The Crown Prince’s Ball (Meillur-Only)

[Kingdom of Derita]

Andeja knew that there was a not small part of him that was thankful for Princess Oruk’s arrival. He knew her from university, though he didn’t know her as well as those who resided in his orbit. There were many who did not like Oruk on account of her pale appearance (the result of both a mixture of spectral superstition and the shades of racial discrimination who praised dark skin— the both of which largely lacking amongst the Imperial Family on account a history of mixed races brides, such as the Empress, and cases albinism present in the family line) Andeja however cared more about the fact she provided something, someone, else to rather than the floundering conversation with Adela.

“Princess Oruk, thank you so much. It is a pleasure to see you again. You look lovely tonight.” Andeja said, his eyes drifting over her and her outfit before he cleared his throat: “Please, let me introduce you to Princess Adela, of Genes.”

Meanwhile Cel considered Felix’s words and took to thinking about the various options of places to go on a safari in the Empire.

“Oh, well, if one wants to see the most adorable of animals, we can go to the hills on Vatoria. They have Pygmy elephants and they are just the cutest in the wild. Or perhaps we can go to one of the expeditions that go along the coast—“

Ashon coughed into his fist, “I believe the chamberlain said when, Miss Magaira.”

“Oh, yes, my bad.” Cel said. She looked to the sky, mentally trying to recall her schedule. “Well, I have a charity ball for endangered lemurs, and then, oh, I promised my friend Araminta that I would attend her fashion show for the spring collection. So perhaps in two weeks?”

[Patuania]

Oruk smiled at Andeja and Adela. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” She turned her attention back to the crown prince. I admit that I hoped to be able to speak with you. I feel like we haven’t had much an opportunity to talk with one another, but I thought that tonight would be a perfect time to remedy that, don’t you think?

[Royal Genes]

Adela took a step back as an unexpected arrival, and she too couldn’t help but feel as if she were grasping on desperately for a floatie in a churning sea. She was not familiar with the northerners, the Genoise were a firmly southern people with all their most important interactions being in the nations that lined the Southern Sea, and whatever lay beyond that in the north was not really their concern. Adela nodded her head to Oruk.

“Well, Andeja and I were just speaking about hymns. You are welcome to join us. I admit I do not know much about…” Adela looked from Oruk to the man looming behind her. “Northern religious songs.”

[Colfico]

Felix nodded, he thought about it before saying “That should be acceptable, I have nothing of note scheduled before that point, so unless something unusual and important happens, it will work.” He then said “Although I would certainly love to see those Pygmy Elephants, it sounds like fun.”

He noticed the ease with which it seems that she could loose track of something, although he found no particular dislike from it. A genuine fault was preferable to the faked perfection that was often attempted by many royals and nobles, something that certainly rubbed the Chamberlain raw.

At the close distance, the words on the emblems on his uniform were easily readable, revealing his units, but also something more unique, a graduation badge, in the form of a dagger running through crossed bones, the emblem of the graduates of the Special Warfare Academy, with a badge of a mountain immediately under that, indicating a mountaineer regiment. On his right torso a small, simple, brass medal hung, with the words ‘Colficoan Civil War’ engraved into it, a medal which had been awarded to veterans of the Colficoan Civil War, better known as the Time of Despair.

[Patuania]

“I’m afraid we don’t care much for religious pieces in my home country. Religion is very… private matter in Patuania,” said Oruk, noting that the princess didn’t seem capable of deducing where she was from, “so songs are not not often made about it. If we are going sing, it is going to be as a marsh to war, or at a celebration.” Oruk let out a small bubbly laugh. “It is often that they are one and the same.”

[Royal Genes]

Adela did not find Oruk’s comment the least bit amusing. She shifted on her feet and smooth her dress. Without having thought too much on her words, she spoke quickly.

“I can assure you, Your Highness, that is something that I am entirely unsurprised by.”

It came out harsher than Adela had meant it to. She was not even quite sure why she had said much less in such a cold manner as she had. She had only meant to stir and incorporate the new arrival into their topic of conversation. But the way Oruk had dismissed it. It rubbed her very much the wrong way.

“I am so sorry,” Adela said. “That… that came out much meaner than I meant.”

[Patuania]

Oruk, rather than being offended, was actually pleasantly surprised. She laughed again, this one even more genuine at the thought. She looked at Adela’s face and found the surprise in her eyes, the shock in her own words positively adorable.

