Spellbound

Chapter 8

    The Peace Day ball was poorly named, for the ball didn’t take place in just one day. No, it took place over a whole week to accommodate for those who couldn’t attend because of their busy schedule. Spreading the celebration out to separate days helped them fit the ball into their busy lives. Of course, most nobles were able to attend every single day, but others who were less inclined to spend every night mingling chose to attend for one or two days at most.

    The time had finally come for the first ball, and Senya was a bundle of jittering nerves. Even with her friends and their parents by her side, she couldn’t stop the excitement and what almost felt like fear from quaking her entire being. She didn’t even realize she was tightly clutching Liane’s hand until her friend whispered that she should relax.

    Senya took in a deep breath. Liane was right. She needed to stop acting like this was her first ball. She had been to plenty of parties before. Why should this be any different?

    Because the royal council will be there, a voice reminded her from the back of her mind.

    And Senya’s nerves shot back up to one hundred. She hoped and prayed that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. She couldn’t imagine the humiliation if she tripped over her dress or spilled a drink or crushed her dance partner’s toes. Maybe she would sit out from the dance tonight. There were still six other balls that would give her a chance to participate…

    Entering the ballroom did nothing to ease her mind. Alton wasn’t lying when he said the royal council could throw a ball. It was the most lavishly decorated place she’d ever seen. From the three enormous chandeliers that glittered with what looked like diamond bulbs to the intricate golden patterns that crawled up the walls and ceiling like vines and the polished marbled floor, the ballroom itself was vastly beautiful. Add in the wine-colored curtains that were pulled back from windows and immaculately dressed tables filled with chocolate fountains, cakes of all shapes and sizes, baskets of fruit, and glistening, mouthwatering meat, fill it with a crowd of people, and it was the grandest ball Senya had ever seen. Reina couldn’t even hold a candle.

    The families were quickly separated the moment they stepped inside. Torren and Amiara were pulled away by another couple, Hethel was invited to join a circle of women almost immediately, and even Veira was dragged away by someone she must have befriended during the years she attended the Peace Day ball. Alton was also preoccupied with his friends.

    With Liane and Ellaine also being greeted by unfamiliar faces, Senya felt misplaced and uncertain. However, her discomfort was soon quelled when one of Liane and Ellaine’s mutual friends invited her to join the group. There were two other girls in the circle, and Senya quickly learned their names.

    The girl with the teardrop earrings and red dress was Toya, the girl with frizzy brown hair and tan skin was Riselle, and the girl who invited Senya was Annise. It didn’t take too long for Senya to become acquainted enough with them to be comfortable.

    “So, what family are you from?” Annise asked when the conversation shifted to their family backgrounds.

    Senya answered easily, “Bentham. I doubt you know my family, though. We’re not nobles.”

    “Bentham, you say?” Toya pursed her glossy pink lips. “Sounds like a middle-class name. How did you get an invitation?”

    “Senya’s family has been invited every year,” Ellaine declared. “They just haven’t been attending until Senya came along. Except for her mother. They don’t need to be high-class to be deemed important enough to be invited.”

    “What?” Riselle’s eyes widened. “You rejected the royal invitation? And you’re middle-class?”

    Senya didn’t miss the disapproval in the new girls’ faces. She could almost hear their thoughts.

    How ungrateful. How disrespectful. Do they not know what an honor it is to be invited to a royal ball?

    She attempted to ease the tension by explaining herself. “Oh, it’s not that we rejected the invitation. My father, ah, he’s a commander, you see. He doesn’t exactly have any time to spare…”

    “Not to mention that her brother does not enjoy parties at all,” Liane chipped in. She sighed. “I still wish he came along, though. Senya!” Liane grabbed Senya’s arm and swooned. “I miss your brother! I would die to see him dressed for a ball.”

    Senya scrunched her face. “Ew, Liane. No. Stop being so dramatic. You don’t even have the courage to talk to him.”

    “I can always admire him from a distance.” Liane giggled. Oh, she was doing that on purpose. She knew how irritated Senya got when she gushed over Rellon like he was the best thing in the world.

    Senya scowled. “Stop that. He’s not worth your time.”

    “Ah, Liane.” Annise clicked her tongue. “When do you ever not swoon over a boy?”

    “What can I say, Annise?” Liane laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with looking at them. It’s not like I’m going to ask them to marry me.”

    Once again, Senya felt out of place as the attention shifted away from her. The three new girls seemed content to chat with Liane and Ellaine, and Senya sensed that they were somewhat ignoring her. So, she excused herself from the group and decided to occupy herself with sweets.

    On her way to the tables, Senya admired the extravagant ballroom. She caught a glimpse of her mother mingling with important-looking people, so Senya decided to stay out of her way for the night.

    Senya pondered over the cupcakes and sweets that lay before her. Several children laughed their way along the table, picking up their choice of sugar and wiping the tablecloth with their sticky fingers. Realizing she was the only adult among them, Senya left the sweets behind and chose to occupy herself with the bite-sized chunks of meat and fruits that were meant to be dinner. As usual, the palace food did not disappoint.

