His father had called him on some business that must be tended to. However, Aerik was preoccupied with other affairs, and did not trust Elwin for the required delicacy. While Kieran was more than happy to oblige his father, he all but regretted leaving Teu's side and her shop. Their time apart may be bearable, but it would make their reunion all the more sweeter. As a young lad, he had found it an odd saying from his parents, but this last week was proving how true those words were. Kieran sent word to his mate, hearing of the ball, and promised to meet her there.

Teu would surely have heard of the ball herself, being in Mamlak. The thought of seeing her in a gown, for the first time left butterflies in his stomach. Those butterflies were the only thing he could concentrate on, as they fluttered with each passing thought of his beloved. As such, he soon found himself in a throng of bodies, carefully moving through the mingling crowd. While he wanted to spend time looking at the chiseled, enchanting wonder of Zets'Ki Cradle, Kieran's eyes wandered over each face, searching for the one familiar one he longed to see.

It wasn't long before a woman and her husband caught his arm. ”Kieran? Kieran Rothslin? My how you've grown! Your father should be proud of the fine son you've become. Tell me, how is your mother?” He gave a charming, indulgent smile. ”Lady Marron. A pleasure to see you again after so long. She does well. You should visit, she would love that.” Anyone that knew his family well enough could always tell Kieran apart from Elwin. One held a predatory gait while the other had a completely different demeanor. Kieran was then drawn into small talk many nobles were so fond of, being almost too polite to back out for selfish reasons.

Teu's Dress
Alairia's Dress

Work within the shop had begun to slow down as the world had settled once more. Adventurers were the main frequenters of her establishment. It was either their anticipation of an adventure in the newly discovered land, or those who were returning from an adventure that had repercussions. Either way, Teu appreciated the busy work while Kieran was away. His absence was felt deeply in her, but the healer made sure that it was not noticed by her family. She watched her children carefully as their recent growth spurts were off the charts. There was no knowing what would come from their involvement with Lord Raktor. Darkness had been the reason for their salvation and there had been lingering gifts that were only now blossoming. Teu was grateful for their safety, but it was unnerving to see the development of her children into adults in a blink of an eye. Both were safe and well-minded. Still, Teu kept her concerns to herself as they were happy.

The woman wet her lips as she stood with her children within the main portion of the Celestial Hall. Emerald eyes glanced over the amazing works of the Hall. It was gorgeous. She was self-conscious of the dress that she was wearing, but it was not long to dwell upon it as Alairia grabbed her mother’s hand. The little girl had grown into a young woman with beauty beyond words. Still, that childish smile was upon her face while clutching her mother’s hand. ”I am fine. Let’s enjoy tonight, my dears. Help me find Kieran. He should already be here.” Teu glanced up at Dae (who had grown quite a bit) as he offered his arm to his mother and sister. Both woman linked their arms with the black haired young man to walk through the crowd.

Laughter filled the air between that of the orchestra’s music. Teu’s grip on her son’s arm tightened slightly as a small group of intoxicated people stumbled passed. The healer used to be the one who put on such events, but many things had changed since those days. She enjoyed the quiet of her life now. With her free hand, Teu pulled at the slight train of her deep emerald velvet dress to keep from getting stepped on. Sheer emerald fabric trailed from her shoulders as if they were sleeves but open on the sides. On her back there beautiful crystals that decorated a sheer fabric to just above her lower back. It was a comfortable dress that Alairia had picked out to go with her mother’s eyes. Alairia was quite excited to see Kieran’s reaction to her mother’s dress. Teu’s long thick brown hair was left down with waves accenting throughout. The daughter’s eyes were shining with anticipation and mischievous intent. Dae glanced at his sister with his own amused grin that was hidden from their mother.

Alairia wore a white dress that was gathered as a halter around her neck. Gold cuffs went up her wrists to just below her elbows to serve in a different sort of sleeve accent. A belt of gold was around her waist, but nothing else as Alairia did not need much to show off her young beauty. Elvish ears pointed out from beneath her loosely pulled back blonde hair that was at a bun at her neck. Dae was not excited about his sister and mother dressed as they were, but he was better with the fact he would be at their side. Dae was dressed in a black suit that was simple and clean.

