Thalamina arrives, following Alantir.

When it seems like enough people have gathered, Alis steps up onto the dais try and capture everyone's attention. And, makes a very short (no pun intended) and simple speech. "I just wanted to thank you all for being here. I know it's only been five years; but it's been -five years-." she emphasizes, without going in to what has made some of those years feel much longer and more difficult than others. "The support of my Voices, my friends, my family, has meant everything to me. And with your continued help, my goal is to keep the Oathlands stable and prosperous for many years to come. Please, enjoy the food and the company, and the music to dance to." With that, she lifts her glass of wine to toast everyone there. "To the Oathlands!"

3 Thrax Guards, 2 Thrax Elite Guards, Lady Teonia Redreef, Aryka Wyrmfang, Marquessa Pudding, a doughy dog arrive, following Sorrel.

Having arrived early and dressed mostly in armor combining the shining white of diamondplate and the reddish hues of rubicund, Lenard has, early on, picked the quiet alcove to spend the majority of his time in, with apparently little interest in going anywhere close to the dancing area. He hasn't gone so far as to wear his helmet, instead having chosen a princely circlet of iridescite, complimenting well the bright gold of his hair. He watches the arrivals with interest, an honest smile on his face as he listens to Alis' very short (absolutely no puns there) speech. "To the Oathlands!" he answers, raising his own glass, though only taking a very small sip of wine for himself.

Swiftly the Red Fox, 1 Greenmarch Guards, Andred, a lady-in-waiting arrive, following Neve.

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline arrive, following Kiera.

Violeta Emili, tall and shadowed rivenshari, 2 Rivenshari Clan Guardsman, Neve, Kiera arrive, following Mattheu.

Entering together, not too early, and not too late either, are Marquessa Tyche Inverno and Duke Cristoph Laurent. The pair are often seen at events just like this across the city (and beyond), but today marks the first day that the Duke has ventured back into Arx since Artshall's destruction. If there's any sign that the man is slowing down in the face of such personal tragedy, he's not showing it on his face tonight. He gamely speaks to the few people that slow down their entrance, his manner is easy and relaxed despite the circumstances. There are even a few well placed jokes peppered in there. As they pass the main throng at the entrance, he gives Tyche's arm a gentle squeeze and he reaches over to touch the petals on the flower he'd given her on the way in. There's amusement there, as he's also wearing one from the same category, though admittedly not the exact same one. When Alis steps up to give her speech, he's appropriately quiet and gives a resounding clap of his hands. This works out so well because he doesn't have a drink yet, which he's going to have soon. But not before leaning over to say something to Tyche.

Swiftly the Red Fox, 1 Greenmarch Guards, Andred, a lady-in-waiting leave, following Neve.

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline leave, following Kiera.

Lightly holding Ryhalt's arm, Clover looks toward Alis, the Duchess offering but a brilliant smile during the speech. "To Princess Alis!" She calls out with a little cheer, of course she would. "And for the Oathlands!" She is so darn bubbly, and her eyes shift to her husband before eventually releasing his arm to stand somewhat close.

Tyche has dressed appropriately for the occasion, forgoing her flowing gowns and slinky silks for the more structured armored fashion. A nod to Alis and the Oathlands traditions. She looks no less at home in this, too, moving with an innate ease into the crowded room, drawing much of her energy from such events. Her hand rests lightly in Cristoph's arm, and when he leans to touch the red rose, she playfully pulls away, clicking her tongue like he might try to reclaim it. Something is murmured, but she too quiets to listen to the toast. "Hear, hear!" she throws her voice into the cheers, and then leans to hear whatever Cristoph speaks quietly to her.

At the conclusion of Alis' speech, Ryhalt adds his loud applause to the rest. "Hear, hear!" He snags a drink from a passing server and lifts it in response to her toast. Glancing down to Clover, he asks, "We were dancing first or mingling?"

Damiana has also arrived fairly early on and taken up a quieter place away from the dance floor. She listens solemnly to Alis's words and nods as they come to a close, adding to the Duke's applause. She is also lacking a drink for the moment, so no toasting. She applauds with the light touch you might get at a dry meeting rather than a party, too, despite her gown and jewelry, both of which are more suited to a formal like this one.

Alis prepares to mingle and pretend she's halfway decent at being social, with her first stop being that of Cristoph and Tyche, so she can offer both of them a quick kiss on the cheek and murmurs of thanks for being there. To her cousin Lenard of course, she points out the very princely circlet. "Well done, Your Highness. My fashion sense is lacking, so take that as you will." To Damiana, she rests a hand briefly on her arm to squeeze lightly in greeting. "I'm glad you're here."

Swiftly the Red Fox, 1 Greenmarch Guards, Andred, a lady-in-waiting arrive, following Neve.

"To the Oathlands," Alantir repeats, words -- unobstructed by armet -- surprisingly crisp and, perhaps to some, pleasant. He stands near an empty table that neighbors the dancefloor and is accompanied by Lady Thalamina Shepherd. Without his armor, the prince -- lithe and tall -- appears surprisingly approachable. That few have seen him without it works in many ways to the introverted man's advantage. Here, is simply a peer amongst peers. "Time to sit," he says after, drawing a chair and directing his companion to make herself comfortable. Once she complies, he does the same. "...and drink."

The Duchess of Sungreet enters the hall with an ease that would belie any consideration of the impending war in her domain. "Your grace." She approaches Alis without a thought, the first person she lays her eyes on. "You are most treasured by my friends, therefore by myself. It's a pleasure to be within your halls." The stare lingers before she releases the woman's hands and looks around with appreciation.

When the toast is made, Denica lifts her wine-filled glass upwards to echo the celebratory nature of Alis's words. There is a resolute nod of her head, seeming to appreciate what she's said and the reaction that carries through the Vow. The young princess Thrax is standing off to the side, having slipped in at some point and found herself among the others gathered there today. Dressed in dark colours, mostly black, with touches of blood red and deep purple, the steelsilk glimmers with a subtle gold dragon motif. She looks comfortable in the armour, as though it was familiar and she seems relieved by it somehow. There is a smile on her lips, it doesn't quite reach her eyes, but she put it on the moment she crossed the threshold into the room. It is though some silent pact was formed to keep it on and her features lit. Murmuring something quietly to Cato, he nods and echoes the clapping that fills the room. Taking in the sights of everything, the sight of it and the reaction that Alis gets is not lost on the small Thrax princess and it lifts her spirits and the smile becomes wider and more pronounced.

Dashing in just at the end of Alis's speech, Sorrel offers the Valardin High Lord a fond and beaming smile, though she hasn't got a glass to lift just yet so she simply claps. "Hear, hear!" she agrees, even though she is no longer a citizen of this fealty.

Tesha left the veil at home this evening. Her hair is pulled back away from her face loosely and left to curl down her back. A diadem of two dueling dragons with a dawnstone as the centerpiece of the piece that holds her hair back. That means that the eye patch and the still healing scars on the left side of her face are on display. Which she doesn't seem to care on. She's dressed in crimson with an aeterna fencing cloak that sits over her right shoulder. She gives a soft round of applause after Alis speaks and she keeps her spot on the fringes for now as she tries to keep a focus on who is where and what is going on.

Kael arrives with Princess Keely Grayson on his arm, the pair pausing formally in the Audience Hall so that they might be properly announced. Thereafter the Marquis Keaton serves as a formal escort, making polite and quiet conversation with the princess though his lips are curved up at the corners betraying the fact that he is absolutely attempting to suppress an altogether too pleased grin. They delay just long enough to acquire a few flowers from the baskets outside, Kael twirling a pair of stems in hand, before making their way into the Vow. Kael pauses briefly, ensuring proper bows, greetings, mentions of gratitude are made. Taking their first spin around the perimeter of the chamber, the Keaton pauses with the toast from Alis. "To the Oathlands," answers the Keaton, using a voice that is only shy of his Tournament Voice due to the formality of the occasion. He has no drink in hand, but he has a bright red peony, so he toasts with this - passion and love to the Oathlands, evidently!

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline arrive, following Kiera.

Alantir has joined the Cavalier Table.

Violeta Emili, tall and shadowed rivenshari, 2 Rivenshari Clan Guardsman leave, following Mattheu.

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline leave, following Kiera.

Damiana rests her hand over Alis's for a moment, trapping her cousin's hand in a warm greeting. She even smiles. "Come join us later," she invites. "When things calm down and your greetings are all given and received." But she doesn't keep the Highlady longer than that, at least for now, releasing her again with an inclined head and a brief hand squeeze.

