-----

"Well, you seem to have enjoyed your evening," Miralen commented with a knowing smile as Karna got back to the inn from her little tryst. The elven girl was eating a late breakfast at one of the tables and could see Karna was still carrying signs of the previous night.

"What makes you say that?" Karna retorted with a 'cat that ate the canary' expression. She was quite satisfied with the previous night's success, and now that she had managed to sate her desires, it was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“Oh, I don’t know. The fact that you have been gone the entire night and return rather late in the morning? Or perhaps the smell of sex wafting from your direction? Or mayhap it’s the change to your presence. It’s rather palpable after all.” Miralen seemed to be ticking off things from a mental list.

Karna grimaced a bit. “I was afraid of that. It’s precisely because of my presence that I waited for so long.” She couldn’t feel it herself, but it was rather obvious to everyone that knew her well. The way she affected people had changed. It wasn’t a huge change, but she’d definitely elicit a lot more dirty thoughts in people. She gave herself a bit of sniff before making a face. “Yeah, I need a bath. Badly.”

"You'll also need to get those clothes cleaned, or at least use some heavy-duty cleansing magic on them." The elven girl suggested helpfully.

“How was your night?” Karna sat down gingerly. Despite the healing her phoenix flames had provided her this morning, she was still a bit sore. Magical healing was wonderful, but didn’t always perfectly heal all the underlying issues because what the magic considered healed wasn’t exactly the same as what the person in question would. She didn’t mind the slight pains though. These sort of slight pangs were something that Karna considered to be the price for the kind of fun she’d had. Even if she could, she wouldn’t heal them unless absolutely necessary.

“Not as nice as yours clearly, but still rather entertaining. The festival was quite fun. I did meet a nice little gentleman that seemed quite interested, but we decided to both take a pass in the end. He mainly because he found out how young I was.” Miralen explained with a small shrug. By elven standards, she was very young.

“And you? Why did you back off?” Karna inquired while waving at the servers to bring her something as well.

Miralen made a complicated face. “I’m not sure. Just didn’t feel right I suppose. I…can't just accept the idea of sleeping with a perfect stranger with the same kind of casualness as you." There was no judgment in her voice. She was simply trying to explain her point of view. Miralen was a good friend in that respect. Even if she had her own opinions and even teased others about such things, she didn’t judge.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. We all have different views on such things. If you feel it’s not right for you, then that’s what you should go with. We only get into problems if we get judgmental about our choices.” Karna reassured her with a smile.

“I would never!” Miralen waved her hands in front of her face in denial.

Karna laid a hand on her friend’s to calm her down. “Relax. I wasn’t accusing you of anything. Just making sure we’re on the same page.” The servers finally got to Karna and put down something that looked like eggs, bread, and some cheese. Simple but quick. “What about the others?” Gem seemed to appear out of nowhere and chomped down on the eggs in her fairy dragon form. The little glutton had been fairly quiet the last few weeks.

They watched with some amusement as the tiny dragon stuffed her face to a point where she looked like a chipmunk. “Mayumi went to bed early, and her master and Duskclaw were back before me. I think I heard something from the guys' room, but I don’t know which of them returned, nor whether they stayed the whole night.”

They didn’t have to wait too long for the answer. Travan came down the stairs looking just as fresh as any morning while helping Shaheera, who seemed quite a bit worse for wear. “Hangover?” Miralen asked with a smirk.

“Not that actually. Or at least mostly not that.” Shaheera offered an explanation and winced visibly as he sat down. “We got into small scraps with some elves. You know, with me being a Leonid and all. The whole thing turned into more friendly competitions once I told them I was a student at the Academy. Still, I managed to get some bruises on the way. They’ll heal, and it turned into a fun experience all in all, but it still stings.” No amount of magical masking could change the fact that he was clearly a Leonid.

"Hold still for a moment," Karna ordered and laid her hand on Shaheera’s shoulder.

Healing magic wasn’t really the forte of mages, but they weren’t completely incapable. Certain spells for life and True Light elements could be used for healing. They wouldn’t match what a proper cleric could do, but it was still adequate for small things like this. Shaheera’s body glowed green for a moment, and soon he was able to move and breathe much more easily. "Thanks, Karna. That's much better."

“You know druidic magic as well?” Travan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I've dabbled," Karna replied coyly. She quite liked living the life of a druid and had spent several lifetimes as one. It was nice to occasionally spend some time healing and fixing damage done to the world instead of doing the damage all the time.

“Sieg’s not back?” Miralen asked, brimming with curiosity.

"No. He was roped in by a rather sizeable group of elven girls early on. They seemed quite taken by his performance with the sword when we took part in some duels." Travan explained curtly. “I suppose one of them managed to catch his attention for the night.”

“You didn’t attract the same kind of notice?” Karna asked a little surprised. Travan wasn’t bad looking by any measure, and she seriously doubted that he’d done poorly with the duels.

