Counting Stars at Dawn

17: The Guest of Horror

Once he was done with cleaning himself, Dia helped him step on a stand in front of the mirror in his room.

"Your majesty if I may, I am so in love with the outfit made for you for the occasion." Dia chimed as she brought it with her from his walk in closet. "It was just sent from the boutique and it is marvelous!"

"You're always great at choosing outfits for me Dia, so I'll trust in your choice." Artemis smiled.

Dia started dressing him, starting with slipping his body into a long midnight blue tunic that had long sleeves. At the foot of the tunic, there was a triangle portion made of a thinner silk in a cerulean color that matched two strips running along his chest. The tunic had a broad V neck that exposed an area of his shoulders and chest.

Next, she tied a golden sash around his waist and tightened it to accentuate his curves.

Dia fixed Artemis's hair into a half updo. She made a small bun on the top half, left the lower half loose, and she added golden, thin chains to run behind his head.

Now, the handmaid moved her attention to apply powder on the Prince's face to even out his skin tone. She pressed black eyeliner topped with golden one onto his eyelids and placed holographic highlight on his cheekbones. She added the last pieces of jewelry on his ears before stepping back.

"You look marvelous your majesty." Dia smiled proudly at her work.

"Thank you Dia." Artemis smiled.

Artemis stepped down and picked up his crown from the velvet cushion it rested on, and placed it on his head.

They finished right on time as guests were already in the ballroom downstairs and more kept pouring in.

Artemis was notified by his guards that the Princess had arrived a while ago, but was getting ready in her guest room. Artemis now only had to wait for her to be ready.

Meanwhile in the lower part of the palace, carriage after carriage was delivering members of Sapphire's and Ezamore's nobility. Other carriages brought in the leaders of the most notable clans. For now, everyone enjoyed their cocktails and fine appetizers with classical music playing in the background.

When the moon gleamed in the center of the sky, a black carriage adorned with gold pulled up to the entry way of the garden leading to the ballroom. A female elf opened the carriage door and bowed courteously at the noble, but gasped when the guest stepped out.

"Dear, it's not polite to ogle people like that." The queen of Lamia spoke in an airy voice, moving the fan over her face.

This woman had skin as pale as porcelain and black hair as black as a shadow. Her ball gown had midnight purple and rogue, with an overall black background. The luscious golden crown at her head signaling her rank made her presence all the more intimidating.

The queen stepped further down the entryway, and the young elf's mouth went wide open as she saw the three most handsome men she had ever laid eyes upon, hopping off the carriage.

"Damn, this place ain't so bad, the girls are cute and small." Ares chuckled as he looked around. "We're allowed a getaway right?

"Keep it in your pants as long as we're here Ares, we don't need any of your bastard children on a country that hates our kind." Erebus replied as he side glanced at the elf shaking.

Hades was the last to step out, and went to his mother's side to accompany her inside the castle.

Hades and his brothers were wearing their royal regalia which was also Victorian and Gothic.