Chapter 3: 1,001 Dresses

Josiah’s P.O.V.

Against all better judgment for myself, I gave Levi the benefit of the doubt when we met up the next morning, finding the market the busiest the two of us had seen in months.

Lords and Ladies all over Colkest scrambled their way into the seamstress’ shop. I was so startled from the overlapping noises, the congestion around the outside of the shop, and the rude nobility hounding at the seamstresses. I ended up punching Levi’s arm when he started laughing.

“Ow! What gives?”

“Show some compassion,” I hissed at him, pulling him along my usual route, “It’s probably another banquet that the people’s taxes are going to have to pay for.”

It was quite hypocritical of me to insinuate that I wasn’t fond of the excitement. The more excitement that surrounds our little corner of the world, the more interesting people and stories come into the ports. However, I always get a sickly feeling when overhearing that many of the parties thrown by the royal family were paid for at the expense of the people.

“Did you not hear the news coming into town this morning?”

Levi moved out of my hold and looked at me like I had forgotten his birthday. I return the confused look to him and put my hands on my hips. “I can make faces too, y’know,” I huffed at him before walking past him, laser focused on the nearby fruit stall.

I heard Levi rushing behind me but tried to ignore him, as cruel as it sounded. Besides, at the end of the day, it wasn’t any of my business as to what the royal family did or how they ran the kingdom. Yet that’s when I heard him say it.

“King Sias has announced a ball being held at the end of the week,” Levi said, standing next to me as I inspected peaches, “All eligible persons, human or otherwise, are invited to attend.”

“So our future King Malik couldn’t find his partner among his own kind?” I retaliated as I paid for the fruits I picked up, stepping away with Levi on my heels like a lost puppy. Had I not known Levi for as long as I did, I’d find the following around rightfully annoying at the very least.

While the idea of a ball was rousing to some, I figure one could call me a bit of a pessimist for not seeming interested. It wasn’t that I was cynical on the idea, I simply had my mind on other priorities rather than who was wearing what, who was marrying who, or who was having an affair with who. While the correlation of all that familiar nonsense did not match with a ball, it was of no difference to me.

What would I, a young, forgotten human Earl of Colkest want with the politics of the vampiric regime? Most of the Vampires only cared for the humans when they had mates or a midnight snack they needed to hide. Who would want to willingly involve themselves in a regime that didn’t care for its people?

“We should get suits for the ball!”

Levi’s excitement all but startled me awake.

I stopped walking and turned to him, looking at him as if he suggested we overthrow the government. This wasn’t the first time I believed Levi came up with a stupid idea; he made many of them over the years. Yet, I couldn’t see the justification of allowing myself to go along with this one.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“What? It could be fun!”

“We’d be in the middle of animals.”

“Is being in the company of vampires for one night really that bad?”

“Yes.”

“You’re hopeless.”

I shrugged him off and continued walking. I was stopped once again, but not by Levi. I stopped when one of the remaining staff at the house, Eva, came running up to me. I gently placed my hands on her, trying to get her to slow down before she wore herself out.

“Where’s the fire, Eva?” I asked her once she got her breathing under control.

Eva was one of the younger staff members that I was able to keep from being dismissed. Cora kept her around because Eva was good at helping me with kitchen chores and seemed to know more about cooking than I did. She was also wicked fast at cleaning, laundry, and organization. It was because of Eva half the time that the others and I were able to keep the house cleaned.

“Lady Cora has heard there’s going to be a ball at the end of the week,” Eva explained; I had to refrain from rolling my eyes.

“She wants a dress for herself and two suits for Matthias and Cyrus?”

I must’ve caught her off guard with my predetermined answer as she bashfully shoved two slips of papers in my hands. The papers were small but were littered front and back with specifications for the seamstress. I took a moment to breathe, pinching the bridge of my nose.

Despite planning to ignore the whole notion of the ball entirely, I was being thrown into it face first.