↘ ғᴀᴛᴇғᴜʟ ᴀʟʟɪᴇs

[sunhorsestar]

Lucien Tandler | 19 | Wealth 4 | Nearon | Tagging: Aretha


Lucien watched as Annalise headed off and immediately Aretha made her way towards him those few feet between them, and guilt flashed through him. I undoubtedly should have been the one to approach her, but...to interrupt a young woman's conversation couldn’t be proper either. However, he smiled and bowed to the young woman with a smile when he came up again.

"Pardon me, ma’am. I should have come to see you when your name was called, but I did not want to interrupt you. My apologies. I’m Lucien Tandler, but no need for formalities. Feel free to call me Lucien." The man extended a hand to the young woman. "Would you honour me with this dance?"


Corrin Elmer | 20 | Wealth 3 | Arkley | Tagging: Fleur


"Pleasure to meet you," Corrin said, managing a nervous smile. Fleur seemed friendly enough, or at the very least, she did not reject his company right away. The young man reached out and took the hand extended to him, kicking himself mentally for not having been the first to extend a hand for a dance, though smiling on the outside. Come on! That’s basic manners!

"Of course, though I’m sure a lovely young lady such as yourself could never disappoint anyone." Corrin nodded towards the dance floor. "Shall we?"


Sterling Rena Robin | 22 | Wealth 8 | Nearon | Tagging: Royce


Sterling stood where she had been called to, blue eyes scanning the ballroom. Scanning the men who wandered around seeking out their partners, perhaps with a bit of reluctance, but that was to be expected, she supposed, given the rather shocking news. She herself had never paid much attention to the idea of marriage, of settling down. She was neither disturbed nor eager at the prospect of an arranged marriage, her expression was simply apathetic. That is, until the young man she assumed to be her partner approached. At that point, the young woman offered him a smile.

"Of course," she agreed, taking his arm. Dancing would be nice. Having hidden herself away in the corner for much of the evening, Sterling had not yet had the chance to get on the dance floor and that, she was quite eager for.


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


Kass was wary, even once the man had approached. He was handsome, that was undeniable, and that was certainly something she could appreciate, but looks only went so far. The truth of a person lay in their personality, and that could not be judged by the eye. However, she could not get to know his personality in the slightest if she defied the requests set before them and simply left as had been her initial instinct. However, as things settled in her mind, she found herself more curious than wary or apprehensive. She’d come in hopes of getting to know people, and that was exactly what she planned to do.

Kassandra took Theodore's hand with a smile forming at the corner of her lip. "I would be honoured to dance with you, good sir." She was not sure how to feel about the true nature of the ball, but...a dance could not hurt. She’d danced plenty, and would be happy to dance again.

[harrington]

❖ ❛ ── kristoff monette, the "sweetheart", wealth of nine, kingdom of arkley. tags ;; liza

indentKristoff sucked in a breath as Liza spoke. "Unfortunately?" He raised an eyebrow at her comment, but continued to speak. "Kristoff Monette, yes. I'm sure you've heard of me," Kristoff's eyes glared daggers into Liza's, but she would not budge one bit. This woman had spunk, and Kristoff wasn't sure where this originated from. Perhaps she was nervous, or perhaps she was just raised without manners. Regardless, Kristoff decided to make his goal to make an acquaintance of the woman; he had no romantic interest in her one bit but still felt she could be a pleasure to be around. Her somewhat cold exterior posed a challenge for Kristoff, however.
indent"No, I suppose you do not," he tapped his foot impatiently. "Remember, I do not have a choice in this matter either," he tried to reassure her, if not to be friendly then to simply state the facts. He watched her lips as she responded to the decree with a certain level of displeasure, after linking arms with the woman. "So, it's not me then," Kristoff looked to her for reassurance, "but instead you're upset with the idea as a whole?" Kristoff laughed to himself quietly. She had no idea, did she? When the higher-ups arrange a marriage...
indent"I do not intend to marry you," Kristoff stated bluntly, leading Elizabeth to the dance floor. "Do you know how to waltz?" He asked, unintentionally coming off as incredibly condescending. "It seems to be the chosen dance for tonight."


