Fae Courts Life, Freedom, and Revelry

[Samara Khalid]

Samara was not ready for that spin and had not fully realized what had happened until she was pulled against his chest. She did not have time to say anything before Raphael bent close and whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry, I've got you. All you have to do is follow."

His breath was warm on her ear and neck, which caused her breath to catch for a second. She looked up at him with a smile as he pulled her onto the dancefloor and into the throngs of other fae who had found their way here.

Her silver dress flared out beautifully everytime he spun her as if it was made for just that purpose. She let go and let him lead which made her smile wider as she kept up and did not stumble at all.

Samara was, honestly, completely awed by this man right now. The very last thing she would have ever guessed he was amazing at was dancing. He was so smooth and she could see a gleam of something different in his face from earlier. Was that happiness? She let a giggle fall from her lips nearly everytime he spun her. She could not help the giddiness that slipped out.

 

[Raphael]

Little by little, second by second, the shadow personification of her fear shrunk before completely vanishing in the wake of her laugh. Raphael felt his own lips tug upwards at the sound and the feeling of doing something good. Too often he forgot that his life could hold more than the shadows and pain his path trod the most often. With reluctance, he admitted, his brothers had been right to push him to leave the palace for a night. The spymaster let himself go in the moment on the end of that thought. He locked away the memory of screams and the begging of mercy from fae on their knees in iron. Tonight he would think of nothing more than the beautiful woman in his arms and her laugh that tasted like sunshine.

With a brief grin that would be her only warning, for his next trick he dropped her hand to place both of his on her waist and then lifted her up into an elegant spin before setting her carefully back down.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara was in absolute heaven at the moment. She had never danced like this before and it was fun. It made her feel like she had a grace beyond any she had ever obtained.

She saw Raphaels grin for a single second before he lifted her into the air and spun her around. Her eyes glittered with joy as the spun end and he sat her down. She smiled up at him as she instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You are a man full of secrets, Raphael." She had her secrets too, but one of them was not being a ballroom dancer.

 

[Raphael]

Raphael chuckled and settled into an easy sway as the music changed to a slower tempo. Some fae drifted away to get refreshments or take a break whilst others took the lull as a moment to chat with their partners whilst they stood in one another's arms. The puca took the opportunity to stretch his wings and hold them a little looser now there were not so many obstacles to avoid.

"That is usually what Spymasters are for," he raised both brows but his smile was teasing. Raph raised a hand and, after a moments hesitation, gently brushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear where it had fallen loose in the dancing. "Lorcán's mother taught me to dance - taught all of us to dance. She said it was the best form of Chaos," he smiled at the rare fond memory.

 

[Samara Khalid]

They swayed with the music and her smile held despite the slower pace and lack of spinning. She did not mind the change of pace since it allowed them to talk now. His smile was teasing and she gave him a no shit look paired with a smirk of her own.

Lorcan. She had not seen him in awhile. She had heard he had been at the Wild Hunt party but she had missed the drama that had supposedly happened. Unfortunate for her since she loved watching a good drama unfold. She had not realized that Raphael and Lorcan were that close. Interesting.

"How is he? It has been some time since I have seen him. I heard there was a bit of an incident recently, but I was otherwise engaged at the time." Her question was a genuine one. She really did wonder after the Prince and hoped he was well.

Raphael

 

[Raphael]

A sombre look fell across the tall fae and the swaying slowed a little more.

"He's..." Raphael couldn't betray the trust of his friend and thus he couldn't explain to Samara how not ok he was. Not when jealousy and fear rode him hard as he grappled with the newly formed mating bond. The painful thing was was that the puca desperately wanted someone else to talk to about it all. Sid was off in the far flung edges of the Autumn Court on a mission that had had him gone for months and there was nobody else Lorcan had trusted with his secret.

Raphael sighed.

"He'll get over it. Hopefully stop being pissed at me soon for bringing his..." fae couldn't lie but the word mate froze on his tongue. "For bringing his latest squeeze to a dance he didn't want her to attend. He can be a little... possessive of his latest dates."

 

[Baenon]

Luella Balsinde

The woman had jokes but at least she was observant.

"Indeed not," Baenon replied flatly, the response appropriate for all of the above. He had come to know Luella not as a sore loser, but a poor loser. There was a difference, and usually it was the level of drama at one's failures. Luella didn't like to lose and she took her losses as personal failures. While he couldn't be certain of her prowess at anything but Shalaak (of which she was not particularly good, but improving) he had to assume that whatever endeavour it was she had been up to moments before arriving at the bar she was of equally unskilled aptitude.

