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Wellht fondly as Elend dusted himself off But, I'm sure a lot of other Allomancers were about at Elend's level after only a year of practice
"That was quite the series of julanced back toward the cliff-like rock forht Elend wore his standard white ned for hiotten his beard trimmed
"I couldn't land often," Vin explained "These white petticoats w1ill stain with ash easily Coet inside"
Elend turned, s in the darkness He actually looked excited "The dress You paid a dressmaker inside the city to make it for you?"
"Actually, I paid a friend inside the city to have it ettoward Keep Orielle--which, according to Sloift, was the site of the evening's ball She kept to the air, never landing Elend followed behind, using the same coins
Soon, they approached a burst of color in the mists, like an aurora froht turned into theher previous infiltration, its stained-glass s shining froh the round out in the courtyard--away from watchful eyes--so that she and Elend could approach the doors subtly Then she decided against it
This wasn't an evening for subtlety
So, instead she dropped directly down onto the carpeted steps leading up to thebleay flakes of ash, creating a little pocket of cleanliness Elend landed beside her a second later, then stood up straight, his brilliant white cape flapping around him At the top of the steps, a pair of unifor the Both men froze, stunned expressions on their faces
Elend held out his arm to Vin "Shall we?"
Vin took the aruards"
They strode up the steps, sounds of surprise coroup of noblee Ahead, one of the servants moved forward and cut off Vin and Elend Elend carefully placed a hand against the man's chest, then shoved him aside with a pewter-fueled push The man stu for the guards
Inside the antechaan to whisper and question Vin heard thee newcomers, one in black, the other in white Elend strode forward fir people to stumble over themselves and h the small room, and Elend handed a name card to a servant aited to announce arrivals into the ballroom proper
They waited on the servant, and Vin realized that she'd begun holding her breath It see a dream--or was it a fond irl of over four years before, arriving at Keep Venture for her very first ball, nervous and worried that she wouldn't be able to play her part
Yet, she felt none of that same insecurity She didn't worry if she'd find acceptance or belief She'd slain the Lord Ruler She'd married Elend Venture And--more remarkable than either accomplishment--somehow in the chaos and irl of the streets, though that here she'd been raised Not a worace of the balls Someone else
Someone she liked
The servant reread Elend's card, growing pale He looked up Elend ave a small nod, as if to say, "Yes, I'm afraid that it's true"
The servant cleared his throat, and Elend led Vin into t1he ballrooh Emperor, Lord Elend Venture," the servant announced in a clear voice "And the Ees"
The entire ballroorew suddenly--and unnaturally--quiet Vin and Elend paused at the front of the rooathered nobility a chance to see therand main hall, like Keep Venture's, was also its ballroo tall with a broad, arched roof, this roons in the stonework It was as if the architect had tried for beauty on a delicate scale, rather than an i one
The entire chamber was crafted froh to hold hundreds of people--plus a dance floor and tables--it still felt intimate The room was divided by rows of ornamental e stained-glass panels that ran fro Vin was ilass to the perimeter walls, so they could be lit from outside While this keep did have some of those, she quickly realized that the trueinside the ballroom, where they could be admired from both sides
"By the Lord Ruler," Elend whispered, scanning the gathered people "They really do think they can just ignore the rest of the world, don't they?"
Gold, silver, bronze, and brass sparkled upon figures in brilliant ball gowns and sharp gentle, and the wos in a far corner, their music unimpeded by the shocked at drinks and foods
"Yes," Vin whispered "We should uards coled in the crowd to make the soldiers uncertain if they want to attack"