Reivyn walked arm in arm with Kefira, escorting her through the grounds behind the main palace building to the ballroom. The path had been lit with Mana lanterns, and there were decorations tastefully displayed along the way. Even though Reivyn knew that everything had been thrown up within the last couple of hours - there hadn't been a single decoration or lamp when he left the meeting with Garet - it looked like it had been planned for months ahead of time. "If I didn't know better, I would think that your parents were prepared for this," Reivyn commented. "Oh, they definitely were," Kefira snorted. "They roughly knew our schedule and the fact that we were headed here, and I'm sure my mother had several different plans set up before ever meeting you. Even if I hadn't dragged you home with me, there's a pretty good chance my mother would have thrown me a legitimate celebratory ball." "That makes sense, and there's no lack of manpower to get everything in position promptly." Reivyn looked over and saw a maid topping up one of the Mana lanterns to keep it bright. "There's no way that maid is Tier 4. Do all of the palace staff have their Mana Skills and Affinities unlocked?" "I wouldn't look down on the palace staff," Kefira said, glancing in the direction Reivyn indicated. "Most of the lower class maids are exceptionally talented people, just ones who've run into problems they can't solve on their own. They're not selling themselves into slavery, or anything, but a lot of them are orphans. "We give them a home and a family of their own, and we take care of them. They're fiercely loyal. The upper-class staff, that's a bit of a different story. Some of them are even nobles from vassal states here to train their Skills. "The most trusted subordinates, though, are families that have followed us for generations, and we even have marriage ties with them. Take Serilla for instance. She's technically a servant, but she's also my cousin." "Speaking of Serilla, where is she?" Serilla had not been at the house when Reivyn arrived to pick Kefira up. "She's got double duty tonight," Kefira answered. "The first part of the evening, she's with the guards, and then she'll be 'allowed' to attend the party as my attendant." Kefira gave Reivyn a pointed look. "She's an important ally this evening. Since you don't know everyone, and there hasn't been time for you to learn, she's going to martial some of the other ladies and intercept any of the exceptionally bad eggs before they can even get close to me." "If they're so bad, then what chance do they have with you?" Reivyn asked. Kefira glanced up at him and quirked an eyebrow. "Don't be naive. The really bad ones are bad because they lean on their powerful families. It's not them that I'm worried about. Most of them are wastrels. It's the political pressure their parents or siblings can bring to bear." "I see. Well, she's not going to be here during the first half of the evening, and I'm going to be with you as you greet everyone as they come in, so you'll need to give some sort of signal when we encounter one you think might try to approach you before Sera shows up." "Will do. I'll ping your Traveller Affinity with my Space Affinity. It should go undetected, and if anyone does notice it, I can just say I was giving you orders." The two turned on the wide path leading to the ballroom. The facade of the building wasn't as grand as the main palace building, but it was still quite grand. Reivyn could see a large dome topping the center of the structure. Imperial Guards were patrolling the grounds, and he could sense several hidden presences with his Divine Sense nearby. There was some sort of obstruction with his Sense Mana, but he was Skilled enough in it that he could catch some faint echoes of more guards further away. The two entered the building, and Reivyn immediately scanned the surroundings. The floor was wide open, and there were only some small rooms along the edge of the building on either side. The rear was a large wall of glass looking out into an ornate fountain, and there was a clear exit that allowed people to go back there and stroll in the gardens. There were two sets of stairs to the right, leading up to a balcony that hung over a quarter of the floor. "That's where my parents are going to be entertaining the older guests," Kefira nodded to the balcony. Staff was already present setting tables and making sure everything was perfect. There were no early guests, and none of Kefira's family members had arrived ahead of them, either. Reivyn was a firm believer in the saying: "If you're not fifteen minutes early, you're late." Sometimes that translated into arriving even earlier, as the meeting times already took arriving early into account. "Looks like the time they gave