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open starter

"oh," the word came in a startled manner as gracie turned to face the other. a leather bound book was cradled to her chest, eyes slightly widened at the intrusion from the other. "it's alright, i was just.. in truth, i perhaps should not be in here myself but.. i simply could not help it. i have heard tales of the palace library and, it certainly does not disappoint." gracie mused, tucking a few loose brunette strands behind her ear. "i um.. i could fetch my chaperone to help you find your way outside, if you'd like?"

Her comment spurred him to remain quiet, squinting in curiosity at the lady who presented in front of him. For her not to be a lady, spurred two questions, was she too high class to consider him, or was she someone his mother would have stern words about him seeing. However, regardless, he was not deterred by the raven haired goddess in front of him. "If you are not a lady, then how should I be speaking to you?" He exclaimed, teeth sinking into his bottom lip in concern. "I do hope I am not speaking out of turn, or not respecting you how I should." He added, sighing deeply to himself. Her comment spurred a smirk, brows raising slightly. "Perhaps a little liquor will be all you need to persuade you to dance with me." He hummed, filling up her glass with the scotch bottle on the counter. However, as she agreed to dance with him, he retrieved the glass from her hand, slipping his hand into hers, and gentle guiding her to the dancefloor. A hand slipped onto her waist, tugging her closer, but not too much to cause a scene. "I must avoid such , though , my sisters have ensured my dancing is top notch, besides, I would not wish your father to gain a poor first impression."

as the man spoke, then sank his teeth into his bottom lip, inaya couldn't stop her gaze from wandering to his mouth, studying the way his lips curved to form the words. the princess caught herself, then flicked her eyes back up to meet his. then, she responded to his question, a slight smirk on her face. "i believe the correct term would be.. your royal highness but.. that feels like a bit of a mouthful. princess or inaya will do just fine." the woman responded, keeping her gaze focused on his face, wanting to spot any such change in his demeanor, for she did not want to put him off so quickly. as soon as she agreed to dance with him, the empty scotch glass was taken from her, and placed to the side. then, she was being guided to the center of the ballroom. with an arm slipped around her waist, inaya was drawn closer to the man, peering up at him through thick lashes. "keep an eye on those hands of yours." the princess murmured, reaching for his wrist to then slightly edge his hand further up her back, into a little less scandalous position. "my father, the maharaja, wants only to see me happy, though he is very difficult to please. good first impressions do not come easy for him." she hummed, resting one of her hands upon benedict's shoulder, the other returning to find his.

a brow arched at the words he spoke, the compliment sliding from his mouth with such ease. he was charming, there was no doubting that. "i will certainly keep that in mind when my countless other suitors line up and try to win my hand." she chuckled, smirking to herself. inaya then made the decision to reach out her hand toward the man. "are you aiming on introducing yourself to me properly, or were you wanting your identity to remain a mystery all evening?" the princess offered another slight smile, her gaze flitting up to meet his.

open starter @ her shop

entering the store almost felt like a betrayal. usually, her outfits were all made and altered by madame delacroix. however, the seamstress had been all booked up at such short notice, so she thought that she'd try elsewhere. in her hand, she held a dress, on which gracie had noticed a small pucker in the fabric. it was to be a gown for a special occasion, and if she wanted to make an impression, to find herself a good husband, she had to look perfect. upon hearing a voice from the back of the shop, gracie took a seat, silently, and politely, waiting her turn.

open starter

at the request of her father, inaya had attended the ball, and had even agreed to meet with the queen the following day. she was playing the part of the obedient little princess rather well, for now at least. walking through the palace, with a guard or two in tow, the princess was greeted by the familiar sight of william, without a shirt no less. eyes widened for a moment, and the princess quickly spun, averting her gaze from him. "i know this is your home and all but, william.. please put some clothes on." the princess spoke, chuckling lightly to herself in amusement as she remained with her back to him, her hand covering her eyes for good measure.

open starter @ a park

head moved from left to right, hearing the sound of a voice. she did not know whether the words were directed at her, or whether the man had just been musing aloud. "i do not think many would agree with you on that. the courting, the dancing.. that all seems terribly fun." gracie hummed, eyes sparkling dreamily.

