The ball was quieter than others Felitïa had been to—not that she had been to many balls before. The last one she’d been to was the one on Scovese before the Volgs had declared war—the one where she and Maneshka had danced and then gone on to make love for the first time. Tonight wasn’t going to be like that night, that was for sure.

She hadn’t thought about Maneshka in quite some time now, not since… She couldn’t remember the last time she’d thought about her. Felitïa felt a bit guilty about that. Whenever she did think about Maneshka, though, she missed her. She wondered what Maneshka was doing now.

Nin-Akna approached, carrying two goblets of wine. The young Ninifin was a sight to behold. She was wearing a vibrant green gown with red beading along the neckline and over the bodice, the beading thinning out towards the waist. The sleeves were very short and sat just below the shoulders, leaving her tattooed neck, shoulders, and most of her arms bare. A thin, red belt wrapped around her waist and accentuated just how much wider the green skirts spread out from there. Nin-Akna had to lean a little to pass a wine goblet to Felitïa.

“I hate this outfit,” Nin-Akna muttered. “What’s the point of these wide skirts? I can barely reach anything.”

“Sometimes, I think that’s part of the point,” Felitïa said.

“If a fight breaks out here, I will die.” Nin-Akna took a gulp of wine.

“I don’t think we have to worry about a fight breaking out.”

Nin-Akna took another drink of wine. “I’m always worried about a fight breaking out.”

“You didn’t have to wear the dress.”

Nin-Akna groaned. “I promised Anita. It’s made her really happy. She says I look good in it.”

“You do,” Felitïa said.

“Everybody else still avoids me.”

Felitïa sighed and took a sip of wine. “I wish a dress could change that.” She smiled. “Lady Belone told me that if dressed like this more often, I wouldn’t remain single very long. Apparently, men will be clinging to my arms or something.”

“I haven’t seen you dancing,” Nin-Akna said.

Felitïa shook her head. “Nope. I think my reputation has outweighed any effect of the dress and hair. And honestly, I’m thankful for it.”

Nin-Akna grinned. “Don’t blame you for it.”

“You’re in a good mood though,” Felitïa said. “How have you been sleeping?”

“The night I took the sleeping potion was amazing. I didn’t even have those vivid dreams you warned me of. Last night wasn’t as great, but it wasn’t too bad. I’m feeling a little more like myself. Having Anita around has helped too.” Nin-Akna smiled, then quickly looked away as embarrassment flooded from her.

Anita approached them and curtsied to Felitïa. “Doesn’t she look wonderful, your Highness?”

Felitïa returned the curtsy. “She does indeed, my Lady.”

“Please don’t embarrass me,” Nin-Akna said. Felitïa wasn’t sure if she was talking to Felitïa, Anita, or both of them. Probably both.

Anita reached for Nin-Akna’s hand. “Come, Akna. I want to introduce you to a few people.”

“They’re going to hate me,” Nin-Akna said, but she took Anita’s hand.

“No, they won’t. I’ll make them like you. Come on!”

Nin-Akna sighed and they headed off to mingle.

Felitïa mostly stayed where she was for the next while. She move around a little bit, talked to a couple of the nobles when she couldn’t otherwise avoid it. Siba spoke to her at length, but otherwise, Felitïa avoided speaking too much with anyone.

When she could, she sneaked a peak into the Room in her head. Back when she was sleeping properly, she had reached the point where she could comfortably use the Room while maintaining full attention and interaction with the real world. Not so anymore.

But she was still worried about that clouding of her mind earlier.

She had spent a couple hours searching through every part of her head and had found nothing, and there had been no repeat of the cloudiness. Nevertheless, it bothered her. Perhaps it was only a fluke, but she doubted it. Maybe she was being paranoid again, but she doubted it this time—or more accurately, she absolutely was being paranoid, but with justification.

No clues presented themselves, though.

Lord Belone arrived partway into the evening and stayed for ten minutes or so. He was not looking good and sweated the whole time. He left during a coughing fit. Felitïa hoped he would be okay—at least well enough to survive two more days so his declaration could be signed. Earlier, he had said his doctors had guaranteed him at least a couple more weeks. She hoped they were right.

There had been no sign of Danel Belone so far. Felitïa didn’t particularly mind his not being there, but she did worry a little that, if he wasn’t here, where was he and what was he up to?

