One morning in early April, as I was setting out breakfast, Florina bounded into the room, practically vibrating from excitement.

"Mother! We've done it!" She said handing an envelope to my stepmother with a dramatic flourish.

I exchanged a glance with Ariane and she shrugged discreetly.

My stepmother opened the envelope and pulled out a card. Her eyes widened.

"An invitation to a royal ball. The prince is showcasing artifacts from his travels. Florina, do you know what this means?"

"I know! It's everything we've been working towards! Oh mother, what if this is it?"

She gasped.

"What if I meet the prince himself? What if we dance all night and he takes a fancy to me?"

Ariane made a noise and Florina turned to face her, not bothering to mask her distaste. She tossed a third envelope down in front of her sister.

"You got one too, God knows why."

Ariane calmly opened her envelope and read the contents.

"A masquerade?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The prince is fond of mystery, I hear," my stepmother explained as she sipped her tea, reading the invitation again.

Florina plopped into her chair and sneered.

"What does it matter? It's not like you want to go. You'd rather spend your time here skulking around with the creature."

Ariane ignored her and poked at her food, but Florina wasn't done.

"What do you even do when we're out of the house?" she asked. "Oh! You aren't building your own little corpse man are you?"

Ariane froze.

"Florina…" her mother chided.

"Going to build yourself a little corpse lover? Just like father?"

Elisabetta slammed her hand on the table and both her daughters flinched.

"Florina! That's enough!"

She flushed and ducked her head.

"Sorry, mother," she mumbled.

Ariane rose to her feet, her breakfast mostly untouched.

"I'm not hungry," she muttered and turned to leave.

"Regardless, the invitation is wasted on her. It's not like anyone would ever want to dance with a ghoul like her," Florina said under her breath.

Ariane stiffened and paused in the doorway. She didn't turn, but from where I stood, I could see the tears in the corners of her eyes.

I so desperately wanted to go after her, to take her in an embrace and comfort her.

The moment passed and she continued out of the room. Florina began chattering excitedly about the ball. Elisabetta hadn't even looked up as her daughter left.

 

---

 

A few days later, Florina and her mother left at dawn to shop for a ball gown. When I joined Ariane in the study, the invitation was inexplicably sitting on her desk. I thought for sure she would have thrown it out.

Curiosity got the better off me and I picked it up, getting my first chance to actually read it.

"An exposition?" I asked Ariane.

"Hm?" She glanced up at me over her spectacles she had taken to wearing. She made a face when she saw the invitation.

"Oh, the prince supposedly fancies himself a polymath. He travels the world collecting trinkets and artefacts to put on display."

"Trinkets?"

She shrugged, turning back to her notes.

"Alchemical engines, automata, rare and exotic creatures from his travels," she said with a dismissive wave.

I had read of the wonders of the modern world in news sheets that the family discarded. Out in the world, people were capturing lighting in bottles and using it to create light. Airships were carrying people across continents and oceans. Words and music were being recorded onto physical media, to be played at back at any time.

Victor had managed to create me and he had been working alone. What might he have accomplished if he had collaborated with other brilliant minds of this age?

"You don't want to go and at least see any of those things?" I asked as I wandered to the bookshelf that now housed all of my favorites.

She hunched her shoulders.

"You don't know what it's like at these things," she said flatly. "Imagine a room full of Florinas, all pretending to be interested in all the shiny objects while gossiping and backstabbing as they scramble to gain social standing. And sure, some of them might be genuinely interested in the exhibits, but more likely than not, all they care about is how they can exploit it to line their pockets."

I gawked at her for a moment as she drove into her notes. It surely wasn't nearly as bad as she made it out to be. Her outlook could be so bleak sometimes.

My own singular experience with a crowd had ended in disaster, but I had one vivid memory of that night just before everything went to hell. The inn had been filled with music and laughter and warmth. It was my own misfortune of possessing a dead girl's face that had broken that moment. Those people had been happy.

I plucked a book of poetry off the shelf and settled onto the sofa. I found myself needing to reread the same poems over and over as my mind wandered. I imagined being at the ball, I had certainly read enough romances to have a particular image in my head. If only there was a way…

"You should go to the ball," Ariane announced suddenly.

I fumbled the book, crumpling a few pages by accident.

"What??" I said as I gawked at her. Had she lost her mind?

"There are three invitations," she said. "I'm certainly not going. You should go. At least one of us should be able to enjoy it."

I carefully smoothed out the pages and set the book aside.

"You know what happened the last time I was among people."

"Yes, but this is a masquerade. If there's one time you can go somewhere and not be noticed, this is it."

Despite every warning instinct in me, my curiosity had been piqued.

"And what kind of costume exactly could I wear to disguise all this?" I asked as I gestured to myself, and all of my scars and inhuman complexion.

She chewed her lip apprehensively, and I knew she had an idea that I wouldn't like.

"You won't," she said. "Wear a costume, I mean. Or rather, you would… but it would be as yourself. The best disguises are based in truth, right?"

I drew in a breath. Going among people as myself had decidedly not ended well for me previously.

"I know," she continued, seeing the expression on my face. "You're thinking about the night in the village. Just tell me no now, and I'll forget about it. It's just that there might never be another opportunity like this again."

"Okay," I said slowly. "Assuming I go along with this, your mother would never let me go."

"She'll never find out. I have a plan… or the beginnings of a plan."

I raised my eyebrows skeptically.

"El, you want to go. The exposition. The ball. You want to see it for yourself, don't you? More than anything? This could be your chance. You could go be among people. You could dance, maybe you'll finally meet your dashing prince… or princess."

She winked at me and my stomach did something strange. Seeing my reaction, she burst into laughter.

"Laugh if you will," I said with mock offense. "If you had a chance to dance with a princess, wouldn't you take it?"

She blushed furiously and her laughter cut off.

I didn't know what to say. I sat back on the sofa, considering. She rose from her desk and joined me. A thought struck me.

"Wait, what about you? Won't you come with me?"

"I… we only have one invitation. I would rather you have it. I understand if you're not comfortable, it's your choice, but..."

She took my hands in hers.

"I want to do this for you."

"A-alright," I said, unable to keep the tremor out of my voice.

She smiled. Not her usual lopsided smirk, but the rare true smile that crinkled her eyes. It was a treasure and I felt my heart lurch.

"I'll take care of everything. On the night of the ball, after my mother and sister leave, come to my room."