"Hah..."
Cera chuckled to herself, shaking her head as she observed the humongous side of the Sovereign while she and the others from the first team were transported to the Grand Ball through an airboat.
("Is this really an airship? It looks a floating city...")
As the airboat traveled to its destination, the half-Infernal cannot help but think more about the Sovereign.
("I wonder where do they even get the necessary resources to build it. And how much Erchius it consumes just to keep it afloat anyway...?")
Her thoughts continued on until the airboat has landed. Upon disembarking the airboat, Cera shielded her crimson eyes as a gust of wind blew at her. While carefully following the rest of the team, the half-Infernal entered the Grand Ball.
Cera was greeted with numerous shades of red and orange decorated around the spacious ballroom. Her crimson eyes narrowed a few moments before she was accustomed to the fiery view. Even the combat school she attended back in Brendorn was not this red. The half-Infernal gently paced her steps alongside with the others, displaying a sense of politeness that was never seen during typical missions.
Just for this Grand Ball, Cera wore a modern black colored leather armor, with pieces of metal interwoven on crucial locations of her body. The elegant armor was decorated with red accents on the edges, giving it a striking look as if she was from the Imperial. However, Cera felt the armor was kind of revealing, as it made her figure more prominent. Then again, she rarely wore any high-class armors like this one, or dresses in general. Her previously shoulder length, black disheveled hair was straightened too.
Instead of pants, the half-Infernal wore a black skirt that just cover her thighs, with red laces on the hemline. Cera also wore a pair of black tights that matches her skirt, and a pair of black knee high boots that complements her black-red outfit. Along with her Scarlet Princess, her fiery red Magitek sword securely held onto her back with a magnetic holster, it seemed like it was too much for a guard of a noble.
The sight of thralls owned by some of the nobles annoyed her, but there was not much she could do as indentured servitude is legal for the Imperial.
"Please enjoy yourselves."
With that been said, the butler who escorted them to the ball eventually left the group to their own accord.
"Alright, everyone, you know what to do. Blend in and observe."
Agatha commanded with a gentle voice. With that being said, Cera began to look around, while attempting to stay alongside with Ádalé.
The red-eyed young woman looked human enough to pass off as one even though she had Infernal blood in her, no pointy ears, no fangs, no slitted pupils. Unlike Sorina and Charlotte, she had barely anything to hide. So far so good, she was just masquerading as a guard of Agatha's entourage. Her attire certainly fit the position of a guard who was tasked to protect a Venesian noble's life. While most of the attendants were locals, there were a few foreign dignitaries here and there, the group clad in blue was most certainly from Fraulia. Those clad in gold and robes were Masyans. There were even Armers bearing Solar Academy's emblems on their uniforms. The Empress clearly intended to impress, showed to all that the Empire had all the glory in the world.
The Empire favored warriors, strong individuals who could fight. As such, the male nobles here loved ladies who could stand her ground in combat that the stereotypical delicate damsel, strong and dominant just like their Empress. With the way she dressed along with her signature red sword, a few heads turned towards her way. Two, in particular, belonged to a pair of young men, both of them redheads and possessed strikingly similar features. They wore red military uniforms with gold highlights, such fancy clothes could only belong to nobles. A rapier was sheathed at the side of their waist. The twins talked amongst themselves before they approached the red-eyed swordswoman.
"Good evening, Miladies." One of them bowed elegantly followed soon by his brother,
"I am Romulus..." "and I am Remulus of the Aurelius family. We are pleased to meet you." The twins straightened their backs. Now that they noticed, the guard's mistress looked quite stunning as well.
"How are you enjoying yourselves tonight, miladies?" Romulus chuckled.
"A lovely night, yes? Made even lovelier by your presence. May we be graced by your names, Miladies?" Remulus followed.
Somehow, somewhere, at some time in the distant past, Ádalé had let herself be coerced into the role of a noble. She considered this to be the worst decision she could have possibly made in her life, especially as she fussed with the many frills and the delicate fabric of her ceremonial dress just moments before the landing. She was feeling downright uncomfortable in her skin as she tried to make sure that the minute details were just right, taking in deep breaths as she steeled herself for what was to come. And when even the last wrinkle was smoothed out, she took a look at her dress.
It was not her. At all. The various little details where breathtakingly beautiful and with the crest of the Divine One shining from a pin on her breast, it projected the image of a strong person who respected both Sol and Luna equally. She had taken off the little pins along with the extra bits that would identify her as a member of the Order of Truthful Voices so she would have an easier time passing off as a noble, but it still did not feel right. The knight could already see countless eyes staring at her from a distance, fawning over her as if she was some sort of a prize to be won or worse... It almost made her shudder. And with how much of a mess she has been lately, Ádalé worried that she might jeopardise the mission completely.
