Princess Xene had absolutely been staring at her sister for quite a long time, her red-painted lips not pursed or showing any hint of disapproval at the young woman joining them. Simply put, the princess was utterly unreadable, but she knew from experience that that made her that much more terrifying in the end. Most of the servants would run when it appeared that the princess' expression went entirely blank. That was the hint that the result would not be nice or easy. In fact, she had a tendency to let her tongue grow sharp, though she was holding it in the presence of her little sister.

Fine. If Gianna wanted to find herself in a party such as this, the princess would allow it, if only because it might scare her away from attending another one. That was the hope, and though Xene knew her sister to be just a bit more headstrong than either of the Golden Siblings gave Gianna, there was still a strong possibility that Gianna would hate it here. When Xene finally dragged her blue gaze from her little sister to glance out the window, she still didn't yield what it was that she was feeling.

She did, however, smile slightly when Gianna damn near stumbled out of the carriage in an effort to get away from her elder siblings. Xene's gaze drifted toward Stephanos, noting the word that he mouthed at her. Xene only pursed her lips in a smile and shook her head slightly, very sure that the night would be interesting if nothing else. Taking Stephanos' hand, she was a vision of glittering gold and crimson as she stepped out of the carriage, tucking herself slightly into Stephanos' side. Her golden hair was piled atop her head, her arms banded in gold, her throat in a matching choker to Gianna's. Multiple rings on her fingers and a golden lion diadem crowning her head. Unlike her sister, who had chosen a cream chiton, Xene had gone in for the kill and chosen the red of their house.

Pleased with their entrance at first, Xene found herself quickly cross with her brother when he suddenly dragged her around a column to speak to her. The princess actually furrowed her brow, frowning deeply, "You ruined our entrance," Xene said at first, not wrenching her arm out of her brother's grasp, though she did want to flick his ear and let her go about her night if he wasn't going to let her have the proper entrance that she required in events like this.

But her gaze followed where Stephanos pointed, to Captain Damocles and then to her little sister, her blue gaze growing cold and hard. "Of course. She'll be the picture of propriety tonight," Xene noted, and then looked her brother up and down, "Do not forget to greet our hosts, Stephanos. Do not be rude," and then she was gliding across the floor so that she could meet up with Princess Gianna. At first, Xene sat beside her sister, offering the younger woman her hand. "It is proper to greet our hosts, Gianna," Xene noted, her gaze not on her sister, but on Captain Damocles. There was danger there, in her blue eyes, that said she could have him culled if he really wanted to make a move on her little sister.

No one but the best would do for Princess Gianna, and Xene would see to that herself if she had to.

"Shall we?"

Even though Damocles had not failed to notice the mesmerizing beauty of the gorgeous, golden-haired woman across the room, he still had other business to tend to inasmuch as gambling was concerned. Much had been gained from his rounds of cards at the table, and yet, he did not wish to keep away much from those brown eyes that had noticed him just as much as he had noticed them. Returning back to the game of cards that was being played by that round, Damocles placed his eager bid quickly and grinned, trying to appear as if nothing at all had happened right in that short moment as he looked almost more focused on winning the games than winning the girl, where in reality, it was really quite the opposite.

Still, even if the young, fair-skinned woman with the lovely curls had captured his attention, it seemed that, while his luck at the gambling tables had not run out, his luck outside of them might just suffer a considerable dip in their advantages as another blond, one that he did was very much not particularly pleased to both see and acknowledge, came dashing right towards him striding along like a man on a mission of sorts, somewhat to Damocles’s unexpressed consternation. Neither welcoming the other’s presence, or his faux show of superficial acquaintanceship, which landed on his shoulder in a manner that could only be described as entirely uncalled for, Damocles still raised his eyes from the table and smiled at Stephanos, looking positively unfazed at all by the royal’s presence. In fact, it almost looked as if he had welcomed the other man as a friend, smiling pleasantly at the other with a curl of his lips that seemed friendly, but lacked all sense of warmth or love that might have otherwise been reserved at a real, proper friend.

