Victoria is saying something, but Ceridwen does not hear it, as his gaze locates the target of his interest, currently being helped up a flight of stairs leading to the guest bedrooms by a lone stallion. Seren is smarter than that, she wouldn’t let somepony get her alone. She knows how dangerous that can be. What is she doing? Different emotions war within Ceridwen’s head; The impulse to trust his sister knows what she’s doing, and respect her privacy, against the protective instinct within him.

It does not take long for one side to win out. Turning to Victoria, who is looking at him curiously having noticed his attention is elsewhere, Ceridwen bows his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid something just came up. It's been a pleasure meeting you, and I hope to see you again at the promenade.” That abrupt departure would surely be seen as an insult to her family, but he quite simply has more important things to worry about presently.

Even as he begins to first briskly walk, and then trot, his mind runs through the scenario. Surely, nothing is wrong, right? His sister is too smart to put herself in any danger. Perhaps it's an old family friend who Ceridwen’s antisocial impulses had kept him from ever meeting?

Despite those self-uttered reassurances, Ceridwen cannot dispel the cold feeling of ominousness that clouds his heart, as he watches the form of his sister disappear behind a closed door, and he breaks into flight.

----------------------------------------

As quickly and quietly as he can, Ceridwen shuts the door behind him. The hallway is desolate, save for the sound of hoofsteps around the corner; unsteady, not at all like the graceful hoofsteps he knew by heart. Narrowing his eyes, the feeling of dread intensifies as he silently darts to the corner of the hall, peaking around just in time to see the decidedly ungraceful form of Seren stagger into a room, followed momentarily later by a black unicorn stallion, who before closing the door, casts a suspicious gaze down first the far side of the hall, and then...

Ceridwen darts back into cover before he can be spotted. The sound of a lock activating erases any further doubt of the stallions intentions; there are no good reasons to lock just the two of them in there.

What should he do? Run to get the guards? Get the master key from his father? No, that would take too long; he can’t just leave Seren in there with him. Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerve, Ceridwen takes off, and flaps his wings with gale-like force, propelling himself into a spiraling missile headed straight for that door.

Locks are more of a suggestion for an athletic pegasus, anyhow.

With a thunderous crack the door sails off its hinges, a shocking jolt passing through Ceridwen’s entire skeleton, almost stunning him as he flaps his wings to twist about in mid-flight. Thankfully, the two ponies in the room are far more stunned by the shock; Seren is laying back on the bed, a dreamy smile on her face with half lidded eyes, while the unicorn stallion is halfway in the process of climbing up over her.

Growling, Ceridwen pivots in midair, swiveling his body over to dive into the stallion with both of his hind legs outstretched forwards. Two hooves connect with the unicorns barrel, throwing him full bodily into the wall as Ceridwen landed into a protective stance over Seren, one hoof raised and a fierce scowl on his face. “What do you think you’re doing, to MY SISTER?” Ceridwen practically screams out, flaring his wings out threateningly.

"Oh, hey Ceri... What are you doing here?" Seren drolls out from under him, flopping over onto her side. Ceridwen glances down at her, an almost sick expression on his face. This is not the Seren he knows, that much is for sure. Was she just drunk? No, this is definitely something more than that. Just what had he done to her?

Looking back up, Ceridwen realizes his distraction had allowed the unicorn to catch his breath and stand up, coughing and stretching his sore jaw. He must have been hurt, but he isn't bleeding, and he certainly isn't down yet. Spitting on the ground, he straightens himself out and smooths out his clothes. "Can't you give a lady some privacy? This doesn't concern you, mister overprotective brother." He states, settling into a more ready stance and circling in front of Ceridwen.

Ceridwen snarls at him. "Shut up. I know you did something to her. I'll wipe that smug grin off your face and drag the truth out of you if I have to!" Without wasting further time on banter, he leaps forwards, twisting his whole body in midair to swing his right wing with maximal force. The spur of the wing strikes his target right on the sternum, quickly followed by his other wing swooping after his enemy. But Elias ducks under the blow, and before Ceridwen can recover, the unicorn thrusts his horn into the pegasids neck.

"Gah!" Ceridwen gasps in shock, swinging both hooves out underneath himself in a kick to shove the unicorn away before quickly grasping at the wound. Blood trickles down from his neck, but the wound is not deep; just enough to warrant concern.

