[Her dress]
“You are Lady Angela,” the man was confident as he pointed towards a flat chest small blonde woman.

“Oh?” Angela’s voice came through as a slender pale hand reached up to the mask she was wearing. There were several others in the room that suddenly vanished as the queen pulled up on her mask. “What gave me away?” As she peeled up the mask it was almost like a veil was coming undone. Blonde hair became a stunning updo with braids and baby’s breathe braided into her crown. Her skin tone became sun-kissed. Vivid blue eyes became green with red around the pupil. Her bust and curves filled out and she even grew. “I was so sure this would fool people.”

“It was the way you held yourself, My Lady. No other woman in the land holds themselves like you do.” The man was obviously an admirer.

“Careful… Who knows what Adraejen would do to such a man who admires his wife.” Angela smirked a bit. It was hard to take the warning. The sultry goddess had an off shoulder dress of emerald. A flower bodice hand crafted in the same green across her bust and waist. Soft lace sleeves that were only a few inches in length graced the upper portion of her arm. The skirts flowed to the ground with ease. Only a woman with confidence would wear such a thing and that was what had given her away. She thought she could hear the werebear near by making a chuckle towards her comment. Her lips of dark red curved into a smile. “Careful, Adraejen you will give yourself away.”

Of course, it was also taboo for Angela to be the way she was. She had long since abandoned the way humans thought and acted. After all, Rosenites were not humans but they were of the fairer races. “I think for now I will retire to my seat. It has been fun playing this little game. Please enjoy all of your hard work.” Angela spoke to the crowd as she took her skirts and gave just a bit of a curtsey. The redhead walked to a seat with a green curtain behind it. The seat itself was made of agate, merely a symbol of the woman who owned it tonight. She lowered herself onto it and crossed her legs. Her eyes watched all of her children.

Finally, her eyes landed on her most curious child of all, Gaea. The company that she kept with her sister Eva was an odd bunch but Angela favored Olvar. It was the other two she wasn’t so sure about."My lady," a small servant girl offered her a goblet of wine which Angela took without hesitation.

"Thank you," Angela smiled up at her as she sipped on the earthly wine. It was her own creation after all.

There she is, at long last… Simon thought with a grimace as he watched the goddess ascend to the seats reserved for unmasked divinity. The deity and Sularian Queen was olive-skinned, yet somehow red of hair. Her emerald green dress was long, but cut scandalously low with a lace brocade. She was beautiful, he supposed. Most men would jump at the chance to talk to such a woman, but Simon dreaded it. Gods were mighty and powerful, and their tempers fierce as seaborne gales. If Simon did not tread lightly, he might ignite that temper. For his former squire had dishonored one of her daughters. A princess, taken by a common-borne lad! Even now, as an anointed Knight of Simon's household, it was scandalous. Most would scoff at such a marriage proposal, but it was the only chance to save the girl's honor. 

With one smooth motion he downed his glass of wine for courage and stood from his table. Simon was a tall man for a human, just short of six feet, with a presence that made him seem taller than he actually was. His posture was perfectly ramrod-straight, though he walked gracefully and relaxed across the floor. Broad of chest and shoulder, with a strong jaw and hunter's eyes: he looked every inch the seasoned warrior that he was. A man of five and thirty, his close-cropped raven hair was just beginning to show the first signs of grey. He was fair-complexioned, with a straight nose, strong chin and piercing blue eyes accentuated by a small scar over his left brow - a token left to him by the runner-up at the Queen's Tourney. His close-fitting doublet and breeches did little to hide his muscular frame: they were of a military cut, long-sleeved and white as snow with silver buttons and trimmed in navy blue. Upon his doublet's breast was emblazoned the sigil of his noble house: a waning crescent moon opening into a cluster of three seven-pointed stars, all in silver thread upon a field of navy blue. His knee-high boots and belt were of leather bleached white. From one hip hung the Holy Comet, the ancient weapon of his house. The ivory-handled morningstar had a cold iron head etched in holy silver runes. On his other hip he wore an ivory-handled dagger in a white leather sheath, its blade also of cold iron etched with the same silver runes. The gloves he wore were of soft ermine, which also lined the cloth-of-silver half-cape that he wore over one shoulder, clasped with a crescent-moon brooch wrought in silver. 

He approached the high table with a measured stride, doing everything in his power to hide his discomfit. A young man stepped out to bar his path as he neared. He was of a height with Simon, with olive skin and long brown hair streaked with silver pulled back in a ponytail the fell behind his doublet. The warrior wore a young sword at his side, and the possessed the strange green and red eyes of a Rosenite. Based on his features, he seemed to be one of Angelas get. Simon offered him a bow. "I am Count Simon de Montefort, of the Kingdom of Adeluna. I humbly request a private audience with Her Grace."

The man turned toward Angela, who waved him up with a smile. The White Knight dropped to one knee and inclined his head. "Your Majesty, you do me great honor." Standing, he took the seat she offered him, and graciously accepted a glass of wine. "Forgive me," he said after a sip, "I do not wish to take up too much of your Grace's precious time. I come to discuss a… matter of love." Simon paused, choosing his next words carefully.

"One of my household Knights, Ser Olvar Tyresus, has taken a liking to your daughter, the Princess Gaea. It seems she has taken a liking to him as well." Simon tactfully left out the fact that his former squire had already bedded the poor girl. How a sweetling like her had come into the clutches of a beast like Olvar was anyone's guess - but was done was done and now it fell on Simon to sort it all out.

