I woke up late feeling dizzy all over, so I splashed cold water on my face to get rid of the tiredness. After my daily routine, I went on to have a look on my maids. One was cleaning the floor while the other arranged my dressing table and other stuffs that were creating a mess. I found myself searching for Lucy around the room but she was actually not present in the room. I was deeply engrossed in my thoughts and that was when Mary startled me. I stared at her with determination.
"Miss, is there anything you need." She said
"No, um, it's just… I was looking for Lucy. I mean have you seen her lately. " I said
"Not to worry lady America. She'll be here in a minute." she said in a comforting tone.
After she completed her sentence, someone knocked at the door. I examined the alarmed expressions on the face of my maids.
"Let me check lady America." Mary said
She dropped the bottles of perfume and a dirty cloth which she was using a minute before to wipe the filth off the table. She straightened her back and walked at a fast pace to reach towards the door. She twisted the door knob and opened it a little bit enough to steal a look of the outside and thereafter glancing she instantly opened it fully.
"There you are. Come in quickly. "Mary said
"There is no time to waste in here. Lady America, you must go down. Everyone is waiting for you in the hall. " Lucy gasped
"Wait... But what is that exactly for which everybody is present in the hall? " I asked with bewilderment.
"Perhaps there is going to be some kind of procession ceremony. I am not fully sure about the thing. I think you must go on and check it out." Lucy said.
While I put on a yellow frock which seemed a bit intricate but it was super easy to wear. So I put it on hastily and then, my maids prepared my hair into a messy bun in the next five minutes. I put on my heels and was on my track to stroll down the spiral staircase.
I could see the crowd underneath me. All the girls of selection were standing alongside of a wall. I went on gently to seize an empty space besides Marlee. She caught a glimpse of mine in that event of time.
"Where have you been?"She questioned
"I was, um, nowhere… I mean just cleaning my chamber." I said
Was there something that I missed? As much as I knew, nobody informed me anything about this ceremony. I thought over and over about my recent days. My experiences in the palace kept revolving inside my head. This ceremony was totally out of my mind. While standing there, I scrutinized the other girls standing along with me. First in the queue was Elise. She was well dressed and seeming perfect in a cherry red evening dress with frills at the bottom. Her brunette hair suited her perfectly with that dress. Not just her, everyone was dressed as finer as they could. Except for me who wore the same gown from the recent festivity and my head also looked like a tousled nest in contrast to the tidy hairstyles of the other girls. I felt like a stupid amongst the other girls. Then, I glanced at the heels of other girls and found them best suited. I saw the heels of all the girls move altogether.
"Look up." Marlee said
I gaped in front of me to view what others were waiting for.