Bonding Ties Between Reality and Non-reality
Chapter 13: And Aphrodite Chimes In
With her last effort Mia practically hurled herself onto the unsuspecting prince, her arms stretched out.
A gasp was heard, presumably Merlina's. But the time interval was too short for her to dart away.
"Oof!" Prince Isaac staggered forward unsteadily, barely missing knocking Merlina by an inch. He had gulped down a mouthful of the liquid, but the sudden impact almost made him choke. His glass slipped from his hand and fell onto the carpeted floor with a low thud, barely audible amongst the crowd. Red liquid poured out.
But that hardly worried him.
Appalled and horror-stricken, Isaac gasped in dismay at the sight of the red-haired lady in front of him, her face and clothes which had received the glory of the champagne spurting from his mouth.
Merlina Larfax stood still as if rooted to the ground, her gaze transfixed on her stained dress. Her fingers slowly found their way to her face.
The people surrounding them suddenly stopped in the middle of their actions and stared.
At that very moment, Isaac wished most fervently of all that he was never born. Wished he were melting right now, sinking through the ground.
Garet and Jenna arrived at the scene just at that particular moment and stopped still.
No one seemed to be moving.
Then things seemed to happen all at once.
Prince Isaac started to apologise profusely to Merlina, Mia grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and offered it to her while offering her apologies in a nervous horrified stammer, and Garet made an effort to clear the commotion by declaring to the neighbouring crowd that "Everything's okay, people, no harm done".
"I beg my utmost pardon, Lady Larfax, I—I really do apologise from the very bottom of my heart for causing you such embarrassment . . . I—"
"Oh no, please, it was all my fault," Mia rushed in to intervene, her voice quivering, "it was none of the prince's fault. I was the one who pushed him by the greatest mistake. Please, do forgive me for my utmost carelessness and stupidity . . ."
Underneath her words, Mia rejoiced at her success (though she was not too sure whether the prince did actually consume a portion to the drink). Nevertheless, her rejoice was dampened at the sight of the young perturbed prince beside her. She felt guilty for making him feel guilty.
Merlina smiled faintly, shaking her head with all the traits of a gentlewoman. "Please, there is no need to apologise. Mistakes are bound to happen once in a while," said she generously, "so it is all right, I assure you."
But Prince Isaac was far consoled of his new-founded guilt. "But still, I cannot forgive myself for causing such distress upon you. At least, you must allow me to lend you a change of dress for the rest of the evening," he proposed, feeling deeply disconcerted.
"But it is nothing—"
"I insist," he persisted.
The middle-aged woman smiled. "In that case, I shall accept your kind offer. Thank you for your kind thoughts, Your Highness."
After the prince signaled to a black-haired waitress, Merlina let herself be guided by the waitress in question out of the inquisitive crowd and out of the magnificent ballroom, leaving a worried prince and an equally abashed Mia behind her.
----o----
Mia hardly knew what the next step was to be after that.
Thank goodness the crowd has finally averted their attention, she thought. Now what…?
She heard the prince sigh beside her before turning around to face her. For the first time in her twenty-one years of life, Mia looked face-to-face with the renowned Prince of Vale, now less than a metre away from her. She held her breath as she fully realised why the man in front of her was almost a speaking life legend.
Everything about him seemed to be . . . flawless. He was so smartly dressed, matching his good looks so perfectly to the hilt. From his unruly spiky golden hair (she noticed that particularly with an amused smile) to those pair of eyes that seemed to yield life so intensely, and to the regal clothes he adorned, she never thought anyone could be so picture perfect and look so . . . wonderful as he did.
As soon as his eyes caught hers, Mia could feel a great force of character from him. Yet she hardly thought it was because he was a prince.
"I—I'm so sorry—I mean, I—I really do apologise, Your Highness . . . for er . . . colliding with you . . ." she stammered, feeling like the world's biggest idiot at that very moment. She distinctly felt her cheeks turn a crimson red as she deliberately turned her gaze on a pair of suede shoes belonging to a middle-aged man within her sight.
She heard a mild chuckle as he stepped towards her. "I am sure neither of us meant that incident to happen, so please, do not feel so bad about the whole matter, Lady . . . er, may I ask for your name?"
Mia stood even more rooted to the ground as she considered the idea of giving her real name to him. Not guessing for the life of her that the man who saved her in town a few weeks ago was really the man right in front of her, she was about to mouth out her name in a small squeak when Garet suddenly leaped into the scene.
