The Mystery of the Starstone (Cancelled due to lack of interest)

[Zealot]

The estate of Duke Enjoue Souriant is located a ways away from the nearby town of Nayst. The duke's stately home is nestled in a valley of green, a single road winding its way along to the gates of the grounds. While it is a little hard to see from a distance, the estate of the Duke seems very lovely. Planted in the midst of colour, the square house is the only building in sight. Three floors of towering windows, wide rooves and decorated walls of white stone, speckled with the enticing colour of gold.  

 

From a distance, it is also possible to observe that the house is flanked by a variety of colours and paths of its own. A small rotunda stands in its midst, a nice place to eat amongst the flower beds. The garden is in full bloom and the pegasi among the hired help have cleared the sky for the guests.

 

It is fortunate then that the guests are now arriving. Each will have undoubtedly received a formal letter from the Duke welcoming them to the estate for a feast. The Duke in his letter assures the guests that there will be plentiful food and entertainment provided with the opportunity to socialise and dance with other members of the Prench nobility and other persons of note. There were some basic instructions as to how to locate the estate and a happy sign off with the Duke's personal signature.

 

To some, the letter will have no doubt been a surprise. There are only vague memories of the Duke and Duchess, having met elsewhere for some small function or another. Perhaps having met at a party, or even accompanied the Duke himself on his most recent expedition to a Prench ruin.

 

The discovery of the glittering jewel which has been since named 'the Starstone' and has caused a bit of a stir. It is said that the gem glitters with white light and is reminiscent of a star in the night sky. Quite a number of jealous mares undoubtedly would like the Starstone for themselves.

 

Still, that is at the back of everypony's minds right now. Though time will tell if the Duke and Duchess are willing to show off this attractive gem at tomorrow night's feast.

 

As of now the guests are arriving, either on hoof or by carriage as they see fit. A delicate looking iron gate blocks the path to what seems to be a garden lane, with hedge rows lining either side. The path seems to carry on and end at the house just beyond, though also veers right towards the rotunda and the garden that is undoubtedly just the other side of the hedge.

 

A rather menacing stallion is standing guard at the gate, dressed nearly head to hoof in plate mail. Between the armour though it is possible to see he is a tan coloured stallion with a brownish mane. He stands at attention, seemingly ignoring the approach of the guests, though anypony with an instinct can tell he is on alert. The stallion is holding a freshly sharpened billhook and looks forward with a dead stare. Anypony who knows anything about weapons and armour will no doubt know that the billhook is not a Prench weapon by any means, though his plate mail is reminiscent of an enlisted Prench soldier. The guard is wearing a blue and red tunic underneath all that armour, the colours of the duke.

 

A fence appears to extend out from the gate to encompass the house grounds.

 

What do the guests do?

[PyroBlaze]

Well, this was something of a surprise. The white pegasus touched down outside the gates to the estate, looking around at what she could see as her eyes fell on the guard. She really hadn't expected an invitation to this party, especially since she didn't really even remember meeting the Duke and Duchess. Regardless, she had been invited and now she was here, perhaps she shouldn't question it too much and simply enjoy the evening.

 

Marusha approached the guard slowly, stopping a respectable distance away before digging through her saddle-bags and pulling out the invitation. She looked at the stallion and showed him the invitation as she began to speak.

 

"Hello, sir. I am Marusha Moonlight. I was invited to the Duke's party, as you can see from this invitation, so, if you would, please open up the gate." She said politely, giving the guard a friendly smile.

[Dunder]

Dunder was gazing out one of the tall semi-circle topped windows of the banquet hall. The Duke insisted that Dunder stay there for the festivities, after all there was going to be free food and wine, courtesy of the Duke. Anyway, Dunder thought the Duke wanted to repay for the croque monsieur Dunder prepared just for him every morning. Just the way he liked it too. Dunder grinned at the memory, there was seldom anything in the world better than making a pony smile with something you cooked them. And the deal was only sweetened by getting it good with a duke.

The stallion was going to need to get some arm candy before the night was over. Fortunately the guests seemed to be arriving, and the place was going to be filled with opportunities to flirt.And apparently the stallion was exotic by Prench standards. A completely earthy colorway, a pegasus, almond eyes, and all tied together by the way he dressed and the weapons he carried.

Wide brimmed hat with red feather, pink shirt, pantaloons, red waistcloth under his sword belt where his cup hilted rapier and parrying dagger rested. All of it still had obvious signs of wear and tear that couldn't be washed out.

Something that caught his eye from the window too was the main guard at the front. A knight no doubt, one of the last of his kind since the knight orders dwindled in power. Apparently Prench aristocrats still needed retainers.

And a mare that approached. She was different from the obvious Prench royalty.

So there Dunder sat, one bottle of wine at a small table next to a window. There was still two seats and two glasses. One of them full which Dunder was drinking from.

[Zeig]

Alright, she could admit it.

She had been surprised. Well-pleased, of course, but surprised nonetheless.

After all, Starlit Shimmer, heiress to one of the richest and wildly successful families in Stallingrad, was not unused to invitations, both formal and casual, to a variety of functions. It was a common tactic, when faced with a large business or family, to attempt and appeal to the younger generation, more open to new ideas and ventures, than the older more set in their ways, and her status as heir apparent had made her no less a target to meet and greet at whatever occasion.

That, and her carefully cultivated looks, of course.

Not to mention that she enjoyed such events, mostly. Anypony who was anypony attended the fashion shows, the high class stores, the charities and the Bridleways. Shimmer never felt more in her element than surrounded by a throng of ponies all sharing her same fortune in life - or perhaps a bit beneath her, easy stepping stones to raise herself higher. Burning through bits to get the latest fashion, or wine and dine with the crème de la crème, even visiting the hair salon every other day to touch up and spruce up - all of it, every bit of it, made Shimmer nose her head up just a little bit higher, content, and connections were just about the only way to go about it.

But even Shimmer hadn't quite been able to believe the invitation as she'd slowly read over its contents, twice over. She had met the Duke himself during a charity event some time ago, and had only been able to speak briefly with him before he'd been whisked away by some tart with a thick accent. There'd been plenty others to occupy herself with, at the time - plenty lingering eyes that promised and whispered and cajoled - and she hadn't concerned herself much with the Duke afterwards. Prench nobility was always a good connection, but there'd been other fish in the sea, as it were.

Until now.

She supposed she must have simply made quite an impression on the stallion.

"Slower, Matteo," the metallic Unicorn called out languidly, magic holding a hoof mirror aloft as she meticulously re-inspected the curls in her mane, "I don't wish to arrive too early." An affirmative sort of sound called back from the front of the carriage, and Shimmer carefully adjusted the curl hanging over her painted eyes to lay askew, just so.

Perfect.

…Almost perfect.

Starlit Shimmer threw an annoyed glance at Matteo as the carriage door opened in front of the gates, revealing only a single pony waiting to be let inside rather than a more acceptable amount. For a moment, it was a struggle to not slip back into the carriage and pull back around - but her presence had surely already been noted, by guard if nothing else. To attempt more would appear foolish. Restraining herself to a simple pursing of her lips, Shimmer accepted Matteo's hoof as she carefully descended from the carriage, mindful of the long train her stunning gown held. "Thank you," she said graciously, with a slight nod of her head towards her loyal carriage driver. "You are dismissed."

A deep bow was her answer as Shimmer stepped fully away from the carriage, lest her dress be caught in its wheels, slowly making her way towards the gate - and it was rather imposing guard. The white Pegasus in front of her was, it seemed, brandishing her invitation towards the guard, and Shimmer let a cursory gaze wander across his stern yet obviously athletic features as she approached.

