The ball was starting to fill up nicely. Delilah’s plan worked out perfectly.
Everyone was introduced, well everyone that was of importance.
For the first time in a long time, I finally felt what it was to be normal.
None of the ladies surrounded me. Drizelda’s grubby hands wasn’t all over me and worst of all, it was hard to suppress my laughter seeing Gabe taking my place.
Delilah was really spot on with her observatory.
He really looked like me.
The event was extravagant. Mother and father looked surprisingly relaxed.
I watch them as they sat on the throne and greeting each and every one with a nod. It was a pity that they never really mingle with a lot of people.
I vowed to be a different king one day.
My eyes shifted on Drizelda again who looked like a peacock with a dark blue dress and a mask that fitted perfectly with her theme. I really didn’t want her to be queen one day.
Everything about her irritated the living hell out of me.
I stood against the wall, wearing something a Prince would never be found dead in, but still resembled nobility.
“Oh, Al,” Drizelda said with her arm hooked into Gabe’s.
I chuckled as Gabe mimicked my voice perfectly.
She would die a thousand deaths if she knew that she was flirting with one of the stable boys.
“Look, there he is, he’s so handsome,” a nearby girl said.
She wears a lilac dress. It wasn’t your typical gown, pretty plain if you have to compare it among the other gowns.
The lottery mother held jumped into my mind. She must be it.
The one hiding next to her sighed. I shifted to see a better look and I gasped softly as her dress, well, plain too, came into view.
For some reason I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
She looked like a fairy princess ready to fly away at any moment.
“I don’t know how you can drool over him.”
I frowned. Something tells me that she didn’t like me much.
“Oh come on, lighten up. We are here?”
“Urgh!” the girl said. “You know how much food is here, it could feed the entire Eikenborough for months.”
She was one of those. Always worrying about where her next meal came from. If only they were smarter, they wouldn’t starve so much.
“Seriously, enjoy tonight and stop worrying about Eikenborough and its people.”
I smiled again. I really liked her friend.
“Someone has to, because your prince charming and his family doesn’t.”
I squinted. What on earth did she mean by that?
I couldn’t help but to watch this feisty little being standing paces away from me.
The waiter passed and handed them each a glass of champagne. The girl on the lilac dress was giddy about it but the one next to her didn’t say a word as she took the flute.
I grabbed a flute too and stood there sipping it slowly, listening to them quarrelling further.
The girl in the lilac dress really wanted to be here, but I couldn’t say the same for the girl next to her.
She fit in but there was something about her that didn’t want to fit in. She stood out and I couldn’t help to stare, while sipping my champagne, hiding behind my mask.
“You know what,” the girl said and down the content of the flute, handed the empty glass to her friend. “I’m going to march up to him now and tell him exactly what I think about all of this.” She waved to the entire ballroom.
Oh crap!
I followed the girl as she made it past the people without any hassle.
I on the other hand with all my poise struggled.
I kept pushing and shoving people in fancy ball gowns and masks.
“Excuse me your highness,” the girl curtseyed in front of Gabe. “I really need…”
I made my voice thick, there was no way she was going to spoil my fun tonight. “Sorry, your highness, my sister is quite drunk. Please forgive her”
Gabe knew it was me. The corners of his lips tugged softly, and he nodded.
“No, I’m not. Leave me.” She protested as I pulled her to one of the side doors.
She punched my arm, really hard. How can someone this small own so much strength.
“Would you calm down.”
“Let go of me,” She spat out the words. “He deserve everything I had to say to him.”
She was angry but for some reason it made me chuckle. I never met a girl with this much anger inside of her and it the knowledge of that started to do all things to my gut which never happened before.
“Do you know what they would’ve done to you if you scolded the Prince of Paegeia in public.”
“Do you think I care?” She said and I smiled again. She really knows no fear.
She pulled her dress straight and taking huge breathes through angry nostrils.
Was she a dragon. She sure reminded me a lot of Connie when she was angry.
“Walk with me, maybe it would clear your head and you might think like a normal person again.”
The girl rolled her beautiful grey eyes and pouted her lips.
“Please,” I begged again not wanting her to turn around and walk back into that ball room.
To my surprise she took one last breath and nodded. We walk down the stairs that lead to the garden.
“So what did poor Prince Albert did to you.”
“Poor Prince,” she snided. “He’s anything but poor”
“Okay, so you hate him because his is rich, and you are not?”
“No, I’m not hating him for that reason.”
She sure was angry.
“I told that silly girl this was going to be a waste of time.”
I laughed again. “You don’t like balls, you certainly look the part. I’ve seen you entered the ball room and so did a couple of other people.” I lied. “You certainly pull it off gracefully.”
She didn’t say anything but I could tell the girl was really starting to get annoyed with me.
“So let’s try this again, what did Prince Albert do to deserve this lashing.” There was laughter in my tone.
“It’s not funny, so you can wipe that smirk off your face.”
“Okay, you’re not a very friendly little person are you.”
“Oh I can be very friendly to the right people,” she said.
“And I’m not one of them.”
“I’m sure you belong to a lord or a general or someone of high importance, so no, you are not one of them.”
“So it’s not just the Prince, it’s lords and generals too. What about Governors.” I teased.
“Don’t mock me, okay. I really have a bone to pick with all these so called people of importance.”
“You don’t see them as important.”
“They only care about themselves. You know that taxes are getting razed on a monthly basis now, and for what. Dragon attacks. You so called important people are killing the people of Paegeia with your fancy balls and stupid masks. Not the dragons.”
I really didn’t know about the taxes being raised and for what? “I agree with that completely.”
“What!” The girl was taken by surprised. “What are you doing here then.”
“Same as you, I was friendly forced.” I looked back at the palace. “They really raised the taxes every month.”
“Yes, they do.” She looked at me again. “Why don’t you know this, don’t you pay taxes too?”
I lift up my hands in defence. “No, I didn’t say that. I just don’t know about any of these things really. My father pays our taxes.” I lied.
“Must be nice to have a rich and healthy father.”
The way she said it made me feel sad for her all of a sudden. “Your father is sick.”
She sighed and lowered her head. “It doesn’t matter. No doctor can save him. He’s at his last and we have to make peace with that.”
“Why not take him to a Swallow Annex.”
“Because we don’t have that kind of money to pay for Swallow Anexes either.”
I nodded and my mind was starting to wonder about many things. I usually didn’t give a rat’s ass about the poor, assumed a lot.
I felt like an idiot. Why where they paying for everything, or even charged. Me, Helmut, and Caleb don’t get charge whenever we got sick.
I stared at her. I was finally getting why this girl hate my family so much. It was extortion of what we do to them.
“I have a friend that is a swallow annex,” I whispered.
“What!”
“If you promise to stop attacking us poor rich people I can ask her to visit your father.”
She just stared at me.
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Chastity Blake discovered the hard way what she was: a modern-day Sandman. But things aren't looking up for Chastity. She is guarding a secret deep within her — her dark sand, or what Reverians call her Shadow. Shadow Casters are known for their dark dreams, the nightmares they create. If she's caught with dark sand, she may be subjected to harsh interrogation, even banished to the Oblivion with the other Shadow Casters... and that is SO not on her list.