That, or someone of far higher praises had beaten her, which was generally the case on Thursday nights. He didn't think poorly of her for it - everyone started as a beginner at that table at one point or another.

"I am fulfilling a boon owed. Will you be at the game this week?"

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara felt bad for asking as soon as Raphael’s face fell a little. She could tell that he was clearly struggling with something and she was not going to pry unless he wanted to tell her. She was rewarded for her silence a moment later when he explained further.

Interesting, indeed, she had no idea that Raphael had been the reason for the drama and now she felt worse for saying anything about the whole thing. So Lorcan was being possessive of a date, she thought with some suspicion. On the outside, Samara just narrowed her eyes and knew there was more to the story. She decided to keep her original promise to not pry though.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were involved. I wouldn’t have brought it up. Hopefully this possessiveness passes quickly so he doesn’t lose her.” Her words were careful but she knew what a possessive fae usually meant. She wouldn’t say it out loud if he hadn’t. “Are you still upset you were forced to come tonight?” Her smile had returned and she hoped his would too.

 

[Sio Lusce]

Siobhan listened to Rerreno as he explained what the Zorren’s were up to now and she nodded solemnly. She was still surprised that she was actually finding this conversation interesting. “Your brothers and yourself seem like an interesting bunch, Lord Rerreno,” her voice held more awe than anything else. They were interesting.

And just like that, Signe was back with wine. Siobhan was impressed that her sister was able to carry three glasses so she quickly took the most precarious looking one. “Thank you, Signe, but are you sure you want to drink more?”

The Brothers Vitae Signe Lusce

 

[Zaire]

Luella finished her glass, making eye contact with the bartender and raising up a single finger in a gesture of ‘another.’ She raised a pale blonde brow as he answered why he was there. She looked up into his black eyes, the irritation fading as Baenon, despite his overall demeanor, usually was the most keen in giving her advice. In truth, when he did speak, she listened, and of course, she respected him as much as one could for barely knowing someone.

“Mm,” she said, trading in her empty glass for the new chilled one that was filled with sugar and alcohol so she could really feel her hang over the next day. “I’ll be there. I’m actually feeling really lucky— I could win this time.” Luella said jokingly, bringing her lavender gaze back to her drink as she held it up. Her eyes glimmered with that thought even if her lips refused to smile. When she looked over again, she saw the two cwn annwn that always seemed to be either following Samara or Baen around. “Your fan club is here,” she pointed out, nodding her head in Cas and Astrid’s direction.

Baenon

 

[Baenon]

"Good," Baen confirmed, "I hope that you do."

Not that he particularly cared one way or another. It wasn't about winning or losing to Baen, it was about strategy, learning, and filling the social call quota. If Luella could just get herself to a place of skill that she posed a challenge, it would offer new opportunities to adjust his own play style. Truly, the table had become boring over the last year or so - a game of chance had become predictable. Baen could tolerate neither for very long. He was concerned he'd have to find a new hobby and meet new people.

Out of the question.

"Your fan club is here."

He blinked in alarm. Fan club? Him? Laughab- oh "Fuck," he spat as he turned to lay eyes on the cwn siblings making their way over. Too late to leave now, they'd already spotted him.

Luella Balsinde Casimir Bielke Astrid Bielke

 

[Astrid Bielke]

Astrid was having fun, more fun than she had experienced in a while. She made a mental note to get out more often, and to drag Cas with too. It was good for them to get away from the drama in Autumn, live a little instead of living in constant fear.

She was relieved when Cas agreed to another drink, she just couldn't keep up with him. He was a demon on the dance floor. She has moves too, but not like Cas. Both the cwn annwn siblings were light on their feet.

Casimir pulled her lightly through the crowd and back to the bar. He slowed down, and she followed his gaze. Samara, of course. "I see her Cas, she's just dancing. Don't think anything of it." She squeezed her brother's hand in support. She knew how it must have bothered him to see, his head kept turning to watch the two.

This caused Cas to run into the bar before Astrid could warn him. She ordered them each a shot, and patted Casimir's shoulder. She looked up and felt her own heart leap into her throat. "Baenon". She clung to Cas's arm, unable to stop the little pang of jealousy over Baenon chatting it up with another woman. Now she truly knew how Cas felt. "Should we say hi to Baenon?" She said it in a hushed tone, her heart beating a mile a minute.
Casimir Bielke Baenon

 

[Raphael]

Raphael managed a smaller smile but it was enough to wipe the concern from his face.