"To be blunt, I would like to propose a union between these two. I know that Ser Olvar would not normally be considered a proper suitor for your daughter's hand, but they bear considerable affection for one another. He dotes on her, and would treat her well. The lad would also not expect a considerable dowry, given his station. Just enough to ensure that Princess Gaea enjoys a lifestyle suitable to her birth." Simon finished the pitch with another sip of wine.

Now for the hard part. "What does your Grace think of the notion?" He braced himself for the worst.

Angela was well aware of Simon’s approach before he knew she was. Knowing the earth and those that tread it was something she was good at. She wasn’t as golden at it as she used to be when she held Earth but still she could tell he was coming to her.

Her son Ash was standing by in a manner that his mother had told him not to. Ever since Endapano he had been worried about her health. To think that there were things she knew nothing about and they could kill her… It terrified the man. Immediately the paladin got between Simon and his mother. Strong green and red eyes watched the human. “Who are you to approach the Queen of the Red Court?” It was an honest question and well earned.

Once Simon answered Ash looked up to his mother who waved him forward. “Do not be so tense my son. Everything will be fine. This is a happy event.”

“Forgive me for not letting my guard down so soon Mother. It was only a few weeks ago that you were vulnerable. Or have you forgotten?”

“Me? Never.” Angela smirked as Ash sighed and moved out of the way completely. “You may proceed.”

The goddess let Simon do his whole precious set up before she took a sip of her wine like she was thinking about it. “I would prefer if we could drop the formalities. I hear it enough all day in prayers.” There was a bit of jest in her voice as she uncrossed her legs. “I’m well aware of Olvar Tyresus.” Fake sharp eyes cut to Simon though if one didn’t know the queen well they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

“Almost two years ago I felt the loss of a precious life. When I arrived on the scene I found Olvar cradling my dead daughter in his arms.” Her voice was stern but towards the end, it softened. “He offered up ten years of his own life to bring her back. Do you wanna know why they have found each other?”

Angela obviously knew more than Simon did at this point. “Olvar was hired as an escort by my daughter Basselina to escort Gaea to the Valley of Vada and back to Adeluna to sell the Crystal Moon Flowers…” The very same that had been tied to the basket that had been given to Olvar. The ones that held such great meaning to them both. “From what I’ve come to gather about the situation is Olvar was caught off guard… Olvar and Gaea had begun to get close and it went noticed by a very deadly man who knew what Olvar was. He used wolfsbane and silver. Arrows pierced Olvar and burned him. It was Gaea who stopped it. She told the man that he could have her if it meant saving Olvar so she didn’t have to see him in any more pain. The heart is weak Simon. We do things in a split moment before we even know what to do. So she offered herself up in his place.”

The goddess thought about what information to leak. “Olvar… let Gaea get killed. However, Olvar couldn’t save Gaea. She had been stabbed with a dagger that had potent poison on it.” Finally, a smile as soft as a mother’s came to her face. “You see Lord Simon… That is why I favor Olvar. Giving up his life for hers. I chose not to and never told him why but I will tell you why. It takes guts for someone to be that unselfish. Maybe he was being selfish in still wanting her about but in either case, I could not deny his request.”

She stood up and offered her arm for Simon to take. “We should take a walkabout Zets’Ki Cradle. It is far more lovely than inside the Cathedral I promise you.” Should he take her arm she began the stroll. “Besides… My Gaea has always been an odd one even from the first time she could speak. It’s no wonder that she would come to love a man like Olvar.”

Angela looked about the room as they crossed it. “When she was seven… Her father told me to kill her. That she was worthless. You see, Gaea can’t use magic. Magic is not only the lifeblood of a Rosenite’s but also that of her father’s blood too. Kill her and we could try again. He infuriated me. Children aren’t toys that we can fix and throw away whenever we please. Don’t you agree, Simon?” Angela’s eyes moved to his so she could gauge his reaction.

“Do you know what Gaea told me when I told her I could give her the ability to use magic?” Of course, he didn’t but that wasn’t the point. “She told me… and I quote ‘My father can go to hell and I’ll be great even without my magic. I’ll show him.’. Seven years old. She told me there was nothing to fix because she was born to be this way for a reason. I’ve never met a child who was as strong-willed as she is. Nor as smart. Did you know she graduated third of her class from Auzial’s? She was third because she failed the practical magic examine. She scored perfect in every other category. First and second that year were my other two daughters. I am quite proud of how accomplished my children are… but Gaea? She is something special.”

She stopped at a balcony opening where they could see the snow. She pushed the doors open without a second thought of how cold it would be and she stepped out. “Gaea… Doesn’t need much in life. She has lived on her own for a long time now. Studying books and making medicine for those that need it. If anyone could be called a saint it is that girl. I have no doubt that anything I could give would make her comfortable. I would give my children the world if I could.” She gestured to the outside world and looked at the flowers that were peeking through the snow.

“In Sularia, it is not often we find mates. Women outnumber men ten to one. It often means that we venture out to reproduce and often do not find mates that stay with us. It has made us strong because we can only depend on ourselves. However, I don’t want that for my children Simon. I want them to find someone to be happy with and share their lives with them. An empty and hollow existence is all that waits for them if they follow the path their ancestors took. That is why I will accept your proposal… but we must also talk more about it as well. Gaea is one of my most valuable assets."