Whispered Vows (Mistborn x Reader)

Chapter 18

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The word flew through my head a thousand times over. I thought that I had gotten over that silly crush, but apparently I hadn't. Just the way that he spoke of his late wife with such reverence...as if no one else could ever compare...

It was idiotic of me to even think like this. Selfish, even. Of course no one could compare. She was his wife, and Kelsier had to watch her die in the pits. Just the fact alone that he was willing to keep her dream alive through the rebellion showed how much he cared. And that's good, I told myself. He's loyal. That's a good quality to have.

But as he had talked, I felt myself grow smaller and smaller. Suddenly my noblewoman dress seemed silly, and I felt like a child who had tried to play dress up in her mother's things.

Of course I could never compare. I was a child, just a silly little girl. He wouldn't ever think of me as anything different.

***

I decided to wear the red dress.

A footman opened the carriage door. I took a deep breath—chest a little confined by the special corset I was wearing to hide my bandages—then accepted the footman's hand and climbed down.

I straightened my dress, nodded to Sazed, then joined the other aristocrats making their way up the steps to Keep Elariel. It was a bit smaller than the keep of House Venture. However, Keep Elariel apparently had a separate party ballroom, while House Venture had its gatherings in the enormous main hall.

I eyed the other noblewomen, and felt a bit of my already-tarnished confidence vanish. My dress was beautiful, but the other women had so much more than just gowns. Their long, flowing hair and self-assured airs matched their bejeweled figures. They filled out the upper portions of their dresses with voluptuous curves, and moved elegantly in the frilled splendor of the lower folds. I occasionally caught glimpses of the women's feet, and they didn't wear simple slippers like my own, but rather high-heeled shoes.

"Heels take practice to walk in, Mistress," Sazed said, following my gaze as we climbed the carpet-covered stairs. "Since you've only just learned to dance, it might be best if you wore regular shoes for a time."

I frowned, but accepted the explanation. Sazed's mention of dancing, however, increased my discomfort. I remembered the flowing poise of the dancers at the last ball. I certainly wouldn't be able to imitate that—I barely even knew the basic steps.

That won't matter, I thought. They won't see me— they'll see Lady Valette. She's supposed to be new and uncertain, and everyone thinks she's been ill lately. It will make sense for her to be a poor dancer.

That thought in mind, I reached the top of the stairs feeling a bit more secure.

"I must say, Mistress," Sazed said. "You seem far less nervous this time—in fact, you even seem excited. This is the proper attitude for Valette to display, I think."

"Thank you," I said, smiling.

We stepped up to the squat ballroom building—one of several low wings extending from the main keep—and a servant took my shawl. I paused a moment just inside the doorway, waiting as Sazed arranged my table and meal.

The Elariel ballroom was very different from the majestic Venture grand hall. The dim room was only a single story high, and while it had a lot of stained-glass windows, they were all in the ceiling. Circular rose-window skylights shone from above, lit by small limelights on the roof. Each table was set with candles, and despite the light from above, there was a reserved darkness about the room.