Let the Games Begin

[Poshib]

Aiden smiled wryly as he observed everyone moving about, putting on their own shows for each other. Few ridiculous as his. Some genuine, some naive. Some pure, others far from it. It was a wonderful show he was going to participate in, wasn't it? He had excused himself from the main tent and moved to one of the smaller side tents. There was food there, and honestly, the locals didn't seem to like him too much. I wonder if they'll boo me, he thought with a chuckle. He had made his initial move on Giselle and was quite pleased with the result. Nothing got him worked up or more interested than being rejected. Women who would bite on those lines? Well...


Usually only good for one thing...


He was used to finding those who could be swept off their feet by tales of adventures he'd never done or by words of love which held no emotion. It was...refreshing...that she seemed to be something different. Was it real? Was she shy? Or was it because of that man that was with her. He'd need to find out, and was sure he'd have that chance before this tourney was over. He'd need to catch her with out her puppy following a step behind.


Or without the trail of them she's sure to be gathering.


A mug of ale in his had, he separated himself from any groups to be alone. Nursing the drink slowly, he waited. He would excuse himself to finally clean up and get some rest soon, but his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of tomorrow. Giselle, the other competitors, and more importantly the events. He was sure to be at the bottom of the list after the first one. How were they eliminated? He certainly couldn't exit in the first round. His father would never let him live that down. And he needed to be rid of that man.


"To...." he said, fading before finishing, raising his mug in a toast to nothing.

 

[Dusky]

((For reasons I can't go into I'll be on hiatus... I'm so sorry. Please do as you please with Cass.))

 

[Aura]

((Sorry to hear Dusk.


Also I don't have time to make a real response but tomorrow I promise that I'll have one D

 

[Aura]

Giselle was surprised to see the skill with which Saben had in dancing. His talent had come as an honest but pleasing surprise, he did not have the dreadful etiquette classes that she had to endure... where she had learned everything from eating to dancing in a ladylike manner... although today she had eagerly abandoned what she had learned in her studies. Nobody was watching her now to ensure that she upheld a certain standard... well nobody except for her suitors if they were stiff enough to care that she danced like a buffoon right now. The staff was working behind the scenes pulling the strings to this elaborate event and everyone else was under the haze of the provided refreshments.


The air permeated with a sense of merriment and the scent of the food and of the drink assaulted her senses... not that this was a complaint. Strangely enough, she felt at ease right now. She was not the center of the attention in this bustling tent, the merriment of the atmosphere was as the competition was forgotten in the names of this grandiose party.


"M'lady.." the voice began and Giselle removed her attention from trying to keep up with


Saben... the man didn't seem to tire! Giselle regarded him curiously as if she was trying to place if she had met him. The fact that he introduced himself in his speech led her to believe that he had not visited her prior when she had been -trying to- eat.


The first thing that she was aware of about this competitor was the pungent scent of alcohol rolling off of him. She had immediately expected him to slur something incomprehensible or offensive at her and then perhaps to stumble off in a drunken haze, but instead he responded eloquently and even confidently.


"Saben. Perhaps you'll find that fellow from before... Aiden I believe? You can borrow one of my dresses from my closet if you wish." Giselle teased him lightly after he gave his consent for her to dance with Adrian. She flashed him a smile and chuckled lightly hoping that he would interpret her words as she meant them, simply as a joke.


"Who says that I don't appreciate the bard's music? I did actually have some say in the competition and I cast my final vote with this man." she protested lightly as she put her hand out for Adrian to take. She wondered if he would be able to keep pace with her in the way that Saben had managed.

 

[Tylar Annell]

After Tristan had exited the royal tent, he wandered around for while to explore the areas of the festival. The King's instruction was to enjoy the feast and revelry, they would get to the business of the competition on the following day, and Tristan had decided his time would be better spent eating, drinking and dancing then brooding over presence in the city of his enemies.


Finding a tent that held a particularly loud ruckus that reminded him more of home, Tristan sat himself down and joined in. While the earthly-coloured clothes he wore were relatively expensive and well made, they were not highly decorated and he didn't stand out overly much. If anyone less inebriated than the rest that did take a second look at him, they might at think him prehaps one of the lesser nobles.


