“Was it really necessary to threaten the baron like that?” Nux asked.

  “Partially,” Bellum responded. “He pulled the standard classist remark when I told him to invite everyone. I took exception to that.”

  “So you threatened him.”

  “Yes.”

  Nux sighed as he threw on a white long-sleeve shirt, his lithe muscles being hugged just right by the shirt so as to mesmerize any woman looking for a fun time. He started buttoning up the shirt and looked at Bellum who was doing the same.

  “Threatening the nobility so we could have a chance to hook up isn’t exactly good politicking.”

  “I never said it was.”

  Nux furrowed his brow.

  “But you believe it was, don’t you?”

  “Of course. I got to shut down an arrogant prick and got the chance to unwind. That is what we call a win.”

  Nux shook his head with a chuckle.

  “For someone who hates politics, you sure are good at it when you want to be.”

  “I thought you said it wasn’t good.”

  “It’s not. Being good at politics isn’t the same as performing good politics. Good politics are when nothing changes. Good politicians force change. They’re efficient.”

  Bellum pulled up his black boots.

  “I doubt Baron Zash will see it that way.”

  “Who gives a shit? It's a party. He’s the one who wanted to do something for us. You just told him what to do. If he didn’t want to feel small, he shouldn’t have tried to meet the prince when he’s just a baron. Besides, everyone in Silverbrook knows that he’s just a figurehead for the Merja family.”

  “Will the Merjas be making an appearance?”

  Nux shrugged.

  “Probably? I imagine one of their leaders would get out and enjoy the sights, but he probably wouldn’t want anyone to recognize him.”

  Bellum nodded as he looked at himself in the mirror. Brown pants, gray collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He thought he looked pretty good. Not as good as the prince with his black slacks and pure white shirt, but as long as they stuck together, Bellum would be able to enjoy the same benefits as his boss.

  “Speaking of disguises,” the crownguard said. “Are you sure it's alright to let the demon out to play? I get that he doesn’t really act out, but I think it's risky.”

  The pair looked over to Arden’s room where he had just finished putting on a blue tunic with a black undershirt and black pants. He was currently looking at himself in the mirror and thought that he looked like a high-fantasy extra.

  ‘Perfect.’

  Arden was finally being let off the leash for a little bit, and he was going to savor it, and do what he’d rather have done from the beginning of the trial: blend in. Unfortunately, that was something that was ripped from him due to the role that he was forced into playing.

  He hated standing out, even back on earth. Standing out meant attention. And attention given to Arden nearly always met a beating from someone who despised him for harboring a Blight Walker.

  The tunic that Arden had seen many of the people wearing as they walked by was just what he needed. He would be what he wanted to be from the moment he entered the trial. A nameless face in the crowd. He wondered if he would be able to talk freely, but figured not.

  Nux answered Bellum’s question.

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ll just always pay attention to him. If he acts out, then we take him back here and chain him up. We’ll just throw the disguise spell on him that we were going to use on his stand-in so he won’t be recognized, like we planned.”

  Bellum nodded his head. He took a scroll of paper that was sealed with a purple brand out of his pouch. It was an illusion scroll that he was originally going to use on Arden’s stand-in if they weren’t identical. Fortunately for Arden, they were identical, so the scroll wasn’t used. Thanks to that, Arden had a chance to be free, however briefly.

  Bellum looked at Arden and hesitated. He didn’t question the morality of letting him out, but he had a feeling that things would go wrong if he did. Unfortunately, the prince had already made his decision, and although he would listen to Bellum, ultimately the prince was a bit too headstrong to change his decision.

  “Well then, let's get it on,” Bellum said.

  He approached Arden who turned around to meet his gaze. Sparks flew as Bellum spoke.

  “You best retract your bloodlust if you want to go out.”

  Bellum broke the seal on the scroll, and it glowed purple for a brief second, then it disintegrated into purple sparks that rushed forward to Arden.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Arden’s eyes widened as he felt the foreign energy coalesce all over him. After a small period of time, the strange feeling disappeared, as did his usual appearance.

  He still had his black hair, but it was cut shorter, and his facial structure changed as well, with more emphasis added to his cheekbones and nose. It was enough of a difference that no one would recognize him as Nux’s servant, but reminiscent enough so that his original appearance could be inferred given enough time.

  In short, Arden now looked like a relative of himself, though a somewhat distant one.

  Although the new appearance was important, it was a lower priority compared to the magic itself.

  Previously, Arden had seen magic in action, but he hadn't personally been affected by it like this. Now, he felt the magic flow and take shape around him like a shell.

  His knowledge in magic was non-existent, but he was able to figure out something very important.

  Magic was not a factor when it came to aura.

  The feeling Arden got right now was completely different to when he had felt Bellum’s presence expand earlier. Magic had a unique feeling of its own, totally distinct from aura.

