Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2)

by Benjamin Medrano

  She opened the letter just to be certain, since she didn’t want to rely purely on the explanation of a maid. It wouldn’t do to try to attend a ball when she didn’t have an invitation, after all. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Kitania couldn’t decide which, the letter held an invitation to the ball as well, though in significantly more flowery language.

  “Well, this is going to be awkward,” Kitania replied, but her lips quirked in a smile as she shrugged and tried to look on the bright side. “At least I’ll be getting a decent dress, I suppose.”

  Setting the letter aside, Kitania picked up her book again. The next day would come when it did, no sooner and no later. In the meantime, she might as well learn what she could. Maybe she could even find someone to teach her a couple of the local dances so she didn’t embarrass herself too badly, but that was something for the next day.

  “This is ridiculous. Completely, utterly ridiculous!” Barria Estheim exclaimed dramatically, the woman all but throwing her hands up in the air as she circled around Kitania. “How am I supposed to do something with you in two days? Two weeks would be more appropriate, but Her Highness expects me to have you ready for court two days hence? Preposterous!”

  Kitania calmly raised her eyebrows, allowing Barria to continue her venting. The seamstress was a slightly plump elven woman with ruddy skin and an impeccable wardrobe, and the brunette had the sharp-eyed gaze of someone who knew what they were doing, in Kitania’s opinion. The issue was that she also was the high-strung type, or at least the type prone to exaggeration and being melodramatic.

  They weren’t in Kitania’s room, which was fortunate, considering everything that Barria had brought with her, and the woman’s two assistants were calmly arranging a variety of tools on a table as they snuck glances at Kitania. Instead, they were in a larger, nicer sitting room, one that Kitania suspected was frequently used for precisely this purpose, from how familiar with it the two assistants seemed to be.

  “I sincerely doubt I had much more warning than you did,” Kitania said at last and looked down as she added quietly, “Had I had some idea that this was coming, and a less violent arrival, I’d have brought a few dresses from home. Unfortunately, that’s just something that could have happened, not what is.”

  “Precisely! The problem is that I don’t have nearly enough time to do this right. You’re a demon, and your tail certainly causes problems of its own,” Barria snapped, giving the tail a sharp glare. “I’ve never had to make clothing for someone like you. At least you have close to an elven figure, because, otherwise, this would be a disaster. Besides, I have no idea if your old dresses would even suffice for a ball like this one! What colors did you wear, anyway?”

  “My mother’s colors were varying shades of blue, so I wore those most of the time, and I’m partial to purples. However, most of my dresses were turquoise or yellow,” Kitania replied promptly, looking at Barria with a slight smile. “I preferred turquoise when I couldn’t have purple.”

  Barria paused for a moment, looking at Kitania, then gestured at one of the assistants, demanding briskly, “Turquoise swatch.”

  The assistant promptly pulled out swatches of several colors of turquoise fabric, and Barria took one and placed it against Kitania’s shoulder, eying her critically for a long moment. Then she nodded and pulled it away.

  “Not a bad choice, and at least it’s striking, with your eye and hair color. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right,” Barria said firmly, handing the swatch back to the assistant. “I have a dress I can modify to fit you, but the style will need to be adjusted. You’re too different from the locals to wear the same type of dress. With your tail, is it always swaying about like a cat’s?”

  “It is.” Kitania said, glancing back at her tail reflexively, surprised at how quickly Barria had changed from being dramatic to businesslike. “It’s longer than most, so otherwise it’d drag on the ground. Fortunately, keeping it in the air is a reflex by this point.”

  “Very well, that means I need to give it a bit more mobility. Now strip, please. I need proper measurements if I’m going to do this right and turn a disaster into a work of art,” Barria ordered, extending her hand, and the other assistant placed a measuring string in it.

  “As you wish,” Kitania replied, relaxing just a bit more. She promptly started undressing, ignoring how each of the assistants flushed a little.

