The Ball for an Envious Bride. Part 2.

There was no time to dwell on what Rainn had told me, but another plan quickly formed within me. I dashed towards the castle.

As I reached the exit of the garden, I caught one of the servants and handed him three hastily written notes, sealed with ancestral magic.

One note was to be delivered to the king, requesting him to wait for me and refrain from making the engagement announcement. From the servant, I learned that during the entire commotion in the labyrinth, the king had been in conversation with Sebastian and had only just headed to the ballroom in search of me.

"Well, things are certainly falling into place. They definitely won't be expecting that announcement," I thought.

The second note was addressed to the royal advisor, Ridgar Fleur, who handled external affairs. I simply asked for his support when approached and promised an equivalent favor in return, based on his requirements.

The third note was meant for the palace's head of security. I briefly explained the attack on me and requested a healer and guards equipped with recording artifacts to be sent to the labyrinth. I also asked for enhanced security around the king's presence in the hall and for them to be closer to the throne for a public apprehension of the criminal.

Not knowing which of these requests would be fulfilled, but not wasting any time, I rushed to my room to quickly tidy up.

Using elven dust, I presented myself in a decent manner – my body and hair gleaming. There wasn't time for a bath. I hastily touched up my makeup, donned a new dress, the one sent by the king. A couple more tricks, and a stunning princess descended to the hall. I don't particularly enjoy using elven tricks for appearance, but right now, I need to show all the kingdoms that playing games with me is dangerous. And appearance was just an addition to my warrior's spirit.

After the application of elven magic, I looked exquisite. My skin radiated, and my eyes sparkled with a turquoise hue as if they had captured magical stars. Loose hair cascaded in curls over bared shoulders, adding a touch of mystery and elegance. The pristine white dress accentuated every curve, shimmering in all shades of blue as if I had stepped out of a beautiful fairytale.

My bosom was elegantly accentuated by a deep neckline, adding a touch of sensuality and power to my appearance. With my head held high and a confident smile on my face, I projected an air of self-assurance and readiness to embrace the challenge.

As I entered the hall, I motioned for the steward to announce my presence, commanding silence. He looked surprised but complied, and I spoke loudly, capturing everyone's attention, "I thank you for waiting for me, Your Majesty." I curtsied gracefully and then made my way toward the king, who stood near the throne, preparing to make an announcement.

Beside him on the dais were Sebastian, looking astonished at my entrance, and Alicia, who visibly paled and furrowed her brow upon seeing me, only to quickly put on a facade of a polite smile. And I, perhaps, smiled even wider, as her reaction dispelled my last doubts.

The king gazed at me with anticipation and surprise. "It seems you took a liking to my gift, Alessandra. Such beauty was worth the wait," the king said, smiling, and signaled for me to approach.

"Well, since everyone is assembled, I would like to make an announcement," the king began in a solemn tone, but who would allow him that pleasure? Today, this is my game.

"Forgive me, Uncle," I interrupted the king, and he stumbled at such an audacious address. The king coughed but gestured for me to speak while water was brought to him.

"Your Majesty, until the general attention shifts to the subjects of your statement," I pointed to the prince and the countess, "allow me to address the guests. After all, the ball was held in my honor, and I wish to express my gratitude to all. Please indulge your niece's small whim," I fluttered my eyelashes at the king, who nearly choked on his water at my request and regarded me with suspicion.

He was very reluctant to grant me the floor, I could see that. And this is where I decided to test whether my letter had reached Duke Ridgar Fleur. I looked at him, seeking his support. He met my gaze and nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Ridgar approached the king and whispered something in his ear. The king smiled and said, "Well, pardon me, Prince Sebastian, Countess Alicia."

Then he turned to the guests and announced, "Today, I am not at all in the mood to refuse my beloved niece. Alessandra, my dear, remember my kindness." His words hinted at the fact that he would ask something of me in return, but for now, he had given me the opportunity to speak.

"We are all ears," said the king, taking his seat on the throne and directing the full attention of the hall towards me.

My moment had come.

Approaching the throne, I positioned myself beside the king on the opposite side from the prince. Noticing the increased presence of guards in the hall, a satisfied smile played on my lips. It was time to begin.

I gazed at the king and wiped the friendly smile from my face, causing Christoph to tense. "Your Majesty, I am Alessandra de Savoyar, Duchess of Savoyar, Guardian of the Borderlands. I wish to make a statement," I declared, pausing for effect. The hall held its breath in anticipation, and Christoph grew even more tense. This was a formal address to the king, impervious to any jests or caprices.

