She was born Princess Gwenwyn Helena Anannet Egger, first-born child of the Great King Heralf, ruler of the Militant Kingdom of Rramnon. Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Gwenwyn's father sent her to the Trade Kingdom, Terrafeuw, with a very spe...
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Chapter 17 - The Champions' Ball
Something about the atmosphere in the room was bothering Russell, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was causing it. His eyes scanned the room diligently but nothing of note grabbed his attention.
This was his first time being an honored guest at the Champions' Ball. He should have felt proud, or honored, at the very least joyous, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything other than concern.
Before today he had only been able to watch from the sidelines as the Champions received their grand introductions. Each proceeded alone to exact center of the Palace's great ballroom; their entrance capturing the attention of every member of society.
The seven men would line up in front of their King and he would remind the onlookers of the skill and endurance that the man before him possessed.
Being the Champion of Aim meant that his was the first name to be called.
The first man to be honored.
But he hadn't relished in it like he had once imagined he would.
There were suppose to be seven of them.
Seven men were meant to stand in front of their King, and seven men were meant to be honored.
That didn't happen.
The storm had not just canceled the Days of the Hunt, it had taken away that champion.
Was that the reason Russell felt so off balance?
Nothing else appeared to be out of place.
The room was spectacularly decorated, the food had tasted far better than what he ate daily in the guards' dining hall. Everyone around him was dressed in their absolute best. The one person he felt like dancing with had agree to several turns about the room with him, and he had the added delight of seeing pride adorn his uncle's face all evening.
So why was he not enjoying himself?
Russell casually strolled up the steps that led towards the balcony. It encompassed the vast majority of the grand ballroom and offered a splendid view of the dance floor.
He contemplated the dilemma as he made his way from one end of the balcony to the other.
Russell's keen eyes scanned the ballroom, hoping that his elevated position might offer him some explanation or reason as to why he felt the way he did.
Again nothing seemed out of place.
Women in brightly colored attired twirled happily around the dance floor with their equally happy partners. Gossipers chattered gleefully to anyone with a partially willing ear. Servers roamed about the room refilling wine glasses and offering members of society different delicacies to nibble on. King Griggory beamed as a plate of tarts neared him. He fingered his many options delicately before deciding on one filled with candied nuts. His escort sat studiously by his side, a look of concern etched on her brow, as she stared, glass-eyed, across the ball room. Several guards from the Royal Nine, chatted happily with women of--