Not that any of those thoughts were expressed in any way other than how her hands were clasped in front of her just a little bit too tightly as she stepped onto the Empress' airship. But even that got annihilated at the sheer spectacle before her. This... She had seen it from a distance, of course, however, up close, Ádalé had to fight not to let her jaw drop. Compared to the massive fortress-airship presented before her, she felt ridiculously underdressed. Almost naked, in fact. Just how many florins did this cost? One could probably buy an entire country at the price of this thing! No wonder that the Imperium had managed to conquer one nation after another if they had the money to spare for something like this.
Ádalé's awe was interrupted by Agatha's orders and she nodded as confidently as it was possible in her situation. She was not used to this sort of spectacle at all, so she hoped that she would be left alone so she could go around in the ballroom in peace with Cera at her side. She had no such fortune. Two people, nobles of the Aurelius family, approached her and she found her voice lost as she tried to answer confidently. She opened her mouth before she pressed her lips into a thin line, then she cleared her throat.
"I am sorry, Milords, but would you mind if I got a glass of water before I introduced myself?" Ádalé did not need to play up her nerves or her discomfort at being put into such a situation; that could be read openly based on her quiet tone and body language.
"I am much too thirsty to talk properly and I would not want to grate your ears with my voice." Hopefully, that would be enough to convince the two that she was just exhausted from a long journey or something. Ádalé was grasping at straws and she had to explore the limits of her self-control in order to not glance at Cera for help in this situation.
While Cera continued observing the ballroom and other details that would help with the operation, a pair of male red-headed male nobles approached and greeted them.
"Good evening, Miladies."
("Ugh... I wish they would just approach the Captain instead.")
Cera displayed her looks of disdain towards the pair of Aurelius brothers for a moment and disappeared as they introduced themselves. Despite their polite greeting...
"I am sorry, Milords, but would you mind if I got a glass of water before I introduced myself?"
Ádalé gently requested for a moment of rest.
"I am much too thirsty to talk properly and I would not want to grate your ears with my voice."
At this moment...
"Good day, Milords." Cera smiled at the nobles.
"It was a pleasure to meet both of you, but I'm afraid I have to agree with Milady."
The black-haired sellsword gently bowed at the Aurelius brothers.
"It was a long trip for Milady, and she needed a quick respite."
Cera looked at Ádalé for a brief moment, before turning back to the nobles with another smile, hoping they would understand. Or buying more time for Ádalé.
The black-haired lady looked quite exquisite in her white dress with dark highlights. Her heterochromic eyes only added to her beauty. It was no wonder that the pair garnered the attention of the two young nobles. However, while their appearances certainly looked the part, a noble lady and her guard, their conduct were less so. Romulus visibly blinked his eyes twice in confusion as the noble dismissed him and his sibling just like that. Remulus let out a subtle quirk of one eyebrow as the female guard also followed suit... or maybe, the mistress just looked really tired, she was visibly nervous and all.
"Oh, no need, Milady. I shall bring your drink. In just a moment." Romulus went towards the long table where various beverages were served while his twin stayed behind. Why was a noble willing to go so far as personaliy delivering a drink to another? Well let's just say, they were young and the ladies caught their eye. Soon, the older twin returned with a glass of fresh water,
"Here you are, Milady."
"Your clothes look Venesian, Remulus quipped after Adale had her drink,
"Was it a long journey from Venesia to here? Well, the Sovereign is certainly worth the trip, yes?"
Fortunately, Cera backed Ádalé up and the woman let out an internal sigh of relief before she almost cussed out loud when one of the siblings offered to fetch her a glass of water. Instead, the knight did her best to flash them a grateful, if a little strained smile while she internally debated her options. She needed to calm herself down somehow or maybe highli- no, that would not work in noble company. Admitting to feeling like one was being ogled and stuck out of the crowd was basically the same as confirming that she was not a real noble. Only someone who almost knew her way around nobility. She would have to have the head of her etiquette instructor for that; if it was not for that man, Ádalé could have been a guard or something.
Hopefully, it seemed as if she was trying to place the two men properly on the ladder of nobility or something instead of thinking about what to say or how to continue the conversation. She only had a few seconds to spare before Romulus returned and she thanked him by his name to show she was paying attention. Then, the knight took a measured sip from the glass with all the elegance she could muster from the depths of herself without emphasizing the gesture too much. Balance was key to seeming polite in front of a noble, Ádalé reminded herself before she cleared her throat and spoke.