Continuing, I stated, "I accuse Countess Alicia Lindwood, daughter of the First Advisor of the King of the Forest, Count Lindwood, of orchestrating and commissioning an attack on me with the intent of murder and besmirching my honor. This assault occurred less than an hour ago in the labyrinth near the royal palace, while I was on the territory of the Kingdom of Seas, under Your Majesty's protection. I immediately informed the Palace Chief of Security about the incident and requested the location of the attack to be documented with the use of artifacts. The witness to this attack is in stasis, having defended me and suffered injuries. I implore Your Majesty to keep their identity confidential until their awakening. Furthermore, I beseech you, Your Majesty, to impose a ban on the countess and her father from crossing the borders of the Kingdom of Seas under any pretext until the investigation concludes, and to draft a missive to King Frederick de Forest, seeking his assistance."

I paused before the king and curtsied, indicating the completion of my statement. The hall fell into momentary silence, disrupted only by Alicia's gasp. Guards immediately surrounded her, isolating her from the rest of the courtiers and the king.

Only Sebastian stood by her side, his gaze fixed on her with anger. Then he whispered softly, "You have disappointed me, Alicia. There will be no engagement, even if you are exonerated. Countess Lindwood."

After that, he walked through the circle of guards and addressed the king, "Your Majesty, I offer my apologies to you and the Duchess for this situation, and I guarantee my full cooperation in the investigation of the attack on Duchess de Savoyar. May I be permitted to be present during the examination of the site of the assault?"

The king remained silent, merely nodding, before he inquired, "Do you not wish to accompany your betrothed on her journey home?"

"No, Your Majesty. I am confident that you will arrange Countess Lindwood's journey according to her status and action. I intend to investigate the circumstances of the attack on-site in order to provide a detailed account to the king, if you permit," Sebastian responded, his gaze fixed on the king with caution. Finally, the king nodded.

"You will be provided with chambers in the guest wing and provided with guards. I hope you will show understanding, Prince Sebastian," the king said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Sebastian frowned but composed himself, bowing. "Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you," he said.

The process I had set in motion was beginning to unfold, and the ball had come to a close. I was certain that the courtiers would remember it for a long time.

I was invited to one of the resting rooms, where I recounted how I found myself in the labyrinth, the words of the mages, and how I lost consciousness. When I described being attacked by the mages, I noticed Sebastian's fists clench and a trace of fury on his face. Then, we proceeded to the labyrinth, where I showed them the site of the battle. Reinn had already been taken away by healers, and the mages were no longer there, but traces of the magical confrontation lingered. The artifact had captured the echoes of magic and all the traces.

The king immediately retired to his office with his advisors from the ballroom. As I exited the hall, I caught a momentary look of surprise and admiration from Duke Ridgar Fleur. Clearly, he initially perceived my letter as a whim of a young duchess seeking attention and did not expect such a serious turn of events. The duke cryptically smiled at me and winked, hinting at something, but I averted my gaze. I would deal with the return favor later.

After all the questioning, I was escorted to my room. An elderly healer left me ointment for my bruised ribs, which were now showing signs of the beating, and a concoction to alleviate the pain.

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My head was pounding, and my ribs ached with every breath. Apparently, the adrenaline had subsided, allowing me to fully feel the consequences of today's events.

Climbing into bed, I tried to gather my thoughts, but the pain prevented me from concentrating. Curling up, I attempted to fall asleep when a faint tapping sound came from the window.

I rose and approached the window. Outside was Sebastian, gripping the ledge with one hand. The prince gestured to open the window and step away. As Sebastian entered the room, he quickly closed the window, checked if the door was locked, and erected a protective dome.

"Sebastian, if you're seen, you'll be in trouble. How did you bypass the guards?" As he moved around the room, checking everything, I bombarded him with questions. I even momentarily forgot about the pain.

After checking everything and placing the dome, Sebastian abruptly pulled me to him and squeezed me in his arms. I yelled loudly.

"Oh, Gods, I'm so sorry, my dear," he recoiled, realizing that he had hurt me.

I attempted to smile but headed for the bed. The surprise had faded, and the pain had returned. Decency didn't matter to me. I climbed onto the bed and gestured for Sebastian to sit at the edge.

"It's nothing, just the aftermath of your fiancée's jealousy," I muttered. Perhaps it was unfair to blame him for Alicia's actions, but I was in pain, and Reinn's words had affected me.

"My dear, I regret not protecting you. Believe me, if it were up to me, she would already be in the dungeon," he sat down beside me and attempted to stroke my cheek, but I turned away.

