Elowen's POV:
The announcement arrived with far more excitement than the previous trials had.
A masquerade ball.
The Queen herself would host it in two nights' time, and every remaining candidate was expected to attend.
The palace corridors buzzed from morning onward. Servants carried bolts of fabric through the halls, courtiers whispered speculation, and the other ladies of the selection seemed suddenly far more interested in appearances than council strategies.
Selene found me in the gardens shortly after the news spread.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement.
"We have to go to the market," she declared immediately.
I looked up from the book in my lap.
"The palace wardrobes are quite sufficient."
Selene stared at me as though I had suggested attending the ball in armor.
"Elowen, this is a masquerade ball!"
"I am aware."
"That means dresses. New ones. Beautiful ones."
"I already possess dresses."
She crossed her arms.
"Not masquerade dresses."
I sighed softly.
Selene leaned forward conspiratorially.
"And masks."
That, I had to admit, intrigued me slightly.
Masks meant anonymity.
And anonymity meant observation.
"Very well," I said, closing my book. "The market, then."
Selene beamed.
Hailey joined us not long afterward, though her enthusiasm was considerably more measured.
"You two are about to cause chaos in the city markets," she said dryly.
Selene waved the concern away.
"It's shopping, Hailey. Not warfare."
Hailey glanced at me.
"That remains to be seen."
The capital's central market stretched across several winding streets just beyond the palace district.
Even from the carriage, the sounds reached us first.
Vendors shouting their prices.
Laughter.
Music from a flute somewhere in the crowd.
When we stepped down from the carriage, the air itself felt alive.
Bright awnings fluttered overhead in reds, golds, and deep indigo. Stalls overflowed with fruits, spices, polished glass bottles, embroidered scarves, and glittering trinkets that caught the sunlight in dazzling flashes.
The scent of roasted chestnuts drifted through the air, mingling with cinnamon and warm bread.
Selene turned slowly, eyes wide.
"I love the market."
I couldn't help smiling faintly.
It had been years since I had walked through one so freely.
We moved slowly down the street, weaving through merchants and shoppers.
A woman displayed silks dyed in shades of emerald and violet. A jeweler held up necklaces that shimmered like captured stars. Children darted between the stalls, their laughter ringing through the air.
Selene paused at nearly every table.
"Look at this embroidery!"
"That shade would suit you, Hailey"
"Selene," Hailey interrupted calmly, "we are here for dresses."
Selene blinked.
"Oh. Right."
The dressmaker's shop stood near the end of the street.
Tall windows displayed mannequins draped in elaborate gowns, each one more extravagant than the last. Silk skirts cascaded toward the floor in graceful folds, and delicate beadwork shimmered like frost under candlelight.
Inside, the shop smelled faintly of lavender and fresh linen.
Bolts of fabric lined the walls in towering stacks: velvet, satin, lace, and silk in every imaginable color.
The shopkeeper greeted us with a polite bow.
"My ladies. Preparing for the masquerade?"
Selene clasped her hands eagerly.
"Yes."
He gestured toward the fabrics.
"Then you have come to the right place."
Selene moved immediately to a display of vibrant silks.
Bright coral.
Sunlit gold.
Deep magenta.
"I want something that shines," she said.
Hailey raised a brow.
"That narrows it down very little."
Selene held up a brilliant crimson bolt.
"What about this?"
"Subtle," Hailey murmured.
Selene ignored her.
Meanwhile, my attention drifted toward a quieter corner of the shop.
A bolt of silver silk rested there, almost overlooked among the brighter fabrics.
But when I lifted it slightly, the light caught the threads and revealed something unexpected.
A faint blue shimmer ran beneath the silver surface—like moonlight reflected on water.
I studied it more closely.
Rare dyework.
The shopkeeper noticed immediately.
"Ah," he said softly, stepping closer. "You have a discerning eye."
I ran my fingers across the fabric.
It was cool and impossibly smooth.
"Where did this come from?"
"Coastal traders," he replied. "The dye contains crushed moonstone."
Selene hurried over.
"Elowen, that's beautiful."
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
The design came together quickly after that.
A flowing silver gown.
Fine rhinestone embroidery along the bodice and sleeves, subtle enough not to overwhelm the fabric but bright enough to catch candlelight.
The skirt would move like liquid metal when walking.
Selene chose something entirely different.
Her gown would be vibrant gold, with layers of bright coral silk beneath.
"People should see me from across the ballroom," she declared happily.
"That will not be difficult," Hailey said.
Once the dresses were arranged, Selene clapped her hands.
"Masks!"
The shopkeeper smiled knowingly.
"Of course."
He opened a carved cabinet behind the counter and began setting them out.
Delicate lace masks.
Gold masks adorned with tiny feathers.
Painted porcelain designs with elaborate filigree.
Selene immediately gravitated toward something dramatic—gold with crimson feathers sweeping upward.
"Perfect," she said.
Hailey chose something simpler: black silk with subtle silver stitching.
My gaze moved across the table slowly.
Then I saw it.
It was unlike the others.
A mask crafted from pale silver metal, shaped in smooth, elegant curves. Tiny crystals were set along the edges, catching the light like frost.
Across the surface, faint blue enamel swirled in intricate patterns that resembled flowing water.
Rare.
Unmistakably so.
I picked it up.
The shopkeeper smiled again.
"That one was made by a master artisan in the northern provinces."
Selene leaned closer.
"It looks like moonlight."
"Yes," I said quietly.
"I'll take it."
By the time we stepped back onto the street, the afternoon sun had begun its slow descent.
Selene was still glowing with excitement.
"This ball will be unforgettable."
Hailey adjusted the ribbon of her parcel.
"That depends on who attends."
We turned down the street toward the cobbler's shop.
My thoughts drifted briefly to the upcoming ball.
The masks.
The music.
The opportunity to watch without being watched.
Then something caught my eye.
A small figure darted across the far end of the street.
A girl—no more than eight or nine years old.
She ran quickly, glancing behind her in panic before slipping into a narrow alley between two buildings.
A moment later, three men turned the same corner.
Their pace quickened when they reached the alley.
My steps slowed.
Selene noticed.
"Elowen?"
I watched the alley entrance.
Something about it felt wrong.
"I think I saw someone drop something," I said quietly.
Selene frowned.
"In an alley?"
"I'll take a quick look."
Hailey studied my expression.
"Elowen—"
"I'll catch up," I said lightly. "Go ahead to the cobbler's shop."
Selene hesitated.
But the street was busy, and the moment passed quickly.
"Don't be long," she said.
"I won't."
They continued down the road.
I waited until they turned the corner.
Then I walked toward the alley.
The laughter and music of the market faded behind me as the shadows deepened between the tall stone walls.
The girl had run this way.
And the men had followed.
I stepped into the alley.
The noise of the market vanished almost instantly.
Only silence remained.
Then—
A voice echoed faintly somewhere deeper within.
"Where did she go?"
My pulse quickened.
I moved forward quietly.
And the shadows swallowed the sunlight behind me.