Jade
*This too shall pass*. The words looped through the Princess' mind as the pads of her fingers brushed against silky petals. The woman plucked the flower from its stem without as much as a second thought, bringing it up to her nose before inhaling deeply. 

A disappointment. The flower, of course. The scent was pleasant and subtle, delicate and feminine, refined and soothing. Irezora's fist tightened around the flower as her lips pressed into a firm line. She could only stand through so many grand displays of grace and elegance before providing a demonstration of delivering this day's lunch from her stomach to the ballroom floor. She rolled her eyes at herself. Okay, a little dramatic, but close to the truth. Zora had always loved watching the feats of fellow nobility, delighting in the many wonderful talents and entertainments that were to be offered. This year just felt...

The Princess rolled her shoulders and relaxed her gaze, returning to the crumpled flower. There were small victories, of course. The guard that trailed her today remained gracious enough to afford the princess space, to not ask when she stepped away from the crowded circus of nobles for the bustle of the castle grounds instead. Perhaps if the nobility of Alynthi respected Irezora as much as her servants and guards did she wouldn't feel like screaming at the bird hopping about in a fountain just paces away. 

That wasn't fair, they did respect her. As much as anyone might respect someone who grew in the shadow of Delsandra. How could they stand there as she amused herself? Didn't they know how far she had fallen? The moist sensation of nectar on her hand brought her attention to the destroyed petal she had rolled between her fingers. They had to know. Which made it even worse. 

The Princess paused once more to reach over a new bush, slyly depositing her latest victim to become fertilizer before righting herself. With so much bustle and pomp there were occasions when Irezora felt she could pass as just another familiar face out here. There were always royal expectations but the people of Thyseer knew how to count their blessings and bide their time. They could see it. So why didn't the nobility? Zora's feet continued taking her away from the ballroom and towards her tree. Luckily most of the crowd's attention was focused on the antics being portrayed for one form of entertainment or another. While still in view the Princess kept her pace quick but unhurried. While her grace could not match Delsandra's she would have had to actively unlearn years of lessons to behave any other way. In her mind she could picture the old swing hanging from the mighty oak. She was almost there.
Tonia
Although her favorite pastimes consisted of a mixture of reading and practicing her magic, festivals like this one were always a joy as well. Sure there were so called 'grand occasions' going on almost constantly, but events consisting entirely of nobility or royalty were a different taste than those intended to inspire the heart of the average citizen. Royal balls and celebrations placed so much emphasis on extravagance and beauty that it could easily become restricting and stilted. Festivals like the one Aspen had finally gotten permission to attend were different; she was afforded the unique glimpse into the life of the average person. Events like these were scarce and usually more treasured to them. It was always nice to see so many people filled with joy and intrigue.

Even so, after spending a decent amount of time wandering about and observing the other festival attendees, Aspen found herself longing for a quiet place to settle down and delve into a good book. The guards were most helpful in directing her to a large oak tree with a little swing hanging from it. Aspen had created herself many a swing of wood back home, so it was nice that this one was already made for her.

Aspen made her way up to the swing and perched herself upon it, wiggling back a little to get more comfortable with all the skirts of her dress. She sported her signature color of a baby blue gown with long, flowy sleeves that puffed out a little extra around the forearms. The outermost skirts of the dress were the darkest, lighter shades spanning inwards to the middle. She carefully crossed her legs at the knee and settled her novel atop her thigh, opening it up to the page she had bookmarked. The book was a pretty typical romance novel with adventure, trickery, and deception sprinkled in.

Two guards accompanied her about the festival grounds, and they stationed themselves on either side of the princess as she settled in the swing. She didn't really mind the watchful company; she was pretty accustomed to it after all these years. Sometimes the guards made for good conversation, but other times they were more serious, interested only in their duties as protectors and less so in socializing. The guards accompanying her seemed to fall under the latter, but that was alright with her.

Aspen had gotten through a few pages of her novel when she heard the rustling of someone approaching. She settled her palm atop the open book to hold her page while her gaze flitted up to see who it was.
Jade
This had to be some cruel joke. There, sitting on *Her* Swing was one of the Alynthi princesses. At least she had the good grace to have a pocket book on hand. Normally Irezora would have found such childish thoughts streaming from her own mind amusing, but the whole ordeal with Delsandra left a sour aftertaste. Zora couldn't blame the girl for also hoping to escape the circus. Though he ought to have been better at hiding it, the Princess could practically feel the amusement radiating off of the guard trailing behind as the scene unfolded. 

A pleasant smile plastered, Zora approached the Princess with an expression of surprised delight. "Princess Aspen, what a pleasant surprise." The woman's voice filled the space as she neared. "Then again I'd be lying if I said it to be unexpected that you would find the best quiet spot on the castle grounds for a book." 

