I take in a deep breath, my heart pounding against my ribcage. My fingers constantly intertwine and un-tie with each other as I am unable to sit still. Mama is doing the final touches on my hair, pulling all my stray hairs into a neat bun. She finishes pinning it up with a little crystal clip with three, obviously fake, diamonds in the middle. 

She then touches upon my makeup; it is very light-colored and brings is a slight bluish color. My lips start to tremble as I bite the inside of my cheek; I can tell that I am incredibly close to drawing blood. 

"Breath, Alice," Mama whispers into my ear. I turn to look at her. Tears are starting to well in my eyes, but I cannot allow them to fall, or else my makeup with be ruined. 

She looks me over for one last time. We pull each other into a hug as a few choked-up words are exchanged. I hope Mama can be alright with whatever happens; I know I will always be there for her --- monster or not. 

"I love you, Mama," she says a muffled reply before we release from our embrace. She caresses my face and gives me a little kiss on my forehead. 

Looking from towards the door of our shack, I give one last smile before walking to the entrance and grabbing the door handle. I open it and allow the wind to usher me outside. It is welcoming, almost guiding me to my destination. The door closes behind me, and I cannot help but give one last, long stare. 

I walk down the road that leads towards the castle. This Gala is taking place in the royal garden. Rumors suggest that it is filled top to bottom with the most gorgeous plants that anyone has ever seen. Small critters hide in the bushes, but they are friendly and will not be afraid to approach humans. 

I hum a small tune as the wind whispers around me; its voice is gentle, almost soothing. I give a small twirl as I dance along to its song, the beat being simple and easy to follow.

The first sign of Gala is the bright lights streaming from an upcoming pathway. On closer inspection, there are little fire wisps that lighten up one of the many paths towards the Gala invitees. I nervously shifted my eyes from the path to where I stand before taking a deep breath. The reason no one else is near this path is that it is the west side path, meaning that the rest of the attendees are from the wealthier side. 

My feet skim the stones as my eyes focus on the path that only grows larger. I eventually come to an opening where there stands an entrance, four knights standing at the entrance, taking in guests, and making sure that there are no weapons going in. I quickly get in line behind a massive group of high-ranked monarchs. Some give me a confused glance, but other than that, no one really appears to spare me a single thought.

The line moves quickly, and I am soon enough at the entrance.

"Name?"

"Alice Bennet," the knight looks through a small list of names before nodding and allowing me through. When I enter the entrance of Gala, I cannot help but let out a shocked gasp. I have heard rumors of Gala; I knew it was said to be the most elite of parties ever with royals all over the place. The most beautiful of women were to be seen and the lads that were scattered about.

 The rumors are all true. 

Gowns fit for ice queens are seen throughout the party as everyone chats, drinks, and eats. The lads wear either light blue suits or khakis and a light shirt. I feel uncomfortable and make my way towards the food table, looking to see if I can find some water or fruit juice. My eyes land on the glasses of water, and I give a little smile. I grab one of the waters and turn around.

Only then do I spot the king mingling with some of the high tiers. My heart skips a beat, and I gulp. Anger wells within my stomach as Mama's story flashes in my mind; that man was nothing more than a scam, someone who lacks loyalty and treats his subjects like trash. 

"Hello, Alice."

"Holy, gods," I jump around to meet the eyes of Kyler. He takes a step back before letting out a small thing of laughter. His outfit of choice is a light blue suit and dark blue tie. He looks dashing, and I cannot help but feel a little bit taken aback. 

"Sorry for the scare. I just noticed you are rather alone. May I take you on the floor for a dance? You look too stunning to be left alone with all these, perverts," I give a small snicker before putting my water down on a random table. It would likely be drugged before the end of the night. 

He holds his hand out, and I gently lay my hand into it. We walk to the dance floor where other couples dance about. I lean into him as we slow dance to the orchestra playing in the background; we keep things simple and two a small two-step dance. Truth be told, I never really learned how to dance because I never thought I would ever attend Gala. 

"You are looking for extremely beautiful tonight," I let out a smile as a blush rushes across my face. Being complimented by a high-tier, handsome knight is something that does not happen every day. 

"You look quite dapper as well," I can his face let out a small red color as we continue to dance. I can feel the eyes of the high tiers staring me down, wondering who this mystery girl might be. 

Kyler and I talk a little bit my steering clear of the thoughts of my impending doom. Deep in my stomach, I know that things are going to be --- dismal. But, what if Madam Zornem is wrong? Maybe she saw the vision of someone else? What if Mama and I are going to be just fine? 

Kyler leads me off the dance floor and towards a table for two people. He seats me down and walks away, holding up a finger to signify to give him a second. I nod my head and take a moment to peak at the garden that we stand in. There is a castle entrance that is sealed off by knights; plants are scattered around as large vines and trees cover most of the skyline except a few scarce spots where the moon shines brightly. There are multiple tables spread about, some are for eight people all the way to tables for two. Servers are walking around with champagne, other alcoholic drinks, and little snacks. A dining area is set right near one of the edges of the garden, but the main courses will start when the moon hits the midst of the sky. Which should be soon. 

Kyler comes back with a small platter of sweets and a glass of grape juice. He sets them down and takes the seat opposite of me. I cautiously take one of the small scones on the plate and nibble at it; it is delicious tasting, and I am sure Mama would absolutely love to have one. 

"Kyler," I freeze for a second while shifting my vision towards the scones.

