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The Dragon Knight (Ren Olvry & AlabasterDragoness)

She laughed somewhat. "Some nobles do like to show off their status thtough their weight," she said. "Quentin's father was definitely larger than him." She still wondered if stories of him being the bastard child of a dying king and an Elven princess were true, although he had sworn up and down that his father married the princess before he was born. Still, he was raised in his grandfather's kingdom and allowed to trapse around the neighboring lands.

The women were certainly startled by Drace and Joanna's sudden appearance. They let an older woman approach.

"Sneaking off again?" she asked Joanna.

"I apologize," Joanna answered as she got to her feet. "I wanted to see the parade."

"Well, you returned just in time. We need to get him dressed for the ball." She motioned for Drace to step forward. "Now, I need to make sure my measurements are correct before I try to put you into anything."
 
"As you wish," Drace sighed slightly, stepping forward so they could start. And holding his arms out, holding his tail and wings up, to a bunch of fussing and scribbling and the like. He couldn't much be called the most pleased about it -- certainly, he'd already stated his general distaste for too much clothing to Joanna on their first meeting -- but it was, as they said, a necessary evil.

"Real quick," one of the other, somewhat younger, women spoke, glancing over to the dragon's wings in particular. "How do you... you know. Shirts and the like," she asked, motioning to those very same wings.

"I don't," he huffed, before exhaling another slight sigh. His best behavior... right. Besides, he was in human lands, so of course he'd have to follow human customs... as much as he could manage. "The wings. If I must wear something, I slip them over the wings, and deal with the rest from there," he replied, in turn folding his wings tightly into themselves, to a point where it would indeed be rather easy to slide something over them.

"And... the flowers, then? Are those... something we should match to?" the woman asked in turn, drawing, it seemed, a few more eyes to where a flower yet lingered behind each ear where Joanna had put them before.

"That... you would have to ask her," he replied, with a small tilt of his head toward Joanna. "It was her idea to put them there," he added. Yet he'd still let them remain there all the same, something a few of them seemed to easily realize judging by the little giggles that just managed to escape.

"This is the big, tough knight that we've heard came back with you?" the woman asked, turning over to Joanna while otherwise starting to go to work on a few other things now that the measurements were done.
 
Joanna listened as Drace went back and forth with the tailor and her assistants. As he was teased, she pursed her lips. "Leave him alone. I wanted him to look festive for the parade." While it was amusing, she wouldn't have her tailor tease him like that.

As the tailor went to work, she held up fabrics of various colors to Drace and showed them to Joanna.

"Hm... let's try red," suggested Joanna.

The tailor quickly located a red shirt with a gold accent and had Drace raise his arms so she could slip it on.
 
"Y-yes, of course. I apologize," the woman offered, her and the few others quickly enough getting back to focusing on work. With that, Drace otherwise idly watched, a slight hum escaping him in time at the suggestion, and the shirt offered. That way, then... not his favorite, by any stretch, but he could deal with it for now. So he folded his wings tightly against his back this time, making sure not to otherwise express his displeasure as he raised an arm to let the tailor start to slip the shirt on. It was... a slightly tight fit, perhaps -- not something he himself was much surprised about, given his own, well, bulk -- but could have been manageable.

"A bit of adjusting, I think should do the trick," the tailor suggested once it was on and at least partly buttoned, the dragon yet trying not to show that he didn't exactly enjoy it, even if that was a bit, well, forced. With that, though, at least after a short time, the shirt was to come just as quickly off of him, perhaps for those adjustments, he could only imagine.

"Only for today... right?" Drace asked, grumbling slightly as the tailors otherwise went to work, making sure all the measurements would be good and that they could, well, accommodate for his tail and wings as needed. At the least, though, he could certainly give them credit for some quickness, the shirt returned soon enough after those careful adjustments to make sure it would fit a bit better, the dragon this time prompting them back a bit, so they could start over his wings and let him carefully slip it on from there, finding that it did at least seem to fit better this time... though he still didn't enjoy wearing it.

"How's this?" asked one of the women that were helping work on things, giving a little motion toward the shirt itself, and prepared to keep up a bit of quick, ready work until they found something that would be suitable.
 
Joanna watched as the tailor made quick work on the adjustments and had the shirt on him once more. She let her eyes trail his upper half, knowing he wasn't overly thrilled with having to wear a shirt. "It's only for today, Drace," she said.

"It looks on him," she added, directing her attention to the tailor. "The color brings out his eyes."

The other women giggled and had their gaze go between their queen and Drace. The giggling ceased when Joanna cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "We won't say anything, my lady," one said.

