[Medieval RP] Drunk as Lords

[Celestial]

The wedding feast of Prince Starmey Eagle Ascension and Daisy of House Boovean certainly promised to be a spectacular one. Though, with this being a royal wedding in Medieville of all places, how could it be anything else? The servants had prepared enough food to feed their noble guests twice over and then some, to say nothing of the wine that had been stockpiled, which if they chose could have probably drowned the entire Keep. They had been working almost non-stop and had barely finished everything by the time the nobility had arrived into the Great Hall.

The Prince and newly wedded lady had arrived first and taken their seats, followed by the major noble houses of Kyth and a few lucky peasants who had been admitted into the feast, as per Medieville's custom. They were however, separated from the nobles, who each had their own tables and places to sit. It was at one of these places that the representatives of House Stallion, Grand Duke Alain himself and his wife, Lady Margot, went to take their seats to await the beginning of the feast.

As soon as they had sat down, Alain turned to his wife. Though she had kept her head up, he could not help but notice that her eyes were quite far away, as though her thoughts were not completely on the situation at hand. He could even guess what she was thinking about.

"Margot," he spoke whilst the last of the party filled in to take their seats. "Are you still worried about the girls?"

She jolted up a little, startled by the sudden sound of his voice but immediately assumed a small, sad smile and turned to him. "I am, yes. Aveline is old enough but Isabelle is still so young. I feel guilty, leaving her behind."

"They will both be fine," Alain replied, "Aveline can take her of her sister if necessary and the servants and stewards will look after them both. There is nothing to worry about."

"I still can't help it," she said quietly, fiddling with the neckline of her silver and crimson dress, "They're my children, Alain, and I'm not used to being so far from them."

"I know, and you're not used to this either, are you?" he smiled and brushed his fngers against her free hand. "But you are my wife. It would have been odd for me to attend this wedding by myself. It isn't like I am ashamed of you."

"No I...I suppose not," Margot's blue eyes slowly lost the faraway look they had harboured throughout the trip. She gave Alain a small, sideways smile. "You're right, as usual."

"Of course," he smiled back, though unlike hers, the Grand Duke's smile was far more assured, "Now, we might as well enjoy ourselves. It's high time you experienced a real Medieville feast. I certainly plan to have fun."

With that, the Grand Duke cast a glance over at the opposite table that faced them: House Jade, and in particular, Lord Everett.

As soon as the feast had begun, Alain summoned over a servant to him. He whispered something to the girl who had come over, and though his tone betrayed nothing, the smallest hints of slyness played at the corners of his mouth. If the girl noticed, however, she did not pay it any heed but instead bowed and rushed off somewhere. Shortly, se had appeared beside Lord Everett, carrying a cup of young wine.

"With compliments from His Grace," she said, offering it to the Jade Lord. From the Stallion table, Alain flashed Everett a grin before turning back to Margot, though out of the corner of his eye, he was watching Everett very carefully to see what he would do.

SPOILER: Click to show

King Starmey's wedding! And oh dear, Alain, what are you doing?

Also, say hello to Margot everyone. ^^ She's nice, unlike her husband.

[PFA]

Lord Everett was nervous. This was one of the first major diplomatic events he had to attend since becoming Lord of House Jade, and it was up to him to represent his House and all it stood for. Not that this was particularly difficult for him, of course—he was proud to uphold the beliefs and traditions of House Jade, and had been doing so for years. Nonetheless, here at the king's wedding, in the presence of all these other House patriarchs, it was hard not to feel the pressure.

"It's alright, dear," came a familiar voice. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and glanced over to see the reassuring smile of his wife, Lady Satine. They'd only been married for a short time, even less time than he had been Lord of the House, but he cared for her, and she helped get him through these changing times. He gave a small smile in return.

"I know that," he replied, returning his attention to his meal. After a moment, he added, "Quite the turnout, isn't there?"

