Return of the Dämmerung Royal Ball (Open to all)

[vincent]

"Exactly, then. You don't get to lecture me," Vincent grumbled some more, "dead wife, two kids, jealous girlfriend and the list keeps going..."

[alexanderthegreat]

Alexander still didn't like this. What 'crimes' had Seigmand actually committed? He knew the man wasn't a favourite (and for obvious reasons as he'd displayed out on the ballroom floor) but he wasn't evil. He used Trucido of all people, afterall. It didn't make sense, none of this made any sense to Alexander.

But he had no clue who Roxa really was, either. From the sounds of it, he was an amazing fellow.

"...I understand. Very well," was all Alexander had to say to this, now. Again, he wasn't happy but he wasn't in the best position to argue or change his mind--it wasn't right. When it came down to it, wasn't it always the choice between two evils you had to choose from?

Besides that, Alexander's mind was running with thoughts. He wasn't sure how this new government would deal with 'criminals' such as Seigmand but he didn't want to find out the man was going to be publicly hanged or something--Alexander was already focused on a way to help both sides of this. Help Benjamin get what he wanted, Roxa in power but make sure Seigmand wasn't killed unfairly, either.

Not until he figured out what went wrong in Roccia, at least.

[Andy Jammer]

Andy gave her a look, the look that did not show any form of jest but one of utter seriousness.

"Kevin told me that the portals of Allorum work oddly, they activate at any place and time. While I spend twelves years on Earth, five hundred years in Allorum passed." he looked at her. "Jasmine, I am not joking...at all. What I learned is true, hell, ask Kevin: he and Profeta raised me for at least an Allorum year."

[Benjamin Kírix-Unda]

Benjamin could see some doubt in the King's eyes. He wouldn't ask about it, a man was allowed to have his doubts and Benjamin was well aware that he could not settle such a matter like this. War was a decision never taken lightly, and after so many rebellions put down in Roccia it was time for it to stop.

Benjamin took a step back to the door and reached for the handle, looking over at Alexander and Brea he gave a nod, "Than let's get to work." He said before opening the door and stepping out.

He hoped that every country got the message he was sending, he hoped that through one way or another countries would comply. Even if it is a refusal to give refugee status to those convicted of war crimes, that was all Benjamin was looking for.

[glitters]

Jasmine could tell Andy wasn't joking, and that was what worried her the most. She personally never understood the portals and how they worked, just that she'd been through one once and it scared the crap out of her, not to mention what she found on the other end of it. She also knew they did work in the strangest of ways, having been randomly sent to some part of Earth and made to somehow fight Grim with an unconscious Volkmar laying in the sand.

...She didn't like that.

Jasmine had a look of disappointment in her eyes, and a lot more confusion as another silence fell before them. Her hands then suddenly ripped from Andy's as she took a step back.

"That means you're supposed to be what? Five-hundred years old?! Eww, you creep!" she flailed her hands about like any teenage girl would at anything that fit the category of 'eww eww eww!' but she didn't stomp off, she at least wanted answers, "but really! How old are you supposed to be?!"

Another thought then hit her and her eyes widened.

"And what if you stayed on Earth after Trucido was defeated for an extra year?! What if you came back and I was a wrinkling old hag like my grandmother?! Ahhh, Andy, I don't like this!" and then finally she narrowed her eyes at him, "that means you can't leave again! I won't let you! Don't leave Allorum again! You have an excuse to stay now, if you came from here originally then that means you really are native to us--it's better that way!"

[alexanderthegreat]

Alexander waited a few moments after the door was opened, left with his empty wineglass and his own thoughts. There wasn't much he could do at the moment.

His pendant glowed and from the light of it formed his guardian fox on the floor, sitting obediently by his feet and staring up at him. He smiled, running his hand softly over her head and scratching her ears as she'd been impatiently waiting for. She almost seemed to be purring at the act of affection, her large puffy tail wagging slightly.

"Well, then. You have a job to do. Don't worry about me," he gave her a wink, "you'll know where to find me anyway. Go on, now."

She let out a soft sound that sounded like a 'mewww' and disappeared out the door as well, trying to look like nothing more than a pet and eventually leave the castle--he didn't need to say it, she knew her master's orders well. Watch Seigmand.

Alexander smiled as he then left the room and found Zeke and Alex again.

