The Carousal Gambit - 28.08.24 - Zaspar's Diary
Sept 7, 2024 20:57:16 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Andy D, and 2 more like this
Post by Zaspar on Sept 7, 2024 20:57:16 GMT
DM: willemf
Party Members: Zaspar, Luxemforth, Dee'arna, Beets.
Special thanks to Beets The Beetle (Feenix)
Note: You might have seen these events reported slightly differently in the past. Please consider this the 'canon' event moving forward - other posts etc will be adjusted later. There are no villains and no victims, here, just a couple characters who aren't great at expressing themselves, trying to!
Zaspar’s Diary - Party Planning
Father has given me permission to throw a party in his name. It’s been a few months since we arrived in Kantas, and we haven’t hosted any events yet. He has made it clear that this is not just an honour, but a responsibility I must take very seriously, lest I disappoint the Arthiar name again.
I’ve invited a select group of good friends with varying skill sets to help the evening proceed smoothly, and Mother and Father have both invited some high ranking people. No one on the council was invited this time - Father says if I impress him, next time we can invite the councilors. Hopefully, this will be step one of my gambit to win us a seat on the council - The Carousal Gambit, if you will. Soon, that name will be etched into the history books of the Dawnlands.
Mother and I have been training the orchestra for weeks, ensuring every note is hit at the perfect time, and each moment is soundtracked appropriately. Father and I have been overseeing our wine supplies and making sure we have enough delivered for what will undoubtedly be a night of drinking for some lesser nobles. I have informed my etiquette tutors about Dee’arna and Beets and they will be informed on what they are expected to do - I am not particularly worried about either of them, but it is always better safe than sorry, especially since Father will be keeping a close eye on my associates.
As for myself, my tailor and I have worked to design an outfit that tows the line between noble refinement and daring provocation, depending on which layers I’m wearing. I must admit I am excited to show the provocative side - should the moment arise.
–
Zaspar’s Diary - Post-Party
For the first time in 101 years, Father said he was proud of me.
(teardrops on the page render the next sentence illegible).
–
Zaspar’s Diary - Beets
I was immensely happy when Beets accepted the invite to my party. I know she doesn’t typically enjoy these kinds of events, and has some less-than-pleasant history with the nobility. She agreed to come to support me, though, and that kind of friendship cannot be replaced.
She brought a huge array of muffins - do believe me, Diary, that I am eating one now as I write this and they are delicious as ever - but was a few minutes late. There was still time enough for my etiquette tutor to run through some things with her, thankfully.
Beets spent most of the evening with my parents, which I found exceptionally odd. I was originally in a conversation group with my parents, and immediately made Luxemforth take my position. I love my Mother, but I do not want to spend extra time socialising with my Father, honestly. So, yes I was rather surprised to see Beets not only willingly being in a group with my parents - but her etiquette tutor also informed me during the event that she had pulled them both separately for a chat.
I supposed she was just introducing herself as my mentor, my draconic tutor, and so on. I also supposed that their reaction was less than pleasant, probably something along the lines of, ‘Zaspar has no need for friends, we can pay for an Archwyrm to come teach him draconic,’ - the usual spiel they gave to my friends when I was growing up. I told them I’d like it if they stopped scaring away everyone I became friends with but they said it was important that I don’t corrupt myself with the influence of people less important than me. Needless to say I went along with that advice until I came to Kantas. I am beginning to realise that even those from strange backgrounds can become the best of friends one could hope for. Simply look at Beets for an example of that.
Anyway, whilst the party was wrapping up Beets asked to speak to me separately. Unfortunately in this instance I could not oblige her, as I was still on hosting duty. So, I asked her to please share whatever she had to say in front of my Father.
You must believe me when I say I had no idea what was to come next.
Beets proposed. To me.
I felt bad, I still do, but I had to say a firm ‘no’. Beets is my first friend, truly, and that is how I want things to stay. I implored her to take a moment to imagine herself as a noble consort, having to throw these types of events multiple times a week, resigning her entire position in life to be the one who helps me rule the family estate. Marriage is not something I would want to confine her to - to clip her wings like that, so to speak, would be unbearable.
No, I told her, and I tried to tell her the above, too. I wanted her to know that she was my first friend, my closest friend, my mentor, and would always have a place by my side. However, instead of informing her that I refused to clip her wings, what I actually said was, “I am going on a date tomorrow.” And I still am not sure why that is what I landed on.
Understandably, it was probably not the response she was expecting.
