Diana navigated the crowded halls with grace, avoiding guest and waiter alike as she moved towards her objective. She had retrieved the condom already, the lack of people in the hallways during the duel permitted her to move a little bit faster at that time, but now she needed to take her time. It might be getting dark outside, but there were still a few hours before people would start to leave.
She couldn't look like she was panicked or in a rush. That would raise questions from those she passed. Instead she elected to walk ever so slightly slower than she normally would. It wouldn't be much of a visual change, you would struggle to notice he difference, but it would give a more relaxed impression to those around her. Even if everybody knew about the trouble that a certain group of guests had been brewing all evening, her composed image should be enough to convince them she had it under control.
It wasn't wrong necessarily, but it was definitely difficult to call a party 'controlled'. She had influence over it, but people were unpredictable sometimes.
"Have you gentlemen been finding everything alright this evening?" Engaging with groups of people rather than individual stragglers was a much more efficient use of her time and energy. She wouldn't have to start a conversation again and again, and she wouldn't need to focus on one person entirely when considering their requests. Diana would not dismiss someone who attempted to start a conversation of their own with her, that would run counter to her agenda, but she would definitely try to express a desire for brevity in such scenarios.
"Ah, Lady Diana, just the person we were wondering about!"
"Truly? Do tell me if there is anything you wish to know."
"Oh it's nothing major, we only wished to know if we could possibly place an order for some of these games you have shown us tonight."
"Indeed. The craftmanship was quite exceptional, though I would like for them to be painted. Would that be a possibility?"
Diana smiled gently. She got a hit! This was what she was looking for! She wanted to find people who might be intrigued by her products. Board games probably weren't the biggest market, and they were definitely not the most profitable, but she had a feeling she might be able to offer previous customers other new and exciting stuff. It was looking like these parties were the place to advertise them.
"I can certainly ask the craftsman about painting, but I am not sure if that is something he would like to do. I don't think he would mind it if somebody else painted it for you back home though. Would that arrangement be satisfactory?" Diana knew full well that Donovan and Arc would deny her requests to have Arc fabricate painting equipment for itself. Laser engraving the plates was fine, that could be done during the down time between construction processes with the equipment Arc already had on hand.
"A pity I will not be able to see it in it's true colors, but I suppose I can agree to that."
"If it is a color scheme you are worried about then I believe I may be able to provide you a picture of sorts. I would not claim to be an artist of any substantial skill, but I can fill in the spaces on parchments such that your artist will have an idea. Would that be acceptable?" That would be something to do.
"That would be perfect."
"Most certainly."
"Now that we have come to the conclusion that it is a possibility, when should we discuss the finer details of the transaction?" One of these men was a little bit more business minded than his peers.
"While I would like to say I could handle such a dealing now, I am afraid I am quite busy handling the party at the moment." Diana paused for a moment, turning her head in such a way to suggest she was thinking. "I am usually free after my classes, and often spend my free time here. If it isn't too much of a bother for you to make your way out her tomorrow, would it suit you to come here at, hm, let's say two hours after noon?"
"I can certainly make time in my schedule for that."
"Same here."
"I might be unable to get here that early. Would you still be around an hour afterwards?"
Diana nodded. "I can accommodate that. Even if I should become busy, Donovan should be finished with his training by then. I can say with a great deal of comfort that there will at least be someone there to handle your order."
"Perfect. I hope to see you tomorrow then."
"And I to you. Do enjoy the rest of your stay here this evening."
"Naturally."
With that, Diana curtsied and continued to walk down the hall. She had done a pretty good job of hiding her excitement, though she was a little bit disappointed in herself that she let the corners of her mouth rise a bit. If the Montaug had been here he would have picked up on it in a heartbeat.
- - - - -
"What is going on here. . ?" Diana could not stop herself from muttering under her breath once she entered the room. Setting aside the sizable barrel propped up on one of the tables, there was the putrid smell of stomach acid in the air. Despite that, it looked like more than just a few people were wearing smirks on their faces.
"Lady Diana!" Merndil approached her from the side, wine glass in hand. "I must say that your guests have been rather interesting."
For a moment, Diana's heart sank into her stomach. They had been trouble, causing problem after problem almost the instant they walked through the front door. However the beaming smile on Merndil's face brought her spirits right back up.