  Barria didn’t blink at the lack of underclothes, on the other hand, and quickly began measuring Kitania, snapping out measurements and instructions to her assistants. Kitania supposed that it was better than the alternative. At least the woman was getting things done. She did like professionals.

  Chapter 9

  “No matter how she might have protested, Barria does excellent work,” Kitania murmured, giving her tail an experimental flick as she looked down at herself, surprised at how good the dress looked on her.

  The dress was made of several shades of turquoise and it was beautiful, leaving her back exposed like some others she’d owned, yet showing a fair amount of cleavage as well. Kitania had been a bit surprised, but apparently this was the current style in favor. The skirt was far more sensible, flowing in a way that made it swirl around the legs without impeding her too much. Kitania’s greatest annoyance was the shoes, since she’d never liked heels much, even if she could walk in them. While she might like the additional height they granted, she always felt like she was going to fall over, and she’d have to kick them off to stand a chance in a fight. Not that she should be fighting at a ball.

  A couple of pieces of costume jewelry had come with the dress, each of them expertly made, to the point that Kitania had almost missed that they were fake. It was only a pair of bracelets and a ring, but the gold matched her collar, while each used fake emeralds as well. At least it did blend in with the dress well.

  “That she does,” Lady Cecilia said, her voice cool but pleasant. Kitania didn’t quite know what to make of the elven noble, a sentiment that she thought was returned. Cecilia had been sent by the princess to help Kitania prepare for the ball, which was useful, if a little worrying as well.

  “So, I think you said that I’d be accompanying the princess into the ballroom, Lady Cecilia. Is there anything in particular that I should expect?” Kitania asked, glancing over at Cecilia as the woman adjusted Kitania’s sleeve a last time before seeming satisfied. She’d arranged Kitania’s hair in an intricate braid down her back, but one that was far simpler than Kitania had expected.

  “There’s a great deal, and Her Highness will go over some of it with you,” Cecilia replied, glancing up and smiling thinly as she continued. “I suppose you should be warned that there will be a great many royals at the ball this evening. I believe that there are at least thirty princes and princesses who will be attending, including Her Highness.”

  “What?” Kitania asked, slightly taken aback. “I know that elves are long-lived, but isn’t that a lot of royalty, even so?”

  “All direct descendants of Alserah are considered princes or princesses, within certain limitations, and as she’s had multiple children over the years, the number of princesses and princes has grown with each passing generation,” Cecilia replied, smiling even more now, obviously amused at having startled Kitania. “It has also led to some of the older rules about proper comportment being relaxed, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to avoid offense.”

  “I… see. I’m my mother’s only child, to my knowledge, and I’ve never had children of my own, so I hadn’t even considered how that would change things,” Kitania replied, and at the idea of over thirty princes and princesses, a headache began to form. She’d had some interaction with a few mortal kingdoms during the War of Decimation, and the experiences with them had given her headaches as it was. So many figures of authority in a single room was bound to cause problems, even if they weren’t as stuck-up as she was used to.

  “Indeed? I wouldn’t have anticipated that. You’ve been around for longer than
even my grandmother has been alive, after all,” Cecilia replied, a faint hint of irritation in her tone. Kitania wasn’t certain what she’d said to offend the woman, but obviously she had, and the demoness suppressed a sigh.

  “If I’m going to have children, I want to give them a secure place in life, somewhere that I’m not going to drop them into a war or vanish suddenly,” Kitania replied, pausing for a moment before she continued more softly, a hint of anguish stabbing through her as she thought back on the handful of people she’d grown close to over the years. “More importantly, I want to have them with someone I truly care about. I… haven’t had much luck with that. I’ve thought I had several times over the years, but every time they’ve died or… drifted away.”

  That brought the memory of Isalla to mind, and how happy the angel had looked when she was with Rose. Kitania felt her depression grow slightly at the memory. While Rose had indicated an interest in Kitania, she wasn’t sure if she had been serious or not. It was just too easy for things like that to be feigned, in Kitania’s opinion, or for fleeting interest to pass. Now that she was gone… a part of Kitania was certain that any interest on Isalla or Rose’s part had waned as well. It was rather depressing, which was why she’d been trying not to dwell on it.

