The banquet hall had been prepared with the utmost attention. This event was bound to bring a lot of nervousness for everyone present. The long, rectangular room had high walls and large, glass windows, and a magnificent ceiling with a unique mosaic made of a myriad of polished nacre. The chamberlain had picked each curtain, each rug, and each chair cushion so nothing would be out of place, all in dark shades of blue to enlighten the white and light wood furniture. The highlight, though, came from the dozens of beautiful glass bowls, hanging from the ceiling, on the walls, or decorating the tables, each containing a candle on a little bed of sand. Each was glowing with the color of the glass surrounding it, but there were so many that it felt like the night could fall and the room would remain as bright as during the daytime. In fact, it wasn’t late, but it was already quite dark outside. The sun had been covered by dark, heavy clouds that carried a promise of a storm; there would be no sunset viewing that day. Indeed, it was humid and hot inside, and the rain was just beginning to fall against the glass windows. The servants, who were running left and right to bring the first dishes and pour drinks into the guests’ cups, were frequently sending worried glances toward the large doors on the side, hoping the wind wouldn’t blow them open.

None of the already present guests seemed concerned about the upcoming storm. The sounds of their polite chatters and chuckles were somehow louder than the first rumbles of thunder outside. A lot of those laughs and smiles were forced and fake, though. It was hard to remain joyous and enthusiastic, locked up in a room with a monster.

Sitting alone on his throne, at the end of the room, the King’s eyes were sending daggers. Even the ladies who had been waiting off to the side for their chance were a bit too scared to approach. Ashen the White hadn’t even bothered to change his usual outfit. In fact, he was half-naked, with a thick, black, fur cape on his shoulders for decoration only. He didn’t wear a crown or any jewelry, and even his pants and boots were completely dark and plain. Yet, his imposing figure allowed no mistake as to who was the alpha in the room. He was sitting, but it felt as if he was standing taller than anybody else. He wasn’t moving, but his piercing glare was circling the room as if ready to set on its prey and hunt it down. The only human being daring enough to stay by his side was a red-haired woman. She was even sitting on one of the arms of the throne as if it was a stool. While the King leaned on the other one, not glancing in her direction at all, his hand slowly making his wine swirl in his cup. Jisel was the one to regularly pour wine into his cup instead of the frightened servants, and from time to time, she would lean in to whisper something in his ear. He never responded to her, but she didn’t seem to mind at all, a faint and confident smile stuck on her red lips.

That woman’s red dress was surprisingly simple, compared to that of the other women in the room. Especially the young women, who all looked dazzlingly beautiful. They all wore jewelry of white nacre, silver, or seashells on their dark skin, and had complex hairstyles, with braids and white pearls, or wild curls let loose. Even more dashing were their gorgeous, long dresses. Despite those having long skirts and sleeves, they subtly exposed their shoulders, collarbone, cleavage, or back, each adapted to the lady’s best asset. They all were in cool colors such as purple, blue, green, or darker shades of red. Each dress was prim but close-fitting, tailored to complement the beauty of the lady wearing it. The most extravagant ones included feathers, fur, white pearls, or embroideries for details.

The candidates for the Queen’s title were the easiest to spot, each more beautiful than the last, and the center of attention where they stood.

In one corner, Counselors Yamino and Yassim were both equally nervous, their glances going alternately from the King to the entrance door of the hall, where people came and went in regular intervals.

“Our ladies are late...” sighed Yassim behind his cup.

The old man was the main target of the King’s glares, and an invisible circle was formed around him that no one would dare approach, except for Counselor Yamino. It was as if he was carrying some deadly disease or a target on his back that no one wanted to block...

“Naptunie did mention she wanted to stay behind and help the Princess and Lady Tessa,” muttered Yamino. “I hope this is just them being fashionably late...”

“Or perhaps they have nothing decent to wear,” chuckled a high-pitched voice.

Both Counselors turned their heads at the same moment. Just a few steps away from them, a little group of young people was smirking and laughing at the duo. Lady Safia, who had spoken, was wearing a dashing, off-the-shoulder, burgundy dress, her long braids tied in an updo to show her large golden earrings. She was obviously the center of attention of the little group, with four young men having eyes only for her, and the two other ladies looking pretty bland in comparison. Her haughty expression had her chin slightly upwards and her full lips pouting, but it only enhanced her long neck and beautiful lines.