"Now, we need to get you into your dress," the tailor announced. "I heard Prince Quentin will be coming."

"That doesn't mean anything." As the door to her room was opened, she sighed. "I'll be back, Drace."
 
So it was. Good. He could at least tolerate it for an afternoon; much longer than that, and he might well be tempted to tear it off. Even still, though, Drace couldn't help the slightly embarrassed look at Joanna's next comment, that only seemed to spur on the giggling a little before it was stopped by the queen herself, cut off likewise by the next task they'd need to take care of.

"Of course; I'll just be out on the balcony for now," Drace offered with a small nod, watching the tailors quickly gather up a bunch of the cloth and other things before leaving with Joanna to her own attached room. Making good on that little promise, he couldn't help but grumble slightly and adjust his shirt just a little... but there it would stay, until he could do otherwise.

And in Joanna's room, as the tailors went to work, the woman that had done a bit of the teasing earlier spoke up. "I-if... I may. I meant no offense earlier. We were just expecting someone, well..." she trailed off, trying to think of what the right word might be, though there were many that could fit. "That is, it's... comforting to see that he's like this," she concluded, opting to just leave that particular point alone. "Now... what shall we have done for you real quick?" she asked, her and the rest getting to work, some seemingly fussing over the mentioned prince a little.
 
Joanna sighed as one of the tailor's assistants apologized for earlier and said that she was glad that Drace was the way he was. "Yes. Unlike some other men I know." When asked what could be done for her, she pulled out a dark red gown and held it up to her frame. "Could you add something to this?"

"Oh?" asked the tailor.

Joanna trifled through a small drawer and held out a belt encrusted with gold and emeralds. "Is there a way to incorporate this into the corset?"

"Yes, Your Grace." The tailor quickly shortened the belt and sewed it into the corset; she even took the time to add gold threading to the sides and handed the gown to Joanna. "You're going to show it to the knight?"

The women couldn't help their giggles.

Once she had her gown on, she put on a small emerald necklace and walked out to Drace's balcony. Her hair was pulled back into a half ponytail and a silver crown sat upon her brow. Most of her fingers were adorned with rings of various colors and sizes of stones.
 
Even just hearing the door, Drace's ears perked up a little in interest. For now, though, he didn't yet move much, his eyes focused curiously on the seeming comings and goings from afar; the bits of sounds he could catch, the few carriages and the like he could see traveling through the roads. Not for too much longer, though, the dragon soon enough glanced over to Joanna when she reached the balcony, his eyes widening slightly. A general distaste for clothes or no, well...

"You, erm..." he paused, perhaps trying not to stammer his words out... or perhaps just deciding if he should. "You look beautiful," he opted to go ahead and just say, a somewhat embarrassed little grin forming on his face, his ears otherwise flicking a little even in trying to ignore the bit of further giggling from off to the side that followed.

"Shall we get going soon, then? It's looked to me like people should be arriving shortly, and well... perhaps the sooner they see me, the less we may have people worrying?" he suggested. "Besides, moving a little may help make this feel a bit less... uncomfortable," he grumbled slightly in turn, glancing down to the shirt and reaching up to give it another ever so slight adjustment. It wasn't something he could see himself enjoying or even getting used to, but he could deal with it, for now.
 
As Drace told her how she looked and widened his eyes, Joanna smiled softly, ignoring the giggles behind her. "Thank you." She placed a hand on his arm before seeing that the guests were beginning to arrive, including Quentin.

"Yes, I suppose we should get going." She lifted his arm. "It's customary to offer your arm for a lady." Smiling again, she slipped her arm around his and led him out to thr hallway where they began to trek to the ballroom downstairs.

A man sighed as he opened a scroll and began to announce those who entered. "Presenting her royal highness, Queen Joanna Alexandria Meghan Hortensia Draco of our beloved Thesdria, and accompanying her, Sir Drace of Draconus."

All eyes fell on them as the descended the stairway. Joanna held her head high as she watched everyone give her a curtsy or bow.

"Presenting his highness, Prince Quentin Eli'thera Saahaelo Angelo Fi'rir."

Quentin followed behind Joanna and stopped at her side. "Oh, good," he said, "I thought-"

"You could've waited a few more minutes," she sneered.
 
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Feeling Joanna lift his arm — something Drace still offered no resistance to — the dragon gave a small nod, his head tilting curiously. One of no doubt several customs he’d not been able to get to just that morning... but certainly harmless enough. With that, he gave a small nod to the tailors before following along, a light sigh escaping him on the way as he tried to prepare himself for a scenario he very much wasn’t used to.

