"Momma it's the third princess, Princess Isabelle!!" Serena couldn't keep it to herself, yeh princess was too rare to be seen in a ball, she never attended such gatherings, and this intrigued many to believe that the princess was either ugly unlike the rest of her red head sisters, or she was unwell, which rang a bell to all.
It is well known for the few times the princess was seen that she was different from them all, her hair wasn't red, hers was black, black as night, long and flowed to her back like a river.
And as Serena and her mother stared at the top stares, they saw the dark black hair, with a small long face poking beside a wall staring at the ball down stairs.
"Good heavens!!! It is the third princess, the rare jewel" Serena's mother exclaimed, Arielle heard her, and she and Marielle couldn't help but ask her
"Third princess, where?!!"
"Shhh you weasels!!! Look up there, on the first floor, beside the wall"
Their heads looked up at once, and they saw her, they couldn't see her quite well as she was quite far but they knew who she was, she was the third princess, princess Isabelle.
But as if she knew she was seen, she turned and went back away from the ball.
"Oh good heavens I saw the third princess, the rare jewel!!!" Marielle exclaimed, she couldn't contain her happiness of seeing the third princess, she was indeed a rare jewel, she never made her appearance. She only came on extremely special occasions, like the king or queen's anniversary, and on occasions where it a must for her to make appearance, which that too was really rare. So seeing her today, even from a far was indeed pure luck.
"They say her appearance was not blessed by fortune, but even from a far, I'll say that that's quite the opposite" Arielle spoke in a whisper.
"You're right Elle, even from a quick glance she's quite a beauty so why not come to her sister's ball?" Serena asked "well we heard two rumors didn't we? If not her face, then her health" the duchess answered
"But she didn't look to be ill either…" Arielle added " Arielle!!!" The duchess shushed her daughter. It was the princess they were whispering about, not something they could take lightly. Miraelle was quiet all this time, and Serena watched her with a brow lifted. She was eyeing a man, a knight.
"Ladies, momma, be back later" she opened her hand fan and made her way to a group of knights, eyeing one of them.
"Maybe you should do the same" Arielle said before she too left, and left her mother with her sister. Serena bit her lower lip as she stared at Alias, she was told by her mother to keep her eyes on either Leon or Alias, but her eyes and unfortunately… heart was with alias, she wanted him, but the wide smile on his face as he spin with the princess said otherwise, she sigh and searched for Leon, who was nowhere to be seen. Probably with a woman at the stairs getting his share of the night.
….
Alias though he smiled bright, he was tired and his social charge was drained. He needed a time to recharge. Talking and putting on a fake a smile to the princess was wearing him out. When the song ended, he let go of the princess and smiled " it was an honor to dance with you your royal highness"
"The honor is all mine, though I cannot wait for another dance with you my lord"
"I'll be fluttered" A man came and held out his hand to the princess offering a dance, she smiled at him and gave him
Her hand, before she was taken away to the dance floor, and Alias, cannot wait a moment to get away, he found himself heading towards the balcony and leaning over the rail.
The balcony was not far from the ballroom, but it was away enough to only hear a faint sound of music played at the ball. He stared at the full moon as he sigh alone, wanting the ball to end when he suddenly stared at the garden below.
Spotting someone dancing.
It was a woman.
Her long, wavy hair rippled in the night breeze as she moved awkwardly, yet beautifully to the distant music drifting from the ballroom. Her royal-blue gown shimmered under the moonlight, catching silver with every turn. She spun across the soft green grass, arms lifted toward the sky, turning faster and faster as if trying to escape gravity itself.
Alias couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at his lips. She looked far too carefree to be one of the stiff, polished noblewomen inside. No—this was someone who had slipped away from all that pretense, someone who had come out here simply to breathe… and dance as though the world wasn't watching. And she danced.
