10 Chapter IX, Aestähs Ball

Back in real-time, I gasped for air, desperately clutching Arius' arm in an iron grip.

"Shhh...It's fine, just a few more feet." Ari muttered softly.

I took a deep breath, trying to pretend like nothing happened. Like I hadn't witnessed a council from over seventeen years ago.

The next half hour was a blur, I danced with Arius briefly, a short, embarrassing ordeal. Then was pulled away by Alberic to talk with more nobles, and eventually found myself sitting on one of the thrones next to my father, overseeing the proceedings of the dance.

"Princess?" a soft voice purred from behind me.

I jumped in my seat, whirling around until I was nose to nose with Aenhrys. "Excuse me." I muttered, blushing.

The old elf chuckled softly, "Don't worry, princess, I just want a word."

Hesitantly, I followed Aenhrys to a secluded corner where we wouldn't be overheard.

"You had a…vision of sorts after dinner, didn't you?"

I tried to keep my face as passive as possible, attempting not to show any emotion. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Master Aenhrys." I lied easily.

Aenhrys scowled and leaned closer. "Don't lie to me, darling. They didn't name me Seer-Eyed for nothing. Let's just say I have experience in these matters."

I grunted, ashamed to be caught in the lie. "Fine. You're right."

The elf smiled. "I thought so." He dropped his voice below a whisper. "Now, I can't help you if you don't talk. No more lies."

You really have a way with disquieting phrases, elf…I thought sarcastically. "Well, it was-"

"Wait!"

I scowled, not too enthusiastic about being interrupted.

The elf cleared his throat. "Was the vision at this place at another point in time? Or somewhere else at the present?"

I hesitated, not realizing that there were different types of these vision things. "I've had both…but this time it was here, seventeen years ago."

Aenhrys' eyes popped "How did you know? This is most unusual…"

I glanced over my shoulder, a nobleman and his wife were clearly trying to eavesdrop. "Can you help me? Teach me about these…?" I pleaded desperately.

The old elf nodded, "Tomorrow, meet me at the same time as was previously arranged." Then, in a louder voice, "Well then, princess, if you'll excuse me, I have urgent matters to attend to."

I waved farewell to Aenhrys, a bit disappointed that we couldn't talk more. I had rather taken a liking to the old elf, however creepy his choice of words sometimes was.

Turning around, I walked to a small table at the edge of the ballroom, wanting to sit down where I wouldn't be bothered too much.

Unfortunately, two elves I recognized as the Erills walked up to me, grim expressions plastered on their elvishly slanted faces.

"Greetings, Princess." Lord Erill said stiffly, bowing slightly.

"Greetings, Lord Erill, Lady," I acknowledged, nodding to them in turn. "What can I do for you?"

Lady Erill fanned herself with a gloved hand. "Oh nothing, we were just coming to welcome you home. Isn't that right, dear?"

Although I knew she was trying to be polite, I could see through her as though she was made of glass. This was a woman who moved with the err of one who thinks she is a queen in a pigpen; stiff-backed, cold stares, and icy smiles. I knew immediately that I didn't like her.

Lord Erill nodded curtly. "Yes…" He mused silkily. "…and to wish you…good luck. You'll need it if you are to become queen."

I pursed my lips, trying not to appear unnerved, as that would only give them the satisfaction they wanted.

"Thank you," I replied smoothly, imitating Roan's uncanny smile. "And good luck to you, M'lady," I turned to Lady Erill. "You'll need it to recover your pride after tonight. Your dress is torn in a most foul spot."

Lord Erill led his wife away angrily, while Lady Erill was clutching her buttocks for no apparent reason.

I went around and tried to familiarize myself with some of the other nobles, trying fruitlessly to engage them in conversation. Unfortunately, as you may have guessed, many of the conversations went as it did with the Erills. Though I refrained from shooting out any more offensive remarks.

Arius found me again after a while, chocolate smeared on his face. A slow waltz struck up from the musicians as he approached. "May I have this dance?"

I smiled. "First, let me get the chocolate off your face."

Arius sighed, but relented.

