The Beauty in Pain | Book One of In Pain Trilogy *EDITING*

9. Ball 2

The dancing and the music was more than Mynera have ever expected. The songs changed from lively and upbeat - making her want to jump up and down and sing along, although she didn't know the lyrics of any - to slow and soulful, making her want to glide across the room like a graceful angel. Some songs even threatened to bring tears to her eyes and she was completely sure that it had something to with the deep, beautiful voice singing it.

The current song had a nice little tune but, Mynera found it hard to hear it from the loud chatter surrounding her. Since the moment, Saenar had escaped from her, she was never short of company. Young and old, male and female encircled her, prodding her with questions, wanting to know as much as they could about her before the night was over. She was never short of a dance partner either. Mynera had danced every song that was sung till her feet hurt and so, currently, she rested on a high back chair, her feet settled nicely on a pillow on top of a stool.

There was too much talking. Too many questions. When King Damon had said that it was going to be a long night, he wasn't joking. There were so many people breathing down her neck, she felt stifled by it.

"This is most certainly a wonderful song. I must get this female minstrel to sing in my manor back home." It was a tall and lanky man who spoke. Mynera smiled at him, racking her head to remember what his name was. There were so many introductions this night she was sure the only names remembered where Saenar, King Damon, and Queen Madeline.

"Her voice is quite beautiful, isn't it?" she agreed. She shifted a little in the chair, feeling a bit claustrophobic. "That song she sang about the secret wedding almost made me cry, to be perfectly honest. I wonder if they are true tales or just words of fiction."

"Oh well that's the mystery," said another man. "And the mystery is what makes it so good."

"No, I don't believe so," She shook her head. "What makes it so good was the sad romance. I doubt whether it is real or not will affect how good the song is."

"But we all know it isn't real, my lady." It was a lady who spoke this time. She had a face as white as chalk and lips a deep, dark purple. Her blond curls barely moved when she cocked her head to the side. "'Tis not done. Throughout all the Nations, who – as a noble – would ever fall for a lowly commoner and would be willing to give up all their riches to be with that person? It simply doesn't happen, although it does make for a wonderful tale."

"Oh, you'd be surprised, my lady," she responded, thinking about Saenar and Charmaline. She paused a moment before continuing. "We don't get to choose who we love. Love has a way of sneaking up on us and shining for the most unlikely person."

The lady huffed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. Mynera saw that it made her look possessed for a moment. "That would never happen to me. I have my standards and I know who I'm going to love."

"Going to? Do you like someone?"

"No, but-"

"Then how do you know that you won't fall in love with, say, that servant over there serving the wine to the king? Can you see into the future to guarantee that you won't?"

"Of course I won't!" Some colour came to her cheeks then and Mynera found it amusing that it was because she was angry. It was funny, really. Seeing the way her cheeks puffed up and a glimmer, just a glimmer, of red appeared. She held back a sudden urge to giggle. "I'm not some -"

"You're not some what, Lady Gryger?"

The crowd that surrounded her parted at the voice. Striding forward was a tall and well-built man. But, sitting down, Mynera couldn't see his features in detail, for the light was behind him, making him look like a haloed angel coming to save her. He came to a halt beside Mynera's chair and she finally got a good look at him.