After a while, the group naturally drifted apart the way groups do at events.

Eren pulled into conversation by someone he vaguely recognized, Nico and Valea gravitating toward opposite sides of the room for reasons that were definitely unrelated to each other, Julian somewhere in the places where royalties stand.

That left Aries, Adrian, and Cedric, watching the ballroom do its thing.

Then Adrian grabbed his stomach like something had gone wrong inside it.

"Aries." His face was deeply serious. "I need to use the restroom. Right now. Before something terrible happens."

"Go," Aries said.

"I’ll be back quickly."

"No, take your time."

Adrian pointed at him with one finger. "I will be fast." Then he turned and disappeared into the crowd at a pace that suggested he had strong opinions about fast.

Aries watched him go. Then looked back at the ballroom.

____

The corridors beyond the ballroom stretched in every direction, all the marble and crystal lamps as well.

Adrian walked with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes sweeping everything.

"It’s magnificent," he muttered to himself. "Really something." He grinned. "Especially if it were all mine. Muahah—"

THUD.

"OW—" He stumbled back, hand flying to his forehead. "I’m sor—"

The words died.

A girl had gone down in front of him, her gown spreading across the marble floor in a pool of shimmering blue silk. Her hair was unusual. White from root to waist, where it shifted gradually into soft rose-pink at the ends, catching the lamplight on every strand. Her eyes, when she looked up, were Icey.

"Ow," she said softly, touching her knee.

Adrian’s heart did something that was not its normal job.

"I-I didn’t do it on purpose!" He bowed before he’d finished deciding to. "I’m sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going, I’m really sorry miss—"

Quick heels clicked against marble from somewhere down the corridor and a maid appeared.

"My Lady! Princess Clarissa!" She dropped to her knees beside the girl immediately, inspecting the gown like it was a national monument. "Are you alright?!"

’A Princess?’ Adrian’s brain stopped working.

The maid’s head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing into something that could reasonably be described as a threat. "You! can’t you watch where you’re going, you low—"

"W-wait, please don’t kill me!" Adrian raised both hands immediately. "I swear it was an accident, I wasn’t paying attention, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry—"

Princess Clarissa blinked at him once. Then sighed softly, one hand brushing a white strand back from her face. "What’s done is done. Be more careful next time. Leave it."

"But My Lady, he—"

"I said leave it." Something in her tone sharpened just enough, and the maid went quiet instantly with one last glare directed at Adrian.

The Princess accepted the maid’s hand and rose, smoothing her gown.

They turned and walked away.

Adrian stood in the corridor alone, hand still raised, brain still processing.

’...Those eyes,’ he thought.

He shook his head hard. Shook it again. "No. No, no, no. She is royalty. You look at royalty the wrong way and you get executed. Get it together, Adrian."

He stood there for another three seconds.

’She’s really beautiful though,’ he whispered to the empty corridor.

Then his eyes went wide. "ARIES IS WAITING."

____

Aries was still waiting where he was with his arms crossed.

"Aries." Cedric had shifted into his formal posture. "Alaric and I have been called to the King’s table. Will you be alright here with Adrian?"

"I’ll sure," Aries said. "How long?"

"I’m not sure. Stay close. Don’t cause trouble."

"When do I ever cause trouble."

Cedric gave him the specific look that that question deserved, then walked away toward the high table without elaborating.

Aries turned back to the crowd.

’He definitely hit his head somewhere,’ he thought, watching the space Adrian had disappeared into ten minutes ago.

"BROTHER ARIES!"

He found Adrian charging through the ballroom crowd like someone fleeing something.

Aries raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"

Adrian crashed to a stop in front of him, hands on his knees, catching his breath. "Yes! Totally fine! There was just a situation, and a hallway, and this person—very beautiful, angelic-level beautiful—she fell, or I fell, we both fell—there was light, and then her eyes were—" He pressed both hands to his cheeks. "I think I’m cursed."

Aries stared at him.

"...Adrian."

"Yes?"

"Did you hit your head?"

"No! Well—to the girl, slightly, but that’s not the—"

The music stopped.

Every sound in the ballroom cut off at the same moment. Conversations, laughter, the soft shuffle of movement.

Every head turned toward the grand staircase.

King Malgorath Vaelcrest Xylaris stood at the top of it.

Tall. Dark-haired, tied neatly back. His cloak caught the chandelier light across its gold embroidery as he descended.

Beside him, Queen Seraphina moved. Teal hair cascading over her shoulders. Eyes a rare pinkish-purple that somehow seemed calm about everything they looked at.

The King raised one hand and the hall stayed perfectly quiet.

"Distinguished guests. Neighboring monarchs. Honored nobles and valiant Spires."

His voice carried without needing to be loud.

"Tonight, we gather to mark a momentous occasion — the fourteenth Year’s Turn of our beloved daughter, Aurelia Vaelcrest." He turned briefly to the Queen, just a glance, and something in it was genuinely warm. "My Queen Seraphina and I welcome you all to Xylaris. May this evening shine as brightly as the one we celebrate."

Applause filled the hall.

The music returned, different now.

And then the princess appeared at the top of the staircase.

The light found her first.

Her gown was soft pink silk that moved with every step, Teal hair over her shoulders just like her mother’s. rose eyes that swept the room as she descended the staircase one step at a time.

Every single person in the ballroom was looking at her.

Adrian had his mouth open slightly. He leaned close to Aries and whispered, "Who is she? She’s like — a walking — is she another angel or something?"

Aries didn’t answer.

’He definitely hit his head,’ he thought, keeping his eyes fixed on the princess.

She reached the bottom step. Her eyes lifted and moved across the crowd with practiced ease, greeting the room without focusing on any one part of it.

Her hand resting loosely at her side closed into a slow fist at her dress.

Then she looked away. Smiled at a noble who had stepped forward to bow.

Aries stood completely still in the middle of the ballroom.