“Lady Safia,” said Yassim, bowing. “You seem very aware of the incident. Do you have anything to report?”

“A jailbreak is what should be reported,” she retorted. “You have guts to dare show your face after His Majesty had you jailed, old man. Or could it be the Princess’ authority takes precedence over our King’s? Quick as ever to change your loyalty, I see. You should be careful, Yassim. Traitors don’t get to keep their necks long...”

“Thank you for the warning, Lady Safia, but I’ll gladly offer my neck for the peace of our Kingdom. This old man is already grateful for all the years I’ve been given to live and serve my King.”

He had subtly ignored her implicit accusations about Princess Cessilia and kept his faint smile on, which annoyed the young woman even more. She glared back at him without adding anything, but her followers were quick to take over.

“Who cares about that Princess,” scoffed one of the girls. “From what I’ve heard, she’s very ordinary, and her skin is so pale, she looks sick. The only thing she has is that gold she brought, and now, it appears it’s been stolen. She really has everything to lose by coming here. I bet she won’t even dare show herself! I’m sure there is no one more beautiful than our Lady Safia.”

However, her flattery was lost on Safia; the haughty young lady already had her eyes elsewhere, and more precisely, on one woman who was already a step ahead in the race to the King’s heart... Jisel. The truth was, that woman was also pale-skinned, and she didn’t need much to stand out. Her red hair made her shine like a dangerous flame in the room, and unlike her rivals, her dress was much more revealing and daring. She wasn’t trying to hide her status as the King’s mistress at all, and it worked to piss off her rivals.

“...Let’s not mind the prostitute,” hissed the other girl next to Safia, glaring her way as well.

Safia shrugged her shoulders and walked away. Other than Jisel, another woman could be said to be standing out because of her unique beauty. It was made even more obvious by the number of young men gathered around her, who barely blinked while staring at this dashing dark beauty. She wasn’t very tall, but Lady Axelane, the rumored gem of the Nahaf Family, was living up to her legend in a beautiful, light blue dress. In fact, the color of her dress seemed to have been picked to contrast the exceptional darkness of her skin, so dark it seemed to almost have blue highlights in it. She had purposely chosen only white nacre jewelry and pearls too, as if to make it even more obvious. Her long curls were pulled back to enhance her facial features, feminine and delicate. The lady herself acted as if she were some precious doll, with shy smiles and gracious movements, politely answering the men courting her and ignoring the glares from her rivals.

Although the banquet had officially started, there was some faint tension in the room as they all waited for the real action to begin: the candidates’ performances. However, it would only begin once all of them were present, and for now, two of them were still missing, making the Counselors grow more and more worried as time passed. The storm getting a bit louder outside was like a drum reminding everyone of the tension growing stronger in the room. All the candidates were staring at one another, silently evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of their rivals. They had all invested a lot in their outer appearance, but they knew the real deal was yet to come. For now, they were putting on an act of friendliness and politeness until they could all show their claws...

Then, one of the older servants walked up to the King, bowing politely and muttering something most people didn’t get to hear. Ashen answered briefly, and the servant turned around.

“My ladies, my lords, the first banquet will officially begin now! First, His Majesty hopes everyone can have fun and dance, and then get to enjoy the Queen Candidates’ talents!”

A little orchestra on the side began playing, and in a perfectly calculated choreography, several young people also stepped forward to dance. Yassim took another deep breath in, glancing at the door once again. Obviously, Lady Cessilia wouldn’t know much of the rituals and dances popular in the Kingdom, but it didn’t matter much, as long as the Princess could demonstrate other talents... The only real way to fail this first banquet, or first trial, was to not do anything at all, or not show up.

As he thought this, the Counselor suddenly got even more worried.

“...Surely nothing would have happened to Lady Cessilia, would it?” he mumbled.

“By the gods, no! Yassim, relax a little. Those girls have a dragon as their bodyguard. Moreover, Nana told me Lady Tessa’s extraordinary sword skills were enough to protect them. You’re getting old, my friend. As if anyone would dare to physically attack the Princess!”

