A/N: Hello, everyone! I am here to inform that while I believe this story can stand on its own, it is the sequel to another story, Veiled Intentions. I think that if you read VI first, this story will make a lot more sense, but I also think that if you want to read this by itself, that’s fine too. So whatever your choice… Please enjoy!

One

Friends, Foes, and Favors

Setena has undoubtedly entered into a time of change. A mere five years have passed since our long-absent god Irian returned and defeated his former servant, the maniacal and powerful Etern, yet who can recognize the face of our country now? What was previously a nation full of discord and uncertainty has transformed in the blink of an eye. That brings up an important question – how is it that, just when things seem to be at their worst, they become drastically and unimaginably better?

All hope seemed lost five years ago. The beloved but sickly Crown Prince Averance went missing. Lord General Luvic Adare was brutally attacked and, with little notice, had to hand his job over to his young son. The Thieves’ Guild in Treadice made the crime rate run more rampant than ever. Leadership in the provinces was weakening.

However, it seems that people perform their best work in the direst of circumstances. The prince returned from his time away, reinvigorated and even better prepared to take the throne. The new Lord General proved his mettle by performing his job admirably and leading the Setenian forces to defeat Etern’s army. The Guild fell apart after the war and has since been reformed into a rehabilitation center, sponsored by the High Priestess. And the king has passed new laws that allow the citizens to become better informed and more involved in the current goings-on of Setena.

In this book, I hope to analyze the most important events that occurred in the past five years. But I would like to start this work by saying that in my lifetime, I don’t think the future of Setena has ever been as bright as it is right now.

- From the introduction to Alanser Damyan’s “Turning Tides: Setena’s Drastic Transformation Over The Past Five Years”

--

“Oh, isn’t that book just dreadful?” I cried when I saw Ripha poring over the pages of Alanser Damyan’s latest tome. “Averance gave that to me for my twentieth birthday. That boy doesn’t know how to buy gifts for people – I think you should know that.”

“Oh!” Ripha half-shrieked, and stuffed the book back on the shelf. “Well, Alanser Damyan was my tutor for a time, so I thought perhaps…”

“You should read his work?” I finished. “Trust me, honey; even the most engaging teacher can be the driest writer you will ever read.”

The corners of Ripha’s mouth turned up ever so slightly, though there was no light in her eyes. Part of me wanted to go over and shake her. If she wanted to join the upper echelon of nobility in Setena, she at least had to learn how to fake a smile. When I said nothing, her ‘smile’ faded, so I took her by the arm and pushed her into a stuffed turquoise chair.

“Now what did you need advice about?” I asked.

Ripha’s spine straightened like a plank of wood. “Well, I have always admired your eye for fashion and appearance, Princess. I hoped you would, uh, help me plan my hairstyle and makeup for the Day of Unveiling ball.”

Five years ago, I may have scowled and rejected her flat out. But now… I certainly couldn’t do that to a girl who might become the future queen of Setena.

“Well, I am very busy,” I said. “I have my own costume to take care of, and several friends coming from out of town whom I need to attend to, and escort preparations to be made…”

What I hated about Ripha was her ability to look like a small, vulnerable child, even at the age of eighteen. Her wide brown eyes became watery puddles; her small mouth formed a perfect pout; her pale, smooth brow became wrinkled with worry. She was a fairly pretty girl – prettier than her legendary sister, even, who needed an inordinate amount of face-paint to look halfway decent – but her sad look transformed her into a pathetic little waif. All right, so boy seemed to like that. But I couldn’t stand it.

Ripha turned into that small, wretched version of herself just then, all hunched over with her hands folded tightly together. “R-Really? Because, I don’t know who else to ask. M-My mother and sister decided to stay home this year, with little Sharidan to take care of, a-and the only one here with me is my brother, a-and my parents never really let me come to court until this year, s-so I don’t know anyone well enough to – ”

“All right, all right!” I thrust a handkerchief at her. “Dry your tears. I will help you to the best of my ability.”

“You will? Oh, thank you, Quisa; thank you ever so much!”

“It’s not a problem,” I said dully. “My brother is courting you, after all, so I suppose you should get special preference.”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want you to help me just because – ”

“I want to help you,” I said firmly. “In fact, I think you could greatly use the help.”

“Oh. Um, all right, then.” She dabbed her eyes with the handkerchief. “Uh, so has Averance explained our costumes yet? Or do you want me to – ”

“Averance already told me,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re going as a prince and a princess.”

