*Kryzen*
We woke up early the next morning and decided to go into town to investigate further when there was a knock at the door.
Roy shot a confused look before stepping up to the door and opening it.
A stalky little man stood there and handed us an envelope. “Good morning,” he said, in a slightly high, peppy voice. “I am here to deliver this invitation to you from the Alpha of Celestial City.”
“Thank you,” Roy said politely before shutting the door.
“Invitation to what?” I demanded. “We haven’t even been here for twenty-four hours.”
“Maybe the elders told the Alpha about us, and he wants to question us,” Briella suggested, eyeing the simple off-white envelope with a golden seal.
Roy handed the envelope to . I tore it open imdiately.
“There’s going to be a ball tonight to celebrate the Moon Goddess for taking the plague away from the city,” I announced after scanning the piece of paper.
“A ball,” Briella repeated flatly.
“Maybe we should attend,” Roy said. At the look Briella and I were sending him, he elaborated. “We’ve been to many balls, Kryzen. Think about it. There will be leadership and others of power in attendance who will have more insight into this strange situation.”
I saw his point. Having accompanied Roy to many balls in the past, I could follow his line of thinking. The problem was that I quite detested balls. They felt like such a waste of extravagance, the general purpose largely to display wealth and status.
“I see your point,” I said finally, wishing that I didn’t. “Then let us attend this tireso ball.”
Briella suddenly looked panicked, her green eyes widening. “But we don’t have anything to wear to that kind of event,” she protested.
I smirked a little her way, hazarding a guess that she likely detested going to fancy events like balls. “Good thing we happen to be in the city with one of the most famous shopping districts in the entire realm.”
***
There was excitent through the air as we arrived at the shopping district. It looked as though many others were preparing for the ball. Clusters of won were chatting excitedly about it, large shopping bags hanging from their arms as they strutted down the paved walkways.
Thankfully, I rembered my mother and sister frequented a specific shop famous for their dresses and suits.
“Enchanted Elegance Emporium?” Briella read the sign with just a hint of disdain in her voice.
“Sothing wrong, Black?” I asked, tilting my head slightly to gaze at her.
Briella’s cheekbones colored. “No,” she muttered. “Let’s just get this over with.”
She strode up to the shop, her posture slightly stiff.
I chuckled and beat her to the door, pulling it open and gesturing for her to enter ahead of us. “Could it be you’ve never worn a dress before?” I asked, unable to hide my smirk.
I wracked my brain and realized that it had been years since I’d seen her in anything but tight-fitting training gear. The last ball we had both been to at the sa ti had to have been when she was nothing but a girl.
“I’ve worn dresses before,” she snapped at but nodded in thanks as she stepped into the shop.
Roy sent an amused look before entering as well.
The shop hadn’t changed since I was there last, with its glittering dresses and tailored suits lining the walls. It had the sa light blue floral wallpaper and white furniture and was about the size of the guest house we were staying in.
A kind-looking old lady in a dark purple dress ca lumbering over, smiling warmly at us. “How can I help you kids?”
“We were hoping to find so suitable attire for tonight’s ball,” Roy answered. “Would it be possible to have sothing prepared for us by then?”
“Of course,” said the woman. “My na is Tessa. Let’s get the three of you all dolled up.”
The woman’s wrinkled face suddenly looked a little grim.
Briella noticed imdiately. “Is there sothing wrong, Miss Tessa?”
“No, dear,” she said, giving Briella a reassuring smile. “Forgive . I just personally think this ball isn’t what Celestial City needs at the mont. It seems a little too early for celebrations.”
“Maybe the Alpha wishes to give his people a sense of normalcy with this celebration,” Roy said diplomatically.
“That might very well be,” Tessa said with a nod. She clapped her hands. “Well, let’s not discuss such matters any further. We have so work to do.”
We watched as the woman snapped her fingers. A couple of young won appeared wearing the sa deep purple work dresses.
Tessa grinned and gestured to Briella. “Girls, you know what to do.”
The two won giggled and each grabbed one of Briella’s arms. “Co with us, miss. We’re going to make you look fabulous,” they chorused together.
Briella looked wildly uncomfortable but allowed herself to be dragged toward the back of the shop and into one of the dressing rooms.
It took Roy and no ti at all to find suits to wear. I wasn’t feeling at all particular, so I just asked Tessa to choose one for . She eyed for a second before disappearing into the back and returning with a deep indigo suit and a crisp white dress shirt.
“This will go nicely with your gray eyes,” she told in an almost maternal tone.
After trying it on and confirming that it fit perfectly, I asked a nearby worker to have it packed up for .
Roy was already done when I returned from the dressing room. I looked around for Briella. She was still in the back. I could hear her and the workers’ voices.
“That one looked just as gorgeous as the last one, miss,” one gushed.
“Here, try on another,” said the other.
