Nobody could say the Calore didn't have a flare for the dramatic. Dante had programmed the trip so that their arrival would happen in the middle of the day, so that all other silver nobles present were forced to come greet them. Even if few, all those who were most important were already there. Merandus, Titanos, Tyros, amidst others. They, as always, were the last to arrive between those who were closer to the crown. In the time of a week after their arrival, the rest would begin to come. Traditionally the Gliacon were the true last to arrive, seeing as they preferred the icy mountains of Greatwoods.

For all the duration of the trip, Ignacia spent picking the outfit for her arrival, wich spared Camille of her childish blabbering. She knew wearing colors that not hers would be a danger, therefore, she decided, with a vague mental note, for a dress in silver that reflected light. She needed not elaborate choices. Camille knew what she wanted and where she headed.

Now, when their shiny ship reached to Summerton, the interior of it was completely silent. Only herself, Dante, and Sulpicia were on the main deck, the secondary branches of the family gathered on the rest on the boat. He was in his severe silence, facing the river. She saw in his eyesthe same expression Kurt had, but hesitatingly, for she thought she was no near to forgiving her father for forcing her hand on fate. Sulpicia was setting on its final details her simple, but sewn with laces of white gold, silver and jewels kokoshnik. Nobody much understood her preferrance for that kind of ornament over a tiara or diadem considered "normal".

Camille had set for her hair put in place by golden pins. Nothing too ostentatious for her head. But Sulpicia had other ideas.

"No, this won't do." She shook her head, serious. The girl asked herself if she'd done something wrong.

When she tidied up to ask what she referred to, she saw her reach for something left over a counter, that she assumed to be a chest of sorts at first. Square, strong, Sulpicia put it over the nearest table, and Camille saw it was too covered in satin inside.

"I saved this for over twenty years. I could wear it if I wanted to. The Calore jewels are at my disposal." And paused before she opened the box fully, her hand hovering over it. She smiled, in a was it made her daughter imagine what her mother was up to, and searched for the same smile through her memory, to no avail. "But this one doesn't fit me to the head. This is for a Calore. It's ancient, from way before the world changed. Its real name is lost, but as it's labeled, how we call it now, is the tiara of Alix. If Alix was someone or somewhere, we don't know. It's yours. You'll wear it." And opened, so, the box.

It was a piece of metal and diamond, shiny and almost like a solid strand. The dark haired girl swallowed, and accepted the ornament, carefully put over her elaborate hairdo, and with its own weight. Get used to it, she thought. That's the lightest weight you'll have to carry so on.

{123}

Minerva could see clearly the annoyance and disapproval in the crown prince's face. He didn't want to be there. Spoiled brat, she thought. None of us wants to be here that much either, but we're here anyways.

The covered dock was acclimated, so, beside the whipping light that came from outside, and penetrated through the walls of the Hall, they were all comfortable. There was between the older ones a moment of truce. They were in competition, but knew how to hide the tense air, that was all over the girls that would partake in the Queenstrial; and those were less skilled in hiding.

Esme Titanos was put meticulously close to the queen, and behind her, the lord her father and the rest of her kin. Close to her as well, was Callum, taht didn't bother to pretend he was neutral about all that. The princess was between the king and the queen, and beside the king, Kurt Calore. Over him and the princess there was tension as well, but, if the king noticed, he said nothing about it. Kurt was in position, calm and still like a statue, and equally beautiful, she thought. If the focus there wasn't to cling with claws and teeth to the crown, there would certainly be a small hoard of girls giggling around him. Maybe he should be grateful for havr the acefalous prince to keep his freedom in check. His expression said too little, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed the rest. He was happy to see his sister again.

She herself had no connection that strong to her family. She could barely wait until she got married and left their picture. Why love parents who saw her as a faillure? Maybe she could tolerate her siblings, but House Merandus had no secrets, more for a lack of option than any other reason. She had a vague notion of how many and wich silvers had gone upstream that year with knives hidden in the drapes of their clothes and blood roaring loud on their ears. And she didn't give a shit, she tought to herself, with a smile. They could kill each other for the throne or other futilities whatsoever, she didn't care. As long as her and her own weren't affected, they could make blood run like the water on rivers, and she wouldn't bat an eyelash.

The Calore ship finally came to view, further ahead. Se almost felt the jolt of the gossiping. Even Kurt-the-statue breathed in deeper.

It took long to get to the dock. Less than it would ever be enough for the other competitors. When it did stop, it was tied to the dock, and even then it took some long for the door to be opened. The sun had moved, now over the ship rather than the nobles. It was almost a relief amongst torments.

Dante Calore was the first to get out, severe and flawless. He greeted the king and queen, directed a few words to his son, and only then he directed himself for the other house patriarchs and matriarchs. Sulpicia Arvsn didn't difer much from him on that. Her piercing glare traveled across the room, and let nothing ascape her. Her ornament seemed enlightened, the mass of red hair around her like a halo. She fulfilled her courtesy duties, and kissed the queen in both cheeks. Before she followed Dante's path, she hugged Kurt strong, and told him something in a low voice, with a smile.

After both were out, came the third Calore. The competitors held their breath for a long moment, and maybe the rest of their clans had done the same.

Camille, in her dress of sewn silver and her tiara, was blinding. The sun hit directly over her, and reflected on the water, on the dress, on the tiara, broke in a million shards that returned to shine on the other elements. She stayed still for a moment that seemed too long, but had only lasted a few seconds. She smiled like someone who had all attention upon herself — and she did — and thought that it was no less than what she deserved. For a moment too, Minerva hated her. She was sure the others would feel more than just a surge of anger, though. She could almost hear their hearts crack and shatter on the background, on the heavy silence Camille had imposed. Because none of them could ever arrive in that manner ever again. There was only one chance of arriving as if they'd already won, and she'd just done it.

As if they had rehearsed it, — she knew they hadn't, but that didn't make it less synced — Kurt walked over to the edge and held out his hand to help her down the short stairs, and then, in the most elegant way possible, guided her, her hand still in his, to greet the king and queen, put herself available to serve the princess, and present herself to the prince. Not even he, that didn't want to be there, had been able to ignore her.

They put themselves after their parents — oh, they actually did look like a prince and princess should —, and after the other members of the House had come out, the king took his queen by the hand. The spectacle was over and Camille had made an absurd number of enemies in the short time frame of thirty seconds, for most of them were well aware they were no match for the burner of House Calore.