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[sclczcr]

Ander did not believe in coddling the princess, and while he took his duties seriously, minor inconveniences didn’t necessarily fall under his area of expertise. Also, he found it more amusing to fan the flames where he could, rather than remove them from her path. So, it didn’t matter that he’d noticed her imbroglio minutes before she managed to spot him in the crowd and had left her to find her way out of there herself. Such exercises were good for the mind. 

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise, Your Highness,” he bowed, as low as the space allowed, grin salacious. “You do me the honor, princess,” his mouth twitched at her mention. How many of those practices had been in earnest? Most of them. Probably closer to half. Ander could have liked his chances of remembering this dance more.

He stretched his arm for her to take and began heading towards the dancing ring. Before taking up their positions, Ander glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, a small grin tugging at his mouth.

“You might have to lead me,” he muttered, just before the music began. He was fortunate the opening steps were this easy. Ander hadn’t known how to dance for most of his life, only learning at the princess’ whim (which he had, admittedly, encouraged) and this was the first time he was dancing at an actual ball, surrounded by strangers. He took a step forward as required, lifting his hands to touch his palms to her.

The distance between them was absolutely correct and Ander grinned because he’d be damned if he showed any discomfort, but his fingers curled against hers only if just for a second, as they turned away from each other and switched partners, he half a beat behind her because he wasn’t sure which way to go. 

He’d caught up again by the time of the next move, and he greeted his new partner, growing more comfortable with every moment. It took two more rounds before he returned to Sofia, his grin getting just a little bit wider as they circled each other, neither getting even a whisper closer that propriety demanded. “You might be an exacting mistress, but your methods seem to work wonders, wouldn’t you say?” he threw a quick glance around him, indicating the dancers. 

it had been a long while since sofia attended her last ball, and if memory served her well it was nowhere near as grand as the one the princess of france had thrown tonight. the music was nothing short of perfect, the wine she had started to enjoy greatly never stopped flowing, and the perfectly poised spanish princess had a genuine smile on her lips which was a rare occurrence these days. she had every intention of mingling with as many people as she could, for what better way was there to get to know things about others than when they had alcohol in her system? but a rather annoying spanish lord seemed to think the princess was enjoying the conversation he was trying to hold with her, even if she spent most of the time staring at those around her, trying to figure out a way to slip away as quickly as she could. 

the opportunity soon presented itself in the one man she never grew tired of seeing. dressed in his ceremonial robes, she could say with pride that he was the best dressed guard of all. and if he happened to be her guard, well, that was just an added benefit. “excuse me, m’lord,” she told the old man, quickly disappearing into the crowd as she hurried off towards ander. 

“sir ander,” she called out, hands clutching at the skirts of her dress as she took the last few steps towards him. “you look rather handsome tonight, i must admit,” sofia stated, and she was certainly not lying. “now, would you do me the honor of having this dance with me? we cannot let all of our practice be in vain.”

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[sclczcr]

[sclczcr]

He hadn’t been here long, but there must have been something about his attire that made him invisible to the drunken eye because he’d never had so much trouble navigating through a crowd without bumping into people. And that only served if the disturbance was happening in front of his eyes, but when a hand landed on his shoulder he barely had time turn around and take a step back while steadying the other – who seemed entirely more concerned with the wine, as if it was the last glass in France, than with himself.

His irritation turned to amusement the moment he recognized the other, a slow smirk forming on his lips the longer Jasper babbled. “Attraction can be devastating, Your Highness,” he retorted with a smart bow, the smirk a seemingly permanent fixture on his face. “I do hope you’ll be spared the misfortune of meeting that sort of lure tonight.”

            he’s humming along in tune with the music, and if someone were watching him, they could see the skip in his step for but a moment. the festivities are an excellent distraction, apart from the insensitive theme. reading the invite had excelled his anger at what england, what his family had gone through and how it seemed as if everyone was fine with moving on. to pretend like people hadn’t died ! jasper had decided that fine, if no one wanted to care anymore, neither would he. dressed in proper attire, that’s something he never gets wrong, he moves throughout the ballroom with a charming grin plastered onto his face. jasper spins to retrieve a glass of wine from one of the roaming platters, only to practically knock himself into whoever was opposite of him. he reaches out to steady the both of them, though his main focus is on the glass in his hand, raising it up over his head for protection.  “  my most sincere apologies,  ”  he insists, a chuckle rolling off his tongue.  “  though it was an accident, i can’t say i’m devastated to be in such attractive company,  ”

