"Vangelis," The crown prince introduced himself to the Mikaelidas Lord, his hand reaching out to shake the one proffered before him. "...of Kotas." The man might not have recognised his face - understandably enough given that they hadn't previously met and he hadn't recognised his in return, but he would be familiar with his name. The royal families and their members, of all the kingdoms, were well known by the nobility everywhere else. It was just a matter of placing faces with names when the greeting was done in person.

"And I actually know little of horses." He admitted to the man, taking back his hand in order to gently pat the nose of the steed closest to him. His signet ring caught the light as he did so, and his red cloak - fastened over one shoulder in an attempt to make his boots, riding pants and shirt more formal (he had utterly refused to don the toga again) - shifted from his arm and brushed the ground at his feet. "I just know quality when I see it." He complimented, with a polite nod.

Before the conversation could go further, two more of the Taengean nobility joined the two men, intent on seeing the horses and the competitors who would guide them to possible victory.

Vangelis recognised the man as Georgios Leventi - one of the Leventi forebears who had once escorted him around one of the Houses finer provinces, in order to show him the birthing and livelihoods of the horses Colchis had been investing in over the last half dozen years. The man had seemed congenial enough and Vangelis had liked him a significant degree more than his elder brother Fotios, whom he had only greeted in passing and seemed indifferent to Vangelis and his rank. Not that his ego needed stroking, but a man who refused to show manners over pride was never one that the prince would trust on sight. Georgios, on the other hand, had always been polite and jovial in his dealings with Vangelis or in fact his brothers, who had occasionally come in his place when dealing with Taengean horse trade.

Vangelis' attention was not held long by the face that was familiar to him, however, as one that was new captured it almost instantly. For he felt sure he had never seen such a beauty before...

Logic dictated that the young women standing beside Lord Georgios - a man famed for his fidelity to his wife - was his daughter over any other possible connection. And as Vangelis had already noted Theodora at the Leventi event the evening prior, that left only two Leventi daughters that this one could be, based on her age. While all murmurings of the Leventi daughters overseas insisted that the entire family was one of truly beautiful daughters, there were only two names that had ever been deemed beautiful enough to be touched by the Gods. And there was no possible way Vangelis could attribute this woman's looks to one who had not been so blessed. By process of elimination, therefore... this had to be Selene...

Vangelis had never been, nor did he ever intend to be a man who praised external aesthetics over the strength and beauty of a heart and soul. Nor was he someone who judged a persons worth on the accident of how their face was arranged. Growing up in a court where the three excessively beautiful Thanasi sisters were heralded as dangerous and unkind (something he was not a hundred percent convinced of after his voyage with the Lady Thea, but he did admit that she was strange), meant that any inclination to judge someone on the shallow basis of appearance was taught out of him a long time ago.

But... as he had said to Lord Achilleas... He knew quality when he saw it. And Selene was undeniably exquisite. With hair the colour of sunshine and skin delicately sunkissed, the brightness of her sky blue gown drew every possible eye in her direction - male and female - some in envy and others in awe.

"May I present my daughter, the Lady Selene, Your Majesty?" the Lord Georgios introduced as was protocol, prompting the lady in question to curtsy with a grace Vangelis had rarely seen, and for him to bend at the waist of offer a shallow bow of respect, despite him outranking the two of them.

"You may indeed." He murmured, his eyes tracking the girl's face as she rose back to standing. "A pleasure to meet you, my Lady."

As the girl spoke, inquiring as to the day and its suitability for a chariot race, Vangelis was made startlingly aware of the difference in their tones. While he was rough, deep, and sounded like he had eaten gravel for breakfast - a decade of shouting orders in smoke-filled battlezones would do that to a man's vocal chords - the Lady Selene spoke with a soft and musical zone that befit her name. Like the sound would break if left in the air for too long...

He nodded in response to her polite entreaty.

