[EMPIRE!] Fifth Tellurian Grand Ball [531]

[Kitsanth]

Spoiler: Aedilred

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"This time, you will behave yourself."

"I still don't understand..."

"You don't have to understand why, you just have to not do it again."

"But-"

"None of that 'accidentally on purpose' business either. I know you're better at this sort of thing than you let on. These are Niskans, not Maurites."

He shrugged. "What's the difference?"

Eldys sighed. "Firstly, it means my father will actually care if you insult them. Secondly, they're not going to mess around either. I've seen Leni fight and she's at least as good as me; some say she's as good as my father was at her age." That gave Zosimus pause. "So if you give her cause to cut any part of you off and leave it on the dancefloor, I wouldn't have a chance to rescue you even if I wanted to. Which I wouldn't. Aduma?"

"As you say."

With that settled, Eldys led his companion over to where Leni and Marianne stood at the edge of the floor looking bored. "My lady cousins, I notice you have not yet taken to the floor. On the offchance that this is for want of opportunity rather than desire, might I and my oafish companion have the honour?"

A sharp prod from 'Rianne had Leni halting her sudden exodus. Curious as to what had drawn her sisters attention, she whirled about to see her cousin and... was that a Kell? Interesting.

"Cousin! It is such a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I'm sure 'Rianne agrees." Leni looks the young Prince over. "Your official portrait does not do you justice."

Luckily it seemed that Eldys had not overheard her earlier comment. 'Like Kazimir always says, one must be couteous even to distant family... even if said family has a dragon for a great-grandfather.'

So Leni took him up on his offer, extending a hand as she said, "A dance would be wonderful," eyeing the Kell, she added, "and 'Rianne can handle your friend."

'Rianne looked at the Kell.

"She wants you to introduce yourself," Leni stage-whispered to the Prince's companion as she dragged Eldys onto the dance floor.

[Morph Bark]

Ivet curtsied, her eyes still angry. "All the women of Maur are taught to defend themselves from those who are simply looking to spread their wild oats far and wide" she stated with gritted teeth. "You look different from him though" she said with nod towards Zosimus, "So I will afford you a dance". She took up his arms and twirled him around with a slight grin on her face. "As long as you behave, that is" she said with a light tinkling laugh.

"I wouldn't dream to misbehave in your disfavour, my lady," Julius Yin-ho promised earnestly, as Ivet twirled him around. "I, for one, am not planning to sow my oats wildly. Every plant needs the right soil to grow." His face remained serious, but the tone of his voice sounded almost amused. He bowed as the music picked up a new tune. "If you would allow me," he said, a courtesy more than anything, as their dance was initiated.


Only just noticed my chosen speech colour for Julius was the same as Ivet's, so I've changed it a little bit.

[Mynxae]

Spoiler: Salterri

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"I wouldn't dream to misbehave in your disfavour, my lady," Julius Yin-ho promised earnestly, as Ivet twirled him around. "I, for one, am not planning to sow my oats wildly. Every plant needs the right soil to grow." His face remained serious, but the tone of his voice sounded almost amused. He bowed as the music picked up a new tune. "If you would allow me," he said, a courtesy more than anything, as their dance was initiated.


Only just noticed my chosen speech colour for Julius was the same as Ivet's, so I've changed it a little bit.

Ivet's face softened. "The right soil? My dear Julius, are you proposing to me?" Ivet said softly, her mind racing back to the years of when she wished she had a dashing prince to rule Maur with when she came of age. "What right would you possess, to lay claim to the virtue of the heir to the throne of the Dragon-Queen?" she said, thinking of Maur instead of herself for once.

[Morph Bark]

Wait.

What?

He certainly had said nothing of the sort out right. Had he? Perhaps he had inadvertently said something that was a flowery way to propose in the language of Maur. When translating from Salterri to the common tongue of High Trade, and then the listener needing to translate that back to Maurian, there were bound to be some hiccups in communications. Julius' cheeks darkened as his face grew flush with heat, his jaw hanging loose as he stumbled trying to come with a reply. Moreover, she was the heir to the throne of the Dragon-Queen? He had thought he was just apologizing to noblewoman of good standing, but apparently the Silver Lady's strings of fate had woven him into a wholly different sort of plot! He took a breath to collect himself--the surprise had thrown off his dancing a little, and he had to get back into the right pattern. "No right at all, my lady," Julius answered, a little cautious, as the dance ended with the two of them close. "Save for perhaps the right of conquest." By the Wyrm! "If I were to be so bold," he added, a little too hastily.