"My invitation," the tan-colored Unicorn spoke up shortly after the Pegasus - Marusha Moonlight, and how exactly did she know the Duke? - had finished, pulling out said invitation with her magic and levitating it to eye height. She only just slowed down her stately stride long enough to flash the paper in front of the guard before continuing through the gate, careful to moderate her pace to not appear too eager or hurried, but not slow enough to be discourteous and hold up other guests.

As it was, she needn't have worried, as flashes of color from her right caught her eyes. The start of the gardens could be seen from this distance, and despite herself, Shimmer trailed off down the path, ending up in a beautifully crafted rotunda in the midst of a full garden. Being a city of commerce and trade, Stallingrad didn't have much in the way of large, estate gardens such as these - even less so near the heart of the district where she lived. It was a simple thing to appreciate, Shimmer mused as she leaned slightly over the railing to inspect a brilliantly vivid flower nearby.

And, lingering in the gardens would give other guests more time to enter first. As if she would ever be the first to arrive to a party!

[moonshineTheleocat]

“Another royal event! Another Royal pain,” A coffee brown stallion mumbled to himself as he trotted up the hill from the outskirts.

 

Possibly unlike many of the guests, he took time to take a much slower... much more scenic route, and walk on his own four hooves. The chariots were a bit much for him. Besides... it was honoring the philosopher's, Nahodan, parables. Except he wasn't walking through a desert. So... maybe not. Anyways!

 

There was a reason why Java, now going by his actual name Voronoi Fractal for the night, typically avoided these sorts of events. And why he normally went out of his way to find an excuse not to go to the Galas. The young stallion might have been the heir to the title Duke of Fetlock, which will hopefully never be passed down to him from his mother, Dutchess Star Breezer,  but he never cared for a role in politics.

 

This was all too much in the way of unneeded stress and responsibility, where hundreds of ponies will unnervingly look up to him for all their problems. Yes, it may have been his duty as an engineer to solve these problems. It was, however, his duty to solve practical problems. Not philosophical and political problems that could take a life time of devotion just to fix.

 

But needed to be said, he was here honoring a lost bet he had with Prince Blueblood some time ago. The lost bet simply had him get back into touch with his family. Supposedly, that also meant that he was obligated to attend these events to represent his house.

 

That... and his duty as one of the Head Engineers of Eclipse Aerospace Laboratories in Canterlot.

 

Naturally, that meant he -ACTUALLY- put thought into his appearance! What a spectacular sight this would be for any pony whom actually knew the buck. But it was usually only something he bothered with for professional and formal events.

 

His coat had been groomed carefully. The Undercoat stripped away, and the overall fluff had been whacked down by the hooves of an expert. The sudden lack of volume immediately cut down a lot of the pony's original bulk, and showed just how sleek this earth pony actually was. In fact, if his head was hidden, he'd be easily mistaken for a Unicorn with only a tad bit more bulk.

 

And speaking of his head. He even had work done on his mane! His mane had been combed back, where it formed into a mess of naturally made spikes with a bit of feathering on the end. Thanks to the chaotic nature of his hair, the top most portion even swished off to the side forming a few bangs that hung past past the edges of his eyes.

 

And finally, the finishing touches! A pair of thin rimmed glasses with the lenses being a round rectangle and only fixed in place by the top. A light tan suit-jacket, over a dark gold waistcoat. The waistcoat did have some minor embroidery on the front, but it was mostly hidden currently. Nothing too flashy for a formal, they say!

 

Soon enough, Voronoi was nearing the front gates to the Dukes lovely estates. Voronoi took a moment and paused to admire how beautiful and well designed the house was before pressing on. He tried to draw up some memories from his foalhood to remember who this house actually was. Unsuccessfully at that. He couldn't even remember the last time he visited Prance.

 

 

The stallion passed a well dressed mare with a thoughtful look towards the door. In fact, he had literally just walked right on past the guard without giving him a second glance. It's fair to say that the stallion didn't even notice him.

 

But what did drew the Engineer free from his mind's death grip was the sight of a familiar friend.

“Dunder!” The stallion chimed with his usual lilt. His course suddenly jettisoning away from his original rout with a rather speedy and bizarre u-turn. “Good to see ya! You got an invitation too?”

[AlphaNumeric]

Mom was proud that Alphanumeric was able to snag an spot in an actual expedition, headed by a Prench pony no less. This of course would be his first outing, and his mother, being a mother, would lecture Alphanumeric about being safe while he was in the field, and generally being overprotective of her son. His father was similarly protective of his son, and the only pony who seemed to understand that Alphanumeric was a big pony now was his stepfather, who wished him well-beings and success. His stepfather would have been proud, and his biological parents would similarly be happy to know that Alphanumeric had come back from the expedition safe and sound. All he has to do is survive the party that he was asked to remain to attend and then he'll absolutely be able to come back home.

 

So at this moment, Alphanumeric found himself in an expensive estate and woefully under-dressed for the upcoming festivities (or at least whatever passed as festivities for the upper echelons of society). He hadn't been expected to have been asked to stay, and as such did not pack any formal clothing. The best he could manage was a black and white hoodie sweater jacket with yellow outlines that he hadn't had to wear for the duration of the expedition itself. The night air was also particularly warm, at least for Alphanumeric, and he opted to have the sleeves of his sweater rolled up to shirt-sleeve length.

 

As he wandered through the gardens, Alphanumeric wondered to himself why exactly he had been asked to stay. He didn't know anyone and Alphanumeric suspected that it would cause some awkwardness for himself as he tried to entertain himself until the Duke could come down and give something for him to do. Perhaps this has something to do with the artifact that had been recovered from the site?

"Let's just get through the night though," Alphanumeric thought to himself as he wandered toward the front gate as two guests, one pegasus and a unicorn, were arriving.

[Solaria]

"Mon ami, quels sont vos plans pour la soirée?" Amorous Rose called out her carriage window, making polite conversation with the Prench stallion that was pulling her along.

 

"Rien de spécial Madame Rose," came the gravelly reply. "Je vais retourner à la maison pour profiter d'un bon dîner avec ma famille après que nous arrivons à la maison."

 

"Ah, très bien!" the smiling mare commented with warmth, her mind showing her just what that dinner would look like.

 

The imagery was almost more tempting than the party itself, for who didn't like to break bread with close friends? It had been far too long since the nurse had returned to her home country, and she had countless ponies with whom to catch up before her trip ended. But first, the party. That held precedence of course... regardless of how delicious Dame Ivory Sonata's desert croissants looked in her mind. Steaming, fresh from the oven...

 

"Nous arriverons en quelques minutes," her driver rumbled, breaking Amorous Rose's fantasizing.

 

"Merveilleux, merci M. Stout," Rose answered, shaking away the last of the tantalizing dream pastries.

 

Determined to use the last bit of her travel time to make sure she was ready to once again trot about with Prench high society, Amorous Rose took a professional glance in the mirror. Mane was done in one of her fancier hairdos, elegantly gathered around the right side of her face to cascade delicately in golden waves past her jawline to her chest. A few locks were teased to cup her left cheek to complete the asymmetrical style. Tasteful makeup, mostly faint hints of rouge and a bit of mascara and eyeliner. 

