As they entered the grand celebration hall, Heidi's breath caught in her throat. The room was a kaleidoscope of colors, with chandeliers refracting light and casting a warm glow over the assembly. She couldn't help but marvel at the Queen Mother's impeccable taste in decoration.
The royal family sat poised and regal, their finery glinting in the light. King Maximilian presided at the head of the table, flanked by the Queen Mother on his left and Genevieve on his right. Markus sat beside his mother, with Vivian and Wilson beside the Queen Mother. Amara, stunning in her beauty, sat beside her brother Markus.
The room fell silent as King Maximilian rose to address the guests. "I welcome you all to this joyous occasion, as we gather to celebrate the return of my firstborn son, Prince Viktor." The air vibrated with anticipation as he continued, "The festivities will unfold over the next three days, as meticulously planned by the Queen Mother. It is my honor to present to you... Prince Viktor!"
As the guards swung open the doors, a collective gasp of excitement rippled through the crowd, accompanied by giggles and murmurs of enthusiasm
As the long-awaited moment arrived, Viktor emerged with a quiet confidence, his movements stealthy and deliberate. His jet-black hair was sleekly combed back, revealing a sharp jawline and piercing copper-green eyes that seemed to bore into those he met. His gaze was icy, betraying no emotion, yet drawing in the attention of everyone around him. Clad in a tailored black tuxedo and matching trousers, he exuded an aura of dark allure, leaving the ladies awestruck. "Handsome" was a gross understatement; Viktor seemed to have descended from the heavens, his presence both captivating and intimidating.
Anna breathed, her voice barely audible, "I guess the rumors were true..." Her gaze remained fixed on Viktor, her eyes locked onto his, especially his mesmerizing eyes... She trailed off, transfixed by the sight of him.
Heidi was even more transfixed. There was definitely going to be a lot of gossip in the slave quarters. Prince Markus was extremely handsome but this was out of this world. She wasn't expecting Viktor to be this heavenly.
Viktor walked towards the king, his eyes void of any emotions. He knew that deep down, the only person who wanted him here was his grandmother. His lips curved into a sly smile as his gaze fell on Markus. He recognized that his former friend was gone as Genevieve had successfully brainwashed him. He knew his stepmother has purposely kept him at the war front all those years ago in order to keep him far away. His footsteps halted, coming to a halt in front of Maximilian.
"Hello father, it's been a while" he said, a twisted smile on his face.
Maximilian patted Viktor, "I'm glad to see you Viktor after all these years"
"I'm sure you are" Viktor said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"My grandson" Emilia muttered hugging Viktor who had grown quite tall. "You have grown so big and strong"
Viktor smiled genuinely at his grandmother, the only person he was indeed happy to see. "And you have remained the fairest and youngest of them all, grandma."
Emilia blushed at Viktor's words. "I see you haven't lost your charm Viktor"
"Hello brother" Viktor said smiling at Markus.
Markus's forced smile and strained voice echoed through the hall as he said, "It's good to have you back, Viktor." Just then, Wilson's enthusiastic call broke the tension: "Brother!" Viktor's gaze shifted to the young boy, who had grown significantly since he last saw him as a toddler.
Genevieve's smile seemed genuine as she addressed Viktor, "We've all missed you, and your grandmother has prepared this celebration in your honor. I hope it meets your expectations. Please, indulge yourself."
Viktor's laughter was laced with sarcasm as he replied, "Your words almost felt sincere, stepmother. You should really stop trying now."
Genevieve's clenched fists betrayed her true emotions, but her smile remained fixed on her face. "I'll go greet the guests," she said, excusing herself with a strained tone.
Emilia intervened, calling out to Viktor, "Come, Viktor. I'll introduce you to the important guests." Viktor nodded, offering his grandmother a warm smile as he followed her out of the room.
Heidi's eyes followed Viktor and the queen mother until she could no longer see them in the crowd.
"You aren't listening Heidi" Anna's voice rang through drawing Heidi out of her thoughts.
"Pardon me milady" Heidi said, not realizing that she had spaced out of the conversation.
"I was saying" Anna continued, "I would like to dance with the first prince..."
Heidi smiled at Anna, her eyes sparkling with amusement "I'm sure the prince would be honored milady"
The sound of clinking glasses and gentle laughter filled the air as Anna's attention shifted to Charlotte who stood with her gaze fixed on the floor, her cheeks a soft pink. "You should ask him for a dance instead of gazing at him like a stalker Charlie"
Charlotte's cheeks flushed a deeper shade of crimson as she quickly looked away, her gaze fixed on the delicate patterns on her gown. "What are you saying , Anna?" She whispered, her voice barely audible over the music.
Anna clicked her tongue, "prince Markus, you've been gazing at him for the longest time now"
Charlotte's cheeks flushed red and she reverted her gaze to her gown. "I wasn't", Charlotte said, her voice cracking at the end.
Anna chuckled at her sister's words. Charlotte had always been the shy and responsible one between them. She was the type to take responsibility for her actions and Anna had learnt a lot from her as their mother had died after she had them. Charlotte meant the world to Anna and she would do anything to make her happy. Seeing Charlotte interested in Markus made her glad as her sister had never shown any interest in the opposite sex.
Anna laughed mirthfully, "okay Charlie, I won't tease you anymore"
Heidi watched as the sisters continued their banter. This was the perfect opportunity for her to slip away. She quietly left the sisters and slipped out of the hall.
"Heidi you..." Charlotte stopped as she didn't see Heidi beside them again. "Where did she go?" The concern in Charlotte's voice was palpable as she scanned the crowd.
"Come Charlie, let's greet the guests along with father." Anna called dragging Charlotte away.
"Wait...but..." Charlotte's voice trailed off as Anna had dragged her into the crowd.
Heidi walked as quickly as she could, she hoped the siblings hadn't noticed her absence yet. She stopped in front of a door and gently stepped inside, the cool air enveloping her like a cloak. She had hidden the gown inside one of the many rooms in the crane house as she couldn't go to the slave quarters at the moment. Besides, she couldn't be seen walking out of the slave quarters dressed like a noble lady.
She quickly but gently took off the gown she was wearing. It was the one the Queen mother had specially sewn for the slaves. She felt a little bad that she wouldn't be able to wear the gown as the queen mother had put in effort to make the gown for the slaves. She took out the magical gown from where she hid it and put it on carefully. She looked at herself in the mirror and the gown was just plain white like any other normal gown. Heidi had figured out all she had to do was to think of a cloth and the gown would take that form.
She closed her eyes and let her imaginations run until it settled down to the gown she had in mind. When Heidi opened her eyes again, her eyes widened in shock at her own reflection.