<div class="floatleft">(http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy103/TrashyMe/fantasyprincessdark_zps1aaba496.jpg)</div><strong>Character:</strong>Avelyn Hellatius<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Proving Grounds, Princess' Box<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Day 1, Noon<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Ellya, Open<br/><br/>Avelyn frowned with some disappointment from her position on the walkway as she watched the large man felled by the smaller one. It completely dashed her theories of the win favouring the biggest and ugliest of the lot, making it that much more difficult to pick a champion from the long list of warriors her father had decided to entertain. She promptly made a mental note to take more time to familiarise herself with the concept and patterns of one-on-one combat. It was a chore she could see as becoming necessary, if just a bit tedious, as if being forced to choose a husband based on his capacity to viciously beat down opponents wasn’t bad enough.<br/><br/>With the exhibition complete, at least for the time being, Avelyn proceeded down the walkway towards her initial destination. She soon came upon the Princess’ box where a knowing smile crossed her lips as she spotted the personal guard by the entrance. With a wave of her hand, Avelyn dismissed her retainers excluding her lady-in-waiting and her own guard before stepping confidently into the booth. Her guard in the meantime diligently took up a position beside the one already present.<br/><br/>The princess was currently dressed in a raven-black corset, its velvet surface hugging close to her slender waist while the cups enhanced her already generous charms. A long silken dress of pure white spilled forth from the bottom and over the soft curve of her hips, with a thigh-high slit exposing her toned leg to the warm air. On her feet she wore a pair of black high heels with a strap which wound its way decoratively around her calf.  For jewellery the princess wore her tiara, earrings, a bracelet and a necklace. The tiara was fashioned of white-gold while shaped to resemble the gentle weave of vines, with the forehead dominated by a rich emerald. On each ear, she wore a simple if elegantly carved tear-drop diamond. Finally, her necklace and bracelet were almost a combination of the last two as they held a number of tiny emeralds separated by similarly sized diamonds, with the twin jewel of her tiara hanging from the very tip of her necklace just above her cleavage.<br/><br/>Avelyn had entered just as Ellya was nodding to the doctor on the field, an act which brought a smirk to her lips. She allowed the younger woman a moment to engage with her retainers before finally piping in, her tone melodic while carrying just the faintest bite of jealousy.<strong>“Delegating our charity now, are we sweet sister? By gossip alone I would have expected a leap from the balcony, at the very least, rather than a casual nod to the nearby doctor.”</strong>Such exaggerated gossip on the famed kindness of Ellya had appeared to increase since the beginning of the competition, to the point where the older woman felt like grinding her teeth in frustration.<br/><br/>While Avelyn would never admit it, she saw the young woman as the only true threat in the competition. Ellya was in every sense considered to be the perfect princess. She was young, beautiful, and intelligent, not to mention adored by the people and generally held up high as a shining example of charm and compassion. On the other hand, Avelyn’s own reputation was marred with far muddier gossip thanks to her history of indifference. She had dutifully done her part as a princess, entertaining guests, playing the diplomat, running imperial errands and even caring for wounded soldiers but never with the energy or attentiveness that Ellya had displayed. This had given her a cold air in the eyes of peasants and nobles alike, one which she was adamant to warm over the coming weeks.<br/><br/>The smirk soon left her lips as she greeted Ellya with a polite nod and practiced smile before taking the seat to the younger woman’s right, where she proceeded to shift uncomfortably before sending her lady off to fetch some wine. It felt odd to the once-aloof princess, approaching a family member with some motivation or intent. She had almost never done so in the past, unless bored or forced to, and yet just now she had gone so far as to seek Ellya out. When the lady returned she thanked her before delicately taking the golden goblet between her fingertips and leaning back into the luxurious chair. As she took a small sip from her cup, Avelyn’s gaze fell thoughtfully upon the field, only it did not appear as if she were noticing it all. She simply went quiet as she considered how to approach the request which had been niggling at the back of her mind.