The Sydney Games 2066 Session 2

Princess Guard - The New Era 2015/02/12 	 Lorelei Meleryniel Lord Elrohir 2

Sydney
It doesn't take long for Ghost to make all the arrangements. Which is good as the opening ceremony is this coming weekend. The party traveling with you and your daughter is the minimum feasible, two ladies in waiting, and Lady Nienna Surion, a journeyman healer who is the Duke's cousin and has been an official companion to you since you arrived at Westmarch. Travel will be by faerie path and the firebird carriage. Princess Linandere and Ghost are there to see you depart.

Lorelei is happy to be traveling by the carriage - something that is a treat even given her current lifestyle. She bids her mother a fond if restrained farewell, in the Fae (public) manner.

Meleryniel is not so taken with the carriage, though she appreciates the firebird. She is rather looking about at anything that hints more of Earth than Undermoon - unfortunately in the embassy there is not much of that apart from various humans. The journey from the bridge to the embassy was more exciting.

Ghost has a package of documents and papers to hand to you. "Everything is arranged, Highness." she says. Just in case I have several of the Guard on alert." She gives a thin wry smile, "I'm afraid relations between Lord Elrohir and you are likely to be strained from the start. You're booked into the Park Hytt Hotel. The best in Sydney, in the Royal Penthouse suite. I had the person who had booked that suite for the period bumped to a lesser suite, the Harbour View suite. It is Lord Elrohir who was bumped. I considered the friction it would likely cause but decided that it was more important to establish status straight away. It was unacceptable to have Lord Elrohir in a suite superior to your own."

Lorelei nods. "Quite so. It may work to advantage - I don't have to be seen to be trying to get his attention."

Ghost nods, and then kneels to be at Meleryniel's height. "You're grown, Princess." she says with a smile. "Look after your mother for me."

"I promise," says the princess. But there's a slight glance that shows she knows she's being patronized and isn't pleased by it. Grown, indeed. Getting toward a difficult phase, no doubt.

But then the look is gone as she's just a wide-eyed child again. It can be hard to tell which is the act!

Ghost gently shakes her head, "I mean it, Princess." she says, and hands the young Princess a gift wrapped package."This is a PDA. With this you can call me at any time of day or night. Your mother will show you how to use it." Standing she speaks to you, "I've assigned a watcher to Meleryniel and another to you, Highness. You have but to speak my name and I will be alerted."

Lorelei nods to Ghost, confident in her ability to have made the arrangements. "Thank you." As for the princess, she's delighted by the PDA - she's heard about them of course and even seen them once or twice but it's another thing to have one's own!

Meleryniel seems to be stuck at the turning-it-on phase, alas. She tries all the obvious incantations and gestures and none of it works.

Lorelei smiles amusedly, but leaves showing her how to work it to the carriage ride.

The journey to the city of Sydney is smooth and uneventful. The city itself is vibrant and bustling with activity. There are decorative lights strung up everywhere. Street performers plying their crafts. A sense of excitement and anticipation is in the air.

The firebird carriage comes in for a landing outside the hotel, which causes quite a stir in itself.

Meleryniel was truly excited at the aerial approach, trying to see as much as she could. As she and her mother step from the carriage, she seems rather less impressed. The gawking humans seem rather undignified.

Which impression is heightened by the crowd that almost instantly gathers around the carriage and the constant flashing of PDA cameras in the late evening scene and the excited shouts of "Lorelei." and "It is her. Wow!" from the crowd that is on the verge of being unruly.

Lorelei sweeps into the hotel with a confident swiftness that has long served to get her about before people recover their composure and she gets mobbed. She's dressed in full Undermoon style, in a dress that blows silkily in the slightest breeze.

Meleryniel hurries along behind, her composure disturbed. The human seem like wild goblins!

Inside the hotel... well maybe this wasn't the ideal time to arrive. A party of Fae males, obviously one noble and his two servants, are at the reception desk. The noble is shouting furiously at the receptionist in a mixture of Fae and human. Shouting so angrily and incoherently it's hard to understand what he is saying.

Or maybe this is just the time. Lorelei glides up to the desk and, ever so softly and gently, clears her throat.

The Fae noble glances irritatedly to the side to see who is interrupting him. He doesn't take in what his eyes are telling him for an instant which leads him to do a classic double-take, his head snapping around again as his mind catches up to stare at you. For several seconds he seems frozen, like a deer in headlights. Only then does he manage a abrupt bow and stuttering greeting, "Your highness."

