Chapter 18 – Birthday Ball
"Do I have to do this?" I asked Mother, who was personally dressing me up for the ball tonight. It was still light outside and I longed to go outside.
"Yes, Dee. Just for one night." Mother held up a couple of dresses "Which one?"
I made a face; each dress was fancier than the next. "Can't I just wear what I usually wear?" I pouted.
"Come on Dee, it's your birthday, don't you want to look nice?" Mother pleaded.
"No." I'd rather be outside riding through the mud than be stuck in here trying on dresses. John and I spent the morning together training a new colt. It was quite frisky. Over lunch by the stream, John gave me a present, but he told me not to open it until later.
"Here. This one will do nicely to bring out your eyes." Mother took one out of the pile. It was light green with a generous skirt and long sleeves.
"I don't want to look like I have moss growing on me." I crossed my arms and sat down on my bed.
Mother sighed and sifted through the dresses.
After a couple of suggestions by Mother, all of which I put down one way or another, Mother gave up.
"Fine, Dee. If you want to wear a rag, you may. We'll just pretend we don't know you."
"But all those dresses are hideous!" I exclaimed. Mother looked hurt, she did spend a lot of time picking them out. I sighed, "Fine. Is there something simpler?"
Mother thought for a moment. "I'll be right back." She disappeared out of my room. A couple of seconds later, she popped her head back in "Dee, don't move."
I sighed again. I wanted so much to leave, but I didn't want to hurt Mother's feelings, so I stayed put and waited patiently, something I wasn't very good at.
"Here, how's this." Mother came back after a few minutes. She held out a dark red velvet dress. "Try it on."
I took it reluctantly and put it on. It felt surprisingly soft. The skirt was quite slim, and there wasn't a trace of lace on it. The sleeves were a bit past my elbows and flared out a bit. They each had a slit at the end, with white material showing through. The V-shaped collar was quite conservative, which suited me just fine. White ribbons formed a crisscross pattern on the bodice, which fitted loosely over my slim figure. The skirt was plain dark red and fell loosely to my ankles. I could move in it quite easily, the skirt may look slim, but there were folds that made it bigger than it looked. I ran my hand over the soft material and smiled. I liked it.
Mother saw me happy with the dress and moved on to my hair. It grew out to my shoulders while I was in Ayortha.
"Wait, what's wrong with my hair?" I held my hands to my head, refusing to let Mother touch my hair.
"It would look nicer if I do it up." Mother answered matter-of-factly.
"Well I like it the way it is."
"At least let me brush the knots out." Mother sighed, "Can't you give it a chance, like you did with the dress?"
I thought for a moment. "Fine, but do it simple."
Mother chuckled, "Why don't you like things fancy? You are a princess."
"I don't care for fancy things. I'd rather be comfortable." I answered
"But you can be both." Mother argued.
We continued on with our argument while Mother pulled on my hair. When she was done, she showed me in the looking glass. I had to admit, she did a good job. Mother braided two strands of my hair next to my ears and wove silver ribbons into them. Then she brought them up and piled them on the back of my head in a twist. I actually looked good.
"Ready to make your big entrance?" Mother smiled. I nodded. I was suddenly getting nervous.
"Introducing, Princess Ellie of Kyrria." I heard the announcer say as I descended down the steps leading to the ballroom. I just hoped I wouldn't trip.
I looked at the sea of faces and was disappointed. John was invited to the ball, but he said he couldn't come. I had hoped that he would come and surprise me.
I didn't have to wait long to be asked to dance. I was actually grateful for the dancing lessons I took a while back before I gave it up.
"Wow, you actually look like a girl!" Edward whispered to me while I was getting some punch. "Thank goodness you're all right. I was so worried about you. What were you thinking running away like that?" Edward pretended to punch me.
I backed away just in time. "Edward, I'm really sorry." I tried to be sincere, but he accidentally spilled some juice on himself while he tried to punch me and I couldn't help but laugh.
After a couple of dances, Prince Oreto approached me.
"Would you like to dance?" he said in a barely audible voice.
I saw Mother looking at me, and I didn't want to be rude, so I nodded. It was a slow dance, slower when I was dancing with Oreto. He didn't say a word. Time crawled by while I was waiting for the dance to be over.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Father watching us with a satisfied expression. Suddenly, it hit me. So that was the reason Father sent me to Ayortha! He wanted me to meet Oreto. And maybe someday… I stopped myself in mid-thought, I didn't want to think about it. I would be bored to death if I were to spend the rest of my days with him in the Ayorthaian court.
The suddenness of the realization made me push away from Oreto. He looked bewildered; his eyes were asking if something was wrong.
I realized I was being rude. After all, it wasn't his fault that he was so boring, he was brought up that way. And it wasn't his fault that he was born the prince of Ayortha and that Father wanted a marriage to strengthen the alliance between our countries.
"Um, excuse me. I um, need some fresh air." I excused myself and slipped outside, hoping no one noticed.
I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do once I was thersrye. I looked behind me to make sure no one was following and bumped into someone.
"Oof." I almost fell, but the hand caught me.
~*~
how was that? the ball part was short, but i want it that way because most of the action's gonna take place outside the ballroom.
jelie36 - i dunno if i'll use your idea (sorry) but i'm sure you want some fluff and find out why john won't go inside the castle soon. so i'll do them first. then i might see if i can somehow encorporate your idea (but not guaranteed)
dont-ask - um Edward is Dee's brother...
keep reading and reviewing!!
p.s. fluff coming up! hehe!
