Hello again!
I just want to take a second to thank you all so much for being so sweet in the reviews. It really means the world to me and so much more that there's even one person who likes my story enough to read it.
I also have gotten reviews/PM's about fan-sequels, and art and such. I would LOVE to see them! To know that Ive inspired someone to create art/writing is so uplifting to my spirits (I've actually seen someone who's nearly copy/pasted my story and posted it as their own- I'm actually flattered), you have no idea. So, please don't be afraid to PM me them, or send me some in the reviews. Thank you all so much, again. (:
I held my breath, not wanting to risk ruining my coronation by exhaling and destroying my posture. My mother and father stared at me with wide smiles, which made me feel much safer as I began to walk down the velvet carpet that led me to my destiny. My back was arched, and my gloved hands were surprisingly gently hanging on to one another in front of me. Toadette had run me through some proper posture that I needed to follow in order to make my appearance more 'regal'. I didn't think appearance meant much to the kingdom, but Toadette soon reminded me that There was royalty from nearly every kingdom for miles at the celebration. I needed to represent my kingdom as one to be honored.
The choir began to sing a tune that was more beautiful than anything I'd ever heard. I also heard numerous gasps and internally panicked, thinking something might have been wrong with my gown. Had I stepped on it on the way in and torn through it? My chest felt tight, but soon was washed with relief when the gasps were followed by compliments on how beautiful I looked. I was proud however, as I didn't even show my panicked state through my 'Princess Posture'.
I finally made it to my parents, their smiles still wide as ever. They blinked softly, bowing their heads lightly as if to remind me of what to do next. I inhaled softly as I bowed to them, pinching my skirt lightly. I was trying to make this moment last as long as I could before I had to turn to face the audience behind me. Of course this only saved me two seconds, as I smiled to my parents once more before turning around slowly.
My chest felt tight as I looked out to the crowd. It expanded so far, and each row seemed to be filled with more and more people the longer I looked. All of the people and creatures who had once just been blank now had faces and eyes that were all pointed at me. Their smiles were wide, and I even noticed some people were crying. I could hear my heart beating in my ears as I scanned the audience, begging to see a familiar face that would make me feel more calm.
My eyes were immediately drawn to three large cloaked figures in the farthest row back, their hoods drawn up, and looking ominous as ever. Two were larger, and one who was smaller was in-between them. I wasn't sure what it was about- whoever that was- that made me so drawn to them. I felt my heart rate slow, and everything seemed to go silent. Even the beautiful choir seemed to cease their singing. I found myself staring into the blackness that was in the hood, hoping to see a face, or anything that could help me identify these mystery guests.
I heard the click of a heal, and my attention snapped to my mother, who now stood next to me with a pillow in hand. On top of the pillow lay the orb and scepter, shining in the sunlight that shone through the stain glass windows of the cathedral. They looked almost too beautiful to be touched by human hands. Maybe that's why I was required to wear gloves.
The choir seemed to flood back into my ears, as I started to scoop up the orb with one hand, and the scepter in the other. I found myself staring at them and their beauty, as my mother lowered the pillow from my hands, revealing that I was indeed holding them. I could feel something coming over me- something I'd never felt before. It was a wonderful feeling that almost made me feel like I could do anything- maybe it was power, but I like to think that it was something more humbling, such as pride in myself for being able to do such a thing.
I turned to the audience yet again, feeling a wave of confidence rush through me. A smile crept its way on to my face as I now absorbed all of the faces I'd originally glanced over. The only familiar ones to me were those of my Aunt and Uncle, and a surprisingly put together Benito who pointed to the smile on his face before giving me a thumbs up. I giggled internally before staring boldly to the entire crowd once more. The cloaked figures still sat in the far back, bringing me a sense of unease as Toadsworth read the royal speech aloud. I couldn't help but think something about them was familiar.