"Perhaps," I looked away and didn't meet his gaze.

"Alex?" Sebastian called, but I continued to look in the other direction.

"Princess, look at me. Why do I feel like there's something else? Alex, you've met with Rainn, what did that traitor say?" He no longer tried to touch me, only observed closely.

I turned my head and looked at him. "Is he a traitor? I'm not so sure anymore."

Sebastian leaned in, taking hold of my chin to prevent me from turning away. He was angry after my words, I could see it in his eyes. "WHAT DID HE SAY?"

I shook my head, trying to free my chin. "He saved me. While you were discussing your engagement and dancing with your bride-to-be, he fought for ME. They took him away in stasis with a dagger and arrows in his chest. Arrows that he intercepted while shielding ME," I looked into Sebastian's eyes and was furious. Somewhere in my mind, I understood that he wasn't to blame, but I was still angry.

I felt Sebastian not releasing my chin, his gaze locked onto my face. He spoke with a tinge of disappointment, "Do you really think that if I had known even for a second that you were in danger, Countess or even the king would have stopped me? Or do you doubt that I would catch a dagger for you or deflect arrows? Darling, explain to me, I don't understand why you no longer trust me."

I looked into his eyes, seeing genuine bewilderment and concern on his face. My heart trembled at his words, and I realized that I had wounded him with my words. He was there, ready to protect me, and I shouldn't doubt his loyalty. But Rein's words about King Frederick's involvement lingered in my mind as soon as Sebastian entered the room, and they rang in my head like a tolling bell, raising the question of what he would do if all the threads led to his father.

There was only one way to find out: "I was attacked by a powerful earth mage," I said, watching Sebastian closely. He nodded and looked at me questioningly.

"A strong earth mage killed my father," I stated, affirming it. I wasn't sure why, but I believed Rein. And Christoph's reaction to the attack had surprised me. In his eyes, I had read concern when he sent me to the healer.

"Where are you leading with this?" Sebastian grew serious. He understood that the information I had received from Rein had convinced me. He also understood what I was about to say, but he wanted me to voice it.

"Reinn saw the recording artifacts from the site of my father's death. There was a very powerful earth mage, much stronger than the one who attacked me. Such mages don't exist in the Kingdom of Seas, and they don't work as mercenaries. He's probably one of the close associates of the king. Only the Kingdom of Forests has the most powerful earth mages," I continued to gaze into Sebastian's eyes, and I saw how each word struck him like a dagger.

He still held my chin and looked into my eyes. I knew he saw my determination and thirst for revenge in them. When I expressed my thoughts out loud, I realized for myself that if all paths led to King Frederick, I wouldn't stop. He would pay for my father's death with his blood, and Sebastian wouldn't be able to stop me.

"Alex... Reinn is a traitor, he can be very convincing. Maybe he or Christoph has artifacts. But you must understand that by accusing your father, you're essentially declaring war on the Kingdom of Forests. If the evidence of his involvement is undeniable, why hasn't the King of Seas declared war? After all, the Duchess was his sister," Sebastian said, his tone softer now. He traced the line of my lower lip with his finger as if trying to calm me down, as though I were an unreasonable child.

At his mention of my mother, I flinched, but I wasn't going to reveal that information, at least not now. I continued to listen to Sebastian.

"Darling, just calm down and think. Perhaps Christoph wants to use you to trigger a war and undermine the Kingdom of Forests. You believed Reinn, and I entertain the idea that he acted out of the best intentions. Maybe he was used, his feelings for you exploited," Sebastian continued, caressing my face and lowering his voice. He knew exactly how this affected me.

To my shame, his words did indeed soothe me. His eyes, calm voice, and gentle gestures enveloped me, calming the storm in my mind.

"What feelings?" This was the only phrase that my mind seemed to catch on to for some reason.

Sebastian smiled and replied, "He's in love with you, my girl, he has been for a long time. That's why I sent him away and prohibited him from getting close to you. There were too many dangers around, and emotions are not the best advisors. Although now I understand him a bit and even sympathize." He shifted his hand to my hair and began playing with strands.

I raised an eyebrow in a questioning gesture and smiled, "So you're in love with me too, Sebastian?"

He chuckled softly, "Is that all that's on your mind right now, princess? I've already recently stated how I feel about you." He caressed the artifact, reminding us of our oath. "And I hadn't planned on making any other confessions." Then he kissed my hand.

"Are you not planning on confessing, or are you not in love, Sebastian?" I tilted my head, eagerly awaiting his response. Apparently, the healer's concoction had taken effect on me. Otherwise, I couldn't explain my foolish attempts to elicit a confession of his feelings at this inopportune moment.

