Raphame had donned a purple suit and matching mask. Purple wasn't normally his color; it was a royal color, and he tended to prefer red, gold, or white. He was a man who rarely did or said something without reason, so naturally, his color of choice had been picked for a particular reason. Namely, he was almost sure Val would choose a shade of purple dress and mask (hopefully and very likely a darker shade).
That was how Rafe ended up dressed this way (at a ball no less, he hadn't been to one of them in a very long time) and standing at the door similar to a guard. A man in waiting. Patient and watchful to everyone who entered.
He made some small talk with new arrivals and greeted them, but he never strayed from his position. Rafe had enough information to know that Val would be attending the ball and vaguely what time she'd be arriving. He had never officially asked her to it.
He could have said he was shy, or there wasn't enough time in the days leading up to the event, but all of that would have been a lie. The truth was, this was more fun. A ball was all about mystery. A night away from reality. Why not give her the full experience of that magic?
Once Val arrived, Rafe waited a moment for her to take in the sights before he slid up by her side and offered his hand.
"You look splendid this night, my lady. Would you care for a dance?"