Thalamina has joined the Cavalier Table.

"Duchess Helianthus." Alis smile is warm, as she turns to greet the woman. "It's a pleasure to have you here. Welcome." There's an inclination of her head, polite and appropriate to the evening. "I hope you enjoy the evening." There's a pause, and maybe a bit of a disconcerted smile when her hands are gripped. But she squeezes back anyhow before the woman slips away. "I shall, Princess Damiana." she assures, looking next to Kael and Keely to greet them as well.

Lucie strides in to the great hall, her confidence belying the fact that this is her debut formal event in the city. While she is most commonly seen clad in steel and leather, she looks quite at home in her brocade gown, with her defined muscles managing to enhance her outfit rather than detracting from it. Her normally wild tangle of hair has been pinned into a high ponytail that would border on elegant if not for the strands of hair on her cheek that managed to escape it. "To the Oathlands," she replies solemnly to the opening speech.

Cristoph's arrival is met with a respectful nod from Lenard. "Duke Cristoph Laurent, it's good to see you back in the city." he smiles, before green eyes turn to his companion. "I'm afraid I have never met your friend. I am Prince Lenard Valardin, a pleasure to meet you." he says before noticing Damiana nearby. "Seeking refuge from the crowds, cousin?" he asks. "Things should be quieter here, if that's what you desire." Not too quiet though, not when Alis is there! "As my shortcomings in dance prevent me from participating in the contest, I must make it up in other ways, no? Speaking of, do you intend to participate, or will you keep the mantle of judge?" he grins.

Violeta Emili, tall and shadowed rivenshari, 2 Rivenshari Clan Guardsman arrive, following Mattheu.

Winter, A Highhill Puppy, Angeline arrive, following Kiera.

Though the winter snows have succumbed to spring's inherent warmth, Lady Thalamina Shepherd remains reluctant to part with attire reminiscent of a fresh-fallen snowbank. A modest aeterna dress contrasts with the stark black attire her companion wears, though the vibrant blue of his coat certainly appears to regress to memories of winter's bite, though chosen precisely to draw upon the color of his eyes, now actually /visible/. When Alis completes her welcoming speech, hands coming together in a polite, genteel clap, then gently shifts to claim a seat beside his highness once it is drawn out for her use specifically. "Thank you," she murmurs in passing, then draws up to the table upon which fingers are neatly folded. What words she shares with him are spoken in privacy, low enough that none save those who may inhabit their space may catch it.

A soft cheer of, "Hooo!" joins in with the rest of the voices, most of which are repeating Alis' toast. Keely lifts a flute of something light pink and bubbly from her place beside Kael, her other hand wrapped gently at his elbow. She is dressed from head to toe in her own nod to Oathlands tradition, a stylish blend of armor and fashion, much more structured lines than her usual soft and flowy aesthetic, but she seems comfortable and in high spirits, if her brilliant smiles are anything to judge by. When Alis approaches, she carefully releases her hold on her escort to step forward and offer a peck to her patron's cheek, murmuring a soft and warm, "Your Grace," in greeting before stepping back to allow her Keaton date to voice his own.

It is during the toast that Neve makes her appearance, dressed toe to head in snowy white embroidered with snowdrops and faintly jingling from the bells tied in her hair along with the other various ribbons, beads, bobbles, and gifts of nature. As she crosses the polished floor it becomes apparent that her feet, at first appearing to be adorned by delicately constructed sandals, are in fact bare. She carries a couple of flowers in one hand and a glass of what appears to be milk with something mixed into it with the other. Wide blue eyes look around, scanning without apparently looking for anyone in particular.

When Alis approaches, Tyche's smile is wide and she leans in to the cheek kisses. "You deserve all the celebration for what you've done with House Valardin," she murmurs, but there is no attempt to keep the woman from her course. She turns to hear an introduction, her dark eyes sweeping over the prince before she introduces herself, "Marquessa Tyche Inverno. Quite the pleasure to meet you. And strange that it is only now."

Evelynn pauses in her steps after greeting the High Lord to speak to Keely, a warm smile on her laps and a hand on the woman's shoulder as she whispers.

"A little mingling!" She its practically alive with delight as she hears Ryhalt, but then theree is Sorrel's voice. She whips around and then beams ear to ear. "Princess Sorrel Thrax!" She brightens mentioning her sister's name. Though her eyes flit back to Ryhalt. "Dancing soon though!"

Keely yelps softly and nearly jumps out of her skin, all the way, as Evelynn's hand comes to her shoulder, the Duchess' whisper likely giving her a bit of a startle there. Which may explain why her face has drained of color and her eyes are double their normal size when they rise to the woman. She blinks in a bit of confusion initially before turning her head to scan the crowd and finding Denica, which results in a shift in her young features, and a whispered reply.

The soft song of bells fill the hall as the very colorful Mattheu Rivenshari steps in with a small bounce to his steps, pair of flowers in his hands as he fuses to tie them into a scarf braided with his sash belt. The small shark plushie is given a camellia to protect as a glass of wine is liberated from passing tray, and raised to Alis at tail end of the speech which he only catches a small bit at the end. A jingling nod to Keely and Kael as he turns to find more to drink as the one he has was emptied quickly.

"You won't be dancing, cousin?" Damiana asks of Lenard, taking a seat and turning towards the dance floor, at least when people aren't speaking to her. "You can't be /that/ bad..."

Tesha gives a look over the crowd, seeing if any other Telmar's might be in attendance, but there isn't. Not that she sees. One of her guards asks her something quietly and the woman with the eyepatch gives a shake of her head, "No, the dogs are at home. Didn't seem a proper venue to bring them to, though I should have brought one as an escort." she muses to them before quieting back down and sipping her wine as she keeps her eye on things.

Edris raises his glass as well, when Alis toasts, echoing a hearty, "To the Oathlands, and Her Grace!" He's been here circulating, making polite conversation, but for the most part, the Elwood Knight has been on the sidelines. Observing, albeit in a comfortable way. There's little hint of the restlessness that usually plagues him. He gives a nod and a warm smile to Kael and Keely as they enter. Unhurriedly he makes his way towards Alis and the receiving line that's forming, though as he notes others in the crowd that he knows, those nods and brief smiles appear more often.

"Since there is a prize for the winner, I feel it would not be fair of me to participate." Alis laments, with a wry smile cast towards Lenard when she says it. She waits until the Duchess is done whispering to Keely before she returns the warm greetings of her protege. "Princess Keely, you look wonderful. And Marquis, I should have known you would go all out with your outfit." Maybe there's a bit of an impish smile there; but she retreats back to her best possible behavior, whispering something to Keely first, and then waving excitedly at Alantir and Thalamina. "I'm so glad you're here! I hope you join the dancing!"

Kiera enters at the end of the speech soon enough to join in the applause for the highlord and looking for a place to set drink and flowers before joining the receiving line

Mattheu has joined the Cavalier Table.

While it might be appropriate to say that it is simply the event that causes Kael to greet Alis with a low and deep bow, it is not so. For while Keely disengages from him to place that kiss on Alis' cheek, he takes the far more formal tactic. "Your Grace," he says. "Thank you very much for allowing us to participate in such a lovely event." He rises, turning his attention back to Keely just in time to catch her startled yelp. It takes but a few steps for him to stand one step to the side and one step behind Keely, giving the impression of hovering. Yet his head inclines politely to Evelynn, not a single word said. His arm is, however, extended to Keely anew for when she is ready. He is patient, it seems, dipping his head briefly to the Rivenshari when he moves past.

"Duchess Clover, fancy meeting you here," Sorrel offers to her sister with an amused smile as she moves to give the shorter woman a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so happy to see you! How is Duke Ryhalt?" She glances to her brother-in-law, grinning cheerfully. "Feeling better? Heard you had a bad time in the field."

"I've spent much of my time on the road escorting travelers recently, it may account for our being unable to meet until now." Lenard remarks to Tyche. "Nor have I often visited the Ward of Pravus, unfortunately." To Damiana, he shakes his head, smiling. "I'm not _too_ bad, but I have little desire to be a contestant. Better for another to enjoy the light of adoration."

Thalamina swivels her attention around in time to catch the warm wave and welcoming words Alis delivers for the pair seated alone at their table. She raises a pale hand in return, and while a pre-existing grin already blooms upon her face, is radiates brighter as she replies, "Thank you, Your Grace! I am pleased I could be here to celebrate your anniversary. Congratulations!" Her cobalt eyes pin upon Alantir as she adds, "Oh, I intend very much to see his highness dance this evening. We would not wish to let this singular evening without all of that armor go to waste."

