109 Birthday Ball

Wendy looked out the carriage window and asked, "Excuse me, we seem to be going the wrong way, we should have turned left back there to go to the academy."

The tailor and the young assistant girl both giggled, "You can't very well attend the ball without His Grace, can you? We are taking you to where His Grace is waiting for you. From there you'll travel with him to the ball."

Wendy relaxed and sat back with a smile, "Oh, now I feel dumb." The carriage traveled for fifteen minutes before leaving through the city gates to an open field. Waiting in the field were several fancy carriages and well-dressed couples. The Carriage came to a stop and the tailor hopped down holding the door for Wendy.

"Lady Baronsdotter, Duke Beaux Morely." The tailor announced.

Wendy slowly climbed down from the carriage and looked around, "Your Grace, it's good to see you again." She gave him a formal curtsey.

Duke Morely stepped forward and dropped to a knee in front of her gently taking her gloved hand and placed a soft kiss on her index finger, "Lady Baronsdotter, it has been much too long. I have a small confession to make to you. We won't be attending the Academy dance this evening. Instead, we will be attending a birthday ball for Her Majesty, Emily Connaissance."

At that moment a giant airship dropped down through the cloud cover slowly lowering a basket to pick up all of the waiting couples. Wendy's eyes went wide with excitement and awe, "We'll be traveling by Airship?"

Duke Morely smiled and nodded, "I hope you don't mind the last-minute change of plans?"

Wendy shook her head as she watched the amazing ship come to a stop over the top of them the basket softly landing on the ground as soldiers jumped out and started loading passengers. It only took a few moments for everyone to be loaded into the basket and for it to lift in the air causing most of the passengers to gasp in amazement as they flew into the sky for the first time in their lives.

*****

Lord Harmon paced around nervously as one of his friends asked, "Are you sure she was really coming tonight? Maybe she just told you that because she was embarrassed that she didn't have a dress."

One of the ladies in their group giggled, "She's quite poor you know, she has probably never even been to a social event on this level. She must have thought you wouldn't be going since you didn't have a partner."

Lord Harmon sighed and shook his head, "I wish she would have been honest, I could have paid for her to have a dress. I think she would have had a really good time."

Another one of the ladies in their group spoke out coldly, "Lord Harmon, she wouldn't have fit in and would have been an embarrassment to you. I don't mean to speak harshly about her since I really don't know her, but I think it was for the best that she stayed home. Perhaps in the future, she will have been trained well enough to attend a minor social gathering before coming to an event of this level."

One of the lords nodded, "Well said. Lord Harmon, you are expecting a peasant to be able to dine with nobility, it's just not done. Nobles and commoners just can't intermix. They only know how to release flatulence and eat like wild animals. She probably wouldn't even know how to dance."

Lord Harmon felt a wave of irritability building inside of him. He set down the glass of wine he had been drinking. "If you all don't mind, I think I will retire for the evening. It's getting a little stuffy here."

The group of friends he had been standing with all started to chuckle and gossip as he walked away in a barely concealed rage. One of the men who had been most critical of his choice of date spoke softly to the others as he walked out of range, "His peasant girl does have one thing going for her though, she is simply a Hanston shattering beauty. That kind of girl most certainly has a price, and I intend to pay it for at least one night in my bed." He laughed sinisterly.

One of the ladies gasped, "That's so crass!"

Another one of the ladies shook her head while chuckling, "Oh don't be such a prude, Ghislaine, as if you haven't ever played with a servant girl and your man before."

"That was different, at least I knew she was clean." The young lady stuck her nose up into the air.

*****

Emily was getting ready when the butler knocked lightly on her door, "Your Majesty, the Airship has returned and all of your guests are now in attendance. Her Majesty, Teslaimia said and I quote, 'Tell her if she isn't out in the next two minutes I will publicly unveil the statue.' She also advised me to add that it wouldn't take you so long to get ready if you had put your work away this afternoon when she suggested."

"Thank you, Roland, I am ready I need to find my cane." Emily looked stressed as she walked through her closet.

The butler extended her cane to her and said, "It is prepared for you."

