#viiorels

@viiorels

"Why didst thou choose to fight beasts?” asks Roland, one evening, behind greetings and meetings and offerings of food and drink; huddled in the corner with splintered chairs, conversing betwixt dinner.

The status which often brought her to Versailles was a blessing and a curse, for it allowed her consistent access to the palace, but it also demanded her consistent presence in the palace. At the very least she was a fourth daughter, and a sixth child besides, and thus was not very missed at most events and court proceedings when she found herself more interested in exploring (having so many siblings to represent the family so that she could dilly, dither, and dally was another one of those mixed blessings).

Thus, she knew exactly the route to take to relieve Mihai of the thorn which had attached itself to his side from the moment he had stepped foot in the palace. He was quick to agree, which was to be expected, but the reach for her hand startled a warmth into her cheeks. Her lips curved into a smile and she gripped his hand right back, and after passing her gaze quickly over their surroundings to make sure that they were not spied upon, she tugged the Hunter along the hallway.

Eyes flitting around, searching for landmarks and guiding them on their path, accordingly, she spoke again, joking mildly on Mihai’s behalf,

she didn’t think he would message her so soon; a lot of her matches always took their time messaging her ( if they did at all ). to see how quick he was to send her an acknowledgement of their match ( and a compliment too! )---leah had high hopes for this one. this definitely made up for how sick she felt. 

“Good; that makes one of us. I can’t find my shoes.” Mihai might undress for Lewis later tonight, but he wants to at least wear some clothes before then. He finds a pair of his favorite flip-flops and puts them on.

“Ready to go!”

He shuffles cards as he walks along the barren, abandoned street; baring in mind the flickering lamplights, the black cat crossing the corner, and the whispering thing hiding on a select persons’ rooftop as he spots it with shiny eyes gazing from the preternaturally veil, thus proved. Roland waves, and moves his hard, cracked boots along the crumbling pavement, in the middle of the night, near three in the dew’d morning.

 ---What a surprise, he says, to see Kaibara at an eventco-hosted by her own mother. It was lucky that the Dauphin was paying herlittle to no true attention, or he might have seen the incredulity in herexpression, and the truly herculean effort it was taking to refrain from rollingher eyes. She was trying her best to refrainfrom that sort of behavior at social events, but this was a nasty little habitwhich, if indulged for a moment, stuck with her for much longer. Neverthelessit wouldn’t do to anger Armand, especially considering he looked quite close tothe edge already at having been given the slip by his favored Hunter.

“Your Royal Highness,” Heraffected charm was as effortless as it was false, as she dipped into a deepcurtsy befitting his royal status. When the movement drew his eye to her, shetook the opportunity to lock gazes with him before he could look away to return to his thorough sweep of the ballroom. People often found themselvesquite unable to look away from the striking violet pools which composed theeyes of many a Motokomo, and Kaibara tended to use this to her advantage. Thiswas no exception. Holding his gaze as she straightened out of her curtsy, shesuccessfully captured Armand’s attention – for the moment, anyhow, but it was amoment that Mihai would need to make his escape. She hoped he would use itwisely.

“It is a surprise and an honor to be graced with your presence.”And it would be even more of an honorto be relieved of it. Hardly five sentences between them and she was alreadyexhausted. “I’m not sure that I’m friendlier with Hunter Radu than I am withanyone else, but I am flattered all the same. Unfortunately, I have not seenhim around for some time now.”

At least, not since she’d directedhim and his Divine lover to a more…privatelocation, promising that she would see to Armand.

“If it would please His Highness,I would be happy to take you to where I last saw him lingering. I am most certain that Hunter Radu wouldnever want to deprive himself of a dance with you. We should find him right away!”

The art of distraction was merelyanother pin in a lady’s hat – Kaibara and her siblings had been practicing it sincebefore she’d pinned up her hair, lengthened her skirts, and joined the greatgame of society. It took little more than getting them talking – and everyone knew what Armand liked to talkabout. She would keep him talking about the Hunters for as long as she could, pretendinginterest in his obsession and feigning a search for the object of hisunfortunate affections. At least until he began to question her. Then it was as easy as passing him off to a sister or brother, with a well-placed hint or twothat he was looking for Mihai, who did notwish to be found.

She had enough siblings to keephim circulating until Mihai found it prudent to join the festivities again, andsince she had provided him with a schedule for the evening, she figured that may not be until dinner.

Thus the game Began.  

Mihai sticks his foot in his mouth and Kaibara jams it in further with the thickest books she can throw.

Also, @viiorels, as requested: