Somehow, while getting me ready, Willa had managed to ready herself.
She had on a floor length light blue gown that swept around her, and she looked so beautiful, I had no hope of topping that. After she had finally gotten me into my own dress, she forced me in front of the mirror, insisting that I looked too amazing to ignore.
“Oh wow.” Saying that to my reflection, I felt egotistical, but I couldn’t help it. I had never looked better in my life, and I doubted that I would ever look this good again.
The dress was a shimmery silver and white that flowed out around me.
It was strapless in an elegant way, and the diamond necklace Willa had chosen set it off. My dark curls fell perfectly behind me, and Willa had added subtle touches of diamond clips in my hair. For the first time in my entire life, I actually looked like a Princess.
“You’re gonna rock it tonight, Princess,” Willa promised with a sly smile.
That was the last calm moment of the night. As soon as we stepped out of my bedroom, we were swept off by aides and staff that I didn’t even know Elora had. They were giving me a rundown of the times that everything was set to happen and where I had to be and who I had to meet and what I had to do.
It was already more than I could comprehend, and at least momentarily, I was pushed out of the dull heartache that I got from thinking of Finn. I looked helplessly for Willa, and later on, I knew I would have to try and make this up to her. Without her, it would’ve been completely impossible for me to make it through.
First, there was some kind of meet and greet in the ball room. Elora stood on one side, and thankfully, Willa was allowed to stay on my other side, explaining herself as some kind of personal assistant to me. The three of us stood at one end of the ballroom, flanked by security that had the same stoic posture as Finn, and a long line of people waited to meet me. Most of them were famous and Willa filled in the names and titles as they approached, but Elora explained that anybody could come meet me today, so the line was absolutely endless. My face hurt from smiling, and there were only so many different ways I could say “pleased to meet you” and “thank you.”
After that, we went to the dining hall, and that was a more exclusive function. The table only seated a hundred (that’s right - only a hundred), but Willa was five places down from me, making me feel strangely lost. Whenever I felt insecure, I felt my eyes instinctively searching for Finn, only to remember that he wasn’t there. I tried to concentrate on eating my food properly, which wasn’t that easy considering how nauseous I felt and how badly my jaw hurt from the forced smiles.
My mother was sitting to my right at the head of the table, and Tove was sitting next to me on my left. Throughout the dinner, he’d said hardly a thing to me, and Elora had gone about making polite conversation with the current Chancellor, an obese balding man named Antonsson. Personally, the way he looked at me creeped me out, and I found it impossible to smile at him out of fear I might vomit.
“Drink more wine,” Tove suggested quietly. Holding a wine glass in his hand, he leaned in a bit towards me to be heard over the echo of everyone talking. His mossy eyes rested on my briefly before averting and staring at an empty space across from us. “It relaxes the muscles.”
“I beg your pardon?” I crinkled my forehead, not understanding what he was saying.
“From smiling.” He gestured to his own mouth and forced a smile before quickly dropping it. “It’s starting to hurt, right?”
“Yeah.” I smiled lightly at him, feeling a growing soreness in the corners of my mouth.
“The wine helps. Trust me.” Tove took a long drink from his wine, much larger than was polite, and I saw Elora eying him up as she chatted with Antonsson.
“Thanks.” I took his suggestion, but I drank much more slowly than he did, afraid of inciting the wrath of Elora. I didn’t think she’d do anything publicly, but then again, I didn’t really think she’d let me get away with anything either.
As the dinner wore on, Tove apparently started getting restless. He leaned back in his seat, leaving his hand lying on the table. His wine glass would suddenly slowly slide over to his hand, then it would slowly slide away, without him ever having to touch it. It was a similar trick that I had seen him pull before, but I couldn’t help but stare.
“You have persuasion, right?” Tove asked, glancing at me. I’m not sure if he caught me watching his trick or not, but I looked down at my plate either way.
“Mmm, yes,” I nodded.
“Is it pretty powerful? I heard it was.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and I could imagine that Elora was livid.
