Love And War

03~Debut

In the grand halls of the royal palace, a flurry of activity filled the air as servants bustled about, preparing for the much-anticipated debut ball of the crown princess; Irene. The atmosphere crackled with excitement and anticipation.

Inside the princess's chambers, Lady Amelia, the head royal designer , stood by the window, overseeing the final touches of the princess's gown. The princess, Irene, sat at her vanity, nervousness evident in her expression.

"Your Highness, you look beautiful!" Exclaimed Lily.

"Yes, indeed!" Amelia smiled.

"Lady Amelia, can you give me a moment alone, please?" Asked Irene.

"Of course! Your highness! Please excuse me."

Amelia left Irene alone on her request. The silent room only contained the presence of lily; her personal maid, and Irene herself.

"Lily...can I really do this...? I have never attended a ball before!"

"Of course, Your Highness. You are the epitome of grace and poise."

"Am I really? Nowadays, I don't even know if the personality I had all these years is even real or not!" Replied Irene with a dim expression.

"Nonsense! Your highness. You will dazzle them all. I have known you ever since we were kids! I know no one can compare to you! I have seen you handling worst situations singlehandedly without breaking a sweat! Then this...its nothing at all compared to all of those situations! Since now you are going to be officially the crown princess! You are starting a new life, your highness! You should be happy! No... you HAVE to be happy!""

Irene's eyes lit up with hope and came to life after listening to Lily's warm and kind words.

"Happiness....so I really deserve something so luxurious....? Right....I am not in Renoa anymore...maybe...I can now finally be happy....?"

******
Prince Noah stood tall, adorned in his finest regal attire, as he waited for Irene, to descend the grand staircase. Tonight marked a significant moment in their lives together—their first public appearance as a married couple at Irene's crown princess debut ball.

As Irene appeared at the top of the staircase, Noah couldn't help but marvel at her beauty. Her gown shimmered under the soft glow of the chandeliers, accentuating her elegance and grace. He offered her his arm, and she took it with a smile that lit up the room.

"She looks so...beautiful...but I should probably not stare at her or else who knows what she will think."

"He looks so handsome! His delicate face sure is heavenly to look at!.... I wonder since when have I been capable of such devious thoughts!!"

Together, they made their way through the palace corridors, the sound of their footsteps echoing in anticipation of the evening's festivities.

As they entered the grand ballroom, all eyes turned toward them. The room was filled with nobles and dignitaries, each eager to catch a glimpse of the royal couple. Noah guided Irene through the crowd, introducing her to the guests with pride and affection.

"I have to make sure to leave a strong impression!! Because for sure, there must be people here who may not be too happy with this union! They will probably try to catch even the smallest of my mistakes, and these intimidating aura that's surrounding me right now is definitely the proof! Irene, just keep up with your fake smile, and everything will just end up fine!! As it always has...."

"Shall we dance?" Noah offered his hand with a gentle smile.

"Uh...yes." Irene snapped out of her thoughts and took his hand.

Throughout the evening, they danced together, their movements synchronized in perfect harmony. With each twirl and dip, they seemed to float across the polished marble floor, lost in the enchantment of the moment.

As the night wore on, Irene's confidence grew, and she mingled with the guests effortlessly, her charm captivating all who were fortunate enough to converse with her. Still, some nobles kept glaring at her as they were not too happy with her being the crown princess.

At midnight, as the ball drew to a close,  Irene found herself alone on the balcony, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight.

"Haaa....that was just exhausting! I had no idea balls were that much of a hard work! (I guess I managed to put up a good facade and mingled with as many nobles as possible! Some of them, though...are definitely not up to something good. If I tell his highness, will he believe me...? But...I should probably keep quiet for now since they are also laying low...)"

"Princess Irene?"

"Huh? Your highness? Uh...I'm so sorry for leaving without letting you know!" Irene bowed.

"No! No! It's fine! I was...just wondering what you were doing here. (Why was I looking for her? Ever since she came here...my head is a mess...her presence keeps stirring my thoughts and weird emotions take over me...?)

"Well...it was a bit crowded inside, and I felt a bit suffocated, so I decided to step outside!" Irene replied with a smile.

"I see..."

An awkward silence surrounded them only to be broken by their overlapping words as they were trying to break the silence.

"Ahem! You go first."

"No! It's alright, your highness! Please go ahead!"

"I just...wanted to say..."

"What's exactly is it that he is taking a long gap....? It can't be he heard me earlier!?"

"You...look beautiful..." Said Noah covering his mouth as the tip of his ears turned a bright red colour.

"Uh....?" Irene stood in shock, unable to process the situation.

Looking into Irene's eyes, Noah felt an unknown emotion and feeling taking over him. They stood together under the stars, looking mesmerised by each other. Only a small space of inches was the distance between them...