The Name You Gave Me

Chapter 4 - Rumor

The dance with Aaron had been lovely. I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would. But what came after the dance was what I had been waiting for the entire time. Lilura Ethelfled.

"Lilura...It is a pleasure, as always," I say as I watch her stalk towards me with a smirk on her glossy pink lips.

Her dress is a shimmering blue and instead of a gown, as most of the girls are wearing, it is slinky and exposing with off the shoulder sleeves. Her makeup is sharp and attention grabbing, but to top it all off there is a silver tiara sitting on top of her curled red hair. She is accompanied with another princess who is very small.

"Indeed, it is, Rohanna," Lilura says as she looks me up and down and scoffs, "Oh darling, what are you wearing? You look like one of the elder women."

I sigh as I roll my eyes and force a smile. Kace had told me to not let them know that I was nervous, so I am going to do just that.

"Well, that is quite funny since I just had a dance with one of the princes and he said that I was one of the most beautiful ladies here tonight," I retort back to her, my eyes watching for her reaction.

"Oh really? Let me guess, Otis? He is always trying to get with one of us girls. Not that you would know that since you are just a commoner. Isn't that right, Elodie," she claims as she looks to her right at the brown-haired girl who is now nodding.

I glare at them before I answer, thinking about my reply very carefully.

"Actually, it was Aaron. You know, brown hair, brown eyes? A true gentleman who is surprisingly really good at dancing?" 

At my words, both of the girls stop and Lilura's smirk turns into a cold sneer. Oops, seems that I have hit a nerve. Wait, are her and Aaron a thing?! Surely, he wouldn't have asked me to dance and then compliment me if they were. She then roughly nudges Elodie in the side, who seems to get the hint after that.

"Oh, that's highly doubtful. You see, Lilura has already secured her spot with Aaron since he is most likely to be king if they decide to choose new ones. He practically screams royalty," Elodie squeaks out, her voice honestly making me want to sink in a hole.

I raise an eyebrow at both of the girls before I chuckle quietly and shake my head. These two are seriously so cliche, it is amusing to me.

"Well, be sure to remind him of that next time you see him."

With that, I simply walk pass them. But before I go too far, I stop and look over my shoulder at them, feeling the fire burning in my chest again.

"And I don't suggest underestimating me because of where I came from. You know nothing of me or what I can become," I caution before I turn and leave them.

Were they really so dense that they believed if Lilura was with Aaron that she would be chosen to be queen? It was such a silly way to achieve her motive, I couldn't even be bothered by the situation. I walk over to the bar where there are drinks and I pick up a flask with some clear liquid. When I take a sip, I nearly start coughing since it is so bubbly and dances across my taste buds.

"It has quite the kick, doesn't it?"

I quickly turn around and notice two other girls standing behind me, swallowing what is in my mouth. I recognize them to be princesses, but I can't remember their names. One has thick auburn hair and muddy eyes and the other has short blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Ah, yes. I'm not quite used to drinking anything other than water and the occasional tea," I admit as I offer them a small smile, "I'm really sorry, but I don't remember your names."

"Oh! Of course. I should have introduced us first! My apologies. I am Jessie Mitchell," the auburn-haired girl exclaims before she motions over to the blonde, "And this is Odette Long."

Jessie is wearing a beautiful rose gold ballgown with pink roses embroidered on it. The playful glint in her eyes contradicts the keen look of her makeup. Odette, on the other hand, is wearing a deep blue gown that reminds me a lot of Lilura's, but it is much less flashy.

"No, it's okay. I haven't been the most social since I have arrived. But I'm Rohanna Perez. It's a pleasure," I reply back as I shift on my feet. These heels are killing my feet.

"Oh, we already know who you are. Lilura has been talking about you nonstop! I swear that girl has a vendetta out for you already. Even the boys are growing tired of her nonsense," Jessie quickly states and Odette nods her head seriously.

"I don't like to speak ill of people, but she really is awful," Odette says quietly, "When she saw me tonight, she came to me, her and Elodie, and tried to force me to go back to my room and change. But I couldn't! A true lady is never late to an event."

