Elyza looked ahead of her, spotting the little window through which she studied the road ahead, the carriage humming like the sound of the ocean, at least within the confines of the couch box. The oak that formed the walls had a similar golden twinge to the gilded body of the machinery, the sound of the wheels on the cobble path the only indication that they were moving. That and the rolling scenery her partner was busy appreciating out the window. The evening street lights streamed on Alex’s face, his faux crimson eyes staring silently as the glow of the outside, melded like a swirling cauldron of colours within it. He himself was humming in opposition to the mechanisms that propelled the two down the stone road, past the guilds, stores, and noble’s houses, all dwarfed by the stretching visage of the royal castle perched into the mountain behind.
As they turned inwards, following the road melding into another as it led further into the proper side of the Capital, not even stopping as the guards of the gates let them through due to the appearance alone, she could tell that her time to ask him any last questions was quickly diminishing. “Have you done this before?” She asked, touching the corners of her mouth to fix any smears the journey may have caused.
His eyes raised in amusement, the grin appearing, “Break into a party I’m not invited too? Lots of times, it's my favourite thing to do when I’m bored.”
Elyza just stared at him till he continued, her eyes staying as still as she could make them. Readjusting his shirt, making sure it hadn’t creased, before adding, “Oh, becoming a woman? Not a lot, mostly out of principle, mainly because I get hit on by guys enough as I already am.”
The laugh came naturally, chuckling at his words, retorting, “You do not have to tell me.”
“Do you remember your noble voice?”
It took her a moment, her mind scanning the various times she had listened to an arrogant prick talk, and the flair of Alex as he sweet talked his way out and into troublesome situations. She gave him the slyest smirk she could muster, “Is that doubt I hear in your voice? I’m thoroughly disappointed that you are even capable of doubting the one responsible for your livelihood.”
Smiling, he bowed in his seat as he remarked, “Of course, Lady Anna, my apologies…”
“What did I say about calling me that in public?” She spat back, her lips unable to stop curling, adding as she attempted to fully immerse herself in the character, “Do not refer to me anything other than Lady Adler when we’re in the presence of the peasants.”
Her partner did the same, his grin disappearing, only the ends of his mouth angling upwards, hiding his radiant grin under the light lip gloss she had made him wear, “Please do not refer to them as peasants in public, Lady Anna.”
She clicked her tongue, settling in her seat as the carriage began to slow, the sight out the window filled with the front of a single mansion, the image of which she had seen too many times in its diagrams. It could only be described as the storage shed for the actual palace that stood opposite to it, its pillar of gothic design, with latin inspiration, shining brighter than the entire city. It was meant to seem as the perfect accommodation, but its owner seldom lived there, and its security would have reflected that on most days. However, as soon as the carriage halted completely, twelve guards appeared to ruin her view, along with a knight on horseback and two gargoyles staring with murderous intent at the mechanism in which the two had arrived.
A guard stepped forward, walking with determination towards them, his hand raising to reach for the door, only to have it swung open by her partner instead. He made sure not to slam the door into the woman’s face, opening just fast enough that it grazed the guard’s nose, jumping out without giving her any heed. As he did, landing without any visible exertion, he carefully lowered the steps through the press of a button hidden in the door itself, standing to block the bewildered guard from her gaze.
Elyza let her gaze pierce the rest of the guards as he prepared her entrance, ensuring to keep her head tilted oh so slightly upwards so that her green eyes may look down upon their welcoming party. As her beautiful escort lent her a hand, and as she took it to aid her descent down to their realm, she could tell they did not know who to ogle at. It would’ve been a problem that she didn’t encounter in her day-to-day adventures with Alex, but tonight it was the only reaction she would settle for.
“Do you have the documents? I would rather be drenched than deal with this frigid city another second,” She commanded, readjusting her cloak as she stood waiting on the carriage's steps, to which Alex quickly produced their invitational plaques with a flick of his wrist, the plates appearing from his coat’s darkness.
“I believe these may suffice,” he remarked, holding them so that the guard behind him could check, and with her nod, the rest of them backed off, the gargoyles surveying them scowling in annoyance that they would escape.
The guard touched the metal, which glowed with a subdued blue radiance, bowing as she added, “Lady Cyllenius appreciates that you, Lady Anna Adler, have travelled this far for the announcement. She hopes you shall enjoy the festivities of the evening.”
“Really?” Elyza remarked as her feet finally set foot on the carpeted walkway, her gaze steady as she studied the path forward, adding, “Then why has she not welcomed us herself?”
Alex sighed, though she could tell he was grinning beneath his illusion, following her up the mansion’s entrance as he remarked “Lady Adler, please be more respectful, we cannot waste the journey here…”
“I feel as if we’ve already wasted it,” She retorted, knowing that her words were in the vicinity of the staff waiting to guide them. As the two walked past the flanking sentries, trumpets sounded ahead of them in announcement of their arrival, the hum of their carriage growing quieter as the neighs of another, this one of a more conventional design, reached her ears.
Her dress flowed behind her, the drapes of her indigo gliding in the empty space behind her, her partner walking beside her as they scaled the stairs. They were given a wide berth by the staff as they approached the door, which was opening well before they had appeared, the porters’ waiting for them to enter, a butler standing waiting for them, already bowing. Crossing the doors, a somewhat familiar sensation of mana pulsing through her let her deduce what had just happened, the murmur and music of the crowd ahead deafened as her voice, steady as her gaze, accused, “I do beg your pardon, but I don’t see why a detector spell is necessary at the moment.”
She could hear the shuffling of the porters’ feet, clearly uncomfortable that the spell had so easily been found out, but the butler maintained his respect, clarifying, “I apologise, Lady Adler, it is only to ensure your likeness has not been stolen by some miscreant hoping to sow chaos. If you could…”
Alex handed him the two plaques instantly, not waiting for his request, pulling out the dagger he had slotted in his coat, displaying it with its hilt angled to the man as he remarked, “I request that I may be allowed to hold onto my blade, for my Lady’s protection.”
The butler bowed with the same reverence to her escort as he had done for her, remarking, “I will inform the rest of your choice, Ma’am” glancing at their invites, before stepping aside and waving them forward, “Please do not hesitate to ask for preferred items from the servers, and I hope you enjoy the evening.”
Walking forward through the corridor, her heels tapping on the shining white marble floor, the murmurs of the party increasing with each second, the brass and strings of the day’s musical accommodation swirling around her ears. Nearing its end, only being able to see the function through the constrained passageway as the view circled through a variety of colours, as soon as she stepped into the vibrant chamber, a harpy popped into her peripheral vision, donning a butler’s uniform, with sleeves cut off so that her feathers would not be ruffled.
“Would you like to store your cloak for the night, Madam?” He asked, his eyes conveying the respect his beak could not, his hand outreached to receive the garment.
She paid no heed to him, her eyes studying the reaction of those that had glanced over to see the new arrival, those whose gaze had lingered on her. The outfit Kurven had chosen was working better than she expected. “No need,” she remarked, unfastening the clasp around her partner’s cloak, letting it fall to her feet, only to have it be consumed by the bubbling shadows beneath her. She knew Alex was staring daggers at her, but the almost imperceptible sigh that she heard meant he had decided it had been necessary to establish her place.
“Please, treat it with more respect, Lady Adler,” Alex requested as soon as they went out of earshot of the staff, swiping two glasses off of a passing salver, swirling the golden fizzy liquid before handing it to her. The motion helped increase the number of bubbles rising from the bottom, which made its fruity smell even more potent, allowing her to taste the tartness before she could the liquid. Taking a sip, she let the aerated gold coat her tongue, allowing her to enjoy the fruitiness, while her partner formed an ‘O’ with his mouth, and swallowed the entire glass in a second.
“That doesn’t seem fancy, does it?” She remarked, a smile on her face as she took another sip.
“Believe me, Lady Adler, you would want to do the same if you knew what’s about to come,” Her partner remarked, a tired look in his eyes as he studied the heads that quickly glanced away under his gaze, placing the empty glass on the table whose centre was filled with blue roses. Straightening his tie, clearing his throat, he added, just before she took a sip, “Jester’s late, figures… I will be gone for a minute, resist the urge till I return.”
