Act 3: The Ball - Crisis

Konrad

"Oh, most definitely. The king and the duchess have been at each other's throats for the last couple of years now, so I would be astonished if they did manage to reach an agreement."

"Stranger things have happened," Brutus remarks.

"It depends on what she really wants," Aemilia adds.
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Steve

Sean stiffens in Steve's embrace, and for the first few seconds, he keeps perfectly still, until he finally reciprocates the hug.

"I don't know if it'll be okay, but I do trust you."
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Mihai

"I don't see why he would. Also, someone's here for you."

Van points at said person, but before Mihai can look behind him, he feels someone take his arm and press themselves against him.

"Honey! You haven't been waiting too long for me, have you?"

A tall woman with curly chestnut hair, long enough to reach the middle of her back, beams a him with a radiant smile while she interlaces her fingers with his. Dressed in an elegant purple gown that flatters her curves, Thirza Schult is almost unrecognizable compared to yesterday. Even her perfume—which possesses a pleasant fruity fragrance—adds to that impression.

"How are you doing?"

Fluffle, who's perched on Mihai's opposite shoulder, leans forward to see who it is and widens his eyes in surprise when he recognizes her.

"Well, that's something at least," answers Steve, before pulling back. "Actually, before I forget, there is something you can do for me tomorrow. There's a remarkable young lady on our ship that I would like you to meet. Her name is Brünhilde and I'm thinking of taking her on as an apprentice. But unfortunately, I can't take her with me where we are going next. If she agrees to the apprenticeship, I was wondering if she could stay with you and everyone until I can come pick her up."

"Well you have my bet, sirs. I had a little to drink before I came to the palace, but it might be Brutus' confidence that makes me brave."

There's a rumor that Isidora is going to announce her daughter's betrothed to the king today. Brutus seems quite sure that it will go through. Methinks he's betting on more than one horse.

Steve

"Of course," Sean replies. "What's the name of the ship? And is there a specific time I should come by?"
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Konrad

"Speaking of drink, I could certainly use one right about now. It's almost time, isn't it?"

"Yes. Any minute now," Aemilia says.

Malakai, Aemilia and Brutus all glance at the balcony above the entrance that leads into the Upper wing of the palace, where the ball will take place. They seem to be waiting for something.
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Mihai

Van silently bows to Mihai, and takes his leave. Meanwhile, Thirza places a hand on Mihai's chest and says, "I did my best for you," before she turns to the fairy and says, "Hello, Fluffle. How are you doing?"

"Doing well," he replies, unsure on how to address her. "Would you prefer if I left you two alone?"

"Oh, no! I greatly enjoy your company, Fluffle. But... I would appreciate it if you let me give him a hug..."

"Of course."

The fairy leaves Mihai's shoulder, and Thirza gently embraces her companion and kisses him on the cheek, then whispers to his ear, "Stay with me until Tremelius sees you with me." She then pulls back and asks, "So, have you been making friends? Who were you speaking with?"

OOC:

"Time for the host to welcome us?"

"It's the Vulcan and I'll have to get back to you on the time. It all depends on how this party goes." He shrugs.

Konrad

"Yes," Aemilia answers. "And we'll most certainly get a few words from the king himself. If he is to be betrothed, that's when he'll announce it, so you better prepare to pay up."

She grins at him while she takes Malakai's arm in hers.
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Steve

"Very well, then. You can count on me to see this through. But we should get to the courtyard—the duchess is due to speak any second now."
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Mihai

Thirza seemingly doesn't seem to care about Van Willis, and she carries on to the next subject.

"Is he now? Too bad I didn't get to speak to him." Thirza maintains Mihai's gaze for a moment before she shifts her attention to the almost empty entrance hall. "I think we're running late, darling. Shall we go?"

Steve nods and starts walking over to said courtyard with Sean. He'll keep an eye out for the others and move to join them if he can.

"I am prepared. The same goes for you, Malakai." Konrad waits for the host to appear.

"Let's avoid them, then," Thirza responds. "We don't need to stay together for too long."

"I'll go find Steve," Fluffle says. "See you later!"

Sean tells Steve that he must return to his companions for now, and that he will see him later. Luckily for the black mage, he doesn't stay alone for too long since Fluffle quickly finds him and discreetly recounts the conversation Mihai had with the Avatars. Just as he finishes telling him about Thirza's appearance, the floating lanterns in the inner courtyard light up and the crowd begins to quiet down.

Isidora Venator, Caetronia Venator, and Felix Tibur appear on the balcony, followed by their armed entourage. The two noblewomen wear the same dresses that Steve saw them in earlier today, while the king changed into an outfit similar to the one he arrived in, but more befitting the occasion. The lanterns closest to the balcony focus their light on the three of them, and it is now completely silent in the courtyard.

A servant hands over to the duchess a device eerily similar to the microphone Blue Sound developed—it's difficult to tell from here—which she then uses to address the crow below in Chromium.

"Good evening, and welcome to each and everyone of you who for being here with us today. I am very pleased to see that so many of you accepted my invitation, and hope that you will have a great time here tonight. Today marks the 189th year we've held the Ball of Harmony, making this event tonight the 378th time we have come together to converse and strengthen the ties that hold our great nation together. Thanks to you, Emerald prospers, and hopefully will continue to do so for the next 200 years."

