The ceremony had been beautiful. Ignita had truly been radiant throughout, and both bride and groom made it through even though both their anxieties were through the roof. Oleander shook his head softly to himself as they filed back to the reception area for drinks and a meal. He lifted a paw as he felt Selene make a run through his legs followed by one of her siblings, or was that one of her cousins? It was a full family affair! Wylan would have loved to come.

Somehow he made it to the reception through the throng, Ollie didn't think he'd seen this many wolves in one place, and certainly not in a place as gorgeously set up as this! He picked up a cup to sip from and found an unobtrusive corner to sit in while he looked at the architecture and decoration. While also keeping an eye on any of the Fatalis kids rampaging around. He was surprised at how comfortable he felt with this many bodies about.

"Speech"

Ember was quite proud of how the Hallows had come together to transform their home into something magical for the wedding. Hearthstone looked like something out of a fairytale with its banquet tables piled high with foods and wines, the roaring fire in the Great Hearth snapping and crackling as it chased away the autumn chill from the hall, and wolves from all over gathered to celebrate Basilisk and Ignita Fatalis. Em briefly pondered if her own wedding would one day be so lavish, though that idea was followed by a chaser of melancholy as those thoughts brought with them the reminder of how she'd been abandoned by the wolf she thought she loved. No! No, she refused to dwell on those somber ideas on today of all days! This was a time for merriment and fun, and dammit she was going to have fun!

Wandering through the throng of wolves mostly here to mingle and socialize with Basilisk or her father, Ember made her way over to the banquet tables and snatched up a goblet of sweet red wine before maneuvering herself out of the crowd to give herself some breathing room. She followed the wall around the room towards the grand piano in the corner, stepping past an all white wolf similar to her in size and stature with a soft "Pardon me" while trying not to bump into him. Coming to the piano bench, the Carpathian princess took a long draught from her goblet before setting it down on top of the piano, her dainty paws lifting to rest on the keys. Then she began to play.

A light melody began to fill the Great Hall as Ember played to bring some music to the festivities, adding some background sound to the reception. It also made a fantastic excuse to be out of the crowds for a while, which suited her just fine since this event was all for the happy couple. What began as a simple melody room began to transform, adding in some more complex chords as her paws danced across the keys, pressing ebony and ivory with practiced precision. Behind her, her braided tail swayed like a metronome in time with the music's rhythm, following no sheet music or instruction, just letting her heart create the music as she pleased.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Oleander's deep viridian gaze swept over the guests. His eyes lingered over the ornate castle fireplace. A goblet of a dark wine he wasn't particularly enjoying and barely sipping rested in his paw. Maybe he'll try the lighter red someone suggested. Speaking of which, a girl swept past him holding that sweet red. Was that a cousin? He pressed himself closer to the wall to allow her access. They were practically the same height. Her long dark lavish tail was braided and her eyes seemed to be only for a strange piece of furniture. He watched her settle herself curiously on the furniture and nearly dropped his goblet when a gorgeous sound started to emanate from it. No one told him about things like this! He had heard of and seen music boxes that had come through the market but this sounded nothing like them!

He felt himself draw closer and closer. How was she making it sing like that? The music wove through the guests and bounced serenely off the stone walls of the keep. He peered into the guts of the instrument, the leaning tabletop supported by a single stand to display the veritable strings and hammers.

He drew himself curiously even closer to her and watched her paws dance over the monochrome keys as if they had a life of their own. His mouth was slightly agape.

He didn't know he was holding his breath as his heart hammered in his chest until the last notes hung in the air.

"I- Wow!" He exclaimed when it was obvious the song had ended and she might start a new one, "That was incredible! What is this? It's definitely not a music box!" He leaned over the keys, "Oh! I'm Ollie, or Oleander, Mortis and Halo are my parents." He may have been a noble but he had been sickly most of his childhood and missed many of the polite lessons that would have helped him in this instance.

"Speech!"

Code © Skelle/Witchdogtor DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

Ember had been so lost in the music she was playing that she hadn't noticed the attention of the wolf she'd passed falling onto her. It was only once he'd come up to investigate the insides of the piano that Ember took note of the yearling, her eyes briefly settling on him while she continued to play. The corners of her lips turned up in a slight amused smile. She knew her family was extremely privileged to be able to have things like pianos in their home, so she didn't interrupt his exploration, just continuing to play to fill the hall with music while he watched the mallets strike the strings inside the instrument. When he came around to watch her paws on the keys, Em switched up the simple notes into more flourishing chords. Okay, maybe she was showing off a little bit, but hey, she'd put a lot of time and effort into learning how to play! She was allowed to showboat a bit!

After a few minutes, the melody she was playing drifted off into a subtle decrescendo, and then the song ended and the hall was once more filled with just the clamor of talking wolves. The alabaster boy's exclamation of her skill brought a proud smile to Ember's face as she shifted on the bench to face him better. "Thank you! I've spent a lot of time practicing. And you're right; this is no music box." She gestured towards the piano. "It's a piano. An ancient instrument my father found in some ruins and had brought back here and restored." The boy introduced himself and Ember regarded Ollie with a smile and a polite dip of her head. It seemed like today was all about meeting her extended family. "Nice to meet you, Ollie! I'm Ember. Artorias and Briar are my parents." That meant they were cousins and nobility by blood.

Gesturing to the bench, Em asked, "Would you like to check it out? It's complex, but all you need to play the piano is paws, and you've certainly got those!" With a giggle, the princess scooted down the bench to give Ollie some more room to join her if he wished. She'd be happy to show him a few basics if he was interested.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

His tail was swishing back and forth to the rhythm as she played. When they began talking together his green eyes would dance over the keys and back to the strings inside.

"A piano..." He repeated with awe. Wait till he tells Vesper! Or even Maki if he runs into her again. When she mentioned her name and parents his gaze was brought up to hers and he gave her a respectful dip of his head. Yup! That confirmed it, cousins.

He was then slightly taken aback as she gestured for him to join her on the bench. His look of incredulous almost shock crossed his features. He had fought bears and tigers without as much as a blink, but suddenly sitting next to his cousin and plunking on an ancient musical artifact had him balking.

"Really?" He asked and nervously sat down. Maybe he should try some of his own concoction he had given Bas before the ceremony. His trained surgeon's paws found one of the keys and gently pushed it down. But it didn't make a sound. He glanced at her worried if he broke it already.

"Speech"