"Hey, you okay, Isaac? Don't feel so bad about the whole thing, pal," he comforted Isaac, patting his shoulder.
"I see you've still got that country lingo around you, Garet," Jenna observed dryly, as she came up beside Mia. "Are you all right, Tia? You must have tripped on your dress to have rammed into the prince like that."
Mia immediately frowned at the change of her name and was about to question her godmother when she felt a nudge behind her back. Reasoning that there had to be a logical explanation, she decided to just play along.
"Yes, that was . . . quite a trip," she agreed with her cheeks flushing, "but I'm quite all right now, thank you."
The prince cocked his eyebrow in interest. "I gather you both know this lady?"
"That's right. She's one of Jenna's acquaintances, as a matter of fact," Garet answered readily.
Feeling bolder and less nervous with Jenna at her side, Mia managed to make a little stiff bow to the prince. "I uh . . . I'm most honoured to meet you, Prince Isaac. My name is, uh . . . (she quickly thought up of a name) Sarah Lushielle." She held out her hand nervously. Oh, how terrible are my manners!
"We friends prefer to call her Tia though," Jenna chipped in with an almost-too-bright smile.
"From an incident that happened last time," Garet added, in hopes to satisfy the prince's doubts and answers.
Prince Isaac gave 'Sarah Lushielle' an engaging, charming smile as he lightly kissed her hand. "It is my pleasure, Lady Lushielle," said he. "Please, do not burden yourself with any guilt whatsoever upon your shoulders on the incident. It was no one's fault."
"If you both will excuse us for a moment?" Jenna piped in, an apologetic smile on her face.
"Yes, of course," Isaac assented.
Taking Mia's hand, Jenna led them both away from the men until they were of out of hearing. "What is wrong, sister Jenna?" Mia asked.
"Well, first things first, that was really great of you to stop the prince from drinking the potion wholly," said Jenna, "but are you sure he did not already sip a little? Especially when you bumped into him . . ."
"I'm not too sure myself, I fear . . . but at least we managed to stop him. I'm neither glad nor sad that the drink splashed onto Merlina, but I'm just feeling guilty that I had to make him the one embarrassed."
Jenna waved a hand. "It's no big deal. Think of the favour you're doing to him if the drink did contain poison."
"I suppose you're right . . ."
"Now then, I apologise for our unwelcoming interruption between you and the prince back there," here Jenna winked, "but we had to stop being the observant party before you could give your name to him. I mean . . ." Jenna paused.
She and Garet had agreed that Mia's identity should be kept secret to the prince as a surprise. How was she going to make Mia see the situation without giving the show away that the man who rescued her was actually the prince himself?
"Yes?"
"I mean, of course there isn't much problem if you give him your real name, but what if he . . . er, innocently blurts it out to that stepmother of yours or something? He would not think it wrong, but the fat would be in the fire," Jenna exclaimed triumphantly. "And you've always got to think of the worst case scenario." Hopefully that reason is good enough, she thought.
"So it's just best that I go under another name for safety purposes?"
"Yes, that's it," Jenna agreed with an inner relief. "Oh, and why did you change the name Tia that I gave you? Too close to your name?"
Mia smiled nonchalantly. "Not exactly. You see, Tia is just a name I don't really like. It reminds me of a girl back then in my village."
"And I just had to hit upon such a name," Jenna remarked dryly. "And Lushielle?"
The aqua-haired young woman smiled again. "It was my mother's maiden name."
Jenna cocked an eyebrow. "Anyway, we'd better get back to those two. Just stay alert and keep near him the whole time to make sure your stepfamily doesn't try to go at him again, because I think they won't hesitate at another chance. Garet and I will be constantly on watch, so just call out if you need any help."
"All right. I'll do my best," Mia declared.
Jenna shook a playful finger at her. "And remember, you're here to give yourself a good time too!"
Mia laughed. "I'll try."
----o----
"Mother, is everything all right?"
Menardi pushed open the sturdy oak door as she and Karst stepped into the room that clearly served as a spare wardrobe and other necessities that one could think of. Standing in front of a life-sized mirror was Merlina, now dressed in an ocean blue gown even more exquisitely shaped than her previous violet gown.
