A Knight's Lilies

"The fortress walls of Old Kyne have expanded from its heyday to now block the entirety of the mountain pass between itself and the Barren Lands. But even though the city is encased by the fifty foot tall stone walls, it can never quite shake the ever pervasive presence of the empty expanse. For even behind their walls, those closest to the northern walls often report hearing unnatural ghostly wails cut through even the thickest stones. A constant reminder that beyond their walls, only a sand blasted wasteland where restless souls reside wander forevermore."

- Pathfinder Ferana Daly, 1st Arpeggian Expedition, "Notes: Examination Of Kynesmouth"

"Good luck." Princess Samantha solemnly spoke as she departed, the call of other castle courtiers finally reaching her.

The others waved their goodbyes, a pleasant little diversion for the ball before their real tasks began. And judging by the way Eva seemed to begin checking to make sure everyone necessary was here, Sophie guessed that their free time was about to come to an end. She glanced over to Eva and her mistress nodded, confirming her suspicions.

With Frederick most definitely supporting Eva and likely Sophie as well, it was a small but significant cache of influence that he held that would prove helpful. Though it was doubtless far from enough, it was a start. Beyond that, they would now have to canvas the nobility to try and get a sense of how the court was feeling about the two of them, particularly in regards to Sophie herself.

For although the inner council's rescinding of the ban against her activities in Carrador. That she was still considered a traitor by the court of the nobles meant that although she could traverse the region, its services were almost fully denied to her. At least, by those that enforced the court's regulations. While the party could ostensibly simply bypass most of Carrador in its entirety, that they were connected to her also reduced their chances of successful interactions with the locals. In turn, hampering their ability to consistently replenish supplies on their long trek to Melton. And considering that the original ascent up into the Frostwinds where the kingsmoot for the mountain clans had been held had scarce little villages, let alone ones that still remained standing. It made the necessity of procuring adequate resources even more of a pain if they couldn't do so in Carrador.

Sophie understood that much, at least. She also knew that beyond helping them, Eva also greatly wished that the two of them would be able to spend time together without worry or issue. For although they now both knew that Sophie hailed from somewhere beyond, Carrador was still their shared home, and that would not change. That Sophie also wished for Ary to be able to experience Carrador in full also helped propelled their mutual goal of clearing her name.

"Alright." Eva spoke up, her tone confirming all of Sophie's assumptions, "Everyone here understand?"

A round of nods, save for Sigrid who seemed to remain relatively unbothered.

"Suzuki, you get the others and…" Eva paused to peer over at where the other saints were, "start trying to mingle into the crowd a bit. And if Lady Lucinia's willing, have her pair off with one of you, I guess Emi, since she's taken quite a shine to your protege." Eva smirked.

Suzuki rolled her eyes but nodded, "Sure, sensei. Just don't be upset if I scrutinize your friend a bit more. She might be your comrade, but Emi's my friend."

"Oh? Feeling a little overprotective are we?"

"Naturally, I am the class president, after all." Suzuki boasted.

Eva just grinned and bobbed her head, "As expected, Watanabe-san."

The two shared a knowing chuckle before Eva turned back towards the others.

"Right, well here's what'll happen, and sorry for this, Soph. But I've gotta put you on the spot. You remember what we talked about earlier?"

A nod.

"Then you will be bait. Once you see one of us embedded in a group, just walk by, about twenty paces. Just out of presumed eavesdrop radius, at least, for humans anyway. Heh."

"Heh." Sophie wiggled her ears playfully, trying to lighten the mood.

"That way we can see if they just freeze up, or what whispers that they might share. Of course, it's suspicious as hells if we're all clumped together, so we'll pair off, more or less. Sigrid, you mind spending some time with Aryana?" Eva asked.

The mermaid pulled herself away from a snack and joyfully shook her head before letting out a friendly trill. Ary in turn, beamed a wide smile at her. Their unfettered exchange almost made Sophie a little jealous at how elated both of them seemed.

"Lady Mila, I presume you have no objection to Sophia's continued presence?"

"Of course not." The inquisitor dipped her head in acknowledgement to Sophie's counterpart.

Sophia reluctantly dipped her head in deference in turn.

