>>46400325
>>"I'd like to appear amicable. I'll just invite my brother out and have him bring his maid so I can meet her."

>>46400325
>"I don't have time for more games. I'll talk to the king and gauge his opinion on this matter."

>>46400325
>"I'd like to appear amicable. I'll just invite my brother out and have him bring his maid so I can meet her."

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>>46400325
"I'd like to appear amicable," you say. "I'll just invite my brother out and have him bring his maid so I can meet her."

"I'll come with you," Olwen says.

"You'll both come with me," you say.

Olwen glares at you and makes her disappointment quite obvious.

"Myrddin, what's happening this evening?" You ask.

"I can get us a lodge at the aforementioned opera or at a concert at the Royal Symphony Orchestra," Myrddin says. "I believe I can also obtain an invitation to a ball."

"How public are those outings?" You ask.

"I'd say they're neither private, nor public," Myrddin says. "People won't notice you unless you make a spectacle of yourself. The same should go for your brother, if that's worried about. The ball is masked, so that won't be an issue."

Ah, a masked ball. One of the classics.

"I would prefer if gossip about my brother's love life didn't spread throughout the capital," you say. "So that's good. Do you know who else will be there?"

"Nobles, aristocrats, merchants," Myrddin says. "I'd expect commoners to be there, but they would be influential commoners. You might find some opportunities."

Gwyrddarfordir can't match the history and culture of Svekka or Rosea, but there are a few patrons of the arts in the capital and you've made some effort to familiarize yourself with the topic over the years. You might not fit in, but you can at least avoid embarrassing yourself.

>"Let's go to the opera."
>"Let's attend the concert."
>"Let's attend the masked ball."

>>46400850

>"Let's attend the masked ball."

>>46400850
>"Let's go to the opera."

>>46400850
>"Let's attend the concert."

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>46400926
>>46400971
>>46401003
Fuck it, tiebreaker roll time. I hope 4chan didn't fuck that up alongside everything else.

1 or 2= Ball
3 or 4= Opera
5 or 6= Concert

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>>46400850
"Let's attend the masked ball," you say. "It's a classic, and it's always fun to try and guess who's behind the mask."

"And no one will question who the Crown Prince's date is," Myrddin says. "I'll let the host know that we'll be attending. Even if it's a masked ball, their reputation will increase significantly once people learn that royalty is in attendance."

"I'll leave it to you," you say. "In the meantime, I'll try to convince my brother to accompany us."

Myrddin has to make the arrangements and Olwen needs to find herself a dress and a mask, but you already have several costumes ready for just such an occasion. After all, a prince must always be prepared to socialize.

You pay a visit to your brother's quarters and drop in just as he's getting ready for lunch.
"Your highness," you bow politely. It's excessive formality, but this is technically a matter of the state. "I was hoping to ask you for a favour."

Crown Prince Haul laughs pleasantly. "Meirion, there's no need to be so stiff about it," he says. "Come, tell me what you need. So long as it's within my power, I'll be happy to assist you."

"Brother, I received an invitation to a masked ball this evening," you say. "Since it's rare for us to relax together, so I was hoping you could accompany me."

Your older brother considers your proposal for a moment. "I'm not sure I have time to spare on such frivolities," he says.

Because of course the kingdom's history, culture and traditions are a frivolous matter to the Crown Prince.

>[Intrigue/1d10] "Such a shame. I was hoping to meet your lady friend, at least informally."
>[Dilettante/1d6] "Come now, this is also a chance to spend time with that lover of yours. You can't pass it up."

>>46401492
>[Dilettante/1d6] "Come now, this is also a chance to spend time with that lover of yours. You can't pass it up."

>>46401492
>[Dilettante/1d6] "Come now, this is also a chance to spend time with that lover of yours. You can't pass it up."

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>>46401492
Your brother is reluctant, but he is hesitating. You just need to give him a bit of a push to get him to agree. Besides, it's not like you're asking him to do something difficult, right?"

You slide into the chair next to him. "Look at it this way," you say. "This is also a chance to spend time with that lover of yours. You can't pass it up."

"I suppose it would be nice to spend some time together in public," your brother says. "It is a bit boring when it's just the two of us here."

"Besides, it's a masked ball," you say. "No one will recognize you or her. Sure, they might suspect, but they won't make an issue of it. No one will want to get caught up in the wrong rumour."

The bait is set. You just need to see if your brother will take.

>Roll 1d6, best of three.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>46402048
Surely we won't crit fail this and have him draw his sword and run us through on the spot.

