Chapter 41

41 The Palace Ball (Part 2)

While Justice and the others were rushing into the maze, Vale and Anne finally arrived at the palace and waited for their name to be announced. Anne is nervous, although not for Vale. He was smiling from ear to ear, so happy that he could go to the ball with Anne.

“Gosh, I am so nervous, so what kind of introduction they are going to do?” Asked Anne. She looked around the room nervously..

Granted, this is her first ball, and with nobles and royalty around. Vale holds her hand and smiles to calm her down.

“Don’t worry, they are just going to yell our name into the whole people at this ball.”

“Ugh, so funny, Vale! So funny.”

Vale snorted when Anne punch him on his shoulder. The queue wasn’t long, but it was the heat that bothered her, Anne fanning herself constantly. Vale looks at her and offers her something in return. A small box and inside of it is a beautiful wood engraving bangle.

“Oh Vale, it’s so pretty, but you don’t have to.” Said Anne, feel so impressed by the engraved bangle.

“Wear the bangle. It has some magica in it. It should be enough to make you feel cool.”

“Really? Uhm... okay.”

.....

She wore the bangle and, feeling refreshed; the bangle has wind magic imbued in it, only high-level magi that could produce an imbued magic item. Anne felt so grateful towards Vale. Not only the bangle is so beautiful, but the imbued magic also helpful for her.

“Thank you so much, Vale, I... I can’t thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome,” Answered Vale, with a grin on his face. He then looks at her nervously. “Uhm... could you promise me something, though? Could you wear the bangle all the time?”

The wood bangle is small and does not even stand out. Anne thought it will be safe to wear it regularly. She nodded her head to Vale. She gave the magi captain a sigh of relief. The palace attendant asked for their name, and finally, it is their time to be announced.

“Sir Vale of Gendry town and Miss River Anne of Viora village.”

For regular citizens and custom nobles, they are still carrying the name of their birthplace as their surname, unlike the pure nobles and royalty that kept their family name as their surname. The two of them walked into the hall. Anne couldn’t keep her eyes in one place. She was in awe of everything inside the palace.

“Oh wow, the palace. This is the first time I see the inside. It’s just as beautiful as the outside of that book cover.” Muttered Anne inadvertently.

Vale turns his face to Anne, thinking that he must hear it wrong. “I beg you a pardon?”

“Oh, nothing! I was thinking about a book that has a picture similar to the palace.” Anne immediately deflected his question.

“Oh, alright, come on, what do you need right now?” Said Vale, leading her to the dining room, where the attendees could feast with an array of delicacies.

“Oh wait, Vale, I want to dance. Come on! Let’s dance!”

Anne was excited when the music begin to play and people around took their partners on the dance floor. Vale is loving her enthusiasm. He then leads her to the dance floor.

“Apology, but I must ask, should I lead you?” Asked Vale to Anne.

Anne looked around the dance floor and noticed they were dancing the waltz, she knows how to waltz from her old world. “Not to be worried. I know how to dance the waltz.”

“So, I don’t have to worry about my foot getting crushed?” Teased Vale.

Laughing and rolling her eyes, Anne then said to Vale, “No, you’re going to be safe. Now let’s dance, magi captain!”

They were dancing gracefully with the melodious tune from the orchestra, his eyes never looking away from Anne. They were smiling and having fun, not even realizing they were already danced for a while. Anne panted her breath, but thrilled, same as Vale, who finally could enjoy the formal palace ball. This type of event was never his forte, just like Xavier that prefer to go into the forest and have a quiet evening with the animals.

“Anne! There you are.”

Turning around from the source of the voice, Anne and Vale saw Clarice with her beautiful red gown, walking towards them. She embraced her best friend and feel so proud looking at her.

“Clarice, you may remember Vale?” Said Anne, who was trying to introduce Vale to Clarice.

Clarice’s eyes glinted with excitement. “I knew it! You choose the cute magi as your partner.”

“Ah, so lucky of me to be the chosen one.” Vale teases Clarice back.

