Even after nearly a century of polite declinations, it was nothing unusual for the reclusive Lady of the Vale to find herself invited to even the most exclusive galas and balls held within the boundaries of Quel'thalas. Despite her time away from Thalassian high society, the invitations had continued to pour in, until a mere three decades ago. At that time, to the surprise of all involved, both the Lady Mitha Sunvale and her grandparents made quite the entrance, arriving in a full turnout with a carriage that had been specially ordered just for the heiress' return to society. No expense had been spared that night and even now the lavish attentions to detail continued on.
At every event the heiress arrived in a new gown with all of the accessories to match. Not once was an outfit permitted a repeat performance. Always prompt and with the Lord Magistrate's power pulling the strings, their arrival was always announced at the perfect time time - never first, nor early enough to appear desperate in any way, and certainly not last. Their every move was, to a word, perfection, just as the Lord Magistrate dictated.
Of course, all of their hard work came highly rewarded. Never once was the young Lady's dance card empty. Prior to their arrival each night, Tinalan would hand his granddaughter her card, leaving but two slots open for partners of her own choice. The night of the Dawnleaf ball was no different. In fact, the only thing remotely unusual about this night was the inclusion of a new name on her card, filling two of the slots - the maximum that was considered appropriate. That in itself was unusual but when paired with the fact that Mitha did not recognize the name at all, it was enough to force her to do the one thing she tried to avoid at all costs - question her grandfather.
"Who is this... Lord Ga'halen Mistmorn? He has been given both a waltz and a pomenade. You never permit them more than the one."
"He is a young upstart, a war hero even. The Magistrate saw fit to grant him lands and a title after his valiant efforts in Northrend," Tinalan answered with a quiet smile, the sort reserved only for either his granndaughter or Alor'risse, his wife who sat to his side.
"A pretender House, then? Whyever would you give such a man two dances?"
The elder man leaned forward, smile shifting to reveal just a hint of the man's true cunning. One finger reached out to lift Mitha's chin as he spoke. "My dear girl, by the time we are through with him, he will be far more than any pretender House could dream of being."
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