The Mask Ball

They rolled up the path to the estate in a big carriage. Kieran, Sophia, Bastian, Valeria, Aduin and three of his old crow friends were sitting inside. The women wore fancy dresses but could ditch part of it to make it easier for them to move. The men all wore luxurious doublets.

“Stop fidgeting with your clothes, Kieran! And don’t touch that pin! We don’t want it going off prematurely.” Sophia reprimanded Kieran sitting next to her.

They all had small pins on their clothes that in reality were their weapons but miniaturized with magic and were able to deploy to their original form at the wielders behalf.

“These clothes are uncomfortable…” Kieran complained and tugged on the frilly collar that he wore.

“Bear with it… you look great by the way.” Sophia said and corrected it for him.

“You look good as well…”

“Thanks.”

Sophia's dress was a long, elegant purple dress with lots of flowy accessories. Aduin shot a stict look over to Kieran. They had told him about the stuff between him and Sophia. Aduin still was in two minds about that, but he accepted it for now. The carriage stopped.

“Well then it’s showtime,” Valeria said. “Mask up.”

They all put on different masks depicting animals. Kieran had a griffon and Sophia a mountain lion. Valerie, who had bunny turned around suddenly.

“I just realized… If everybody wears a mask… how do we find the old hag?” she asked.

“It’s a bit late to realize that…” Bastian, who wore an elephant mask, remarked.

“I’ll find her, don’t worry,” Kieran said.

“Then we’ll go with that,” Aduin said, who donned a crow mask.

His friends had all had a crow’s mask as well in slightly different styles.

“Isn’t that a bit obvious for you four?” Sophia asked.

“Some the obvious is the most hidden, my dear,” mentioned Aduin.

“Well, all are ready, let’s go!” said Valerie and opened the door.

They all got outside. There were already a lot of guests waiting at the entrance to be admitted. Valeria just went past them, ignoring the obvious que. Everybody else followed her.

“Madame! If you would please get in line like everybody else and have your invitation ready,” the butler at the entrance said and waved Valeria back.

She just stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips.

“I’m certainly not lining up like everybody else, and I don’t need an invitation. This will suffice.” She said and flashed her signet ring with the royal seal.

The butler’s eyes widened in realization.

“Oh, certainly. I’m so sorry I did not recognize you, your highness. The dress is very lovely. Please head inside,” he said and made way for her and everybody else following inside.

“It’s handy to have a princess in the group, huh?” Sophia whispered.

“Yeah… it is…” Kieran replied quietly.

They went inside and were led to a huge ballroom. There were already a lot of guests talking to each other, some were dancing, and others plundered the buffet.

“Well then time to mingle and scout for our target… everybody remembers the signal?” Bastian said with a hushed voice.

“What signal?” Valeria asked

“Drawing your weapon…”

“Oh, right… nice and simple.”

They began to separate. The crows went off on their own. Bastian and Valeria vanished inside the crowd, leaving only Kieran and Sophia alone at the entrance.

“So… what do you wanna do first… buffet or dancing?” she asked.

“Buffet…” Kieran replied uncomfortably.

“Dancing you say? How wonderful!”

Sophia looked at him and smiled cheekily at the dumbfounded Kieran.

“I was joking… yeah let’s grab a bite to eat first, but I want a dance tonight from you Mister!” she said happily and hooked her arm into his.

Together they went over to the buffet.

“Ooh what to pick, what to pick…” Sophia pondered looking at all the things.

Kieran just randomly grabbed something that looked edible and shoved in in his mouth.

“You do know that that was a mushroom?” Sophia asked

Kieran immediately spat it back out and let the evidence vanish beneath a table. Sophia began laughing next to him.

“Here try this sandwich.” She said and held a small piece of sandwich in front of his mouth.

Kieran hesitantly ate it and began to chew.

“How is it?” Sophia asked.

