The Ball

Owen reached the king's chamber and knocked on the door.

“Owen, come in,” ordered the king.

“Your Majesty called?” he replied.

“Yes, I have an order for you,” the king said.

“I am but a pawn for you to move,” Owen replied.

The king went on to explain that, in the following three days, Owen would travel to Seren's homeland to investigate the fire outbreak that had occurred. The king further explained that it was a secret mission, and Owen would go there disguised as a courier to the Marquis, to reassure him about the safety of his daughter and that she was alright.

Owen nodded to the king and left to get the job done.

Before leaving, Owen decided to inform Seren that he had to go for a short while, so he went to her room, knocked on the door, and left a written note saying that he would be back soon and would bring gifts. He placed it on her door, and then left.

Seren opened the door, only to find the letter. She thought it would be a quick trip and didn’t give it much thought.

The day of the ball had arrived. Lotus and Bala prepared Seren, pouring their hard work and creativity into making her stand out the most. They dressed her in a lavender off-shoulder gown, adorned  her neck with a pearly necklace,and added short gloves to complete the look. A subtle touch of makeup was applied to highlight her features, and her hair was styled with a large bow tie. She was ready to attend the ball.

Seren stood on the balcony thinking that Owen would escort her and so she waited for him, but Owen had not yet arrived. He was still on the trip. Eventually, Bala reached out to Seren and told her that she would be escorting her instead. Seren didn’t mind and went with Bala to the carriage. She got into the carriage alone, and Bala followed her.

As the horses dragged the carriage, Seren’s eyes wandered to the sky, where the lavender hue of the sky slowly deepened into indigo then changed into complete darkness filled with sparkling stars. The sky resembled a black dress, its sheer layer of glitter twinkling like diamonds.

The horses' hooves struck on the ground as they pulled the carriage in which Seren was riding, finally arriving at the ball that had been prepared especially for her.

The guards opened the carriage for Seren. Seren stepped down from the carriage, and stood outside waiting for Bala to come and escort her. Bala got off her horse and stood next to Seren, waiting for Seren's signal to proceed. Seren started walking, and Bala followed her.

With each stinging step Seren took toward the ballroom, she tried to hold her head high, as if she knew what awaited her. She reached the threshold, waiting for the doors to be opened.

When the doors opened, the doorman declared her arrival. She could feel her palms getting sweaty under the gloves she was wearing. Her body temperature rose and then dropped, causing her to shiver. She moved on with grace anyway, entering the room with a confident step, her heel making a scene on its own.

All eyes were on her. She was stunning. She was shimmering. She was glowing, and even if all the lights were to suddenly disappear, she would still stand there, burning. Despite such an appearance, she couldn’t escape the gossip. She walked around, detaching her mind from the moment, and sat on a throne built especially for her.

The party went on. Each time a man requested a dance with Seren, she rejected him.

"Why would she accept? They were gossiping about her, yet still requesting a dance. What kind of irony is this?" she wondered.

Eventually, some noblemen found interest in her beauty and decided to approach her, suggesting a dance and a promise to keep her as a concubine to help her family. They debated with each other on who could claim her, completely discarding her feelings.

At this moment, she tried to discard them, but they were too invested in their debate to acknowledge her. She tried detaching her mind and ignoring them by thinking of other things. She wondered what Owen would have brought her and what he might be doing.

Interrupting her thoughts, a voice came out from a corner.

“Leave the lady be!” a nobleman with honey-colored hair that he tied in a ponytail said in a sharp tone, smiling.

When she heard the man’s voice, Seren’s heart sank. Her shoulders tensed and her throat tightened. She struggled to breathe, lifting her head slowly.

“Of course…” she thought. It was the Duke from her father’s subjects, Duke Thad. He had served alongside her father in wars and had even saved her brother's life. Seren despised this man. He had previously asked for her hand in marriage, and she had rejected him. But, he remained looming around her.

Bala noticed Seren's discomfort. She quickly swayed between the noblemen and Seren, kneeling to reach Seren’s height.

“Would you like to escape to the balcony?” Bala whispered.

Seren's eyes dilated, causing the lights from the chandelier to reflect off her pupils. She nodded. She took Bala's armored hand, and they left for the balcony.

Once on the balcony, Seren rested her arms on the half wall, trying to catch some fresh air.

The Duke quickly followed them, without hesitation, resting against the doorframe of the balcony, crossing his arms, smirking.

“Seren!” he said sharply.

“Time is ticking,” he sneered as if he had won a game of catch.

He then turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd, not giving Seren a chance to reply.

Seren told Bala she wanted to return to the palace. Bala nodded and escorted her from the party early.

While in the carriage, Seren wondered if Lotus and Owen were waiting for her arrival. As she saw the road that led to the palace, her eyebrows raised, and her eyes softened. She was greeted only by Lotus. It seemed that the jester hadn’t yet finished his trip. For a moment, Seren got out of the carriage with a dull smile, greeting Lotus in return.

“Your Grace!” Lotus smiled brightly.

“I knew you’d come back tired, so I’ve prepared your bath,” she added.

“You are truly amazing, Lotus,” Seren smiled.

Seren was tired and wanted to go to her room as fast as possible, but only had the energy to stroll, while walking through the halls, she passed the king’s office, where the door opened, and a tall figure appeared.

Seren's eyes widened as she looked at the figure, and her eyebrows rose.

“Hatter…” she said.

It was the man from the masquerade night, standing in front of her.

“Alice?” he smiled, avoiding looking into her eyes.