Cold Hands, War[m] Heart [Namingtoohard & Fanatasia]

[Fanatasia]

Aine flinched as he mentioned she may end the Sinder bloodline's trait, however she noted he sounded far more irritated by the statement itself, then by her. She shifted when he rested his hand on her left shoulder, gaze flickering from the gloved hand to the man himself.

Her blue hues found his amber ones, as she listened to him speak. When he was done, she shifted and murmured, "I was never meant to be next-in-line. They never bothered to educate me, in any sense of the word." She'd studied him softly, before nodding and sighing, shaking her head.

After a few minutes in silence, she spoke again, peering upward--almost like a child, seeking some sort of game--"Would you like that dance now?" Her head tipped to one side as she moved to stand, offering a quiet half-smile. Clearly she was still bothered by what the passerby's had murmured, but she was going to try to ignore them.

While she waited for his response to dancing, she spoke out, "What sort of things do you enjoy doing? I mean--I don't know anything about you..." She'd pause, before admitting, "Though I doubt you know a lot about me, either." She'd tip her head to one side, fingers curling into her palm for a moment. "We should make this into a game, you know? Take turns telling each other something about ourselves." She chirped.

As fast as his brief insight to her personality had faltered, when the passerby's had muttered their harsh poison her way, it had come back. Her eyes brightened considerably, and she seemed much more energetic; determined to get the man in front of her to dance with her--determined to learn as much as she could about him, in as little time as possible.

[Namingtoohard]

"No" he would answer softly, voice little more than a whisper as the girl confessed what he already knew - that she was never intended to be the next heir of the kingdom. "Yet, here we both are. So we might as well do our best to make the most of it" he responded, falling silent again, before slowly and respectfully withdrawing his hand. He hoped that in some form he had managed to help, but it was a little hard to tell. Being born without powers may have meant that he lacked any inherent respect for the woman, but Leith was not totally without empathy.

A small smile crept across his face as she asked once more if he would like to dance, taking that as a sign that she was at least making an effort to lift the mood again. Naturally, he would extend his hand again - the left one this time - and offer it for her to take. Hopefully that would serve as an answer in and of itself. "I'm afraid I'm not quite used to the sort of flaunting that you showed off before, but I do know a few steps. Nothing quite as exciting, but hopefully they will suffice. That, or you might just have to teach me" he would add, smile widening a little as he waited for her to take his hand.

Deciding to play along with her little game for now, the crown prince would answer her question as he waited, as another way of giving his approval. "I enjoy playing the pipes, mostly. A strange man once showed me a trick that involved using them as a method of storytelling, and I've been trying to imitate him ever since. I'm not quite as good, but I like to think myself a fair hand" he would answer. Had she taken his hand at this point, Leith would lead her a few steps away from the fountain, so that they had a bit more open space, before turning back to face her again.

"That, and crafting. I'm quite good at ice sculpting, when the inspiration strikes me. I'm sure you can figure out why" he would answer, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Having assumed that the princess intended for this to be a rather slow dance, from the way she had offered him her own hand before, he would step in close, as was only natural. That sort of dancing was the kind he was used to indulging in, so that worked out somewhat well for him, though he would be interested to see where they differed on this. To accompany the gesture, he would reach out and place his free hand on her waist, assuming a rather traditional opening stance.

"And now it is your turn, my lady. Tell me a little something about this weapons training you've supposedly undergone. Did you pick that yourself, or was it forced upon you? It seems a strange choice, by our standards at least" he asked. Naturally, he was referring to the announcement her father had made inside before, at the conclusion of her original dance.

[Fanatasia]

Aine grinned briefly when the man accepted her hand to dance. And then, he began to tell her about himself. At his words--she grinned softly, and chimed, "I don't know if I can sing or not--much less play an instrument." She moved to take the general position one took during this dance, grinning when he spoke of crafting ice.

"Will you show me, sometime? Both your talents?" She inquired, canting her head to one side, as she shifted her hand against his shoulder. When he told her that it was her turn, she hummed thoughtfully...

