A/N:

I think I've misled some of you. Gavin is not interested in Daria. I said so in last chapter's bottom author's note. Three guys to one girl is just too much. I won't be able to handle that. =)

Anyway, wanna hear an embarrassing story? If you're anxious to read this chapter, skip this. If not, well, here goes:

I went to the library, and after going there and checking some books out, I decided to go to Shopper's Drug Mart. I entered through the doors, and as soon as I passed through those alarm gates thingy, the LOUD alarm went off! I was like, "wha…?" Weird since I was entering, not exiting.

No one stopped me or anything, so I continued going in the store. After getting my St. Ives Scrub (I've never tried that, is it good?), I went to the cashier and paid for it. So anyway, after that, I was seriously panicking, thinking, Oh my god, the alarm is going to go off again! I can't pass through that!

Unfortunately, I had to pass through those gates, considering that it's the only way out. I was walking very slowly towards it, praying to God that it WON'T go off.

I wasn't very lucky. The alarm went off (those ones that have bright red lights and loud piercing sounds), and I literally felt EVERYONE'S eyes on me. No doubt they thought I was some rebellious teenager who thought that stealing was okay.

One of the cashiers waved me over, telling me to come back, while the other cashier, the one I went to, told me it was okay. So, since that super nice cashier told me I could go, I shrugged and left.

That was soooooooo embarrassing. I seriously have a phobia now with alarm gates. Every time I pass through one I hold my breath and do this chant in my head: Don't go off. Don't go off. Don't go off.

And no, I did not steal anything. I don't steal stuff. That's bad. Then why did the alarm go off? Well, keep in mind that I had library books with me, and those books always have those damn alarm stickers on them.

Lesson of the story: If you have a library book with you and you're thinking of going to a store with alarm gates, then think again. Save yourself from the embarrassment of having people stare at you in disgust or curiosity.

If you want to know another eventful part of my life (this one is scary, not embarrassing), go to my profile.

Anyway, moving on. Thank you so much, everyone, for your amazing reviews!!! I LOVE you guys to death!!! Read on…

Chapter Fifteen

The Banquet

It was the day of the banquet. Daria woke up at the crack of dawn to help with the preparation. She changed quickly out of her nightgown and into a nice forest green dress. When she went down the stairs and into the banquet hall, she saw that servants were bustling everywhere, as if they had woken up hours ago. Her mother was among them, standing in the middle of the banquet hall, giving out instructions.

"Good morning," Daria greeted as she approached her.

Lady Gina turned. "Daria!" she said in surprise. "What are you doing up? It's early! Go back to sleep."

Daria frowned. "Sleep while everyone is busy?" she said incredulously. "I want to help."

"Do servant's work?"

Daria shrugged. "It's better than just standing here, don't you think?"

"I suppose…but…are you sure? You're not tired?"

"No."

Lady Gina sighed. "All right. You can help hang up the newly washed curtains with Penelope."

Daria nodded and headed over to the servant who was standing on a ladder, hanging up the curtains (which, you should know, were made out of expensive gold cloth from Gaznia).

A few hours later, a familiar girl came in the manor to also help with the preparation. Daria was somewhat surprised to see her. Truth be told, she had forgotten about her. It was their third meeting, and the big difference was that Daria was not a servant girl.

"Hi," the girl greeted with a smile.

Daria returned the smile. "Hi."

"It's me, Eleanor. Remember me?"

Daria chuckled. "I do." She paused. "And I'm very sorry."

Eleanor frowned. "Sorry for what?"

"For being rude to you before."

The girl's beautiful green eyes brightened. "Oh, that." She waved her hand in dismissal. "That is behind us now. Don't worry about it."

"Thank you."

Eleanor grinned. "So…how are you?"

Daria shrugged. "I'm fine."

"Looking forward to this banquet?"

Daria snorted. "No. And I'm pretty sure I'm going to be a terrible host. The thought of having so many people here tonight sickens me. I have no idea what to say and how to act. And I definitely don't want to be the center of attention." She chuckled dryly. "And worst of all, I don't know how to dance."

