The King And I

A loud laugh echoed through the large hall as a young girl twirled. Another woman, a bit older then she shook her head. "No no no, Miss Roland. It's a step, step twirl." The woman, who turned out to be a dance instructor said and did a demonstration of what was to be expected of the younger woman.

"Sorry Mrs, Holland," Arielle said as she did a small nod of her head, a small humored smile playing with the edges of her lips. Tonight the King was holding a ball, and it'll be the first one she's being allowed to attend. So, naturally, she was to learn to dance and act like a proper lady. Not that she hadn't been practicing that her whole life, but she needed to make sure she had everything down pat beforehand.

Practicing for a little while longer, Arielle let out a small sigh as she was finally done with her dance lesson. Her feet were killing her and she couldn't wait to slip her heels off and relax in some flats. Turning towards her dance teacher, Mrs. Holland started to go over a few things that she'll have to keep in mind. Certain things that she'll need to try and stay away from if she doesn't want to make a fool of herself as well.

Then, the sound of clapping could be heard at the other end of the hall that caught the two women's attention. "Father!" Ari said excitedly as she rushed to her fathers' side. Her arms wrapping around him in a hug, acting as if it's been months since they've seen each other. "How was your meeting?" She asked him as she released her hold on him, stepping back a few steps so that he could breathe.

"Well, it went well." Ari's father told her as he offered her a small smile, although it didn't quite meet his eyes. "Ari, there's something we need to talk about." Her father said, and it was in that she got the feeling that her whole life was going to change.

{sorry, had to do the laundry }

Charles walked away from the meeting, wondering just how well the potential deal he'd just struck would go. It would depend entirely on the ball that he was throwing in a week's time. Whether he liked Arielle, whether they got along well or not. If Charles decided that she wasn't worth his time, then he would not pay off her kingdom's debt and they would eventually be ravaged. The kingdom would be torn apart and the people would be lucky if they made it through the war. If they did, they would be in for a life time of struggling to feed themselves and their children. Charles would not be sorry for he had long since stopped trying to give council to Arielle's father. The man was frustratingly stubborn and Charles decided that he was done dealing with it.

He would linger in Arielle's home for the rest of the night before he departed in the morning. Charles needed to get home to finalize the plans for his ball. At it, Charles hoped to find a suitable queen. Whether that was Arielle or not, Charles did not know and truthfully, he did not care. It would not affect his life if he decided not to pursue Arielle's hand.

Charles reached the guest chambers that had been his for the past few days. He let out a sigh as he pulled his jerkin over his head, pushing his pants down his body to leave him in his underpants. During his meeting with Arielle's father, they had eaten and drank while coming to terms on their deal. Charles was ready to rest with a good book. Often, Charles liked to read because it gave him time to relax and just be with his own thoughts. So much of his time was spent with others, Charles often found that he had no time to himself unless he was locked away in his chambers.

@ castle.
It felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Arielle panted slightly as she rushed down the hall. She wanted to go to the library on the west wing, it was the only one that her father refused to go to as it was her mother's favorite place in the estate. So, naturally, when she had things on her mind, she'd go there.

Heels clicked loudly as Ari she moved through the estate. She didn't care if she woke the servants. They were used to the young miss moving around the estate in a hurry. She was often full of energy and rushed everywhere, even when she was a young child, she loved to rush.
It's not that she didn't take her time going places every now and again, it's just. She liked to see and do things in a timely manner. So, moving quickly was often her number one thing to do.

"Ah." Arielle hiccuped as she tripped over herself. Her right hand moving out and resting against the door of one of the guest rooms. "Aw, it broke." She mumbled as she leaned against the door and leaned back slightly so that she could take her shoe off. Then, she did the same with the other one, this time having a little trouble because the strap on her ankle was still tied, unlike the one that completely broke.

{oh god i'm sorr I didn't see this post }

Charles' movements stopped suddenly when he rounded the corner to his room and he saw a woman standing against the door to his room, taking off a pair of heels. His face scrunched slightly as he watched her, putting his hands in his pockets. He was quiet, raising an eyebrow as she seemed to struggle with taking the strap off. Exhaling slowly, Charles decided to simply play the part of a gentleman. Charles was a lot of things but he would not let a woman struggle with something, even if it was as simple as a strap on their shoe.

