Mayiamaru's Closed Threads

Leaned back against the seat in the darkened carriage with her brother at her side, Narlexia indulged in what she could only call rich entertainment. Attending balls, court, audiences and the sort, playing with the staff, tossing them aside when they cease to be entertaining or useful. The usual. Nalexedite seemed a bit bored with this, leading her to think that she should probably come up with a better way to entertain him, but now really wasn't the time. They were about to enter foreign territory for a prestigious honour of being invited to a ball by a duke. Just what had gone on in his head to make him become to boring? Was it because of Mother and Father's death? Really? What a bore. That wasn't how things worked in this house and he, of all people, should have known that the best. Death happens all the time, and there was nothing to be sad about. Sure, death was a terrible thing, but they had lived for over five centuries. Mother and Father were ancient. Dear Mother and Father. Kathleen and Barlow. They were becoming weak. Constantly trying to live like humans did… It wasn't a surprise that they were killed. Not to her, at least.

Many would think that was terrible of her, but she cried at the funeral. They had no right to criticize her.

With a long sigh, Narla decided that it was better not to hold onto that grudge. It wasn't good for their reputation, and having to live up to the example set by her mother was hard enough. Breaking free of that expectation was going to be near impossible if she couldn't surpass it. She was already confident that she had surpassed her mother in beauty and presence, the bright red of her dress absolutely brilliant, hugging the curve of her hips as the hem turned to frills to resemble a rose. As they say, a rose by any other name, so on and so forth. And she had to say, her brother was looking quite regal as well. A pristine white suit and a handsome neck scarf that matched her dress. She, of course, picked out his outfit. Always had to make a good impression with other nobles.

Threading her slender fingers through the long black strands of hair hanging over her shoulder, she tilted her head back and sighed visibly before looking over at her twin brother, the two youthful looking vampires locking eyes as if to read each other's minds. He was miserable, and she was tired of it.

"Don't be so down, Alex. You inherited Father's title. We're travelling together. You should be happy." She said in a soothing, lowered tone, taking a glass that was to her side and taking a small, calculated sip. "Watch. I told Emory that he was requested to wait in the gardens for requests. He'll end up standing there for half an hour at least doing nothing. You know how he hates being idle." She teased.

Ah, their ever faithful butler. The man was always such an odd one, so stoic and quiet yet willing to serve diligantly. He always was Mother's favourite servant. Quite naive despite his competence as a worker in many trades. And to think, the man had been technically alive for centuries. One would think that by now he would understand how the world worked. Heck, she didn't even know what the man was, let alone how old he was.

She watched the vibrantly blue eyes that matched her own stare back at her with an intense fury. She raised an eyebrow as to why her brother would wear such an expression. They always teased Emory, so what was the matter now?

"He is here as an escort, Narla. Don't mistreat him." He growled lowly, the spikes of his shorter, cropped mane splayed against his forehead as he turned his attention back to the window, just peaking out of the heavy curtains.

Unlike the lower breed of vampire, sunlight and such didn't cause them to burst into flames. But it did cause them to lose their powers. It was troublesome, and the reason why Emory had to come in the first place. Couldn't have the children of the last Marquis of Krendall dying in a foreign land. They were going to have to roam about in daylight this entire trip… Tiresome. It was always so draining aside from the effect on her powers, but the festivities at night would be worth it, she was sure.

"Well… Then I guess I'll have to have my fun some other way." She cooed, a coy smirk playing on her lips as she took another sip from the wine glass perched upon her pale fingers.

Escorting the young masters of the house. It was… not unusual, but it still felt odd to him. The late masters made it clear that they wanted him to look after them until they had grown unto proper adults, but it already seemed like the only one that needed growing was the mistress. She was always such an abrasive woman, which was fine, but she acted in a way that was unbefitting of her title. Really, playing practical jokes on the help while they were only trying to do their jobs… But he supposed that it was part of her youthful charm. She hadn't done anything particularly harmful to the house staff. Surely they would be thrilled to have a bit of peace while the three of them travelled out to the distant province to go to Duke Nemarius' event. And if things were dire, the twins' advisors would send them a message as soon as possible.

He was always a tad anxious when outside of the main house. He was responsible for upkeep, cleaning, cooking, organizing and the like. Of course, he was more than capable of protecting the young masters… it was just, in a place like this he would have a lot of downtime. There were no chores here for him to do, and he would likely need to spend most of his time close to the young masters, simply watching over them. Usually he was taking care of multiple things at once, and the only thing that he could really sit and focus on were books.

Yes, books. He wasn't actually being paid for his services at the Ventus estate. He was paid with the value of knowledge. In exchange for the use of their library, he would serve them. That had been his exchange for everyone he had ever worked for. Providing service, usually labour, in exchange for the access to their books.

He did have a few books in his personal luggage to satisfy his need to study when he had time, but a few books were easy to read through when one didn't need to sleep. His body, if he were to explain it, was more of a shell of shadows if anything. Just an empty shell...

What was he doing? There was no time to dwell on such things. Adjusting the spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose, then tightening the the low ponytail against his head, he composed himself again. Worrying half to death about what was happening at the manor or his personal predicament wasn't going to get this job done. Besides, this place would open up a whole new library for him to explore. He would have time during events. Staff were generally unfit to attend the main events and such, and he was just a simple butler.

Once they had arrived, the tall, pale man stood from his seat once the horses had stopped. A fiery bird flew down to perch upon his shoulder as he moved to open the door to the carriage for his young masters. He had been sure to think about everything, the driver of the carriage a trusted associate of the house, his companion nearby to act as a warning system for any potential threats in the distance. His main duty was to keep them safe, and so that was the duty he would carry out.

The twins were silent as they approached the manor, but they didn't seem particularly interested in mingling. It would be at least another day before any festivities began, so he assumed that they were waiting for such an opportunity, but before he could ask if there was anything he could do for them, Narlexia waved her hand to dismiss him.

"My Lady?"

"Survey the grounds. I want to keep talking with my brother for a while. Alone."

"… Yes, My Lady."

A standard response. He was supposed to be protecting them, so knowing the area was standard. Though… he was uneasy leaving the two alone. So he had his companion stay to keep watch, the phoenix finding a place to perch among the nobility. In the meantime, Skye could start outside and work his way towards the center of the estate.

Despite being a servant, he didn't exactly look the part. Lady Angelica always offered him the best materials, prepared the finest clothing for him. She was an odd woman, and for such an occasion, he had decided to wear one of the suits she had designed for him. Of course, he had to do the assembly, but it was well worth the complexity. He rarely ever had such fine threads of his own, the two bejewelled buttons not too flashy, the suit itself practical for movement. The dark blues of the fabric were lovely, a saturated mauve scarf draped over one shoulder for special occasions. It truly was a masterpiece. And it may have been the only thing that made him look less… unsettling.

With long hair whiter than even the snow and skin almost as pale, many considered him to be elderly or sickly. It certainly wasn't true. He was rather fit. Not exactly bulging with muscle, but lean enough and skilled enough to hold his own if need be. What really made people fear him, though, were those sharp, stoney eyes of his. So dull and void of life that some had said that they suck the life out of them, a naturally low brow that made him look like he was glaring most of the time. Which was the reason that he had a pair of glasses on his face in the first place. They were really just there for show, as if glasses would make him look less imposing. His eyes were fine. He just didn't want to scare anybody.

There were a few nobles milling about the gardens in which he walked. His hair swaying after every step, his eyes slowly grazing over everything he passed. Everyone seemed to be rather kind to each other for what he could see. A welcomed sight, though, there was something out of place.

A girl, rather young, possibly lost with the way that she looked around. Just what was she doing, standing by the hedges alone. He didn't spend much time just lingering about, wondering uselessly. He approached her, worried that something might be wrong.

"Miss? Is there something wrong?"

