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But in the end, she conned me into going with her, as we'd both known she would.<br />
We didn't have much time, and I had to do a rush shower, blow-dry, and makeup job. I'd<br />
brought Tasha's dress on a whim, and while I still wanted her to suffer horribly for being<br />
attracted to Dimitri, I was grateful for her present now. I pulled on the silken material, happy to<br />
see the shade of red was just as killer on me as I'd imagined. It was a long, Asian-style dress<br />
with flowers embroidered into the silk. The high neck and long hem covered a lot of skin, but<br />
the material clung to me and looked sexy in a different kind of way than showing a lot of skin<br />
did. My black eye was practically nonexistent by now.<br />
Lissa, as always, looked amazing. She wore a deep purple dress by Johnna Raski, a well-known<br />
Moroi designer. It was sleeveless and made of satin. The tiny amethyst-like crystals set into the<br />
straps sparkled against her pale skin. She wore her hair up in a loose, artfully styled bun.<br />
When we reached the banquet room, we drew a few eyes. I don't think the royals had expected<br />
the Dragomir princess to bring her dhampir friend to this highly anticipated, invitation-only<br />
dinner. But hey, Lissa's invite had said "and guest." She and I took our places at one of the<br />
tables with some royals whose names I promptly forgot. They were happy to ignore me, and I<br />
was happy to be ignored.<br />
Besides, it wasn't like there weren't plenty of other distractions. This room was done all in silver<br />
and blue. Midnight blue silk cloths covered the tables, so shiny and smooth that I was terrified<br />
to eat on them. Sconces of beeswax candles hung all over the walls, and a fireplace decorated<br />
with stained glass crackled away in one corner. The effect was a spectacular panorama of color<br />
and light, dizzying to the eye. In the corner, a slim Moroi woman played soft cello music, her<br />
face dreamy as she focused on the song. The clinking of crystal wineglasses complemented the<br />
strings' low, sweet notes.<br />
Dinner was equally amazing. The food was elaborate, but I recognized everything on my plate<br />
(china, of course) and liked all of it. No foie gras here. Salmon in a sauce of shiitake<br />
mushrooms. A salad with pears and goat cheese. Delicate almond-stuffed pastries for dessert.<br />
My only complaint was that the portions were small. The food seemed more like it was there to<br />
simply decorate the plates, and I swear, I finished it in ten bites. Moroi might still need food
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