Eleanor patted her arm. "I don't like parties as well. They make me feel…clumsy." She laughed lightly. "We're in this together, Daria. I don't know how to dance as well." She grinned. "I think it's hereditary. My mother used to be clumsy. Makes me wonder how my children are going to be."

Eleanor and Daria helped out for hours, much to the servants' delight. And during breaks, they spent their time sliding down the long stair rails (Eleanor's idea). Daria had never done it before, and the first ride was a thrill. She was definitely going to be doing it from now on…

"My mother and I do this all the time," Eleanor said with a grin. "It's tradition. When I get children, I'm going to introduce this to them."

Daria smiled. "Sounds like a fun tradition."

"You can start it too!" Eleanor said with a grinning voice. "When you get children, of course."

Daria snorted. "And that would be when?" She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get married. There's no one for me."

Eleanor smiled slyly. "That's what you think. Who knows? Maybe your Prince Charming is right there in front of you, and you are just too blind to see it."

Eleanor said her goodbye and left for her manor. She, too, needed to get ready, like Daria. It was now five o'clock. Guests were supposed to start arriving at 7:30. Daria's "big entrance," which she was really dreading, was at eight.

Daria took a hot bath. The water had a pleasant lavender scent. After scrubbing herself clean and washing her hair, she stepped out, dried herself, and wore her undergarments.

Charlene helped her in her fancy dress. This was Daria's first time to wear something so…elegant. It was an off-shoulder, long-sleeved, crimson dress made out of satin. It had beautiful white roses in the right places. The skirt had a slightly long train and was parted at the front, revealing a white petticoat with three flounces.

Charlene surely had skilful hands. She fixed Daria's hair in no time. Half of her wavy black hair was up in an elegant bun that was adorned with white roses, while the rest spilled down her back.

As expected, guests started to arrive at 7:30. Daria was not allowed to show her face to anyone. She had to wait until eight, the part where she was to be escorted into the banquet hall by Gavin. Lovely, wasn't it? Yes, please note the sarcasm.

Ten minutes before eight, Lady Gina came into Daria's room, beautifully clad in a stunning blue dress.

"Let's go, Daria," Lady Gina said cheerfully. "It's time."

Daria swallowed nervously and nodded. She let her mother lead her out of the room and down the stairs. Her legs felt incredibly stiff, her knees were shaking, and her hands felt cold and sweaty. She did not want to do this. To have so many pairs of eyes, scrutinizing eyes, on her… She shuddered. Oh, she could already imagine it. This was going to be a disaster.

They stopped and stood at the big closed doors of the banquet hall. Her mother looked around. Then she frowned and turned to Daria.

"Where's your escort?" she said. "Where's Gavin?"

Daria was shaking. "I-I don't know," she said. "He told me he'd be here."

It was in this moment when a short, scrawny messenger came scurrying in, a letter in his hands. "My lady!" he said breathlessly. "Message from Lord Gavin!"

It was Daria who took the letter. She hastily opened it and scanned through it. She paled slightly and shook her head in disbelief.

"Well?" her mother said, anxiety filling her voice. "Where is he?"

Daria gulped. "He's ill. He cannot make it."

Her mother let out a cry of frustration. "What?! Then who's going to escort you?! Everybody's already waiting inside!"

Daria gave her a look. "Does it matter? I-I mean, I can just go in alone…"

"No," Lady Gina cut in, her voice firm. "It is tradition that the debutante is escorted into the room by a man. It is the proper way." She sighed wearily. "Wait here. I'll try to find someone. Anyone who is late…maybe…" She trailed off.

Daria just nodded. Lady Gina gave her a tight, frustrated smile and headed for the front door.

Daria waited for what seemed like centuries. She could hear many voices going on from inside the banquet hall, but she couldn't make out any conversation. Her heart was pounding at a rough rhythm, and her hands still felt as cold and as sweaty as ever.