A cold, hardened voice devoid of concern. His thoughts and his face just didn't match up. Never really have, to be honest. Probably the biggest reason that others might see him as frightening, but he was trying. He was trying very hard not to be imposing. Though standing at a menacing 6'2", that was rather tough. He easily looked down on this fragile looking girl, but he hadn't been thinking much about that. He just hoped that this girl was simply lost, a problem that he could easily remedy.

How… refreshing. Skye was surprised when the girl suddenly began to spout about her vast knowledge of the gardens. All he did was ask if she was lost. It was very clear on his face that he did not expect that, but he smiled. Or… at least he would have. As soon as he felt that tinge of joy from seeing such enthusiasm, a painful shock of energy ran itself through his arm. Thankfully, it was only a lingering sting. He could resist the urge to wince and grab his arm.

It came as both a relief and a disappointment to hear her break off her stream of conscious knowledge. He was quite interested in this new piece of general knowledge. He had narrowed his studies to magical artifacts, curses, remedies, and just about anything that seemed useful to his current masters —Royal lineages, military history of various kingdoms, their traditions, mannerisms, and the like— but this was for the best. He was supposed to be surveying the grounds, doing his job. He would need to get back to the young masters soon to be sure that their rooms were prepared to their liking. So many things to do… Casual conversation would have to be saved for later, when there was more downtime for everyone.

“No need to apologize. You are quite knowledgeable for one so young.” He said, hoping that his voice had been kind. Catherine. Catherine Tellaros. If memory served, her grandmother was a legend among those well versed in magics and things of that nature for her bloodline related to a power known as the Gestalt. He didn’t particularly think that knowing anything substantial about their culture was important to the young masters. Their territories were too far apart for their influences to have any weight in either region. Of course, the Gestalt was very interesting as a force. He had hoped to study about the ability as well as a few other unique kinds of magics while he was here.

What was he doing? His thoughts were drifting off point for the second time today… Before he allowed his pause to stretch on for too long, he moved to speak, but it seemed that Catherine’s attention was turned elsewhere. He turned to see the colourful array of dragons and wyverns pulling carriages across the sky. And of course, young Catherine was back to introducing new knowledge to him. Conceptual knowledge, but knowledge nonetheless.

The painful sting was back, and it was getting stronger. He couldn’t help himself raising his right hand to clasp tightly to his upper arm where the sting was coming from. The mark of his… true master. It was trying to discipline him, and was the driving force of why he dedicated himself so much to studying magic. So many branches and species that manipulated the forces in different ways. Some able to use it to create technology, others using it to create new forms of life and new kinds of magic, but none able to remove the band of numbers that wrapped its way around Skye’s upper arm like a collar below his shoulder.

Skye had taken a step away from young Catherine, allowing her to continue to gush while he, unfortunately, had to ignore her in order to calm the pain coursing through his arm and into his body. At least he couldn’t see any sparks flying from him just yet. He didn’t give her his name… but she would surely see him with his masters later. He couldn’t just run off and continue to do his duties. Not only would that be rude, he’d be sullying the Ventus house’s reputation. He was the only servant staying with the twins. A testament to how much trust was given to him. He couldn’t let the late masters down. He would see the two through to their adulthood before he continued his studies elsewhere.

Letting his thoughts shift back to his duties was enough to cure his pain, a tingle left running up and down his arm when he turned his attention back to Catherine. Hearing her apologize again only made him feel bad for having ignored her in the first place, but he wasn’t here to enjoy himself. He had to remember his place, lowering himself down to one knee before the highly ranked young lady before him. With head bowed and a hand over his heart, he made sure to keep his eyes down as he spoke.

“Please stop apologizing, Lady Tellaros. I am a servant under the Ventus family. Emory Skye, at your service, ma’am. You needn’t worry so much about me.” He said, hoping to put Catherine at ease. “If nothing is wrong, then I suppose that I should return to my duties.”

This was as things should be. Knelt to the ground until dismissed by the nobility in his presence. He was not a representative of the Ventus house in the least, but he was attached to the house for the time being. He had to keep his mind on work. If he was incapacitated by a young girl who hadn’t lifted a finger to hurt him, then he was be unfit to be a bodyguard.

Skye never meant to make Miss Catherine worry. He tried so hard to hide his pain, but it seemed that it didn’t work. “Just a bit of old aching acting up again. Please don’t worry about me.” He said, really just hoping that she wouldn’t press the issue. The stinging sensation had dulled with guilt, a sharp pain hitting his chest before it finally faded away and allowed him some level of peace.

She was a kind girl… Just like the twins’ parents. Those two were always very strange for their lineage. For centuries, the creatures within their kingdom were segregated, humans placed at the very bottom of the social ladder. Disrespected as a race. But Kathleen and Barlow cared not for the traditions of the land that told them that others should be looked at as inferior specimens. They studied the origins of magics and other species not to give them an advantage over them, but to better understand and create relationships with them. They were truly inspiring to watch them, actively subjecting themselves to their weakness, knowing that they were vulnerable, all for the sake of their people and making their lives better.

She’d make a fine leader. Her uncertainty and kind nature made it clear to him. Catherine seemed to need passion, but that was a thing that could be attained in time with experience. All the more reason for him to kneel to her.

When she expressed discomfort to his action, it was rather cute. She was of noble birth and yet still humble? And under a woman such is her Grandmother, known for her strictness, it was odd. Amusing, really. The stinging was back. He suppressed the urge to flinch and raised himself back up to stand. Even more strange was that she curtseyed to him, even though he let her know that he was just a servant. Despite his clothing, he wasn’t anyone worth such a gesture. And he moved to tell her so, but something today just didn’t seem to want him to speak freely.

“Emory!” A stern, slightly angry, masculine yell.

“Master-”

Nalexedite came striding from the manor with that displeased expression on his face, his sister following him closely with a playful pout on her face as she would usually do when she didn’t get her way.

”Just come here a moment. I have to speak with you.”

Skye paused, stunned at how upset the young lord seemed, but that didn’t stop him from obeying, bowing his head briefly to Catherine and bidding her farewell before rushing over to his masters, listening intently as Nalexedite spoke him him while lecturing his sister in the process. It seemed that Narlexia had been rude and from what he gathered, she was intruding on Nalexedite’s personal business. Those two have been clashing more and more... It all started after their parents had passed away. Skye didn’t know how to deal with it, and was soon standing between the two, his back to his young mistress while trying to console her brother’s apparent, seething rage with what few words he could use without making it worse.

Nalexedite had a talent for expressing his emotions transparently, yet quietly. His voice was a powerful one, but he soon calmed down, even more stoic than Skye had been as he turned and went into the manor. It was a good thing that the siblings would not be sharing a room while they were here. If they had been at home, one would surely stay in his study with him while the other sulked in their room. It had always been like that, even when they were young. Fighting, just to separate and make up later. Alex had been more lively back then.

“My lady… You should be more respectful of your brother.”

”Oh, he’s just being sensitive. You just have to worry about your job, hun.”

“Your parents asked that I watch over you, my lady. And lately you-”

”Enough.” Quiet, yet powerful just like her brother. ”If you want to lecture someone, snap Alex out of it. Or why don’t you go ahead and look over the rooms so you can sit in the library until you’re forced to deal with us again.”

… Skye was unable to speak, mind racing, but his expression didn’t change and that only seemed to make Narlexia more irritable. He thought that they had been ready, but it seemed that they weren’t as ready as he had thought. Despite the volume of her voice being of an acceptable level, a few people who had been nearby overheard and whispered. He cared for them, surely, but he wasn’t sure how to make any of this better.

Narlexia had turned her head, nose pointed upwards as she walked away towards the back of the gardens, leaving Skye to wonder what he should do. Best just… take care of the rooms as she ordered. Once the two of them had their time to cool down, he could gather them together and try to speak with them calmly. This was the first time in Skye’s long, long life that he had been tasked with raising other people. Housekeeping, guarding, cooking, and the like. Those were the things that he was use to, but this was outside of his realm of knowledge. But with all the faith that the late masters placed on him after all the kindness they showed, then how could he dare let them down?

