THE USURPERS| 2021

CHAPTER 6: THE PRINCE

V.
CHAPTER 6
The Prince
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"Are you sure we cannot cut away this tulle?" My mother asked one of the maids who dressed me. When she finally arrived to see me get prepared for the ball, I almost laughed at the murderous look in her eyes.

I was truly a sight to behold.

And by a sight—I meant a monstrosity of pinks and lace. I looked like I was being swallowed by fabric, the skirt of my dress not even fitting in the frame of the mirror. In the end, I had been right about how the colour washed my skin. Maelle had tried to convince me that she thought that the dress suited me, but I knew she was saying it out of kindness.

The maids had made quick work of me ever since the morning. I had been washed, scrubbed, and had sat for hours having my hair pinned into an intricate braid. Aerves had walked in earlier with a box of crown jewellery, telling me I was to wear the jewels of the kingdom. Now that I was finally in front of a mirror, I could see how the opal necklace gleamed around my neck.

I felt so heavy.

Between the heavy jewels, the dress, and my hair massed upon my head, I didn't know how I would manage standing the entire night. "The tulle is fine just cut away the skirt." I mumbled.

"Where are the flowers in her hair?" My mother turned to scold one of the maids behind me. "She's a spring hare, not a rabbit."

"A spring hare?" I asked, not knowing that there was a costume theme to the ball.

"Everyone will be dressed symbolizing a different animal in the story of Leon, the god of war." Maelle informed me as a maid hurried over with a box of flowers to pin to my hair.

I remembered the story of Leon. It was one of many that I was forced to read as a child, and later again in the temple. Every ruler of Elysia had a patron deity. My father's was Leon, who he had been named after. The story of Leon started with the god of war being stripped of his powers by his father, Asmond, the god of the sky. To gain his powers back, Leon would have to find four different creatures in the world to sacrifice. A silver stag. A spring hare. A mother swan. A white lion. Instead of hunting the creatures, Leon earned their gratefulness by completing tasks for them. In the end, every creature from the spring hare to the white lion, bent their neck and offered their life out of gratefulness.

"What a macabre theme." I said. Of course my father would have all his subjects dress as different animals loyal to the god of war— who I was certain he would be dressed as tonight.

My mother, who was dressed in a white coloured gown, was obviously supposed to be a mother swan. The feathered headpiece atop her head missed my attention till now.

"I wonder how many spring hares there will be tonight." I found humour in the idea that all the women in court would be competing to see who had the best rendition of one of the animals.

"Did you find out what Aurora will be dressed as?" My mother asked Maelle.

Maelle nodded, "The silver stag."

I remembered that the silver stag in the original tale had been the animal that was most quick to bend its neck to Leon. The most loyal creature.

"Perhaps we should have went with that." My mother sighed. "No matter. We will make do with the spring hare."

"Hares are also a symbol of luck in Callais." Maelle quipped, offering me a small smile.

I was unbelievably nervous. In truth my stomach was a bundle of knots and not only because of my anticipated meeting with the prince. Like yesterday, I could strangely feel my power curl at the bottom of my spine. As if it were threatening to burst out if I lost my focus. It's never been like this, I thought to myself. Usually my power seemed to come and go, only rising in times of distress or when it had been dormant for too long.