The sun was descending. The rhetoric contest was to be held in the library's big garden. The poetic atmosphere reminded Elyre of Wild Wood. Specifically, of one meadow known as the Silver Desert, where many silver deer gathered. Wood-nymphs would sing ballads and groom them, and the old fur fell over the grass, covering it with silver. Sometimes there were silver storms and the silver dust went up into the air and fell onto trees and lakes. Then the silver deer merged very well with the landscape.
Elyre went with Coralia near the stage while Aristhaeus remained in the audience, a bit further away from them. Heliona was also in the audience, somewhere not far from the archmage.
"I remember when I was younger… what excitement I felt while waiting for the contest to begin. I have participated in it for so many years," Heliona told him and sighed with fondness for the old times.
Aristhaeus nodded politely at her. The thought that she might be a spy never left his mind.
"Oh, Elyre is there," Heliona exclaimed and pointed at the distance. Aristhaeus's eyes turned in Elyre's direction. "She is so radiant today and the green color of her dress suits her well. If I were a man, I would fall in love with her."
He stared at her, suspicious of her motives to say this in front of him.
"Shall we go and see her?" Heliona said.
"She's busy with Coralia now," he replied in a reserved manner.
He soon got lost in the crowd. He moved towards another mage he knew -- Mage Thrace -- who was also in the crowd. The archmage wasn't quite enchanted with Heliona's unceremonious behavior towards him. And this bearing in mind that she might know his real identity.
~It has been a long time since we first met, but I remember her. …Could she be doing this on purpose in order to confuse me and make me think that she doesn't recognize me?~
There was every chance that she might be a spy and he didn't hesitate to share his suspicions with Thrace.
"Test her," the archmage ordered him. "We have to be sure about whether she is a foe or not." …And whether she was behind the attacks. He went on to give Thrace some ideas, "Give her false information. Hint that Elyre is somewhere alone and unprotected. Then go there, hide yourself and see whether Heliona's people will lay an ambush or be on the lookout for Elyre. I will be waiting for your report." They spoke very quietly and no one else could hear their conversation.
"Yes, sire," Thrace replied.
Meanwhile, Elyre, whose reflections were as further away as possible from Aristhaeus's, stayed together with Coralia and a group of young ladies, obviously all participants in the contest. There was a large crowd around them.
"We've found the other contestants," Elyre said. She then saw her friend Nymphica, the girl she'd met on the streets not long ago. She was about to introduce her to Coralia, but it turned out that the two already knew each other.
"Well," Coralia exclaimed the moment she noticed Nymphica. She crossed her arms and eyed her, "Who do I see? Nice to meet you."
"It is always nice to meet you," Nymphica replied, a hint of fake politeness in her voice.
"Of course, especially when we haven't seen each other for so long. You haven't changed a lot! I see you have a very nice corset," Coralia exclaimed with an approving tone, then smiled thinly. "It's just as good as it was ten years ago when we met last!" She sighed and added, "It was such a pleasant time."
"Oh, thanks, dear. Actually, I got it as a present from the Chief Vizier after I read one of my poems to him. He praised my wits and intelligence and rewarded me. It was unforgettable."
Hearing the biting remarks, Elyre wondered where she had ended up. Perhaps it was fortunate that both Coralia and Nymphica had ignored her. Otherwise, they might like to turn her into a judge in this situation.
~This must be some pre-contest irritability?~ Elyre thought. As she was not among the contestants, she said she had to go back to the audience.
***
Before the contest, there was going to be a great feast and a ball.
Mage Mortagon was also there, but he didn't approach Elyre due to Aristhaeus's proximity to her.
Finally, music started playing.
"Shall we dance?" Aristhaeus asked Elyre.
"Yes," she said and whispered quietly, "but... you should know... I didn't have time to learn this kind of dance. On the bright side,--" She proudly showed him the fan in her hand, "I practiced holding my fan diligently. We could walk around and I can... hold my fan!"
"It's an easy dance. I will show you," he said and held out his hand.
The hall was so bright and, as she stood up against him, she felt it was the first time she saw his eyes so clearly. They were a very deep shade of blue and his hand was soft as he caught hers.
Her eyes were welcoming, even when she was shying away. So clear. Trusting eyes, even when she knew the truth. She looked down at her feet for an instant because she didn't know this dance, but then she quickly turned her eyes up to meet his. He returned her look. They stood like that for a moment. He wasn't dancing or trying to teach her. How long had this moment been? It could've been an eternity.
They danced when he took her hand. Like floating around the hall. Her hair looked like warm fire. He smiled... Or he didn't? It felt like a smile. His eyes smiled. Hers were peaceful. They looked at each other again. It was long after the music had stopped, but they still stood in the middle of the hall, catching the onlookers' attention. There was almost sadness in his eyes as the song was over.
***
The contest started soon. The first round passed quickly. The second round, in which the participants had to argue for or against something, was about to begin any moment. The participants gathered near the small stage.
The attention was drawn to the stage as the second round was announced. A short, slim man in official clothing spoke,
"…And the contestants who continue in round two are…"
He said ten names, including both Nymphica and Coralia.
After each name, he would make a pause, allowing time for the lady to come up on stage and curtsy.
The ten contestants ordered themselves in a line. Two servants came from both sides of the stage, each carrying a tray with five glasses of wine on it.
"…Congratulations to those who made it to round two in our contest! You are already winners. Let us celebrate this victory with a glass of wine before the final battle!"
The servants presented a glass to each lady. Then, under the continuous applause of the audience, the ten drank the wine. Elyre clapped her hands very enthusiastically as she was happy that both Coralia and Nymphica made it.
Until, suddenly, Coralia collapsed on stage.