”Come now, sweetie. Chop chop. With royalty in, we need to make sure everything is top notch!”

With the widest of smiles upon her face, Chrissy clapped her hands eagerly to call upon her assistant to hurry on up. Call her crazy, but the blonde haired woman, though not particularly well versed in the ways of magics or politics, greatly enjoyed the imagery of nobility. The lovely dresses and suits to design and symbols that hold so much meaning within just a few simple lines. But Chrissy’s forte lay within the realm of fashion. She served under Duke Nemarius, quite happily at that, and with the royalty showing up so early, she had to push touch-ups to the Duke’s suit up.

Her assistant was a small woman. She was new to the house, clumsy and awkward around company, so someone had the great idea for her to work as an assistant so that someone could watch over her until they inevitably just sold her off to some other house. She wasn’t necessarily employed of her own will, as it seemed, but her temperament was manageable and she worked hard. Though, being quite small, just barely five feet tall with arms that were practically noodles. Not the most capable of workers…

Lifting her kit of supplies, waiting for young Mayia to gather up the stray fabrics from the last thing she had just finished working on, she already headed for the door so that she could meet up with the duke to finish the final alterations on his suit.

“Honestly. The nerve, rushing things so suddenly. That’s a bit rude, don’t you think? There are schedules for a reason.” Chrissy sighed, despite her admiration for their status and appearance. Oh yes… Always looking so close to divine that is was nearly unbelievable, but she was getting herself distracted.

With her pale little brunette of an assistant finally picking up the slack, Christianne hurried up the hall. The manor was ginormous, but since she had lived there for quite some time, she was able to notice the differences throughout the manor, like the different tapestries hanging high at the end of certain hallways, a sort of marker to help newcomers remain oriented when exploring the grounds.

However… it seemed that those tapestries weren’t doing their job, a young lady of an obviously noble house looking extremely clueless as she scurried along and came to a stop in front of one of the Angel Lorethia statues. The ball was tonight, and knowing the duke, it wouldn’t be long after sunset. No one had the time to be wandering, not even the staff, a new set pressure and urgency placed upon them to make sure that the festivities went smoothly.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be off to your room or wherever it is that you need to be to get dressed? You can’t be intending to wear that to the ball, are you darling?” Chrissy called out, her assistant hidden under her hair and tucked away behind her already. That brunette… Never very good around strangers.

Mayia was clutching to the fabric in her arms tightly, but cradled them like they were alive, staring up from under her hair all the time, face tilted towards the floor and almost always hunched over, making her look even smaller than she was. It was pitiful, but so long as she didn’t get in the way, it didn’t quite matter. She’d warm up to the place soon enough.

Not a very… composed bit of nobility was she? Or maybe she was just some very decorated help? She had seen quite a few personal servants dressed very nicely. Rather confusing if she should say so herself, but it wasn’t Chrissy’s business when it came to what the nobility wanted to dress their servants in. Heck, she was allowed to wear what she liked. But then again, she made everything that she wore and refused to settled for anything else where as this girl seemed like a child left to wander an unfamiliar marketplace.

“Your rooms, hmm? So where is it that you need to go?” Chrissy asked, tilting her head, starting to get a little frustrated with how much time this girl was taking to tell her where she needed to go. They were both going to be late at this rate. She’d leave Mayia here to tell the girl where to go, but Mayia was even more hopeless with directions. She could be trying to get to the basement and end up on the roof… And she has. Multiple times, actually… Why did she work here again?

Speaking of which, Mayia was looking a little more disturbed than usual… She looked like she had just seen a ghost, her eyes wide as she stared at the girl here. Then again, she was always an oddball. Rolling her eyes, Chrissy looked back down at the lost lady and motioned with her free hand when she finally got a location. A vague one, yes, but getting to the east wing from here wasn’t hard.

“I’ll be needing to pass the East Wing, so you can come with me. Hurry up then. I can only take you to the entrance, but maids and such should be there for you to continue to follow. And I suggest you do, since the manor is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside.” Chrissy said, already scurrying away, Mayia lagging a bit before she continued to follow obediently. She only barely heard the young girl introduce herself. Introductions were arbitrary. Cathleen Tallavos? Tallavos… Not a name she recognized, so most likely a little well dressed servant, probably. She had work to do! And this girl probably had to work too.

“Nice to meet you Cathy! I’m Chrissy, that’s Mai, and we gotta go! Chop, chop!”

Hugging the fabric to her chest, she lowered her head. Mayia didn’t do too good with strangers, and being in such a new place was always hard… How long had she been bounced around from place to place? She wasn’t much of a servant, and yet here she was, continuing to be tossed around like a bad case of the flu. But… if she wasn’t a servant, then what could she be? Where could she go? It’d been so long she couldn’t remember where she had started out. She could remember a small aching in her chest… Something that many told her was loneliness when she described it, but she was always around people, so why was she lonely?

When Chrissy stopped to talk to some lady, Mayia immediately felt the change in the air, saw the difference around her, and she froze. Something in that girl was… sinister… or something, she couldn’t quite tell, but it was certainly powerful. It gave her a bad feeling and she felt a bit sick in her presence… It was clear on the expression she never thought to hide that she was frightened by something, the look of shock in her expression until Chrissy said that they had to get going. At that point, Mayia’s wide blue eyes flickered up at the short-haired blonde lady before looking back over at the dainty young woman in front of her… She swallowed hard, bowing her head before running after Chrissy with a few little hops launching her forward.

Catherine Tellaros was a familiar name. Tellaros especially… She could ask about it later, after work was finished. But only if she remembered of course. There was so much to do… Ah… That reminded her, they wanted her to help serving the food. Apparently she had a pretty enough face for it… How she hated the idea of having to stand in a ballroom serving food. And no doubt someone was going to pin back her hair so she couldn’t hide behind it. If only she could say no… But as Chrissy always said, there’s work to do. Not to do it would be a crime in and of itself.

Yes, this girl gave her a bad feeling, but she couldn’t dwell on it. She had to focus on keeping up with Chrissy. The woman was very quick, and Mayia wasn’t really able to match her stride like this. Using abilities for anything other than serving was forbidden for people of her rank… So she made do with scuttling along behind Chrissy obediently.

Of course, that feeling of dread was back again… As Catherine drew closer, Mayia could feel the tingling burn seep into her back and up her spine. That power… Whatever it was, she didn’t like it. It felt evil… But looking over at the girl, she didn’t seem like a bad person. The little brunette shook her head to avoid speaking and just tried to pick up her pace. There was no way that Mayia could say anything without insulting Miss Tellaros, so she opted for nothing at all. Besides… Even she wasn’t sure what this feeling was.

It was while they moved at a quickened walk, Mayia starting to struggle to keep up, it seemed that Catherine was stopped. Mayia had slowed down as well, about to stop, when Chrissy turned and called her again.

”No time! Let’s go, Mai. Work to do and people to see!” So while Catherine spoke with the old lady that came out of one of the rooms, she ran off with Chrissy so they could get to their next job. It seemed rude to her to leave someone they had been helping without even saying goodbye, but to interrupt a noble’s conversation was never a good idea. Mayia had learned that the hard way.

The two of them were able to get to their next job without issue. They tended to the Duke’s suit, and after that, Mayia had to go get dressed in a different uniform so that she could serve during the ball. Ah… This was a stressful job… But she didn’t know what else to do. And whoever picked out this uniform had… unsettling tastes. A gold dress with a hem so short that it barely seemed to be there. The corset was annoyingly tight and more flashy than she could have liked, and the neckline… It was far from the formalities that she was use to, and going into main floor with the rest of the servers, the girls seemed to be rather happy with the outfit. The men wore something similar, gold suit, decorated lapels and such, but it wasn’t nearly as embarrassing… It seemed like Mayia was the only one uncomfortable with it, fidgeting with the bejewelled apron she wore. At least they allowed her to keep her hair as it usually was, bangs in her face. She just had to tie back her hair, which wasn’t much to ask. The guests would be arriving soon… Best help the rest of the servants bring out the rest of the food.

