Jose
Alongside the well known nobles of Alynthi were the distinguished and elegant Agarvarans. Entering through the main hall was Hagred and Solana Agarvaran along with their eldest daughter Bellaluna. The three elves made their way down the beautifully decorated hall before finally entering into the ballroom. Dressed probably even better than most of the attendees, Hagred and Solana set their eyes on the king and queen, making their greetings as elegant as they possibly could. It was strange, given that balls were usually held as some form of celebration, but the Agarvarans would never turn down and invitation to the castle. Too many business possibilities or deals to be made, how could they pass it up? Bowing and curtsying to the best of the their ability, the family then stepped to the side of the ballroom to watch the other attendees.

Solana gestured to Bellaluna before pointing out the prince. One could only assume what she was saying and implying Bellaluna do with the prince, such as gaining his favor. Rolling her eyes slightly, Bellaluna soon made her way up the stairs to the prince's side, bowing as she did so. "Good evening, your majesty. Thank you for inviting my family to such a beautiful ball." Standing up once more, Bellaluna stood beside the prince and looked out at her mother and father, a forced smile on her face. One could only wonder if Dalyor spoke the truth about his sister, or if she was as devious and conniving as Hagred and Solana.
James
*So that was them. Three elves, all alike in dignity, and perhaps all hiding the same ugly heart beneath that veneer of beauty. It was difficult to tell at times what to do with people like that - whether they made decisions based on the well-being of their people, or out of their own selfish desire. However, the information he had made one of these possible outcomes very clear, and the other unlikely unless Dalyor was a lying lout, Richard was a con man... They had never met each other before, and they were unlikely to be in cahoots. He had seen tears - real tears - on the elf's face when he described losing his lady love. And now they were sending their daughter to him, to make friends. It was a strange state of affairs...

He regarded her with a sharp eye, bowing lightly and inclining his head to her for a moment before he returned his eyes to the dance floor.* "Well met, my lady. There is a certain announcement I wished to make, and so I had hoped that a ball was an appropriate occasion. How have you fared on your journey? The wayshrine was not malfunctioning in any way, I trust?" *He asked coolly. There was a pressure test that this woman had to go through in order to gain his confidence, but he did intend to keep speaking with her. Perhaps Dalyor's trust was well placed...*

"And if you do not intend to carry on with what your parents have assigned to you, please feel free. I would rather we speak as honest people than as a lady of the court and a prince." *His wary expression finally broke, introducing a tired smile to the conversation as he turned to face her.*
Jose
"I never could stand travel by wayshrine, but that's no fault of yours, my lord. Simply personal preference." Bellaluna stated respectfully, her eyes dancing around the various people on the ballroom floor. The prince's words about her parents however caught her off guard, but as he said them her shoulders relaxed quite a bit, almost as if she were holding a rather uncomfortable posture this entire time. Sighing and ensuring her parents eyes were not on her, she glanced over to the prince. "Why speak so plainly then, my prince?" Looking him up and down, there was a slight look of concern on the elven women's face. Noticing his expression as well only caused her to worry more. "Have I- done something wrong?" Bellaluna tilted her head a bit.

Realizing she had yet to state who she was, she bowed her head in apology. "My mistake, my lord. I never introduced myself. I am Bellaluna Agarvaran, daughter of Hagred and Solana Agarvaran. If I have offended you in any way by not properly greeting you, I am sincerely sorry, my lord." This is what she assumed she had done wrong, and there was almost a look of fear on her face, but one had to wonder; was it fear of the prince or of her family?
James
"You have done nothing wrong, Bellaluna. As a matter of fact, I am quite honored by your presence - and as such, I shall deign to provide some decent conversation if I can. You addressed me exactly as I am meant to be addressed." *There was no way he could possibly tell her of the intricate veil being thrown over the ballroom for the moment - his announcement would provide legitimacy to the ball, and killing two birds with one stone was opportune. Astalios himself was nearing the age where he needed to seek a wife, and ensure the future of the kingdom was well taken care of. That announcement did indeed demand a ball. 

It was, in a way, a wonderful ruse. The best lies contained half-truths.*

"I speak plainly because people have something to gain from the favor of the Prince of Alynthi. I, on the other hand, would like to get to know the people I am to rule over in the coming years. My parents are right on that point - to know the court is to stay afloat in the world of ballrooms and politics. Therefore..." 

*He thought for a moment, tapped his chin as he came up with a question.* "What is your favorite color? Why?" *It was wasting time, of course, but the establishment of his presence needed to be clear, and the Agarvarans needed a reason to remain at the ball, hanging on the word of royalty. He was going to give them that reason.*
Jose
Relieved by the prince's words, Bellaluna offered an apologetic smile before looking back out at her parents. Listening to his words, she thought for a moment. "Purple, I'd say. It's elegant but soft." Saying this, she ran a hand down her dress, which was a pastel purple of sorts. She ran her hand back up it and then rested it over the balcony once more before looking over to Astalios. "What about you, my lord?" 

