Sage in the Sea

The Welcome Ball

I watched in the mirror as Miriam put the final pin into my hair before she stepped back, the ghost of a smile on her lips. I glanced over my shoulder at the three women, giving them a smile, before I stood up to look at myself properly.

The maroon bodice was coated in silver gems, each of them gleaming in the candlelight. The bodice gave way to a large maroon skirt with dashes of silver glitter throughout it. Miriam had curled my hair and left it hanging down my back while pinning up one side. She'd applied a mixture of organic materials to cover the imperfections on my face.

The girls had not commented on the state of my back. Eleanor merely applied the salve she'd left for me and they'd left my dress slightly loose. Thankfully, Piers had taken care of only harm the lower half of my back or there would have needed to be last-minute changes to the dress. I could not be seen as damaged. It was one of the main reasons that any whippings at the facility were done to the lower back and other tortures were done to body parts that could be easily covered, such as the arms and legs.

I took the white gloves from Lila that would cover the scars on my arms. They were, to me, uncomfortable as I was not accustomed to wearing such things, but they were a necessary nuisance for the night. Piers did not even know of those scars.

"You look like a true princess, Adelaide," Miriam said, touching my arm lightly. I smiled at her as I allowed Eleanor to help me into a pair of maroon heels.

"Thank you, Miriam," I replied, clasping my hands in front of me. "I cannot take any credit, however. It is thanks to the three of you, Ellis, and the queen for planning it all."

"Perhaps, but no one created you," she told me, squeezing my arm lightly before stepping away.

"You will bring happiness to everyone tonight," Eleanor said as she straightened up.

"May you bring such happiness to the entire kingdom," Lila said softly, smiling softly.

"I shall do my best," I told them, taking a deep breath. "Wish me luck that I do not forget my schooling."

"You will do just fine with Piers by your side," Miriam told me. "Even though he must uphold the laws of the kingdom and he may not hold the same opinions as the rest of us, he is still a kind person if you compare him to other men in the kingdom. Try to remember that."

I nodded. I knew that. There were worse people that could have selected me at the Bycgan. I just prayed that I was able to help Piers to see where he had become lost.

A knock on the door signaled that it was time to leave. I followed my servants from the room. The guard who had knocked on the door led us down the hall to the stairs. I lifted my skirts with my right hand while keeping my left on the banister. I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes to stay forward and my chin high even as my heart raced in my chest.

This was going to be the largest crowd I had ever been in front of. I had never been good in front of crowds. After I butchered my first mock public address at the facility when I was fourteen, I had been told that I would never be able to be the princess. I would be lucky to have been chosen by a member of the legislature, where I would be hidden in the shadows for my life.

I vowed to prove the trainer wrong. I was not going to be who they told me I was going to be, even if it meant I had to work harder than the other girls did.

The entranceway was empty except for Piers, Fergus, and two servants whom I assumed to be Piers'. Piers' eyes ran over me, a small smile breaking out across his face as he stepped towards me, offering his hand to help me down the last step.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, pressing his lips against my cheek.

"Thank you," I replied, forcing a smile onto my face. "You look very handsome, my prince."