Arlaith raised an eyebrow with interest. She smiled at the human. "An explorer? Welcome to my court." She paused, such was her whim, as if no one was waiting for her to continue. Finally, she added, "I would know your name, before I decide."

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

"Razok, is the name I am known by," the man replied casualy.

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Lauda twirled to face the man who addressed her - the motion was quick and precise, not the cool easy grace of the Startlight or the jolted motions of humans. She hurried over to the man, faster than most could see. Her golden eyes glinted in the light of the candles and a small vulpine smirk played on her face.

She could not remember talking to Firen much outside events like this, but that was not relative. The Fae were hardly a race that needed others like their own, but the new setting considered she was pleased to have another about.

"Yes, I see that already a rivalry crops up. Silly creatures, these are. Both unnecessarily proud. Does it not resemble a pack of wolves facing off?" She laughed brightly, and cast her glance over the dais where Razok and Aralith spoke. Truthfully, it was of little interest to her who won the small war of wills as she had found a better target to entertain her - Ravion, the stoic messenger, he looked like he would be fun to play with.

She tilted her head quickly in an avian like swivel and grinned brighter - a fox looking over her prey. "Oh, let us have some fun whilst we can, Firen! I see a little lost sheep."

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Heavens no. Hell Yeah.


Set 1: Nurr | Set 2: Me

Luce stood quietly just off the dais. She did not want to intrude on her queen's privacy. Yet she wanted to be close enough that when the time came she could help escort this 'explorer' out of the hall. Explorers were just treasure hunters with a fancy name in Luce's opinion. Most sought riches and fame. Few she'd ever met found them honestly. She distrusted humans in general, but she disliked these explorers even more. She wanted her queen to send this man away. She did not want him anywhere near her people.

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Estra had made her way to the dais. Like Luce, she did not stand too near, but she made sure that her presence was felt. She wanted it to be very sure that beyond any doubt, she was in service to the queen, she was her knight - and such was her position at court that she had a right to know what human would be allowed to stray amongst her people.

"Razock," Arlaith mused. "Razock the traveller. Well, you may spend some time here if you wish, but..." another pause, another tiny smile as if she was telling herself a joke, "...but be very sure that although we are a kind folk full of goodwill... should any trouble occur, our reaction will be by no means soft-hearted." Her words were not hard or cold; she was not like her knight, Estra. It was a kind warning, a piece of advice.

Ravion had percieved the glance of the faery woman on him. He raised an eyebrow and looked away. He seemed quite unimpressed. There was nothing that shook his calm, and no person, however magical or powerful, who made him uneasy.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

He was staying? Great. She glanced over at Estra to see the same stoic expression that the knight always wore. This was going to be fun.

There was still one thought plaguing her mind. The kings original messenger was dead. By whom had he been killed? Highway robbers could have easily done the job, but Luce's mind like to take things a step further. What if this traveler, knowing messenger's destination and purpose, had killed the original in order to take his place. If so that would then beg the question of why he wanted to get here so badly. Yet that was a minor detail to her theory.

Luce could almost hear her mother telling her when she was younger not to jump to conclusions. She pushed that thought out of her head. She was not jumping to conclusions. It was a well thought out theory. She would question this traveler once he left the queen's side.

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Razok nodded again. "I've heard much of the ways of your people and only wish to observe the life and settings to add to my explorer's journal."

Razok paused a moment. "Thank you for your kind warning. I know notmany of your laws and customs, but I wll certainly do right as far as my hands can tak me."

Razok bowed slightly again and headed out of the room, pulling out a tattered book as he began joting down strange and unknown letters on his pages.

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Estra glanced back at Luce as they heard the queen's announcement. The look revealed no emotion, yet a fierce anger burned inside her. Another human, permitted to stay in the dwellings of the star people? Yet her anger was not for her queen. The queen, like any monarch, must have her whims. It was the human with whom she held her blame.

Arlaith was already glancing away from Razock; the evening was growing old. In a few hours it would be time to go into the gardens for the nightly watching of the stars.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

Luce turned lightly on her heels and followed Razok down from the dais. She came up beside him and glance down at his book. "Congratulations," she said moving her eyes up to look at Razok's face, "the queen apparently saw something in you she approved of."

Okay, so not the best opening line for getting information, but she's have to work with it. "You made mention that you found the king's messenger dead. Do you think it was the work of a highwayman?"

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Razok looked up from his writings and appeared as though he held back a grin that was eger to stretch across his face.

When the starlight woman asked about the dead messenger his face lost such emotions, however.

Razok shok his head. "I don't know," an honest sounding tone entering his low voice. "I urged him to tell me who had killed him... but he refused. He only made me swear to take the message to the ambasador. It seemed something more important that a simple note."

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Had Luce felt like being objective, she would have noticed Razok actually sounded like he was being honest with her. Unfortunately for Razok, Luce was not being objective and there fore missed his honesty.

"Come now," she pressed, "why would someone refuse to incriminate their murder? Surely he must have told you something."

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"Yes, Your Majesty." Lyvanna curtsied deeply and backed toward her chair once more. She wished that she could stay closer to the action - this news of a dead human messenger was interesting. But alas, her duty was first to her queen, and so she folded her white hands in her lap and watched the flurry of activity.

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Banner from Nellie

Estra watched Razock walked away from the dais. She gave a grim smile and turned towards the queen. "Two humans in our court, your Majesty," she remarked to Arlaith. "You are indeed a generous host." Her tone suggested that Arlaith gave the humans more genorosity than they deserved. Arlaith smiled.

"Never let it be said that I am not welcoming to the people of Ruarth." She lifted a delicate glass of water from the table set next to her throne and put it to her lips, taking only a small sip. "You must be kind to them, Estra."

"Of course." Estra smiled. Kind? To them? Well, she could be kind in her own way, not outright rude but still making sure that they knew they were not welcome.
She glanced at Arlaith's lady in waiting, Lyvanna. She gave her one of her cold smiles. She did not know the girl well but knew that Lyvanna was devoted to Arlaith. As she should be.

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~~Siggy by Lembas~~

Razok shruged, his mind seemingly drifting off to other things.

"I know nothing more than what I have told," he said. "And even if I did know more and was hiding it... surely you don't think you could drag it out of me?"

he grinned and walked over a bit, focusing on a decorative center piece. He opened up his book once more and began sketching the pice down on his paper.

"Perhaps you should ask the ambasador what the note said," he suggested to Luce.

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Luce resisted the erg to cross her arms over her chest and glare at Razok. Stubborn human. He did have a good idea with talking to the ambassador. A fact that did not please her. For one thing she's have to admit he was telling the truth. For another-Luce cast a side long glance at the ambassador- she liked him even less then Razok. Maybe she'd do that later.

Luce looked at what Razok was copying. It wasn't was on the grandest in the hall. It was beautiful, but she saw nothing in it that was remarkable. "What do you find so fascinating about this piece?" she asked. "Are you not surrounded by grander things?"

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Razok smiled. "Grand is a mater of prespective. This piece is simple, easy to make, yet in it's own way very atracting."

he looked around. "Many things in these halls would be worth sketching, unfortunately I fear my time and paper would limit me, however."

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