CH. 15 - Winter Ball

[Daos]

It's been about two months since the party returned to Hart.  Winter is nearing it's end, and to celebrate, the count is throwing the annual winter ball at the keep.  The winter ball is an important event for the higher ups, as it's a prime chance to both make suitable marriage matches and formally announce matches that have already been made.  As Helen will be attending, naturally, so will her two hand-maidens/bodyguards.

Word has gotten around about the party's failure in Ladonna's land, and to make matters worse, no taxes (back or otherwise) have arrived from there.  In fact, since she left, Ladonna has not received any word at all from her serfs.  And she's been too busy with her duties here in Hart to make a return trip.

Castle Hart has no dedicated ballroom, so the Hall of Justice has been repurposed for that event.  The count's throne remains, and he sits upon it watching as people mingle, and is surrounded by courtiers trying to earn his favor.  The great chandelier hanging from the ceiling sparkles as sunlight streams in through the graceful windows on the west wall.  It's quite cold outside, but fairly comfortable here, as the large fireplace on the northern wall blazes.  Servants move to and fro among the guests, attending to their needs, and a number of guards line the walls for security purposes.

As Ladonna and Lillian enter alongside Lady Escott, they see Mannan Klass by the hall entrance.  He plays a note on his trumpet, then loudly announces their arrival.  "Arriving are Lady Helen Escott of Buho, Daughter of Baron William Escott of Buho..," and he then glances to Ladonna and Lillian and just adds, "...and guests."

Lady Helen looks quite lovely, in a new green dress and her red hair done up in a coiling braid--and well, she should, as Ladonna and Lillian had to get up early to help her prepare.

There are at least fifty guests, including the party themselves.  Glancing around the room, the party recognizes a good number of them.  They see Patricia Ansley, Baron Tellmark and Filkins, the participants of the art contest from the harvest festival.  They spot the count and his wife and all of his children.  The entire court council are here, as well (Quill Sern, Miranda Foxmore, Redna Kellerman, Eric Talbot, and Fannah Winters).  They also see the garrison commander (William Rolan), the weapons master (Yarl Fritog), and of course, the young knight Relken Tarn.  Jonas, Liala, Ingot and Finbul are all present.  As well are Waleran, Viondre, Zesk, Elin, Panola, Norris, and Unakite.  Henna can be seen, not as a guest, but as one of the guards.  Finally, there are several people that either the party has never seen before or they have briefly but never learned their names.

After the announcement, Helen turns to the two.  "I am expected to speak to the count right away.  You two...feel free to mingle.  Don't worry about me, there's plenty of security here and I doubt anyone will try anything with the count present.  Try not to cause any trouble, though.  He still isn't very happy with you," she warns.

===========

It is now Bludsin 10th, 314 at 10 AM.

(OOC:  Casters can choose new spells.  Let me know what your character decided to wear (clothes, makeup, jewellery, etc.) and how much they spent if it's new.  Also, let me know if Ladonna bought Jonas any new clothes; otherwise, he'll be wearing his standard garb, as that's all he has.)

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna resists the urge to roll her eyes at how she was introduced, but she expected that Mannon was going to be a problem at this ball. If not actually introducing her was the least that he could do, then she was doing okay so far. She takes a moment to smooth out a couple of wrinkles on the skirt of her red dress. She knew she probably spent too much money on the dress that she was wearing, but she wanted to stand out a little bit for this event. Despite the fact that she had spent so much time helping Helen get ready, it is surprising that she had the energy left to spend on herself. She had light makeup on, just enough to give her a little blush to her cheeks and a red tint to her lips. Her hair was curled, and pulled up in a half up and half down look with a simple but elegant hair accessory that looked like tiny red flowers flowing down the length of her hair.