“I don’t think so. Not now anyway,” I stabbed absently at some kind of vegetable I had no intention of eating. “Since I’ve lived here, I haven’t used it at all.”
“Yeah, they do that on purpose,” Tove muttered disdainfully. He leaned in closer to me, lowering his voice, and he looked intently at me. “I can’t explain it but… I know what you can do.” He chewed his lip. “And your persuasion is going to be immensely powerful.”
“Maybe,” I allowed. His gaze was unnerving, and I didn’t want to disagree with him.
“Here’s a tip: use it tonight,” Tove was barely audible over the chatter.
“You’re trying to please so many people and it’s exhausting. You can’t be everything to everyone, so I try not to be anything to anyone. My mother hates me for it but…” He shrugged. “Just use it a little bit, and you’ll charm everyone.
Without really trying.”
“I have to try to use persuasion,” I whispered. I could feel Elora listening to us, and I didn’t think she’d approve of what we were saying. “It would be just as exhausting.”
“Hmm,” Tove mused, then leaned back in his seat.
“Tove, the Chancellor was just telling me that you had discussed working for him this spring,” Elora interjected brightly. I barely glanced up at her, but in that second, she managed to glare icily at me before instantly returning to her overly cheery expression.
“My mother was discussing it,” Tove corrected her. “I’ve never said a word to the Chancellor, and I have no interest in the position.” I was increasingly becoming a fan of Tove, even if he weirded me out and I didn’t understand what he meant most of the time.
“I see.” Elora raised an eyebrow, and the Chancellor started saying something about the wine they were drinking.
Tove managed to look bored and irritated the rest of the dinner, chewing his nails and looking at everything except for me. His dark hair had soft, natural highlights coursing through it, and it was longer and more unruly than most of the men’s. His skin was darker, too, tanned with a mossy undertone, the green complexion that Finn had told me about. Nobody here had skin like that at all, except maybe his mother, but hers was even fainter than Tove’s already subtle coloring. He was definitely handsome, but I couldn’t see why Willa would describe him as such a catch. There was something very strange and unstable about him. He belonged in this world even less than I did, but I imagined that there really wasn’t any place that he fit in.
Moving on to the ballroom after dinner was by far the worst experience of the evening. Meeting people had been rough, but this was forced one-on-one interaction that went for several minutes. That doesn’t sound that bad, but when I was trapped in a waltz with a sixty-year-old man who talked only of some great war two centuries ago while staring at me with glazed eyes, yeah, that got old very fast.
The ballroom looked positively magical when it was all done up, and I couldn’t help but think of the brief dance I shared with Finn a few days before.
That, of course, reminded me of the passionate kiss we had shared last night, making me feel weak and sick. I couldn’t even force a smile when I thought of Finn. The fact that I didn’t sob uncontrollably on the dance floor was a miracle.
Garrett managed to steal a dance with me, and that was a relief. He complimented me, but not in a creepy perv way everyone else seemed to
be going for. I had been dancing nonstop for an hour because everyone kept cutting in. Every now and then, I would catch Elora spinning around on the floor, or Willa would sneak me a smile as she twirled around with some foxy young guy. It was unfair that she got pick who she danced with, but I was stuck with every stranger that asked.
“You’re probably the most ravishing Princess we’ve ever had,” Chancellor Antonsson told me after he cut in a dance. His pudgy cheeks were red from exertion, and I wanted to suggest that he sit down and take a break, but I thought Elora would disapprove. He was holding me far closer than was necessary, but his hand was like a massive ham on my back, pressing me to him.
I couldn’t pull away without making a scene, so I just tried to force a smile.
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I demurred. He was sweating so badly, it had to be bleeding onto my dress. The beautiful white fabric would be covered in yellow stains after tonight.
“No, you really are.” His eyes were wide with some kind of weird pleasure, and I wished someone would hurry up and cut in. We had just started dancing, but I couldn’t take much more of this. “In fact, I’ve never seen anyone more ravishing than you.”
