Chapter 17
Whatever I’d been expecting to see when I walked into the great hall did not match the sight before my eyes.
Admittedly, I had unfairly low expectations of mortal gatherings thanks to the remarks my grandmother would make about how uncultivated and inelegant their kind was.
Her comments turned out to be completely baseless.
Long before I set foot through the door, the sound of music captivated my soul and beckoned my body to find the source of the jubilant melody.
As I entered the great hall, I could see musicians situated in one corner, providing a soundtrack to the sizable number of guests in attendance, some already dancing.
The musicians weren’t the sole noticeable difference from my first visit to the great hall.
The gold-plated candelabras hanging from the ceiling were now lit, providing dim luminance that created an intimate feel amidst the large space.
On the walls and around the tapestries hung wreaths of autumn foliage—leaves and vines interwoven with dried herbs and acorns and even small, crimson berries.
Vases of achingly beautiful red, orange and yellow blooms were strategically arranged around the entire room to bring vibrant touches of color to the space.
As I took in my tasteful surroundings, I wished my grandmother were here, simply to see her be proved so very wrong.
Based on the number of guests occupying the great hall, I knew I must be among the last to arrive.
Throngs of people congregated off to the sides of the dance floor, talking and laughing, eating and drinking.
Some turned and stared as I made my way further into the hall, but most were too engrossed in their conversations to mark my late entrance.
Every single person in attendance wore a mask.
Even the servants donned plain white masks that covered the top half of their faces.
They weaved in and out of the unrecognizable crowd, balancing trays stocked with goblets of wine and mugs of ale.
This would present an issue when it came to recognizing anyone.
But I would worry about that later. For now, I needed to make my way over to the dais, as it was customary, Runa had told me, for guests to greet the king upon arrival.
Vantillios observed a similar custom, and I was extremely relieved that, for once, I would not be the one who had to sit and greet an influx of guests while pretending not to be bored.
I walked slowly and purposefully, keeping my head high and my shoulders back.
Finally, I reached the bottom of the dais.
I bowed to the king seated on his throne, the spider-like Helvig standing at his side.
As I approached, they halted their conversation, both turning to fix their masked stares on me.
“And who do we have here?” the king inquired from behind his mask—the face and antlers of a stag.
“Alara, Your Majesty,” I answered, raising my voice to be heard above the music. “This is a gathering truly befitting of your fine kingdom. Thank you for including me in such an affair.”
“Alara! You are the embodiment of loveliness,” he boomed. “Of course, I should have recognized you by your mask, as it has been an heirloom of our family for a century. Prince Tarben reminded me of it when he convinced me that our esteemed guest should don it for the evening.”
Funnily enough, the mask on my face hid my surprise at the revelation that it was a Borealis family heirloom. Oh well. I wasn’t exactly planning on bringing it back to Vantillios with me anyway. I replied, “Thank you Your Majesty, you honor me. It’s a masterpiece.”
“It becomes you, my dear.” He stretched his arms out in a welcoming gesture. “Please, eat, drink, dance. Enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I bowed once again, accepting the dismissal.
Feeling lost amongst the sea of unfamiliar faces, I wandered over to the opulently garnished table.
It was decorated with a centerpiece of various sizes of candles adorned in wreaths, similar to those on the wall.
Around the centerpiece lay a feast that made my mouth water.
Meats, roasted vegetables, salads and palm-sized savory pastries were laid out on gold-plated serving platters.
As if that weren’t enough, there were fruits, breads, nuts and every kind of cheese I could think of, as well as an assortment of colorful desserts that tempted me to spend the entire evening hiding in a dark corner of the room, gorging myself.
Overwhelmed by options, I helped myself to a fig and was quickly approached by a servant carrying a tray of beverages. I happily accepted a goblet of deep red wine and enjoyed the rich, slightly bitter kiss of grapes on my tongue.
I surveyed the room, offering a friendly smile to any masked reveler who glanced my way.
A woman in a gold filigree mask with intricate floral patterns caught my eye. Relief lightened my body when I realized it was Livia.
She smiled and waved me over to where she was holding court with a group of elaborately-dressed ladies.
Even in all their finery, Livia outshone them by far.