[Mynxae]

Spoiler: Salterri

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Wait.

What?

He certainly had said nothing of the sort out right. Had he? Perhaps he had inadvertently said something that was a flowery way to propose in the language of Maur. When translating from Salterri to the common tongue of High Trade, and then the listener needing to translate that back to Maurian, there were bound to be some hiccups in communications. Julius' cheeks darkened as his face grew flush with heat, his jaw hanging loose as he stumbled trying to come with a reply. Moreover, she was the heir to the throne of the Dragon-Queen? He had thought he was just apologizing to noblewoman of good standing, but apparently the Silver Lady's strings of fate had woven him into a wholly different sort of plot! He took a breath to collect himself--the surprise had thrown off his dancing a little, and he had to get back into the right pattern. "No right at all, my lady," Julius answered, a little cautious, as the dance ended with the two of them close. "Save for perhaps the right of conquest." By the Wyrm! "If I were to be so bold," he added, a little too hastily.

The Dragon-Queen hatches a plan...

The Dragon-Queen had been wandering around the Ball, chatting to various officials of differing nations across Telluris, making trades here and there and generally garnering more knowledge for Maur. One particular moment caught her eye, as she saw her daughter Ivet close to a, rather handsome she thought, man. As Kara saw them finish one dance, ending up quite close, she saw the way that Ivet looked into his eyes as an idea sprung in her mind. "Perhaps... I can make something of this" she murmured in her mind.

Kara strode leisurely around a little more until she had found the one she had had described to her previously, the Qzare of the Salterri Imperium. The Ash-Kingdom and the Salterri had grown increasingly close over the years, and it would be quite useful to keep them on good relations considering their vast power and wealth. "Grand Qzare", Kara said as she walked up to the man and curtsied with a light smile on her face, "Could I perhaps interest you in some form of marriage? I noticed that the young man currently dancing with my daughter Ivet shows quite a lot of promise. He holds her kindly, with grace, but his muscles and posture show a strength and power that would enable him to protect those that he loves until his last breath" she said with an intriguing grin on her face.

"And besides", she stated softly, her eyes twinkling with happiness at seeing her daughter filled with joy, "Ivet shall take the throne when I pass. I fear I do not have much longer left, and it would be my wish to see her happy in my twilight years". Her head bowed slightly. "I hope that he will accede to my desires... I would do anything to have Ivet be happy before I pass from this world and into Maur's fiery embrace" she thought with longing.

And Ivet goes along with it unknowingly...

As the dance finished, Ivet looked up at Li Julius' face when he spoke. "Conquest, you say? Well, I do plan great conquests in my future.. Perhaps we can conquer each other, both with body and mind?" she said with a toothy grin, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. She eyed her mother from afar as she glanced at them with a smile.

"I have someone you should meet... My mother, the Dragon-Queen. Perhaps she can sort us young folk out, eh?" she declared with a hint of possessiveness as she clung to one of his arms and almost literally dragged him over to her as she spoke to some fancy official that Ivet did not recognize. "Mother? I have someone you ought to meet. This is Li Julius Yin-Ho, and he is quite the... Interesting, gentleman" she declared with a wide grin as a look of terror spread across his face, his eyes almost bulging in horror as he realised who the man next to Kara was.

[Aedilred]

Spoiler

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A sharp prod from 'Rianne had Leni halting her sudden exodus. Curious as to what had drawn her sisters attention, she whirled about to see her cousin and... was that a Kell? Interesting.

"Cousin! It is such a pleasure to make your acquaintance, I'm sure 'Rianne agrees." Leni looks the young Prince over. "Your official portrait does not do you justice."

Luckily it seemed that Eldys had not overheard her earlier comment. 'Like Kazimir always says, one must be couteous even to distant family... even if said family has a dragon for a great-grandfather.'

So Leni took him up on his offer, extending a hand as she said, "A dance would be wonderful," eyeing the Kell, she added, "and 'Rianne can handle your friend."

'Rianne looked at the Kell.

"She wants you to introduce yourself," Leni stage-whispered to the Prince's companion as she dragged Eldys onto the dance floor.

