Here we are at Chapter 17. Let's see how Yukitsuki handles some new forms of drama. I do not own Code Vein. They belong to Bandai Namco. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 17. Enjoy. Have a Happy New Year!

Chapter 17: A Ball of a Night

In a darkened room, several figures meet for another secret session.

"We heard the report. Fuyumi Kusanagi and her entourage have left Anatolia. We believe the only one who stayed behind is the archmage, Anelia. This may be our chance," one male voice says.

"But what about HER? Because of that damn woman, we've lost several of our people we managed to sneak into the capital. She's hunting us and she's getting closer," a second voice states.

"Even so, this is worth the risk. We may never get another chance like this again," a third says.

"Enough," a deep voice silences the rest. "We must change the plan. Too much caution and progress will stagnate. According to our contact in the academy, the school is planning a special ball for the students. In times of celebration, people's guards will be down. That will be our moment to strike. We will undoubtedly lose people in this operation, but the price will be a necessary sacrifice. If it means getting our hands on the girl and finally getting closer to achieving our ambition,"

"Very well, but how will we act exactly? It won't be easy getting inside. And while she is still one, Anelia Kusanagi is a talented mage. She won't be easy to beat. Worse if that knight, Iris Kusanagi, makes an appearance," the second voice asks.

"We divide their attention, keep them occupied. That will give us an opening. Besides, I do have one asset that will prove useful in this operation. We will use him to get to Yukitsuki," the third says.

"Make sure he doesn't seriously harm her. She must be intact in order for the ritual to be conducted without any issues," the deep voice commands.

"It will be done, Your Lordship," the third bows his head.

"Then we are in agreement. We move now. For the will of our goddess," the deep voice says.

"For the will of our goddess," the others say before they leave, leaving the apparent leader behind.

In the darkness, a sinister smile appears in his shadowed face, "Those pathetic fools,"

...

At the royal academy, students and staff are going all over the place. Classes have been going on without much issues, but now they're busier than ever. And for a very good reason.

"Ah, the school ball. I'm so excited. This going to be so much fun," Princess Iris looks excited for sure.

"A lot of the students, especially the female students, have been losing their minds over this lately," Hiei notes as she looks around.

"You're still lacking in the lady department, aren't you Hiei. The girls here are excited to try on dresses, dance with boys they secretly have crushes on, or to just show off their stature in front of the student body. Well, in your case, the last one doesn't count, huh," Hana smirks at the kitsune and Yuki.

"Yep, since we'll be going together," Yuki smiles at her fiance. "What about you, Iris? Are you going with anyone? I'm sure a lot of people have asked you to go with them to the dance,"

"True, a number of boys have asked to be my escort to the dance, I turned them all down. If I went with anyone just like that, it could cause unnecessary trouble. Noble society love rumors and gossip and all that," Princess Iris replies.

"So, are you going alone?" Yuki asks.

"No, I'm not. My brother will actually assign one of his royal guards to act as my escort. Several more of the royal guard will be in attendance as well. I even managed to convince him to allow your mother Iris to attend as one of my guards," Princess Iris smiles.

"Mother Iris will be coming. It will be nice to see her again. Thank you, Iris," Yuki bows her head in thanks.

"It's no trouble at all. This is a fun occasion. We should all enjoy it. The rest of my family won't be attending. Far too busy, sadly. But, that is the duty of royalty," Princess Iris replies.

"What about you, Hana? Will you be going?" Yuki asks.

Hana shakes her head, "Probably not. I doubt anyone would feel comfortable dancing when there's an arachne nearby. Besides, I'm busy making you and Hiei's dresses for the evening. Carol is helping out, of course,"

"That's no good. You should enjoy the ball with us. You only get one school ball a year," Yuki doesn't like that idea.

"But I don't want to ruin it for you two," Hana says.

"You will ruin it if you don't come. You're my friend, Hana. If anyone has a problem with you, then they can answer to me," Yuki says resolutely.

"And I second that opinion. You only get one life in this world after all. Try to make the most of it," Hiei adds.

