Chapter 211: Noir Ball

 

  56 years ago...

 

  The early light of dawn crept on the horizon. Elzri sat on his bed, he hadn’t been able to sleep. A servant had informed him of his father’s passing last night. Esletha was already busy preparing the memorial service that would be held later this afternoon. 

  He was grateful to her, as the family leader the responsibility should have fallen on him. But, he couldn’t even muster the energy to get out of bed, let alone arrange a memorial. 

  Just another reason why I shouldn’t be the family leader, he thought.

  His father Alastair may have wanted him to inherit the Noir throne, but the last thing Elzri wanted was to be the family leader. He needed to pass on that position to one of his siblings. The problem was, he wasn’t sure which one.

  His older brother Aiden had proven himself to be a competent leader as general of the Noir armies. Unfortunately, Aiden’s magical talent was lacking compared to his siblings. Despite being the eldest, he was still only a master mage.

  Worse, Aiden was too rigid in his ways, too focused on his honor, and too blind to distinguish the subtle greys of a situation, preferring to see everything in white and black. Such inflexible leadership would prove problematic.

  Elzri’s older sister Esletha, on the other hand, showed great magical promise; a high-master well on her way to the rank of arch-mage. In terms of magic, she would be a suitable leader for House Noir. She was also popular among the aristocrats and a skilled diplomat when she wanted to be. But Esletha could be petty and had a vindictive streak that often caused great harm to others. A family leader couldn’t afford to make enemies recklessly.

  Then there was the youngest, Una, Elzri’s only full-blood sibling. But no, he refused to consider her for family leadership. He would never let his sister take on such a heavy life-long burden. He wanted her to live her life freely, away from the confines of this aristocracy.

  The door burst open and slammed into the wall. 

  Elzri looked up in surprise, “Ismene?”

  His lover stood in front of the doorway, breathless. Tears had formed at the edge of her beige eyes.

  Ismene ran to him and hugged him tight, “I came as soon as I heard! Are you okay? I mean, I know you're not. I’m just… How are you holding up?”

  Elzri closed his eyes and enjoyed the comforting warmth of her body pressed to his, “A little better now.”

  She sat next to him in bed and gripped his hand tight, “Why didn’t you send a messenger to me earlier?”

  Messenger? Elzri blinked, “Sorry, I was just busy… processing.”

  “Gods, you don’t have to apologize,” she winced. “I just hope you know I’m here for you, you don’t have to go through this alone. We tell each other everything, remember? Una is really worried about you.”

  Una? Elzri thought. So that’s who sent the messenger.

  “Losing your father,” Ismene muttered, “I can’t imagine what that's like.”

  “Neither can I. None of this seems real,” he said ruefully. 

  “...How did it happen?” she whispered.

  Elzri recalled the cover story his siblings and he had put together. If people knew the truth of Lord Alastair Noir’s demise, it would make House Noir appear weak, and more vulnerable to attacks than it already was.

  Elzri swallowed, “My father was sick, he had been for quite some time. The doctors and white mages couldn’t find a cure. My father kept his illness quiet and kept serving as the family leader as long as he could. Last night the illness became a lot worse, his body… couldn’t keep up.”

  Ismene rested her head on his shoulder, “I’m so sorry.”

  He swallowed hard, “The funeral is later this afternoon. I know it’s very last minute, but it would mean a lot if you could be there.”

  “Of course,” she gripped his hand tight. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “...I’m so tired,” he sighed.

  “Then sleep, I’ll watch over you. I promise I’ll keep you safe,” she smiled.

