Snow White's POV

The queen and my tutors have always told me that as a princess, I should not arrive early to a party. It was better to be late than to be early. It would give enough time for most of the guests to arrive, and as you entered the ballroom, it gives the most attention to you, especially if you have to make a statement. Even though the ball was for me, I did not come late. They had also told me that a ball was a battle, a battle of wits, of connections, of politics, and of power and authority. And I was aware that I had none. All I had was the royal blood that was flowing through me that I had no control over, and it was clear from the moment that my father died that it was all that I was ever going to get if the queen was in charge. And it was the reason why I arrived early to my own birthday ball.

The queen was already at the ball, because she was the host, and she was greeting people left and right. Despite the announcement that I had arrived, the queen paid me no mind, since she was busy with others, leaving me on my own. The best viewpoint of the ballroom and those that were entering the ballroom was my own chair next to the queen. I needed power. I needed connections. This was the last year I had before I became an adult, and according to the law, and my father's will, right before I or Celina take the throne. And as I noticed through the last few years, normally the heirs participate in various tasks in running the kingdom, like the nobility meetings, the inspections within in the different towns in the kingdom, or just given projects do that, Celina and I have not been participating in a lot, like it would be in the usual cases. At first, I thought it was due to our lack of experience of just how the queen was so busy that she can't properly supervise us, but after I started to carefully consider everything and observed her, she was doing this on purpose.

There were a few secret meetings of hers that I had stumbled across, learning that she had zero intentions of letting Celina or I to take the throne, promising many things to many nobles in order for her to stay on the throne. There was one instance, where she had contemplated killing Celina or at least marrying her off. I thought about Celina and her fiery nature and laughed to myself. I think if marrying Celina off was the final plan, I would have to prepare a cell for her, because I am sure someone was going to end up hurt because of that, and it was not going to be Celina. Eventually a lot of people came in at once. A few days before the ball, I was making a list of all the influential people there were in the kingdom. Unfortunately, I had also learned that the queen had obtained quite a good number of them on her side, since she had more time to build up those relationships. I did not have that time and I will not be getting that time. However, what sacred me more, was the strange behaviors the queen exhibited, the way she spoke to her mirror, and the strange incantations she would do. It made the hairs on the back of my head shoot up, and every cell in my body screaming at me to run.

I had expanded my list to include the most influential people outside the kingdom. I had glanced at the top three people on the list. The first one was a more reliable choice, Duke Endymion, the duke of the neighboring kingdom of Zeoshite. He had enough authority within his own kingdom, where his king and queen had to consider this man's opinion in every decision they had. He holds all the major trade sites and routes of any nation or kingdom, where he was easily considered the wealthiest man in the world. The only issue I found with him was that there were rumors that he would only make deals that he was confident on. He was not known to be risky, and any deal I were to make with him could easily be considered risky, considering I had nothing to offer.

The next on the list was the rising star, Emperor Ryland. He had began his journey as a mercenary for hire, building up the most powerful mercenary group, the Hollowed Requiems, and had eventually taken the throne to the Empire of Xenia through the empire's tradition of fighting among the Emperor's children. He was the most interesting and enticing to me, because I was considering fighting for the throne myself; however, the only uncertain thing was that it was clear that Emperor Ryland had a strong dislike towards nobility, so I was unsure of how he would view myself.

The last on the list, the one that I had zero intentions of messing with, was the Crown Prince of Craxa, Prince Kael. He was known as the crazy dog of Craxa, ordering punishments and executions of anyone that had annoyed him. He was also known to have a horrible temper, and his servants were never permanent due to injuries or their own resignations.

And right now, all three had decided to attend the ball, right before Celina had entered. Celina had quickly made her way towards me. She had never liked balls or anything of the sort. She believed it was all a waste of time. Spending time with people you don't like, only for them to subtly try and belittle you or try to use you. She was too honest to fully grasp the subtleties of it all, and she never tried to learn it either. But while Celina was no surprise to me, the most surprising was Emperor Ryland. I knew that he was a mercenary, so he must have had his fair share of battles, and evidence of those victories, but I never expected one of the battle scars to run across his face like that. I couldn't say that it was a shame, because that scar ran across his left jaw to his nose, only adding to his air of strength, and maybe even a bit of mysterious allure. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and a sharp gaze that could cut through the thickest fog. His hair was black as midnight. His eyes were a piercing blue, and when they landed on me, I could feel heat rise up in my own cheeks.

Breaking me out of my own trace, Celina nudged me, "You know it's rude to stare." She was right, and I was scared that I was just caught by a man that I potentially needed. I shook my own head, before shifting my gaze to the second man, an older man, the Duke of Endymion. He looked exactly like his portrait, and he had an authoritative air around him. One that reminded me that I would most likely have a difficult time getting him to support me if necessary. I quickly glanced over the most extravagantly dressed man, and he also looked exactly like his portrait. He was the crazy dog of Craxa, and he had the most smug smirk on his face. My own cheeks still feel very hot, and I decided to try my own luck with Duke Endymion to give the butterflies in my own stomach a chance to settle down.

I took a deep breath, and approached Duke Endymion, curtsying as elegantly as I could.

"Duke Endymion, it is an honor to finally meet you in person. I hope your journey was not too tiring?" I asked. I raised my eyes slowly to see the Duke. He was looking down at me, his eyes scrutinizing my every move. When he spoke, his voice was smooth as velvet.

"Ah, the young Princess Snow White. I've heard much about your grace and beauty, but it seems like the whispers do not do you justice. My journey was quite fine, but what I want to know is, what do you hope to achieve from this grand ball?"

I was taken back, surprised by his straightforwardness. I expected him to be like other nobility, to dance around their intentions.

"Your Grace, my own wish is to ensure the continued prosperity of our kingdom and its people. It is an opportunity to strengthen our alliances and perhaps, learn from the wisdom of esteemed individuals like yourself."

The Duke's eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing the truth in my words.

"Wise words for someone so young," he said, his smile never wavering. He continued, " But the path to prosperity is taught with challenges. What makes you believe you are equipped to face them?"

My heart was racing. I anticipated him to focus more on the assets Germania had to offer, but it was not a surprise that he chose to focus on my own capabilities. I strengthened my own resolve and looked up to meet his gaze before saying, "My father taught me that wisdom comes from understanding the hearts of the people and the land. I have spent countless hours studying our kingdom's history and the strategies that led us here. I know that true leadership is not about titles or birthright, but about the willingness to make the difficult decisions for the greater good." He didn't respond for a while, instead the laughter and music seemed to grow louder around us. I was starting to think that I had done something wrong. His eyes seem to search my soul, as if he was looking for cracks in my armor.

"Your father was a wise man, princess. I knew him well," his voice filled with a hint of nostalgia. His smile finally seemed to reach his eyes, conveying a warmth that I saw for the first time. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just so I can hear, "But the path to the throne is not one paved with books and whispers of the past. It requires action, cunning, and sometimes, a touch of ruthlessness." He paused, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "You will find that the world outside this ballroom is quite different from the one you've known. But if you are ready to indeed to face these challenges, then I may offer my own aid. But every alliance comes with a price. If you wish to prove your worth to me and obtain my aid, then you should prove it. In 3 days time, I will send you a task. If you succeed, our alliance may indeed become more than just words. But if you fail, I will consider our conversation nothing more than a pleasant memory." With a courteous nod, he turned and disappeared into the sea of dancers, leaving me alone with the weight of his words.