338 replies to this topic

[Zella Calomine]

Zella casually took his arm and smiled as they entered the ball as a couple. They were definitely not the most interesting couple. Zella never was. It was the curse of being low-born. However, she made sure that she looked happy, in case anyone was watching. She didn't want to look as dubious as she felt about all of this.

"He does, of course, have my brother to guide him as well. However, my brother has terrible taste in women. It is much safer if I do all the work there." Zella said, attempting to make it not sound like she planned on abandoning him. Even if that was her intention, she didn't have to make it publicly known. He could just assume that she was showing her brother around. It would keep her from having to make boring conversation.

[Votir Zerrung]

She's really focusing on her cousin visiting... Exactly how much does she plan to show her cousin around?"

"Silvan has bad taste in women? I never would've suspected him of all people of having bad taste in women. But I guess I don't know him nearly as well as you do."

They continued in to the ball, and as they continued through the atrium, Votir looked around, hoping to see familiar faces. I wonder when Wilor will get here. I'll need to keep an eye out; he isn't particularly adept at balls.

Votir saw Sebastien Perrault in a conversation with a few of his cousins, reminding him of the events earlier in the day. Wilor isn't particularly adept at any social situations... I'll need to apologize to Sebastian sooner or later, and the Ventures when they arrive. Especially Aldric. Thank the Lord Ruler I missed Wilor challenging a member of House Venture to a duel and only had to see Zella's slap.

"Speaking of Silvan, will he be coming to the ball as well?"

[Denna Sureau]

Denna thought the ballroom was absolutely marvelous. Glittering lights, flickering and sparkling all around, with ornate chandeliers, and.. well. It was quite a pretty sight, suitable to one of her calliber, she believed. It was the first ball in a good little while she'd really put her full self into. As much as she enjoyed the dancing and the social atmosphere, there was always an aspect of uncertainty regarding a proper ball..Never knowing just exactly who she would meet there, or who would dance with her.. And as much as she tried to convince herself that that was part of the charm, it irked her in its own tiny way.

She made up for it by being a little too chattery, a little too assertive, a little too loud. The bright mood of others was infectious to her, though she was doing her best to be the one spreading the cheer, in her little group of friends. For she did come with a couple others, friends of friends, most of them, joining in with the chatter of the different fashions present at this particular ball, worn by different noblewomen.

It was while she was in the midst of conversation with two other women from her house that she spotted a familiar blonde entering the ballroom. Touching a hand to the shoulder of one of the ladies she was with, she excused herself, stepping past and raising a delicate hand to draw Lysette's attention to her.

She didn't dare shout out, though she considered it. Instead, she just made her gracious way to Lysette's side. The (slightly) older woman seemed confident, yet a touch too serious for the atmosphere. Denna smiled wide to counteract the effect. "You always seem to come at just the right time, Lysette," the woman chirruped. That said, she leaned forward a bit, mischievous little twinkle in her eye. "--the radiant Lord Casuana is here!" she added in a lower voice. She meant Alistair of course, who she found to be absolutely dreamy, though she had never actually met the military man. She just liked his pretty face, and at least with her friends, wasn't afraid to admit as much.

Edited by Sarah, 07 January 2015 - 09:40 PM.

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette tried not to think about Jasun as she entered the ballroom and looked around at the decorations. They were nice -- for a minor house anyway.

There were hushed whispers around the ballroom. They seemed to be directed at her cousin. She searched the room for Caden and when she spotted him, it took all of her willpower not to let her jaw drop. She looked back at her friends quickly for a distraction.

Colette would want to hear all about this... and hear it, she would. Caden had that awful Fathvell girl on his arm, both of them dressed in full Southern Island fashion. He wouldn't dare pull that at a Great House ball. This one was beneath the notice of the rest of the respectable and older community of ball attendees that they could get away with it. They would likely be laughed at if they attempted such a show at a Great House ball.

When she turned away from them, she saw one of her good friends. Or at least one of her acquaintances with whom she could gossip and keep up this truly awful guise of being a proper noblewoman.

