[Aiieeeeee!!! I'm late!! :gonk:]


A small yawn escaped the raven haired duke's mouth as he began slipping on his coat. He already could tell by the sun beyond his bedroom window that he had overslept, but there was no helping it.

Samuel had arrived at the castle rather late last night, the business negotiations he had been conducting just a kingdom over had continued on a little past schedule. As an overseer of Zima Kruzhevo, a prominent merchant duchy, traveling to allied territories is a necessity. Unfortunately, Samuel had been spending more and more time in his carriage over the past few weeks than he would care for. The start of a new trade season always meant the renewal of permits and the scouting of new markets and partners.

It was by luck that King Lelair's popular matchmaking game would coincide with the only break in his increasingly busy work schedule. He had traveled for almost a full night before reaching the appointed place. The young man could barely stay awake when he trudged up the right wing staircase to the second floor where he assumed the sleeping quarters would only be found. Such was the building design that he was used to in his country. For convenience's sake, he settled for the closest bedroom to him after reaching the top and promptly flopped onto the bed and fell asleep, not a care in the world as to how many people were or weren't in the castle.

Despite the extended rest and the bath he took as soon as he awoke, the duke was still feeling groggy. He would like nothing more than to just return to the comfort of his bed. But if he gave in to the temptation, he would most likely find himself waking up to dinner. Samuel stifled one last yawn before walking over to the mirror. He wouldn't need his gloves or his scarf now that he was indoors, but seeing the silver, chained key around his neck resting against the black of his clothes seemed both odd and fitting at the same time to him. After adjusting the cuff of a sleeve, he headed out.

"Shoot!", he exclaimed after hearing the sound of faint voices echoing from the lower levels. "Just what time did I wake up exactly?!"
A small amount of panic set in as Samuel rushed down the stairs. He was, in actuality, not as 'behind schedule' as he feared. The day was still young and many of the guests had just arrived. Too bad he didn't know that.

It didn't help matters when he realized he had no idea where he was supposed to go. Samuel wandered around aimlessly for a few minutes before he reached the courtyard. Sounds of conversation, music and movement had become more audible so he knew he was probably nearby.

He left the courtyard just in time to see a noblewoman with long, straight, dark hair enter a room. By this time the music, which he was sure was from a violin, had stopped. Samuel decided to follow her. Upon reaching the doorway he found the welcome sight of people, the kitchen, and food. Pausing for a moment, the young duke looked around the room to see if there was anyone he could recognize.

He noted there were three women and two men. Two of the women seemed of eastern descent, the first of whom he had followed but knew nothing of. The second one was sitting at the kitchen table. Even though he had met her only once, a very long time ago, Samuel was certain she was the princess of Kyoku, a rich land to the far East that is currently difficult for Zima to trade with due to the distance.

The gentleman who was nearest to her was also someone he recognized, mostly due to his...unique eyebrows. He was the prince of England, a powerful empire that Zima Kruzhevo, as well as a great many other countries, traded with. He was speaking to another lady who wore a white ribbon in her wavy, obsidian hair. Unfortunately, her identity was also a mystery to the duke.

The other gentleman in the room had a wild flash of red hair in contrast to the pale shade of the Englishman's. Samuel was sure that he was the ruler of Valhalla, yet another great empire and trading partner to his homeland. He had never met the young emperor personally but he has heard rumors about his appearance and his passion for cooking. Samuel would wager that the light dusting of flour about the man's clothes was proof of it.

As Samuel was about to greet everyone, another woman suddenly entered the kitchen from the back door. She had with her, unmistakably, a bow and a quiver of arrows. Blood also stained her hands but she sported no wounds. Coupled with her unlady-like attire, there was no doubt in Samuel's mind that she had been out hunting. Her introduction thereafter proved him right.

Almost as abruptly as she arrived, the huntress left via another door.

"I suppose this means we'll need not worry about our meat supply then.", he finally said with a laugh. "I can tell my time here will definitely be interesting."