Who's the Fairest One of All? (9/21, during the feast, Rhiannon/ Sommara/ Aurora/ Tempest/ Horatia/ Rosalie)

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon’s escort took her out of the ballroom near to the end. It was rather strange, having a guard to just escort you to the powder room. She snuck a glance at the Sterlyn table as she walked out of the ballroom, but not too long as to raise suspicion. It was difficult. But she had no interest in any fairest maiden competition that didn’t have Auron as the only judge.

She wasn’t with all the other girls - just some of them. Aurora, Tempest Castell, Horatia Ashpool, Rosalie Letalis, and... Sommara. Rhiannon wouldn’t soon forget watching Sommara run from the site of Rhiannon and Auron’s first kiss. She didn’t exactly want to speak to her, but she wasn’t going to sit in this room in silence. “So... Old Ashpool Wedding Tradition, huh? Does anyone know what we’ll have to do?

Rhiannon looked in a mirror, hanging on the wall. She supposed she looked nice enough - she never thought much about her looks, especially before Auron had told her she was beautiful. She had to admit the Severne green worked well for her coloring. There was a bit of sadness in this thought - but the Etny banner had green in it too, right? Oh, she wasn’t meant to think about any of this tonight. She just had to primp herself up for some silly competition.

[Sommara Ashpool]

Sommara watched the ladies file into the room after she came in. No way. Seriously?!? Rhiannon was in the same damn room!? How in the entire land of Forsilvra had that managed to happen!? Regardless, Sommara smiled politely, moving closer to Horatia, feeling more comfortable standing by her little sister than even being on the same half of the room as Rhiannon...that little harlot. And Raine, that bitch! It had to have been her idea! Sommara was certain of that much.

"Oh, I just hope Raine doesn't keep us cooped up in here too long," Sommara said, glancing over at Horatia and refusing to refer to that bitch as aunt. Her eyes rounded over the rest of the ladies. Tempest Castell, another slight. Rosalie Letalis, nobody she even really knew, so that didn't matter.

"Well, perhaps we should get comfortable and have ourselves a drink?" Sommara suggested, taking up the role of playing hostess for the time being. A decanter of wine, as well as other bottles, sat on the parlor counter, waiting to be poured and consumed. Damn it all to hell, where were the servants?! Sommara wasn't about to service anybody here, not even her own self.

[Aurora Letalis]

Aurora walked with her escort, confused and a little bit suspicious. She had gotten a look around the room as she'd left, and noticed a good number of eligible girls weren't called. So why only some? And then they were separated again, into two groups. What was this woman planning, anyhow? Still, though, Aurora kept her face neutral, the image of the perfect princess.

And of all the girls to be grouped with, Aurora had to be in the same group as Sommara. She held no love for her brother's betrothed, but still, she had to play nice. However, playing nice didn't necessarily mean she had to talk to her. It was obvious that Sommara was trying to avoid Rhiannon from how she moved quickly away, and so lest Rhiannon's question go unanswered, Aurora walked up beside her. "I've never heard of anything like this...especially at a wedding. Shouldn't everyone's attention be on the bride and groom? It seems an odd time to have a competition of this nature."

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie didn't like this at all. Not one bit. It was bad enough that they had to leave the party in front of everyone, but now to be separated from Ramira made her feel absolutely and totally paranoid. She had tried to stay with he cousin, but the escorts had made sure to keep them apart. And now she was stuck in a room with nobody she knew. What kind of primping contest was this, anyway?

She kept silent as the other girls felt the need to fill the silence with useless words. Something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was just yet. And so she stood and waited for whatever came next, be it instruction on the contest or a catfight between the women in the room.

[Tempest Castell]

No one had respect for women, not even other women. Being dragged around like an object or an animal was insulting to Tempest, but no surprise as that was how she’d been treated most of her life. She resisted standing up at first, but then found herself following along with the rest of the girls. She wanted to pull a Loralynn, and throw wine on Raine’s face in defiance. The wrath of Victor would be worth it, and she doubted he was fond of Raine.

Besides, it was not like Evelyn would ever pick me[/i], she thought to herself as she and some of the other girls were ushered into a private room. Looking around, Tempest noticed that not everyone was here, and she was stuck with probably the worst of the bunch. Rhiannon, she gave to mind to, but Sommara? Ugh. And Aurora, perfect little princess. Rosalie... Well, Tempest didn’t know much about her.

“Who cares?” She said pointedly to Aurora overhearing her question to Rhiannon, wondering why it even mattered. It’s not as if there were weddings with the Ashpool’s that often included others. Before this, Tempest had never attended an Ashpool wedding. “Wouldn’t Sommara know, she is an Ashpool after,” Tempest said, casting a sharp glance at Sommara.

[Sommara Ashpool]

Sommara glanced over in Tempest's direction before she decided to respond. “In all truth, I'm not familiar with this game and I've no memories of ever playing such a game at any weddings,” she responded, walking over to the decanter and pouring herself a cup of wine. She drank it on down, and then refilled the cup, drinking more.

“Then again, most of the Ashpool weddings I've been to I was young, so might be that I didn't remember, or was already sleeping when it happened,” Sommara continued, before finishing off that cup of wine too.

Oh damn, that last cup of wine was finally settling in and Sommara felt her head starting to spin, just a little bit. Suddenly, a sense of invincibility washed over her and she turned her attentions to Rhiannon. “So,” Sommara said, feeling the false bravado of alcohol infusing her. “Is Auron a good kisser? I just want to know what I have to look forward to on my wedding night,” she finished, glaring at Rhiannon and not caring that she might have let the cat out of the bag.