"Oh yes," Satine agreed, looking out across the room. "It's rare to see all the Kythian noble Houses together like this."

Everett glanced up from his meal again, following his wife's gaze to the table where House Arach was seated. Ah yes, of course, this would be her first time sitting with the Jades as opposed to with her family. "There will be time for socializing," he assured her.

Satine smiled at him again. "I'd like that."

"With compliments from His Grace."

Everett raised an eyebrow, glancing over at the servant offering him a glass of wine. His Grace... that could only refer to Grand Duke Alain of House Stallion. He glanced across the room at the man in question, who of course wasn't paying attention to him at the moment. Their two Houses had been rivals for generations, though by this point it was more in name than anything else. Even so, why the wine? Was it a sign of goodwill, or something else? It was hard to know with Alain Stallion.

Regardless, he decided it would be impolite to refuse the gift, so he accepted it cautiously. "Thank you," he said to the servant.

As the servant went on her way, Everett glanced at the wine thoughtfully. It seemed a bit unusual, but he saw no reason to deem it suspicious. So after some careful deliberation, he took a cautious sip from the glass. It had a nice fruity flavor, in fact tasting a lot like regular juice. It wasn't bad at all, really. He set it down next to his plate, and continued to eat.

Little did he know, having that wine with his meal may not have been the best choice for a man hoping to present a respectable image of his House.

SPOILER: Click to show

A young Lord Everett, having only recently become Lord of the House, hopes to present a respectable image for his House. So this will definitely end well.

Also, his wife Satine is there! Hi Satine!

[Celestial]

A smirk developed in the corner of his mouth when Everett took a sip of the wine. While he was rather keen to see the newly ascended Jade lord drunk, Alain knew he had to be patient. The feast was just beginning and there was plenty of time. Young wine had a tendency to hit hard and fast, as he had the...honour of learning before. If he played his cards right, it was only a matter of time.

"Alain, why are you smiling?" Margot asked, blinking. While she could never quite tell what her husband was thinking, she had learned to pick up on his expressions.

"A little joke at the expense of the Lord of Embers," he replied and his smirk grew a little wider.

Margot, however, sighed a little and lowered her eyes. "I personally don't really understand what's so funny about drunks, especially drunk high lords."

"Oh it won't hurt him. Besides, he needs to relax a little. He has a new wife and a new title yet his face is so sour," Alain allowed himself a small laugh. He reached out his arm and put his hand on her shoulder, "Just trust me."

"I do. And I know I can't stop you once you set your mind to something," she bowed her head and then suddenly looked up, a thought occuring to her. "But what if he decides to return the favour? Oh, Alain-" she took his hand off her shoulder and gripped it, "I don't want to see you drunk here too."

"Of course I won't be, Margot," he chuckled, "I am of Bern after all, we are made of stronger stuff. Don't worry about a thing. What's a feast without a little drinking, especially in Medieville."

"Alright, I trust you. You have fun, dear," on the surface, she smiled and gave him a curt nod, though he could still see some doubt playing in her eyes. Only a shadow though, one that was far too small and yet would take a disproportionate amount of effort to uproot. For all of her trust, Margot really did worry too much. But that was a small flaw in her, one Alain could happily live with. As far as political marriages went, he could have done far worse than her.

Now...Alain turned his attention back to Everett. The Grand Duke gestured to the servant who had delivered Everett his drink, summoning her over.

"Keep the Lord of Embers' wine topped up, will you? Make sure his cup doesn't dry up," he told her. " After all, it must be hard being a new lord, I'm sure he needs all the wine he could get."

The servant girl nodded, not quite sure about the unusual request but she was hardly going to disobey the Grand Duke of Bern. Without any further words, she remained hovering around the Jade table, occassionally pouring some more of the fruity wine into Everett's cup.

SPOILER: Click to show

>D
=/
>3

[PFA]

More and more of Lord Everett's meal was consumed as time went on... as well as his wine. He thought it a bit odd that the servant kept refilling his glass, but he didn't think much of it, continuing to drink it as more came his way. Amid everything that was going on, he didn't seem to realize that he had been drinking... rather more than he usually would.

