When they finally made it to the end of the hallway, they found themselves at a beautiful balcony, graced with sweeping pine boughs and red silk bows. Holly hung from the strands laden with pinecones and berries coated in glistening white sugar.
Standing on her tiptoes, Toni looked over the edge and inhaled at the sight below her. It was the ballroom. My God, it was amazing. Like every fairytale she’d ever seen come to life on a big screen.
“Oh, Nina, it’s magnificent.”
Tall pine trees decorated identically to the boughs on the balcony lined the entryway, where wide doors made of gleaming dark wood stood wide open. A long red carpet ran through the center of the ballroom, leading to the king’s throne.
Gripping Nina’s upper arm, she led her down the stairs to get a closer look. Guards stood just inside the smaller doorway in suits of armor. Tables with crystalline ice sculptures of Christmas trees dressed the tables. Torches and lanterns glowed from every available corner while a string quartet and a harpist played a soft melody.
The ballroom was alive with energy. Men in crushed red velvet coats, matching breeches and white stockings ran around the ballroom, readying the space. Fluted glasses with the castles infamous thistleberry wine sat upon sterling silver trays, balanced on the hands of their servers.
The white marble floor gleamed, the intricate pattern of Castle Beckett’s crest square in the middle, drawing her eyes upward to the vaulted ceilings, where more swags of pine hung. The wide steps leading down into the ballroom were lined with bouquet after bouquet of red and white poinsettias in silver and gold urn vases, picks of pine sprays gracefully draping from them.
And it was amazing, fabulous, gorgeous. Yet, the beauty was dimmed without Jon to share it with her, dimmer still somehow by the reason she was here. If she wasn’t in such a state of panic that she’d never see Jon again, she would love to soak it all in.
“Kiddo? We need to get ready to meet this King Dick. Look at the clock.”
Toni’s eyes flew to the grandfather clock, standing like some ominous entity just inside the ballroom doors. Five minutes until Wanda and Marty showed up and they had to prepare.
Her heart crashed against her ribs as a man with a trumpet took his place at the top of the steps. They were getting ready for announcements—which meant the king would be taking his place on the throne directly at the other end of the ballroom at any minute.
If she could just get to him before he became involved in the evening’s activities, she might have a shot at finding Jon—or at least explaining her circumstance.
It had to happen as soon as possible so he could grant the women their wish to go home, at the very least. Forget about her and her happy-sappy whatever. Nina couldn’t hold out much longer, and Toni would do everything in her power to make sure she saw the king ASAP.
She turned to Nina and pointed toward a potted pine tree dotted with silk bows in gold and silver just outside the ballroom doors. “Okay, you stay here and wait for Marty and Wanda. Sit on that fancy chair and don’t move. I’m going to try to hit up the king before this shindig begins. Maybe he can help me find Jon.”
Nina shook her head and gripped Toni’s arm with the weakest grasp she’d displayed since they’d begun this whole thing. Glowering down at her, she said, “Not gonna happen. We stay together or we don’t do it.”
Marty and Wanda flew down the wide staircase, out of breath, their dresses floating behind them as they rushed up to them. Marty’s eyes went wide when she saw her friend. “Nina! What the hell happened to your nose? Can’t we leave you for five seconds?”
“Shut up, Blondie, or I’m gonna clip those wings!”
Toni ignored Nina’s outburst and looked to them with hope. “Anything?”
Marty shook her head, her cheeks flushed and what looked like vanilla icing at the corner of her mouth. “No, but we heard the craziest story. Apparently that Angria who wants your head? She’s got more trouble than just you, kiddo. The king called off an engagement between her daughter and the king’s son, Prince Somethingorother. The cook claims that the queen’s daughter was supposed to marry the prince since their births, but the king called it off because his psychic or whoever said the queen’s daughter isn’t his one true love. Or something like that. They say tonight is the night this psychic is supposed to reveal who the prince’s true love is. Anyway, it’s all the talk in the kitchens, where, I might add, they have the most fabulously moist cake I’ve ever stolen a swipe of frosting from.”
Wanda licked her thumb and wiped Marty’s mouth. “This has something to do with you, Toni. I know it does. I just can’t figure out what.”