"Good." Eva tapped the table, "Please continue to enjoy yourselves. After all, we need to be a believable bunch, huh."

"But what about Elaria and Raylani?" Ary quipped.

Eva clicked her tongue. The same way she always did with Sophie when something frustrated her but that she didn't have a solution for. Just as those times resulted in a dismissal, so too did this question trigger the same response.

"They'll manage. I daresay Elaria's more adept at prying out secrets than anyone. She's got her eye on target, in her own way." Eva hummed for a brief second before nodding to herself, "Right then, any questions?"

No one spoke up.

"Good." Eva drumed her fingers against the table, "Remember, we need to get an idea of how people feel right now. Don't bother trying to argue or convince them otherwise, hostile or not. This is the court's front face, what they're willing to show. They might agree now out of politeness or perhaps even genuinely. But then later change their minds when we need their support the most. We just need to know what pressure Sophie's going to be feeling in the court of nobles and what the current atmosphere is."

Eva let her words sink in. The marching orders had been given and the goal now illuminated in full. It was a simple task, but one that Eva evidently was trying to emotionally distance herself from. She could see it in her mistress's eyes, Eva looked guilty at having to thrust Sophie so squarely in the sights of the Carradorian nobility. But she was fine with it, it was a ploy to win back both of their futures in this land, and she was willing to do as much if it meant some pain now in order to not worry about it moving forward. Though admittedly, it did sting to be separated from Ary so readily.

"Alright then. Split off from this table, chill a little, and then after a few minutes when the nobles have something else to chat about, we'll start mingling."

On that, Eva stood up with Suzuki, the two now making their way towards the saints. Mila gave the others a curt nod, even shooting Sophie an encouraging look as she departed. Sophia lingered for a few more moments, her brows arched skeptically at Sophie who just shrugged. Her twin seemed to smirk and turned away, vanishing into the shadows of the crowd merely seconds after.

Sophie shuffled a little closer to Ary and gave the girl a squeeze. The redhead smiling back up at her before grabbing onto her hand.

"Sophie, I'll be fine. Sigrid will take care of me." Ary chuckled.

The mermaid trilled out her assent, standing proud, if a little coyly when presenting herself to Sophie. Her arms on her hips like some heroine trying to pose.

"I know, and I trust both of you to stay safe. I'd just rather spend more time with you guys now that we actually get a chance to relax a little. But… eh?!"

Ary reached up and bopped her nose, "Then bring me to more functions like this in the future." The girl mockingly pouted, "I… I kinda like wearing a dress." She absently moved to brush her frills.

Touched, Sophie quickly pecked her forehead before she could protest.

"And it looks beautiful on you too." She whispered.

"Flirt." Ary teased.

After a moment, the girl then flicked Sophie's forehead.

"Now go, silly. Yana's also been itching to actually do something. I can feel her getting more bored by the second." Ary muttered down towards her bra.

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"To be trapped here is an indignity, to keep a fae from a ball is behaving with malignity." A soft voice echoed up angrily.

"Yeah, yeah. But too many people and mages, hmm?" Ary shot back.

"Perhaps that is true, and to stop me will be something that they'll rue."

"But you get to make Sophie jealous." Ary giggled.

Sophie blushed and looked away from Ary's chest, only now realizing she had been staring directly at it due to where the fae was hidden. Hearing this, a soft snicker emanated from them.

"I suppose it is quite warm, a little like your dorm. Fine, fine, do not worry thine mind, and simply pray thee that my judgement be kind."

Ary giggled some more before beckoning for Sophie. Sophie leaned over and received a surprise kiss on her cheek.

"Go. Sigrid wants to rub it in Yana's face about all the food she got to try. So I'll deal with that." She smiled.

Sigrid let out a proud trill in confirmation as a despair filled groan came from the fae.

Bracing herself to be alone for the first time this ball, Sophie smiled back before turning to step away. For the future. She resolved herself. For us.

The ball continued on without caring about them at all. Music continued to play, servants and staff kept up the flow of nourishment and refreshments for the guests, and the hawk eyed gazes of the nobility searching for opportunities for themselves. The latter was most noticeable when the saintess squadron scattered into their respective pairings. The older members of the nobility wasted no time in 'encouraging' their proteges and younger members of their family to begin building bridges and contacts amongst the Goddess touched. Only the girl called Emi had a bit of a reprieve, although that was mainly due to her proximity to Lucinia more than anything. Even then, if the Carradorian's were able to hold down their disdain for Traxia, it would seem they valued a potential connection to a saintess and by extension the church, a lot more.