"Well, I guess I kind of picked that out. See, when I was ten, my big brothers were both gone really often, off to war and such--so I was often left alone, by myself..." She paused, her step faltering before she resumed her slow movements with him. "...well, one day, the gates were open--they're never open, at least, not back then, when Sinder was actively at war. I didn't understand that I was being told to run--my brothers', they'd returned by sea; only to find that a land attack had already begun, that these men..." She paused briefly, biting her lip softly. "These men--these... ice elementalist, rogue, father learned, were here to kill us."

She leaned against him as she was twirled, speaking out, while she was pressed against the man, "I didn't understand that the pretty men, with the lovely hair were not friends. I was... a hostage, more or less." She shifted, as she was twirled away from his form, stepping back in front of him. One hand left his shoulder, to rest against her throat, outlining a very faint scar. "Cold--the coldest thing I had ever felt... Straight through my throat there..." She murmured, staring upward, her blue eyes flickering from his face to the sky.

"I... I chose to learn to wield a sword, if I could not wield fires." She shifted her weight slightly. "The man that hurt me--he was taken into custody. He's still alive to this day. My brothers--he killed them, too. The flames just... flickered out." She shifted again, fingers tightening briefly against Leith's shoulder, before she murmured, "Father never wanted me to learn. But I promised him I would kill the man that took them away from me."

She fell silent for a second, before speaking, "Tomorrow--that's who I'll be against. That prisoner."

[Namingtoohard]

"One day, certainly. Its been a while since I had an audience" he answered with a bit of a soft chuckle as the two of them began to move, enacting the first few steps of a rather traditional slow dance. It felt rather amateur and slow compared to the performance that Aine herself had given before, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Leith certainly didn't intend on prancing around like that out here, and at least this way they could continue their little game of discovery.

His calm and amused smile faded somewhat as she began her story, especially considering how it opened with talk of war. A logical direction, but the prince certainly hadn't intended to pry into anything so personal anywhere near this soon. At the mention of the fact these people were ice elementals, he winced slightly, as if physically wounded by the revelation. Honestly, his impression that this had been a poor choice of question was becoming more and more valid with every passing moment.

Regardless of his growing apprehension concerning this particular topic, the prince would stay silent, letting his dancing partner finish her story for the time being. He would do his best to conceal it, but without total success. Without missing a beat, he would still twirl his dance partner at the appropriate moment, when they reached that part of the dance, but his throat felt invariably dry. Naturally, as she came out of the spin, his eyes followed her hand up to the scar on her throat. How she had survived an injury in that particular place seemed nothing short of a miracle.

Even after she had finished, the prince remained silent for a moment, eyes cast slightly off to the side, so that he was not directly facing her. He had to swallow a few times before that he was confident that he would be able to speak properly again, and that was saying something for Leith. "I...I'm sorry to hear that. I would not have asked, had I known it was such a personal matter" he finally answered, faltering just briefly. Subconsciously, the man tightened his grip on the princess a little.

"I'm surprised you can even stand here with me like this now, let alone stand the thought of having to marry one of us" he would add softly after a few moments, before shaking his head a little, as if trying to clear it of such negative thoughts. With some visible effort, he would straighten up a little, trying to fall back into step with her and focus on the dance again.

"In any case, that's an abnormally long time for a prisoner to be kept alive. A long wait, to avenge one's family. I'm sure that you'll make sure he gets what he deserves tomorrow" he would answer, forcing a smile somewhat. "Under normal circumstances, I would have been horrified to see one of my people slaughtered in a bout like that. Knowing that, though, makes things easier. I'll have to mention it to Fiora later, to make sure she doesn't do anything rash" he would add, muttering that last part to himself as much as he was speaking to Aine.

[Fanatasia]

"I don't think it'd be right if I blamed the entirety of the ice-users, though." She stated, leaning into him to study his eyes. "Not all of you are bad. There's good in everyone." She stated, flashing a quiet smile. "Besides," as she was twirled again, she paused, before speaking, "I learned something that night."

