↘ ғᴀᴛᴇғᴜʟ ᴀʟʟɪᴇs

[sunhorsestar]

Kassandra DeMarks | 21 | Wealth 7 and a half | Arkley | Tagging: Effie


Kass smiled from the corner of her lip, barely even visible, and offered a graceful curtsy in response. "Is that so?" She asked when the young woman spoke.

It was true, the young woman didn’t look to be of high class or status even in comparison to Kass herself to the eye, much less some of the even higher status noblewomen here. She was dressed nicely enough for such an event, but not nearly as fancily or elegantly as some of the richer women in the room. That was alright though. She was neither impressed, nor did she look down on the woman because of it. One should never judge a book by its cover, after all.

"If you’ve never been to such an event, might I ask what inspired you to accept the invitation to attend such a big party like this?" Kass pressed. "And, perhaps, your name? Mine is Kassandra DeMarks of Arkley, but feel free to call me Kass."

[fruitbat]

𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑰𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑵
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Kingdom Nearon. Wealth eight. Title the concerned. Mentions Lauren. Tags Lauren.
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Louise nodded to Lauren as he mentioned her feelings towards Squalls End. She wasn't the one to brag about her wealth, nor did she ever want to conform to the common stereotypical rich women. Something about standing out and playing devils advocate delighted her, but bragging about how different she was wasn't in her vocabulary either. She was in the middle ground, rather uncomfortably, never quite knowing what to do in her unique position. However, Louise was not the one to stand back and be silent if witnessing something unjust. No, Louise would voice her opinion openly, leaving a target on her head for backlash and retaliation. This did not bother the young woman- prepared to fight for her own morals and beliefs at any given moment. It dawned on Louise that Lauren probably already knew she was of some wealth even though she had not said a single word about her status, and it made her wonder about Lauren's background. Did he come from wealth also, or was he someone who bellowed below those "higher" in the hierarchy? She turned her head from the dancefloor to look at the man for a moment in order to cure her curiosity, but no later did Lauren open his mouth to speak.

Her pondering thoughts of his background now swept to the back of her mind like dust under a rug. She was glad he returned the joke once again, and took a sigh of relief when he mentioned the switching of partners. Louise was incredibly glad that she had not been subjected to such thing yet, even though her parents were probably watching and waiting for their daughter to enter onto the floor. They often resembled hawks, watching their prey every so closely without giving their true intensions away. She knew they were hoping she'd find a potential husband, and to their upmost disgrace Louise did not feel as confident as they did. Her head swung around to scan the dancefloor once again as more couples started to move in time with the upbeat music. Louise then laughed at Lauren's statement- how absurd of him to think she had a "secret" card full of names. "There is simply no way another card would exist" she replied, "nor am I interested in forging anyone's signatures but my own fathers" Louise added half laughing. "Well, Lauren, are you going to test your theory?" the young women asked, turning herself around as she gestured to all the willing ladies in the crowd in front of them. "I'm sure no women could say no, after all, they are all but dying for a dance, and you should probably save them before they drop dead."

𝑹𝑶𝒀𝑪𝑬 𝑪𝑼𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑯𝑨𝑴
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Kingdom Arkley. Wealth five. Title the virtuoso. Mentions Fleur, Lucien. Tags Fleur, Lucien.
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Royce smiled bright under his mask as Fleur took the small piece of party food and begun to eat. He knew of her past, and the massive amounts of anxiety that flooded her being when faced with situations out of her control. He himself has experienced anxiety on one or two occasions, and from memory it left him with a feeling in the bottom of his stomach that didn't make him want to eat. Then suddenly, when the anxiety and stressed started to depart the body, you have about an hour to fill an entire black hole before you start feeling dizzy. Hopefully, Fleur started to feel better once she ate just a little bit of food, even if it was just that quiche until the main course.

