#crhs.side.event

ON BEHALF OF THE KING OF CASTILE, ALFONSO ANSCARIDS, you are hereby invited to an iberian art exhibition which will be held on july 18th, 1458 at the jerónimos monastery. this event is in honor of the house of anscarids and to celebrate its lengthy history. the king of castile requests your presence and extends his warmest welcome.

[ closed starter for @glorifiedcrown ]

When Abuzar Beg, loyal friend and trusted advisor to the Shahbanu Ghazala of Persia, received his invitation, a playful smirk formed upon his lips at once. Formerly of the Delhi Sultanate, where he was scarred and exiled for defending the rightful queen her people had ungratefully betrayed, the arguably greatest commercial and diplomatic asset of the empire, with his numerous invaluable contacts, both within the Chinese and the Timurids themselves, ever growing, ever expanding towards the West as well, found that same smirk also growing wider each second he spent longer, strolling around, making his rounds, watching with clasped hands behind his back, the priceless pieces of art featuring the past rulers of Iberia. Most around him at this exhibition would very much like to join their ranks, but not Abuzar. Instead, he would glorify and ensure that his charge, the Shahbanu Ghazala, would be the one to find herself elevated to such heights.

Of the many other guests, kings and princes as well as diplomats such as himself, the Crown Prince of Russia was the one to catch Abuzar's dark eye. As was and will forever be his duty, Abuzar had read well on the many notable persons he could encounter in Portugal while representing the shahbanu. His was to act as her sword, a sharp blade meant to ensure friendships and alliances. Of Russia, he had already met her Prince Vasily of House Bezukhov, whom Abuzar had taken to as a strange if not refreshing conversation. The Crown Prince, the glory of his nation's great militia, ever loyal to his tsar brother, was supposed to be beloved, and Abuzar had no doubt there was a reason for such adoration. He would seek the reason for himself then.

"The array is exquisite, isn't it? The regal men of then for the viewing of the regal men of now. It's what I love about art: How they preserve what has come and gone in the most beautiful of ways." He approached him quietly, as politely as he could, making sure that there was safe distance between them, as befitting the company of a crown prince and a mere diplomat. With a brief nod, Abuzar offered the Crown Prince the warmth of a gentle smile upon his face, hoping that the Russian royalty would not take his presence too cumbersome, though he had already prepared a genuine apology should it be found otherwise. "I don't mean to intrude, my Prince. I am all but stricken with awe at this great opportunity to witness magnificence in two ways: That of the art, and that of the company."

dark corners, winding corridors and backrooms. these were the limits of karim’s domain, places that he haunted in the nights that tedious dinners and leaden stares became a bit too listless for the restless prince. all the better to explore another person in the dark, to have your hands and tongue know them before your eyes could. it was a practice he’d implemented across his travels and he did the dance well. show up to the spiritless displays of diplomacy, acquire a target and ply them with dark stares and sly smirks until all it took at the end of the night was a well timed run in behind an enormous statue, or a hundred year old tapestry, or if they were in cordoba, perhaps a glittering case of jewels. it had gotten him in trouble many a time  — a reputation ruined, a brawl started, the disapproving stares of whomever would dare, but none of that could touch him for long, as he was a prince and answered to almost no one. 

the most exciting conquests, for certain were the ones with the same arrogance and lack of care that he exhibited. these fell into only two categories, the fools and the powerful. he wondered, as he sauntered down the corridor to an art exhibition that the king of castile had invited him to, which one this would be. it could certainly only be the powerful, he thought as he walked into the room, confronted by beautiful portraits, food, and men. he had to admit, he only cared for the latter two, and his eyes swept the room taking in the scene. 

Since arriving in Portugal, William had heard more rumors about royals than he could count and there were certain whispers of conversation that he couldn't recall just who had shared them or even if he had been the one they were shared with. Usually those were the more innocent sort of murmurs, those that didn't seem like they would have great diplomatic impact like if someone insisted on a drink before bed or wanted to use exactly seven blankets. With rumors like that, it was more interesting to see who was aware of the bed habits of whom, but this particular incident wasn't like that except in that William didn't quite remember where he'd heard it.

Regardless, word had it that the Holy Roman Empress Apollonia was interested in falconry, archery, and hunting, and those seemed like things that would serve as an excellent conversation starter between her and John at some point since William was certain that John would make use of the chance to talk to such an influential woman. For William's part, he mostly appreciated that she seemed like she would enjoy the event and William moved his horse closer to her as they readied to set off.

Perhaps inviting Marius wasn’t the wisest decision that William could have made because he seemed like the sort of guest that the French would take exception to. However, William wasn’t a great fan of the French no matter what their alliance said, so it could be considered a test of their devotion to peace if they behaved. 

Besides that, he was under the protection of the Holy Roman Empress, wasn’t he? And considering her presence, he doubted anyone would make too much of a fuss about it. 

Even if they did, William felt certain that John could find some way to use it to their advantage. So look at that, William found a way to be spiteful to the French and John got to observe potential tensions between two countries to search out a possible weakness to exploit. 

Crara was not bored during the garden party, but it was not due to attempts of entertainment provided by the hostess - Isabelle Neville. Or even if it was, Crara wouldn’t admit it. The queen had to work hard during event, seemingly organized only for pleasure of the guests. She was here to create alliances, offer deals, chat with women who were close to men in power - or held that power in fact. Some could say that Shahbanu Ghazala was in the second group - a powerful woman with a strong agenda, with Shah wrapped around her finger. But was that really the case ? And would Persia be an ally or a foe ? She knew a lot about factions in other Muslim kingdoms, to make sure if they are supporting Emirate of Córdoba or not, but situation in Persia seemed a bit confusing to her. With a glass of sparkling wine in her hand she approached Ghazala; the younger woman was standing far away from the crowd in the garden. “ Shahbanu Ghazala, is it ? “ she asked. “ How are you fairing, your majesty ? Was this evening worth travelling so far ?”