Chapter 4 The white witch

He stood at the top of the stairs and stared down at the crowd of people his mother had so graciously thought to make a part of this big night.

Ace felt himself flinch at the thought.

Was it indeed a big night for him? Today, he was supposed to choose a woman who he would be with for the rest of his life - his mother had arranged this night, even when he tried to fight it.

As he took deep breaths in and out, he took steps down the stairs, not sure of what it was he was to expect.

His mother and Edward, his dearest cousin and brother, had made it to the ballroom before him, in order to attend to the guests and make sure that everything was going smoothly.

Inside his black gloves, his palms were sweating profusely.

Ace did not want to be here at all. He would have been anywhere but here; up in his chambers playing harp. Reading Shakespeare, anything but down here walking into the biggest decision of his life.

Ace had tried to tell himself times without number that he did not care about what was going to happen, but he knew that it was a lie he told himself.

He wanted to hope, but to him, hope was a fool's game. Fate had not been so kind to him, who was he to harbor faith in life?

Still, he would be a part of this endless charade for his mother. Ace would do anything for the woman who housed him in her womb for all those months.

He now stood in the middle of the staircase, clad in a black tunic coat, black sleeves that were held together with golden cuffs and buttons. The crown on his head adorned with onyx stones matched his outfit excellently.

On sight of him, the trumpeters and all the instrumentalists rose, their classical tune was to usher him in.

As heads turned to his direction, people stared at him in awe. Ladies, both old and young, scurried to the front to get a glimpse of the handsome alpha prince.

It was known that night that none of the portraits they had ever seen in the city or in the villages did him justice.

Ace feigned a smile and bowed in courtesy to all his loyal subjects.

When he raised his head, he sought for his mother in the crowd of women. Her diamond crown announced itself immediately, Edward was standing close to her, his eyes on Ace.

He tilted his head a little, a signal for Edward to call his mother. With a curt nod and a wink, Edward turned to the Queen and tapped her shoulder.

Hera turned to him, a frown on her face. When Edward leaned into her and whispered something into her eyes. Her eyes lit up with a smile as she turned to the staircase where Ace stood. A forced smile plastered on his face.

Hera chuckled and walked towards the staircase. As she did so, people paved the way for her, allowing her to walk freely to her son. Edward stayed behind to watch his cousin's face.

When Hera climbed up the steps to where her son stood, Ace's smile eased off his face. This time, a genuine one crept into his lips, making obvious the dimples on both his cheeks.

"May I have your first dance, my queen?" Ace spoke aloud. Hera smiled and looked over her son. Standing in front of her now, she realized how much he resembled his father; her late husband.

Hera brushed her hands against her white dress and placed her right hand in her son's outstretched one. With his left hand behind his back, Ace lowered himself and planted a kiss on his mother's hands adorned with white silk gloves.

"Of course, you shall." Hera replied, sending her son a wink that caused him to roll his eyes in amusement.

"Let's go mother."

Everyone watched in awe. Mother and son looked so lovely and in sync with each other. Hera dressed in all white, and her son in all black, there could not have been a better contrast.

As they took to the dance floor, others joined them.

"The first dance!"

"I cannot but imagine how you managed to pull such a crowd, mother."

Hera blushed at her son's compliment. Her right brow arched in mock query.

"Are you impressed?"

"Rather alarmed." Ace replied. Hera stretched her hands as she pulled away from her son, a move that the first waltz expected of her. With a swift spin, she ended in her son's arms again.

"Why now? I made sure that there were so many pretty maidens here tonight. You should be happy."

Ace wrapped his right arm around his mother's waist.

"Well mother, it might interest you to know that I now search for the closest exit out of this place."

Hera giggled against Ace's broad shoulders.

"Then, I must let you know that Edward has specifically made sure you would not be able to walk out of any doors."

Amused, Ace threw his head back as he laughed.

"Would my guards defy me?"

"They would not want their heads chopped off by Edward either."

"I am very well capable of eating them alive. Zebulon would be rather excited."

