“They will improve over time,” Leyna smiled, brushing the hair away from Maeri’s face. “You are an absolute wreck. And after all your efforts to be in such perfect shape for the ball this weekend.”
At Leyna’s words, Maeri gasped in horror, her hands flying up to her face. “Oh, no! I completely forgot! What am I going to do? The Prince is going to be there and I can’t have him seeing me like this.”
“Relax, Maeri. I was teasing. You still have three days, so unless he is showing up at our doorstep in the next ten minutes, you will look quite alright by the time of the ball. Not that he will see your face anyway. It is a masque. The entire purpose is to hide your features or, in this case, your puffy eyes, from view.”
“Speaking of hiding –” Maeri started, her eyes squinting to look Leyna over carefully. “This deliciously sexy man came by yesterday looking for you. Lady Faustine was beside herself. I managed to stop drooling long enough to tell him that you were unavailable but that I would pass along that he stopped in.”
Through her laughter, Leyna tried to hide her confusion, unable to think of who would have known to even look for her there. Only three people were aware, all of which were men, but none of which seemed likely to show up at her door. “In order to know who it was, I will need a better descriptive than ‘deliciously sexy.’ With you, that image leaves far too many options for who it might be.”
“Short hair… and the most gorgeous silver eyes. Very noble looking. Oh, and muscles that a woman could only fantasize about. He said he just wanted to wish you a happy birthday but, I tell you, it wasn’t even my birthday and he made it a happy day for me.” Maeri fanned her face daintily with her hand, giving a quick wink at Leyna as she finally stepped out of the doorway to let her inside. “My question then is… how do you know this man? Have you been keeping something from me?”
Leyna’s heart sank in her chest at the thought of who Maeri was describing. Thade. He had remembered her birthday and came all the way to Tanispa to see her. Why could she not have been allowed to perform the rites last year? How miserably perfect that Lady Faustine would choose the one birthday for her to go that Thade was free to make the trip. She hadn’t seen him in over a decade. It made her wonder if she would even recognize him if they were to cross paths. It would be hard enough to picture him without his Captain’s uniform.
“No, I am not hiding anything. He is just an old friend that I have not seen in years.”
“Well, he is welcome to come by and visit again any time,” Maeri smiled, her tone growing softer at the sight of the distant look on Leyna’s face. “Is something wrong?”
Shaking her head, Leyna pushed the door closed behind her, using it to support the weight of her body against her back. “No, I am just tired. With how I am feeling, if I even attend, I suspect I will be hiding my own red and puffy eyes under my mask.”
“There is no ‘if you attend’ nonsense. You are going,” Maeri stated flatly, helping Leyna up away from the door. Quietly they made their way through the small foyer, moving down a darkened hallway near the back. The main house only had five bedrooms aside from Lady Faustine’s quarters, reserved for only those girls whom Faustine believed to be worthy of being a part of her home. It was typically her students who had shown the most improvement and had attained the honor of adulthood that were allowed to live under Lady Faustine’s roof. Leyna had been an exception from the start, given the circumstances of her arrival. She believed that was the reason why Lady Faustine had been so hard on her over the years, pushing her to break the habits of her past.
Finding their way into the room they shared, Leyna sat down on the floor, not wanting to risk getting any stray dirt on her bed. Maeri pulled a blanket from out of the closet, placing it lightly around Leyna’s shoulders as she knelt down in front of her with a serious expression passing over her gentle features. “The Queen’s masque is the most important social event you will ever be invited to. Even if you are deathly ill, we will find a way to make sure that you are standing there inside her palace. It is also the biggest test of Lady Faustine’s teachings, so you know she will insist you go as well. She has had her eligible students present at every party the Queen has held for more than a hundred years.”
None of Maeri’s words came as a surprise to Leyna. She was fully aware of the significance of the event. Every few years Queen Vorsila hosted a masquerade ball which was only open to the highest members of her court and staff. Those within the military that had earned high recognition from Her Majesty would also be allowed within the palace walls and only a select other few were granted invitations.
