ＯＵＲ ＬＡＳＴ ＨＯＰＥ

[Keriae]

ＡＬＶＥＲＥ.
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[ male ] [ seulghem ] [ tagged: aeron, evanegline ]

Alvere had followed Prince Aeron as he was lead to his temporary accommodation for the duration of their stay. The other selected Royal Guards had gone with the King and Queen in order to make sure they were safe, but Alvere felt he could handle protecting the crown prince. Besides, Aeron was no stranger to a weapon, and as such, if he did get attacked, Alvere would only be providing backup. So he had waited a little ways down the corridor, standing near one wall with his gaze on the doors.

He'd watched the interaction between Aeron and Princess Evangeline with piked interest, although he could not hear their words. They seemed to be getting along, despite the cold look that suddenly appeared on the Princess' face, before she stormed past him in a rush, probably heading to the banquet. "You were giving her The Stare." He commented. He'd witnessed Aeron's Stare many, many times. It had become almost mandatory every time they ventured out to the taverns and brothels, and it was normally quite successful. Not to mention anyone would sleep with Aeron just to say that they had.

[Dark.]

Pʀɪɴᴄᴇ Aᴇʀᴏɴ ᴏғ Sᴇᴜʟɢʜᴇᴍ
currently;; making his way to the dining hall | tagged;; evan, alvere

Aeron stood straight as the Princess began her eerily calm rant, refolding his arms across his chest. Her words had surprising amount of sting in them, however Aeron did not let it show; instead choosing to keep a blank mask of defiance. Who was she to judge him? He lived exactly as could be expected of any red-blooded male who found himself in such a powerful position. Truth be told, powerful women intimidated him a little. Aeron was used to women dragging him to their bedrooms simply because he could drop a few names. In fact, his power was the main thing he used to attract women, he'd never once relied on his personality before. Respectful, powerful women were the opposite, they required courting and charming and displays of romance. Too much effort. At the end of the day, both 'dirty prostitutes' and respectable women could be used to the same gain; so why not chase the easier option?

As she flounced away Aeron shook his head, letting out a tsk, more to himself than to her. He made his way slowly towards the doorway, stopping as he reached Alvere. A sheepish look crossed his face. He was aware his friend had been there the whole time, though wasn't quite sure how much of the rebuking he heard. He averted his gaze down the corridor at his friends words, "The Stare? Psh. No. Come on. She's the enemy Princess. Pft." The Stare was, apparently, a thing he did when he was lusting after someone, "Besides, theoretically, if I had given her the stare, she would've known it."

With that, Aeron began to walk, clearly changing the subject, "There will be a Guard's table at the banquet. I need you to stop me getting drunk." he tilted his head back towards Alvere, revealing a toothy grin, "Can you believe I haven't had a drink since midday!" It was true, the Prince did like his drink; and who knows what mask he would don once he became intoxicated. "And it seems if I touch any of the Castle staff tonight I may risk castration, but I'm sure there'll be a nice young maid there willing to rendezvous with you in the barracks tonight!" he let out a laugh as they began down the staircase leading to the Great Hall.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

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➳ Kai
Kai Saunders
20, male
assassin/guard

tagged: Aeron, Valoria

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At Val's reaction to the library, Kai's grin turned into a smile. He knew few people that read, but the females that did tended to be either forced or very avid. Luckily, he was right in saying that Val simply loved it. When asked it he loved to read, however, his hand moved to the back of his neck as he glanced away. "Well, uh..." He forced himself to glance back at her. "In reality, I can't really read all that much. Sure, I'm a Royal Guard, but I was never really taught. I can read basic thing and words, like Istoth and Guard and king, but not a lot of other things..."

Kai had to force himself to not blush. It was truly embarrassing. Her was a beautiful Lady from the opposite kingdom that was nice and able to read, while he himself was basically illiterate. The thought made him both blush and become a bit angry at himself, though he didn't really let it get to him. Before he could speak again, he saw Evangeline coming. However, just as soon as she came, she was gone. He watched for only a moment, turning when he heard voices. The prince and his guard were coming from the same direction she had. Upon hearing a snip of their conversation, his eyes narrowed once more. It was his nature. He remained silent, nearly laughing to himself. At least Evangeline has the sense to threaten him. What else would make him fear losing his masculinity?

