How To Be A Princess | Discontinued |

19.

In my room, I begin to get ready for the night. My maids have already been in here setting out my dress and jewelry and everything while I've been sitting patiently in front of my vanity mirror.

"It's 9:00! We have thirty more minutes until the ball starts and the guests start to arrive! Royals are never late," Lucille says winking at me.

"Then let's get moving, shall we?" I take a bobby pin out of my hair, letting my hair fall down just below my shoulders.

"If you go ahead and get her hair and makeup situated, I'll help her into her dress," Lucille states while motioning for me to get up out of my chair.

"Alright, you do that." In a hurry, Katie runs over to the bathroom and grabs whatever can fit into the palms of her hands and sets it onto the vanity. She also makes another trip making sure to get the pins and hair products needed for the type of hairstyle she'll be doing. 

Walking over to Lucille, she's already gotten the dress off of the hanger and is ready for me to put it on. She unzips the dress carefully not to make a mistake of ripping a hem or something delicate.

I step in slowly while she holds it open wide and adjusts the straps hanging off of my shoulders perfectly. 

"Is it comfortable, miss?" Lucille wraps her hands around the corset making sure it's not too tight.

"It's perfect, Lucille." 

She finishes unzipping the dress and steps back to get a look.  "Miss...You look..." 

Katie then turns around and squeals. She really is a loud one. "STUNNING!!!" She jumps around in a circle holding makeup brushes in her hands. I turn around slowly to see myself in the mirror.

"Whoa..." I say, shocked. "Is this really me? Or am I dreaming? Someone pinch me, this can't be real!" 

"Ooh!" Katie runs over and literally pinches me.

"Ow!! That hurt!" I say rubbing the spot that's turning a bit red. 

"Well, you said to pinch you!" Katie says, smirking.

"Not literally!" Laughing, I walk over to the vanity and sit down. Katie takes a brush and begins combing my hair until it is tangle-free. 

"I'm thinking an updo with a braided crown wrapped around with a sprinkle of glitter with some pins just to set it off nicely and some strands just coming down the sides here to give it that fancy look." She says moving her hands and arranging my hair in the thin air.

Giggling, I say, "You sound like a chef on a TV show describing your famous dish." 

Shaking her head, she begins braiding a strand of hair and fixing the rest adding just what she was talking about earlier. "I need to make sure your tiara is able to fit on your head." She takes the tiara and places it on top. It fits perfectly. "There." Taking a step back, she focuses on my face and grabs a makeup brush and applies some powder to my face.

The total beautification process only took about fifteen minutes so I have just enough time to get myself together and be ready for the ball. 

"We're done!" Katie pushes me towards the door. 

"Wait, aren't you two coming as well?"

"We're maids! We don't dance at balls!" Lucille says sweetly. 

"It won't be as fun without you!" I make my puppy dog face and bat my eyelashes, in hopes of persuading them to both come.

"We wish we could, but we have to stay. It'll be fun, don't worry." Katie says smiling. "And plus, Adam will be coming. He'll see you in your dress!" Lucille winks this time and Katie giggles.

"Alright, alright." I open the door a bit wider about to walk out. "Thank you for everything."

"Anytime, miss!" They both shout as I close the door. I don't know what I'd do without those two.

Walking down the stairs, I'm greeted by my mom and dad both standing below me. "Well, don't you look beautiful!"

Blushing, I hide my face and continue to walk down the rest of the stairs. "Thank you."

"It's 9:30. The guests should be here any minute now. Why don't you stand at the main entrance and greet them as they walk in? Your father and I will both be getting something to drink," she says looking at my dad and winking at him. "Come, dear, let's go."

"You heard your mother," my dad says as he turns around and smiles back. I make my way down the stairs and stand at the front entrance. 

"Ah, King Rupert is here," I hear one of the guards say to the other across the door. I have no idea who he is, but I try to pretend I'm aware. The guards both open the door at the same time and let him in. I curtsy as he bows and I make way from him as he steps into the main hall.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle!" Ah, he speaks French! Good thing I took French back in high school. 

"Bonjour, comment allez-vous ce soir?" I ask nicely. That's 'Hello, how are you this evening?' in French.

"Je vais bien merci!" King Rupert smiles and bows once again. I motion for him to sit down in a seat while we wait for the other guests to arrive. In a matter of minutes, it seems the main hall has about 500 people already! As Lucille said earlier, 'Royals are never late!'

I'm still by the doors greeting people as they come in, but I'm astonished by whom I see just outside the castle doors. This can't be happening, this can't be happening!

The King and Queen of Castilla are here along with their utterly handsome son, Adam. Just as they are about to walk through, my parents call me from the other side of the room.

"Coming!" I yell. My mom goes past me greeting the King and Queen. Thank you, but why?? I wanted Adam to see me! 

"Hello! It's so nice of you to be here!" They all walk in admiring the castle as they step foot inside of it. 

"Wow!" One of the little girls exclaims. I'm guessing she's one of their nieces. "This is pretty!" She looks about six or seven and is the most adorable! "You're really pretty!" I hear her say to my mom.

She laughs and accepts the compliment as she guides them into the main area where people are already dancing to some classical music.

"There you are!" I turn around, greeted by my father drink in hand. "I want to introduce you to some of these wonderful people!" He turns smiling at the man and woman. They look like a couple, although the man looks slightly older than the woman. The woman is very pretty, though. She's wearing a long, flowy green dress with silver swirls on the bottom. Her hair is strawberry blonde, cut short, just above her shoulders. 

"This is Prince Thamian along with his wife, Princess Evaline." 

"Hello, it's nice to meet you," I say politely.

"Isn't she a dear! Your father has told us so much about you! You're so beautiful!" She says holding one of my hands. I smile and thank her along with her husband. 

"You two can get to know each other a little better in a little bit. Right now it's time to dance!" He swirls around with his drink and makes his way to the ball area and I can't help but laugh.

The quartet includes two violin players, a viola player, and a celloist. They're playing some sort of waltz and it sounds beautiful. For a moment, I'm swaying to the sound of the beautiful melody lost in a daze until something or someone catches my attention.

"Care to dance?" I turn around amazed as I meet the gaze of the one handsome boy I eyed earlier with his cheeky smile and dimples. I feel like I'm about to faint. Deep breaths, Anna. Deeeeep breaths.

"Adam..."