s.a.v.e. the L A S T dance for Me., Opens.

[Avaron]

It was a place of ghosts. Haunting memories of beauty and splendor that had once been. The great parties that had flown on into the night. Romances, dancing, flirtations, agreements, celebrations, victories. This was all in all the central beating heart of castle Cair Paravel. It was a beautifuly designed room, with marble floors you could see your reflection in and high celings that were painted and decorated by a hand to rival Michael Angelo. This was the ball room which was currently empty. However, the room would soon be filled withs dancers, food, and laughter once more. The Summer Ball was soon forthcomming. The royals at Cair Paravel had planned it to a 't' preparing each detail. Most of those who inhabited the castle were still in preperation for the Summer Ball, buying gowns and such, but not Avaron. The woman/tree who currently was standing in the Ballroom was far to simple to worry herself over trival things such as dresses. If she had her way, the balls would be casual dress. It was formal and imposing enough as it was.

Ava wasn't truly one for formal events. They scared her a little to be truthful. The whole idea of dancing with dignitaries who hadn't seen a somewhat attractive woman in years. They were hungry and creepy peoples, mostly men. They saw no importance in smart women or those who fought in wars or for what they beleived. It would kill Ava if she had to pretend to be just a pretty face for these events. However, she was a very naive girl and didn't need to feign anything. Most of the advances that the inaproprate dignitaries made was shot down by naivety and they moved on to serving girls who understood the advances. That was the fate of the naive. They were used for their purposes then left them. Ava had been used in these advances throught her eight years and had been left after them. It was a feeling that she hated. One felt useless after they had been used.

Looking around the room once more, Ava sighed. It was so beautiful and perfect. If the ballroom was a woman, she would be the envy of courts everywhere. The young Princes and Kings would be falling at her feet, begging for a dance or a kiss. Gladly, the Ballroom woman would give them those kisses and dances, yet they would still want more. She would be the tipe of flawless that destroyed empires. The envy of the woman, the coveted of the men and the one who could have anyone she wanted. The gold of the hall told that she would love power. In the end, the woman would choose the High King, who turned out to be fickle and shallow. They would be the golden couple of Narnia and have many adventures together. Later in life they would have many children and they would take the throne when the lives of the royals ended. Peter and Ballroom would smile down from heaven at their perfect little children, Bedroom, Living Room, Bathroom, and Laundry Room. Shaking the thoughts from her head, Ava sighed. The Peter she knew wasn't that fickle and shallow. Anyways, the Peter she knew would never name a child Laundry Room.

Ava glided out into the middle of the room with her imaginary escort. She had just been asked to dance by the High King. They were to start the Summer Ball. Taking his hand and shoulder, Ava made herself light as her mother had taught, and they began to dance. Floating anf twirling around the room, laughing and smiling. The peoples in the crowd looked on and clapped at twirls and dips. Soon, others joined them and they continued to dance. In Ava's eyes, all she saw was Peter. However, dreams just don't come true.

[Roxanne]

The punishment was bad, but not quite as bad as she had anticipated. Confined to the castle until the Summer Ball. How far away was now? She was sure it was only a couple of weeks away. She would deal with it. Luckily, Roxanne wasn't stuck in her room all hours...just after 8. Which was still stupid but she didn't complain.

Trying to find her way to the kitchen for a snack - because of her fathers tyrad she had missed lunch - Roxanne was making her way through the castle. Curse her bad memory. Was it right or left? Maybe this door was a short cut...probably not but it was a room she hadn't entered yet. She just hoped there wasn't a meeting going on inside. She pressed her ear against the door and heard nothing.

Turning the handle, the door squeaked open just enough for her to get in. Before entering she noted the grandeur of the room. The high, gloriously painted ceiling, the reflective floors and wide space. This must be the ball room, she concluded. And from the flowers and decorations she saw around, the site of the Summer Ball. She stepped in and looked around her.

That's when she saw Avaron. Though she had never really met the girl, she had heard of her, she was a nymph if Roxy recalled correctly. "Hey," she said casually, trying not to surprise the blonde too much. She seemed quite taken in with some invisible beau.

[Avaron]

In the fold of her mind Ava was still of dancing with a King. She didn't even notice the other girl enter the room. At once Ava turned to face the girl with a startled expression then dropped into a deep curtsy. As a dryad appointented ambassador she was truly a lesser than all in the castle. "Forgive me my lady, I did not hear you enter." In many ways Ava acted as a servant would. She showed the proper respect for all those in the house hold, kept her tounge untill she felt the proper use for it, and helped out with chores around the castle. Many of the courtiers and dignitaries of Narnia found it disgusting for an ambassador to have to work but Ava enjoyed the tasks and when they asked her about it she would simply anwser, "If I do not complete the task, who will?" They all found this to be some great childs joke and laughted untill they were red in the face.

Still in her curtsied form, knowing it was improper to rise without acknowledgement, Ava looked up at the intruder. It was Lady Roxanne of Archenland. A young looking thing and a proper lady of the court. Well not exactly proper since her father and her could be heard arguing over whatever activity Roxanne had partaken in that she had not gained permission. Of course, that was not Ava's place to say. In fact far to humble for anything as such. Ava knew when it was her place to say something. The fight between father and daughter wasn;t any of her bissneuss. The only people who were allowed to involve themselves in such matters were very young and royal. Even they stayed out of the bisneuss.

