Preparation

Eris has spent most of her time catching up to the world around her by reading the books provided by the priestess. She started reading about different kingdoms and species all over. She read as much as she could about merfolk. Especially seanes. They are observed to be playful and a little bit of pranksters. They are able to walk on land, have legs and a tail but they primarily live in lakes or shallow parts of the ocean. There are also few drawings attached in the book. All of them had ears just like her… The more she read the more she got curious about the mermaid who was frozen. After few more pages she decided to go and visit her. She placed down the book and got out from her room and made her way towards the outer caves.

"Hey! Eris, where are you headed?" Brem's voice was heard and Eris quickly turned around with a smile.

"Just gonna check something out in the caves. You know, the mermaid."

"Right! Me and Edeltria are on our way to do our costumes for the ball. Want to join us?"

"Of course, right after I'm finished." Brem then waved and walked away towards the seamstress. Eris wasn't sure what kind of costume she would like. The seamstress seemed incredibly excited to fix them and had tons of ideas.

Following the one way path, Eris arrived at the frozen lake. She took a closer look at the mermaid and observed her features. It was one of the more common ones. A tail, fins and scales. She had longer hair which meant she was living in the deeper places of the ocean but still hung out around the surface. Ocean mermaids were usually huge and let out a humming sound. Mermaids closer to the surface were smaller, some more thin while others on the chubby side to keep themselves warm. She reached out her hand towards the mermaid before she heard footsteps, running. She quickly looked towards where the sounds came from. It seemed like the person was running away, that's how it sounded like at least. Eris moved closer to where she heard the sound but decided not to chase after the person, she didn't have the energy to fight in case it was an enemy. Before turning back to the frozen ocean she saw something glimmering on the floor. She moved closer, crouched down and picked it up. It was wrapped up in paper but a small part wasn't covered. Opening it she noticed it was a flower. The same crystal flower from the marketplace in Frosa. Her eyes widened as she looked at the paper, recognising the hand writing.

"I'm currently at the castle in Frosa… The king wanted all of you dead and sent me to do it. I couldn't so I lied… I hope you're fine and that he never finds you.

Yours, Cashimir"

Eris almost dropped everything. The person who was running… Could it be? She quickly began to run as well, hoping she would catch up to him. Why didn't he say anything? Did he know it was her standing there?

"Cashimir! Cashimir, wait!" She yelled after him but received no answer. She arrived where they had fallen down and he was nowhere to be seen. It was probably too late. She held the crystal and the note close to her heart. Maybe… They would meet at the ball… Suddenly she felt pressure about the costume. She couldn't be recognized but at the same time she had to so she could meet Cashimir… Looking at the crystal flower she then knew how he would recognize her. But she wanted to look extra good for him. She could finally wear a beautiful gown again instead of simple dresses. Holding the items tightly in her hand she made her way back to the city to join Brem and Edeltria.

When Eris arrived she saw Brem already trying on a piece. It was a white shirt that revealed most of his chest. A pair of sleek black pants and a cape that was attached around his neck. The cape had a beautiful pattern or in and gave it a very elegant feel. He also received a mask that covered most of his face.

"We'll just have to paint your skin so the guests won't realize you're an orc." Brem nodded as he looked in the mirror. He seemed to like it a lot.

"You look amazing, Brem." Eris said with a smile as she sat down beside Edeltria.

After Brem it was Edeltria's turn. She didn't really seem too happy about it and seemed pretty exhausted. But the seamstress was able to the best she could. In the end they chose a green dress and a fitting mask that looked like veins with flower decorations. The dress was light and simple but still seemed elegant since it had golden embroidery on it.

"I think I will head back to my room for now…" Edeltria left after her dress was decided. Eris felt doubtful if they should bring her along or not. The mission could be dangerous…

"Don't you think it's better if Edeltria stayed here to rest?" She looked at Brem who shook his head and crossed his arms.

"No… She can't sulk around here. She would be devastated if she missed out on this grand ball. She probably doesn't realize that now but I will talk to her about it." Eris nodded before standing up when the seamstress was ready for her as well.

"Do you have anything in mind?" She asked, showing the dresses available. It was slightly overwhelming to see so many different dresses in so many different colors. But one of the dresses did manage to catch her eye. A black dress. And that's when it hit her what she wanted to be.

"A black swan" The seamstress excitedly brought up the black gown. The skirt was huge and it was sleeveless. She would have to wear gloves as well. Then the seamstress brought a mask that was also in black and one of the sides were higher than the other and formed into a swan.

"It's perfect…" Eris couldn't stop smiling. Looking in the mirror she felt incredibly pretty. And she could wear the flower as a necklace, making it stand out. The color really made her think about Cashimir. Now they only needed to wait for the night of the ball…