Standing in front of the brown and black doors gave me an awful sense of deja-vu. These doors were larger than those of the meeting room, did that mean the occasion was going to be worse? I shook my head, I was just being silly, the size of doors were not a representation of the people within. Well, I guess that was arguable, ruthless kings had large doors to their cold castles whereas innocent people had small, worn doors. Where was the sense in that? The people who made the kingdom were left unprotected behind little doors and the very people who prevented their protection had this giant monstrosity of wood and steel. Stop thinking about doors, you're getting funny looks. I smoothed out the dark fabric of my gown, squared my shoulders and lifted my chin prepared to face whatever came next as the doors swung open.
The second I stepped into the ballroom the crowd of green and yellow fell silent, faces of awe and terror. Some were confused too, rightfully so if I was being honest. It wasn't every day a princess, who rarely made an appearance, showed up to a ball supposedly representing new beginnings wearing black. Black was a colour of new beginnings too I reminded myself, where there was death and endings there was and would always be change. Glittering gold and orange decorations hung from one side of the room representing Vauxhavens colours while blue decorations hung on the other representing Calvain. I wasn't sure that that sent the right message as the colours were divided, but then again blue and orange together wasn't the best interior design choice. I doubted whoever decided the colours for the kingdoms was fretting over whether the colours would work well together, it was likely the intention was that they never would. The banquet table stood deserted against one wall and I noticed the piles of lavish foods and most importantly all sorts of chocolatey things, I made a mental note to go over there immediately. A dais stood proudly directly opposite me, five angry faces, one unreadable one and an empty seat sat on top of it. The fact that there had been a seat prepared for me startled me enough that I remembered to start walking.
I smiled at the crowd of adults and children as I walked past, in return, I just got startled gazes and blinking expressions. These people expected me to be like the people on the dais I reminded myself, cruel and cold. As I was halfway through the still silent crowd I noticed a little raven-haired girl brimming and buzzing with excitement. she was tittering from one foot to the next, clutching the pale brown buttons and staring at me with such joy in her eyes it made me want to smile a real smile. Clearly, the girl couldn't hold it in any longer as she tugged on the hem of a raven-haired woman's gown and screeched giddily "look mommy! She looks like a fallen star!" breaking the silence. I wasn't a star, and I hadn't really fallen I'd just sort of always been on the ground, but I couldn't deny the resemblance. "Hush now child" her mother hissed with a wary glance in my direction. I paused in front of them and crouched down on the floor so I could be eye-level with the little girl. I'm sure I'd hear about this later, I was not under any circumstances to talk to the guests. "What's your name?" I asked the little girl, keeping my tone light. She glanced up at her mother who gave her a worried nod. "Hope" the girl replied, "my name is Hope." I almost snorted at the irony, we could all do with a little hope right now. "Tell me hope, what would you like to be when you grow up?" I muse. Clearly, the girl was done caring whether she was allowed to answer or not when she didn't look up at her mother and replied "a princess like you! Pretty and strong." The mother flicked the girl in the back of the head and started mumbling "I'm sorry princess, I told her not to dream of such atrocious things but she wouldn't listen." How typical of parents to dismiss their children as atrocious, as nothing. I smiled up at the woman, glanced back down at the girl and assured her, "you dream what you want to dream, do not let others tell you otherwise." A collective gasp sounded through the room as I took the silver tiara from my head and placed it on Hope who looked as though she was about to topple over with excitement.
I stretch out my hand to the little girl and hesitantly she places her hand in mine, it was so small. We began walking toward the dais and I could feel my family's angry gaze on me but that wasn't where my attention was. I was watching hope as she waved and smiled at the crowd we passed and then would burst out into fits of giggles when she got a wave back. It was mesmerizing to watch and I doubted anyone had ever laughed so much in this room. As we reach the foot of the dais I lead Hope back into the front of the crowd so she can return to her mother but just as I turned I notice her snatch the tiara from her head and hand it back to me. "No keep it, it looks better on you anyway" I whisper and place the tiara back on her head. Hope gives an excited little squeal and runs back into the crowd.
I take my seat on the dais and as feel six faces snap in my direction. Unbothered, I take a glass of champagne and settle into my seat. A few minutes pass and they're all still staring at me. I lift my glass and toast "to the fallen" while holding my father's gaze. To my surprise, Quilo lifts his glass slightly. Barely even a lilt of the glass however the movement had not gone unnoticed, his father scowled. Had Quilo lost someone too? Perhaps a friend? "You know that thieving little girl and her scrawny mother are just going to sell that right?" my father whispered angrily. I sigh, swirl the champagne around the glass and watch as it laps up the sides. "Then they'll sell it, I only hope they use the money wisely" I reply blandly. My father lets out an exasperated sigh that was more of a grumbling huff and leans back into the chair.
