A/N: Happy Halloween Ball (even though it's so far after Halloween and I'm an awful person for making you wait so long please forgive me)! I've been trying to write the chapter and put everyone's outfits up on the Pinterest page, but life has gotten in the way, and some of these costumes are hard to find. I'm still searching, so please don't be mad if your character's costume isn't up - it will be at some point! Still, I hope that this (SUPER LONG - 7k words+) chapter makes up for the lost time. I thought about making this two chapters, but I thought that would somehow break the magic of the ball, so I kept it as is. Is it weird that I could write the next two chapters before I finished this one? Writing is strange...but that means that there will be three updates in a row, yay! Anyway, I love you guys to bits! Thank you for being so patient with me!

Chapter 20

Kaden barely recognized his home underneath all the layers of Halloween decor. The lighting was dark, though candelabras and chandeliers lit with traditional candlesticks illuminated the space. The cobwebs that hung from the ceiling and draped around and cross the pillars like ribbons of silk, the huge bales of hay covered in various sizes of pumpkins and floral arrangements of mums, the wait staff dressed up as zombies, aliens, werewolves, and other creatures of the night - it was all over the top and all completely perfect.

A waiter came by with a tray of bright green looking drinks served in what appeared to be purposely cracked glasses, followed by another waitress carrying a tray of "finger foods" that looked absolutely delicious. Kaden actually took one, and was glad he did. He had forgotten to eat all that day, so he took two more fingers when no one was looking.

Kaden recognized a lot of the faces in the crowd as family friends, friends of the ladies, and general dignitaries who had been invited to share in the festivities. At first, this was just going to be an event for the ladies, a small get together, but it quickly spiraled into something much bigger. Not that Kaden was complaining; he loved big parties, but sometimes he wondered if he was ever getting in over his head. He didn't think about that though, not when he noticed a group of Selected standing off to the side, chatting away with some of the green glasses in their hands.

He was spotted as he walked over to them - his chainmail wasn't the quietest material - and Ladies Imogen, Freya, Lalaine, and Rosalie physically lit up when he reached them.

"Ladies," Kaden bowed to the four of them, the first four he'd seen thus far. "Have you been enjoying yourselves?"

"I've been having a great time!" Lady Rosalie gushed, and all of the other ladies agreed with her.

"That's wonderful," Kaden said, glad that things seemed to be going well. "I only just arrived a few minutes ago."

"Late to your own party?" Lady Lalaine said, shaking her head in mock disappointment.

"Well, I did have to get changed," Kaden explained, raising his arms and gesturing to his costume.

"We can see that," Lady Lalaine said, looking him up and down. "A knight, is it?"

"You are correct," Kaden said, and a few of them oohed. Kaden really was pleased with his costume. Fay had done a spectacular job on making chainmail that wasn't really made out of metal, but instead metallic thread and some copper wire spray painted with silver so that he wasn't bogged down by the weight. And then there was the Schreave coat of arms sewn into the red tunic covering the metal, a fake sword clasped to his belt, and soft leather boots. Really, it was the most comfortable costume he could've asked for, and nearly every lady, Selected or not, he'd passed had given him a double look. He had wanted to go as Prince Charming from a fairytale, but was glad he went as a knight instead.

"Now, forgive me ladies, but I'm new to the whole costume thing. Would you mind explaining to me what you all are?" Kaden asked in return. "Lady Freya, you're a star, I'm guessing?"

"You are correct, Your Majesty," she replied, fiddling with her golden necklace. Everything she wore was black or gold, her dress fading from a sheer lighter black to a deep midnight by the time it reached the ground, tiny golden constellations and planets covering the entire thing so that she looked like she was cloaked in the universe. However, it was her headpiece and matching adornments that caught his attention.

"Such ingenuity in these," Kaden remarked, reaching to touch one of the numerous spirals of warped gold metal with tiny gold stars attached to it stemming from her shoulder.

"I created them," she replied, pride lacing her voice.

"You did?" Kaden was shocked, and his face must've shown it. "So quickly?"

She shrugged her shoulders, like she didn't know what to say. "I was inspired."

Kaden gaped at her for a few seconds, in awe that she was able to create something beautiful within a few hours. It was impossible to him, and made him miss Eadlyn a bit if he were being honest.

