171 - The Iverson Ball (Patreon)

Arielle took a deep breath to calm her nerves, straightening her back and closing her eyes for a second to recall what she had to do.

Lady Wesley had said that she only needed to walk in a straight line, pause at the top of the staircase for polite applause, at which point Lord Wesley would say even more things about her, giving a brief description of who she was and where she was from. Once he was done, she would walk down the stairs to meet Maus, who was at the other end. 

After that, she would be greeted by guests and music would start playing, and there would be dinner, and then dancing. Towards the end of the night, she would no longer be the center of attention. She could relax and might even be able to find a quiet spot to wait for the ball to be over. 

"There's a room two doors down from the dining hall that's very private and overlooks the garden," Lady Wesley mentioned. "I'll ensure that you have access, and if things get too bothersome for you, you can take a few minutes there to decompress."

"Thank you," Arielle had responded, breathing a sigh of relief. The woman had given her a rare, warm smile.

"Good luck," she'd said before she left.

Arielle still had to get past this part first. The procession.

She was at least grateful that the dress she wore wasn’t constricting in any way, and wasn’t heavy as she began to move. Lady Wesley had advised her to kick the hem forward with each step to prevent accidentally stepping on it, but that wasn’t so much of a problem as the dress was only slightly below her ankle. She was also supposed to pretend she was holding a quill between her shoulders and raise her chin so that one could trace a straight line from her nose forward.

Arielle thought she was doing well, but then she made the mistake of glancing down. 

There were so many of them.

She hadn’t anticipated this many guests, although logically she had known that there would be over a hundred people in attendance. Even with that, this felt like more. It felt like thousands of people in glittering gowns and sparkling suits, with their eyes on her, all waiting for her, most of them unsmiling, silent but loud in their regard.

It felt…suffocating. 

Suddenly, her high neckline began to tighten; the fabric began to feel too itchy. A chill went through her, so strong that her body felt frozen. Tiny pinpricks broke out on her skin, stabbing her, and she was very aware of every single breath she took. 

“Arielle?” 

The question drew her attention to Lord Wesley, who was standing at the staircase across from her.

That was when she realized her legs had somehow stopped moving before the chosen endpoint. She hadn’t even noticed when it happened. She took a deep breath and began walking again.

However, the more she walked, the worse her nerves got, until her heartbeat was pounding in her ears.  

Why were they staring at her?

She wasn’t doing anything that required them to stare, so why were they looking? What did they see?

She tried not to focus on it, and instead focused on putting one step after another. 

Look straight ahead. Quill between shoulders. Don't stumble. One foot, and then the next.

She finally stopped at the top of the twin curved staircase, opposite the one the Wesleys stood on.

Unfortunately, at this point, she could no longer avoid their eyes or look at her feet. She had to stare straight across the distance at the crowd below, all of whom were still gawking at her. 

Lord Wesley started saying something, but the words became a drone in the background. Arielle avoided faces, but the eyes blurred together, glaring like a beacon in her skin, analyzing her, finding all the flaws, all the things that exacerbated her strangeness, how she was standing wrong, staring wrong, breathing wrong.

It reminded her of the schoolhouse and being stared at whenever she said something odd. The blank look became a familiar response, and she would instantly know that it was the wrong thing to say even if she didn’t know why. 

She could handle it when she made a mistake in front of just a couple of people. She could tolerate the judgment then.

But there were over a hundred people here. She was making a fool of herself in front of them.

Her heart started to race, so much that she felt lightheaded. She reached out and gripped the railing, swallowing, blinking to clear her vision.

Suddenly, a motion in the corner of her gaze caught her attention.

It was Maus. 

He was dressed in a black coat, with black pants and an inner silver shirt that matched Arielle’s perfectly, made from the same fabric. He also had his hair gelled back and coiled at the tips. Though he looked nervous, he gave her an encouraging smile. She couldn't smile back.

He jutted his chin downward sharply, as though trying to send her a signal. 

He did it again when she didn’t respond the first time, and she frowned. What does that mean?

Suddenly, he pressed his lips together and began ascending the staircase, walking to her.

With her focus on him, she was no longer preoccupied with her own heartbeat and sound returned. 

