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EIGHT

The entrance hall was empty by the time Lily reached it, with no people or coaches to be seen. Her shoulders sagged. She was too late.

Just as she turned to head back upstairs, the front doors flew open, and a figure dressed in a fairytale ballgown staggered in.

"Arwen?" Lily gasped out, barely recognising the girl, she looked so haggard. "What happened to you?"

Arwen waved her away. "Nothing. Not to me, anyway. It's my dad. He's sick. I have to go home right away. I have to...pack..."

"I'll help you," Lily said instantly.

"No, I'll be fine. It's just the shock, that's all. I just spoke to him yesterday, and he was fine. To fall ill so suddenly...packing will help me get my head straight. You should go to the ball. The coach is outside. Don't let him leave without you." She stuck her head out the door. "Wait! Lily needs a ride up to the castle!" she shouted at the coach driver.

The doors hissed open.

"Are you sure?" Lily asked.

Arwen looked grim. "Absolutely. Have one of those fairytale cocktails for me while you're there. They looked like magic potions, with little clouds of spun sugar on top. I'd just grabbed one when I got the message about Dad, so I didn't even get to taste it."

"I'll drink one, and I'll bring you back the recipe," Lily promised.

"Just enjoy yourself. That's all," Arwen said, as the coach doors slid shut.

"Sit down, miss. I can't leave until you're safely seated," the driver said. He was one of the ubiquitous men in grey who guarded the gates, drove the coaches and lived in the gatehouse, separate from the rest of the staff, so Lily didn't even know his name.

"Sure," she said, tucking her skirts in as she took the nearest seat.

The short coach journey was just long enough for her to brush her hair properly and wind it into a chignon at the back of her head. Only then did she put on her mask, glad it covered most of her face so she hadn't needed to bother with makeup, aside from some lipstick.

"This is Tremotino Castle. Enjoy the ball, miss," the driver said, as the doors hissed open.

Lily thanked him as she stepped onto the red carpet. Craig Tremotino had definitely outdone himself this time. She wondered who he was trying to impress. Certainly not the Mirror Academy students, who were waved into the castle without an invitation as though they weren't really guests at all. Given the Academy's reputation for providing brides for rich businessmen, Lily had long suspected the headmistress had some sort of arrangement with Tremotino to matchmake the right couples at these events.

In the past, she'd avoided the wife hunters by spending the evenings dancing with Diana and Arwen, but seeing as neither of them was here tonight, she'd be on her own. Not that it mattered – she was hardly a society bride any more, if she ever was.

When Lily reached the ballroom, it was more packed than usual. An absolute crush. She turned to head right back outside again, only to find her way barred by two servants, closing the doors to the ballroom.

On the stage, the maskless master of the castle, Craig Tremotino, lounged on an actual throne. "Quiet, people!" he bellowed, with all the grace of the absolute boor he was. Rumour had it he'd been born into a bastard branch of the Lustro family, who'd owned this castle for centuries, and when their fortunes had faded, he'd bought the castle to prove to his long-dead ancestors that this bastard did deserve his birthright. What he hadn't been able to buy with the castle were the good manners any halfway decent host would show to their guests.

Rumour had it Candace Tunder had her heart set on marrying the man, though Lily doubted she was in love with him. No, Candace, Anna and Elsa viewed marriage as a mercenary contract, to be entered into with a man who had as much money and as many secret mistresses as possible, so when she uncovered his infidelity, she could divorce him for half his assets, and sell the sob story to the celebrity gossip magazines, and live happily ever after on the proceeds. It was a nice idea, if you could stomach sleeping with a husband like that.

Lily would rather scrub blue milk off the cafeteria floor for the rest of her life than get naked with a man she didn't like.

Luckily, she wouldn't have to do either of those things. Tomorrow, she'd finish her project, and it was only a matter of time before she graduated and was working in her father's office, managing multi-million dollar projects for men like Tremotino or...

"May I present our guest of honour at tonight's Fairytale Masquerade Ball, the birthday boy and bachelor of the year, Leo King!" Tremotino roared.

And there he was, sauntering onto the stage like he owned it. Maybe he did, for he was certainly rich enough to do so.

"I bet all you ladies here tonight would just love to give him a birthday kiss, or something even better, because I have it on good authority he's looking for a bride for his birthday tonight!"

Off came the lion mask and Leo King's roguish smile romanced the room. A trio of girls near Lily sighed and nearly swooned.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, he's gay!" she hissed, just as the room fell silent.

She felt, rather than saw all eyes on her, including the calculating gaze of Leo King himself.

Lily wrenched the doors open and ran outside before he recognised her.