Hopefully I can be correct about my assessment that we are best friends though. I hope that Beets will give me another chance. A chance to speak and tell her that she will always have a place by my side, that marriage to me is just a mere political game to secure influence. While she may be not thrilled to hear my summation of marriage - folk not in my position never are Diary - I do hope and believe that we may both come out of this situation as even stronger friends.
Beets left the party to think things through, as did I.
I have made my own share of failed proposals, and understand that headspace after one is sometimes what you need most of all.
I will leave Beets to her feelings for now, but will still show up for our Draconic lesson as usual.
I do so hope she will be there, too.
–
Zaspar’s Diary - Post-Party Pt. 2
The party itself was a dazzling success. A delicate balance of high society, merchants, city officials, even a representative from a Fey court graced us with their presence. I couldn’t have asked for a more diverse gathering. The Carousal Gambit seemed to unfold just as I had hoped.
Naturally, not everyone in attendance was fond of one another. As with any noble gathering, grudges simmered beneath polite conversations. Fortunately, I had the foresight to dispatch my trusted friends Luxemforth, Dee’arna, and Beets to manage the guests in groups and shift them when tempers flared or words became too sharp. I believe we were successful in maintaining harmony, even fostering some unlikely alliances. My mother, for example, found endless commonalities with the Duchess Von Vald, a connection that could prove quite valuable in the future.
I did get the opportunity to show off my provocative side. There was a masked stranger in attendance who delivered all sorts of beautiful words to me, and I could not resist the temptation to remove my coat. His reaction was exactly what I was looking for - sheer adoration, and what seemed to be love at first sight.
Or, I thought it was, Diary, until Dee’arna’s assigned etiquette tutor revealed that the two of them had struck an even more intense flirtation. I cannot blame either of them for that. A beautiful, mysterious couple they would make.
Still, the night had its highlights. As the evening drew to a close, my group was filled with the best of the eligible beauties and potential marriage prospects. There was Luca di Floria, uncle to the di Floria man I flirted with days ago; Robin Merryfair, a shy but striking merchant with an ethereal quality; and Yvette ap Morgannwg, a noble of Fey court lineage with a wealth of status to match her beauty.
I had time to speak to only two of them and chose Robin first, then Yvette - separately, of course, as a gentleman would.
Yvette, for all her allure, felt like a conversation I had had a hundred times that evening. A noble of the summer court, I had hoped, would be more entertaining. She was charming, yes, but the connection was standard, predictable. We exchanged pleasantries, but nothing more.
Robin,
though, was different. She captivated me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. There was something disarmingly genuine about her, a softness that felt almost sacred. She was modest but engaging, beautiful but humble, and she seemed to hang on my every word as if we were the only two in the room. When I mentioned my intention to marry quickly, she agreed without hesitation. A rare thing for someone of common blood to respond so eagerly, but that only made her all the more appealing. A merchant, too, she could add wealth and influence to our house. It was as though she had been crafted exactly for me, perfect in every way.
I shall have my Butler dispatch her a package tomorrow including an invitation to dinner, lest someone else catch her eye before I. And if things go badly, there’s still Yvette.
Speaking of Yvette, Father came to speak to me as the party was wrapping up. He clapped me on the shoulder and told me I had made him proud.
I am not ashamed to admit I burst into tears - though Father did tell me to try and hold it together until all the guests had left. I simply could not though. He told me he was proud, and that we can potentially think of hosting another party. So, the Carousal Gambit seemed a success.
I began to express my interest in Robin, and that's when his expression darkened. He narrowed his eyes, and his grip on my shoulder tightened almost imperceptibly. "Yvette is the one you should pursue," he said, voice low, each word deliberate.
When I mentioned my preference for Robin, his response was swift, his words laced with coldness. "If you tie yourself to someone like her, you will regret it. The same way I regret marrying your mother every single day."
He turned away as he said this, unable to meet my eyes. The bitterness in his tone was unmistakable, but there was something else: an undercurrent of exhaustion, maybe even resentment, as though he was speaking not only about me, but about some deeper, unspoken sorrow he carried. His words cut deeply, but the way he said them made me wonder if his own regrets had hollowed him out, and if he was trying to save me from the same fate.
Even writing this down, I feel the harsh sting of this sentiment. My Mother is the most important person in my world. I could list her positive qualities for days. She still does my hair every morning because she knows how I like it to sit underneath my circlet. I know she was a court musician and, so, a servant - but she has risen to the ranks of high society now just like Father, and has become a bona fide noble herself. That was clear to see from her conversations with the Duchess, alone.
Somehow, his words made me want to pursue Robin even more. I am not sure why, for I know it heretical to go against Father’s word in his own household, especially if I am to inherit the House.