"There's no need for apologies, you wouldn't be the only one to forget. When the Prince is involved it is hard to see beyond," his friend cast a tall shadow and it was one he was more than glad to hide within most of the time. It was only on this occasion that he felt some guilt to the situation which had made him say anything at all. He carefully guided them around the floor still in that nice, slow sway. If she felt as though she were about to slip his hands caught her before she could even think about it.

At her question his smile grew a little more.

"Perhaps a little less annoyed," he admitted, his amber eyes twinkling as he looked down at her. "Perhaps they will be a little less of a chore if I know you'll be in attendance."

 

[Sivan]

The shots were just handed them when Astrid said one of the top five words Casimir hated to hear. Other than Jago, there was only one other black shuck that Cas did his best to stay away from. Not necessarily for fear of being kicked like a soccer ball, but more so for the nature of this man.

“B-b-baenon?!” Cas sputtered, looking at his sister incredulously before looking around and easily catching sight of the black shuck himself. He may have been shorter than Jago but he was just as menacing— perhaps even more menacing considering Jago was the type to kill you and get caught whereas Baen was the type to kill you and never be suspected in the first place. “Oh, nononononono, Astrid, let’s n-not—o-oh my goodness gracious he s-sees us!” Cas shivered, Baenon’s black eyes usually gave him the creeps. Endless black voids filled with unfading disgust. Probably the only look reserved for Cas and a bookshelf that didn’t follow the Dewey decimal system.

“Why are you getting excited all of a sudden?” He turned towards his sister, looking absolutely horrified. Then, needing liquid courage, he downed the shot without a word, the heat was actually welcoming as the glare from Baenon had made his blood turned cold. Fine. Maybe his night was ruined but that didn’t mean Astrid’s had to be. “Let’s s-say hi.” He muttered, grabbing his little sister’s hand and bringing her over the few meters that separated them and the black shuck. That was when he also happened to notice Luella and gaped openly at the smear of crimson on her. Of course Baenon would know the psycho that tried to fight Lord Wulren with a sword bigger than her.

“H-h-hiii.” Cas whispered, his throat beginning to tighten up as everything told him to run.

Astrid Bielke Baenon Luella Balsinde

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara was held by his firm grip as they danced. He didn't hold her tightly but she knew he was there and he had her. She felt safe in his arms.

"Perhaps they will be a little less of a chore if I know you'll be in attendance."

Samara felt heat rise in her cheeks and she turned her slightly to hide her blush. Samara was not one to blush so the feeling caught her completely off guard.

They moved in silence while she thought of something to say. "You can see me other times besides at parties, you know." Ugh why had she said that? She cursed herself for the drinks that were loosening her tongue.

Raphael

 

[Zaire]

A part of Luella had hoped that Baen would have gone over to the other side of the bar where the pair of cwn ordered their drinks. But it seemed after the two had caught sight of Baen they thought it was a great idea to come over here instead. Luella was much more of a cat person, and while she did find cwn annwn to be cute, she also thought they were much too needy.

“I didn’t know you were babysitting the puppies tonight,” Luella said to Baenon, before looking back over at them and seeing Cas stare at her as if she had two heads and was growing a third. Under normal circumstances she’d ignore it, but she was already in a foul mood and had two drinks. The irritation returned, sullying her pretty face. “Hey, shrimp, if I were you, I’d look elsewhere. You wouldn’t want to give me the wrong idea.” She said in a low tone, something that never fit her gentle, dulcet voice. And as if to prove this point, she rolled her shoulders back, muscles being outlined through the soft tulle of her dress. When she brought her drink to her lips once again, her bicep bulged, hard and firm against the fabric. When the cwn seemed to shirk away, Luella brought her head and gaze back to what was in front of her: a nearly empty drink.

Astrid Bielke Baenon Casimir Bielke

 

[Baenon]

Baen's dark gaze watched the pair of cwn with impunity, nose wrinkled at the quivering mess of a hound that approached. He might've expected Casimir to leave a puddle of piss on the floor with the way he was quaking on the spot. Astrid, at least, had enough of her wits about her to maintain some sense of decorum. She was feisty, he'd give her that. If only her minutiae of moxie would rub off on her brother.

"No, I don't watch puppies," his words cut across his canines like hide over a honed blade, fangs flashing through the consonants, "I eat them."

He gave a glance back in Luella's direction, getting an eyefull of her gunshow and offering a derisive snort in return. With a roll of his eyes, Baen tapped at the bar for the barkeep's attention, "Get this woman another drink before she busts a seam. See you Thursday, Balsinde."

