Chapter 4: Early Visit.
"Nana Bella, what do you think of this gift?" (Princess Eleanor) asks, holding a bouquet of flowers as to congratulate her of making an incredible grand ball that she's worked hard on. "I do not know if this would be enough. These tulips are rather common."
"Its the thought that counts, your highness. Receiving a flower from you would make anyone happy, after all you're a very kind girl." (Nana Bella) replies with a happy smile on her face, helping the princess arrange the bouquet before leaving to Lady Seraphine Vale's party. "Now you must remember to take a good look at all the visitors-! Perhaps this might be your chance to find your special someone."
The old lady was happy to know her highness seemed to be taking party invitations now, with her turning eighteen the social season should be open and free to pick a king consort that would take care of her till the ends of time.
Princess Eleanor smiles bitterly at her maid's word. A special someone, that doesn't exist in her vocabulary anymore.
"I... doubt it." she mutters quietly to herself, before calling out the carriage to be prepared. "Well I'll leave now."
"Yes, do be safe on your trip. I'll take care of everything while you're gone." (Nana Bella) assured her that everything she owned from the dresses and paperwork would not be meddled with by anyone.
Princess Eleanor stares at her briefly before shyly asking the old woman, "Would you... want me to bring any souvenirs?"
A souvenir?
The old maid was surprised that the princess of such high standing would ask her if she'd like a souvenir. "Ah your highness, too kind-! This old lady maid of yours is not your responsibility."
"I see..." (Princess Eleanor) couldn't help but frown, looking like a cat having her tail down and being sad.
"Hahaha..." (Nana Bella) chuckles being unsure on what to do. It is wrong for her to request any souvenirs because what maid would be crazy enough to do it?
But what crazy maid would dare turn down a request that will make the princess sad?! "...but if your highness is certain, anything from you would make me happy. You will come back safe, okay?"
The princess seeing her beloved Nana Bella alive and well, was happy and pleased with herself. "I will, I love you Nana Bella."
"My lord-! Your highness, what has gotten into you?" (Nana Bella) blinks and held her heart in a panic. Has someone replaced the princess?!
"I felt like it. I never say it enough, I took you for granted so many times- just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me." The princess smiles, giving her genuine and confident words that could make anyone happy hearing that she means a lot.
"Sniff... B-Best if you'd get going now I... I still have a few more things to clean up." (Nana Bella) has been utterly lucky for
"I'll take my leave now." (Princess Eleanor) says her goodbye holding the bouquet of flowers before being escorted by several guards who was enchanted by her beauty.
"Good morning, your highness." They all lowered their heads and saluted towards the girl. "Your carriage is waiting."
"Thank you, let us be off." She walks on ahead leaving the other guards to follow.
"Right away!"
...
The carriage ride was rather bumpy but it only took an hour ride before they could reach the Vale Mansion where the party was going to be held.
The gates saw a carriage was coming , embedded with a royal seal and they immediately panicked seeing an important person was coming so early.
The grand ball is not going to start until evening! It is a ball after all!
"The princess has arrived! Tell the Duke and Duchess of her visit quick! It's not even evening yet!"
"What is she doing here so early! The place is still being organized!"
"Lady Vale hasn't had a wink of sleep either." The guards stationed themselves, opening the lock of the mansion before letting the carriage inside and saluting to respect the member of the royal family.
"The grand ball would be held at the evening but there is nothing wrong with seeing how things are in the morning." (Princess Eleanor) thought, but she wondered for a second that if her actions would be considered rude.
What else will she do for the few hours she's there?
"...maybe I came too early."
...
The red carpet were rolled on rather early, the servants took a quick break seeing the princess come at such an early time-?
What could be the reason why?!
"Introducing her highness, the first princess! Has come to visit the Vale manor!" One of the guards yelled and everyone was full on giving the royal member of the family their attention.
"Thank you."
She opens the carriage door on her own. "..."
One of the guard holds up his hand offering help towards Princess Eleanor, she shakes her head and denied any help exiting the carriage all by herself.
"I'm quite alright." She takes the bouquet in her hands and stares into the hole of the Vale family. It was ginormous in size, everything was pruned and the gardens was in good shape.
"Hah...!" A running figure suddenly opens the door very roughly and almost made it fly.
"Princess Eleanor-?! Why are you so early?! I wasn't expecting you till five or six in the evening!" (Lady Seraphine), the young lady of the Vale family came running out of the entrance of their home looking frazzled. With dark circles in her eyes, the girl looked like she hasn't slept for days.
"Lady Seraphine, are you alright?"
"No-! Yes-! Well-! Your highness, you came too early." (Lady Seraphine) sighs, massaging the sides of her temples not expecting that not only one but two- of her guests decided to drop in so early in the morning. "The decorations are almost complete but the catering still needs some improvement."
Lady Seraphine looks up and down at her clothes. "Will that be the dress you'll be wearing tonight?"
