Magic In The Air

OOC: This RP is by far my worst venture into title-making ever.

*Most of the nobles are at King Arthur's ballroom, attending a celebration of the summer solstice. The King & Queen are nowhere to be seen, but many of the knights are in attendence & near the royal thrones is a band playing this because it always sounded like medieval party music to me & I can't find anything better. Lilith is pouring herself punch while a blond woman with an upturned nose & a white dress is yelling at her from behind.*

"Look, the invitation said 'casual dress.' Stop riding me."

<I can't believe you'd use such a vulgar expression! And did it say 'wear a potato sack'?>

"Ooh, clever."

*The arguing on the woman's end is so shrill that it reaches the other end of the table, where Lianne & Ari are. An armored man with medium-length, unkempt blond hair & a well-groomed beard of the same color approaches them. Several people nearby bow, with hushed whispers of "The King!" He laughs jovially, waving at them.*

???<No, no, I'm not Arthur. I get that all of the time, though. I'm his son, you see. But I'm afraid I can't stay.>

*He turns to Lianne.*

???<I'm here to inform you that the King & Queen have arrived safely, & will be attending the festivities in about 20 minutes. 40 at most. So relax, have a drink, find a man--or woman, whichever you prefer--to dance with. Have fun!>

*Ari is starring at a chicken leg, too lazy to get his hands dirty eating. He gets up and walks around the knight, glancing at Lianne, and towards the exit*

[I'd rather be home. Why, mother, why?]

*He's wearing a short black bliaud over his usual clothing and a dark blue cloak*

Arthur's son<Oh, what, you think the Queen is going to be abducted?>

*A knight wearing armor similar to Lianne's rushes into the room, knocking over Ari in the process.*

<The Queen has been abducted!>

*A hushed silence comes over the crowd. Amusingly enough, the band is unable to hear him & so they just keep playing.*

Arthur's son<What? How?!>

<It was Malegant, Sir. He disabled the guard accompanying the royal couple, grabbed the Queen, & threatened to slit her throat if Arthur tried to stop him.>

Arthur's son<Has he gone mad?>

*Ari gets back on his feet*

"Th-Thank you."

[The Queen was abducted by a royal knight... this can't be good.]

*He bows slightly to Ari.*

<My apologies, my boy. I did not see you when I entered-->

"Damn it, this is no time for manners!"

*He jumps, standing rigid & saluting for some reason. Lilith walks over, looking at him quizzically.*

<Erm...I was sent to retrieve help as soon as the attack began, so it can't have been but more than 10 minutes ago.>

"Alright, then they couldn't have gotten far. They're probably held up in a forest or fort nearby. The question is, is this a job for the Royal Guard, or the Knights of the Round?"

*Ari nods at the armored man and stares at Lilith*

[Don't suppose there's a chance I can tag along. Eh, I should never have come to begin with.]

*He resumes heading towards the exit*

[The Queen... should I... nah, there's nothing I can do.]

"I'm in. I have a personal score to settle."

Arthur's son<I think it best if we approach this calmly, with a small team. There's no sense in all of the knights charging in recklessly. I'm sure the King will award anyone who helps me handsomely. Perhaps with a spot on the Table.>

*Ari goes outside and sits down on the stairs, starring at the sky*

[This could be problematic. I should probably tell mother...]

Arthur's son<Few of the knights are on-duty. It will take them some time to get ready. If they choose to send a party after us, that is their prerogative. As for me, I depart now.>

*He walks down the steps, striding past Ari. Lilith shrugs & follows him.*

*He blushes and gets up, looking at the floor*

"W-What is it?"

Arthur's son<He's not in the forest.>

"What? How do you know?"

Arthur's son<Most of the Round Table Knights have a special skill that they're most reknowned for. Malegant's is archery. He'll want a wide open field.>

"So, that means...?"

Arthur's son<The remains of the kingdom that existed here before Arthur took over.>

[... Hmm]

*He stares at them*

[I've decided, I'm following them!]

*He pretends to walk away and hides behind a tree*

Arthur's son<It's fine if he wants to come. The boy is but a scant few years short of being eligible for knighthood.>

*He stoops down, his face hovering about an inch from Ari's.*

Arthur's son<Still, I would strongly advise against stalking knights in secret. For future reference.>

"Maybe if someone was doing it, we wouldn't be in this mess now?"

*Arthur's son stands up.*

Arthur's son<Point taken.>

*He nods, blushing*

"I-I'm sorry."

*He walks past them and stops again. Scratching the back of his head*

"Whe-where to..?"

<He's in the company of a royal guard member, a Knight of the Round, &...Miss Psyche.>

"Just Lilith is fine. Thank you."

*She narrows her eyes at the back of his head.*

<Anyway, I think he's safer here than anywhere else in the kingdom right now. We're here.>

*He points to a large, derilect tower atop a large hill nearby. The top has teeth for archers to shoot out of & there are viewholes running down its length. However, most of the viewholes have broken, becoming cavernous windows into the castle. Littering the surrounding area are massive rocks & splinters of wood. The whole structure is about 3 stories high & the door appears to be on fire.*

<Merlin devestated this castle during the war. I can't say as though the fire blocking the doorway is one of his enchantments, though. I also can't say how we are to lay siege to him. His position is nearly impregnable.>

*Ari is already walking towards the tower by the time the man finishes talking. He draws his sword and holds it in a battle stance as he keeps walking up the hill*

[I get to test my abilities...]