The Lost Mirror

Chapter 14

Jade took what must have been her ninth glass of champagne. She and Francis has danced a few times together, an act to put on a united front. That was what they all wanted but after they had done the bare minimal Francis had disappeared. He was as drunk if not drunker than she was. He had confessed to not understanding how everyone was expecting him to act like everything was fine when he Father was most likely on his deathbed just down the hall. She understood that but one thing she had learnt in the past 2 days of being 'royalty' was that most of it, if not all of it, was one massive act anyway. She saw that with the Queen and she has heard it from Zachariah about the Princess. Jade sighed and took a sip from her glass, the room was beginning to spin a little. She knew she should stop but knowing she should and actually doing it were too very different things. This atmosphere, the constant pressure she felt of the countless pairs of eyes on her at all times and the worry of being found out were getting to her. She was overwhelmed but with every glass she drank she could feel that pressure lifting, becoming less and less important. Jade finished her glass in one large gulp and placed it on a table to her left. She glanced around. The music seemed louder than when she first came in, the people seemed less scary and the light from the candles gave the place a romantic feel rather than the painfully glaring light that she had seen at the start of the night.

"My Lady?" Jade smiled, she recognised that voice. She turned around to see Ethan stood very behind her, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"What is it?" Her speech was slightly slurred but she didn't notice.

"With all due respects I think that maybe you have had a little too much to drink. People are starting to notice." He said gesturing to a group of old men, chattering in the corner and throwing her disapproving glances.

"Ah, w-well we can't have that now can we? T-the Queen would be dissspleased with me." She hiccuped her words out and laughed at herself. It was a loud laugh, very unladylike, embarrassing for her sober self.

"She would and so would the Princess. Your drunken actions are reflecting badly on her reputation, she has spent many years building that up and as one of the 10 knights I cannot allow you to tarnish that." Jade frowned at him but she said nothing. She knew he was right, the Queen has warned her of that before she left. Everyone thought that it was the Princess that was drinking herself silly in the ballroom, not a simple girl in a world that is not her own and looking for some kind of relief from the pressure, worry and confusion forced upon her. "I think maybe it is time you retire for the night." He said it like a suggestion but his outstretched hand told her she didn't really have much of a choice. Jade glance around at the ballroom, Francis was still nowhere to be seen. He might had already taken himself off and Ethan was right, people were noticing. She sighed and took his hand. He very silently began to lead her out of the ballroom. He took her to the outskirts of the room, guided her in the shadows that he had spent most of the night watching her from and out of the door. Jade pulled her hand out of his as soon as the door closed and they were alone in the long candlelight corridor. Ethan stopped and looked back at her with a confused expression on his face.

"I can w-walk by m-myself." She told him holding her head up in a childish manner. Ethan frowned slightly but nodded respectfully. He gestured for her to walk ahead of him with a small bow. Jade huffed and walked ahead of him. She didn't want his help, he only wanted to help the Princess. He didn't seem to care about her which stung her heart a little. There was something about the knight that got her but walking by herself was a lot harder than she thought it would be. Without the strong support of Ethan's large hand in hers she was all over the place, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't walk in a straight line. She was stumbling over her own feet which was only making her frustrated. She had no idea where she was going, she was walking into walls, taking wrong turns but Ethan just followed her closely behind and watched it all happen. Eventually Jade gave up, after wondering too far to the left and walking into the stone wall for the third time she sighed and sunk to the floor. Her back was to the walls and her knees up to her chest. Ethan stood in front of her with his hands calmly behind his back and looking at her.