Nighttime Frenzy

Four days later, Misa sat wishing she'd been transported to the world of monsters with at least a pair of headphones. She rested with her back to the headboard of her enormous bed--she was still getting used to the size of it--and her feet crossed relaxedly at the ankles. On her lap, she had the newest addition to her secret stash of books nabbed from the prince's personal library down in The Vault.

Misa was curious how long it would take him to notice his library was shrinking little by little.

The problem was, Misa had turned, maybe, twenty pages while running her eyes over the words, yet in all that time, she couldn't with confidence say she had read any of it.

It's too damned loud out there! She whined, glaring daggers at the closed door to her bedroom.

Of all the things Misa had needed getting used to, her massive and beautifully decorated bedroom took her the least adjustment time. It was well-maintained and princess-y and cozy. It was magnificent. Nothing Misa had ever dreamed of claiming as hers in her lifetime.

She could tell these vampires had a thing for gold, because the large hot pink carpeting which stretched out from under her massive bed had beautiful gold embroidery stitched into the borders. The canopy bed upon which she lay had a mattress she could almost melt into and a sheer black curtain tumbling elegantly to the floor. The bed's fine wooden frame had been painted gold to match the carpet, with black accents to jazz it up here and there.

The wallpaper was traditional and antique, just light enough to be considered whimsical but dark enough to match the tall, gothic-style windows which stretched from mid wall to high ceiling. She had a black and gold chaise to lounge on much like the one Prince Ran favored down in The Vault, and a pretty gargantuan wardrobe into which she could store her nonexistent horde of princess-y clothing.

Bunny jammies and a couple of dresses or pants outfits she'd worn around the castle were all that had made it in there.

Lastly, the three paintings on the walls satisfied the hunger for Misa's inner nerd. In one, dark, rumbling clouds rolling over a vast, deserted valley of wildflowers. In the second, an extreme closeup, a realistic snapshot of rain pattering against a bent leaf, a drop falling off the leaf like a tear, the rain unfocused and heavy in the background. In the third, the busiest of all the paintings, a bright, clear sky with a handful of figures running through the valley of wildflowers.

Misa had spent plenty of time interpreting the three paintings which read like a story on the wall. It seemed a bit big-headed of her to say it out loud, but she couldn't help feeling a connection to those paintings.

She always felt included in those paintings, responsible, even, to recreate their depiction of a favorable outcome. These paintings were meant for her, no matter from how many angles she looked at it.

Misa huffed and shut the unreadable book in her lap, aiming to just stare at the ceiling until all the noise in the hallway went away.

I wonder if this frenzy is about the prince. She wondered, groaning because she'd promised herself to stop agonizing over Prince Ran.

Ever since that day half a week ago, she and Prince Ran had seen very little of each other. Misa hid in her bedroom or snuck off to The Vault when she knew he wasn't there. Otherwise, Prince Ran was off somewhere, either moving about the castle without rest or out at places far beyond it, busier than ever.

Because he's avoiding me.

Misa flopped to her right side and hugged her pillow. Or I'm avoiding him. Whichever it is. Doesn't matter.

She had grown afraid of how he might see her after she'd basically watched him drain the Fae prince, Prince Von. She imagined how his yellow irises might glare at her, his eyebrows creasing in the middle as his distaste grew. She imagined his small lips pulling up towards her, his sneer larger than any careful smirk he'd ever shown her.

He begged me to help him. He wanted me to stop him. He didn't want to do it. Misa thought for perhaps the millionth time, And I just let him do it... I'm worse than any monster out there.

What else would I do to keep one of my own safe? Someone I care about?

Rapid knocking at her door pulled Misa from her thoughts, and she rolled over as if she weighed a ton of bricks. She called out, "You may enter!"

Ida walked in with a young attendant (not physically younger than the ancient vampire child because eerily, no one looked younger than Ida) who carried clothing folded in her arms.

"M'lady, your garments for this evening. Please get changed at once."

Misa sat up in her bed, "What's going on?" She asked.

"Tonight, you will sit in the company of the wise Oracle of Kkum and Master Om, along with His Highness, and His and Her Majesties."

Misa gasped, "What for?!"

Ida shook her head, "You will see, m'lady." Misa cocked an eyebrow and Ida continued before she could ask anything more about it. "Afterwards, you will be fit for your wedding dress. You and Prince Ran will be wed in two days."

Misa's jaw hit the floor.

"Al-Already?? Too soon! Yes?" She cried, speaking in fragments. She thought of Master Om's words from that first night, when she'd appeared in Prince Ran's room. "I know he had said, 'at once,' but you--you have to know that this is too soon."

"You must get changed, m'lady."

"Also. Also! Prince Ran. He and I haven't even seen each other lately. It's been four days! Tonight will be so awkward! Let's just-- Let's give it another week. How about it?"

"Give which one another week? The meeting or the wedding?" The young attendant asked quietly, confusion on her face.

"Do not pay this one any attention." Ida said. "M'lady, please--"

"And don't get me started on the Queen! You can't tell me she had nothing to do with the whole Leto thing! You want me to sit near her? Again?!"

"Would you like for me to dress you myself, m'lady?" Ida was not sounding too pleasant. "Please, make this quick."

Misa whined, anxiety making her fingers tingle, "Miss Idaaaa."

She then immediately swallowed her voice and snatched the clothes from the young attendant's hands--"Thank you," she said, smiling--the moment Ida stepped forward to make good on her threat.

"Gosh! Calm down." Misa grumbled about the old aide, stomping away.

She had but one thought in her mind as she dressed herself for the evening that was sure to be eventful.

Well, this is going to be interesting.