The same costume that at least half of the attendants would wear.

“A Caladian prince and princess,” Ripha put in. “Averance had his men fetch a Caladian dress, just for me! I really couldn’t believe it, but… The dress is absolutely gorgeous.”

“Yes. He showed it to me.”

And it looked like any other dress one might find in Setena.

“He said the hair and makeup were undefined, though,” Ripha went on. “There’s nothing specific to base anything on, so… I just want to look as good as possible! Whatever you think would look best, I’m willing to try. I trust your judgment.”

“I see.” I crossed my legs. “Well, why don’t you let me think of something tonight, and we can discuss it again tomorrow? That gives you plenty of time to change your mind before the Day of Unveiling in two days.”

Ripha bobbed her head up and down. “Yes, yes, that sounds wonderful! What time would you like to meet?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t I just send you a message?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll simply wait in my room until I receive word.”

I pictured her, then, sitting patiently on a neatly made white bed, fully dressed in outwear and boots, and staring mindlessly at the wall. She could be waiting for a very long time.

“Good. See you tomorrow.”

This went to be her dismissal, but it took her a full thirty seconds to realize that the conversation had ended. She stood up, waved gaily, and then half-walked, half-ran to the door.

“Oh, Averance,” I muttered when she’d gone. “The things I do for you.”

I wondered if he would ever deserve any of my favors.

--

After I put the finishing touches on Ripha’s hair two nights later, I took a step back and admired my handiwork. Though Ripha had dull, dirt-colored hair, it was also straight and easy to work with. Putting her long locks into a series of complex twists was the best thing I could do for her.

“It looks wonderful!” she gushed. “I love it!”

“Don’t touch!” I snapped, and her hand froze in mid-air. “I don’t want you ruining my hard work.”

“Of course. Thank you so much, Quisa.”

“I’ve called some women to help you with your makeup,” I said, motioning to the new arrivals in the room. “Now would you mind scooting over? I have to get myself ready now.”

She obediently slid over on the marble bench in front of my vanity, and the women crowded I around her. I sat down and regarded myself in the sprawling mirror. I knew that I received a good deal of attention around here thanks to my looks, but I knew that wasn’t because I was the prettiest girl in the room – it was because I knew how to emphasize my best assets.

I put some light power and liner around my eyes to highlight their hazel color – a mysterious amalgamation of gray, green, and blue. Averance had similar eyes, but I believed mine were more entrancing, while his were often dull and vacant. My lips were on the fuller side, so I played that up with bright red paint. Then I applied rose-colored rouge to my cheeks so they wouldn’t fade in to the background, and cause me to look like a lifeless porcelain doll.

Then came my hair. I’d let it grow out long; it nearly reached my elbows. I liked to describe my hair as a blend of golden and amber tones, which greatly contrasted with the pale, lifeless blond that Averance was stuck with. Really, I didn’t understand why people sometimes said we looked alike. I dragged a brush through my hair until it shone like the gold it was supposed to resemble. Then I plaited my hair into two tight braids before arranging them on my head and pinning them up in an elegant manner.

“What are you going to the ball as again?” Ripha asked, her little brow wrinkled again. “I don’t believe you or Averance ever mentioned it.”

“Why, isn’t it obvious?” I said, gesturing to the flaming yellow dress that lay across my bed. “I’m going as the sun.”

The dress had been custom-made for me. Sewn into the neckline, the sleeves, the waist, and the hem were golden-yellow topazes that glittered when the light hit them. The material was soft and smooth, like velvet, but it took on the guise of silk. The dress fit my top half snugly, showing off my curvaceous figure, while the bottom half flowed freely, hiding my less desirable short and stocky legs. In the past five years, I had grown all of two inches, so after I’d slid the dress on and had Ripha tie it for me, I put on some yellow shoes that had four-inch heels. Finally, I clipped an opulent golden chain, displaying five large red rubies, around my neck. When I was finished, I proudly observed myself in the mirror.

“You look…” Ripha breathed.

“Radiant?” I finished. “Yes, I know.”

Even if Averance and Ripha were going as a prince and a princess, I was most certainly going to outshine them.

I glanced at the clock in the corner. “We should go to the Curtain Room so my mother doesn’t have a fit.”

I opened the door and stepped into the hallway with a flourish. Castle Sederia was already bustling around me, as people clad in all sorts of costumes – trolls, fairies, Aegia, various types of plant-life and animals – hustled to and fro, with servants trailing after them. The large human presence greatly reduced the grand appearance of hallways, whose walls displayed mounted weapons, portraits, and tapestries. It didn’t bother me so much, though; I was so used to living here that the lavishness of the place hardly fazed me anymore.

