Chapter 74: The unknown woman

~ I kept going until I found an isolated table far enough to the right nearby this corner. So I sat here awhile watching others social within the ballroom. Around me, I noticed not too many people were sitting in the table area anymore from underneath the third floor. Just glancing my gaze around, I saw Maria come up through the ballroom and found me.

As she came in closer, her smile faded to a sad frown. My guess is she saw I am upset. But honestly, what does she expect? I didn't think Cory was going to propose tonight's dim light. So I have all reason be upset, I felt.

"Hey, Sally." She said while taking a seat beside me, "I understand your having mixed emotions right now but..."

"Just please don't say I'll be alright!" I sorta snapped coldly interrupting her, "I'm tired of hearing it."

She was quiet for a second and showed her remorse to understand my pain.

Then she waved her arm out to an enslaved lady working nearby. "Excuse me please!" The enslaved woman looked up from cleaning the empty tables around our area, "Come here please," Asked Maria.

The woman walked over while I caught to notice she was acting strange. It didn't seem like she wanted to come towards us. "M-May I get you s-something to eat or drink?" She asked a bit off and shaky.

"Yes, two sweet berry mixed drinks for myself and our future Primary Queen. I think she needs something soothing to her." Maria politely ordered.

The woman obliged and went off to get what Maria had requested.

Then she said facing me, "I'll be back in a second. I need to speak with my husband real fast."

"Okay, I'll be here waiting for our drinks," I told her while she stood up. She smiled at me then walked off into the crowd.

~~~

Within a few minutes, the slave returned with two fancy decorated drinks. Both drinks have a sugary glaze around the glass rim. A freshly sliced strawberry on the side. Then stirred in black and red berries at the bottom of the dark purple color drink.

One at a time, she set the drinks down on the table from off her real golden-made serving tray. When she was setting the drinks down. I noticed she was still shaking and trying to avoid eye contact with me. A strange feeling twisted in my stomach cells told me there was something wrong.

"Are you ok?" I asked sincerely since I knew something was up by looking at her. I was just hoping she'd share it with me. But the woman turned white and got even more distant.

The woman hardly faced me and said oddly shaking in her tone, "If t-there is a-anything else you need l-let me know."

Randomly, she walked away too fast. Before I could even get a word out to ask her anything else. I was baffled by what had just happened!

But then I saw another enslaved lady walking by from cleaning other empty tables. When she went to pass me, she stopped, and turned back my way with a look of true sympathy.

"Are you okay, Milady?" She asked worried, "Would you like me to request for your fiance?"

Did I express that much of a discomforting face? I inwardly asked. But I studied this beautiful enslaved woman to note her aura was pleasant and she didn't distinguish any unhappiness or fear for that matter.

"No." I replied to her, "That won't be necessary. He's the last person I want to see right now." Then I paused for a second and glanced at that same skittish enslaved lady. While she was washing the tables on the left side before asking, "But that other woman who served me the drinks that is over across the room working. She seems to be acting oddly is she okay?"

The woman looked around and saw the lady I was talking about intensely working and said looking back at me. "I'm sorry Milady, I have seen her but I don't recall recognizing her. I'm sure she is fine maybe just startled. Some of the Princesses from other Kingdoms aren't always friendly."

I nodded somewhat confused and said, "I was just wondering."

The woman said smiling, "Just let me know if you would like anything else."

I smiled back and replied, "Thank you."

The lady smiled and walked off to serve other guests that called out to her further away from me on the left side.

That was when Maria walked back from the crowd and took a sat back in her chair, saying. "Sorry! Took longer than I thought. I was saying goodbye to my friend Abby. She and her husband are leaving."

I kinda nodded oddly, as Maria asked seeming worried, "What's wrong?"

"Do you know why that one slave woman who got our drinks was acting so skittish?" I straight out asked her.

"Honestly, I don't know." Puzzled, Maria replied thinking, "she seemed to act a little odd but thinking about it. I don't believe I recognized her."

My eyebrow raised looking at Maria, I said, "That's what a different enslaved woman told me. She came by to speak with me while you were gone."

Suddenly before Maria could speak another word. A loud thundurus banging sound from somewhere outside was heard over the fortissimo music. Following it we heard these chilling screams that sent goosebumps up my spine. The entertainers dancing and singing on stage stopped performing.

Tons of men from the second floor are suddenly rushing to the first level floor. The women started to show panicked faces and scattering aimlessly around. Like they understood something was going on but none of them knew what to do as sheer horror took their eyes.

The men from the third level floor above us. Ran themselves downstairs like a stampede! The massive group dodged around the terrified dispersed women. Making there way to the first level. I had no idea what was going on while the ladies throughout the ballroom showed terror.

I turned my face to asked Maria what was happening.

But I saw her face go pale and she said in a stentorian voice, "Sally, we need to get you somewhere safe!"