A Grim Fairy Tale

Chapter Thirty-One

It had been so very long since the castle of Germany had held a special event. In fact, the very last social gathering hosted in this palace was the wedding feast of King Percival and Queen Desdemona, but her majesty was determined to have this occasion surpass all others that came before hand.

Every wall was covered with the finest sun and stitched tapestries, golden lanterns hung from the ceiling, the grandest musicians were playing tonight, and nearly every noble and royal was in attendance. Nearly. The only ones not attending were the royals of England due to a trade disagreement and the royals of Poland due to a sudden emergency.

Once all guests had arrived the trumpets sounded the arrival of the radiant Queen Desdemona. She slowly descended from the stair way, flaunting her seemingly ageless beauty and expensive ensamble to the best of her abilities. Her gown was as regal and radiant as she was, a black, green, and turquoise garment made from the finest silk and satin, and studded with gemstones. It captivated and intimidated them all, especially with it's cloak and collar of peacock feathers. Her hair was worn up in a black and green jeweled balaclava and upon her head there sat the crown which had been worn by generations of queens, a symbol of the title and power she wielded.

No surprise, the guests were all amazed by her beauty and even un-surprising, she relished in their admiration.

"Welcome my honorable guests." She greeted in a voice of pure refinement. "I gave this event to express the kingdom's great joy at the return of my beloved husband King Percival and to bring a little happiness back after so many years of sorrow."

She took her place at the throne.

"And tonight we welcome home to other loved ones of mine who have been absent for a tragic amount of time. First, presenting my daughter, the Lady Vagatha."

Vagatha was not at all excited about this ball. She had never liked big parties and spectacles like these. She would have much rather stayed in her room all night. But for the pleasure of her mother and out of respect for her stepfather, she consented to attend. Like her mother, she stepped down the stairway, slowly and with dignity. And also like her mother, she was a sight to behold.

Her gown was velvet with a bodice the was boat-neck shaped. The V-neck of the gown had their edges embroidered with ibis feathers and a ruby had been sewn at the center. Her sleeves were long and lined with gold thread to match the gold ribbon around her waist. Her brown hair had been pulled back and was kept in a gold threaded-hair net. She thought she looked utterly ridiculous, but the guests begged to differ.

"That's the queen's daughter?" A lot of them whispered.

"Why she is charming."

"Magnificent."

"She has such a pretty mouth and just look at how red her lips are."

"She's like a red rose."

"She resembles the queen greatly yet there seems to also be a great difference between them."

"Yes, she carries herself with such humility."

"And her eyes are so full of warmth."

As much as she detested parties, not even Vagatha was immune to compliments. She smiled at hearing so many people speak of her appearance in a positive manner. She could hardly believe it, all these people actually thought that she was beautiful.

"Vagatha do not forget to welcome our guests." Desdemona whispered to her daughter when she approached her.

"Yes Mother." Vagatha turned to face the guests. "Thank you all for kindly accepting my mother's invitation and attending this very important event that she has arranged. We are both ever so grateful and hope that you enjoy yourselves this evening."