Emily smiled and took the cane. She started walking ahead of the butler and said softly, "I swear, the reason I need to use this cane half the time is that she puts me in these ridiculously tall heels."

"Perhaps you should wear shorter ones then?"

Emily frowned and shook her head, "I can't or she towers over me. A woman her height has no need for heels anyway! She just likes the way they look on us... Can you imagine? Half the things she has me wearing are only because she says they make us look nicer, what's the point if you are uncomfortable in them, right?"

"Your Highness, it is not a lie to say that the two of you are the most beautiful women in the world. Perhaps part of that could be said to be in part because Her Majesty Teslaimia puts so much work in your appearance?"

Emily made a derisive noise, "Beauty. In fifteen years what will that mean? Beauty only lasts for a few short years, what should matter is your level of comfort and ease of movement."

They came around the corner and saw Teslaimia smiling looking at Emily, "Oh you look perfect! I knew that dress would be perfect for you." She walked up close and whispered in Emily's ear, "This dress is so skin-tight everyone can tell you aren't wearing any underwear."

"Mi~a!" Emily pouted cutely, "Did many of the nobles from the south arrive?"

Teslaimia giggled, "All of the important people are here, that's what matters. Come, meet and chat with the people you need to see, get some gifts you'll never use, and act like you are enjoying this as much as I am." She giggled playfully.

Emily sighed and said, "I am enjoying it, Mia. I just get a little anxious at these large social events. My Mother and Father used to drag me around to them when I was a little girl you know. It's just strange for me to be the center of attention."

Teslaimia whispered in her ear again, "They'll all be staring at you and noticing what you are wearing." She giggled warmly.

Emily had a dopey smile on her face as she thought about it before reason kicked in and she woke up, "Mi~a! Fine, let's go get this over with." She sighed.

*****

"Who is that with Duke Morely? She's stunning!" An older man asked his wife.

The woman looked closely, "I'm not sure who that is, I can't recall seeing a pretty girl like that at any of the social functions." She looked around and then waved over to another one of the socialites, "Countess Hawthorne, who is that lovely young lady dancing with Duke Morely?"

She looked closely and shook her head, "I am not sure, I have never seen her before, could she be a commoner perhaps or maybe a daughter of Duke Connaissance?"

Count Hawthorne spoke up, "It may very well be that she is a commoner, that Duke Morely has always been something of an odd duck." Just then Katarina danced by with Amelia which stole his attention away from the girl.

Amelia wearing a feminized tuxedo danced awkwardly with Katarina who giggled at each flub she made during the dance whispered to Katarina, "How did I let you talk me into this?"

Katarina thought for a moment and then answered softly, "I made a cute faze at you und showed you mine tits!"

Amelia smirked and then replied softly, "Har har har. Do you think I should go say hello to Emily?"

"Mm, soon, first we dance und enjoy ze festivities, yes?" Katarina grinned at her. Katarina and Amelia danced close to Duke Morely with Wendy which caused her to gasp, "What a beautiful girl!"

Wendy looked around, "I think people are gossiping about me."

Duke Morely laughed, "You imagining things, why would you think that?"

"Because they are looking at me and talking to each other while staring right at me?"

He gave her a twirl and smiled, "I see them looking at us, why do you assume that means only you?"

Wendy's mouth opened and she thought for a moment, "You're right, I might be you they are gossiping about. I guess I am just a little selfconscious. Why would they be gossiping about you?"

He smiled and said, "Maybe they can't believe an old man is dancing with a young beauty?"

Wendy laughed, "You don't look much older than me though?"

He chuckled, "I am closer to Her Majesty's age in truth."

Wendy shook her head, "Isn't Her Majesty only twenty-five?"

Duke Morely shrugged, "I am not sure honestly when you sit and talk to her it's like talking to your grandmother. She's wise beyond her years."

Wendy looked around the room and asked, "Will we get to meet Her Majesty? I got to see her once before but I have never spoken to her. What is she like?"

Duke Morely smiled as they danced around, "Hmm, she is complicated is what I would say. She is someone that gives you the feeling you are speaking to an entire nation, rather than a person. It's like she is above and beyond normal things. I simply can't imagine her behaving like normal people."