Another Cinderella Story

14. Prince ~Lily~

The whole ride in the carriage brought a fluttery feeling to my chest, but when we finally reached the castle, I was bursting. I had only seen it from afar, so the size shocked me. Grey stone walls rose up into the sky, marble pillars supporting it. The arches glittered like they had been painted with pure gold. It stretched out so far that if you pressed your head to one of the walls, it could seem like the castle stretched on for infinity. I felt suddenly overwhelmed by the sight of it all. A red carpet was laid out in front of us with a man taking our names.

"Lily and Jessie," I said as he waved us through.

The inside was even more shocking. It made Ella's mansion look like a shack. Staircases wound around the ballroom ending at the pure white marble floor.

a massive chandelier hung casting fractured light across the whole space as the flames were magnified my the hanging crystals.

"Wow," breathed Jessie.

"Wow indeed," I said.

I was about to say something else, but Jessie gasped. "It's the prince!"

Sure enough, walking down the grand stairway behind his Mother, was the prince. His suit was perfectly tailored and not a strand of his hair was out of place. He walked stiffly and had an air of authority.

I saw his eyes search the room, before they fell on me and Jessie. We looked at each other, not sure whether to bow, curtsy, or do nothing at all. We knew that he was walking towards us, so I smiled, hoping that I didn't look too undignified next to him.

"May I have this dance," he asked me, and it was so abrupt, so out of the ordinary, so powerful that I was the first lady he had asked, that for once I felt a glowing pride in myself that couldn't be wavered.

Jessie smiled at me reassuringly, so I stepped out onto the dance floor.

Suddenly the doors opened right in front of us, though, and the most beautiful lady stepped into the ball.

I could hardly recognize her, but somewhere, deep down, I knew from those curls and that misleading smile that it was Ella.

Her dress was beautiful. It had so many layers, that you could spend a lifetime counting them. Her hair was done up and her makeup reapplied.

Staring at her, the prince let my hand go and walked towards Ella as if I didn't even exist.