Elodie had finally bent to her parents’ wishes: she’d resigned herself from service for good. It was for the best, she told herself. There were many ways to serve Nevermere, not just with the sword. She had much to offer her kingdom still, and this should be seen as a victory—not a defeat.

Even so, the usually aggressively confident Elodie was shaken. Never one to wallow, Elodie had responded by jumping into life at court with both feet. It was shocking how easily she returned to the regular rhythm of things. Nevermere’s nobility welcomed the accomplished, pretty little witch with open arms, jesting goodnaturedly about her little diversion where she’d taken it upon herself to play soldier. Elodie laughed with them, even though it stung.

Elodie was drifting along, arm and arm with another noblewoman her age she’d known since birth and attending finishing school with. She had Kitterie had lost touch during her little stent of service, but they’d easily picked back up again, gossiping amiably as they paraded through the castle. It was Kitterie who nudged her when a handsome Nevermerean approached; though Kit didn’t recognize him, Elodie did. An electric smile lit her features as if she were a little girl again with the same stary-eyed crush. The last time she’d seen Ares he’d known her as his friend’s little sister—always running after her brother and Ares both.

Elodie lifted her chin, basking Ares’s approval as if she were on show (for she might as well be).

“Much sooner than my father would like,” Elodie volleyed back playfully, Kitterie still hanging eagerly on her arm, “But I remind him often it’s the way of things. Leave your daughter unattended for a moment and she’s liable to grow into woman—whether you like it or not.” Elodie tilted her head, still smiling as she studied Ares, "It's been a long time, my lord."

Oh how sad fathers were when their daughters grew into ladies. As much as most men hoped to marry off their daughters in order to build connections with other notable families, it somehow seemed to always sneak up on them. To let their flesh and blood go and belong to another was challenging when so many men liked to have that dominion over another person.

And Elodie had quite certainly turned into a fine young lady. Ares might not have noticed her much in the past but he was noticing her now. He looked at her short frame, over a foot shorter than himself, with the kind of a expression usually reserved for a predator hunting its prey. She had gone from a shapeless child to having all the right curves in all the right places and the color of her skin was as fine as Nevermere's best chocolatiers could create. "Far too long, unfortunately. What a shame for all the lost time," he practically purred as he blatantly soaked in her figure.

After a few moments he finally took a glance at the woman beside her. "Who's your friend?" he asked, scrutinizing Kitterie.

Elodie was used to praise. Whether it was in the classroom or the ballroom, she was the star. Nevermere’s elite. That fact had instilled her with an unwavering confidence she’d carried from childhood on. That is, until she joined the military. It was the first time she had failed at something she set her mind to. The ball had changed her—changed the way she saw her place in the world. Elodie always thought she had nothing to prove. Now…she wasn’t so sure.

Her smile fell a little with Ares asked after Kitterie, but only for an almost imperceptible moment before it was pulled up brightly again.

“Lady Kitterie Davenport, my lord,” the bubbly girl eagerly offered, dipping into a curtsy, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Elodie looked at Ares with a slightly raised eyebrow and a smirk. She supposed everyone had a type, and if it was Kitterie for him…

No, Kitterie wasn't the type for him. Well, he supposed that not be outright true. He imagined her with a look of fear and cowering on her face, training the young bubbly girl to be fully submissive to him as he controlled her. He wasn't his 'type' at the moment because he didn't know what knowing her would benefit him. If he found a way to use his contact with her however, he'd certainly be able to put on the show better than most.

"The pleasure is mine, Lady Davenport," he replied but while it was seemingly polite enough on the outside it lacked true conviction, something she might notice as he turned his full attention back to Elodie. Now Elodie he couldn't imagine anyone not finding her 'their type'. She was truly something to look at it and likely drew the interest of any man she came across. "How is your family?" he asked. He could play the polite conversation just to have a reason to keep talking to her but he longed to make things more interesting if he found the opportunity. It was a good thing that Ares was patient. He could wait out for the perfect scenario if he had to.

Ares paid no more attention to Kitterie though he could feel her eyes locked on him. Oh how he could destroy her. The itch to toy with her as she seemed so interest was tempting indeed but Ares was not foolish. His reputation mattered and if anyone thought him to be a 'player' or a man of impropriety then that would certainly not benefit him. If Kitterie was persistent enough then it would likely end rather tragically for her...once he was done playing.

