My King of Darkness (Maven x OC)

Chapter 26

Maven

The ballroom was teaming with servants preparing for the engagement ball. The anxiety of an impending ball gnawed at me as I weaved between them, each Red servant wincing as they entered the orb of heat radiating off of me. I kept getting echoes of three years ago in this very room, arm in arm with Mare and the confusing feelings she brought.
But Lydia wanted a ball.
I wasn't confused about my feelings about her.
Besides, my allies and I knew this ball was important to our plan. The ball three years ago ended in bloodshed, and hopefully this one will too.
As I neared the doors to the ballroom with my parcel, I spotted my mother shouting orders. I tried to duck behind a pair of royal musicians, but it was too late.
"Maven, is this really necessary?" She took me by the elbow, her long nails digging into my flesh through my shirt.
"Of course, Mother. We have to keep up pretenses. It's been more than six months since I announced my engagement,"
"Your engagement to a Red wench," she reminded me.
"It's no ordinary engagement. And likewise, this will be no ordinary engagement ball," I winked.
"What are you planning, son?" she asked, with a hint of annoyance.
I pretended not to notice and cocked my head, "It's a surprise."
Before she could say any more, I maneuvered out of her grip and left the ballroom. I continued my journey upstairs to Lydia's chamber. I could hear hushed voices and nervous giggling within. Someone cried out, "Oh, how lovely! Charlotte, how you ever seen such—!" before a male voice hushed her.
I rapped my knuckles on the door and a tense silence fell on the other side. "Who is it?" Lydia's voice came.
"It's just me,"
The door flew open to reveal my fiancé in a silk robe, beaming. She grabbed my free hand and pulled me in, shutting the door behind me, "Guys, this is my fiancé, Maven."
Four pairs of eyes stared at me in terror. The two women had arms full of gowns, halfway through fawning over them. The other two were men, one with a maid painting silver makeup on his face. The other man must have been Ben, because one hand was replaced by a hook.
"Dear, this is Charlotte, Abby, Jacob, and Ben," Lydia pointed them out one by one.
"It's so nice to meet all of you. I'm glad you could be hear for Lydia and I," I gave the warmest smile I could muster, but they still stared at me, Jacob in particular with a healthy amount of venom.
"Your Majesty," he spit, clearly sarcastic.
I ignored him and addressed Ben, holding up my parcel, "This is for you. Lydia told you you need to blend in? Be Silvers? Well, no Silver wears a lousy hook."
I unwrapped the parcel and produced a mechanical arm. To my relief, his face lit up at the impressive hardware. "And this is yours to keep," I added.
"Thank you," he murmured hesitantly.
I lifted it up, "Here. Let me put it on."
Slowly, the tension melted as I fixed Ben with his new arm. The women went back to looking at dresses and took their turns getting the silver make up put on. Lydia pulled me aside once I was finished with Ben and our conversation had lulled. "Are you happy your friends are here?" I asked, as we made our way out of earshot.
Lydia sighed, "More than you know. Is everything in place?"
"Yes, the musicians were getting set up when I left—"
"No, I mean the other thing,"
I changed into a conspiratorial tone, "Yes, all of my allies know their roles and are getting into position."
"Good," she gripped my arm, "And you promise none of my friends will get hurt?"
"Yes, my men have orders not to hurt them. And it's commencing later in the evening so you shall have your ball."

"May I cut in?" I asked, teasingly, as Ben turned to me.
"Of course, Your Majesty," he handed me Lydia's hand, who he had been dancing with, and I was relieved to find no animosity in his eyes.
We were only a few dances in and Lydia was already beaming through Yvonne's face. It was when she smiled and her eyes danced like this that it was most clear who she was. Her Red friends were clearly having the time of their lives and no one had expected a thing. Someday this will be commonplace: Silvers and Reds mixing.
Lydia seemed to read my mind. She had her head rested on my shoulder as we swayed and whispered, "Someday, they'll dance the night away as their true selves...and I'll be myself in your arms."
"You'll also be my wife," I murmured into her hair.
Only a few seconds passed from the words leaving my mouth before the room exploded into chaos. A shot rang out and it felt as if the piano had just struck a terribly wrong note, but it was apparent that it was more when a swarm of guests crashed into Lydia and I. Instinctively, I pulled her closer, bending to shield her as three more shots sounded.
"The balls barely started!" Lydia cried, wrenching away from me.
"This isn't me," I pleaded, as our guards leapt to action surrounding us.
I spotted a number of people in street clothes surging through the crowd. Silvers streamed out of their way.
The Scarlet Guard.
Through the chaos and mass of limbs we couldn't see the shooter, but one Silver dropped, probably not the first. I started bellowing orders to my guards who dove to obey. "Stay here!" I snapped at Lydia.
At the sound of my shouting, my subjects steered away from me as I raced at the closest Red, hands igniting. He fired, but I dodged the bullet, seizing his throat and turning him to ash. Before I could continue, there was movement to my right that had seized everyone's attention. A man stood above the crowd on one of the tables set for the feast. He held a pistol in the air. I caught the gleam of metal protruding from the opposite shirt sleeve.
Lydia's friend, Ben.
"We will rise, Red as the dawn!" he yelled, before placing the pistol beneath his chin and pulling the trigger.