The Inaugural Harvest Ball

Ember had been making her rounds about the buffet tables with Erik when she heard her father exclaim in shock from the doors to the hall. The midnight-furred girl looked up to spy that pale raider girl from the bonfire back again, seated at her father's side as if she belonged there. Oh, what now? Furrowing her brow, Ember gave her guest an apologetic look and murmured a soft, "Hang tight here for me, okay?" and then she set off to go see what was going on.

As she approached Artorias and Siduri, Ember was able to begin picking up on some of her father's words. He was speaking sternly, looking at Sid the way he looked at them whenever they got in trouble and he was expecting explanations. Ember's heart sank a little, and while she had marched over here with all the bravado of a power-tripping royal, she knew it wasn't fun to be excluded from things and she definitely knew it wasn't fun being on the receiving end of her dad's stare. She hesitated mid-step, seeing Art look at Sid then back at the doors. He was going to kick her out. Ember could have just done nothing, let it played out and gone back to the party. But her father had told her that he wanted her and her siblings to be better than he was when they became adults. Well... maybe today was the day to start.

Stepping up and nudging her father's leg, Ember looked up at Artorias with a shy little smile and put on her best innocent face, big puppy eyes and all. "I invited her, Dad. She was nice enough at the bonfire and she just wanted to be a part of our events, so I sent her an invite by raven." It was a bold faced lie, one that Ember hoped her acting chops were up to selling. But if she was going to be better than her sire and mother, she would need to be above petty pack squabbles. She didn't know why the Hallows and the Raiders shared a mutual distrust, but maybe they could start to end it one step at a time. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to try to be friends with the Raiders." Blue eyes batted up at her sire behind long lashes, Ember then glancing down to Sid with a look that urged her to play along and help sell the charade. If she didn't or couldn't, they'd both be in big trouble.

"Ember"