Look at me! I did! I managed to get a chapter out within days of the previous one! Woohoo!
The next morning, while Bridge is doing my hair, she tells that we would be working outside on our receptions.
I assumed that meant that the palace still wasn't in tip top shape after yesterday's rebel attack.
Elise, Natalie and I worked under a small tent on the lawn, while Kriss and America worked on the opposite side of the lawn.
The king and queen and Maxon were also set up under another tent.
"Ok, so I have this packet here that tells us what each color means, and which ones we could use!" Natalie says.
Natalie was in charge of decorations and flowers, Elise was in charge of food, and I was in charge of music and seating.
"Ok, sounds good, just you know, make sure the colors match my skin tone." I joke.
Elise and Natalie look at each other.
"What?" I ask, "Come one, it was a joke!" I say exasperated.
"I think," Elise says carefully, "That sometimes, people can't tell whether you're joking or not."
"Oh, but you guys knew I was joking, right?" I ask my confidence fading.
"Well, only a little." Natalie says, shrugging her shoulders.
"Ok, ok!" Elise says quickly. "Celeste, how's the music and seating going?" She asks.
My irritation fades as quickly as it had came.
"Right, so I got that musician to play, and I set up a meeting for later today. Yes, Natalie, I will tell him your request. I've been going over the seating arrangements, and I think it's best to use place cards so people know where to sit." I say. "Any objections?"
"Maybe it's better to let the guests sit where they want?" Natalie suggests.
"Well, I heard that that's what Kriss and America are doing." Elise supplies.
"Guys, that's why we have to be different from them!" I cry.
"Ok, fine, arranged seating it is." Elise says diplomatically.
"Great, now, let's talk about our outfits." I say waggling my eyebrows at them.
"Um, sure." Natalie says uncertainly, "Maybe we can-"
Natalie is cut off by a call from the palace.
"Rebels run!"
Panic follows.
The maids and guards usher the king and queen into the palace. The girls and I jump up to follow them, Maxon scooping Kriss up into Officer...Leger! That's who it was! The officer I'd danced with at the Halloween Ball!
All of a sudden, we hear gun shots, which makes us move even faster.
I literally sprint into the palace, guards flooding in all around us.
An officer grabs Elise and me and leads us into the nearest safe room, leaving us there.
We huddle, scared to death, on a mattress on the floor. We didn't know if Natalie and America made it in or not, having been separated from Natalie while hurrying into the palace.
"Two days in a row?" Elise whispers to me worried.
"I know, and it looked like they really knew what they were doing." I whisper back.
"Do you think everyone's ok?" She asks scared.
"I think so." I say lying. I didn't know at all that anyone was safe.
I pull back from Elise, a little embarrassed at showing such a public display of warmth in front of her.
We sit further apart now, in silence, until the guard that shoved us in here came to collect us.
"Girls, are you ok down there, you can come up, it's just me." He calls.
We warily climb the stairs, and see that it was just him.
The guard, Officer Jameson walks us both back to our rooms and says that the Women's Room is open if we wanted to work on our receptions.
In my room, Bridge, Jodi, and Sarah all flood me with hugs and exclamation show thank goodness I'm all right.
"Thanks guys." I say hugging them back.
Bridge takes a step back and clucks her tongue. "Your dress!" She says shaking her head.
My dress had grass stains all over the hem, oh well, it wasn't like I would ever wear it again.
After changing into a 'more acceptable gown for a lady' according to Jodi, I jump onto my bed, my cheek against the soft pillows.
Bridge laughs at me.
"Hey, you wish you can just take a nap in the middle of the day, but don't you have a reception to plan?" She asks me eyebrows raised.
"Ugh, reception planning, ugh, Elise and Natalie." I moan into the pillow.
"Hey, come on, how about this, i'll send Sarah to tell the girls that you're planning with the musician." Bridge says leveling her face so that it is even to mine.
I close an eye, pretending to mull over her offer.
"And, you can come with me to the mail room to see if we have an mail." Bridge tacks on.
"Deal!" I say shaking her hand.
Sarah goes off to the Women's Room, while Jodi goes to the kitchens, which is what she does when she isn't babysitting me.
I grab my clipboard and folder full of notes for the reception, and leave with Bridge.
In the mail room, Bridge giddily opens a letter from her husband.
I wait for her to read it, slumping my back, I know, it's un ladylike! Shush, I already have three maids who tell me!
Putting my hands behind my head, I can almost pretend that I'm sun tanning, something I haven't done in a while.
A gasp from Bridge jolts my eyes open.
Bridge is on the floor, clutching the letter to her chest.
"Oh my god, what's wrong Bridge!?" I say panicked. "Is your husband ok?" I ask.
"He, he's been drafted." Bridge wails, tears pooling over.
"Oh Bridge!" I cry hugging her. "It's going to be ok, you never know, he could be drafted as a palace guard, and then you can see him every day!" I try and comfort her.
"Or he can be drafted into the army and be killed in New Asia!" Bridge sobs.
"Yes, but now you're a two, right? Since he's an automatic two?" I say.
"Who cares about castes right now, honestly Celeste, not everyone wants to be a snobby two." She sniffs.
