Yuri had seen an opportunity and had taken it. The ice had been so obvious on the pathway, and he made sure to wander in its direction in order to talk and greet some of the people nearby. He was always good at charming them, but he didn't want to overshadow Yuki here. Also… he hoped he would hurt himself enough that Yuki would think to send him home. Before they were even off of the train Yuri had been homesick.
He was depressed, still grieving his dead wife, and now Yuki had strongarmed him into going north with her to Isklan to guide her in the ways of Princess-ing. How was he supposed to focus on that when his heart still ached?
Well, at least Mirai didn't attempt to heal these wounds. Nothing was very bloody beyond his elbows and hands from where the ice had scraped him up, though plenty of the rest of him was quite sore. It was an excuse to stay in bed and miss the feast, miss mingling with all of the new nobles, and absolutely to miss the many women who would throw themselves at him. Either it would be for his looks or for a shot at the throne in case Yuki or Mirai died and Yuri had an heir with them.
Politics schmoliticks, just as Yuki said not too long ago over tea. Bed was safe. Always safer.
Until the dancer came along.
Pale skinned like the rest of them, with waves of short brown hair oiled and combed over his head. He was in all black like most, with a ruffled ascot that was the only thing Yuri could tell was a separate piece of clothing than the rest. Everything blended together in a mass of black along puffy sleeves and slim pants that Yuri wasn't sure where the shirt began and where the pants did.
Not that he could focus on it for very long. In fact, Yuri would say that he blinked and was suddenly in one of the rooms offshoot from the ballroom, dressed in simple and airy clothes -- "Not black," he remembered arguing, "I'm sick of wearing black" -- and having books stacked upon his head.
"What… what is the goal of this, Cathal?"
Cathal, the dancer, the man in molten black, looked up from where he was drawing a subtle cat's eye above his pale eyes. Not quite white but not quite grey… some opaque opal, or very pale pink. Yuri wanted a closer look but that was an embarrassing thought, truly. "Balance, Your Highness. I've been told the most terrible stories of the spills you took on the trip here -- if you're going to walk around this frigid land, you need to know balance! We cannot have the Prince of Notos harming himself while here on a mission of peace!"
The loud enunciation of "mission of peace" sent Yuri into a stumble, the books falling as he flailed to catch them. It was a graceless action, leaving Yuri sliding to his knees in an attempt to pick them up. Cathal wandered over, kneeling to assist, and plopped them back onto Yuri's head. "I mean no offense Your Highness… but I do wonder how the crown never fell off of your head in Notos."
Yuri was never one to really be offended, so he laughed a bit. "It tried to slip off a few times, believe me." Realizing that the next task was for him to stand up without dropping the books. While doing so, Cathal stepped back and turned to sit back on his stool and finish decorating his eyes. "What do you mean by… a mission of peace, though?" One of the books slid. Cathal had yet to turn and face Yuri, so he quickly caught it and held it in place.
"Exactly as it says, Your Highness." Cathal shrugged and tossed a hand to the side. "Your sister was married to form an alliance between the north and the south, no? To prevent war with the east and the west. But also to prevent war with the south." Turning and planting himself onto the chair, he raised his brows. "You know that there were hostilities with the east while you were married to its Crown Princess. To have you here now is quite an effort toward keeping everything calm across the board, is it not?"
Yuri blinked and stared, unable to help himself, before he reached up to take the books off of his head and inspect the covers. He hated being reminded of his time in the east, the sweet Princess he cared for tirelessly and the amount of times he asked "Why do we need to fight?" He knew why, however. The people wanted the Princess to be better with medicine from the other regions, but was also the region that refused to trade with others.
He had been sent there to marry her -- insisted on it himself, actually -- in an attempt to help. Notos' medicines had only improved her temporarily, enough for Yuri to truly grow fond and in love with her and see her smile and enjoy the sunlight and water and a few of the festivals. Yet it wasn't long before her illness returned with a vengeance and a tolerance for southern medicine.
Her death was probably the cause of the hostilities. If the east knew Yuri was up north supporting a blockade against their aggressions….
"Has the entire continent been told?" he found himself asking finally, looking up at Cathal.
Raising his brows, Cathal pursed his lips. "Well, I'm sure word got out somehow. Isklan doesn't try to… toot its own train horn, so to speak. But you know how the nobles gossip, I'm sure." Lowering his hands to his lap as he took in Yuri's expression, having melted into something like distant horror, he continued, "Why? Is there a problem?"
"If they know I'm here…" Yuri clutched the books harder against his chest. "Things won't be peaceful for very long."