[B2] Chapter 94 — A Grand Stage Prepared

Ria breathed a sigh of relief when her carriage pulled into the safety of Lord Jevaran’s estate. Their procession, large as it was with several carriages, visible knights and mages, and dozens of guards wearing the colors and crests of not one but three Greater Houses, had discouraged further attempts by the assassins—that, or those involved were still reassessing their approach.

Regardless, Lord Jevaran was a powerful Novidus mage and the Captain of the city’s East gate. She would be safe here. At least, until after the celebration was over. Until then, all that mattered was taking her first step into the world of nobles as one who belonged and, from there, laying the foundations she would need for the future. She would worry about the after, after.

“That’s a rather determined face you have there, Ria. Preparing for battle?” Orlisi teased.

Ria’s first instinct was to roll her eyes and huff, but the jest wasn’t far from the truth, and she decided to own it, “I am.”

Phaelys nodded with approval. “It is a good mindset. Not every social engagement is winnable. How you fight and how you cover your retreat can be important. If you start feeling overwhelmed, let me know, and we’ll get some fresh air in the gardens.”

Was he couching it in military metaphors on purpose?

Ria eyed Phaelys for a hint of amusement, but he seemed serious. “Thank you, Phaelys. I’ll be in your care.”

Ranger increased his alertness at the exchange looking ready for actual battle, and Ria had to clarify that it was a metaphor. They would be fighting with words and the etiquette that Lady Janacythe had taught them, which got her a side-eyeing from her loyal companion.

“Remember your practice. Etiquette is a powerful weapon. You will earn more approval weathering insults with grace than returning the slight with anger. But, abandoning friends and allies to the wolves and snakes is to dishonor yourself and your House. Always act with honor,” Lady Janacythe advised as the carriage pulled up to the manor’s front entrance. “Show me that you are worthy to be called my student.”

A warmth bubbled up in Ria’s chest at Lady Janacythe recognizing her in such a way, and she nodded with determination. “I will, for everyone that has helped me, and for myself as well.”

Lady Janacythe smiled, and Phaelys gave her another approving nod as he descended from the carriage to help her down.

Wrapped in her mantle of pride and clad in her regalia, Ria carefully constrained her movements to the style Lady Janacythe had prepared for her as she descended from the carriage. From here on, she was a royal princess, a military officer, and a priestess all in one person. And, the priestess role she had to take more seriously, especially after Priest Renner’s appellation.

Seeing that Iori was the one waiting near their carriage, Ria let their gazes meet and gave the older girl a smile, which Iori returned with a mouthed ‘Wow’ before approaching.

“Sir Mage Phaelys, Honorary Lieutenant Ria of Shadewood, Master Mage Janacythe, Sir Mage Orlisi, welcome to Frostborn Manor,” Iori said with a formal curtsy held as she spoke, her voice crisp and carrying. “I, Iori Novidus, greet our honored guests on behalf of the manor’s lord and lady, Lord Jevaran Novidus and Lady Asara Vorshan.”

Phaelys equally matched Iori’s deference with precision. “On behalf of my companions, we accept your greeting and thank you for your hospitality.”

Iori smiled welcomingly and motioned gracefully with her arm, the fabric layers of her gown swishing like a whisper. “If you would be pleased to follow me, my brother and Young Lady Iselyn are awaiting Sir Mage Orlisi’s assistance. The young lord’s cousins, Young Lady Ophesia and Young Lady Nielle are already awaiting the young lord’s presence on the second floor balcony where the other debutants are observing the event hall not far from where my brother and Young Lady Iselyn are.”

Phaelys gave a slight nod and motion to proceed.

“Other debutants?” Ria asked, allowing only the proper amount of surprise into her voice.

Iori grinned at Ria as she led them up the entryway’s steps, Ranger at Ria’s side and their chaperones following a few steps behind. “Of course. Mother’s celebration of the Spring Moon is one of the most prestigious events of the year and the first major event after the start of the new Grand Academy term. There are quite a few young aristocrats other than the five of you sponsored by Mother who intend to debut this evening.”

While Iori was leading them away, Ria noted Rienne handling the greetings for the rest of Ria’s friends from the Vorshan Estate.

The inside of the manor was even more immaculate than usual, the floors gleaming with reflected artwork, decorations, and architecture. An unending gallery of vases, sculptures, paintings, rare plants, weapons, and armor showcased Lord Jevaran’s wealth and artistic sense, each display probably worth the cost of a small manor on its own.