Although Yamino meant well, his words weren’t enough to reassure Yassim. The old Counselor glanced the King’s way, and sure enough, Ashen was also staring at the door, without a care for the dances going on in the middle of the room, or the bold young ladies who dared to approach him and try to make conversation. The King’s dark eyes were riveted on the door, an underlying anger directed that way, as if he was considering whether to break it down or not... or perhaps he was also worried about the missing lady? Yassim slowly shook his head. If only the young King could be more honest with himself, and kinder too...

“Your Highness!” exclaimed a young lady, suddenly placing herself among the dancers.

Recognizing one of the candidates, most people stepped aside, and the orchestra played a bit quieter too. Most of her rivals made grimaces or stared at her with their eyes scrutinizing her appearance from head to toe.

She had a bright, confident smile on, but that was really all she could distinguish herself with. The young lady was wearing a gorgeous indigo dress, her long, frizzy curls held back by several silver headbands. Her jewelry was a bit too much, though, an awkward mix between silver and nacre, and there was so much it was hard to focus on her face rather than the obvious display of wealth.

“Lady Vena,” muttered Yamino. “The young lady of the Pangoja Clan is as bold as ever...”

Indeed, the young lady was brimming with confidence. Very subtly, her eyes went from the King to Jisel, and a faint smile was exchanged with the King’s mistress before she went back to him. The redhead tilted her head, a mischievous smile on her lips, and she stepped away from the throne, almost as if to leave the King more freedom for his movements. That exchange made Yassim fear for the young lady...

“May I offer Your Majesty a dance?” asked Vena, extending her hand.

The next seconds were so foreseeable, it made the whole scene even worse to witness. An awkward silence followed her question, all eyes going to the King. However, Ashen the White wasn’t reacting at all to the young woman’s words, simply staring somewhat her way, as if she had been some mere ant in his field of vision. He even had his cheek resting against his fist, a sullen look on as if he was dying of boredom. He didn’t move an inch or open his mouth to answer, not even to rebuke her. She was standing alone in the middle of the hall, terribly alone. Little by little, Vena’s enthusiasm from before visibly plummeted, and she cleared her throat very awkwardly. Her eyes went to Jisel again, with no smile this time. Only the King’s mistress was smiling from ear to ear, utterly amused.

“Y-Your Majesty,” Vena repeated, “may I have the honor of a dance? I am one of the best dancers of my generation, and I am sure you will enjoy a... a dance with me.”

Her speech wasn’t convincing, and it fell completely flat. She obviously hadn’t prepared anything to convince the King, and she hadn’t thought she would need to. Yassim sighed, feeling a bit sorry for the poor girl. She had obviously been duped and put into this situation by someone else’s scheme...

A few more seconds of a heavy and embarrassing silence followed, and Vena looked more and more alone on the dance floor, the audience staring without daring to do anything. Any man could have walked in right then to save her, but who was foolish enough to embarrass themselves with her, and in front of the King too? Even the orchestra didn’t dare play more than half their usual volume, and this atmosphere was getting distressing for everyone.

“Your Majesty...” Vena muttered.

Her hand slowly lowered, and the poor girl looked on the verge of tears, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

However, that’s when the King’s expression changed. From total boredom and disinterest, his dark eyes suddenly lit up with a vivid spark, and he slowly sat taller. Vena’s heart accelerated, and a victorious smile appeared on her face, convinced the King had finally seen something in her that would make him agree to dance with her. She raised her hand again, her shoulders going up and down from her excited breathing.

Ashen slowly got off his throne, and she was prepared for him to walk up to her, but something seemed a bit off. She realized his line of sight didn’t seem to stop on her but went beyond. As he stood, it became clear he hadn’t been looking at her, but at something beyond her shoulder. Not only that, but Jisel’s smile was gone too. Vena lowered her hand and looked around. All eyes were turned to something behind her; she had suddenly become completely invisible. During a mere second of confusion, she stepped back, unsure how to react, before she finally turned around. Her embarrassment turned into absolute shame when she noticed the tall figure at the hall’s entrance.

