Every renaissance comes to the world with a cry, the cry of the human spirit to be free.

It was the night Audriana had been dreading for weeks - the first of a weeklong festival being held by Lord Avery at his home a few counties away from her own. The trip had been long, but with her matron Natalia, at least she had a bit of company so she had not been too terribly bored. Still, the last thing she was interested in was visiting her betrothed. Did that make her a bad person? She wasn't sure. It wasn't as though she had chosen it, though, so Audriana thought that perhaps she was not really the one to blame. In truth, she had been forced into meeting with the lord throughout their lives, and they had never taken to each other. Or, at least, she didn't think so. If so, it was rather one-sided on the man's part.

She didn't think him a bad person, and she did want to make her father proud. If that meant marrying as she was expected to, Audriana supposed she would just have to do that. So when they pulled up outside of him home - golly, it was more like a palace, wasn't it? It sure covered a lot of land. Something told her it would be easy to get lost in the halls of this estate, so she determined to learn the paths she needed to know and stick to those just in case.

With a gentle sigh, she lifted herself from the carriage seat and stepped down the little stairs attached to the side and make her way inside. When the main doors opened, she stepped through and was immediately hit by a wave of sound. She reached up to unlace the tie that held her cloak, thanking Natalia when she took it and folded it up for her. It wasn't long before she had twined her way through the crowd, avoiding the dancers who had already taken to the music in the center of the room. Apparently she had arrived a bit late.

Audriana caught sight of Lord Avery across the hall and began making her way towards him, only to be stopped by one of the men who must have been a noble. He held himself as someone with money seemed to do in this county, and stepped directly in front of her, demanding her attention. A shocked expression took her features and she stepped back to avoid running into the man unintentionally.

"Milady," he greeted dramatically, bowing at the waist before reaching out and taking up her hand without warning. Audriana's face contorted into one of ill-concealed disapproval, but it did not seem to make him falter. "My name is McDoune," he began, his tone a great deal too slimy for her tastes, "and I make the ladies... McSwoon." He finished cheekily, lifting her hand towards his lips.

Audriana didn't even bother pulling her hand away. Instead, she just stared at him blankly, trying to find something halfway decent to respond with. In the end, she didn't come up with much of anything.

"...Really?"

He frowned for a moment, noting that all she managed to do was blink at him, but raised his mouth back into a smile quite quickly. "Why, indeed. My charms merely take a bit of time to fully enthrall. Perhaps you just need time, mi-"

"Perhaps you just need to take a step back from my intended," a voice cut in sharply, coming from the man standing behind the absurd nobleman. "Or should I send you out on your rear?"

Audriana pursed her lips and pulled her hand away from McDoune. Goodness, that man was ridiculous, she mused as he sniffed and wandered off. Looking up at Lord Avery, Audriana passed him a grateful smile before offering a gentle curtsey. He held a hand out instead, encouraging her to stand up straight. It looked like he was considering kissing her hand, but after what had just happened, he thought better of it. Her hand was moved to the crook of his elbow so that he could lead her towards their seats.

She hesitated and slowed her steps, looking towards the dancers instead of towards the food, and a smile took Mesut's face. "I'm glad you've arrived," he offered, stepping away to create distance between them. "I know that this isn't... ideal, but we needn't make a big deal of it. Go ahead," he released her and waved towards the rest of the ballroom.

Audriana was surprised, but found that she was grateful for the reprieve. She didn't want to deal with his parents yet, although that was rude to say. They weren't bad people by any means, but they had been pushing her towards Mesut for ages, and once they realized she was around, goodness knows they would expect her to spend the rest of the week attached to his arm. That was the last thing either of them wanted, even if Mesut did his best to make the situation comfortable. It was endearing to an extent, she could admit that.

But as she got swept up int the next song's dance, Audriana found that she wanted more than someone endearing.

Gabriel Short should have tried harder at looking gracious at having been invited to Lord Avery’s festival celebrations. Technically, he was a bastard. Son of Lord Short and a peasant woman of no rank or importance, the only thing that kept him from living in the slums of London was due to his father’s decision to raise him as though he were natural born. It would have brought disgrace as much to him as it would to his son. So the matter had been handled with secrecy and discretion.
 
Naturally, the whole kingdom knew about it.
 
And, thirty years later, Gabriel had never bothered hiding it. It had not taken him long to find his natural mother, and he used his great wealth to keep her comfortable. The only son of the Shorts, for only a young, natural daughter followed, he was set up in the Short manor and lived his life as all gentlemen did - with much boredom and hunting. He had been betrothed once, only once, but the young woman had run on the night of the wedding. It was a memory he did not like reconsidering, so he kept it from his thoughts, and pursued an image of the roaming bachelor, though truly he had not taken any woman into his company. But the image of spurned man turned vile bachelor was not good for his mind. Unfortunately, it was on the minds of everyone who had gathered in Avery’s magnificent home.
 
And it was for this reason that Gabriel should have refrained from looking bored and irritated. His father and stepmother were speaking with Avery’s uncle, the perfect picture of gentility and grace. Gabriel was suffering through conversation with the dullest man he had ever met, Colonel Edgar Phillips.
 
“You look well, Lord Gabriel.”
 
“Please, Colonel, you’ll make me blush.”
 
“I do not understand-“
 
“I would hate for you to lose an opportunity with any of these dazzling young women because they thought your attention was otherwise focused.”
 
“Oh, sir, no, no, I am not looking. I am to be wed to Lady Cathryn,.”
 
“The women here are missing out on a man well fitted with humor. I must excuse myself, I’ve seen a dear acquaintance. Pardon.”
 
He bowed away, his smile broadening as he approached a very familiar figure that was quietly patrolling the outer perimeter of the grand room. He reached out and tapped the shoulder of one Lily Potter, her dress plain and her dark tresses pinned behind her head. Her expression turned from the bored indifference of the peasant class and brightened, though she tried to keep the expression subdued and gentle, lest someone notice and call her out on it.
 
“Lord Short,” she said. He pouted a bit at her, causing her to glance about, judging how close the nearby lords and ladies were. She smiled. “Gabriel. How is your mother?”
 
“Worse, now that I see you are not within her company. You left your brother’s home?”
 
“Yes. Almost two years ago – I’ve been working for Lady Swan. She’s good, kind. Made it easy to leave home. It helps that I have enough to send back to my brother. I see you are greatly enjoying the festivities.”
 
He laughed under her smirk, saying, “It’s just all so boring, isn’t it? I need something to do. A game. Dare me to do something. Step on a ladies’ foot while dancing. Take the wrong horse home. Woo a woman. Ooh, have me woo a woman. Your lady, perhaps!”
 
Lily shook her head, suddenly a bit more serious. “Oh, no. That can’t happen. You see-“
 
“Girl!”
 
A lord was calling out to her. Lily glanced away, raising a hand. She turned back to Gabriel and said, “I’ll find you a drought that has cured your boredom before. Leave my lady alone!”

The scold was mostly a tease, but it was serious enough to constitute a dare. He placed his hands in his pockets and looked about. What did the Lady Swan look like? Hopefully nothing to make him regret taking the dare in the first place.