Fred was totally enamored. He had always thought Evanthe Curran was pretty but Ben had always spent more time with her than he ever had and he rarely had interactions with her this directly. Now that he had the chance, he couldn't believe how he'd never noticed how much gold was in her brown eyes or how perfect the color of her pink lips complimented her pretty skin tone. She was more than beautiful. She was an art piece.

They were all distracted when Keelan Morrigan approached and greeted them. Ben would have to be sure to tell Ellison about the run in upon his return back home. Ben looked after Keelan curiously as he walked away but Fred looked at him as though he were a threat and that Evanthe needed to be protected from the likes of a snake like him. Though Fred didn't know the man well enough at all to ever have a reason to think he might be snake like in the slightest.

"I don't know..." Ben said curiously. "He's my wife's cousin. If I had to guess, he's probably trying to keep his name on people's tongues. Or perhaps using the festival as an opportunity to discover possible matches for himself..." Ben shook his head and turned back to Evanthe. "We were thinking about going to check out some of the food vendors. Would you care to join us?" At the suggestion, Fred quickly forgot about Keelan and turned back to Evanthe, looking at her hopefully.

Vesper appreciated Keelan Morrigan’s turn of phrase in regards to what he did, relating to the sea which was an apt comparison for both of them. She meandered next to him, the familiar uneven sounds of her steps along with a small limp today which she was ignoring.

She watched with curiosity and admittedly a bit of amusement as he approached the Delaney twins and the woman that accompanied them. She hardly acknowledged either, staying out of their circle so as to not draw attention to herself.

At the man’s request she considered it for a moment, not typically one to welcome too much social activity, but a drink sounded rather nice and the man was one of the more interesting out of people she typically engaged with. After a hesitant few seconds she gave him a nod. “I suppose that would be acceptable. It would be a shame to celebrate alone…though I have a feeling you are not the type to struggle for company.”

"Oh lady Delvaux you would certainly not believe how hard it is to keep company, decent respectful company that is," he thought about the few interesting female companies he'd kept since the passing of his wife; Regan Lassiter, a flighty whore who wouldn't ever share close to what he could have had given her. She carried power, immensely high in fact but she had the weakest will power to use it just as an commoner did because they are just weak characters. Scared of Adder Morrigan? Weak. He would have cursed her had he had the ability, although...

"I perhaps ask to much, demand to much. Maybe we share a similar trait my lady, people fear us and what we do," he plucked another flower as they resumed walking, he spun the stem between fingers eyes scanning the crowd, "I will never settle for less."

While Regan had been something a little more than cordial, he had also been keenly interested in @katerina and she was very beautiful, but she had to much bite and her outward attitude was prickly which Keelan appreciated but if she couldn't be bended and molded out of her very apparant commoner status she was useless to his future empire. Rhedara Shannon taken, and in honest she had been a pretty face. She was useful no doubt but Keelan had to look at the bigger picture.

"Any who, I appreciate your acceptance of my invitation," he then offered the lady the flower in his hand, a blood red rose, "the invitation, have a continued pleasant day Lady Delvaux," Keelan dipped and grunted his exit. Walking away Keelan (the silent Bulger rejoining his boss) wasn't done, he presented flowers to two other noble witches before he came across Ambassador lady @alinore and Hand of the King lady @meiying...

"Ladies, pleasant days and longer nights to the both of you, lady Thornhill and lady Meng please," the Morrigan offered both a flower.

When she had hinted at interest in a man, Alinore had known exactly what sort of trick she had pulled on her friend, so faintly amused, the minister of foreign affairs weathered Meiying’s scolding with a slight smile. “Please forgive me, Meiying,” She said, watching as the excitement on the other noblewoman’s face faded. “I simply couldn’t resist.” Together, they turned their gazes toward the lieutenant and his chosen partner. Dark eyes lingered on the woman as she twirled in Aldrich Abbott ’s arms, and Alinore made a considering noise at her friend’s observation. “So she is.”

Meiying seemed content to keep her distance - a preference for which Alinore could hardly blame her - and she saw no reason to attempt to convince her otherwise. In delicate situations like these, the proper course of action was to follow her friend’s lead. As far as she was concerned, Alinore had done her duty and informed Meiying of the presence of the man who had spurned her, a noblewoman of high status, accomplishment, and breeding, for the advances of a commoner. For, as she turned away from the witch in question, @nadine made it clear in both her dress and mannerisms that she could be nothing else. If Alinore hadn’t known the fact nature of Abbott’s relationship to the other woman, she certainly figured it out when she found him kneeling before her. “Oh my.” A marriage proposal, in circumstances such as these. How garish.

Alinore hardly considered herself a romantic, but as she watched the woman accept the ring, she had to admit that there was a certain poetry to likeminded individuals finding each other.

“Perhaps something to cleanse the palate?” She asked, changing the subject as her gaze settled upon a nearby stall of refreshments. Before she could do more than turn to Meiying for her answer, however, a nobleman made an unexpected appearance with some flowers in hand.

With a polite smile and curtsy to Lord Keelan Morrigan - and a nod in silent acknowledgement of the equally silent man looming beside him - Alinore greeted the newcomer. “Good afternoon, Lord Morrigan. Oh, for me?” Slender fingers reached for the flower when he held it out to her, and pleased, she took a moment to enjoy the floral aroma and admire the color of the petals before graciously offering her gratitude. “Thank you, my lord. This is beautiful.” A brief pause, in which she would wait for Meiying to say her own thanks, before she added, “I hope you’ve found the festivities to your liking, my lord.”

"Oh this festival lady Thornhill is the best, absolutely my favorite," the confession though it sounded of praise his voice lacked any hint of shared enthusiasm that the words shared, "best one by far, my ladies, if you'll excuse me, enjoy the rest of your evening."

With a proper bow to each of them Keelan turned on his heels, Bulger the silent partner dipped his hat to the beautiful pair of noble women then followed Keelan. The Morrigan whispered a few words to Bulger who nodded and took off into the crowd disappearing quickly as Keelan took a spot in the center of the crowd clearing his throat loudly to capture the crowds attention, "Ladies a moment of your time please," Keelan was loud but respectful in delivery as his hands casually (very cool like) shoved his hands into his pocket, electricity blue eyes scanning the crowd but they stopped on each woman offered a flower that evening (more would be dispersed to the noble women who weren't in attendance) the hints of a charming smirk about to plaster his face (he personally was excited about the news; but that was because he knew) but it didnt reach his already intense eyes, "I am looking for a wife; your wreaths are looking for a man to capture it and close a ritual of potential Courting, that's me. If you received a flower from me you're in the game to tie in holy matrimony to a powerful name; Keelan Morrigan. I will be reaching out to you soon, so bring your worth my ladies."

A satisfied grunt and the half smile was gone just like Keelan, he turned and cut through the crowd.

[Exit Keelan]