A ℓσνєℓєѕѕ ยภเ๏ภ {Echo}

[echolight4eva]

She took his arm and, dwarfed by his height, walked towards the gardens of the Venture family. She didn't say anything- she didn't want to be considered too forward- and simply observed the lovely flora in the gardens.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"Do you live in Luthadel?" Nazeal asked eventually, about a minute after they stepped outside. "I've never seen you at any of the balls." And there were quite a few of them. Then again, the number of people there made it possible that he'd just never run into her.

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide nodded. "Yes, I live in Luthadel. Our home is on the other side of town. But I don't go to balls, really," she said, not revealing why. Her parents didn't allow her to go; they were afraid she would tarnish the family name with her lack of power.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"Hmm," Nazeal said. "A shame. I imagine you would be popular at the balls. They do love a pretty young woman at their parties."

[echolight4eva]

"Really?" she asked somewhat shyly. "Thank you, that's very kind. I have imagined going to balls before," she said. "But I am rather shy... I am not sure if I would know what to do."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"I'm sure you'll be invited to our next one," Nazeal said. He believed his parents planned to have one within the week. They would want to announce the engagement... and flaunt it.

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide gave a small smile, looking everywhere but at Nazeal. "I am sure I will enjoy myself," she said, though she was anything but sure. She smoothed her dress and gazed at the flowers as they strolled.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

While Adelaide looked around, Nazeal was watching her closely. So this was the girl he was meant to marry, the one his parents had picked out. He wondered why they had chosen her. She was beautiful, yes, but if she didn't attend any parties they hadn't picked her specifically. They had picked her family, probably to form an alliance with House Hasting. If they were looking for new allies, was there something brewing that Nazeal didn't know about?

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide was wondering much the same thing. His parents must not know that she wasn't even a Misting. She bit her lip, but it soon came to her attention that small black flakes were falling from the sky. She looked up and sighed softly, producing a parasol and opening it. "The ashmounts seem to be more active recently," she commented flatly, hoping her dress wouldn't be ruined.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

(Just so you know, not all nobles have allomancy. Some do, but it's becoming more and more rare)

Nazeal glanced up and grimaced. "Yes," he said. "It's a shame. Perhaps we should return inside. The gardens aren't that interesting anyway." Which was entirely true. He'd always thought it was odd that people would want to gather a bunch of plants in one place. What was so interesting about them? Just a field of brown.

[echolight4eva]

(Yeah, I am realizing that as I read xD But when I did, I was thinking that maybe her parents are super obsessed with their kids having allomancy. Maybe I just won't make her so dramatic about it xD)

"Agreed," Adelaide said. She turned around and began walking somewhat faster towards the house. She hated when ash fell from the sky; she didn't completely understand this feeling, but she had it all the same.

(Should we timeskip to the ball?)

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

(That works too And yeah, let's!)

[echolight4eva]

Only three days after their first visit, Lord and Lady Hasting and Lord and Lady Venture had agreed it was high time to announce the engagement of their children. It had also been agreed that it would be held at the Venture household. Adelaide hardly agreed, but of course she hadn't been asked. 

That night, Adelaide was dressed in a lovely, periwinkle blue dress with darker blue and silver trimming. Her hair was in a complicated bun again, and she looked ravishing. 

They arrived just before the rest of the guests, but only about five minutes later, the rest of the guests were arriving and the band struck up a lively tune. Of course, Adelaide was too shy to dance, and nobody knew her. She wasn't asked to dance with anybody. So, instead, she stood at the wall and watched the others dance. So, this was a party. It was loud, and somewhat cramped, but beautiful and exciting at the same time. Adelaide loved it. 


s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a0/e1/30/a0e130663b5abc41b1f723df560e9bca.jpg

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nazeal, by his mother's recommendation, arrived to the party 'fashionably late.' Really, it was just to make an entrance. He came from upstairs, so of course all eyes turned to him as he made his way down the grand staircase into the ballroom.

The young lord wore a spotless quite outfit, designs embroidered in gold thread on the collar and down the front. If he looked handsome at their dinner, he was ten times more so now. His typically messy blond hair had been painstakingly tamed. Upon that first entrance, every young woman in the crowd decided that they envied his fiancé. Of course, tomorrow they'd be over that and would forget him entirely.

[echolight4eva]

As Nazeal was announced, Adelaide's eyes, like every other pair of female eyes, turned to look at him. Adelaide didn't look entirely shocked; it really didn't matter to her at the moment that he was handsome. She was beginning to feel fear, apprehension for this marriage. She didn't even know him. Her eyes searched for her mother, but as soon as they found her, they looked away. It wasn't worth trying to fight now. It was official tonight.