<strong>Name:</strong>Alveena<br/><strong>Status:</strong>Queen, House Schomeck<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Queen's reception room<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Open<br/><hr/><hr/><br/><br/>At least for a moment, it seemed to the Queen like her words had bespelled the girls before her. None seemed to move or even breath, frozen in place by the weight of the task before them. The sound of one heart beat and then another seemed to fill her ears, as she waited for what felt like the passing of an age but couldn't have been more then a few seconds in truth. Then the spell was broken. The slim blonde girl rose to her feet and blurted out her name, seemingly forgetting proper etiquette. A kind smile showed briefly, as the girl recovered, stepped forwards and finished her introduction, before listing her skills. Like all her sisters, she listed her skill with arms first but those she mentioned next were more interesting. If there was something that lacked in the education of a prince, it was fine arts and culture.<br/><br/>"A pleasure to meet you" said Alveena, her voice friendly, "Lady von Winterfeldt. A serious and proud pledge but never forget, it will not be if you need to guard him with you life and body, it will be when you need to. I will be considering you."<br/><br/>A smile remained in place, as Beatrix stepped back, to allow the other girls their chance and grew just a slight bit, when cousin Ladondra moved forwards, seemingly awakened from her daydreaming. As she introduced herself, the Queen almost clapped her hands softly in approval. Maybe those in this room didn't know the relation between them, as bloodkin but it was a very good move, to state her name and house, like they were strangers for the benefit of others. The humbleness, as she described her skills, simple cooking and sewing, making no mention of running a household. The smile grew wider, as her cousin declared that she wanted to protect Randolf, for family ties and to see the Kingdom riding into a golden age.<br/><br/>"Its nice to see you again cousin" said Alveena, "I hope you are one of the greatest among the best gathered here but know my decision will not be made based on family ties. If I choose you to guard Randolf, it will because of your skills, not because we already know one another."<br/><br/>Her cousin stepped back and another took Ladondra's place, introducing herself and naming skills, honors and family. New faces replaced those she had names for, as the score of young ladies stepped up. Nobles of all degrees, from the daughters of knights and barons to counts and dukes. There was another slave, a woman with mocha skin from so far south that her race wasn't known in the Kingdom and she had been traded several times before she arrived here. When only a handful where left, there was a collective gasp from the room and there was suddenly blade at her throat. The Queen's eyes widened in shock, as she counted those in the room before her and only come up with nineteen. In over forty years, no one had ever gotten the slip on her. Not the assassinations and warriors in her youth and not the snake-like officials of the court in her rein but now....a slip of a girl had done it, moving like the shadows themselves.<br/><br/>The shock in her eyes quickly flashed to fury, more at herself then the girl trying to prove herself, as Diane Thorne introduced herself and had melted away to cool judgement by the time the raven haired teen came to stand before her, once again mingling with their sisters. For a long moment, she stared down at the girl, hand caressing the hilt of the sword, as if she planed to cut the impudent child down where she stood. The thought that she might be too old now, never crossed her mind, not with the one she would fight standing in plain sight. With an effort of will, she took her hand from the hilt and stepped forwards, reaching out to caress Diane 's cheek lightly.<br/><br/>"Well sister" Alveena said in a voice only slightly tinted with a cool anger, which spoke of the knife edge these young woman's life balanced upon, "I did not plan on either picking or dismissing any of you before I had spoke with each but your introduction was bold. Too bold in fact young one....but, I am impressed. I have fought assassinations for many years but you are the first, I did not see. You are my first choice as Companion to Prince Randolf, of House Kaysser, heir to the throne of Ahremberg. Now stand besides me, as....Corrine Reynaud?....steps forth to introduce herself to me."