FireofIreland

Rowan MacNamara::33::Leo::Queen of Ireland

[fireofireland-blog]

adarlingprincess‌:

Figures. After having just arrived to a bloody party and no assistance the Crowned Princess was less than happy with her time at the Palace. In a matter of arriving she had been left at the docks, been called an intruder by French Guards, asked to show her papers, as well as letters from, to, and with the Queen and then on top of that noticed a damned party was going on. Within moments of finding out that only one town  had been eradicated from the plague and nobles sought out to party the taste in her mouth grew even worse. She was exhausted, no beyond that she had travelled too far to turn around and go back home with no news and no idea of a cure. Then this happened. Reaching for her crossbow she realized she’d left it with one of her guards. Of course, why would someone need that when stepping inside a Palace. 

Some women cried, some men threw punches, it was utter and complete chaos. All the while, Crowned Princess, Jane, listened. Trying to gather as much information as she could. As she understood part of the east wing? Is that what they were calling it? Well, the chapel, had fallen into disarray, a fire. What confused her more was that the guards did not seem to have any kind of orderly fashion to keep others safe. There was nothing in place no way of disseminating information. That’s when she heard the angry redhead. They’d split families apart? Shaking her head Jane pinched the bridge of her nose. There had to be a way. 

Gently she placed her hand at the woman’s grasp, arching a brow like, trust me. The Crowned Princess guided the Queen aside, a slight whisper, “Don’t draw attention to yourself, it might be far easier to slip away unnoticed than cause bloody hell,” she nodded looking at the others gaze. “You said your daughter was split from you?” She asked, “Is there anyone here who saw where she may have been during the fires outbreak?”

 rowan looked as if the very fire roaring through the palace had manifested itself into a physical being. her vividly blue eyes seemed to darken and that iconic fiery red hair seemed to almost glow in the amber hue that was cast about in the night sky due to the real flames engulfing the palace. it almost seemed to fuel her own heated temper as she stepped dangerously closer to the guards. her hand clenched to a fist as she towered over one of the smaller guards. they all lifted their weapons to her as the small guard rose his hands and almost grabbed rowan until he realized he was a queen, and not like most queens at that. once his hand touched her chest to push her back into the line of other protesting royals rowan reached for his throat.

 rowan had not seen who it was that had essentially saved her from escalating the situation further as her hand was caught by someone from by her side and before she could really gain her focus back from seeing red the heated queen was being guided away from the guards who were almost surrounding the red head at that point. with her own internal fire raging now the tall queen pulled her hand free from the other woman and gave her a look, almost as if she were surprised the younger girl had the nerve to touch her in the first place. it was risky to place yourself between a drunken irish and a potential brawl. yet instead of reacting in a physical sense rowan only lashed back to the girl with her silver tongue, as she opened her mouth to spit the fire that rose within her she paused hearing the younger woman speak. rowan glared at the woman while she spoke, her mind racing over the different options of response she could take. rowan wanted nothing more than to lash out at her for protecting the guards from her wrath, yet deep down past the fear and worry for her own daughter’s well being rowan knew the girl had kept her from making matters worse and because of that the queen stood slightly taller and exhaled some of the rage she had brewing within her, 

“you clearly have not met an irish before, we are not subtle people, and I will by all means cause a scene if need be in order to get to my daughter and countrymen. I don’t need to slip away, I will go right through those guards if I have too, and it would not be the first time I have had to fight guards i am sure it wouldn’t be the last....I have no idea where she was at the time start of all of this I am not even sure if she was in the ballroom at the time we were all separated which is why the fire itself will not stop me from finding her and making sure that she is safe.”