If the harlot didn't want people to know she was engaging in such activity, then maybe she should have kept her hands to herself.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Gods above, Rhiannon did not want to deal with this. Stuck in a room with not only Sommara but Auron's sister too? And certainly Sommara's sister would back her up, and she had no connection to either the Castell girl or the Letalis girl.

What was she to say? There was no good answer, plus, she'd be surprised if everyone didn't know already anyway. Fallon's injury was the talk of the town, surely someone had spilled. "Yes," she said, simply, looking Sommara straight in the eye as if to say I have no interest in these games. Then, she went back to her knitting she had stashed in her pocket. Did Sommara Ashpool really think she could hurt Rhiannon, at this point? After what Rhiannon had been through with Balthasar's treason?

Plus, Sommara didn't know what had happened only three nights ago...

[Aurora Letalis]

Oh for fuck's sake, did that brainless twat really have to start this now? It was all Aurora could do to keep from rolling her eyes visibly. If there was ever a situation where she couldn't choose sides, it was this one...especially since if she ever had to, she'd probably pick Rhiannon. Well...not really probably. Definitely. She didn't know much about the Severne girl, but she had to be better than the blonde twit.

Taking up a hairbrush, she looked in the mirror and began to brush the ends of her curls. If they were here to primp and perfect their look, there was no use in just standing around waiting for a catfight to start. At least this way she was out of the way, and could pretend to not pay attention.

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie leaned against the wall away from the door, which just so happened to be away from Sommara, too. She had no desire to be around this girl if she was just going to down the wine like it was water, so if she had to be stuck in a room with her, she'd at least be as far from her as she could. Thankfully she wasn't too familiar with these women; sure, she knew who they were, but they didn't know her personally, and so she didn't have to engage in any sort of conversation.

She tugged at her dress, making sure the wrinkles from sitting were smoothed out. Impatience was setting in, and she wished she could adjust the many under layers to her skirts without being indecent. Oh well; there was no chance of her winning, anyway, with the princess here. And the soon to be queen in the competition, too, if memory served. At least she might look pretty for Kaedon, though.

[Sommara Ashpool]

“Oh well, I guess it's not too difficult to admit you're a harlot after the whole kingdom knows,” Sommara added, raising her eyebrows before glancing over at Horatia, who was busy skimming the walls. “What are you doing?” she asked her sister, suddenly a crinkle of concern on her brows, the snide expression gone and replaced instead by confusion.

“I'm looking for another way out,” Horatia replied.

“Why?” Sommara wondered, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, the words shared with Rhiannon already apparently forgotten. Sometimes Horatia was just...so far out there.

“Because,” Horatia replied as-of-matter-of-factly, “The door is barred in case you didn't notice...since you were too busy bickering. Anyhow, something's not right. I heard screaming from what I think may have come from the direction of the feast hall. So if you can be bothered enough to stop your petty conversation, then maybe you can help find another way out?” She turned back to the wall, continuing in her search.

Sommara sighed, now rolling her eyes. Was she serious? Honestly? Sommara figured she might as well pour herself another drink...that was until she herself heard a scream and the clatter of steel on steel became apparent for what it was. Putting down the glass, Sommara turned to the rest of the group of girls.

“Well, maybe we should listen to Horatia,” Sommara suggested, approaching one of the bookshelves, which had a curtain draped about the side. If there was some sort of secret passage, Sommara thought it should be here, around this curtain, or behind it.

Sure enough, there was a gap behind the bookshelf. “I think I found something,” she said, turning to Horatia. Her little sister approached, eying the location.

“I think you did something right that doesn't involve embroidery or dancing,” Horatia jested, poking around behind the curtain. “We should move the shelf and leave this parlor.”

Sommara nodded her head, glancing about at the other girls. “Help us move this shelf. We have to get out of here.”

[Tempest Castell]

Well, Sommara’s answer was so no good. Before Tempest could process the situation any further, though, Sommara had chosen to stir up drama with Rhiannon. Oh boy, she thought to herself, wondering how it was going to go. One thing Tempest didn’t want was to be stuck in a room with a bunch of catty, fighting girls... or maybe she did. Tempest didn’t know why Sommara was so upset, what Auron did was typical of men.

Tempest was at least glad that Horatia was here, since she seemed to be the only girl who had a brain. As the girl began to look for another way out, Tempest silently began to look as well. She didn’t want to be stuck in this room for any longer than she had to, and she was beginning to worry that they hadn’t been released yet.

“I’ll help,” Tempest replied when they discovered something by the bookshelf. Walking over, Tempest moved to the side of the bookcase. “What are you all waiting for? Don’t you want to get out of here?” She asked, motioning for them to come help.

[Rhiannon Severne]

Rhiannon worried about the screams. Had the rest of the feast been attacked? Why were they here? Was everyone alright? There'd been an attack on the King, was this another one? And if this was an attack on the King... was it also an attack on the third in line for the throne? What if Theo and Kaedon had tried to protect Alrik, or come for her and Fallon?

Ugh. Tempest was right. She should just go move the bookshelf. With the added force of her and Tempest, the bookshelf moved aside, revealing the opening that Sommara had seen.

