303: Lady Ria Burton

Lady Ria Burton

Seren stepped aside, pretending to hug her husband's arm a little closer to her, though her real intention was to stop blocking Arlan's view of his mate.  1

Sensing his gaze on her, Oriana looked up and felt a jolt. A pair of ocean blue eyes met her golden-flecked hazel ones. 

Her body froze and she lowered her gaze in alarm.

'I am caught! I should have known this disguise would not work!'

Just then, Arlan's deep voice pierced through her panic. 

"And this lady?" he asked while looking at Seren.

"She is one of my ladies-in-waiting, Ria Burton," Seren replied, knowing Arlan had already recognized Oriana but she acted along with him. 

"Lady Ria, this man is the Crown Prince of Griven, Arlan Cromwell."

"This lady is honored to meet the Crown Prince of Griven," Oriana spoke formally, her voice soft and delicate, imitating Xena's manner of speaking. It was a far cry from her regular voice, which had a more boyish timbre.

She could only pray that Arlan doesn't recognize her voice. 

Arlan replied with a nod, before flashing a grin towards her and planting a kiss at the back of her hand like a gentleman. He then directed his attention towards Drayce, speaking to him about his tardy arrival. 

Oriana felt overjoyed at Arlan's reaction. 

'He didn't discover it's me!' But then, she wondered, 'Lady Xena mentioned it's part of etiquette to be introduced by a common acquaintance. She also said that some men would kiss the back of a lady's hand, but mostly only when she's of higher rank or the man is showing mild interest towards her. And that grin…Does that mean…?'

The joy she felt dampened. 

'Hah, I guess a prince is a prince.' A wry smile spread behind her veil. 'He can show interest to any woman and play with as many of them as he wants.'

Their intimate circle of people grew larger upon the arrival of Seren's older brother.

"Prince Arlan, how could you leave me behind without a word? To think you'd even patiently wait for your turn to greet these two," Cian said, his tone civil despite the playful glint in his eyes as his gaze swept past Oriana, "is there an urgent matter that requires your attention?"

Arlan turned his gaze to look at the older prince. "I believe it is Prince Cian who has urgent matters to attend to. It's better you pay attention to your affairs instead of meddling in mine."

As if on cue, Cian glanced in the direction of the people gathered near the far end of the hall, a vague smile hanging on his lips. 

More people came to greet the royalty of these three kingdoms, forcing Arlan to pay careful attention to his manner and words. He was attending as the representative of his kingdom, burdened with the heavy responsibility of grasping new connections for the development of Griven, while ensuring he leaves a good impression on each person.

If given the opportunity, Arlan would prefer to be a good-for-nothing young master stuck by Oriana's side like glue, showering her with compliments and giving her all of his attention. However, he was one of the leading figures within the royal ball. He could not afford to be selfish.

Being the Crown Prince, the future ruler of Griven, he had to disregard his wants and prioritize his responsibilities to his kingdom. 

Cian soon went elsewhere to mingle with another group. Fortunately, Drayce did not separate from Arlan.  By staying within the same circle as Drayce and his wife, Arlan was able to remain close to Oriana.

Those who would approach them were generally composed of one or two titled nobles, dignitaries accompanied by their partner, their vassals or their descendants. Whoever came to greet them would often show curiosity towards the Queen of Megaris, and in effect, Oriana, who was also wearing a veil behind her.

The young vassals and proud sons of these people would even attempt to engage Oriana in idle conversation, some even kissing the back of her hand like Arlan did.

Of course, Arlan was pissed. Each passing second tested the limits of his thinning patience.

Meanwhile, Oriana tried her best to keep her presence at the minimum. However, that was impossible given the high status of the people she chose to follow. Since both the heads of the Grivenian and Megarisian delegations were together, people wanting to be acquainted with them flocked to their area.

She could only act like a good lady-in-waiting, answering questions only after Seren gave her permission, which the young queen rarely did, saving her from engaging in difficult conversation with strangers. 

From time to time, Seren would pull her away to taste the delightful feast arranged for them, while at times they would chat amongst themselves, with Seren teaching Oriana about the various curiosities to lessen her ignorance about the ball.

"The harp solo that just finished, that kind of music originated from Mivesea. It is part of music from a saga about a water dragon and a nymph…

"See those women wearing embroidered fabric over their heads? That is a religious practice from the southern regions of Othinia. They are probably daughters of nobles seeking to enter a convent once they come of age…

"That wine? It's your first time seeing one in pink? It is not a flower wine, but a variation of red wine that is a specialty of Thevailes…"

Seren in fact didn't treat Oriana like her female companion, but a bosom friend. 

Oriana found the chance and whispered to Seren, "Your Majesty, how did you come up with a fake name for me so easily?"

Seren smiled and whispered back, "Ria are the middle letters of your name Oriana and about family name Burton? Hmm, that is my mother-in-law's family name which she earned as a reward from her father-in-law, Drayce's grandfather, King Esteban Ivanov."

"Earned as a reward?" Oriana felt puzzled. 

"Well, that's a long story. I will tell you one day when we have lots of free time."

Oriana agreed, "Sure, Your Majesty."

After a while, the music performed by the orchestra changed, marking the beginning of the  much-awaited dance. Since the royal ball was hosted by the Nefertitis, it was fitting that the first dance belonged to the King and Queen of Othinia.

It was common for noble ladies to get asked for a dance, regardless if they brought partners with them or not. However, it was also common for ladies with no partners to be a more popular choice by men compared to their counterparts. 

Oriana—no, Lady Ria Burton was a mysterious noble lady who was intimate with the Queen of Megaris. Aside from the various princesses in attendance, she was the lady gathering the most interest amongst those without a partner.

Want to invite her to dance? There was no way Arlan would let another man hold the waist of his mate. 

pqdm.com