What waited for us on the outside of the carriage was not a mass of people to gawk and whisper amongst themselves as we passed like I had envisioned, but rather, just other ball attendees leaving their own carriages and striding through the open doors of a massive white brick castle exterior. The castle put our manor to shame in terms of size. The massive circular road made of evenly planted stone surrounded a waterfall displaying a nude woman with outstretched palms and long flowing hair. It gave the impression of a gentle and loving space welcome to all. As we flowed among a crowd of beautifully decorated creatures like a tiny stream broken in parts by smooth stone, we made our way to the open doors where there were no guards, no one to vet the people who attend tonight's ball. The massive doors lead to a humble entryway decorated in florals of cream and pale pink and teal. We followed the slow and careful crowd through the archway to the right which opened itself to an enormous empty ballroom. The ceiling hung high and was painted in various detailed scenes of women holding their children, men standing in protective postures beside or behind them, and animals in peaceful unison amongst the characters as each panel was painted in a scene of day and night, day and then night. Large pearly pillars held the fantastic mural high above us. The sounds of quiet chattering and steps against the glossy stone beneath us began to fill the air as I remained looking skyward in awe. I had never seen such a scene of serenity and familial love portrayed so perfectly, as if the world were ever in genuine balance.
Assir wrapped an arm around me suddenly, pulling me from where I was standing in the walkway before I could get trampled over. "Thanks." I whispered.
"You should be careful, my lady." He teased, still holding me firmly under his arm. He then led the way to an area with less traffic on the opposite end of the room. An array of creatures still poured in from the archway as we settled ourselves into a quiet corner by one of the large pillars. I watched as groups began forming naturally. Those that knew each other began talking amongst themselves. One group in particular caught my eye as a young blonde girl, who looked human enough minus the tail, squealed when she saw and chased down another young girl in the crowd. The other girl had dark hair and skin to match, but I couldn't help but note the differences between their heights and the dark girl's pointed ears. They made me think of Von Mae and his warm skin that contrasted heavily to his snowy hair. The girls squealed and chattered in excited unison. "This will be those young ladies' first ball as well." Assir breathed quietly in my ear. I jumped in surprise to which he only replied with a 'pfft' into a curled hand.
"It's not nice to scare people." I stuck my tongue out at him in rebellion. I don't know what prompted me to do that, but I felt as if I was losing some kind of game if I let him get away with laughing at me. He shrugged, either ignoring my rebel or continuing our snide game. I wasn't sure which.
"Those girls are coming of age this year." He continued, "It is near time for them to begin searching for their first match. Though they aren't the subjects of tonight's ball, they will have the opportunity to mingle until midway through the party. The children leave so that the adults can play to their hearts' content when night comes." He gave me that devilish smile to which I responded with a hard elbow to his rib, obviously leaving zero damage to his body or his pride.
"A first match for what?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"A first match for their coupling ceremony." He stared down at me through his dark mask, his eyes shining in opposition to the void of black adorning his face.
"Do they have a ceremony more than once?" I asked in earnest, completely curious of the topic now.
"They might." He shrugged again, breaking our eye contact, and facing once more toward the empty space the young girls have left now vacant. "It isn't uncommon for a woman to take on multiple life partners."
"Multiple?" I gasped, "How many is multiple?" I was utterly shocked as I tried to do the math on my fingers. Multiple means… one… two… three… more than three? Right?
Assir chuckled under his breath. "I haven't witnessed a lady keep more than five partners, but it can be done under the right circumstances. Does this not occur on Earth?" He turned again towards me, waiting for an answer patiently.
"No…" I muttered, "Though it isn't common, it would usually be the other way around."
"A man having multiple ladies?" He sounded intrigued. "I have never seen such a thing in Prospertinia."
What a culture shock. I thought to myself before Assir returned a wave to a nearby man who seemed eager to start conversation.
"Lord Assir!" the older man called from a few paces away. "It has been a while since I have seen you around. I'm sure you've been busy with your lovely new lady friend." He turned his gaze to look me over. If I hadn't had a mask on, I might feel more nervous… and disgusted.
"Yes, I have been busy preparing my lady for tonight's pleasantries." Assir said, immediately switching over to that cool and serious tone of his. He is in work mode, I guess.
The man chuckled, his big belly rising and falling with every inhale and exhale. He peered again at me from under his grey mask and bushy green eyebrows. Some of those hairs pushed past his mask like thick blades of grass between blocks of cement. I struggled to maintain my composure at the mental image.
"It is nice to meet you sir." I said plainly, dipping into my gentle curtsey.
