But someone was missing.
"Where's the rumoured new wife?" whispered one of the guests.
"Probably too embarrassed to show her face. You know how these low life brides are.....can not keep up with real aristocrats," another sneered.
Unbeknownst to them, Olaedo had already arrived, entering through a side door. She had a job to do.
As a trained diplomat, she had been tasked with welcoming the foreign dignitaries attending the event, an opportunity Old Madam had insisted upon to subtly flaunt her postion and their family's international connections to the guests.
She stood near the entrance of the ballroom, dressed in a gown unlike anything anyone else wore. It was a custom creation: a fusion of traditional fabrics and modern haute couture.