  Cecilia didn’t respond, not directly. Instead, she stepped back and said, “I believe you’re ready. Are you prepared to meet Princess Niadra?”

  “As prepared as I’ll ever be, I think,” Kitania replied, trying to shake off her depression. It wouldn’t help when she was going to be stepping into a ballroom where she was certain politics ruled.

  “Very well; follow me, then,” Cecilia replied, and led Kitania out of the room, briskly leading the way into the nicer halls of the palace.

  It was strange how differently people acted when she was in a dress, Kitania quickly noticed. Before she’d been looked at with a great deal of disapproval and derision. There was still disapproval in the gazes she received now, but the derision was almost entirely gone. It was a minor, but still significant, difference. There was the possibility that it was Cecilia’s presence that made people change their attitudes, but Kitania didn’t think it was likely. For her part, Cecilia led the way through the halls at a quick but not undignified pace.

  They were going into a different part of the palace than Kitania had visited before, though she’d been told that the area was where nobility entertained guests, as well as where the ballroom and bigger gardens were located. In short order, they reached a section of the palace where more ornately dressed servants moved through the halls with brisk efficiency, and Kitania thought she could hear the faint strains of music in the distance. Cecilia approached a door and knocked. At a quiet murmur, she opened the door and stepped inside.

  “My Lady, may I present Kitania Darkshade? Kitania, this is Princess Niadra Sellis the Fourth,” Cecilia said, standing to the side, the door held open for Kitania to enter.

  Kitania stepped inside and looked across the small sitting room at her host. The woman wasn’t sitting the way Kitania had expected, and she suspected that most elves would find Niadra’s attitude to be almost scandalous. However, if she was trying to shock Kitania, she’d have to do far better than this.

  Niadra was half-reclining on a divan, and she was wearing a dress of sheer black silk, most of it semitranslucent and with flowing lines. The sections protecting her modesty were opaque, and a second layer of fabric with floral designs made the outfit more ornate, as did Niadra’s silver and sapphire jewelry that matched her deep blue eyes. The princess had lightly tanned skin, bright red lips, and curly black hair down to the middle of her back, which was currently held back by a pair of silver combs set with sapphires. The shapely princess smiled warmly at the sight of Kitania, sitting up quickly.

  “Ah, so you’re the much-rumored demoness in our midst! I’d caught a few glimpses from a distance when you were practicing with the Royal Guard, but I couldn’t see you clearly,” Niadra said, gesturing to a chair across from her. “Do come in! We have a time before we’re expected to arrive, so I’d like to get to know my guest.”

  “Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness,” Kitania replied, gently curtseying, then took a few more steps into the room. Fortunately, it didn’t take much practice to get used to paying proper respect, though she found her curiosity roused by the odd princess. “I must say that I wasn’t anticipating an invitation. My encounter with Her Majesty led me to believe that I would be left to my own devices, at least for the most part.”

  “Her Majesty?” Niadra asked, sounding surprised and a bit puzzled. Kitania paused in turn, wondering what she’d said wrong. Then Niadra’s expression cleared as she exclaimed, “Ah, of course, you don’t know! Alserah is not the queen of the Forest of Sighs, though she’s effectively the ruler. She has chosen to leave the majority of rule to King Rayvan, a former prince of the realm. She chooses the next ruler from all the princes and princesses when the current ruler decides to step down or is no longer able to carry out their duties. So we don’t call her ‘Her Majesty’. If anything, I suggest you address her as ‘Her Grace’ or something of the like. She doesn’t like overly pretentious titles.”

  “Oh. That… would explain all the royals, then. I worried that it might cause the line of succession to be rather messy,” Kitania replied, her confusion mostly subsiding, also relieved that she hadn’t made the mistake publicly. She carefully settled into a chair as she continued. “I’ve had a few encounters with nobility, though it’s been a long time, and the idea of so many princes and princesses struck me as… dangerous.”