Another person missing was Plavistalorik, although that didn’t really surprise Felitïa. A ball didn’t seem the kind of event the Isyar would show up to. Then again…

Plavistalorik was there. She was standing in a corner of the ballroom surveying the scene.

Felitïa wondered when she had arrived. She hadn’t seen the Isyar come in. Then again, there were a lot of people here she hadn’t specifically seen come in. Still, Plavistalorik was more noticeable.

Felitïa headed in that direction. Of all the people here, Plavistalorik was one person she actually was interested in talking to.

Plavistalorik watched her approach. “Princess Felitïa, how can I help you?”

Felitïa curtsied. “I was just hoping for someone to talk to.”

Plavistalorik looked away from her and returned to surveying the room. “I would have thought my reputation would make me an unlikely conversation partner.”

Felitïa stood beside her and gazed over the crowd as well. “I’ll admit you’ve never seemed the talkative type, but I also didn’t expect to see you at an event like this, so I thought maybe you’d surprise me.”

“Lord Belone likes it if I put in a short appearance at official functions. So I do. That is all.”

“I understand. If you’d rather I go away, I will.”

Plavistalorik continued to watch the room. “You are welcome to do what you wish.”

“Plavistalorik, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for some time.”

The Isyar said nothing in response.

Felitïa took a deep breath. “When my friends and I were here last year, Jorvanultumn told me you had indicated to him that you were in some kind of trouble. Can I ask what that was about? Are you here under some kind of coercion or something else?”

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Plavistalorik turned to face her. “Something else? What kind of something else?”

“I don’t know,” Felitïa said. “You tell me.”

Plavistalorik tilted her head. “Interesting response.” She turned back to watching the room.

Felitïa shrugged. “That’s fine. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Correct.” The Isyar was very good at keeping her emotions at bay, as Felitïa was receiving nothing from her. Either that or she just didn’t have any emotions.

This was clearly not getting her anywhere. “Thank you for your time. I just want you to know, if there is something wrong...if you do need help, I’m willing to do what I can. You just have to ask.”

Plavistalorik turned her head to look at her. “Your offer is kind, but you can give me no help.”

Felitïa curtsied to her, and the Isyar went back to looking at the revellers. Felitïa moved away.

It had been worth a try.

Plavistalorik left not long after that. Felitïa continued to stay near the edges, talking to occasional people. Horaz Belone asked her to dance at one point, and she agreed. She received a laugh from Nin-Akna after that. The laughter cut out when Horaz asked Nin-Akna to dance.

“Oh, go on,” Anita urged. “You’ll have fun.”

There was sheer terror flowing from Nin-Akna, but she took Horaz’s hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. She was clearly inexperienced, but she did a good job picking up on the steps.

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Anita said when Nin-Akna returned.

“I suppose not,” Nin-Akna said. “It would be better if I could move more freely though. This dress is very restricting.”

“So you keep saying,” Anita said. “You just have to wear it for a couple more hours. It’s nearly midnight. New Year’s. After that, people will start heading to bed and we can leave.”

“We could always leave early,” Nin-Akna said.

Anita shook her head. “At least one family member has to be here.”

Felitïa looked around. “What happened to your mother?” She hadn’t seen Siba leave, but there was no sign of her.

“She’s gone to tend to Father,” Anita said. “He was having another coughing fit apparently. And gods know where Danel is. So I’m officially the host at the moment. I have to stay. However, Akna, since it’s hard to tell in here exactly when midnight hits, I will declare it as early as I can get away with. How’s that?”

Nin-Akna smiled. “That’ll do. Why do your people start a new day in the middle of the night anyway?”

Anita shrugged. “I have no idea.”

The next couple hours passed slowly. Felitïa began getting more requests for dances. Horaz dancing with her must have been the catalyst. She turned down as many as she felt she could diplomatically get away with—which meant not many.

The same did not happen with Nin-Akna, who was clearly disappointed by it even though she didn’t say anything. She and Anita did dance together quite a bit though.

Eventually, Anita signalled the small orchestra to stop playing, and clinked her glass multiple times until people near her quietened down, and then people near them, and so on until the entire ballroom was quiet.

“My Lords and Ladies,” Anita called out, “my father and mother apologise that they cannot be here at his moment. As you know, my father is currently ill. However, it is my pleasure to announce a new year to you all. As we enter this two thousand three hundred thirty-third year since the end of the Great War with the Volgs, we pray that the threat of a new war will turn out to be an empty one. Instead, we hope this year will be peaceful and fruitful.” She raised her glass above her head. “My Lords and Ladies, a very happy new year to you all.”

