"You think so?" Da Vinci tilted his head, regarding the musicians for a few moments. "I'm glad." That's what the party was meant for, after all. A people pleaser. More for his reputation than anything - though he wouldn't admit that he was enjoying it himself, and had been longing for a bit of company.
Watching the other guests for a moment, the young lord ran a hand through his short hair, looking back to the woman. "So, Lady Vinty. You aren't from around here, are you?"
-

Dar'ian saw Vinty, and his hands seemed to stutter over his notes for a moment before continuing. A light blush flit over his features. She was even more beautiful in the daylight.

((I'm glad you liked it. ^_^))

Vinty paused for a moment.
"Well, no M'lord...I'm not from here...I'm from the town close to the forest..."she said hoping he wouldn't catch on that she was an elf. Vinty kept her ears hidden and smiled politely at him. She noticed that the music had abruptly stopped for a few seconds before returning to it's original tune. Vinty like the lord, he was quite handsome, he had very beautiful eyes. She wanted to look over to the musicians and look at Dar'ian again. She hadn't really looked at him much so she didn't even know what he looked like, but she knew that he was playing this music...after all, an elf doesn't forget what she likes.

"You grew up in the forest then?" Lye asked, more to keep the conversation going than to make her uncomfortable. Besides that, he actually seemed interested. "That's a far cry from my life here." His blue eyes narrowed, and he chuckled sheepishly. "I don't get out much, sadly."
Taking a sip from his glass, the male turned his bright gaze to the musicians, and he raised an eyebrow as Dar'ian seemed to pause. Staying silent for a few moments, the young lord took another drink before speaking once again. "Do you take an interest in music, M'lady?" Glancing over to Vinty, the slender male reclined in his chair, setting his glass down as he looked into the woman's face. "It seems as though you do."
-

Taking his gaze away from Vinty and back to his instrument, Dar'ian closed his eyes. Fighting the blush off of his face, the musician let his music overtake him. The soft notes grew in strength, bringing the other players into the next song in almost a forceful way. He needed the change to keep him from leaving the stage right then.

Vinty nodded. "Yes, I did...it is far, so it was a journey to get here but it was worth it!"she said smiling softly.
She listened to him and nodded once again. "Yes, music relaxes me, I rarely hear it though since the wind is like music to me. But why M'lord? you should go out and take a stroll through the quiet worlds." she said surprised that he never left. He was the lord, she would think he left often. Vinty turned to the performers and drank more water, it was very cold and hurt her teeth, but it tasted sweet. The change in their music surprised her and she wondered why it so abruptly changed.

"I take a short walk occasionally," Da Vinci said quietly, watching the stage for another couple seconds. "But only when someone asks me to. I spend most of my time here dealing with everyone else's problems." The young lord smiled slightly, and he shook his head. "And before I know it, the day is over with. It's one of the many reasons that my advisor keeps prodding me to marry." Lye wrinkled his nose. "If you saw the pompous women that I deal with day in and day out, you'd probably choke on your water." He slowly pushed his glass away from himself, making a face. "I know that I'm about to." His blue eyes raised to Vinty's once again, and Lye paused as though dazed. When he spoke, his words were quiet and slow, but obviously sincere. "Would you be interested in a walk later on?"

"M'lord, you don't like taking walks alone?"she asked and listened carefully to what he said.
"I see, but you should marry when you feel it is right and when you find the right lady!, I know how you must feel...and I'm sorry."she said shyly. Vinty heard what he said about the women and chuckled. Her expression quickly changed to a surprised one.
"M'lord, you're asking me to take a walk with you?!, it would be my honor and pleasure."she said smiling kindly. Vinty was happy to know that the young lord would want to take a walk with her. She hoped he wouldn't find out that she was and elf, she didn't know what he would do. Would he have her executed? she wondered.

"I . . ." Lye paused, frowning slightly. He messed with the edge of his short shirt, sighing. "I don't enjoy being alone," he said finally, shrugging. "And the company that I should keep isn't worth walking with." Smiling slightly, he listened to her speak of marriage . . . and then nodded. "Yes. Walk with me?"
Reaching a slender hand forward, Lord Da Vinci tilted his head, his dark hair falling away from his eyes. It wasn't a question of "will you," but rather a question of "right now?" Offering a hand, Lye slowly stood, watching the girl as he did so. "The grounds are rather large," he said quietly, not meaning to boast. "And the gardens have just come into bloom earlier this month." So I hear.