us was the early time," Reivyn said, looking around. "I don't mind," Kefira said, walking over to a table and taking a seat. Reivyn followed and took a seat next to her. "Just means we get to spend more time together. They can't blame us or try to come up with ways to separate us for getting here earlier than they told us to." Reivyn and Kefira sat at the table and spoke about minor things. They didn't go over any of their plans. They had already done all of that, and there was no reason to let their voices be heard by ears that weren't supposed to hear them. Kefira trusted the staff, but they were loyal to her parents, not necessarily to her. Her own maids weren't present. While they chatted, additional people in service of the ball showed up. The orchestra arrived and set up, the food arrived and was arranged neatly on tables under the balcony where it could easily be retrieved for the dinner, and some of the nobles that didn't have children attending the ball but wanted to wine and dine with the monarchs and other nobles filed in and went straight to the upstairs. Reivyn noticed that Bellefrent, Silfa's brother, was among one such group, and he gave Reivyn a slight nod on his way up. It wasn't a long wait until a few familiar faces showed up, though, and Trevor and Sophia strolled through the doors. Trevor was a lieutenant in the Imperial Army, working his way up through merit just like his older brother, but he wasn't dressed in a military uniform. Sophia's dress was still a shade of green that matched her eyes. Reivyn had questioned Kefira about how her mother's eyes hadn't matched when she snuck in to get an early look at him, and it turned out that she could freely manipulate the color. She had to concentrate to do it, though, and her natural look was the full spectrum. Sophia and Trevor walked over and greeted the pair. "Don't have much time to talk, I'm afraid," Sophia pouted. "There's already some guests behind us. They'll be coming through the doors in just a moment." "Thanks for the heads up," Kefira smiled sweetly at her elder sister. She got up and leaned forward to exchange kisses on the cheek. Reivyn stood up and shook Trevor's hand. The two walked over to the door to await the arrival of the guests. Reivyn stood in a position where he could easily direct the parents up the stairs. A herald was standing at the entrance, ready to announce all of the guests who entered. If it was a function for Kefira's parents, that position would have been led by the major-domo. His duties were specifically for the monarchs when he acted personally. Sophia sent a message over to the orchestra via one of the maids to begin some light background music, and it was just in time for the first guest to arrive. The first guest to arrive was a young man, clearly younger than Reivyn or Kefira, and he practically bounded into the venue in excitement. His mother accompanied him, and Reivyn could sense exasperation oozing off of her. The Herald announced the two in a voice laced with a Skill. It wasn't a booming shout, but Reivyn was sure that every single person in the vast ballroom would be able to clearly hear it. "Petre and Madam Ayalo from House Cordon." "I'm so glad you could make it, Petre," Kefira greeted warmly, clasping hands with the young teenager. Petre had a face-splitting grin on his face. "Yes, I'm so happy you're back safely," Petre said enthusiastically. "Madam Ayalo, if you would, parents up the stairs," Reivyn gave a short bow, holding his left arm to his chest and his right hand flaring out in a deliberate display. "The little boys will stay downstairs." Petre and Ayalo were visibly taken aback, and they quickly snapped their heads to stare at Reivyn. Kefira burst out laughing. "Actually, Reivyn, Petre is a friend." Reivyn inclined his head to Petre, a contrite expression on his face. "In that case, I apologize, Petre. Nothing personal. It's not directed at you, but I do have to be consistent." "Umm, ok?" Petre looked at Kefira with confusion. Kefira leaned forward and whispered into his ear, and he got a look of enlightenment on his face. Madam Ayalo looked Reivyn up and down, taking his military uniform, medals, and especially the Imperial Liaison Insignia into account. She placed her hand on her chest and laughed. It sounded like tinkling bells to Reivyn's ears. "I see what's going on here," she said. "This is going to be fun." Madam Ayalo nodded to Reivyn and walked in the direction he indicated to the stairs. Petre gave a little wave to Kefira and then rushed off to join Trevor and Sophia. "Remfort and Madam Cylia of House Horace." The herald announced the next arrival. Reivyn felt a ping of Space Affinity reach out to him from Kefira, and he took special note to pay attention to the mother-son duo