The Lost Princess

Chapter Nineteen: The Ball

Earwen strode into Amara's chambers the next morning. The room was dark, with only the tiniest rays of sun peeking through the thick curtains. She could just see the woman's silhouette sprawled across the bed through the sheer drapes.

"It is near the noon hour, Amara; you must get up," she said as she strolled over to the balcony doors. She threw open the curtains, allowing the late morning sun's golden rays to spill into the room, touching everything with its glittering fingers.

Amara groaned and pushed herself onto her elbows. She looked up, peering through the curtains of hair that fell about her face in uneven, chocolaty layers. They had no order, giving her a savage appearance as her eyes glowed in the gleaming sunlight.

"I must say, I am surprised you are even still here," Earwen said, crossing her arms and leaning against one of the balcony doors.

"What are you talking about?" Amara sighed, rubbing her face, trying to brush the hair back.

"Don't tell me you have forgotten last night's conversation." Earwen rose an elegant brow in slight disapproval.

"I have not given it a second thought," Amara said, stumbling to her vanity, slipping a robe over her nightgown. She cupped cool water from a basin and splashed it on her face.

"Funny you should say that when you don't seem to have slept at all by tell of the circles beneath your eyes," Earwen said. She tried not to let her frustration show.

"I haven't slept well in years," Amara said, turning around, still trying to manage the mane of unruly curls on her head. Earwen could now see why she so often wore it up. "And what do you mean you're surprised I'm still here? You wouldn't have left my side if you truly believed I would run away."

Amara brushed past the young elf and stood on the balcony overlooking the forest.

"Perhaps you are right, but my night was just as sleepless for fear that I was wrong," Earwen said as she came to stand beside the lost princess. "We would all be greatly disappointed if you left. Not only are you very important to the task set before us, but we have also become quite fond of you, Amara. It would pain me to lose a friend so early in our journey."

"You are very skilled in the art of making one feel guilty, you know," Amara said quietly.

Earwen grinned at the softness in Amara's tone. "It's a gift, like your magic."

Amara snorted indignantly.

"Now the question is, how are you going to make it up to me so you may not feel guilty anymore?"

"I'm terrified to ask," said Amara wryly, glancing at Earwen from the corner of her eye.

"We are going to a ball tonight, and it will be the perfect opportunity for you to not only make it up to me but everyone else as well."

Amara felt the color drain from her face as she looked at the elf princess fully.

Earwen laughed, nudging her with her shoulder, and was rewarded with a disgruntled look.

"You will have to wear a dress, I'm afraid," she added.

Amara groaned, putting her head in her hands.

"Come, Amara. I thought you were afraid of nothing," Earwen said, teasing.

"People are much more easily handled with a knife between you and them." Amara stiffened as the words left her lips. "I suppose I never apologized for that either, did I?"

"You didn't," Earwen replied. "But then, I was out of line as well. Let us call it even, if you promise not to bring any knives to the ball."

Amara wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "Fine," she said.