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I danced with the princess?
Well now, that certainly put a spin on things. Then again, this was a ball, why shouldn't he have danced with the princess? It's not like Lord D'Angelo could kill him any more than he already would if he found out the Marco had left without permission.
"Ah, I guess I should take my leave. It was a pleasure to have danced with you, m'lady, and I apologize for my little, ah, 'mistake' earlier."
See, who said Marco couldn't be tactful when the situation called for it? He quietly slipped away to a placed where he could mingle and still keep an eye on things.

[Wouldn't he know that Rhea is the bodyguard? After all, he did see them earlier in Catarina's room, and Rhea was acting like her guard...]

"No, all is forgiven. Thank you for the dance Sir Marco."

*Again she curtsied. Then she turned her attention back to the man who was going to ruin Catarina's life...*

"Sorry about that."

*She smiled again.*

At her confirmation of her identity, unbeknown to him a lie, Va'an raised his eyebrows curiously, but also in a pleased manner. "Ah, so you are my betrothed. It might have been fate which crossed our stars and brought us together in such a union, but a chance meeting such as this was surely born of fortune--what luck." He beamed back, but softly, and even through his somber if not altogether sharp features his gladness shone true. "Good bye my good man, and fare well." Va'an bid a courteous good-bye to his 'rival' though it was more of a dismissal, and then turned his attentions back on who he thought was Catarina. "Think nothing of it my dear, as I think there is nothing lordly about myself. Please, do call me Va'an." Actually, she might have had to look down to meet his gaze, as he stood at a humble 5'8" thanks to his German genes, but they were a blessing for his height had saved him once before during a riding accident when a horse's hoof struck him squarely on the cheek bone. Had the blow been only an inch lower and struck his jaw, he would surely be missing more than a few teeth to say the least, and had it struck an inch higher, he would surely have been struck dead.

"Absolutely," Gavin beamed, "I would love to escort you to your boudoir and join you in a glass of a fine vintage wine." He extended his hand to Viviana, still oblivious to the drunkards staggering away from the pair. "Shall we?" He expertly crooked his arm so her arm was linked through his and he swept off just inside the doors to the ballroom.

Catarina smiled brightly as they glided back into the ballroom. Quickly she looked around to check if the party was going as planned before they escaped all the commotion. Her emerald gaze skimmed over the crowd and stopped to find Rhea talking to a complete stranger. Rhea looked up and caught her gaze giving her a warning glance. Quickly realizing who the man must be Catarina rushed back the way they came dragging Gavin along with her. “I’m sorry Gavin but something has just come to my attention in the ball room and it would be best if we didn’t go through arm in arm. I’ll explain later but if you could just meet me in my rooms I would really appreciate it.” Leaving Gavin standing there with a stunned look on his face Catarina rushed back to the ball room to Rhea’s rescue. Sauntering up to the couple she quickly pasted a courtly smile on her face and prepared herself to face the man she had been trying to avoid all evening. “Hello Rhea, care to introduce me to this lovely gentleman?” Ignoring the alarm bells that Rhea was setting off in her head, Catarina turned to look at her parents latest chosen one concentrating on keeping the stiff smile on her face.

Hm. Wearing a minute frown on his face Gavin reflexively straightened where his jacket sleeve had been rumpled by Catarina dragging him from the ballroom. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that. Well, if we can't be seen in public entering her boudoir... Walking quickly but quietly back to the arbor where they had kissed, Gavin glanced round the exterior of the palace until he found what he was looking for. A high balcony with large glass-work doors and thick maroon drapes. Verdant trellises festooned with white roses braced the balcony itself, giving him an easy method of entry. With a quick glance round for guards, Gavin checked to ensure that his "peace-bonded" rapier would not fall out of its' sheath and quickly scaled the trellis. At the top he paused, crouching on the railing with the tails of his cloak hanging about him like a bats' wings, before slipping down onto the balcony and letting himself inside. He didn't bother to light any of the tapers in the room, instead allowing himself to sit in what looked like a relaxed pose in a plush chair in the deepest shadows of the room.

A small smirk popped up on Catarina's face as she watched Abendroth saunter away. Well, mother and father certainly know how to pick them don't they... Looking over at Rhea's astonished face Cat chuckled. "Well that was easier than I thought. It would seem that this Lord Abendroth has no interest in me whatsoever and seeing as he is content to find his own entertainment I believe I have a guest who awaits my presence elsewhere." Catarina glided through the crowd waltzing across the hall to the foyer where she quickly disappeared up the grand staircase her brilliant smile back in its rightful place.

((Kisu flatters himself to imagine that's difficult, either for himself as he is or for his characters. Same level of intellect. In the words of Collective Soul: 'Congratulations/ Oh baby I'm back again.'))

Gavin tensed slightly in the armchair and his fingers brushed over the wirebound hilt of his rapier as he heard light footsteps on the staircase. His sword may have been peacebonded for the ball, but he could snap the silken cords without any effort should need be. He listened as hard as he could and forced himself to relax into a more natural position to better take advantage of the shadows of the boudoir.

The door opened and his eyes darted over the silhouette in the doorway before he relaxed. "Catarina?" Gavin asked softly, but warmly, and sat forward in the chair so that the silver moonbeams highlighted half of his face and shimmered off the threads of his shirt and vest. "So glad you could join me, after you threaded your way through the crowd."