"You are hereby known as Princess Annabelle, of the Mushroom Kingdom!" Toadsworth said loudly, his voice ringing in my chest, making my heart beat fast. The crowd in front of me erupted, and repeated his chant. "Princess Annabelle, of the Mushroom Kingdom!"
The feeling of pride inside of me was now bursting at the seems, and I smiled wide and lifted the scepter above my head. The crowd nearly erupted in applause, as the clapping began to become background noise. It was the happiest I'd ever been.
o0o0o0o0o
"You were so great out there!" Toadette squealed, clipboard still in hand. She jumped and laughed loudly in front of me, acting rather out of character. I giggled at her actions, as I followed her into the room that I'd panned on meeting my family in after the ceremony.
"You really think so?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She turned to face me as we eventually reached the dressing room. "Of course!" She shouted, making me laugh again. I found a seat in front of the makeup mirror, and sat down looking at my reflection. I looked exactly the same, but I felt completely different.
"You were so calm and collected! You looked so beautiful and admirable- I wouldn't be surprised if princes will be lining up from all over to meet you tonight!" She gushed. I was flattered, but it sent a familiar coldness down my spine. I wondered about the person who I missed and felt my heart sink into my stomach. I wondered if they saw my coronation for a few moments. If they were from a nearby kingdom, wouldn't they have had to attend my ceremony? I shook it off and forced a smile back on my face.
"Thank you, Toadette." I said with a laugh, looking to the little blushing toad. She giggled back to me. "Not a problem, Bella."
A real smile spread on my face as I heard her actually call me by my first name.
Suddenly, the door opened behind me and my parents walked in with tear soaked eyes. "Mom... Dad..." I said, as I rushed to them and quickly shared a group hug. "You did a fantastic job," My dad said softly. "You were even better than me during my coronation as queen," My mother added, making my heart feel warm. "Thank you," I simply said, squeezing them tighter before letting them go. Luigi, Daisy, and Benito were close behind, now entering the room. Even Benito was wiping a tear from his eye.
"Not bad, ding dong." He said with a smirk, trying to regain his ironically slouched posture. I giggled quickly before rushing up to him and hugging him tight. I was going to miss him so much when he left.
Everyone in the room seemed to understand, and seemed to join in on the hug, even Toadette.
"Okay, okay- I cant feel my spine." Benito said sarcastically, causing us all to separate with small laughs. His classic smirk was held on his face, as he looked back at me again. "I'll be back on the day of the Christmas ball." He said, causing me to sigh lightly. "Don't party to hard. You cant come back broken." I said, trying to joke in the same way he did. His smirk turned to a smile, as it seemed to work. "I'm already broken." He laughed. Everyone else in the group let out soft chuckles, as Daisy placed a hand on his head and rustled his hair.
"We wouldn't have you any other way." She said, making him get noticeably redder. I smiled again at the scene, as he began to playfully argue with Daisy, with added commentary from Luigi.
O0o0o0o0o
"Now presenting, Princess Annabelle Maurizia Toadstool!"
I walked out into the ballroom, not nearly as nervous as before. We'd said our goodbyes to Benito, and Luigi and Daisy had left to see him off. There appeared to be Hundreds of people attending the party, and all eyes were on me. I carefully stepped down the grand staircase, and waved lightly to those who began to cheer.
Lightly scanning the audience, I saw the cloaked figures once more. They were sitting at a table in a far back corner, still continuing to confuse me. Maybe I should go over to them and start conversation? I reached the bottom step, and waved to everyone slowly, before feeling my fathers hand on my back. "The princess will be talking to guests over here if you like to introduce yourselves." He said, his voice ironically booming through the room. I didn't remember this part of the rehearsal. I rose an Eyebrow, and attempted to object, but I was quickly led to a corner of the room, opposite of the cloaked figures. I stared at them over my shoulder before accepting my fate.
My father and mother stood next to me, chatting with guests as they approached and bowed before me. I felt rather odd in this type of situation, and couldn't help but stare over into the corner where the cloaked figures sat. Where they security or something? They didn't look like guards of any kind.
