Terrwyn stopped beside Aricia, facing the open doorway that led towards the palace gardens. They were well lit and already full, people walking by in clothing ranging from elaborate to understated simplicity, all of them masked. The inability to see who was who made Terrwyn's neck itch. Someone could smuggle troops in disguised and no one would know until it was too late and then—
Her thought was cut off by a kick from Aricia. "You're thinking of something awful and unfitting of a ball," the princess said, eyes narrowed behind her silver mask.
She sighed. "I hate balls, especially masques."
"You will simply have to accept it. It's not as if you do not have nearly every other member of my bodyguards in uniform stationed throughout the grounds. And that in addition to the palace guards and those of my parents' guards. Now, I will not have the efforts I put into making you presentable go to waste any more than I will the time it took to tame my hair. Let's head out."
Terrwyn wrinkled her nose, causing her black half-mask to rise. "All right, but I'd prefer it if you stayed close. You don't know who gossips to who, and there are young men who will pay to find out what you're dressed as."
Aricia gave her a sidelong glance and a wicked smile. "Which is why I pay my seamstresses and maids an additional fee to remain quiet or to give any particularly persistent people a false description I provide."
"I should know better than to underestimate you."
"That is very true." The princess led the way towards the doors. "Keep your head up and enjoy yourself."
"Easy for you to say," Terrwyn muttered. Already she could feel nervous sweat prickling her palms and back. There were too many people and she only had a few knives on her. She wanted her sword and her armour, but with Aricia's hard stare on her, she fixed her face into some semblance of politeness and walked outside.
At least the air was cool, the last bit of light leaving the sky slowly as the deep blue of twilight was swallowed by the black of night. The wide stone terrace was well lit with torches, with most people currently mingling around the tables holding food and drink. Musicians were setting up in one corner, the light notes of their tuning rising above the general murmur of chatter.
Down the stairs the gardens were kept from being dark with lanterns hung on temporary poles, some people already wandering around the central grassy area, only a few taking the paths into the flowers themselves. Terrwyn flickered her gaze over the assembled people, noting the grey uniforms of her people spaced out so they could handle any trouble prior to it becoming an issue.
She nodded inwardly, pleased at the discipline she saw. Everyone was where they should be, and they were being ignored by the revellers. Terrwyn turned to Aricia, who was smiling at her in a way that made her tense.
"I am pleased to see you embracing your feminine side, even if it was done under protest."
"It's not my job to be feminine. It's my job to keep you safe."
"One does not preclude the other," Aricia retorted. "And for tonight, being feminine should be your only concern."
Before Terrwyn could ask what she meant by that, Aricia turned and hurried into the thickest part of the crowd, disappearing in moments. Gritting her teeth, Terrwyn stayed where she was. Drawing attention to Aricia would be worse. And it wasn't as if all of her people didn't know exactly what the princess was wearing and would keep an eye on her. She'd have to trust them to do their jobs.
With the press of people close enough even the outside air felt stale, Terrwyn went straight to the table holding drinks. She grabbed one of the delicate goblets filled with pale liquid. A quick gulp told her it was plum wine, and she resisted the urge to toss it all back. She didn't need the headache she'd have in the morning if she allowed herself to overindulge.
Terrwyn sipped at her glass as she hovered near the edges of the terrace, listening to the people around her. Most of what they had to say was the usual court posturing and nonsense. She did hear two young men wondering where Aricia was, and what she was wearing. When a third joined them and mentioned the princess was dressed like the night, Terrwyn nearly choked.
Contemplating Aricia's murder might not be professional, but she felt it was appropriate given the circumstances. To avoid the young men, who were obviously scanning the crowds, Terrwyn took the stairs down to the gardens. She didn't trust the men's powers of observation and really didn't feel like fending off any attention meant for the princess. Not when she couldn't see anyone's faces.
With the musicians playing a lively piece, the grass below the terrace was full of dancers. Terrwyn settled to one side awkwardly, watching people swirl by. She glared when she caught sight of Aricia, who offered her a smile as she was whirled away by her partner. She'd remember this the next time the princess wanted Terrwyn to cover up one of her pranks.
"...dark magic in the city."
