Sailing Saturn

Anna is back

        After 3 years away, she was returning to Tronya.
        Flying from Paris in France, her destination was Tronya's capital city.
        As the plane flew above the clouds, thirty thousand feet high in the sky, the heaviness Anna felt in her heart was mirrored by the suffocating thin air that surrounded it.
        Just before 8:00 pm, the plane slowly landed at the capital city of Tronya's International Airport. Undoing her seatbelt and standing up to stretch, Anna saw the lights outside shining through the plane windows.
        A nearby woman stared at her, bemused. Anna nodded slightly, lowering her baseball cap and putting on sunglasses before walking down the aisle towards the exit.
        Pointing Anna out to the man sitting next to her, the woman asked, "Don't you think she looks familiar? Wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, and keeping a low profile, maybe she is someone famous!"
       The man thought that his newly married wife must have been reading the gossip columns again!
        The woman was silent for a few second, before suddenly grabbing the man's arm and exclaiming, " Oh my God she is! It's Anna!"
        As Anna stepped into the airport lobby, people in the waiting area were looking up, watching the huge television screen. Anna watched from the edge of the crowd, a faint smile crossing her face.
        The famous "Celestial Ball" was being held this evening at Tronya's Hanson Royal Castle. It was an annual event of international importance. No wonder it was being broadcast live in the capital city's International Airport.
        The faces of presidents from many countries, their First Ladies, important politicians, successful businessmen and celebrities from the worlds of music, film and fashion all appeared on the screen. Finally, the camera stayed focused on the president of Tronya, Arthur.
        Wearing a black, typical politicians suit, he was tall and attractive, with deep, calm eyes. Whilst greeting the leaders from other countries, he looked extremely noble and refined.
        Anna's eyes focused on Arthur's face, a cold look of derision crossing them behind her sunglasses.
       Arthur has become much more prominent than he had been 3 years ago, unlike Anna. She had remained in hell for too long, sometimes waking from dreams at night and catching sight of her pale, drawn face in the mirror, losing all sense of time and space.
        Anna casually looked away, silently thanking Arthur in her mind. Without him she would never have known that loving a person could also have so many flaws and complications!
        She walked out of the airport and hailed a taxi. The driver asked, "where are you going, Miss?"
        "Hanson Royal Castle please."
        At the end of every year, the Tronya elite held the 'Celestial Ball,' a high-class affair honoring women from high society worldwide. Those invited were all rich, beautiful, elegant women, who were famous or born into nobility and were involved in the worldwide public causes and charities, using their actions to demonstrate their benevolence and allure.
        As such , this ball could be said to be a show of the 'noble princesses' in their beautiful dresses, alongside a luxurious feast for members of famous families, a party aimed at match making the rich and famous for marriage. You might also call it a pompous, fashionable social event, symbolic of the privileged elite.
       The imposing Hanson Royal Castle was grand and stately at night. The ancient building was magnificent, looking elegant and majestic in the distance, attracting many visitors.
        There were special royal guards at the gate to the castle checking the invitation letters and belongings of all guests. Security was tight because presidents and their wives from over twenty countries were already gathered inside. No one could enter without a thorough check.
       The feast had started at eight o'clock. Now half an hour later, most of the guests had entered. Only the press were left waiting outside and the guards had become more lax.
       At this moment, a car pulled up and the reporters and guards al turned to look.
       The car door opened a a fashionable young woman stepped out. She was wearing a long black coat, with black skinny jeans and ankle boots.
        Initially the journalists and photographers didn't realize who she was as she kept her head lowered. However, when she came up to the guards, everyone recognized her at the same time.
       Anna! It was her!
       "Anna is back!", a reporter exclaimed in disbelief.
        They would never have expected that, following the scandal that had rocked the entire high society of Tronya, Anna, who disappeared for three years, would choose to show up again this way.
        The press was amazed to scoop such a big story here. There was a constant flashing from their cameras. This was no doubt the hottest news this year.
        The guards were gazing at Anna, enthralled.
       If beauty was the gift given by God to women, Anna was no doubt his favorite. She had inherited her mother's beauty. No one who saw her would ever deny this. People marveled at Anna's beauty which was unique and unachievable by anyone else.
        Now, Anna raised her face, looking at the guards, her beautiful appearance mesmerizing them. Although she appeared calm, her heart felt a little anxious.
        She had no invitation letter. In fact, she had not received any invitations for almost three years. She had long been abandoned by the celebrity circles.
        The lies she has prepared on the way here to gain entry to the castle were not needed, since the guards seemed to finally come to their senses and lifted the barrier, inviting her in.
        They did this because female guests must be beautiful, well-educated, of good taste and from a notable family, and Anna undoubtedly met all these requirements.
        What they didn't realize, of course, was that her appearance and upbringing had no relevance to her real reason for wanting to attend the ball.