  “My hero,” he smiled and closed his eyes.

~~~

  “Is this normal?” Ismene whispered. “For drow? Or aristocrats?”

  “Do you mean the funeral or the wake?” Elzri asked.

  “I mean is the wake always this fancy?”

  “Not usually, but Esletha seems to be going all out,” he whispered.

  Elzri, Ismene, and Una stood in a waiting room, behind the Noir mansion’s ballroom. Alastair’s funeral had been a solemn affair, with aristocrats from all over the city attending, including a family representative from each of the other Seven Ruling Houses.

  It had been difficult for Elzri, he had barely been able to get through the funeral without breaking down. Every time someone mentioned his father, all he could think of was how he had failed to save him. 

  Once the funeral had ended, Elzri thought he could finally seclude himself in his rooms. To his bitter surprise, Esletha had organized a large wake in the form of a ball in their home in memory of Alastair.

  The last thing Elzri wanted to do was attend, but he’d seem like a horrible son if he didn’t. So instead he found himself here, next to Ismene, who wore the most beautiful blue dress he had ever seen or perhaps her wearing it made the dress beautiful? He was inclined to believe the latter.

  “Miss Una Noir, daughter of the Great House of Noir!” yelled the master of ceremonies from behind the door.

  “That’s me.” Una glanced back at Elzri and Ismene, she tried to put on a smile, “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck,” Elzri and Ismene said.

  The double doors swung wide open. Una walked right out to the balcony and waved down at the guests on the ballroom floor. They clapped and cheered for the Noir princess as she made her way down the stairs to join them.

  The master of ceremonies stood upright and glanced at his scroll, “Sir Elzri Noir, son of the Great House of Noir, and Miss Ismene!”

  “I’ve never done this before,” Ismene said nervously from behind the doors.

  Elzri wrapped his arm around her own, “It’ll be fine. Just follow my lead.”

  “I trust you,” she nodded with a smile.

  The double doors swung wide open once more. Elzri walked out with Ismene and stepped up to the balcony. Before they had a chance to wave at the crowd, Esletha pushed the master of ceremonies aside.

  “Excuse me?! Can I have your attention,” Esletha called out.

  What is she doing? Elzri frowned.

  “I’m sorry folks, our announcer got it wrong,” Esletha said. “Allow me to reintroduce to you the lovely Miss Ismene and my brother, Lord Elzri Noir, leader of the Great House of Noir.”

  Elzri stiffened, no fucking way she’s doing this here.

  The guests laughed.

  Ismene glanced at Elzri and gripped his arm. “What is your sister talking about?” she whispered, panic rising in her voice.

  Esletha shook her head, “This is not a joke, my fellow aristocrats. My sick and ailing father named Elzri his heir at his deathbed. So, please, a toast to our newest Lord Noir!”

  The guests looked at each other uncertainly, before slowly raising their cups.

  Elzri held back his scowl and tried to appear unfazed. He glanced at Elsetha, a calculating smile was plastered over her cold expression.

  So this was your plan, Elzri thought. To catch me off guard in front of all our peers. To call our father sick, practically incapable of making a proper decision when he chose me as heir. You want them all to think our father made the wrong choice.

  Esletha thought she was getting back at him. She didn’t understand, as embarrassing as this was, he agreed with her, their father had made the wrong decision. 

  Elzri suddenly noticed the trembling in Ismene’s arm. “Follow me,” he whispered.

  The couple walked past the balcony and down the stairs with slow steps. Elzri tried walking faster, but Ismene’s legs had gone rigid. The crowd of guests clapped without rhythm, most of them whispered amongst themselves, a few even outright looked at Elzri with pity.

  Aiden clapped his hands loudly above his head, “Thank you, little sister, for your untimely announcement. Always appreciated. Now, on to what really matters; Tonight is about remembering my father and celebrating his life. Musicians, if you please.”

  The lead musician nodded and ordered her group of minstrels to begin playing. The guests began to spread out and find their partners on the dance floor.

  Esletha rolled her eyes at Aiden and went off to find her fiancé, a young man of House Glaz, Hollow Shade’s most powerful family.

  Aiden walked over to Elzri and Ismene and bowed his head, “I’m sorry for my sister’s conduct, Ismene.”

  “It’s fine,” her lips curled in a strained smile.

  “Yeah, thanks, brother,” Elzri bowed his head.

  “I didn’t do it for you,” Aiden said. “If it messes with whatever Esletha has planned, I’m all for it. If you’ll excuse me, the dance is about to begin.”

  Aiden bowed curtly and walked off into the crowd.