Down the stairs, then, with their queen beside him, and receiving much the amount of odd and curious looks he’d expected. He’d not much expected this Quentin to come so soon... nor Joanna’s reaction. For his own part, though, he fixed the man with much the same cold stare that had originally regarded Joanna.

“As she says. If you’ll excuse us, we have arrangements,” Drace offered. Well... they didn’t, not exactly, but that was no matter to him as he started to lead off to the side... for, it seemed, another he didn’t much care to see, who it seemed had been there before them.

“Dear sister, please,” Sebastian quietly pleaded as he rushed up to them, his eyes avoiding Drace. “Everyone is looking to see you with Prince Quentin, not... your dragon. The first dance of the ball, potential arrangements... something,” he all but insisted.
 
As Joanna and Drace continued to walk together, they were approached by Sebastain. Joanna sighed to herself and regarded her brother. "And I've already made it clear that I am not pursuing Quentin," she told him. "Drace is here for my protection."

"My dearest lady, please," begged Quentin. "I've come all the way from Gahaalo just to-"

"And yet, you can't take 'no' for an answer." She shook her head and directed Drace's path toward a small group of nobles. "I will be ready for marriage when I am ready."

Quentin sighed to himself and looked at Sebastian. "Shall I have her gifts brought in shortly? Perhaps that will help sway her. And... where did the dragon come from?"
 
Honestly... just as Joanna had suggested previously, these nobles could be persistent, so far as to even follow them over, couldn't they? A slight huff could hardly help but escape Drace under his breath, and his stare certainly had some coldness to it... but for now, at least, he could play nice. Follow the rules, put on a good, or at least passable, face; it was nothing so new to him, really. Merely that now he was surrounded by people he didn't know much about in general.

Still, he was more than content to let Joanna lead the way soon enough, his ears flicking up as that last question of Quentin's -- he and Sebastian both apparently intent on keeping after them -- might as well have been directed to him.

"I," Drace spoke up, pointedly cutting off Sebastian as he was about to speak, "came from Draconus, the nearest dragon kingdom. Here by means of a truce," he replied for his own part, though he didn't feel the need to go into the specifics of it; only enjoy whatever reaction he might get, at least until Sebastian cut in.

"A knight," the queen's brother was to quickly assure.

"...and there will be no swaying here, so long as we have a say in it," Drace himself pointedly added, his voice rising a little. "She is not a prize to win over; she is a person. So try talking to her first," he huffed, taking a moment to glance around a little at the pause in much of the chatter, the shocked faces. Were he to be honest, it was much the reaction he'd wanted... though he did cast a slightly worried glance over to Joanna by his side all the same, in case he might have overstepped.
 
Joanna remained silent as Drace turned to address both Quentin and Sebastian, nearly smirking at their reactions. She said nothing as Drace gave her a glance and finally looked at Quentin.

"If you would actually give a woman her space, perhaps you would've been married by now."

"Joanna, I-" Quentin paused before he sighed. "I hope to speak to you later." While drace was a hit of nuisance, he decided it would be best to try and approach you again when she woulf sneak away from the ball.

Meanwhile, Joanna had Drace walk with her to greet some of the guests, who gave Drace anything from a look of surprise to a shocked expression. She kept glancing over her shoulder as Quentin floated from one group to another. "Thank you for making him keep his distance," she whispered to Drace. "But knowing him, he'll try to get everyone's attention and do something for me."
 
Blinking in surprise at Joanna's next comment, Drace quickly had to suppress what threatened to be the widest smirk he would've yet worn... not to mention what would've been a fit of chuckling, that was instead masked by clearing his throat a little. Of course he knew she didn't need him to speak up or say too much -- she was perfectly capable on her own, she'd well proven to him especially. But hearing something like that from her made it all the sweeter.

Like that, then, he was certain to keep his own composure, politely greeting those they went around to greet just like he might have back home -- as a dignified knight, for all intents and purposes. Soon enough, though, his ears flicked up again to help catch Joanna's whispering, a little smirk starting to tug at the edges of his lips. "Me? I'd dare say you're the one that really chased him off," he suggested with a little chuckle, his ears flicking up again as some music began, and people started to shuffle along the floor to clear out a bit of space for it.

"Hm... shall we get some food and perhaps a drink for now? If they're going to come back and insist on that first dance, well... one can't very well dance while eating, can they?" he thoughtfully suggested, before making a somewhat odd face as he considered another possible option. "That, or I could just as well... 'steal away' that first dance. Make something of an embarrassment of myself as well, I imagine, but it could help deflate them a little," he suggested in turn.
 