entering the ballroom. Reivyn got a slimy feeling from Remfort as he walked in with a shroud of arrogance surrounding him. His mother didn't seem much better, and she walked with her nose to the sky. "Welcome Remfort," Kefira greeted. Remfort obviously completely ignored Reivyn's presence as he walked up. He reached out for Kefira's hand to give the proper greeting as dictated by etiquette. Reivyn made his same gesture of bowing and flaring his right hand out, but he over-exaggerated with his right hand, and it just happened to block Remfort's lips from making contact with the back of Kefira's hand. Mission successful, Reivyn thought. Getting my own hand kissed by that slimy bastard is a small sacrifice to pay. "Madam Cylia, if you would, parents up the stairs. The little boys will stay downstairs." Kefira giggled and withdrew her hand as Remfort spluttered, turning a fierce glare on Reivyn while still hunched over. Madam Cylia's eyes could freeze a lesser man, but there wasn't time for either of them to make an actual fuss as the herald announced the next guests. They were quickly ushered away to make room for Kefira to greet the newcomers. Reivyn and Kefira spent close to an hour greeting all the guests. Reivyn stood straight and proud in his uniform with his military merits for valor on clear display. He was the epitome of courtesy in his manner, but he addressed every single male invitee as a little boy while directing them into the ballroom. Some of the invitees arrived with a sibling or two, and the young ladies were escorted by their fathers. Only a couple of them managed to slip past his guard and kiss the back of Kefira's hand, and each of those individuals was one that Kefira hadn't warned him of with her Mana. Reivyn desperately wanted to wipe the saliva off the back of his hand, but he took a certain glee when he noticed others encounter the slobber with their lips and give a surprised expression. It apparently wasn't custom to leave a trace when greeting a young lady, and yet so many of the sleazy teenagers did just that. The last of the guests finally arrived, and Reivyn escorted Kefira to the head table where her siblings waited. He didn't join them, as he wasn't a "guest." He had official duties to attend to, and he would make sure that it was done to the letter. Garet was the first of the siblings to get up and give a speech after the food had been served, but each of Kefira's siblings got up to say something. Each of the guests gave a bit of applause after each short speech, and they were short. Garet was quite the orator. He managed to heap praises upon his sister, tie it into the accomplishments of the empire as a whole, compliment the invitees, and he did so in five minutes. Reivyn left the invitees downstairs and headed to the balcony. Attack the source of power first, cut off the supply line, and alienate the enemy, Reivyn thought to himself. Those in attendance on the balcony were far more people than Reivyn had seen come in and be announced by the herald. Apparently, the fathers of the young men, and the mothers of the young women, were also here, but they had simply not gone through the trouble of being announced. Kefira's parents had also sneakily arrived, and they were mingling with the adults. Is there some sort of protocol of etiquette involved with having the opposite sex parent escort their children through the herald? Reivyn thought, idly. He wasn't too concerned about the answer, though, and he threw it to the back of his mind. He marched up to his first target, Madam Ayalo. She already understood what his purpose was, and she played along beautifully. "Lady Ayalo," Reivyn bowed once more to the mother of Petre. "Princess Kefira was so happy that you took the time to attend her celebratory banquet. Do you have any words you would like me to convey to her for you? Is there anything you need?" "Oh, I'm extremely flattered," Madam Ayalo held her hand to her chest and smiled. "Just let her highness know that we're all very proud of her and her accomplishments." "Of course," Reivyn replied enthusiastically. "And I must say, you look absolutely dazzling in that dress, milady. Once the ball gets going, I might have to steal you away for a dance or two myself." Reivyn bent his head down, and when he looked back up, he had a twinkle in his eye and a charming smile. "Oh," Ayalo had a genuinely surprised expression on her face from the compliment. Out of the corner of his eye, Reivyn could see one of the other mothers of a child on friendly terms with Kefira looking away in apparent disinterest, but he could see red creep up her neck and reach her face. She crossed her left hand over her chest, rested her right elbow on her left hand, and fanned her face. Reivyn reached into his waistcoat