The Magnificent

XXXIII

The discovery washed over me like a tidal wave but I must admit, I wasn't completely surprised. I hadn't liked Lady Natalie from the beginning and this proves that my hunch was right. She was obviously a spoiled little girl who discovered that the one man at the ball that she wanted did not want her. Or perhaps, she knew Peter wasn't going to lust after her so she came prepared. Whatever her plan was, I had to stop it before anything drastic happened. I needed to get to Susan. She could help me sort things out and keep Natalie as far away from Peter as possible. 

I couldn't just burst into the ballroom waving the vial and announcing her treachery. Everyone would think it was desperate lie. I needed to be strategic. Above all, I knew that I couldn't be caught with the only piece of evidence, that would be incredibly suspicious. As I ran though possibilities of how I could get across the ballroom without being spotted with it, I nearly smacked myself as I looked over the obvious. I had magic for god's sake, I could make the vial invisible to unwanted eyes for a short amount of time. I silently thanked Mr. Tumnus for making me study a few basic charms as I waved my hand over the vial. It sparkled for a second but then looked completely normal. To me at least, anyone at the ball who happened to glance over would see nothing between my fingers. Unless I wanted them to of course. Man, this stuff was coming in handy. Silently proud of myself, I thought out a quick plan before heading towards the doors.

The sound of the party was nearly explosive as I slipped away from my peaceful hiding place. The orchestra had clearly been offered more than a few drinks and was now laughing joyfully as they played a bouncing tune. The dance floor was the most crowded it had been all night. Even Lord Guibor was dancing around with a poor young woman who couldn't seem to keep up with his giddiness. Although the scene distracted me from my woes for a split second, I was on a mission that could not be interrupted. My eyes scanned the crowd of guests quickly. Looking for a specific deep blue gown that would certainly stand out among the bright colors of the other women. 

I spotted a flash of darkness across the room standing beside a slim figure with golden hair. Susan was in the middle of a conversation with Lady Velesia, Lucy clapping happily along with the musicians beside her. I tried to move as quickly as my ballgown and other guests would allow. Glancing up every once in a while to make sure my target hadn't moved. "Queen y/n!" A voice called. I ignored it, pretending I simply didn't hear it. "My lady!" It called again, followed by small mumbles of "excuse me" and "I'm so sorry, pardon me". Still, I moved forward. Much easier than my pursuer it would seem as people moved out of my way to create a path but there was no such respect for the individual in my wake.

Just as Susan was within my reach, the voice caught up with me. Actually, the hand attached to the voice did. There was suddenly a tight grip on my arm and I was forced to stop. "It seems you're avoiding me, your highness." It sneered. "Not at all! The music is just a tad loud so I-" My breath caught in my throat when I realized who I was speaking to. "Lord Ioco." I said, my voice low. "I've been trying to speak with you all night." He smiled. A wicked looking gesture that made my stomach turn. 

"What about?" I retorted, tugging my arm out of his grip. "The party of course! I hope it's everything you expected it to be." He said. "It's wonderful." I said flatly, "Now if you'll excuse me." I turned away from the man, getting my focus back on Susan but was stopped again when he stepped in front of me. "You would deprive me of your excellent company, your majesty? Surely everyone deserves time with the Queen of Narnia." Ioco words were meant to be charming I'm sure. His eloquence had no doubt gotten him a lot in life but, tonight his overused charms weren't working as he expected. "I'm afraid I've already promised my time to another." I plastered on my best smile. "Like you said Lord Ioco, I'm in high demand tonight." I curtsied ever so slightly and walked away quickly before he could come up with another line.