Private Spiraling

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

The answer was, for all intents and purposes, appearing as clear, honest and brutally open. Sympathetic eyes looked to the Shistavanen from behind the device. A deep nod was offered in gratitude when he understood that Yuri had completed the explanation and was ready to ask a question of his own. "Thank you, Yuri. Go ahead"

As the question was explained and asked, Vince gestured for his mate to move with him as he exited the cantina. Regardless of where the Shistavanen's ship might be, the young Royal moved north, towards the Royal Palace which towered above most buildings in the distance. The walk was kept at a leisurely pace as the Prince listened to the question that was being posed.

An answer would not come immediately. Instead, he kept his hands clasped behind his back whilst leaning his head from side to side "We are not entirely sure" he offered at first, throwing a glance to his new companion. "In a way, this seems like a good way to treat everyone - but then, our perspective might be different from that of our subjects. Growing up, most of our contacts have been vetted in some way. Not always officially but our time is carefully managed. Perhaps it has allowed for some increased freedom to show trust, faith and friendship. During these retreats of ours, and during our time with the armed forces, it has not backfired so far."

He continued to move with comfortable steps and shrugged "Or perhaps it is just how we are as a person. Regardless, Yuri, we have not spoken to you with any other angle than with the hope to get to know you." With a bit of a delay, a smirk grew on his lips, likely as he thought of something. "And to me, it would seem as if you are a rather interesting person to get to know. Now, what is this suspicion of yours about getting arrested based on? Has the law treated you that poorly in the past?"

 

[Yuri Maji]

Vince was disturbingly chill about having a blaster drawn on him, but if what he said about soldiering was true, it wasn't that much of a surprise. Yuri never could understand soldiers. What bothered Yuri, however, was the direction Vince was taking him. The palace. His mane began to stand on end as he paid careful attention at their surroundings.

When Vince finally finished with his admittedly heart-warming explanation, he asked Yuri why he was so paranoid. "My guy! This! Exactly this is what I'm talkin' about." He spoke up with outstretched hands and wide eyes. "You just keep goin' on and on, making it really hard to be mad at ya, and you're just casually walkin' to your palace without any concern with an allegedly convicted criminal behind ya. And yeah, you ever been to jail? It sucks, especially the ones on Kestri. On top of that, I don't know what your angle is! I dunno if you've been recordin' me all this time or something." He let out a long sigh and rested his hands on his hips as he shook his head.

He stared at Vince for a long moment. "I don't trust strangers. Especially people with access to enough guards to fight a war at the press of a button. Not after everythin' I said back there." He admitted. This whole situation was eating away at him. Why the hell did he go and spill his guts at someone who could have him shot or imprisoned with literally just one word? What the hell was it about this dude that had Yuri all over the place like this. He wasn't exactly good looking, so it definitely wasn't that.

Was he starved for attention? It couldn't be that, he didn't give a damn about what people thought of him. And he had plenty of friends... as far as he knew. He had plenty of friends...

"Nah... kark this. I don't trust you. See ya 'round, prince. Hopefully not at the end of a blaster." He gave a casual salute and turned on his heel to start walking away. And yet, there was still an insufferable desire in the back of his mind to turn around and keep following him like some street dog.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

Clearly, the Prince had seen the pointy end of the stick in the past. Still, a clenched jaw loosened up and tense shoulders fell slightly when the blaster was put away. An interested but somewhat subtle brow rose upon hearing of a jail on Kestri.

Defeated eyes fell upon hearing Yuri's declaration that he did not trust strangers. Of course, they were still hidden behind the device, thus, all the Shistavanen would be able to see was a downwards tilt of the head. "You ought to start somewhere. Even if it is not with us, you might need to let people in. For your own sake."

The comforting smile which was offered quickly ceded ground to a thinner line upon hearing what the other give up the idea of going for a second round. Vince instinctively offered a sharp semi-bow of the head upon receiving the salute and then turned to watch the other move away. An arm started to raise and his mouth opened to call for the man but both actions quickly seemed to falter as a frustrated sigh escaped him. With a shake of the head and a sigh, he went ahead and did it anyways. With a somewhat reserved wave of the hand, he called out "Yuri, hold on."