“I’ve tried on several gowns already,” Briella said. I could tell that her patience was wearing thin. “Please. I think I’ll just take this one.”
“Let us go and ask your companions for their opinion,” one of them said excitedly.
“Oh, no, I don’t think that’s necessary–” Briella started to say.
Seconds later, Briella was walking toward us, her posture that of reluctance. The two young won were at her sides, watching Roy and . I found myself staring at the young woman I had teased for what felt like my entire life.
Briella was in a deep blue ballgown with sequins decorating the full skirt. The top part was form-fitting and accentuated her soft curves. A few strands of her dark wavy hair were held up with glittering pins.
Roy whistled low, and I coughed before looking away, feeling my face grow warm.
Briella wasn’t looking at either of us, her face bright red. She swallowed. “So how do I look?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“Absolutely stunning, Briella,” Roy said after just a mont.
Briella’s eyes widened slightly before she bead at him, looking down shyly.
Roy nudged , causing to look up. “Kryzen, what do you think?”
I locked eyes with Briella, who was watching almost warily. She stiffened, her mouth forming a thin line as she waited for my reply. I swallowed before managing to smirk at her. “It’s nice,” I drawled. “A dress that brings out so femininity in Black must be capable of performing miracles.”
Briella’s jaw dropped. She suddenly lunged at , her face red with rage. “How dare you!” she spat.
The two girls grabbed her by the arms, pulling her back toward the rooms. “Calm down, Miss. You’ll ruin the dress.”
“Do you bait her simply for your own amusent?” Roy asked once the three were out of the room.
I listened to the sounds of the workers trying to convince Briella to try on a few more dresses. “You could say that, I suppose,” I said vaguely. I blew out a breath. “This ball is going to be tedious, no doubt, just like all the others.”
Roy just laughed and shook his head with amusent. “How did I end up with such an anti-social friend?” he wondered aloud.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m just thankful that I’m not a prince who is required to attend boring functions due to my social status,” I quipped, earning a good-natured scowl from Roy.
Briella erged from the back a few minutes later, her cheeks still tinted pink and a large box in her arms. I stepped forward and held my free arm out toward her.
“Let take that,” I said.
“I’ve got it,” she said, sounding slightly affronted. “It’s not that heavy. And you already have your suit to carry.”
I didn’t lower my arm. “Mine is a bag and much less awkward to hold,” I said. “Just hand it over, Black.”
She stared at my hand suspiciously but then shifted the box in her arms and grimaced at how difficult it was to hold. She reluctantly handed it over. “Thanks,” she murmured, clearly embarrassed.
I ignored the smirk Roy sent my way as I took the long box from her and tucked it under my arm easily.
The walk ho was peaceful, the late afternoon sun warming our backs as we headed toward the guest house.
Briella had insisted on holding my bag, and I finally realized it wasn’t worth the argunt and handed it over.
“What kind of dress did you end up choosing?” Roy asked after several beats of silence.
Briella humd thoughtfully before grinning. “I kind of want to leave it as a surprise,” she said.
The opening was too tempting to leave lying there. “Did you look that frightening in it that you didn’t want to show us back at the shop?”
Briella just rolled her eyes. “You’re insufferable, Stormfall.”
I just laughed, wondering when things beca more mild between us. I still wanted to get under her skin just like always, but it was different sohow. I found that I wasn’t as angry. Maybe it was sothing that just happened with age.
“Isn’t ti a strange thing?” Roy asked suddenly.
Both Briella and I turned to stare at him oddly at the random comnt.
“I was just rembering when we were kids,” he explained. “I think the three of us have only played together once or twice, but they are vivid mories that I have. It’s amazing to that fate has brought us together again.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes this ti. I wondered if it was so philosophy class or sothing that royalty was required to take that made them talk that way, almost in riddles.
“I think fate hates then,” Briella quipped. She jerked a thumb at . “Since it is forcing to interact with this guy.”
I glowered at her and opened my mouth to deliver a clever response of my own when Roy cut in.
“I clearly wasn’t there when the two of you decided that friendship would never be an option between you,” he said thoughtfully.
“I wouldn’t say I was part of the decision,” I muttered.
“Excuse ?” Briella snapped, whirling to face . “Are you suggesting that all the trauma you put through as a child was my fault?”
“Trauma?” I echoed, trying not to laugh too openly.
“Yes, trauma,” Briella scoffed. “Rember that day we were sparring when I was ten years old and you nearly suffocated ? I thought I was going to die.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t going to actually kill you,” I told her. “You should have known that but instead ran off crying and tattled on . I had to miss a family trip because of you.”
Briella didn’t look nearly as repentant as I thought she should. “You deserved it.”
I again marveled at how we were quarreling like children, yet there was no anger on my part. I was mainly amused.
But there was sothing else too, an emotion that made want to continue to taunt her and cause her to react to .
What was happening to ?
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