and pulled out his tessen where it had been surreptitiously placed. He snapped it open, waved it at his own face a couple of times, snapped it closed, twirled it around utilizing his Weapons Master Skill, and handed it to the young mother. He gave her a wink as she reached out to accept the proffered fan. "Oh my," she whispered under her breath. New Skill Unlocked! Tier 4: Charm (0 ->1) Reivyn straightened up and smiled at the ladies seated at the table, taking back his fan. He made his way around the balcony, greeting the mothers one by one, starting with the ones who weren't hostile, and schmoozing with the best of them. He could feel his Skills ticking up, and he noticed an immediate effect from his new Skill. The ladies were more brazen when they looked back at him, and there was more than one instance of a lady fanning herself as he addressed the table. By the time he had circulated the entire upper floor, even the mothers that had given him a dirty look when he referred to their sons as little boys now had a positive impression of him. At one point, the music really started going, and Reivyn understood that the dancing had started. Gennet had disappeared from the upper floor to accompany his daughter in her first dance of the evening, and Reivyn took the opportunity to spy that Serilla had made it to Kefira's table. She was waiting and ready. After the first dance was over, Garet took a turn dancing with his sister. Reivyn made a beeline to Madam Ayalo as other attendees spilled out onto the dance floor. Even though the vast majority of those on the invite list had been eligible males, there was still a quarter of the list for girls. There were also plenty of siblings in attendance. There were plenty of people at the ball to fill the floor with dancers. "The dancing has begun, and, as promised, I'm here to steal you away, Madam Ayalo," Reivyn held his hand out and bowed. Madam Ayalo placed her hand in his and looked around at the other mothers at the table. They had encouraging smiles on their faces. "Should I?" Madam Ayalo asked, even though she was already getting up to agree. Reivyn led her down to the first floor and joined the dancers with his partner. He didn't do anything fancy, and from what he could see of the other children, his Dance Skill was about equal to the others. He could tell that his Rhythm Skill was apparently not as widespread, and he easily moved to the beat of the music, picking up the differences in dance style on the fly. Kefira spotted him dancing with Petre's mother, and she laughed. He had warned her that he was likely to dance almost just as much as she was going to have to, but he hadn't explained exactly who he was going to be dancing with. He could see a slight look of relief on her face once she realized his plan. Once the music was over, he escorted Madam Ayalo back up to her table. She sat back down, a little out of breath and flushed in the face. "That was lovely," she said, smiling up at Reivyn. "I'm glad I could offer you some entertainment instead of my liege lady," Reivyn replied. He turned and held his hand out to the next lady sitting at the table, the one he had offered his tessen to. She didn't hesitate and immediately accepted his hand. Once again, Reivyn made his way from table to table, dancing with the mothers of the invitees. He started with the most approachable, friendly ladies, and his act lowered the defenses of the more standoffish mothers. He kept an eye out on the dance floor, making sure that Kefira wasn't burdened with having to entertain one of the slimeballs. It eventually happened, though. Reivyn wasn't sure of the particulars, but he guessed that the one in charge had coordinated with some of the others to get Serilla and the others covering Kefira distracted before making his move, and Reivyn looked down to see Remfort holding his hand out to Kefira. This is where all of the groundwork I laid comes into play, Reivyn thought. He walked straight to Madam Cylia, Remfort's mother, and held his hand out while bowing. "Madam Cylia, it's such a fine evening for dancing, and all of the other young ladies are having a ball - if you'll excuse my pun. I see that you have a bit of anticipation in your lovely eyes. Would you do me the honor of joining me for the next dance?" Reivyn could sense the conflict warring within the woman, and he felt his new Charm Skill tick up a point. Madam Cylia made her decision. She smiled as she laid her hand in Reivyn's, allowing herself to be helped up out of her seat. He escorted her down to the dance floor. Huh, now that she doesn't have her nose to the sky, she's actually kind of pretty, Reivyn noted. Nothing compared to Kefira, of course, but still. The music started, and Reivyn led the dance. He started off perfectly