Out of the sea of people, overwhelming his senses, it was hard at first to pick out any individuals. How many wealthy well connected people could this island possibly hold? And how many had come from afar just for this event? Prin felt a bit intimidated, but tried to shake it off.

“Are people staring at us?” Valor wondered.

Prin suddenly became very aware of eyes on him from all directions. That lady to his left with dark hair and an off the shoulder green dress and the man she was with were both watching him and Valor, but any direction you turn it was largely the same. Prin felt a trickle of sweat run down his spine.

“Now that you mention it, yes.” He said miserably.

“It doesn’t matter.” Valor said.

“I know.” Prin said, his eyes casting around for anyone he knew, preferably Elwin or Aster. “Where did Aster go?” He muttered.

“Probably to one of those back rooms he warned us away from.” Valor said dryly. “With my father.”

Prin rolled his eyes. Then, realizing that would have no impact on Valor, had to speak. “Don’t disparage Aster, please. I love Aster, so I don’t want to hear it.”

“It’s not disparaging if its just facts.” Valor said. “You throw around that word a lot.”

“What word?” Prin asked. He saw Dru, standing against a wall with a cool nonchalant posture, speaking to a young woman.

Then, he saw someone else out of the corner of his eye that seemed familiar, and turned towards them to get a better look. Who was that androgynous person with a thick knot of blond hair at the base of their neck, and overflowing the collar of that oil slick-black suit? Then, the person turned around to face Prin. Jules.

The prince froze, like a small woodland creature hoping it had not been seen by the predatory beast strolling by, then their eyes met and Jules smiled. Prin’s feeling instantly changed to steely resolve and he boldly smiled back, hoping his look was equally wolfish. But doubting it.

“Love.” Valor said.

“Shit.” Prin said. It appeared that Jules and the woman he was with were walking toward them.

“I’m only pointing it out.” Valor said.

“No, no, its—” Before Prin could figure out how to explain what was happening, Jules was standing in front of them, accompanied by a woman Prin didn’t recognize.

The woman at first appeared young but was perhaps more carefully made up and styled then a young person would typically be. Her chocolate-brown hair lay in curls about her shoulders and the corners of her eyes showed well earned laugh lines as she smiled at them, revealing perfect pearls of teeth.

Her dress was as funereal, shiny black as her companions, with a row of velvet ribbons up the front. Although her accessories showed a more personality, her ears held earrings of multi strands gold and pearl chains and around her neck a diamond collar with a large irregular shaped pearl held in the talons of a hawk. Gold bangles filled both wrists, and her dark red leather purse was matched perfectly by her shoes with pearl buckles.

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It was the kind of appearance where even the most slight or unlikely detail perfectly coordinated with the overall look. Her eyes were blue, and bore into the prince’s eyes immediately and without his permission.

Prin blinked first.

“This is the little pissant I was telling you about.” Jules said, in a teasing tone. “The one living in the backyard with Aster.”

Valor’s posture stiffened, like a dog who has the scent of danger. Prin could imagine his ears perking up.

The woman chuckled. “How rude. I apologize for Jules, you must have really gotten under his skin last time. He tends to resort to that kind of talk when he’s irritated. You can take the urchin out of the street, but you can’t take the street out of the urchin, as they say.”

Prin did not want to accept the “apology”. “Did I? I had already forgotten that we had even met.”

Jules narrowed his eyes at Prin.

“Oh? Ha ha.” The woman smiled at Prin. “A feisty one.” Before her eyes slid over to Valor appraisingly. “I’ve scarcely seen such well dressed boys. I expect Aster-Rose had a hand in it?”

“Yes.” Prin said, not particularly wanting to prolong the conversation.

“How did you even get here?” Jules asked. “I didn’t know they would let just any old riff raff in.”

“I invited him.” Valor said, voice bold with self-importance.

“Ah, then you must be an important person.” The woman said in a honey dripping voice. “And here I was about to offer you a job, but I suppose you won’t be needing one.” She extended her hand to Valor, as though expecting him to kiss it.

“He can’t see your hand.” Prin said. He wondered if there was a way he could have put that more delicately. Oh well, what’s done is done.

“What a faux pas on my part, I’m so embarrassed.” The woman instead took Valor’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “Kristianna.”

“Valor.” Valor responded, managing to allow the hand kiss, like it didn’t bother him, even though Prin knew he wanted to wrench his hand away.

She released his hand. “What a wonderful name! Excuse my son. To be honest he doesn’t get out of the house much.”

Jules harumphed.

Then, Prin spotted Elwin coming toward them and couldn’t help an audible sigh of relief.

“Oh look, it’s the other pissant.” Jules pointed out.

Wait, the prince’s mind, uncharacteristically slow on the uptake, finally caught up to the situation. Wait, wait, wait. Was this THE Mama Kris?

“About Aster,” Prin started, sudden urge to have a serious conversation with this person overwhelming his already cluttered thoughts. “Why won’t you . . .”

He might never get this chance again. And Mama Kris was nothing at all like he thought she would be. What had he expected? An elderly ogre with handcuffs and chains attached to her belt, just in case, and accompanied by giant bodyguards? Something like that.

Before he could finish what he was trying to say (not that he knew exactly what that was, anyway), Elwin arrived and put his arm protectively around Prin’s shoulder.

Prin was grateful for his presence, but wasn’t sure it was helping the current situation.

“It was nice meeting you.” Mama Kris said politely. She smiled at Elwin and began to turn away as though she had other places to be, people to talk to.

Did she think Elwin was his bodyguard.

“No, er, don’t go. I really want to talk to you.” Prin said awkwardly.

At that moment live music begin to fill all the space in the ballroom not already filled by people. The sound from a horned instrument swelled, from soft to loud, followed by accompaniment from a chorus of others.

Prin couldn’t see much, not even a band, but everyone seemed to be turning toward the stars and a commotion began to rise from the crowd.

Mama Kris laughed. “Lady Freya always has had a flair for the dramatic.” She said.

A figure cloaked from head to toe in midnight blue, with the glitter of beads like stars, slowly walked down the staircase.

All Prin could think of was: I’ll never get close to her.