She could now hear the murmurs, sounds of dissent all around them, and was keenly aware that Lord Wesley had stopped talking at some point. She didn't know when it had stopped or what had been said, but when she glanced at him, he was giving her a worried look, and then his gaze flickered to Maus.

Darn it. 

This was not part of the plan. 

Arielle had probably been standing there for too long, and so now Maus felt like had to come help her descend. She wasn't supposed to freeze at the top of the stairs, and Maus wasn't supposed to come up to meet her. 

She had ruined the procession and inconvenienced Maus, forcing him to become the odd one and make a decision that caused others to shake their heads and murmur about him. 

However, despite probable discomfort, Maus met her with an encouraging smile. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head. "I ruined it," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, and you didn't ruin anything," he whispered back. "It's p-probably better this way anyway, so you don't slip on the stairs." He extended his arm. "You ready?"

She nodded and took his arm as she was taught to.

"Let's go."

Arielle began moving, and this time it was easier. Maybe because with Maus there, they shared the burden of the combined attention. Or maybe she could use him as visual confirmation that she wasn't doing anything wrong. Or maybe simply because she needed a friend by her side.

Either way, she made it all the way down as the murmurs grew. When they arrived though, applause broke out along with some laughter and more chattering.

Arielle didn't draw a full breath even when she was at the base of the staircase, because she was immediately hounded by people. 

“How romantic! It’s great to see such a bold young man. And Miss Blacksoil, it’s an honor to meet you.”

"What a lovely dress, Miss Blacksoil. You must tell me your designer."

“It's an honor to make your acquaintance, Miss Blacksoil. My name is Khulan Khan. I’m told you know my son, Ielo.”

“You are a sight to see, Miss Blacksoil. May I call you Arielle?”

It assailed her all at once, questions thrown out faster than she could answer them, everyone pushing into her personal space. 

She took a step back, instinctively reaching out to grab Maus’ coat. 

Maus instantly cleared his throat and said, “Um...sorry, but can you all p-p-please take a couple of steps back?”

Just then the crowd parted, but it wasn’t Maus’ request that did it.

It was Elric’s presence. He was wearing a long white robe, with a rust-brown eastern-style one-button shirt and linen pants. He hadn’t done much with his hair, but he looked to fit in with the rest of the luxurious crowd, despite his understated outfit.  

"Archmage.” They bowed to him, and he nodded his acknowledgment.

“My cousin isn’t a fan of crowds,” he said. “So please, if you must talk to her, ensure that it’s one at a time. But first, I need to introduce her to some people.”

“Of course, sir,” someone said, and they backed away, allowing Arielle to breathe and finally feel like she had space to move. 

Elric laid a hand on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look. “I'm sorry. That was hard, wasn't it?”

Arielle nodded. That was actually harder than she thought it would be, and it was just the beginning.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be here the whole time, and so will Maus. Right?”

"Yes," Maus said. "I won't leave your side."

"Thank you," Arielle said.

“In the meantime,” Elric continued. “I think there’s someone who’s looking for you.”

He pointed his chin, and that was when Ari realized who was standing a few steps behind him.

Lyra, her father, and another man she didn't know.

“Lyra!” Arielle said, exhaling her joy. Her best friend was wearing the burgundy dress, the one Ari had bought for her.

Lyra rushed forward and gave Arielle a quick hug before backing up and beaming at her. "You did so well. I thought you were going to pass out halfway through, but you didn't."

Arielle nodded. Lyra had done something to her face. Her cheeks had more color, her eyelashes slightly darker, her lips a pinker tint.

"You did something to your face?" Arielle asked.

"Yeah. I'm wearing some rouge and kohl."

"Oh, I see." Celie also used that sometimes, for her missions.

“You look great!” Lyra said. “And your dress is so pretty.”

"Thank you."

"You're not going to tell me I look pretty?"

"You always look pretty." She glanced down. "And the dress is pretty as well."

"Aww, you're sweet." Lyra leaned in. "But don't think the compliment will get you out of trouble for what you did, by the way. Your secret gift. I'm still not happy about it."

Arielle knew that she was talking about the dress. Lyra had probably figured out Arielle had gotten it for her, and it was wrong because Ari wasn't supposed to keep secrets like that from her friends.

Arielle wondered if Lyra was angry, but she didn't look like it.

On the contrary, she grinned. "But thank you, anyway. I appreciate it."

