The Knight had been to many balls before. He usually was in his dress uniform, but since he was off duty, this was his first formal outfit he’d ever worn to a royal event. He was used to entering behind his Princess, eyes vigilant on who might mean her harm. He wondered if he could turn that off. He wondered if he could stomach dancing with other women who desperately wanted him. He’d always been able to beg off by saying he was working before, but he had no excuses now.

He relaxed ever so slightly when his mother came over and kissed his cheek.

“You’ve been given the night off, the Princess clearly wants you to relax. You don’t want to make your girlfriend upset, do you?” she said.

The Knight blushed bright red. “There’s no way she’s my girlfriend, Mother! She’s the future ruler of our country, I-I could never!”

“Judging by that reaction, she definitely is,” his father said.

He buried his face in his hands. His mother hugged him.

“I would let you marry her even if she was a wandering shepherd with no money to her name. She loves you so much and she clearly brings you so much comfort and joy,” his mother said.

“I’ll give my blessing only if you come home more often,” his father said.

“Yes, Father,” the Knight said, his face only getting redder.

“And make sure to bring your girlfriend.”

“F-father!”

“Let’s not overthink tonight. I mean, just look at us!”

The three of them were practically glowing in their deep green and gold. They looked like they belonged at a royal ball. They booked the fanciest carriage in the capital. The Knight made friends with all the men at the carriage services in the city. Once a stable hand, always a stable hand, it was a bonding experience, so when he said he wanted to impress at the ball, they gave him nothing but the best.

Even at the palace they got top shelf treatment. The footmen all treated his mother like she was a queen. All these people were his friends, the guards gave them a salute, which they were not obligated to do. His parents were so amused by everything. It was when they came to be announced before the party that gave them pause. There were so many people with illustrious titles and long names, and they had no such thing. The Knight knew exactly how to set them at ease.

“Just know that out of all the hundreds of people there, only five have ever had a personal meeting with the Princess in her garden,” he said. “You both are privileged.”

His father laughed nervously before he straightened up and took his wife’s arm. She linked her free arm with the Knight and they entered as they were announced. Once they passed through the doors, it was as though they’d been going to events their whole lives. A baker and a farmer rubbing elbows with the elite of the land. That should happen more often. They took their spot by the Princess’s former knight. She was as tall as her mother and he chose this spot strategically. His mother was gorgeous, but she was a bit self conscious about being so tall. Positioning her so she was next to another tall woman would put her further at ease.

There were eyes on them and some negativity, but it was overall more curiosity and goodwill. They were to remain standing until the King entered. He made his grand entrance, dignified as ever. The Knight was a little worried. Usually the Princess was with him. Where was she? He placed his hand over his heart as he bowed. This was of course, the proper way to bow as the King passed, however, it was also to try and keep it from beating so hard. Was she sick? The King sat on his throne above them all.

“The Princess would like to announce a matter of state importance,” he said. The Knight forced himself to breathe evenly. It was nothing. It was probably nothing. His eyes searched all over the room for anyone to provide a comforting look. He found the Delegate, who offered him a shy smile and a nod. She knew something about this, so he calmed slightly. It had to be related to something between their countries.

The Princess was announced. His heart stopped for so many reasons. First of all, she was utterly radiant. Her hair was all swept to one side, yellow flowers were pinned in a fascinator by her ear. Her lips were a little pinker, her cheeks a little rosier, she had gold eyeshadow, nails, jewelry and delicate gold flecks on her face. It was definitely more the way a mage would style their makeup, but because the gold details were so small, it only seemed to make her shimmer from afar. Her green and yellow dress at first glance was just as formal and stately as she usually wore, but there were small details that made his heart stop. Her neckline was just a little lower than usual, and as she walked the full skirt floated and revealed a slit that revealed her legs just enough. Once again, this was a detail more like a mage, but still was very much her style.