Suddenly, a face appeared in front of me, blocking my view and snapping me from my thoughts.
Before me stood a boy who appeared to be about Benito's Age. His hair was Dark brown, and his face looked as if it had been carved out of marble. His eyes where a beautiful icy blue, and he appeared to be extremely fit. He was a few inches taller than me, and wore an extravagant outfit with a crown on his head. I had assumed he was a prince. My parents both looked to him with smiles.
"Greetings, your highness." He said in a deep voice, as he bowed in front of me, causing me to blush. I'd been getting used to all of the formality, although it still made me feel off.
"Greetings." I responded, as I had to so many before him. He stood back up straight, and smiled widely. His teeth nearly put Benitos to shame. I was struck by how handsome he was for a moment. It was almost as if the choir from my coronation had been playing in my head when I looked at him. There was something about him that had me instantly curious.
He lifted a hand to me, as if to ask that I did the same. I placed a gloved hand on his, as he lifted my hand up delicately and kissed it. My face went bright red, and I could feel my heart pounding against my rib cage.
"Might I say, it is quite an honor to be in the presence of someone as flawless as yourself." He said in a lulling tone, as he looked back to me with soft eyes. I blinked once, speechless. My father cleared his throat loudly, catching the attention of the mystery man who's hand held mine.
"And who might you be?" My father asked. I could nearly hear his brow furrow through his question. The boy in front of me continued to smile.
"Forgive me, where are my manners-" He began, letting my hand go lightly. I stared at the back of my hand for a second or two, feeling my heart beat again.
"I am Prince Aspen, of the Southern Ice lands." He said to me and my parents. "O-oh well," I began, catching my parents attention, along with Aspen who stared at me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Aspen." I responded formally. "The pleasures all mine, Annabelle." He confirmed. My father and mother didn't appear to be satisfied, but still refused to interrupt.
A slower paced song began to be played by the band, and Aspens eyes grew slightly, as he stuck out his hand yet again. "Might I be honored with a dance with her majesty?" He asked. My heart beat faster as I quickly accepted his offer, placing my hand in his. "But Bella, the other guests-" My mother began in a weak voice. "Just one song, mother." I said with a smile, causing her to smile back. It looked rather forced and made me confused.
He pulled me along gently to the middle of the floor, and spun me around, as if to be transferring his grace from himself to me. My beautiful dress sparkled in the light from the chandelier as I spun. He soon placed a hand on my lower waist, and lifted another just above my head. I didn't know what he wanted me to do, but knew I couldn't ask him. I didn't want to look stupid in front of him. I went through with my fist instinct, and reached my hand up to his, intertwining our fingers. He smiled down to me, assuring that Id done the right thing.
He quickly started to move his feet, and I just seemed to follow his steps. We both seemed to be staring at each other for a while, being lost in the music that was playing. My heart was racing and it felt as if it was going to shoot out of my chest at any moment. I felt truly elegant and beautiful while dancing like this. The music we danced to seemed to be a roller coaster that I rode on, as nearly every step we took was crafted to the flow of the song.
He quickly pushed me from his body gently, as I spun a few times, our hands never separating. He pulled me close again, staring deep into my eyes. I was almost certain he could feel my heart beating rapidly, as he smiled to me yet again.
A loud round of applause snapped me from my thoughts, as I looked around and noticed the dance floor was now nearly empty surrounding us. Toads and the like all began clapping and applauding Aspen and I. I could feel my face get hot, as that meant they'd watched us dance this entire time. Aspen waved to the crowds, as if to be saying thank you. I lifted up a hand meekly and followed him with a giggle.
I gasped as he quickly pulled me close to him yet again, staring deep into my eyes as he spoke.
"Why are you so nervous?" He asked with a laugh, yet concern was evident in his voice. I stuttered, trying to find an answer that didn't make me look stupid.