After a stately walk through the wing where the manor’s greathall resided, Iori led them inside a room with two formally attired Novidus guards stationed outside.

Faris and Iselyn were there as expected, both quietly reading. The blond boy looked up and sucked in a breath at Ria’s aura and attention-commanding entry and quickly stood from the couch where he and Iselyn were waiting. Beside him Iselyn was much more graceful as she also rose, carefully marking the place in her luxuriously bound book. For all her grace, Iselyn still froze a bit before greeted her with an eyebrow raised. And maybe an annoyed twitch…

Ria almost gasped as well. The pair were beyond beautiful, both with sculpted but delicate elfin features highlighted by careful application of pigments and their debut-wear. If she were guessing the theme, it was Faris’ powerful spring mountain torrent kissed by the sun opposite Iselyn’s moonlit night gracing ephemeral mists over placid lakes.

Or, at least that was her guess based on the colors and embroidery patterns with Iselyn’s deep black starry-sky at the silver-lined collar fading into transparent layered silky white robe over hints of deeper blues and Faris’ gold-accented whites over layers of pale blues. They both had their House crests prominently displayed in the accessories and capes as she and Phaelys and the others did.

Ria tilted her head slightly. There even seemed to be a gold shimmer playing upon Faris’ crystalweave formal wear depending on the angle she looked at it from.

“Greetings Young Lord Faris of House Novidus, Young Lady Iselyn of House Jayre,” Phaelys offered as he moved from behind Ria to stand at her side, Ranger posing statuesque on her other side.

“Ah, welcome Sir Mage Phaelys. On behalf of Iselyn and myself and the other debutants Mother is supporting, it is an honor having you here for our debuts,” Faris managed to say.

Iselyn nodded her agreement with the sentiment. “Yes, thank you, Sir Mage Phaelys.”

Phaelys nodded amiably with a casual ‘don’t mind it’ gesture. “I am interested in how the Novidus handle the event differently from other Houses—flawlessly as usual, I’m sure. Yours and Young Lady Iselyn’s attire are exceptional and quite visually striking as to be expected from Lady Vienne. Are you feeling ready for the testing to come?”

“As ready as can be,” Faris offered.

“We are,” Iselyn assured, directing the response more toward her partner than Phaelys, and Ria almost let her eyebrows raise at the steadiness her friend was showing and the role the normally shy girl had taken.

“That’s good, because it’s time to finish the last preparations and begin the first round of testing, meeting the other debutants,” Orlisi interjected with a dramatic tone to her voice as she marshaled the servants waiting in the room to help her set up the tables and fancy boxes of flowers, hair tools, and hair accessories.

Phaelys nudged Ria’s arm so they could move out of the way of anyone else entering the room, and Ria watched with interest as the elf girl went to work.

The pair’s hair had already been pulled back with simple braids and clips to keep it from ruining the pigments applied to their faces—Iselyn more so than Faris. His subtle tones were done to seem almost invisible—just enough to provide a bit of pale blue glitter—compared to the vivid red lip color and red, violet, and blue eye and cheek accents that Iselyn featured. Not that Faris had much hair to clip back, but Ria suspected taming his curls was an unenviable task.

Keira and the others showed up while Orlisi was working, a bit nervous about the approaching event but looking in high spirits, and soon a regal Faris and Iselyn, looking like elven royalty, were leading their procession back through the hallways and up a wide stairway to a balconied lounge room that opened up into a familiar grand hall—a hall even more grand than usual.

An enchanting scene and light ethereal music greeted Ria, and she found herself drawn through the room’s open archways to the balcony.

Conjured moonlight filled the hall from above, revealing glittering flakes of mithril in the polished stone of the dance floor and decor—as if everything were covered by a dusting of sparkling snow. Carefully placed pools of warm light brought the ghostly blues and purples of the decorations and long buffet tables back to life in vivid shades of green and red and yellow.

Lady Asara and Lord Jevaran stood in a similar inviting pool of color at the far end of the hall on a raised platform, dazzling in their formal wear and awaiting their guests’ approach. Behind the hosts rose a pair of imposing but beautiful thrones woven of flowering vines, the flowers reaching up to drink in the moonlight.

Ooohs, gasps, and curious murmurs from the lounge and to either side on the balcony brought Ria’s attention to her near surroundings and her breath caught. The clothes from Lady Vienne were glowing where each caught the moonlight, the embroidery undulating with vivid color as if touched by faerie fire, the background cloth twinkling with captured stars and nebulae.