"Oh, my dears, there you are," Merlina exclaimed. She gestured to the waitress in her attendance. "It is all right now. You can leave."
"Very good, my lady."
When the door shut, Karst burst into speech. "We saw the incident from afar," Karst explained, her eyebrows furrowing. "How maddening is it for us! That annoying little careless girl! Our plan is upset all because of her!"
"Hush, Karst," Menardi warned. "Let's not talk too loudly, or we might just draw attention."
"It is infuriating to have our plans foiled, but it is lucky that we have prepared for these occasions. Never mind that girl. We still have one more vial of the Death Potion left. But the next chance we get will be the last. The effect produced will not be powerful enough if we were to divide the amount of dosage into two."
"We shall have to plan carefully . . . we must not allow room for anymore mistakes this time."
"Dispose of the girl if necessary."
----o----
"Anyway, Jenna and I have to take care of a few things first. But I promise I'll be there right on time for dinner!" Garet said with enthusiasm.
Mia stifled a giggle. Garet certainly had a way with him that made her feel comfortable.
"In the mean time, I do hope you will be able to entertain my dear friend here, Prince Isaac," said Jenna in turn. "Otherwise she would be rather . . . lost in this mass of crowd, I'm afraid."
"I would be delighted to keep Lady Lushielle company," the prince replied.
"Well then, meet you guys later at the dinner table!" Jenna winked at Mia once more, mouthing 'good luck' to her as both redheads moved away.
From that moment onwards, Mia steeled her defenses further. She was playing one of the most important roles ever in her life right now. There was no doubt that her stepfamily would try their hands again and achieve their goal by the end of the night. As much as she longed to relax and immerse herself in the deep, mesmerising pleasure of feeling and being in such a wonderful atmosphere, she knew wide alertness would prove to be difficult if she allowed herself to do so.
Don't worry, Mia, we'll help you to keep alert. Fizz suddenly echoed inside her mind.
"Are you all right, Lady Lushielle?"
Mia started. "Oh, I'm so sorry . . . I must have spaced out for a moment," she explained.
"Indeed," the handsome prince acquiesced. He noted the time as he glanced at the ancestral grandfather clock. "As there is still some time before dinner, perhaps you would enjoy a walk outside? It is slightly oppressive in here," he suggested.
"But shouldn't you—I mean Your Highness be in here the whole time?"
He laughed. "It should be so, but I fear that I may start to suffocate if I stay in here any longer. A breath of fresh air would be ideal. Perhaps I could show you some of our attractions."
"Then yes, I should enjoy that very much," said she shyly.
Through a side door they exited into the castle grounds, where cooling breezes greeted them happily. Mia could hardly believe that here she was, walking side-by-side with THE Prince Isaac, at the celebrated Vale Castle, taking up a false name for cover, and getting into the premises by the wildest way imaginable through the help of her friends.
She strongly contemplated about telling the prince regarding her stepfamily's plan in manipulating him, but something pulled her back. Surrounded by so much splendour and beauty, she strangely felt so reluctant . . . was it because she wanted to let go of the entire burden she carried? Or was she just disinclined to spoil the prince's night?
She suddenly snapped from her deep thoughts as she noticed the prince frowning as he placed one hand on his chest.
"Are you all right, Your Highness?"
"Yes, I'm fine," he assured her. "I just felt a little out of focus all of a sudden, that's all."
Mia's heart leaped. She was sure he was keeping the details quiet. Could it be that he did actually swallow some of the drink earlier, and this was the effect? Was this how her stepfamily was planning to manipulate the prince into giving them power?
"Are you sure?" she pressed on worriedly.
The prince smiled. "Yes, thank you for your concern, Lady Lushielle. In fact, I should feel ashamed to be feeling this in front of a lady." He laughed gaily.
She grew embarrassed. He does look quite fine, she thought. Maybe it depends on the amount of dosage given . . . They continued their walk in silence.
"Where might you be from, Lady Lushielle?" Isaac broke the pleasant silence as they strolled on the pathway, circling the castle.
Mia debated whether it would be wise for her to give further false information, but decided that it was hardly necessary. "I was born originally in Imil." She could scarcely consider Prox as a 'home', other than 'the place where her current house' was.
"Ah, the quaint little village at the icy regions? Then we are not too far away from each other, as we are both from the same continent. You do not have an escort with you?"
