Ella patted her head in a repeated motion as she crooked down to protect herself from any further blows. The chariot she was currently traveling in was uncomfortably tiny, her skull thumped onto the chariot's solid wooden roof every time her ride faced a bump on the uneven road. The only ointment to her terrible headaches was the chauffeur's frequent apologetic nods and sheepish smiles.
Ella was hardly keeping herself on her toes, the whole situation was getting on her nerves; the scroll that was addressed to her house had crashed right through her window, it was an official invitation to the royal banquet she had to attend today.
The glass splinters of the window pane resulted in her entire living room looking like a complete wreck, hatching a new expenditure that Ella couldn't afford right now.
Maybe all the hospitality and courtesy are only meant for the royals and aristocrats in this town, the civilians were probably just trained to take all sorts of sticks and stones like iron shields.
"They could have just knocked nicely and handed me the invite like any normal person..." Ella muttered as she curved again to the impact of another strike on her already sore head.
Her anguish did not just conclude there, she had to fetch for a perfect outfit to make herself blend in, all nobles she'd meet there and that by far was the most exhausting. Not a single boutique in her rotten old town had abided by her wishes. The dresses were either too extravagant or too grisly, none were able to woo Ella down on her knees.
So, Ella ended up doing what she thought she only reserved for the most special of occasions, she ended up wearing her mother's navy blue wedding dress.
Ella took the entire afternoon standing in front of the mirror and applauding every trivial detail. She admired its simple form-fitting bodice yet embellished loose, full skirt. The strapless blouse complimented her broad and toned shoulders perfectly yet the delicate coal-black needlework of a lily on the fabric near her waist absorbed Ella the most.
The lilies were scarce in her Empire, few people heard of it and even fewer ever saw it. Ella smiled and lightly stroked the peculiar-looking flower adorned with sparkling gems. Of course, she too didn't know what lilies seemed like, but she always heard her mother sing praises of it so she could only assume.
Ella twirled around in front of the mirror, holding her ruffled skirt in one hand and her curly hair held up in a messy loose bun in the other.
To other girls riding a royal chariot and wearing a fancy satin ball gown, would make them lose their minds since maybe getting a dance with Prince charming could be on the list too.
But Ella, as she kept twisting round and round, she couldn't help but witness the reflection of a soldier, a warrior in her. The dress felt like her shatterproof armor, her guardian who was looking out for her at all times, and how couldn't it? It was her mother's after all.
She always fawned upon her mother's quirky yet witty decision, most wedding dresses were white, which symbolized light, purity, and goodness.
But navy blue, it portrayed Confidence, power, and authority which is exactly what Ella could ever dream to exude in this banquet.
No, she wasn't going to walk hunched and look down, stealing eyes from every household name she meets there. She was going to stand tall and emit her brilliance and dominion from her very own gaze.
Ella topped her attire with a pair of antique silver earrings. She glanced at them in the glass piece fixated in her chariot, they bobbed back and forth like a pendulum to the chariot's unpredictable movements.
Her hair was pulled to one side and her plump lips a teensy bit reddened. Even though her ensemble was refined and her hopes sky-high, she felt her stomach churn to the waves of nervousness that flowed through her veins like a fish in a pond.
Everything that Ella faced in the last few hours was out of the ordinary. The unwanted encounters with royals and the shameful defeat in the hands of Prince Theodore proved heavy on the firm walls of Ella's heart. She felt her massive fortress shudder a little, but managed to brace it with a few deep breaths and heartfelt prayers to God. Ella had come this far, she is sure as hell wasn't chickening out now.
The diminished pain on Ella's head indicated that the chariot had come to a halt. The door of her chariot pulled open to a man, clad neatly in white uniform and red beret bowing to Ella and ushering his hand to help her out.
Ella hesitated for a bit as she observed the man's indulging smile and muscular hand. She looked around noticing the sprouting crowds and the queue of chariots lined up behind her, the sight of it caused Ella to hurriedly fit her tiny hand in his and march down the case of stairs placed beneath her feet, she didn't want to keep the guests waiting any longer.
She thanked the kind man and held her skirt up like a bundle in both her arms, walking stiffly, the freshly cemented pavement clicking ceaselessly beneath her shoes as she pivoted her head in all directions.
Ella scrunched up her nose to the strong scent of roses and lavenders, she figured that the people around her had excessively sponged themselves in deluxe bath soaps.
She made sure she didn't end up stepping on the tails of the ladies' gaudy ball gowns, who walked ever so leisurely In front of her. Ella let out a long hard groan, she wasn't even through the doors but she already felt like her patience had dived down the cliff.
Ella was promptly stopped in her tracks by an extended arm In front of her, her eyes tracked up to see another man wearing a polite grin and a tidy white uniform.
"Scroll, please." The man gestured Ella with his outstretched hand.
Scroll?
Ella heaved her eyebrows and parted her lips in sudden realization. She remembered ruthlessly stomping on the scroll in fury, that little accident with her windowpane drove Ella nuts. There was no scroll with her at that moment, it was probably somewhere crippled in her living room along with the broken shards of glass.