"But they've caused so much trouble. . ."
"Nonsense. A little bit of rowdiness is an inevitability at gatherings like this, a few broken pieces of furniture is hardly something to sweat over." Merndil waved her concerns off with a laugh. It took him a moment to register the nervous grimace on her face. "Seriously, it isn't a problem."
Diana still wasn't completely convinced. Merndil, despite his experience and status, was not the only person's opinion she had to consider. This was her first party, both hosted and attended, and she understood the effect of first impressions. The subject of future attendance aside, she had to contend with the possibility of nasty rumors spreading.
"Diana, look around. Do any of them look disappointed?"
Diana followed Merndil's advice, looking out across the room to gauge the status of those present. Most of them were laughing or conversing with their peers, some were curiously sampling their food, others were celebrating (or lamenting) the results of their most recent game. The energy level wasn't what she was expecting from a party, but it wasn't awful.
"Not particularly."
'Then you have nothing to worry about. Remember, this is my party, I can handle a disgruntled guest or two." Merndil swished the wine in his glass, looking out over the room himself. "There is one I'm a bit concerned about though."
Diana raised an eyebrow. So there was trouble.
"Who?"
"Rishtahn. He's the son of my father's prime minister, meaning there is a good chance I will have to appoint him as such when I ascend the throne. I don't have any issues with his ability, and he always shows proper courtesy to me and my brother . . ." Merndil trailed off, his smile shifting into a slight frown.
"But?"
Merndil bit his lip as he tried to come up with something. Rishtahn had status, so he couldn't just slander him, but he definitely wasn't cooperative in the ways he should be.
". . . well he's a bit pretentious. He's also a bit obstructive and is always trying to impede my efforts, but those are my burdens to bear."
"So what does that mean for me?"
"I would ask you to be aware of what you do and say. He is always going on and on about the 'grace' of things, so you can probably imagine he won't be particularly pleased with certain events that have transpired tonight. He shouldn't give you too much trouble, not while I am the sponsor." Merndil brought out a token from his pocket - not one of those given out for tonight's gambling - and gently rubbed the surface with his thumb. "Even though he despises me, I retain an amicable relationship with his father. I just wonder how the berry got so far from the bush."
Diana guessed that bronze circle had some meaning to him, but she wasn't going to ask about it.
"Birds have a habit of bringing them places they don't belong, don't they?"
"True, but so do many other animals." Exhaling, he pocketed the token. "My problem is that I don't know which animal was responsible."
Diana didn't mean to imply that someone had intentionally made Rishtahn an enemy of Merndil, but it would appear the metaphor stuck. She could only smile grimly. Merndil had enemies, rulers and their successors always did, and he was in the process of figuring out who they were. It was likely to be a long and difficult struggle, but he had at least found a few friends.
Hopefully those friends were true.
"Anyways, keep an eye out and stay on your toes."
"Of course."
- - - - -
Len was now sitting in a corner, alone. It wasn't that he wanted to be alone, and it wasn't that he had been abandoned, he just hadn't been as enthusiastic as Rashtvice about being 'in the middle of it'. He considered getting up and going somewhere else, but this corner was nice and quiet. Was there a more secluded place? Maybe, but he wasn't going to get up and look.
Len was tired, more of the party than physically wanting to sleep.
He had spent the morning worrying about the party, his manners, his attire, his hair, anything that could possibly make him appear like less in the eyes of the nobility. All of his effort, his stress, his concern had been wasted. At least Len thought it had been wasted. He might have been able to get into the good graces of Prince Merndil, but that was one person. Only one person out of a vast crowd.
His success ratio was dismal, worse than he had been expecting in the worst case scenario. He had learned names, sure, but he never got the chance to make connections with them. They were strangers, the same as before. They just knew what to call each other now.
Gently sipping on some fruit juice, Len sighed.
He was miserable, crushed by his social status and ineptitude. Even though Len was the adopted son of a great general, he was only that, adopted. As far as anyone else was concerned he was a commoner. He belonged to no dynasty, had no claims to inheritance, and did not have a storied bloodline with which he could impress others. In other words, Len's status was barely better than that of a slave or peasant.