    Music began to play, and Senya turned her attention to the cleared floor. Among the dancers was Veira. Senya had seen Veira dance before, but the older girl never ceased to be any less elegant and graceful. The man Veira danced with was unfamiliar, but Senya doubted he was the prince Veira had set her eyes on. It was more likely that Veira had been too soft-hearted to turn down the offer.

    “Excuse me, Miss.”

    Senya jumped at the unfamiliar voice. Dark eyes peered at her from under brown hair. Somehow, he was familiar. He was a few inches shorter than Senya (mostly because of her slippers), but he seemed to be a few years older. He smiled and offered a hand. There was a charisma about him that Senya swore she’d seen before.

    “Would you like to dance?”

    “Um…” Senya hesitated before placing her hand in his. “Sure, Mister…?”

    “Etan will do,” he said.

    Etan. Senya had heard that name before. She let him lead her to the dance floor, and when she glanced back at the table of food, it clicked. Etan Cook. She’d seen him at Reina’s ball. He must have stopped by Giligha while travelling to the palace.

    “Tell me,” Etan said as he took the deliberate steps of the dance, “Have we met before? You seem oddly familiar.”

    “No, I don’t believe we have.” Senya looked away, still unable to wrap her mind around the fact that Etan Cook had asked her to dance. He likely thought she was his equal in status. “But I have seen you at a ball in Giligha.”

    “Giligha?” Etan’s brows shot up in surprise. “Ah, I remember now. Yes, that makes sense.”

    “Wait, you remember me?”

    He smiled. “How can I not? The girl who attended the ball in riding gear. You stuck out like a sore thumb.”

    “Oh…” Senya’s face warmed.

    “I recall you gave Alton Knight your only dance. Is he courting you?”

    “No!” Senya gulped at her outburst. Her cheeks were flaming now. “No. I’ve known Alton since I was born. He…he has someone else.” Her eyes flickered away, and she hoped Etan couldn’t see the hurt in them. Why couldn’t she stop feeling this way? Why was she still thinking of him as anything more than a brother and a friend?

    “I see.” Etan twirled her around and expertly stepped past the other dancers. “But you have your heart set on him.”

    “No, I…” Senya’s steps faltered. Somehow, Etan managed to match her pace. “It’s complicated.”

    “It always is.”

    They didn’t speak again until the dance ended. Etan kissed the back of Senya’s hand before he left to mingle with someone else, and when Senya, dazed, returned to the periphery of the dance floor, she was attacked with questions from Liane and Ellaine.

    “Senya, Senya!” Liane was bouncing with excitement. “Since when were you and Etan acquainted?”

    “You looked like you were enjoying the dance,” Ellaine said. “It’s good you’re distracting yourself from my oaf of a brother.”

    “What? That’s not—”

    “I can’t believe it!” Liane squealed. “You made a fine, fine couple, Senya! So, what did he say? What were you two talking about? Your face was really red.”

    “It was from the exercise,” Senya growled. She touched her cheeks, and they were still hot to her annoyance. “There wasn’t anything between us. Just a courtesy dance. Nothing more.”

    “Aw, Senya. You always ruin my dreams.” Liane pouted. “First with Alton, and now this.”

    Senya shook her head. “I don’t see why you want me to be courted so badly, Liane. You should focus on yourself. Stop refusing to dance.”

    “Only if it’s Rellon asking,” Liane sang. Her way of saying ‘never’. Senya rolled her eyes.

    “Well, if you aren’t going to dance, do you want to see the Illios Garden with me?” Senya glanced back at the dance floor and was convinced that she wouldn’t miss anything by leaving the ballroom. “We’ll be able to go inside this time.”

    It was during the Peace Day ball that the Illios Garden was open for anyone to enter. Senya had tried to see it with her friends before, but they had been met with guards that kept them from entering. Liane had said it was to prevent anyone from tampering with the magic tree or stealing any magic fruit. Perhaps it was because of the magic buzzing in the tree or perhaps it was because Senya was aware that her parents had some connection to the creation of the garden, but there was something about that place that drew her in.

    “Sure!” Liane nudged Ellaine. “You, too?”

    Ellaine smiled apologetically. “No thanks. That place creeps me out. I’ll just stay here and keep an eye on Veira. She’s still waiting for Prince Billan to approach her.”

    So, Liane and Senya weaved through the crowd and made their way outside the ballroom. Even in the halls, there were a good amount of people scattered about. The ball wasn’t necessarily restricted to the ballroom, and the attendants were free to roam the halls and even go outside. Though, with the cold weather, Senya doubted anyone would take a romantic walk under the moonlight.

    The Illios Garden had once been a normal room, but the royal council had prettied it up to be as appealing to the eye as possible. The walls that had once covered the rooms were now replaced with glass, and the garden was on full display from the hallway. Two guards still stood beside the only entrance, but they didn’t scare the girls away when they entered the room.