It had once been open to a larger list of guests without the requirement of masks, but the doors had been closed off to the majority of the city population after Prince Ehren had been killed. Since then it was known to be the only public event where the youngest Prince could be seen with his family, though their faces were concealed in order to grant protection against their enemies learning the appearance of the youngest royal heir. An invitation was highly sought after, especially for any young girl hoping to step into the higher society.
“I know, Maeri,” she whispered quietly. She was too tired to think about such things right now. There would be plenty of time to get her mind prepared for the ball after she’d had some sleep and a warm meal. “I will go. When we wake up, though, I ask that you will help me find what I am going to wear. It is, after all, my first social event after being released as a lady into the public eye. I need to make sure I look the part.”
Leyna couldn’t even recognize herself in the reflection staring back at her from the mirror. In her mind, she was still the same little girl that had tried so hard to make herself look like a woman before heading off on her own through the Carpaen desert to Siscal. The difference was that she no longer needed stuffing.
Maeri had dressed her in an elegant gown of deep blue silk. Leyna was too self conscious about the scars on her body to wear anything revealing, opting for the longer sleeves and a high neckline edged in a delicate floral lace. Her corset was uncomfortably tight, but Maeri assured her it was fitting the way the garment was intended to be worn, accentuating the curves of her hips and slender waist. The thick layers of skirts flowed down and out from under a silver chain wrapped around her hips. Fabric draped gracefully to the floor, hemmed perfectly to rest over her matching slippers.
“The masque is all about accessories,” Maeri explained excitedly, bustling about the room from drawer to drawer in search of something. Leyna knew this ball would be Maeri’s second time in attendance, so she trusted her advice to make sure that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.
With a breath of relief she pulled a pair of gloves from a small box on the dresser. Leyna eyed them curiously before accepting them from Maeri’s outstretched hands, hating the idea of covering herself up any more. By the time she was finished, she feared that not a single patch of skin would be visible. The only thing she liked about the thought was how difficult it would be for anyone to recognize who she was if she made any mistakes.
She slowly slid the gloves over her hands, tucking the edge underneath the lace trim of her sleeves. Maeri had insisted that her hair be left long, decorating it with sprigs of brightly colored blue wildflowers to bring out the color of her eyes. “I would tell you to pinch your cheeks a little to get some color to your face, but the mask will make that unnecessary.”
“This outfit is impossible to breathe in. How am I supposed to walk around the ball and pretend to be lady-like when I am so focused on trying to get air into my lungs?”
“That is the biggest trick. I think we should place bets on which one of us will last the longest without fainting,” Maeri chuckled. The strained look in her own eyes made Leyna wonder if she was really speaking in jest. “The carriage is already out front, so we need to get down there pretty quickly.”
Maeri looked radiant to Leyna in her deep emerald gown, the sweetheart neckline adorned with tiny golden charms in the shapes of
various flowers. Her sleeves were shorter and hung low off her shoulders, revealing her pale flawless skin against the rich color of the fabric. She had chosen to wear her hair up, with a matching flower placed elegantly amongst her long black locks, a single strand curled and hanging gracefully along the side of her face.
She wasn’t ready for this. Her heart was racing with the anxiety of all the things that could happen. Images of her stepping from the carriage and falling on her face played over and over in her head until she thought she might scream, her body twisting to face the feathered mask staring up at her from the bed. Ah, you are the only savior I have tonight. Snatching it up, she brought it down over her face, covering all but her jaw line and painted lips. Tall feathers decorated the pieces extending out above the eyes, connecting to several long strands of ribbons which hung down in front of her ears to her shoulders. She would be unidentifiable by simply her eyes and her lips. She just had to get through the night without losing the protection of her mask.
