Let the Ball BEGIN!

[Iwant2bafencer]

Lady Rosaline stood frozen like a statue. "What?!" she repeated. Meekal nodded "what she said." Angelo looked Meekal up and down. "I said I am yoru brother." Meekal laughed and shook his head. "Nope, my brother ran away with Princess Buffy, then they went their seperate ways. No one from Muu has seen him for years."
Rosaline and Angelo both shook their heads.
"Exactly I have been here in Arconia."
"Naw. ."
"Yes"
"Not a chance."
"A chance."
This continued for a little while longer.
"could both of you please stop?" Rosaline asked softly, and the men grew silent.
"Thank You. Now I am kind of getting this. . .although not fully."
Angelo dove into a huge explanation of the entire event. Finally all of the pieces fit for Rosaline.
"ok wait. So what color was dad going to make you wear?"
"What does that matter?" Angelo and Rosaline asked in unison.
The coment about the color make Rosaline think of the man in red.
"If you gentle men will excuse me. I need to go find someone." Both men nodded, and Meekal continued to ask his weird questions.
After a few minutes Rosaline found the man in red out on the balcony. Carefully she steped out onto the balcony and looked up at the stars. Then down into the garden seeing Lady Jo, and a strange man.
"Does it hurt?" The man asked.
"Beg your pardon?" Rosaline looked at him puzzled.
"Your shoulder. Zarcon cut your shoulder."
"No, he missed. Thank You all the same." The man grunted and nodded.
"If I may sir. I have a few questions that have been puzzling me." He stayed silent.
"Question one. What did Zarcon want from you in order to fight you? Question two. . ." She hesitated. "The knights that droped down. .you wouldn't happen to know how they got on his side would you?"
The man stared straight into her eyes as if he was sizing her up. 'Those eyes.' She thought. 'Where have I seen them?' Rosaline shook her head clearing it, and waited for his reply.


---------------------
Carpe Diem

[Willow]

Lady Willow was shocked that Lady Moon had spoken to her in such a rough manner. Never in all their lives had she spoken to Willow that way. Of course, pregnancy hormones being what they are, she turned away and managed to run off where no one could see her cry. Something wasn't right. This was NOT Lady Moon. When she got herself together, Willow was going to do some serious investigating. Something had happened, that was plain to see.

[DamedEscrime]

Jo was mesmerized. No one have ever said such galant words to her. She had often hoped that Naekos would, but that never happened. He was always business; swords, knives, footwork. Oh, how she had hated that.

Like an obediant puppy she walked along side Loch into the garden she went. The air was warm and fragrant. Zelda had mad sure that flowers were placed in every corner of the garden. The stars hung in a cloudless sky twinkling and winking. A nightingale sang its evening song nearby.

Jo looked to the sky, her eyes wide. The sight took her breath away. "They are beautiful, are they not?" asked Loch. "Yes, they certainly are. Do you know their names?" she asked. "As a matter of fact I do. Do you see that very bright one, just over there?" he pointed. "That is the north star. I can always find my way home by that one." As he said it a soft sad expression came upon him. The thought of the home he did not have crossed his mind and it pained him. Jo noticed his expression and asked,"Is something wrong?" He quickly shook himself and reply,"Do you see that cluster? It is called Zelda. Arcon named it for her on their wedding day."

[Blade]

Sorry to interrupt folks
I will not be able to post for at least three weeks, so the mysterious Blade has gone missing inside the castle walls at the Ball. Will he return?
We'll find out when I get back.
Thanks

[Moonitic]

psst...Angel & I didn't run away together. He took off before I was scheduled to get to the castle. Of course, I was gone before I was scheduled to leave. I didn't know he was the one I was supposed to marry until I saw the mark of the dagger on his shoulder.

Now for a newly in character comment: you twit.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Oh Forgive me Lady Moon! How foolish of me! j/k Tatoo?Hmm. .and the secrets come out.


--------------------
Carpe Diem

[Moonitic]

Nope. A birthmark in the shape of a dagger.

[Lord Tellurine]

Meekal was talking Angel's ear off when Willow approached them. He was saying, "...and Mom was so upset about you leaving she went on this HUGE shopping spree and that only made Dad madder. I'm telling you, when you go back for the holidays, they're going make you sit at the little prince table like I do."

"I'm never going back," stated Angel.

"Not even for turkey day?"

"Not even for your birthday." It was a family joke that Meekal's birthday was called turkey day, because as a small prince he always wanted turkey for his birthday meal.

"Excuse me," said Willow, who decided she didn't want to know anything else about the Royal Muu family. "Meekal, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure," answered Meekal as Angel left to find his date.