Back on the ballroom floor, Solana and Hagred had separated from one another. Hagred Agarvaran could be seen speaking with a few noblemen, and Solana was on the otherside of the ballroom speaking with the king and queen. It was obvious they were attempting to make ties with the other important families present. One could only assume what lies or half-truths *They* Were spinning to gain favor with the other families. Solana then glanced over to her daughter, and her smile quickly became a bit stiffened, almost as if she were silently scolding Bellaluna. Stiffening up, the young elf stood straight once more, just like she had when she first approached the prince. "Forgive me for the formalities, your majesty. I'm sure you can relate to certain things and ways being expected of you by parents."
James
"Of course. Regal bearing is expected of someone regal, and noble bearing is expected of someone noble." He nodded slowly back to her as he observed the cues from mother to daughter, her stiffening in response to the nonverbal warning given. Appearances and discipline seemed to be a major factor in the Agarvaran family mode of operation, but that was a given for any noble family. They were certainly making their rounds. Their day was coming, though, and he knew that soon, they would rue the day that they had cast out Dalyor, enslaved Viessa, and chosen to make his subjects suffer. It was as if family was being threatened - a notion that made his hackles raise.

"As for my favorite color, though... I don't know if it's dreadfully boring to say gray is my favorite color. It's the look of steel, of stormy skies and rain, of my warhorse." He listed off the reasons he liked it. "It is a bit dreary at times, though, and from then on, I have trouble deciding between gold or silver or copper red or sulfur yellow or copper sulfate blue. Each pigment has its charms, each metal has its look to it." He wondered whether he would give her a silver stag at the end of the night, and the small purse at the belt of his doublet contained iron discs enough for his magic to work...
Jose
Bellaluna suddenly began to giggle, and as her mother watched a nod of approval was soon seen. Solana then returned to her discussion with the king and queen, and Bellaluna then looked over to the prince before rolling her eyes in a tired way. "Sorry. Expectations. Gray though is a beautiful color. It goes with practically anything, same for white or black. A close second of mine would probably be a dull blue, a lot like the sky after it rains." Bellaluna shrugged a bit. As one of the many waiters passing out drinks walked by, she stopped him politely and grabbed two wines before offering one to the prince. She herself only held hers rather than taking a sip just yet. "If you don't mind me asking, my lord, what is the occasion of this ball, this get together of so many noble families?" Bellaluna cast a curious eye the prince's way.
James
"Please, no apologies. I understand." *He nodded evenly at her words, trying to wrap his head around the colors for the moment. There was a small part of him that had never considered anyone would like gray as a color, but he supposed he could be wrong about many things.* "I suppose that *Is* A wonderful shade of blue, considering that it usually means one can continue a military campaign without interference from the weather. Mud is always an issue when cavalry needs to be moved and infantry has some sort of armor to carry. Heavy equipment trains also get bogged down..."

*He took one of the wine glasses, though he did not drink for the moment. He touched his glass to hers in salute.* "Well, I suspect that you shall all find out near the end of it. I have a small announcement to make. That is all. I intend to retire to my chambers for a few moments - perhaps an hour or two - during the middle of the ball - to prepare for the speech. When I re-emerge, the announcement will be ready, and I daresay that there will be quite a stir in the Alynthi court."

*He knew that this was a game to play - the speech, playing into the big announcement, keeping the Agarvarans in check as he stole their files right out from under them. Before the ball, he had prepared to enter the mansion - the floor plans had been memorized with his spymaster, the plan painstakingly prepared. He had only about twenty minutes of actual searching to do - a passage between his quarters and the wayshrine would be risky. He needed to be seen in his room during his time recessing.*

"I have never met the opinion that gray is a beautiful color besides my own... I suppose that it is, in a certain light."
Jose
"I can't say I know much of actual war, though formal war I'm well versed in, my lord." Bellaluna spoke coolly, her lips finally grazing the edges of the glass as she took a drink of wine. Idly moving her hand in a circle to cause the wine to shift in its glass, Bellaluna let out a gentle sigh before nodding toward the prince. "Of course my lord, I can't imagine how much more stressful it is to be a prince. Even as a noblewomen myself." Hearing him mention a shakeup however, the elven women tilted her head with intrigue and worry all at once. "I hope its nothing bad, my lord." With another sip of wine, Bellaluna rolled her shoulder a bit, and obvious sign of stress. Thoughts raced in her mind, but she'd never show it in her demeanor if she could help it.

