𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 || editing/updating atm || incomplete

Chapter I

'Twas the night before the biggest ball of the year. It was the night where Princess Mirabella would celebrate her 16th birthday and a suitor would win her hand in marriage. Mirabella was reading over letters from suitors that were to come. She absent-mindedly sifted through the massive stack of letters and gifts until she found the one she was looking for. None were too enticing except one, Andrew's. They had known each other since childhood, but since he was the general's son, they were obviously going to marry, unless anyone of a higher wealth status or from royalty in another province came.

"Princess Mirabella!" Queen Amara shouted while forcefully knocking at the door to Mirabella's room. "Whatever are you doing that could possibly make you not hear the dinner bell three times?"

Mirabella shoved the letter into the secret compartment in her desk and shut the lid to her wind-up musical jewelry box. She jumped up and fiddled with the lock on the door until she was finally able to get it open. Flushed, Mirabella stuttered, "I'm sorry, Mother. I was just reading through the letters from the suitors."

"Again, daring? This is the fourth time this week. We have not yet received an RSVP from anyone outside of the province that is of royalty. What makes you read them again? I thought you were set on Andrew." Queen Amara poked her head into the vast bedroom and Mirabella began to feel worried.

"I don't know if he's the right one now. We've known each other for so long. Wouldn't it be weird if we were forced to marry, but we didn't actually love each other?" Mirabella wandered around her room, fidgeting with miscellaneous pens and the dress she was to wear the next evening.

"Honey, that's what the dance is for. You are to spend all night dancing and getting to know the suitors as they really are, not just the man they want you to see with the fancy words they say on paper." Queen Amara stalked into the room and lowered herself onto Mirabella's bed. She motioned for her daughter to come sit.

But, Mirabella stayed near the dress and looked down at her feet. "I just don't want to make the wrong decision. I'm pretty sure I love Andrew, but after he went to training and came back, he seems different and I'm afraid to bring up the ball."

Queen Amara offered, "Why don't we have some dinner, then come back up here to read the letters together once more to rule out the wrong suitors?" She stood up without a single crease on her dinner gown and escorted Mirabella out of the room.

In the dining hall, the decorations were already up and a simple meal was prepared for this evening, so no food for the next day was wasted. Mirabella took her seat at the table, to the left of King Simon and across from Queen Amara. The only other people at the table tonight were Princess Cristina, Mirabella's younger sister, Duchess Elaine, her father's sister, and Duke Harold, Duchess Elaine's husband.

"So, Mirabella, have you finally chosen a suitor?" questioned King Simon. "You must have decided by now, seeing as it took you 15 minutes before you decided to come down for dinner."

"Oh, I, uh, am unsure of..." Mirabella trailed off. She spoke softly now, and said, "Of if I really love Andrew."

"What was that?" King Simon had perfect hearing, so it was odd that he needed Mirabella to repeat.

Mirabella's face reddened. "I'm unsure if I really love Andrew," she said at a semi-normal volume. "Wouldn't it be weird if we didn't love each other as husband and wife and we just loved each other as friends?" Mirabella could feel it all spilling out. "I mean, we've known each other since we were children, we couldn't get married unless we actually were in love or else it would just be awkward right? And then there's the --"

"Hush, child." Duchess Elaine cooed. "You'll make the right decision in the end." She rested her wrinkled hand on Mirabella's shoulder.

"But I'll only have a few minutes per dance and there are so many suitors. I'll never know who's right for me in such a short amount of time!" Mirabella fidgeted with her hands. She realized this and started eating again. Soon enough, almost the whole meal was done and no one had said another word.