The Curtain Room was only a few rooms down the hall from my own. It was a small, sparsely decorated room that contained seating and a cabinet that held my father’s secret stash of alcohol. A door in the room led into the palace’s grand ballroom, arguably the largest room in Castle Sederia. Every Day of Unveiling, my family and our escorts would meet here so we could ascend the grand staircase in the ballroom and officially begin the ball.

Two guards bowed to me and Ripha and opened the door for us. I swept inside.

“We’re here!”

“Why, Quisa! Just look at you!”

“I already did, Mother,” I replied, nonchalantly walking to the center of the room and taking a seat on a red velvet settee. “Didn’t I do an excellent job on Ripha’s hair, also?”

“Yes,” my brother Averance replied mindlessly, though he was staring right at the poor girl’s chest.

I rolled my eyes. The dress he’d ordered for Ripha was a few sizes too small for her, but I almost suspected he’d done that on purpose. I had never pegged my brother down as a pervert earlier on in life, but it was undeniable that people changed. Ripha seemed undisturbed by Averance’s rude staring. Instead, she practically bounced up and down in that silly pinkish frock of hers and let Averance slip his arm through hers.

“You look stunning as well, dear,” my mother said to Ripha. “That dress suits you.”

I wished Ripha had been paying more attention. Then she would know that my mother, the current queen of Setena, was lying through her teeth – exactly what a queen had to do, when the occasion called for it.

“I agree,” my father added. “Everyone has cleaned up quite nicely.”

He smiled at my mother, and she smiled back coyly, making me want to vomit into the nearest vase. They were in their forties, for goodness sake – not teenagers. And though they looked all right for their age – my father still had a full head of dark hair, and my mother hadn’t grown any gray hairs amongst her blond locks, either – they were still too old for things like that.

Then doors flew open, and in stumbled my escort, the stick-thin, raven-haired Winn Selden.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, and then let out an unpleasant hiccup.

My parents regarded him with a wall of icy silence.

“Lost track of the time,” he added.

“It’s all right, Winn!” I cried, running over to him and grasping his arm. “The ball hasn’t started yet. In fact, you’re right on time.”

“Oh, good,” he mumbled. “Uh, do you mind if I sit down for a moment?”

Without waiting for a reply, he nearly collapsed onto the settee. Now everyone at the room had their eyes on him, but no one said a word. He slumped in his seat and took deep breaths.

“…Are you all right, son?” my father asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

Winn leaned forward and put his hand in my hands. My mother pantomimed drinking out of a wine glass to my father, and he nodded knowingly in response. Then they both turned on me, their expressions grave. I shrugged. How was I supposed to know Winn would show up like this – drunk and confused?

I’d really only picked Winn because he was on the shorter side, and he wouldn’t eclipse me – haha, no pun intended – when we walked into the ball. I’d had a large selection of boys to choose from, but I’d eliminated many of them because I found them to be boring, bad dancers, or perverted. Winn was fun-loving, talkative, and a decent dancer, so why shouldn’t I have picked him?

“Are you sure you can walk into the ball like this?” my mother asked impatiently after two minutes had passed without Winn moving.

“Of course, your majesty,” he slurred.

He stood up, and then promptly fell right back onto the couch, his eyes rolling back into his head. I let out a surprised yell. My father and a number of guards rushed over, and began to poke and prod Winn.

“He’s out,” my father confirmed.

“Will he be all right?” my mother cried.

“He should be,” he replied. “He just fainted.”

We all continued to stare at the crumpled Winn for a few more moments, unmoving. Then…

“What am I supposed to do?” I cried. “I don’t have an escort, and the ball starts… now!”

“She can’t go in alone, Sevall,” my mother said sharply. “Maybe you can escort me, and then go back up and escort Quisa. Or maybe Averance can go with both Quisa and Ripha at once.”

“No,” I said. “Irian, no. I will not be the pathetic third wheel. I’ll be the laughingstock of the night. I need an escort, and I need one now.”

“We could wait until he wakes up,” Ripha said quietly.

“That won’t be any time soon,” my father said.

“Then what should I do?” I cried, my heart pounding like a timpani drum. “I-I can’t go in without an escort! I just can’t!”

“Quisa, calm down.” Averance took a step forward, his face stonily straight. “Callin never picked a female escort. He can walk you into the party.”