[fireofireland-blog]

ducvado‌:

How odd – the woman was rattling off demands to the guards, and yet they weren’t moving an inch. It was almost as though they were going to follow orders from their true monarchs, and not obey the demands of a drunken woman they barely knew. No, that could not be! How little sense that made! Could it possibly be that the woman was making a scene for nothing? And insulting the other women around here, to boot. How delightful. She did seem like such a pleasant person. Elizaveta observed the scene with icy blue eyes, and shrugged when one of the guards shot her a hopeful look as he noticed her watching. “You heard Her Majesty,” she said. Not that it had done the woman any good, but god knows the entire courtyard had probably heard her. 

 rowan was focused on one thing and one thing only, how it was rather ironic that yet another disaster occurred once everyone’s guards were down, and finding those she cared for and making sure they were safe, caitlyn more so than anyone else was her priority at this point. once she was aware that they were not within the group rowan had been secluded off with she had no intentions of trying to remain within that group. either by will or force she was going to find her family and countrymen during this crisis. so when the guard rowan was staring down broke eye contact to look to the other woman she didn’t follow his gaze. instead she remained glaring down at him. she didn’t react to the woman’s comment, she simply remained evening gazing at the guard before her as she took a taunting step forward, 

 “I will not say it again, move or be moved I have no preference though I would not like to cause an altercation if there isn't need for one. i understand you have a job to do, but so do i. and you are preventing me from doing that at this moment so i intend to do the same for you.”

[fireofireland-blog]

ofsovereignties‌:

“They will not let us leave,” the Spanish princess said to the woman yelling at the guards. “I tried something similar and they did not budge. I did not have a daughter to find so maybe they will let you go find her.”

 rowan didn’t turn her stern gaze from the guards before her though she lifted her head slightly taller as she heard the princess by her side speak of how she was unsuccessful in her own efforts. that was the difference, rowan was not like these other women. and when it came to her daughter she had no problem doing whatever she needed to in order to protect her.  despite not looking to the woman as she spoke rowan did respond to her words, yet her strong glare remained focused on the guard just before her,

 “there is no maybe, i will go find my daughter if i have to fight with my bare hands past these guards. if anythin’ happens to her out there due to their poor tactics of herdin’ us off like cattle not even anne-sophie will be able to protect them from the wrath of me. they think this fire is dangerous? just wait until they stand between me and my child.”

[fireofireland-blog]

xthencbles‌:

ava was glad she had no children. she could not imagine the fear running through a mothers mind —- granted, her own mother would not be scared in this situation. she would not care much for ava’s safety. any member of her family in the other courtyards at this stage would berate her for feeling scared, for the worry: they would tell her to act strong, to act like a medici. that medici’s did not feel fear. she had never been much like her cousins, however.

she tried to get the attention of the woman with the striking red hair ( a queen, she had said ), in order to talk to her. “they won’t listen. i heard they won’t even let the french leave, and its their own guards.” ava spoke softly, tucking soft blonde curls behind her ear. “you’d have better luck sneaking out.”

  rowan was standing off with one of the guards now, she was slightly taller than he was which cause her to have to look down on him . seeing that her words had no affect on the man she narrowed her eyes and readied to unleash her wrath upon him until the younger woman began attempting to get her attention, which was hard given her intoxicated and focused mindset. once rowan looked to the other woman she lifted a elegant brow in question, though the look upon her face was less than amused by the girls distraction. it wasn’t until she made the comment of sneaking out that rowan broke her stared from the woman and focused back onto the guard, a testing expression cross her features before she spoke to the woman without looking at her, 

“my guards would respect my wishes given the circumstances. however, no one will get in between me and my family. especially in a crisis like this. i think they have a lot of nerve separatin’ us the way they had. part of me feels like there was some intention to this. i find it a bit too ironic that something like this occurs durin’ a time when most of us were unsuspectin’. who is to say these guards are not in on this because they are tired of us all? the world is rising up from under us so why not the very people said to protect us?”