There was nothing that could keep him at that bar in that conversation. He would move the realm of the Gods if need be to extricate himself from standing between the watery eyes of the siblings and the bulging biceps of the woman. So with a broad sidestep from the bar, he made to move past the cwn, giving Astrid a hard look from top to bottom as he did so, "Astrid," the shuck acknowledged her as he strode by, "nice collar," and then stalked off to be swallowed by the crowd. Oh the terrible things he would do to a cwn with a collar like that.

Astrid Bielke Casimir Bielke Luella Balsinde

 

[Raphael]

Raphael ducked his head a little causing wavy tendrils of his dark brown hair to fall over his bright amber eyes which he couldn't quite raise to meet her gaze. Her veiled offer was not one he found himself disliking and for that very reason it made him nervous of taking her up on it. Midir already saw his son as a potential threat for whisking off his prized spymaster. What would he think of a Shuck distracting him? She could end up becoming another way for him to be manipulated and most importantly she might get... hurt.

"I don't... get much time off," not a lie either. Another reason making friends was so hard. He finally glanced up to meet her eyes so she could see it wasn't because he didn't want to. "My job Samara... it's not... it's not like your job. An odd dance at an event is one thing but hanging around me..."

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara watched him look away from her and she immediately felt foolish for even saying anything. She was still cursing herself for saying it and now she had upset him. She was a terrible friend. She should have just let him be and enjoy his evening without her harassment.

When his amber eyes met her silver ones, she felt the weight of whatever he was struggling with. "Raphael, I know what you do," her voice was softer than it had previously been. "I know everything you do," she placed the emphasis on everything. She was not trying to convince him that he should see her outside of parties, but she wanted him to know that she was not offering her friendship lightly.

She knew who Raphael was. She had been with the Sluagh for many years now. She had been around longer than he had even been alive. She knew Midir and how he handled things especially since she was one of the people who took care of those things. "Sorry, I shouldn't have even made such a suggestion." It was her turn to avert her eyes from his. She couldn't force someone to be her friend and they had been having a lovely evening and now she had opened her big mouth. Ughhhh, she groaned internally.

 

[The Brothers Vitae]

Wulren sighed at Luella's defiance. He knew enought to know pride when he sawit, butthat such pride stopped him from rendering aid from someone clearly in need, left him with a sour taste on his tongue. As his opponent turned to leave, he debated following, insisting on giving her the honors he had offered. In the end however, he let her go, Rerreno's voice in his head reminding him that sometimes it was best to wait until others were in the mood to talk. Once Luella had left, Wulren turned to the crowd, his voice lifting and carrying a grace tone. "Luella Balsinde has earned the favor of the Vitae Court! Should any of you mock or dishonor her for what happened here, I will return to this circle with you in tow!" His blade swirled in his hand as he looked over the crowd "I will not act defensively as I did here. Rather, you will find very swiftly what it means to have the ire of war as I tear you a new orifice for defecation!" With that, he turned and headed to the ring's exit, snatching a mug of cold ale on the way out.

Luella Balsinde

Following Olyssa's cue, Varos joined her at the booth, sliding in opposite of her and setting his glass down quietly on the table. With a single finger tapping against his glass as he listened, Varos leaned forward, hanging on every word. Not only was this woman a curious sort, which was amazing in its own right, she also worked to dispense what she had learned. "I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for your works in the future." As wonderful as it was musing on the knowledge she had written down in the past, the subject of her newest work caused his eyes to widen.

The Vitae lived by a simple code, the first tenet of which was Life. The idea that life might be restored to that which was lost to history was an idea that could not be ignored. "Do you intend to breed back the traits? Re-evolve them?" the air behind Varos shimmered and a black tail appeared, swishing through the air enough to create a steady sound as the air was beaten back. "Or did you have something else in mind?"

Olyssa

"Well, if you live long enough, interesting things tend to happen. Still, I thank you for the praise. We've worked hard to build what we have." Signe's return drew his eye and he glanced to the drinks in her hand. Having been to his fair share of drink holding venues, he was very familiar with recognizing the signs of inebriation. The rambling speech with a slight slur, the way she swayed as she stood, and even the way her very walk seemed to meander on her way over. Oh to be a pup again, when such few drinks could hit me like that. "Miss Signe, I've learned a fair bit of spell craft. If you wish, I could speak a few words to clear your mind, especially if you intend to muddy it once more." He reached forward, taking the second of the three glasses from her hand. "Especially if you intend to continue. I'm sure that there's still much of the night to enjoy ahead of us."