 

Her gown had elements both classic and modern, one of her leftover designs from her earlier fashion work. The hues were predominantly black so as to contrast her snowy coat, with brilliantly pink accents to really make the garb pop. It was rather fitted all along its length, just this side of a flank hugger. It wasn't necessarily Amorous Rose's intent to tease, she was happily married, but it did make things a little more fun. Her favorite diamond rose hairpin completed the regalia. The cursory reflection on her appearance was done in an instant, as most of it was still muscle memory. She'd be fine.

 

Just in time too, as Oaken Stout was just drawing to a stop outside of a most impressive estate and its front gate. Before the carriage had come to a complete halt, Rose glided expertly to the ground with a smile up at her friend. The stallion was an impressively huge, muscled specimen, as was fitting of a former soldier. They had met while he was stationed back near home, but he had since returned to Prance after his honorable discharge of service. Every time Amorous Rose visited home she'd made a point of stopping by Monsieur Stout and Madame Sonata's abode, and the couple and their daughter had become quite close friends of the noble mare.

 

"Prendre soin , et dire bonjour à ces dames pour moi. Je ne peux pas attendre de vous voir la semaine prochaine," she intoned amiably, leaning up on tiphooves to press a light kiss on his cheek. 

 

With a conceding smirk, Stout nodded and moved wordlessly away, the weight of the carriage behind him seemingly unnoticeable. Without missing a beat, Amorous Rose turned and reached into the front of her gown, producing the invitation she had received from the Duke some weeks before.

 

"Bonsoir, Monsieur," the earth pony greeted the guard easily, her demeanor falling nearly flawlessly back into that which she had been taught for functions such as this. 

 

Amorous Rose held her invitation so that it could be easily read before refolding it and moving past the armored stallion. There were a few ponies already milling about, but most of them seemed involved in conversation amongst themselves already. That was, aside from two other mares. One a pegasus who was being far too deferential to the guardspony, another a unicorn mare who had moved on to the rotunda and was dressed rather as impressively as Amorous Rose herself.

 

"Come darling," she murmured to Marusha with a gleaming smile. "No need to hover about the entryway!" With a moderate tilt of her head, the snowy mare indicated that she too would be moving to the rotunda. "I do hope you'll come enjoy the gardens with us for a spell before the festivities begin in earnest."

 

Leaving more proper introductions for if the pegasus followed, as she didn't want to burden her with all of the admittedly endless social niceties involved, Rose slowly trotted until she stood at a respectable distance from Starlit Shimmer. She admired the various flowers, allowing for a short polite silence before turning her gaze to the glittering unicorn.

 

"Your attire is quite fetching," she complimented earnestly, letting her appreciation of the formal wear show. "Do be careful, or you might outshine the Starstone should the Duke reveal it later this evening!"

[Zealot]

At the gate, the guard seems to ignore most of the guests as they stroll in. Anyone who got close enough will see his eyes dart to each of the guests as they move past him, but otherwise he remains stock still. 

 

As Marusha introduces herself and shows him the invitation, the guard seems to spark to life. He tilts his head towards her and speaks in complete monotone, "Greetings. Commander, sir." He glances down at the invitation and inspects it for several moments before looking back at her. "This trooper has been ordered to state. Greetings, the Duke of Trotouuse, sir Enjoue Souriant welcomes you to his estate. The party will be starting in the main hall shortly, followed by the traditional banquet in the feasting hall." He seems to pause at that and glances at Rose. Again, he glances down at the invitation and proceeds to repeat the exact same statement in the exact same monotone as before. Once that is done he pauses again and glances at the pair. "This trooper has been ordered to guard, location, front gate." he says. Though it's not present in his dull monotone, there's a hint of a stern declaration. 

 

The house itself has a large front door which remains unguarded and open, however two stewards stand on the inside dressed smartly and eyeball the guests as they enter. They shuffle and seem to be waiting for an instruction if needed. The main hall itself is a large open structure with three staircases on the right, left and across from the entrance hall. Two of the Duke's household guard are standing at the foot of the staircase across from the entrance, they have been clearly positioned to bar access to the locked doors which lead to the feasting hall where preparations are still being made. Still, the main hall is available for use. Several banners of Prance and Equestria hang from the top of the roof and the hall has been decorated with glittering blue flowers. Pink shards of amethyst crystal also decorate the room. A lavish purple carpet stretched from the entrance and across the hall to each of the stairways. Several tables were laid out with appetisers and three waiters meandered around with drinks. A small group of ponies were gathered in one corner with violins and other string instruments. They seem to be getting ready to play a song.

 

Also in the entrance hall are several ponies of note. A purple earth pony stallion dressed in finery who nobody seems to recognise. He has a short mane of the same colour as his coat and appears to be young, though his eyes speak of a wisdom far beyond his years. His cutie mark seems to be some sort of strange symbol and the stallion seems to move with a quiet purpose. He appears to be accompanying a small blue unicorn mare wearing a white and blue dress, decorated with glittering sapphire. Her eyes dart around, perhaps a little nervous. The pair are talking to a pink unicorn mare with a very intricate mane style. The nobles among the guests may recognise her as Countess Frostfall, Countess of Whittiny. The countess appears to be wearing a muted black and white dress, which if a noble will know if they recognise her is her house colours.

 

Nearer the windows seems to be the Duke himself. He's an impressive muscular pegasus stallion with a light blue coat and a pale green short mane. His mane has had quite a lot of work done to it, though anyone with a fashion sense will be able to tell that his mane seems to be slightly charred at the tips. Was it burned recently? Still, he appears to be talking to a pristine white unicorn mare with the most glittering pink eyes anyone has ever seen. She is wearing a pink dress and a charming amethyst necklace. The two seem to be in deep discussion for the moment.

 

At the rotunda a table has been laid out with appetisers and the place has been decorated with more pink crystal, making everything sparkle. Several blue sashes hang from the ceiling as well. A griffoness dressed in an emerald green dress is talking to a rather drab coloured earth pony mare. The griffoness seems to shine with colour, her white and cream feathers sparkle. There's an intelligence in her yellow eyes as well and she talks with the mare. 

 

The earth pony in comparison seems quite plain, her dress is outdated and doesn't seem to quite fit her. Still, it's elegant blue has some charm to it but it is worn and faded. Perhaps it is the only dress she owns. "Fine, I will talk to the duke first," she says with a hint of a snarl. "But you haven't heard the end of this, Radiant." 

 

The griffoness shakes her head and the pair seem to stop their conversation as two of the guests approach. Still, the brightly coloured griffon seems to take it in her stride and meanders over to join them both, leaving the mare to shift awkwardly on her hooves. She doesn't say anything yet, but watches the pair carefully. Is she biding her time?

[PyroBlaze]

Well, it seemed there wouldn't be much conversation to be had with the guard. Not that she had planned to talk to the gate guard the whole time. She gave a slight hum as another pony approached, this one a unicorn, causing the guard to repeat the same thing again. Marusha looked after her for a moment as the unicorn walked further into the estate, and as such didn't notice the approaching pony that spoke to her, inviting her to join the two mares in the gardens.

 

The white pegasus followed the earth mare into the gardens, walking up silently as she waited for a gap in the conversation. Actually, she wasn't sure why she had been invited, or why she was going to converse with these mares. Their attire made her feel entirely under-dressed in her simple dress. It really wasn't that fancy at all, and looked more like it belonged at a cocktail party than at a party like this.

 

Still, she was already here, it was a little late to be backing out or changing outfits, so she stayed where she was, watching the two.

 

"You both have rather wonderful outfits, I must say. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring anything quite as fancy. My line of work doesn't involve many dresses, and I have yet to need anything fancier than something like this." She said after the earth mare had finished speaking, giving a friendly smile to the two.