[fireofireland-blog]

rowan was completely taken off guard by the doors bursting open. she was a bit further away from the doors so it was hard for her to really see and  comprehend what was happening until it was too late to react. word spread throughout the ballroom of a fire and panic set in. people were being rushed out in masses and people were fighting against the crowds fleeing the area to safety in order to find loved ones. rowan removed the mask from her face and looked about herself trying to locate Caitlyn and Lachlann within the crowd so that she could at least stay with them throughout all of this however one of the guards grabbed her from the crowd and demanded that she come with him. due to the fact rowan stood out even in the chaos the guard was able to usher her despite her protesting into the courtyard. 

rowan immediately began searching the faces that were gathered there with her in search for her daughter and countrymen though they were no where to be seen. she had just gotten them back and to be separated with no real knowledge if they were safe or not was starting to get to the drunk queen. she approached the guards trying to blockade them all in for their own safety,

 “my family is still out there and until they are with me your job will not be an easy one. i am not like these other queens who sit by in silence and look pretty while doing it. either you let me through to be with my daughter, or you will surely regret standing.in.my.way.”

[fireofireland-blog]

ducvado‌:

Imogen smiled brightly at Rowan’s response, a little giggle leaving her lips. “I suspect many will sleep late and awaken with sore heads,” she commented. She gave a soft laugh. “I am wonderful,” she said, a little smile touching her lips. “Since my wedding, I think I may be the happiest I have ever been in my life.” She paused. “Sister…perhaps this is prying, and I am sorry, but – when you were first…” She paused again, glancing around before drawing closer. “…first with child, how did you feel?”

rowan looked to her sister-in-law and saw as she spoke that she truly was happy, which in the back of rowans mind was interesting to see considering she herself married strictly because it was her father’s dying wish. despite her mind wandering somewhat rowan managed to pull her focus back once imogen mentioned that what she was about to ask was prying. as she spoke further rowan lifted an elegant brow over the edge for her ace mask in question, though as imogen glanced around rowan finally put the pieces together. a smirk formed to her lips as she responded, giving it some thought as she remember what it was like to be pregnant with caitlyn,

 “well, that all depends. what i physically felt like? or how I mentally felt? and why dear sister are you asking such questions?”

[fireofireland-blog]

theguardianofireland‌:

“That’s the problem,” he replied, “I haven’t had nearly enough to drink. After all, this party isn’t for me it’s for all of you. I’d rather have my wits abut me should they be needed.” He explained his lack of imbibing. Then again he was fairly certain the wine had been diluted with something, and the ale was no more intoxicating than water itself. Silently he reminded himself that he had at least a case of whiskey left in his chambers. Either way he was intent upon staying fairly sober. He could tell Rowan was far from her usual self when it came to parties, he could think of a few times the two had shouting matches after too much to drink and when they were much younger. He laughed a little, “This does make me feel a bit homesick,” he looked around. “I’ve a few letters off to the guards I left in charge, once they return word I’ll let you know.” He knew she missed home as much as he did. Not just home but the people there. Lachlann wondered how long it would take before Rowan asked about this woman he’d made mention of moments ago. He went silent contemplating the answer. Running his hand on the hilt of his sword just out of nervous habit. He thought of two things. The first being there had not been any, or enough gossip of him and the Danish Princess to reach the Queens ears, so that was good. Did he tell her the truth? Did he not answer? Lach nodded as he looked at Rowan maybe she could talk some sense into him about the situation. His lips parted as if to speak then shut thinking about the outcome. “She’s a Princess, Rowan..”

 rowan nodded to his comment, despite how not fun a sober lachlann may be she understood why he wanted and in a way needed to remain sober for the evening. it was his duty after all, though for one night rowan would have allowed him the freedom to celebrate with everyone else, however she rarely questioned his motives for he generally had his reasons for doing so.  it was what kept him as the lead guard of ireland and the combat trainer to her soldiers. it was a big responsibility rowan trusted only him with due to his understanding of the irish and their strong desire to defend what is rightfully theirs. she admired him for his consistency with that. though as she watched his face while he spoke of feeling homesick she then saw the real reason he wasn’t much for the celebration. it was nothing like the wild parties they would hold back in the homeland. likewise the comment made the queen look out to the others celebrating and see the differences between how the irish and others celebrate. it caused her to frown in thought however she quickly recovered her good mood and turned to the man by her side. 

