SHADOW

Sonya

"Good morning, my lady!"
A cheerful, familiar voice rang out, and Sha almost imagined she was back at the mansion. The smell of vanilla, cream, fresh green tea, and mint filled the air, mingling with the crisp freshness of morning.
A true delight, thought Sha as she yawned.

She looked up at the gilded ceiling and the intricate furniture around her with disappointment.
She was still at the castle.

"Good morning to you too, Sonya! You're here?" Sha asked cheerfully. She jumped out of bed and hugged the singing maid.

"Yup! The Count sent for me last evening, so I arrived early this morning. It was a long night for me, but we must prepare for the ball. Eat well, because tonight, we're going to party!" replied the girl cheerfully, twirling around Sha.

"We will party?" Sha raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, my lady! We'll dance, eat good food, run around bonfires, explore the gardens, and enjoy life. The Count told me I must attend too—to be your companion. Usually, it's not proper for a maid to accompany a lady like that, but since it's a masked solstice celebration, nobody will know. And apparently, I'm the most trustworthy, level-headed girl available—the one you'll feel most comfortable with, as Simon said."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm super happy! But if this is a costumed party, what will we wear? I brought nothing with me last evening—not even a costume," replied Sha.

"Do not fret, my lady. The Count has everything figured out. See these two boxes I carried in? That's your costume. I have mine in my room. First, I'll bathe you, pamper you, sprinkle you with golden dust and perfume, do your hair... then you'll eat breakfast while I go prepare myself. You'll have to read a book or something for an hour until I return, then I'll dress you in your costume. How does that sound, my lady?"

"Stop calling me 'my lady.' You can call me Sha in private. It all sounds great—except for the part about rolling me in golden dust. Is that optional?" Sha asked, rolling her eyes.

"Nope, I'm afraid the golden dust is mandatory. The Count himself insisted. You're going to be dressed as Sole, the fairy of sunshine, and you must be sprinkled with golden dust. Your hair will be braided with golden flowers, golden ribbons, and white pearls. You'll wear a golden mask with engraved flower patterns, and a flowy white dress with gold trim."

"So... you already peeked in the box?" Sha smirked.

**"Of course I did! I was too curious. I didn't sleep much on the road here, and I had nothing else to do. It looks better than you think—not garish at all. Even though there's a lot of gold, it's a soft matte shade, not shiny. And there's a lot of white, so you'll look fine. Gold and white with your black hair? You'll be stunning. Like stars in the night sky!" Sonya declared, raising a hand dramatically.

"Who said that?" Sha asked in dismay.

"The Count. Who else?" Sonya chuckled. "He seems pretty invested in your looks. May I have a bun too? I didn't eat much—I'm starving!"

"Yes, yes, go ahead," Sha replied, then froze.
"Wait a moment. This food—is it from the kitchens downstairs?"
She stopped chewing the pie in her mouth. Oh gods, should I throw up on the carpet or run to the bathroom? Is this the poisoned food? It's definitely not from the safe stash the ghost showed me.

"Relax! I brought this food from the mansion. The Count and Simon told me to bring a proper breakfast, just in case. I didn't trust the kitchens here either," Sonya said.

Sha sighed in relief and swallowed the bite.

"What's the matter? You seem unwell," Sonya asked, concerned.

"It's nothing... just that Princess Iolanda is apparently trying to poison me. I was afraid you'd gotten this food from the castle kitchens. She's preparing special dishes for some guests."

"Okay... then we'll only eat the vegetable buns and sesame-seed bread. I'll show you what's safe and what's not. Deal?"

Sonya gaped at Sha but didn't comment further.

"Good to know. What about the water? Is that safe?" the maid asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have a big bottle of clean water hidden here. We'll drink from that, just in case."

The bathroom was spectacular, with a huge marble tub and a crystal chandelier. Sonya scrubbed Sha until she was pink and dabbed her with all sorts of ointments and perfumes.

"I love this perfume—it smells like summer," said Sonya, pouring some into the bath.

"Yes, the Count said it's the King's favorite," Sha replied, blushing.

**"Oh, well well! Now it all makes sense!" Sonya sang, launching into a romantic ballad about a siren and her prince.

"What are you talking about? And stop singing that lurid song. What plan? Enlighten me!" Sha asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You don't have to be a genius to see what's going on," Sonya replied.
"The King is single, and half the noblewomen in the land are after him—not for love, but for the power their families would gain if their daughter married the King. If the Count is the King's advisor and best friend, it makes sense that he'd want to secure his position. What better way than to marry you to the King and keep other families out of the picture? You're a neutral piece—no power-hungry relatives."

"Oh my... That sounds incredible. But I'm not sure the Count's plan is as sound as he thinks. I'm not queen material, as you can see," Sha said, laughing.

"No one is by default. You learn to be. Besides, you're perfect—you have no powerful family to meddle between the Count and the King. The Count is very rich, some say almost as rich as the Emperor of Soleil. He has properties all over the world but chooses to live here, his mother's homeland. He adored her, you know. And the King? He's been his best friend since the war."

"And what about Princess Iolanda?" Sha asked, sobering.

"Some say she and the Dowager Queen squandered the royal funds. Others believe she hid the money and is planning a revolt against her brother. You didn't hear this from me—but that's what the servants whisper," Sonya said in a hushed tone, glancing around.

"Strange things do happen at court," Sha murmured. "People vanish. Disappear without a trace..."

"If your goal was to make me want to run, congratulations. I hope the Count's plan fails and we just go home safely. As much as I like Elias... Iolanda would crush me if she had the chance. She's mad, and I'd be living in fear."

"Well, the Count and the King might have plans to deal with Iolanda. And the 'sunshine man' seems to favor you. I saw the glint in your eyes when he kissed the corner of your mouth. Still wondering if he meant to kiss your cheek or your lips and just missed?" Sonya teased.

Sha burst into laughter.
"I've been tortured by the same thought for days, lovely Sonya. Maybe I'll ask him tonight."

They both broke into laughter.