Moving through the crowd there was a voice that made Teu’s stomach do a flip. She couldn’t help but smile as they moved towards her fiancé. Teu let go of Dae to lightly touch Kieran’s elbow from behind. He was talking to a woman and her husband pleasantly. She did not want to interrupt them, but her anticipation was difficult to hold back. ”Good evening, my heart,” she finally voiced. Fingers gripped onto his arm as she wanted to not lose any contact with him.  "Good evening, my lady and lord," she said respectfully with a bowed head to the other guests.  Alairia and Dae stood to the right of their mother with arms still linked.  

Her scent reached him first, his heart leaping for joy. Then her voice, his lips breaking into a smile. Her grip on his arm was about the same time he was turning toward the beloved Teu. There were so many things he wanted to do. Run his hands through her hair, taste her lips deeply, and just hold her. Finally, he caught sight of the dress, and he was lucky his jaw didn't fall off his face. ”Teu… You look lovely.” Kieran was in awe of her beauty, but could not bring forth a more powerful adjective to show his appreciation.

She brought his attention back to the couple he had been speaking to previously, having been too awestruck to do much more than to gawk at the woman attached to his arm. ”Oh, um, let me-” Marron lifted her hand with a knowing smile. ”Save it, sweet boy. While I'm surprised you were the last one of your siblings to marry and beget a child, I will visit your mother to get details from her. Don't worry about introductions. Go, enjoy yourself while the night is young.” She reached up and patted his cheek before dragging her husband away, who shook Kieran's hand and bowed to the newcomers. This left the young noble free to do as he wished.

His palm went up and cupped her cheek, his lips found hers in a sweet, longing kiss. When he pulled back, he stared deep into her eyes. ”You take my breath away.” Kieran breathed. Now that they were together, he was not letting her out of his sight. Placing his free hand over hers, he turned attention to the children. He matched Dae with his simple, yet elegant black suit for such occasions. But he was far older than he should be. They both were. It was just as scary and concerning for Kieran as it was for Teu to see them sprout so quickly. Maybe more so for him as he was unaccustomed to her homelands. ”Dae, you let Alairia and your mother out looking like this?” He chuckled. Like father, like son. ”Seriously, who's the tailor? They did an excellent job. You three look amazing, and I'm so pleased to be able to spend the night here together. I've missed you all, but your mother most of all.”

It was a similar speech his father often gave regardless of who was coming home, mom and the kids or himself. Kieran turned his gaze to the gem on his arm. His choice could not have been better. In a charming voice, Kieran asked a simple question with unnecessary added flare to her name. ”Lady Teu, would you do me the great honor of being my dance partner?” After her answer, Kieran reached up and gently tugged a strand of Alairia's hair. ”Save a dance for me, Ria?” His smile was genuine, showing how much he truly cared for Teu's children.

A woman with bright orange hair and a brown regular robe was sitting at a table watching the rest of the dancers. Still pondering why this event was called a ball if they didn't have a ball, she ate a bit of the fancy meat. It was a mixture of sweet and savory somehow at the same time. Tristana would hate to eat the fancy meat everyday but it was a nice little treat. Her eyes took notice of a little family nearby coming together. She watched with a small smile.

Judging by their reaction, they must had been separated at some point. Tristana didn't really know these people, but she was glad that they were together again. Her face had a white mask that covered around the eyes, forehead, nose, and the upper part of her cheeks. But the scar from her forehead to her chin was still visible. She'd rather put up the hood and hide her entire head, but somebody at the party had recommended that she left it down.

Her wavy orange hair was a little wild but Tristana didn't really mind that. An idea popped into her mind. If this family was celebrating, then she should give them something special. Like a gift or something to make the night just a little bit better. Although the gift of family was probably enough for them, she hoped that a little present would make them feel a bit happy. Tristana went over to the side of the room where decorations had fallen down and gathered them up.