rowan noticed how he suddenly seemed silent, usually lachlann wasn’t shy about the women he courted so the fact he was suddenly not talking was of some concern to the queen. she looked him over, reading his face to see why it was that he suddenly went silent though as he suddenly spoke and mentioned the woman was a princess rowan quirked a brow in interest and concern for his safety in the matter,  she casually glanced around before turning to lachlann, leaning closer so only he could hear her words,

 “well is she betrothed to someone? because if so then i suggest you halt your feelings now for your own safety. if not then all i really can say is be careful, and hope that your princess partner is smart and able to conceal your romance well.  for should her parents the king and queen feel it is a disgrace that she show interest in the likes of a guard, then it will be you who suffers the most. you know I support whatever mess you land in, just be careful and safe lach. my power as your queen only stretches so far beyond ireland. some situations i cant get you out of. though if you don’t mind me asking, which princess is it? because I hear and see some of the princesses within these walls and though they may be pretty, i fear for whatever countries they may soon become queen over. they are nothing more than little girls with wealth and inherited power. just be smart my dear friend, ireland cant afford to lose its top man of combat.”

[fireofireland-blog]

thcrnsnrcses:

ANNE-SOPHIE COULD NOT help but chuckle softly at Rowan’s words. She could tell that the wine was working its wonders on her friend, but she would not complain. She found a somewhat drunk Rowan quite entertaining. “Of course my dear, it is a very wonderful news after all. Something I would gladly celebrate. Let’s focus on the celebration tonight, shall we? Besides, most people will be too busy with the wine to discuss plans forward.” With a small hum, she nodded. That was what she was keeping a lookout for during the ball after all. Too many mysteries, and she could not afford to let one rebel take advantage of it all to destroy their night. “Indeed. The anonymity is sought after by those who have things to hide.”

rowan didn’t react much to anne-sophie’s words of anonymity being sought after by those who have things to hide, sure rowan herself had many secrets of her own that she kept locked within however it was clear that she was in no way really hiding behind the mask she wore tonight. everyone knew the queen of ireland for her unmistakable fiery locks, which to some degree was taking the fun out of the night for her. hence why the wine cart was where she remained for the majority of the night. however rowan let the thought process and then rowan looked to anne-sophie, understanding now who it was she was referring to by having something to hide. rowan’s brows furrowed behind the mask but it was noticeable how her blue eyes seemed to narrow in question onto her close friend. anne-sophie was out and about, however it was clear that the french queen was still on alert, while she had every right to be rowan knew it was only going to drive the woman mad, before rowan spoke she handed her friend another glass and smiled reassuringly,

“anne-sophie, you know i respect you and almost look up to you to some degree so when I say this I mean it from a place of understanding, but also concern. you need to relax, let the guards worry about who might be lurking about. we- you deserve this. NONE of this would be possible if you had not been the one willing to open up your home to us all. I know that there is every reason to be suspecting and alert right now considering the past, but for tonight I agree lets set everything aside, or one night. and enjoy ourselves like we used to before all of this came to be.  plus, I am here and I would be damned if I let anyone bring harm to those I care about tonight, or any other night for that matter. I feel as if the world is celebrating tonight, so let go and enjoy it because tomorrow will be a new day.”

[fireofireland-blog]

ducvado:

Imogen suspected that she had good news of her own, though of course the more worldly news of an area cleared from plague took precedence tonight. It was likely that it would crown priorities for weeks, which she could hardly begrudge. They were so fortunate, although she knew that they still had work to do. But at least this was a step forward. She glanced around and noticed a familiar figure, one that even a mask couldn’t obscure. “Oh, yes, it is wonderful to see everyone so happy,” she said, beaming at her sister-in-law from underneath her mask. “And I think, well…” She gave a breathless little laugh. “But it is hard to be sure.”

