It was not often that Blitzcrank found himself with a day off. In fact, he actually found it hard to leave the Institute for even one day as he was a favorite among Summoners of all levels. Not that he minded. He enjoyed being in the rift alongside his marksmen champions as it gave him a good opportunity to study an organic being's behavior.

Such studies brought about his own personal creation, Blitzcrank's Fleshling Compatibility Service, a dating service of his own design. The Service boasted hundreds of successful matches of anyone willing to fill out the questionnaire and Blitzcrank performed personal evaluations of each match in the small amount of downtime he received. Unfortunately, the program was not without glitches, which was why he had journeyed to Piltover this day.

The city could be described in one simple word: busy. Everything was moving. Not a soul on the street had time to stop and chat. Despite frequent crime sprees and destruction caused by Jinx, the sidewalks were always packed with a herd of people moving from one destination to the next. Such is the price of progress. Thankfully, Blitzcrank was actually bound for Piltover's Residential District, where the city was significantly less congested. His destination was House Reveck.

Checking the address he brought, Blitzcrank confirmed he had arrived at the manor. The building was painted bronze like many other houses in Piltover, but it was clear it had not been repainted in several years. The decorative ivy was beginning to climb the house and several of the windows were in desperate need of washing. The house would look abandoned if the light coming through the windows did not indicate otherwise. Walking up to the door, he saw it did not have a doorbell, but instead a knocker. Not wanting to offend by ignoring it, Blitzcrank carefully maneuvered his giant fingers around the device. He rapped the door once and-

"Hello? Who is there?" a male voice answered immediately.

"IT IS BLITZCRANK. I DESIRE TO SPEAK WITH ORIANNA?" Blitzcrank responded.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal an older man with unkempt white hair.

"Ah, a gentlemen caller! Come in, come in! Orianna is upstairs freshening up. Now I would like to say how pleased I am to meet you, Mr. Blitzcrank. I am Orianna's father and you can call me Mr. Reve-oh what am I saying, dear boy. Call me Corin!" the man rambled excitedly.

He led Blitzcrank to a small sitting room that had so many cobwebs Elise would have felt perfectly at home. Corin sat down in a once glamorous chair which was stained with dust, grasping his teacup with shaking hands. Blitzcrank's body was both too big and too heavy for the furniture in the room to support him so he elected to stand.

Corin spoke to him again. "So my boy, how did you meet my beautiful daughter?"

"I AM A CHAMPION OF THE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS ALONGSIDE ORIANNA. ALTHOUGH WE RARELY GO INTO THE SAME LANE, IN THE TEAM FIGHTS WE HAVE A GOOD SYN-"

"Blitzcrank? What a surprise! I hope my father hasn't been too dull of a company," a synthetic female voice interrupted from behind him.

Orianna Reveck was not human like her father. Or at least not anymore. Her predecessor, the original Orianna Reveck, had passed several years ago in a training accident. Her father had crafted the Lady of Clockwork as a way to fill the void she had left behind. Accompanying her was The Ball, a spherical construct that was like a pet. It was also her main form of attack during League matches as it was capable of disrupting the space around it.

"Oh, you ungrateful daughter of mine!" Corin said, his voice clearly indicating he meant none of what he said. "Why did you not say we were having company? I would have gotten out the good tea set!"

"In truth, Dear Father, I had no knowledge of Blitzcrank's arrival or his purpose here," she replied defensively.

"IT SEEMS I SHOULD HAVE CALLED AHEAD ABOUT MY VISIT. I APPOLOGIZE FOR MY LACK OF FORESIGHT," Blitzcrank said to Corin. "HOWEVER, I AM HERE TO SPEAK TO ORIANNA AND THE MATTER CANNOT WAIT."

Corin's wrinkled face showed a look Blitzcrank came to know as surprise which changed to a knowing look.

"Aha, my boy. I see what you are after. Wanting to talk to my daughter without me in the room, eh? Fah, it is not what we did in my day, but times have changed I suppose. I was young once too, you know. I know how to take a hint," Corin said, giving Blitzcrank a small punch on the shoulder as he left the room.

Blitzcrank turned back to Orianna, who was pouring herself a cup of tea.

"How do you take your tea, Blitzcrank? With one lump or two?" she asked.