Dressed in a magnificent violet gown, she wore her delicate gold headband embellished with diamonds like a crown.
She could have easily been mistaken for a queen.
“You look magnificent tonight, lovely,” she greeted me with a warm smile.
“As do you.”
She introduced me to her companions, who offered me frosty greetings, then continued to talk amongst themselves.
“Pay no mind to those vipers,” she said in a hushed voice. “They’re positively spitting with jealousy that the princess’s savior is also the belle of the ball.”
I wasn’t bothered in the slightest; I understood court politics. As soon as word spread that I was favored by the prince, these ladies would be groveling on their knees for my approval.
“I’m not so sure about that,” I said with false modesty.
“I owe you an apology,” she said, pulling my eyes away from their search for a tall, golden-haired figure. “I’ve been atrociously busy since Ivar returned, and have neglected to follow through on my insistence to have tea together.”
Truthfully, I’d been so occupied that I had forgotten all about tea with her. “Oh, it’s fine, really.”
“It’s not. You must think I’m exactly like them.” Her voice was full of contempt as she gestured towards the ladies who were still standing within ear shot. “I do hope we can get together soon. Although, from what I’ve been hearing, your afternoons are usually busy.”
I met her gaze once again to find a playful smile dancing on her lips and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “How was your tour of the city, by the way?”
My brows knitted together. “How did you—”
Before I could finish my sentence, we were interrupted by a man wearing his mask on his head.
He might have been attractive were it not for the ruddy complexion and bleary eyes that indicated he had long been indulging in his fair share of ale.
His sun-worn skin and graying hair gave him an aged appearance, when, in reality, he might have only been in his mid-forties.
“Come, wife! I wish to dance with the most beautiful woman in the room,” he slurred, taking Livia’s arm and twirling her, then tucking her tightly into his body.
She playfully smacked his arm and laughed. “Don’t be such a beast around my new friend!”
Friend. I wasn’t sure what to make of that.
All my life, many had tried to get close to me purely to elevate their own status, but I heard the whispers of what they said behind my back: Half-breed with a crown.
Now that I appeared to be nothing more than a common-born mortal, what could she possibly want from me?
“My apologies.” Lord Hywell bowed to me. “I am Lord Hywell. To whom do I owe the pleasure?” His high-born accent and impeccable manners were somewhat undermined by the slur in his speech and the slight wobble in his stance.
“This is Alara Veradis, savior of Princess Amalie,” Livia answered for me.
“Well, Alara Veradis, savior of Princess Amalie, I do hope it won’t be too much of an inconvenience if I take my wife for a spin around the dance floor,” he said with a loving, if not slightly cross-eyed, look at Livia.
I wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being left alone, lurking in a dark corner like some kind of friendless octopus, but I also wasn’t about to beg them to keep me company.
That would be pathetic. And, arguably, far worse than being lonely.
“Not at all. Please, go ahead. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Hywell.”
“We’ll speak again soon,” Livia promised, laughing as her husband led her away through the crowd towards the dance floor.
Not long after they left, I was startled by a low voice behind me. “Does the most captivating woman at the ball not dance? Curious.”
I turned and found myself face-to-face with Tarben, dressed in teal and wearing a silver filigree mask. It was not garnished in crystals or diamonds, but it was unmistakably the male twin to my butterfly.
I took a slow sip of my wine, then spoke. “What’s curious is that the prince of Solvardunn promised me a dance but has failed to materialize.”
“He sounds like a fool. If I were him, I would have spent the entire evening watching the door, awaiting your arrival.”
“Perhaps he got distracted by the many other amusements on offer.” I gestured to the room.
“Or maybe he’s been taking his time carefully selecting a flower befitting of the divine butterfly in his midst.” With that, he handed me a single aster from behind his back. “I found you first.” The low purr of his voice stirred something deep within me. Something that sent my pulse racing.
I swallowed, trying to regain my composure. “It’s beautiful, where did you find it?” The great hall was saturated with flowers, but none of them were asters.
He winked at me. “I can’t reveal all my secrets, now can I?”
I shook my head. “You’re certainly full of surprises.”
“Only the best kinds.”