My mother was in seventh heaven in the days prior to the liberty ball, going shopping for gowns, accessories, she loved it. It was alright at first, she had picked a few dresses to try, being pregnant and finding a dress was difficult. But when she saw someone that she knew was going to the ball with exactly the same dress as one of the ones she had picked, my mother snapped. The dresses went back onto the racks and she dragged Natalie and I out of the store. There was no way that she would be caught in the same dress as someone and what was worse was the person that she saw was someone who was lower in aristocracy. To be seen in the same dress as someone lower in the vampiric world and in a store bought dress was a definite no-no. So we trudged up several floors to the high end shops, found a designer dress maker and had the poor thing make three original dresses within one week. Natalie was lucky that Elston had asked her, otherwise she would not have been going. An invitation had been sent to her parents and all of their adult children to attend the ball but Jeremy and Crystal weren't going because they were days away from having another child. Natalie could have gone but had chosen not to, mostly because she didn't want to be sitting on the side lines by herself. I thought she was just being ridiculous, she was so worried about going there by herself without a man to be draped over but never stopped to think that there might be someone there that she could dance with. Like Elston. And if she had actually thought about it, she would have realised that she could have walked in the doors with my parents and I so she wouldn't be on her own. She would have realised that I was going on my own, that until Jonah actually asked me, I was going to walk through the doors as a single woman. But that was Natalie, she didn't think things through.

It was the day before, Friday, that we had the final fitting, hopefully there would not be any issues. My mother's dress was amazing, the skirt of the dress hung from under her chest, hiding the belly from the front, only from the side could you see it. A soft black chiffon, floaty and perfect. Natalie looked gorgeous in a royal blue puff of a dress. The bodice was tight to her tiny body, beads that were scattered across her chest glinted in the light. The masses of tulle started at her hips and puffed out and floated gently to the floor. Natalie spun the skirt around as she giggled, completely happy. My dress was oh-so very different. A royal purple satin material for the bustier, sweetheart neckline with little glass bead embellishments. The material ruched to my hips, from there it ruffled out over the skirt to about halfway down my thighs. Under that was black tulle that puffed out to the floor. My mother was happy as a pig in mud. Three custom made dresses ready in time.

***********************************

As we stepped through the door to Jonah's place, he was waiting with several staff members. The women scurried over and took our bags and rushed into the house with them. Natalie had decided to wait at her house, Elston was going to bring her to the ball. My parents stand beside us, watching with amusement that they were trying to hide.

"Hello." Jonah smirks.

Damn he's cute. That smirk curls into one corner of his mouth, his eyes lower almost like he is having carnal thoughts. Don't stress Jonah, I am too.

"Hey."

"My parents send their apologies for not being here to greet you, my father had some urgent council business to attend to and mother is resting before the ball tonight."

"Is she going to be ok?"

"Yes, she has regained much of her energy, the rebirth cycle is coming to an end, so she will be good for tonight provided she rests now."

We begin to walk through the courtyard to the entry, the building dominates the courtyard in a u shape, to the left appears to be the ballroom, double storey in height, vast windows line the walls on both sides so that you can see straight through the room. The other two sections of the building are the same, two levels of building, stone façade with hundreds of windows. Plants grows along the bottom half of the building in various spots, creeping up to the second floor.

"Would you like to be shown your rooms or would you like some refreshments?"

"Would we be disturbing your mother?"

"Uh, maybe."

"Refreshments then."

He smirks again. "This way then."

We sat in the formal lounge with my parents, drinking chilled blood. It was refreshing on such a warm day; I was used to drinking it warm. I tried not to be awkward but it was hard and it shouldn't be. We had known each other for years yet this was like a living hell. My parents thankfully held the conversation with ease as I sat there pretending I really wasn't there. Thankfully Terrance returned and I took the opportunity to flee to the guest quarters, pretending that I needed to start getting ready. It was a total lie. I could be ready in under an hour and it was several hours before the ball would start.

*************************************************

There was a quiet knock on the door, the maid left my side to open it.

"Your highness." she curtsied.

"Is Ivy ready?"

She turned to me and I nodded and then stepped out of the room as Jonah entered, leaving us alone. He looked so dashing, this was like some fairy tale. I don't know why but all of a sudden things changed. It was like all of our uneasiness around each other faded and suddenly it felt normal.

"Wow Iv, you look amazing."

"Thanks."

I walked over to him and pressed out the ceremonial blue sash loose over his regal military jacket. Stitched into the top of the sash over his chest was a patch, the same as mine. Service to the Queen emblem was given to every vamp that served in the great war a year ago. The medals gleamed in the light, memories of the past. He had three in total, two of which I had, the Medal of Gallant Service and the Medal of Service to the Elm'Nyth Realm. The third that he had received was the Silver Territory Badge. I ran my fingers over the medals, feeling sadness creep through my body. Remembering the war, how horrid it was. We had fought beside each other; we hid in a cave while he pulled the bullets from our bodies. The vamps and humans that had died in those days, it was so unnecessary.

"Forget the past Iv, you'll live in sorrow forever if you don't let it go."

I nod, trying to hold it in. I had lost far too many friends in that war. He had too.

"Come on, time to go."