But his gaze never left Elodie and he smiled at her charm and grace. 'Potential wife' was not necessarily on his mind. His family was very strict about the kind of person that he would be allowed to marry and he wasn't yet sure if Elodie or her family would even come close to that. They usually didn't. Finding those who were against the current rulers was not so easy of a task. Though there were other uses that a friendship could have beyond marriage. Her beauty was just a bonus.

His lips lifted into a playful little smirk at her words. "Embracing possibility, I like that Lady Atwood. Very much," he said to her, his icy blue eyes looking into the near blackness of hers. "And what kind of possibility do you see for yourself?"

Elodie was not mean-spirited, but she was loathe to let another woman shine brighter than her if she could help it. She was glad to have stolen Ares’s attention from Kitterie, and intended to keep it. She smiled with her dazzling white teeth, shrugging a little as she gazed at Ares through long, dark lashes.

“So long as I can serve my kingdom, my lord, I am content. I try not to envision my future before it meets me. I find that blinds one to the possibilities right under their very nose.” She smirked then, looking playfully at Ares. "And what of you, Lord Bashar? What is it that you seek?"

'Serve my kingdom'. It was a bothersome sentence at first, only because he automatically tied 'kingdom' to 'king'. But didn't Ares believe that it would serve the kingdom to rid itself of the purge of their Rainecourt rulers. It was certainly a statement that could leave just enough up for interpretation. Yes, he was enjoying himself with Elodie. She seemed to have all the right things to say, she had a way of pulling his interest and he admired her for that. He questioned her motives of course, he always did. If he played the game well enough to say all the right things for his benefit then that meant others could do the same. Or they could try at least. He smiled with an approving nod at her little smirk and considered her question.

"I seek what all Nevermeren men seek; to see this great kingdom thrive and to hopefully be the one to help it along its way," he said with a grin, a hint of mischief in his expression. "And if I'm one of the lucky ones, a little enjoyment along the journey. Today is proving that part true enough anyway," he added, his gaze dropping briefly to Elodie's lips before connected with those dark eyes again.

"We really do have so much to catch up on, Lady Atwood. Perhaps you would like to join me for a stroll?" he glanced at Kitterie only long enough to indicate to Elodie that she was currently in the way of those plans. "Or maybe we schedule another time for it?"

Elodie was a petty creature and was bursting with satisfaction at Kittie having to witness this whole display. Ares did not have the same pompous demeanor and starched formality as other noblemen that she’d met of late. Instead of stiff, he was smooth. Effortless in the way he grinned and his dark eyes dropped. It was a dance—everything was.

“You have caught me at the right moment, my Lord,” Elodie said flirtatiously, “Lady Davenport was just about to take her leave to attend tea with her mother. Weren’t you, Kittie?” Elodie shot her a look, one that dared Kitterie to challenge her. The girl looked huffy for a moment, but then eventually relented.

“But of course, Lady Atwood. I’ll take my leave and look forward to…” Kittiere glanced at Ares, “Catching up later.” Kitterie dipped into a curtsy and hustled off, clearly displeased. With an amused smirk, Elodie turned back to Lord Bashar and slipped her arm in his.

There was a sense of deep delight and satisfaction at seeing the interaction between Elodie and Kitterie. He wasn't so naive as to not see that the supposed tea appointment was a farce but that Elodie lorded over the other women to get what she wanted. The displeasure in Kittie's demeanor sent a thrill through his veins and blood pumping below his belt. It may have been a simple manipulation but watching Elodie hold control over her friend had most certainly peaked Ares' interest in the pretty, young Atwood. He intentionally did not return the little curtsy that Kitterie offered though it could be taken as a simple oversight rather than the intentional snuff that it was.

His lips curled up into a pleased half smirk as Elodie took his arm and his eyes sparkled with approval and a sense of hunger as he began to lead them in the opposite direction that Kittie had departed. He cast one last brief glance behind him at her retreating figure and his smile broadened before he looked down at Elodie. "I don't think your friend is very happy," he commented, smile never fading.

Elodie smiled in petty satisfaction. “She seldom is when she doesn’t get her way,” Elodide said breezily, keeping close on Ares’s arm as she grinned at him, “I suppose she should be better at getting her way, then.”

Elodie looked around the court for eyes that drew their way. She was not above the simple need for attention, and to have the little spotlight of a handsome man on her arm gave her simple pleasure.