THE same brown eyes and plump lips stared back at her in the mirror, yet Karyn almost didn't recognize herself.
Idyna had done her hair in an updo that was nothing short of extraordinary. A few deliberate strands fell from it, adding a touch of effortless elegance. It was the replica of the hair the woman in her dream had. The woman who called her Rynanda. The only thing missing was the flower crown the woman wore.
Karyn never fancied dresses, but this one was an exception. The sleeve-less silver-colored gown that shimmered under the light had waves of gold adorning the hems of the dress and the neckline. It hugged the upper part of her body like a second skin, accentuating the curves of her chest and the small of her back.
With each swirl, Karyn felt the delicate ruffles of the dress cascading down from her waist to the floor, and she couldn't stop the grin that broke out on her face.
After a knock, the door opened and Idyna rushed in, dressed in a vivid pink ball gown that complemented the delicate blossoms decorating her hair. Her blonde curls came down in thick waves that framed her slender face.
"Okay, okay, I'm here. Thanks for waiting," Idyna said before she took a deep breath.
"I love everything!" exclaimed Karyn, twirling in front of the mirror. Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she took in every detail.
"You look beautiful," Idyna complimented.
"Thank you. You did all this."
Idyna chuckled with reddened cheeks. "Only the best for you."
When Karyn finally tore herself away from the mirror, she slid on the transparent elbow-length gloves that revealed a glimpse of her skin beneath. Tiny glistening stones and delicate white swirls ran across the length of the light fabric, adding a touch of ethereal allure.
"So," Idyna started once they left the room. "I'm sure this would be your first ball. I don't know if you attended any in Wlerden."
"If I did, I don't remember."
Idyna nodded. "Balls here are not to the book as they would be in Wlerden. It's just a group of people sipping wine and having a good time in a modest setting," Idyna said as they walked down some stairs. "Some nice young men would come and ask for a dance."
"Oh."
"Don't worry. It would just be a simple waltz."
Karyn chuckled in relief before her brows came together in worry. "But I don't know how to do the waltz."
"Every princess knows how to dance, you just don't remember. Waltzing is like muscle memory, especially when you're taught at a young age. Now your Turund didn't hold your muscles' memories, did she?" Idyna asked rhetorically, her smile easing Karyn's worries.
Once they reached the last floor, Karyn could recognize where they were as they passed the pictures she had marveled at when they first arrived. The further down the hall they went, the louder the sound of classical music became.
"Here we are," Idyna said as they stopped in front of the door, guarded by two men. Karyn took in a deep breath and managed a smile at the men who pushed open the doors.
"Remember, you're here to have a good time."
Karyn let out the breath she was holding, but as they stepped into the large hall, her eyes rounded in awe, and the sight knocked the wind out of her lungs. The largest space she could recall was the gymnasium at Emerfield High, but this made the gymnasium look like a tiny bedroom.
Litters of slender candlelights fell from the ceiling and the polished floor reflected an endless sea of unfamiliar faces that conversed and shone in their shimmering dresses and dashing suits with wine or champagne glasses in their hands. The air carried an elusive scent, unidentifiable yet appeasing to Karyn's senses.
Her feet finally moved when Idyna tugged at their linked arms. Her eyes glanced around, trying to take it all in as if the enchanting scene before her would soon vanish like a fleeting dream.
At the far end of the grand hall, an elegant stage commanded attention. Poised upon it, an orchestra adorned in radiant uniforms of shimmering gold. Most ladies wore dresses and the men, along with a decent amount of women in golden suits. The conductor stood alone, a striking figure in his sleek white suit. The melodies their instruments created set the room in a peaceful ambiance as Karyn's heart thrummed to the pull of the violin.
Some steps away from the orchestra, Karyn could see Lady Minerva looking like a burst of sunlight in her yellow ball gown and flanked on the sides by Gema and Marcela. A wave of relief settled over her at the sight of a healthy Marcela.
Idyna's voice was close enough to rise above the chatter and pull Karyn's eyes from the orchestra.
"The first thing to do is to meet the host of the ball or the celebrant. Unless you're early, then you wait till they make their grand entry," Idyna said as they ambled toward Lady Minerva.
"Who's the celebrant of this ball?" she asked.
"That, Lin—Karyn, would be you," Idyna said and flashed her a warm smile.
Karyn's eyes returned to the surrounding people, catching their questioning stares and hushed whispers.
A surge of self-consciousness coursed through her. Was there a blemish on her dress? A smudge in her makeup? Or was it simply because they had never seen her at these functions? But could they easily tell a stranger apart in the dense crowd?
Idyna caught on to her discomfort. "Don't worry about them. I'm sure it's because you're unfamiliar or you're familiar. And your dress catches the light perfectly."
"Thanks, but familiar in what way?"
Idyna couldn't voice her response as they had reached Lady Minerva, who let out a gasp and fixed her hand on her chest.
"You look so much like your mother right now. Come here my darling," Lady Minerva said with extended arms, and Idyna uncircled her arms from Karyn's, who then reached forward and leaned into the hug.
