Perfection Deception

The Meeting

Ugh, thought Emme as she tried to pin up a tendril of her velvety red, curly, and very stubborn hair. She needed to be downstairs (and completely ready) to greet guests in about 30 minutes, and she was still wrapped in a fluffy white bath towel and dripping wet from her hot shower.

Once she finally got the hair to cooperate, she dropped the towel and put on her undergarments. Then she opened her wardrobe and took her first look at her gown.

It was gorgeous. Cobalt blue, sleeveless, high neckline. Lace. No back, until her waist. On her waist was a thick silver band. It had the most beautiful full skirt. She smiled. It looked exactly as it did in the drawing she gave Marilyn, her seamstress.

When she put it on, she felt like royalty (which, technically, she was). She loved the feeling of the heavy fabric on her skin, though she never felt so light. She pulled on her reasonable 4-inch heels, their color matching the dress; the dress matching her eyes.

She turned around as she heard seven bell chimes, signaling the arrival of the royal guests. She started to walk towards her door, but stopped as she caught a look at her reflection. She smiled, and the girl she was staring at smiled back. It doesn't look like me, Emme thought. She loved it.

As the clock rang again, she ran out the door, her dress sweeping elegantly behind her.

Her mother, dressed in a floor-length maroon dress, fitted until the waist where it fell simply, looked up as she heard Emme approaching. She gave her a huge smile, and Emme was surprised to see tears welling in her eyes.

"My little princess, all grown up," her mother said, as she pulled Emme into a soft hug.

"It's my birthday, Mom, can you please stop crying? It's not like I'm leaving home," Emme said with a small, sweet smile. "And besides, you'll mess up your makeup."

Her mother gave a small laugh.

They both heard someone take the large decorated brass knocker and thump it against the door three times, indicating the arrival of guests.

"Guess I should let them in now," Emme said quietly, and untangled herself from her mother's embrace.

Her heels clicked against the wooden floor, but the sound was soon absorbed by the thick rug covering the entryway. She stole a glance of her mother over her shoulder, who was wiping her eyes and attempting to rebuild her posture. Emme smiled, took a deep breath, and opened the heavy Oak French doors.

**********
She was gliding along the floor, gracefully turning in circles of varying size. She was being lead by no other than the stunning Prince of Alaiza, a neighboring kingdom. With his short-cropped golden-blonde hair and stunning icy-blue eyes, he's said to make every girl melt. Emme thought he truly was beautiful, chiseled face and all, but she just wasn't swept off her feet by him.

"Something wrong, my dear princess?" he asked, his features scrunching up with concern.

"Oh no, not at all," she replied with a fake smile, "In fact, it's perfect."

He appeared to be pleased by her response, because he dipped her and leaned in close to her face. His features changed, suddenly into someone you wouldn't want to be left alone with. "I'm staying the night at your castle, my dear, in case you want to stop by my room," he whispered. His smile was unnerving, like a lion stalking its pray. She new better than to decline to his face, even though she was disgusted.

"I'll have to think about it, handsome," she said with a flirtatious smile. It was the only way to get out of it without looking suspicious. She suddenly needed to get away from him. As far away as possible.

To Emme's relief, the song ended. She was free from dancing, until the next song started, but she saw the orchestra standing up, so she figured she had a while.

She turned her attention to the prince. He looked sincerely crushed, and looked back at her with the same expression.

"It is to my displeasure that I must let you go," he said, and looked at her like his next meal. "Until tonight, my princess, and enjoy the rest of the party, as we are all here for you." He said it as an order, and his voice gave him chills.

"I certainly will, Prince William," said Emme with a sweet, and very fake, smile.

When he finally let her go, she found herself with a champagne flute in one hand and a rice ball in another, drifting among guests who payed her no attention. Eventually, she pushed through the front doors to get fresh air.

She sat down on the grand staircase, and was content in gazing over the hundreds of acres her mother now owned, as previous kings and queens did before her. She still couldn't believe how even though the castle was made of stone, it blended with the landscape, and looked perfect perched on the hill, connected to the kingdom only by the small gravel path, only wide enough for vehicles to glide alone single file.

She thought it looked so peaceful, miles of green, the occasional blue, brown, and small white figure darting across the large royal lawn--

Wait a second.

Emme stood up so quick that she knocked down the champagne flute that she had sat down next to her. She barely saw the small trickle running down the stoop. All she knew was that she needed to find out what was dressed in white and sprinting across her lawn.

She took off her heels and threw them onto the steps, bunched her dress away from her feet, and took off, chasing after the thing.

She felt her hair flying behind her, a streak of red against the dark night. She loved how the wind caressed her cheeks, the warm summer night welcoming her.

She was catching up to the white thing, and soon realized that it was a boy, all dressed in white. He was standing still and facing her, looking mildly amused at first, watching her run towards him, but his eyes widened in surprise as he saw how fast she was running. He took off without a second glance.

Emme was practically on top of him, so she put forth one last burst of speed and tackled him.

He rolled over underneath her so he was laying on his back. She was on top of him, bodys touching, faces so close that she could almost taste the champagne he had surly drank before. She was mesmerised by his startlingly green eyes and rich brown hair that covered his ears and hung near his eyes. She was forced out of her stupor by his voice.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted.

"I needed to know what a white-clad figure was doing on my lawn," she said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but did you need to tackle said white-clad figure?" he demanded. "Because I swear I think I heard something crack."

"Stop being a baby," Emme told him, but she peeled herself off him and stood up to dust herself off. She offered him a hand, but he swatted it away, and stood up on his own. He scowled at her. Then Emme had a thought.

"What is your name?" she asked suddenly.

He grinned. "Marvel," he said, and then turned off and, again, sprinted into the night.

The last Emme saw was a small dot of white being consumed by pressing darkness. She turned and headed back to the castle, her thoughts completely consumed by the boy named Marvel.

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Hey guys! I really hope you like the first part, and since this is my first story, I need criticism! Tell me how you like it, and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. I'll have the second chapter out soon! Hope you like it.

xoxo Viv

(P.S. In this story, Emme's name is pronounced as the letter 'M'. There were a few questions about that *cough cough EvaineValdez*