The first ball was fun. In all honesty, it was more of a party than a ball. Anastasia wore a black, body-con dress, pulling at her figure. Her face was dusted lightly with black eye-shadow and maroon lipstick, all products of her own company. She stuck with Melissa, Kieran, Jamie and Leo. Melissa wore a beautiful strapless dress, a new product of the company. She was accompanied by Kieran, who wore a matching grey suit. Leonard matched with his own partner, and newly found fiancée, wearing a deep blue. Jamison wore a white suit, and stuck tightly to Anastasia. The two were inseparable. Students wandered about, singing and dancing together. There was much crying and laughing that rang throughout the darkening light of day. Then came the second ball.
The sixth year females split from the males, all going to change in their own assigned areas. There was much crying and teasing, as everyone got ready. As tradition, everyone wore gowns and suits of light colours. Anastasia, herself, wore a beautiful, off-shoulder, lavender coloured ball gown, her black hair brushed out and reaching her higher thigh. It revealed the cursive black words tattooed across her collar bone, looking as majestic and eye catching as the first day it was engraved into her skin. She gathered all the students outside the hall into two rows of boys and girls of age order, before taking Leonard's arm and waiting for the sign of entry. She heard an announcement before the large wooden door in front of her was pulled open, as the two swept across the centre of the hall, tall and proud in their honour, followed by the rest of the students. The sound of tapping shoes filled the silent air. As she came to half way down the hall, her eyes trailed toward the King and Queen sitting at the centre of the stage ahead of them. As the two that opened the 'Royal' academy, they would always attend every 'End Of Year Ball'. She felt loved at the small nods and smiles the two sent to herself and Leonard. The two came to a halt, almost at the stage, before turning to the students behind them and falling into a curtsy and bow. They started the ascent up the lifted ground, faking once more into a deeper curtsy and bow. The two were introduced once more, as a round of applause rung throughout the air. Now, the speeches.
Leonard went first. His speech lasted a couple of minutes, involving his gratefulness towards the school and how much he had been learning throughout the years at the academy. Anastasia felt her heart flutter as another applause rang out and he stepped back from the stand to allow herself to go forward and begin her own speech. None the less, she took the steps forward, and moved towards the mic ahead of her, to tell the others of her gratefulness.
"I've been in this kingdom for 6 years now and these past 6 years have been the best years of my life by far. When I first arrived in the kingdom, I booked myself into an inn with a new name and went about the streets to see the area. I bumped into 4 kids-"
She gave a quiet laugh/sigh.
"-who have been my best friends since. We all were admitted into the Royal Academy of Kou, where I met new people and, for the first time in my life, I felt friendship. Before I came to this country, I had no one to love. No one to trust. I had no hopes, no dreams- nothing. Then, in that year, there was a woman. This woman took me in and told me that everyone is someone in this world."
She looked up, brushing over every students and meeting all their eyes.
"Everyone has an impact. She told me that everyone deserves to be loved. And she told me, that if I had no one, she would be the one to love me. That's why, before my entry into the academy, I cut my hair and freed myself of the standards I had been given in my childhood. I gave myself a new identity. Now this woman and her husband, they gave me the support I needed and in the middle of my first year, I began to have a dream. And that dream came true: alongside others and with proper backing, I helped create the Earth Dance course. I helped spread my joy for this dance among others. Going into my second year I continued to contribute to the Modern Dance course and continued to attempt to aid others. I tried to encourage people to try different styles of clothing and be more free- wearing what THEY wanted to wear and what made THEM feel confident about themselves in. In my third year, I was granted a title and blessed with a family- 2 adopted younger siblings and a whole lot of maids and butlers who knows me like the back of my hand as I know them too."
Anastasia gave a breathy laugh, and heard little laughs from the other parents in the hall. She smiled and went on.
"I learnt to love like a family. I was gifted with a joy that, uh, frankly I had never felt before, and I loved it. Now, in my fourth year, I went on to try and create things that would help others and be of interest to others. I continued this in my fifth year. I even began to teach other students in full periods- to SPREAD my joy. To SHOW everyone the beauty of dance, to show them to shock others with their rap, to stun others with their vocals. Now this year, in my final year, I was given the title of head girl. It was something that I could only ever have dreamed of before attending the academy. I feared that I would feel threatened to have my position taken away from me once the year was over, but right now, all I feel is happiness. To be able to watch the talented young students of this academy grow up and learn new things- it's a joy that I feel so greatly at this moment. Now I can proudly tell you that, I have a new dream."
Her eyes sparkled. The people on the hall could see the galaxy of stars in those shining orbs of hers, as she talked of the future she aimed to achieve alongside everyone.
"This dream is to continue my company and to start a separate company for teaching students what we teach here at the academy. So you can go into a profession for singing and dancing and acting and everything you learn here."
She listened to the slight buzz of whispers that went on at her statement and waited for it to come to an end before continuing.
"However, this has to go on hold. As some of you might know, for a year starting the next academic year, I return to the kingdom of Ainsworth.
Once again, Anastasia heard gasps. Hearing the chatter and seeing frowns, frankly, made her smile- to think all these people, who knew how I hated that country, hated my return to them hated just as much as I did.
"As representative of our kingdom and with the representatives of many other kingdoms. I won't be alone, as I will be joined by Jamison d'Nora, but I'll miss this kingdom for that time. However, I will be back. Back once more for the sake of you and your future. For the sake of US and OUR future, so please don't worry."
Anastasia pauses for a moment, licking her dry lips before continuing on, as her speech began to come to an end.
"And a further note, to the new students of next year and our old students continuing, you won't have to worry about changes. Our new head girl and boy are people I've been watching since my 2nd year. They are fully capable of taking over this academy and passing all the standards set. They're going to be amazing and far better than this year and all the other years passed head students."
She looked the two in the eyes, and saw how they filled with tears.
"Finally, I would like to say, to every student at this academy, to every parent of each student, to our wonderful queen and king-"
'to all these people...'
"-thank you."
She looked up at a sound of cries being held back.
"Thank you for giving me a home."
Her eyes followed the tears flowing freely down students' faces, emotions overwhelming them.
"Thank you for teaching me how to love others-"
Unknown to her in the moment, glistening and salty tears fell down her own pale face.
"Thank you for teaching me how to be loved."
Anastasia looked back at the king and queen- no, she looked back at her Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Alexander. She looked forward at the four friends that ha seven by her side from the beginning.
"Thank you for making me smile endlessly."
She took a step back from the podium, as Leonard joined her by her side, as the two fell into the deepest curtsy and bow of the night.
"Thank you for the past 6 years. The best years of my life. Thank you."
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so I wrote a lot more than usual •///•
you guys got x2 more writing that usual haha
sorry about delayed posts it might happen a bit often until I get used to this and catch up- I had been writing chapters based off a small pre-written guide but I didn't plan any more chapters than 22 so I have to replan the next couple chapters before I begin writing! On top of having to post daily, I've also just started online school (before they just gave us lots of online homework) and my routine of sleeping at 4am and waking at 10:50 has become forcing myself to stop reading and sleep at 2 to wake up at 8 :((