The Unwanted Tamer

While Gaia, and the other women, were getting ready for the ball, the men were relaxing in a small waiting room by the main hall. The Baron was obviously the most comfortable in his attire. His suit was mostly crimson with designs embroidered along it in pink. He also had a light blue shirt and handkerchief, along with a crimson bow tie to match. His crest, a red wand in front of a pink and blue forest, was stitched onto the pocket of the jacket. He also wore gloves that matched his jacket, as did most of the men. He didn't wear much jewelry outside of an opal brooch that fastened to his tie and aquamarine cufflinks.

Griff was in a formal robe that was mostly purple but had blue and pink embroidery instead. The robe was slightly loose, but was designed to be so, and reached down to below the knee. It was closer to his sorcerer robes that he had to wear for the Sorcerer's Guild, so he was more comfortable than he originally thought he'd be. It also didn't hinder his movement in case of an emergency. He wore a ruby ring and an amethyst earring along with his attire. His shaggy brown hair was just short enough, the earring dangled below it.

Fergus was in a suit of a similar design to his father, the Baron, only in purple instead. His had minor differences in style, though. The most notable difference was the jacket. Fergus' was long and reached to just passed the knees, like a tailcoat, while the Baron's was a regular suit jacket. His crest was stitched into the right shoulder. His suit also appeared to be tighter than the Baron's, accentuating his lean figure. He and his father looked like family not just from the similar suits but also from their matching short blonde hair and grey eyes. He had amethyst cufflinks, an opal earring, and an amethyst brooch. The brooch was of a deep purple that matched Gaia's eyes from before she'd gotten the blindfold.

Francois looked like the stereotypical hunter forced to wear formal attire. His suit was in the Baron's colors as well but was visibly different and he seemed uncomfortable in it. It looked extremely tight on him due to his sheer muscle mass, but he also had a different style. His was mostly red with blue additions. His didn't have a jacket since they hadn't been able to make one that would fit him and not hinder his movement. He instead had his shirt's sleeves rolled up past his elbows and had pink suspenders with a loose necktie, that was also pink, as he refused to button the top button of his shirt. He was the one that looked the least stately but looked intimidating. He wore no extra jewelry aside from a silver necklace, that he always wore, and a bracelet made from a blue metal.

John was in some kind of robe that was closer to a toga than a formal robe. It was apparently the formal attire of the Tigren. It instead had a separate part that didn't connect to the toga side that had a sleeve and covered the other part of his chest. It was something that looked like it should fall off during movement but somehow stayed put. His was like Francois' in color as that was what Titania had decided for their party. He had some kind of headpiece that was inlaid with rubies, opals and aquamarines to complement his attire as well.

The last man in the room was Douglas. He was in a suit that mainly consisted of a jacket, trousers and a shirt. He looked the most normal out of everyone there. His was in purple and had more blue than pink, like Fergus and Griff's, since his daughter would be wearing those colors. His was a simple suit that matched him well. He was obviously the most nervous of the group.

The men waited in the waiting room for hours as their friends and family were preparing. They talked and tried to help each other relax until the women began to trickle into the room when they finished. The first to appear was Fern, Douglas' wife. She was in a simple dress that matched Douglas' suit perfectly and had her black hair pulled up in a bun. When she entered, and Douglas had seen her, he was speechless. According to him, she'd only looked nicer on a single day, which had been their wedding. She'd had a similar reaction to him, to be fair though. He'd been lost to the men from that point on, until Stephanie entered, at least. Everyone smiled at the interaction and left the couple to themselves.

The next to enter was the Baroness. She was in an elegant gown and also had her pink hair in a bun that fit her extremely well and matched the Baron in every way. She also had earrings, a necklace, and a couple bracelets that went with the dress as well. Fergus quickly complimented his mother who smiled, and the Baron did the same as he pulled her over to sit with him while they waited.

She was soon followed by Delilah, the Guild Master of the Journeyman's Guild. She was in a sleek dress that was decorated in the colors of her guild's crest. The dress was mainly grey with turquoise embroidery that made the guilds crest, a turquoise shield with intricate designs on a grey background. The shield was intricately embroidered with many designs packed together making it look almost a solid color while still showing the designs, indicating their emphasis on skill and detail. The dress' style had it stop just above her chest and wrapped completely around leaving her neck and shoulders uncovered. Her hair was styled in a way to pull the top back while still leaving it long showing her impressive turquoise curls. She didn't wear much jewelry and had a simple silver necklace with dog tags and a silver sword on it.

