9 - Calix & Elsie

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'I'll see you at the banquet', was her last letter to him

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'I'll see you at the banquet', was her last letter to him.

It had been two years. Since then, he had been attending to all the banquets happening in the town to meet her. He knew not her address nor who she was. Her name, Elsie was all the information he had of her.

The second half of the year's banquet quickly became the talk of the town. Despite its typical hype, this time he noticed more posters and open banquets have been arranged by Sir Everglow, the richest and kindest noble in the country.

"So many banquets," he murmured as he read through a list of the places being held around the city at the same time.

He took a pamphlet and headed home. For the next few hours, Calix mapped out his schedule for the day, The Banquet Day, on a piece of paper.
Calix started with the banquets close to the place they met first. Although he had been invited by Everglow personally, Calix marked Sir Everglow's private banquet for the elites, the last to attend.

Banquets after banquets, hours upon hours of looking for Elsie in the crowd, Calix reached Everglow's banquet, exhausted. He sat outside on the huge stairs leading to the ballroom with close to no hope of seeing her there.

However, upon being informed by Everglow's guards, he walks out of the ballroom and finds his close friend on the staircase with a gloomy face.

"What took you so long to get here? And why are you not going in?" Everglow asked with a hand on his hip.

Sighed, Calix's shoulder sagged. "I didn't find her this time either."

"Wait, you were here earlier?"

"No," Calix shook his head. "I just got here. I went to the other banquets around the city to see if I could find her there."

"Oh, poor Calix." Everglow sat next to him in silence for a short while before asking her name.

"Elsie," he replied.

"Hmm... Elsie. I don't remember any..." Everglow gasped and held Calix's hand. "I think there's one Elsie in there. Sir Vale's sister."

Before Calix could react, Everglow pulled him inside.

The regal, heavily ornate ballroom glowed in a warm tone. The light from the chandelier casted soft shadows as ladies and men dance to the music. Close to midnight, the ballroom was no closer to being empty as young men and women continued to socialize.

A hard tap on Calix's shoulder, Everglow left him to find Elsie on his own as the latter engaged in a conversation with one of his guests.

Exhausted, he was but like always, he searched for her. Scanning for the familiar face in the room. It took him no less than two glances back at the same corner to find her talking animatedly with other ladies. Calix's heartbeat raced and his eyes widened on his worn-out face.

"Elsie!" he called her. A little too loud but he couldn't care less on the looks being passed on him as he made his way to her.

Dressed elegantly for the occasion, Elsie weaved her way too through couples dancing to reach him. Reflecting a similar reaction as him, Elsie closed her mouth with her gloved hands.

"Oh my God, Calix!" She whispered with a shaky voice.

"Elsie. I can't believe it's really you."

She shook her head, her earring sparkled. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay."

Elsie kept on apologising for ghosting him without a note. She felt sorry and embarrassed for making him look for her all these years. Elsie was thankful for Calix for hearing her out.

"If it was not for my father sending me to a distant school to teach children of the nobles, I would have been in the city," she said.

"I understand and it's fine." He smiled and took her hand in his.

They had gone out of the ballroom and had been strolling in the garden when they were called in by Everglow's guard.

"My lady, can I have the pleasure of dancing with you tonight?" Calix asked the one thing he had wished at every banquet he attended in search of her.

"I'd love to." Elsie took his hand and together they headed inside to dance for the last song for the night. 

**-*-*-**-*-*

Hi to all who are here.

Thank you for dropping by. I hope you enjoyed the stories here and if you liked any one in particular do let me know. It will certainly be an encouragement for me to write more. 

Thank you again, till next time.

Deva

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