Royal Games (Closed)

[Mephistophelily]

Closed for myself and Eazy.

Spring was a beautiful time of year in the kingdom of Hayethen; the blossoming trees that surrounded the castle leaving a perfumed scent to the air, the streams that flowed around it running crisp and clear for the animals to enjoy, and the greatest of reasons for celebration in the King's eyes: the anniversary of his daughter's birth. Though some that made their life's work in the castle walls may not have shared the same loving sentiment on Princess Raea, there was an air of celebration taking its hold over the occupants of the structure... Even if in some areas it came off a bit forced.

Princess Raea herself, however, seemed oblivious to the lack of genuine happiness over her nineteenth year. Her father's doting affections were all that mattered to her, as well as the attention lavished upon her during the surrounding week of the festivities. The King insisted that celebrations be made more extravagant each year, his daughter's hounding sugar-coated words convincing him finally that a single day was simply not enough; a full week should be spent to celebrate her.

The King was not one to deny her a request.

A spectacular gala was planned for his darling daughter's true day of birth, the King's list of guests reaching a length that filled far more than a single scroll could hold. The idea of giving up so much of his time to plan such things horrified his advisers, but no one would dare to say anything to him; Raea had a far greater influence at this time of year than anything they could even think to bring up.

Raea herself had taken to overseeing various aspects of the planning, demanding one thing before changing her mind and insisting it be done another way. The frustration on the servants' faces barely registered to the young woman, attempting to cover for her snobbish ways with a reminder of who she was in a saccharine tone.

Finally escorted from the kitchen by one of the more even-tempered members of the staff, she took a silenced time for herself to wander the gardens that surrounded the castle, still managing to find things to complain about. She honestly didn't see why people felt so compelled to speak about her as such a terrible person. She knew that she was of royal blood, as did they. Didn't her lineage mean that they at least owed her the courtesy of complying to her requests?

This thought helped to confirm her decision on the task set upon her by the King; his desire for her to choose a suitor in the coming months. Dispersed into her own guest list for the gala were also young men that he had chosen to possibly take his daughter's hand, each with qualities the King found admirable. One thing was certain to Raea; the man she chose would be of royal blood as well, someone else who would understand and be sympathetic to her needs for a more pampered life.

"Lady Raea?"
One of the maids approached from the northern path, a hesitant look on her face as she neared the young woman. "Lady Raea, the dress that you had requested has just arrived. If you would come with me for a fitting, we can be certain that it will fit properly for your party and-"

"Are you accusing me of having gorged myself?," Raea asked flatly, frowning at the woman as she folded her arms. "I'm quite certain the dress will fit as it was intended."

"No- I- That wasn't what I was attempting to say, Princess- simply that- Perhaps the dress maker has errors of her own... The sooner we're aware of them, the faster we can have it fixed..."

"Oh. Well then. Yes, we should have that dealt with quickly." Raea nodded with that explanation, finding it to make perfect sense as the woman smiled. "But if it is indeed wrong, I want nothing else to be done by that dress maker. She obviously has no idea how to handle a needle if she lets such things slip past." Stepping around the maid, she returned to the castle, leaving the woman to stare at her momentarily before following after.

[Eazy]

CLANG

CLANG

Steel clashed against steel as the training grounds filled with the sound of light combat. Several spectators had lingered to watch the current match, as many others had to attend their more urgent duties for the festivities. The match in question was between two fairly long standing members of the King's military. One of which was a veteran whom had perhaps seen too many moons to continue being a warrior, while the other was in the prime of his life. For those with a passing knowledge of their respective skill level, the outcome wasn't too surprising as the thinner of the two ducked a powerful swing and charged into the older man's protected gut with the hilt of his blade.

"OOMPH!!" Came the pained gasp for air which drew the attention of all within earshot as the veteran swordsman was knocked off his feet and came crashing down onto the ground with a hard thud.

Wasting little time, the soon to be victor positioned himself over his fallen foe, with the tip of his hungry blade pointing straight toward the opening between the protective helmet and breast plate which exposed the man's fleshy neck.

"Aye, lad, I yield to ye." The fallen man let out in the middle of several heavy gasps for air; waiting a few seconds longer until the victor lowered his blade and offered a hand up, which he graciously accepted.

"Three times in a single session, I believe I've enough of that for now." The clear loser of this sparring session admitted as he dust himself off, removing his protective training helmet to reveal his graying hair as he further complimented the victor, "Good workout today, Marrok. Good work out."

Reaching a hand up to unsnap the clasp holding the protective helmet onto his head, the victor slid the metal accessory off to reveal a young man in his mid-to-late twenties; the dark haired male's eyes gazing calmly, collectively at his opponent as he responded, "I enjoyed it myself, Sir Adalric. It's always a pleasure to match skills with a war hero such as yourself."

The pair exchanged several more complimenting comments of each others fighting style before the elder man finally excused himself; stating a need to make his own preparations for the continuing celebration of their King's lovely daughter. As the losing opponent left, there was the ghost of a sly smirk on the corner of the younger man's lips. Spending much of his early life as a castle servant boy, Sir Adalric was but one of the King's legendary warriors from the long past wars with neighboring Kingdom's of man, ogre and other beastly species whose lives the then servant boy grew to be jealous of. Now that he had worked his way into their ranks, it gave the young swordsman a fairly cruel sense of pride and accomplishment in being capable of regularly besting the veteran and others of similar standing.

Carrying a fledgling reputation, Marrok was a handsome enough man, if perhaps with features a little too hardened and cold that were being made worse by the years of combat seen in his relatively young life. Still, while perhaps not cherished to the point of earning songs written about his deeds or appraisal from numerous noble men, he was well enough respected by those within the King's military. It was a position the swordsman enjoyed, with just enough pull and trust to achieve certain 'perks', but without growing so popular as to constantly fall under the watchful eye of others.

Aside from his past feelings of envy for those which achieved glory by fighting for the people of Hayethen, there would also come to be a growing, unspoken fixation upon the most precious jewel in the King's land; Princess Raea. While a few years her senior and very familiar with her problems, there was no denying the beautiful woman he saw her grow into during his all too short glimpses since being in her fathers service. Granted, many were willing to look past her less then desirable personality traits due to the promise of power that would come with wedding the King's daughter. On the other hand, the girls spoiled attitude was actually a focal point of Marrok's own interest, as it capped off the many reasons she was perhaps the most untouchable person outside of his majesty. Unlike those great heroes whom he grew up watching from a 'safe' distance, she was and continued to stay beyond the reach of a person such as himself.

Regardless, it was for her celebration that they were made to cut training sessions short in preparation for the continued festivities, which was just one of many annoyances brought about by the week long event. As he finished putting away the protective training gear and redressing himself in his expected attire, the young swordsman started back toward the castle itself. Much to be done in planning out everyone's exact role, even for those such as himself whose skills were wasted by practically being made into over trained chaperons for a teenagers bash. But at least the Princess always provided a desirable source of eye candy for the red blooded men in attendance. That was something Marrok always found a considerable enjoyment out of, as he fought back the sly, lustrous grin which threatened to peak out while passing a couple of sentry guards during his return into the castle.

[Mephistophelily]

"Stop pulling so hard! You'll crush me!," Raea snapped, though the full anger of her voice was lost with the lack of air reaching her lungs as the maid tightened the back of the young woman's dress. A pained look ran across the Princess' face, clinging to the side of her bedpost as she glared back at the other woman.

The maid herself was grimacing, shaking her head softly at the girl's bickering that refused to stop. "It... ugh... appears that we've tried this on you at just the right time, Princess... We should still have time for the seamstress to let it out before your party..."

The dress' corset finally reached its limit, the maid stepping back as Raea let out a hard breath, only to turn around and frown at the woman. "There is nothing wrong with it! You just insist on trying to hurt me! If you had simply stopped when I asked you to, there would be no reason for me to be pained!" She still had a breathy tone to her voice, her anger seemingly blocked by the tight dress.

"Of course, Princess."

With a light huff, Raea pressed her way past the woman, taking from the room and instead making a path for her father's quarters. As she reached the doors, she found them closed; another addition to her frustrations. She wanted to talk with him, and hated to be left to wait.

Her position outside the door, however, left her in a prime location to hear the conversations held in the room: Her father's stoic voice with a somber tone hidden inside it, and another man... One of his advisers.

"She's still my little girl. I don't see why we need to press such issues at the moment-"

"Sire, she needs to find a husband. Right now, our best option would be for her to become a bride to one of the Princes from the North... Unify us with an ally. Someone who has a strong will and steady mind- and able to handle such a stressful situation. The Princess is a key part to our defenses. You do wish for someone who can protect her, do you not?"

Stressful? Surely he was referring to issues such as war and raids... Not to Raea herself. She frowned, stepping closer to the door to press her ear against the oak.

"Very well. My Raea may be a handful in most cases, but she truly is a pure hearted girl... Her temper is a vicious thing. I'm sure that we can find a young man who can see past that to the other virtues inside her."

Raea stepped back from the door, shaking her head. This wasn't about her birthday at all anymore. This was simply a plan between Father and his men to find her a husband... No, not even that. To use her to gain military advancements? Her lips tightened bitterly, grasping the sides of her dress and rushing from her father's doors. Her steps brought her down the stone staircase, past a number of servants and guards as she treaded back for the orchards she found such comfort in. Her breaths were growing heavy, winded from both the fast pace she kept and the tight dress that held her body so tightly. Resting a hand against the outer wall of the castle, she tried to regain her breath, taking a panting stop as she looked around.

There was the rose bush.

The white blooms always managed to help her calm down; whether it was over an angry bout with one of the servants, a tearful sobbing after a talk with her father, or simply a moment where she needed to be alone... She found comfort in that bush. Her father had planted it for her mother, after they were first wed. He told her about how her mother brought her out to it when she was a baby, let her play on blankets as she tended to the blooms- a task the Queen insisted she alone be the one to do. They were her flowers, her responsibility. Her mother absolutely loved those things.

Her father had cut 15 of them for the Queen's funeral; one for each year they had been wed. Raea herself tried to care for the roses, but found it to simply be too hard. Instead, the King was often found out in the garden tending to the bush. He had told Raea that they would be used for her wedding, whenever that day may come.

She hadn't expected him to start plans for such an event so soon.

Still staring at the bush, she continued to pant softly, feeling slightly strange. Her head felt light, the air she had been trying so hard to bring in now seeming harder and harder to keep. Taking her hand from the wall, she took a few steps forward, though could no longer see the path before her. Another step of her foot... and was unable to find another, dropping to the dirt as she fainted.

