RHAEGAR CASTILLON
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Heir to Blackvale | The Falcon
#B70909 | Outfit
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Heir to Blackvale | The Falcon
#B70909 | Outfit
SYLAS THORNE
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Heir to Dark Wood | The Viper
#999999 | Outfit
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Heir to Dark Wood | The Viper
#999999 | Outfit
GWENDOLYNN CASTILLON
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Princess | The Little Dove
#F56E6F | Outfit
"Lord Thorne," Vivienne said in response to Sylas' greeting. Her smile was quite convincing. To the unknowning or daft minded, she might have actually be convincing. But no matter, he did not care if she was happy to dance with him or looked at him like the scum on the bottom of her shoe. These trivial matters of matrimony and seducing dull women didn't thrill him. He played the game like a well bread noble. The one art he perfected was the art of deception. He looked, acted and talked like the charming young Lord he was raised to be. That was good enough. "The same could much be said of you."
Sylas tucked his left arm behind his back while his right held Vivienne's left hand. He glanced down momentarily at his attire. He raised his head with a slight smirk, glancing over at the blonde beside him from the corner of his eyes. "Ah, well thank you my lady. I hadn't noticed." A lie. Of course he noticed. Sylas was no idiot when it came to his own appearance. He was as vain as he was handsome but he also didn't not flaunt it around like a chauvinistic peacock either.
"Sometimes the most venomous snakes, have the most beautiful scales." The words nearly took Sylas by surprise almost stopping him mid-promenade. But it only made his smirk grow, taking on a more devious tone as he twirled the girl around and brought her close for the dance. "The Snake House, that's what your family is known as?"
Sylas chuckled as he let his gaze drift around the ballroom. When it landed upon Sylva he could see the tension that laid behind that strong visage of hers. He read her like a book, so he knew enough to sense her discomfort. He hated that he couldn't go to her but with so many prying eyes and appearances to uphold he had to remain well behaved. He looked back down at the disinteresting woman before him. "Clever girl.
He danced with her in silence for a long moment, twirling Vivienne a couple times. Sylas then decided to continue the conversation, "True in most cases. But, the Inland taipan is the deadliest snake in the world," He leader her around the ballroom effortlessly. His feet glided across the ground with purpose. "And it is no prettier that any other common snake. Being deadly isn't about being beautiful and bewitching, it's about being ordinary and invisible in plain sight."
Sylas looked about the ballroom yet again, this time taking in all the young lords and ladies. "It is better to be a predator than prey. A snake may be small, but it could overtake a stag, a swan, an armadillo and even with enough cunning and planning... A phoenix." His face remained cold and stoic, but his gaze fell to meet hers. He couldn't help but wonder if the gears were turning behind that tussle of blonde hair or if it sounded like the ocean between those ears. "United by blood, bound by stone." The smirk slowly returned to his lips, "A rock does not even enter the same arena."
The lady Seraphina curtsied before Brom then said, “Prince Castillon, what a pleasure… Though from the looks of that fake smile, you are having just as much fun as I am.” She chuckled and in returned caused himself to laugh as he began to lead her through the promenade and into the dance.
"Well, what is not to enjoy about spending an evening dancing with the most beautiful women in the kingdom?" He asked, giving her a twirl. As she returned to his arms, Brom pulled her in closer so that his voice was softer but still rough and enticing. "And for the record, my lady, this smile is all but fake. Unlike the majority of lords and ladies in this hall, I find no reason to be anything than what I am. Everyone knows the rumors about me and how I am. Why deny it or pretend to be anything I'm not?"
“Appearances are quite a hinderance. Especially in front of family.” The blonde was feisty, Brom liked that.
His smirk only seemed to grow with the comment. His attention was fully on her while his body mindlessly went through the moves and guided her effortlessly. "True, it does take far too long to get all primped and powdered for these sort of things. But... It is much more fun taking it off in the eve." Brom then winked down at her with a chuckle, "Especially when someone else is doing the removing."
Was Brom being too forward? Without a doubt. Did he care? Not the slightest. She seemed to come prepared for quips. Seraphina seemed the type to have a sharp tongue and sharper whit. Plus, everyone knew his reputation. And as he said, why deny it? A summer with all the finest women in the kingdom under his roof. It'd be foolish for him not to enjoy every moment of it before he became shackled in the bonds of marriage to potentially someone not of his choosing.
Howell bowed before Gwendolynn, then took her hand and lead her through the dance. "Lady Castillon," he finally said towards her, causing Gwen to smile slightly. “Just Howell is fine, we are here to get to know one another after all.”
"Well, just Howell," Gwen teased with a lighthearted smile. "You may call me Gwendolynn if you'd like, or Gwen... As long as my mother isn't around to scold me for being so informal." The thought of her mother's blood boiling at hearing another lord call her Gwen almost made her giggle. She hated all the formalities and pretenses her mother made her live up to. She constantly felt like she was suffocating under a mountain of things that she wasn't... And the corset didn't help.