All of Skye’s time was spent dressing his masters and tending to their room, seeing as they didn’t trust in the local staff. And… with the young Lady’s personality, she was likely to abuse and ridicule them. Once the two were ready, they sent him off to survey the grounds again, seeing as he didn’t do much roaming when they left him last.

But before that… He needed to readjust himself. The young Lady insisted that he match her and her brother. The two of them dressed in shining whites adorn with the most regal little designs sown in with fine violet silk. Skye usually wore dark colours… But if the masters wished it so, he would do it if it pleased them. The white twin tail coat was quite exquisite, and the soft purple cravat around his neck was nice, but these light colours were… a bit uncomfortable to him.

After getting confirmation from Narlexia that his suit was acceptable, he left his masters with a bow and went on his way, roaming the grounds once more. He was able to get a good lay of the land with what time he had left. Other servants seemed a bit… unsure of him. It seemed that they were confused on whether or not he was a noble. With how he was dressed, that was understandable, but still. A bit silly to him. Regardless, he returned to his masters and escorted them down to the ballroom when the time came. Many nobles dribbled in slowly, as not to clutter the halls.

“Is there anything you would like me to get for you?” He asked them both once they were settled in the grand ballroom. It would be some time before the festivities truly began, but Skye preferred not to let any time go to waste. Standing about idly was always rather stressful… But it seemed that his services only required him to wait for orders. He couldn’t leave his young masters here alone, and neither had any need for him to fetch them anything.

Being in places like these so soon after Mother and Father passed away felt wrong. Alex could feel the frustration from deep within his stomach, but this was his duty as the new head of the Ventus house. Attend social functions, create alliances, maintain the relationships that his parents did. He sighed, disheartened by the very idea of it. He had always thought that life in Graemond would stay peaceful while his father remained as marquis. It never even crossed his mind that someone would have a big enough grudge against his parents to attack them as openly as they did.

It wasn’t uncommon for the members of his family to be assassinated. Most of his ancestors were tyrants. Oppressive, and unreasonable elitists that set aside the needs of their people in favour of protecting their own wealth. But his parents, people who would leave the palace to learn more about their people and territory, who aspired to tear down their walls of segregation, were attacked on the street by hired goons. And they still hadn’t even identified the nobles who hired them.

Sufficed to say, Alex was depressed. He had always looked up to his parents, and to know that they were murdered so brutally filled him with overwhelming levels of stress and sadness. Should he have had the choice, he would have stayed back home to help with the investigation. But as the new head of the family, he had to take on all of the duties his father committed to. They had received and accepted this invitation weeks before the murder, and the importance of attending these types of functions was much to great to suddenly cancel…

Word of his parents’ death spread as fast as expected. It was only a month ago, but still, the wounds were deep and news was like wildfire, indiscriminate of where it should travel and swallowing everything in its path. Many nobles stopped to offer their condolences, but it seemed that Narla was unamused. She had grown tired of all of the gifts and words of encouragement within the first week of mourning. The annoyance took over his sister’s sense of grief.

Once a few more nobles moved on from trying to offer their support, Narla had already moved on to teasing Emory, using her words as skillfully as any soldier with their sword while playing with his cravat in order to try and rile the man. “Narla… This is a formal function. Behave.” Alex sighed, but it didn’t seem that the raven-haired girl was going to be giving him a break any time soon. At least she was being more playful than spiteful.

”Don’t be such a stiff, Brother dearest.” She cooed, still tugging on Emory’s cravat as if she were straightening it out. In actuality, she was probably messing it up more than anything. Emory looked quite uncomfortable, and that was saying something.

It was about then that someone else approached them. She was a familiar girl. One of the Tellaros attendees from the style of dress, but that was not what made her familiar. He spent a moment to think it through, when he suddenly remembered. Little Catherine here had been speaking with Emory earlier. Alex pulled a gentle smile onto his face, letting a chuckle pass his lips as he nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Lady Tellaros. Your sympathy is appreciated. And I should apologize for the ugliness you witnessed in the garden.”

Lady Narla was getting restless… After minutes of mingling with other guests, she had come back to his side and started to fiddle with his outfit, something she often did when she was bored.

”All of the nobles here are so drab… They’re stiff as boards and look like something out of a history book.” She pouted, leaned against his chest as she straightened his lapel and adjusted some of the pins that decorated him.

It was in situations like these that Skye… didn’t quite know what to do. He couldn’t grab the mistress’ shoulders and pull her off. She was so unpredictable that she could call attention to them if she wanted to, and that would hurt her reputation. Asking her to step back would pull the usual line of, “Know your place,” from those painted lips of hers. On their own, he would usually smooth back her hair or try to comfort her, but they were in public, surrounded by powerful nobility.

“My Lady, it is a prestigious event. There are many nobles. At least one should be to your fancy.” He said, hoping to interest her into socializing rather than clinging to him. But, instead she only continued to fiddle with his clothes, now primping the folds of his necktie.

”Not likely. Most nobles are the same. The women are all so stiff and proper, and the men are all stoic and boring.” She grumbled, glancing over at her brother just as he moved to reprimand her for her behaviour. The poor girl. As much as Emory wanted to help her mature into the young lady that her parents wanted her to be, he wasn’t much of a teacher on the social level. Reprimanding behaviour such as hers was not exactly his forte.

Focused on Narlexia, Skye didn’t pay any mind to others who approached to speak with the twins. He was too occupied with the adolescent vampire who was starting to make him look a bit dishevelled. Well, until he heard Nalexedite greet an all too familiar name. He had looked up in time to catch the sweet little smile on Catherine’s face.

He offered a nod of acknowledgement in return, seeing as he couldn’t bow with Narlexia still clung to him. This was an embarrassing situation… But he was much more worried for Narlexia. She always was a bit clingy and easily bored with these types of things, but never did she blatantly hold onto him like this. And when he turned his head back down to look at her again, she looked… angry. W-What did he do? Was she mad that he had looked away from her for just a second? If there was ever a time where Skye’s stoic expression was broken completely, it would be now, a look of fear mixed with concern on his face as he tried to regain the young mistress’ favour.

“I… Please forgive me, My Lady…” He said lowly, having raised his hands in defence.

This was humiliating… Serving people, she was use to, but this outfit was so… skimpy and breezy, and she just couldn’t feel comfortable. Nobles took advantage of that without hesitation. No matter where you go, jerks are jerks. No one was flipping up her skirt or anything, but there were plenty of catty comments. And even if people weren’t mean about the Duke’s taste in dressing his servants, most compliments unsettled her. All of the servants got comments like she was, but they seemed to relish in the attention. Especially some of the women who she remembered often spoke of wanting to become a noble’s wife in order to pull themselves out of this lifestyle.

Ha… That was’t Mayia at all. She just wanted peace, and these types of things didn’t offer her that. After years of hoping and wishing to be around others, the desire had withered. She couldn’t help but believe that her solace could only be found in solitude. With a sigh, once other servants took the attention off of her, she went to clean some of the spills that had already been caused by a noble wearing a crest with a swirly red snake. It was while she was wiping up a puddle of wine that she felt a shift in the energy throughout the ballroom. Magic was not prohibited, but it was often frowned upon if it was used without command from the Duke, for performances, lessons, or standard maintenance.

