The Marquis Who's Wicked (Higher Court II)

V. The Masquerade Ball

Ian was sipping on the railway before he was looking at the front door where the guests have arrived. He was one of the Higher Court that made it on time, which meant that he was early than the others. Arabella was happy to see him before she went to greet the other guests. He was sipping on the wine and he was happy to be out of that young queen's radar for the rest of the night.

"I see that you have been here for quite some time," greeted the Viscount of Vyckos, Daniel Cutler as he was smirking at Ian before the marquis was scoffing at another best friend of his. There were five of them, including him among the group. The viscount smiled before he was looking at the guests that came to the ball tonight.

It was a masquerade ball after all.

Ian has not put on his mask yet as he was trying to not roll his eyes at the viscount. I know that after this, it would be your turn, dumbass, Ian mused before he was smirking as he was looking at the guest. Then he saw her. The woman was adorning the yellow dress that was complimenting the pale complexion of her skin. She was adorning the brown mask as she was looking around. Ian felt something inside his chest before Daniel was whistling. He snapped his head to his friend before his Demon was trying to take over. He reigned it in. Control, Ian, control. He was looking at the viscount before his friend was smirking at him. Daniel was arching his eyebrow at Ian.

"Don't tell me, you fancy her? You don't even know her name," Daniel said before Ian scoffed.

"And I am about to find out now," he said as he left the Viscount of Vyckos to his own devices as he went to meet the woman in yellow down below on the dance floor.

*****

Emily was pulling at her dress as she was being conscious of the low neckline that the seamstress was adjusting for her. I should have not trusted her, she mused before she was putting on her mask as she was looking around the ballroom. The Golden Castle was enormous, much bigger than the Kain Estate as Emily was looking around before she was taking a flute of wine from the passing servants. She was making her way around before she felt the body heat behind her.

"Are you lost, my dear?" The stranger was adorning the black breeches and waistcoat. Emily can see that his mask matched his clothes before she was blinking her eyes. Emily was adorning the yellow dress and her mask was brown. It should not attract someone's attention but of course, it did.

"How you do, my lord?" Emily curtsied as she did not if the man in front of her was a lord or not. But she would not be leaving the title out as it would boost their ego. She must keep her appearance as a Lady tonight after all.

"I am fine, now that I have met you," the lord said before Emily was smiling timidly at him. She knew what the lord was implementing. He was in search of a bride and he spotted Emily to be alone without a chaperone. She was three and twenty years old, two more years before she was on the shelf.

"How charming of you to say so to a lady with no chaperone around her," Emily said before she was fanning out her fan, to act as if she was shy by that declaration. It was a gift by the seamstress to make sure that she would be looking enticing in the dress. The mysterious lord smiled at her.

The technique worked, it seems, she mused as the lord was looking around before he was offering his hand to Emily. She looked at it before she was arching her eyebrow at her. Do not do that when you're in public as it was not ladylike, her tutor once reminded her not to do such behavior which included arching her eyebrow, scoffing, and talking sarcastically to the presence of a lord.

It would seem that Emily broke one of the etiquettes now.

The lord was amused by her reaction before he was clearing his throat. "May I dance with you, my lady?" He asked her before Emily was looking at him skeptically.