10 2.4

The three women I chose to dance with all had one thing in common; they were all standing uncomfortably on the outskirts of the room, draped in understated outfits, and wearing a look that mixed terror with a longing to be included that couldn't be covered by the masks they wore. It was a look I related to on a spiritual level. The conversations were universally awkward and filled with silences charged with occasional mortified glances directed toward my face. With any luck, they would have a nice memory of that one time they danced with a prince, even an out of favor one.

I felt a headache building behind my eyes, growing in intensity by the light refracting off of gemstones and semi-precious metals. The loud music echoing around the room didn't help anything.

Had I seen Elenora on the dance floor, I would likely have stuck around for a bit longer, just to have a little bit more time with her. My heart jumped every time I saw a flash of green, and my eyes wandered the ballroom as I danced. But I never saw her, which means she had either left early or was still sitting in the room where I left her. My nerves informed me that they would likely jump out of my chest if I directly went looking for her, so I tried to be as subtle as possible as I made my way through the main doors. The two people I bumped into during the effort would likely tell you that my efforts were in vain.

Making my way to the kitchen, I indulged in daydreams of what might be there. Nothing but finger foods and cocktails were available for consumption during the party, and my stomach took the occasion to remind me that I hadn't eaten anything since lunch; it was currently about an hour past sunset.

The cook and I had bonded when I hit puberty and developed a voracious appetite for anything edible. She likes anyone who appreciates good food, and thus a lifelong friendship was born.

Cookie was always willing to provide me with a stash of finger food for reading time, and she loved listening to the adventures I had enjoyed in whatever book I was reading while she prepared a proper dinner for everyone to enjoy.

I, in turn, listened to her stories about her grandchildren and whatever her husband had done now. She was still very much in love with him after almost fifty years of marriage, but she reserved her right to complain about him in the most loving tone a partner could muster.

It was unlikely that she would be there, but I knew from experience and midnight wanderings that there was always someone stationed there to offer basic comforts to the hungry masses. Nine days out of ten, there was a pot over the fire filled with leftover soup, and there was almost always fresh bread, warm out of the oven as the assistant cook worked on making bread and pastries for the next day's meals.

Hopefully getting some food for my stomach to digest would help my headache subside long enough for me to get some much-deserved rest.

About halfway there, I passed by a dark corridor and was almost immediately knocked down by a bolt of green, bumping us both against a table in the main hallway that supported a decorative vase with some elegantly organized flowers sourced from the gardens I was in earlier in the day. The back of my suit gained a wet spot from the water nourishing the dying plants and one of my hands had a small sliver of blue and white pottery embedded in it.

I turned to look at the being that had carelessly knocked me over, prepared to give them a piece of my mind about the rudeness of running in the halls and importance of looking where one was going while in a potentially populated area.

The moment I met the eyes of the shaking person still on top of me, all those intentions evaporated into thin air, replaced with shock. Elenora herself was doing her best to raise herself off of me, even though her hands were similarly torn up from the shards she landed on trying to break her fall.

I wasn't sure she had noticed who I was yet, as she was glancing behind her in a panicked way, breathing hard as if she was running from something terrifying. There were beads of sweat running from under her mask and leaving delicate drops of moisture on the front of her dress.

Nothing in my skillset prepared me with the information needed to calm a frightened woman. Or man. A mildly startled cat was about where I felt my current abilities ended.

With a jerk of her head that resulted in me getting hit in the face with her long hair, she looked at me and gave a quick gasp as she realized who she had quite nearly run over. Her surprise only lasted a second before a look of determination crossed her face, taking root in her eyes.

"Some people are chasing me, your highness. I need to go." She pushed away from me and turned towards the hallway I had just come down, ready to make another headlong rush down the corridor to destinations unknown.

The books I had been raised on told me that this was a situation for me to step up and be the gallant hero Elenora needed at this moment. I made the split-second decision to grab her hand in mine, pulling her forcefully up one of the nearby staircases, making a plan of action as I went. Food could wait until later.