King's Castle

Matilda Vita

"Lovino?" the blonde asked "Why do you ask? Is something the matter with him?" It seemed strange, that Matilda would be expected to perform such a task, but as with anything, she was prepared to do it. Work is work, after all.

Matthew Atherton

Matthew put up a smile for his brother knowing he now took the lower rank, his brother's seconds and maybe he didn't know any better but he always had to point that out didn't he. "Of course I am Al, you know as long as you are happy here." He envied his brother's cheerful smile the way it wasn't faked and his was he felt ashamed. He was better here he could see it and that did make Matthew happy but what didn't is his position now how he still never got over how Alfred practically thrust him into a place he never wanted to be. Here was another lady friend of his he wondered how fast Al would move in on this one. He bowed softly to her as well. "Nice to meet you my lady." He paused before straightening back up. "Have you known my brother for long?" was it wrong for him to be slightly curious of the relationship here.

Antonio Vitus

"I'm sure you wouldn't let it by any means." He chuckled softly taking another drink. Wine always made the Admiral feel sentimental which sometimes made him flirt without even know the majority of flirting he was doing and he always planned on having a little too much wine. "Trust me I feel terrible about not knowing but I was just so busy at the beginning of this job but now since I am granted with some free time I thought it would be a nice idea." he informed her. Another drink touched his lips enjoying the red blush on her cheeks. "Would the lady like a final dance as a thanks?" he questioned her finishing the wine before offering her his hand.

Emma couldn't help but widen her eyes a the Admiral. He just down three cups of wine like it was nothing! And here she was, barely halfway finished with her first cup of wine! How could he just drink them like he was drinking juice?! It was ridiculous to her! Now she was wondering if he really meant was he saying, or was it the wine talking. She gently set her half empty, half full wine glass on the table. She didn't drink as much as the average Vires person did for she was too busy on her business to have much of a social life. And now he was asking for a dance? After drinking so much wine? Would he be alright to dance with, or would he just stumble all over the place. Then again, he was a member of the Vitus royal family, so he must have a high tolerance for wine, and be a very good dance. She curtsied before accepting her hand. "I'd be delighted." She said respectfully with a smile on her face.

"Not long," Alfred said, answering the question thrown at Natalya. "But it should be long enough." Whatever he managed to hear from her that very night would be more than what most people would in months. He did not even know the extents his persistence would take him, despite the opportunities he messed up and the decisions he failed to be tactical about.

King Romulus

"Thank you," he flashed a 10-candle worth smile to Matilda before turning to his other companion.

"Don't tell me--" Romulus shook his head at Ulrich as if to stop him before saying anything else in disapproval. "I'm doing this as his father, before anything else."
The king was talking about the favor he asked Matilda, since she already know the works of the Capitol and occasionally updating him about Lovino isn't exactly too much to get in her way.

Ulrich Ritter


The Lord of Adlerhorst stood by the two, his attention turned to the conversation they had. He didn't have any intentions in interrupting, it was more than clear that his word would not suit in something the two of them talked about. Not that it was that rare for him to be quiet anyway.
However, despite not saying anything, he still had his opinion about Romulus' request to Matilda. Upon hearing it his mouth stayed shut, but he still raised an eyebrow. He understood that the King was worried about his son, but spying on him might not result in being the best move to make. He could understand him, though. Perhaps it was because he was a father that was seperated from members of his family too, or maybe it was just easy to understand the meaning behind the brunet's actions.

"I know you are, and it's not in my right to stop you. However, I hope you do realise it might not end so well, especially if he wants to keep his actions hidden from you." He didn't know Lovino that much, but he could imagine the young Vitus would not like it if he was to find out his father was more or less spying on him.

Romulus Vitus

"Is there another option for me to take? ... Unless it included me completely forgetting that I had a son." He frowned. But then remembered to liven up, so he sighed and forced a mask.

"You were gone an awfully long time -- not that I was keeping track," Romulus chuckled. "Well, how are yours? Not as troublesome as mine, I pray." An eyebrow was raised, truly curious and concern with Ulrich's own sons.

Ulrich Ritter


"I know, I know. Believe me, I can imagine how it is. Like I said, I have no right to oppose anyway." Besides, he would probably do the same if he was in the same situation.

"My sons?" He thought for a moment to make the sentence in his mind. It was not like him to whine about how they've grown and how he secretly wished to be at home during the previous years so he could fill in the role as a father, since their mother was gone for quite some years now too.
"They aren't much different than when I last saw them," he finally said. Well, his sentence was a lie if you looked at physical appearance; however, their personalities were almost the same than they were when they were children. Of course, they were more mature, as it was expected. "Ludwig did act a bit odd, however. Are you sure the food and drinks include the same ingredients as usual?" He still couldn't crack the mystery of Ludwig's sudden outbursts before, but perhaps it was better to leave the matter for another time. "Speaking of him, your youngest offered him to stay for another day," he remembered. "I see that they get along well, that is good."