I find myself frowning at their words. So Lilura is really out to get me? It is strange.

"I understand her not agreeing with them letting me into the palace as a princess, but honestly I haven't the slightest clue as to why she hates me so much," I murmur as I shake my head in confusion.

"Well, if you ask me, I think she is afraid that you are going to steal the spotlight from her. After all, you are the one who the media is talking about. And I saw you dancing with Aaron. That probably just fueled her anger right there," Jessie explains as she looks at me.

I grimace slightly as I take another sip out of the glass I am holding. My goal here isn’t to make any enemies. It is to thrive.

"Well, she can get over herself and her vendetta towards me. I could care less about the spotlight and as for Aaron- We just met! If she wants him so badly, she can have him," I scowl as I finish.

Aaron was kind and a gentleman to me, but is he worth having a girl trying to make my year at the palace miserable?

"Honestly, I wouldn't even think too much into it. I don't think that anyone takes her seriously besides maybe Elodie," Jessie shrugs and Odette nods in agreement. I have come to notice that Odette doesn't really talk much.

"Have either of you been asked to dance?" I question, trying to steer the subject far away from the topic of Lilura.

At my question, Odette's pale cheeks instantly turn a blush red and Jessie smirks.

"Well, my girl Odette has had Edric eyeing her all night. I tried to talk her into going up to him, but so far my attempts have failed," Jessie replies.

I smile at that and glance over to where they were looking. Sure enough, just a few chairs down is a male sitting in a suit with chestnut hair. He looks quiet, which is ironic with how timid Odette seems to be.

"Edric is nice, but there is no way he would want to dance with me," Odette insists as her cheeks grow an even darker shade of red, "I mean, we went to school together back at home. But we never really spent time together."

"Now how would you know that he doesn't want to dance if you don't at least talk to him?" I ask as a small smile forms on my lips.

Odette hesitates before she giggles lightly and shakes her head.

"Okay, I suppose you have a point," she admits.

"So then why are you still standing here?! Go talk to him!" Jessie insists as she playfully bumps her hip to Odette's.

I can still see the look of hesitation in her crystal blue eyes, but she finally smiles and nods her head. Without saying another word, Odette turns and marches towards Edric. Both Jessie and I watch as she stops in front of him. A few seconds pass before we see Edric nod and stand, taking Odette's hand and leading her to the dance floor.

"Yes! Finally!" Jessie exclaims excitedly. She then turns to me and grins. "Odette has liked him for so long and I have been trying to get them to hang out. Who knew that it would happen at the royal palace?"

So, Jessie and Odette had been friends before coming here? They were lucky because at this point, I would kill to have Emilio standing next to me.

"What about you? Do you have a special someone back at home?"

Both of my eyebrows raise at Jessie's unexpected question, but I just chuckle and shake my head no.

"No, I don't. I mean, I have a best friend who used to like me. But nothing came of that. His name is Emilio," I respond to her.

"Oh? And what does this 'Emilio' do?" She asks curiously.

"Well, I honestly don't know. We went to the Meaning Ceremony together, but we got separated in the crowd. I must have missed it when they called his name because I never heard it. And afterwards I didn't get a chance to see him before I was being whisked away to here," I explain, "I actually sent him a letter right before the ball. Hopefully, I get a reply in the next couple of days."

At my answer, Jessie seems taken back. Perhaps I have overshared, but I need to get it off my chest. Maybe she will think that the whole situation is weird as well. Or maybe she will be like my aunt and uncle and brush it aside.

"I didn't realize that he was at our Meaning Ceremony. I don't recall hearing an Emilio being announced," Jessie states as she looks at me in a thoughtful manner, "Perhaps it is just a misunderstanding. I'm sure he will reply soon."

I purse my lips slightly at her words with worry. So, I didn't just accidentally not hear Emilio's name being called out...Jessie didn't hear it either. Which means that it was probably not announced. Maybe they had a special assignment for him that they didn't want to announce to the entirety of Cliden. I'm sure Jessie is right. Give it a day or two and I will have a letter from him explaining everything.

