Marks of Power

The Ball

       "Stay still please," Maria, my maid, said so quietly that unless I wasn't bored out of my mind I wouldn't have heard.
       "Sorry," I replied just as quietly as she stabbed another bobby pin into my hair. She was currently putting my black hair, that I personally hated, into an intricate bun of some sort. I had already put on a long dark red sleeveless ball gown with a puffy skirt that reached the ground. I also wore a chain of real pearls, matching earrings, a matching ring, and simple shiny cream heels.
        Why all this effort you might ask? Well my name is Rosemary Michelle Lèvon and I am the princess of the great nation of Usil; I am getting ready for the ball where I will supposedly meet my suitor. I personally hate the idea of having to choose my husband in one night, but whatever.
       "Your done," Maria exclaimed triumphantly, the most emotion I had seen in her in a while.
       "Wow Maria! It looks wonderful," I smiled. She had put my hair up in a way that made it look almost like a flower with strategically placed pearls.
       "Thank you Miss Rosemary."
       "Maria, you know I hate it when you call me that, please just call me Rosemary."
       "Yes, M-Rosemary" Maria stopped herself from making a mistake.
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       "Rosemary," my mother, Victoria, the queen, scolded me, "please, don't just stand there, go out and talk to someone. Your feature husband is out there, you just have to find him!"
       "Fine," I sighed and walked away from the snack table, where I almost always hid away at parties like this.
       My mother wasn't exactly what you'd call old, but she wasn't exactly  young either. She had medium length jet black hair that matched her brown eyes perfectly, she also had a smile that could melt the polar ice caps, and had a face that looked like your classic tv or movie mother. She also always somehow found a way to make me smile when I was down.
       Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see one of my best friends, and the palace gardener, Sebastian standing behind me. Sebastian had wavy brown hair, icy blue eyes, and an almost boyish looking face. "Sebastian, what are you doing here?!"
       "I was bored."
       "So, you decided to attend an even more boring ball," I laughed.
       "Well when you put it that way," Sebastian trailed off, "see your feature husband yet?"
"No. Everyone here looks so snobby," I replied and Sebastian looked like he was trying to hold in a laugh.
"Well they are all checks, so that can be expected."
"Sebastian you know I'm a check right," I reminded him.
"Yeah but you're not a normal check."
"Whatever you say," I laughed and rolled my eyes. I knew that Sebastian didn't necessarily agree with the system, however there was nothing he could do. After all, the system wasn't all that bad in my opinion. Before a baby is born their possible life situations are studied extensively and in the end if the majority were not exactly great they are given an x and if they are all basically good they were given a check. Not necessarily bad meaning criminal, more meaning bad in the since that they aren't going to benefit the people in any huge way. Then, at birth, the result shows up as a small mark on the lower, inside section of the left index finger. However, there are those though who believe that the system is biased, but I can assure you, it's not.
"May I have this dance my lady?"
I turned around to see a man with enchanting sky blue eyes, golden brown hair combed into intricate curls, and wearing a midnight black suit with a matching bow tie. "Of course ," I sighed still staring at his beauty.
"Ugh," I could hear Sebastian scoff and even though I couldn't see him I knew that he had to be rolling his eyes.
The man took my hand and gracefully led me to the dance floor. "So, may I ask your name," I asked trying to sound formal.
       "Jabari Louis Chaput, and I of course know your name Miss Rosemary Michelle Lèvon. Now if I may ask, how is you ball going?"
       "As cliche as it sounds actually a lot better now that your here," I laughed a little at how hopelessly romantic it sounded.
       "It's not cliche if it's true," Jabari replied cockily. As the song drew to a close the man pulled away and bowed gracefully. "Thank you for making my evening that much better Princess Caydence."
       "Thanks to you too Mr. Chaput. I hope to see you again and get to know you better."
       "Of course. Now if you'll excuse me Miss I must go."
       "I understand, goodbye Jabari. I wish you a good evening."
       "Goodbye Caydence." With that the man bowed again and I curtsied and we went our separate ways. I went back over to where Sebastian was standing with a huge smile on my face.
       "Well you seem happy even though that guy seemed like a total jerk," Sebastian said, like always, with no filter whatsoever.
       "He was very polite and sweet for your information," I informed him, rolling my eyes.
       "All cocky scumbags seem like that at first."
       "Whatever Sebastian," I chuckled and rolled my eyes. The rest of the night was full of dancing with what Sebastian would call stuck up dirtbags (he had a very colorful vocabulary). Not any of them, of course, made quite the impression that Jabari had. When everyone left to return to their carriages I made my way up to my bedchambers where Maria was waiting for me to get me ready for bed.
       "How was your evening m'lady? Do you think you met your prince," Maria asked me, in her quiet barely audible voice, making polite conversation.
       "It was amazing and possibly, I just want to get to know him better."
       "Well I'm sure you'll get that chance miss."