✦ sovereign

[the 1975]

❝ ＩＳＡＢＥＬＬＥ ❞
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( role. lady in waiting ) ( age. 19 ) ( location. the palace gardens ) ( tags. rowen, ely, cass )

belle was the happiest when she was around her favorite group of people. they were her best friends, her family. she was in a fit of giggles already. isabelle opened her mouth to say more, because she loved talking so much, when she was, quite literally, swept off her feet. she laughed as cass spun her around. she nearly shivered when the princes fingers touched her skin. grinning like a cheshire cat, belle playfully slapped his hand. ”i figured it was about time i showed everyone that i am, in fact, a woman.” she beamed with pride as she spoke every word. isabelle was the youngest out of all her friends and was often the butt of the jokes because of it. now that she was nineteen, she figured she was old enough to be her own person. she smoothed down her dress and began to grin mischievously, ”besides, its easier for the knights to get into.” she whispered to cass, her eyes looking over rowen.

isabelle spun around, beaming at elyana. she was one of the most beautiful women isabelle knew ans she not only looked up to her, but adored her. belle began to blush at her compliment, they always meant more than ely knew. ”i nor the midnight sky compare to your beauty elyana, truly.” she smiled at their hands. isabelle knew this arrangement was taking a toll on everyone and she worried about cass and elyana the most. she knew ely had always wanted to marry for love and that cass, well, he was cass of course.

isabelle was making a couple little adjustments to her hair when she heard cass shouting down the hall. he was a hoot and a half sometimes. the brunette laughed softly and shook her head, ”does he ever think about what he says?” she asked then made her way to the door way. she bit her lip trying to hide the huge grin she had because of rowen bowing. she curtsied and bowed her head slightly. gingerly, she placed her hand on his arm. isabelle took deep breaths as they made their way to the gardens. she wasnt sure how people would receive her, especially since she was not full european. everyone in aurelia was very accepting about that sort of thing, what if those in morland werent?

belle didnt know much about her mother, she assumed she died giving birth to her. her father never talked about her. the only thing her father told her was that, she was the most beautiful woman, her skin, the colour of oak, her hair as dark as midnight and her eyes as light as gold. belles favorite bed time story was when her father told her how he met her mother. she would ask to know more but then he would stop talking all together for a while. maybe the memories hurt too much?

isabelle was captivated by the garden. it was always beautiful but this time, the planners had out done themselves. with her free hand, she grabbed a flute of whatever from a servers tray. she took a small sip, the liquid pouring down her throat. ”no wonder you are drunk, this is delicious.” she teased with a smile as she looked up at rowen. he was so tall and his body felt as hard as the castle walls. being a little too in thought about this subject, isabelle unconsciously squeezed his arm and immediately felt her ears get hot, ”i am so sorry, i think the wine is already getting to me.” she chuckled nervously, looking away.

[Legend.]

