The Continental Cotillion Debutante Ball (IC)

[Voxija]

Princess Nerea smiled wider. She took the card. Nerea wondered for a bit where to put it, but then decided to just hold it for now.

"Good-bye for now," said Nerea politely. She shook Mason's hand and walked away, looking for someone, preferably another debutante, to talk to. Preferably an Atlantian debutante, since although Nerea already knew some things about Atlantia, she wanted to hear about this country from the perspective of someone from here.

The first Atlantian debutante to cross paths with Princess Nerea was Calala Klark, one of the two young “islanders” at the Cotillion. She and her escort John Kabrini had both arrived from Darianna, the largest Atlantian colony in the Alcazar Sea, where their fathers were among the Owners who controlled the vast sugar and tobacco plantation empire. The island trade made men (and the occasional widowed woman) fantastically wealthy, but many Owners on the mainland looked down on their overseas counterparts, who often had Maldonian, Marusan, or even some island native heritage in their blood.

Calala had taken notice of the young woman, the same age as her, from Voxija when she’d been presented to the assembled crowd of attendees at the beginning of the Cotillion. She saw Nerea part ways with Mason Lockwood, and start walking in her direction. Calala smiled at Nerea and made a small gesture to welcome the Voxijan over.

“Princess Nerea?” Calala made a small curtsy. “Calala Klark. I was hoping to meet you.” She smiled and laughed softly. “I was told that normally coming from Darianna made me the one who’d traveled the farthest for the season, but it seems this year others have me beat handily in that contest.”

Princess Nerea was glad to have a female conversation partner about her own age. It seemed like everyone Nerea talked to was male, family, or being paid to suck up to the princess. Nerea hoped this conversation would be different. Calala seemed sincere, although she might just be too unduly impressed to be fake.

Nerea had noticed Calala's slightly, very slightly, darker skin tone, a wee bit more shaded than other Atlantians. It made Nerea feel at ease, to be talking with someone from an island like her own.

"Thank you," said the princess. "Yes, the foreign debutantes are from places much further away from Darianna. My island, Voxija, is in the Ethyran Sea." Princess Nerea chuckled.

There was a lot Princess Nerea wanted to talk about with Calala Klark, and a lot of questions the princess wanted to ask, especially about life in Atlantia. But Nerea started with a simple question.

"What is Darianna like? I know it's a territory of Atlantia, but what is life like there? Is your island as beautiful as my island?" Princess Nerea knew what sort of response she might get, but the Voxijan princess did not want to discuss Indenture in this conversation. That could be saved for a private conversation with Eneko Ydaverri after the cotillion. Speaking of which...

---

"Hello ladies," said the Duke. "I'm Eneko Ydaverri, the Duke of Xirroni. Kay Ludlow and Laura Bradford, aren't those your names?" A lifetime of foreign visitors getting Eneko's name wrong had made Eneko very good with names.

"So, I hear you're actresses," continued Ydaverri, pondering for a bit if his last sentence was a rhetorical question or not. "I've heard that people of the stage are all liars, since lying was their profession. May I give you the chance to prove that assumption wrong?"

“Oh Kay, we’ve just met and he’s already calling us liars,” Laura Bradford said in mock outrage. Kay Ludlow gasped and covered her mouth as if shocked before giggling.

“Well I’d answer your question but I’m afraid that one of us only tells lies, and the other one only tells the truth,” Laura said.

“You’ll just have to find out which is which,” Kay chimed in, still laughing. “But come Eneko, surely you must have a higher opinion of actresses? I thought all dukes and lords and such were grand patrons of the arts.”

Eneko Ydaverri, the Duke of Xirroni, knew that he had picked the wrong conversation starter. Hopefully he could salvage this whole mess, but that wasn't likely.

"Ah... um... re.... How do I phrase this? I do indeed patronize the arts—patronize? Is that the right word? This isn't my first language—but I mostly fund painters and sculptors. Not actors. But I do enjoy the stage! Not—oh dear." Eneko had just committed a grave error according to himself: contradiction.

"It's okay ladies, I was lying the first time. No, I am lying now! Argh, I don't know when I was lying." A realization came over the Duke, one that had probably occurred to the actresses long ago. It was while people of the stage might be liars by profession, politicians and lawyers were even greater liars.

