Nyx stared at her mirror, unsure, did she look alright? Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she didn't care. Her eyes raked over the dress, just the way she had wanted it. The black fabric hung to her feet, a few layers but not enough to make her look like an iced cake. Hands traced the sliver patterns sewn at an angle from the shoulder to the centre of the waist, dragons, not just dragons, each one had the same posture, same ears, same hieght that defined her own beuatiful Nera, with miniscule gems and stones sewn here and there along it's path. Fingers clung to the black lace draped on the skirt of the dress giving it that floaty look. Yes, if she had to wear a dress, she was glad it was this one. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun, a few strands hanging out. She was ready, physically anyway.

She ran over to the bedroom window and let out a shrill whistle, the snarling call of Nera replying almost instantly. As the dragon flapped outside, she gestured downwards, telling her that she would meet them in the courtyard. With that, Nyx sprinted out the bedroom door in a very unladylike manner and slid do the banister.

Amara reached the fountain and sat down, seeing so many around her, she felt nervous. She saw one prince, easily enough to tell with his crown, walking over to her. He held out his hand to her, trying to flirt before she slapped him across the face, seeing a shocked look from him. She felt insulted by what he had said to her and sighed. *They better not all be like that* she thought as she saw Luna taking flight and landing near her.

~~~~

Aro couldnt believe his parents actually made him come to this ball. His eyes were narrowed as he sat by the punch bowl, glaring at practically everyone. It wasnt easy for him to spot the princesses of this kingdom since there were royals and Lady's from all around there as well. He shook his head before he noticed one prince getting slapped. He couldnt help but wonder who he tried to talk to. Aro knew the prince well, it was one of his friends, and he was NOT the brightest when it came to women.

As she finally reached the courtyard, the girl finally saw the form of the inky black dragon. Nyx cheered and ran to hug the beast, smiling up at Nera's face. The dragon, too large to be allowed in Nyx's chambers, flapped it's tail, blowing hot smoke onto the girl. Nyx breathed it in, dragon smoke, the best smell in the world according to Nyx. It was like any smoke, but in it were traces of pine, grass, hot summer days and garden parties, sneaking out in the dead of night for a moonlit flight. It wrapped her up and held her close, it made her relax, untense, she would be fine, she was with Nera, who would hurt her under the beast's watchful eye?

Her dragon, towering over her, Nyx made her way to the ball, keeping an eye out for Amara.

She smiled sweetly at the guests, who were giving Nera a wide berth. Finally she spotted Amara on the fountain and hurried forwards, smiling as she slapped a prince across his ugly mug. "Yo" she sighed, sitting down beside her.

....

He wound his way through the crowd, trying to find Aro, hoping the stupid idiot wouldn't get himself into any bother. A smile plastered over his face, he trotted forward, pretending to belong. Luca was practically glued to his side, the big lump, scared of people, what a dragon he was. Atlas laughed softly, slinging an arm over Luca's bowed neck, and patting his side. Poor boy. Eventually Atlas found him, Aro, standing by the juice table, watching some poor bloke stagger through the crowd. Danger. The warning flared, Aro's eyes were ablaze with silent fury.

Amara looked over when Nyx arrived. "The nerve on some of these fools is amazing" she said with a sigh, knowing her sister saw what just happened. "He thought he would tell me I am nowhere near as pretty as some of the other women and should be flattered he was talking to me." She shook her head. "Now with that red face of his, he would be lucky for any woman to want to talk to him."

~~~

Aro looked over seeing Atlas and shook his head. "Please tell me you had your fill here and we can leave" he said. He was itching to get out of there. He didnt want to talk to the wrong princesses and end up being foolish enough to flirt with one. He had Fang take off a little while back and just stretch his wings.