"W-well I.. It's just.. there are a lot of people here and-"
"Let us go to the garden then?" He offered quickly, his familiar smile sneaking on to his face, and somehow making its way to mine. I found myself lost in his eyes for a second, still not responding to him. Even though we stopped dancing moments ago, our hands were still intertwined with one another. I had just met him, but I couldn't help but feel an instant connection to him. I didn't know why, but it felt almost familiar to feel this way.
"O-of course," I stuttered sheepishly. The smile on his face spread, as he squeezed my hand tightly.
We laughed together as he slowly led me outside, the front doors to the castle (which had been propped open for the occasion). I could faintly hear my mother calling for me, but she soon silenced herself as I quickly rushed behind Aspen. My heart was racing, and not only because I was holding on to a handsome prince. I was doing something out of the ordinary and it also sent a familiar feeling down my spine.
The stars twinkled overhead, as the scent of roses filled my nose. The sound of the party could still be heard , but the sound of rushing water from a fountain seemed to overpower it gently. Fireflies twinkled around us, as I stared in awe. Though the roses weren't under a direct source of light, the moon made them glow and illuminate the garden. My dress matched them perfectly.
Aspen inhaled the scent of the outdoors, before turning to face me again. "It's nice to be away from the crowd finally."
"Yeah." I answered simply, feeling my face get red. I quickly brushed a piece of hair behind my left ear, staring at the floor for a moment. "Still nervous?" He said with another laugh. It was an angelic laugh that I didn't think Id get tired of hearing. This question only made me blush more, even though I quickly tried to tell him otherwise.
"O-oh, It's not that-" I began, before being cut off. "You never were this nervous when we used to do this before. ."
I blinked in confusion. "Before?" I questioned, wondering if Id heard him correctly. He smirked, leading me over to a concrete bench. I sat down, intently waiting for a response. "Yes, before the.. amnesia." He said with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. I assumed he was just trying to use proper words for me condition. His words still had me more and more curious as he continued.
"We used to be best friends, you and I- don't you remember that?" He said, smiling down to me yet again. My heart melted, and seemed to be beating faster than ever. Could he be the one that Id remembered and forgotten?
"By your lack of response, I'm going to assume that you don't remember me. Its okay, your parents didn't seem to either." He said with a laugh. It was right- my parents seemed to have no idea who he was, even though he was supposed to be royalty. Shouldn't they at least be aware of who's a ruler in their nearby kingdoms? I thought about this for a bit before shrugging it off.
"Well, we used to be extremely close. You and I often met in private, as to not stir a fuss between our kingdoms with our relationship." He said boldly, as if it was an everyday situation. I blinked yet again, and felt my heart rise into my throat. He must be the one from my memory that I missed. "Relationship?" I asked, as if to ask him to confirm my suspicions.
"Well yes, we were practically dating." He said simply, looking to me with soft eyes once more. I wished I could remember his face, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't recall his face. The feelings however were filling my heart. It wasn't a satisfying feeling as I'd expected, but there was defiantly something there.
I quickly jumped forward, wrapping my arms around him and giving him the largest hug I could muster. "I'm so sorry for forgetting you." I apologized. It was obvious that I'd caught him off guard, as he was slightly hesitant to hug me back. He eventually did, followed by another angelic laugh. "It's alright, It's not your fault. All that matters now is that we're together." He said, lightly running his hand along my back.
"You know," I said with a smile, our hug separating. "I actually think I remember you."
His response was shocked, almost as if he had been dumbfounded. He raised an eyebrow, before quickly raising both. "O-Oh, you do?" He said with a smile.
"Well, maybe not your face.. But I remember these feelings. These are feelings of love, right?" I asked him. His face seemed to get red, as he lightly adjusted his collar. "Yes, of course. I mean, we were seeing each other." He said, less confident than before, but still with a smirk. I still felt the longing feeling in my chest, but immediately reminded myself that the person I was missing was now standing in front of me and that there was no reason to ache anymore.