"I DO NOT REQUIRE SUSTENANCE, ORIANNA. TO THE POINT, THIS IS NOT A SOCIAL CALL. I HAVE BROUGHT RESULTS FROM THE COMPATIBILITY SERVICE AS WELL AS SEVERAL QUESTIONS," he said, producing several sheets of paper from his chassis.

"Oh! I have been matched finally! I must have submitted those questions months ago. Tell me Blitzcrank, does it usually take this long?" Orianna asked, excitedly clasping her hands together.

Blitzcrank did not share her excitement.

"I AM SORRY TO SAY THIS ORIANNA, BUT YOUR APPLICATION SHOULD NOT HAVE PRODUCED A MATCH AT ALL," He said, causing Orianna to gasp. "THE 'FLESHLING' IN THE NAME IS NOT A SUGGESTION AND YOU ARE MOST CERTAINLY NOT ORGANIC. HOW THE P.E.R.V. STATION EMPLOYEES ALLOWED YOU TO TAKE THE TEST IS A MYSTERY I SHALL INVESTIGATE. NEVERTHELESS, THE SYSTEM HAS SOMEHOW FOUND YOU A MATCH."

"Perhaps the system looks at more than what a body is made from in its pursuit to find happiness for others. I have it on good authority that Rammus was matched with a Shuriman cactus and their love is beautiful. Perhaps a lady of clockwork can find love in such a way as well," she said smugly, sipping her tea which began to pool around her feet.

"MY SYSTEM IS NOT WITHOUT GLITCHES, ALTHOUGH THE CACTUS WAS INDEED THE IDEAL MATCH. I CAN USUALLY IDENTIFY SUCH GLITCHES WITH CERTAIN FORMULAS, BUT YOURS HAS BEEN PROVEN CORRECT REPEATEDLY. THE IDEAL MATCH FOR ORIANNA REVECK IS…" he said, flipping to the end of his documents.

"BARD."

The whirring of their various mechanical parts was the only sound for several seconds until Orianna spoke again.

"Your system is incorrect. I specified I do not prefer fat men," she said curtly.

"THE ONE KNOWN AS BARD DOES NOT QUALIFY AS OBESE AS HIS WEIGHT SHOWS TO ONLY BE FOUR KILOGRAMS. HIS FORM IS LARGE HOWEVER BUT THE SYSTEM DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THAT IN THE FINAL JUDGEMENT," Blitzcrank replied.

"I see. That sounds acceptable. Although, I am wondering why you contacted me in person about this instead of sending me a letter in the fashion typical of these things."

"AS I HAVE STATED, I BELIEVE THIS MATCH IS NOT GENUINE BUT INSTEAD A GLITCH. THAT BEING SAID, IF I AM PROVEN WRONG, THE ALGORITHM FOR YOUR MATCH COULD HELP INORGANIC LIFEFORMS FIND LOVE AS WELL. TO CONDENSE MY POINT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MEET BARD TONIGHT FOR A DATE."

Orianna's hands covered her mouth in surprise. In the other room, Corin was doing his best to eavesdrop. As he listened, his deranged mind grew more excited that his daughter was finally going to find love. The sane part of his mind was also happy, but struggled to understand the details as the two constructs did not pause between sentences.

"Tonight? But Blitzcrank that is not nearly enough time to get ready!" she exclaimed.

"HE HAS BEEN INFORMED THE DRESSCODE IS CASUAL. NO PREPARATION IS NEEDED," he said.

"What will we be doing?"

"I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU. IN ADDITION, I WILL COVER ALL EXPENSES IN THE NAME OF TRUE ROMANTIC ALGORITHM."

"As well you should, for springing this on me so suddenly. Although I am nervous. Perhaps this is the 'love-sickness' I have heard about."

"WHY DOES THE CAREGIVER MAKE YOU NERVOUS?"
"There is a bit of a language barrier, is there not?"

"THERE IS INDEED, BUT PREVIOUS USERS HAVE DOCUMENTED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM."

Orianna stopped to think for a moment before turning to face Blitzcrank.

"Very well. I think I know how to fix it. We shall meet tonight at The Golden Pot, a restaurant in Piltover's Ioniatown district. See that the whole restaurant is rented to the two of us tonight. And have Bard bring me a bouquet of blue and yellow flowers," she said, hugging The Ball.