[Dunder]

Dunder gazed out the window, starting to look bored. Maybe somepony would try to cause trouble. Maybe a daring thief would try to pocket the Starstone. And after getting past all the guards, the only hope left would be the dashing Dunder! The thief would be on the rafters, thinking he was safe from pursuit due to lack of pegasi swordponies. But the sorely mistaken theif would overlook the duelist. That's when Dunder would make haste, bolting up to the rafters with his mighty wings. By now surely half the mares would be swooned and on the floor.

That's when the handsome stallion would banter cleverly with the thief as the thief prepared to fight for his prize. But surely the thief would be no challenge for the skilled Dunder Blust. That's when Dunder would draw his sword and dagger, probably say some sort of clever catchphrase before the thief struck, lashing out against the inevitable with his sword. The pegasus would parry and riposte, but the thief would recover, strike back, causing Dunder to almost loose his balance. The crowd would gasp, anticipating the stallion to fall. But Dunder would be too good to fall. A quick recover with his wing and he was back in the fight. Now the other half of the mares would swoon.

Another strike by his opponent, and Dunder would parry just to get close enough to shove the thief hard enough to make him lose balance. A kick on the rear for good measure just to make sure the pony fell down. Of course the thief would land in the grasp of some pegasi guards. This time all the griffonesses would join the swooning club.

The ponies would cheer, Dunder was the hero! The Duke would give the pegasus a permanent chamber for an visit to prance, and that pretty unicorn with the stunning pink eyes would wrap her forelegs around the stallion, and pull his head closer, and---

Suddenly Dunder was jolted awake, quickly he wiped away the spit from his hoof that was supporting his sleeping head. The pegasus was jolted awake by the calling of his name, who could possibly be here who he knew? He glanced around, "HUH wha?" The stallion kept glancing around, was it another hallucination?

He almost completely ignored Java as he glanced around the room for a pony he recognized. But then he looked back at the brown earth stallion in front of him. Wait... Dunder thought and got close, scrunching up his own while examining the other's face. "Wait a second...." The pony scooped the glasses off Java with a wing and reached a hoof out to rub it on the other stallion's mane. Of course it took no effort to pop it back up into a mess. But, a recognizable mess.

"Java!" Dunder returned the affection and wrapped a foreleg around his friend in a hug. "What are you doing here?" The pegasus's breath smelled of wine. "I knew this was gonna be a big party but I didn't know it was gonna be big enough to drag you out of your cave."

"I know what brought you out here." He put a hoof on his friend's chest and scooted over to be flank to flank with the lean stallion. "White unicorn, striking pink eyes, mare. Don't make it obvious you are looking." He said lowly to his friend, "She and me is why you are here." The stallion said as he laid the glasses back on Java's face with his wing as well as groom his mane back to normal with the soft feathers. After the wing was done Dunder wrapped the wing around his friend in a warm, feathery embrace as he led the other stallion. "You're gonna help me not look like the uncle that no one wants at the party, but is at the party anyway 'cause you can't be too mean to him.-- Ooh, some food is finally out."

"I didn't help cook any of it though, but it smelled really good." He picked up an appetizer with his wing and put it in his mouth, some sort of baked pastry with cheese inside of it. "Mmmmm. Tasty. Could use some less powerful cheese though..."

After they ate some he trotted off, leading Java along with a wing towards the Duke and the mare who were chatting. "Bonjour, Enji!" He greeted the Duke with the nickname Dunder made up and wasn't sure how the Duke felt of it, "Nosotros amigos, este chulo es mi amigo Voronoi." He switched his gaze to the white mare, "¿Y su amiga bonita?" He asked, looking at her.

[Zeig]

Well, that should be enough time. Already the sounds of other guests could be heard, spilling in from other areas of the garden and from the building itself.

Still, Shimmer lingered about the rotunda, casually strolling around its edges. It was always better to be fashionably late, of course, rather than arriving directly on time, and the rotunda was a beautiful place to do so. She did have to take a sidestep however, to avoid a griffoness and Earth Pony pair who seemed to be in the middle of some discussion. Shimmer bypassed them with a casual nod, glancing over the two with a swift glance that came from years of practice. The griffon nearly shone in her surroundings, feathers gleaming almost as clearly as the pink crystals decorating every surface…but the Earth Pony…

Hmm. Either she had no care for what others might make of her during this little party, or she was completely out of her element. Perhaps a favored guest of the Duke, given the conversation she had picked up, one that was simply not used to high society gatherings. Which then, of course, begged the question of how she knew the Duke in the first place - or what she had done to gain his favor.

Shimmer's internal musings, however, were soon diverted as a new voice suddenly spoke up to her left, belonging to a stunningly dressed white mare. The pink accents lining her attire only seemed to glimmer more against the stark black of the fabric, near forcing the eye to inspect with every movement. Obviously a mare that knew her place and how to use it, and Shimmer stepped back from the railing a bit to turn and face the other.

"Oh, we can't have that now," the tan-colored Unicorn said, tail expertly brushing the flowing train of her dress aside as she moved - a standard trick to avoid tripping and sprawling flat on one's face. "The good Duke would have nothing left to astonish and astound his guests with!" Any less experienced pony - or a stallion, come to think of it - might have made the mistake of thinking the white mare was in her prime, but Shimmer knew first hoof what the wonders of makeup could do. If she had to guess, the other Unicorn was probably about the same age as her own mother, which meant she was probably speaking to a matriarch and not a pony of her own peerage.

"Though I suppose it won't matter much at all," she continued after a moment, once again repositioning herself as she noticed the gleam of white feathers approaching, "should he choose not to unveil this famous Starstone tonight. It would be quite cruel to tease us all as such.

"Starlit Shimmer," Starlit Shimmer introduced with a slight inclination of her head, towards the pair of them, "a pleasure and a delight." No doubt she could tack on an endless amount of fancy titles, but to do so would be obnoxious, and pitiful. Make a pony seem uncertain of their status and wheedling to make sure others knew how important they were.

And even still, the only title that really mattered tonight was that of the Duke's.

"I hope you are finding yourself well this evening?" Shimmer half-questioned, half-stated with a somewhat dismissive glance towards the Earth Pony lingering behind the griffon. Another flash of white made itself known as the Pegasus from earlier - Moonlight, she believed? - approached the drably dressed mare and initiated some conversation, though Shimmer turned her attention back onto the griffon. "Far too early for moods to have soured."

[moonshineTheleocat]

Voronoi.... looked at his friend with an incredibly confused expression when he appeared to have snapped out of a day dream. Did... did he break him out of something delightful? By that goofy, and dreamy expression he bore previously, it sure did seem that way.

 

But then... there was another look he received that almost made him flinch. Such intensity behind those inquisitive eyes. Once more, the stallion flinched his eye sight had been spontaneously blurred. A small glint on something feathery informed him that Dunder had, indeed, removed his glasses.

Before he could say anything, he felt a hoof rub wildly into his mane. The stallion pursed his lips with a bit of agitation as he looked up to the hoof that destroyed hours of work! He destroyed seven sets of combs, and endured the most painful brushing experience ever just to get his mane that way!

 

“Dunder... don't do that man. Dunder come on,” The stallion groaned as he sat still under the hoof that worked him over. He was about to move a hoof up to slap it away. But the other buck was finally done. And yet... the damage was done.

 

When it finally appeared that his friend recognized him with just one utterance of his name, Voronoi quickly responded. Laughing with the hug, and returning the sentiment in equal measure.

