A Thousand Shining Stars ♥ Night of the Masquerade

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Princess Aurora Lily F e l i c i a F a y [/BG]

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Felicia was absolutely estatic. Only moments after she and Jonathan snuck into the ballroom, she had already been asked to dance. She smiled softly, feeling rather shy all of a sudden. "Please, thank you..." She replied cheerfully, taking his outstretched hand and walking with Mason to the dance floor. Her eyes twinkled as she looked around excitedly at all the people dancing and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was simply contagious. She couldn't help, but feel excited. She looked at Mason as the music restarted for the next dance. "It's a lovely ball, isn't it? I can't believe there are so many people here!" she exclaimed as they danced. She had never really danced in a ballroom with someone before, but this man seemed more like a fatherly figure than anything. Felicia felt his like whole demeanor did not seem as prideful and belligerent as she might expect a prince to be. Still, her mind occupied, she looked over her shoulder at the dancing couples for a glimpse of the Third Pillar who had mysteriously spotted her earlier on. She was interested in him because he had been able to see through her hiding, something that she only knew of Jonathan being able to do. She had been found by Prince Ferius once or twice, but the prince was kind enough, and he, too, was an adventurous spirit, so he often let her off without even a scold. She wondered where he was now, too. Would he recognize her in this pretty dress for the silly, monkey girl that was always on the prowl about the castle grounds? She giggled at the thought and looked back at her dancing partner.

"Have you seen the King?" she asked curiously. While the Queen, in all her glamour, seemed to be speaking with some Lords and Ladies by her throne at the front of the ballroom, the throne beside her was empty. Felicia wondered if the King wasn't well or did not like to attend balls. She'd heard lots of rumours in Deceptia about rebellion and political struggles that worried the king and made him weary, but she did not want to believe them until she saw him herself. It was then, turning her vision from the throne to her dancing partner, that she spotted her Pillar of Cats, quite a few feet away, dancing with a lovely maiden wearing a pretty gown. Ah, found him! But it looks like he's busy...I guess I'll have to wait... She looked back at Mason curiously.
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"You never know, I might be really good at hiding…" She laughed and gave him a sweet smile. Inside, the music was going and she considered asking him to dance once more. Calliopie was distracted from putting her mask back on and took a seat next to Louis. Setting her disguise on her lap, she smiled and thanked the servant for another glass of wine. It felt good to get off her feet- the heels she had been wearing were unbearable!

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"Hmm…" Louis had asked her what they should toast to. She couldn't think of anything specific, but on a whim, she lifted her glass to his and looked over at him.

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"To us, and this beautiful night."
 
"Thank you, milday."

He said smiling at her somewhat sheepishly before carefully sitting down beside the princess. It would not have been very great if punch spilled out of the cup onto these clothes from carelessness. Definitely not an incident befitting nobility who were supposedly tutored in all sorts of things like these during their lives. An entire lifetime likely spent without knowing a hard days work or so he thought. Nothing was known to him at all really about the visiting nobility. But since names were likely to not be exchanged no need for worry existed beyond what was already in his gut.

Jonathan's eyes went to her hair, naturally curious about it before quickly going back to looking out over the dance floor. Had no one really asked this girl to dance with them yet? That was a shame. But then again if they had, the pretender would have remained alone in his quest for food. Ellen seemed to have at least side-tracked him from that quest for the moment as she seemed rather interesting in her own way. Little did he know her opinion of him though Ellen likely knew just as much about his opinion of her. Still looking out at those who were enjoying themselves much more than the pair by the wall likely were, he spoke to her.

"Hast thou been enjoying thyself so far today? All that rain earlier seemed as though it might dampen spirits as much as it did everything else."
 
"Yes, and a beautiful night it is." Vincent said, sauntering up to the group, a smug smile underneath his masquerade mask. "Really, how are you supposed to make sure all things go ok at the ball if you're all the way out here Calliopie? No matter, I always knew that it would come down to me." Vincent teased his sister, knowing just what to say to get under her skin. Vincent was dressed in a very regal dark blue suit, that looked almost military in attire, as if he were some general. A saber hung at his hip, sheathed in an ornate holster. While his sister wasn't allowed to opening wield weaponry, for men it was seen as dashing for a gentleman to be armed.