Royce perked up when she started to speak, but this time her tone was different: worried, genuine, a touch of sadness loomed over her words too. "Oh dear I didn't mean to worr- I mean make you concerned" he blurted out with a hurry, stumbling over his words slightly. "It's just business, and it's very normal to have moments with no work. I promise" Royce said reassuringly as he was ever so scared he had made her upset. In panic mode Royce didn't fully hear what Fleur said, only remembering "father" and "archery". Pretending he heard, Royce said "archery hmm? Sounds fun! I could make you a bow if that's what your father wants?" Little did the young man know that he had missed half the statement, so his reply was a little confusing and would possibly need Fleur to unpack it further. Alternatively, she could leave it and resume the conversation as if she didn't pick up on his awkward mistake.

The music that flooded his ears got louder and much more upbeat, enough to make Royce's right foot tap on the ground softly. It was almost perfectly in sync with the beat, only some times off due to his lack of ballroom music knowledge. He saw couples starting to ask each other to dance and confidently stepping onto the floor hand-in-hand. He wondered to himself how many signatures Fleur had on her card, and if there was any potential opportunity for him to squeeze in a dance with her. Royce broke away from his thoughts when the sound of another young voice approached, making his head swing back to Fleur and the mysterious... man? Was he here to take her away for a dance? Maybe his name was on her card. The thoughts crept back until he noticed the other mans hair was free to flow to his shoulders, a look was Royce was familiar with as many young men couldn't afford tools to cut their hair. However, to the wealthy folks around the three of them, it may be a sign of the lower class. Royce thought it was very brave of him to have such long hair at a prestigious ball like this, and even braver to approach him and Fleur without an introduction. He dipped his head in greeting. "And I'm Royce Cunningham, also from Arkley. I go by Royce though" he said after Fleur, offering his hand out for a gentlemanly handshake.

[poppyxoxo]

A R E T H A - tagging: Corrin

Although Aretha didn't care much for empty compliments, the ones leaving this strangers mouth sounded genuine, dredging a slight smile from her gentle features. "Thank you, sir" Aretha replied, her voice not betraying her slight delight at the attention. She allowed herself to take in the full figure of the man before her; well built although belonging to a low wealth. His clothes were not new, or at least if they were they were still well presented. This night was too exciting for Aretha to become picky with interactions just yet.

"Well, more like I'm waiting for someone. My best friend, actually" Aretha answered, sipping from her flute while keeping her eyes softly resting on Corrin. "I'm yet to be asked, actually".

A M B R O S E - tagging: Kristoff

"I've always been taught to be polite and genuine" Ambrose countered, tusking slightly. "It's only the truth, Mr Monette". He offered a side smile, nodding his head while casually looking off to the side. "Ah, I've hear mixed thing about attention and although I do not experience such things often, I can gather where you are coming from" Ambrose replied sheepishly in response to Kristoff.

Ambrose could sense the displeasure in Kristoff's words, imagining that he may have screwed up his nose if it wasn't for the protection of the mask. Ambrose himself was quite excited for the ball and his anticipation for the evening was slightly intense. It was smoothly living up to his expectations. "I'd join you over at the appetizers but I've been taught to wait, or at least until I had company as to not appear off" he laughed.

This time it was Ambrose's turn to act slightly bashful. "This is actually my first party. Ever, really".

[senna_]

──

♚title: the ghost xx♚wealth: fivexx♚kingdom: arkleyxx♚tags: louise

Lauren's eyebrows shot up in a mingled mere surprise and amusement sense at her comment on her father's signature. Though he was sure she was doing no more than teasing, it was delightful to hear that come from her mouth. "Ah, I sense we have a rebel amongst us," he commented. Though his words were not one hundred percent serious, his tone did not dare touch on his slight amusement. Deep down, he was slightly mortified with himself. Lauren had always had a softer side within him, though he hadn't allowed it to show- with the exception of dear Rhonda- in a very long time. Louise had unlocked that shadowy, dreary door with ease. Although part of him assumed this was simply because it had been ages since Lauren had last attended a social gathering, especially one like this, another part was curious as to figure out whether or not Louise Cowen was sliding onto his tiny list of exceptions. He knew they were to swap partners later that night, much to his dismay, so he supposed he'd find that out for sure in a bit. Lauren was dreading the group dance; perhaps he could find a way to exit before the time came about.