“DUNDER!~ ”

 

Voronoi head slowly tilted in confusion when Dunder droned on about some sort of white unicorn with pink eyes. The stallion blinked, and slowly drew his attention to the mare in question with a nervous flick of the ear. Regardless of the warning, he continued to look with an obvious stare.

 

 

"I know what brought you out here. White unicorn, striking pink eyes, mare. Don't make it obvious you are looking. You're gonna help me not look like the uncle that no one wants at the party, but is at the party anyway 'cause you can't be too mean to him.-- Ooh, some food is finally out."

 

 

Was that... Countess Whittney? Yeah... no doubt about it. Voronoi remembered her when he was a foal. His mother, Dutchess Star Breezer, often took him with her when she went on her political trips. He... had been very surprised that the brazen mare didn't scare the Countess off.

Speaking of... did... Dunder just have a thing for older mares? He could easily recall several accounts where that might not even be far from the truth.

 

Voronoi's attention was quickly snapped back at that note. He nearly sputtered after quickly rising a hoof to cover his mouth. He had blushed, but hopefully it hadn't grown to bright to peak out from his fur. Did he just seriously hit on him!? Oh storms... this could be dangerous.

 

 

“Err...” Java began with a nervous tone as he was lead to the table. “You're hot and all... but I thought I told you I was in a relationship with Pressy now. Sides... I don't think I can help you in that department. I spent some good amount of my life avoiding these kinds of things.” The stallion chirped as he now took a seat. His eyes flicked away from Dunder, and to a Mare whom had been wondering away from a Griffon with a look of fury.

 

Huh... wonder what that was about.

 

"Nosotros amigos, este chulo es mi amigo Voronoi.

That... wait... what?!? That evil son of a – Either Dunder was trying to advertise him. Or the buck was trying to hit on Voronoi knowing perfectly well that he did understand him!

 

The dapper dressed stallion slowly pulled his hoof to his face after feeling his cheeks burning a bit more. A hoof raised up into a gentle wave. This was going to be a long night at this rate.

[Solaria]

Rose was pleased to see that the pegasus had followed her, and was even joining in the conversation. Before the winged mare had even finished her explanation as to her clothing, however, the former Prench noble was already shaking her head. 

 

"My dear, it has nothing to do with how fancy the clothing is," she responded with a smirk. "It's how well you wear it. Though your outfit may be simple, it suits you quite well."

 

The earth pony then made a point of fully turning to face the newly-introduced Starlit Shimmer, a name that tickled somewhere at the back of her mind. She had heard that somewhere... Regardless, the stunning unicorn was quite obviously versed in the fine arts of manners and high society. Amorous Rose's own trained eye could practically feel the quick analytical pass she was given, though she showed no signs of discomfort. After all, it was its own accomplishment being a mother.

 

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Shimmer," she responded in kind. "My name is Amorous Rose. And I agree, the festivities have hardly commenced!" She leaned in a little more closely, her voice dropping in volume. "Though you know as well as I that some of the Duke's present company would consider their entire week ruined should a single almond be out of place on their trays."

 

With an innocent wink and a small chime of laughter, the mare rolled her shoulders ever so slightly. Just because the form-fitting dress looked fantastic didn't mean it wasn't snug. In fact it'd be counter-intuitive if it wasn't, really. She nodded her head as the griffoness approached, offering a friendly "Good evening," should the lady wish to join in the conversation.

 

"Tell me, dears," Amorous Rose continued, addressing any and all around her. "Has anypony actually heard much of the Starstone beyond its supposed immeasurable beauty? I find myself quite curious as to its origins, nearly as much so as desiring to behold its radiance." She chuckled a bit. "I must have been out of the game for far too long to be entertaining such thoughts."

 

In fact, she knew it was her husband Castor and her children that had grounded her from her previous life of excess. A brief flare of love warmed her heart, and she turned expectantly to her companions as she settled into a relaxed yet elegant stance.

[Zealot]

On approach, the Duke and the pretty white unicorn seem deep in discussion about the layout of the table. It seems as if things are being finalized a little last minute.

Now that the guests are closer, they can admire the white unicorn for the creature of beauty she is. A short and attractive muzzle and a lithe thin form. She is indeed, very pretty.

She smiles at the duke as he finishes his sentence and speaks with a cheery voice, "No. I would suggest putting him at the end of the table with your daughter. Then we can forget about them and we can keep their antics to a minimum. Along with Fury and perhaps the Countess Frostfall?"

 

The duke shakes his head at that, "I have already annoyed the Countess enough. We've been through this. Besides, he may not show. It is just a rumour. Look, let's just go with what we planned. You're alright with that? Yes?"

 

The mare nods her head and looks up in surprise at the approach of the guests. Duke Enjou chuckles lightly at Dunder's nickname, clearly he doesn't mind it. "Dunder, good to see you again. I'm glad you decided to stick around. I'm afraid I can't understand your language though. Didn't I say?" he asks, shaking his head dismissively. The duke turns his attention to Voronoi and smiles at him, "And yes. Welcome, Voronoi Fractal?" he says, almost a question. "Welcome to the feast, such as it is."

 

The white unicorn gives Dunder a sweet smile. "Well, I understood you. Though I confess, I have not heard your tounge in quite some time. Still, allow me to introduce myself." She casts a glance at the Duke as she begins, "I am Baroness Fair Belle and Seneschal of Prance. The king has entrusted me to oversee the execution of justice and order throughout the south of Prance. I work quite closely with the Duke." She gives him another glance before returning her attention to Dunder. "I do not believe I have seen you at court before, yet you know... Enji," she chuckles at that. The Duke chuckles as well, though looks less impressed, "Oh great. Not you too," he says with a smile.

 

Fair Belle shrugs, "What can I say, it's catchy. But still," she turns back to Dunder with a clear look of interest. "I believe I would like to know a little about you, Dunder is it?"

 

Meanwhile in the rotunda, the drab looking earth pony nods her head politely as she is turned to and adressed, "Thrifty Flower," she declares. "Now, if you will excuse me..." She lets off an audible sigh and begins to walk away, heading out of the rotunda and towards the house.

 

The griffoness meanwhile seems quite pleased to be noticed, "Ambassador Radiant Charm," she announces herself. There's a slight smile as she does so and while it's not clear if it's just a smile or something more, each of the three mares will no doubt feel there's something a little sinister about it.

 

Once Thrifty Flower is out of ear shot the griffoness shrugs, "My apologies for her. She is usually like that, though she has her uses." She trails off, another smile this one directed straight at Marusha though. Again, there is no hint at what that is about.

 

Still, Radiant is much a silent observer until the question of the starstone is given to the group. She chuckles. "I assume none of you ponies are up to date on the latest Prench court gossip?" she asks. Though as Rose stated, she was not. Curious of it's origins. The griffoness shuffles and grins, "Suffice to say there is quite a lot to be said about the jewel. It is far more than a mere bauble. I am sure you have heard a description, put much more elegantly than I can no doubt. They say it shines with a white light and glitters with brilliance. Sounds dramatic to me, though no more dramatic than the rumours I suppose."

 

In the distance, at the gate, a blue carriage can be seen approaching the gate. It is glittering with an outline of gold, bearing several iconiographs of the fleur de lis. Three such icons rest on a shield at the front of the carriage. No doubt some ponies will recognise it as the royal coat of arms. The sign of Prench royalty. The carriage is flanked by a retinue of soldiers, and all stop at the gate.

 

Three figures can be seen exiting the carriage, all stallions, though it is far too distant to make out their characteristics. Still, they dismount and pass the guard, beginning to head into the grounds and by the looks of it they are heading to the rotunda. Though they will not be there for a while.