"You look so beautiful, my dear," Lady Minerva said as they pulled apart. "Your mother almost always had her hair in the same way, adorned with the flower crowns she loved to make. She loved to do the same hairstyle for you, but you would make such a fuss of sitting for so long."
Lady Minerva dabbed her eyes with a white handkerchief before Gema placed a hand on the lady's shoulder.
"Oh, look at me getting emotional. Now, now. I must introduce you to our crowd. They have been waiting," Lady Minerva said and took Karyn's hands, whose heart sped up.
She had stood and spoken in front of crowds before, but not in front of a crowd like this and not as a Silverein.
A clinking of a spoon on glass resonated around the room before the audience descended in silence. Countless pairs of eyes settled on the stage she highlighted with Lady Minerva.
"Thank you, once again, for coming and making this ball worth the while. You all have never failed to show up and be here for me and all of us. For the first time in ten years. For the first time since the tragedy that struck The White Castle, we have reached a turning point. We are no longer in the dark because now, Lin Silverein is en route to The White Castle, to Wlerden, and our people.
"Our Wielders for long have searched for her, the rightful heiress to the throne. That search was not in vain because now we have her! Now we have hope! Ladies and gentlemen, we gathered here for one reason, for one person. Lin Silverein and Princess of Wlerden, daughter of the late King Driando Vidarr Herionva and Queen Morrigan Herionva, Princess Karynanda Demelza Betuselli Herionva!" Lady Minerva said and gestured a hand toward Karyn before the audience erupted in a deafening cheer.
♛ ♛ ♛
THE room flourished with a vibrant energy as she moved alongside Lady Minerva, from one person to another. They had been at it for what felt like hours, yet Karyn was sure she still hadn't met half of those in attendance. Even if she wanted to get rid of her smile, she couldn't. Her face remained frozen in a warm facade, a betrayal of the weariness that grew within her.
After what felt like an eternity, Lady Minerva finally excused herself and left her in the care of Lady Idyna.
She let out a deep exhale as her mask slipped and Lady Idyna chuckled with a hand pressed against her mouth, attempting to stifle a laughter.
"Come, there's a table of snacks," Idyna said and Karyn's shoulders sagged in relief.
She hadn't eaten a morsel all day, so the mere thought of snacks was enough to fill her with a newfound energy. When they arrived, Karyn's eyes widened in delight. Her mouth watered as her eyes moved from sugary biscuits and fresh cookies to fluffy brownies and exotic treats she couldn't recognize.
"Don't mean to leave you high and dry but I've seen my beau and I've got to go get him," Idyna said and Karyn followed her line of sight to land on a man in conversation with Lady Minerva.
"Your beau? You've got to tell me about him sometime, but sure," Karyn said.
"Great! I'll be right back," Idyna said before she picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and sashayed away.
Karyn's lips tugged up in a smile. She didn't need someone to tell her that Idyna wouldn't come back soon. The look of pure passion shining through Idyna's eyes told her enough.
Karyn returned to munching on a biscuit when a gnawing feeling ignited within her, one she knew all too well, as it crawled its way up her arms and legs. Before she could decipher what Her Sense was telling her, someone cleared their throat beside her.
She turned, eyebrows raised in question, to find a man with his head bowed in reverence. He looked young, with a sharp jawline and a perfectly tailored brown suit.
"Micah Winlow," he introduced and with his hand extended and palm up, asked, "May I be so bold to ask for a dance?"
"Um, of course."
Karyn would have slapped herself in the face for that answer because what she thought was a simple invitation turned into hours-long waltzing with strangers. Not that the waltzing was a chore, but it was the men who asked for her hand.
She soon tired of their skittering and beating around the bush as they all tried to please her. Stuttering when they said something they perceived she would take offense at, instead of engaging her in conversation and seeking her opinions.
But the worst part was the sensation and how it had grown. The weight was so overpowering that it drowned out the voices of her dance partners until it forced her to realize what it was saying.
Someone was watching her.
Her skin prickled with a sense of unease that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand as if shocked by the intensity of the mystery person's gaze. She could feel their eyes drilling holes in her back, making her heart pound in her ears.
Her eyes swept over the massive sea of colors, searching for the person, whoever they were. The dance routine of spins didn't make it easy, but she found him. There in a blue suit stood the man she met in the hallway.
The Stranger with a Scar.
Despite the distance between them, the look in his eyes was so strong it forced a chill down her spine. Her partner set her in a spin and pulled her back before turning her away from the stranger. The dance soon ended, and she tried to express gratitude to the older man, but it came out forced.
She acted swiftly and left the clearing, sidestepping, and redirecting to avoid anyone she perceived was coming to ask for a dance. She was a woman on a mission and wasted no time in reaching her target.
"You make quite a dancer. No one could even tell you don't remember doing this at The White Castle," he said with his back turned to her.
She didn't stop in her stride until she stood in front of him.
"I thought you were leaving when I met you in the hallway," she said.
"I was, but there was a ball in your honor. How could I not attend?"
He took a sip from his glass and that was when his words replayed in her head.
