Maria could not thank Sin enough for her dancing lessons. Elizabeth took the lead, and Maria matched her, her legs moving on their own while she did her best to contain herself.

They danced alone, every step in unison, their eyes locked on each other. Elizabeth was smiling. "The last time I saw you dance you had two left feet. At the autumn ball, do you remember?"

The young master was in luck that her face was already a deep red, it could not darken much further. "Well that, that happens when you need to dance with a stupid loser that didn't believe I was serious about going with him." She scoffed and bit her teeth together.

Her embarrassment had Elizabeth chuckle. "I suppose, but was he that wrong in not believing you? I had never seen you and him in the same room before out of class."

Shrugging with just one shoulder, Maria rolled her eyes. "Of course, but if I had gone all alone then who would've been the real loser. I really didn't want to go, if I couldn't with you, but Dad would've been really disappointed." With a sigh her gaze shifted to her feet.

As the next verse of the composition set in, other noble pairs joined them on the floor according to their rank, all keeping polite distance towards the would-be royals. The halls began to fill, until only Sin remained alone as Elaine had dragged Tetra along to dance.

Elizabeth pulled Maria in closer as the pace quickened, and still the young lady kept up, to Elizabeth's surprise. "I can't say my date was much better. Sure, he was tall, handsome, rich, but goodness he was boring. I could never tell if father set me up with him because he was already afraid of me, or if he really was that dense."

Maria clung more tightly to Elizabeth's hand, who batted her eyelashes, barely containing her laughter. "Jealous? You know that is something I never understood."

Once more there was a break in the music, and it continued slower, as Elizabeth leaned her head forward, speaking in a whisper. "I had to talk to a lot of people to figure you out, to observe you and find evidence you were what you are. And they all said the same thing, you know? 'Maria? She is insufferable. Never talks to anyone, all she does is stare with contempt, at all who are better than her.'"

She let go of Maria's side, both took a step back, spun and got close yet again, with the lady Merlayne staring her down. "Nobody there could compare to me, nobody in your world could. And yet you didn't hate me, why?"

Every fibre in Maria's mind was squirming in fear, the rabbit in front of the serpent. And yet she withstood her gaze, narrowing her eyes, voice defiant. "Because you are perfect. You don't have to look up to everyone, all the guys fawned over you, the girls got jealous, your grades were amazing but you still went out every weekend, you had everything I wanted."

She began to walk against the pace, wrestling the lead from Elizabeth, every word increasing her momentum. "Every night I laid in bed wishing I wouldn't wake up, wake up to be a disappointment to the school, my dad, my mom. I wanted to BE you, more than anything."

The young lady now dictated the pace, fulfilling form after form, never taking her eyes off of the love of her life. "If I hated you, I would have hated everything I wanted, I could never do that. And in the end, I gave up."

She did her best to smile, but her pain distorted it. "I gave up that I would be anything of note, I could never be you. And, eventually, what I really wanted, was to be with you."

The first song ended as they returned to their original positions, both ladies out of breath, though not due to the physical exhaustion. Maria let Elizabeth lead again as the music picked up and they again joined the greater harmony of dancers.

"I had ten siblings, you know." Elizabeth's voice was quiet as she began to look over Maria's shoulder, who looked back at her in disbelief.

"I was the youngest, and I barely remember their names. To be heiress of Merlayne, one must call upon the morning star, only if they can survive the incantation can they be worthy of leading the family."

She narrowly avoided a misstep, and the glare she gave surrounding pairs was enough for a larger radius around them to become vacant.

Her skin had always been pale, but Elizabeth spoke she looked truly bloodless. "They were all unworthy. They'd turn ten, be let up to the family altar. They would speak the ancient words and the light of the morning star would set them aflame. They thrashed, screamed, cried for father to save them, which he of course didn't."

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The great lady closed her eyes, which did not hamper her footwork as she continued. "I still see their burnt corpses when I go to sleep, or walk around the manor at night and peer into the shadowy hallways. I really believed I was going to die just like them when it was my turn, but there I was."

