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The Hardhaighs staffs are doing their best of serving all the guests with the hired help, famous cooks have been hired to make snacks and drinks, for everyone’s sakes, even though the Tirkin chefs weren’t all that happy because of the previous, incident but with enough gold and apology from the emperor, were enough for them to accept the job.
The ballroom is filled with happy laughter and ripple of conversations. Guest are of all ages so kitchen staff is serving also non-alcoholic drinks, so emperor himself and Aegis driver Rex can enjoy and drink them too.
“Rex even though you can’t drink, this is a party, so you have to at least come dance with us!” Drunken Mythra is pulling her driver's hand when the band starts another song.
Rex has been all night not willing to dance and is saying that someone has to take care of others. Including Aegis sisters, which are now separated, Nia is also drunk but Dromarch is keeping a very close eye on his driver who is taking advance to party, plus there are other blades who keep Brighid and Mòrag busy that they keep partying at a certain level and don’t disturb other guests, including queen Raqura who came, which itself was a surprise.
Niall didn’t get bothered about their loud partying when it didn’t go overboard, he was just glad they're happy and can relax after the last year’s world-saving mission, which was more successful than they expected, so they are granted to celebrate it and enjoy the peace, at least for tonight.
“Come on Rex!” Also, little less drunken Pyra came to help her sister and they got their driver up from the chair.
“Hah, now you’ve been outnumbered Rex!” Nia laughed at him while sitting at the same table and watching the Aegis’ pulling young man to the dancefloor. Dromarch just smiled a little, noticing the young driver likes the idea of dancing with his blades but is too shy to admit it.
“Well I can’t blame the girls, Mythra is absolutely right, you need to dance at the party” Pandoria came to the table. “Did you find master Zeke?” Azurda asked while sitting on the table. After landing on the Elysium he noticed that he can change his size, whenever he likes to, thanks to Pneuma, which is very useful now.
The electric blade fell into the silence and was thinking hard about how to answer that. “I did…” she then said quietly nodding. “And what happened?” Nia asked curiously. “Nothing, where’s everyone else?” Pandoria changed the subject suddenly.
“Well, Poppi went to escort her driver to the bed, even though he swore to be awake at midnight when the year changes. Boreas is somewhere with the Wulfric, I think getting food or something and you can hear Kora's voice anywhere but I don’t know where Brighid or Aegaeon is or the… Hey, you changed the subject, why? You found the Shellhead didn’t you?” Nia got distracted before she realized that and asked again, seeing the troubled expression on Pandorias face and her lightbulb was a little dimmer than usual.
“Nah no reason and by the way, Brighid is with the emperor and the queen, Aegaeon told me that if they’re lucky they can work together with Uraya, in the future” Pandoria shrugs her shoulders and grinned when gormotti's ears popped up. “Mor Ardain and Uraya, work together? Get out…” Nia laughed and got distracted, again.
Dromarch and Azurda glanced at each other knowingly, it was Pandorias luck that Nia is so easily distracted when drunk but she couldn’t fool them. Oh poor girl, wonder what happened but according to others, I can almost guess that…
Half an hour earlier at the other side of the palace, the crown prince of Tantal is lost in the big palace, after searching the restroom but wouldn’t admit it, when living in the castle too and Alba Cavanich palace isn’t that big in the end.
Damn alcohol, every hall looks the same, I can’t even hear the music anymore…He cursed himself while walking but then stops seeing an open balcony door and someone leaning to the railing there. “Taking a break are we?” He grinned and was hoping to catch off guard, special inquisitor herself but no luck.
Mòrag just glanced at him lifting her brown when Zeke comes next to her. “You could say that. Brighid and Aegaeon are with his majesty, so he requested that I… Relax a little…” she then told quietly but snorted and crossed her arms.
“Did it work?” Zeke asked, even though he knows the answer, Mòrag doesn’t know how to relax, after all, at least he thinks so and her uniform and hat that cast a shadow in front of her eyes supports that, there’s a new years party at the palace after all and she’s still working.
Mòrag just frowns her eyebrows more and watches to the horizon where the moon is on the clear sky, it’s almost midnight.
Zeke just nods quietly, he understands her, though the party is held downstairs tomorrow is another normal day if you can say that. Mor Ardain titan is rabidly getting worse after what Amalthus did to it and they are already making a new city but time is running out, that’s what Mòrag said in her latest letter to Zeke and the others, which is a miracle she even wrote. This might be the last quiet moment for a while, so Zeke doesn’t pressure or tease her, for now, just leans to the balcony railing next to her and watch the city in the making at the distance.
For a while, they enjoy the silence but when Zeke notices that Mòrag has relaxed, a little he comes a little closer even though Mòrag glances at him waiting for what he’ll say. “You know, I can help you relax” prince whispers and grins.
Mòrag smirks at that, she knew he would say something like that. “Thank you but you can go downstairs to party with others, I’ll be right there too”
“Nah, I can keep you company, it’s new years eve after all” Zeke continued and came even closer but Mòrag didn’t move. “That’s kind but it’s fine, it’s almost midnight so we both should go, the party is ending soon and they’ll launch the fireworks…” Mòrag squints her eyes to Zeke coming closer. “Yeah about that, there’s one tradition, something people do when the year changes…” Zeke interrupted her while grinning but now, he was more careful.
“Don’t be ridiculous Zeke, you’re drunk” Mòrag sighted but watches his grey eye and that familiar eyepatch, even with the tuxedo, that his father surely made him wear, he still wanted to keep the eyepatch…
“I’m not, not at least that much I seem to you. You can drop your official act this once, new year and new land” Zeke almost laughs shaking his head before leaning to the Mòrag’s hat visor but little, fear flashed in his eyes when he said, to drop the, act.
Mòrag notices that and secretly likes it, even though Zeke teasing… No flirting with her, he’s not entirely confident of, how she responds. Niall did say I should relax, not just today but in the future too but I don’t think he means, that or I don’t know does even, Zeke mean anything other than just the tradition… she thinks while watching quietly what Zeke will do next.
“Zeke I…” she starts when Zeke removes her hat but before saying anything else, he kisses her and, she responds instantly and neither of them saw Pandoria coming to the balcony door and watches them mouth dropping and eyes widening but don’t say anything and leave quietly.
Zeke smiles a little at how fast Mòrag still responded to the kiss but when he puts his hand on her cheek to deepen the kiss, they’re interrupted by the bright lights and then a loud explosion. The midnight fireworks, Mòrag spoke of.
They watch bright fireworks together and then each other. Mòrag blushes a little but Zeke don’t grin or tease, for once. “Happy new year Mòrag” he just says and gives back her hat. Mòrag is surprised by the firework interruption but when she thinks about it, maybe, it was something else too, something she can maybe ask a little later, so she just smiles a little while taking her hat back but didn’t put it on. “Happy new year Zeke”