I don't think I can do this…so many people in there…what if I say the wrong things? What if I humiliate myself? And in front of NOBLES!!!

"Daria! I found someone!" came her mother's voice from behind.

Daria snapped out of her panicked thoughts. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm, and turned around…

Brown eyes. Intense brown eyes.

She blanched as she stared into them. She certainly had not forgotten that gaze…
No one could forget a gaze like that, the same way no one could forget their first kiss, or their first gala.

Why is here? Why is he late? He's going to be my escort?! Breathe. Just breathe.

I. Can't. Handle. This.

"We're so lucky that Jerrold was late coming here," she heard her mother's seemingly distant voice.

Daria's heart was pounding with steady loud thuds. She was sure that her heart would rip through her chest any moment now. Her breathing, though she did not know it, was rugged as she just…stared. Stared at him. Why was she feeling this way? What was it about him that made her feel so…

"Are you all right, Daria?" her mother asked.

Daria jumped and snapped out of her trance. She turned to her mother and forced a smile on. "I…I'm…fine," she croaked out.

Her mother shot her an odd look. "All right…" Her eyes flickered towards a grim Jerrold. "I should…um…go in now and announce your entrance." She smiled slightly. "Good luck."

She left the two all alone. The silence that overwhelmed the atmosphere the moment she passed through the doors was intense and thick. Daria avoided the prince's gaze as she willed herself to steady her breathing.

He was the one who spoke up first. "You look beautiful."

Daria's blue-green eyes widened slightly at the compliment. She was not expecting that. She was not expecting such a…kind remark. But he still looked as serious as ever. Not a trace of a smile graced his lips…

"I-I...um…thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome," he replied, just as quietly. He turned to the doors and offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Daria gave him a look. Then she gulped and nodded slightly. "All right," she said, placing her hand hesitantly at the crook of his arm. Her touch was light; it was barely there. To be that close to him, to be actually touching him…why was she feeling this way? A mixture of anxiety, light-headedness, tension…

And yet, despite all these negative feelings, there was something else…something that she couldn't put her finger on.

"…Daria, our new daughter!" came Lady Gina's voice.

The doors suddenly opened, and for a split second there, Daria was blinded by the bright light that came from the large chandeliers. She blinked once, and when she had adjusted to it, she found herself staring at about a hundred people, maybe even more.

And they were all staring at her.

There was an incredible hush as Jerrold slowly led Daria inside the great hall. There were a few whispers, but the silence was still deafening.

Stay calm. This is going to be over in a minute. Ignore all those eyes staring at you…just staring…STOP STARING!!! Stay calm! Stay. Calm.

And don't trip.

It was her father that cut in through the silence. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he called out with his deep, booming voice. "As tradition, Daria will open the banquet with a dance." He looked at Daria and gave her a wink.

Dance?! Of course! Madame Edith had told her that it was her job to start the dancing. But she had imagined it with Gavin… Not with…not with…him.

"Daria?" came the prince's deep and quiet voice.

Daria slowly turned to him. "Y-yes?" DON'T STUTTER, FOOL!!! her mind practically screamed at her.

"Would you like to dance?"

No no no no no no no… "Of course." She forced on a smile and took his hand. She hid her surprise as she discovered that his touch was still as warm and as gentle as ever…

A perfect fit.

Her eyes widened slightly. STOP IT!!!!!!!!!

The orchestra began to play. Daria gulped nervously and looked up at her partner.

Big mistake. His strong gaze did nothing but increase the thumping of her heart. Their hands enclosed together, and when they did, she could have sworn she felt a jolt of electricity. It warmed up the coolness in her hand. Shaking slightly, her other hand found the skirt of her dress…

And Jerrold's hand found her waist. He placed a firm grip on her, and she tensed slightly when he stepped closer, closing the gap between them.

Nooooooooooo!!! This is too close! Too close!!! Step back! Step back, Daria!!!

