"You're on tonight" Consort Liyu tells Alea.
"Why? I performed last night"
"The prince is returning today and he would be in the pavilion tonight. You'll be performing. You too Feri. Am I clear?"
"Yes ma'am" they both responded.
When she had gone, Alea told Feri about her fear.
"Hmm, it's not illogical. You're right to fear him. He's known to be quite infernal"
"He's going to hear me sing tonight! He might just take me away and lock me in a tower or something"
"Wow Alea, jinxing yourself already"
"Oops. I can't help it"
"Don't worry about it. We're good for business so he won't just take us away from here. Relax"
"I hope you're right"
Alea tried to relax but she couldn't. Night came too fast and before she knew it, she was on the stage, strumming her harp. Her voice shook but it added to the allure of her song. Her voice was laced with emotions. It made her more ethereal, more enchanting.
She made the mistake of looking at the prince and he was absolutely captivated. His eyes were filled with an emotion she had seen before; a mad obsession. She couldn't run fast enough when she was done with her performance.
The night passed peacefully for her and she felt so much relief. The horror came in the morning. The prince had requested the audience of all the courtesans. Not knowing what to expect, Alea descended with Feri.
"Your highness" they all bowed. He didn't respond but just observed them. His eyes were casual, calculative. It seemed like he was a very open person on the outside but he had a lot to hide.
"Who's Alea?" He asks in a smooth baritone voice. Alea stepped out and bowed. A small smile appeared on his face as he picked a lock of her hair. Alea caught a glimpse of the obsession she had seen in his eyes the day before. She bit her lips so as to not flinch.
"The king would be having a birthday ball next week. The top floor courtesans would all go and perform for his majesty. Go and prepare. If anyone of you performs poorly, I'll send you back to the whorehouse"
"Yes your highness" they all bowed as he left.
Alea was surprised he didn't do anything drastic. Then again, she was going to his turf the following week so she wasn't out of the woods yet.
"You heard his highness. All five of you should go and prepare. The rest of you, go back to work" Consort Liyu says, clapping her hands. She was the manager now since the last one had been sent back to the whorehouse.
Since she wanted to impress the king, she chose a song she learnt when she was in the caravan. Diqa taught her the song and she loved it ever since. She didn't sing it because she was still in grief.
As the day of the ball approached, Alea shook off the nerves as an overreaction and prepared adequately. She added a touch of gold to her normally all-white outfit and used a mask instead of a veil.
The other three girls chatted excitedly in the carriage while Feri and Alea just stared at the sights. They also had to go through a portal, which was a dizzying experience.
The castle was grand and the decorations made it look more so. The other girls wondered why Alea or Feri didn't look amazed but soon lost interest in them.
They entered the castle and followed closely behind Consort Liyu. She instructed them to stand behind the stage where they would come out during their performances. She also told them they could explore after their performances.
She left them after taking them to the designated area so they waited. Alea tuned everything out while she waited, humming the song under her breath.
The other girls went out to perform at their orders. Alea and Feri waited for the prince's cue. It came soon enough with him hitting a spoon against his wine cup to get people's attention. She didn't know how it worked, but it did.
"Your majesty, you must've heard of the Golden Angel, right?" Prince Lee says. The King didn't respond but Alea assumed he nodded because of the Prince's next words.
"Well, I have brought her here tonight to sing for you. I hope you enjoy, your majesty"
The curtains opened and Alea started to sing.
"Hello, my precious jewel,
Have you forgotten my promises of love,
Of safety, joy, and happiness,
Have you forgotten,
I promised to hold you,
To never let go
To always be there
No matter the cost
Because, I love you and that's all that matters
Not even the gods could come between us,
My jewel
So wait for me,
I'll come back into your arms tonight..."
She sang with all her heart, tears pooling in her eyes as she remembered them. They promised to protect her, to cherish and love her. She missed them.
"I hope you enjoyed it, your majesty" she says at the end of her performance and gives a bow. The crowd erupts in applause.
As she rises from her bow and looks into the king's eyes, shock jolts through her entire body. Staring back at her, with equally surprised eyes, was Sol.
King Sol.