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie cringed as she heard another scream from outside their door. She couldn't imagine what was going on out there...all she could do was to hope that her family was alright. Ramira was somewhere in a similar situation to herself, she assumed, but everyone else? Remy, Rollo, hell, she was even worried for her brother and sister. And all their banners had been there, too. And Kaedon! Oh, by the gods, if Kaedon was in trouble...what if they never got to see each other again? After their promises...but no, she couldn't think like that. If these twats could do something productive, goddamnit so could she.

The tunnel that they'd found was dark, tiny, and terrifying...but it was hard to say where it led, and where the worst danger was: here, waiting for whatever that old bitch had planned for them, or there, in the darkness, wherever it would take them. Reaching beneath her skirts, her hands easily found the sheath she always wore, three shiny throwing daggers contained therein. She had gotten used to wearing them while she was out in the woods at home, but wearing it at court was more habit than anything; now she was glad she'd never gotten caught with them.

She unsheathed one, pulling it into the light. "Is anyone else armed? These won't do much, but if they're all we'll have they'll have to work. Horatia, do you have any idea where this tunnel may go? Or whereabouts we are at all?" It's not like they had been blindfolded when they'd been brought here...one of the Ashpools must know at least the vague area of the castle they were in.

[Aurora Letalis]

Aurora listened hard at the door while the other girls searched for a way out. The clatter she could hear was terrifying; screaming and crying, the clanging of steel...it sounded like the whole room was getting torn apart. And it could have been, for all she knew. She just hoped everyone important survived. It was too much to hope, of course...with the sounds out there, it sounded like nobody would make it out alive.

But the girls were right, and it was time to take charge. And oh, she would eat a slug before she would let anyone say she was "rescued" by Sommara. Looking around the room, she noticed Rosalie had a knife in her hand. It was a little disturbing to think she'd had it the whole time, but she was from Strom. It made the princess wonder what else she would come across when she was living there. If your husband to be survives, that is, her mind chimed in. She shushed her inner pessimist and kept her hands moving.

Going over to Rosalie, she extended her hand and asked for the knife. The girl looked her up and down, and then handed it to her, handle first. Not that it had much of a handle; the knife was one solid piece, with no ornamentation or added frills. It was strange, but it would work. She walked over to the curtains that hung over the walls to make the room appear softer, and, finding them to her liking, she took the knife to one, making a slit from as high as she could reach down to the floor. Tearing that loose, she grabbed one of the hairbrushes from the vanity, making sure it was one of the ones with the excessively long handle she had never understood. Then the cloth got wound around it, as she'd pictured from the stories she'd read. Surely this was how it was done...right? She doused the whole thing in brandy and, holding it far from her, held it over the flame of a candle.

The bit of cloth caught, hissing angrily as the brandy caught, but soon it was calmed down enough to bring near people. Holding the torch above her head, she held the knife in her hand and went past the girls gathered around the opening. "I'll go first. Sommara, Horatia, if you'd stay close to me, maybe you'll recognize where we are. Rosalie, you and your daggers cover the rear. Hopefully we can get out of here before they notice we're gone." She ducked in the small passageway, the light of the torch flickering against the blackness as she moved slowly, not waiting for anyone to object.

[Sommara Ashpool]

Sommara watched as they all grouped up together and proceeded to follow Aurora out through the tiny, dark and small passageway. Aurora's make-shift torch cast only so much light as Sommara followed directly behind her, with Horatia, Tempest, Rhiannon and Rosalie bringing up the rear. The passage wound about, a corner here, another turn there, and it was obviously following the structure of the rooms. Eventually, they came upon a huge door, of sorts and at once, Sommara's dim little light went off.

"Horatia! Look!" she exclaimed, pushing past Aurora as she moved to the wall before them. This was a painting from behind. "I've been here before!" Sommara said, excited that she recognized the place. By the gods, how many ages ago had it been?

"It's been a while for you, hasn't it?" Horatia asked, reaching forth and pushing a lever, obviously no stranger to the area. "I've been here too, but never from the parlor. Interesting..."

Sommara didn't care whatever else Horatia had to say. Instead, she pushed the painting opened and stepped down onto the little table and hopped from there into the empty hallway, which stretched out before her, T-ing off into other directions. Down the hallway and to the right was the feast hall...take a left for some bedrooms and more parlors. Sommara knew they'd have to go left to escape the mess.

"Come on!" she whispered waiting for everybody to get out of the passageway before she proceeded to walk quickly down the hall. As the group of women came to the T-intersection of the hallway, they encountered a group of Ashpool soldiers.

"Thank the gods! We're saved!" Sommara said, a wave of relief washing over her. "What is going on?" Sommara asked, obviously addressing the men. "We heard screams and..."

"That's not all you're going to hear." Sommara stopped talking, obviously stunned for a moment. Had she heard correctly? But it was already too late, the false guards had surrounded and infiltrated their own little group of ladies and Sommara's head whipped about when she heard one of the girls scream, "Get your hands off me!"

Sommara's own wrists were grabbed harshly as she was yanked forward. "Get away from me!" she said, struggling, but to no avail. "I am Sommara Ashpool and I command you to release me," she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. By the gods, had they all gone mad?!

"I am Sommara Ashpool and I command you to release me!" the man mocked, laughing as he threw her to one of the side couches, grabbing her ankle in the same shot. Sommara kicked and tried to slap, but to no avail. "You command no one, you little bitch and I don't work for you," the guard hissed, grabbing her other kicking ankle and pulling her legs about his waist as he leaned into her, capturing her wrists in a vice-like grip.