"I'm a cowgirl," Lady Rosalie was the first to pipe up, which was not at all the farmer would've guessed she was, being dressed in a red gingham hoop skirt and denim bodice, her hair done up in a braid that framed her head like a crown. He supposed that she was wearing cowboy boots, but he could not see her feet.

"I'm a 'holy cow'," Lady Imogen said next, and Kaden nearly lost it as he realized that she had gone as a giant pun, her dress white with black splotches, and a halo and set of white wings to match. However, he wasn't really surprised given the nature of the lady.

"And what are you, Lady Lalaine?" Kaden asked after she did not immediately offer an answer. She was wearing a long silk dress covered with a giant fur vest that nearly touched the floor and swallowed her whole. She had pinned her hair under to mimic a bob, and she wore a headdress so big it nearly smacked him when she turned to face him.

"Jetta Goudal," she said with a drawl, like she was purposely being fancy, her red lips curling up into a playful smile.

"Who?" Kaden asked, not familiar with the name.

"A vintage star, like from the black and white movies. She started her career around the jazz age, before Illéa was even a country...I wouldn't expect you to know," she explained, fiddling with her strands of pearls. Kaden remembered learning about the history of the world before Illéa, but not much, not as much as Lady Lalaine knew, and it was fascinating.

"That's very original Lady Lalaine."

"What can I say? The past inspires me," she said, repeating Lady Freya's words back to the group.

"Well, you all look lovely," Kaden complimented them.

Conversation lulled off after that, Lady Lalaine and Lady Imogen returning to whatever conversation they were having before about countries around Spain and which ones had the best beaches or something like that. Kaden tried to keep up, but he just wasn't as adventurous as the two ladies. Kaden ended up dancing with Lady Freya and Lady Rosalie, both of them decent dancers, and realized he was having a lot of fun. Perhaps this ball wasn't going to be that bad after all.

At some point in his dance with Lady Freya, Kaden noticed that he was dancing right next to Osten and Aria. They were both sheet white and dressed up in black, Osten wearing a red cape over his tuxedo and Aria wearing a long sleeved black slip dress. It took Kaden seeing the red contact lenses and painted on blood to put together that they were supposed to be vampires. When Osten finally decided to tear his eyes away from his date, he looked at Kaden, gestured at his outfit, and gave him a thumbs up. Aria giggled and did the same. Kaden gestured between the two of them and made a face, and Osten went red even under the makeup. Lady Freya laughed as she spun in time with Aria, the both of them watching with amusement as the brothers exchanged more, less friendly faces until the song ended. Then Kaden walked up to his brother and cuffed him on the back of the head before giving him a side hug. Osten and Aria left the dance floor after that, and Lady Freya soon after, but Kaden stayed to applaud the band.

Then, a voice came over the crowd, one of the lesser council members, instructing everyone to quiet down.

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends, and honored guests, it is our pleasure to host you for the night. Now, let us turn our attention to the dance floor, where King Kaden Schreave will lead us in a waltz."

Oh. He had almost forgotten.

Now that apparently everyone had arrived to the ball, he was supposed to lead a waltz to kick the night off. The first 'official' dance was a tradition, no matter if a dinner party or a grand ball was being thrown. The girl he chose to dance with him would make a statement, and a big one at that. The choice was an important one, and he couldn't dance with just anyone. Yet, as he scanned a newly formed crowd of Selected standing off to the side, he knew exactly who he would choose.

Kaden walked over to the ladies, each of them rushing to greet him. He replied as best he could, while focusing on the one lady who stayed near the back, patiently waiting her turn.

"Your Majesty," Lady Finnley curtseyed when he finally broke through the crowd to get to her, her dress puddling around her so that she looked like she was seated in a puffy cloud.

"You look beautiful," Kaden leaned in and told her, and she blushed, ducking her head down. She did look stunning, in a stark white ball gown with intricate crystal beadwork, her skin paled and decorated with jewels around her eyes that made her iris's pop even more than they usually did - the brown one nearly black and the blue one as piercing as the ice she was imitating. She took his breath away.

"Thank you," she replied softly, and if her smile couldn't be any wider.

"Would you care to dance?"