"Annabelle?! Annabelle?! Where are you?!" I heard my mother call. My eyes shot from Aspens, to the brick pathway that sprouted from the garden. She had fist fulls of her dress in her hands, as she was obviously searching for me. I stood up quickly, breaking Aspen and I's intertwined hands. "Oh, I'm so sorry, but I've really got to go. Royal duties, you know." I said apologetically over my shoulder, as I started to walk forward.
A firm hand grasped my arm rather harshly, making me gasp lightly. Aspen turned me around and looked at me with the sweet eyes he had. "You don't need to leave yet. We can always run somewhere else," He offered. This caught me off guard but I shook my head lightly. "I-I'm sorry, I really must go-"
"Are you seriously doing this to me again?" He said angrily, raising his voice at me. My eyes went wide and any feelings of compassion I'd previously felt for him had shrunken in size ten fold. I began to second guess my previous suspicions. Was this seriously someone I had been dating?
His harsh gaze softened immediately, as did his grip. "I-I'm sorry... It's just that... I've... missed you." He plead in an odd tone. Maybe this was just a one time thing with him. It could have been very possible that he really did just miss me, and his tensions were high. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"I know," I lied. I didn't know how he was feeling at the moment. "Can you come and meet me here tomorrow?" I asked. He looked dissatisfied with my suggestion. "Well, I was really hoping to get some alone time with you tonight," He said, taking a few steps closer to me. My heart raced again, as I slowly backed away. "I know, and I'm sorry... But I really must be going." I said again. His face faded to a frown, as he didn't bother to come after me yet again. He shook his head quickly before giving me the smile that made my heart flutter. "You'll be here tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yes. Same time tomorrow." I responded with a smile. He smiled at this response, and waved me off before taking an opposite path out of the garden.
"Here I am, mother!" I called, catching her attention. She shot me a shocked expression, as she rushed up to me. I was preparing for an earful.
"Where did you run off to?!" She shouted, her brow furrowing. "We just went to the garden," I said with a nervous laugh. I was still slightly shaken by Aspens actions, but shrugged it off.
"Goodness gracious, Annabelle.. You cant just run off with strange men like that! You gave your father and I a heart attack." She said, finally reaching me. I blushed at her words. It was rather foolish of me to agree to leave the ballroom with Aspen without informing my parents. She placed two gloved hands on my cheeks, and examined me.
"Did he do anything to hurt you?" She asked worriedly. I blushed even more before furrowing my own brow. "N-No mom, of course not!" I said in a hushed tone, becoming very embarrassed. I thought about telling her that we'd been seeing each other for some time now, but soon decided against it. If we'd met in private, it was probably for the better to keep that a secret. I still thought it might be best to inform her that I was planning on seeing him again.
"Prince Aspen was very nice to me. Honest." I said to my mother sincerely. She still didn't appear satisfied, but stroked my shoulder and gave me a smirk. "We're actually planning on meeting again tomorrow." I admitted. A light expression of shock crossed her face, as I wondered if I should have admitted that.
"Peach? Bella?!" I heard my father call, as he made his way up the path that led to us. I was stuck looking at my mothers worried expression, trying to figure out what I had done to make her give me such a face. "What's going on out here? Is everything alright?"
My mother soon blinked and shook her head. She cleared her throat before responding to my fathers question with saddened eyes. "Yes- Bella has just informed me that she's going to... continue seeing Prince Aspen." She said calmly.
I looked to my father, and anxiously waited for a response. His seemed to be very similar, as he looked at me with confusion. "Are.. You sure you want to do this, Bella?" He asked me with sincerity in his voice. Why were my parents being so weird about this? I knew what I felt when Aspen looked at me. He was the one I'd been missing. He even told me that we'd been seeing each other.
"I mean... You've only just gotten settled. There are far more suitors in the world for you to consider." He added.