There was hope for him, there was always the chance that his father could pull some strings to get him a minor title, but most people would still elect to ignore him. That would also be the equivalent of condemning his descendants to a life of servitude, living in constant fear that what little influence they clung to would be stripped from them without them being able to put up a fight. Staring down at his green colored reflection, he felt a further pain in his chest.
Descendants. Everyone dreamed of having them, even those without power and influence. Children of your blood were proof that you had succeeded, evidence that you had existed, long after your name was forgotten. There was only one problem. Len needed the 'cooperation' of the other sex. Len did not have experience with the other sex. Len did not understand the other sex.
He understood that he was still a little bit too young to worry about this too hard, he was still going through puberty, but he was slowly coming to the realization that he would be hard pressed to find someone willing to share their life with him at the academy. Setting aside the issue of his complete lack of status, Len was simply not in the proper age bracket for most of the women here. Len was somewhere around fifteen or sixteen, the average age of a lady who was attending was around twenty one. It wasn't a particularly large gap in the grand scheme of things, but he was still very much a kid in their eyes, and he didn't blame him for that.
Maybe later, after he had grown up and filled out, maybe then he would have a shot. The problem was, of course, that was going to be in his fourth or fifth year. Could he afford to wait that long? Sanna and Wall had gotten started a long time ago!
"What about Sergeant Strauss?" He mumbled his thoughts aloud. It wasn't like anyone was listening.
He had a momentary glimpse of relief, of hope that he would be fine, until he remembered just how peculiar the two of them were. Diana was probably the stranger of the two.
Setting aside her unnatural beauty, the way she carried herself was completely different than most other women he knew. Len had figured out that Diana knew more than she let on, but he couldn't figure out what that 'more' was. He had reason to suspect that rectangular tablet she was always looking at had something to do with it, but that didn't mean he knew what it did. However, Len could always count on Diana telling them some strange tidbit of knowledge every day during their English lessons.
More often than not this information was completely useless to them, examples including something about how a pendulum could measure time or how certain metals could be made to be attracted to each other through . . . he couldn't remember.
"You are a DISGRACE I say! Your presence is an insult to our empire!"
Len was startled from his stupor by yet another loud sound. He was starting to get used to sudden increases in volume thanks to Donovan's shouting during training.
"Please calm down, sir. This is hardly the place to raise a fuss."
Much to his surprise, Diana was on the receiving end of this unjustified tirade. Sure she was a little bit odd, but Diana might be the most 'proper' person he had ever met.
"Nay! This place is filled with my brethren! Lowlifes like you are all the same, clinging to those with power and authority to take some for themselves! I order you to distance yourself from the Crown Prince, lest I get involved!"
Len looked around the room nervously. Nobody here was on her side, at least nobody he knew. Donovan was probably still taking care of the duel's aftermath, the Holifanians were most likely under incredibly close supervision in another room, while Merndil was undoubtedly making the rounds to fulfill his obligations. Titanyana seemed exhausted the last time he saw her, so she had probably excused herself at some point, while Wall and Sanna were nowhere to be found.
As far as Len could tell, Diana was at this angered man's mercy.
"You have dishonored all of us! You have exposed us to the disgusting pastimes of the dirty rabble and made us eat that awful concoction they call food!"
His cheeks looked a little red, definitely under the influence of alcohol. That did not bode well. Len knew just how unpredictable and violent the intoxicated could be. Given how Diana was recoiling, small and gentle steps backward, she knew that as well. This put Len in a very uncomfortable position. Diana was alone, isolated. She had no help that could reliably be called upon to protect her from the physical and verbal abuse that could be directed her way. The only thing wrong with his initial assessment was that she did actually have one person.
Len.
He couldn't call himself the best at fighting with his fists, nor could he be called upon to refute the verbal tirade of the influential. Len was weak, Len was cowardly, but Len was here. Donovan hadn't ever given him direct orders that covered this situation, but he could make a damn good guess about what he would say if he was here.
'Protect Diana'
That was the correct option, the incorrect one being to abandon her.
Len was a coward, Len did not like to be the center of attention, but Len knew that whatever shame and injury he would face here was nothing in comparison to what Donovan would do if he found out Len had abandoned her. For Len, 'Protect Diana' wasn't just the correct option, it was the only option.
Slowly, shakily, Len stood up from his seat.
