Ruler

Chapter 24

                                                  Enid

I interlock my arm through Elias's, he gives me a reassuring smile as we both enter the vast ballroom. There was a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling, I stare up at it in awe at how beautiful it looks. We both walk down the wide staircase. Everyone turns to look up at us, if I wasn't already a princess, I would've definitely felt like it at this moment.

Today was the day of the ball and I was filled with all sorts of different emotions as they stirred together in the pit of my stomach. I never would've thought meeting with Elias's extended family would make me feel this way.

I take a deep breath before we reach the end of the staircase together. My hands started to shake involuntarily, I close them into a tight fist in order to atleast hide my nervousness from Elias. I don't want him to worry about me.

He turns to me and gives me a worried look, "are you sure you're okay? We can sneak out if you want, I've done it so many times, I could practically do it in my sleep." I slightly chuckle at his words, already feeling slightly better than before.

"No, it's okay, besides I've always wanted to meet the rest of your family," I shake my head to his offer. I just realise now that I didn't even answer his question.

He smiles at me brightly before dragging me to a woman who was standing in the middle of a small crowd that was surrounding her. As soon as the rest of the people saw us approaching them, they scatter away right after giving a quick bow to Elias.

"Did you have to scare the guests away?" She says sarcastically before smiling and giving him a big hug. I slowly take my arm out from Elias's and stare at the both of them until they're done. I can't help but feel weird in the stomach, not out of nervousness but something else. I just push the feeling aside as I realise the woman had asked me a question.

"Sorry, could you repeat that for me? I was just lost in thought," I give her a small smile but didn't receive one back.

"I asked, how do you know Elias?" One of her eyebrows raise up as she folds her arms across her chest, her pale skin glistening under the light of the chandelier.

"Oh, I'm his wife, and who might you be?" I ask. She might be his cousin but then again if she was then, why didn't she know that Elias was married? Why is she acting like this, did I do something to offend her?

"I'm Evelyn, his childhood friend. I used to be in all his classes ever since we were children. We used to be so close until he had to go all the way to Europe and I suppose it was to get married to you," she says the last word with distaste as if I disgust her.

"Well, I hope we can be as good friends as you were with him because any friend of Elias is a friend of mine," I smile as I hold my hand out to her. I expect her to take it but once she glanced at it and back at my face, I realise she wasn't. I awkwardly put my hand back down to my side.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom, I don't feel all that well," I quietly say to Elias. I just walk away without wanting to hear anything, why am I acting like this? I've never felt like this before, I just wanted to get out of there without another word.

Once I enter the bathroom, I close the lid of the toilet and sit down on it. I rest both my elbows on my knees and put my head in my hands. I take a deep breath for a few minutes in an attempt to calm down my pounding heart. It was so loud, I could hear it thump over and over again. I place a hand over my chest and hold it there, trying to focus on that sound, nothing else.

The thumping didn't stop, the pounding of my heart felt like it was right next to my ears. I take deep breaths for what felt like an hour. My heart finally slowed down and that's when I left the bathroom.