Whisking her away down the hallway to the foyer, Maeri only came to a pause under the scrutinizing gaze of Lady Faustine who was standing at the doorway. Her dress was far less elaborate than those of Maeri and Leyna, the fabric in a dull maroon, lacking any special decoration. Even with her corset done up, her matronly figure was still prominent, dark brown hair pulled tightly back away from her plump face. “You girls stop right there and let me take a look at you.”
With Lady Faustine’s eyes giving them a final look over, the girlish excitement inside started to take over above all of her concerns. She was going to a ball. And at the royal palace, no less. When she was younger, such a thought had seemed impossible – and after her injuries in Siscal, it somehow managed to feel even further out of her reach. But here she was. Dressed in the finest gown she’d ever set eyes upon, and one that fit her, unlike the borrowed dress she still was determined to return to Cady in Carpaen.
“I suppose it will do,” Faustine nodded, her nose scrunched up disapprovingly. “Not enough time to fix everything. Just remember… Speak only when spoken to, and in soft, quiet tones. Leyna, this is not one of your war parties. Mind your manners.”
“Of course, Ma’am,” she replied. For some reason she found Lady Faustine’s comment to be more amusing than she thought it should have been. It had been intended as an insult toward her because of her past, but through her fluttering stomach she couldn’t be offended by it. All of that was in the past. This was her chance to start anew.
Giving Leyna one last disappointed gaze, Faustine turned away toward the door, leading them out into the cool evening air. Her carriage was waiting for them, the coachman standing at the ready to help them inside. Once situated, Leyna tried to hold back her nervous fidgeting, knowing it would only lead to another lecture from Faustine. Somehow she and Maeri managed to keep their lips closed throughout the trip to the palace, too afraid of saying something that would spark further upset with Faustine.
As Leyna stepped from the carriage, the sight of the palace took her breath away. Frozen in place, she gazed up at it, lost in the beauty that she saw there until a prod between her shoulder blades from Faustine signaled her to start moving again. The palace was surrounded on all sides by a forest, the domes of the roof poking out over the trees into the dark evening sky. It looked like something out of a fairy tale to Leyna, the moss and ivy creeping up the stone walls to the tower windows. Even with the overgrown wildlife that clung to it, somehow it still looked perfectly tended, almost as though the clinging vines had been placed there intentionally for decoration.
It was massive next to the Siscal palace; and far older as well. There was no comparison between the two. It was no wonder the Tanispan royalty was so well revered among the other countries. The history of their people spanned back hundreds of years beyond many others, and it could be seen by simply looking upon their home. “Are you going to go inside, girl, or are you going to volunteer as a lawn ornament for the party?”
Tearing her eyes away from the palace, Leyna lowered her gaze to the ground, falling into step beside Faustine. It was best not to respond to her statement. She recognized the lady’s rhetorical tone, dripping with her usual disapproval.
Faustine hurried them through the foyer, flashing a shiny embossed piece of parchment at one of the guards. He nodded to them, granting them entrance to a large arched doorway to the left, opening up into an area more spacious than Leyna expected. The grand ballroom. It was lavishly decorated, the floor already filling with people. She found herself hypnotized by the array of masks staring back at her around the room, hiding the faces of Tanispa’s most elite society.
She lagged behind at the entrance to the spacious room. Her hope was to somehow separate herself from Lady Faustine so that she might have a chance at enjoying the party. So long as she was at her side, it would be a rather dull evening of trying to impress her with the lady-like charms that Faustine never failed to stress to the girls. The goal of many young students was to be introduced to society and be married off to a suitable man of position within the city. Leyna failed to see how any woman could catch the eye of such a man with Faustine’s stern gaze constantly guarding over them.
A woman tapped Faustine on the arm, her face hidden behind a mass of velvet and feathers. Leyna couldn’t hear what was being discussed, but Faustine looked interested, distracting her attention away from the girls. Gently Leyna tugged on Maeri’s arm, hissing a quiet signal for her to turn around. She looked surprised at first before her eyes lit up excitedly, ducking back into the crowd next to Leyna. “You do realize she is going to have our wrists smacked but good for losing her.”