A mysterious little smile claimed her lips as she was twirled outwards, claiming her position in front of him--humming thoughtfully to herself as they danced. Briefly in silence, before she spoke, "Did you get a chance to taste the food?" She inquired, moving to break their dance and tug his hand gently.

"We've got our oldest wine out--but Father hid it; or tried too." She'd grin upward. "You shouldn't spend all your time with me--you should get to see the rest of Sinder and the culture we offer."

[Namingtoohard]

"Now that's an optimistic outlook" he would muse softly, frowning a little as the princess declared that she didn't think it fit to blame all ice users. After all, when a child was attacked by a dog, nobody questioned it when they maintained a fear of them for the rest of their lives. Why were people any different? When she announced that she had learned something that night, though, a puzzled expression quickly flickered across his face. For a second, the prince considered pushing her to answer, but the way that Aine quickly changed the topic after that suggested she wasn't inclined to share just yet.

He would shake his head as she asked whether or not he had gotten to try the food yet, before tilting his head a little as she announced that her father had gotten the good wine out, but tried to hide it somewhat. Frankly, the prince felt like there was only one direction this could be going right now. "Let me guess...you know where its being kept, then?" He would ask, a smile flickering across his face. While he hadn't been a big fan of the wine he had tried during the earlier stages of the ball, before coming out to the garden, he was willing to play along.

He was just about to make a move, before the crown prince was distracted by a burst of laughter from further out in the garden, followed by a rather angry voice yelling out something along the lines of "that's crap! You must've cheated me!". Normally the prince would have ignored such a gesture, but unfortunately, he recognised that laugh. Letting out a soft sigh, he would glance back across at the princess with a pained expression.

"Fiora" he said, sounding somewhat resigned. Without waiting, he would strike out towards the source of the sound, rounding a corner to find three people standing there. The first was the captain of his guard, who was standing at full height with her arms crossed, and an undoubtedly smug grin on her face. The other two seemed members of Sinder's guard, if he had to guess. One of them was also standing, glaring at Fiora aggressively, while the other was seated on the ground, looking up at the other two with an exasperated expression. Between the three of them, there were a handful of cards and coins scattered on the ground. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening here.

"Is there a problem here, captain?" Leith would ask, directing the words towards his own bodyguard. Still grinning like a child who had just been handed a jar of sweets, she glanced across at him. "Nay, not at all. Just a sore loser who can't accept that he got his ass handed to him by a woman" she would answer, throwing a quick glance back at the guard who was standing. The man's expression visibly darkened at the jab, before he started a little as he took note of the nobility that had just walked in on their little game, shrinking away from the challenge a little.

[Fanatasia]

Aine had grinned at him, about to tell him where her father's prize wine was kept, only to find that he was distracted shortly after. She turned to follow after him, furrowing her brow as she stared at the guards, her head tipping to one side, brilliant blue hues staring at the two of them--as if she could see right through them. Quietly she spoke, "It's a bad idea not to accept the consequences, you know, Riknar." She would continue to study the man in question--who claimed the female had cheated him.

The guards in question glared at the princess; and would have usually acted against her, however, they did not wish to start trouble with the Neveians so near. She shifted her weight, her gaze travelling across the gardens as she whispered, "Sorei is home?"

Riknar, the guard standing, spoke, "Yes, milady. Sorei's just arrived. We saw the carriage pull in during our game." Aine murmured, "You best remember your place then, Riknar."

Sorei was the head of the Sinderian guard. As Aine offered a slight smile toward Fiora, and Leith, she turned--as a white-haired woman appeared in the gardens. This woman wore thick furs, and as she walked forward, she spoke, "Have you enjoyed your ball thusfar, Aine?" Brilliant blue hues flickered over the prince, briefly, before Sorei leaned to wrap an arm around the princess' waist, and whisper in her ear, "Your father's changed the hiding place of the good wine--but..."

She held the bottle up. "...I snagged it before he could talk to me about the protective detail for tomorrow." The woman bowed low, as she stepped back from the princess. "Milord. Pleasure to have you in our kingdom."

The woman's fingers released the wine into the grasp of the princess, who grinned and murmured, "I thought you were supposed to keep me out of trouble, Sorei."

