Preventing a Royal Engagement

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! On with Chapter 7! =D

Chapter 7: Spilling the Beans

Squizza smiled to herself as she took in her surroundings for the twelfth time that night. The ballroom that Anton selected as the venue for the ball that he was sponsoring consisted of sparkly, white walls and a polished, marble floor. Round tables, seating about eight people each, bordered the enormous dance floor, and each table was draped in a white tablecloth and contained various pieces of fine china. In addition to the crystal chandelier that hung above the dance floor, bright lights along the walls lit up the room.

Kashlack complimented Anton on a job well done in planning the ball, while Squizza clapped her hands in excitement. She was certain that it was going to be a magical night for Tinka because Anton planned on proposing to her during the ball, and the Hessenheffer matriarch had no doubt in her mind that all of Anton's work in planning the ball would convince her daughter to change her mind about the arranged marriage.

Anton looked around the ballroom and noted that a majority of the guests were already present at the ball. His parents were already seated at their table with Kashlack and Squizza, dressed in their best, royal robes. Kasia, who was speaking to her mother, looked radiant in the gown that she had chosen from Tinka's personal clothing line. However, Tinka and her friends had yet to arrive, and the prince was concerned that she would not show up.

"Is something troubling you, Prince Anton?" Kashlack asked, noticing the worry on the prince's face.

"I was just wondering why Tinka and her friends have not arrived yet," Anton answered, looking away from the giant staircase that let to a pair of open, double doors. "The dinner will begin soon."

"Don't worry, they're on their way," Squizza reassured him. "I spoke to Tinka a couple of minutes ago and she said that although they had to take a detour to avoid some road construction, they'll be here shortly."

Anton nodded, oblivious to the fact that what Tinka told her mother was not entirely true. Although Tinka was correct when she told Squizza that they would be arriving at the ball shortly, she had lied when she said that their slight delay was due to road construction. She and her friends planned to be the last of the guests to arrive, so everyone's attention would be on them. This was especially important for Ty and Tinka because they needed to be the sole attention of Kashlack, Squizza, and the royal family when they walked in as a couple.

A middle-aged man, who was selected to be the announcer for the evening's festivities, made his way back into the ballroom and took his place in front of the microphone on the stage near the doors. He signaled for the orchestra behind him to play some soft, classical music, as he was prepared to announce the arrival of the few couples who were the last to arrive.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man announced, causing everyone in the ballroom to look at him, "please join me in welcoming to the ball…the delightful Dina Garcia, escorted by her boyfriend of three years…Martin Martinez."

All of the guests politely applauded as Deuce and Dina entered the ballroom and descended the staircase, arm in arm. Deuce was wearing a black tuxedo, matching black dress shoes, a purple tie, and a pair of black headphones around his neck. Dina, meanwhile, looked extravagant in a dark purple, one-shoulder, flowing, evening gown and black heels. Her brunette locks were tied in a simple, side ponytail that rested on her left shoulder. The couple seated themselves at their own table and smiled at the Hessenheffer parents and the royal family, whose table was next to theirs.

"Now, please join me in welcoming to the ball," the announcer continued, "the lovely Raquel Blue, escorted by her date for the evening…Logan Hunter."

Logan and Rocky, who were blushing madly, made their way down the staircase to applause as well. Logan wore the same tuxedo and shoes as Deuce, except for the absence of headphones. Rocky looked elegant in a navy blue, strapless, floor-length, evening gown, which matched Logan's tie. Her wavy hair fell down, past her shoulders, in beautiful waves. On her feet was a pair of silver heels.

Once Logan took his seat between Deuce and Rocky, the announced cleared his throat and said, "Now, please join me in welcoming to the ball…the dazzling Cecelia Jones, escorted by her boyfriend of two years…the Honourable Günther Hessenheffer."

Günther and CeCe descended the staircase to another round of applause. Günther, who smiled at the acknowledgement of his royal blood, wore a black dress shirt, an emerald-green vest coated in sparkles, black slacks, and matching black shoes. CeCe, who was beaming at everyone she passed, looked stunning in her emerald-green, halter-top, mermaid-style, evening gown and matching heels. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back in neat waves.

Kashlack and Squizza smiled proudly at their son as they watched him pull out CeCe's chair out for her. Once she was seated next to Rocky, Günther took his seat on the other side of CeCe.

"And, finally," the announcer said, "the last guests of the night…"

Immediately, Kashlack and Squizza turned their attention to the staircase, eagerly awaiting their daughter's entrance. The entire royal family followed suit and Anton nervously smoothed out his royal robes with his hands. CeCe, Rocky, Deuce, Logan, Günther, and Dina could not help but smirk at the revelation that was about to come.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said, loudly, "please join me in welcoming to the ball…the Honourable Tinka Hessenheffer, escorted by her boyfriend of two years…Ty Blue."

Upon hearing this, Squizza choked on the red wine that she was sipping, while Kashlack's eyes widened in disbelief. The Hessenheffer matriarch closed her eyes and silently prayed that she misheard the announcer.

