He grinned at her, and Koragi rubbed the back of her neck. With five regions in the regional drawings, there would be at least thirty attendees. But others attended beyond those drawn, she knew. Given the presence of the Duke’s family and the Ministry, the guard presence was bound to be impressive as well. Gerian painted a fair picture for her, though, which helped to ease her nervousness. Those who attended were mostly the same sorts of people she had served all her life at past festivals. She had never had trouble befriending and conversing with them before; she had no reason to fear.
Gerian urged her to return to her room to get ready for the ball, so Koragi slipped back inside. After changing into her gown, she spent the next hour brushing her hair while it finished drying. She stood