Returning to her seat, she plucked two bottles out of her bag. One was a greater rejuvenation potion. The other was a greater mana potion. She didn't know whether or not the family used magic. But so many people used magic on a regular basis. It would be a surprise to her if they didn't. If all else failed, they could just sell it. Plucking a red ribbon from the pile of decor, she tied it the bottles together so that they would look more like a family present. Then she used a white ribbon to make a pretty bow. With a quill and some ink, she wrote a little note on it. 

-May you have a happy holiday and may all your dreams come true!-

She waved a servant over and asked her politely to give the present to the family. But Tristana also requested the servant to be discreet about who sent it. She then handed the servant some silver as thanks. The woman continued to eat her meal. 

When Paradox was told about an open invitation to a ball, she was caught very off guard. Centaurs didn't have fancy parties, nor were they often invited to fancy parties, at least not since the Lapiths incident. They were generally too rowdy and obnoxious for anything mannerly. The thought made her rather annoyed, centaurs weren't people, not entirely, but they could still act polite and have some self-control. Drink generally had a factor there as well. No matter, she didn't drink and she had been in the civilized world for a while now, she knew the customs and the tendencies, at least most of them by now. 

It had taken some creativity on her part to come up with a suitable dress for her and her rather unusual body type. She had found a very large wrap, partially transparent and white. It was very light and flowed well as she walked. Small specks of metal sparkled in the light as she moved, reminding her of sunlight on frost. She draped this wrap over her hindquarters and back, the delicate thin fabric falling down to just below her hocks and knees. With the remainder of the fabric, she tied it over her chest and waist in a sort of halter top and tied it at the waist. She let the tail of the knot hang down freely. A small white crown made to look like interwoven vines was nestled in her hair between her pointed ears.

The white fabric accented her faint dappling on her hindquarters and highlighted her red tail and red accents on her lower legs. She tied her hair and mane in a loose french braid all the way down her back, tying in an assortment of white flowers. The white flowers were carried over to her tail, which was up in a half braid. She looked at herself in a mirror before walking down towards the castle. She had never really seen herself in such an attire. Her ears perked forward and she angled herself as she faced the glass in order to see both sides of her reflection. She looked different. More like a person than a beast. Elegant, refined, and dignified, a civilized creature. She smiled at herself and stepped out of her room. She'd leave her saddlebags and bardiche here, she wouldn't need them at the ball.

It was a quick jog up the road to the palace. She stopped for a moment and marveled at the splendor the building held. Even the gate and surrounding fence were built well and precisely. She saw other guests in similar clothing walk towards the entrance. Men were dressed up in nice suits or other outfits. Women went by in dresses of all times, some conservative, others revealing, some simple, and some ridiculously elaborate. It would amuse her for a long time just to watch the people around her. She approached the base of the steps going into the palace, admiring the handiwork required to make such a building. She climbed the steps without hesitancy, her hooves making clicking noises on the stone. Upon entering the palace, she could do more than drop her jaw in awe.

She had never seen such a beautiful place, almost as beautiful as a Gods' temple. The stonework and carvings were incredible and clear, done by a series of expert hands, the same effort was applied to the tapestries as well that hung on the wall. The fabric and designs were complete, bright, and made of the most pristine cloth. She slowly followed the group of party goers into the main hall where the festivities were taking place. Inside the massive room were dozens, if not hundreds of other patrons. Men, women, elves, dwarves, some other creatures were there too, though she was taller than the majority. A few giants or half giants were there, and they towered over her as much as she towered over the average man. It was a strange feeling being shorter than another creature. There were tables upon tables of refreshments and seating around the large dance floor. Decorations were displayed all across the walls of the room, some of which even hanging from the ceiling.