[Eazy]

The briefings for those gathered had gone about as expected, with fairly little fresh information aside from a few changes in whom would be patrolling which sectors of the castle grounds during the gala. Marrok hadn't exactly listened as closely as was expected of every individual scheduled to attend, but he was deceptive enough in faking undivided attention where others would normally get called out on such day dreaming. Not like this was exactly a precision based military operation in the first place, and everyone being forced to stand in attendance of the captains handed down orders knew it.

"Do each of you understand your duties?" The slightly elder male handing out said orders for how to best guard the Princess and her guests belted out as he leered over the dozen or so men called before him at the moment.

Without missing a beat, Marrok was amongst those men who replied with a firm 'Yes, Sir' before hearing the one thing most wanted to hear more then anything else at the moment, "Dismissed."

The majority kept up the facade of unquestioned respect for the events they were guarding, only for a couple to let out hints of frustration in their mannerisms and (for those more bold) their words once they left the small hall. There was time for occasional breaks, but, of course, few could afford to be seen sitting around during preparation of such a 'special' event. Because of this it was fairly rare to find anyone in one place for too long unless they had a specific job in said location which needed their immediate attention.

His days in servitude gave Marrok a considerable disdain for dealing directly with such busy work, so he decided on using the pretense of surveying the grounds for potential security hazards as a reason for taking a walk and letting his mind wander. It was an adequate excuse which allowed him time away from the near constant preparations while at the same time giving the appearance of showing extra incentive. Idly running his gloved fingers along the hilt of his sword, the young man eventually made his way outside to try and get away from the bulk of the high traffic caused by people moving this way and that. The swordsman wasn't exactly a great admirer of fresh air and sunshine, but the relative silence compared to inside was a welcomed change; especially as the sounds of his feet crunching down upon the blades of grass soon outweighed the increasingly distant noises of chatter and scurrying about.

So caught up in this was the young swordsman, that it took perhaps a few seconds longer then it should have before he noticed a fallen figure upon reaching the orchards. Blinking his eyes a few times at the sight of the prone female body, he firmly grasped at the handle of his still sheathed blade while glancing around for sign of anyone else. Foul play? While he'd appreciate the irony, this didn't seem the case as he quickly moved toward the figure and knelt at her side. Upon closer inspection, she appeared to be breathing and unarmed as he used both hands to turn her over onto her back; surprising the male as he finally gained a good look at her features.

"Princess?!" His words came blurting out before the young man could stop them, although they barely reached above normal speaking volumes as he quickly searched for any sign of injury.

Failing to discover any, yet finding that she remained short of breath, it didn't take a very smart man to recognize that her eye pleasing, but perhaps too tight for comfort dress wasn't doing the Princess any favors. Taking another look around, Marrok knew what he was about to do was typically considered morally reprehensible behavior, but figured the ends would justify the means. Any personal pleasure he gained out of it was simply an unspoken bonus, as he turned Raea onto her side and hastily unfastened the straps which kept the dress so tightly bound to her figure.

As he finished and set her to resting upon her back once more, he watched over her for a few moments while musing on this wasn't exactly the way he envisioned the unfastening the Princess' clothing playing out in his fantasies. Of course, as Marrok noted with a coy smile, even if he were the type a King may consider for his daughters husband, he doubted that the average lady of royalty would go for his brand of kink. Placing a hand upon her stomach to study the now steady, healthy breathing patterns; the dark haired man was only now able to truly appreciate this up close view of the woman he'd only seen in passing when not sitting in a far seat during a royal banquet.

It shouldn't take long until others came by this part of the orchards for one reason or another, which only gave the swordsman a few moments until she would be rushed off and far out of his sight. Taking one final glance toward every nearby and far off corner surrounding them, Marrok decided upon taking this in a direction which he had no excuse and certainly no right to do. Leaning in as he knelt at side of the unconscious Princess, he raised one hand to carefully slide along section of dress which covered her stomach, inching his fingers upward as he lowered himself to her soft, tempting lips. Without another seconds hesitation, Marrok placed his firm lips upon Raea's own delicious pair, stealing away what could very well be her first kiss as he began to caress the underside of her breast through the clothing.

Savoring the taste and scent of the beautiful woman during his stolen embrace, it was fear of being caught which finally made the young swordsman pull away his lips and hand from their respective points of interest as he watched over the girl. Whether it be the nature of the situation or the taboo of sharing a kiss with the King's daughter, there was a great thrill over what he'd just done. One which hadn't matched any of his past experiences with maidens and wenches during his travels and nearby exploits. Despite this, he ignored any yearnings which would demand he take any further foolish risks here; instead doing what he should have minutes ago by trying to stir the sleeping beauty out of her unexpected slumber.

"Princess? Princess Raea?" Not believing whatever combination of factors which caused her fainting spell to be anything serious now that he loosened the constricting article of clothing, he instead focused on trying to stir her awake with his voice firm; his hand eventually reaching up to carefully pat at her cheek as he continued to play off his previous actions, "Princess? Are you well, milady?"

[Mephistophelily]

She heard her name, though her head was reeling as she started to open her eyes. The curious fog that filled her mind made it hard to fully understand what was going on.. but she finally caught sight of the young man looking at her, a concerned look in his face as she felt a hand touching her own. Confusion still lingered, leaving her to simply lay there and look at him through barely opened lids... Though her own thoughts did manage to return after a moment.

Was this one of the princes Father had been talking about to his adviser? She watched him for a moment, unsure of what to say as she tried to make sense of this man. She glanced him over, recognizing now the clothing that he wore. A slight disappointment came to her, realizing that he was not of royal blood as she had somewhat hoped; instead, he was simply another of the castle swordsmen. For a mere moment, she had believed that possibly... maybe... the ideal dream of meeting the Prince that swept her fom her feet may have been a true reality and made her Father's own dreams true as well.

But a mere swordsman of the castle?

She reached up quickly, grabbing his hand from touching her once again. "Be off from me!," She demanded, glaring up at him. "I am quite well, aside from your hands upon me! I simply lost my breath... and here you try to take advantage of my state..." She started to sit up, finding she was still quite dizzy, though attempted to keep that from showing as she blinked furiously a few times. Her gaze fell to the loosened corset of her dress, thrusting a finger at him accusingly. "You truly have!," she gasped, reaching out to grasp the wall and pull herself to standing. "Horrible man-! My Father shall hear of this-!"

The dress did seem to allow her to breathe easier now, after he had made his slight alteration to that Maid's need to tighten it to such an extreme. Confessing this, however, would have meant apologizing to him... And that simply was not something Raea planned to do. Instead, she merely shot another glare at him, running the free hand not clinging to the castle wall along her side.

Approaching footsteps, hurried in their travels, could be heard from both the inner halls of the castle and the stoned path leading to the garden. Raea raised her head slightly as a troop of guards came into view, the Princess seemingly ignoring the man who had helped her and holding her hand out to the Captain. "I wish to return to my room. Have your men escort me there. And him-" She glanced back to Marrok, her lower lip jutting out slightly as she shook her head. "I do not wish to be near him again."

Two of the guards came to the young woman's sides, offering their arms to her as she took a step forward. Her lack of balance was still visible, though she refused to take their offered help as she started back inside. A light red hue sat upon her cheeks, caused by both her fury at the man and the embarrassment she felt over the foolish thoughts that had come to her mind. Sweet Prince, indeed.

Her father's thoughts came back into play with that, reminding her of his comments on his daughter's behavior. She had simply held the belief that a Princess deserved to be treated as such; what was so wrong with that? Surely a Prince would see the reasoning behind her behaviors... But Father's tone left a sour tone in her heart as he referred to her temper as a vicious thing. Perhaps she was a bit too quick to cast harsh judgment on those who upset her- But was that not part of a Princess' right?

"Your room, M'lady."

Raea glanced up as the guard creaked open her door, lost on the fact they had even walked the flights of stairs and returned to her large quarters. She simply nodded, stepping inside and starting to close the door. A hesitant pause came before it fully latched, Raea pulling it open momentarily to look at the men, a strange expression upon her face as she parted her lips. Words lingered there, but refused to be made public. Instead, she simply sighed, closing the door fully.

She had tried. She truly had.
But speaking kindly to those beneath her was just- too hard.

She had other things to concern herself with now; the final part of her birthday celebrations coming in mere hours. Her dress was somewhat disheveled after what had happened, leaving the Princess in a slightly sour mood once again. More work would be needed to have her in the pristine condition she desired... Which meant more of the servant staff coming to her room.

She would try to be nice... for a little while, at least.

-------

Her attempts at kindness had lasted merely an hour, her temper finally flaring through after one of the women ripped at her hair while brushing it after her bath. She immediately demanded them all to leave, the dress she had worn earlier being left in a cleaner state but for the Princess herself to work onto her body. That was fine by her; most of these women seemed set upon trying to tighten it to yet another air-sealing state.

Dressed, prepped, and ready, she made her way to the grand ballroom, finding the decor she had requested filing the air. The scent of roasted fruits and meats to dine upon, lines of candles speckling throughout the room, numerous eyes that fell upon her from behind their veiled masks and musicians that brought a wonderful tone to the room. Perfect; simply perfect.

"I know how you like surprises, Daughter. I thought that a Masquerade would add to the fun for you." The King stood from his chair, offering his hand out to his daughter as his eyes stayed hidden behind the shimmering blue mask. In his fingers rested another small mask; pure white, with a few peacock's feathers drifting up from the left of the eyes.

"Thank you, Father." The words whispered to the King were said sincerely, the Princess smirking proudly as she hugged his arm. Her seat at his side was waiting for her, but the young woman had no intentions on staying in it. She was back to the crowd in moments, enjoying the music and the attention lavished upon her as she placed the mask across her own face. She had to wonder, however; was this father's way of hiding the Princes from her? Devious man he was... She laughed lightly at the thought, mingling amongst the other masked faces.

[Eazy]

The young man waited a few seconds longer until the Princess finally started to show signs of coming around. Marrok let out a relieved sigh, as he wasn't prepared to try explaining how he'd let the life of the King's daughter slip away like dust upon the wind. Aside from fear of losing his head or what standing he'd gained, however, the swordsman was also genuinely pleased at the simple knowledge that Raea had gotten pass the worse and would be safe.

