After Cressida was finished, Aurelia followed her back to her room where she pulled out the gown from this morning. Looking at again, Aurelia’s nausea grew. The black, skimpy gown looked like nothing Aurelia would ever be caught dead in – and she suspected that was partly why Dorian had chosen such an item.
“Come now,” Cressida said impatiently as she held the gown open for Aurelia to step into, pulling it up around her and zipping up the back. It was very different than the normal Damaris attire – it seemed instead of warmth, it was trying to cover as little skin as possible. The dress had a v-neck that dipped all the way to her navel, and the back was made of strings of diamonds that revealed her skin. The skirt was silk, its body hugging her hips but loose towards the end of her legs.
“I cannot wear this,” Aurelia gasped as she glimpsed her reflection in the mirror. The sight of so much of herself - of her skin, of her curves on display that she had always been so self-concious of made the contents of her stomach threaten to surface.
Cressida gave her a skeptical look. “Oh, yes you will. You wouldn’t dare risk facing Dorian’s wrath in front of the entire kingdom.” She began working her way through Aurelia’s hair, braiding half of her hair up in a crown around her head with the rest of her auburn hair in curls down her back. Aurelia took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, focusing on anything but the tightness of the dress and her growing nerves.
Aurelia turned to look at Cressida. “Who exactly is going to be here?”
Cressida continued working on Aurelia, her hands nimble and quick. “Just the lords and ladies of Damaris. They have traveled from all over the kingdom for this evening. Dorian has invited them all in hopes to inspire them of talk of taking over the Continent. He can’t do it without them committing their men in the village and best weaponry.”
Aurelia’s mind writhed in silent anger. Her fists balled tightly at her sides but she refused to reveal her emotion on her face. It was one more thing Dorian could use to his advantage. She wouldn’t let him.
Too soon, Aurelia was finished getting primed by Cressida and Ambrose arrived to escort her to the ball. He had changed from his normal fur-lined cloak and instead wore an elegant dinner coat the color of the midnight sky, his long hair freshly clean and styled into a low bun behind his head. Aurelia hesitantly stepped out from behind Cressida, crossing her arms in front of her chest subconsciously.
His eyes widened at the sight of her. “You look...”
Aurelia turned red. “I know. It’s embarrassing, isn’t it? It’s like he chose the dress he thought I would hate the most.”
Ambrose shook his head, his eyes still wide. “No, I was going to say you look...beautiful.”
Aurelia ignored his comment and nudged her head towards the hallway. It didn’t feel like a compliment – not when she felt as if she had been scrubbed clean of any trace of Calathis, of the little pieces of herself that she had. Her reflection in the mirror had disgusted her, hardly recognizable as a descendant of the goddess of sunlight. It was if she had been dressed in the darkness of Damaris itself.
He gazed at her for a moment before nodding and taking her hand, leading her once more through the string of passageways to make it to the center of the castle.
They could hear the ballroom long before they could see it. The loud, fast music and the sound of laughter and loud voices felt so foreign in such a desolate and cold place such as Damaris. Aurelia began to fidget as they drew near, trying desperately to think of a way out. She couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t cost her life and, despite her silent desperation, they arrived in front of the grand double doors.
Ambrose looked over to her, his eyebrows raised. “Ready?”
Aurelia took a deep breath, holding to his arm so tightly her knuckles were turning white. “As I’ll ever be.”
Ambrose nodded to the guards on either side of the doors and they pulled them open, revealing the grand ballroom Aurelia had visited once before.
If she had been amazed when she had first seen it, now it was truly majestic. The room was filled with people dancing to the music, the gowns billowing throughout the room, the music playing rapidly to keep up with the dancers. However, it was the ceiling that drew Aurelia’s attention – for, in the fading light of the evening, it looked as if the roof opened up to the galaxy above them, the stars shining radiantly onto the gathering below, the effect even more dazzling than in the daylight.
The rest of the room looked more magical in the evening hour, too, the black marble’s gold streaks looking as if they were glowing throughout the pillars and the grand staircase. She held onto Ambrose for dear life, her eyes darting back and forth to all the unfamiliar people in the room. Where in Calathis and Oceria the gowns were bright and colorful, the dresses she caught glimpses of were mostly in shades of gold and silver, a few others in much darker shades of red, purple, and blue.
“Just breathe,” Ambrose said from the corner of his mouth, feeling Aurelia’s grip tighten around his arm. “Let’s go get some food.”
Aurelia nodded, and they made their way to the long table of food, Aurelia remaining hidden behind Ambrose’s bulky figure. She took a plate from one of the servants and began piling on some food in an attempt to distract her hands and mind with the task before her. They found a small table in the corner of the room and Aurelia stuffed her mouth with food to avoid conversation from the various people that stopped to converse with Ambrose, holding her breath in anticipation of the man she knew would soon come looking for her.
The music continued, an orchestra in a small alcove ramping up the tempo, those in the center of the ballroom underneath the grandiose chandelier speeding up with it. Everyone began to join the dance, a fast waltz, and Aurelia could vaguely hear the sounds of laughter over the loud music.
“Shall we?” Ambrose said, motioning towards the dance floor. Aurelia looked around for Dorian but, to her relief, couldn’t find him. Hesitantly, she nodded, and Ambrose led her into the throng of people, clasping her hand in his palm and pulling her towards him by her waist.