 rowan turned hearing a response to her words, even with the mask the queen could still place that accent, though the scottish were almost throwing her off at times when she came across them. however she knew the dialect of her people and even with her sister-in-law married to another country she still could tell it was her behind the mask that was speaking to her. rowan couldn't help the wide grin that formed to her lips as she watched her sister-in-law over the last few weeks since she settled into her new role as queen and she was proud to see that imogen was filling into the role nicely. but there was a glow about her sister-in-law’s face that seemed different. it was enough to cause the red head to curve a elegant brow over the edge of the mask she wore in curiosity. despite her questioning look rowan didn’t directly come out and ask like she normally would for it was also apparent she had been drinking for most of the night despite how maintained she appeared. despite her usual lack of a filter rowan simply maintained the smile she held upon her face as she spoke to the raven haired woman by her side,

“I only hope the good energy maintains itself into the morning, for i see how much most of us are drinking and I know there will be a few of us who will be regretting themselves in the morning for how much they drinking tonight. though part of me feels like there will be more things to regret as the night comes for the some of us here. the night entitles a little mystery after all. how about you my dear sister? how are you fairing tonight? shall we cheers to us, or you more say and your new queendom then go and show these other royals that no matter what country we go to, the irish still dominate the dance floor?”

[fireofireland-blog]

littleirishflame:

Dresses and jewels were not her favorite things. She loved to adventure and found doing so difficult in gowns with layers upon layers of skirts. However, the princess loved to dance. Eventually she decided it was time to finally trade her simple dresses for a fine gown and mask and try something different for the night.

Even with the joy and movement, Caitlyn couldn’t shake her worry for the rest of the world. Her people. She hoped with all of her heart they were surviving. The princess tried to put her worries aside for the night with the promise to herself that the business would continue in the morning. She danced constantly, moving from one partner to the next, her feet almost never touched the floor.

As the song concluded, she excused herself from the dance floor to catch her breath, roughly bumping into someone as she went. She turned to them, worried eyes peeked through the shiny mask, “I am so sorry. Are you alright?”

rowan had spent a majority of the night drinking, so when she hit the dance floor it was only given that she showed the other royals how the irish danced the night away. As she finally found her place off to the side to watch others for the time being she noticed someone dancing with a familiar rhythm to her people, and once she saw the reddish blonde hair twirling about as the young woman danced and rowan knew only one other within the castle actually had hair that almost rivaled her own in the fiery shade it held. as the queen watched her daughter dance and enjoy herself she couldn’t help but see flash back of herself at her age which brought a fond smile to the red headed queen’s face. 

rowan simply swayed when she was bumped as caitlyn exited the dance floor, her elegant brow curved over the brim of her mask, it was the only tell tale sign rowan was acknowledge the act of being bumped into, however because it was her own daughter she only smiled when the girl turned around and apologized. rowan nodded her head simply and in a joking manner rowan bumped caitlyn back casually before looking her over, 

 “you look like you are ready for the crown my dear daughter, you are by far the most beautiful sight to see tonight, aside from myself that is. though I must say, it is nice to see irish dancing on these floors once again. I never realized how truly homesick I was until you and Lachlann showed up among the few other irishmen.”

[fireofireland-blog]

theguardianofireland:

Both his King and Queen had been generous with him. They could have easily thrown him out after their ascension. Some did that, once they took power they let everyone who held any kind of use before them go. At this very moment Lachlann could be working at a pub, or farming, both of which didn’t seem too bad to the Irishman. Yet he’d worked too hard to get where he was. He was skilled with weapons way more than words. Then there was that whole not being too good at apologies or asking forgiveness. At the end of it all, he could have chose not to serve the King and Queen, but he respected them. He believed in them, and he did so much so he was willing to lay down his life for anyone of the Royal family of Ireland. A slight chuckle accompanied by a nod as he watched his Queen knock back the champagne made the Irishman even the slightest homesick. He knew they all were and while the ball took their minds off everything it left a lingering want for a festive Irish ruckus. One that usually culminated in some kind of brawl ending with a sing along and everyone once again as close as when they had arrived. Here, though, the lies were so deep he hardly felt anyone genuine. Maybe it was the cynic in him, but none of these people other than the Danish Princess he’d met seemed genuine. The ale rounded the corner and he snatched it with ease, he knew he should slow down. The night was still young but a few drinks would hardly get the Irishman drunk, especially of ale. “You’re mystery enough,” he offered her with a smile, “No need for the disguise.” It was true she was not an easy woman to read, she was one of the most skilled Queens he’d been around, then again perhaps he was biased. “I’d prefer to be hauling that around,” he looked over at her, “thought it wise to play along should anything happen. Don’t want to stick out too sore.” He mused then said something even himself didn’t realize he’d said until it was half way out of his mouth anyway, “There’s only one lady I care about seeing me dressed up.” He swallowed, gulping the ale with ease and discarding the glass shortly thereafter. “This music really is shite,” he laughed looking at her. “Maybe after another drink or two I’m worried the pants are too tight and after a couple more I won’t care about the outcome.”

