A/N: Characters belong to Gail Carson Levine. On with the story!
- - - THE FIRST BALL - - -
I stood at the head of a long line of maidens, all waiting to meet me. I was outfitted in my brand new ocean-blue tunic. Before I had entered the ballroom, my mother had whispered in my ear:
"You look so handsome and dashing, my dear. I'm so proud of you. Whomever you choose will be the luckiest maiden in Kyrria."
I leaned down and hugged her, and I noticed that she had tears sparkling in her eyes. I chuckled to myself a little bit. My mother was so sentimental sometimes.
I must admit, I had not told she nor my father one tiny detail:
I was not going to choose a bride. In fact, I had vowed never to marry. They wouldn't be angry with me when I told them. Just a little disappointed. I guessed my mother would have to rely on my sister for grandchildren.
I was starting to get a little antsy. I had been waiting for what seemed like forever for all of this to start. I just wanted to get it over with. I sighed. I had not even begun to receive all of the maidens, and I could see the line going down the length of the ballroom and out the door. I wished they would hurry up and start the orchestra so that I could begin.
I wondered if Ella and her new husband would be attending? No. I must not think of Ella. Not tonight.
Finally, the orchestra started up, and the first maiden stepped forward. She was smiling so hard it looked like she was in pain. I sighed once again. This was going to be a long night. . .
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I was extremely tired, and I think I was starting to show it. I had made it a point to be the very example of politeness to all of my guests and the maidens in the receiving line, but it was all starting to get to me.
"Ith thomething the matter, your Highneth?" A maiden wearing a blinding pink dress with a terrible lisp asked. I snapped back to attention immediately. I admit, my mind had started to wander during her endless chatter.
"Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you. Don't worry about me. Please enjoy the rest of the ball."
As the pink lady walked away, the next in line approached me. She was trembling, in what appeared to be extreme and unexplainable fear. I smiled at her warmly, and bowed. She cracked a wavering smile, and started to curtsy. Or, I hoped it was supposed to be a curtsy. As she started to bend, her legs wobbled and she lost her balance. She toppled over, and landed right before my feet. Before I could help her up or say anything, she leapt up, her face crimson, and ran away.
I barely managed to stifle a groan. I quickly ran my hand over my face, and readied my smile for my next guest.
But wait. What was that over there?
My attention was drawn to a corner of the ballroom, where I thought I had seen long, flowing dark hair that looked oddly familiar.
No. It was only a maiden in a green gown, who had obviously been staring, for as soon as I caught her gaze, she looked away.
With a little bit of disappointment, I returned my attention back to the waiting ladies.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Only one more maiden to meet and greet, and then I could get the rest of the ball over with. I smiled, I was polite, I bowed over her hand, and then the maiden in the green gown came up behind her and became the last one in line.
She was still masked, which I found surprising, because most of the other maidens had removed their own. She was slim, and very graceful with her movements. She swept into one of the smoothest curtsies I had ever seen. I wondered what her features looked like. I searched her face, but could find nothing that gave me a clue, except for her smiling mouth and green eyes; the only two features that were not hidden. I smiled at her. My back was starting to ache a little bit from all of the bowing, but I did it anyway. I didn't want to be rude.
"What is your name, Lady?" I asked, still smiling politely.
"Lela."
There was a moment of slightly uncomfortable silence.
"Do you live here in Frell, Lady Lela?"
"In Bast, Highness."
Well, that was that. Time to get on with the rest of the ball.
"I hope you enjoy the ball and your stay in Frell."
She didn't walk away. Instead, she surprised me.
"Abensa ohudo. Isseni imi essete urebu amouffa."
"You speak Ayorthaian!" Finally, someone interesting!
"Not well," she said. "My uncle was born there. He's a singer. His voice can charm wood."
I smiled at her again, this time genuinely. "I miss their songs. I was glad to leave, but now I miss everything."
She hummed a stanza of a song that I had learned at one of the Ayorthaian sings. I joined in, glad that I could remember the tune. This maiden, Lela, reminded me of someone or something. But who?
I bowed again. Unlike any of the other courtiers, she treated me the way I wished to be treated. Like a normal person. I wanted to know her better. "Would you favor me with a dance?"
She curtsied, and I took her hand. When we touched, I felt a jolt of something go through me. Her hand felt so familiar! I was startled. "Have we met before, Lady?"
"I've never left Bast, but I've longed to see Frell my whole life."
I nodded, intrigued by everything that was going on. We started to dance. I don't know why, but it felt right dancing with her. What was happening? Despite all of the questions going through my mind, I was glad of one thing: to have found a friend.
The dance ended. "I love a gavotte," she said, her cheeks below the mask flushed. "The rush, the sweep, the whoosh!" She was smiling.
I looked at her, a little eagerly. "It's the same with stair rails, the same feeling." What was I saying? "Do you like to slide?"
"No, Majesty. I'm terrified of heights."
"Oh."
Why did I ask her that? I was so caught up in the moment, I was talking crazy. Now I knew who she reminded me of. But that was impossible.
"Do you?"
I was jerked back to the present.
"Do I what?"
"Like to slide down stair rails?"
"Oh yes. I used to."
"I wish I could enjoy it. This fear of heights is an affliction."
She reminded me of someone in some ways, but not in others. I was acting like a fool again. I nodded.
But she surprised me again.
"Especially, as I've grown taller."
An unexpected joke. I laughed, and appreciated her good humor. But the clock struck half after eleven, and I realized that I had been neglecting my other guests. Mother wouldn't be very pleased. I explained this to Lela, and she graciously understood.
"I'll look for you later," I said to Lela. I waved, and she left my sight. I hoped I would see her again.