A band was playing music and she watched as several people danced in the center of the room. She had always loved the dance, though she doubted she would be able to keep up with the human pace and music. That and her size would make it rather difficult. She wasn't bothered by it, she was content to watch the couples spin around and see the dresses of the women flutter around like butterfly wings. The dancing couples were beautiful and she watched them from the side of the refreshments until the song was over. As the music ended, there was a bustle of activity as the sound of voices replaced the musical notes that previously held the room captive. Her ears flickered back and forth as she captured as much sound as she could. She walked amongst the tables, seeing a few people sitting, others lined up getting refreshments and then returning to their seats. She looked over the tables of food, seeing several dishes she would be interested in trying later.

As she was scanning the tables, her eyes got caught on the glimmer of red. She turned and saw that the bright red was not a dress like she had expected, but was rather the hair of a young girl, a few years younger than her. She stopped walking and looked at her, suddenly drawn to her for a moment. Her ears unconsciously perked forward attentively and her tail flicked against her hocks. She saw the girl focus her attention on a family a short distance away, it appeared to be a father and mother with their children. She was wrapping something together with ribbon and then called over a servant. She gestured to the family and gave him the gift. She watched him go and disappear through the crowd towards the family. 

She walked slowly towards the girl sitting by herself and eating her meal. She wore a simple dress, but she had an inner beauty that seemed to radiate out and make it appear beautiful even with its simplicity. She looked down at her and smiled as she stopped at the edge of the table. "That was a very nice thing you did," she said quietly. She looked over at the family and back down to the girl. A white mask that covered most of her face, hiding most a large scar or deformity on the side of her face. She looked into the girl's eyes, seeing the one on the side of the deformity had turned white. Still, she smiled at her, not out of mockery or pity, but in sincerity. "A beautiful act by a beautiful girl."

Heart leapt in her chest at the sight of Kieran’s face as he turned to look upon her. The grip upon his arm tightened as she attempted to keep herself under control now that they were within each other’s presence again. To see Kieran within his suit for the evening made her wish there were no others around. A flush appeared upon her pale cheeks at the look that her mate was giving. The half-elf leaned in to his body to feel the warmth once more. ”Thank you,” she responded softly. Out of the corner of her eye, the healer could see Alairia smirking. The daughter turned her face against her brother’s to hide the smile the best that she could. Teu blushed further, though could not hide her own smile.

A small shiver went down her spine as she tightened her arm with Kieran’s. Teu pressed her lips together to hold back a laugh as the lady could tell that they wished to move on from the conversation. A gentle smile went from the woman’s lips up to her eyes as she watched the gentle interaction between the lady and her fiancé. Teu bowed her head gratefully towards Lady Marron and her husband as they left. Though the lady was gentle and fair with her judgement to give them space, Teu turned quickly to Kieran.

Dae and Alairia turned to look upon the dancing men and women in order to allow some privacy for the parents. Teu leaned into his hand as the warmth surrounded her face. She had missed him dearly, and only now in his presence did she fully feel the impact of the time that had kept them apart. Kieran initiated a kiss that spoke to them both. Hands reached up to place on his chest to hold the fabric of his jacket. She regretted their parting, but it was important that they do so in order to interact with the rest of the party. Teu laughed softly while leaning up against him with no words to respond. Head rested against his chest with arm intertwined his.

The young man chuckled with a shake of his head. Dae had relaxed a bit since his child years. He still had a hard mentality, but he could see the ability to laugh with those that were closest to him. Little to be done about it. Even if they were to wear potato sacks they would bring attention, he responded. The tailor by our shop did the work and enjoyed dressing them up. I think he was quite pleased to have his work to be displayed at the Ball tonight. Dae glanced down at Alairia who was all smiles now that her family was reunited. She was excited to be out in public and not for the needs of the family talents. The young daughter giggled lightly at the interaction between her mother and Kieran.

Teu turned her gaze up to Kieran looking quite taken with the man at her side. ”My Lord Kieran, I would be quite honored to dance with you tonight.” She followed him to the dance floor as she watched Alairia giggle again when Kieran tugged on her hair as he had done before. – Of course! – The answer was quick as she followed Dae onto the dance floor. Teu kept close to her mate, though out of the corner of her eye she saw a young woman with brilliant red hair move shortly away from them. Teu smiled at the girl and nodded her head in greeting.