With eyes wide open she laughed, more pain in her voice than any joy. "My father was furious, you know? Me, the weak little vermin, to be his heir. But it wasn't his choice, in the end. I am perfection, Maria." Once more her eyes rested upon her bride to be. "Anything else would be shame upon the morning star, shame upon my family."

With one last long note, the music died down and other pairs left the floor, leaving the stage to them. All eyes were on the ladies, as Elizabeth leaned down, their faces mere inches apart. "And do you think you are worthy of that, darling?"

Time seemed to freeze to a halt, Maria's heart skipped a beat, though it had already made up it's mind.

"Yes."

Elizabeth's lips curled into a smile, then she kissed Maria and the hall erupted into applause that fell deaf on Maria's ears.

The main dance was over, but after the ladies left the centre stage, many other pairs quickly filled the hall as the orchestra resumed. Maria was walking as if on stilts, she could not feel her legs and quickly sat down on a chair by the stairs, her mind racing.

One of the guards came down the stairs and approached Elizabeth, muttering a few words to her. She narrowed her eyes and waved him off before returning to Maria's side and giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"I admire your dedication, darling. We can resume the larger festivities in a bit, let our peers enjoy themselves for a while. And I think you could use the relaxation as well, wouldn't want you to fall over at your big speech, no?" With a chuckle she left her side and walked up the stairs, fading from sight.

Sin quickly took to her master's side, holding a wine glass full of black liquid. She offered it to Maria, who brushed it off to Sin's amusement. "It is just soda, my master. I urged one of the servants to procure some for you."

Maria grabbed the glass and downed it in a single gulp, her fingers still shaky around the fragile stem of the glass as she held it out for sin. "More, please, I'm really, really thirsty. It's way, way too warm in here."

Her servant quickly vanished back into the crowds of people. Perhaps it was been her performance, or her red face, but nobody bothered her until Sin returned with another glass which Maria quickly emptied.

"Do you have your speech still, my master? It would perhaps be a good idea to go through it once more." Maria dismissed Sin's words with a wave and rummaged through her breast pocket, waving the paper of her speech around.

"Got it right here, Sin, right here. I've said it over a hundred times, don't you worry. I just, I just danced with Eli, and we, we kissed." The young master gazed at the ceiling without truly seeing anything. "We actually kissed."

Sin nodded and looked through the hall for her sisters. The two were still dancing on the outskirts, though it more resembled Elaine leading her sister around and making sure she did not completely stumble.

"Moments like these almost make you believe that the world outside did not go to hell." Sin let out a long sigh and folded her hands behind her back.

Another number had ended, and Maria jumped to her feet as she heard the next. It was nothing she would have expected for such a gathering. Her eyes darted to Sin, who was standing attention, her eyes shining brightly.

"La Marseillaise des Blancs." Maria muttered and grasped Sin's arm, dragging her to the dance floor. "Come, would this not be appropriate?"

The beast stared at her master in disbelief, eyes wide open. "I, to dance with my master, royalty, in the company of nobles, my master I do not know if-"

Maria shut her up by pulling herself close, her gaze piercing her servant who quickly laid her free arm across her waist and took the lead as per her silent order.

The two dictated the pace among the other pairs, who gave frequent looks to the orchestra and their queen, who was now flying across the floor with her servant. The people parted for them, lost in the rhythmic beat of the marching drums.

As the music died down the doors at the other hand of the halls opened and Elizabeth rejoined the festivities, flanked by two guards who were heavily armoured and armed.

"All is prepared, esteemed guests. Merriment has been had, let us now move to our true obligations." Her eyes went across the room, before resting upon Maria.

"It is time to form our decision, to revoke the treaties that we have lete us be chained to. Maria Len-Fey, my dear." Elizabeth curtsied. "You have the stage, and our unbroken, undivided attention."

Silence fell across the room as Elizabeth joined the crowd, surrendering her place to Maria. There she now stood, the young short lady, paper in hand, with the full gathering of nobility in front of her, awaiting what she would say.

She took a deep breath.