The Ball

Fatima hesitated, but in the end she lowered her head slightly. "...When are you coming over? You can't let Chloe spend the entire banquet alone. At the very least, you should be there when she dances her first dance."

"Why are you rushing me?" Trion muttered. "I—"

Trion's words abruptly cut off, as though he had thought of something. Fatima looked at him. "What is it?"

Trion turned around. "Ladies, I have a proposal!"

Hesta and the others looked toward him.

"Perhaps you would also be willing to attend my youngest daughter's fifteenth birthday ball?"

When they followed Fatima through a small path at one side of the garden and discreetly entered the ballroom, Eucali was nervous beyond measure. Kiki was also holding her breath, gripping Eucali's hand tightly the entire way. Their palms were drenched in sweat, yet each thought it was because of herself.

From the moment they entered the garden, Fatima had stayed with Eucali and Ligo. She led them to sit and rest by a fountain in one corner of the garden. Eucali asked for a glass of sweet wine; she felt she desperately needed some alcohol to calm herself.

At the other end of the garden, Eleven weaved through the crowd, looking everywhere, wanting to take in every person and every object here. But she only had two eyes; when she looked ahead, she missed what was behind her. She loved the adults' clothes. The intricate patterns woven from gold and silver thread glittered in the fading light of sunset, leaving her unable to look away. The manor's servants moved through the grounds as smoothly and silently as a school of fish, lighting the candles on every table with light steps and brushing fallen crumbs from the lace tablecloths as they passed.

"Hey," Hesta