Love and War

The Promise of a Ball

Princess Elise was hurriedly getting ready for the ball that would take place that night, being pestered by her ladies-in-waiting as they did her makeup, adjusted her dress, and prepared her hair for the grand event. It was all so tiresome, but the young princess knew she would enjoy the occasion once it finally began.

But, despite her ladies' best efforts, Elise's mind was wandering away from the ball that was to come. She couldn't help but wonder if she would finally meet someone new that night, someone who would catch her eyes and capture her heart...

As her ladies continued to fuss around her, applying the final touches to her appearance, Elise allowed herself to imagine the possibilities of the upcoming ball.

"Ms. Elise, you're ready now." One of her ladies says.

"Thank you, I love it." Elise says with a gentle voice

She knew that every highborn bachelor in the kingdom would be attending the ball, all hoping to court the young princess. As Elise stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror, her thoughts were interrupted by the mention of Atticus, the son of her kingdom's arch-enemy. A slight shiver ran down her spine at the mere mention of his name. Their kingdoms had been locked in a bitter war for over two decades, and the thought of even being in the same room as Atticus sent a strange sensation through her being.

As the ladies continued to flutter around her, one of them finally spoke up, breaking the nervous silence. "Princess, are you alright? You look quite distracted," she inquired gently.

Elise snapped out of her thoughts and tried to compose herself, plastering a smile on her face. "I'm fine, thank you," she reassured them weakly. "Just... contemplating the upcoming ball, that's all."

Her ladies exchanged knowing glances, sensing that there was more to her distraction than just the ball.

One of the ladies dared to speak up again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you thinking about... him, Your Highness?"

Elise's expression darkened at the mention of him – Atticus, the son of her kingdom's arch-enemy. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't shake the thoughts of him from her mind, much to her own frustration.

"Don't be silly," she replied curtly, trying to brush off the subject. "Why would I be thinking about him?"

Despite her attempts to appear unbothered, the ladies could see the flicker of uncertainty in Elise's eyes. They knew that her mind was still fixated on Atticus, the son of her kingdom's long-standing enemy.

As they finished the final touches on her appearance, they shared worried glances, knowing that the upcoming ball would be more complicated than they had initially thought.

With a heavy heart, Elise stood up from her seat and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the night ahead. Little did she know just how eventful the evening would be..