Chapter 2

The Princess of Farrondor

~One Week Later~

A faint morning light peered through the windows of the castle, casting dull shadows as it filtered through the curtains, mimicking movements of passing spirits. Accompanying the new light was that violet hue in the skies, not quite golden but at that moment when the night sky began to dip itself into orange, crowing the edges of the horizon like a halo. Something like this, especially at those very waking moments before you have to get up tend to always be the most relaxing.

"Where is my daughter?!" A furious voice erupted through the castle hallways. Already dressed for his daily duties was King Darren of Farrondor, whom stormed quickly from one point of the building to another, bearing a scowl on his face that might as well resemble that of a wild boar. Passing handmaidens and servants, they looked upon their king in a most distressful manner; having just recently awoken themselves not much longer than the King himself, it was always appalling he'd start the day off like this, mostly when Princess Dariane wasn't out and about at the exact time he was.

King Darren came to an abrupt stop once he faced the door to the Princess's quarters and lifted his hand in the air, fist balled and everything, as if he was about to slam his fists down to trigger an execution. He hesitated briefly, and then drove his fist on the white painted wooden door, causing an echo to bounce down the hallway like a wave of thunder. "Dariane, are you awake yet?!" His lips tightened further into a harsh scowl as he waited and listened, but despite this brief moment he gave his daughter he received no response. Like an angry gorilla his hand that had slammed against the door wrapped around the door handle tightly, and with only a quick swing he swept the door to the side. "Dariane! Are you still asleep? Pathetic! Wake up!"

An irritable groan escaped from underneath the violet satin bedspread, and just as the sound hit King Darren's ear, a hunk of brown hair eased its way from the top among the pillows. "What happened?" Dariane asked with a hint of her own attempts to be sympathetic with whatever her father wanted, "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, there is something wrong! Here it is already dawn and you're not up and ready yet!"

"And that's a problem to you why?" Dariane settled her arms beside her and lifted herself up, staring half eyed at her father. "I'm pretty sure I don't have another training lesson today."

Darren's face balled up like a red balloon, "The King and Prince of our southernmost neighboring kingdom will be here in an hour or less! You should be ready, now!" Upon his yell a small calico cat dived from under his feet and into the room, immediately taking refuge under a white cabinet to the side.

"Whoa, calm down." Dariane's eyes settled evenly after rubbing them briefly and then looked to her father who looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel, "I thought that was your meeting. How was I supposed to know you wanted me to attend?"

"Get dressed, now." Darren ignored the question and made a quick one-hundred and thirty degree turn and shut the door behind him, leaving that tranquil morning sleepiness beaten and left for dead. Dariane could only sit there bitterly staring at the door, in between emotions of distress and utter irritation. Burying her hands in her face, Dariane attempted to wipe what sleepiness lingered in her eyes, and at the same time tried holding back that anger that seemed to attack her like it often attacked her father.

"Your Highness?" A meek voice, completely providing an opposite tone to that of her father's called through the door. A knock followed, and then two seconds after one of the handmaidens peeked into the room. "Your Highness, shall I bring you some breakfast?"

"No, I'm not hungry." Dariane said, quite sternly as a way to help filter out any anger in her voice, "I'll be fine, just let me be."

The handmaiden closed the door softly, leaving the princess sitting on her bed still pondering over what she had just had to go through again. A grumble escaped her throat as she pulled the covers off of her, remembering the cat that had rushed off and hid. "He's gone, Maryanne." Dariane spoke into the room, hoping that by speaking to the cat with a soft voice she would come out. Within a few moments the little feline crawled submissively from under her hiding place, and rushed up to plop next to her master and began to purr. Maryanne's pink collar was adorned with a double row of tiny diamonds which reflected dawns light from the window and onto Dariane's face.

"Aren't you a bright one." Dariane chuckled while stroking the cats face and begun to share in the content of the little animal, "You can stay here in my room if you want, I wouldn't want to be stuck out there with him either."

