I am thankful I was given shoes with short and stubby heels. For the past fifteen minutes the knight in front of me has escorted me through the various castle halls in order to meet with the prince. I was used to walking long distances, but I’d never worn heels in my life. Of course, the temple never expected me to, either. Why would you give high heels to the child you’re sending off to war? Half of me is actually surprised they didn’t send me off in heels. After all, I left the capital with a cloak sewn with gold. It was better that way though, because neither Father nor the King sent us off with money so the first thing we did was pawn away the expensive vanity I was decorated in. Kaspar was throwing a fuss at first since he saw the garbs as a sacred gift from Father, but we needed the money the most. I think for that first year we were struggling a lot financially, and only ever camped out. Traveling in general became much easier when Zen joined our group, him and his mysterious connections and money from that shady information guild…

But Zenith wasn’t a bad person. A weird adult, but a decent person. I don’t think I could ever understand him. He was always loud and careless, yet extremely precise and agile. Like a man who was born with the ability to fight without an actual ambition or goal. Why did he travel with us, anyway? If Zen survived after the battle, he definitely wouldn’t leave a mark in history. He was flashy, but I think he enjoyed being unknown. He was like the stars. Seemingly always bright and twinkling when you look at him, but easily blends into the background otherwise.

He was a weirdo, an un-adultlike adult.

“Plegh,” I vaguely recalled.

“Oh? What is the matter, littlest Maya?”

It was a long time ago, and so small and insignificant, that I’m not sure why it comes to mind. We were gathering information about the area in a tavern, and he ordered me an un-alcoholic drink.

“It’s too sweet,” I remember mumbling while pushing the mug away.

“Oh, I just ordered you what I got. Do you not like sweets?” I looked at him for a long time with a scrunched expression before shaking my head. He had a major sweet tooth, disgustingly so. I was always surprised that he had such healthy teeth. He looked at me thoughtfully for a while before the curves of his lips fell ever so slightly. “Not even food preferences carry on, huh…”

“???”

And so he returned to his usual, goofy grin before roughly messing up the hair on my head, guffawing as he spoke.

“Alright, alright! Don’t worry, next time I’ll surely get you something sour! Or bitter? Whichever you desire, littlest Maya!”

That was a lie, for many times to come, of course. Though, for an un-adultlike adult, he may have been the only adult who treated me and Shivani as we were—children. Being a decade older than us probably helped.

“Your Holiness.” The knight in front of me finally speaks, it seems. “His Highness is waiting up ahead.”

We are stopped just before a corner that seems to lead to a larger, main hallway. I narrow my eyes, suspicion rising. “You’re not coming with me?”

“My orders end here.”

A bit weird. He stands still waiting for me to pass him. As I cautiously take a few steps forward, I note his uniform. It’s different from the knights I saw before. It’s barely noticeable, aside from the dark obsidian stone like a badge pinned to their capelet. Did that palace servant from a week ago and the knights from three days ago have that?

Keeping that in mind, I turn the corner and proceed through the larger hallway. It’s empty, which adds more to my unease and suspicion, until I squint and see a mildly familiar figure further down the hall. My shoulders lower and loosen as a relieved sigh escapes me.

As I run while carefully grasping the sides of my dress to not trip, I call out to the golden haired man, hair in his signature neat braid.

“Your Highness!”

At the sound of my voice, the crown prince turns his head abruptly in a smile. It looks as if he’s about to call out and even wave over in return since the hand to his side begins to raise immediately. But it freezes in place stiffly, and the smile on his face falls as his eyes seem to fully meet mine. I give him a confused look as I slow next to him. 

“Uh… is something wrong, Your Highness?”

His green irises move up and down, eying me completely for a moment. The strange halted expression on his face fades away quickly and is replaced with a grin. He raises his hand in an open gesture.

“No, apologies. Shall we head to the ballroom, Your Holiness?”

After offering a quick raised eyebrow, I shake it off and place my hand on his with a smile.

“Is it far? It was already a long walk from the dressing room to here.” As we begin to turn a corner and continue on for a few steps, he gives me an odd look laced with humor.

“Long walk? Wouldn’t her Holiness be used to walking by now after saving the empire?”

Right. Still need to get used to that change.

“It’s less about the walk, and more of the unbearable silence…”

A light chuckle comes from the prince’s throat. “Altan is more of the quiet type. But Your Holiness doesn’t have to worry, the ballroom is just a bit further.”

“That’s a relief…” I sigh. The light muted clacks of my heels on the carpeted marble flooring resound dully. As we draw closer to the doors leading to the ballroom, my nerves finally seem to catch up with me. “Can we go over the plan again, Your Highness? I haven’t forgotten. Just… need reassurance.”

His straight laced eyes waver over to me for a moment before returning forward.

“If Your Holiness desires so,” he begins. He takes a moment to gather and simplify his thoughts. “We are to enter the ballroom together, me as Your Holiness’ escort. Many will greet me after we descend, but that will quickly fan out. Because this is your first official public appearance, that in itself will draw the nobles’ attention to you. As a result, it will give you the opportunity to meet and converse with nobles in close proximity to easily find your ‘Unknown’.”

“And are you sure I won’t need to dance?”

His Highness chuckles.

“This is a casual ball hosted by the imperial family. The only one who would be able to force you to dance would have been my late mother. Because of your rank, you have the power to deny any who request without backlash.” The prince gives a small, half-hearted laugh. “In addition, no one is expecting Your Holiness to dance. For tonight, you are a guest attending as yourself, The Saintess. Think of yourself as… a spectacle. You are not in the same league as them, and thus not burdened with the same expectations a common noblewoman would carry in these types of social situations.”

He turns his head slightly toward me as we approach the large doors.

“Of course, if you decide to attend more balls, this will obviously change.”

“Yup. Got it.” My heart is pounding in my chest. It’s resounding in my ears, and all sorts of things are crashing down on me at once. I am a spectacle for nobles to gawk at, once again. It’s a familiar, dirty feeling. Instead of being covered in a gold lined cloak, I am now covered in equally glittering silk. My role as the Saintess should have been treated with sanctity, yet Father treated each instance of me going out as a way to show off to the nobility and royal family. And now, I am doing the same to myself. But this is all to find them—to find Shivani. It’s alright. I don’t mind. If becoming a spectacle is what it takes to find Shivani, I will perform over and over again.

After going over the details of the plan in my head again, a small but very important detail escaped me completely—so much so that I feel foolish at how long I had gone without seeking it.

“Your Highness, it is now that I’ve come to a very embarrassing problem.”

“What is it?”

“I do not have the slightest idea of what your name is.” The crown prince’s footsteps halt for a moment as well as the hand underneath mine. It is then that the prince begins to burst out into genuine laughter, his formal persona shattering instantaneously for that small moment. Heat crawls up my neck and I can feel it swarm around my ears in embarrassment.

“Well—my dear Saintess,” he stutters as his cackling melts into a grin. “You’re just going to have to see when we enter.”