He gave his head a slight shake, tucking his chin in ever-so-slightly so that his gaze moved down from the poofy basket skirts to the perfectly polished floor with ease. "I am no medic," he responded. "A lady too ill to have difficulties standing on her feet shan't have attended a party like such. I am no knight in shining armour, Miss. Cowen." Weakly attempting to hide a smile, he tilted his head back up, this time allowing his eyes to sweep up the cream-coloured walls to the large, round ceiling, whose platform did not seem to have an inch that was not covered by some sort of time-consuming artwork. "I may not be in desperate need to wed like I'm sure you are, or, your parents desire, might I correct myself to, but I know the typical ballroom lady all-too-well. And the mothers." He shook his head once more, lowering his voice, as if his following words were for her ears only, "Well, correct me strictly if I am over-assuming, Louise, but I truly believe that the mothers of you wealthy women are hiding a contract- perhaps somewhere in their corset- that the man their daughters are betrothed to are to share that relationship with the mother, as well." Another exaggeration, though barely by much. The wealthy ladies of Arkley were atrocious, obsessive, and he didn't doubt the Nearon women were much different. The excitement they held would almost be amusing, if they weren't fishing for men like anxious fishermen, or, women, he supposed. He had been lured in one too many times whenever he attended an event with Rhonda, and that crazy woman hadn't ever done anything more than chuckle from afar. Though Lauren suspected some ladies' mothers had trailed behind them tonight, it seemed most of the crowd consisted of young adults. The tension wasn't nearly as high. Louise Cowen of Squalls End was undoubtedly one of the young ladies that had two prying parental eyes on her burgundy velvet-covered back at all time. Truth be told, he was surprised her mother, if she was indeed here, hadn't latched herself to Louise's arm. Not yet, anyway. The dancing had only just begun.

Allowing his hands to fall behind his back, Lauren shifted his position to face Louise a bit more clearly. "Now, dear Miss Cowen, is that your way of attempting to rid me? Shoving me off into the crowd of desperate ladies so your mother can whisk you away and introduce you to what I am sure is a long list of men's titles?" He raised his forearm in her direction, palm up towards the ceiling in an offering motion. "If I were to ask for a quick waltz with a woman like yourself, would you refuse?"

[onion]

❧ effie jo / 20 / pansexual / wealth 3 / the foreigner
kingdom: nearon
location: ballroom
tags: kass

"my name...?" effie paused, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. it was almost as thought she had forgotten! "my name is effie jo. 'jo' usually comes first in my home country, but because we are not there, i choose to put it last," the girl explained in a kind tone. "i accepted this invitation because... well..." her voice trailed.
was she really going to tell a complete stranger that she was an orphan from a facility that forced her to go there? would that even make sense? "its just my first time is all, and i thought it might be best to show face for once, you see," effie bluffed. thought it wasnt completely a lie, it definitely wasnt the whole truth. she had received invitations before, but never took them up because the orphanage never forced her. now that she was living on her own, anyway, they didnt have too much power over her. but they did still partly own her as a person, and so they had the ability to force her to attend this fancy party of sorts.

[fruitbat]

𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑰𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑵
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Kingdom Nearon. Wealth eight. Title the concerned. Mentions Lauren. Tags Lauren.
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When Lauren started to speak of wedding, families, and especially mothers, Louise found herself in a bit of panic. She had been so caught up with the gentleman standing next to her that the thought of her parents slipped entirely from her mind. But now, with Lauren kicking the idea into her backside, Louise gave a large, almost disappointed sigh as he spoke. It wasn't a rude response, it was simply because even thinking of her difficult parents made her exhausted. She put her hand in her hand, shaking it left to right. "Nothing about being wed to those arrogant Nearon men with bilious temperaments excites me, so you'd be mistaken about that" Louise said in response to his statement about the desperate need to be tied eternally to another human. "You are, however, quite on point when it comes to mothers. Oh, how that women tires me out" she said with another big, over-exaggerated sigh as her head shook between both palms in despair.

