The children of Vaniria watched gleefully from their bedroom windows as
carriage after carriage past by their homes before drawing up in front of
the castle. The little girls gasped and sighed over the ball gowns that
descended from the carriages and gracefully made their way up the stairs
and into the castle. The young boys eagerly discussed the dress-uniforms of
the guards posted at the entrances and the swords and sabres carried by the
gentlemen attending the ball. This was the first State Ball to have been
held in Vaniria in over ten years and the first of its size in anyone's
memory. It was doubted that anyone would ever see the likes of it again. As
such the whole city was involved, not just the castle and its inhabitants.
The streets surrounding the castle were decorated with paper lanterns and
streamers. Musicians played in the market square, where food had been laid
out by the castle's kitchens. The air was full of music and joy, not a soul
could be found without a smile on their face. As the music played and the
people danced in the square, inside the Great Hall the arrival of 'The
Strangers' to the ball was imminent and was causing quite a stir.
*********
An urgent knocking at the door interrupted Simon as he tried desperately to do something with the 'fluff' that was his hair. He groaned and stamped his foot petchulantly.
" What?!" he yelled at the door, " This had better be important!" He heard the handle being turned and focused his attention on the mirror before him once more. " Yes?" Simon asked abruptly once the door had opened. He turned to the side to hurl abuse at whoever it was that had dared to come in, when he found himself unable to speak. In the doorway stood Lina, her thick blonde hair had been painstakingly pinned up, with a few tendrils hanging down the back of her neck. With her hair up and off her face, her features seemed even more delicate and elfin like. Her usual tunic and boots were gone to be replaced with a shimmering silver dress, curving over her figure to the floor. Even her wings seemed to be sparkling, adding to the magical quality of her appearance. Simon was suddenly aware that he was staring and wrenched his eyes back to the mirror, where he could see colour flushing in his cheeks. " Wh-what do you want…?" he finally managed to ask, all abruptness gone from his voice.
" I just came to see if you're ready…" Lina said quietly, taking in his appearance. He was wearing what Jo and the others had called a 'tuxedo' or the Vanirian equivalent at least. The white shirt and black suit made him look different, more mature than his sleeveless t-shirt and baggy trousers made him seem. He was still fiddling with his hair. " And…and I also came to ask you something…" she added quietly. Simon paused and swallowed nervously.
" Er…what…what d'you want to ask…?"
" Well…" Lina swallowed herself, "…It's about…"
" Yes…" Simon allowed himself to look over at the girl in the doorway.
" It's about your hair…"
" For the love of God…!" Simon yelled, his clear blue eyes glittering with rage. " NO! My hair is not supposed to look like this! YES! I do mind you asking!!"
" Actually I was going to…" Lina started but Simon was now oblivious to anything now other than venting his anger.
" Stupid bloody gyratory, why'd it have to be so goddamn windy anyway! And as for this tutoring…why was I made to sit inside listening to children's bedtime stories when I would have been outside sharpening up my defence skills…!!" Lina strode over, ignoring his shouting, grabbed a chair and shoved it behind Simon; catching him behind the knees and forcing him to sit down. " What the…?!" Simon started but he was quickly silenced by the feel of Lina's hands in his hair.
" Now…are you going to be quiet…or do I have to rip this lot out…?" She tugged gently on the blonde hair in her hands to prove her point. Simon merely nodded, confusion and a slight tinge of fear evident in his eyes. A small smile crept onto Lina's face as she reached behnd her and produced (from nowhere) a small silver box, opening it she revealed a solid lump of what looked like cloudy glass. Rubbing it between her fingertips for a few seconds, she then began to shape Simon's hair, twisting it into spikes. Within minutes the mass of blonde fuzz had been transformed into slick spikes. Snapping the silver box shut, Lina smiled as she looked at Simon's amazed face in the mirror.
" How did you…? I mean what was…?" Simon stammered, standing and turning around to face her. " I mean…thank you…" A gentle, warm smile crossed his lips.