She had spent some time studying up on the guests even, just so she knew what she was getting into, and even had made a mental note on who to talk to. Thankfully, most of the guests were people that she has at least met once, so she wasn't going to be bombarded with strangers. She had decided, early on, that she needed to greet her father and the man she was supposed to marry. She didn't believe that Relken was going to be the clingy type, but since she figured that the court unofficially knew about the match, that she would have to put on a little show especially since the wedding was delayed further (much to her relief). "If you need anything, my lady, don't hesitate to find one of us," Ladonna says to Helen with a bow of her head. Despite the fact she knew that the Count didn't like her, she knew it was important to at least greet the family at some point tonight. She also wanted to spend some time with Eowan, in hopes of trying to patch things up with him after what happened in the tournament.

Once Helen was on her way to spend time with the Count and his family, she relaxes a little bit and starts searching the crowd for Relken and her father. Once she spots who she believes to be one of them, she looks to Lillian. "Have fun," she says before she makes her way through the guests to greet Relken. "Good morning," she says to the knight with a charming smile upon her face.

OOC:

Ladonna would have helped her father buy some new clothing (probably around 100 or 150). Ladonna herself spent around 300-700 on her dress and accessories.

Spells: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Friends, Read Magic, Sleep

Bind, Forget, Scare

Hold Person, Hold Person

[Daos]

Ladonna finds Relken alone, away from most of the people, near one of the corners of the hall.  He looks quite dashing, dressed in fine clothes, clean-shaved and his hair perfectly coifed.  And yet, he looks rather uncomfortable.  He keeps tugging at his collar and readjusting his sleeves anxiously.

When he hears her speak, he actually looks a bit relieved to hear a familiar voice.  But when he turns to face her, his jaw nearly drops in surprise.  "Ser Marche!" he exclaims, unable to hide his blush.  "You...you are truly a vision.  I am humbled to stand before such beauty."  He offers her a polite bow.  "I trust you are well?  I heard about the...misfortune at your manor.  If there's anything I can do to help, you need only ask; I am at your beck and command."

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna genuinely smiles at Relken's reaction, as it was the reaction she was hoping to get from anyone she spoke to tonight. "Thank you," she says. "You are looking rather dashing yourself," she admits. "As for my misfortune, it honestly could have gone better, but when I go back I have an idea as to what I am dealing with," she explains. "But if I am in need of your aid, I will find you. What are you doing in this corner though?" She asks. "You aren't going to make any...friends from here." Naturally, she knows that there is no such thing as making friends, but it was the nice way of putting it.

[Daos]

Relken blushes again at Ladonna's genuine smile, and he looks off toward the crowd in an attempt to hide it.  "Ah, well, you see...the truth is, I'm not really any good at this sort of thing.  I was a soldier before I was a knight.  Hand me a sword and point me toward an enemy, and I'm in my element.  But all of this..," he says, gesturing toward the ball in general, "is alien to me.  There are so many rules to remember, so many names and faces to memorize...and the truth is, I don't know most of these people."  He finally turns back to face her and smiles.  "I am glad to see a familiar face, though, especially one so lovely."

[HorizonsDream]

Ladonna doesn't quite know how to handle genuine compliments. She had had many over all of her years, but they were mostly from drunken men looking for more than they could get. She knew how to handle them, but this was completely foreign to her. She can't help but stare at him for a few moments, thinking about how he is actually a pretty decent guy before she shakes herself out of that line of thinking. "This is usually my type of setting," she finally says as she looks around the room. After a moment of silence, she turns back to Relken, leans in a bit closer and whispers. "But I'm really nervous today," she admits.

[GravityEmblem]

Lillian, clad in a navy blue gown with lipstick to match, feels more out of place than she's ever been. She's not used to dressing up like this--but this is her little opportunity to "play the game," if you will. She has goal in mind--earn herself a boon from the Count, and use that to further Finbul's and her goal of helping the minorities of Tardiff. ...though she hasn't quite worked out what that goal is going to be. Oh, certainly, she had ideas, but recognizing which ones were reasonable to ask of a Count was a bit harder. For example, "Remove all racial restrictions on property ownership" would be out of his control. But she did like the idea of weaseling her way into some sort of title, creating scandalous gossip and renewed hope. Of course, this would have to be something she discussed with her dear partner in "crime," Finbul.