He walked up to the Shistavanen, or marched at a brisk pace if he did not stop. He then handed over comms details "Call us sometime, or write. We would also like to meet again at some point." he offered a nod and turned to walk away. Midway through the turn, however, he stopped himself and uttered a final "And Yuri; don't lose yourself."

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri came to a halt and turned when he heard Vince call behind him. He watched with a raised brow as the prince caught up with him, though he relaxed when he was given the comms details. A faint smile formed as he accepted the offer and sent a message to the number for Vince to save him.

His eyes shifted up to the prince's and he gave a nod. "I'll keep in touch, don't you worry." He remarked as he tucked his datapad away. The smile persisted even as he turned to continue walking towards his ship. His heart felt lighter in a way. The dude was being genuine, it seemed like. After a few steps he halted and turned back. "Hey, Vinny!" He called out to the man. "Try not to fall in love." He quipped with a wink.

The rest of the evening played out as well as Yuri could expect. He tried to stay at his ship and not do anything stupid, but a few drinks later he was out and about with all of the things he was trying to avoid...

---

Yuri awoke to the sound of some sort of commotion. Heavy eyelids fluttered open, setting off a crushing headache as the rising sun met his gaze. A long groan erupted as he tried to figure out where the hell he ended up. From the look of things, it was fancy. Beautiful decor, some paintings and a luxurious chaise lounge he was splayed out on. He seemed to have made himself at home, with his shirt and shoes tossed aside. No stains, thankfully. He managed to dodge that bullet from the look of things.

It looked like a study. Books against the walls, a game board of some kind with his personal effects replacing the gorgeously carved pieces.

The commotion drew his attention to the door. Banging and shouting along with the sound of... blasters being primed? Before he could even attempt to gather his things and formulate a plan of escape, the door slid open and a host of guards poured into the room to take him into custody. They shouted something at him, most likely asking who he was and how he got there, but all it did was worsen the headache.

With another groan he attempted to look up at the guards. "Could you... ah, there it is." His eyes went wide and he pointed his maw to a side as his stomach started to turn.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

Captain Maroud was a disciplined woman. Her uniform was ironed to a fault. She carried the matte blue uniform and the white shawl that followed with the pride expected of a guard of the Royal Library. The locales had once been the Crown's summer palace right outside of Iziz, but the capital had since expanded and a spaceport had been built nearby. Now, it served as profoundly fancy Library.

The woman holstered her blaster upon seeing the shirtless visitor but did not beacon for the other guards to remove their guns. The Officer's heels clicked against the floor as she approached and instructed him to rise. Her tone was curt and commanding, as one might expect, but her eyes told of someone under great pressure. Staring down at the intruder, she nodded to one of her colleagues whom approached quickly whilst producing cuffs to put onto the groggy Shistavanen. Resistance would be met with more guards to restrain him.

This did not seem to be a time of patience. Where one might have expected rights to be read in the democratic core worlds, the Onderonian Guard of the Royal Library did not seem to have the same protocol. Instead, she offered a stern hand as she talked to her colleagues about taking their visitor to the dungeon. A cellar area with stone walls and small windows with iron bars. The breach security was far from reliable, however. For the wooden doors were no longer properly reinforced and the hinges were rusty enough to barely hold the weight of the door itself. While it might have been an adequate holding facility in the past, it was no longer the case now.

It was where Yuri would eventually end up, lest he offered some fierce resistance and managed to escape beforehand. There was no sound isolation to speak of and the conversations from outside the cells were clear for him to hear: Someone was coming. Someone important. At first, they seemed to believe that the Queen was on her way - surprised tones could be heard throughout - she was supposed to hold the opening speech of the celebration. New information then came, the Royal shuttle had arrived and it was not the Queen, instead, it was her son, the Prince.

Footsteps, heavier than many of the guards, could soon be heard coming down the stairs followed by a few of them, including Captain Maroud, offering bows and 'Your Highness'. A nod was offered in response "Thank you, Captain. We are afraid that we are in a hurry, the celebration requires our attendance." he spoke with a somewhat stressed tone.

