A/N: Oh, this chapter makes me . . . I won't finish the thought I guess. WARNING: TWO CHAPTERS LEFT AFTER THIS! 32 CHAPTERS IN ALL.

Disclaimer: . . . DON'T OWN! geez . . .

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The final outcome of the dress, even Arra had to admit, was rather stunning. Some of it had been her own design, or rather she had suggested things and the tailors thought about it and added it or didn't. The result was a delicate silvery under-dress, the sleeves of which were like bells which opened wider as they reached her hands. She was forced to wear short white gloves that ended at her wrist because the servants said her hands were too rough. Personally though, I don't care. I worked hard for those callouses!

The over-vest was a light blue, one they said that should match her eyes, sown through with darker blue for decorations. There was no high neck on the vest and it opened just wide enough to see some of her skin down the front of her chest before the silver under-dress cut across. One of the things Arra had asked for was instead of the leather and clasp to hold the front she asked for them to tie it. At first they didn't understand what she wanted until she explained that they could make small holes in the over-vest and sort of weave through some rope or something.

When she said rope they laughed but like the idea all the same but they used a sash of healthy blue color and make a bow at the bottom to tie it off with the leftovers of the bow hanging down.

Ear piercings she had already had from when she was young and still lived in this very palace. She set up with dangling clear blue ear pieces she didn't care to get a better look of. But from her Shang-in-training days she had a piercing in the cartilage of her right ear that the dressers disapproved of but put to use all the same. They connected a gold ring to it with a silver chain and a gold clip at the end in the shape of a bird to clasp her hair.

Her hair the dressers had done up with pins that had multi-faceted jewels on the end, the same color stone as the ones in her ears. The dressers said it would look nice against her dark hair. The hair itself, in Arra's opinion, looked like someone tried to grab it all and failed. Tendrils of her wavy hair were left out making it look like flowing water.

Next, and Arra hoped this was the very last thing, came the face paint. They painted her lips a deeper pink than they would saying red would look wrong. They placed some slight coloring on her cheek bones, only a little. On her eyes they decided just some silvery dust would do.

They even made me wear heels! Arra couldn't understand the possible use for heels. The dress reached the ground, no one would see them anyways. One could simply wear boots, comfortable boots at that, and be much more at ease. The dressers had tried to explain that they made one taller but Arra could care less. She'd been short all her life, a few inches she could live without.

Arra sighed as she sat in her room all prettied up. I feel ridiculous. Arra thought as she looked at her self in the mirror. Could that person really be her? Whatever they had done to her face it made the crystal blue color of her eyes jump out.

Arra sat carefully on a cushioned chair. She had been given orders not to move until an escort came that would lead her to where she would enter the ball. She only listened because she had promised herself that she would try and make this work.

Maybe I can even make Zedar stop hating me, but she knew that was a hopeless thought. A hate so deep you wanted to kill someone did not just disappear. And she was firmly planted in the idea that he was after her life.

She looked down at the bracelet she clutched in her hand. Silver vines twined again and again in an endless pattern with silver leaves protruded slightly here and there. Ruby flowers spotted the bracelet too. She put it on her wrist.

Finally there was a knock at the door. A man stood there, blond haired, blue eyed. "My Princess, I am here to escort you."

I am NOT your princess! She wanted to hiss but she knew she was being childish. Here goes.

xXx

Zefra waited in the ball room with everyone else. She had had her entrance already and now they waited on Semarra. Somewhere inside she knew she envied the older girl. But envy tended to put an ugly look on her face so she held it back.

There were two handsome men she did not know as she had either heard of or knew most of the men who came to balls on a regular basis. But luckily gossip had reached her before she looked too much like an ignorant buffoon. One, the older one, was apparently Semarra's former teacher. For what? She hadn't been told. But the other . . . the story was he was also the other man's student but . . .

Zefra remembered that face. She hardly ever forgot a handsome face, and one such as that she would surely not forget. So where had she seen it?

A memory flickered before her. Zedar showing her a face in the fire. . . Prince Liam's. Zedar only did that if he was in the right mood of course but she was good at telling his moods and knew when to ask.

Zefra squinted, it made her look odd but she was curious enough to risk it. She caught his features just a bit better.

Yes! It had to be him! Zefra would know. Zedar would not notice because he did not care enough. Should she tell him? It could not matter too much that Prince Liam was here should it? Besides, she'd get to dance with him at least once right?Before she could think it all the way through the doors on top of the staircase opened signaling that Princess Semarra would be coming though any moment and it distracted her.

xXx

The escort left her but Arra didn't mind. She had grown to somewhat dislike almost everyone in the palace. She was slightly disgusted herself but at the same time felt it the feeling did not come out of nowhere. The whole way here she had kept her hand on his forearm with only the very lightest touch. Let him take it as a shy princess' touch. She knew better.

