The King's Bride (Book 1 of Midnight Cinderella)

Chapter 2: Knight in Black Cloak

"I can't do this after all. Goodbye. I'll pay this dress somehow," I told Liz as the two of us stood outside.

The day of the Grand Ball arrived, and I was unavoidably nervous about it. It's pathetic, but I couldn't help it. My hands were all sweaty and my legs wouldn't stop shaking. 

It did not help that the Grand Ball will be the official start of the Princess Elect ceremony, and so all the ladies here, my best friend included, is a rival.

I walked away from the palace gates after seeing some of the grandest daughters of the aristocrats all over. I shuffled away, desperate to stop this madness, when Liz firmly gripped my hand. Her eyes were shooting daggers at me. 

"And so? You were so bent on attending this Princess Elect selection, and now what? You're chickening out? That's a big no-no, dear," Liz said.

Cold sweat ran down my temples like little raindrops. "But that was before! It's hard, okay? I've never done this. I'm not a princess."

She sighed and loosened her grip on me. I paced back and forth, rubbing my fingers and deliberating whether I should go inside or not. Liz's shoe tapping onto the cement, impatiently waiting for me. "A first time for everything. Let's just go inside, Ianne. You're being a coward again," she said.

The wind blew softly towards the direction of the castle, as if urging me to go inside. The castle stood proudly like a remnant of past, but it looked like it was built yesterday. I stopped pacing. Am I really fit for this large grandeur?

"Ladies, what are you still doing outside the castle? The gates will soon close," a male voice behind us said. 

A man with silver armor and a red cape draped over his back walked towards us. His lips formed a shallow smirk and his emblem glimmered proudly on his chest. He looked like a high-ranking knight. 

He shot me a poisonous glare. "How arrogant! You're making Lady Hemmington wait for you," he said, his voice full of malice.

I felt myself flare.

That twisted smirk is making me even more irritated. "That is none of your business!" I snapped. I strode behind Liz and pulled her by the arm, dragging her inside.

We reached the carpeted floors of the castle, and there was a faint scent of flowers, its corridors brightly lit. I frowned. 

The carpet looks even softer than my house clothes.

I pushed the thought away, and dragged Liz further inside, the invitation clutched tightly on my other hand. "Gowns are a hassle. I can't even run properly like this," I said. 

"It was a good thing you're wearing that dress." She pulled her hand away from mine and reached for her handbag, then dabbed a handkerchief onto her face.  "I wouldn't have survived if you went even faster than that. More importantly, I guess you did decide to be a candidate for Princess Elect, huh?" she said.

I had been so freaked out by that knight and I didn't even realize I'm inside the palace. Now that I'm here, what should I do? It's not like I can run away again; the knights would only stop me.

Possibly sensing the uneasiness in me, Liz laughs in a demure way, which kind of crept me out. She doesn't normally do this when we're together. She pinched my cheeks hard, and I winced in my pain. I automatically flicked the back of her hand in revenge. 

"You'll be fine. You're the only worthy rival I have for the Princess Elect selection. You're nothing less than that, okay?" she said and the two of us entered the ballroom together.

The ballroom was brightly lit, with chandeliers hanging up on the ceiling, and large windows that offered a beautiful view of the night. The stairs were of marble, and I gulped when I saw a handsome man standing at the top of the stairs, welcoming and introducing every lady to enter the ballroom.