[sclczcr]

ofbourbons​:

what a brilliant idea this way. sometimes, marguerite was surprised by her own mind. a ball was the perfect way to welcome everyone from the different countries. this way, of course, she was able to wear her best fashion and show off france- her france- in the only way she knew how. after five years of near isolation, marguerite got to throw one of her famous parties. 

she walked through the crowd, a picture of elegance and beauty. her gown was a deep sapphire that matched her eyes. auburn hair was done up on top of her head, where a small tiara rested. her face was glowing with pride as she walked around. no doubt everyone was talking about how wonderful and glamourous france was. 

the princess paused for a moment to make sure everyone was mingling and having a good time, when out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a server about to fall. blue eyes widened to an impossible size. if this wine spilled on her, she would be the laughing stock of all of france- everything would be ruined! marguerite flinched, waiting for the disaster that was sure to come. 

however, she turned back confused when liquid didn’t stain her dress. suddenly, she was much more aware of the spanish guard that she met briefly before. her eyes narrowed on him and the servant girl. she would have to remember to have a conversation with her later. 

“thank you,” she murmured, pursing her lips. “you saved me from certain humilation.” 

Ander could tell the princess recognized him, and he was also fairly certain she hadn’t listened to a word he’d been saying from the way she kept her narrowed eyes on them the entire time. So, the princess wasn’t wholly naïve, but she’d still have a lot of work to do before being able to properly mask her suspicions. If he were a betting man, he’d wager she was thinking of questioning the servant later – and quite capable of going through with it, unless something more…dramatic caught her attention, perhaps.

“Or from a well-choreographed attempt at getting your attention, Your Highness,” he observed lightly, bowing slightly more deeply at her. He fleetingly considered jokingly owning up to it, but what if she would think him earnest? That sounded like fifty shades of how Ander could color himself fucked. “Alas, I don’t think I’d be so subtle,” a grin, nothing but sunny enjoyment, appeared on his lips as he looked convivially around them.

“I must congratulate you, princess. I take it you’re the architect of this splendid event. Your festivities must be the pride of France,” Ander nodded his head, and took half a step back, as if expecting to be dismissed.

[sclczcr]

If nothing else, at least this trip allowed him to enjoy a French ball and that alone was enough for Ander to consider it a success. Honestly, he’d been pleased they were coming for a while, and now he was feeling validated. It’s been some time since he had a chance to wear the ceremonial uniform the princess provided him with when he entered her service. With Spain closed off as it had been, there was little reason to bother for the little soirees they’d been having to take the edge off the boredom.

At least now it would offer him a wider variety of mingling so it seemed like the practical choice. The fact that Sofia might have also mentioned it a few times didn’t even occur to him. 

He was standing out of the way, pausing for a moment as he looked at the crowd, when someone brushed past his shoulder, quite abruptly. They were clearly losing their balance and carrying a platter of what Ander strongly suspected might be red wine with his luck, so he figured, he had nothing to lose, either way, and his arms shot out, trying to counterbalance both the girl and the tray.

Somehow by the end of it, everyone was standing, including all the bottles. Half of their contents have been spilled, but most of it on the server’s front so at least he’d saved whoever was in front of him from beginning a new trend of entering the ball with already stained clothes.

“Not a drop on the floor.” He pointed out with a grin, after briefly nodding at the girl, and letting her go on her way. “Must be a good sign, no?”  

