The Dragon Prince

Deceit

Aideon

I hated political events, and that’s exactly what this ball was, a political event. I could tell the queens of the Dark Court had thrown this together in the hopes of garnering some much needed support from the other Courts, but I had to hand it to them, the setup was impressive. The massive expanse was adorned with enormous chandeliers, the signature glowing flowers of the Dark court twining their way through their makeshift silver trellises. Sprites danced their way through the air above, leaving shining paths of light in their wake.

Each side of the room was lined with beautifully carved white wooden tables filled with decadent treats and expensive wine fit for royalty, surrounded by matching sets of chairs set with sapphires and rubies. A hint towards the rulers of the Court, I imagined. 

The guests had yet to arrive, leaving me stuck in the room alone with the other Courts rulers, much to my displeasure. I wasn’t one for Court gossip, and that’s all these events ever led to. I’d been attempting to tune them out, but Desdemona’s voice drew me out of my reverie. 

“I have a special guest tonight, Tameron.” She flashed a toothy grin at the King of the Light Court, a sharp fang glinting in the dim lighting. 

“Is that so? What is it this time, Desdemona? Hopefully not fire dancers again. Wouldn’t want a repeat of last time.” He let out a hearty laugh, drawing a chorus from the other monarchs around us. I stayed silent, my eyes trained on the pair from my seat at the end of the long table. 

“No.” She barked back at him, her eyes flashing. “This guest is far more impressive.” She leaned back in her chair with a smirk. “She can wield all the elements.” 

A hush fell over the table as the monarchs took in her words, then a cacophony of voices broke out around us. 

“That’s impossible-”

“There’s no way-”

“There hasn’t been-”

A raised hand from Tameron silenced the voices immediately, drawing the stares of all five of us. 

“How?” His voice was menacing, his silver eyes bored into her with such intensity, it made her falter. 

She shook her head, picking up her still full glass of wine from the table and downing it in one long drink. 

“I don’t know.” She started, setting the glass down. “But I’ve seen it with my own eyes. She destroyed half my army’s training grounds.” 

“Interesting.” Tameron mumbled half to himself, running a hand through his short blonde curls. 

The large wooden doors to the ballroom opened suddenly, sending a wave of guests pouring into its expanse. They stood milling about for a moment before a haunting melody started playing, sending them into the arms of their partners for the first dance of the night. 

Tameron looked back to Desdemona, his tone serious. 

“We’ll continue this discussion later.” The two nodded at each other before diving into more cheerful conversation.

I knew of the insinuations they’d made, and I knew the reactions from the monarchs were warranted. There hadn’t been a Fae who could wield all the elements for over two decades. I’d heard stories from my elder sister growing up of the powerful Fae who’d occupied the Court to the southeast of our own, ruling over the other six Courts due to their sheer power. But that was the stuff of bedtime stories at this point, not something that should be alive and walking through the halls of the Dark Court.

As another wave of Guests filtered in, I scanned the crowd for the sole reason I’d deigned to make an appearance at this horrid event. My eyes met hers moments later, irises of ice blue peering their way into my soul. My heart skipped a beat as the tug of the bond pulled me out of my seat, earning a heated look from the male attached to her arm. 

“That’s her.” A whisper pulled my gaze from hers as the words from the queen sunk in, causing my heart to plummet.

*************

Arya

Anxious couldn’t begin to describe the feeling coursing through me as we stepped into the immaculately decorated ballroom. Bodies surrounded us on all sides, forcing me to press myself against Ash’s side for fear of getting lost in the sea of Fae. Tifa had shooed us off, promising to meet us down here once she’d finished getting ready, claiming she preferred to be fashionably late. So there I was, alone with Ash in a room filled with unfamiliar faces. 

A gentle tug at my chest pulled my gaze from scanning the surrounding Fae, forcing it to center on a single person at the long table situated on a platform at the back of the room. As my eyes collided with his, a sensation like a tidal wave hitting me forced me to suck in a gasp. He stood from his seat, almost knocking over the chair behind him with the sudden force. 

A rumbling growl made its way down my arm that was still looped through Ash’s, forcing my gaze away from the prince and up into the eyes of my date. “Stay away from him, Arya. He’s nothing but trouble.” He grumbled, his sudden outburst drawing stares from the Fae closest to us. I nodded, casting one last glance up at the prince who was now staring at the Dark Courts queen in what looked like shock. 

Ash tugged me through the crowd with renewed vigor, stopping at the edge of the dance floor. 

“Care to dance?” He smiled down at me, the tension melting from his features. 

“I hate to admit it, but I don’t know how to dance...” I admitted, feeling heat overtake my cheeks. He pulled me to him, pressing his taut body against my own.

“Don’t worry, just follow my lead.” His warm breath met my ear, causing my blush to deepen. 

With a gentle shove, he pushed us off into the writhing mass of bodies on the dancefloor, expertly leading our own to the hauntingly beautiful music. The pace picked up slightly, as did the Fae around us, forcing me to cling to Ash in comfort. I pulled myself back from him a bit to get his attention, hoping he’d sense my unease. 

“Ash... “ I raised my voice, attempting to be heard over the now tumultuous crescendo of music. 

“What Arya? Am I not as good a dancer as that snake?” His voice dripped venom at his words, his wolf-like eyes narrowed in anger. I took a step back from him in fright, nearly crashing into a couple dancing behind me. 

“No I-...” I paused, thinking of any excuse I could make to gain some distance between myself and the seething Fae male in front of me. “I-... I was hoping we could get something to drink. I’m-... I’m parched.” I stuttered out, hoping he’d buy my weak explanation. 

The irritation on his face vanished so quickly I almost thought I’d imagined it. 

“Of course. Go sit down at one of the tables, I’ll grab you a glass of wine.” I turned on my heel and made my way off the dance floor, doing my best to resist the urge to run. I was making my way towards the exit when I spotted a recognizable form in one of the small alcoves carved between the large windows that lined the walls. 

I made a beeline for the figure, my mind racing. I had no idea how long it would take for Ash to get my drink and make his way back to me through the crowd, but there was something wrong here. A scent I hadn’t picked up since that night in my parents house hit me as I approached, filling me with a sudden sense of dread.

“Donnie…?” The familiar face of my favorite customer greeted me, completely out of place among the throng of Fae filling the tightly packed ballroom.

His expression was tense, his usually smiling face set in a deep frown. His eyes darted around the room before he lashed out a hand, grabbing me and pulling me deeper into the alcove. The shriek I let out was cut off as his hand clamped down over my mouth. 

“Arya, I need you to listen to me.” He whispered loudly, his breathing ragged. “You’re not safe here. I was sent to retrieve you but I-... I can’t do this. You need to leave the Dark Court.” I nodded, his hand preventing me from speaking. He let go of me suddenly, sending me toppling to the ground. I turned to where he’d been standing to find the spot now empty. I scanned the room only to see the back of his form disappearing into the crowd. 

The lights above flickered slightly, causing the Fae around me to fall silent before the room went black. A deafening crash broke through the silence, followed by the sickening smell of sulfur.

Then the screaming started.