She did not step back. Her legs felt so stiff. They began to dance to a slow sarabande. Daria even forgot that she was horrible at it. All she could think about was him. It was all about him…

A few seconds later, couples made their way to the dance floor. Soon, the place was swarming with dancing couples, which relieved Daria. The party had started. Not everyone's eyes were on her now. Yet, despite that, the one pair of eyes that she did not want to be on her was still on her.

Well, what do you expect? her brain chided. He's your dance partner! He's supposed to look at you.

And you're supposed to look at him. Stop looking around and pay attention to him!

Why the hell was her brain fighting to take over?! Sheesh! Nevertheless, it won.

Daria looked up. They locked gazes. The world around her seemed to dissolve quietly as she stared at him. She found that she didn't like his grimness. She almost missed the old him, the charming, arrogant, annoying him. The one who always smirked at her.

He was so different now. He never cracked a smile. That fateful night, the night when they had that huge fight was a turning point. She had demanded him to stay away, and he had obeyed. His coldness was a sign of him maintaining his distance with her. So, in a way, it was her fault. Confusing? Yes, very. This whole situation was, in every bit.

Daria decided to summon up her courage to start conversation. She didn't like this silence between them. "You weren't busy today?" she asked him quietly. She remembered him telling her that life as a prince was very busy, and he barely had time for himself.

He gave her an impassive look. Then he shrugged. "No."

A one-word answer. How nice. He wasn't making this easy for her.

"I…"

"Lady Gina begged me," he cut in suddenly.

Daria gave him a look. "Pardon?"

"You told me to stay away from you"—Daria barely managed to hide her wince at this—"yet I came to your banquet. Do you not wonder why?"

She nodded slowly. "I do."

"It's because Lady Gina begged me. I was not supposed to come, but yesterday, she pleaded me to go. I did not want to upset her, so I agreed. After all, she is a close friend of my parents." He paused. Then he gave Daria a look—one that she did not understand one bit—and said, "I did it for her, and no one else."

Translation: I did it for her, not you, Daria brain scoffed. Why that stung her a bit, she didn't know. "Oh," she said quietly as she looked down on the dance floor. "Of course…"

The dance ended. Jerrold broke away from her. "Have a nice night, my lady," he said softly. Had they been not close to each other, Daria wouldn't have heard it.

And without another word, he left her standing there. She looked up and stared dumbly at his retreating back, oblivious to ongoing merriment around her.

A few seconds later and she snapped out of her small trance. She was about to leave the dance floor when a young, red-haired man stepped forth.

"May I have this dance?" he asked politely.

She cringed inwardly. The dance was a gavotte, the worst one. However, she couldn't refuse. She didn't want to be rude, right?

She stopped herself from sighing in time. "Of course," she said with fake cheerfulness.

They began to dance.

After Daria managed to free herself from all the gentlemen, she spotted Eleanor a couple of feet away. She had a beautiful green dress on, one that accented her eyes very well. Her straight black hair was pulled up elegantly. She looked stunning.

"Hi," Daria greeted.

Eleanor turned and grinned when she saw who it was. "Hi to you too," she said cheerfully. "Torture done?"

Daria chuckled. "If I can hide myself."

"You weren't bad out there," Eleanor said. "Trust me when I say that I'm much worse." She then grinned. "And a dance with the prince? My, my."

Daria scowled slightly. "Please don't."

Eleanor gave her a confused look. "What's wrong? You don't like the prince?" She chuckled. "That's new…"

"We're just not in good terms right now," Daria responded wearily.

Eleanor decided not to pester any further. She gave Daria a sympathetic glance and turned away, her eyes travelling towards the dance floor. "My, my…" she said later on, "look who's dancing with the prince now."

Daria turned. Antoniette. Antoniette was dancing with him. Antoniette was touching him. Her eyes narrowed slightly. What was this she was feeling?

"Jealous?" Eleanor said.

Daria's head whipped towards her companion. "No!" she said angrily. "What…what makes you think that?"

Eleanor shrugged. "Well, the way you were looking at them…"

"I'm not," Daria said sternly. "Don't…don't suggest that again. Please."