"I'm sorry I might have not bought it with me today, I-"
Ella paused in the middle of her explanation as she noticed the man's pissed expressions, she looked up in defeat as she started thinking of all the possible rides she could arrange to get her home as of now, there was no banquet for her anymore, only a broom and her ruined living room.
"Let her in."
Ella, including all the guests and the uniformed man, searched for the source of the voice, the man's eye's enlarged as his gaze landed upon the individual who stood behind him, he yielded to his command and responded with high regard.
"As you wish, Sir Alexander."
The man who Ella perceived to be "Sir Alexander" motioned her with two of his fingers to follow his lead. Ella pushed to pass the herd of women who were occupied in stealing Alexander's attention with their fingers twirling around the strands of their hair and ludicrous smiles.
Ella trailed behind Alexander like a lost puppy. Her skirt was still bundled up in her arms and her orbs landing upon the luxurious décor and the velvet curtains propped in the hallway. She also fully surveyed the tall, handsome man walking in front of her.
His shoulders were the broadest Ella had ever seen and his skin crystal and glowing. She admired his lean yet buffed up the framework and his pitch-black mullet.
Ella got lost in her thoughts as she kept staring at the figure in front of her, she couldn't believe the royals and the people similar to her belonged from the same world, much less the same empire.
She had realized that everything from the way she walked to the way they talked was poles apart from the way she acted herself.
"Before we proceed further I think it's best to introduce myself first" Alexander's sudden stop in his track made Ella smash harshly in his well-built back, she held her dizzy head from the agonizing collision, It felt like being roughly hit by a brick.
Ella stumbled back, holding her free hand to her now the cramped head, she faced Alexander with a scowl on her face.
"Ah....okay?" Ella replied.
"I am Alexander Capell, His majesty's advisor, he sent me to escort you inside."
Alexander delivered Ella his introduction with an ice-cold stare, the corner of lips plucked upwards and back down, giving a brisk smile, in such a quick motion that Ella almost couldn't catch it.
"Nice to meet-" Alexander moved again before letting Ella complete her sentence, it made her narrow her eyes on his uptight behavior. Ella shook her head to the" almost- near" infatuation she had towards the royals, they might be appealing on their outer appearance but their insides were just as nasty.
Alexander proceeded to push open the doors with both his hands, to the royal banquet. Ella stood rooted to the ground, bewildered at the sight. The radiant yellowish lights. People dancing and swaying to the strings of the melodic violin and the food.
Oh, the food.
The cuisine laid in batches on several different tables, the aroma, appetizing, and flavorsome enough to make Ella unconsciously wipe her drool. Prince Theodore's statement echoed in Ella's mind, his egocentric words of Ella staying at the banquet because of him. Ella was staying! Very definitely. But not for Prince Théodore but the eatables in front of her alone.
As Ella stepped to reach out for the little pieces of heavens stationed ahead, she was, yet again, paused in her path due to an unfamiliar stretched hand. Ella was beyond irritated now. She had lost count to the number of knocks that were tossed to her head and thorns hurled on her path.
"Would you like to dance with me, on this fine evening, my lady?"
She met eyes with a young man, his hair swept back in a sleek manner, and his lanky form carrying a black tux. His blue-ocean like eyes rested upon Ella's comparatively smaller figure hunting for answers.
"Thank you, I-"
"Ah, my apologies Mister, I'm not good with dancing, I tend to step on my partner's foot a lot, although I am working on it."
Ella along with the young man turned to the origin of the voice.
Prince Theodore.
Ella almost chuckled at the sight of Prince Theodore's hand settled onto the young man's outstretched palm, which was originally meant for her. The young man shifted his eyes between Ella and Prince Theodore, before bowing to the royalty standing beside him and sprinting on his feet.
Ella glared at Prince Theodore, she mentally gaged to his smug code of conduct. Prince Theodore on the other hand was taking his sweet time scanning Ella head to toe.
He admired her adorable attempt to arrange her curly locks on one side of her shoulder, it was a whole cute mess as her hair flung everywhere.
He also beamed to the glimpse of her slightly reddened lips and the navy blue dress she supported, it bloomed on her, unlike any woman he had ever seen.
"Navy blue is your color." Prince Theodore informed Ella as he took a sip of his grape wine.
Ella's folded arms landed back to her sides again, her knitted eyebrows relaxed and her parted lips joined.
"....Thanks..." Ella muttered in a soft tone.
"Well then now that we're done with the basics, why don't we go up to my room, you and I-"
Ella rolled her eyes with all her might, she wrapped the front of her dress in a bundle again and tried to dash past Prince Theodore. She had enough of his flirty remarks, if Ella could she would take off her shoes and run behind Prince Theodore with a sword in her hand, like a predator gushing for his prey.
But she refrained from causing another scene that his majesty would disapprove of, after all, she had to get on his good side.
