not a fairytale

five

 I spent two days shopping with my brother's girlfriend, Alessia, the epitome of a socialite who knew everything about everything it took to be an it girl and the so called belle of the ball for any even. She was also from a very well of family in Sicily so she could od whatever she wanted and worked as a freelance stylist on and off when she felt like it. Shopping with her on my dad's dime was every girl's dream.

We headed back to Venice to pack up my apartment after our shopping excursions reached an end. We spent the next week or so learning everything there was to know about Meldeva, from customs and what the whole contest would entail.

I had been a part of polite society as a kid and as a teenager to an extent, we spent time in Meldeva when I was younger and at their court, but I was too young to remember it much, so it was a whole new world. I'd done some stupid debutante class and ball in high school because my dad had forced me to, thinking it would calm me down but it didn't do much.

But Anthony was right, I was smart and as soon as I got acclimated I would be able to kill this whole contest thing, I was just worried I wouldn't get acclimated in time.

We flew into Meldeva on a Saturday morning and the first event of the contest was that evening, a masquerade ball. In all, there were fifteen girls from all over Europe competing for Logan's hand and the throne of Meldeva.

I had planned on sneaking out of my room before getting ready to see Logan but Anthony found out that he would be gone from the palace until the ball had already started so he wouldn't know who the girls were behind their masks, that was, unless he already knew them well, so that threw my plan right out the window.

Blake was there to greet us when I got to the palace, I was glad I'd have someone with home court advantage in my corner. He told me that while I wasn't allowed to tell Logan who I was tonight, he had a plan for me too, but I wasn't supposed to tell Anthony about it.

He took us to my room and I got settled in before Alessia started to help me get ready, which was a huge task in itself. My hair alone took two hours to wash, dry, and style. It fell down past my belt loops and it was thick, so it took quite some time for her to remember how difficult it was to get it to cooperate. She pulled the top part back off to the sides and pinned it back loosely, keeping it out of my face and curling it and brushing out the curls, giving it a beautiful soft wave that fell down my back.

She didn't do much eye makeup, my face was partially covered with an intricate black mask that looked like it was made of lace and jewels, so she took it easy on my eyes and focused on my face and topped it off with a deep red lipstick that complimented my dark hair and deep green eyes.

My dress as a long black gown with a trumpet skirt with a beautiful lace overlay and sweetheart neckline that she paired with a pair of black gloves that were the same fabric as my dress that went up to my elbows.

"Who are you and what did you do with my sister?" Anthony remarked as he came into my room with a box in his hands.

"Fuck off," I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"There she is," he laughed, "I have something for you," he said, handing me the black velvet box in his hands.

"Anthony," I gasped, opening the box to find a diamond necklace and pair of earrings the had belonged to my mother laying gently inside. My dad had given them to her on their wedding day and she wore them to nearly every important function we ever went to, "Anthony, where did you get this?"
"Dad had it," he replied, "He had planned on giving it to you the day you got married, but he thought you'd need it here."

"I always loved these earrings," I remarked, staring down at the box, "She had so many necklaces like this, all elegant and grandeur, but she always wore the earrings."