"No, I have another dress packed up in my carriage to refresh myself. A member of the royal family must always be prepared as my mother... would say." (Princess Eleanor) holds her late mother's necklace in comfort, taking in her words as a remembrance to follow.
"Ah... That's good." (Lady Seraphine) says, trying to relax her body by massaging the back of her shoulders. The stress was slowly creeping up to her back, the invitation requests overflowed and now almost a hundred hundred people were going to attend her party.
"I did not expect you coming in early today- but I still have a party to organize... I'm in charge of everything and if I leave you unattended-" From the look on the girl's face she was clearly tried and that made the princess a little bit guilty for coming early without much of a warning.
Princess Eleanor didn't let her finish speaking and offered her the flowers as a gift. "I couldn't wait. I brought you flowers as a gift, I congratulate you for managing your first grand ball."
'In the past, I couldn't attend it. I hope this makes up for it.' (Princess Eleanor)
"You... brought me flowers to congratulate me?" (Lady Seraphine) was holding the bouquet of flowers in her hand before blinking in confusion.
"Yes, I have seen how hard you've worked but please make sure to take care of yourself." (Princess Eleanor) reminded her that her health should be the first priority.
Lady Seraphine chuckles scratching her cheek, staring at the bouquet of flowers- it was a lovely bouquet of tulips. "The... dark circles can be covered in makeup don't worry. I forgot to put some on because my father and mother might scold me if I don't greet you immediately."
"It is not that, I meant rest."
Lady Seraphine chuckles finding her friend a little weird to worry. "After the party I can rest. My apologies, I should let you in first."
The girl looks around and motioned got the princess to follow her inside her home. "Father and mother would be delighted to meet you."
"I have not seen them in a while. The Duke and Duchess, how have they been?"
Lady Seraphine rolls her eyes at the mention of her loving parents. When they were once children before- they often played together and visited the Vale household or the Vale family just visited the castle. "They have missed you, the small antics we did as kids certainly left them an impression that we'll be friends forever."
"Such a thing happened?"
"Yes, don't you remember when- Oh! I would also need to find a case for your bouquet, it would be a waste if I just let them be."
"Alright."
"And I'm so sorry but I have to prepare a few things for the party. You can rest in one of our guest rooms or anywhere else really, your highness." she urges the princess to take a look around anywhere she'd like.
"The garden, library, gym, etc. Whatever fits your boat!" (Lady Seraphine) waves her hand feeling excited that the princess will take a look at her place. It is a shame that she can't accompany her for now though. "Ah- there's also another acquaintance of my father here who got invited and thought the grand ball was in the morning. She came here for a book collection."
"Someone else has arrived before me?"
"A young daughter of a baron, she's somewhere around here most likely the library."
"Alright, I will take a look in the library and then sleep."
"Pfft you should've just taken the guestroom then if you're going to sleep."
The princess chuckled and replied. "The library is more calming to be in than the guest room in my opinion."
"Alright, a guard will escort you there. Don't worry you're safe here! Now- I need to get back to decorating and handle the catering. Are you allergic to anything your highness?" (Lady Seraphine) asks, wanting no problem in giving the princess her best consideration and hospitality.
Princess Eleanor shakes her head, not being allergic to anything in particular so she should be fine in eating anything as long as it's not poisoned.
"None."
"Great! I'll see you in a bit!"
The young lady runs off holding the bouquet of flowers planning to place it in an empty vase for good luck.
It was one of the first times she enjoyed receiving a flower from someone.
"If only the princess was a prince. I would've swooned!" (Lady Seraphine) imagined Princess Eleanor as a man. Black hair slicked back, golden eyes and sharp features, with her caring personality and considerate side no woman could resist it.
Her heart was a little excited if things turned out that way, for sure their parents would've supported an engagement.
"Anyone would've fallen in love with her so easily, these batches of flowers are wonderful." She smells the flowers before fiddling with her plans for the grand ball.
Meanwhile...
Princess Eleanor decided to be escorted onto the family library to sleep.
Squeak...!
The door opened revealing a huge library with shelves filled to the brim with many literature.
"A wonderful collection, the Vale family is quite the collectors." (Princess Eleanor) takes one out of the shelf and reads it.
[The Prince and the Princess].
A story of romance where the prince courts the princess and they will live happily ever after.
"..."
She quickly puts it back after realizing it was a love story of a princess and a prince. Of all the books she could pull it was something that triggered a traumatic experience for her.
"Nevermind, I don't think I'll be reading today." (Princess Eleanor) grimaced seeing the title having a few flashbacks of her haunting past. "A good spot to sleep."
She decided to find a good spot where she can lay her head somewhere and-
"Jackpot." She saw an empty table near a book of shelves and made it her personal spot to be in. "I'll just pass the time here. Yawn... I suppose I'll wait for the evening to come."
The guards who escorted her were outside and waited, making sure there would be no one to disturb her highness.
...
But little did they know there was someone else already inside.