She nodded eagerly, and Kaden offered his hand to her. She took it in the next moment, and they went off towards the dance floor in time for a waltz to start up. He was sure that jealous stares and gossip had started amongst the other ladies, their voices carrying across the space, and other gasps joined theirs as the rest of the guests realized what was happening. Kaden counted them off, tapping his fingers to the beat of the music. It was easy to dance with Lady Finnley; she let herself be led, and Sylvia had clearly trained her well enough to know the basic steps. Soon enough, they were both comfortable dance partners.

"I'm not used to all this...attention..." she said as she glanced around the room. All eyes were on them, and he had to admit, it was scary.

"Me neither," he agreed, and she looked up at him with disbelief.

"Really?"

"Really."

She smiled at that, and let herself be spun out and back in, the two of them weaving in and out of one another's spaces. It was almost magical, the way the rest of the world could fade out and it was just the two of them there, spinning on the dance floor, so much closer than they usually allowed themselves to be. She looked like a princess, like she belonged there dancing at his side. He was so caught up in the dance, caught up in watching her smile, that he didn't even realized that the music had stopped and the dance was over.

"Meet me outside the hall before midnight," Kaden whispered into her ear over the crowd's applause. "We can go somewhere with less attention, have a party of our own."

"Is that allowed?"

"As long as you're with me, you can do anything you'd like," Kaden said, striking a winning smile. "I'll go out the side exit, just watch," He said, pointing to the smaller doors off to the far back of the ballroom. "Oh, and bring two glasses of champagne."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because what's a party without champagne?"

Lady Finnley gave him a strange look, though she didn't seem any less amused. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that she didn't curtsey, but at that point he was practically talking over his shoulder. Soon, she disappeared amongst the masses of other partygoers, and he was thrust into the eye of the storm.

The first person he came across was dressed as a butterfly, and a beautiful one at that. She was standing alone, looking up at the decorations intently, like she was studying them. Kaden decided to talk to the wallflower, having an idea of who it was already.

"What are you doing over here all by yourself?" Kaden came up and asked Lady Maddy, startling her so much that she nearly dropped her glass.

"Oh," she stammered, composing herself and tearing her attention away from the ceiling. "I don't know. I wasn't alone before. I guess everyone else left..."

"They're all over there, if you want to join them," Kaden pointed to where Ladies Freya, Lalaine, and Rosalie were still dancing.

Lady Maddy looked over at the group, and Kaden could see that she wanted to join them, but something was preventing her from doing so.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

She mumbled something so quietly that he didn't pick up on it. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

"I said I don't know how to dance," she admitted, her cheeks flushing furiously in embarrassment.

"Hey, that's okay," Kaden assured her. "You don't need to know how to dance to go have fun."

"But it's a ball," she sighed, defeat clear in her eyes.

"Then I guess I'll have to teach you how to dance," Kaden said.

Lady Maddy's eyes got wide, but before he gave her any time to protest, he pulled her onto the dance floor and swung her into a dance. It was awful at first. Lady Maddy did have two left feet, but she slowly got better and better, though she was never anything great. Kaden wouldn't tell her that though. He was proud of her for doing this, and by the end of the song, she was actually enjoying herself.

"Is that Prince Charming I see?" a teasing voice came from behind him, as he handed Lady Maddy off to a guard for the next dance.

Kaden turned around to see Lady Katrina standing behind him surrounded by Lady Rose, Lady Ayana, and Lady Azalea.

"Close," Kaden teased back. "You'll have to settle for a knight in shining armor."

Lady Katrina got closer to him, cocking her head to the side as she took him in. "I can settle."

Kaden chuckled and took his time to survey the four ladies in front of him. They were a strange mix of characters to say the least. Lady Katrina was sporting a dramatic peacock dress with a thigh high slit in it, her hair blown out and makeup popping against her skin. She was made to attract attention. But then again, so was Lady Ayana, who had clearly been left out on the memo that the party was a ball. She was playing up the whole good vs evil motif, half of her body covered in deep reds and black, while the other half was decked in stark white. Her skirt was so short it was scandalous; the same could be said for her bustier, and the nylons she wore on her long legs left little to the imagination. Lady Azalea was a flower, an azalea if Kaden wasn't mistaken, and her dress was the most startling shade of pink he had ever seen, a giant bouquet of flowers decking her head as adornments. Lady Rose was perhaps the most memorable in a pure white dress...until it reached the bottom where it exploded into tulle rainbow. She wore fluffy white wings and a jeweled horn on top of her head. He was so confused that he actually had to ask her what her costume was.

