The Royal Friendship Ball

Master Kalim glanced at the Royal Patch Academy head master seated at the center of the stage together with other instructors. The old head master was already drooping amidst the excited chatters and murmurs of the students and their guests. He took this as a good sign that everything would turn out fine despite the threat they had received earlier which warranted the presence of the Royal Police chief in the venue. It would be the downfall of the academy if they would lose again one of their students or a dignitary. They requested almost seventy-five percent of the police force to beef up security. Majority of them were deployed outside of the Queen's Hall but there were several undercover agents who blended with the crowd in case something would go terribly wrong. Master Silva had already given him a go signal that they had finished admitting ball goers. As soon as they had closed the doors, Master Kalim, being the emcee of tonight's event, cleared his throat and let out a booming announcement.

"Good evening everyone! May I have your attention please? Let us all listen to the head master for his opening remarks."

The instructor seated next to the head master quickly nudged him to wake him up. The noticeably drowsy Master Goldva wiped away a forming drool and struggled to get off his chair. A few royal guests chuckled indiscriminately at the small senile man who was introduced as the head of the most prestigious school for royal bloods. Master Kalim made a mental note to himself to provide a small stepping ladder for the head master in the next occasion that he would be required to sit on a high chair. The head master was able to get down with the aid of his two seatmates who lifted him by the armpit and gently placed him on the emcee's podium. The crowd hushed when he began to speak.

"Students, guests and delegates, I am grateful that you have found time to attend this once in a lifetime opportunity to get to know your fellow monarchs. We at the Royal Patch Academy are delighted to see the world's future leaders gather in one event that aims to introduce them to the rest of the world without any prejudices. I am confident that tonight you would set aside all your differences to join us in our advocacy to promote peace and unity among kingdoms. It is with great honor that I formally welcome you to the Royal Patch Academy's Friendship Ball!"

The crowd burst into an applause as soon as the orchestra began to play music.

"That old man looked so pathetic!" Prince Hao sneered at the Royal Patch Academy's head master who had finally succumbed to sleep in his seat after his short opening remarks.

"You couldn't even contain your laugh. How very diplomatic for someone who wanted to be king!" Anna pulled herself away from her partner's arm. She scanned the surroundings with her eyes hoping that she could spot the familiar pointy hair among the sea of ball gowns and masks.

"Who are you looking for?" Prince Hao asked. "The most eligible bachelor of noble blood is just right beside you."

"I'm much more interested in the refreshment table than the egotist next to me," Anna replied. She saw an embarrassed Prince Yoh walking towards them with a furious Tamao who was dragging her sore left foot. Apparently the dance lessons did not help at all.

"I can't believe you, Yoh. You humiliated us in front of other royal bloods!" Tamao scolded her fiancé. It was a good thing that the orchestra music was loud enough to mute her screams of exasperation.

"My dear Tamao, don't make a ruckus here. I'm sure old Kino would not approve when she hears of this," Prince Hao raised an eye brow. He did not want to be in the company of people who could not follow proper decorum when attending social gatherings. Most of the time he did not practice good manners himself but today was an exception.

Tamao's cheeks went as pink as her hair. As if to save some decency for herself, she lowered her voice when she asked, "Are we just going to stand here all night?" When the Kasai heir did not respond, Tamao clenched her fists and stomped away from the group. "I am going to look for Pirika."

One down. One more to go. Anna saw this is as an opportunity to carry out their plan, "I'm going to get you two some drinks."

"No need to put on the personal maid act. There are waiters roaming around." Prince Hao pointed out.

"Well, they haven't pass by our area yet and I'm already thirsty." Anna ignored him and continued on her way.

At the Royal Patch Academy students' side of the ballroom...

"Pirika, I think that rosy pretty fluff is calling you," Chocolove tapped the Kouri princess' shoulder upon seeing an all-pink girl waving and pointing at her.

"Oh, it's my friend, Tamao. I'll be back in a minute," the princess told the group.

Chocolove nudged Prince Ren when his date left. "Seems like she's not going to introduce you to her friend. Maybe she's from your enemy kingdom?"

"I wouldn't even care if she did."

"Here," Jeanne arrived with cocktails after Princess Pirika left. She handed out the goblets to her cousin and the Tao heir.

"Thanks! You don't have to actually get these for us," Prince Ren told her. "There are waiters roaming around."

"It's no big deal actually. I'm kind of bored," the girl assured him. Prior to getting drinks, she had spent a couple of minutes just standing on a corner while watching the Kaminari prince and his date in a giggly conversation. Her cousin was sulking beside her and watching the couple's every movement.

"The least you can do to express gratitude is to drink it all," Lyserg snapped at his friend.

Prince Ren drank the contents of the cocktail while engaging in a glaring match with his apparently irked friend and handed the empty goblet to a passing waiter.

Uh-oh. Chocolove knew that the inevitable had come and prepared himself to go in between if punches would ever be thrown. "My lovely Jeanne, I hope you could get me a glass, too." He wanted her to steer clear of the impending crossfire.

"Of course," the seemingly clueless girl said sweetly and left the group.

Near the buffet table...

"Yoh," Anna raised the left goblet a little higher as she walked away from the refreshments section.

"Hao," she then raised the other one as if she's assessing which one of the two wine glasses weighed heavier.

There should be no mistakes tonight. She had poured all contents of the vial on the right goblet. It should go to the person whom it was intended for.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her left arm from nowhere and forcibly took both glasses from her.

"Get your own. Those are NOT yours!" Anna screamed.

Tamao smirked at her as she gave one goblet to a blue-haired ball attendee who hesitantly took it.

"I think we should just wait for the waiter, Tamao," the girl said feeling a bit embarrassed.

"She's a palace maid, Pirika. It's the same thing as being a server," the pink-haired girl shrugged it off then immediately drank the cocktail to further infuriate Anna. "She should be thankful Yoh's evil twin brother does not have a date. Otherwise, she wouldn't be invited to this ball exclusive for royal bloods."

Anna angrily rushed out of the scene before Tamao could return the empty glass to her. She would make that pink fluff pay some other time but at that moment she had other issues to deal with.

Pirika felt sorry for the blond girl. What could have she done to her friend to warrant her wrath? Her friend was sweet and adorable most of the time. She would only act bitchy to people she abhorred.

"Who is she, Tamao? Why are you mean to her?"

"That's Anna, Yoh's personal maid."

Anna… That name sounded familiar… "Yoh has a personal maid?" Pirika asked in disbelief.

"Yes, when I came back to the palace he already had one. She was a former governess in far-flung Chikyuu. He said that she is Amidamaru's distant relative but I am not buying that. I sense that she's keeping an awful lot of secrets from us and that she's out here to take Yoh away from me. He's spending more time with her now than with me."

"Maybe it's just a professional relationship. There's no way Yoh could put you aside for her. You've been betrothed to him since you were ten years old."

Tamao made a pained expression.

The Kouri princess thought that her friend might be feeling guilty for how she acted earlier.

"Are you okay?" she asked.