The Girls from Downstairs

final Chapter: Happily Ever After

I sat up, staring at the room around me. Beneath me was a very fancy all-white bed, with sheets as amazing as silk but lighter, not as slippery, and far more beautiful. It fell between my fingers, almost as if it was a cloud.

“What the...?”

A noise came from the balcony. I smiled as I swung my legs over the bed to run out there. Felix had his hands on the railing, his head down.

“Felix?”

He turned around. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“No, not at all. What happened? The last thing I remember is being at the ball and there was some sort of bright light.”

“I wish I knew. I just woke up a minute ago myself. I remember carrying you out of the ballroom and in here, then everything gets blurry for me.”

“Have we completed all of those things we had to do while courting?” I asked randomly.

He shrugged. “You know, I believe we have. I never thought it would go by so quickly!”

I nodded, joining him at the balcony. “Soooo... there’s actually still one thing you haven’t given me yet.”

“What’s that?”

“I recall that in almost any fairytale there’s always some sort of magical first-kiss at the end of the story, just before ‘happily ever after’?” I smirked.

His eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t...? Never mind.” Without bothering to try to explain, I stood on my tip toes to kiss him. And, by god, it was fantastic!

“Prince Felix. What are you doing here? We all know its bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.” Mother Klara stood in the doorway leading back to the room. A glowing Harlow stood behind her. We waved at each other quickly.

“What do you mean, Mother Klara?” Felix asked.

“Why, it’s your wedding day. What else am I to mean?” she asked back.

We laughed. “Wedding day... Today...! Wow...”

“Too soon?” she asked.

We shook our heads. “No, no! Not at all!”

“Not soon enough,” Felix muttered. He smirked and took my hands in his. “I shall see you later, then, my bride.”

He kissed my hands and gracefully walked out of the room. My cheeks burned as Harlow and Mother Klara stared at me. The latter clapped her hands together.

“It is time to get to work! We have a bride to prepare, Miss Harlow.”

“I’m so excited!” she clapped. This was the first time she had every seemed giddy like a girly-girl at anything before. A brilliant ring on her finger caught the light just right, nearly blinding me.

“Harlow! You’re engaged?!?”

She beamed. “He proposed last night. At first I thought it was a joke, but I then realized that I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.”

“Marriage is finding the one you want to argue with for the rest of your life,” I said.

Mother Klara laughed as she sat me down in front of a three-sided mirror. “No more talk of her marriage now. Today is all about this bride.”

I watched as they carefully fixed my hair, make-up, and picked out possibly the most gorgeous dress I’d ever seen. It was all very simple, yet elegant and soft, but dramatic. It was perfect. They led me back towards the mirror for the finishing touches. I smiled at my reflection, a little saddened.

“What is the matter, my child?” Mother Klara asked.

I sighed. “It’s just... Mackenzie and I had made a promise that we’d be each other’s Maid of Honor. But she’s not here, and...”

“Oh, nonsense!” Both Mother Klara and Harlow laughed.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, growing angry now. Mother Klara, it seemed, hadn’t taken the subject of my dead best friend very seriously.

“She’s right outside the door!” Harlow said.

“Wha...? You mean she’s here?!” I stared at them for a second before racing towards the doors. Pulling it back, a beautiful bleach-blonde stared at me, in a black nightgown of sorts. She smiled and we embraced each other.

“Ezzie! I never thought I’d see you again! What is this place? It’s beautiful, isn’t it! Whoa! What’s with the wedding dress? Since when did you get engaged? Oh - is it to that hot prince dude? Ugh, I’m so jealous! Think we can find a guy for me? Look at this outfit I’m in! I’m kinda rockin’ it, don’t ya think? Can I get a gown like that too? I don’t wanna show up to your wedding under dressed!” she babbled.

I laughed and held her out at arm’s length. I always thought she was beautiful before, but now, like this, she’s almost comparable to Mother Klara.

“Oh, Mack! I missed you so much!” we hugged again. I turned back to face Mother Klara and Harlow. “How is this possible?”

“While you were making yourselves comfortable that first day, I slipped out to Reality and found your Mr. Brock. He was at what I believe you call ‘boot camp’. While he was asleep I whispered the idea of a story to him and when he rose, he had the sudden urge to find a local orphanage to tell it to. Your dear friend, Mackenzie, was the main character. In the hearts of those girls they believed with such a power- and something special I did - that immortalized her in Somnoria forever. That’s a very difficult amount of magic I had to give off, which is why I was asleep so long that second day - it wears me out so,” Mother Klara explained.

“And we got really lucky! Her younger sister was there as a volunteer and believed it was her sister, and asked Brock and he said it was and they fell in love and they’re now courting! Everything worked out in the end!” Harlow exclaimed. “Oh, I love happy endings!”

“Come on, Ezzie. You have a wedding to get to,” Mackenzie said, pulling on my hand. I smiled, happy as can be. And when it came time to walk down the aisle, it broadened at the sight of my groom. Felix... I could gladly live out the rest of my life in the beautiful place, as Mrs. Felix... whatever his last name is.

“What is Felix’s last name?” I whispered to Harlow.

She chuckled in front of me. “Charming.”

“Of course.”

Mackenzie helped me to step up to the altar, me grinning like a fool. Who knew that even though I was born an average girl, I, too, could get the prince of my dreams?

“...Do you take Prince Felix Charming, of Somnoria as your husband?”

“I do.”

“I pronounce you Man and Wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Felix and I grinned at each other and kissed. Sweet, passionate, not over-the-top; perfect. He took my hand and led me out of the chapel, towards the ballroom where we would dance as the crown prince and princess of his parent’s land. He took me up in his arms and we spun around, all of my friends and new family watching.

And we lived, as cheesy as it sounds, happily ever after.

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Last chapter. The end of yet another story. This wasn't one of my best or most popular, but thanks to those who read it in it's entirety! I appreciate it so much - really! look for more from me, because lord knows I'm never out of story ideas! <3 XDee