"Lady Rose...pardon me but what exactly is your costume?"

"I'm a pegacorn!" she exclaimed, clearly excited to talk to him about it.

"A what?"

"A pegacorn: half unicorn half pegasus. They're not real, but I think they're cute," she pouted her bubblegum pink lips at him, and Kaden started laughing and the rest of the ladies joined in.

"Well, you all look lovely ladies," Kaden told the four of them when he had stopped laughing. "Have you been enjoying the night?"

"I've been having a ball," Lady Rose made a pun, trying to be funny, and Kaden laughed at that too.

"Oh my gosh I love this song!" Lady Katrina shouted as the band started up a new song. Kaden had requested that, even though this was a ball, that instrumental scores be put to a few popular songs so that more of the Selected would be encouraged to dance. For some reason, Kaden recognized this song - which was surprising - and actually liked it as well.

"Let's dance then," Kaden suggested. "All of us."

The girls were ecstatic and jumped on that idea before he even finished the sentence. They were out on the dance floor in the next minute. More girls noticed them dancing, and joined the group, the majority of the Selection dancing terribly but having the time of their lives. Some of the ladies were uncoordinated in their heels; some of them were as graceful as swans, spinning one another in circles and goofing off. Lady Ayana started to perform what Kaden suspected to be her own style of dance, if he could call it that. It involved a lot of shaking and flapping about, and Kaden thought that the girl was going to lose an armband or one of her character shoes before the song ended.

The group stayed out for the next few songs. At some point, Kaden ended up twirling Lady Serena around, the shimmery train of her golden gown snapping at her feet, glitter showering the nearby guests. Kaden laughed as some got in his hair, and he joked to her about how she was living up to her firework costume. She laughed at him, and purposely shook her dress in his direction, causing him to run into Lady Rose, and they ended up taking a turn around the floor. She really wanted to show him her unicorn shoes that her maids sculpted for her, and Kaden fought the urge to burst out in laughter as he saw the atrocious things because she looks so excited.

A slower song calmed the excitement, and as Kaden turned to leave the dance floor in exchange for a drink, he ran into Lady Kendra. He ran into her so completely, that they ended up body checking one another. Kaden caught her by the wrists before she fell backwards, and helped steady her. It was then, when he really took a look at her, that he felt like he was the one who was unsteady.

"Lady Kendra, you look..."

"What?" she asked, her dark eyes wide.

What words could he use to describe Lady Kendra's costume? It was definitely surprising, but not in the way he would think. No, it was striking in the fact that the dress was not scandalous at all, instead very modest and very, very flattering. Her sweetheart ballgown reflected all the colors of fall, a deep brown velvet material containing the tiniest hints of orange, red, and gold sewn in, along with actual leaves that scattered across the back and around the hems. Her jewels and hair piece were minimal, as was her makeup, and yet she looked far richer than many of the other ladies he had seen. She looked like Autumn herself, and for a moment, he didn't know how to reply.

"Beautiful," he answered, completely in awe.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she said softly, blushing and ducking her head against his shoulder before getting back into form. It wasn't any behavior he was used to from her, yet it seemed more genuine than her overly flirtatious act. Still, he was cautious.

After the dance ended, he thought that he had seen a new side of Lady Kendra. It was nice to see her a bit gentler than usual. However, as soon he turned to see where she had gone, he tracked her as she walked all the way over to the hors d'oeuvres table...right next to Lady Angelina who was a vision in black, her long-sleeved, backless, bejeweled gown clinging to her every curve. She wore black wings that molded seamlessly into her dress, and Kaden had no problem figuring out which sin that fallen angel had committed. Lady Kendra sidled right up next to her, and Lady Angelina handed her a small plate. They exchanged a few words before Lady Angelina's piercing blue eyes peered up from under her black veil to stare right at him. Her red lips curled up into a confident, seductive smile, and she raised a glass of champagne up subtly to him in her lace-clad hands. Kaden nodded to her, and turned back around.

...Only to have a glass of champagne immediately thrust under his nose.

"You look like you could use a drink," Heather said, and Kaden graciously took the glass from her hands.