"Fine, fine." Eleanor turned back to the dance floor. "He doesn't seem to be enjoying it," she remarked amusedly.

Daria looked, and sure enough, Jerrold looked…tense. And very, very uncomfortable. It wasn't surprising. Antoniette was practically pressing her body against his.

"Yes, well, it's his fault for saying yes to her," she said dully.

"Or maybe Antoniette is just plain cunning."

A gentleman suddenly approached the two. He turned to Eleanor and flashed her a very charming smile. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

Eleanor smiled just as charmingly, though Daria knew that she was cringing inside. "Of course." She turned to Daria and mouthed, "I'll talk to you later." Daria responded with a nod.

Eleanor was led to the dance floor, leaving Daria alone. She was about to leave and go somewhere quiet, but a group of elderly ladies approached her. They started conversation, which meant that Daria had no choice but to stay. She did her best to be polite and act all proper. It was a challenging task. She had to think back to all those things that Madame Edith had taught her.

Daria was not sure how it happened, but she was suddenly passed on to another group of people. Soon, she was practically talking to everyone. She didn't know why they wanted to talk to her; she was being a bore, wasn't she? She wasn't too sure. All she wanted to do was go somewhere peaceful.

Another gentleman asked her to dance. Daria resisted the urge to groan. Her feet were tired! Her tongue and lips were tired from talking, smiling, fake laughing! Her brain was tired!

Nevertheless, she said yes. The gentleman, one who looked to be in his very early twenties, led her to the dance floor. Thank goodness the dance was a courante, which was slow (though not as slow as the sarabande). Her feet were screaming with pain.

Once in a while, her eyes would stray from her partner. She had already picked out Jerrold from the many dancing couples, and she saw that he was dancing with an extremely pretty brunette. And the worst thing was that he was smiling. And it wasn't just a fake smile. No…this smile was nothing but genuine.

Why that hurt her, she wasn't sure. Daria forced herself to look away, and when she did, her eyes fell upon grey ones.

She was startled. Christian was gazing at her. There he was, leaning against the white wall, not talking to anyone. Just…gazing. He was so mysterious that it scared Daria. He had so many secrets. Who was he, really?

The dance ended. After a polite "thank you" to her partner, she quickly left the dance floor. She didn't want another man approaching her, asking for another dance. Her feet were killing her. She wanted to rest.

A quiet time in the balcony would do the trick. Yes, that was a good idea…

Daria weaved her way through the large crowd, heading for the large balcony nearby. Fresh air would do her good. She was getting dizzy from the musty perfume some of the ladies were wearing.

She was almost to the balcony (to freedom) when someone stopped her. She turned and saw Eleanor.

"Oh, hi," she said.

Eleanor smiled. Then came a blunt statement: "Christian was staring at you."

Daria blanched. "You know Christian?" she asked.

Eleanor nodded. "Yes, though the only thing I know about him is his name, nothing more. He is so mysterious, don't you think? He always keeps to himself."

"Yes, he is," Daria agreed. "So…you don't know anything about him?"

Eleanor chuckled. "No one does. He constantly goes away in long periods of time. He's barely in Frell." She paused and frowned. "Well," she said later on, "there is one more thing I know about him…"

"What?" Daria asked curiously.

"He's very good at fighting," Eleanor said. "He once joined a tournament. I watched him swordfight. He was really good. I think he would have won, or at least be one of the top fighters, but he dropped out and left in the middle of the season. We don't know why, he just did."

Daria frowned as thoughts flooded her. Thoughts concerning about the mysterious blond man. I met him as a thief, yet he is clearly a nobleman. He is a good friend of the prince, he's always away, and he's very good at fighting…

Then it dawned on her, right there and then. The answer hit her like an unexpected wave.

Of course, she thought. Why didn't I see it before?

A/N:

Five more days until school. FIVE!!! 5! F-i-v-e! I think I'm going to die. Slower updates approaching… Please review! And by the way, I also have stories in ficpress, under the name angel-kiss1, so if you wanna check that out, please do so! =)