  Elzri sighed, just two days ago he had been joking around with both his older siblings. Now it seemed that they both hated him. He should have announced his successor immediately before anyone on the outside had found out. Thanks to Esletha such a plan would no longer work.

  “Is it true?” Ismene said quietly.

  “Hm?” Elzri looked at her.

  “Are you actually a lord now?”

  “Well, technically, no. I’m not a mage lord, I’d have to be an arch-mage. And I still haven’t been inducted into the city’s council, so I’m not a city lord either.”

  “But you are the leader of House Noir?!” she whispered.

  “...Yes, for now,” he mumbled.

  “What does that even mean!? Did you ever plan on telling me? Or were you just going to conveniently forget about our plans to leave this city and travel the world in a few days?”

  “Ismene, it wasn’t like that,” he grimaced.

  “I thought we were in this together, we tell each other everything,” she bit her lip. “I’m going to get a drink.”

  “Ismene, wait!” he reached out to grab her hand, but she slipped away into the crowd.

  The guests wrapped their arms around their partners and began to dance to the rhythm of the music. Elzri looked around for Ismene. He spotted Esletha dancing with her Glaz fiancé and Una dancing with their brother, Aiden. Ismene was nowhere in sight.

  The thought that he was alone on the dance floor suddenly struck him. Elzri stood still, awkward and uncomfortable, as hundreds of eyes stared at him, standing at the center of the dance floor.

  A light touch tapped his shoulder. He turned around. A beautiful vampiress in a scarlet dress met him with a smile. Her dark hair fell down in silky waves that shimmered in the light and framed her pale face in a stunning image.

  She curtsied and offered her hand, “May I have this dance?”

  Elzri swallowed and hoped the warm feeling in his cheeks wasn’t showing.

  He reached out and grabbed her hand, “...Yes, thank you,.”

  She suddenly pulled him in close, placed his arm around her small waist, and began to sway to the sound of the music.

  The crowd’s gaze slowly shifted away from him and moved to the gorgeous vampiress in his arms. He was grateful for the reprieve of the spotlight. 

  The vampiress danced with a lithe grace that made his own dancing seem like a child fumbling in the dark. Elzri tried to look everywhere but at her low cut dress and her ample cleavage.

  “Ahem,” he cleared his throat. “It just occurred to me, I don’t know your name.”

  The vampiress said nothing, her scarlet eyes simply watched him as her body danced to the rhythm of the music. 

  Elzri narrowed his steel-grey eyes, “Why did you ask me to dance with you?”

  Her red lips curled into a smile, but she did not answer.

  “I see,” he muttered. “You’re here to find out if my sister’s announcement was true. Well, get a good look at the simple adept mage, the mundane Elzri Noir himself. Now you have a story to tell all your friends.”

  “...So, this is how Lord Noir conducts himself?” she said with a quizzical look.

  “You actually believed my sister’s lie?” he chuckled. “I’m not the leader of this family.”

  “Odd, none of your siblings were introduced as Lord or Lady Noir,” she pulled in close enough that Elzri could feel her breath on his lips. “Just you.”

  He swallowed, “...An elaborate prank by my sister.”

  She stepped back, but kept Elzri’s hand around her waist, their bodies dancing in the music’s flow.

  “I’m Holly,” she said.

  He tilted his head, “Just Holly?”

  “Oh, I have many names, but Holly will have to suffice for tonight.”

  He smiled wryly, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Holly… Veres? Ashe? Gale? I’m still trying to decide which House you belong to. I’m leaning towards Veres.”

  “Alastair Noir was known as a shrewd man. If he chose you as his heir, I doubt it was based on the spur of the moment.”

  This again? Elzri thought. “Which is exactly why I’m clearly not his heir. I’m an adept, I’m not fit to rule the most prominent mage Great House of Hollow Shade. As I said, a prank by my sister.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Elzri shook his head, “Is that really a question? Now I’m beginning to think you’re an Ashe.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” she shrugged. “You are only an adept, it’d be very strange if you took over the Great House of Noir.”

  “Precisely,” he nodded.

  “The leader of House Noir, such a heavy responsibility,” Holly whistled, “Daunting at best, impossible at worst. It couldn’t be you.”

  “Your belief in my abilities is truly inspiring,” Elzri said wryly.

  “Have you ever heard the story of Melantha the Blue?”

  “Hm? I can’t say that I have. Is it long?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “How good of a listener you are.”

  “Point taken,” he conceded with a smile.