[sclczcr]

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ manipulation

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ mindgames

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ murder

[sclczcr]

[sclczcr]

sofialeon​:

“we simply cannot have it any other way,” she told him, a hint of a tease in her voice although she meant the words she said. it was a job he had always carried out well, but throughout the years it went beyond that. he was never afraid to speak the truth around her, and sofia was always certain that he meant every single thing he told her. his opinions, his thoughts - they all mattered to her. the princess had made it a point to assure him of it over and over again. and  if he replied to that using flattery, well, why would she ever object?

holding back a snort right at the last moment, but letting her amusement show through her wide grin, sofia looked up at ander with a sparkle that he knew how to bring out so well. “you say that because the russians intimidate you, or are you simply afraid you would not handle the cold?” she questioned, a hint of a wink thrown in his direction at the end of the question. and if her hand brushed dangerously close to his, well that was purely by accident.

“what better way to show off france’s riches?” sofia questioned, although she did not expect an answer. it could give the illusion that all was well in the country, but what lurked outside the palace’s walls could be an entirely different story. “i trust you would be able to secure such an ear, no? even if it requires you to be off duty some evenings, of course. you’ll have my blessing.” ander could surely deliver information to her, by whichever means he chose. if the people had any ill intentions towards their monarch, sofia had to be made aware of it whilst she was stuck inside the palace. 

at the mention of the scots and the english, a shrug of sofia’s shoulders followed. “again? i am not even surprised. taking a mistress is no surprise, but to lose england’s friendship over a woman? quite unwise of him, i must say. we’ll keep an eye on them as well, of course. turning family feuds into wars is the last thing we need right now.”

Ander nodded, an almost imperceptible dip of his chin, in acknowledgement of her words. Despite the lightness, the reminder rang clear – they would still move within the same lines. At least that wasn’t a setback.

“I suppose the latter, princess. I hear that place’s worse than England and I have no desire to experience whatever could be worse than that.” He mock-shuddered, shoulders barely shaking, as he was still pretending claim to acting subtly in his attempts to keep her constantly appraised of how close they were standing.

Ander hummed thoughtfully at her rhetorical question. He wasn’t entirely sure what the French expected to gain from that in the presence of so many other kingdoms. Not to mention, military might would have made more sense. Coffers of gold weren’t going to die for their defense and despite all that abundance, they still left their people starve during the troubles. Another pretentious show of riches seemed unwise. Then again, Ander didn’t care past being alerted in time to get himself and the princess out. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he gave a slight bow of his head in the little space between them, knowing it would have taken leaning over as well for there to be any risk of their foreheads brushing. “I will do so.” 

“Wars have been fought over women since time immemorial – displaying wisdom is not the intention,” knowing he was almost turned to the rest of the room, Ander felt secure enough to lift the corner of his lips in a small smirk. “I’m sure they have much more to reproach each other than a royal mistress, if it makes you look upon them in a kinder light,” Ander had no stake in how the coin were to fall, whether this suing for peace and neighborly help would end in success or disaster, and on that account he wouldn’t care one way or another, but he wanted to see Sofia weave her silent plots and help her set the thread, just so.

For that he needed to know what were her intentions – the extent of his knowledge ended on her not being best pleased with the idea – and they had yet to talk about those. “If you were in your brother’s shoes, which outcome would you prefer?”  he’d asked it softly, almost pensively, as if that was a mere scenario he was contemplating rather than the reality.

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principemaurizio​:

“i might be aware of that, yes,” the italian admitted with a soft chuckle, running his hand through his wild curls as he looked up at the man in front of him. surely it must have been entertaining for some to see a prince get lost in the servants’ quarters. although judging by the way the other was dressed, he wasn’t a lowly servant himself either. not that maurizio would care much either way. if the other had no ill intention towards him, then he could be anyone for all he cared.

“you speak words of wisdom. any drink would be worth getting lost for. especially in this place. i fear it will be one of the only things that will get me through this stay.” well, he was sure there were other things and people who would get him through it, but the drinks would without a doubt keep him sane. “maurizio orsini,” he offered in return, nodding his head in greeting. “what a lucky one i am, having a knight without shining armor joining me in a quest to find alcoholic beverages,” maurizio offered with a snark that mirrored the other’s.

“I wager you’ll feel even luckier once you realize I don’t clang as I walk besides you, Highness” Ander retorted with a casual grin, and a trite half-bow. “The wine’s the better culprit to give one a headache by far,” they began the trek down the corridor, Ander remaining half a step behind, giving the Italian room to guide them.