He made his way toward her, clearing his throat as he drew closer. "You seem to be having trouble," Charles spoke, letting out a small chuckle. He knelt in front of her without saying much else. Charles held his hand out to her, nodding when she just seemed to look at him, a confused look on her face.

"I don't bite," Charles said, making quick work of undoing the strap around Arielle's heel the moment she finally offered her foot to him. Charles was quick to stand, holding it out to her. "Should be a bit more careful. Trip on these, you end up with a broken ankle. I can't imagine that would be pleasant a week before such an important day in your life," Charles said, having recognized the woman in front of him. He had never met Arielle but he'd met both of her parents more than enough times to be able to piece together who she was.

@ castle.
The sudden clearing of someone's voice had almost given Ari a heart attack. She quickly turned around, hiding her broken shoe behind her nack as she faced the stranger. Her lips parting as she tried to find words to say, but closed them instead as nothing came. What exactly do you say to a stranger in the middle of the night in a dark hallway?

"Um, thank you," Arielle mumbled quietly as she slowly offered her foot to the man. Eyeing him warily as he helped her with her heel. She was trying to match the man with those she knew were at the estate visiting. In the past few weeks, a few people have come for a visit, as spring was the best time to travel to the countryside.

Slowly, Ari's eyes narrowed as she tried to place who this guy could possibly be. He couldn't be a servant, he wasn't wearing a uniform. Nor could he be a knight for the same reason. Certainly, he couldn't have been one of her grandfathers' men, as he left last week to head back to the other side of the Kingdom.

A brief thought of this man being a thief ran through Arielle's mind. She's heard about people breaking into people's homes and taking everything. Could this man possibly be that? The thought terrified Ari. She didn't want to be the one to confront such a terrifying person, as there could be a possibility of being kidnapped as well and she didn't want that either.

Then, as soon as he stood up and handed her the shoe, it was like a candle was lit. "Y-your majesty?" Arielle stuttered out, her cheeks going a bright rosy color that was hidden by most of the candlelight. "I-I. Y-y, uh." She was completely speechless on what she should be saying at the moment. She hadn't expected for him to still be here, let alone be heading to bed so soon. It was just a little past evening, and there were still a few strands of sunlight left that were coming in through the windows.

"I'm terribly sorry for inconveniencing you, your Grace." Arielle rushed out once she got her bearings right and quickly curtsied towards the man. "I uh, I'm really sorry that you had to help. These shoes are a little old and I guess I wasn't thinking when I wore them outside of my dance practice." She said as she held out her other shoe that she'd been hiding, showing him the broken shoe.

Then, she quickly cleared her throat as she slowly took a few steps back. Noticing that it was just the two of them, made her a little wary. "I uh, I think I should get going." She mumbled, taking a few more steps towards the library.

(It's all good. Also, I edited this post slightly~)

Charles didn't think that Arielle realized who he was at first. She seemed far too... he didn't think that nervous was the right word but maybe she was skeptical of the man that was so ready to take her shoes off. He was a stranger and certainly if she had no clue who he was, Charles was sure it had to be alarming to Arielle. He offered her a gentle smile as she took the shoe from him. Raising an eyebrow when the realization seemed to hit her. Panic flooded her features and she stuttered over his title.

His title was only important in serious situations around his court but he wasn't about to tell Arielle that yet. If they decided to pursue their relationship further, Charles was sure that she would learn more about him. What he would prefer her to call him, what books he enjoyed reading, what he liked to eat. What made Charles into the man that he was, the king that he was.

"I wouldn't call this an inconvenience. If anything, I am more concerned about your.. situation," Charles said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced down to her feet. He looked back up with a grin spread across his face. Charles tried to be easy going if there was a more relaxed situation that he didn't have to be all hard and focused on the task set in front of him. Putting his hands in his pockets, Charles couldn't help but grin as Arielle stumbled over her words.

Tilting his head to the side when Arielle started to back away from him, Charles didn't bat an eye as she turned to leave. "Arielle?" Charles called, waiting until she ahd turned back toward him so that he could speak with her attention focused on him.

"Do wear a new pair of heels... not something you have to worry about breaking on you, in the middle of a dance," Charles gave a lighthearted scold. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned, stepping into his room so he could rest until he was too tired to read any longer.

