Truce of the Elements [FULL]

Cantara | Wandering the grounds

"It was desperately inappropriate for you to be talking to that young man, no matter-"

"Mazin?"

"Yes?"

"You do realise you're a complete bore?"

Mazin was stunned. "I- well-"

"Besides, if you properly knew your etiquette you would know that it is appropriate for a young woman- or indeed, a young woman with a young man to walk outside together. You need only accompany me inside. You can ask our father if you disagree with me."

"But you need-"

"I don't need you."

The argument continued but in the end her cousin conceded and stormed back up to the castle, no doubt to fume to Hasib, who would probably offer him a tart and tell him to smile more. Sometimes, Cantara loved her uncle an awful lot.

She was left with Bahij outside, looking at the grounds. She could wander some more... but the Animal and Wood representatives would not be pleased to see her and she didn't want to meet anybody from Air right now. It was better to wait until dinner to be formally introduced. She was looking forward to meeting the Fire heirs and already dreading her encounter with the Earth prince and his sister. They would no doubt be slow and stubborn and boring as the Earth kingdom was. Metal and Earth could, in all honesty, have a beautiful relationship as metal and jewels combined to make the most exquisite jewellery, but it was Earth's fault for never letting a single compromise through. Try as I might, try as Hasib might, we will probably never come to a suitable agreement with them, she thought grimly to herself.

The breeze toyed with her headscarf and she tucked it a little further into itself under her left ear. Sometimes she wanted to be as she was as a child, with her hair floating wild and black and tangled in the wind as she walked. But she was a lady now, she was representing her people, and her first responsibility was to be always well turned out, always respectable. Still, sometimes at home she would stand on her balcony without it in the blackest part of the night and let the air toy with every individual strand.

Her room here did not have a balcony. That was not something she could have brought with her, and doubtless not something the builders anticipated of the Metal Kingdom, who, it was true, did usually prefer the indoor life, did prefer big palaces and houses to the primitive habitations of Water, Air and Animal and Wood.

So lost in her thoughts she was, Cantara walked straight into the red haired man coming the other direction. Hard.

"Oh, do excuse me, I should have been paying more attention!" she said with a giggle already deciding how to play this one: girlish and vapid. That is until she took note of the jewels sewn into the cuffs of his jacket, the diamond signet ring, the sapphire brooch at his throat.

Earth.

She immediately sobered.

Prince Saka | Castle Grounds

"Oh, do excuse me, I should have been paying more attention!"

“I should think so.”

Saka watched the woman compose herself; his jaw clenched at the mere sight of her. It was quite clear where her cultural background landed: the dark skin, the dark hair tucked beneath the silky headdress, loose-fitting clothes, the henna tattoos, and of course, familiar jewels decorating her person. Saka felt filthy just thinking the word:

Metal.

“Good day.” Saka finished with an abrupt bow before continuing in whatever direction he was going. The last thing he wanted to do was waste his time with this dribble.

“Is that how you treat all women?”

Saka stopped short and took a deep breath to keep his calmness in check. It was a bit uncanny how she asked the question after his previous thought, but he didn’t let it fool him. He spun on his heel to face the Metal woman. “No, it’s not.”

“Then why me, dear prince?” Cantara exaggerated the respect in her curtsy, peering up at him with daring eyes. “Surely I have yet to anger you in any way.”

Saka’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s keep it that way, then.”

“You’ve yet to answer my question, dear prince.”

Saka’s nostrils flared, and his head grew hot and dizzy. He didn’t appreciate this woman at all. The way she mocked his status and person insulted him greatly. Didn’t this woman know better than to even look upon the Earth kingdom? Much less talk with its royal heir. The Metal kingdom was very clear on the positions of its women, and at this rate, Saka understood why.

To his disgust, she gave him a sly smile. “My cousin shouldn’t have to worry a thing about men. All I’ve encountered so far are naïve boys trying way too hard to be like their, ah, daddies.”

“While Metallic women prefer to hide behind their snark?” Saka walked up to her, glaring down into the shorter woman’s mischievous eyes. That giant black panther growled and stood directly over the woman’s feet, prepared to defend her at any cost. “I would highly recommend, dear lady, that you stay out of affairs involving the Earth kingdom in any way. Your kingdom has made it quite clear where it stands—”

“How like you Earthlings to place the blame on anyone besides yourselves. You’re the ones who refuse to talk at all.” The woman’s eyes shot him like daggers in return, but neither of them showed any sign of weakness. “How does it feel to be surrounded by such beautiful things and never notice the beauty they possess?”

Saka straightened at this and took a step back, still looking down at her with distaste. He took another look at her. “You’re the princess, aren’t you?

“The heiress princess, in fact.”

Made sense. She had broken nearly every understanding he had of Metal women, but apparently, she felt she had the right to do so since she was the heir. This kind of example could certainly be an explanation to the thieves invading the Earth kingdom’s territory. He suddenly became very worried of the effect this princess could have on his younger sister and hoped Tréa had more sense than to learn any sort of disloyalty for him.

“Do strong women intimidate you, dear prince?”

Saka lifted his chin. “On the contrary, it would be best to save anymore of this discussion for the table.”

“Oh, I hope you mean dinner table. I’m on a roll, if I dare say.”

“I should think dinner deserves to be neglected of any sour discussions.”

“Then we’ll have to keep it nice and sweet.”

Dante | His Room

Walking around the palace had proved successful, even though Dante didn't talk to anybody. He'd observed just enough to make him interested in what could possibly happen tonight. Negotiations hadn't begun, and he could only imagine the fireworks that would start.

He adjusted the collar on his shirt and made sure the buttons were in a straight line. It had been specially fitted for this dinner, to show the athletic shape he had worked so hard to get. He doubted anyone would openly question him tonight, and he might as well make a fully dashing impression.

He ran his fingers through his hair again. The colour of his shirt brought out the blue in his eyes, and he'd made sure he was clean shaven so his jaw could be seen properly.

Satisfied with his appearance, he went into the hall to knock on his sister's door.

"Aurora! How close are you to being done?"