“Now that, I’m certain, cannot be true.” I glanced around, hoping to spot Willa somewhere so I could try and pawn him off on her.
“I know that you’ll be expected to start courting soon, and I’d just like you to know that I have a lot of things going for me,” the Chancellor went on.
“I’m very wealthy, very secure, and my bloodline is immaculate. Your mother would approve of this arrangement.”
“I haven’t made any arrangements yet…” I trailed off.
I craned my neck around, knowing that if Elora saw me, she would accuse me of being rude. But I didn’t know how else to react. This blubbery sweaty man was grabbing my ass during what appeared to be some kind of marriage proposal. I had to get out of there.
“I’ve been told I’m an excellent lover, as well,” the Chancellor lowered his voice. “I’m sure that you don’t have any experience but I could definitely teach you.” He actually had a hungry look, and his eyes had dropped lower than my face. It was taking all my restraint not to push him off of me, and in my head I was screaming to get away from him.
“May I cut in?” Tove suddenly appeared at my side, out of nowhere.
The Chancellor looked disappointed at the sight of him, but before he could say anything, Tove had put his hand on his shoulder and taken my hand, pulling me away from him
“Thank you,” I breathed gratefully as we waltzed away from a very confused looking Chancellor.
“I heard you calling for help,” Tove smiled at me. “You seem to be using your persuasion more than you think.” In my mind, I had been begging for a way out of that, but I hadn’t uttered an actual word.
“You heard me?” I gasped, feeling pale. “How many other people heard me?”
“Probably just me. Don’t worry. Hardly anybody can sense anything anymore,” Tove explained. “The Chancellor probably would’ve noticed if he hadn’t been too busy staring at your chest, or if you were more skilled at it.
You’ll get the hang of it.”
“I don’t really care if I get the hang of it. I just wanted to get rid of him,” I muttered. “I’m sorry if I’m wet. I’m probably covered in his sweat.”
“No, you’re fine,” Tove assured me.
We were dancing the appropriate width apart, so he probably couldn’t feel my dress to tell if it was soaked or not, but there was something relaxing about dancing with him. My feet killed from being on them for over an hour straight, but for once, I didn’t have to say anything or worry about getting felt up or stared at. He barely looked at me and said nothing else at all.
Elora finally interrupted the festivities. The christening ceremony would be happening in twenty minutes, and she noted that I needed a break from all the dancing. The dance floor emptied and everyone took seats at the tables on the sides, or milled around the refreshments table. I knew that I should sit down while I had the chance, but I was desperate to have a moment to breathe, so I went to a corner hidden behind extra chairs and tables and leaned against the wall.
“Who are you hiding from?” Rhys teased, finding me in the corner.
Dressed in a flashy tux, he looked amazing as he sauntered over to me, grinning.
“Everyone,” I smiled at him. “You look really good.”
“Funny, I was just gonna tell you same thing.” Rhys stood next me, putting his hands in his pockets, and smiling even wider at me. “Although, ‘good’ doesn’t even begin to you justice. You look… otherworldly. Like nothing else here can even compare to you.”
“It’s the dress.” I looked down, hoping to keep my cheeks from blushing. “That Frederique is amazing.”
“The dress is nice, but trust me, you make the dress,” Rhys insisted. I felt his blue eyes searching over me again, and gently, he reached over and fixed a strand of my hair back that fallen out of place. He let his hand linger there a minute, looking me in the eyes, then he just grinned and dropped his hand. “So, having fun yet?”
“A blast,” I smirked. “What about you?”
“I can’t dance with the Princess, so I’m a little bitter,” he said with a sad smile.
“Why can’t you dance with me?” I asked. I would’ve loved to dance with him. In all honesty, a dance with Rhys would’ve been the highlight of my night.
“Mänks,” he pointed his thumbs at himself. “I’m lucky I’m even allowed in.”
“Oh.” I looked down at the floor, thinking about what he’d just said.
