.The Shadow Knight.

-14-

How quickly Elise had prepared all of this still surprised me, the ballroom expertly decorated with accents of blue and gold, buffet tables with food more appetizing then the next pilled on, many nobles and lords invited.

It was as if she had prepared this for months, pulling strings to get it done in a few days instead.

As the only other mage around Sel was to be her guard and stand by her like it is tradition as even here one things stays true, the mages are the first and last line of defense as people like me are all but simple shadows.

Being who I was, I had an easy time walking through the crow of dresses more extravagant then the next without anyone noticing my presence in the room, being a shadow that slipped through people, an art taught to us shadow knights as not many of us had magic so we were trained around that.

It was almost as if I had no presence in the eyes of others, slipping through men and women talking of different things, none aware of me.

None outside of Elise, each time I looked over it was like a beacon, feeling my eyes on her and hers turning to meet mine, I only left a nod and vanished again, making her know no danger was yet to be detected.

She wore her hair up in a bun with a few strands left to frame her face, a black dress that formed to her body with a slit up to her thigh, Melore now had really long hip length purple hair tied up with a white bow and a dark blue pencil dress, eyes the same hue, Rain had a blue sundress and Kia was the only one to not have altered her style.

To be honest I didn't expect Elise in a dress but I didn't keep it in mind long, it would distract me.

"Lords and ladies! Emperor Batus and empress Philia of Lorik and their children!" The bard hired to announce the arrivals said.

The emperor and his wife looked no different then what I had pictured them, he was a fat man with a full beard and hair as long as it was with sunken eyes and bushy brows, on his head a golden crown encrusted with many gems and his clothes motley like those of a jester, red there, green there and blue over there, advancing with heavy strides but unfortunately even if his appearance said otherwise my experience told me he was still formidable with a blade.

His wife was the opposite, almost sickly thin with a corset to even thin her waist more, a thin seemingly cotton dark purple dress with gloves of the seem material up to her elbows, her dark hair had white streak to it, wearing her head high and haughty, staring down past her chin at everyone, straight wrinkles down her face from all the frowning and lip pursing she must have done in her life, almost soundless next to her husband. I could tell this marriage was of no love but want for power.

Three far better looking younger people followed them making me question Elise's age compared to mine as I knew these were her younger siblings but they looked my age.

I knew these three by face from the research I did, the two young men were prince Donoven and Emrine, both clad in armor with golden trim and the emblem of their family on their chest, big and proud, stood a black bear with red eyes while Elise's empire knights were dawned with a white lion with blue eyes. They both had lighter hair then she had, Donoven's was short while his younger brother wore it longer, neither of their eyes was her shade either, too light for it.

I was surprised the last was a girl when I learned about her, princess Lilia, she didn't even side with Elise but I guess they have another mentality then my people, no one in Solor would ever think of dropping women to the level they were at here. Her hair matched Elise's shade and eyes almost but still lighter, her dress simple and the same shade as her mother's with that same high and mighty look across her face.

"Welcome, dear family, to the feast." Elise, despite the politeness of her words had a jab hidden in them. "Welcome to my palace." The 'my' enunciated slower then the rest.

"You should grow up and stop playing princess sister." Donoven said. "Only a man is fit to rise an empire and you know it."

"I will ask of you to not belittle the empress while you are her first prince Donoven." Kia spoke coldly, even I shivered as the music seemed to die out, the tension not a mystery to the inhabitants of this land.

I looked around, seeing people that weren't announced nor present before walk around, I went to follow one, still listening in case Elise needed her shadow.

"Do not talk to the prince of the empire like that." The mother said.

"And do not talk like this to my first wife." Elise said, I slipped through the crowd faster then the man as he didn't have the ability I did.

"Again with that lunatic idea, grow up my child." The father shook his head. I grabbed the man and covered his mouth, striking the side of his neck, the vein constricting under the shock and I held it as I pulled him behind a pillar behind which I set him down, unconscious and not dead, just like I was asked by Elise.

"I am not a lunatic you guys are if you insist on repeating the same thing each time you are present in my palace." I made my way through this all as I finally cut off my attention from the discussion as music picked up again and people became disinterested in it.

Each unknown individual was slowly taken care off and when I met her eyes again, another nod signified all was taken care of.