Blitzcrank began to regret saying he would cover the expense of the date.

xXxXx

Orianna felt like a princess in a music box as she walked into The Golden Pot. It was a very fancy restaurant full of Ionian accents and statues. The restaurant had a koi pond in the center and numerous small fountains. The wallpaper had depictions of golden dragons and stories of Ionian heroes and heroines. The greatest draw, however, was the way they prepared their food. Every chef was well versed in live cooking, preparing the food right in front of their patrons.

Tonight the restaurant only had one chef, their most practiced Teppanyaki master, on the grill. Instead of the traditional lanterns that usually lit the restaurant, it was lit with candles. The entire path to Orianna's seat was lined with cherry blossom petals and the fountains were illuminated with red light. It was almost as beautiful as she had imagined. The Ball was amazed as well, looking every which way, taking in every detail. And at the table was her date.

Bard was a Celestial, a group of spirits that watched over the mortal world. Occasionally, they descended from the heavens to alter the fate of those below. Bard was one such spirit. He charged himself with taking objects of power from those who would disrupt the world's balance and in doing so prevented conflict.

He was a very large person with grey and red clothing held together by large stitches. His legs were like sticks and he walked in a hopping motion. His head was made up of a large amount of white hair resembling a beard. His face, if you could call it that, was a golden circle with three shining holes placed in a triangle pattern. This faceplate could spin, but otherwise gave no expression. At the top of his head was a large horn that had several chimes hanging from it. These chimes gave him mystic power when channeled through a large hornlike instrument. Around him, shining like the candles, were the little Meep spirits. These creatures made cute noises and followed Bard wherever he went. They were not mischievous creatures, but they did like to play with one another. Orianna hoped they would keep The Ball company if nothing else.

Sitting down at the table, Bard seemed to stare ahead before remembering something. Making a musical noise, he spoke to his tiny companions. Then three little Meeps jumped down off of him before carrying a small bouquet of flowers to Orianna. The entire gesture was adorable.

"Why thank you, Bard! These are just lovely. You certainly know how to impress a girl," Orianna said, forgetting she had been the one to originally request them.

Bard made a happy sounding noise and patted his Meeps on the head. Orianna decided now was as good a time as any to strike up a conversation.

"So, you filled out the form too? I have to say, I'm surprised I am your type," she said.

Bard made a burbling sound for a few seconds, as if in reply.

"Yes…um, so what do you think of this restaurant? It's one of my favorites in Piltover," she said, gesturing around her. If he could not speak, she decided she may have to use body language to help get the message across.

Bard made a noise similar to a low G note as he looked around the restaurant. The Meeps had migrated off of him and were sitting on The Ball, entertained by the way it was spinning in a circle. The chef had arrived and despite being surprised by his customers, he began to prepare for his dinner show.

"Oh, he's starting, Bard. Oh. Bard. Baaaarrrrrddd. Your name is rather guttural isn't it? Is it short for something? Like…Bardtholomew? Or do you have another name? Tell me about yourself."

Bard was entranced with watching the knives pick apart the onion in front of him. Filling the circular mound with oil, the inside ignited and spewed over the top creating a small volcano. He seemed to have not heard a thing Orianna had said. She, however, continued on as if he had.

"Quite dazzling isn't it Bard. It's one of the reasons why I come here. Even if I cannot enjoy the dinner aspect of a dinner show, I can at least be entertained. Although, the conversation seems a bit one sided," Orianna said sadly.

Bard seemed to pick up on her tone. Turning to face her, he made a C note and clasped her hand with his. Orianna perked up a bit.

"Oh, it makes me so happy to see you try. I wish your smile was not so awful, though. You know, I did come with an idea of how to make the conversation better. Give me a moment," she said.

Reaching into a compartment of The Ball, she produced a golden tube of lipstick. As part of her efforts to appear livelier, she had tried wearing makeup like the original Orianna had. The results were not quite as she had hoped…as the Summoners had joked about a Harrowing skin based on it. Still, she had kept the makeup kit for another attempt in the future.

Leaning forward, she used the lipstick to draw a few lines around the holes on Bard's faceplate. Examining her work, she capped the lipstick and returned it to The Ball. Giving it a small Command: Attack, it moved in front of Bard. On its shiny body, Bard could see Orianna had added three sets of eyebrows around the holes.

