Restlessly, I stood on a small wooden dais as three servants messed around with my appearance. The first servant brushed my face loosely with white powder, placing a slight blush on my cheeks. Meanwhile, the second servant was in the process of roughly making a crown braided half-down with a cornet in the back. The third servant was fussing around my dress.

"There there... go see what you think." The third servant told me.

Grudgingly, I stepped off the dais. My memories of getting dolled up weren't fun. All I could recall was the roughness of mama's hands as she did my hair, usually fussing over how heedless I was with my appearance. But I never cared too much because usually, I spent my time sitting on the sides, watching the couples pirouette by like dandelions in the wind. But when I looked into the mirror and saw what they had done, my jaw dropped to the floor. The dress I picked out wasn't all that bad, it looked better now that I saw it all put together. My usually tousled tresses were smooth and shiny with a matching purple jeweled headband adorning the top. My skin felt like the porcelain dolls me and Sofia would see displayed in toy shops and I felt the cool golden metal of the crescent moon necklace against my chest.

"Thank you. This looks amazing."

Just then, Sofia along with the Elemental Weavers came along. As soon as they saw me, they all looked just as blown away, like they just seen a candle go out on its own accord.

"Mine Liselotte, don't you look like an exotic rosette!" Aira exclaimed joyfully, almost like a child.

I rubbed my forehead in an awkward manner. I wasn't sure what to say to something like that?

"God Aira, if there were a Queen of Awkwardness, it'd be you." Hestia scathed.

Aira turned towards her nonchalantly, "I merely meant it as a compliment."

Hestia groaned in annoyance, "It was a joke."

"Anyways, as Aira was trying to say on our behalf, you actually look clean." She commented before gesturing to the door. "Ready to go now? The carriage doesn't dilly-dally all night."

I nodded, making sure to thank the servants beforehand.

The palace at night was eerily ethereal and soundless, the walls shadowy, and every step we made against the cold marble floors fabricated much louder echoes due to the lack of sound. We encountered servants and courtiers in the halls, chatting with one another but the problem was that everyone seemed fidgety. People would murmur rather than speak, their lips compressed, almost as if they were telling a secret rather than having a conversation. Their bodies were tense, making every movement of theirs rigid.

Something wasn't right. During the daytime, everyone was more lively and uninhibited. What was going on to make everyone so tense? I had to figure it out myself tonight because clearly nobody was willing to properly explain. Not the Elemental Weavers, King Bervon, Queen Theia, or any of the servants and courtiers.

Sofia looked just as disturbed by the tenseness. Her hands slightly trembled and she kept adjusting her cloak. When I looked at her, she wore an elaborate french fishtail braid which was adorned with pearls and pink roses, glass pearldrop earrings dazzled from her ears along with a matching necklace. The subtle flecks of freckles which usually dotted her sunkissed complexion were concealed completely, more than likely out of insecurity as she always was teased about them.

I directed my attention back to the Elemental Weavers. Aira was fiddling with her hands, Odessa was oddly calm, and Hestia was more focused on the task at hand rather than the tense energy coursing through the palace. But luckily, with Hestia leading us, we were outside in no time. The sky was once more sprinkled with stars, giving a lunar luminescence over the four-tiered palace. Normally, I'd find the stars intriguing but this time I felt nothing but the sensation of forming goosebumps on my arms, knowing what happened last night. But I couldn't do anything except just hope that Lilith wouldn't come for me. If anything, I had no clue why I was the one she chose to target. I was just a normal thirteen-year-old girl. What could they possibly want from me?

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Instinctively, I turned around ready to fight back.

"Odessa..."

I swear, she's like an assassin! How does she manage to make her presence undetected?

"Liselotte, you look out of it. Are you alright?" She asked, moving a stay hair from my face.

I nodded shakingly, "Yes, of course."

Odessa gave me another one of her stoic gazes, tilting her head towards my ear. "I can see you're obviously less than pleased to attend this ball. You can't deceive me."

Wait. So now you're addressing that?

"But it's not that bad Liselotte. I feel that if you actually tried, you'd at least find some sort of entertainment." She whispered chillingly, a soft smile curving her lips.

I remained silent, pondering to find a comeback to that but she pushed me into the carriage.

"Now go you shrewd heron, into the twilight of the day, where the stars serenade you in the inky pine forests, as you dance away with a Prince perhaps." She calculatedly serenaded. Her chuckle a much more pronounced balance of ice and water, making a ripple of both intrigue and fear crisscross me.