"Have you noticed anything strange about Moon?"

"She likes me now," Meekal answered with pride.

"So you told me earlier. Why?"

"What?"

"How?" Willow asked in a slighty more irritated tone.

"Who?" asked Meekal, meakly.

"When?" Willow growled.

"Where... did you get the idea that it's not just true love?"

Willow couldn't stand it any longer. She let loose with a tirade. "Meekal! Lady Moon does not love you! She HATES you! She loathes you! She can't stand you! The ONLY reason that she came to this ball with you is because King Arcon ORDERED her to! She didn't want to even come to this ball. Now she's acting very strange and it's not LOVE!" She grabbed him by the collar. "I want to know what YOU did to my best friend!" She grabbed him by the collar.

Meekal was silent for a moment as it sunk in. The realization of it all hit him all at once, and he went limp in Willow's grasp. "She hates me," he said slowly and sadly. "She really hates me. After all the gifts and compliments and serenading, she can't stand the sight of me. Not even a love potion could change that."

Willow gasped. "You didn't."

Meekal looked up. "I didn't what?"

"You gave her a love potion?!?" She said the next thing very slowly and purposely. "Where did you get a love potion?"

Meekal squeaked out, "Oddeldoodle." He saw Willow's angry reaction. Meekal began to explain frantically, "He said it was very easy. I just had to blow this powder on her and then say these Latin-like words, but I don't know if I said them right! Oh!...What have I done?!?"

"What WORDS did you say, Meekal?"

"I don't know."

"Well, where's the words you were supposed to say?"

"I don't have them anymore. I dropped the piece of paper in all the excitement of thinking Moon liked me."

"We have to find that paper, Meekal," said Willow. "No. Wait. YOU go find the paper. I have to find Moon! Who knows what kind of spell you put on her!" Willow ran off. Meekal was alone.

He decided he should get used to the feeling and started searching the floor of the Royal Arconian Ballroom for a piece of paper.

[Moonitic]

Meanwhile, Lady Moon stalked directly up to the royal couple, the king and queen. She grabbed Zelda's shoulder, forcing her to turn. "Why...Lady Moon...what is this?" The Queen sputtered.

Moon glared at the queen. "It is time you and I had a little talk."

"About what?" Zelda looked from Arcon to Moon, confused and worried.

"About who should be the rightful Queen of Arconia, my dear." Moon's words came between clenched teeth. "And I think you know where I'm going with this."

"Lady Moon, what has gotten into you?" Arcon interjected. He tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but in one swift move, she pushed it away, then grabbed the dagger from her boot. She pointed it at the couple. "Moon!"

"The name," she stated, "Is Princess Buffy. This measly little kingdom of yours will be mine. I am tired of being nothing but your scribe. I am royalty." A guard moved forward to catch her arm, but she saw the flash of his weapon from the corner of her eye and prepared for it. "Tell him to come no closer, or one of you will die tonight."

Arcon waved a hand, sending the guard back. One by one, the ball goers turned toward the sight, horrified at what they saw. Whispers flew through the crowd. "Now...Princess...surely we could discuss this elsewhere, or at another time."

"There is no better time, Your Weakeness. Know this: I will have Arconia. And your pathetic heads as trophies." She moved toward an open window. With one eye, she gauged the distance to the ground. "We shall meet again. Do not doubt it."

"Now!" Arcon yelled. Guards and guests rushed the window, but Moon dropped from sight. Someone screamed, fainting. Others shouted. Still others ran from the ballroom to find the bewitched girl. But she disappeared into the night.

The others returned to the ballroom, where Arcon sighed. "Please, friends. Let us continue with this night. We shall sort this all out later. The poor girl has been through an enormous amount of stress. Perhaps she just needs time away."

He hoped.

[Swordsman]

Nækos, inept as ever at picking up on any kind of subtlety, knew he'd been insulted, but wasn't sure how, or how badly. But something was definitely up. And Moonitic was potentially dangerous. "Serana...time to go. Go to your quarters, get some pants on, get a weapon, and meet me back here. You can track, right?"

"Yes, some."

"Indoors?"

"Umm...don't know."

"Alright...we'll see what we can do. But I need you to go after Moon, in case this is some sort of 'girl problem'." Nækos didn't DARE approach anything like that. He'd take a dozen fencingsucks troops on his own, but there was no way he was touching anything to do with the female psyche.

"Alright." Serana turned to leave, but Nækos caught her arm.

"Take this with you," he handed her the knife from the small of his back, "and be careful."

"Alright." This time he let her go, then strode quickly out of the palace, and began the run back to his cottage to get some combat-friendly clothes. Just in case...