“Since I got here, people have been doing more drinking than talking – it seems you are among the majority in your sentiments regarding this endeavor.” He gave a laughing shake of the head. “I must restrict my intake to downtime hours, otherwise I might have joined you.”

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crownds​:

            he cares not for politics, no mind for any strategic notions of the sort. there are no facades, no manipulations at play when it comes to the crown prince of england. what you see with him, what he chooses to show, is essentially what someone will receive. while he doesn’t entirely wear his heart on his sleeve, he’s never been a very good liar and has never been as calculating as others have expected… or, desired. his morals can be fleeting at times and lead him to be more brash or distant, but nothing ever premeditated.

            there’s a reason he doesn’t wish to make the rounds with the other royals. that seems more of a kingly duty anyway, but jasper has never favored fellow princes or princesses, let alone kings or queens. he hides among crowds, lurks in taverns with bards or those traveling through to never return again. it’s what brings him the most joy, and if something doesn’t make him happy, he refuses to do it.

            the knight is a sight for sore eyes and the prince’s light up at the recognition of the man. how long had it been ? seven years at the most. jasper isn’t particularly good with numbers, or remembering nights when he had drowned himself in ale, but he never forgot a face. with having seen more than ander’s face, jasper certainly wouldn’t have forgotten… thankfully, he’d been sober enough for that.

            “  how about we skip all of that nonsense and i’ll show you where to find good ale ?  ”  he offers, unable to help but grin.  “  it’s… okay, it’s not very good, but it does the job.  ”

A genuine grin blossomed on Ander’s face as his eyes fell on the other man. “Prince Jasper,” he said it purely out of blithe malice, tickled by the other’s obvious exasperation with ceremony. He reached out his arm and grabbed his elbow, a soldierly greeting completely at odds with formality to smooth over any bristled feathers. He did it secure in the knowledge no one was there to see it and argue breach of manners. And also because he wanted to touch him.

“Ah, as long as it does the job, I don’t suppose I care very much whether it’s good or bad,” he declared with a careless shrug and a lopsided smirk. Sure, he’d drink the better stuff if given the opportunity, but Ander wasn’t at all picky. Especially not when in good company. “So much the better if it’s outside the palace,” if he remembered Jasper correctly, that should be more or less guaranteed. And while, for Ander, having castles (plural!) to choose from and ending the evening in a rickety drinking hole wouldn’t recommend a person, he took to Jasper regardless and that had been the only thing that  made England bearable for Ander. He’d hated the ceaseless drizzle and the constant fog and the astonishing supply of mud in that country, but at least its people knew how to have fun from lowest to highest. “We should pick one with music, too. Let’s see how French ditties compare to English ones,” or rather, how creative the French were when exhorting tupping.

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sofialeon​:

his perfect responses never ceased to amaze her. words so perfectly constructed into the most eloquent of sentences, charm oozing between the spoken words. it was the very same charm that had made her doubt him in the beginning, yet the one which she could not resist for long. for a brief moment her gaze flitted over to him, tearing her eyes away from the unfamiliar surroundings to rest on a view that had remained consistent throughout the years. she truly hated herself for getting that image on him into her mind now. “wonderful. fret not, you have never been an inconvenience,” the princess reassured him. the next words that left his lips however brought a smirk to her lips, slightly less discreet than the one he had on his own. “oh sir ander,” she began, tilting her head just slightly in his direction. “i would only do that to keep you on your toes.”

