Disclaimer: includes implied sexual harassment and cursing/profanity ________________________

The sound of a slap interrupted Aris’s follow-up question. Some people turned to find out the source of the loud sound while some pretended not to hear it. She turned to her right to find a girl with short hair wearing a veiled mask standing over a much shorter man. The first thing she noticed about this girl’s attire was the design of her dress: it was entirely white and completely covered her neck and arms, leaving much to the imagination. It was an uncommon design even for the more modest nobleladies her age. The only thing that revealed skin was the slight keyhole slit at the base of her throat. The man, however, left much to be desired. He was stubby and balding at the top of his head, currently caressing his hand with a hurt expression on his face. His suit was entirely white, which was a bad idea on his part since the mysterious stains were becoming more and more obvious. 

"Don't touch me unless you want to be arrested for sexual harassment," she warned.

The man then turned to the crowd, expecting some sympathy.

The scowl on the girl’s face didn’t fade. When the crowd showed no signs of helping him, that’s when he turned more hostile.

“Miss Hinor, I’m afraid you’ve outrageously misunderstood,” he tried to salvage. “I simply saw a thread on your dress and was about to notify you when you slapped me! If anything, you should be glad I’m not requesting an apology from your father!” 

“M-my father?!” The girl, Miss Hinor, yelled. “You’re the one who reached for my b-”

“But did I ever lay a hand on you?” The man retorted. He turned towards the crowd. “Did anyone see me touch Miss Hinor?”

Those who were watching whispered to themselves. Words of ‘no’ and ‘big deal’ circulated in a matter of seconds. While the general consensus seemed to be with Miss Hinor, the concrete evidence was against her. 

Aris watched the scene unfold from a few feet away as the young lady’s face started to turn pink, evident from even under her veil. The black-haired girl took a deep breath and grabbed a glass of champagne from the nearest waiter, downing it in one gulp. She rushed forward through the crowd, ignoring the burn in the back of her throat.

She tapped the man on the shoulder, which got his attention as well as Miss Hinor’s. 

“Excuse me.” Aris made the motion of throwing the empty glass in his face, which caused him to fall backward on his behind. 

More gasps circulated the ballroom. Miss Hinor looked down at the man in shock while the man’s complexion now had a slight twinge of pink.

From his seat on the floor, he shouted up at Aris, "How dare you! Do you know who I am?”

Aris feigned a look of horror. “Oh, my deepest apologies.”

“You bett-”

“Do you not know who you are?” She finished, her face still looking innocent.

The man’s pink face grew a shade darker. Despite that, he got up and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his suit. “What is your name? What gives you the audacity to throw champagne at me?” He roared.

“First of all, sir,” she emphasized, showing him the glass more clearly. “I didn’t throw anything at you. If you examine your attire, there is not a single stain that wasn’t on there previously.”

While he searched his suit for something to prove her wrong, she continued. “Second, I’m not quite sure what led to this outburst. I didn’t physically harm you, did I?”

His eyes darted to hers to continue berating her. “Of course, you harmed me, you… you… shrew! You… you’ve caused me great emotional distress! You’ve threatened a noble! That is a grave crime.”

Aris pretended to be shocked at his words, putting a hand over her mouth. “Oh my, a crime! I’ve surely committed a grave offense, haven’t I?”

He nodded in agreement.

“Even without touching you?”

He nodded, seemingly believing he had won this argument. 

“So you admit you’ve committed a crime against Lady Hinor?”

The look on his face can only be described as flabbergasted. 

“What- I- I- I- haven’t-” he stuttered. “How dare a lowly woman such as yourself-”

“You dare call a guest of House Basileus lowly?”

Just how dramatic can he be? Aris internally rolled her eyes.

Irwin made his way through the crowd as he took off his mask. As much as she didn’t like to admit it, it was the truth. Irwin Basileus was a handsome man. 

“M-Marquess Basileus,” the shorter man bowed deeply. “I-It is a plea-”

“Miss Anumea is a scholar from Shanri and an honored guest of House Basileus. Am I correct to assume you wish to cause a scandal with House Basileus and House Hinor– as well as between Vemalla and Dailora?” 

