The performers, all women, in yellow dresses with yellow masks, looked bright, each having a yellow ribbon in their hands. Anastasia had never seen such elaborate costumes and extravagant performance. The women looked like frozen flowers who wore dresses spun from paradise. The darkness that swirled around them reminded her of the nightmares. They were all absolutely still, until the music filled the air from the background. Heavy drum beats mixed with fiddles and notes from harps sent them whipping their ribbons and setting them in rhythmic motion. 

Their dresses fluttered as they all fell into the rhythm of the music flowing around them. They swirled and the frills around their gowns fluttered. Their bodies caught the notes of the music sending their contours spinning and gyrating. The ribbons floated around them like tornados and so did that darkness, which had now split and was attracted to every ribbon and spiraled around the dancers, trying to weave its magic, trying to entrance them. 

Even though the performers were so beautifully engaged in the dance, Anastasia's eyes were on the dark sand grains that swirled around them. Was she the only one seeing it, or did anyone else see it too? She swallowed as her gaze swept all the dancers on the floor. Through their masks, they watched her, and her only. Suddenly, they all took two steps closer to the podium. 

They looked dangerous. Violent—so full of contempt. She could nearly taste the bitterness on her tongue. She crossed her arms as her massive wings rustled. With resolution that she would never give them the satisfaction that they could threaten her with their strange vibes and aggressive dance movements. Though the nervousness at the back of her throat stroked her wariness, and her unease just spread further sensing the negativity from them, she wasn't the one who would cave in. Not now. Not ever. So, she watched them with caution, with focus and waited, like a predator. 

Her gaze swept over the audience who seemed mesmerized by the performance. There was not a single whoop or cheer emanating from them. They sat entranced, with glossy eyes that didn't leave the dancers even for a moment. Did they see the darkness around the dancers, that was thickening? Did they see how the dark sand grains slithered over the yellow ribbons and swirled with them as the dancers twirled them around their bodies? It didn't look like that. She clutched Ileus' hand and whispered, "Can you see what I see?" 

"Yes," he replied in a gravelly voice. "How did it manage to come inside?" He was wondering how he would manage it without harming his people.

She loosed a sigh of relief that at least he saw the dark grains twirling around the dancers. "I saw it slithering over the walls on one of the buildings down the path to the community hall. I thought it was my imagination, but Aidan sent his guards to check it out. However, it seems that they returned empty-handed. This thing… it managed to get inside." 

"And these dancers?" he asked in a low voice. 

"They have been chosen by someone for they bear hatred and it's their hatred that is letting the inky blankness take charge of their bodies and mind," she explained. 

"What do you propose to do my dear," he asked as he held her hand and squeezed it tight. His shadows peeled off his clothes. "Do you want to get out of here? That would be the quickest way to avoid them." 

She shook her head slightly as she watched the dancers taking a few more steps towards the podium. The magic in her chest was thrumming so hard that she could feel it spreading on her skin, tingling her. Her eyes were slowly turning violet. If they were the witches and wizards, she was the fae. "I think they don't like me, sweetheart, do they?" she asked in a soft voice. 

It was not a surprise when Ileus felt shocked at her straight query. A crooked smile lifted his lips and he said, "We both know the answer, love." 

With her husband on her side, she didn't need anyone else. "I know it darling," she said as the air around her charged with her magic. "And at this point of time, I don't care a fuck about these people." 

"You shouldn't, love," Ileus said, for he was also fed up with it. "Do what you want to do with them! You are their princess and I don't like the manner in which they are charging at you. It is almost treachery and I won't tolerate it." 

Her face flushed with energy, and a tight smile appeared on her face. She was not just their princess, she was the fae princess and heir of the fae kingdom of Vilinski, direct descendant of those who they called gods. She was a deity and they dared threaten her like this? Her eyes glowed violet with silvery speckles behind her irises. "How would you like me to deal with them, Ileus?" she asked as she looked at the orbs above them. They exploded with bright lights falling on the armchairs they were sitting on. 

"As you like, love," he replied. "I don't expect you to be gentle. I don't expect you to be rough." 

A collective gasp was heard from the audience and Anastasia got up from her chair as if ready for them. She stood there, staring at the dancers, her magic uncoiling like a beast in her stomach, trying to give a voice to itself, thrumming like thousands of hummingbirds. Her smile turned into a soft laugh. 

More than one person in the audience glanced at the princess as though she had gone mad. 

The dancers, now wrapped with thick swirls of darkness, were barely a few yards from her. They looked as if they were all about to lunge at her anytime. They whipped their ribbons aggressively and let loose a little darkness on the floor, which started to slither towards her after getting collected in a form that looked like a serpent. 

Anastasia lifted her hands and let the tingling sensation release in the air. Her magic charged the air. She pointed her finger at the dancers and a silvery light zapped out from it. It rushed around the dancers and as soon as it had circled them fully, it burst like firecrackers into tiny bursts of silver and white pinpricks. 

The audience cringed and leaned back in their chairs. Some even covered their eyes. And when they opened their eyes, they saw dark inky swirls against yellow dresses of the dancers. 

"What is that?" one of them shouted. 

"It looks like a serpent!" said the other.

"It is slithering towards our prince!" 

The form in front of Anastasia stopped as if in shock and looked at the audience. 

A smile crossed Anastasia's lips. So, the audience couldn't see what was going on. She was sure that this darkness wasn't Iona, but it was something created by dark magic. 

The drum beats became intense. The dancers, who were unaware of the silvery bursts of lights around them, continued to charge at her. 

Anastasia let her magic come out of her throat.

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