@ castle.
At the sound of her name being called, Ariella slowly turned to look back at the King. She was expecting him to comment on how unladylike it was for her to be moving around without her shoes or something. Although, what left his lips surprised her and she couldn't help but let it show. "Yes, sir." She mumbled quietly, her voice quiet as she watched the man retreat back into his room.

For some reason, that night had stuck with Arielle. How kind the King was to her. How he wasn't annoyed with helping her with her shoe. How he didn't seem at all put off by her being alright with walking around barefoot. He just intrigued her. Oh, how she wished she could have spoken more natural towards him and not made a fool out of herself then. Seeming so childish in front of one's future husband, and the ruler of the Kingdom didn't seem like the right thing to do.

The grand hall of the Palace was packed full of people. All gathered together and gossiping about the latest news. About each other and the latest fashions. Men dressed in their finest clothing and women dressed to impress anyone who might be single and wanting to mingle for a while. It was all so magical and interesting to the young girl who hasn't attended a fancy party like this before. Everything seemed so interesting and new. She took everything in stride, like a kid who was opening a present on Christmas day and was getting things they wanted. This party was everything that Ari had wanted and more.

"Ahh, Ari. I'm so happy to see you." Arielle's longtime friend Mari squealed as she rushed to Arielle's side. The woman was of lower birth, a bit that didn't stop them from becoming friends. Even when she went to the capital to become a servant in the Palace, the two would often exchange letters in secret.

"I know, it's so great to see you as well Mari," Arielle said, holding her excitement down as she needed to hold herself together more at such a popular even. A small smile tugged on Ari's lips as her friend grinned and straightened up. "Shall I fetch the lady a drink so that she may enjoy her first party?" Mari asked, a hint of teasing in her tone as she scampered off to get Ari her first ever adult drink of wine.

Turning, Arielle was going to explore the ballroom a bit more before Mari came to talk her ear off, but she didn't seem to get far. As the moment she turned to head towards her right, the doors on her left started to open and the room fell silent. Looking over the crowd, Ari's eyes widened as she saw the King entering the room. Looking as grand as a man in his stature would look.

Charles knew that some people did not like him simply because of his title; because of who he was. There was nothing that he would ever be able to do about people like that because they despised anyone in power. There was never going to be anything someone could do to change someone's mind, if they were already so against authority. Charles did his best to provide for his people but that didn't always work; he would inevitably end up upsetting someone. As his father had taught him when he was young, you were never going to be able to make everyone happy. You had to do your best and accept that that was... your best. It was something that Charles still struggled with because he wanted to be a good king, he didn't want to be hated or feared by his people.

He did not like to use his power but when a neighboring land was continuously falling further behind in their debts, Charles had no choice but to make it known that the debt either needed to be paid or war would be waged upon them. That was all there was to it; Charles could not allow it to go on any further because if it did, others would start to think that they could just not pay their debts and then his kingdom would truly begin to suffer.

Charles had thought it was an interesting offer; when Arielle's father mentioned that his daughter wasn't married yet. He'd been skeptical and even after meeting the woman in the hallway briefly, Charles remained so. He thought that he would make his decision on the night of the ball for there were plenty of women he was meant to meet tonight. He was supposed to choose a woman to court before their marriage in a few, short months.

Standing at the top of the stairs, Charles lingered for a moment as he watched the party down below. He gave a slight nod and that was all it took for the party to go quiet, stopping as his presence was announced. Charles started down the stairs, a gentle smile on his face as he gave a nod to a few of the people closest to the stairs. He was not going to look for any one particular woman tonight; anyone that wasn't brave enough to approach him first likely would not be a good fit to rule by his side.

@ castle.
Just the presence of the King in the room changed the atmosphere. No longer was everyone having fun and enjoyin their time. No, now it seemed like it was time for business for the men and for all of those young women who were suppose to meet the King to play their cards. Everyone would want the Kings attention, he was the one that everyone seeked. The one who could answer anyone's wish.

As the King descended the stairs, Arielle couldn't help but swallow her nerves. She had no idea why she was so nervous around him. They had spoken before, she knew he could be a kind man. So, why? Why was she nervous? Was it the setting? Was it because there were more people around? This was a ball after all, there were a lot of people that she didn't know yet. Surely, she'd make a fool of herself one way or another.