"I'm a greater liar than you! A greater liar than you!" Ydaverri sniffled. "I'm sorry; ignore my outburst. Tell me all about your famous selves. What do you ladies think were your best roles?"

[Atlantian Dominions]

"Thank you," said the princess. "Yes, the foreign debutantes are from places much further away from Darianna. My island, Voxija, is in the Ethyran Sea." Princess Nerea chuckled.

There was a lot Princess Nerea wanted to talk about with Calala Klark, and a lot of questions the princess wanted to ask, especially about life in Atlantia. But Nerea started with a simple question.

"What is Darianna like? I know it's a territory of Atlantia, but what is life like there? Is your island as beautiful as my island?"

“It is a very beautiful island,” Calala Klark said. “It’s one of the bigger islands in the Alcazar Sea, so it’s tropical. Of course a lot of it is all flat now, cleared for plantations and pastures and towns and such. But you can see mountains in the distance from my home. It’s majestic.”

“I haven’t been to Voxija, so I don’t want to make comparisons in ignorance,” Calala added. “But I think Darianna is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.” Calala traveled somewhat - she’d been around the southern and eastern part of the Atlantian Dominions, and to Honduragua, and on one trip to Santales. But she’d seen little of the world on the other side of the Hesperian Ocean.

“Anyway, I’m sure my life isn’t anything more exciting than being a princess,” the Atlantian debutante said. “What’s it like?”

"I'm sorry; ignore my outburst. Tell me all about your famous selves. What do you ladies think were your best roles?"

“Oh, we’ve driven him mad,” Laura said jovially to Kay as the Voxijan duke stammered out his words.

“It’s your lovely curves, Laura,” Kay replied in equal jest. “You tend to have that effect on men.”

Both women giggled, though Kay did hope they weren’t being two harsh on Eneko. He was attractive.

“I’ve been told,” Kay said, answering his question about roles. “That I was exceptional in Sweethearts. I played Jane Northcott, the leading role.” It was a Telviran play, the story of a man and woman who found themselves reunited after thirty years of separation, with comically differing recollections of their first meeting. It had been very popular among the upper class, who enjoyed its tasteful humor and the themes of enduring love.

“Kay always gets the highbrow stuff,” Laura said. “I starred in a play called Evangeline which did very well.” The play was an Atlantian musical comedy about a woman separated from her love and being pursued by a scoundrel who was trying to swindle her out of her inheritance. It had been very popular among less sophisticated theater-goers, who enjoyed the music and the often raunchy humor. It had in fact caused a riot in its opening weekend when theater patrons clashed with police sent to shut down the “immoral” production.

“And what do you do?” Kay asked Eneko. “What is a Duke of Voxija responsible for?”

[Voxija]

“It is a very beautiful island,” Calala Klark said. “It’s one of the bigger islands in the Alcazar Sea, so it’s tropical. Of course a lot of it is all flat now, cleared for plantations and pastures and towns and such. But you can see mountains in the distance from my home. It’s majestic.”

“I haven’t been to Voxija, so I don’t want to make comparisons in ignorance,” Calala added. “But I think Darianna is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.” Calala traveled somewhat - she’d been around the southern and eastern part of the Atlantian Dominions, and to Honduragua, and on one trip to Santales. But she’d seen little of the world on the other side of the Hesperian Ocean.

“Anyway, I’m sure my life isn’t anything more exciting than being a princess,” the Atlantian debutante said. “What’s it like?”

"Darianna does sound beautiful. Your description sounds like my island, in fact. But I haven't been to Darianna, and you haven't been to Voxija, so let's not judge."

Princess Nerea turned to Calala's question about what it was like being royalty. Nerea felt like she would gain a friend faster if she told the truth rather than gush about being a princess.

"Oh! It's not that exciting, actually. As a minor princess, I don't have much to do besides ride horses and visit places ceremonially and shake hands and kiss babies. I have ladies-in-waiting though, and at least I attend balls and cotillions like this one, I enjoy those lovely parties very much."

Nerea was babbling. Maybe she was subconsciously imitating the high society ladies around here. She would have to stop babbling and talk like the intelligent young woman she was. Princess Nerea decided to tell the other islander about her deepest wish.

