You should stay out, you said you would and you'll stick by it

Aurora waited a beat as everyone stood up who was going to stand up. Mary's hand found yours when it was obvious you weren't joining them. The still seated nobles looked around the room. Chatting amongst themselves and pointing at a few of the men who kept eyes locked on Aurora. The strategizing was quiet and short lived as Aurora announced, "Then let the performance begin."

At her words everyone sat down and the light from the candles, scones and chandelier died out. The only light remaining was around Lucia. The motley colours of her costume radiating softly. She started to sway, the colours delaying slightly creating an after image that lasted for a second before catching up. Her swaying turned soon into a dance, the movements similar to a ballet. Lifting herself onto one foot then onto the toes of that foot, bending over and extending her arm and other leg flat. You honestly did not know Lucia had the physical strength to do that.

She snapped the fingers of her extending hand and rainbow fire sparked. It ran up her arm leaving behind the snout of her dragon. As it continued to run the rest of her dragon formed along her body. It's wings spread out from her back, the tips burning brighter for a moment before the scales started glowing, each it's own colour of starburst that faded for a moment so those around could shine. It's tail wrapped around her extended leg, the tip curled around her foot and when fully formed, the final drop of rainbow fire floated to ground like a leaf. She remained perfectly still as did her dragon as the fire fell, her audience silent as it waited with baited breath for the fire to land.

When it did it exploded. A rainbow forming over Lucia as her dragon moved. Slithering around her body, uncurling its tail, flapping it's wings and blowing out a puff of colourful smoke from it's nose. It perched on her back a moment, head scanning over the audience, the movement covering the fact it's smoke faded a little too quickly then popped out of existence.

Lucia started up-righting herself moving to face the audience. The dragon crawling over her until it resting on her back, wings behind her head on her shoulder. It moved higher until it's four legs were resting on her shoulder. You watched her costume and saw the dimples where the dragons claws should be pressing in. You smiled at her comprehension, she was an exceptional student, you'd only told her about using magic to create the illusion on contact recently and hadn't really taught her much about it.

Her dragons wings spread, the starbursts sparking brighter as it did. They grew and grew until they were almost longer than it's body. With a huff that rolled over the nobles threw it's wings down, lifting off her back and into the air. It twisted and spun, letting each scale catch the light coming off Lucia to make a moving disco ball.

Many nobles watched the dragon as it did but not all. Beside you Mary and Aurora stayed locked on Lucia. Unsurprising, Mary was a fighter, it wasn't in her to look at the distraction, even a pretty one. Aurora was studying and access, seeing if Lucia was holding this well or if she was running out of magic thanks to a showy intro.

Lucia spread her arms and legs as her dragon flapped. Bringing them to a hoop in front of herself, the dragon flipped aiming for the hole and sliding through, wings closing as it dived then spreading out to spiral around. Started at her feet its snout moved between her legs, it's wings ducking through after. The ridge of it's spine ran against her crotch and with magic she pull the material tighter. You saw a number of nobles looking very closely at where the movement had brought their eye. The dragon's tail flicked a little to pull the material back to its normal loose position and wagged at the audience earning a chuckle and bit of a fluster from those caught.

The dance began now, spinning, lifting herself onto her toes, occasional somersault and handstands that her dragon copied in the air above her, or fake running along her body as she spun. The audience let out gasps, laughs and applause as the show went on. Lucia looked like she was feeding of their approval. The movements of herself and her dragon getting larger.

Aurora moved and you looked over at her. One of her hands below the table had shifted. Behind you Lady Demise moved, walked to the edge of the room and gathering magic in the same way she'd down when Aurora had began the ritual introduction.

When Lucia's dragon touched the ground there was a rumble. She didn't react to it but you saw the foot of her dragon dip through the floor for a moment as the surprise distracted her. Righting it she started to make it hit the ground more, adapting to the noise and using it, creating a beat to dance with.

Her movement's changed from there, the percussion adding a suddenness to her movements but also a seductiveness. Her chest would bounce after she had stopped leaving it as the last thing to draw the eye. Her dragon started moving closer. It's tail hammering on the floor to signal the beat to Lady Demise. It advanced on her, pressed it's snout into her stomach then moving up, pulling the fabric taut over her chest. When it's head was level with hers they both leaned back, Lucia facing the door the dragon the audience. Lucia kept leaning until her hands touched the ground and she slowly lifted herself onto them. the quick hand stands and tumbles she had down hadn't shown much of strength but the slow movement did, her arms not waving slightly as she slowly lifted her feet from the ground and moved into a splits. The dragon copied her movement though as she split her legs it movement, moving behind her and resting it's chin on her crotch, it's front legs touching the bottom of her motley pants. Lucia used her magic to pull bottom of her pants higher, exposing more skin.

The audience felt the shift in her dancing. A quick look around showed nobles leaning against their other halves more than they had been, hands a little more interested than they had been. Mary's other hand came to your thigh, the fingers of your held hand stroking you affectionately.