As they left, Kai turned back to face Val. "My apologies. After we dine, it would be my pleasure to take you wherever you would like, so long as it's on the grounds. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, and there are those outside the castle that would see harm come to you." He nodded his head at her. "I must go and change. I will be eating at a separate table in the dining hall, and if you need me just catch my eye. I will see you again soon, Val." With that, he shot her another grin before heading off to his own room. He lived in the castle due to his standing, but his room wasn't with the others. It was in a back hall on the main floor, which was worse than the guest rooms but better than the servant quarters.

Once he was inside, he quickly switched from his slightly-grubby daily outfit into a different one. Kai's normal outfit consisted of black and tan colors. For the banquet, he donned black pants and shined black boots, a cleaner and more white tunic, and a dark blue vest with Istoth's crest emblazoned across the back of it. His swords remained on his back, though their sheaths were cleaner. Once he ran a hand through his hair, he turned and hurried towards the hall, slipping in a back door so as not to draw attention to himself.

[Keriae]

ＡＬＶＥＲＥ.
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[ male ] [ seulghem ] [ tagged: aeron, kai ]

Alvere clapped Aeron on the back and shook his head. "Not every woman can tell." He reminded his friend, his own words bringing to light a forgotten memory. Once, they'd been out just like normal, and while most women didn't care for The Stare, one woman hadn't wanted to sleep with the Crown Prince of Seulghem but The Stare had brought her around. "Besides, she's a very attractive young woman. I wouldn't blame you and I promise I wouldn't tell anyone."

At the mention of the Guard's table a small scowl wormed it's way onto his mouth. He wouldn't be allowed to sit a the head - that would go to whoever was the captain here - and there would likely be no fish on the table. He'd get to eat, but Alvere much preferred the noisy taverns to sophisticated dinners. But getting drunk was always an option. Not too far, but he could hold his drink much better than most, including his companion. Many at the barracks had tried to drink him under the table and had failed quite spectacularly. And a pretty maid to keep him company would be a nice addition. "I wouldn't say no to a willing bedfellow."

That guard from earlier was further down the corridor, and the Royal Guard could hear the rabble from the feast. Nodding, Alvere gently pushed Aeron past and spied most of the envoy waiting. "Go on. You can drink soon, just put on a good face. I'm not saving you from your parents' death glares." Alvere slipped away to take his place with the other guards at the back.

ELIZABETH!

[Dark.]

Pʀɪɴᴄᴇ Aᴇʀᴏɴ ᴏғ Sᴇᴜʟɢʜᴇᴍ
currently;; sitting at the dais | tagged;; evan, alvere [/center]

Sighing Aeron nodded at his friend's words. He stopped where he stood, eying the feast as Alvere made his way over to the other guards. Well, it seemed he was now on his own. Sometimes, Aeron almost envied Alvere. The life of a Royal Guard seemed like a good one. You had enough power to enjoy some perks, yet did not bear the responsibility of a future King. At the same time, Aeron was not completely ignorant to their selflessness. To be a Royal Guard you had to be prepared to give your life to protect another; and that was something Aeron was not prepared to do.

Slowly Aeron made his way through the tables, weaving around amateur entertainers and maids carrying platters of food. He had to admit, it was a lavish spread; the smells of hot meats and spices causing his mouth to water. A long table extended across the dais. Sitting on a pair of magnificent thrones in the centre were their hosts, the King and Queen of Istoth. His father had taken the honorary seat beside the King, and his mother sat on the other side of his father. To the Queen of Istoth's left sat the Princess. Next to the Princess, at the end of the table, was an empty seat. Aeron could almost feel his eyes rolling.

As he approached the dais, Aeron caught an angry glare from his father. Swallowing his pride, the Prince climbed the steps and sunk to one knee in front of their hosts. Bowing his head slightly, he stood slowly, "Your Royal Highness, it seems I did not introduce myself earlier. It is an honour to be here. May this be the start of many years of peace and prosperity between our two kingdoms." He then turned his attention to the Queen stepping forward and reaching across to take her hand in his, "If I may be so bold..." he drew her fingers up to his lips, kissing them briefly before letting go and stepping back once again, "You look resplendent tonight, Your Majesty. It is a beautiful Castle you keep here. " His own charm offensive sickened him, yet he knew it would please his father.