Zora gestured towards the item in the Princess' hands. "I hope your adventure is more exciting than this one," She jested, extending her arms in a way to signal that the adventure in question was the festival they seemed to be avoiding. Amusement and interest fueled the quirk of Irezora's lip as she considered her visitor. While she hadn't necessarily paid close attention to the scheduled of events, Zora could have sworn that the Princess' brother, the king, was slated to offer a performance of sorts. Then again so was Zora's sister.
Tonia
A faint shade of pink veiled Aspen's porcelain cheeks in response to Irezora's comment about Aspen finding a place to tuck away with a book. "Aha, forgive me. I do love the festivities, but I must indulge my literacy desires periodically," She responded, returning the princess' smile with one that was likely more genuine. The raven haired princess tucked the bookmark back into her book, closing it up and tucking it back away in the many folds of her skirts.

"Are you not enjoying the days events?" She inquired, offering a curious incline of her head as she looked the young woman over. Aspen had come across Irezora before, but mostly in passing. It was quite rare to encounter other royals in such a private setting unintentionally, so this was certainly an interesting opportunity to get to know the woman better. Her sister, Delsandra, was the more notorious one, caught up in political intrigue and gossip. This left Irezora with a more mysterious feel to her, and Aspen always loved delving into mystery. The less you know, the more there is to learn.

Being that Irezora had made her way to this particular spot of the castle grounds, Aspen figured she had come to sit on the swing she was currently occupying. "Do you want the swing, by the way? I can make a second one, if you wouldn't mind it," She offered, lifting a hand and waving it towards the tree to indicate she would use her biomancy to do so.
Jade
As the girl offered her explanation, Irezora used the point of her right shoe to hold the heel of the left in place as her foot slipped out and onto the grass. The immediate coolness shot a jolt of comforting relief through the woman's body as she repeated the motion with the other foot. That was much better. Perhaps it merely looked as though Irezora was wobbling between her legs with the curtains of fabric obscuring the view. Then again, Aspen knew enough of clothing and common sense to recognize when a lady loses her 2 inches of feigned height. 

"I would say that now I am, quite," Zora replied with a pleasant yet playful smile. "I find the revelry of events such as those currently unfolding in our ballroom to grow tiresome on occasion." The words were light and casual, the facade of a girl tired of pleasantries and niceties. Aspen did not need to know that under most circumstances Irezora would love nothing more than to observe the festivities from a balcony or demonstrate inventions of her own. Perhaps if the circus hadn't come to Thyseer this time around. Maybe if Delsandra wasn't the ring master. 

Zora held up a hand to stop Aspen from troubling herself with the effort. "Please no, I think I'll be quite fine without." A shadow of doubt flickered through her mind as she considered her next action before giving in. Zora came seeking freedom and comfort and goodness she would get it. The woman bunched a bit of the purple fabric flowing by her legs as she dropped to her knees. With one movement her feet tucked beneath her as she sat at top them, fingers running through the grass. 

Her gaze returned to the Princess, determined to maintain a semblance of normalcy in this conversation. "Have you had the chance to read Applegate's newest in the Morpher series?" It was most likely a name Aspen would recognize, Zora knew. There were few young women who had not heard of the acclaimed writer from Gantrik who detailed the fictitious adventures of a group of shapeshifters as they navigated many facets of life.
Tonia
Aspen gave a little nod in response to Irezora's comment about the ballroom. "I actually enjoy dancing, but I forgot to choose an escort for the event, so I wouldn't have anyone to dance with if I went. I would hate to embarrass myself by standing off to the sides merely watching everyone else," She explained, though she didn't seem all too bothered by the fact that she didn't have a date. It wasn't really important that she indulge suitors for events like these, since they were more for entertainment than political purposes, in her opinion.

With Irezora's refusal of her offer to create a second swing, Aspen had the feeling she was only declining out of politeness. She didn't make the swing regardless; she was a strong believer that it's better to be up front about what you want when it wouldn't hurt to indulge. "Suit yourself," She responded, pressing her feet to the grass so she was almost standing, and lifting them back up to swing herself forward a bit. Her arms weaved loosely around the ropes of the swing, and she leaned upon the right one as she watched Irezora settle down in the grass.

Upon the mention of a book series, Aspen's expression brightened a tad. "I have, actually! Since I'm a quick read, I was able to finish it shortly after release date. I might flip through it again when the next book comes out to give myself a little refresher, since I imagine it might be a while. I usually allocate my time towards informational texts, but I'd be a fool not to keep up with the latest bestsellers as well. More people to talk to about those types of books. Sometimes I wish there was a book club I could join. It would be nice to have the same conversations about books that are less well known, I think," She mused, lifting a hand to the side of her glasses and adjusting them higher on the bridge of her nose.
Jade
Irezora's fingers tugged absentmindedly at blades of grass as she listened to Aspen's plight. It was not one unfamiliar to the Princess. Perhaps once upon a time Zora may have been able to convince Del to read simile books and discuss them in length, her sister was wickedly intelligent after all. However, conversing in such a manner involved a level of engagement that they had lacked for quite some time now. 