" No problem…" Lina grinned back, " Here…" she handed him the silver box, " Call it a gift!"
" What is it…?" Simon asked, holding the box in his hand as if it were made of solid gold.
" Solidified tree sap…" Lina explained simply, "…I asked Jo about your hair and she told me how it used to look and I thought that you would have used something similar to this…"
" Lina this is…well…" Simon's blue eyes met Lina's and shy smiles covered their faces. " Sad to say…but this may just be one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me…" Simon said quietly.
" Don't worry about it…" Lina was suddenly aware that she was blushing and stepped away. " Does it look alright…did I do it ok…?" She wrenched her eyes away from his. Simon glanced in the mirror and gently tweaked one of the spikes above his forehead.
" Couldn't have done better myself!" he grinned turning back to Lina. " Well I'm ready…" he walked over to the winged girl before him and extended his hand, "…Would you do me the honour of accompanying me…?" his blue eyes twinkled as Lina smiled and placed his hand in his.
" I would be delighted…" Lina beamed as they headed out of the door hand in hand.
*********
" No! I'm not coming out!"
" But Jo, everyone's waiting! The guests…Lina…the whole flamin' Royal family and nearly all of Vaniria is in that hall!" Rosie glared at the door to Jo's room, through which Jo refused to come.
" I feel like an idiot! And not just any idiot…an idiot in a ball gown!" Jo's annoyed voice came through the door.
" But Jo, everyone's in a ball gown…" reasoned Lucy.
" Er…not everyone!" Phillipe pointed out firmly as he straightened his tie.
" Come on Jo…please…" Jenny asked gently, " Just let us see the dress and if it's as bad as you say it is then you can change…"
" Well…" The friends could hear Jo's voice change as she considered the proposal. "…is…is Guillaume out there? I don't want him to see me in this thing!"
" No…" Marius answered, " Last time I checked, he was still getting ready himself…"
" Alright…" the door handle turned but the door remained closed. "…but if anyone laughs…I swear there won't be words to describe the pain you will feel!"
" Enough with the threats Jo…lets just see the dress!" Mark rolled his green eyes and sighed.
" …Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you!" The friends stepped back as the door started to open. Jo swallowed nervously as she stood in the doorway. " Well…?" She watched as smiles slowly crept across the faces before her. " Will I do?" she smirked after a moment's silence.
" Yes Jo, I think you'll do…!"
*********
An urgent knocking at the door interrupted Simon as he tried desperately to do something with the 'fluff' that was his hair. He groaned and stamped his foot petchulantly.
" What?!" he yelled at the door, " This had better be important!" He heard the handle being turned and focused his attention on the mirror before him once more. " Yes?" Simon asked abruptly once the door had opened. He turned to the side to hurl abuse at whoever it was that had dared to come in, when he found himself unable to speak. In the doorway stood Lina, her thick blonde hair had been painstakingly pinned up, with a few tendrils hanging down the back of her neck. With her hair up and off her face, her features seemed even more delicate and elfin like. Her usual tunic and boots were gone to be replaced with a shimmering silver dress, curving over her figure to the floor. Even her wings seemed to be sparkling, adding to the magical quality of her appearance. Simon was suddenly aware that he was staring and wrenched his eyes back to the mirror, where he could see colour flushing in his cheeks. " Wh-what do you want…?" he finally managed to ask, all abruptness gone from his voice.
" I just came to see if you're ready…" Lina said quietly, taking in his appearance. He was wearing what Jo and the others had called a 'tuxedo' or the Vanirian equivalent at least. The white shirt and black suit made him look different, more mature than his sleeveless t-shirt and baggy trousers made him seem. He was still fiddling with his hair. " And…and I also came to ask you something…" she added quietly. Simon paused and swallowed nervously.
" Er…what…what d'you want to ask…?"
" Well…" Lina swallowed herself, "…It's about…"
" Yes…" Simon allowed himself to look over at the girl in the doorway.
