Struvland (REWRITING)

Chapter Four: The Engagement

The elf should be happy I am even in the same room as her. I am going to marry her prince, I'm practically her employer now.

The dress they put me in is a beautiful royal blue with silver details embroidered all over the skirt of the dress, the sleeves have black fabric coming out from the bottom. My necklace is silver and is in the shape of a serpent that has blue sapphires for eyes. The silver crown that rests atop my head, matches the necklace, only it has two snakes that twist and overlap each other but just like the necklace the snakes have blue sapphires for eyes. The elf comes up to me with a blue mask with silver snakes painted around the eye holes, it matches my dress perfectly.

"The queen has decided the ball will be a masquerade, she says it'll be much more exciting." The elf explains. I nod as the elf puts the mask down on the table beside them and helps the others do my hair. They split my hair to where there is a small part of hair at the top and they leave the rest alone, then they make two medium braids with the upper half of my hair and pin it up, when that's done they put my mask on and weave the black ribbons that hold the mask in place through the braids in my hair, they then tie the ribbon at the end of each braid. Once they've done that, they tie the ribbons together and put my shoes on me. After that, they sent me on my way to the ballroom.

 I arrive at the ballroom, Queen Adelina comes up to me with a huge smile. She is wearing a black dress with gold details embroidered on the skirt and a gold crown with red rubies decorating it, her mask is black and gold, matching her dress. Her hair is done up in two medium-sized braids on either side of her head that cross one another at the ends and is pinned into a low bun at the back of her head, the crimson streak in her hair is more obvious in this hairstyle.

"Hello, dear, are you excited for the evening? I can say confidently that I most definitely am. The king and queen of Arcavia are here along with their daughter Princess Rose, they're just over there," Queen Adelina points, "they're the ones dressed in the beautiful white and gold outfits." She says. I look over to see three people dressed in luxurious silk white and gold clothing that compliments their deep bronze skin. As we walk towards them, I notice the family tense in our presence.

"Hello, Queen Fortune, it's so good to have you here, even though our countries are at war with one another, I hope our invitation shows our civility." Queen Adelina says, smiling kindly. Queen Fortune relaxes and looks at us, her eyes cold and cautious.

"Hello, Queen Adelina, the ballroom looks wonderful, I suppose you planned this all? You didn't plan an 'accidental' murdering of my family tonight as well, did you?" Queen Fortune says coldly. Queen Adelina brushes it off.

"Don't be silly, dear. This is an engagement ball, not a threat." Queen Adelina responds. They continue to talk as I study the royal family of Arcavia, the Lamarels.

First, I study the queen, Fortune Lamarel, who earned her title at fifteen when her father died and left her the throne and no family. That changed when she gave birth two years later to Princess Rose after marrying King Samael. Queen Fortune looks elegant, strong, and effortlessly regal in her outfit, her beauty is unmatched, although she has more wrinkles, most likely due to more stress than Queen Adelina, despite being younger. She has a large white streak in her black tightly coiled hair that is beautifully styled in a high bun. With Queen Fortune's full lips, brown eyes, straight nose, and high cheekbones, it is no wonder why so many women want to be her. Princess Rose looks just like her mother, the only difference is, she has two medium-sized white streaks that seem to come from above both her ears on each side of her long and beautiful tightly coiled hair. They have the mark of Ila, an indicator that magic runs through their veins.

My professor said that Ila, the goddess of life, had decided to mark everyone with magical abilities after The Trusted drank the blood that was from the crimson goblet of peace and betrayed the gods by offering their own blood to others, creating The Tainted. The white streaks are the marks of Ila but there are some who have red streaks like Queen Adelina and that elf servant who helped me dress, no one knows what the red streaks mean except for the ones who have them, and they don't dare tell a soul. Some say it's the mark of Cadea, goddess of death, that she tainted their marks from Ila with blood, if they were a descendant of The Tainted, for being the result of The Trusted betraying them. I don't believe that rumor because Queen Adelina is a royal, and royals have only the best of bloodlines, only peasants could have such tainted blood.