"it seems as though i have missed the first dance of the season." the comment was a strange tone, a mix of disappointment and relief slipping into her usual collected appearance. the idea of attending had filled her with excitement, and yet the moment she drew closer and closer to town an uneasy knot of apprehension had formed in her stomach. she was unsure whether it was too soon, too sudden to return to the society in which her parents wished for her, and upon arrival to find the event over, the pressure to conform to their expectations eased, giving the brunette a moment of brief respite. "i suppose there were several interesting moments to hear of?"

the complex nature of hamish's relationship with amelie meant that he knew her better than most, and was able to tell just how she was feeling by the most simple of things. although his contract with her parents was complete, hamish struggled to take a step back. he'd grown fond of her, and felt very protective over her. so, he'd made the choice to accompany her, acting as her chaperone. "do not fret, my lady, i am sure there will be plenty more opportunities for you to dip your toes into the ballroom." the man spoke, a slight smile crossing his face as he peered toward her. of course, he could never accompany her to such events. although he had made a name for himself in the ton, he wasn't quite at the point in his career where he'd be favored by the queen, or amelie's family. "i have heard a few tales. lords tripping over ladies, toes being trodden on. but, i have not heard of any such scandals yet.." hamish spoke, chuckling lightly to himself.

He did not wish to sound distant, though with every waking moment, his mind fell deeper into such slumber. He was elsewhere, mind preoccupied with the possibilities, his mind taken by the possibilities of art college, and what this would mean for him. He often felt lost, hopelessly searching for a purpose, something to ground and guide him, and he had not yet put his finger on it , until now. "I can imagine, a lady such as yourself should be in search of a husband , am I right?" He asked, tilting his head with a smile. "This time of year is certainly a spectacle." He did not envy her, and the expectations it held for a lady. "I can imagine such expectations are gruelling." He handed her a glass of scotch with a smirk before signalling at it. "For the nerves." He chuckled, gnawing down on his bottom lip with a smile. "I am honoured you are asking me to dance, how long have you pined for me?" He teased, reaching out his hand for her to take.

a smirk crossed the princess' face at the words the man spoke, a brow arching in response. he was intriguing, to say the least. during her previous seasons spent in london, inaya had been made away of the bridgerton clan and, while the majority would mention the viscount, some would whisper about the mysterious younger brother. the one with whom she was faced. "lady is not my correct title.. but, to answer your question, yes. should my father have anything to do with it, i will be betrothed and wed by the close of the season." eyes roll following the words. truthfully, her father had been attempting to see her wed for a number of years, but inaya had always managed to somehow get out of it. she was growing tired. eyes flicked to the scotch glass in his hand, eyes sparkling as she glanced back toward him. "are you trying to get me drunk, mister bridgerton?" the princess spoke, voice filled with amusement and a slight air of flirtation. in response to his next comment, and just chuckled, then shook her head. lifting the tumbler, she downed the bitter liquor with a grimace. "i do not recall asking you to dance. but, who am i to deny a face like that?" she mused teasingly, reaching up then to lightly tap the tip of his nose, chuckling to herself. the glass was placed down, and a hand held out toward him. "be careful not to step on my toes, for my father may take your head if you do. and that would certainly be a shame.." perhaps the princess was a little on the tipsy side already. she wasn't usually so openly flirtatious.

" who would wish to keep it secret? public displays of affection are sweet, are they not ?" She was clearly being sarcastic, a chuckle leaving her lips as she grimaced upon the view.

inaya could sense the sarcasm in the other woman's words, and almost felt as though she'd found a kindred spirit in the other. a chuckle left the princess' lips in response. "oh, undoubtedly! i mean, who would not want the entire population to bear witness to their undying love?" her tone is laced with playful mockery, a smirk still dancing on her lips. "truly, it is a public service they're providing.. educating us all on the intricacies of romance with each stolen glance and tender caress.." she continues, rolling her eyes playfully.