The princess sighed and gently lifted the cat from her and began to get ready, dressing with what she felt was most comfortable at the time due to the apparent need to be out and ready quickly. Once she dressed in her chosen garments and began to finish tidying up, another knock was heard at the door.

"Your Highness, I brought you breakfast." The handmaiden never listened. It was probably because she felt sorry for Dariane and how often she was scolded at by her father.

"I told you, I'm not hungry." Dariane lifted her hand and placed her palm on her forehead gently.

Opening the door the handmaiden laid the plate on the counter, and patted her skirt after setting it down. "Princess Dariane, if you're not going to eat I'd suggest you get down to the meeting hall. Our guests have finally arrived and they are being seated as we speak."

Dariane's palm drove a bit rougher onto her forehead and she squashed her eyes shut. Never listened and always came up with important information at the last minute. "Thank you for telling me." Dariane managed to get out calmly through her teeth. Upon registering the handmaiden's last sentence clearly Dariane swept past her and proceeded down the hallway quickly enough to where it only took her a few minutes. Before turning the corner to the meeting hall Dariane took a few deep breaths to settle herself and prop her shoulders straight. Upon doing so she made her entrance.

"Ah, Dariane, so glad you could join us." King Darren said rather bubbly, though everyone that knew the king well enough realized this was only a mask of his true self. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, this is my daughter."

"Ah, it's an honor to make your acquaintance, your Highness." The guest responded. He wore a crown upon his head and beside him was a young boy that looked like the spitting image of him. Although Dariane had never met the king and prince of her neighboring kingdom it was obvious who they were.

Acknowledging the king Dariane curtsied as appropriate, "I'm glad to see you made it here safe and sound, Your Majesty."

"Please, take a seat beside your mother, Dariane. We have business to discuss." Darren spoke up then, extending a hand towards his wife, whom let off a pleasant smile upon seeing her daughter. Dariane did as asked and took a seat, and began listening thoughtfully to the conversation.

"As you know, our kingdom is very abundant in raw recourses." The neighboring king began, "However, because of our location we do not have trade routes to kingdoms such as Corona and Arendelle, whom you very much have easy access too. Because of your success in trade with these two kingdoms, we want to offer you our own trade between our kingdoms. Linking us to the other capitals would benefit us greatly, and among these you will receive the finest in minerals from the Southern Mountains."

"Firstly I want to provide my condolences for your troubles. I realize how difficult travel is for you and beyond the Southern Mountains. It must have been quite a journey getting here." King Darren answered kindly, placing a hand on his chest to further milk it, "We would, however, be grateful to share our wealth and success with your kingdom."

"You are too kind," The neighboring king responded, "Perhaps you have mentioned to your daughter the benefits of a holy bond between our kingdoms? Providing she… has gained control of her ancestry plague of those… err, abilities."

Princess Dariane raised a brow from the man's words, though attempted to keep her mouth quiet. A holy bond? Plagued abilities? Regardless of her feelings King Darren continued to speak on everyone's behalf.

"Oh, I very much assure you, my daughter has been through extensive training to keep her abilities in line. Hearing of what happened to Queen Elsa of Arendelle and her ice powers made me realize that her parents had the good will to deal with what happened but not the right whereabouts." King Darren shifted his gaze towards his daughter, "Dariane, will you show our friends your progress?"

Dariane's lips curled from her usually relaxed expression to a soft grin. If was not often she was asked to demonstrate her powers to the public as things of that nature were usually reserved for her weekly training or providing the need to defend herself (which never has happened thus far).

As gracefully as she could, Dariane stood from her seat and stretched her arms lightly. After she relaxed she brought her arms before her, allowing her hands and fingers to come together about head distance from each other. A brief moment of concentration brought out sudden sparks, and then a steady flow of electricity. Although the standard shade of the energy flow was white, sometimes the colors in her grasp would hiccup, changing from greens to yellows and then violets. Dariane always seemed to catch a fluttered heart when she watched her hands doing this; resembling a cuddled thunderstorm in her hands her eyes reflected the light in which she created.