After eating his fill of the food provided, Tristan settled into conversation at his table, the occupants were all too drunk or too busy enjoying themselves to notice that Tristan was one of the suitors, let alone the one from Vanir. Tristan found himself enjoying the festivities and the company when a woman came up and asked him to dance. Tristan could tell she was already a bit intoxicated from drink by her unfocused gaze and how she slightly swayed where she stood, but he'd had quite a few himself so he didn't mind overly much. Besides, while Tristan wouldn't label himself a gentleman, he knew it would only be rude to refuse a dance with a lady... especially one as buxom as this one was.


Cheered on by the rest of the table, Tristan took her hand and lead her to the largest tent reserved solely for the dancing. She was a little clumsy with her footwork, but not so much as to ruin the dance Tristan lead her in. Spinning around in the dance, Tristan caught a flash of red hair in amongst the crowd and for a moment he thought it was his uncle come to tell him to stop but on the second turn he realised the figure was much to short. It was the princess, dancing with that servant boy who was by her side when he had introduced himself to her. He then saw another man interupt them and take over the dance with Giselle. Becoming more preoccupied with observing the princess and her new partner than with his own, Tristan kept his eyes on the the couple as they began their dance.


(sorry for my inactivity. I've been a bit busy lately and haven't had much time for writing anything.)

 

[TheJoker]

Gregory gave the princess and her witty friend a smile and a bow before turning to the feast. The feast was fit to feed his whole village for weeks with no end. Shaking his head sadly, at the thought of all those people back in his village, starving, he put food on his plate. Hoping nobody noticed, Gregory filled a napkin with food and put it in his pocket, to bring to his servants later.


He had seen how much and which food had been brought for them. There was barely enough for an infants portion for each. Angry at his father for not doing more, Gregory filled as much as he could. When he was satisfied with the amount, Gregory began eating. He couldn't wait for tomorrow. He did feel for the princess, being forced into a marriage. But Beniza needed her help. And for that help, he needed to marry her.

 

[Tylar Annell]

Too interested in the Princess's doings, Tristan had failed to observe the degenerating state of his own dance partner as they continued to twirl and dance. The slurred and queasy sounding "Ooh.." swiftly returned his attention to the woman by his side however. Tristan gave her a concerned once over; she looked very dizzy and the ale seemed to have taken it's time with her as she looked much drunker than when he had agreed to dance with her. He also didn't like the slight, greenish tinge that now acompanied her flushed complexion.


"I'm afraid I do not feel-" Tristan did not even allow her to finish speaking, instead he turned her away from him and quickly pushed her out of the large tent, taking her over to a place between two of the smaller ones. It was much less crowded, and allowed the girl some breathing space, as well as somewhere that she could be sick and not ruin any outfits. Tristan glared at the girl as she stood woozily


"Stay. Here." Tristan growled the command and had the girl not been in a drunken haze, she might've flinched at his tone. Satisfied that she wouldn't be going far, even if she tried, Tristan marched into the nearest tent. Most of the food and already been eaten earlier in the night and very little remained, but one of the servants provide him with a small plate of morsels which Tristan took, as well as mug of water. These he took back to the girl - 'I don't even know her damned name, I shouldn't have to do this,' - and handed her the things. Revelries were a regular occurance in Vanir and Tristan knew how to stave off being sick from drink, the food should help her.


While she ate, Tristan looked around at the crowds of people. He would have to find a servant to somehow arrange for her to get home, the gods knew he wouldn't be doing it. He spotted a young man that looked to be dressed in clothes similar to what the other servants were wearing. He would have to do and Tristan made his way over.


"You there, Servant!" As he approached the boy, Tristan recognised him as the one who was standing by Giselle's table and who was just recently dancing with her, "I need you over here, now." He gestured with his thumb behind him towards the young lady.

 

[Alexina]

Saben didn’t even look up at being called servant. His being around Giselle in the last few years had spoiled him at least that much. Instead he was trying to clean, only to give up and look for a way in which he could escape until it was more logical to clean. Till that time in which the mess wouldn’t just build endlessly. Sighing he placed a hand to her head shaken it as he felt a headache coming on already. It wasn’t even his place to clean anymore, just organize and make sure it got done. That didn’t make the man wish any less that he could start any moment now though.