He smiled this time, somewhat mischievously, "I'm more experienced in these games, my little coquette." He traced his hand from my neck down to my chest, grazing my ribs. I yelped and curled up sharply in pain.

It seemed that amid our playful flirting, we had both forgotten something important.

Sebastian was by my side, and it was evident that he wanted to embrace me or offer some form of help, yet he was afraid of causing more pain.

"Sorry, just breathe," he reached his hand towards my shoulder, then my back, but refrained from touching me, holding himself back. Finally, the wave of pain subsided, and I sat up.

"The healer gave you a pain-relief concoction?" he asked, wiping tears from my cheek. I nodded.

"There's some kind of ointment as well, but I can't..." I gestured towards a bottle of an unclear liquid of an indistinct color. I had tried to apply it after the bath, but each time it triggered a painful episode, so I decided to stick to the pain-relief tonic.

Sebastian took the vial, carefully examined it, sniffed the contents, and nodded.

"This should help. I'll add something to it, and we'll try again," he whispered, closing his eyes and murmuring something over the vial as he held it in his palm. A tiny flame flickered in his hand, enveloping the vial. When the flame extinguished, Sebastian opened his eyes. He then took my hand and touched the artifact.

"You should feel a cold shiver running through your body. When it subsides, just nod," he whispered something into the artifact, and the stone glowed with a blue light.

"This time, I hope it's not a wedding ritual," I couldn't resist making a joke. The state after the tonic was akin to having consumed three glasses of wine on an empty stomach. My head was in a haze, my mood playful. Only the pain slightly sobered me up.

Sebastian looked at me in surprise, then glanced at the table with the tonic, smiled, and shook his head. It seemed he had found an explanation for my excessive playfulness too.

"Cold, Alex? Is it gone?" he asked, trying to gauge how aware I was of what was happening. I nodded.

Sebastian placed the ointment on the table, measured me with a gaze, and for some reason sighed before ordering, "Take it off," pointing to my nightshirt.

I looked at him in astonishment. "Not the best time to seduce me, don't you think?" I said with a hint of jest.

He sighed wearily again, sat on the bed, and motioned for me to lie down. With his hand, the prince pinned my hands above my head and lifted my shirt to my chest, exposing my abdomen and ribs, where the bruises were visible.

A flash of anger crossed his gaze. It was quite understandable that the sight that greeted him wasn't conducive to any seductive intentions.

"Will you lie still, or do you want me to bind you with magic?" he asked, peering into my eyes.

"No need to bind me. I won't resist if it's not going to hurt," I protested. I felt hurt by his manner. Honestly, it was as if I were a child.

Sebastian snorted, scooped a bit of the ointment, and applied it to a small patch of skin. I didn't feel any pain, barely registering his touch. He applied the ointment with a heavy sigh and grimaced, as if he himself were in pain.

I watched him closely, and when he was almost at the edge of my shirt, I couldn't help but ask, "Sebastian, you look like touching me causes you pain."

He smiled slightly, "I'm almost done," he said, wincing again, and scooped more ointment to apply to the last bruise.

"Sebastian?" - I still wanted to understand why he was grimacing. Was touching my skin really that unpleasant for him?

"Darling, under different circumstances, I would show you how touching your bare skin affects me. I'm explaining this so you don't come up with something ridiculous. Through the artifact, I temporarily transferred all sensitivity to myself. That's why you didn't feel my touches," he explained with relief, lowering my shirt.

"Wait, did you feel the same pain as I did when I tried to apply the ointment?" My eyes widened as the meaning of his words sank in.

"Don't worry about that. At the academy, we often got injuries; that's where I got familiar with such remedies. I was glad to take your pain away, my dear. Besides, I was one of the reasons you got hurt," he kissed my temple and placed the ointment vial on the table. "Sensitivity will return in a few hours. Try to get some sleep," he said, heading toward the window.

"Sebastian! What I said... I didn't mean it. I was angry and... Sebastian, it's not your fault," I rose slightly from the bed, trying to make careful movements not to cause Sebastian any pain.

He turned around, smiled at me, and his eyes held no offense or anger, just a deep sadness. "Don't dwell on it, my love. I understand everything, don't worry. We'll talk when you're feeling better. Rest, my princess," he climbed onto the windowsill and disappeared from my room, somehow closing the window in an inexplicable manner.

I didn't have the strength to think and analyze everything that had happened today, and I quickly fell asleep.