Clover shifts and turns the soft trail of her gown flourishing with restless excitement, blond hair braided with blue ribbons to match the fitted gown. Though eventually she pulls herself toward the line leading to Alis, or maybe they were already there? Poor Clover tries terribly hard to keep her excitement to a minimum, so far this is going great, she's not tripped nor has she knocked anything over. She's not overly dressed, but a simple cute elegance and a light fit for her. The kiss to Sorrel's cheek returned followed by a tight hug. "Your grace.." She can't help the impish gleam in her eyes. "I am happy to see you as well, new aunt." She can't help it, laughter soon bubbles from her.

Inside Nigel there are two of Nigel. One Nigel, sharp in his forester greens and a spray of goldenrod pinned to the lapel of his cloak. Nigel, wallflower, remains at odds with the wall. He is holding it up? - Is it supporting him? Grand wall. He has meandered, some, and lifted his glass of cider and warmly echoes the toast made by Alis to the Oathlands, "To Her Grace. To the Oathlands," finally - he finds a place to settle.

Ryhalt nods to Clover and smiles to Sorrel as she comes to join them. "I recovered fairly well, thank you. Still stiff here and there, but that'll ease in time." He looks amused at Clover as she talks to Sorrel.

Lucie has joined the a gilded metal bench with ornate details.

"Ah. A Knight of Solace? Honorable work," Tyche commends and then smiles to Lenard's sister there briefly before returning to the man. "You're welcome to visit the Pravus ward under my invitation now. I promise to show you /most/ of the hidden treasures we have there." She grins and then turns to Cristoph to speak a quiet word before more loudly excusing the pair of them, "If you'll pardon us. I think we will dance." And Cristoph agrees! Because why would he deny her anything?

"Excellent. Don't let him try to talk you out of it." Alis says firmly, directed towards Thalamina, as she transitions towards the trio of Clover, Ryhalt, and Sorrel. "Duchess. Duke Ryhalt. Princess Sorrel. I hope you dropped off Fen, Ivy Mae and Ryland as I suggested, Duchess. And enjoy the evening. You look fantastic, and radiant." The excitement is contagious, as a bubbly smile appears on her own face a moment. "Lord Edris. I'm so glad you're here. Enjoying yourself so far?"

Alantir returns Alis' wave and smile, but the gesture doesn't quite reach his eyes. This probably has something to do with Thalamina's commentary about dancing.

Keely's soft exchange with Evelynn ends with her watching the Duchess walk away, puzzlement and unease written plain on her face. There is then a soft exchange with Alis, concluding in a quiet giggle and a warm, "Good luck." Mattheu is then offered a soft smile of greeting,and Tesha as well, and goodness, Edris too! Lots of little smiles offered here and there, and she nearly runs right into Kael as she's stepping back to find him again, only to realize he is standing behind her. Another startled sound, this one a laugh, and she retakes his arm, tucking in closer to speak with him hush and drink deeply of her sparkling wine for a moment. "Oh! Marquessa Inverno is here, look," she is telling him softly, though the crowd between here and there means it will take some time to navigate.

Kiera waits her turn to greet Ailis with a soft kiss to the cheek and a "May you serve many more prosperous years. We owe much to your leadership and guidance. I look forward to a wonderful evening

Holding her glass of red wine betwixt two fingers, she takes a slow sip, letting her attention drift over the room. There are a number of people she slows down and offers polite smiles to, then she starts to meander seeking out those she knows to make more focused conversation. Ever observant she starts to make her way to engage in more focused conversation, though she catches Keely looking in her direction and she turns her attention on the other woman, lifting her glass in her direction with a gentle fondness in her expression.

"I'm so happy about your new little Fen," Sorrel tells Clover with a bright smile. "His cousins will enjoy meeting him soon, I'm sure." She turns to bow to Alis politely. "Your Grace, congratulations once more on your longevity. I am glad that the Oathlands has your strong leadership and that of your Voices. The Mourning Isles appreciates its allies."

"I'll be sure to take you up on the invitation, then. When duty allows, of course." Lenard smiles in response to Tyche before nodding to both her and Cristoph as they move to dance. "Enjoy!" he tells the departing pair before turning his gaze to the other guests. Which happens to be when he sees that look in Alantir's eyes and the younger prince nods stoically to the other Valardin. No doubt wishing him good luck.

Evelynn makes her way to Denica with a warm smile

"Thank you, Lady Kiera. A liege is only as strong as their vassals. I hope I continue to serve you all as well as you deserve." Alis murmurs, returning the kiss on the cheek with warmth.

If ever bright as Clover can be it's around her husband -and- her sister. "I believe Sir Danan escorted our little Lords and Lady safely!" She offers in response to Alis. "I am thrilled to be here, your grace, and you look radiant as ever!" Oh how she flushes with the compliment.

Evelynn makes her way to Denica with a warm smile, deftly side stepping any guest who may be in her way, as though she's in a dance. She doesn't bump into anyone. Which makes it especially puzzling when a man calls out something to her along the lines of, "Your berry red lips... cheek...". She bumps against -his- form to the point he ends up sprawling back a few feet with merely a small shove of her shoulder. He's okay but absolutely puzzled. "Your highness." She offers to Denica with a glowing smile. "It's been long."

When he finally draws near enough to speak, Edris offers Alis a courtly bow, held respectfully before he rises. But there's a warmth to his features rather than reserve as he speaks. "Your Grace," he greets her quietly. "I am glad to see so many coming to honor both you and the Oathlands tonight. I hear the children's gathering is quite the success as well," he smiles at her. He is perhaps not as well dressed as many, but perhaps that's appropriate to both his station and the man himself. The grooming is immaculate though. And he doesn't even fidget! "I am," he replies solemnly. "And though I understand the propriety of not participating in the contest, I do hope that I might claim a dance afterwards. As time allows." He says something softly as well, a little flash of mirth in his eyes.

A man is sprawled on his back having been thrown a few feet by... someone.

Kiera moves swiftly around the room eyes search out her cousins for a proper hello

Grasping one of Sorrel's hands in hers, Clover offers a gentle smile. "He looks like Ryhalt, and a happy thing." She seems thrilled to speak of her newest addition. "Thank you, I cannot wait for you to meet him." She murmurs leaning back to lightly bump Ryhalt. Soon though she pauses seeing a man sprawled on the ground. "Oh...Oh dear.."

Tesha continues to observe from the spot she has found for herself. Sipping her wine as she does. When the man goes sprawling there's a bit of an eyebrow quirk, but there is no move to assist, she's not got the arm strength to be pulling up grown men from the floor right now. She doesn't have that much strength to hang onto most days now.

Ryhalt grins to Alis as she welcomes them. "I cannot believe it's been five years already. Congratulations and I wish you many, many more to come." When Clover bumps against him, he reflexively steadies her as if he thinks she's stumbled with unfamiliar shoes or tripped over her gown.

Kael is quiet as Keely murmurs to him, his head tilting slightly to the side even as a slip of a frown manifests. His response is a short, simple thing, and he shakes his head to punctuate whatever comment he made. His expression gentles when Keely is pointing out Marquessa Inverno, however, and regretfully it has nothing to do with the woman herself. Not, of course, that she shall not be greeted properly - kindly, even, by the Keaton. It has everything to do with her escort, however, and Kael stands a bit straighter to eye Cristoph and attempt to gauge his mood. He flicks a glance to his flowers in hand, the red peony and the phlox. Quite likely it is little surprise that he starts to escort Keely vaguely in the direction of the other pair. In passing Kael dips his head politely to Edris, offering him a faint smile to go along with that greeting.

"Thank you both all." Alis winks at Sorrel and Clover both, and ushers them towards the libations and food and dance floor to enjoy themselves. "My thanks to you as well, Lord Edris. I'd be happy to dance once the contest is over." is agreed, her voice trailing off a moment as she sees someone suddenly ... sprawled. "I, ah. Pardon me a moment." is murmured, a couple of knights already starting to converge on that location. A quick whisper is offered Edris before she rushes over to see what's happened.

Keely watches Evelynn approach Denica from afar, her expression troubled. Oddly, it seems to have nothing to do with the man that was sent sprawling, as her dark eyes are focused on the Princess in the equation. "I have a flower for Princess Denica," she tells Kael, soft but abrupt. However, Denica is in the -other- direction through the crowd, and they are already headed for Tyche and, presumably, Cristoph.

