Dusk at Midnight

{ 1 } A Crown Princess

Astra

"Announcing our beloved birthday girl; Astra, the Crown Princess of Rowana!"

I smiled as my title was declared and I gracefully glided down the stairs, head held high. The eyes of my people and other nobles from far-off kingdoms followed my every step.

The chandeliers cast a soft golden glow that complemented my cream coloured dress well--as I knew it would. Light glinted off the pearls around my neck and wrist, their natural elegance enhancing mine.

My hair was twisted into an intricate up-do, enhanced by the glimmering brightness of the gems adorning my tiara, and I almost smirked at the awe in the eyes that gazed at me. The rumours of my beauty were obviously not enough to prepare them.

"Your Highness!"

I turned towards the sound of an annoyingly familiar voice, my face still fixed in an elegant smile. "Klaus... so glad you could make it."

I made an effort to keep the smile on my face, although it faltered slightly when he clasped my hand between his and placed a kiss on it.

Klaus beamed, my right hand still held hostage in his sweaty palms. "Happy twentieth birthday!"

"Ah yes," I replied, subtly extracting my hand from his grasp, "thank you."

"You get more beautiful every time I see you, your hair is like the sky at dusk..." He reached out, as if to grasp a strand of my hair but faltered as the guards behind the ornate marble pillars took a threatening step forward.

With a small incline of my head they stepped back, disappearing into the shadows. I plastered a polite smile onto my face, effectively excusing myself with a graceful sweep of my gown.

The nobles parted as I walked past, their heads bowed low in respect. I gave a poised nod in return, just like I had been taught every day since I had been old enough to walk.

My mother's old servant approached me from the side with a deep curtsy."Princess, Her Majesty would like your presence at her chambers after the ball." 

The surrounding nobles eyed her with disdain and I almost did too. It was strange for her--a mere maid--to come to me so directly, especially during a ball such as this.

"I'll go to her as soon as possible, but in the meantime, tell her to rest and call for a healer again." I frowned slightly at the thought of the sudden sickness my mother had succumbed to, before my face fell back into its mask of poised elegance.

With another curtsy, she nodded her understanding and disappeared through the crowd.

After accepting more birthday wishes from the nobles that approached me, I glanced at the immense pile of gifts on the table. A genuine smile touched my lips for the first time that day and I held in a sudden urge to giggle. They would never know that my maids were the ones who really reaped their benefits.

"Is there something amusing?" A velvety voice sent chills down my spine and I resisted an instinctive shudder. There was only one person that could trigger such a reaction in me.

Caius.

"How lovely to see you, why, it's been far too long," I said, eyeing his distasteful entirely black attire as I smiled with feigned delight.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked ever so slightly. "You're getting more beautiful everyday."

I noticed that he didn't bother to add any respect to my position and frowned slightly. Choosing to ignore his obvious jab at me, I plastered a smile back on my face.