How he had managed to not get caught up in the intricacies of small talk with another princess was a mere matter of avoiding eye-contact while at the same time constantly moving and avoiding those which had not been taken. He had learned this at past balls, because conversations with pretty girls, especially with his nature, made him distracted and unable to focus on the task at hand. He had however noticed that his sister had gone outside with what was either a guard out of uniform, or a prince who had been unable to find an appropriate mask. Vincent really thought of this as quite unprepared or just flat out lazy, depending on which whether it was prince or a guard. However, in order to keep up pleasantries in case it was a prince, which was his vocation, he extended out a hand to the man, with a false smile only recognizable by Calliopie, "Hello, I am Vincent DeLaPoer, Prince of the Kingdom of Elloria. And you would be?"
 
The princess Tybalt was dancing with sure had become fond of him quicker than even he would have imagined! He had always had a dream of meeting someone with this sort of eccentricities. The question was, she the one? Almost as soon as Summer placed her head on Tybalt's chest, Hector jumped on his shoulder and was seemingly whispering something into Tybalt's ear.

"I see." Tybalt responded. "I am sorry my friend but I must cut this dance short. However, right now I have some personal matters that have come up. I will return shortly." He then kissed Summer's palm and quickly headed towards the balconey where he was a few moments earlier. If there was anyone watching, it would have appeared that he was walking on air towards the ground, as if he were descending some invisible stairs.



"So you're sure you sensed something out in the woods?" Tybalt spoke to Hector as they approached the wood line away from the palace.

He had removed his mask almost as soon as he had descended from the balcony. His dark green cape was now draped around his head, making him look like some kind of malicious monk. Tybalt then pulled out a small knife from his boot. Hector traveled along side its master, keeping in time with Tybalt's fast pace.

"Nya~Yes, sir. There's something fishy about this place. And I know fish." Hector said. Hector's voice was rather high pitched, like that of a young girl. "And namin' me Hector. So typical of you hopeless romantic sorts...."

It then had formed an angelic smile on its face.

"Now is not the time to be whining about that. What happens, happens for a reason." Tybalt said. "Use your senses, all your senses."

Hector had been one of Tybalt's former familiars that he had rescued over the years. While in reality, it was probably a low level demon of some sorts, it did everything Tybalt commanded. This is because it feared Tybalt's magical circuits being as high as they were. If he were more disciplined, Tybalt could probably even put up a strong fight against his father. Hector's eyes then glowed a supernatural yellow, reflecting any traces of magic left behind.

"Nya~And you complain I'm demanding...."Hector said under its breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!!!" Hector then scanned the forest in front of them, "Nya~It smells like ancient magic...Kind of like your father but with more of a minty after smell."

The area they reached was nothing too impressive to the naked eye, of course magic never revealed itself quite that easily in the first place... It was a slightly grassy knoll surrounded by trees and flowers. It was only a few yards from where Felicia had hidden a few hours earlier in the day. However, that was just a minor coincidence according to Tybalt's view.

"What do you think it was?" He said, seemingly picking up on the faint aura of whatever magic engeries were in the air. He then placed his thumb near his mouth, trying to pick up a stronger reading.

"No idea, nya~" Hector responded.

"So in other words....You interrupted my dance just to led me on the same wild goose chase you always send me on? Do you know how annoying this starting to become?"
 
The minute Calliopie heard her brother's voice, her happy night was ended. She had absolutely NO idea that he (of all people) was also sent to complete the mission. Of course, more than one Saint was normally given the same mission, but she had asked SPECIFICALLY not to ever be put in the same group as Vincent. Her maroon eyes narrowed and she sipped at her wine. She was talking to a man, and of course- that would give her brother the ability to ruin whatever chances she had at actually GETTING a boyfriend. Not like it would happen, but she was beginning to get completely fed-up with him always getting in her way and treating her like a baby.
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Without noticing, she scooted just a bit closer to Louis, as if he would protect her from her incredibly-rude brother.
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"Well, Vincent…when did you get here?"
 
Ferius had finally escaped his life, even if he was still at the masquerade Raven was going through the motions usually reserved for him, he had a stunningly beautiful princess who unlike many of the others he'd spoken to had a head on her shoulders and not her life had to butt in. Typical, though he could not refuse a formal introduction.

"Ferius, Crown prince and heir to the throne of the kingdom Deceptia." he said bowing his head, somehow finding the feeling of Calliope close at his side comforting in contrast with her cold voice unconsciously leaning into her slightly, "I would welcome you to our palace though if you're here on official business I'm afraid my father's taken ill."
 