"Uh . . . no . . ." Mia was rather wishing the prince would stop asking her questions that she hardly knew what to answer. She knew she had to open her mouth, warn him of the danger, that two pairs of eyes would be better than one, that the target should be warned for it to be fair game, but her mouth was irritatingly against her mind.
What am I doing?! I shouldn't be wasting time chatting idly!
Apparently Prince Isaac had no notion that an inner battle was occurring in Mia, for he pleasantly continued the conversation. "This is one of our pavilions built ages ago. Several of these pavilions surround the castle," he gestured to a small building structure with a golden hemisphere-shaped top with ancient designs. Long marble pillars stood erected along the whole circumference of the pavilion, except for a spot where a little stairway opening connected the pavilion and the castle pathway. A translucent pale beige cloth enveloped the pavilion right from the top to the ground, swaying now and then when a breeze came along.
Mia stared at the pavilion with awe. Under the beam of the moonlight, the pavilion looked its ever best, so enchantingly it was before her eyes. "It's beautiful . . ." she whispered. She slowly walked nearer to it, up the short steps, and into the pavilion as if something willed her to do so.
The golden-haired prince watched her keenly as he followed her into the pavilion. It was spacious enough to put up seats around the sides and roomy enough to accommodate several people. Every time he stepped inside this place, he would not cease to wonder at the calm, serene feeling it left him; and the feeling only grew stronger when Sol sunk down and Luna stepped in his place.
"Yes, it is," he agreed readily. "It was built by my ancestors when they first built the whole castle."
She touched the pillars gently as she smiled serenely. "It's lovely," she whispered again.
"But not as lovely as you," he murmured softly.
Mia whipped around in surprise, her face flushing. Did he really think—?
Hastily he changed the subject. "I do not think I have ever enjoyed the fresh air so much in my entire life before," said he, nervously chuckling.
She pretended to be wholly interested. Well, she was partly curious at his statement anyway, so it was not too phony. " . . . Because it is too cooped up in the ballroom?" she hazarded a guess.
"Well, yes, partly," he admitted. "Too much attention is, I find, rather bad for the health," he added with a sigh.
The aqua-haired young woman secretly hid a knowing smile. "Is it so bad?"
"You can hardly imagine," he replied. "Just between you and me, I doubt this ball will do me any good. Perhaps I should just give the whole thing up."
Frowning as a thought struck her, Mia stopped in her steps as they reached the backyard of the castle grounds. "If Your Highness will pardon me for my question, but . . . why are you confiding all of this to me? I mean . . . it is an honour," here she flushed pink, "but . . ."
"Well . . . usually I confide in my godfather, but since he is not available right now . . ." he stopped, chuckling. "And as for you, Lady Lushielle . . ."
"Y—yes?" she faltered.
Isaac looked ponderingly at the sky. "I do not know what makes me feel this, but somehow, I feel like I can . . . trust you."
" . . . Even though we've just barely met?" She knew she should not have prompted him, but to clear her mission; indeed, she could feel Spritz mildly protesting in her mind already.
But curiosity took over for once. She wanted to know his answer.
He laughed. "It must sound ludicrous, but frankly speaking, my first impression of you was that of a very capable woman, understanding and reliable . . ." he paused as he faced her with a slight smile. "And delightfully charming, if I may say so."
His golden bangs swayed gently as the outburst of the night breeze brushed through them. Feeling her face go red afresh and even redder if possible as she felt his look on her, Mia lowered her head timidly in embarrassment. She shivered involuntarily as the breeze conveniently picked up speed, a burst of wind flying past them.
"Would it surprise you, Lady Lushielle, if I were to claim that you are, somehow, a familiar face to me?" Isaac inquired, as he gentlemanly detached his regal blue cloak from his shoulders to her own.
Wrapping it around herself for extra warmth, Mia blushed when a nice, masculine scent stimulated her olfactory senses. Murmuring a 'thank-you' in a flustered manner, Mia felt pluckier all of a sudden. Here she was, having a good impression on the prince! Maybe she stood a chance, after all . . .
And mentally slapped herself immediately at such a preposterous thought the next second.
When will I just focus on what I'm supposed to do for just one minute?!
"N—no, I don't believe we've ever met before . . ." Mia answered hesitatingly. But as she came to think about it, she could not help but intuitively be reminded of someone else . . . Though, of course, there's no question about it, since practically almost the whole women race knows his face . . .
