PeaceMaker

The performers pouted into the room. The banquet room. It was time for performer 25.

Annabeth walked beside her sisters and her brother in front of them. Every single one of the performers was in the hallway but somehow, the Crowly had the most space to themselves. They were overwhelming the other dancers and performers since even though the performers hadn't been there during their performers, they had heard the roar of applause that came after their performance. The entire floor heard it. 

"Why are we going to the banquet room again?" Justin muttered. 

The boys walked around him. He was overwhelming them too as not only did he have sisters capable of that, he too was capable of that.

Annabeth shrugged at Justin's question.

No one knew why they had to move right now but they were just instructed too and now they were all marching to the banquet hall. The notice had come in after the second to last performance and they were ushered out of the room.

The Crowlys were dressed simply, their outfits simple but elegant dresses, and their hair was held up in a ponytail bun for Jena, let down for Maria, and in one braid for Annabeth that reached all the way down her back to her butt. The dresses they wore were not that of their ext performance but was that prepared for intermission. 

This time, Jena wore a simple light green dress. It was much like Maria's first dress with its freeness. With a tight inner corset, Jena's dress had a thick white cloth dress tightly wrapped around her waist and tied behind her in a loose bow. On her ears were pearl earrings and in her hair was flowers surrounding her bun. The dress had no arms but instead, beaded threads that hung from the choker on her neck. The beaded threads hung down from the choker and swung around her shoulder, each bead after it being slightly longer so they reached all the way off her shoulder. There were beaded strings attached to some strings that swung over from her left shoulder to her right, therefore, swinging back and forth all the way down to the last beaded strings where it swung across her chest. 

Maria was dressed similar to the dress Annabeth wore at the beginning. It was a deep custard color with a lighter shade of the same color on the little bows. There was an outer corset that matched the inner corset, it highlighted her tiny waist. On her ears were bows for earrings and a choker on her neck. Her sleeves were off-shoulder and like her last piece of clothing, they were pieces of clothing that were wrapped around her hand to provide the sleeves for her dress. Bows lined the levels in her dress and the dress fell to the ground with a little train behind it. 

Annabeth on the other hand was dressed like Jena in a slight slim-fitting dress at the waist. It was a deep V-neck dress with a dark inside wear to cover her chest. As both sides of the dress reached down, one side swoops over the other right where Annabeth's waist is and the rest of the way down is a simple design with flowers as the main theme. There were branches reaching up from the rim of the dress up and flowers hung on the branches.

The dress was sleeveless but had a choker that was long enough to reach the beginning of her collarbone. From it, little beaded threads reached out from it to shoulder pads on both sides of her shoulder. Hanging from the shoulder pads were beaded strings that clinked against each other when Annabeth walked. They reached down half of her arm where just a bit down, long white gloves covered. Dew-drop gold earrings hung from her ears and flowers were placed in her long braid. 

On every sister's face were little face masks that covered their noses down to their lips and stopped at the end of their neck. 

The girls and their brother finally reached the banquet door. Immediately after they stepped into the room, Annabeth and her sister's linked arms, closely following Justin. They could feel it. The stares were different. There was more and the intensity was much more than before. Eyes of mothers searching for brides, fathers searching for brides, daughters searching for husbands, and sons looking for the brides. It was intimidating. 

Justin let out a deep sigh when they reached the last step and stepped onto the banquet floor. Jena and her sister's heads were hung low to avoid admiring gazes and the preying ones. They needed to find their parents before the temporary spell breaks and the people flood in at them. They began to walk into the room, little paths carving for them.

"Ahem!" a voice boomed from behind them. 

Justin turned around to see a guard. He stood high over him and looked down at them with fierce eyes. It was Knight Ciergo. 

"Ah, knight Ciergo, what can we help you with today?" Justin asked, his guard slowly dropping. Ciergo was trustworthy, he was too transparent to do something that isn't expected.

"I was asked to assist you to your table," Ciergo announced, his voice low and raspy. 

Jena and her sisters trembled, his voice echoing in their bones. 

"Is that so?" Justin grinned, "then you don't mind leading us the way, right?"

Ciergo turned around and began to lead them to their table. His presence was much appreciated as gazes looked away when they saw his large build blocking them from The Crowlys. Within seconds, they made it to the Crowly table where their parents were seated, patiently waiting for their children's arrival. 

Justin turned to Ciergo and gave a nod. "Thanks."

Ciego bowed and turned around, his next stop being the table where Falls was gazing deeply at Annabeth. 

"Finally, you made it," Mrs. Crowly grinned, her smile had never been brighter than this moment. She was overwhelmed with pride for her children. They finally resembled the nobles that they were. 

"But why are you over here?" Mr. Crowly interrupted. 

That was when the kids noticed the table they were standing at. It was filled with government officials and with people of the same rank and beyond of their father. The girls immediately bowed their heads and Justin fell to one knee. 

"Please forgive us for our ignorance," Justin apologized, his head hung low. "We didn't mean to interrupt your conversation."

A noblewoman grinned. "It's ok." 

She was the only woman at the table without a husband to accompany her. She was Arch-Duchess Cryst Roman, a woman whose husband died a few days before this event. A beautiful woman who sat tall in her seat like a steady tree and gazed up at the kids with loving eyes. She seemed unshaken at her husband's death but had simply learned to live with it. Her bright eyes had undertones of bags her makeup had failed to hide. Her family was always loyal to the royal family even through death.

Justin bowed at her and his sisters followed. Cryst Roman was one of the most powerful women in the room at that moment as one of the only 5 Arch-duke families in the kingdom, she was also the only woman holding a title above the rank of a duke but below that of a prince or princess. 

"They shouldn't even be seated here," said another noble, they should get the chance to mingle with other people. "Didn't they find a group of friends at the beginning of the banquet? Let them sit with them."

Mr. Crowly flinched, looking at his daughter. He knew the group he was talking about and he did not want them to sit there but it was a comment by a man with a rank higher than his. 

He gave a strained nod. "That is true."

Mrs. Crowly gave a nod, unable to control the worry on her face. 

"They'll be ok," Arch-duchess Cryst smiled nodding at Justin, "besides, they have their own prince to protect them."

The nobles let out a little chuckle and Mr. Crowly let out a sigh. He waved at them. "Go, go. Don't forget to not stay too long." 

Justin nodded, the girls standing still behind him. As he prepared to turn around his father yelled out one more command. 

"Ah, and don't forget to stay by their side. Never let them out of your sight," Marquess Crowly commanded. 

"Yes, father," Justin nodded. He turned to the rest of the nobles at the table and took a deep bow. "I shall be taking my leave now."

He turned around after receiving a few smiles and walked away, his sisters right on his tail. 

*

"Did you lead them well?" Antonio asked looking up at Ciergo. He nodded.

"Sigh… it's a shame that they have to be over there though…" Walter groaned.

Louis' head craned to Walter. "You've never wanted to sit with someone other than us before."

Dramio grinned. "Well, people change."

Walter nodded. 

Antonio chuckled but he felt the same. He wanted to see them. He wanted to see them more than he wanted to see someone before. After the performance, he had been in a daze, barely remembering the next few performances after them. All he could remember was their dance repeating in his head. All he could remember was their faces, like beautiful jewels. Her dance, her face was repeating in his head. 

He laid down his head lazily on the table. He was bored. His eyes closed sleepily but his ears twitched when he heard footsteps behind him.

A hand perched on the back of his chair. And a light chuckle erupts from the person behind him. 

"Have room for 4 more?"