Nilo laughed and attempted to duck as she swatted at him, but failed and only laughed a little louder as her hand made contact. “You say you can survive being quiet, but I find that highly unlikely.” The man teased, though he wasn’t doubting her. No, it wasn’t in her nature to sabotage an official meeting, especially one led by the king himself. He did scoff as she claimed and the king and his crown prince required a babysitter. Granted, the two had never been to such a meeting together, but Nilo assumed the two would be fine. Their relationship had improved, hadn’t it?

“A leash-keeper for the two highest-ranked men in Lavarre? What world do you live in, Gennadius?” Nilo shook his head, but the mischievous grin on his face gave him away. The father-son duo did have their chaotic moments and the two were known for their knock-down-drag-out arguments. “Okay fine, we may get a little heated when we have disagreements, but I’m hoping we’re on the same page. He’s never been a malicious person.” The prince pointed out, crossing his arms in a slightly defensive manner.

Nilo let out a grunt as she sprawled out across him, though her closeness was welcome as her arms snaked back to wrap around his neck. He let out a low chuckle and his arms instinctively wrapped around her torso. A content sigh escaped him as the woman nestled closer, “Eventually we should…” Nilo trailed, briefly wondering about the future throne room confrontation, “but this is fine for now.” He told her, not looking forward to it all. His head tilted as she showed curiosity regarding future proceedings, which he couldn’t blame her for.

He leaned his head back with another sigh, but this one was more reluctant. Nilo really didn’t want to go, but the man felt a sense of duty for once. “These things are usually handled calmly, based on what I’ve heard. I have only handled such proceedings once and unfortunately, it wasn’t like I should have.” He admitted though he wasn’t looking to go into detail on Caspian’s sentencing. Although his anger had been valid, as a prince he should’ve handled it with stoic dignity. Although, he did find satisfaction in the fact the only thing Caspian would ever remember about the monarchy was the furious prince with glacial eyes.

“Typically, we give the people a chance to speak, though typically it doesn’t affect the decision unless it’s truly a valid point and cause for a deeper investigation. It’s really just to… seem fair. The people don’t like it when you take their fellow citizens' lives or sentence them without giving them a chance to speak. Though, my father is rather biased on this one, so I’m afraid he may be swayed in his judgment. He tends to be neutral and unaffected, but this is… difficult.”

The prince paused for several moments, playing several scenarios out in his head, mind going a mile a minute like it often did. There were several ways the proceedings could go, but all Nilo could hope for was that his father deftly delivered justice instead of letting his fury guide him. “As for the punishment itself, they will either be executed or will spend the rest of their lives working in the southern mines. It’s how we deal with the majority of our prisoners rather than waste money holding them. Either would be sufficient in this case.” Nilo explained, though his fears still lingered for their children.

In a change of mood, the man playfully pulled her closer, legs coming up to cage hers and his face buried itself in her hair for a moment before he spoke again. “But it does not matter! My father will handle it and we just have to stand there and look pretty. That shouldn’t be very hard, now should it?” He joked, not looking to dwell on the possible execution. He had never liked the idea that he had the power to take someone's life.

“On another note, it seems you’ve taken to using me as your personal cushion.” Nilo speculated, almost as if he had a problem with it, which both of them knew was not true. He liked his personal space, but he also loved sharing it with her whenever he could. “You’re going to have to pay up sometime darling. I shall not always be your mattress for free, I tell you.” The grin was evident in his voice as he talked to her with a mock firmness, the previous night forgotten at the moment, and his focus on her. “Although, I guess since you kind of saved my life, I can pardon your debt for now.” Nilo purred out, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

One Week Later...

Claude had set up shop in one of the spare castle rooms. As a rule, he tended to do his work at home, collecting orders in the castle and bringing them back with him to work on while spending time with his wife. The lanky man had a rather chipper wife, and conversations between them were often exciting, and quite a few times, he would have her do some of the sewing for him.

However, the ball was a rather large event, with more than enough orders for the tailor to handle, though luckily, he was not the only tailor for the event, though he did specialize in doing the clothing for the royals. Which meant he was spending the weeks before the ball in the castle, quite literally living in the room next to his workspace and working tireless hours on all the orders. Though, even he was a bit excited about it all, considering he enjoyed these kinds of events.

Today was a very special day for his work though, considering it was time to focus more on the dress he had started for Gennadius. Not that she had asked for one. On the contrary, she had made if forcibly clear that she wanted something similar to what she had worn to the noble’s function. But that design just happened to slip the tailor’s mind and he didn’t want to bother the woman considering he assumed she must be painfully busy... so, he would just make her a dress. Once he got it done, it would be too late to not wear it.

