PeaceMaker

Annabeth was deathly nervous. Maria was just as nervous and Jena was close to trembling but the longer they moved the more they calmed down. Soon about a minute later their arms moved as freely as water, their steps as steady as a tree, and they leaped on the floor as smoothly as a stone beaten by the force of water for years. Annabeth was getting lost in the moment. 

Her tightly shut eyes slowly opened in beat with her sisters and they glowed with reform and power. She felt at peace. At peace with her sisters, as peace with the room, at peace with her dance. At peace with the music. 

Not a muscle moved in the audience, their eyes solely glued on the sisters as they twirled, leaped, and shook their waist from side to side. The whole room was entranced. So deep into their dance, the song, and their beauty. It was disorienting and paralyzing. It was beautiful.

Antonio leaned in on his chair, every part of him wanting to get closer to them. They were beautiful, he could tell just from their eyes. They shone brightly, holding more emotion than humanly possible. His eyes didn't know who to look at for a second as he tried to identify them but quickly they found their target. 

She was on the left of the dancer in the middle, in the same slick outfit as the rest but for some reason, she stuck out to him. He didn't know who was whom as he hadn't seen their faces but for some reason, she seemed so familiar. Her arm, her figure, everything seemed beautiful. He was beyond entranced. 

The sister danced around in a circle before merging into a line. Each movement was perfect, almost as if it wasn't made, but it was a part of them, they spewed forward the dance on the spot. It felt so natural it was scary. The air of serenity around them was beyond graceful, the air of liveliness was soothing and compelling and their eyes-

Antonio shivered, taken aback by the confidence in their eyes. All of the eyes of their sisters were so striving and beautiful, it sent shivers down his spine. He didn't know how many times he had called them beautiful already in his mind, and he certainly couldn't count how many times he was going to later in the future. 

Once again, he surveilled the dancers but he wasn't the only one with their eyes on them. The entire room was pinned on them. From the Grand families to the Marquess to the lords, everyone was amazed by them. Sitting on steps high above them was the King and his two sons, their golden gazes upon the dancers. 

The sisters were only halfway through their dance but they were well into their dance. They performed more than predicted, more than their mother asked for, and more than they thought they were capable of. They felt beautiful, in a trance themselves as they enchanted those who watched them. 

It was one of the hardest moves in the dance and the sisters fell to the ground, the audience's eyes following them. It was on purpose. On the ground, they kneeled before the King and like graceful swans, spread their wings. The King gave a tiny smile at that. He was surprised, pleasantly surprised. At the dance, and the fact that they were so beautiful that he didn't even know who to look at. 

Beside him, his youngest son subtly copied their movements, his emerald eyes shining with happiness. The King looked over to his son who also seemed very entertained by the dance. The banquet was going better than it could have been. All because of three beautiful women in dresses that modestly covered them but yet revealed all their fine qualities. The King turned to his daughter for one more check-up, she was pleased. He nodded subtly, his thoughts the same as his oldest son. 'She'll be more than happy.'

The dancers closed their eyes for the next move. It was the hardest. From the ground, they stood on their toes and like spinning caps, spun around each other on their toes for a good 5 seconds. 

The crowd erupted into shrieks of amusement and excitement. The sister's simultaneously smiled. They nailed it. Smoothly, the rest of the dance passed by, without the audience's eyes once breaking from their hold. Before they knew it the next move was there. It was the final. Their hands smoothly dropped to their waist and quickly slipped on bell bracelets. 

The music faded away and the sisters made the last tune with their dance. Every note matched the music and was in line with their dance. They spun on their toes again and fell to the ground, back to their graceful swan pose, this time diagonally Their hands flapped twice as their closed eyes faced their left hands and on the last flap, their heads swiveled to the king and their right hand swung down to their stomach, their left hand still in place. 

Slowly their eyes looked up to the king and they bowed their heads. The performance was over. 

In the air was a loose silence, flowing through the air like a steady river. Somewhere in the garden, the dancers had made for them, they were stuck in the fields of flowers and gentle breeze. 

The bells on the girl's hand slowly dinged their last ring and the audience was snapped out of the garden, their mind returning to their seats but remained in a state of serenity. 

Slowly a clap could be heard from the King and soon other claps followed as bright smiles appeared on the faces of everyone in the room. In seconds, the girls were receiving a standing ovation from every soul in the room. 

Antonio's eyes shone brightly, as if he had just been hit with a bolt of lightning and energy ran through him. It wasn't just, it was the entire room. 

Quietly, the girl's hands lowered to their thigh and they hung their head as they knelt before the King. 

"Raise your heads," the king ordered, the sister's followed his orders right after. He smiled brightly. "It seems like your father did a good job of hiding such jewels from us."

The room erupted with laughter. 

"He even went as far as hiding his daughter's face all the way until their performance," The king grinned. He turned to the area where Mr. Crowly was seated at a table with other Marquesses. "Tell me why you have hidden their faces from us."

Marquess Crowly immediately stood up and bowed 90 degrees in front of the king. "Your gracious, I simply wanted to save the faces of my young daughters to present them to his graciousness at this moment."

"Really?" The King smiled. "Then do not delay for a second longer, show us the faces of your daughters."

Marquess Crowly nodded. He turned to his daughters and raised his hands up. The suspense in the room building as the words lingered on his tongue. "As you wish, your gracious."

The King turned to the ladies and he smiled. "Show us the faces of the Crowly family."

The girl's dainty hands raised to their veils and slowly let them down. When they were completely off their faces, the crowd sucked in their breath. They were marveled, starstruck at the ladys' beauty. 

"Open your eyes," The king commanded and the girls obeyed. More air was sucked in.

Their beauty was enough with their eyes closed but when their eyes were opened, it simply amplified their beauty 10 times the needed amount. The King grinned.

"Turn around and show the nobles your faces," the king ordered.

The sisters stood up and turned around and gasps echoed through the room.

Antonio let out a breath of awe. "No wonder they were hidden," he muttered, "they would stand out otherwise."

Everyone at the table nodded. The 'beautiful' expectation that had been replaying in Antonio's mind stood no chance for what the girls actually were. They were studs. Gems displayed in their truest form and presented to the public. He beamed, unable to control his grin. 

He narrowed his eyes. Now as they all stood in front of him, he grew this sense of happiness and a sense of urgency. He wasn't the only eyes laying on the girls and he was well aware of that.

"Well, well," the King chuckled, "who knew you were hiding such beauties from us? How stingy could you be?"

Marquess Crowly bowed his head in apology. "I apologiz-"

"Nonetheless," The king smiled. "You have brought us treasures. For that, we applaud your secrecy, as I got to be the first eye to lay on your precious daughters." 

"Thank you, your gracious," Marquess Crowly grinned. He gave himself a silent congratulations in his mind. He was sure his children had passed.

"I look forward to seeing your individual performances, daughters of Marquess Crowly, you have gone beyond expectations To that your entire family shall be applauded," The King smiled, his hands raising up and the entire room immediately clapping. "Do your best. Rise."

The girls gave a silent nod and rose up from their positions on the floor. 

"You may return to your rooms," The king announced and the girls gave him a deep bow before turning around and quietly walking away, every eye in the room watching their every step. 

There was no doubt in mind that it was a performance to be remembered. It was the best so far out of the ones they had seen and to Antonio it was going to remain the best.

It did.. Until number 25.