“Oh, shut up, you’re teasing me sir Vale... I’m sorry though, but where’s the rest of the amazing quartet?”

Vale looked up into the second floor, where the royalty balcony was located. “I don’t know. Did you see the crown prince, or maybe Henry and Xavier?”

“I saw sir Xavier coming inside and headed to the second floor, but afterward one of my fiancé’s pulls me into the dining room.”

“That’s weird. There’s only Heirim and her friends on Justice’s balcony.” Muttered Vale.

He was getting worried until a hand grabbed onto his shoulder. He turned around to see prince Jason.

“Finally, look, we need you. There’s something happened at... please, just follow me for now.” Jason said it to Vale while trying to hide the rest of the problem from their surroundings.

“Yes, but... my partner...” Said Vale, glancing at Anne on his right side.

The way prince Jason looks at Vale, she can sense the urgency of the problem. She took his hand and smiled. “Vale, you need to go. Your friends need it you, don’t worry about me.”

“But, Anne...”

“Don’t worry sir Vale, I’ll be taking her to the dining room. She will not be alone.” Said Clarice, trying to convince the concerned magi.

“Go, Vale, they need you.” Anne push him to go with Jason, and she also reassured him with a smile.

He finally gave in and nodded at Anne. “I’ll go back as soon as possible, alright?”

While the magi captain goes away with prince Jason, the only thing that Anne could do was to follow Clarice to the dining room.

“I’m already eaten some of the food, but having one or two desserts is fine, right?” Asked Clarice to Anne, although the latter mostly ignored her. Annoyed by her ignorance, Clarice flicked Anne’s nose and glared at her, “Gosh, really?! You were the one who said that it will be fine if he was gone away, and now look at you?!”

“I’m fine, Clarice... Just, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.” Anne doesn’t want Clarice to feel how disappointed she was, although she couldn’t figure out why she feels disappointed in the first place.

The two of them took a corner table. Clarice started a conversation, mostly about how life in Viora village after she has been gone to take the civil servant exam. Clarice told her about the restoration of the lake, the new shop, and about Ed and Martha.

“I feel relieved to know both of them were healthy.”

Clarice smiled at Anne, the smile that you gave to your friend for good news. “They said that they will go to the capital for your graduation.”

“Oh, come on, my graduation as a civil servant isn’t certain yet.” Anne huffed a breath, feeling the pressure to make the two of them happy.

“They just wanted to see you, Anne. They missed you so much.”

Anne looks into Clarice’s eyes. Truthfully, Anne missed everything in Viora village, her parents, and the people. Somehow, she felt warm in her chest. The nostalgia came and memories of her childhood were flooding into her mind.

“Oh, no, you’re not!”

Suddenly, Clarice jumped from her seat.

“Clarice, what happened?” Asked Anne, her head turning into the way Clarice looked.

A group of nobles is circling around a beautiful lady. Anne knew immediately that it was Heirim. She also recognized one of the nobles that vied for Heirim.

“Luxor! How dare you sniff around another lady!” Shouted Clarice. She stomped her legs and march forward toward her fiancé.

Clarice and Heirim begin to bicker in front of all the nobles, Luxor. Clarice’s fiancé was trying to stop Clarice. He ends up getting a black eye from Clarice’s elbow. Anne let out a sigh and walk into her friend. She tried to ease the fight.

“Anne, my girl...”

A voice came from out of nowhere, she look around the room searching for the source, and that was when her eyes met with a pair of rainbow eyes. The woman from the forest of the lake, the woman still beautiful like the first time she met her.

“Come, child, I want you to meet with someone.” Said the woman.

“Who... who are you?” Asked Anne towards the woman.

The woman just smiles at her and walks away. Anne didn’t want her to be going away before she answered her question. Anne tried to chase the woman, her steps were light, but the woman keep getting further and further. She screamed her frustration while her hand tried to reach the woman, instead an unknown force pull her into another space.

She fell hard onto the hard ground, groaning she look around the area before she notices a pair of hands capture her from behind. She turned her head to see Justice.

“River Anne, what are you doing here?!”