"Thank you," he said, taking a long drink. "You think you have someone figured out, and then something happens to change your mind completely..."

"Well, I hope you're not talking about me," Heather quipped, and Kaden smiled at her.

"Not at all. I can read you like a book."

"Or so you think," she replied, and Kaden conceded to her.

"I like this," Kaden gestured to her costume. Hers was more obvious than the others, or maybe that was just because Kaden was both schooled in classical arts and knew Heather so well. She was the Black Swan from the ballet Swan Lake, her black gown cut short in the front like a tutu but long in the back so that it trailed to her heels, and black wings on her back. She wore black pointe shoes to seal the look, and the stereotypical Black Swan make up that was both elegant and terrifying: her skin paled, dark winged eyes, and lips a bright ruby red. Of course, it wouldn't be Heather's costume without a golden tikka studded with small crystals resting on her head. "It suits you."

"Before ten year old me decided she wanted to be a councilwoman, I did dabble in dance."

"Really?" Kaden asked, truly shocked that he hadn't know this about Heather. "I had no idea."

"It was a long time ago," she shrugged. "I'm not saying I'm a prima by any means, but I can perform a perfect padaburez."

"What about a foxtrot?"

Heather stood back and looked Kaden up and down. "Are you asking me to dance, Kaden Schreave?"

Kaden stepped forward in her direction and played along. "Are you saying yes, Heather Bloomsdale?"

Kaden offered her his arm, and she took it without hesitation. They both placed their glasses on a nearby empty serving platter and were on their way to the dance floor when they were intercepted by another member of the council.

"Your Majesty's presence has been requested by Lady Brice," the man said apologetically, clearly not meaning to interrupt anything.

"Perhaps another time then?" Heather asked, her eyes sparkling, and Kaden nodded. Content, she patted his arm before sauntering off into the crowd.

Kaden followed the man whose name he could not remember for the life of him through the crowd until they reached a small table near the edge of the ballroom, one that was sequestered off and only contained council members. Kaden did not know why he was being summoned, but as he neared the table, his stomach started to sink. Lady Brice was seated in the center, Sir Bloomsdale to her left and a face he had only ever seen in pictures before to her right.

"Your Majesty," Lady Brice greeted, rising to meet him along with those around her. She pushed in her chair and walked around the table to get to Kaden, her guests following close behind in a small group. She then turned to the side to reveal the young woman previously seated to her right. "This is Princess Han Eunmi of New Asia. I'm sure you are well aware of her, and her father, Emperor Han Renshu."

"Of course," Kaden replied, recognizing her face from years of TV and political reports. He immediately dipped into a bow and extending his hand to take hers for a kiss. "Your Highness."

"Majesty," she replied politely with a deep curtsey of her own, her robes sweeping across the floor. "My father sends you his regards, and apologizes that he cannot be here to meet you in person."

"Of course," Kaden replied. "Please forgive me for not greeting you sooner, but I was not aware that you were coming."

"A last minute invitation, Your Majesty," Sir Bloomsdale explained, but there was something in his eyes that told Kaden that there was more at play.

"May I speak with you for a moment, privately?" Kaden asked Sir Bloomsdale, who of course immediately agreed. They both bowed to the Princess, who politely and silently curtseyed to them as they left to a secluded corner behind some pillars.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaden demanded. "I did not invite the New Asian ambassadors or the Princess."

"Princess Eunmi was invited out of the goodwill of the people of Illéa," Sir Bloomsdale answered diplomatically.

"That's not it," Kaden countered, anger rising. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Your Majesty, if you would lower your voice..." Sir Bloomsdale looked around cautiously, his eyes lingering on Lady Freya and Lady Maddy who stood nearby, and suddenly everything clicked into place.

"She's a prospect, isn't she. You think I should marry her," Kaden replied blankly, too stunned with the revelation. "Why wasn't I told?"

"The Council thought it best for you to keep your options open," Sir Bloomsdale explained cautiously, but even he seemed to have a hard time justifying it. "You were opposed to the idea of a Selection in the beginning, so the Council thought it best to create an alternative plan, just in case the Selection backfired. But then things started going well, still are going well, and so the idea was put away. There was no need to tell you of something that would never come to fruition. But there have been so many complications in these short weeks...so many girls have left of their own accord; some of them haven't adjusted to royal life as quickly as we'd hoped...the Council worries. New Asia is a budding ally, with great prospects, and the Princess is lovely..."