Looking away from the King, Arielle was going to make a beeline to try and run. To hide away from the King's prying eyes, but, as she turned, Ari caught her father's gaze. Hard and full of authority. He flicked his head ever so slightly in the direction of the King. Silently telling her to go and greet the man who was her father's age. A man who was seeking a young bride.

Gulping nervously, Arielle turned towards the King's direction and slowly approached him. Her footsteps were slow as she walked, and even though she faced her nerves to approach the powerful man, she was to late. As a young woman, maybe a couple of years older then her with chestnut brown hair had approached the man. Ari watched as she curtsied deeply towards him and say her name. An as she rose, Ari felt her heart drop, it was Lady River of house Marcella, another duke's house. Lady River was known for her beauty in her father's land, she had many suitor's after her hand in marriage. Ari had assumed she'd of taken a husband already, but it seemed not.

Charles wore a gentle smile on his face as he took a final step down on the stairs, nodding as a few people stepped up to him and shook his head. Looking up when a woman approached him, Charles forced the smile to remain on his face. He was not going to be rude by any stretch of the imagination but if he was being honest, Lady River of the house Marcella had tried for his hand several times over. The young woman was gorgeous, Charles couldn't deny it but she was just so focused on her duties and being proper that he couldn't bring himself to even entertain the idea. Being with someone who only cared about their image was not something that Charles wanted any part of.

Tilting his head to the side, Charles gave a slight nod before he dismissed himself from River's presence. He turned just in time as a servant passed by with a tray of drinks. ""Thank you," he said softly before he turned, his free hand slid inside his pocket as he walked around the party. He would stop and pause every so often, speaking to someone.

Charles made his way toward the table that was placed along the far war, filled to the brim with trays of delicious food. Some that had been made for the guests that travelled in from various parts of the kingdom, to help welcome them to the capitol city. Charles plucked a meatball from the table, taking the bite quickly. Charles missed the heartier foods of the mountainous regions. He lived closer to the coast, where food tended to be lighter and not nearly as heavy on the stomach.

@ castle.
As soon as Arielle had seen that River was talking to the King, Ari made a bee line to find something else to occupy her time. Like, dodging her father's harsh gaze and dancing with a few nice guys who were sons of her fathers' friends. That was fun until Ari stepped on a man's foot and felt incredibly sorry. Resulting in her apologized for a million times and the guy getting flustered with how apologetic the newly of age girl was.

Leaving the dance floor, A small sigh escaped from Arielle. She didn't realize that it feels so stuffy on an actual ballroom dance floor. As a servant past, Ari grabbed one of the flute drinks they offered and immediately regretted it as she took a sip. The bitter bubbly taste was not something that she had been expecting. As a daughter of a Duke, Ari had the privilege of being overprotected by her father and brothers. So, water and sweet juices were the only things that her taste buds were used to having.

So, doing what any wise person would do. She wondered over towards the food at the end of the hall, not noticing the King as she looked over the foreign food that was brought in. Her bright green eyes looked at everything, trying to find something that she was used to eating. Then as she spotted something that remotely looked like bacon wrapped around something, Ari reached out and took one of the strange bacon things and popped it into her mouth. Her nose wrinkling in disgust and confusion as she started to chew.

"That is not what I thought it was," Ari mumbled to herself as she covered her mouth so that her food wouldn't show when she mumbled to herself. Her beautiful green eyes eyed the weird fake bacon thing, trying to think of that it could actually be.

Charles had turned to his closest confident; Richard, and was in a deep conversation with the man about what they would have to do next. Spring had just begun; the fields all throughout the kingdom would begin to blossom and they would have to start setting taxes on the various lands. Charles tried to be understanding because sometimes, fields just were not as fruitful as they needed to be but then that put more of a strain on the neighbors of whoever fell short. It was a cycle that Charles needed to keep to because he needed to care for all of his people, needed to provide for everyone. Charles had plenty of stored grain for the coming winter already, prepared for Arielle's father not to be able to pay his part. If things didn't turn around in the next few years, Charles would have to strip the man's title. It wasn't something that Charles wanted to do, he was hopeful that her father would be able to.

Noticing that Richard was looking at something over his shoulder, Charles turned and couldn't the smile that grew on his features. He watched as Arielle took a bite of chicken that had been wrapped in pig intestine. Charles glanced toward Richard who only grinned, turning to back away from Charles.

