Part: 3 ~ The Many Rooms

Clark smirks, steps forward, and looks at the rest of the group. The otter Meígma states in pure smugness, "you got some balls, little dude." "Why is that?" Canis interjects confused at the comment. Kathleenia answers Canis' proposed question, "Simple, you made a claim against one of the country's most held principles, Artemis could have sent you to death for that." Canis, shocked that the rest of the selected would think Artemis would do such a thing, takes a step backward and bumps into a maid who was walking towards them. The maid trips slightly but does not fall, as she pats down her skirt Canis notices she is dressed differently than all the other maids decorating the ballroom for the welcoming ball, with a dark navy-blue bow rather than the dark red bows that line all the other maids' necks. The maid introduces herself as May Pexisal, the head maid of the palace. May shifts her focus to an oak door opposite the direction Artemis stormed off towards. May starts walking towards the door and calmly speaks, "Please follow me to your rooms. The crowned prince has requested you attend lunch with him and the Queen at your convenience." Canis walks quickly to match May's speed, "I'm sorry for walking into you." Canis speaks in a soft tone, as he speaks Canis body shifts from its normal balanced self, into a submissive and scared stance. "No worries, sir." May states as she gives a soft smile to Canis. Kathleenia interjects the conversation, "What makes him think we will join him." May quickly responds "He wishes for you to attend at your convenience, he does not require you to participate, he is simply asking." May reaches the door and opens it to show a painting-covered hallway with multiple smaller oak doors. "Why so many paintings, they all look horrible?" Shiba quickly asks as she looks at the collection of modern paintings. "These horrible paintings were painted by the late king; the queen has refused to remove them or change their location. The prince has no say in these paintings as they were left for the current ruler of the palace. If you marry the prince, you can have them removed but that would be a disgrace to the late king." May responds slightly agitated as she reaches a set of doors. Each door has one of the selected names written on a portion of the door in white and blue chalk.

"Here are your rooms, please feel free to settle in. At noon lunch with the crowned prince and queen will be served in the great hall. There will be the white door all the way at the end of this hall, and you will find the grand hall inside. If you ever need anything, just ask one of the palace workers for me, they will quickly inform me, and I will respond as quickly as possible." May states as she starts to leave. Shiba quickly responds in a disappointed and critical tone, "We all don't get our own maid or butler? What sort of palace is this? We have to all share one of the busiest people in this whole place. This is an outrage!" May does not respond, she simply keeps walking down the hall. Canis responds instead, "She is the head maid, she is the prince's main caretaker and assistant; it would make sense she would be shared between the prince and his spouse." Shiba intersects with a sense of morbid curiosity "Why the hell did you say spouse?" "Well considering not everyone here is female to begin with it would be rude to say wife. The same way it would be rude to say husband." Canis responds as if it were second nature, though his posture and facial expression showing clear frustration with Shiba. Clark stands between Canis and Shiba clearly agitated. Clark looks Canis up and down, pausing for a second and speaking in a harsh tone, "Are you picking a fight with a girl?" Canis looks down at the ground and takes a step backwards bumping into a small side table with a glass vase containing wolf's bane flowers, the vase begins to spin and edges towards the side of the table eventually falling.

Before the vase can reach the marble floor and shatter, Artemis catches it then places the vase back on the side table. Artemis then steps forward to look Clark in the eyes, speaking with confidence, "Are you starting a fight indoors?" Clark raises his fists, taking a fighting stance, "So what if I am!" Artemis sighs as Clark approaches to punch Artemis. Artemis quickly and effortlessly grabs Clark's left arm, twisting him around and holding his left arm behind his back. Artemis speaks clearly annoyed with Clark, "If you want to spar or fight do it outside like gentlemen." Clark screams "Let me go you moronic pretty boy!" Artemis grinning from ear to ear, "If that is what you desire.", removes his grip on Clark causing Clark to fall face first into the ground. Canis runs over to Clark without a second thought and showing some concern asks, "Are you okay?" as Canis offers a hand to Clark to help him up from the ground. Clark swats Canis' hand away, clearly angered from his humiliating defeat, and proceeds to aggressively bark at Canis "Did I ask for your help, you tamed piece of trash!"