Sommara screamed for help, but all the other girls had their own problems, each already pre-occupied with a hazard hot on their hands. "Nobody's coming for you," he hissed through yellowed and crooked teeth, reeking of alcohol and onions. The guard captured both her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head, pressing them down hard and onto the couch. Sommara screamed again, tears free-flowing down the sides of her eyes as she realized exactly what was going to happen to her now. Fear and terror roiled in her tummy as she bucked and squirmed, but he wasn't letting his little golden prize go.

He dove with his face between Sommara's breasts, laughing and licking, tearing at the bodice with his crooked teeth. His stubbly beard raked her skin as if somebody had run a horse brush across the tops of her breasts. "Perfect tits," he muttered, licking across the mounds and in the cleavage. Suddenly, Sommara felt his hand on her thigh, hiking up her skirts. By the gods! NO! She couldn't do this! Absolutely not!

"Please stop!" Sommara pleaded, hiccupping with fear through her tears. "I beg of you!" Thank the gods she still had her petticoats and bloomers on, ample fabric to cause confusion and entanglement.

"Did you hear that lads?!" he asked, glancing over at his other guards, obviously not listening. "She begs me!" He turned his attentions back to her. "I love it when little bitches beg me," he hissed, as a cynical smirk crossed his lips. Without warning, he bit down on her breast. Sommara screamed yet again, crumbling into tears.

How had this happened?! How had it all gone so wrong?!

[Rhiannon Severne]

A guard grabbed Rhiannon, and she fought him tooth and nail, screaming and kicking at whatever she could manage. She was not going to suffer some horrible fate herself, not after what they had all been through, what she had been through. She was sick and tired of women suffering at the hands of men.

Rhiannon's guard stopped with the others, but held no interest. It was taking most of his energy trying to restrain his Severne girl, and as far as he was concerned, these girls were a tool for their aims, and crucial ones. This was nothing but a distraction. "Shouldn't we be moving along now?" he said to the others, but no one was listening. The longer they stayed in this corridor, the sooner some stragglers from the feast would see them and they might lose one of these girls. That wasn't the plan.

As it became clear what this guard intended for Sommara, Rhiannon started screaming as loud as she could. There was no love lost between the two girls, and perhaps Sommara wouldn't care if that happened to Rhiannon, but Rhiannon couldn't bear to watch anyone suffer such a fate. Her guard put his hand on her mouth, roughly, silencing her. She was petrified, but he whispered in her ear. "If you'd just shut the hell up, I won't feel the need to hurt you."

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie followed the other girls mainly by sound alone through the tunnel. Aurora's dim torch, while a good idea, did her little good back at the very end of the line, and with everyone in layers and fancy skirts with trains and whatever other nonsense made them feel pretty, it was impossible to follow closely enough to see much. She just hoped she wasn't walking through anything awful.

Finally they emerged, and Rosalie's eyes were still adjusting to the light when she heard the cry that they were saved. Reaching up and rubbing her eyes, she didn't register what was going on until a rough pair of hands grabbed her wrist, yanking her around and holding both her arms behind her. In her off hand, though, she still held the dagger, and she had another under her skirts still in the sheath. Oh, if only she could get to it now!

The man who held her captive seemed subordinate, not really knowing what to do or wanting to act first. Still, he wasn't doing his job halfway; she could feel his fingers pressing into the soft flesh of her upper arms, and for a split second she was reminded of her brother. The horrible illusion was shattered the moment he spoke, though. "Alright girly, you don't seem a struggler so I'll go easy on you a bit. Just let me get you where you're needed and we'll both be able to go to bed tonight in one piece." As he spoke, he switched his grip on her from two handed to one, his other hand going down and cupping her bottom. Hell no.

Taking advantage of his relaxed grip, Rosalie tore her arms from his hand, dagger glinting in the light before she buried it in his throat. It wasn't a killing blow, but it was enough to send him down to the floor, howling in pain. Thankfully, though, before he fell she was able to pull the knife from him, and she jumped away so he didn't knock her down as he went.

A quick glance around saw Sommara being overwhelmed, and without thinking Rosalie sent her knife hurtling through the air, where it buried itself in the throat of her attacker. If she had aimed just a little off, Sommara would have been injured, but thank the gods her aim was true. She had no idea how the situation played out, though, because a moment later another guard was on her, tackling her to the ground before she could pull the other knife out. "You little bitch, you'll pay for their injuries with your own flesh!"

He held her wrists above her head with one hand, pounding his fist into her ribs and stomach with the other. For all she knew, Rosalie was going to be pummeled to death, and she just hoped it would be quick. And that Sommara had gotten away while she had the opening to.

[Auron Sterlyn]

The great hall was clearing out and most of Raine’s men as well as the Lennox were under control. Half the Ashpool and Lennox guards claimed to be loyal, but they were being corralled or killed regardless. The girls though, no one had heard from the girls. Auron gripped the sword in his hand. It felt clumsy and awkward. He’d had some training - all noble men did - but he wasn’t normally one to utilize it. Fighting wasn’t his favorite past time.

Still, Rhiannon and Aurora and Sommara and the others were out there. He didn’t doubt that half of the nobility were looking for them right now, but that wasn’t going to stop him. He rushed up the stairs, assuming they’d have been taken at least some distance away from the great hall. He passed the occasional body, laying sprawled out in a puddle of blood or a servant huddled behind a sofa in fear. And then a scream.

