Darkly Devoted (Book 1)

Chapter 5 - Everyone Loves Mercury

Chapter 5

DINNER THAT night was agonizing. It wasn't enough that everyone else appeared to have been advised to go after a high lord or a Prince, they were also mocking the poor oafish Calbert Henton. The other inductees were dining on grilled fish and giant ripe tomatoes, but Vivienne didn't have much of an appetite.

"He looks like the bastard son of a cyclops," the Panther girl said.

"Imagine discovering at the end of the Midnight Masquerade that you're bonded to Calbert Henton!" the Crane girl said. "You would throw yourself into the Anthias Sea."

"How could that be a surprise?" Panther interjected. "Not even the most cleverly designed mask could hide his giant head. You can see that coming from a mile away. He'll be banging it against the chandeliers."

"Hey, look on the bright side," Tiger added, gleefully. "If one of you girls becomes his Orlin, you can buy yourself a giant hat to match with your Ansura. Your parents at home can always find you in a crowd when they snap pictures of parties. My mom would love it."

"Then you take him!" Panther girl joked. "He's all yours."

"Only if Prince Venus absolutely refuses to consider me," Tiger replied. Prince Venus was one of the three Princes up for an Orlin this year. He had broad shoulders and a stocky built. They said that he was so hard-bodied if you tried poking him in the belly you could break your finger. At first, Vivienne thought the part about him being nicknamed Venus was a joke. Then she found out, he actually had a history of ballet dancing in the Manna City production of the Nutcracker before he retired and became a Prince. He was reportedly the oldest of the Princes up for consideration.

The other two were Prince Mercury and Prince Mars. They were all given nicknames by the reporters covering the Pearl Tower gossip because at this point the turnover of Princes was so high, no one bothered to learn their names anymore. They were named after planets this year because the Royal Family were the Sarastris — or the people of the Sun. The planets orbited around them as the Princes protected King Wynn Sarastri.

Although Prince Venus was oldest in age, he was not the one who served the Royal Family the longest. That honor went to Prince Mercury. Reportedly, Prince Mercury was extremely handsome and charming although he did have a reputation of being unable to sleep in the same girl's bed for two nights in a row. Prince Mercury had been a Prince longer than any of the other Princes, and there were reports the King was grooming him for succession. He reportedly refused to consume Nectar because he didn't see how it could improve on perfection.

Lastly, Prince Mars was a mystery. He was the newest member of the royal entourage. He had just shown up on the tabloids earlier this year. Prince Mars gained his nickname because he was rumored to be hostile toward the gossip tabloids and spent most of his time away from the Palace. He was rumored to be a businessman in his spare time and the one photo that existed of him in the outside world was a shot of him covering his face as he left a meeting with a couple of Chinese businessmen. All the Princes were very sought after commodities during the Midnight Masquerade. The girls who gained their favor would have a chance at riches beyond their imagination.

The girls fawned over the idea of becoming Prince Mars' choice, but for once Vivienne felt superior in her knowledge of the royal household. She knew not to waste her time on Prince Mars. He was probably going to pick a male Orlin because his childhood love died tragically. He had never shown any interest in women at all. In fact, considering how camera shy he was, maybe he was especially hideous.

Prince Mercury was a wasteland of a husband, but he would make a very devoted Ansura. That was — as long as his Orlin avoided falling in love with him. Janun had remarked that with Vivienne's lack of interest in men, Prince Mercury could not be a more perfect choice for her.