"Informational texts are always interesting, however I believe there is sometimes more to be learned from the worlds of fiction built by the minds of others." Zora plucked a blade before continuing. "Take this festival for example, I have read texts on etiquete, politics, dancing, and more, but combining these skills can be difficult. Often fiction allows me to read in detail another's attempt to behave in ways that I can emulate when unsure." The woman punctuated the statement with a shrug. "Sometimes reading about difficult fictional choices made under pressure makes me think about how I might respond if placed in a similar situation, a self reflective practice of sorts." 

Zora's words had become a little too serious for her liking, the playful smile vanishing momentarily. With a look back to the swinging princess however her lips quirked once again. "I don't see why we could not make such a book club. I'm sure there are others we could include and it would give us the opportunity to share texts we might otherwise have missed."
Ricky
Night had settled over Thyseer, the castle gardens now ablaze with glorious magical lights lining the trees and balconies. The stars high above her shining brightly, but mysteriously, the moon had gone missing. Only a few had noticed this, but the more people that pointed it out the more quickly everyone began pointing to the stars. They too soon began to disappear from the sky however, before the entire thing was nothing but a black void. The blackness soon gave way to a red color, before the entire sky had turned to the color of thick blood. Gasps of fear filled the air, but before anyone could react or run, all would be struck with a terrible pain in their heads.

Including a poor little mothfolk named Abbie.

No man, woman or child would be spared from this pain, and soon a terrifying voice would fill their heads. It scratched at the bone that held their brains in place, sending shockwaves of pain like lightning through their body. The pain was so crippling one could barely even move, and any attempt at magic would seemingly have no effect, dispeling as quickly as the caster could think of it. Screams of every Sorevelle attendant filled the air, but was drowned out by the voice. Feminine but foreboding, it spoke,

**₮ⱧɆ ĐɆVØɄⱤɆⱤ'₴ ɆɎɆ Ⱨ₳₴ ₴Ɇ₮₮ⱠɆĐ Ø₦ Ʉ₴. ₳ ₵₳₮₳ⱠɎ₴₮ ɎɆ₮ ₮Ø Đł₴₵ØVɆⱤ ł₮₴ɆⱠ₣ ⱠłɆ₴ ĐØⱤ₥₳₦₮ ł₦ ł₵Ɇ. ₥Ø₮ⱧɆⱤ ₳₦Đ Đ₳Ʉ₲Ⱨ₮ɆⱤ ₳₦Đ ₴Ø₦ ₩łⱠⱠ ₱ɆⱤł₴Ⱨ, ₮ⱧɆ ₲ⱤɆ₳₮ ₮ɆⱤⱤØⱤ₴ ₩łⱠⱠ ⱤɆ₮ɄⱤ₦, ฿Ʉ₮ Ø₦ⱠɎ Ʉ₦ł₮ɆĐ ₩łⱠⱠ ₮ⱧɆ ĐɆVØɄⱤɆⱤ ₣₳ⱠⱠ.**

As the horrific message ended, so too did the majority of the pain. There was a lingering feeling, and soon the terrified screams of the festival goers would fill each ear, including those within the castle itself. Many began to run for their lives, but the sky had seemingly returned to normal. The stars and Lunam had returned to the void, the blood red color all gone.
||
Jade
Whether or not the Princess answered, Zora did not get the chance to hear. Splitting pain shot through her temples and into the base of her skull as the words rolled. Later she might try to piece together what they meant, but in this moment the sensation was simply too much. What did she do when it was all too much? *One breath, two breaths, three breaths...* Zora continued to count until the sound faded. 

"Del," She gasped when her jaw finally unclenched. The Elf had already been on the ground when the shaking began, putting her in arguably the best position to recover. With the foreboding words still rattling through her mind, Zora clumsily pushed herself up, attention directed to the Alynthi guards fumbling their way towards their Princess. She would be fine. By the time Irezora's guard made it to her side the woman was already running, heels long left behind. This festival brought many of the kingdom's most important nobles to the same place at the same time. Those very nobles were mostly situated in one location at the moment. If she were a hostile entity that would be the location to strike. 

Her sister was there. Zora followed quick on the heels of an army of guards rushing their way towards the ballroom as well. Though the screaming had passed for the most part, shouts and cries still filled the air. *She'll be fine. She always is.* Zora repeated the words to herself as he continued to push her way through the halls. Luckily there seemed to be no major injuries from what she had seen so far, but they would have to issue a formal statement reporting casualties after. How could they issue a statement without knowing what had happened? That was silly, most likely those in the ballroom already knew what had happened. 

Finally Zora reached the vast room, though her view was occluded by the onslaught of guards she could hear continued pleas for help. For a moment, her heart stopped as she feared the worst. That moment quickly ended when she noticed her sister was, in fact, fine but rattled. The thunderous pace of the woman's heart kept up even as the running stopped. A mental note was filed away somewhere to increase training for the future, but the Princess' focus was centered on making it to her sister's side. Whatever had happened could only mean that more trouble was to come. She would protect Thyseer however possible.