Yet the one holding her arm was the man from the garden. He was entirely in yellow and gold, wore mirrored sunglasses, and while he was a little more covered than he was before, his button down shirt revealed his pecs. What on earth was of state importance that required them to enter together like this? The Knight couldn’t breathe. Then she started to walk. He didn’t even see the other man, she sparkled and glowed with every move and her eyes locked on his. She passed right by him and didn’t take her eyes off his until she passed by. It was then that he got to see the back of her dress. It dipped to just below her shoulder blades ​​and the bow at the back looked like fairy wings delicately attached to her body. His mother rubbed his hand and leaned over.

“Take a breath, Sweetie,” she whispered. He tried to smile and do as she asked, ​​but it was hard. He was feeling dizzy, the only thing holding him together was the feel of her mana caressing his. He could get through this. The Princess stepped forward.

“We would like to announce the beginning of joining research into creating synthetic mana stones,” she said. “There has been much discussion about fusion cores that come from the next country over and how they behave in ways that are similar to mana. We would like to explore this to see how we both can benefit. Just a demonstration of what we’ve discovered so far.”

She put on a pair of mirrored sunglasses and the man stepped forward with a round glowing orb in his gloved hands. The lights were dimmed and he concentrated. With some effort, the Knight could feel it. The stone was levitating, and he could sense that while this man wasn’t actively using mana of his own, he was able to channel whatever was in the stone. It exploded and lit the room with a million tiny shards. His mother touched one as it came closer.

“So lovely,” she said. The Knight didn’t take his eyes off his Princess. He was seeing a groundbreaking new technology and he could see nothing but her. She turned to the man and they gave each other a high five.

“May our efforts yield success,” the King said. “Let the party commence!”

The music began and the Knight watched as the man bowed to his Princess and she accepted his invitation to dance. They were a lovely couple, with their coordinating outfits and matching mirrored sunglasses…she let out a loud laugh as they twirled on the dance floor. How could he compete with someone so smart and charming? Maybe he should also show some more skin, maybe that’s what she liked. His father nudged him.

“Calm down, Son,” he said. “She’s doing her duty, and we shall do ours.”

The two of them went out to the dance floor and joined the other dancers. Before he could despair any further, the Queen’s Knight came up to him.

“I always have trouble with dance partners, would you oblige this old woman?” she asked. He smiled softly and bowed to her as he kissed her hand.

“Certainly,” he said. She danced elegantly as he expected.

“It’s been such a long time since I danced with someone as charming as you,” she said.

“I beg your pardon?” he said. She smiled and chuckled.

“You’re feeling threatened right now. Don’t worry, you’re quite charming in your own way,” she said. Was he? The sound of the Princess’s laughter echoed across the ballroom. That man had tossed her into the air and caught her deftly. He could sense her joy. Un​​bridled joy. Did she ever feel that with him?

“I see what the Archmage was talking about,” the Elder Knight said.

That got his attention. “What did she say?”

“Your mana levels have increased dramatically, and your empathic powers are a lot more sensitive than they were before. It’s going to drive you mad. This tends to happen when you’re around someone with powers like the Princess and the Queen and it’s extra powerful when your mana resonates. However, your powers are increasing even more dramatically the longer you’re around her. My growth was much slower. This is very curious. I can’t figure out if something’s different about you or her.”

“It can’t be me. Our Princess might just be exceptionally gifted in ways we don’t understand,” the Knight said.

She curtseyed as the song came to an end. He bowed and kissed her hand.

“Perhaps you both are unique. Such a charming man. ​​Beware, the vultures are circling,” she said. He glanced around and saw the many young women eyeing him. He sighed. He supposed he’d have to dance with someone of marriageable age sooner or later. Before any could approach, they all froze and backed off. The only person all court ladies were afraid of was the Archmage. The crowds parted as she approached. She held out her hand and he took it and held it to his forehead (she did not like having her hand kissed). Wordlessly they fell into step.

“I didn’t want to dance with anyone, but I feel if I dance with the most attractive man in the room they’ll back off,” she said.

“What about that guy?” he said.

“The Maverick? He’s next after you, but I had to start at the top,” she said.