[Swordsman]

Returning to the palace, Nækos burst inside, leaving a rather miffed guard from the doorway lying uncerimoniously in the bushes. Can't we just finish ONE ball without some crazy mis-hap?

Inside, he saw Arcon and Zelda running (Well, Zelda trying to run, wearing a dress) across the room, looking very pale. "Your majesties!" he shouted across the crowd. They stopped after a moment, and he caught up. "Your majesty," he turned Arcon by the shoulder, who nearly jumped out of his skin. "Sorry, I thought you'd heard me. What happened?"

Arcon scanned quickly across the room, then refocused on Nækos. "Moonitic! She threatened to kill us, Zelda and I! She wants to usurp the kingdom!"

"What? Where is she?"

"She bailed, jumped the same balcony you did last time. I don't know where she went."

"Perfect. Nice, deep tracks. When you see Serana, tell her I'm tracking Moon outside, and for her to stay with you and Zelda."

For the second ball in a row, Nækos vaulted the balcony railing. When he came to his feet this time, he stayed, and studied the tracks. Following them for a few minutes, he ran head-long into Steve, out in the garden talking to Jo. Looking up, Nækos quickly excused himself, then continued on. This could be trouble, severely.

As he continued to follow the tracks, he realized something rather disturbing: they were leading back to his cottage. He decided that the tracks would be there later, and took the hunch and ran back to his cottage again. There, he found the front door open, and upon inspection inside, the Talruum sabre missing, as well as a longsword, a regular sabre, and a case of throwing knives. Great...she's used my place as her armory.

He returned outside, the custom shortsword he was carrying out, and looked around. More tracks in the mud; he followed them at a run, and eventually sighted Moonitic further ahead, near the entrance to the woods. Heading back towards the castle. He sprinted ahead, and entered the trees far to her right, bouncing silently from clear area to clear area so as not to be detected.

He waited for a moment until she was closer; crouched, hurrying, weighted down by an awkward cargo. Perfect. He sprang from the brush, weapon sheathed, catching her completely off-guard. Screaming as she went down, he grabbed her right (weapon) arm, twisted it around behind her back, and kicked her feet out from under her, laying her on her face. He leaned back so that he could kneel on the backs of her knees. She continued to flail with her left arm, but that wasn't doing any harm. Then she tried to reach for one of the scattered blades, but it was too far away. He waited until she calmed down, but just as she did, she discovered that she could just drag the longsword out from under her body, where she'd fallen on it. If you've bent that blade, I swear I'll kill you... She swung it up and back, managing to catch him in the back of the neck with it before he reacted and grabbed it with his left hand. Even with open-hand training against a blade, this move cost him another cut in the hand. He then got her wrist and pinched off the nerve with his fingers, causing the hand to open and the blade to drop. He then pulled that arm further back without letting it rotate, so that she had minimal leverage, and zero mobility. The whole ordeal was maybe fifteen seconds.

"If any one of my blades is damaged, I swear you're going to suffer for it. Now, just what the hell are you up to? Why don't you start by explaining what you last said to me at the ball, then why you're wearing such ridiculous clothing for combat, and finally the rest."

[lochinvar]

Loch continued pointing out and naming stars and constellations for Jo-Betelgeuse, Vega, Sirius, The Twins, Altair, Cassiopeia, the Dragon, Deneb.

He told her the legends he remembered from his childhood, and the stories he had learned around army watch fires while on campaign: how the Great Wheel was named, how the heroes Gorman and Bartell outwitted the Ice Queen, stole her spear and set it in the sky, and others. His voice was quiet, and his recitations simple, as befitted a soldier's tales.

After a while, he stopped speaking, and they simply stood quietly, gazing upward. He absently played with a narrow band of braided black that circled his left wrist, staring into the night sky.

"I once new…someone…who also loved stars," he said. "She used to say that the stars were the camp fires of the Angels, keeping watch over us as we slept. I always liked that." He looked down at the ground. "In the end, they didn't save her," he said, so softly she almost didn't hear.

He seemed to have forgotten that Jo was there. She wanted to ask who he was talking about, but hesitated. It seemed to her that she glimpsed something infinitely fragile here-something that, touched by words, might fly into a million shards and disappear, never to be seen again. The moment stretched.

She was on the verge of asking, anyway, when they heard a sudden commotion inside the palace. They turned simultaneously to face the ballroom windows, instantly back in the here and now, and the moment had passed.

Guards were shouting, people running; a figure leaped from the upstairs balcony into the shrubbery at the far end of the garden, and ran into the darkness.

"That was the King's balcony," said Jo in alarm. "And that person…"

"…looked like Lady Moon," Loch finished. "But what in the world was she wearing?"