Everyone in the room raised their glasses and goblets as well, and they all drank.

Anita reached out her hand to Nin-Akna, who took it. Anita pulled her in close, the wide skirts of their gowns pressing and bending against each other as the wire frames tried to resist. The two kissed. It was a fairly lengthy, passionate one, too.

Gasps spread across the room, along with the sound of several glasses shattering.

Felitïa grinned.

Anita and Nin-Akna left together after that, while the orchestra started playing again, and most of the guests muttered and gossiped amongst themselves.

Felitïa decided this was a good time to leave, too, though Horaz approached her on the way out. “Quite the display,” he said.

Felitïa smirked. “You could call it that.”

He laughed. “Young people these days, am I right?”

Felitïa raised her eyebrows. “I like to think I’m still a young person, too. I’m only seven years older than Nin-Akna. I admit I don’t know Anita’s exact age, but I’m pretty sure it’s close to the same as Nin-Akna’s.”

Horaz laughed some more. “I never meant to imply you aren’t. I hope they’ll be okay.”

“People will gossip, I suppose,” Felitïa said. “They might give them a hard time, but I’m just glad to see Nin-Akna happy. She has so little happiness in her life at the moment.”

Horaz sighed. “I suppose. It’s just...my brother’s not well. He and Siba try to present an optimistic face, but...I don’t think he’s going to live much longer. If Danel takes over, Anita and your friend...well, I don’t want to imagine.”

Felitïa bit her lip. She wished she could tell him about the plans to prevent Danel taking over. Just a couple more days, she reminded herself. Feodor Belone just had to survive that long. “We can only hope for the best.”

Horaz nodded. “Too true.”

“If you’ll excuse me, my Lord, I’d like to try to get some sleep.”

“Of course. Goodnight, your Highness.” He bowed.

Felitïa curtsied. “Goodnight, my Lord.”

She hurried back to her room.

She was glad to get out of the gown, but even gladder to remove the wires, pearls, and ribbons from her hair. Lying down in bed with Lon and Nesh lying on her chest brought a great sense of relief.

Sleep didn’t come, though.

Damn.

There was too much to think about. Too much to worry about. What if Lord Belone didn’t survive two more days? Why had her mind clouded over? Why was sleeping so hard? What the hell was wrong with her?

A couple hours or so later, someone knocked at her door. Felitïa didn’t respond immediately and the knock came again. She lifted Nesh off her. Lon had already moved somewhere else. Nesh squealed in protest, then scurried away. Then she rose, pulled on a night gown over her shift, and headed to the door. The knock came again.

“Who is it?”

“Message, your Highness.”

The voice was familiar. Felitïa was pretty certain it was one of the servant boys who carried messages through the palace. She opened the door a crack. It was the boy—an Eloorin boy about thirteen years of age. Felitïa had received a few messages via him before.

But at this time of night?

Fear cascaded from the boy. Felitïa stumbled, but caught herself on the door.

He bowed. “Apologies for the late hour, your Highness, but Plavistalorik has asked that you join her in the library. She says it’s urgent.” He was doing a good job hiding his fear visually, but he couldn’t know she could detect his feelings.

Felitïa nodded. “Thank you. Tell her I’ll be there as soon as I’m dressed.”

The boy bowed again, and Felitïa closed the door.

Something was wrong.

She dressed quickly.

This was possibly a trap. If the boy—Lucas she believed his name was—had been forced to deliver a false message, there could be anyone waiting for her in the library. But who? Danel? Darkers? Whoever was responsible for her inability to sleep?

She should get help before going.

Nin-Akna.

Except Nin-Akna would be with Anita right now. Was it right to intrude on them? It was an emergency after all. Though admittedly, she didn’t really know that for sure. Plavistalorik could be intimidating and maybe the boy frightened easily. She might have used excessive coercion to get him to come to Felitïa’s door so late at night.

Felitïa sighed. Worrying about a trap could just be her paranoia again, and Nin-Akna deserved some comfort right now. If she could count on her spellcasting, she would be far less worried, but her concentration right now was only marginally better than it had been.

Whatever. She had to take the risk. If Plavistalorik really had sent for her, it was important she go. This might finally provide some answers.

She hurried to the library.