"They've barely been her a whole four weeks!" Kaden cried, trying to keep his voice down so that they weren't overheard. "Wasn't the whole point of the Selection to find a bride from inside Illéa? If you were planning on marrying me off, why make me go through the trouble? Why put those girls through the trouble?"

"It was not my decision to bring the princess here, Your Majesty. As I said, I believed the backup plan to be moved off the table, until recently. The Council, in adjunct with the Selection Committee, was in favor of a meeting - a platonic meeting - in hopes to see if a future alliance would be possible should the worst happen in the Selection. My movement against it was outvoted by them both," Sir Bloomsdale said tiredly, like he had already argued his point on this matter more than once.

"Was this Lady Brice's idea?" Kaden asked him, his suspicions narrowing.

"It was the Council's as a majority, Your Majesty," Sir Bloomsdale replied diplomatically, and that infuriated Kaden.

"But she had the vote. She is a prominent member of the Council and the head of the Selection Committee," Kaden pressed further, and the older man's gaze faltered, averting to the ground.

"She is, Your Majesty," he replied, and in that Kaden got all the information he needed.

"Your Majesty," Lady Brice called over, and Kaden fought back his urge to fire the woman on the spot. "Won't you dance with Princess Eunmi?"

He took in the Princess standing at Lady Brice's side and tried to imagine her as his wife. Sure, she was lovely with her porcelain pale skin, ruby red lips and dark brown eyes. She looked royal and elegant in her traditional jade robes and copious jewels, and acted the part far more than the gaggle of girls fawning over the soldiers and wait staff as they passed by. She was calm and collected; she looked like she belonged. But it just felt so wrong.

However, that couldn't stop him from being a good host. It also would look poorly on Illéa's tentative relationship with New Asia if he was to refuse the princess in a dance. He was the king; he had to toe the political line.

"Of course," Kaden agreed, and extended his arm to the princess. She took it and together they walked out onto the dance floor.

Again, there were more murmurs, but these a bit more confused. It appeared that no one else was expecting the New Asian princess to show up either, and to be dancing with the king was a big deal. All eyes were on him and Princess Eunmi, and for the first time that night, he wished he didn't have to be so politically correct. There were all the Selected that he would rather dance with, but some things had to be done for the good of the country.

Princess Eunmi was a graceful dancer, light on her feet and quick to step, if not a little stiff. It was like she did not know how not to relax. Everything was precise and measured, and Kaden wished to be dancing with Lady Finnley or Lady Azalea or even Lady Ayana and her more modern take on dancing. Princess Eunmi didn't utter a word, so Kaden supposed that he would have to take the plunge.

"I must say Princess, your appearance tonight came as a great surprise."

"I would imagine," she replied, her voice soft and steady.

"But I am glad you are here nonetheless. Our countries are newly formed allies, and it's uplifting to see each other share in each other's festivities."

"Quite," she said, again her response giving him nothing to go off of.

"Perhaps, if you enjoy yourself tonight, I could fly over to New Asia with a few ambassadors and celebrate the New Year with you? I hear that your people crowd the streets and the festivities last for days."

"Perhaps," was all she said, and Kaden's patience nearly snapped.

However, just as he was about to get a little too short with the princess, something else caught his attention, rather someone. At least...he thought it was someone buried underneath all that makeup. Someone familiar...

It took him a moment to realize that he hadn't seen Josie's costume before the ball, so seeing it now came as a total shock. It wasn't the bright red flamenco dress that shocked him, nor the dozens of roses pinned up her hair surrounded by a golden crown. No, it was her face that shocked him. It was the bright, stark white cut into by thick lines of black across her cheekbones, across her nose and around her eyes. It was the red of her lips and the designs drawn on her face that shocked him.

It was the fact that she looked like the living dead, her face the mirror of a skull.

"Won't you excuse me for a moment," Kaden stammered to Princess Eunmi, his fear escalating as he watched Josie stumble in her steps, drawing negative attention. She must've been drinking, and could not ended well. "There's something I have to...take care of..."

