"Prince oh Prince"
"Prince oh Prince"
"Mother, why such rules? I am your only heir and why force that unto me?" He asked while pacing back and forth from his father's library room.
"My son, you know why. The rule cannot be broken just because you rather fall in love than to be set up. You my son is not the first prince to have gone through this. You have to be married before your 21st birthday or the next person in line will get it. Oh I don't know what to think if your immature cousin ever gets to be crowned king." His Mother replied with such soothing tone in her voice.
"Mother, please I want to look for my own girl. I feel ridiculous doing this." He replied. He stopped his pacing and looked at his Father for some support but one shook of his head from left to right was all he got.
"Oh, you both are unreasonable." With that said, he left the room and slammed the door with all his might.
"Talk to him, my dearest. You are his father, he might listen to you. I mean, you went through the same thing at the same age, so he may understand better."
"No let him be. He will come to terms with it, just like I did." And that ended the conversation.
"So unfair. Why do I have to pick one of princesses that I have never met before? And to expect me to fall in love with them just to keep the family purely blue blood, that is just pure sick." He said out loud as he reached his room.
"I agree your Highness."
"Damn Malechite! Don't scare me like that. I thought I was alone." He said after turning around to see where his friend was. He was holding his chest as if his heart was about to jump out and Malechite couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the prince.
"Sorry your Highness, but I have come to prepare you for the ball."
"Thanks but I think I will pass."
"You know you can't do that, right?" Malechite answered with a visible smirk on his face. He then walked to the Prince's walk-in closet and brought out a black armour suit.
"I know!" he sighed, "but I believe in love Malechite."
"So, the Prince actually has a heart." He answered very sarcastically. "So what about the other women you played your Highness?"
"They were just for fun but now I am ready to settle down."
"So give this a try. I heard some of the princess looks hot."
"Hot maybe, but I want someone more than that. I mean, all the hot girls I have gone out with turned out to be boring. I could barely hold up any conversation with any of them and I had to shut them up by kissing them or else." He answered with a smirk on his lips, while reminiscing about the girls from his past.
"Well think of it this way, if you go through this, you might find some one or your parents will stop trying and they might, just might overrule the rules. So either way, this could work in your advantage."
"You know mate, you are completely right. That's put me in a better mood. Lets get this party going."
"Looking good your Highness." Malechite complemented his friend after helping him dress up.
"I do look good don't I?" he answered looking at himself in the mirror.
"Hmm, not only romantic but conceited."
"Hahaha, very funny. Shall we get this party started?"
"Your Highness, lead the way."
With that said, the two friends left the Prince's room and headed down to the grand ballroom where the party was being held.
Getting ready was very painful for Serena. Not only had the red head girl forcefully forced her to the tub and poured cold water on her, she also made her wear a gown that came with a corset. She never felt like she was about to throw up, fall from dizziness and had stomach pain all at the same time, until now.
Her maid was very persistent to get Serena dressed up and ready by 7 o'clock that night.
Serena also had to fix her face. Her maid fixed her hair up by putting it up high bun while she fixed her own makeup. She tried to cover her mole and freckles but the make up that she was offered with was not as advanced as the future Tokyo. But she had to do what she has got in front of her. As much as she wanted to cover most of her freckles and mole, the result did not show much of difference. Instead of covering, she made herself look more like a ghost. The pale makeup made her paler and it highlighted her thick eyebrows and the two big moles. She wanted to pull her tooth out that was sticking out of her mouth but felt helpless for she couldn't do much to her tooth or to her face.
"AHHH," she screamed in frustration.
"Your highness, what do you think you are doing?" the maid asked taking the mask out of Serena's hand.
"I am covering my ugly face, what do you think I am doing?" she answered, yanking the mask back from the maid's hand.
However, the maid seems to have had a good grip of the mask that they ended up playing tug of war.
"What are you doing?"
"Princess, this is not a masquerade ball. You do not need this mask."
"Let go, you… you.. Please I need it", she begged still trying to get the mask off from the maid's grip.
"No you don't. You will be an embarrassment if you are the only one wearing a mask."
"Look at me! I am an embarrassment already."
With so much anger, she finally pulled the masked out of the maid's grip. She stuck her tongue out to the maid to make the atmosphere more relaxed but the maid had never seen such behaviour especially from a princess.
After two hours of tug of war with the maid, she finally made it out of the mansion and unto her carriage. Well, to be honest, she was also dragged, half tugged by the maid into the carriage. She did everything she could think of to not be able to attend the party but the maid was much more stronger than she.
There she sat by herself inside the carriage, thinking of how much the corset was hurting her and how hungry she was.
The ride was bumpy and she had to hold on to dear life just to settle her bottom unto the chair.
When the horses went to a halt, she embraced herself before stepping out of the carriage. Outside the carriage, she saw the house, which was three times more of the house that she just came from and there parked around the castle was several carriages, some decorated, some looking old.
