AFTER AN AFTERNOON of exploring the festivities we picked up our gowns and returned to Kaela’s house to dress. I didn’t have much in the way of cosmetics but Kaela had the lot: face powders, charcoal, dusts and pastes of all colours to paint on our eyelids and pink creams to dot lightly on our cheeks. Once she’d sorted herself, Kaela helped me, and in return I did her hair, braiding it and curling it into a half-up/half-down style that framed her face beautifully.
“Must you wear this ugly thing?” Kaela prodded the silver locket around my neck and it made my body throb.
“Unfortunately, yes. Otherwise I might lose it,” I said.
It was a partial truth, as most of my truths were. The main reason was that I physically couldn’t take it off. I’d tried once as a child when the chain was still loose enough to slip over my head, only to choke on nothing until it sat on my throat again. Father had told me it was all in my head. Mother said it was magic, but that was absurd. There was no such thing.
“It isn’t a complete tragedy I suppose. At least it goes with your dress,” Kaela said, slipping on her half-mask.
“Lucky me,” I mumbled, securing my own mask in place atop my cheekbones. I was just glad Kaela hadn’t noticed the boots I wore or the dagger strapped to my thigh while we changed. It was illegal for women to carry weapons of any sort in the city. Even wearing some grades of hairpin was considered a crime.
“Just like a butterfly.” Kaela looked me up and down and I fought the urge to cross my arms over my chest. The ample curve of my breasts was far more visible than I’d originally noticed. Kaela passed me a small glass of green liquid. “To new life,” she said, raising her glass.
I raised mine and they clinked together. “And to new adventures.” We drank and almost choked on the bitter, burning tang that resided on our tongues. “Holy - what is that?”
“Absinthe.” She flexed her jaw and poured us another glass from an already prepared vial. “I wish I could say you get used to the taste.”
We drank the second down with a similar effort to the first, only this time it settled, warming my chest wonderfully on its way down into my stomach. The taste wasn’t any easier as its highly-anise flavour clung to every section of my mouth, but the way it shot to my head was something rather delightful.
“If you can’t tell already, it’s not a drink to be had in high quantities and it’s excellent for the nerves,” Kaela said, putting her glass back on the counter. “Oh, and it’s also magnificently illegal.” A thrum of silence followed before I burst into laughter. Kaela joined me and together we gathered our things, headed out the door and into the night.
WE ARRIVED ON the far side of town just after sunset and the festivities were in full swing. There were so many people singing, drinking and dancing in the city’s central parks and halls that it made my head hum with excitement. People passed around glasses filled with all colours of liquid and drank them down before pouring someone else another. Around the fire pits the townsfolk shared their pipes with nomads and traded stories of adventures and old loves, teaching the small crowds of people ditties they’d picked up on their travels. From wooden stalls the traders sold wildmeats and hair adornments made up of bloodroot and lilacs, while passing musicians led people of all backgrounds in the songs of spring. We walked through the crowds, allowing ourselves to be danced between women and men alike, until we reached the Lords’ buildings. I took a step back from the entrance.
“Don’t worry, I have a personal invitation,” Kaela said, walking up the steps of the grand complex.
I took a breath and followed as Kaela stopped in front of the stationed guards. From the sheer number of them I could see it was not an event for common folk. The guards inspected our invitation and nodded, allowing us to pass by, and I stopped a few feet short of the main arch. I was in total awe of the building; even Kaela seemed to be taken aback as she linked her arm through mine.
“Ready?” she asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” I adjusted my mask and took a breath.
We gracefully descended the first set of stairs and I continued praying to whoever was listening that I wouldn’t fall, not there in front of everyone. For the first of many times that evening I was happy everyone was masked. When we’d landed on flat stone I accepted the wine offered by a finely decorated servant and drank it down quickly before grabbing another. I’d never seen anything like it.
“Well,” Kaela stated, “it makes you feel small, doesn’t it?” She stared up at the painted ceiling and I followed her lead, almost unsure how to feel about the majesty of it all. It was beautiful and also unnecessary.
“Let’s actually join the celebrations, shall we?” I laughed, tilting Kaela’s head back down to the present.
Whether it was the wine or the excitement that made me feel giddy, I didn’t know, but I was actually enjoying myself as we moved further into the ballroom. When the first man approached me I wasn’t even nervous about talking to him. Soon the room was bustling with conversation as people talked and laughed and sampled the fine food from the tables lining the edges of the grand hall. I’d lost count of how many people had entered since our arrival but looking at the sea of bodies there had to be a few hundred or so. Kaela quickly grabbed my attention and motioned to a tall, light-haired man chatting politely with a few others on the far side of the room.
“Well? What are you waiting for?” I said, “Go on.”
Kaela turned red at the idea. “I can’t just approach him,” she whispered, fiddling with her skirts. “He has to come over here. Those are the rules of courtship.” I laughed at my friend’s blatant shyness and quickly found it was hard to stop. “Ava, what’s so damn funny?” she whispered fiercely.
I couldn’t help it. Kaela had always been so unruffled and at ease that to see her so utterly shy had tickled me. In the background of my vision I saw the man shift to face our direction; whether he’d noticed us yet or not I did the first thing that came to my mind and dropped the glass I was holding. It shattered into a thousand pieces around my feet and I clapped my hand apologetically.
“I’m sorry,” I said loudly enough for my voice to cut through the crowd. “I’m so sorry. What an absolute scatterbrain. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m allowed out in public.” I fumbled around picking up the shards of glass as one of the servants swept the remnants up.
“What was that?” Kaela asked, utterly mortified.
“Sorry, I couldn’t think of anything more graceful.” I kicked the remainder of the glass under the buffet table. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
“For what?”
I stepped away as the man approached Kaela, a large smile plastered on his face.
“Kaela,” he started. She jumped at the sound of her name. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come. You look beautiful.”
“Good evening, Mr. Sidler.” She gave the smallest of curtsies. “How did you know it was me?”
“I’d recognise your golden hair anywhere,” he said, letting a piece of it slip gently through his fingers. “Would you like to dance?”