From the viewing deck, I could see the visitors slowly making their way inside the palace. Today marks the end of his existence as a normal person.
"No one, not even the king, not even Raeanna, and certainly not me, has made your life unpleasant."
As I was ready to leave, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back in. "Is there any reason for me to be happy if my own father takes everything away from me?" Then he added.
"Why don’t you go in search of it? The joy that has been stolen away from you, Prince Augustus, that may yet be reclaimed." I said.
"W- what is it supposed to mean?" He asked.
I couldn’t tell him what I meant since the Prince’s bodyguards had arrived.
I decided to clarify all I said to Prince. I went in front of his room, but I couldn’t say anything to him in person until I recalled the intercom in the room that the king had placed, which was linked to Prince Augustus’ room. I returned to the room and activated the intercom by pressing the talk button.
"You question whether you still have a reason to be happy even if the king has taken it away from you, and I respond that you can reclaim that happiness. The ball is for you, don’t do it for them, do it for your mother. Once you have done so, go search for your mother, for she is the source of the happiness that I am referring to that has been taken away from you."
"Gemma!"
Mr. Osiris appeared out of nowhere, which caught me off guard. "Yes, Mr. Osiris," I said.
"I apologize," he apologized. "Did I startle you?"
I made a shaky motion with my head. "Not, at all, Mr. Osiris, I was about to sleep since my job is done."
"The king commanded you to attend the ball. He instructed me to give you this box, inside is the gown you will be wearing." Mr. Osiris said as he passed the package over to me.
"Mr. Osiris, I don’t have to go to the ball. It would be better for me to stay in my room." I politely declined.
"You are under a lot of stress at the moment, and the king wants you to be happy for a little while. King Lucien may seem to be a grouchy old guy, yet he is a nice man."
I don't think attending the ball will ease my feelings. I smirked and then nodded. "Yes, you are right. Mr. Osiris is indeed a nice person."
When I take a glance at the gown, I am nearly taken aback by its splendor and elegance. A red silk lace burgundy gown was given to me by King Lucien; beautiful roses on the bodice acted as a cover for my breast; the back of the gown was clear, and there was not a single cover on it. I don’t know if it looks good on me, but I still wear it. His Majesty not only bought a gown but also hired a makeup artist.
"You have such a nice face," she complimented me as she had me glance in the mirror.
Once the door opened, I was overjoyed to see Prince Augustus, who had made it just in time for the ball! "Gemma?" Prince Emmanuel was flabbergasted.
"Prince Emmanuel?" I waved my hand in front of his face to get his attention.
"Y-you seem to be different," he murmured.
"Different? How? In negatively or positively?" I asked, with a laugh in my voice.
"I thought you were someone else for a little while," he responded, still in a state of shock.
"Get a hold of yourself, Prince Emmanuel." Then, Princess Ameerah showed up. "If you don’t mind my saying so, I was the one who picked the gown for you. My father, His Majesty, is having a difficult time deciding on a suitable gown for you, so he has asked for my assistance." Princess Ameerah dragged me out of the room and into the hallway. "Let’s go! The ball is about to begin."
This seems like too much for me, yet with all that has happened, I believe I deserved it. As we made our way downstairs, people’s attention was drawn to both Princess Ameerah and me. The ball begins with the blowing of a trumpet, which heralds the arrival of the Queen and the King. The music and the people both came to a halt.
"Queen Elbereth and King Lucien," stated the speaker.
By holding her in his hand, the King assists the Queen. We all lowered our heads in reverence as they made their way down the stairs. Afterward, they took their places on their thrones. King Lucien gestured for everyone to continue enjoying the ball. As soon as the music started playing, everyone started looking for their partner to dance with.
I was standing on the side, observing everyone. As I shifted my sight toward the side, I saw someone inviting Princess Ameerah to dance. She immediately declined. Instead, she walked towards me and pulled me into the center.
"Those idiots, they simply want to dance with me because I’m the princess," she grumbled, a wrinkled expression on her face.
"To be invited to dance with the princess is a great honor," I added.
"That’s bullshit,"
I can’t stop myself from laughing at his profanity. "You remind me of someone I know." As I previously said, she behaves similarly to her brother, and she is the female version of Prince Augustus.
"I happen to know that someone," She said as we kept dancing. "You know what I’m a bit puzzled about? How did you manage to stay with Augustus for so long? I mean, he’s a bore to speak to, he’s stubborn, his face was always grumpy, and he’s just awful. It’s hard to believe that you haven’t grown tired of his attitude."
"If you only knew," I murmured, a sly smirk on my face.
Prince Emmanuel arrived in front of us and whisked me away from Prince Ameerah after the first piece of music "It’s my turn now." Prince Emmanuel groaned.
Prince Emmanuel reached out to me, and I reached my hand to him in return. Then he tucked it into the crook of his shoulder while his other hand was on my waist. We move in time with the beat of the music. "I’m sorry I found out about your brother so late. How is he doing these days? Is everything going smoothly with the surgery?"
I smiled and nodded. "Allerick is now stable, thank God, and thanks to Prince Augustus."
"That is, I believe, partly because of your influence on his maturation. You change him. Without your patience, I’m certain he’s deteriorating now."
"I’d want to take credit for it, but to be honest, he’s still the child you taught football years ago; he hasn’t changed at all," I said, as I raised my eyes in the hope that the prince would descend.
"And now, to present us with some enchanted music, please join me in welcoming Queen Elbereth’s nephew, Leif Chasen Hearst."
From the minute I saw that person going up to the stage, I was utterly frozen and couldn’t take my gaze away from him. I don’t know him, yet my heart is racing as if it has known him for a long time. I let go of the prince and walked ahead with my feet on my own initiative. The only thing I could think about was him, and when he saw my gaze, he smiled, which made my pulse race even faster.
"Marcos?" I called out as my gaze fell on the man sitting at the piano, playing a beautiful piece.