“She is just so strange, Branden. You really should spend some time with her, and then you’d see what I mean. I do think that you’d like her.” Eryk danced around the ring, trying to score a hit on Branden while not getting hit himself.
“The past few days have been really great. When I spend time with her, it keeps the other girls away; they seem intimidated by her for some reason,” he explained, grinning. Eryk was not going to admit that he was attracted to Aislynn. When he was with her, he found himself wanting to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. She made him feel… He couldn’t quite describe how she made him feel, but he liked it.
“I prefer her friend, personally. A beautiful, quiet lady,” Branden commented. “And the other women likely have a reason for their feelings toward the princess. I’m pretty sure that she isn't what she seems to be. But it is nice to see you not arguing with your father, at least.”
Branden tried to be happy that his friend had found another companion to spend time with, but he wished that Eryk would spend more time with Alexius and less with Aislynn. He stabbed his blade straight ahead, an attack that should have been easy for Eryk to block, but he scored a direct hit. Branden rolled his eyes at the further demonstration of Eryk’s total lack of prowess as a swordsman.
“So have you decided what you are going to wear to the Ball tonight? I recommend very comfortable footwear,” Branden commented with a smirk.
Eryk grimaced, expressing his distaste for both the hit and for the upcoming event. His father expected him to dance with each and every lady in attendance at the Ball at least once. It promised to be a very long night for him, between the dancing, the inane chatter, and watching the women all jockeying for position, staring each other down, and generally being nasty to one another when they thought he wasn’t looking. He was dreading the entire event.
“Well at least I get to torture you too, my dear friend. I can’t have all of those ladies just standing around waiting to dance with me, after all. The noble brothers of all those ladies get to help keep them entertained. So, have you decided what you’re going to wear?”
The two young men continued to joke amongst themselves as they put away their practice gear and went upstairs to clean up before breakfast.
Branden sighed when he saw Eryk’s face light up a short while later as they entered the dining hall; Aislynn was already there. Ever since his conversation with his father a few days ago, Branden couldn't stop thinking about everything that bothered him about her. She made him very uneasy.
“Well good morning, gentlemen,” Aislynn greeted the two men. “All ready for tonight’s big event?”
“Not you too,” Eryk groaned.
Branden rolled his eyes, and turned toward Aislynn. “He’s afraid of commitment, you know,” he commented.
Aislynn laughed and took her seat at the table. Today she was sitting beside Byron, he noted. The princess and the captain really seemed to get along, and for some reason that bothered Branden too. Maybe because they were so alike, far too much alike for a proper nobly born lady. Eryk was right; she was strange, but Branden knew that Eryk didn’t know the half of it.
When his father entered the room, Branden noticed that he wasn’t with Tarren, as was his usual custom. In fact, Tarren was conspicuous in his absence, as were Durham and Cora. It looked like it would be a small gathering for breakfast this morning, Collin indicating to the servants that they could bring in the food. It seemed that Tarren wasn’t going to be joining them at all. Branden wondered if there were details of tonight’s Ball that were keeping him busy. The council should technically take care of all of those minor things, but the king liked to be involved, especially when it was something concerning his son.
Branden was too involved himself, in his personal opinion, but his father had insisted on passing along some of his duties as chief advisor so that Branden would be prepared to take over that role when Eryk assumed the throne. He wasn’t particularly looking forward to that day. Like Eryk, he wasn’t ready to settle down.
After breakfast, which passed quickly, Aislynn and Byron excused themselves. On the way back to the stairs leading up to her rooms, she stopped Byron with a light touch on his arm.
“What sort of arrangements have you made for the Ball tonight?” she asked quietly as he turned to face her.
“The usual,” he replied. “There will be two pairs of guards at the entrance to the castle, and an even dozen in the ballroom itself, stationed around the room at equal intervals. Why?”
“Well, if my father is correct, we should be seeing another assassination attempt soon. I can do my best to keep close to Eryk, but it will be difficult due to the arrangements for the dancing and introductions. Tarren isn't particularly protected at all, so tonight would make an excellent time for an assassin to attempt something.”
“Do you think that I should increase the guards?”
She shook her head. “No, not in the ballroom. If things are too unusual, it could cause problems with the guests. You don’t want to panic them; crowds can be especially dangerous when panicked. You may want to have some extra guards in and around the lower halls though, so that they could be summoned quickly if necessary.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I'll go and make the arrangements, and I'll see you tonight.”
Aislynn nodded, with a sigh. It was just after breakfast and Byron was exactly right. If Marja had her way, and she usually did in cases like these, Aislynn was about to be trapped in her rooms for the rest of the day in order to get ready for tonight. She walked up the stairs like a prisoner walking to the gallows.
Marja was in her element for the entire day. Aislynn was happy enough to start with a bath, even if the water did smell entirely too flowery for her taste. The bath water was hot and she was hoping that a nice soak would ease some of the tension she was feeling, but it didn't help. She did take advantage of the opportunity to give Cheta a bath though, which the wolf did not appreciate. However, everyone who saw her afterwards had to admit that she looked less frightening when she was well groomed.
After her bath, Aislynn dressed in the new shift that she'd purchased for the occasion. It was comfortable enough, and she had to admit that it was rather luxurious to be lounging around all day being primped and pampered. Marja spent a lot of time on Aislynn’s hair, delicately twisting stands of hair into curls and then pinning them up on her head. She was determined that Aislynn be stunning for this event, regardless of Aislynn’s opinion on the matter. The princess had a part to play and it was Marja’s job to make sure that she played it well.
After her hair was finished, Aislynn was permitted a light lunch, which Marja had a servant bring up to the room. While Aislynn ate, Marja attended to her own preparations, and then it was time for Aislynn’s cosmetics, which seemed to take forever. By now, Aislynn was getting twitchy from having to sit still for so long. She really wanted all of this preparation to be over!
Finally, it was time to dress. The periwinkle blue dress that Anna dropped off was stunning. The sleeves were short and sat low, showing off Aislynn’s shoulders. There was gathering around the bodice, giving it a ruffled appearance, and the skirt was constructed of numerous incredibly fine layers of fabric that created a full appearance without the weight. Once she was dressed, Aislynn found that she retained her freedom of movement, which had been her primary concern with the whole ball gown thing. Aislynn was very happy with the work that Anna had done, and definitely wanted her to come back and alter the rest of her dresses, just as Marja wanted.
Nearly finished, Aislynn then donned the finishing touches – the necklace, bracelet and hair combs that she and Eryk had picked out on that initial shopping trip into the city. They were made of yellow gold and bejeweled with dark sapphires, a perfect complement to the pale blue gown.
Throughout the morning and early afternoon, Aislynn had felt Eryk wandering the castle, apparently with energy to spare. Byron must
have noticed too, since she felt Eryk stop in the area of the barracks a little while before lunch, where he remained for a time. When she felt him return to his rooms to get ready, feeling content and a little tired, she knew that it was almost time to leave. The Ball would be starting soon.