The next comment to come out of Lauren's mouth brought back a faint smile as Louise giggled at the thought of hiding a human in her corset. But in all honestly, Louise wouldn't out it passed her mother to do something as extreme as that. It made her wonder where in the ballroom her parents were, so looking away from Lauren she started to scan the perimeter. Her eyes landed on the dancers that filled the floor. They moved with such grace and swagger that matches the music perfectly, making it seem like they were drifting effortlessly. Her gazed stayed here for a while as she became briefly awestruck. Her mind quickly reminded her of the original mission, and the search for her parents started once again. If she couldn't find them now, that was good, but in no time would Louise find her mother stuck to her hip as if there was glue holding them together.

The man who was once standing beside her now stood in front, blocking her vision of the rest of the hall, allowing her gaze to settle on his masked face as he began to speak. She listened as he sarcastically became offended at her remark, a small laugh escaping her lips as he spoke of her supposedly "shoving" him off. Louise opened her mouth to reply, but was suddenly caught off guard when he offered her a dance. Instead of replying to his last comment, the young lady shook her head- "I would do no such thing, Lauren". She interlaced her hand with his and smiled, making her way to join the other dancers.

[senna_]

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TIMESKIPPING POST

* check info on discord

The middle-aged man who'd been standing silently off to the sides of the ballroom took in a deep breath. Dark eyes shifting from person to person, he contemplated on whether or not now was truly the right time to make the announcement. As much as he hated disrupting the fun everyone appeared to be having, he could practically hear King Alexander's gruff voice in his ear; "It's best you announce it before anyone has the chance to leave. This is our hope for the future, now." Taking a deep breath in, the man carefully removed the folded paper in his pocket, then walked up to where the band was placed. Murmuring to them that it was time for the announcement, the music came to an abrupt halt. It did not seem to take long to gain everyone's attention.

"My apologies for interrupting your evening," he began, his deep tone unfaltering as he spoke out amongst the crowd, "but do note that we have an announcement to make." He fell silent for a second, more so for dramatic effect than anything else, then unfolded the paper. "The Kings and Queens of Arkley and Nearon have a confession to make. While we do hope you can appreciate what the Onryx has to offer, the invitation you received has a bit more meaning to it. As you know, our kingdoms have been at war since the birth of them, and the Royals believe that this following action will help keep amends between the two. A large handful of selected young men and women have been paired up with someone in hopes of sparking some marriages between the two kingdoms. The Royals deeply believe that if they know that men and women from both kingdoms are in love, separating them may be more difficult. So, I will announce the names on the provided list below. Ladies that I call, please come line up in front of me in order of called names so the men have fewer difficulties finding you. You are to all share a dance, and the hope is that you all share many happy days in the near future." Ignoring the soft murmurs that had broken out, the man gave his paper a shake, then read:

"Fleur Disraeli and Corrin Elmer, Aretha Ode and Lucien Tandler, Elizabeth Chambers and Kristoff Monette, Louise Cowen and Daniel Bishop, Sterling Robin and Royce Cunningham, Kassandra DeMarks and Theodore Lefeuvret, Agnes Gladwyn and June Park, Effie Jo and Lauren Shaw, and finally, Annalise Purcell and Ambrose Carter. Ladies, please join me up at the front for your final dance of the night. Thank you all for attending this evening's masquerade ball."

[senna_]

──

✫title: the artistxx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫mentions/tags: aretha / theodore -> open

Annalise had fallen into a trapped hole of never-ending memories; she couldn't help it. She had always loved a good dance, no matter if she was dealing with a rather sour mood beforehand, and always felt so alive, so graceful when performing something as simple as a waltz. However, as easy as it was for her to find her rhythm and effortlessly flow with the music, she'd often been tense and professional, for her parents would watch with intense, hawk-like stares, judging her and her partner to see how much of a match they'd make. In fact, this was one of her first events where neither parent came with her. It was shocking, really; her father had a strict time schedule with his business and was therefore busy for the next few upcoming weeks, but to have gotten a break from her mother, who seemed to always be breathing down her neck, was something entirely different. It was so new, so... refreshing. Annie truly felt like she had taken a step- as small and hesitant as it was- into adulthood. Until, that was, she'd fallen into Theodore's path. She spent very little time with genuine friends at large events like this one, and to have Theodore with her, even if just for a few moments, took her down a different route. She felt like a kid again, and it was joyous.