The crowd claps loudly in response, and the duchess waits a moment before she resumes her speech.

"As you well know, the world is changing. The level of ambient magic has risen in the last couple of years, and strange phenomena have begun to all occur over the Archipelago. Only two days ago, new creatures have appeared out of nowhere, one of which threatened the very safety of this city." She pauses. "I am of course referring to the giant winged serpent you've undoubtedly heard about. While I cannot give you too many details, I can confirm that the creature in question wasn't acting out of malice, but out of love. An expedition of the Golden Legion, under the command of a man who shall remain unnamed, brutally executed the serpent's mate and kidnapped its offspring, against the advice of the Hunters who accompanied him. Desperate, the creature attempted to rescue its offspring by ambushing the convoy that transported it. Let me assure you that thanks to a few courageous souls, this situation has been resolved with no casualties, and that the officer responsible for this tragedy has been severely punished."

The people in the crowd mutter in agreement, glad to hear the news.

"Glad we avoided being found for that. We'd be up there as props for PR purposes right now," Steve broadcasts to the others.

"Probably," Thirza answers succinctly.

The duchess continues her speech. "But new threats will undoubtedly emerge, and unlike the serpent that assailed the Golden convoy, they may not be as merciful or understanding. We must stand united, now more than ever, and to that end, we have an announcement to make."

Isidora Venator then hands the microphone to the king, Felix Tibur I, and moves aside for him. Young and handsome, the man gracefully takes the device from her and faces the crowd, supremely confident in every movement he makes. He then addresses the crowd with an eloquence that bespeaks far more experience than he should possess at his age.

"In these uncertain times, far more unpredictable than any citizen of the Archipelago has ever faced before, I speak to you with the same depth of feeling that a father would to his children. For the first time in our lives, we have no idea what we can do to protect the future of our children, for we now face new problems that require as of yet unknown solutions. Already, we have been forced to rely on the courage of a few foreign heroes to see us through the challenge a single entity posed, when we should have been the ones to rise up to the occasion and solve this problem. For the sake of all that we ourselves hold dear, it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet future challenges. It is to this high purpose that I now call my people at home, and those of you from across the seas, to stand firm and united in this time of trial. It will be a long journey for all of us, which begins tonight, for Duchess Venator has done me the honor of granting me the hand of her daughter, Caetronia Venator."

The people in the audience gasp as the young woman steps forward, a beautiful smile on her face, and daintily places her hand in the king's palm while she waves to the crowd below.

"All hail Emerald!"

                 "All hail Emerald!"

    "All hail Emerald!"

The crowd erupts in cheers, then doubles in intensity when fireworks shoot into the sky, coloring it with the emblems of House Tibur and House Venator, united by a ring of green sparks.

Konrad claps and smiles, and tries hard to hold back his shock. "Looks like it's the Princess's lucky day! They've finally seen eye to eye, after all."

Steve claps along with the crowd, not wanting to draw any attention to himself.

"Maybe she hasn't be given any reason to think otherwise," Thirza whispers while clapping.

On Konrad's side, the mood isn't quite as joyous.

"I've just lost the bet," Malakai laments as he smiles through the pain.

"Someone always loses," Aemilia replies. "That's why it's called gambling."

As for Fluffle, he leans towards Steve's ear and says, "That's weird. Why do that now?"

The king and his future queen continue to wave at the crowd for a while longer before the doors to the Upper wing finally open, allowing the guests to come inside, while they and the rest of their entourage go through the door on the balcony. Already, the party members can hear music start playing in the distance, and the crowd begins to move.

Mihai then notices someone on the balcony looking straight at him and Thirza, before following the rest of the duchess' bodyguards inside the palace.

"Adfrio Tremelius," Thirza explains. "Now he knows what you look like."

"Let's forget about it for now and just enjoy the party."

"To lure everyone into a false sense of security, maybe?" Steve bites his lower lip while he thinks about it, before adding, "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. You know, just in case."

He starts making his way towards the doors with the others, making sure to take in the sights and smells of the occasion while noting the exits and visible security.

Awareness 19

As far as Steve and Mihai are aware, the layout of the palace matches with the plans Thirza gave them yesterday, and like they expected, the guards are blocking the entrances leading into the Left and Right wings. Only the two floors of the Upper wings seem open to the guests at the moment.

Konrad is about to follow Aemilia and the others inside when a hand suddenly grabs his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. When he turns to look who it is, he sees a young woman with curled shoulder-length raven hair, dressed in a simple and yet elegant black gown that shows some of her legs, as well as a pair of high heels that props her up to almost five feet eight inches tall. While her bosom isn't by any means large, her dress nevertheless flatters her curves, most especially her waist, and some of the men walking by her can't help but throw quick glances in her direction.

The woman makes eye contact with Konrad, her expression as aloof as ever, and she asks him, "May I accompany you?"

Even from this distance, Mihai recognizes who it is, and eventually, Steve does too. Fluffle lets out a quiet "woah" at this sight.

The dress: