12

Lina was more subdued as she made her way up the stairs to enter the castle. She reviewed the words of the Iktar as they waited to be announced by the attendants. Sometimes she would forget her status in the Darmarcus household, but whenever there was a remark like the one the Archduke made, she would remember. Eteline was not well liked. Her birth was never celebrated and was always viewed as a curse. She had no physical features that connected her to the duke, so that meant she took after her mother.

She never had the opportunity to learn about her.

Eteline had no allies to rely on. She had no friends as she was the outcast in society. She had made arrangements with novel ladies, inviting them to her house for tea parties and such. They always insulted her, which resulted in her losing her temper and screaming at them. Yucilia would come and act as mediator, which had enamored the young ladies to her side. She meant well trying to help her sister make friends.

Eteline never appreciated it though.

Lina's eyes strayed to the happy girl who giggled as she conversed with their brother. She felt her sling row hot, her heart pound. There was a pressure building up behind her eyes.

I hate her...

She gasped as she and her father came to a complete stop.

"You are not going to bother your sister," the Archduke threatened her. "She even sheds one single tear..."

Lina squinted at him, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her. What was this guy talking about? She didn't even do anything (yet). She swayed, almost losing her balance before Iktar forciblyy straightened her up.

What was that? Those thoughts weren't hers.

She looked up to see both Kylus and Yucilia staring at her in worry. Well, Yuci was worried. Kylus was suspicious.

"And we haven't even made it in yet," Kylus called back to them. Yucilia smacked him lightly on his arm. "What? I was just commending her on her new record."

"Do not mind her," Iktar called out to his son. "I have her handled."

Lina kept her eyes glued on Yuci's. She was trembling, trying to understand what had happened. Did she actually think that thought? But it didn't sound like her. It may not have been so long ago when she planned to avoid any interaction with any of her family remember, but she knows herself. She knew what she sounded like.

Eteline was not gone!

"Well, seeing as you've reached your goal of drawing unnecessary attention to yourself once again," the Archduke forced them to start walking again, jostling Lina when she stumbled.

"Fuck you," Lina whispered.

The Archduke paused. "What."

Lina turned to look at him, her eyes bright with fury. "F*ck. You! I will rather die than get along with you!" She pushed the astounded man away from her and bounded towards the castle. When she quickly got up to Yucilia, she rushed out an apology.

"I'm sorry Yuci. I can't keep my promise."

Lina ran off, ignoring her sibling calls for her to stop. Before she knew it, she was up the steps standing before a paid of grandiose doors.

"Did she really leave behind her family?" She heard a woman laugh behind her.

"Maybe this is a new method to show that she's better than even the archduke."

"That poor man," cruel laughter filled the air.

Lina felt her chest contract, as pain that was not her own exploded from her heart. She hated them. She hated how they judged her, she hated how they hurt her, she just hated them.

Why couldn't they leave her alone?

She hunched forward, feeling her eyes fill with tears when suddenly--

"Finally!" Came a familiar voice.

Looking up as tears slid down her face, Lina found herself gazing into a pair of confounded blue eyes.

"Talma," she rasped out, her voice rough with tears.

The attended any did not answer, seemingly spellbound. He reached up and wiped a tear off of her face.

"You...can actually shed tears...?" He questioned her, disbelief coloring his voice. This caused Lina to let out a watery laugh.

"I'm not a complete evil bitch," she replied. She giggled come more when she heard a few of the novel women gasp. "Just a tired one."

"Well that won't do," the orange haired boy pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Your makeup will run. You'll just end up losing your composure and wrecking havoc if such tragedy comes to pass."

"I can always claim to be dying and just leave the party," she suggested.

"You've done that in the past," Talma informed her.

"I can do it in better style," she smirked.

"Please don't make this a challenge," he replaced his handkerchief in his pocket and stuck out his hand for her to hold on to.

"Bet," she promised him.

"No," he told her. "I will not place an bet with you"

"On your mark..." she intoned.

"Eteline..." he earned her. "Behave.

