Cousins at the Ball, Rhiannon/Fallon

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon had been around the ball, dancing with some of the boys around her age, but when she decided to take a break from dancing she went to seek out her cousin. She hadn't seen much of her family at the ball so far, she had been visiting with others that she wouldn't see for awhile, since her family was leaving Solbra swiftly after this last event. The wedding was imminent, and hopefully at least some of these people would be there.

But she was curious, after that exchange between Fallon and the King during the receiving line, what came of that. She saw Fallon finishing up a conversation with a woman, and came up behind her to catch her when she was done.

[Fallon Sterlyn]

Fallon smiled her last pleasantry at the noblewoman she had been engaged in conversation with, when she turned to go and saw her younger cousin approaching her.

"Rhiannon!" Fallon said with a smile, reaching forward and embracing her cousin. She and her brothers had been so busy individually upon reaching Solbra, she had barely found time to spend with Rhiannon, let alone in the past few months. Malic's untimely passing had put a strain on all relations, and Fallon and her brothers inevitably neglected the time they used to spend with their cousins. "Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked, letting the young woman go and gesturing for the two of them to walk. Fallon didn't like how the close proximity of the ballroom lead to others listening in on her private conversations.

She linked her arm with Rhiannon, stepping away from the dancing crowd to move to a quieter section of the grand ballroom.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon smiled enthusiastically, "Yes, I have been enjoying myself! It's so nice, this event, with everyone here." It was probably her last time at an event this large in Solbra without the responsibilities of being Lady Cromwell, and she had been trying to take advantage of this as much as possible.

As they arrived where Fallon led them, Rhiannon turned to face Fallon. "What about you? Have you been enjoying yourself?"

[Fallon Sterlyn]

"Oh, yes," Fallon said softly. "Of course."

Her thoughts couldn't help but be elsewhere. She led Rhiannon towards one of the massive windows that dotted the walls of the grand ballroom, flung open to let in a breeze for the perspirating nobles. Fallon absently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, enjoying the soft wind cooling her off. The room was so warm, from the dancing and revelry.

"Have you had a chance to see Balthasar? I have not seen him around," Fallon remarked, briefly scanning the room for her cousin's future husband.

[Rhiannon Severne]

"Yes, he's around, we danced earlier," she said, nonchalantly, she was not intending on this conversation being too much about her betrothed. She pointed to where he was in the ballroom.

She got closer to Fallon and whispered, slightly conspiratorially. "Have you seen the King since the receiving line?" She hoped she wasn't being too obvious about how curious she was, but then again, Fallon probably could see right through her.

[Fallon Sterlyn]

Fallon instantly tensed at her cousin's questioning, her face growing warm. She glanced away from Rhiannon, letting her gaze be preoccupied with the trivial meanderings of other nobles.

"... Yes, I have, here and there. Haven't you? He is mingling, just like everybody else," she said softly, her voice hinting on defensive, trying to avoid her cousin's curiosity. Fallon wasn't sure what was going on, and she felt like the less people knew, the better. It was already feeling rather complicated, and she wasn't ready for this. But Fallon should have known she couldn't keep this sort of thing private from Rhiannon.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon laughed warmly, there was no need to any longer pretend she wasn't prying. Fallon had clearly caught on. "Of course I've seen him! Have you spoken to him?"

She hadn't heard what the King had said to Fallon, but had seen him lean in and whisper something to her during the receiving line. Sure, it could be some boring political thing, House Severne was important in that sense, but that would be, well, boring. And Fallon certainly wasn't acting like this was boring.

[Fallon Sterlyn]

"No!" Fallon spoke too sharply, emphasizing the fact that she did not in fact, interact with the King, to the point where it was awkward she reacted so quickly.

"No," she said again, much more softly, turning back to her cousin, her body angle shielding others from their conversation. "We haven't spoken. What would we talk about? He is the King and I am just... me. What are you getting at?" she asked, her tone questioning, trying to throw Rhiannon off her trail.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon smiled. "Fallon, dear, he whispered something at you in the receiving line. Kings don't whisper that often... it's not as if he whispers in Theo's ear every time he needs to discuss taxes!"

The more defensive Fallon got about Rhiannon's questions, the more Rhiannon was convinced this was something she needed to know, which she thought probably wasn't Fallon's intention. She was practically bouncing on her toes from curiosity at this point.

[Fallon Sterlyn]

"He didn't even whisper to me!" Fallon exclaimed, her eyes widening at Rhiannon's persistance. Her cousin was hard to defy. "You are convinced you saw something that was not true. He is just a soft-spoken man who leaned in to tell me something, and it was not secretive."

A little smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "And if you must know..." she said softly, leaning in towards Rhiannon's ear slowly, building up suspense, whispering, "... he said, if that cousin of yours keeps running her mouth, she is going to find herself in a great deal of trouble."

Fallon leaned back and laughed innocently, waiting to see a sharp look from Rhiannon. She couldn't help but resort to playful nature with her cousin.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion before giving up and laughing. "Oh, Fallon, you are very good at avoiding the question, aren't you?"

"If it wasn't so secretive as to need to be whispered, you should be able to tell me the truth of what he said!"

[Fallon Sterlyn]

"You know better than any other how good I am at keeping secrets," Fallon retorted to her cousin, who, much like Naz and Loralynn, was much more like a sister than an obscure family member.

"If you really must know," she conceded finally, turning closer to Rhiannon, as to block their conversation, "he simply inquired about a dance with me at some point this evening. It was very sweet, and something I'm sure he said to every single woman of my age who is at the ball tonight. He is quite the catch, and he knows it." The young woman spoke in a curt tone, as if his singling her out was nothing out of the ordinary.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon raised her eyebrow curiously. "Well, my dear cousin, I did not see him very personally ask anyone else for a dance." She had not heard that the King was specifically looking for a wife at this event, but she supposed it would be the place. What if he really were considering Fallon for a wife? No, Rhiannon was getting far too ahead of herself. But really, Fallon was an ideal match, and she expected there to be some alliance cemented between Sterlyn and Severne this generation... just, she never expected this one. Fallon, the Queen?