Two minds sharing a single thought, they turned and rushed back inside to see what was happening.

[Moonitic]

"Oh...N-Naekos...I do not know what has come over me! I was at the ball, and the world went black. I do not remember a thing." Lady Moon whimpered. She tried to turn to look into his eyes. "What has happened? Why am I here? And why am I dressed this way? Please tell me." Tears ran down her cheeks.

Naekos did not move. Suppose it was a farce? He could not take that chance. But...he had heard word of a spell gone bad. I warned them that sorcerey would mean trouble. Yet she seemed sincere enough. For a brief moment, his guard dropped. He honestly did not know what to do.

Her senses heightened, Moon felt his distraction. She grinned to herself. Now!. Her head crashed backward into his nose. He released her arm to catch the blood on his sleeve. In the blink of an eye, the petite scribe removed the large man from her, and placed the tip of her sword at his throat as he lay on the ground. "Do not underestimate me, fool. We could have made such a pair. But you've chosen unwisely. We shall save this fight for another day."

She disappeared into the thick, dark night...this time, leaving no trace of her whereabouts. They would see her again...when she was ready.

[lochinvar]

When Loch and Jo entered the ballroom, all was confusion. They found Meekal searching the floor, muttering to himself.

“Prince Meekal!” Jo accosted him. “What happened?”

“I lost the paper,” Meekal answered, still searching the floor.

“Paper? What are you talking about? I mean, what’s all the excitement about?”

“Oh, that…Well, first Zarcon showed up and tried to stab the man in red, then Lady Moon insulted everyone, then Lady Willow yelled at me, and now I have to find the paper. Oh, by the way,” he looked up brightly. “Did you know that Angelo is my brother?”

“Uh, that’s nice,” Jo responded absently, searching for someone else, anyone whose grasp of reality was a little firmer than Meekal’s. She spotted Angelo. “Catch you later, Meekal…good luck with—whatever you’re doing, there.”

She and Loch dashed over to Angelo. “What’s happened?”

“Lady Moon threatened the King,” he answered. “She drew a dagger on him. I’m looking for Rosaline now; we have to turn out the army and find her.”

“That doesn’t sound like Moon,” Loch said. “Something is wrong.” He turned to Jo. “Lady, I must go arm. Try to find out more; I’ll meet you back here as soon as I can.”

He started away, then turned back. “And…please, be careful,” he said, a little awkwardly. “I…wouldn’t want to see you hurt.”

And then he was gone, running for the stairs to his room.

[arcon]

Arcons heart was heavy. As he stood on the balcony, where moon had jumped his mind went back to the day he'd spoken with Meekel.
He felt responsible for ordering Moon to attend the ball with him. He could not and he would not blame moon for this.
Zelda and Moon were close. He would trust his Queen in working this out. Her judgement
even to this day still amazed him. It would be hard to keep Arconia together without her.
The very thought of it, sent chills through his bones,shaking his head and clinging to his brandy mug and knowing for the moment it was the only support he had. Moments like these he just longed to be free..to roam the land like the days of old..to ride til he could no longer...to eat when he was famished....to fight when he was angry. A simple life , to some very crude ,but for his spirit, it had been freedom to soar. The hawk, the warrior,the uncontrolable wanderer.
That life was gone. Now, although there were
more than moments of joy, and reward.
The price was high. .....plots....scemes,,,,
enemies.......enemies everywhere.
He could never relax. And as he lifted up the mug for that last sip of brandy. He wondered...
how long will it last?
Quickly he spun on his heels turned and reentered the Ball. He noticed it felt like going to war......and he knew that was the wrong feeling to have......

[ 09-07-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[lochinvar]

Lochinvar raced up the stairs, two at a time. Servants shrank back against the wall, wary and apprehensive, as he blew by them.

His breath labored in his chest, and his legs ached after a few minutes, but urgency drove him. Damn! He was getting too old for this…

Bursting from the top of the stairs, he pounded down the hall to his room, slamming open the door. It was the work of moments to doff the tunic and cloak, slip into his gambeson, and pull his mail over his head. A quick snatch at his sword leaning in the corner, and he was out again, buckling as he hastened back down to the ballroom.

He felt better with that familiar weight on his hip. Now if he could find a bow…

Steel had been drawn on the king. And Moon had been the one to draw it…How? Why? What had she been thinking? Worry and doubt chased each other around his mind. The rules of the game had just changed, and he had no clear notion of what new shape it would take, now.

In the world of his experience, when swords were bared, death usually followed—whose death, was the only open question. All paths now were clouded with darkness, peril, and uncertainty. One old friend, and the other…would he be forced to choose?