I will figure that out later.
For now, Diary, I must prepare my letter to Robin.
Party Members: Zaspar, Luxemforth, Dee'arna, Beets.
Special thanks to Beets The Beetle (Feenix)
Note: You might have seen these events reported slightly differently in the past. Please consider this the 'canon' event moving forward - other posts etc will be adjusted later. There are no villains and no victims, here, just a couple characters who aren't great at expressing themselves, trying to!
Zaspar’s Diary - Party Planning
Father has given me permission to throw a party in his name. It’s been a few months since we arrived in Kantas, and we haven’t hosted any events yet. He has made it clear that this is not just an honour, but a responsibility I must take very seriously, lest I disappoint the Arthiar name again.
I’ve invited a select group of good friends with varying skill sets to help the evening proceed smoothly, and Mother and Father have both invited some high ranking people. No one on the council was invited this time - Father says if I impress him, next time we can invite the councilors. Hopefully, this will be step one of my gambit to win us a seat on the council - The Carousal Gambit, if you will. Soon, that name will be etched into the history books of the Dawnlands.
Mother and I have been training the orchestra for weeks, ensuring every note is hit at the perfect time, and each moment is soundtracked appropriately. Father and I have been overseeing our wine supplies and making sure we have enough delivered for what will undoubtedly be a night of drinking for some lesser nobles. I have informed my etiquette tutors about Dee’arna and Beets and they will be informed on what they are expected to do - I am not particularly worried about either of them, but it is always better safe than sorry, especially since Father will be keeping a close eye on my associates.
As for myself, my tailor and I have worked to design an outfit that tows the line between noble refinement and daring provocation, depending on which layers I’m wearing. I must admit I am excited to show the provocative side - should the moment arise.
–
Zaspar’s Diary - Post-Party
For the first time in 101 years, Father said he was proud of me.
(teardrops on the page render the next sentence illegible).
–
Zaspar’s Diary - Beets
I was immensely happy when Beets accepted the invite to my party. I know she doesn’t typically enjoy these kinds of events, and has some less-than-pleasant history with the nobility. She agreed to come to support me, though, and that kind of friendship cannot be replaced.
She brought a huge array of muffins - do believe me, Diary, that I am eating one now as I write this and they are delicious as ever - but was a few minutes late. There was still time enough for my etiquette tutor to run through some things with her, thankfully.
Beets spent most of the evening with my parents, which I found exceptionally odd. I was originally in a conversation group with my parents, and immediately made Luxemforth take my position. I love my Mother, but I do not want to spend extra time socialising with my Father, honestly. So, yes I was rather surprised to see Beets not only willingly being in a group with my parents - but her etiquette tutor also informed me during the event that she had pulled them both separately for a chat.
I supposed she was just introducing herself as my mentor, my draconic tutor, and so on. I also supposed that their reaction was less than pleasant, probably something along the lines of, ‘Zaspar has no need for friends, we can pay for an Archwyrm to come teach him draconic,’ - the usual spiel they gave to my friends when I was growing up. I told them I’d like it if they stopped scaring away everyone I became friends with but they said it was important that I don’t corrupt myself with the influence of people less important than me. Needless to say I went along with that advice until I came to Kantas. I am beginning to realise that even those from strange backgrounds can become the best of friends one could hope for. Simply look at Beets for an example of that.
Anyway, whilst the party was wrapping up Beets asked to speak to me separately. Unfortunately in this instance I could not oblige her, as I was still on hosting duty. So, I asked her to please share whatever she had to say in front of my Father.
You must believe me when I say I had no idea what was to come next.
Beets proposed. To me.
I felt bad, I still do, but I had to say a firm ‘no’. Beets is my first friend, truly, and that is how I want things to stay. I implored her to take a moment to imagine herself as a noble consort, having to throw these types of events multiple times a week, resigning her entire position in life to be the one who helps me rule the family estate. Marriage is not something I would want to confine her to - to clip her wings like that, so to speak, would be unbearable.
No, I told her, and I tried to tell her the above, too. I wanted her to know that she was my first friend, my closest friend, my mentor, and would always have a place by my side. However, instead of informing her that I refused to clip her wings, what I actually said was, “I am going on a date tomorrow.” And I still am not sure why that is what I landed on.
Understandably, it was probably not the response she was expecting.
Hopefully I can be correct about my assessment that we are best friends though. I hope that Beets will give me another chance. A chance to speak and tell her that she will always have a place by my side, that marriage to me is just a mere political game to secure influence. While she may be not thrilled to hear my summation of marriage - folk not in my position never are Diary - I do hope and believe that we may both come out of this situation as even stronger friends.