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>46402048

I need one more roll unless you want to take the critfail.

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>46402048

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>46402191
Depends, will we actually get run through?

>>46402220
Let's find out!

>>46402048
"No," your brother said. "I simply don't have the time."

Your blood pressure spikes and you force yourself to maintain an expressionless façade. It's the only thing you can do to stop yourself from letting out a blood-curdling scream of impotent rage.

"That's quite unfortunate," you say through gritted teeth.

"Another time, perhaps." The Crown Prince smiles. "Regardless, have a pleasant evening."

You stumble back to your room and crash into your chair. Myrddin and Olwen take a look at your dejected appearance and smirk.

"Things didn't go well?" Myrddin asks.

"It's a ball." You groan. "Who's too busy to go to a ball?"

"You had one job, your highness," Olwen says. "One. Job."

"I'm quite aware of that, Olwen."

"Regardless, what do you want to do now?" Myrddin asks. "Should we go to the ball anyway, or try something else?"

The ball won't further your investigation now, but it shouldn't be a complete waste of your time if you do go.

>"I really want to go to that ball now."
>"No, I'm staying on this. I'll go speak with the king."

>>46402465
>"I really want to go to that ball now."

>>46402465
>>"I really want to go to that ball now."

>>46402465
>"I really want to go to that ball now."
Even we need a night off to relax and enjoy ourself we should get myrddin to bring his wife.

>>46402465
>"I really want to go to that ball now."
[muffled sounds of Olwen internally rejoicing]

>>46402570
She will be excited until we dance with someone else, then the jealously will set in.

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>>46402465
"We're going to that ball," you say. "So long as Myrddin brings his wife."

"So… that means we're not going then?" Olwen asks in a disappointed tone.

"I really do have a wife!" Myrddin assures you. "If it means that much to you, I'll bring her along."

"Then it's settled until we the evidence says otherwise," you say. "We'll leave after dinner."

"That'll give me time to get my hair and makeup done," Olwen says. "You should make yourself look presentable as well, your highness. The mask can only hide so much."

"I'll take your advice to heart," you say.

You spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on work and eat a light meal before leaving. Balls are surprisingly exhausting, so while you want to avoid stuffing yourself, you can't go in hungry either.

Your attire is a red and gold jacket and a simple white mask that hides the top half of your face. You send for a carriage and wait for Olwen, Myrddin and Myrddin's "wife."

Olwen arrives first, unsurprisingly. She's wearing a red and white dress that doesn't have too many frills. Her mask matches her dress, and unlike yours, it's covered with intricate patterns and gilded with gold.

"You look beautiful, as always," you say. You've learned your lesson about complimenting women. Aside from your sister, of course, although you're not certain she qualifies as a woman.

"Thank you, your highness," Olwen says.

Myrddin arrives soon after, accompanied by a short woman.

"Who's that?" You ask.

"This is my wife, Nimue," Myrddin says.

Damn, she is real!

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty," Nimue says.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Nimue," Olwen says. "I was really surprised when Myrddin told us he was married."

"Due to my work, I need to stay out of the public eye," Nimue says.

>"What's your work?"
>"It's a pleasure to meet you. Now, let's go."

>>46403056

>"What's your work?"

>>46403056
>"What's your work?"

>>46403056
>"What's your work?"

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>>46403056
"What's your work?" You ask.

"I perform espionage, blackmail, extortion, and assassinations for the sake of the kingdom," Nimue says.

What.

You look at her awkwardly. You glance at Olwen. She's also staring at Nimue. Nimue is looking at you blankly, wondering what's wrong. Myrddin coughs awkwardly.

"We should get going," Myrddin says.

"Yes." You agree. "We should do that."

The carriage ride is quiet. Nimue and Myrddin chat about something you're certain you don't want to know about. You stare out the window and enjoy the city lights.

You help Olwen disembark when you reach the dance hall. Other guests are streaming into the hall, while servants do their best to keep things in order without offending anyone. You walk slowly and glance around at the garden.

"This place is quite nice," you say. "Has it been open long?"

"It was closed for a while, but it reopened recently," Myrddin says. "It belongs to Master Lloyd now."

Despite being a commoner, Master Evan Lloyd is recognized as a genius composer and conductor, and he has a true talent for cultivating singers, musicians, and dancers. He's prominent enough that you've heard his name mentioned a few times in the palace. If he's expanding in the capital, it can only mean good things for the art scene.