Titania was next as she entered. She was in a mostly red dress with blue and pink embroidery along the entirety of it. Her slightly curled hair was left undone and flowed down past her shoulders. She was stunning and almost didn't look like herself. Her dress was a sleek style that had a slit down the left side that showed off quite a bit of her leg. It also reached just to her shoulders and left her arms completely bare. It also had a low collar to accentuate her ample bosom. She also wore opal earrings, an aquamarine necklace and a ring that had the family's crest. This was when Francois lost his usual stoic expression, and his eyes were following Titania wherever she went.

Next, was Jess who was in a dress more typical of a merchant than a noble. Hers was styled to appear like a middle ground between the baroness's and Titania's dresses. It was somewhat sleek while still flowing without being tight. It looked really good on her with her brown hair being in one long braid. She had jewels sparkling throughout the braid and a small ruby necklace. John was having trouble not staring at her, as she was extremely beautiful.

Stephanie followed next. She was in a dress that was styled similarly to Fern's in that it was simple. It was also styled similar to Griff's robe in that they were both slightly loose around the body without appearing so. The designs along her dress also complimented his as well. This was not something he'd expected since, as far as he knew, they hadn't planned to match. Her curly black hair was down and flowing down to her mid back. She also wore a pair of amethyst earrings and a carnelian necklace that looked like it was fire trapped in a stone. Griff couldn't keep his eyes off her though, which caused everyone to chuckle slightly, except for Douglas. He was also looking at his daughter with obvious pride and concern. She looked beautiful, and he worried what would happen because of it. All of the women so far wore heels that matched their dresses colors except for Stephanie who wore flats.

Following Stephanie was Freya who was the representative for the Boundary branch of the Hunter's League. She wore a long flowing dress that was in a very different style to everyone else's. Hers was slim fitting, leaving her back, shoulders, arms, neck and sides uncovered. It was all a deep forest green with slight differences in the greens of the embroidery. The hem of the dress seemed to be made from vines, but it was the embroidery on it that gave it this illusion. The embroidery along its length depicted plants and made the entire thing appear to be made from plants. She had a necklace with floral patterns on it made from gemstones, a couple rings made from actual flowers and had multiple flowers in her braided golden hair. Her entire visage looked ethereal and emphasized her elven heritage.

The last to enter was Gaia. She entered the room riding on Malachite's shell. She was sitting on her usual throne but stepped off of him once they were inside the room. Fergus had his breath taken away when he laid his eyes on her. Her dress was a dark purple with pink and blue embroidering, but the designs they made were the shapes of her bonds when one looked closely. It was designed to go around her neck, leave her shoulders and arms uncovered, and flow down to the floor. It also left her back almost entirely uncovered, only covering the area a few inches above her waist. It was slim and had a slit down the left side showing her prosthetic leg. The glow from the empty space in the knee made the dress more eye catching as the entire thing appeared to shimmer slightly because of it. She had a pair of earrings that matched the purple of her blindfold. Her hair was done up in a way that had multiple braids woven together but still allowed most of it to flow down before going over her right shoulder. She had a hairpin that he saw when she turned which was in the shape of a turtle. She also had two bracelets, one on each wrist, with opals, rubies, aquamarine, and amethyst along their lengths.

Fergus didn't breathe until his dad nudged him and handed him a box. It wasn't small but was thin and when he opened it, he saw a grayish jeweled necklace. The gem was the same color as his eyes which made him realize that his father had prepared it for him to give to Gaia. He was brought from his musings by Gaia speaking.

"Why's everyone staring? Do I look weird? Is it because of me being barefoot?" She asked nervously.

There was silence for a moment before Fergus replied. "No. You're stunning."

"Really?" Gaia asked while blushing.

"Yes. I just have one last thing for you. It's a necklace, do you mind if I put it on you?"

"Go ahead."

Fergus gingerly walked up and pulled the necklace from the box before putting it around her neck. When he returned and saw it on her he was overjoyed.

"Now we match. Your necklace has a gem that is the same as my eyes, while my brooch matches your eyes. At least from the last time I saw them." He stated happily.