Aurora | Her Room

Aurora laughed at her brother's comments. "You take longer to get ready than me!"

She couldn't hear his reaction, but she could just imagine the look he was giving her door. "I do not."

"You do!" she said, beginning to put the final touch of colour on her lips. "I just have to pick a dress and put it on."

Now she heard a snort. "You have more parts to your dresses."

She wrinkled her nose. "Do not."

"You do."

She glared at the door at the amusement in his voice. Not wanting to give him any more satisfaction at her closed door, she manoeuvred around a half-positioned dresser and the bed to open it.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw her. "Hello lovely."

She giggled. "Thanks!" Her eyes went up and down his outfit. She smirked. "It took you this long to pick that?"

He rolled his eyes and offered his arm. "You, my dear sister, helped me pick it."

Aurora grinned up at him. "I know!"

He shook his head. "You are impossible."

Her grin and comment was cut short by a door opening behind them. Her aunt and uncle emerged, dressed in similar colours they were in.

"All ready for dinner?" Luigi asked.

Aurora put her hand on Dante's arm. "Of course."

Spoiler

This will be an open mingling until dinner begins, just to give everybody a chance to post when they want. And do start talking to people you want to.

Tréanna | Tréanna’s Quarters

Tréa loved dresses.

She loved dressing up. There were so many beautiful things in the world, and she wanted to be a part of it. She’d try on style after style just to look in the mirror and see how nature struck once again in a beaming success. One would say her interests lay in fashion, but really, it wasn’t hard to make something or someone pretty if one had the right tools.

Her reflection pleased her to an extent. She wasn’t in full agreement since she’s worn this dress a couple times before. However, it was one of her finest, and she found it suitable to bring along. All her gowns were studded with gems of all sorts. It was no secret that the Earth kingdom was the king of gems, and the royal family was always in love with the beauty the earth possessed. It wasn’t meant to show off but to embrace!

Tréa twirled in her turquoise dress, allowing her skirt to lift off the ground a short distance. The sapphires and emeralds glittered with her dance. She came to a stop when the door opened and Gramma Aja helped herself into the room.

“My pretty, pretty princess!” Gramma Aja exclaimed, admiring her granddaughter’s glamour. “I can always count on you to be the very best. Twirl, girl, twirl! You know how much I like the twirling!”

Tréa giggled and did as her dear grandmother asked. “Is Saka nearly finished?”

“He claims to have twenty minutes ago,” Aja said, waving that topic aside. “Now, where are your jewels? The turtle gems. You know that goes perfectly with this ensemble.”

“They’re in my suitcase,” Tréa sang, staring at her reflection again. “It seems too simple though, Gramma.”

“Too simple!” Aja guffawed, returning with the jewelry box. “My dear girl, our gowns are never too simple. Except mine. I save the pretty gem things for the young people like yourself. You need to build your muscles, so carry as many gems as you can. That way, your bones will grow big and strong like mine!” Tréa giggled as Gramma Aja showed off her sticks arms in the mirror, pretending not to have heard the creak in her bones.

“Hmm… perhaps the scarf, Gramma? The red ruby scarf.”

Aja blinked, not seeming to comprehend her plan. “You mean… oh! And how about the ruby jewels to compliment?”

“Yes! To add a little more color,” Tréa said with a sharp nod. “Also, did we bring the red shawl?”

“You, girl, fetch us the things she just said,” lazy grandma ordered a young servant girl in the corner. Aja pulled out a golden chain weaving around an assortment of rubies and tiny diamonds. She helped put it around Tréa’s bear neck. The dress itself didn’t cover her shoulders, which left plenty of room for accessorizing – Aja’s personal favorite, and Tréa could hardly resist the opportunity to wear jewelry.

There was an accompanying bracelet and ring, both of which Aja helped slipped on. The servant girl assisted in lightly and professionally tying the scarf around Tréa’s waist. The hem of the sheer fabric was decorated with tiny rubies all around, and the shawl was made in the same way. They were originally part of her ruby ensemble, but naturally, mix-and-match was always the best way to play with fashion.

“Oh, and one last thing!”

Tréa watched her gold tiara place itself on her head, the diamonds glittering with the rest of her gown. She smiled. “Perfect.”

Saka | Saka’s Quarters

Saka was studying his room one last time when Tréanna and Gramma Aja came prancing into his room without knocking. His eyes landed on his sister when she stopped right next to him. “I see you and your friend infiltrated my living space.”

“Do you like it?” Tréa asked, quite proud of their work.

“It’s charming.”

“It’s exquisite!” Aja put in. She prodded a finger into Saka’s chest. “You should learn to ease up here, sonny. Tonight’s an important night, and I don’t want to smell any funky fumes coming from your end of the table—”

“Gramma!” Tréa laughed.

“I’m just pointing out that in order for this peace whatevery thing to work out, Saka boy has to be friendlier. Social skills, sonny. Make friends—”

“I met the Metal heiress today.”

Silence.

Saka didn’t make any sort of emotion besides his curious inspection of the room, but he was proud at finding his grandmother and sister both speechless. Metal. Always a deal-breaker.

“What was she like?”

“I don’t want you anywhere near her, Tréa,” Saka said with such firmness that Tréa, as his little sister, instantly recognized the seriousness of the situation. “Not yet anyway.” He turned to Aja now, straightening his turquoise coat. “I realize what my mission here is, and I intend to do it with all my best. However, it’s not a social party. This is pure diplomacy, and I will take it as seriously as I must.”

Tréa giggled.

Saka looked at her. “Any questions?”

“Nope!” she said with a smile, clasping her hands behind her back. “I’m fairly certain tonight is pure social party, though. Please, don’t scare off anyone.” She took her brother’s hand and gave her that undeniable puppy dog look. “Can we relax at least tonight? We’ve traveled so far, and all anyone wants to do right now is have some fun.”

Saka took her hand and studied his little sister. Lo and behold, he managed a smile to the only person in the world he’d share one with.

“Shall we?” He linked her arm with his.

She beamed. “We shall!”