"I agree. The Lord Achilleas and I were just discussing the beauty of your Leventi stock..." He commented - now addressing the both of them and bringing the king's nephew back into the conversation. "You must be very proud of your thoroughbreds, Lord Georgios." He complimented, determined not to look at Selene as he did so. After the party last night, Vangelis was more than a little aware of how his wife at least saw their daughters...

It was at that moment that the Lady Thea approached closer. Since being with him on his journey, the lady had been an off-to-one-side and aloof sort of shadow that Vangelis had accepted responsibility for while rarely having to be within her personal space - a place neither of them seemed to want him to be occupying. Now, however, she moved a little closer, determining that they should find better seats for the race before it began.

"Of course, Lady Thea." He acquiesced - he was going to be stuck with Dionysios's strangest daughter for another few weeks as he journeyed to Athenia and then back home - so it made sense to at least be polite. "Might I introduce you first to the Lady Selene and her father Lord Georgios." He indicated the both of them with separate hand gestures, hating the contrivances of opening pleasantries. "My Lord, this is Lady Thea of Thanasi, a daughter of one of our royal senators back in Colchis."

“A pleasure.” Achilleas said with a nod for the prince. He’d known that the man before him was a Kota, but it was the prince’s given name he’d been unsure of until just now. But to be fair it wasn’t like he’d actually been introduced to the prince at the party.

Achilleas chuckled quietly, “Then you have an excellent eye your highness.” He said, dropping his arm back to his side once the prince had released his hand. He looked at his horses, affection in his gaze for the majestic animals. “For they are truly magnificent creatures, are they not?”

At the sound of Selene’s voice, Achilleas turned his attention from Vangelis to his soon to be sister-in-law, affection and a certain amount of appreciation for her physical beauty in his eyes for his heart belonged to another. “My lady, my lord.” He said with a bow of his own for Selene and her father. “Very fine day indeed.” He said once he’d straightened up again, smiling in response to hers though his faded rather quickly in compared to hers.

“Indeed we were.” Achilleas said, stroking the neck of the nearest horse almost absently as the prince complimented the Leventi horses. “Very fortunate to have been able to purchase such fine steeds.” Unlike Vangelis, he did look at Selene then, certainly aware of Selene’s beauty. But as he’d visited the Leventi family before, though not for many years. Back then it’d been Theodora he’d been drawn to, and nothing had changed for him in those years. Selene was more beautiful than Theodora, and he would’ve happily wed her, if her sister hadn’t won his heart decades ago. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, my lord, my lady.”

Achilleas stroked his hand down the horses neck again when prince Vangelis introduced Selene and her father to the Lady Thea, prepared to greet her if he were to be introduced but he still had things to get done before the race so he was content enough being ignored for the time being.

Since the group had grown in size yet again in the last few minutes with the arrival of the Lady Thea, Achilleas was able to detach himself without giving insult to prince Vangelis or anyone else. He murmured apologies and turned his attention to double checking the harnesses of his chariot horses before the start of the race.

Thea had thought to move along before getting involved in the featherlight social conversation, though with such as stiff and stern traveling companion - and a crown prince to boot - she should have known better. Nethis thrived in these situations and for the briefest of moments, she wished her sister were at her side, if only to help her navigate through these things -all cunning and charm, always knowing just the thing to say. Granted, these were simple pleasantries, so it would not kill her.

As the crown prince spoke, Thea coaxed her face into a cordial expression, her eyes sizing up each person as she was certain the riders had when choosing their horses. There was no doubt that Selene was an exceptional beauty, and the way she carried herself along side her father made it known. Thea could not help but wonder if she were indeed simply another ornament in a case, but only time would tell. With an appropriate curtsey, cautious as always to keep the wine level and undisturbed.

"A pleasure, My Lord, My Lady," she replied, trying to think of something further to say, before making the ultimate decision to fall back behind the shield of apparent shyness, lifting her wine closer to her chest and ducking her head a bit, "I am not of many words. I was not as blessed in that way as my sisters."

