Chapter 11 - The First Meeting

            Blossom was finally done with her magic training that day. She was a fast learner.  Posey and Ninjana had a scroll from Queen Beryl. It had a proclamation on it, which Posey handed to her.

            A Proclamation from Queen Beryl

        You Are Cordially Invited to Attend the Inaugural Ball for the Supreme Commander of the Middle East and Supreme Commander, Emily Victoria of the Kunzite Clan.

            There was a Supreme Commander she had to answer to now? This was a terrible thing. Queen Beryl, Ninjana and her other trainers were demanding of loyalty enough, but now she had a Supreme Commander. And what was this Middle East Commander going to be like? She was dismayed. At least she had a new yellow dress to wear with all this.

             "Your training is done for the day. Please, go and ready yourself for the ball."

            Blossom had complete control over her own Inaugural Ball, but what was this Emily Victoria wanting, and what crazy things do Middle Easterners like to do to celebrate? Belly dance?

            Blossom's own ball was a classy, elegant ball, with waltzing, celebration dances, and a lot of hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Who knew what Middle Easterners liked to eat? Probably their women.

            Back in her suite, Blossom's golden gown was floaty and thin, like out of a dazzling Cinderella production. It had a tight brocade bodice and floaty chiffon-layered skirt, and the shoes would move with her, dazzling and spellbinding at the same time.

            She went back to the celebration, but on the way, she met a kind human woman, who was tall, well-built and wearing a white suit jacket with a cape and full skirt, with a pink, sequined bustier underneath. The woman's hair was loosely clinched into a pink barrette, and flowed down to the cape, resulting in an elegant look reminding Blossom of a white-haired horse. She wore a mask of iridescent pink, similar to the one Blossom herself wore in a shade of sparkling indigo.

            "Good evening, miss, how are you doing?"

            "I'm doing fine, ma'am."

            "No need to be so formal with me. I don't bite people's heads off."

            Blossom was relieved at her dry wit, and giggled a little bit. She seems nice, thought Blossom. Not a complete bitch like Beryl.

            "You'd better be careful with such thoughts running around in that head of yours. Queen Beryl is a very needy lady, and I have known this since my initiation."

            "How did you know that-"

            "Shhh-! It's a part of my new powers. I've had trouble trying to keep people's thoughts out, but I know I will soon find training to learn how to control it."

            "Well, I'm running late for the Inaugural Ball. Hope to see you there."

            "Don't worry, you will."

            Blossom raced off ahead of the lady. As she arrived, the youma Tetis showed her to her assigned post. The lady Blossom met in the hall entered from the Doorway of the New Citizen. Then, Beryl raised her scepter and spoke.

            "To all of those who brought this young woman down here, she has been quite a challenge, but as you all know, I have made this woman the Commander of the Middle East, and the Supreme Commander. Her name, is Emily Victoria, of the vein of Kunzite."

            Emily Victoria pulled off the mask she wore. She was stunning, with darkly tanned skin and amazing silvery blue eyes, to complement her glowing white hair.

            "As is the custom, the first dance the Commander has is shared expressly with the Queen, or the Crown Prince, whomever is the more appropriate partner."

            Just then, the handsome, albeit shy Prince Heliodor came to the floor. His golden waves and eyes, blue this time, complemented his blue dress uniform with golden piping and now blue epaulets. While the two of them were dancing, they seemed to speak kindly to each other, but Emily was somewhat cold. At several points, Heliodor stepped on Emily's feet; she winced ever so slightly, but she still smiled at him. When the dance was done, she whispered in Heliodor's ear, and Heliodor blushed. Who knew what deviance Emily's mind hid behind that white veneer?

            Blossom enjoyed several dances, including some folk ones that involved putting Emily in a chair and carrying her about the room. Blossom thought this was weird, but this was no stranger than the Irish Step Dancing she led with so many of the youmas. Then, there was a conga! Everybody loved to conga, even Queen Beryl!

            It was morning before the ball stopped, and Blossom went happily to her home suite with one of the male youmas there, who was extremely fond of her.

            Blossom had a day to rest, and then she was back to her training.