March 5th 2017
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Seconds ran into minutes and minutes into days. Soon the day for the much revered ball arrived like a sneaky thief.
Ella was too busy with toiling and thinking about Benjamin to remember the ball but Courtney barged into her room quite early in the morning to wake her up which was something she wouldn't do in an hundred years.
"Wake up lazy bones!"
Ella moaned and turned to the other side of her bed. Courtney scoffed and yanked a strand of Ella's hair making her eyes snap open in alarm.
"Ow!" Ella yelled and sat in her bed. She wiped her eyes to clear her vision which was a little blurred and stared up into Courtney's angry face.
"Get your lazy head into my room, I have a ball to prepare for."
Courtney's white dress twirled as she turned to leave. Ella stared at her till she walked out through the door and slammed it shut.
Sighing, she pushed herself off her bed and placed her feet on the bare floor. Her shoe had been completely ruined after she returned from a trip to the dressmaker so she had nothing to protect her feet with.
Ella stretched out and smiled as she viewed herself in the mirror hanging before her. She felt the necklace her mother gave her and as soon as she did that, her smile gradually departed, leaving her with soreness.
***
"Fix that strand of hair poking out of the main bun, I want my look to be perfect."
Ella sighed and redid Courtney's hair.
At exactly seven in the evening, Brian and his daughter were already at the door expecting the carriage he sent for.
Ella knew she wouldn't be attending so she remained in the kitchen with Margaret and Benjamin who joined them a few minutes after.
"Margaret, could you tell us a story?" Ella begged.
"What are you? Seven year old kids?" Margaret stirred the bubbling pot of soup positioned above the cackling fire. Ella joined her in staring at the different vegetables that made up the soup.
Benjamin and Ella continued pestering her until she finally budged when she brought down the pot of soup to cool.
She had purposely ignored Ella and Benjamin to allow her to concentrate on the soup she was cooking so that it wouldn't stick to the bottom of the pot.
"Alright children, gather around." Margaret walked to a chair and sat on it while Ella and Benjamin took two low stools and plopped down on them.
"Alright then... Once upon a time in a far away land, there lived a girl whose name was Alice..."
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Prince Eric watched the crowd of people dance around from where he stood beside his father, King George. His mother, Queen Lilian couldn't attend as she complained of an aching stomach so she had to retire to her chamber to be attended to by a physician.
Therefore, Eric had to endure the night without her with his sisters, Charity and Annabelle who sat by his left and his dad who was seated on his throne clustered with sparkling emeralds by his righthand side.
"Instead of discretely watching them, why don't you go down there and ask a young lady to dance?" Nineteen year old Annabelle asked, watching her brother with her observant, clear blue eyes.
Eric shifted in his seat. "I don't feel like it Anna."
"Just go ahead, hopefully you won't regret it."
Eric groaned as his sister picked his hand from his thighs and started brushing her slender fingers against the top. Anna could be quite persuasive when she wanted, she could compel almost everyone to do what she wanted. Fortunately, she used her gift for good.
Eric sighed and forced himself out of his chair and made his way to the set of steps separating him from the happy people dancing below.
When he got to where the people where gathered, he bowed in response to some of the ladies that clumsily curtsied to acknowledge him. Eric knew the effect he had on the ladies, he wasn't proud or anything but his looks could make anyone especially the ladies kill for.
He smiled at the eagerness written on their faces as they crowded around to watch him as he marched to the other side of the room.
"Your Majesty, dance with me." A lady fastened her hand to his arm as he walked to meet his father's friend Sir Joseph.
"Thank you, but no." He rejected politely and smiled when the lady detached herself from him and stomped off to meet her friends.
"Eric, I see you're well this evening." Sir Joseph smiled when his eyes fell on the Prince.
"Yes, I face no challenge, other than..."
"...participating in the flurry of events tonight?" Sir Joseph completed.
"Yes." Eric smiled and took his position beside Sir Joseph.
"Is your wife in attendance?" Eric demanded. His eyes fell on a beautiful young lady who was standing with a man he assumed is her father. She trapped his attention.
"Yes, she is, she's discussing with the other Ladies present." Sir Joseph responded and looked in the direction of his wife, Patricia who was standing just as he said with other ladies. He couldn't help but be charmed once more by her beauty. Even though they had been married for fifteen years now, she still managed to rekindle the fire in him.
"Pray, may I be excused." Eric's eyes lingered on the young lady who's eyes happened to meet his.
Sir Joseph followed the path created by Eric's gaze and nodded in response, chuckling softly in amusement.
Prince Eric straightened his attire and started walking with deliberate steps to meet the fair lady.
Courtney's heart skipped a beat as Prince Eric walked towards her. She couldn't help but feel jittery until her father nudged her to keep still.
"Don't ruin this." He warned and returned to his former stiff position beside his daughter who heeded to his warning.
"Your highness." Courtney held either side of her glittering silver gown and curtsied. She did not fail to catch the way Prince Eric observed even the slightest movement of her fingers.
"How do you do?" Eric took her outstretched hand and placed a soft kiss on the top of her palm. A smile played on his lips as she shivered in response to his touch.
"I'm in good health, thank you." Courtney was distressed by the fact that her father was no longer at her side. She prayed the Prince would not ask about him.
"If I may ask, who's the man that stood by your side a while ago?"
Her prayer was not favoured.
"He's my father." Courtney answered proudly with her chin raised when she noticed the jealous looks the other ladies shot her. Truly it was a rarity to find the Prince engage in a conversation with a lady. Her position was sufficient to make them green with envy.
"I thought so." He regarded her through his blue eyes.
Courtney shivered at the intensity of his gaze and averted her eyes to the other ladies who were turning green with envy. Smirking, she raised her chin in a defiant manner and returned her gaze to the Prince.
"What are you called?"
"I'm Courtney." Courtney smiled.
"Can I have this dance?"
Eric extended his hand towards her. Courtney regarded him through her brown eyes, not believing her good fortune. Dancing with the Prince was what all the ladies wanted and obviously, they wouldn't be getting what they wished for.
"Yes." Courtney curtseyed before placing her hand in his.
She smiled knowing her plans were gradually falling in place.
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What's gonna happen next? what's gonna happen next? I can tell some of you are curious...
I wanna apologize to Eric+Ella shippers, those who plan on going against Courtney with their arrows and spears... Please keep your weapons in check just for a little while.
*cracks knuckles*The best or rather the worst is on its way😀
Congratulations again to Bella shippers, I'm quite happy your ship is finally sailing.
This will be my last update for this year.
Till next year,
Your Crazy Writer😋