I enjoyed watching the party and enjoyed seeing the happy faces of the guests swirling a whirling with their partners across the dance floor. Hope kept skipping between couples showing off her new tiara to them with the biggest smile on her face. They offered her small smiles and a few words were exchanged before returning to their dancing. What was the highlight of my evening was the neverending stream of girls who kept trying to get Quilo's attention by either dancing in front of the dais, batting their eyelashes at him or just shouting his name. One girl actually threw herself in front of the dais screaming "I love you Quilo!" before she was hauled away by the guards. I'd burst out laughing until champagne came out of my nose, the girl had glared at me and turned away but not fast enough to hide the red creeping into her cheeks. Quilo offered them all bland nods, probably to keep his father happy I realised. When I hadn't stopped laughing my mother had banished me from the dais and I was told to go and join the crowd which felt more like a gift than punishment. My muscles were getting sore from sitting on that uncomfortable wooden chair for well over two hours.
I made my way over to the huge buffet table that no one was touching and piled a plate high with chocolate cake, brownies, shortbread and fudge cubes. I was about to shove another brownie into my mouth when someone snatched it from my hand. I whirled on them fully intending to demand what on earth they were thinking when I saw Quilo in a green suit. "You brownie stealing bitch!" I screech trying to get it from his hand. Quilo scowls and puts the whole thing in his mouth. "Just stand here a second" I murmur pointing to a spot where it would be difficult for the crowd to see him. then I swung forward and punched him straight in the face. Quilo's head whips to the side and the expression on his face looks positively murderous as he looks back at me. "Now now, daddy wouldn't be too happy if you started killing people in public now would he?" I whisper "just smile and wave." Quilo kicks me in the leg as he turns to face the curious crowd before murmuring "I'm going to kill you."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a hooded male figure with his attention fixed on me. when he notices my gaze he starts walking toward me. Deciding I was done with Quilo and this party any way I excuse myself and hurry out of the door. Noticing the man was still following me I lift the skirts of my gown and run down the halls, now empty during the ball. Surely this person wasn't going to hurt me right? Wrong I realised as something dark and sleek embedded itself in the wall just as I was about to turn a corner. A dagger. "Missed me" I shout over my shoulder and continue running. There were two sets of footsteps now but I didn't dare glance behind me to see if I recognised them. Who were they? what reason could they possibly have to want me dead? Assassins weren't my father's forte, he's more of a get a guard to lock them up and then forget to feed them or something kind of person. Surly Quilo hadn't made good on his threat already, right? Quilo wasn't my problem right now, the arrows firing at my head were.
Just as I came across a fork in the hallways I noticed two more heavily armed men came running towards me from the left, I'll take the right turn then. I felt no fear, no worry but my heart was hammering uncontrollably in my chest and my legs were starting to feel wobbly. Sending curses to the too many glasses of champagne I've drunk over the past two hours I sprint faster down the hallway. My dress was a torn mess, large rips going up either side of my thighs and it was no longer floor length. I needed to come up with a solution and soon. I was unarmed and the giddy flush running through my head told me I was drunk too. There were four large and heavily armed men running after me and if I didn't find a way to escape soon I'd become wall art. James would be shouting at me right now for not bringing a weapon, but I wasn't exactly expecting an assassination attempt at a ball.
Real fear hit me when I realised that I was running straight into a dead end and that there was another bow-wielding man running straight at me from the end of it, fantastic. "Look this is hardly a fair fight" I pant, bending over and placing my hands on my knees. An arrow pings past me and bounces harmlessly off the wall. I roll my eyes and tare a strip of black fabric from the bottom of my dress. "Don't worry little lady, we'll go easy on you" a gruff voice teases, not one I recognise. They were surrounding me now, all with weapons raised pointing directly at my head. "I meant for you" I growl before lurching at one of the bow-wielding men. Grabbing two arrows from the Quiver on his back I use the black fabric to choke him and he falls to the ground.
A second man ran at me with a sword clutched in his fist, he tackled me but didn't get me to the ground quick enough to avoid the arrow I slammed into the side of his neck. He fell into the third man, forcing him to stagger back and I threw the second and last arrow at him. It found its mark in the centre of his forehead. Heart-pounding, head fizzling and weaponless I raise my fists to take on the fourth attacker. My first punch landed on his jaw causing him to stagger back slightly. Just as I was about to lurch for the knife at his side something cold and hard hits me in the side of the head and the corners of my vision start to blur and flash. well, this was fantastic. A combination of the alcohol in my system and the blaring pain hammering on my head had me swaying and stumbling on my feet but I needed to keep fighting.
Another hit on my head forces me to the ground and blood trickles down the side of my face. no, no,no this couldn't be it. Words, words could be weapons too. I went to speak, to ask who they were but my mouth filled with blood from a wound I didn't realise I had. With my back pressed up against the cool brick, I stare up into the faces of my attackers. They pulled down their hoods, rounded ears I realised. Not the usual choice of killers for the king, money must be tight. "All this trouble just for me?" I choke spitting the blood from my mouth. I didn't have time to register the sound of approaching footsteps before one of the men lunges forward and everything goes black.