Kaden left then, breaking the dance formation to go after Josie. He thought he heard the princess gasp or say something after him, but by the time he thought to turn around, it was Sir Bloomsdale who was escorting her out of the ballroom in a hurry. Kaden didn't want to think about how this would reflect on public relations. But as soon as he heard a clatter coming from Josie's direction, his focus rerouted to the problem at hand.

It was easy enough to catch up with her; people parted to let him pass and she was only so fast in a skin tight dress and heels. Josie seemed confused to see him in front of her, blocking her path forward. There was a champagne glass in her hand, and Kaden plucked it from her before she had the chance to drink anymore. Josie looked like she wanted to argue, but Kaden beat her to the punch to talk.

"You look like you're having fun," Kaden commented.

Josie shut her mouth and pursed her lips, like she was angry. But that anger was short lived. "So much fun!"

"Great," Kaden smiled, reaching to take her arms as she wobbled. He really should get Josie out of the ballroom, but he was distracted when a woman near them took a glimpse at her, and turned away aghast. The more Kaden looked around, the more he noticed similar responses. "You're a little scary Jos."

"Me?" she asked, like the idea was strange. It would be comical if looking at her wasn't like looking death in the face.

"Yeah, you," Kaden repeated, and Josie frowned.

"I wasn't meant to be scary..."

"That's okay Josie," Kaden assured her, but now she looked visibly upset, and he didn't want her to be. "Hey, do you know what will cheer you up?"

"What?"

"A dance," Kaden suggested. She furrowed her brows like the idea didn't quite appeal to her, but Kaden tried again. "Come on, you love to dance! It'll be fun, and then you can go lie down."

She nodded this time, and Kaden took them both out to the dance floor. The dance was a waltz, though faster than the ones they usually did. Kaden was worried that Josie wasn't going to be able to keep up in her state, but they started off just fine, Josie not missing a beat, even if her steps were a little heavier than usual. That was, until she started stepping on his toes. It was on accident at first, but when he started jumping about and hissing whenever the spike of her heel pinched a toe, she started to do it more and more, almost purposely, like it was funny to her.

"Josie, stop it!" Kaden ordered, his feet in real pain. "Such a pain in the ass..." he grumbled, now overly watching where Josie stepped.

"Royal Pain in the Ass..." she announced, throwing her head back. "That's what you and Eadlyn called me the night I kissed the German Chancellor's son. Your father was trying to set a treaty, and you thought I'd messed it up. You and Eadlyn called me a Royal Pain in the Ass, like how how Kile used to call her, but meaner. You laughed at me the whole night when you thought I couldn't hear..."

"Josie what-?"

"Can't do anything right, spoiled rotten pain the ass..." she sing-songed, her voice melancholy and loud in her drunken state.

Then those words, and the night itself, rushed back to him. He and Eadlyn had been tired - tired of waiting around and dancing with dignitaries, tired of playing politics - and there Josie went, messing all their hard work up. They both had been mad, and she was an easy target. He had said she was a pain for jeopardizing the treaty. Eadlyn had added the "royal" part due to Josie's desperate want to be one. They chanted it the rest of the night as a joke to pass the time, as a distraction when they thought Josie was far enough away. No good, rotten pain in the ass. But she heard anyway.

"I ruin everything," she lamented.

As Kaden turned to spin her, Josie stumbled over her own feet, nearly bringing them both to the ground. She laughed obnoxiously loud, loud enough to gain the attention from surrounding couples the dance floor, and Kaden reached to reel her in before she said anymore.

"Am I ruining this for you too?" she asked, her voice hiccuping.

"Let's get you out of here," Kaden suggested, already pulling her towards the side exit.

Josie let out a string of unintelligible sentences that Kaden didn't care to pick up on over the sound of the music. Instead, he pulled Josie behind him, fully intending to take her to her room and return to the party afterwards. However, Josie had different ideas, and half way to the staircase practically dragged Kaden into one of the smaller waiting rooms. She made a bee-line for the sofa and plopped down on the plush cushions, Kaden following close behind.

"Come on Josie, let's go upstairs," He tried again, but she slipped out of his grip and twisted away from him.

"Why do you put up with me Kaden? I'm not good for anything! All I do is ruin things!" she whined, throwing her hands into her lap and hanging her head. Only then did Kaden realize that she was starting to tear up. "It should've been me...should've been me..."