Gaia just blushed harder as the entire room smiled or giggled at the couple. Half an hour later, after Gaia finally stopped blushing and had been able to rest for a bit, the group moved outside to head towards the palace. They were originally going to take carriages there, but Gaia convinced them to ride Malachite. They reached the palace entrance an hour later as they'd had to wait in a long line of carriages that slowly entered one by one. The guards nearly sent out a warning before the Baron was able to calm them down. Apparently, he was a good friend of the previous and current kings and therefore held quite a bit of influence despite only being a Baron. They were soon directed on where to go, and they entered the palace grounds. They followed the main thoroughfare towards the palace's front courtyard where they found the main entrance and a few people waiting.

"If you would please disembark your carria-." Gaia heard a young woman start before cutting herself off and continuing a different way. "What in all that is holy is that?"

"Sorry. We'll be down in just a moment." Gaia called down.

At this the group took turns taking the webevator, as Gaia had officially decreed it, down to the ground. When it was just Fauna on his back, Malachite shrunk down, and they disembarked faster. Finally, only Gaia was on his shell in her usual throne of webs, this was when the Baron spoke.

"We are here for the ball. I am Baron Carrelion, here with my family and the hunters that helped clear the ruins and find the artifact." He stated as he pulled the invitations out and handed them to everyone. He had taken the liberty of gathering everyone's invitations together before they left Boundary, as he wanted to make sure nothing happened to them.

"I apologize, Baron Carrelion. The shock of the situation made me lose my composure. Will you be requiring any care for the Turtle?" The young lady asked.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"No need. We got the approval for him, and actually all of my bonds to come with me!" Gaia replied enthusiastically in place of the Baron.

There was silence for a short period, which Gaia took as acceptance, so she had Malachite start moving away from the stunned woman and towards the palace's entrance. Now that she had thoroughly stunned what she could only compare to a valet, she proceeded as if everything was the most normal thing in the world. Which for her, it was, but for everyone else it was a different story. The following couple of carriages had seen the entire scene and were gawking at the girl riding a size changing Turtle creature towards the royal palace as if it wasn't an absurd scene.

In their defense the guards were wary of the young woman and her turtle, no matter how infectious her smile and enthusiasm were. They reached the palace door and were stopped so everyone's invitations could be checked. Everyone entered without issue, until Gaia held hers out towards the man. There wasn't a problem with the motion, it was more the fact that hers hadn't been opened, it was definitely hers since her name was on the front.

"Is there a reason why you didn't deign to open the invitation from the royal family?" The man asked somewhat angrily. Gaia's smile faded immediately after he asked his question.

"Um, yes. My friends said it was mine and I trust them. I can't read without help so I decided to save everyone the effort. I'm also getting really tired of having to explain the fact that I'm blind as a reason for why I do things. Can't it just be that a blind girl didn't want to bother with something she couldn't do and decided to trust her friends? I just want to attend the ball, like I was invited to do. You nobles make it really hard for anyone who is blind to deal with you lot." She replied and sighed.

She'd had to learn etiquette, which was nearly impossible for her to follow as she couldn't identify anyone, outside of their mana or rather the strength of it. She couldn't take cues based on people's reactions or clothing, hells she couldn't even sense where tableware was unless it had mana in it. The etiquette she'd learned was basically useless to her since most of it was based on appearance, family crests, and most importantly, the ability to see. The only things she'd really learned that she could actually do were stand, sit and walk in the proper way, and that last one was only if she wasn't wearing any shoes. The etiquette lessons had been interesting to her since she loved reading historical fiction with nobles and kings, when she was on earth, which emphasized it, but after learning it for herself she realized how exclusive it was. If you had any kind of difference, or in Gaia's case disability, it didn't matter how hard you tried. All they would see is someone who ignored them or was "Ill-bred" as she'd been told.

Gaia was tired of this since she'd already experienced this multiple times since arriving. The worst part was that it wasn't only the nobility, a lot of the shop owners wouldn't let Gaia touch things so she couldn't buy anything, this had happened at one of the shops, so she had decided not to go in anymore after that. Granted most of the shops she'd been to in the capital had been designed to cater to nobles, so she guessed there was some overlap in their beliefs. Either way, she was tired of it. She'd dealt with most of it because she'd been invited by the royal family to this ball, she figured some form of respect was due, so she'd dealt with it. Now she was just tired and wanted it to be over with. A lot of it was caused by the fact she was blind which she knew made everything more difficult, especially in a world that was closer to medieval times than the modern era.