Joanna chuckled. "Yes, maybe that will be enough to drive him away. But knowing him, he'll likely try something else. He has called for everyone's attention before." As music began to fill the room, she nodded. "I could use a drink." So far, Quentin was on the far side of the room with Sebastian... no doubt plotting a way to once again ask for the honor of courting her.

As they went to get a drink, Joanna noticed that Quentin left. No need to worry about him for the time being.

One noblewoman walked up to Joanna and curtsied. "Your Grace." Her eyes went for Drace for a moment. "Your fiance, I assume?"

"Oh no!" said Joanna. "He's my personal knight from Draconus. He only arrived yesterday."
 
With a little nod, Drace followed along with Joanna for now, making certain to get a drink of his own once they were there. Exhaling another thoughtful little hum as he glanced over the crowd, and some dancing starting to begin -- no further chance for them taking the first dance of the ball, he supposed -- his ears soon flicked up a little as a woman approached them, an odd sound escaping the dragon at the suggestion that he was her fiance.

"Drace, a former head knight of Draconus; a pleasure," the dragon offered with a slight smile and polite bow in turn, ever able to keep up appearances as he needed to. "I apologize if the, ah... mild outburst earlier might have given the wrong impression on that point," he somewhat awkwardly added, before letting out a light, somewhat calming breath.

"If I may, though... you don't seem like you'd have had a problem with it if I was?" he could hardly help but curiously ask, not really meaning anything by it, but simply feeling out what his reception here might be like, especially after that little event.
 
"Duchess Regina." Regina curtsied for Drace. "No need to apologize. Quentin is little eager to try and have his way with her majesty. Always has." She raised a brow when Drace asked if she would take issue if he were to be engaged to Joanna. "It's not my place to say who she should marry. I will stand by her no matter who she chooses."

Joanna mustered a small smile. "Thank you."

Regina turned when someone called out for her. "Please excuse me. My husband's worried I left him." Laughing to herself, she walked over to her husband who was surrounded by younger nobles wanting to regale in his war stories.

"I suppose she would have an issue with Quentin," Joanna said when she turned back to Drace. "She's never pressed the matter about my not taking a husband."
 
Another decent one, then, so it appeared; perhaps one of the few Joanna did get along with, going off a comment that morning, but who knew. At the least, she seemed decent enough to him, even for as little in general as he knew about humans, or how really to judge some of them. Giving a small nod as Regina had to walk off, Drace curiously watched over that direction for a few moments before his attention was turned back to Joanna.

"So it would seem. One of the good ones, then, shall I guess?" he asked with a curious little tilt of his head. "Although, well, after earlier, I imagine there may well be others with the same thought of what I might be," he mused, somewhat nervously scratching a little at the back of his head. It would... perhaps prove its own minor difficulty, he could only imagine... but enough of them seemed like they might have been just as well casually avoiding him that perhaps it wouldn't be too much of an issue. Then there was the floor, and the music slowing down some... well, maybe...

"At some risk of perpetuating that idea, and so that I can say I've at least... tried to fit in a bit more, and show that I'm certainly not a threat... might I trouble you for a dance? I make no promise of my abilities on the floor, besides that I won't be stepping on any feet; I can make certain of at least that much," he suggested, likely at his own expense. Though he could at least take some small comfort that there appeared to be at least a few others around who were perhaps... not so adept at dancing, even a slow dance.
 
Joanna nodded. "She's always been one of the good ones. Her husband helped me facilitate peace talks with Jarus. Having him there really helped since since I was his apprentice of sorts for being a diplomat."

At his request to dance, she smiled and tried not to giggle to much. "I thought you'd never ask." Leafing him to the center of the dance floor, she positioned him to face her and placed on of his hand on her waist while holding the other.

"Will you object to me leading?"
 
Ah... so they were part of the whole arrangement, were they? Perhaps he'd have to... well, thank them later, in all truth. While he'd been quite unhappy with the whole matter just at first, it could easily have been said that he'd done a fair bit of changing his mind, on several matters.

"I was tempted not to, I can assure you," Drace offered with a slight smirk. Letting Joanna otherwise lead the way along -- to the center of the floor, much as he might have feared -- he just as well let her lead the way further, keeping her hand, and her hip, in a careful grip for where she led his hands.

"You'll find no objections to that here. Just, well... go easy on me. As I've said, I haven't exactly done much of this sort of thing before," he requested, putting on an embarrassed little grin and trying not to be, well... too stiff. Little enough that he'd at least be able to follow along with her movements, if somewhat awkwardly, his long tail even giving the occasional little swish behind him.
 
