The hallway leading into the grand ball room was silent and cold, the only sound was muffled music. No one else was in this part of the castle, so Flora stood alone, waiting for them to announce her entrance. Flora fussed at her gown, worried that she would make a fool of herself during her first time out. This was her one and only chance to make an impression on the nobles of Prana, and even a few neighboring kingdoms.
She had turned sixteen a month prior to this ball, and her father decided that the princess should make a public appearance to not arouse any further suspicion about the royal family. Flora thought that this was laughable considering the rumors that had spun around about her since she could remember.
Her father never told her this; it was Felix who had relayed the information back to Flora. At the time he seemed sympathetic, but she could tell that he was at least a little excited to be at a party with his sister. Flora was finally going to make an entrance into high society. Well, she believed that this would be one of the only functions that she would ever be allowed to appear at. Nonetheless, she was nervous as all hell.
Flora wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt as she examined herself in the mirror for the hundredth time. She was wearing a brilliant red dressed bedecked in rubies and diamonds that cinched at the waist and flared out at the bottom. Her sleeves were made of silk lace trailing down her arms. The neckline of her dress, while accented with a beautiful diamond necklace, was curved down into her breasts; a lot more revealing than she would have liked. According to Rose, this was the style that all of the socialites were wearing these days.
Patting down her dress, Flora looked at her face in the mirror. Her makeup was shimmering with gold shadow, highlighting her hazel eyes. Even though her makeup was done by a trembling servant, it looked way better than she thought it would. Her eyes moved toward her golden hair, pulled back from her face into deep curls winding down her back. She had a few ornamental hair pieces made out of red sapphires to match her dress, which admittedly, Flora adored. Every time she moved, she sparkled from head to toe.
Even though she thought she looked nice, Flora couldn't help but worry about what was about to come. While she had been trained in royal etiquette, there were so many things that could go wrong. Flora might have been the most awkward princess to have ever lived. What if she insulted some important nobles? What if no one looked her way? Or worse, what if everyone fixated on her and she made a complete and utter fool of herself?
The ballroom door swung open and Flora let out a sharp breath. Felix strode out in a stunning red uniform similar to those of the commanding officers. His uniform featured fine gold embroidery all around his chest and arms, making him look like the crown prince he was. Felix looked like a gold icon, barely held together in brilliant silk.
"Wow," Felix loosed out a breath, "who would have thought that my darling baby sister could look like a proper woman?" He flashed her a bright smile as he checked her outfit.
"I wouldn't hold your breath for much longer," Flora grumbled. "I'm sure to make a fool of myself." Again she wiped her palms on her dress. Could someone really sweat this much?
"Eh, I doubt it." Felix flicked his hand in dismissal. "You are quite the interesting one. These old birds could use a change of pace. How often do you think they get to see such a pretty, young face?"
Flora blushed as she looked down at her hands. "I don't think that being 'interesting' is a plus in this situation. Like, what if I fall asleep in the middle of the party?"
A chuckle escaped Felix's mouth. "Then maybe a dashing young prince will catch you?" He gave Flora a wicked smile. "Maybe you'll find a love connection."
"Hah..." Flora dry laughed in response. "More like I'll fall down and crack my head open on the marble."
"Well at least the blood will match your dress."
A real laugh came from Flora this time. Felix did always have a way of making her feel better. She looked into his brown eyes, bright with playfulness. "Will you make sure I don't mess up?"
Felix scratched his chin. "I'll make sure that I make such an ass of myself that no one will pay any heed to you."
Flora punched his arm. "Yes, Mr. Crown Prince, that would look real good for Prana." She couldn't keep the edges of her mouth from tugging upward.
Felix swooped his arm into Flora as he looked straight at her, a rare seriousness coming from him. "Don't be nervous. Just remember that I am here. I'll protect you."
