Alina had completely forgotten that the entire purpose of the ball was for her to meet and dance with the lesser nobles that may be interested in courting her.

She was rudely reminded, however, when she stepped into the banquet hall and found at least a dozen heads with vulture-esque stares swiveling to stare at her at the same time.

“Oh, Gods,” Alina blurted out in a mutter through her smile.

Norman tightened his hold on his daughter’s arm. “You don’t happen to see Tam anywhere do you? Perhaps if you two chat for a while the others may get the hint.”

“What hint, father?”

“The hint that they don’t stand a chance.” The King’s voice had turned to a growl as he beheld the numerous hungry looking young men all eyeing his daughter beneath their lashes as they bowed to him. After all, Norman had once been a lesser noble just like them…

As the entire room straightened after giving the royalty their greetings, Norman immediately sought out Fin and Annika. He found the couple lingering near a far off corner of the room- as was their habit during large events. The three shared a look and nods of understanding that immediately had the Viscount and Viscountess moving through the crowd of people towards their King.

“Tonight, Alina, if you ever are in a situation with a Lord or Knight who is making you uncomfortable and I am otherwise occupied, I want you to look for Lord or Lady Ashowan. They will intervene in such a way that is discreet.”

The Princess wanted to laugh her father’s grim concern off, but found herself growing a mite fearful instead.

Despite this, she didn’t want to make her father even more worried or stressed than he already was, and so, she donned her well worn mask of composure.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure everyone will be on their best behavior. If I do experience any… unpleasant advances however, I will be sure to signal the Ashowan’s for help,” Alina reassured when her father began to turn to her to object to her faith in their fellow nobility.

The King and Princess had officially reached the dais, and as they stepped up before the thrones, Norman took his daughter’s hand, and addressed the guests. The room had fallen into the customary silence, but as Alina’s hazel gaze swept over the crowd, she found Henry several rows of people away watching her with his usual bright warm smile.

Smiling back at him, she began to move her gaze to the back of the room when she noticed Brendan Devark leaning against the furthest wall from her, his arms crossed and a goblet in hand as his intense dark eyes never wavered for a moment. Something about his stare made a slight tremor run through Alina, as it became very apparent that in the room of crowded nobles, she was the one and only one he was paying any attention to.

“Ladies and Lords, it is with a heavy heart… we gather this evening,” Norman began his greeting, snapping his daughter out of the strange hypnotic moment she had been experiencing with the Troivackian King.

“It is a father’s saddest moment to have to send his beloved daughter into the arms of a husband, but thus is life. The only possibility of comfort is the knowledge that she goes to a good man. One of integrity and loyalty that I can be proud to call a son-in-law.”

Many of the young men that had been staring at Alina with obvious thoughts of impurity shifted uncomfortably, though there were a select few that smirked.

“I trust you all to behave with the utmost respect towards the Princess. Particularly with the knowledge that anyone who may become blinded by their own desires, will face consequences of unimaginable strife.”

The few young Lords who had dared to flippantly disregard the first half of the King’s speech grew still then. There was a cold, yet heavy meaning to the monarch’s threat which was only aided by Lord Ashowan’s glimmering blue eyes as he glanced sharply at the men nearest himself, and Captain Taylor whose thick brows lowered when he beheld his own Knights from his own corner of the room.

“Now, a toast,” Norman held out his hand and Mr. Howard appeared from the shadows to place a goblet in his hand while Marianne appeared and handed one to Alina who was still a little stunned to see the murderous side of her beloved father…

“To my beautiful daughter, the light of my life. While no father ever thinks any man is good enough for his daughter, I hope that you find one that treats you as the treasure you are.”

Alina blushed deeply as everyone around the room chanted:“To the Princess!”

Taking a sip from her goblet, Alina smiled shyly at the nobles, unable to meet their gazes, which had the profound effect of melting their stiffened hearts.

“Enjoy the festivities everyone!” Norman clapped his hands, and the ball officially began.

*

While seated in her throne, Alina couldn’t resist nervously picking at her nails as the time for her surprise performance with Henry drew nearer. Initially she had been worried that she would be flooded with invitations to dance, but her spot beside her glowering father, and just behind the serious Viscount seemed to be a good deterrent.

However, it also meant any move she made was noticed immediately, making her plan of slipping away discreetly to grab her lute significantly more difficult than she had initially planned.

Well, that only left the tried and true excuse.

“Father, I will go freshen myself before beginning to dance with some suitors.” Alina leaned towards her father as she attempted to smile innocently. In truth she felt as though the tension was going to crack the very skin on her face as it stretched to accommodate the expression.

Norman turned sharply to his daughter, his eyes already bright with worry. “Are you feeling ill? Do you need to go to bed?”

“N-No, father! I just need to go r-relieve myself,” the Princess dropped her voice to a whisper as her cheeks flamed pink, making the King’s shoulders immediately relax.

“Of course. Sorry for being overbearing tonight… I thought I could be a little more… dignified on such a night. I just worry for you...”