A small smile came to her lips as she thought back to her first dance lesson. She had been far too young to remember who the little boy dancing with her was, but her head was still filled with all the action that came with that lesson. All the times she'd stepped on his polished shoes, and the amount of times he'd taken a step forward instead of back... To say the least, Annalise was glad she was far past those awkward stages of learning how to waltz. Theodore was delightfully light on his feet, too, and Annie silently wondered how much experience he'd had in the past. How many young, beautiful women had he had the pleasure of dancing with? Or, maybe it was the other way around. Anyone who could spend even a brief moment with Theodore was lucky.

Truth be told, Annie had no idea why she was suddenly getting thoughts like that when thinking of her old-time friend. She supposed growing into a (slightly) more mature lady meant putting all the goofy pranks they'd pulled behind, at least in a public space like this. It was a bit saddening, really, moving forward from such good memories, though, at the same time, warming, being able to spend some time with him. She wondered what Aretha would think of him. Aretha was sometimes a bit difficult to read when it came to new people, for she had two evident sides to her. The two of them clicked instantly, for Annalise had quite literally rushed to the rescue when she saw Colin leaning a bit too close to her for any sister's liking, but she wondered if the same would happen with her and Theodore. A new thought bubble popped into her head, throwing her off guard for a split second. What if the two bonded a bit too well? She didn't want to lose two best friends to one another.

Her breath caught in her throat with that and she took a misstep, nearly crashing into Theodore. "My apologies," she blubbered quickly. "Caught in my thoughts." Before she had a chance to get herself back into the graceful movement, the music died off. Visible confusion filled her expression, and she stepped away from Theo, turning her attention to the front of the room, where a man dressed in dark colours stood. His odd words seemed to blend together, and by the time they processed in her mind, he was already calling names up. Her head felt light, like her brain had vanished, replaced by a weightless, fluffy cloud. For a moment, Annalise stared aimlessly up ahead, lips parted, face pale, as if she hadn't a clue where she was. Her feet subconsciously carried her forward; she didn't even realize she was walking until she was beside a petite Asian girl. A headache had begun to brew, and her corset suddenly felt much tighter than before. Gasping for air, Annalise placed a clammy hand against her stomach, ribcage practically smashing against the rigid corset as she attempted to get some fresh air. Did her parents know about this!? This couldn't be happening... Annie refused to marry a stranger. Her eyes helplessly raked the room for Theodore or Aretha, but failed to see either. She'd never felt so helpless in her life.

[AlphaOfThePack21]

19||Female||Demisexual||Wealth: 2||Nearon||Paired: Kristoff Monette||Tags: Agnes --> Open
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Her eyes narrowed at the girl in front of her, a small smirk on her face. She quite liked this girl's hinted spunk. "I have to say that I completely agree, I find a good book much more appetizing than a conversation of who I am to dance with or how appeasing one looks are." She chuckled. She had been asked to dance multiple times tonight by multiple men, but leaving them broken-hearted her card remains empty. She had no time for dancing, and she also didn't like these heels as her feet and legs had started to hurt within minutes of showing up at the Onryx.

The one thing that did slightly irk her was the formal greetings. "Do please leave out all the formalities, I don't see much in using them. But, I am Elizabeth Chambers." she explained with a slight smile. She didn't mind being called by her last name but she also hated it at the same time. She had a quick chuckle at Agnes's comment before nodding. "Oh no I do take that as a compliment. But I have to agree, people seem to be rather like sheep here. Ones who only want to fit the mold. It leaves a rather bitter taste in my mouth." she says as she motions to the others around them, a few glares sent her way.

