Chapter 10
TEN
It's strange to walk into the ballroom and not instantly be able to tell who is who from the colours they're wearing.
I've become so used to seeing a patch of teal and knowing it belongs to House Carmichel or green and knowing it's House Vermatchi, that it's strange to have that option taken away from me.
Not that I'm naive enough to think people won't recognise me. If there's one thing I've learned from the previous masked ball I attended, it's that masks don't obscure much when you know who you're looking at. I just need a longer moment to work that out.
Which is going to make it harder to find the women I'm supposed to find to talk to and discover whether or not I want them as my future ladies-in-waiting.
"Beatrice," Lord Fallmartin says.
I turn to him, not feeling the same surge of anxiety at having him talk to him as before. I doubt it's what he intended, but his conversation with me the other day does seem to have helped me come to terms with where I stand when it comes to my relationship with my father.
"The King has requested that you and Prince Lincoln are to only share one dance until the announcement is made."
"Oh." Disappointment floods through me. I was looking forward to dancing with Linc, especially now that I don't have to feel guilty about dancing with him multiple times. "When will it be made?"
"Midnight, when the masks come off," he responds.
I nod. That's not too far away at least. "One dance."
"Excellent."
"Does that mean I don't have to dance with my betrothed more than once?" Bastian asks.
Lord Fallmartin's demeanour changes, but it's so slight that it's almost impossible to notice. "You should dance with your wife as many times as she pleases," he tells my brother.
"I don't see why I should have to when Beatrice only has to dance once," my brother protests.
"Because they are different circumstances," Lord Fallmartin responds.
"Beatrice is marrying into the royal family, and what the King wants, the King gets.
He wishes for everything to stay quiet until midnight when he announces the betrothal, so that's what we're giving him. Beatrice understands that."
I nod, even if there's a part of me that wants to ignore the instructions.
"I'm glad that's all clear." He doesn't linger a moment longer and heads off to go and speak to someone.
"You're lucky," Bastian mutters to me.
I shrug. "Believe what you want to." I turn around and walk off, trying to find Linc amongst the crowd, but failing.
Luckily, I do spot someone I'm looking for and head over to where Emilia is nursing a glass of wine and watching the dancers.
My friend smiles as she sees me and tucks a strand of blonde hair behind her mask. "They do nothing, do they?" she says as I approach.
I laugh. "Not really, no."
"I suppose it all looks good." She gestures to the ballroom around us. "I don't think I've ever seen so few colours in here."
"It's strange," I admit. "I think my seamstress is planning on removing the orange and restitching red once tonight is done. I don't envy her when she has to also do Bella's gown." I gesture to where my cousin is talking with a man I don't know. Her gown has much more orange than mine does.
"I believe my dress is supposed to go back in the wardrobe for next year."
"That makes much more sense to me, though I don't think Lord Fallmartin would be pleased with me wearing the same dress two years in a row."
"Probably even more true considering you're going to be a princess next year."
"Ah, yes. I keep forgetting about that."
Emilia raises an eyebrow. "I don't think I'd be able to think of anything but that. You're so calm about it."
"Mmm."
"Why aren't you dancing with the Prince?" Emlia asks.
I groan. "Does everyone know about that?"
She gives me a peculiar look. "Is it meant to be a secret? The two of you dance at every ball."
"It's not a secret," I say quickly, trying to cover up the fact I basically admitted that I didn’t know it was Linc I was dancing with. The more people start asking me about that, the worse it is that I didn’t know.
Though at least I'm not alone in that. Linc didn't know either, and that makes it a little bit better.
"Has your father said anything about a betrothal for you?" I ask her, mostly so I can avoid talking about how oblivious I was to the situation right in front of me.
"No. I don't think he has much hope for my prospects."
"Not even when you're offered a position in the royal household?" I ask.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm going to need ladies-in-waiting, apparently, so there'll be some positions available. I was hoping you'd take one of them."
Her face lights up. "Really? How are you going to get Lord Fallmartin to let you offer me a position?"
"He suggested it, actually. Before I realised I had a say."
"I have to admit, I'm surprised he's giving you one. I don't think my father would in the same circumstances."
"I was surprised," I admit. "But I'm planning on making the most of it. So, do you think it will help?" I'm certainly hopeful it will. It's nice to think I'll have a friendly face around, and if it helps Emilia too, then it's even better.
"Maybe. But I also don't think it matters. If I'm a lady-in-waiting, then I'll have an income of my own."
"I believe so. But I'm not sure what help that will be, you'll likely still have to do what your father says."
"Probably, but there's hope," she responds.
"Maybe."
"And for you. Look." She nods to where a man with light blond curly hair is heading towards us and my heart skips a beat.
"I'll be back soon," I say.
Emilia scoffs. "No, you won't. You dance with the Prince and then you disappear and no one knows where you've gone."
"Not tonight," I promise. "I'm only allowed to dance with him once, but at midnight, the King is announcing our betrothal, so there's no slipping away for me."
"Ah, so you're admitting you normally do that."
"Yes."
"Where do you even go?" she asks.
"Oh, normally I just spend more time with the Prince."
Emilia lets out a dreamy sigh. "Perhaps one day, I'll be as lucky as you."
"I hope so." I flash her a genuine smile and go to meet Linc, intending to make the most of our one dance before we have to separate so that his father can make the announcement he wants.