Lorelei smiles benignly, kindly. "Rise, my lord. Is there some problem?"

The Fae noble, who you recognize as Lord Elrohir, has the look of someone who's assumption of superiority has been shaken to the core. "Indeed, Highness. This fool of a human has made a mistake with my room. I reserved the Royal Penthouse suite and now this worm is telling me I'm to be housed in the Harbour View suite. Mayhap he offers the lesser room for no charge but when has the House of Greyfells been concerned with money." He remains angry but his words to you are kept civil and measured.

Lorelei says, "You are too hard on the humans. Were they to refuse the Royal Penthouse suite to a princess? But surely in contrast with Castle Greyfells there can be but scant difference between the two rooms."

Meleryniel stays in the background - something she can do with her mother about - and watches.

Lord Elrohir turns away from the receptionist to face you rather than just turning his head. "You have the Royal Penthouse suite, Highness?" he says. He can't even be angry now. He's a traditionalist. Of course a Princess should have the better suite. Turning back to the receptionist his tone reverts to annoyance as he says, "Very well. See my luggage is brought up at once." Bowing to you, with just a glance at Meleryniel, he begs to be excused.

"Go in peace, my lord," Lorelei says - an indication that she is not offended but simultaneously a hint of disapproval at his outburst.

Lorelei thinks. o O (Good. He's sufficiently deferential - this may not be as difficult as I feared.)

The two servants of the Lord bow deeply before moving away with their master. Elrohir stops just before taking the elevator to look back at you, staking his head slightly in disbelief at the sheer power of the impact you had on him.

Lorelei continues to smile benignly, as if unaware quite the impact she can make. It helps to be able to surprise people. Remaining properly detached, she lets her companions deal with the details of checking in, while she, from old force of habit, casts her eye about the room for any other possible trouble.

The suite is fit for a princess. Two of them in fact. And for the remainder of your party also. The view over the city includes the waterfront and the Opera House. And beyond the Opera House the Olympic stadium. There's a spacious lounge and several bedrooms with en-suite facilities.

This hotel definitely deserves its five-star rating.

Meleryniel of course has grown up in luxury, but she is impressed by the sheer reality of everything - they achieved this without a hint of glamour! Lorelei smiles to see her delight.

With the games on the hotel is booked out and that means a lot of people eating breakfast the next morning. Mostly it's celebrities, the wealthy, almost essential requirement at the cost of rooms here. At one table though three children about Meleryniel's age are eating with a middle aged man. One of the children could easily be the man's son. They share a South American heritage. The other two children are much different. One is a girl, slim and very light skin, pale blond hair. The third is a stocky built boy with one of the darkest skins you have seen.

Lorelei and Meleryniel both give more than a glance at the unlikely-looking group, the former knowing that it is unusual, the latter wondering if it may be usual among humans.

Lorelei makes the point of not staring. Meleryniel keeps glancing, while she eats her strange breakfast somewhat dubiously.

The South American boy is caught looking at Meleryniel a couple of times during breakfast. When the man and children have finished eating the man leaves, and two other men leave with him. The children start playing some kind of board game. It's almost immediately obvious it's the South American boy who is the leader of the trio. It's not long before that boy whispers to the slim girl, who nods and comes over to your table. She asks Meleryniel, "Would you like to play with us?"

Meleryniel is rather taken aback. Not many would be so bold as to ask a princess such a thing out of the blue... That said, someone her age would be welcome.... She looks at her mother uncertainly, who gives has a reassuring smile. Meleryniel turns back to the girl and nods, and she slips away to join the others. Maybe there's something to be said for this human informality!

The children play happily among themselves until it's time to get ready to leave for the start of the opening ceremony. Meleryniel finds out their names. The South Americam boy is Juan Rojas, the son of Carlos Rojas. The girl is named Catlim and the ebony dark skinned boy is Marko.

Meleryniel gives her name simply thus, not wanting them to be put off by learning her true rank, should it happen they not already know it.

Juan gets a call from his father to go up to get ready for opening session. The boy Juan stands and the other children stand with him, The girl goes to call an elevator and the dark skinned boy stays with Juan. Juan asks Meleryniel if she would like to play again in the evening.

Meleryniel accepts, but Lorelei is now a bit uneasy. But then, why shouldn't other people here have bodyguards? And child bodyguards make sense at least for watching a child....