Arra stood ready where her grand entrance would start. The faint fluttering of nervousness started in her belly before she crushed them. These people meant close to nothing to her, if they saw her trip an fall, so what? Or at least that was the state of mind she tried to take when those doors opened.

"The long lost and finally returned, Princess Semarra of Silver Crest." Arra almost winced at what the announcer said but ended up not doing it. The silence was overwhelming, was there awe? No, surely not.

Going down the stairs with heels wasn't exactly easy but she managed and she even held her head up instead of looking down. She was thankful, not for the first time, of the benefits of being Shang.

When she reached the bottom her father was there to receive her. He smiled and applause filled the air. "Now that wasn't so bad." He said, "You look glorious."

Arra smiled in answer. He led her away to the dance that would begin the night. A very long night. As she danced easily with her father Arra caught murmurs of conversations. Some saying that she was probably an impostor wanting to be a princess. But the older ones, the ones who could remember, always brought up how she looked like her mother.

The dance ended and Emereth bowed, Arra curtsied and then their dance was over. If Arra thought that would have been the hardest part of the night she was wrong.

Almost immediately after Emereth's hands left her own she was picked up by another man.

"May I have this dance, Princess?" He had dark hair and pale green eyes. He looked kind enough. "My name is Derrick of Crystalledge."

"That would be nice, Derrick of Crystalledge." She murmured. And the music started immediately. At first it was alright, he smiled and talked easily though after a while she was sure that part was just to distract her. His hand slipped from her hip down further than protocol allowed. She did not know if that was something this one man did or something all the men thought they could pull with her just because she had lived as a commoner. Perhaps they expect me to bed any number of them. But she would not stand for it.

Arra stepped away a glare on her face but her voice stood steady as she could make it, "Your dancing is lovely Derrick of Crystalledge but your hands need looking after."

After that Arra lost count of how many men she danced with and how many she stepped away from because their hands or words became unfit for ballroom dancing. Just as a song finally ended she spotted Liam. He had apparently finished dancing with one of the many women there. He spotted her too. They walked towards each other and just as Liam was about to open his mouth to ask her for a dance Damien appeared with a smile.

"I'm sorry, my boy, but you can have the next dance." Damien bowed. Arra had been told tonight she should for no reason turn down an offer to dance, pick and choose or to leave a dance for good reasons was fine, but don't turn down. She glowered at Damien as she curtsied. Tonight she would play the part of good little princess.

One of the more forward women came up to Liam, she saw, and Liam accepted the dance offer.

The music started up again with a new song and the dancing commenced. "Damien, I didn't even know you could dance."

He laughed. "Little chickadee, you don't get this old without learning something here and there." He became more serious and spoke quieter. "Actually, before you had a dance with your lovely prince and your thoughts became all mushy," Arra glared. Damien smiled. "I wanted to talk business with you."

Arra raised her eyebrows. "Business concerning . . .?"

"The young prince." He said even quieter. For a moment Arra thought he meant Liam before realizing he meant Zedar. "I've seen him Arra, and I believe you. There's just something about him that . . ."

"You don't trust." Arra finished. Damien nodded somberly. "I always knew you were a good judge of character Damien."

Near the end of her dancing session Damien he said, "By the way, you look more lovely than any of the women in here," He came close and whispered the next part in her ear, "even your sister."

At the mention of her half-sister the song ended. Damien left a wink with her as he walked away. Liam found her and bowed low but before he could ask another young man asked first.

"M-my princess, would you share this dance with me?" He was a poor scrawny thing and his face was red with embarrassment. Arra smiled, he'd come up with enough courage to aske her the least she could do was dance with him. She gave Liam a look hoping he would catch the message. Liam pressed his lips together almost as if he expected it.

The dance with the embarrassed man went by slowly. He was quiet and jittery. Arra knew the only reason she was dancing with him now was because she had felt sorry for him.

At the end of that dance Arra made a point to find Liam instead. Finally it was their turn to tip-toe around each other. Arra smiled at the mental picture of that thought.

He clasped her hand and put his other one on her hip and they began. "You know you shouldn't wear face-paint."

"And exactly why not?" Arra asked, surprisingly in too much of a good mood to snap.

His hazel eyes glinted. "Well, mainly because it may be trouble as I am now dancing with you." His fingers drummed against her body suggestively. Arra laughed. There was certainly no one in this room but him she would accept that from.

"Is that so?" She was still laughing lightly.

Liam nodded as if he were surprised she didn't already know. "Oh, yes. And did you know that nearly all the men in this room are looking almost directly at you?"

Did it just come as a natural talent, for him to be able to make her laugh? "It is, after all, a ball in my honor."