Arielle nodded.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Elric said. “But I do believe Lord Wesley is beckoning us over.”

He was indeed. The Lord was quite literally flapping his hand and staring in their direction.

“He’s with–”

“Gaius," Arielle said. "The dean of the Trevian Arcane Basilica."

"You know him?"

"No. But Dean Octavius described him well.” The man was extremely tall and broad, with a prominent belly and long braided white hair, not unlike Dean Octavius’.

"Do you remember your notes on him?" Elric asked.

Arielle nodded, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders. “I’m ready."

She bid farewell for now to Lyra, and with her small entourage, she made her way through the crowd, who had thankfully started mingling with each other as soft music played in the background. There were fewer people paying attention to her now, and with Maus at her side and Elric at her back, she felt well insulated from the stares. 

So she met the dean with a clear enough mind to perform her curtsy perfectly, and remember the exact length of smile she needed and how long it should last. "Thank you for the introduction, Lord Wesley. It’s lovely to meet you, Dean Gaius."

"Ah. You know who I am?"

"Yes. Dean Octavius talks about you sometimes. He mentioned that you helped him some time ago to get his hands on one of his most valuable items."

"Oh.” He chuckled. "Yes, I remember that."

"What's the story?" Lord Wesley asked.

"It's a long one," the man said. "But essentially, Dean Octavius was in search of a rare old edition of the Fable of Marsa, one of the lost texts. It's something I had found years ago, after a journey fraught with complications."

Dean Gauis then launched into a story about sneaking into an ancient cave to find the book, confronting bandits, being bitten by a bat and assailed with a virus that induced madness (which caused him to lose the book) finding it years later, in an auction from someone who had bought the book from the bandits, confronting them, and finally getting into a fist fight that ended up with both him and the book being dumped in the sewers.

Lord Wesley turned up his nose. "Sounds like a messy affair."

"It was," he said. "But in the end, I got my quarry, and that's all that matters."

"And then lost it again in a gamble against Dean Octavius," Areille mentioned.

"Oh, he told you that too? Now, you must know, I only lost that card game because Octavius is a clever, bug-eyed cheat."

"That's funny. He said something similar about you." Ari said the line exactly how Dean Octavius told her to, after he'd predicted this conversation thread, and it made the other two men laugh uproariously.

“Oh," Dean Gaius chuckled. "What a charming little miss."

"Yes, but only when she wants to be," Lord Wesley said with a wink that made Arielle widen her smile by another inch before she remembered to drop it.

They stayed with Dean Gaius for a few more minutes while he introduced them to a student of his. Then there was someone else requesting Lord Wesley's attention, which caused their group to splinter, and Arielle, Elric and Maus to move on to the next person.  

And so it went, person after person, group after group. 

Upon hearing a name, Arielle would immediately run through her memory searching for details about this person, sample conversation starters Dean Octavius had given her, as well as jokes to say. 

The combinations worked well each time, and she received more comments about how charming and well-spoken she was. They seemed to enjoy her company, or this version of her anyway.

Then eventually she found herself face to face with a man she was not familiar with.

“I’m Simon Earthbinder,” he said as he extended his hand. “I'm here on behalf of the Earthbinder clan."

Ah yes. He was one of Elric's half-brothers. Vittoria had mentioned one of them would be here, but she hadn't said which one.

Arielle reached out and took his hand. His grip was a little tighter than necessary, but he let her go and said, "I suppose this would make us very distant cousins. Isn't it strange, Elric–"

“Archmage Elric,” Elric corrected, with a tight smile that did not at all reach his eyes. 

The other man’s features tightened. “Of course. Archmage Elric. I was saying that isn’t it strange that she is supposedly one of us and yet has not bothered to meet any of our elders or even the patriarch. Nor the rest of her family.”

"Why should she? Her mother was reportedly exiled and lived her life in the wilderness. Arielle was raised by her adoptive family and has no interest in connecting with those who threw her mother away. So I don’t see why she needs to be introduced.”

“Because we’re family, like it or not. After all, blood is undeniable. You of all people should know that.”

“Right.” Elric drew a grim smile. “Well, as fascinating as this conversation has been, I’m sure there are far more people who want to meet her. Excuse me.”

