“Well, the queen did build one of the best faires in the country.Clearly, she can throw a real rager when she puts her mind to it.”
A light peeked out between two curtains at the end of the hall, and Lilian could hear laughter and music filtering from behind it.Her heart hammered against her rib cage as they inched closer and closer.When they pushed the heavy drapery aside, she froze.
Lilian had been to other winter balls before.Usually, they were in the standard hotel ballroom.A simple affair with dining tables, a bar, and a dance floor.
But this was something else entirely.
A dark green carpet stretched out in front of them, golden threads woven through it, shimmering beneath the room’s two massive chandeliers.The ballroom was larger than any place she’d ever set foot into.Even with the crowd of people in billowing gowns, there was room to spare.
Real flower arrangements lined the carpet, guiding guests toward a massive dance floor that looked like polished marble.Beyond it stood a stage with an entire set built across the length.She recognized it as the throne room of The Great Elm, marked by the towering window that showcased the three factions: Talon, Claw, and Stingers.
An orchestra occupied the stage, their instruments filling the room with a hauntingly beautiful melody as dancers began to move.
Around them, guests wore masks representing their chosen faction.Some donned bird masks, hooded with dark crow feathers or soft brown owl plumes.There were even a few fluffy white doves mixed in.Others wore the faces of the Great Oak’s Claw faction.There were even a few representing the insect faction, donning menacing masks with mandibles and delicate wings.
Her eyes blurred, forcing her to blink until the heat of tears disappeared.“This is incredible.”
“Thanks.”Margo put her hands on her hips and grinned.“I put a lot of hard work into it.All the art staff did.”
“You?”Lilian turned to her friend, stunned.She’d always believed in her friend’s talent, but this was next level.
Margo winked.“Well, they needed a creative consultant.One who actually knows the books.And I do a lot of papier mâché with the kids.I know what I'm doing.”
Laughter bubbled out as she gave Margo a tight, one-armed hug.“This is not paper mache.Margo… this is professional level stuff.”
For the first time, a blush of embarrassment creased the kindergarten teacher’s cheeks.“Well, it wasn’t all me.I had a group of talented people helping.And Janelle gave us a lot of creativity with an unlimited budget.”
Unlimited was right.Lilian knew the faire made good money; Hawk implied as much, and every year they made new additions in structures.But she’d never imagined anything like this.No wonder he had been stressed.If this was what Janelle was trying to execute, it must have cost an arm and a leg.
It crossed her mind that maybe the ball was too opulent, that maybe Marcus or Hawk were the voices of reason that held Janelle at bay.But she shook it off as quickly as the thought appeared.Janelle was her own woman and owned the faire as well.If she wanted to spend money putting on a ball like this… well, Lilian would not be the one to say no.If Janelle hadn’t taken risks, she wouldn’t have created the Ren Faire.
“Guys!There you are!”Alex appeared at their side, looking even more stunning than usual.Gone was the pirate coat and ruffles.Tonight she wore a black velvet gown that pleated down into an impressive heart shape around her breasts.The top half of her face was hidden behind a white rabbit mask.If Tabitha Nightingale had written a playboy bunny, Alex would have been the living, breathing, embodiment of it.
“You look amazing!”She grinned before pulling them both in for a hug.
“You, too!”Lilian laughed.“That dress…”
“Oh, this thing?”She twirled, and as the fabric swirled, small fragments winked like stars in the black velvet.“Borrowed it from the costume shop.Now where are your masks?Come over here, let’s complete the outfits.Talon or Claw?”
“Claw all the way.I like the cute little animals.But can I be like… a sexy squirrel?”Margo asked.
Lilian followed her friends through the grand space as Alex led the way.The dance floor was taken over as people swayed and twirled to the music, each lost in their own dance, but somehow the scene looked like something out of a fairy tale.
Along the walls were several bars and tall tables, each lined with animal masks.Lilian took in the impressive craft of the masks, which had extensive details.Fur lined the mouse and fox masks, while soft feathers of every color represented distinct birds from the Talon circle.Margo grabbed a white squirrel mask, but Lilian hesitated.“In the books, Penelope isn’t allowed to wear a mask.”
“Ah, yes.”Alex nodded.“She’s tragically human.”
Lilian smiled.“And so am I.”
“There you are, Ms.Bodice!”A gruff voice called out.
She turned and found Russ coming her way.Dressed in a well-tailored suit with a curvy middle-aged woman on his arm.Neither wore masks, and Lilian eased at the sight.
“Russ, I wanted to thank you for lending me the dress.”
“It looks lovely.”He winked.“I’m glad we ran into you.Allow me to introduce my wife, Sheila.”
Sheila stepped forward in the most glamorous dress of the night.Not a ballroom gown like the rest of the room.But a well-sculpted red dress with gold embellishments on the front.Spider legs wrapped around her middle, giving the appearance of a corset.Behind her, large transparent wings encapsulated the woman.Compared to Russ, she looked dangerous.A living, breathing embodiment of what made the insects so terrifying in the book.But when she smiled, it was a round-cheeked friendly grin.“Hello, Ms.Bodice, I’ve heard so much about you.”
