Onyx and Gold [#UnNoticedStories]

Chapter 3.2- Royal Engagement

Royal Ball in Crown Prince Henrik's honor,
The King Andrew ballroom,
Second floor,
Dannamore Castle.
Every subject of the kingdom is invited.

"Louisa, hurry up!" Theodor bangs on the princess' bedroom door. "We are going to be late! Papa will have our heads!"

There are muffled voices and giggles behind the doors when suddenly it flies open and two maids appear. They bow at him politely before scurrying off, still giggling. And still his sister isn't ready yet.

Theodor could feel his patience waning inside of him as he waits for her to finish doing the final touches to her face.

And then she steps out.

"You certainly took your time," he grumbles, as Louisa gingerly tucks in a stray dark lock behind her ear. She merely shrugs at his grumbling, unfazed.

Her hair, now in an elegant braid, drapes over one shoulder with small white pearls peeking from under her dark hair. Around her neck is one of the necklaces the king and queen gave her for her sixteenth birthday: a beautiful aquamarine stone cut in the shape of a rectangle and surrounded by silver and small diamonds.

"What do you think?" she asks, looking at her brother, worry all over her sweet face.

"You look beautiful," Theodor sighs. As if I could say anything else, he thoughts to himself.

"You are certainly a good little brother," she grins at him, nudging him at his ribs playfully. "Are you nervous?"

"Of?"Theodor asks, holding out his arm to her.

"Getting betrothed to Elena, of course!" she teases him, rolling her eyes. "I saw your reaction when the Deschampians entered."

"And?"

"You are smitten."

Theodor could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. "I am not!"

"Say what you will, deny what you can. I still say you are smitten by her," Louisa guys him still. "Hold on, I forgot the tiara Mama picked for me."

"Fine. Just make it quick," Theodor grumbles impatiently.

The princess dashes back into her room and returns a moment later, another magnificent tiara in her hands.

It also had the same aquamarine stone inlaid in the scrolls, the fleur-de-lys motive made the stone look bigger than it actually is. The diamonds on the tiara winks at the Prince merrily when it catches the light from the fire mounted on the wall. Louisa inspects the tiara, rubbing at an invisible dirt on it with the hems of her skirts until it gleams further.

"Is that the Marina tiara?" Theodor inquires as she puts the tiara on her head, gently sliding in a few pins to secure it to her hair.

"Now are you done or not?" he demands, tugging at her skirts. She swats his hands away, glaring at him as she smoothens the fabric.

"Now hold on a minute, will you? Let me see my little brother in all of his crown glory. I know you are very excited for your engagement," she pokes at him, before pulling him in to get a closer look.

The Prince groans, itching to get to the ball quickly just so that the King wouldn't flip out, thinking he had run off somewhere. God knows that that old man has near to none of trust for him.

A smile forms on Louisa's dainty red lips as she twirls her brother around. Their mother had always pestered the Prince to actually dress  according to his station and to stop running around the kingdom as if he hasn't a care in the world. She had always sided with her brother when the Queen starts one of her campaign against him; yet now she can see why their mother had insisted so.