The Royce Masquerade Ball

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

The warlock gravely inclined her own head, though of course no expression could be seen behind the porcelain mask.

[Teirney Lannister]

A small, slender woman entered, dressed in a violent black cloak that seemed to drink in the light of the chamber. The heavily hooded garment concealed both her face and dress, but a mask wrought of fiery orange could be seen behind the shadow cast by the hood’s folds, the faint outline of a flaming bird furled about her eyes barely discernible.

[Deleted]

Aranya eyed Lord Bolton and asked him to dance. As she did, she saw a familiar flaming bird.

"Nobody is bothering to really hide themselves," she said lightly, as she took Lord Bolton's hand.

[Lilith Royce]

Lilith, laughing at all the swopping of identities occurring at the ball, declares that anyone can dance with anyone and signs up the Raven, the Kraken, the Dragonknight, and the Warlock for dances, and finally the Maiden in Blue for dances.

The Raven is light on his feet and cheerful, the Kraken untutored in the finer parts of the finesse of the dance but with a remarkable grace and balance, the Dragonknight lovely and very light on her feet (it was so very nice to see Elena laugh again, it had been far too long), the Warlock was magnetic despite the fact that she was so heavily disguised and that Lilith wasn't ordinarily attracted to women, and her husband as usual was a divine dancer. The long train, though, was a pain in the neck. He obviously had no experience in dealing with one on the dance floor. They solved the problem but looping it over his arm, flashing a good deal of his attractive stockinged legs to the world.

[The Smith]

Lord Bolton noted, "Of course not. These are lords and ladies you have invited tou your ball. They need to be admired as the prettiest, and cleverest." He took her hand and lead her through a workman-like dance. "I like you ears, maybe one day I will show you my collection."

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

The Warlock danced with the hostess, displaying her usual careful grace, then stepped towards the Wildling as -her- dance ended.

"May I have the next dance?"

[Deleted]

Lord Bolton was not as good a dancer as the Faceless Man, but Aranya sensed something else about - something that told her clearly that this was not someone to mess with. She smiled grimly. "I would be happy to see your ears, my lord."

When the warlock came up to her, Aranya bowed her head. "I would be happy to."

The music grew faster.

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

The warlock moved with Aranya as the music reached a heightened tempo, whirling with her in a path like that of a star through the sky, seeming to alternately follow and lead until there was no distinction, just two dancers in harmony walking a path. As the dance wore to a close, the eyes of the Princess locked on Aranya's, and Aranya felt her briefly, fleetingly present within her...then the mind-touch was gone.

[Lilith Royce]

Two medium size girls and one small boy wander the ballroom dressed in almost identical infants' clothing marked with carefully applied red roses. They avoid the eyes of Lilith, Piers and Aranya.

The taller of the two girls spots the Dragonknight and soon all four are dancing merrily.

[Deleted]

"You've just given yourself away," Aranya told the warlock as they danced. "Although I suspected before."

/////

Rhae and Petra hung in the corner against the wall. "We're going to be in so much trouble!" Rhae giggled.

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

The warlock grinned beneath her mask...then mentally to Aranya. "I thought you already had," she murmured. "But then, what mask can hide the heart?"

[Deleted]

"I suspected strongly," Aranya smiled slightly. "Why, what does your heart say?"

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

"That I missed you," she responded as the dance finally ended. "And that we need to see each other more often." She imitated a blown kiss from the blue lips, then slipped away.

[Deleted]

Aranya gazed after her silently, and stood in a corner to watch the others dance. She badly wanted a glass of wine, but she resolved to stay alert. And she was pregnant. She would not risk her baby. Selwyn's baby.

[syd]

Lord Barret Tyrell enters in the plain robes of a septon, and his wife Caitlyn, as a septa. They each wear masks of grey ,brown and white, that are beautiful yet plain.