Cantara | Her room

Tonight, she opted for gold. A gold silk belly top, hung with coins all around its lower hem, that beared her midriff, and a pair of flimsy ballooning pants that just hung on her hips and were cuffed just above her ankle. Below, the anklets began, and her sandals, all gold themselves, her toe rings, an ornament on the nail of each big toe. Her arms were similarly adorned with high up cuffs in the shape of snakes and lions, and two dozen bangles on each, rings on nearly every finger, and gold pain over her nails. Her scarf was the richest gold embroidery Metal could afford, and her earrings just poked out of it, huge, thick gold hoops, and over the top she wore a circlet made of many gold chains, crossing and gathering with each other. Her eyes were rerimmed in kohl, her cheeks powdered, and a stud put in her nose.

"How was your day?" Hasib asked her.

"Fine. Met one of the Water princes, the younger one. Idiot. And met the heir to the Earth Kingdom too," she added, thinking of the tall red-haired and extremely rude man outside. "Uncle, Mazin cannot follow me everywhere."

"That is his job-"

"And how am I to do my job if he forbids me to even talk to half of the heirs?"

Hasib was quiet for a moment. "I will talk to your cousin."

"Talk to me about what?" asked Mazin, slouching in the doorway.

"You staying out of my way," Cantara said. "I can take care of myself."

"Clearly not, if you think that's appropriate attire for dinner."

Cantara glared at Hasib who cleared his throat. "Mazin, Cantara, I'm sure, knows what she's doing. And if she's anything like your mother, no doubt every piece she is wearing has been carefully thought through." Cantara nodded in agreement. "You should only step in if she is endangering herself."

"She is endangering out honour-"

"I would never do that," Cantara hissed. "Just let me be at peace. Please."

"But-"

"Not another word, Mazin." Hasib hoisted himself and his massive belly up. "Shall we depart? I can smell the food from here, I have no doubt this is going to be a splendid feast."

One more spritz of perfume and Cantara was ready.

They left the castle under a black cloud. Cantara's mood only blackened when she noticed the Earth Kingdom's delegation in front of them. She stiffened her back as they walked past- their representative seemed to be an elderly woman slowing their group down. Cantara paused and smiled at the sister. "You must be Prince Saka's little sister."

The girl's eyes went in alarm to her brother. Cantara curtseyed to her. "Princess Cantara. It's a pleasure."

"I'm Tréanna, although you can call me Tréa-" she was cut off by her brother standing on her foot.

Cantara pursed her lips and inclined her head towards the Earth Prince. "Prince Saka," she said, and walked on to catch up with Mazin and Hasib, smiling a little at the feeling of his eyes on the bronze curve of her waist. Whether it was in admiration or disgust it didn't matter. What mattered that he was still looking.

As they walked, Hasib pointed down the path to where there was another group. "Fire," he said. "And no doubt our closest allies. Cantara, I want you to stay as close to their heir as possible tonight."

"I'm sure that can be arranged."

Hisao | Wandering the Halls

Hisao grumbled to himself as he walked, stride long, pace purposeful. They were going to be late- late for the first pinch of excitement all day- and whose fault was it? Dai's. Dai's, because he'd managed to pull a vanishing act. Dai's, because upon order of their father, Hisao was now stuck trying to track him down.

Which was entirely unfair. If Dai wanted to show up late and shame himself on the first day, that was his problem, and certainly no fault of his younger brother. And if he didn't find him soon-

"Dai!"

The prince in question stopped mid-step, and Hisao could just feel the scowl that must've been on his face. Dai turned, and--

Oh for the love of the gods, he was still in his travel clothes. Hisao's palm made swift contact with his forehead in exasperation. Why? Why did it have to be the first supper, when everything mattered? Did the fool not realize how bloody important first impressions were in this world? Apparently not.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" His hand slid down his face, falling limp at his side. "You're not even changed yet, and the-"

Dai sighed. "Calm down, Hisao."

"Cal-" Hisao's jaw twitched, one hand shooting dramatically into the air over his head. "We're late, Dai! And you're not even changed yet! We're never going to get anywhere with anyone this way, and father said-"

"Since when has what 'father said' kept me from being tardy?"

"It never-"

"Exactly."

"You're just begging him to chain your ankles together again." The slight twitching in Dai's lips drew another scowl from his brother. "You're impossible, Dai."

"Mm." The older prince strode past, the slightest of smirks on his face. "If he did that, I'd have an excuse to be late. I say chain me up."

"Are you ser-"

"Yes."

Hisao shook his head, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose for a second. Two. Four. Six. Exhale. By the time he looked, Dai was already turning the corner, and by the time Hisao had made it around, Dai was closing the door to his room.

At least I found him before he got far. As hard as it was to believe, Hisao didn't exactly enjoy it when his brother was punished. True, he deserved it, and true, the man was an incompetent moron well over half the time and quite honestly did not deserve his birthright, but still.

Hisao slumped against the wall by Dai's door, drumming his fingers on the stone. Which, by the way, he still absolutely abhorred.

... Surely father wouldn't actually chain his eldest son's ankles together again. That had been months ago, now. And it hadn't actually done anything- Dai'd just had raw ankles for a week and bruises where the shackles rested on his feet. He was still never on time for anything, so it would be a rather pointless, futile attempt at a punishment, right? Right.

Dai | His Room

Dai fumbled with the hanfu, finally managing to get the sleeve to fit correctly. Of course, this was a new one- sewn and embroidered and stitched without care nor love just for the occasion. And what a momentous occasion it was- standing around a room, bantering at each other, supposedly forming alliances. Mongering power. Hoarding secrets. Cackling in their own individual wings afterward, because really, nobody actually wanted peace. It was such a waste of time when there were other things to be acquired.

Like the blood of their enemies. Because everyone wanted to see trauma, horror, bloodshed and innocence being shattered.

Dai scowled, running his fingers through his hair, not bothering with the comb that was lying on the vanity. He took a step back, unable to keep himself from falling into awe. The hanfu was a light, stunning sky-blue, the not-too-busy floral design embroidered in gold thread. Whoever had made it had done so expertly, and even his stubborn mind found itself perplexed.