It was within the next moments that she had turned her attention to the man speaking "Oh this should be good." she spoke as she listened. Surprisingly there was no reaction, she simply walked up to the line. There was this untamed attitude in her step and a fire burning within her chest, it boiled with anger. How dare they try to pin her down, how dare they think that anyone would be okay with this. If it were possible her steps would leave a trail of flames. Her dark gaze straight forwards as she waited for the sorry fellow who they would attempt to eventually court her. Her hands remain at her side, slightly clenched into fists.

She would not give in, she had no hopes of getting married anytime soon. She dreamed to travel and find amazing stories and even write her own. She be damned if she let the crown who have done nothing to help people like her control her life. For right now she would play a darling girl in front of them, to keep her mother from getting into trouble.

21||Male||Heterosexual||Wealth: 9||Arkley||Paired: Kassandra DeMarks||Tags: Annie --> Kass
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As they danced it felt...like home. To him, he could feel the people around them melting away. The music became amplified in a way. They were floating, almost. His worries about his late father's business and money seemed to drift further and further to the back of his mind. The expectations dwindled, and he could just relax. Was that because of the dance, or because of Annie? It had to be of the woman in front of him, simply because of how at ease she always made him feel even if she was drilling into him about something. She was one of his dearest friends.

It was at that moment some of the memories after his mother died came to his mind, when Annalise Purcell truly became a part of his life. They were having a grand time and Theo was messing around like usual. He had come to trip and fall and scrape his knee. Instead of Annie asking if he was okay, she yelled at him telling him how she told him to be careful and that he would fall in get hurt. He chuckled quietly to himself. There were tons of memories like that but in the end, Annie would always wrap him up and pat him on the head. 'I was I such a cry baby when I was younger, how embarrassing.' he thought. Even though he is older by one year, she was always so much mature than him, so much more capable and independent. He had begun to question why such memories were being brought out. But once again his eyes focused on Annie and he caught a glimpse of the little girl who helped him through the darkest part of his life. She was the reason, if he had been dancing with anyone else it would be silent his mind would be clear, but even without speaking any words there was so much conversation within their minds and anyone could see it.

He shook his head lightly when she apologized "No worries, I was experiencing the same issue honestly." His head turned to look at the man speaking as he took a quick glance at Annie before listening. His eyes grew wide and before he could even say anything to Annie she was already gone, up with the other women who lined up. He could feel the swirling in his chest, but not for him, for Annie. She had said so many times how she felt about marriage, now to be put into one for the good of the kingdoms. What kind of trick was this? How cruel this was.

He could feel his hands balling up into fists before he pulled at his jacket and closed his eyes before walking to the front and approaching the line of women and directly to the woman he had been paired with known as Kassandra DeMarks. He stood in front of her and offered a bow, but his eyes were fixed on Annie who was at the end of the line. He cleared his throat slightly before looking back at Kassandra. In his mind worried about Annalise deeply. He tried to push it away as he would need to dance with this fetching woman in front of him.

20||Female||Heterosexual||Wealth: 8||Arkley||Paired: Corrin Elmer||Tags: Royce, Lucien --> Open
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She continued her conversation between the two men, growing more and more comfortable within Lucien's presence. It wasn't likely for her to grow so comfortable but maybe that was due to being near someone she has known for a while and trust. She didn't worry about Royce too much when it comes to his business because she always secretly points people in his direction for weaponry and such. Though she would never admit to it. "Oh forget what my father wants, you know I don't worry much of his words," she spoke. She knew that he missed the conversation, likely his attention focused elsewhere though she didn't take it to heart and simply moved on from the matter.

Though she was quite taken aback by the attention she had from Lucien, finding herself a little flustered. People weren't ones to give her much attention, she was either looked down upon because of her last name or she was belittled and shooed away because she is a fragile child. Someone who didn't seem to know the attachments to her name was rather a nice breath of fresh air. "I do agree with the food here is rather good." she would continue the conversation but within moments everything went quiet and a man stood speaking to all of them.