The guard acknowledged his words and apologised before explaining that she would not make the same mistake again. It was clear that allowing an intruder to get in and make himself comfortable was a rare and embarrassing mistake.

"Very well. Let us pass judgement and done with it. Where is he?" No verbal response was offered, instead she pointed to the Shistavanen's cell. Vince approached and a hatch in the door opened. Causing him to let out a borderline involuntary "Yuri?!"

He looked away to speak to the Captain "Keys. We will need some space. Move upstairs."

Once the order had been acknowledged and the Guards started to move out, Vince unlocked the door and left it open as he moved in. His features would be easy to recognise from the previous night and the same sympathetic eyes that had met the Shistavanen then met him now too. But instead of wearing a loosely fitting disguise, the Prince now wore a form-fitting parade uniform. It was fancily decorated with a few medals and service signs on the chest, highlighting his role in the military.

"Let me get those off of you" he spoke with a concerned tone whilst producing the key to remove the cuffs. "How did you end up here, in the royal library?" The question was not judgemental and accusatory - but it was not a simple curiosity asked friend-to-friend either.

 

[Yuri Maji]

It seemed evident that the guards didn't have much patience for Yuri's antics or physical state as they dragged the sickly Shistavanen off to whatever they had for a jail or holding cell. He didn't mind all that much, however, in his battered state. He figured that thry had good reason for what thry were doing and he could figure out a plan later.

Eventually he was tossed into a dark and dingy cell which suited him just fine. In a few minutes, the half naked Shiatavanen was splayed out across the cool stone floor with snores cracking through the air. Some much needed rest for the mutt, along with a quiet, dark and secluded space for him to rest his mind and eyes. All in all, not a bad cell as far as his experiences went.

It was only when some commotion echoed down into his cell that Yuri stirred awake with a messy mane and heavy eyes. He tried to roll over and continue to sleep, but the noise merely grew in intensity which flared up his headache all over again. Eventually he sat up against the wall with a grumble, staring at the door as he waited for whoever was approaching. When the other person recognized him, his heart sank. Who the hell on this planet would...

"Oh! Hey Vinny." He greeted with a raspy voice, still waking up. "Funny story, really. If I had to guess, drunk me got curious or something. I dunno, though. You should ask me in a few hours once I figure out as well." He explained with a nervous smile. Vince released his cuffs and stood in front of him, which earned an impressed whistle as he looked up at the finely dressed man.

"... Yeah... um... why are you here?" He managed to gather his thoughts and figure out what he wanted to say. "Please don't tell me I got nominated to join you somewhere or something. I didn't exactly pack my fancy duds." He continued with a snicker. He hoped he wasn't in trouble.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

A small smirk quickly formed upon hearing the Shistavanen call for him. It faded just as fast - still, the Prince's expression rested at a friendly smile. A fair bit of amusement clad his features as the friend he made the previous night was coming to his senses.

"We are here because you are here. Somehow you managed to get into the Royal Library and then, you even managed to find a place to sleep. Most impressive, truly. Since the crime was committed against the Crown, a member of the Royal family is to pass judgement. So, here we are." the explanation was brief but clear and was quickly followed up by a raised finger "But first: You can no longer call us 'Vinny'. We are Crown Prince Vince Ivro Kalmorak. You may use any of those names preceded by our title or simply address us as 'your highness' or 'your majesty'"

Amused eyes lingered on those of the Shistavanen "We are quite aware of your distaste for these procedures, just as how we were well aware of your nature last night. Still, just as it was inevitable for you to end up in the must unexpected of places, it is also unavoidable for us to insist that protocol is followed. Any sort of 'Vinny-ing' will likely cut the meeting short."

A smile formed as he pushed on "Now, as for repercussions: You came up with a decent idea yourself. Serving the crown for a day, perhaps attending the opening later. It might keep you entertained. But let us not get ahead of ourselves. How did you end up here, really? You do not remember anything at all?"