"Come on now, don't let worry dampen your mood. After all, how many chances do you get to dance in the royal palace? Come dance with me!" Jessie exclaims out of sheer excitement. She grabs my hand and pulls me to the middle of the dance floor before I even have a chance to protest or make up some excuse. Great...As if embarrassing myself with one dance wasn't enough.

The music that starts playing is much more upbeat that it had been when Aaron and I had danced. It is also much easier to dance with Jessie since I am not watching my every step.

"See, this is fun, is it not?!"

I actually laugh a little as she spins me under her arm, this time with me being prepared, and nod my head.

"Okay, yes. This is definitely fun," I reply back, smiling as we dance throughout the crowd.

My heart is racing, but not out of nervousness. This time I honestly think that it is out of happiness. All of my previous worries about Emilio seem to melt away as we dance. The people around us seem to have lightened up as well with the music, because they start dancing more freely and laughter and talking fills the atmosphere.

To soon does the music end and Jessie and I are left standing just about breathless, laughing quietly to each other.

"May we cut in?"

Both of our heads shoot up to see Aaron and a boy standing next to him, both with grins on their faces.

"Aaron! Darius! Of course, you both can," Jessie states as she steps back from me so that we are in a little huddle of some sort. "Rohanna, this is Darius. Darius, meet Rohanna."

"Oh, Aaron has told me all about this one. I heard that she has some spunk," Darius says as he chuckles.

I blush slightly and look over to Aaron who..Wait a minute. Is he blushing?! He totally is!

"I haven't talked that much about her," Aaron protests, to which Darius merely tsks to.

"Mhm...That's why you just all but d**g me over here so you could talk to her. Don't play me for a fool, man," Darius insists as he smirks at Aaron's speechless face and then turns back to me. "It is a pleasure to meet you finally. And where is Odette? I hardly ever see her away from Jessie."

"You wouldn't believe it, Darius. Our little flower has bloomed. Look," Jessie says and motions to Odette, who is still dancing with Edric.

A gasp sounds from Darius as he covers his mouth dramatically and brushes away invisible tears from under his dark eyes.

"I am so proud of her," he whispers before he grins, "Did you have to force her to do it?"

"Actually, no I didn't. Rohanna here talked her into it. She has a way with words," Jessie states as she gently nudges me, causing me to chuckle.

"That she does," Aaron agrees, causing me to look at his smiling face, "In fact, I wouldn't mind having a second dance with her."

"Well hold on there, lover boy, she just got through dancing and trust me, my dancing is much more exciting than yours is. Let her at least catch her breath," Jessie chides him playfully.

I am surprised that Aaron even wants a second dance, but I am even more surprised when Jessie calls him lover boy. What is that supposed to mean? As I watch them laugh and talk to each other, I can't help but to smile. Perhaps I had misjudged them all since they are from the high-class society, because right now they just remind me of how Emilio and I are together.

Perhaps this next year won’t be so bad. Sure, I am going to miss my family and Emilio and sure, I am going to have to put up with Lilura and Elodie, but standing here with Jessie, Darius, and Aaron almost felt normal. It is a feeling that I can certainly get used to. But my positive thoughts are diminished when Lilura walks up with Elodie trailing behind her as usual.

"Now what are you all laughing about over here?" Lilura asks as she squeezes her way between Aaron and me.

Instantly Aaron shoots me an apologetic smile, but I just smile back and shake my head. There is no need for him to feel bad about Lilura's abrupt actions.

"Nothing much. I'm just teasing my boy Aaron here is all," Darius says with an unknowing grin. But despite his oblivion, I can see Jessie visibly tense as she glares at Lilura.

"Oh really? And what is it that you are teasing him about?" Lilura asks as she gives Darius a knowing look and bats her eyelashes at Aaron, no doubt thinking that the topic is her. Little does she know...

"Just about how he already wants to ask Rohanna for a second dance and the night isn't even halfway over," Darius says nonchalantly, obviously not caring if he hurts her feelings or not. He seems to be quite laid back in that aspect.

