Lights are strung up along the streets on the way back to the palace. Silver can’t help but notice that it is almost actually peaceful outside for there being people heading off to the ball. There is strangely no one but him and Pearl on the streets. Maybe it is because of how late that they had to leave the shop that there are really no people out right now.

Silver looks over at Pearl who seems to have been staring at him the whole time. Yet, at the same time, they seem to be looking through him more than anything. “Yes, is there something that I can do for you Pearl?” He gives them a huge smile and grabs their hands.

Her starry violet eyes glow as they look at him and they, for the first time in the ride seem to truly be looking at him. They shake their head. “No. I’m still tired from not having much sleep this morning. Sorry if it looked like I was staring at you.”

He grabs one of her hands and brings it up to his lips to place a kiss on it. “You are allowed to stare at me if you want. Have you ever been to one of these events before, Pearl?”

They gently shake their head and squeeze the hand that Silver is using to hold theirs. “I snuck into Ruby’s debut but that was it. I wasn’t expected to ever make any actual appearances in high society. I guess that I might just be a little nervous."

They lean into him and he wraps his arm over their shoulders. "You'll be fine Pearl. I can guarantee that you will do well."

Once the carriage comes to a stop in front of the palace Silver steps out and help’s Pearl get out. They walk into the palace and the lights inside are blinding.

"Announcing Duke Silver von Stein."

After the announcement the air in the ballroom became tense. The noble women of high society could be heard gossiping through the silence that seemed to follow in whispers.

"Who is that that the Duke brought?"

"Are they a commoner?"

"They seem too refined to be one but who are they?"

"Didn't you hear what happened at the lantern set off last night? Is that them? Poor Princess Celestina."

The king walks up to them and bows as he greets them. "Welcome, Duke Silver, Nobel Pearl Frost, I hope you two enjoy your time here."

"It's an honor to have your majesty greet us personally." Silver says to try and not make a scene about how he really didn't want to even see the king tonight but it must have worked since the tension in the room seemed to have lifted and everyone went back to what they were doing earlier.

The king bends down to Silver's ear and starts to speak so quietly that only he could hear. "Remember to keep your pet in-line. I would hate for something to happen to them."

It wasn't said as an order, but as a threat and Silver knew that. "Yes sir." He replies while gritting his teeth. He knows that he can't say anything against him with all these people here. He wishes that he could just slit his throat right here and now. However, while the contract is still in place and there are a bunch of people here he can’t do that.

How dare the king suggest that Pearl would cause a scene. If anyone were to do so, it would be Silver himself. He will keep himself in line though to make sure that things go well here tonight. He doesn’t need the other nobles talking shit about them more than they already are.

“I’m going to get some wine. Do you want any, Pearl?” He leans down to their ear and whispers.

“Sure! Do you want me to come with you?”

“No need. Why don’t you find your sister. She is probably here. I will find you after I got our drinks.” Silver pats their head and walks off.

Pearl walks off and looks around as they try and find Ruby. Their eyes stop when they see someone that makes them look as if they are looking in a mirror. Although, the person seems to hold themself higher than Pearl ever could.

Her hair was as black as night with some grey eyes to match. She looked elegant in her blue dress that goes down to the floor. Her eyes seem to be filled with melancholy as if her world was coming to an end. Maybe the things around her have been falling apart. She looks over making eye contact with Pearl. “May I help you?”

Pearl didn’t even notice that they had walked up to her. Something just draws them to her and they just can’t stop looking in her eyes that seemed to have some familiarity to them. “Oh, umm, no. I just thought that you looked a little lonely just standing here by yourself.” Pearl studers as they spoke.

The woman’s eyes seem to soffen a little. “It’s fine. I’m used to this for these multi-country celebrations. We from Shabia are usually shunned. Most of us don’t come to these gatherings but as princess I am required to show up.”

“So you were blessed by Suriel?”

“Yes, but unlike most of the royal family I was overlooked by Zarall. Instead I was blessed by Nuriel. I’m even shunned by my own country for it. Anyways, I should go. I made my appearance here and I feel as if people will dislike you too if you stay around me.” She walks off after a bow and disapears into the crowd.

Pearl can sympathize with how she feels. Their eyes gave them a lot of conflict when they were in primary school. Now, being blessed by the gods they are hated by the king himself. Seeing how much sorrow that was in her eyes, Pearl can’t help but feel the emotion as well. The God of Death and Goddess of Life are always in conflict. So for them to both bless one individual is usually unheard of. Did Suriel only bless her out of obligation since she is from Shiba’s royal family?

As they were in deep thought someone comes behind them and covers their mouth with their hand. “Don’t make a sound and come with me. We don’t want to make a scene now do we?" They recognize the voice of the person behind them and if they resist their head could roll.

The person moves them into an empty room and shuts the door behind him. He throws them on the floor and locks the entrance to the room.