"Well, I cannot say I am the most suited for keeping you out of trouble... Keeping you safe, perhaps."

Aine shook her head as she held the wine bottle out toward the man beside of her. "Try this--it's nothing like what they're serving overall."

[Namingtoohard]

Upon hearing the words of the princess, scolding her own guard nonetheless, Fiora's strange sort of smug satisfaction only seemed to increase, and she gave the guard another sly grin. Honestly, if Leith hadn't known better, he would've thought that Fiora was intentionally goading the man, trying to antagonise and humiliate him as much as possible. Actually, scratch that - that was definitely what she was trying to do. The crown prince honestly wanted to drag her aside then and there, given that her orders for tonight had been to make nice with the local guards. In Fiora's mind, though, she was doing just that - by kicking up such a fuss, she was making sure that her name would've spread right throughout the Sinder garrison by morning.

Perhaps thankfully, it was at that moment that the situation was interrupted by none other than Aine herself, using a name he did not as of yet recognise. He would have almost assumed that this 'Sorei' was one of the nobles from the way their name seemed to affect the local guardsmen, if he had not already learned Sinder's current generation as part of his preparation for this trip.

The crown prince would watch curiously as another woman made her appearance, dressed heavily in furs not unlike those the commoners of his kingdom wore back at home, to ward against the bite of the cold. He would watch on, mystified, as this newcomer walked right up to the princess and took her by the waist. Clearly, the two of them knew each other quite well. Leith could tell that much even from just that short exchange. The talk of this protective detail, too, gave him some inkling into the newcomer's position and their relation to one-another.

"My my, what a pleasant turn of events. Just what we had been looking for" Leith would mutter with a soft chuckle, taking the bottle of wine with one hand when it was offered to him. Given the informality of the situation thus far, he didn't feel the overwhelming urge to greet the newcomer properly. He was somewhat unused to drinking wine straight out of the bottle, but took a cautious sip nonetheless, savouring the taste for a moment before giving a small nod.

"Not bad, not bad at all. I could get used to that, even if its nothing like what we drink back home" he announced, handing the bottle back out of the assumption that it was to be shared, at the very least. "Normally we boil our wine over a fire, while adding lots of spices, and then wait until it cools down to a bearable temperature before we drink. Cool wine is a drastic change, but this seems infinitely more bearable than what they were serving inside" he would add after a moment, before giving a bit of a casual shrug. It seemed much more fitting for this climate, if nothing else.

Fiora, on the other hand, was using this opportunity and break in the atmosphere to saunter back over to the guard she had just been quarrelling with. She would pat him on the shoulder for a moment, whispering something in the way of a peacemaking statement that Leith did not catch, before crouching down and gathering up the coins she had won. "I suppose that concludes our game for the evening then, gentlemen. 'Course, if you or any of your fellows are looking for another beating any time soon, feel free to come and find me" she would answer with a grin, tucking the coin away before stepping back over to join Leith for the moment.

[Fanatasia]

Aine grinned wryly as she spoke, introducing Sorei, "This is the head of the guard here--and my personal bodyguard." Sorei stepped forth, bowing once as she ordered the guards to disperse. "Patrol the borders--I don't want anything going wrong tonight."

One of the guards muttered, "You were the one who went to the Cold Lands, not us," as they started off into the darkness. Sorei addressed the prince, now, regarding the explanation he gave for the difference in the wine: "I know the wine well--I prefer it, actually." The woman shoved a hand through her hair, as she settled on the edge of the fountain.

"Tell me, Aine, did anyone say anything to you?" Aine's gaze fixed on the ground as she muttered, "Not... really." Sorei nodded, stating, "Good... Good. Stop fretting, then." The white-haired girl leaned forward to tug the princess' hair slightly. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

Aine shrugged slightly, turning her attention back to Leith. With a grin, she chirped, "Well, we try, I guess." She'd flash a slight grin as her gaze travelled to Sorei, who was toying with the water, making ripples along the surface.