She nodded as she steeled herself for what was to come. There was a small shuffle as the ballroom quieted and the music stopped. The door swung open and Felix lead her into the dance hall aglow with light and magic. Flora scanned the room, analyzing the situation. Musicians sat in one corner, readying to play at any moment, while nobles and socialites alike mingled in the middle of the room. There seemed to be more people invited to this ball than Flora had expected. She decided that she would handle this; she could be brave for one night.
Everyone was standing, except for the king who was sitting upon a golden throne on a raised dais. Flora almost flinched as their eyes met. She hadn't spoken to her father in years, and she was a little afraid of him to be honest. There was a dead silence as they looked at each other, which felt like forever. The king turned away from them as he gestured from Flora to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my daughter, Princess Flora Premoni."
The room was filled with applause as Flora approached the dais. She bowed her head and did a deep curtsy for her father. "Your majesty, it is an honor to be representing the Premoni family and the kingdom of Prana." She took a deep breath as she continued. "I ask for your blessing in my entrance to society, and hope that I can bring honor and dignity to your majesty and Prana. May both live long and prosper." She curtsied again as applause thundered around her.
The King looked down at Flora a moment before he spoke. His eyes were cold, but steadfast as he addressed her, "As king of this great kingdom, I bestow upon you my blessing as princess of Prana." He quickly looked up and waved at the musicians to begin playing and for the attendees to disperse. There was an awkward moment where people were stuck between clapping and resuming activities.
Felix strode up to Flora with a grin on his face. "See? That wasn't so bad." Flora gave him an unsure look as he lead her off to the side. "I told you you didn't need to practice that a million times."
"Well, I didn't stumble or stutter did I?"
"No, but I don't think you would have done that regardless."
"You flatter me brother," Flora said in a flat tone. She glanced around the room trying to figure out what to do next. She had never been to something like this. Surely since this was her social debut, people wouldn't expect too much out of her, would they? No, Flora was the princess, and she needed to be perfect, at least for the next few hours. She looked back up at Felix and whispered, "Felix, what do I do?"
Felix let out a deep laugh, causing some nearby people to look. Flora glared at him, not wanting the extra attention. "Well, dear sister, usually at events such as these, you socialize, maybe even dance a little." He let out his arm for her to grab.
That was harder than anything else she could do. She barely had any interaction with people other than Felix or Rose, definitely no experience with important people. Besides, looking around, it seemed as if no one was going to come close to Flora first voluntarily. Even in front of the king, people were wary of the "cursed princess."
Noticing the lack of people around them, Felix decided to take charge of the situation. He scanned the room in a quick movement. "Ah, found our first target." They pivoted towards a tall gentleman standing towards the back of the room, clearly not interested in anything going on around him. "Prince Andrei over there."
"Uh, Felix..." Flora stammered, "do you think that's a good idea?" Her feet turned to lead as they approached the opposite side of the room.
"Of course it is." Felix had way more confidence than anyone at this party.
Flora recognized the name Prince Andrei immediately, as goosebumps formed on her arms. How could she not? Prince Andrei Usoro was the third son of the royal family of Leosta, the neighboring kingdom to the West of Prana. The Usoro family was known for both its secrecy and its cruelty. Flora didn't know much about any of the princes or princesses, except to stay far, far away from them.
Relations between the two countries had been strained for centuries. When one conflict was resolved, another was born. However, there hadn't been talk of war in decades. Prana would be in a difficult spot if Leosta decided to instigate war, since there had been violent conflicts already with Prana's neighbor in the South, Mistis. Out of the five neighboring kingdoms, Prana was only close allies with one country, Liman to the north. The other two were cordial, but didn't interact with Prana much besides what little trade went between them.
"Good evening Prince Andrei," Felix spoke with a small bow.
Flora snapped out of her daze as she realized they were in front of the prince. He was wearing a black tunic that was decorated with delicate silver embroidery down his broad chest, a stark contrast to Felix's slim frame and radiant outfit. She looked up towards his face, noticing that it was one of a hardened warrior, and he had strong jaw locked into a frown as he watched them. Flora looked up meeting his gaze, staring at his deep sapphire eyes. He looked at Flora, his gaze roaming all the way down and up her body, calculating.
