Ethereal [h.s]

Chapter Three

"Oh my god, you're so fucked." Elios cackles as I stand in front of the mirror, touching up my make up.

"For the love of god, do you ever shut up?" I retort, stepping out of the bathroom attached to my room.

I'm well aware that I'm in deep shit, I don't need him to remind me.

He sits on my bed in a pair of black trousers and a white button up, a black suit coat sitting next to him.

"You know the answer full and well." He replies, a shit eating grin on his face as he smooths out the front of his pants. I roll my eyes, smoothing out the front of my A-line style dress. It's a shade of deep purple, and the silky fabric is cut off at my ankles to reveal a simple pair of black flats.

I adjust the hem of my dress as Elios stands to his feet, his lanky frame towering over me as he does so. He drapes his arms around my shoulders, and I sigh as we exit my room, beginning to make our way to the ballroom.

"I wish I coulda seen the look on her face when you told her off like that."

"I'm sure you do." I mutter, ducking out from under his arm. He flashes me a playful pout, but I ignore him as we continue down the corridor.

When we arrive at the ballroom, I'm quickly reminded of the lavish lifestyle surrounding us. The ballroom has high ceilings and crystal chandeliers bigger than a small house. The scent of champagne and expensive perfume meets my nostrils, and I exhale, straightening up ever so slightly.

My attention is stolen by the orchestra situated in one of the corners of the ballroom, and I hum quietly as they begin to play a tune familiar to me. My gaze fans over the people dancing, moving in rhythm with the music. I open my mouth to speak, but I fall short when I realize that Elios has sauntered off to fetch champagne with a boy who looked to be a bit older than us.

It's then that it hits me that I have the night at my disposal, and I can do as I please. I begin making my way through the crowded room, knowing exactly what I want.

I make it to one of the banquet tables, and it's covered in desserts. I snatch a truffle from one of the large platters, tossing it into my mouth.

I almost moan in ecstasy as the chocolate disperses in my mouth, caramel gushing from the center of the outer shell. Honestly, who needs sex when you have chocolate?

Once I decide that my sweet tooth has been satisfied, I glance around in search of a familiar face. The first I spot is Mabel. She's in her maid uniform and standing off to the side as if waiting for instructions. When we make eye contact, she gives me a short nod. I nod back, knowing full well what it means.

Don't forget about tonight.

I look away, not wanting to keep her gaze longer than would be suspicious to bystanders. And bystanders there were. I raise my eyebrows at Lavender and Marielle. I'd had my hopes up that I'd avoid them, but I suppose it isn't all that easy to avoid the guest of honor.

I plant a fake smile on my face as I dip into a curtsy, locking eyes with the princess.

"Your highness." I greet, straightening up from my curtsy. "Good thing I had the chance to show you the ballroom before we so unfortunately had to part ways, hm? It would've been a shame for you to miss your own party." I say, sarcasm articulating each syllable.

"Yes. A shame, indeed. Not to worry, Harry was kind enough to give us the tour. He was also kind enough to shed some light upon your character." She says distastefully, giving me a once over with her eyes.

I let out a huff of laughter, not in the least bit surprised. Hopefully he'd come up with something creative to tell them. Perhaps they figured I had a tail under my skirt now.