As he briefly took her hand within his own to help guide her back to consciousness, the dark haired man knew that his priority as a solider of her fathers Kingdom was to insure her safety; while his next priority as any rational thinking person was to expect an ungrateful response. Surprisingly, as the Princess started coming to, she almost seemed....pleasant. Maybe it was because she hadn't actually opened her mouth yet, but something in her eyes, the way she looked at him at first; it actually gave Marrok a strange sense of warmth he hadn't felt when in the presence of another. It was a glimpse at side of her which he doubted anyone outside of her father and perhaps several of the elite had ever a chance to witness.

Unfortunately, as her sense of the world around her began coming back, it became evident that her reaction may not be the same after putting the pieces together. His eyes followed her own, almost foolishly expecting a different reaction once the puzzle was completed, but ultimately knowing what would come before she said anything.

She reached up quickly, grabbing his hand from touching her once again. "Be off from me!," She demanded, glaring up at him. "I am quite well, aside from your hands upon me! I simply lost my breath... and here you try to take advantage of my state..."

Well, say the least, it was nice enough while it lasted. There was a short surge of anger building up at her reaction, but he learned long ago how to best mask ones emotions. It wasn't so much taught during his training as a swordsman, as it was a knack he picked up for when one was expected to hide any unpleasant personal feelings when serving a rude, pompous guest of the King's. Kinda surprising how the old tricks can come back to help a person at times. And, yet, it became increasingly hard to hide said emotions as any attempt to defend himself was interrupted by Princess Raea once again.

"You truly have!," she gasped, reaching out to grasp the wall and pull herself to standing. "Horrible man-! My Father shall hear of this-!"

The irony here is how truthful those words have been if she'd been aware of his other actions while she slept. However, there wasn't any way for her to know, which made such accusations rather infuriating as he attempted to pull himself into a standing position of his own. Still, as he studied the girl closely, it seemed that perhaps a sliver of reason had sunk in as she stopped in her accusations and grew unexpectedly quiet. Not altogether a bad development, he had to admit.

As he finally pulled himself up, the young man tried to find a response that wouldn't earn him another verbal assault; only to be interrupted as they were joined by others whom no doubt overheard the commotion. At the very least, they offered up a means of breaking this awkward silence starting to spread between and Princess and him.

"I wish to return to my room. Have your men escort me there. And him-" She glanced back to Marrok, her lower lip jutting out slightly as she shook her head. "I do not wish to be near him again."

And within a matter of seconds she was gone, without Marrok being capable of getting a word in since her awakening. Hopefully those earlier suspicions were correct about the Princess realizing the mistake related to his loosening of her corset. For now, he had to deal with the few remaining guards that were approaching him with questioning looks on their faces. The majority he recognized, it not known them by name, but only the lead guard spoke up to ask of what went down.

Letting his deceptively calm, innocent eyes glance from one to another as he made brief contact with each man in attendance; Marrok eventually spoke with surprising seriousness, "What do you expect me to say? That I found the lady Raea unconscious by the rose bush and proceeded to take advantage of her before she could awaken?"

After an initial look of surprise on each man's face, reactions varied from stifled amusement to expressions of considerable annoyance over making light of such a situation. One thing they each had in common, however, was that none of them believed him capable of such a disgusting act.

Explanations were made after the brief tongue lashing over his joke, with the captain being quick to believe his well meaning intentions in assisting their Princess. That much was a relief to Marrok, but his brush with happiness would be short lived as the captain continued, "But I'm afraid I'll have to insist on taking you off active duty around the Castle for tonight."

The sudden look of surprise which managed to break past Marrok's cool exterior said it all, as the sympathetic yet unyielding superior officer stuck to his guns on the subject, "I'm sorry, lad. With the Princess so adamant about not wanting you near her, it may be best if you stay away of the festivities. To allow her time to calm down and forget about this unfortunate misunderstanding."

Staring at the commanding officer for several seconds, the younger male simply balled up a gloved fist as he bit back the disgust; knowing there was only one response which wouldn't be a waste of both men's time, "Understood, sir."

---------------------

Reactions to his now official removal from the evening’s party had varied, with several people whom remained with their respective duties trying to make light by saying they wished to be in his shoes. The majority, however, understood how the ensuing damage to ones pride far outweighed any resentment there was toward the overblown birthday celebrations. The finishing touch came when he was later asked to stay away from the castle as they neared the parties start; both to remain out of others way and to avoid any further contact with the Princess.

That was hours earlier, of course, as the party guests had long since arrived and the celebrations well underway. Things were going about as wonderfully as could be expected with the amount of preparation put into it by his highness, the royal cooks, decorators and those trained guards designated to insure the unhindered admission of every arrived guest. As had been explained earlier to the guards and soldiers in charge of securing the castle on this important night; every guest was adorned with a mask to fit its masquerade theme.

For the safety against any unwanted guests, each person was expected to reveal their identity prior to entering the castle grounds, but encouraged from removing them during party hours. It was this type of information which allowed an extra guest to walk throughout the halls inconspicuously after having slipped in through one of the various secret passages. Another perk of a lifetime spent in servitude to the royal family; there were times the masked figure wondered if even the King himself knew of each one.

This was crazy, and Marrok knew it as he entered the massive hall under the pretense of being another invited potential suitor for the Princess. If he hadn't already owned a rarely worn suit and been able to find a suitable mask at a small shop in the town’s market area, then it would only mean he'd have to wait for a later chance at confronting the spoiled brat. Adjusting his mask just a bit, he went about blending in with the occasional short lived conversation as the night continued; waiting patiently rather then rushing at the young lady like an overzealous school boy with a silly crush.

Sure enough, unlike others in attendance which rushed at her in groups large enough to not immediately leave a lasting impression, Marrok patiently bid his time as he kept the Princess and her rotating list of admirers within his sights. As was to be expected, her highness was very popular on this day in celebration of her birth; which meant a long wait until the hidden swordsman saw an opening for approaching the fair maiden as she stood alone.

Quick in his step, yet seemingly casual in his approach, Marrok strolled over in her direction from behind; staring at the back of the girl he'd aided earlier in the day as music continued filling the background. Within seconds he had snuck up behind the girl without making a noise, until he leaned in just a bit to speak softly, "Lovely party, isn't it?"

The young man waited for her to react to the presence of another male admirer, offering his hostess a courteous bow like any gentleman would, while his piercing eyes gazed out of the mask and remained locked upon the girl as he straightened out, "I must applaud your father and his people for spearheading such a marvelous event. But I suppose one shouldn't expect anything less when it comes to celebrating the birth of the Kingdom's greatest treasure."

There was genuine admiration for the girl in his eyes, along with another, harder to distinguish trait which nonetheless summarized itself to an additional showing of desire as he added, "I do hope everything and everyone has been living up to your expectations, Princess? It would be a shame for such a special day to be marred by subpar delicacies or unscrupulous party guests."

His lips never cracked into a full smile, but there was often enough a hint of one to give off the aura of calm warmth while the unnamed man attempted to entertain the lady of the week for however long she may have his presence. There was only one chance at making a lasting first impression, so Marrok knew he needed to make every second she could spare with him worth it.

With that in mind, he slowly raised a hand toward the opening in the suit toward his chest; slipping them inside and reaching for an inside pocket, "If I may be so bold?"

Finding the item he kept special care not to crush against his chest throughout the night, Marrok pulled a white flower out into view; one which he plucked from the nearby woods earlier in the day. Holding it between them as the band continued to play on in the background, the young man finally let a small, gentle smile appear on his masked features as he offered, "A sweet smelling flower for a radiant young lady. A small trinket to express but a fraction of my until now unspoken admiration for your natural beauty, Princess Raea."

[Mephistophelily]

A genuine smile spread across the Princess' face as well-wishes and praises were passed upon her, a curious look to her eyes that radiated through the small space of her mask. Hidden faces, unknown people; the mystery to it all left her with a thrill. She stole another glance back at her father, finding the King simply laughing and enjoying himself back at their table, the mask he had been wearing left beside his drink. For the King himself to stay hidden seemed an impossible thing... But with understandable reasons, she supposed. The King had no need to hide himself, especially in a room such as this.

Raea found her arm tugged upon by one of the masked young men, a surprised cry leaving her as she was whisked into the middle of the floor. Something was whispered into her ear; words she couldn't quite understand before another took to her other side, leaving her suddenly feeling crowded and frustrated. "Off with you, please! You are far too close to me-!"

Shoving her way out of the less than comfortable circle, she took a moment to regain her breath, shaking her head slightly. She usually was all for having such attention placed upon her, but not by so many, so quickly. A sudden twinge of anger ran through her- How many of those young men were truly here to celebrate her, or to simply try to impress herself and the King?

A sudden voice behind her startled her, Raea spinning about quickly to find yet another masked face standing there. Oh, not another one... A bitter look came to her face for a mere moment, though it quickly dropped when he gave her a bow instead of the grab and whisperings of the others. His words brought about another smile from her, Raea watching him curiously. She wasn't quite sure what to say to him with such kind words, praising both her, her father, and the people of Hayethen.

"Only a few," She admitted slowly on his inquiry on the events thus far. "Some who know nothing on keeping their hands to themselves... I am not a pull toy, no matter ow much they try to make it seem that way."

She turned her head slightly as he reached into his coat suddenly, curious as to what he had hidden away in there. One of the guards noticed the odd posture of the Princess, giving a questioning nod toward her.... Only to receive a firm shake of hers in reply. No, she didn't think this was worth their concern. She wanted to know what this odd fellow had in store.

Her eyes widened a bit at the flower he presented, taking it cautiously from his fingers. "Oh... my... It certainly is a beautiful thing." She brought it up to her lips, letting the scent reach her as she smirked behind it, looking at the masked man. Perhaps these suitors were not all so bad... At least one of these Princes had managed to catch her attention.

"Ah-haa! You cannot horde her to yourself all night, friend! Come along, Princess; let us all enjoy the evening together! Come with us, come on now!" A few of the other suitors forced their way back over to her, the one that spoke up snatching the wrist that held the blossom presented to her. Her eyes widened, grasping it a bit tighter as she shot him a quick mouthed apology before being tugged away.

"Yes, I know I- Please, I don't really want to be right here at the moment...," Raea stammered out, growing more and more frustrated with the suitors that refused to clear her way. Far too much attention at once-! She hoped he was still there; the curious flower man. She gave a disgusted noise as the throng of men around her grew a bit tighter, as if refusing to let her pass and leave them alone again.

Finally growing frustrated enough to simply shove against a few of the crowding men, she hastily ran from the opened space, making her way to the opened doors leading to the night air. Still holding the flower tightly in her fingers, she leaned against the rail, taking a deep breath. Attention was one thing, but suffocating was another. She'd had quite enough of that this morning...