"Okay…" The neighboring king shifted in his seat nervously, as the young boy beside him did the same, though continued to remain quiet, "Please, that will do. I've seen enough of this beastly performance."

Shifting her eyes from her hands, Dariane looked up at the man with an appalled, almost disappointed gaze. The flow of electricity in her hands subsided quite immediately as her hands fell to her sides, her elegant and poised composure diving into a slunk as her mouth partially hung open.

"Sit down, Dariane." King Darren reinforced the man's last statement, and quickly steered his attention back to the neighboring king and prince. "I think our arrangements are official then?"

"Beastly?" Dariane spat out, unable to keep her thoughts concealed any longer. "My powers, are not beastly."

King Darren swiftly turned his head from the king across the table and to his daughter, only his eyes for the moment revealing his properly hidden and constant irritation, "Dariane, sit down." He repeated.

"No!" Dariane continued to crack, "How dare you allow him to insult me, your daughter, your heir to the throne! I will not stand idly by and allow somebody to say such things!"

"Dariane, sit!" King Darren was not letting up one bit. The queen looked back and forth between her daughter and her husband, clutching her hands together as she watched two powerful forces suddenly begin to collide.

"And you could care less of an insult to your own blood!" Dariane's arms flung from her side and among her waistline as her hands bundled up into fists. Among her developing emotions the silverware on the table began to tremble, much mimicking the outward appearance of the guests across the table. However, it was before anything else could happen that Dariane dropped her arms again, and turned swiftly away and walked at a steady pace out of the room.

"Dariane! Dariane don't you walk away!" King Darren spat back. His pounding footsteps could be heard going after her as they disappeared around the corner and a good ways into the hallway. However, before Dariane could get to her quarters her father caught up with her, wrapping his fingers tightly around her shoulder and turning her to face him. "What do you think you're doing?" He exhaled.

"I told you!" Dariane always felt like she had to repeat herself with him, "I'm not allowing anybody, king or not, to say such words to me."

"This is important!" Darren made his voice louder, as if attempting to overwhelm his daughter.

"Important enough to not have told me prior? Important enough to not have even told me that you were planning to wed me to some… some child! I hardly think he's old enough to change his own underwear, let alone be my husband."

"As heir to my throne I would have assumed you'd be married by now! After all, Princess Rapunzel of Corona was married just recently and she's younger than you!"

"What makes you think I need to get married? If it's grandchildren you want then have my brother do it!"

"I chose you as my rightful heir! I am King, I make the rules! I want your grandchildren, not your brothers. Why do you think I choose you to take the crown after me? Your brother has shown less than adequacy and he has no initiative whatsoever! You are Princess, you do your duty! Especially to start, dress appropriately to a meeting! Are you really wearing trousers under your skirt?" It was typical of Darren to resort to more insults, especially choice in clothing.

"I wear trousers under my dress because it's comfortable!" Dariane responded, "I would think you'd understand considering you're so fat that your legs may get raw without them!"

King Darren's face balled up and turned red again, "You go to your room and cool off! Tonight we will be having a celebration banquet for our new trading ties. And this time, I want you to dress appropriately and your best."

With that Darren turned swiftly around again and stomped down the hall, leaving the princess to escort herself back to her room. The hall became utterly silent then. Every time he yelled, every time he got angry it was like he was literally sucking the very joy out of the castle.

Dariane felt her eyes heave with a sudden urge to let loose tears though she continued striving to her quarters, keeping her brows at a furrow and her teeth biting on her lower lip in order to prevent herself from those emotions. Even upon entering her room that feeling continued to follow her, only the sound of Maryanne's tiny meow pulling her halfway from her deep concentration.

"Oh, sweetie." Dariane acknowledged the cat's soft coos and purrs that were loud enough to be heard even from her standing position. The calico cat's fur bundled around her face as she stared up at the princess. "It seems you're the only one around here that isn't mad or afraid of me."

"Dariane?" A tender and lovely voice, like silk or fallen snow, flowed steadily into the room. The sound of the door opening further made a timid creak, and appearing then was Dariane's mother, Queen Anne. "I heard what you told each other." She said steadily, yet her eyes held all the sadness and despair from the fighting.