She wasn't worried about coming up with something before she achieved the boon--she anticipated a year or two before that came to fruition. For now, her attention turned to Ladonna. Word on the "street," as it were, was that she had not only demanded the outrageous back taxes of the last lord, but also failed to reduce the burden. She was this close to angrily accusing her of betraying Lillian's friendship, but decided against that. The resentment from the disastrous trip still ran deep, and she sought reconciliation, not a rift. However, before she gets the chance, Ladonna trots off to speak to Relken. Lillian sighs, and makes her way to Finbul.

"Well, now. Enjoying the party?" she asks, with the tiniest hint of sarcasm. "I expect you heard about the trouble with Ladonna's land. You know, we met the Equalists, there." Lillian waits for a reaction. Despite their shared goals, she didn't believe Finbul had ever expressed an opinion on them. Or perhaps he did, months ago, and she had simply failed to recognize the significance. That happened an embarrassingly large amount of the time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lillian is dressed to impress today, and she's spending up to 700 gold on fancy new clothing. (I was going to go with 50, but Ladonna's answer gave me a nice baseline).

The two years estimate on the boon is how long I'm expecting the Hart arc to last, based on your old comments when we started it...specifically, that it would be three times as long as the Buho one, so ~24 chapters. And we've barely gotten through eight! Well, that gives Lillian plenty of time to compete in music contests for that sweet, sweet, 30 prestige mark. (if anything has changed since then, feel free to let me know. Or, to keep it a surprise!

[Daos]

Ladonna
"You, nervous?" Relken asks, a bit surprised.  "You always seem so confident to me, especially in settings such as this.  What would you possibly have to be nervous about?" he inquires.

Lillian
As Lillian moves through the crowd, searching for Finbul, she notes that she draws a lot of looks and stares.  Normally people barely pay any attention to her, when she's not actually performing, so it's a little surreal to have so much attention on her now.

She finds Finbul alone, near where the servants are setting up for the feast later, and he just sort of glowers at the sight.  He's not wearing his normal tunic and breeches, but is instead wearing something slightly nicer.  It's clear he didn't spend that much coin on it, though; maybe 30 gold at best.  He has on a nice shirt and pantaloons, and some shiny new boots.  He's left his leather armor at home.

"Well, now. Enjoying the party?"

He turns to look at her in confusion.  "Excuse me?  Do I know you, miss..?  Wait...Lillian?"  His face drops in surprise.  "Is that you?"

He looks her up and down, then shakes his head in surprise.  "Well, well, look at you.  I thought you were some Ruaran princess or something.  I imagine you're going to have a pretty full dance card tonight."

The surprise having waned, he starts to return to his normal moodiness.  "And no, I'm not," he says, finally answering her question.  "This whole shindig kind of disgusts me, to be honest.  What a tacky monument to human arrogance and decadency.  The thousands of gold pieces spent on this party could have been used to feed everyone in Hart for the entire winter, or build numerous schools and orphanages or I don't know...something of more value than a party where a bunch of nobles can play matchmaker for their kids."

"I expect you heard about the trouble with Ladonna's land. You know, we met the Equalists, there."

"Yeah, I did.  Sorry I missed it.  I actually was kind of busy, having managed to get a job working in the guesting house's garden," he answers.  "It's not much, but at least it lets me work with the soil again.  I've missed it since we left Buho.  I didn't become a druid to spend all of my time inside, you know?  Well...I guess I didn't become one to work a human's land, either, but I guess since my people aren't allowed to own land...that's the best I can do for now."

He nods.  "Yeah, our second encounter with them in only a few months.  I heard something about them setting a trap for you, and Ladonna getting caught.  Then getting captured by orcs on top of that, but somehow getting out.  Sounded wild.  Did you actually talk to any of them in all of that?" he asks.  "Find out what it is they are up to?  After that incident with Lady Joy, I would have thought they would have laid low for awhile in this region."

[HorizonsDream]

"Since my arrival in Hart, I haven't been able to find my footing," Ladonna admits softly. "Admittedly, some of that has been my fault, but I'm finding that things are a little harder to navigate. The opinion these people have of me is...less than desirable. I have to do everything right today, which is hard to do in a social setting." She was feeling some pressure as she knew she couldn't make any mistakes today.