He led Arielle away, where indeed even more people wanted to talk to her. It seemed to be an endless stream at this point. She'd been at it for nearly half an hour, and though she hadn't talked to half the attendees, she was already exhausted, counting down the seconds until it was over.

"You're doing good," Elric whispered. "Better than I expected, actually."

"Thank you," Arielle said.

In a few more minutes they would be let into the grand dining hall to eat and watch the entertainment for the night. And then there would be dancing and more merrymaking. And then it would be over. 

So maybe, two more hours or so and she could go to her room and be alone.

Eventually, Arielle found herself in front of a familiar face. Selena Gregor was standing with two men Arielle did not recognize.

Arielle bowed to her and said, “Hello, Master Gregor.”

"No need to bow," Selena said. "We already know each other quite well."

Arielle straightened, staring at the other girl.

Vittoria and the Dean had told Arielle that Selena might be more peculiar and harder to read than the rest. She often says things she didn’t mean, and made casual requests with underhanded intentions. They explained that Arielle should be careful around her, as the other girl might be envious of her talent, and she might feel threatened as a result.

"Try to compliment her if you can," Vittoria had said. "Don’t refer to her too carelessly or informally, even though she might request it. And don't speak too much about your accomplishments. Don't reveal much about yourself, and don't trust any of her smiles. If the conversation becomes contentious, don't just stand there and take it. Walk away."

Ari had taken all those things to heart and she thought about them now, though Selena wasn't speaking yet. She seemed to be waiting for Arielle to say something first. 

Ari reached for a compliment to mitigate whatever tension there might be.

“I like your outfit,” she said. 

Selena looked surprised. “You do?”

"Yes." It wasn’t as gaudy as the rest, and it looked very functional. If there was a battle suddenly or if she needed to ride a horse, for example, she would be able to do that easily. “It is unique, practical, and stylish.”

Selena’s lip quirked, and she glanced at one of the bald men beside her. "Thank you. Some people thought it wasn’t good enough for the evening.”

The man responded with a sour look, and the silence stretched slightly.

“Are you looking forward to graduating?” Elric said politely. 

“I suppose,” Selena answered. “Although it seems like Pyronis is on the verge of collapse, so I’ll have a lot of work to do.”

“Ah yes. Politics are always difficult, especially with such a complex situation. But luckily you have advisors and people to help you.”

“I’m not so sure. Would good advisors ask me to offer Camhanach soldiers to the Lethamons as a sign of a truce?"

Selean’s statement seemed to startle the bald men and also seemed to shock Elric as well. But she smiled wanly and added, “I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be a secret?"

“Selena...” one bald man said.

“Tell me, Archmage, what do you think about the fact that some Pyronis Elders see it fit to offer loyal soldiers who have served my family since the beginning of time to enemies who constantly fight us and push against my rule?"

"Erm..." Elric cleared his throat. "I don't know that I'm equipped to discuss that.”

"Yes, but it's a simple question, isn't it?"

"Selena," the other man warned.

"What about you, Arielle?" Selena asked. "Do you know what I should do?"

Was she asking genuinely? Or was it a trap?

Better not to say too much, but she couldn’t be too clipped or flippant either. Dean Octavius said that could signify rudeness, or a lack of regard. 

"I don't know much about politics," Ari said. "I only know it involves offering everyone a bit of what they want so they stay happy." At least that was how it seemed in politics class. 

Selena's lip curled. "So that’s what I should do? Hand over a bit of my loyal soldiers?"

"No," Arielle said. "Not if they haven't done anything wrong. That wouldn't be fair, and it would be punishing loyalty."

"So what else can I offer them?"

Arielle thought about it for a second before she spoke. "Mercy."

Selena blinked. "Mercy?"

"Yes." It would be revealed soon that the Lethamons had been involved in demonic rituals.That would invite punishment from the council and the state, and maybe some mercy from Selena would be a significant offer for compliance.

"For what crime?" Selena asked.

"She's just speaking in general terms.” Elric immediately interrupted. “She doesn't know anything about Pyronis, after all"

"Right," Selena murmured.

“I think you should follow your instincts. If you feel strongly against what is being suggested then fight for your vision and discuss it. Perhaps there can be  compromise somewhere.” 

“Of course. Perhaps.” Selena responded with a puckered lip. 