Smiling, she began to slowly move about the floor. Seeing his tail swish behind him put a smile on her face as she led him gracefully around the ballroom.

"Can you believe this?" Quentin asked Sebastian as he watched from afar in disdain. "How can she allow herself to dance with him? Their lands just ended a war and they act like nothing has happened." His blood began to boil as Joanna seemed to laugh to herseof as Drace tried his best to match her movements.
 
A bit at a time, a step at a time... well, Drace could at least mostly match that much, or at least try. Never minding even that the space was clearing out a bit more for the queen and the fairly larger dragon that served now as her knight; the knight himself, at least, was rather too focused on making sure his steps were in place as much as they could be, and Joanna guiding him along, to really notice. Though there could be little doubt really that most eyes were now on them, for as much as they otherwise stood out... including with the still embarrassed little grin on the dragon's face, content that he hopefully wasn't making too much of a spectacle of himself with her aid.

"My dear sister favors him somehow. I'd said much the same yesterday when they arrived here, and she insisted he be treated with respect," Sebastian, elsewhere, huffed in turn, casting a glare of his own at the dragon in particular that his sister had not only brought along, but went so far as to defend. "I'd heard they were even nowhere to be found when the tailors were looking for them, and now this. There's more to this she's not saying," he suggested. So he could only suspect, at least, even just given his first little meeting, of a sort, with the dragon.
 
"I see you're getting used to this," she told him as more people made space for them to move freely. Ignoring the surprised whispers among the onlookers, she kept her eyes on Drace as she gently squeezed his arm with one hand. "You know, we can always make time for you to practice when nobody's around." If she were so bold, she would have taken this dance a step further just our of spite of Quentin. Though it would be better to wait things out and see where everything went.

"Is that so?" Quentin darted his eyes between Joanna and Drace. "Perhaps he has already bewitched her. I would have thought she'd have more sense than that." If he were to try to interrupt the dance now, he would likely be humiliated. But after it ended...

Joanna kept her dancing simple enough for Deace to imitate. Already, she was eager to slip away, though it would be another hour or so before the sun began to set.
 
"Maybe just a little," Drace offered with a slight shrug, his head giving a slight tilt at her next suggestion. It was not perhaps his favorite thing in the world, but at the same time...

"I believe I'll have to take you up on that. If I'm to remain here, and there's to be more such events... I will have to be at least a little more used to things," he replied with a small nod. "When nobody's around, though; I can only handle so much staring," he added, allowing himself a little chuckle. Of course, there inevitably would be over time regardless... but only so much, for now.

"Perhaps so; who can tell with these things," Sebastian snorted. What she might see in the creature was a different matter... but he, at least, wasn't going to simply let it slide. "The gifts I've heard of, then... as that has nothing to offer, she should at least realize that much," he suggested.

For Drace's part meanwhile, then... he was at least having a bit of an easier time of things than he had been. Though it seemed the music was steadily winding down -- slow as it already had been -- the dragon seeming to muse on something, at least for a moment. "Seeing as this dance may be ending soon, then... I've heard you humans... 'twirl' your partners? It wouldn't be too much to see how that may work, I hope?" he curiously asked.
 
She nodded as Drace said he would prefer to practice without others staring at him. When he asked if he could twirl her, she lifted his arm and let their fingertips touch as she twirled in a small circle. With that, the music ended and the guests applauded.

"You haven't even see the gifts I brought," said Quentin. "Watch." He walked out to the center of the ballroom as Joanna and Drace made their way back to get a drink. "Attention everyone!"

Joanna could groan in frustration.

"I have been coming from my kingdom for twelve years now in hopes of winning Queen Joanna's heart and hand. I have brought gifts with me." Clapping his hands once, his persomal servants brought out a chest full of jewels and fine silk gowns as he pulled Joanna from Drace. "I need her for a moment," he sneered.

"Is this necessary?" asked Joanna.

"I've given you enough space this evening." Taking her hand into his, he turned to the guests. "I would like to take this time to say that Joanna is the most beautiful woman in the land. I have loved her from the moment I first laid eyss on her. And I would like to ask her to become my wife in front of all of you-"

"And why should I accept when you have been disrespectful to me and everyone in this room the entire evening?"

"I meant no offense-"

She glared at him as her eyes seemingly burned into his soul. "The answer is no."

"But-" He felt her yank her hand from his as the guests shook their heads and few tried to stifle their laughter.

"Please ignore his outburst," she told everyone. "As you were."
 
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