He changed directions, rushing down a side hall. He could hear voices, screams and then he emerged to see the a group of men, and a group of girls. One of him to a number of them. He stopped, assessing the situation, only to realize, there were others behind him ready to fight as well.

[Andrew Darsling]

Andrew had seen to the care of Minerva, or at least the most he could do for her. The rest a doctor was going to have to do. He had other things on his mind though; other people. Mostly Sommara. They people in the hall were no longer in danger. He didn't have to worry about his sisters right now. But he was not about to forget that she'd been taken, that she'd been led out with the other women. He would find her... and he had a good feeling that if he followed Auron, he would find her. The screams helped both of them go in the right direction, but as he was about to spring forward, the prince in front of him stopped, nearly causing him to run into the back of him.

He reached for his sword, not willing to wait and assess anything. The ladies could die if they didn't take action. "Get out of the fucking way!" Andrew said, his very rare temper coming to the surface. Here these ladies were being beaten... abused... and the prince just stood there! If ever there was a time for irrational anger as he was obviously capable of, NOW was it.

[Aurora Letalis]

Shit shit shit, this had all gone so badly so quickly! Aurora had been so happy that they'd gotten to the end of that stupid tunnel, and now here they were, ambushed by the very people who should have been protecting them! There were enough guards for each of them, but the one assigned to Aurora faltered a little; she still had the torch in her hand. Brandishing it bravely, the guard simply ducked in when he saw a free spot and grabbed her wrist, squeezing until she dropped the torch. And, wouldn't you know, it landed on her dress. The fabric smoldered as she flailed, trying to get it to go out, but the guard wasn't letting her move much and soon the skirts of her dress were alight.

The heat moved up her leg as she screamed, but the guard just laughed and held her arms still. "Silly girl, getting all heated up!" The flames were at her knee now, half the side of her skirts burned away. Thankfully there were so many layers that she hadn't been burned yet, but it wouldn't be long until the whole dress was lit, and then she would be doomed.

Another guard, it seemed an extra, laughed for a moment before coming to his senses. "You little shit, we need them unhurt! You get the fucking princess burned and you're gonna lose your place!" That was enough to sober the man up, and he slapped at Aurora's legs until the fire went out. Still, bruising was better than blisters. The guard gripped her tighter, now that she wasn't on fire, and began to drag her away to wherever they were to be taken, when Aurora caught sight of a face she thought she may never see again. Auron! But...what was he standing there for? Struggling against the guard's grip, she kicked and fought, but to no avail. "AURON!"

[Eli Ainsley]

Eli had been fast on the heels of Donovan when they had been caught up in a brief fray with some fleeing traitorous Lennox guards, and now... Eli had lost him. And now he was lost himself. One would think his natural warrior instincts would provide Eli with an acute sense of direction, but that was all wrong; his own mother had once told him that if stuck in a bag with no match, Eli would never find his way out.

It was the screams that now directed the movement of the knight's feet, twisting and turning down corridors and hallways, and he almost came crashing down upon Auron Sterlyn, standing in the hallway. Before he could even form a thought, Andrew Darsling came barreling down the way, and following his line of vision, Eli could see the women being dragged off. And there was little Rosalie... her hands held fast above her head, her small body being wracked by the blows of her assailant's fists.

Within a breath, Eli was gunning down the corridor, catching up fast to Andrew Darsling's movements. Seeing only red, the older knight took quick aim at the Letalis' girl attacker, who briefly let go of his hold on the woman to arm himself, letting Rosalie fall to the floor. A scuffle ensued, where Eli's sword met with more steel, the other man a little younger and fairly quick on his feet. Eli switched his tactics, hoping the brute force of bearing down on the man would give way. They sparred, alternating jabs and thrusts, when Eli switched hands in the moment and sent a hard blow to the man's ribcage. As the assailant instinctively moved to clutch his side, Eli took the butt of his sword and smashed down on the man's head, rendering him unconscious as he slipped to the floor.

Eli glanced back, trying to see if Rosalie was alright, when he was caught off guard by another man, whose small boot dagger went unnoticed to the knight before it was buried in his side. With a roar, Eli sliced down the man's shoulder, severing the appendage that dared to strike at him, before finishing the deal with a cut to the throat.

And for a moment Eli paused, his free hand clutching his side, the other holding his sword listlessly, the blood upon the blade seeping onto the ground. But within a blink he stood, and made his way over to Rosalie, gathering the woman up off the floor as his own red lifeblood seeped through his tunic. "Rosalie, are you alright? Have you been touched?" he asked, taking a deep breath.

[Tempest Castell]

Tempest felt like going down this tunnel wasn’t a good idea. Secret tunnels were always bad, but they had nothing else. They weren’t going out the main door, that just seemed like a recipe to get raped and killed. And no, Tempest wasn’t getting raped today. She had fought against the patriarchy too long to be used like some plaything for a little boy. She hadn’t let Jeremy Tresson treat her like that, so no one else was going to either.

Along the way down, Tempest’s foot bumped against something. Reaching over quickly, she picked up a rock. It was easy enough for her to handle, but still do some damage if thrown. She kept it, not knowing what lay ahead. For a moment, at the end of the tunnel she thought they were safe, but it was only a false sense of security as the guards sinister motivations became obvious.