“Your Highness!” he expressed with false glee in his deep, smoky voice. “It has been far too long since we’ve seen each other! Prey, how do you do?” he asked, showing nothing short of utter poise and elegance as he recalled all those years of courtly experience to try and not shrug off the other’s hand on his shoulder and close his fist in a crushing fist that would surely see him disgraced from all of Greece’s upper class. Instead, his tone was jovial, amicable and refined even, indicating to the second prince of that realm that he was not the same, loud, explosive man that the other had met all those years ago.

“Ah, I thank you for your compliment!” He said, knowing that the other’s words were meant as a classist insult, and yet, Damocles knew that if he turned the tables around and used the other’s words against him in a twisted manner of sorts, it might just backfire enough for the Taengean to let go of his shoulder and leave him be. “You Taengeans are quite good at cards, much better than Colchians I would say. Then again, if my memory served, your kingdom’s specialty was fun and games, correct?” He laughed about, shaking the other’s hand as if he was showing some sort of closeness with the other, when in reality he could sense the dislike that ran from both at an almost mutual degree. He did remember the other man's military career at that time, or what he assumed was a military career. Hence the subtle insinuation that Stephanos was only good for pleasure and not at all warfare, an insult masqueraded as a compliment, which seemed to have perfectly deceive all those that gathered on the table, looking on the two giant men who, for all intents and purposes, looked like friends or distant cousins, very very distant cousins. 

“Your Highness, would you honor me and the rest of these fine, good people, with your presence and play a round of cards with us?” He asked, using flattery instead of hatred to try and push Stephanos away, knowing that the Mikaelidas prince would want to do nothing less than to spend time with Damocles.

And yet, before an answer could be had, another man appeared, this one far more feminine and lady-like than the blond man. The overly-affectionate way that the smaller youth clung to the royal seemed to indicate a degree of fondness that was far less acceptable than most proper signs of courtly behavior. Oh, the irony! Just how much of a hypocrite was this man next to him so as to keep what appeared to be his own male lover of sorts, while throwing harsh criticism and cold insults at Achilleas all those years ago in Egypt. Maybe, the Gods had blessed the Magnemean right that night, seeing as, by some unforeseen circumstance, another seemed to distract Stephanos far more than Damocles himself had done. “My, on my, this was certainly quite unexpected..." He said, curling his lips onto a genuinely surprised expression that soon became one of once-more regained composure.

"Good Lady, I apologize, but It would be quite improper for me to get between you and your... darling, was it?. But my all means, there are guest rooms still available I believe." He smoothly answered the dark-haired youth, choosing his words carefully so as to possibly win over support with the shorter man who looked as if he wanted to be a woman instead. As he finished he looked at both men with as much elegance as he could in that moment, smiling politely as the game-runner at the table called the game in Damocles’s favor, causing the Colchian to grab all of his earnings for that moment and pull out of the table so as to collect the money. "Well then, I will leave you two to it. My fair lady, I trust you know how to entertain the Good Prince here, yes? After all, this is Argothia, and what happens in Argothia, stays in Argothia." And with that, the towering man freed himself from Stephanos's grip and turned around, leaving in a slightly hurried, but still courtly way, so as to not raise any alarms as he made his graceful exit from that moment.

He did not know who the other man was, but whomever he was Damocles owed him a gratitudes of sorts that might just be afforded later on, if he could be bothered to remembered the other's face. Honestly, it was all really an attempt to leave as fast as possible from the other man’s presence, thanking all the Olympians from above for sending that foppish youth right at Stephanos’s side in such an openly amorous, and opportunistically distracting way. With the proof of his earnings right with him, Damocles nodded at the Taengean prince and promptly made for his left, leaving him alone with the other man as the Colchian silently began to feel the urge to laugh at the sight he had just witnessed. It might have been too much to ask that he could see Achilleas again and regale him with this tale of sorts. Then again, knowing his relationship with the other royal, he suspected that the black-haired Mikaelidas heir already knew of what past experience had pit his cousin with such an effeminate man. Thus, happy that he had dodged quite the arrow in that precise moment, Damocles hid amongst the crowded sea of people in the manor, blending in with the nobles, merchants, militants, and royals as best he could while making his way to the exchange station where he could collect his money and perhaps call it quits in terms of his gambling.