[Eazy]

As the music continued to play on in the background, mixing with the various voices mingling as they enjoyed the free food, Marrok remained squarely focused upon the pretty little thing before him. Anyone else was simply decoration to the scene he hoped to play out with the girl; one which featured his presence just long enough to leave her interest piqued. This meeting had been played out many times in his head, each time with a different enough spin to prepare him for several possible missteps.

The only time he came close to slipping, to breaking his appearance of a calm, suave demeanor was when she mentioned the problem with guests getting too grabby. Surprisingly, it wasn't as much over what guilt there was over his earlier exploration of her unconscious figure, as it was a sense of short lived jealousy and anger at those whom were able to place their hands on her since. It was knowledge of this and how it may play against him to so much as lay a hand on her just now which confirmed the method he would continue using.

The only time he ran such a risk was when he extended a hand during his offer of the white flower which, as if determined by the luck of the fates, complimented her mask quite wonderfully. As she reached out her delicate fingers to take the flower, Marrok allowed his own gloved fingers to softly caress the tips of themselves along the side of her hand while he relinquished the present into her care. He watched quietly as she came to admire the white petals, being able to decipher the nature of the young lady's reaction before those words were even able to escape her lips.

"I'm happy to see that it pleases you, M'lady. Few things on this night would have brought me greater pleasure." The young man admitted with a genuine smile which held numerous reasons behind it; admiring her for these few fleeting moments they were granted together as he watched her with the flower through the eye holes in his mask, "It truly does fit you and your lovely choice in attire beautifully."

There were other pleasantries he wished to share with the Princess. Some were planned in advance, while others had been rather spur of the moment as he stood before her now. However, as he knew would eventually happen, they were soon interrupted by another party guest who was vying for the King's daughters attention. His first instinct was to intercept when Princess Raea began to be led away, but Marrok fought this urge as he instead let it play out from a distance. Regardless of whatever came next, his goal was completed for the moment.

As she finally broke away of those seeking her attention, the majority simply watched as she made a hasty retreat for the doors. Those very few which were tempted to give chase in hope of winning favor were politely discouraged by others, including a couple of guards, who insisted on allowing the Princess however long she required to compose herself. While this was going on, Marrok carefully slipped away from the prying eyes of others in order to find his own path. There were many blind spots and places to stay out of sight due to the tables, throngs of people and large decorative drapes set up.

That, along with an intimate understanding of the guards assigned locations allowed him to find his way outside through a different exit then everyone else was watching. As he came out of the small doorway, he caught sight of the Princess from a short distance, which we soon went about making shorter.

"M'lady?" His voice carried over from the short distance, alerting the girl of his presence as he slowly walked closer to where she presently seemed lost in thought, "I apologize if you desire to be left alone for now. I simply wished to see how you were feeling after your unexpected departure from your birthday celebration."

His feet stopped a couple of feet away of where she stood, letting an arm rest upon the rail as he gazed out into moonlit night; letting the cool air brush along both of them as he added, "I also feel I must apologize as a fellow guest for the actions of certain suitors. Regrettably, not every man can appreciate how a lady such as yourself deserves to be treated."

Turning his head until he was able to resume gazing upon the young maiden, the masked figure let his eyes lower until his focus landed on the flower in Princess Raea's hand.

"But I'm happy to see you were able to continue carrying my present with you despite the earlier commotion." The disguised swordsman noted while letting a smile ghost the corner of his lips, he reached up and this time boldly placed his hands over her own as they joined her in holding the gift; his dark eyes raising to gaze into her own while they stood under the stars.

Marrok's fingers knowingly lingered this time, holding the girls hands to keep them warm from the outside air, with a finger or two slowly caressing themselves along the curves of her small knuckles. This would be the harder part to play out just right, as it depended highly on his actions up until now drawing out the desired reaction. There needed to be enough trust earned for gaining himself a private audience at some point before the end of the night.

Taking a step closer to make up for the loss of physical contact when he slowly removing his hands from her own; the young man watched over the Princess as he stated, "But I don't wish to be a further distraction, M'lady. And I'm sure enough will appear soon enough with a desire to keep you to themselves."

Allowing his voice to show signs of genuine regret at not being able to spend further time alone together, Marrok slowly started to take a step away as he offered, "If you'd prefer, I'll leave you to your time alone?"

[Mephistophelily]

Taking a slow, eased breath, Raea stared at the flower in her fingers for a few moments longer, shaking her head softly as she thought about the differences between the young men gathered inside. Usually she enjoyed such lavish attention, but to be seemingly thrust into the wolves like that- it was a bit overwhelming. It wasn't attention upon her; it was attention upon her title and what came along with it to a suitor that managed to catch her eye.

It left her bitter, infuriated. She wanted nothing to do with the lot of them. When she asked for attention, it was something she wanted upon her herself; not her father's crown. Did none of them see this?!

Well, it seemed one did. She looked to the blossom again, smiling lightly as she took another quick breath from it. She spooked slightly at the softly spoken voice from behind her, turning about quickly as she held to the flower tightly. Her grip eased a bit as she saw the same golden masked man who had given it to her, the smile growing a bit more. "I'm quite alright... I suppose it was simply becoming far too crowded for me in there. A breath of fresh air has given me a bit of freedom..."

She smiled a bit more at his comment on the other young men, a laugh managing to leave her as he pointed out her guilt of still clinging to his blossom. "They join the crowds and still wish to stand out. They don't seem to understand how to do that properly..." She looked at him with that, smiling still as she lifted the flower. "...Not like some..."

Her smile dropped slightly as his hands moved atop hers, glancing down to his fingers resting over her own in holding his gift. His touch was warm, gentle. She looked back to his eyes, finding the same qualities resting in that partially hidden view; as well as a mysterious, curious quality to them. He hid more than just his face behind that mask. Raea wanted to know what it was.

His hands withdrew, Raea's tightened throat suddenly realizing her need to breathe as she took in a sharp breath, holding the flower even tighter as she let her hands fall back against her dress. As he moved closer, she heard his words, but seemed lost in them; not truly hearing them.

It hit her as he turned away, Raea's lips parting to speak... but the words were lost.
He was leaving? Now?

"Wait-! Please." She frowned, reaching up to remove her own mask and clutching it by the eyes in her palm. "I know my father was simply trying to make me happy with this party, but his guests are rather- frightening. Usually I am all for a celebration, especially one for myself, but this has become... far more than I expected..." Her thumb brushed over the nose's brim on the mask, Raea shaking her head slightly. "I do wish for time alone... but not- completely alone... You know so much about me, Mister Flower Blossom. I would like to know more about you. It seems only fair..."

[Eazy]

Although he showed hints of being happy when she called out for him and removed her mask, Marrok was able to conceal just how pleased he was over hearing it. As he stopped in his tracks while listening to her speak, making sure to pay close attention so as to not get lost in the conversation, there remained the little voice in the back of his head which told him this was the signal. To be more specific, it was the signal for him to go ahead in the next step of his plans for achieving an overall goal. But first he needed to continue the play while transitioning into this next step as tactfully as possible.

"You are most correct, M'lady." The young man stated in response of her final comments, as he both figured it only a matter of time before this obstacle came up and had prepared for it, "I do wish to continue paying respect to your father's rules, but it doesn't mean I can't share some of who I am with you."

At first, it would seem the easiest solution was to cook up elaborate stories of living in a far off Kingdom where his family ruled tough but fairly over the admiring masses. On the other hand, it was likely the Princess, sheltered as she may be in comparison to himself, had faced enough fabricated stories to tell an outright lie; especially if they were packed upon each other long enough. As such, Marrok decided on the best course to be a mixture of reality and fairy tale; so as to speak from experience while making it sound more flattering to her ears.

"For starters, while this isn't the first time I've been to your Kingdom, I am sorry to admit we hadn't been able to speak until today. It's a highly regrettable mistake which I hope to be able to remedy for the foreseeable future." The masked figure explained as he allowed a smile to return to his features; albeit one that was both warm and seemingly filled with confirmation of his intentions to live up on his pledge.

"I believe any proud man should know how to protect those important to them when the need arises. As such, while I wasn't always a great fighter, I've come to grow quite adept at using a sword over the years. It's a skill I've used numerous times in personal defense of my home land and those within it." He added of his own skill with a sword and other hand-to-hand skills; neglecting to point out how it was in service of a lord rather then defending a family's nation that he did these things.

"With your 19th birthday having arrived, I'm currently eight years your senior and in search of a queen." Which were also true words, even if the unspoken fact of his non-noble bloodline would make such a goal unlikely to be attained while he elaborated, "That's one of the primary driving forces for my being here tonight, your highness. That, as well as a strong desire for being with you after having admired you from afar in the past."

Even if his mask had yet to be removed, it was rather easy for the Princess to meet his powerful gaze as he stared down into her lovely eyes as nearly every word was spoken. There was concern over how she may react, as he took a step closer, closing much of the gap between them until he was standing close enough nearly 'trap' her between himself and the rail. But if he were to let that uncertainty show, then it would surely unravel what he worked toward. She definitely seemed to respond to a strong yet gentle approach in her men, and it was this front which he needed to keep up a little longer.

"You're even more beautiful when this close up, Princess." He stated with a genuine appreciation for her physical beauty as a hand reached up to gently caress her cheek; his eyes paying special attention to her reaction since she was currently conscious and capable of showing it fully for a change.

Letting his opened palm move to gently cup her cheek in his strong hand, Marrok glanced toward the nearby doorway, reminding them both of how little time they'd have out there for now as he inquired, "Is there by chance any place we could go for privacy? Away from the prying eyes and ears of others who may arrive out here at any minute?"

[Mephistophelily]

Raea listened, her ears picking up every word uttered by this fascinating man. Her eyes widened momentarily as he confessed having been in her land once before, but never having truly spoken with her. Her father knew of him stepping foot in their kingdom, but never bothered to introduce her to him?! A sudden anger ran through her toward the King; especially with the way he and the Adviser had been going on about her needing to meet someone of suitable bloodlines and a calm nerve. How was this man not perfect in those aspects?!

She continued to smile, watching him curiously as he continued, explaining his skill with the blade and his current personal quest. The hint of his age was not ignored either, her smile growing a bit more. Eight years her senior... A man with more experience on life; someone to show her the more- interesting things she had yet to take part in during her own lifetime...?

"You do certainly seem a strong man, sir," She said softly, taking in every aspect of his exposed face. "I can only imagine how strong desires in such a man could be..."