His words were as cryptic as ever, but as a platter of canapés walked past her, she plucked one from the plate, enjoying a bite of the crispy sour savoury bread topped with a spread of capers and what tasted like venison tartare. She swallowed the flaky pastry whole, shielding her mouth as she enjoyed the treat, her eyes noticing a man with hair as blonde as wheat, with the same shimmer of the golden crop, start to walk towards her. His sickly blue coloured eyes stared intently at her, his beard braided into a pattern too complicated to be anything other than expensive, his jaw etched like a statue’s, too smooth to be a natural occurrence. She steeled her will as he approached ever so closer, flanked by a posse of nobles trying to catch his attention, looks of disdain flashing over their faces when not in view of the man.
Unfortunately, she recognised him, or at least the traits his family was famous to have, it didn’t help that there was a drawing of his father next to the previous heir of the Cyllenius, which meant she could not afford to affront him. Giving him a modest bow, Elyza began, “Good evening, your Highness,” before returning to enjoying her wine, her eyes uninterested in the man that had flaunted over, as if he was just passing by.
It seemed to have invigorated the arrived party, murmuring filling the ranks besides him, but with a wave of his wrist they all fell quiet, their breath held as the man began, “It seems I have spotted a lustrous ruby in this crowd of pears, and one of such mighty descent! Oh, nothing but your formidable company would make me the ire of this sea of mediocrity…” He spoke with such confidence, it was akin to hearing a great poet on the peak of his field, but without any suaveness or capacity that accompanied one of such status, but the people around him looked absolutely weak at their knees.
She sighed, mostly because of a nagging feeling in her mind that if she hadn’t spent as much time with Alex as she had, the man’s line might have at least stirred something within her. Removing her rose-tinted glasses, letting her eyes pierce her courter’s to convey the extent of her uninterest, which she could see baffled the man, “I appreciate your invitation, but I specifically travelled across the ocean to have a discussion with Lady Cyllenium, and I don’t wish to upstage her announcement by being seen meandering with her about to be brother-in-law.”
The Third Prince of Luminae had an intrigued look on his face, despite her best effort, “You knew who I was, and still you refused… Absolutely fascinating. You do then realise, refusing a prince might be seen as an insult to the entire country of Luminae?” He was smiling as he spoke, the threat of his words not his intent.
“One may take it as an insult, but as I am not affiliated with the nation of Dammerskorn, I am entirely capable of telling you to walk away.” Her words were more direct this time around, donning her glasses once again as she searched for her partner, the extended conversation pulling in more attention than she had planned to, noticing more eyes actively staring at her than moments before.
“I believe if you just ga–”
A booming hearty voice cut off the Third Prince’s words, the sound of which she had only heard once, as a recording welcoming new students to Chryse. “I believe that your mother wants to have a word with you about your supposed planned celebration for your brother’s party.” The King of Luminae spoke, his presence forming an air of untouchability around him, only Elyza’s partner patiently waiting by his side, daring not to be seen by the surrounding crowd.
He was dressed in a cloak of vibrant purple, the cloth shrouding the white fabric that he donned beneath, a toga being held up by a golden pin moulded into his family’s emblem, a cascading wave overpowering a mountain, a branch of olives crafted from silver resting upon his crown. His blue eyes rested under it, his hair a deep dark brown unlike his son, and curled into a mess that kept his circlet fixed upon his head.
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“Fathe–”
“Go quick, she’s already in a bad mood that she’s going to lose her first son, and I don’t want to get screamed at, again,” The King whisper–shouted, loud enough for the crowd around to hear, a smile adorning his face, as if he had made the funniest joke in the world. The Third Prince wasted naught a moment as he marched past his father, taking with him the majority of his posse, though a few stragglers smelled a bigger fish to catch.
If she hadn’t been playing a character, Elyza would have spit out her own drink, instead quickly chugging the rest of the wine down to calm her nerves, giving the King the deepest bow she could muster in her dress. “Your Majesty, it is an honour to be in your company, I am…”
The man took her hand as she stood up, bending down to kiss her knuckles and her voice gave up on her, her mind refusing to comprehend the reality in which she stood, allowing the King to speak instead, “Of course I remember! The correspondence we have had has been eye-opening, Lady Adler, though I am a bit disappointed with your wish to negotiate a deal directly with Cyllenium, rather than allowing Luminae to be the mediator.”
