Chapter 9: Night of The Party

DAHLIA:

Lina and the other servants were preoccupied for hours, dressing me, preparing me, making me beautiful enough to be served in a platter later in front of the noble houses of Talandor…

Everything made me sick - the lights, the sounds, the dresses, and most especially the compliments that made my heart sink further and further down into the bottom of despair.

“Lady Dahlia, you look truly beautiful! Congratulations,” the other attendants said in awe. They were sincere compliments, but I didn’t care. Neither Lina nor I spoke a single word while they bustled around to make me pretty for the party.

After several hours of letting them do their best work on me, I was finally allowed to look at myself in the mirror for the first time.

Indeed, I looked lovely in a royal blue party dress. My hair was curled up, and it was adorned with crystal and sapphire stones, but my eyes looked quite empty.

It was taking all the courage within me not to cry.

“Now, for the final piece, shall we put this necklace around you,” the palace’s chief attendant, Magnara, said.

She didn’t even let me speak as she wounded the blasted thing around my neck. It was a thin-strapped necklace with a large, teardrop sapphire stone in the middle.

“It’s the prince’s gift, my lady. He selected this one himself. He hoped you’ll like it.”

I didn’t want a gift, and I certainly did not want anything of Kaist clutching my throat at this point…

I stared at myself and the necklace. If it were a noose and not a piece of jewelry, perhaps it would be more fitting.

“It’s time, my lady. The duke is here.”

The door was opened promptly right after Lina announced my father’s presence. He strode into the room and looked at me, his eyes misting up with pride.

“My Goddess, you are breathtaking, Dahlly!” Papa didn’t say it, but I knew what he was thinking. He often remarked that I strikingly resembled my mother, the late Lady Arialla Vin-Hurst. In his somber moments, he was happy whenever he said it, but when he’s drunk, he often said it with disdain as if cursing me that I had survived when I was born and my mother didn’t.

I didn’t say anything to papa. I didn’t feel like feeding him with false smiles and remarks that I am happy for I am not. I didn’t want to see him nor speak to him at all if I could help it.

We went to the hallway. Papa was to be my escort as I entered the Grand Pavilion where the party will be held.

“Dahlly,” papa started, taking my hand into his. “I know you’re still angry, but please try to cheer up… A woman’s engagement party is one of the few moments in her life where she would become the center of attention. I hope you enjoy it as best as you can.”

I have no idea where papa was getting his logic. How can a woman enjoy an engagement party where she is being forced to marry someone who isn’t her mate?

I heard the trumpet sound and the voice announcing our presence behind the heavy door of the pavilion.

“Introducing Duke Jude Hurst, Lord of Livingstone Castle and his daughter, Lady Dahlia Eileen Hurst, the soon-to-be bride and queen of Talandor!”

Soon-to-be bride and future queen of Talandor - those are very heavy positions that were now resting heavily on my shoulder. I sighed. I need to bear it just at least for tonight.

The doors of the pavilion hall opened, and my father and I entered arm in arm, the conflict between us disappearing with our act. I had been used to this. I had been doing this since I was a child, but to be honest, it was getting awfully tiring to act and smile when your heart felt like it would burst into pieces anytime.

In a not so far away distance, Kaist was standing, ready to receive my hand from papa. He was wearing an outfit that matches mine: a royal blue suit adorned with crystals and sapphires in the neck and cuffs. On his back was a dark blue, almost black fur cape, and he was smiling from ear to ear.

I wondered how he could smile like that when we were sealing our fates away from our mates. Does he feel no sense of loss that he was about to tie bonds with someone who wasn’t sent to him by the Moon goddess?

“Dahlia, you look beautiful,” Kaist whispered when papa was out of earshot. “Did you like my gift?”

“What do you think,” I said. I wasn’t quite in the mood to pretend in front of my best friend.

“Are you still mad at me,” he said, dropping his tone a notch lower.

“You can probably take a guess, your majesty,” I said, smiling as widely as I could towards him, although I could feel that my smile still did not quite reach my eyes. “Thank you for the gift… It wasn’t what I was expecting though,” I added.

“Let’s talk after the party, alright,” he said, squeezing my hand a bit. “I have some news, but I’m afraid it’s rather an unfortunate one…”

I was not expecting anything at all from Kaist anymore, but when he had hinted some bad news, my heart stilled.

“Is it him?... Did you get any information about him,” I asked, dropping my voice down as I bared my teeth in front of everyone.

“Hmm… You really can’t stop yourself when you have questions, Dahlia… But, let’s talk later… There are far too many ears and eyes here…” He put my hand into his arm and patted it a bit. I felt little comfort when he did this. It’s as if he’s preparing me for the worst case scenario.

He escorted me to the center of the pavilion where his father, King Maurus, was sitting. He was wearing a cream and red colored ceremonial suit, which was the color of their crest – the House of Lyon.

Kaist and I curtsied to him. “Greetings to the King of Talandor, Our Supreme Ruler.”

“Congratulations,” he said. When I looked at him, his eyes pleasantly lit up. I immediately looked elsewhere, unable to get comfortable once again under his gaze. “Now, we will finally be family, Lady Hurst.”

I curtsied even deeper so that I could avoid showing my face that was boiling in controlled rage. “The pleasure is mine, your majesty,” I said in a perfectly disguised tone.

“Now then, let’s begin the party for you both, shall we?” The king rose from his seat and went into the center of the podium. He raised a glass of champagne and tapped it with a cutlery, calling everyone’s attention. Both Kaist and I were handed a full glass of sparkling wine too.

“Beloved citizens of Talandor, I am more than joyful to announce the upcoming wedding of my son and only heir, Kaist Earnest Lyon, and the lovely daughter of the House of Hurst, Lady Dahlia Eileen Hurst. Let’s all wish them a happy life together under the Moon Goddess’ blessings and protection.” King Maurus declared, raising his glass. “To the prince and his soon-to-be princess!”

“To the prince and his soon-to-be princess,” everybody echoed.

I tipped the glass into my lips, letting the liquid slip into it all the way down into my throat.

I don’t know if I was just imagining it, but I could swear that just then, I could feel a pair of familiar set of eyes gazing towards my way.