"Belle, why do you have a coat that belongs to House Agriche?"
***
All of a sudden, I feel the heat of four pairs of eyes on me. Though not as forbidding as Dion Agriche's, there's still an urge to cast my gaze downwards for some reason. But no Lady of Gastor should lower her head for anyone else but the imperial family.
"Oh, we met on the balcony and it was rather chilly so Lord Agriche gave me his coat." I vaguely explain.
There's no need to tell them how my eyes had been glued to his figure for half of the night and it was only after a glass of wine and a fool's luck, that I was able to gather the courage to join Dion Agriche at the balcony.
I thought I folded the coat well after I re-entered the banquet hall—to be fair, I did until I stepped into the resting room. My mistake was thinking the silver roses of the Agriche family's insignia peeking from underneath the folds would not be a problem if I had hidden a portion of it already.
The coat lies in my lap with my arms resting on them. Now, it's receiving Cynthia's careful stare.
"Which... Lord Agriche do you mean?" Andriana asks and it's then that I recall the presence of Jeremy Agriche at the beginning of the ball.
"The handsome one." I giggle.
Perhaps the effect of the alcohol hasn't completely worn off.
"Belle!" Vassia gasps but the smile that tugs in the corners of her lips tells me that she's the least to mind Dion Agriche's background as long as he has an agreeable face.
"He was quite sweet and don't worry, this is the first and last time I shall be damned to converse with an Agriche." I lightly touch Cynthia's hand.
She'd been too tight-lipped which only means worries and anxiousness are filling her mind.
"For your sake, I do hope so, Arabella Ophelia Gastor." She finally snaps out of her trance.
It feels like I'm being chided by my mother when she utters my full name. But I can only squeeze her hand, assuring her not to worry.
"Ladies, shall we go back to the ball? We're too pretty to be cooped up in this resting room where no one will be able to see our pretty gowns and dolled up faces." I grin.
Calliroe handed me her shawl to wrap the coat with. Its deep emerald color does well to conceal what's left of the Agriche insignia. We left it in the resting room while we went back to the banquet hall.
In no time, Vassia's fiance, Theodore Sarellis, whisks her away. Each of us gets asked to dance by one gentleman at least, Cynthia being the star of the night with her light blue dress and faux diamond scattered all over the skirt like falling raindrops.
I choose to remain on the sidelines but that soon enough proves to be fruitless. I turned down two requests to dance already but accept the one with a young master whom I recall seeing at one of the gatherings held by my father with the vassals of the Gastor dukedom.
Even while I'm dancing, my eyes seldom stay on my partner.
They always find their way to a certain dark haired Agriche who has made himself scarce, standing in the corner of the room. And even then, he's still surrounded by his people.
It's like an invisible wall is separating us.
***
Since that night, I thought it would be another three months or so until we'd meet again at a ball.
But as though the stars and planets align, my feet come to an abrupt halt in front of an armory stall when the wooden door swings open and Dion Agriche steps out.
YOU ARE READING
to tame a beast
Fantasi♔ 𝓓𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝔁 𝓞𝓒'𝓼 ♔ Arabella is the daughter of the Gastor household. A lady of noble birth and grandeur through and through. All her life, sitting still and being pretty is the epitome of what she is. Yet it's become quite feat to continue l...