"You are very kind," Eldys replied, with a smile at the compliment. "I should say something similar, though it would be no more than empty flattery: I remember you well from the Games ten years ago, though I was only a boy at the time, and it is no way a surprise to find the lady Marianne is your living likeness."

Zosimus looked momentarily perplexed, then bowed slightly, if a little uncomfortably, to Marianne. "I am Zosimus of the Kell, son of Gregor Argulus," he said.

"Now I just hope he doesn't embarrass everyone like last time," Eldys muttered to Leni.

[Morph Bark]

Spoiler

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The Dragon-Queen hatches a plan...

The Dragon-Queen had been wandering around the Ball, chatting to various officials of differing nations across Telluris, making trades here and there and generally garnering more knowledge for Maur. One particular moment caught her eye, as she saw her daughter Ivet close to a, rather handsome she thought, man. As Kara saw them finish one dance, ending up quite close, she saw the way that Ivet looked into his eyes as an idea sprung in her mind. "Perhaps... I can make something of this" she murmured in her mind.

Kara strode leisurely around a little more until she had found the one she had had described to her previously, the Qzare of the Salterri Imperium. The Ash-Kingdom and the Salterri had grown increasingly close over the years, and it would be quite useful to keep them on good relations considering their vast power and wealth. "Grand Qzare", Kara said as she walked up to the man and curtsied with a light smile on her face, "Could I perhaps interest you in some form of marriage? I noticed that the young man currently dancing with my daughter Ivet shows quite a lot of promise. He holds her kindly, with grace, but his muscles and posture show a strength and power that would enable him to protect those that he loves until his last breath" she said with an intriguing grin on her face.

"And besides", she stated softly, her eyes twinkling with happiness at seeing her daughter filled with joy, "Ivet shall take the throne when I pass. I fear I do not have much longer left, and it would be my wish to see her happy in my twilight years". Her head bowed slightly. "I hope that he will accede to my desires... I would do anything to have Ivet be happy before I pass from this world and into Maur's fiery embrace" she thought with longing.

And Ivet goes along with it unknowingly...

As the dance finished, Ivet looked up at Li Julius' face when he spoke. "Conquest, you say? Well, I do plan great conquests in my future.. Perhaps we can conquer each other, both with body and mind?" she said with a toothy grin, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. She eyed her mother from afar as she glanced at them with a smile.

"I have someone you should meet... My mother, the Dragon-Queen. Perhaps she can sort us young folk out, eh?" she declared with a hint of possessiveness as she clung to one of his arms and almost literally dragged him over to her as she spoke to some fancy official that Ivet did not recognize. "Mother? I have someone you ought to meet. This is Li Julius Yin-Ho, and he is quite the... Interesting, gentleman" she declared with a wide grin as a look of terror spread across his face, his eyes almost bulging in horror as he realised who the man next to Kara was.

When the Dragon-Queen of Maur strode over to him and spoke to him, the Qzare looked in the direction of the dance floor. He recognized the young man dancing with the princess clearly. Julius was not someone he would say he was very familiar with--they'd spoken maybe two times during the seabound voyage. He liked his distant cousin well enough, and considered the Dragon-Queen's proposal. It would certainly be politically advantageous for the both of them--for Maur especially, if the heir to the throne was still unspoken for, but to have a direct bond with their future queen was no trifling matter, even for an empire as large and powerful as his own. Relations in diplomacy and trade between Maur and the Salterri had always been positive, so Teutus was disinclined to deny such a request as was being made. He nodded and stroked his short grey beard. "It would do me honour to provide you with such a pleasure, honoured Dragon-Queen Kara of House Volshevrin. As I likewise approach my final days, perhaps our greatest deed could be to ensure the legacy of the blood of our Houses shall continue to grow."


Julius was surprised at Ivet's bold reaction to his slip of the tongue, and his face burned with the rush of blood to his cheeks. He was thankful he wasn't like his elder brother Da, who would often get nosebleeds in such situations. "Um, one supposes the existence of such a possibility." He stumbled. Subsequently being dragged along, he was suddenly uncertain of his future. Dragon-Queen? Mother? Oh, Lord save him. Once he stood before her, he took note of the Qzare as well. In such presence, his voice got stuck in his throat. "Much obliged, Your Grace." He piped up, bowing deeply before the two rulers.

His life was over.