[SRP] Bernese Ball

[Swift_Assassin]

A man was drowning at this ball. This man thought he knew how to swim, how to stay afloat upon the sea of high society. He thought the Ostian who came with them would be the one drowning, but they knew he didn't know how to swim, and he was given a life preserver. Shad just stood where Tyber left him, thoughts swimming in his head. Thoughts on his fallen men, thoughts on the war to come. Thoughts on who to ask for aid and thoughts on how to do it. He couldn't muster the courage to just do it. His introduction to Lord Faren was so well disregarded that the rest of the rabble could very well do the same. He kinda stood there, paralyzed, unsure how to proceed. "Sir?" Shad barely acknowledged it. "Excuse me?" Why would someone talk to him? "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. A little distracted, is all," Shad replied, giving an honest answer. He turned his attention to the source of the voice and saw a man clad in white with a red leather chest guard on. His eyes were a bit sunken, but also a piercing blue. In fact, the shade of blue, matched with his shade of red hair reminded him of someone.

"It's nothing. I'm General Ruadri Ebner. You're...Baron Shadrach Hyperion, correct?" Shad narrowed his eyes. Something seemed off. He couldn't place it. "I've been keeping abreast of the goings on of Lycia. I've heard of string of incidents starting in Pharae that made it's way through to Tania and to your family's castle. I can't quite fathom why your family acquired Burg Castle, but that is not the point. I've heard you're a bachelor, or you not?"

"I had an arranged marriage set up when I was young, but circumstances led to my betrothed to marry a cousin of mine instead," Shad reluctantly replied. Is this going where I think it's going? Am I the one getting a Bern ally through marriage instead of Cecily?

"I have a sister of age. If you'd humor the idea, I think we can arrange a meeting. I might be able to offer you all the help my station demands. She might oppose the idea unless she meets you," the General noticed Shad's eyes glance off towards Maria. "Your sister, I presume. She can be there too, if you like. My sister is the youngest of the three of us, she'd love to have a little sister to dote on. She also knows how to fight, so she can protect her so what happened at Castle Burg won't happen again. "

"I...I don't know."

It was then that a man in black approached the general, his hair tied back but his bangs disheveled. He whispered something to the general. There was some visible agitation on his face. "Go help the guards, I'll be right behind you." He said to the man who ran off. "Sorry about that. Don't alert anyone, but apparently there's been an incident. Mull the idea over. I'm sure we'll see each other again." He said before walking off.

An incident? He looked back to Maria and saw she was still safe and looked around. It was then he saw Satsume walk away from a dumbfounded Lord Faren. Shad decided to follow after him. Before he caught up with him, he saw Cecily escorted by guards back inside. He ran, or the best approximation considering the occasion, over to help. "We'll take care of her from here."

"Satsume, please be a little more discreet. We don't want to cause a panic."