" It's about your hair…"
" For the love of God…!" Simon yelled, his clear blue eyes glittering with rage. " NO! My hair is not supposed to look like this! YES! I do mind you asking!!"
" Actually I was going to…" Lina started but Simon was now oblivious to anything now other than venting his anger.
" Stupid bloody gyratory, why'd it have to be so goddamn windy anyway! And as for this tutoring…why was I made to sit inside listening to children's bedtime stories when I would have been outside sharpening up my defence skills…!!" Lina strode over, ignoring his shouting, grabbed a chair and shoved it behind Simon; catching him behind the knees and forcing him to sit down. " What the…?!" Simon started but he was quickly silenced by the feel of Lina's hands in his hair.
" Now…are you going to be quiet…or do I have to rip this lot out…?" She tugged gently on the blonde hair in her hands to prove her point. Simon merely nodded, confusion and a slight tinge of fear evident in his eyes. A small smile crept onto Lina's face as she reached behnd her and produced (from nowhere) a small silver box, opening it she revealed a solid lump of what looked like cloudy glass. Rubbing it between her fingertips for a few seconds, she then began to shape Simon's hair, twisting it into spikes. Within minutes the mass of blonde fuzz had been transformed into slick spikes. Snapping the silver box shut, Lina smiled as she looked at Simon's amazed face in the mirror.
" How did you…? I mean what was…?" Simon stammered, standing and turning around to face her. " I mean…thank you…" A gentle, warm smile crossed his lips.
" No problem…" Lina grinned back, " Here…" she handed him the silver box, " Call it a gift!"
" What is it…?" Simon asked, holding the box in his hand as if it were made of solid gold.
" Solidified tree sap…" Lina explained simply, "…I asked Jo about your hair and she told me how it used to look and I thought that you would have used something similar to this…"
" Lina this is…well…" Simon's blue eyes met Lina's and shy smiles covered their faces. " Sad to say…but this may just be one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me…" Simon said quietly.
" Don't worry about it…" Lina was suddenly aware that she was blushing and stepped away. " Does it look alright…did I do it ok…?" She wrenched her eyes away from his. Simon glanced in the mirror and gently tweaked one of the spikes above his forehead.
" Couldn't have done better myself!" he grinned turning back to Lina. " Well I'm ready…" he walked over to the winged girl before him and extended his hand, "…Would you do me the honour of accompanying me…?" his blue eyes twinkled as Lina smiled and placed his hand in his.
" I would be delighted…" Lina beamed as they headed out of the door hand in hand.
*********
" No! I'm not coming out!"
" But Jo, everyone's waiting! The guests…Lina…the whole flamin' Royal family and nearly all of Vaniria is in that hall!" Rosie glared at the door to Jo's room, through which Jo refused to come.
" I feel like an idiot! And not just any idiot…an idiot in a ball gown!" Jo's annoyed voice came through the door.
" But Jo, everyone's in a ball gown…" reasoned Lucy.
" Er…not everyone!" Phillipe pointed out firmly as he straightened his tie.
" Come on Jo…please…" Jenny asked gently, " Just let us see the dress and if it's as bad as you say it is then you can change…"
" Well…" The friends could hear Jo's voice change as she considered the proposal. "…is…is Guillaume out there? I don't want him to see me in this thing!"
" No…" Marius answered, " Last time I checked, he was still getting ready himself…"
" Alright…" the door handle turned but the door remained closed. "…but if anyone laughs…I swear there won't be words to describe the pain you will feel!"
" Enough with the threats Jo…lets just see the dress!" Mark rolled his green eyes and sighed.
" …Fine! But don't say I didn't warn you!" The friends stepped back as the door started to open. Jo swallowed nervously as she stood in the doorway. " Well…?" She watched as smiles slowly crept across the faces before her. " Will I do?" she smirked after a moment's silence.
" Yes Jo, I think you'll do…!"