Diana navigated the crowded halls with grace, avoiding guest and waiter alike as she moved towards her objective. She had retrieved the condom already, the lack of people in the hallways during the duel permitted her to move a little bit faster at that time, but now she needed to take her time. It might be getting dark outside, but there were still a few hours before people would start to leave.
She couldn't look like she was panicked or in a rush. That would raise questions from those she passed. Instead she elected to walk ever so slightly slower than she normally would. It wouldn't be much of a visual change, you would struggle to notice he difference, but it would give a more relaxed impression to those around her. Even if everybody knew about the trouble that a certain group of guests had been brewing all evening, her composed image should be enough to convince them she had it under control.
It wasn't wrong necessarily, but it was definitely difficult to call a party 'controlled'. She had influence over it, but people were unpredictable sometimes.
"Have you gentlemen been finding everything alright this evening?" Engaging with groups of people rather than individual stragglers was a much more efficient use of her time and energy. She wouldn't have to start a conversation again and again, and she wouldn't need to focus on one person entirely when considering their requests. Diana would not dismiss someone who attempted to start a conversation of their own with her, that would run counter to her agenda, but she would definitely try to express a desire for brevity in such scenarios.
"Ah, Lady Diana, just the person we were wondering about!"
"Truly? Do tell me if there is anything you wish to know."
"Oh it's nothing major, we only wished to know if we could possibly place an order for some of these games you have shown us tonight."
"Indeed. The craftmanship was quite exceptional, though I would like for them to be painted. Would that be a possibility?"
Diana smiled gently. She got a hit! This was what she was looking for! She wanted to find people who might be intrigued by her products. Board games probably weren't the biggest market, and they were definitely not the most profitable, but she had a feeling she might be able to offer previous customers other new and exciting stuff. It was looking like these parties were the place to advertise them.
"I can certainly ask the craftsman about painting, but I am not sure if that is something he would like to do. I don't think he would mind it if somebody else painted it for you back home though. Would that arrangement be satisfactory?" Diana knew full well that Donovan and Arc would deny her requests to have Arc fabricate painting equipment for itself. Laser engraving the plates was fine, that could be done during the down time between construction processes with the equipment Arc already had on hand.
"A pity I will not be able to see it in it's true colors, but I suppose I can agree to that."
"If it is a color scheme you are worried about then I believe I may be able to provide you a picture of sorts. I would not claim to be an artist of any substantial skill, but I can fill in the spaces on parchments such that your artist will have an idea. Would that be acceptable?" That would be something to do.
"That would be perfect."
"Most certainly."
"Now that we have come to the conclusion that it is a possibility, when should we discuss the finer details of the transaction?" One of these men was a little bit more business minded than his peers.
"While I would like to say I could handle such a dealing now, I am afraid I am quite busy handling the party at the moment." Diana paused for a moment, turning her head in such a way to suggest she was thinking. "I am usually free after my classes, and often spend my free time here. If it isn't too much of a bother for you to make your way out her tomorrow, would it suit you to come here at, hm, let's say two hours after noon?"
"I can certainly make time in my schedule for that."
"Same here."
"I might be unable to get here that early. Would you still be around an hour afterwards?"
Diana nodded. "I can accommodate that. Even if I should become busy, Donovan should be finished with his training by then. I can say with a great deal of comfort that there will at least be someone there to handle your order."
"Perfect. I hope to see you tomorrow then."
"And I to you. Do enjoy the rest of your stay here this evening."
"Naturally."
With that, Diana curtsied and continued to walk down the hall. She had done a pretty good job of hiding her excitement, though she was a little bit disappointed in herself that she let the corners of her mouth rise a bit. If the Montaug had been here he would have picked up on it in a heartbeat.
- - - - -
"What is going on here. . ?" Diana could not stop herself from muttering under her breath once she entered the room. Setting aside the sizable barrel propped up on one of the tables, there was the putrid smell of stomach acid in the air. Despite that, it looked like more than just a few people were wearing smirks on their faces.
"Lady Diana!" Merndil approached her from the side, wine glass in hand. "I must say that your guests have been rather interesting."
For a moment, Diana's heart sank into her stomach. They had been trouble, causing problem after problem almost the instant they walked through the front door. However the beaming smile on Merndil's face brought her spirits right back up.