It was only a tactical retreat of sorts. yes, that was exactly what it was. Ever the consummate strategist, Damocles knew that, sometimes, in fierce battles, one had to retreat from one battle to win the war. And though his eyes had seen the possible spoils of war in the form of Gianna...it might not be so bad to have a few allies for the time being, especially one that could keep an eye on the one man that the silver-eyed Colchian really did not want to interact with again on that very night. Unfortunately, as he finished his business at the exchange tables, Damocles turned his head and saw the very man he had thought of a few moments ago, noticing Achilleas by a balcony, with another man of similar age to them both, and another beautiful golden haired woman that seemed to be engaged with some sort of flirtatious conversation of sorts.

Gods...he looked handsome, he truly did. Alas, it was neither the time or place to fall back into old habits, especially after another Taengean had almost spelled trouble for him before. No, he needed to find his own friends, people whom he knew could at least shield him from the presence of Stephanos for the time being. Achilleas would have been an ideal friend in that moment, but he was far too busy with that girl and what he presumed was another friend of his, mostly another military man of sorts, give his broad appearance and strong-looking image. And, though Damocles was not one to allow his own passions and selfish desires to be censored much, he was nor going to stand between a man and his possible conquest. Thus, after faintly smiling at the other man in a way he knew would at least steal the other's attention for a bit, the Magnemean captain once more returned to the sea of people, this time in pursuit of others whom he could call upon to help him with the possible target that was still on his back. 

By some miracle, Spiros had managed to clear the fountain, Silanos giving the other a slow clap as he looked all too pleased with himself for achieving what Sil had already done moments before. It was one of the giggling girls nearby that suggested they up the stakes and the Valaoritis lord looked at her with a new level of respect. Which, in hindsight was as dumb as the addition she made to their little challenge.

‘Oh we played something similar when we were younger’ she cried,clapping her hands together ‘But this will make it more fun. What you must do is….’

It was how he found himself with his eyes closed and being spun in a circle on the spot once, twice...he lost count after the third or fourth rotation. And when he opened his eyes, the courtyard itself was spinning and he had to blink repeatedly to try and focus on the fountain.

So perhaps wasn’t to anyone’s surprise then that jumping it proved a touch more difficult when he couldn’t pin down its precise location nor run in a straight line, and Sil made a rather graceful sideways flop into the shallow pool, much to the hilarity of those watching. Lucky to avoid cracking his head on the stone, he was more sad about the wine that he’d lost to the water God.



“Fuck” he muttered, sitting up and picking a lotus flower off his head. “ Give me a hand you idiot before we get thrown out for..” Well he wasn’t sure he could imagine what would be deemed too much for Pallas’ family but there was a first time for everything. Hanging on to Spiros’ hand, Sil slopped wetly from the fountain and laughed as he glanced down at himself. There were slimy bits of reeds clinging to him as well as a few lotus petals and he was standing in a small puddle.

The loud splash that had been the sound of his body landing in the water had attracted a few curious gazes from the balcony above and Sil looked up, waved cheerily at Eliana when he saw her, amused at the expression on her face.

Where the fuck was Pallas anyway? Probably dicking some floozie somewhere, even though he was supposed to be playing host. Sil brushed off the drunken concern of his friends, stole Spiros’ wine and made his soggy way toward the Manor House itself so he might scrounge himself some dry attire.

Splash!

Before much else could be said about the wine, Eliana heard a splash coming from the direction of the fountain. Her eyes left her Uncle and father and returned to Silanos. How did he… manage to fall into the fountain. Now it wasn’t necessarily the first time someone had fallen in there. But it didn’t make it any less idiotic. And yet… he was waving at her cheerily like nothing was the matter at all.

Fuck, he had a cute smile.

