For King and Country

The Ball Pt. 1

Chapter 9

The next day Josephine woke me with the sun, a group of servants standing behind her waiting to attack me.

"Princesses don't sleep in." She snapped, pulling me up and dragging me into the bathing chamber. I hazily undid the tie on the thin nightgown I wore, and was pushed into the bubbly bathtub. I stayed there until my skin was pruned and my eyes were wide awake. After that I was fed a tiny breakfast of weird fruits that I decided I hated and instructed by Josephine on how to best behave tonight. I listen to her drone on and on about politics and women that I need to introduce myself to until my hair was dry and I was shivering. She then yanked me up, pulled me into the giant dressing room and the servants started to dress me. She told me to go to my happy place, so I closed my eyes and picture a summer picnic.

"If you don't stop eating you're going to explode!" I scolded Micah who lay back on his elbows beside me. He'd managed to put away all of the little cakes I had made for the day. It was his birthday and he talked me into taking a walk and having a picnic.

He mimicked me, making me hit him in the chest. He retaliated by poking my side, which he knew was ticklish. I flinched away from him, swatting him with my book. He continued to accost me, and I squealed with laughter.

"Stop it, you oaf!" I yelled, standing up, skipping backward away from him. He stood, a wicked look in his eyes, chasing after me over the hills and soft grass until he caught me, making me trip over my own feet and land in a heap on top of him. We were closer than he'd ever dared to go before, and his dark eyes met mine once, he kissed me, a real kiss. Then another gentle, shy kiss, then another. He stopped eventually, and parts of me, the curious parts wished he hadn't. He brushed my messy curls off my face.

"I'm going to marry you Cora Elizabeth, as soon as I can."

Josephine's sharp voice snapped me out of it. "Don't fidget so much, Princesses don't fidget." She ordered, tugging at my dress. I gasped when I saw what was in front of me in the huge mirror. The servants had been tugging at my face and hair, and placing layers and layers of fabric on me. I expected to see a red faced, giant haired, belle in a huge gown. My face glowed slightly under the light, and my eyes were framed by thicker, darker lashes. My lips were painted a delicate mauve color, and my dress...

I wasn't the kind of girl who got excited about dresses. But this dress was stunning. It spilled over my body, hugging to from my breast to my thighs. It fell straight from my thighs into a slight pool at my feet. Over the white dress was a golden vest made of loosely woven fabric that glittered in the light. It sat on my shoulders delicately, covering the white dress there, but didn't cover the long white sleeves of my dress. It fell down my body, making my dress less scandalous. It covered the tight material over my thighs and pooled behind me in slight train. It was beautiful, and my hand absent-mindedly went to my stomach. Josephine slapped it away.

"No, we can't have you staining it. We're almost finished with your hair, be still!" They were curling my hair with heated tubes, letting it fall in loose waves down my back, it pinned delicately away from my face. An hour later, I was sitting on my chaise lounge in the reception room, waiting for the sun to set and the ball to begin. It'd taken the servants almost twelve hours to get me ready, but there was still dead time waiting for the ball to begin.

"Avalyn," My head snapped up at Josephine addressing me for the first time, it made me uncomfortable, "I'm about to have to go down, fashionably late, of course. I wanted to give you something before I go." She held a delicate carved box in her hands. "Your mother," She sat down in front of me, "wore this to her debut. Your father fell in love with her that night." It was a delicate hair piece with golden bands and flowers made of clusters of diamonds. She nestled it in my hair, "See now you truly look the part. Remember, no one can tell you that you don't belong here, or that you'll be a bad Princess. Because you'll be great." She dropped a kiss on my forehead, before scampering out. I sat in quiet for a moment before I went back to reading.