"Thank you once again, Romulus. I am Livna of House Ardentim." Now Ádalé was much more confident in her voice and she paid attention to her movements as she peformed a texture-book curtsey. Of course, more experienced eyes could easily note that she was a little bit stiff. Or the fact that her gestures were filled with nerves along with discomfort. She was all too aware of this herself, but she hoped that she would be able to fool at least these two into believing that she was a noble. Perhaps she could still play the part of inexperienced princess shut away from the world. Or was that too unrealistic?
Divine One, she needed some help here!
"This is the first time I see such a large airship," she continued, trying to rely on facts instead of decieving the two nobles with fake titles or accomplishments that could get her into further trouble while internally going over how she could try and salvage the situation. She did not want to screw this up, but she felt so out of her element!
"I think the long journey was worth it, beceause it is very beautiful." For the sake of the Divine One, Ádalé, think of something else to say! Anything! Something that did not sound like it was painfully excavated from the page of 'how to make wooden-sounding small talk'!
"Oh, no need, Milady. I shall bring your drink. In just a moment."
One of the red-haired male noble replied almost in an instant, before heading towards the beverage table nearby. Both Ádalé and Cera were surprised by Romulus's sudden act. Were they really that interested in the two women?
"Here you are, Milady."
Romulus passed the glass of water to Ádalé, and the female knight sipped the glass as gently as she could after showing her gratitude. Cera followed suit as well.
"Was it a long journey from Venesia to here? Well, the Sovereign is certainly worth the trip, yes?"
The other twin, Remulus soon followed with a question.
"Thank you once again, Romulus. I am Livna of House Ardentim."
Ádalé responded with a hint of confidence, while utilizing a disguised name for her noble position. Cera merely observed the conversation, standing by in case the knight required help in the conversing section.
"This is the first time I see such a large airship." Ádalé continued on after a brief pause.
"I think the long journey was worth it, because it is very beautiful."
The conversation was largely fine, but Cera felt that it was kind of forced. In this case, Cera turned at the nobles and smiled.
"Yes, Milords." The half-Infernal spoke alongside with Ádalé.
"It is our first time visiting such a magnificent airship, not to mention this is our first event with the Imperials."
"Oh, pardon me Milords!" Cera bowed at the pair of nobles.
"My name is Ceres Ravenholm, Lady Livna's trusted escort."
She smiled at the noble twins, while trying to be as natural as possible.
Now that the lady properly introduced herself, the redheaded twins smiled in appreciation and perhaps a tad relief now that she was alright, having someone fainting in the ballroom would be troublesome indeed.
"An honor to meet you, Lady Livna Ardentim and Lady Ceres Ravenholm" "An honor, Milady Ardentim, Milady Ravenholm." The twins replied and bowed in quick successions. T
"It is indeed, pride and joy of the Empire." Romulus gestured to the grand ballroom with one hand.
"The pinnacle of Imperial ingenuity indeed. It is no wonder that the Empress' favored location to celebrate her birthday." Remulus added, the brothers certainly had a manner of speaking that showed as if their minds were connected.
"Speaking about the Empress, she should be arriving soon enough. " The older twin turned to gaze at the giant clock on one side of the ballroom's walls.
" I hear Princess Olivia will make an appearance as well."
"It'd certainly be an occasion.." The younger chuckled,
"Ah yes, Her Highness Olivia, oh? I understand if Miladies aren't aware of her. She is the Empress' younger sibling. Just like me and my brother... only they don't resemble each other much and further gap in age."
"Ah, Remulus, that'd be saying roses and tulips are the same just because they are both flowers. Hahaha!" Romulus laughed, at his own jokes apparently.
"Hahaha! You're correct, brother, how silly of me." To make matters worse and even more awkward for the two disguised women, his younger brother followed suit... and they knew what this would mean in terms of 'noble etiquette'.
Then again, there was just something...
off about how Lady Livna acted.
"I say, Milady, you are quite nervous, I see. Is something the matter?" The older twin blinked, keeping a rather steady gaze but he was scrutinizing Adale.
"Maybe she is just unused to being on a flying fortress, brother. I believe only the Empire possesses one after all" Remulus chuckled,
"But do tell, Milady, what kind of business do your House have? I hear Venesians are the experts at Mercantile. My brother and I would appreciate some advice. Perhaps we can share our ideas, hmm?"
That response confirmed Agatha's sources, so that was a brief moment of respite for Ádalé. However, it also meant that they would have to enact their plan to kidnap Olivia, which still did not sit well for her. Despite her youth, she could not help but think about the ramifications such an action would have. But such worries were quickly buried beneath the fact that the twins noticed her obviously nervous behaviour. In that moment, she felt the blood rush out of her face, something which she tried to fix by drinking another gulp of water to buy time for herself. Her mind whirled with possibilities as she searched for something that could rescue her from such a situation and in the end, she decided truth would serve the best.