Rosewine's gaze flickers up at the blood tipped horn and sighs heavily. "Now look what you made me do! I can't believe I'm being forced to subject myself to this barbaric display." Lighting up his horn, a bolt of magic pulses out across the room, Ceridwen just barely leaping out of the way, twisting and swerving in mid flight to avoid another two follow up attacks before spinning in midair to swing his rear hoof down into the other aristocrats face. The impact slams Rosewine's muzzle directly into the ground, and he staggers backwards as Ceridwen lands right beside him, throwing both forelimbs around his withers and shoving him to the ground, pinning him with his horn facing away so he can’t attack directly. Time spent wrestling Seren had prepared him for this, and despite the unicorns struggling he is just about able to hold him still, not allowing him any leverage to resist.

"Now, talk! And I swear, if that horn of yours ignites, I'll snap it off!" Ceridwen barks out.

Rosewine growls out, struggling to push his legs up under him but unable to make any headway without more leverage. "How dare you touch me this way! My family will know of this, if you dare to touch my horn I'll-"

The conversation is cut off by a pair of guards surging into the room. "What is the meaning of this?" The first asks, striding up to the two wrestling ponies and seizing Ceridwen by the shoulders and ripping him away from his quarry.

Surprisingly, Seren is the one who responds first. "Sir Rosewine wanted to... To see me here, for some reason. Um. Then Ceri was angry about that for some reason..." She drolls out in a dreamy tone.

Ceridwen winces at that and staggers back, shaking off the guard's grip and casting him a baleful glare. "He did something to her, I don't know what, but he did! She doesn't normally act like this, and when I broke in here he was trying to force himself on her!" He shouts out indignantly.

The guard simply levers a dry look at him. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she's just infatuated? Mare's do stupid things when they're in love."

Ceridwen stares at him aghast, while Rosewine straightens up. "Y-yes, that's quite right! The mare seemed overwhelmed by the party so I simply offered to take her somewhere more private, before this ruffian broke in and assaulted us!" The noble exclaims, indignantly.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

No! There's no way I'm letting him get away with this! I'll... Thankfully for the tense circumstances, a sixth pony enters the room; the bedroom was getting rather cramped.

Ceridwen Starhawk Cadenza gulps nervously, as Evander Featherdash steps into the room, a cold and stern expression on his face. "Explain." The twins father demands, simply, not a hint of emotion betrayed in his voice.

The guard who spoke to him salutes. "The young lord claims that this guest did something to the young lady and was trying to force himself upon her! Sir Elias Rosewine by contrast states that Ceridwen simply broke in when he was trying to take her somewhere more comfortable."

Not waiting for a response, Evander turns his gaze to his daughter. "And you, Seren?"

Seren blinks, as if struggling to focus, as she rolls over back onto her front. "Um..." her tone sounds innocent, almost childlike. "I was just having a drink with sir Rosewine... Then I started feeling strange, so he offered to take me somewhere more comfortable... And when we got here, he got up on the bed, but then Ceri broke down the door and seemed really angry about something... And-"

Further explanation is halted by Evander Featherdash holding up a hoof. "Enough. Rosewine, return to the party. Seren will remain here."

Rosewine glances back and forth, seemingly wondering if he should accept the orders from the older stallion. After all, he wasn't under his authority, technically; the pointed glares of the guards, armed with pistols strapped to their sides and mouth-held steel blades, quickly makes up his mind, and he bows his head. "Of course. I'm sure we'll get this whole misunderstanding cleared up in no time." He shoots one last glare Ceridwen's way before hastily making his retreat.

Ceridwen stares aghast and surges forwards, only to be held back by the two guards. "What!? You can't seriously just mean to let him get away! He tried to rape Seren!" The pegasus gnashes his teeth, scowling furiously.

Evander turns to regard him coldly, as expressionless as ever. "And I believe you. You did a fine job, this fiasco could have had dire ramifications for our family if word had gotten out. As it is, nopony is any the wiser. As far as Rosewine goes, you have no evidence for your claims save your own testimony, and given your connection to your sister, I doubt that testimony would be worth much. I will not risk a political incident for the sake of petty revenge. The stallion has been cowed, I highly doubt he'll be so brazen as to try anything with her again this evening." He jerks his head towards Seren. "Come on, I'll have a guard escort Seren back to her quarters until she recovers. You should return to the ball, I saw you were making inroads with the other nobles. I want you to put this from your mind and keep up the good work."

Ceridwen Starhawk scowls, eventually taking a deep breath and relaxing, glancing back at his sister, who is currently looking around the chamber in a daze. One of the guards... He doesn’t know any of these ponies, he doesn’t know if they can be trusted, even if they do work for his family. Not with his sister in this state. Turning back, Ceridwen shakes his head firmly. "No. I'm not leaving Seren until she's feeling better."

"Ceridwen Starhawk..." Evander Featherdash's voice takes on the first hint of emotion it had displayed, an edge of hostility and warning.