"Do you want to know a secret?" asked the princess. "I want to do something real and important. I want to be influential, to step into the public sphere. Sure, being a princess is very important as well, but I want to change things. Don't know what yet. I suppose I will find problems and fix them. But when I ask my papa or Ydaverri—don't get me wrong, they're both great men—they tell me it's not my place to help them decide on political matters. Even an advisory role is too harmful for a delicate young princess."

The princess reigned herself in and stopped herself from shouting about her desires. Nerea had whispered her secret quietly enough so that she was sure only Calala had heard her unwomanly desire to enter politics. Princess Nerea didn't know what Calala would think, but she hoped her conversation partner could relate.

---

"I'm sorry; ignore my outburst. Tell me all about your famous selves. What do you ladies think were your best roles?"

“Oh, we’ve driven him mad,” Laura said jovially to Kay as the Voxijan duke stammered out his words.

“It’s your lovely curves, Laura,” Kay replied in equal jest. “You tend to have that effect on men.”

Both women giggled, though Kay did hope they weren’t being two harsh on Eneko. He was attractive.

“I’ve been told,” Kay said, answering his question about roles. “That I was exceptional in Sweethearts. I played Jane Northcott, the leading role.” It was a Telviran play, the story of a man and woman who found themselves reunited after thirty years of separation, with comically differing recollections of their first meeting. It had been very popular among the upper class, who enjoyed its tasteful humor and the themes of enduring love.

“Kay always gets the highbrow stuff,” Laura said. “I starred in a play called Evangeline which did very well.” The play was an Atlantian musical comedy about a woman separated from her love and being pursued by a scoundrel who was trying to swindle her out of her inheritance. It had been very popular among less sophisticated theater-goers, who enjoyed the music and the often raunchy humor. It had in fact caused a riot in its opening weekend when theater patrons clashed with police sent to shut down the “immoral” production.

“And what do you do?” Kay asked Eneko. “What is a Duke of Voxija responsible for?”

"My word! I've heard of Sweethearts, but I haven't heard of Evangeline at all. But, oh yes, oh no..."

Eneko Ydaverri had just gotten his composure back, but he lost it again thinking about how to explain the sorry state of nobility in Voxija. These actresses were expecting accounts of being a poised Duke of land and money, and Eneko just wasn't that.

"Well, as a Duke, I—well, I'm not responsible for much, honestly. And, alas, the stature of nobility in Voxija, well, we have less money. I have a job—I have to have a job—I'm a lawyer, a lawyer! Who ever heard of a Duke being a lawyer?"

Eneko didn't know how to explain the state of the nobility in Voxija, and anyway, he didn't want to. The richest people in Voxija were people who'd earned their money honestly, or at least their fathers did. The nobility had mostly lost their fortunes, their only assets being a title and maybe some land. Rich people married nobility to gain a title, and nobility married rich people to get money. It was a crying shame.

"You see, I'm a lawyer, see. I said that actors are all liars, but I take it back. It's lawyers who are the liars. I'm a lawyer, see." Those words had just gotten out of the Duke's mouth when he realized that there were two ways this could go. Either Eneko was a lawyer lying about being a Duke or he was a Duke lying about being a lawyer. Eneko Ydaverri, was, of course, both a Duke and a lawyer, but he was all convinced that he wasn't going to spend any more time talking to these daring, different ladies. That would be disappointing.

[Folaisia]

“Oh, no concerns,” General Tilney said. “Like you said, a boy needs a father or something like it when he’s young. Freddy has grown into a fine young man, and I’ll only claim some of the credit for that. Though I will admit I was disappointed when he chose to join the Navy instead of the Army.” Tilney chuckled. “I think that was to get away from me. I understand it - he wants to stand on his own and prove he doesn’t need me helping him along.”

Gillebrìde chuckled at what Tilney replied. Certainly, it reminded him of himself before the War.

"I remember telling my father I wanted to be an academic rather than the usual industrial and military occupations that are traditional within my clan. Needless to say, he was agitated when first of it, but eventually, he respected my choice and of standing up to him, and less than a year later, I was on my way. Then, of course, the war came in as soon as I had the job."