to her bathroom, shutting the door.

This was usually the only time she ever got any real privacy, she would take her sweet time in getting ready. She would slip off her previous dress and let it pool at her feet, before stepping out of it and putting on something new. She would take the brush off of her sink and brush her hair, pulling it back before taking a step back and glancing at herself in the mirror, nodding in approval as she hesitantly steps out and goes out to The Hanged Man.


(^Her new outfit!)

She would do a quick twirl and smile, as she never got to dress up for events like this. The guards hadn't ordered her to her cell yet, so she would go and most likely work for the party until its conclusions, or until she was sent away, which was the more likely possibility. She gives The Hanged Man a cheeky grin as she swishes her dress playfully, giggling.

"How do I look??"

She says as she walks to the ballroom to get ready to serve the ladies there, as well as their families.

As Merthyr took his leave, the Hanged Man bowed once more. "W-Worry not, lord--your presence is never an interruption." He waited for the prince to leave to straighten up and refocus his attention on Voletta. She was off again in a rush, and he hurried after her.

While she changed, so too did he, though all he did was don his formal cape, clipping it to his pauldrons and letting it flutter down behind him. He also gave his breastplate a cursory buffing, then stepped out to wait for Voletta. He was always rather scruffy looking, with a shadow of a beard and hair usually unkempt. It could do with a brushing, especially with so many highborn figures at the ball.

Voletta emerged from her dingy chamber. His lips twisted into an ugly smile at her twirling, and he looked her over for wardrobe malfunctions. "One moment ..." He adjusted the flare of her upper sleeve before she could flutter away, fingers cumbersome. "Lovely as always, mistress," he said softly. "Hopefully I am not t-too shabby in comparison."

Then it was off to the ballroom, which was furnished and scrubbed to gleaming, thanks to little Elesa's magic. People in beautiful garb were starting to arrive, a rainbow of silk and velvet. Tittering girls clung to their chaperones and buzzed excitedly about the night ahead, though in secret shot each other venomous glares--this was a zero sum game, for only one could win the hand of the prince.

Nightfall at last!! Lilim finally stirs as the evening sun changes the sky to orange and slowly fades to black, once again escaping to the roof for several minutes to watch the sky and listen to her mother's concert. Elesa would set to work dismissing the Ice and cleaning up the water that had pooled up from the door being frozen shut. Thanks to her magic there would be almost no trace of any of it, but she'd have a lot to tell Lilim when she finally came down.

Elesa would explain about Voletta and Crow, and the prince and his knights. Sparing no detail in saying that they were all good people that deserved to be respected. Elesa spoke rather highly of Voletta as well. And when it came to Voletta's bodily scars, Lilim would freeze and listen to Elesa's every word as she described their locations and the daily events that had made the marks on her. Furious was an understatement as Lilim then began bolstering her might and getting ready to tear the castle apart. That was... Until Elesa started telling of the ball and the decorations and preparations that had been made for the events. Lilim would calm right down as Elesa bounced on her toes and begged to attend.

Lilim would kneel to Elesa and hug her warmly, "Oh... Alright. But if we're going to attend these events, we're going to need to really be able to turn some heads. C'mon. Lets get changed." Lilim says with a smile. Attacking the king would have to wait. Elesa wanted to attend the party and Lilim's first priority was seeing Elesa happy. And when Lilim promised outfits that would turn some heads, she dang sure was going to deliver.

Lilim and Elesa would be fully changed and ready to go in a matter of seconds thanks to Lilim's Trans magic, having to borrow some material from what the good prince left in the room with them, but for Elesa, the outfit was very well worth it, as the child would likely be turning more heads than Lilim would. But there was one eye in particular that she was hoping to catch, and that eye belonged to someone she really was hoping to meet.

Finally making it to the party, Lilim would walk into the ballroom holding Elesa's hand. She'd look around at everyone that was currently present and see if she could find who she was looking for. Or rather, she'd find a place to wait until she herself was noticed.