Charles cleared his throat as he stepped toward Arielle, reaching for one of the pieces of food that Arielle had just taken a bit of. His smirk only grew when Arielle noticed him. "I didn't take you for a girl that would enjoy pig intestine. So many are weary of it..." he trailed off, eyeing her. Charles wasn't sure whether she knew what she was eating or not but he thought he was humorous regardless.

@ castle.
Keeping her hand over her mouth, Arielle looked up as she heard a sound. A surprised gasp followed by a hiccup escaped from the young lady as she noticed the King. Then, her skin paled ever so slightly as she learned about what she had actually eaten. Her stomach doing a little flip because she never thought she'd eat something that sounded so off and disgusting.

"P-Pig intestines?" Arielle mumbled quietly once she forced swallowed what was in her mouth. Her bright green eyes looking back towards the food for a moment before taking a shy step away from the table, not wanting for him to think that she was going to eat any more of that. "I-I didn't know that was what it was," Arielle mumbled quietly as she looked towards the King once more.

Then, it was like a lightbulb went off and Ari couldn't help the blush that appeared on her cheeks. "O-oh, uh, Good evening your highness." Ari rushed out and did a quick courtesy of the man who was in charge of everything in the land. "It's good to see you again so soon Sir, I hope you've been well," Ari said as she stood up straight once more, Her hands folded over themselves as she tried to act like a proper lady in front of the King.

Although, Arielle was pretty sure that she had blown all chanced for making him think she was a perfect woman. She was probably at the bottom of his lists for a suitable wife.

Charles almost felt relieved when he approached Arielle. He had been intent on letting women approach him because he wanted someone strong by his side; someone who would be a capable queen. But he couldn't seem to get himself to do anything the way that he wanted to, with Arielle. He hadn't meant to meet her in the hallway about a week ago, late at night. Charles certainly hadn't started down those stairs with the intention of seeking Arielle out. But it seemed like he was drawn toward her. Because even as he told her what she was eating, Arielle didn't jump right to curtsying and flattering him with words that didn't really mean anything.

He couldn't help but smirk as Arielle did what she thought was proper. It was. Charles let out a sigh as he shook his head, fixing her with a gentle smile. "Did you wear newer shoes tonight?" He asked, placing both hands in his pockets. He'd already finished his drink and had a few bites to eat. Charles was feeling good right now, a light buzz coursing through his veins.

"That aren't going to break?" Charles added, letting out a little laugh. Raising an eyebrow, Charles glanced toward the dance floor. Several musicians played, there were already plenty of couples dancing but Charles had yet to step on the dance floor himself. It was expected but Charles had long since given up expectations. Charles was king; if he chose not to dance with just anyone, no one would say a thing to him.

"Or do I need to ask you to remove your shoes before we dance?" Charles asked, knowing that Arielle would not deny his request to dance so he simply stated it as if they'd already agreed.

@ castle.
At the Kings words, Arielle couldn't help but feel her color returning at a quick speed. She had not been expecting for him to say such a thing to her. Much less in such a public place. Her bright green eyes couldn't help but too look around warily, wondering if anyone was ease dropping on the King's conversation with her.

Then, as he continued, Ari's eyebrows raised. Her lips pursing as she tried to figure out the best way to reply to such a inappropriate question at the moment. They were in a ball, not in a private residence. This wasn't the place to be teasing her, she may be of lower rank then the King, but she was still a lady and deserved some respect. Right?

"I don't know your highness. I guess you'll just have to find out." She told him, then she offered him a small smile as she crossed her arms behind her back loosely. Her footsteps were short and slow, as she wasn't really running away from the King or his little teasing of her little mishap the other night.

Stopping at the edge of the dance floor, Ari turned and looked towards the King, as she had expected for him to have followed her towards the dance floor. A small smile playing on her lips, as well as a light pink ting. Usually, Arielle would of stuttered and acted even more like a fool, so. With her being so bold to the King, well, it made her want to hide under her blankets, but she had dug her grave. So she might as well lay in it, right?

Charles was sure that someone was listening in on their conversation. They were in a public ball and he was the king, after all. Everyone here knew that he was searching for the right woman to marry. He was nearly thirty, he needed to marry and have children before too much more time passed. Raising an eyebrow when Arielle seemed to debate on what to tell him, Charles couldn't help but laugh at her words. He shook his head, tilting his head to the side.