"How about this? You and I can dance together during the ball. I'll still be dancing with Hiei first of course. But, I wouldn't mind dancing with you as well," Yuki suggests.

"What? But, what about-," Hana looks at Hiei.

"I don't mind. I trust you, Hana," Hiei says, shutting down Hana's rebuttal.

Hana looks back at Yuki, seeing the cute, pleading look on her face, and sighs.

"Very well, I suppose I'll come," Hana admits defeat.

Yuki smiles, "I'm glad you're coming Hana. This will be fun,"

"Guess I'll be extra busy making a dress for myself then. Can't go halfway on this one," Hana mutters.

"Hmm, maybe I'll have a dance with Hana as well. I also heard you have the most beautiful singing voice Hana. I'd love to hear it sometime. A few girls in the same class as you said it's like listening to the voice of an angel," Princess Iris notes.

"Please, don't tease me you guys!" now Hana is getting embarrassed.

...

The days go by faster than people thought and the night of the school ball is upon them. Everyone is decked out in fancy dresses or suits. Students walk into the ballroom, many in pairs with either their betrothed or someone they grew the courage to ask out. Of course, there is always a small number that came alone, but that's unavoidable. Eyes soon turn as they spot Yuki's group enter the ballroom. And heads certainly do roll. Yuki has her hair up in a curled ponytail with a white flower in her hair along with the silver hair ornament Hiei got her. For her outfit, she's wearing a dress with a mix of different shades of blue and thin white straps on top. The dress has two straps of white fabric going down her back and look like a pair of fairy wings, giving Yuki a more mythical appearance. Her has on a pair of silver high heels with flower ornaments on them and a matching silver necklace around her neck. A touch of makeup on her skin and she looks gorgeous. For Hiei, she is wearing a strapless dress that is primarily black on top, but fades into red as it goes lower. The undertones are white and the sleeves flow off her arms. Floral designs are shown on the sleeves along with a pair of white flower ornaments on the shoulders. The dress has a slight on her left side, showing her legs and a pair of black high-heels with gold edgings. A gold belt wraps around her waist and her hair is in a bun with a few hair ornaments (similar to Fugue's outfit from Honkai Star Rail).

Finally, for Hanazuki, she's not wearing the lower half of a dress given that it wouldn't fit around the spider half of her body. Up top, she's wearing a purple and white dress that exposes a bit of cleavage. The purple kimono sleeves flow off her arms and have white petal designs in them. She has her hair up in a pair of braids on the sides of her head, ending in a bun at the back, and a pair of silver spider earrings as a final addition. All-in-all, the three girls were absolutely stunning. Plenty of eyes couldn't stop staring at them.

"Looks like my dresses did just the trick," Hana basks in the glory of her work.

"Did you really have to go so far with MY dress. I don't like my legs showing like this," Hiei blushes.

"You have a nice figure, Hiei. You should show your feminine side more often," Hana smiles.

"I think you look beautiful, Hiei. That dress really suits you," Yuki isn't helping.

"Well, I suppose it would be okay to try a dress every now and then," Hiei can't resist Yuki.

"My, you three look beautiful!" they look to see Princess Iris approaching, along with a man in a dark brown suit.

The man is older than her, with short black hair and deep green eyes. This must be the knight escort Princess Iris spoke about. The girls noticed a few other escorts nearby, just in case. Princess Iris is wearing a white and yellow dress with the straps wrapping around her neck, exposing her back a little. A gold necklace with a green gemstone sits over the straps. She has her hair flowing behind her in curls along with yellow hair ornaments on the sides. The dress comes with a pair of long white gloves and white high heels to match.

"Princess Iris, you look lovely tonight," Yuki curtsies as do the others.

"Now, now, this is a special event, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still good friends. Ladies, this is my escort, Ser Isaac Bromah," Princess Iris gestures to the man.

"Good evening, ladies," Ser Isaac bows his head.

