<div class="floatleft">(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j480/Erion2451/lily_collins_hot.png)</div><strong>Character:</strong>Ellya Hellatius<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Proving Grounds, Princess' Box<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Day 1, Noon<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Avelyn, Cedric, Jacquelyn, open<br/><br/><em>The people care about the crown only when it sends their sons to war, fails to act when their crops wither under the sun, and when taxes are raised so high they lose the roofs over their heads.  Otherwise, give them a hero, a champion, a man who can claim he was the better than a hundred others and won the hand of a princess.  Where you see a farce, dear sister, they see grandeur,</em>Ellya thought but refrained from speaking her mind.  Instead she simply smiled thinly and nodded with understanding.<br/><br/>Ellya listened as Avelyn spoke about Duke Cedric.  At least the Duke was a person Ellya didn't need someone else to tell her about.  She couldn't say that she condoned the abrupt treatment of the courier, but it was a trivial thing to argue with her half-sister over.<br/><br/><strong>"The Duke will be the first,"</strong>Ellya conceded.  It was a small admission, something Avelyn might believe to be a weakness she could exploit, or a way to measure herself against Ellya.  Ellya felt no need to inform her half-sister of how she planned to approach the "mockery of a coronation".<br/><br/>Ellya caught her first glimpse of Cedric when the imperial guards at the entrance of their box searched him for arms.  While she didn't allow her gaze to linger she saw that he was young and held the bearing of a man who was used to being followed.  She dipped her head slightly, yet courteously to his bow, and smiled pleasantly.  It didn't pass her notice that his initial greeting was to Avelyn, the older sister, born of the emperor's first wife.  It was a wise yet traditional move, something expected, and nothing Ellya took offense to.<br/><br/><strong>"Good afternoon, Duke Valda, thank you for joining us."</strong>Ellya replied her tone regal and gentle.  A thin brow raised, but that was the only non-verbal response Ellya gave to the Duke's presumption that they were scouting him.  It was true that she wanted to learn about the best of the crop of warriors, generals, and lords and to make her own decision upon the possible future emperors.<br/><br/><strong>"I will admit freely that I know nothing about combat and if my lord is willing to instruct I shall do my best to listen."</strong>It wasn't exactly what he had asked, but it was easy enough to assume Ellya had mistaken his meaning.<br/><br/>Before the Duke could respond Jacquelyn arrived.  Ellya's smile widened visibly at the sight of her younger sister.  The girl was incorrigible, impish, and obstinate but she had always held a special spot in Ellya's heart.<br/><br/><strong>"May I present Duke Cedric Valda of Galdoa,"</strong>Ellya replied to her sister's impolite query.<strong>"My lord, the Princess Jacquelyn,"</strong>Ellya finished the introduction.<br/><br/><br/><br/>