[Daos]

"I know we don't know each other terribly well yet, but from what I have seen of you, you are a confident, intelligent and well-mannered woman," Relken says.  "I am sure you will do fine.  And if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

[GravityEmblem]

Lillian's smile drops. "You do have a talent for stripping away the glamour, don't you? A useful skill, though--such a perspective is often needed." She makes a mental note to donate about as much gold she spent on the dress. "It's a good opportunity to play into that arrogance, if you will. I've made it a goal to earn myself a boon from the Count, and use that boon to further our goal--and to do that, I will need to 'play the game,' say some insincere things, whatnot. I wished to assure you that my intentions are true. ...or false, I suppose."

Lillian nods when he asks after the Equalists. "Yes, we had the opportunity for a chat. ...in hindsight, I think they were trying to recruit us. The thought didn't cross my mind at the time. I think they wanted a ransom for Ladonna, but she managed to escape...are they strapped for funds?" Lillian wonders aloud. "Planning something big, perhaps? As you said, it's their second kidnapping in less than a year."

[Daos]

"I've made it a goal to earn myself a boon from the Count, and use that boon to further our goal--and to do that, I will need to 'play the game,' say some insincere things, whatnot."

"Kind of risky, isn't it?" Finbul asks. "Trying to change the system by being part of it, I mean.  You'll have to make sacrifices--including your own ethics and vales.  It's kind of like making a deal with a Baatezu; you may get what you want, but you might not like the cost."

"I think they were trying to recruit us. The thought didn't cross my mind at the time."

"I suppose I can see the logic of trying to recruit you," Finbul says.  "But Ladonna?  She's a noble now.  Not sure why they would even consider her."

"...Are they strapped for funds?  Planning something big, perhaps? As you said, it's their second kidnapping in less than a year."

"From what I hear, they're losing their revolution and badly, but that could easily just be noble propaganda," Finbul says.  "It's hard to say what's true and what's not.  There is a sort of ironic poetry to it, though--kidnapping a noble and ransoming them back for their own coin.  Sort of like stealing from the rich and giving to the poor."  He frowns in thought.  "Sounds like the sort of thing Katya would have done."

[GravityEmblem]

Lillian nods gravely (though she winces at the mention of a demon). "I am willing to make sacrifices. I've never had a true purpose before now, but I wish to create something that will outlive me. But if you fear I am falling astray, do not hesitate to warn me." Her tone lightens. "And there are some practical reasons. Should this fail, it will be much easier to resort to external change than the other way around. And perhaps the combination of internal pressure from us and external from the Equalists will 'squeeze' Tardiff, so to speak, and force change."

"Perhaps it was closer to them justifying their actions?" Lillian proposes. Her recruitment proposition was more of a wild guess than an actual theory. She laughs at the comparison to Katya. "It does, doesn't it? I probably wouldn't have minded so much, if their target wasn't a friend of mine."

[HorizonsDream]

"You are not quite what I expected," Ladonna says. She doesn't seem to be insulting him, but she does seem surprised. "But later on in the day, I might need you. In the meantime though, perhaps you should slowly introduce yourself to some people?" She offers him. "

[Daos]

Ladonna
"Yes..," Relken says, anxiously looking out at the crowd.  "I suppose that would be the...prudent thing to do.  For both of our sake's."  He rubs absently at his left arm.  "I, uh, don't suppose you have any recommendations?  Someone that knowing could be of help to our family, but not too easy to upset if I make a faux-pas?"

Lillian
Finbul sighs and shakes his head.  "Well, she would have, before she gave up on her own principles and decided all she cared about was herself and Jherek.  You know, I haven't received a single letter or one word from her since they ran off to join up with the Wyld Boys.  She could be dead for all I know.  She used to be my best friend."  He absently kicks at the ground, as if to kick dirt, but the floor is, of course, spotless.  "You know, I heard her mother was in failing health.  With no heir, the fate of the ranch my family works at is now up in the air."