The words felt rehearsed, and the reason why they did, revealed itself to her as soon as Alex remarked, his voice only reaching the two and his face stoic as it ever could be, “Your Majesty, while I do appreciate your friendliness with my Lady, perhaps doing so at a party with the Queen present may invite more trouble than we can deal with.”
As the King’s hand retreated, a smile on his face, his voice devoid of any of the pompousness she had come to expect, “Of course, Ms. Joanne, we wouldn’t want my queen to get the wrong idea, if she left me the entire country might collapse in a day.”
It clicked in her head, her voice almost breaking as she questioned, trying to meet some discretion, “Your Majesty, if I may be too rude to inquire, have you heard of a man named Alexander before?”
“The name may have come up in my past,” The King mused, stroking his golden braided beard, multitudes longer than his son’s, “And, even with my lousy memory, I remember perhaps having heard of the name ‘Elyza’ being mentioned as well…”
Her mind refused to function at the sound of her real name being spoken by a king of an entire peninsula, the leader of a nation brought together by absolutely despising being owned by a country that was an ocean and some mountains away. That feeling was quickly squashed by her, but against her best attempts another took its place, unable to comprehend how important her partner may actually be in reality. The same person whose horrible jokes came at the absolute worst time, who once she saw swallow an orange whole out of pure unadulterated spite, the man who had a special spell specifically made to cause someone to always feel a cockroach crawling somewhere around their body.
That rat bastard, who she might consider her best friend, had enough of a relationship with the King for the latter to follow along with whatever plan he had cooked up, and do so happily. “Lady Adler,” His voice, even layers beneath his illusion spell, brought her back to reality.
“I apologise for my frankness,” She stated to the King, bowing ever so slightly, her hand rising to snap her fingers, “But I’m too sober for this.”
Within seconds, there was a server by their side, trying to avoid the King’s gaze as Elyza swiped two glasses of whiskey, downing them both before the staff had even turned around. A hearty laugh followed from the King, his majesty remarked, his voice still lacking the regal nature, “With what I know of your company, I’m surprised you aren’t an alcoholic.”
“Would you two please try to keep the facade up?” Alex suggested, his voice somehow able to sound as annoyed as he made her.
The King smacked the back of her partner, before yanking his hand back, a worrisome smile on his face, “I forgot you aren’t the man I knew you to be, it would’ve been troublesome if Ari saw me being this friendly with two women, even though both of you could only hope to rival her beauty…”
Elyza was perplexed with how the man talked about the Queen, “I’m surprised you talk about your wife with such pride.”
“Are you just saying that because she sometimes pays me to tell her what you talk about?” her partner quickly added, his eyes narrowing.
“Can a man not marvel at the beauty of his own wife?” The King chuckled out, adding with a whisper, “She’s already moody now that Liliana is beginning boarding, and with Micheal’s betrothed clashing horns with her plans, I am very close to being kicked to the couch.”
However, as many jokes his Majesty made, Elyza could detect love throughout his words, his mind reflecting upon something Adam had told her, remarking out, “A relationship can only work if you can annoy the other, face their anger, and at the end of it all they’ll allow you to keep doing it, because they know you make them be better.”
“Very aptly said, Lady Adler,” The King remarked, his eyes scanning the crowd behind him, and she knew that he was waiting to get a glance of the one he loved. Horns blew throughout the room, the chandeliers above darkening as the one above the grand stairway in the middle grew ever so brighter, his majesty continuing, “While I appreciate our conversation, it appears our time together has sadly elapsed.”
A cloud of mist bellowed down from the precipice of the stairway, courtesy of a cold mana stone suspended above them, and as it settled, her gaze was transfixed on what remained. There were two of them, dressed in the calmest cyan she had ever laid eyes upon, like the sloshing waves within a cove. The Second Prince was dressed with a black coat over a beautifully embroidered blue waistcoat, golden and green threads woven into a diorama of a crashing wave, and navy blue breeches. He looked exactly like his father, but his company would have surely stolen the sight of those not trained to notice everything in their sight.