It had quite a bit more to go, though the dark blue fabric was already on the dress form. The bust was a lighter form of the dark color, made for it to fit snuggly waist up. He was still working on the neck, though at the moment, it was a bateau. The skirt part was also in current construction, though he had it pinned on, the darker, almost midnight blue touching the floor. He was still debating what he wanted to do with the sleeves and had multiple kinds of fabrics, ribbons, and sequined sashes he was trying to see what he liked for the transition from the waist to the skirt.

That wasn’t to mention all the embellishments he still had to decided, though he was planning to use something white or silver to match the prince’s white suit. Claude hoped to make a nice contrast between the two, but with enough matching elements for it to blend well and the two to stand out as a team. He had already finished Nilo’s outfit, which was now on a stand to the side to use as a comparison. So brown eyes were constantly darting between the two, scissors in one hand, pins poking out of his mouth, and the man picking up various things as he worked.

“You should move the skirt up on the sides more or she’ll try to wear her sword.”

Claude turned to look in the doorway to see Darius leaning against it, pointing to what was currently a smooth curved attached area. It was a good point and he gave an accepting nod before moving over to make the adjustment, there now being a V in place of the curve, the skirt made to come a little higher on the hips, which would both make it hard to add the sword as well as adding an extra dimension to her own hips. He didn’t mind the simple input so much and went back to work, though he could sense Darius was still there watching.

“It looks nice. How do you plan on getting her to wear it?”

“It’s the only thing she’s going to be able to wear,” Claude responded between the pins, his focus staying on what he was doing. He added a few more pins here and there before grabbing a small silver chain and holding it up to test what it would look like, growing oblivious to Darius’s watching eyes or any others that may come along.

Theodore + Damien

“Gods you are the most annoying creature in the world Mr. Fahey, the most annoying!” Theodore exclaimed, flipping the chestnut curls from his forehead in his exasperation. Per usual, the two were arguing. Anyone would think the two hated each other, but the pair were better friends than either preferred to admit.

Damien snorted, rolling his eyes and casting the scribe and equally annoyed glance. “I was unaware that was your newest flavor, you imbecile. How was I supposed to know anyway?! They’re all tall, broad-shouldered soldiers, which is about the entire regiment!” His eyes narrowed at his current companion. Theodore had been talking to a soldier and the man had seemed to be unnecessarily hanging around so Damien had demanded the soldier return to his work. Apparently, the advisor had failed to read the room.

After a few moments of tense silence, Theodore dismissively waved his hand and sighed in defeat. “It’s fine I guess, that one had a tendency to use too much tongue anyways and was far too grabby. Not to mention I think he was rather unhygienic…” The scribe trailed and Damien rolled his eyes once more, not phased by the talk of his latest fling. For some reason, Theodore tended to choose Damien to talk about these things with and usually in excruciating detail.

“Is this what you and Isa chirp about every day? Men? I know you two sit there and oogle at the soldiers in the courtyard all day. Just how many of those poor men have you slept with?”

“Three.”

“Really? I was expecting you to say you’d bedded an entire battalion.”

Their destination was the quiet room Claude had taken over. Word had spread amongst the prince’s court that Gennadius was being made a dress instead of her original request after Theodore had discovered the plans on Claude’s desk. It was meant to be a secret and it still was… except it was now kept by five people instead of one. It was rather hilarious, that the esteemed men of the court had gossiped about a dress, but this was news. You had to have gall to go behind the colonels back and make her wear a dress.

The pair had found a bit of free time on their hands and had decided to check on the tailor’s progress, curiosity getting the better of them after stewing on the news for a few days. “Knock knock!” Theodore announced, “We heard you were working on a certain project and just had to visit!” He grinned, moving past Darius and entering with a flourish, Damien following behind him. The scribe's eyes first landed on Nilo’s suit as Claude partially blocked the view of Gennadius’s dress. His face lit up and he approached it, playing delicately with the lapels of the snowy tailcoat before running a hand over the silver vest, which seemed to glimmer.

“Goodness, this is gorgeous Barton, thank the gods I didn’t go with this color scheme, I would have looked drab compared to this,” Theodore commented, glancing over at the tailor, who was hard at work to prepare for the ball. His hands felt over the fabric, which was extremely soft, yet could hold its shape, “What I wouldn’t give for these broad shoulders. Stupid prince and his pretty genes.” The scribe snorted, before turning to look at the dress the tailor was making, sucking in a sharp breath.