What she felt and saw certainly couldn’t have been for any of those reasons. Clouds of an odd power were floating around the room, her eyes following a few particular trails only to see that they were seeping in and out of the people around her. Those that seeped back out dragged something with them… Unnerving, and familiar. Miss Catherine had this kind of energy simply drifting off her. Like it just couldn’t be contained. But this was controlled, sucking things in like a void and collecting them in a rather pretty lady with a dress so elegant that she could have been an angel, hair that looked so warm that it could thaw through winter’s frost. Whatever that power was, Mayia didn’t want anything to do with it. She didn’t even touch it and her back was already burning with that bad feeling.

Should… Should she say something? Everyone that energy passed through didn’t seem to even notice that it was there. So… It probably wasn’t magic. Or… were there manipulatable magics that couldn’t be felt? Aaah, Mayia spent way too long kneeling on the floor and wiping up a spill that she was starting to get stared at again. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about this lady. She finished cleaning up, made sure that she was still presentable, and took another tray out to help serve some hor’deurves to guests.

Still distracting… Mayia served the nobility silently, but there were times in which she would see that strange woman. She wanted to know what that power was, but she didn’t want to get too close. Who knew what would happen if she absorbed any of that. But… she did have a job to do. Scared to approach and slow to move, but she did come up to the lady and whoever accompanied her at the time, the tray balanced between her hands.

“K-Keish, miss?…”

As unwilling as she was to get anywhere near this woman, there was something alluring about her. Mayia found her to be very elegant, mysterious… Terrifying… Her curiosity urged her to approach her. That, and the need to do her job and knowing that if she dilly dallied, no one would be happy.

She could see that white… cloud loom over her. Felt it touch her. If she hadn’t been aware, then she could have mistaken that touch for a hair out of place of a breeze from under the door, but no. It was that… odd… almost living energy surrounding the woman wrapped in a seasonal beauty. Best not focus on the strange energy… It had already touched her, left her feeling cold, but other than that, she didn’t feel… different. Maybe it was just her imagination. Or maybe it was just a harmless spirit of sorts. Every now and then, amorphous blobs of energy gathered in areas of significant importance to them. Sometimes the energy was the remnants of some kind of entity that passed away recently. Sometimes it was a burst of what she thought of as personal potential. This one moved in a much more animated way that others did, making it seem strange, but it hadn’t hurt her.

With that, she relaxed just a tad, lowering her head submissively as the woman took one of the little potted bits of meat and cheese. She smiled kindly and acted as any proper noble would around here. It lead her to think that just maybe she had an enormous amount of power. Maybe she casted a spell earlier and whatever effects were lingering around her. Though, it wouldn’t explain how to maneuvered throughout the room.

“Oh. Miss Tellaros, right? It wasn’t me, M’lady… Your thanks should go to Christianne Ardenia. I’m… not the best navigator.” She explained, lowering the platter and taking a step back to allow the noble woman some space. However, even though she had stepped away, the woman leaned in towards her, her breath just touching the edge of her ear beneath her pale brown mane.

As she spoke, Mayia’s eyes widened slightly, a chill running down her neck. The idea that a noble would feel that way… She could hardly believe it. Her eyes didn’t leave the woman as she straightened up again. Dressed like a beautiful autumn’s evening, yet her personality could only be described as summery. She truly was a lady of the seasons. Someone like that… Overwhelmed by this castle and intimidated by the people… But she looked so strong and vibrant. A towering visage of confidence in front of the meek little Mayia who stared up at her in awe.

“A-Ah… No, miss. You don’t-” She tried to keep this woman from paying her some kind of favour or giving her something she didn’t deserve, but before she could finish, her eyes locked onto the plain page that had become a brilliant flower before her eyes. Looking back up at the eyes of the woman, wondering if this was just a ruse, she gingerly took the flower and lowered her head towards it, holding it as if the slightest move could shatter it.

“I… I’m sorry M’lady, but… I don’t deserve this. Miss Ardenia was the one who helped Miss Tellaros. I just followed. Would… Would it be okay if I gave this to her instead?”

Just by looking, she could tell that her brother was reaching his limit with all this. Talk of keeping Mother and Father in their thoughts, condolences and the like. The constant whispers that they could hear from corner to corner. He kept his smile plastered on his face, though, nodding once more at the Tellaros girl.

”Yes. Thank you.” Calm and collected as always, wasn’t he? Even while Catherine spoke of her brothers and a froggy incident. He truly had mastered this control over his face. However, she could see it in the way he moved. All he wanted to do was leave. Probably tired of the attention now. But what did it matter? They had to stay down here a while longer. Check in with a few other barons and dukes to keep tabs on their current alliances and such.

”That’s definitely more than just a simple incident.“ Alex laughed as if he enjoyed himself, smiled at the girl as if he cared, but Narlexia knew just what was truly in his heart. They were twins after all. Who better to know him than her? ”It reminds me of the time that I asked to have a bedroom of my own. We were quite young, but I wanted to have my own room to study in, and Narla-”

“Brother!” Narla hissed. How dare he tell that story to… to such a little whelp.The Tellaroses were a powerful family to be sure, but the intimate particulars of their family lives was no concern of theirs. Especially not that story.

Then that little rat had to utter their family name. She spoke in such a condescending manner that it took a lot of effort to simply keep her breakfast in her stomach, leaning her slender frame against their faithful servant. Emory was like a child when it came to intimacy. Would it have killed him to put his hand on her waist? Make it look less like she was throwing herself at him and more like she was leading him into beautiful embrace? No? Whatever.

She scoffed at how the Tellaros girl spoke. Like her verbal garbage was going to fool anyone. All this scholarly speech just to enhance her own status? Please. Any noble with a brain for etiquette knew what such blatant flaunting did. “Hmph. I think we’ve had enough of this mindless charade. What do you say to a bit of mingling? Emory?” She purred, tugging childishly on his sleeve before pulling herself back from him.

”My Lady. It is impolite to give such an answer.”

“Are you going to act like a stiff too?There’s not much hope for any of you, is there?”

”Narla. That’s enough.”

They were both ganging upon her now? Really?! Of all the… “Fine. I’m turning in for the night. Have fun with Miss Tellaros.” Her tongue was ripe with venom as she headed for the door. Only one of the Ventus children had to be here, yes? And her brother was much more inclined to take the role of marquis in the absence of their father. She wasn’t needed here, leaving her brother with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose while Emory stood there at a bit of a loss as to what he could say.

Celia Tellaros
Celia was intrigued. A servant rejecting a favor from a noble, insisting that it be given to someone else...well, that didn't happen every day. (To be fair, servants were probably not offered such favors every day.) Still, the satisfaction she felt at seeing Mayia so easily deceived, that remained. She let her expression shift to one of pleased surprise and favored the girl with another smile. "It is rare to see one so candid on another's behalf. Here, most of all."

Had that been a shiver? If the girl had any sense, she would have taken that as a sign to run for the hills. Of course, if the girl had any sense, many things might have been different. Ah, this was getting interesting. And she'd apparently reduced the girl to stutters too. "Mayia." Celia let the word fill with compassion, a mix of admiration and pride, and sincerity, none of which she felt much of at the moment. "What you have, the way you think. Some might call it weakness. They'll say that kindness is weak, that doubt only leads to disaster, that strength is all that matters. They'll see you and they'll say that you have no strength."

She looked at Mayia, allowing the weight of her focus and serious expression emphasize her words. "But those people will never understand what strength is. They'll spend their lives amassing what they think is power for what they think they want, but you...if you hold on to what you have, you'll go farther than they ever will, and one day, you'll look around and realize you're exactly where you want to be and you have everything you ever wanted."

All of that was true, of course. Just...perhaps tilted a bit. After all, kindness was a weapon just as much as a knife was. Wielded the right way, at the right time, for the right purpose. Now that the hook was baited, she just had to steer the girl back in the right direction. Celia smiled again, a little wryly, to lighten the mood. "The truth is, I rather admire you." Patently untrue. At half her age, Celia could have gotten the actual reaction she presented and the favor from whomever she'd been talking to.

