Van Bereaver

Chapter 10- Secret

Sage

On the day before the banquet, we had made it to the Isle of Thanedd. There were servants loading things into the school that would temporarily be a party location.

"Sage, you're a day early," Tissaia greeted.

"I had no where else to stay in the meantime," I said, my eyes hooked onto a gold chandelier being carried in.

"Here will have to do. Geralt. Cirilla."

We entered Aretuza and went to the dormitory, taking the rooms we had previously stayed in. Geralt, being eyed by many other mages in the halls, had to choose another bedroom. We set down our travel luggage and Ciri immediately tossed herself onto the nice bed.

"I was starting to get tired of those shitty beds in Kaer Morhen," Ciri said. "I'll stay here the entire night, right?"

"I'll bring you some sweets," I winked.

"What will you be wearing?"

"No idea."

"I know," Triss Merrigold said, poking her head into the room. I gasped when I saw her and we hugged each other. "It's been a long time."

"Let me guess, you're the one who invited me."

"Of course. I missed you by a day in Kaer Morhen and I was sad about that. Besides, you need some social event to enjoy," Triss explained. "The banquet will be the best way to get a good man."

"And have sex," Ciri said and I glared at her.

"Well... Geralt is my guest and he doesn't know much about anyone else, so he'll probably be at my hip," I said.

She sighed. "Alright, dresses?"

"Right," I nodded. She called out to a maid in the halls who pulled in a rack of clothing. She was shooed away and I started skimming through them. There was pastel pink, red, burnt orange, black, dark purple; all of them I gave repulsing looks.

"She wants white," Ciri spoke for me. "Look at her."

I looked at myself in the mirror and blushed at my white cloak.

"How about this?" Triss inquired, raising a gown. It wasn't fluffy like the other ones but straight and long. There was a white to blue ombre, the dark blue at the bottom, and streaks of it at the breast. It wasn't lace but a transparent mesh at the square neckline that would show some cleavage. The longsleeves were the real fabric and it cut at an angle, making the arms fall on the floor, stilling having the ombre affect.

"Jewlery?" I questioned in a mesmerized tone.

"This lapis lazuli choker," she said. The band was white and the oval gemstone was fixed in a gold crown. "You can keep it."

"Thank you."

***

I kept brushing the dress, starting to get uncomfortable. I could hear the sound of the guests downstairs. I sharply inhaled to calm my nerves.

"You'll be fine," Ciri said. I turned to face her and reflected her smile. She handed me a brush to pass through my wavy, red hair. "Have fun."

"I will," I nodded.

I left the room and started heading to the hall where everyone was, chattering and laughing. I had queasy feeling in my stomach, not that I was going to puke or anything, but something bad was going to happen. I couldn't quite place it.