The words caught Terrwyn's attention, and she drifted towards the man's voice coming from the other side of one of the gardens, the shadows here deep. "Heard someone died in the middle of dinner at an inn, but no one saw who did it."
"Probably drunk," replied a second male voice.
Terrwyn barely kept her snort of agreement from emerging.
"No, they weren't. I heard there's some kind of monster living in the darkness, one that cuts your throat and drinks your blood, and no one can see it coming."
This time she did snort and wandered away, keeping to the edge of the area claimed by the dancers. Another stupid rumour that would probably grow every time it was repeated. The last one had been about some enormous wolf terrorizing the city, which had turned out to be a big stray with a penchant for getting into people's chicken coops.
She came to a stop in the corner farthest from the musicians, where the music could just be heard and she was outside the main glow of the lanterns. Terrwyn sighed, revelling in the cooler air and quiet, but not daring to go any farther into the gardens. Aricia would never let her hear the end of it if she did, that she was willing to disobey a direct order from the princess in the first place. She would if it were for Aricia's own good, but wouldn't tarnish her honour for something as stupid as not wanting to be at a ball.
"Are you hiding?"
Terrwyn jerked to stare at the man beside her. She could swear he hadn't been there a moment ago, but in the shadows it was hard to see. His dark hair flopped over the top of his half-mask of black almost the twin of her own. Dressed in the same shade only lessened in a few places by silver, the man practically blended in with the darkness.
"Pardon?"
He smiled, teeth bright in thin light of the lanterns. "Are you hiding?"
She shook her head, both hands wrapping around her now-empty glass. "No, just watching the dancers and enjoying the cool air."
"Ah, I can understand. Though I can't understand why a pretty lady has been left without a dance partner." He offered her his hand. "Would you join me for a dance?"
Terrwyn flushed a little and looked down at her hands. Most men in court avoided her, if they didn't treat her like the other knights. She should accept, Aricia expected it of her, but she didn't know him. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't made some kind of mistake.
Movement entered her field of vision, and before she knew what he was doing, the stranger had plucked the glass from her loose fingers. With a smile and a wink, he carefully put it down on the stone edge of the garden. He took her hand in his and nodded towards where the other dancers were finishing up their current set.
She hesitated, but the sight of Aricia's glare as the princess went by made her sigh and allow the stranger to tow her into edge of the dancers. "I'm not the best dancer," she warned.
He smiled again. "I'm sure you'll be wonderful."
Terrwyn studied him as they took their places while everyone else waited for the musicians to begin the next piece. Taller than her by a bit, his complexion was nearly the same as hers, indicating some kind of foreign parentage. He could be a diplomat, but his lack of accent made her uncertain. She didn't think she'd ever seen him, which gave her pause. Then again, if he was newly come to court, she'd likely not have noticed given her deliberate attempts to stay out of the politics she didn't need to be involved in.
When the music started, Terrwyn's shoulders tensed. It was a free dance, and she always ended up stepping on her partner's toes, one of the many reasons she didn't dance often. Her partner squeezed the hand he still held gently and offered her a reassuring smile. She winced. "I'm sorry in advance."
They started off slow, so they had taken at least a dozen steps before Terrwyn's foot inevitably came down on top of his. She stumbled forward but he caught her, turning the movement into a spin like they'd planned it. She looked up and found him still smiling. "How about I follow you?" he said, shifting his hold so his hand was higher up on her waist.
She blinked for a moment then nodded. Concentrating on the music and the steps she'd been taught, she turned them slowly around then added in two quick steps. Her partner kept up easily which made her smile. Relaxing a bit, she took them deeper into the crowd, using long gliding steps that melded with the strings then short, almost tiptoe ones with the faster beat of the drum.
The stranger didn't hesitate, matching his steps to hers with ease. He was certainly the best dancer she'd ever partnered with. She admired his ability to keep up with her, even as she continued moving, her body relaxing into the rhythm so she didn't need to constantly focus on where her feet were.
At the end of her next quick turn, her partner added in his own flourish, releasing her waist so he could gently spin her with a hand. She smiled at him as she came back into his grip, moving them both faster in time with the music. Other dancers floated by, but none came close to them. They were alone in the centre of the grass, dancing as if no one else existed.