His close approach left her heart to beat faster, Raea placing one hand behind her to brace against the rail as he moved closer still. The smile still lingered as he complimented her, a rose blush hitting her cheeks as his palm came to rest atop it. She spooked slightly with that, though didn't pull away. Maybe she had been far too quick to lose her temper over the adviser's suggestion... Finding someone may not have been as terrible as he made it seem...

She was in a somewhat lost state thanks to his warm touch, the sudden turn of his gaze helping to return her to the reality of where they were. Voices were coming from the doorway; her name being uttered a number of times in rather annoyed tones. "Privacy...," She repeated softly, looking back to him for a moment, then nodding. "Yes! Yes, of course... I know a perfect place. Come with me..."

She took hold of his hand, peeking back into the room for a moment before quickly heading for the steps off the balcony out into the gardens. A momentary wondering on if she should have told the guards passed through her mind- but no, no... That would only have led to them sending off yet another group to watch over her, spy on her and be an overall nuisance. Mister Flower Blossom had spoken of his abilities with a sword; certainly she was safe in his care for a simple walk among the castle grounds!

"This way," She whispered, still clutching to his hand like an excited child. Down the stoned path, past the white roses, to the small gardener's shed built against the stone wall surrounding the castle. Creaking the door open, she beckoned for him to join her, smiling proudly as she shut it behind herself. "I know it seems a bit... dusty... but to try for my own quarters right now would have been a terrible mess. I'm sure they'll be far from pleased when they've found I wandered off... But to be honest, I really don't care." She laughed slightly with that, smiling at him.

[Eazy]

Depending on her response to his suggestion, there were numerous possible alternate ways of approaching his evening with the Princess; many of which Marrok had considered well in advance. Fortunately, as he waited in anticipation of her response, the masked man was able to bite back any hint of a gleeful reaction when she finally came around to the idea of getting away for a while. In the back of his mind, he made an insincere note to thank the other guests for making this step easier then he'd originally hoped it to be.

"Splendid! Lead the way, M'lady." The young man stated in compliance as she took hold of his hand and began guiding him away of the balcony and toward the gardens; continuing to fully play the part of an unfamiliar visitor in her father's land.

A few ideas of where she may be leading them crossed his mind as they walked, along with the nagging concern of being spotted along the way. But they eventually arrived at the gardener's shed without incident, dissipating any fears for the time being as she led him inside and closed the door after them. Allowing a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the drop in moonlight, Marrok knew this to be an adequate enough spot for now. Far enough removed of the main festivities and (while he couldn't admit to knowing it) rarely attended to during this hour of the night.

Smiling back at the Princess as she turned and spoke of their present situation, the dark haired male reached a hand out to place on her shoulder as he reassured, "It's perfectly fine, Princess Raea. Any place is fine so long as I can enjoy a few moments alone in your presence without having to constantly watch over my shoulder."

Marrok let out a friendly chuckle at the comment relating to her intrusive party guests, but there was more truth to his words then the young maiden was aware of; his hand beginning to gently caress itself along the curves of her shoulder as he continued, "And you are nineteen years old as of today. As both an adult and a member of a fine royal bloodline, you should be allowed whatever moments of privacy and independence you wish."

Slowly, his hand started to slide upwards, letting his fingertips tickle along the side of her neck as they reached her jaw line. His eyes rarely left her own as he spoke and took enjoyment out of her company. It was amazing, being able to stand so close and speak this freely with the young Princess. For all of his composure and planning, it was considerable difficult for Marrok to restrain himself even as his fingers started to caress her cheek once more. He may have fudged the truth or outright lied on multiple accounts tonight, but there wasn't a smidgen of this when it came to appraising her physical beauty.

"If the decision were up to me, you'd be given everything you deserve and more, my Princess." His words came out with both assurance and hidden intent behind them as he cupped her cheek, his gaze peering out at her through those holes in his mask.

Gazing upon her still, the young man decided, perhaps foolishly, to take things a step further then was initially planned at this exact point in his progress. Without breaking the contact, Marrok leaned in slowly and tilted his head just a bit as he parted his lips for a kiss. Far as she knew, as his mouth came into contact with her own before she could turn him away, this had been their first embrace. For him, it was the first chance at tasting the girl's lips while she could appreciate it herself. She was just as intoxicating as he remembered, with the taste of her lips and scent of her pampered self driving him to deepen the embrace a little further.

Mister Flower Blossom, as she secretly called him, had since caused her head to tilt back just a bit by the time he started showing signs of pulling back of he embrace. As he did, Marrok took the added incentive to allow the tip of his tongue to sneak out just enough to sweep across her lips as they remained joined. Taking this last taste with him, the swordsman finally pulled away, obviously having enjoyed the kiss, yet knowing how disastrous such a bold move could become.

"I….I apologize, Princess." He stated with a slight loss of breath, keeping up a strong demeanor, yet relaying his perceived remorse over possibly offending her honor, "There's simply something about you. I'd felt it previously, and now…"

His words had trailed off as he watched for her reaction, removing the hand on cheek while giving it a parting caress along the way. This part hadn't exactly been planned to start out in such a way, but he knew there would be a need for playing it by ear. For now, he would have to roll along with the predicament and hope things played out in his favor.

"Please forgive my boldness, your highness." The masked figure stated as he took a step back and lowered his head in apology; awaiting what may come next after having taken his liberties.

[Mephistophelily]

She laughed slightly at his mentioned annoyance with the other guests, glad to not be alone in that frustration- though his was certainly of a different level than hers. She enjoyed attention, that was true... but to be treated as though she were merely an object placed before them to be fondled over- That was quite far from being on her list of enjoyable things. "You would think others of noble blood would understand how not to behave like common swine...," she sighed, shaking her head.

"You are nineteen years old as of today. As both an adult and a member of a fine royal bloodline, you should be allowed whatever moments of privacy and independence you wish."

Now this made her smile even more. Yes, he was right. She wished her father would understand that. He gave her freedoms about the castle, but not without some sort of watching eye upon her. Even in the solitude of her room, there was always the visit from a chambermaid that could remind her of the hour. Raea's thoughts on the matter slowly turned away, however, as the man's hand ran along her shoulder, against the bared skin from the dress and along her neck.

He had yet to tell her any hint of his true name, yet she already found herself lost in this curious man. A shiver ran through her at his touch, staring at him as she took a soft breath. His words were like poetry to her, finding a way to make the young woman feel more and more comfortable with him; to truly enjoy his company far more than the other men found back in the ball room. He seemed to understand her...

His closer steps surprised her, but not as much as what he did next. The Princess' hands raised slightly as he kissed her, coming to rest upon his shoulders instead of pushing him away as she had done to others who attempted such a thing. Her heart was beating so hard now she could actually feel it in her ears, leaning into his kiss and following the press of his touch. The teasing feel of his tongue along her lips left a blissful smile upon her face, looking at him in awe as he finally pulled away from him.

"Why do you apologize...?," She asked softly, looking at him curiously. "I have not yelled at you for your actions, have I? Your shame makes you seem guilty, sir... and there is nothing to be guilty of." She placed her own fingers beneath his chin, tracing along the curve of his jaw as she looked him over. A curious look came to her face, her fingers moving upward to find the edge of his mask. "Why do you still hide? You've already told me so much... but you still keep your face a secret from me."

[Eazy]

For once, Marrok wasn't able to completely hide the sense of relief he felt at her words, as he took in and released a heavy sigh as the feelings of tension over his previous actions dissipated. Like before, there were other options for if she didn't reciprocate to his advances, but he'd prefer keeping them tucked away for a little while longer. As it stood, this may actually be a deceptively significant turn in his favor.

"You speak with words of wisdom, M'lady." The young man complimented as he smiled kindly toward the Princess, adding on his own suggestion and comments, "We shall simply put aside and ignore my foolish reaction. We are, after all, here to enjoy ourselves and the uninterrupted company of each other to the best of our abilities."

Upon hearing her question about why he continued to wear the mask, her fingers reaching for the corners of his mask, the hidden swordsman maintained what others would call a poker face as he realized his previous excuse would simply bring up further suspicions. Quickly enough, however, he decided on an approach as he pulled his head back while smirking slyly at the Princess; his movements soon bringing Marrok to begin stepping closer toward her. He soon stood to her side, waiting for her to turn his way, then placed a hand on her shoulder as he started backing her away from the door as if trying to have a bit of innocent fun with the girl.

"Perhaps I'm not as I seem? Maybe I am a simple man of the military who was able to sneak into your party with the intention of stealing a night with you to himself?" The dark haired male suggested in a seemingly joking manner; backing her toward a nearby table until they were both stopped by the wooden object as he added with low laugh, "Or it's perhaps more likely I'm simply waiting for the right time to reveal myself to you, Princess?"

Gazing down into her eyes as she presently remained 'pinned' between himself and the mostly cleared table, Marrok pressed on with his approach to her question by leaning in slowly; letting his body press more firmly against her own then he'd dared to attempt until now.

"Besides, is it not a bit exciting? Sneaking away with a tall, dark stranger garbed in a literal mask of mystery?" His voice came out calm, smooth, as if daring her to deny these light accusations as he placed a hand around either side of Raea's waist until he could lean upon the table behind her, "I know I've found the anonymity rather intoxicating and liberating for myself throughout the evening."

As if to further emphasis his point, the mystery man let one hand reach up from the table until it was slowly exploring along the curves of her side; occasionally coming within inches of letting a finger tip brush against the underside of her breast. Even with the dress and his gloves standing between the contact of their flesh, it was exciting to simply be capable of touching, of feeling one so normally untouchable with his own hands. His body remained pressed against her own just enough to feel the rise and fall of her breasts with every breath she took, along with the soft caress of her warm breath itself as it danced along the skin above his collar.

"Don't you ever find yourself feeling the need to let go of your inhibitions, Princess?" He breathed out to her as he peered into her beautiful eyes, having leaned in just enough where he was so very close to kissing her again, yet refrained from doing so as he awaited a response.

[Mephistophelily]

His sudden jerk away from her curious fingers surprised her, Raea looking to him with widened eyes as he stepped to her side. Turning cautiously to watch him, a slightly confused look came to her eyes, though she did let a somewhat lost smile drift upon her lips as his hand came to rest on her shoulder. It took her a moment to notice her steps drifting back from his heavy touch, Raea trying to see past the mask to the eyes hidden beneath.

