Breaking the Ice

Chapter 10: Heart stopping.

"Gotcha." He said while looking at her, an embarrassed and guilty look on her face.

Renee sighed, giving up on hiding from him. "Renee, why are you avoiding us? Don't you know the ball is in 2 hours?" Parker asked after catching up with the two.

Renee didn't answer, just looking guilty down at the ground. "Darling," Elias spoke, gently tilting her chin up to him. "I can't do this.." She spoke, her voice cracking slightly and anxiety laced in her words.

"What do you mean?" Parker asked.

"I can't go to the ball, I'm a servant, not a princess. Peasants don't go to balls." She would say sadly. "You have every right to be there just as everyone else does, don't talk down to yourself like that." Elias could see how nervous she was, she didn't have much confidence in herself with a lot of things and he knew that.

"What if no one likes me?" She asked sadly, a single tear running down her cheek. He practically felt his heart break at her words. He looked at Parker, giving him a sign that the two needed to be alone.

"I'll go find my mother to see how things are doing with the dress." He would say before walking away. Elias gently pulled her into one of the many guest bedrooms, shutting and locking the door so no one would interrupt them. He went over to the bed, gently pulling her onto his lap as the sun shined through the windows.

Renee sniffled softly, she really needed someone to cuddle and hold her like this. His arms wrapped around her waist, and she leaned into his touch.

"Everyone will love you, darling. You are perfect in every way possible, if that's even possible. I want to show everyone the beautiful girl I fell in love with when I first met her, and the gorgeous women she became." Elias spoke softly to her, rubbing her sides.

"But I'm a monster."

"How could anyone think you are a monster? It's been me and your mother who only knew, hmm?" Renee nodded in response. "Well I certainly know she didn't think you were a monster, and I don't. Not one bit." He kissed her temple, and her crying had calmed down a bit. She melted into him.

"Now, come along darling. You need to have faith in yourself." He stood up, gently pulling her up with him. "Your dress should be ready. Let's go see, shall we?" He asked, to which she nodded.

"Oh darling you're going to love it!" Verity spoke, Elias, Renee, and Parker standing outside the seamstress room with Verity. "Let's go put this on you, but show you first." Verity spoke with excitement as she took her hand and opened the door, pulling her inside.

Parker slipped by before Elias could, and blocked his way. "Nuh uh! You don't get to see the dress yet dingus!" Parker said to Elias. Elias scoffed. "Come on, move out of the way. I've been waiting to see it."

"Nope! You don't get to spoil the surprise. Run along, I'll send you over when she's done." Elias huffed in annoyance, hating every bit of this. "Fine." He walked away, Parker watching.

A group of maids walking with each other down the hall were passing by, Parker giving them a handsome smile. "Ladies," He said in a flirty tone, the maids giggling. After that he slipped back into the room with his mother and Renee.

"Are you sure about this?" Renee asked Parker, who held lipstick and a little bit more makeup in his hand. "Of course, it just adds to your beauty. Pout your lips for me, love." He spoke. "How do you know how to do makeup?" She questioned before doing what she was told and pouting her lips at him. "My mother taught me so when I was watching my sister I could put make up on her when she wanted me to." Renee couldn't help but smile from his sweet gesture he did for his sister, smudging the lipstick by accident. She looked at him and laughed. "Bloody hell!" Parker exclaimed.

Elias was in his room, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves as she looked at himself in the mirror. He had on black pants, a white shirt under his Blue Royal Rococo that had gold laced on it. He looked like his father.

He started to get a bit nervous, looking down. He wondered what Mare would do, she certainly wouldn't be happy. He wondered about his father, knowing he would be upset but now wondering about his mother.

He heard a knock on his door, opening it to see a royal guard. "Your highness, the announcements for the royal ball have started." The guard spoke, Elias nodding before thanking him and walking out. He spotted Parker heading towards him.

"Is she ready?" Elias asked. "My mums just doing the final touches, she said she will have her out right after. But for us we must go." Parker responded, leading him and Elias to a ballroom entrance where everyone was being announced as they arrived.

Renee stared at herself in the mirror, never seeing herself wear anything like this. "Child come on! There's being fashionably late and just plain late!" Verity said, taking her hand and leading her out.

"Prince Carter and Princess Amelia of Elhems.."

"King Serbius and Queen Elizabeth of Qualiers.."

"Princess Ruth of Jexworrth and her dog Bane.."

Renee listened as she heard the announcer down the hall, seeing that there were no more to announce except for the king and queen.

Trumpets played, and the king and queen emerged from a different entrance.

"And I now proudly present, King William and Queen Melissa of Ledonya.."

She listened as people clapped, hesitating to go out.

Both Elias and Parker stood near the stairs that went up to the balcony, where everyone else came in.

"Any day now, mum.." Parker mumbled, waiting anxiously for his mother to send her out.

"I thank you all dearly for joining us today, for we have a celebration." King Williams voice boomed across the ballroom.

Renee took a deep breath, shaking her hands purposely before standing still.

"Besoin de faire une entrée à moment donné." She said to herself.

("Need to make an entrance at some point.")

Everyone was listening to the king as he spoke, except for Elias. The King and Queen of Tapitor were standing near the balcony stairs that led to King William and Queen Melissa. Mare was there as well, in a pretty pink ball gown.

"My wife, Queen Melissa and I gather you all here today to celebrate the engagement of my son, Prince Elias of Ledonya, and my soon to be daughter-in-law Princess Mare of Tapitor, daughter of King William and Queen Antoine of-"

Before he could go on, the doors slowly opened, more of not to make a sound. All eyes went to that balcony entrance.

Elias felt like his heart had stopped at the sight before him.

.