All of this passed through her mind as the man stared at her in silence. She'd been dealing with this stuff without really saying anything, which made it all that much worse. Everyone had slowly noticed it so they all knew she had been frustrated, but there wasn't really anything they could do about it. That was how noble society was, they couldn't change it. They tried to help as best they could, but that hadn't expected Gaia to just come out and say it like she had. Especially not so bluntly to someone at the palace. The man also seemed just as shocked by her statement and was silent for a few moments longer as he took a deep breath breath.

"I. Apologize. Let me open it to ensure it's for you and you'll be free to enter. May I ask for your name?" He stated after clipping his first words and sighing.

"My name is Gaia." She replied as she heard the sound of paper being cut.

A few moments later she was let through the palace's doors. She quickly followed the rest of the group, still on Malachite's shell. She sensed Fergus moving towards her and had Malachite grow for him to join her. He did so and just hugged her for a moment after sitting beside her.

"Sorry. We didn't even think about it. I never really realized how dependent etiquette was on sight. I'll be beside you the entire night, as will Stephanie and Griff. We'll help you deal with everyone." He stated as he hugged her.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for worrying though." Gaia replied and soon enough they were standing outside the ballroom that was prepared for this occasion. It was the palace's main ballroom known as the great hall. When they approached a servant asked for their names before opening the hall's dual doors. As he did so, he announced each of their names for anyone there alone, while announcing the parties names for the rest. The last group to be announced was Fauna as they entered behind the rest of their group.

After they entered the doors were closed and reopened as more people and groups arrived for the ball. The names were announced to the room for another hour or so, before the royal family was announced to the audience.

"Here come the Royal couple the King and Queen of the Kingdom. King Harald and Queen Victoria. With them are the Crown Prince Eivern and the princess Gloria. Everyone welcome the Sun and Moon of the Kingdom!" The announcer called as two incredibly strong people entered the hall and lit up Gaia's senses.

The man, or rather the king, seemed to be like a miniature sun writhing her senses while the queen was just as radiant but with less intensity. The Prince and Princess weren't weak though; they just didn't stand out within their parents' auras. Gaia's jaw nearly dropped at the couple's power. She knew the King was adamantine rank but didn't realize what that would mean for her senses. It was enough to make everything seem like a mana desert when compared to him. It overwhelmed everything else, making it difficult to sense anything aside from him and his wife. Therefore, the entire ball would be that much more difficult. She recovered from the shock a minute later and the ball began after a few words from the royal family.

"We thank everyone for taking the time to be here today. We wish to thank the leaders and noteworthy parties that helped clear the ruins found near Boundary. Not only were they able to clear them but they were also identified to be the ruins of the Mythical city Xerios. They were able to clear the ruins and discovered an artifact which they were able to bring back. Tonight, we plan to proceed with the ceremony to bond this artifact to one of our trusted Knights, Duke Wilifred. He has been leading our navy against the sea monsters that plague our coastline. Everyone enjoy the festivities tonight. I will announce when it is time for the ceremony later tonight." The King stated with a deep resonating voice.

With this statement, everyone began moving around the hall and mingling with each other. Gaia couldn't tell who was who, aside from her close companions, due to her intimate knowledge of their mana, so she stayed with them. They moved around the hall until they reached an area where there weren't as many people and they stopped. Gaia was still on Malachite's back using him as her mode of transportation, so she didn't fall or trip. This led to many being interested and others being disgusted by her.

"She's at a noble gathering on a monster." She'd heard one person say to another.

This made Gaia angry but she didn't know who said it or even if she could do anything about it. Thankfully, there was food at this ball and Fergus had gone to get her some while she stayed with Griff and Stephanie who were blatantly nervous. They didn't know how to feel with all of the nobles staring at them or some even coming over to speak. Gaia wasn't interested in anyone until she noticed some people gathering around Fergus as he tried to make his way back. There was a group of about five people around him that were slowing him down or even blocking his way.

She decided to go to him as she was hungry and wanted to know why these people were blocking his way. As she got closer, she realized that the people were a group of girls. They had blocked his path and based on their tones they were attempting to talk to him.

"Ah young master Carrelion! It's wonderful to see you again. I hope you've been well. I was just hoping you had thought about my proposal from four years ago and if you'd decided to accept it. I was also wondering who the 'charming' young lady you came in with was. As far as I know your family doesn't have any other daughters or adopted children." The young woman in the middle of the group stated.

