It took almost three hours for the hand-maidens to get Candi ready for the Royal Ball, but Dante was in and out of the shower within fifteen minutes.
He came back out of his private quarters, dressed in a black suit, dark leathers shoes, and crisp white shirt with a black tie.
His normally spiky blue hair had been gelled back, revealing his dashing widow's peak that was normally hidden under all the spiky hair. The long spiky ends that reached his shoulder had been gathered and tied at his nape with a black bowtie.
As he came closer, she could smell the mossy woody scent of green grasses and wild heather.
Candi's jaw dropped. He looked and smelled good enough to eat.
"Do I match well enough with you?"
"You look amazing!"
Dante laughed.
"Thank you. I can't allow you to be too embarrassed to be seen with me. I even fixed my hair for you." He pointed to the perfectly styled hair that tamed the usual wild spikes he sported every day.
Candi laughed.
"You look perfect. Worn this way, I can see how you'd look with long hair."
Dante smiled.
"If long hair is what you wish, I will grow it out just for you."
He reached out and was about to usher her out the door when a patter of feet could be heard from behind them.
"Your Highness!" One of his aides rushed through the entry, panting.
"Please wait. Prince Jared just sent this. He said you would need it."
In the aide's hand was a small wood box.
Dante gestured with his eyes and the aide opened the box.
Within the velvet interior was an iridescent gossamer pinkish gold neck tie and kerchief with a large cushion cut diamond pin.
Candi gasped. It perfectly matched her wings!
Dante smiled and turned back to the aide, who quickly stripped the black tie off him and made short work of replacing it with the new tie.
He pinned the diamond to the tie, keeping it in perfect position and then tucked the kerchief into Dante's breast pocket. With a last tug to straighten the tie, the aide nodded.
"You two are now a perfectly matched pair."
Dante gave a satisfied nod and turned back to Candi.
"Shall we?" He held out his arm for her to take.
=======
The Royal Ball was already starting to get underway by the time Candi and Dante arrived.
The last time she was at the Palace, she had been carried in on Byron's arms so she missed seeing the outside of the castle.
It truly was magnificent.
The palace itself was built from a pinkish beige, cleft-cut, textured, fossilized stone. Many slabs, split along their natural grain, showed fossilized leaves, branches, feathers, and even bones of small starfish, shells and seahorses.
From afar, the castle exuded that shining castle-in-the-sky feeling that exemplified the power of the Erenveil Empire. Up close, it embodied warmth, class, and craftsmanship.
At the moment, there were pink lanterns and sashes of gold and red hung at the entrance to welcome the invitees.
As soon as Dante's transport pod hovered into place, they were immediately escorted to the gold carpet where they walked in together, through the throng of people waiting to be allowed in.
Since Dante was technically not an invitee but rather part of the Royal family, it was not as if he was allowed into the Royal Palace ahead of everyone else. People just assumed he was returning home from wherever it was he normally stayed.
Candi's eyes lit up as she walked past the double line of armed sentry standing at rapt attention. At the gate, the Gatekeeper bowed to the Second Prince and opened up.
Once they entered the outer yard, several people came up to escort them into the inner courtyard where the festivities began.
If the outer yard was grand, the inner courtyard was jaw-dropping.
Colored silk lanterns had been strung across walkways and hung on tree branches, glowing in pinks, oranges, yellows, blues, and greens. There were lanterns along the walkways and on the scattered tables. The entire place was lit up with lights from the outside in.
"This way, Your Royal Highness and Milady." More people came to escort them into the Grand Ballroom.
Suddenly, the scent of lavender and mimosa effused through the air, blending with the smell of lemon oil soap that had been used to clean the ballroom.
"Ahhh. Your Mother has done an amazing job organizing this Royal Ball." Candace breathed, looking around the glittering ballroom.
"That would be the Empress, who is most certainly not my mother. Speaking of whom," he gasped. "I want to introduce you to Mother when she gets here. I've told her all about you and she is excited to meet you."
Candi's eyes glowed.
"Oh I would love to meet your mother!"
He smiled. "She doesn't get out much any more, but she decided to come to the party because all the Avgo Females would be attending, and she is particularly a fan of yours."
Candi laughed. She had no idea she had actual fans.
They moved to the inner sanctum where the immediate family members were allowed to retreat to.
There were chaise lounges in convenient locations as well as a table filled with covered dishes of various finger foods along with the attendants ready to serve them if they did not want to partake from the dining table for the rest of the party-goers.
"Have a seat and I will see if Slate has arrived." Dante led her to one of the soft cushioned settees as an attendant came by with a tray filled with various drinks.
She gave a smile of thanks and took a glass with something white in it thinking it was water. One taste revealed that it was white alcoholic beverage.
She discretely placed it back on the table. No sense in getting wasted before the party even started. Tonight was a night that she needed to be on her toes.
The attendant saw her rejecting the drink and came back with another glass of clear liquid.
"Might I suggest this refreshing drink, Milady?"
Candi smiled and took the fluted glass. She took a quick sip.
Chilled water with a twist of lemon!
She nodded and smiled at the observant attendant. The woman was not much older than Candi herself and was not outstanding in face or demeanor.
She had brown hair and brown eyes and was dressed in the basic burgundy and gold Royal attendant outfit. In her unassuming manner, Coral simply melded into the background.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Coral, Milady."
"Are you one of the attendants for tonight's party?"
"My mother is the Empress' personal attendant. I take care of the needs of the immediate Royal family within the inner sanctum."
"Stay close to her, Coral." Dante spoke up. He had returned to her side.
"In fact, you will be her personal attendant for tonight's party. Make sure she is unharmed."
Coral's face lit up.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness."
Dante leaned over and whispered into Candi's ear.
"Coral is an assassin."