"Any color can be beautiful if looked at with the right pair of eyes. Even colors as plain as black and white. The world simply isn't that; black and white. There's grays everywhere you look if you simply open your eyes to do so." Bellaluna's eyes dulled a bit as she looked out to her parents. It was almost as if she were inadvertently speaking about her family's known prejudice to anyone that wasn't a full blooded elf; the royal family included. Perhaps she was ensuring to the prince that she wasn't that way, even if her parents were. "An open pair of eyes can see the world completely differently and more openly if they choose to."
James
"It is perhaps the opposite with me. I always seem to find that I am one step behind in the ballroom, while a step ahead on the battlefield. And as for stress, my lady, I find that while the responsibilities of princehood are great, the privileges of the position come with some benefits that I very much enjoy. The food is quite good when I am not on campaign, and the beds are somewhat softer than the ground." *He joked quietly, taking a small sip of his own drink after she had taken hers. She did not seem to be a terrible person - although that could have been a bad judgement on his part. She could be leading him around the nose with lies at the moment, though her demeanor suggested otherwise...*

"It is nothing bad, I assure you. Alynthi politics will heat up, but for the most part, I imagine the people of Alynthi will be excited to hear it." *He made his predictions for the competition to follow. An onslaught of women were soon coming - more intense barrages of them than swarms of arrows on a muddy field, more deadly than a pack of wolves stalking him. It was to be the ultimate sacrifice in the name of justice.*

"True, there are grays." *He acknowledged.* "But sometimes, I believe that we can set the world to a lighter shade if we make enough effort to do so. I hope that is to be true in the future."
Jose
Bellaluna let out a small chuckle to the prince's jest before sighing. "Yes I suppose I can agree. Though I can't say I envy having experience with war." Sipping on her wine once more, the elf nodded at the prince's reassurance and smiled at the good news. "That's good to know, my lord. I know my mother and father are eager to know what this ball is all about." Eyeing her parents, she set the wine glass on the balcony and idly ran her fingers across a necklace around her neck. Continuing the topic of colors, she nodded. "The world always needs more light my lord. Too much darkness, if you ask me." She looked over to the prince, her eyes bright but sad all at once. "Even the brightest of lights can sometimes cast the darkest of shadows."
James
"It's not an experience to be envied. War is a brutal thing, in one fashion or another." *He mused, taking another drink from his wineglass as he surveyed the scene once more. Not too much wine, of course - he needed to be clear headed to remember what the layout of the Agarvaran manor was. Two doors to the left, right turn, one down, and the room on the right. It was all coming together in his mind.*

"Eventually, they will have quite the surprise, as will the rest of the court. I look forward to seeing their reactions." *He murmured, trying to keep up the facade as much as he could.* "It will at least cause a stir. I have no doubt that our conversation here is at least a small bit pleasing to your mother and father, and it will be more so after the announcement is made."

*On the topic of colors... Was she trying to be coy or trying to get him to give up his secrets?* "Take heart in the fact that those of us who seek to increase the light in our lives have not given up." *It was a generic answer, plausible deniability if he needed it.*
Jose
"I wonder why that is?" Bellaluna tilted her head a bit, only growing curioser and curioser at the prince's announcement to be made. What could it be, she wondered? Nevertheless, she finished what was left of her wine before a waiter eventually passed by and took the empty glass from her. She wouldn't press him on the matter however, it wasn't her place given he was so much higher in the royal hierarchy than she. If it were Bellaluna's mother in her shoes, she knew Solana would be much more pressing on the prince, probably more flirtatious as well. Nevertheless, she nodded at the prince's words of light and darkness. "If only I had the privilege of being surround by more light than dark." Bellaluna sighed at her own words before brushing them off. "Though, I wouldn't worry too much about it. You and your family have done more for this kingdom than any of us deserve, my lord."
James
"Oh, if I revealed it now, it wouldn't be a surprise, my lady. Call it good tactics." *He chuckled for a moment, placed the wineglass in the hands of a waiter with a 'thank you', and relaxed against the balcony once more. There were whirling dances going on, and more intricate steps going on when the dancers' feet weren't moving. Dances within dances, plots within plots, politics within politics.*

"I hope that everyone has such a privilege. And do not worry, Bellaluna. I shall continue to toil towards what all of my loyal subjects deserve. Do not underestimate yourselves - praise is not all you and your family shall soon find. Rejoice and be glad. I am sure you will find this party quite interesting, and your life a bit brighter, I hope." *It couldn't be anything more than that - lampshaded against the investigation was the careful admission that he was clueless about the murderous tendencies of her family.

He hoped that it would shade him from suspicion, especially considering the positive delivery of the message.*