All the pink had faded from the man’s face in a heartbeat. What replaced it now was a sheet of white. Irwin didn’t wait for him to respond.

“You owe Miss Alin and Lady Hinor here profound apologies,” he stressed. “Not to mention House Basileus, House Hinor, and Dailora’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

“M-M-Minister?!” the man exclaimed. He looked to argue but the look on Irwin’s face had him clamming up immediately.  

He turned around to Miss Hinor, who was watching this scene with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. “My sincerest apologies, Lady Hinor, I mean no harm,” he bowed. “Please, relay my apology to your father-”

“My father likes his apologies aged and bitter,” Lady Hinor remarked, crossing her arms with a smug smile on her face. “At least fifty years.”

With a red face, he turned and reluctantly bowed to Aris and Irwin before scampering off. As the stubby man stormed away, the crowd eventually began to disperse with people returning to their respective groups, conversations suddenly fueled by the most recent scene. It was slowly becoming a very drama-filled night.  

Aris turned to the marquess with a sigh. “I’m going to the balcony to get some fresh air. Are you coming?”

He snuck a glance at Lady Hinor who was looking at them with curious eyes. “No, you go on ahead. I’ll find you later.” 

She responded with a nod. 

The doors to the balcony were shut, which is how Aris left them when she went through. On either side of the doors were rose planters, their color shining through the darkness with the moonlight. This kind of weather was just perfect, she believed; not cold enough for furs or two more layers of underwear. 

She put her hands on the railing and looked out into the royal gardens below, trying to sort her thoughts. 

The king systematically canceled the engagement between Lady Penelope and Prince Nyros. It could mean he didn’t approve of it… but why did the engagement talks go on for so long then? From what Countess Holden said, the royal family didn’t stand to gain anything from marrying into House Onéfry. A simple count’s family, however, they had everything to gain. Count Onéfry certainly didn’t know what the king was planning to do. The last thing King Jeromir would want to do is put himself in tonight’s situation… be seen as someone to go back on his word. Did he not think it through? Or someone else didn’t think it through. Which means-

“-someone else annulled the engagement,” Aris concluded out loud. 

The small sound of a throat being cleared jolted her to her senses. She turned around in slight annoyance. It seems the people of the capital all have a flare for the dramatics. 

A young man dressed in white attire stood behind her with his arms behind his back, a soft smile on his face. His warm blond hair showed over his golden mask, almost like a halo matching his angelic aura. 

“My apologies, my lady,” he started. “I wasn’t aware there was anyone out here. I tried to get your attention but…”

Oops, she thought in her head. 

“I’ll come back another time.” The angel-like man bowed.

“No, no,” Aris quickly said. “The balcony is big enough for two people. I don’t mind.”

At least he didn’t seem like the other creepy noblemen she’d met that night. If he was, it was only a matter of deciding who would go tumbling over the balcony first. 

She watched as he moved closer to her on the railing. As she turned to face the moon once again, she waited for him to say something– maybe a pickup line or the beginning of a string of complaints even. But he didn’t. A quick glance at his face let her know that he was also staring at the moon. 

It was silent. But not awkward. It was a nice change. 

“Hey, so, um-” he cleared his throat again and turned to look at Aris, who matched his gaze through the mask. “I heard a funny joke earlier. Would you like to hear it?”

This caught her off guard; not because it was suspicious, but because it was the most simple and genuine start to a conversation she’s heard in a while. 

“Oh,” the girl replied. “Sure.” 

His green eyes seemed to light up even more as his smile grew. “Oh- great!” He looked up at the sky in thought. “Okay, it goes like- ‘what do you call a knight who is afraid to fight?’”

“Um, a coward?”

The man shook his head, his eyes still shining brightly. 

“I… I’m not sure,” Aris admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “What do you call one?” 

He took a deep breath, as if what he was about to say would blow her mind. 

“Sir Render!”

A pause. 

A very long pause. 

In the absence of her laughing, the young man’s ears turned a slight pink as he took a step back. “My apologies!” He bowed slightly. “That wasn’t a very good joke was it?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Aris replied. “But I enjoyed it.” 

