Saving Her Kingdom

♡ Chapter 12

Anna's dress ^^

Chapter 12 (Edited)

The rest of the walk and the afternoon tea passed in a blur. I was too consumed by my thoughts to pay attention of what was said around me. Elisa seemed to see that I was in a trance and gave me space for me to think.

However, I had to focus again after the afternoon tea, because I had to play tonight. So, I went to the instrument room and practiced my pieces. I had chosen a lively piece, when everybody would be listening, and a few easy and calm pieces for the rest of the dinner.

Now I was getting ready for dinner. Elisa had given me an appropriate dress for the occasion, since mine weren't ready yet, which I was very thankful for. Lola had just finished my light makeup and my hair, which was in a braided low bun. She said, "Good luck at the dinner! I'm sure you'll do great."

"Thank you, Lola," I answered.

I was really nervous, to say the least, but I needed to keep my composure. So, I took a deep breath, held my head high, my back straight, and walked graciously down the stairs.

A lot of people were already in the dining room, when I arrived. As soon as I walked, I attracted a lot of stares, probably because of my dress. Even more people stared at me when I didn't make my way to the tables, but to the big pianoforte in the middle of the back of the room. I graciously sat down and kept my hands on my lap, replaying my pieces in my mind.

Soon, Elisa, Gaby, Thomas, the queen and the king arrived and everyone immediately watched them. They sat down and seemed to wait for something. When they saw me, Elisa and Gaby flashed me a grin and even Thomas gave me a small smile. I nervously smiled back at them.

Seeing that they were watching me, a lot of people turned their attention back towards me. A herald stepped near me. He announced, "Lady Anna, here on the pianoforte, will perform some pieces for your enjoyment tonight. First is the sonata 'Alla Syrian', from Wolfgang Amadeus Merzingen. Dinner will be served just after."

A silence overtook the room. I looked at the queen and she send me a supportive smile. My nervousness diminished a bit, and I placed my hand on the keyboard. I played the few first notes and slowly but surely, my nerves disappeared completely. I let myself flow with the music, like I did before and soon forgot that the entire room was watching me.

As soon as I finished, Elisa, Gaby, Thomas and the queen were the first that started clapping. The whole room followed soon after. I got up from my seat and bowed deeply in front of them. I had a big smile on my face, and when I looked up, I caught the eyes of Michelle, who flashed me one in return.

I went back to my seat and sat down. The people had started talking again and dinner was served. But I had the feeling of someone's gaze on me. I slowly turned my head and met the blue eyes of Thomas. He had an unreadable expression on his face. He continued to shamelessly stare at me for a little while, and I shivered a bit. He raised an eyebrow and then turned his attention towards Gaby, who had called his name. I saw his lips move to say 'Don't call me that' and I laughed quietly. I didn't know why he didn't like to be called Tommy.

While wondering about it, I suddenly remembered that I should play my other pieces. So, I started playing, once in a while sneaking a glance at Thomas, and flushing a little when I caught him do the same. I resumed to my task, determined not to let myself getting distracted.

~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Elisa and Gaby immediately came over to me and said at the same time, "It was amazing, Anna!"

I laughed. "Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!"

"Seriously, my mother made the right choice when she made you the Court's musician!", Gaby exclaimed.