"You know what bothers me? The people here don't show any respect," he remarked, notably less articulate than he usually was. "Back in Corvus, people have manners. And piety! This kingdom needs more piety."

Satine frowned. "Everett, I... think you might have had a bit much to drink."

"What?" Everett protested. "I never overindulge. I've only had, um... I've only had..." He trailed off uncertainly. Why couldn't he remember how much wine he'd had? Had he really had that much?

Then it dawned on him: Alain. That wine the Grand Duke had given him must have been... really strong Bernian wine or something. So that's what he was trying to do—get him drunk and have him embarrass himself in front of all the noble Houses of Kyth. Well, the Lord of Embers wouldn't have any of that. He set the glass down defiantly, glaring across the room at Alain. He wasn't going to fall for his tricks!

"That underhanded Grand Duke," he grumbled, taking another bite of his meal. "Trying to get me intoxi... intoxicated like some peasant."

"Now, Everett," Satine interjected, "I'm sure he had his reasons for—"

"In fact!" Everett slammed his fork down to the table, probably catching the attention of some of the other nobles, but he didn't seem to care. "If he thinks he can get away with that, then he's wrong. Mage?"

A pause. One of the Jade mages snapped to attention, realizing he was talking to him. "Yes, my lord?"

"You have a spell for conjur... making wine," Everett said, "don't you?"

"Er... yes, I do, but—"

"Good. I want to return the Grand Duke's gift. Send him some wine," Everett told him. "And make it strong."

Again, Satine frowned. "Um..."

"Oh, um... of course, my lord," the mage replied tentatively, deciding not to question the unusual request.

The mage conjured up a glass of wine, following Everett's request to make it strong, and had it sent to the Stallion table. Everett smiled, sipping from his own wine glass triumphantly. That would show him.

...Wait. Oops.

SPOILER: Click to show

Everett realizes that Alain was trying to make him drunk (and succeeded), and decides to fight fire with fire. Cue shenanigans!

[Celestial]

Alain's amusement was inversely proportional to Everett's drunkenness. As time went on, Everett's voice grew louder and his cheeks grew redder, which only served to add to the Grand Duke's satisfaction. The Jade Lord had not fallen apart, no, but neither had he retained the cool exterior that he had entered into the great hall with. And that was exactly what Alain was hoping for. As he continued to eat his own fod and drink the wine that had been provided at the table, he was satisfied. This was better than any entertainment the king could provide.

For the most part, Margot had ignored it. Only when Lord Everett had slammed down his fork on the table did she glance over at Alain. But it was impossible to miss the smile on his face, so whatever her misgivings were about his antics, she kept them to herself. Her husband knew what he was doing and the Jade Lord was not going to be hurt by it. Still, she did feel bad for wife. Margot glanced over at the woman sitting next to Everett, who she recognised as an Arach but could not remember her name.

The wine that Everett sent, however, changed things. As soon as Alain saw the servant making his way over to the Stallion table with it, he gave Everett a knowing look. So the Lord of Embers was challening him. Meeting his gaze across the room, Alain took the cup in his hand.

Something about it felt...off. He could not put his finger on it but it was as though the wine was lighter than it should have been, even though the Grand Duke knew it was absurd. Everett had done something to it but he was not quite sure what. Poison? No, Alain dismised the thought as soon as it appeared. The Jade Lord would not poison him. He could have been hoping to get him drunk too. Perhaps, though Everett underestimated him greatly if that was the case.

Either way, this was a challenge. Not one Alain was going to turn down, especially now that he had called Everett out to the duel. Without taking his eyes off the Jade Lord, the Grand Duke drank the wine down in one gulp.

It was not long before it hit him. The pleasant haze of drunkeness swirled in his brain and body. Even though his mind still felt sharp enough, the alcohol was affecting him. That had definitely been no ordinary wine. Alain gave off a soft chuckle.