  The former made the air tingle with energy, like right before a storm, whereas the latter had nothing.

  ‘What can I do with this information?’

  Arden didn't know. He only hoped that he could find some use for it at some point down the line.

  “Alright demon,” Bellum said. “I know you've been listening to our conversations, so you know what's going on. You should also know what will happen to you if you put us in a bad spot. Don't let anyone touch your face, otherwise the spell will be undone. That will put us in a bad spot.”

  Arden met Bellum's angry eyes with an apathetic gaze. He wasn't going to do anything that might jeopardize his only taste of freedom. He promised himself that he wasn't even going to try to escape because there were too many variables, like the true strength of the people here and the mysteries of aura.

  Nux looked at the two.

  “Let's go.”

  ****

  The venue took Arden’s breath away when he saw it. For the second time, he found himself taken aback by the unexpected majesty of Silverbrook.

  Silverbrook Garden was not a garden, but rather, a park. A huge park that easily contained the nearly one thousand people in attendance.

  Fountains constructed from the same white stone as the rest of buildings in Silverbrook were aligned in a large circle in the lot, with a grand water feature in the center. All of them spewed the silver water which gave Silverbrook its name into the air.

  The central fountain had a tangle of small pipes in the middle spraying out the silver water in such a way to create a pattern that looked like a shimmering diamond.

  Moving on from the fountains, Arden looked around, scanning the faces in the crowd. He saw Nux and Bellum meeting with overdressed men. One of the men had a scowl on his face when Bellum approached.

  Arden assumed that he was Baron Zash.

  Near the buffet that was set up again, Arden noted the appearance of Hecas and the rest of the servants Arden ate with previously. They were all talking with each other and random people they were with. Hecas suddenly burst out laughing at something one of the nameless mooks said.

  ‘Well, I'm glad someone's having fun.’

  On a stage near the diamond fountain, an orchestra was playing harmonious tunes. Just listening to them made Arden feel more at ease. He wondered for a moment if magic was being used.

  ‘I guess church choirs sing hymns for a reason. This isn't that different.’

  After grabbing himself a plateful of food that, to the unknowledgeable Arden, could have been anything from a five stars meal to whatever could be salvaged from a dumpster, Arden sat on the ledge of one of the fountains. He saw many other people doing the same and figured it would be a good place to relax.

  He felt a hint of loneliness upon realizing that a lot of the people eating were couples.

  At some point, a butler arrived in a masquerade mask that covered his eyes and offered him a glass of wine. Not wanting to seem out of place, Arden graciously accepted it, staying silent but kind to the man who gave him the drink. Arden knew himself how some butlers were treated. Some were treated with respect or disdain by their masters. For all Arden knew, the mask was being worn to cover up bruises.

  Arden sipped at the wine as he ate. It had a unique taste that Arden was not fond of, possibly because it was too refined for his palate as a pauper.

  He looked around again and saw Bellum staring at him. Arden raised a glass with a fake smile, which quickly became real When he saw the fury briefly flash on Bellum's face.

  ‘It's fun to piss people off.’

  Arden’s greatest strength, his mouth, was being suppressed while in public. If the most he could do is annoy rude people non-vocally, then that would have to do. He swirled the glass of wine and took another sip.

  He looked around at everyone enjoying their time in this once in a lifetime event. Everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives.

  The commoners in their varied quality of attire danced to the tunes. Some were associating with some of the more wealthy members of the banquet. The wealthy members in question didn't seem disturbed by the common folk, almost as if they realized that the only difference between them was how many zeros were in their net worth.

  Even Arden’s primary enemies were having fun. Nux and Bellum were each dancing with two incredibly attractive women, one with brown hair, one with black hair. Surprisingly, they only looked like they were middle class.

  Arden realized why he just couldn't bring himself to have fun as he continued to eat in solemn silence. Even though he was surrounded by hundreds of people, he was alone. Completely isolated. He had no one in this world.

  Sya was back on earth riding out the Stargate Cascade, and Vera was probably close to returning as well, knowing her.

  ‘I miss them.’

  He felt an ache in his heart, and looked down.

  “Damn it,” he muttered.

  In the festivities, no one heard him swear. Or so he thought.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around, barely holding on to his plate of food. When he saw who was in front of him, his breathing stopped.

  “Why do you look so glum? It's a party. Have some fun!”

  Arden looked at the beautiful woman giving off a sweet smile so warm that it could melt a glacier. Her eyes shone pale blue like the sky or a perfectly preserved glacier. Her most recognizable feature was her silky black hair, with a pale blue streak, giving off the impression that a portion of her hair was encased in ice.

  Arden’s heart thundered in his chest.

  He would never be able to forget her perfect face.

  “Vera?”