Once Upon a Moonlit Lake

[Lady Lisette de Lac]

True, she hadn't promised to attend but Lisette knew that Laurent wanted her there. She wasn't about to let him down, despite her natural tendency towards misgivings and hesitation. Trusting that her brothers - all three of them - would protect her from anyone bearing the name de Vere, she took her twin's arm as he helped her to approach the cluster of people. Including, it seemed, members of the Royal family. Remembering her manners and the training drilled into her head, Lisette smiled politely as Ari approached to introduce his siblings to the Princess and her entourage. The mention of Thomas's young lady friend, however, intrigued her.

First things first. Courtesy demanded that she acknowledge both Princess Emmaline and her aunt, Princess Fiona. Sinking into a careful curtsy at the mention of her name, she rose with a pleasant expression. "Your Highnesses, I am honored to meet you." Her cheeks flushed with Ari's description of her, eyes lowering modestly. Sometimes, it was nice to hear it.

[Lady Natalie Kendall]

The whisper to her ear caught her off guard, admittedly, but she did do a very good job at controlling herself. If there was anything Natalie could say of Aristide de Lac, it was that he certainly had gumption. If she were honest with herself, she'd even admit to rather liking it. However, she did not get a chance to offer a playful rebuttal when Emmaline resumed control over the social scene.

Natalie remained quiet during the introductions, smiling here and there, especially in amusement at how he was handling each sibling. He seemed to adjust his handling to how the siblings would respond appropriately. Mercurial, yes, but a very useful skill to have. It made Aristide even more interesting to Natalie.

Not that she would admit to such!

"It is lovely to finally meet you in person," Natalie's voice finally came out, offering a curtsy in her sibling's direction. "Since I've already allowed the good Lord de Lac enough introduction, I will do so for myself. I am Lady Natalie Kendall." She was holding herself proudly, but at the same time, in a somewhat roguish manner. She did not want to be viewed just as another typical lady of the Court!

Princess Emmaline Carlisle, Lord Aristide de Lac, Lady Lisette de Lac, @fiona

[Lord Laurent de Lac]

Of course Aristide would ruffle his feathers, both literally and figuratively, so to speak. Immediately, his hands shot upward to straighten out his hair once again. Once control had been reestablished, he straightened out his tunic in a swift manner, put on a smile and offered a courtly bow to the royal family members. "Your Highness," his voice did not hold a trace of chagrin, "I share the same sentiments as my sister."

Straightening, he took to eyeing Lady Natalie for a moment. She was beautiful, no doubt, and not shy about displaying such beauty. For some reason, she made him feel just a little shy around her. Laurent was more used to quiet women. That and Laurent wasn't all that certain he could handle Lady Natalie! Nonetheless, he put on another smile, "Lady Natalie, you are looking lovely this evening."

The gaze shifted to Vivianne, to whom he gave a warm and welcoming smile. "Lady Vivianne, how grand to see you again. Welcome! Welcome."

[Lord Thomas de Lac]

Thomas flushed at Aristide's introduction. Sure, it was kind of him to say so and Thomas thought it was true without being prideful. He followed suit by giving the princess and the others a deep bow. "Pleased to meet you," he said in a quiet voice. While he might have noticed Natalie and Emma were somewhat attractive, his gaze lingered only a moment as he tried to think of what to say. His siblings would think of something, he was sure of it, and then he could add a suitable comment later. He might have been a social follower, but that was all right with him.

Laurent speaking to Vivianne was a complete shock. No doubt, Thomas had been living in his own world where Vivianne was completely separate from his family, but that was not how it worked. Ever since he was younger, Laurent was more charming with Thomas, knew what to say, and had himself put together. It wouldn't surprise Thomas if he had swept Vivianne off her feet with his good-natured charm and hardly any effort at all.

"Again?" he asked before he could help it and stepped to the side. His gaze fell to the water as his face burned and he felt like an idiot.

[Princess Emmaline Carlisle]

Turning her attention to the other de Lac siblings, Emma's smile was gentle and warm. "I have heard much of you, Lord Thomas, and I am delighted to meet you both, Lord Laurent, Lady Lisette. It has been far too long since we've enjoyed the presence of the de Lac family in Triadon. I hope you'll all be staying not only through the Festival, but for the duration of the Court season?" She lifted a brow, amused at Thomas's flush and the way he looked at his brother when Laurent spoke to the girl. Lady Vivianne.

Her gaze narrowed slightly, realizing this was the girl Rosalie had been seen with lately. Interesting...