"Wait a minute, are you k-" I tried to finish my sentence but the sound of clopping hooves and neighs hindered me from doing so as the carriage started to move.

I looked on at the three sisters as they all merely smiled and waved goodbye until we were no longer in view.

I heard the dreaded sound of horns again as we came up to the entrance of this time a castle. This castle was imposing, made from beige stone, with tall segmented windows and vines of roses creeping up the walls. What caught my attention was the white banners hanging out in the front. In the middle, there was the royal crest printed which had golden mantling, a golden sword with a crown on top and stems of rosebuds arising from them. On the bottom, it read, 'Honor and Forbearance'.

As soon as the royal coachmen stopped the carriage, two escorts took me and Sofia by the arms, not allowing us to take a better look at our surroundings which irritated me. The air inside the castle was crisp and invigorating, forcing me awake the entire time as we walked past walls of torches. The escort tried to converse with me but every time he did, I'd ignore him. He was merely there to take me where I needed to go, nothing else.

When we arrived at the entrance, our cloaks were confiscated and we went down the grand staircases leading to the ballroom. Of course, everybody was curious about the two most recently arrived guests, I could tell by the stares and whispers they repeatedly gave. But I ignored them. They weren't worth my attention.

As I circled around the ballroom, I noticed it was rather dim, with blue tapestries on the walls, two pairs of banquet tables left and right, and a large chandelier present amongst the high ceiling while people swirled around the marble floors gracefully. It reminded me of how when I and Sofia were little, we'd sit near our bedroom window and watch the snowflakes at night. They would dance with the bitter wind in the sky, so freely like angels having a pillow fight, heavenly yet harsh too as it bit at our fingers and kissed our little red cheeks. But I also used to wonder... how come the world couldn't accept other people's differences? How come snowflakes could so easily live in harmony despite the fact none of them were exactly alike? By the time I was ten, I started to realize just how suspiciously different from my family I truly was. They all had brown eyes, richer hair colors, and no natural pallor like I did. I also wasn't as demure nor graceful in manners as Sofia, mama, and even my grandmother. That was when I started to question whether I was being told the truth.

"For you young lady." A voice interrupted.

"Excuse me?" I looked towards the face in front of me. Striking jade green eyes, long golden eyelashes, and slightly tousled blond hair. He wore white breeches, brown knee-high boots, and a white and gold doublet.

He didn't answer my question. Instead, he gave a charming smile and presented to me the reddest rose I'd ever seen. I eyed him skeptically before snatching the rose from him.

Who is he? I meant to ask him but he only merely bowed to me and left. Just like that.

What the hell? Is he serious?

The rose felt amorous, warming up my cold hands and causing my nerves to tingle. Its color was nice and bright, akin to the round juicy apples our family used to pick every year at the summer fair. Then, I recalled what Shaman Leocadia told me just this morning; " White roses mean purity and holiness, red roses mean passion and sacrifice, yellow roses mean wisdom and joy, pink roses gratitude and peace, and purple roses mean wonder, awe, and change for the better."

When the realization set in, my cheeks flushed, but not because I was embarrassed. Because I was angry at myself. Who knew that something which sounded so bogus just hours ago suddenly proved true and came knocking on my radar? I guess what she told me wasn't completely bogus.

Not sure what else to do, I spent the next half an hour wandering the ballroom like some lost mouse, with the rose and all clutched in my hand. I figured Sofia would be socializing with somebody. After all, she was far too friendly for her own good. And unsurprisingly, I was right. She was having a conversation with a pair of fraternal twins. One had green eyes and white hair, the other having blue eyes and bright red hair. They both had blissful smiles on their faces as they conversed with Sofia.

Not surprised, not one bit.

That was when the last melody was beginning to end. Quietly, I moved discretely to the side, hoping to go unnoticed. The last thing I needed was to be asked to dance by some creep and besides, I preferred to watch. So I sat on the stairs watching the dancers loose movements. Both audiences that watched from either the top balconies or the sidelines seemed to be content with watching while socializing. Suddenly, I felt someone sit beside me. I looked to see whom it was and my brain ceased to function, my blood stopped flowing through my veins, and my heart stopped.

The boy who gave me the red rose.

