One day before the Ball

"Milady! Please go to the sitting room adjoined to your bedroom!" Lily told me right after finishing my work for the day.

"Why? I should get started on the work that is for me tomorrow. There's nothing to do anyways after this," I told Lily.

"Aren't you forgetting something? There's a ball tomorrow!" Lily told me while pulling me from the chair.

"A ball? What ball? Oh wait! That ball..." I thought to myself.

"Lily, what has the ball got to do with me going to my room? It doesn't link at all!"

"You've got to prepare for it! You have done enough work! The work that you have tomorrow is for the next 2 weeks! Now, it's time for fun and entertainment!"

Pulling me from my desk and through the door to the sitting room, there was a few ladies waiting in the room for me.

"Um, Lily, who are they?" I asked when they curtsied to me. I nodded my head in return.

"Oh, they are the seamstresses for your dress. I had already cut down the the ladies needed to make a dress you know," Lily beamed at me.

"What?! So many people for just a dress? I can always wear a ready made gown," I protested.

Sighing deeply, Lily said, "And that is why I always wonder why your dresses all look so common... Anyways, you have to make a dress or else you won't even think about going to your papers!"

Pushing me towards the ladies, they immediately started to gather my measurements, before they started taking fabrics to me to choose from. They were all talking at the same time, confusing me even more.

Lily saw this and came to my rescue, explaining to me that they want my opinions on the fabrics and what style would I want the dress to be like. After her explanation, everything came to light as I slowly looked at the fabrics.

Clothes were not my forte but still, I can manage. Though I peered over different fabrics, I couldn't find the one that I was looking for. Sighing, I wanted to pick some gray tone fabric with black lace. However, one of the ladies took out one of the fabric that I had seen before. Smiling, I immediately chose that fabric with shocked faces on the ladies face.

"Milady, this fabric has been out for years now! You must want to wear the trendiest clothes right? Let's chose something else instead?" Lily said anxiously while picking up other fabrics.

"Lily, you told me to choose a fabric and I have already chosen one," I told Lily with a smile on my face before turning to the seamstresses, saying, "I would love to tell you how to design this."

I told the ladies about my design before one of the seamstresses exclaimed, "That will be absolutely stunning! Though the fabric is old, but the design is just - gorgeous!"

Saying goodbye to the ladies, I was told by them that the dress would arrive in the morning, leaving me plenty of time to touch up on the makeup and hair apparently. For the first time since I heard about the ball happening, I felt a small spark of excitement.

The Next Day

"Milady! The dress have arrived! My! It is stunning!" Lily exclaimed happily.

"Let me see! Bring it up to my room, we shall start preparing for the ball!" I exclaimed with glee before walking into my room.

Lily walked into the room with the dress over her arm with a few of the other maids behind her.

"Let's get started shall we?" Lily smiled happily.

Moments or rather hours later, after Lily and the maid were happy with their work, I was finally allowed to glance at my reflection in the mirror. Though Lily was careful to place a veil over my face, I could tell that the person reflected back at me was just simply stunning. The dress seemed to glimmer off at every direction, with the dark royal blue fabric covering another sky blue fabric for the ruffled skirt with small intricate golden threads reflecting the coat of arms for my household.

Though the cutting the bodice is slightly lowered than I told the seamstresses to put it, they put in place long ruffled sleeves almost reaching the floor. Though the design may be slightly old-fashioned, I managed to pull if off.

"Milady! It's time for the ball!" One of the butler spoke through the door.

"Alright! Coming now!" Lily called out before handing me one of the blue laced fans and pushing me out of the door.

"We should hurry..." The butler trailed off when he saw my appearance.

"Milady, you look absolutely stunning! Let's us go now," the butler offered me his arm, escorting me to my carriage.

Before the carriage door closed, Lily told me, "You will be the most stunning and beautiful lady there Mistress!"

Smiling, I told her, "I hope so too..."

The Ball

"Mistress, we have arrived," the coach men said while pulling the door open.

Nodding my thanks, I walked up towards the double gates of the castle passing my invitation to the doorman. It has been a long time since I actually associated with people in large crowds, thus, anxiety flooded me as I walked into the ballroom.

It was larger than any other ballroom, many guests were there talking and mingling among themselves. Flooded with many vibrant colors of dresses worn by the women, my dress felt plain and out of place. However, the King had told me to be a diplomat to the royal family as such, I made my way to say my greetings to the host of this event.

Eyes fell upon me which I highly expected it to be because of the veil in place, but I carried myself with dignity and walked forward to the line to express my greetings.

"Just for half an hour, Lise. You can do this," I told myself as I adjusted my veil to make it cover most of my face completely from sight. Though I knew it was rude to hide one's face in another, this was the one and only thing that I didn't want to show to others, no one at all.

When my turn came, I bowed low and said my greetings. Rising, I saw someone who looked familiar to me though it was ages ago when I saw him. But in my memory everything of him remained.

"Welcome! You look simply stunning! Though I can't say much due to the veil but enjoy yourself! Oh! Have you met my brother? He's new here, please guide him in the ways of a noble, get to know each other, 'kay?" the person on the chair pushed the all familiar man at me.

I could tell from the way that he smiled at me that he knew who I was under that veil too and how I was feeling. Pressing him lips on my gloved hand, he told me, "A pleasure to meet you, my dear."

Oh his words then did justice to my ears, saying exactly what I felt, "The pleasure is all mine," never had I felt so happy to be at a ball in my life...