"What did you mean by your statement?"
"What? You being an excellent dancer? You are a—"
"No. The one after that," she clarified as her brows furrowed. How did he know she remembered nothing from Wlerden?
"Oh, that. Well, it's true. Your dancing was as impeccable as a princess who'd been in Wlerden all her life when, in the actual sense, you don't remember any of it."
"How did you know..." She paused, and then whispered, "That I don't have some memories."
"No need to whisper. News travels fast."
"How did you know?" she asked again with more force.
"Princess, you've always been in the spotlight, now more than ever. That means you've got to be careful who you—"
"You shouldn't be talking to him," she heard someone say as the person held on to her arm and pulled her a step back from the stranger. She recognized the voice before she looked up at Zack.
"What—"
"Zacklan! How nice to see you again," the stranger said with a cunning smirk.
A stormy expression took over Zack's face as his nose flared and his jaw clenched. For someone with perfect control of his emotions, the effect this stranger had on Zack left Karyn stunned.
"What are you doing here?" Zack asked, venom lacing his tone.
"No pleasantries from you, little brother."
"I am not your little brother," Zack spat.
"I felt you were—"
"The feeling's not mutual."
The stranger let out an exasperated sigh. "Of course, the feeling's not mutual. I saw you as my little brother. You saw me as your elder brother. They're not the same."
"You two know each other?" Karyn asked before Zack could force out a retort, with her eyes going between them. The smirk on the stranger's face only grew.
Her frown deepened as she wondered what was the exact nature of the relationship between them.
"Don't listen to anything he says. He is nothing but bad news."
Without another word, Zack turned on his heels and stormed away, leaving her to stare at his retreating figure in confusion. Her eyes followed his movements before she turned to get more information from the stranger, but her question died in her throat when found the space empty.
When had he gone without her noticing, and how had he moved so fast?
She twisted her head, her eyes scanning through the crowd of moving figures until she caught the familiar blue suit as he walked out the transparent sliding doors and into the garden. She looked back in the direction Zack went. Who would she go after?
Her Sense was telling her one person, and she followed it without question, weaving her way politely through the mass of people before she reached the transparent sliding doors and stepped out.
Lamp posts lit up the garden as her heels sunk into the soft grass with every step she took. She held her gown in her hands as she walked further, resuming her search through the handful of people engaged in conversations.
Her eyes kept darting from group to group until—
"You should have gone after Zack," she heard and veered around to see him behind her. How had she missed that?
"Well, you haven't told me exactly how you got that information about me," she said before her hands left her dress and came up to cross at her chest. His gaze unnerved her, but she needed answers.
"Are you worried someone's leaking out your most valued secrets, Princess?" he asked with a smirk. Before she could respond, his smirk dropped, and he continued, "Look, don't sweat it. Go check on Zack. If he finds out you're here with me, that would bruise his ego."
The stranger turned to walk away, but she called out, forcing him to face her.
"What did you mean in the hallway? About negligence having consequences."
"You don't have to understand the meaning of my words. Just take the advice. Trust me, you'll need it."
"How can I trust you when I don't even know your name?"
"Ares."
The distant chatter of voices lingered between them before she asked, "Is Zack really your brother?"
"No. I saw him as one. Still do, but I guess he doesn't see things the same."
She watched him keenly as he cast his gaze on the grass and kicked at it. "What happened between you two?"
"I can't tell you that, Princess," he said with a rueful smile. "I'm sure if you ask him, he'll tell you, and if he doesn't, well," Ares sighed. "That would mean he doesn't want you to know."
Ares' eyes drifted over her before he stuffed his hands in his pocket and tilted his head slightly. She shifted under his scrutinizing stare.
"You're close to Zack, aren't you? At least he's doing something right."
"What?"
"Negligence has consequences, Princess. Perhaps Zack is the one who needs to hear that. For you, a new world lies ahead. One that's far different from the one you knew and have forgotten about. You heard what Minerva called you. Their hope. That's some big shoes to fill Princess. Worry about that," he said and left, not giving her a chance to say anything else.
Was he warning her? And what did he mean about Zack doing something right?
She released a breath and resolved it was time for her to retire to her room. Her mind worried for Zack, but it wouldn't surprise her if she didn't find him. After all, she hadn't seen him at all until he interrupted her conversation with Ares and left without a word. He hadn't even spared her a glance throughout the interaction.
A small part of her had wanted to see his reaction when he would see her in this dress. Would he marvel at her like she did when she stood in front of the mirror?
She shook her thoughts away as she left the garden in search of Lady Minerva. She would have to tell the lady she was done for the night and also say the same to Idyna, then search for a worker who could escort her back to her room.
She smiled at some people who regarded her, forcing her heavy feet to move until she stood at a spot and let her eyes do the searching. As a new tune started playing, someone asked, "May I have the next dance?"
She was ready to decline, but the words died in her throat when she spun.
♛
ITNC: Karyn's next dance morphs into a nightmare that drags on while Lady Minerva asks questions.
♛
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The Sparkling Authoress,
Mis. A
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