The Midnight Ball

8

Note: Santana
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Navid: What were you ladies talking about? The princes are curious..

Anushka: Navid! It's improper! That is no business of yours..

Navid winced: Calm down Anu.. I just meant that you should be more careful. For a while we thought there would be a show down

Ismie grimaced: Your sister is right though, I'm afraid. It is improper for us to speak to you of it.. I'm sorry

Navid smiled at her: Maybe we should talk of pleasanter things then..

She smiled back

Not everyone had the feelings of propriety of Anushka

Marie was cautioning her brother of Margarette, Anastasia and Freja

Callum got a slightly more detailed warning from Bernadette

Nyongo and Keijirou got a vague warning of being careful whome they choose

Navid might've not been told anything, but he saw enough to understand, the nature of Margarette and her followers

By the end of the night, Margarette was seething

She didn't get much attention from the Princes before. The most saught after, in her opinion, for their kingdoms were larger, and more rich, or powerful, their characters stronger, were Keijirou, Nyongo and Navid. The latter even should have been an easy target, should have she exerted herself a bit, but in being her nasty self, keeping up provoking Ismie, earning the ire of the others.. It was too late for her to be liked by them

She looked around, and now it seems, even by the the rest of the princes

Anastasia was the same, Freja was a bit undecided on. She did tend to be nicer without those two by her side

Soon, it was midnight, and they were to start again

This time when they reached the clearing, easels were set, charcoals and paints were there, paper and canvas. This time they didn't feel hazy, but they still heard a non descript whisper, ordering them to draw and paint

They were confused, to what purpose was all this? And what were they to draw? There was nothing there!

There was a stillness to the clearing that felt unnatural, devoid of life

Gradually, a fog descended, and when it cleared, they couldn't believe their eyes..

There was a waterfall, a river, colourful fish, a field of flowers, vibrant trees and magnificent birds amd deer

It all felt too perfect, unreal, especially to Ismie

They drew and painted all night long. By dawn, their hands were stained, their dresses too, and their fingers ached

Again they had no memory what transpired, and thier recepients were puzzled, what caused this, to what end?

But they would not be satisfied. The princesses couldn't remember and even if they did, no one would risk their life to talk