Mask firmly secured, I made my way down to the great hall.
Chapter 17
Whatever I’d been expecting to see when I walked into the great hall did not match the sight before my eyes. Admittedly, I had unfairly low expectations of mortal gatherings thanks to the remarks my grandmother would make about how uncultivated and inelegant their kind was. Her comments turned out to be completely baseless.
Long before I set foot through the door, the sound of music captivated my soul and beckoned my body to find the source of the jubilant melody.
As I entered the great hall, I could see musicians situated in one corner, providing a soundtrack to the sizable number of guests in attendance, some already dancing.
The musicians weren’t the sole noticeable difference from my first visit to the great hall. The gold-plated candelabras hanging from the ceiling were now lit, providing dim luminance that created an intimate feel amidst the large space. On the walls and around the tapestries hung wreaths of autumn foliage—leaves and vines interwoven with dried herbs and acorns and even small, crimson berries. Vases of achingly beautiful red, orange and yellow blooms were strategically arranged around the entire room to bring vibrant touches of color to the space.
As I took in my tasteful surroundings, I wished my grandmother were here, simply to see her be proved so very wrong.
Based on the number of guests occupying the great hall, I knew I must be among the last to arrive. Throngs of people congregated off to the sides of the dance floor, talking and laughing, eating and drinking. Some turned and stared as I made my way further into the hall, but most were too engrossed in their conversations to mark my late entrance.
Every single person in attendance wore a mask. Even the servants donned plain white masks that covered the top half of their faces. They weaved in and out of the unrecognizable crowd, balancing trays stocked with goblets of wine and mugs of ale. This would present an issue when it came to recognizing anyone.
But I would worry about that later. For now, I needed to make my way over to the dais, as it was customary, Runa had told me, for guests to greet the king upon arrival. Vantillios observed a similar custom, and I was extremely relieved that, for once, I would not be the one who had to sit and greet an influx of guests while pretending not to be bored.
I walked slowly and purposefully, keeping my head high and my shoulders back. Finally, I reached the bottom of the dais. I bowed to the king seated on his throne, the spider-like Helvig standing at his side. As I approached, they halted their conversation, both turning to fix their masked stares on me.
“And who do we have here?” the king inquired from behind his mask—the face and antlers of a stag.
“Alara, Your Majesty,” I answered, raising my voice to be heard above the music. “This is a gathering truly befitting of your fine kingdom. Thank you for including me in such an affair.”
“Alara! You are the embodiment of loveliness,” he boomed. “Of course, I should have recognized you by your mask, as it has been an heirloom of our family for a century. Prince Tarben reminded me of it when he convinced me that our esteemed guest should don it for the evening.”
Funnily enough, the mask on my face hid my surprise atthe revelation that it was a Borealis family heirloom. Oh well. I wasn’t exactly planning on bringing it back to Vantillios with me anyway. I replied, “Thank you Your Majesty, you honor me. It’s a masterpiece.”
“It becomes you, my dear.” He stretched his arms out in a welcoming gesture. “Please, eat, drink, dance. Enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I bowed once again, accepting the dismissal.
Feeling lost amongst the sea of unfamiliar faces, I wandered over to the opulently garnished table. It was decorated with a centerpiece of various sizes of candles adorned in wreaths, similar to those on the wall. Around the centerpiece lay a feast that made my mouth water. Meats, roasted vegetables, salads and palm-sized savory pastries were laid out on gold-plated serving platters. As if that weren’t enough, there were fruits, breads, nuts and every kind of cheese I could think of, as well as an assortment of colorful desserts that tempted me to spend the entire evening hiding in a dark corner of the room, gorging myself.
Overwhelmed by options, I helped myself to a fig and was quickly approached by a servant carrying a tray of beverages. I happily accepted a goblet of deep red wine and enjoyed the rich, slightly bitter kiss of grapes on my tongue.
I surveyed the room, offering a friendly smile to any masked reveler who glanced my way.
A woman in a gold filigree mask with intricate floral patterns caught my eye. Relief lightened my body when I realized it was Livia.
She smiled and waved me over to where she was holding court with a group of elaborately-dressed ladies. Even in all their finery, Livia outshone them by far. Dressed in a magnificent violet gown, she wore her delicate gold headband embellished with diamonds like a crown. She could have easily been mistaken for a queen.
“You look magnificent tonight, lovely,” she greeted me with a warm smile.
“As do you.”
She introduced me to her companions, who offered me frosty greetings, then continued to talk amongst themselves.
“Pay no mind to those vipers,” she said in a hushed voice. “They’re positively spitting with jealousy that the princess’s savior is also the belle of the ball.”
I wasn’t bothered in the slightest; I understood court politics. As soon as word spread that I was favored by the prince, these ladies would be groveling on their knees for my approval.
“I’m not so sure about that,” I said with false modesty.
“I owe you an apology,” she said, pulling my eyes away from their search for a tall, golden-haired figure. “I’ve been atrociously busy since Ivar returned, and have neglected to follow through on my insistence to have tea together.”
Truthfully, I’d been so occupied that I had forgotten all about tea with her. “Oh, it’s fine, really.”