The very beginnings of the garment were already pleasing to the eye. “Claude, I bet it’s going to be spectacular, but I pray she doesn’t castrate you for this. Your wife wouldn’t be very pleased, but Hell hath no fury like the wrath of Gennadius.” He pointed out, propping his hands on his hips as he stepped back to look over the garment, “I cannot believe his highness didn’t even nudge her in the direction of a dress. It’s their wedding ball for God’s sake.” Theodore huffed.

Damien shook his head. “If you thought he would care, then you don’t know Nilo all that well. The woman would wear a damn sack and he would still sell the castle out from under his father to get her to look at him.” The advisor pointed out, pushing Theodore out of the way so he could look at the garment, “Nice call on the skirt, now she can’t wear her sword, it’ll be too difficult to attach and uncomfortable if she does manage it.” He nodded at the dress before something else popped into his mind. “Did someone hire a shoemaker? I know she’ll try and wear her boots beneath that thing.”

Theodore let out a growl of disapproval. “The colonel is too difficult. Is there any way we can find someone last minute and get her a pair of flat dress shoes? I know the prince could walk better heels than she ever will.” He sighed, running a hand over his face. “I love her, but I swear she’ll try and wear a tunic for her wedding day.” He leaned against Claude’s table of fabrics, eyes flickering to the other men in the room before back to the subject of conversation, her dress.

“Personally, I would have gone strapless, but-”

“I always liked the heart-shaped necklines,” Damien commented.

“But we don’t want to push it with her,” Theodore finished, crossing his arms over his chest, “Although I do agree with you for once, Damien. The heart shape is rather elegant and adds to the silhouette, but I’m afraid the current boring neckline is much more Gennadius-friendly. Hides as much as possible.” He snorted, “So, tell me Claude, when will this piece be done? I’m dying to see it. And where are you adding the silver or white? Are you going with some sort of sequins or glittery type accents or a sash? And what makes you think she won’t just wear her old outfit instead? How are you going to convince her?” It was a flurry of questions directed at the tailor before Theodore spun on his heel towards Damien, a gleam in his eye and an exclamation in the very near future.

“Damien! You should do her hair!”

Hearing Theodore’s voice, Claude glanced at the doorway, finding the man welcoming himself in with Damien close behind. And as it was, Darius too was still hanging around, no doubt staying a bit longer now that the other two had decided to make themselves at home. Which, he didn’t mind to much for the moment, and went back to working on the dress and trying to figure out what he wanted. This part would make or break the intended effect of the two sets of clothes.

Hearing the admiration of the suit, he offered a small glance before making a grunt to see Theodore rubbing his hands all over the fabric. “If you wouldn’t mind Theodore...” he offered calmly, trying to wave him away from the garment with the hand holding the scissors before looking back at the dress and glancing at the small table next to it that held all the embellishments, “But if you are that interested in broader shoulders, I can pull something off with your order.”

An amused snort came at the mention of the colonel’s reaction. “I am sure she will try. But I might throw her in a corset as a precaution. I’d like to see her try and catch me in one of those,” he offered in good humor, brown eyes darting around the dress before he claimed a lace, which almost instantly got discarded in disgust. His wife would have slapped him for even considering trying lace on this dress... he should probably quit for having even touched it. But, there were plenty of other fine options to go with. “And Damien is correct, the prince would be fine if she decided to walk out in a pair of his clothes if she was happy.”

At the mention of the skirt being raised at the hips, it was Darius’s turn to say something. “Yes, Barton had it lower with the perfect spot for that damned sword she insists on wearing even when unnecessary. And that would have ruined the entire look.” The guard released a snort and shook his head, “As for shoes, good luck with that one. Even if you got her something in time, she’d still wear her boots. You’ll have to find a way to hide them if you don’t want her wearing them.”

Poor Claude at this point was starting to struggle some with his focus as the conversation went on behind him, having been staring between the silver sequins and a form of white mesh for what felt like minutes. “I can tell you, she will be sure this is showing too much,” he mumbled between pins before looking back at Theodore when the questions came, though the scribe had already moved to making an exclamation to Damien. “Well whoever does her hair better be prepared to get their head bitten off. And I’ll get this done as soon as I can concentrate.”

“Damien is doing the colonel’s hair?” A warm chuckle reached the room as Theophilus appeared, calmly glancing at Damien. “I didn’t know you specialized in women’s hair styles.” Bright green gaze turned onto the dress and he released an impressed grunt. “You should pull the neckline up more though or she’ll skin you alive. Either that or all the men will be ogling her and we’ll have to deal with a trail of dead bodies.” He leaned against the opposite side of the door, so now there were three men in the room, and one on either side of the door, all commenting on the dress.