"My mistake then," he gallantly replied. "I could have sworn your voice is somewhat familiar as well. That I may have seen or heard you more than twice."
There was a short silence. And before she could stop herself, it came out spontaneously. "You're really a nice person."
He turned, surprised at her sudden remark. She later chastised herself on the pulses of adrenaline that continuously teased her non-stop. "I—I'm so sorry I spoke so informally—"
To her astonishment, Isaac laughed. "No, please, don't bother to apologise, Lady Lushielle. I thank you for the compliment." He added with a twinkle in his eyes, "May I gratify you by saying that it is the sincerest and most natural comment I have ever heard the whole night thus far?"
" . . . Really?" she asked, a dimple visible in both cheeks.
"Would I tell a lie merely to please you?" he challenged back.
But Mia was barely focusing. Her expression did not lighten. This time, she would make a clean breast of what she knew. How long could she postpone all this? Her friends were relying on her! And what was she doing? Letting all her friends, humans and djinn alike, down!
"Your Highness, there is—something I need to tell you . . ." she spoke with urgency in her voice. No more dilly-dally!
"What is it, out of the blue?" he queried.
"I—"
As clichéd as it was, the inevitable happened. The sound of the gong resonated, intruding rudely into that heavily saturated atmosphere.
Both parties groaned. Prince Isaac was evidently annoyed. How on earth was he going to explain to his parents and everyone else that he had failed to find— . . . Wait a minute . . .
On the other hand, Mia was busily reproaching herself for letting the previous flow of events delay her mission. It's probably the gong for dinner, and I don't think I can catch him after that . . . great Mia, now you've just messed things up a lot more!
"Lady Lushielle?"
"Yes?" she turned, a perplexed look on her face.
"Would you . . ." he paused irresolutely, coughing consciously, "uh . . . mind joining me for . . . er, dinner at my table?"
Mia could have sworn and crossed her heart that the angels were on her side on that day, just for that particular moment.
" . . . With . . . your family?" she squeaked.
He scratched his head boyishly. She somehow found it cute and adorable. "Well, yes . . . as I'm sure you know, I am rather . . . er, expected to invite . . . well, you know how it goes," he left off embarrassedly.
Mia never thought she could feel her cheeks radiating so much heat and colour.
"Will you give me the honour of escorting you to my table?"
" . . . I . . ." Mia was speechless. Did he mean . . .? "Why?" she blurted out.
Seeing her uncomfortable somehow strengthened his nerve as he regained his composure. "Well, bear in mind that I am not just simply choosing at random, even though I am runningshort of time . . ."
Characteristic of all women, Mia held her breath, gripping her hold on his cloak around her tighter. " . . . Then?"
Isaac felt masterful of the conversation once more. "Aside from the fact that I've managed to maintain a conversation with you for more than ten minutes without the desperate feeling to escape unlike with the other ladies . . ." said he with a smirk, slowly stepping towards her.
Mia backed away a few steps before realising that she had no other place to retreat behind her. As she did, her leg knocked the woody bench which encircled inside the pavilion. She gasped as her footing gave way . . .
And just as she thought she would fall in an embarrassing manner, she found herself caught in firm and sturdy hands—her eyes wide when she realized that his face a few inches away from hers . . .
He sighed. "Do I really need to say it?" he asked teasingly.
Truth be told, he himself could hardly believe he was doing all this; what was it in her that sparked that streak of guts in him?
She nodded blankly, feeling her cheeks heat up as usual. Adrenaline pulsed through her crazily like no other as she stared into his deep, entrancing azure eyes. Those eyes seemed to lock her gaze, not allowing her to tear away . . .
There was a feeling which she could not place . . . somehow, something told her that he felt the same, just for that one moment . . .
And then she remembered that this was the second time that such occurrences happened. But she could hardly place the right memory in her mind . . .
And the spell was broken as fast as it came.
Cold relief washed over her. Oddly, she felt a tinge of disappointment along with it . . .
His face resumed its normal, serious manner. "I'm not too sure whether I can explain, but . . ." thereupon he smirked again, "let's just say I feel that I have . . . an attachment to you, my lady."
She nodded slowly, uncomprehendingly, again. Her world was turning upside-down.
Prince Isaac offered his hand with a courteous bow. "Well, shall we proceed?"
She extended her own shyly.
