"I took the liberty of designing your pennant," Rhy says, resting his elbows on the gallery's marble banner as he regarded the party taking place in the rest of the Rose Hall below. "I hope you don't mind."

He could see his brother cringe out of the corner of his eye, and could even sense the concern from the link they shared. "Do I even want to know what's on it?"

Amused Rhy tugged the folded piece of fabric from his pocket, and handed it over. The cloth was red, and when Kell unfolded it he would be treated to the image of a rose in black and white. The rose had been mirrored of course, folded along the center axis and reflected, so that the design was actually two flowers, surrounded by a coil of thorns.

"How subtle," Kell said tonelessly.

"You could at least pretend to be grateful."

"And you couldn't have picked something a little more... I don't know... imposing? A serpent? A great beast? A bird of prey?"

"A blood handprint?" Rhy shot back. "Oh, what about a glowing black eye?"

Said black eye glowered at him now when his brother turned his head, and Rhy ignored it. He was well used to his brother's temper by this point.

"You're right," he continued, "I should have just drawn a frowning face. But then everyone would know it's you. I thought this was rather fitting."

That prompted some muttering from his brother as he shoved the pennant into his pocket, but it didn't stop Rhy at all.

"You're welcome."

They were in silence for a moment, and Rhy's eyes returned to surveying the Rose Hall where many nobles, foreign dignitaries, and of course the competitors for the Essen Tasch were millign about. It was as he considered them that his brother spoke again.

"You think anyone will notice that I'm--well, that Kamerov Loste is missing from the festivities?"

With that Rhy raised his goblet to his mouth to take a brief sip. This was the part that he thought he was most wickedly cunning for, and he wanted the moment to hang in the air, where he had the plan and his brother did not. "I doubt it, but just in case..."

With that Rhy dipped his drink subtly in the direction of a lean figure moving through the crowd below. From the sputtering choke he heard beside him, his brother must have marked the man as well. The figure was tall and slim, with trimmed auburn hair. Dressed as he was in elegant black trousers and a silver high-collared tunic, and moving with a good deal of grace, he played the part well, and was similar enough in form to Kell that Rhy was rather proud of himself. Add in the mask tucked under his arm that Rhy had previously given to his brother as his own for the upcoming games and the picture was complete. The mask that Kamerov Loste would wear in battle, a single piece of sculpted silver-white metal, polished to a high shine, and which would serve to hide Kell's identity, the best way to provide a distraction.

"Who on earth is that?"

Oh yes, Rhy thought he should very much applaud himself for this tonight. No one would expect him, crown prince of Arnes, to create such a lovely little ploy to let his older brother work out some aggression. It was a relief that they both needed, and had been months in the planning.

"That, my dear brother, is Kamerov Loste. At least for tonight."

"Dammit, Rhy, the more people you tell about this plan, the more likely it is to fail."

Rhy waved a dismissive hand at that. "I've paid our actor handsomely to play the part tonight, and as far as he's concerned it's because the real Kamerov doesn't care for public displays. This is the only event where all thirty-six competitors are expected to show their faces, Kamerov included. Besides, Castars is discreet."

That led to some incredulity from his brother. Of course it did.

"You know him?"

All Rhy cared to offer was a shrug. "Our paths have crossed."

He could hear the tension in his brother's voice when Kell next spoke, and could feel the rising ire in him. Bad enough that Kell had caught Alucard Emery of all people in Rhy's room once more earlier this evening. Now he was going to make a fuss about this wasn't he?

"Stop," said Kell. "Please. I don't want to hear about your romantic interludes with the man currently posing as me."

"Oh don't be obscene," Rhy huffed. His brother was beautiful and handsome and Rhy had been happy to tell Kell that many times before, had even playfully flirted with his adoptive brother, but that didn't begin to figure into this. "I haven't been with him since he agreed to take up this particular role. And that right there is a testament to my respect for you."

"How flattering."