❖ ❛ ── agnes gladwyn, the tailor, wealth of two, kingdom of nearon. tags ;; june, liza (ment.)

indent"I have a nagging feeling that I cannot refuse," she sighed, the muscles in her shoulders tensing up. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Mr. Park. All these women may be easy to win over," she stole a quick glance over to Elizabeth, who was already speaking to a man who Agnes could only assume had the ego of the entire continent of Europe. "But I am not all of these women."
indentAgnes did have to admit to herself that the man in front of her was beautiful. June had gorgeous eyes, ones that shone in the light of the manor. She could not see any malicious intent behind them, and he seemed like a good enough person... although there was something tugging at her chest, telling her to completely abandon the ball and it's occupants, she shook this off and, although keeping her guard up, took June's hand in hers and waited to be led to the dance floor.
indent"Flattery will not get you very far." Agnes replied to June's comment, assuring him that she had heard his murmurings. "But I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless. You are quite pleasing to the eye as well," she returned his compliment. All that was left to do was to dance, and what harm could that truly do?

[poppyxoxo]

AMBROSE - tagging: Annalise

Ambrose remained quite for a few moments, allowing his words to sink in as they danced, feeling slightly confident especially for his first real try. Annalise seemed to not be as angry with him anymore which relieved Ambrose. After all, who would like to spend the night of a masquerade ball angry. Although, the announcement just moments before certainly didn't help, especially now that he was secretly anxious. Annalise was a perfect dancer and as he recalled she had been doing this since she was a young girl. Coming from a family of fame and wealth, that was bound to happen. "It has its moments, definitely" Ambrose agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Something about the waltz lightened his heart ever so slightly, chasing out the mixture of anger and anxiety even if it was for only a few moments. He felt more tuned to the music which was sure to calm his nerves down and replace them with excitement for a while. Annalise seemed to be well aware of this particular dance even though it was not her most favourite style. "My pleasure, Mis Purcell. Don't take me as a jumpy person as I assure you, I am not, just maybe too aware sometimes".

"Well, I think a lady needs to hear genuine flattery nowadays or it is really a shame. Any gentlemen would know that, I'm certain" he explained, returning the smile he had seen dash across Annalise's face moments before. He continued in silence for a few moments, his eyes settled upon Miss Purcell's rather beautiful emerald green ones. They held a deeper wisdom that he may never understand but appreciated nonetheless. He raised an eyebrow when she appeared to stop herself from her next few words. "Are you alright, Miss?" he asked, worried creasing his eyebrows slightly despite telling himself to not fret or otherwise he may get scolded. "Why thank you. That means a lot coming from someone who has years of experience".

Ambrose continued to lead them around the dance floor, conscious of people all around them and the weight he put on his feet. "I have an older sister. Twenty seven, she is. What about you?".

ARETHA - tagging: Lucien

Aretha stood patiently waiting for her dance partner to approach, although her foot had begun to tap slightly as if in an attempt to stifle her nerves. She watched him carefully as he approached, taking in how he moved and presented himself. No red flags leapt out at her for the moment being which Aretha took as a sign to greet Lucien with a smile and a polite curtsey, as she had practised on many occasions.

"There is no need for apologies, Mr Tandler. I appreciate the though" Aretha greeted the man, holding out a gloved hand. "Of course sire. Lead the way".

[fruitbat]

[

𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑰𝑺𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑵
────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Kingdom Nearon. Wealth eight. Title the concerned. Mentions Daniel. Tags Daniel
────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Louise noticed Daniel looking rather pleased- perhaps he wasn't against the arranged marriages, or he was some sort of agent that knew of this mischievous plan all along. Either way Louise was a little disgusted, but tried her best not to make such a quick judgement when she hadn't even introduced herself to the man. From what she could tell so far, he was rather clam and collected, unfazed by the recent news that seemed to have shocked everyone excluding him. How could he be like this when forced into something as serious as marriage? He couldn't be any older than herself either, making it all the more worst to be so accepting. However, when Daniel responded to her concerning statement, she politely agreed with him. It wouldn't be at all smart to make such a fuss now, especially in front of the royals. Who knows what they may do if that were to occur- maybe they'd shut the pairs in rooms until babies were made.

A shiver of uncomfortableness hit Louise's' body like a strong wave on the rocks: strong, fast, and unpredicted. Daniel's light-hearted comment about keeping an eye on the exists eased her a little though, and she gave a slight nod in agreement. Louise then proceeded to curtsy in formal greeting to the young man in front of her before looking around at the other pairs making their move. "I guess it would be smart of us to dance then..." She said with sight hesitation before putting her hand out to him, waiting for his approval.