Damiana has left the Quiet Alcove.

Lady Astraea, a provincial Oathlander have been dismissed.

4 Valardin Knights have been dismissed.

The contest has not begun, but Tyche has managed to pull Cristoph into some sort of dance. Their Oathlands fashion is perfectly paired, and the cupridium glints in the lights of the Vow as they move through the steps of the dance, speaking quietly. Whatever is happening with the random dude on the floor, she's lost to the dance. And so is he!

Edris turns his head to look where Alis indicates; and the Elwood knight is not far behind her. He's not looking at her or at the sprawled out man, however--but around the rest of the crowd, using his height to an advantage as he scans it--relaxed expression moving to that of wariness.

When Evelynn approaches, Denica's drifting attention focuses fully on the woman, taking in the sight of her and no doubt the little encounter along the way. But rather focusing on the man, she is watching Evelynn with a sudden sparkle in her sapphire eyes. Lips curl upwards, the smile is easy on her features and she lets her gaze seek out the Duchess's noting the glowing smile. Denica's own is bright, having lifted as the woman approached and a single nod echoes the statement, "it has. Though I admit, you've been in my thoughts on more than one occasion, Duchess." A beat, "congratulations are deserved, of course.," she adds in afterthought, "to you and your husband." Eyes light up as she speaks, it's an obvious reaction that the princess doesn't temper, rather she just brings her glass to her lips, to take a brief sip of the red wine.

Damiana has joined the Quiet Alcove.

Alis approaches Denica to greet her - while her guard knights approach the man who sprawled and help him to his feet... but also escort him out. Impolite utterances will not be tolerated, of course. "Princess Denica. Your presence is most appreciated." A brief and quiet murmur is given Evelynn as well, though there is a hint of amusement in her expression more than anything else. And, a bit of a nod to Edris to indicate all is well.

Damiana says, "where else does the form and style get to shine so brightly?""

The commotion behind her seems to draw no interest in Evelynn. "I'm so glad to see you thriving." She rests a hand on the woman's arm as she's wont to do. "I really need to see some of your newest pieces. If only you were a commoner. You'd have a spacious gallery for my-- well our pleasure."

Whatever Evelynn said to Evelynn has her laughing gloriously as though she told a merry joke.

Edris catches Alis' nod, and returns it solemnly. He rolls his shoulders back a little--until he realizes what he's doing, and stops before he uncouthly stretches out his neck with a headroll as well. At least he remembered a little earlier than usual. But the relaxed demeanor does not return, the more familiar mantle of reserve settling on him. He continues to watch the room, the whiskey glass in his hand forgotten for now.

Alis proooooooobably doesn't find Evelynn's comment quite as amusing, though there's still a smile on Alis face. Look, see? Everything is just fine. A few more murmured words and the Princess turns to try and find others whom she has yet to greet. Tesha, Mattheu, and Neve. She's coming for you!

Noting her scanning the room earlier and the fact that she doesn't seem to have been engaged in conversation thus far, Lucie rises from her place at the bench and sidles up to Neve. She walks past the commotion with the man on the floor - the situation seems to be in hand for now. For a time she watches Cristoph and Tyche dance before turning to Neve and speaking brightly, "This is not my most comfortable setting, is it yours?" Seeming to remember her manners she smiles and corrects herself. "Ah, I am Lady Lucie Laurent. It seems that I don't know anyone here, so I suppose I should try to mingle."

Lucie has left the a gilded metal bench with ornate details.

Tesha's finding herself restless in her spot and decides that much like a shark she should keep on a move. Her guard follows with her and seems to be keeping conversation light at least. He stands to her right though and not her left given her vision is impaired. There is a curious look to the man that's being escorted out, but the High Lady and others have it covered!

"Do you?" asks Kael when Keely is pointing out that she has a flower for Denica. Her features are studied for a moment and his eyes flick to try to catch sight of Tyche and Cristoph, but alas, they have escaped to the dance floor. Thus, that target thwarted, the Keaton is instead starting to move around the perimeter of the large chamber once more, trusting Keely to indicate when they should travel toward the princess. She, after all, is far more familiar than he. That being said, his step is slowing and his brows furrow as he starts to track Edris briefly and those in the vicinity of the Oathlands Highlord soon after. His focus moves back to his cousin, Edris, and he lifts his chin slightly angling his head in silent query. Kael probably thinks that he is being discreet.

"Well, is it time for flowers yet? I picked up the guide for flowers," Sorrel says as she glances around, a little distracted, then looks to her sister curiously. "Hmm? No, I don't quite know what's going on. But there's a dance contest. We should sign up for it. I love to dance!"

Damiana has joined the line.

Sorrel has joined the line.

Alantir has joined the line.

Keely has joined the line.

Thalamina has joined the line.

"Why survive, when we can thrive?," she says to Evelynn and the comment about seeing some of her newer pieces is met with an even smile. Her eyes sparkle, but artists do love showing their art, after a long internal debate about it, of course. "There's one in particular, I think you would rather appreciate. I would very much like to show it to you," she tells the Duchess and then she leans in and whispers something in the woman's ear. Turning her attention to Alis as she approaches and her lips curl upwards at the sight of the High Lord, "thank you. I am glad to be here, there is much to celebrate," she says though the words are heavy and she is fully aware of the challenges threaded through, she still maintains them. "It is good to see you, also," she comments more collegially.

Isn't it convenient then that Neve happens to be moving to Tesha's side! She approaches her Duchess and prepares to greet her appropriately, when suddenly there is Lucie.

"Oh! Well, it used to be. I'm out of practice," Neve confesses. "Neve Greenmarch. Pleasure to meet you."

Ryhalt has joined the line.

Mattheu has joined the line.

Kiera has joined the line.

"Oh dancing!" Clover again brightens. "Yes!" Oh no this may go terribly, but oh how excited the Duchess gets at the mention. "I cannot wait!" She absolutely tries to -tug- Sorrel to the line. Sisters will be sisters after all.

Alis sees Lucie, and isn't entirely familiar - but heads right for her when she approaches Neve and Tesha and Mattheu to offer warm greetings. "Join in the dancing, have fun!" she encourages, finally preparing to make her way back to the dais so she can announce and get started.

Neve has joined the line.

Clover has joined the line.

"Likewise," Lucie replies warmly, apparently unaware that she had intercepted Neve on her way to speak with someone else. "I wonder if I am out of practice. Fighting skills should transfer well to dancing, wouldn't you think?" she ponders, scratching her chin.

Keaton blood infers SCADS of absolute, impenetrable discreetness. Of course it does. Edris visibly catches his cousin's upnod. And answers it, with a slight turn of his gaze, a look to Alis, and then back to Kael, accomanied by a single lift of his shoulder. Hopefully nobody will tell them. Some of the hypervigilance eases a bit, as he nods once more. Possibly, if the room wasn't so crowded, there might be an audible accompanying grunt to go with it. Thankfully, there's a crowd and music. He is tracking Alis' progress around the room, however, and keeping Kael in line of sight too. His whiskey glass is set aside, as he casually attempts to stand more at ease.

Neve curtseys to Alis and to Tesha, but... was that a command from the High Lady to dance? "Well, I suppose we'll find out!" she tells Lucie. "Come on. This might be fun."

Lucie has joined the line.

Lenard has joined the line.

The duchess of Sungreet says something quietly to the highlord with a wry smile before turning to Keely. There's a touched look in her eyes, as if someone had given her a beloved gift associated with her childhood. She responds quietly.

"Your Grace." Tesha greets Alis easily with a bow. "I'm going to let the others dance. I don't feel steady with the new sight and I'd rather not cause a scene." she tells the woman. "This is a lovely turnout though and congratulations." she tells the Valardin High Lady with a smile to her and another dip of her head in respect. She looks at those lining up to dance and then back to the wallflowers. Edris gets a quiet nod of greeting, but she doesn't go invade the space of the Elwood lord.

"Den--" Keely trips over the hem of her gown in her hurry to get to where Evelynn and Denica are, stumbling a step and catching herself on Kael's arm before continuing. "Denica! Denica I have a fl-- oh, pardon me," she has nearly run into someone, "I have a flower for you!" Somewhere along the way she finishes her flute of sparkling wine and frees one of the little flower bundles from her sash. This is, evidently, terribly important. Important enough to interrupt the conversation between the Thraxian and the Duchess, the latter of whom receives a smile that is probably intended to be apologetic but just looks kind of tense. The aforementioned flower is thrust toward Denica gracelessly in delicate fingertips as the flushed, breathless young Grayson nears.

