"I have a deep feeling that you do not plan on telling me who you really are in the near future," the Prince broke the comfortable silence.
Annabelle shook her head and smiled, "It is for our own good if you do not know."
Annabelle works as a maid...
Annabelle's cheeks hurt from too much heat as the gentlemen around her kept offering gestures. She was so flustered that she did not even notice the one man's presence she had not expect to see. The first thing she saw when she looked up was his eyes. His crystal blue eyes.
She had never been this close to the prince before. The only times she had ever seen him were from afar, but there was no doubt he looked even more handsome up close. He was not wearing a mask, and even if he was, he would surely be recognized by anyone. His golden brown hair looked tidy, except for a few stubborn curls poking out of it.
"I could swear on my very own heart that I have never seen your face before." he said, sounding a little breathless.
She did not expect that. Annabelle's cheeks turned crimson again, she felt as if the room had grown even hotter by the second. She racked her brain for an answer, and said, "I would guess you have not been looking carefully, Your Highness."
The prince smiled. It was not her fault she cracked jokes when she was nervous. But the prince was right, they had never seen each other face to face before. She forgot who she was for a moment and who she was talking to. She was about to excuse herself and take a walk somewhere else, when he caught her forearm gently.
"Princess Annabelle, was it?" he asked her, and she could not help herself to do anything else but nod.
"May I ask you to dance, Princess Annabelle?" he bowed, extending his hand for her to grab. She was so mesmerized by the way his eyes looked under the lights that she had to accept his offer. Her hand seemed to work before her mind could even comprehend, as she touched the warm hand of the prince.
It was as if electricity had ran up her spine. She tried hard not to flinch.
As he led her between the crowd of people, she started feeling nervous under their gaze. The envious looks all the princesses had on their faces only made Annabelle feel more troubled. As if sensing her discomfort, the prince gently squeezed her hand. That seemed to work for her. His eyes somehow calmed the storm inside her stomach.
The music started and the Hall grew quieter. As everyone followed their every move, Annabelle felt really lucky that she had learned a few dance moves while she was growing up. It was no secret that she wanted to dance with a man one day.
She looked at the prince and tried not to melt in a puddle when he gently put his hand on her waist. His other hand grabbed her gloved one and he led her into a blissful harmony of dancing. The light from the decorated chandeliers cascaded on the prince's hair, making Annabelle sigh from how angelic he looked.
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"Where do you come from?" he asked her when they finally stopped their dance.
"From the nooks and crannies, I suppose." she replied mysteriously, with a glint of excitement in her eyes. That made the Prince chuckle.
Feeling a shiver on the back of his neck, Alexander noticed that both of them were being stared at by seemingly everybody in the Hall. A sudden urge of protectiveness for the princess rose in him. He racked his brain for a place where they could be all alone. He took her hand and led her away from the crowd.
Minutes later, they found themselves in the back of a deserted garden. Under the light of the full moon, the snowy garden looked most definitely enchanting. Annabelle gasped in delight. She had never seen the moon shine so bright before.
"The moon," she had said, breathlessly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The Prince smiled, looking at her.
"Indeed it is." Annabelle wondered why she had not seen this place before.
"I found this place when I was a little boy," he said, as if he read her thoughts. "I used to run up here when no one was looking just to read."
"Read?" curiously asked Annabelle.
"I was reading a lot of fairy tales. Have you heard of fairy tales, Princess Annabelle?"
"Oh, yes," Annabelle replied brightly. "My father always made sure to read them to me every night until I was ten."
Prince Alexander smiled at the image of the little princess listening to her father's every word.
"I apologize, Princess Annabelle," he solemnly said after sensing the cold weather around them and seeing Annabelle's bare shoulders. "Where are my manners?"
Annabelle looked at him, her eyebrows drawn in confusion. The Prince took off his coat and handed it to her. "You needn't have done that, Your Highness," she told him, but he wrapped the coat around her nonetheless. They stayed silent for a bit, just admiring the moon on top of the hill.
"I have a deep feeling that you do not plan on telling me who you really are in the near future," the Prince broke the comfortable silence.
Annabelle shook her head and smiled, "It is for our own good if you do not know."
Which Disney movie is your favorite? Mine has to be either Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella!!
