Beautiful, Beautiful

Silver and Gold

"What ball?"

Prince Crow walked away from Sun's bed with a bored sigh. "Whenever my father finds a new, gifted muse, he hosts a ball. Your welcome ball. And every single player in this castle will be there. Some want to simply gaze upon you and marvel." Crow spun toward her on his heels with a sour expression. "But I suppose most want to see what they can gain from you. That's the other reason I'm here. To offer insight on the elite, those you shouldn't trust, and those you should just completely avoid at all cost."

"And why would you want to help me?" Sun narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think I even want your help?"

Prince Crow casually folded his hands behind his back. "After tonight, you'll understand exactly why you'll want my help. You'll be swimming in a tank full of sharks."

"I'll take my chances."

Crow smirked. "Suit yourself, but just remember this one fact. You are in a castle full of gifted predators and no one has taken a claim on you. Fish never stand a chance against sharks."

Sun said nothing as she watched Crow disappear behind her golden door.

She didn't have time to think before her two maids came in. The oldest maid went to the wardrobe, scanning the gowns with a frown. The youngest one plopped down on the bed with a bright grin that matched her shining eyes.

"We're going to have so much fun dressing you for the ball," she gleamed.

"Off of the bed, Velda," the oldest maid reproached, still raking through the wardrobe.

Velda ignored her and said, "You'll be the prettiest girl there, tonight. I think you should wear gold, but Alma thinks you should wear silver. What do you suggest?"

Sun frowned as she considered her options, but her mind still lingered on Prince Crow's warning.

"Tell me about this ball and all who will attend," Sun said, watching the light in Velda's eyes dim to a dull gray.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because if I'm to attend a ball, I should know exactly what I'm getting myself in to." Sun answered.

"There are four royal families and each are as cruel and manipulative as they come." The answer came from Alma as she sashayed toward the bed, holding two gowns. One silver, one gold. "But knowing which one of those royals will be less cruel is like picking a joker from a deck of cards." She glanced at Velda. "Off of the bed!"

Velda quickly stood, allowing Alma to place both gowns at the end of Sun's feet.

"What about the princes and the princess? Where do they stand?" Sun asked.

"Oh, we'd never speak ill of them," Velda said. "It is treason."

"Right." Sun frowned. "Well, tell me more about them. What you are allowed to say."

"Well," Velda began, eying the gowns. "Princess Adel loves being the center of attention, and being the only female sibling. She is spoiled rotten and doesn't do well with other women. I doubt she will cause trouble, though. Prince Christian is very well mannered and humble, however he attracts a lot of female attention. He usually hosts three different women a week. Although rumor has it that the king is ready to marry him off, even before Prince Crow."

"Prince Crow is the eldest," Alma added. "But Prince Christian is the wisest. I hear he is favored to be King."

"And why not Prince Crow?" Sun asked.

"Oh, because Prince Crow is hot-tempered and brutal. He is great for war, but his lack of compassion frightens the King. The King wants peace among his people, not a battle zone," Alma said. "And the future king needs to be able to sway his people, to earn their trust and make alliances with other kingdoms. Prince Christian's gift is perfect for it."

"To add to that," Velda interjected. "The King's gift is wisdom, and he was always favored to rule, even over his two siblings. And believe me, they weren't happy. But the King was wise enough to keep them close enough to observe."

"Do they live in the castle?" Sun asked.

"Oh yes, in the east wing, far from you," Alma stated. "They will be in attendance tonight."

"Tell me about them."

"King Andres is the middle child, his oldest brother is Samsun, and his younger sister is Mariam. Samsun's gift is discernment. He is able to tell a truth from a lie. Mariam's gift is trickery, but she can never trick Samsun. She does, however, enjoy toying with the rest of the castle, especially the King's sons.

"Now you didn't hear this from me, but I suppose she bothers them most because of jealousy. Her only son, Rogan, is around the same age as the princes, and Mariam would like nothing more than to see him on the throne, instead. If you ask me, it's why the king is so adamant on Prince Christian marrying. The king of Noch must be wed, or with plans to wed within the year of his coronation, in order to remain king."

"I wonder if that's why the King is so overjoyed by your arrival. It's probably why he's hosting your Welcome Ball. If he is as wise as I think he is, he will use you to scare his siblings. Only a woman worthy enough can marry a prince, and you– the most beautiful of them all, are more than worthy."

Sun thought back to the prophecy and trembled. She couldn't even begin to imagine how her arrival would start to cause rivalries and chaos. It would be best for her to stay in her room, to lock herself away. But she really had no choice in the matter.

And so she'd keep hope alive that the maid's speculations were inaccurate and that her gift would serve a better purpose than to provoke an uproar. She could only hope.

"Enough about politics and gossip," Alma began, sighing as she glanced between both dresses. "Which dress do you admire most?"

Sun didn't even glance down at the dresses as she said, "Whichever one doesn't require me to wear that dammed corset."

Both maid's grins were wide.

"Gold it is!" Alma beamed. "Now lets get you ready for your ball."