Alina felt her heart break at her father’s openly loving and vulnerable expression.

“It’s alright, father. I love you, but I… I’m stronger than you think!” Alina smiled brightly, her eyes eager to convince her father.

Smiling warmly in response, Norman reached over and covered her hand with his own. “My darling daughter, I wish… I wish your brother… ah. Never mind.”

Alina’s expression froze.

‘Had he been about to wish my brother was here to protect me?’

Standing swiftly so that her father wouldn’t see her expression, the Princess kept her eyes cast to the ground.

“Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

Moving swiftly through the crowd, Alina did her best to avoid all eye contact and curious glances from the nobility around her. After all, she had grown up knowing many of them! There was no need to fear them, even if at the possibility of a plump dowry some of their smiles suddenly became… predatory.

“Ah! Excuse me Princess!”

“Princess, here is some wine if you-”

“Your Highness, I noticed you have not yet danced, would you-”

Alina ducked past many of her suitors with a demure smile and vague bob of her head as she moved towards the hall doors.

‘How am I supposed to get back in here when everyone is sticking to me like fruit flies on a ripe strawberry?’

As the young royal moved, she was beginning to worry that the elements of discretion and surprise would be completely eradicated from her plan, when she ran headlong into a sharp shoulder.

“Gods, I feel sorry for the maids who have to mop up all the drool from your suitors.”

Alina looked up with joyous relief into the face of Katarina Ashowan.

The redheaded Lady donned an emerald dress with a cream vest with gold embroidery that ran long into her train. Gold studs glinted in her earlobes and matching rings on her hands, but her wild wavy thick hair remained unadorned flowing down her back.

Her gold eyes flitted around the room in their usual disconcerting manner, but there was a smile on her lips that somehow put Alina at ease.

“Don’t worry, I can see my Da and the Captain already dispersing the truly… sticky pursuants.”

Alina laughed. “Well, with that taken care of… I… have a small favor to ask of you.”

Katarina dropped her expectant gaze to her friend.

“Can you help me get out of here and return without anyone noticing? The guards will probably try to follow me.”

The young Lady Ashowan smiled wolfishly before casting her sights around the room. “Gladly. Though, I’m going to have to make a temporary peace with my brother for perfect results.”

Alina frowned. "Temporary peace? I thought you and Tam got along wonderfully?”

Kat waved her hand dismissively while still searching the room. “We had a fight. It happens with siblings- you know how it is.”

An old ache appeared in the Princess’ chest as her brother’s smiling face sprang into her mind. Her right hand gripped into a fist at her side as she pushed it from her mind.

‘There is no point… I just need to wait for him and one day… he’ll return, and everything will go back to how it should be…’

Eyeing the fist Alina made Kat could tell her friend was recalling something troublesome.“Easy there, Princess. I want to punch my brother in the face these days, but I still love him… mostly.” Kat clasped her hands on Alina’s shoulders, her mischievous yet warm smile lighting her features beautiful as she eyed the clenched fist at her friend’s side.

‘She doesn’t even seem human…’ Alina observed dumbly for a moment before giving her head a shake.

“So you need to get out of here? Leave it to me. Getting you back in will be Tam’s job.” Kat smiled deviously, then grasped the Princess’ arm and hauled her along towards the great doors where four guards were stationed. Two in the corridor, two within the room.

As they approached the two guards bowed to the Princess. “Your Highness, we shall escort you to your destination-”

“OH my! The heat!” Kat slapped the back of her hand to her forehead and collapsed to the floor making several nobles around her clear a small patch of floor for her.

Alina couldn’t help but feel embarrassed for her friend as many elderly nobles rolled their eyes and several young noble women laughed at Kat’s theatrics.

“My Lady, are you alright?!” One of the guards from the door stepped forward worriedly.

“My word does no one feel this stifling warmth?! Goodness…. You there… fan me…” Kat waved to the other guards dramatically, all of them looking completely torn between complying and wanting to make someone else deal with her.

"My Gods, I might faint if a great wind doesn't cool me!" Kat grasped the hand of the nearest hand, her breathy desperate plea captivating his attention completely. To add an extra layer of theatrics, Kat's eyes closed and her expression turned grim.

All eyes immediately became glued on her performance, allowing Alina the perfect moment to slip out unnoticed.

*

“My Lords and Ladies!” Henry’s voice called out, his tone already laughing in good fun.

Everyone in the banquet hall ceased their conversations- the bardic group had already paused their performance to rehydrate.

“I am incredibly appreciative of the Daxarian King for welcoming my brother and I so graciously to your shores. I know given our history, it is hard for us all to share good tidings, but Princess Alina Reyes and I have prepared a special performance to help you all enjoy the beautiful side of our kingdoms! We hope you enjoy our collaboration!”

Norman’s eyes rounded as he scooted closer to the edge of his seat, fully intending to interrupt, when a path cleared from the doors to the hall revealing Alina shyly clutching her lute to her chest.

No one dared to whisper as she nervously strode down the path towards the dais where Prince Henry stood with an encouraging smile and… apprehensiveness in his eyes.