Inside the hall, the dancing hasn't started yet. The guests are gathered in a circle around the dance floor, while Master Lloyd speaks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Glass Moon Dance Hall," Master Lloyd says in a passionless tone that matches the complete lack of affectation on his face. "Thank you for coming. I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight. I will now open the dance floor."

You can't help but wonder where the man's reputation comes from.

Still, when the orchestra starts playing, you can't find a flaw in their performance.

>[Dilettante/1d6] Ask Olwen to dance with you. You can at least make a good first impression.
>[Dilettante/1d4] Look for another dance partner.

>>46403587
>[Dilettante/1d6] Ask Olwen to dance with you. You can at least make a good first impression.

>>46403587
>>[Dilettante/1d6] Ask Olwen to dance with you. You can at least make a good first impression.
Even if this weren't the easier option I'd take it

>>46403587
>[Dilettante/1d6] Ask Olwen to dance with you. You can at least make a good first impression.
Why would we ever not take this option other than to make her jealous

>>46403587
>[Dilettante/1d6] Ask Olwen to dance with you. You can at least make a good first impression.

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>>46403587
Chasing after someone is much harder than being chased after. The secret to getting a new partner is to look desirable.

"Come on, Olwen." You take her arm and lead her to the dance floor, while Myrddin does the same with his wife. "You can dance, right?"

"I can at least handle a Waltz."

You put your free hand on Olwen's shoulder blade, while she presses her hips against yours and leans back. You take a moment to secure your posture and lead her into the waltz.

>Roll 1d6, best of three.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>46403959
1s incoming

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>46403959

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>46403959

>>46403976
>>46403998
>>46404043
huh

>>46404110
We are the dancing prince,time to show off.

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>>46403959
You smile brightly and pull Olwen along in elegant, lifting movements, one of the most important characteristics of the waltz. You make one circuit along the side of the dance floor before moving to the centre, in full view of all the guests. You exaggerate your movements as much as you can without eroding their elegance.

Olwen does an admirable job of keeping up with you. As tiring as the waltz is, it can't be as bad as her daily exercise regimen. She laughs happily as the song ends and you wind down to a stop to share audience's applause.

"I think it's been too long since I've done this," she says. "I think I'll rest for a bit. Go and find yourself another partner."

"You won't be jealous?"

"This isn't enough to make me jealous," she says. You're not entirely certain she's telling the truth. "Besides, this is part of your work. I certainly can't get in the way of that."

"I suppose that's true." You bow to Olwen as she leaves. A small crowd of women immediately comes in to try and replace her as your partner. They go to great lengths to complement your form and your style.

>1/2

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>>46404317
"It wasn't that impressive." A young woman in a cold blue dress catches your attention with your comments. "The steps were excessive, and the lift was too exaggerated. It was more self-indulgent than anything."

The other girls glare at the woman in blue, but she doesn't seem to notice in the slightest.

You smile awkwardly. "I don't dance all that often, to be honest," you admit. "I'm afraid I only learned the basics."

"I know that," the woman says. She smiles slightly. "However, your dancing was quite conscientious. I can tell you care about the art, even if your skill isn't that great. I wouldn't mind being your next partner, if you'd like."

>[Dilettante/1d6] "I'll gladly accept your offer."
>[Dilettante/1d12] "I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

>>46404338
>[Dilettante/1d6] "I'll gladly accept your offer."
Keen eye, that's promising.

>>46404338
>[Dilettante/1d6] "I'll gladly accept your offer."

>>46404338
>[Dilettante/1d6] "I'll gladly accept your offer."

>yfw it turns out the woman is somehow our sister

>>46404338
>>[Dilettante/1d6] "I'll gladly accept your offer."
Too pretty to say no

>>46404338
>[Dilettante/1d6] "I'll gladly accept your offer."

>>46404431
>>yfw it turns out the woman is somehow our sister


I somehow doubt it. Not Golden haired. Cousin by our Uncle maybe.

>>46404512
Does our uncle have kids?

>>46404554
Given he's super corrupt and hedonistic? I don't doubt it. The question is if she's legitimate or a bastard.

>>46404338
>[Dilettante/1d12] "I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
I bet she's the kind that doesn't like taking no for an answer.

>>46404588
The question is she super corrupt and evil? Could we use her to mess with our uncle? It makes me wonder if he has an heir.

>>46404707
We might, I'm just worried she's like him but pretty, which makes her a LOT more dangerous. Pretty women can get away with a lot.

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>>46404338
"I'll gladly accept your offer," you say.

You take the woman's hand and she takes you directly to the centre of the dance floor. She waves a hand to catch the conductor's attention. The man startles, but nods immediately.