"Now I know you are simply playing with me, sir," Raea scoffed with a shake of her head. "A man of the military would be in attendance to these festivities in uniform and on duty, certainly not among the guest list. You're trying to confuse me!" She shook a finger at him with playful accusation, only to quickly bring that hand down behind her to keep from falling over the table her backside collided hard against.

The mystery about him was, as he said, intruiging... but at the same time, it was starting to become a slight bit frightening. His refusal to admit his true self to her was rather frustrating; a denial of a request made by the young woman who was quite used to getting what she wanted.

"I never had anonymity this evening," she stated flatly in a light voice, watching the man who had her surrounded with less admiration and more inquiry. "I suppose that puts you at a bit more of an... advantage... than me. Everyone knows who I am- but no one has any idea idea as to who you may be...." Something about him simply started to frighten her; a sudden change in his persona that was quite different than that of the man in the ballroom. More games from him? This was no longer such great fun to her; the thrill of his curious way starting to be replaced by a twinge of regret. Perhaps sneaking off with him had been a bad plan on her behalf...

She let out a quick sharp gasp as his hand drifted up her dress to wander her form, his body closer and closer still as he moved in closer. "I think you are extending your liberties too far, sir...," She stated quickly, her gaze lifting from the wandering hand to look back to the masked face before her.

The Princess hesitated as he leaned in closer still, the heat of his breath brushing over her lips as he spoke. She wasn't sure what to make of this any more. "Our inhibitions keep us from making mistakes we might regret," she replied in nearly a whisper, her focus more on his lips than his eyes. "They only attempt to keep us safe. Sometimes foolish notions can make us ignore them..."

[Eazy]

"Humor me, for just a while longer?" The unnamed figure requested as he understood how pressed his luck had become, while also being fully aware of how much of his progress would be destroyed if he revealed himself just yet as he vowed, "I swear that I'll allow you the opportunity to unmask me yourself before we rejoin the others."

Now more then ever, they were at a delicate stage in his admittedly hastily put together plans for the night. This became very clear as she commented on the mask, then soon showed signs of further resistance when his wandering hand came into play. In both cases, Marrok wasted little time in offering an attempted counter to her worries.

"Merely a good natured testing of your limitations, I assure you." The man responded with a teasing smile, indicating that he wasn't fully serious with those words, yet trying to convey the false notion of not meaning any actual harm.

Watching, listening, studying every bit of her reaction which he could; Marrok continued to fight back the urges for rushing through this as he attempted to push her into accepting the advances of her masked suitor. Allowing his hand to simply caress along the side of her body, just close enough to occasionally brush along the underside of her soft breasts, the young man reacted to her latest words by showing what he could of a thoughtful expression through his mask. Spoiled and sheltered she may be, but a fool she was not.

"Ah, once again, very wise words, M'lady. There is much truth to be found in what you say; of that I cannot deny." Mr. man of mystery admitted as he remained pressed lightly against her warm body, his head tilting just slightly as he soon countered, "And yet? Can it not also be said that a life without risks is a life in danger of going to waste?"

Pausing in his words, he raised his free hand to his face, biting and tugging carefully at the material covering each of the fingers until he could slip the hand free of the covering. Discarding the glove onto the table, Marrok's now exposed hand was able to reach out and caress Raea's own soft features, flesh upon flesh, for the first time of the night.

His hand brushed aside a few strands of hair as he stroked her cheek, then allowing the comparatively rough digits to trail lower; sliding the tips of his fingers along the swell of her neck as he resumed his previous thought, "So many people, especially of our standing, spend far too much of their time worrying about what is expected that they rarely consider what it is they want. Nor, for that matter, what it might be which they desire or feel they may deserve in their life."

The hand lingering upon her shoulder started to grasp lightly at the material of her dress, sliding it over her shoulder just enough to expose further portions of her skin to his warm touch and the occasional caress of the night air which snuck in through the wooden walls of the shed. The tips of his fairly rough, work laden fingers trailed along the fresh sections of flesh; working along the collar and rise of her shoulder, with the occasional hint of trailing lower to where her gown now showed hints of her ample cleavage as he watched over the Princess intently.

"Few things would bring me greater pleasure then a chance at giving you everything you deserve, your highness." He reiterated calmly, ever deceptive in exactly what he meant by these words as he leaned in closer, until Marrok could feel every exhale of her breath as his lips remained inches away of her own while he offered, "Tell me, Princess Raea? What is it you desire?"

[Mephistophelily]

Raea stared at him for a moment, uncertain eyes trying to judge the man before her with the miniscule view she had of his own eyes. She couldn't quite tell how truthful his words may have been... But he did seem sorry to have frightened her.

He was another Royal.

That thought re-entered her mind, a slight realization coming to her.

He was like her; determined and adamant on their desires. She wished to know who he was... He wished to remain a secret, to toy with her a bit longer. Games were sometimes fun, but Raea hated to be the one toyed with.

"Very well, sir...," She whispered softly, still trying to gauge him from the actions he made. His hand had yet to lose its brave nerve, caressing her side as one would pet a startled beast to calm it... and managing to steal a pass or two against her breast. As his hand shifted to be removed of its glove in his lips, she simply watched him curiously, taking in a sharp breath as he ran the newly released fingers against her cheek. "I'm not without my curiosities...," she agreed, her breath catching once more as the warmth of his touch meandered on. "Yes, some things are quite worth the danger that may come along with it... but sometimes, I have to question if... they're... truly..."

The Princess trailed off, her words somewhat lost as his hand drifted still, now taking hostage the shoulder of her dress in its fingertips and pressing it down from her skin. He truly was good at this game, wasn't he? He had already made her lose her thoughts...

She glanced up at him once again as he leaned in closer to her, promising her the things she deserved and inquiring on her desires. A shiver ran through her with that, her tongue running against her lips as she continued to simply look him over for a moment longer. "I desire....," she started faintly, only to falter in her hunt for words. "I- I desire... more of your touch...."

Her fear still remained. It left her breathing harder at the moment; staring up at this man who she had yet to know the real name of, to see the true face of. His words on the risks of life and taking as she desired reminded her of her place, of her wants and desires. He had fascinated her back at the ball, only for her to suddenly become skittish at the idea of someone as stubborn as herself. Perhaps a man as stone-set as herself was someone that she needed- desired. He was far different from the men that her father preferred to send off to woo her... And that was truly something that she desired.

"Your touch," She repeated firmly, her own fingers raising to take hold of his hand, pressing it against her breast through the dress.

[Eazy]

Marrok kept a majority of his satisfaction over the girls final response bottled up, but wasn't without the faint hint of a sly smile on the corner of his lips as she led his hand while relenting to his advances. As he felt her hand continue to hold his own against her breast, the masked figure began to squeeze firmly at the soft flesh hidden beneath her dress. Nothing too rough, but enough of a change in pace to show he intended on giving the Princess what she desired as he wrapped his fingers around the mound; squeezing at her through the dress and studying her reaction all the while.

"How convenient." He finally spoke in response to her last words; referring to the request he steadily led her toward as his smirking lips peered from below the underside of his mask as he teased, "For that is the very thing I desire most at this very moment."

Wasting little time for further words, the swordsman finally leaned in close enough to once again taste of her lips with his own. His tongue peaked out to sweep along her soft mouth as he took in the wonderful taste of her soft lips, the hand at her breast working to make sure she felt every caress through the material which separated them. The free hand steadily caressed her body, seemingly taking the time to admire every curve and contour of her figure it came across as he reached around for the restraints on her dress. After a little effort, it was loosened enough to allow greater freedom with the formally tight fitting gown.

Hesitantly breaking the heated embrace, Marrok the tip of his tongue sweep lightly against her lips, adding to the lingering taste of himself as he quickly addressed any concerns she might have on this latest move, "Trust me."

Nothing more, nothing less. With those words, he finished undoing the proper portions of her dress, as the hand at her breast soon felt the difference when the dress stopped clinging as tightly. Now he was able to lift and massage the sensitive flesh a lot more freely, a couple of his digits trying to give special attention toward stimulating the tiny nubs near the center. His own heart was racing now, not only because of the potential promise for what was to come, but over the fact that he was doing what so many men (and perhaps women) of this Kingdom and others had secretly wished to do in the most depraved corners of their mind.

”More.” He breathed out as his own long hindered passions began to boil over, the hand at her back promptly sliding downward, inching toward her leg and reaching down as far as it could to grasp at her dress.

The intensity in his eyes mirrored the growing amount of desire, of lust which he persisted in holding at bay while starting to lift the dress along her legs. This went on until the material was nearly lifted to her hips, at which point he slipped the still gloved hand under the dress, feeling along her smooth thighs and any cumbersome pieces of undergarment which stood in his way underneath. His hand inched its way along her leg, toward her inner thigh as he leaned in closer again; this time placing his lips along her jawline before starting to kiss a trail which led to him suckling upon her exposed neck, his teeth starting to graze against her skin as he continued to explore her body.

[Mephistophelily]

His hand didn't falter with her placement of it, the Princess still watching his hidden eyes as best she could as he held the position she left his palm in, a gentle knead of his fingers rolling against the fabric and the flesh beneath. The stone expression on her face, however, did manage to falter; the young woman let slip a few gentle-noised puffs of appreciation at his touch as her eyes widened momentarily. Sucking in a gentle breath, she let it out slowly as he spoke once again. A smile gently tugged at her lips, hidden away beneath his within moments.

Her eyes closed as he let his tongue drift along her lips, her own shyly tracing out to pass catch it on the return. His kiss provided her with a muffling for the moans coming from his adventurous hand, taking advantage of the Princess' request to explore every inch of her breast through the dress. As the other passed behind her, leaving her to brace against the table a bit more, she barely noticed the work his fingers began on the corset's strings... until the dress felt noticably looser on her form.

"What...?," she started softly as he pulled away, tucking her lips inward as he reassured her. He was up to something, his fingers seeming to understand the dress and it's restricting zones far better than even her own chambermaids. Within moments he provided her with far more breathing room... and far less of the dress against her skin.

Those talented hands were quick to take advantage of this, the one returning to her chest and eliciting a sharp gasp from the girl as he explored once again. Even though the fabric still acted as a barrier between the two's skin, the friction and heat of his touch enough on its own to leave the Princess weak in the knees. Thank god for that table...

The single word uttered by him received a sudden nod in response, Raea suddenly finding herself at a loss for words. None of the ones in her mind seemed to make any sense; random gatherings that attempted to form something coherent.

No time.
No need.

"Ahh..." She merely breathed, letting the noise flow from her lips as he let those hands find their own course. While her dress raised, her heart quickened, gasping out as more barely-covered contact was made between his gloved digits and her own flesh.