"How is it that he feels its okay to treat me like that? To treat us like that?" Dariane answered her mother.

"He only wants what's best for us… although he doesn't have the temperament to show it properly." The Queen answered, "I'm starting to see him more in you every passing day. You can't let that anger overcome you. It's cursed our family line since the foundation of this kingdom, and you know where that got your great great grandfather."

"They dragged him through the streets." Dariane answered, staring at the floor, "Because he was like me. He had that, ancestry plague."

"Your great great grandfather did not have a plague and he was not like you." The Queen answered softly yet her voice still retained that stern motherliness to it, "He used his abilities wrongly, and used them when he was angry. You don't, but it can be easy for you to do so because you are so much like your father. The people of Farrondor adore you and respect you. When your father decides to step down I know you will do our kingdom and our family good."

"The people don't adore me. The respect me, sure, but it's because they fear me. They think I'm going to mess up because of… what I can do."

"You can break that family curse." The Queen answered, "It doesn't have to be your undoing. I've seen the wonder in your eyes, especially when you showed us your abilities just a few minutes ago. You have the control; you just need to sustain that control. So goes with what will come as your duty when you become the new queen."

"You really think I can?" Dariane's eyes started swelling again with lingering tears, though she refused to let them spill.

"Think? Of course I don't think that. I know it." A smile eased on both their mouths as they came together in an embrace. If there was a backbone of kindness in a family, Queen Anne was certainly an example of it.

"Now, I'd like you to settle down, eat that plate the handmaiden brought you and prepare for this evening. Try and at least amuse your father and dress your best." The Queen winked with a hint of sarcasm when referring to her husband, but lacked that malice that so often left the mouths of others.

. . . . . . .

"Hey guys, we're here." The wizard spoke up, his voice blending in with the turning of the wagon wheels beneath them. The shade of the trees that had covered them for so long finally subsided, and even beneath the wagons canvas summer's heat started to become far harsher than it had been. Dirt and grabble crunching underneath the wagon quickly turned to smooth stone, at that point triggering the Stabbington Brothers' interest. Connall sat up first, approaching the front most portion of the wagon in attempts to get a good look at the kingdom. From what little he could gather by looking over Donnie's shoulder the kingdom was large, and busy much like Corona had been. Flags of purple and orange lined the streets in segments, reveling upon their bold colors a white griffin. A plentiful market place was just down the main road from the entrance, and a distance a ways and in the very most center of the capital itself was the castle. The castle matched the bold brick stone that lined the streets, accented by white windows and a dark roof. Compared to Corona's castle, it was about the same height and had similar architecture in its towers. The only obvious difference aside from the stone in which built it up was how wide it was; this was probably due to the kingdom not residing on a sole landmass, as the capital seemed to be settled among flatlands and forests. First glancing at this Connall was already beginning to pinpoint how he'd get into the castle and most of all, how he would escape.

The wagon stopped abruptly before it headed to deep into the cluster of crowds among the market place. Donnie let go of the reigns quickly and dismounted his seat without a word, although his footsteps could be heard going around the wagon and towards the back, where he then opened the covering to allow the twins out. "All right you two; here is where I go no further." Donnie motioned his arms for the two brothers to exit the back, though almost in a bit of a rush.

"I guess your banishment is really serious, huh?" Connall asked as the two jumped from the back of the wagon and onto the ground.

Donnie chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, though his eyes were constantly diverting from one area around him to another. "Yeah you could say that." He sighed before he grabbed the hood of his cloak and set it on his head as a way to feel more comfortable in the streets of Farrondor. "Now listen carefully, there are a few things you will need before you even set foot in that castle." Donnie paused again as he brushed past the twins and crawled into the back of the wagon himself, shuffling bags around until he found one extremely large sack in particular. The sack was a strange lime green shade, sticking out immediately once the other bags had been moved out of the way. Donnie heaved it up over his shoulder and crawled out of the back, placing it to his feet as he kneeled down and started reaching into it.