[Lady Vivianne Trevelyan]

"Agreed, though I won't lie," Vivianne lowered her voice to a whisper, "I'm starving and everything smells divine. Maybe we could do both at the same time? Sample everything and be social? It's easier to avoid talking when your mouth is full, and you can distract people from talking to you by waving good food at them." She was only teasing... mostly, dark eyes twinkling as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm despite instinct telling her to take his hand.

Stepping onto the barge, she brightened to see Laurent and Lisette present; good, they'd made up their differences. And Lord Aristide was busy flirting with Lady Natalie while the Princess was... oh dear. Emma was giving her an odd look. Flashing the princess a polite smile, she bobbed a curtsey to those present. "Good evening, Highness. My lords and ladies." Frankly, she was more nervous about Lisette, but the smile warmed at Laurent's greeting. "Lord Laurent. You look much improved this evening. I hope you are doing well?" Hearing Thomas, she nodded. "I accidentally met your brother at one of the taverns not too long ago..." The look she gave Thomas hopefully conveyed that she'd just been trying to help his brother out.


Lord Thomas de Lac

[Lady Selena Lancaster]

Selena's dark eyes danced with merriment at Rosalie's words. "I fear that boredom is often an inevitable side effect of any courtly event, my lady, but between the three of us, we will endure bravely to prevent such a dire happening." Reaching to accept one of the offered morsels, she sampled it with obvious signs of epicurean pleasure. "What else do you recommend, Lady Rosalie? You ought to try these, Lady Julia. The cooks have outdone themselves this evening."

She did not fail to observe the darting gaze belonging to Rosalie, intrigued to know for whom she looked, if anyone. "Are you expecting someone else, or hoping to encounter someone, Lady Rosalie?" The mention of the gentleman from Linten served to distract her, bringing a fresh smile to Selena's lips as she hastened to provide an explanation. It put Lady Julia somewhat on the spot, yet that was the risk run in delivering a foreign guest to the court. "I imagine he should be attending at least some of these events..." Selena looked to Julia for confirmation or denial; after all, the Lintenese duke was her guest.

Lady Rosalie St. Claire

[Lady Lisette de Lac]

So much was going on around her that Lisette needed a few minutes to catch up. Ari flirting with the Lady Natalie... Kendall? Wasn't Kendall... No. She stopped herself from thinking that. It wasn't fair to judge a vassal by their liege, and Lady Natalie seemed very much Ari's kind of lady. Maintaining the small smile, she inclined her head to Natalie and to the Princess, then blinked at Thomas's expression. Something seemed off there, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

Deciding to answer the Princess was probably her safest action, though she'd be keeping a close eye on her brothers and the dark haired girl with them. She hadn't known Laurent knew the girl, but there was no denying her twin was far more gregarious than she was and thus knew more people. "We do plan to stay for some time, Your Highness. Our uncle, as you know, is Lord St. Claire, and we have been wanting to spend some time with him and our cousins as well."

[Lady Julia St. Claire]

Julia sent her sister a fulminating look but refrained from issuing a sharp retort. Having her own words and counsel thrown back at her was only to be expected from another St. Claire, of which Rosalie was definitely one. The daughters of the Dragon had more of their father in them than might be expected. "Of course. For both of us, as you say." She composed herself swiftly, brows rising not only at her sister's rain of words but Selena's pointed questions concerning Don Alejandro.

She was not surprised; the man was striking and attractive, an unexpectedly charming addition to the Court. Fielding the comment adroitly, Julia smiled blandly and replied, "I extended an invitation for His Grace to join us, and anticipate he may do so. I would be pleased to introduce him to you; I think you will find him quite an interesting gentleman."

Lady Rosalie St. Claire, Lord Alejandro Cerevotos

[Lord Spencer Lancaster]

Taking Samantha's hand, Spencer brought it to his lips lightly, bowing over it correctly. Aging he might be, but the arts of courtly manners knew no time. "It has been far too long, Lady Rose. Welcome back to Triadon." Straightening, he saw no reason to slaver over her or put her ill at ease as he smiled in turn at the younger Duke. "And Lord de Winter. It is good to see you again. I trust you've been well?" If he knew any of the rumors beginning to circulate regarding the de Winter duke, he betrayed none of it, appearing smoothly at ease.

"Lord Stratford has graciously invited us to partake of the feast in the undisputed luxury of the barge. May I escort you to a seat, my lady?" An arm was offered to Samantha as he gestured for Jasen to precede them towards a seat. A nod noted the politely seated Rose children, greeting them with a quiet murmur. There would be time for him to interact with them later; for now, he wanted to pursue a more serious conversation while the opportunity stood at hand.

