Morrigan's POV:

That morning I woke up really late. In the night I didn't sleep a lot. On the bedtable I had a tray with tea, toast and message from Chanda, what promised some famous dress for the evening. I just hoped, that it won't be very shiny or colorfull. But Chanda wouldn't do something like that to me. I ate my breakfast and put on all in black. After yesterday's travel I wanted my dark Wundersmith style. I rushed downstairs to the second floor, on the direction of Music Saloon and on my way I almost knocked down Jack.
"Erm... Uh... Hello." I greeted quietly. Jack smiled.
"Hups! Hello."
I stepped right to go around and away, but he did it too. I stepped left, but he mirrored my move. I tried it again. I looked like some kind of dance style. Jack laughed nervously and cleaned his throat.
"Ehm." he put his hand to my shoulders and changed our places.
"Finally." I laughed shortly. I looked down and my cheeks were suddenly warmer. I cursed in the spirit. Once again I didn't recognize myself!
"So... I'll go now." he let me go and made his way to the stairs. I stared after him for a moment, but then I yelled mentaly to myself:
'Calm down, you stupid cow! Go. Turn and right to the Music Saloon. Today!' that second I turned and came in. Chanda was sitting in the corner of podium and singing to the tomtit, that was sitting on her finger. In the sound of opening door she went quiet, rose up and gave me a shiny smile.
"Morrigan, I'm glad, that you came. C'mon. To my wardrobe."

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About fifteen minutes later I was standing in the wardrobe, big as the dancing hall in opposite of a mirror, that occupied the entire wall. I was dressed in the black satin dress with dark-blue belt and wide straps. Under my knees the skirt was ending, but it had an oblicue cut, so towards the back it was getting longer and it ended somewhere at the back of my ankles. It looked great. Chanda came to me from behind and unraveled my braids. Then she grabbed a hairbrush and combed my curls to frame my face. I turned to her.
"Chanda, this is beautiful! What do you want for this?"
Dame Chanda smiled to my reflection, shook her head and maybe little theatrically waved her hand.
"Oh c'mon! Guess I wouldn't charge you! Take it as a gift. I already have one more model, but that one I'm hiding for you for Deucalion's round."
I looked at her grievely.
"I'll add it to you paycheck. Twice. I insist, and if you will argument, I'll..." I said the worthest thing, that came to my mind.
"I'll... I... I-I-I will throw Jack down from the rooftop!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Who is referring to me here?! Chanda, don't you dare to not agree, and..." Jack stepped to the wardrobe, but when he noticed me, he remained standing open-mouthed. After a moment he got out:
"That... That's..."
"I... I-I must go already..." I told Chanda, grabbed my uniform and hastily tucking a strand of a hair behind my ear I ran from the room.
"Thank's for the dress! See you in the evening." I murmured over my shoulder and ran away to my room.

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"Morrigan?" there was a knock on my door.
"We should go."
I took a deep breath in, and slow breath out. Then I opened the door.
"Hi Jack." I muttered.
"Can we go?"
"Are you ok?" he asked, when we were walking downstairs.
"Erm... No. I mean... Yes. Everything is okay." I said hoping, that he believed me. He looked at me with that Jupiterian gaze, like:
'Someone-lies-here,-but-let's-ignore,-that-I-know-it.' and nodded slowly.