“I’ll be right back,” Eliana said, though she had no intention of actually returning. She gracefully left her family and made a quick stop at the linen closet to grab Silanos a drying cloth. She then made her way towards him, descending down the stairs to the main floor quickly before he could soak the place with every step. Eliana stood at the landing just as Silanos reached the base of the stairs. Her arms were crossed and her eyebrow was raised, though the corners of her mouth were quirked up ever so slightly as she fought amusement from her face.

As Eliana descended the stairs, she gave him slow claps heavily tinged with sarcasm, “That was quite the trick you did there, Silanos. Tell me, was the intention to impress that lady over there? Because your friend seems to be walking away with them as we speak.” Eliana tilted a chin over at the man that was just with Silanos, who had his arm around the woman’s shoulder as he led her towards a table filled with drinks. “Tough break.”

She then tossed the cloth onto his head and messed with his head, much like he messed with her hair months prior, just to be a nuisance. “You’re a mess, Sil. The party just started and you’re already making a fool of yourself. I thought I had to be on the watch for Pallas tonight not you. What are we going to do with you?”

Honestly, he was a welcome break. He gave Eliana a quick and easy way to get away from her father before he made any comment about marriage or prospects, and Silanos certainly wasn’t a prospect. But of course, telling him that would be giving him too much credit, and Eliana had her dignity to worry about, a thing that Silanos clearly knew nothing of.

Her face finally cracked and she rolled her eyes (a constant reaction with this man) and grabbed his hand. “Did you think you were going to get the main house wet? No, no. You’re not going to get these stairs wet and make people break their necks when they slip. You’re going through the service entrance. C’mon, back outside. It’s right near the vendors.” Still holding Sil’s hand, Eliana dragged him back outside, crossing by the various vendors with her eyes on the side entrance of the manor. She’ll sneak him up the side stairs, throw something of Pallas’s at him, and force him to drink water before he goes downstairs to inevitably embarrass himself again.

Since when did Eliana agree to be his babysitter? Speaking of babies… where was Pallas?

Eleni was filled with excitement as she approached the Kassotis manor. Taengea was a place of endless entertainment, but there was nowhere quite like Argothia. It was truly the epitome of indulgence. This would be a party like no other and a night that could truly lead anywhere. But even all those notions had little to do with the excitement she felt this night. No, she really only had eyes for one person, hard she tried to fight it.

Silanos. The Colchian lord who had been upon their shores for more than a year and a half now. They’d met his very first day in Taengea, not that you’d know it from looking at him now. He seemed at home here, as if he had spent all his life here. Perhaps that was why they enjoyed each other’s company so much. Why he had begun to chip at the cracks in the walls she built up around herself. She fought so hard to keep either of them from getting attached and yet... they always found their way back to each other.

She missed him fiercely though. Even in his absence, she couldn’t bring herself to find another to warm her bed, even if it meant lonely nightmare filled evenings. It just didn’t feel right. Not that it would keep her from insisting they were only casual... nothing resembling love or commitment. But they were about to be reunited and she could hardly wait.

Eleni had come dressed to impress, even if she truly only cared about one man’s opinion tonight. She would never be able to hold a candle to the royalty and nobility that came here tonight, but she was doing her best to fit in amongst them. Her peplos was one of her finest, a pale lavender fabric that faded into a deep violet at the bottom. One side of the fabric featured a deep slit. Her white blonde hair was arranged on top of her head and adorned with a bejeweled comb as a few curls hung free to frame her face. Her jewelry was delicate which accentuated her flawless porcelain skin. A pale gold pendant hung at her cleavage. It was shaped as a tree, with each leaf a beautiful gemstone of green or purple. It had been a gift from her father, a reminder of home and the trees whose grapes became the wine they were known for. Delicate bracelets jingled at her wrist.

Her eyes searched the crowd looking for a familiar face. Would Sil be here yet? It was early still so it was possible he might not arrive until later... but she didn’t want to wait any longer to be with him again. To see his smile or hear his laugh. To feel his touch. To show him just how much he had been missed. Her blue eyes brightened as she caught sight of him and a smile began to spread across her lips only to freeze.