"First and foremost, you'll need this." Donnie took out two scrolls and handed one of each to Connall and Bastion, "Those are authentically foraged letters of attendance, signed by the King himself. They will get you past the guards and allow you into the castle."

Bastion smirked as he opened the scroll, revealing the wizard's words to be true. Connall did the same and pondered over his letter, returning a similar smile, "And here I was wondering how we would even get into that place. I guess the only thing we need to figure out is how to get out with package in hand."

"Right." Donnie nodded his head as he continued to dig through the bag, this time taking out a pair of smooth and strange looking gloves. They didn't look like they were made of cloth or leather for that matter. They were different and had the same look as the outermost part of the bag it had come out of.

"What is that?" Connall asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, this? You're going to need to wear these gloves when… subduing the princess. It'll be hard to touch her otherwise. The bag is made of the same stuff. I call it rubber. I made it myself."

"Rubber? What is it supposed to do? And why do we need it?"

Donnie cackled lightly as his face turned red. If anything this guy was horrible at telling lies, or keeping the truth at least. "Just wear them and make sure when you catch her to put her in the bag. This material will protect you."

"Listen Wizard Boy, if there is something you're not telling us you better spit it out now." Connall was growing irritated. In unison the brothers' hands balled up into fists as their muscles flexed once very quickly. If the wizard wasn't going to be honest then they'd have no restraint when it came to bashing his scrawny legs.

Donnie waved his hands upward submissively, "It's not a huge deal! At least not for people of your… strength. See, another reason why I can't get Dariane myself is because… err… wow this is awkward." His face grew a deeper red when he thought about it, though among the color change in his complexion one of his hands lifted to his teeth and he began to bite at his nails. After a few seconds of this weird behavior he managed to look up at the twins, "She has lightning abilities."

"Are you saying she's a witch too?" Connall attempted to keep his cool, although this was very much a surprise and changed the game quite a bit.

"No! She's not a witch." Donnie insisted quite sternly, "Witches and wizards like myself must learn their talent. Dariane was born with her powers."

"And you thought it was okay to not tell us about this?"

"I was… worried you wouldn't go through with the job if I told you. She has even overpowered me before, so avoiding the guards and successfully getting her myself would have only turned out to be a disaster."

"You're not afraid of the woman you're trying to kidnap are you?" Connall said and then raised a brow, "And on top of that, what are going to do when we bring her to you if you can't control her?"

"I have a plan! I always have a plan!" Donnie erupted this time, though managed to calm himself before he caused attention. "You just do your part and I'll do mine. Tonight is the best opportunity you have to get the princess. Her father is throwing a banquet in honor of a visiting king who has wanted to discuss trade. There you will be able to get in and figure out how you want to go about it. Nobody will suspect a thing, considering nobody even knows who you are here. That's truly the beauty of it, nobody knows your thugs. They just think you're two poorly dressed guests of King Darren."

Connall sighed and rolled his eyes; this wizard was an absolute trip. Not only was he awkward and scrawny but he also had the nerve to try and kidnap a woman he was afraid of. Although Donnie didn't speak openly about this fear it was written all over his face, especially when he turned red. This guy must be desperate.

"We got you covered." Connall finally said, extending his arm outward to grab the items given to them and placed everything in the large rubber sack.

"Terrific!" Donnie clasped his hands together and stood up straight, "The banquet will start at twilight, which will be in a few hours. I'd suggest you get yourselves together and head on to the castle. Take a look around, get to know your surroundings."

"We know what to do." Connall shot narrowed eyes down at Donnie. Typical of some weak snob to throw commands on how to do their job. Among that it was irritating how most employers acted; they tended to take all the glory in the deed despite their dirty work was done for them.

"Good… no, wonderful!" Donnie cooed, "Now, once you have her meet me at Willows Lake. It's about a full days walk west from here if you're quick on your toes. I've set up a temporary shelter there. Once you make it with Dariane in hand I will give you your final payment of two more satchels of gold coin."

