i am king

     she could have easily repeated what she had said, once again offering the  common condolences one would offer in light of the passing of regina’s recent loss… but it didn’t feel right. she would have meant every word of it, because she knew how it felt to lose someone, but she presumed that the woman had heard every variation of the phrase ‘i’m so sorry for your loss’ that maybe she’d heard enough. 

     “I said, would you care to join me outside for a stroll,” she instead said, lowering herself into a small curtsy before straightening up, “my siblings can take care of themselves for a few moments, and i’m in desperate need of some fresh air.”

Regina nodded her head and smiled as she rose. “I would love that, thank you,” she said, setting aside her now-empty champage flute and snapping her fan shut smartly. “This ballroom is rather stuffy, don’t you think?” She began to walk for the doors that opened to the lawns outside, keeping her strode leisurely. “Are you enjoying yourself? It’s so nice to see everyone again.”

mary had meet the nott family once or twice– her mother acquainted with theirs. she never had the pleasure of truly befriending them… and with the whole scandal with regina’s brother; that kinda pulled the families apart due to her father. she was pleased to see regina in something other than black. she felt black was a chilling color– dreadful and filled with sorrow.“i was saying how wonderful to see you.” she mused as she stepped closer to her. “black is truly not your color.” a small smile left her.

Regina smiled at Mary, patting the seat next to her. “It’s so lovely to see you as well,” she said, pulling the skirts of her gown in to give Mary a little more room. “I was beginning to miss color, as well.” She ran her hand over the lavender-gray fabric of her dress. “Soon enough I’ll be back in the full spectrum of the rainbow. But you can’t rush these things, I suppose.”

  xx

    Reuben liked to believe that within the Nott family, came a special sort of sense of things - he could feel the distress beacon from Regina before even laying eyes on her expression, bored under the mask of interest; and he knew it well, and so he arrived to play the role of rescuer. Heaven only knew how much she’d done it for him - following the wake of his disastrous engagement (now called off, leaving him a free man once more, prowling across the dance floor with a mischievous glint in his eye), Reuben expected to be under a more careful watch. 

   “Don’t I always, sister dearest?” Reuben smirked in return, the jest thick in his tone. Of course, their parents had warned him profusely - ‘no shenanigans this year, Reuby, no mischief, no mistakes, no bad decisions, no fun.’

   Well, he could at least try. “Promise me you are having fun, you deserve it.” 

Regina huffed a laugh under her breath. “You know, you needn’t live like a muggle priest,” she said gently, spinning out from him before returning. She knew their mother and father expected Reuben to use this opportunity to their advantage, but she also knew that he deserved to enjoy himself and have a little fun.

At his question, she faltered slightly. “I am having the appropriate amount of fun,” she murmured, “For someone in my situation.” She looked up at him. “I suppose I’m better off than you, now. No one is expecting me to find a new husband at one of these... Gatherings.”

setting: social ball

Regina scanned the crowded ballroom, lazily fanning herself in a vain attempt to stave off the heat of too many bodies in a small space. This ball was felt like being a debutante again - Paraded about, cinched and pinched and prodded. The gray of her half-mourning gown felt weightier than the white of her presentation dresses had; Weightier, even, than her wedding gown. She felt marked out as different from the others twirling around her with abandon, which, she supposed, was the point of mourning someone. Or pretending to, at least.

She reached to accept a flute of champagne from a passing waiter, offering a smile of thanks before becoming aware of something in the corner of her eye. She turned to see someone who she thought might have spoken, and she directed her smile at them.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t catch that,” she said, taking a sip of her drink. “You were saying?”

status; open setting; abbott mansion ball 

     before his arrival at the event, reuben had gone over his new self-imposed ‘rules’ - last season, though by the end of his debauchery, reuben had been successful in securing himself a match, but had lost them just before the wedding. this year, he was well aware that his family’s patience was hanging by a thread, and though his reputation from the former year of those who came and enjoyed london’s social scene may taint his abilities… reuben had been determined to clean up his act. 

    but that was then, and this was now - and the lady who his eye was hoping to seek had yet to arrive, and reuben was itching to actually enjoy the activities of the party before the evening got any older. so, after a brief scan of the ballroom, reuben chose his target and sauntered up with a polite bow and a charming, self-important smile. extending a hand, he asked - “may i have the next dance?” 

Regina raised her eyes to meet her brother’s, smirking before arranging her face into a more demure smile. Leave it to Reuben to rescue her from the pack of spinsters and widows around her. “Of course,” she said as she took his hand, rising as gracefully as possible.

Tonight’s ball marked Regina’s entry back into polite society after a year of “mourning”, mostly by wearing black and heavy veils and dabbing at her dry eyes whenever someone mentioned her dearly departed husband. She nudged the train of her gown behind her, glad that she could move from black and crepe into the deep gray-lavender she was wearing now. She rested one hand in Reuben’s and one on his shoulder before beginning to follow him in the steps of their dance.

“Are you behaving yourself, my love?” She asked, smirk returning. “Or is it not that type of party?”