"Do I have to do this?" I asked Mother, who was personally dressing me up for the ball tonight. It was still light outside and I longed to go outside.
"Yes, Dee. Just for one night." Mother held up a couple of dresses "Which one?"
I made a face; each dress was fancier than the next. "Can't I just wear what I usually wear?" I pouted.
"Come on Dee, it's your birthday, don't you want to look nice?" Mother pleaded.
"No." I'd rather be outside riding through the mud than be stuck in here trying on dresses. John and I spent the morning together training a new colt. It was quite frisky. Over lunch by the stream, John gave me a present, but he told me not to open it until later.
"Here. This one will do nicely to bring out your eyes." Mother took one out of the pile. It was light green with a generous skirt and long sleeves.
"I don't want to look like I have moss growing on me." I crossed my arms and sat down on my bed.
Mother sighed and sifted through the dresses.
After a couple of suggestions by Mother, all of which I put down one way or another, Mother gave up.
"Fine, Dee. If you want to wear a rag, you may. We'll just pretend we don't know you."
"But all those dresses are hideous!" I exclaimed. Mother looked hurt, she did spend a lot of time picking them out. I sighed, "Fine. Is there something simpler?"
Mother thought for a moment. "I'll be right back." She disappeared out of my room. A couple of seconds later, she popped her head back in "Dee, don't move."
I sighed again. I wanted so much to leave, but I didn't want to hurt Mother's feelings, so I stayed put and waited patiently, something I wasn't very good at.
"Here, how's this." Mother came back after a few minutes. She held out a dark red velvet dress. "Try it on."
I took it reluctantly and put it on. It felt surprisingly soft. The skirt was quite slim, and there wasn't a trace of lace on it. The sleeves were a bit past my elbows and flared out a bit. They each had a slit at the end, with white material showing through. The V-shaped collar was quite conservative, which suited me just fine. White ribbons formed a crisscross pattern on the bodice, which fitted loosely over my slim figure. The skirt was plain dark red and fell loosely to my ankles. I could move in it quite easily, the skirt may look slim, but there were folds that made it bigger than it looked. I ran my hand over the soft material and smiled. I liked it.
Mother saw me happy with the dress and moved on to my hair. It grew out to my shoulders while I was in Ayortha.
"Wait, what's wrong with my hair?" I held my hands to my head, refusing to let Mother touch my hair.
"It would look nicer if I do it up." Mother answered matter-of-factly.
"Well I like it the way it is."
"At least let me brush the knots out." Mother sighed, "Can't you give it a chance, like you did with the dress?"
I thought for a moment. "Fine, but do it simple."
Mother chuckled, "Why don't you like things fancy? You are a princess."
"I don't care for fancy things. I'd rather be comfortable." I answered
"But you can be both." Mother argued.
We continued on with our argument while Mother pulled on my hair. When she was done, she showed me in the looking glass. I had to admit, she did a good job. Mother braided two strands of my hair next to my ears and wove silver ribbons into them. Then she brought them up and piled them on the back of my head in a twist. I actually looked good.
"Ready to make your big entrance?" Mother smiled. I nodded. I was suddenly getting nervous.
"Introducing, Princess Ellie of Kyrria." I heard the announcer say as I descended down the steps leading to the ballroom. I just hoped I wouldn't trip.
I looked at the sea of faces and was disappointed. John was invited to the ball, but he said he couldn't come. I had hoped that he would come and surprise me.
I didn't have to wait long to be asked to dance. I was actually grateful for the dancing lessons I took a while back before I gave it up.
"Wow, you actually look like a girl!" Edward whispered to me while I was getting some punch. "Thank goodness you're all right. I was so worried about you. What were you thinking running away like that?" Edward pretended to punch me.
I backed away just in time. "Edward, I'm really sorry." I tried to be sincere, but he accidentally spilled some juice on himself while he tried to punch me and I couldn't help but laugh.
After a couple of dances, Prince Oreto approached me.
"Would you like to dance?" he said in a barely audible voice.
I saw Mother looking at me, and I didn't want to be rude, so I nodded. It was a slow dance, slower when I was dancing with Oreto. He didn't say a word. Time crawled by while I was waiting for the dance to be over.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Father watching us with a satisfied expression. Suddenly, it hit me. So that was the reason Father sent me to Ayortha! He wanted me to meet Oreto. And maybe someday… I stopped myself in mid-thought, I didn't want to think about it. I would be bored to death if I were to spend the rest of my days with him in the Ayorthaian court.
The suddenness of the realization made me push away from Oreto. He looked bewildered; his eyes were asking if something was wrong.
I realized I was being rude. After all, it wasn't his fault that he was so boring, he was brought up that way. And it wasn't his fault that he was born the prince of Ayortha and that Father wanted a marriage to strengthen the alliance between our countries.
"Um, excuse me. I um, need some fresh air." I excused myself and slipped outside, hoping no one noticed.
I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do once I was thersrye. I looked behind me to make sure no one was following and bumped into someone.
"Oof." I almost fell, but the hand caught me.
~*~
how was that? the ball part was short, but i want it that way because most of the action's gonna take place outside the ballroom.
jelie36 - i dunno if i'll use your idea (sorry) but i'm sure you want some fluff and find out why john won't go inside the castle soon. so i'll do them first. then i might see if i can somehow encorporate your idea (but not guaranteed)
dont-ask - um Edward is Dee's brother...
keep reading and reviewing!!
p.s. fluff coming up! hehe!