Page 6 of Of Storm and Emerald
That’s new.
As evening drew near, Auraelia’s anxiety rose.
She had been so enamored watching the delicate movements of her ladies throughout the day, that she’d gotten a temporary reprieve from the turmoil of her thoughts. But now that they were finished, the reality of her not feeling any magic in her veins, and the fact that she was about to face all of Lyndaria–as well as nobles from throughout Ixora–came crashing back down.
Her shoulders slumped ever so slightly as worry and dread crept into her thoughts.
The only things keeping her from completely succumbing to her anxiety, were that Piper would be by her side through it all, that it was her birthday ball tonight…and that it was a masquerade.
As she walked back into her room, something on her bed shimmered beneath the lamplight. There, sitting on the lid of her dress box, was her mask. Navy swirls edged in pewter dipped and twined around each other. The colors had been perfectly matched to the beading in her dress, and the design reminded her of the way the waves crashed against each other in the midst of a storm. It was delicate and beautiful, and the perfect complement to her gown.
Once again lost in her thoughts, Auraelia hadn’t noticed that Piper was now beside her.
“I’ll help you with yours if you help with mine.” Piper said as she nudged Auraelia with her elbow.
Nodding, she lifted the mask to her face while Piper secured the delicate silver ribbons behind her head. The mask fit the contours of her face perfectly, falling across her cheek bones to cut across the upper bridge of her nose.
“Thank you,” Auraelia muttered under her breath as she turned toward her friend.
“Are you alright?” Piper asked, her words laced with concern.
Auraelia nodded and reached for Piper's mask. Piper was always gorgeous, but tonight she was resplendent. Her gown, which was made from satin in the color of the deepest teal, was draped and wrapped around her body before cascading out at her waist to form the skirt. Her hair had been braided and pinned into a simple updo with a few curls left out to frame her face.
“Damn, Piper. You just had to show me up on my own birthday, didn’t you?” Auraelia joked, placing her hands on her hips for emphasis.
“You’re the one who wanted to be allmysteriousand not let anyone know who you were at your own party,” Piper jested in return.
There was a moment of silence before they both broke into a fit of laughter, shattering the nervous tension that–once again–tried to take hold.
Motioning for Piper to turn, Auraelia grabbed the silver ribbons of the mask and tied them into a bow before weaving the tail ends through her braids. Once it was secured, Piper turned and grabbed onto Auraelia’s hands.
“You ready?”
The previously calm butterflies in her stomach swarmed once more, and her pulse began to race. Auraelia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She refused to let her anxiety ruin this night.
Straightening her shoulders, she held her head high as she met the eyes of the friend who had been there for her through everything and smiled. “Let’s do this.”
Piper smiled in return and did a little dance. “That’s my girl.”
Hand in hand, the women made their way toward the doors of the suite. Auraelia’s heart pounded harder with every step they took, only this time with eagerness and anticipation instead of nerves. Her body vibrated from the excitement of the possibilities that this night might bring.
With one final, steadying breath, Auraelia and Piper made their way through the double doors of her suite and toward the masquerade below.
Chapter Three
Auraelia
EnteringtheballroomofEmerald Castle was like walking into a large aviary–that is if you replaced the colorful birds with people dressed in outlandish colors and feathers.
The walls and ceiling were made entirely of glass and the white granite columns that supported the structure had been decorated in gold painted vines. The floor–which perfectly matched the columns–was polished to the point of reflection, making the light from the gold chandeliers illuminate the tiles in a warm glow. The far-right wall was covered in tables full of fruit, cakes, and assorted pastries, as well as bowls of punch. Servers walked around with trays of sparkling wine, whiskey, and champagne. The orchestra was seated to the left and played loudly enough for the people dancing to hear the tune, but soft enough for couples and groups to have conversation.
It was perfect.
There were two stipulations that Auraelia gave her mother when it came to having a birthday ball. One: it had to be a masquerade. And two: she was allowed to simply be a guest at her own party. To mingle and enjoy the night as a woman and not as a princess to be crowned Heir Apparent the following day. Although begrudgingly, her mother understood and agreed.
As Aurelia and Piper walked into the ballroom, the only person who seemed to notice was the queen–giving them a subtle nod before continuing on with her conversation.
Grabbing a glass of sparkling wine from a passing tray, Auraelia started to scan the floor for potential dance partners.