[quote="✦ Ineffable"]♢ 𝕰𝖑𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊 ♢
Tags- Celestia then open // Feeling - nervous & worried // Location- the dessert table
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Ella felt that she was back in her mothers comforting arms as her mother ordered servants around and continued on her busy life, but somehow still kept Ella stable and safe. Except she wasn’t with her mother, she was being held stable by her best friend as she stuffed Ella’s face with food and water, which had never tasted better. The bread seemed to soak up the alcohol and the water to dilute what was left. Ella pictured herself as a bubbling toddler waddling around aimlessly, looking for trouble to get into, but as Cel rubbed rose water onto her blue dress and preventing any stains, she noticed the music became quieter and her vision improved. Before she could thank her, Cel shoved Ella toward the stairs where the prince was descending. Gulping Ella silently muttered a prayer to ancient gods. Looking straight ahead, she still had a little buzz but it would just make her less worried and more fun to be around. Her once perfect curls were now slightly messy but it actually looked better and more natural. Most of her makeup had been wiped off, especially the powder that was pounded on her cheeks to make her seem lighter and more feminine, but now it was gone and her normally tan skin now showed and a sprinkle of freckles dotted her small nose. Her eyes still watery made her blue eyes pop, along with her water colored dress which smelled like a field of roses. Somehow Ella looked more beautiful then when she was all made up and looked like a porcelain doll. Glancing back at her beloved friend she shot her a loving smile before proceeding to walk toward the prince, hoping to catch him before some other young woman caught his eye and stole his attention. To say she was glowing was an understatement, maybe it was the little buzz still remaining or her new found beauty, but Ella felt as nothing could bring her down.
Her breath hitched as she caught sight of the prince once more, he looked as if he was a god somewhere on Olympus but was banished down to live amongst the mortals. His strong stature and his handsome height made him even more attractive not to mention the curls that flowered his head. If only Ella believed he could truly love her and they would be happy but she heard of his reputation and how all his engagements ended before the wedding ceremony. Taking a deep breath she let the troublesome thoughts fade away, tonight she would put them behind her and just enjoy the celebration and have fun.
Deciding it wasn’t exactly welcoming to approach him as soon as he entered, Ella turned slightly and found the dessert table, full of enticing colors and smells. Making herself seem to be just so intrigued with the desserts she waited for the young heir to approach her or at least settle in before she started a conversation.

[sneezes]

⸺⸺⸺

ＹＯＵ ＦＡＬＬ
ＩＮ Ｖ Ａ Ｉ Ｎ

█
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𝚒 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢,
andreas / knight of morland / off to the side / everyone / 1,014 wc (a mess)
is criticizing everyone a mood? ivan where even did you go? do you know how many ways murder can happen?

his death
is the sign
we await!

Of all on the mental list he kept ⸺ alongside midnight walks in the woods, random stranger rendezvous, open windows at night, sleeping anywhere that was not a bedroom with security and being missing for prolonged periods of times ⸺ parties were at the top of the list of things that were never safe. They were the most trivial things, for one (and yes, he didn't like parties but no, that didn't influence his decision), and only for political gain, which, of course, was the primary cause for assassinations in the first place. Much less the fact that it was a gathering of many royals and from two different places as opposed to a singular place. And even then, parties that were specifically for one Kingdom itself often found a dead member of royalty by the end of it.

And with all the creative ways to do it, much less. Poisons like spoken of in Shakespeare, swords and stabbings, scorching fires, a knife in the right place, from behind or right in front ⸺ while dancing, perhaps, as they were doing now. And yet it was his purpose to make sure none of the above had the potential to happen while simultaneously keeping an eye on where everyone was at whatever time in order to make sure of that.

When their group initially enters the area, he immediately notices the missing royals ⸺ that is, the eldest prince himself and the younger sister ⸺ and he turns a questioning glance towards the King, Queen, and Prince present. An odd event, considering this wasn't for the youngest prince, but the marriage of the older. Which deemed the question as to the location of the eldest prince.

Did he consider this a game? Not a very good impression, considering the nature of the event and the miraculously terrible timing for it to happen that he did not show properly. Was this not to be the new ruler in time?

Still, nothing of it is said and the festivities continue as smoothly as possible for a party of such grandeur (a gesture he did not understand, or perhaps due to his bitter feelings towards the potentials at such a large event), and the ladies go on as if nothing was odd whatsoever. Even his princess, who had no clue as to the whereabouts of her betrothed, goes along to dance with the King himself.

He avidly avoids a sigh as the people scatter shortly after making their presences known to the Aurelian royalty, taking one another's hands and ghosting towards the dancing. But of course, this was a party and standing was unfortunately not quite what a party would consist of. Rather, they left him the gracious opportunity to keep an eye on their split bodies, one on the left and six on the right and the conglomeration of what were supposed to be single entities coming together as one while spinning and twirling.