Romulus Vitus

"They do! Feliciano speaks so fondly of him," The usual light on the king's eyes seems to return as he mentioned Feliciano... But of course, it always did.

"But... Odd, huh? I assure you, everything's perfect." He looked confused for a second and glanced at the table of foods and drinks, a hand on his chin. "Ludwig, more so. He doesn't look like someone who couldn't handle his wine. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Feliciano, but Ludwig..." After Lovino's outburst, now this? It was both too timely. One more odd event, and it would definitely send him into a panic fit.

"Y-you don't suppose someone has cursed this evening, do you?" Romulus sputtered in a whisper. Hazel eyes wide in horror. "Did I forget to invite someone?!"

Ulrich Ritter


"I am glad that they get along well. It could only mean good." Especially since he seriously considered sending Ludwig as a future Hand instead of Gilbert - it would be better for both of them actually. While one would spend time here and continue being one of the main parts for keeping peace beetween the two houses the other could watch over things back at Adlerhorst. Besides, Gilbert's fighting and leading abilities aside, he was a man with too much energy, tongue faster than mind too. And since Ludwig already showed such a great relationship with Romulus' heir...

"Wha- Cursed?" He had to take a second to see if the King was serious or not. Not being one to believe in the fact that someone would curse this evening, he shook his head. "I highly doubt it. Besides, I do not recall any of missing important names tonight... I suppose my son just hit his head or something." Or perhaps it was his son's gayness that caused the strange acting.

Romulus Vitus

"Still..." He frowned, looking around frantically. Everyone else seems to be calm and chatty tonight, rather. "It may look normal now, but we never know." Romulus told him before motioning a handmaiden to come forward. In a hushed tone, he asked her to double check the supply of the food, wine, beeswax candles, the positions of the guards, and also the weather outside.

"If something goes wrong, it will be written down in history!" The king wailed. "King Romulus-the-Cursed," he labelled in his head, gasping in horror.

Ulrich Ritter


There were times when Romulus proved to be a great leader and an amazing king, since he always had that warmth in him. Ulrich had great respect for him because of that. However... There were other times when he was just plain ridicilous. Like in this exact moment.

"Romulus, please," the blond decided to switch from the formal relationship he had with the man to friend-to-friend talk while his hand covered his face for a brief second. "Do not be ridicilous, there will be no nicknames. If anything, you will be known as King Romulus the Great and Kind. You are simply overreacting, there is nothing strange about this evening. You should know from your own experiences that grand balls like this one always contain more uncommon events."

Romulus Vitus

He glanced at him, hazel eyes cautious at first but then beginning to absorb his words. Well, he was right. Or at least he forced himself to believe so.

"... if the ball isn't cursed, then maybe it's just us," He said with a wisp of concern and wisdom all the same that he often does out of the blue. He knew he's been a horrible father -- to Lovino, at least. And wondered if Ulrich somehow managed to fail, too.
And just when he's just about to reach the conclusion, the Viresi willingly set it aside and would rather
not speak about it at least for tonight. The last thing he needed was to drag someone with his gloom as well.

"Maybe it's us! Maybe they cursed us, not the ball!" The king masked instead.

The only sane person on this thing apparently


Higher forces, help him... "Romulus, we can both agree that we did certain mistakes in our lives. However I still do not believe that we would be cursed because of that. Besides, if you look it from this perspective - why now and not sooner, or perhaps on a moment that would decide our future? I really doubt that any kind of curse is involved in this."

A louder sigh escaped the blond's mouth, his icy eyes rolling around their limited space and then looking back at the King.

Crazy old man

"But, that's the point! It would be much, much dramatic if it happened now, isn't it?" The king told him in a hushed tone.

"I have to admit, that's a beautiful strategy..." His thumb rubbed his chin in deep thinking. If only the thought running in his head is somehow quite essential for running a country instead of wasting his time. "I have to take note of that. It could be useful... Maybe not now, but... sometime."

Ulrich Ritter


Sometimes the King did have certain....moments, where Ulrich got the impression of the ruler of his land not being completely sane. This was one of them.

"I do not get the feeling that it would be such a dramatic thing if we would find out we were cursed right in this exact moment," he decided to comment his opinion on the matter anyway, despite it being ridicilous.
On Romulus' loud thinking about the strategy coming useful, he rather didn't comment - although curisng any enemies wouldn't be so bad.

