Once Upon A Princess

28: Announcement

Even though she'd been to several balls in Gell, Amelia found that tonight, in a room full of elegance and pretty royalty dressed their best, she felt as if she didn't belong.

It was the first time the princess had been in the main ballroom. Instead of golden walls, they were a simple cream. The chandeliers were big and bell shaped with thousands of gems lining themselves on the outside. They were all the colors of the rainbow, and the lights shone through on the plain walls to make a rainbow effect. This ballroom had several alcoved balconies as well as a main stage that was raised above the dancing area. It was beautiful and simplistic all at once, too much for Amelia to take in with one sweep of the room.

The dress she was wearing was her favorite ball gown she'd seen in her wardrobe. It was dark green, the color of emeralds, square-necked and long-sleeved. The trim on the sleeves, neck, and hem were bronze-colored and stitched in a wavy pattern. It was a light silk material, and she felt like she was floating as she walked around. It was so long it hid her feet, which she felt added to the floating feeling.

Her hair had been elaborately done. The waves had been curled into large and spiraled chunks, then gathered together in a lump on her head. A few curls were free to frame her face, and she wore a thin copper headband that had small wire leaves interwoven. Even her makeup had been done. It was only some powder, blush, and mascara, but she felt the weight on her face as if she were wearing a mask. She'd always been told she could wait to wear makeup until she was older, but this sort of celebration was the sort she thought she ought to be dressed up for.

Already she could spot other young girls amongst the crowd who had to also be taking the test. They were just as nicely dressed as Amelia was, with smiles and bright eyes. They all looked excited to be here. She couldn't say the same. So far, no one had attempted a conversation with her, and it felt like she was an outsider looking in at the revels. She wondered idly how many of these girls had actually talked to Castiel for any length of time, like she had.

Standing on the stage was the king and queen, looking out in the crowd with raised heads. Morcia looked stunning in black velvet dress that hugged her curves, accented with thousands of sparkling gems. She looked at Amelia and winked, which only seemed to make Amelia more nervous. She felt young and unprepared. Most of the other girls here were Gellish, and knew about the custom and how it worked. How you could find your destined one true love. She had only read about it in books. She wasn't sure how she could compete with that.

The first prince she saw was Theolon. He entered and hardly any heads turned, perhaps because he wasn't the man of the evening. He was wearing a pale yellow doublet accented with silver buttons. The rainbow lighting made his skin look shinier and more golden, and his eyes were showing their gold flecks even from far away. His hair was more or less the same, but it had grown rather unruly over the last few weeks. It was now curling well past his neck and into his eyelashes, covering the strange bare notch that ran through his brows. Did this light make everyone look their best?

When Theolon saw her, his eyes widened, and he slowed his pacing. She saw his mouth form into a small 'o' shape, and she wondered why he looked so dumbfounded.

He finally approached her, and she was ready to snap at him before she saw his wandering eyes. She felt her cheeks turning hot. He'd never looked at her like that.

Theolon finally looked into Amelia's eyes, and for a moment she was temporarily stunned at just how sincere they looked. Perhaps he'd say something nice for once.

"Wow, Amelia, you look..."

Was he about to compliment her for real? It was almost too good to be true. She hated to think that she'd have to return the favor. He did look very nice.