The Princess tried not to worry over the hesitancy in his expression, though she couldn’t deny the intensification of the trembling in her hands.

It was clear the Daxarian King wished to interrupt the expectant silence, but a pleading glance from his daughter had him frozen to his seat as she finally reached the dais, and then seated herself down on its step, her lute automatically fitting into her grasp without a second thought.

“This first song is a Daxarian sailor song that I’m sure more than a few of the Daxarian merchants have heard before!” Henry’s easy nature was settling a few people who were glancing at them with stiffened features, but there was still a great deal of interest being cast at the Troivackian Prince and Daxarian Princess.

Clearing her throat, and casting a shy glance to Henry, Alina began tapping the wooden base of her instrument, setting a steady beat.

Then, they sang.

It was a familiar song, and while at first everyone was too stunned at the charming duet the pair sang, soon pleased smiles began to spread through the crowd as the Prince kept his open friendly expression and smiled warmly at the Princess who was glowing with pleasure.

The song concluded, and the applause that came was not out of mere politeness as shouts for an encore began. Laughing, Alina turned to Henry who was smiling and waving to the crowd as though he were a naturally born performer.

Turning her shy gaze to the nobility, Alina noticed a good deal of young noble women eyeing Henry and whispering to their closest companions.

Feeling somehow small next to the Prince and his captivating aura, it was then the Princess noticed the Troivackian King staring at her with an expression that stole her breath.

He looked… crestfallen. As though he had just lost something…

“Princess?”

Alina blinked and turned back to Henry who was watching her expectantly.

“Yes, sorry… the next song?”

“Would you like to announce what it is?” the Prince asked while dropping his voice to a whisper.

Alina was going to say yes, until she faced the crowd and felt the unpleasant tickle of fear in her chest.

“N-No, that’s okay.”

Nodding without missing a beat, Henry turned to the group of nobles. “This next song is a traditional Troivackian folk song. If I had my instrument from home it’d be a little bit closer to how it was originally written to sound, but we hope you won’t mind the Princess’ expert lute playing instead.”

The nobility chittered, and something about it made Alina wince.

Even so, she struck the first chord, its discordant haunting tones ringing out purely into the crowd. When its melody switched to the soft fluttering of notes she noticed that the room had once again fallen dead silent.

As she played, becoming more and more engrossed in the song, she didn’t even raise her gaze from her left hand, until it was her time to join in to sing. When she lifted her face to look at Henry, however, she found his eyes were lost to a far off memory.

Her voice was too quiet compared to his… taking in a bit more air, Alina managed to match his volume, that is until she looked out into the crowd. She saw the infatuated stares at Henry, and a few of the young men staring straight at herself… their expressions either bored or studious as they listened.

It was then the horrible rattle in her chest began.

‘No! Please… Gods-’

She coughed.

Dropping off, Alina continued playing the lute, though her tempo was picking up speed thanks to her panic, and Henry was finally snapped out of his trance. He looked to her, and stopped singing.

Alina felt her face flare red, which only made her feel even more embarrassed when she opened her mouth to talk and immediately began choking.

“A cup of water! Please someone!” Henry called out immediately to the crowd.

‘No! Stop making this worse!’ Alina could feel the tears beginning to roll down her face as she choked.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her father rising from his chair and moving towards her. Despite barely being able to breathe or see through her tears, Alina thrust her lute into Henry’s arms, and launched herself into the crowd.

They scattered from her as she continued coughing her way towards the doors as though she were contagious.

“ALINA!” Norman’s voice boomed over the crowd making her feel even more like a small child running from their parent.

As she was beginning to wonder if she were trapped in a nightmare, Tam and Kat Ashowan appeared in front of her.

“Move as quickly as you can to the left of the corridor. We’ll redirect them,” Kat whispered hurriedly while giving her friend a small shove that had Alina stumbling free of the crowded room as the twins faced off against the herd of nobility all stuck in inaction as the King dismounted the dais and began following his daughter’s trail. The anxiousness in his face was impossible to miss.

“Right,” Tam murmured under his breath to his twin. “Any idea how we’re going to buy her time?”

“You’re the brains, I’m the brawn.” Kat answered through her teeth while stepping forward.

Tam swore colorfully under his breath before he stepped forward, his long dark hair was once again unbound in front of his gaze as he kept his face turned towards the floor.

“Sire, the Princess said she is going to her chamber, can we perhaps send for the Court Physician?” Tam asked the King who had finally reached them.

“Mr. Howard has already sent for him. I can-” Norman tried to move around Tam, only to find the man had stepped to block him… supposedly by accident.

“Oh, pardon me, Your Majesty. I’ll just… oh dear.” Tam shuffled awkwardly, still blocking the King until he could no longer make it look like natural clumsiness.

Norman finally stopped his strange dance, and shot the younger man a sharp look, that made Tam flinch.

Stepping slowly around the young man who was beginning to bow in apology, Norman finally moved into the dark corridor, only to find that his daughter had vanished into thin air.