Romulus Vitus

"Are you aware of that ill, one eyed woman who lives within the woods north of the Capitol? I used to wander there when I was a lad, and I've only seen her once... I wonder if she's still alive..." He mused, more as if thinking out loud than actually considering the conversation with Ulrich because he knew first hand that the blonde wouldn't be so interested with it. "Can we set a search for her?"

Ulrich Ritter


The blond's expression turned into a slightly confused one, accompanied by a confused eyebrow. And ill one eyed woman? Being completely honest he never either heard or seen her, despite being in woods of the Capitol for quite some times since he came to serve as the hand. "If you believe that the search would provide positive results, then I will not doubt your word," he decided to play along since he realised there was no way to reason with the King about this. "However I suggest that not many men are sent, and not the best ones either." It would be ridicilous to send their best men on a search for a witch that may or may not even be alive.

Romulus Vitus

The king smiled fondly, mostly for himself. So he /could/ set a search... But who is he kidding, he could do it even without Ulrich's approval, of course. But as his hand as well as his somehow adviser, he was pleased to hear his own words echo his plans. Romulus values his partner's approval greatly, after all.

"I'll take note of that... Maybe even see her myself, eh? It's been years." He glanced afar with an animated, nostalgic facade as if to remember long, golden years of his age.

Ulrich Ritter



Sometimes his king was like a woman - in moments like those the lord of Adlerhorst knew that the King just wanted to hear his own opinion from the mouth of someone else. Ulrich knew the search will most likely end in failure, but since it seemed like a pretty much harmless thing he decided to go along with it. However, if Romulus would get too deep into this whole curse business he would not hesitate to reason with him.

"I would not recommend getting too excited. You can never know if she is even still alive," he warned him again.

Shipping so hard rn

"But I do doubt she would ever come out of the woods, in the first place," he sighed, resting his elbow on the arm of the throne and laying his wistful face on his hand.

"She was a weird one, that old lady. Have I ever told you that story before?" The king placed his wide, bright eyes on Ulrich -- always brimming with energy to tell colorful stories even if he was not interested in the first place.
"I was at the age of seven, and dared to follow the old king on one of his hunting expedition which always happen every week. You know how Viresi loves to hunt," The king explains their love for all the things indulgence.
"How I fancied to have my own gallant sword and ride my steed off into the unknown back then. Unfortunately, I got lost in one of my adventures and about a hundred miles of hiking in the woods lead me to a very strange house in the middle of the forest..."

I know right


While the King sat on his throne, Ulrich simply stood on his side, like in any other situation that he would talk with the brunet while the other sitting on his throne. His posture straight and dominant, icy blue eyes turned to Romulus.

He listened to his story, no matter if he would be interested or not - then again, the King always found interesting stories to tell. There was no reason why he shouldn't listen.
"I am not really surprised at the last few words," he replied when he felt he could jump in with his comment. He could easily imagine younger Romulus getting too excited over hunting and getting lost in the process.

Gay King

"But no, my lord -- you /should/ be! I'm barely starting!" He interrupted, full of excitement painted in his eyes. Having the luxury to forget his sulking at least for a few minutes.

"So, there was I... A young lad of seven, making his own adventures. I wandered within the dark and mossy bungalow, least expecting to find the so-called witch. But I did! Under the dim light of the house coming from a lone candle, I saw her wrinkly face - an eye missing from its socket. I asked her if the king knew of his existence within the woods. 'It was dangerous out here,' I told her."
Indeed, it still is. Several reports of savage beasts were heard from the southern forest until today. Which is why it was the best place to hunt for professionals. But eccentric as it is, the place never ceased to lose the large number of its wild beasts despite the constant cleaning of the hunters.
"'Romulus, the third of his name' she said, as if knowing me since I was a babe. 'Kind as you are, beware of the misfortune to befall on your hands,'" The king continued to tell with much enthusiasm and animation of his face, clearly remembering the memory as if staring at a looking glass.

When Romulus says that he has a date with his hand it doesn't even mean masturbating anymore


Alright. So be it, why not. Yet one of Romulus' tales, it would not hurt to know it in case his king would reference it somewhere in the future.
Ulrich stood by the throne, his posture straight and his arms in their usual position of being crossed on his chest. As he listened to the story a streak of his blonde hair seperated from his slicked-back hairstyle. Since it landed directly in front of Ulrich's icy blue right eye he noticed it immediately, quickly tucking it behind his ear. He would correct it later, for now it was enough that it was out of his vision.
"That is..." Before continuing he paused, thinking about how to shape his reply. "Certainly a story... However, I still find it very unlikely that the predictment of this misfortune would come true in this very moment. The ball is not that great of an importance that would majorly affect your life if anything bad would happen." That is, if he excluded any possible death scenarios.