Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

Chapter 156 – Floor 15: Part 2

Matilda took a deep, calming breath to try to calm the butterflies in her stomach as she ran her hand over her hair to make sure it was still in place. She had spent hours with her maids to ensure that everything was perfect.

Tonight was too important for anything to go wrong.

Daphne said she was foolish to try, not to mention how her brother reacted when she told her parents her intentions. But she had to attempt it; this would be her only chance. The nobility had returned to Londinium from their estates for the Winter Solstice and the Yuletide season.

The ball was just starting, the musicians were tuning their instruments, and the sounds of the crowd drowned out the nervous beating of her heart. In the middle of the grand ballroom was a massive Yule Tree; its decorations sparkled in the magical light.

At the top of the tree glittered a star of pure gold with a diamond in the center.

Matilda’s nervousness increased as the King and Queen entered the ballroom, followed by their youngest son, Alfred. She ignored the scrawny man; his pale face and sickly features were incomparable to the person she was looking for.

Aiden, the Red Prince of the North.

Her plan for the night was simple: wait until the King announced the commencement of the ball and then waylay the Crown Prince immediately by asking him to dance with her. She knew that there were other women in the room with the same strategy, but she just needed to be quicker and more shameless than any of them.

To her consternation, Crown Prince Aiden didn’t appear. Although, her cousin Daphne made her entrance next to Prince Alfred. The pair were standing close together, discussing something, and Matilda frowned at her cousin.

She couldn’t understand what she was thinking! Daphne was one of the advisors to the Crown Prince! She got to spend most of her days with him, talking and sharing their thoughts and feelings with one another.

But Daphne chose to be closer to Alfred instead of Aiden! It was mind-boggling and, in her opinion, a wasted opportunity! She knew for a fact that her aunt and uncle had tried to convince Daphne to express interest in the Crown Prince but had been rebuffed numerous times.

‘What a fool.’ Matilda thought as she was assured that her appearance was perfect once again. Daphne may waste her opportunities, but she wouldn’t.

“Confident, sister?” Marten mockingly asked as he came up beside her.

Her brother was already inebriated; his Yule celebrations had started a week earlier, and he hadn’t let up for a single moment. Her parents would have been disappointed in his behaviour if it hadn’t been for the fact that he seemed to be in Aiden’s confidence.

Marten had secured a position in the Crown Prince’s entourage, one of the few Knights Aiden was close to.

“Oh, shut up.” Matilda hissed out, her eyes never leaving the space behind the King and Queen where she knew Aiden would appear. She had to time it perfectly; any hesitation would mean someone else would be honoured to dance with him.

‘Someone like Evelyn Toth.’ Matilda thought, cursing the name of her nemesis. It didn’t matter what some old document said, signed centuries ago. If she could just have a moment alone with Aiden, he would fall in love with her.

It would be like the fairy tales she had read as a child, where the prince swooped in and swept her off her feet.

“You shouldn’t get your hopes up; I doubt Aiden will even show up tonight.” Marten commented, and Matilda shook her head.

“He’ll be here. Daphne told me that the King has required his attendance.” Matilda assured her brother, confident that Aiden wouldn’t miss the last ball of the year. Their conversation was interrupted by the King standing in front of those assembled and giving his Yule address.

“Friends, before we celebrate and make merry on this day, I wish to give thanks to the gods for the blessings we have received this year. The liberation of the north marks a momentous turning of the tide for Anglia.” The King paused, looking at his Queen and Alfred before continuing.

“But that is not the end. Even now, Crown Prince Aiden prepares to lead our army further north against the Demi-Beasts that infest the islands off our shores. With his inevitable victory, Anglia will finally be safe!” Albrecht ended his speech loudly, and the crowd applauded and cheered.

As the King stepped back to rejoin his family, Matilda’s eyes were drawn to the figure that entered the ballroom. Prince Aiden was speaking to the Archmagus Enalious, with the older man nodding his head deferentially to the young prince.

The pair stopped just behind the King and Queen, carrying on their conversation without caring for the crowd, patiently awaiting Aiden’s arrival.

“Hurry up!” Matilda whispered, and Marten chuckled beside her.

“Looks like you are losing out to an old man, sister. That must be grating.” Marten joked, and Matilda jabbed him in his ribs with her elbow. Although her brother gasped as he lost his breath, Matilda winced as she rubbed her elbow.

She had forgotten how strong a Knight was, especially after Marten’s campaign in the north. She idly wondered if Aiden would like her more if she trained and joined the expeditions against the Demi-Beasts but dismissed it immediately.

Matilda wasn’t Daphne, who was interested in magic. Her pursuits lay closer to home, and she wouldn’t be caught dead out in the wilderness, surrounded by beasts.

“Very funny, Marten. I thought you would be more interested in the fact that Father has been meeting with the Watertons. I have heard that the betrothal contract is finalized and is just awaiting the king’s signature.” Matilda taunted and was satisfied watching her brother pale and stare at her, mouth agape.

“You shouldn’t jest about that, Matilda.” Marten warned, and Matilda smiled sweetly at him.

“Who is jesting? I expect you will be married before you set off north, with a loving wife awaiting your triumphant return.” Matilda needled him some more before turning back to look at Aiden. The Archmagus and prince had finished their conversation, but now he was speaking to Alfred.

The gods were toying with her!

Whatever the brothers were discussing, Alfred didn’t seem pleased by it. She could see that he made forceful motions with his hands to punctuate his words, shaking his head while Aiden calmly spoke. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Alfred shook his head and walked away.

Her time had come!

The musicians started playing, and Matilda took one last moment to check her hair and dress before she strode quickly and confidently across the room toward the now-free Prince. From the corner of her eye, Matilda noticed several other young women were making their way towards Aiden.

To her surprise, Evelyn Toth was amongst them, and she had even hiked up her dress so that it didn’t drag on the ground. She practically raced across the ballroom to reach her target.

But what upset and infuriated Matilda the most was the woman who led the pack and was near the Crown Prince. Camille Rosen had changed significantly since Matilda had seen her at the last party the Aiden had attended.

No longer surrounded by admirers and hangers-on, Camille seemed to have wholeheartedly put her efforts into winning the affection of the prince. Matilda saw her deliberately elbow another young lady out of the way as she finally reached Aiden, who was slowly turning around from where he had been speaking to Alfred.

“My Prince! Would you honour me with the first dance?” Matilda shouted out as she reached Aiden, along with half a dozen other noblewomen with a similar thought. There was a chorus of similar questions before they glared at each other.

Stunned and speechless at the sudden attention, Aiden began to stammer out a response.

“I-unfortunately, I’m needed elsewhere-” He was cut off as the Queen approached him with a smile on her face. Albrecht stood behind her, a grin on his face as he enjoyed Aiden’s discomfort.

“Nonsense, you’re needed here!” The Queen stated as she stood next to Aiden and looked at the assembled young noblewomen.

Matilda tried to stand out more by pushing her shoulders back and attempting to look taller. On the other hand, Camille had pulled down the neckline of her dress and was leaning forward.

‘The hussy!’ Matilda cursed silently. Why hadn’t she thought of that?!

“As important as the expedition north is, finding a suitable partner and responding favourably to their requests is equally imperative. Go on and enjoy yourself. You will start with Lady Rosen since her eagerness must be rewarded, then you may dance with…” The Queen rambled on for a while, giving Aiden a list of dance partners that would keep him occupied for the entire night.

Matilda, disappointed that she was third, knew this was the greatest opportunity of her life. She had one dance to make an impression on Aiden, and she intended to make it count.