Never would he quite understand what happened during these dances and extravagancies. The importance was there, the necessity to branch out and create new potentials for one's own well-being, yet most were veiled threats and implications that forced submission on others. The act of speaking and of language was taught, impersonal, and the one whose language flowered the most was often the victor, in the end, though he highly suspected it was due to a lack of assurance rather than any actual understanding of the logic and consequent flaws that riddled their speech.

Ellamore's role was never envied by him. Such poetics for the bettering of a Kingdom would never be his job, and for that he was thankful. Save for when his job consisted of making sure the poetics did not involve an angry group of people who would then attempt to, rather than forge figurative knives, use a real one in their vain irritation.

Which could not be done if he could not keep an eye on them safely to make sure no one was doing such. Which could not be done when Ivan was off dancing with Celestia rather than paying attention and doing his job.

Once more, he suppresses the soon-to-be necessity to sigh, focusing on the fact that Ellamore had soon walked off then rejoined the dancing couple after downing some form of drink. Raising an eyebrow at their antics, he does not catch his eye roll before it happens, turning his gaze elsewhere for a moment at the commotion from elsewhere in the castle.

Was it not loud enough already, without more bellowing from who knows where? Apparently not.

His attention catches on the new figures walking through the outer gardens ⸺ more of the Aurelians ⸺ where the noise is coming from, but schools his expression to remain neutral despite the tardiness of the group. So the eldest prince was finally making his way over and with him, the princess and two others he hadn't a clue about. Perfect.

When he turns back to look at the trio, Ellamore is gone once more (how many times has this woman darted from one end to another by now? Sweet Lord have Mercy.) and he only spots Celestia standing there before she, and in a rather painfully awkward way, shoves an entire sandwich into her mouth.

If he were to judge the taste of that sandwich based on her reaction after consumption, it was probably a mediocre sandwich. He pinches the bridge of his nose briefly, as if warding off a headache to come, then straightens his posture once more and returns to somewhat vigilantly observing the crowd (and trying to keep tabs on everyone ⸺ where did Ivan even go?) and equally criticizing this entire mess of a party.

Florence was still off with the other prince with the dark hair, as far as he had seen, Ivan was missing and subsequently not doing his job, Celestia was... enjoying the act of apparently cramming things into her mouth and Ellamore was off eating dessert. Seeing no blades, he supposed the night was going on just ordinary. Somewhat.

[Keriae]

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───────────── princess of aurelia! ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
xxxxxxx[ female ] - [ twenty three ] - [ tagged: cassius, rowen, isabelle, xena ]
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xxxxxxxWhen Rowen wriggled his way between herself and Isabelle, Ely knew her mother would have a fit. She had always been one for upholding traditional values and instilling in her daughter the importance of being proper. Ely's childhood had been filled with the soft light of the nursery, until she "became a woman". It was then that her mother had swooped her away from the nanny and her lessons, and from then on she'd been learning how to be a lady, a future queen who would run the household while her husband would run the kingdom.

xxxxxxxIt was all boring. She'd lost track of how many times she had pricked her finger on her needle during embroidery, or rubbed them raw trying to play a harp. Her lady mother had always told her that she should associate only with the nobles of court, while her brothers and the other children had been running around the garden. She had a duty, and though she knew the importance of that now, she knew she needed to let go more.

xxxxxxxAll of this made the knight's arms, strong and muscular, a welcome offer. Smiling softly, Ely took it, her fingers wrapping around his forearm. However, she felt like it would be herself and Izzy keeping him upright. And no doubt her mother would have stern words with her in the morning for her behaviour. After all, it would be expected she enter on the arm of her brother, given how late they were. For now, for once, the princess would have her fun.

xxxxxxxThe doors swung open, and the herald spoke, chin held high.

xxxxxxx"Prince Cassius, Princess Elyana and the lady Isabelle!" He called over the din of the music. It seemed like the musicians stopped as they walked over the threshold and down the stairs. Once their feet reached the floor, everything started up again. The music blared once more, and Ely could just see her parents on their thrones, with their sour glares. Oh well.