I watch as Elodie's eyes widen and can hear Lilura scoff as she turns and faces me, her eyes cold and daunting. But then her features contort and she is back to wearing her usual sly smirk on her lips as she slowly turns to face Aaron.

"Why would you want to even be around her. Haven't you heard? Everyone she gets close to dies," she says smoothly, causing my eyebrows to furrow. Everyone around us, even Elodie, seems confused as to what she means.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, my voice growing hard.

"Rohanna, don't even bother with her, you know that she is just trying to mess with you," Jessie speaks up. But it doesn't matter because Lilura ignores me anyways as she continues.

"I'm surprised that no one has told you, any of you in fact," she begins, her voice having a facade of a sickly-sweet concern, "Why, both her mother and her best friend are dead. What's to say that any of you aren't next if you befriend her?"

Instantly a cold feeling washes over me and for a split second, I feel numb. How did she know about my mom? The only person outside of my family who knows about her is Emilio...my best friend-

"What do you know about Emilio?!" I snap as I grip her shoulder and jerk her back, forcing her to face me.

"Oh, like you don't already know," Lilura sneers in my face. Without a moment’s hesitation I shove her back, just to be grabbed my Jessie.

"Rohanna, seriously you need to stop! The guards are starting to look over!" She exclaims.

"No! Not until she tells me what she is talking about," I struggle against Jessie's hold.

Lilura just scoffs as she watches me.

"God you are so dramatic. And stupid. What? You think that they just accidentally skipped his name at the Meaning Ceremony? Not a chance," she says as her eyes never waver from mine, "I overhead my guard talking about it to another. His name meant Rival, so they killed him."

Before I even think about what I am doing, I try to lunge out of Jessie's arms. Suddenly, Kace is between Lilura and I, fuming.

"What is going on here?!" He whispers harshly as he looks at me before he turns to Lilura. "You need to go. Now!"

At first Lilura tries to argue, but then she just huffs and grabs Elodie's hand, marching off with her. When she leaves, I can feel Jessie's grip on me loosen as my chest heaves with every breath I take.

"And you, you are coming with me," Kace says as he grabs my arm and begins to lead me away from the crowd.

"Wait, let us come too," Aaron calls out from behind us.

"Yeah. We are her friends," Jessie agrees.

Friends...I had just met them. But I didn't even bother to protest when I hear Kace sigh before he agrees. The next thing I know, I am sitting in the empty waiting room. Jessie and Aaron sit on either side of me and Darius is sitting on the other side of Aaron. Kace is standing in front of me, with an obvious look of disapproval.

"What the heck just happened out there?! Are you trying to get yourself kicked out, Rohanna?!" He demands.

"She said that they killed Emilio..."

My voice is quiet, dull even. But how am I supposed to react to a rumor that can ruin me?

"What?" Kace asks as he kneels in front of me, looking into my eyes. I can feel Aaron's hand rest on my wrist in support.

"Lilura told me that she overheard her guard saying that Emilio was killed for his name meaning. You have to find out for me, Kace. Please," I plead with him.

Kace seems to process what I am saying before he stands up, nodding.

"Just-Just stay right here. I will be right back." And with that, he leaves.

When he is gone, I don't speak. I sit up straight and just stare ahead. There is nothing to say. I can't cry because I don't know, yet I can't be happy because I... well because I don't know.

"It will be okay," Jessie says as she gently pats my shoulder and I can feel Aaron's hand slip down to my hand, his thumb rubbing against my skin in a comforting circular motion.

Soon Kace comes back in and I can tell from his expression that it isn't good. I stand up, despite the two next to me trying to help.

"What did you find out?" I ask.

"Rohanna...Maybe you should sit down, I-"

"Kace, you tell me right now what you found out!"

"She was telling the truth...He's dead," he says quietly.

Instantly it feels like the air is being sucked out of my lungs as I gasp and fall to my knees, my dress billowing out around me. I can hear voices all around me and I can feel hands brushing against my skin, trying to get me back up, but everything is a blur.

Emilio is dead.