Sanguine smiled faintly in the direction of Erin’s melodic voice as she expressed her concerns about being “gifted” to the Aserits. It was clear, thus far, that her presence was less than appealing to the upper tier of the Aserit royalty. Though San’s loyalty was much closer to the Aserits than the Theirians, he had made up his mind that no harm would be allowed to find the young Lady Fool.<br/><br/>“Just remember, freedom is the only thing worth fighting for.” San muttered cryptically. “You won’t be alone, and I’ll do all in my power to shield you from real danger. Don’t forget my offer, either. When the time for liberation comes, you’ll need to act swiftly and without hesitation.”<br/><br/>Without asking, San gently reached out, passing his fingertips slowly down her face. Partially, he wanted to read her expression, but also he wanted to know what she looked like. He would be taking a huge risk, aligning himself with the controversial Fool, he ought to at very least perceive her as more than a voice, a smell and that incessant jingling of bells.<br/><br/>Erin’s features were soft and delicate, but her smile was so bright Sanguine thought her lips warm to the touch. He could also feel the light shining from her eyes, optimistic and perceptive. Sanguine found her beautiful, even if child-like compared to most. Protective instinct had been strong in Sanguine his whole life, and one touch told him it was not misplaced in Erin.<br/><br/>“I’m sure you still have much to prepare before the meal. I’ll leave you to your work, but I won’t ever be far away.” San told Erin before bowing his head and tugging Eyes away. “I’m looking forward to the performance.”<br/><br/>Eyes whined, as San tugged her away from Erin’s legs. San moved to the outside of the room, following the wall around the growing crowd. There were already a great many voices all muddling together, and then the fluting which had been playing for a while now, got much louder. It was quite disorienting for a moment and San had to kneel down. He disguised it by scratching Eyes at the back of her neck and reminding her to be good, but as he rose he pressed his back against the wall behind him and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.<br/><br/>Unlike the Thieri and Aserits, Sanguine LeChance was not unknown to the Gypsies. In his time with the Bandit tribes, the gypsies made for easy plunder in times of great persecution from Kingdom Law. Though unaffiliated, the gypsies were not defenseless and knew the bandits well enough to lay clever traps or ambushes. Sanguine had murdered many great Gypsy strategists and spies in the dead of night.<br/><br/>Needless to say, he did not wish to be recognized by whoever was playing the familiar Gypsy tune.<br/><br/>It was then, that the flute playing grew quieter once more, and San overheard Princess Lenally talking with Princess Juli. While Lenally would have made for a perfect escape from his place on the wall, Juli the viper was there as well. He’d been trying hard to avoid the Illegitimate Princess since his return to the throne room, and now she was San’s only escape from this flutist who might know and resent the infamous blind assassin.<br/><br/>Juli’s ever present bodyguard had not gone unnoticed, and San doubted that he had gone unnoticed by her either. His only chance of avoiding a faux pas was to try and mend fences with Princess Juli.<br/><br/>“Princess Lenally, Princess Juli.” San said softly, bowing respectfully as he approached. “I hope the evening finds you both well. May I be honored to join you both for the meal? It seems as though the entertainment has already begun.”