"I apologize, gentlemen. Have I missed anything?"

[Andy Jammer]

Andy was quite discouraged, and hurt, by Jasmine's slightly childish outburst. He walked to her and leaned forward, his eyes narrowed and his voice firm.

"Six.teen." he pulled back once he made his age very clean. "And thank you very much Jasmine, you inspired much confidence in me right now."

He turned away from her and placed his hands on the railing, letting out a small frustrated growl. He wasn't even DONE with the rest of the information, he didn't even get to the part that once he was technically a prince of Ignis, or that...oh yeah, KARA IS HIS SISTER. He waited a few moments to calm down, yelling at her would not help much but he was kind of steaming right now.

Once he got his general anger under control he spoke, he did not turn to look at her as he did.

"May as well just get this next part over with, you see I was born in Ignis under the name of Andur Jahangir. The Jahangir family was the family that ruled Ignis for the time, yes Jasmine at a time I was a prince. Oh yeah, while we're discussing this - you know how Kara was asleep for five hundred years? Yeah, same time period, freaky right? Well guess what, her dad? Also my dad. Yes thats right the former Prince of Ignis and the now Queen of Ghiaccio are siblings."

He paused for a moment, his frustration spilling over, "There you have it, anything else you want to add?"

[glitters]

Jasmine easily saw Andy was angry, though she was confused as to why. She could understand that no, she didn't really react to this information as well as he obviously had wanted her to but how was she supposed to react? His information dump afterwards about him being royalty didn't help, either, or that Andy and Kara's weird brother-sister like relationship had actually literally been a brother-sister-like relationship the entire time.

Well great, now she wanted to cry. Instead she watched him huff about and then took a deep breath as she tried to find the right tone to speak to him in. Something just as firm, though not necessarily angry.

"Yes, I do, actually," she started, staring at him with narrowed eyes herself and fists balled, "next time you're going to tell me about all of your family secrets, telling me who you are, don't be so surprised when I overreact!"

She bit her lip and folded her arms, looking away for a moment as she tried to keep her own cool. She wasn't too sure when exactly he'd learned all of this about himself but she couldn't imagine it was easy. Hell, she'd grown up for years knowing her father wasn't around because he had been presumably dead, she knew what it was like to find out something like fourteen years later that he really was alive.
It wasn't easy. But she couldn't expect anyone to take it well.

"You know what it's like to have the man you love tell you that he's from some...time warp or something from five hundred years ago out of the blue? It's not easy. I feel bad you learned all of this and I'll be here for you but..." she shook her head, "I'm not meaning to upset you, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do for you...uh...your majesty?"

No, really, what was she supposed to say?

[Zeke Omoihake]

"Hey King Alexander, that was crazy fast. Well it's probably for the best seeing as how you seem like such a busy guy tonight." Zeke eagerly joked with his liege. "Honestly you've got more business now than an average week at the castle."

Joking aside it had been great and Zeke wished, naively of course, it never changed. Part of him missed the excitement and thrill of adventuring, but when he counted the amount of times he had almost died, and the one time he had, he realized that he had likely spent the rest of his luck just managing to not get thrown in a dungeon for kissing Alexander's after fighting Trucido. Adventuring was tiring and risky and when all was said and done a week in a castle beat out a week in a tent anytime.

Yet war was coming on a large scale, and while Zeke knew only the smallest of details he knew two things; every time Benjamin traded words with Alexander he got more involved, and that Alexander looked like he always did when he was trying to pretend that nothing was going on.

[Andy Jammer]

Andy sighed, "No it...look learning this myself is absolutely no easier okay? I...yeah I hoped you would have...taken that a little better, yeah."

He finally turned around, "No majesty stuff...not a prince, not anymore. Don't even want to be really and...wait."

He pointed at her, "Did...did you just say you loved me?"

[glitters]

"I am sorry, it really is startling..." she spoke much quieter in between Andy's own words, letting herself trail off and get lost in the conversation as she watched him. When he turned back to her she stared at his finger, then looked up into his eyes with a bit of a blank look.

Andy's question put her in the spotlight and feeling as though she had a million eyes watching her her cheeks flushed a little. Her hands folded together in front of her, fingers twiddling and fidgeting revealing that typical nervous Jasmine when she had something important to say.