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri's smile immediately vanished once Vince explained the situation. Safe to say, the smuggler was in very big trouble. He didn't know that royal libraries even existed, though in hindsight it made sense. They probably had a royal version of everything, because it would be a severe crime if any of the pompous little-

"But first: You can no longer call us 'Vinny'. We are Crown Prince Vince Ivro Kalmorak. You may use any of those names preceded by our title or simply address us as 'your highness' or 'your majesty'"

Oh yeah, he couldn't be rude to them anymore. He apparently had a friend now who was a literal prince. Yuri idly rubbed his wrists as he listened to Vince, though that attention had a bit of an inappropriate undertone as he looked up at the authoritative figure looming over him. However those thoughts flew out the window at the mention of working for the royals as a repercussion for his actions, as well as the question of what happened. A frown and a groan set in as Yuri took a moment to process it all.

"For real, I got no clue..." He had to fight hard to not make a remark at the prince's position. "... I'll probably be able to tell you in few hours, but right now it's either a blur or a blank. So I'll give a full confession once I also figured out what the hell I did. As for this crown-servin' idea... I'd rather stay down here for a while. I ain't breakin' my ceremonial kit out for nothing. I did that enough as it is." He leaned back with a groan. A visible essence of distaste sat along his features as he looked away. Unless ol' "Prince Vinny" straight up condemned him to it, Yuri would rather go through twelve rounds with an imperial interrogation probe than wear his ceremonial kit. And even under condemnation, he would be protesting all the way.

He attended enough high profile meetings on Kestri with his mother to last a lifetime.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

He had no clue. Vince's eyes lingered on the Shistavanen - patient and sympathetic. Rather than judging the man, it seemed like he was trying to understand him. At least for a little bit of time until he offered a nod.

The young Royal then looked around the room for a bit before starting to unbutton his jacket and walking over to the open and brittle cell door. First, he blew on the back of it, causing a bit of dust to be pushed away from its numerous crevices and small ledges. Then, he hung his jacket at one of the hooks under the viewport. He was far from undressed - but the white shirt he wore looked easier to wash than the parade uniform.

With that, he moved to sit down onto the stone bench opposite to the bed. He quickly checked the time before continuing. "We have a bit of time to talk. What is this ceremonial kit of yours for - and what makes you so opposed to working for the Crown for a day? Most people would jump at the chance to do it, instead of spending a couple of weeks in a cell or going to meet a councilor on a weekly basis for talks about criminal behaviour."

 

[Yuri Maji]

To Yuri's surprise the prince took his jacket off and sat down next to Yuri on the stone bench. He went on to ask why Yuri had a ceremonial uniform to begin with, as well as why the Shistavanen was so opposed to working for the royals. Yuri looked away as he shifted in his seat a little, letting out a somewhat annoyed sigh.

He gave a quick glance at Vince before looking around the room again, contemplating whether or not he should explain it all to the royal. Eventually he relented with another sigh. "My Ma? She was... she wasn't just any old random lady. She was a Rallymaster for the Enclave. Basically a general of sorts. On top of that she was the leader of clan Krayt, the owner of Maji Ironworks, and a veteran of forty or so years. She fought against pretty much everyone in the galaxy. The Sith, the Empire, everyone and everything in-between." He explained as he turned to look at Vince.

"Some crap went down and she was exiled by her clan and stripped of her achievements in the Enclave military. But she was still a hell of a fighter, so they still came to her for input and stuff. Naturally I had to attend a bunch of parades and meetings just like other foundlings. I hated it, 'cause everyone would look at the great Shai Maji, the 'Wardog' an' all that. Then they'll look at me and wonder why I ain't like her. A soldier, a war hero who goes toe to toe with Sith and beat 'em." A deep frown set in as he stared down at the floor, idly cracking his knuckles. He could really use a cigarette.

"The reason I keep quiet about bein' a Mandalorian is 'cause I don't wanna live in my Ma's shadow. Wearing that suit... it... it's a reminder of all of that. People holdin' me up to my Ma's level and then wondering why I don't live up to it." He gave another glance at Vince, but his gaze quickly dropped back to his feet.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

Once more, the Prince proved to be a decent listener, choosing not to interrupt or give the Shistavanen reason to pause or hesitate when talking about his life. Instead, he simply but the hand on the opposite side of Yuri onto his knee and angled his body to give the man his full attention. Attentive eyes lingered on those of the Son as he spoke of his mother and the effects her fame had on him. When done, Vince's lips parted to cede way to a gentle smile and a soft "Thank you. Thank you for being open to us."