“I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself, so to speak,” Howell commented. He was, no doubt, one of the more attractive lords in the vale for the summer. Some were too young for her liking or too... Proper. She couldn't imagine being forced to marry someone who was more vain than herself. Gwen was a handful and no doubt needing someone capable of taming her while also setting her free. Howell played the proper part well, but the roughness of his palms and his ease at removing titles from their conversation made her wonder how different he was from what he appeared. “I know these events probably aren’t all that fun. Though I find it rather interesting that all of us have managed to be this mannered for so long – especially with so many clashing personalities in one space.”
Gwen gave a soft sigh, "I suppose I'm enjoying it as much as I can when I'm being forced to choose my future husband from a pool of pre-chosen suitors." Her eyes widened when she realized how openly blunt and off putting she sounded. "No offense... It's not personal. I just don't do well with the idea of arranged marriages, or rules... or really anything related to being a Princess."
She remained quiet through the dance for a moment. Her eyes settled upon the different faces really soaking in all the different personalities Howell mentioned. "That is a surprise. I wouldn't mind something exciting happening... Anything that gets me out of this corset sooner," Gwen laughed softly as she glanced up at him. "But, how are you enjoying the Vale? I'm sure it's quite different compared to what you're used to on the water. I've never been on a ship or seen the ocean... The closest I've been is when my brothers and I would sneak out of the Keep at night to play in the fountains in the garden."
“This dance is tiring,” Marynn answered Rhaegar with enough honesty that it made him smile and chuckle. She seemed different, in a nice way. She looked authentically herself which was a breath of fresh air in a ballroom filled with pretenders trying to present themselves in the best way to win his, or his siblings hand in marriage.
"It is," Rhaegar let out a soft sigh as he spoke. He caught some glimpses of Marynn dancing earlier and noticed it wasn't her strong suit. Not that he blamed her. If he was on a ship day in and day out, the last thing on his mind would have been learning a waltz. So, as he spun her, his left hand remained in the mid of her back to help guide in elegance. Not in a rude way but in a helpful manner, like a polite gentleman should do. "My mother made Brom, Gwen and I practice this dance before every meal since winter. 'You must be perfect' she'd tell us." Rhaegar smiled towards her, "I've done it so much that I could do it with my eyes closed. I was tired of it before the music started." He chuckled.
“Otherwise, I do quite fine on land. Would be better if I were not forced into wearing such dreadfully unwieldy clothing.”
Marynn's comment made Rhaegar laugh much in the way his sister did whenever she complained about being forced to be a lady. "You remind me of my sister. I do believe you both would get along quite well. She tried to convince me to wear the corset and dress on multiple occasions." Rhaegar lead her in steady circles around the ballroom, his gaze every so often checking upon his sister. He always worried about her. Brom, not so much. He worried more for the unfortunate women who had to dance with him. He looked back over Marynn with a smile. "At least you still are you, even if you have to wear a ridiculous dress." He motioned his hand to her adornments that she accented her outfit with.
“And you?" Marynn smiled towards him, and even though she seemed uncomfortable something said she was still sincere. “How are you faring, knowing that the ladies here are the only choices you have?”
Rhaegar was silent for a long while. Not because her comment was rude, but the harsh reality that was constantly nagging at the back of his mind. "I'd be lying if I said I enjoy it." His smile faded slightly as he gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I do feel bad though. It is my fault... I kept disappearing whenever my parents tried to marry me off. I just wished they would have kept Brom and Gwen out of this. They deserve happiness, not to be forced to choose from a pool of suitors." He gave a halfhearted chuckle with a slight smile. "But not everyone hear seems blood thirsty for my hand. I much like your bluntness and honesty. It's hard to find authentic people in court."
Magnus could sense everything that Elizabeth felt when he spoke. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, comfort her and be her rock. But he could not. In that moment he felt his heart sink as he watched his children. His wife was forcing their children to do the same thing he was forced to do... Spend their lives with someone they do not love. It sickened him but it was too late.
“You know it was not I that left you…” Elizabeth's words were expected but cut deeply.
It took everything in Magnus not to turn and face her, to take her beautiful face in his hands and make her listen to his words. It's so much more complicated than that. She only knew a portion... The portion he let her know. He blamed himself every day for hurting her, and he still will until the end of his days. "Lizzie... You know it's not that simple."
He glanced down at the ground while his thumb stroked the top of her hand. Magnus knew she only agreed to walk with him because 'The King' asked. He hoped she actually wanted to see him and speak with him, but it was daft and stupid. He didn't deserve her forgiveness or even a glance. "Give me a chance to explain things to you this summer... I'll explain everything, please?"