"Keep the flower, as a token of my admiration, if nothing else. I will see to it that Miss Ardenia is rewarded." Her expression was once again benevolent. Ardenia? Mm, she'd probably ask for something minor and uncreative. Celia raised a finger to her lips, and tapped it there thoughtfully. "Nonetheless, I would like to speak to you again." She blinked, as if a thought had just occurred to her. "Please, don't feel obligated to. It's entirely up to you." But the implication that she might be disappointed, hm, how far had she gotten? Would it be enough? The illusion of choice...it was a powerful thing.

"You don't need to say anything now if you don't wish to. I'll inform the guards that you are to be let in. If ever you need help, or if you just wish to talk, please, come to me. My door is always open to you." Only metaphorically true, and really, not even that, even if she wasn't out of her rooms most of the day, but if Mayia did manage to catch her when she was in her rooms, well, she did have a little time to spare for this diversion.

Speaking of diversions, the crown prince had not yet arrived yet. Which was good, because the longer that took, the longer it would be before this whole evening went bad. Then, commotion in the direction Catherine had gone. From her vantage point, Celia couldn't quite see what had happened, but a moment later, the Duchess sent her a message through the Gestalt, and Celia breathed a mental sigh of relief, noting absently that the Gestalt was keeping things low-key; it must have also conveyed the information about Mayia's ability to the Duchess, who'd given the cease and desist order.

But, that was strange. The plan had been cancelled, but what could have caused such a deviation? Her vision that morning...well, it hadn't been a pleasant one, but she hadn't predicted this. And to disrupt the Duchess' plans, when she had such control over the Gestalt? Then she saw the arrivals and it made sense. Of course, she thought, with more than a little exasperation.

Catherine Tellaros
Catherine...wasn't sure what had just happened. Things had seemed to be going alright, though she'd been getting rather mixed signals from Tethys. Lord Ventus had been just about to tell her about what would have probably been an amusing anecdote and allowed them to move into some sort of conversation, an anecdote she'd been listening to with interest, when Lady Ventus had interrupted. She supposed it wasn't unreasonable that she didn't want a possibly embarrassing story told, but that reaction...they were siblings, so wasn't it a little extreme?

And Lady Ventus had been leaning on Skye, in a manner that suggested they were involved, but the impressions she received from Tethys, what she could make out in the flood of information, anyway, didn't seem to support that idea. In fact, she was pretty sure the Gestalt's information flow was only making things worse, since it was muddling up her own perceptions, and she was just about to ask them to stop when two things happened almost at once. First, Lady Ventus responded to her attempt to initiate conversation with scorn, which, she supposed wasn't entirely unexpected, if a little frustrating, because she'd been trying to find something they had in common and could talk about, but she'd just dismissed it like--like--

Then, Tethys abruptly went silent. All the information Catherine had been receiving stopped. She was so surprised that she barely noticed Lady Ventus sweep out of the room. Then, the Gestalt returned, more clearly now, such that Catherine could easily see the train of thought and emotions that had caused the woman to leave so suddenly, and it was. It was. She just didn't understand, how anyone could have gotten that from what was going on, it was ridiculous, completely unreasonable, it was--

"I..." Neither Skye not Lord Ventus had successfully done anything, but--

You could kill her, destroy her. Call her back, rip her apart. Words or magic, it doesn't matter. I'll lend you my power.

Tethys--Myrmidion? Whispered through her mind. No. It didn't matter. Narlexia Ventus didn't matter, and there was no point in wasting energy being frustrated with her or dwelling on it. In the end, after all, hadn't she gotten what she wanted? True, the emotion that motivated Lady Ventus' exit wasn't "fear", but the result, if not the process, was what she'd wanted in the first place, wasn't it? Catherine would just...forget about her, stop acknowledging her existence, beyond the bare minimum, that was all.

She took a breath. Should she try to extricate herself from this? Probably. But how? As she prepared to speak, a hand landed on her shoulder. Catherine blinked. Looked up. "Oh, hi, Rei!" She said, with a startled, but genuine smile. What was he doing here? Still, this was really great, because where Andreios was, Dorian was never far, and they could take over the conversation and let her fade into the background.

"I'm not Rei, I'm Dorian," her brother said. Catherine resisted the urge to roll her eyes because she was at court and it was probably a bad idea.

"No you're not. Come on, that didn't work on me when I was five. What makes you think it'll work now?" She did raise an eyebrow at him though.

"Ah, well, it was worth a try," said Dorian, appearing over her other shoulder. "How's our favorite little sister doing today?"

"I'm your only sister, 'Ri," Catherine pointed out, with some resignation, since this was hardly the first time. "And shouldn't I be asking you what you're doing here in the first place?"

"That's how you know it's true," returned Andreios cheerfully. "As for what we're doing here, well, that's simple! We're escorting the ambassador from Montres. Or were, anyway." They must have gone to rest from the journey, and if her brothers had gone to Montres as diplomats, they were probably here to report to the crown. However, that just raised more questions.

"I didn't hear anything about an ambassador coming here." Then, another thought occurred. "Wait, you were home when we left." True, they had left more than a month ago, so they could gather up the rest of the people from their duchy and Grandmother make all the last-minute arrangements, but still, it was a very short amount of time. She frowned in contemplation. "Are you saying that..." Catherine saw the matching smirks begin to grow on the Twins' faces and immediately changed course. "That you managed to annoy the Montres court enough, within a month, that they were so desperate to get rid of you that they sent an ambassador here just so you could escort them and get out of their country?"

The smirks immediately turned into unconvincing pouts of indignation. Catherine managed to hold on for a whole five seconds before she couldn't keep a serious expression on her face anymore. "Now, now," said Andreios. "'Annoyed' is such an ugly word."

"It's so...unrefined," continued Dorian.

"But not inaccurate?" Asked Catherine. Her brothers valiantly ignored that.

"It gives entirely the wrong impression," Andreios claimed. "I prefer 'persuaded', 'convinced', 'charmed', 'captivated (the court as well as the lovely men and women, of course) with our charm, persuasion, and convincing natures--"

"Although," mused Dorian, "an ugly word does suit you, Andreios. After all," he said with mock seriousness, "it's quite obvious I got all the looks between the two of us."

Andreios laughed, the sound clear and bright. "I can agree that we are indeed as different as night and day, but I must disagree with your other point, for it is eminently clear that I am the better-looking of we two."

They both turned to Catherine. She smiled, then said dryly, "Yes, you are indeed as different as the sun and the moon, the sky and the sea, the sand and the clouds, the slug and its slime, the--"

"What was that last one?"

"What, the sand and the clouds?" She asked, completely innocently. This was familiar ground.

"Hmm, what do you think, Dorian? Would I be the slug or the slime?"

"Clearly, I would be the slime, and you the slug, brother. After all, the slug is a slow, ungainly creature, evoking disgust, but the slime shines with a luminescence that adds beauty and balance to the garden."

"I've never met a gardener who saw such beauty in slime," replied Andreios, "but I must agree with you, since I am always leaving you behind in the dust."

"So, does Grandmother know you went to Montres?" Catherine interrupted. There was a moment of silence.

"Ah."

"Well."

"You see--"

"There is an ancient Tellaros family saying that encapsulates this situation: It is better to beg forgiveness--"

"Than to ask permission. Well, you know, assuming you succeed and all," finished Andreios. That's not even a thing, Catherine thought.

"So Grandmother didn't know."

"Nobody knew," said Dorian. "Why do you think the royal family was in such a hurry to get here? The crown prince himself is probably coming to announce it, but I'm afraid we rather stole his thunder," he said with absolutely no abashedness.

"But I'm afraid we've just barged in on your conversation," said Andreios. "I'm sorry, Andreios Tellaros--"

"And Dorian Tellaros--"

"At your service," they chorused, giving a little synchronized bow.