Elesa would be looking around in hopes of finding Voletta and Crow in the crowd, but so far she couldn't spot them. She'd continue searching though, and found the event to be a bit less fun than she was hoping. As long as she could spot Voletta again though, the whole thing would be worth it. The poor child would gulp though as she started to feel the stinging gazes of the crowd passing over her, almost as though everyone was marking her as a target to be picked on and tormented during the party, so she'd do her best to keep her search within the safety of Lilim's line of sight, hoping that if she could get back to Lilim quickly enough that nothing bad would happen.

True enough, Lilim would be feeling some daggers as well, but the stinging gazes of the other girls only made her smirk all the more triumphantly. Lilim caught on to Elesa's nervousness though and stepped up closer to her, "Everything alright, Elesa? C'mon. Lets have a look around together. Maybe we can find these friends you spoke so highly of." Lilim says with a smile as she takes Elesa's hand and starts walking around the room with her, just daring anyone to try and trip her up or lay a finger on Elesa or her dress. They'd only get hurt for messing with Lilim, but if Elesa got touched... The party would be one guest fewer than before.

Voletta would pause as The Hanged Man would help her adjust her dress, and giggled as she smiled up at him, taking his hand and practically dragging him to the ballroom. It was only a matter of time before the guards decided that her presence wasn't welcomed and took her back to her room, but she was going to enjoy every moment until then. She kept walking with him and stopped just short of the ballroom doors, before turning to The Hanged Man and helping him adjust his cape before giggling, looking up at him with amusement in her eyes, perhaps for the first time in a very long time.

"Of course you don't look shabby! You look wonderful! But duty calls, huh??"

She says before opening the ballroom doors and slipping in. She would glance around and almost instantly feel her voice caught in her throat. She would grip onto The Hanged Man's cape tightly, before taking a deep and shaky breath to calm herself. Her gaze went all around the ballroom, before she spotted Elesa. Her eyes lit up as she quickly walked her way over to Elesa and hugged her tightly.

"Elesa!! You look so wonderful!"

She says before looking around and noticing the stares of the other girls at the two of them. Voletta would simply roll her eyes and give Elesa a reassuring smile, pushing her hair out of her face before whispering to her.

"Don't worry about them..After you two were escorted away, the prince said he had no interest in marrying any of the girls here, so they are just making themselves look foolish."

She says before looking past Elesa and noticing Lilim awake and well. She would smile offer her hand to Lilim for a hand shake, the scars around her neck and wrist clearly visible. She would shake her hand eagerly, a look of relief on her face as she did, before she retracted her hand.

"You must be her sister, Lilim? I'm so relieved that your up and about! Your sister had me worried and convinced you were dying until she reassured me! But it's a pleasure to meet you formally! My name is Voletta, and the man with me is Crow!! Um, Can I get you anything to drink or eat?"

She says almost excitedly. Though one of the servants would rush up to Voletta, whispering something in her ear. Voletta would let out a sigh as she throws an apologetic glance at the two of them.

"It looks like I have to go start serving the others, but I'll see you both later if I'm not forced to my room!"

She says before rushing away, grabbing one of the silver platters full of meats and fruits and other foods, going to some of the other ladies of the room and humbly offering them food, as she made her laps.

Elesa would pause and gasp as she hears Voletta's voice, breaking free of Lilim's hand to run up and give her a warm hug, "Miss Voletta! Thank you! You look amazing too!" Elesa exclaims excitedly. All at once her fear melted away and the whole night seemed better now that she had the chance to see Voletta again.

Lilim would approach and took Voletta's hand as it was offered to her, "So, this is the Voletta I've heard so much about. I must say I can see why Little Elesa has taken such a shine to you. You are simply adorable. Oh... But it does seem Elesa is justified in her worries for you. Just look at your poor wrists... Oh and your neck... Oh honey..." she says before the servant interrupted them. Lilim would hold onto Voletta's hand a few more seconds, "Well, when you get a free moment, you simply must let me have a look at those scars of yours. But... If pretenses must be kept up, please send someone after a glass of raw bovine steak blood for me, if you would, please? It simply does wonders for my lips and skin you see." she says with a slight fib. Really the Steak Blood was more like red wine to her, and really hit her in just the right way to take the edge off and make her feel more calm.

