— CHAPTER SIX —

  The Stardust Ball

  I stood before the mirror while Elara fussed with my hair, pinning the last of the runic clips into the elaborate updo she'd spent the last hour crafting. The tiny mana gems embedded in each clip glowed faintly blue against my normally brown locks. As she activated them, color rippled outward, shifting the strands of hair from chestnut to the pale blue of the Icestar.

  "Hold still, Your Majesty." Elara mumbled. "Just three more clips."

  I tried to obey, but it was a struggle not to hop on the balls of my feet. "How do they work again?" I asked, even though she'd already explained twice. I loved hearing about runic technology - the way people without natural magical talent like me could still harness mana through clever engineering.

  "The gems are cut to leak mana slowly into whatever they touch. The particular species of mana affects how light reflects off surfaces. The gems are small, so they'll run out of mana by tomorrow morning, and your hair will return to normal."

  "And the dress clips work the same way?"

  "Exactly the same, Your Majesty."

  My gown was a deep green dress we'd chosen for the floral embroidery with silver beads representing flower stamens. The dozen runic clips Elara had already attached were beginning to work their magic, the fabric darkening and shifting from emerald to a midnight blue that made the beads look like stars.

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  "Almost done, Your Majesty." Elara said. "Now for the final touch."

  She reached for a silver pot on my vanity and dabbed her fingers into a shimmering paste. "Close your eyes, please."

  I obeyed, feeling her fingers apply the substance across my eyelids. Actual stardust powder imported from Sekr from last year's festival!

  Once my makeup was complete, we put on a mask that covered the top half of my face matching the new color of my dress.

  "There." Elara said, stepping back to check her work. "Take a look."

  I turned to face the full-length mirror. The woman staring back at me was unrecognizable - hair shimmering with the blue of distant stars, gown a canvas of constellations against night sky, face mysteriously concealed.

  "It's perfect! Even Ariella won't recognize me!"

  The only thing that could give me away was my eyes. The best way to change eye color was to hold mana ready in one's domain - the iris naturally took on the color of the mana species being channeled. It would be trivial for most nobles to achieve, and it was something even I could manage, but holding it constant took my full concentration. If I were more magically capable, I could, but...

  But if I were more competent, I likely wouldn't have any need to begin with; I always envied those that wore full holographic glamours to these parties. To shed one's body entirely was a fascinating prospect. I even could have disguised myself as a man - that would certainly throw anyone off my trail.

  However, the intensity of maintaining such a disguise would exhaust me in minutes, so I was limited to the mundane. Although, perhaps that would further my anonymity. Simple clothes were common among the lower nobility and the less energetic, and none should suspect the Queen to be dressed so ordinary. And with all the flashy effects of the attention-seekers, I would slip right on by.

  And so, it was perfect.

  "Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?" Elara asked.

  I spun to her and clasped her hands, hopping up and down. "No, thank you, Elara!"

  "Enjoy your evening, Your Majesty." She offered a smile and curtseyed before moving toward the door.

  As the door closed behind her, I took one final look in the mirror, savoring the unfamiliar face looking back at me. Then, heart fluttering with anticipation, I left my chambers and headed toward the sounds of music and laughter floating up from below.