rowan knew that despite how lively she was at most events, she was rather tamed compared to how she would normally behave when surround by the likes of her countrymen in celebration. she had to admit that it was nice now to at least look out into the crowd and see her people within the faces she now was living with daily. before they had arrived she didn’t get as involved in the dancing or the social aspect of events. instead she remained close to the bar carts and enjoyed the outcomes of others not being able to handle themselves accordingly. as he spoke she turned her head to him in interest upon hearing him speak of there being just one woman. it was a phrase she had not heard come from the man’s mouth before and it was enough to draw her attention even while she was starting to feel the effects of prolonged periods at the bar cart by herself.

rowan obviously had a look of interest despite the mask obscuring her facial expression for the most part. as she looked at him she truly did wonder what woman he was speaking of and the queen was known for usually asking the questions most tended to not want to ask themselves. she gave a small laugh as she spared him from the questioning for a moment longer as the red headed queen let him finish was it was he was saying,

 “the music is not our own, however if you drink enough you can still find some sort of rhythm to it. it beats whatever they played at the last event, which happened to be english so. one can only imagine how that went over. as for this one woman in particular. this is news to your queen. is it something you are willing to speak on, or that you can speak on per say?”

[fireofireland-blog]

oftheflower:

He wondered how long he had to stay. He didn’t wanrt to be rude. Laurence loved being around people but whenever a ball was taking place, there were so many different kinds of energies surrounding him. It didn’t come as a surprise that he was already drained and ready to crawl under his covers and sleep for what felt like ages. But as he stood there, watching people and drinking his water, he heard someone speak. Looking at the red haired woman, he smiled. “Amazing indeed. I didn’t think a ball would take place. But some people have always been big fans of parties” he simply said and then sighed. “Is it good news though? It is a small win, yes. But there are still people in pain. And I would much rather work on helping them than stand here watching people dance”

 rowan normally would have been more receptive to the mans words and the inflection of which he had stated them, though on this particular night rowan had been drinking heavily for some time and thus far had settled into a less emphatic mood. she had been met with dead end after dead end in her attempts to work on some sort of progression with these other royals, and for there to be even a slight chance that the efforts clearly would begin to pay off was more than enough for her, and others to feel as though it was a reason to celebrate. so when the young man made the remark of helping rather than celebrating rowan rolled her eyes and scoffed somewhat under her breath and she lifted her glass in her hand, 

“it is amazing news. it is a sign that even while it is only a small step forward, we are making progress and this whole endeavor is not going to be an entire waste of time like it has been appearing to be. there is only so much one can do with the resources and leadership, or lack of, that is being expressed throughout the royals and nobility residing within these walls. I think we have been doing the most we can, or at least that is how the majority feels. perhaps a celebration is exactly what is needed to boost moral to press forward in the matters at hand. I think it is a waste of energy and time to still be so stead fast of the subject. Allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy the calm before whatever storms may be soon to follow. there is a time and place for everything and for tonight, there is nothing more we can do than drink and be merry.”

