Ms. Ever After (Under editing)

Chapter 4: The Coats

New Chapter!

(again sorry for the every-other-weekend updates. It will quicken shortly!

Enjoy <3

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The party was held in Sleeping Beauties elegant castle. The ballroom was huge with the smooth tan walls of the castle decorate with diamonds pink, green, and blue. The ballroom was elegant, freshly polished, and with everything matching. Curtains matched the flowers upon the tables. Table clothes matched the paintings. Paintings matched the chandeliers. Chandeliers matched the curtains, and so on.

Catherine had on the dress of a lady-in-waiting. It was a simple dress and did well to hide her figure. Her brunette hair was hidden in a bun sitting neatly and tightly on her head. She walked like a Queen yet looked like a peasant. Then again, she had too.

Her quick eyes scanned the perimeter. Lavishing dresses whooshed to and from across the floor. Men elegantly talked in corners of the rooms, looking upon the giggling pretty girls.

Catherine's eyes landed on the tallest man of the room. Broad shouldered, well muscles, and surrounded by ladies whose Prince Charming has yet to come, Hawking was certainly something compared to the normal cocky 'Charmings'.

He looked so uncomfortable with the three girls clamping on him, shaking their bosoms and their Décolletés.

Catherine's lips curled slightly. She should help him... but this was revenge for yesterday. But yet... there was something so familiar about him.

Catherine glided with the shadows of the ballroom, making her way over to the gaming room. Men filled every table with some girls littering the place on their man's lap as they gambled away.

"Now now! You must be smarter than that!" The Queen Mayor grinned at a High Lord that was sitting across from her who just challenged her deck. The Queen flipped her cards and 'Oh's!' filled the table as she won. She winked at the man as Catherine slipped next to her. "Your majesty." Catherine murmured.

"Ah! My dear! I was wondering where you were." The Queen beamed at her as her winnings were being put away. She was regal in her black ball gown and vibrant makeup. Her thick black hair was loose in waves all the way down to her upper back. No wonder she was considered one of the fairest in the land. "Come! Play with us."

The men at the table flickered their gazes upon Catherine and finding nothing of interest, began talking with themselves. "Oh. No. Your Majesty. It is not my place."

The queen waved her off, "Oh nonsense! We are playing teams and I need a team member who knows how to play."

Catherine hid her smile at the baffled looked of the men. Catherine quietly slipped into a seat by the Queen and the dealer handed out the cards.

The group picked up their cards and Catherine did some reorganizing. "Your majesty, has Hawking visited before?"

"Why dear?" The Queen placed down a card. Catherine placed down another, strengthening the Queen's deck.

A man muttered something angrily, throwing his cards down. He was out for this round. The next one goes.

"Well... I feel like I've seen him before..."

"You have. When you were younger."

Catherine looked at the Queen, "When I was younger??"

"Yes. You and Hawking were playmates. You went to the same daycare and often times stayed together after the care. You would never leave each other sides when he came over to visit me." Sighed the Queen in happy remembrance.