Alongside them, Eva herself drew a veritable crowd of her own once she had separated from Sophie. Although in this case, it mostly consisted of those who were her direct peers and acquaintances or friends such as Alvor and Aletta Gossliger. Or some other vaguely familiar faces of the nobility that Sophie had some recollection of seeing with Eva before back when they were younger.

With Ary and the others also preoccupied, that left Sophie all on her lonesome. The thankless task of drawing the court's gaze now rested upon her shoulders.

Uncertain of how exactly she should fulfill her task given that she disliked getting negative attention almost as much as the court already disliked her. Choosing to opt for the path of caution instead of being an outright nuisance or to do any trouble making. She followed Eva's words to the letter and hoped that it would be enough.

Not that it was proving to be particularly hard to just wander past different groups of nobles and others. She was more used to the side paths and servants corridors than any actual room within the Palace of Kings. She didn't need to try particularly hard to look like a lost lamb awkwardly stumbling about in search for it's herd and those that would protect it.

It was both disheartening and understandable when she found little to no real support or sympathy amongst the Carradorian crowd. At least outside of those she knew personally. There was a profound sense of isolation that she now felt without anyone else by her side. A disquieting feeling that reminded her a little too much of the primal fear she had felt back in the Mistveils. Lost, alone, and with her friends or allies too far or just out of reach. The uncomfortable knot that twisted itself deeper in her stomach as the knowledge that her companions would suffer if she did not perform up to whatever yet unknown litmus that the court might be judging her for.

At least she could take solace in the fact that none of the others, despite their association with her, were under any form of scrutiny beyond the basic questioning looks or glares. That their own uniqueness and backgrounds such as being outlanders managed to supplant the innate negativity that stemmed from their association to her. Only Sophia seemed to struggle with that aspect of the moment, though with her constant hovering around Mila, the pair looked intimidating enough that most were focused on what they represented rather than the fact that she was Sophie's twin. Or at least that's what Sophie hoped based on what she could see.

To their credit, they were the only other pairing minus Eva that would stand out. Given that Mila was an Inquisitor and Sophia was, well, Sophia. Still, they had already managed to lurk on the edges of a group by the time Sophie strolled somewhat closer. Sophie could see Mila's frown deepen, though Sophia seemed rather unbothered as she mostly did. Clearly, whatever the nobles had begun whispering seemed less to concern with her and more about the church's approval of her. A strange presumption but not one that was entirely unwelcome if it was true.

She then spied upon two of the saints, Miyuki and Riku. The two were nervously being cornered by curious nobles who seemed intent on pestering the more meek saints with a barrage of questions. Deciding to lend a hand of her own, she made her presence known by politely waving at them. With a single wave in return, the attention of a few of the Carradorians were drawn to her. A few gaze hardened and barely even a singular one acknowledged her. But with the discussion now turned to her, she hoped that the two could now be able to glean some useful information from listening in. Unfortunately, if their expressions were of any indication, then the result was less than desirable.

Choosing to move on before the nobles interrogated the duo about their connection to her, she shuffled over towards the other pair of saints, Ayumi and Suzuki. With Ayumi's natural cheeriness much like Ary mixed into Suzuki's impeccable professionalism when the situation called for it. With their group, the moment Sophie appeared within their sightlines, the nobles stiffened up. Whether out of professional courtesy or through the presence of the saintesses, they did not overtly display their disdain for her as much as the others had done. But potentially more concerning, the hidden blows that might come which we cannot predict.

Emi and Lucinia meanwhile, were a bit more tucked up to the side by themselves. A likely result of Lucinia's Traxian origin. Still, in its own way, Sophie found herself almost disappointed at the hostile reception that the former princess had. Though doubtless that her status as a former royal only added to her ostracisation. To her credit, Lucinia did not appear too annoyed by the circumstances, the princess even looking a bit pleased at her new friend. And Emi certainly seemed appreciative of the friendly connection too. Not wanting to bother them or draw more attention to them, Sophie opted for a friendly wave before moving on.