"I..." she sighed, "y-yes, I did. B-because...I do. I love you, Andy...I don't want to hurt you..."

[alexanderthegreat]

"Yep, I'm a popular guy tonight, that's for sure," Alexander replied to Zeke and bit his lip, watching with concerned eyes Foxy strutting about the room like she owned the place. He realized after an awkward silence from him that he was probably starting to look bothered and that was a bad image of himself to show, not just in his own castle in front of his own people but even worse in a different country in a gathering of nations under one roof.

"This is the closest anyone can get to me, this one night only comes but once a year! They'll be lined up out the door in an hour when they realize how late it's getting and their time with King Alexander Frexton is almost out!" Alexander threw out one of his typical conceited comments about himself with a laugh to try to smooth out the uncomfortable air he felt was lingering after his meeting with Benjamin, though the laughter immediately stopped when he raised his wine glass and was met with the shocking reminder that it was empty and he looked foolish. Not that the king had ever looked silly before but this was just ridiculous, he was an open book, the page that read 'SOMETHING IS BOTHERING ME' displayed for any who watched could see.

Panicked, he flailed the empty glass in desperate attempt to look smooth again and announced, "Anyone care to bring about another--what the hell is that?!"

And then his eyes went wide as he noticed [url=http://www.crepusculumregnum.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=castle1&thread=1990&page=6#26899[/url]the freaky monster thing[/url] lurking about and everyone else was insane for not seeing it.

[The Other]

It had been nearly a half hour that The Other had mulled about the ballroom, watching with a curious intent at the people that mingled and danced the night away. Of course it came as no surprise that they did so away from him. Very, very far away. It was an enticing bit of fear that he enjoyed, to see even the most prim and proper mortals keep to their foolish mannerisms even though every fibre of their being told them to flee from his presence. He had even went up to a couple of them and engaged them in direct conversation, just to delight in their reserved terror.

Yet his amusement had begun to wane into boredom, and for a time The Other contemplated a silent and gruesome murder of one of the doe-eyed maidens, just to see if he couldn't spice up the party a little. Just one of course, a quick and inconspicuous death left for all to see. He would play ignorant of it of course, just so the fevered speculations would build in their puny minds, building more and more till...

Yet in an instant the thought faded from the forefront of his mind as he felt the unusual sensation of watchful eyes upon him. Not at all like the stolen glances that he had received so far. No, as he turned slowly to his right he couldn't help but grin as King Alexander's eyes met his directly.

How delicious. Perhaps there is some fun to be had yet.

With an otherworldly glide The Other approached Alexander, armed only with his tray of untouched sweets. "Greetings young King. I do not believe we have ever had the pleasure of meeting till this night." The Other shot him a devilish grin while the light from the chandeliers seemed to sparkle off his jagged onyx teeth. "I am the King of Ariadelvento, but as we are of equal station you may simply refer to me as Lord Other if it should please you."

[alexanderthegreat]

Oh great, it saw him.

'No no, just stay there. No, really. Oh god...' Alexander thought as The Other moved towards him, his body tensing up as he tried to give a fairly polite smile, though anyone who cared to pay enough attention would have definitely been able to tell he wasn't very comfortable talking to the other uh...king.

Alexander just peered beyond The Other, a little under twenty feet away Foxy was being treated with eager and pleasant hands petting her head and just when she'd looked so happy she arched her back and stared straight at her master. The fur along her large tail and her back started to stand and Alexander knew too well that that was the warning--she was on her guard despite his orders because she knew, no matter how much Alexander tried to hide and lie about it, something struck fear in him. And so she observed while Alexander looked back to The Other and pretended he was having a good time with him.

"Ah, Lord...Other...it is a pleasure to finally meet you," Alexander forced a grin, "I'm uh...Alexander Frexton, from Santo-Luce. I've no problem with you calling me...Alexander..."

He was still trying to figure out how this thing was a king. Weren't the royals usually human? Or something? He was icky and creepy...

[Yeligar Maelstrom]

"Two kids? You only have Jasmine I thought." Yeligar said, hoping that his fried was just drunk and mixed up his words. Then the idea clicked: Mel might be pregnant. "You do know that drinking like that is just making things worse. I mean with a new child on the way, you're going to teach it some bad habits." He said as he started to pulled out his cigar and started to smoke it.
" You're just dulling the pain, not making it go away."