He sighed, shook his head and turned for the door, not bothering to hurry. Hisao was thunking his head against the wall, muttering profanities under his breath.

Dai rested a hand on the door frame, one eyebrow quirking. "You shouldn't do that, you know. It's hardly becoming for a prince to walk around with a giant lump on his forehead."

Hisao started, straightened and gave his brother the visual run-down, frowning when his eyes met his hair. "You couldn't have at least brushed it?"

Dai waved a hand, striding past and down the hall. "What's the point? Chances are we'll all be at each others' throats by the end of the night, anyway. I'll avoid the fray, of course. I'd really rather not get nose blood all over my new clothes."

He didn't have to turn to know that Hisao was rolling his eyes. A hand fell on his shoulder- a surprisingly brotherly gesture, as far as Mr. Arrogant went. "You know what your problem is, Dai?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You're a pessimist, and quite frankly, it's irritating."

Dai threw his head back, snorting at the air. "I may be a pessimist, but do you know what your problem is, dear brother?" He looked over his shoulder, eyebrow arched again. "You're a sheep."

"I'm a what?"

"A sheep."

"I most certainly am no-"

"I'm sorry, but if I'm a pessimist, you're a sheep."

Hisao pressed his lips together, hand falling to his side, and Dai turned his attention back to where he was walking, tensing with every step.

Gods, he really didn't feel like doing this.

Resi | Main Castle

Emil knocked on the door of Resi's room just as she had finished readying herself for the night's festivities. She gave herself a quick twirl in the mirror, watching the way her light blue dress ruffled around her ankles. The sweeping white embroidery around the hem of the skirt, and the ends of her long, loose sleeves reminded her of the way the warm winds of the air kingdom felt against her face.

"Resi," Emil said, his voice tense, still on the other side of the door. "Tardiness will not be accepted; tonight is a very important night!"

She adjusted the thin ropes that wound around her ankles and big toes to mimic sandals, drew the door open and gave her tutor a sweet smile as she slid the last strand of her hair into place. She hadn't put much effort into it, truly, aside from partially pinning it back to keep the waves out of her face. Rather than spending hours setting her hair, she had spent the afternoon baking and tending to the gardens.

"Emil," she said, "you should really smile more. You'll live longer." She gave him a wink and floated past him into the large sitting area between the bedrooms and the kitchen.

He sighed and gave her a smile almost as sweet as her own. "You look lovely, Princess."

"As do you," she said, giving a light curtsy.

Emil, as was the fashion for Air Kingdom men, wore a loose fitting shirt of fine make that tied at the collar rather than buttoning as some of the farmers wore their clothes. It was paired with fine trousers and lovely leather shoes.

A moment later, Grandfather emerged from his own room dressed much the same, with the addition of a loose sash that denoted his prestige as a royal elder and a finely carved cane.

"Good, good," Emil said, clapping his hands and starting for the door. He drew the door open and extended a hand toward them. "Shall we?"

Their walk to the main castle was long enough for Resi to delight in the evening breeze over the grassy plain of their territory, but short enough that she was hardly too tired to socialize once they arrived. They were among one of the last kingdoms to arrive, and the representatives and their accompanying heirs were caught up mingling, some with drinks in their hands.

Grandfather struck off for someone who must have looked familiar to him, while Emil hung at Resi's side. She had known he had come along as more than her tutor and Grandfather's assistant. Her father was too protective of a man, especially when it came to socializing with members of outside nations. Emil was obviously here as her constant guardian.

Resi scanned the room, taking in the beauty of each person, and their lovely traditional dress, before she dared choose someone to begin to speak with.

She was eying, almost enviously, the heirs of the Wood and Animal kingdoms with their exotic attire when someone passed in front of them and stole her gaze. The way he walked, and the way he was dressed, suggested he was entirely sure of himself and his attractiveness.

Resi knew he couldn't be anyone but the prince of the Fire Kingdom.

As she watched him, it was almost as if the activity in the room has slowed to a crawl. Her heart twittered in her chest in a way she had never experienced before.

However, the moment went as quickly as it had come. Soon she was faced with a bright-faced young woman.

"Hello! My name is Tréanna, but you can call me Tréa!"

Saka | Dining Hall

They were among the first to enter the dining hall. It appeared the fire kingdom had already showed up. Saka recognized Tréa’s new friend standing next to another young man, no doubt the heir. Saka decided to walk to the other side of the room.

Tréa and Aja both stayed around him until more people showed up. By the time the party was dramatically bigger in size, Tréa lost herself in the people, and Saka was stuck with crazy Gramma Aja.

Who also eventually left him. But first, she had to put in her say, putting a hand on his arm. “Don’t do anything stupid, sonny. I have supervision and can see you miles away.”

She couldn’t see two feet in front of her, but Saka didn’t say that out loud.

He remained by himself while everyone mingled, waiting for people to show up. He was quite surprised (and, thus, disgusted) by how nobles could still be so tardy to the… party.

Saka isn’t a poet, so don’t get any ideas.

When the Metal heiress exchanged looks with him for the briefest second, he looked away and walked away toward some other person he didn’t know or care. As long as it didn’t involve Metal.


Tréanna | Dinner Hall

“Hello! My name is Tréanna, but you can call me Tréa!” she said with a light bounce. She had noticed the girl standing alone to the side and felt the need to introduce herself.

The girl smiled. “I’m Resi of the air kingdom.”

“Oh, the air kingdom!” Tréa repeated, her eyes sparkling. “How delightful! What is your kingdom like?”

She laughed. “It’s… home! A farming community. Where are you from, then? You act like you’ve never heard of us.”

Tréa laughed, combing a string of hair behind her ear. “Well, I don’t get out much. I’m from the Earth kingdom! My brother’s the heir, so I’m just here to support him.”

She smiled, then giggled. “I suppose that explains all the beautiful gems you have. There are so many….”

Tréa twirled as she said, “Thanks!” She stopped and looked sincerely at her. “But it’s not as beautiful as yours. I mean, it’s so simple yet one of the most beautiful gowns I have ever seen!” She inspected the sweeping, soft fabrics and the way the blues seem to blend into each other like a sunset.