"I am fated to have a terrible path ahead of me tonight. I have one request that I must make of you. Please, send a package of these scones to my mom. For tonight, my life is to be taken according to an elder," Kyler allows his mouth to be left slightly agape as he takes one of my hand into his. He gives it a comforting grab as a loud trumpet captures our attention. 

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I will ask everyone to take a seat before we get on with this evening's dinner, rewards, and dancing."

"Rewards?" I whisper to Kyler as he nods his head, his chocolate eyes dripping with intrigue. 

"Every year there are rewards given for a handful of things. It varies year to year," I let at an "ah" before we continue to eat our little plate of heaven. People proceed to rush into every direction imaginable; there are mostly families sitting together at the eight seated tables while the in-love couples swarming towards the two seated tables. 

Shortly after did waiters come out of the castle entrances with menus in their hands. They came around and handed a menu out to everyone. When one of the young lads got to me, he gave me a flash of a smile. I nod my head in thanks before he leaves. 

I glance over the menu before letting out a sigh; I have absolutely no idea what any of these dishes are. Skinned-Elroymani? What in the name of Gala is an elroymani? I put my menu down and poke at Kyler, giving a nervous grin in defeat. 

"I don't know what any of these are, can I just copy your order?"

"No problem, do you prefer anything taste-wise or is it just --- whatever?"

"Give me something, maybe, a bit savory," Kyler nods his head before we put our menus down and allow the waiters to come to pick them up and take our order. The same lad as before comes back around with a notepad and pen in his hand. 

"Good evening lady and gentleman. My name is Everette Bradenton, and I will be your waiter for this evening's Gala. May I ask for your names before we get started?"

"My name is Kyler Halloswift, and this is Alice Bennet," the waiter, Everette, writes both our names down before turning his attention back to Kyler. 

"We will both have the roasted mongona duck with a side of adrizlet greens. For dessert, each a small lava cake," Everette writes the orders down and collects our menus before heading off in the direction of the castle. I look towards Kyler, and I can see him gazing past me, almost like his mind is somewhere far into the night-time stars. 

"Why did you join me, Kyler," I can feel my fingers playing with the fur edges of my dress. The bile that moves up my throat only indicates the worries that I have been holding in for the entire past few days. Only now do I realize the weight that lies on my shoulders --- I have to pray that Madam Zornem was wrong. 

"Call it stupid, but a little spirit told me to be with you on this night."

"Are you a spirit whisperer?"

"I guess you could say that" he lets out a snicker before running a hand through his curly brown oak locks. I let out a breath as fascination dances its way into my eyes. 

"What did it tell you?"

"Those little bastards talk a lot, but to put it simply, I was told to be with you the entire night. They never gave me a clear reason, though," he shrugs his shoulders while glancing around, looking for any spirits that might be lingering. Spirits come in all shapes and forms, from human to animal. Sometimes they choose to be visible whereas other times they like to stay hidden. The few select that can always see spirits are known as spirit whisperers; they have the gift to understand spirits and contact with them naturally. It can also be known as nature's kiss because spirits are the embodiment of nature. 

"So, you're going to walk me home?"

"Well, I suppose so."

"Thank the gods," I let out a sigh of relief before the blaring sound of trumpets once again take away our attention and bring them towards the centerpiece. The king sits on a makeshift throne as the empress sits beside him. I cannot help but feel a bit disgusted at even looking at her face; if only she knew how many women the king took advantage of. What if she did know? I shake my head while the trumpets quiet down. 

"Good evening my loyal followers. I hope you are all enjoying this year's Gala. I want to thank everyone for being here and dressed in your stunning outfits, per usual. I would like to start our rewards discussion as your dinners will be quickly served to you," the king takes a deep breath as his head scans the crowd, giving a few waves and smiles. When he meets my eyes, we stare for a little, the pit in my stomach continues to grow. He moves on and finishes looking over the rest of the crowd.

"This evening we will have three rewards. Each one will have a reward of two hundred gold and five hundred silvers."

"For the love of gala," I mummer quietly as I cannot even decipher if Mama and I have even had a total of two hundred gold in my lifetime. Is that a normal number for upper subjects? 

"For our first reward, I will be granting it to a young man who has made strides into becoming one of the best knights in our kingdom. Will Kyler Halloswift please step forward," Kyler and I exchange a surprised look like the entire crowd roars in support. I can feel the many stares in our direction as Kyler nervously stands up, only now do I notice how tall he really is. Surely, he is around six foot three or something around that? To be fair, I am not the shortest female in this kingdom; I am around five foot seven the last time Mama checked. 

Kyler walks to where the king and empress sit, and a seat is pulled up to sit next to the king. Kyler awkwardly takes his seat, and we look at each other, neither one of us could have predicted this. 

"For our second reward, I will be granting a reward to a young lady who has tended carefully to the castle grounds to ensure the health of our castle. Will Lily Shapone please step forward," eyes look around as a petite girl timidly stands up. She had long, golden locks, and from what I can tell, shiny diamond-like eyes. Her dress was a long-sleeved, baby blue dress that fell just below her knees. I could tell how anxious she was as she took tiny steps towards the king and curtsied. A chair was pulled up next to Kyler, and she quickly sat down, keeping her head hanging low.

"For our last reward, I will be granting this reward to a young lady who has kept our crops in top shape and our animals in the best of health," he hesitates for a second, and my heart skips a few beats. I close my eyes as I can feel the wind sing into my ear; this song is one of sorrow and despair. I know what is about to happen. 

"Will Alice Bennet please step forward?"