40, The ball

It was the day of the grand ball. Prince Neherim would be staying for two more days befor continuing his travels. The following day was scheduled for rest and relaxation, and the last day before he left was for general discussions. Ayya had looked forward to the ball since first she heard of it. She had cooked for events like this more times than she could remember back in Domne, but she had never attended one. Ayya and Mikhalie had decided that they would get ready together to be able to help each other. Mikhalie had been distant towards Ayya since their conversation the other day and Ayya hoped this would make it better. One of the things Ayya was looking forward to the most was getting to wear the dress that Cheara had made for her. It may be shallow of her, but she loved the dress and as soon as she put it on, it made her feel amazing. The dress was a simple white dress with a sweetheart neckline. The sleeves left her shoulders bare before they flowed down in soft billows, only to be gathered around her wrists by broad ribbons of silver. At her right shoulder, a silver fabric was attached that draped across her chest to her left hip and then flowed down on top of the skirt. It was secured around the waist by a simple white belt.

“That is an amazing dress,” Mikhalie said. 

“Thank you. Cheara has her own magic when creating dresses. She always knows what I like,” Ayya said. “I really like yours as well,” she told her friend. Mikhalie’s dress had a square neckline and long sleeves that almost caressed the floor. The skirt had silver wedges sewn into it, which made a lovely contrast against the white and gave the skirt some extra volume. A beautiful pattern was embroidered on the bodice in silver thread. 

“Thank you. Cheara have made your dress? How did you manage that? I have been trying to get an appointment with her for months,” Mikhalie said.

“My mother was one of her first customers when she opened her shop. She has made all my dresses for as long as I have lived in Salmis,” Ayya told her. 

“That explains the beautiful dresses you always wear. Even your everyday dresses at home look practical but beautiful.”

“It’s all thanks to her. She and my mother chose the pattern for my everyday dress to surprise me when I first became an aari. I love it so much I haven’t felt a need to alter the design,” Ayya confessed. Mikhalie helped Ayya to braid her hair. She let half of Ayya’s red locks hang loose around her shoulders and the rest she braided around her head. Ayya returned the favour and braided Mikhalie’s nut brown hair along one side of her head and then forming a low bun at the neck. “I think we are done,” Ayya said. 

“I think so,” Mikhalie agreed. They were to go to Tariana’s room and meet up with the rest of the party and then go together to the event. When they arrived, the rest were already there. Tariana was dressed in an amazing white dress with tight sleeves and white woven ribbons that were sewn into the seams. Her jet black hair was braided into a long fishtail braid and silver ribbons were woven into the braid, making a beautiful contrast with her black hair. Ayya’s father and Tenac were both in their formal uniforms, and Ayya felt her heart take an extra beat when she looked at Tenac. He was very handsome. 

“The two of you look amazing,” Tariana said with a big smile.

“Thank you. So do you,” Ayya said. 

“Tonight, is about relaxing, having fun, and enjoying good company. I would like you two to remember this and try to let go of your responsibilities for tonight,” Tariana told them. Both Ayya and Mikhalie said they would do their best. “Then I think we are ready,” Tariana said, and they walked out of her room. They were joined by a small group of riders that split into a group that walked ahead of them and a group that walked behind them. Tariana took the lead of their little group, with Kopa walking half a step behind her to her right. Then Ayya and Mikhalie came with Tenac behind them. The little procession reminded Ayya of how they had lined up back in Dermes when exiting the castle. Outside the double door to the grand hall, the prince and his party were waiting. Neherim was dressed in an attire made of red silk with gold embroideries. His hair had gold ornaments that wrapped around the thick braids and were decorated with rubies. His eyes were outlined with bright red and black lines. A thin, twisted, gold chain encircled his forehead. 

“My Lady,” he said and bowed to Tariana. 

“Your Highness,” Tariana answered and mirrored his bow. 

“Would you do me the honour of letting me escort you inside?” the prince asked.