Resi beamed, and it was her turn to twirl this time, which only made Tréa love it more. “Thank you! I’m sure some of your sapphires would be able to spruce it up a bit—”

“What needs sprucing?” she asked with wide eyes.

They both laughed now. Tréa was enjoying Resi’s company, but just as she was recovering from their hysterics, she accidentally bumped into someone behind her. She jumped and turned, her eyes falling on a petit young woman whose wardrobe carried the air of the woods. Or… animals?

“I’m so sorry!” Tréa said quickly, her body moving confusedly. At one point, she wanted to pat her shoulder and make sure she was okay, still standing on her own two feet, but then her hand retreated and she just covered her mouth. She looked to Resi behind her for a brief second, turned back to the woman. Wait. Now her writer’s just confused.

Tréa laughed and bowed to the stranger. “I’m Tréa!”

Resi made a small curtsy to the woman as well, trying to contain her giggles from Tréa’s ridiculousness. “I’m Resi, and you are?”

Honovi | Dining Hall

Honovi was... well. He wasn't panicking exactly, but he wasn't exactly calm either. He was currently in that place between level reason and OMGWHATDOIDOOOOOOO!!! and trying very hard not to show it. He'd been told there would be a lot of people at the dinner, but he hadn't expected so many and all crammed in one small space that was completely surrounded by solid rock walls. And he would have been fine with that, except he'd been jostled a bit at the way beginning and completely lost track of Netis. And her skunk. And Temye didn't like people going all touchy-feely-oooh! without permission. And these people probably wouldn't know to ask permission.

It was a recipe for disaster.

A most redolent disaster.

Though with all the heavy perfume people were wearing, Honovi mused that it was possible no one would smell Temye's ultimate defense. He stifled a sneeze and wondered how these people could make flowers smell so... overwhelmingly nauseating.

Self-consciously smoothing down his vest (lovingly decorated with colorful shell and vegetable-dyed porcupine quill beads), Honovi eased his gradual way towards a wall with an open window, where he'd be able to breathe without suffocating and keep an eye out for Netis.

He was comfortably leaning against the wall, enjoying the non-perfumed breezes from the window beside him, when he spotted Netis and Temye. His relief at relocating the pair quickly transformed into alarm as a brilliantly bejeweled young lady — probably the Earth Princess — bumped into them, then started chattering at them.

Honovi hurried off to avert the (in his mind) impending disaster, pretty much ignoring the person trying to approach him in his rush, and repeating a desperate mantra in his mind:

Don't pet the skunk! Don't pet the skunk!!!

Dante | Ballroom

Dante stood at the entrance to the ballroom, watching the party that was already beginning to get underway. If you could call the families each staking out a certain corner of the room 'underway'. Aurora's head tilted to the side, her hair brushing against his arm.

"They need to have some fun."

He looked around and pointed to a redhaired girl in a very stunning outfit across the room. "Isn't that Tréa?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded. Dante chuckled and let go of her arm. "Go have fun with her."

She looked up at him, flashing a grin. "I will!" And she was gone.

Dante watched her for a minute before looking around to the older heirs. Only a handful had shown up, with each's clothing rather obviously placing them in their kingdoms. Another redhead, most likely Tréa's brother, was observing from his place along the wall. Then there was a... woman, in a leather costume and a headdress with horns.

He did a quick count and saw nearly all heirs there, minus the water kingdom. He made a note to see the heir when he— or she— arrived, and reexamined the remaining heirs to see who would be the most interesting.

The curve of a bare midriff caught his attention, with gold flowing down a woman's hips and covering her upper back. He couldn't see her hair from another gold cloth— in fact, he could barely see any skin other than the curve of her back, and now side, from all the jewels on her arms and hands.

She turned to look at him, a seductive smile Dante thought he wouldn't see while he was here and a glint in her eyes. She inclined her head ever so slightly, looking at him through black lined lashes.

Dante smiled back, feeling heat rise in his hands with a desire to touch her. But he planned to hold back. For tonight, at least.

He made his way over to her, eyes never leaving her face. He gave a shallow bow when he finally made it in front of her, raising a hand for her to take as he did so. "Prince Dante, of the Fire Kingdom."

She placed her hand in his, inclining her head. "It figures that the best looking man in the room would be from the Fire Kingdom. Princess Cantara. Three guesses as to where I'm from."

Dante's smile became a bit more lopsided, eyes going over her attire again. "Somebody who wears gold so finely could only be from the metal kingdom."

Her smile became a bit more playful, but he couldn't help but notice a beautifully dangerous glint in her eyes. "And clever too. I wonder what your weakness is, Prince Dante. Never fear, I'll work diligently to find it."

He chuckled, kissing her fingers and warming the touch ever so slightly. "You would have to win my heart to find my weakness, my dear." He let her hand slip from his fingers. "Business must come first at the negotiations, after all."

"Of course. I take my business very seriously," she replied, lowering her voice to a purr. "But that doesn't mean there's no room for pleasure."

He smiled, eyes still not leaving hers. "Of course not."

Spoiler

Cutting Aurora from this post because I'm not sure where she'll fit. Might make another post with her later. Feel free to do this in general— if there's nothing for one character, don't post them.

Cantara | Ballroom

He was a good looking guy, it was true, but not as good looking as he apparently thought he was. Still, Cantara smiled. "I hope when the dancing begins, you'll save me the first."

"Only if you save me the last," he said, and Cantara let her smile widen to a grin.

"Maybe if you behave yourself over dinner."

"What would that entail?"

Cantara shrugged and looked away, waiting for him to make another move.

"So are you the only heir from the Metal Kingdom?"

She pretended to appraise him. "Yes. Why? Hoping I have a prettier sister?"

"I find it hard to believe that you would. Surely all the good looks in your family went to you."

"I would say the same, but I'm assuming that that is your sister," she said, nodding towards the girl chatting animatedly away to the Earth princess.

"Aurora, yes. She seems to have found a great friend in Tréa- ah, but you're hardly Earth's biggest fan are you?"

The flirts had turned to actual conversation. Cantara tried to turn it back. "No. not as much of a fan as I am of Fire."

Dante grinned. "That makes me very happy to hear. If you'll excuse me, however, Your Highness, I'm afraid that I am monopolising your company. I'm sure you have other people to meet."

Cantara sighed. "I suppose so. Lots of opinions to change about the Metal Kingdom. How tedious. I hope to see you later, Prince Dante."

"Oh, I promise, you will." He grinned with lots of white teeth and they bowed and curtseyed to one another and went in opposite directions.

Cantara was introduced to some of the leaders by Hasib and stood by for a while while he jovially talked to the old man representing the Air Kingdom. Her eyes flicked around the other heirs. There was the Water Prince- the elder one, not the idiot she had met earlier- the Animal and Wood and Air all still to meet. Earth and Fire she could tick off her list. Or, not completely. They still had sisters. The Earth girl seemed frivolous as her brother seemed wooden, and Cantara didn't care for either of them. But Hasib had told her to make strong ties with Fire, so that was what she was going to do.

She headed over to where the Fire princess was still talking to the Earth Princess, who recognised her and shot a glance at her brother before saying, "Hello!"

"Hello." Cantara curtseyed to the two of them then turned her eyes on the Fire girl. "I'm Cantara of the Metal Kingdom, I don't think we've been properly introduced."

"Oh! I'm Aurora, of the Fire Kingdom. I absolutely love your bracelet!"

"Which one?" Cantara attempted to smile and be girly.

"Oh, all of them!"

She held a sigh between her teeth. It was going to be a long night.

Tréanna | Dinner

“Which one?” she smiled, her eyes twinkling.

Aurora and Tréa giggled before replying with, “All of them!”

Tréa looked back at her brother again as they laughed at the moment, Aurora and Cantara carrying the conversation at the moment. Saka was apparently ignoring her direction – or rather, Cantara’s direction – sipping at a fine goblet in his hand. What had he told her? To stay away from her. He never said anything about the heiress sneaking up on her, though…. Tréa smiled.

“—and Tréa’s brother’s room as well! Didn’t we, Tréa? How did he like it, by the way?” Aurora asked, laughing at the memories.

Tréa returned to the conversation, took a slight moment to catch up, and laughed. “Oh, he loved it, of course! In fact, I think we should finish it at some point. We were a bit rushed, don’t you think? Some of the detail work on the walls could be fine-tuned—”

“—And bed curtains should be put up—”

“—Oh! And the candles—”

“—Candles! I know just the perfect ones to use!”

“Bed curtains and candles?” Cantara repeated as the two girls settled, looking at Aurora. “Do you plan to move in?”

Tréa’s eyes lit up as they both considered how fantastic it would be to live across from each other. But they just laughed that idea away. The heiress’ eyes were mostly on Aurora, as if Tréa was an untouchable as well. Did Saka warn her to stay away from her? That didn’t seem like him – it would be Saka to not mention Tréa at all and hope the heiress didn’t get any ideas. Silly brothers!

“Cantara, you could come!” Tréa said before she really knew what came out of her mouth. Cantara looked at her immediately, a brow raised out of interest. Tréa just smiled. “I think your kingdom has a brilliant culture and sense of beauty – ”

Cantara laughed – one that seemed a little more real than the previous few. “I have the strangest feeling your brother wouldn’t like the sound of that, but I do appreciate the flattery.”

Their conversation carried on for a short while longer. At one point, Tréa found her brother shooting her a stern look before returning to his conversation, but she didn’t let that get in the way. She found Cantara to be a wonderful character – certainly beautiful. She wasn’t like Aurora or Resi, but she was pleasant in conversation. Tréa only wanted to learn more from her, but Cantara didn’t seem to reveal much of herself or her kingdom. She only seemed to want to know more about them – or, rather, about Aurora.

Their three-person huddle seemed to drift off a bit in the room, so more people appeared in her line of sight. A particular gentleman seemed about as quiet as her brother, but a lot more… well, approachable! Tréa excused herself until later, figuring the Metal heiress wouldn’t mind a moment out of the Earth’s presence anyway and that Tréa’s nature is to get to know everybody anyway. She found herself meandering over to the taller man. His eyes lowered to her and looked away when their eyes met briefly.

“I’m Tréa,” she said, curtsying to the man. “I was just talking to a couple new friends of mine. Have you met any new people? They are marvelous, aren’t they?”

The gentleman continued to avoid her gaze and gave a slight shrug.

Tréa tilted her head. Then her eyes lit up and she bounded in front of him. “Ohhh, let me guess which kingdom you come from? Please?” Taking his silence as a yes, Tréa took a moment to think. “Let’s see, I’ve met the Metal princess, the Fire princess – and I also am aware of her brother now, though I haven’t actually met him. He amuses me, though! Oh, and I’ve met the Air princess, the Animal princess…. Hm.” She took a moment to study his appearance. Then she smiled up at him. “Water!”

He smiled awkwardly and made to leave, but Tréa didn’t let that happen. She skipped alongside him. “I suppose the blue should have given that away…. I must say you look quite dashing tonight as well!”

“Your friends must be worried about you,” the man finally said.

“Not really! I said I’d catch them later. I am right, right? Water?”

The gentleman looked at her, gulped awkwardly, and heaved a huge breath. He bowed, his muscles tense for some odd reason Tréa wasn’t sure about. He wasn’t… nervous, was he? Of Tréa?! How adorable! “Dai of the Water kingdom.”

Netis | Dining Hall

By the time Netis reached the dining hall, her cloak was already dried up. She found herself racing through the stone hallways. It reminded her of a giant cave with lit torches and red fur on the ground. She was lost amidst the maze of rooms and corridors, but she managed to find the place by following the scent of roast hen.

"Oh, that does smell delicious!" She said, "You're going to love it here, Tem." The skunk was not amused.

She marched through a pair of large doors and pushed it open, where the hall inside revealed various tables and people elegantly dressed like peacocks. Netis' eyes widen as she gazed at it all, "woooow, look Tem," she breathed. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.