Signe Lusce Siobhan Lusce

 

[Astrid Bielke]

Astrid wasn't afraid of Baenon, she knew what to avoid with him. He was easy to deal with compared to the unpredictable Jago. She looked up almost puzzled as her brother went into panic over her suggesting they greet the shuck. Then again, it's not like Baenon made Cas blush like he did her.

Still she was surprised when Casimir downed his shot and grabbed her hand as he agreed to say hi. She was happily surprised. "Oh thank you Cas!" She was impervious to the dark stare the two cwn were receiving. Casimir pulled them in front of Baenon and Luella.

Astrid waved shyly to Luella as she flexed and teased the two cwn. "I'm not a puppy, and I don't need a babysitter. Thank you for your concern Luella." She then turned to Baenon and flashed him a smile, even as his gaze raked over them in no less than disgust.

It was over before it started, Baen was already leaving. She didn't even have time to conversation with him even a little. The shuck studied her with his dark gaze, his eyes looking up and down her with that hard gaze of his, that made a shiver go up her spine. She nodded to him as he spoke her name, and she responded in kind. "Baenon." His next sentence struck her dumb, and she found herself moving to watch him leave, a blush flushing her pale cheeks red.

She squeaked and grabbed Casimir's arm. "Cas! He said I had a nice collar!" She looked at her brother, intense happiness filling her eyes. "Can you believe it! A compliment just for me!" She sighed happily and continued to gaze after the space Baen had just vacated.

Casimir Bielke Luella Balsinde Baenon

 

[Signe Lusce]

Signe wasn’t the brightest sure, at least on the outside. She tilted her head at Lord Rerreno. Her biggest issue was she rarely thought her words through, she could offend someone quite easily because of it. And especially under the influence of wine.. well it was only expected that she could say something offensive.

“Alter my mind the way you do the zorrens?” Her voice was still chipper like before, or was it, it seemed that her deep voice seemed steadier than before. The smile on her lips was knowing, a smirk more so than a smile and as her green eyes leveled at Lord Rerreno, that brief humming of tension soon disappeared as she decided to release the smallest of giggles. Signe’s version of “just kidding.”

“I think I’m perfectly fine, I’d much rather take in the sights of a woman covered in blood drunk than sober. Or else I’d be gone.” She added, the twinkle seeming to come back into her eyes. A joke? Or a comment on morality under the disguise of a joke? It would be hard to discern it, after all, Signe had changed the subject to something of more interest. “To be honest, she had washed herself off, but her dress… my goodness. It was a very pretty color but crimson does not suit it.”

Siobhan Lusce The Brothers Vitae

 

[Sivan]

Cas couldn’t help the fact that the shucks terrified him. They were, for a lack of a better word, dark. What cwn annwn ever enjoyed the darkness? They were beings of light, and yes, they may not have been individually powerful like the shucks, but hordes of cwn annwn blasting away was a terrifying sight for anyone, black shucks included. But now, there was no tens of thousands of cwn behind Cas, instead it was just his little sister, who did provide comfort, but the two of them offered very little in offense and defense.

Cas couldn’t help the yelp at the fact that the blonde duanann seemed to be suggesting that she’d the wrong idea and do… do what exactly? He cowered behind his sister, seeing the peak of her bicep and shivered. Duanann were all naturally quite lithe with usually only the men showcasing lean muscle mass. The women were quite soft in comparison, but the blonde in front of him… he couldn’t label her as bulky, but he was sure any ounce of fat on her lay in other regions instead of her arms. Thankfully, Astrid had the guts to tell the blonde to back off. But… not enough to tell Baenon that Casimir Bielke was not a snack. Or rather, even a snack Baenon would like. Casimir had the suspicion that Baenon (and all other black shucks, unfortunately) liked black coffee, black licorice, black olives, blackberries, black garlic, black beans, black figs, black mushrooms and whatever black food item kept the shucks so dreary in appearance. Except Samara. She was beautiful as always.

“I have no idea why he would do that,” Cas grumbled, shoving his pale hands into his pockets. Then he glanced over at Astrid and her black collar and suddenly realized exactly why baenon would compliment it. “Astrid, he only likes it because it’s black. I’m fairly sure that’s his favorite color.” He said matter of factly and sighed, shaking his head in disappointment… even if he was the pot calling the kettle black. Wait, that euphemism didn’t suit the two cwn… maybe instead it should be the cream calling the milk white?