Before she could even do anything to help Sommara, Tempest was roughly grabbed and pulled to the side by an Ashpool man. Tempest was tall, but he was taller, and built like a truck. Wasting no time, Tempest flailed against him. Bringing her arm up, she drove the rock into his eye, crushing his eyeball. Grimacing, it was just enough of a surprise to get her arm free, and she pulled away, hitting at the man with all of her strength for the few moments he had before he regained his awareness.

Seeing what was going on though, another guard came up from behind her, and grabbed on, threatening to hold her down so the other guard could get his enjoyment. Tempest did everything she could, bite, scream, kick, claw at the man, but she was unable to free herself. She managed to leave some scars though, including a particularly nasty bite mark on his arm and scratches on his face.

Though she was overpowered by him, she didn’t stop struggling, and soon saw that Auron and Andrew had arrived. Thank god, someone was here to help them! Then Eli came barreling down, and they all promptly... ignored her and a few of the other women.

“Are you assholes going to help the rest of us or are you too pigheaded to care for anyone but your own blood?” Tempest screeched, incensed to see the men blatantly ignoring some of the women. And the stupid boy prince didn’t seem to be doing much of anything! God, she hated men. They always went after the pretty ones, and left the others just to die.

[Andrew Darsling]

Andrew shoved his way passed Auron. Sommara was forefront on his mind, but the man wasn't doing much of anything and her betrothed was here now to save her. He could focus on rescuing the woman who appeared to be in the most dire of circumstances (and the one who was closest). Running towards Tempest, he shoved one of the men off of her, getting a hard elbow to his temple to disorient him while he dealt with the man holding her down. In his experiences in life, he'd learned there was nothing a good kick to the face couldn't cure... So, that's what he did... Promptly before jumping at him and thrusting his dagger under the man's chin and straight into his skull. A sure kill.

Then he turned around only to be slashed at by the other man's knife. He managed to jump back enough to only sustain a cut, though deep, across his chest. Grabbing the man's arm with both hands, he brought his knee up hard, making his arm bend in a direction it really shouldn't have, and he immediately dropped his knife letting out a loud howl. Without further ado, Andrew reached forward, grabbed his head with both hands and twisted with all his might. The sound of his neck breaking was loud and chilling... But, whatever worked.

[Rosalie Mallory]

The world was explosions of pain. She'd been beaten before, sure, but usually her brother wasn't wearing armor when he was doing it. Nor did he use his feet. Rosalie had curled into the fetal position to protect her organs, but that didn't stop the man from trying to cave in her ribs or rip her hair out. She hadn't felt anything crack yet, but he kept standing on her hair to keep her from getting away, so if she had to keep taking this sort of punishment, she could only imagine the damage.

But then...then it stopped. There was a scuffle above her, and she recognized the voice behind the grunts and oofs of battle: it was Eli! In her mind she smiled, but Rosalie wasn't quite sure if her face was following suit. She stayed down to keep from getting out of the way...or at least that's what she told herself. In reality she just wanted to lay here until she melted into the floor. It hurt to breathe, so she didn't even want to consider moving.

Thankfully, though, Eli saved her again, scooping her up from the cold floor. She rested against him for a moment, gathering her resolve and shoving the pain as far from her mind as she could. "I'll be alright...he didn't seem intent on touching me with anything but his fists or boots." Slowly she stood, paying attention to where hurt most so as to investigate later any damage that might have been done.

The few men who had found the girls were soon followed by guards, mostly Sterlyn, it seemed. Which made sense - Prince Auron was standing in the hall. The other girls would soon be safe, even if the prince kept standing right where he was. Still leaning on Eli, Rosalie was about to ask him what had happened when she noticed his face was pained. She took a small step back, looking him over until she saw the crimson stain, slowly spreading, on his side. She reached out but didn't touch him; she didn't want to hurt him, and had no idea how bad it really was. "Are you...what do you need?" She had no idea if it was safe to go back to the main hall where they would be most likely to find help for him, or if he would even take it. But she would help him in any way she could, even if that just meant walking beside him and putting pressure on the wound.

[Auron Sterlyn]

Auron felt a stab of rage as Andrew pushed by, but the man was right about one thing. They needed to get in there. His eyes fell first to Sommara, but he assumed Andrew had that covered, given the man's interest in his betrothed at the dance. Or maybe he just wanted to hurt her back for that, go after Rhiannon and Aurora before he saved her. At the sound of his sister’s voice, he knew where he was needed first; he'd have chosen Aurora over any of them, no matter how much he was avoiding her. He sprinted the distance, just behind Andrew, his sword ready for action. He had to be careful, Auron didn’t want to hurt Aurora. Thankfully, the man was so busy messing with her, that by the time he looked up at her scream, Auron was upon him. His sword came crashing down into the guard’s back, slicing through uniform and skin to leave a long trail of blood. There was no skill in Auron’s swing, but the hit would hurt.

He grabbed Aurora’s hand and yanked her hard away from the guard, who let go as he fumbled with his sword. Auron took advantage and stabbed the man in the stomach, then kicked him in the wound after he’d pulled back his sword. “Stay here,” he told his sister.

The man with Rhiannon was ready, sword gripped in his hand, poised to protect his hostage as the other guards around him fell. It would do him little good, Auron thought, knowing the situation down stairs was turning in their favor. Soon Alrik’s guards would sweep the place clean and finish what Raine Lorterra had started. “You could just give up now,” Auron told him, “Or you’ll end up like your friend there. We’ve got the place covered, door to door.” Seeing the wisdom of Auron’s words, the man dropped his weapon.