"Get set..." she continued. Her smile became impish. He had to admit, it was becoming on her. But he would not allow her to ruin tonight's festivities with her antics.

"Eteline..." He hissed at her as the doors opened slowly to admit them into the castle.

She bright her face close to his ear and whispered: "Go!"

"Lina!" He gripped her arm tightly, making sure to hold her in place. Lina had long since froze when she heard him utter out her name. She barely heard the announcement of his name or her own before he was having at her to move and she robotically smiled at all who stood before her, making her way into the large room.

Did he...actually say her name?

She must have misheard him.

"What..." she started. "Did you call m---"

"Miss Eteline," an older man interrupted moving to cut off Talma and her's path. "It's so...wonderful to see you."

Ah, so it really begins.

"It's great to see you too Sir receding hairline," she greeted him in a insincere bow, not quite bending as deeply as she was suppose to. Talma choked by her side, taking a deep breath. Most likely to calm down.

"Wh-what?" The man sputtered before her.

Lina made a show of roaming her eyes pointedly from the top of his graying, thinning hair to his protruding belly to his stout calves and oversized shoes.

"I would suggest a great weave for you," she informed him. "But I don't thing that has been created yet."

"A weave?" Talma asked. "Like thread?"

"No sweetie," she patted his arm with her hand. "It's a silky wig that you can merge with your own hair by sewing it in. Gives the illusion of it being your own hair."

She looked at the angered man.

"And someone certainly needs that magic trick right now."

After complaining of never seeing someone as rude as she was, he walked off in a huff.

"If he keeps hurtling like that his belly will cause someone injury," she observed.

Talma made the same choking sound before moving her along with a gruff, "Let's be on our way dear."

Lina giggled delightedly.

After a while of greeting other attendees and milling about the crowd, Lina asked another question that was bugging her.

"Where's my beloved fiance anyway?"

Talma paused for a second before answering, "Sadly the second Prince will not be attending the festivities as he has other things to attend to."

"Damn, I wanted to see him."

Talma scoffed. "Of course you did."

"Our engagement is still on and we need to cancel it."

"You're still on about that?" He questioned her.

"Hell yeah," she smiled sarcastically at another offended Noble lady. "I'm seconds away from claiming to prefer woman if it means I will be locked up in a mental asylum just to get out of this."

Talma studied her. "You're serious."

"Like a heart attack," she concurred.

She realized now was the time to ask him if he really said her real name.

"About earlier," she began.

"Gather around for the presence of your majesty, King Silas."

Why? Why the actual f*ck?

"Nevermind then," she muttered as Talma led her back to the main floor. They had been walking along the edge of the crowd, keeping to themselves. Lina had managed to keep him form being accosted by her family members and forcing her to stay by the archduke's side. She felt the worried gaze of her sister, the angered looks of her brother, as well as the venomous gaze of her father. She still awarded them with her most sucks-to-suck smile and continued on her way.

She may need to avoid home after this.

She felt the other man study her for a bit before training his attention back to their King and his court. She didn't mind him as she pasted on her customer service smile and tried not to die at the pain her heels were causing her. These things were cute but they were a size to small for her. They belonged to Yucilia but her sister was so enthusiastic about being part of her dressing process that she couldn't ten down any of her suggestions. Even though she began to regret by the fifth turn of the fifth song she danced to.

I'm bolting out of her as soon as this stupid speech is done.

This time she missed the bemused glance her partner sent her. His blue eyes flowed over her form taking in her modest dress to how she kept shifting her weight off of each foot. The other man chuckled to himself before turning back to their king.

******************************************************************

"Someday, my prince will come," Lina sang as she leaned on the balcony. "Ooo, someday, I'll find my love.."

"And what other prince would this be?" Came the voice of the very prince she did not want to see.

Lina thunked her head on the marble banister. She gave it a moment, then she thunked it again. Harder.

"Careful," there were hurried footsteps behind her. "You're going to hurt your head."

"Why. Are. You, Here?" She pushed out in frustration.

Prince Delaru smiled at her.

"Can't I second time with the my fiance?"

This party blows.