The Black Pearl

Chapter 1

'Twas the night before the Masquerade Ball. Emily wondered if she would ever get any sleep. All she could think about was Prince Charles I of the Italian royal family. She stared into the darkness of the night with a magnificent grin on the delicate features of her face. She heard a faint sound.

"Hello?", she whispered, "Is anyone there?" .

She heard footsteps. Whoever it was was getting closer to her room. She hoped they would just keep going. Voices, she heard voices. She got up and as quickly and quietly as she could rushed into every room that was connected to her bedchamber trying to get a view of the mysterious people. At that very moment, the footsteps stopped, and she could hear the muffled shush of whispers. She opened the door to a nearby closet and locked herself in there because there was only one key. She kept it hidden safely away in the pocket of her silk, ivory nightgown. The old door to her room slowly creaked open, she sat there trying to figure out what she should do. Oh no! She felt a sneeze coming on. She scrunched up her nose to try and get rid of the sensation.

"A-a-achoo!".

"Oh no", she thought.

"Did you hear that sir?", a deep scratchy voice asked.

"Hear what? You bloody idiot.", a different voice snarled.

"Nevermind, let's just kidnap the princess and get out of here", the first voice replied.

Emily gasped,"But why?"

The two figures started looking around but didn't quite notice the hidden closet built in behind the closet. Emily struggled to see their identities without giving her cover away.

"She's not here, my liege", the servant reported.

"We'll just have to get her and her handsome self another night," declared the frustrated master.

The two strange but somewhat familiar men left. Emily wanted to fall asleep in the soft sheets on her bed but she felt so drowsy. She closed her eyes and started dreaming about the next day. When she woke up in her bed confused and dazed, she was greeted with two blurry looking figures. She quickly went under the covers, thinking it was the two men from last night.

"Miss Smith, you need not be afraid of us. We're only here to help you,", a soft reassuring voice said.

She felt better but still because she was still a little wary, peeked out of the covers. The two figures weren't blurry anymore. They were just Madge, the housekeeper and Roger, the butler. Roger went out of the room to go get Emily's breakfast.

Later that evening, she was getting ready for the ball. Thinking about old memories, she remembered that her mother had wanted her to wear her own pure gold necklace waudith a single black pearl on it for her first ball. She hurried and got it out of her mother's special jewelry box she kept hidden in a loose floorboard under her bed. She struggled with the clasp, but couldn't get it on, so she set if carefully down on her desk.

"Oh, it is just beautiful!", she exclaimed with grateful tears in her eyes for her wonderful mother.

As a little girl, Emily had loved to play with her mother's jewelry, but when she was a young lass, only seven, her mother died from a strange disease that perplexed even the best surgeons of the land. Her thoughts turned to the love of her life, Charles. If only he was around so she can savor the feeling of being in his arms.

There was a knock on the door, a tall, dark-haired, italian handsome man with sparkling blue eyes walked in.

"Charles!", Emily exclaimed, half with excitement and half surprised to be caught daydreaming.

"Are you ready for your first ball tonight?", questioned Charles, his accent thick.

"I'm ready, are you?", Emily answered.

"Yes.", he agreed, "Close your eyes.".

She closed her eyes and he sat down. He carefully grabbed the necklace and put it around Emily's neck. She touched the spot where his hands touched. Overwhelmed with such a powerful emotion, she was speechless.

"You are la mia bella, sweet darling.".

Then, she put the jewelry box on her desk. None of them said anything, neither nor wanting to ruin this rare and treasured sweet moment. A few moments passed, although it seemed like an eternity. It was calm and peaceful, when suddenly the prince glanced at his pocket-watch and quickly stood up.

"Emily amore, I have to," the prince slightly hesitated trying to think of a reasonable excuse,"Go get ready for tonight".