Lady Vienne did hint that something special would happen with their outfits when under moonlight.

A disdainful snort drew Ria’s attention to one of the other gathered debutants, and her heart almost seized, her gaze stopping upon a familiar freckled face and monstrous shapeshifting tentacle cat.

Amilee’s eyes held barely restrained hate and contempt directed in Ria’s direction, but the girl kept a mostly calm expression. Surprisingly, Amilee did have an escort accompanying her, an older boy also wearing an Inquisitors’ mantle, but… what else the pair was wearing drew her up short almost as much as the Vorshan Hill’s girl even being there.

Matching her partner’s ‘formal’ jacket and pants, Amilee’s dress was a patchwork of brightly colored cloth with intentionally visible stitching.

Adding to the oddness, a creepy puppet cat lounged across the girl’s shoulders, its metal claws digging into the fabric of the necromancer girl’s inquisitor mantle to maintain its perch. The construct’s gem-eyed face followed Ria’s party’s movements, Ria’s in particular.

Thankfully, Ranger was continuing his aloof persona and pretended to ignore both Keth’yan and Amilee’s spirit-possessed cat-puppet.

“Amilee! You’re here!” Keira exclaimed, but worry creased her face as she took in her Oathbound friend’s dress. “Is Cousin Duelleres really having you debut in such a dress?”

Amilee’s cheeks pulled upward in a horrific mockery of a smile. “I. Love. My. Fabulously. Fashionable. Dress. Gifted. To. Me. By. Master. Duelleres.”

She clearly did not.

Keira was at a loss for words, and Faris suddenly wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes. Was this what Iori and Rienne meant by hobbies?

“I see… ah, um, if you would like me to introduce you to anyone here tonight, I’d like that,” Keira carefully offered her friend and received an accepting nod for her effort.

“Cousin Phaelys,” a familiar voice spoke up and drew Ria’s attention away from the scene with Keira and Amilee.

“And the goldseeker,” the expected companion added as the two almost identical crystalweave-clad figures approached.

Amilee and her escort aside, Ophesia and Nielle were an encounter Ria had brought on herself. The pair had obtained beautifully enchanted amethyst and ruby dresses from Lady Vienne including dramatic crowns of matching crystal—which made sense. There was no way Lady Vienne would let the most prominent Vesali heirs be shown up.

Beside her, Phaelys gave a disappointed sigh. “Cousin Nielle, such behavior is beneath our House’s dignity.”

Nielle humphed, not happy at the rebuke. “At least she cleans up well. Seeing her now, one cannot help wondering if she was only pretending to be a socially clumsy little rabbit all along?”

Ophesia rolled her eyes and pinched her look-a-like’s side, earning a sharp eyeing from the other purple-haired girl.

Though Ria’s stomach fluttered a little, the mantle of pride and the put upon reactions of the others buoyed her confidence, and she affected an amused smile. “Greetings Young Lady Ophesia, Young Lady Nielle. I’m glad you could come.”

Nielle’s eyes narrowed then glanced a bit defiantly in the direction of Lady Janacythe who was watching from a refreshment table in the lounge area together with Orlisi. “We are not here for you. We’re debuting as well.”

“Is that not all the more reason for me to be glad? That we can debut together?” Ria pleasantly followed up, feeling inordinately pleased at Nielle’s mouth pressing into a thin line from her reply.

Unlike her more temperamental cousin, Ophesia gave Ria a measured look. “Let us hope that it is so.”

A name being announced below drew Ria’s attention away from the Vesali cousins and other debutants that had approached her friends. She knew that interacting with the other debutantes and their escorts and chaperones was important, but she couldn’t help glancing toward the floor below that was beginning to fill with arriving guests.

Phaelys caught her glance and motioned toward the balcony’s railing. “We should watch the guests arrive. It’s important that you can put names to the faces.”

Ria gave an acknowledging nod.

Thank you for the cover, Phaelys!

“His Holiness Loric of Vesali City, servant of the divinity of Luck and Adventure, High Priest of the Vesali City’s Temple of Xander, and his holiness Mors Restille, servant of the divinity of Shadow and Oblivion, High Priest of Vesali City’s Temple of Ohgrem!”

The High Priests for Xander and for Ohgrem?!

Why were they here?!