"Anything else we need to know before you wonder off?" Connall asked, continuing to keep his serious expression glued to his face.

"Good luck, I guess." Donnie waved his hands timidly, "Oh, and you might want to not use metal objects like knives to threaten her. As you know, metal conducts electricity rather well, heh. Well, if you didn't know, now you do."

"Get going, Wizard Boy, we'll handle it from here." Connall's brows compressed a bit harder on the slight hint the wizard let loose about their incompetence. Trying to shove it aside however, the twins watched as Donnie's feet moved quickly under him and took his place again back on the driver's seat of the wagon. With another set of clicks Donnie steered the horses westward, and disappeared behind a cluster of buildings, leaving the twins to make their first move.

"All right, Bast, time to move on in." Connall mused to his brother next to him, letting off a slight grin as he said this. His brother returned the smile, and the two began walking towards the castle, however, not firstly being noticed by the civilians in the market place. People looked at them with wide eyes, some with surprise and some fear, but not the kind of fear those of Corona showed them. Obviously they looked large and intimidating, but people didn't know who they were. It seemed people were always afraid with what was different.

As the simple market place passed the royal walkway towards the castle came into view. It was here that the twins could plainly see many guards line on each side of the road and stand straight like statues, in each of their right hands holding spears and to their left wielding shields with the griffin insignia on it. Despite the many royal soldiers the Stabbington Brothers showed no fear in their presence; after all, there may have been a lot of them but they were small in comparison, which diminished their intimidation quite significantly. It was upon walking up towards the walkway in which the first guard on both sides of the road approached them, one extending a hand, "May I ask for your invitation?" He said quite sternly, apparently already thinking poorly of the twins based on their appearance.

"Oh yeah, I got your invitation." Connall responded, with his endless touch of sarcasm within his vocals. Both brothers reached into their pockets and took out the scrolls in unison, showing them to the guards. The two soldiers stopping them took a look at the scrolls intently, switching their eyes from the paper and to the brothers back and forth a few times before they stepped back.

"Okay, go on in." The one that had spoken initially stated finally and motioned to the other guard that had approached the twins to back away. Once the path was cleared the brothers continued their procession into the castle, keeping their eyes straight forward in attempts to not make eye contact with the many still royal guards passing beside them. Even if they weren't looking directly at them they could still feel their eyes on them. It was almost obvious, considering they've been getting weird looks since they stepped into Farrondor. But that wasn't a huge problem, they were used to it.

The harsh summer air diminished slightly once they walked into the castle. Like typical royal architecture the place was built with high ceilings, wide windows and was elegantly decorated with carvings in the walls. Statues and paintings lined sides and corners of the room as well, giving the open spaces more feel. The smell of food would immediately overcome the hallways, as passing back and forth between the hall were servants. Sounds of small talk echoed from the entrance in which the twins stood, originating to a left wing. At first the twins didn't budge, though once an older noble couple walked past them and towards the sound of people and music they decided to go ahead and make an entrance.

Taking only a few moments passing the long hallway, the twins were then introduced to the banquet. The room in particular was very large, even more so than the entrance, looking as if it was specifically made for public parties such as this one. Filling the room were many small round tables, and before a large set of doors and a two way staircase were two rectangular tables, housing apparently the royal family.

"Do you think that's her?" Connall motioned to the royal family, though only two women sat there and one younger male. On the other matching table towards the left were two men, one a boy and another a king, though based upon their clothing they were obviously the visiting royals of which the banquet was being thrown, "I don't see King Darren anywhere yet, maybe those guys just relatives."

Bastion nodded his head in response to his brother and took a seat that was closest to them, which happened to be in the back. Despite the distance they could see the banquet at all angles, and especially had a decent view of the royal tables at the front.

Even as people began to walk into the banquet they retained this view. Elegant folk, most of apparent noble decent, began to fill each of the round tables, making the twins seem out of place. However, despite the continued strange looks they were given initially, they were ignored afterward, as people were far more concerned with the royal family ahead.