“I know I just said that Patuanians aren’t religious, but, my god,” said Oruk between bursts of laughter. “I think you are the first person in the Empire to ever apologize to me. Much less acknowledge being mean. It’s quite refreshing. I rather prefer a straightforward bitch than an underhanded one.”

[Royal Genes]

Adela’s eyes widened. As did her smile as she found herself choking for a moment on her massalia. She wasn’t sure what she had expected from Princess Oruk, but in that vast ocean of possibilities, her laughter had been tossed aside to dry on shore.

“I… I suppose I must agree,” Adelasaid with a chuckle, pressing through her minor fit of coughing. “Though I promise, I’m really not a bitch. That was just a bit of a slip. I don’t know where that came from. It really is really nice to meet you. You are very pretty.”

[Kingdom of Derita]

Andeja watched the exchange between Adela and Oruk with a balloon of apprehension in his chest. He wasn’t sure how they would interact with one another given the sudden introduction with them joining the conversation. That ballon was only grow as they trade words, and he was admittedly surprise by the language of the two women. However the sound of laughter was there to deflate the pressure in his chest.

“Oh marvelous!” Cel said with a laugh. “They really are adorable, I wish we could ride them about, to e precious little things, but I don’t think that they would like that. The Vatoriese have all kinds of strange animals, something to do with them being an island. Big things are small and tiny things are big. Isn’t that just a gas?”

[Colfico]

Felix shook his head, elephants were too intelligent for that, something that many people seemed to often forget, they had both the lifespan and the brain power to become very intelligent creatures, rather than simple beasts of burden.

“No, I don’t think they would, although it has not stopped people in the past, for both honest and nefarious purposes alike, however it is fascinating to observe and even on occasion interact peacefully. Elephants are surprisingly intelligent creatures, capable of problem solving and even using simple tools, they aren’t the simple beasts of burden most consider them.” He then said “For example, an elephant could encounter and become fond of something, another elephant or perhaps a human, and go separate ways for several years at a time, and yet, the elephant could still remember that person by sight alone. It’s no surprise after all, an elephants brain is larger than a human brain.” He was surprised by how passionate she was about it, she should have become a biologist instead of a humanitarian.

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Oh,” Cel practically squealed in delight as she put her hands to her cheeks, a great smile on her face. “That is positively adorable! I knew that elephants could remember things, surely that saying didn’t come from no where, but I didn’t realize just how clever they were. And really? Their brains are larger than our own? No wonder everyone likes them.” Cel nodded her head at her own statement.

“Thankfully I don’t think anyone has ever ridden an elephant here. Especially on the mainland. They are quite large, and I’d say far too majesty to let someone do so.” (Cel was half correct here. While there was no clear record of anyone riding a mainland Deritain elephant, the largest species of elephant in the world, there were several accounts of them being used in imperial ceremonies and parades, along with an emperor or two riding foreigner small species of elephants)

“I do love animals. They don’t have a voice for themselves and that just breaks my heart. I like to help those that can’t help themselves.”

[Colfico]

He listened to her talking so passionately about it, and he could not help but smile, he was finding himself very glad that he had let that woman from earlier send him off, and almost felt bad for the Prime Minister, almost.

“It certainly seems like something that you are very passionate about, it’s certainly nice to see, it is something the world could use more of these days.” He paused for a moment and then said “Why don’t you sign up for one of the oceanographic expeditions that the National Assembly has scheduled, they are planning to use ships and submersibles to explore the ocean floor, it would be a once in a life time opportunity to observe and possibly even discover the species that make their homes in the ocean depths.”

[Patuania]

Oruk swirled around in her dress with a playful grin of pride, posing as if she were a model in a glamorous photo shoot before she burst into another round of laughter as she wave a hand at Adela.

“Thank you,” said Oruk. “You look lovely as well. I have never seen so many royals and spectacularly dressed people. And you certainly rank high amongst them.”

[Royal Genes]

Adela felt her face grow hot and red as she blushed. She she looked at the floor, her eyes focusing on the toes of her purple heels over the hem of her dress. She was not used to being flattered. She and her sister had both been regarded as being a rather plain pair of pears on the collateral branch of the royal family tree. She was sure Oruk’s compliment had more to do with her dress than her, but it was charming either way. Adela did have good taste in her fashion.

“Thank you. See, not bitchy in least. I think we are in a similar boat. In Genes the only kind of gatherings we had for people to dress up was mass. Though that has changed as of late. I am still not sure if it is for the better or not yet.”

