PeaceMaker

Mr. Crowly stared at her in amusement for a moment before nodding his head. "Quite the lady indeed."

He was amazed by the girl, truly, but at the same time, he was worried. There has not a time where he is casually exposed to girls of her kind especially of her caliber. It was almost impossible not to worry for her future as a lady in the kingdo-

"I hope you're not coming up with foolish assumptions about how my daughter will fare in the life of a maiden in the kingdom," Cryst muttered, her voice snapping into Mr. Crowly's mind. 

"Excuse me?" He asked, a surprised expression on his face.

Cryst stared at him for a moment her deep-green eyes seeming to take him in as a whole. "Hm…" she murmured, turning from Mr. Crowly and beginning her walk. "Your daughters. The ones that stood up on stage and awed everyone with their beauty and expertise in instruments. What were their names? Ah… right, Maria, Jena and… Annabeth was it?"

Mr. Crowly nodded faintly, a tad bit hesitant about the tone in Mrs. Roman's voice. She had always been the mysterious kind at the palace and one of the most unique women known around the kingdom. She was always informed which is quite the opposite of what people expected of a woman in the position that she is in, but it made her all the more powerful. She knew almost all the matters that pertained to her or those she wanted to be involved in and even others that only close maid of nobles know. 

Those deep-green eyes could see everything. She always knew what was on the mind of the person before her whilst her thoughts couldn't even be touched upon. Those were things Mr. Crowly had heard about her before amongst her river of rumors and right now, he could each of them boring into him. 

It was weird, chilling, and unsettling. Her gaze, that is. The way it looked at him with such depth and clearness like a mirror but never seemed to give something back like there was a wall in between them. It was… unnerving how he never seemed to know what she would be thinking and even more so when she had mentioned his daughter's names. 

"Don't worry," Cryst chuckled, "I'm not casting some hex on them or anything. Just… found them interesting when I saw them, the entire room thought the same when they saw them, did they not?"

Mr. Crowly slowly nodded his head. 

"Looks like they were raised in such a life of comfort, for them to have the time to learn each other's instruments on top of their own," Cryst asked. 

"No- that-"

"I know," Cryst smiled, "I play multiple instruments myself. The girls don't seem too experienced on their instruments but they play it impeccably. Those beautiful faces they have also helped a lot in hypnotizing the audience."

Mr. crowly didn't respond. It felt like something was coming next, it could feel it. 

"When was the last time they had a conversation at a roundtable with others their age and of different genders?" Cryst asked.

"Never! How could such pure ladies sit at a table to talk with men alon-" Mr. Crowly began before his lips pursed together when eyes started to turn to him.

Cryst stopped, turning to face him with such speed that Mr. Crowly jumped a bit. "Pure ladies, fair maidens, doesn't it seem pathetic every time you say those words? You deny them of getting to experience actual interactions with people their age and technically calling those beautiful women that stood up there and dominated over the audience, weak and fragile, then you wonder why some backward men don't try to take advantage of them."

Mr. Crowly quivered in confusion.

"It's because of those stereotypes that we have for women by their looks, dressing and even actions that force us to put them into molds of the person we want them to be and also the reason why they get assaulted in the first place," Cryst snapped, "isn't that the reason why you got frightened at the fact that my daughter was alone, and the reason why those boys got excited at the fact she was alone? The same demeaning titles we praise them with are the titles that cause them to get assaulted. I don't see any 'rash' 'broody' or 'four-eyes' women getting pinned after by wolves. It's a good thing they aren't chased but also like you're saying they aren't feminine."

Mr. Crowly froze, her words hitting his head like bullets. 

"I bet you thought the same of me. If I was some 'delicate' woman you wouldn't be on egg-shells around me, would you?" Mrs. Roman chuckled. "You'd be complimenting me, and adorning me with more jewels than I ever wanted or would request for like you do with your daughters. I wonder how many of those ruffled dresses they have in their closets or how high their ornaments and jewelry stack. Not to mention those wretched shoes with added inches of leather that ruins their feet."

Mr. Crowly pressed their lips together, words forming on his lips. Cryst got to them first.

"You're wrong. I'm not criticizing them when I am interested in them, I'm not a hypocrite like most in this room, if I dare to say so myself. I'm criticizing you, their father, and your lack in noticing their worth," Cryst snapped, her body continuing forward. "You, their father, without trying to figure out their true worth in the highlight of their life, forced them into copies of the notions of a proper wife ready to be shipped off to the men you sifted out of the sea of men that chased after them."

"But then again, that's just how it's done. I understand it may not fit your principles, but it fits this world's principles. They are my daughters, I will raise them as I decide to," Mr. Crowly snapped, his teeth grinding against each other for a moment. 

Cryst paused again, sucking in a deep breath before turning to Mr. Crowly with a smile that sent chills throughout his entire body. "Look here, Lord. Mannerism. The reason I am interested in your daughters is not because of the pretty things you told them they had to wear to be beautiful, but rather what made them beautiful, naturally," Cryst chuckled, her laugh a disturbing mix of whole-heartedness and anger. "Your daughters, are beautiful ladies, inside out I mean. They are not perfect however no matter how much whitening powder you put on their face, they will never be pure. I can see it in their eyes."

"That's just-"

"Try to find out more about them instead of seeing what you want to see. Your daughter, Annabeth, gave me chills. I like her. There's something about her attitude, like a bird about to break loose after consistently pushing against its cage while still trying to fool its owners. Her eyes are different… so are her sisters," Cryst commented, "They remind me of my daughter's shine. A glare that's different from the rest. I don't know what's at home, but don't you dare try to cover up a beauty like that."

Mr. Crowly flinched. "Is that a threat?"

"Take it as however you want. I will, however, always be watching, so be careful," she chuckled in reply, "if you do decide to let her marry. Do not marry her to some high-end, filled with cash and muscular, martial art background noble's son. Let someone who is worth it, treasure her. If she wants out, accept her back, it is your duty as a father to respect your children and give them comfort when others push them away."

Mr. Crowly was about to make a retort when his lips pursed against each other and he let out a deep sigh. "Understood."

Cryst nodded her head. "Now, I'm going off to find my amazing daughter," she waved.

"Goodbye your gra-" Mr. Crowly froze when Cryst turned around.

"By the way, be more open-minded. You'll get nowhere if you keep thinking women only have the capability to be repulsed by small actions," Cryst warned, "and even more pathetic if you think they don't have the mental capacity to figure out the things you think men only have the capability to figure out. Take a thorough examination of your thoughts. Somewhere in those folders of wrongs you did that you thought would be hidden well or would not be big enough for a 'small, delicate' woman to worry about, will be the reason for her anger."

Mr. Crowly nodded his head. "Yes ma-" he was about to say when he realized the words she had said. "Huh?" he asked, his eyes widening as he looked up to see a slight smile on her face and her intense eyes. 

She smirked slightly before chuckling. "Good luck with your wife, Mr. Crowly. I'd hate to see the parents of the lovely ladies I saw tonight fall out of love and their marriage due to your blind sightedness. 'Till we talk next."

"I-" Mr. Crowly began as he slowly watched her figure walk away. He sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out, a small smile forming on his face. He bowed and looked back up at her figure getting farther away. "Till our next talk, Grand Duchess Roman." 

He could have sworn he felt her smile. 

He looked around the room that was nearly empty due to the switching of rooms and let out a long sigh as he looked up at the high ceilings. Then after one abrupt sharp inhale of air, he continued forward to the exit out of the room. 

He was going to find his wife.