xxxxxxxEly turned to the knight at her side.

xxxxxxx"Thank you, Sir Fletcher." She said, catching sight of Isabelle already drinking out of the corner of her eye. Turning away, she too picked up a flute and sipped delicately, eyes scanning over the crowds. There, she spotted the flaxen hair of her other close friend, Xena. A smile bloomed on her face, and she took Izzy's hand.

xxxxxxx"Come, Xena is over there. She's probably wondering what kept us waiting." She said, and began her way over. It was quite a challenge to place one's feet in the correct place while simultaneously weaving through the crowds, especially with an almost full glass, and Ely had always been a clumsy person - another thing that vexed her mother. Elyana was far from being the perfect daughter, though she strived to be.

xxxxxxx"Xena, my darling!" She greeted, patting her friend delicately on the shoulder. "You look gorgeous, as always!"

[romeo.]

ⅠⅠ.
（ tagged; florence, ivan, cassius, ellamore ）
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⊱ As they spun beneath the twinkling lights, Florence's delicate hand placed softly in his own, his other hand tucked tightly against the small of her back, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. The contrast between them was stark: he, tall and pale, with dark eyes and oil black hair, cold as the frost. She had a joyfulness about her, a giddiness and confidence that was as refreshing as the first day of Spring. He was reminded of the stories he'd read in his studies, of the myth of Hades and Persephone.

The lady kept her composure, smiling when it was appropriate and carrying herself through the steps with unmatched grace. However, Ander didn't miss the occasional nervous flick of her gaze, checking for approval or contempt in the swarm of unfamiliar faces around her. He could not imagine the pressure she was under. Of course, he had visited foreign courts and witnessed first hand the scrutiny of nobility. But he was a man, which made it much easier to overlook his faults in the eyes of society.

He ducked his head, so his lips were closer to her ear. "You're doing wonderfully, my lady. They are vicious wolves, all of them. Hungry for whatever scraps you might throw their way. Keep your chin up. Remember, you are not a lamb, you are a lion."

Lysander hoped his words of encouragement would put her at ease. He wanted each of the Morland ladies to feel like welcome guests rather than prisoners of war. Still at her ear, he whispered, "I'm going to spin you now."

He twirled her under his arm, and her skirt billowed up like a cloud. As they fell back into place, however, they were approached by one of the Morland knights. Lysander gave a gracious bow, and thanked Florence for accompanying him before she was whisked away. Only a brief second passed before there was a lull in the music. Lysander's dark eyes flickered to the garden stairs. Not a moment too soon, Cassius's golden head had made an appearance. Ander let out a deep sigh of relief, scanning for the location of the Morland princess. When he spotted her, he nearly choked. Her lady, Celestia, was cramming sandwiches and water down the poor girl's throat, and rubbing something all over her skirts before frantically fanning it with her hands. He stood there, shocked, uncertain if he should offer help and risk drawing attention.

After a few moments, the princess was shoved in the direction of the stairs, but appeared to preoccupy herself with the dessert table rather than waiting to receive her soon-to-be betrothed. Seizing the chance, Lysander glided effortlessly through the crowd and landed at Ellamore's side. He offered his hand, and noted the flush in her cheeks. She smelled strongly of roses, which reminded him distinctly of his childhood hiding with his books amid the maze. It was his intention to escort her and present her to Cassius - but also to keep her standing upright in the process.

"Are you alright, princess? Here, allow me to help you." He guided her hand so she was supported on his arm. "There. Now, deep breath. Follow me."

Lysander led Ellamore on his arm in such a way that they were in full view of the party. The crowds parted for the pair. This was the pivotal moment. Cassius waited for them at the foot of the stairs. Lysander bowed his head and extended his arm.

"Prince Cassius, I present to you, the Princess Ellamore."