So far the evening had been interesting. She had met with old friends and made some new ones; her heart had been warmed and for the first time since she had been at Revaliir she had felt genuinely happy about her situation. Part of her felt guilty for feeling that way; she had barely been on this world for five minutes, pulled away from her loved ones and all that she had known in the most vicious manner imaginable… and here she was in a beautiful gown, dressed up and dancing with old friends, drinking wine and enjoying the music and the company. Deep in her head she heard Kith's scathing tone telling her that this was not the first time she had been pulled away from those she loved most in the world; that she had been through this before and that guilt had no place here - mourn them, mourn her loss hold her head high and move on; dwelling on her guilt would hold her back and she would never move on otherwise. Part of her missed the Daemon's presence within her mind; missed the possession and the constant companion no matter where she found herself… but Kith had deserved the chance to have her own body back and Kythe had been glad to see the Daemon smile at her in that amused fashion that she had. 

Watching the other attendees her heart leapt within her chest at the sight of one woman in a beautiful green gown attended by a young man and woman and she could not help but smile. No amount of time would ever make Kythe forget this girl and she could not help but feel that relief she had felt when Kiba had appeared before her; Teu was here… just as Kiba had said, but seeing her obviously made it all more real and warmed the woman's heart. As she moved through the crowds towards the girl and her partner she spotted Tristana and smiled, giving the young woman a wink and a wave as she continued on, noting a Centaur heading to sit with the girl as she did so.

As Teu moved onto the dancefloor Kythe's emerald gaze followed her; it was good to see the woman happy and seeing her smile lovingly at the man in her arms made it all the more worthwhile. Weaving through the dancers the Minadrian woman stood close by, watching them dance with a smile on her face; she wanted to say hello but did not want to ruin the girl's evening either. Instead when Teu's gaze flickered her way Kythe grinned at the girl, raised her hand and wiggled her fingers at her in greeting; winking at her to show that no, Teu wasn't imagining it, Kythe was indeed real.  

Tristana looked up to the centaur in surprise. She had not been expecting anybody to notice what she had done. The robed woman had not been expecting to see a centaur either. Trying her best to hide the fascination lighting up in her eyes, she smiled towards the stranger. 

"Thank you." Tristana responded, "I just wanted to make their little special moment have a little surprise. Speaking of which, I would like to give you a gift as well. Please don't say no. I enjoy giving gifts." 

Reaching into her bag, she looked around for something that the centaur might like. Her hand touched glass bottle. Pulling it out, she could see that it would be a perfect gift. Outside was cold and would no doubt be extremely uncomfortable. Traveling alone in the cold was a sad thought to bare. Tristana did not want this poor person to have to be cold or alone. The bottle was made up of glass and had cyan colored liquid inside it. However, it was different from the mana potions. Instead this bottle had a tonic of wind resistance. A cold winds blow would not affect her new friend. She handed up the bottle to Lou. 

"Here!" She said with a smile, "It is a tonic to protect you against the wind in case you have to travel in this weather." 

Her goals were to protect these people. Inside here it was warm and comforting. Outside it was windy and harsh. She had no idea what their lives were like outside of this room. But she wanted to make sure they would be fine regardless. Her mana and health potion would make sure the family had plenty of magic and health when they left. A rejuvenation potion she had given to Kythe earlier would ensure health.

The quiver of arrows she had given somebody might save him from a monster attack. The potion she had given Lou might save her from the wind. Every present and every gift had the full intent of giving as many people as possible the resources to defend or help themselves. Or at least a resource. Tristana did not have the money or items yet to be able to fully protect everybody around her. One day she might get to that level. 

Tristana noticed Teu give her a greeting and gave her a smile in return. She also saw that Kythe was still there and gave her a friendly wave. The servant went over to Alaira and handed her the gift that Tristana had made for them. It was not signed but it was for the family. 