"Denna, how lovely to see you here. I didn't know you were going to attend, or I would have stopped by with our carriage so we could all come together. Next time you must tell me," She said, smiling. Denna had been a long time friend. They gossiped and spend time with one another at balls, but Lysette had always questioned her taste in men. This was no different.

Denna's admiration for Alistair Casuana was a passing infatuation, but it was better for Lysette to stamp out the small fire burning there as quickly as she could. It would not do to have one of her friends -- and a Sureau no less -- infatuated with a Casuana.

"I'm sure you don't mean Lord Alistair Casuana, Denna," Lysette said exaggeratedly raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure it would do you well to aim your sights a little higher than that. What ever would Lorelai think if she knew you were gazing at a Casuana?"

[Vaden Tremaine]

Vaden had spent the last day ruminating in his newfound hatred for Eliza Fathvell. She had insulted his wine at the wine tasting to his face, and just walked away from him. She didn't even apologize. That was what irritated him the most. Any sensible noblewoman who had directly insulted a competing house's wine would have at least had the decency to apologize for it.

From what Vaden gleamed by gossip, Eliza Fathvell had attended the Casuana ball, which he had decided to skip of course. That would be his luck. He would just make every effort to attend balls in the future. Only then could he show her how wrong she really was.

That and he'd get to see her again.

The worst part about the whole thing was that she was terribly attractive. Such a tiny waist, and he was sure her legs were as nice a sight.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind and got ready for the Perrault ball. He would not generally attend a ball without escorting a lady, but he could not bring himself to string someone along when he would only be thinking about another woman.

His suit was pressed, and his hair was combed to the side and oiled down, creating the sleek look he preferred, and finally he was ready. It had only taken him twice as long as it usually did.

Once he had arrived at the ball, he entered and found an unoccupied table to observe from. It was not hard to spot Eliza, given that everyone at the ball was talking about her. He wondered if it was too early to drink.

Eliza was attending with Caden Hasting. While that was not surprising, it was entirely frustrating. She belonged with him, and not on the arm of that ash-brained bafoon. He would just have to find her at a moment while she was alone this evening to talk to her. He did not want to have to compete with other men for her affections... and someday he wouldn't have to.

[Eliza Fathvell]

"You are not and you know it," Eliza said right back, making one of her usual silly faces at her Best Cousin before remembering that maybe proper noblewomen weren't supposed to make silly faces at balls. Well, it was too late now, she supposed.

She was struggling to find a way to continue the conversation - blasted smalltalk! - when she was suddenly and acutely aware of the sensation of being watched. Was someone staring at her? Well, there were plenty of people looking at her and Caden still, and their group as a whole of course, but that all seemed to be bothering her far less than she had thought it would. Confidence had that kind of effect, it turned out. Go figure.

No, this feeling was quite different, and it didn't take long to spot the source. Off to the side, at an otherwise unoccupied table just at the edge of her vision, sat him. Vaden Tremaine. And - of course - he was staring right at her. How long had he been sitting there, just watching? Just the thought of it made her skin crawl. She instinctively stood a little closer to Caden, her hold on his arm tightening slightly as if his mere presence were enough to ward Tremaine off.

"Look who it is," she said in a low voice, giving Felix a significant look. "Of course he had to show up tonight."

[Caden Hasting]

Caden frowned at Eliza's change in tone, and followed her gaze. Who was she speaking about? At first he'd assumed from her tone that she must be speaking about Riordan Casuana, but the man was nowhere in sight. Perhaps it is someone from her past? That would make sense of her hurried aside to Felix. Whatever the cause, Caden found himself growing a tad defensive of Eliza, as well as a little bothered over being left out.

Though he wanted nothing more than to ask Eliza who she was speaking about, Caden ignored the urge. If he too joined what seemed to be a private conversation between the Fathvells, he would be excluding Aaron, the highest ranking member of their circle. He would also be drawing the attention of the entire group to what seemed like a discrete matter. He was truly liked Eliza, and didn't want to jeopardize their fledgling relationship by prying into her private affairs. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him, and until she chose to do that, Caden would have to trust that she was not hiding anything from him. I can trust her, he reminded himself, fighting back instincts that had been honed by years of betrayal at Colette's hands. Eliza was different, not at all like those other girls who Colette had attempted to use against Caden.

