When All is Lost

9.

The palace is an intricate pattern of corridors and rooms, it took me a long time to learn my way around it. Even after a lifetime I still find rooms I've never noticed and new staircases leading to who knows where. The ballroom is in the centre of the palace, making it relatively easy to find, attached is a courtyard which allows cool air to flow through once the main room gets too warm.

Every Quarter Day it is transformed to match the season we celebrate. The court has become more and more fascinated with magic, and now the decorations are quite obviously otherworldly. I enjoy this aspect, although a regular puzzle to me is where the Fae are that control the conjurings.

This evening frost captures everything, the ballroom and the courtyard beyond are glistening. I catch my breath as I enter the room. The columns around the room shine and snowflakes fall in flurries, disappearing before they touch the ground. The holly and ivy - traditional items for the Winter feast, still feature but their colours are subdued by the ice. The Queen matches all of this, her wig is white with diamonds making it glisten, her pale skin makes her blue eyes shine brighter. I am in awe.

When she first arrived at the court there were rumours that she'd placed a love spell on the King so quickly did he fall for her. Now we know love spells don't exist and so it's decided he was captivated by her beauty. Her bright almost white blonde hair makes her stand out in any crowd, mixed with her crystal blue eyes and there's almost always someone staring at her with the look of a dazed idiot on their faces.

My theory is that after the death of Nate's mother, the King was an easy target and it's clear to everyone that what Elissa really enjoys is power.

We enter the ballroom separately, the others are announced with great pomp and ceremony, while I slip in through the servant's entrance like the nobody I am. Nate's words still sting, but I'm trying to forget them.

I watch the room as Nate is announced and smile as the attention of every female in the room flashes to him. Adam follows him and Tommy, looking incredibly refined, enters after him. They are the men the women are after. They're single, they're handsome, they're clever and oh yes, they're extremely, stupidly, rich.

I head to the podiums where the trays of drinks are kept, this is another new aspect of the palace. The glasses placed on the podiums vanish, returning clean and full of champagne. It's a great trick, completely unnecessary but amusing.

"Where are the waiters?" Adam asks as he takes his drink from me.

I shrug, "Magic is fashionable. Where are the Fae? Might be the better question. I've never seen one in the palace, have you?" I ask.

"They're banned," Tommy says bluntly as he takes his glass and I frown so he continues. "The Queen hates them, so they're not allowed anywhere inside the walls."

"Since when?" I ask, astounded that this is allowed.

"Since, forever," Tommy says, glancing around to make sure no one is listening. "It's not news Charlie, the Queen is terrified of Fae."

Adam nods, sipping his drink.

"Then why use magic for the decorations?" I ask, confused.

"Like you said, it's fashionable," Tommy says, turning to check out the room.

"And it's so pretty." Says Adam with a smile, I sense he may already be a little tipsy. I "accidentally" missed most of the pre-drinking so they're ahead of me.

While we wait for Nate to stop being princely we find our corner, perfectly situated on the edge of the gardens and dance floor so we can see the action but not get too involved. From here we can see who sneaks out, and who gets snubbed. Best view in the house.