Soul of Ice

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Early nightfall, after a private dinner, saw Astra sitting in her bathing room in front of the mirror, surrounded by three maids. Nearby, on a hangar, hung the beautiful ball gown she'd first seen in her closet two days before. It was a navy blue dress with black lace bodice and sleeves. A long silver ribbon wrapped around the waist before trailing behind. No doubt there would be a corset involved, but the thought of what the dress was for distracted her. It hadn't seemed quite real before; going to the Firelight Ball had always seemed like a farfetched, impossible, and ridiculous dream. One she hadn't let herself linger on for too long. An entire night of dancing with little to no interruptions.

Astra had to suppress a smile. If there was one thing she missed from her days in Varaly, it would be the dance studio that no one other than her ever used. It had been too long since she'd had the opportunity to twirl across a dance floor.

The preparation before the ball took well over an hour. Usually, she would have considered the preparation a waste of time, but for once, it was wonderful to be able to indulge and let go of all the confusing troubles. First was a deep soaking bath, during which scented oils were lathered over her, and then, once her hair had been properly dried, she was fitted into a corset, the maid pulling it so tight she could barely breathe in, before the gown was slipped over her. Her hair was curled and then pulled up into a loose updo. That was followed by cosmetics until finally a pair of elegant silver high heels were shoved at her, and all three of her maids deemed her perfect.

"Quickly, my lady, else we'll be late!" One of her maids moved to open the heavy door leading out of the bedroom, giving Astra barely enough time to toss the heels on the ground.
"Hold on," she called and turned to the hangar, where the pale yellow dress she'd worn earlier hung. She angled her body so that the dress was covered from her maids, and then she quickly transferred the throwing knives to her new dress. The earclip that was the spear she grabbed from her jewelry box, carefully tucking it into her hair. She turned back to the maids, trying not to fidget with the sleeves of her dress. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Quickly!" the maid called again, waving for Astra to follow.

She cursed under her breath as she crammed her feet into the silver heels. Was she to wear these all night? She wasn't sure she had the endurance to dance all night if she had to keep these shoes on. Nevertheless, Astra followed the maid, who was ushering her once more with exaggerated arm movements.

The heels were a tad too tight, Astra complained mentally once she was rushing down the tower's numerous flights of stairs with the maid. They pinched at her toes, and frankly, they'd likely only be useful for making her fall or stabbing someone. If one or the other had to happen tonight, she'd definitely settle for the second option.

"What is the schedule like?" she asked the maid. "For the ball, that is."

Without hesitation, the girl spoke, "You will be announced, along with the other distinguished guests. The lantern lighting tradition will commence first in the courtyard, followed by the actual ball, which will continue throughout the night."

On the ground floor of the palace, the maid gestured toward the circular hall just ahead, where guests dressed in dresses and suits mingled. A set of huge, gilded doors stood behind them, two royal guards standing to either side of them. "This is where I leave you, my lady. I hope you enjoy the ball." The maid gave her a smile and a curtsy before quickly leaving the way they had come.

Astra made her way forward, weaving through the small crowd of people. A few of them started as they caught sight of her, and she easily caught wind of the not-so-quiet whispers.