"You Shall go to the Ball..."

Chapter 7 - "Invitation..."

Chapter 7 - "Invitation..."

Clara's PoV

'This isn't an option father. I'm begging for you to allow this, come on. Your all about the people. If we allow them into our home for the day that their future king turns 21 then they Weill have complete faith in me' John said proudly.

'I believe the Prince has a point sir' Rory said backing up John.

'This is a preposterous idea, it just allows the public to think that they can be one of us when they can't' Harold the Butler of the King tutted.

'Now, now Harold. John might have a point'

'But your highness'

'One night hmm? All the ladies of the land? The ladies of town? Invite them in? Why?'

'By the people. For the people. Goodwill to the people?' John said hoping that would work on his father.

It did.

'Okay, Harold. Have the invites sent out to every household with a maiden in. Are we setting an age?'

'No. We can't. Every woman can come' John panicked. He realised he didn't know this girls age. For all he knew she could be 16. If an age limit was set he may not find her. 'Any age woman from the land is invited' John said making that clear. He highly doubted she was 80 but who knows?

'Fine. Harold have them sent out. December 21st is when this ball will be held. The day of Prince Jonathan's 21st birthday. Make sure they all know'

'Gifts are not required father' John said rolling his eyes, but ran off to prepare his suit. The ball was but one month away.

- - -

'Morning' I said as I laid the table.

It was becoming a habit, where I served them and they just got what they wanted.

I cleaned the fireplace. Cooked the food. Washed the dishes. Did the laundry. Wiped the sides. Cleaned the floors. Cleaned the bedrooms. Dusted all the nick nacks. Clean the bathrooms. Clean the bedrooms. Wash the bedsheets. Clean the chicken coops. Grow and collect the crops. Pretty much everything you can think of - I do.

It was of course an early Decembers morning when I collected the post from the front door, that I noticed a letter for me.

I never get post.

I assumed that melody had, had my post diverted so it was impossible for me to get it. But there was one there. In fact, There was one of the same shaped envelope for every one in the house.

I threw them onto the table and opened the Leyte myself.

'Oh my god. Mummy Clara has post' Amy gasped.

'That's impossible' melody snapped as she opened her own letter and looked up. She knew straight away I had the same letter, and the two brats as I like to call them started jumping up and down in excitement.

"On December 21st every Maiden of the land is invited to the 21st birthday ball of the future King Jonathan.

All are expected to attend in the land to such a special occasion.

Yours faithfully. Your King David"

'Why did she get an invite to a ball? Look at the state of her' Rose chuckled.

She was right in some ways. I was covered in soot from the fireplace, and defiantly wasn't in any kind of state to go to the ball.

'No matter girls. Because Clara here won't be going to the ball unless all her jobs are completed. Now what are the chances of that?' She smirked. 'And then there's something to wear. Clara can't afford a pencil - let alone a dress. Now come girls. Let's get to the shops before they close. We need to choose the best dresses to turn the princes eye' she chuckled slamming the front door.

I knew she was right. What were the chances of me being able to go to the ball? I don't even have anything to wear - except.

I ran down the stairs to the basement and sifted through my wardrobe. There it was.

The dress that my Dad had bought me before he died. The one he wanted me to have.

I pulled it out of the plastic and breathed it in. Strangely it smelled of him and made me want to cry.

I stood in front of the small mirror that I have with the pink dress on that say just above my knees. It looked beautiful, and I knew wrong a good wash - I could look great,

I would wake early on the morning of the ball and scrub the house down completely.

'I will go to the ball lucky. I can be posh for one day' I smiled happily, clutching the invitation by my chest, happy that I had been thought about.

- - -

'Why are we doing this Sir? I can't understand why we are inviting the entire land' Harold muttered as he assisted king David to bed.

'He will choose a queen at the party. Don't worry. He knows what's right and what's wrong'

'Mm. And what about his soiled virginty? You've promised him to a princess but does this princess know that he isn't clean? That he is soiled?'

'Why would anyone need to know this. We all know that happened to her, he wouldn't dream of telling his bride to be. Your worrying for no reason' Harold. 'At the end of the day I just want him to be happy but happy with the right people'