Claude released a sigh this time, now having his thoughts and focus totally disrupted, finally turning on the group, waving the scissors. “If you don’t all get out of here and stop and acting like gossiping girls, I won’t get it done in time and she will be walking in that ballroom wearing one of your orders!” He puffed himself out some, trying to shoo them out. “And if you want to be useful, make all her clothes disappear on the day of the ball!”

“I SWEAR TO THE GODS I AM GOING TO SPILL SOMEONE’S GUTS ON THESE CASTLE FLOORS!”

There was no doubt anyone within the range of hearing had more than heard the outburst, clearly coming from the Colonel in her room. And her reaction was quite the reaction, considering earlier had already caused some disappointment, putting her mood down. Something had happened and the shoemaker had been unable to get the boots to her in time, which the original plan had been to have them waiting for Nilo. They were now on their way, so she knew she would just have to give them to him later.

But that had been minor compared to what she had returned to her room too, in order to get ready for the ball. Gennadius had expected Claude to be there, the man always there when it came to dressing for some event. Which he was, though her eyes narrowed the moment she saw the young, almost shy looking servant girl. Now why would she need to be there? But she found out soon enough the moment she stepped into the room and saw the dress draped across the bed with a corset.

That had been enough to set her off, except she had decided she simply would wear either her uniform or the hybrid outfit Claude had made for her before. Except... all her clothes were gone. Everything was gone except what she wore, which was her average pair of pants and the shirt. Out of pure defiance she was about to march out of that room and meet Nilo in what she had. But the bastard tailor had clearly seen that plan and the moment she went to shove past him, a pitcher of water was splashed across her front, rendering her clothes useless.

And hence, the outburst.

In truth, the only thing that saved Claude was the frightened eyes of the poor servant girl who was standing to the side, waiting for the tailor’s instructions. Otherwise, the woman most certainly would have at least attempted chucking him off the balcony. It was painfully clear this had been planned behind her back from the start, everything too perfect.

“You may feel free to go on a rampage like a child after the ball,” came the calm reply from the tailor before her pointed to the young girl. “This is Mariette. She is going to help you get dressed and do something with your hair for you. As soon as you are in the dress, I’ll come back in to make any last-minute tweaks that need to be done.” He motioned the servant girl forward before walking out to leave the two women in privacy, staring awkwardly at each other. One didn’t want to die... the other just had no idea how any of this worked.

There were quite a few of curses, especially at first with the corset, a new and very very very unwelcome experience for the woman. But somehow, it got on her and Mariette helped her get the dress on and make sure it was all fitted where it was supposed to be. It took a good half hour of struggle between the two, mainly because Gennadius was struggling with figuring out how it all went and making things far more complicated than necessary. But it was done and Claude was finally admitted to find the Colonel sitting on the bed in extreme discomfort, breathing slowly and glaring daggers at the man.

If looks could cause any kind of damage, Claude would have instantaneously combusted. But she really was immobilized for the moment, any quick movements causing more unwelcomed discomfort. The corset had really been unnecessary, but the tailor had done it as a precaution because he rather liked his life. That being said, the moment he saw it on her, he knew he had nailed it perfectly and that she would make a stunning figure beside the prince. Fit to be a princess.

The tailor fussed over small things while the quiet servant girl went about working on Gennadius’s hair, pulling it back and using different things to somehow form the strands with the wavy curls. Dark blue eyes only glowered during the whole process, thoughts of hate and murder passing through her mind as she took what she could only describe as the worst kind of torture. One would have thought that she would have been allowed to relax for her own engagement ball... Nilo never seemed to care! So why had the tailor had to do this?

After what felt like an eternity, they finished with her, Claude giving her a pair of flat dress shoes he had managed to get. Which she couldn’t protest either considering bending down was not a real option since she was still new to a corset. So she was stuck allowing him to put them on before finally exiting the room, standing rather stiffly. Though she was allowed no rest as Claude unashamedly placed both hands on her waist and moved her into a more natural posture, earning another glare. “I hate you...” she hissed out, only to receive a smile.

The walk towards the ballroom, where she was to meet Nilo at the doors, was basically a lesson, the woman being instructed how to relax in her posture with the corset and how to walk a bit better. Despite her anger of it all, she listened and took the advice, having no other choice before the man stepped back to allow her to turn the corner and face the prince alone.

She was a stunning figure stepping around to meet the man, though for a split moment, she noticed a darkness to his face, as if something had happened. But there wasn’t time to focus on that now, the woman noting to address it later. However, as she moved towards him, still slower and a tad tense, she noted how well he wore the white suit with the silver vest. “I admit, at least Claude does you well with his skills.” It was meant as both a compliment to Nilo and a complaint.