Pearl sits up and looks up to the person that took them away from everyone. "Prince Xavier?" Why the prince would drag them away from everyone is a mystery to them. They get up all the way and deeply bow down to him. "How may I help you, my prince?"

"You were blessed by Suriel, correct?"

Pearl stays quiet because they are supposed to be blessed by Nuriel. But does the prince know that.

Xavier walks up to them and grabs their hair pulling them towards him. "Damn it bitch! Answer me! I already know you were blessed by the Goddess of Origin. Why else would you have those eyes and the Duke keep you alive? You are a threat and if you don't respond to me I'll make sure that you are taken care of as such."

"I am blessed by Suriel. Please let me go now that I've answered it. I wish to get back to the Duke, please." Pearl summons their wand behind their back and immediately recalls it realizing that they would cause a scene if they use it.

"Get rid of Suriel's curse on me. Make it so I don't die an early death. Also Nuriel's curse on making it so I can't produce an heir."

"May you lose your only blessing too." They say under their breath. They know very well that he can't hurt them if Xathanael no longer blesses them and they know that they are the only one able to do so.

"What was that? How about you repeat that louder." He pulls on their hair harder as he messes up the work that was done to it.

They remain quiet for a brief moment until a wand is shoved at their face. "May you be cursed to always backfire. May Xathanael see your blessing out." The words were once again nothing but a murmur.

This fact enraged Xavier and he shoved them to the ground and pinned them in place. "Maybe you'll listen if I show you your place." As he pushes down harder on them he starts to lick their neck.

They flinch in response to it and feels completely repulsed by his actions. These aren't the actions that the crown prince should be making and they know this. "Please stop. I'm not afraid to defend myself." They make their wand materialize once again.

Xavier knocks it out of their hand and watches it skid across the stone floor. He picks them up and slams them against a wall holding their hands above their head. "You think that I couldn't disarm you? I will own this country and with that you will belong to me just like everyone else that lives here. You are nothing but my family’s tool's pet. As long as we own him I will own you too. Now, stay still like the obedient dog you are.

As he forces himself all over them, they wish that there was more that they could do than prey. Please, Gods of Origin, please keep me safe and make this end.

After the prayer their eyes change one to a red and the other to a black but unlike last night their eyes still remain starry. A red aura prepells Xavier away from them as the air around them turns a hazy black. "You have made mother’s chosen one distress and in turn upset mother. Maybe it is time for our curses to take effect. May the Depraysie family's heir fall by the hands of the gods."

Xavier collapses as he coughs hacking up blood. "Lift this curse off of me right now."

"You can't order a god, no matter what family you descend from." They unlock the door and start to leave. “Don’t worry, you won’t die just yet. We can’t leave Xathanael’s family heirless right now, now can we.” After finishing talking, they walk out and shut the door behind them.

Once they get Pearl back into the crowd they look up and see Silver standing in front of them. The two gods look at him in silence.

He brings them in and whispers. "Please, bring Pearl back. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect them."

"Xathanael, would not have let you anyways." Zarall answers through Pearl.

"We can't leave until our work is done. It will only be a few more minutes." Suriel picks back up from where Zarall left up.

They reach up and gently touch Silver's face. "Tell them. Tell them, mother’s name. The name lost by the hands of the Depraysie's dynasty. We know that you have learned it. I want you to be set free."

Pearl's eyes change back to purple and they look around frantically. They are unsure about their surroundings and have no real idea of how they got out of the room. One moment they were praying for help and the next they were standing in front of Silver. "Did you save me? Did the gods send you to me?" Their voice is uneven as they speak and they wrap their arms around him.

Silver wonders what happened to them. Why are they crying? If there is something that he can do to ease their sorrow. "Let's just take the glasses of wine that I got for us and leave. We don't need to stay here."

“I don’t think I want the Depraysie’s wine. I don’t think that I can trust that they wouldn’t do something to it.” Pearl responds quietly but loud enough for Silver to hear.

“I can guarantee that they wouldn’t do something to it. There are the other four nations here and the last thing that the king would want is a war.” He rubs the top of their head and holds them tighter as if to protect them. “We can have some at my place if you want to drink. Although it doesn’t have to be tonight.”

Pearl grabs the back of his suit and grips it tight. They just want to leave but they haven’t even seen Ruby yet. Maybe she didn’t show up. They also don’t want her to see them in the state that they are in now. They don’t want her to worry.

As they walk out the gossip of the noble women could be heard and it was all about the state that Pearl is in. Her hair is a mess as well as her dress. Her eyes look to be red as she has her head down trying her best to ignoring all the comments about them. Pearl even looks down after they have made it out of the palace and into the carriage.

Silver scoots over to them and puts his hand on their cheek and they slowly look up at him. “You are out of there it is okay to cry if you need to.”

Tears run down their face as they wrap their arms around him and he rubs the top of their head.