The Necromancers

Chapter seventeen

Total of 24 hours were left for the ball to begin and I was there, in my room, glancing outside at all the guests arriving at a remote time. All regal and graceful. They were of course the royal guests and they held the aura around them.

When I arrived at the palace the previous afternoon, Ophelia rushed towards me, leaving whoever she was talking to. I didn't understand why I was more important to her than the governor of our southeastern district. That was what I thought until I had the unpleasantness to be greeted by him. He was nothing short of nasty and a total pervert.

After that Ophelia asked me to join her and Orion for lunch which I couldn't deny even if I wanted to. I was happy and soaking in all the attention coming from her and the king. For one I was grateful that Drystan wasn't there in the dining room. It was a relief because I didn't know how I was supposed to be facing him. And ever since then I hadn't had a run-in with Drystan. Though I did meet Nyx and Alessi, they both also introduced me to the funniest pair of twins I've ever had the chance to meet.

Drako and Amedeo. Drako was a talk, dark-skinned guy. His body was littered with scars which all told a story about him and I was curious. But apparently, I realized that he was embarrassed about them and tried to hide them. My heart ached for him about that, because scars were nothing to be ashamed of. One is supposed to wear their scars proudly because they are just proof that no matter how many times life fucks you over you stood strong and survived. His eyes were the lightest shade of grey I had ever seen. He was beautiful.

So was Amedeo. With his unruly blonde hair and light brown skin, and brown eyes, Amedeo was the total opposite of his twin and one would not even know if they are twins if it wasn't for their same facial structure and their actions.

In the one hour that I sat down with all of them, there wasn't a moment when I wasn't laughing. The two of them were hilarious to a fault. My stomach hurt from all the laughing but all was fine. I felt fine. My anxiety did not kick in during the whole encounter and I had a whole packet of chips. I did feel guilty for eating it but that didn't matter because I ate it already and crying over spilled milk wasn't going to be a good thing.

"Astoria?" Alessi knocked at my door.

"Come on in." I moved from the window sill and sat down on my bed. Alessi joined me and stayed quiet for two seconds and then she blurted out the weirdest of things.

"Were you looking out for Prince Drystan?" She funnily wiggled her brows.

"I was looking at the other guests who were arriving." Right? I mean I couldn't possibly be looking for Drystan. He hadn't even crossed my mind for so long. A frown subconsciously graced my forehead and I was suddenly distressed.

"Woah okay. How was your trip? I didn't get a chance to talk to you about it among the others."

"It was alright. I had fun."

She waited for me to say something else but when I didn't she looked disappointed. The first instinct in me told me to apologize and tell her everything but I couldn't just do that. I couldn't trust her even though she was a close friend to me in my childhood. I couldn't trust anyone at all.

"You know you have to take a date to the ball tomorrow? Who are you going with?" She changed the topic and looked at me hopefully trying to get me involved in a conversation with her.

"I seriously don't want to go on anyone's arm. Be it a girl or a boy so I guess I will probably go alone. And anyway I'm thinking of not staying there for too long." It was the truth. I couldn't possibly stay at the party for too long barely knowing anyone there and I have been exhausted from the trip. And this is just the beginning of it all. There is so much that I have to do, and staying at a ball and plastering a fake smile for people sounds more boring than my math textbook. "Who are you going with?"

"Drako. He asked me for it a couple of days ago." She smiled fondly at that.

"Are you- No, do you like him?"

"I do. I have liked him ever since I came to the palace but never got the chance to say that to him. I feel scared that he will probably laugh at my face."

"Do you really know him that little? I met him just yesterday and I know he would never ridicule someone's feelings. And either way, he does like you too. Drako is a nice person."

She sat silent so I chose the moment to fall back onto my bed and close my eyes for a while. I stayed locked up in my room most of the time. It was better than going out and crashing into all the arrogant and boastful people in the hallways or the garden. The palace was infiltrated by the people who had no business snooping around and for once I felt bad for the flashy life that these people have lived. It must get tiring to be polite to the people who don't deserve it one bit.

I was grateful that at least I wasn't forced to eat with the guests. I was told by Nyx that some of the younger witches were truly disgusting and some of the elders were so snarky that she wanted to wash their mouths with a bar of soap.

Apart from it all I had begun reading about the shallows. I needed to decide fast if I should help them or not or even for that matter if I should just reply to them to know what it is that they want from a nobody witch like me. The first fifty pages that finished held nothing but the basic information about the witches. It was just all of the crimes that they supposedly committed and an explanation for it all. Of course, no crime has a reason behind it but this one book provided insight into those witches.

"For a nineteen year old I feel like you are more mature and straight forward. A sophisticated young lady. And Astoria I couldn't have been prouder of you for what you have become and how you have survived this one month without needing any of our help." Alessi broke my trail of thoughts and I realized that she was still here.

"I'm not sophisticated Alessi. People just assume that on their own because I like to speak less and mind my own business." I smiled at her.

"Oh Beathan, did you just tell me that I do not mind my own business?" She faked a huge gasp and tried to discreetly pull a pillow towards her.

"Maybe or maybe not." I shrugged innocently and picked up a pillow of my own.

"Take that back. Take that back right now." Alessi stood up on my bed and I copied her soon after.

"Nope." And before I would blink the pillow was thrown at my face making me reel back. A laugh rose from my chest and it felt good. It felt better to be doing this. To be having fun with someone like I had no care in the world.

And soon enough we both were blindly swinging the pillows at each other and laughing like there was no tomorrow. Soon enough pillows burst and there was feather flying around in my room. I looked at her and she was staring right back at me with a huge smile on her face. We both picked up another pillow at the same time and continued swinging at each until I was breathless from laughing so hard and until my room was a complete mess.