Elesa would reluctantly let Voletta go, almost breaking out in tears again before Lilim took her hand, "We'll find her again later, I promise. But give her some time to see to her duties. After all, my little sister... This is going to be the last night she is enslaved. And we are going to see to that personally." Lilim says with a whisper to the last part so only the child could hear. Elesa would smile to Lilim and nod her head agreeingly. The pair would once again continue their own search, now for the good prince Elesa had described, as the both of them had words they wished to exchange with him.

Voletta would stop in her tracks, looking at Lilim as she held her arm, lingering for a bit before finally letting her go. She would nod at Lilim's request, before going and making several rounds around the room, offering food to all of them. Some of the ladies would point and laugh at her, and other's would treat her like she was less than she was. But she would still maintain her composure, setting the silver platter down as she went to go fulfill Lilim's request. She went out towards the pantry once again, going to grab a piece of stake, before blinking and staring at it confused.

She had no idea how to extract blood from it, but Lilim was a guest at the party, and all guests request must be fulfilled. She would try several things: poking it, stabbing it, but nothing worked. It wasn't until she wrung it like a wet wash cloth that it finally worked. She would hold it over a glass and watch it pour out, before wiping her hands on her dress, leaving small traces of the blood on her dress. She would pick up the glass and head back towards the ballroom, scanning the crowd for Lilim and Elesa, when she spotted them, she rushed over and offered Lilim the glass.

"One glass of raw bovine steak blood for Lady Lilim!"

She says, remembering Lilim's request to see her scars. She stares at Lilim confused for a moment, looking at her curiously.

"Ma'am?? Can I ask why you want to see my scars??"

She says before some of the guards in the room spots her. They rush over to Voletta and grab her by her upper arm, and Voletta just sighs as she gives them an apologetic look. She brushes the hair out of her own face before smiling at the two of them.

"Well, I guess I have to retire for the evening...I hope I get to see you again in the future!"

She says before the guards separate Voletta from Lilim and Elesa. They would walk her out of the ballroom and lead her throughout the castle, walking her back down to the lowest part of the castle. They would approach her cell and open it, pushing Voletta inside as she stumbled. She would sigh in a huff and go to her bathroom, changing into her nightgown before hanging her dress up. She would straighten out her nightgown before crawling onto the rock hard bed. Once she was on, one of the guards would walk up to her and chain both of her ankles, wrists, and neck to the bed, before walking out and shutting the cell door, locking it and taking their posts outside. Voletta would tear up and stare at the moonlight that barely made it's way through the tiny window. She sighs heavily, as she reaches for the blanket with her chained hands, to no avail. Struggling even more, she reaches for it with her feet and drags it to her, before grabbing it with her hands and throwing the blanket over herself. She would lie down, adjusting herself so the chain around her neck wouldn't bother her so bad, before she drifted off to sleep.

Failing to find the prince, Lilim would sigh and frown, though hearing Voletta call out to her and hand her the glass was a welcomed pick-me-up for the failure to see the prince, "Ah, Thank you, Voletta. Very kind of you to-" she starts to say before the guards seize Voletta like she had done something wrong, "What is the meaning of this?!! Unhand her at once!!!" Lilim shouts in disgust and protest not at Voletta's actions, but at the actions of the guards. The music would halt and the room would fall silent as Voletta was forced to leave. The room would start to laugh at the events and Lilim would move to set her glass down at the serving table before she threw it at someone.

Elesa would tear up and start to panic, and Lilim's eyes would start to glow red. Elesa would chase after the guards and call out for Voletta, and Lilim would be right behind Elesa, the party picking back up and seeming to act as though none of the outburst ever occurred at all. Elesa knew where Voletta had been taken, and Lilim would follow her lead. Along the way, Lilim would stop Elesa and use her Trans magic to change them back into their normal attire so they could move and fight a lot easier. Stealth was half of the battle as Elesa snuck along and led the way to Voletta's room. Lilim of course would make quick work of knocking the guards out, and Elesa would start to hyperventilate as she started having PTSD memories again.