----o----
Seriously, Mia, you have to control your heartbeat, you know! If the prince makes you get a seizure we can't do anything to help you.
Mia involuntarily blushed. Serac, please!
Well, you should be thankful that Fizz kept our mouths shut the whole time, then. Serac, the Mercury djinni, snickered inside her mind.
"Lady Lushielle, are you all right?" A feminine voice interjected.
Mia looked sideways and smiled apologetically to Queen Dora. From her very first impression at the King and Queen of Vale, Mia was instantly reminded of her two parents, Miguel and Saya, in an instant. Both parties resembled a pair of kind, understanding and warm-hearted parents, and she was greatly thankful for that. Somehow, she felt less awkward around the royal family; it made her conveniently less shy around them.
"I'm so sorry for spacing out like that," she hurriedly apologised, "it must be so rude of me . . ."
Yeah, thanks so much, Serac.
"No matter, Lady Lushielle," King Kyle reassured heartily with a warm smile. "We just hope that you will feel at home dining with us here. Please, do not hesitate to ask for anything."
"Luckily you've got me as a guide, eh, Tia?" Jenna teased playfully.
Mia nodded gratefully. She was thankful that Jenna and Garet were there, together with her, dining at the same table with the royal family. She could still remember clearly how much she was stared at (and perhaps scowled at, too) by the other women as Prince Isaac embarrassedly led her up to her parents, how she had introduced herself, stuttering at first before she regained her own composure (which surprised even herself), how she had been warmly welcomed by the King and Queen of Vale, and how Isaac had gallantly escorted her to her seat at the royal family's dining table.
Like a fascinated little child, she had seen the ballroom transformed into a buffet-style dining room. Competent waiters and waitresses, paying trips from the kitchen to and fro, now filled long tables that were arranged at both sides of the enormous room ever since the night began with all kinds and variety of palatable food. A shorter rectangular table was set near a raised platform at the very far end of the room specially for the royal family.
And now, here she sat, in the largest dining room she had ever seen. The rectangular table she was 'assigned' to only fitted ten occupants: the King and Queen on one end of the table with Kraden (the king's advisor, rather to her surprise) and Felix Segrave at the other end, herself next to the Queen, followed by Jenna and Garet on her left. Directly opposite her was the prince himself, followed by Ivan Ferrier and Sheba Raos, whom she was introduced to before they all settled down.
She was visibly impressed that Ivan was the prince's advisor, and was immediately struck by his high level of intelligence, and perhaps more so from Sheba. At first glance she would have doubts distinguishing the two of them; they certainly had points of similarity.
She was scarcely prepared for the surprise that she would recognise yet another face that night. Felix Segrave.
The messenger . . . he is the head of communication of Vale? I hardly guessed . . . and sister Jenna never told me he was her brother, too! What if he recognises me? I guess it wouldn't matter much if he did, really . . . it should be all right, I hope.
True enough, the dark brown-haired man occasionally shot her suspicious glances from his seat, as if he were doubting against himself. Other than that, Mia could never declare having seen another man as impassive and aloof as Felix seemed to be.
Stepping onto the platform, Prince Isaac clapped his hand resonantly. "If I may have everyone's attention for a minute, please?"
There was a general hush as the crowd stopped talking and focused all their attention on the Prince of Vale, young and handsome.
"Before dinner initiates, I would like to express my most heartfelt gratitude to everyone that has gathered here in this festive event tonight. Let us all give our thanks and appreciation to the Lord for the plentiful food prepared on the tables, for our crops have harvested well all this years and yielded us with magnificent food. Amen."
A murmur followed his prayer.
Prince Isaac smiled. "And without further ado, I declare the feast open! Let the feast begin!"
Everyone cheered, thunderous clapping filling the room as he descended down the platform and rejoined his family at the table. Guests, especially the male species, rose from their seats to get their lady companions food before helping themselves. Majority of the women remained in their seats, enjoying the pleasure of gossiping at large.
Whole meal grains, corn, all kinds of vegetables, delicious roasted turkey, lamb chops, a variety of soups, salads, steak-pies, cakes and tarts, just name whatever you could think of; it was all there. Appetisers, main dishes and desserts lastly followed their course. Expensive wine, champagne and an assortment of juices acted as a 'sidekick'. With the mellow music background performed by the playing orchestra, it was most pleasurable.
Isaac had strolled over to Mia's side, his face inquiring. "Would you like me to get you a plate of food, Lady Lushielle?" he asked hospitably.