It took some doing, but with a smile and a twist of his drink to catch light on the gold, and a quirk of his brow, Rhy caught Castar's attention and but a few moments later the man completed a tour of the room before ascending the stairs to the gallery.

"Prince Rhy," he said, executing a rather heavily flourished bow that did much to remember unto Rhy just how flexible and spirited Castar had been in bed the last time. Perhaps he would visit him again, when this was all over, if only to get Alucard from his mind. "And Master Kell," the actor added reverently.

Yes yes, everyone either adored or abhorred the black-eyed prince. Kell was their Antari after all, the symbol of their kingdom's might, and so often held as a lofty symbol of the power of the Maresh throne. If only they knew how tedious his brother could be, or the skill with which Kell cheated at Sanct. People really should stop that little hero worship thing they had gong on.

"Master Loste," Rhy said cheerfully, hoping to draw more favorable attention back to himself.

Instead 'Loste' looked to Kell, and Rhy had to applaud himself. They were of a height and build, all the more visible when he saw them together. Yes, he'd done well with this one, even if he knew Kell didn't like it at all.

"I wish you luck in the coming days," Kell spoke, which only made the man's smile deepen. Rhy wanted to reach out and remind Castar that it was not his brother whose eye wandered in the same way that Castar's did. It was not Kell's bed he could make it into.

"It is an honor for fight for Arnes," Castar advised them both, and then retreated at a dismissive wave from Rhy.

"A bit over the top isn't he?" Kell asked, and Rhy snorted in amusement.

"Oh don't be bitter. The important thing is that Kamerov has a face. Specifically a face that isn't yours."

"He doesn't have the coat."

"No, unfortunately for us, you can't pull coats out of that coat of yours. And I figured you'd be unwilling to part with it."

Though Rhy envied Kell's coat of many coats, he knew better than to ask after it. It was one of the things that made Kell so very Kell, and had bein since he had acquired it.

"You'd be right," Kell confirmed as he turned back to the banister and looked down. Soon his gaze was caught up in something, and Rhy's eyes followed. This time there was a figure dressed in all black with the edge of a smirk and a demon mask. The man moved like a shadow, and Rhy watched as his brother stared at the figure, riveted.

"Who's that?" Kell asked, and Rhy took a second look before moving for the list in his pocket.

"Someone who clearly shares your taste for monochrome. Beyond that..." he unfolded the paper and reviewed the list. "It's not Brost, he's huge. I've met Jinnar. Must be Stasion."

He watched his brother stare and then shake his head, wondering what Kell thought he was seeing. Luckily he was not long left in the dark.

"I know it's mad, but for a second I thought it was..."

Rhy could fill in that blank and he chuckled. "Saints, you're seeing her in everyone and everything now, Kell? There's a word for that."

"Hallucination?"

"Infatuation."

Kell snorted. "I'm not infatuated. I just... Our paths crossed one time. Months ago. It happens."

"Oh yes, your relationship with Miss Bard is positively ordinary."

"Be quiet."

"Crossing worlds, killing royals, saving cities. The marks of every good courtship."

"We weren't courting. And in case you forgot, she left."

Oh how wounded his brother sounded, and that was a pain Rhy knew very well. He thought once more of his room, of Alucard, of loving and losing when his beloved disappeared into the night with no explanation. Could Kell feel it now, the echo of remembered hurt and longing that beat in Rhy's heart. He didn't know, but perhaps it was possible, their link had been strong of late. Now though Lila marked Kell even more Rhy's brother, and it reminded him of all the things the two of them had never been able to share. Which was what made him speak up now.

"When this is over, we should take a trip."

Rhy knew how impossible it was, given how Kell was forbidden from leaving the palace unescorted. Of course it was worse now than it had been in the past. Still, Rhy wanted it with all of his heart, to see the world at his brother's side.

"Not this again," Kell insisted, and then thrust his cup into Rhy's hands. "Hold this."

Clearly he had seen someone in the crowds, and well before Rhy could say a word his brother was striding off at a hasty pace. Not for the first time, nor he suspected for the last, Rhy was left alone.