"The name is Lord Qual. It's my pleasure," he sang to himself before saying, "Perhaps I will request a dance from you later, miss…" He turned to Assir raising those grassy brows in a questioning manner.
"My lady's name is Eve." He stated bluntly.
"Beautiful!" The man exclaimed before taking a bow and trotting away.
"Tsk." Assir's theoretical mask slipped from his face. Work mode was over. "I doubt you would be interested in a man like that, but I will warn you ahead of time, he is known to push boundaries just to the point of avoiding trouble for himself. He is a sow." An expression I hadn't seen before claimed Assir's facial features. It was disgust.
"A sow indeed." I nodded along.
Assir cracked a smile at that and said, "I forgot my lady is good at reading people. I guess I have nothing to worry about then."
The lighting of the room started to dim, and the conversation died down in response. A short man in staff apparel stood atop the stairs in the front of the room, the only light shining directly upon him. As he spoke, Assir held his bent arm out for me to pretzel my own arm into. "Now announcing, our beloved emperor and empress of Prospertinia!" The crowd bowed in unison, Assir and I following along. "Please rise!" We rose.
Atop the stairs two women stood arm in arm. One in elegant white men's dress wear and the other in a shiny silver mermaid style dress to match. The taller woman in men's attire wore her strawberry hair in a ponytail spilling from the back of her head in massive waves. Her skin was of yellow undertones and tanned. She waved and bowed in unison to her partner of a darker, rich complexion. This lovely woman wore her hair in an afro style decorated with a bouquet's worth of white flowers. She cluttered her arms in silver bangles and around her neck she adorned a matching cuff of ringlets. The couple was stunning, and they clung to one another like a pair of doves in their nest.
"Now announcing, the first prince of Prospertinia, Sir Leon." The little man bowed again before backing up slowly, allowing the stage to the royal family. The prince appeared before the stairs next to his parents. He looked a lot like his masculine mother. His hair in strawberry tones of red carrying the aura of a man accustomed to being in the limelight.
As the Emperor and Empress made way down the series of pearly stairs broken into few sets by short rows of blue stone platforms, the prince following gracefully behind them, the room remained still. Upon the last step, the Emperor guided her lady by the hand over the last hurdle to the dancefloor. Music filled the air as they strode along the floor, the masses breaking apart in the wake. All creatures made way, clearing the circular dancefloor, and the two most prominent figures in the room had their first dance among the gazes of hundreds. Each of their steps shown a couple of unbreakable union, though no words or expressions were exchanged between them. Their steps were utterly perfect as they melted into one another, one being, one breath shared between them. A match that could have only been created by the heavens. I decided.
The music came to a gentle end and a roar of applause took its place to fill the air. The prince, who had halted at the bottom of the stairs when the dance began, now joined his family in the very center of the large, rounded floor. Applause faded slowly, and the emperor rose her hand, placing it over her heart before blessing the room with an unwavering smile. "My loyal subjects of Prospertinia," she began, her voice echoing around the room as if it were an auditorium of sorts. "I welcome you to our 30th annual Introduction Ball. For some of you this is a first, and for others, this is your 30th. On this gracious day we welcome four newcomers into the lands of Prospertinia. Our goddess has blessed us, yet again, with the beauty, talent, and cunning of other realms. It is my wish that these fine women bring upon new life and perspective to these lands, just as so many before them."
The Empress, in all her pure and feminine glory, took on the full attention of the crowd as her own hand rose and patted carefully over her full heart. Her voice chimed like a delicate songbird, "My beautiful peoples, today we introduce you to new worlds, new beginnings, and new growth. The loveliest and richest of souls have come today to live out the rest of their lives among us. I will begin the introductions at last." She smiled brightly, as if she harnessed the beauty of dawn in her very essence.
"Lady Almai, of the world Ghana."
From the crowd, a creature emerged in sparkling light, another figure following steadily behind her. The female creature broke free from the crowd that blocked her view and slithered into the free space amongst the royals. She bore the head, bust, and waist of a human woman, but below; a long tail embossed in scales of ember. Tribal markings on all parts of her that were skin like took on rounded shapes and accentuated every curvature of her body of which only scraps of dainty fabric covered her breasts and waist in silk folds. Fiery hair crawled along her shoulders and down her spine in tight curls. Her looks were as deadly as they were inviting. I decided she would have fed on the nightmares of lustful men if I had written her into a story of my own, even without seeing her face behind the blank mask. The woman dipped her human half toward the royals before settling into her coiled tail and facing among the crowd. The man crouching to Almai's side was nothing special to look at. He had every feature of a background character with soft features and a quiet aura. He was only a blur compared to the fierceness of the beauty beside him, like a common squirrel next to a viper of many brilliant colors.