𝑹𝑶𝒀𝑪𝑬 𝑪𝑼𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑯𝑨𝑴
────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Kingdom Arkley. Wealth five. Title the virtuoso. Mentions Sterling. Tags Sterling.
────────────────────────────────────────────────────

As he waited for the young lady in front of him, Royce noticed that he had not seen her before. Perhaos she was from another kingdom, or maybe even of higher wealth in his own. Either way, he hadn't even seen her as he arrived into the ballroom. Usually Royce was good at capturing faces and retaining them for a later time or date, but nothing about Sterling run bells in his mind. Maybe he was so caught up in the fuss with Fleur and Lucien that he wasn't paying attention to those around him, or she was extremely sly and could weave her way through crowds like a fox on the prowl. He shrugged to himself, not bothered about his initial concerns towards Sterling.

He watched as a smile appeared on the young lady's lips. She was clearly happy, but what about? Marriage? Dancing? Interacting? Maybe the reason he hadn't seen her was because she was an introvert, who naturally surf the outskirts of crowds until forced into something like this. Although Royce was shocked he couldn't help but to return a smile, but there was an uncertainty about it that only those who were incredibly conscious could pick up. When Sterling wrapped her arm around Royce's he lead them both to the dance floor, listening closely for the music that determined the dance. It seemed like everyone was waltzing- something Royce was never really good at. He acted confidently though, hoping not to disappoint his dance partner. "I think we must waltz, do you know how?" He asked with curiosity, but then seemed to swallow his words back up. "I mean, of course you'd know. A young lady like yourself had probably practiced millions of times..." he said, rather embarrassed and unsure if he had offended her. "My apologies Miss Robin" He added quickly as he begun to waltz with her.

[senna_]

──

✫age: twentyxx✫gender: femalexx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫tags: ambrose

Ambrose fell quiet and Annalise allowed herself to fall into line with the music in the background. It was soft, soothing, with a hint of adrenaline sparking on the edge, desperate to pump the blood inside the dancers' veins. Waltzing was like something that was plucked straight from a fairytale; it was innocent, dreamy, though carried a pinch of mystery to it. She'd never thought much of weddings, but a waltz would be her choosing for a dance with her husband. It was far too suiting for her to turn that down, even if she preferred a hearty round of galopede dancing any day.

She couldn't read what was on his face and therefore didn't know what Ambrose was thinking about, but he didn't seem to be frowning and his brows were not narrowed, so Annie took he was at least satisfied with the situation. Her answers were not clipped but they most likely weren't the most interesting, either, and she wouldn't be surprised if he found a good handful of the other ladies much more interesting than herself, but he didn't shy away and that was enough to please her. His attractive face held a soft expression to it, moss-green gaze thoughtful, gratified. She hadn't taken him to be jumpy but didn't bother mentioning that aloud. Her gaze must have been intense enough for him to say anything at all and that surprised her; Annie had encountered few men that could successfully multitask while dancing.

She tilted her head ever-so-slightly as he continued on. It seemed most suiting to be honest with him. "I was never taught to return flattery," she voiced, no longer feeling too shamed over it. "As a woman with parents watching her every move, I've just learned to smile and move on from it; they never wanted me to 'give in.' And-" she continued, her tone in a more of matter-of-fact way, "-I must say, you seem to have a natural flow to your charming words. I'm sure you, Mr. Carter, have a long line of ladies begging for a proposal any day now. I wishn't hold you back." Her nose crinkled as she thought back to one man, Mr. Eden Bertein, who had attempted to woo her only a few months ago. He seemed to have been attempting to use the tone Shakespeare used, but everyone knew those plays ended up in tragedies. Mr. Bertein's attempted flirtations got so miraculous and, well, awful, that Annalise had genuinely feared he was going to be spying on her moving forward. Thankfully, she hadn't encountered him since. Though flattery towards a person- particularly their appearance- wasn't the road Annalise would take, some women fell hard for it. Perhaps Mr. Bertein found a lady after all.