Okay, maybe talk was a strong word. They were interrogating him and Gaia guessed that, based on the young lady's tone and attitude, she liked Fergus. She was tempted to say something to antagonize the girl but decided against it. She was at a Royal ball and any issues with nobles would likely become larger problems later on. Luckily, Fergus spoke before she ever had to think about anything else.

"Ah, young lady Thalia. It is nice to see you again after four years. For your proposal, I must decline. I am unable to give you a positive answer as my circumstances have changed. As for the young lady that entered with me, I am guessing you mean the young earthbound woman. Am I correct?" At the young woman's nod, he continued. "She is my dear friend, and a very precious person to me and my family. Her name is Gaia, and we are part of the same Hunter's party, and have been together for a few years." He finished with a smile as he saw her approaching.

"Hey Fergus. Do you need any help bringing the food back?" Gaia asked.

"Sure, do you mind if I hop on Malachite with you?" He asked as the other women stared on speechless.

"Come on up." She stated as Malachite grew slightly to accommodate Fergus.

He quickly climbed up and sat beside Gaia before placing a plate in her lap. "I got you some food. It's mostly finger foods and easy to tell by their scents." He stated.

"Thanks!" She replied as she hugged him and, since she still felt the women staring at her, gave him a quick kiss just for good measure. This caused the women to gasp and cry indignantly. Gaia just giggled at the women's actions as she and Fergus left for their corner again where they found a harried-looking Griff and Stephanie. Douglas and Fern were close by so they weren't in any actual trouble.

They shared their food with their two companions and spent the time talking or dealing with nobles who decided to speak to them. The nobles were persistent in their desire to glean any information from them but eventually gave up when the Baron came over to the group. Then they waited until the King spoke again. It took a few hours after his initial speech to announce the ceremony's start.

"Everyone, thank you again for coming. It is almost time for the ceremony to begin. All I ask is for everyone to welcome Duke Wilifred and to be respectful while the ceremony is underway." The king stated as the hall's main doors opened and someone entered. The hall had gone silent when the king spoke, but the person's footsteps echoed through the silent hall. He approached the king before kneeling and Gaia sensed a strong mana from him as he spoke.

"You're majesty, the sun of the Kingdom. I, Duke Wilifred, thank you for the opportunity you are giving me. I can only hope to live up to your trust and expectations. I will use this to protect the Kingdom's lands from monsters and any threats that may come." The Duke stated In a much higher pitch than Gaia was expecting.

In her senses, this man was large in every sense of the word. She couldn't sense him like she'd been able to sense people at the ruins, but his frame was massive. The best word she would use to describe the man was a bear. He seemed to be well liked and respected as well so she guessed he was a good person.

"I do not doubt you will exceed my expectations old friend. Now please bring me the artifact." The King stated a moment later.

Within a few seconds a box was brought out and handed to the King's advisor who immediately opened it and presented it to the King. He took the item and placed it in the Duke's outstretched hands. The next step of the ceremony was to go to the center if the room where a bowl was and drop some blood into the artifact. This proceeded as usual until the blood was supposed to be dropped to bind it to the Duke.

Just as he was about to slash his hand there was a loud crack. And the windows in the ceiling shattered inwards. Then small, winged creatures started flying in before coalescing into a humanoid form. A few of the creatures, which Gaia came to realize were bats, stayed close to him while a few others disappeared into the crowd as they tried to flee.

"Ah, thank you for bringing the artifact closer to us. Now, I believe that belongs to our Master. May he reign Eternally over our Dynasty." A male voice stated.

A few people started screaming and trying to run away but one person asked a question to the man. "Who are you?" The Baron asked as he prepared to fight if necessary.

"How rude of me. My name is Patches, however, most will likely come to know me by my other name. The Prince of Pride. My father is also known as the Monarch of Blood. My dear Baron. I hope you enjoyed finding his experiments." The man stated with a smile obviously on his face and Gaia's blood ran cold. She could also feel the hate radiating off of the Baron.

This person was related to the Monarch of Blood. A person who was part of an organization that had kidnapped and experimented on people. One such experiment had been the person who'd kidnapped her and Stephanie before implanting a monster core in her abdomen. She'd barely survived the experience and now the orchestrator's son was here, trying to steal the artifact they'd uncovered. She was terrified as, according to her senses, he was at least iron rank, and would probably be able to escape even if the King attacked him. She also wasn't sure if he had any accomplices among the guests. This ball had turned from a ceremony into a standoff and Gaia was hating every second of it.