Ryhalt follows along after Clover and Sorrel towards the dance floor.

Thalamina has left the Cavalier Table.

Thalamina has joined the a cordoned off area for the demonstration of dancing with proper etiquette.

Thalamina has left the a cordoned off area for the demonstration of dancing with proper etiquette.

Damiana seems to have collared Lenard into dancing - insofar as any proper Oathlands lady would do something so crass as 'collaring' anyone. Whatever. She has risen and taken his arm as people start to sort of ebb in the direction of the dance floor, allowing him to lead her so that nobody receives an unfortunate shoulder-check or stepped-on foot. In this crowd that could be a pretty daunting task for the poor man.

Philippe arrives, following Orland.

With eyes lit and a smile still easy on her shell pink lips, Denica leans in once more to whisper something back to Evelynn. Whatever the woman has said to her, is seen in a sudden flash of excitement in her sapphire blues. Then an unusual flush of rose flashes ever so briefly on her paper-pale cheeks as she finishes her whispered comment. Then she sees and hears the arrival of a one, Keely Grayson holding a flower. There is a moment where it's unsure if Denica is going to smile or cry, a wave of emotion washes over her as she sees the flower and she takes it from the woman as though it was the most important thing in the world. Holding it to her heart, "Keely! A flower? Oh! Thank you," she murmurs to Keely, her eyes watering a little, somehow the little flower surely does have an impact, a great one at that. "It's beautiful!," she exclaims and tucks the flower behind her ear, wearing it with pride.

Clover smiles to Ryhalt her hand lightly linking with his, "A dance for three." She considers a moment. "Darling do you remember how?" She asks him, though of course he must, and she smiles at Sorrel. "Will you dance with us, your grace?" And she can't keep a straight face, mischief twinkling in her gaze.

Without a stepstool it might be more difficult to notice that Alis approaches the dais again. At least until she taps on her glass with a spoon or something to garner attention again. "Anyone who has ever endured the dance lessons that /include/ an etiquette instructor, knows that an Oathlands formal dance can be as arduous in training as a knight's first practice move." she begins. "So, this evening we shall show off our skills! Anyone who would like to participate, please approach the dance floor. There will be three songs played, and three dances. The person who displays the most skill and proper etiquette, will be awarded two pieces of alaricite."

Also, she heard that Clover. She just looks over and winks, but doesn't commit to dancing just yet.

Kael is focusing on Edris as he and Keely move, brows drawn in severely as he translates those subtle signs from his cousin. His attention is swiftly brought back to Keely when she near stumbles and instantly he is drawing his arm from her - though she caught herself well - so that he can settle a hand on the opposite side of her waist. As if fearful that the princess will take another spill. "Are you all right?" he asks, his voice pitched low and severe as though his lack of attention brought this great near tragedy. Yes, Keely is just fine, and still in pursuit of her target. He disengages when Keely nears Denica and Evelynn, standing a respectable three feet back from the gathering though he does dip his head in greeting. His focus is divided, occasionally shifting his attention to keep track of the Oathlands Highlord and his cousin and keeping an eye on Keely.

It's always /amazing/ to be late to the party, though it looks like Orland's flying solo tonight which indicates that any delay might be in part due to his other half's absence. BUT HEY, at least he does go out to some socials on occasion by himself - how entertaining that will be, is yet to be seen. Orland pauses long enough to regard the decor, which for him is how the lighting has been made to transform the other side of the wall into a dragon. He stands, impressed.

Damiana checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 30 higher.

Neve checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 52 higher. Neve rolled a critical!

Alantir checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 18 higher.

Lenard checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 27 higher. Lenard rolled a critical!

Ryhalt checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 40 higher.

Thalamina checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 11 higher.

Lucie checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 33 higher.

Keely checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 119 higher. Keely rolled a critical!

Kiera checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 5 higher.

Orland has joined the line.

Mattheu checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 3 higher.

Sorrel checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 22 higher.

Orland checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 42 higher. Orland rolled a critical!

Clover checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 20, rolling 15 higher.

Damiana has left the Quiet Alcove.

Lady Astraea, a provincial Oathlander have been dismissed.

4 Valardin Knights have been dismissed.

What ever possessed Keely Grayson to fight through a crowd and drag poor Kael along with her in order to get to Denica is lost to her at the moment as she sees her friend's reaction to the zinnia, which gives her a wave of emotion of her own. She takes a mildly tremulous breath, blinking back some of the glisten in her eyes. "Al-almost as beautiful as you," she mumbles with a broad, affectionate smile, glancing aside to Evelynn with unease that falters her expression and then back to Denica, looking her over as if to check on her wellbeing. But then the dance contest has begun! She gasps softly and looks absolutely torn, to the Thrax, to the Duchess, to the dance floor. And again. A third time.

Finally to Evelynn, she attempts to muster words that sound oddly like she's trying to be commanding. "Be..." she is flustered, but finally struggles and lands on, "-have-. Please." What ever that means. She doesn't even seem to know, but glances one more time to Denica before turning to Kael and whispering something about dancing, and also stopping entirely to whisper more, looking apologetic all the while.

Eventually she is ready to be escorted to the floor, where she apparently demonstrates her firm grasp of Oathlands dancing etiquette, holding herself with impeccable posture, remembering to curtsey to her partner, holding her arms just so, and most importantly? Smiling!

Ryhalt chuckles at Clover. "Of course I do. My toes are cringing from the memory," he teases her gently. Taking Clover's hand in hers, he'll wait for Sorrel to take her place with them before they walk onto the floor together and start a waltz. While he might not be the best dancer in the room, he does cut a tall, elegant figure moving well and stately to the music.

Stojan, a cleverly reserved assistant, 3 Thrax Guards, 1 Thrax Elite Guards, Cato, a stealthy non-descript man leave, following Denica.

If Evelynn feels any sense of fury, she hides it well, simply straightening where she stands and murmuring her response.

Being on the dance floor lets the courtier-that-was in Damiana gleam, if only for a few minutes. She takes the follower's position in the dance, letting Lenard lead, but the Oathlands dance drilling clearly hasn't been forgotten since she was blinded. She moves in perfect tact and rhythm, tilting her head up slightly to quirk a brow at Lenard. "Not all that bad so far, I hope."

Mattheu stares at Keely's demonstration of a waltz and stands to clap for her, forgetting completely to bother with his own demonstration of a waltz and opting to show several spins accompanied with jingling bells finding their song.

What's this? Dancing?! Performing?! My oh my, the Amazing Amadeo is solo but not for long! There's a fan in the crowd and they go up to him and ask him for his dance card. It's terribly empty! Orland absolutely decides to play along, not really sure what is going, but so easily swept up onto the dance floor. No, Orland is not dancing with an invisible partner, it's a real partner! A real person! It's just their name is probably Bill or George, or anything but Sue! It doesn't matter. Whoever he's dancing with, he makes it look GOOD. Amazing really. Effortless! Float float float. Orland makes it look easy - but it was a slow waltz, so like, partially it was easy already.

"Your toes." Clover echoes and rolls her eyes. "I am a wonderful dancer!" And indeed when Sorrel takes her place as well, she follows the steps, not so beautifully, but her back -is- straight and the fond smile for Ryhalt only evident as she moves with him. Following the delicate steps with her own.

A waltz involving Lenard and Damiana could have led to many things, some of which involving the young prince tripping and falling, fully armoured, on his poor cousin. Fortunately for the unarmoured princess, that did not occur. Instead, both seem to be doing an excellent job at keeping up with the (slow) pace of the dance. "Admittedly, I expected to have failed grandiosely by now." Lenard remarks to Damiana as they dance. And survive the dance. "But no, not bad at all." he assures her.

Finding herself next to Neve, Lucie offers a hand to her and steps up to the dancefloor. Whether swordsmanship really does transfer to dancing, or whether her traditional Oathlander etiquette lessons had not failed her completely, Lucie aquits herself well on the dancefloor. She moves gracefully and does not miss a step as she waltzes together with Neve in what is an adequate performance. As the song draws on she begins to loosen up, flashing a smile to her dancing partner.

There's a band playing on the dais behind Alis of course. And at her signal, they begin playing a nice and mostly sedate waltz. She, for her part, just watches avidly and with a mixture of surprise, admiration sometimes, and glee to see family and friends get into the spirit as it were.

