Snippet #1742587

Ariadne sat back in her chair by the tables, her gaze roaming around the ballroom as another wave of boredom washed over her. This was why she never came to these foolish things, they were tragically boring and she had better things to do. She let out a long breath, her eyes narrowing on Kale across the room. He was lounging against the wall still, his arms folded across his chest as before. Only now there were three pretty, young girls surrounding him, each giggling and playfully slapping his arm. Kale obviously didn't mind any of this with the way he winked at the one on the left as he continued to flirt profusely. Ari rolled her eyes and took another gulp of her champaigne. Here she was, bored and sitting in the middle of a ballroom involuntarily wearing a ridiculous dress while she waited to hear who she was to be trapped with for the rest of her life. And there he was, flirting away with three floozies as if it were any other day. She needed a stronger drink. More importantly, she needed something to do.

“Why hello there, Princess Ari. It has been a long time since I’ve laid eyes on you, hasn’t it? Time has been quite kind to you over the years, ma’ Lady, you look absolutely stunning tonight.” A deeper voice interrupted her thoughts and she glanced over at the man it belonged to, arching an eyebrow. He was lounging back in his seat, a wicked grin plastered across his face. There was something familiar about him...the way he talked, his body language, even his eyes. Yes, she definitely recognized those brown eyes.

"Chad. Its been quite some time. The last I saw of you was the back of your head. You were passed out face first in the dirt after one of our sparring matches as I recall." Ari replied a smirk dancing across her lips. "Didn't you make a bet that you could beat a girl? I believe you still owe me." She teased, turning slightly to face him. She took a moment to take in his appearence, slightly surprised by how well he looked. He had definitely grown much taller since the last she saw him, and his hair was slightly longer and softer looking. His skin, which had been a pale shade before, was now a dark tan color and no longer looked baby-soft. He was definitely not the little boy who's ass she'd kicked years ago. Now he was a grown man, and an attractive one at that.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. He hadn't been called here as a commoner to get married to one of the princesses had he?

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Kale Winters surveyed the large ballroom, smiling and pretending to listen as a young girl chatted away next to him. There were three of him surrounding him and at the moment, he was trying to find a way out. Ari was no help, though that didn't come as much of a surprise. The girls' voices drowned into the background as he fixed his gaze on Ari and the man sitting next to her. Truth be told, Kale wasn't ordered to follow her tonight, but he felt that he needed to anyway. He knew Ari could take care of herself better than anyone else ever could, but he still felt extremely protective and wanted to keep an eye on her (and her new husband-to-be).

He felt a nudge on his arm, immediately tensing up. When everything came back into focus, he glanced at the girl who had nudged him as she stared at him waiting for a response. He had almost forgotten they were standing there. He flashed her an apologetic smile and excused himself politely before squeezing passed them. He let out a long breath and made his way through the crowds of nobles to the bar.

"Got any beer?" He heard a woman next to him ask. When the man behind the counter replied with a no, she asked for some ale, only to get the same answer.

"I'm sorry miss, we only serve whine or cocktails. If you are interested, there is a drink called 'Dark and Stormy'. It's made from Gosling's Black Seal rum and ginger beer." The bartender suggested. Kale glanced over at the woman as she took the drink, his bright blue eyes sliding over her for a brief moment as she walked over to the tables. She was attractive of course, but in an odd way. Her hair was a pale pink color that he had never seen before though suited her well, as did the black and white dress she was wearing. Though she was pretty, it wasn't her appearence that caught his attention. It was her confident stride and there was a stubborn air about her that, for lack of better word, intrigued him. He grabbed a glass from the counter and strolled over to Escasriet's table, sitting down in a chair across from her. He pulled out a small canteen and poured half of the contents into his glass before taking a a big gulp. He glanced over at her and held out his canteen, a grin spreading across his lips.

"Beer? Some of Tibolt's finest." He offered, his bright blue eyes coming to rest on her's.