Aeron turned his gaze to Evangeline. It was only proper to compliment her as one of his hosts, "Princess Evangeline. We had the pleasure of meeting earlier." he bowed his head slightly, "None of the other ladies here can hold a candle to your beauty." He allowed his blue eyes to hold her gaze for a few moments before they flickered onto a servant. The servant ushered him around the table and into his seat, beside the Princess. Slightly irritated, Aeron speculated whose genius idea this had been. It was the type of thing his own mother would do. He loved his mother dearly, but she was a determined woman, embarrassed by her son's ungodly lifestyle. Already, she had tried to arrange him to marry half the noble ladies of Seulghem; all of which he'd turned down.

Without looking at Evangeline, Aeron began to speak; pupils flickering over the great hall as the festivities got underway, "Anyone would think I insulted you earlier." he allowed himself a small smirk, "Don't worry. I don't plan on sleeping with any of your handmaidens. I don't think I'd be able to sleep for fear of you castrating me in the night." He let out one brief chuckle before raising a hand and clicking at a nearby serving girl. The girl scurried over and began to pour out some drink from her silver jug. Aeron frowned, "Don't bother pouring it - just leave the jug here!" His tone was so sharp that she almost dropped the jug in her haste.

Aeron reached out, pouring the liquid into his silver goblet. Setting the jug down, he brought the goblet to his lips. Chugging back the liquid, he shrivelled his nose slightly. Wine. Far to fine for his tastes. It was sweet and strong. Finishing the goblet quickly, he set it back down and poured himself another helping.

[-Starchild.Keith-]

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➳ Kai
Kai Saunders
20, male
assassin/guard

tagged: Alvere

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Kai walked quickly towards the guard's table in the hall. It wasn't too near or too far from the main table, just in case something went wrong. It wasn't as grand as the main table, either, but it was still more grand than nearly any other table in the kingdom. The spread upon it was still mouthwatering, and that was all that mattered to Kai. The rest of the guard was already there. The captain of the Istoth guard, a man a few years beyond Kai, was sitting in the head seat. While Kai was not of an official rank in the guard, his closeness to the royals and his skill over the years had earned him the seat next to him. The seat on the other side of the head guard was reserved tonight for the head of the Seulgehm guard.

Kai had barely reached his seat before the Seulgehm party entered, earning him a slight glare from the captain next to him. He had made it, however, and was forgotten once the banquet began. The Seulgehm guards headed over towards the table, and Kai caught sight of the man he had seen earlier, the one that was always with the prince. He hoped that he either was of a low rank and would sit far from him, or was at least not as crude as the prince was. His eyes were then drawn to the dias. The prince was actually on his knees in front of them? Well that was a good sign. Whether it was genuine or not, he was at least going through the motions.

Seeing a server walk by, Kai raised his hand and summoned them over. They generously filled his cup with wine and he smiled a bit at them as they wandered off. He took one long drink from the goblet. He was rather good at holding his drinks, though he didn't drink too much at any one time. Hopefully, there would be no need for him to remain completely sober tonight.

[Keriae]

ＡＬＶＥＲＥ.
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[ male ] [ seulghem ] [ tagged: kai, aeron (mentioned) ]

The Royal Family entered first, showed through the doors by a pair of soldiers who opened the grand architecture and shouted their names so that every Istoth in the hall knew exactly who they were - as if they didn't! Shaking his head, Alvere took his place at the head of the guard. Well, he looked at the other captains first: there were four of them, after all, and all of them had equal power over the regiment. Two of them smiled encouragingly but the third pushed him fowards a little roughly, muttering something about him representing them properly. Why? He was by far not the most experience and so he insisted, sending the older man forwards instead.