Wiping it off with the tip of my finger, I casually continued to inspect Ari's face, feigning to look for more of the chocolate. I found he has a slightly cinnamony scent. Was he always like that?

He leaned down slightly, I could count the faint freckles on his small nose. There were seventeen of them. Were they always there?

I slowly rose to the tips of my toes, my lips brushing against his.

"Don't…" He breathed.

I slowly backed away, a slight panging in my chest.

"Later…" he whispered, smiling faintly. "…let's dance."

We waltzed around the dance floor, which was filled with twirling dresses and swirling cloaks. Most of the nobles steered out of our way, but I paid them no piece of my mind, however. I was just content with dancing in Arius' arms.

I thought about what I had seen in the last vision, my father arguing with Ari's.

Fathers.

A few months ago, if you would've asked me what I thought of my father, or just fathers in general, my choice of words would've been a damn sight kinder than they are now.

"Ari?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Arius smiled warmly, a sight I still treasure to this day. "Of course, Allie."

I took a deep breath, unsure of how to phrase my question. "You're the prince of Mythfall, if I'm not mistaken."

He nodded.

"So that means…that the…king did this to you?" I moved my hand from his shoulder to his back, tracing the scars that lay beneath layers of elegantly styled clothing.

Arius whirled around and caught my wrist in an iron grip. "You should've left that alone."

"Ari…?"

He scowled deeper. "Arius, not Ari, Alexandra." Practically spitting out my name, he let go of my hand, sharp fingernails scraping a layer of flesh off my wrist.

"Arius…!"

I knew it was no use calling after him, asking him to stay. If you scratch someone with a knife, it will heal by nature. If you wound someone's pride, it's their choice if it heals at all.

Arius stormed from the hall through the great doors, slamming them shut. The noise echoing throughout the ballroom.

A millisecond later, a black-feathered arrow embedded itself into the door. Right where the prince of Mythfall's head was a moment before.

Everyone in the hall turned around; The musicians stopped playing, the minstrels stopped singing, the couples stopped dancing, the nobles stopped arguing, Valora and Alphyn stopped laughing. Everyone's attention was fixed on Roan.

His bow was still drawn, another black arrow nocked. Scowling at the door, he growled "Continue on." and bowed his way into the shadows.

The musicians hastily picked up a melody, their fingers tripping over the strings of their harps and lyres. Still in shock from Roan's intrusion on the festivities.

I waited. A minute. Two. Three.

Striding over to Roan, I grabbed a bottle of elvish wine and two glasses off a serving lady, filling them up as I went. Setting the bottle down, I grabbed Roan by the arm and dragged him to a deserted table.

"What happened?!"

He made quite a show of taking one of the glasses, draining it, then refilling it only to be emptied once more. "I gave a warning shot."

I groaned, rubbing my temple.

Roan scowled. "Fine, that sorry excuse for a prince was being an a-hole." he took another sip of wine, this time refraining from talking afterward.

I sighed. "Elaborate."

He gave a curt nod. "Gladly." he paused, cleared his throat, and continued. "First the arse tells you about his past, giving you knowledge of the subject. Then, he refuses to kiss you, an offer that is not given nor taken lightly, and certainly not freely. And when you ask a question of which he gave you the knowledge to ask, he blows up and leaves quite rudely in the middle of a dance."

I, too, drained my glass, which Roan graciously refilled. "You were eavesdropping," I remarked accusingly. "How much did you hear?"

He shrugged. "Quite a bit, though not personally. My friends like to listen to the ongoings of others. Shadow in particular." He glanced upwards at the arched rafters before continuing. "Besides, you saw how they reacted at dinner. No-one tells me anything, therefore I have to make it my business to know things. It's not a life worth living if you're shadowed in complete ignorance."

Silence.

"Speaking of ignorance," I set my glass aside and grabbed Roan's right hand. The one he'd supposedly 'cut.' I traced the scar on his palm, only a while line barely noticeable. "How?"

He simply raised an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. "Back when you were raving like a madman, you said that you don't bleed, you scar right away; how is this possible?"

Roan tilted his head from side to side, clearly not as interested as I was in the subject. "Oh, very good. It seems you aren't as dimwitted as you first seem." He ignored my reproachful look and continued. "…but you are quite right, however. I do not bleed."

