Royal Rules

Part 3

Your majesty, it's time to get ready for the ball." I nodded to them, and they started to whisk us both away. I looked back at Jacob to see that he was looking back at me, and it clicked.

I liked him, and he liked me, and the choosing was tomorrow...

I turned away so he wouldn't see the tears spring into my eyes, gritting my teeth. I couldn't control my feelings for him no matter how hard I tried, and when the choosing came... what would I do? Just go along with the husband that was chosen for me and forget about Jacob? Just the thought made my heart crumble. What if what I was feeling was love at first sight?

"Princess, are you well?" One of the women escorting me to my room asked when we reached the door, and that's when I broke down. I was led to my bed where I sat on the plush, ruby red blankets and covered my face.

"I think that I'm... I'm falling in love, and my choosing is tomorrow. I don't know what to do!" I exclaimed, trying unsuccessfully to wipe the tears from face.

"Princess, I hope you don't mind me giving you some advice, but if I were in your situation I would savor the moments I had with this man," another of the women said, and I looked at her. She was watching me with gentle brown eyes, and I worked up the courage to stop crying.

"You think so?" She nodded, and I smiled. "Thank you."

"Now let's get you cleaned up for tonight. This boy is going to be in for a treat."

I started with a bath in a special soap made from roses, scrubbing my skin until it was squeaky clean. My two servants busied themselves with lathering up my waist-long hair and preparing my nails to be painted. Once I got out of the lukewarm water, I wrapped myself in a fluffy white robe and sat on the floor to make it easier on the women to comb my hair and paint my nails a rose red. The pampering made me relax, and I found myself daydreaming about Jacob. We moved to the bathroom to take care of makeup and my hair. I thought about his cloudy gray eyes and how they softened whenever he looked at me, and of the feel of his hand in mine. It had been like a perfect fit...

"I think our job is finished. We will summon your escort and leave you to dress yourself. Have a wonderful evening Princess." I was snapped out of my daydreams when I was finished prepping, and I opened my eyes to look at my makeup. It was absolutely beautiful, an apple red as the base of my eye shadow and a jet black eyeliner that made the green of my eyes pop. My cheeks had a soft touch of coral, my lips bursting with a dark berry red. My hair had been intricately braided and then tied up into a curly bun at the top of my head with little curly strands hanging down.

"Thank you, it's gorgeous," I smiled, staring at the stranger in the mirror. They bowed shortly and left the room, but I didn't move until I heard the door click.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I remembered that Jacob would be with me the entire night, making me feel queasy at the same time. The tightness of the braids in my hair were giving me a headache, so I took it all out and let my hair flow loosely to my waist. I thought it looked better like that, curly but not too formal. Finally tearing my eyes away from the mirror, I stood and walked into my room to survey the dress that I had chosen for the occasion. It was a long, tight red dress that hugged my curves, specially made for me. It had one strap that went from my left breast over my right shoulder. The back was open to allow my wings the space to move freely, but it was still elegant. I wiggled into the dress and slipped my wings through an opening made just for them. Just then I heard a knock on the door, and it felt like I was going to throw up out of pure excitement. Checking myself once in the mirror and straightening myself, I ran to the other side of the room and swung open the door.

Just the sight of him made my breath catch in my throat. He was wearing an ink black tuxedo with a white undershirt, a single red rose tucked into the pocket of his jacket. I could tell someone had tried to slick his hair back, but it still looked a bit messy, and his skin was free of the dirt and grime I had first seen him in. He turned to look at me. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and I couldn't help blushing as he bit his lip and smiled at me. When our eyes locked I felt like I was going to pass out on the spot. I was in deep.

"Wow, you look... breathtaking," he breathed, and I smiled shyly.

"Thank you. And you look very handsome," I replied, making him smile.

"Shall we go then?" He held out his hand just as he'd done earlier in the forest, but this time I reached the rest of the way. The reaction I had to his touch was stronger than the first time, and I shuddered involuntarily.

"So how did the pampering go?" I teased, and he made a face at me.

"It was alright until they tried to bathe me and gel my hair. I hope no one gets mad that it's messy," he admitted, and I stopped in front of him, trying to predict what Mother and Father would say.

"Here, I'll fix it," I offered. I stood on my tiptoes and reached into his hair, running my fingers through it until it looked decent enough. When I was almost finished working my fingers through the soft mass, I happened to look at him. He was gazing at me fondly with a small smile on his face, and I just realized how close our faces were to each other.

"All fixed," I blushed, backing up a step. He took my arm in his and continued walking, and I looked at his face. I'm not sure if I imagined it, but his cheeks were also turning red. I smiled to myself, looking up to see that the grand hall was only around the corner. The thunderous roar of hands slapping together and whistling could probably be heard through the whole forest as we entered the grand hall, and I didn't even have to force my smile. I looked at Jacob, who was perfectly at ease, and did my best to imitate his stature. I could tell that some people were surprised at my choice of an escort, considering he interrupted the choosing earlier, but I didn't care.

"Don't worry, you look beautiful," he assured me, putting a hand on my arm. I didn't realize that my arm was hovering just a bit over his out of tension, and I let myself relax.

He swiftly guided me down the path that the crowd had made for us to the familiar long table at the other side of the room. The Royals' Table. My relatives (most that I barely knew) sat perfectly poised on their chairs like porcelain statues. It made my skin crawl as they watched me with wary gazes, clapping without really meaning it. I finally relaxed when I sat down next to Father, and Jacob sat beside me, slowly squeezing my hand for reassurance. Only after we were seated did everyone sit down, staring in our direction for my Mother or Father to say something. Finally, Father slowly stood up and cleared his throat, smiling at me briefly.