Because there was another woman holding his hand. A woman leading him away from the party’s entrance.

She felt a weight in the pit of her stomach that halted her steps entirely. He knew she was coming and he still was sneaking off to be with someone else? Had he planned to greet her like he’d been waiting for her? Like she’d been on his mind at all while he was clearly not restraining himself in her absence? It didn’t matter that she was the one who wouldn’t let him too close. That she had kept him at a distance to keep having her heart broke again - or hurting him. How foolish had she been to think she had that sort of power over him when clearly he had others on his mind.

It was then that her dismay began to shift into anger and suddenly she was moving again, quicker than before. Closing in on the pair before her, her brow furrowed as she tried to contain herself only to fail. “How kind of you to wait for me, Silanos,” she said, her voice a hint too loud and thick with sarcasm. Eleni made sure to use his full name for once - something she never did. She remembered him telling her that his full name made it sound like he was in trouble. Well, he certainly was that. “I can see you certainly haven’t been lonely without me.” She was shaking and she told herself it was from rage. Her hands balled into fists at her side as she closed the distance between them, entirely ignoring the woman who held his hand. She didn’t matter. She was nobody.

“Forgive me, did I cut your little tryst short? How rude of me. I should at least give you a chance to finish what you started since you certainly won’t be leaving with me!” And empty threat of course, but she wanted him to hurt. She wanted him to feel just a trace of what she was. It didn’t matter that she had no claim on him, or that he was strangely soaking wet. Rational thought was long gone, vanished at the sight of him hand in hand with another. She wanted him to at least try and earn her forgiveness. To prove that this tramp beside him was nothing to him. That she mattered at least that much to him.

Didn’t she? Right now, she wasn’t so sure she believed that anymore.

“Did you actually think you were going to get away with this or did you just not even care to try?”

Taengea. Somewhere that Daniil dreamed of seeing. The day the invitation arrived the house was treated to a squeal that would have made a banshee proud and likely confused the living daylights out of her family. An outburst on this scale was not something that they saw every day. Nor was her mad dash to find the perfect outfits for the trip. She was pretty sure that Pavlos was wondering exactly had happened to his daughter.

She was quite sure that any of the family's menfolk would use this event as a means of extending the family's reach and influence, if not try to play matchnmaker. With three unmarried daughters this could be an amazing opportunity for Pavlos, he just needed to take the bull by the horns.

Her trusseau for the occasion ended up consisting of himations, pelpos, kolpos, and her favorite gold zone. Slippers and outher accoutrement were added. She was going to dress to impress. It would be expected of a daughter of House Marikas and she was about to deliver.

Her pelpos for this event was a light green with a darker green chiton underneath draped and cinched in such a way to accent her figure. Melissa had done her dark hair up in a sweeping do with light green ioribbons woven into her curled hair. Green and gold jewelry and sandals completed her look. She thanked Melissa with a hug, impressed by her work. She was hopeful that others would as well.

As soon as the family had arrived, Daniil greeted their hosts and then moved to take a glass of wine from a nearby servant and then began to work the room, her eyes and ears open to any any jucy bits of news and gossip.

She caught sight of her sister Agathe and cousin Dione already at work and she smiled in amusement. As she kept moving she caught sight of the friendly competition of jump the fountain and hid her grin of amusement in a sip of her wine. She continued to take in the various sights and sounds as she sipped her wine and worked the gathering, nodding in greeting where it was appropriate.

She spyed her Uncle Rafail as she stopped to refill her now empty glass of wine. He looked good in his apricot chiton. With a sigh she took a new glass of wine and continued to mingle. She would stop and greet him eventually but for now she was still on the hunt for gossip and news that could be used to the benefit to her family. She also had a date with Lady Luck as well.

Daniil sucked in. A breath at the sight of her father, and that led to her inhaling her wine in the process. He definitely did not look like he wanted to be here. She shook her head as she covered her coughing fit with her free hand. She would do her best to behave and not make him cross at her as well. He also knew that if needed, that she would spar with him to help quench that displeasure.

Once she was recovered, Daniil resumed her movement about the gathering......