All eyes in the ballroom, including those of the royal family, were on Ty and Tinka as they descended the staircase to a round of applause that was much louder than the rest. Ty looked handsome in his black tuxedo, matching black shoes, and red tie. Tinka, whose royal blood was also acknowledged, looked gorgeous in her strapless, self-designed, evening gown; the top half was a fitted blend of red, purple, and pink, with a sweetheart neckline, while the bottom half was a flowing skirt of soft, fake, white feathers. A pair of red high heels and her hair in a wavy ponytail completed the look.

"Kashlack and Squizza, I must say," Anna said, turning to the two people in question, "we are surprised to learn that your daughter is in a romantic relationship with another man."

"Trust us, Queen Anna, we're just as surprised as you are," Kashlack told her, speaking for himself and Squizza.

"You mean," Kamil said with an air of surprise, "you were unaware of her relationship with this…Ty Blue?"

Squizza nodded and said, quietly, "Until now."

"I wonder why she had originally decided to keep her love for him a secret from her own parents," Kasia said, deep in thought.

Kashlack and Squizza, who had a feeling they knew the reason for all the secrecy, watched Ty and Tinka approach their friends' table. Ty pulled out Tinka's chair for her, just like Günther did for CeCe, and Tinka gratefully sat down. Without a single glance at the table next to them, because he feared the deadly look on Kashlack's face, Ty took the remaining seat between Tinka and Dina.

Kashlack and Squizza had never, in their entire lives, been more disappointed in their daughter. Dating someone behind their back was one thing. Dating someone they had expressed their intense dislike for was another. However, choosing to sit with her friends and boyfriend, rather than at the table with her parents, her supposed fiancé, and her potential in-laws was the ultimate betrayal, and Kashlack and Squizza were not going to let her get away with that, unscathed.

However, before the enraged parents could get up to scold their daughter, waiters and waitresses flooded the ballroom, delivering the first dish of the planned, ten-course meal for the night.

Once the last of the dishes were cleared, couples began rising from their seats. The orchestra, who had being playing a variety of classical music during the entire dinner, struck up a waltz song, so couples could take the dance floor. Couples who did not want to dance, whether at the moment or at all, remained in their seats to talk or were mingling with others on the outside of the dance floor.

Dina remained at the table, having a comical conversation with Deuce and Logan. Günther and CeCe were on the dance floor; Günther was attempting to teach CeCe how to waltz properly, but it was becoming increasingly difficult the more she accidentally stepped on his shoes with her sharp heels. Rocky, meanwhile, was still outside the dance floor, talking with Ty, Tinka, and surprisingly, Kasia, who was the only member of the royal family willing to speak with Tinka after the revelation.

"Your parents must be furious at the revelation," Rocky told Tinka, a look of concern on her face. "How're you holding up?"

"Better than I thought," Tinka admitted. "It's hard to bring myself to look at them, though, for I fear they hate me."

"They don't hate you, baby," Ty reassured her. "You're their daughter; sometimes they don't like you, but they're always gonna love you."

"Why did you not tell your parents about your relationship with Ty in the first place?" Kasia asked, curiously.

Tinka fingered the tiny umbrella in her mango smoothie and said, "They don't like him. The minute they found out I was friends with him, they became outraged, but that didn't stop me from being around Ty."

"Well, I can certainly understand that," Kasia said, "but I must ask, though, despite your long-term relationship with Ty, do you have any feelings for my brother?"

"No, I don't," Tinka said, honestly. "Currently, I view him as merely an acquaintance, especially since we don't know each other well."

"You surprise me, Kasia," Rocky said. "You seem to be the only member of your family who's still accepting of Tinka, despite the revelation of her and Ty's secret relationship."

"Oh, I would never hold a grudge against Tinka because of such a revelation," Kasia explained, her eyes on the girl in question. "I believe that Tinka has the right to choose the man she wants to be with and, if you want my opinion, I do not think it is fair that she has become the victim of an arranged marriage."

Tinka's eyes widened in surprise and said, "You don't want the marriage to take place?"

Kasia shook her head and said, "I love my brother dearly, but he should not marry someone who does not love him in return. I wish he could see that."

Just then, Günther and CeCe joined the group, ending any further conversation about Tinka's arranged marriage to Anton and Tinka's love for Ty.

Kasia smiled when she felt Günther's gaze on her. She found him to be quite attractive and well-mannered, but knew it was more of a physical attraction than an emotional one. She also knew he was dating CeCe and knew it would be inappropriate to interfere with their relationship. Kasia was never, and would never be, a selfish person. CeCe was Tinka's friend and any friend of Tinka's was a friend of hers; therefore, she would never jeopardize that friendship.

"Princess Kasia," Günther said, charmingly, as he extended his hand out to her, "Will you honour me with a dance?"

Kasia blushed, figured one dance would not hurt, and said, "Of course."

Another waltz song began to play as Günther led Kasia onto the dance floor. He gently held her right hand in his left, and rested his right hand on her back. Her left hand softly held onto a part of his upper right arm, her pinky finger sticking out. Together, the two moved to the slow rhythm of the song.