"Is the ball over, Sorei?" Sorei shook her head, and Aine stood. "I want to go riding, then. It's boring in there--with all those people, leering..."

"Cannot let you do that. Your father would have my head." Aine scowled, eyeing Leith as she spoke, "Would he have your head, if I took him with me?"

"Probably."

"I don't care."

Aine's gaze flickered to Leith and she inquired, "Have you seen much of the land? I'd love to show you around--and change out of this god-awful gown." She admitted, with a wry smile. Clearly, she felt safe with Sorei there--like she could be herself.

Sorei waved a hand, calling forth the maid who had been in the shadows, ready with a change of clothes. Sorei would take the clothes; and wave the maid off, swearing the girl to secrecy.

"Excuse us, just a moment."

The two of them disappeared behind a bush, not really concealed from view, but just enough so that it was not too immodest. Soon enough, they returned into full view--Aine dressed in a light, rather short dress; that was practically see-through. Her hair was braided tightly around her head, and the tiara still in place.

Sorei held the white ball gown over one arm, and Aine inquired, with a grin, "We have these caves--they're full of fire-worms; completely harmless... but absolutely beautiful. Would you like to see?"

[Namingtoohard]

As Aine introduced her, Leith would respond to the woman he now knew as Sorei with a small nod of acknowledgement. Given that the introduction had only gone one way, and she had already addressed him as the crown prince a few moments earlier, Leith assumed that she already knew who he was, if nothing else. It was unsurprising, really, considering how much of a big deal the king had made of their arrival, with both the formal ball and the tournament that was going to be taking place tomorrow. Fiora remained impassive throughout the entire affair, simply lingering by her companion's side.

Leith tilted his head a little as Sorei asked after Aine's experiences thus far, and how she was being treated. The people they had overheard muttering immediately sprang to mind, but Aine's own answer made it clear enough that she didn't wish to bring that up again. Once again, the prince would remain silent, not wanting to contradict her on a personal matter. At the end of the day, it was her issue to deal with, and not his. It seemed that Sorei was quite content to accept Aine's answer at face value, too, despite how uncertain she seemed.

Leith would let out a soft chuckle as he listened to the exchange that followed, unable to help but be amused by the short discussion over the possible ramifications of them going out riding at this very moment. Needless to say, Leith felt that they were being overexaggerated somewhat, but that was a part of what made it so funny. Fiora, by comparison, simply gave a bit of a wry smile. She herself knew what sort of situation Sorei was being placed in, and that she likely would've had to do the same had their positions been reversed.

"Very little, I'm afraid. Only what we passed on our journey up" he answered somewhat casually. The implication in her words seemed clear, though the prince would avert his eyes briefly as the two of them ducked behind a bush so that the princess could get changed. Fiora, naturally, seemed completely unfazed by the display - both because she was a woman, and she was not Neveian by birth.

"I'm almost surprised that she agreed so easily" Leith would comment, speaking softly while they waited, at which Fiona would only chuckle softly, before responding in kind.

"You heard her. She's here to keep the princess safe, not keep her out of trouble" she would remark. After that, both of them would wait in silence until the princess reemerged. Leith's gaze would flicker over her visage briefly - both due to its near-transparency and how drastic the transformation seemed to be - before snapping out of it.

"I think I've heard of something similar before, but I've never gotten the chance to see them for myself. I'd be more than happy to accompany you" he would answer, deciding in that instant to forego the rest of the ball and the chance to meet the rest of Sinder's lesser nobles for the opportunity. Surely the king would understand, if the event gave him an impression that the noble had taken a liking to his daughter.

Immediately, he would glance across at Fiora. "Send someone to check if any of our horses are well enough to ride" he answered. She immediately responded with a curt bow, before heading back towards the ballroom - likely to grab some unfortunate soul from the number of guards they had brought for use as a makeshift groom. Once she was gone, he would turn his attention back to the two women standing before him. "Unfortunately, I had to leave my own mount at home, so one of my guard's mounts will have to suffice" he added simply, considering the matter sorted. For now, he really just had to wait for Fiora to get back, and for the princess and her own escort to sort out their own rides.