*Ding*
Sarah's phone went off as she headed back to the dining room. She looked down and the notification said it was from Max. She slid the notification open and the message read, "You took forever -_- I'm back in the room." Sarah laughed and turned around to go to their room. When she unlocked the door many more people were standing in the living room then usual.
Sarah looked around, confused until somebody clasped onto her arm. She looked to her right to see Emily practically hanging onto her. "Guess what!" Emily said excitedly.
"What?" Sarah asked.
"Rumor says that Prince Henry is scouting for his fiance!" Emily squealed.
Sarah rubbed her ear and tilted her head slightly away from Emily and her deafening squeals. "So what?"
"So what! What do you mean? Sarah! That's obviously the reason for this party! If he chooses one of us, we would become the next queen!" Emily said, practically shouting into her ear while jumping up and down excitedly.
"I have no interest in being queen. Why would I want to be queen?" Sarah asked.
"Who wouldn't want to be the queen? All the jewels and pretty dresses. Adoring fans! You would be recognized as the most influential woman in all of Lelen! Anything you wear would instantly become a trend!" Emily replied.
"Yea but that's the thing. I like being unique and if everything I wear becomes a trend, that means everybody will be wearing it. Then I am no longer unique!" Sarah said.
"I mean, whatever floats your boat! But I would kill to be queen!" Emily said with a far away look in her eye. Then with a sigh she said, "But Prince hardly ever talks to anyone. He is never the one to start the conversations and always answers with short responses. They call him the Cold Prince."
"Cold? What do you mean, he's super nice." Sarah said, confused.
"So you've met him?!" Emily asked, her eyes wide.
"Yea. We talked in the hallway for a while." Sarah said.
"What did you talk about? Why did you talk to him in the first place?" Emily questioned.
"Well, I was just looking at the art hanging on the walls when he started talking to me. We talked about the paintings and what we saw in them. Then he showed me some of his paintings. They are all super good! And…" Sarah trailed off after seeing Emily's bewildered expression. "What?" She asked.
"He talked to you first? He showed you his art?!" Emily asked.
"Uhh… Yes? He gave me one of his paintings too." Sarah said hesitantly.
"Really?! Lemmie see!" Emily said, once again jumping up and down and tugging on Sarah's arm. She was probably going to have a bruise there later from how hard Emily's fingers were pressing into her flesh. "Here, be careful tho." Sarah said as she handed Emily the small painting she had been holding in her left hand.
Emily excitedly took the painting from her hands and stared at it. She looked at the seemingly abandoned cabin but still one that looked both friendly, inviting and warm. She looked up at Sarah and said, "A painting of the prince's could be sold for billions of dollars. Especially if this is the only known one."
"But it's not the only one. He brought me a couple more to look at and they were all beautiful. Plus, why would I sell this? He gave it to me to keep because I like it. Why would I sell a gift that somebody made?" Sarah asked.
"Because not all handmade gifts are worth billions of dollars." Emily replied.
"So what? I don't care about how much the painting is worth. I'm keeping it because Henry trusted me enough to show me them and even allowed me to keep one."
"Henry? Don't you mean Prince Henry?" Emily asked.
"No. I mean Henry. He asked me to call him by his name." Sarah explained her lack of formalities.
"Sarah. Do you know what this means?" Emily said with a glimmer in her eyes and her smile growing wider by the second.
"Umm, no?" Sarah said, confused.
"This means that the crown prince likes you!" Emily said excitedly.
"Uh, no. I'm a peasant. Why would he like me. I'm just the girl who he met randomly in the hall who he decided to show his paintings to." Sarah said.
"Maybe compared to him you are merely a person under his control. But you're also the person whom he feels that he can talk freely with. He trusts you with his deepest, darkest secret of his talent in painting. He even gave you one!" Emily replied.
"No. Were just friends." Sarah said firmly. "Plus, if his ability to paint well is his deepest, darkest secret as the crown Prince of Lelen, I will be a bit disappointed."
"Whatever. You just keep telling yourself that. Let's just go get ready for the ball." Emily said, letting the topic go.
Sarah let out a breath of relief at the change of topic and said "We already have to start preparing? It's only 10:00!"
"Well, we have to set all of our stuff up to prepare. Plus we have to wait in line to get our hair ready! Come on, let's go and stand in line with the others. Emily grabbed her hand and led her over to the group of girls standing in the living room. "Where does the line end?" Emily asked.
"Behind Rachael." One of the girls said, pointing to somebody wearing a tight red dress.
"Ok thanks!" Emily said politely before dragging Sarah behind the girl.
Emily turned to Sarah and said, We have to get the dresses on now to avoid messing up our hair. You go and get changed while I wait in line. When you get back I will go and change. By the time we're both ready, it should be about our turn." Emily said.
"Alright." Sarah said as she walked away, leaving Emily in the line and walking into her room.