“Not bad…” Kieran said after swallowing it down. “But I like your stew better…”

“Always the charmer… you don’t have to try so hard anymore you know… we’re already married.”

“All the more reason to try even harder, right?”

Sophia put her hands in front of her mouth and looked at him for a moment.

“You know… you sometimes say the cutest things randomly… I really like that about you,” she whispered softly and gave him a quick smooch on the cheek. “Now let’s see what else the buffet holds”

They began trying all the different things from the buffet. Well mostly it was Sophia. Kieran looked constantly around and scanned the crowds.

“You seem tense…” Sophia said suddenly.

“That’s because I am…” replied Kieran

“Are you worried?”

“A bit…”

“You’re afraid of facing her, huh?”

“In a way.”

Sophia grabbed Kieran by the arms and got really close to him.

“Listen this is okay to feel… but remember, you’re not alone anymore, you have us with you… you have me… we’re a team. We’ll manage this and then after… we get to the fun stuff, alright?” she reassured him

Kieran did calm down and he looked at Sophia.

“Thanks… I feel better now.” He said and smiled. “How about that dance I owe you?”

“Oh? With pleasure.” Sophia replied.

Kieran grabbed her by the arm and led her to the dance floor. He then placed his hands on the appropriate places on her body and they began to spin around to the music.

“Oh, you can dance?” Sophia said surprised.

“I learned it long ago…” Kieran told her.

“Let me guess… to impress a girl?”

“Yeah…

“To impress… her?”

“Yes.”

“Did it work?”

“No.

Sophia got a bit closer to him and let her hands wander a bit.

“It works on me though…” she whispered as they moved to the rhythm.

“I’m glad it does, now it was all worth it after all.” Kieran replied softly.

They moved around the dance floor a bit losing themselves in the music and each other’s touch. Kieran then jerked his head around suddenly.

“What is it?” Sophia asked alarmed.

“There she is.” Said Kieran.

“Where?”

“Over there by the table. The one with the cat mask.”

“I see her… You’re sure?”

“One hundred percent.”

Sophia looked around the crowd.

“What do we do now? I don’t see any of the others. Want to just go over there and give the signal?” she asked.

“Why not… let’s do it the direct way.” Kieran said.

“I’m right behind you… darling.”

Kieran began to make his way over to the woman with the cat mask. His anxiousness and tenseness were all gone. He felt Sophia’s hand on his back, which calmed his nerves. They got closer and the cat mask suddenly stared right at him. Kieran was sure that she noticed him, but she looked elsewhere just a moment later. Kieran furrowed his brows under the mask and moved closer. They arrived at their standing table. The cat mask turned her head towards Kieran upon arrival. She was flanked by two men, equally as tall as Kieran, who wore both owl masks.

“Hello, Nora, long time no see,” Kieran said.

The cat mask looked at him and tilted her head slightly.

“Sorry… do we know each other?” she said.

It was definitely the Grand Dame Inquisitor Leonore Lieblich. Sophia recognized her voice immediately.

“It’s me…” Kieran went on and pulled the mask slightly to the side, revealing his face.

“You…” the Cat masked said. “What are you doing here? These are not your orders…”

Kieran’s body tensed up slightly.

“Did you not notice?” Kieran asked, slightly raising his voice.

“Notice what?” the cat masked said. “I don’t have time for you now… go somewhere else and come to my castle tomorrow… like you’re supposed to do.”

“I’m done doing what I’m supposed to do, Nora.”

“What?” the cat masked raised her hand.” I order you to come back tomorrow and meet me at my castle! Now do as you’re told!”

Kieran began to chuckle.

“You really did not notice…” he uttered.

With a fluid motion and lightning-fast speed, Kieran grabbed the pin, expanded the weapon to its full form and slashed at the cat mask.

Clink

The owl mask to her left had pulled his sword with an equally as fast motion from somewhere and blocked the attack. He pulled of his mask and revealed a face that looked like Kieran but had deep blue eyes.

“Hello, father,” he said.