The pillar comment took her by surprise, and, in a rare flash of unrehearsed action, she laughed. The sound was natural, and not in the least dignified. She cleared her throat, a little embarrassed, and followed his gaze to the rest of the ballroom. As the looked out at the possibilities, her mood fell once more. Words came back to her, ringing in her head, 'You aren't there to have fun,' her father had said. Repeatedly.

She glanced back up at Andredi and gestured generally around the vast room.

"For the moment, I merely need to observe," she told him. "Perhaps mingle."

It was at that moment Sybyl, serving hors d'oeuvres, gently touched her shoulder from behind. Emeline abruptly turned, her arm leaving Andredi's grasp.

"Yes?" she demanded. "What is it?"

Sybyl's eyes flittered to Andredi and then to Emeline, worriedly. She stepped up, and whispered something to the Pillar, inaudible to all others.

It was understandable that Emeline couldn't be everywhere at once, and so, Sybyl was her eyes and ears, listening in as she served the snacks. And now she brought news that there were indeed Saints about, as the rumour had suggestion...

Emeline frowned.

"Hmm." She spun on her heel to observe the room once again, this time with more focus. Spotting what she was looking for between the bodies, masks and ruffles, she merely nodded to Sybyl, sending a jolt of magic laced with instructions her way. The servant curtsied and scurried off, quickly disappearing into the throng.

"I'm terribly sorry about that rude interruption," Emeline announced, moving back to Andredi. "Dear girl has no sense of timing. Shall we get a drink? I'm ever-so-parched." As much as she did not want to make him feel uncomfortable, she found it difficult to know what to say. It wasn't a usual problem, but his reactions weren't entirely predictable from what she was used to.
 
[Dancing with Raven Disguised is Prince Ferius]

This was like stealing candy from a child. The prince was as bashful as any stableboy that tried to charm her. ...why was this making her feel so guilty!

"Scarlette. My name is Scarlette." she replied, soft and sweet. Maybe even a little breathless, but she wasn't doing that on purpose. The corset she had been forced to strap in to was squeezing the life out of her. All of this dancing and exertion wasn't making it any easier to breathe. At this rate she was going to faint and cause a scene. Scarlette glanced around looking for a route of escape.

...but there across the room standing in a corner drinking a glass of wine and watching like a hawk was dear old Uncle. Blast it. He looked like a puffed up fat-cat pleased with his catch. The moment he caught her eye, he was signaling for her to 'step it up'. Or 'tie him up'. Or slit his throat for all she knew what his wild sign language meant!

She turned her gaze back to to the Prince, he look apologetic and genuine. "I'm sorry... it's so warm in here. Do you think you could escort me outside for some fresh air?"
 
Ellen looked away from the young man as he sat down beside her. She was not sure what he thought of her, but then again, she was rather unsure about how most of the other people around here thought of her. Glancing at him, she noticed that he took an interest to her green hair, a foreseen event that she pushed aside and looked around as the music began to start up again for another dance.

"Hast thou been enjoying thyself so far today? All that rain earlier seemed as though it might dampen spirits as much as it did everything else."

"More or less," Ellen responded as she faced him, her green eyes remeniscent of a cat. "I am quite acquainted with the rain, so it did not bother me all too much," Ellen continued. "So what brings you here, sir?" Ellen asked, implying 'why are you sitting here with me of all people?'.
 
Summer sighed as Tybalt left so abruptly, "great i scared him off, good job Summer" she muttered to herself. She went over and stood by the buffet table, and helped herself to a glass of punch. Summer looked around in a thoroughly bad mood but she smiled when she saw Mason dancing with a princess. She sat down and sighed resting her head in her hands, she began to think about about her father at home and wondered how he was getting on without her.

Mason was enjoying himself despite being a tad intimidated by Princess Felicia, "it is a wonderful ball, may i ask is it your first?" he smiled she was very happy and exited nothing like he'd expected a real princess to act. "The king? i heard he was too ill to attend."
 
"I came. . ."