"Better watch out, CeCe," Rocky said, playfully. "Kasia might steal your man."

CeCe laughed and said, "She won't. Besides, Günther is crazy about me; he'll never leave me for another girl, even if that girl's a princess."

"Yeah, CeCe has nothing to worry about," Tinka said in a reassuring tone. "She's the only girl for Günther. Günther is just being a gentleman to Kasia, that's all."

At that moment, Tinka felt Ty's arm around her waist tighten a bit. She knew that his grip on her tightened whenever he became possessive, and he only became possessive whenever he saw another guy express his desire for her.

Tinka turned her head to the side and sighed when she realized that her theory was correct. "May I help you, Prince Anton?"

Anton winced when Tinka spit out the word Prince as though it was poison. He was not oblivious to her hatred for him, but wished to give her no reason to hate him, even though Ty was glaring murderously at him. The prince obviously threw the ball for a reason and he was not going to let Ty's relationship with Tinka stop him from putting the next phase of his plan into action.

"I wish to talk about what happened earlier tonight," Anton explained, calmly. "My father nearly had a heart attack. My mother was in shock, although her shock is nothing compared to that of your parents."

"Please, I don't want to talk about that now," Tinka told him, coldly. "Tonight is a wonderful night and I wish to spend it with my boyfriend and friends."

"Tinka, you have no reason to hate me," Anton said.

"I don't?" Tinka scoffed with a laugh. "You showed up at my doorstep without giving me prior notice, you believed that I would agree to the arranged marriage even though I had just met you, and you refused numerous times to accept my rejection to the marriage. So, yes, Prince Anton, I have every reason to hate you!"

Anton was taken aback by Tinka's outburst. Even Ty was startled when she exploded into a long explanation about her reasons to hate Anton. The outburst, in fact, was drawing some unwanted attention from the other guests around them. It was bad enough that Kashlack and Squizza were ready to murder him, and the last thing Ty needed was more unnecessary drama.

Rocky and CeCe, who were watching the heated interaction between Anton and Tinka, jumped slightly when Tinka started making a scene. Kasia, the entire time, was staring at her brother in complete disbelief, believing that his behaviour was more distasteful than Tinka's. He was obviously very persistent and did not respect a girl's opinion on important matters, including marriage.

"Tinka," Ty whispered, leaning towards her ear, "do you want to be here right now?"

Tinka sighed and said, "No."

"Then, let's get out of here," Ty suggested as quietly as he could.

"Where are we going to go?" Tinka asked with a low voice.

"You need time to cool down and your parents need time to calm themselves and not kill me for dating you," Ty explained, "so we'll take a cab to your apartment. Quickly grab some things, and then you can spend the night at my place."

Tinka smiled at Ty's generous offer and said, "That's very nice of you, but I don't wish to intrude."

"Baby, my parents love you," Ty whispered, reassuringly. "They would be more than happy to have you over."

Anton, who was wondering what the couple was quietly discussing, asked, "What are you two talking about?"

"Excuse us, Prince Anton," Ty said, demandingly. "Clearly, you're upsetting my girl, so we're going to leave now."

"Not yet, Ty," Tinka said, gazing up at him. "Can we dance just one more time?"

Ty smirked, knowing that Tinka wished to rub their relationship in the prince's face, and said, "Of course." He released his hold on Tinka, took a step back, and extended his hand out to her. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Tinka answered with a giggle, as she gave CeCe her mango smoothie to hold.

Rocky was about to ask Ty what he and Tinka were talking about earlier, but Ty made a gesture with his free hand that told her they would call her once they left the ball. After interpreting the gesture correctly, Rocky nodded with a smile.

Without saying a single word, Ty led Tinka away from their group of friends. Once they were on the dance floor, Ty and Tinka imitated the appropriate waltz stances, just like Günther and Kasia did, and joined the other couples waltzing around them.

Back at the table, Logan, who was watching Ty and Tinka from afar, smiled and said, "Well, Ty is quite the gentleman!"

"Yeah, who knew the rapper could waltz?" Deuce commented, looking surprised.

"He must have learned for Tinka," Dina said with a loud sigh, so the occupants of the table next to them could hear her. "What a romantic gesture!" She turned to Deuce with a frown. "How come you never do something romantic for me?"

Kashlack, Squizza, Kamil, and Anna turned their attention to Ty and Tinka on the dance floor, ignoring the bickering that began between Deuce and Dina. Although Kashlack and Squizza silently admitted to themselves that Ty was a good dancer and that Tinka seemed happy dancing with him, they still did not approve of him. In fact, they were a bit disgusted that Ty dared to put his hands on their precious daughter.

Anton, meanwhile, fingered a small box in the pocket of his royal robes, as he sadly watched his potential fiancée and her boyfriend continue to dance a flawless waltz. He knew he lost the battle that night for Tinka's heart, but he believed that if he did not give up, he could end up winning the war in the end.

Chapter 7 Up! Questions? Comments? Should I continue?

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