"But they've caused so much trouble. . ."
"Nonsense. A little bit of rowdiness is an inevitability at gatherings like this, a few broken pieces of furniture is hardly something to sweat over." Merndil waved her concerns off with a laugh. It took him a moment to register the nervous grimace on her face. "Seriously, it isn't a problem."
Diana still wasn't completely convinced. Merndil, despite his experience and status, was not the only person's opinion she had to consider. This was her first party, both hosted and attended, and she understood the effect of first impressions. The subject of future attendance aside, she had to contend with the possibility of nasty rumors spreading.
"Diana, look around. Do any of them look disappointed?"
Diana followed Merndil's advice, looking out across the room to gauge the status of those present. Most of them were laughing or conversing with their peers, some were curiously sampling their food, others were celebrating (or lamenting) the results of their most recent game. The energy level wasn't what she was expecting from a party, but it wasn't awful.
"Not particularly."
'Then you have nothing to worry about. Remember, this is my party, I can handle a disgruntled guest or two." Merndil swished the wine in his glass, looking out over the room himself. "There is one I'm a bit concerned about though."
Diana raised an eyebrow. So there was trouble.
"Who?"
"Rishtahn. He's the son of my father's prime minister, meaning there is a good chance I will have to appoint him as such when I ascend the throne. I don't have any issues with his ability, and he always shows proper courtesy to me and my brother . . ." Merndil trailed off, his smile shifting into a slight frown.
"But?"
Merndil bit his lip as he tried to come up with something. Rishtahn had status, so he couldn't just slander him, but he definitely wasn't cooperative in the ways he should be.
". . . well he's a bit pretentious. He's also a bit obstructive and is always trying to impede my efforts, but those are my burdens to bear."
"So what does that mean for me?"
"I would ask you to be aware of what you do and say. He is always going on and on about the 'grace' of things, so you can probably imagine he won't be particularly pleased with certain events that have transpired tonight. He shouldn't give you too much trouble, not while I am the sponsor." Merndil brought out a token from his pocket - not one of those given out for tonight's gambling - and gently rubbed the surface with his thumb. "Even though he despises me, I retain an amicable relationship with his father. I just wonder how the berry got so far from the bush."
Diana guessed that bronze circle had some meaning to him, but she wasn't going to ask about it.
"Birds have a habit of bringing them places they don't belong, don't they?"
"True, but so do many other animals." Exhaling, he pocketed the token. "My problem is that I don't know which animal was responsible."
Diana didn't mean to imply that someone had intentionally made Rishtahn an enemy of Merndil, but it would appear the metaphor stuck. She could only smile grimly. Merndil had enemies, rulers and their successors always did, and he was in the process of figuring out who they were. It was likely to be a long and difficult struggle, but he had at least found a few friends.
Hopefully those friends were true.
"Anyways, keep an eye out and stay on your toes."
"Of course."
- - - - -
Len was now sitting in a corner, alone. It wasn't that he wanted to be alone, and it wasn't that he had been abandoned, he just hadn't been as enthusiastic as Rashtvice about being 'in the middle of it'. He considered getting up and going somewhere else, but this corner was nice and quiet. Was there a more secluded place? Maybe, but he wasn't going to get up and look.
Len was tired, more of the party than physically wanting to sleep.
He had spent the morning worrying about the party, his manners, his attire, his hair, anything that could possibly make him appear like less in the eyes of the nobility. All of his effort, his stress, his concern had been wasted. At least Len thought it had been wasted. He might have been able to get into the good graces of Prince Merndil, but that was one person. Only one person out of a vast crowd.
His success ratio was dismal, worse than he had been expecting in the worst case scenario. He had learned names, sure, but he never got the chance to make connections with them. They were strangers, the same as before. They just knew what to call each other now.
Gently sipping on some fruit juice, Len sighed.
He was miserable, crushed by his social status and ineptitude. Even though Len was the adopted son of a great general, he was only that, adopted. As far as anyone else was concerned he was a commoner. He belonged to no dynasty, had no claims to inheritance, and did not have a storied bloodline with which he could impress others. In other words, Len's status was barely better than that of a slave or peasant.