“Of course, he could put you in anything and you would look handsome as ever,” she observed, settling beside him and taking a deep breath, which earned a hand moving to her waist and a slight wince. Damned useless junk. Even her sword would have made her feel better, but the stupid dress made her hips look like they flared out far too much and had made it impossible to wear.

“If you leave me to fend for myself, so help me but I will murder someone, and do not be surprised if it is you good for nothing tailor...” Her chin tipped up some in a slight scowl, really starting to regret the whole idea of the ball. Though she knew this would be different than the one commemorating the campaign, or the social with the nobles. This one was for them... this time she could stay as close to Nilo as she wanted. Which she planned on doing. For once, the woman had no plans on going kamikaze.

“Lead the way highness,” she breathed, motioning towards the closed door where music and voice were seeping through, laughter echoing from the room where everyone was waiting for the honored couple.

The walk to the ballroom hadn’t been a long one, the prince’s angry strides eating up the castle floor. His fury could have melted the tile he stood on, the man’s feathers thoroughly ruffled from the disagreement with his father. How could the king be so close-minded? How could he possibly be so cruel to his own people, especially the innocent? Nilo wasn’t sure, but the man stood outside the doors, tapping his foot and attempting to calm himself down as he waited for Gennadius to join him.

Nilo’s face gentled as she rounded the corner, his face lighting up some before he was very, very confused. She was… in a dress? She had told him she wanted something similar to what she had worn to the social, not a gown. Though the prince was certainly not complaining. No, his future bride was stunning in the garment of blue that matched her eyes, scowl and all. Neither of them had been expecting it and she had clearly received the short end of the stick with it all, the stiff movement alluding to the presence of a corset, which added another layer of shock to top it all off. Whatever Claude had done, Nilo was surprised he had made it out with his life.

The prince chuckled as she spoke first, the tension in his shoulders relieving at the sound of her voice. Eyes widened in concern as a hand flew to her waist and the man reached out before retracting his hand, not looking to add to her discomfort. “Mr. Barton also did you well too it seems, you look spectacular Gennadius.” Nilo purred out truthfully, trying to encourage her, “He flawlessly accentuated your already natural beauty.” He was aware she usually wasn’t the sort for compliments, but the man was hoping to lay her hackles back down and maybe even give her some extra confidence. He knew she had been uneasy regarding the ball.

“But I truly am sorry for your discomfort. I wasn’t expecting our dear tailor to go rogue.” He apologized, a hand lifting to brush his knuckles over her cheek before cupping her jaw, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead. “How about a warm bath to loosen your muscles and some quiet time once this is all over, hmm? I’ll have a servant get you out of this as soon as we are released.” Nilo tried to assure, looking to brighten her spirits before they had to face the crowd, “I know you aren’t looking forward to this, but try to have fun? Or at least develop some tolerance. It’s just one more step towards our actual wedding, you’ve got this.” Another chuckle escaped him, though it was soft and warm, his bad mood forgotten.

“And I wouldn’t dare abandon my betrothed at the ball celebrating our engagement!” Nilo exclaimed with his usual dramatic flair, a silly grin dancing on his features before he grew tender again. “I’ll be with you in there as long as you want to be with me, alright? I’d rather have you next to me than be stuck with several bloodsucking nobles anyways. So no need to murder Mr. Barton just yet.” Nilo reassured. The man was attempting to prepare her in the best way he possibly could, trying to make her as comfortable as she could be, even if the dress was not helping. It was her celebration too and honestly, the man felt bad that there was a high chance she wouldn’t enjoy it. Nilo hoped he could find some way to make it fun, though he wouldn’t coerce her into dancing again in her current state of discomfort.

As they moved to enter, Nilo stopped her right before they opened the doors and had to become actors. “Listen,” He implored her, “you are gorgeous, selfless, and the bravest person I know. Claude made a beautiful dress for a beautiful person and I look forward to spending my life with you.” His smile and words were genuine as he looped his arm through hers, for both formality and closeness, “Now, I’m sure there will be a lot of food and people in there you will hate, so let’s go celebrate our engagement.” A snort and a low laugh flew from his mouth before the pair entered, faced with the scene that would be their night.

Cheers erupted as the two entered the ballroom and the prince waved a greeting, his typical charming smile dressing his features. The event was beautifully decorated and the scene was one out of fantasy. It was more divine than he had ever expected and it was even better with Gennadius at his side. It was all so surreal the man forgot to speak for several moments, not just marveling at the ballroom, but how far they had come since the beginning. It was incredible to him and seemed almost impossible that they were now engaged and at a ball that was celebrating their future matrimony. To him, it was rather eye-opening.