Cessilia’s appearance wasn’t simply breathtaking; the Princess looked as if she had stepped out of another world and into this one. She wasn’t wearing any nacre, silver, or gold jewelry. Even her hair was simply braided a little to be held behind her ears, and that was it. No, what attracted the eye was her incredible dress. Unlike her rivals, her dress was made of several layers and several shades, from a dark indigo blue to regal green, going through all teal shades. It may have seemed like too much, but each layer began below her belt and was as thin as a veil, all the colors floating and melting on top of each other, like the petals of a unique sea flower softly blown by the wind. The real magic was hidden on the ends of each skirt layer, though. At the border of the pieces of fabric, something shimmered, like miniature stars captured in the edges of her dress. Even more impressive was the top part. It was made of an incredible green fabric, which shimmered like thousands of little emeralds sewed together. She didn’t need any jewelry; her dress was made of something much shinier than any other piece of jewelry in the room. She stepped forward, and when she grabbed her dress to bow very slightly toward the King, they all saw her wrists and hands had gone completely dark; they were covered in black scales.

Behind her, Tessandra’s hands were the same, but instead of bowing to the King, her dark eyes went to Safia, and she muttered, a smirk on her lips.

“...Thanks for all that broken glass.”

A long silence followed the Princess’ entrance, but this time, the audience was in awe rather than awkward. Cessilia easily distinguished herself not only by her impressive dress and lack of jewelry but by the intriguing dark scales visible on her wrists and hands. Those scales were so dark, for a minute, many thought they had been drawn with soot. However, with each movement of the Princess’ hands, those dark scales would move along, as if to confirm they were genuine. It was as if she had humanoid reptilian hands... and it was both mesmerizing and scary.

The one more stunned than anyone was the King himself. He hadn’t taken a step from where he stood, but his whole body was leaning forward as if held back by some invisible restraint. He was breathing heavily too, and a frown had appeared on his face, his expression torn between surprise, agitation, and confusion. The sight of the Princess’ faint bow in front of him seemed to have thrown him into an inner turmoil. His lips parted as if he was about to say something, but before anything came out, Cessilia had already turned around, showing her back to him.

Her back was dashingly exposed by the dress’ shape, leaving a few men in the audience speechless and blushing. It was bare all the way down to her waist, showing her superb figure and perfect skin, almost more eye-catching than the shimmering colors of her dress. Her long, chocolate curls weren’t enough to hide her skin from male curiosity, and almost as soon as he realized it too, the King threw a circular glare at the audience, his fists tightening. Fortunately for them, all eyes were on the Princess, not the furious monarch.

Not only her but following her steps, Tessa and Nana were both getting their share of admirative glances. The warrior was more impressive in her unique outfit, though. It was a stunning combination of a soldier’s armor and a graceful, feminine silhouette. Her outfit wasn’t as shiny as Cessilia’s, but the shimmer was smartly highlighting her thin waist and broad shoulders, applied on the corset and shoulder pads. Not only that, but the long and fluid shape of her skirt made it hard to guess if she was wearing pants or a slitted skirt. Overall, it was an impressive fashion statement, confusing gender and yet exhibiting all of her physical traits. Moreover, she was showing off her cleavage, had undone her braids, making her hair much longer than her usual bob, and put some makeup on. While Cessilia looked like a mystical princess, Tessandra had the mightiness of a warrior queen.

Finally, Naptunie followed behind them. Although her beauty didn’t seem as exotic as the two young women before her, she had her own charm in a flamboyant, blue dress. The same broken glass had been used for a large belt to flatter her waistline, while the knee-length of her skirt, made of the same flying layers as Cessilia, showed off her tiny legs. In fact, that dress wouldn’t have worked on anyone but her. Her hair was also undone, and her generous chest was flattered by the triangle shape of her dress, which was held in a cute ribbon around her neck. With this and her white nacre jewelry, she looked adorable, like a little water fairy. Altogether, the trio was easily gathering all of the attention in the room, but as soon as Cessilia walked away from the King, Tessa and Nana followed her, and the young ladies who had just made quite an entrance walked up to the two Counselors, as if completely unaware of all the eyes on them.

“Ladies,” smiled Yassim, bowing politely as if to play along. “You’re absolutely stunning, all three of you.”