Magnus did not wait for a response, he knew she'd want to think on it. His hand gently patter hers before he let her hand slip from his grasp. "You do not have to be tormented by my presence any further this evening. Return to your husband if that is what you wish. I do not desire to hurt you more than I already have. His gaze drifted to hers. It was a dream to see her and it made his heart swell and ache at the same time. She was more beautiful than ever and it killed him not to be able to hold her.
Sylas tucked his left arm behind his back while his right held Vivienne's left hand. He glanced down momentarily at his attire. He raised his head with a slight smirk, glancing over at the blonde beside him from the corner of his eyes. "Ah, well thank you my lady. I hadn't noticed." A lie. Of course he noticed. Sylas was no idiot when it came to his own appearance. He was as vain as he was handsome but he also didn't not flaunt it around like a chauvinistic peacock either.
"Sometimes the most venomous snakes, have the most beautiful scales." The words nearly took Sylas by surprise almost stopping him mid-promenade. But it only made his smirk grow, taking on a more devious tone as he twirled the girl around and brought her close for the dance. "The Snake House, that's what your family is known as?"
Sylas chuckled as he let his gaze drift around the ballroom. When it landed upon Sylva he could see the tension that laid behind that strong visage of hers. He read her like a book, so he knew enough to sense her discomfort. He hated that he couldn't go to her but with so many prying eyes and appearances to uphold he had to remain well behaved. He looked back down at the disinteresting woman before him. "Clever girl.
He danced with her in silence for a long moment, twirling Vivienne a couple times. Sylas then decided to continue the conversation, "True in most cases. But, the Inland taipan is the deadliest snake in the world," He leader her around the ballroom effortlessly. His feet glided across the ground with purpose. "And it is no prettier that any other common snake. Being deadly isn't about being beautiful and bewitching, it's about being ordinary and invisible in plain sight."
Sylas looked about the ballroom yet again, this time taking in all the young lords and ladies. "It is better to be a predator than prey. A snake may be small, but it could overtake a stag, a swan, an armadillo and even with enough cunning and planning... A phoenix." His face remained cold and stoic, but his gaze fell to meet hers. He couldn't help but wonder if the gears were turning behind that tussle of blonde hair or if it sounded like the ocean between those ears. "United by blood, bound by stone." The smirk slowly returned to his lips, "A rock does not even enter the same arena."
***
The lady Seraphina curtsied before Brom then said, “Prince Castillon, what a pleasure… Though from the looks of that fake smile, you are having just as much fun as I am.” She chuckled and in returned caused himself to laugh as he began to lead her through the promenade and into the dance.
"Well, what is not to enjoy about spending an evening dancing with the most beautiful women in the kingdom?" He asked, giving her a twirl. As she returned to his arms, Brom pulled her in closer so that his voice was softer but still rough and enticing. "And for the record, my lady, this smile is all but fake. Unlike the majority of lords and ladies in this hall, I find no reason to be anything than what I am. Everyone knows the rumors about me and how I am. Why deny it or pretend to be anything I'm not?"
“Appearances are quite a hinderance. Especially in front of family.” The blonde was feisty, Brom liked that.
His smirk only seemed to grow with the comment. His attention was fully on her while his body mindlessly went through the moves and guided her effortlessly. "True, it does take far too long to get all primped and powdered for these sort of things. But... It is much more fun taking it off in the eve." Brom then winked down at her with a chuckle, "Especially when someone else is doing the removing."
Was Brom being too forward? Without a doubt. Did he care? Not the slightest. She seemed to come prepared for quips. Seraphina seemed the type to have a sharp tongue and sharper whit. Plus, everyone knew his reputation. And as he said, why deny it? A summer with all the finest women in the kingdom under his roof. It'd be foolish for him not to enjoy every moment of it before he became shackled in the bonds of marriage to potentially someone not of his choosing.
***
Howell bowed before Gwendolynn, then took her hand and lead her through the dance. "Lady Castillon," he finally said towards her, causing Gwen to smile slightly. “Just Howell is fine, we are here to get to know one another after all.”
"Well, just Howell," Gwen teased with a lighthearted smile. "You may call me Gwendolynn if you'd like, or Gwen... As long as my mother isn't around to scold me for being so informal." The thought of her mother's blood boiling at hearing another lord call her Gwen almost made her giggle. She hated all the formalities and pretenses her mother made her live up to. She constantly felt like she was suffocating under a mountain of things that she wasn't... And the corset didn't help.
