{The debutante ball}
"You know you owe me right?" Luke asked.
"I know" Anastasia replied calmly. "I can't believe I'm lying for you again" Luke said. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble.... That's all I seem to do" Anastasia said.
Luke sits on a bench. "There's no need to apologize, It's not your fault really.... You saved me once and I'll continue to save you the very best I can" Luke said.
Luke offered her a seat, she silently sat down.
"I honestly keep asking myself when all of this would end... It's so exhausting" Anastasia said.
"Everything would be alright" Luke said.
Two days passed, Azriel was in his room. Rose enters the room.
"I wasn't expecting you to still be in your room"
Azriel tilts his head. "Is there something else I ought to be doing right now?" He asked.
"Well you haven't approved the upcoming debutante ball" Rose said as she walks up to his bed.
"It's the one night ladies get introduced to noble men..... A night where families introduce their young ladies to the society" Rose said.
"You came here just to guilt me into approving it" Azriel said. "What? I would never.... But is it working tho?"
Azriel sighs. "You know I have functions like this" Azriel said.
"I know but it would be good for Guinevere to finally meet her family" Rose said.
Azriel arched an eyebrow. He recalled the day Guinevere saw her brother and father.
"If I approve the debutante ball would you leave me in peace?" Azriel said.
"It depends.... How long would it take to make a decision?" Rose asked. "The debutante ball would be held in three days... There... are you happy?"
"You are the best emperor a sister could ask for" Rose said as she left his room.
"Is this really a good idea? What if Guinevere sees her family and becomes tensed? Maybe I should make a declaration that the Whitestones aren't invited to the ball?" Azriel said in exhaustion.
"That's the only way" He whispered.
Three days later, Anastasia sat on her bed. "I don't want to go" She said.
"It's a royal decree that every lady must be in attendance" Hannah said.
"Can't I just call in sick?" Anastasia asked. "Come now my lady, it's one night you get to see new faces"
"No it's one night I get to watch new faces compete for the emperor's attention.... Like watching that everyday isn't enough" Anastasia said.
Hannah helped her get dressed.
The ball began. The air smelled of beautiful young ladies trying so hard to get the emperor's attention.
Everyone dressed elegantly but left little to the imagination.
Anastasia stood in the corner trying so hard not to stand out.
She tried so hard not to barf as she watched ladies fooling themselves just so the emperor would recognize them.
"They're bunch of people pleasers" Anastasia said in disgust.
"I take it you don't like such events" A voice said.
"Yeah it's not my style.... If anything I'd rather watch two swans floating by the lake for hours" Anastasia said as she took a sip from her glass.
"I see you're straight forward" The person said.
"What exactly is there to life? Manipulating and lying wouldn't get you anywhere" Anastasia said.
"That's for sure"
Anastasia looks at the person before her. This person looked like an angel, like an actual angel.
His skin was glowing, wings as beautiful as the evening sky. Anastasia lost her voice for a second.
The being before her made her entire body tremble uncontrollably.
"Relax, I don't bite" He said in a soothing voice.
"You're an.... An angel" Anastasia said.
He laughs softly. "I'm well aware"
"Why are you here? Why is an angel here? I thought the emperor hates angels?"
"That is very much correct" He said.
"Why are you here then?" Anastasia asked.
"I'm here to see you" He said. "Hold up mister what do you mean by you're here to see me?" She asked in confusion.
Anastasia looks at him straight in the eyes. "Who are you and what do you want?"
"My name is Jeremiel and I seek your assistance" He said.
Anastasia scoffs in disbelief. "An angel seeks my assistance? Ha! That'll happen when pigs fly"
Jeremiel smiles sweetly at her. "Guinevere are you alright?" Someone asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Anastasia replied.
"You've been talking to yourself for a while now" She said.
"What do you mean by talking to myself? Can't you see the angel beside me?" Anastasia asked.
The lady looks behind Anastasia but couldn't see anyone. "There's no one there Anastasia.... Are you sure you aren't stressed?"
Anastasia turns to face Jeremiel who stood there with a grin on his face.
"You motherfucker..... That's pretty cliche don't you think" Anastasia asked.
Jeremiel just shrugs. "You claim to need my help but yet you're making me look like a crazy person"
"I will inform someone to help you deal with this" She said as she left.
"You are the only person who can see me....."
"Oh now you tell me that" Anastasia said as she rolled her eyes.
"I won't beat around the bush any longer. The council of angels seek your assistance. There's a demon that wants to reek havoc on earth, we want you to eliminate that person" Jeremiel said.
Anastasia placed a shortcake on her plate. "I never thought angels could be a laughingstock but this just proves it. You want me to what? Help you eliminate a demon... A mere mortal going against a demon I've never seen"
"You are very familiar with this demon. His name is Azrael" Jeremiel said.
"You mean Azriel?" Anastasia asked. "Don't be deceived by the name. That man is "Azrael" the demon king" Jeremiel said.
"Hold the phone, you want me to eliminate the demon king? Do you have any idea how foolish you sound right now?"
"We need him dead by every means necessary" Jeremiel said.
"And your first thought was approach a mortal to kill an immortal?" Anastasia asked.
"You are no ordinary mortal. You are what we call a time traveler. We've seen how much you've suffered both here and your previous life. We shall grant you a pardon to live a new and good life, if only you help us"
Anastasia walked out on him. She left the building and went to sit on a bench.
Anastasia sat down and laughed her heart out. "You're telling me that all this while I've been suffering and there were mystical beings that could give me a happy ending but instead they chose to sit back and do nothing?"
Anastasia laughs in disbelief. "Kill the demon king and I assure you, you'll get your happy ending" Jeremiel said.
"I don't mean no disrespect but honestly fuck you. Fuck your cheap ass illusion, fuck the person who sent you to do this crazy ass shit. Fuck you for actually believing I'd kill the man who's gonna protect me"
"Protect you? Would he protect you if he knew the truth?" Jeremiel asked with a smirk.
"I don't care. I'd rather die by his blade than to betray his trust" Anastasia said.
"Be careful what you wish for. You have till the witches moon to make up your mind or else your precious secret would be out" He said.
Anastasia rapped her hands around herself.
"Your threats means nothing. You are obligated to keep the commandments and one of them is thou shalt not gossip. So telling him something like that would mean an angel such as yourself would be breaking that commandment" Anastasia said with a smirk tugging her lips.
"You're good. Don't worry about that, heavenly beings such as myself have our ways of passing information" Jeremiel said.
"I'll take my chances"
"I have to go but I'll leave you with a word of advice.... How quick does a cookie crumble?" He asked.
"That's not an advise, it's a question" Anastasia said.
"You'd remember soon enough. Have it in mind that if a wolf attacks a flock of sheep, the shepherd must sacrifice one in order to save the rest" Jeremiel said.
Anastasia took a deep breath and exhales sharply. "You know for an angel you're..." Anastasia paused when she realized she was alone.
"Fucking angel" Anastasia whispered.
"Guinevere thank goodness I found you. I was informed you were talking to yourself" Rose said. "I'm just stressed that's all" She replied.
"You claimed to be talking to an angel" Rose said.
Anastasia chuckles. "Don't mind me.... I must have taken too much alcohol" She replied.
Rose sat beside her. "I heard families used this ball as a means to visit their daughters" Anastasia said.
"Yes.... The emperor granted them the opportunity to visit them" Rose replied.
"Yet I haven't seen mine" Anastasia said with fake concern.
"I was informed your parents went on a business trip" Rose said.
{Weird that wasn't in the book. Then again a lot has changed since I showed up}
"How about we head back before we're declared missing" Rose said.