She clung to that table.

The warmth of his breath against her neck, the gentle press of his lips followed by the rougher pull as he sucked and nipped a path along the way; She truly needed that table. One hand quickly raised from the stand to cling to his shoulder as his gloved fingers teased higher still, brushing her inner thigh and threatening to find more sensitive places. "W....wait...," she mumbled out, though regretted saying it herself. As much as she hated the thought of telling him to restrain, she also hated to let him take this much control. This was her castle, her land, her...

"Hmnnn...."

Oh, good lord, what had he just found? That spot along the edge of her neck; the way his mouth played so perfectly-

There they went again. Her thoughts, her words- Gone. He managed to discard them on her once more.

[Eazy]

In the back of his mind, Mister Flower Blossom knew he couldn't allow her too much time for thinking, yet dwelled little on it as he attempted to let things flow as naturally as they could despite their planned start. Her words of protest barely registered as Marrok's mouth started traveling further along the curves of her soft neck, steadily exploring around the section where the neck meets the shoulder as he trailed kisses and sweeping flicks of his tongue upon her flesh. The hand clutching at him spoke volumes over the weak willed sounds trying to escape her lips, and he responded in kind by replacing his gentler embrace by parting his lips further and sinking his teeth into the now moistened area.

His own hands remained busy at work, with the one near her chest having finally started to reach up until it felt the opening of her gown; allowing his uncovered fingertips to begin grazing over the warm curves of her cleavage. They then slipped under the material, his fingers squeezed between their bodies as he started to teasingly caress the top portion of one breast underneath her clothing. It wasn't the most ideal of entry points, given their current positions with each other, but it allowed Marrok his first feel of her soft mounds as he soon found the tip of his longest finger brushing against Raea's nipple.

As this was happening, his gloved hand continued to caress the young woman's inner thigh, trying to assuage her toward further accepting these advances when he finally resumed inching it higher. Soon enough, with her gown raised high enough to fully expose one leg, the masked swordsman had brought his thick digits to the covered sex of the woman he desired. His fingers played at the sides of her undergarment, teasing at the notion of slipping underneath briefly, when they instead moved to begin pressing at her through the thin material. A small portion of his mind thanked the heavens for the lack of a chastity belt as he pressed a finger firmly against Raea's sex, holding it against her as he started rubbing her slowly, firmly, enough to begin feeling the heat which radiated underneath even as their respective articles of clothing stood in the way of his bare touch.

The fingers in her top played at the girl's sensitive nipple, making the tender flesh harden into a tiny bud before he so very reluctantly began to pull his hand free. It would be needed as it joined its matching appendage in grasping and raising her highnesses dress; this time on the other side before the hand between her legs pulled away just enough for him to wrap the arms around her lower body and lift Raea onto the table. Only with the gown pulled up enough in the back where she wouldn't be sitting on the outwardly exposed portion. After all, it wouldn't due to have her returning to her party afterward with large portions of dust marring her dress.

"Would you care to touch me, Princess?" Her mysterious suitor and potential lover suddenly 'offered' in a fairly assertive way; punctuated further by how he slowly reached out and took her hand with one of his own rather then wait for a full answer.

Raising the hand to his face, Marrok watched her intently as he leaned in to press his lips against each of her finger tips; kissing them one-by-one as his free hand reached between them. By the time he was finished placing soft kisses on each of her slender fingers, he had used the other hand to effectively loosen his trousers just a bit. It was a welcomed relief, as the straining of his hardening member became quite noticeable while it strained against the front of his clothing.

It was toward that bulge that the young swordsman was now leading the Princess's hand, leaving little doubt as to what he intended for her to do, at least to whatever extent an inexperienced maiden as herself could be expected for her first try. Like she had done with his hand which was led to her breast, Marrok ignored any spoken or physical protests as he placed her slender hand upon the clothing covering his throbbing hardness. Raising his eyes to her once more, he remained silent for now while holding the hand in place; allowing her to feel just what kind of effect she was having on his body.

[Mephistophelily]

A surprised cry left Raea's lips as he bit against her skin; not of pain, but simply of the unexpected feel of it. Her mind wandered momentarily to the dogs of the officers.. the way the creatures interacted with each other, the reactions of the males to the females allowed to wander the yards- Territorial, demanding, urgent. When they knew what they wanted, they were quick to make it known... As was Mister Flower Blossom.

The wandering digits of his hands were making their own progress, one hand taking an awkward twist into her dress' collar to creep down against her breast as the other in its still gloved state ran along her thigh. The heated softness of the covering brushed further along, dragging her dress' material upwards to leave her legs exposed to the chill of the outside air that managed to creep through the cracks of the little building. As cold as the breeze may have been, Raea felt warmer than she had in all her life- simply from this man and his curious, brave touch.

Very, very brave touch.
A sharp gasp left her as he simply touched against her sex, the daring digit affirming its position with a push that managed to draw a weak moan from the girl. Between that and the hand still lodged into the top of her dress- She wanted to say something, anything... but he made it so impossible to find proper words.

Did she even need to?

His sudden removal of the one hand left her with a confused expression momentarily, watching as though from a different set of eyes as he hoisted her dress then her herself up onto the table behind her. Her exposed legs straddled about him, the still awed and slightly confused Princess simply staring at him as he asked her a question.

"Touch...?," She started in a murmured repetition, her hand lifted by his and coming to caress his face. Touch. Yes... Yes, that was what she wanted. She had desired his touch, and now she wanted to touch him. Her lips were trembling as his own met with each of her fingertips, her heart seeming to have found yet another pace to increase itself to.

"What are you...," She started hesitantly as he led her hand from his lips down his form, her eyes finally drifting from his to follow her own hand. They widened slightly as she realized what he intended, quickly looking back up to him. "I-I've never-"

He simply stared at her as he held her hand there, never answering her... commenting to her. Just- staring. She swallowed softly, her lips parting once again as her fingers delicately moved against the man's arousal. She wanted to find something to say... Anything.

"I-I can't."

Well, perhaps anything but that would have been the better option. Her words were leaving faster than than her mind could truly fathom, hesitation still in her voice as they were spoken.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just- I..."

Though these protests and apologies left her, the Princess' hand remained settled against his arousal- unmoving, unwavering. Her fingers tightened, clutching him a bit tighter as she tightened her lips. Risks and desires...

"I want to... but I'm scared."

[Eazy]

Mr. Flower Blossom had hoped this part would go easier, but wasn't terribly surprised at the hesitation shown by the Princess. She was, after all, well sheltered and perhaps ideally saving herself for her Prince Charming. Nonetheless, Marrok knew she needed to be made more interactive before he went any further, and remained unwavering in what he wanted her to do as he gazed upon her through the twin holes in his mask.

Still, he allowed her to see open signs of understanding her plight, letting a finger begin to soothingly stroke the back of her hand as he started speaking out of assurance, "There's nothing to be frightened about, Princess. This, what we're doing, is a natural response for people attracted to each other. And you don't have to do anything you don't want."

That last part wasn't exactly true from his point of view, but it helped in giving the impression of allowing her a sense of freedom even as he kept her hand over him; squeezing his own hand over it to tighten the grip on his arousal, "You also have very little to worry about. Your touch, much like everything else about you, is amazing."

There was considerable truth in that statement, as his fingers moved to curl over her own while he enjoyed the feel of her touch through his clothing. Months had passed since the last time a woman touched him there, and combined with the taboo nature of what he was doing and whom it was with, it was little wonder why his heart raced and the growing bulge underneath had grown harder against her slender palm. Letting his fingers slide over Raea's, the masked man began to slowly guide her slim digits along the outline of his cock; allowing her to feel his hardness as well as give a few unspoken tips on what to do to please her mystery suitor.

His breathing remained labored, the burning passion inside yearning for more as he kept the pace controlled in the same way he guided her hand. The man's eyes occasionally wavered away of Raea, as if trying to also guide her own line of vision until she was watching the lewd actions he steadily made her uncertain fingers perform through his trousers. His hips swayed just a bit as he guided her up and down, letting her grasp at him where she would as he strained against the material and her touch.

"Do you see? Once a person has actually started to explore another's body, they usually find it's nothing worth fretting over, M'lady." The swordsman assured her once again as he continued to guide her hand, not yet easing up on his hold enough for her to pull away at the last moment.

As he continued to aid her in discovering the feel of his arousal, Marrok soon began to lean in once again for another firm kiss upon her delicious lips. His upper body leaned in closer to deepen the embrace, even as he kept enough room between them for his aided exploration of himself. The kiss continued as he started to move her fingers higher, his own free hand slipping down to assist Marrok as he promptly guided the maidens hand into the now pulled aside lining around the waist of his trousers. Before she could pull away, and with his mouth muffling any sounds of surprise or protest, Princess Raea found herself coming into direct contact with the throbbing weapon she was made to indirectly caress only seconds ago.

Breaking their latest embrace, he kept a hand cupped over the outline in his clothing where her hand remained; clearly enjoying the warm, soft feel of a woman's touch upon his hardness as he breathed out, "See? This isn't so bad, is it?"

Squeezing at her hand through the material, he finally released any hold upon her arm in order to allow Raea freedom to do as she wished, even as his intense eyes gazed upon her while making his own suggestion, "Now, how about we try repeating what I just showed you through my clothing?"

[Mephistophelily]

Her hand gingerly moved under his guidance, like a child petting a creature for the first time, Raea glancing back up at him for reassurance as he spoke softly to her. His fingers refused to leave hers, encouraging her to accept the curiosities that were building inside her and the want to explore those risks he said made life more interesting. She felt him stir beneath her touch, affirming his confession on enjoying the feel of her fingers as a faint smile came to her lips while his hand tightened about her grasp.

His lesson led her along the hidden length beneath the fabric of his pants, the sound of his heavier breaths and the far more noticable bulk beneath her touch letting her know that his approval was certainly being found with each new motion... as hesitant as they may have been. His fingers tightened, forcing hers to close up a bit more as well against him and increasing her contact with him through the fabric. Her eyes remained on his mask for the majority of the time, stealing a glance or two downward at first- but as his own gaze wandered, hers followed to watch her hand embraced in his and exploring his hidden shaft.

"Y.. Yes... I suppose...," Raea agreed hesitantly, that sliver of uncertainty still managing to waver inside her. "Exploring... is learning... and- and I suppose I should learn such things..."