"Well done, my nemesis, well done," he murmured, the smile spreading across his face.

"Alain, are you okay?" Margot frowned, "You're not drunk...are you?"

"Perhaps I am. Everett was sly," Alain laughed. "He tampered with the wine."

"Oh dear...maybe we should leave?" Margot swallowed. "Before anything happens."

"I can handle my liquor, dear. Even drunk, I feel in control. I won't make a fool of myself, not for you anyway," Alain suddenly stood up, pushing his chair away. "But I feel like I should congratulate Everett. He played his hand very well."

Before his wife could do anything to stop him, Alain had walked away from the Stallion table. There was some sway in the ground but not enough for him to lose his balance, especially not if he focused. He made it over to the Jade table without much incident, save for bumping into it when he rounded the corner. However, once he had cleared that obstacle, he made a direct beeline for Everett.

"Well played, Everett. I did not think you had it in you, to be so underhanded," Alain put his hands on Everett's shoulders and leaned closer, "Don't you feel bad, using magic on a non-magical foe? It's cheating. Think the Woo condones such cheating?"

SPOILER: Click to show

That wine was strong, man. But I don't think you are quite ready for the consequences, Everett.

[PFA]

Everett watched with interest as Alain took the wine glass, curious what he would do with it. The Grand Duke was confident, made especially obvious when he chose to down the entire glass in one gulp. But for all his confidence, there was nothing to top the potency of magically conjured wine. Everett smiled to himself, pleased. That man's overconfidence was going to be his downfall someday.

...And then, speaking of overconfidence, Alain stood up, and started walking toward their table oh 'Woo now he was touching him why was he touching him. Everett was not pleased, and immediately tried to push him away.

"Cheating? I just did what you did," Everett said to him, "using the resources I had on hand. Now get off, I'm trying to eat."

Satine, meanwhile, just watched the whole ordeal with a concerned frown. This was bound to go nowhere good.

SPOILER: Click to show

Everett snarks back at Alain, trying to push him away. Satine is not sure she likes where this is going unlike the rest of us.

[Celestial]

Alain could not help but smirk a little as he felt Everett tense up under his touch. Of course this was bound to make him uncomfortable, and as soon as the Jade Lord tried to push him away, the Grand Duke let go of his shoulders and held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. He did not, however, step away.

"All I used were my wits and knowledge, nothing more. You, on the other hand, used magic and not even your own magic. I could have easily used the resources of my House too but I had absolutely no need for it," Alain shook his head mockingly but a grin remained fixed on his face.

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud, Everett, a Medieville feast is not just for eating, you should have some fun too. One would think getting married, you would have loosened up a little," he looked up at Satine and gave her a curt bow of the head. There was no need to be impolite to his wife, it was Everett who was his target after all. He leaned just a fraction closer to the Lord of Embers and put his hands down on to his shoulders, beginning to rub them gently. "You are far too tense, you know? I think that's your problem. You don't know how to have fun. It's so sad."

Meanwhile, at the Stallion table, Margot winced as she watched her husband and the Jade Lord. Right now things were still under control but she feared that Alain would not let it stay that way for long. As good as he was at keeping order, drunkeneness tended to inhibit and bring out the worst in people, even him. That was what worried her the most.

She sighed and got up from the table, pushing it out of her mind. Everything was going to fine, Margot thought, she was just worrying over nothing. She had to have faith in Alain. And besides, she thought as she turned towards the Brachyura table, she had not seen her siblings in a while. It would be nice to talk to them while the Lord of Embers and the Grand Duke had their own conversation.

SPOILER: Click to show

Return snark! Are you going to take that, Everett?
Meanwhile, poor Margot is trying to pretend this isn't happening and hopes it will turn out for the best.

