Two years had passed since the queen's tragic death. The Princess Sarita was turning twelve, and the king has not remarried. In the two years since her mother's death, Sarita led an indifferent life. Her father completely ignored her, except when duty required interaction between the two. One such occasion was the New Year's gala. People from all over, many kingdoms, were invited. Most usually came.
This year's was bigger than the last, and all who were invited came. Sarita readied herself in her party gown with the help of a servant. Because she was princess, and the only woman of royal birth, she was in theory the mistress of the king's house. So, her place at the gala was at her father's side, however much either disliked it. She certainly looked the part that evening. She was escorted by a servant to the dais, and handed over to the king, who graciously led her to the chair beside him with false smiles. She gave him her best and most radiantly ladylike smile, and sat in her chair.
"You look lovely tonight." He said, although his tone was dispassionate.
"Father, you and I both know you don't give a fig what I look like. Maybe we could just be quiet, and not talk?" Seth said coolly.
"My dear, that is a wonderful idea," he concurred and was silent. Soon Sarita was bored, and was allowed to leave the dais and join with the guests in dancing.
Most of her partners were foreign nobles. She loved their accents, and she found the stories they told her entertaining. The people were exotic and different then any she had met. And then there were the familiar faces which were comforting to see.
Sarita was dancing with a foreign dignitary when her father cut the dance short to introduce her to the only other royalty present besides themselves.
"This is the Goblin King, come all the way from the Underground. This is my daughter, Princess Sarita." She curtsied, while he gave her the slightest bow.
"How old are you, Sarita?"
She grinned impishly at him. "Guess," she said, and danced off with her partner. The king apologized for her pertness.
"I don't know what's gotten into her tonight," he explained.
"How could you? She's just a girl, a thorn in your side, yes?"
"We see eye to eye."
"Indeed."
Sarita saw her father and the Goblin King talk. She couldn't hear them, but as they turned away, she saw the Goblin King roll his eyes to her father back. She laughed, and her dance partner looked at her strangely, wondering why. She smiled awkwardly, and resumed her quiet disposition.
The rest of the night passed uneventful, and the gala came to an end. Sarita headed back to her room and changed into her night clothes, and she sat at her vanity while a servant undid her luxurious brown hair and left. She stared into the mirror blankly, and suddenly something caught her eye: a small crystal ball hanging from the chandelier. She turned to look at it, but it wasn't there, so she turned back to the mirror. There it was again. She jumped up from the vanity and backed away to her bed.
What is that, she thought. She looked back at the mirror, but nothing was there now. She took a deep breath. "I'm just tired, that's all," she said, and she lay down to sleep.