Ella's hasty action, however, caused the ringlet of her hair to adhere to Prince Theodore's jacket's button. She let out a shriek as she staggered back to Prince Theodore's chest, holding on her to her locks.
Ella gulped as she gradually matched her gaze with Prince Theodore's. Her light brown orbs staring directly into his darker ones. She noticed the little mole that was situated beneath Prince Theodore's bottom lip and his razor-sharp jawline.
Prince Theodore was pretty good looking far off, but up close, he was surreal.
Ella looked around in embarrassment as her cheeks flushed pink, she violently pulled on to her jumbled up her hair in a vain attempt to untangle it from his button.
Prince Theodore witnessed the whole ordeal in delight, he smiled slightly as he purposely wrapped his veiny hands around hers, helping Ella remove her strands from his stubborn button.
He leaned even closer to her, taking in her pleasant smell and melting, to the sensation of her soft skin.
Ella, on the other hand, jerked back to his touch, she whipped her head so hard that a few strands of her hair ripped off her head and a fair length of them remained twisted around Prince Theodore's button.
She darted past Prince Theodore without sparing him another look and held her hand onto her chest, trying to regain her once lost breath.
She messaged the side of her hair where her curly strands tore off from with her other free hand and searched around for King Ernest, she was going to do what she came for and leave this banquet as soon as she can.
The situation had flown out of her hands and she couldn't allow any more of these royals to mess with her like that.
Instead of King Ernest, Ella's eyes landed upon someone else. Someone who she was looking forward to meeting.
Prince Emmett.
Ella's fingers which were busy massaging her stinging head halted. She saw how Prince Emmett chugged down his wine in one shot and reached out his glass for a re-fill.
The emptiness in his eyes and the sullen look on his face worried Ella a little. Prince Emmett turned to peek at a woman, his fingers tightening around the glass at her sight, and his eyebrows bonding together in anger.
Ella chased Prince Emmet's gaze as it debarked on a short, pale woman dancing with another man. Her white dress floating in the air as she spun around and her jet black hair bouncing off her back. Ella recognized that an attractive smile and those pearly white teeth.
Princess Irene.
She laughed and chatted continuously to the man who had his hands on her waist and her head on his shoulder.
It was jealousy. It was jealousy that burned in Prince Emmet's eyes like deep pits of hell.
Romantic jealousy.
And it was for that one woman that he had longed to dance with, stroll around the countryside witnessing the night-sky. But how could he? How could he plan all that for someone he could hardly even touch? Prince Emmett swallowed his second glass of wine in one go again, at the tragic thought of it.
Princess Irene's loud voice broke Ella from her trance. She was now standing on the stairs gleaming with happiness.
"I thank all of you for joining this banquet to make this birthday special for me." Princess Irene put her hand together in applause causing the guests to mimic her actions. It was her birthday, that would explain the gigantic vanilla cake by the entrance Ella saw on her way in.
"Now for the fun part, let us play a little game." Princess Irene gently walked down the stairs and hovered her hand above a bowl. The bowl contained several little items. Ella squinted her eyes to get a better view of it, she could make out a faint outline of some pieces of jewelry and napkins.
Princess Irene motioned the waiters with her index finger to stick those items on the wall behind her.
"The game is pretty simple, we'll have our dear Prince Theodore here, shoot a dart on a random item displayed on the wall, Of course, he'll be blindfolded to make it fair." Princess Irene giggled.
"Whoever's lucky possession Prince Theodore plugs with his dart wins a whole night, alone, with him."
The items belonged to every girl that was present here at this banquet, Ella could figure that out by the screams and hooting that blared from their little mouths, although something in the back of her mind told her that more than half of those items belong to Princess Irene herself.
She knew Princess Irene could never be fair when it came to Prince Theodore she would stoop down to every possible method to have him in her arms.
Prince Theodore jogged up to his designated place as he picked up the dart and got blindfolded by one of his men.
Princess Theodore aimed, he wrapped his other arm behind his back and a suggestive smile plastered on his lips.
Ella scoffed, his smirk was something she was all too familiar with. Prince Theodore too would succumb to lousy games to get any women he needed, he was just as disgusting.
The dart had fixated on the wall upfront as a sharp sound resonated in the hall. The women held their hands up together in prayer and their lips bit in their teeth.
Princess Irene ran up to check on the Prince's target, she pulled the dart out as a shiny silver earring landed in her palm. Ella's orbs widened and her eyebrows rose to an uncanny distance. She touched her ear, but was readily met with an empty slot.
She turned towards Prince Théodore who took off his blindfold and met Ella's traumatized gaze. He winked at Ella and slightly caressed his jacket's button.
Ella opened her mouth in disbelief.
Her hair. His button. Her earring.
He took advantage of Ella's flustered state and sneaked it off back then.
Prince Theodore stepped off as he climbed the stairs and raised his glass of wine.
"Thank you for this opportunity Princess Irene, I and Princess Gabriella Theodore will make sure to make the most out of it."
Princess? Gabriella Theodore?
Oh, God, no.
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