As she glanced towards the bald man again, Elric gave Arielle a side look, one which she recognized well. It told her that she had said the wrong thing and she needed to stop talking.

Darn. She’d thought she gave a good enough answer.

“Sorry if I spoke out of turn,” she told Selena.

“No, it’s okay,” Selena said, looking thoughtful rather than angry. “Thank you for giving me your honest thoughts.”

“You’re welcome.”

After that, they walked away to talk to more people, but Arielle was suddenly occupied with the thought that she had made a mistake somewhere in that conversation.

She didn’t know how yet, but she needed to analyze it to keep from making the same mistake again, and she needed space to do it alone. A quiet spot where she could breathe.

"Excuse me," she told Elric and Maus. "I'll be back in five minutes. I have to be alone for some time."

"I understand." Elric gave her a sympathetic smile. "It will be over soon."

She nodded and then hurried away, maintaining her posture regardless. She slipped through the crowd into the hallway and down in search of the dining hall. 

She found the room Lady Wesley told her about, with ease.

The doors opened automatically for her, and closed after she was within it.

She finally, finally, took a big inhale, tugging at the collar of her dress.

It didn't loosen, but she felt better already. She did it again, breathing in and out, glorying in the quiet, the space, the fact that she did not have to talk to anyone right now.

But then the door behind her opened, and she groaned internally, spinning around.

It was Selena, who strode up in with an unreadable expression, the doors dragging shut behind her. 

“The situation in Pyronis," she started. “What do you know about it?”

“I don’t know much," Arielle said automatically, and she knew it was the wrong answer the second it left her mouth. 

“You’re lying.”

Of course. 

Ari was frustrated with herself. They had told her to avoid lying, and she shouldn’t have done it, especially since, luckily, she could tell the truth without incriminating herself.

"Someone told me about it. One of Elric’s friends,” she admitted. “I can't say much else apart from that." 

Selena narrowed her eyes. Arielle was on the verge of excusing herself, before she could ask more revealing questions that Arielle would have to answer truthfully. 

"But you...or this friend thinks that the Lethamons have done something I'll have to grant them mercy for?"

Arielle hesitated. She couldn’t lie, obviously, but perhaps she could use a diversion tactic.

"Where did you get your dress from?"

"What?"

"Your dress." Arielle cleared her throat, because her voice had gotten a tad high. "It's very beautiful."

"it's not a dress, it's a riding habit. Now answer my question."

Oh well. So much for that.

Arielle considered her options. Vittoria’s investigation was just about concluded anyway, and many on the council knew some of what she'd found so it wasn’t a big secret. 

So, she finally nodded.

There was a brief pause and then a slow smile spread across Selena's face. "Why would you tell me this?"

"Why not?"

Selena raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression you didn’t want to. Because you’re clearly not a fan of me, or perhaps you even hate me.”

"No." Arielle was confused as to how she would get that idea. "There’s no reason for me to hate you."

Selena tilted her head slightly. “No?”

“No.”

“Not even a little bit?”

Ari shook her head. She had many thoughts about the other woman, but none of them included hatred. “You’re difficult to understand sometimes, but you have done nothing to warrant hatred. On the contrary, I think you're very powerful and creative with your spells and good at dueling. I would like to duel you again one day."

Selena’s eyes flared. "You mean that?"

"Yes."

The smile had slid off Selena's face at some point during their conversation, but she didn’t look angry either. She looked, once again, thoughtful. 

“I’m guessing this thing Elric’s friend knows is supposed to be a secret.”

“Yes." Arielle bobbed her head. “I can’t tell you more.”

“I figured.” She turned around abruptly, but stopped short of leaving. Instead, she said, "You don't have to talk to everyone they put in front of you. Pick and choose the least complicated options, and the most useful ones. Otherwise, they will exhaust you before the night is over.”

It took a second for Arielle to realize Selena was giving her advice. And while she was digesting that, she kept going:

"It makes everything easier if you think of it as a game," she said. "They’re all pieces on a chess board and know that you're the most valuable piece. Don't feel like you have to smile so much, and don't initiate conversation unless you need something from them. You are not here for them, but they are here for you. As long as you see it that way, and you never show weakness, you can't lose. Also, if there’s a lot of them watching you, it helps to picture them as babies.”

Without waiting for a response, Selena walked away.