"I apologize for asking, but who are we staring at?" Aaron's voice brought Caden back to the present. "I don't like to pry, but you've piqued my curiosity, and I thought it best to ask rather than turn around myself. Subtle surveillance has never been my strong suit, and I'm certain my following of your gaze would only serve to draw undue attention to you observations."

Caden mentally reprimanded himself. He had been so busy worrying over Eliza he hadn't thought to engage Aaron in conversation to draw attention away from her and Felix. Now, he didn't know what to do. If he interjected, not only would he make it seem like Eliza was hiding something, he would also be rudely ignoring a direct question from the heir of another Great House. On the other hand, he felt the need to rectify his failure to distract Aaron by doing something. And yet, for the life of him, he could not think of a way to meet his goal without seeming deceptive to Aaron or overbearing to Eliza.

For the moment, Caden decided to hold his tongue, waiting to see what Eliza would do, and preparing himself mentally to jump in and help her if she needed it, resolved not to make the same mistake again. As he mentally cataloged potential segues he could use to turn the topic of conversation, Caden couldn't help but wonder how Eliza would react. Would she tell the truth, or try to lie? And, if she chose to lie, what was she trying to hide?

[Talyn Calomine]

The carriage trundled along. Across from him, Silvan was droning on about something. “...ver you do, don’t embarrass our House. Zella does that enough for the three of us, and then some.” Talyn nodded, grunting an affirmation. He doubted that he’d end up embarrassing them at all. Zella mostly did it to spite Silvan, as far has he knew.

The driver notified them that they would be arriving in the next few minutes. Talyn pulled at the cuffs of his shirt – they had retreated into the sleeves of his jacket. He adjusted his silvery-grey cravat, and resettled his black jacket. The suit was new, and though it was nicely made, it felt a bit unusual. Luthadel fashion differed from what was favored in the Southern Dominance but he knew he'd have to get use to that.

The carriage slowed to a halt, and shortly a footsman opened the door. Talyn waited for Silvan to leave the carriage first, before climbing out after him, following Silvan into the ballroom. He could see that the room was starting to fill – they were obviously not early, but equally, there was plenty of room for more people. The first thing he noticed was that they had arrived no more than a few minutes behind Zella and her date. He wasn't sure what'd she'd think about that. They had planned to arrive a bit later, but obviously they had had a good run to the venue.

He quickly noted something else. There were a bunch of people wearing Southern fashion. Zella's date was wearing something in the Southern style, as were members of a small group that seemed to be in someway significant, from the attention that seemed to be given to them.

[Eliza Fathvell]

Oh. Right. It would help if the rest of the group actually knew what was going on, wouldn't it? Eliza couldn't help but cringe at her own foolishness.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to relax a little. "That was horribly rude of me, wasn't it?" The realization that he was over there staring at her had driven the thought of manners away from her, it seemed, and thinking of it now just made her shiver all over again, attempts to relax or no.

"We're talking about Vaden Tremaine," she explained, turning slightly so the man in question wouldn't have as clear a view of her. "Heir to the house, unfortunately. Felix and I ran into him at a wine tasting yesterday. We were sampling some of Tremaine's wines - and let me spare you the torture right now; never drink Tremaine wine - when he approached and asked how I liked it. I didn't know who he was at the time, though I'm not sure that'd have mattered, and I told him the truth. Ever since, every time we're in the same place, he's taken to staring at me in a very unsettling way. I've seen pirates look at a bottle of rum with more respect in their eyes than the way that man looks at me."

Wait, hadn't she promised herself not to talk about pirates anymore tonight? So much for that, she guessed. Hopefully Felix would chime in and they would all move smoothly past that little comment.

