The manor thrummed with the energy of a lavish party, lady Vashti descended the grand staircase, her blue gown, a splash of defiant color against the sea of opulent silk and jewels. The Empress, resplendent in emerald stood beside Madelyn, a vision of perfectly sculpted beauty, radiating an air of smug superiority. The whispers began the moment she entered the room.

Lady Vashti was the subject, not of praise or pity, but of snide remarks and pointed glares. Madelyn, a picture of precocious cruelty openly mocked her lineage: "the illegitimate one, look at her audacity, she do not belong here" lady Vashti sneered with a leveled gaze, her chin lifted in defiance. She refused to cower.

Madelyn, all saccharine smiles and perfectly coiffed curls, approached with veiled sneer "sister" she purrs, the saccharine tone dripping with venom "Don't you dare soil my birthday with your presence" her words were a deliberate attempt to provoke, a test of her composure, Lady Vashti raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm playing on her lips "My dearest Madelyn" she replied, her voice calm yet firm, "I assure you my mere existence is not nearly as potent as you believe" the nobles around her, typically quick to take sides,were momentarily stunned into silence.

The Empress, her carefully constructed composure cracking, stepped forward. "Vashti!" she hissed, her voice sharp and brittle, "Your insolence knew no bounds, leave!" lady Vashti defiance had provoked her, her carefully hidden cracks in her veneer shattering into full view. But Lady Vashti stood her ground, her resolve strengthening with each icy glare directed her way. she refused to be silenced, to be pushed aside like a mere ornament.

The confrontation escalated, a whirlwind of accusations and insults, lady Vashti's respond was sharp wit and unwavering resolve, her words like carefully aimed daggers puncturing the Empress's carefully crafted image, the nobles, initially siding with the Empress began to shift uneasily, sensing a change in the balance of power. Their snide remarks dried up under the weight of her unexpected strength. Exhausted, but triumphant, lady Vashti excused herself, retreating to the balcony to catch her breath.

The cool night air calmed her racing pulse, then she saw him, Clarion Vans, crown prince of Gold port, stood gazing out at the manicured gardens below almost impossibly handsome, his hair the color of spun gold, fell over broad shoulders, a sculpted jawline accentuated by cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass. He was breathtaking. The Empress, in a desperate attempt to secure an alliance with his powerful father, Emperor Atkinson Vans, had secured his attendance, she had purposely adorned Madelyn to captivate the young prince, yet he was clearly captivated by lady Vashti.

"lady Vashti" he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down her spine, it was not a romantic kind of shiver but an awe-inspiring feeling of admiration "I saw your...performance....inside, it was remarkable" his words, though, seemingly simple were laden with unspoken admiration, he had politely refused Madelyn dance just to sought her. "You must be the prince from gold port" she asked gently which he agreed upon, she quickly bowed a little and said "Very well then, I am Vashti Netherfield, the first daughter of this imperial empire" she landed, he was by the way delighted to meet her "oh!...I have heard a lot about you, you look really beautiful than they have described you" they laughed and joked, they instantly became friends and he promised to keep in touch, chatting with the prince of gold port was a great relief, she didn't want to see the faces of those gnarling demons wearing human clothing, she even got to know that he had met with Madelyn and he didn't want to do that again, only the gods knew what he saw, as the day was dragging to midnight, she found her way to my room escaping all activities that happened in the ball.

     As she was undressing with Veronica, her thought wandered to many of the discussions she had with the prince earlier, one discussion in particular caught her attention, there was a place in gold port called belles Wales where one could find a powerful magician who could help manifest power, he had told the Emperor and she was sure he would take Madelyn soon, she wanted to be able to go and know what to do about the surge of energy she normally feels.