pausing in their tracks, sofia silently thanked the chamberlain with a nod of her head and a courteous smile, thankful for ander who never fretted to do the talking. as she stepped in through the open wooden doors, she took in the room which would be her chambers for the time being. it was nothing compared to the one back home, of course, but it was indeed much better than she expected. sofia immediately moved to stand near the large window, through which the light rays illuminated the room, taking in the view momentarily before turning to face ander once he had taken her of her precious belongings. “the russians, yes. it is remarkable how they managed to escape the destruction with barely a graze. now, now, as much as i’d rather not depend on anyone, we do have to ensure we don’t make enemies out of them. there is surely more to their generosity other than just pure kindness. they are ones we need to get on our side, but keep a close eye on.” the foreign language rolled from her tongue like a soothing lullaby, and it came to no surprise that ander spoke it so well himself. he had proved to be a hardworking student after all, and she had always found the romantic language to be the easiest one to speak after her mother tongue. with his muddy cloak now out of the way, sofia motioned for her guard to come closer, especially now that they were no longer the only two in the room. “keep an eye out on the french themselves too. whatever it is that they may be planning makes me uneasy. there is a purpose behind them bringing us all here, and i want to make sure we don’t get caught out.”

“You do keep me on my toes, Highness. Which I am eternally grateful for,” it wasn’t even a lie. Ander wouldn’t hesitate to lie if he thought it would serve him, but, more and more these days, he hardly ever found it necessary.  The princess accepted honesty in their conversations and even his flattery came from sincere observations. With how long he’d been in her employ he reckoned he should be considering himself fortunate he still found things to praise in her after all this time.

And fortunate she was spirited enough to make his job so entertaining.

“Probably because no one wants to go there,” Ander offered affably, canting his head in amusement. Or maybe it was because they were more sparsely populated. What mattered more was that they now had the advantage over the rest of Europe and that their favor was the best chip to have in one’s pocket under their present circumstances.

Part of him still got a thrill at every silent invitation she offered, whether they were alone and he could work his charm in earnest, or surrounded by others, when the game became muted and it was imperative to maintain straight faces. He approached, taking his place, tethering somewhere between standing besides or behind her. He was eager to see how they’d learn to navigate this new place while dancing around each other. Or at least he hoped he’d get to find out – he hoped the princess wanted to keep playing. 

“A...sword measuring contest on the part of the king, no doubt,”  Ander added the slightest inflection on the word, while maintaining a bland tone for everything else. “But the citizens rioted not so long ago. Making sure we have a ready ear outside the palace, as well, might prove wise.” The princess hadn’t been the first to invite him into sensitive conversations and take his opinion into account, but Ander hadn’t felt such satisfaction finding himself in this position with anyone else. The fact that she had to work through subterfuge and keep an entire country thinking only the king ruled, no doubt contributed to his delight. 

It was the underhandedness and slights of hand that kept him hooked. Should even half of what she worked for ever were to get out, the uproar would be ludicrous. Ander could easily imagine fire and brimstone sermons, painting Sofia in the most lurid of colors, decrying the attack on the natural order of things. But such things only heightened the sense that she was the brightest star in Spain to tie his fortunes to. Anyone capable of threatening age old institutions was worth knowing, after all. 

“The English and Scots are also at each other’s throats,” nothing new there – honestly Ander still wondered how so many royal houses insisted on the flimsy and ineffective method of dynastic marriages to try and bury conflict when it all was so obviously futile. “For that, alone and they should be supervised. They might attempt to turn this summit into an airing of their grievances against one another.”

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ofcruelfates​:

For those who knew Artemisia well or even quite well enough, it wouldn’t be much of an odd sight to see her sitting amongst the members of the common folk, working class and or even lowly staff members of any house or in this case, the French palace. She genuinely loved mingling with them like she did from her young days of childhood , and ever more so nowadays for several good reasons. One; they were less tedious and sometimes less scheming than many members of the nobility and royals. Two; most of them were less complicated and more authentic human beings than the highborn and three, she had always and still believed that the real power was with the common people, not the nobles nor royals. It was where she was able to network many loyal connections who could also help her back with any favor or information she needed, out of their love for noble lady who loved them back and always had their backs.  And last but certainly not least, they offered her a place of respite, far away from her many duties and obligations as well as a feeling of peace for at least here she could be left alone if she wished not to speak, no one could pressure her nor accidentally feel affronted if she did not desire their company and just wanted a quiet solitary moment. 