What an idiot Wrenfield is, he thought sarcastically to himself, slipping between the other two captains. Alvere was the least experienced, for God's sakes! There was no way he would sit as the most powerful of them all, not when he had only been a full-fledged guard for four years and a captain for one in that time. It would be madness, and he would rather sit a little further down, somewhere a bit more comfortable where he could see everything without everyone seeing him. Being a Royal Guard attracted enough problems on it's own without drawing attention to himself.

The Seulghem nobles advanced after the Royal Family and then it was the Guards' turn to bring up the rear, all stepping in time with one another like a perfect group of entertaining dancers. It was a central part of their role, the core of military discipline, to be able to march in time with your fellows in perfect harmony, synchronised like a murmuration of starlings. They weaved through the oak tables easily, compacting and spreading around the objects but never loosing their synchrony. And then they were seated at the Guard's table, Istoth facing them.

Alvere took the empty seat next to the one reserved for their captain. Scowling briefly as the older man sent him a look, he pulled the offered mug closer to his plate and poured a generous amount of scarlet liquid. A sniff and then it was soaring down his throat after remaining on his tongue for a couple of seconds. Strong, but fine and flavoursome. A change from the tasteless ale offered in town. Smacking his lips together, he turned to see Aeron also drinking - like that surprised him, but he'd still have to keep an eye on him - he placed a large ball of mortews on his plate, where it was soon joined by spoonful of ladelful of blankmanger, half a suckling rabbit and a section of curlew. Where they had managed to find a wading water bird, he did not know, but it tasted delicious seasoned with just salt.

Washing the taste down with a mouthful of wine, Alvere lifted his head to look at the man opposite him. Just his luck: it was that damn guard from earlier. But he couldn't afford to feel like that, not if the Kingdoms were to be joined. It was likely he could end up working with this man if everything went to plan. "I do not think I introduced myself properly earlier. Alvere Schott, one of the four Captains of the Seulghem Royal Guard."

[Scarlett;]

♕ A d e l a i d e M a c i
Title;; Vagabond - Age;; 22 - Mood;; Fatigued, Alert - Tags;; None - Health/Stamina;; 80% - Weapon/s;; Dagger

➳ Adelaide reached up and drew her hand along the bridge of the Arabian stallion's muzzle. It was costly to keep her childhood steed, but he was all she had left of a family, and she'd lost count of the many miles that he had helped her glide over in her travels. Her gloved hand went quickly down to her satchel, hoisted around her arm, and drew out of it an apple. With that, she handed it over to Rohan and watched for a moment as he took it with his teeth and started to gnaw on the succulent fruit. With a small smile, the young vagabond pet his nose once more before turning to her makeshift camp. It only took up a few square feet, she was sure; The only borders that defined the small expanse were bushes and patches of undergrowth forming a sort of fence around the area, as a barrier. Not that it would come in handy for any sort of invasion, but it was nice to know that there was something there. A fire pit stood in the center of the dirt patch, the only signs of a previous fire being a few spare ashes smoldering in the middle of it, a small kettle just over that. And just to her right was a crude tent. More so accustomed to frequent travel than comfort, the lean-to sustained a small quilt inside for means of comfort.

Addie analysed these with disdain. She knew that she could do better to keep tidy and make the hideout more decent, but that was only her domesticated side talking. And she usually toned that part out. Often. The nomad shrugged her shoulders, knowing that the arrangement was only temporary, and set to work. She took a spare bit of firewood and bark that she had harvested from the surrounding woods and chucked it into the fire pit, filling the circle up with fire-starters about 75% of the way. Quickly setting the stack aflame, she carried the kettle off to the creek bed just adjacent to the camp, filling it with water. As much as it hurt her already-aching arm, she lugged the newly-heavy weight back to the center of the makeshift hideout, setting it over the fire. Just as she started to throw what ingredients she had left onto the boiling vat, her mind went back to the day's accomplishments. Or, more so, failures. She knew it was a mistake to rob that carriage in the first place, but as naive as she was, the thief did it anyways. She had managed to gain many new enemies, humiliate herself, and get herself scathed all within the course of one hour. Not her best heist, she had to admit, but her mother used to always tell her that people make many mistakes, but they all lead up to good happenings.