"I am sorry if my behaviour offended either of you," started Ádalé as smoothly as she could, which was not very,
"But this is the first time I am... in such a great gathering." Yes. Yes! That was true. She felt her words flow a little more confidently as she tried to phrase her feelings in a manner that would not reveal her outright.
"There are many people here and I fear that I am lacking compared to them, especially Empress Kyrie. To be aboard her vessel is... unbelievable. Please forgive any transgressions that I may commit in the face of such an experience." There. That was a huge load off Ádalé's chest as she indirectly told these two about the source of her nerves. Granted, that still left the fact that she was as uncomfortable in this dress as she could be, but she could not tell them that, could she?
However, as she finished, she found herself wondering if her words were believed at all or if she had just outed herself as a complete moron. Uncertainty began to creep into her features. Hopefully, it could be misconstrued as a noble who was not sure how her confession would be taken in the face of two strangers. Or something along those lines. Ádalé was really not coherent enough to think up possible narratives for herself or her bodyguard. She was flying by the seat of her pants here and the longer the conversation went on, the more she felt like she was going to screw up.
Cera merely listened on as the Aurelius brothers spoke to them, mentioning about the appearance of Empress Kyrie and Princess Olivia. With the appearance of Princess Olivia now confirmed, the half-Infernal felt relieved. Even then, the thought of herself being involved in an act of war-provoking terrorism still gave her discomfort. Cera smiled at the nobles while glancing at Ádalé from time to time, monitoring her body language and condition.
Everything was fine and dandy, until...
"I say, Milady, you are quite nervous, I see. Is something the matter?"
One of the noble twins locked his eyes on Ádalé, observing her every movement. Cera's vibrant expression faded when she gazed at the knight, who was now taking another deeper sip from the glass of water she was holding.
("Uh oh.")
The half-Infernal braced herself as the Aurelius brothers bantered on, before asking questions for Ádalé.
"But do tell, Milady, what kind of business do your House have? I hear Venesians are the experts at Mercantile. My brother and I would appreciate some advice. Perhaps we can share our ideas, hmm?"
At this moment, Cera thought that this will be a fine turning point for Ádalé to solidify her disguise as a noble. However...
"I am sorry if my behaviour offended either of you."
("Yes! Looks like she's heading in a right direction!")
The half-Infernal happily thought to herself as her smile widened once more.
"But this is the first time I am... in such a great gathering."
Cera merely listened on, but...
"There are many people here and I fear that I am lacking compared to them, especially Empress Kyrie. To be aboard her vessel is... unbelievable. Please forgive any transgressions that I may commit in the face of such an experience."
Wait a minute. Did Ádalé ignored the nobles' previous questions? Upon realizing such a cruel fact, Cera's friendly smile faded completely while looking at her.
("By the Divine One... Don't tell me she just...!")
Knowing that Ádalé has made a glaring mistake, the escort in disguise immediately devised a way in mitigating the verbal damage that has been done to the nobles. Despite being mostly a mercenary in her line of work, Cera's upbringing in Venesia allowed her to learn ways of lying and deceiving. After all, being purely consist of brawn and zero brains can land you in numerous troubles, especially in the famous merchant country.
("Alright Ms. Ravenholm, how would you salvage this situation...")
With a deep breath, Cera began her salvaging effort.
"I truly agree with Milady!" The half-Infernal gently chuckled.
"The might of the Empress is so grand that it dwarfs our humble textile business in Venesia!"
"Speaking of advice for businesses, the most I can say on behalf of House Ardentim is that one has to survey the market and meet its demands. For example, if I may to hazard a guess..." Cera thought for a brief moment.
"The Imperium requires vast amounts of food, then obviously a would-be successful merchant has to develop efficient ways or methods to satiate the Imperium's needs for food, especially during wartime."
She explained in a professional tone.
"The means of distribution is important as well, but it depends on the goods you intend to market with. By utilizing a reputable intermediary to promote your goods, say well-made Imperium swords, more profits can be reaped as the general populace trust the distributor while making Imperium goods more prominent."
"I hope the advice are of use, Milords. I'm just a lowly aide of the House Ardentim, after all." Cera politely smiled and bowed at the nobles.
"And on behalf of Milady Livna, I pardon for her absentmindedness when she did not reply to your questions, Milord Aurelius." She bowed again once more.
"She mostly kept to herself in the House. It was under Lord Ardentim's behest that she attended the Grand Ball."
With that, she was done. For now, Cera focused on keeping the two of them believable before she could even question about Princess Olivia.
("Phew! I hope it works! If not.. May the Divine One help us...!")