Dae could not have been more right, for even the rough, burlap sacks would fail to hide their beauty and grace. Kieran chuckled at his comment. Upon leaving the grown children, Teu became his center of attention. He led her into the throng if dancers, then turned toward her. One hand rested on her hip, the other held her delicate hand. A new song was starting up, a waltz. Kieran smiled down to her as he began to lead the dance. One, two, three, and one, two, three. It was slower, to match the tempo of the song.

Little things about the room were barely noticed, tucked away from the moment. Someone approached Alairia, a gift pressed into her hand. What appeared to be a centaur approached a seated stranger. The single thing that dragged on his attention was the woman staring at them, more specifically at Teu, waving at her. Kieran was fairly sure he had met a majority of her friends, especially those in Mamlak. So this must be someone from her past, someone that would not be expected to be seen once more, from DaeLuin. He gave his beloved another twirl and glided the dance to a stop.

Leaning in, Kieran held her close for a moment as he spoke softly into her ear. ”You are popular, Teu. It would be so very wrong of me to hoard you to myself, when so many wish your company.” He chuckled slightly as he lifted her chin. ”I love you, Teu.” A deep, loving kiss was planted upon her lips. The night was still young, as the Lady Maron said, and plenty of time for dancing. There was also time for merriment, and conversation, to mingle with other guests.

While he could lavish her with proclamations of how he despised being taken from her side, and missing her so bad his heart ached. How he longed to drag her off like a couple of hot headed teenagers and enjoy themselves in privacy, Kieran kept it to himself for the most part. Instead, he went to lead her towards Kythe, a beautiful stranger. ”Good evening, m'lady.” He gave her his most charming smile, and a slight bow as was customary of his status. It was a simple greeting, if proper, but it allowed the women a chance to greet, and Teu to do her introductions. Of course, he still kept tabs on the centaur and the children as best as he could.

Paradox smiled down at the girl in the mask. Her ears perked forward as the girl mentioned a gift. She didn't intend to receive a gift from her, and the gesture caught her by surprise. She watched patiently as the girl reached into her bag and pulled out a glass bottle. She handed it up to her and she took it gingerly, turning it around in her hands in order to look at the contents better. The girl said it was a wind tonic, to protect against the wind. She didn't know such a thing existed but was grateful, as the little tonic could very well prove useful. She looked down at her and gave the girl a smile.

"Thank you for the beautiful gift," she said gratefully. She looked at the little bottle again, before sticking it in the small bag at her hip. She looked around, but she had brought nothing with her to offer her in return. Instead, she pulled a couple flowers out of her mane to give to her. Giving her one at a time, she described each one's significance. "A calla lily, for continued beauty and rebirth as the year comes to an end. A white carnation for good fortune. An iris, so that your wisdom may grow and that your faith remains strong. A snapdragon for grace and enduring strength. A Yucca for protection, and lastly a Dahlia, for determination, so that you can accomplish anything you set out to do in the new year." 

At home, centaurs had special superstitions surrounding the plants around them. Some of which brought misfortune when given as gifts, like false love, potential danger, or bad luck, for the most part, the majority of flowers brought the recipient good things, fortune, luck, love, beauty, that kind of thing. She hoped the girl would appreciate the gift, it wasn't much, but it was meaningful and sincere. Flowers and animals had a lot of cultural significance to her.  She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and she turned and perked ears toward it. The family the girl had given the gift to had received it and the who she assumed was the mother, waved at her. 

She smiled at them and then looked down at the girl. Perhaps they were friends and knew each other. It looked like they would be making their way over shortly to speak with her. No matter, she'd leave them to their business. "It looks like your friends are coming over soon," She said casually. "It was very nice talking with you. Thank you for the beautiful gift, it will definitely come in handy. I hope you enjoy your flowers and wish you all the best for this coming year." She gave her another smile and slowly turned away from the table. She didn't want to intrude on them if they wanted to have a conversation.  


 Paradox's Dress
*White/Silver, and wrapped at the front