The Grand Ball is the premiere event of the holiday season for the city of Bridges, and is held in the Ballroom on Market Center.
Falling on New Year’s Eve, it both ends the social season for one year and begins it for the next, with many women choosing their gowns for the year based on what the women who were invited to the Grand Ball wore.
The Ball is invitation-only, and each Family is allowed a certain number of invitations, which they typically give out to their close friends, main men, officials they wish to woo, and extended family members.
This is just one of the ways the Four Families both control public opinion and manipulate government officials, as (for example) a Mayor or Chief of Police who is not seen at the Ball will be considered powerless, and eventually sidelined.
The Family hosting the event rotates, with a new Family hosting the Grand Ball every four years. Each Family tries to outdo the others in the sheer magnificence of the event when hosting, and it's always a sumptuous affair.
The Ball-house, as all of Market Center, is considered neutral territory. However, to prevent any mishaps, the timing of each group’s entry into the ballroom is rigidly controlled. Guests must enter at their appointed time to prevent meeting other groups in the hallway without their men to protect them.
While firearms are not allowed for the main guests, their guards at the entrances may arm themselves.
This blog post is partially underwritten by my Patrons.
Patrons get:
Want to check it out? It's free to follow along. Click here to learn more.
Amazon, Audible, the Amazon logo, and the Audible logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The Apple logo and iBooks are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Patricia Loofbourrow is an independent author and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.
A portion of sales from the Red Dog Conspiracy series go to non-profit organizations which help domestic violence and child abuse survivors.
Jul 01, 22 09:00 AM
All my ebooks normally $2.99 or over are now 50% OFF at the Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale! Sale runs July 1-31.
Jun 02, 22 03:55 PM
Read all about The Ten of Spades: Part 5 of the Red Dog Conspiracy by NY Times best-selling author Patricia Loofbourrow
May 16, 22 12:11 PM
Read all about The Knave of Hearts, chapter 9 in the Red Dog Conspiracy future steampunk noir series.