[Caden Hasting]

Caden's eyes narrowed as he spotted Vaden across the room. He had recognized the name, but it took seeing his face to place where he knew Vaden from. Of course, since his arrival in Luthadel, Vaden had frequented many of the same social events as Caden, though the two swam in vastly different social circles. The primary reason Caden recognized Vaden was because of his involvement in the Luthadel dueling Caden. He had never dueled Vaden himself, likely because of their difference in station, but knew many who had. While he had never been given any reason to dislike the Tremaine heir, he had never been given any reason to be particularly fond of him, and Eliza's description put him firmly in the former camp.

Caden's initial urge was to offer to challenge the man to a duel for whatever offence he had committed against Eliza. However, he quickly realized that would mean that he had committed himself to a duel for Eliza's sake two balls in a row, and would certainly make a scene, subjecting them to further speculation and gossip. "Ever since, every time we're in the same place, he's taken to staring at me in a very unsettling way. I've seen pirates look at a bottle of rum with more respect in their eyes than the way that man looks at me." Caden resisted the urge to wrap his arm protectively around Eliza's waist, not wanting to seem jealous.

"I could have a word with Lord Tremaine, if you wish," he said carefully, taking careful stock of Aaron and Felix's reactions. "Given your respective ranks, you'd be well within your rights to require him to cease any offensive behaviour."

[Felix Fathvell]

Felix did not have to look to know who had just walked in. Eliza's look gave it all away. He had been unsettled by their last meeting with Vaden. It took a lot to ruffle Felix's feathers, but Vaden managed to do it fairly easily. Felix knew that the wine tasting would not be the last time they would encounter him.

As Felix glanced over at Vaden, he noted the man's gaze on his cousin never faltered. He looked back at the group, face stony. He wanted to physically remove Vaden from the ballroom, but alas, he was not in Keep Fathvell, where he would have no qualms about excising bad company from the event. It seemed like he would have to hold in his temper. He knew exactly how Vaden was looking at Eliza, and Felix didn't like it one bit.

He did note how protective Caden seemed of Eliza. They had not been courting long, and Felix had not actually formed a bad opinion of Caden to object. Eliza seemed happier to be in Luthadel because of him, so he decided it was good for her. He still wanted to protect his cousin at all costs. It looked like he was no longer the only one who had Eliza's best interests in mind. Hopefully he was not wrong about Caden, but Felix's judge of character was well-defined from his years of watching people in Austrex.

"I would be careful, Caden," He said touching the side of his nose. "The rumor floating around is that he's a Thug, in every sense of the word. He likes to use physical violence to assert his so-called 'dominance.' Not that I am not saying you cannot handle yourself, I just wouldn't want to see anyone my cousin is so fond of hurt because of foul play."

Felix looked over at Vaden again. "I wonder if we could dislodge him from his chosen spot, though. Perhaps we can tell him to move from that table, or get someone else to make him move. That table is surely reserved for someone else."

[Eliza Fathvell]

There was one very simple way to make sure Vaden moved from that spot, but Eliza was pretty sure that openly suggesting they bribe the servant in charge of seating was appropriate in present company. Back home, someone might have referenced paying a toll, though that phrase was usually reserved for paying off obligators. Unfortunately, however, it appeared that it wasn't how things were done in Luthadel. Still, the rest of the idea had merit.

"He'll probably take a direct confrontation as a challenge. I've seen his type before, after all." Stubborn pirates whose thick heads only got thicker the harder you pushed. "It would be better to talk to whoever's in charge of seating, and make sure that someone else gets put there. Tremaine will be forced to get up and leave in order to save face, or else make a scene and get himself ejected from the ballroom. Which might be preferable, to be perfectly honest. Either way, we won't be involved, so if he does make a scene, we won't be seen as the ones picking fights."

[Camille Deveaux]

It was a small ball tonight, practically inconsequential really, as midweek balls usually were, but Camille Deveaux found herself unusually nervous for the night ahead. Not that she let it show, of course. She was as serene and smooth as ever as she stepped out of her carriage, the voluminous skirts of her gown swaying and rustling with her every movement. Tonight was the first ball since that visit with Nevan - the one that still felt more like a dream than reality. Had they really said those things? Had he really kissed her?