  Holly smirked, “Melantha was a commoner born in the Jade Realm centuries ago. She was also a mage, a very talented chromatic true-blue at that. But Melantha was shy, she worried what her abilities meant for the lives of her family and herself. One day, a prime arch-mage came to the city where she lived. He was powerful, yes, but more than that he was charming, and the people loved him for his charm. So, Melantha, confident in the arch-mage’s powers to protect her city and people, left to explore the rest of the kingdom and enjoy her youth.”

  Holly glanced at the other dancers, “War eventually reared its ugly head at the kingdom. The people were scared for their lives. The land became torn by armies and magic. It was no longer safe to travel the countryside for an adventurer, so Melantha decided to go back home to her family.”

  Holly smiled sadly, “But when she got there, she found out that the charming arch-mage had been exploiting the people during the war. When the people had looked to the arch-mage for help the most, he had stolen from them; their lands, their wealth, even their lives.”

  “Melantha had failed her people, she hadn't been able to protect them, not even her own family. Distraught, she decided to take a stand, to defend her people once and for all. Her own people laughed at her, they didn’t think a simple, mundane commoner girl could lead them, protect them. But you know what? Melantha ignored their words of ridicule. Because it didn't matter what others said she couldn’t do. All that mattered was her own belief in what she could do.”

  “...What happened to Melantha?” Elzri asked.

  Holly smirked, “She walked into the charming arch-mage’s castle and killed everyone, guards and arch-mage alike. She went on to save not just her city but her entire kingdom. She became Melantha the Blue, Paramount Knight of the Jade Realm.”

  “Why are you telling me this story?” he said softly.

  Holly stared into his eyes, “Melantha ran from her responsibility because she feared what it might cost her. She was right, the cost would indeed be great. As were the thousands of lives lost because she ran away in the first place. People in your position always have to make a choice, a sacrifice even, whether they want to or not.”

  Elzri frowned, “I told you already, I’m not the family leader.”

  “Yes, of course not,” Holly smiled. “If I had to guess, the actual leader of House Noir is your elder sister, Esletha. She fits the role nicely, a powerful mage and a popular aristocrat, I’d even say she’s quite charming.”

  The music ended with a last resounding note. Elzri’s movements had turned stiff long before the song was over.

  Holly took a few steps back and curtsied, “Thank you for the dance, Lord Noir.”

  “Yes… My pleasure,” he mumbled.

  “Riri!” Una strolled over. She passed by her brother and grabbed the vampiress’ arm instead. Una grinned wide, “I see you’ve already met my friend.”

  “You two know each other?” Elzri glanced between them.

  “Yeah, we met last year,” Una nodded enthusiastically. “Hey, Holly, may I have the next dance?”

  “I’d love to, Una,” Holly smiled. “Lord Noir, if you’ll excuse us.”

  “Yes, um, goodbye,” he bowed stiffly.

  Esletha sauntered over, two glasses of wine in hand. “Who was that?”

  “A friend of Una’s,” Elzri muttered. 

  “I’ll have to ask Una to find out how that vampire keeps her hair so fabulous, probably some secret red magic potion.”

  “What do you want, sister?” he sighed.

  Esletha gasped dramatically, “Oh, brother, you sound almost as if you’re angry with me. And here I was, bringing you a drink.”

  Elzri snatched the offered glass and glared at her, “It’s pretty common for someone to be angry when you embarrass them.”

  “Embarrass you? Elz, I was trying to honor you, the chosen heir of our father. I should be the one who’s angry, you took my birthright. You on the other hand should be happy, you won everything.”

  “I didn’t win anything,” Elzri shook his head.

  Esletha placed a finger to her grey lips, “Then again, I can understand why you’re embarrassed. I’d be too if I had to walk into the ball with a wretched commoner.”

  He clenched his jaw, “...What did you say?”

  “I mean she’s nice, pretty face too, but at the end of the day, her blood is as common as it comes. Not to mention she’s human, most of them are quite stupid,” she laughed. “I mean, Ismene is so dull that she still thinks I actually like her. Oh, I pity her.”

  Elzri threw his glass of wine at his sister’s face. The dancers all stopped moving and the room suddenly grew quiet.

  “Don’t you ever insult her again, she deserves better than your backhanded remarks,” Elzri snarled.

  Esletha clenched her eyes shut and opened them with disbelief. She wiped her face and glanced at her ruined dress.

  “You arrogant son of a bitch!” Esletha screamed. “You strike at me?! Today of all days!? You dare disrespect our father’s memorial!? I won’t let you dishonor our father’s memory! I will see you on the dueling grounds!”

  Elzri blinked, “What?”