“Eh, I think my more eccentric mixed heritage was throwing them off. After all, many of them wanted to be blessed by the Gods of Life, and any child I sired would be a bit of a surprise to everyone involved. Besides, I wasn’t all that interested.” While his words were rather straightforward, Karna felt that he left something unsaid. Something that had heavily influenced his decision.

Karna didn’t feel like prying though. If he wanted to keep things to himself, then he was more than entitled to his secrets. She pushed her plate away and stood up. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I need to find some clean clothes and I need a bath.”

“Ah, good. Maybe now some of the male patrons here will be able to get their eyes off your cleavage.” Miralen commented loudly enough to be heard by said patrons, who turned around in shame. Karna was still wearing the dress from last night and her cleavage was rather generous in what it showed.

“Let them look. It’s a great cleavage after all.” Karna stated confidently and sauntered off with a bit of bounce in her step. Teasing people early on was a good way to start the day.

“That it is.” They all agreed as she disappeared off.

Karna ran into Duskclaw while entering her room. “A successful night it seems.” The beastwoman sniffed meaningfully. “Will you be going out tonight as well?” She asked more carefully.

Karna just laughed. "I don't think so. As much as I enjoyed last night, now that I got it out of my system, I'm not in such a hurry for a repeat performance tonight. Last night was out of need, but going out again would be purely for the fun of it. Maybe tomorrow, or the last masked night. Not sure yet, but I doubt it. Want to join me in the bathing house down the street?”

“Sure! And while we’re at it, you can tell me all the juicy details.” Duskclaw seemed eager to get a detailed explanation. “I’ll just confirm again, but I assume you took precautions?" She launched into a series of rather probing questions that would've caused anyone besides prostitutes and sailors to blush.

-----

Cendirion had been extremely disappointed to see the girl of his dreams gone by the time he woke up. Not surprised, but disappointed. He’d also been extremely embarrassed by the old couple that owned the house they had spent the night in. He had been forced to go downstairs naked, aside from his mask of course, and the appreciative whistle of the old woman had mortified him. That had caused the woman to cackle in laughter as she explained that the girl he’d spent the night with had felt none of that same embarrassment and had apparently shared breakfast with them in the nude. “You’re a good looking fella, but that girl’s way out of your league.” The woman had told him frankly.

Cendirion still wondered what the woman would’ve said if she had known he was the first prince. “Come to think of it, that likely wouldn’t have changed her opinion.” He muttered as he slinked back to the palace. Cendirion was rather realistic about his own looks and knew he was a catch, but the girl from last night had been something completely different. Well, what he could remember of her anyway. The masks had done their job, and he was a little short on details. He was confident he would be able to recognize her again, but couldn’t give any details about her appearance.

He had to remove his own mask when he entered the guarded areas of the palace of course, and from the looks the guards gave him, he was quite sure that rumors would soon spread. He’d taken a thorough bath before returning, but there was no getting around the fact that he hadn’t come back until morning, and the guards had seen him go out in the same clothes during the night. The guards weren’t stupid. They’d swap stories as soon as they got the opportunity. Guards that leaked information to outsiders wouldn’t get to work at the palace, but many of the guards had loyalties to various lords and ladies in particular, and would consider those people an exception to the rule. Information was power after all. And their masters would not be as discreet.

“Brother?!” A scandalized female voice sounded above him from a small balcony. He mentally grimaced as he recognized the voice.

“Anaire.” He greeted while turning around to face his sister.

“How..? What…? With who..?” His sister stuttered. She had been the one to encourage him to go last night, but now that he returned in the morning, she seemed absolutely flabbergasted. Her mind worked quickly though and knew exactly why he was so late in returning.

“You know the answer to the first two sis. As for the third one, you know that’s not how the festival works.” Cendirion replied calmly. He didn’t feel at all ashamed of what had happened. He didn’t want to dirty the experience with something like shame. That said, while he didn’t feel ashamed, he didn’t enjoy the idea of being the target of gossip either, which is why he had wanted to avoid too much notice. Sometimes you didn’t get what you wanted. He could’ve been more secretive if he had put his mind into it, but he didn’t care that much about secrecy.

Anaire placed her hands on her hips in an angry gesture that he recognized well. He’d seen it many times since his sister had been born and Anaire had used that exact gesture ever since she was a toddler. “I expected something like this from Finuwar, not from you.” There was palpable disappointment in her voice, though Cendirion wasn’t entirely sure why. It wasn’t like taking part in the festival was somehow wrong. That’s how Anaire had been conceived after all.

Before he could retort though, one of the servants came to call for him, and apparently the same happened to Anaire. “The Queen has requested for the family to gather for breakfast.” The servant announced.

