The hall where the grand ball held was located at the very end of the right-wing of the castle and only uses when there were special occasions, it was rectangular shaped structure wide enough to hold a mass of guest that'll attend the grand ball, it also has an upper deck where you can see most of the whole place connected with two large curved staircases made from luxurious marbles. When you looked at it from the bird's eye view, the shapes resembled the teeth and fangs of a beast.
I was walking through the corridor along with the staff who went into my room earlier. Even the grand ball was pretty far away, I'd already heard the orchestra playing nice soothing music along with a couple of claps surely from the nobles who were invited to the party.
The path to the ball was slightly dim, I suppose, it was because the lamps affixed on the walls were using oil and fire instead of sorcery—though I've never seen one before. I used to read a book about sorcery before but it was retrieved by the knights and burned into ashes, they said that sorcery was forbidden in the country because it took hundred of lives not only the people of the country but also its nature in the past.
People born with a magical power were immediately slain before they could wield their power against the country and its kingdom. It was a rule left by the first person who discovered and build this country. However, killing an infant might be too wrong.
After a couple of generations passed the incident where a child born with magical power reduced until there was no one left but ordinary people. Surely, there was no one knows about the existence of magic except the royalties and some elder nobles.
As I continue walking through the red carpet, I had a glimpse of bright light ahead of me, hearing the orchestra and the claps louder than earlier. The staff escorting me to the ball made her stopped and bowed in front of me.
I squinted as I came out in the passageway to the upper deck of the hall, the light was too bright for my eyes. I looked up as a large chandelier caught my eyes along with the small ones surrounding it, the tables were covered by white silk embroidered with blue patterns while it was in round positioned in the corner of the hall, giving a wide space in the center where I saw couples of nobles dancing.
"It's the princess!"
The music stopped and so the nobles after they spotted me entered the hall, I was startled as the other bright lights started to diminish, and the only left was the bright light focused on me. The male nobles placed their right hand in front of their stomach while the other hand was on their back as they bowed to me. On the other side, the female nobles were gallantly bowed with their right hand slightly pulling up the skirt of their dress and slightly bent down their knees.
I calmed myself, took a deep breath, and did what the other female nobles does. After a second, I stood back, looked down at them while keeping my chin up to show my authority as the princess.
Looking at the guest, I spotted Auntie Isabella sitting at one of the tables. I'd secretly waved my hand to her and so she does. I heard some nobles chattering from below encouraging their sons to invite me to dance later.
"Behold, the King has come!"
Suddenly, the king appeared at my back along with a few officials with him. Again, the guests bowed their heads as they saw my father wore his usual red royal mantle that has fur on every corner, and the symbol of our kingdom on its center embroidered with golden threads. He also wore the crown clearly stating the fact that he is the king of this kingdom.
He ordered the guest to raise their head by raising his hand and down as he sat on one of the two thrones—made especially for him and the king of the Freego—located at the very center of the deck.
The music from the orchestra rose again as I walked down through the staircase to meet the guests who attended the ball as a sign of appreciation and also for my image as a princess, I don't want them to surmise that I was a spoiled arrogant lady by not approaching and greeting them.
"Excuse me, Princess Victoria..." I was about to head to Auntie Isabella when there was someone from my back called me. A young man— son of one of the nobles here, I suppose. "...could I have a dance with you?" He first slightly loosened his necktie, bowed down as he reached his hand towards me.
I glance at Auntie Isabella and curved my eyebrow asking should I take it, she just smiled at me and nodded her head. Looking back to the young man still bowing his head in front of me, I reached his hand as he pulled me to the center of the hall and had a dance.
I was pretty confident when it comes to dancing, I've received a lot of practice from my mother and Auntie Isabella before that was why I'd already know that this dance would go smoothly as I expected.
The music ends and we received a round of applause from the nobles surrounding us, we bowed at each other as we separated our way. Surely, it was pretty exhausting I already want to go to Auntie Isabella's table and rest there for a moment, but a group of young nobles forbids me from doing that by reaching their hands towards me as the first one does.
I was startled and confused about which hand should I reach first. Suddenly, a warm hand holds my shoulder, there was another young noble standing at my back. He then pulled me into him, made me leaned on his broad chest.
I looked up to see the face of the young noble who pulled me. Unlike the other young nobles here his suit was quite different, it was looked like the military uniform that I saw from the other country when I was a child but not entirely looked like that. There was a couple of golden paraphernalia hung on his black suit with a few red lines on its collar and near the end of the sleeves, he also has a sword hiding on its scabbard that hung on the left side of his waist. He opened his mouth and said.
" Stay back from my fiancée.."