I crumpled my nose lightly in mild disgust at my fathers words. What had they against Aspen? Why were they treating him so negatively? I understood that I was their daughter that they were supposed to worry about me hanging around with boys. But wasn't this becoming simply rude?
"I'm sure," I began, waiting for a change in expression from either of my parents. They still stared at me with hurt eyes, almost as If I'd disappointed them for siding with my feelings. "When I looked at him... I instantly felt a connection. Like one that had been there my whole life." I admitted plainly, not really going into the fact that we'd been seeing each other for all those years.
I noticed tears well up in my mothers eyes, as she quickly covered her mouth. "I'm sorry..." She croaked lightly. "I've got something In my eyes-" She obviously lied, as she quickly turned and speed walked down the garden path.
My heart sank at the thought of my actions hurting my mother, but at the same time I was very hurt. "Mom!" I shouted to her, though she didn't even turn around. My father reached out for her, but she was too far away at that point. "Peach!" He called. Even he didn't get a response from her. He sighed deeply, before looking back to me.
"Bella," He began, choosing his words carefully. "I want you to know that we both just want you to be the happiest you can be." He said, holding both of my hands in mine as he looked into my eyes, making sure I heard and understood every word he spoke. I paid close attention as he continued.
"If seeing... that boy will make you happy, we will see to it that it is done." He said, forcing a smile to his face.
"Daddy..." I spoke softly, almost regretting any negative feelings I'd felt earlier. He looked down to my hands, and squeezed them tightly.
"Don't worry about your mother. She's just... worried about you." He said vaguely. "We just... love you so much Annabelle." He added softly. "I didn't mean to upset-" I began, being cut off by my father who let my hands go.
"No, Belle. That's not your fault. I'll go check on her. Just... go back inside and meet with Toadsworth. He will help you with guest greetings." He said quickly as he turned around and began jogging to the castle. I didn't say anything, as I watched him enter the castle in search for my mother. I wondered to myself If what I was doing was right. My heart told me yes, but there was still a lingering feeling that something was wrong. I assumed I'd just have to go with my heart, and let the rest figure itself out in the end.
OooOoOo
"Now presenting, Princess Annabelle Maurizia Toadstool!"
My eyes immediately shot to Bella, who now stood at the top of the grand staircase. All heads turned to face her as well. Gasps could be heard, as she began her decent to the ballroom floor. Most began to applaud her, but I was much to busy admiring her beauty.
The confidence she'd radiated seemed to give her a whole other level of beauty. Her dress sparkled in the light of the chandelier, along with her eyes which twinkled as she blinked them softly. She lifted her gloved hand lightly, and waved to the crowd, who increased in volume. Everything seemed to go dark in the room except for her.
Her head turned to face me, as our eyes met in the familiar way they had before that sent my heart racing in my chest. My breath stopped, as I remembered that I couldn't shout her name, or remind her who I was. Our stare wasn't broken, until she reached the bottom of the stairs and re-united with her parents.
I'd never seen such familiar faces appear to be so unfamiliar.
"The princess will be talking to guests over here if you like to introduce yourselves." Mario said, his voice echoing through the ballroom. A large group of toads began to rush over in the direction he'd pointed. It was truly a challenge for me to not follow them.
Bella raised an eyebrow, and seemed to be confused. I chuckled under my breath as she was swept away.
"So, that's her, huh?" Ludwig said in between sips of champagne he'd been holding. I didn't respond, as It was an obvious question. "She's cute," He said with a laugh before finishing off the glass in his hands. It was obvious he was starting to get rather tipsy, as this had been his third drink that night.
'Cute' was certainly and understatement for her beauty, but I didn't protest him. It would have been pointless to bicker with him when he was like this. It was a side Id never seen in him before, and I didn't really care much to see it.
My father sat to my right, and silently picked at the food in front of him. It didn't look like something he'd normally eat, but it seemed that he was just trying to blend in with the crowd. I looked to my plate which remained untouched, even though it smelled amazing.