His mock hurt allowed a scoff to flee through her lips, eyes rolling in retort. "Surely it is not the first time you have been emotionally wounded." She teased, a smirk lacing her lips despite her attempts to dismiss it. She was not accustomed to speaking to someone of his station, her father prohibited such. Their wealth often meant such security, dismissing those around them. She however, would not choose to live such a way, though she remained with limited choices as a woman of the household. "I can imagine, it likely gives a thief like yourself an easy job, does it not?" She rested her hands on her hips, brows quirked in curiosity. His comment spurred her to roll her eyes, scoffing in return. "Would you like me to host you a pity party?"

a slight roll of his eyes was given in response to her comment, shrugging it off casually. his smirk softened into a grin as he listened to her speak. "ah, you've got me there, love," he admitted with a shrug, his eyes alight with amusement. "a bit of charm and a dash of daring can get you past most guards, and servants too, especially when they are too busy gossiping to notice someone like myself slipping by." theo smirked, though was quick to shake his head in response to her pinning him as a thief. "you have, however, got me all wrong with that. i am no thief." theo's expression turned thoughtful at the stranger's pointed question, her skepticism evident. "a pity party? nah, not my style, sweetheart," he replied with a playful wink. "though, a little compassion wouldn't go amiss."

confidence radiated from the man, and the princess couldn't quite decide whether she found it to be intriguing, or irritating. perhaps a little of both. then, he spoke. a brow arched in response to his question, lips stretching to form a slight smirk. "well, one never knows what the future may hold, or whether another may round that corner performing an even bigger spectacle than yourself.. so i cannot say for certain. but, rest assured, your presence as of right now, has certainly made its mark." inaya admitted with another slight smile.

nicholas just smiled ❝i can not speak for all men, as i know a great many who are not, but i always try and treat others with respect. i have two younger cousins who are like sisters to me, and i would never want them to feel as if they were treated poorly❞ then nicholas looked at her and said ❝i have been told i am a good teacher, if you wish to learn or have a new teacher. if not, i do not mind keeping you company.❞

as he continued to speak, the corners of the princess' lips tugged up into a smile, nodding along with every word he spoke. "it truly is refreshing to know that chivalry is not entirely lost in this world, your cousins are lucky to have you." inaya mused with a slight bow of her head, something she'd been taught as a mark of respect for others. as he mentioned being a good teacher, the princess couldn't help but laugh, nose wrinkling ever so slightly. "i appreciate the offer, truly. besides, it would be considered poor form if i was to decline." inaya spoke, reaching a hand out toward him with yet another gentle smile.

a laugh escapes his lips in response to the woman's words. "and what gave you that impression?" theo asked, a smirk settling on his face, features dancing with intrigue as he moved to lean casually against the wall next to her, arms folding over his chest.

a brow arched as the woman lowered the hood of her cloak, a slight smirk crossing theo's face at her words. the question amused him, then made a light chuckle pass his lips. "not at all, love." theo quipped, his words tinged with a playful edge. "but if you do find yourself in need of a bit of company or a guide to navigate these winding alleys, i'd be more than happy to lend a hand. can't promise it won't be an adventure though." eyes sparkle with a slight air of mischief, as a brow is arched in the woman's direction.

"mayfair?" theo repeated, his voice tinged with a hint of curiosity. "quite the distance from here, especially at this hour. you must have quite the green thumb to keep you occupied in your greenhouse until nightfall." the words were playful, and a smile danced across theo's lips as he took a step closer, his demeanor relaxed, choosing to assume that the man was merely a lost soul, and in need of assistance. "i can offer you some guidance if you'd like. mayfair's a fair trek from here, and the streets can be a maze if you're not familiar with them. wouldn't want you stumbling into the wrong alleyway, now would we?" with a casual flick of his wrist, theo gestured for the stranger to join him.