A Cold Walk

The day of the birthday party finally came, and guests from across kingdoms and empires had occupied the guest rooms in the royal palace. The hall became noisier with several footsteps that could be heard at all times, even at midnight. 

Celeste mostly kept to herself because she didn't want to take the risk of bumping into Lady Runa when she wasn't ready. 

The young lady was naturally shy and reserved. Meeting someone as outgoing with suspicious motives would only exhaust her. Also, she still felt the fear of being near Lady Runa. 

Even during the day of the party, Celeste tried to prolong her time of preparation so she could enter the hall when it was already crowded with other guests. That way, Celeste had more chances to avoid Lady Runa if they met by chance. 

As expected, Prince Henrie and Lady Runa became the center of attention. They were both separated from each other as people surrounded them. Everyone seemed to have questions to ask of them.