Yes, those things had happened. Unfortunately, one other thing was true too: Nevan would not be accompanying her to the Elariel ball. He would have Daerra of all people on his arm. It was ostensibly to try and salvage relations with Elariel, but Camille wouldn't have been surprised to learn that the Elariels were merely taking advantage of the situation to make a last-ditch attempt at breaking up the impending Venture-Deveaux alliance. She could see why the neutral Elariels wouldn't like that, of course, but little did they know that the alliance was practically cemented already - signed and sealed, of all things, in Phyra Venture's blood. She wondered what Phyra would think of that if she knew, or the Elariels, for that matter.

The ballroom was surprisingly well decorated for a mid-week ball, but then, the Perraults were fairly good about presenting themselves well, especially for events like this. Casuana might be a stronger ally, but Perrault certainly had good taste.

Far, far better taste than Mia's chandelier had been. Ugh. She loved her cousin but that thing was horrid. And tacky. And a waste. And a very horrible decision. And she seriously, seriously needed to stop thinking about it. So she took a deep breath and focused on the room itself. Particularly the candles, and the way their golden light caught in her gown and made it shimmer.

She had chosen amethyst taffeta for this evening, continuing her trend of rich, darkly colored dresses for recent balls. Her jewelry was silver, set with moonstones. Not her finest, but appropriate for a mid-week ball, and it complemented the gown perfectly.

She couldn't help but notice, either, that she was far from the only person to have chosen amethyst for tonight. Daerra had worn amethysts in her hairnet, and Aveline had them around her neck. And while the former's attire was quite ostentatious for one so newly in mourning, between Daerra's black and Aveline's silver, it looked almost like the two other women had dressed to coordinate with Camille. Especially sitting together as they were.

Of course, all of these things meant that Camille was obligated to greet her former friends. It was strange to think that this would be the first time all three of them gathered since Ewing's fall. She wondered how Ora's absence would affect the group dynamic. Would their conversations get deeper and more mature without Ora's naivete holding them back, or would the whole thing become awkward and tense? There was only one way to find out, and it would be interesting no matter what happened.

As she approached, she caught snatches of the ongoing conversation. It seemed Aveline wanted to know what was in store for the Elariel ball, and Daerra was daring her to guess. Aveline paused for thought right as Camille arrived at the table, giving her the perfect opening into the conversation.

"The Elariel ball will be perfect," she said with a faint smile, "as they always are. It will be filled with intrigue, and suspense, as always, and being on neutral ground, at least one person will make a scene. Possibly more, given current tensions. But Elariel will quickly smooth it over and make it a memorable experience for all involved. As always.

"Good evening, Aveline, Daerra." Aveline was always to be addressed first, given her status as heir of her house. "You both look stunning, as usual. When I saw you together, I knew I simply had to come over and make it a reunion. Daerra, please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. Luthadel is a darker place without Mikhail."

[Daerra Elariel]

Daerra covered her urge to narrow her eyes with a blink, and turned to face Camille with a subdued but friendly smile. Of course, she too would be wearing amethyst. Lord Ruler, people were going to think they had planned this. Daerra could only begin to imagine what rumours might result, but resolved to use whatever she could to her advantage.

Camille entered the conversation unannounced, but with a grace that suggested she was invited. Characteristic of her, she had waited to join until she had enough information, maintaining her mask of composure and control. The time since Ewing's fall had only served to hone Camille's courtly face, and the danger she hid beneath it.

"But Elariel will quickly smooth it over and make it a memorable experience for all involved. As always." It would seem Camille thought the Elariels were growing predictable, at least that's what she was trying to imply. Daerra could read between Camille's well placed lines.

"Camille, how good to see you." She simply had to come over did she? Daerra had a sneaking suspicion that whatever had motivated Camille to join them had more to do with her concern over what Daerra might tell Aveline in private than any sense of nostalgia or desire for companionship. As far as Daerra knew, up until this point they had both kept silent about each other's involvement in Ewing's fall, but that didn't mean that things couldn't change.