"What's that about?" You ask.

"Have you heard of the Rose Garden Waltz?" The woman asks.

"The fastest, most difficult, most exacting waltz in the Rosean roster? I have heard of it."

"Then show it to me," the woman says.

You take her hand and put the other on her shoulder. The woman presses herself against you much like Olwen did, but her weight is slightly easier for you to carry and she seems much more relaxed.

>Roll 1d6, best of three.

>>46404769
To be fair if she is uncle spawn and we get her on our side she could be useful the question is she useful. Clearly she has some infamy among the guests and knows who we are.

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>46404823
rolling
>>46404829
We'll see.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>46404823
Dance for victory.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>46404823
One more just because. Though the outcome is already apparent.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>46404823

>>46404863
>>46404868
>>46404911
So... is this good or bad?

>>46404989
It's fortunately unfortunate i think he is taking the highest role.

>>46404989
Standard success. The 1s only matter if we get no rolls above a 4.

>>46405022
What are the chances she will try to poison or pickpocket us, maybe seduction? I figure she wants to get to us in some way.

>>46405193
We'll roll Intrigue to defend then.

>>46405219
That or a jealous Olwen will smash her to pieces.

>>46405252
Both might yet happen, Although Olwen would stab not smash.

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>>46404823
The Rose Garden Waltz starts with low notes and basic flat-footed movements. When properly executed, it looks like the dancers' feet are sliding on ice. You don't have much difficulty with that part, and your partner can follow your movements despite wearing high heels.

As the notes reach for higher pitches, your feet begin to leave the floor as you add lift to your movements. As the music continues, you raise your heels and stay on the balls of your feet. The amount of effort require is excruciating, but you maintain a straight line of dance in the middle of the floor. Your partner is doing just as well. Better, even. Whenever it feels like your posture is about to break, she adjusts her weight slightly to allow you to straighten out.

It's quite amazing, actually. The dance instructors you had weren't this good.

The music reaches its highest note. This is the crown of the Rose Garden Waltz, a series of 36 spinning movements which must be executed without breaking the line of dance. By this point, you are standing on the tip of your toes and you can't allow yourself to drop the least bit; in order to maintain the lifting movements, you actually have to make small jumps. You need to support your partner's weight as well.

>1/?

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>>46405305
The first few spins are easy enough, all things considered, but after that, it only gets worse. Your toes feel more and more painful, as if something in your foot is about to break. By this point, the other dancers have surrendered the floor entirely, leaving the two of you entirely. Those who are familiar with the Rose Garden Waltz would rather watch it than dance it, while those who don't know what's happening feel too out of place to keep dancing.

After the twelfth spin, your arms and back are starting to feel stiff, and the pain has spread along your legs. The landings are getting harder and harder, since you need to keep jumping higher to make a proper impression. It's all made harder by the fact that you and your partner need to land exactly at the same time, or else you'll likely miss the next step.

You spare a glance at your partner. Her posture remains absolutely perfect. Regretfully, you can only enjoy the sight of her glistening cleavage for a second before you have to focus on your steps again.

Having come this far, your only option is to keep going. It doesn't matter how hard it is to breath, or how sore your body is or that you don't even remember which spin you're on. The dance floor belongs to you now, so you draw on all your military and political experience as a prince and conquer the damn thing.

You land just as the orchestra lets out a thundering low note. That's the signal that the dance is over. Your legs feel like jelly, but you maintain your poise. You have to make a good impression before the crowd, after all. If people found out that the prince collapsed on a dance floor, you wouldn't be able to show your face in the palace again.

Your heels blissfully touch the ground and you take several deep breaths to steady yourself. You can tell that your dance partner isn't in much better shape than you are. You wrap one hand around her waist and help her off the floor.

>2/?

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>>46405431
The audience's reaction is staggering. You wouldn't be surprised if the building collapsed from the applause.

"I… I didn't think that would go so well," the woman says between gasps once you're away from the audience's sight. She awkwardly slips out of your grasp.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect to get the Rose Garden Waltz on my first try," you say.

"Yes… I… I should go now." The woman curtseys politely. "Perhaps we'll meet again some time."

Before you can say or do anything else, the woman turns away and leaves. You stand there for a moment, wondering what, if anything, happened.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Myrddin approaches you, along with his wife and Olwen, who seems quite amused at the situation. "You were quite lucky to have her as a partner."

"You know who that woman is?" You ask.