He hesitated for a moment at her question, gaze falling from the dancers to the floor in front of him. Shyness likely appeared to exist as major part of his personality from a stranger's perspective along with the nervousness. For all Ellen knew this prince had been working up his courage since the night began since some supposed chance sighting of her among the crowd. The whole truth certainly wasn't an option right now given the circumstances. Part of the reason the young man had come obviously went to his sister, while the other still remained unclear to him. Yet perhaps stating why he had come to sit with her would suffice instead. Did he really need to lie just for a conversation with a beautiful girl?

But then the music gave him an idea as he stood up and placed his glass on a nearby table.

". . . To ask if thou wouldst grant me the pleasure of a dance."

Jonathan extended a hand to Ellen along with a hopeful, boyish smile.
 
Ellen waited for the answer, only to sense his hesitation. Hmm, weird, she thought as he composed himself before standing up. Placing his glass on a nearby table, the blue-haired Jonathan asked her to dance with him. Her eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second in suspicion before getting up. She put on a toothless smile and glanced over at the dance floor for a moment before answering him.

"Permission granted," Ellen responded to him. Eh, I guess this is better than just moping around all night, Ellen thought to herself as she lightly tugged on his hand, walking down to the dancefloor slowly so that he could catch up to her.
 
A warm smile came onto his face though the mask partially obscured it from view.

Jonathan somewhat eagerly followed her onto the dance floor while trying to hide his excitement on the inside. Not just excitement was there but anxiety as well. Would he remember how to dance? Did he even have a chance at knowing what dance everyone else was doing? As Ellen led him further into the crowd his eyes searched around to see what everyone else was doing. Not to mention both ears were listening to the tune in trying to pick up on the rhythm and beat of the song currently playing. Hopefully he could figure it out quickly so as not to give away the utter lack of royal dance lessons.

Try not to think so hard Jonathan! Let your body do everything. Dancing is supposed to be natural. . .

Once she stopped moving the blue haired youth looked around once more to make sure he wasn't about to bump into anyone already dancing. Finally his eyes settled on her face, trying to focus on the 'happy thoughts' as much as his mind was freaking out inside. Part of him wished to have never approached the girl. If Ellen ended up embarrassed by his dancing the young man felt he could never live it down despite wearing a mask. Men were supposed to lead. . . which was why one of his hands extended out to clasp hers should the Princess offer it.

Little did he know what would follow next.
 
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Christoph attempted to follow her gaze, but her tension was making him feel ill at ease. Something was the matter, and with nothing else to go on since very little had happened, Christoph could only assume that something he had done was at fault. Realizing he had been too open with his comments, he kicked himself. True, she had laughed, but perhaps like a noblewoman realizing that might be the expected reacted and giving a polite chortle? He might have been thinking too deeply on the matter, but Christoph paused.

A quick examination of her dress, mask, and dark hair left an indelible mark on his memory. He did wish to remember her. However, for now... "Princess Emeline, if you would kindly point me in the direction of where I might freshen myself up? I'm afraid that the heat is getting to me and I would like to be at my best to spend time in your company. I promise you, I will return" after I check my thoughts and remember how a prince acts, and not a common man, else I will have no chance winning your eye. Even if it isn't permanent that I charm you, I would at least like to bestow a pleasant night upon you...
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"Ha! No need for that, I'm merely here to make sure that the guests are safe, as in part of my duties as a Sword Saint," Vincent responded, standing back straight and shooting a quick glance to Cal at the mention of his duty, "but I'm also here as a representative for our kingdom in these festivities. Now, I believe I shall go back and do some more watching. Please, enjoy your evening together." Vincent said, withdrawing but not without a cold look towards Ferius, like a cat looking down upon a filthy mutt. However, before he disappeared among the throngs of dancers, he popped his head back in. "Oh, and Cal, please don't forget your duties. While I relish in taking more credit for this mission, as my sister I expect you to at least give us fair representation here."

With that he left the two, smirking as he was quite understanding what was going on. But who was to say he couldn't toy with her and embarrass her in front of her "friend"? He wasn't too bad, he supposed, though Vincent was sure he could name 50 guys more appropriate for her than Ferius. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to the dancers, some music beginning to kick in. As he surveyed the populace of nobility, he noticed a prince leading a lovely green haired princess out to the dance floor. While the woman was a mere 14 years of age, she appeared to be quite mature and calm in comparison to her dancing partner. You could almost see the dance steps being repeated behind his eyes. Smirking, Vincent shook his head. As a noble Prince of Elloria, could he let such travesty take place?