"See Bard? I gave you some eyebrows! Now if you have an emotion, you can just turn your face to Happy, Sad, or Neutral so there is no confusion. Not to mention this red is definitely your color."

Bard's face turned to Neutral.

The Chef had moved on to his next trick, which seemed to be juggling grilled peppers between his knives. The peppers moved through the air between each knife before the chef, in one movement, cut each in half in midair. They all landed on the grill at the same time. Orianna and Bard clapped, the latter's face changing to Happy.

xXxXx

Blitzcrank, wearing his favorite human disguise, was watching the two and taking notes from outside. The two seemed to be hitting it off. Perhaps the match was not a glitch after all. Bard had even allowed Orianna to put makeup on him!

Suddenly, a Piltover boy bumped into him before walking away. Blitzcrank called after him, "BE MORE CAREFUL. SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT TAKE AS KINDLY AS I IN BEING RUN INTO."

Turning his attention back to the restaurant, he saw the atmosphere change dramatically.

Suddenly, Bard and all of the Meeps jumped into the air. Grabbing his horn, he trumpeted into the floor. Where the noise was directed formed a portal. With no hesitation, Bard and the Meeps jumped into the portal and were gone. Orianna was furious.

"Oh no. I have been waiting far too long for this date to have you run off on me. Come back here!" she yelled.

Grabbing The Ball, she jumped into the portal and was gone.

Blitzcrank burst through the door just in time to see the portal disappear.

"CHEF! WHAT IS GOING ON? WHERE DID THEY GO? WAS THERE A PROBLEM?"

The chef, surprised at what he just witnessed, said, "No sir…The big one just hopped up and made that symbol. Then he was gone. It was very sudden. No warning."

"I SEE. WELL THIS COMPLICATES MATTERS. I CANNOT OBSERVE THEM DIRECTLY UNLESS I CAN FOLLOW. HAVE A VERY NICE NIGH-"

The chef seemed to come to attention after hearing those words. Dropping the Ionian accent, he said, "Hold up. Now they rented out the entire restaurant for the whole night but only stayed for thirty minutes. Now I know your aren't trying to leave without paying me for all the service I lost because of them. Plus my tip!"

Blitzcrank reached into his jacket and was horrified to discover his wallet was no longer there.

xXxXx

It was a very interesting place Bard found himself in that night. The large golden automaton known as Blitzcrank contacted him about a matter that concerned him in this mortal restaurant. Being unable to eat or smell, restaurants had very little draw to him or the Meeps. Bard was unsure of what he was doing here. The Valoran common tongue was a hard one for him to grasp, although the Meeps were somewhat better. Aside from names, every word seemed garbled in musical burbling. This made it hard to get his point across, but thankfully he usually seemed to be able to understand if he observed body language.

One mortal, presumably a worker here, seemed to be turning a hot surface on in preparation. Soon after doing so, the door opened. Turning to see who had entered, he saw the champion known as Orianna. It physically resembled a woman, and it spoke with a voice Bard had learned was feminine. Her purpose here was unknown, but she had brought her Ball.

Remembering the flora Blitzcrank had given him, he motioned for the Meeps to present it to her. She seemed to be delighted in receiving it and Bard was relieved he had interpreted the instructions correctly.

From this point on, Bard knew very little of what was expected of him and felt awkward. With fascination, he observed the human worker lacerate vegetables in a way Orianna found pleasurable. She clapped at many of the performances and he imitated the action. At one point, Orianna had taken a female coloring implement and drew marks on his face. The Meeps told him the marks meant emotion, and instructed him which one to use for the situation. The situation was strange but pleasurable.

-/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/-

Something had disturbed the forces of the world. Since he had come into being, Bard had been able to pick up when an object of immense magical power threatened to shift the ambient magic of this world out of balance. Whatever he was here for would have to wait.

Calling upon the celestial energy within himself, he used his horn to open a portal to where the disturbance was occurring. If he arrived in time, the balance of the world would be preserved. As the portal opened, he dived into it. The Magical Journey was colorful, with the inner workings of magic itself visible within the tunnel.

