Daughter of Shad

The Ball (Part 1)

     Hey guys. I've been on a break, but I'm back for now. I'll probably get busy with school soon, but hopefully I can continue to write fanfics as much as I can. I really do enjoy this and I'm grateful for all of you. Hope you had a Merry Christmas or a good break if you don't celebrate. I wish you all the best. Love and missed you guys! Also if you have any AU's you'd like me to try out I'd be open to suggestions. Same with tropes such as enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, nerd and bully, stuff like that. Have an amazing day/night! 

     The next day came quickly. I ended up deciding on the flowy grey dress to wear. I got into it and curled my hair. I then proceeded to do my makeup. I chose a grey that matched my dress for the eyeshadow color and a nude lip color. The shoes I picked were dark purple heels with an ankle strap. I stood looking in the mirror admiring my outfit when I heard a knock at the door. 

     "Come in." I turned to the door. It was Aaron. He looked amazing in his all black suit. 

     "You look beautiful." He stated. 

     I smiled. "Thank you. You look amazing too." 

     "Thank you." He responded. "We should head downstairs. Guests have been arriving." 

     "Alright. Let's go." I walked out to the door with him following behind. We got to the large staircase, and I felt nerves build up. There were easily one hundred people already here. They either stood around sipping on some high class drink or stood slowly dancing to the classical music being performed. I felt as Aaron linked arms with me. 

     "You have nothing to worry about." He reassured me. I nodded. We walked down the stairs slowly. I could feel the eyes on me. The pressure was insane. All of the wealthy people of the kingdom with their eyes on me. My heart rate picked up at the thought. He set his hand on my arm, silently calming with just one touch. I took a deep breath as we stepped off the last step. It felt as though I'd dived into a whole new world of things I didn't understand. 

     "I'm going to find my mother. Will you be alright?" He asked. "You can come with me if you'd prefer." 

     "No, I'll be ok." I lied. 

     "Alright," He said, letting go of my arm and slipping into the sea of people. A waiter passed me with a tray of drinks. I took one and took a sip. No alcohol. I was glad. I was only seventeen, not to mention I never enjoyed the taste or smell of alcohol. It reminded me of my father. Whatever this drink was tasted very delicious. 

     I stood against a wall, sipping on my drink, and watching the different people here. On the floor were numerous couples. Some seemingly married for years and years. Other looking as if they'd just met. Some laughing and giggling as they danced, stepping on each other's feet. Others very serious and stoic. I wanted a love that made me just feel like I was safe. Someone to make me laugh.

     "Excuse me." Two women approached me. One with pink hair, the other with blue hair.

     "Hello." I smiled politely at the two of them.

     "You're very beautiful." The one with pink hair smiled at me. "I'm Nana."

     "Thank you. I'm Aphmau." 

     "I'm Katelyn." The blue haired girl smiled slightly. 

     "Pleasure to meet you both." I curtsied. They curtsied in return. 

     "I haven't seen you around before." Nana smiled at me.

     "I'm not from around here." I responded, deciding it was the best way to summarize my situation. 

     "It's nice to have another girl who seems around our age." Katelyn leaned against the wall next to me.

     "I agree." Nana laughed slightly.

     "So are balls pretty normal here?" I asked.

     "Yeah," Katelyn said. "They keep everyone calm during this difficult time. It's a sense of normality." 

     I nodded. That made sense. Things got tense and nerve-racking in the midst of wars. The more fear the people had, the more power the opposing side had. It also caused pressure on the authorities. Keeping a kingdom happy seemed incredibly difficult. Back home, my father never tried to make people happy. As long as he was pleased, he didn't care. 

     "Aphmau." I heard my name and looked to see Aaron approaching us.

     "He's gorgeous." Nana whispered. Katelyn nodded in agreement. 

     "Hey." I smiled. 

     "Um, would you like to dance?" He offered his hand to me. I turned to my newfound friends. They simply grabbed my glass out of my hand and pushed me towards him. I took his hand and he led me to the floor. 

     He set his hand on my waist as I set my hand on his shoulder. We began dancing with the music. I looked up at him and met his eyes. He had dark eyes that I had never gotten to look closely at. I continued looking up at him as we danced. No words were spoken the entire dance. We just silently moved across the floor, enjoying each other's company. He was a very good dancer, however I on the other hand had hardly danced with anyone before. I was briefly taught as a child. I would occasionally miss a step or two, but he seemed patient with me. The song ended and he kissed my hand gently.

     "Thank you for the dance." I smiled.

     "The pleasure is mine." He smiled back at me. He took my hand, and we walked off to the side of the room. He and I talked for a while when I felt a hand on my arm. I turned to see Lady Irene.

     "We have to hide," She said, voice quiet.