She took a deep breathe and raised her gown before taking a step and thought, 'here goes nothing. Let the party start!'
At the Party
Darien's point of view:
'Wow, what a turn out. Here I go putting on my fake smile to get through welcoming the entire guest. Hmm, I wonder where the princesses are.'
I looked helplessly around the ball room searching for the princesses when I noticed a girl with a mask just standing next to the food table and tapping her feet to the music's melody. I watched her for 5 min or more and noticed that she looked really uncomfortable with her dress and every now and then she would pick up a grape or two and just shoved it in her mouth.
My attention was then redirected to my friend who tapped me in the shoulder.
"Hey Malechite! What do you think so far? Good turn out right?"
"Of course my Prince. It is however your heart on the line here. Okay, you see the girl wearing a red gown your highness?" he started, pointing with his eyes rather than his fingers, "that is Rei, princess of Australia. On the left however, she is the princess of America. Her name is Mina and she is the one wearing deep Orange gown. On the far corner of the room, the girl with blue hair and wearing a dark blue gown, that your highness is Amy, princess of Japan." I waited for the fourth princess to be announced to me by Malechite but he stopped.
"But Malechite, I thought there were four princesses that I was suppose to meet?" he asked looking up at Malechite hoping for him to say that the girl beside the food table was one of the princesses.
"Oh, sorry Prince, but you are correct. You see the girl next to the food table she is the fourth princess. She is the princess of London England and her name is Serenity."
After all that information, the announcer finally made an announcement to the crowd that the Princesses were to be introduced one by one to me. Somehow, after hearing this, my stomach did a flip.
I signalled for Malechite to bend down to my level so that I could tell him how much I want to meet up the girl that was standing next to the foods.
"Your highness, is it not weird she is the only one wearing a mask?" he asked.
" I think that's unique," I answered but in truth I did find it odd. I was however excited to meet her eye to eye.
"So you like her already without meeting her your highness," he teased, "isn't a bit too early to say?"
"I think she looks beautiful."
"How can you tell, she is wearing a mask?"
"I mean everything else that you see from the outside." With that said, our conversation came to an end because the announcer already announced the first princess.
"Oh your highness, before I forget, your Mother asked me to tell you that you will date each of these princesses, alone." He winked at me! That left me with my mouth ajar. Oh that frustrates me because he is having fun at cost of my pain. How could he?
"Ladies and gentlement, your Highness, I present you Princess Rei from Australia."
After her name was announced, she slowly approached my thrown and gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen.
Alright, she looked pretty and her black jet hair was like mine. To my surprise she went up all the way to my thrown and gave me a peck on the cheeks. The crowd all clapped and then the second princess was then announced.
Once Rei reached the crowds and rejoined her friends, Amy the second princess was called. She was not as daring as Rei, for she just did the courtesy and gave a shy smile to me. She looks very cute but I could sense that she was nervous. That's not one of the traits that I look for in a girl.
Then the third girl was called to meet me. She had long blonde hair and was very petite. She was very pretty and I know I could or hopefully could get along with her and not be bored. Her name was Mina.
Finally the princess that I have been waiting and wanting to meet has finally been called. When her name was called, she looked around nervously and looked very hesitant to approach the thrown but finally had the energy to take the first step.
She approached my thrown and I wanted to see the whole her.
"Please princess, take off your mask." I asked in a very nice way.
"I begged you, your Highness, this is for the best for you and for everyone that I keep on this mask." She answered, and quickly turned around before I could say another word. But I was not easily turned away, and I wanted to see her. I was curious more now than before for she answered me with such oddness.
"I insist Serenity." I called back and that made her stop walking. She did not get that far that, so I would be able to see her tiny face even after she takes out her mask.
"Please don't let me do this. Please," she begged. "I don't want to shock everyone."
"Princes, the Prince asked you nicely, please take out your mask." Malechite answered for me in a tone that would make everyone even I would obey.
She knew she did not have any choice, and after turning around several times, she finally agreed.
She lifted her mask off, while her back was facing me, she slowly turned toward. I did not know what to expect but I did not however expect this at all.
"OHHHH," I yelled. My yell was louder than I would have liked it to be but I was in complete shocked. My shocked made me stood up my chair and the next thing I knew Malechite was holding me on one arm. All I could hear from the crowds were "AHHs and OOOs and loud sighs.
"Darien are you okay?" Malechite asked raising me up to standing position.
"Prince, get a grip."
"Thank … um.. you .. Princess" that was all I could manage to say after my shock.
I looked around and I could see that I was not the only one who was in shock. Actually everyone in the crown was covering his or her mouths in disbelief.
The princess, just turned around, put her mask back on and ran out of the ballroom. I felt bad of how I reacted but I couldn't help it. She looked….well… I can't explain.
Damn it, I am going out on a date with her. Just my luck. Thank goodness the other princess has the looks, even if they don't have the brain.