She sniffed the air with a strange curiosity. There was a strong scent in the air, like strange flowers that didn't belong together, her nose twinged in disgust. It was suffocating and she was soon coughing. She barely noticed before she ran into one of them.

"I’m Resi, and you are?”

Netis jumped as she spotted the little blonde peacock girl and her friend with the colorful rocks. As they approached, Netis' nose was hit straight on with the powerful aroma she was not accustomed to. As she took a breath to respond, she fell into another coughing fit, tears streaming down her eyes. Temye jumped off her shoulder, tail in the air, and ran across the room offended. Netis barely had time to look up to the two princesses before she chased after the skunk.

As she turned towards the outer edge of the group, she bumped into the only friendly and familiar face in this herd. Honovi. Seeing his concerned face, she forgot all anger.

"I lost Tem!" She said, scanning the area for her companion. There were far too many people and tables to see where the skunk might've gone.

"What?" Honovi slapped his hand to his head. "This is bad, this is bad..."

At that moment, they heard a shrieking scream come from the center of the dining hall...

Dai | Failing to be Invisible In The Dining Hall

Dai straightened, exhaling a puff of air that rustled his bangs. And to think, his sole goal for the evening had been to remain in a corner and not discuss anything with anyone. That hadn't lasted long.

The girl- princess- the Tréa- was still grinning, like this conversation was the single greatest thing that had ever happened to her. People with that much enthusiasm were almost irking, if not somewhat refreshing. "What a lovely name! It's a pleasure to meet you, Dai of the Water kingdom."

Dai couldn't tell if she was being genuine, or if she was just trying to twist his arm. He swallowed. Honestly, the girl looked far too innocent to try and twist anyone's arm. Or leg. Or spinal cord. Which was a relief, in all honesty. Dai didn't appreciate any of his limbs being twisted- metaphorically or otherwise.

"It's nice to-" He paused, mouth still opened a ways. "-that is, it's a pleasure- the pleasure's all mine." Wonderful, he was already stumbling over his words.

Tréa giggled. Dai gulped- again- and shifted back and forth on his feet, eyes wandering to his left.

... what if she held out a hand? To kiss? At the moment, physical contact was very, very daunting. Particularly because his hands were shaking; for no real reason, at that. He slid them behind his back, clasping them firmly. She wouldn't expect him to just reach down and take one, would she?

Of course not. If they wanted their hands kissed, they always offered. Besides, who wanted someone else's lips all over their knuckles? Right? If he was going to be honest, he had absolutely no idea.

Gods, I hate socializing.

"What's the Water kingdom like?" Of course, the girl would push on. "I mean, other than wet, of course." Dai half-expected another giggle, but it never came. Which meant that he had no idea if that second sentence was meant to have been a joke.

He risked a very brief glance in her direction, eyes shooting back to the floor almost immediately. "It- well, it... rains? A... lot..." No, Dai. She would never have assumed such a thing! What a marvelous answer, you dolt. "Thewallsaremadeofwater," he added, almost too quickly. At least that was relatively interesting, right?

Tréa's eyes rounded a bit. "The wa-"

A shriek abruptly cut her off. A familiar shriek. A shriek that held just a pinch of masculinity, and oh gods, what had that imbecile gotten himself into this time?

Dai turned in the general direction of the shriek, cringing at the sight of his brother, face dripping with... Dai had no idea, truthfully. His gaze skittered to the right, where a black and white creature (a skunk?) was perched on the back of a chair, a woman who could only have been the Fire princess... heiress, whatever it was they had, poised to pet it.

As horrible as it was, Dai felt a laugh bubbling in the pit of his gut. He turned to Tréa, doing everything in his power to muster an apologetic expression. It probably didn't work. "Excuse me. My brother's in need of assistance."

And finally, finally, he escaped.

Hisao | Shaking With Rage in the Dining Hall

Hisao spit at the floor, moving an arm to wipe the- whatever it was from his face. Never- never, in all his life, had he so wanted to absolutely destroy an animal.

The woman he'd been about to approach- obviously the Fire kingdom's representative- had clapped her hands over her mouth. Hisao wasn't about to give her time to apologize, gorgeous or not.

"Whose. Animal. Is. This?" he demanded, fists clenching until he could feel his nails biting into the palms of his hands.

He was about ready to strike whoever came forward, regardless of sex or standing, but a voice cut through the air before anyone had the chance. Dai's voice. "I'd highly suggest that nobody come forward until I've safely removed my brother from the premise!" Oh, so now he could speak like a normal person.

An amused normal person.

Hisao whipped around and shot him a deadly glare. One that only received an eye-roll in return. Damn. Him.

The closer Dai got, the louder the whispers- and the laughs- grew, and the more Dai's face contorted. His eyes were watering- the bastard had no right! He hadn't been the one to be sprayed by that... that... repulsive thing. Hisao almost punched him in the nose, but managed to restrain himself. He'd been humiliated plenty for one night.

Dai stopped at arms length, one hand pinching his nose, the other resting on Hisao's shoulder. "You. Water wing. Now."

Hisao wanted to argue. Oh, nobody knew how much he wanted to argue, but the longer he stood there, the more nauseated the smell made him feel, and the more inclined he felt to follow orders.

Once in the hall, ducking past a frenzy of servants- hopefully, these idiots had enough sense to at least move the party,- Dai started cracking. Sputters of laughter, at first, and at least he was trying to hold back.

But after the sputters came the howls.

Hisao shoved him against the wall, choosing to blame the tears in his eyes on the stench. He wasn't crying. Children cried- he wasn't a child, regardless of what the Metal princess had to say.

"S-sorry," Dai managed, releasing his nose enough to speak. "But you have to admit, Hisao, that was-"

"It was not funny."

Footsteps came up behind them, and Hisao was about ready to snap at whatever servant came up for not tending to him sooner.

But it wasn't a servant.

It was her.

Dai took a step back, face falling immediately- anything to look unapproachable- and let the woman come up. Hisao just glared at her, although... it was really rather hard.

"I'm so sorry."

Hisao's jaw twitched. He wanted to yell- oh, did he ever want to yell- but she was so. Bloody. Gorgeous. He growled a, "I'm sure," instead.