Nyx laughed, "Can't wait for my turn to hit one of them" she joked, but in all fairness, that was what she yearned to do. Quietly she glanced around the courtyard, the guests were slowly filing into the castle, directed for the ballroom. "I guess we should go too" she sighed "The big dance is about to start, and oh look! You have an admirer!" she drawled, gesturing to the slapped prince who was clearly informing some other arogant soul abot the encounter. She swept to her feet and mockingly held out her hand to Amara, "May I, M'lady?"

...

He smirked, "Sorry brother, we actually have to stay for the ball part" Atlas explained, as he would to a three year old. Aro needed to learn to control his emotions, to master them. It's not like Atlas was fond of the idea that he could find himself dancing with the Arulous princess but you did what you had to at times of war. He and Aro had it much better than their fellows, other men were dying on the battlefeild so the least they could do was attend a party.

Amara sighed, not liking the idea of dancing just then. She wasnt the most graceful. "I think mother and father want to just emabress me" she said as she looked over in their direction, getting a scowl from their mother from her slapping the prince. *Wouldnt she have done that* she thought before she looked back at Nyx. "I guess mother didnt like that I needed to smack someone."

~~~~

Aro rolled his eyes. "I would much rather be fighting than being here. There are men who need to be trained and that's just what I was doing before they forced us to come here" he grumbled. He looked around before he spotted someone in a very dark dress near the feisty female. *Must be friends* he thought.

She rolled her eyes, before an evil grin spread across her face. "Well, dear mother can't do anything tonight because she doesn't know who we are" she retorted, standing back up. "C'mon then, gotta play 'perfect princess'". Anxiously she glanced at Nera, she would hopefully fit into the ballroom, she didn't think she could go through tonight without her.

...

Atlas sighed deeply, "I know you would" he murmured, "But we could be doing a lot more here than on the field" he reasoned. "And who knows? Maybe you'll find yourself a princess?" he mocked, grinning. His eyes followed Aro's stare and came to rest on the two girls by the fountain. Too different to be sisters, he pressumed, one with dark hair, premature streaks of grey and the other a buttery blonde, almost opposites.

Aro shook his head. "I am not going to chance it. Not here" he replied. "Not when we dont know who is who." He watched as the two princesses talked, the one in the blue having a blue sapphire necklace it seemed from a distance. *Dont think I ever saw two color cordinate everything from dress to jewelry* he thought.

~~~

Amara gave a small shrug. "I will probably get yelled at later for it" she said as she started to make her way inside. She stumbled slightly in her heels, staying a bit behind Nyx since her sister was older. That was something her mother drilled into her a lot as a child. *Your sister goes first. Then you. The eldest is always seen before the younger ones.* She wasnt sure why that was, but she didnt have the guts to argue with her mother.

She rolled her eyes, mmother should be teaching Amara to stand up for herself. "Well..." She started, turning to face Amara before realizing that the girl wasn't there. "Amara?" she hissed, softly, her eyes straining through the crowd for her sister or even her dragon. The push of people heading for the ballroom was too great however and she found herself being dragged along like a fish swimming againts the current. Frustrated, she laid a hand on Nera's leg as the dragon strode beside her, determined not to be dragged away from her too.

...

Oh by the ancients, couldn't this guy take a joke?! He too watched the girls, as they walked past. He was surprised to realize that the huge black dragon was with the girl, the one in black. That wasn't a princess's dragon, it was a warrior's. Confused, he watched it pass, surely, he had seen dragons like that in battle, fierce and merciless, never before at the side of a delicate princess. Atlas shook his head and pointed it out to his brother, not entirely sure that he would share the interest.

Amara started to lose sight of Nyx, before she was bumped into by the same prince who she had slapped. She could tell he had meant to do so with the force he had behind it. Amara had stumbled into one of the pillars and grabbed it to keep herself from falling before she glared at the male. With a sigh, she shook her head and started making her way back into the ballroom.

~~~

Aro shrugged. "Maybe that's just the egg she was given. The clothes scream princess" he said before he chuckled seeing the princess in the blue getting bumped by his friend. "I am going to go chat with him" he said as he walked away from Atlas.