A Peasant and A Princess

Chapter Twenty: The Masquerade

The masquerade was one of the most extravagant in years. Everywhere I looked, there were people dressed in the most glamorous costumes money could buy; animals, mythological creatures, well known characters, concepts even. The ballroom was alive with laughter, music, chatter, and footsteps. From the balcony above, it looked like some sort of abstract painting. Every piece of metal, glass, gold and silver thread seemed to come alive in the light from the thousands of candles lighting up the ballroom. I watched as a lady in a light blue dress shimmering with silver embroidery meant to be frost and a large crystal hairpiece that looked like glass was twirled by her partner in the dance. She looked like the northern wind come to life. On the other side of the ballroom, lingering near the entrance was a man in a plain dark blue mask and a velvet cape embroidered with golden stars. Occasionally, a woman in a light blue dress with little bits of fluff and a large golden crown would walk by, and the man would duck behind a tapestry covering the entrance to a servant's corridor for a moment.

No matter how strange anyone thought the man dressed as night's behaviour was, it didn't matter. He was a complete stranger to everyone else at the masquerade, other his wife, the woman dressed as day. Of course, no one is ever truly anonymous in a royal court. Someone had seen the couple step out of a carriage, perhaps a footman had chatted with the chauffeur for a moment as he told him where the carriage should be left. Or for the guests who lived at the palace or had been staying with us, there were seamstresses who had made the clothes, servants who had laid them out for their respective owners, and maids and valets who had dressed their mistresses and masters. Perhaps the man dressed as night had taken his mask off for a moment in the aforementioned corridor. It was only servants who would see his face there, after all. Or maybe someone with a keen eye had noticed the unique design on his cigarette holder he took out of his pocket every once in a while.

The guards announced the arrival of another couple. By this time, few people still turned their heads. The dancing was much more interesting that whatever petty noble or new money couple was trying to be fashionably late. A man in an atrocious green jacket and headdress made of branches entered, with a woman in a patterned floral dress and a flower crown on his arm. As soon as the guards finished pronouncing their names, the couple separated. The man immediately found the woman dressed as winter and began to dance with her. His wife greeted the man dressed as night, looked over her shoulder, and disappeared behind the tapestry with him.

Mallory had yet to arrive. I had told her to arrive about an hour after the dancing was due to begin, but it had been nearly two hours and Mallory was nowhere to be seen. I know I shouldn't worry. There were many things that could be causing her delay - writing goodbye notes to her family, a crowd outside the palace, Jane being late to let her in through the servant's entrance, the many buttons and ties on the gown I had given her to wear - none of them were causes to worry. Still, I couldn't help but envision my Mallory being dragged away by guards at the palace gates.

I decided I had been watching the masquerade from above for too long. It would look suspicious. I had been avoiding a man dressed in fantastical armor, reminiscent of the nights of legends. I figured it was the Prince of Hehron, who had given me a similarly fantastical dress, the kind that the maidens in legends are always painted as wearing. I was wearing it on my father's orders, but it was a gorgeous dress and had advantages such as a skirt long enough to hide riding boots underneath. I had tried my best not to damage it when I stitched all the paper money I had into its inner skirts.

I made my way down the stairs, making small talk with a handful of people as I went. At the bottom of the staircase, I saw that the Prince of Hehron was walking towards me.

"How sad!" He exclaimed. "A beautiful lady such as yourself should be spending the entire night on the dance floor."

As he reached step below me, I held my hand out to him. He kissed it.