A moment later, a few minutes later, Euphemia handed a large black velvet box from her large satchel to her, “Here. This is for the feast, requested by Lady Mirana. She was not certain if you'd be able to attend the feast in time so she passed it on to me, just in case.”

Alaenor stare at the box in her hands, a thumb brushing the soft material as her curiosity grew. It somehow felt light but heavy at the same time. Sating her curiosity, she placed the box down on the other bed and opened the lid, revealing a deep red velvet dress with a heart-shaped neckline and white lace at the end of the sleeves. She slowly picked up the dress by its edges and examined it.

“It is gorgeous,” She whispered while placing it back down on the bed, admiring its simple design. Along with it came matching shoes, a black choker with a white star – the symbol of Starfall City – attached to it, and a corset which shade matches the color of her dress.

“It is a gift. From Lady Mirana herself.” Euphemia added. “You should take a bath first before putting it on. I brought along a scented soap, just in case anyone needs to use it.”

“Of course.” She responded gratefully.

While the brunette was bathing, she noticed that the water inside the tub had warmed considerably. Curious to see how warm she was supposed to wash, she carefully dipped her fingers in the water and tested it. Much warmer. After washing thoroughly with the scented soap Euphemia offered, she quickly dried herself off, slipped the dress on with the help of the older woman. She looked beautiful wearing the expensive fabric, and she knew that she would definitely feel more relaxed wearing the dress, so she thanked Euphemia for helping her change. Soon, she grabbed her hairbrush and headed to her own room, deciding that she would probably wear her hair down today.

However, Alaenor noticed how pale her lips were and decided to do something about it. She hurriedly brushed through her locks with the brush before picking up some red lipstick that had been lying around on the dressing table. It was the exact same color as the dress, so she hoped that the red would give her the appearance that she is dressed as a woman who likes red.

She applied the lipstick onto her lips and left her hair down, letting it fall freely down her shoulders. She took a step back to admire her reflection in the mirror. Not only that, but she looked stunning. Different, even. She didn't expect that she would look this different when wearing such an elegant looking dress. The crimson dress complimented her complexion much better than any other colors she has worn before in her life. It also seemed to accentuate every one of the curves of her body, making her look more enticing, almost like a temptress. Not exactly her style, but she couldn't deny that she liked it.

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After finishing getting ready, she exited her room and headed towards the exit of the inn to meet up with the others at the Capital's Hall. The moment she arrived at the entrance, most heads were turned to her in delight and curiosity. All those gathered had their mouths open in amazement. They all began talking and whispering to each other, trying to figure out who she was, and admired the red dress that seemed to catch everyone's attention. She felt her cheeks turn slightly pink at the attention she received. But then, her gaze fell upon two men who stood far off from the crowd, watching and waiting for her arrival. Cain and Zevran. Both of whom stared at her in wonder, seeming as shocked and surprised as everyone else.

When Alaenor approached the men hurriedly, Zevran greeted her politely with a warm smile, “You look lovely tonight, Alaenor.”

Meanwhile, Cain felt himself staring at the brunette longer than he should have. Even though he tried his hardest to ignore it, he still found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her.

“Thank you. So does everyone else here,” She replied with a soft chuckle, blue hues shifting towards the other man briefly. She wondered why he was silent for quite a while now. When she turned to look at him, she saw his eyes widened in surprise for a brief second before it returned to being stoic and calm.

He then turned his head to the side for a quick moment before his gaze settled back on her, “Are you ready to speak with the Council?” He asked calmly.

Without even thinking about it, she answered, “Yes. Lead the way.” He just stared at her for a long moment before nodding. Afterward, they started heading inside the Capital's Hall, where the council members gathered.

They didn't notice that the people were watching them closely or listening to the conversation they shared, too engrossed in their conversation as they were. But when they finally arrived at the main part of the Hall, they were greeted with the sight of several people standing in front of a long table. There was a middle-aged man whose hair was already white, with bright blue eyes that seemed to hold a hint of wisdom and intelligence in them. To the right of the seated man there was another old man, who was dressed entirely in gold, with a beard and gray hair, standing upright next to the old man, dressed completely in silver.

Behind them was an old lady with graying brown hair tied into a bun, while her wrinkles only showed further when she smiled widely at them. Finally, they reached the person who sat in between the elderly ones.

Lady Mirana.