Her lips curled up into a gentle smile as Ambrose continued on on the subject of his family after having dismissed his worrisome question with a small shake of the head, the type that indicated that she was indeed okay and didn't wish to speak of it at that moment. "That must be nice," she mumbled, half to herself, "having a small, tight-knit family. Your family sounds lovely, I'm sure you have some fun memories saved up. I'm sure your sister enjoys having some power over you- the older siblings never give up, do they?" She was pleasantly surprised when he returned the question; unless he was just trying to be polite, she took he didn't know much about her family, and for whatever reason, that made her feel much more settled. She could be more like her, not the Purcell girl everyone expected, both in terms of first impressions and every day going forward. Though, surely he had to know of Irina and Peyton; the three of them has been nicknamed the Golden Trio by quite a few throughout Nearon. They had more portraits done than any of Purcell in the family, excluding their parents. Then again, maybe Ambrose came from Arkley. She realized they hadn't discussed that.

"I am a child of nine," Annie finally answered after having sunk back into her thoughts once more. "The oldest is twenty-five, so only just younger than your sister." Then, with a slight head tilt, Annalise returned to his former question about her person, though didn't answer it directly. "I've attended so many balls with someone from my family that I do tend to forget when I come alone. It does not happen very often, and I'd only just caught myself from attempting to introduce you to some family. It's quite nice to have a night alone, though; I'm sure you understand that feeling, having only one sibling." Her gaze returned to him, but it wasn't judging, just curious. "And I take you are from Arkley?"

[AlphaOfThePack21]

19||Female||Demisexual||Wealth: 2||Nearon||Paired: Kristoff Monette||Tags: Kristoff
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

"Ah yes, the infamous ladies' man, right? I'm sure I caught wind of your gossip from that of the mouths of the women who flock you." She retorted. Her eyes watched the people pass by, seeing all the eyes on the group who was called up just moments ago. Murmurs within the crowd. Along with the conversations between partners, each seeming to more pleasant than the next. She wasn't much on eavesdropping but hearing how others are handling the situation, to her, just seemed like a facade.

Her focus returned to Kristoff. "I suppose that could be the case, though I do not think kindly or fondly of most any men. So don't think you are to receive any different treatment than them," she states. She rolled her eyes faintly to his statement. "I do not expect you to, nor do I want or intend to marry you. But, I will not dumb down my personality and act like the rest of the women who are pretending to be happy and well-mannered simply because the crown said to. When you can feel it in the air that there is anything but that." she comments.

A laugh escaped. "Is that because I am not in the higher class that you ask that question?" her eyes narrowed at him once again, a challenging look. "Yes..I know how to waltz." Even though her feet were killing her and probably had been rubbed raw from them she would ignore the pain to not make a fool of herself. 'Curse these heels, I should've just wore the stupid flats.' she thought to herself.

21||Male||Heterosexual||Wealth: 9||Arkley||Paired: Kassandra DeMarks||Tags: Kassandra
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

He kept a smile on his face, now putting all of his attention and effort into this woman. That is what a gentleman does. Gently he leads her to the dance floor and places his other on the back of her shoulder blade. "I know it might not mean much coming from a stranger's mouth, but you look positively radiant." he said as he started to dance, light on his feet as usual.

"So tell me Miss DeMarks. What is it that you do in your spare time? What makes you happy?" he questions. He loved meeting new people honestly. He liked getting to know them, figuring out what makes them...unique. How one person is different from another. He took in the woman's features, well at least the ones that weren't hidden by a mask. She was quite stunning now that he wasn't too focused on the whole marriage aspect. He was just letting this be an interaction just like the rest of the night had been.

20||Female||Heterosexual||Wealth: 8||Arkley||Paired: Corrin Elmer||Tags: Corrin
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Though she was scared and angry she continued to push past it, letting it melt away as she let in the music. It calmed her nerves a little more. And even more so when he didn't know any ties to her last name. Her cheeks went a light rosy pink that was slightly hidden by her mask. "We shall, though I must be honest that I sometimes get two left feet. So...I apologize in advance if I happen to stumble or step on your feet." she stated. Even with all her lessons on how to dance when she wasn't sick, you would think she wouldn't mess up too much. But the fact is she just gets extremely nervous when she needs to actually dance with someone other than one of her brothers.

She quietly cleared her throat. "S-so do you have any family?" she questioned. She might as well TRY to know him a little. Within a few moments, she asked, "What is your line of work?" She could feel the music at this point. It was soothing to her. Though she yelled at herself internally for asking too many questions too quickly.

