Previous to Ever After

One

The sounds of the party were cut off as I shut the grand doors to the ballroom. Surely no one would notice my absence. Father was definitely distracted by the never ending line of Lords and Ladies who were still arriving to the party, and mother was certainly too busy flirting with the men of the parliament who, for your information, always seemed to have a drink in their hand.

My silver heels clicked as I turned around and hurried down the hall. The maids had outdone themselves for the ball – I could practically see my reflection in the polished marble floor. The large, oil portraits that were hung on the walls blurred together as I jogged, making my way carefully around every statue and vase placed at every corner.

Once I was near the front gate I spotted one of my ladies in waiting, Gretchen, dusting a tapestry on the wall. Her raven black hair was thrown up in a bun which bobbed up and down as she perched up on her tippy-toes to bat at the top of the tapestry that was hanging next to our front doors. Her eyes lit up when she saw me approaching. I walked towards her and offered my brightest smile, white teeth, dimples, and everything.

"Gretchen, darling, could you fetch me my cape? The navy blue one, please?" I asked folding my hands in front of me.

"May I ask why, princess?" she said as she took a step backwards towards the coat room.

"I'm going out," I replied. "Mother said I should get a breath of fresh air, because I seemed to be winded, from all the dancing." I straightened my back as the lie slipped out from my lips. I flicked my eyes to the coat room, signaling her to hurry. A confused look fell upon her face as she tried to comprehend my story. After all, why would the princess leave her own eighteenth birthday ball?

She hurried off to the coat room, and I was left alone in the entrance hall, my heart hammering out of my chest. I knew mother would disapprove going into the village without her and/or some men from our artillery. But whenever I went anywhere with them they wouldn't stray more than five inches away from me. Tonight I wanted to be alone.

It was my eighteenth birthday, and I wanted to be alone.

What does that tell you?

I let a sigh of relief when Gretchen returned with my cape. She tossed it over my shoulders and I lifted the hood and placed it on the crown of my head.

Oh – that reminded me.

I took the sparkling tiara off of my head and handed it to Gretchen. She gingerly took it from my fingers and looked up at me in bewilderment. Mother never, ever let me take off my tiara when someone, even our own maid, who has known me since the day I was born, was in my presence. The only excuse to remove it from my head was when I bathed and slept. She said it was a symbol of my royalty and that I should always be proud to show it off.

In my honest opinion, even though mother has told me countless times otherwise, I thought it was just a piece of fake metal.

"Keep that safe for me? At least, until I return?" I asked in my sweetest, most calming voice.

"But, your highness, I thought you were just going to get a breath of fresh air? When do you expect to be returning?"

"Midnight," I said as I quickly ran out the front doors and down the castle steps so she didn't have a chance to reply.

Midnight? Really, Genevieve? How cliché of you, I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes and hopped of the last step.

As I hurried down Castle Hill I peered over my shoulder to the clock tower that stood tall over the thin, white castle. 10:39 p.m. I knew that in time Gretchen would tell my mother and father about me going into town, and then they would alert the men of the artillery, and then they would come down and take me home, and then my entire night would be ruined. And as a birthday present I'll receive a three hour lecture from my mother about respecting the family rules and not going into public without my oh, so sacred tiara or at least one body guard.