"I understand M'lord...no need to be shy."she said smiling at him kindly. She heard what he said about the people he was around. It sounded like they were a boring group of people who had nothing interesting to talk about. It must be boring for him to be around such boring people. "Right now?, well...if you insist, I accept."she said and took his hand and stood up. Vinty quickly looked over to Dar'ian and waved with a smile hoping he saw her. He was her first human that actually talked to her....The young Lord her second. Then, she turned back to Da Vincy and smiled.
"Well then, shall we go M'lord?"she asked politely.

Dar'ian smiled at Vinty as she waved, and nodded to her as she turned to the lord of the grounds. The musician raised an eyebrow, but stayed silent as he continued to play.
-

Da Vinci took Vinty's hand gently in his, tucking it into the crook of his elbow as they walked toward the side door. Making sure his arm was linked with hers, the male smiled, politely nodding to some of the people that tried to speak with him. After a few moments other people got the hint - Lye wanted to be alone with Vinty.
They stepped into the paved gardens, the morning light filtering through the soft leaves and tree branches. Flowers bloomed in the trees, the bushes, and on vines that graced the walls and other rocky areas. Lye smiled at the scent of the new blossoms flit through the air, and he pointed out one of the brightest colored flowers there - a bright red and gold laced rose that was in full bloom, opened to the fullest extent.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Da Vinci asked, his blue eyes on the flower itself. Kneeling, the young lord reached out to touch the soft petals gently, a smile on his face. "It reminds me of the sun."

Vinty walked out with the young lord quite surprised to see the scenery of the garden. She looked at the vines and ran her fingers over them and sighed at how wonderful it must be living in a house with so much beauty near it.
"This is very beautiful M'lord. So peaceful...I'm sure you come out here when you want to be alone and think..am I correct M'lord?" she asked and knelt beside him and smiled at the beautiful rose in front of her. "It is M'lord...and it also remind me of the sun now that you mention it. A beautiful sun that sends its soft rays of warmth to the world."she mused.

"I used to come out here to think," Lye admitted, shrugging slightly. The slender man frowned a bit, but shook his head. "But not anymore." Not after . . . Da Vinci sighed quietly, and then stood. "The fountain was made by my father," he said, changing the subject. "He made it for my mother, before she got sick."
His blue eyes scanned over the flowing water and delicately carved flowers that sprayed mist into the air. Running a hand over the smooth stones, Lye smiled. "She loved flowers."

Vinty quickly got up and looked at him with sadness in her eyes.
"I'm sorry if I upset you M'lord."she apologized curtsying.
"This is a beautiful fountain, your father is quite the craftsman."she added smiling. Vinty walked to his side and wanted to place a hand on his shoulder but knew it wouldn't be right. She looked at the sparkling water and smiled slightly, it was very peaceful indeed, but for him, it was full of sad memories it seemed.
"I'm sure she did M'lord, and she's not the only one...my mother loved flowers too. I love flowers, and I'm sure you love flowers too...am I right M'lord?"she added looking at the flowers and then at the reflection in the water.

"You are," Lye said with a soft smile, and then turned the conversation elsewhere once again. Too touchy it seemed. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, someone meekly approached.
"Lord Da Vinci," the guard bowed respectfully, and then stood and continued. "Your presence is requested in the main hall. It seems as though a neighboring lord is challenging your authority."
With a weary smile, Lye took Vinty's hand, slipping his fingers between hers as he stepped back toward the house. "It seems that everyone is doing that nowadays." Both of them stepped back into the main hall, where they were immediately noticed. A rather fat man stood not far from the stage, glaring down at Dar'ian, who looked as though he'd been shoved to the ground.
Lye frowned, a low growl leaving his lips. "Not again."
-