Starhawk gulps in response. Normally, he would back down, he knows his father was to be obeyed without question. But in this circumstance, he simply couldn't bring himself to. Stomping a hoof down, and wearing the most resolved expression in his arsenal, he stands protectively over Seren. "I said I'm not leaving her!" He snaps.

Evander stares into his son's eyes for a long moment, seeing the fire contained within. Finally, he sighs, putting a hoof to his head in irritation. "Fine. I don't have time for this. Do what you will, just know that if you start any kind of conflict with the other houses I will throw you to the wolves." With that, the stallion stalks off through the remains of the door along with the two guardsponies.

"What's wrong, Hawky? Why is everypony so upset?" Seren asks, stumbling off the bed and trotting up behind him to loosely throw her forelimbs around him.

Ceridwen sits down, closing his eyes as he tries to calm himself. "I'll explain it to you later. You trust me, right?" He asks, looking over at her sympathetically. That bastard... What the hell did he do to her? Seeing her like this just felt wrong. Not assertive or defensive at all, almost as though she'd mentally regressed. If this isn't temporary, I will kill him. No matter what father says. Of that, he has no doubt.

"Oh, okay. Of course, Hawky." Seren replies, affectionately nuzzling her beak against his.

Looking over at the doorframe, shattered wood around the door-handle still attached to the wall the only proof a door had been on those hinges at all, Ceridwen quirks his mouth. "Hey, Seren? Could we go back to your room, do you think?" He asks, steadily. It would be more sheltered there. Rationally he knows it's highly unlikely any guests would try something with him sitting right there, but he still feels nervous anyways.

Seren tilts her head curiously. "Huh? Why? Isn't the party still going on?" She grins with an unfocused look on her face. "Hey, maybe we could go back and dance some more!" She sways on her hooves as if imitating a dance but looking more like a drunken sailor who'd just gotten back on land after a year at sea. “Maybe I could meet another sweet stallion and he could whisk me off my feet and we’d get married!” She babbles on, eagerly.

Ceridwen winces in keen discomfort as a musky scent fills his nostrils. Whatever that stallion had done to her, it seemed like it had forced his sister into heat. If there is anything that was certain, it is that he is not allowing her anywhere near the ballroom, that scent would drive just about any compatible stallion into mania.

"I... Want to show you something." Ceridwen lies. He hates having to do that, but he just has to make sure Seren is safe right now. He would tell her later, anyways... Assuming she is back to herself later, that is. "Come on, walk with me?" Ceridwen offers a hoof in the most formal way he knew how.

Seren takes her brothers talons in her own eagerly, giggling as she does, and bumping into him. "Oh, okay. Of course, dear brother."

Shutting his eyes tightly, Ceridwen tries to steady himself before stepping out into the hall. Thankfully, the familiar formal walk seems to return some manner of instinctual elegance to Seren and she stumbles less as she walks, while Ceridwen escorts her down the hall and up the stairs towards her bedchambers.

Only after the bedroom doors are firmly shut behind them and locked, does Ceridwen finally breathe out a sigh of relief. There is still a dim commotion from the party downstairs, but it is muted through the glazed terracotta floors. Turning back, Ceridwen trots over to the bed and collapses down into the bed-sheets, groaning. The tension, the pain from his wound, the pounding in his hooves from the impact against the doors, all wears on him, leaving the release from the pressure of standing suddenly quite the relief.

He feels the cushions shift as the other pony in the room hops up onto the bed next to him, before plummeting into the covers herself. "It sure is comfy here, huh Hawky?" Seren asks, rolling over and stretching out so that one each of fore and rear limbs loosely wraps around Ceridwen.

Ceridwen blushes brightly, burying his face in the blankets. She's not in her proper mind right now, remember. He reminds himself. You just have to keep her away from all the other stallions. With that in mind, he reluctantly settles into the cuddly unicorns embrace. He can feel her, softly twitching against his fur, her hindlimbs squeezing around one of his own legs. “I’ve, um, been more comfortable.” He replies finally. Not physically of course... Just emotionally. “It’s been a long time since I slept here.”

The latter thought, more of a musing than an actual contribution to any kind of conversation, brings back memories; colthood days, full of play-fighting, make believe, reading and sleepovers in this very same room. Only a little bit reluctantly, Ceridwen curls his only free remaining limb around his sister's barrel, returning the affectionate gesture.

Seren seems content with the position at least, giggling softly and squirming against him. I sure hope she’s not angry with me once she snaps out of this... He sighs. He hadn’t been this close to another pony in years. As much as he would have liked to just close his eyes and wait it out, he knows he has to stay awake; how else would he be able to do what he’d promised, and make sure nopony gave her any trouble?

Stuck in the grasp of a presently very clingy mare, Ceridwen Starhawk settles in for what is looking to be a very long night, indeed.