“Oh, thank you, Lord Bastion.” The Princess seemed momentarily flummoxed by his brazen display but Bastion took no mind to her apparent surprise. Perhaps a bit too forward then, but Bastion was nothing if not exceptionally forward. Dealing in underhanded tricks only served as half of his preference for getting what he wanted, and it often came second to the full-on pursuit. It did not shock him however that his actions had caused a ripple around the room, nothing outright, but noticeable where it counted.
He cataloged each notable reaction in his mind, and even further those that shielded against outward displays. Most interestingly he noted that Kester had no qualms in openly shaking his head, looking more or less disappointed by Bastion. As always. Bastion had to restrain himself from acting upon the inane urge to wave at Kester, settling for a simple placating look, 'Your move brother.
"The pleasure is certainly mine my lady," He responded almost as an afterthought. Sliding easily between observant of the others around them to being focused on the Princess and her former escort.
"Well, it is certainly a relief to find that your reputation for impertinence is unfounded, Lord Bastion. On the contrary, it seems as though you are polite to the point of competition." Polite to the point of competition. Bastion didn't bother looking for silent insult in the words because as far as he could tell the Cavalier was very much the definition of his own name; thusly, Bastion was unconcerned about the intentions of the other noble. Not that he had been concerned before, but he did find the response more affable than expected. Col, despite Bastions predilection for dismissing all other nobles - or rather people in general - as temporary, would in the least serve as a source of communicative entertainment.
” Ah, that is certainly kind of you to say, Lord Col." Perhaps addressing the other lord without malice would put the Princess at a bit of ease to the situation. He did not wish to cause undue stress upon her with unnecessary displays of aggression this early in the game. Be that for later days, when the true competitors start showing their colors. "I find that reputations are far more like rumors, where us Nobles are concerned. So many opinions spread through so many lips - its impossible, the amount of knowledge that others seem to have in regards to the persona of any person without ever having laid eyes upon them."
"But enough about me," He waved a hand dismissively despite how very easily he could go on and on about himself. "It would be incredibly impolite not to ask how each of you, and your lands, are faring." He continued to address Col alongside the Princess. After all, he didn't want her to take offense for not involving her original escort into the conversation at hand. Though he had absolutely no interest in the Marshlands, he was looking forward to hearing about the Vale from the lips of the Princess herself. He was easily the more politically inclined Thorne - underhandedly political in fact, where competition was concerned. There was always more knowledge to be gained, especially from those that lived within the place of interest, to begin with.
"The honor would be all mine, my lord." Kester smiled softly at her, glad that she was agreeable to his approach and began to lead the two of them onwards. He hoped that this feast would go smoothly, for first impressions would likely hang over them for the duration of their time in the Vale and he had no interest in causing more undue opinions to spring up about their family - their reputation already put him in a rather tough spot. And the Thornes, they would surely have their hands full with disproving the more harsh rumors surrounding them - at least in Kester's case, considering that Bastion was just as much the serpent that his title described.
He remembered then their pseudo-fight not so long ago, the way that Bastion could so very casually hold the tip of a sword to his own brother's throat with no qualms. Indeed, it seemed that his brother was having simply too hard of a time holding back. Kester's smile dropped, shaking his head minutely as he took note of Bastions antics and held his breath momentarily as he listened in for just a moment. But he did not give any other indication that he was paying attention, nor that he cared as he simply grits his teeth and continued to lead Lady Isolde to the second table - as far from his unruly sibling as possible. He was glad to see that Amara too had been led to that table, at least they would be able to focus on their respective escorts and not on one another as they were prone to do. As such he chose to lead her to the far end of the table, opposite of his sister and her escort.
He pulled out the seat closest to lady Elira for Isolde and waited patiently for her to sit before settling to her left. “I do hope this is alright?” He asked, ever the gentleman. Kester then glanced across the table to those seated nearest to the two of them and inclined his head politely, hoping that the feast ahead of them would be somewhat peaceful. Though he suspected that there would be a certain rowdy atmosphere to the crowd. One didn’t simply gather this many young adults into one room and expect civility.
“I’d say breathe, Lady Amara, but I’m never sure how women move in those contraptions, never mind breathe,” For the first time that night Amara's expression shifted to something akin to a smile, almost unperceivable to the untrained eye. "It's just proper," Amara spoke softly, though without any offense taken [color=#736A76]"We aren't meant to be comfortable." Whether she truly believed that or not she didn't say as much, it had simply been another lesson forcefully placed into her head. She did, however, appreciate that he could recognize her discomfort. Though it wasn't just the corset that caused it.
Laurence led her through the hall, and though she was intrigued by the new sights she did not stray her eyes from him for long. Not so discreetly examining him as they went. The people of the dark woods were often fair, as sheltered as they were from the warmth of the sun. Laurence was different from what she was used to, more rugged, defined. Handsome, she could easily admit. She was instantly curious about the scar that curled around his eye and wondered what could have happened to cause it. She only looked away briefly when she noticed what her brother was doing on the other side of the room. "Oh dear," She whispered under her breath, hoping that his actions did not cause trouble for them this early on. She envied the careless way he treated life, but she could not find it in herself to be the same. However, she loathed as well the way that he could simply decide to cause trouble and further scorn their names.
Luckily, with the first table quickly filling up she would not have to deal with being so near to Bastion and his thoughtless insanity. Instead, they headed towards the second table, where Laurence pulled out a seat at the head of the table for her. "My Lady."
"Why thank you, Lord Laurence, you are very kind" Amara graciously took her seat, crossing her ankles beneath the table as she waited for Laurence to take his seat at her side. She felt better to be seated and partaking in an easier form of socialization. The formality of the greetings had all but taken out of her what little energy she had to spare and she found it difficult just then to play the part of the proper lady. She wanted very much to just relax and unwind but knew that it would be unlikely until night came upon them.