Chapter 88: Getting ready

Eloise

My plan for today went from attempting to open the box to planning a heist with three powerful dragons heirs and four Drakmor students.

It was not the kind off switch I was anticipating, but it was the one that made the most sense. It would be easier to search the archives for the princess research when everyone was distracted.

It also meant no explaining to a librarian, or whoever was guarding the archives, why we needed entry. The heirs have devised a plan to get in and out while the ball was in full swing.

All we students have to do is ‘follow their lead and not do anything stupid’. Those were their exact words.

When I had asked Byron for the box after everyone has left, he had simply told me, “we have just tonight to break into the archives. Let's just focus on that. There's plenty of time for you to attempt to open the box.”

I couldn't argue with that reasoning. So I had just left and went to join Lidia and Tina. The three of us had gone to Tina's dorm room after.

“Shouldn't you be getting dressed at the Dragon Keep?” Lidia asked Tina. “The festival must have started by now. Why are you still here?”

“Because I don't want to be around everyone when I'm this anxious.” Tina responded. Her feet dangled on the chair as she plopped another grape into her mouth. “And the festival is at the temple anyway. I hardly pray unless I'm in trouble. No one would notice my absence.”

I tried to put a necklace Carden had gifted me last night around my neck but I couldn't do it. He had handed it to me when he asked me to be his date to the ball and I told him I didn't have any ball gowns or accessories.

“Why are you anxious?” I asked.

Tina whirled towards me as if I had just asked the most unbelievable question ever.

“We're planning to break into the royal archives of Varethin. Everything about that sentence is giving me anxiety.” She rubbed her forehead and laced both hands behind her head.

She stared at the dresses she had laid out on the bed a few minutes ago.

“You didn't seem to mind the idea while we were discussing it at Lord Byron's office earlier. You even picked out dresses for the three of us which, by the way, I never said I was wearing.” Lidia said.

Tina removed her hands from the back of her head and folded her arms instead. “Yeah, but it didn't really hit me then. I'm just thinking about it now and I'm realizing so many things could go wrong. If we get caught, we're going to be executed for sure. I mean, how are we supposed to prove that we were only following the princess wishes when she's dead? How do we explain that?”

Lidia and I glanced at each other and then looked at her.

“To be honest, I haven't thought that far.” Lidia raised her hand defensively.

“Well, I have thought about getting caught but not what would happen after.” I cringed.

It definitely wouldn't be fun to be executed for breaking into a restricted here even when I knew that would likely be the outcome. And since everyone still thought I was a werewolf, it wouldn't help the feud between both kinds at all.

I walked towards Tina and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Look I understand your worries, but think of it like this, there's a dead girl whose soul is currently wandering the earth because she was possessed and murdered. The princess research papers might be the only thing that could help Aurelia find peace and maybe find the person who started all these.”

She stared at me and then heaved a sigh. “Well, that makes the act seem like a small thing compared to what we can achieve with it.”

“Exactly.” I snapped my fingers.

“I feel bad for Aurelia.” Lidia started. “All these while we thought she was the bad person when she was being manipulated by someone. And she didn't even get peace in death. That's sad.”

I nodded in agreement. “We will do everything to help her. We might not have gotten along but she was still a member of our squad.”

“And we stand up for our own.” Lidia finished.

She walked over to us and the three of us hugged. The contact seem to have blew off some of the tension in the air.

“Can we get dressed for the ball now?” I said when we disengaged.

“I mean, it's not for another few hours so I don't think…”

“I'm gonna stop you right there.” Tina interrupted Lidia. “There are still so many things we have to do. Hair, make up, and no offense to you, Ellie, but your hair is gonna take so much time. We still have to place a glamour on it and the dresses… Oh for Hearth's sake.”

And just like that, Tina seem to have snapped out of her anxious mood and into ‘Tina before a party’, which was a more excited version of her.

“I am not wearing that dress. I would definitely trip on it before I even walk out of this room. I do not want to fall face first on what's probably my only Yulemas ball at the Keep.” Lidia shook her head.

Tina sighed in resignation. “I know, which is why I picked out the dress with double high slits for you. There's no way you're tripping on that.”

She walked over to the bed and picked up a stunning black dress with double very high slits. There's no way she's wearing underwear to that dress or dancing without flashing her cunt. But it was gorgeous.

“I'm not wearing that. It's too revealing.” Lidia said but it didn't really seem like she wasn't completely onboard.

“It's a party. You're supposed to wear revealing clothes. Besides, it will look really gorgeous on you. Black on a Fireborn, timeless.” Tina smiled and extended the dress forward.

Lidia didn't seem to need much convincing. She rolled her eyes and snatched the dress of out her hand. Then she proceeds to change out of her usual black outfits.

“Alright ladies, we should hurry up if we don't want to be late. Ellie, start doing your hair. I'm gonna do my makeup first and help with both of yours.” Tina clapped her hands excitedly.

I head to the duplicate mirror to do just that while she sat by her dressing mirror. I still didn't get the reasoning behind her having two mirrors in her room. Was that even allowed?

“Lidia, I don't think I've ever asked, but why didn't you go to your family for Yulemas?” Tina asked. “This might be the only chance you get to see them until the end of your first year.”

I felt the shift in Lidia's mood before I even turned to her. But when I looked at her face, it was expressionless.

“We don't really celebrate the festival in my family.” She shrugged casually, but there was no mistaking the tension that crowds her posture.

“Okay.” Tina nodded. She must have sensed that family was a really tough topic for Lidia.

To be honest, despite being close friends since I got here, I barely knew anything about her. Yet I trusted her completely.

I picked up the deep green dress Tina had said was meant for me and examined it. It was gorgeous but way too long.

“Tina, are you sure I should be wearing this dress tonight? It's way too long for what we have planned.” I said as I looked at the low back dress with a high neck.

“Okay, in my defense, I had already picked out the dress before at made any plans for tonight. I just thought the colour would look really good on you.” She said.

“She's right. It's gorgeous. We can just tear the front to make a front slit, put a glamour on it looks more fitted.” Lidia suggested.

“No no, no one is tearing up the beautiful dress. The train is detachable. It can be turned into a short dress. Not appropriate for the ball, but great for sneaking into places.” Tina detached the train to show us.

Lidia and I nodded simultaneously. We stopped talking about dresses and drifted towards other conversations. Gossip about the second year and third year students that were caught hooking up while we were in the Binding. The students who snuck into the Briefing room to host and orgy. The Yulemas when Aeron drank for the first time and threw up all over the place.

We talked about basically everything except the ball and what we were going to do during it. Because even though none of us wanted to admit it, we were nervous about what might happened.

Tina was right. So many things could go wrong. We just have to hope it doesn't.