“Five minutes without her hawkish eyes will make the pain worth it,” Leyna sighed, craning her neck to look around the room. Finding Faustine still engrossed in her conversation, Leyna moved them across the floor, mingling amongst the crowd to blend in with the horde of people now spilling in from the entranceway.
By the door she caught sight of a man standing there, his style of dress seeming to announce that he was of some high position above the others he was surrounded by. His mask was of a simple design, lacking the elaborate featherwork of so many others. It was gold, matching the color of the insignia worn over his right breast. A pair of bright grey eyes gazed through the holes in the mask, coming to rest on Leyna curiously. She ducked her head down by Maeri’s shoulder, giggling nervously as she turned away from his watchful gaze.
“We have not been here more than a few minutes and you are already getting us into trouble,” Maeri grinned, turning away from the door with Leyna. “Do you know that man or are you simply that good at flirting with your eyes?”
“I was not flirting. I was staring – which I suppose is worse,” Leyna blushed. Covering her face with her hand, she tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone else, surprised at how easy it was to be seen in a crowd where no one could see each other’s face. She had expected to blend in – to be invisible to everyone there.
A gentle touch on her left shoulder sent her heart into a panicked rush, her head lifting quickly from her huddle with Maeri. Relax, she told herself. You are behind a mask. It should be easier to talk your way out of this when he can’t see you.
Keeping her shoulders back and her body rigid, she slowly turned to see who was behind her. Part of her expected to see Faustine’s eyes glaring back at her angrily for having run off. Instead, she found herself staring directly into the grey eyes she’d seen from across the room, his head tilted inquisitively as if trying to picture her face from behind her mask. “Pardon my intrusion, Miss, but you caught my eye when I came in.”
“Don’t say anything,” Maeri whispered into her ear. “Faustine will birth kittens if she sees you speaking to anyone without her here.”
“Nonsense, Maeri,” she smiled, sinking into a deep curtsy before the man. Her words were soft, aimed for only Maeri to hear, but still loud enough for the man to be aware of their conversation. “If Lady Faustine birthed kittens every t
ime I did something wrong, we would be up to our ears in them by now.”
Leyna grabbed onto Maeri’s arm, twisting her around to face the grey-eyed man. His lips were curled back in an amused smile, taking in their antics with a lighter attitude than she expected from someone within the court. Barely maintaining her balance from Leyna’s pull, Maeri bobbed down in an awkward curtsy, her eyes cast nervously to the floor.
His voice sounded familiar. It brought back memories in her mind that had long since been pushed into the depths of her subconscious. Looking him over closely, she envisioned his mask replaced by a thick helmet, his fine garments exchanged for the drab threads of the Siscal military uniform. It was then that she caught sight of the details in the insignia on his chest. There was no mistaking the man standing there before. “My goodness, Commander. You clean up better than I do.”
“Could it really be my long lost lieutenant?” he smiled, holding his arms out to her shoulders. Stepping back, he took in her appearance, shaking his head in disbelief. “The gown suits you, I say. You are very well disguised. I would have completely overlooked you if my curiosity had not gotten the better of me.”
“Well, to be honest, I am hoping my identity goes no further than the two of us. As far as anyone else need be concerned, I am not here.”
“Yes, I dare say it would be a wise decision to not let Prince Enaes discover who you are,” Feolan nodded. A loud trumpet sounding from the foyer cut him short, his head perking up attentively. In a sharp shift of his weight, he stepped off to Leyna’s side, leaving the main walkway into the ballroom open as everyone moved out of the way. “It is too bad Thade was unable to make it. He was disappointed that he missed you on his recent visit.”
Her heart sank at his words, though she wasn’t entirely sure why it affected her the way it did to know that Thade wasn’t present. After so long, she hoped to be reunited with them both. It had seemed a guarantee that they would be in attendance to honor the Queen after their raise in status.
The Myatheira Chronicles: The Vor'shai: From the Ashes (Volume 1) Page 17