"Lady Elize, of the world Ether."
Another figure emerged. Except this time, as the crowd created a path for the user to walk, no glimpse could be seen of the figure stepping ahead of the man that followed her. The man towered over most creatures in the crowd, carrying a pair of blackened grey wings, appearing tattered in places. He wore a suit of matching black and hid his face behind a full mask of multicolored feathers. Ahead of him, a tiny figure broke finally from the sea of peoples. Her shape was small and humble. She bore no curves of a woman who had filled out. Her pale blonde hair, like that of the man's behind her, was done up in a circular braid like a halo adorning her head. Her gown was of frail fabric that drug along the floor behind her, falling from her waist and arms, piling along the floor like snowfall. Her back remained bare as the dress draped in a crescent of white just above her posterior. I noticed, also, two vertical markings along her shoulder blades. Her mask was only a clear veil of shimmering white fabric and held back the stare of intoxicating hazel eyes. She curtseyed toward the royals, crossing her bare feet below her. Her movements were like that of a dancer, all meticulously planned. Turning toward the man behind her, she lifted a hand and pointed downward. It was a silent command, and he obeyed happily. He stooped to her side on one knee and grinned to himself. Something told me these two were not strangers to one another.
"Lady Eve, of the world Earth."
I staggered at the mention of my name, feeling like a deer in headlights as that sparkling light found me toward the back of the crowd. Assir placed a calming hand over my arm that now clung stiff to his own in our premade knot. He must have seen this coming. "It is time, my lady." He whispered, swiping an encouraging thumb over my tight gripping of his sleeve. I let out a small breath of air before loosening that grip and guiding Assir towards the center of the room. The deep sea of creatures parted with my every cautious step forward. I tried to focus on keeping my head raised and my posture poised, anything but the eyes heating my back. From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the two young girls from earlier on. They held each other tightly, hand in hand. Both of their eyes wide, in absolute awe. "Isn't she stunning?" The taller girl said to the smaller. The blonde girl nodded slowly in response.
In that moment, I remembered the face of the girl in that mirror. She was stunning. She was everything I strove to become; confident, radiant, endearing. She was the embodiment of female whims and whiles. I sent a small smile to the two young girls that reminded me of my inner beauty before stiffening my spine and setting my eyeline toward my target, the royal family. When I cleared the mass of people, everyone gawked. I felt the energy in the room shift. I met the emperor's eyes and my body moved on its own. I curtseyed gracefully at the center of everyone's attention. I was the very essence of elegance, and I owned the room entirely in this moment. Assir matched my grace and stepped in line beside me, falling smoothly to one knee and holding the other in his opposite hand while bowing his head.
"Lady Lillian, of the world Earth."
My ears stung at the word 'Earth." There is another woman from earth? I thought to myself, as I carefully scanned the crowd for this mysterious woman. There, toward the middle of the horde, a figure of a woman with two arms, two legs, and no extra anythings. She took wary steps towards the rest of the ladies and the royals waiting for her in center. Her hair was jet black and hung in loose curls at elbow length. She held the frills of her deep blue gown tightly between her fingers in front of her. Her body language was that of a prey caught in a snare, as her eyes remained glued to the outstretched floor ahead of her. I understood that feeling. Her small face remained mostly hidden behind a bejeweled mask of silver gleam, but she bit at her bottom lip profusely, nonetheless. Black lace trim decorated her gown at the edges. The gown was beautiful but had her stiff arms and head that caved inwards not covered the majority of her bust, her breasts would have easily been the focus of everyone's awe. She came into the clearing, still clutching at her dress desperately, before giving her nervous curtsey and falling into line to my left.
Given the body language the girl displayed during her entire journey here, I hadn't noticed the man standing behind her until he took a knee between us. From my somewhat obstructed view, I could only tell that his hair was a silver color in a short style slicked back on his head. He wore a splendid suit of black as well, like all the other men, like it was a theme Assir didn't get the memo for. Under the man's black jacket poked a matching blue colored shirt. His mask covered his entire face in blue flecks of what looked like lapis and was tied by strings of black lace slipping under his silver strands. My shadow covered the body that knelt beside me, and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me as his form seemed to waver in it.
"Welcome new subjects of Her, to Prospertinia!" The Empress sounded, reaching every inch of the room. "We wish you happiness, love, and prosperity! Now, let the dancing begin!"
As the crowd began to sway and music overtook silence, some making their way to the dancefloor and others to the tables filled to the brim with various dishes now circling the room, the crouched man to my left vanished along with the other Earthwoman beside him. But before I could comprehend anything, Assir took me by the hand and lead me hastily to one of the tables in the corner.