“I just follow them’s orders. Please.” He offered. Footsteps were already echoing down the hall, and Auron was thankful to see the silver bear on their chest.

“Like I said,” Auron pointed out. “Over here. We have some prisoners.” The guards arrived, trumpeting Sterlyn colors and took those men still alive in custody.

“The King is safe as is his son. We’re wrapping up the rest if you’d like to join him.”

Auron nodded, but his eyes were traveling from Aurora, to Rhiannon, to... Sommara with Andrew. The other man must have saved her while Auron was tending to Rhiannon. Jealousy, relief, and desire all coursed through his blood at once, a concontion so powerful he wasn’t sure he could handle it. Sheathing his sword, he grabbed Rhiannon’s hand and led her over to Aurora. “Are you two alright now?”

[Rhiannon Severne]

Relief overcame Rhiannon the second she saw Auron. She knew he'd go for Aurora first - family was family after all - but she also knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to her in the meantime. And plus, he was alive, and seemingly uninjured. It was all she could do not to throw her arms around him the second she was freed, but it would look pretty awful, especially with Sommara right there. She looked around as they walked, making sure the other girls were alright.

"Yes, I'm fine - now. He didn't... he didn't harm me." Of course, there were a few bruises from being dragged roughly, but Auron would know what she meant. "We heard the screams, and tried to leave the room. We thought we'd all gotten out safely, but this hallway..."

Now that she had time to think, she thought about where she had left her family. Fallon had been taken along with her! And Theo and Kaedon remained in the hall... assumably where the fighting started. "Do you know where my family is? Have they found the other girls yet?"

[Andrew Darsling]

Andrew looked up, seeing that Auron had chosen... Not Sommara. Perhaps forgivable if his second choice had been... But it wasn't. With more anger than he could possibly explain, he left Tempest before he could ask if she was all right and hurried to go to Sommara. The man on top, though stunned, injured, and dying, was not dead. In fact, now he could clearly see that she was in more danger than he thought, she just wasn't able to scream out like the rest of them. Gurgling blood that dripped down onto her, his body shaking with rage, he said, "I'm going to take you with me you little bitch so I can fuck you every day in hell"

Andrew hurried behind, pulled the knife from the man, and then proceeded to stab him over and over again until he got the hint and died. He gave him a few more stabs for good measure and then lifted him off of her, stepping in, his arms immediately reaching out for Sommara. Understandably, she was gasping and choking for air and he moved next to her to rub her back and try to ease her. "My lady, let me feel your throat," he said. He was no doctor, but he would still be able to feel for any damage done. His fingers touched her skin gingerly at first, and then a little more firmly. "You're okay now, Sommara."

That said, he turned his gaze to Auron, his arms still around the Prince's betrothed. Andrew was a lot of things. Sometimes he was oblivious, guilty as charged. But he was not stupid, and he had also himself been in a position where jealousy had taken over his whole existence. He knew that look... And it was ridiculous. "Direct your glare somewhere else, prince. If you're really that interested in who touches what you feel belongs to you, perhaps you should act like you actually give a damn."

[Sommara Ashpool]

In tears and gasping for air, Sommara had never seen it coming. Sure, the man had a knife sticking out of his neck, but where it came from, she could never have guessed. And then it was Andrew that was there for her. Andrew who slew her attacker and would-be rapist. Andrew who freed her. Andrew who rubbed her back as she choked for air. Andrew who checked her throat for any imminent damage.

Crying, Sommara buried her face into Andrew's chest, but her words were still audible. “I want to be away from here. Now!” Was it from what had just happened....or what she'd just realized?

[Auron Sterlyn]

In Avskar name, fucking no. His betrothed was NOT going to sit around and cry on some banner lord’s shoulder. “Rhiannon, Aurora, stay here,” he said softly, “I don’t know much, just that the Sterlyn guard have come in, and we appear to have come out of this alive.” Then he turned around, eyes blazing.

He strode the distance between himself and Andrew, white hot anger written on his face. With one hand he grabbed Sommara’s wrist and yanked her behind him. With the other, he shoved Andrew in the chest. “I would advise you, Lord Darsling, to keep your hands off my future wife.” He tilted his head slightly in the direction of the Sterlyn guards, a silent thread that Lord Darsling had best not mess with him. Not tonight.

[Andrew Darsling]

'Can't hit a prince. Can't hit a prince. FUCKING CAN'T HIT A PRINCE.'

Oh, but he really, really, REALLY wanted to. He took a few steps back after the shove, looking directly in his eyes, his own expression saying he was not threatened. "It must be nice to be you," he said darkly. "To be able to walk around like a big man, throwing punches and hits because you know you can hide behind your fancy title. Such a brave guy you are... Bet you wouldn't be so brave if you thought somebody might hit you back..."

He reached his hand out for Sommara. "Come with me, my lady. I'll take you out of here and back to your family. Rest assured... You will come first when you're with me," he said, glaring at Auron.

[Sommara Ashpool]

After Andrew had helped her off the couch, Auron suddenly appeared. Suddenly appeared from where? Helping Rhiannon? Oh and he had the audacity to come and treat her like a piece of property?! Like some dog that had strayed from its leash?! Like a little filly on the auction block?!

Auron grabbed her wrist hard and yanked her. By the gods, did she hear it pop? “Ow!” Sommara exclaimed, her brows furrowing in pain. “Auron you're hurting me!” she whined, finally managing to writhe her wrist free of his vice grip. Oh, that was going to leave a mark.