"That's not true," Kaden countered, trying to calm her even though he had no idea what she was going on about, since he doubted this act was really about a holiday party from long ago. "Josie, you are one of the kindest people I know. You're beautiful, and smart, and a whole list of other wonderful things. I don't know what this is all about, but-"

He didn't know what had changed, but while he was talking, Josie was looking at him with a strange curiosity, and not a moment later she had lunged over to kiss him, cutting him off mid sentence.

Kaden's brain short circuited. He froze, unable to process what was happening. Josie held his head between her hands, her fingers pressed so firmly into his skin that he felt pain, kissing him sloppily. He could taste the alcohol on her lips, and the earthy tang of the makeup that was surely being smeared all over his face. He tried to push her away, but her grip was too strong, and mentally, he started to panic...

...Until the sound of shattering glass made Josie pause and detach herself from his face.

When Kaden finally regained enough composure to look up, his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

There, standing in the doorway, was Lady Finnley. She looked just as shocked as Kaden had been, and the champagne glasses that she was holding had slipped from her hands to become shards at her feet. When she finally did move, her face was the first to fall, her eyes playing a myriad of emotions ranging from extreme sadness to anger. But the most heartbreaking of all was when Kaden saw that emotion vanish. He had broken some sort of trust she had placed in him, and the walls he spent so long taking down came all the way back up again.

Lady Finnley took a step out of the doorway, and turned to leave. Kaden got up from the couch, causing Josie to slump over as she lost her balance, and followed after his snowflake.

"Finnley," Kaden called, but her steps only got faster, and even in heels she outpaced him. "I can explain! Please let me explain!"

His cries fell on deaf ears as she kept on going, but not in the direction of the ball. Instead, he watched her turn the corner and run up the stairs, presumably heading to her bedroom. The fact that he ruined what was supposed to be a great night for her made him feel terrible.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath.

Kaden didn't think that he saw any cameras around to capture what had happened, but he didn't want to risk the chance by staying there any longer. He made his way back down the hallway, and when he got back to the room, he saw that Josie was bent over on her side, holding her stomach.

"I don't feel so good..." Josie groaned, her face looking shiny underneath her layers of makeup.

"Come on," Kaden sighed, pushing his anger for her out of the way. He could deal with that when she wasn't about to throw up on the carpet.

He practically picked Josie up off the couch and dragged her to her room. She stood next to him like dead weight, and he nearly fell over twice as he tripped on the train of her dress. He heard the fabric rip once or twice, but Josie couldn't hear it over the sound of her moaning. Kaden had to shush her, more roughly than he should have, to keep from drawing attention.

When she was finally in her room, he laid her down on her bed and called her maids to come and get her cleaned up. They did their jobs quickly, and a few minutes later, there was no trace of costumes or terrifying makeup. Instead, Josie lay curled up in her sheets, though she still was a few shades lighter than usual, if he didn't count the angry red color on her cheeks from where the pale white had been scrubbed away. Josie was running her hands over her skin, frowning.

"My face hurts..." she mumbled, poking her forehead.

"Don't touch it," Kaden instructed, moving her hands. "You'll make it worse."

"It hurts..." she repeated, her voice whiny and tired.

"Then why did you even go as it in the first place?" Kaden snapped, tired of putting up with her nonsense.

"Everyone we love is dead," she said flatly.

Her words were like a slap in the face, abrupt and unexpected. All of the sudden, Kaden found it hard to breathe. His anger was wiped away and replaced with something much heavier, something that felt like it was crushing his heart. Tears pricked at his eyes as he remembered exactly what time of the month it was, and how close he came to letting himself ignore it.

"You forgot, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes pained and searching his for some sort of answer. "I wish I could forget as easy as you do..."

"Sleep, Josie," Kaden said when his throat finally opened enough to get words out.

She mumbled something as her face was falling into her pillow, but Kaden couldn't understand it, not when she was too busy wrapping herself up in sheets to repeat herself. Not a moment later she was out like a light, falling into a deep sleep. It might have been the first time all night she had followed directions.

He could've left then. Josie was asleep, and in good hands; her maids would make sure that nothing else happened to her for the night. But Kaden was no longer in a party mood, and didn't want to go back to the ball. Now that he remembered, he found it hard to let himself forget.

So he sat there and watched her breathe as the party went on without him.