Charlie took us to the Hotel Laurent. It might have been clear to me, that it will be in the Silver District. We stepped to the relatively small lobby, where the kind officer welcomed us and navigated us to the saloon. When we came there, Jack leaned to me.
"I'm going to find Noelle and you are going to the director, or you are going to find Noelle and I'm going to the director?"
I looked at him nervously .
"You're going to find Noelle and I'm going to..." I indicated the movement to the direction of the group of people, where I recognized Silverlon Devereaux. Jack shrugged and two fingers on my back he pushed me there.
"Have fun." he said and disapeared between the guests on the other side of room. From the director suddenly went away the group of mistresses and his partner saw me, coming to them. In my way I took a glass of non-alcoholic punch. I knew perfectly, what to do.
"Good evening ma'am, sir." I nodded softly as a greeting and smiled.
"Oh, good evening Miss Crow it's a honor for me, that you came. Thank's for your visit." said a hotelier, when I reached their place.
"It's alright. We with Jac... Ehm, with Captain Korrapati were very inquisitive." I told them and almost used Jack's nick.
"Captain Korrapati... They sometimes use to call him Jack." pointed madam Devereaux. I smiled involuntarily.
"Yes, most of the people, who know him are using this nickname. But about this maybe later. I wanted to praise your party. It looks great. I already think, that you'll get an really good rating from ANH."
"So kind of you, Miss. If you allow me, may I ask you, what character will your party have?" asked sir Devereaux. This courtesy conversation make me feel, as in the theatrical play and I quite enjoyed it. Keeping the theme of party in the secret was nonsence. Frank already said it to the half of guests and wasn't hiding it on his galas. I said:
"With Jack, if you don't mind at this nickname, we picked a Yule Ball. In this section is our planner very able and considering the fact, that in the Winter is the most interesting our Deucalion foyer, the evening will be there."
"It sounds romantically." pointed madam Devereaux and I smiled at her.
"I'll be glad, when you will accept our invitation."
"We definitely won't miss it." told me hotelier, when someone came from behind him.

She was... beautiful. The blonde-brown hair she had straight and they were dropping down to the half of her back. She was wearing pretty golden-yellow dress, tall shoes and on her face a smile.
Noelle was holding Jack's hand. I wasn't able so say a word. They stood next to us and she turned to her uncle with disgustingly sweet smile.
"Can we join the chat?"
It was obvious, that her uncle likes her. With the smile he nodded and pointed his head at me.
"Noelle, this is Miss Crow, the hotelier of the Hotel Deucalion. Miss Crow, this is my niece, Noelle. You probably met in the Wundrous Society Trials."
"Oh, it's you, Morrigan! I almost didn't recognize you, how you changed!" said Noelle with soft smile, that hid her lukewarm interest. I gave her a slight, and maybe little faint smile, but the pieces of ice in my eyes I couldn't hide.
"Yes, I remember you, Noelle. The girl with angelic voice. Strong candidate." I whispered, when I saw, how her gaze stoppend at my pin. An envy flashed in her eyes.
O-oh
"I'm glad, you know each other. I see, that you already met Captain Korrapati. Nice to meet you, young man." said Devereaux and they shook their hands.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Replied Jack smiling confidently.
When the focus wasn't on her, Noelle leaned backwards slightly and raised one eyebrow. She shaped a sentence with her lips.
"Illegal scum."
It was just a fraction of a second, then she was already standing next to Jack. She told him something, he pressed his lips together and nodded. Suddenly he turned to the Devereauxs and told them:
"Excuse us for a moment. Morrigan?" he called me and I followed him. We went from the hall and stood in the middle of the coridoor.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"I saw, how you glanced at her. Anyways... she didn't do anything to you, yet. I just... leave her alone, okay?" with that he returned back. I could do nothing but stand quietly in the hallway.

I hate Noelle.

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Some next days and weeks were just like put out from context. Jack was doing his job, and I was doing mine. Jack gradually begun to be going somewhere in his free time. I didn't care a bit, because I knew, that he went to the Hotel Laurent every time, he wasn't home. I started to be in the trainings earlier and leave them later. I love Cascade Towers. I was looking for informations about them on the Sub-Nine and in the Book of Ghostly Hours. It fascinated me, but I never tried to wave water alone. Jack was learning it on the trainings, but I knew just a drop more, than he did. I devoted to the unit as much, as I could. Cadence and Lam did a big progress in the Art of Tempus.
"Hemingway would be happy of 'em, let him rest in peace." told me Connal one afternoon.
With Hawthorne and Francis it's harder. They have to wear the dragonriding glooves, and Inferno is something, what lots of people don't understand, but it works.
Then there are Thaddea and Mahir. They are both very competitive, and they are really good it the Ruination.
The Waving is for Anah little bit hard, but I think, that's normal.
But Arch is really good in the Veil.
I am very happy about all of them.

But I just suffered the hours with Jack.