It was just Tristan’s luck that he was looking for an escape from the mess. He headed towards the man just because it was in a less crowded area only to glance confused when Tristan pointed to the female. “No I don’t want her.” He said in disgust, knowing how some of the men took to the helpless drunks at times. “And no I will not help you with her.” At that a bit of concerned filled his eyes for the girl. Sighing softly he shook his head reminding himself he couldn’t interfere that much in another man’s business.


Knowing he shouldn’t correct that man on any future actions he may take. Perhaps suggestion wouldn’t be such a bad idea though. Luckily for Tristan, Saben wasn’t paying that much attention to him, to even notice he was a suitor let alone who he really was. “You know, a real gentleman would take care or whatever mess he has put a lady in.” He smiled glancing up towards Tristan finally only for the smile to face quickly and his face to pale greatly instead. Just at that moment he realized how foolish he was being . . . who he was talking to in such a way.


This was the one suitor he knew he could never forget the face of just due to where he was from. A purse of Saben’s lips, he knew the stories, the pain of the battle. Sure they were only stories now, and one sided, but anyone who was about to be a knight probably knew them well. Saben was speechless at that point forward, his hands going behind his back so that he could clench them without seeming rude. He was not a fighter, but . . . those barbarians were one of the few Saben knew he may have to fight one day either way. If they wanted something, truly, they just came and took it without mercy or caring, or at least that’s how the myths went.


((Sorry for the bad post, my muse is being bleh))

 

[TheJoker]

Gregory sast back and watched those on the dance floor. He pursed his lips in disgust as a young man left his sickly partner on the dance floor to go talk to the Princess's friend who had smarted that very same man earlier in the evening. When neither seem to come to the young woman's aid, he got up and walked to her.


"Are you okay, m'lady?" He asked, sinking into a deep bow. Gregory was nothing if not polite. He took his position as the lead for the dance, and gently twirled her around. When he was seven, his mother taught him how to dance, and Gregory was grateful for it now. Not wanting to cause the lady to throw up, Gregory kept the movement to a mininmum and only twirled her twice.


He still felt resentment towards the man who had left her. Such a person was not suited to becoming Princess Giselle's husband. Gregory did not know whether he was considered worthy, but he knew he had better manners than that smart-mouthed, arrogant, man.

 

[Tylar Annell]

Tristan looked at the young man in front of him with mild distaste, which turned to anger as he was told that he would be recieving no help from him. "A mess I put her in?" Tristan scoffed. He was not responsable. Sure he wasn't a 'gentleman', but at least he was attempting to find air for her, even though he didn't even know her. And this servant boy thought he could correct him and tell him how he should behave with her? Tristan levelled a glared at Saben.


"Listen boy. I didn't get her drunk, she seemed qutie capable of doing that herself. Now, I don't know where she lives, nor do I care for that matter, I just need someone who can take ca-" Tristan's words, which had started to increase in volume as he spoke, died as he had turned around to gesture at the woman but found her gone. "What?" His confusion was etched on his face as he looked around the areas trying to see her. Tristan had thought she was too sick to wander off on her own. Someone must have taken her away, but who would just sweep in and steal an obviously ailing girl? Unless it was a family member, come to take her home. Tristan tried to reason it out until his eyes located her on the dance floor again, and in the arms of another suitor no less.


Tristan snorted in amusement, it seemed the young lady ambitious and decided to fawn over another young suitor. At least now he needn't concern himself about her anymore, she was no longer his problem. Turning back to Saben, Tristan glared at him again. Something had changed in his demeanor though; as he looked at him noticed that the boy seemed tense and the set of his face was one of dissapproval and, prehaps, anger. It was a change Tristan had seen a number of times in his short stay here in Verria. 'So, he mustn't have realised who I was,' Tristan thought to himself with a sneer, 'Well, he knows now.'





"Seeing as you seem to be a favourite of the Princess, I'll pretend you didn't have the gaul to correct me in my behaviour," Tristan said in a warning voice, "But I suggest you do not try it again." Tristan would not tolerate that from any servant, let alone one from Verria.


((I'll apologize for mine too, I'm in the same boat. My inspiration is just nowhere lately...))

 

[Aura]

(I'm going on hiatus so I'll be dropping this roleplay, sorry. If someone wants to take over Giselle so that you guys can continue then feel free to.)