There was hope for him, there was always the chance that his father could pull some strings to get him a minor title, but most people would still elect to ignore him. That would also be the equivalent of condemning his descendants to a life of servitude, living in constant fear that what little influence they clung to would be stripped from them without them being able to put up a fight. Staring down at his green colored reflection, he felt a further pain in his chest.
Descendants. Everyone dreamed of having them, even those without power and influence. Children of your blood were proof that you had succeeded, evidence that you had existed, long after your name was forgotten. There was only one problem. Len needed the 'cooperation' of the other sex. Len did not have experience with the other sex. Len did not understand the other sex.
He understood that he was still a little bit too young to worry about this too hard, he was still going through puberty, but he was slowly coming to the realization that he would be hard pressed to find someone willing to share their life with him at the academy. Setting aside the issue of his complete lack of status, Len was simply not in the proper age bracket for most of the women here. Len was somewhere around fifteen or sixteen, the average age of a lady who was attending was around twenty one. It wasn't a particularly large gap in the grand scheme of things, but he was still very much a kid in their eyes, and he didn't blame him for that.
Maybe later, after he had grown up and filled out, maybe then he would have a shot. The problem was, of course, that was going to be in his fourth or fifth year. Could he afford to wait that long? Sanna and Wall had gotten started a long time ago!
"What about Sergeant Strauss?" He mumbled his thoughts aloud. It wasn't like anyone was listening.
He had a momentary glimpse of relief, of hope that he would be fine, until he remembered just how peculiar the two of them were. Diana was probably the stranger of the two.
Setting aside her unnatural beauty, the way she carried herself was completely different than most other women he knew. Len had figured out that Diana knew more than she let on, but he couldn't figure out what that 'more' was. He had reason to suspect that rectangular tablet she was always looking at had something to do with it, but that didn't mean he knew what it did. However, Len could always count on Diana telling them some strange tidbit of knowledge every day during their English lessons.
More often than not this information was completely useless to them, examples including something about how a pendulum could measure time or how certain metals could be made to be attracted to each other through . . . he couldn't remember.
"You are a DISGRACE I say! Your presence is an insult to our empire!"
Len was startled from his stupor by yet another loud sound. He was starting to get used to sudden increases in volume thanks to Donovan's shouting during training.
"Please calm down, sir. This is hardly the place to raise a fuss."
Much to his surprise, Diana was on the receiving end of this unjustified tirade. Sure she was a little bit odd, but Diana might be the most 'proper' person he had ever met.
"Nay! This place is filled with my brethren! Lowlifes like you are all the same, clinging to those with power and authority to take some for themselves! I order you to distance yourself from the Crown Prince, lest I get involved!"
Len looked around the room nervously. Nobody here was on her side, at least nobody he knew. Donovan was probably still taking care of the duel's aftermath, the Holifanians were most likely under incredibly close supervision in another room, while Merndil was undoubtedly making the rounds to fulfill his obligations. Titanyana seemed exhausted the last time he saw her, so she had probably excused herself at some point, while Wall and Sanna were nowhere to be found.
As far as Len could tell, Diana was at this angered man's mercy.
"You have dishonored all of us! You have exposed us to the disgusting pastimes of the dirty rabble and made us eat that awful concoction they call food!"
His cheeks looked a little red, definitely under the influence of alcohol. That did not bode well. Len knew just how unpredictable and violent the intoxicated could be. Given how Diana was recoiling, small and gentle steps backward, she knew that as well. This put Len in a very uncomfortable position. Diana was alone, isolated. She had no help that could reliably be called upon to protect her from the physical and verbal abuse that could be directed her way. The only thing wrong with his initial assessment was that she did actually have one person.
Len.
He couldn't call himself the best at fighting with his fists, nor could he be called upon to refute the verbal tirade of the influential. Len was weak, Len was cowardly, but Len was here. Donovan hadn't ever given him direct orders that covered this situation, but he could make a damn good guess about what he would say if he was here.
'Protect Diana'
That was the correct option, the incorrect one being to abandon her.
Len was a coward, Len did not like to be the center of attention, but Len knew that whatever shame and injury he would face here was nothing in comparison to what Donovan would do if he found out Len had abandoned her. For Len, 'Protect Diana' wasn't just the correct option, it was the only option.
Slowly, shakily, Len stood up from his seat.