Sorrel knows how to waltz. And she does so in a perfectly lovely sort of way, politely and serenely, with exactly the sort of graceful movements that are expected. She loves to dance, and her talent with dancing often shows in her swordsmanship.

Kiera looks around with a glance until her eyes settle for a moment on mattheu and she haltingly completes the steps managing not to fall

Neve takes up her position for the waltz with Lucie after a quick trade of whispers to confirm that it's agreeable to do so. For a barefooted woman with feathers and gleaming beads in her hair, she is surprisingly adept when it comes to this particular dance. She smiles to Lucie as well, and even throws in a bit of extra flare with her steps.

When Thalamina stands from the table, Alantir begrudgingly follows suit. In short time, Alis calls every guest's attention to herself and explains in detail the rules of the competition and its criteria for victory. Once the Highlord has concluded her proclamation, the Oathlander follows his companion onto the floor, snakes an arm around her waist, collects her free palm with his own, and sets about performing the simplistic sequence that defines the waltz: step, step, step -- repeat. Apparently all those childhood lessons on courtly etiquette /hadn't/ been forgotten. Yet.

What ever Evelynn murmured to Keely just there is met with silence. Not the cool, composed, stonewalling silence of someone unbothered. It is more the stunned, terrified, slightly queasy silence of someone who looks like they are about to throw up.

She does not, however. Throw up, that is. Whether she is focusing on that or trying to come up with some retort, it is impossible to tell, but eventually she squeaks out a strained, "My lady," before fleeing back the three steps to the perceived safety of Kael.

"I think I should head off." Evelynn narrows her eyes as Keely flees behind Kael. She walks past Tyche and gives the woman a fond smile and a gentle arm rub. "I hope to see you soon, my lady." And then she's off.

Clover checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 2 lower.

Aeterna trails behind Thalamina as she crosses the hall to the dance floor, all but leading her companion to a location that has not yet been claimed by others for the contest. Her gait is dexterous and light, her smile not just warm, but bordering on demure; she has danced more than once, but never for anything more than the sake of participating in what is expected of the lady of a ducal house. Now, this is for show - and a prize! So the stakes are high, and while it does not throw her off the attempt, it certainly takes a lot longer to become comfortable following the prince's practiced steps. In a few moments, however, she settles into an effortless waltz, and her smile even chances to bloom with the injected sense of confidence it brings.

Ryhalt checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 28 higher.

Neve checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 7 higher.

Lucie checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 10 higher.

Lenard checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 5 lower.

Alantir checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 4 lower.

Thalamina checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 11 higher.

Keely checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 44 higher.

Sorrel checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 24 higher.

Mattheu checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 12 lower.

Damiana checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 35 higher.

Kiera checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 0 higher.

Orland checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 35, rolling 1 higher.

As the first song winds down, Alis signals the second dance. This one, the Lyonesse (Viennese) Waltz! A faster type of waltz, at almost double the speed of the first. The band gives people a chance to rest a moment, before they start playing.

A faster paced dance is more to Ryhalt's taste and he flashes a playful grin to Clover. "Oh? A wonderful dancer are you? Have you been practicing while out of Arx? I have to see this." He leads Clover in through the faster pace, still looking stately but having more fun, too!

As the next dance begins, Clover does keep up for some time stumbles slightly, a gentle near topple into Ryhalt. Perhaps not so healed as to not do such. "I'm alright.." She assures before any concerned look can be given, and she straightens, her smile again forming as she moves about her husband. "Yes, I have been practicing. I only broke two peoples feet!"

Edris watches the dancers off and on, and there's a new glass in his hand, a flute of some kind that has the liquid mostly untouched. He circles the room very slowly. Being very subtle of course. At least he's not stalking about. But there is a certain watchfulness about him. As he draws close to where Tesha is, his steps tarry and pause. "Lady Tesha," he greets her quietly. "It is good to see you out and about."

Neve hears the faster tempo and looks to Lucie with a grin. "I hope you're ready for this one!" she declares before switching her hand positions and taking the lead. She keeps up gracefully enough, though with less flash than before.

Tesha seems more comfortable off the dance floor given circumstances, but she does have a certain look on her face. Or maybe it's the stitches in it, who knows. She keeps looking from one dance pair to the next, seeing if everyone was doing alright.

While Keely is dancing, Kael seems quite content to remain on the outskirts of the dance floor and simply be her adoring audience. One assumes that the exchange with Evelynn occurs either before, or midst, or after. That has him focusing far less on his cousin though and far more on his date. When her expression falters he is distinctly frowning and he straightens, taking a step toward her. All is well though - or well enough - and so he makes no terrible blundersome error. He does remain ever vigilant in his watch now, however.

Keely's etiquette is a little less completely flawless at faster speeds, but it is still mostly impeccable, save for the breathless giggles that keep escaping her during the more exciting spins and lifts. And the once or thrice that she looks out into the crowd to flash Kael a brilliant smile instead of focusing on her partner. Still! Posture and style are beyond reproach.

The faster waltz proves to be a challenge for Lenard. While he doesn't do something as uncouth as _tripping_, there are still too many close calls to deem it a success. "Figures the dances would get more complicated." the prince grumbles, but it's in good fun. Indeed, he _is_ having fun, for all that he's walking that fine line between marginal failure and utter disaster. At least his partner is doing fine!

Lucie bows to her partner as the first piece draws to a close. "You did not remain out of practice for long," she complements Neve as the next dance begins. If she is taken aback by Neve taking the lead for this one, she does not miss a beat, stepping forward and back with the rhythm as naturally as if she were parrying and thrusting with sword in hand at the training fields.

"If I had a chance," Orland tells his mysterious partner, "I'd ask the world to dance." Because he's not dancing with himself. Oh but there's Keely, looking fabulous! "Princess Keely," his baritone greets her in a whisk around the dance floor. Somewhere along the way, his partner ditched (or tripped) so now he's just following through with the movements by himself, arms sweeping around to make it appear like he's made new steps to this dance somewhere along the way, or like he was going to draw a sword.

Kiera is not paying much attention to her dancing and it shows. Her eyes too busy taking the room

Mattheu's spins becomes faster and faster as he slips to toe of boot, nothing more than a blur of spinning pink, red, and loud jingling of bells attempting to keep up. As the next song starts he stops in a dizzying step to the side and takes a moment to listen to the music. His first step forwards and a miss of where exactly the ground is to find himself upon knees skidding across the dance floor only stopping as he takes to attempt to hop from his position. Upon feet and now stumbling further forwards, stopped only by the table that he collides with. He appears to happy in the whole experience as he waves one had to the air, "I'm good! Found a drink too!" Said drink is raised in his other hand as he takes to sitting on the floor and drinking.

As she dances, Sorrel keeps an eye on her sister in a slightly suspicious way. Clover is, after all, somewhat known for being klutzy. Still, she seems to be having a lovely time with the dancing, smiling as she watches everyone.

This time, there's a bit of a break for people to take a drink; we'll call it a few moments of intermission. But when the last song starts up, it's the infamous ballroom tango! Very technical, and often known to entice people into breaking that code of etiquette. Tsk. Not for the faint of heart, but a very good test of that combination of skill the etiquette.

Thalamina slows to a stop in Alantir's arms when the waltz finally reaches its conclusion. During that brief moment of respite, the lady's grin adopts a much more playful twist as she says to her dance partner, "You dance rather more gracefully than your desperate evasion of it would have me believe." The next dance begins, and this time it is rather more advanced in pacing and steps than she expects, but somehow, some way, she manages to keep up.

Orland checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 23 lower.

Sorrel checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 67 higher. Sorrel rolled a critical!

Indeed, Damiana hasn't any trouble keeping up with the faster tempo - and is even able to avoid having her feet stepped on. "Consider it swordsmanship practice," she says. "Good footwork is as important as a strong sword arm, so they tell me." She seems to be enjoying herself - not in the pressed diplomatic way that she tends to show, but a genuine enjoyment settling on her face as she and her cousin spin and step.

Neve checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 4 lower.

Ryhalt checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 12 lower.

Lenard checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 18 lower.

Lucie checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 17 lower.

Keely checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 22 higher.

Alantir checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 25 lower.

Thalamina checked dexterity + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 6 lower.

Damiana checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 8 higher.

Clover checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 29 lower.