((OOC))

[sparky246]

Valoria Perry
Female|Nineteen|Lady of Seulghem
Banquet Hall|Tagged- none

Val tried to keep the surprise off her face, but had a feeling she failed. She had expected the overall-well-put-together man in front of her to read, but his obvious embarrassment over the issue was comical. Stifling a smile, Val tried to look serious as Kai explained the evening plans.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she promised. "And I'll see you later." Val waited until Kai was out of sight before resuming her trek to the banquet hall. Slipping through the doors behind a tray-bearing maid, the small redhead waltzed around the various nobles. Taking note of the strategic positioning of the Royals, Val chose a seat that kept her a safe distance from the kings and queens, but still within respectable range of her fellow aristocrats. The feast was magnificent, and a large part of Val urged her to dig into the tarts and roasts before her, but the more reasonable part argued she couldn't eat until the crown had settled. Taking a quick look around and finding nobody to rat her out, Val opened the small book she'd brought with her and began to read.

Dorian Lewis
Male|Twenty-Two|Mage of Istoth
Banquet Hall|Tagged- none

Dorian peeked out from his hiding spot, stifling a groan. It wasn't really hiding, he reasoned, more like strategically avoiding human contact, and who could argue about it? Standing at the edge of the room with the other mages and partially concealed by the heavy drapes, Dorian wasn't doing anything harmful. He watched as first the royals and then the guards filed into the hall, each taking their seats with remarkable pomp and circumstance.
Dorian had arrived at his chambers with barely enough time to change into more presentable clothing. Dressed in plain black breeches, a white doublet and a dark green vest over it, the mage was presentable but not too fancy. No, he would leave that to the noblemen with their curly shoes and ridiculous hats.

[duckworth]

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Princess Evangeline "Evan" Blythe
female | eighteen | Isoth
tagged: Aeron
at the feast
eating & trying really hard to ignore Aeron
no crush & single
❝ If we don't end war, war will end us. ❞
— H.G. Wells
format © vitality.

Evangeline almost hissed when Prince Aeron strode into the dining hall, in all his glory as an arrogant fool. She glanced to her right, where her mother was sitting. Good, that seat's taken then. Aeron can't sit there and bother me. The princess had failed to check her other side, something she realized with a huge amount of dismay when Prince Aeron was brought over by a servant, sitting to her left. Evangeline resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Prince Aeron complimented her beauty. She knew he was only doing it out of courtesy and respect, probably pressured by his father into doing it. So he's suffering just as much as I am, Evangeline thought to herself, her serious stance relaxing a bit as she slouched into her seat in a very un-princess-like manner. The thought that at least someone was in the same boat as her, even if that someone was Prince Aeron, made her smile, and she held Aeron's gaze without glaring at him for once.
She could almost pretend that the foolish prince wasn't there until he began to speak to her in a subtle, sneaky fashion, not daring to meet her gaze, because gods forbid the others know they might actually get along occasionally without insulting each other childishly. "You're a predator, Prince Aeron, and I mean that in the worst way possible." She said all this with a smile, not looking at him either, and of course, in her sweet and polite voice while piling some bread onto her plate. Still not meeting his gaze, Evangeline lifted her goblet to her lips, only pretending to drink as she whispered towards Prince Aeron, "Although, I'm sure you would take anything involving your lovely reputation as a compliment,"
Remaining quiet for a few minutes while she ate slowly, Evangeline refused to even acknowledge Aeron's presence any further than shooting him the occasional glare. The glare intensified when he snapped at a serving girl. Evangeline turned her face away from him, but grabbed the arm he wasn't using to pour himself more drinks, making sure to grasp his wrist underneath the table so no one would notice. "I expect you to treat my castle's serving staff more politely in the future, Prince Aeron. Or do you treat anyone lower than you like scum?"
Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Evangeline released her hold on him and brought both of her arms above the table, taking some fresh fruit juice instead of wine. She did not want to be drunk, no, not tonight, not with all these Seulghem nobles watching her every move. Allowing herself to meet Aeron's gaze this time, Evangeline said in a sarcastic tone of voice, "Please, don't drink any more than you can handle. You're annoying enough sober; I don't want to see you drunk." She was only half-joking, really and truly not wanting to see Prince Aeron muddled off of alcohol, and Istoth's strong wine at that.

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