Past the last two, Ary, Hanabi and Sigrid had regrouped. The trio and wherever Yana was now hidden were simply busy enjoying themselves. Though Sophie could see Ary trying her best to eavesdrop despite her wheelchair bound state. But whether it was because of their general cheeriness or pity at Ary's circumstance. The nobles who they managed to stay next to and who congregated around their section of the room looked to be those of a kinder or at least more mellow variety. Still, that didn't mean they viewed Sophie any better, though their reaction was even more muted than those who had been with Suzuki. A few glances or glares, but mostly a wave of indifference. Which was potentially the best reaction out of all if it carried on. Since it would mean apathy could take hold instead of hostility or disdain.

Finally came those gathered around Eva. Some friendly faces that even waved to her. Others that glared and were far less welcoming. But most just curious courtiers or other noble children who were enamored with the idea of one of their ranks having been so wildly thrown outside of society before being just as readily embraced once more.

"Sophie, hey." Eva greeted her.

A few people frowned at her approach, but none opposed it. Sophie herself noticed something else that was a bit strange. None of the nobles around Eva seemed to be of senior rank or even adults. An amusing thing considering that Eva also acted as a teacher to the saints. Heh.

"Lady Rosengart." Sophie greeted her a little more formally than usual.

Aletta also dipped her head respectfully at Sophie's approach. An appreciated gesture even if she was still a little hesitant in vocalizing the greetings in front of her peers.

"Come, come, join us." Eva half commanded, half teased, though based on the way her eyes seemed to be searching the crowd around her, Sophie guessed that she was trying to goad anyone to outright defy her. Blunt as always, Eva.

"If you say so." Sophie half heartedly mumbled.

"Relax. There's only about a half hour till the main event starts. And then after that, well…"

Then it's time for court. Sophie finished the rest of the sentence in her head.

"So I was thinking that for now we might as well relax for a bit and spit forth tales of our adventures, or rather yours mostly." Eva grinned.

Sophie flicked a skeptical glance at her, still feeling the pressure from the crowd that surrounded the girl. Only when she made another step to approach and join the circle did the first audible huff of disdain escape from someone's lips.

"Something the matter, Lord Felrix?" Eva immediately honed in on the offending noble.

"No, nothing of the sort." The young noble grumbled, "But are we to simply take… take… your assistant at her word?

"Why of course!" Eva let out an indignant screech, "Why would we need to doubt her?"

"Well, father did say that she is a traitor." A girl chimed in.

A few hushed murmurs of agreement.

"Maybe that is the case, Lady Grimme." Eva chuckled before shooting Sophie a wink, "But didn't you all want to hear some tales of my travels? Well I don't mind saying this, but the tales she can recall likely far surpass even my own in terms of exoticness."

"Right, but nothing stops her from lying. How could we confirm what she's saying?" Felrix complained.

"Ah, so you haven't been following, have you? You see, compared to you, me, or even some others within this court. Sophie's deeds are perhaps the most recorded of them all. After action reports from the northern reaches, her ceremony in Melton. Hells, she even got into Arterian Affairs for her heroic deeds to rescuing people and protecting the city." Eva proudly proclaimed.

"Is that true?" A third noble asked.

"It is!" Aletta jumped in before quickly restraining her own excitement, "I've, umm, I read about some of them. Back at the Academy."

That provoked a new round of murmurs.

Sophie grew flustered at the intensity of the focus on her and the subsequent stares that came from the gaggle of Carradorians examining her.

With their disdain tethered by an equal amount of curiosity. Sophie now saw no clean way to extract herself from this situation. Adding to that the mischievous gleam in Eva's eye that often came when she had a scheme brewing, Sophie let out a dejected sigh and steeled herself. Just what is the plan this time, Eva?

"So, Sophie." Eva threw on as big a smile as she could muster, "Mind telling these folks about some of your adventures? It hasn't exactly been the most thrilling of receptions so far." She chuckled.

A few of the nobles chorused their own grunts of support at that assessment.

Sophie sighed. I suppose this is what she plans to occupy our time until the ball and the court. I just hope she tells me why or what for at some point.