"Thank-you, for your kind words. He is, and will be missed. I'm just happy to be out with friends again. Home hasn't felt the same since his passing." Careful not to lay it on too thick. With Camille and Aveline there, Daerra knew she had to be doubly cautious. If one of them missed even the slightest of slips, the other was certain to catch it. "But that's enough of that. As I was telling Aveline earlier, I do not think Mikhail would want us to grieve forever. He lived his life in pursuit of his passions, and I'm sure he would want the rest of us to continue to do the same." It was important that the other houses knew that while the Elariels might mourn the death of a favoured son, they would not let it stop them from achieving their goals.

"I'll just sleep more comfortably when we know for certain all those responsible have been brought to justice." It was a long shot. Camille and Nevan had only attended a single ball together, which would make it unlikely that Camille knew anything about the inner workings of House Venture. Still, if it was possible to acquire any information about the attack, Daerra was certain Camille would have done so successfully.

"Aveline, you wouldn't mind if Camille sat down with us, would you?" Normally Daerra didn't like deferring to others, but Aveline technically outranked her, and this was her table. It would have been rude invite Camille to join them without asking first. "It would be like old times, the three of us together again." Daerra studied Camille's face carefully, looking for any hints or reactions to her earlier comment. "As you know, Camille, we were just discussing upcoming balls. After the surprise Lady Casuana gave us last week, it seems like everyone is buzzing with speculation. Tell me, that chandelier wasn't really made of atium was it?"

[Caden Hasting]

Eliza had seen Vaden Tremaine's type before? What did she mean by that? Of course Caden realized that Eliza had a history, after all, he had only just met her, and knew little of her life before coming to Luthadel. Indeed, he was interested in hearing more about her life growing up in Tavira, but he hadn't expected figures from her past to be causing problems in this way. Give her a chance to explain herself later, he told himself. She's gotten over the fact that your cousin is a vindictive maniac. You can deal with the fact that she's known men like Vaden before. Caden might not know Vaden Tremaine, or many people at all from Eliza's past, but he did feel like he knew Eliza, and that was what was important. He could trust her, and as long as he did, they could work out the other stuff.

"That sounds like a good idea. We don't want to make a scene, so discretion will be key. Shall I flag down a server and see who is in charge?" Caden kept his voice calm, but made a mental note to seek Vaden Tremaine out on the dueling ground at the next opportunity. Thug or not, Caden would show him the error of his ways.

[Aaron Elariel]

Well, this is certainly escalating quickly. "Are we certain we want to make a fuss at all?" Aaron interjected, worried about being a part of any potential scandals. Between the Casuana ball and his all too public injury in Ahslstrom earlier that day, he had been hoping the Perrault ball might be comparatively uneventful. "I mean, we're all just here to have fun, aren't we? Lady Eliza, I don't mean to imply it's all right that he's making you uncomfortable, and I don't doubt the Perrault servants are capable of handling the matter with discretion, but why don't we see if things sort them selves out first before taking any drastic actions."

Aaron turned to survey the hall, looking for an alternative, pointedly avoiding the direction Daerra sat in. Was that Camille she was talking to? The hall was filling quickly, and already seemed to be humming with the conversations of Luthadel's elite.

"Why don't we take a stroll around the hall while we chat, perhaps say hello to our hosts on the way by. Then, when we return, we can see if Vaden has gotten bored, and then act if he hasn't." Wait, had that made him seem weak or insensitive? Caden was correct, it was well within their rights to have Vaden moved. Would it be offensive to suggest they relocate, even for a time, when it was Vaden who was in the wrong?

"Of course, if you would prefer to have him moved immediately, Lady Eliza, that would be your choice to make, since you seem to be the target of his harassment. It would just be shame to interrupt our enjoyment of the ball to deal with him if ignoring him would suffice."

[Camille Deveaux]

Daerra, Daerra, Daerra. If only you knew. Camille of course knew full well that Phyra was the guilty party and had been brought to justice, having, well, brought said justice in the first place. She wondered what would happen if Daerra knew just how deeply involved Camille had been in this incident, or the Ewings' fall, or a dozen other things. Not that she could even hint at it, of course. It was her own private secret, and that was how it must remain.