 

The retinue turns and departs along with the carriage, all except one who seems to trail behind the three stallions.

[PyroBlaze]

Marusha gave a small smile to the earth pony as she spoke, saying her dress suited her well. She still felt under-dressed, but she supposed it didn't much matter anymore, it was a little late to be changing outfits. 

 

"Thank you, miss. I think your dress suits you as well." She replied before the unicorn introduced herself as Starlit Shimmer. Marusha gave a nod in greeting, as well as to the earth pony as she introduced herself.

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, miss Shimmer and miss Rose. My name is Marusha Moonlight." She said, smiling slightly at the two. Soon enough though, the griffon joined the conversation, introducing herself as Radiant Charm. The white pegasus couldn't help but bristle a little at the smile the griffoness gave... Something about it was off, especially that second one directed right at her... Still, she did her best to not give away her suspicions about why the look had been directed at her. Running a thievery business out of the back of her shop held some dangers, and she had to be careful not to let herself be found out.

 

She listened silently to Radiant's words about the stone, absorbing what information she could from it before her gaze floated towards the entrance, where another carriage had just shown up, this one belonging to Prench royalty, if she remembered the coat of arms correctly. She gave a curious hum as she watched the passengers of the cart get off and the soldiers to leave with the cart, all except one. She had to wonder who these three ponies were that had all been in the royal carriage.

[Zeig]

Well, it seemed there was at least one area where she and Rose did not see eye to eye.

Shimmer maintained a passive gaze as the Earth Pony spoke with the white Pegasus, a polite smile on her face even as her dark grey eyes roved over the mare's outfit once again. She supposed to outfit suited Moonlight, but simplicity was not something she was well versed in - nor did she wish to be. Amidst the obvious royalty, lineage, and high society ponies gathered at this event, blending in with the wallpaper was something the tan Unicorn could simply not comprehend, not could she understand others who turned up to such an event without giving their all.

Still, she wasn't so dull as to insult the Pegasus, not while Amorous Rose was obviously playing the kind and motherly advisor. Shimmer settled for a small sniff, before diverting her attention back onto the griffon.

Who seemed all too willing to talk.

Shimmer felt, more than made, her ears perk upwards as the griffon mentioned gossip, a smile crossing her face as she leaned in to better hear to current going-ons in Prance. It seemed as if Radiant Charm didn't place much stock in this Starstone business - but seeing as she was an Ambassador, it was likely she hadn't gotten up close to the stone yet. Or perhaps she had? "All this fuss," the tan Unicorn breathed, with an airy and conspiratorial laugh echoing in her voice, "all these, dramatics over a pretty stone. As elegant as I'm sure it is, the Duke had better be prepared to live up to the expectations."

Marusha Moonlight, Shimmer belatedly realized from the corner of her eye, had moved closer to their little group, after the other drab looking Earth Pony flounced off. Still, the tan Unicorn paid her no heed, instead focusing on the gates that were still visible from the rotunda - and more specifically, the ponies that seemed to be entering the garden. The impressive retinue they were flaunting were obviously meant to impress, but for the life of her, Shimmer couldn't identify any of them. Though, it wasn't as if she had mingled much with the socialites of Prance during her vacations here…but still.

"Well," the tan Unicorn said, unconsciously straightening out her spine as she realized the ponies seemed to be heading towards the rotunda, "someponies know how to make a grand entrance. Tell me, who are they?" she wondered aloud, aiming the question towards the griffon, who appeared the most up-do-date on the going-ons in Prance.

[Dunder]

Dunder looked a little embrassed, his ears flattened as best they could through his hat, and he blushed. He completely forgot that these foreigners didn't know every foreign language. "Oh, it must've slipped my mind. I guess I just got a little excited." He said and chuckled. But after that, the Duke turned his attention to Java, and the white mare began to speak to the pegasus himself. What kind of guest would he be if he didn't talk to the lovely lady.

Dunder grinned, everything worked better than he could have hoped for. Though his grin could have been taken as a friendly smile to the mare as she spoke. She was a baroness and seneschal? Must be good to be a noble. But her reveal of her titles only made her previous conversation more perplexing. Why would a seneschal, a law enforcer, be worried about the seating at a party? Certainly Dunder would need to investigate, but there were more pressing matters at the moment. When she used Dunder's nickname against the Duke, the pegasus couldn't help but throw a toothy smile at the blue stallion.

He turned back to Fair Belle when she explained her curiosity in him. First things first, he pulled his hat off his head and slowly and politely bowed at the mare, "Pleasure to meet you, baronesa." The pegasus stood back up straight on all fours after placing his hat back on his head, ears through their slits. The pegasus nodded at her, "Yes, my name is Dunder Blust. "And I'll keep to using our common language." The pony pushed up his hat and gave a poised smile to the baroness, "Perhaps if we find ourselves in a more private setting we could oblige eachother. But for now..." He trailed the sentence off, not finishing it as he was composing what he would say next.

"If you want to know more about me, I'll keep it simple. I'm not of high birth, so I am guessing I am unlike you all. I have been training to use the sword and pan since I was a colt, and managed to master both. I suppose you could say that is why I was useful on the Duke's expedition. My skills transcend these titles. Ponies don't travel by hoof or wing or carriage, they travel by food. I guess a chef that can hold his own is something of a hot commodity. I actually worked for the Princess of the Crystal Empire and she referred me to the Duke." The pony spoke, seeming less and less like he was talking to anypony in specific.

Dunder started to gaze off, zoning off as he strung together sentences in his mind, "I was born to a family, we got by. But we had no name in Equestria, my siblings and I had to carve out a piece of Equestria. I did so with the pan and sword." The pegasus scratched his chin with a wing, "I think that's about it." He looked back at the baroness, "So, how'd you become the seneschal? And I'm guessing you aren't here on work, or else you'd be like Billy out there in a full suit of armor." He chuckled. Billy.

"Or maybe you are here on business and that's why you were discussing trouble makers in the seating?" The stallion rattled off. Subtly was never his specialty.

[Solaria]

Amorous Rose kept her warm smile as Marusha introduced herself and seemed to be a tad more at ease with the group. She could tell that Starlit Shimmer was every bit the high society pony and more than likely couldn't comprehend the pegasus's choice in attire, but the older mare knew better than to only stop at first impressions. Fashion could change at the drop of an inlaid pattern of diamonds, and was a notoriously fickle mistress. There was every chance some obscure icon would walk out on a stage somewhere tomorrow and suddenly Marusha's outfit would be the height of hip and now. Come to think of it, that game was eerily similar to the one played in noble courts.

 

The griffoness, Radiant Charm, seemed to live up to about half her name. She was certainly dazzling, but to a pony who made every effort to be earnest and genuine in her dealings, the sweet talk fell a bit flat. Like one of those dead breezes one might feel in the dead of winter from time to time. Rose gave a small shake of her shoulders and let the thought pass. Creatures like Radiant made up the greater portion of nobility, after all, and at this point the white mare was just a visitor to their world.

 

Their felavian friend quickly launched into a diatribe about the gossip surrounding the Starstone, which could only have been expected considering the current environs. As she spoke, Amorous Rose listened politely and nodded her head at the appropriate intervals.

 

"I have no doubt that the Duke will stand to shine upon the pedestal he has set for himself and his treasure this eve," she chuckled, following Starlit Shimmer's change in gaze to spare a glance at the arriving dignitaries. "After all, one can hardly suffer the gossip mill that would be created in the wake of any sort of fiasco. Why, I daresay he'd be a veritable social pariah."