“I hope you’ve been enjoying yourself, so to speak,” Howell commented. He was, no doubt, one of the more attractive lords in the vale for the summer. Some were too young for her liking or too... Proper. She couldn't imagine being forced to marry someone who was more vain than herself. Gwen was a handful and no doubt needing someone capable of taming her while also setting her free. Howell played the proper part well, but the roughness of his palms and his ease at removing titles from their conversation made her wonder how different he was from what he appeared. “I know these events probably aren’t all that fun. Though I find it rather interesting that all of us have managed to be this mannered for so long – especially with so many clashing personalities in one space.”
Gwen gave a soft sigh, "I suppose I'm enjoying it as much as I can when I'm being forced to choose my future husband from a pool of pre-chosen suitors." Her eyes widened when she realized how openly blunt and off putting she sounded. "No offense... It's not personal. I just don't do well with the idea of arranged marriages, or rules... or really anything related to being a Princess."
She remained quiet through the dance for a moment. Her eyes settled upon the different faces really soaking in all the different personalities Howell mentioned. "That is a surprise. I wouldn't mind something exciting happening... Anything that gets me out of this corset sooner," Gwen laughed softly as she glanced up at him. "But, how are you enjoying the Vale? I'm sure it's quite different compared to what you're used to on the water. I've never been on a ship or seen the ocean... The closest I've been is when my brothers and I would sneak out of the Keep at night to play in the fountains in the garden."
***
“This dance is tiring,” Marynn answered Rhaegar with enough honesty that it made him smile and chuckle. She seemed different, in a nice way. She looked authentically herself which was a breath of fresh air in a ballroom filled with pretenders trying to present themselves in the best way to win his, or his siblings hand in marriage.
"It is," Rhaegar let out a soft sigh as he spoke. He caught some glimpses of Marynn dancing earlier and noticed it wasn't her strong suit. Not that he blamed her. If he was on a ship day in and day out, the last thing on his mind would have been learning a waltz. So, as he spun her, his left hand remained in the mid of her back to help guide in elegance. Not in a rude way but in a helpful manner, like a polite gentleman should do. "My mother made Brom, Gwen and I practice this dance before every meal since winter. 'You must be perfect' she'd tell us." Rhaegar smiled towards her, "I've done it so much that I could do it with my eyes closed. I was tired of it before the music started." He chuckled.
“Otherwise, I do quite fine on land. Would be better if I were not forced into wearing such dreadfully unwieldy clothing.”
Marynn's comment made Rhaegar laugh much in the way his sister did whenever she complained about being forced to be a lady. "You remind me of my sister. I do believe you both would get along quite well. She tried to convince me to wear the corset and dress on multiple occasions." Rhaegar lead her in steady circles around the ballroom, his gaze every so often checking upon his sister. He always worried about her. Brom, not so much. He worried more for the unfortunate women who had to dance with him. He looked back over Marynn with a smile. "At least you still are you, even if you have to wear a ridiculous dress." He motioned his hand to her adornments that she accented her outfit with.
“And you?" Marynn smiled towards him, and even though she seemed uncomfortable something said she was still sincere. “How are you faring, knowing that the ladies here are the only choices you have?”
Rhaegar was silent for a long while. Not because her comment was rude, but the harsh reality that was constantly nagging at the back of his mind. "I'd be lying if I said I enjoy it." His smile faded slightly as he gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I do feel bad though. It is my fault... I kept disappearing whenever my parents tried to marry me off. I just wished they would have kept Brom and Gwen out of this. They deserve happiness, not to be forced to choose from a pool of suitors." He gave a halfhearted chuckle with a slight smile. "But not everyone hear seems blood thirsty for my hand. I much like your bluntness and honesty. It's hard to find authentic people in court."
***
Magnus could sense everything that Elizabeth felt when he spoke. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, comfort her and be her rock. But he could not. In that moment he felt his heart sink as he watched his children. His wife was forcing their children to do the same thing he was forced to do... Spend their lives with someone they do not love. It sickened him but it was too late.
“You know it was not I that left you…” Elizabeth's words were expected but cut deeply.
It took everything in Magnus not to turn and face her, to take her beautiful face in his hands and make her listen to his words. It's so much more complicated than that. She only knew a portion... The portion he let her know. He blamed himself every day for hurting her, and he still will until the end of his days. "Lizzie... You know it's not that simple."
He glanced down at the ground while his thumb stroked the top of her hand. Magnus knew she only agreed to walk with him because 'The King' asked. He hoped she actually wanted to see him and speak with him, but it was daft and stupid. He didn't deserve her forgiveness or even a glance. "Give me a chance to explain things to you this summer... I'll explain everything, please?"
Magnus did not wait for a response, he knew she'd want to think on it. His hand gently patter hers before he let her hand slip from his grasp. "You do not have to be tormented by my presence any further this evening. Return to your husband if that is what you wish. I do not desire to hurt you more than I already have. His gaze drifted to hers. It was a dream to see her and it made his heart swell and ache at the same time. She was more beautiful than ever and it killed him not to be able to hold her.