Beside the Prince, stood Lady Cyllenium, who looked expectantly upon her crowd, even as her betrothed’s gaze cast his love upon her, though she was struggling to keep the smile off of her face. She was dressed in a black open robe over a blue petticoat that reflected the depths of the ocean that flanked Luminae, her neckline filled with lace curls. A dark cyan half coat was the last of her garments, a pattern etched upon it matching the coastline of Nyxianis, the lines appearing like seaweed hidden under the surface of the sea, a golden sapphire laden necklace with matching coral earrings. They framed her grey curly hair that was woven into an intricate braid, causing her hazel eyes to shine brighter than the lights above.
Murmurs accompanied their reveal, ceasing immediately as the lady of the evening raised her gloved hands, her voice clear and commanding, almost as if she was a general addressing her men, “I welcome all to the event that shall echo through the history books.”
She had to nudge the Prince for him to realise the audience they had, and immediately Elyza could sense a switch in his behaviour. Straightening his posture, his eyes filled with total attention, his voice a copy of his fathers, though a bit deeper, the weight of his words imposing, “I, the Second Prince of Luminae, am proud to announce my engagement to Lady Cyllenium. This unity shall usher in a new age for the people of Luminae! It will ensure that this nation is at the centre of all trade in the region, along with increasing the reach of our influence around the globe. So, I call upon you all, to celebrate as if the world ends today! Because tomorrow, Luminae will be at the peak of all civilization!”
There was a roar of approval from many in the room, louder than the cries of the crowd in a coliseum, but through the raised glasses she spotted some guests with a look of annoyance and loathing. Lady Cyllenium need only raise her hand to silence them all, her power over them made even more absolute now that the announcement had been formalised, her first words as part of royalty would be known for ages, “It is a day I did not know I could ever imagine as a child, but I only wish to do well for those who have put their trust in me.”
A lie would not be Elyza’s choice, but there was some semblance of truth her ears could pick up in her voice. “But today… is a day of celebration! Let us begin,” It had to be rehearsed, Elyza’s ears wincing as the opera began full force once again, the ceiling above exploding into a rainbow of colours, bursts of coloured sparks melting into strings of glowing light, dissipating as the chandeliers lit up once again.
There was a moment of silence as everybody took in the sight above, before the room was filled with murmurs, no doubt in her mind that all of the discussions were around how it would affect their way of life. “The amount of restraint it is taking me to not have my own grander entrance is actually worrying,” her partner broke character, and she couldn’t help but laugh, quickly covering up her mouth with a hand lest someone see her.
“I believe it is time to introduce ourselves…” Elyza remarked, her tone returning to Lady Adler’s, adjusting her dress as she stepped onto the chamber’s floor, bowing as she passed the King, “Your Majesty, if you could excuse us?”
“You are excused, Lady Adler, if you have any trouble with either my daughter-in-law, or that partner of yours, which I’ve regrettably made my daughter’s godfather, I shall happily entertain you again.” The King remarked, slapping the back of her partner, which elicited a sigh from the man as Alex followed.
She gave her partner a look that they had both agreed upon long ago, a promise to talk about this after they were done for the day. They weaved through the innards of the crowd, an easy task, as most parted for her, whispering rumours that weren’t supposed to be whispers. Her short conversation had been enough, it seemed to inherit some of the King’s atmosphere. As her eyes looked down upon those in her path, they could do nothing but avert their gaze, but still giving her slight bows as she sauntered past, following the sight of Lady Cyllenium and her fiancé, the entire gathering seeming to swarm around the two.
Good progress was being made, Alex following in tow, the glares he gave to those that looked at her with an iota of jealousy, reflected by their avoiding irises. Then suddenly, she heard glass shattering upon the floor, and while she didn’t turn around to see what had happened, a voice she could never unhear, a sharp, shrill, cry of a child spoke, “WHO DARES TRIP THE PRINCE OF NYXIANIS?!”