Lilim would quickly return to Elesa and hug her close, "Easy, Elesa. I'm right here. You're safe. We're not here to stay. Remember, we're here to get your new friend out. Can you be brave just a little longer? For Voletta?" Lilim whispers encouragingly. That brief comfort and pep talk had Elesa calming down and nodding with a determined gaze, the child's aura sparking around her as Lilim bolstered her confidence and chased the darkness of her past away once again.

Taking ahold of the bars, Lilim would calmly swing the door open like it was never even locked. Then she would hover into the cell and Elesa would step up close behind her, crawling onto the bed and starting to cry as she saw Voletta laying there sound asleep in the chains. Lilim would make quick work of them as well, taking ahold of the bed and applying a bit of her Siphon magic to force all 5 of the shackles to release at once, then Lilim would move to pick Voletta up like a baby and cradle her lovingly.

Elesa would gasp as she looked and saw something that really scared her, "Big Sis... Her neck is bleeding..." she whispers, trying not to let her voice echo in this dungeon. "Whoops... We cant have that... Send me some Plant energy. I'll give her a good check up and have her healed up good as new." Lilim whispers as she gently lays Voletta back on the bed. Elesa would move a bit more so that she could watch the door a little better, pulling her Plant charm and aiming it toward Lilim, "Seal of Plant... Heal..." Elesa whispers as she sends the soft green glowing energy to Lilim.

Lilim would focus the energy and make her first action to stop Voletta's bleeding from her shackle wounds. She'd notice that the shackles had freshly cut into her skin all over again, leaving bleeding rings all in her already scarred skin. Once Voletta was healed of all her bleeding points, Lilim would use the energy Elesa gave her to tend to Voletta's bone structure, correcting at least 4 ribs that had grown splintered and out of place, as well as tending to her arms and legs, her neck and back, and all over her body until the only thing left was the serial number that had been tattooed into her heel. Other than that, Voletta would be healed up and look like any normal girl.

Oh dear God, the work.
Melina had come to the castle with the hopes of doing a job she'd done in the past, something she was good at, and with possible ulterior motives. But never in her entire life had she imagined doing this much work.
After her last run-in with Voletta, Melina had been found by a skittish-looking guard who called himself Hejl (pronounced "heel"). He informed her that the king needed her with the rest of the court's Committee on Foreign Affairs to help with the guests for the evening's ball.
Melina now knew that the Duchess of Jericho liked her meat perfectly medium rare, that the generals from Lyewood must be seated in the northwestern alcove of the hall, and that there is a strict no-cursing policy when in the presence of the Princess of Yu'nin.
Among thousands of other tidbits of information.
Between being briefed on the details of the honorary guests and being whisked away to help actually set up some of the proceedings, Melina hadn't had any time to herself in hours. She finally broke away to use the restroom, but had trouble doing so in her chosen gown for the evening.
The dress was silver, glittery, and elegant. Melina's waist-length hair was lightly curled and adorned with tiny, silver stones all throughout. Her heels were also silver, and her makeup was just nice enough to compliment the dress without distracting from it.



She greeted guests warmly, offering the Prince of Uasala his favorite drink and shaking the Governor of Mahlbrook's hand the correct way. The information was plentiful, but Melina was a professional.
In a split second, Melina spotted Voletta in the crowd, but someone moved in front of her.
"Voletta--!" Melina called out, her voice getting softer as Voletta disappeared. Quickly scanning the crowd, Melina spotted her getting escorted away from the festivities.
Okay, that's strange, she thought.
Just at that moment, she got dragged away by the Duchess of Jericho to help with a wardrobe malfunction. After five minutes of sewing in the bathroom, Melina emerged, frantic to figure out exactly what was going on here.
And that's when she had the good fortune to literally run into Prince Merthyr Tydfil, on his way to the party.
"Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Melina stammered, holding her head in her hands. "I'm such a klutz, please, forgive me!"