Emerging from the other side, he assessed the situation. He was in a jungle, judging from how much vegetation was around. The canopy of the jungle smothered the light of the day. The dark was made all the more foreboding by the complete lack of jungle sound. It was clear that there was not a single animal for miles around. Touching a tree, Bard found the bark was so old it had become rock. The Meeps seemed to shrink and become dimmer. For spirits who exist in the presence of life, lifelessness like this was a plunge into frigid water.

As he began the trek to the source of power, he heard something come through the portal behind him. Turning to see, his face caught the back of a metal hand.

xXxXx

"And THAT is what you get for abandoning me on our date!" Orianna reprimanded as she struck him across the face. Not very dignified or ladylike, but it was the most effective way to convey her disappointment in the Wandering Caretaker.

His face turned to Sad and his body motions became angry. He began to make sounds that fluctuated from A to B notes which reverberated in the stone forest.

"I am not going to hear it! No one walks out on a date with Orianna Reveck so like it or not, you are stuck with me until I decide the date is over," she said, sounding hurt.

The Meeps seemed to whisper something to Bard and his shoulders fell in defeat. Motioning for her to follow, he began to walk into the trees. Orianna calmed and followed behind him.

"Now that's much better isn't it? You know, I think I'll ignore how you tried to leave me. In fact, you may have not been trying to leave me at all now that I think about it. Maybe you were just bored at the restaurant and wanted to take me someplace more fun. How thoughtful of you!" she said cheerfully.

After a few minutes of walking, the duo and their pets arrived at a temple. Judging from the torches lit inside, someone or something was here. Bard held out his hand to Orianna.

"You…want me to hold your hand? Oh what a gentleman. Why yes good sir, I will accept your hand. But make no mistake. A lady of class such as myself may hold your hand on the first date but don't even think about trying to kiss meeeEEEEEEE!"

Bard's legs had left the floor as he took flight. Orianna held onto his hand for dear life as he took the sharp corners at a speed that would have dislocated a normal woman's shoulder. As they descended the temple, the torches seemed to give off less and less light. Finally, the two approached a doorway illuminated in a blue light. Decelerating quickly, Bard came to a hard stop and clasped his hand over Orianna's mouth to stop her screaming. Holding his finger over the hole where his mouth would have been, he peered around the corner.

It appeared to be some sort of ritual taking place with about thirty humans in dark robes. In front of them was a stone slab lit by moonlight with an enormous creature made of crackling blue energy. Bard instantly identified this creature as a Celestial Beast, a manifestation of pure mana that traveled between the various worlds to siphon magical excess. Without them, the invisible magical energies would eventually spark a chain reaction that would destroy the planet, or worse. After the Rune Wars shook the worlds so long ago, they had come en masse to feast. Sadly, they were dimwitted creatures and could be easily fooled into being captured. Luckily, Bard was there to stop those that did.

One of the cultists must have heard the screaming and turned to face the door. Seeing Bard, he shouted, "Beware! The Caretaker has arrived! Absorb the Beast quickly, before he-"

But Bard was already taking action. Giving a mighty blow on his ancient instrument, Bard created a golden light which flew towards the creature. Exploding over it, the creature was completely enveloped in the Tempered Fate. Unable to damage the creature further, the cultists ran at the caster.

Bard was already shifting into a combat stance, holding his horn behind him and his arm in front. As the cultist came, Bard batted several Meeps at them. The spirits flew towards their targets and disrupted their forms at the last moment in an explosion. As they were spirits, they would eventually reform, but their explosions packed a wallop. As Bard batted his last Meep, he saw a grey and gold shape move past him.

Orianna had entered the fray.

"Leave this to me, Bard! Ravage!" Orianna yelled. On the command, The Ball crashed through the temple wall into the cultists. It flew through a few of the humans before returning to Orianna, projecting a shield around her as it did so.

"Oh Bard, this is just perfect! Ravage! Protect! Nothing more entertaining than a good fight, after all. Ravage! Pulse! You know how to show a girl a good time!" Orinna said, throwing razor sharp cogs at her assailants as well as directing The Ball between them. Given a bit of space, she initiated a series of rapid Command: Attack maneuvers that caused the ball to ping-pong between several of the cultists. Many of the poor bastards began to worry.

"The woman! She's not human! She's a-" was all he managed before a Command: Dissonance sliced him in half.

"Yes. I am a weapon," Orianna said with glee.