Aurora | Hallways

She hadn't meant to do it. Pretty animals weren't supposed to hurt anybody. Anything pretty wasn't supposed to hurt anybody!

Which meant she had to find him. If he was hurt, she wanted to help.

It was fairly easy to tell where he was with her nose, and the trail that was left as he walked away. His growl when she apologized just made her shoulders roll forward, head dropping in the process.

She decided to try again. "Are you alright?"

He was frowning. She hoped he wasn't in shock— his scream had indicated that spray of smell had hurt. Or at least surprised him. "Hardly," he said in the same tone. He wrinkled his nose, making his eyes close. She felt a whimper caught in her throat

"You should clean that off!"

He rubbed his face with a sleeve, roughly. "I would, if I could find someone to assist me."

The other man, who had stayed quiet beside the young prince, rolled his eyes. She had a hard time hearing him. "If you didn't rely on servants for everything..."

The younger prince gave him a glare. The older regained his blank expression, but Aurora's attention was drawn back to the poor boy who'd gotten sprayed.

The smell was becoming overpowering. She took his hands, with full intention to take him somewhere open. "Is there any water in your room?"

He frowned at her. "I wouldn't stay if there wasn't."

She was interrupted from asking what he meant by a very familiar voice.

"Aurora!"

She spun, dropping the prince's hand in the process. "Dante! I— "

He quickly closed the distance between them, placing a finger on her lips with a soft smile. "What are you doing here?"

Aurora looked back at the boy, then back to her brother. "I wanted to make sure he's alright!"

The boy spoke up, but quietly. "She's fine."

Dante seemed to have heard, because he ruffled her hair in the way that always made her smile. "Good to hear." He looked down at her. "And I'm going to assume you want to help."

She broke out into a grin and nodded.

He smiled back. "Alright." His eyes drifted off her and to the younger prince. "You should go to the river."

She looked back to the princes, with the younger nodding and the older with a strange look on his face.

"I've heard water makes it worse," the older said. The younger just frowned, deeper than before.

Aurora looked up to see her brother frowning the way he always did when he thought. The halls were getting busier as the smell from that thing sprayed becoming even stronger in the closed space.

A servant came up, footsteps getting Dante's attention. He glanced at her. "You, m'lady. Do you know how to treat this?"

She nodded, apparently ready to clean this instant. Aurora wanted to bounce from happiness. "Skunk smell sires, m'lady. I know quite a few remedies."

The younger prince let out a deep breath. "Please, please just get rid of it."

Aurora felt her breath catch in her throat at how his voice was shaking. She grabbed his hand again and pulled him towards the servant. "Lead the way!"

The servant nodded and began leading them down the hall.

Dante | Halls

He watched his sister trail off with the water prince, reminded of the countless times she had dragged off boys in the fire kingdom to play. He wondered how it would turn out this time. But, that was a question for later.

The younger prince's older brother was still in the hall. The younger prince's very handsome older brother. Despite his dishevelled hair, his features were striking. The slight twist to the corner of his eyes, the set of his mouth, and the contrast between his blond hair and slightly darker skin made Dante smile just looking at him.

"Thank you, for getting him out of there."

The nod in reply was stiff. Almost cold. "If I hadn't, there'd most likely be blood all over the floor."

Dante inclined his head and gestured down the hall. "We've moved the party to the other side of the palace, if you want to join us."

His shoulders dropped, and the most heartbreaking frown pulled on one side of his face. "I'd prefer to go back to my room."

Dante blinked, managing a raised eyebrow at the utter absurdity of that statement. There was a party to be had. "Oh?"

He nodded again, with that same stiffness. His voice was still flat when he said, "Oh." The prince glanced over his shoulder at some unknown object in the distance. "It's been a long day."

Dante shook his head, chuckling. "I don't quite understand, but I suppose I will leave you to it." Remembering his manners, he bowed ever so slightly, keeping his eyes on that face. "I'm Dante."

The prince followed the bow with his eyes, but remained standing perfectly straight. "Dai."

A lovely name to befit such a lovely prince. It was a shame he was leaving so soon, before the fun could begin. And before he had warmed up. Dante straightened, smiling at him. "Would you like some company back to your room?"

He was frowning again, a small one, with one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. "N-not particularly, no."

There was fear in his voice, but Dante wasn't given a chance to study his face before he turned. "I do hope you are alright with missing dinner," Dante said, almost absently. "I have heard it's delicious."

He grunted (in reply to mentioning food, no less), and only paused his step away. "I'll be fine."

That stiffness needed warmth. Dante hoped it wasn't more warmth than he was able to provide. "Then I will see you tomorrow, Dai."

That got Dai to look at him. Despite the narrowed eyes, it didn't detract from his features. "Maybe."

He chuckled, inclining his head in the form of another bow. "Considering I am fire and you are water, I should hope a friendship forms, for the sake of our future kingdoms."

He paused, turning to show his front. His expression had turned blank. "Perhaps."

Dante smiled, flicking a wrist and continuing to meet his eyes. "What is this 'perhaps'? I had believed the whole point of these talks were to help foster relationships between the kingdoms."

He snorted, lips moving, but Dante couldn't hear anything. His shoulders were pushed back, stiff, as he turned again.

Dante shook his head. "I see you don't believe me."

There was another pause, and his shoulders moved from breathing. At least they could. Dante wondered if there was muscle under that shirt.

"No, I just seriously doubt that it's going to work," Dai said before turning back towards him again. "There are... complications, in the matter. And when everyone has their own agenda..." He scowled, robbing his features of the beauty they'd had before. "Things tend to go wrong."

Dante closed his eyes and chuckled, shaking his head. "Everything can be sorted out with enough time."

There was another pause, his scowl softening but his voice not. "You're terribly optimistic." He turned, walking away again. "Enjoy your dinner."

Dante smiled at him, beginning to look at his silhouette as he walked. "And I hope you enjoy your evening."

At no reply, Dante simply chuckled and turned to rejoin the party. Hopefully he could find another conversation partner.

He smiled. His uncle would be pleased at how this evening had turned out. And dinner hadn't even been served.