He smirked. “Are you saying I’m handsome, Lady Archmage?”

“Don’t be cute. At least in this room you are the most handsome. Besides, there’s a few in this room I don’t want to give the satisfaction of dancing with you.”

He read her feelings. Rage. He followed her eyes. Ah.Those women.

“The tea party girls? What were they up to while I was away?” he asked.

“They antagonized my niece because they wanted to ask you to the ball,” she said.

“They never asked me or sent word.”

“So they made no moves and blamed her for your lack of attention. They are probably the reason she put you on leave.”

“I’ll take care of them,” they chorused. They met eyes for a moment before the both began to laugh.

“I’m glad she’s got such a dedicated protector,” the Archmage said. The way she smiled at him…his Princess smiled the same way and he couldn’t help but smile in return. Moments later, he felt an almost stinging sensation. Jealousy. He glanced over. From his Princess. He felt only a little ​​​​better. The song came to an end and they bowed to each other.

“I have other dignitaries to attend to. Enjoy your evening,” she said. He waved and sighed. Here they come, the tea party girls.

“Good evening, Sir Knight,” they said.

“Good evening, Ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure?” he said.

“Well, we were wondering…you arrived with your parents, correct?”

“Yes, I did. A splendid pair, don’t you agree?”

“Isn’t it…a little childish to arrive with your parents?”

“How so? I’ve made plenty of appearances at parties and at court without them. I think it’s high time I brought them.”

“Well…I’m sure there were plenty of young ladies who were in need of partners who would have liked to have ​​been accompanied.”

“Are these the same young ladies who don’t seem to understand noble protocol?”

They were silent and looked at each other.

“You shouldn’t take anything the Princess says to heart.”

“Why did you assume I spoke with the Princess? I didn’t need to, I observed the way you greeted her whenever I was around. You rarely observe protocol. She’s never given you permission to drop it. So I can only assume you haven’t been properly educated. Which is quite a shame, since a common man like myself is well educated in such matters. I need a lady who is as knowledgeable as I am. I mean look at my mother.”

Perfect timing, his parents were approaching the Princess. The Princess nodded to them and they both bowed.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you do that to her once. My mother is also a commoner and even she knows the proper protocol. I don’t think you’re a duchess or related to the royal family so you really need to observe etiquette. If I were attached to any woman who didn’t observe such protocols it could cost me my job! Imagine, incurring the contempt of the crown! Even if for some reason the Princess was kind enough to overlook the slight, do you really think the King would?”

“You seem to have high standards for a mere ball partner.”

“I assumed noble ladies had similar high standards. If I recall my squire days, many a lady looked down on me for all my attempts at performing etiquette. I merely assumed these same ladies had maintained their standards and were living up to them. Maybe I’m still not up to their standards.”

“That’s—”

The Delegate approached him.

“I apologize for interrupting, but may I ask for this dance?” she said.

“Excuse me, ladies,” he said. He took her arm and led her out to the dance floor. She was dressed exceptionally beautifully tonight. He felt another surge of jealousy, this time from the Maverick. He met eyes with him from across the room and smirked wickedly.

“I’m glad you’ve returned, Sir Knight,” the Delegate said. “The Princess was very sad without you.”

He could feel the relief coming off from her in waves. She was telling the truth.

“I’m the reason the Maverick is here. She needed something to distract her so I recommended that he could build her a second greenhouse for her research,” she said. So that was why he was there. “Um…the Maverick wants to meet you, so I’m trying to get you over to him, I hope that’s okay,” she said.

“Why couldn’t he talk to me himself?”

“Well, you looked like you were ready to murder him. He said that I could calm you down. I don’t think I did though,” she said.

He snorted a little and smiled.

“Okay, I’ll talk to him,” he said. The song ended. He kissed her hand.

“For the record: yes, you did calm me down.”

“All right, all right! Break it up,” the Maverick said. He put his arm around the Knight’s shoulders.

“You and I have a lot to talk about,” he said.

“Yes,” the Knight said. “Yes we do.”