[PFA]

"How d'you... how do you know it wasn't my magic?" Everett protested. Only after it left his mouth did it occur to him that, the (entirely true) rumors of the Jade family being magicless aside, Alain would have had plenty of opportunity to see the mage conjure the wine. Oh well. "But that doesn't matter. Fact is, I used my wits and knowledge just as much as you and you know it."

Dear 'Woo, Alain would not leave him alone. When he started rubbing his shoulders—seriously? Was he drunk? No, wait, he was—Everett started pushing him away even more forcefully.

"I am married, you loon," he grumbled. "Cassandr... uh... Satine, is sitting right over there. So get off."

Satine winced at this. Everett really must have been drunk if he was mistaking her for his first wife. One way or another, this was bound to end nowhere good. She really wanted to go and hide somewhere, but the way things were going, she was worried about a fight breaking out. Getting into a drunken brawl with the Grand Duke of House Stallion was really not a wise diplomatic move.

"I... it's okay, Everett," she spoke up tentatively. "Don't do anything you'll regret, now."

"Oh, I won't regret this." With that, Everett mustered up his energy into one last forceful shove against Alain. "Off. Go bother someone else."

SPOILER: Click to show

Everett: Are you hitting on me? Get lost.

[Celestial]

"Well, for one thing, you just admitted it to me that it was not your magic," Alain grinned widely down at Everett. He had heard that the new patriarch of House Jade had no magic but now he had confirmed it, judging by the reaction he had gotten. Though, there had been that mage...but it was possible that Everett had just not wanted to waste magic. Regardless, he had found out something important, though he was not sure what he could use it for. Aside from, of course, getting to irritate Everett without risking a fireball to the face. That was, Alain had to admit with a smirk, a bonus.

"As for being married, so am I. With children too," Alain rolled his eyes, "You are sweet, thinking I mean anything by this. I would never dream of coming between you and your new lady wife. Although, Everett, I still think-"

He was forced to let the Lord of Embers go as he was pushed away. Alain stumbled a little as he tried to regain his balance. Funny, he never lost his balance. But then again, his limbs did feel quite funny so that was probably why. Before he could fall, however, he spread out his arms and stepped back with his foot, prevented himself from toppling over. That would have been quite annoying. He was vaguely aware of looking like a territorial bird but somehow, it did not seem important.

Once Alain had regained his dignity and stood up properly, a feat made harder by the fact that he could feel himself swaying like a tree in the wind, he approached Everett again. This time, however, he decided not to touch Everett too much. It got boring after the third time. Instead, he pulled a chair away from one of the mages, ignoring the man's protests, and sat down beside him. The Grand Duke gave a mocking sigh and folded his arms.

"So rude, interrupting. I completely lost what I was going to say," he laughed and rested his head in his hand. Well, he tried to, his chin slipped out of his grasp. The second attempt was more successful and the Grand Duke watched the Jade Lord, his icy blue eyes twinkling with amusement. Out of nowhere, he suddenly began to chuckle.

Margot, meanwhile, took one glance at the Jade table. Her eyes came to rest on Satine and she swallowed, bowing her head. Despite Albion being next to Veresia, Websteros was too far from Aran for there to be any meaningful interaction between Arach and Brachyura for her before she got married and moved away for good.

She felt a stab of pity for the other noblewoman. It was tough, getting married and moving away from your home region, and seeing your husband get drunk and close to arguing with another major lord of Kyth was probably even worse. And her husband had a role in it, oh Woo.

Staying her course and turning on her heel, Margot moved away from the Brachyuran table and approached the Jade table from the other side. Reaching out with one hand, she tapped Satine on the shoulder and immediately pulled away, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"I am so sorry about this," Margot whimpered.

SPOILER: Click to show

Alain is amused. Margot, meanwhile, is apologitic.

[PFA]

His reprieve from the Grand Duke didn't last long, as no sooner had Everett pushed him away than did he return, pulling the chair out from underneath a protesting mage (the same mage who had conjured the wine) and taking a seat. Everett narrowed his eyes at him. Didn't he have anything better to do than to torment him? Nonetheless, he let out a sigh. If he was going to be here, he might as well humor him.