Long gone was the youthful, light-hearted, beaming and sparkling young girl who had never minded being one of the blooming roses of a party, the center of attention. The spirit of that girl had been replaced by an extremely disillusioned; and world-weary one, filled with an edge of cynicism, with a maturity and grave wisdom beyond her still-young years;  with a preference for slinking into the shadows whenever possible. It was hard to do so during events and parties due to her status not only as a well-respected and liked daughter from two powerful noble houses and duchy but also because of her current status as one of the closest ladies-in-waiting to the Spanish crown princess. However at any chance she got, Artie took it, such as an uneventful night as tonight. 

Thus, there she was this whole evening, sitting around with some of the kitchen staff, helping knead some dough and listening to their tales of the events of their day with her natural calming aura of patience and genuine interest. Within the span of the few days she had been here, already the quiet, but warmly charming Spanish lady had manage to make a few good acquaintanceships with a handful of the royal staff. It further helped that a couple of them had relatives in Spain who were already dear friends of hers from years ago. 

She finally excused herself for a bit to bring some freshly baked goods to some of the guards and valets conversing amongst themselves in the corridors around the servants wing of the castle, when her bright eyes suddenly landed on a an all-too-familiar person. The tall lady then approached the man, still holding onto her tray of baked treats and hearing the end of his speech, couldn’t help but let out a small amused chuckle. “You can easily get a drink from the kitchens or the many cellars this palace has even….Or do you mean to say that you still have yet to locate either one of them?” Artie teased.

Ander threw Artemisia a rueful smile as she approached, before snatching a sweet from her tray and stuffing it in his mouth, with a mischievous cackle. “All of those for me? Are you planning on fattening me up?” he asked, making no effort to take any more. After so long in the woman’s company, he’d grown accustomed to her random acts of kindness to complete strangers, and he had no interest in breaking her out of that habit. Not when it could serve them so well, at any rate.

“Alas, I have not,” he sighed dramatically. “Though I can’t say I’ve been intensely searching,” he needed to figure out the guards’ boundaries before he went about breaking them, after all. “I suppose you know their whereabouts, though,” Artemisia had a way of finding the most miserable wretch anywhere and brightening up their day. Had Ander really cared about the downtrodden, he would have likely been impressed. As it stood, all he could think about was how to use her particular talent in favor of the Spanish crown. “If I help you carry those to…whoever is their lucky recipient, will you show me the way to the cellar, my lady?” always willing to add gallantry to his mannerisms, Ander nodded his head briefly at her, throwing her an amused glance through his lashes. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you, as well. I could think of no one better for what I have in mind to serve the princess.”

[sclczcr]

He wasn’t going to intervene. Good Samaritan, he was not (rather, he kinda despised all those sermons), but he recognized the girl. A miracle, surely, considering she was dressed in men’s clothes and half her face was covered by a rather unflattering cap. Last time he’d seen her, she very much fitted the role of princess. Taking advantage of being far enough away that it wouldn’t be seen, Ander sighed exasperatedly and proceeded to lead his horse closer to the farmer and the wayward girl.

“Really my good man, all this over a few chickens? They’re clearly fine,” he gestured at the birds, still a little ruffled, but no worse for wear. Who cared that a chicken was inconvenienced, anyway?

“Boy tried to steal them,” the farmer seemed really put out about the whole ordeal, and his grip on the princess’ arm did not relax at all, even as he stared warily at Ander, gimlet eyes paying particular attention to the sword poking out of his saddlebag. With a monumental effort, he managed to not to raise a disbelieving eyebrow. He must have been older than Ander took him for, if he was mistaking Charlotte for a boy.

“My squire wouldn’t steal,” he raised an arm, gesturing for silence, anticipating the princess would not take kindly to being called a thief, but this needed to be resolved and quickly, so Ander opened his bag and tossed a coin at the farmer who let go of the girl in order to catch it.