 

Only the tiny mischievous smile that played across her lips betrayed the even keel of the earth pony's otherwise serious tone.

 

"I for one look forward to it."

 

The mare wished to inquire about the daily lives of her new friends, but settled to wait for Radiant Charm's response to Starlit Shimmer's question. After all, she would admit to a moderate amount of curiosity pertaining to the newly-arrived retinue.

[moonshineTheleocat]

“Ah... yes, that's correct” The stallion hummed in response to his name. There was the unmistakable accent when his name was said... so once again... it just sounded butchered. Just another reason why he often preferred not to use it. Oh well, he was being professional today! So he'll just have to endure it a bit longer.

 

But Java wondered about something when he watched Dunder interact with the others. Didn't that buck just say he wanted him to prevent him from looking like that crazy uncle you keep locked in the cellar? He was doing a fairly good job at avoiding just that! Maybe it was just a chefs instinct to socialize well with the elites?

 

Java will have to ponder that later, as he allowed his gaze to slowly derail it's self from the conversation that clearly didn't involve him. His eyes settled on a Griffon whom was talking with a Unicorn mare. The unicorn was without a doubt overdressed and inadvertently fashionable. Perhaps trying to standout? Job well done then.

 

Shifting over only a few degrees... and there was a pony with... a goody? Storms, and Java thought he had a terrible sense in fashion. A pony had outright bested him by showing up to something formal wearing clothings that should only be found on a hoodlum. Well done! Java made a quick mental note to commend the bold pony!

 

Then finally... he hadn't realize how nervous... or anxious... or... just odd some of these ponies were acting. It was like something was going to blow in their face!

 

With that in mind, the stallion slowly turned back around to look to the duke with a curious expression. He wasn't one to mind politics, but he knew how it worked. A bold reveal like this could easily be an attempt at grabbing some political favor and power. Perhaps allies. Perhaps enemies. Maybe they were nervous enough to have an official on sight at the getgo for that reason?

Or Java was just reading into things a bit to much.

“So... Enji,” The stallion began. “Feel free to just flip the question into the garbage pail, but when and where did you get this gem that we were informed of?

[Zealot]

Duke Enjou, who was quickly becoming referred to as Enji, smiles at Dunder and gives him a nod at his apology, "Oh that's quite alright," he declares. "You know what they say about languages, the more a pony hears them the more he understands. Mind you, I've been listening to Prench most of my life, and I often struggle to understand the good Countess Frostfall." He chuckles at that and glances around to make sure she's out of hearing distance, and sure enough, she is happily engaged in conversation on the other side of the hall. "Oh gosh, don't let her know I said that. She's angry at me enough as it is."

 

With that he looks up as Java addresses him and sighs, "Oh no. I'm forever doomed to be called Enji, aren't I? Ahh well." He chuckles in good humor, clearly not minding a little fun being poked at him. In fact, he seems like quite a genuinely nice person. Perhaps a little callous, but with good intentions. Still, he smiles again at Java and brushes his mane with a hoof, perhaps slightly self consciously. "Well, I got a tip from a... friend?" he asks, seemingly trying to puzzle it out himself. "I've always liked the idea of investigating the Prench wilds to find the remains of civilization, and after research we found one such spot. This was about a month ago we embarked and found the ruins. Of course, I led the way... Got my mane singed for it, but there I found the Starstone." He trails off at the memory, smiling. "It was standing alone and on a pedestal, the only thing in the room. It was the most beautiful gem i'd ever seen. No records we found there mentioned it of course, so I gifted it to my wife." He shrugs and glances over to the stairs, "She won't be long I don't think. Something about a dramatic entrance," he says with a chuckle, eyeing the waiter carrying a tray of wine glasses. "Umm, yes. Here," he calls the pony over, taking a glass for himself.

 

Fair Belle listens happily to Dunder as he answers her query and nods to herself. She pauses as it seems she's thinking for a moment and then smiles at his question, "You don't know a lot about Prance do you?" she asks with a smile. "Well, Seneschal is an old Prench title. I am in charge of law and order. So yes, I will be called upon to dependence the justice of the king in matters of high court. A final say, as it were. I am also in charge of order in the south of Prance as well, making sure the country runs smoothly, and that events like this one are not complete disasters. I run administration, as well as assist with organizing events." She smiles at this and glances to the duke, "My duties are very broad. I was appointed by the king because, while at court, I did my very best to keep everything running smoothly. He felt my talents could be put to use."

 

She turns back to Dunder, seeming quite interested in him for the moment, smiles happily. "Still, it sounds like you have had quite the adventurous life. You know Princess Cadence? I have not met her, though she seems like a nice pony. It is an honor to work for her I would imagine. How is the Crystal Empire? Is it a beautiful as they say?" she asks, intrigued.

 

The servant remains with a tray of wine glasses and the small band of classical musicians starts to play a quiet relaxing tune.

 

Thrifty Flower meanders into the house, the drab pony looking around and singling out the Duke. She gives the pony a toothy grin behind his back and slowly makes her way over to stand behind him. The Duke does not seem to notice.

 

Radiant Charm keeps her expression noticeable guarded as she listens to the two mares voice their opinions on the stone. She smiles afterwards and nods her approval, "No doubt," she begins. "Should the Duke unveil the stone. And of course, he will, of that I am sure. But again, should he unveil the stone it will make for an interesting evening." There's another wry smile from the griffon as she trails off, turning with interest to the carriage. "Hmm?" she replies as Starlit Shimmer asks her if she knows who the stallions might be. "Well, this should not be hard to work out. Royal Prench coat of arms? It is not the king, nor is it the heir. There's an absence of a mare, it cannot be the king's daughter and there is only one bodyguard. I would say that is Prince Genant, third in line to the Prench throne, as well as two favored courtiers?" she assumes and smiles at Starlit. She turns her attention back to the group and chuckles, "No doubt, he will be rendered catatonic with fear by such a collection of elegant mares. We shall see, here he comes."

 

With that it seems, the group of approaching stallions breaks off. One, a well build muddy brown stallion wearing a sharp suit and a hat, turns to his comrades and seems to bid them farewell. He turns to head inside the house, leaving the other two to meander up to the rotunda. The first stallion to arrive confirms Radiant's suspicions. It is Prince Genant, he head held low and deep in conversation with his friend. The Prince is a light blue pegasus pony, though he is not a particularly attractive one. The Prince's blue face is plain and he does not seem to have much in the way of a muscular structure. He is thin for his age, though his mane is well kept and shines and his suit is well fitting.

 

The Prince's friend is a grey earth pony who is more heavily built than his companion and has a kindly smile on his face. His mane is short and un-stylish, while his suit seems a little loose but new.

 

Radiant Charm once again smiles as the two approach and bows, "Prince Genant, a pleasure for you to join us. Please, I'm sure there is much we can discuss."

 

Genant seems, slightly worried as he looks up to see what he's walked into and immediately blushes as he's put on the spot. There's an awkward silence as he doesn't say anything, simply stands there dumbstruck. With an encouraging tap on the back from his friend he eventually speaks, "Umm... err... well... yes... Hi," he says to no-pony in particular, nodding at Radiant Charm and each of the guests in turn. He sounds fearful, or perhaps simply nervous as he stands there.

[PyroBlaze]

Marusha listened as her conversation partners spoke, talking about the stone and the newcomers. Just as the white pegasus had though, a member of the Prench royalty, albeit one of the less important ones. She watched the Prince approach the group, Radiant calling them out and addressing the thin stallion. Obviously, he wasn't comfortable with the situation, but she said nothing about that, simply bowing to him as well as he turned his gaze to her.