[Patuania]

“It’s a mere matter of pros and cons,” said Oruk. She noticed the reddening of the Genoise Princess’s face and wondered if that was the first time that someone had paid her a genuine compliment that night. While the princess didn’t hold the same distain for the southerners that her cousin did, her experience with the upper echelons of the Celestial Empire left her with mixed feelings on how these courtiers spoke to and treated one another. As this thought passed through her mind, Oruk realized that her shadow had disappeared, the Paras apparently having decided to go bring his gloom elsewhere.

“Pro:” continued Oruk— Kanatus was not her problem to deal with, he was the rest of the world’s— holding out her right hand. “Beautiful dresses, lovely music, fun dancing,great food and drink.” She held up her left hand. “Con: One must be forced to deal with people. Bleh,” Oruk twisted her face into a mocking look of disgust and sticking her tongue out before chuckling.

[Royal Genes]

Adela shook her head, completely incredulous at Oruk’s actions. It made her heart feel light and fluffy, a way that it hadn’t felt in well over a year since she’d lost her sister. So much of her life since Philippa had left Genes had been a time of anxious worry and then heartbreaking tragedy, she was ever so grateful to Frederick for dragging her across the sea to attend this event. Oruk was a pure delight.

“You are outrageous. I don’t think anyone outside of my little brother has ever stuck their tongue out at me.”

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Oh, I’m not sure about that.” Cel wrung her hands. “The ocean is a very big place. And I’ve read that we don’t even fully understand a fraction of it, and that was from before I was born.” Cel, being 32 had thus been born well after the Great Collapse, which the greatest empires and technological advancements had all come crashing down upon the world. “I imagine there are all kinds of things down there in the deep. Crabs, and sea spiders, and krakens!”

She jutted her hands out like claws as she she put emphasis on the the word ‘krakens’. She let out a squeaky laugh before continuing. “It sounds interesting, but a bit claustrophobic don’t you think, being under the water like that?”

Andeja chuckled as she watched Oruk and Adela compliment one another and quickly go from looking read to exchange barns, to playfully making faces at one another. It was cute. The kind of conversation he hoped to see more of. His mother would be proud, she had hated the way that court had been so tightly wound around etiquette and tradition, and his father seemed mostly bored by it all. Andeja wanted to go even further. Everyone in the country should be able to spark up a conversation with one another in a friendly way.

(Of course Adela and Oruk were just both princesses, so it wasn’t as if they were just anyones, but it is easily to loose sight of that when one was—quite literally— born in an ivory tower)

Andeja however couldn’t help but feel as if he were a failure in his own people skills. Talking to him, Adela had been quiet, short in her sentences and stuff. With Oruk she blossomed like a tropical flower in the sun after a rainstorm. And Oruk was the sun, dazzling and unabashed as she cursed and laughed and made funny faces.

[Colfico]

“Yeah, being in a submarine is not for everyone, however, the ocean is a place of mystery, and the goal is to discover those mysteries, those who go do so knowing that there are risks, however, there is also no end to the beauty and wonders waiting there to be discovered, and there’s more to do than just going down in a submarine, they would need people to help with matters on the ship itself as well.” He said “But it’s like they say, the best things in life are rarely easy to achieve.”

He then said “There may be Crabs, Sea Spiders and Krakens, but there are also Dolphins, Sea Horses and Whales as well, much like many of the worlds wild areas, the ocean has its share of both gentle and dangerous creatures.” He watched the gestures and motions she had made while she spoke, and couldn’t help but be amused by it, was she afraid of the ocean.

“You seemed really passionate about animals, so I thought you would love the opportunity t see some that very few people get to see, even the majority of nobles and royals have never seen the animals that call the ocean home.”

[Patuania]

Oruk shrugged her shoulders with a mischievous smirk on her lips. She suspected that it was rare that Adela got to cut loose. Perhaps she had been made to grow up too quickly. Yes they were adults, but Oruk was only just over that line and from the looks of it Adela wasn’t too far ahead of her. She perhaps needed reminding of that.,

“I’ve never had siblings, I’m an only child, but I have seen how my cousins treat their siblings so I shall give you the benefit of the doubt and take that as a compliment.”

Oruk glanced over at Andeja and grinned at him. She lean in close and staged whispered into Adela’s ear. “Oh dear, I fear I way have stolen you away from the crown prince. Should I remind him that he is welcome to join us?”