“Callin?” I repeated. “You mean one of those Caladian muscles who follow you around all of the time?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Actually, he’s a Caladian diplomat – I’m surprised you’ve forgotten.”

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” I choked out. “I just… I don’t…”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” my mother said hastily. “Thank you, Averance. Can someone send a message to Callin? Wherever he might be?”

“I think he’s already inside the ballroom,” Averance said. “But it won’t take him long to come here.”

I sank down onto the couch opposite of Winn and stared at the blaring skirt of my dress. How could things have gone so wrong? I didn’t want to go into the party with Callin, of all people. He and Averance’s other Caladian lackey, Zenus, were perhaps the scariest men I had ever seen. They were all muscle and no bone. They towered over me like Castle Sederia towered over the city. They had dark, unsmiling eyes and joyless shaved heads. I didn’t even know how old they were – young enough, but too old for me. Right?

Before I knew it, the doors were opening again, and there stood Callin. He was not dressed extravagantly; in fact, he wore his traditional ‘fancy’ Caladian garb – a white blouse with puffy sleeves, and brown pants. He’d worn that outfit for every single Day of Unveiling since he’d come to Setena.

“My assistance is needed?” he said, giving a stiff bow.

“Callin, I’m sorry to foist this task on you at the last second,” Averance said, “but would you mind escorting my sister Quisa into the ball? Her escort has been... incapacitated.”

Callin’s eyes traveled from my brother to me. Then they moved to my chest. Perfect. Just perfect.

“Of course,” he said. “Not a problem.”

All right, I did bring it on myself. I had worn a tight, low-cut dress. But still. Why couldn’t these supposedly respectable people control themselves?

“Shall I take your arm, Princess?”

“Fine,” I said. “If we must do this.”

I winced as his bulging arm muscles slipped around my much more slender arm. I hoped he didn’t inadvertently rip my dress sleeve. It was made of delicate, expensive material, and he would pay for it if he ruined it in any way.

“If that’s all settled,” my father said, “let’s go. Men? Can you take care of, uh, Quisa’s former escort?”

I watched them drag Winn’s body out the door as other guards flung the ballroom doors open, and my parents walked forward to descend the stairs.

“I’m sorry, Winn,” I muttered, though I wasn’t sorry for him – I felt sorrier for myself.

“Presenting His and Her Royal Highnesses, King Sevall and Queen Lerusa Sederes!”

I couldn’t see the crowd yet, but I could hear them cheering. I rolled my eyes at the thought of the nobility of Setena. They acted friendly to me, Averance, and my parents’ face, and then gossiped about us to no end when we had walked away.

“Presenting Her Royal Highness, Princess Quisa Sederes, and her escort, Sir Winn Selden!”

It was too bad they hadn’t had a chance to inform the announcer that Winn was not my actual escort. But oh well. It would give those bored, mindless nobles something to yammer on about for a while – another topic besides me.

I plastered a closed-mouthed smile on my face and walked down the steps. Callin managed to keep up with me, thankfully, though I avoided looking at him. I focused all of my energy on the ballroom’s crystal chandelier, which hung from the domed, fresco-covered ceiling. That way, I wouldn’t have to look at the shocked and confused faces of the people below me.

“And presenting His Royal Highness and heir to the throne, Crown Prince Averance Sederes, with his escort, Lady Ripha Delmadian!”

People erupted into applause. I could almost feel Averance’s toothy smile behind me, and Ripha’s red-faced embarrassment. It was ironic, really – if Ripha had been Averance’s escort five years before, they would’ve been a perfectly identical pair. Today, they couldn’t have been more ill-matched.

When we had reached the smooth marble floor, I darted away from Callin. He seemed unperturbed and stood aside politely. When Averance and Ripha joined us, the entry ritual was complete, and the crowd fell back into its chaotic state. Music played for some corner in the room, but no one danced yet – the first official dance would occur in half an hour. This time was set aside for formalities – greetings and admirations.

“Shall I dance the first dance with you as well, Princess?” Callin asked, suddenly looking right into my eyes.

A chill went down my spine – and not a good chill. I wanted to say no, but I had to dance.

“Yes. But right now, I have some friends to greet.”

He bowed his head. “Of course. I’ll be waiting.”

I turned on my heel and walked away, in no particular direction. I could feel him staring at me as I went. Something just wasn’t right with those Caladians, and I’d always sensed it. They’d practically transformed Averance into a different person, so how could they be normal?