  “I suppose it might be, if she vanishes, but Her Grace has kept a very clear line of succession in that case. While she lives, she prefers to make certain the one in charge is whomever is the most capable,” Niadra said, smiling at Cecilia as she added lightly, “That’s why I’m rather certain it won’t be me. Oh, I have a sharp enough mind, I suppose, but I’d make a terrible administrator. It’d bore me.”

  Kitania bit back the urge to ask what the woman would rather do instead. She noticed how the princess was watching her, despite how careful Niadra was to keep her close examination subtle. Perhaps she was for a mortal, but after growing up in Estalia’s court, Kitania had grown used to watching the body language of others.

  “I see. May I ask if Her Grace or His Majesty are going to be present at this ball, then?” Kitania asked, taking a slightly different approach instead. She couldn’t help the feeling that Niadra was trying to use her for something, and was trying to figure out what her goal was.

  “Oh no, His Majesty is currently busy in one of the nearby cities, so he’s not going to make it to the ball. As for Her Grace…” Niadra paused, then shrugged and smiled, sitting up a little more as she continued. “She’s been known to attend balls on rare occasions, but it’s rarely even once per year that she does. Perhaps your presence will draw her out?”

  That helped the situation solidify in Kitania’s mind a little, though she still wasn’t sure what Niadra’s motives were. She looked around the room as she spoke. “I have my doubts on that, but we’ll see. In any case, Your Highness, may I ask what is expected of me at this ball? I’ve attended a few in the hells, but I have no idea what an elven one might entail. Is it a meal, dancing, and socializing, or something more or less than that?”

  “You have the essence of it. There will be light refreshments, but the majority of the event is socializing, dancing, and the most essential element of all government, gossip and dealing behind the backs of others,” Niadra replied, smiling thinly as some of her apparent pleasure faded. “That, and I suspect you’re going to be rather popular. I don’t know that there’s ever been a demon at one of our balls before, and it should be interesting to see how the others react.”

  “Oh? Am I to be a sideshow, then?” Kitania asked, and heard Cecilia gasp behind her as she continued calmly, tiring of being too subtle. “It isn’t exactly what I was expecting.”

  “A sideshow? No,
no… I just am the only one who dares sate my curiosity. All the others are too cowardly to dare invite you to a major event,” Niadra replied, laughing as she smiled in return, and Kitania was more surprised that she didn’t seem offended. “No, if I’m curious about you, I think it’s best to seek you out in person. Doing otherwise would take too much work.”

  “You consider inviting me to a ball, including having a dress made for me, as seeking me out?” Kitania asked, trying to suppress the growing bubble of amusement welling up inside her, but after a moment, she realized she was smiling anyway.

  “Not when you put it that way, but on the whole? It’s much more direct than sneaking glances from the edges of the training yard, or having spies watch you day and night,” Niadra replied, grinning as she finally stopped lounging and sat forward. “Now then, I believe that it’s time for us to head into the ballroom. I suggest preparing yourself to be the center of attention for a while.”

  “Very well, Your Highness,” Kitania replied, suppressing a sigh as she stood. She hadn’t much liked balls in the hells, either, but she could handle herself well enough. As the princess offered her arm, Kitania took it, wondering just what she’d gotten herself into.

  Chapter 10

  Niadra hadn’t been joking at all, Kitania decided nearly two hours later, just after politely refusing another dance. She hadn’t hit the end of her endurance yet, but she’d just about had it with all the men and women who’d used their dances to make veiled insinuations about either her or demons in general, at least when they weren’t ogling her.

  Kitania’s first quarter-hour in the huge ball room had been spent being openly stared at, unlike how surreptitious the nobility had been when they passed her in the hallways. Here they obviously felt empowered to examine Kitania to their heart’s content, and she’d done her best to ignore the stares. Niadra had almost preened under the attention and had taken Kitania through a dizzying series of introductions. The introductions had been performed with such speed that the demon suspected she’d only remember two or three of the three dozen or so people she’d been introduced to.