 

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Genant. I hope your experience at this party will be a pleasant one." She said to him, giving him a friendly smile. She wasn't here to steal anything, and didn't plan on doing it, but her mind couldn't help but make plans, both about grabbing something valuable and escaping should something go wrong. She was a thief, it came naturally to do that. Still, she stayed tuned in to the conversations going on in the group.

[Zeig]

Ah, and here was the reason any sane pony would take the time to pretty themselves up, rather than arrive at a showing looking like they'd just rolled out of bed.

Shimmer was fairly pleased that she didn't say anything ridiculous or unbecoming, such as "A Prince you say?" or "Oh my goodness Prench royalty!" Still, the literal and figurative perking of her ears would probably make her interest a dead give away to anypony that happened to be looking, though their small group seemed to be focused on the approaching ponies. She certainly was, at that.

And, well…a bit disappointed, too.

The tan Unicorn was careful to keep her expression politely neutral, dipping her head in greeting to the newcomers, but that didn't stop her grey eyes from taking in the Prince - or so he was, should Radiant be believed. Had it just been herself on the rotunda, Shimmer would have never guessed the light blue Pegasus to be anything even resembling royalty. He held himself like a servant, for one, scrunched inwards as if to avoid all attention upon his pony self, a fact that was only compounded when he stuttered and spluttered his way through a greeting. And he was so plain looking, not at all princely. His Earth Pony friend looked more like royalty than the Prince did himself.

Utterly disappointing, that.

Still, looks and bearing were only two facets, the other very large facet being that the Pegasus was, believe it or not, royalty, and that was not something Shimmer could ignore. The pale Unicorn elegantly dipped her head in greeting, her tail flicking a bit to better enhance the waterfall cut of her dress as she moved forward just a hair. "Starlit Shimmer," she introduced after Moonlight had done the same, voice airy light like she had once practiced for the entirety of a summer at the family's vacation home, "and may I say, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your Highness. Simply enchanting," the pale Unicorn added, warm grey gaze lingering on the Prince, though they roved over to his grey Earth Pony companion, waiting expectantly for a similar introduction.

[moonshineTheleocat]

Hmm... well... This defintiely wasn't an attempt to try and grasp power like most Nobel families he had met. As much as it was just a show off of some strange gem with rainbow properties or... something. Good... that just means he doesn't have to step in his mother's shoes and deal with a Family who was beginning to get too ambitious and began to step out of line by making some garbage contracts with the more desperate families.

 

Would it actually be his problem though? He thought about it... his mother did make a habbit of protecting lesser nobles, and even civilians... when they weren't even part of her Province. Eh... probably shouldn't think about it... just junk he'll need to learn later now that his mother had guaranteed to shove the title down his throat when she retires.

 

But... he was digressing... What was that about an excurssion? He went on an excursion to find this thing?! And he got his mane singed for it? His eyes quickly flicked up for any evidence of burns in his mane to prove this story.

The stallion even pursed his lips when his eyes fell back onto the gentlepony. Looking over his entire physical build. Sure... any pony can go on a wild adventure. But... he seemed... so well maintained to have an ounce of Tartarus seeking in his blood.

“You? You went on a wild goose chase over a tip into the Prench wilds to find this gem,” The stallion hummed in disbelief. He was now leaking against the table with his elbow thrown over it to hold his body up. His jaw slackened, with his brows raised high.

“Sorry for the skepticism, but... you don't se-” He quickly cut himself off when he heard a request for news about the Crystal Empire. He thought about responding. He had spent a lot of resources on helping the reconstruction effort... and the families of fallen soldiers. Even his house, the Nova house, had spent massive amounts of resources to aid them without any conditions. But... well the question wasn't his to answer.

 

He had only began to continue his sentence when he noticed Enji taking a glass of wine from a nearby Waiter. He too, took one between his hooves and gave the mare a gentle smile of gratittude before setting it down on the table. Then eyed it with utter confusion.

What the heck did he just grab anyways? Deep red? Some... sort of earthy smell? Darker the closer.... oh how do ponies do this!? He should probably have thought twice about mocking his dear friend Blueblood about his wine.

 

He looked up after frowning for a brief moment and continued, “Erm... where I left off... you don't seem like the sort to go adventuring...”

 

He slowly turned around when he heard the crowd's murmuring to each other. Something about a prince? His gaze soon fell on the carriage as a stallion stepped out.

 

Who was that? He was young... but he looked a bit... ill. Is that a blush? Oh... no... he was a nervous wreck. Suppose it wasn't helping that he was immediately surrounded the moment one hoof touched earth.

 

His gaze soon returned back to Enji.

 

“Well I suppose it's unfair to assume that. I don't look like much, but I've had a fair share of rows. Care to tell me a bit bout your history?”

[Dunder]

Dunder blushed when Fair Belle called him out. It was true he didn't know that much about Prance. At least not as much as he wanted to. All he knew about was how to prepare some food, and that you say mur-low instead of mur-lot. Titles and government of Prance was beyond him. She seemed very knowledgeable, and even with her explanation Dunder knew there was plenty left to discover. At least, if he bothered to. Nobility titles and their affairs hardly ever concerned the pegasus. But he didn't know if it was Prench culture or a stroke of luck but the Duke and Baroness seemed down to earth. Despite the Duke's formulating of the discovery of the stone like he was the only one who contributed.

"Well, Seneschal, I can see why the king picked you. I hardly even noticed this place turn into a party room, a smooth transition I must say." He said after she posed her question. And then the Duke flagged down a waiter for some wine. Dunder grabbed the glass with a wing and threw his head back, nearly knocking his hat off as he slammed the whole glass down.

Afterwards the pegasus cleared his throat, "Good flavor." He said right before the musicians began to play. He looked over at them, "Are there gonna be some quicker songs? I can't dance unless there is a stronger rhythm." He said and chuckled.

The brown stallion looked back at the white unicorn, "Ahhhhh yes. I worked for Candance. Only know her professionally, but she is a lovely presence. Not as lovely as you though." He said and went for another sip of wine, but remembered he was out. "The Empire is nice too. Just a little chilly being so close to then north. Everything feels like it's going to break since it looks like it is already broken." He said and shrugged. "But I love it there, the feeling there is distinct from the rest of Equestria."

[Solaria]

Amorous Rose waited patiently as the royal entourage made its way onto their bit of the rotunda, a small smile playing at her lips. One could practically feel the anticipation in the air around the group, though she was quite relaxed. This would be no different than the nobility she had met countless times in the past, and if the expression on the Prince's face was any indication, he was far more nervous than anyone nearby.

Quite content to wait her turn until the others had introduced herself, Rose inserted herself smoothly into the gap after Starlit Shimmer's flattery.

"Your Royal Highness, I am Amorous Rose," she started calmly. "Would you like to join us? We were just discussing the mystery surrounding the Duke's infamous starstone." As the prince struck her as more an academic type when compared to his companion, she chanced a further question. "Perhaps you would know more about something of the gem's like? I'll admit that I've never heard of anything of the sort."

The mare subtly smoothed her dress as she spoke, not merely for her own benefit but so that Shimmer wouldn't feel as though she was the only one concerned with appearances. Certainly she was more invested in that facet that any aside from their griffon friend, but it didn't hurt to try to put her a bit more at ease. An encouraging, warm smile spread across her face as she awaited the Prince's answer.