I pushed through the crowd aggressively, though people shouted out to me, complimenting my dress and asking how I was. I yelled one-word answers and kept moving, keeping my eyes open for the few people in this party whom I actually wanted to spend time with – and for the few people I most definitely didn’t. The last thing I wanted was to have an unpleasant run-in with a former flame of mine. I’d had flings with a variety of boys in the past, but it was never problematic; the new boy would always protect me from the old, sometimes angry boys. But this time… Well, I didn’t have an escort. I only had myself to rely on. So my strategy was simply to keep moving.

I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to avoid being blocked or grabbed onto. I emerged from the crowd, and found myself on the outskirts of the expansive ballroom. I proceeded to scan the groups of people lurking in the corners.

“Quisa! Over here!”

I whirled around, and thankfully, saw my silver-clad, sandy-haired friend Caedra making her way towards me.

“Caedra, this is absolutely terrible!” I exclaimed. “Did you see how I walked in with that hulking Caladian mongrel? It’s because my idiotic escort got completely drunk and then passed out, right in front of my entire family! So Averance, always the hero, suggests that Callin escort me, and of course, my parents agreed immediately, so I got stuck with that… that… scary wall of muscle!”

“All right, I understand. Now calm down. Take deep breaths.”

I tried to. I looked into Caedra’s peaceful gray eyes and tried to forget that a perverted and disturbingly strong man was waiting for me to dance with him later. But it was very hard to forget it all completely.

“So Winn didn’t pull through?” she asked me sympathetically. “I had a feeling…”

“You did say he seemed like a bad seed,” I admitted. “But I thought it couldn’t hurt. It wasn’t like I was going to marry him. He was the right height, and not too dull.”

Caedra sighed and shook her head. “You and your selective standards.” She looked me up and down. “Well, you look amazing, but I’m sure a million other people have already told you that. I don’t think anyone’s picked up on the fact that we’re following the same theme, though.”

“Oh, they never do,” I grumbled. “Most people still think I’m just dressed as a ‘princess.’”

Caedra laughed. “Well, who cares? I’m sure everyone else will appreciate your sophisticated concept. Come over here.”

She took me by the arm and led me back to a secluded corner, near one of the open balconies that looked out over the rolling green plains of Setena. There stood the group whom I had titled ‘Caedra’s Entourage,’ though they were hardly ever seen together. I supposed a better title was ‘Caedra’s Inner Circle.’ It was a wonder that a quiet, anti-social, country-raised girl like her had come here five years ago, and had become popular and well-versed in the ways of court.

“Quisa!” Caedra’s chestnut-haired friend Raquella screeched as I approached. “Oh, your dress is simply gorgeous! I love that you, Caedra, and Kevran all came as a group. That’s so creative.”

“Wait, Kevran’s part of our group now, too?” I cried. I turned to the tall, dark-haired man whom Caedra had sidled up next to. “What are you, the moon?”

“No,” Kevran replied sharply.

“You’re the sun, I’m a star, and he’s supposed to be the night sky!” Caedra said.

Other members of the group – particularly Raquella’s husband, Jer – could not hold back their snorts at this comment. However, Kevran quickly glared at all of them, causing them to feign innocence.

“He’s wearing navy blue,” Caedra elaborated when I seemed dumbfounded.

“Oh,” I said. “Of course.”

This happened every year, and it seemed like it would never change. Kevran was too reserved to go all out and wear an actual costume, so he would simply wear one color, and try to pass it off as something more creative. For example, brown meant he was a tree, white meant he was a cloud, and so on. But I supposed it was a step up from the days when he would simply come in uniform.

“I was going to wear navy blue anyways,” Kevran scoffed.

“Excuses, excuses,” Jer said. “Well, no worries. Now that we’re all together, I’d say the best costume award most definitely goes to you, Princess.”

“Why, thank you, Jer.”

I smiled at him, though I felt slightly guilty. Jer had to be one of the best-looking men in Setena, with copper curls, piercing blue eyes, and a long, lithe figure, not to mention his charming smile. Part of me hated Raquella for stealing him from the rest of us, but they did suit each other.

“What are you two dressed up as?” I asked.

“Oh, something boring,” Raquella said, swishing her deep blue skirt around. “I’m the ocean. Jer’s a fish, though he doesn’t quite look like one.”

“I do have these excellent scale-covered pants, though,” Jer said, showing off said green pants. Then he turned around to show his back. “And this fake fin Raquella made.”

I nodded with approval. “Very conceptual. I like it.”