Hera laughed and shook her head. I suppose that leaves them in an incredibly tight spot then..." Her gaze flickered away to their left, and she suddenly smiled, her eyes brightening even more.

Curious, Ace turned to the direction of his mother's gaze. His eyes greeted the sight of a laughing woman. Hair as brown as chestnut, eyes as bright as the moon and a smile as celestial as that of a goddess.

She was in a blue gown, and currently dancing in the arms of an elderly man. Ace turned away immediately. With her charisma, he had not pegged her to be the type to go after older men.

As if hearing his thoughts, Hera spoke up.

"Eva Belarus. Daughter of Duke and late Duchess Belarus. The two have been all each other had since the death of the duchess three years ago. She was such a lovely lady."

Ace's eyes rested on the "couple." It was only now that he saw the resemblance between the two.

"Oh."

Hera smiled at him.

"Perhaps I should introduce you two. The Duke was a very good friend of your father, and he..."

When the instrumentalists brought the final chorus to an end, Ace disengaged himself from his mother.

"Oh. Would you look at that? The first dance is over."

Hera frowned.

"Ace..."

But he had his back turned to her already. He was going to find Edward, have drinks, and be alone for as long as he could. Until the second dance, when he was sure his mother would match him up with the Eva woman.

~•~

It was only when Elora brought Vincent to a halt - that is, after a long hour and thirty minutes battle of locating the palace - in front of the palace stable, that she realized she had left behind the most important thing she needed.

HER INVITATION CARD STILL LAY ON TOP OF HER DRESSING TABLE.

It was silly, seeing as she had gone through the stress of sedating her father's water with his keeping pills, and sealing out of the house with his horse, Vincent.

It was for this reason, that when the guard at the palace door asked that she produce it, she smiled at him instead.

Not even up to twenty seconds later, Elora found herself trying to explain how she had hurried out of the house, so much so that she had left the card behind. She was also trying to make the tall man understand that it was a one hour ride back to her home, and there was no way she could go and make it back in time.

At the end of her heartfelt speech, Elora found herself being held by the arm. The man's nails dug into her flesh and Elora winced in pain.

It was obvious that he had not believed her.

This must have been her punishment for stealing and running off with a stolen card. At the end, she had still been denied access to the ball.

Perhaps, she was never meant to be here after all.

She closed her eyes, even as her feet dangled in the air.

She wondered what Madam Delacroix would think of her after she got to hear of what had transpired. She would probably be laughed at.

The woman had gone through a lot to get this dress for her, it hurt Elora to disappoint her.

"My...my prince."

Elora suddenly heard the giant of a man who held her, mumble. Still, she did not open her eyes. He could do whatever he wanted to do, she did not care anymore.

"You would release the lady at once." She heard another voice growl.

Instantly, her feet touched the ground.

At this moment, Elora did not know if she was frightened. However, whatever she felt had her eyes firmly shut.

"Open your eyes." The smooth but thick baritone graced her ears again. Her body began to act against her will. Her eyelids parted, revealing eyes as dark as the night to her emerald green ones.

Ace had not understood the pressing urge to step outside. All of a sudden, his scars began to hurt badly, and the room became suffocating.

What was happening to him? He forced three glasses of champagne down his throat, but nothing worked to soothe his nerves.

Finally, he had surrendered to the dire need to step outside. Still, it seemed as if the wind controlled him, like he did not move of his own accord.

His injuries, spread all over his body, began to hurt once again.

It felt as though the wounds were being opened again.

This feeling was new, it had never happened before.

What was going on?

It was only when he had caught sight of the lady hooked in his guard's arm that the pains and drowsiness stopped.

Ace was curious, he needed to know why.

Everything about him was still again. It was almost as if the commotion happening within him had never .

But, now that she stood wide eyed in front of him, something in his chest knew why.

His pain stilled on sight of her, his heart softened only a bit. Her gaze locked him in a maze.

He was certain, he could not be wrong!

She...

Ace stepped back, partly frightened and partly angered.

Zebulon growled within him.

He shook his head, attempting to seize his staggering.

...SHE WAS A WHITE WITCH...!