"You've already met our sister, of course," said Andreios, sweeping his gaze over Skye and Lord Ventus. "Now, what were we talking about before we got here?"

This was weird. This was very weird, and Mayia didn’t know how to handle it. Should she just go back to work? Would that be rude? That was probably rude… But she couldn’t accept something like this. And nobles weren’t supposed to take this much interest in servants. Well… Sometimes they did… But this shouldn’t be one of those times. Mayia was clumsy, and not very good at her job, and sometimes she accidentally blew things up and set them on fire even when she didn’t mean to.

Was this rare? “… I, uh… I’m actually kind of new here…” She mumbled in response. Maybe this lady wasn’t that bad. The had a very kind smile and spoke with a voice that sounded so genuine. Though… She still had her doubts. That odd cloud was something she didn’t trust. It made her feel… tingly. Plus, the idea of being around people for an extended period of time for anything other than work was always uncomfortable. Gave her nothing to do and everything to fear.

Still… She wanted to believe in this lady. She reminded her a lot of her old mentor and her closest friend. Her posture relaxed as the woman spoke, and nodded when she told her to keep the flower. Holding a paper flower around while working was going to get her yelled at. And having something so colourful on display was going to get her noticed more often… It was an inconvenient thing to have, but it would be rude to give it back. It was a gift.

“Thank you, M’lady. Ah… Right. I’m Mayia. I-” Before she could say any more, she could feel a sharp pain in the back of her head. Mr. Kyles must’ve seen her slacking. “I should see if other guests need refreshments.” She chirped, slipping the stem of the flower into the… belt? Sash? Whatever that little bit of fabric around her waist was that kept her apron to her body. “Please enjoy the party.”

And back to work she went. More nobles were filing up the ballroom. All the maids that were flirting before were now working again. Mr. Kyles was definitely aware of everyone’s slacking. As servants, they weren’t supposed to be mingling. It wasn’t a rule enforced by the Duke at all. Mr. Kyles was just very dedicated to his position. She really wished he didn’t do… that all the time. The thing where he basically pinched their brains. Actually… she wasn’t sure if he did that with all the servants, or if she was the only one, but that pinch always left a lingering ache in her head.

Less of the nobles were commenting on how the servants were dressed now. Maybe they were only commenting and flirting because there weren’t as many people in the room. That made… sense, kind of. People were strange. People did all kinds of things that didn’t really make sense to Mayia, but she decided that it was better to brush it off and not worry about it. Made everyone’s life much easier. Besides, it wasn’t like she could ask anyone about these things.

Mayia was never typically on the floor at these types events. She was usually told to stay somewhere where she couldn’t break things. Or told to cook. Those were all she was really good at. Well, at least she didn’t need to talk now. When she walked by with the tray held up, people just took what they wanted and continued with their conversations. Occasionally, she got a thanks, but mostly it was just a grab and shoo situation.

All that attention from Narlexia was extremely uncomfortable, but seeing her so irritated was worse. He had watched the two vampires grow up and yet it was still so difficult to pinpoint what it was he had to do to keep the twins calm. Nalexedite was still mourning and stressed out, and Narlexia was always angry and was becoming more of a nuisance lately, intentionally trying to get in the way of anyone who was doing work or blatantly ignoring her lessons. If anything, Skye just felt horrible for not being able to be of more use to them. Their parents had been wonderful. Their way of legislating may have been problematic for the nobility, but they had the best of intentions for all their people. Especially their children. To think that they were now falling apart… If only he could give them back what could truly make them feel better. But unfortunately, there was no true cure for death.

He sighed to himself, fixing his cravat now that Narlexia wasn’t tugging on him. It was a bit difficult without a mirror. He… never really took to formal attire. He was so use to travelling, preferred practical clothing over the audaciousness of Krendall’s noble fashions. No matter how many years went by, participating in all these different cultures never felt natural to him. It was like looking out into the world from the other side of a window. Even more so seeing how angry Narlexia had been at poor Lady Tellaros.

Skye was confident that Nalexedite would be able to handle the young lady. But before he could console her, it seemed that a pair of handsome men came to take hold of her attention. The Tellaros Twins, if he was not mistaken. With the Tellaros family occupying each other, like the responsible master he was, Nalexedite came to his aid in cleaning up his appearance.

“Thank you, Master Ventus. However… As a noble, you shoul-”

”It’s okay, Emory.” With a few more little tugs and tucks, Nalexedite nodded his head in satisfaction and turned towards the room again. ”Besides, I’m always looking after what Narla leaves behind. This is much faster than you struggling with it for a while. Leave her be. Trying to talk with her now would only make her angrier.” He said quietly with a slightly disturbed smile. He made a fine marquis in place of his father, but he worried much more than he needed to. And the stress of his sister’s attitude was wearing him down even faster.

At least the scene between the Tellaros’ was up lifting. They were very cute. He wasn’t quite sure why the closeness between siblings was so entertaining, but if it could brighten the young master’s day, then it had to be something very special.

”It’s very nice to meet you both. Nalexedite Ventus. And my butler, Emory Skye.” Like a true diplomat, the young master was keeping his cool. It was good to see. ”We were actually talking about our siblings. She mentioned brothers, but I didn’t expect twins.”

As per his place, Skye stayed quiet while they bantered. If anything, he probably should have gone after Narlexia to be sure that she was okay, but the young master made it clear as to what his orders were.

”I’ve heard that the Tellaros family was rather odd, but I have to say that you've yet to show it. At least you all get along well. That’s good.” If Skye didn’t know better, looking at the four of them speaking, it looked more like a family reunion rather than a group of nobles mingling. He was pretty out of place, and with a quick sweep around the room, he could see the distain across a few choice faces. Seeing nobles acting casual in public? Yes, to Emory’s experience, it was frowned upon. But Nalexedite didn’t seem to care about that. Just like his parents.

He saw so much of them in him. That calm, collected nature. A mind open to the cultures of the world. A hunger for knowledge and a love of the company of others. He couldn’t help but wonder how Narlexia turned out… the way that she did. So angry and hot tempered. Skye was worried. Very worried. What if Narlexia never accepted people? What if she continued to treat them as play things? What else could he do for her?

Sylvian had been quietly moving from corner to corner as unobtrusively as he could. Every time he saw someone he thought might want to talk to him about his lands, his money, or his position within the Tellaros hierarchy, he headed for the opposite side of the room. So far, his strategy was working out pretty well. The only conversations he'd been drawn into were about the weather and the party, and none had been with people who seemed to know who he was. Sylvian would rather have been anywhere but here. Practicing swordplay, studying in the library, getting lectured by his father, all would have been preferable to this stifling room and uncomfortable clothes; the long jacket with its heavy emerald brocade and the flowing silk underlayers certainly looked impressive, but were weighty and more than a little warm.

As usual, his mind drifted to thoughts of how things would have been if the events of two years ago had been different. Before, when his future had been assured to go along the steady, singular path--courtship, then marriage--and he knew that he and Catherine had not been in love, but, he thought, they might have grown to be, like many Tellaroses before--then a life of acting as the Duke of Tellaros, providing support and working on the administrative duties the leader's spouse usually took on. A quiet life, mostly, and true, he might still have been required to attend this specific event, but it would have been as a social attachment of Catherine, his own affairs irrelevant. It would have been unthinkable for anyone to approach him regarding offers of political alliance or marriage.

But now that his original use to House Tellaros was gone, he no longer had the protection of being someone else's intended. And Duchess Tellaros was never one to let a potential resource go to waste. Having been groomed for the task of being a Duchess' consort, it wouldn't have done to let that combination of diplomatic and administrative training be wasted on some minor post within Tellaros lands, after all. At least, that was what Sylvian assumed was the Duchess' reasoning for dragging him along to Court. Personally, he thought it was rather short-sighted. He didn't exactly have the temperament for striking and binding bickering, ambitious nobles to a place of devotion. But lack of ability didn't stop him from having to deal with all the lords and ladies out for his lands, social capital, or political clout.