Ava's back cramped slightly as she stayed in her respectful position. A part of Ava's mind told her she was being silly and that staying in this position but her proper training told her that Roxanne was her superior and commanded her respect no matter what. Ava was prepared to give that respect to those who needed it. That was usually a very important lesson that most servants learned the first day here. The royals were not the ones who taught this lesson to the servants however. Most of the time it was the visiting dignataries and ambassadors. Ava also knew, from her work that the dignitaries and ambassadors weren't just teaching the servants their place. They were doing things to the servants that never should have been without consent. Ava wasn't quite sure what kind of dignitary or nobility that Roxanne was but she wasn't prepared to take chances. One of her servant friends had been beaten because she let her mouth slip. Ava didn't want that to happen to her.

[Roxanne]

Roxanne resisted rolling her eyes. Gosh, this girl...Avaron...was treating her like a princess! And she was no princess in anyone's eyes...except perhaps her mother and nurse. 'Come to think about it,' she suddenly began to ponder. 'Why is that old, hag-of-a-nurse still around? Surely my father doesn't think she could keep me in line more than him.' Anyways, back on track to what had just happened.

"No really, none of the 'My Lady' junk. I'm not a lady, well I mean I'm a lady just not a princess or anything," she said, trying to explain but somehow she always seemed to just mess up all the words. Oh well, done is done is done. "Anyways...so what were you doing in here?" No no no. That was probably a bit too forward, too imposing.

"I mean, your Avaron, right? The Nymph's representative? Atleast I hope you are because you really do met the description I've heard at Anvard," Roxanne inquired. She also really hoped it was Avaron because if it wasn't she was going to look pretty darn stupid...even if it was just in front of...whoever she was.

[Avaron]

Rising from her curtsy, Ava felt she had shown the respect for a long enough time. A small smile caressed her lips lightly but Ava kept her distance, continuing to show the respect for someone in that person. After all, as Ava's superior, Roxanne could tell Ava to dance the Hokey-Pokey and she would only have to be so happy to oblige. Sighing softly, Ava resented her sweetness sometimes. Others, it was what controlled her. Ava had been taught to respect her elders and superiors and thats what she intended to do. It had been a bit of a shock when she had been granted the position of ambassador to the Dryads. The others of the forrests had started to show her the respect that a youngling never seemed to gain.

"But my lady, are you not a lady of the court? From my knowledge, that earns you the title of 'lady'." Ava had only just become acoustomed to the rules and regulations of court. The Dryad court was completly diffrent from human. The king was chosen by age and wisdom. Others weren't allowed to question anything the leader said. Comming to Cair Paravel had been a massive change for Ava but she enjoyed the ability to speak out for her people. It gave her power and in rare moments, confidence. "My apoligies for disturbing you m'lady. I was only examining the grounds for the Summer Ball. I have the rare chance to enter this room and I wanted to be acoustomed to the layout in case I was asked to serve." Ava smiled politly as she spoke and kept eye contact with the girl. However, other than the eye contact, Ava's demenor was completely of the innocent servant.

"Yes, I am if it pleases you m'lady." Ava smiled with another breif curtsy. "And yes, I am the dryad represintative or ambassador. " Ava sighed softly. People always thought that Dryad's were easily catigorized as Nymphs. Sure, Ava was a nymph but Dryad's and other Nymphs were very diffrent. However, instead of showing Roxanne the diffrences, Ava had added a slight infliction on the word dryad. "What discription is that, m'lady?" Ava asked. She never knew that she had a reputation. In her heart, it didn't matter what people thought but it was always nice to know that the reputation that preceeded you was good.

[Roxanne]

Avaron seemed very sweet, but Roxy couldn't decide if her kindness was just her nature or came out of fear and submissiveness. Whatever it was, Roxanne hoped she could be kind in return and not let her witty, sarcastic tongue gain control of her words.

"But my lady, are you not a lady of the court? From my knowledge, that earns you the title of 'lady'."

"I suppose it would, but I think 'Lady Roxanne' makes me sound kind of old. My mother is the real lady of Stormness so I think that you and I can get back without titles. So to you, I am Roxanne and to me you are Avaron," she said with a triumphant smile. She really wished the dryad would relax around her. She honestly rather hated formalities.

"What description is that, m'lady?"

Roxanne smirked, a twinkle in her eye. It seemed that Avaron was naive about her reputation in Archenland, though she was unaware of how she was considered in Narnia. But either way, she happily obliged. "Well, from my times in Anvard I've heard you called 'one of the kindest and wisest', a 'loyal dryad'. I suppose those are compliments enough," she said, but that wasn't how she had recognized the girl...erm, woman. "But in more intimate settings, I remember, when we were younger. Corin telling me that 'Avaron was the prettiest, blonde-haired, blue-eyed dryad he had ever seen'," she laughed at herself after she finished trying to re-enact Corin's young boy voice.