Promises of Glory

“There’s no such things as ‘little things’ in life.”

-Jani Briggs

The crowd was bustling, a moving mass, a living thing. People danced, women on the arms of men; men dancing together, one shamelessly taking the female’s role; women dancing together, one leading with a smile on their face.

Rhode stood back, shocked at the disregard for all the social norms she had grown up with.

Women never led a dance or smiled proudly, they were supposed to be timid, a damsel. But Rhode saw the women that surrounded her, happy, joyful, not bogged down by social expectations.

She saw the merry faces and stepped back, almost as if trying to escape the room. Alys leaned down to her ear, “What are you afraid of?” The girl looked up into the eyes of her grandmother, seeing her face obscured under a mask of gold and what she could only assume were diamonds.

Rhode wanted to scream, she wanted to say she was afraid of finding a home here with these people. Something she could never have. So, with a shaking breath, she said, “I’m afraid there’s more people here than I imagined. I’m not very good with crowds.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, putting on the skin of a meek child, a grateful granddaughter, “What if no one wants to dance with me, grandmother?” She looked up at Alys.

Her grandmother gave her a neat and tidy smile. “Tonight you are not you, tonight you are but a woman behind a mask.” Rhode touched the black lace that clung to her skin with what she could only assume was Fae magic. “Tonight, it doesn’t matter who you will dance with, it only matters that you dance. That you have fun.”

A nod. “I understand.”

Alys surveyed the crowd, pursed lips. “But just because you’re behind a mask, doesn’t mean they won’t know who you are.” Rhode knew the words she didn’t say. She had the stench of a human. “Don’t be used, don’t be swayed by their pretty words. They are fiends, every single one of them. Thieves of wealth. Smiling Liars. Stabbing you in the back while they compliment your dress.”

Rhode instantly thought of what she’d overheard, the witch that her grandmother hid behind a cool smile. But more than that was the people she had known during her times on the street. The little group of thieves she ran with before she fell into better hands.

“Now get out there, and have fun.” A curt nod and Alys left her behind, opting to mingle with people and dine of lavish dishes.

Was fun possible with so much on her mind?

Rhode stood back, the little dish she dined on was extravagant, just like the gold encrusted dishes and fixtures that lined the ceilings of the gigantic ballroom that she looked at from behind her mask.

The ceiling itself was painted like the sky, clouds, cherubs, the sun setting over the great doors they entered through. Rhode enjoyed the vibrant oranges and pinks, that ran together with the blues. Most definitely the most beautiful room she’d ever seen.

A big swig of a fruit drink had her dizzy, a little uneasy on her feet. But it was all for a larger purpose.

The girl pushed off from the table, taking a gentle, swaying walk around the dancers. She saw a tall man take notice of her. He bowed to his partner and made his way to her. He was a burly man, a brute of a man by the way he walked. Like he owned the world.

“I saw you looking at me.” His snide grin made Rhode disgusted. Like he could see where your eyes were at all from the way he was looking every woman in the place up and down.

She felt the eyes of nearby ladies sizing her up, her short stature and child like figure probably gave it away immediately. She folded his arms, taking a step back, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. “I wasn’t looking at you.”

“Oh, contraire.” He leaned on a table, his entire attitude screaming entitlement and arrogance. “Miss Novak, please, I saw your wandering eyes.”

“Corvo.” Blunt, she snarled at him.

He looked taken aback, probably not used to somebody calling him out. “Huh?”

“Rhode Corvo is my name.”

He turned pink, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware you were married.” Of course he would assume that and make her explain herself. “Who’s the lucky guy?” And she knew what he meant, who was stupid enough to married a hybrid, a lesser being than either of the two races.

Rhode rolled her eyes. “I’m not but thank you for your consideration.”

He seemed not sure what to do with himself, and she knew the feeling well. Like her skin was too tight and her bones not her own. That’s how she felt right now, surrounded by wasted wealth. He bowed to her and left her, offering some other woman his hand.

The girl kicked off from table she leaned against, opting to mingle and greet every person that would give her the time of day.

She talked to a few women, but they were too concerned with appearances to really be conversationalists. A woman was on the verge of asking her how the human lands was faring, but a long stare from Rhode made the woman fall silent. She didn’t want to think about the world beyond these borders, what Livinus was up to.

Funny how a whole party dedicated to love and celebration was leaving the girl feeling alone.

Rhode glided around the room. She thought of how easy it would be to pick the pockets of these unaware or drunk nobles, how easy of marks they were. Lost in her train of thought she nearly crashed into a young male Fae. She stopped herself just a few centimeters from his side, holding her breath like she instinctively did in situations on the brink of disaster. She moved a bit away from him as he noticed her.

His eyebrows lifted in surprise as he beheld her. He was of a normal size, for a Fae. His wide frame dwarfed her by a good three feet.

The man offered her a hand, “Would you like to dance?”

Rhode smiled politely, disgusted with herself for even entertaining her grandmother and these people with her grin and mingling. “I would love to.” She took his hand and he escorted her to the dancing ring.

The girl knew she was doomed when she saw the synced movement of everyone around her. They danced in unison, as if they had been dancing like this for centuries. It took only a moment for Rhode to realize that they had, and had for maybe more. She looked at the man sheepishly, “I do not dance well.”

“I will guide you.”

She could only see half of his face beneath his mask, it covered the same amount of face as her own. But his was gold and conveyed the image of a forest nymph. Most likely he was a Fae from another court, one not under the control of her grandmother. There was no way he would go so far as dancing with her if he was aware of who she was.

As they danced Rhode noticed an easy enough pattern to follow. As a thief quickly grasping footwork had been a necessity and it wasn’t long before the Fae began to incorporate more complicated steps that drew the attention of the other dancers. Some wrinkled their noses at the pair.

“Pay them no heed,” He muttered. “They are an envious bunch.”

“What makes you think that?” Rhode asked.

He gave a small smile. “You move with the grace and beauty of an untamed river.”

Rhode looked down. “You think so?”

“Of course. You look entrancing, for a mutt.”

She blinked, shocked at the use of such an old term. An insult. “A mutt?”

Rhode couldn’t tell if his face reddened, “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant.” She raised an eyebrow at him, sure that he meant what he said.

Though he continuously apologized, Rhode didn’t respond to him. Instead she looked at a waiter who’d she observed a few minutes ago making his rounds. His path was－ unfortunately－ close to the dance floor. She decided to take the opportunity.

“Would you spin me?” She asked with a quick bat of her eyes that－ she hoped－ looked innocent.

The young Fae eagerly agreed. The spin itself was graceful but his grip on her hand was loose, loose enough that Rhode easily slipped hers out of it and crashed into the waiter.

The result was like an explosion.

Wine from the silver platter he carried flew everywhere with a loud ‘crash’ as he fell. This included on Rhode’s pink, voluptuous dress. Rhode frowned, the dress had been so nice, too.

The party goers stopped to look at the scene she’d caused and the two other Fae that now had wine on their finery. Blinking quickly as though she were about to cry, Rhode ran towards the door, ducking her head to hide a smile as she slipped out of the party.