She spinned and jumped like a child until her tiara fell off, and that didn't stop her either, she kept on spinning and spinning with her arms outstretched and alias found himself being amused as his eyes went wide with her speed. He was worried she might fall, but his worries stopped when the music also stopped, cos the woman on the garden stopped dancing as well….. or rather spinning.
Finally, she slowed, her spinning coming to an abrupt, uneven halt. The breeze caught her hair and tossed it over her shoulders, and she sank lightly to the grass, drawing her knees close. She breathed in deeply, as if the night air alone could soothe some invisible weight. For a moment, her gaze was fixed on the soft glow of the moon above, and she took something from her pocket, alias squinted his eyes to see what was it. And it was a book. She also had a quill in her hand and she started to write… or rather draw, as she kept glancing at the sky.
Alias heard a faint hum which escaped her lips—a rhythm of thought more than a tune—and she rocked slightly back and forth, letting her shoulders drop in a release she didn't notice anyone could see. Her breaths were uneven but purposeful, a quiet ritual she seemed to need after the dizzying motion of the dance.
After a moment, the music started again, her attention returned to the grass around her. She put her book on the ground this time along with her quill and She straightened, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, then, with a delicate shrug and a small, almost imperceptible smile, she rose. She lifted her arms again, tentative at first, then with increasing confidence, resuming her twirling as though the night itself had whispered, you may continue. Her movements became a private symphony, entirely hers, unaware of Alias watching from the shadows.
Alias chuckled when she resumed her dancing, surprising himself that he found this woman amusing, when he realized what he was doing, observing her privacy without her knowledge.
He cleared his throat and raise from where he was leaning, straightened and was about to turn back when he saw something.
Far from where the woman was, something was entering the garden walls, with its four limbs crawling on the wall and landed on the ground, its tail long with sharp edges, Alias had faced these a thousand times in battles, A dhravok, and it was heading straight to the woman.
Alias didn't wait a second, he looked around him and saw a knight statue holding a sword in his hands, he took the sword from it and something came out of his hands, a bright blue fire, which was absorbed in the sword, and the sword gave out a faint glow.
Alias crouched on the balcony, eyes drawn to the garden below. There she was twirling, her hair cascading in silvered waves, the royal-blue of her gown catching the moonlight.
He leapt, landing silently on the grass. His hand touched her shoulder instinctively.
And she froze. Her body stiffened, a small intake of breath, eyes wide—but not with panic. Rather, with alert curiosity, assessing this sudden presence in her space. Her fingers twitched at her sides, a small, almost imperceptible adjustment, and her gaze studied him carefully.
Alias's heart thudded.
"Who?" she murmured softly, her voice carrying just enough uncertainty to be heard. Her eyes darted back toward the palace, then to the garden, then again to him, taking in every detail like she was cataloging him and the situation simultaneously.
Before he could answer, a low, resonant hiss split the night. The Dhravok emerged from the shadowed hedges, massive, jagged scales glinting in the moonlight, eyes glowing with predatory intelligence.
Her reaction was immediate and shocking. She didn't scream. She didn't bolt. Instead, she stepped back slightly, shoulders taut, eyes tracking the creature's movements with precise focus. She clutched the folds of her gown, rocking subtly on her feet, and tilted her head in quiet calculation.
Alias watched her with as if he couldn't believe it, why isn't she running?
"My lady I need you to run" he said silently while keeping his eyes on the dhravok.
But the woman still didn't move " dhravok!!" She spoke " obsidian scales, serrated teeth, long whip-like tail… predatory, highly intelligent, hunts in calculated strikes… Oh… the ridge along its spine—spiked fins. yes, like the diagrams in Beasts of the Eastern Wilds…"
What?!!!
"My lady get away from here, run!!" He spoke again, urgently. But she surprised him once more….
"Claws curved like scythes… its eyes—amber… they calculate… every step, every weight shift… Its tail—momentum could crush stone… Oh! And smoke from the nostrils, that's typical of adolescent males… Running would make it angry, it would attack me, which is dangerous"
The f>ck!!!!!!