“We try to emulate the greatest,” Jer said solemnly, and then winked at me.

“I’m flattered,” I said. “How about the rest of you?”

There were others, though I wasn’t as familiar with them. A few of them were of Aguian descent, like Raquella; others were people Caedra had met when she’d traveled with Kevran to cities like Sulari and Elfinod. They all seemed fairly nice and genuine, though I would expect nothing less of people Caedra would decide to associate with.

“The dancing’s going to begin soon,” I said when everyone had been introduced. “Is everyone going to take the floor? I, unfortunately, will be stuck with that Caladian brute.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” cried Raquella. “You can dance with Jer a few times, if you want to.”

After Jer voiced his approval for this idea, Caedra nodded. “I would offer you Kevran, but I don’t think that will work out very well.” Kevran shot her a look. “What? I’m just telling the truth.”

Even after nearly four years of marriage, Kevran still didn’t like dancing with Caedra. Of course, it wasn’t her; it was just that he hated dancing. I could probably count the number of times I’d seen them dance together on one hand.

“Oh, come on, Kevran,” Jer said, elbowing him in the arm. “It’s the Day of Unveiling. Show your poor, suffering wife a little love.”

Caedra turned red. “Oh, Jer, leave it alone. It’s fine.”

“Do you think I should go check on Patrin before the festivities start?” Raquella asked, squeezing Jer’s arm. “I’m worried about him. He looked so sad when we left him in the room with Ledia. I thought I heard him calling after me…”

Jer waved a hand. “He’ll be fine. I’m sure he’s already fast asleep.”

She sighed. “I hope so.”

“Hey!” said Jer. “That reminds me – we never told everyone our news! You were all excited about it, too, but you insisted on not saying anything until Quisa got here. But she’s here now, so…”

Raquella’s cheeks turned pink. “Oh, yes, of course! Well… Do you want to tell them, or should I?”

“I will, unless you want to.”

“No, you go ahead!”

“What is it?” Caedra cried.

Raquella and Jer shared an excited glance before Jer exclaimed, “We’re pregnant again!”

I think everyone’s jaws dropped simultaneously. Raquella and Jer were in their early twenties, and they already had a two-year-old son. They were certainly moving quickly, and I think that was the only thought on anyone’s minds. A few more seconds passed before Kevran broke the silence.

“Are you two trying to raise a small army or something?”

Jer gave a laugh. “Yes, Kevran. Would you and Caedra like to help us?”

“Uh,” said Kevran. “No thanks.”

I looked at Caedra to see her reaction. She was trying to smile, and not quite succeeding. From the way she was shifting her weight, I could tell exactly how she felt – a little bit envious.

“I just found out a few weeks ago,” Raquella said excitedly. “The baby is due in the winter. I’m not sure if it’s a boy or a girl, but we’ll be thrilled either way! I always wanted a sibling when I was growing up, so I think it will be wonderful for Patrin.”

“Congratulations,” I said. “I hope it’s a girl. Then I’ll know exactly the right presents to buy her. Girls are easier to shop for, aren’t they? Agree or disagree?”

Caedra smiled gratefully at me as the conversation shifted to a new topic. I didn’t have to help Caedra for long, though; the music began to blare, and couples began to move to the dance floor. I dreaded heading back into the arms of the Caladian giant, but I had to do what I had to do.

“I’ll see you all later,” I said glumly as the group drifted apart.

When almost everyone had gone, I grabbed Caedra by the arm. She turned and sent me an inquisitive look as Kevran waited for her a few feet away.

“Don’t worry,” I said softly, so Kevran couldn’t hear. “You’ll have one when the time is right.”

She smiled sadly. “I know. Thank you, Quisa.”

Then I left all of the happy couples together and dragged myself to the staircase. I saw Callin immediately – how could I miss him? When he saw me, he did not smile. He merely nodded. But at least he didn’t start staring at my chest again.

“Shall we dance?” he asked.

I took a deep breath. I imagined that dancing with him was going to feel like being swallowed whole and alive.

“Yes,” I said shortly.

Here goes nothing…

A/N: So here is the first chapter of the sequel! As you can see, many old characters are back, as well as some new ones. And of course, there are many more characters to come. I know there isn’t much of a plot yet, but the plot is coming. Oh yes, and I also know that Quisa is not one-hundred percent likable – she’s a little arrogant and vain, but I intended it that way. After all, what’s a story without some character development?

Thank you for reading, and I’m looking forward to hearing your reactions!