When Nilo finally did catch himself drifting away in thought, the man cleared his throat and recovered well. “Welcome everyone!” He announced, receiving another round of cheers. Honestly, they were probably all fake, but did he care? Not one bit. “I am so honored to have you all here tonight in the Castle of Lions for this celebration.” All eyes were on the prince and even the music had stopped, but the man spoke with a practiced perfection and was not swayed by the expectant gazes.

“I have attended many of these events in my lifetime, but never did I expect to be hosting one. It seems impossible that this night is a reality and that I can celebrate with my betrothed. I certainly consider myself the luckiest man here tonight.” Nilo glanced her way and the smile he offered her was an honest one, for the man did believe his words. “I thank you all for coming to celebrate my engagement with Colonel Gennadius Des Arluin.”
Nilo paused to take a breath as another round of applause erupted, though he silenced them after a few moments with a polite wave of his hand. “I look forward to working with you all as both I and our kingdom take steps towards our future. I hope you all have a great night and as always, the most exquisite food and drink are offered tonight, so indulge! Enjoy yourselves!” Nilo exclaimed, concluding his speech. The band resumed playing and the people began talking once more, though many eyes still remained on them, whether it be blatant staring or sideways glances. It was their cue to begin to socialize, though the man leaned over, his tone low enough for her to hear and his grin mischievous.

“If one is forced to mingle with the vipers, they must become a snake charmer… Let us go please some reptiles then, shall we?”

No, Gennadius was not happy by any means, the dress adding what she considered undue stress to the whole event. But, she found a lot of her previous anger seeping away as the prince cupped her jaw and offered her a kiss on the forehead. The compliments had been appreciated as well, but those didn’t particularly make her feel better, the female still getting used to compliments. “That sounds wonderful,” she breathed out softly, starting to relax with the offer, her eyes closing for a moment, “but I will try to enjoy myself.”

Dark eyes fluttered open again and she gave him a small smile, taking in another breath, though she was already figuring out how to even them out across her torso. But he did get a raised brow at the mention of blood sucking nobles. Usually she was the one to talk about them that way with Nilo defending them... of course, they had both nearly died only two weeks ago because of one of the families. It was understandable, but still unexpected.

When they stopped in front of the doors, she turned to look at him, shifting slightly as he showered her with more compliments. “I’m just glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you as well. It’s worth whatever formalities you decide to torture me with,” she finally said with some humor, squeezing the arm in hers before straightening, “but as long as the cooks made those fantastic sandwiches, maybe I will consider all amended.” A sparkle came to her eyes, the woman put at some ease, Nilo knowing all the right words to say to the woman.

However, that didn’t last very long as she stiffened the moment the stepped in and she was surrounded with cheers. It didn’t help that Nilo stood speechless for a moment, Gennadius giving his arm a brief and discreet squeeze to try and pull him back to the present. Which he immediately seemed to recover and start off with his speech. It was quite amusing really, because as the prince spoke, the woman seemed to shrink back just a little bit with each passing moment. If her reputation wasn’t known, one would have thought she was shy.

That was the farthest thing from the truth, but being the center of attention like this still grated against everything she knew and understood. She tried to stay as relaxed looking as she could, her focus moving away from nobles with names she still did not know, to some of the soldiers who were there, dressed finely and smiling invitingly at her. She caught a few winks her way and the occasional hand gesture of encouragement coming from them and that was what brought he the most courage, though that wasn’t to downplay what strength she was getting from being so close to the prince.

So her focus stayed on those she knew, which truly did help her until the speech was over and everyone resumed their conversations. Kind of. A lot of eyes were still pinned on the couple, and she couldn’t help shifting in her discomfort before hearing Nilo and looking at him, her lips curling in a smile. He just knew how to word things, didn’t her? “Is that a challenge?” she chuckled softly, getting more and more used to the corset and its restrictions. “You better stay with this snake charmer... last time I threw the snake out of the basket.”

Dark eyes were most certainly sparkling now as they moved from the spot, though she knew there wouldn’t be a time they weren’t the center of attention. Though she hoped to stay close to Nilo and hide in his shadow, though, that wouldn’t be too hard considering the eye would automatically be attracted to the white and silver before the dark blue. Another genius move on Claude’s side in choice of color for her dress. Not that she was forgiving him by any means. The man would have to give her his firstborn child first, and even then, she might require another before she even considered offering forgiveness.

