Daphodile

Reality

Trying to push my anxiety away, I expel a breath  and proceed to swish my dress around my ankles, gives those who've noticed me already a glance at my ruby heels.

Like usual, I had to wait to be announced by the older looking gentlemen in the fancy silky gold attire before I could descend. I could never remember their names; after a while my mothers entry man changed so repeatedly that it seemed a new old man was by her side each week.

"Princess Daphodile Evereton of the royal family!" Was shouted so loudly that my name seemed to have reverberated off of the marble walls. The large crowd  below me suddenly looked up with awe in their eyes, as if they hadn't seen me last year, or better yet at last week's royal picnic.

Below was a sea of various faces and suits and slightly outrageous colored dresses. Every lady and gentlemen in attendance tonight, whether a teenager or elderly, seemed to quiet in my presence. A royal entering seemed to make everyone quiver with jealousy and awe. As I surveyed the people below me, I saw even my mother and fathers royal guards look at me with a certain glimmer in their eyes.

With a careful step I slowly descend the stairs, my red silk gloves lightly touching the ornate marble railing as my dress followed behind me to the ballroom floor.

The second I reach the bottom the respectable silence broke and everyone seemed to go back to what they were doing. The men, asking ladies in beautiful gowns to dance, and the mothers and older gentlemen having conversation over drinks and laughing profusely. Their interactions making the atmosphere vivacious and full of life.

Although I've attended every ball since I was a child, the grand ballroom always seemed to enthrall me; the ornate white marble floor with streams of gold and the matching the white and gold trimmed walls. It felt like you were drowning in a sea of white gold.

My eyes found the long table of pastries, desserts, and drinks that seemed to be calling my name. It was the first thing on my mind before even greeting my parents or anyone else in attendance.

But, in that one moment that I stood and surveyed everything, suddenly my eyes were drawn to the wide glass windows that acted as a wall located behind my mother and father on their thrones. I saw a bundle of black scurrying into the gardens outside, as if a black dog was going for a run.

As I furrow my brow in confusion I take a step forward and prepare to investigate. Who could possibly be in the gardens already?

I'm gently pushing past people when someone directly in front of me notices my beeline to the gardens a second too late. Not being able to stop myself soon enough I slam into someone's shoulder, knocking into them with a hard accidental shove.

My gloved hand instinctively went to my right side where a small pain appeared, but I criticize myself for not doing the respectful thing and checking on whomever I hurt first.

My eyes went quickly from my own arm upward to meet the gaze of whoever I bumped into, but before I could speak I was met face to face with the gentlemen's dark blue eyes.

He put an arm out, lightly touching my sore shoulder and spoke too quickly "Princess Daphodile, I do apologize. I was not paying attention to where I was moving: please, forgive my lack of manners."

I smile as he quickly pulls his arm from my shoulder after he registers he had his hand on my skin, and I look into the worrisome expression plastered on his face. It made me realize how scared people truly were of the royal family.

"You're quite alright. I actually was the one who wasn't looking, my eyes were cast outside into the garden when I should've been on my way to greet my parents." I quickly dart my eyes again over to the large windows seeing that the figure was truly gone, and then to my parents who were talking to members of the royal court from their thrones.