Maybe the next balls wouldn't be as tedious as I thought.
- - - THE FIRST BALL - - -
I stood at the head of a long line of maidens, all waiting to meet me. I was outfitted in my brand new ocean-blue tunic. Before I had entered the ballroom, my mother had whispered in my ear:
"You look so handsome and dashing, my dear. I'm so proud of you. Whomever you choose will be the luckiest maiden in Kyrria."
I leaned down and hugged her, and I noticed that she had tears sparkling in her eyes. I chuckled to myself a little bit. My mother was so sentimental sometimes.
I must admit, I had not told she nor my father one tiny detail:
I was not going to choose a bride. In fact, I had vowed never to marry. They wouldn't be angry with me when I told them. Just a little disappointed. I guessed my mother would have to rely on my sister for grandchildren.
I was starting to get a little antsy. I had been waiting for what seemed like forever for all of this to start. I just wanted to get it over with. I sighed. I had not even begun to receive all of the maidens, and I could see the line going down the length of the ballroom and out the door. I wished they would hurry up and start the orchestra so that I could begin.
I wondered if Ella and her new husband would be attending? No. I must not think of Ella. Not tonight.
Finally, the orchestra started up, and the first maiden stepped forward. She was smiling so hard it looked like she was in pain. I sighed once again. This was going to be a long night. . .
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I was extremely tired, and I think I was starting to show it. I had made it a point to be the very example of politeness to all of my guests and the maidens in the receiving line, but it was all starting to get to me.
"Ith thomething the matter, your Highneth?" A maiden wearing a blinding pink dress with a terrible lisp asked. I snapped back to attention immediately. I admit, my mind had started to wander during her endless chatter.
"Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you. Don't worry about me. Please enjoy the rest of the ball."
As the pink lady walked away, the next in line approached me. She was trembling, in what appeared to be extreme and unexplainable fear. I smiled at her warmly, and bowed. She cracked a wavering smile, and started to curtsy. Or, I hoped it was supposed to be a curtsy. As she started to bend, her legs wobbled and she lost her balance. She toppled over, and landed right before my feet. Before I could help her up or say anything, she leapt up, her face crimson, and ran away.
I barely managed to stifle a groan. I quickly ran my hand over my face, and readied my smile for my next guest.
But wait. What was that over there?
My attention was drawn to a corner of the ballroom, where I thought I had seen long, flowing dark hair that looked oddly familiar.
No. It was only a maiden in a green gown, who had obviously been staring, for as soon as I caught her gaze, she looked away.
With a little bit of disappointment, I returned my attention back to the waiting ladies.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Only one more maiden to meet and greet, and then I could get the rest of the ball over with. I smiled, I was polite, I bowed over her hand, and then the maiden in the green gown came up behind her and became the last one in line.
She was still masked, which I found surprising, because most of the other maidens had removed their own. She was slim, and very graceful with her movements. She swept into one of the smoothest curtsies I had ever seen. I wondered what her features looked like. I searched her face, but could find nothing that gave me a clue, except for her smiling mouth and green eyes; the only two features that were not hidden. I smiled at her. My back was starting to ache a little bit from all of the bowing, but I did it anyway. I didn't want to be rude.
"What is your name, Lady?" I asked, still smiling politely.
"Lela."
There was a moment of slightly uncomfortable silence.
"Do you live here in Frell, Lady Lela?"
"In Bast, Highness."
Well, that was that. Time to get on with the rest of the ball.
"I hope you enjoy the ball and your stay in Frell."
She didn't walk away. Instead, she surprised me.
"Abensa ohudo. Isseni imi essete urebu amouffa."
"You speak Ayorthaian!" Finally, someone interesting!
"Not well," she said. "My uncle was born there. He's a singer. His voice can charm wood."
I smiled at her again, this time genuinely. "I miss their songs. I was glad to leave, but now I miss everything."
She hummed a stanza of a song that I had learned at one of the Ayorthaian sings. I joined in, glad that I could remember the tune. This maiden, Lela, reminded me of someone or something. But who?
I bowed again. Unlike any of the other courtiers, she treated me the way I wished to be treated. Like a normal person. I wanted to know her better. "Would you favor me with a dance?"
She curtsied, and I took her hand. When we touched, I felt a jolt of something go through me. Her hand felt so familiar! I was startled. "Have we met before, Lady?"
"I've never left Bast, but I've longed to see Frell my whole life."
I nodded, intrigued by everything that was going on. We started to dance. I don't know why, but it felt right dancing with her. What was happening? Despite all of the questions going through my mind, I was glad of one thing: to have found a friend.
The dance ended. "I love a gavotte," she said, her cheeks below the mask flushed. "The rush, the sweep, the whoosh!" She was smiling.
I looked at her, a little eagerly. "It's the same with stair rails, the same feeling." What was I saying? "Do you like to slide?"
"No, Majesty. I'm terrified of heights."
"Oh."
Why did I ask her that? I was so caught up in the moment, I was talking crazy. Now I knew who she reminded me of. But that was impossible.
"Do you?"
I was jerked back to the present.
"Do I what?"
"Like to slide down stair rails?"
"Oh yes. I used to."
"I wish I could enjoy it. This fear of heights is an affliction."
She reminded me of someone in some ways, but not in others. I was acting like a fool again. I nodded.
But she surprised me again.
"Especially, as I've grown taller."
An unexpected joke. I laughed, and appreciated her good humor. But the clock struck half after eleven, and I realized that I had been neglecting my other guests. Mother wouldn't be very pleased. I explained this to Lela, and she graciously understood.
"I'll look for you later," I said to Lela. I waved, and she left my sight. I hoped I would see her again.
Maybe the next balls wouldn't be as tedious as I thought.