"Very well, m'lady. I suppose I will, won't I?" Charles asked, turning to follow her toward the dance floor. Many eyes watched them but Charles paid them no mind, he hoped that Arielle's little spark wasn't going to disappear simply because they were the center of everyones' attention. He expected her to be proper but she could still be a bit sarcastic without stepping over too many lines.

Clearing his throat as he stepped up beside Arielle, Charles watched as the couples finished out the song that they had just been dancing to. He turned toward her, raising an eyebrow as he held his arm out to her.

"Shall we?" Charles asked, his voice soft as he waited for her hand. When she set her hand on his arm, Charles led her confidently onto the dance floor. He turned to face her, setting one hand on her hip while taking her hand in his free hand. "Think you can keep up?" He teased, hoping the little jab would show her it was plenty okay to tease him right back.

@ castle.
To be honest, Arielle had been expecting for the old King to not be happy with her little misbehavior. She knew that her father wouldn't have approved of such language in front of him, she was more than ready to be smacked in fack. So, when the King simply didn't say anything and joined near the dance floor, she was awfully surprised. Although, it also made her a bit wary as well. She didn't know the game that the King was playing at.

"Yes, your highness," Ari said quietly as she looked up at the taller man and put her hand on his arm. She could feel all of the eyes on them. Like little daggers piercing her back with each step that she took with the King. An yet, she couldn't look anywhere but towards the taller, older, man that was in front of her.

Then, as the King stopped walking, Ari stepped so that she was facing him. One hand going to his shoulder and the other to his hand. She raised her gaze to meet the Kings, ready to just get this dance over with, but, she was thrown off her game by his jab. Her lips parted slightly in surprise, not expecting that from the King. Then, she closed her mouth and lightly bit down on them as she tried to hold back her tongue, but seemed to fail as she blurted her words out anyway. "I think that's something that I should be saying to you, your grace."

As the music started to play, Ari allowed the King to lead their dance. She kept up with his pace the while time, although she did miss a few steps and nearly stepped on his foot a few times, but otherwise it was going quite well and she couldn't help the small smile that played along on her lips as she enjoyed their little dance together.

Charles wasn't naive; he noticed the glares that Arielle was receiving. He also wasn't the slightest bit surprised because he had known that whoever he chose to dance with, whoever he decided to pursue, there was going to be some sort of jealousy. Charles was simply making a mental note because anyone who would be jealous over him choosing to dance with someone, would not fare well beside him in the long run. Charles enjoyed a plethora of things and being with someone who would be jealous over such a simple thing was not something he saw himself ever doing.

His smile twisted into a bit of a smirk as Arielle shot back at him, his amusement evident as they began to dance around the room. Charles noticed when she missed a few steps but he brushed it aside because it didn't really matter to him. She could still learn to dance more than she did; he didn't know what Arielle's father expected of her outside of getting on his good side tonight.

Charles' thumb brushed over her hand gently as they moved about the floor, his movements only stopping once the song had finished played. He raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head to the side. "Why don't we get you something to eat? That isn't pig intestine," he joked, offering his arm back to her. It had been a long while since he had genuinely enjoyed time with someone the same way he was ith Arielle at the moment.

"Or, would you like a drink?" Charles asked, glancing down to her as they moved through the crowd. "It might help you to relax a bit, hm?"

@ castle.
As the dance finished, Ari let go of the King at the appropriate moment and curtsied towards him as tradition. Then, as she stood up, she was surprised by what the King asked. Her mouth opened to let out a small protest, not interested in the least bit of having more of those intestines. Although, her mouth closed as he clarified what he meant and a wave of relief washed over the young girl.

"I think I'd like something to drink more," Ari said quietly as she accepted the Kings arm and followed him off of the dance floor. The glares were still following her around, but she knew better than to act on them. She was a noble woman, she needed to be used to these sort of things, her mother always said that she had a beauty that deserved to be on a pedestal. So, Ari held that to her heart, she knew she was pretty, she just, didn't need to be feeling anything about it because it was her outer appearance. Not her inner appearance that people were carelessly judging.

"Is there anything besides that bitter bubbly stuff?" Ari asked as she glanced up towards the King before she looked around the ball. Trying to see if there were other things to drink besides that bubbly drink that tasted like stale grapes that she once ate as a child on her grandfather's orchard. "That stuff tastes quite bitter, not very refreshing at all."