Book 5: Chapter 38
Guests at the dance stopped paying attention to Kay, both those who had been overtly staring and those who had been covertly watching, to pay attention to the arrival of their queen. Two guards in her livery proceeded her and two followed behind her, but every eye was on Alahna as she strode into the ballroom. She was the very picture of a regal queen, with a simple yet elegant presence crown on her brow and silvery jewelry that matched it drawing the eye with each movement. Bangles pooled at her wrists and flashes of anklets could be seen under the hem of her dress as she walked, turning her into a sparkling display.
Her dress was similar to Eleniah’s in style, with a closely molded upper portion and a flowing skirt, but where Eleniah’s dress clung to her until right at the ankle Alahna’s swirled and danced around her legs, sticking tightly to her and outlining her calves and thighs in one moment and swirling out into a dancing display of movement the next. The color of the dress changed as you moved downward from the top, with bright white shoulder straps descending down in a gradient into a turbulent dark color, making her look like a rumbling thunderstorm drifting across the ballroom. Each time the dress billowed out from her and then smoothed out against her body made it look like dark and ominous clouds were being born and dying before being born anew each second. The effect was simultaneously awe inspiring and terrifying.
“Should I have a crown on?” Kay whispered to Eleniah, trying to ignore the unworthy feelings he was experiencing from witnessing Alahna’s entrance.
“It all depends on where you are.” She whispered back. “Some places will look down on you for not wearing one, like you’re ashamed of your position or something, while others will look at it as you trying to say you’re superior to their leaders if you do. The Isles don’t really care, but if you pop one on after that entrance it’ll look like trying to catch up to her.”
“Which would be bad PR, even if she does blow me out of the water this time.”
“She’s had hundreds of years of more practice. You’ll get to that level eventually.”
“Damn she looks good though.”
Eleniah glanced at him with her eyebrow raised. “Does she?”
“You don’t think so?” Kay surreptitiously gestured at Alahna’s dress. “The effect to make it look like a storm is insane. The whole ensemble is making her look bad ass and majestic at the same time. Like a storm come to life that will capriciously choose your fate. Very queenly.”