"If I'm not mistaken, that should be Master Lloyd's daughter," Myrddin says. "Her name's Eleri. I can keep an eye out for her, if you'd like?"

"It would be nice for his highness to have a regular dance partner." Olwen gives her tacit approval. "I'm afraid I don't have much interest for such things."

>"I suppose you're right. Let me know if she makes another appearance."
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."

>>46405552
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."

>>46405552
>"I suppose you're right. Let me know if she makes another appearance

>>46405552
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."
We have bigger things to watch for, for now anyways. She is very good at dancing though. A looker too.


Tease the Olwen.

>>46405552
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."
didn't exactly get a lot of talking done

>>46405552
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."
We're not playing the skirt-chasing type.

>>46405552
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."
We should ask him if anyone important or useful is here and start making connections. Then tease Olwen, and maybe talk amongst the guests.

>>46405668
I like that we are actually trying to stay in character normally anons ignore the plot to chase waifus. I feel like this prince will go far.

>>46405552
>"There's no need. I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."

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>>46405552
"There's no need," you say. "I'd rather leave things to chance and circumstances."

"If that's what you want." Myrddin shrugs.

"The capital isn't that big anyway," Olwen say. "I'm sure you'll meet so long as you go to these kinds of parties. Who knows? It might do you some good."

"Socializing is part of a royal's duties," you say. "Is there anyone else here I should meet?"

"It's hard to tell with some of the masks, but I believe that the heir of the Count Caunys is here," Myrddin says.

"It was definitely her," Nimue says. "I recognized her perfume." You don't want to know how that happened. "I also recognized Coleran and his daughter."

That's someone you don't recognize, but if Nimue knows him, he must be important somehow.

"Just give me a second to catch my breath," you say. "How long have we been here?"

"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes," Olwen says. "The night's just getting started."

To your worn-out body, it feels like a lot more than that. However, there's still people to meet, so you can't leave quite yet. Since you decided to come to this party, you might as well try and enjoy yourself.

>>46406045
It's a bit too early to end things, but it's not quite early enough to really keep going, so I'll call it a night now and resume the ball Sunday, April 3rd at the usual time. Hopefully, this April's fools monstrosity will be fixed by then.

Anyway, I'll check the thread on and off for a bit, so if anyone has any questions, ask away.

>>46406104
Does our uncle have any children?

>>46406104
What are the kingdoms around us like are their any major allies or enemies?

>>46406045
How well known are we outside the kingdom? does the royal family have sub families of close relatives as monarchs in other kingdoms?

>>46406148
Several, most of them legitimate. Contraceptives are fairly effective.

>>46406182
From northwest to northeast: Olstren, Svekka, Rosea. Gael is directly to the east, while Parlan is across the sea to the south. Parlan is the major trade partner, but there aren't any real military allies. Olstren, Svekka and Rosea are technically enemies of Gwyrddarfordir, but most of the battles are small-scale border conflicts.

>>46406297
>Olstren, Svekka and Rosea are technically enemies of Gwyrddarfordir, but most of the battles are small-scale border conflicts.
Do any of them being enemies with us have anything to do with our father's questionable diplomatic credentials?

>>46406297
Are any of our uncles children as dangerous as him?
Are we Not!Wales?
Also thanks for running Op

>>46406297
What is our army made up of are guns(muskets) a thing or are we early gun powder?
Is the capital our only major city?

>>46406258
Prince Meirion is fairly well-known to neighbouring royalty, although nobles aren't likely to know of him unless they fought him.

Meirion's mother is still alive. She's currently with her own relatives out west. That's the only major family relation in another country.

>>46406423
Meirion's mom is not the mother of our brother or sister is she? Might explain why we're so, not cavalier.

>>46406473
It's pretty in our favour our siblings can't understand logistics or organization, with the way they act it might be best they don't rule.

>>46406379
None of your uncle's children are as dangerous as he is, but they support his efforts.

You are kind of like Wales, only a lot bigger.

>>46406418
The army has accessed to enchanted firearms that essentially work like railguns. They're not as powerful as modern weapons, but they're a lot better than flintlocks and such.

Aurwain, the capital, is the largest city by a wide margin, but there are six other cities with a population between 10,000 and 30,000 people.

>>46406473
No, Meirion's mother is also the mother of his older siblings. She just had to go back to her home because of her father's illness.

>>46406742
we take after our mom I take it?

>>46407001
Yep.

>>46406742
Are arranged marriages somethimg we need to be careful of?
If our brother marries a maid is that a embarrassment will the king be mad?
Are their mythical creatures and wizards?