Beets left the party to think things through, as did I.
I have made my own share of failed proposals, and understand that headspace after one is sometimes what you need most of all.
I will leave Beets to her feelings for now, but will still show up for our Draconic lesson as usual.
I do so hope she will be there, too.
–
Zaspar’s Diary - Post-Party Pt. 2
The party itself was a dazzling success. A delicate balance of high society, merchants, city officials, even a representative from a Fey court graced us with their presence. I couldn’t have asked for a more diverse gathering. The Carousal Gambit seemed to unfold just as I had hoped.
Naturally, not everyone in attendance was fond of one another. As with any noble gathering, grudges simmered beneath polite conversations. Fortunately, I had the foresight to dispatch my trusted friends Luxemforth, Dee’arna, and Beets to manage the guests in groups and shift them when tempers flared or words became too sharp. I believe we were successful in maintaining harmony, even fostering some unlikely alliances. My mother, for example, found endless commonalities with the Duchess Von Vald, a connection that could prove quite valuable in the future.
I did get the opportunity to show off my provocative side. There was a masked stranger in attendance who delivered all sorts of beautiful words to me, and I could not resist the temptation to remove my coat. His reaction was exactly what I was looking for - sheer adoration, and what seemed to be love at first sight.
Or, I thought it was, Diary, until Dee’arna’s assigned etiquette tutor revealed that the two of them had struck an even more intense flirtation. I cannot blame either of them for that. A beautiful, mysterious couple they would make.
Still, the night had its highlights. As the evening drew to a close, my group was filled with the best of the eligible beauties and potential marriage prospects. There was Luca di Floria, uncle to the di Floria man I flirted with days ago; Robin Merryfair, a shy but striking merchant with an ethereal quality; and Yvette ap Morgannwg, a noble of Fey court lineage with a wealth of status to match her beauty.
I had time to speak to only two of them and chose Robin first, then Yvette - separately, of course, as a gentleman would.
Yvette, for all her allure, felt like a conversation I had had a hundred times that evening. A noble of the summer court, I had hoped, would be more entertaining. She was charming, yes, but the connection was standard, predictable. We exchanged pleasantries, but nothing more.
Robin,
though, was different. She captivated me in a way I hadn’t anticipated. There was something disarmingly genuine about her, a softness that felt almost sacred. She was modest but engaging, beautiful but humble, and she seemed to hang on my every word as if we were the only two in the room. When I mentioned my intention to marry quickly, she agreed without hesitation. A rare thing for someone of common blood to respond so eagerly, but that only made her all the more appealing. A merchant, too, she could add wealth and influence to our house. It was as though she had been crafted exactly for me, perfect in every way.
I shall have my Butler dispatch her a package tomorrow including an invitation to dinner, lest someone else catch her eye before I. And if things go badly, there’s still Yvette.
Speaking of Yvette, Father came to speak to me as the party was wrapping up. He clapped me on the shoulder and told me I had made him proud.
I am not ashamed to admit I burst into tears - though Father did tell me to try and hold it together until all the guests had left. I simply could not though. He told me he was proud, and that we can potentially think of hosting another party. So, the Carousal Gambit seemed a success.
I began to express my interest in Robin, and that's when his expression darkened. He narrowed his eyes, and his grip on my shoulder tightened almost imperceptibly. "Yvette is the one you should pursue," he said, voice low, each word deliberate.
When I mentioned my preference for Robin, his response was swift, his words laced with coldness. "If you tie yourself to someone like her, you will regret it. The same way I regret marrying your mother every single day."
He turned away as he said this, unable to meet my eyes. The bitterness in his tone was unmistakable, but there was something else: an undercurrent of exhaustion, maybe even resentment, as though he was speaking not only about me, but about some deeper, unspoken sorrow he carried. His words cut deeply, but the way he said them made me wonder if his own regrets had hollowed him out, and if he was trying to save me from the same fate.
Even writing this down, I feel the harsh sting of this sentiment. My Mother is the most important person in my world. I could list her positive qualities for days. She still does my hair every morning because she knows how I like it to sit underneath my circlet. I know she was a court musician and, so, a servant - but she has risen to the ranks of high society now just like Father, and has become a bona fide noble herself. That was clear to see from her conversations with the Duchess, alone.
Somehow, his words made me want to pursue Robin even more. I am not sure why, for I know it heretical to go against Father’s word in his own household, especially if I am to inherit the House.
I will figure that out later.
For now, Diary, I must prepare my letter to Robin.