Lady Samantha Rose, Lord Jasen de Winter

[Lord Thomas de Lac]

Thomas nodded at her ideas, because they were good ones. At least he was not the only one who did not like talking to someone unless he had no choice but to be polite. He enjoyed people's company, only one on one as there was less pressure. He liked feeling comfortable with someone, the intimacy between two and the freedom to say whatever he wanted.

A cold shiver seized his heart as he saw Vivianne smile warmly at his brother. Was that just a friendly smile? It looked much more intimate than that for his liking. He cast his gaze downwards, face flushing anew, and bowed to everyone. "Excuse me," he said before he took his leave towards the entrance of the barge. Somehow, he didn't feel very hungry anymore.

Aristide wanted to smack both his brothers upside the head. Instead, he smiled and answered the question posed, adding onto his sister's comments. "We would be honored to stay the full season. Possibly for a whole year." He didn't care about his home at the moment; he just needed an escape. He turned to the table, took a plate, and served the higher ranking nobles with a smile.

Princess Emmaline Carlisle, Lord Laurent de Lac

[King Sedrick Carlisle]

Sedrick extended a hand for his daughter's, concerned at her husband's tendency to eschew what the King felt were his social duties as Duke of Fairfield. The pair seldom journeyed to Triadon, he suspected, for precisely such a reason - hardly fair to his daughter, a social creature if ever there was one, yet he trusted Mariana to impose her will on her husband's when she deemed it necessary. Their marriage was not for him to meddle in, no matter how affectionate or concerned a parent. "I am coping, my dear, where some days are better than others. Lady Katalin ensures I do not overtax myself and that what health I retain is at its peak." A respectful nod travelled to his physician as he smiled at his eldest child. "How is Fairfield?"

Waiting for her to finish her greetings, he added calmly, "Have you met Lord Frederick von Arles? He is from Treniata, a Grand Duke and cousin to the King. Lord Frederick, my elder daughter, the Lady Jardinier."


Lady Mariana Jardinier, Lord Frederick von Arles

[Princess Emmaline Carlisle]

Emmaline was occasionally a sensitive soul and took note of the dimming expression in Lord Thomas's eyes when Lord Laurent greeted the Trevelyan lady. Seeing him excuse himself, she felt a pang of sympathy and nodded to Lord Aristide's words, leaving him in Natalie's and Aunt Fiona's capable hands as she excused herself as well. "Pardon me a moment, please."

Moving after Thomas, she hoped to intercept him before he quit the barge, her tone gentle in its efforts to bring him to a halt. "Leaving so soon, Lord Thomas? I had hoped to speak with you about some matters, as we have so little opportunity to do so normally." Drawing closer, she added softly, "And I think there is a young lady who would be quite upset if you left her alone."

[Lord Thomas de Lac]

Thomas froze in his footsteps at the unexpected voice and turned to see as it was. Just as he thought -- why on earth would the princess of Demeria be following him? His bemusement was apparent on his face as she mentioned 'some matters,' of which he had no idea what she meant.

"Forgive me, your majesty," he said, face warming and tilted towards as he bowed to her. "I am afraid I have no idea to which matters you are referring." He stood and faced her with rapt attention. Best not to think about the other statement she made. Granted, he had no idea what he was doing and he wanted to be with Vivianne terribly, but he was frightened. Laurent and Aristide could sweep her off of her feet at any moment with no effort at all. They had a great deal more to offer her in general.

Maybe he just needed a moment to regain his confidence.

Princess Emmaline Carlisle

[Lord Laurent de Lac]

Now now now! That simply was going to do! He gave Vivianne a reassuring smile along with a subtle gesture to wait just a moment. A glance was then cast to Lisette, one that communicated if she would be so kind to show the other guests to various seats while he took care of something rather important. Ari would ... do what Ari did. He was doing just fine, being the gracious Earl and host. A laugh escaped him as he moved to join Emmaline. "Of course, they are no doubt matters regarding your grand skill as a upcoming knight."

Laurent slipped his arm around Thomas's shoulders while leaning in to speak briefly into his ear. It was soft enough so that only Thomas would hear. "It's not what you think. She gave me some advice after a fight with Lisette. She's a great woman for you, Thomas. Go back to her. No worries from me. I promise." The smile resumed and he looked excitedly toward Emmaline, "Your Highness, there is food and it probably should not be kept waiting!"

Lord Thomas de Lac, Princess Emmaline Carlisle