    Immediately, Senya could feel the buzz of magic permeating from one side of the room. Her eyes widened. It was clear that the garden had been built around a single tree that grew from the back of what was once a normal room. There were bushes of a variety of flowers that grew along the walls, and vines climbed up the thick, enormous tree. Rich, soft grass padded the entire floor with drops of color from an odd flower here and there. The shape of the tree was odd, dipped in the middle as though two cylinders had merged into one. Its bark was a deep shade of red in contrast to the typical grayish brown of a normal illios tree.

    The ceiling had been cleared to accommodate the sheer height of the illios tree, and jagged branches jut out starting from what would have been considered the next floor up.

    “Wow,” Senya breathed. Her mother had helped in creating this place? The night sky was obscured by the leaves above, but Senya could feel the cool breeze that breathed into the garden and still see a hint of the moon shining down. There were even crickets and fireflies that created a gentle melody of a peaceful night.

    “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Liane’s voice was uncharacteristically soft and equally filled with awe. “That tree bears magic fruits that can heal the greatest illnesses. I heard one woman even became fertile after consuming the fruits for three days straight.”

    “Senya,” a whisper reached Senya’s ears, and she stiffened. “Senya.”

    Who was that? Senya glanced around. Other than a group of nobles admiring a bush of hevangel roses, Senya could see no one else around.

    “Senya.” A hiss of another voice. The same one that had called her before, yet somehow different.

    “Senya?” Liane seemed to notice her distress. “What’s wrong?”

    “Liane, do you hear that?” Senya strained her ear and was again greeted by a whisper of her name.

    “Hear what?”

    “Someone keeps calling my name.” A shiver sent goosebumps up Senya’s arms.

    “What? No one else is speaking. What are you talking about?”

    “Senya. Senya. You’ve come.” The whispers escalated into a ghostly rasp, and Senya leaped back.

    “Who are you?” she demanded, her voice high-pitched in fear.

    “Senya, what are you doing?” Liane’s eyes darted across the room, looking for whatever Senya was hearing. “You’re scaring me.”

    “Senya,” the voices persisted. Yes. Voices. A multitude of them, all whispering her name one at a time, now merging into one horrifying rasp. “Senya! Seeeennnyaaa.”

    For a split second, an image flashed in Senya’s mind. It was so fast, so brief that she could barely make out the details. It was this very same room, only darker, colder, dustier. When lightning flashed, that dark room flickered with the present warmer, prettier one. And in that dark room, Senya saw a figure standing next to the tree so shrouded with darkness that it quivered like smoke. From within it, two glowing eyes stared back at her and called her name. In the flicker of light, it was a beautiful, glowing woman, with hair that flowed like grass and eyes that shone like silver. Then, she was gone, and Senya was blinking to regain her consciousness.

    “Senya.” Liane’s brows were knitted, her eyes glistening. She shook Senya’s arm. “What’s wrong?”

    The voices were gone, and Senya wondered if she’d imagined them. She shook her head. The nobles were still chatting amongst themselves, Liane still by her side, oblivious to the strange figure that had been at the tree for a split second. As if none of it had happened. Yes, Senya had to have been imagining it. Something about this place must have triggered some memory buried deep within her mind. A memory of a nightmare, perhaps, that she’d had when she was less than half.

    “It’s…it’s nothing, Liane.” Senya glanced at the tree with a subtle apprehension. It was still beautiful in its rich red color, entwined with intricate vines and lit by lazing fireflies. Yet, it was somehow more menacing, more imposing and unsettling, as if it was hiding something dark and twisted within its beauty. “I think it’s enough that we came here. Ellaine was right. This place is a little creepy. Let’s go.”

    “Yes, well, there are rumors of a ghost here,” Liane said as they hurried out the room. “Some say they see the witch who died to create that tree?”

    “A witch died?” Senya shuddered. She looked back at the seemingly innocuous tree.

    “Yes. That’s how the tree bears magic fruits.”

    “Oh, right.” Senya had forgotten that when a witch died, her magic returned to nature. If she had enough magic, it would transform whatever it chose into magic. Hence the magic fruits. Sometimes it was magic water or even magic animals, though the latter was extremely rare. “Do you know who the witch was?”

    Liane shrugged. “No. But whoever it is, some believe she’s still there, filled with vengeance because of her gruesome death. I’m not sure what the details of her death are. Some say that she was shot to death by a guard. Others say that her fellow witches came together to kill her. Stories vary, but she was said to be an evil witch when she was alive.”

    “No wonder Ellaine doesn’t like that place.” Senya rubbed her arms, at the gooseflesh that had formed.

    Liane laughed. “Yes, of course Ellaine doesn’t like it. She hates ghosts. Strangely enough, the Illios Garden is also a hot spot for couples. There’s a superstition that if they confess their love for each other in the garden, they’ll be together forever. I have no idea if it’ll work, but I think it’s so romantic. I prefer to think of it as a sweet spot than a haunted grave.”

    “That explains why you aren’t creeped out.” Senya shook her head. She glanced back at the garden a final time. She was certain now that whatever it was she experienced in there, it was because of the sheer magic contained within the tree. Yes, that had to be it. The magic was drawn to her because she was a witch. There was nothing about ghosts there. Just distant memories of people she didn’t know. Simple memories.

    So why was it that she couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew who that figure was?