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Oh, it would be quite the adventure,” said Cel as she put a hand to her chin, considering the possibility of joining such an expedition. She couldn’t say that it didn’t interest her. While she didn’t have much in the ways of professional training, she did love animals and have the resources to help contribute to further learning about them. “And it would be in a way be sort of like a oceanic version of a safari.” Cel’s eyebrows crumbled together as she thought. “What would that word be? Oh,” Cel said as if a thought had just occurred to her.

“By the way, dolphins can actually be quite vicious you know. They murder baby porpoises for no reason at all, simply because they can.” She nodded her head assuringly. “II read that in a news article about a study on the dolphins that live in the city’s bay.”

To the side, Ashon choked on his massalia as Cel spoke with delighted matter of factness.

Meanwhile Andeja too found himself surprised, thought by a different woman and for a very different reason. The tips of his ears burned bright red as he suddenly found the tiles of the courtyard floor very interesting.

“I… I was just happy to see you two getting along. I didn’t want to intrude.”

[Colfico]

Felix nodded, caught somewhat off guard by how matter of factory she brought up that fact, but was otherwise unfazed by it. He didn’t really think there was a real word for it, he could think of a word that was close enough.

“I think you could call that an Aquafari.” He then said “Although I don’t know if the news is the most reliable place to get information about a creature with such complex behaviors and habits as a dolphin, I’m sure there was probably a reason for it, especially since Dolphins and Porpoises do often compete for the same food, although, if you think a Dolphin is vicious, you should see the hunting patterns of sea wolves, although most know them simply as Orcas. Seals, Penguins, Porpoises and even whales are hunted by them, and they hunt in packs, hence why they have the name of Sea Wolf.”

Felix realized that her passion had pulled him into quite the conversation, although he did find himself quite enjoying it, certainly more than the political and social banter he had expected from other noblewomen.

[Patuania]

Oruk smiled and straightened, smoothing the skirts of her dress, picking at some nonexistent flaw in her outfit. What great extremes it was to see the southerners in such a settling. They, when they weren’t armed with a dagger like tongue, were quite easy to get flustered. It was cute. And have her a host of ideas.

“I assure you, Your Imperial Highness, you are more than welcome to be apart of our fun.” Oruk nudged Adela with her elbow and gave her a sideways wink. “Isn’t that right?”

[Royal Genes]

A startled gasp left Princess Adela’s lips as she felt Oruk nudge her and she saw the teasing wink. She looked between her and the crown prince and felt a wave of scandalized embarrassment wash over her. Her mouth formed a small O shape even as the last breath of her shock left her. She struggled to articulate words, her mouth formed big and small Os but no syllables came out as her jaw worked. When finally she was able to get in a breath she found the words tumbling out in a panicked moment. The princess looked down at her glass of massalia and suddenly felt her head go light.

“I-I… I think… I think that I need some air.” She curtsied to the crown prince and retreated, making her way to the colonnade that looked out to the city.

[Patuania]

Oruk tilted her head. Though she continued to face Andeja, her eyes followed the retreating Adela. She had expected her to do that. But who was she to complain. After all even a member of royalty needed to cool down every once in a while. Luckily for Oruk, it wasn’t her at the moment. As Adela slipped into the crowd of guests, her eyes flicked back to Andeja, jumping up and down his form like a curator’s over a new instillation. Of a General over a battlefield.Oruk shrugged her shoulders and rocked on her heels.

“Well. I suppose not. Now it’s just the two of us.”

[Kingdom of Derita]

Cel laughed. “Aquafari,” she echoed the phrase. “oh, I say, it does have a ring to it. I’ve never seen an orca, they do sound like quite the apex predator for them to take on a whale. Oh, but those poor penguins. They are so cute. I can’t bare the thought of something eating them.” Cel fanned herself as her eyes watered at the simple thought.

Despite her love of the little creatures, thr only penguins in the Celestial Empire were stuffed ones on display in the Museum of Natural Histiry in Aukusa City, collected when the captive birds at the city’s zoo died during a system failure amidst the chaos of the Great Collapse.

Cel asked “Will you be joining this oceanic expedition yourself?”

Andeja took a sip of his massalia. Part of him wanted to call out to Adela, to tell her to wait. He had enjoyed talking to her, and he felt bad for not being a more interesting conversationalist, but another part of him kept silent. It was that same part of him that let his eyes steal glances at Oruk with admiration. She was an odd sort of beautiful. She didn’t meant any of the standards of the Empire. Yet, with her standing out so much, it made him incapable of not noticing her. And Andeja wasn’t quite sure as to what to do with that.

“I suppose it is. I didn’t meant to…” he searched for the right word, found himself lacking and thus tried to change the subject. “Do you like music?”