Moonlight Ball

“The public bidding has officially ended. You all did a great job!” Iris thanked the merchants and stepped down from the podium.

The crowd became rowdy because there was a mixture of people who had liked the event, angry people, those who felt sorry for themselves, and others who knew that this would happen. Tensions were high again as their emotions erupted.

Iris seemed to have gotten used to people now, and she had a new sense of self-awareness. She looked back at the crowd as she rubbed her cheek once and then left. In the distance, she heard the sounds of fireworks to signal the beginning of the ball, and she felt a knot in her stomach.

“The public bidding has made a significant impression on the citizens, Your Grace. To commemorate this event, today, masquerade balls will take place in various parts of the capital. That’s why the palace is also hosting one,” Ruth said, sounding excited.

Iris nodded at the maid’s words, “The masquerade ball doesn’t announce who’s who, so none of the servants will introduce me, I assume.”

The head maid interrupted, “But I’m sure everyone will notice the Queen.”

“Of course, with this beautiful mask and beautiful figure? And what about her honey-blonde hair? I’m sure they will all know who it is,” one of the maids said gleefully.

“I’m sure a lot of gentlemen will ask for a dance too. Your Highness, you still have to dance at least once. If you dance too much, you’ll lose your dignity,” the head maid added. Iris was not good at dancing, and she blinked rapidly behind her mask at the thought of having to be on the dance floor.

***

Elena sat next to Iris in the wagon and smiled faintly. People didn’t know that the Queen was Iris Elaine, not Rosemary. Nevertheless, their attitudes had changed a lot. People who were previously unable to speak to Rosemary were now talking to her with ease. She knew that more people would soon get used to her. Queen Rosemary has gone crazy because of the Haran’s river, but she will become the perfect mother of state. Elena looked carefully at the Queen’s profile and noticed she was blinking nervously. I’m sure you can do some incredible things, Your Grace.

The only hurdle was the fact that the Queen wasn’t fond of this position. She didn’t want this throne, and she didn’t want to be with the King. All she wanted was to go back to where she came from originally. Elena could still sense her strong desire to escape.

However, she’d seen that same look on the faces of many princesses who’d gotten married. In time, they adapted to their new roles, and Elena was hoping that Iris would do so too. She knew it was a selfish idea, and she bit her lips. But they needed a queen and not a crazy woman.

The society of ladies needed a strong leader. Society didn’t function properly when the leader was out of office. It was especially true in places where women leaders traveled. Sometimes, ladies got subjected to great insults or even death. And yet others got socially exterminated. The former queen did such things for fun. But this queen certainly wouldn’t. She was a fair and unshakable queen that they so desperately needed as a leader.

Sidrain also favored Iris, and it was advantageous to be a queen liked by the king. A queen not adored and trusted by the king was like an old-aged man sitting in the backroom because the power of a queen came from the king. Rosemary’s power was only half of what it could be because King Sidrain hated her. Yet Rosemary had still been powerful.

“I’m sorry,” Elena murmured, looking at Iris. She made an unspeakable plea. I’ll do everything I can, so please remain our queen.

Meanwhile, the wagon moved towards the grand banquet hall, and Iris gazed out the window, deep in thought. The Magic Tower never held balls. They wanted nothing to do with such social events. At the Tower, there was a gathering of people who only focused on magic. And most of the people started talking about magic first thing in the morning when meeting at a restaurant at breakfast time.

Of course, because they were human, there were groups within the Magic Tower with various political positions, values, and different circumstances. But what was more controversial than all those scandals was the latest magic story. In short, it was a meeting place for magic enthusiasts. The Magic Tower regarded events like a ball as a waste of time. It had been a long time since the Magic Tower held a social event because most of the people there were busy in workshops and devoted to creating their magic formulas with no interest in attending such events.

When the wagon came to a stop, the ladies rushed to check Iris’s clothes as they moved from the public competitive bidding venue to the grand banquet hall where the masquerade ball was. They took off her hat and adjusted her hairstyle. Since Iris’s dress had been picked out earlier, with the ball in mind, only a tiny amount of trimming was enough to turn it into a formal ball gown. Finally, the maid put a fancy mask on Iris’s face. It was adorned with dark purple jewels and fitted her face perfectly.

Iris thought she’d gotten used to people by now but realized she hadn’t as she rubbed her cheek nervously. She was worried about how many gentlemen she would reject when they asked for a dance, for the simple reason, she didn’t know how to dance.