"You again?" I coldly asked, groaning and immediately standing up to leave. You can't just give me a red rose that's going to die anyway and leave like that!

But his hand gripped mine and forced me to sit down. Then and there, I debated beating him bloody, right in the middle of those stairs but I knew that would either earn me an execution gifted by King Bervon personally with a little bow on top or possibly a hand getting chopped off if I was lucky. He looked at me with a concerned glance and asked, "Are you okay?"

My eyes widened and my hand trembled. Why is he asking me that? Was he watching me this entire time? He gave off the impression of some chick magnet who had numerous infatuations and courted too many girls for me to count.

"Why would somebody like you care?"

He gave no response to that. It was obvious he was contemplating something. He cleared his throat and said, "You look sad."

"And it's just an instinct of mine to make sure people are feeling alright." He finished.

"Well..." I fidgeted.

He was right.

I wasn't okay.

I forgot how it felt to be grateful...

To be happy...

I clenched my fist, "You know what? I'm still breathing so obviously I'm okay." I snapped.

Immediately, my fist started to unravel.

Wait. When did I become so bleak?

He chuckled, running his right hand through his hair, "If it makes you feel better, I apologize. I didn't intend to offend you."

I looked up with wide eyes. I didn't expect for him to say that. If anything, I expected him to act like any other boy and get offended. "Whatever. I'm not offended. I know you meant well..." I said.

I went silent, focusing on the dancing partners stoically while he watched along with me.

"You like dancing?" He asked out of the blue.

I shook my head. "No, I don't."

I was lying. The truth was I loved dancing. For as long as I could remember, it was my muse. Whenever I danced, I felt as if I was in a world of my own. I could escape and not worry about any responsibilities anybody has dumped on me.

"So you just like to watch?" He asked.

I nodded.

He suddenly stood up and took my hand.

"Miss I'm sure if you tried, you'd find entertainment in doing it yourself just as much as you enjoy watching."

Realizing how awkward it would have been, I nodded and put my hand in his. The applause of the room died down as I tried to ignore the stares that I knew were to come. At last, we took our places amongst the other partners and waited for the musicians to play their next masterpiece.

Once it started, we took a step forward and bowed. We circled one another, our gazes remaining locked. He looked genuinely surprised that for somebody who claimed that they didn't like to dance, they knew what to do. But that's because I did know.

Regardless, he placed his hand on my back. I placed my hand on his shoulder, and our free arms met. The music sounded mystical, sweet, and romantic, yet still had sadness clinging to it. I imagined my five-year-old self-watching the twinkling sky in delight as little crystal snowflakes and snow fairies filled my dreams.

Together, we waltzed to the music; our feet in perfect sync to the rapid beating of my heart. But as the song progressed, I felt more at ease in my own world. I could care less for the stares. I allowed a small smile to form on my lips. Even I had to admit that his butterscotch blonde hair and jade green eyes were irresistible, contrasting like jewels against the dimness. He turned elegantly, his body in tune with the music. The warmth between us grew more intertwined by the second, my heartbeat growing more steady along with it.

He kept his eyes on me, yet still knew precisely where to lead me. Every moment and angle seemed planned yet spontaneous and nothing felt forceful.

"Can I tell you something?" He whispered to me.

"Sure."

Our noses were nearly touching one another at that point. "You have beautiful eyes."

I didn't expect that comment to come so straightforward. In fact, I wasn't sure what to say to that. It was that unexpected.

"Thank you."

He brushed my face tepidly with his fingertips and simply gazed at me, "You're welcome."

I didn't mince any words afterward. I just let my worries, pain, and sorrow go for a second because right here and now, I'm just dancing. Nothing seemed to matter anymore at this moment.

I even allowed him to take me anywhere he desired. He went right. I went right. Whenever he sped up, I'd sped up. We became one with the song and with each other. We continued like that until he made his last move by dipping me and I heard applause fill our ears. I couldn't help but give him one last smile before departing. But he grabbed my hand gently and came towards me.

"What do you want now?" I asked.

He looked me in the eyes and said, "I have to know your name."

Calmly, I crossed my arms, asking him why.

But he just asked me again, this time with much more desperation and sincerity. But a small layer of glaciers settled over me. I wasn't sure what to tell him. Is he serious?

Finally, I took a deep breath, "Susanne." I then kicked him in the groin, sending him staggering back and fled.

What was I thinking? Why did I lie about something as simple as my name?