Chapter 7: Assassin in the Royal Ball

"What? No." Evan keep himself from screaming to avoid making a scene.

"But you agreed that she's interesting." Stevan sneer.

"What I meant by tha-" Evan was about to explain when Eve suddenly hush him.

"Their coming towards us." She informed.

"How's my beautiful and handsome nephews and nieces?" Helen asked with a joyous smile.

"Where all great, auntie." Evy replied sweetly.

"Oh looks like three of you are missing."

"Don't worry Stephanie, Stephania, and Oliver just gone somewhere else." Eve replied.

Eve's gaze then shifted to Mayari, whose just following behind Helen, and she immediately pulled her in front.

"How about an introduction from this pretty lady." She commented.

"Mayari." She simply said.

"I'm Eve, let's be besties alright?" She beamed.

"I'm Stephan!" Stephan smiled.

"Hi, I'm Evy." Evy shyly wave her hand.

"And I'm Stevan Arscelor." Stevan came forward and gave Mayari a flower. "Your one and only prince charming."

He gave his most handsome smile and wink at Mayari, earning another smack from Eve's fan.

"Stop being flirty and make way!" Eve shoved him to the side to make way for Evan.

"But I'm not done yet!" He complained.

"Save it for later." She scolded. "And last but not the least, our eldest brother, Prince Evan."

"Glad you could come." Evan gave a warm smile.

"You should thank Ms. Helen, for dragging me." Mayari spoke in her usual monotone.

"Wait, you two have met before?" Eve asked.

"Yes," Evan nodded, "Just a few hours ago when I'm visiting town."

"Oh." That's all Eve could say.

"Then it's perfect." Eve whispered to herself, as she covered her sly grin with her fan.

"Did you say something, Eve?" Helen asked.

"Oh it's nothing." She played innocent. 

The ball was going smoothly, everyone is having fun chatting, dancing and eating delicious viands and delicacies. Well, except for Mayari of course, she's really not into fun and just kept quiet sitting at a table or let Eve and Helen dragged her anywhere.

When someone asked her to dance she quickly rejects it. Evan haven't tried asking though since he's stuck with Vivian.

"Pardon my intrusion your highnesses, but Princess Eve needs you, Prince Evan." a maid interrupted Vivian and Evan.

"Excuse me Vivian, Eve is calling me." Evan excused himself.

"I understand." Vivian nodded with a smile.

Evan immediately head to Eve who was with Stevan and Evy. They both are having a chat but he couldn't make out the words because of how far his distance.

"What do you need me for?" Evan asked as he joined in the group.

"Oh, you're here." Eve smiled, "Why don't you and Mayari have a dance."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Stevan disagreed, "She's been rejecting anyone who comes near her."

"You are just saying that because she also rejected you." Eve stared at him in disbelief.

"Not just me, she's literally rejecting anyone who asked her." He reasoned.

"Maybe she just don't know how to dance." Evy spoke, "After all, aunt Helen brought her from her travels, Mayari is very new in Enchantia."

"Oh, right." Eve looked at Evy, "She might be unfamiliar of our dances and traditions. That's why she's refusing to dance."

"Then what will we do to make her fall in love with our brother here." Stevan hanged his arm once more to Evan's shoulder.

"Guys," Evan step to the side for distance and removed Stevan's arm from him, "I appreciate your efforts but I am not agreeing in this matchmaking."

"Why?" Evy asked, "Don't you like Mayari, brother?"

"I only met her hours ago." Evan reasoned, "I am still not convinced if I like her or not."

"I guess time will tell." Eve sighed in defeat, "I'll stop pestering you for now but believe me when I say that, that girl will steal your heart someday."

"Why are you so sure with that hypothesis of yours?" Evan raised a brow.

Eve's azure irises then stared at Evan directly in the eye with a knowing look. She then flapped her fan open and covered her sly smirk that curve in her cherry red lips.

"I saw how you looked at her, brother." She stated and pointed her fan to his chest, "You might not know what you feel but the eyes I saw is the only proof that I need."

"Hey, when did you learn soul gazing?" Stevan scoff.

"I don't know just a gifted skill of mine that is more useful than your woman magnet." She sneered back.

"So that's how you can read us like an open book." Evy stated.

And Eve nodded as confirmation.

Then suddenly they heard loud peircing cry of crashing glasses. All eyes, including the group of siblings, immediately shifted to the direction of where the shattering noise was heared.

A palace servant, carrying a tray full of glasses of wines, accidentally trip and falls to the ground creating the commotion. And he fell near Mayari, staining her beautiful cyan skirt with scarlet scented fluid.

