The noise from the hall reached the side entrance where Vanetta stood, waiting anxiously for the members of the royal family. She listened to the announcements that rang through the great hall, signaling more arrival of families.
There was no turning back; the debut ball was really happening today. Vanetta tried to calm herself; she exhaled a deep breath, bringing a hand on her chest as she felt her heart thumping against her ribcage.
'Okay,' she thought to herself, forcing a brave face even though her hands trembled slightly and the knot churning in her stomach said otherwise.
"Vanetta," called out a voice from beside her. She turned toward the direction and caught sight of her uncle standing with her by the side entrance.
Placing a hand on her head, the Duke looked into her. "You will do fine," he reassured her.
But would she really? Vanetta darted her eyes towards the door nervously. She wondered whether the nobles she was about to face tonight would be as intimidating as those from Solmere.
Vanetta recalled how cold the Solmere nobles had been when she was introduced to them. Their judgmental eyes bore into her intensely, as if sending daggers; their scrutiny made her feel small. Their silence spoke volumes, leaving her feeling uneasy and self-conscious when she was around them.
She did not feel welcome at Solmere, and soon she would face the same with Ethara.
"I am going to leave you here, Vanetta. I'll have to enter through the grand doors," the Duke's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. His face held a serious expression as his eyes briefly flicked towards the side entrance before he spoke again, "I will meet you later in the great halls."
"Okay," Vanetta nodded. "Thank you for guiding me here, Uncle."
Duke Lostin nodded back and excused himself, walking through the corridor that was heading to the other entrance of the great hall. Vanetta stood nervously by the side entrance alone, her hands smoothing the fabric of her olive dress while she waited.
Suddenly, her ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. She strained to discern where it was coming from, initially thinking it was her uncle returning. After what seemed like an eternity, the regal presence of the King emerged from the corner.
"Y, Your Majesty," Vanetta said quickly, curtsying deeply before him though she was cut short in the middle of it.
"Rise, Vanetta. There is no need for such formalities when we are alone," the King said gently, raising his hand to stop her.
"My apologies, Your Majesty–"
"No apologies necessary, my daughter. How are you finding the evening so far?" the King asked.
"I, I'm, uh, doing fine so far," Vanetta stammered nervously.
"I'm glad to hear that, because tonight will officially transform your life as you are introduced as my daughter."
Vanetta raised her head to look at him, nodding hesitantly as the King, or should she say her father, stood beside her. When the King glanced at the closed side entrance, she quickly followed his gaze, her eyes darting in the same direction.
Silence fell between them as they waited, leaving Vanetta uneasy. It was the first time she was alone with him, and the air felt awkward already.
"Your dress," King Aetheran started without averting his gaze. "It suits you perfectly."
"T, Thank you, Your Majesty. Uncle, I mean, the Duke gave me this dress," Vanessa stuttered, still feeling the weight of conversing with the King. "He said it's the same dress my mother wore when she made her debut in Solmere."
King Aetheran turned his head towards her, and Vanetta felt his gaze lingering on her dress. Curious, she stole a quick glance at his face, catching sight of his soft expression. With a warm smile toward Vanetta, the King extended his arm, inviting Vanetta to place her hand gently on his arm.
"Now I understand why it looks familiar," King Aetheran muttered, his voice just audible for them both to hear. "Your mother wore this exact dress when she sat for her portrait. The King of Solmere presented it to me during our discussions of our kingdoms' alliance."
'This dress?' Vanetta listened quietly to his words, her free hand tracing the fabric of her dress.
But then the King changed the course of their conversation as he glanced around, a frown forming on his forehead. "...Elucina should have arrived by now. She knows how important this entrance is," he said, holding a hint of concern in his voice.
…
Meanwhile, Elucina was making her way through the corridors of the King's castle. She had just arrived and was running behind schedule, but that was all planned – a part of her strategy. As she neared the side entrance, she spotted the figures of the King and Vanetta standing together.
Elucina greeted them first, maintaining her calmness and composure. "Good evening, everyone. My apologies for being late."
The King turned to face her, his eyes falling on what she was wearing. When he had finally registered Elucina's, his expression quickly shifted to anger.
"Elucina, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice sounding tense as he could barely control his anger.
"Uh, what's wrong, Father?" Elucina asked, feigning that she did not know what he was talking about. She brought her eyes down at her soft blue patterned dress. The sleeves were long and flowing, made from the same patterned fabric but in a deeper shade of blue.
It hugged her figure, the hem flaring down to the floor. The neckline was square, complemented by a golden necklace featuring a teardrop centerpiece that Elucina chose wisely.
Elucina ran her hand over the fabric, her brows arched in a question. "Oh, this dress, Your Majesty? This was the only dress available to me at short notice."
"I think it's such a wonderful dress, Princess Elucina–" Vanetta chimed in, stepping forward as she tried to ease the tension that was building up in the air.
"Don't lie to your King!" snapped King Aetheran while his gaze was not leaving Elucina. "Change into a different dress! At once!"
Elucina stuttered, drawing her brows in a deep furrow, "B, But this is the only dress I prepared for tonight, Father…"
"You–" King Aetheran took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his head cool. He glanced at Vanetta, who was watching the exchange with wide eyes, clearly clueless on what was going on.
A tense silence hung by the side entrance as the King calmed himself. At the same time, Elucina's eyes shimmered with satisfaction upon seeing her father's reaction to her beautiful dress. On the other hand, Vanetta stood in silence, not sure if she should say anything.
"Shall we not go inside? I can hear the commotion in the great hall," Elucina said, breaking the silence within the group. She wasn't even hiding her light tone, sounding playful, as if the confrontation a minute ago had not happened.
The King pointed directly at Elucina. "We will talk about this later," he stated, leaving no room for argument.
"...As you wish, Your Majesty," Elucina said with a small smile on her face, curtsying respectfully.