Within a few short moments, the two champions had dispatched each of the cultists. With all of them defeated, Bard released the Tempered Fate on the Celestial Beast. Through a series of Caretaker's Shrines, the creature soon returned to full health. Looking upwards, it began to ascend to space where it belonged.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Orianna said, standing next to him.

Hearing her clearly for the very first time startled Bard. Turning, he saw a fair-skinned girl with blonde hair tied in a bun watching the creature fly away. She continued.

"It is one of those things that had always puzzled me, up until now. How some may be allowed to live and some would die. I was young when I died. A tragic accident. I remember vaguely wondering 'why me?' 'Why here?' But now I see," she said somberly, blue eyes brimming with tears.

"My life compared to one such as this simply could not compare. This creature, so humble yet so great, had a destiny far greater than I could have hoped to achieve on my own. What I have become is an imitation of the original, but she is able to do so much more than I ever could. She has the power to change things in ways I could not. Perhaps that was my destiny. By my death, I have prompted the creation of one able to make a difference. To save this world as I have today."

The woman took a few steps forward, turning to look at Bard.

"I may be gone, but Orianna remains. She is here but she is aimless. She has potential waiting to be unlocked. I believe you are the key, Bard. I know as a Celestial being, you have every right to ignore my request, but allow me to do so anyway. Watch over this being. She lacks true life and a true destiny, but she is truly trying. Guide her to a greater destiny than I could have imagined."

Those words said, the image faded until the Lady of Clockwork remained.

"I feel…woozy. I have not felt this feeling in quite some time. It's kind of enjoyable," she said with a synthetic laugh.

Bard was motionless for a moment. Then, his face shifted to Happy and he offered his hand to the metal woman. Taking the woman and her Ball in his arm, he created a portal back to Piltover.

xXxXx

"Ah, Mr. Blitzcrank you sly dog you. Come in, come in! I must say thank you for setting my daughter up with this Bardtholomew character. A boyfriend for my dear Orianna and a foreign one at that. Can't understand a word he says but he makes such wonderful music. Not to mention makes my daughter happy!" Corin said, slapping the golem across the back.

"INDEED. I AM HERE TO ASSESS THE ENJOYMENT OF HER FOURTH DATE WITH HIM FOR MY SERVICE. IS SHE IN?" Blitzcrank asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice after the now-predictable greeting.

"I am in the sitting room, Blitzcrank. Bard is here as well," Orianna answered.

"GOOD. THEN A DUAL ASSESSMENT CAN TAKE PLACE."

Making his way to the room, he saw the two had created quite the puddles of tea under themselves. Bard's Meeps had all jumped on top of The Ball and were attempting to steer it with its eyestalk. It was creating quite the mess.

"GREETINGS, BARD. I AM PLEASED YOU ARE FINALLY ABLE TO ATTEND AN EVALUATION," he said.

Bard's face was currently set to Happy, and he made a light trilling sound in greeting. As was his practice, a Meep came close to his face to provide translation.

"NOW ORIANNA. HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP AFTER THE FOURTH DATE?"

"Satisfactory," answered Orianna.

Bard made an A note.

"HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH YOUR PARTNER?"

"Satisfactory."

A note.

"HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PART-"

CRASH. Corin stood at the door with the shattered remains of a teacup in front of him.

"HE HAS BEEN DOING WHAT WITH MY DAUGHTER?" Corin yelled.

Bard face turned to Neutral and he wasted no time in flying out the open window.

Blitzcrank was adamant.

"WAIT. THE ASSESSMENT WAS NOT OVER. WE HAVE TO HAVE BOTH PARTNERS HERE FOR IT TO BE DEEMED: ACCURATE," he yelled.

He turned back to Orianna to ask her to call him back, but she had already finished drawing angry eyebrows on him with lipstick.

xXxXx

Hello all! Author here! Now this was one hell of a writing session on this one. And a good amount of time since my last story, huh. Got to work on that in the future. Now this story was a good writing challenge for me in a few ways. One, Bard does not speak. Two, Orianna barely has a personality. So I played around with that a bit and actually had a good model to base her on. Props to you if you can figure out who. I'll even give you one more hint.

"My Lady of Clockwork. It is time for The Ball."

The final challenge came about in that this is kind of a shippy story. Not really my forte, but I think it turned out alright. Anyway let me know how I did and I might be more obligated to put two and two together in the future.