Short and to the point. He strikes Yuki as the more serious type. Well, if King Mikhail assigned him to be Princess Iris's escort, he must be trustworthy enough.

"By the way, your mother is nearby, Yuki. Why don't you go say hi before the festivities kick off," Princess Iris suggests.

"Thank you, Princess Iris. We'll speak again later," Yuki and her friends bow their heads and head off to find Yuki's mother.

Luckily, it isn't hard to spot the only female knight in armor in the ballroom.

"Mother Iris," Yuki greets her mother happily.

"Yuki, look how beautiful you are. I'm so proud of how much you've grown. You've grown into a fine young woman. Hiei, Hanazuki, it's a pleasure to see you two again. You two look lovely tonight," Iris is happy to see her daughter and her companions again.

"I'm glad you could make it. May I ask where Mother Anelia is right now?" Yuki asks, looking around.

"She said she was finishing up a few things, so she's a bit late. But, she'll definitely be here. She doesn't want to miss our daughter dancing with her fiance at the school ball after all," Iris replies.

"That sounds like her," Yuki shakes her head.

"Don't worry, she'll come. For now, just enjoy yourselves. It's supposed to be a special evening for you all after all," Iris soothes her concerns.

Yuki nods in agreement and the trio walk away to enjoy the festivities while Iris watches on. Many people walk up to Princess Iris to speak with her, but the young royal maintains excellent poise and grace as she greets each one while politely maintaining her distance. Her guards keep close eyes on anyone that comes near the princess. You never know when someone might try something stupid. As for Yuki's group, some people speak with them, while others keep their distance due to Hana's presence. Despite her obvious beauty, some are still wary of the arachne.

"Lady Yukitsuki, would you kindly honor me with a dance?" Yuki turns to see Lord Alan Defoster bowing to her with an offered hand.

Just then, music starts playing and pairs take to the dance floor.

"A dance sounds lovely," Yuki says. Alan raises his head with a smile, thinking he finally won her over. "Come on, Hiei, let's dance,"

"Yes, let's dance," Hiei agrees, shooting Alan a subtle smirk as the two ladies walk to the dance floor

Alan's posture takes a dive while Hana snickers behind his back. Yuki and Hiei find themselves in the center of the dance floor. Yuki rests her hand on Hiei's shoulder, Hiei has one hand on her fiance's waist, and the second pair are interlocked together. The pair start moving to the music; the world around them fading out as they simply focus on each other.

"Enjoying yourself, Yuki?" Hiei asks.

Yuki nods, "Indeed. I'm having a wonderful time. I got to see Mother Iris. Mother Anelia will be here soon, and I get to dance with you of course. This is a wonderful night," Yuki leans her head on Hiei's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. In all my life, I'd never thought I'd by in this position. But, I wouldn't want this to change. I'm truly blessed to have met you," Hiei says.

Yuki hums in glee. The pair are lost in their own little world. Nothing else matters right now.

...

Outside the school in the city, Anelia is racing through the evening streets as she tries to make it to the dance.

"How could I lose track of time like this?! I don't want to miss seeing Yukitsuki in her dress. Oh, curse my magic items weakness!" Anelia complains as she runs through the streets.

However, before she can go any further, a knife flies in and strikes the ground in front of her. Anelia stops and looks up, seeing several cloaked figures standing on a rooftop.

"Who are you?! What are you doing?!" Anelia shouts.

The cloaked figures jump from the rooftop, landing in front of her.

"Forgive our rude entrance, archmage Anelia Kusanagi. We simply wish to have a moment of your time. We hope you will oblige us," the one in the center, a woman apparently, steps forth and bows her head.

"And you would be?" Anelia takes out her staff.

"There's no need to worry about our identities. After all... you won't make it to the school alive," the woman takes out a pair of daggers, as do the rest.

"We'll see about that," Aneli gets ready to fight.

It seems she'll be late to the dance after all.

...

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the woman with the pale blonde hair has just finished taking out a few more goons in cloaks.

"This is getting tiresome. They should know by now that this won't stop me in the slightest," the woman grumbles.