He looked up from his bent position to confirm what she had just said. Indeed, there was a large smile on her face. This caused him to straighten up, a large smile finding its way on his face too.

“I have another one, would you like to hear it?” He stepped closer to her. 

“Do I have a choice?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. It was his turn to laugh at this. 

It was nice being able to joke with this stranger. They didn’t even know each other’s names, but that didn’t matter right now. By the end of the fifth joke, the young man was doubled over in laughter on the railing trying to mouth out the next joke. 

“Why- why did-” he took a deep breath to try to control himself. “Why did the elf- bring a ladder to the tavern?”

“I’m not sure. Was he too short?” Aris guessed, a genuine laugh escaping her lips. 

“No, because he heard the drinks were ‘on the house!’” Another fit of giggles escaped the man as he clutched onto the railing for support. 

She laughed, watching the sight in front of him. His jokes weren’t particularly funny, maybe something a child would tell another, but she wasn’t laughing at his jokes. There was something about his tone, his smile, and his laughter that was contagious.

Or maybe the champagne was finally getting to her. 

“That was a good one, right?” He asked for her approval.

“Yes, I’ll admit it was better than the others.”

He pouted, shoulders slumped slightly. “You’re a tough nut to crack.” 

Aris simply shrugged. “I’m very easy to get along with, actually. Maybe it’s your jokes that aren’t up to par.”

The blond man looked like he’d just been slapped.

She put her hands up in mock surrender. “No, no, I was joking.”

He crossed his arms and turned his head to the left, a pout still evident on his face. “Maybe you’re the one whose jokes aren’t up to par.”

Aris scratched the back of her neck and wondered how to comfort this manchild. “Um, so, do you have a name, Sir Angel?” 

Oh, shit, she mentally cursed in her head. I just told him I think he looks like an angel.

The blond man’s posture seemed to relax, just a little, as he turned to face her again. He opened his mouth as Aris waited in anticipation. At that moment, a sudden sound in the sky cut him off, followed by bright flashes of light. As if on cue, the capital’s clock tower began to chime the start of midnight. 

The empty night sky transformed into brilliant, colorful flashes that rained from the sky. More fireworks followed suit, each loud explosion more grand than the last. She blinked, suddenly remembering how she had ignored the man’s answer to her question.

“Oh, my apologies,” Aris said, shouting slightly. “What were you going to say?”

“Neo, it’s a nickn-”

“I’m sorry, what?” She asked again, jutting her ear forward.

He laughed softly and repeated it. “My nickname is Neo! But it’s-”

“Leo?”

“No, Neo! It’s a-”

 One of the doors to the balcony opened, revealing Irwin holding Sae’s hand. 

“There she is!” Sae exclaimed, looking up at the marquess. She then ran up to Aris and looked up at her, pointing back to Irwin.

“Sir Irwin wanted the three of us to watch the fireworks together!” The young girl then turned to look at the blond man like she’d just noticed him. “Did we interrupt something?”

“Oh, um,” Aris turned to look at him. He shook his head softly with a smile. 

“No, we can go watch the fireworks.”

“Yay! Where should we go? The other people all went to the gardens,” Sae suggested. 

Before someone could respond, the man in the angel mask spoke up. “If I may propose, the view doesn’t get much better than the balcony–” he looked back towards the marquess. “–I must take my leave anyway. I believe my date may be looking for me.” 

“Are you sure?” Aris asked.

“Of course, my lady,” he responded, bowing slightly. “I’m grateful for you staying to entertain me and my ‘below par’ jokes.’”

Her eyes widened slightly in embarrassment. 

“May Zephyria allow us to meet again. Maybe then I’ll have better jokes for you.” 

He turned to leave through the double doors, stopping before Irwin. 

“Marquess Basileus,” he bowed. Irwin returned it with a nod and watched his retreating figure. 

Walking closer to the railing where Aris and Sae were, he twirled his mask around his wrist.

“Who was that?”

Aris thought for a moment. 

“I think he said his name was Leo.”