Weeks had passed since Lily and Lard's unsettling return to the High City. The memory of their strange disorientation upon waking, the nagging feeling of lost time, had faded into the background of their busy lives. The gala, the social event of the year, was upon them, and the glittering halls of the palace were abuzz with excitement.
Lily, resplendent in a gown of shimmering silk, moved through the crowd with practiced grace. She exchanged pleasantries with the assembled nobles, her laughter echoing through the ballroom. Lard, ever vigilant, trailed discreetly behind her, his eyes scanning the room for any potential threats.
The party was everything Lily had expected – a dazzling display of wealth, power, and social posturing. The nobles, clad in their finest attire, gossiped and flirted, their conversations filled with self-importance and thinly veiled disdain for those they deemed beneath them. Lily had attended countless such events, and usually, she would have reveled in the spectacle. Tonight, however, a strange sense of unease lingered within her.
As she made her way through the throng, she noticed a commotion near the edge of the ballroom. A group of nobles had gathered around a raised platform, their faces a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Intrigued, Lily approached, Lard close behind.
On the platform, a young royal, Lord Valerius, stood proudly beside a chained figure. The figure was tall and muscular, with pointed ears and sharp features. It was a half-blood, a creature of myth and legend, a being Lily had only ever seen in stories.
The half-blood stood silently, his gaze fixed on the floor. He wore tattered clothing, and his wrists were bound by heavy chains. Valerius, his face beaming with pride, gestured towards the captive creature.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, his voice ringing out across the ballroom. "I present to you a rare specimen, a creature of the wild, a half-blood captured in its natural habitat!"
The crowd gasped, their eyes wide with fascination. They had heard tales of these creatures, stories of their strength, their ferocity, their hatred for humans. Now, they were seeing one with their own eyes.
Lily, despite her initial curiosity, felt a pang of unease. There was something about the half-blood's posture, his quiet dignity in the face of captivity, that stirred something within her. She had never seen a half-blood before, not in person. The stories she had heard painted them as savage beasts, but this creature… he seemed different. He seemed… sad.
She turned to Valerius, her brow furrowed. "Lord Valerius," she asked, her voice low, "how did you… capture him?"
Valerius chuckled, a smug look on his face. "It was quite simple, Your Highness," he replied. "We set a trap. We knew they frequented the outskirts of the city, trading with the… less fortunate. They are hard to find, you know. They despise humans, and for good reason." He added the last part with a sneer.
"Trafficking?" Lily asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Valerius shrugged. "A necessary evil, Your Highness. These creatures are dangerous. It's best to keep them contained."
Lily looked at the chained half-blood, her heart sinking. She thought of the stories she had heard, the tales of the Galactic War, the conflict that had pitted humans against half-bloods. She had always accepted those stories, never questioning their veracity. But now, seeing this creature before her, she felt a flicker of doubt. Were they truly the savage beasts they were made out to be? Or were they simply… different?
The party continued, the spectacle of the captured half-blood becoming the evening's main attraction. The nobles crowded around the platform, their conversations filled with speculation and gossip. They marvelled at the creature's strength, its exotic features, its otherness. They treated it like a trophy, a curiosity, a symbol of their superiority.
Lily, however, couldn't shake the image of the half-blood's sad eyes from her mind. She felt a strange sense of empathy for the creature, a feeling she had never experienced before. She wondered about his life, his family, his world. She wondered what he was thinking, what he was feeling.
As the night drew to a close, Lily found herself standing on a balcony, overlooking the city. Lard stood beside her, silent and watchful.
"This is all so… pointless," Lily said, her voice soft. "All this pomp and circumstance, all this… shallowness."
Lard raised an eyebrow. "Since when did Your Highness start to care about such things?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Lily shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "Something just feels… different. I used to enjoy these parties, the attention, the glamour. But tonight… it all feels so empty."
Lard was silent for a moment, then spoke carefully. "Perhaps… perhaps your recent… experience… has changed you, Your Highness," he suggested. "Perhaps it has given you a new perspective."
Lily looked at him, her eyes searching his. "Do you think so?" she asked.
Lard nodded slowly. "I do," he replied. "You seem… more thoughtful, more… concerned. It's as if you've seen something that has opened your eyes to the world beyond the palace walls."
Lily was silent, pondering his words. She thought of the half-blood, his chained wrists, his sad eyes. She thought of the stories she had heard, the tales of the Galactic War. She thought of the strange feeling she had experienced, the flicker of empathy, the seed of doubt.
"Maybe you're right, Lard," she said finally. "Maybe I have changed. Maybe… maybe I'm starting to see things differently."
She looked out at the city, its lights twinkling like stars in the night sky. It was her world, her home, her kingdom. But tonight, it felt different. It felt… smaller. She wondered what lay beyond the city walls, beyond the borders of her world. She wondered about the half-bloods, their culture, their society. She wondered about the void, the vast expanse of space that stretched out beyond their reach.
A new curiosity had awakened within her, a desire to learn, to understand, to explore. She didn't know where this new path would lead her, but she knew that she couldn't ignore it. She had a feeling that her life was about to change, that she was on the verge of a discovery, a revelation that would reshape her understanding of the world, and her place within it. The kidnapping, the lost time, the strange feeling of disorientation – perhaps they were not just a random event, but a catalyst, a turning point in her life. Perhaps they were a whisper from the void, a call to adventure, a challenge to her perceptions. And Lily, princess of the High City, was ready to answer.