"Uh . . . well, if it's not a bother . . ." she answered falteringly. Ever since he had admitted that he might have feelings for her, they had barely exchanged words the whole way back to the ballroom.
"That's partly what men are here for, Tia," Jenna reassured with a grin. "That's how the tradition goes. They get for us, we relax and do a bit of gossip."
"Does that mean I get a plate for you, or do you want to get one yourself?" Garet asked Jenna beside him.
Jenna hastily rose. "In my case, I'll get my food myself, thank you. The last time we had this kind of dinner you got me simply too much that I couldn't fit myself in a corset for the next three weeks."
"Well, that's thanks for you," Garet called after her as she departed.
"You shouldn't have forgotten that Jenna's diet is much, much smaller than yours, Garet," Sheba teased.
"Be careful I don't pile you up with one whole turkey, midget," the redhead taunted back lightheartedly.
Mia smiled prettily at the prince. "Then yes, thank you very much, Your Highness," she accepted. "Um . . ." she paused.
The redhead beside her came to the rescue. "What kind of food do we have, you want to ask? I could go into a whole list of them for you. Let's see . . ." he went into a series of details in a surprisingly rapid speed which Mia had difficulty catching.
"Says Garet, the expert eater," Ivan ended.
"Slow down, Garet," Queen Dora advised amusedly. "I don't quite think Lady Lushielle caught every word you said."
"That's rather true," Mia replied laughingly, "but I think a little of everything except for soups and desserts would be just fine," said she to Isaac.
"Very well. Garet, let's go."
King Kyle looked at his wife. "Should I get you a plate, my dear?"
Dora shook her head. "It's all right, Kyle. We have to socialise around, so I might as well get up."
Mia was left with Sheba only as the rest also left the table, conversing between each other merrily. She felt a trifled awkward as the blonde's intelligent, intent emerald eyes appraised her carefully for a few minutes.
Suddenly Sheba leaned forward. "What do you see in the prince, Lady Lushielle?"
She started. " . . . I beg your pardon?"
"You do like the prince, do you not?" Sheba asked.
She earned a blush from the aqua-haired young woman. "I . . ."
"I see. Well, at least I do see you are not bewitching him in any way." She nodded her head in satisfaction. "And he does seem to be quite taken in with you, indeed."
Mia blushed further. " . . . You really think so?"
"It hardly takes an effort to see that," she replied dryly. "If you know him as much as we all do, it is easy to see when he is caught spellbound by another."
"I . . ."
"Throwing all delicacies aside, you actually do have a really good chance," said Sheba candidly.
She became hot. "I did not come here exactly for that reason, you know," she blurted out.
The blonde cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? And what do you mean by that?"
Mia became flustered. How on earth was she to explain the whole crux of the situation she was dealing with?
"Nothing," she declared hastily.
----o----
Flint stared out of the window with an expression not unlike wistfully.
"And just when Isaac gets his quality time I'm supposed to stay quietly and behave in this cooped up room," he muttered grudgingly in his squeaky voice. "I wanna participate in it too, and see what kind of girl he picks!"
The Venus djinni sighed, his tail drooping down. Leaving the window, he hopped back onto Isaac's bed.
"What else more, stay in this room without food when there's real plenty downstairs. Who can tell me what's the logic in that?"
"I can."
Flint spun around. "What?"
Before he had time to defend himself, a wave of electric jolt sent it into momentary unconsciousness. The small, toy-sized djinni collapsed.
A figure materialised from the air. "So we have here a Venus djinni in hiding, eh? Interesting."
Author's Note: And once again, this fic is up and back! No guarantees it will be really speedy, but I hope this chapter is good enough to follow up the previous chapter's cliffhanger. Hopefully readers don't find it too cheesy or overloaded with excessive sugar and icing, and for those who find it pleasing, stay tuned for the next chapter with more of Aphrodite's influence:) Also, hopefully my style of writing hasn't washed away completely into the sea.
Oh, and updates on the status of my fics can be traced in my profile, so check it now and then if you wanna know how's it going.
Thank you so, so much to all readers and reviewers who still remember this story and stick by it! I really appreciate all your efforts, especially since my update intervals are just so long. And special thanks goes to enigma4ever for proofreading this chapter. As usual, comments, ideas, criticism and such are welcomed!