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gilded_justice (gilded_justice) wrote in bizarre_city,
@ 2013-07-30 20:55:00

Entry tags:

andrew moreau, avalynn dubhghail, mikino alcaeyn

December 1
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A Gala at the Palace

It had all gone better than they could have hoped. Azyebel Salicar literally turned the tide of the war with the Danaan by simply being what she was. A Chaldean had always been a symbol of Sidhe strength, and care was taken that she never seem frail to the public, no matter the occasional truth of it. Morale was everything and with their leaders united, for a time at least, there was a shared sense of hope among the fae inhabiting this side of the Veil. By December, there were no more full-on battles taking place. There were still skirmishes here and there, pockets of resistance, but it seemed the end was within sight. The Danaan were a tribal folk, so victory would not come with a single surrender, but the most powerful of their own leaders had been taken, killed in action, or forced to retreat.

It had been months since the palace hosted a gala, a think which it had once boasted each and every month. Mikino insisted it was overdue and Queen Salicar consented to him seeing it done. This was a chance to show off the renovations to the palace and gardens, a display of Sidhe prosperity and perseverance. And more than that, it was a time to emphasize that unity they still enjoyed. Two ballrooms were opened for the duration of the night, but of course the gardens were a part of it as well, with no portion of them restricted. The theme was, in a sense, that there was no theme.

House colors were discouraged, as were insignia, though neither was outright forbidden. Tonight, there were to be no titles for any save the Queen herself. The nobility was to enjoy the novelty of a night playing at being anyone they liked, and the commoners were expected to do the same. Dukes would dance with tavern maids and no one would bat an eye. Some were more recognizable than most, as was always the case. No matter what shade he wore, no one was likely to mistake Mikino Alcaeyn. He was not the only notable figure in attendance, either. But for the majority, there was an exciting sense anonymity.

There was an area dedicated to each region as well, with food and entertainment suited to their particular culture. A guest could enjoy a glass of Galicia’s famed wines while dancing in the soft fall of snowflakes where the gardens had been adapted to mimic the climate of the north (though notably milder than a true winter). The lack of insignia bore by the rest also served to emphasize the splendor of a Queen who had spent her whole life feeling the burden of being “plain”. Mikino had insisted she stand out, and unless she had gone against his suggestion, she would be symbolic in all the ways he believed a Queen should. He may not have forgotten about Sidonie de la Sidra, but he saw to it that the rest of the world may as well have. This new young Queen would be made into something more dangerous than she already was: an ideal. It was not destined to make her life any easier, but the people would always love her for it, and they would never forget her.

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Re: { ... }

gilded_justice
2013-08-02 07:52 pm UTC (link)

He laughed, a restrained sound that she would feel as much as hear, pressed to him the way she was. “I am at a disadvantage if I expect not to be recognized. Any of the Council is. It is men like your Lord Calmcacil who own the arena this evening. Important enough to matter, but not high profile enough to be recognizable to everyone.”

His gaze was allowed to wander past her, contemplative. Her penchant for mingling below her station would do well for him if they were to wed. It would serve him in the way that marrying Melinda should have, bringing him the support of those smaller Houses while still allowing him to maintain the supposed dignity of his own station. He hadn’t the time to see to everyone, even if he stayed to the last guests. Tonight he may have opted to dote on her, but there would be a next time. Her interactions with these others would warm them to the Alcaeyn name, and those who would have thought less of him for spending much time on them personally would instead be able to laugh over the quaint antics of a wife that, for all they cared, he had chosen for her beauty alone. He had a type, after all, and Avalynn fit it perfectly. The truth was she was the one who had established it.

“I have already begun with you.” Amusement greeted her as his attention returned where it belonged. “Which sends a different message that at least the men in attendance can respect. Political success seems a hollow victory from a cold bed, I suppose."

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Re: { ... }

dubhghail
2013-08-02 08:30 pm UTC (link)

She smiled to herself, feeling his own amusement as he laughed. The test had never been recognition of himself. They would all have to be both blind and deaf to allow him any sort of anonymity. It was better to rely on the test they had created for him simply out of a belief in their own entitlement. They would test his recognition of them. Gain was easily won in the face of suppose justification of. Irritating it might be in extended company, but still useful.

She raised a eyebrow curiously as his eyes returned to her, sharing with her his amusement. "Oh, is that the advantage you men see and respect in this?" she asked, a sense of her won amusement finding its way into the comment. "And here I was thinking it was the addition of my impeccable sense of business that they would respect." All was said in jest, of course, still finding no reason to dampen her appreciation for the time he was granting her just then.

"If it has begun with me, where then are you headed next?" she asked, her smile still lingering. She did not enjoy the game to the extent that he did, but she could not deny that there was a certain appreciation found in watching him play it.

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Re: { ... }

gilded_justice
2013-08-02 09:08 pm UTC (link)

“It is one we can all understand, anyway. It is universal. Is that what you see in me, Avalynn? I suppose I have always admired your stunning ‘intellect’.” It never seemed to be often enough he was able to tease her. Ava knew she was pretty. She had been told that all her life, he had no doubt. So drawing attention to it was something he typically did to goad her. Although, it certainly didn’t hurt to express the fact that she appealed to him in particular. As if there could be any doubt by now.

“We. Where are we headed next,” he corrected tenderly. His steps stopped then, easing back just one to grant him the space to raise curled fingers to her chin. Whatever would have come next was not to be. The hush was settling over the crowd by then and he looked away to see to the cause of it, which of course was a little bundle of trouble bearing his name. This time when he backed away from her it was to break contact entirely, and then he was forced to go and intervene. ((tbc later in the evening!))

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