“Come, boy,” he leaned across the saddle and reached his arm to her, his lips quirking upwards in amusement as their eyes met. He hoped that since the girl was out there jumping fences, she’d have no problem riding astride for a few miles.

charlotte decided that the best way to get to know her new environment, would be to immerse herself into it. she had spent a bit of time rooting through her trunks to find the perfect outfit. the decision involved a pair of her brother’s riding trousers that she may have borrowed without permission, a white blouse, and a jacket on top. the girl had pushed her hair up into a cap on top of her head. the princess was in a foreign court, so the chances of the townspeople recognizing her would be much smaller than if she were home. after deciding that she had the perfect disguise, the girl snuck her way out of the palace, hoping that she was not seen. 

it was quite simple for her to sneak around any guards that were in her path, as she had perfected her sneaking abilities. as she arrived into the village area right outside the castle, she immediately wanted to start up a conversation with anyone she saw. well, that was until events went sour. ever the clumsy girl, charlotte backed up into a pin that was full of chickens. the princess let out a loud yelp as the chickens wildly started rushing about the area. feathers and dust filled the air around her as a voice started to shout. charlotte hopped back up as quickly as possible and maneuvered her way back over the small fence. her trousers caught on the wood and she pulled them with haste, a strip of the fabric pulling away, as the man who must have owned the chickens came to her and started to berate the princess. she cursed to herself before scoffing at the man. “listen, old man, it was surly an accident. your chickens just got in my way!” she shouted back at the man, as he held her in place by the sleeve of her overcoat. 

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[sclczcr]

principemaurizio​:

ever since his arrival in the palace, maurizio had found himself too distracted by the endless masterpieces that decorated the walls. he had spent hours walking from one hall to the other, eyes admiring the colors and details that were present in ever piece of art within the french palace. he could not be bothered with the idea of political talks and meetings, but this? this was certainly something he did not mind. hours passed, and by the time he realized that the sun had set the prince was on the other side of the palace, away from the halls where he was meant to be staying in. 

the walk back followed a different path, and soon he found himself in a hall that was not as grand as the others. the company, he noticed, wore clothing that differed from the fine ones he wore. yet as the man spoke, maurizio could not help but smile at  the comment passed. “you might be in luck. i do have a good idea of where we can get one. now obviously i might get us lost somewhere along the way, but it’s worth a try. don’t you think?”

“Do you even have a good idea of where you are now, my lord?” Ander asked in jest, mirth dancing in his dark eyes as he straightened from leaning against the wall, giving the other a look-over similar to the one he’d been at the end of seconds earlier. Was that an Italian accent he detected? He was inclined to trust his instincts, just as most soldierly types, but if he hadn’t mortally offended the other man with a bit of harmless humor, he figured he’d have more time to suss it out. Or perhaps he’d save him the trouble and introduce himself. Either way suited Ander just fine.

“I agree,” he nodded and sauntered closer to the other. “It’s better to try and possibly fail, than not try at all and be left with this infernal thirst.” his grin widened for a moment, before switching to a more sedate smile. “Ander Salazar, knight, at your service. Ready to risk the unknown with you in the name of all those things I was willing to toast,” the slightest hint of mockery laced his tone, though he was careful not to make it seem like it was directed at the other.

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i found my senior quote

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dauqhin​:

Extraversion was something of a gift for a person in Beau’s position. He thrived in situations that called for him to be sociable. It was a rare thing to see; an occasion that he couldn’t sway the conversation in a direction that he favored. This wasn’t to say that it never happened, but even when it did he was usually prepared. Years spent right on his father’s heels, while simultaneously trying to find his own footing had made him versatile. He knew how to blend and coexist with little to know discrepancies. 

However, even Beau had his limits. When the first of foreign monarchs and their companies had arrived in France, they had received everything indicative of a warm welcome. By the time the last of them had trickled into the palace over the following weeks, he was nothing short of burned out. While still presenting himself with an air of grace, he was silently dreading every minor inconvenience. 

Consistently switching between languages for those who hadn’t bothered to learn conversational French or didn’t have translators, having every common space overrun with curious clusters, and constantly worrying about what was overheard by prying ears had gotten overwhelming quickly. Beau had resigned himself to playing the part of courteous host only when necessary and hiding out the rest of the time. 

What he could empathize with though was someone who had a similar disposition about the whole ordeal. It wasn’t hard to pick up on, especially not if casual drinking was being mentioned. “Forgive me, please,” he replied with a hum, a rhetorical nature to the statement. “What sort of host would I be if I didn’t show you myself?”

