Chapter 145: The Date I Was Never Told About
Chapter 145: The Date I Was Never Told About
Elyn’s POV
Finally, Marrok and Versha moved to the board and, thankfully, there was no argument regarding how the board should be addressed. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to cope if they brought that up once more. They informed the board of what they wanted to be displayed.
The board pulsed.
Light rippled across its surface in slow, deliberate waves, the runes etching themselves deeper, brighter, rearranging with unsettling precision. Lines stretched, symbols shifted.
The information bloomed across it. There was no need to think about how the board would be addressed after all, because it didn’t matter.
Territories. Assignments. Routes.
Each gargoyle’s destination appeared neatly aligned, paired with sigils marking borders and times. This board was way more organized than my life, both past and present.
The gargoyles went silent. Then suddenly, they spoke all at once.
"Woah!"
"Wow!"
"Oooh!"
"Aaah!"
Even Azerion and Vaelory made shocked sounds. "Wow!"
I had to admit, there was reason for surprise. I was impressed too.
But then my eyes skimmed the board and I froze. Surely I was seeing wrongly, right? I blinked once, then twice, but it was still there.
"...What?" I whispered.
At the very bottom of the board, separated from the rest like an afterthought that very much wasn’t one, another line glowed brighter than the others.
INTRODUCTORY BALL — DATE CONFIRMED. IN A WEEK’S TIME.
That was the message the gargoyles were going to deliver to each territory along with invites to each ruler of the territories.
But surely this was a joke, right? I tried to laugh, but it only came out as a strangled sound.
I leaned closer to the board, as if proximity would somehow make the words less real.
It did not.
My eyes widened, and slowly—very slowly—I turned my head toward Morthen.
"...How," I asked carefully, "is it possible that there is already a date for the introductory ball?"
Morthen stiffened.
I could see it in the way his shoulders squared, the way his fingers twitched before reaching up to adjust his glasses.
"...That," he said slowly, "is... unexpected."
"Unexpected?" I repeated. "Morthen, I didn’t even know there was a date. I didn’t agree to a date. I didn’t see a date. And yet—" I gestured sharply at the board. "—there it is. Existing. Publicly."
Rin leaned closer to read it. "Huh. That’s... soon."
"Soon?" I echoed faintly.
Morthen frowned, eyes narrowing behind the lenses. "It is possible," he said, choosing his words with surgical care, "that the king fixed the date himself."
Of course it would be Zorathys. Everything going wrong in my life had to do with him. The headache I was consumed with had to do with him. Me being in the demon realm had to do with him. Every single thing... why did I even think it wouldn’t be him?
A week’s time. A week... the only thing I knew about demon etiquette was what each cutlery was used for, and I didn’t even fully understand how I was going to use it or them.
Morthen straightened. "Regardless of the reason, my lady," he said firmly, turning to face me fully, "the date has been placed. Although it’s sooner than I thought, that doesn’t change anything. We should continue with the lessons."
Of course. I wasn’t given the time to curse Zorathys in my head. I had to move on to the next thing.
"What next on the agenda?" I asked him.
Morthen studied me for a moment, then asked, "Can you dance, my lady?"
What an absurd question. Of course I could.
Vaelory made a noise.
A very loud, very distressed noise.
"No, she can’t," Vaelory said immediately.
I gasped, affronted. "Excuse you?"
"Your highness, we both know you cannot dance," Vaelory repeated flatly.
"Yes, I can," I argued. "I can swing to the music."
Rin’s mouth twitched.
Morthen blinked. "Swing... to the music?"
"Yes," I said confidently. "That counts."
"That does not count," Vaelory snapped. "That’s rhythmic flailing."
"Wow," I said. "Rude."
Vaelory turned to Morthen, eyes blazing. "You’re going to regret this."
Morthen waved her off. "If my lady says she can dance, then we will proceed accordingly."
Vaelory looked personally betrayed, while I beamed at her—but I would soon come to regret pretending to be able to do something I absolutely could not do.
The hall we moved to was massive.
High ceilings arched overhead, supported by pillars carved with ancient sigils. Light filtered in through tall stained windows, painting the polished floor in streaks of crimson and gold.
Morthen positioned himself near the center, Rin beside him. "We’ll begin with something simple," he said.
"Posture," Morthen said, circling me. "Straight back. Shoulders relaxed. Chin up."
I complied.
"Feet," he added. "Together."
I complied again.
"So far, so good," I said.
Vaelory crossed her arms. "This is the calm before the disaster."
"Quiet," I muttered.
Morthen held out a hand. "Follow my lead."
I took it.
The music—soft, slow, undeniably formal—began to echo through the hall.
"One step forward," he instructed.
I stepped.
"Now turn."
I turned.
"Good," he said. "Now—"
I tripped.
Rin winced.
"Try again," Morthen said patiently.
We did. And every step I made was offbeat. I could only swing to the beat, like what Vaelory had said, and even that was off.
Morthen and Rin tried to correct me, but my dancing was no different from the gargoyles having gone deaf. At one point, I slapped Morthen.
I don’t know how it happened, honestly. I was trying to twirl with my hands out, but it ended with me slapping him and sending his glasses off his face and onto the floor.
Immediately, silence descended in the hall, and even the music stopped playing. It stayed that way for about five minutes before Azerion burst out laughing, as Morthen stared dazed in shock—but I later realized that he was not just dazed; he couldn’t see at all without his glasses.
"Were you trying to do the octopus dance?" Azerion asked, barely holding in his laughter.
Even Rin chuckled. Vaelory laughed too, then sighed. "I told you guys that she can’t dance, but no one listened."
Morthen sighed. "We should have listened to you. The queen really can’t dance."
I took a page out of Zorathys’ book. "Oops?"