Chapter 57Poliana put on her silk shoes and tried walking. The shoes were too soft and light that she felt strange walking in them, unlike the heavy military boots that she used to wear all the time. The very fancy feminine footwear made her feel like she was going to slip and fall.
When Poliana walked like she was wearing a wet diaper, the maids pleaded with her, "Please don"t walk like that. You look too strange."
"Umm… I need some time to get used to them, but I feel embarra.s.sed practicing in front of you. Could you guys all go out and leave me alone for a while? I want to practice by myself."
"Alright. If you need anything, please call for us."
When the maids left the room, Poliana sighed deeply. She opened the closet and just as the maids claimed, her personal items were there, folded into a neat bundle. Her sword was taken away, but at least, her clothes were safe. Poliana felt a little relieved.
When Poliana came out of the room, she was still walking strangely. The maids covered their faces in frustration, but Poliana ignored them and walked into the banquet. The other Acreian knights were already there enjoying the feast. A piece of exciting music was playing, and Poliana could smell food and drinks. She inhaled deeply with a wide grin.
"Yes! Food!"
It was strange how great any food tasted when it was made by someone else. Poliana wasn"t even hungry, but she felt excited. As soon as she walked in, Poliana looked around and check who was there. The Bikpa champions didn"t arrive yet. At the high seats, the Bikpa King and his daughter were present. In the room were a dance floor as well as extra seats along the walls.
Around Gali the Third was Bikpa n.o.bles while across from them, on the opposite side, the Acreian knights were laughing and eating. The musicians were in the corner and the servants and the maids were running around busily. Bikpa guards were placed strategically, but all they were doing was looking straight ahead. A good guard needed to be alert and pay attention to his surroundings.
Poliana thought in disappointment, "Well, at least it"s better than them being distracted, I guess."
Poliana then checked the position of her emperor, Lucius the First.
The distance between her emperor and the door...
The people sitting around her emperor...
The high seats were always placed farthest away from the doors. Lucius the First was sitting in the center and next to him was Gali the Third. The Bikpa Princess was sitting next to her father, but her eyes were firmly set on the Acreian emperor.
Her stare was so obvious that Lucius the First was having a hard time pretending his ignorance. It would have benefited Gali the Third greatly if her daughter married Lucius, so he ignored her daughter"s rude behavior.
Not all of the Acreian knights were sitting down. Some became bored and were standing around a fool who was performing. These knights glanced at her as she approached them but they quickly turned away, not recognizing who they were. Poliana greeted them, "How are you all enjoying this night?"
"Sir Poliana?"
"Where? Huh? What?!"
The knights gaped in shock. One tried to compliment her awkwardly, "S, sir Poliana… Umm… You… look good. It… suits you."
Another knight was more honest. "I am disappointed. I thought that if you really tried, you would look much better."
When they all looked at her with obvious dissatisfaction, Poliana told them what Lucius the First often said to his men when they talked nonsense. "You guys all need to stop reading those romance novels."
The knights nodded embarra.s.sedly.
Poliana moved towards her emperor to give him a proper greeting. When some of the knights noticed that she walked awkwardly, they walked towards her to help her. Most of them were the royal guards, who she has been working with for the past while.
The royal guards were certainly more versed in gentlemanly manners than the regular knights. They moved quickly to offer their escort. When the one who got to her the fastest offered his arm, Poliana almost took it without thinking.
These gorgeous good-mannered men!
"Sir Poliana, you can lean on me if you need it. You probably aren"t used to the dress and the shoes."
"It"s ok. I"m fine. Please leave me alone."
"Sir Poliana… Could it be that you feel shy?"
"Shut up! I want to show my new look and walk to his highness so I can make him laugh."
"Sir Poliana, his highness would never laugh at you."
"I was just joking."
"… it appears his highness"s awful sense of humor has rubbed off on you."
"Dammit! Are you serious?! It can"t be!" Poliana gasped in annoyance.
Before Poliana reached Lucius the First, she pa.s.sed by Sir Donau, who was drinking juice instead of alcohol. Next to him was Sir Deke, who was in his first banquet and was already drunk. Sir Donau grabbed onto Sir Deke, who kept walking into a wall. He spotted Poliana and greeted him, "Sis! You look good! It suits you."
Sir Deke also greeted her, "Huh? Sir Poliana? I almost didn"t recognize you because of your wig."
"I think it"s because you are drunk, Sir Deke."
Donau let go of Sir Deke, who walked right into a wall. Thankfully, this woke Sir Deke up. He pulled himself up and sat down next to Poliana and Sir Donau.
Donau handed Deke a gla.s.s of juice and offered Poliana his hand. Poliana looked up at Donau and at his hand. She was confused.
"What do you want, Sir Donau?"
"May I have this dance?"
A young boy she met only a little while ago was now a 19-year-old young man.
A young man who knew how to ask a lady for a dance.
Poliana grinned, but her answer was firm. "Nope. I don"t dance."
"What? You are so cruel."
"It"s still a no."
Sir Donau didn"t look disappointed; he knew his adopted sister very well by now. If Poliana was this adamant against dancing, there had to be a good reason behind it.
At least from her point of view.
Donau offered, "If you don"t know how to dance, I can teach you."
"No, it"s not that. I know how to dance from both a man"s and a woman"s position."
Dancing was a basic skill that any knights and n.o.ble members learned as children. It has been a long time she last danced, but Poliana remembered its basic steps well. Poliana rarely forgot any new movements that she learned. In the past, she was never complimented that she was a good dancer, but she was adequate enough that she could dance without b.u.mping into anyone.
Donau then asked, "Then why won"t you dance?"
"Why do you insist on dancing?"
"Because I doubt I will ever get to see you in a dress again."
"Hmm… Good answer, but it"s still a no."
While they talked, they walked and finally reached near Lucius the First. When the emperor spotted Poliana, he smiled in excitement. He wasn"t laughing at her, instead, he was happy because he finally found an excuse to get away from the Bikpa Princess who was still staring at him with an obvious desire.
Lucius the First said to Poliana, "My loyal knightess! Sir Poliana, you look amazing. It suits you very well."
"Thank you, your highness."
Poliana turned towards Gali the Third and thanked him as well.
"Thank you for lending me this dress and jewelry."
Rudely, Gali the Third looked away in disgust. Ignoring him, Lucius the First asked Poliana, "You look great. Now, Sir Poliana, how do I look?"
Finally. It was showtime. Poliana has been learning from the other royal guard about how to answer when the emperor asked such a question. In the past, she would have given a simple answer, such as, "You are so beautiful, your highness!"
She wouldn"t have been wrong to do so, and it would have been her honest answer, but this was not what Lucius the First wanted. He wanted much more.
After taking a deep breath, Poliana replied, "The red velvet cloak looks amazing against your golden hair and makes your skin glow brightly, your highness. Is that necklace one of the jewelry that Gali the Third lent you? The stone had the same shade as your eyes, and it looks gorgeous! Of course, your eyes are much more beautiful!"
"I hope I did ok…"
Poliana looked around, hoping to get an approval of her guard friends. A guard named Sir Mahogal, who was dancing with a Bikpa lady nearby, heard it and put his thumbs up for Poliana.
She smiled happily. Lucius the First seemed satisfied as he replied, "Your wig suits your skin tone, Sir Poliana. I wonder if I will ever get to see you like this again. Now, give me your hand."
The Acreian emperor grinned at her as he offered his hand.