So Ander was in the presence of royalty. It wasn’t necessarily any skin off his back, but he figured he ought to be a little more careful. Not enough to ruin all his fun, of course, just to make sure he wouldn’t cause an international incident. That would most certainly not go down well with his people, and besides, he prided himself on being smarter than that.

But the man did not seem offended. In fact, Ander couldn’t detect any hesitation in his suggestion. Maybe he wanted to get away from all the other princes. He figured it couldn’t be easy suddenly not being part of a very restricted upper echelon. Nowadays, princes were dime a dozen in France and no matter how big palaces were, things were bound to get a little heated with so many people used to getting their own way in their respective countries, suddenly finding themselves in the same place. The more he thought of it, the more it looked like he’d be doing the crown prince a favor. But then again, he liked to put the brightest spin on things. 

“I’d be honored, Your Highness, naturally,” he bowed. “Please don’t think I meant to cast shade on your hospitality. It’s just…a new place. Things tend to get overwhelming at times.” hopefully that counted as adequate groveling on his part. “I’m sure I must have walked right past the refreshments and did not notice,” he gestured slightly, indicating he was ready to follow where the other led.

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sofialeon​:

ander had proven to be a man she could rely on time and time again. surely it had taken time for her to let down her guard around him, with sofia not being one to trust people so easily - especially if it was someone following her every move and tasked with her protection. yet he had proven to be loyal time and time again, earned her trust through his own work and merit. admittedly, his charm played its role in making sofia grow fond of him too. now that they were in foreign lands after times of turmoil, there was no one else she would rather have by her side.

a hint of a smile washed over her lips upon hearing him speak the foreign language, accompanied  by a sense of pride at the knowledge that she had helped him learn it. with the box safe in his arms, and the other spanish guards moving quickly to gather her items at his wordless order, sofia gave ander a nod of her head. “we shall.” her attention turned to the chamberlain, smiling sweetly at her as the princess motioned towards the palace’s entrance. “lead the way please. i would like to settle down as quickly as possible.” she waited for ander to reach her before making her way inside the french palace. “first order of business will be getting you out of those muddy clothes. you know i will fight you if you get any of it on my dresses,” she teased, voice barely louder than a whisper, ensuring he was the only one who would hear her words.    

He easily fell in step beside her. They’ve spent so much time together for so long, that Ander could now adjust his pace to hers unconsciously. He kept close to her, as well. Not close enough to brush against each other as they followed the chamberlain inside, certainly, but near enough to maintain a conversation in only the lowest of tones.

“Certainly, printesa, I would never forgive myself if I were to inconvenience you in any way. As soon as you’re settled, I will change posthaste.”  a perfectly dutiful, straight-laced response, he figured. He didn’t glance at her as the spoke, paying attention to his surroundings, instead, trying to set landmarks that would make this place easier to navigate in the coming weeks. Or maybe, he was just needling her, a little, for putting that very attractive image of her getting him out of his clothes in his head. “Besides,” he continued lightly, voice slightly lower than before. “– god forfend you try to punch me, again.” It might have been only a shadow, but it was a very definite shadow of a very definite smirk resting on his face now. 

The chamberlain suddenly spun on them with a flourish in front of a pair of open doors. “Thank you, we can take it from here,” Ander maintained a courteous tone with the man, as he stepped aside to allow Sofia to go in first. “I’m sure that if we need anything, you’ll be easy to find.” he declared in lieu of parting words and followed her inside, placing the trunk within sight, but out of the way. Knowing her, she would have placed other trinkets and fabrics to try and conceal the more important load and she might want to take those out as she unpacked. “So. We’re here, now. Back to work, of course. Should there be anything in particular I ought to pay attention to? I hear the Russians have the upper hand for once,” he’d switched to Italian, one of the languages that had come more easily to him when she’d taken on the task to teach him. People began trailing inside with the rest of her luggage and as a maid reached out her hands for his mud splattered cloak, he unlaced it quickly and handed it to her with a wordless smile as thanks.