"Ya know, I wouldn't have taken you for a brunette kind of guy." He added with another laugh. I'd hoped he wasn't going where I thought he was with this. He began to slur his words, almost as if he was trying to find them.
"Especially since you're basically our father, and he had such a thing for blondes."
I noticed my dad tense up, pausing the movement of his fork. "Shut the hell up." I responded to Ludwig, with a scowl on my face. He smirked as he poured more alcohol into his glass. "Oh c'mon, lighten up," He began, nodding the comment off as if it didn't mean anything.
I felt my blood boil. "Just knock it off," I said to him, trying to suppress my anger. "You're a huge ass when you're drunk." I said, making sure he heard me. Instead of taking the insult with offense, he smiled and laughed which pissed me off even more. I growled under my breath, trying to not make a scene. He looked off into the distance and seemed to laugh a bit harder. I stared at him with a fierce face, warning him to stop his actions.
"Maybe you should be the one drinking." He laughed again, tilting the bottle in the direction he was looking. Dad and I both turned our heads and looked.
My heart stopped, and my blood ran cold.
There was a man bent down in front of Bella, kissing her hand. He looked shocked, but wasn't pulling away. My heart sank into my stomach, before my face grew warm with jealousy.
"I guess we should have expected such an event," Ludwig began with a shrug. "A lone princess who needs a prince. It was bound to happen sooner or later" He laughed, sipping his drink again. I opened my mouth to respond, but my voice was cut off by my fathers fist hitting the table top. There was a short moment of silence between the three of us, as all that could be heard is the idle chit chat of guests mingling.
"He told you to shut the hell up, didn't he?" He said softly, yet in a tone that made Ludwig uneasy. "Yeah, but-"
"So shut the hell up."
Ludwig went silent, and dad sighed. It was obvious that he didn't enjoy doing this anymore. "You don't have a single clue about this, Ludwig. It would be best if you didn't make any comments about it." He said calmly. Ludwig didn't respond, but it was obvious that he knew what our father was talking about.
I looked quickly back to Bella, only to see her being led to the dance floor by the tall man who I now despised. His face was the cliché description of handsome. I really wondered if Bella was attracted to that. I looked down to myself and thought of my monstrous appearance. A slow song that had started playing a few seconds ago now seemed to have a new sound, as the strange man began twirling Bella around, and dancing with her.
My heart seemed to crack more and more with every step they took. Each time I'd gotten a glimpse at her face, she had a smile as wide as Id ever seen. This only made my heart ache more. Ludwig had started to hum the song softly to himself, as he seemed to show no interest in their dancing.
He spun her around one last time, before pulling her as close to his body as he could. Roaring applause filled my ears, as the room began to not just be filled with myself and the two dancers, but with all of the guests. They were cheering and clapping something that made me sick to my stomach.
The man rose a hand, and cockily waved to the surrounding group, followed by Bella who made another wave but more meek. I stared at them for what seemed to be hours, although only a few seconds passed. He soon grabbed on to her hand, and began rushing with her to the front door which was just passed us. I watched as the last bit of her dress snuck itself out of the front door. Peach began trotting after her.
"Annabelle?! Where are you going?!" She called, rushing through the crowd and out behind her. It took her nearly 5 whole minutes to manage to get through the crowd. Mario followed his wife. He looked over to me, and he'd given me an apologetic glance before rushing out the door too.
"Let's go." Dad said boldly, standing up beside me. I couldn't move. I felt as if someone had shot me in the heart.
Ludwig sighed, and stood up too. They both began walking to the exit, as I still sat alone, staring at the table in front of me. I'd never thought of something like this happening, but maybe I should have considered it as my brother had said. Then maybe it wouldn't have hurt this much.
I felt a tear escape my eye, as I finally stood up and followed slowly behind my brother and father. I knew that wouldn't be the last one before the night was over.