[onion]

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

again, effie dipped her head slightly for a moment. she was nodding in agreeance with the man, to let him know she understood. "i see," she said simply, the slight british accent of hers wiggling its way out. "of course, you are not required to marry me as well. i am simply... a girl."
effie stared silently at him then, looking into his eyes for any sign of emotion. he seemed sad almost, perhaps regretful? while she wasnt sure, and wasnt going to assume, her point still stood; lauren was free to leave her now, however, he wasnt... "after all, out of all of the women standing before you, why would you purposefully pick the pink one?" she asked with a small chuckle, even letting a little smile cross her pinkish lips.
he seemed like a nice man, lauren. well... nice enough. he was gentle, kind, and understanding of her so far, even if he didnt know much at all. and to top it off, he danced very well. effies smile faded as the dance went on, and she followed his foot steps carefully to make sure she didnt trip or fall, which would have been very embarrassing.

♦️ june park / 18 / bisexual / wealth 8 / the athlete
kingdom: arkley
location: ballroom
tags: agnes

june smiled. the girl was playing hard to get, and though he enjoyed a challenge and a good game at that, he wasnt interested in playing tonight. "do not worry, miss. i do not plan to marry any time soon," he said with a bit of a hearty chuckle, pulling her slowly to the dance floor. "a simple dance, then? side to side?" junes smile lingered as he set his left hand on the womans waist, and held his right hand up for her to take.
the woman made it clear she wasnt too interested in this, as he wasnt either, but her compliment was kind enough. "of course you are not all the women here. that would be silly of me to assume, miss," june explained gently. "but i do hope you will give me a small chance, even if it is not much..." he looked down. her dress was beautiful, a dark crimson that fell to her feet. not too puffy, not too flat, and long sleeved as well. he wondered absentmindedly how conservative this girl was, but didnt think too much of it. there was nothing wrong with staying covered up.
her mask was nicely sewn as well, a sheer white lace that covered around her eyes and the bridge of her nose. "i did mean it, however," june said. "you are quite beautiful, even for a stranger."

[poppyxoxo]

DANIEL - tagging: Louise

Although Daniel wasn't too pleased about the sneaky plans that had been made, he felt no complaint towards beautiful dance partner. What did create nerves for his was the fact that Louise was above well presented that clearly confirmed her wealth. Daniel had no real experience around ladies outside his close knit town but it was an honour to be in such lovely company. The upbeat music that played in the background lolled Daniel into a calm state. Although he felt a similar rage to everyone else, he felt it was better to project onto an undeserving strange.

He suspected the young women was no less nervous than what she was due to his hesitation which he didn't mind. It comforted him knowing that this wasn't the sort of thing that the richer expected, either. He held out his hand, only to notice that Louise hesitated before offering her own, which made him smile for a second. "Indeed we should. If not for ourselves, for our likely audience" he commented, gently holding Louise's hand as he led her to the dance floor.

AMBROSE - tagging: Annalise

Although everyone was likely allowing the shock to settle in, they didn't let this affect their dancing by any means. Ambrose had heard music similar to this but nothing quite this well put together. It did not match the bomb that had just been dropped on everyone however it did fit perfectly to the décor. The music attempted to dredge up any lasting signs of excitement that may have died within the masquerade goers. Back to the though of masks, Ambrose could not wait to be able to see his dance partner's face. He knew that was the whole part of a masquerade and the newly sprung situation is quite fitting.

Ambrose hardly knew what to do while dancing. Did he have to do anything while dancing, or could he just gently whisk his partner around the dance floor, attuned to the music? "Pardon me for asking but, were you taught that it was rude, or even selfish?" Ambrose asked, careful to not sound pushy. Ambrose searched Annalise for any signs of distaste and found none, taking that as a good sign that this stunning women was not deterred by himself. However he did find it inviting as she opened up more about her parents, what was expected of her. "Actually, I do not. Back home, I could not pay attention to such things. I'm judging by your reaction you had an awkward run in with a man asking for your hand in marriage".

"It is nice, and although my sister does make jokes at me most of the time, I'm sure you would know the feelings of thought love. If I can call it that. Sisters never give up on that, no. Do you have a good relationship with your family?" Ambrose queried. His smile grew slightly for he could empathise with her statement on arriving to balls alone. He couldn't help but wonder if the young lady got exhausted from her lifestyle sometimes. "Yes, I am. You are from Nearon, yes?" Ambrose asked.