Vincent quickly strode down, drawing some eyes his way. He had finally let himself be noticed and many woman were already turning their attention to him. At the same time, many guys secretly clenched their fists as, without Vincent even trying, stole the women's attention to him. But Vincent didn't notice these things, no, there was one target he had in mind of humiliating. Before the first step could be taken, Vincent stepped in, grasping Ellen's hand firmly, cutting out Jonathan from his partner. Flashing a dazzling smile, his upper half hidden by his mask, he said softly, "Let me show you how to truly dance." Without even allowing her to protest or for Jonathan to react, he swept her across the floor elegantly, showing off his repertoire of dancing skills. While his dance looked similar to the others around him, his was of a more complex variety, him having the dexterity, athleticism, and dancing lessons necessary to pull them off.

The other dancers politely stepped back, none wanting to get in their way as the music sped in tempo. For this song at least, the floor was theirs and Vincent showed no attention to them, his eyes fixated on Ellen as their bodies moved. His movements were strong enough to allow for Ellen to keep up under his guidance, though it was clear he was doing most of the work. However, she managed to keep up and not stumble, showing her training, while not as advanced as his, was enough to allow her to keep her face. Soon the song was done and the other guests politely clapped, though the men begrudgingly so. Vincent, a tad out of breath, flashed the same smile to Ellen, saying softly, "You hear that? All that applause, it's all for you madame."
 
"F-Ferius…?" Calliopie was reeling, but she couldn't really figure out why. There had been two things that just-so-happened to pop up: her terribly annoying brother and his "duty", and the fact that she had been dancing with Ferius most of the night. Once Vincent spoke of being a representative for their family, she huffed a bit and bit her lip. In her mind, she had no idea whether or not their mother would be disappointed in her for disappearing from the festivities to speak with the kind man sitting next to her. One way or another, she would be scolded.
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If she was dancing or enjoying herself, she'd get yelled at. If she was busy scouring the place for danger, the same thing would happen.
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Shaking a bit, she scooted closer to Ferius as her brother gave them dirty looks and went off.
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Looking over at the prince, she sipped the rest of her wine and began to collect herself. Vincent was just saying those things to get her upset; the night was still young, and she had plenty of time to work on the mission. Sighing, she set down the glass and relaxed a bit.
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For a moment, she almost lost it (like every sister would) on Vincent. Instead, she sat there and watched him walk off like a cocky jerk, into the ballroom. She secretly hoped he would STAY there.
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"I'm so sorry for that, Ferius…" She glanced down and felt pretty ashamed at her brother's actions. It showed on her face. Giving him a soft smile, she nudged him again. "I hope now that you met my brother, you won't try to avoid me. He is all about "duty" and who will be first to get the throne, but right about now…" Her maroon eyes met his and she laughed a bit. "I could care less."<o:p></o:p>
 
With her nudge Ferius playfully flinched and bumped her with his shoulder. "Don't worry, I know about family." he reasured her. "Besides to have foreign agents, even if they are guests, taking safety onto thier own hands when we have our best men at every door, plain or secret seems a bit of an excess, not to mension the captian of the guard may take insult. So relax and let him worry about 'duty." he smiled back at her, the wine, or perhaps thier relative solitude in the night air causing him to lean closer to look into her maroon eyes a slight colour coming to his cheeks.

"Avoid you... I can't think of anything that would make me do that." he sadi in a soft voice even as Vincent butte in on the dancefloor his interuption was already half forgotten in the mind of an already smitten prince.
 
"Oh?" <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State><st1:place>Cal</st1:place></st1:State> found that she was moving in as well; a smile on her face. She wanted to kiss him, but not be too forward. In her mind, she played through the different ways this could turn out. The princess was about to go for it, when she raised a finger to point at the stars.
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Smooth move.
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"Look, did you see the shooting star?" His face was even closer to hers then, and she placed a hand on his. Before he could say anything, she reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek.
 
"Where? I don't see a......" The world shifted with the feeling of her lips on his cheek he felt his face grow warmer and for a second he felt hike hed topple over and fall off the balcony. The though that it probably wouldn't even hurt and he'd just float down slowly crossed his mind before he steadied himself and brought his eyes back down to Calliope's a smile plastered across his face.

"Calliope...?" he whispered leaning closer until their faces were almost touching, his eyes darted around taking in her features before looking into hers then he brushed his lips against hers closing his eyes as he pressed the kiss home.
 
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