Heretics

Chapter 34: The Winter Fete pt.1

      I stood looking at myself. The events from the night before playing in my head on repeat. I would be seeing Aleksander for the first time in a week tonight. I would really be seeing him.

       He had left after Zoya told him no last night. He was practically fuming. The shadows following him out of the room. My own receding when I heard the door click shut behind him.

I could breathe normally again when I heard the door close. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest. I was still crying when Zoya came back in. She helped me to calm down and get changed and get into bed. Her soon following after me. I put my head on her shoulder and she put her arm around me and that's how we fell asleep.

I thanked the Saints for a friend like her every time I saw her or thought about anything she had done for me recently.

I had told her yesterday I didn't want to go to the ball and yet now I found myself sitting as my desk as Zoya did my hair. Pulling and tugging and twisting so it framed my pale face. I had a little golden crown to top off my outfit that Zoya had surprised me with this morning.

     "Zoya?" I looked at my now newly painted nails. We painted them gold to match the outfit I was wearing currently. The shoes had been thrown somewhere on the bed waiting for the right time to me worn.

      I was still to walk in with guards at my arm at a certain time. Alina would do her little light show then I would do mine. Though I didn't know how that's as going to considering I didn't even know if I could still use my light one and two how the baby would be.

     I didn't think it was a great idea to let me anywhere near Alina and apparently so did Aleksander. He had her schedule changed so it would evade mine perfectly. She would go in before me. People would marvel at her. Then she would go mingle.

     Then I would be brought in. In my beautiful golden gown. People would look and I would show them my powers. What Aleksander didn't know is that I would also be showing my shadows. I didn't let him in on that little secret just yet. I was going to create the darkness in the room for my light.

      "Hmm?" She had been so busy playing with my hair and doing my makeup that she was still a bit zoned out on the fact that I was talking to her.

     "Will you walk in with me? Genya is going to be with Alina. I want you with me. Of course if you don't mind that is." I saw her smile in the mirror as she placed the crown just perfectly on my head. My hair fell around my face perfectly and was in a curly neat bun in the back. The crown was absolutely beautiful and perfectly matching to the dress.

     "Of course I'll walk with you. Now stop moving so I can do your makeup!" She replied and got on her knees to reach my face. I was taller than her but it was still an odd angle for her to do my makeup standing so she kneeled in from of me.

      Soon after my makeup had been done. Zoya did her hair and let me do her makeup and she zipped up her dress and slid her kefta over it. I would not be wearing a kefta tonight. My dress was made with smilies material so it wouldn't be a problem.

     I walked to the floor length mirror and looked at myself smiling sadly at the woman I saw before me. How could this woman have been in the First Army only months ago and now she was here in a grisha dress at the little palace where she thought once upon a time she belonged and now? Now she had no idea how any of it was real.

     "Quit frowning. You're going to ruin your makeup." Zoya spoke as she walked into the bathroom handing me my shoes. We would be leaving in a few minutes for my grand entrance. I heard a knock at the door.

     "Will you go see who it is while I put these monstrous shoes on?" I asked as I sat down on a chair and began to strap them to my feet. They weren't the most comfortable but they were beautiful and would do the trick for tonight.

      "It's Ivan. He's escorting us." Zoya leaned from the other room to say to me. I quickly stood up and smoothed out any wrinkles in the dress and made my way to the door and the people waiting for me.

      Ivan and three other grisha guards I didn't know the names of were waiting inside my bedroom. They were lounging on the couches as I walked in. Two of them literally drooled. One didn't blink when he saw me and Ivan pulled me into a hug and told me I looked beautiful. I smiled at him and thanked him as we all got ready and set for our entrance into the ball.

      Here is how Ivan explained what was going to happen. First we would leave the room and two of the guards would hang back to make sure no one did anything while I was gone. It was added protections because of the field incident. Nothing had happened since but it was still a precaution. Second Ivan would follow Zoya and I into the ball room where he would hang by the entrance. Zoya would go and stand with the other tidemakers and I would be with Aleksander.

      As much as I hated how that had to be I knew it was for safety purposes. I frowned a little and Zoya shot me an annoyed glance at which I stuck my tongue out at her. Ivan sighed and pushed Zoya and I from the room.

      Here goes nothing. I thought as we began our trek to the ballroom.