Gennadius wanted to tuck under his arm, but refrained as they started to make their way through the crowd, being waylaid here and there for congratulations and such, though the woman had a destination in mind. “I believe I caught sight of Theophilus when we came in. He’s wearing his fancy uniform and I do believe there was a brunette with him,” she mentioned, glancing up at him. “And of course, we should probably happen to run into Damien or else we might hurt his feelings...” The woman really was just trying to steer them towards people they knew, though had a feeling that while Nilo might indulge her for brief greetings, he would drag her right back into the snake pit.

“Personally, I prefer what we did last time... standing out in the rain, making a dramatic dance. Do you think we could get away with that again?” It was a joke but somehow a small touch of hope had niggled its way into the tone. “I do think your father would appreciate that again, don’t you?” she chuckled, unaware of the storm that had happened between parent and child. “Where is he, by the way? I feel like this is one of those times he’d want to make sure we don’t burn down his castle.”

“Now wouldn’t that be fun,” she continued, with a grin. “Set the reptiles on fire and make a dash for some distant country.” Gennadius kept her voice low, practically whispering that part to him. Last thing they needed was for the nobles to turn her into an arsonist and a deserter.

“Colonel, Highness. You both look well.” They were met with the familiar voice of Theophilus as the man offered a bow in his bright uniform. “If I may introduce you to Miss Nadya Torris,” he took a step to the side where a short young woman was, who had clearly been hiding slightly behind him. The brown haired, doe-eyed female did a quick curtsy, though said nothing, only glancing at Theophilus for encouragement, which she received a pleased nod, earning him the soft of smiles and a small blush.

“You look good tonight,” Gennadius grinned before smiling warmly at his guest, “and a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Torris. I do hope Theophilus will bring you around on occasion.” And that earned two warm smiles, it all too clear that the two of them were pursuing a relationship.

Nilo chuckled quietly at her response, remembering very well how she had cast wine all over Seraphina. He was glad to see Gennadius had loosened somewhat, even if it was just enough to share his humor. She seemed to be feeling a little better, which made him happy, considering this event was bound to be draining. There would be enough socializing to get the pair through the next year, but customs were customs and when it came to being royalty you were meant to follow them.

A head tilted as she mentioned Theophilus, not having caught sight of the man when they had entered, though he couldn’t deny his curiosity when it came to meeting the man’s mystery date. The prince also couldn’t deny wanting to see Damien and would rather see the familiar faces of friends, also aware Theodore was around somewhere with Isabella. The scribe was the only man allowed to even look in Isabella’s general direction and that was due to the fact his tastes were of the masculine kind. Damien would just about murder anyone else.

Nilo’s smile was a soft one as she mentioned the first ball they had attended together, which was not only the site of their first scandal but their first event as a couple. Granted, they had not officially been in the courting phase, but the whole castle had already been convinced she was his latest lover. It was amusing to think about and the man was rather fond of the memory. “Unfortunately for you my dear colonel, there will be no kisses in the rain for you tonight. I’m afraid we must actually stay present at this event,” He laughed, though stiffened at the mention of his father and his humor temporarily drained.

“My father… will attend.” Nilo spoke, his sentence broken as he remembered their fight, “I’m sure he’ll appear at some point. He’s a busy man, but I’m sure he’ll attend. It would look bad if he didn’t.” His voice was rather uncertain and he found himself unable to join in on her banter for a few moments as he regained himself. Nilo knew the conflict had not ended and both sides were dissatisfied with how the conversation had concluded, but for now, things were stuck the way they were and he was sure they would revisit it later. The prince was not looking forward to fighting with the king.

He did manage a low puff of laughter as she claimed they could set the castle aflame and flee as outlaws. “You speak my language, but I’m afraid we will not be disgracing our kingdom tonight. I’m supposed to rule it or something of the sort.” Nilo winked and it wasn’t long until Theophilus found them, a short brunette clinging to him, obviously shy in her nature and the ball certainly wasn’t helping. “Thank you Theophilus,” Nilo dipped his head before his friendly face turned to the man's company. “And you look wonderful tonight, Ms. Torris. You are welcome to visit the castle anytime. A friend of the Captain is a friend of ours.” He offered and the man did have a feeling they would be seeing more of her from time to time.

“As Gennadius said, I do hope to see more of you,” He told the woman kindly, eyes pinning on a familiar black ponytail from another corner of the ballroom, which was to be their next target. “I’ve spotted Mr. Fahey, so it seemed that is our cue to move on, though I’m sure we’ll be back to pester you soon enough. I simply must know how you two met.” Nilo offered the two a playful grin before leading Gennadius in the direction of Damien who was chatting with a familiar brunette, though it wasn’t Gwen. Nilo blinked confusedly as they approached. “Beatrice?” He questioned, which earned him a rather stunned look from Damien.

