Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Façade - The Palace | December of the Second Year

"Hey!" Perseus hollered and poked his head into the doorway of Parisa's bedroom. "The Sovereign is having a party!"

"That's lovely," Parisa mumbled and turned to the last chapter of the last schoolbook she would ever have to read. "When?"

"Next week. We're both invited!"

"Well, I'm glad he hasn't forgotten about me."

"I guess... invited is the wrong word. Lord Talbot wants us at the party in the crowd, so we need costumes."

"So... not invited."

Perseus entered and harumphed down onto the bed. "Well, hey... I was wondering if you'd help me get a costume."

"What's the occasion?"

"Guildenhart's birthday and a celebration of how amazing the Embassy is."

"How pompous."

"It's showy, for sure... but at least if someone attacks, we'll be the first available to defend everyone."

"Sure. I'd love to help you shop."

"Let's go! It's a beautiful day... it's snowing outside."

Parisa marked her page with a bookmark and smiled at him, mere words away from the end. She could never manage to be angry around him and his words always helped her forget the day to day hurt. She teased, "It's cold outside."

"Yeah, but it's snowing! It never snows!" Perseus laughed and handed her a jacket, gloves, and a hat. Even their everyday clothes had the Elite emblem stitched into the shoulders. Everything blue in Parisa's room and wardrobe had been stripped away, and the Elite guards were not allowed the blue of the Embassy Councilmember wardrobe. Perseus wore a set to match, telling everyone who saw them exactly who they were. He beamed as they left the palace and caught snowflakes with his tongue as he danced down the street.

Snow was so rare in Segeno that they sometimes went months without seeing a flake in the sky. The clouds would roll in, but it was just too warm and too dry to bring anything down. The snow would not last long, but it was enough to dust the ground in white powder. Perseus kicked up flurries, his warm cheeks melting snowflakes as they touched his skin, and Parisa smiled. His joy brought her more happiness than he could ever know.

"You're sure we're okay to be on leave?" she asked.

"Yeah, Bryant and Chalcedon have us covered while we shop, Talbot's orders."

Parisa could not wipe the smile from her face as they meandered through the Naa'a district. "So... do you have anything in mind?"

"In mind for what?" Perseus asked and flushed when she looked at him. She noticed that he had been staring at her, and the snowflakes caught on his eyelashes, turning them white.

"Your costume."

"I honesty have no idea. I've never been invited to a party in my life, and I've definitely never had the money to go costume shopping."

Parisa turned toward a costume shop she knew. "My mother took me to a costume party when I was very little. The old Sovereign hosted it, and I got my costume from a place not too far from here."

"What were you?"

"A fairy, I think. You know... we should match."

"What?"

"We're not really Embassy, but we're not really guards, either. Don't you think our costumes should match?"

"I don't know anything about these kinds of events."

"I don't either. This whole thing is just... awkward for me. I wish I didn't have to go at all."

"We'll be together, though."

"At least we have that."

It took a moment for Perseus to speak past the sheepish smile on his face. "Does that mean you'll accompany me to the dance?"

"You haven't asked me."

"Well, I'm asking."

The door to the costume shop chimed as it hit a little silver bell when it opened. As costume parties were a common occurance in Naa'a, costume stores like this prospered by renting out costumes for a single night, and most getups on the shelves matched the colors of the Embassy. Parisa began to browse around, not giving Perseus a straight answer. She hid a smile from him and covered her laughter, enjoying the momentary chaos her response had caused in him. She mused, "Most people go as animals, but a mask can say a lot about character."

Parisa thumbed through garments while Perseus sighed, "Birds? How about birds?"

"Maybe? Like owls... or swans? I feel like a lot of people will be doing that."

"Why does it matter?"

"Well, we want to stand out, don't we?"

"Is being high class all about standing out?"

"Basically..." Parisa huffed and put her hands on her hips. "How about fish?"

"That... is an awful idea." Perseus' face scrunched, but after a moment of thinking he snapped his fingers. "I got it! What if we were a cat and a mouse?"

"What?"

Perseus shrugged, embarrassed. "It was just an idea."

"I'd be the cat?"

"No," Perseus grinned. "You'd be the mouse."

Parisa nodded in agreement and said, "It's actually not a bad idea... better than fish. We need to find actual costumes, though."

After an hour more of searching, Parisa and Perseus managed to find pure white cat and mouse costumes and masks to match, thanks to the help of a kind store clerk. As they walked back to the palace, Perseus contemplated the mask in his hand. "I've never spent so much money in my life."

"It wasn't that expensive..."

"The cost of the mask alone could feed my family for a week."

Parisa said nothing, a guilty pang striking her heart. The snow made everything so quiet, and few people were on the street in the chilly weather. Their footsteps echoed off the adobe buildings in Naa'a and finally, as they neared the Embassy palace, she whispered, "To answer your question... I'd be very happy if you took me to the party."

Perseus flushed and smiled at her, triumph in his eyes. "Then let's call it a date."