Sebastian

Chapter Two

This chapter has 842 words. I'm sorry for any errors in spelling. I'm probably going to update again later today, because I'm excited for the ball to come around (: Thank you for reading!

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I was sitting on my bed petting Elmer when there was a quiet knock on my door. Kaden poked his head in.

"Dinner's ready" he said. I snorted, and he sighed, opening the door and coming in."You can't stay mad at mom forever. Look at it from her side. She's looking at dad's cure right in its face, and you're the only step she has to take, y'know?" He was staring into my eyes as he said this, urging me to understand. Elmer let out an excited meow and ran over to him, weaving between his ankles. I shook my head.

"I do understand, Kaden. But the thing is, she's not even considering me in the equation. She's looking at me like I'm just some small, insignificant detail, when I'm her daughter. What if I say the wrong thing, like you said? If for some reason he shows interest, how can I not see everyone he's killed and everyone he'll kill eventually? And what if she sees all these possibilities, and absolutely none of it happens and he treats this dance like every other dance? I don't like him, let alone see myself with him forever," I explained, my eyes on Elmer as he attacked Kaden's boots. I heard him sigh again, and he walked over and sat on the edge of my bed.

"Elizabeth, you're right. But you're refusing to even look at the guy while we're there, and that's what is making her so frustrated. The least you can do is talk to him if he talks to you first."

I groaned and fell back onto my pillows, rubbing my eyes with my hand. "I'm not going to go out of my way to talk to that spineless, mean piece of garbage" I muttered, glancing at Kaden between my fingers. He nodded.

"I'm not asking you to," he soothed. "I'm asking you to be courteous and speak if spoken to." Elmer scrambled his way on the bed and blinked lazily at me, and weirdly enough, it broke my resolve. I groaned again.

"Fine, Kaden. I'm not going to go out of my way, but I'm not going to spit fire if he talks to me. Happy?" I asked. He grinned.

"Ecstatic."

~~~

The box on the table felt like it was burning a hole through my head. I stared at it, and I imagined fun things like burning it or throwing it in the river, or burning it and then throwing it in the river. Maybe then, it'd float back to the king and he'd see how sick he made me. He wouldn't be able to recognize the dress as mine, so he would have no proof over me. I wondered how priceless his face would be when he found it, and how angry he'd be when he realized it was one of the dresses he so carefully picked out for his cattle. As the ball grew closer, these thoughts are what kept me sane. It had been three days since we got the box, and there I sat, at two in the morning, staring at the box. It was pitch black outside and everyone in town was asleep, so I cracked the back door open and let Elmer roam freely. I could hear his excited yips and meows as he caught helpless bugs.

As I stared at the box, I thought about things. Surely, the king wouldn't take this dance seriously. He never did. The rumor that he is comes around every single year. So I intended to make the most of it. I had some money saved up from birthdays; I'd find a purse that matched my dress, a sort of large one, and I'd smuggle food out of the estate to bring home. Kaden could find small things of value around the room and slip them into his pockets to sell later. I'd more than make my money back if this succeeded, and we'd have food for a few days that we wouldn't have to pay for, which would allow us to save up a little. In fact, once I was satisfied with the amount of food in bag, I could follow Kaden's lead and take some things here and there. It would be easy, and we'd be taken care of, if only for a week. To add to it, I could sell scraps of my dress. The material was heavy and expensive, so surely I could get something good in return at the least.

But as quickly as I thought of these plans, I found faults. Kaden wouldn't steal, especially from the king. Every purse and clutch and handbag is checked at the front door; if found empty, the guards keep it. Dresses we receive must be returned a week after the ball. You're only allowed to eat what the king has arranged for you. Any extra food is disposed of. This only made me want to burn the dress more. But instead, I stood and walked to the back door, calling quietly for Elmer. Then I took him to bed and fell into a troubled sleep.