Year of 365

June 12

A/N: Listen to the music while reading please! I used it as inspiration for the writing. Yes I know it's technically a Christmas/winter/holiday song, but I came across it while writing and felt inspired. Please forgive me if you don't listen to this sort of music right now in June. :) Enjoy nonetheless please!

Stories had circled around the darling daughter of the king for years before she became of age. Stories speaking of her beauty and wit and cunning. But, she had not been allowed out of the castle since the day an assassination was attempted on her on her sixth birthday. Instead, she had been trapped under constant supervision in an attempt to cease all other attempts, and it worked. 

The week of her twentieth birthday, invitations were sent out to the nobility surrounding the castle and everyone was invited to see the girl who would soon be married off in an arranged marriage to a future king across the waters. She had never seen him, nor had anyone else in the kingdom, but the king seemed sure of the match, so everyone kept their mouths shut. The invitations were for a ball that would be held on the eve of her twentieth birthday.

The ball was quite the spectacle, and even those who hadn't been invited somehow managed to figure out what was going on. A few even managed to sneak in as servants to catch a glimpse of the princess for the first time in fourteen years. The ballroom was covered from floor to ceiling with the bright blue flowers that grew around the palace, kept alive by hard working gardeners year round. Small crystals were scattered across the tables, a few ending up in the pockets of passing peasantry, and in the center of the room was an elegant silver dance floor that shone like the night sky outside.

Only when the party was in full swing did the king rise from his place above the rets of those who had come. An old man, easily in his seventies already, felt that he had no business on the dance floor and had instead given the floor to his sons, allowing them to search through the nobility and royalty for their brides. 

"Dear guests," the king spoke, his voice like thunder, despite his weak body. "May I present-"

The doors at the top of the lavish silver staircase in the back of the room swung open before he could finish what he was saying. Standing on the other side of the doors was a woman. She was dressed entirely in black, the only woman dressed in black at this extravagant party, and she seemed to know it, for her ruby red lips curled up into a smirk at the sight of the brightly colored dresses of her guests. She took a step forward, displaying her black heels to the world as she started her descent toward the floor where everyone was parting for her. 

Everything was silent. The orchestra had stopped playing and no one was laughing any more. Instead they all stared at this girl, unsure of what to make of her. She was beautiful, some would even go so far as to say stunning, but it wasn't a warm beauty like flowers on a bright summer day. This beauty was like one of the flames of a raging fire at night as it burned through a village. A dangerous beauty, and one that spoke of deeper dangers that were unable to be controlled. 

When she reached the floor, she stopped, the train of her dress still three stairs up. She lifted a gloved hand, she only had one glove currently on, and pressed it to her chest in a respectful manner, sweeping into a curtsy as she did so. 

"I am honored to make your acquaintance," she said smoothly, her voice like velvet. Everyone glanced at each other as she rose from the bow, wondering what she was going to do next. For the longest time, she said nothing and instead allowed her eyes to roam the room, quickly picking out her overdressed brothers. 

"Ah, brothers," she smiled. "It has been an age since I have last seen you. And Father..." she turned her attention to the balcony. "I must say that you are looking much more ragged than the last time I saw you." She tapped her chin. "When was the last time I saw you? Oh, yes! It was the day of the attempted assassination when you locked me in the room, telling me through the metal that the only company I would have would be that of the pets that you brought me and the guards outside my door. And... that I would only be allowed out on my twentieth birthday when I would meet the man of my dreams." She looked around again. "Where is he? I see no man that I wish to marry."