Chapter 6- The Ball
Disclaimer- See chapter 1.
The night of the ball finally arrived. Mandy helped me adorn my costume, a long lacy white gown, with cat ears and a long, fluffy tail. As she was brushing my hair a knock sounded on the door.
My father had barely let me out of his sight for the past few days. He stood from his nearby spot as a maid entered. She was holding a beautiful silver comb, with white pearl inlay.
"This was a gift for the Princess' birthday," she said. "I was told not to touch the teeth, as they are very delicate." Mandy stopped the maid, and took the comb by the top, sniffing it carefully.
"It's poisoned," she said. The poor maid was immediately led away by a soldier, to be interrogated as a suspect; although I was sure she had nothing to do with the poison.
I continued getting ready as though nothing had happened, too terrified to acknowledge that it had. I silently wondered why, why this was happening, and who was it? I placed my mask, a beaded white mask that had belonged to my mother, over my eyes, and tied it behind my head.
Soon I stood atop the Grand Staircase, ready to walk down in all the glory that the crown and my position demanded. Fanfare played loudly.
"Announcing Lady Lela, Crown Princess of Kyrria," a man pronounced regally. I stepped carefully down each stair, thinking that it would have been about right if I had tripped and fallen when no one was attempting to kill me. I noticed both of my parents smiling brightly at me, and my father was standing with her father, Sir Peter. Areida of Ayortha was present, as was Slannen the elf.
When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Prince Gavin stepped forward. He was dressed in dark green, with a horse headpiece.
"May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked. I nodded and took his arm. When I was dancing with Gavin, all the bad things that had been happening disappeared. I looked around the hall and admired how beautifully it was decorated until Gavin spoke.
"Are you alright?" he asked. I looked up at him, and smiled, suddenly shy.
"I am fine." As the evening progressed I saw many different costumes, some very elaborate, some simple. Princess Meryl came as a butterfly, in a blue dress with gossamer sleeves, and overskirt. Her shimmering blue wings flowed behind her and two antennae bobbed from her tiara. She grinned at me, her features looking remarkably like her brother's.
I picked the tiny sugar centaur off the top of my piece of cake and let it dissolve slowly on my tongue. The cake was beautiful when tiny candles were lit on top, and even more than its splendor, it was delicious.
Lord Chancellor Thomas stood beside my father, giving a speech about children growing and coming of age. I was barely paying attention, as I had heard it at every birthday party I had ever attended. As the chancellor droned on, I watched Gavin. He had a little marchpane ogre on his slice of cake, and he was attacking it with two soldiers that he had gotten from his sister.
Merry rolled her eyes and turned away. Gavin looked up and saw that I was watching, which only encouraged his behavior. Soon the ogre was thrown into a "bottomless pit," his punishment for some crime or another.
My attention was drawn as Chancellor Thomas' dialogue was over, and my father stepped forward.
"We are pleased to be able to announce that on this evening, a husband has been chosen for the princess," Father began. "It has just been decided that in two years' time, Lela and Gavin of Bamarre will be wed."
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A/N: To The Paollai- Thank you for your reviews, you have given me some great ideas.
As for the poisonous bouquet, I was taking some internet quiz on fairytales, and the question was:
According to the Grimm story, before Snow White's wicked stepmother gave her the poisoned apple, she had tried on two previous occasions to kill her, only to be foiled by the seven dwarfs. On the first occasion, the wicked queen laced Snow White's corset stays so tightly that the poor girl fell insensible and seemed dead. On the second occasion, the queen tried to kill Snow White (called Snow Drop in the Grimm version) by giving her: A) an enchanted knife, that would stab its wielder, B) a covered basket containing an asp, C) a poisoned comb,or D) a bouquet of sweet-smelling but deadly flowers.
My storyline kind of evolved around those couple of answers. So, I guess that the idea is not completely original.
Anyways, thanks to you, and to all my reviewers. Katie
By the way, I am not completely fluent in internet terms. Actually I'm terrible. What does "lol" mean? Thanx, and please don't shun me for being so dumb :D