[fireofireland-blog]

ducvado:

The red hair was unmistakable, and if Dante had been in any doubt, the fact that she was guzzling wine was another hint. The Irish were known to love their spirits, although Dante could hardly blame them. Without the culture and the interests of Spain, what else did they have to occupy themselves with but drink? “Some good news, and free flowing food and drink,” he said, a slight smirk on his lips beneath his mask. “Lowered inhibitions can do much for energy, as well.”

rowan gave the masked man before her a clever grin as he spoke of lowered inhibitions, which was her intention for the night entirely. she had been working hard in her efforts to make some sort of progress with those willing to work out some sort of solution, so hearing that a village was cleared out had brought her some new found hope, and allowed the irish queen to feel if she could let loose for at least the night. it had been some time since she drank herself to the point of coming alive at the party, and she was well on her way to reaching that level based on the row of empty glasses starting to form by the red headed queens side at the bar cart though her idea of lowered inhibitions was not exactly what most would have expected from such a queen,

“true, that is a good way of putting it as well. either way these kind of events tend to bring out the best of the worst in people. and to the right people, these are the moments that make this whole ordeal all the more worth while.”

[fireofireland-blog]

heartxfireland:

Declan was one of the later guests to arrive to the masquerade, and the evening was already in full bloom.  He took a moment to observe the efforts made into the crowds costumes, and then embraced the contagious energy as the Irish King watched others celebrate in their own various ways.  As his blue eyes scanned the room Declan wondered where his family would be about at the party; though it didn’t take him long to find his fiery redhead standing by the bar cart.  With his disguise, the playful King found it would be most entertaining to attempt to deceive his witty Queen.  It was the perfect moment for she was drinking and Declan was perfectly disguised dressed in black velvet and gold with a matching mask that only exposed his eyes and mouth.  It had also been some time Rowan had seen him, and with a scruffy dirty blonde beard as well.  Declan narrowed his eyes as his partner and casually stood next to her, now with a cup of wine in hand.  With that she spoke just as casually, which caused the cheerful King to smile with a short reply hoping his voice wouldn’t give him away…

“Indeed. A good life is a connection of good moments. I think this is a good start…”

 rowan lived for the thrill of moments and the ball was exactly the type of distraction she needed to ease her overly determined focus on the matters at hand. the news of the cleared village near by was something she had hoped would make her efforts in communications with the other royals a bit easier but for the night she decided to leave behind her duties as a queen and enjoy the energy the others were giving off. as the man by her side responded and turned to her as he spoke she noticed his accent over what it was he responded with. he was clearly someone from her country though she knew of each irish that walked through the palace doors. he must have been scottish.

 rowan knew the people and the accent of her homeland well. it was exotic within the people of the palace so it stood out to her right away. she brushed off any doubt she had that the man was irish and now was focused on discovering who exactly he was. she was well invested within her country and knew everyone of importance and minor importance to ireland. while something felt familiar about him rowan was occupied with the bar cart for too long to really dig so deeply into the investigation instead she was simply pleased at the fact there was yet another irishman in the palace to turn the dull atmosphere upside down,

 “that is a very optimistic take on the situation at hand, it is a very good start though it is a start that i feel is long over due. progress though it is clearly happening is happening a bit too slow for my taste. granted this lifestyle cannot be all work and no play i suppose. are you enjoying yourself this evening countryman?”

[fireofireland-blog]

tristanruffo:

Tristan let the smile creep over his lips as she moved towards him. He crossed his hands behind him back; half to keep appearances up, but half so that he wouldn’t be tempted to reach out to her. Giving her a small nod, his eyes danced happily with thought of their previous meeting. He watched her scan the garden, his eyes lingering on her for a few seconds too long, though he doubted anyone would have noticed unless they were looking for something. 

He had heard the news of the plague lifting in a outer town, and like most, he felt a sense of hope rising inside him. It wasn’t a complete cure, nor was it a sure thing that it wouldn’t creep it’s way back into the town. However, it was something, and these days, that was all they needed to celebrate. Besides, it would be incredible to feel successful, even if it was just for a night. A celebration that he would be able to be part of, not just a guard at. 