"Oh, I am very sorry, your ladyship!" The servant hurriedly stood up and bow his head apologetically. "Please forgive me for my clumsiness!"

"Oh dear! Your dress is a mess." Helen stated.

"I am very deeply sorry." The servant remained bowing his head low.

"Don't worry about it." Helen said to the servant, "Just call the maids to help Mayari clean up."

"Right away!" The servant immediately left and brought back two maids with him to help Mayari. 

The maids then led Mayari inside the palace and to a washroom. The first maid have the element of water and instantly rubbed off the red stain with clean fluid.

While the second have the element of fire and with serious concentration and control she used fire to dry Mayari's skirt without burning it.

And just a couple of minutes, her dress was back to normal, clean and stainless.

"Your gown is back to its beautiful form again, your ladyship." The first maid informed.

And Mayari just bluntly nodded in response. She never cared for this dress or any of the fancy stuff, Helen just dragged her and she couldn't refuse, but at least this life is better than her previous.

It might not show because of her hard-stone mask but she is thankful for this new beginning.

"Are you ready to go, your ladyship?" The second maid asked.

"Yes." Mayari simply answered.

And with that they left the room and walk in the large fancy hallway decorated with a theme of fancy gold and red.

Bright light illuminate everything and a big glass windows are aligned perfectly to the walls, giving a perfect view of the ball on the garden.

As she continued to glance at the openings, a shadow suddenly moved in the musky darkness of the night. Mayari immediately halted and gave all of her attention to the castle roof where she just saw the figure pass.

"Is there something wrong, your ladyship?" The second maid asked behind her.

"No." She answered before continuing to walk.

After reaching the party she told Helen what she saw. Even though it's night, Mayari's vision are as sharp as an owl, peering through the darkness with golden sight.

Mayari's instinct are also acting up, and she had already learned long time ago to always trust her gut feeling.

"It is very certain that they are targeting the Royal Family," Helen stated, "I'll go alarm the soldiers, make sure to keep your guards up."

Mayari nodded.

"And if something happens while I'm gone ask Evan to cast a magical barrier."

"A magical barrier?"

"It is a simple magic that can easily be cast by any magic user, no matter what elements the caster possess." Helen briefly explained.

"I see." Mayari replied.

"Well then I'll be back right away." She left but not before calling Evan over and leaving Mayari to him.

"Did something happen?" Evan asked Mayari, worried.

Mayari shook her head in response, "No, your highness." She lied.

She don't know why but sometimes her urge of lying kick in without warning. She can't stop or leave this habit of hers, it is maybe the effect of lying half of her life to cover her dirty deeds.

"May I have your attentions, everyone!" Fernando announced to the crowd. Gaining all the eyes and ears of the guests.

"Tonight's ball is held in honor of the very night where our 'Delightful Queen Elvira Arscelor' was born." Fernando started his short speech for the queen.

"As you all know, she is beautiful, loving, brave, and kind. That made her worthy of the Queen's Throne" Fernando then raise his glass of wine. "So let's have a toast".

The servants hurriedly move and gave every guests a glass full of crimson red wine to raise. Mayari also did the same, blending to the crowd of people like she always does to avoid suspicion.

"For her majesty, Queen Elvira!" Fernando loudly addressed.

"For her Majesty, Queen Elvira!" The crowd repeated.

Together, Every then take a sip of the red tasty beverage in their glasses, and after that, fireworks suddenly shot up to the dark night sky.

Rainbow colors immediately painted the dark inky horizon with life. Beautiful lights are scattered everywhere and all eyes looked up, adoring the sparks and blazes of the exploding decors above.

Even Mayari looked up, it is indeed beautiful, but the painful memory of long ago still stings her heart like she's tracing a scar that reopened and bled continuesly. It will never heal and the pain shall remain with her and only her.

It didn't took Mayari long to look away and focus her vision to the matter at hand. She scanned every corners above the roofs of the palace, searching for any sign of the unusualness.

Then in the far distance, in the place where only the faint luminosity of the fireworks ever reach its pitch black angle, a green dot was seen pointing in a unconfirmed location.

Mayari squinted her eyes to see more but it is too far to make out what glowing object she is seeing, though her instinct is raising a red flag for danger.

"Prince Evan." She called out to his side.

Evan shifted her eyes from the fireworks and looked at Mayari, who also meet his gaze.

"What is it, Mayari?" He asked.

"Ms. Helen told me that you can easily cast a magic barrier." She said.

"Yes, I can." Evan answered.

"Cast a large barrier at our left." She calmly instructed as she moved her head to the direction of the green dot that suddenly started to approach with speed.

"Why?" Evan was confused.

"Cast a barrier." Mayari repeated. "Or someone will die."