“Okay, away from the s-scary lady warrior,” Cas whispered, in hopes only Astrid would hear. “N-nice t-talking to you b-buh-bye.” He said in reference to Baenon and Luella, pulling his sister’s harm so he could lead her out of harm’s way. Surprising, both the black shuck and the blonde duanann gave him the creeps. They were both incredibly dangerous, and that was not his anxiety talking.

Astrid Bielke Baenon Luella Balsinde

 

[Zaire]

Luella nodded her head at Baenon, quite pleased that even in a dress as loose as the one she had decided to war, her hard work and efforts still paid off. She actually almost smiled at his comment, despite knowing it wasn’t a compliment. At times, she hated the idea she wasn’t like the majority of fae, especially duanann females, and at other times, nothing gave her greater joy than showing off her muscles and getting noticed for it. All fae were beautiful yes, and despite losing her willowy appearance, Luella had much pride for the body she achieved, something she earned felt better than something she already had. Also, more muscles meant she could wield her sword with one hand— even if it meant she still got smacked around by Wulren.

“Thursday it is,” Luella murmured, mainly to herself, giving a slight wave of her hand in farewell to the black shuck. And, luckily for her, another drink was before her. She glanced over at Astrid and Casimir, eyeing them more carefully than she had when Baenon was near her. “You’re feisty,” Luella said, pointing at Astrid, beginning to drink her third cocktail of the night. “Your sister has bigger balls than you do, what a shame, could’ve had fun with you tonight.” She called out to Cas as he began to steer his sister away from her. Smart decision over all— Luella wanted to sulk a bit in peace still. And she did so, nursing her sugary green drink and thinking more and more about the fight.

“Stop being a little bitch, Lue,” she mumbled to herself, swallowing the remnants of her drink and then sliding a bartender the tip. “You made it just the way I like it,” she said in response to their surprise, after all, most people argued with her when it came to her ordering drinks. Something about the sweetness ruining the original flavor or the drink. She stood up to her full height, looking around, trying to see sight of someone with silver hair— or rather, short silver hair as plenty of fae possessed silver hair already.

That was when she started walking back to the ring, hoping that he may still be there… and also hoping that he’d take her seriously in the request she now had. She had little to offer a man— at least a man of importance like Lord Wulren and his brothers— but perhaps there was something they could both mutual benefit from. Whatever that could be, Luella had absolutely no idea. And then, her lavender gaze caught sight of him. The armor was a dead giveaway. That was when she strode up to him, hands in fists, her head raised up high with her chin tilting up ever so confidently.

“Lord Wulren!” she shouted, still marching towards him, forgetting all sense of formalaities and perhaps even her dignity. People made way, giving the two of them enough space. Luella heard a whisper from a nymph betting that she was going to give Wulren a right hook. Like she ever would do something so foolish— it’d be a left hook. Just as there was a meter of space between them, she knelt down before the fae, pressing her forehead into the dirt, her palms flat on the ground as she shouted her next lines. “I am powerless. I should have seen the end before our battle began, you… best me in everything. I have nothing to offer, the House Balsinde name no longer brings valor, my lineage is synonymous to cwn annwn shit. My notoriety is nothing, I have no valiant titles and my funds are meager. I am begging, please, place me under your tutelage.” She couldn’t help gnashing her teeth at the end, what an embarrassment she was to her family. She was sure her great grandfather was rolling over in his grave right now.

Astrid Bielke The Brothers Vitae

 

[Saang Lusce]

"Woman covered in blood?"

The eldest Lusce sibling appeared, clad in his finest black robe ensemble and carrying a large glass of red wine in his left hand. He'd made himself busy rubbing elbows with the nobility in attendance, which meant he hadn't done much watching of the arena, "Seems I missed the excitement."

A pleasant smile held his expression as he looked to his sisters Signe Lusce and Siobhan Lusce with a curious glance as to their time for the evening. Having been their first jaunt into the broader landscape of fae courts, he felt it prudent to give them the opportunity to dive in head first without his constant supervision. He was glad to see them still in one piece and not entirely sloshed. Mother had taught them well.

Saang lifted his free hand to wrap around Signe's shoulders, steadying her swaying stance, "Forgive my lack of manners," his gaze, like molten garnets, slid from Signe's pinked cheeks to the Lord with which she'd been conversing, "Lord and Commander Saang Lusce, a pleasure to attend your fete, Lord Rerreno. I've heard much about you and your brothers. It would please me to hear that my sisters have been good and polite company."

The Brothers Vitae