"Ahem," Felix let out a gruff cough, obviously irritated at the attention his sister was receiving. Andrei flicked his eyes towards Felix as he continued, "This is my YOUNGER sister, Princess Flora Premoni." There was a slight dip of Andrei's head in acknowledgement. Ignoring his behavior, Felix went on, "What an honor it is to have a member of the Usoro family join us in celebration tonight, all the way from the kingdom-"
"Empire," Andrei interrupted. The two men's eyes locked as they stared at each other in silent intensity.
Without missing a beat, Felix resumed, "My apologies, for the offense." He patted Flora's arm in a calming motion. Felix had always been a smooth talker, but Flora was impressed with how eloquently he was able to present himself. "It is a shame that no other members of the Usoro family could make it to tonight's party. I was looking forward to seeing your older brother Alexei."
"Prana is lucky that anyone from Leosta deigned a visit," Andrei said flatly.
Flora's eyes widened in shock as Felix responded, "we are a lucky kingdom indeed." Around them the motion slowed down as a song ended. Felix looked at Andrei with a pleasant smile on his face. "Will you give my sister the honor of a first dance, your highness?"
Andrei reluctantly nodded as he held out his hand. Flora tried not to shake as she placed her hand on his callused palm. He paused for a moment, looking down at her hand. Andrei pulled her out onto the dance floor, and she tried not to flinch as he grabbed her waist.
Dancing with Andrei was probably one of the most awkward experiences in her life, and knowing herself, that was saying a lot. He danced very mechanically, stiff, but not bad. The two of them did not utter a single word as they moved with the rest of the guests. When the song finally ended, he at least had the manners to drop her off in front of Felix, who was chatting up some noblewoman. The two nodded at each other and then Andrei disappeared back into the crowd.
Felix dismissed the lady and smirked at Flora. "Went well didn't it."
It took everything in Flora not to punch her brother's stupid face. "I'm going to kill you Felix."
"Now, now, Andrei is one of the most stunning gentlemen at this party." He made a knowing glance towards her. "Tall, dark, and handsome."
Flora scoffed, "More like a rude pain in the..."
"Shhhh," Felix pulled her closer and whispered, "there are listening ears everywhere. Watch what you say."
Flora nodded, her face heating. "How many more of those do I have to do tonight?" Her will to continue through the night was waning; she was already exhausted.
Again, Felix had that idiotic grin on his face. "My dear baby sister..." He waved his hands in a dramatic fashion. "As many as wish to dance with you tonight."
Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach. Flora was not that seasoned in socializing, and the thought of more hours of this seemed like agony. "Maybe... maybe it's a good thing to not be liked so much." Felix chuckled as he spun her around to find a few noblemen awaiting a chance to dance with her. When she turned to look back at Felix for help, he had disappeared.
The night blurred past, as Flora danced with more men than she thought she would. Apparently, the need to social climb far outweighed any fears they had against a cursed princess. She didn't even have a chance to eat anything, and barely enough time to have a few sips of water. Flora was extremely relived by the time the king stood up and announced the end of the event. She was ready to fall onto her face.
She looked around the room for Felix as guests began to depart, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. While searching, her eyes met with Prince Andrei's across the hall. Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed at her forehead as if it was on fire. She placed her hand against her temple, waiting for the pain to subside. When she looked back up, Andrei was gone.
After about twenty minutes of trying to avoid male well-wishers, Flora was able to sneak out of the ballroom and head back to her chambers. She slung off her heels about halfway through the trek, and plowed through her rooms straight onto her bed. She only got up for a moment in order for Rose to prepare her for bed, but flopped down immediately after she was done.
As she laid there alone in the dark room, she thought about the night's events. Talking to that many people was taxing as all hell, and she was very thankful that she wouldn't have to do it for a long time. Most of the men were boring and obviously more interested in her title than her. Even so, she was most thankful that she would probably never have to talk to Andrei Usoro ever again.