Inheritance

Chapter 38: Pulse

Pollyanna was alert and looking for any signs of danger since she had arrived at the ball—including while she and Eory conversed with many of the nobles--most of which seemed to hate them, but some of which were surprisingly kind and open-minded.

Pollyanna didn't care how kind they were. Her only objective was to leave the ball safely. Immeditately when she had entered the room, she had seen the balcony looming above them. She strongly suspected that if the king had laid a trap for them, it would probably be through the use of archers set up and out of view on the balcony. She debated telling Eory her suspicions, but he would probably wave them away anyway.

She would just have to wait to see what the king's next move would be, which annoyed her and worried her greatly. Especially since, in the meantime, she was forced to go about the large ballroom and try to make pleasantries with people she couldn't stand about things she couldn't care less about.

I wish I didn't have to follow his orders... It was the first time she had thought that in a long time, and she felt extremely guilty about even daring to think it.

His ancestors would have punished her for thinking that.

She supposed she couldn't help it, though.

She hated all nobles who weren't Arrozans; she always had. They pretended like they were better than everyone else—like they cared about the fate of peasants and every-day folks—but they didn't really give a damn.

King Laurence probably paid for this ball on the taxpayers' dime and pretended to throw it for their enjoyment, but I doubt any peasants were actually invited. Pollyanna thought to herself.

Eory approached another human couple. Some lord and lady of a far-off duchy who had probably come to see the king on political business, but stayed for the ball.

They turned their noses up at both Pollyanna and Eory, but Eory still insisted on being polite to them.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." He bowed before the pair—lowering himself to one knee. Pollyanna crossed her arms and refused to lower herself.

The couple expected her to, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

That is, until she felt the familiar pressure squeezing her heart—informing her that she was disobeying Eory's order to be polite during the ball. Her heart would soon be squeezed so hard that she would die if she didn't continue to obey Eory's orders.

She gritted her teeth furiously.

She curtsied until she was as low to the ground as Eory was. She glared up at the nobles who were smirking at her until the pinching in her heart started all over again and she forced herself to smile.

For the time being, her actions succeeded in quelling the magic of the potion that coursed through her veins, and her heart was released from the painful pinching. Eory climbed to his feet soon after and had a brief, blasé conversation with the nobles in which they made it clear they hated both him and Pollyanna.

"Despite your wretched ancestry and your backwards upbringing, you are behaving quite admirably!" The couple snickered.

Eory smiled insipidly and replied, "thank you! I think that dress you're wearing is about the prettiest once I've ever seen, and that doublet is very handsome!"

The lady hid a mocking smile behind her mouth and said, "yes, you and your guard are certainly dressed... Interestingly. You did inform your guard that this is a ball, correct?"

Pollyanna bristled and nearly lost it. She stepped toward the woman in a threatening manner and the woman gasped in fear.

Pollyanna felt a sharp pain in her heart and had to pull back immediately. Eory looked at her with a judgmental and shocked look on his face as the couple backed away from her and went back to dancing.