There was much to say about Shai Maji. The young Royal had shown no signs of recognition upon hearing her name - but he had certainly not stayed ignorant on the topic of the Enclave. Any risk of surprise of hearing of it had likely faded long ago, seeing as he had already heard of Yuri's mother's fight against Valery Noble and his previous mention of staying in a cell on Kestri. Instead of talking more of her, Vince raised a hand to give his current cell mate a pat on the arm "We have been in similar positions. It is, however, likely that we have been dealt a better hand, with the laws of inheritance differing quite a bit from what we imagine you grew up with. Still, we are not blind to what people say" uncharacteristically, the positive disposition he usually wore hinted of a bit of sorrow before he pushed it away. Here, he simply trailed off - the tabloids and influencers and pundits had reviewed him multiple times over: A well-mannered kid with good morals, but a worrisome lack of competence in regards to stewardship and diplomacy.

The smile that lingered grew brighter, as did his tone "So now, you are trying to carve your own path? Good on you." Vince did not quite have the same possibilities but he seemed content nonetheless. "Some parents cast large shadows" he mused but continued "It is up to us to step out of it." he said, making a subtle distinction with outgrowing it. With a new breath, he returned to the topic at hand "We will respect your wishes, Yuri. If you wish to sit the time off, we will oblige you. But consider joining us for the day. Wear the suit for your own sake. We can entrust you with the role of a Royal Companion, it is an ancient position similar to that of a knight or a defender. We suspect you would like it better than a cup bearer. And you would be there not only to make amends for breaking in here, and most certainly not to accompany your mother. You would be there as our friend and someone whom we believe is good" he said, eyes faithful whilst making a callback to his comments the night before

 

[Yuri Maji]

The prince's words were kind, even going so far as to compare himself to Yuri. He did admit that their upbringing was different, but a shadow was a shadow. A hand was placed on Yuri's arm, drawing his attention to it for a moment. He did, however, implore that Yuri accompany him for the day as something of a sidekick. The smuggler was a little lost on the terminology, but he did agree that it was better than pouring drinks for them all day.

He glanced away for a few moments before a gentle smile took hold. "You know how to twist a guy's arm, huh?" He joked with a light scoff. With a slight nod, Yuri rose and rolled his shoulders. "Alright. I'll bite. Gotta go back to my ship first, though. I think a shower will do me good. You can send a guard with me if it'll make y'all feel better." He remarked. If the prince obliged, Yuri would venture off with the escort and return back to his ship for a shower and a change of clothes.

Once there, however, the Shistavanen couldn't help but contemplate just taking off. He could simply knock out the guard, power up and blast off before anyone would notice. But one thing kept him from following through on that plan. Vince and his damn kindness. He still couldn't figure out why the dude was so nice to him, nobody was that good of a person. And yet, he reached out, gave him an alternative to spending the next few days in a cell. He even offered for Yuri, a criminal at best and a war criminal at worst, to join him and his family for their event.

A long sigh escaped him as he let the water of the shower sober him up. With the shower done, Yuri stepped out with a towel wrapped around him and a cigarette between his lips. He needed to figure out where he stuffed his suit away. After a few minutes, he managed to dig them up. Still neatly folded and stashed away.

The whole outfit was a sleek black with silver accents that reached from the turtleneck collar down to the bottom. Along the chest area, the jacket gave way to shape the Mandalorian iron heart, further accented by the shirt underneath. Pinned to his chest was the signet of clan Krayt, made of pure Beskar. He couldn't find the matching shoes, so his armoured boots were going to have to make do. The left side of the jacket, along with the trousers, were specially stitched to allow a thigh holster to sit comfortably and proudly, which he naturally adorned. He would polish Peace on the way there.