Watching the movements of both their hands as well as the reaction it caused, she glanced up for a brief moment as she felt him move in toward her, his lips finding hers once again. More encouragement? She welcomed it, the feel of his puffs of air against her cheek as his kiss deepened- and brought him even closer, his hand tugging hers a bit higher as she felt a shift in the fabric beneath her touch. What was he doing?! His lips remained anchored against hers, barely allowing her room to breathe, let alone comment on this.

She gasped for breath as he finally pulled free of the kiss, her hand now in direct contact with the firm, heated flesh of the masked man. Her eyes widened, trying to pull her hand away quickly, but his own still guarded it from the outside of the fabric.

What made her so afraid? She didn't even understand it. Because this was so new, so different? She was old enough to know such things, do such things... And she had to admit that a part of her was deeply curious on such matters. Was it still that she felt her own control in this situation was not allowed?

Raea looked up to his eyes once again as he spoke, the thin smile returning yet again. He was right. This wasn't so bad at all. She simply let her fears run ahead of her...

Another reassurance, and his hand drifted off from her arm, the masked man's suggestion receiving a nod from the young woman. A chance to retake things into her own hands- in a way. Her grip tightened about him cautiously, repeating the slow guiding movements he had led her through moments ago on her own. "You'll... let me know if I am not doing something right...?," she inquired softly, a faint blush to her cheeks.

[Eazy]

The masked man's body started growing tense with sweet bliss as the girl's slender fingers finally began wrapping themselves around his length; a low groan emitting deep inside his throat. It was great to have the shy young maiden showing some initiative in his favor, and even greater when she showed more by starting to mirror his earlier attempts at guidance. She wasn't completely comfortable at this point, but he couldn't really complain when the timid actions had the same desired effect on his growing arousal.

Returning his gaze to her lovely features when she inquired about letting her know if she did anything wrong, Marrok flashed her a warm smile as he reached an ungloved hand up to stroke her cheek reassuringly; finding the blush genuinely cute despite his continued act, "Don't worry, Princess. You're doing wonderfully, but I'll guide you if there are any problems along the way."

Pulling his hand back as he finally started to remove that last glove, Marrok tossed it near the other as he enjoyed Raea's exploration of his arousal; by now smiling almost slyly toward her as he noted, "But a true gentleman shouldn't let a lady do all of the work. Allow me to reward you for your bravery, M'lady."

Without wasting another moment, both of his now bare hands returned to the lower portion of her body, where they slowly slid along the gown covered portions of her legs. His eyes studied her reaction at first; gazing at her like he'd so often done by now through that mask shrouding his identity. In time, he started grasping upon the bottom of her dress, raising the skirt along her soft legs as he watched her a while longer, before finally diverting his eyes downward. His hands were a little less flawless in their motions, due in large part to the incredible feeling brought about by her warm hand on his throbbing length, but also partially thanks to the excitement of what he wanted to do next.

Inch by inch, her dress was risen along her legs, exposing further portions of her smooth skin to his sight and the cool night air. In a matter of moments, Marrok was able to glimpse the bottom of the young maiden's undergarments. The sight brought a rather naughty smile to his lips as he placed both hands on her thighs, toward the knees, as he started nudging them aside to allow her better access. The masked swordsman stroked his rough palms soothingly along the girl's thighs as he did this, trying to assure her without words in case there were any doubts, but also aided by pure force as he pulled the legs apart and resumed his trek toward her inner thighs.

"Don't worry, I simply wish to please you like you've pleased me tonight." The young man explained as he glanced up at her again, referring to the way she continued gripping and stroking his length, letting Princess Raea feel his fingers gliding along her tender flesh until they came upon the silky feel of her undoubtedly expensive lingerie.

His long digits resumed the earlier exploration against her clothed sex, only this time rubbing the fingertips up and down slowly, almost teasingly as he tried to feel the outline of her tender lips through the thin material. Marrok's head remained tilted downward, but his dark eyes gazed up at Raea as he started pressing the tips of his fingers into the region; feeling the heat and moistness emitting out of her as he almost fought against the garments for entry to her core.

"You've never had anyone touch you here, have you?" His words came out more as a declaration then a simple question; pressing into her a little further before starting to drag the fingers up and down, slowly, against her swelling lips as he asked a real question, "Have you ever touched yourself down here? When you're alone in your bedroom at night?"

There was a genuine curiosity in his line of questioning, yet he pressed on with a few more, despite being fully aware of how uncomfortable they were likely making the often spoiled Princess, "Perhaps thinking of other noble men who visited the land? Or perhaps a few handsome knights of your fathers military?"

Allowing a few moments for whatever response may come of his questions, Marrok let out a gasp as he suddenly jerked forward as her hand seemed to find a proper tempo; causing him in return to push his own fingers into her rather forcefully against the sensitive nub of flesh which rested under the thin undergarment. The dark haired man clenched his jaws quite a bit, stifling a moan as he regained enough of his control to effectively build on this increase of force. Taking this slow and steady was ideal, however, as his long digits began feeling for an opening in the soft clothing beneath her dress, Marrok felt himself give in partially to those desires for more. As such, he promptly slipped his index and middle fingers under the silky material, feeling the caress of her light patch of hair and a growing moistness as they reached her tender folds.

“This might seem a little scary at first, but I promise you’ll come to enjoy it soon enough.” Was his preemptive response as he peered up at her once more; trying to assure the young virgin even as he didn’t wait long before starting to press a finger against the entrance of her sex.

With a little effort, the thick digit was able to slip between Raea’s sensitive lips, feeling them close around his finger as he carefully slid it in further. Marrok knew, as forward as he was being, he needed to keep things slow until she was relaxed enough to accept more of what he was offering. Otherwise, he knew everything up to this point would be for naught, even as he dug deeper into her core; stopping only when the lengthy finger was near the halfway point. Trying to ignore the obvious distraction of her own inexperienced hand in his trousers, the swordsman began working the finger around, swirling it slowly, dragging it with the nail lightly scratching against her inner walls so she would feel him as he started stretching in preparation for his true goal.

Despite keeping most of his focus on the task of pleasing the young woman, it would be impossible for him to completely ignore the presence of her own hand on his sensitive flesh; which caused Marrok to briefly glance up as he breathed out a suggestion with an ever so slight smile on his features, “If I may suggest, your highness? It might prove easier for you to continue your own ministrations if you were to slip me free of my own lower garments?”

Waiting just long enough for those words to begin sinking in even for the imagination of one with such minimum experience, the mystery man resumed his teasing and exploration of Princess Raea’s most intimate of places; using one hand to help hold her inner thighs apart as he started to brush a finger against her budding clitoris during the others tentative penetration in and out of her body.

[Mephistophelily]

A faint smile came to the Princess' lips, watching his expression curiously as he hid most of it behind the mask still holding his face. She so badly wanted to know who was truly behind there, to see this Prince that left her heart racing for so many different reasons... Amazement, with a slight mix of fear. But the fear was something that added to it, wasn't it? As he had said, to not know risk and add the twinge of excitement to life was simply a waste of life. She certainly didn't want that....

Her fingers moved to tighten a bit more firmly about his length, her lips parting slightly as she heard the groan from him. Running her touch along the hardened flesh, she glanced down for a moment to watch her own hand and the reaction it caused from its occupant. His own gloved hand passed into her view, her gaze following that now as he removed the covering to leave his hand exposed while he spoke of being a true gentleman.

A further tightening of her grasp came as he ran his heated hands along her thighs, sliding the dress further up her body until her bare thighs were exposed to the chill of the room. She sucked in a soft breath, looking to him with slightly concerned eyes, finding reassurance once again as his touch slid against her thighs. he rown hand copied the actions he had guided her through earlier; a gentle, gliding motion along his length that brought the heel of her hand to brush against the thick head of his shaft.

The thin white silk did little to keep his fingers from exploring. Raea let out a meak quick yelp as his touch drifted against her covered folds, her thighs attempting to quickly close. More wandering, a firmer touch... The cool room was starting to feel much, much warmer.

"Oh- ohh my...," she breathed, glancing at him to find his eyes peering about the mask with a rather deviant stare. Her own lids opened a bit further as he began to question her, the press of his touch seeming to add to the interrogation- a prompt for response. She swallowed down hesitantly, feeling the flush return to her cheeks over such inquiries. "I- N.. No.. No one has ever-"

She faltered in her words, glancing to him once more with the question on herself, quickly closing her eyes and turning her head away, fighting the soft moan that came to her throat. "Maybe... Maybe once or twice...," She finally confessed as he pressed further on both the subject and her sex, her eyes reopening slightly to look at his. "There are... lots of things... I'm curious about..."

Her own grip readjusted, her thumb moving to explore the very tip of him as she continued to massage his flesh, her hand trying to keep the same rhythm of his body's light encouraging sway. His sudden press forward startled her, moreso as his fingers joined the unexpected thrust and drove hard against the fabric as well as the sensitive area behind it. The princess stiffened slightly with that, sharply inhaling as she looked to him with widened eyes.

Those brave fingers were roaming yet again.

She simply watched him, her gaze trying to take in every aspect of his features shown to her as his touch shifted around the baracading fabric to truly run against her flesh. A shiver ran through her over simply feeling the warmth of his hand so close to her own skin, still holding to him as a concerned look came to her face.

His words were an attempt to calm her fears... But-

"Ahh..." Raea's eyes closed tightly as he pressed against her, letting his finger slide cautiously inside her. She clutched him, unmoving for a moment as the curious feel of his further exploration ran through her, her breaths already growing heavier from the first true touch in such a way from a man. Her body clung to the digit that toyed so bravely, her hand regaining its movement slowly as stared at him. His suggestion took a moment to fully reach her ears, a rather dumbfounded nod coming from her as she withdrew her hand momentarily. "The... Y-yes... I can- certainly..."

Biting her lips together, she pulled the fabric that covered his loins down a bit further, whimpering softly as a second finger began to add to the amazing flood he created inside her, roaming against the sensitive flesh as the first drove further in. Her body was torn with it all- loving it, yet tormented by it... throbbing and aching from what he was doing-

He was fully exposed to her now, the flesh she had been cradling and caressing brought to her view. The sight wasn't helping that feeling inside her in the least. Her hand reclaimed him, stroking his length in firm yet gentle passes as the other clutched the table. "It- It kind of hurts...," she confessed softly through trembling lips, a gentle moan escaping along with the words. "But- but please... please don't stop..."

His touch created a fire inside her, an ache that she realized now she had to have solved. It would drive her mad... He had made it, he had to be the one to end it. The more he did, the stronger it became; frustrating her, encouraging her.