It was in that moment time stood still, people started to blur together. 'M-marriage?!' she screamed within her head. No this was not the plan, she was to marry for love, she was to find her prince charming her happy ending. She could feel her face heating up but at the same time, it was becoming more white with every second, chewing her on her lip in anxiety. And to make matters worse she was paired with someone she does not know. She looked like a ghost, that she could crumble away within seconds. It started to become hard to breathe and with her body and its reaction to being overwhelmed or overworked from the sickness in the past that didn't make it any easier. But on her face, her expression remained neutral, she would not make such a fool of herself in front of Lucien, Royce, and the rest of the crowd. It was the last thing she would do.

She spun around to look at Royce once more, you could see the fear in her eyes, how terrified and lost she was feeling. But what was she to do? Go against the Crown's wishes? Royce started to look a little blurry and seconds later a few teardrops fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She then looked to Lucien before curtsying to both of them and wiping her cheeks gently before turning and lining up being the first one called up. 'Why....' she thought. 'Why must I be bound and told what to do and who to love. Just when I was gaining my freedom, it had been taken away from me again.' her mind was racing with thoughts, they bounced around over and over again. She felt so heavy, like someone was sitting on her chest, like someone just clipped her wings. But she took a deep breath and had her hands cupped over one another in front of her.

[poppyxoxo]

ARETHA - tagging/mentions: Corrin, Lucien, open

What the middle aged man seemed to be inferring was that this was no ordinary ball but in fact something of a matchmaking affair. How scandalise! Her parents would be so furious if they knew what they daughter had been sent for in that letter. This whole ball seemed to have switched perspective and was a lot more carefree but rather... strained. Corrin's words seem to be fading from Aretha's earshot, interrupted by the words of un unannounced middle aged man who addressed the crowd as a whole. She would have turned to apologise to Corrin for her lack of speech but not felt there were more important matters at hand now.

She bid Corrin a quick farewell before turning back towards the stranger who had addressed them all moments before. She began to follow the small mob of ladies who swiftly moved to gather in a line, her eyes frantically seeking out Annie. She needed her best friend more than ever in this current moment of panic, struggling breath which her tightened corset did not help with my any means. She caught site of her friends beautiful honey hair and rushed over, daintily picking up the fabric of her skirt as to not appear reckless. She caught up to her friend who seemed to be just as lost for words as what Aretha was. "I-I tried to find you before but couldn't see you anywhere" she spoke instantly, reaching out a hand to friend.

Aretha allowed herself to sink into a steady pace beside Annie as they walked. "What on earth is all of this about?" Aretha asked her friend as though Annie had all the answers. She had not heard of a man named Lucien so this would be more difficult than she had hoped.


AMBROSE - tagging/mentions: Kristoff, Annalise, open

Ambrose turned to Kristoff, his mouth propped open slightly in utter shock. One, he had not even begun to think of marriage, let alone to a stranger. Two, wasn't this technically not how these things should work. He felt utterly stumped and somewhat terrified as to what this meant. "I-I hardly know anyone here! How am I meant to know which one of these ladies is Annalise Purcell?" Ambrose asked Kristoff, assuming the mans higher wealth opened his eyes to more well-known names.

"Did you know that this was going to happen?" Ambrose asked his companion, nervously fiddling with his hands behind his back. As he spoke, he moved to face the line of women, his eyes located the figure of his dance partner. She was chatting with a young women he had seen walking in. He’d approach her soon, not wanting to come across as rude if he interrupted them early.

DANIEL - tagging/mentions: Elliott, Louise, open

He had hardly warmed up to the ball before the man basically stated that he would find his soulmate in the span of a few days. He couldn't deny the confusing mixture of fury and confusion that he felt. When the kingdom had announced a new alliance was formed, he never would have believed that this was what things could come down to. Daniel shot a worried look over at Elliott but could not do much else before following all the men as they walked together to join and face the women, searching for his partner. He believed he had heard this women's name coming from a very small group beside him, obviously addressing the women that had joined them moments before. He had caught a glimpse of her face just enough to be able to pick her from the line of ladies.