He began slowly but picked up the pace as Aurelia followed. She had to focus entirely on not stepping on his feet to keep up with him, and quickly she lost track of where she was supposed to be moving, stumbling along with Ambrose as her steady guide. He moved to twirl her, and she went underneath his arm gracefully, the bottom of her dress fluttering around her feet.
“I meant it,” Ambrose said softly, before turning her once more, his gaze seeming to pierce into her soul. “You look radiant this evening.”
Aurelia looked up into his grey eyes, a tiny flutter deep within her abdomen, a tiny sliver of hope. Yet…she couldn’t. She shoved it down, instead a small frown forming upon her lips.
“No.” She responded as she moved with the music as he reeled her out and back to his chest. “What I look like is a traitor.” She whispered to him, twirling under his arm once more before continuing to waltz back and forth. Ambrose’s face fell and he loosened his grip around her, avoiding her gaze.
“I may be trying to adapt to existing here, and I am grateful for you for treating me with respect and kindness, but do not think for a moment I have forgotten that you, and everyone else here, keep me against my will.” She continued coldly, watching as a stony look settled upon his face. A small part of her cried out at her words, but she shoved it away.
“And here I was thinking we were becoming friends,” Ambrose said coolly, loosely holding her as they continued to dance.
“Friends don’t keep each other captive,” Aurelia said back, and suddenly the crowd began to disperse. She stopped dancing, stepping to one side of the crowd, Ambrose behind her, no longer trying to hide her from his brother.
Aurelia swallowed the lump in her throat as the crowd revealed Dorian, dressed in the same midnight blue the ceiling was made of, his silver and gold crown resting upon his head as he strode through the dancing crowd towards the pair.
“I’ll take her from here, brother,” Dorian said sharply as he arrived in front of them, his violet eyes roving up and down Aurelia’s body in a way that made Aurelia shudder. She gave a desperate glance to Ambrose, but his eyes were hooded and she no longer recognized the kind man from before.
Dorian took her arm and led her through the dancing crowd, a small smirk upon his face. It seemed like eyes followed her wherever she went – her auburn hair a clear indicator that she was not from Damaris, but a land filled with vibrant color and spring. They slowly climbed the stairs, stopping at a small platform that overlooked the crowd. He cleared his throat and the music ceased, the crowd turning to face their king. She shifted uncomfortably as eyes turned to focus on the pair of them, Aurelia painfully aware of her revealing gown and the tight grip Dorian had upon her arm.
“May I welcome my fine lords and ladies to Damaris, for a celebration that will be known for centuries to come.” A grin eclipsed his face as he gestured to everyone in the room. “I have not called you here for some casual soiree.” He pushed Aurelia forward. “May I introduce...Princess Aurelia of Calathis.”
The crowd gasped and began murmuring amongst themselves, and it was all Aurelia could do not to take her golden dagger she now had hidden and strapped to her thigh to slash his throat.
He smiled at the crowd. “So you see, as the heir of Calathis…” He leaned over to brush her hair over her shoulder, his face inches from her collarbone. “...she is now mine.” He tilted his head and looked at the crowd, a dark look taking over his face.
“So for all of those that doubted me,” He nudged Aurelia forward. “Here is your proof. The prophecy will come true. And it will be I, King Dorian of Damaris, that is the one to control the Continent.” He turned to nod to one of the guards at one of the doors, and suddenly a group of soldiers burst through the grand doors, making their way through the crowd and grabbing hold of individuals that Aurelia wasn’t familiar with.
“But you see,” Dorian continued. “It seems as if a few people here believe me to be far more incompetent than I am destined to be.”
The soldiers who now had hold of random individuals unsheathed their daggers and held them up to their necks.
“When you decide to betray the king of your kingdom and truly think you can get away with such a thing without me knowing...” He chuckled. “Then you are more pathetic than I ever gave you credit for.”
A few of the individuals began pleading to Dorian, falling to their knees. He looked at them with disgust. “If you thought for a moment I would keep you alive to reap the rewards of the Continent that I rule over, then you are gravely mistaken.” He nodded again, and the soldiers without hesitation slashed the necks of what must have been at least twenty individuals, blood spraying from their bodies as they slumped to the floor.
Dorian smirked at the silent crowd, and Aurelia did everything she could to stop her shaking and the waves of nausea that passed over her as she watched people die before her, unable to do anything to stop him, to help those that had dared defy him.
“I was never one to believe in second chances,” he said calmly to the people remaining in the room. “I would keep that in mind when you consider who to ally yourself with.” He grabbed hold of Aurelia once more. “I have the heir of Calathis. Without her, the only kingdom that stands in my way will crumble. Commit your weapons, your people, and your gold to me, and watch as we take over the world.” He shrugged. “Or, die.”
Aurelia watched as the people left standing in the room slowly bowed before him, their heads down in submission. A grin overcame his face once more. “That’s what I thought.”
He nodded to the soldiers once more, and they began dragging out the bodies, the dark red staining the marble floor. “Well then, we shall celebrate.” Servants began passing around trays of champagne flutes, and Dorian forced one into Aurelia’s hand as he held it up to the crowd.
“To the overtaking of the Continent, to the merging of light and dark...to the eclipsed throne the prophecy foretold.” He turned to look at Aurelia. “To the engagement of the descendants of the gods of the sun and moon – Aurelia and Dorian.”
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