Dar'ian had been minding his own business when someone requested a song. Of course, the band picked up on it, but he himself needed a rest. Slowly leaving the stage, he lifted his stringed instrument over one shoulder and headed for the refreshment's table.
He was then approached by a rather large noble, who, after loudly ordering him back to the stage, pushed him in that direction.
"Sir," Dar'ian protested, glancing back toward the drinks. Unable to do anything but stutter a dislike to his orders, the musician was swiftly shoved toward the stage once again. Since he took too long to comply, he was pushed off balance. Hitting the ground, the entertainer grit his teeth, knowing that if he struck back at the fat man, he'd be put to death.
It was then that Vinty and Lye entered the room. Da Vinci confronted the fat noble, speaking with him loudly. Dar'ian shook his head, brushing stray hair out of his face and looking at his instrument in disdain. The fall hadn't done any justice on the harp-like object . . . a few shards of wood protruded from a large crack that ran down the middle. With a quiet sigh, Dar'ian merely collected a few stray pieces of his instrument, keeping his glare on the floor instead of the noble that had been stupid enough to shove him.

Vinty followed him and was surprised that he was holding her hand.
"M'lord will everything be okay?" she asked as they entered the main hall. Once inside she saw everything that happened and looked over at Dar'ian.
"Oh no!"she whispered to herself. It seemed that his instrument had been chipped in a few parts and she knew that he was upset. "Excuse me M'lord."she said and curtsied before walking over to Dar'ian.
"Are you okay?"she asked helping him pick up pieces. Vinty noticed the large crack down the middle of his instrument.
"I'm sorry for what happened...."she added softly not knowing if he was sad or mad.

Dar'ian glanced up at Vinty, his feral expression obvious. When he recognized her, the male calmed himself a bit, smiling stiffly. "I'm . . . fine," he said in a tense voice, shaking his head. "It happens. Things like this happen."
Sighing again, the musician kept his brown eyes on his instrument for many moments. "Thank you," he said in a neutral tone, bowing slightly to Vinty. "You are most kind." Dar'ian didn't sound upset, but it certainly fringed his swift and darting movements as he stood, gritting his teeth and nodding to both Da Vinci and his recent noble trouble maker. Stepping past them quickly, Dar'ian moved toward a table near the side of the room while ignoring the eyes of others. Sitting, he set his destroyed harp in front of him, taking a deep breath before closing his eyes and leaning back in the chair.
It took all year to get used to the darned thing, let alone have it crafted.
-

Lye glanced at Vinty as she moved to help Dar'ian, and then turned his deadly gaze back to the fat nobleman. "This isn't how you treat your host's hired help," he said in a falsely formal tone, his blue eyes boring into the other man's. "You have no right to tell my people what to do."
The fat, drunk noble merely shrugged, pushing Da Vinci aside as he stumbled toward the door. Lye nearly hissed under his breath, motioning for one of his servants. Speaking in a hushed tone, he had the servant run out and speak with the guards . . . they would ensure that the trouble maker was gone for good. The evening would go on without his presence.

Vinty sighed and looked over at him as he walked away then looked over at the fat man who had done this. Her hands turned to fists and she felt like running after him and making him pay for the damages but she calmed herself down and her eyes wandered to the young Lord. Vinty took a deep breath and walked to Dar'ian.
"Are you sure you're okay...you look very upset...and I don't like seeing good people hurt...let alone friends." she said softly. She could sense a sort of sadness around him...a depressed aura. She knew she had to go back with the young Lord...there were still questions she needed to ask him, and she noticed that he was going to tell her or ask her something before all this happened.

Lifting his brown eyes to meet Vinty's gaze, he sighed quietly. "There's nothing you can do," he said with a gentle smile. "But I must admit that I'm not exactly . . . pleased with this." Stroking the strings on his instrument, the musician shook his head. "There aren't many that would be." Dar'ian shook his head, running a slender hand through his long hair. His dark gaze moved from the harp to Vinty, and he smiled weakly. "I suppose I'll need to find an artisan to craft another."