It took a great deal of willpower to keep her face smooth when Daerra asked about the chandelier. Because of course that's what she would ask about. What else? Still, Mia had intended the thing to be a show of power, so Camille might as well set the record straight.

"I'm told it is," she confirmed as she took her seat. "Every piece. Though of course I didn't get to see it up close for myself. Mia is, understandably, quite protective of it."

"I was surprised to see your cousin make such a bold display," Aveline admitted. "You Deveaux are usually more subtle."

"Ah, but she's a Casuana now, not a Deveaux. And I've noticed that the martial houses are far more... emphatic, if you will, when putting on a show. Wouldn't you agree, Daerra?"

[Eliza Fathvell]

Excellent. Eliza's suggestion had been a good one after all, and Caden would have it taken care of. But then Lord Aaron spoke up, and Eliza found herself growing frustrated. Why should she leave because Tremaine was a creep? If she let him push her around, that would just give him permission to keep bothering her! Unfortunately, he had addressed her specifically, and now she was stuck in the awkward situation of going along with it and giving in to Tremaine's stalking, or contradicting a Great House heir to his face. She might not have been paying attention during most of Jerzen's diplomacy lessons, but she was pretty sure that would be a thing she wasn't supposed to do.

"It's a good idea," she finally said, "but I'm not sure how much of a deterrent it would be in this situation. Felix, can you remember if he followed us at all, or did he just stare?"

Hopefully Aaron at least would overlook her obvious bailing from having to make a choice, but at least Felix would get the message loud and clear: help!

[Felix Fathvell]

Felix found himself listening to Aaron's reason more than he thought he would. He could see that Eliza needed help... but how best to diffuse the situation before it blew out of proportion. Aaron's suggestion was very good for many reasons.

Walking would break his line of sight. That was the first and very present tick in the pro column.

After a moment's consideration, he nodded at Aaron. "It is a very good idea," he said. "He's not going to approach us like this anyway or he would have already. We're too far above his station and out of his social circle. I agree with Lord Aaron's suggestion."

He gave a reassuring smile to Eliza. "Why let him ruin a perfectly good evening with a scene if it can be avoided?"

[Daerra Elariel]

"Ah, but she's a Casuana now, not a Deveaux. And I've noticed that the martial houses are far more... emphatic, if you will, when putting on a show. Wouldn't you agree, Daerra?"

Clever Camille, trying to get me say something outrageous about another house. It was no coincidence, of course, that the two other "martial" great houses were Hasting and Raisaal. If Daerra made a disparaging comment about the ostentation of Hasting, it could be taken to mean Elariel was blaming the house for Kaylen's rumoured involvement in Mikhail's death, where if she defended them she might be applying the Elariel's were holding Venture solely accountable. With Raisaal, speaking well of them might create rumours that Elariel's substantial business contract with them was actually a step away from their neutral position, but if any disparaging remarks made their way back to Raisaal, it could jeopardize future business dealings. And of course, if Daerra let anything slip at all, Camille would be ready to ensure it got out. Her response would have to be carefully measured to preserve Elariel's neutral image, while sounding natural and uncontrived.

"I suppose it depends what you mean by 'emphatic', but in general it is more important for houses dealing in weapons or military personnel to seem strong. Houses want to feel protected, and it sets a poor precedent if a house trying to sell weapons or train soldiers is unable to defend itself. Balls are a form of advertising after all, and a poor showing could make people question their existing contracts." Camille could take that last bit as a barb for Casuana if she wanted to. Even she had to agree they at least somewhat deserved it, after that disaster of an evening.

"Then again," Daerra continued, intent on shifting the topic to her advantage, "I'd guess it would be equally important for a house with substantial financial dealings to advertise its wealth and allay concerns of insolvency, or a house dealing with crafted goods or design consultations to display exceptional taste. I'd argue that the emphasis of that message is more a question of personal taste than of financial avenue. After all, I would not consider Sureau, for example, to be a primarily martial house--feel free to correct me Aveline--and yet the Sureau balls I've attended have been among the most lavish, don't you agree?"