Kiera checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 32 lower.

Ryhalt easily correct's Clover's stumble, guiding her to the next step. "Only two broken feet..." He's doing his best not to sound both horrified and impressed all at once. As if he senses this next dance will be a challenge for even Clover's 'wonderful' dancing, he moves them off to the side at a pace closer to the last dance. It may cost them the dance, but he likes his feet and wife more than winning!

Mattheu checked charm + etiquette at difficulty 50, rolling 45 lower.

Of course the clumsy comes out, Clover gets far too excited over her brief distraction and desire to prove Ryhalt wrong. "See?! I told you!" And right about that time she trips right over her gown nearly falling, but last moment gripping Sorrel's hand to right herself. She can surely handle the light squeal in her attempt to bounce after her husband. "Sorrel did you se-eeee~!" She claps a hand over her mouth and then laughter rolls from her like a tinkling of wind through chimes.

Ah, the ballroom tango. Keely's technical work is still flawless, but her style suffers on this one, for several reasons. She looks a little more self-conscious, her smiles are not as bright, except of course the one she offers to Orland! "Lord Orland," she greets him, a bit breathless as they pass. "We must do tea soon. How does your tomorrow look?" But she is soon swept away and must focus on her footwork in this less-familiar dance, especially after getting distracted by Sorrel's spectacular performance and momentarily lost in admiration of the princess. There is even a barely-audible whisper of, "Wow," as they are spun past one another.

Solo Tango does not work. Not at all. Orland tries it for a moment but it looks absolutely awful and he's not trying to look completely ridiculous the entire night. After a BUMP into someone else, maybe it was Alantir, he totally decides that he better get off the dance floor, with a slight apology, "Sorry about that! I couldn't see, what with my partner being in the way and all." He has no partner. He grins and slips on off the dance floor to look for DRINKS. But he pauses at hearing Keely, "I haven't seen tomorrow yet, but it promises to be fine. Tea sounds lovely, your highness!"

Kiera trips her way through something vaaguely resembling a tango, looking about to see how others are faring

Alis should probably feel bad for the difficulty level of this last dance. But maybe it's a /lesson/, Oathlanders. Brush up on those etiquette skills because you never know when you'll need them and obviously they have /lapsed/! Her gaze flickers over each of the family members present with maybe a raised eyebrow or two. But look at Damiana! She can't see it, but there's a bright smile there. But, as the music dies down for a moment, she beckons only one person forward. And it's not a Valardin. *gasp*!

"Princess Keely Grayson. You displayed impressive technical skill and grace. It appears the alaricite will be sent home with you this evening. Congratulations on the win. To everyone else - you all looked like you had great fun. And yes, now I can join you all and trip over my own two feet as well."

It seems that Lucie's half-forgotten education in the finer arts only takes her so far, as while she remains coordinated and in rhythm, her dance could not be considered a true Oathlands ballroom tango. She grins as she dances enthusiastically, clearly having fun as she leads Neve with exuberant steps and twirls, culminating in lowering Neve to a deep dip to the floor.

Somehow, SOMEHOW, there's still no tripping. Now Lenard's dancing cannot in any shape or form be deemed good or really up to any sort of standard, short of utter failure and disaster. He doesn't crash on the floor, but there were collisions that, while they didn't throw the prince off his feet, certainly didn't help anyone else's dancing. Or his. Not that there was much to help it in the first place. So by the time it ends... Lenard looks immensely relieved. "If it's like swordfighting, then I am in dire need of more practice." he winces. "I'll need to perfect my education in that field, I think." he remarks to Damiana once the poor girl is safe from immediate harm.

Tesha gives a soft round of applause for those that have been dancing and for Keely's win. She felt that it was something that should be applauded at the end of things. Though she looks like her energy is fading fast. Her smile is less bright as she finishes off the wine she was drinking and she starts to slowly make her way back around the edges of the crowd.

Beads and twigs go click-clack against the floor as Neve is dipped, and she laughs aloud! She does her best to keep up with the song and follow Lucie's lead, but she doesn't quite do the dance justice. Maybe next time she will wear real shoes and see if that helps.

Turns out in this instance no eyes might be a plus for Damiana. Unable to watch the performance of her companions on the dance floor, she can concentrate on her footwork, her tact with Lenard, and, maybe, occasionally and as subtly as possible bracing her partner when a step eludes him. Either way, by the end of the dance her cheeks are flushed and his comment even brings a laugh out of her. "Next time there is spontaneous dancing, I'll be at your service," she says. "I get the feeling that in /that/ arena, you would far outstrip me."

Ryhalt steps off the floor, looking relieved. As Alis announces the winner, he claps loudly for Keely. He turns to Clover and asks, "Did you have fun?"

Clover is nothing but smiles as she clings to Ryhalt's arm. "I did, oh how I've missed it." She admits freely to him

Keely looks absolutely shocked as Alis calls her forward, her cheeks flushing vibrant crimson and her eyes growing wide. She looks around just in case there is like a different Keely Grayson here, but no! She looks up to Alis, pointing to herself to quadruple check that she means -her-, and then she timidly steps forward, trying to be very small and unnoticed suddenly. "Thank you, Your Grace," she voices meekly as she lowers herself into a graceful curtsey to her patron, unable to keep the growing smile from her lips. Once a polite amount of time has passed to accept congratulations, she scurries back into the crowd and goes off in search of Kael.

Who is not hard to find, thanks to his height's enhancement from those big, stompy boots.

Maybe Alantir shouldn't have polished off a glass of wine prior to taking to the dance floor. The Oathlander's reactions slow. Visibly. Rather blame it upon his own poor decisions, however, he simply grits his teeth and attempts to correct for a series of increasingly encumbered and ill-timed missteps. The longer they remain, the quicker the tempo becomes. Slowly, but surely, the prince's frustrations rise. What began as a slow and pleasant recollection of childhood memories transitions into a nightmarish attempt to emerge from a battlefield (of etiquette) victorious the moment an equally-troubled Orland bumps into the knight and /very/ nearly causes him to trip. "Good evening, Lord Amadeo," he calls after the familiar face, strangely relieved by the interruption.

And then the winner is announced, absolving him of the weight of responsibility. He joins the crowd in their chorus of applause for Keely Grayson. During the celebration, he leans to Thalamina and lowers his voice, speaking discreetly.

Lucie bows once more as the song concludes. "Thank you for the dance, Lady Neve. I am sorry if I got a little carried away at the end," she says with flushed cheeks.

Ah, the tango. Kael continues to observe those that are making their fine display in perfect form from the sidelines. He rolls his shoulders, straightens his spine, and watches with a perfectly schooled expression. This is perhaps to contain his excitement of his date for the evening being declared the victor of the contest in the end. He does, however, applaud for the fine display of all the contestants this evening. When Keely is moving and in clear search of him, he steps forward with ease and bows swiftly to her. "Incredibly done," he compliments, offering her his arm thereafter.

Edris pauses in his wanderings to applaud as well, very carefully holding the stem of his flute glass as he does so, and at least managing to not slosh it over the floor or anyone else. A genuine smile flickers to life on his face when the winning name is announced, though it's unlikely that he's not lost in the crowd.

Alis is flush with the (presumable) success of the evening so far, and can finally make her way towards Edris who has been so carefully watching the crowd all this time. "I believe I am now free to dance, my lord. If you still wish to brave it." she offers, though she's watching Keely's shy excitement with a bit of a smile until the last moment. Which, then she looks up at the Elwood with a slightly mischeivous grin.

Sorrel laughs brightly after the last dance, looking rather flushed but delighted by the experience. "Ah, Clover. I'm so glad that we all got to dance today. It's quite nice to spend time with you. I think everyone's rather impressed with Princess Keely's dancing, yes?"

Mattheu lets out a loud cheer as Keely is awarded the prize holding his glass up from his perch upon the floor next to table

"Don't apologize," a slightly flushed Neve insists as she catches her breath. "That was fun! Maybe we can do it again sometime." After that she joins in the applause for Keely.

Mattheu has left the Cavalier Table.

Violeta Emili, tall and shadowed rivenshari, 2 Rivenshari Clan Guardsman leave, following Mattheu.

Orland winks to Alantir, "Good evening, your Highness. I'm sorry I may have contributed to you missing out on ... a prize." He turns to the announcement, "Though I think the most nimble person in the room has won. I may have to take dancing lessons from her." He contributes to the applause, "Well done, your Highness, well done!"