“Surprise?” Bea offered with a laugh, “I’m actually not Claude’s assistant, I was just there to check his progress on the gowns for Isa and I. Claude was just kind enough to go along with my ruse. It still surprises me you fell for it, I don’t know a damn thing about sewing. ” Beatrice told him, to which Nilo snorted and rolled his eyes. They had run into each other a few times while Claude was preparing their outfits and the two were somewhat friends. Although, it was rather shocking to see her with Damien. Gennadius had informed him that his advisor had been seeing someone, but hadn’t been kind enough to tell the whole story.

Nilo huffed and Beatrice only laughed again, turning to face his company. “Hello Gennadius, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I adore your dress. Claude is a magician I tell you. After all, he even made Damien look like a prince.” She gave the gruff man a gentle shove and he let out a quiet grunt, which made her shove him again.

“Yes, I agree Claude is skilled,” Damien spoke, clearly not pleased about the ball either, though he hadn’t ever had much trouble talking with the nobles. “Though I must say, these balls make me miss my days as a guard.” He sighed, looking around the room, “but I suppose it could be worse.” His green eyes fell on Gennadius, looking at the woman once over, “I’m surprised he got you into the gown. I feared you were going to raid the prince’s closet once you saw it.” Damien snorted, rather amused by the situation, “Theodore even tried to con me into doing your hai

Gennadius chuckled as Nilo mentioned hearing how they met one day, before pointing out Damien. The colonel offered the Captain and his date a goodbye before following after her fiancé to go meet the advisor. Seeing Beatrice, the woman immediately brightened up some, wondering when she would get to see the woman again, though she was already certain that she was in the city. Gennadius had not seen her since she had been trying to keep busy, now working on wrapping things up in her career as Colonel. That and she avoided Claude at all costs.

Even she was surprised that Nilo had met her, though getting the picture of what happened earned a snort. Yes, that seemed like something that would happen in the crazy court of Nilo Van Aslan and it was amusing. “It has been some time,” the woman smiled, “though I am glad this time we are meeting without some kind of medicine being involved.” She did not mention the dress or even comment on Claude’s skills. She did not trust her voice talking about her new enemy.

“Don’t ask how this was managed,” she grumbled shaking her head, eyes darkening at the fact that Damien was amused over this. She was not. She was tolerating for Nilo’s sake. “I might have preferred you doing my hair... not a lot of things going into my hair so it looks like this mess. But yes, balls were much easier in the days of being a guard. As in, for me, I wasn’t invited. A much preferable way to spend these events....” she trailed and cleared her throat, realizing the prince probably didn’t need to hear how much she really didn’t care for it all. She knew he had put a lot of work into the whole thing.

“That being said, this one is quite lovely and everyone seems to be very much enjoying themselves,” she amended, looking around and offering Nilo a smile. She kept her arm linked on his, very lightly bumping into him playfully, now seeming to have her feet under her and totally figured out how to move in the dress and work with the cursed corset. So the two moved on this way, since they couldn’t exactly just stay with their friends as there were a lot of people attending.

There were a few stops to talk to some of the soldiers there, Gennadius most at ease with those greetings and the introductions as she was easily able to give Nilo full names and ranks of each. And she was greeted kindly by each as well, though she got the usual immature looks that she knew the teasing thoughts going on. Her men had not failed to dually tease her and remind her that she was one of them and would be treated as such until her “abandonment” as they liked to call it.

She was a bit stiffer around the nobles, and often didn’t really say much other than very briefly answering their questions and the general greetings. Otherwise, she let the prince do most of the talking in those situations. It was very clear the two of them were used to different audiences, though the man had an uncanny way of seeming to fit into whatever situation with whoever, always acting with grace and authority. It was amazing, and she both appreciated and admired it.

In general, she was doing well and holding her own. The floor had opened up for dancing and the music had shifted to accommodate. The ball seemed to come to life all the more with it and the general atmosphere had lightened even more, and with it, so was Gennadius. Her dark gaze moved towards where many were dancing before back to Nilo. Gods she hated the idea of dancing, especially now with a dress but... Nilo loved it. It’s something she knew was one of his favorite things.

For a few moments, she was debating whether or not she should when her eyes landed on one Seraphine O’ Quinn who was getting dangerously close to them. And that was all it took to spur her to release his arm and take his hand pulling him towards the dance floor, easily shifting to the proper place in front of him. She had done some learning about dancing since she found out about the ball, and before she had decided she was going to kill Claude, had even asked him about a few things. So at least she wasn’t going in blind. “Shall we see if we can manage a behaved dance?” she questioned as if this was a normal thing for her to do.