Ariadne spent all day in her rooms exploring and trilling to Apollo whenever the mood suited her.

It turned out the bathing room was open aired, except from the wall and domed ceiling attached to the door that lead to it. The other wall, or more accurately, the arched columns were glassless and the view from them was stunning. Tiny intricate pieces of wood filled the bottom gaps in between each column. While fields of evergreen stretched as far as the eye could see, probably past the horizon too. The fields were lined with tall trees of every variety; Yew, Ash and even some proud Oak trees.

The floor was tiled with large pristine lilac squares edged with gold grout. The bath, or more accurately the pool was the centre piece. It was sunken into the floor and mirrored the circular room. The edge was made of smaller white tiles, and steps led down into it.

A long silk screen painted with bright cherry blossoms stood in the corner, while a table stacked full of lilac towels sat next to it. A row of shelves peeked out from behind the screen, what Ariadne could see of them housed a family of vials, glasses and flasks each containing a different coloured liquid.

Ariadne looked at the pool and walked towards it slowly. The water was clear and blue. It was so clear that she could see the mosaic bottom. Dragons with long, sinewy bodies and green scales sat there, pearls clutched tightly in their front claws. Long whiskers sat either side of their mouths while antler like horns sprouted from their heads. In the centre was a golden ball of light and then in the centre of that, a weird rune.

Ariadne stared at it. The longer she did, the more her head hurt. She turned away and it lessened to a dull ache.

"Fae are weird."

"I heard that."

Ariadne turned and there stood Kallen. He leaned casually against the first column, his hands propped up on the wooden screen. Once again he was wearing an impeccably crisp black jacket, open at the waist, so she could see his bare skin. His legs were clad in black, straight trousers, hung low on his hips; while a thick leather belt with a quilted section at the front held them up.

"I told Kendra no visitors, especially you!" Ariadne stayed where she was and raised her chin.

"You do realise that us Fae now includes you, so by default you hate yourself?"

Ariadne seethed inside at his remark. It was true, but it didn't mean she would let it slide.

"Get out!"

"Why do you insist on wounding me?" A hand laid over his chest.

"Fuck you!"

"Would you like to," he asked with a smirk.

Ariadne turned away from him, lowering her chin. Her cheeks heated slightly.

"You'd like that wouldn't you..."

Kallen stepped forward and Ariadne walked towards the door, her hand sat on the handle about to turn it. Kallen gently pushed the door shut, and wrapped a hand around Ariadne's waist.

His other hand grasped hers lightly as he leant over her, dipping her low to the floor. The ends of her hair brushed the tile. His mouth was close to hers.

"Your heart rate is accelerated, meaning one of two things... You are either angry or attracted to me. It cannot be anger, because your eyes are dilated too..."

He tilted his head to the side slightly.

"How your heart beats faster even now... Can you hear it thundering in your chest?"

Ariadne refused to believe it, but her heart proved her wrong. It was indeed thundering in her chest. It rose and fell rapidly.

Kallen's mouth barely touched the end of her earlobe, and she shivered.

"Save a dance for me," he said.

Ariadne pushed against him in a burst of strength and he went stumbling. He caught himself on the column nearby and straightened up. He tugged the ends of his jacket into place and buttoned it. Dusting off imaginary lint.

"Get out!!"

Ariadne threw open the door and pointed him that way. Kallen walked through the door and paused.

"Plenty of women have begged me to have them. I have declined all but one." He tugged on his sleeves and left.

"If that's the case go apologise to one for keeping them waiting. I'm sure they'll just swoon at the romance of it all," Ariadne spat.

Kallen's dark laughter drifted back to her.
"Do not tempt me."

"Too late, I dare you!"

Ariadne covered her mouth with a hand. The words had slipped free before she could claw them back.

Kallen was back at her side in the blink of an eye.

"Did you just challenge me?"

"Yeah. Yes I did."

"Ari... Ari... Ari... Challenge accepted."

Kallen's dark eyes glinted wickedly. Ariadne shivered, those fingers playing the bones of her spine again.

What had she done.

It was too late now, no turning back.

**********

Kendra came through the door, a hanger clinging to her fingers. She turned and shut the door.

"What did you do," Kendra accused her.

"What do you mean?"

"The king has been flipping waltzing around the castle, singing. I mean actually singing. He never does that," Kendra leant against the door.