"Only time will tell. I'm afraid I must beg my leave from you, cousin." Lenard tells Damiana, inclining his head to her. "I promised to visit the House of Solace before the night's end. Enjoy the rest of the party, we'll catch up soon."

Kiera plops herself down on the floor next to Matti as she applauds for keely

Lenard has left the Quiet Alcove.

2 Valardin Knights, Renault the squire leave, following Lenard.

Thalamina completes the hurried and incredibly challenging tango with a few locks of copper curls coming loose from her formerly perfectly plaited mane. There might be a sheen of sweat on her forehead, too, from the exertion! But there's no frown to be found on her heart-shaped face; in fact, she rushes through the ordeal with her equally fatigued dance partner with chimes of laughter interspersed. When the contest is over, she turns around to clap amiably for the winner. "Congratulations, Princess Keely," she says aloud mid-applause, and when people begin to part ways, the Shepherd steps back into her dance partner's personal space, not to pursue another waltz, but to listen to whatever it is he intends to convey at private volume. Her grin fades to something akin to muted amusement, and after nodding once, pivots on her heel and waits for him to pass so that she can follow his lead.

"I would like that," Lucie replies brightly before pondering a moment. "Hold on a moment," she says as she makes for the door of the great hall peering at her dance card.

There are smiles offered as Keely passes various people in the crowd, namely to Ryhalt, Alantir, Thalamina, and Sorrel, though it is likely that there would be more if not for that she is trying not escape the spotlight without the red that is now up into her ears getting any brighter. By the time she reaches Kael, she is again a little out of breath and also as red as a beet, and his bow is met with a gentle dip of her chin before she appears to reach for his hand rather than his arm while they resume a softer conversation off to the side for a moment.

The Elwood knight can't help it, truly--some of that restless energy is spun off in keeping a close eye on things, as much as he might should he be on a scouting mission rather than in a formal ballroom setting. Though perhaps, in their own ways, both have their shares of snares and dangers. Alis' approach is noted, perhaps, and he once more offers her a low bow. "It would be my honor, Your Grace," he tells her, a smile lingering on his lips. "Shall we?" He offers her his arm. "If we do crash into anyone, let us make it a good and proper one," he decides, solemnly.

"I believe this would be appropriate," Lucie says handing a bunch of phlox to Neve and studying her dance card once more.

Damiana bids her cousin goodbye, and as Lenard leaves her side, he is immediately replaced by Astraea, who leads her mistress discreetly away from the buzz at the side of the dance floor.

Ryhalt smiles warmly to Clover and gives her hand a squeeze. "I'm happy. It's been far too long since we've danced like this. It's a very good night."

Alantir checks dexterity and survival at hard. Alantir fails.

Neve accepts the phlox with a bright smile. "Thank you, Lucie," she says. "Thank you very much."

Lucie smiles in return as she goes to leave the hall once more. "Goodnight, Neve," she says warmly.

Alis gives a playful little curtsy to the Elwood Lord, and then takes the offered arm. "if we crash into anyone it's obviously /entirely/ on purpose. A Highlord never has an accident like that." she points out, in the kind of insufferably snooty tone that she is NOT known for and sounds absolutely ridiculous coming from her lips. Which is obviously why she smiles brightly at Clover and Sorrel and waves at them while she's on her way to joining the dancing now as well.

Kiera makes her way quietly over to keely and presents her phlox

To take a bottle of wine from the ballroom would not be stealing -- no; the refreshments are in the possession of House Valardin, and of this family Alantir is certainly a blooded member. But to /sneak/ a bottle of wine from the ballroom without being spotted by a particularly observant high lord or one of her dutiful attendants is another matter entirely. Alantir, seeking to take his leave, not-so-subtly seizes one of these unopened containers as he parades slowly in the direction of the audience hall. Unfortunately, he doesn't position the glass at the correct angle, and the glimmer that it produces beneath flickering firelight is unmistakable. Or, you know, it could have something to do with how strangely rigid the prince seems -- the stiffness complicating an otherwise awkward and guilty gait.

"It has been, we should dance more often." Clover relays with a soft glow of delight about her. "I have worked very hard. I even studied my medical book more." She whispers as if some grand secret she shares. "But my archery? Far better thaan my dancing." She sounds sincere, a genuine thing, not her usual lighthearted pecking at him

Keely looks up from her soft conversation with Kael, offering Kiera a warm, flush-cheeked smile as she accepts the phlox. "Oh, my lady," she murmurs softly. "How very Kind. Thank you very much. I hope you are enjoying yourself as much as I am this evening."

"ENJOY THAT WINE, PRINCE ALANTIR, YOU'RE WELCOME." Alis, somehow, has seen that glint of bottle and the posture of a family member trying to escape unseen.

Looking toward the fleeing prince, Clover bursts into laughter. Alis busted him, quite aptly, and the Duchess just cannot control her giggles.

"Thank yo--good dance, congratulations, your grace," the prince calls back, disappearing beyond the exit seconds later.

Kael's accepting Keely's hand when it is offered, rather than serving as a formal escort with his offered arm. The pair of them are already off to the side, yet the Keaton is taking her smaller hand in his larger one and starting to lead her off to a more quiet place of recluse. Perhaps due to the fact that the princess is absolutely beet red. He eyes that alcove, not realizing that it is currently inhabited, and has to pause when Kiera approaches Keely. He clears his throat and shifts to a stand, adopting a more formal pose. "Lady Wyvernheart," he says simply by way of greeting, Keely obviously the more social of the two.

Neve takes a moment to catch her breath, finish her milk-and-liquour cocktail, and tuck the most agreeable phlox into her hair before saying her appropriately polite goodbyes and seeing her way out.

Neve is overheard praising Alis: Thank you for hosting a fantastic event!

All that can be glimpsed or heard of Thalamina is the rustle of aeterna through the door at speeds only a seasoned scout can boast, and with a peal of laughter stifled by their immediate departure through the archway.

Tesha gives a look around and sees that the party is branching off again. Her guard asks her a quiet question and she nods to him before she lets him head for the door. She's not far behind the Telmarine after she gives some quiet goodbyes. But she leaves just as quietly as she arrived.

Tesha is overheard praising Alis.

Keely is overheard praising Alis: 55 more years!

Ryhalt nods to Clover. "The dance season is coming up, there will be plenty of opportunities." He gives a vague nod to the claim that her archery is better than her dancing. Probably doesn't want a broken foot or to get shot at tonight.

Clover is overheard praising Alis: A lovely event hosted by a lovely princess. I look forward to seeing her about more.

Swiftly the Red Fox, 1 Greenmarch Guards, Andred, a lady-in-waiting leave, following Neve.

Kiera smiles "I did, though surely i need another dance class or two or perhaps a calming of nerves"

Damiana has sat long enough to finish a glass of water, but, as people begin to branch out into small groups,she motions for Astraea and murmurs to the young lady for a moment before rising and taking her arm. On her way by, she pauses and bows to Alis. "A fitting way to honour your five years at our head, Cousin," she says, genuine affection under the brusque formality. But then she's turning to head for the door. There are books to be pored over.

Orland has found the drinks and not the one that Alantir shoved down his pants or where ever. Hand holding a glass of wine, he tilts his head at seeing who Keely was with, but then his attention darts around the crowd as some start leaving, he's just beginning. More wine for him!

Damiana is overheard praising Alis.

Thalamina is overheard praising Alis.

Lady Astraea, a provincial Oathlander, 4 Valardin Knights leave, following Damiana.

Cristoph is overheard praising Alis.

Alantir has left the Cavalier Table.

Thalamina leaves, following Alantir.

Clover takes Ryhalt's hand in her own.

Maybe it's the battlefield experience, and the fact that he's close enough to possibly see that breath being taken, but Edris doesn't even flinch when Alis calls across room at the poor retreating Atlantir. His eyes narrow at her, though, and he can't help but comment, "By the Gods, have you been sharping your eyesight as well as your blade? How in the blazes--" but he just shakes his head slightly, his smile warm. "Well, at least you'll be able to spot any weaknesses we might exploit if we run a pair off the fi--I mean dance floor," he observes, as he sweeps them around for another pass.

Keely smiles gently and gives a quick shake of her head to Kiera. "You danced beautifully, my lady, because you were enjoying yourself," she assures the Wyvernheart in soft tones. There is another smile to Orland, warm and kind, and then after a small retreat to the alcove, she and Kael share the final three dances together, the names on her dance card looking strangely similar all the way down as it dangles from her belt.