"Oh, I'm sorry for being impolite," Everett said, sounding perhaps more sarcastic than he intended. With a wry smile, he slid his wine glass over to where Alain was sitting. "Would you like something to drink?"

Satine had been keeping a close eye on the two of them, when suddenly she felt someone tapping her shoulder. Turning to see who it was, it looked like the Grand Duke's wife, thoroughly apologetic for what was going on. Satine smiled apologetically back at her.

"It's not your fault," she replied simply. "I just hope they don't do anything too damaging... to reputation or otherwise."

SPOILER: Click to show

Everett gives his wine to Alain while Satine talks with Margot.

[Celestial]

"Oh it's quite alright, Everett, I forgive you," Alain reached out and gently patted his shoulder, giving him another condescending smile. However, when the Jade Lord returned the expression, Alain could not help but let the surprise show on his face. It was...such an odd emotion, certainly not one that seemed to belong on Everett's face. Nevertheless, the sight of it caused the Grand Duke to burst into a fresh peal of laughter.

"Oh, Everett, I knew you had it in you. Although your smile still needs work," completely ignoring the wine that was being offered to him, Alain leaned in closer to the man opposite him. He stuck the pointer finger of each hand into Everett's cheeks, just by the corners of his mouth and pulled them upward, turning the already strange expression into one that was downright absurd.

"See, don't you feel better?" he asked, repressing more chuckles. "You certainly look so much better. Your cheeks feel so hot too, though it must just be the wine, alas."

Margot glanced up at this, feeling thoroughly embarrassed on her husband's behalf. He was probably not going to regret this, even sober he enjoyed tormenting the Jade Lord, but she could not help feeling that some of his behaviour was reflecting on her. At least Everett's wife seemed sympathetic enough. She returned the apologetic smile.

"I hope not. My husband is not normally a violent drunk but he can be difficult, even when he is sober," she said, still not really wanting to look Satine in the eye. Margot shook her head, not wanting to think about what could happen. After all, it had not happened yet, had it? So it was best not to worry about it. "My name is Margot, by the way. You're from House Arach, right?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Alain is not falling for it. And Margot introduces herself to Satine.

[PFA]

Alain had ignored the wine glass entirely. This annoyed Everett, but not as much as when the Grand Duke started mocking him for his smile, shoving his fingers into the corners of his mouth. Did the man have any sense of personal space?

"Wha— hey! Stop that!" Everett protested, slapping Alain's hands away. "I don't need your help. I can smile on my own!" With that, he gave an exaggerated grin, which came off as more frightening than anything else. And then, in an equally unusual gesture, he started to laugh. If there was any doubt before, the Lord of Embers was definitely drunk.

Satine chose to ignore it for now, keeping her attention on Margot. "Yes, that's right," she said in response to her question. With a smile, its genuineness affected only slightly by the drunken antics behind her, she added, "My name is Satine. It's nice meeting you, even if the circumstances are... somewhat unusual."

SPOILER: Click to show

Everett is definitely drunk. Satine in turn introduces herself to Margot.

[Celestial]

Alain recoiled. He had seen many horrible things in his life. He had fought a war, looked an assassin in the eye, watched several children die and as for Ambrose, he did not even wish to think about the horror of his brother's supposed madness. On their own, each one was objectively terrifying. But right now, in his drunken perception, there was nothing that could have scared him more than whatever expression it was that Everett was making in front of him. The laughter did not improve matters. Rather than being a manifestation of amusement, it just served to reinforce the already downright unnatural sensation of the Jade Lord's amusement.

"I think I prefer you looking like somebody had just dragged something unpleasant in front of your nose. Please, go back to that, I would gratefully pay you," Alain laughed nervously, absently picking up the cup of wine and taking a sip before he knew it. As soon as he realised, he grinned and offered the Jade Lord the wine. "Drink? I took one, you take one, that's the rule of this game," he winked. "Or are you somehow so weak that I can hold my liquor a lot better than you?"

