Royal Love

Chapter 4

   "We need a grand gesture, but not something to grand we are still in mourning." I was in the kitchen talking to the cook about what would be served at the ball."

   "Princess I know what will be served. That is the least of your worries I think."

   I smiled. "Yes. Very well." I left the kitchen and headed to do the next thing. The word about the ball was spread, now the only thing left was my dress. While I was getting other things in order for the past hours, my sisters were off with the seamstress getting fitted with their dresses.

   I on the other hand was discussing flower arrangements most of the time. When I arrived at the room in which we were being fitted for dresses it was Alice and Elizabeth who were being fitted. It appeared that everyone else was done.

   When I walked in a fifth and sixth seamstress appeared in front of me. "You're late." The shorter one scolded as they pushed me to the center of the room. The older one left me to go get fabric as the first one helped me undo my corset. When she appeared again she had a blue  colored fabric with her. "I don't like the color blue," it was mother's favorite, and it brought back to many memories.

   "Well dearie, it looks good on you, as it did your mother," she looked me over, "You look a lot like her." It was true I had my mother's dark hair, slim figure, and gray eyes.

   I wasn't happy about the color but I must say the dress was beautiful when they had finished. It was simple yet elegant. The back was low (lower than I would have liked), and it fell to the floor. I couldn't stop staring at myself in the mirror. My sisters were staring at me also. Alice and Elizabeth, who had been finished a while and had joined the other on the sofa, were staring in wonder.

   My dress had taken the longest to complete and by the time we left, we had to head straight to dinner. When we arrived at the dinning hall we learned that father was not going to be joining us. We made small talk among us, but I knew what most of us were thinking: why had father not joined us? After mother's death he had been isolated. We didn't see him much, and when we did he didn't talk to us other than to punish us for something. One thing he always did was attended breakfast and supper with us. I think this was because mother had always attended. As for why he had not attended tonight, I think it was because of the letter he had received from mother earlier.

   When we finished eating we head for our chambers. Now that I was out of the nursery, my chamber was down the hall from the others. I tucked my sisters in and wished them goodnight before, heading to my chamber. All of my belongings had been moved earlier in the day. My new ladies in waiting helped me out of my dress and in to a nightgown. I dismissed them and sat down at my mirror and started to brush my hair. A million thoughts raced though my mind. Who would I meet at the ball? Would I find the person I love? Will my father marry me off? The most important question: would I live up to my mother and her expectations?

   I finished brushing my hair and carried the candle over to my bed, setting it on my nightstand. I pulled my covers back and climbed in. I blew out the candle and stared up at the canopy. "A ball. We are having a ball and I am the one arranging it." I was excited, we hadn't had a ball since before sickness had over taken mother, but I was also nervous, this was the first time I was in charge of one, what if it was horrible and awful. I worried that I would embarrass myself, Dukes and Princes would be attending along with Queens, and Kings. "Stop Sarah. You are a Princess, remember that. You are capable of arranging a ball," I scolded myself.

   Excitement coursed through me. Quietly I couldn't help but squeal. "We are having a ball!"