And then the boy exchanged words. By the gods, Sommara could feel the fury burning within her....or was that the wine? Did Auron honestly think she hadn't seen that he'd rushed to Rhiannon's aid while she was on the couch getting choked?! Seriously?

“Now Auron, is that the way to treat the man who just rescued me from that soldier choking out the life of me?” Sommara chided, stepping forward. “So then, I would think it's only fair that Lord Darsling should escort me accordingly. Looks to me like you'll be escorting Lady Severne,” Sommara added, casting a sideways glance at Rhiannon. Strangely enough, her face was completely void of any expressions.

“Lord Darsling, I'd be honored to accept your offer of escort,” Sommara added, stepping from behind Auron and threading her arm in Andrew's. Wasn't this what Horatia was talking about? Wag your ta-tas in a man's face, and your ass too? Well, Andrew could watch her ta-tas and Auron could watch her ass wave goodbye as they walked down the corridor.

[Auron Sterlyn]

Twice now, twice his betrothed had stood him up for that lordling. Twice now she thought to embarrass him in front of others. This was the girl Alrik had chosen for him? One who knew nothing of the sacrifices of being a princess. His eyes burned with fire and hate. She wanted to play games with him? She wanted to flaunt herself with another man? Well, she would get what she asked for.

“My apologies, Lord Darsling. Should I reward you by letting you take a romp with her in the sheets as well?” Icy words from a man so filled with fire. Sommara was his but he could not keep himself from playing her twisted game. Suddenly, she no longer looked stupid. Instead, she was a devilish bitch who had no sense of how to conduct herself in his presence.

[Sommara Ashpool]

"Why? Is that what you plan on doing with Rhiannon?" Sommara shot back, equally hateful and icy, tears still burned in her eyes. She honestly couldn't believe Auron would sit here and shoot insults after what had just happened and what he'd just done!

"Lord Darsling...I'm ready to go now," Sommara said, returning back to Andrew. She had absolutely no desires to speak to Auron again, or even so much as look at him.

[Andrew Darsling]

Andrew turned half way to look at Auron, his eyes going up and down as though sizing him him up. His expression came out to one of disgust as though he determined he was looking at a common thief on the street. That's really all Auron amounted to in his mind. A prince yes, and he would respect the title. But he would not respect the man. Not if the man acted so childishly. Thank heavens above that Alrik was first born.

"Unlike some people I might mention, I actually have the restraint not to go and tarnish the reputation of another man's intended. Why... I would fear for Sommara's life. Or at least one of her cousins," he said, making no mistake where he put his blame for Fallon's attack. With that he turned and left with Sommara.

[Eli Ainsley]

While the immediate threat had been dissipated, it seemed to Eli that an equally as dangerous feud was currently churning at that time, and needed to be dissolved before more blows were met. He leaned against the stone wall, one hand pressed against his side, as Rosalie twittered and looked concerned next to him.

"Gentlemen," Eli interjected, knowing it was not his place as a lowly knight to step in but still concerned that while they prattled on, chaos ran rampant throughout the rest of the castle, "Prince... Lord Darsling. Excuse my intrusion, but it seems to me that while, obviously this argument has validity and surely will and must continue at another time, I would like to point out that we are not in a secure area and it is my concern for the continued safety of these lovely ladies that we remove ourselves from this present situation. I would go it alone but I seemed to be a little incapacitated at the moment, and do not think I will be able to take all the assailants myself. So, if you will?"

The older knight glanced from one man to the other, a little annoyed that these young men chose this particular time to confront an issue that had obviously been brewing for some time. But with each drop of blood that hit the ground, Eli's strength was waning, and he did not have the patience to see it all play out.

[Rosalie Mallory]

Rosalie watched as the words were exchanged, glancing over to Rhiannon and Aurora to see what they thought of this whole situation. Had to be awkward for them, really...especially the sister. And she had to live with this twat! Well, not for long, she supposed. Soon she'd be living on Strom. She made a mental note to try and get to know the girl a little better, at a time less chaotic than this.

In her half-addled state, she was a little pissed that Eli was out and out ignoring her. It was obvious he was injured, and she just wanted to see if she could help, and here he was ignoring her. He of all people should know she wasn't useless and could actually be of some help, but in his distraction Rosalie guessed she didn't matter much. So long as she didn't keel over dead on his watch, he was doing his job.

Her corset was beginning to be really uncomfortable, too, with the bruising that she was sure was blossoming over her entire torso. All she wanted to do was go to her room and remove every bit of clothing that was touching her, bathe, and put on a clean shift. As guards stormed their little area, dispatching the rest of their attackers, Rosalie began edging down the hall in the direction they came. Her room was in that direction somewhere, damnit, and Eli's distraction wasn't going to keep her from it.

[Tempest Castell]

Tempest was surprised that a man had actually listened to her, and saved her. Well, she was a little annoyed at the saving part, but she smiled to Andrew. “Thank you,” she said, taking a deep breath and trying to relax. Looking around the room, she wondered where she could help, and rushed over towards where Sommara was, following behind Andrew.

She didn’t have to do anything, however, and instead just stood and began to witness the... interesting exchange. The whole thing was ridiculous and absurd, and Tempest was so, so, so glad that her family wasn’t involved. They were all disgraces in her mind for squabbling over love in a situation like this.

“Please, let’s get out of here, unless you want to bicker some more,” Tempest said, moving to stand besides Eli. She couldn’t wait for the knight to escort them out.