He waved the cup in front of Everett's face, a little more unsteadily than he realised due to his inebriated state, making the wine sway dangerously and threaten to spill over the edges.

Margot kept her eyes firmly on the woman in front of her, knowing that the minute she turned her attention to the drunken shenanigans going on just a few feet away from them, a fresh wave of despair and embarrassment would wash over her. "It is nice meeting you too, Satine, and once again, I am so sorry for what Alain is doing," she smiled and shook her head. "I thought you were from Arach. See, I was born into House Brachyura. I thought I recognised somebody from the neighbouring House...though I don't think we've ever met properly."

She glanced around until she finally spotted what she was looking for: an empty chair. "May I sit down? I feel so awkward hovering over you."

SPOILER: Click to show

Congratulations, Everett, you have managed to freak Alain out. Margot hopes the problem will go away if she ignores it.

[PFA]

Alain seemed bothered by his smiling. Immediately, Everett scowled. What was wrong with his smile? His smile wasn't that uncommon. Then again, Everett thought with a smirk, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all. If Alain was going to try and make him uncomfortable, he might as well return the favor.

"Thank you! That's very kind of you," he replied, taking the glass with exaggerated enthusiasm. Again, before he could stop himself, he took a sip of the wine. When he realized it, he frowned and slammed the glass down, spilling some of the wine on the table. "But no. The Lord of House Jade does not get drunk."

You already are, dear, Satine thought absentmindedly, overhearing this. The poor man was going to have a miserable hangover in the morning. She shook her head, returning her attention to Margot. "Sure, you may sit if you like. No, I don't believe we've met—I've been to Albion, but never as far as Websteros."

SPOILER: Click to show

Everett seems to enjoy his ability to make Alain mutually uncomfortable, shifting back and forth between exaggerated cheery and Everett srs. Satine has apparently been to Albion at some point, fun fact!

[Celestial]

Alain grinned widely as he watched the Jade Lord take a drink of the wine, only to have that grin turn into a wide-eyed expression of shock when Everett slammed the wine down on the table. That was good wine too! It deserved better than to be spilled! But before he could express the thought, Everett's next words completely forced it out of his mind. The grin returned in full force, followed by knowing chuckles.

"Oh don't be silly, Everett, of course you get drunk, you're human! You can pretend to be a granite mountain for all you want but I can see right through that serious Jade Lord at the inner Everett, who is just like the rest of us mere mortals. I'm good at that," Alain slapped him on the shoulder. "Though with your sour face, you must have some lemon in your ancestry."

At that joke, the Grand Duke burst into a fit of raucous laughter and slapped Everett on the shoulder again, smiling widely up at him. "It's okay. No shame in being just a bit of a lemon."

Alain sat back in his chair and he picked up the wine cup again, though he had enough presense of mind to not sip from it again. Instead he just held it in his hand, regarding Everett thoughtfully, resting his chin in his hand again. A thought suddenly struck him out of the blue like a bolt of lighting. "Say, Everett...this is your first time to a Medieville celebration, isn't it? Especially a royal one?"

Oh no, Margot thought to herself, but nevertheless forced her mind to try to turn to more optimistic things. Alain was not going to do anything bad, right? Right? Oh she prayed to the Woo not. It would not even be so bad if Everett was alone but he had Satine with him. She smiled awkwardly at the other woman and pulled up a chair, sitting down so she could still keep an eye on things but so she would not have to stare right at it.

"I see," she nodded to Satine. "I don't know if we would have crossed paths anyway, even if you had visited Albion. I have been living in Destrier for the past fifteen years, ever since I got married. It's rare I get to go back home. The journey is tough and I dislike travel."

SPOILER: Click to show

This can only lead to good things. =D Meanwhile, the wives make small talk.