Chapter 18 - Juliana's Inaugural Ball

            As Juliana slipped into a royal blue Marilyn style dress (like the one Marilyn wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for her big number) and creamy lavender cabochon jewelry, she went to the closet to pick out a pair of shoes. A pair of silver stiletto pumps were perfect. Her hair in perfect chin-length curls, and a green pearlescent mask for the revealing made everything perfect. She took one last look in the mirror and Tetis took her outside to her carriage.

            The carriage looked like a Chinese Emperor's. She and Tetis went over the fields again.

            Inside the carriage, Tetis spoke nervously.

            "Darling, I would like to tell you something."

            "Yes?"

            "When you were conceived, you and the other commanders were placed in the wombs of four of us youma."

            "Ancient test-tube babies? I thought that was not successful until the seventies."

            "Queen Beryl had the power to incubate you in any way she could. What I am trying to say is, the woman who carried you is with you in the coach right now."

            "How is that?"

            "I carried you until birth. You were the most beautiful child I had ever seen. Many people thought so."

            Julianne paused. She knew there was a voice in her dreams she did not recognize.

            "Could you repeat that again?"

            "What part?"

            "Never mind." Julianne had finally found the owner of that voice. She was sitting right next to her in the carriage.

            "It's a good thing I wore waterproof....mascara." Her eyes teared up.

            Tetis put a handkerchief to Juliana's eyes. "You don't have time for that now, my dear. You need to focus on your ballroom ceremony."

            The carriage arrived in front of the long hallway. As Tetis and Juliana went down, there were several youma - and three commanders - waving at them to come in.

            Tetis led Juliana to the Doorway of the New Citizen, where Beryl 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 Fat East. Her name is Juliana Jadeitevna, of the vein of Jadeite."

            Juliana pulled off the mask she wore. All the crowd cheered.

            "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."

            Heliodor stepped out in a red-lined outfit, ready to dance. He danced very well, considering he was now a great man at the tango. Somehow, somewhere, a voice told her that the tango was his best dance for tonight.

            Many of the youma came to greet her. Apparently, her father had left an indelible mark on the kingdom, as did she, with her kind ways. Everybody gave her advice, greetings and warm welcomes. Emily Victoria, the Supreme Commander, in a Colonial military-inspired powder blue corset dress and jacket, gave her the sternest warning of all: "Don't let it get to your head. That was your father's downfall."

            Juliana took the advice to heart, concerning she was Queen Beryl's "favorite," and sensing that Queen Beryl could turn on a whim, just like anyone else. For all the fun and loving Juliana had, she still seemed she was not fulfilling her purpose of being captured. There was something missing.

            When Juliana had a chance, she would one day do something special for Queen Beryl, to earn the favoritism, and somehow use it to help others. It was giving back that helped Juliana in the past, and she was sure it would help her now.

            After the ball, she asked Grace to stop time for the four of them to rest, and then get back to their training.

            The first week afterwards, she wore the horrible Virginia Tech Weirdness uniforms. It was a good thing to do.