Star Ball Pt. 2

"Pardon my intrusion, Ms. Zaraa, you are required." Violet looked up, the woman issuing the command looked down, her face free of any expression. Violet was altogether unsurprised, ever since a certain pair of heart-stopping eyes had flashed in her direction, she knew her changes of coming out unscathed had plummeted down to zero.

"May we ask whom is requiring her presence?" Violet smiled at James, he was beginning to really grow on her.

Violet patted his arm gently as the woman replied, "No, you are required now!"

"It's alright James, I do believe I know. I'll be back in a moment."

As Violet followed the lady's swift movements out of the ballroom she caught notice that Kieren was facing in the complete opposite direction. He was being talked too by several of the ass-kissers she had noticed earlier, and it was a clear distraction.

They had also decided to pull her from the event during the socializing period, the joyous aura surrounding the room meant everyone's attention was occupied.

Apart from two Ill-disguised sentries watching from opposite ends of the room, Violet was not spared a second glance. "Prepared on all fronts are we?" Violet asked her lead.

The lady looked back clearly impressed, "She would like to make sure you are not interrupted."

Violet lied wishing it was a truth, "you waste your time, he would not have come anyway."

The lady did not answer.

Violet was led down a flight of stairs, and into the foyer of a door she had noticed before, the door was always locked and the place seemed unoccupied. Once inside Violet realized it was a perfectly set miniature house, complete with anything the aristocrat might require. Two more guards stood at the door and their eyes trailed over Violet with animosity. "I leave you here, enter."

Behind a impressive desk sat the current Queen and mother of Kieren, Anastasia, she looked up curiously as Violet entered.

"You are not surprised, were you expecting me to summon you Ms. Zaraa?"

Violet lowered her head ever so slightly before replying, "I am aware of the ruckus my presence around your son has caused."

"I dare say you are aware of much more than that, I can see it in your eyes." The Queen motioned to a porcelain tea set resting before her, "Tea?"

Violet sat in front of her looking cleanly into her eyes.

"No thank you."

"You are not one to leisure under the rules and customs of royalty child."

"Well," Violet replied, "I am not royalty."

The queen smiled, "I cannot fathom your resolve, it would be easier to escape this realm, and you chose not too. Why?"

Violet leaned forward, "Just as it would have been easier for you to take your son after his father's death and go? I have purpose here, there is no need for me to go, or are you ordering me to vanish?"

The queen laughed, "Alright Violet, you have my undivided attention, please, call me Anastasia. And spare me the curtsies, I am a queen in name alone, Baros rules the Ruenen." She suddenly looked downcast, "Kieren seems to like you, have you turned him down yet?"

Violet blinked at her, there was no point in lying, "yes."

She nodded, "there is of course no hope for the two of you, there never has been hope in love for the Zordyk line, never will be. It would all disappear in an instant anyway, one look and his lust for you would forever die."

Violet leaned forward, "I have nothing that I am willing to offer him, there is no hope in me."

Anastasia touched Violet's hand gently, "Liar, You are not what I expected, but what my child refuses to see is that he should not trust you. If you attempt to hurt my son-"

The ferocity in Violet's gaze stopped Anastasia in her tracks, Violet pulled her hand away, "Who has lied to him more?"

Anastasia looked pensively at Violet, "Just how much are you aware of? And how?"

Violet leaned back in her chair, face devoid of the earnest expressions painted on moments before, she did not answer.

Anastasia folded her hands, "I've kept you long enough, maintain adequate distance from Kieren. Do not force my hand Violet, I allow you here for the voice that whispers in my ear. I am promised that you have a role to play."

Violet returned as was planned, right when Kieren noticed her absence.

"Where is she?"

James looked at him in trepidation for a moment as Violet called from behind, "Here, you shouldn't leave your date."

Kieren turned around unamused, "were you summoned?" Violet noted Zen and Alex's glances in their direction.

Kieren was unfortunately making a stronger case to his mother's argument. "No, I was in the restroom, not that it is any of your concern."

Kieren looked at Violet surprised, his apprehension reached another level when she continued with a frosty tone, "not the place or time Lord Zordyk."

It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something was wrong, Violet was angry, and Kieren was utterly confused. Before Kieren could interject for a second time James got up and said, "let's dance Violet." He brazenly ignored the cold look from Kieren as he pulled Violet onto the dance floor.

Violet who was typically belligerent in the hands of authority seemed to struggle with her earlier meeting until James, grinning from ear to ear handed her a drink. "My dearest Violet, I think tonight, we do as we please." The rest of the evening seemed to pass quickly and quietly, Violet and James maintained their distance from the rest of the group, and for good measure the rest of the crowd, seeming to blossom in their own universe.

Kieren, on the other hand, seemed quieter than normal. He kept zoning out and it wasn't until Zen pulled him to the side that he returned to an almost normal state of mind. The twins and Alex traded dark glances while looking over at Kieren, this could easily turn into a disaster. Desperate to keep the mood of the ball pleasant they had the violinist come in early. This worked, for a whole of twenty minutes, until Kieren muttered softly that Dirk Maassen was a favorite of Violet's. Once again Zen reminded him that there were very important people present, and that it would be best if he focused on the task at hand.

Kieren shrugged and refused to dance with Julie causing her parents to hover anxiously.

The real cherry on top came in the form of Julie; angry and jealous she opened her big fat, fake teeth'd mouth. It was almost two in the morning, the hall was beginning to empty out, and Kieren who seemed anxious about something kept looking at his watch. He was walking over to get a drink when Julie, laughing pointed out a tipsy Violet who was dragging out James holding his hand, "Swine, look at the pair, all it took was some liquid courage. She's in for a fast fuck, I hope she catches something."

The atmosphere surrounding Kieren had turned bleak and with a murderous look on his face he began walking after them. Alex, thinking fast, spilled her drink all over Julie, the shrieks, and wet floor caused such a scene that Kieren was forced to take a step back.

The twins had stood on either side of him eyes pleading, gritting his teeth Kieren had walked away from them all and sat with his mother until the end of the event.

When the group approached Kieren at the end of the ball they were surprised by the look on his face. He spoke to them in hostile tones and when Julie asked if he would walk her back, he flatly refused. Kieren walked his mother to her room and then disappeared into his own. Exhausted and tense they dispersed into their own quarters.

Violet laughed freely, she shook her head panting slightly, "you're so stupid! One round is all you've got huh!"

She shoved James away and got up rubbing her hands along her back. James only winked as Violet left, "See you tomorrow Violet."

Violet hummed appeased as she walked back to her dorm, perhaps at the end of this all, James could be someone who continued to be in her life. She ran her hands through her tangled hair, it was bold of her too assume things would ever end in anything other than disaster for someone like her.

She stiffened as she recognized an irrefutable presence, she turned around ready to dispatch him with a short retort when she caught a glimpse of his face and froze, "Kieren what's wrong?"