there was tension in the air tonight, and lysara hated to think that it might ruin what could otherwise be a perfectly good party. she could sympathise with a princess unwilling to make a marriage, of course, but as it wasn’t her family involved, she wasn’t particularly invested in it all. one person’s misery was another’s excuse to enjoy herself, after all, and if she had to attend this ball sara was determined to enjoy it. ‘ i think this is quite a lovely party, ‘ she said brightly, as though she could make it so through will alone. ‘ which do you prefer? ‘ she added, nodding to the wine. ‘ the arbor gold, or the dornish red? i can never decide which one, ‘
“ if you’re looking for an interesting choice , the lemon cakes are quite tasty tonight. ” achara begins , having taken up station at the dessert table both for her own interests and it seemed to be the safest spot from anyone asking her to dance. the lady wasn’t in the mood , but that didn’t seem to stop many. “ if they aren’t your preference , those cherry tarts are quite delicious as well. ”
location : the ballroom , the betrothal celebration .
visera had begun the night tightly wound , like a loaded spring , every muscle in her body tensed , waiting for something to happen . she’d picked a perch from which she could see almost the entirety of the ball as it sprawled in front of her and called it home whilst she cycled her gaze throughout the room , settling on each of her loved ones in order . rhaenara , her mother , rhaegar , daemon , visenya , ferah , reila , lucerys , alexia , a cursory glance towards clan redsmith , and then pim — who was always a challenge to find , one visera looked forward to at the end of each round . she had grown dizzy within the hour and altered her course , taking up the task of cupbearer — traversing the room , offering wine to nobles with a smile as sweet as a sour girl could muster , as if they were her own welcomed guests in the castle that housed her , but that she would never call home . “ more wine ? ” visera asks the nearest bystander with urgency , locking them in her lilac gaze in beats , it shifting from them to somewhere over their shoulder where a stop in her cycle vaguely stands . “ i believe it’s dornish , before you waste your breath with the question of its origin . ”
open starter @reignrbs ( currently accepting replies ! )
elaborate displays , finery , and court itself have never been particularly appealing to tobias . nor does he feel inclined to pretend like he’s happy for the newly - engaged couple . but he made a vow , and the person he made that vow to is here , and so here he stays . begrudgingly . he might enjoy himself more if he had something to drink , but the tarth wasn’t one to indulge in wine very often either . and so he stands , sober , at the edge of the room , as the court musicians’ music picks up again . as a figure approaches , he raises a eyebrow , “ if you’re looking for someone to dance with , i assure you there are much more competent dancers than me . ” he states as his eyes trail over to the other . he’s making assumptions , certainly , but can’t think of another reason to come up to him of all people , looking so displeased with the festivities .
if there is one thing the nobility is known for, it’s putting on a face and pretending all is well when it absolutely is not. while the host of westeros nobility awake to yet another day where they pray to whatever gods they believe in that today is the day they are finally freed, little golden envelopes are delivered are pristine trays to each family. what they hope is a farewell is anything but.
dear lord or lady,
please do house targaryen the honor of joining in this celebration of the union between two great houses of the south.
princess pimchanok targaryen shall marry lord mazhar baratheon and create a lasting alliance between our two esteemed families.
attendance is highly encouraged, and we would very much hate for those who wish to insult the crown to see what may befall them. your safety is our house’s upmost concern, and we assure you the indoor location shall be heavily guarded and no harm shall befall a single guest as they enjoy the festivities we have to offer.
as always penned, the king leaves very little room for negotiation, attendance required in more words. but does the mad dragon truly think another ball is the best choice ? at least this one is indoors...
alrighty roo, so event number two !
this event will begin on wednesday, september 21 at 4pm cst. you may always continue your current threads, but any new threads started after this point should highlight the event.
as always everyone gets one free starter, and if you can keep up a 1 to 1 ratio we don’t mind if you post a bunch, so long as you are replying to others.
all open starters should be tagged with the following: rfms.event02, rfms.start
all other posts can use the tags rfms.event02 / rfms.event / rfms.betrothal
you can begin posting outfits on monday, september 19th as well as any starter calls / plot calls for the event. please use this weekend to focus on your current threads, not your future ones ! if you want, though, you can use this information of the upcoming ball in any threads as the letters would go out a few days before the event.
the event will wrap up on sunday, october 9th at midnight cst. again, you can continue threads though there will be a plot drop that you will likely wish to drop things to write about instead.
if the rose thought any moment in her life was a test to the lessons her mother instilled in her from youth , she was fairly wrong. falling back into bed with someone only for their betrothal to be announced via letter from the king had been a very deep cut to the tyrell’s being , she was still struggling to pretend all was well. a few stollen moments were hers to break that mask she wore so well , and when she finds herself in the halls outside of the ballroom vareena forces herself to take slow breaths. footsteps halt her escape , and a smile quickly slips across her painted lips. “ it seems this is a popular spot. ” the lady attempts to joke.
dressed in a gown of grey silk, the southern-styled dress still bears strong ties to her northern roots, with the colour so close to the exact shade of her house sigil. coupled with a wolf’s head necklace, there’s no mistaking that sara is a stark, for all her sweet smiles.
aside from the draconidis ball , it has been some time since lady serena has been seen at a gathering in the south . and in spite of her hesitance to attend , given what happened last time , she is still eager to be noticed . where she was once known for her vibrant dress ( frequently peacock blue ) , ever since her marriage , serena has developed a more “ practical ” wardrobe . yet for the betrothal ball in particular , her style of years past seems to have returned : she sports a gown that is a bit more muted in color but no less dramatic , with its sheer black fabric , plunging neckline , and golden sunburst beadwork . her hair is styled simply and with little accessory , so as to not take too much attention away from the intricate design of her dress . she also pays homage to her maiden house , this time through a golden ring in the shape of a peacock .
OSRIC ARRYN : lord of the vale
the youngest lord of the vale is dressed in a sky blue shirt , black jerkin , and his finest boots . some might say forgoing a doublet is a bit too casual for an event such as a betrothal ball , especially for one celebrating a princess of the southern kingdom and the ruling lord of the stormlands . but as someone who swears allegiance to the northern kingdom first and foremost , osric has little care for the actual parties involved , and is more focused on using the festivities to move his own plans forward . that , and the combination of a doublet and jerkin is , in his opinion , too much for the southern climate . if he were back in the vale of arryn , perhaps , he would change his mind . his beard is freshly trimmed and meticulous as ever , and he is armed with his disarming smile in place of an actual weapon .
TOBIAS TARTH : knight lord of evenfall hall
not at all enthused to be present at a ball celebrating the betrothal of two family friends , tobias is dressed in light armor , as if to acknowledge his status as both a nobleman and a knight . black and silver in color, his outfit is accented with the signature sapphire blue and dusty pink of house tarth . as usual , his hair is half-up , half-down , fringe framing either side of his face . he is also meant to be presentable , of course , so the placement of his hair is much more deliberate than usual . there is also the addition of the top-half being plaited and secured with ribbon . his sword is not at his hip this evening , but with tensions so high even before the ball began , he has prepared by keeping weapons hidden on his person , should the need for being on the attack or defensive ever arise .