The dragon smirked and spring up as Lucia pushed off the ground. A front flip into a bow as her dragon sailed down the hall towards Aurora. It grew brighter as it went, glowing its starbursts until it shone brighter than Lucia. It opened it's mouth and a colourful fire leaked out of it. Flying at Aurora the fire started to grow as it preparing the unleash it upon the Queen.

the audience gasped and leaned back in their seats as the dragon flew by. Aurora didn't react. Even as the dragon breathed out and spat fire towards her she remained unmoved in her seat. The fire reached the high table and stopped as if running into a wall. It splashed back from it enveloping the dragon that thrashed around as the fire sparked off it's scales.

As the dragon burned in rainbow fire scales started to fall catching fire in their colour as they did. Lucia's bow fell to the ground, her knees landing as she looked up at her dragon, the trickle of a tear on her cheek flickering with light reflected. The dragon burst into a red light and with Lady Demise's assistance sent a deep rumble through everyone's bones. The audience looked back at Lucia and saw the tears on her cheek at the demise of her dragon.

The colour from her costume faded, leaving the room in darkness. After two heartbeats of silence the ballrooms normal lights reignited. Lucia remained still and Aurora rose to her feet. As if to reinforce her performance only a few noble could look away from Lucia at Aurora. A single clap from Aurora snapped everyone's focus and a rush of applause and cheers sprung forth. Lucia stood and bowed once to Aurora, once to her left then once to her right and walked out of the hall. While you are sure she would have loved to stay a bit longer you could see in her aura that even standing was taking a lot out of her, if she'd stayed she'd have passed out.

You looked for Lady Demise and saw the door she'd slipped out close behind her as she went to make sure no one found an unconscious Lucia laying on the ground. You were tempted to go after her to congratulate Lucia and make sure she was fine but doubted you'd get away with that since Mary's hands were very determined to hold onto you.

The applause continued for sometime after the doors had closed behind Lucia. As it started to die down conversation of what they had just seen sprung up. Aurora accepted the acclaim thrown her way for finding such an impress talent at such a young age, something that grew more common as people realised who was being lauded. You had some mixed feelings at how quickly Lucia's talent was attributed to Aurora for finding her even knowing how expected it should be.

Aurora stood, quieting everyone. "Ladies, we will begin the games." She looked at Isabelle. "Daughter please bring the other children with you to your party."

Isabelle pouted for a moment but covered it up quick enough that you think only you saw it. "Of course mother." She stood and nudged Delilah into standing. Delilah did and shot a glance at you, not sure what was happening. You honestly have no idea how'd they react to the games, possibly discomfort from Delilah seeing all the nobles being rather perverted, probably bemusement from Eve.

Isabelle walked towards the entrance and more than a dozen others stood as well, all of varying ages, Isabelle looked like the oldest, aside from Delilah. They left and the doors closed behind them.

"Now let us begin. Please take to the floor the rewards of loyalty." Aurora said as all the men who'd stood earlier, namely everyone aside from you, and walked to the centre of the room twenty-three in total, Lashay's dark skin making him stand out rather dramatically. None of the noble ladies spoke in case they would interrupt Aurora but many pointed someone out to their neighbors. "Take a look my people and chose carefully." Around the room the noble ladies took out lengths of cloth in their family colours.

It started with those closest to the high table. Noble women walked out and looked carefully at the men, studying them closely. When the first hand reached down to lift a mans toga there was a cheer from everyone. You had to give it to the guys, only one of them looked even slightly concerned about all this. Lashay wasn't shaking in his boots but he was very carefully looking at every noble lady that looked at him.

Cloth was wrapped around arms, notably only one around the arm of the man from the lady who'd accompanied him. The noble ladies left and the next batch came to tie their colours.

It looked like Lashay was going to get out of this without a single colour around him when you caught Anastasia giving a lady a look. Said lady looked around a few of the men then tied her colours around Lashay's arm bowing slightly to Ana. After that a lot more women tied colours to him.

When all the ladies had exhausted their colours the two men who didn't have any on them returned to their place looking a little ashamed. Lashay had more on him than anyone else, fourteen strips of cloth totally covered his arms and three on his thigh, tied much to the cheers of the women watching.

"The most popular reward shall begin." Aurora said. Her aura was perfectly calm but you could tell she wasn't pleased with how this had gone. Ana however was thrilled. You had a feeling she would be less when her mother extracted her vengeance.

The men cleared the floor leaving Lashay standing alone as women eyed him. Staff members carried a table over, as it was set down others came and laid out various items. Similar to Anastasia's Maiden party at first they were hoops, balls, sticks, various other simple items. Then it got a bit more weird. Paints were laid out, brushes and fabric with them. Then bits of metal, nothing sharp and a few with bits that looked like they'd fit together. Finally what looked like a crop, a small bowl and a bucket with a handle and one without that looked like it was filled with water.

Lashay swallowed nervous as the seventeen women who'd claimed him stood and gathered around the table looking over the items. A few checked Lashay and saw his eyes straying over the paints. Those were quickly picked up along with the brushes. aside from those a few lengths of rope, a ball and a hoop were picked up.

The women assembled around Lashay and the hoop had lengths of rope tied to it. They looked at each other then up at Aurora who looked at Anastasia. "He is your fiancé my daughter." She hit word fiancé a little harder than normal and a few of the ladies shifted, their auras wondering if they were getting the favour of the daughter who might be queen at the expense of the mother who current is.

"Dear fiancé, I trust you will make me proud." Anastasia said with some warmth in her voice as Lashay looked at her. He let out a deep breath and nodded. "Begin."