The Dark Enchantress

Chapter 5 - The Ball Begins

The great palace of Daro was filled with life. Music filled the many stone halls; laughter and the sound of murmured words blended in. The masquerade ball was in full swing. Every guest wore masks of every shape and size. An extravagant feast table stood to one side, as smaller tables lined the walls for the many guests to rest and enjoy light conversation and food. The center of the ballroom was filled with different couples dancing; occasionally, professional group performances took place, if only to entertain the guests not wishing to take part in the twirling of the old-century waltz.

Prince Thomas mingled with the many guests, both male and female, talking with many and dancing with others. A smile was placed firmly upon his lips; his nerves had since faded. Instead, he enjoyed himself as much as he could with the pressure weighing down on his shoulders. A few times, he had spotted other royals from across the kingdoms. Princess Talya Rayas wore a beautiful lavender-colored gown with elegant silver embroidered patterns. Her mask was a simply silver thing covering her eyes and encrusted with small amethyst stones. A matching comb was woven into her curled hair, and more often than not, she danced with her younger brother, Ryder.

He's spotted the gentle Princess Helena Iseult near the large arched windows, her black dress lined with red silk, what looked like a scale pattern on the shoulders, and around the dress's many hems. The lace sleeves matched the elegant mask she wore and the black flowered comb adorning her honey-colored hair. She wore a soft smile as she swayed to the music; occasionally, she would engage in conversation, but only when pulled into one. The rest of the time, she gazed out the large window she stood before, slowly eating a cupcake or enjoying a glass of wine a waiter had offered her.

Lady Cassandra was often found on the dance floor, her betrothed with her, always with a smile gracing her lips. The skirts of her ruby dress flowed out around her whenever Prince Revan spun her. Her laughter was filled with love and adoration. Many commented she would make a fine Queen one day, whereas others would say Revan was lucky to have found such a beautiful woman.

Princess Jessica Rayas, on the other hand, was often seen hovering near the grand entrance to the ballroom, dressed in an emerald dress with golden flowers embroidered on it. She didn't bother wearing a mask. Instead, she wore a golden crystal crown. Most of the time, she looked longly at the large oak doors as if hoping to see Aemond strolling through them. If she wasn't doing that, then she glared judgmentally at others there; sometimes harsh and rude insults escaped her frowned-painted lips. She'd bluntly rejected every gentleman who asked her for a dance and gobbled down several glasses of wine.

Stood near Jessica was the Lady Georgia Mildred, she wore a simple gown bronze in color, nothing fancy about it, but still she looked lovely. One could tell the dress wasn't one she would have picked for herself. Instead, it was likely Princess Jessica had chosen it for her, with the hopes of keeping her friend from overshadowing her. Yet still, Georgia managed to shine, a ray of sunshine compared to the storm cloud Jessica was. The lady of Ronan tried her best to cheer her friend up while looking toward the shadowy corridors every now and again as if waiting for a secret lover to appear.

Elsewhere around the large ballroom, the many ruling monarchs from the kingdoms could be found. Damon reminisced with King Valentine Iseult of Erised whilst taking the opportunity to catch up with his childhood friend. Queen Laura, on the other hand, engaged in conversation with King Calvin Rayas of Ronan, glancing over to Ryder and Tayla often to indicate they were the topic spoken about. Queen Jenera appeared to be sulking in the far corner of the ballroom, the furthest from the door and close to where the musicians played gentle cords. A scrawl etched on her aging features as she glared at anyone who dared approach her. The cogs in her head clicked together as she thought of ways to achieve what she wanted and get her youngest and favorite child what she desired above all else.