Time passed and twilight slowly approached outside, its golden hue shining powerfully through the high string windows that lined the upmost portion of the room. This heavy golden light brought out the oranges and violets that decorated the hall, giving it a pleasant evening glow that it lacked during the afternoon light. The smell of food remained ever evident and fresh in the room however.

"Ladies and gentlemen," A servant at the front spoke as the large set of doors opened, "His Majesty King Darren of Farrondor and Her Majesty Queen Anne of Farrondor."

Upon the mention of the king and queen the banquet erupted into applause. Through the doors the royal couple walked elegantly into the room, nodding and extending silent gratitude for the crowd of people. Once they took their seats next to the family members on the rectangular tables, the crowd fell back again into silence. It was apparent they weren't going to eat until the last of the family appeared into the room.

"I'm starving, when's that dame going to get in here so we can eat?" Connall muttered to his brother, whose stoic expression remained glued to his face. The sound of Bastions stomach rumbled then, though louder than Connall's last statement. This is what caused a couple of heads at their table to turn and look at them, but only briefly. Once they saw who it was that made that sound their eyes slowly blinked to the table cloth and then away completely. It was starting to get awkward. What were these people, a bunch of scared ass mice?

"Ladies and Gentleman," The servant at the front said, though coughed briefly, "Her Highness Princess Dariane of Farrondor."

Upon the servants words the crowd looked up in unison towards the opened doorway, though not quite in the same light as with the king and queen. They had a concealed nervousness to them, almost submissiveness that they didn't have for the king and queen. While joyous applause was given to Darren and Anne, the princess was receiving none of it. Submission, fear and perhaps caution was buried under the skin of every person in the room.

Appearing slowly from the doorway was Princess Dariane. Her gown was a dark violet, a violet that specifically matched the color of Farrondor's flags and insignias, however, instead of orange, fine details laced within the dress were golden strands, which seemed to match her amber eyes that sat beneath the strong twilight sun that escaped into the room from the outside.

Of course the brothers couldn't help but stare. She was attractive, very attractive. Especially dolled up in that dress. As she turned the high bun that held up all of her brown hair could be seen more clearly, falling next to her ears and beside her slim neck a pair of gold earrings. It was only after she was halfway toward her seat next to her father did the crowd begin to clap, though not quite as strongly as they did before. It was like they were too focused on her, focused on what she was doing, then they were to give their princess a proper greeting. It seemed strange.

Once Dariane took a seat the servant coordinating the announcements walked before the many tables, "In honor of our new trade alliance, let us celebrate. Commend His Majesty on the successful establishment and connection of our new friend, and bless that many prosperous years follow. Dinner will now be served."

The servants behind them quickly got to work presenting meals to those in the room. As plates started being set before the guests, the Stabbington Brothers continued to look at the royal family, particularly keeping eye on Dariane, whose eyes remained looking at her table, rather than the crowd like her poised father. Every time she did look up she attempted to manage a soft smile, though this was diminished quite quickly. The people were paying no mind to her, rather now, they were focused on the food being served.

"These people are dimwits." Connall couldn't help but whisper to his brother, "I thought it was weird for Donnie to be afraid of her, but her own people? How bad can her lightning powers be? I've seen some weird stuff in my life and I highly doubt some little dame like her can do much of anything."

A servant quickly came to their side, presenting two plates for the brothers. The servant set it down quickly however upon seeing them, and rushed to finish serving the table before immediately moving onto the next. With all the servants going around it only took a matter of time until everyone was served. It was only upon seeing King Darren start eating did everyone else do the same.

"These people are so pompous." Connall mused quietly to his brother again, "Let's eat then get to work. I can't stand being around these rich idiots anymore."

As the brothers began to eat the sight of a couple of guest from across the room and behind the table of the king and queen walked through the doorway. The servant that had been speaking on behalf of the king could be heard making small talk with these people, though quite faintly. "Oh yes, you may certainly take a look at the castle. His Majesty is open to giving people free tours of his palace."

"Well, this is going to be easier than I thought." Connall chuckled, "Hurry up and finish that plate, Bast, we've got a package to deliver."