Yuri applied the finishing touches to his outfit in the mirror, where he found himself staring for a moment. A sad smile formed as he looked himself in the eye. "Welcome to the Mando'ade." He spoke softly to himself. He finally cleared his throat, composed himself and made his way back to the set location with the guard. He couldn't help but feel a little nervous about all of this. When he got there, his right fist rested over his heart and he gave a bow of his head in respect to Vince and his group. With the current getup, he looked vastly different from his earlier, scruffy look.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

A little bit of awkwardness could be seen in his eyes as Yuri mentioned potentially sending a guard with him. Vince nodded "We are glad to hear it. A guard would be protocol." He paused for a moment to stand up. With a swift and practiced motion, he took the jacket back on and buttoned it. He clicked a button, summoning the staff back. Causing both guards and other personnel to move down to the area. There was no real rush to their movements - indicating that it was not a panic button. The Prince's chest rose as he took a deep breath before speaking with a minorly more official voice.

"Yuri, in light of the crime you are accused of, and with the authority of the Crown, we hereby sentence you for trespassing in exclusive Royal domain. We sentence you to a day's worth of service to the Crown, effective immediately. Our staff can provide you with a written sentencing, should you require it. You will be granted time to prepare for the day's events. Then you will be escorted to the Old Meridian Stables."

Captain Maroud marched forth and bowed to the Prince before offering a bow of the head to the convicted Mandalorian. The Prince approached her to speak a few quiet words in her ear. The woman looked up to the Prince and then the Shistavanen. She was still sharp and disciplined - just like she had been when first meeting him. But now, it was clear that she did not simply see him as a bum who had broken into the Royal Library. By the way she moved and her eyes looked to him, it was clear that she now looked to him as a capable warrior. A voice, far more appeasing than the one she had offer previously sounded, as she pointed her hand to the exit 'This way'

***​

Upon Yuri's arrival at the Old Meridian Stables, he would see a grandiose set of buildings which had obviously been meant to house beasts, both ground-bound and airborne ones. This was long in the past, however. Now, the buildings had been renovated and upgraded to host formal events in halls with both anciently elegant and comfortably modern features. Plenty of people were inside already and the amount of guards was staggering. Most visitors were clad in formal outfits with a relatively good number of them wearing military parade uniforms similar to Vince's.

It was not the main entrance where Yuri was going to enter, however. Instead, it was a side entrance away from the crowds and photographers. The first room was filled with various clothes befitting royalty. The many rows of clothes made it feel small, and a this feeling was only enhanced by the large crystal crown. Captain Maroud would then lead him down a corridor before finally arriving at a larger chamber. Vince was there, along with a number of staffers and other title-carrying people. Upon noticing the entrance of his companion for the day, he offered a polite bow of the head to the person he was currently speaking to before turning away.

"Yuri. We are pleased to see you here." his voice was warm and carried across the short end of the chamber as he approached the Shistavanen. Looking him up and down, he offered an impressed nod "We can see that you have cleaned up in the past. If you ever feel like switching paths, we think you could at least pull the look off." He nodded to a tall table a bit off with a few champaigne glasses with a playful smirk "Feel free to pick something up. The one with the pinkberry is alcohol free"

 

[Yuri Maji]

The captain escorted Yuri through a room that had the Shistavanen stall and linger a few times. There were some nice options that had him contemplate his own outfit, however there was no time to admire as the captain kept going. Eventually they reached a grand chamber filled with all manner of decorations and a host of seemingly very important people.

He stood around awkwardly for a moment as he took the surroundings in, luckily Vince attracted his attention and he quickly made his way over to his friend. The prince greeted him and offered a kind compliment in regards to the Shistavanen's appearance, earning a bashful laugh from Yuri. "Oh please, was there any doubt?" He quipped with a shrug. The guy had a point, though. But that wasn't a thought to be pondered over for the moment. The offer of champagne had Yuri grinning from ear to ear as he made his way to the table. "Come on, you gonna tempt me like that? I can drink this whole room under the table." He remarked as he picked up a champagne glass and raised it to knock it back like a shot.