These situations were always filled with awkwardness, trying to find something just pleasant and curious enough to say without prying too deeply, as she often did, or saying something too false and vapid, as she despised seeing others do. As the pleasantries passed and Lady Selene began to speak with her escort, her eyes began to drift to the other chariots, and she raised a brow as a chariot that could have been built by Dionysus himself distracted her. As she was prone to do, Thea silently drifted from the conversation, slowly drawn toward the stranger's chariot as a moth to a flame, reaching out to delicately to trace a grapevine along the chariot.

"May Dionysus keep you through the race," she said, looking up to him and raising the wine to her lips without losing eye contact as she took a few steps away and turning back towards the others as they went to find their seats.

Vangelis was finding it a little difficult to remove his gaze from the lovely Lady Selene. Not only was she beautiful in symmetry but her face was complimentary to itself. Her eyes and brows balanced out a wider mouth, a straight nose complimented thinner lips and shape of her face was more angular than many would consider beautiful, but it was constructed in a way that gave the entire visage an overwhelmingly alluring quality. He took the strange phenomenon to be the results of the blessings she and her family were rumoured to have received from the Goddess of Love herself, and turned with a start at Lord Georgios' comments regarding his wife's marital ambitions for his daughter.

Vangelis considered his words carefully, unsure how to proceed on a topic that was so delicate - especially when spoken of around one of the daughters in question.

"I understand well the desire to have your own House's inheritance assured." He commented in return with a nod. "Legacy is a powerful thing and, provided that all of the sons and daughters who are tasked with securing it are content in their part I see no reason why I, or any other noble, should not be encouraged to meet with your fine daughters." Vangelis gave another low bow to accompany his words and then nodded personally to Selene, in the hopes that he had not unintentionally offended her while trying to be compliant with her father. He had chosen his words carefully but sometimes women saw meaning in language that men were entirely ignorant to. He had seen his mother read people and words with such accuracy that it was as if she were reading the future.

As the Lady Thea naturally drifted away from the conversation - a behaviour Vangelis had seen her do several times on the ship journey they had shared from Colchis, even when it was only to the other side of the deck - he paid it little mind. She was not particularly social - as he had discovered - not unlike himself, but was not limited in the way he was to how people would perceive his lack of interpersonal skills. A liberty indeed...

As the Lord Georgios invited Vangelis and his retinue to join the House in the upper levels of the spectators, Vangelis glanced at his bodyguards and Nike, who made no comment and then offered a "why not" hand gesture.

"By all means," He told the man, conscious that the Lady Thea had also been concerned for finding good seats up in the stands, and he hadn't at all reserved any ahead of time. "I'm sure we'd be delighted."

As the Thanasi daughter wandered back over from whatever she had been doing to the Condos chariot (if that thing lost a wheel half way around the track he would be having words with the woman), the noble group - Lord Georgios, his daughter, Vangelis, his retinue and Lady Thea, all bid Lord Achilleas adieu - Vangelis nodded and gave him a good luck also - and headed towards the nearest stairs up into the stands.

It was as they reached the bottom of those stairs that a war bugle could be heard, giving two short blasts and then a third longer one, summoning all those who were not due to race out of the rink and into the safety of the stadium.

The noise encouraged all racers to step up into their chariots, their final checks performed and all those still on the sandy ground to head out towards the external stands. Vangelis watched with a frown as he noted the second Mikaelidas chariot - the one rode by Prince Zacharias - being backed up and removed from the starting line by a handful of servants.

Vangelis looked around the circus, half expecting the prince to come striding in, late but calm as ever and correct the withdrawal, but no such thing occurred... He frowned. It was true that he did not know the prince that well, but his reputation in charioteering was well known across the three kingdoms. He felt it severely unlikely that the man would miss the biggest race of the year.

Then again... Vangelis knew too well the responsibilities of a crown prince and how they could intrude on one's personal leisures. Mayhaps the prince had simple been called to attend to issues in the palace and would be unable to race. He was sure the other competitors would be pleased. The only man in today's line up who had been supposedly blessed by the Gods in charioteering was now withdrawn from play. Whoever won the race today would be open for battle.

