Noble Blood

Chapter VIII - Anticipation

"Gr-ee-s-i-n-g-s! Greesings?!" Alyss frowned, looking up at Evie confusedly.

"Oops! I meant to say greetings!" The lady-in-waiting replied, realising her mistake. "Ugh you and Gwen are so much better at this than I am!"

"That's not true! Besides, whether you're good at it or not we all have to know it!" The princess replied, getting back to writing on her own parchment.

"It was a rather brilliant idea to make up a secret code so we could communicate even when Evie and I are gone." Gwendolyn admitted, busy writing in the newly invented language on her parchment as well.

"I'm gonna miss you both so much!" Alyss replied with a sad smile, looking up to both her ladies.

"We'll miss you too!" The Irish princess responded, returning the smile.

"I can't wait until the Spring Ball! It's already in two weeks!" Evie exclaimed, her mind wandering off to the masks she had bought in the city yesterday. "I mean, Luuk is coming with his army just a few days after that, so it'll be our last big event together... I can't wait to wear our masks!"

"Me too! But I also can't wait to dance all night." Gwendolyn admitted, she had always loved dancing and couldn't wait to be in Christoff's arms swaying her worries away.

"With Sir Christoff of course..." Alyss added with a knowing voice, suppressing a giggle and smirking without looking up from her paper.

"Oh Alyss!" Gwendolyn exclaimed with fake astonishment, blushing bright pink as Evie giggled uncontrollably at her friend's embarrassment.

"Oh don't you laugh Evie," Alyss said to her giggling friend, still not looking up from her parchment, "You'll be dancing with her brother all night long!" She asserted with another smirk.

"Oh Evie!" Gwen exclaimed again, though this time her astonishment was real.

"Oh, what?" Evie asked with fake anger to the Irish princess, "I'm aloud to dance just as much as you are. And your brother happens to be happy to escort me."

"Well that's assuming Princess Lilianna won't be stuck to him the entire time." She replied.

"Knowing my sister, that isn't very likely." Alyss added, causing all three girls to burst into a fit of giggles.

"If you'll excuse me girls!" Gwendolyn rose suddenly from her chair, "I have a little errand to run!" Rolling up her parchment and brushing off her skirts with a quick glance in the mirror, the lady-in-waiting made her way to the door.

"Be back soon!" Evie cried to her friend, knowing she was probably going to see Christoff. Both she and Alyss were completely supportive of whatever relationship made their friend happy, and watched her rush out the door before getting back to their work.

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"Oh yes, I've sent one to Sir Yann already!" Lilianna replied to Lady Anne who checked off his name on the list of Spring Ball invitations.

"Well I think we've got everyone!" The housekeeper replied, "The full Frank and Serbian courts will be present, Sir Yann from Toulon, and the delegations from Norway, England, Poland, Bulgaria and Hungary.

"Perfect!" The princess exclaimed, smiling contently at her completed work: the extensive piles of sealed envelopes that covered the large table.

"What's perfect?" William asked, as he entered the Grand Hall, probably on his way to the library again. He always had a great passion for books.

"Good afternoon, Sir William!" Lady Anne greeted at his entrance. "We were just finished with the Spring Ball invitations!" She explained.

"Yes, yes." Lilianna dismissed quickly, "William I wished to speak to you about some private matters." Those words didn't sound so nice to the Irish prince, dreading another conversation about the princess's strong feelings for him and his lack thereof for her.