However he paused just as the glass reached his lips. With an awkward glance at Vince and the surrounding officials, Yuri instead took an elegant and careful sip of the crisp drink, complete with outstretched pinkie. Now armed with an admittedly tasty beverage and a proud posture, Yuri joined Vince again with a soft smile. "So, what's the game plan, prince? You bring me here to annoy someone, or just to look like I'm some important minister?" He teased with another gentle sip and a sidelong glance.

Vince

 

[Vince]

Spiraling

Talking to Yuri Maji ​

Yuri asked if there was any doubt. Vince once more proved that he had a severe lack of a poker face as his brows rose in a clear 'yes'. The tales of his past indicated that he should indeed have been able to brush up nicely - but what he had shown so far was not much inspiration for hope.

An exasperated look was accompanied by a suppressed sigh as Yuri seemed fully intent of treating it like a night out upon being offered a drink. But then, he showed some class, causing the young Royal to shake his head with a smile and chuckle. "You really know how to put the fright in me" he said, ignoring the question for a brief moment as the Shistavanen returned. For obvious reasons, the Crown Prince was not holding a glass himself, neither one with nor without alcohol.

"As for the plan" Vince spoke with a new breath. "We are celebrating the Victory of Hielburn Lake. It is long in the past now, but it was a significant event back in the days. A crushing victory against the beast riders in their attempt to push us away from our Estate. It changed the pace of the conflict rather permanently." he paused for a brief moment, eyes gazing into the emptiness of a wall as he spoke. Nodding his head sideways with lips forming a temporary flat line, he added "Of course, their attack was the consequence of being evicted from their village opposite to the Estate. Regardless, we are here to celebrate. The Royal Family is here, a few uncles and aunts are here too - Dukes and powerful in their own right. Some hold high positions in the armed forces too - We suggest that you tread carefully around them. Many of them have criticized our tendency to socialize with beast riders and other lower cultures in the past."

A hint of shame could be seen in the Prince's eyes before another smile was produced "But we cannot concern ourselves too much with their opinions. There is a reason that the crown belongs to our line, rather than theirs. The financial elite of Iziz and the other larger cities will be in attendance, as will prominent researchers, high officials and journalists. There will be headlines of this tomorrow - what we do now, will dictate what they will be. Our goal, is to stay out of them." he offered a friendly chuckle and a wink "So, we think that the two of us should do what we can to enjoy ourselves and to stay out of trouble. As for your role: As a Royal Companion, it is your duty to protect us against physical threats - but we do not expect any dangers aside from sharp tongues today."

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri couldn't help but laugh along at Vince's remark, even throwing a wink in just for a cherry on top. The prince went on to explain the situation as well as the premise for the party. The Shistavanen stayed quiet as he listened to Vince's story and personal thoughts on it, however he couldn't help but draw a parallel in his mind.

"Oh... so, it's like the conquest for Cather with Mandalorians?" He remarked with a curious squint. "Crushing victory, culture gettin' annihilated, nasty details conveniently left out... I can get behind that." He took another careful sip as he watched Vince out of the corner of his eye. There wasn't much to be said about the familial issue, it wasn't Yuri's place to comment on it, nor did he have any constructive input to give. Normally he would voice his thoughts anyway, but the prince made a point of not causing a scene for the day. Wanted posters were bad enough, Yuri didn't want his face on the news as well.

Looking around, the Shistavanen let out a pleasant sigh. Despite the pompous snobs around them and the fake smiles... this was nice. Quiet, carefre... peaceful. He was in the ideal position of enjoying the benefits of royalty without its responsibilities. "So sharp tongues aren't a significant threat? Copy that." Another sip to hide a mischievous smile. The prince was challenging him properly with this role. "Come on, let's get something to chow." He suggested as he began to wander over to a nearby buffet table, naturally ushering Vince along with a nudge of his shoulder. Now armed with a small plate filled with a few finger bites, Yuri looked around again.

"Anyone interestin' worth talkin' to? Also... how 'off limits' are the newspapers? Like... can't ya do something that'll look good in the news for you?" He asked his friend, taking a bite of a little sausage roll. It was delicious. A somewhat bigger bite soon followed, though Yuri forced himself not to inhale the food as he usually would.

Vince