I Must Save the Evil King

Chapter 16

"Presenting Lady Claudette Rousseau D'aureville, representing the Rousseau duchy"  The room was filled with gold light from the dozens of golden chandeliers, and the dark night was blocked off by floor-to-ceiling curtains that sparkled like gold. The chatter of the crowd fell silent for a moment before picking up again as the dancers scrambled to catch back up with the music. 

On one end of the ballroom was a platform that held 3 golden thrones. I could see Princess Anna sitting in the one on the right, and a man who must have been the king sitting in the middle but the third seat was empty. On the other end, there were buffet tables stacked to the brim with food. So of course that was where I started to walk once I made it to the bottom of the stairs.  The middle of the ballroom was filled with the people dancing perfectly in sync around them in a ring stood the onlookers waiting for their chance to jump in. I made my way around them, ducking into alcoves whenever a servant carrying a tray of drinks needed to pass by.  

I had almost reached the table when the music came to a grand crescendo and someone tapped my shoulder. I jumped and turned to see Thibault, a smug smile on his face.  

"Good to see you're not dead." He handed me a glass filled with a bubbly pink liquid. 

"I'll pass," I tried to smile politely. 

"More for me" he shrugged and then downed the entire glass. A servant walked by and he put the empty glass on the tray, replacing it quickly with a full one.  "Julian sent me to check on you. He would do it himself but-" he gestured off towards a crowd of young women all wearing bright and ridiculous dresses. "he is a bit busy being swarmed by every unmarried woman in the country." 

"You can consider me checked on." I started to turn but Thibault grabbed my wrist. The next song had started up now and couples started flocking to the middle of the room. 

"I was hoping I could receive a reward for checking in on you. Perhaps a dance?" I rolled my eyes at him, pulling my arm out of his grasp. 

"I don't dance," I turned, continuing my journey to the food table. Thibault hurried after me, his drink sloshing in its cup.   

"What a shame, because I love dancing," 

"Then stop wasting your time here and go find a lady to dance with," I was suddenly struck with the memory of his face when I had pulled him onto my balcony, I tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a laugh. He looked around confused for a moment before realizing I had just laughed at him. 

"First you refuse to dance with me and now you laugh at me," He chuckled the thought unbelievable to him. "If you hate me could you at least do me the favor of saying why?" 

"You're a pervert," I gave a small smile as I slipped away into the crowd of people. He just stood there frozen looking like a fish with his mouth wide open.  Making it to the table I grabbed a pastry filled with cream and finished it in only two bites. I could have inhaled that entire table but it felt suffocating standing there squished between hundreds of poofy dresses. So I grabbed a handful of macaroons, sticking one in my mouth before I made my way under the balcony that wrapped around the entire room. I sat down in the nook of a window watching everyone else dance in the golden light from my dark and quiet spot. 

From my spot I peered into the crowd, trying to spot any red families. While the women wore jewelry with their family crest on it the men wore colored badges on their jackets bodily advertising their house. I spot one man with a red crest but shrunk with disappointment once seeing that it was Belmont. The one family I know is red and also the one it can't be. Claudette didn't recognize the crest and I doubt she ever bothered to look at one of the biggest families' crests. 

I groaned as I saw the figure clad in yellow marching toward me. Emilee. 

"What are you doing here?!" she squawked. She jutted out one finger towards the exit her eyes ablaze with anger. "Go back to your room now and rest!"

"Oh but Emilee!" I fluttered my eyelashes dramatically, summoning the presence of a proper young lady. I hoped she didn't notice the pink crumbs on my dress.  "I'm here to solve the diamond mystery!"

"You know who it was?" I nodded my head in response. "Oh thank the gods! Who was it? Tell me quickly child?" 

"I can't tell you," I smiled peering over her shoulder at a flash of color that caught my eye. 

"Why not, you brat?" Her hands fell to the sides of her dress and she looked positively done with me.  I stood up now trying to get a better view of the man with the red crest. It definitely wasn't Belmont.  

"Do you know who that is?" I point to the younger man with fiery orange hair, his outfit was entirely gray which made the bright red patch pop even more. She gave him a quick once over, standing on her toes so that she could see him over the crowd. 

"No clue. Why?" she turned back to me but I had already started walking past her toward the man.  Once I made it to the wall of onlookers I looked back to see that Emilee had walked off and was talking to some ladies. I tried to shove my way through the crowd but no one seemed to want to move. I stood on my toes seeing that the man was dancing in the middle of the room with some lady in a purple dress. 

"Oh so now you want to dance?" I turned startled to see Thibulat standing next to me. Now that the crown prince's number 1 was standing next to me people actually gave us some room. Thibault had the same cocky smile on his face though I could tell it was slightly strained. I pointed to my ginger mystery man. 

"Do you know who that is?" He looked at the man thinking for a second before shrugging. 

"I barely know all of the people who live here year-round. Though judging by his hair he is probably from the southern regions. Maybe Arles or Peillon?" The song began winding down and the dancers were finishing up. Thibault eyed me, perhaps he was wondering if I now had brain damage. "Why do you want to know? Do you have a crush?"

"No I'm trying to solve a murder that hasn't happened yet," I muttered as the song ended and I allowed myself to be caught up in the crowd. 

"You and my mom would get along. You're both crazy," He shouted after me. I glanced behind to see him shaking his head and downing another glass of alcohol. 

I looked around desperately in the crowd when I bumped into someone. I turned slowly ready to apologize before realizing it was the orange-haired man. Standing next to him I could now see just how tall he was, no wonder he bumped into me, I doubt he could see me from up there. 

"Oh sorry, my lady are you okay?" He craned his head down at me and I gulped suddenly nervous. Come on Ettie you can do this! I looked up at him and straighten my back trying to psych myself out. You don't know if he is a murderer or not! He could just be a really nice man.. who is related to a murderer. You got this Ettie!  It wasn't until the next day that I realized that the last sentence wasn't my voice. 

"What family are you from?" I pointed to the red badge which I could now see had a porcupine on it. Or was it a hedgehog? I always forget the difference. 

"My apologies, my lady I didn't mean to offend you," It took me a second to remember that as far as anyone in here cared I was a duchess. 

"What no! Just quickly tell me what your family name is!" I panicked as the music began to start up again. The man looked at his dancing partner who was standing to his right. 

"I am a Toussaint, my lady," He said quickly obviously concerned by my state. 

"Perfect! Lovely name, see you around!" I said quickly as I turned quickly hoping to get off the dance floor. I tried to weave between the people but the music had started and no one wanted to let me through. My face went bright red from embarrassment as I stood there stuck in the middle of the dance floor. 

Suddenly a hand took mine and I was swept up into the dance. I spun around and then was pulled back towards my partner. I watched my feet careful not to step on their toes as they put one hand on my waist. I could feel their breath on my neck as they leaned in close.

"We are gonna spin again," whispered a voice in my ear, which I immediately recognized. I looked up startled to realize it was Julian I was dancing with. That is also when I realized everyone else had stopped dancing.