As Vangelis and his group made their way up the stairs towards one of the top boxes in the stadium - Vangelis played the gentleman and held a hand out to the Lady Selene for balance as she would surely have difficulty with her gown. He prompted Nike to do the same for the Lady Thea, highly amused at the match up...

Once the group were arranging their seating, Vangelis stood back, determined to be on the aisle seat in order to stretch out his legs to full-length (he was not someone who enjoyed sitting for long periods of time) and his guards shifted themselves into several seats behind the nobles.

It was at this point that Vangelis overheard a man speaking sharply and he glanced towards a large and ungroomed gentleman yelling harshly under his breath at a young, blonde slave girl. The man kept pointing at a jug of water she had clearly been forced to set down - it was ridiculously large for a young maid of her height - and then waved a hand at the crowd over and over. Vangelis got the gist fairly quickly.

Jogging down the few steps separating him from the slave and her master, he placed a hand on the slaver's shoulder and smiled coldly.

"Be not offended, Sir." He told him. "I asked the girl to place the jug down so that my guards could monopolise it. Such a hot day for armour is it not?"

And before the man could sputter any kind of retort, Vangelis took the jug up from the ground and, with a momentary wink at the slave girl - a moment of gaiety had stolen over him that he couldn't seem to shift - he headed back up the stairs to place the jug beside their row - indeed monopolising it for himself and his retinue as he had claimed.

It was as Vangelis was coming back to sit down in his chosen seat - closest to the stairs - that another horn was sounded - this one was to announced that all riders prepare themselves. The spectators had clearly drifted from the rink and it was time to begin the race.

At the start line, high above the competitors were four bronze dolphins, speared on a horizontal bar that ran across the invisible line that was both their start and finish. As the racers completed a circuit the dolphins would be nudged by a pulley system instead the bar and their noses would swing from pointing to the sky, to down at the ground. After the fourth dolphin had turned its nose to the earth it was all bets were off and the racers would be entering the final lap. Five laps of mayhem, noise and chaos.

The energy around him made it perfectly clear that the spectators were on the edge of their seats. This was what most of them had waited for over the last three days. This was what many had been waiting for all year.

The power, the glory and the chaos of the rink and the combatant's determination to lead their Houses to victory.

Vangelis leaned forward, his knees spread and his elbows braced upon them, as he shrugged out of his cloak, the material pooling around the middle of his back. He was in no way ashamed or embarrassed that he was not competing - Colchis was far from heralded for it's charioteering skills. But put him on a boat or in a hand to hand fight and he would be down on that front line with everyone else...

"Let's see what you're made of Taengea..." He muttered under his breath as that bugle started up.

First short blast...

Horses snorted and people started to cheer...

Second short blast...

Reins were pulled in tight, horses danced, and the feet of spectators stomped out a rhythm in the stands.

Third blast!

And they were off!

Nikos had always thought Aicides was a beautiful stallion. With his shining gray coat and long, luscious mane, it's no surprise that he was the personal favorite of the team. Proudly brandished colorful ribbons and cords braided through his thick mane and tail, his hindquarters emblazoned with the Condos crest, the horse was a gorgeous sight, as was the rest of the team. The team and chariot's image had been ornately crafted, for if House Condos wouldn't be crowned champion, the Circus was the perfect opportunity for advertisement and endorsement of all House Condos had to offer.

Nikos was always inspired by his father's ability to envision some way for success, even when failure was eminent.

It was in this moment that Nikos was aroused from his innermost thoughts, awoken by the words of a woman.

Before him stood the mysterious Lady Thea, admiring the craftsmanship his chariot displayed. Nikos was at once uneasy to be in the presence of a witch, but her words and piercing gaze stirred some part deep within himself. It was at once as if he could feel a blessing of Dionysus himself as she walked away, those enchanting blue eyes channeling power into him. It was inciting.

His house worshiped Dionysus, relied on him for their lush fields and famous wine. His father worshiped the god, and he would even ride for Dionysus today, carted around the track on his chariot of grapevines.

