Elena had wandered to the edge of the party, seeking a small reprieve from the constant dancing and chatter. She accepted a glass of champagne from a passing servant and was simply observing the ball when she heard someone speak to her. Elena gazed curiously at the person who had approached her. The raven-haired woman was quite beautiful, but she seemed somewhat out of place. One did not see many noble women with tan skin, and her speech seemed slightly different from most ladies she had met. The fact that she had been addressed as “You Majesty” had not escaped Elena’s notice. It was Meran custom to call a princess “Your Highness.” Elena wondered if the woman had come with the Sovian delegation. Perhaps she was from one of the more eccentric noble houses. Either way, her curiosity was peaked by the woman’s arrival.

Elena sipped delicately at her champagne and gave the woman a refined smile. “The event has been quite grand, has it not?” she said in reply to the question. “I believe you have me at a disadvantage Lady…?”