[senna_]

──

✫age: twentyxx✫gender: femalexx✫wealth: ninexx✫kingdom: nearonxx✫tags: ambrose

Annalise wasn't sure if she was a total bore to Ambrose or not, given the way he fell silent for a good few moments, but she tried not to think about it too much. It was awful thought to come to the conclusion over, but she had to tell herself that she did not have to fall in love with him, did not have to marry him if she did not want to. Besides, her parents had the final say in everything, and if he wasn't wealthier than she was, it was probably going to be a problem. Colin's to-be bride was rather poor and though Irina had found someone charming and glimmering with wealth, she was going to move away. Annalise was left with higher standards. Besides, everyone knew that a woman's everything was given to the man they married, and her parents refused to let what she was born with get lost under a pile of rags she was to use to clean the house. They had told her they didn't wish for her to retire to become strictly a housewife, and for once, Annie had agreed with them. But asking how wealthy someone was was plain rude, everyone knew that. She'd simply have to do some digging.

"Neither, really," she responded earnestly, noting with contentedness that he was sincere about what he had asked her. "But, as I'm sure you've discovered from balls by now, we women are taught to keep our mouths shut within a presence of a man; giving away too much makes us bold and unworthy. We let the man come to us, and giving them a sincere compliment from our hearts isn't always what a man wants to hear. We're to flirt charmingly and agree with everything you say, don't you know." She didn't even bother curling that into a question, for it was truly a statement she was putting down. A somewhat cheeky glint flashed in her eyes momentarily as she added in a more sly manner, "Of course, when a lady is by her lonesome, I suppose she isn't set to follow those rules, but I've them drilled into my mind. Ever since I was a young girl. My parents are very strict on this." They were also very strict when it came to approving a man, but Annalise didn't feel that was yet necessary to mention. If she were to fall in love with this man then absolutely, for she should prepare him when he entered the dragon's den, but she barely even knew him. Handsome and sweet with his words, he was, but nothing more than a stranger to her.

A quirk of the brow was her response to his comment on her sarcastic one regarding the waiting women at home, somewhat unconvinced, but in a lighthearted manner. She had to remind herself that this wasn't someone like Theodore, who could read her like a book. "And I take your acceptance to the Onryx mansion had to do with turning that around?" she guessed. "Did you wish to find a lady here, even before the announcement was given?"

Her cheeks flared a cherry red when he mentioned marriage, though towards her. She wasn't sure why she felt somewhat offended by the comment, but it was enough to get her heart rate going. "I'll have you know, Mr. Carter, that I'm not as easily won over as you may think," she stated, tone clear. She wasn't harsh about it, and she most certainly wasn't giving him a lecture, but she did want to make it clear that she wasn't nearly as desperate as some of the women in the room. "I've yet to receive a marriage proposal, though I've many suitors, and I haven't found a single one suiting-" a smirk rounded at the corner of her lips at her rather lame joke, "-and I don't believe I ever will. My parents are to choose my husband, sir, not me." Her lips pressed together tightly, bitterly, and she was relieved when he'd shifted back towards his sister. Thinking of Irina and Peyton always made Annie's heart feel lighter. "Yes, family love truly is something else. I'm sure your sister is quite lovely." Her head tilted just the slightest at his question, and she pondered over whether or not she should be frank. "Some," she finally answered. "I get along very well with my two close sisters, Irina and Peyton, and my older brother Colin acts as a second father to me. My younger siblings and I get along fine, but there's quite a large age gap between my sister Peyton and the rest. And, as I said, my parents are very strict, and I don't see my father much. I'd say we get along as well as a family should." She shrugged in conclusion.

It didn't surprise her when he confirmed his kingdom; Annie wasn't familiar with the surname Carter. "Where about in Arkley?" she inquired, before answering, "Beckton, Nearon, yes." She gave a sarcastic eye-roll at that. Beckton, the Paris of France, the Manhattan of New York. Where the travelers came and did stuff no local would ever dream of doing to their precious architect. Painfully busy, yet beautiful once one saw past the traffic. Annalise had always preferred the country to the city, despite her hunger for its liveliness every now and then. Perhaps she'd find a husband who had the same preferences as she did.