And then the warhorn filled the stadium. It was nearly time to ride.

The next few minutes were a blur: Nikos quickly checked his armor, performed a once-over on the chariot and horses, climbed into position, shook and stretched his body in preparation for the ride.


The countdown began.

One.

He held tightly to the promise he had made his father, as it had almost slipped his mind. The adrenaline, the emotion, it came dangerously close to ushering the thought from his head completely.

Two.

And Lady Thea's words, too. She was powerful, invigorating, he almost believed Dionysus would be racing alongside him.

Three!

Nikos pushed the team hard at the start. They were strong, powerful horses, and he needed to get their blood pumping in preparation for the rest of the race. He would need to gain ground at the beginning of the race now, so he wouldn't end up too far behind in later races. His plan in place, he ran the horses hard to reach the front of the pack.

Alek scrambled up from the depths of the hippodrome, dusting off his hands with a quick clap. On his face he wore a rather smug smile, as if he'd just laid with the goddess of love herself. It hadn't been quite such a feat, but he'd rank it pretty close. After all, he'd just talked some overeager noble boy into buying some herbs from the Far East, ones that would endow his horses with extra quickness for the duration of the race.

The bard subconsciously reached into the depths of his satchel then, running his fingers over the gold coin he'd managed to wrest from the poor sap in exchange for said herbs. Or, as others would call them, some weeds he'd pulled from the roadside on his way here.

His smile sharpened, even as he fought off the other rabble to secure himself a seat. Not exactly his kind of people but he didn't want to be anywhere near the upper classes in case the lordling had friends, even despite the fact that he didn't think the lad bright enough to discover his ruse.

Funnily enough, Alekos now found himself rooting for his poor mark. The idiot didn't stand a chance but, hey, there was always the off chance that he'd stumbled onto a miracle weed by sheer dumb luck.

That didn't appear to be the case when his eyes finally locked upon the boy's team once more. As expected, the lordling was bringing up the rear. Beyond that, however, Alek noticed that his horses were what he would call highly agitated, not being an expert equestrian or anything.

The grin immediately bled from his face.

It was now obvious to all the spectators that something was wrong with the poor sap's horses. They were frenzied, and charging forward with reckless speed.

So in a way, the kid had gotten exactly what he'd paid for.

She was used men looking at her, unable to glance away for the sake of her beauty. After all, she was said to have the grace and beauty of Aphrodite herself. And while Selene was content with simply being blessed by the goddess, even that felt like a hope. She did her best to give offerings to the deity, to be as gentle and sweet as the goddess would want her to be. So it wasn't odd that men stared at her, for her face truly was well made. But to have caught the eye of a prince? That was exactly what she had hoped to do.

But now that she had his eye, would she be able to keep it?

Her father didn't seem to think too much about the words of the prince. "My wife lacks a bit of tact when it comes seeing to the happiness of her daughters. She loves them dearly and wishes them to be well matched. As do it. And you are most kind." Selene's sigh was gentle, close to silent. If only her mother didn't appear a bit intimating. She wished that she wouldn't have made her ambitions for lands and titles for her daughters so obvious. But a mother's biggest concern was to see her daughters happy, right? Even if it felt so... ambitious. Their goals were the same, but she thought she would be a bit less forward with her hopes. And a part of her wishes were wholly on making her family proud.

As they made their way up to their upper box, her eyes were focused on the racers. Why were they removing the crown prince's chariot? He should have been racing? It would certainly make for a more interesting race this way, if nothing else. At first, she thought her father would hand her into the box, but when the prince offered his hand, she couldn't refuse. It was warm in her own, her cheeks flushing a bit as she made her way to her seat. She was busy whispering with her father about the chances of the racers, not seeing the prince returning to the box until he had a water jug in hand. Her eyebrow raised, but she said nothing, since the horns were sounding.

"With the crown prince out of the race, it will be most interesting indeed!" She said over the noise, eyes meeting Vangelis's briefly before focusing on the race, the chariot's taking off and the action beginning.