I pull back.
"No need to insult me hon." I snap.
"I'm sorry Celeste, I just, I need to know where my husband is being drafted." She says wiping her face. "And I'm going to find out within the next few days apparently." She says nodding towards her letter.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" I ask her, not really knowing what to do.
"No no, go ahead, you need to plan with Josh." She says standing up.
I rise with her. "Are you sure you're going to be ok?" I ask.
"No, I'm not, but i'll survive." She says her voice brittle.
Wow, that really sucks. If her husband got drafted into New Asia, he was practically given a death sentence, not trying to be morbid or anything, it was just the blunt truth.
If he got drafted into the palace guards, he would still be in danger from rebels, but not as much as he would be in New Asia. And at the palace, Bridge would be able to see him. She hasn't seen her husband for months now!
I find myself at Josh's door.
Keeping Bridge's problem in the back of my head, I knock on his door.
"Yes?" He answers.
"Hi Mr. Cohen." I force out. "I'm here to give you your instruction for the German Federation Reception." I say brightly.
"Oh sure, come one in." He says letting me in.
"Thanks." I say skirting around him and into the room.
I daintily take a seat on the piano seat, Josh sits down next to me.
I scoot over to the very edge of the seat, and when I look up, I see that Josh is blushing.
"Ahem, so, here is the music that was requested that you play, and if you have time to fill, you can play whatever calm and soothing music you want." I say, my voice uncharacteristically high.
"Um, yeah sure, there's a piano already there, right?" Josh asks taking the folder with the songs Elise and Natalie requested, as well as songs that the German Federation's people generally enjoyed.
"Yes, there is, but I don't know if it's in tune or whatnot, so you might want to familiarize yourself with it." I say very civil.
This whole conversation has been going very polite and civil.
I mean, I didn't expect or want anything less than that, but still, it kind of disappointed me in a way.
"Yeah, so that's pretty much it. Just you know, wear a suit and a tie if you want. If any of the German Federation want to talk to you, or request a song, that's fine. Just try and, well, you know, satisfy them?" I say leaving is as a question.
Josh nods, "Yup. Thanks, so, do you want me to play one of these songs, and you can listen to approve?" He asks.
Aha! I saw what he was doing! He was trying to keep me in the room so he could flirt with me!
Or, maybe he was just trying to do a good job so when he played for the royal families, plural, he didn't make a fool of himself. A logical part of my brain thought.
"Ok, how about, let's do Natalie's request, shall we?" He asks looking at me.
"Sure!" I say a little too brightly.
Josh lays out the music that I managed to get Bridge to print out.
"Wow, that's so funny, I actually know this song!" Josh says looking at the title and composer.
"I've never heard of it." I say pursing my lips.
It was called A Sunshine Melody by Laura Kings.
Josh's eyebrows quirk up as his fingers glide over the piano's keys.
I nod my head in time to the music.
It was basically what the title suggested. Just a nice quirky song that glided smoothly from note to note.
When it's done, I give Josh a round of applause.
"Beautiful! Bravo!" I say grinning. "Maybe that could be later into the reception though. I would start with some Beethoven, as a kind of slow introduction as the guests file in...?" I trail off, Josh staring at me.
"What?" I ask self conscious.
Josh blinks a few times.
"Ahh, sorry Miss. Celeste." He says shaking his head, "I got a little distracted." He says frowning every so slightly.
"Ooook." I say doubtfully.
"So, yeah, i'll meet up with you before the reception starts, and walk you down myself so no one gives you a hard time or whatever." I say, "Is that ok?"
Josh groans, "It's like you're testing me or something!" He says throwing his hands up.
"What?" I ask confused.
"Er, nothing, um, I guess you'd better go now, don't want to be in my room too long, it might get suspicious." He says.
And with that, I'm practically shoved out of his room.
I replay the entire conversation in my head as I head towards the Women's Room, wondering if what Josh said was what I thought he was implying.
Wow guys, thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm astounded by how popular this story has become!
Athenachild101- I'm still undecided whether or not I want to do two endings, but if I do, then that is a good idea! :)
Fairy not princess- Yes, and also that when it's in your POV you can't really write anything bad about yourself!
Weatherbug02- Yes, 10 minutes! First it wouldn't load, and it said not responding, so then I had to exit the tab and return to it!
Kiren- Oh really? It's different for Canadians? And I know, my tenses, past and present are all over the place!
4Love4Love4- Yeah, it's kind of a big deal where I live. Ok, you have faith in me, I can do this! Somehow, I will end this story without upsetting too many people!
HorseGalFangirl9- Does that mean you liked it!?
legeorge02- Aww, thanks!
blondfangirl777- Oh wow, that must be weird for you, I'm imagining what my reaction would be if one of my teachers' last names were in a story I was reading! ;)
ReadItLikeYouMeanIt- I know that you said that Leisl was a little annoying, but I found the story overall very good and interesting. The beginning was so confusing, until my friend who watched the movie told me that death was the narrator! When I watched the movie, I found that it was pretty true to the book, and that Max Vandenberg was very cute!
Hi! Thanks for reading and remember to review!