──────

──

♚age: twenty-twoxx♚gender: malexx♚wealth: fivexx♚kingdom: arkleyxx♚tags: effie

Though Lauren did not often like spending time with true introverts, ones who did not talk very much, he did feel rather comfortable being around Effie. Typically, the quiet people he knew were business-driven, desperate to get their hands on one's deepest, darkest secrets. They did not know how to play nice, and everyone who knew their kind knew they were not to be trusted. Effie did not give off this negative energy, though, and Lauren knew that was because of more than just her gender. Her quietness was shy, though warming, cozy-like; he felt as though if for whatever reason the situation came about, he could relax and take a nap in her presence. He didn't feel like she was the type to snoop, or wiggle her way into a scenario where she was neither wanted nor belonged in. She seemed genuine, real. It was difficult to find women of this age that didn't put on a fake, flirtatious smile and said the most preposterous comments just to grab the attention of a man. Though this wasn't something that often happened unless he was a suitor, Effie Jo seemed like someone Lauren would sit down and share a tea with. That seemed rewarding enough; he had little intentions to drive further down the romance path, but a friendship would be nice. He didn't have many of those.

"You are more than just a simple girl," he told her, voice soft, sincere. "You are a young woman with a kind heart; one would have to be awfully blind not to catch that." Lauren allowed his gaze to flicker up and over her head after he said that, for both his sake and hers. He was merely sure this would embarrass Effie, unless she was good at taking compliments from a man like himself, and Lauren didn't often use a softer tone, especially not towards those he had only just met. But with Effie, he felt as though that was the right thing to do, the comfortable thing to do. It was a strange feeling.

It was brought to his attention then that her accent was different from his own. Thicker, though flowed nicely. British, he knew it instantly. Before he could ask, she made a comment about her sweet pink dress. Lauren's mouth opened, then snapped shut. For a brief second, his usual, miserable sarcasm itched to return, to retort something like, "Well, I hadn't much of a choice, did I?" but he stopped himself. Instead, he settled for a small smile, then returned to his previous curiosity. "You accent, it's British, isn't it? Are you from England?"

[poppyxoxo]

AMBROSE - tagging: Annalise

Ambrose was conscious of his body temperature rising as Annalise and himself whisked around the dancefloor but it was not enough to create a smell or anything to worry about. Keeping tabs on his own dancing was difficult enough without having to worry if Annalise was having a good time. The least he could do for them both is creating a fun and bearable environment for just long enough until the dance was over. Ambrose suspected that if she could get away, he would never see Annalise again that night. Now that he was thinking about it, Ambrose was sure that he would tag along. In saying that, Ambrose was enjoying the dance and more importantly, his time getting to know Annalise.

Ambrose had to admit, he was slightly surprised by Annalise's answer as he had heard that many of the wealth were taught by their parents to quieten their behaviour as they grew. "I assure you, Miss Purcell, that in my presence you can speak till your heart is content, and I will listen. I can always appreciate a good talk even much like we are having now. Although I do see the charm in allowing a man to approach first. I suppose it gives you time to react and appreciate their consideration of your company. There does seem to be much more etiquette that ladies need to follow" Ambrose voiced his thought. Ambrose guessed he had always thought so but it never truly rose in his mind until now. He grinned slightly, noting the cheeky glint that danced across Annalise's green gaze. "If you were not always under the watchful eye of your parents, could you not have even a small amount of fun?". Ambrose was genuinely curious as he was sure Annalise enjoyed a good prank every now and again, given the light and excitement in her eyes.

"Oh see if anyone had anything to do with that, it would be my mother. She would chase away any women she got the chance to meet" Ambrose offered as light banter. However Ambrose could detect that their was truth behind his words, given his mothers distaste towards the thought of possible suitors for her son. She had already allowed her daughter to wed, but not her last child. "Oh the contrary Miss, I do think that it would be difficult to win your attention. I suspect that you enjoy excitement but with the right kind of people. As you should, I should think" he countered. A smile curved his lips upwards despite how serious he felt about his assumption. It wasn't that he found Annalise high maintenance, though he supposed at some things she was, Ambrose knew already that Annalise was more independent than many ladies her age. From the slightly bitter note in Annalise's voice, he could deduce that she clearly didn't have much of a say in her marriage except to disagree with a suitor. Ambrose, however, was not deterred and continued to lead Annalise in the waltz, the pair seemingly taken by the music despite their separate discussion. "It's nice to have someone to be close with; someone who can you can share the mischief with. From an outsiders point of view, if I may add, your family seems like a lovely one".

"In Arsdon, actually. It is more well known then some places but not nearly as well known as Beckton. I have always wanted to go there" Ambrose admitted, somewhat sheepish at his lack of exploration. Ambrose was not the type of man to get out much, choosing to take to the comfort of familiarity until he felt he was ready to experience other places.