When the music finally stopped, Terrwyn found herself grinning up at him. She couldn't remember ever having had that much fun dancing. Not since she was a child, at least. He returned the expression, a hand snaking out behind him. It reappeared a moment later with a red flower from one of the planters which he stuck into her hair above her ear. "Like I said, wonderful."
She pinked but smiled her thanks. Terrwyn let him lead her out of the dance area, not really noticing the whispers that followed them or the clear space the other dancers had left around them. Once they were back in the corner where they'd come from, he brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back.
Now Terrwyn went red but didn't pull her hand away. He squeezed it once more and offered her a little bow then released it. "I do hope we meet again. I'd enjoy another dance and maybe we could even share a drink...?"
She looked down for a moment, thinking maybe Aricia had been right. Terrwyn lifted her head to say she'd love to, but found he was gone. She looked all around, turning slowly, but could find no sign of him. Only the flower in her hair showed she hadn't hallucinated the whole thing.
* * *
Stepping out of the folds of pale material, Aricia moved away from the dress that her maids were carefully putting away. Her unpinned hair fell in a curly bunches around her shoulders, the ache in her scalp slowly fading. Left in her farthingale and chemise, she kept still as Bethia carefully unlaced the back so she could get out of the wide underskirt. "You may all leave," Aricia told the other maids as they finished hanging her gown up.
They exchanged a look before glancing at Bethia. "Your Highness?"
"I am perfectly capable of readying myself for bed. I am not a child." A glance behind showed Bethia was wearing the light frown that told Aricia that while her chief maid disapproved of this, she wasn't about to protest it. Aricia didn't mention that she wanted the luxury of time to herself. Bethia knew that, having served her for nearly a decade.
"Come along, girls." Bethia released the laces and jerked her head at the other two maids before turning to Aricia. "Ring your bell if you need us and try not to stay up too late, Your Highness."
Aricia stifled the eyeroll she wanted to give. "I will. Thank you."
Bethia nodded and led the way out of the room with the two younger maids trailing behind her like ducklings. When the door shut, Aricia made a face at the closed door. Bethia was worse than her own mother at times.
It took only a few minutes for her to wriggle out of the farthingale and her chemise and get herself wrapped in one of her long, loose nightgowns. She'd had entirely enough of being restricted this evening. Comfortable at last, Aricia settled herself into her bed with the nearby candles lit, with a small bottle of wine and a plate of honeycakes she'd smuggled out of the party to much glowering from Bethia.
Aricia leaned back against her pillows and sighed, enjoying the rare quiet. It was nice to be by herself, with no pressure, no one talking to her, and no one looking for anything from her. There were times where she thought it would be nice to escape for a week or two, hole herself up somewhere where she could just be alone with her own thoughts for once. Somewhere she didn't need to worry about what everyone else was thinking.
A small smile that was equal parts sadness and amusement at her own thoughts crossed her face. Shaking herself, Aricia pursed her lips as she considered the evening. She supposed the masque had been successful in that no one had figured out who she was. And she was pleased to have seen Terrwyn dancing with someone for once. Her chief bodyguard was far too concerned with her safety to the point where she ignored her own life, and while Aricia appreciated Terrwyn's dedication, she still didn't want her friend to live a life that was empty outside of her duty.
She put aside thoughts of Terrwyn for later. Aricia would have plenty of time to force her into being social later. The more immediate concern was herself. She was nearly twenty-one, and she had to be serious about her own marriage prospects. Her mother was certainly nagging her about it.
Nibbling on a honeycake, Aricia went through her mental list of eligible men at court and outside of it, knowing she wasn't going to find many who fit her requirements. She wanted someone who was intelligent, good, not unattractive, and someone who wouldn't try to usurp her rule. It seemed she could only ever manage two or three out of the four, and she wasn't about to lower her standards. Not yet at least.
Still, she had time, and her father was strong and healthy so she wouldn't be called on to rule for a long while. The country was peaceful and prosperous enough, though occasionally Aricia had to admit to wanting a bit more excitement in her life. Maybe a handsome stranger who ticked all of her requirements would rescue her from danger...
Chuckling at her own daydream, Aricia grabbed the book that lay beside her bed and focused on that and her wine.