I quickly flick over my purple sash, luckily it doesn't clash with the dress. I hadn't even thought about the stupid sash when the dressmaker was telling me about the dress. Purple, a deep dark purple, the colour of the Nicolai lineage. Only the four royal families had colours now, all other royal families were gone, leaving the realm for shifter realm. Many vampires still hung around this realm, it had its bonuses, but a lot of them hated it here now. They got sick of being hunted like animals, rarely did they return now. So now it was just the four royal families, the four from the pearl river prophecy. My mother Lilly, the dark purple which was from my father's family. Scarlett's wore the Mordecai colours due to her marriage to Lucas, a crimson red colour. As ruler of the realm Alina and her family, the Eliade's wore gold and Miranda wore a pale blue, the Waeston's, Jonah's family. He holds his elbow out as I gently slip my hand in, grinning from ear to ear.

We wait by the doors, everyone already inside waiting. This was the way that it had to be done, the master of the house would enter after his guests had arrived, his wife by his side, his children and their partners following.

"Why is it here? Why not at Alina & Alex's?"

"Their place is still being constructed."

"Oh."

I nervously play with my sash, finding it had slipped slightly, the family crest not sitting in the right position. I move it back as Miranda ushers the twins into the room, trying to hurry them along. They are typical teenage females. Spending hours to get ready and insistent on being fashionably late. Jonah rolls his eyes and turns to the door waiting for his parents to move in front of him. Of course the twins fight over who goes first, their partners watching on in fear. Miranda turns to scold them, of course they know which one goes first, Jonah just stands there waiting patiently.

The doors swung open to a sea of faces staring up at us, I wanted to hide behind Miranda but there was no hiding. She moved forward with Terrance and as they descended into the room, everyone turned to us. My mother gave me a cheeky grin and a discreet wave, looking like a complete loon, my father looked like he was beaming pure pride. I held my breath as we moved forward, praying I didn't go arse over. That would be the final straw, that would be what would send me into hiding, never to see the light of day again. Thankfully, I had found momentary grace and made it down the few steps, dignity still intact. The windows sat high along each side of the ballroom, showing off the glorious view of their land. Their people had done well to fix their land, I could see the moon shining down over the grass, something that took a lot of effort to keep going in recent months. The glass panels were open, letting in the glorious summer breeze. It tinkled the chandeliers, hanging precariously from the high ceiling.

After Terrance spoke to the crowd, we stepped onto the dance floor, the first dance of the evening and it felt like I was going to burst. Excitement, nervousness, shyness – because everyone was watching. It was a little freaky at first, I hated being the centre of attention. I just wanted to shrink into the crowd and thankfully the circle that they had created didn't last for long, very soon they all began to dance. I couldn't see Natalie and Elston anywhere, but I had seen Ariella and Lucian. They spent the majority of the time on the dance floor, no one got a chance to dance with either of them. So very wrapped up in each other. Jonah managed to get in a couple of dances before my father interrupted him, then it was my pop and to my surprise my grandfather also requested a dance. My grandfathers were already the best of friends before my parents got together, but they are so far apart in personalities. My mother's father formal and strict, believing that I should have been married by now. In her thirties and unwed, how strange. Then there was my father's father, so down to earth, easy going. Whatever with a shrug was his usual response to questions.

I had danced for what seemed like hours, my feet were sore. Jonah pulled my hand and led me off the dance floor, finding a path through the crowd to the balcony. The view out here was amazing, we were higher up on this side of the building, the balcony over looked a small patch of land below but beyond that was a cliff. I could hear the dull sound of waves lightly crashing onto the beach, the sound of the water pulling away and then crashing back down again. I liked being in this area, there was actually water still here. There were many places that the water was gone or had receded to almost nothing, but not here. It was a full moon tonight, high in the sky and so bright it felt like it was daytime. I leaned on the glass balustrade, trying to see over the cliff, to the beach below. I hadn't been down there and was curious to what it was like.

"Have you been down there?"

He nods at me, passing a glass to me and taking a sip from his glass.

"What's it like?"

"Beautiful."

I stretch up to my tip toes but still cannot see.

"I can't see it." I pout.

"Would you like to?"

I nod a little too enthusiastically. He gestures for me to follow him to the end of the balcony, taking my glass and putting it on the table with his.

"Trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Uh, yeah sure. Why not?"

He laughs and moves me to the very corner.

"Are you wearing stockings?"

I shake my head, about to die of embarrassment.

"Shoes off."

I slip them off and before I can scream he lifts me onto the glass balustrade, holding my hands.

"Oh shit." I whimper trying not to fall.

"Can you see it?"

"Yes." I say rather meekly.

In the blink of an eye I am back on the deck, my arms wrapped around him tightly, shaking like a leaf.

"Don't do that again."

He laughs and as his fingers slink along my shoulder, unknown feelings wash through me. I look up at him and see that he is looking down at me, the moonlight glints on his fang, smug in freaking me out.

"Stop it."

I smack him and pout, folding my arms.

"Aww poor baby had a little freak out, got to see the ocean, didn't you?"

"Wasn't what I meant."

"Did you really want to see the ocean?"

I was about to answer him and then stopped, thinking it was a trap.

"No thanks. I've seen enough ocean for one night."

"Come on, won't be as bad the second time."

He tries to unlock my arms; his laughing makes me giggle. I step backward, pressed hard against the glass as he stops trying to loosen my arms. When I look up at him, the moonlight on his face shows his eyes, they seem to ripple like a pond. His eyes aren't like a vampire; they are so much more emotional. At first I didn't know what it meant but once he leaned in and kissed me I understood. I unlocked my arms and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him in for a deeper kiss.