"You have a point there," the woman hears a deep voice and turns to see a tall man in a cloak appearing from the shadows. "I hoped you would like the appetizers I sent you, dear Veronica," the man smirks.

The woman scoffs, "I was wondering when you'd show up, though I'm also surprised you came here yourself. I figured you'd send more of your lackies to distract me,"

"They're valuable resources. I can't have them dying on me just yet. Besides, I thought we could talk a bit. Things will be very busy soon, after all," the man replies.

The woman narrows her eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

...

Back at the school dance, Yuki and Hiei have just finished their dance, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. The pair prepare to leave the dance floor when they notice a few students staring at Yuki. It seems some still seek a dance with her. Yuki's not interested, but she does notice Hana standing off to the side away from everyone else. Yuki then gets an idea. She looks at Hiei who notices Hana as well and nods in agreement. The pair walk over to the arachne.

"Hana," they call out to her.

"Huh? What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be off dancing the night away?" Hana jokes.

"That sounds like a great idea," Yuki steps forth and curtsies to her. "Would you honor me with song's worth of a dance, my fair lady?"

"Huh? Yuki, you must be joking. I'm not sure it would be okay for you to dance with me in front of everyone. What if they start saying things about you?' Hana tries turning her down.

"So, what? Let them talk. They're just cowards and fools if they act like that. Yuki wants to dance with you, and I approve. Are you going to keep her waiting like that?" Hiei nods to Yuki, who remains bowed to her.

Hana eventually sighs in defeat, "Very well. If you're that adamant about it,"

She offers Yuki a hand, which the girl takes. They walk to the dance floor, much to the surprise of those in attendance. The pair start dancing, while others simply watch on.

"You are certainly unique, Yuki," Hana notes.

"I don't care much about what others think of me. Besides, I like you and I want you to have fun here too. So, let's enjoy the night together, Hana," Yuki says.

"Are you sure you're okay dancing with someone like me?" Hana still seems worried.

"I'm fine with it. You're my friend, and you're beautiful and talented in your own ways. I see no problem with that," Yuki gives her honest opinion.

Hana blushes at her compliments. Every day, she's more and more impressed by Yuki's strength of character.

Hana sighs, "I'm no match for you at all," she says, which make Yuki giggle.

Their dance soon comes to an end. As the pair bow to one another, a third approaches them.

"Excuse me," they look to see Sophia, wearing a blue halter top dress that hugs her figure nicely. The dress sparkles around the skirt with small gems, giving the appearance of waves flowing around her legs. A pair of blue earrings and a white pearl necklace finish the look. "If it's alright with you, may I have a dance, Lady Yukitsuki?"

Yuki looks at Hana, who shrugs her shoulders. She then looks at Hiei. Hiei sighs, but nods anyway. Seeing that she has permission, Yuki curtsies.

"I would be honored, Lady Sophia," Yuki agrees.

Hana leaves the dance floor while Sophia takes her place and she and Yuki dance together.

"I was hoping I'd get the chance to dance with you, Yuki. I hope you're enjoying the event," Sophia says.

"I am. I hope you are too. Are things okay with your family?" Yuki asks.

"I'd... rather not talk about them right now. This is supposed to be a joyous occasion after all," Sophia shakes her head.

"I suppose you have a point. Still, you know you can always talk to me if you need help. Just like with Hana and Hiei, I care about you too," Yuki says.

Sophia hides her inner turmoil with a smile, "You truly are too good for someone like me," she murmurs.

"Huh, did you say some-," Yuki stops when a sudden explosion rocks the building. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Sophia looks around.

A second explosion occurs and a wall to the ballroom blows away. Several men in cloaks appear through the smoke and surround Yuki and Sophia.

"Yukitsuki Crystalglove, please come with us," one of them says.

Yukitsuki narrows her eyes. It looks like this party is about to end early.

And that's the chapter. The school dance gets under way, but now some people have come to crash the party. Who are these people and why do they want Yukitsuki? Until then, please Read and Review.