"Just know that if you need anything, I'll do my best to help you. That's what friends do for each other."she said smiling hoping to cheer him up. Her gaze fell on him the she turned to the young lord and knew taht she must leave now before she upset him.
"I'm sorry, but I must go now...please keep in mind what i told you okay?"she said and curtsied before smiling at him once more and turning to go to the young lord.
"Lord."she said curtsying.
"The musician didn't say if he was hurt but he is upset for what happened. His instrument was damaged and he must now find an artisan to craft him a new one. I'm sorry but I think that the man who caused this should have paid for it..."she said quietly trying not to get upset.

"Then he'll pay for it," Lye said gruffly, not meaning to be rude. He was merely frustrated with the entire situation. Motioning for the same servant as earlier, he conveyed the message, taking a piece of paper from a nearby table to scribble out a note. "It will be delivered, and then he will have to pay for his mistake." The servant bowed, and then scampered off after the guards.
Glancing to Dar'ian, the young lord sighed, straightening himself before stepping over to the musician's table. When the two of them spoke, it was quiet, and much the same things that Dar'ian had said to Vinty. It ended differently, though.
"I know of just the woman who can craft another one of these," Da Vinci said, a frown on his face as he watched Dar'ian's hand trace over the cracked wood. "And I can force that fat-" Lye stopped himself, shaking his head. "I can arrange for it to be made, and paid for, if you'll be staying for a while."
Dar'ian tilted his head, brown eyes moving over Lye and Vinty. With a small smile, he nodded. "I will be here." After all, he already had free room and board within the city as partial payment for his services.
With a quick nod, Da Vinci slipped his arm into Vinty's, and bid the player a good evening. It was settled. For now. Stepping toward the dance floor, Lye shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to be here for this," he said, grasping her hands instead of her arm. "Would you care to dance?"

Vinty followed Lord Da Vinci and nodded to Dar'ian as she heard what the young lord was saying. It all seemed fair to her and she was happy to know how things were working out. That man would pay, and everyone will be happy and she will be able to hear more of Dar'ian's beautiful music.
Taking the young lord's arm, both she and Vinty walked to the dance floor and she shoock her head once she heard what he said.
"It's not your fault M'lord. It just happened to happen while I was here. It's alright though really!"she answered smiling. Once he took her hand she looked at him with a surprised face but nodded.
"M'lord, it would be my honor and pleasure."she said and curtsied with a smile.

((:squee: lol))

Slowly bringing Vinty into a sort of waltz, Lye used a bit of improv to pull in a few spins, and even a different style of dance. Though he wasn't one to free-style and get crazy (not that he'd ever admit, anyway), Da Vinci was certainly one that added spice to the old styles.
The music helped carry them onward throughout many minutes, and Lye ended up becoming absorbed in their movements together.

((Now . . . how to either end or disrupt this . . . :lol:))

Vinty happily danced with him.
"M'lord, you are a fine dancer." she commented keeping up with him. The music played and everyone was dancing with smiles on their faces.
((I'm not quiet sure....once the song finishes?))

"And I'm happy to find someone who can keep up with me," Da Vinci said with a laugh, holding her close after a spin. Of course, just as they stopped dancing, slowly rocking back and forth, another couple rammed into them, causing Lye to stumble and lose his hold on his partner. Watching as she fell to the floor, the young lord cast a dismayed glance to the others, who mumbled their apologies before slipping off into the crowd of dancers once more.

((Hmm. I'm wondering . . . I was about to make her elven racial features known, but it might be more of a shock if they've known one another for a long while. :yes:))

((Yes, I agree!))

Vinty fell hard onto the floor looked around in shock as she tried to get up but couldn't. Her foot couldn't hold her up for too long fell again just as hard.
"Oww!"she whispered and touched her foot and winced in pain. she had either broken or sprained her foot or ankle. It didn't matter...she was in pain and looked up at the young Lord.

"I'm so sorry," Da Vinci said quietly, kneeling to pull the woman to her feet as he stood. "Can you put any weight on it?" The youth frowned, looking worried. Keeping himself between Vinty and any others, he led her to the side of the room so they could sit down. "May I take a look at it?" he asked hesitantly, slowly reaching for her ankle. Meeting her gaze, he paused, wondering if she'd be offended. Some would, after all. Royalty and noblemen didn't use such "scandalous" contact with others. Especially not in public.