Title: First Meeting
Summary: Once Upon a Bingo Card Prompt: Ella/Thomas-Meeting at the Ball
Words: 662
Ella's heart was racing as she slowly ascending the castle steps. The ball had started nearly two hours ago, and apparently, she was the only late-comer.
She tried to hold her head high as she walked past the castle guards and kept her hands clasped tightly together to prevent them from shaking. She could feel their intense stares and kept waiting for someone to question what she was doing there.
When Ella finally reached the top of the staircase, she was dismayed to see the door to the ballroom had been shut. She bit her lip as she contemplated what the proper protocol was. Should she open the door and walk in? Should she just give up and go home? No. There was no way Ella could go back to that life. She had to at least try…
The abrupt movement of one the guards made her flinch, but she relaxed when she saw that he was just moving to open the door for her.
He bowed slightly and motioned with a hand for her to proceed through, blushing at the grateful smile she sent him.
Once through the door she saw a line of people waiting to be announced and blanched. Her step-mother and step sisters would kill her if they knew she was here! Thanks to Rumpelstiltskin's magic, Ella looked so different that she doubted her 'family' would recognize her if the happened to see her. But if her name was announced, there would be no hiding from them.
Sighing with heart-broken dismay, Ella turned to leave.
To Prince Thomas the only thing worse than being forced to attend a ball, was to be the honoree of the ball. His father had really outdone himself this time. Extreme match-making at it's finest.
What he had hoped to be more of a semi-casual affair with just the closest friends of the royal family had turned into a massive meet and greet with every single eligible woman in the kingdom.
He felt as if he had been submerged in a sea of perfumes, gossipy chatter, and swooning.
It was two hours of bowing and hand kissing before Thomas was finally able to take a break. His father's attention had been claimed by a matriarch that had two of the most obnoxious, shallow women for daughters that he had ever seen.
He was in such a hurry to slip out of the ballroom that he didn't see the sad young woman until he had nearly knocked her down.
Thomas had quick reflexes, and easily caught her before she could hit the ground.
"Forgive my clumsiness..." The apology died on his tongue as he found himself captivated by the bluest eyes he had ever seen.
The king tried his best to be patient with the old woman as she blabbed on and on about the virtues of her horrible daughters.
The whole evening had been a fiasco. All he had wanted to do was give Thomas the opportunity to find a suitable wife. The king wasn't getting any younger, and lately his nights had been filled with visions of playing with his grandchildren. Grandchildren that, if this night was any indication, would never exist.
He gave the still talking woman a bland smile and allowed his eyes to roam around the room. Thomas had taken the opportunity to escape and the king couldn't fault his son for that.
But when his eyes moved toward the ballroom door, the bland smile turned into a delighted grin.
His son was escorting the most beautiful woman the king had ever seen to the dance floor.
He quickly excused himself from the old woman, cutting her off mid-sentence. He rushed toward the orchestra, pointing frantically at his son. The maestro took the hint and immediately the grand room filled with soft strains of a waltz.
The king let out a contented sigh as he settled in to watch the young couple. Perhaps this night wouldn't be a total loss...