Cendirion’s shoulders slumped a bit and he followed the servant towards the royal family’s private dining room. He really wanted some rest, but it seemed like he’d have to face the consequences of his actions sooner than he had wanted. The dining room was a cozy affair with a long oblong table filled with food in the middle and the chairs of the various family members scattered freely around the table. He noticed that most of the family was already present.

The twin girls Rosseth and Rannith were locked in some secret discussion of their own as usual. As the youngest of the siblings, the two girls were still rather immature both mentally and physically, though they had quite a bit of potential. Finuwar looked tired, but his eyes suddenly sparkled as he noticed the mask still in Cendirion’s hand. The little fox better not start anything! Anaire was just entering from the other side of the room with a judgmental look, while Castor and Ellavormen were discussing some military matters while standing in the corner. The two were older than the other siblings aside from the missing crown prince and Cendirion, and were already actively taking part in politics and military affairs. It seemed all but three of his siblings were present, a rather rare sight considering their roles.

The Queen of course looked radiant in her morning gown. It was impossible to tell whether she had been out last night, though for some reason Cendirion suspected the answer was yes. She also somehow managed to radiate smugness without showing anything on her face, a rather challenging feat. “Cen, darling. Did you have fun last night?” She asked innocently.

Anaire made a sound that was between a scoff and a laugh. “Apparently, since he just came through the door. In the same clothes he left in." The damn girl seemed to have it out for him today.

“Well done brother.” Finuwar showed his approval with a small warrior salute of respect. “Now I have you to take most of the heat from the family prudes.” he also revealed his true colors just as quickly.

“You know very well the answer to that question mother.” Cendirion looked at the Queen firmly, ignoring his younger siblings. “Who was she? Don’t claim that you don’t know. I know you sent me out there to specifically meet her.”

That got everyone’s attention. Even Rosseth and Rannith suddenly sat down at the table, now much more interested. "That sounds awfully like an accusation, son. Are you sure you want to take that tone after last night?” The Queen leaned forward, resting her chin on her steepled hands.

Cendirion gave a sigh in surrender. "No. No, I do not. I want to thank you actually. She was…something I cannot describe. But! That doesn’t mean you can avoid my question.”

The Queen smiled broadly. “I glad you enjoyed yourself. As for her identity, that would go against the spirit of the festival, now wouldn’t it? If you want to find out, then you’re going to have to do that yourself.” She clearly knew and hid the information!

Cendirion knew there was more to this, but he also knew his mother wouldn’t say anything when she took that tone. He had to find some other way. Maybe the bard could help? The girl had been musically dueling with him when Cendirion spotted the girl, and it wasn’t too difficult to find one of the most senior royal bards during the festival. The bards were experts at gathering information after all, and after last night, the man must have memorized all the details of the girl. And the masks were a lot less effective against certain types of people that could see through falsehoods.

“Now changing topics a little, I want all of you to be present during Finuwar’s coming of age celebration three days from now. All of you. I'll also be extending the guest list as we need to make some connections in preparation for the Expansion that will be coming soon. You'll be taking the leading role during the party in order to make those connections.” The Queen explained. “And we also have another purpose for that night, so try not to act too shocked when it happens.”

“Mother, it’s my party!” Finuwar complained. “I don’t want to spend the entire evening schmoozing with some foreign diplomats and nobles. And if you’re going to ruin the party anyway with some scheme of yours, why have one anyway?”

“Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to do wonders. You can have another private party later on. For now, the plan is more important. That’s why I need all your siblings present. And I think you’ll like my additions. Some of them are a lot less boring than you might think.” The Queen hid her smile well. The hardest part was over. Now she just had to wait for things to fall into place.

‘Hmm, I should be able to catch the royal bard during this celebration.’ Cendirion thought to himself. By that time the masked part of the festival would be over. He’d of course go back to the place he had met the girl last night, but something told him that he wouldn’t meet her there again. As much as he wanted to see her, her behavior had made it clear that last night was a one-time thing. Cendirion knew his attempts to find her would go against those wishes, but he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

“Anaire, could I request you to deliver one of the invitations personally? The group is staying relatively close to the palace, so it shouldn’t take too long.” The Queen asked in a casual tone. As she asked her children to perform such things relatively often due to political reasons, there was nothing odd about the request. Yet for some reason, it caught Cendirion’s ear.

“Me? I don’t mind, but could I ask why?” Anaire asked a bit surprised. Delivering invitations could usually be handled by guards, unless there was something special about the guests.

“The situation with the group is a little complicated. The group I’m talking about is made up of students from the Academy who are here on a diplomatic mission. Normally that would place them rather low on the priority order, but there are some…circumstances in this case. The group isn’t normal, and they’re here because I specifically asked for them. Thus, it would be a little impolite to just send a guard to invite them. Especially since the party will most likely be spoiled later on, so we should keep up appearances.” The Queen explained, and Cendirion lost interest.

"Sure, I can handle it," Anaire replied, having accepted the explanation.