Lady Isabel sat on a wooden bench. What was she doing there you ask? Well, she was trying to avoid a few people. She was also waiting to see if anyone would ask her to dance. Well, that was her second reason. She looked very pretty sitting there though.

But it seemed as if everyone else already had a dance partner. Isabel was almost tempted to slide her black metal mask off but it would ruin all the fun. Well at least the ribbon holding it on matched her red dress. Isabel couldn't wait until it was time to see who was behind the mask of everyone here.

Of course there were figurative masks and then there were real ones. She was talking about both. She sighed and drummed her fingers on the wood beside her. It would be a long night if she had no one to dance with.

Daniel walked around the walls, having escaped the dancing couples on the dance floor. He had danced maybe one, and he wasn't even sure of that. The night had seemed to lengthen, and as he glanced at the time, he realized he had only been there half an hour. He grinned half to himself, half to the people staring at him. His dark blue outfit had slashed sleeves, and the paler blue shone through. It was embroidered tastefully along the bottom and he had a matching mask. Everyone seemed to have a dance partner, so he watched. He noticed a woman in a red dress, sitting to the side, all by herself. She would undoubtably be better company than him all by his lonesome self.

"My lady, what is one with such obvious beauty doing, sitting to the side? You should be out there dancing."

His eyes sparkled and laughed, an almost dead giveaway of whom he was. But then again, Daniel had never been the best at hiding his feelings. In fact, he was positively atrocious at trying to hide his feelings. Or at least, he was atrocious and hiding who he was, because his personality shone through anything and everything, including the mask that settled comfortably on his nose. He executed a carefully calculated, but smooth, bow, as he held out his hand.

Isabel was startled when a man in blue walked up to her. She had not known who he was. But then he laughed and she remembered that day in the garden. But he seemed not to know who she was. That was very alright. Maybe, in fun, she didn't have to tell him. Isabel had always like riddles. She wanted to see if Daniel liked them too.

She took his hand and bowed slightly. He looked quite handsome tonight, as he did every time she saw him. "Ah, Lord Daniel. It seems that you have given yourself away. But I would love to dance, for you did promise me one on the barge but I never found you." she said with a gleam in her dark eyes. That was almost a dead giveaway of who she was.

((short but I'm hungry so there.))

Daniel laughed, and grinned, his eyes sparkling and dancing as he realized whom it was. The lovely lady Isabel, and here she was, claiming he had never given her a dance. He winked, and laughed, as they walked onto the floor, waiting till they were on the floor, till they had started dancing, before replying. He let out a dramatically heavy sigh, "I fear, Lady Isabel, that you were too covered by your admirers. I was reminded not so kindly, that I was not welcome amoung your admirers."

The dance was a rather quick dance, but he settled into a comfortable pattern, and as he felt nothing on his feet, he settled for the fact that he was not going too fact, and that she couldn't keep up with him. In fact, many of the dancers were spinning around with such speed, that they were only visible by their coloured skirts and outfits. Daniel knew that his blue outfit looked considerably royally coloured, but in fact, it was a few shades away from the shades forbiddon by people other than royalty to wear.

"So, tell me my lady." he paused, as he successfully steered his way through a clump of dancers. "What has happened in your every so exciting life?"

Ah, so Daniel remembered. She would have thought that he had too many other girls to dance with to remember her. Maybe he did have many other girls lined up but he would rather dance with her. Who cared though? It was a party and it didn't matter who was who tonight. All that mattered was having fun. So for once, Isabel was not going to think. She was just going to dance. Which she was doing most beautifully for her.

He had made her blush with his last comment. It was true that she was dancing with a lot of people at the barge and she hadn't actively sought Lord Daniel out. And someone had been unkind to him? She didn't know what that was about. "I'm sorry if you felt that you were unwelcome. I would ask what happened but I do not want to pry. And to answer your question, my life has not been very exciting. Just a little chat here and there. Nothing interesting." she said.

"What about you? How has the court been treating you? And what has happened to you since we last met?" she asked. She did not know what he would say.

Daniel merely smiled when she asked what had happened, but then said she shouldn't. He would answer, but he wanted to come up with some thrilling, and obvious lie, story to make her laugh. He was good at that, making up stories. He wondered, would he make a good storyteller? Maybe he should write fairy tales. It would be a lot better than Felipe's tyranny when Daniel helped him with the papers and the meetings.

"Court has been treating me very well. I've been working with an old friend."

He didn't say whom it was, because he didn't want it blown out of proportion. He wasn't a very big part, he was just helping out, and though it wasn't big, he was constantly on his toes, working for Felipe. He had already read so many papers, that reading held no pleasure for now. He could barely look at words without the dizziness settling upon him. It was tragic, for at one point, he had loved to read, and was constantly sitting around with a book.

"To answer your previous question, here is a story. I had been approaching you for a dance, when suddenly, out of the darkness, sprang a man, armed to the teeth. He told me that I should never speak with you again and I only survived, due to my quick thinking. He attempted to kill me you know." he nodded, as if this was completely logical, "I only escaped with the help of my trusty blade, and my best friend Fredrigo, the dragon."