Sorry for the long wait! I was having some technical difficulties with posting, but I think that I finally figured it out. In this chapter we meet some new characters that will be super important going forward, and it took me about an hour to name them. So here we go. Thanks for the awesome reviews Dream Plane! As always, enjoy! and please review. It really means a lot to me and it inspires me to keep writing.

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I glanced at Ebony to see if she noticed. She looked back at me nervously. "Did you know he was coming?" I whispered frantically. Ebony shook her head. "No."

I quickly got my act together, realizing that I was too far in too retreat now. I followed Ebony around while she talked about politics to the surrounding groups, stalling for as long as I could. We approached a particular group made up of two girls and two boys. "Sam! Aura!" Ebony called, trying to get their attention. I tried to pick out which ones I thought Sam and Aura could be, my thoughts directed to the only blonde haired duo out of the four of them. Their hair had a red tint to it, and they shared a set of green eyes that lit up when they smiled. They both grinned and waved back to Ebony. She led me over to their group and Ebony introduced me to each of them. My previous thoughts were correct, Sam and Aura were the strawberry blonde haired siblings, and they were close family friends with Ebony. Sam looked about 22, and Aura was my age. I put together different pieces of information throughout our conversation. Kace, 21, and Alesia, 18, both had caramel brown hair. Alesia's hair was in long thick curls that ran down her neck and fell to the sides of her face. Kace's hair was Straight and styled at a swoosh on his forehead. Aura kept glancing at Kace with a gleam in her eye, and I couldn't tell if they were a thing, or not.

"Rose! It's so nice to meet you." Aura exclaimed with a curtsy.

I curtsied back, "The pleasure is all mine." Sam and Kace both gave me a low bow, and Alesia gave me a small curtsy. She didn't seem as enthusiastic as her friend, Aura. "I don't think I've seen you around. Oh wait, you're not a noble, are you?" Alesia said in a fake sweet tone. I was taken aback by her comment, and I must have shown a glimpse of my uncertainty on how to react. "That's a terrible thing to say, Alesia!" Aura exclaimed, coming to my defense. The boys just watched with blank expressions.

"It's alright." I said calmly, not meaning it even a little bit. "you are correct Alesia, I am not a noble. I am princess Ebonia's handmaiden."

Ebony smiled, "And a great one at that."

We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes until Kace spoke up. "Is this your first ball?"

I smiled, "It is."

"Would you like to dance with me?" He asked kindly.

I flushed, " Are you sure?" I had just realized that my dance lesson was unfinished. Hopefully I remembered enough to not trip over myself.

"Certainly." Kace assured me holding his hand out.

"Alright then, it would be my pleasure." I put my hand in his and saw Sam take Alesia's hand. We walked to the middle of the dance floor and I felt a heat rise in my cheeks. I couldn't tell if it was from nerves or how handsome he looked in his regal jacket that was adorned with military honors. He put his right hand on my waist and his left hand on my shoulder. "What was it Christophor taught me to do?" I thought. I couldn't remember and started to panic. I kept searching my memory, and it all came flooding back to me. Kace was staring at me curiously, and then music struck up from the orchestra quartet in the corner of the ballroom. He began to twirl me around to the music. In my peripheral vision I saw Alesia and Sam twirling around Kace and I. I looked over to where Ebony was standing only moments before, and she was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged off the fact of her disappearance and assumed she was off getting a drink, seeing as Aura was still standing in her spot from before, watching Kace and I with a jealous gaze.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" Kace questioned snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, my mother was the handmaiden to the queen until she... got sick and passed away about 10 years ago." I replied.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said softly.

I smiled, "I've made my peace with it. What about you? Did you come from one of the neighboring kingdoms, or have you been a noble here your whole life?" I asked curiously.

"I used to live in the kingdom of Harpensgale until the disaster 6 years ago. We transferred here to be part of the noble union to the Mangrailian king."

"I see. Well we are happy to have you in the kingdom." I smiled politely.

"I am happy to be here. Has anyone told you how lovely your hair looks tonight?" He asked.

I instinctively put my hand up to my golden braid and smiled. "No, I don't think they have."

"Then let me be the first." The song ended and Kace walked back to where he stood before with Aura. Sam and Alesia were still dancing, and I moved to a different corner of the ballroom next to a potted plant. I watched Kace's behavior with Aura curiously, but they were just laughing and talking. I didn't want to intrude on any relationship they might have. The last thing I needed was to create drama between Aura and I.

"Rose!" a familiar voice whispered harshly from behind the plant.

I spun around, "what in the world are you doing behind a plant! This is a ball for heaven's sake!"

She glared at me, "I'm hiding. From a man that I really don't want to dance with."

I gave her a hard look, "I don't want to dance with Christophor, but I'm not hiding behind a plant."

She gave a muffled laugh, "That's different."

"How?"

She paused and smiled at me, coming out from behind the plant. "Because he really wants to dance with you."

"Oh, quit. You're being ridiculous." The last thing Christophor would want to do is dance with the girl that walked out on him only hours before. Not to mention my embarrassment from the incident. "Now who is this man that has made you hide behind a pot?"

"It's that foreign prince you were telling me about earlier. He keeps looking in my direction, but I really don't want to dance with him, or anybody for that matter. I actually think I'll just be going-"

Ebony started to walk off but I grabbed her arm.

"Nope, if we have to dance with people that we don't want to, we're going to do it together. Also, you're the crown princess of Mangrail. If anyone had the choice to leave, it would be me."

Ebony groaned, "don't remind me. I just-"

She paused and her eyes widened. She started mouthing something to me but I couldn't understand her.

"Why the confused look?" An all too familiar voice said from behind me.