Too late, he saw the Earl of Marchmore heading his way. The man had clearly already seen him, and he was too close for Sylvian to pretend he hadn't noticed him at all. "M-my lord Krizwyrn," the earl panted, out of breath and red-faced from exertion and wine. "I have caught you at last. I simply must have a word with you about..." The earl launched into a long-winded explanation of his own great lineage, the treachery and baseness of his rivals, and the value in throwing in his lot with him. Sylvian tuned most of it out, tried to look as disinterested as possible without obviously causing offense, and searched desperately for an exit. Duchess Tellaros would be no help, of course, and Celia, having broken off her conversation with a serving girl, was now making the rounds with a host of powerful nobles--Sylvian smiled unconsciously; there had been some positive developments in the past few years--unfortunately, the earl took his smile as an indication of interest, and begin to speak even more passionately regarding his assertions that with Sylvian's help, the Western Bloc would be able to finally get the King's ear. In any case, Celia was clearly too busy to help, even if she had been the sort of person to do so. Sylvian schooled his expression quickly, and kept looking.

Andreios and Dorian Tellaros had just entered the room--unexpected, to be sure, but not undesirable. They'd always been nice enough, even when he'd lost his vaunted position as the next Duke Tellaros. ...Come to think of it, they might have been more pleasant afterwards. Sadly, they seemed to be too engaged in smoothing over Catherine's conversation with the vampire nobles to cause a scene and distract the room (including, naturally, Earl Marchmore). Just as the thought passed through his mind, a storm of whispers blew through the room. "The crown prince? Here? Tonight?" And so on. It seemed the twins had managed to cause a stir anyhow. Sylvian should really stop underestimating them.

And now he had the perfect opportunity to get rid of the earl, and make it look like he was doing him a favor, too. "Earl Marchmore, I must insist that you not spend further attention on someone so lowly as I, when the crown prince himself is due to arrive soon. Surely, one of your stature must be the first to greet him, lest he be made unwelcome."

"Quite right--quite right you are, Lord Krizwyrn. I'd better get going if I'm to make it to the front of that lot. Wonderful chat, we've had, simply wonderful. We must continue our conversation soon." With that, the earl strutted away, angling for the crowd gathering near the high, wide staircase, where the prince would surely descend.

Alone at last, Sylvian breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The impending arrival of the Crown Prince gave him some respite too. With his arrival, all conversation in the room would be about him, every noble from the poorest Baronet to the richest Duke vying for his attention and regard. And since Sylvian could not possibly have been entrusted with Tellaros relations with the crown, he would be free to disappear. From the room. As in, leave.

Sylvian made his exit without much incident. Since the flow of traffic was now moving towards the staircase, he had no trouble sliding around it by keeping near the wall. Before long, he had made it to one of the corridors leading out--the huge wooden doors having remained open to allow nobles to return to their rooms to refresh themselves or late arrivals to enter without making a scene. He headed for the cool, dark hallway, only to nearly crash headlong into a pale woman in an elegant white dress. Something about that was odd to him--in the Tellaros lands, only the current Duke or Duchess wore white, unless it was a funeral. Still, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind--traditions were different here, and besides, he should apologize.

Stepping back and sweeping a bow, he said, "My deepest apologies, my lady. Sylvian Krizwyrn, at your service." Hopefully she would be satisfied with an apology or some minor further action and let him leave. She seemed to be in a hurry too.


"Wonderful to meet you, Nalexedite, Emory," said Andreios. Mentally, Dorian complimented Nalexedite on the smooth recovery. They hadn't arrived in time to catch all of the preceding conversation, but it was fairly clear from Nalexedite's probably-sister's exit and Catherine's former distress that things had not been going terribly well.

"Ah, yes," Dorian continued, with a small chuckle, "the twins bit surprises most everyone. I believe it's because no one can conceive of the idea of two individuals with our magnificence--well, one extraordinarily shining specimen, and his much dimmer brother, in any case. Why, my uncle always said: 'I can't imagine how the world will survive both of you!'"

"I quite agree, Dorian, as fool's gold glitters next to vaunted jade, so too do you outshine me."

They both hid an instinctive flinch. It wasn't Nalexedite's fault, he couldn't have known, but it was a bit of a touchy subject. The only time he'd really ever seen Andreios get angry was when an uncle or older cousin--he couldn't really remember--had remarked that Andreios was so smart, it was such a shame he'd been born a twin, and diluted the connection to the Gestalt between them, and wouldn't it have been wonderful if Rei had been born with the fullness of his potential. Why, with his talent in other areas, there was no doubt he would have been the next Duke.

That cousin had ended up needing healing, Andreios had gotten a long lecture and reams and reams of punishment work for assaulting a family member using seals, and Dorian had never been so glad to have had Rei as his brother. But that was a bit dark for a friendly conversation. So Dorian was glad when the conversation entered safer territory.

"Not odd?" Andreios mused. "I admit, I've never heard that before." Dorian noted, with some amusement, that many of the nobles around them were observing the scene with a sort of shocked disgust, as if the idea of a conversation without three etiquette books worth of proprietary were the equivalent of a sudden public orgy followed by a mass declaration of treason against the crown. Good. It had been far too long since they'd been exposed to a proper Tellaros, and it wouldn't do for people to get used to them being all proper and boring. It was a shame their public face had been Grandmother and Celia for so long. Hopefully they'd remind the court that Tellaroses played by their own rules.

"As for getting along well," said Dorian, "many in our family would disagree. Why, I recall, when we were twelve or so, you know, just the age when Andreios would begin to be jealous of my far superior looks and talent, one of our great-aunts thought that we might tone down the prank war if they put us on opposite sides of the manor."

"Naturally, that didn't work," continued Andreios. "All it accomplished was spreading the damage all over. Well, one day, someone had the bright idea that Catherine here would be a moderating influence on us, and stuck us all in the South wing, with our rooms on either side of hers."

Catherine finally spoke up again, seeming to have fully recovered from whatever had happened before they'd arrived. "Which, of course, only had the two of them sneaking across my balcony every night to trap each other's rooms. It was very bothersome."

"Aha!" exclaimed Dorian, "But let's not forget your part in all this! You see, eventually, our dear sister became tired of Andreios tromping loudly across her balcony every night, and arranged a cunning plot."

"Quite," agreed Andreios, "Your screams of terror as you inevitably became caught in my traps must have awakened her many a night. Anyway, Catherine began to collect plants. Potted plants, climbing vines, rare flowers, you name it. Not all at once, of course."

"Yes, she'd add one or two a week to that balcony, and of course it wasn't any trouble for me to gracefully and elegantly leap over, but it must have been quite challenging for poor Andreios to clamber over, and then have to deal with the frustrations of his inferior trap-making skills after that."

"Well, one day, the arrangement of plants became so high that Dorian--" Andreios was cut off by Dorian elbowing him in the side.

"--Andreios clumsily jumped into them, knocking them all over--"

"--only because Dorian--"

"As I recall," said Catherine, "both of you tried getting over the plant barricade at the same time, hit each other at the top of the pile, and came crashing down with all the plants together."

Dorian bowed. "I yield to my sister's superior wisdom. Anyway, we both had to face her the next morning, and she pretended to be upset for the twelve minutes it took for everyone to decide that this arrangement was even more trouble than the one before, and put everyone back in their old rooms, and we let her join in on our pranks after that. Usually on Rei's side, since he needs the help." Part of Dorian wished that Catherine could take hold of that manipulative, confident part of her more often. She'd be happier for it. Grandmother would definitely be happier. That part was probably the Gestalt's influence, though, so he ignored it.

"But look at us, monopolizing all the conversation. I'll bet you have some great stories too, Nalexedite."