She made the mistake of stopping, glancing behind to see what scene was unfolding, which made her partner stop, and he was soon surrounded by two men. Behind him was a man scrambling to get up, wearing a bright white toga that had a red stain running down its length, too faint to be blood meaning it had to be wine, a cracked glass stem in his hand supporting her deduction. “Does there seem to be a problem?” Alex asked, his eyes full of apathy.
The men said nothing, their eyes staring through her partner, as if they were statues to be commanded by their master, and he spoke, “Not unless a half-wit like you can compensate me for my losses!” She could see the spit flying from his mouth, screaming at the back of her partner, who turned around with a bow.
“I do apologise, Prince…?” He was making the situation worse, and as far as she could tell, he was doing it on purpose.
The man’s nose flared, his face turning crimson, sweat appearing on his forehead, “I AM THE CROWN PRINCE OF NYXIANIS! HOW CAN A TREE SHAGGER NOT KNOW THE NAME OF JULIUS GEORGIO?!”
Alex didn’t flinch, but a twitch in his hand made her react. “I beg your pardon?” she stated, her voice alone delegating his men to the flanks, Alex bowing as he stepped aside for her to face the prince, adding, “I apologise your highness, but this is hardly a way to speak to someon–”
“SILENCE!” He screamed, and for a second, as her partner’s hand twitched backwards, and the thought of letting him slice the prince’s neck seemed appealing, her mind already rationalising it as a good that the entire world would surely benefit from.
However, that would complicate the plan, so she took a deep breath, and kept her voice steady, ignoring the gathering audience, “I’m not the one barking like an untrained dog.”
His mouth hung open, utter confoundment in his eyes that she had spoken up, “Now, little prince, let me frankly tell you, I am not from your nation, nor do I harbour any important connections to it, but I know for a fucking fact, if you could excuse my language, my country shall not care for any tantrums you decide to partake in, nor would it punish me in any way if I offend you.”
She took in a deep breath, leaving enough of a gap so that he could think he had a chance to retort, she stated, “Tell me what exactly you’re accusing my retainer of, and we can perhaps negotiate payment.”
It took a while for his furious brain to understand her simple request, “She tripped me! She needs to pay for the damages to my outfit, one way, or another.”
For the first time in her life, she scoffed like she meant it, acting that it was a moment of weakness, covering her mouth as she continued, “You want compensation for tripping over yourself?! Fine, if you have decent terms, I might consider entertaining you.”
“Two platinum coins…” He said without a sense of humour, and she could only raise her brow as if he was joking, a disgusting smile crawling across his face as he pointed to Alex, “Or have her to entertain me for the rest of the day.”
The thought of embedding her heel into his head till his brains decorated the marble floor seemed ever more so appealing, but before she could, another voice broke through the gasps of the crowd, a voice that was as commanding as it had been moments ago, “May I ask, Prince Julius, why you are attempting to extort one of my guests?”
The look of terror on the man’s face as his eyes trailed from her to Lady Cyllenium brought a smile to her face, but she refrained from looking behind him, “I do apologise for causing a commotion on a day so important as yours, but I’m sure we can come to an amicable solution on our own, perhaps one that doesn’t require having my long trusted employee partake in prostitution, right, Prince Julius?”
“O–of course, Lady Cyllenium,” he stammered out, his face refusing to lose the red that coloured it, a mix of embarrassment and fury, no doubt.
“Ten gold coins seems adequate to clean your toga,” She stated, snapping her fingers, and Alex produced ten shining yellow disks with a flick of his hand, handing it to one of the bodyguards, “I wish you could’ve introduced yourself in better circumstances.”
As she spun on her heels, Alex in tow, her gaze locked with the woman of the day, her hazel eyes staring into her shielded green pupils, attempting to study every little movement she made, as if she was judging her intentions. Elyza responded by changing absolutely nothing, she knew what she wanted from her, and she trusted the plan. “I’ve heard you have a proposition for me, Lady Anna, and you’ve sparked an interest in me.”
“I would be grateful if you even thought of hearing my proposal, Lady Cyllenium, it may open another frontier for you to conquer.”
Her eyes did the same thing her partner’s often did, unfocusing and focusing so that he could deduce what she was lying about, and after she blinked, she remarked as she turned, “Follow me, we should discuss this in private.”