Folke ♥︎|| Folkelore

♥︎ 15 ♥︎

A/N: I highly suggest listening to Love Story by Indila when you get to the dancing part, maybe a little before ;)

I pace around the room, waving my hands wildly as I talk. "We've only been here for a week, and I've already had three dress fittings. THREE! What are they even for?"

"Relax, Princess, I'm sure it's nothing," Apollo chuckles, grabbing my hand as I pass him and pulling me to a stop. He looks up at me from his spot on the sofa, eyes sparkling before releasing me to answer a knock at the door. I sigh softly, my mind drifting off to our first night here. The way he held me. The way he leaned in and the fire that lit his eyes.

I shake my head. Stop that, I mentally chide. Derek steps into the room, effectively pulling me out of my remembering. He sets down the dress bags he carried in, and bows.

"The Queen asked me to inform you of your required attendance at tonight's ball."

I scoff, my hands resting on my hips. "Required attendance? Ball? You have got to be kidding me."

Derek dips his head. "Her Majesty is very serious about her social gatherings."

"Of course she is," I mutter, staring at the ground. So this is what the dress fittings were for. "Is that all, Derek?"

He dips his head in confirmation, and leaves. I spin to look at the dress bags and lift the first one. Opening it, my breath catches. It's a deep orange color that looks like flames. The skirt falls in small patches that look like butterfly wings. Black tulle gives the whole dress a fluffy burnt look.

I set it aside, excitement coursing through me. Unzipping the second one, I find a fur lined suit. I hand it to Apollo without giving it much thought. The only thing on my mind is what else could be in these dress bags.

The third bag holds a dress that is similar to the first, only it's a stunning sapphire blue, with a skirt that mimics water falling, and a gorgeous open back look. The fourth bag holds another outfit for Apollo, and I again don't think much about it. The fifth bag reveals a dress that I believe is my favorite. It's gold and white and so feminine. The sleeves and cape are sheer with gold feather details, and it's a mermaid style which has always been appealing to me but not my mother. The flared out part is golden and looks like feathers. It's breathtaking, but in a simply elegant way.

I hand the next bag to Apollo without opening it, and he chuckles. I open the seventh bag, and my jaw drops. This is it. This is the dress I'm wearing to the ball. However much I liked the mermaid style of the last dress, the boldness of this one kicks it to the back of my mind. It has two layers, the bodice and top of the skirt are a deep purple that makes me think of dusk with silver chains that run down it. The rest of the skirt is a deep black with silver stars sprinkling the bottom. It's perfect for the night court.

As much as I loved all the dresses, it doesn't escape my attention that Octavia did not have a dress that represented my court or the court of Rora in the mix. Apollo takes the final clothing bag, and locks eyes with me.

"Did you see the masks that go with these?"

My eyebrows scrunch together. "Masks? What?" I dig through the bag that the night dress came in and pull out a black mask with silver detailing that looks like ice crystals. "Oh, it must be a masquerade ball! These have always been my favorite."

"Whatever kind of ball it is, there will be dancing." His eyes dance with amusement.

My mind flashes back to the last time we danced. The ball after our wedding. The way my whole body reacted to his nearness, and the way memories of Kingston ruined the night. I shiver as the thought of my past captor runs through my head.