normally, but as the dance went on, he gradually shifted their location until they were dancing right next to Remfort and Kefira. He made sure that he was perfectly in sight of Remfort, but Madam Cylia didn't notice. She was enjoying herself and just watching Reivyn. "Hey, hey, hey!" Remfort came to a stop in the middle of the dance floor. Reivyn glanced over at him but didn't stop dancing with his mother. His mother glanced at her son, too, and frowned. "That's my mother!" "And?" Reivyn asked. "She's a lovely dance partner." He stepped back away from Madam Cylia and gave her a twirl. "Get your hands off of her!" Remfort fumed. Reivyn gave a confused look at Remfort. "But your mother wants to dance. I don't understand. If I leave her, she'll have to go back without finishing her turn, and I could tell she's been waiting for a long time to get the chance to dance." Reivyn pretended to think about the situation for a second, never stopping dancing. Kefira rolled her eyes at his antics, but he could see the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Oh! I have a solution," Reivyn said. "Let's just switch partners." Remfort looked back and forth between his mother and Kefira. He struggled for a moment, but he finally let go of Kefira, and Reivyn smoothly came to a stop, allowing Remfort to take his place. He stepped up to Kefira, and the two of them began where they had left off. "Thank goodness," Kefira said with a smile. "I don't know how much more of that I could take." "Bad dancer?" Reivyn quirked an eyebrow. "Bad person," Kefira rolled her eyes. The two finished the song, and Remfort took the liberty to escort his mother back upstairs. Madam Cylia made eye contact with Reivyn and gave a slightly apologetic look to him, but he just smiled and nodded. "I'm tired, so I'm going to announce a break in dancing," Kefira said. "You go and do your thing with the invitees down here. I think you've done enough with the parents for now." Reivyn smiled as she walked off, and he turned and made his way to a table where he spotted Petre and Trevor. Kefira had the herald announce a short break in the dancing, and Reivyn began to mingle with the young scions, using Petre and Trevor as a guide. It wasn't long before trouble found him, though, and as he was laughing and joking with several young men, a group led by Remfort approached. One of the siblings of one of the boys following Remfort had the invite list in his hand. "Lieutenant - or is it Liaison, I'm confused. It's definitely not lord - I think it's about time for you to get back to your station," Remfort said. He pointed down at the ground. "The ballroom and the dance floor are for invitees, not staff. I'm going to have to ask you to return to the second floor, or I'll have to petition Lord Garet to have you removed." Reivyn nodded his head, looking at the faces of the several individuals Remfort had dragged along. "So you want to enforce the rules by the letter of the law, then?" Reivyn asked for clarification. "Exactly. You're not on the list, so you're not a guest. Please leave." "Ok," Reivyn nodded his head again. "Trevor." He held his hand out, and Trevor reached into his breast pocket, extracted a little pocketbook, and placed it in Reivyn's hand. "This here is the palace staff handbook," Reivyn held it up for them to see. He flipped it open to a particular page. "Chapter 8: Official Events. Section Three: Guests. Subsection C: The Imperial Liaison is an extension of his or her liege's will. As such they are simultaneously a staff member and a participant. In the circumstance that the event is held in his or her liege's honor, he or she is a de facto host." Reivyn snapped the book closed and looked back up at their faces. Their faces had turned from ones of glee in watching someone about to suffer to ones devoid of blood as their faces paled. "Do you know what category of guest isn't included in the rules?" Reivyn inquired. Remfort frowned, sensing that things were about to go from bad to worse. Reivyn smiled, his canines on display. "Siblings. There is no mention of siblings anywhere at all in the official rules of the palace. It's just been something that's been overlooked. "Now, since you want to enforce the rules by the letter of the law, should I ask all of the siblings of the invited guests - per your request - to leave?" Remfort's face was a mask of fury, and his lips drew a line. He took a step forward, lifting his finger and opening his mouth, ready to speak, but one of his allies grabbed his arm and leaned forward to whisper something in his ear. Remfort's eyes darted from Reivyn's face to his medals and back up again. He snorted and turned on his heels, stomping off. "And thus ends the lesson," Reivyn said, tossing the pocketbook back to Trevor.