Once Upon a Time: Ever After High (Book 13)

Ch.21 Ballroom intruder

(Flashback) Not wanting to think much of what she saw the other night, Justine decided to put it to the side as she got ready for her family's ball which had already began as she finished doing her makeup in her old room of her castle.

"Justine" she heard one of her sisters knock on her door "You ready?"

"Yeah almost" she replied as she finished applying her lipstick "Okay I'm ready."

At that moment her door swung open as all her sisters entered already dressed in their ball gowns.

"Oh my God!" they squealed when they saw their younger sister all dressed in her gold and silver gown "You look so pretty!"

"So do all of you" Justine smiled.

"Our baby sister is growing up fast" one of them smiled with her hands on her heart.

"Well let's not just stand here and admire me, let's go dance!"

Now in their ballroom, the sisters entered the room all ready to dance in their dancing shoes. But even though all of Justine's sisters had a partner to dance with, Justine didn't mind as she went up to the food table and helped herself.

"Justine" one of her sisters went up to her "Are you okay with not having a dance partner?"

"Of course I am" she assured "I don't need a partner to dance with. I'm just gonna eat real quick and then I'll dance later."

"Well, alright then, I'm just saying I can help you find someone."

"I'm fine" she assured again in a small laugh.

"Okay okay" her sister held her hands up "I wont help. Although mother did wanted to remind me to tell you that tomorrow you need to help us gather more of the leaves."

Justine turned to a nearby vase that contained branches of gold and silver leaves, all from the trees outside her castle.

"I will" she promised "You know it's amazing what these leaves can do, they can do so many things and yet we've never tried them."

"I know" her sister sighed "But you know that these leaves only grow once ever few years so we can only use them for emergencies."

"But still I would like to see what they can do."

"Me too, but until an emergency happens, we just use them for decorations."

As she headed off, Justine went back to eating her food when she turned her head and spotted something that caught her eye.

There was a hooded figure standing near a hallway that appeared to be staring at a vase of gold and silver leaves. And as she continued to watch, the figure looked around before reaching his hands out and plucking a few of the leaves off the branches. Knowing that those leaves were really valuable to her family, Justine set down her plate and hurried towards the figure just as it began down the hallway.

"Hey!" she shouted as she ran after the figure down the hallway.

Because she wasn't wearing her heels, Justine was able to catch up to the figure as she tackled him onto the floor.

"You're not allowed to steal those leaves!" she scowled as she turned him around to see his face as she gasped "Nathan?!"

He just froze as she got off of him.

"Nathan what the hell are you doing here?!" she hissed.

"I'm sorry" he apologized with a guilty look "I know I shouldn't be here but I really need these leaves."

"You know no one is allowed to take these leaves, these leaves are really valuable to us."

"I know and I'm sorry, I didn't wanna do this but I really need these leaves."

"What for?"

He gave a big sigh "I need to help my mother."

"What's wrong with your mother?"

"She's sick, like badly sick, and my only chance of helping her get better are with these leaves, I heard that they can be made into a special soup that can cure certain illnesses."

At that point Justine could feel her heart starting to break when a thought came to her.

"Wait a minute-" she spoke "Is that why you've been sneaking out at night? To go see your mother?"

"How do you know that?" he demanded.

"I see you sneaking out whenever I wake up from sleepwalking."

He gave another sigh "Yes I've been sneaking out to see my mother, and she's getting worse. So if you would just allow me to take these leaves, I promise you I wont come back here."

After a moment of thinking, Justine gave a small sigh.

"Alright" she replied "Just this once, and on one condition."

"What?"

"Can I come with you? To your land? I can help, and I've always wanted to see where you were made."

He froze "I uh... I'm not sure if I'm allowed to bring visitors."

"Why not? Does it have to do with the Rat King?"

"Pretty much" he nodded.

"Well don't worry" she assured in a small smile "If he comes at me, I can stab him in his ribs with my pointy toes."

Nathan gave a small chuckle "Well dancing does have some advantages."

"So can I please come?"

After a moment of thinking, he gave a deep sigh.

"Very well" he answered "Just stay by my side okay?"

She nodded as the both got up.

"But uh, won't your family wonder where you are?" he suddenly questioned.

"Oh no, they know that I always like to sneak out, well, that is whenever I don't get caught. But as long as I return safe they wont mind."

"Yeah but, I still feel like you should let them know where you're going."

"Alright then" she pulled out her phone and began to send a text "There, I just sent a text to all my sisters telling them that I'm gonna be hanging out with you."

"Okay then" he gave a small smile "Follow me."

She followed him down the hall until they came upon a grandfather clock.

"Every grandfather clock has it's secrets" Nathan stated as he turned the clock hands to 12 just as they heard a rumble as the clock suddenly shifted to the side revealing a secret passage.

"No way" Justine gasped "I knew my castle has secret passage ways but I never knew about this one."

"You'd be amazed by how many there are" Nathan smiled "Come on."

As she followed him into the passage, neither of them noticed the mysterious figure hurrying to the clock and stopping it before it could close. And after making sure they didn't turn around, the figure slipped into the passage and began to follow them.