This chapter has 1010 words in it. I can't wait to write the next chapter! Elizabeth's dress is pictured above. Sorry for any spelling errors, I wrote this while battling my cat for dominance over the warm keyboard (You can probably guess what his name is c;). Thank you for reading!
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My mom and dad sat on the ground in front of me, their hands tied in front of them. My dad gave a feeble cough, and I heard Kaden's voice somewhere, pleading with me to stop. I felt a hand leave a feathery trail down my back, and a voice leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"This is the only way," He murmured. His voice felt like razors in my ears. I shook my head, and the pressure of his hand on my back became firmer.
"I'm not giving you a choice, Elizabeth." His voice growled. "You wanted him spared. I spared him. Finish the deal." I trembled, looking into the fearful eyes of my mom, into the sickly eyes of my dad. He snarled, and I was shoved to the ground.
"Very well," He spat. I saw his robed figure approaching my parents, and suddenly my body couldn't move. I was forced to sit and watch as he stood behind my mother.
"I asked you to do one thing, Elizabeth. One. Thing." He said, twisting my mother's head as he spoke. She fell to the ground, completely lifeless. I heard Kaden's voice again, this time angry, cursing him and shouting at me to do something. I watched as he drifted towards my father.
"This is your fault." He whispered, and turned to grab my dad's head.
~~~~
My eyes snapped open, and I was met with a pair of green eyes. They blinked lazily, and he turned to saunter off of the bed, making his was towards the door. The light coming through the window told me I had slept in, and Elmer waited patiently at the door. I got up and got dressed.
Carrying Elmer into the kitchen, I noticed Kaden and Mom sitting at the table. I couldn't help the sliver of relief that passed over me, the nightmare still fresh in my mind. Kaden looked up at me and grinned, and mom turned around and patted the seat next to her. I sat.
"The ball is tomorrow," She started. I nodded. "And we've been talking about it. I'd like you and Kaden to space out, get to know other people. I don't want you two huddling in a corner together," she warned. Kaden snorted. "Elizabeth, if the king asks you to dance, don't refuse. Kaden, if a wealthy estate noble flirts, flirt back. I don't want you getting kicked out for being rude." She finished. Kaden laughed out loud.
"Are you joking? I'm not even polite to you, mom," He joked. I saw Mom's eyes soften at his laugh, but she shook her head.
"Kaden, I'm serious. If there's a chance for you to have something better, I want you to take it. You too, Elizabeth." She added. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I didn't. Kaden rolled his, but he nodded.
"Okay mom, if I see some hot old lady coming my way, I'll barrel right towards her." He joked. It was good enough for my mom, who nodded and turned to me. I stared at her for second.
"What?" I asked. She sighed.
"Promise me that if the king shows any interest, you won't be rude with him." She said.
"Oh," I said. I had already told Kaden I would, so it was easy to nod and agree. "Yeah, I promise." Mom grinned.
"Thank you, Elizabeth."
The rest of the day passed by in a blur of nervousness, and I throughout the day, I kept looking at my boxes. Before I knew it, it was time to go to bed and the ball was only in a matter of hours.
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"Elizabeth! Kaden and I have been waiting for an hour, the car should be here any minute!" My mom called, but I could tell she wasn't really angry. I heard the excitement in her voice. We couldn't afford makeup, but I wasn't upset about it. Maybe it'll repel people. The dress was gorgeous though, with a full, ruffled skirt and and a bejeweled white torso that hugged my neck. I felt like a princess in the dress, and the jewelry only accented it. I chose to wear my hair in an up-do, and I felt proud that I managed to make my hair look as elegant as my dress.
"Come on, princess!" Kaden called. I laughed and stumbled out and into the living room, and their reactions were immediate. Mom gasped and went to hug me, and Kaden snorted and pretended to gag. Even dad was there, looking at me and giving me a small smile. My heart swelled. We heard a car door shut, and nervousness took over. Kaden held his arm out for me and I took it, and we made our way out the door.
The car was a sleek thing, shiny and black and fancy. After we fit all of my dress inside, Kaden came around and sat beside me. He laughed, because he was all but pushed against the door because of my dress. The driver didn't speak during the entire two hour ride. When we arrived, he opened our doors for us, and Kaden ran around the vehicle to help me with my dress. After we were situated, I held his arm and together we walked towards the huge double doors that somehow managed to fill my heart with dread.
The inside was indescribable. It was a gigantic room, with two sets of grand staircases that led up to one big hallway, all shiny and anything but simple. But everyone was congregated on the first floor, and the number of men and women there was baffling. There were so many vibrant colors, everything from crimson red to metallic silver to glistening gold. I was completely in awe of everything, and it took me a minute to notice a figure standing at the very top of the right staircase. I immediately looked at Kaden instead, and saw that he was staring at everything with the same amazed expression that I had. He looked down at me and smiled.
"Let's get this party started."