“Not to sound rude or anything, because I’m glad you’re here but… why are you here? Why aren’t you banned or something equally ridiculous?”
“Didn’t you know?” Rhys asked with a cocky grin. “I am the highest mänks in the land.”
“And why is that?” I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or not, so I tilted my head, watching him as his expression got more serious.
“Because I’m yours,” he replied softly. He was invited because he was my mänsklig, my opposite, but when he answered, that’s not what he meant at all. Something in his eyes made me blush for real this time, and I smiled sadly at him.
One of Elora’s aides burst into the corner, ruining what was left of the moment, and demanding that I take my seat at the head table with the Queen.
The christening ceremony was about to start, and a knot formed in my stomach. I hadn’t heard what my name was to be, and I was depressed about the idea of changing it. Besides, the break had been far too short.
“Duty calls,” I smiled apologetically at Rhys and started to walk past him.
“Hey.” Rhys grabbed my hand to stop me, and I turned to look at him.
“You’re gonna be great. Everyone’s raving about you.”
“Thanks.” I squeezed his hand gratefully.
A cracking echoed through the room, followed by a tinkling that I didn’t understand. The sound was coming from everywhere so it was hard to place right away. But then it looked like the ceiling was raining glitter, and the skylights were crashing to the ground. Rhys realized what was happening before I did, and still holding my hand, he yanked me behind him to protect me. We were in the corner, so we were out of the way of the most of the glass, but from the painful screams, I gathered that everyone else wasn’t so lucky.
Belatedly, I saw the reason for broken skylights. People were falling through the glass, landing on the floor with surprising grace. Before I recognized them, I remembered the uniform. Long black trench coats and black apparel. The word seemed to well through the room without anybody saying anything: Vittra. There were about fifteen of them, and the guards were circling them. Blood and broken glass layered the floor. In the very center, I saw Jen, the tracker that had been so fond of hitting me before, and his eyes were scanning the crowd, so I hid behind Rhys as much as I could.
“You are not invited. Please leave.” Elora’s
voice boomed above everything else.
“You know what we want, and we’re not leaving until we get it,” the tracker, Kyra, replied, stepping out from the crowd and walking towards Elora.
She was walking on glass in bare feet but didn’t seem to notice. “She’s got to be here. Where are you hiding her?”
Staring over Rhys’s shoulder, Jen suddenly turned towards me, and his black eyes met mine. He grinned wickedly. Rhys instantly realized we were in trouble and tried to push me towards the door, but we never stood a chance.
Jen bolted towards us, and everyone burst into life. The Vittra scrambled, going after the guards and other Trylle to throw them off. I saw Tove bound over the table he was sitting at, using his powers to send Vittra flying without even touching them. Elora was glaring at Kyra, who suddenly collapsed on the ground, writhing with pain.
That was all I saw because then Jen was in front of us, blocking out the chaos that was going on around him. I heard people screaming and felt a strong wind running through the room, attributing it to Willa’s attempts at helping.
Rhys stood his ground, trying to defend me, but Jen sent him flying across the floor with one hefty punch.
“Oh, silly Princess,” Jen smiled menacingly at me. “You should’ve known you couldn’t get away from me.”
“Leave her alone!” Rhys had already jumped back to his feet, blood streaming down his face from a cut above his eye. He made it a step towards us when Jen punched him again, but much harder this time
“Rhys!” I wailed, reaching out for him, but Jen grabbed me around my waist, stopping me.
“That’s what you have protecting you now?” Jen laughed. Rhys appeared to be unconscious, and I prayed he wasn’t dead. “Did we scare Finn off?”
“Let go of me!” I screamed. I kicked at him and tried to pry his arm off of me.
Suddenly, he went flying into the wall, taking me with him. When he slammed into it, his arm loosened enough where I could scramble away from him. Tove was standing on the other side of the table across from us, holding his hand palm out at Jen, so I assumed that he had been the reason that we had just went into a wall.
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