“It would be my pleasure,” she told him and gently placed her hand in his. The double doors opened, and the riders announced them to the room. Ayya and Mikhalie followed Tariana and Neherim into the room and stood to the side and watched them together with the rest of the guests as they led the first dance. Ayya and Mikhalie had been getting lessons in dancing and Ayya was looking forward to getting a chance to practise what she had been taught. As the first dance was over, more people joined the dance floor.

“May I have this dance?” Ayya turned around and smiled at Tenac. 

“You may,” she said, and let him lead her out on the dance floor. “I thought you hated dancing,” she then said as they started to dance. 

“I do, and I apologise in advance to your toes. But I can’t attend a ball without at least dancing once,” he told her. She had to laugh and then she tried to help him as much as she could to get through the dance without tripping over his own feet. “I really hate dancing,” he confessed to her when the dance was over. 

“Thank you for giving me your only dance for the night,” Ayya said. 

“It was the only option,” he said. They stood talking for a while until a member of the prince’s delegation walked up to Ayya and asked her to dance. Ayya was torn, she would like to dance, but she didn’t want to leave Tenac on his own. 

“It’s okay, you are supposed to have a good time,” he told her in Heulu. She nodded and accepted the offer. The man was a good dancer, and Ayya enjoyed herself. He was also polite and, to her surprise, he even tried to flirt with her. She was so used to everyone knowing that she didn’t flirt in combination with her father’s presence. She was flattered but not at all interested. The evening continued in the same way. Ayya was asked to dance by different men, including the prince on several occasions. She had a good time and when she again found herself dancing with Neherim, she had relaxed and was letting the spur-of-the-moment guide her. 

“You have danced almost every dance,” Neherim commented to her as he led her in the dance. 

“I enjoy it, and it’s rare for me to have the opportunity,” she told him. 

“Would you like to take a break and get some fresh air after this dance?” he asked. Ayya thought about it. It would be nice to cool off a bit. 

“That would be nice. We can take a stroll on the balcony,” she agreed. The prince nodded and smiled at her. As the dance was over, the prince offered her his arm and escorted her through the crowd. As they walked outside, Ayya felt a welcome breeze from the ocean. It cooled her down, and she took in the view of the city and ocean by night.

“It’s an amazing view from up here,” Neherim said as they walked along the balcony that stretched the entire length of the palace. Scattered people stood around, talking or enjoying the cool air. 

“It truly is. I hadn’t seen the ocean until last week. The vastness of it is a little overwhelming,” Ayya confessed. The prince nodded.

“It can be. I get the same feeling when I’m looking out over the desert dunes that go on forever,” he told her. It was Ayya’s turn to nod.

“When I saw the grass plain for the first time from the wall of Salmis, I imagined that was how the ocean looked. I wasn’t wrong,” she said. They had come to the end of the balcony and stopped and looked out over the ocean. Ayya hesitated for a moment. “Neherim, may I ask you for a favour?” she asked. He looked at her and smiled.

“Ayya, I think I owe you about three or four favours already. If you want me to pay one of them back, I would be more than happy to do so.”

“Would you consider writing to me after you have visited Dolme and letting me know how things truly are over there? I know you are very busy and I wouldn’t ask for much. I have friends in Dolme and it’s not easy to get reliable information on the situation,” Ayya said. Neherim looked at her and she saw he took her request seriously.

“I will send you a letter. It’s not an issue. I will let you know what I find out,” he told her.

“Thank you.”

“There is no need to thank me. It’s not a big thing to ask, and it gives me a reason to keep in contact with you,” he said with a crooked smile. Ayya felt herself blush. “I hope you know that I have had a wonderful time during my stay. Thank you for helping to make it into an experience with purpose and not just a pointless parade of noble people reciting their needs and wants,” Neherim continued. Had he always stood this close to her?

“I’m happy you feel your stay here has been useful. Both Mikhalie and me have wanted to make it worthwhile,” she told him and were about to take a step back to put some space between them. Before she had a chance, the prince had put a gentle hand on her waist and leaned in and kissed her. 

*Authors note: As usual, inspirational sketches of Ayya’s dresses are to be found on my Instagram.*