After almost an hour of waiting by the stall where Rory had left her, Elain finally saw her cousin approaching.
More people had gathered at the fair, and with so many walking by, she hadn't seen where Rory had come from before she came into view.
Once they were in the carriage, Rory apologized for suddenly leaving, saying she had seen someone she knew and followed the person to another street. Then they talked and lost track of time.
Elain didn't question Rory's story and simply told her she should inform her next time so she wouldn't worry.
But as their carriage moved farther from Lilymist, the image of Rory entering the alley where the secret passageway was flashed in her mind.
The day was vibrant as the first day of Halcyon arrived, and high society busied themselves with preparations for the first ball, which would take place at the Greyford's mansion.
The news about the host of the first ball made this Halcyon different from those in the past, as many questioned why the Greyfords had suddenly decided to host a ball after not holding even a soirée for the past decade.
High society buzzed with curiosity and excitement. Many young ladies had long awaited the moment when the famed Greyfords would open their mansion, rumored to be as grand as a palace, to guests. Moreover, the thought of the Greyford bachelors seeking wives was more than appealing to the ladies.
Elain stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had finished dressing with the help of a few maids.
Though the gown she wore would pale in comparison to those of other noble ladies, it was far better than the dresses she wore on a daily basis.
It was a dark grey gown without much detail. The bodice was not as tight as the fashionable ones that emphasized a woman's bosom, which suited her, as she wasn't used to exposing much of her chest. It had short sleeves, and a ribbon was tied neatly at the back of her waist. She wore a pair of gloves in a similar shade.
Without ornaments, her hair was styled into a neat braided bun, with a few soft curls framing her face. One of the maids added a touch of color to her cheeks using a bit of cosmetics.
"Keep your wits about you, girls," Cynthia said as they rode in the carriage. Lord Blythmor sat beside his wife, while the two young ladies sat across from them.
"Do not embarrass me with your tactless tongue," Cynthia told Rory. Then her gaze fell on Elain. "And you must not attract attention to yourself." Her voice lowered into a warning. "You girls have never been to the Greyfords'. They are not ordinary people, so you mustn't do anything that would offend them, unless you wish to see us ruined."
"Is it true they are not humans?" Rory asked, voicing what Elain herself was also curious about.
There were some people in high society who didn't mind letting others know they were either deviants or supernatural beings, while others mingled with ordinary humans under carefully crafted disguises.
As for the Greyfords, many couldn't tell whether their power came solely from their immeasurable wealth or from something else entirely.
"Be careful poking your nose into matters that are none of your business," Mr. Blythmor reprimanded his daughter with a sneer.
"I am curious! Do you know something, Father? You work with people of high status so you must know something. If we knew they weren't human, we would be more careful around them."
Lord Blythmor looked out the window, then shook his head. "I cannot be sure. The Greyfords refuse to entangle themselves in politics, so they rarely appear in the palace or involve themselves in the sovereign's affairs."
His voice turned lower and more cautious as he continued, "Though I am certain that even the king is mindful of his actions when dealing with them."
Elain knew that some members of the royal family were deviants, including the king.
Deviants were a small fraction of the human population who possessed abilities, or gifts, as they preferred to call them, said to have been passed down from their ancestors long ago. However, these abilities did not manifest in every generation, nor in every member of a family.
If the king, who was a deviant himself, dared not tread carelessly around the Greyfords, then that must mean something.
"Could they also be deviants?" Rory asked.
"Deviant or supernatural, it is best to keep your distance from them," Cynthia said.
The ride to Hollowstone was not long, with Ferrygrove as its neighboring town. Soon, the Blythmor carriage arrived before the imposing gates of the Greyford mansion.
As the guards opened them, Elain peered through the window, noticing the intricate details of the wrought iron gates.
At the top of every bar sat a black iron rose flecked with silver. Each bloom was crafted with such detail that its curled petals seemed almost real, and coiling around every rose was a ring of golden thorns.
At the crest of the gate, the ironwork formed a series of the same black roses, their glittering petals catching the moonlight. Elain realized the design was inspired by the Midnight Rose, a mythical flower from an ancient legend.
A flower so beautiful and rare that it could only thrive in the shadows, with golden thorns as deadly as poisoned blades.
She wouldn't be surprised if the thorns were made of pure gold. It was a work of art.
If the gates were this luxurious, how much more breathtaking would the interior of the mansion be?
She couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement at the thought of seeing wonders she had never seen before.
As soon as the Blythmor carriage came to a stop, the coachman placed a stool on the ground and opened the door for the family. Once Elain's feet touched the ground, she glanced around the vast front yard, which still held ample space despite being filled with countless carriages of guests.
At the center stood a massive fountain crowned by a gargantuan statue, not of a human or a god as most mansions favored, but something far more unsettling… a wyvern, looming over the guests with eyes made of rubies.