Quick as lightning, Roan whipped out his knife and cut open his finger, shrugging off the pain as if it were no more than a lover's touch. He held up the finger he'd cut - the middle one, unsurprisingly. The nick in his skin closed up before my very eyes, leaving no more than a white line that matched the one on his palm.

And the one on his side. I remembered, pushing away the thought as soon as it entered my head. I shouldn't get caught up in the pasts of others. It only causes pain and resurfaces foul memories.

"How?" I asked again; the answer 'magic' obviously didn't satisfy my overly hyper curiosity.

"What do you mean by, how?"

"I mean, what's the price? Why can you do this? How-"

Roan scoffed. "Price? There is no price."

"Doesn't all power come with a price?" I asked defensively.

"That's a silly saying. Humans will believe anything, honestly." He sighed at my inquisitive look, tapping his foot impatiently to the beat of the music. "All elves are born with magical abilities, whether it is enhanced skills or elemental magic. Those who aren't are occasionally thrown in the icy mountain rivers." He smiled, and I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"What's my power, then?"

Roan looked surprised. "You mean you don't know?" he ruffled his hair a bit in mock frustration. "I guess you'll have to find out yourself, huh, princess."

I sighed. "Thanks for your help, I guess."

Roan turned in his seat to face me head-on. "Hasn't anything weird ever happened to you? Something you couldn't quite explain? Maybe you suddenly could hit harder than the next person. Think about it."

I went back to watching the dancing couples, part of me looking halfheartedly for Arius, part of me hoping to find answers in the twirling fabrics of cloaks and skirts.

A black-cloaked elf was waltzing with a young girl, who looked like his daughter. I don't know why, but the sight of him sent a chill down my spine, and resurfaced an old memory…

When I was seven, I saw a family of four at a theme park. A little girl with dirty blonde hair had waved to me. Her father slapped her hand from the air and scolded her. He was wearing a black overcoat and stood out like a sore thumb. It seemed like only I noticed the man, and the cruelty he had shown his daughter. No-one glanced at him strangely, or with disapproving glares. Well, apart from his daughter, that is.

I shivered as the memory finished. Maybe I was like Aenhrys; Seer-eyed. I pushed the thought from my head, not wanting to continue dwelling on the past.

Valora and Alphyn were dancing together, her head on his chest. I found myself wishing I could be like that, dancing in the arms of some unknown figure. A handsome elven prince, perhaps? Or a dazzling young knight?

I wish I could be like Alphyn and Valora, feeling safe in the arms of another. I probably felt like that with Arius back in the Willow Wood.

I scolded myself in my head. If Arius had made one thing clear, it was that anything between us was nothing, if there had been anything between us at all.

Although it had only been an hour ago, it had seemed like a month had passed since Ari, I mean, Arius had asked me to dance. When I had tried to kiss him.

What a petty thing, love. Full of pain and suffering, shattered promises, broken trust, and broken hearts. Hell. Just hell.

One of the elves struck up a lively tune, quite opposed to the depressing mood I was in. Another started to sing:

There once was a lovely princess,

Who came from a land afar.

She brought no gems, nor pearls, nor cloak

Just a wrought iron jar.

Looking kindly in the eyes

'A gift from the gods'

She said to me

When I was a wee young lad

Forged in the fires of demons land,

Cooled in the white rushing river.

'It's not a jar for opening'

She said, her mouth a quiver.

Turns passed, kingdoms fell,

Her land was in dire need.

How she longed to open the jar,

Wishing for a pint of mead.

She turned the key, pushed open the lid,

Longing to uncover the secrets hid.

Inside twas' nothing but death and despair.

The gods laughed when they said beware.

Unleashed upon her land and world,

The gods' sacred plan unfurled.

Never trust one with a crown,

Lest you're already falling down.

As one of the lutists struck the last note, I scowled and turned to Roan, only to find an empty seat with a singular piece of paper and a raven feather.

I picked up the paper and read:

Dear Allie,

Do not dwell on songs.

Perhaps think of other things instead.

Like me, for instance.

I pocketed the parchment. I think I've had enough of this party.