"Oh..."

Kendra laid the hanger on the bed and came up behind Ariadne, who was seated at the vanity. Her damp hair trailing over her shoulder. Where it touched the fabric, it turned sheer and clung to Ariadne's pale skin. Kendra's tongue slipped out quietly to wet her lips.

"I challenged the king, to a game," Ariadne said quietly; turning to face Kendra.

"God's, girl. Every servant ran from him whenever they crossed his path today. Do you know exactly what you've done," Kendra's hands shook in front of her.

"No." Ariadne looked away, bashful. "Sorry."

"Games are dangerous here Ari, be careful. For everyones sake."

Kendra grabbed the brush sat in the open drawer and began taming Ariadne's long tresses. The glint of Iron caught Kendra's eye.

"I see you put it back on." Kendra gently brushed the ends.

"Yeah, I thought if I were to attend this ball, why not. I'll be safer that way," her voice was barely a whisper.

"Good, don't want anyone starting a fight because there's new Fae female at court."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Um..." Kendra looked away blushing.

"Spit it out. I want to know if I'm going to have to slip a letter opener in my dress for protection."

"That might not be a bad idea, actually," Kendra trailed off.

"You've got to be kidding me? Really? The female Fae are that scarce the males actually start a fight?"

"Yes."

Ariadne shrugged. She supposed it was only natural. Fae men definitely had that whole macho manly thing going for them.

"They're mostly protective because women and children are treasured. They're rare. Although others do get a bit a territorial if it's that's season."

Kendra's cheeks blushed a deep shade of pink, while mischief glinted in her eye.

"Oh. That! Yeah. I'm definitely taking this then," Ariadne grabbed the letter opener and weighed it in her palm.

She hoped it would be enough.

Ariadne looked in the mirror and gasped. Kendra had expertly tamed her curls and laid them atop her head in a beautiful riot. The rest lay down her back in tight ringlets while a tendril either side framed her face. Kendra held a hand mirror at the back and Ariadne admired the well placed ornamental comb sat at the base of the of curls.

"It's beautiful. Thank you."

Kendra put down the hand mirror and came to face Ariadne. Her hands danced over the assortment of pots on the vanity. She put some away while she weighed up one pot in her hand.

"Nope. Too dark for you." Kendra put it away.

She pulled out another pot, it was made from fine porcelain decorated with blue vines.
"This will do."

Kendra opened the lid and showed its contents to Ariadne.

A pale gold shimmery dust sat packed inside. Kendra swiped a gentle finger over it and it transferred easily.

"Close your eyes, please."

She gently pressed it onto Ariadne's lids. When she opened her eyes the gold glimmered back at her, her eyes looked wider, more doe like, the end of the gold tapered to a point, like a cats eye.

Next, Kendra pulled out a small bristle brush and dipped it into a small pot of dampened soot.
"Lower your lashes," Kendra said softly.

She ran the brush through Ariadne's lashes, and as she looked up, she saw that her lashes looked darker and longer.

"That should do, don't want to push it." Kendra stepped back.

The woman in the mirror met Ariadne's chocolate eyes, she barely recognised herself looking back at her. She ran a hand along her jaw and her mirror image copied her.

"Dress next, yes?"

Ariadne nodded and walked towards her bed. She lifted her arms up and let Kendra gently tug down the dress. It fell onto her shoulders and sat there comfortably. She shifted slightly so the bodice fit better around her chest and Kendra tapped her shoulder.

"I'm going to lace you in now. Take a deep breath."

"Wh-"

Too late, Ariadne gasped as Kendra tugged on the laces belonging to the small corset at her waist. She gripped the post of her bed to steady herself. It sat just below the base of her chest, and ended just over the top of her hips. The skirt fell to the floor in voluminous folds. The deep burgundy fabric swished around her feet.

Silver glass beads lined the bottom hem and spiralled upwards like the embers of a fire. It was breathtaking. The top part was almost completely sheer except for more beads in the shape of lotus flowers all over it while the sleeves hugged her arms and wrists.

Ariadne quickly looked in the mirror, no time like the present.

"You ready to go." Kendra gave one last firm tug and tied the laces.

"If you're finished?" Ariadne called over her shoulder.

"Yes."

"Then we should go," Ariadne sighed forlornly.

The letter opener sat next to her skin concealed inside a wide channel at the front of her corset.