She was the last person Ruby expected to see on this side of the hall. It surprised her just how beautiful she was, and at that moment, Ruby found herself unable to say anything. The woman wasn't presenting herself to be particularly glamorous, which should have been common for someone of her status. Her long, golden hair was hastily brushed, and she was stuffing her face with canapés and crudités, occasionally brushing a crumb off her purple dress.
The woman reached across the table for the tourtieres, and noticed Ruby staring at her. “Oh sorry, did you want some?”
Ruby just looked at her. “You’re… the princess of the South, Scarlett”
“Yeah that's me,” she said, pushing aside a tiered serving stand and peering across the table, “so you don't want any of these thingies?”
“Tourtieres,” Ruby said.
The princess nodded, and grabbed a few for herself.
“What are you doing here?” Ruby asked, “On this side of the hall at least. Aren't you supposed to be kissing babies or something?”
Scarlett laughed, “Nah, been there, done that.” She held up a skewer of beef, “These are what I'm after, they've got a fancy name for this right? I can never remember.”
“A brochette,” Ruby corrected.
“I see.” Scarlett popped the end of it into her mouth, and pointed to another food item, “What's this?”
“That's a quiche.”
The princess said something in acknowledgement, though it was muffled by the food in her mouth. She swallowed. “Why do you know all this stuff? Like, what's the point?” Scarlett asked.
“It's my mother,” Ruby said, “she wants me to be certain I know the correct etiquette. She says it will make me look ‘more noble when presenting to others’.”
The princess leaned closer, “Why does she think that's important? Does it really matter what fancy foods you can name?”
Ruby scoffed, “You don't get it. You're the princess for Moon's sake”
Scarlett looked at her, confused.
Ruby motioned out to the crowded gala. “Look around you, it's all: ‘See? my daughter runs her own section of the company’ or ‘well, our business grew 26% last quarter’ or ‘oh, our company values our workers more’. For them, this isn't about the Moon, it's all just a competition, and me and my mum… We’re at the very bottom.”
Scarlett said nothing for a moment, processing, observing the ballroom as Ruby had said. Then she asked, “Why?”
Ruby looked at the ground. “I'm just… A coal exporter. I’m nothing, nobody. We were only invited here on principle, nothing else. People don't want to talk to me, they don't even want to be seen near me.” She let out a breath. “So, if knowing the names of a bunch of stupid foods is enough to make someone treat me like a person, then yes, I’d say it matters.”
“Hey,-” Scarlett took a step closer, placing her hand on Ruby's arm. “You're not nobody- you're… you’re somebody-,” Ruby could tell she wanted to say more, but the princess was at a loss for words. “I want to talk to you,”
Ruby gave her a dirty look, “You haven't even asked for my name.”
Scarlett let go of Ruby’s arm. “I...”
“It's Ruby.”
“Pretty name,” Scarlett said, thinking out loud. She realised what she said, and they were left in a moment of embarrassing silence. Scarlett found herself looking out the lancet window framing the long side of the hall. Through the stained glass she could see the shrinking silhouette of the Moon. It occurred to her, that once the Moon went over the horizon, she wouldn't see it again for another sixteen months.
In that moment, she was aware of the woman standing next to her. “How about we leave all this competition behind?” Scarlett said, turning to her, “Ruby? Do you want to see the Moon with me?”
Ruby smiled, “That sounds an awful lot like you're asking me out on a date.”
Scarlett choked on the food she was chewing,
“It does?”