Swords of Gilded Crimson

Chapter 38 | Contesting Mortals |

The next day was for the large part, as per usual. When Bella came up to my quarters that morning, there was talk of an upcoming masquerade ball... even though we'd just suffered a ball the previous night. Plans roiled in my mind on how to now make use of the masquerade ball. It would serve as a good opportunity to get away from the House of Might, seeing as we already needed to find the day we would leave for Endisvale. With this we could slip away unnoticed seeing as this time, there wouldn't be a need to craft alibis and excuses because we wouldn't be returning.

But perceiving my silence as confusion on the schedule of such balls, she reasoned for me, 'The closer we come to the solstice, the more there will be of balls, parties, social events in general. It's a chance for the nobles of Lord Veyren's dominion to foster unity before the natural balance of the world is replenished. Or at least, that's what Lady Genevieve reminds us of, year on year.' The last line, I wouldn't lie, triggered a sense of intrigue.

So later evening, I decided to venture into the Great Hall and find out more of  exactly what Veyren's subjects thought of the 'natural replenish of the force that prevails in their lands', from the perspective of the higher class this time. I spotted Lady Ivanna who waved me over to the table, at which she sat with Christina Fane and two other noblewomen. They each had a ladylike hand on a goblet of wine or glass of spirts.

Ivanna gestured for one of the staff waiting at the bar lined with alcoholic drinks, presumably for me. Though Christina noticed too, and made a not-too-subtle roll of her eyes. 'Don't bother. She'll probably not be able to handle two goblets in that fragile state.'

It was through gritted teeth I questioned her opinion. 'Fragile state?'

She finally turned to face me, and cocked her head as if I were the one needing a table flipped at. 'Well if not fragile, what else are you after apparently enduring a physical trauma so big, that you required Nicholas to tend to you for the majority of the previous night?'

So that's what this was about; she likely didn't get the chance for even one dance with Nikolai yesterday night. If desperation were a person...

I gave her a shrug. 'I don't think being fragile had anything to do with that.' And then added - "And that's Lord Nicholas to you."

It would have been more logical to go along with her judgement of me, but this wasn't that bad. Besides, they could doubt us all they wanted as long as there wasn't anything too obvious; we were leaving soon anyway. With that, I walked up to the bar myself and grabbed us two shots of vodka, indicating to the bar staff to keep them coming. When I turned back, I saw Nikolai had entered with Astor and a few other noblemen, wanting the expanse of the Great Hall for whatever it was men did in the Great Hall in the evening. He eyed the two shot glasses and raised a brow, so I gave him the smirk he was so fond of sending my way.

I slid one glass across the table to Christina, challenging her. I'd done the contest of vodka shots with Aelius, over the many times we'd ventured into Tenebrae's deepest pit where, it was so dark and hidden, that anyone was free to drink, engage in frisky activities- essentially do what would be instantly condemned anywhere else in the mountain range. To be fair, I did have an advantage from the limits fae had on alcohol as opposed to mortals, but she didn't need to know that.

'Let's test our mettle then.' Her eyes lit up with confidence as she grabbed for her glass.

I downed mine a second before she did, which became quite repetitive as we launched into the series the bar staff had kept prepared. Ivanna and the others hurriedly picked up their skirts and moved away from our recurrent slamming of the shot glasses on the oak table. A small circle of otherwise enlivened nobles had instead gathered around us, egging on the contest.