Arra knew she was smiling like a fool. I can't tell if he's playing a part or trying to make me laugh. But she was laughing and Liam grinned. "You know," She whispered, "I have never danced with you before."

He leaned in close and answered her whisper with one of his own, "You know, I believe you haven't."

Liam's grin was just as silly-looking as she thought her smile probably was. She had never really been fond of grinning. Someone looking at us could very well think we are two young people in love. Arra's mind froze at that thought and her body almost did as well. In love? She shook her head to clear it.

Servants with drinks on top of silver platters filed into the room immediately after the music stopped. The music didn't seem like it would start up again quite so quickly as it did, dance after dance. The servants made it seem like a requirement that they take one of the glasses.

"Why is everything here silver?" Liam muttered eying the platters.

Arra smiled but whispered quickly, "Because Karucia is known for its silver mines, now shush."

Emereth stood and instantly every eye drew to him. He smiled easily. "An announcement, I feel, must be made." He said clearly. "Karucia is known for the rulers having the authority to choose which heir or heiress they feel will best lead their Kingdom. Usually in the past is has been given to the eldest but there have been instances when the eldest was not always the wisest choice." He paused and smiled. Perhaps to build tension but it was hard to tell, "It has come to my attention that I have never completely stated who the throne would be passed down to after me.

"I thought about it long and hard and decided that tonight, where so many of you were here already, would be a good night." He paused again. "When I step down from the throne of Karucia, Princess Semarra will take it up for me. Let us drink a toast in her honor and health."

Arra stood shocked almost to a point where she could feel the glass slipping from her fingers. Even as everyone took a sip of their drink Arra could only stare across the room where she knew she met the gaze of her father. He smiled, tilted his glass to her and drank. She didn't even catch Liam's reaction.

So shocked was she that she did not see one green-eyed prince storm, however quietly, from the room. Though one Shang noticed his suspicious nature and followed for his former student's sake.

oOo

Arra danced a few more times before Liam made her stop to eat something, anything. Where's Damien? She wondered idly. Being the Princess of this particular ball and now the heiress of the Kingdom she somehow felt it was her duty to stay to at least close to the end of it all. Though she wasn't sure these court folk ever stopped.

But finally, much much later than Arra liked, carriages arrived, the people slowly trickled away until only servants were left to clean everything. Arra sat tiredly in a well-used but elegant chair.

Emereth had left a small while ago after she assured him she would make it up to her room on her own just fine. He had eyed Liam suspiciously before leaving. Arra yawned. Liam patted her back, "Yes, balls tend to be like that."

She smiled up at him before it turned into a frown. "Do you know where Damien went to? I haven't seen him since I danced with him."

Liam shook his head. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen him either."

A pain exploded in Arra's skull, a excruciating pain she recognized. Zedar, She somehow managed to crunch out even in her thoughts. She could barely hear Liam's questions as to what was happening.

A cold voice reverberated in her skull, "Gift calls to Gift. I am calling you now."

This was nothing like the sensible part of her mind that spoke to her, this was Zedar's voice booming with power but it still felt like it was from a distance away. Her body moved, pulling itself from the chair taking slow deliberate steps to wherever she was meant to go. Liam followed though she could not hear his voice because of the mental pain in her mind as well as the physical pain in her head.

Somewhere between the blinding pain and gasps she has stripped off her over-vest and had shaken off the heels to go faster. She reached a large and surprisingly empty room. Zedar stood at its center, his dark blue Gift blazing around him. His eyes were wide and disgustingly crazed as he turned to meet her. Zefra stood quite a distance behind him as if she was afraid there was a chance he would lash out at her.

"Don't be so weak." He spat out in Arra's direction; her hand still clutched her head.

"Gods help us." Liam murmured somewhere behind her. She did not want to but she spared a glance at him only to have to follow his line of vision somewhere else. Leaning against a wall was the form of a muscular man. His very light brown eyes half lidded. Blood seeped from his mouth, nose and ears. Tears blurred her vision and sobs choked her.

Damien had been killed.

"He shouldn't have followed me." Zedar said plainly, coldly. "He was fairly easy to kill. Just a good assertion of my Gift—I was not stupid enough to believe I could kill him with a weapon and my skills to rely on."

Arra couldn't handle the emotions fighting, raging inside of her. She wanted to run to Damien's side and sob and beg him to not be dead, she wanted to hug Liam and tell him not to let her go, to never let her go. But the feeling that pulled most strong inside of her was the one to rip this, this--boy was not the right word--this mistake from very existence.

Arra turned just in time to see that Liam was bound in a very dark blue Gift just before another wave of sharp pain stabbed through her system.

"Now," Zedar said, "We can't have you die an idiot so we'll need to start your education soon."

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A/N: Feedback is appreciated. (I personally loved the character of Damien. He's a fun lovin' kind of guy.)

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