𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴

The Ball (part 1)

Two days on from that terrible conversation and there was an entrance hall full of people, streaming in through the grand doors. I was already tired, just from the preparation for the ball. My corset was too tight again and Mother was fretting over petty things. I was not allowed in the sight of the guests as to not spoil the grand entrance.

"Imogen, how much longer are we waiting?" I asked Mothers lady in waiting.

"Oh, it shan't be long now, dear." She replied as she fiddled with my hair for the fourth time.

"Could you stop fiddling? Your making me nervous."

"Sorry." She said in an almost whisper. And then she gasped. "You mustn't clutch you dress like that!"

I hadn't realized but I had got a fistful of my sage green dress and was scrunching the material. I let it go suddenly and smoothed it over.

"What are you like?" Imogen said. "You have come of age now and you must act like it and present yourself to a future husband, and King of this town."

"Yes, thank you." I said, becoming impatient. When was I going down to the ball? I thought.

As if on cue, Mother came marching in, followed closely by Father.

"It's almost time, Hilda." Mother said.

Father had twinkles in his eyes.

"Put you shoulders back, girl." Mother snapped, putting one hand in my shoulder and the other on my back, correcting my posture.

"Are we going in?" I asked.

"Yes, when your Mother has stopped fretting." Father said abruptly.

"Oh, all right!" Mother irritably said, took one last look at me and marched out the room with her nose in the air.

I took a deep breath.

"You look beautiful, my dear." Father soothed.

I could only manage a smile. We hadn't been together for a long period of time since he broke his news to me. Now I just wanted to get away from him, I was not sure why.

"Take my arm." He said, holding it out to me.

I took it, looked to my side at Imogen, who nodded. Then we began to walk.

***

Harlow was at the door that we had agreed to make our entrance through. He bowed his head, turned the knob and swung it towards him.

A wave of noise hit me. Music from string instruments was rebounding off the pale white ceiling.

Heads turned immediately towards me. Me!

I was being dragged by Father to the center of the room. The music was slowing to a stop before a now piece started up again.

I smiled a fake smile. I greeted people pleasantly with fake pleasure.

Every eye was on me. My potential husband was there, in that room, right in front of me.

I took Fathers left hand and put my other on his upper arm. We had practiced this before, so this part wasn't too nerve racking! It was the next part that I was dreading: the fist man who will ask for his permission to dance with me. Who was going to be brave enough?

Father had told me to not look at his eyes, but look at the people surrounding us. I entertained myself trying to bet who was going to be the brave one and dance with me fist!

We were getting to the point where someone was going to ask me to dance. Sure enough, a tall, blond man bowed and we stopped dancing.

He said something to my Father and before I knew it I was dancing with a stranger.

"My Lady," he said, "I am Ferox."

"Pleased to meet you." I politely said. His eyes were sky blue and he had very pale skin.

I pasted a smile on my face and danced with him for the remainder of the music piece.