And the Lady Josephine…what was he going to do with/about THAT? What new complication was this, and what did it mean…to him…or to her, for that matter? And what did it, could it, mean in light of this new and unexpected threat? He cursed himself for a great fool. Mooning over a mere slip of a girl, and the king his friend in danger…

Damn, damn, damn…

He pounded down the stairs, his thoughts and feelings a dark maelstrom of confusion and conflict.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Lady Rosaline glanced over her shoulder into the ball room. Everyone had worried lookes on their faces, Meekal was crawling along the floor, and Angelo was jumping up and down looking for someone or something. She turned to the man in red who was on the verge of telling her everything. Rosaline hesitated only mere seconds. "Listen, I have to go find out what's going on. Umm. . .I dont know. If you ever want to talk just knock on my door." The man nodded, and Rosaline quickly entered the room.
"Angelo!" She spotted Angelo across the room, and waved at him. They both quickened their pace, and met in the middle of everone.
"What in heavens name is going on in here?!" For the second time that night Angelo quickly began to explain everything. When he was about half way through Rosaline grabed his hand and pulled him towards the stairs. "Walk and talk." Angelo nodded then continued. When they reached Rosalines room. She quickly went to change, and Angelo gathered all of her weapons. Tow minutes later she stepped out again. This time wearing a black silk shirt, and black pants. Taking her weapons one by one, placing them in their proper places, and half running down the hall. Rosaline went over their plans to find Lady Moon.
Swiftly Angelo and Rosaline went through the town waking everyone that was in their army, and organizing two search groups.
"Alright, I will take my group into the forest, and you take yours back to the castle." Angelo stated. Rosaline nodded, and started back to the castle.
"Lady Rosaline there's no need to go back to the castle." Rosaline turned to see Neakos.
"Why not?" "I just confronted Moon in the woods, she got away, but she went deeper into the woods."
"Right Angelo you take the north side, I'll take the south. Neakos if you will, please go check on the king and queen. Ask them if they have noticed anything different about Moon." Neakos nodded, and ran off towards the castle. As Rosaline started off into the woods Angelo grabed her arm, and waited for her group to pass. "What is it?" Rosaline asked. "Nothing I just wanted to tell you . . .well. ." Angelo bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Just be careful ok?" Rosaline smiled. "dont worry I'm always careful." With that she quickly went to the head of her group.


-----------------
Carpe Diem

[DamedEscrime]

Jo was torn. Things were happening too fast. Her king was threatend and her friends were arming themselves. And all she could do was stand there? Stay out of the way? Not get hurt? Something stirred within her. It started in her middle and spread to he limbs. She felt the urge to move. Her fingers twitched. Naekos had taught her many things. Had she not made a kill of a Muu? But that had ended in disaster when she almost killed Sir Angelo too. She remembered how she felt that night, on edge, fine tuned, ready to strike, angry that anyone should attack her. She hadn't liked the feeling then. It had controlled her. She remembered too how amazing the victory had felt. It were as if she had stepped into another dimension, outside of herself so to speak.
She stood tall. She knew what she had to do as foolish as it were. Without further hesitation she tore a gleeming weapon from the wall, rushed back to the garden, her skirts flying, and headed in the direction inwhich she had seen the lady Moon go.

[lochinvar]

Loch clattered into the ballroom, and skidded to a halt, swiveling his head in all directions.

Lady Josephine was supposed to meet him. She was gone.

Damn, damn, DOUBLE damn!!

He snagged a serving man passing and snapped out, "The Lady Josephine! Have you seen her?"

The man shrank from the fierce glare leveled at him. "Sh-she went past here, m'lord…she had a sword in her hand…"

A sword?? What was THIS, now? "Which way? Quickly, man!"

"I-I d-don't know, m'lord. Maybe…that way…?" He finished weakly, waving vaguely in the direction of the garden.

He released the man, who made short work of escaping in a direction Loch didn't bother to notice. Now what was he to do?

He was torn. Part of him wanted to follow her, for reasons he refused to examine. But the larger argued otherwise, and eventually won out; he had obligations, and no way to know just where she had gone, or why, and no time to look for her with possible plots hatching practically under his nose. He had to find the king. His first duty was to Arcon.

TRIPLE DAMN!!!

He turned again and ran to find the king, hoping that he was not about to lose something that, truth be told, he was not even certain that he'd found.

[ 09-07-2001: Message edited by: lochinvar ]

[Moonitic]

hee hee hee...you puny fools! There is one thing that people forget about scribes: We tend to know the human condition.

You are truly gullible. Go look for me in the woods. I dare you!