“It is like a breath of fresh air. Our problems are not over, but perhaps there is some lingering hope out there.” He turned to catch her eye. “I will feel better when there is the option to go back home, however…” He hesitated slightly, pausing to lower his voice slight. “There will be things, and people, that I will miss.” His voice quickly turned back to normal. “Will you be joining the party this evening?”

 rowan smiled evenly as he mentioned the option to return home, the thoughts faintly surfaced in the back of the queens mind however she knew better than to reach that far with the news of the newly cleared out town. it was progress, however there was still so much more than could and needed to be done before any of them returning to their homes was even an option, and she would have been a fool to think that returning home would not be completely different from when she had left it given the devastation to cross over the different lands. the irish were a strong breed of people, however the arrival of her countrymen also brought news of what state her beloved homeland was in. none the less rowan remained in high spirits for it was difficult not to be when everyone else seems to be beaming with new hope. 

rowan turned to meet his gaze as she felt him look to her. it was clear even in her gaze that she still was very much drawn to the man by her side, the vixen could hide the smirk that grew upon her lips as they held each others gaze as he spoke of people he would miss, though rowan was sure that if all of this ended and she truly wished to meet up with him again she had the means to make it possible. granted she had full intentions of making use of the time they had while confined to the palace for now.  At the mention of joining the festivities she nodded with a brow lifted in interest, 

“I have every intention of going, a masquerade ball usually entices mystery and that is something I fully intend to be apart of. I find it exciting being in a room full of people and alcohol with anonymity, I can only imagine what events could unfold when one is under the influence of being unidentifiable, for the most part. what about you? I do have to admit, part of me wonders how appealing you would be in a mask?”

[fireofireland-blog]

xthencbles:

“oh, you will come dance with me, won’t you?” her song-like voice rang across the crowded hall, a gentle, warming smile on her lips. ava adored masquerade balls. mystery was always interesting, and it brought the moral of the palace up so much that her usual positive energy seemed merely generic. her aura shone, glistened, even —– how could it not? optimism lingered throughout the room, happy laughs, genuine smiles, for what seemed like the first time in forever. ava thought she must be a fool to not enjoy it, even if for a short period of time. hands stretched out to the other person, a kind giggle leaving her lips. “please?”

 rowan had been at the ball for some time, and despite how much she had been drinking she was still refusing to dance with most of those that approached her with the offer. however this one woman had caught her when the she was reaching that perfect point where she may have been swayed to dance under the right circumstances. the red head looked at her through the elegant mask that covered most of her face, though her fiery red hair still stood out against the crowd of masked individuals. the queen gave it some thought before she downed the glass of wine she had left in her hand and set it down somewhere, she turned to the other woman and smirked somewhat as she pleaded with rowan to dance with her. finding it hard to refuse when asked in such a manner the queen nodded somewhat, caving to the offer.

“alright you swayed me, I will dance with you but be warned, my people are known for our ability dance darling. I only hope you can keep up.”

[fireofireland-blog]

thcrnsnrcses:

THERE COULD ONLY BE one woman who donned hair so fiery and bright, and would settle by the wine without budging an inch - Rowan. Anne-Sophie chuckled softly to herself as she approached her friend, watching her quietly for a moment until the other turned to face her. “We all needed to hear something good. It had been way too long,” she said with a smile as she fetched a glass of wine for herself.

 rowan was nearly surprised to see anne-sophie out and about, granted the good news was seeming to put everyone in a less defensive mood. the red head was glad none the less to see her good friend out and celebrating for she knew a much needed distraction was exactly what the french queen needed. Rowan sat back some, clearly she had already made slight work of her time at the bar cart for she was gaining that thickness to her subtle accent that usually formed when she began to become drunk,

 “Aye, look who is out and about now that word of hope is traveling through the palace. I’m glad to see you in good spirits dear friend.  indeed this was much needed, perhaps now we can start to get some cooperation from other countries and we can begin to put efforts towards clearing out more villages in the future. though for now I am willin’ to take this as a win and celebrate along with everyone else. I am interested in what sort of interestin’ things will unfold as the night grows longer and the wine begins to settle in. I always did love what mysteries take place during masquerade balls.”