Elowen's POV:
I push the thought aside and walk slowly toward the writing desk. Tonight, my mind refuses to settle.
The river district.
The missing children.
The man with the silver ring.
Every thread of it circles back to the same question.
What am I supposed to do with this information?
I sink into the chair beside the window and stare out at the fading light beyond the palace gardens.
For the first time since arriving in the capital, the palace feels… detached from the rest of the city. Inside these walls, there are preparations for music, dancing, and masks. Outside them, children are disappearing. My fingers tap lightly against the desk.
I could tell the Queen.
But how would I even begin that conversation?
Your Majesty, I overheard criminals in an alley.
It sounds absurd even in my own head.
The palace guard is another option.
Yet the boy in the river district had been clear.
They don't come here much.
Which means either they do not know…
Or they do not care.
I lean back in the chair and close my eyes briefly. Perhaps I should tell someone else.
Someone with influence. Someone who would take it seriously.
For a fleeting moment, an image of grey eyes flashes through my mind.
The Crown Prince.
I dismiss the thought immediately.
Our conversations rarely end peacefully on the best of days. Entrusting him with half-heard whispers from an alley hardly seems wise.
My gaze drifts to the sealed letter that had rested on the desk earlier that morning. It is already on its way to my father.
Father.
The thought settles slowly into place. He will be here soon. The masquerade ball will bring nobles from every province.
Including him.
If anyone would know how to handle a situation like this… It would be my father. He has spent years managing estates, disputes, and the quiet problems that never reach the royal court. He would listen. And more importantly, he would know what questions to ask.
I exhale slowly.
Very well.
If I cannot solve this mystery alone…Then I will wait for the one person whose judgment I trust most. Until then, I will watch.
The masquerade ball is tomorrow.
If the men in the alley were telling the truth, something might happen before then. Which means the next few days matter more than anything.
The candles burn low as the night stretches on. Eventually, exhaustion wins over my restless thoughts. I extinguish the final candle and allow sleep to claim me.
Morning arrives far too quickly.
Sunlight pours through the tall windows, and the palace corridors erupt into a frenzy of activity.
Today is the day of the masquerade.
The morning passes by too quickly.
My maid, Liora, enters my room carrying several carefully folded garments in the afternoon.
"My lady," she says gently. "It is time to prepare."
I sit at the edge of the bed, already dressed in a simple morning gown.
The excitement that seems to fill the entire palace does not quite reach me.
Liora notices immediately. "You are not excited for the ball?"
"I suppose I should be."
She smiles knowingly.
"Most ladies have been speaking of nothing else for the last 2 days."
"I have other things on my mind."
She does not ask what they are.
Instead, she begins laying the garments across the bed.
The silver gown glimmers softly under the sunlight.
Even without movement it catches the light in shifting shades of pale blue and silver, the rhinestones along the fabric reflecting tiny sparks of brightness.
It is beautiful.
Far more beautiful than anything I would have chosen for myself.
Two other maids arrive shortly after to assist Liora.
Within an hour, my room has transformed into a preparation chamber.
Hairpins, brushes, ribbons, and jewelry boxes appear across every available surface.
Hairpins, brushes, ribbons, and jewelry boxes appear across every available surface.
Behind the privacy screen, a bath has been drawn. Steam curls into the air as petals of pale roses and jasmine float across the surface. Small vials of scented oils sit arranged beside the tub, their fragrances drifting through the chamber—lavender, sandalwood, and something sweet I cannot quite name.
"My lady, your bath is ready," Liora says gently.
I sink into the warm water, the heat easing the tension I hadn't realized had settled into my shoulders. The oils melt into the bath, leaving a faint shimmer across the surface while the flowers brush softly against my skin.
For a few quiet moments, the maids leave me to the stillness.
But even in the warmth of the water, my mind refuses to rest.
Tonight is the ball.
Tonight, everything begins.
When I finally step from the bath, they wrap me quickly in soft linen and guide me back to the center of the room.
"Lift your arms, my lady."
I obey without protest as they help me into the gown.
The fabric settles perfectly against my frame. Liora steps back to admire her work. "You look stunning."
I glance at my reflection in the mirror. The gown is elegant, flowing in soft silver layers that shimmer faintly when I move. It is striking without being loud. Exactly the sort of dress meant to draw quiet attention.
"Now the jewelry," one of the maids says eagerly. She opens a velvet case filled with elaborate pieces. Large diamond necklaces. Heavy bracelets. Jeweled hair ornaments. I shake my head. "No."
The maids pause. Liora tilts her head slightly. "You would prefer something simpler?"
"Yes." I open a smaller box resting on the dresser. Inside lies a delicate silver chain. At its center hangs a small pendant shaped like a teardrop of moonstone. My mother's pendant.
I fasten it gently around my neck. The cool metal settles against my skin. Then I choose the remaining pieces myself. Small pearl and diamond earrings.
A thin pearl and diamond bracelet.
And a matching anklet so delicate it nearly disappears against my skin. The pieces are so fine that unless someone looks closely, they would hardly notice them at all. Liora studies me thoughtfully once the final piece is in place. "You look… different."
"Different how?"
"Simple." She smiles softly. "But in a way that makes everything else unnecessary."
I glance at the mirror again. The effect is subtle.
Elegant.
Quiet.
Almost understated compared to what the other ladies will certainly wear.
But I prefer it that way.
A knock sounds at the door.
"Lady Selene is asking if you are ready," a maid calls from the hallway.
Liora opens the door.
Selene sweeps into the room moments later. For a moment, I almost fail to recognize her.
Her gown is a brilliant shade of gold, shimmering like sunlight with every step she takes. The fabric flows around her in layers of soft silk, and her hair has been styled into an elaborate arrangement of curls and braids. She looks radiant. Selene spins once in the center of the room. "Well?"
"You look beautiful," I say honestly.
She grins. "I know." Her eyes move over my dress.
Then she pauses. "Oh."
I raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"You look…" she searches for the word. "Exquisite."
She walks closer, examining the delicate jewelry. "You're barely wearing anything."
"That was the idea."
Selene shakes her head with admiration. "Everyone else will be covered in jewels."
"Then I will be easy to spot."
She laughs.
"I suppose that's one way to approach it."
Beyond the windows, the palace courtyard fills with arriving carriages.
Music drifts faintly through the halls.
The masquerade is about to begin.
And somewhere in the city beyond these walls…
Someone is still watching.