The Rightful Queen

Four

I smoothed the skirts of my ballgown before stepping inside the ballroom. My favourite seamstress at Elendra spent two weeks on the dress, keeping in mind every single detail I told her to include in the gown. She promised to make me stand out and she fulfilled her promise. The light grey colour of the dress complimented my skin tone and the silver flowers that were carefully sewn onto its heart-shaped top added more beauty to the dress.

A diamond necklace graced my neck and each diamond sparkled under the lights of the palace. My arm was linked with my uncle's and once our entrance was announced, all eyes darted upwards towards the inner balcony of the ballroom.

As I descended the stairs, I kept in mind all that I was taught. A lady had to move with grace. A true lady could attract an entire room with her elegance and charisma. I looked around the ballroom for a moment and noticed that most men had their eyes on me. I didn't care though. I wanted the attention of one man. The king. He hadn't arrived yet, because royalties arrived last.

Normally, people danced before the arrival of the King, but the moment his presence would be announced, they all had to stop. All dances before the King's first dance were deemed unimportant in my head and while all ladies died to have the first dance with his majesty, I didn't care a lot about it. If anything, I wanted to show him that I received enough attention from reputable men. After all, I was Lady Nuriya Al-Jazi, a descendant of one of the most honourable houses of Elendra.

However, if he asked me for the first dance, I definitely wouldn't mind. I was certain that he had eyes here to tell him about the ladies who could dance. A king wouldn't want a lousy partner. It was common for kings to do that.

"Lord Laith, it's a pleasure to see you," Lord Farouk Belhaj, a fellow Elendrian Lord, greeted my uncle.

"The pleasure is all mine," Lord Laith greeted him.

"Lady Nuriya, you're looking as stunning as ever. I bet you'll be asked on many dances throughout the night," Lady Dareen Belhaj complimented me, and I offered her a smile as I nodded.

"Thank you, Lady Dareen," I respectfully said.

"A fine lady like you will have no problem with catching the eyes of His Majesty," Lord Farouk told me. I was used to receiving such compliments. I was aware that I was considered attractive, but I knew that I had to be modest. This was what everyone expected from women. Even if they were aware of their beauty, women had to choose humble words, lest they should be deemed conceited and full of themselves.

I had always despised that idea and found it preposterous. So what if a lady vocally acknowledged her beauty? Why should society consider her conceited when she merely spoke out what others had been saying about her? Another restriction that fell upon women. Another thing they were to be judged upon. Life, in general, was never easy, but being a woman was harder than what men could fathom.

"I'm deeply humbled by your words, Lady Dareen." Another fake smile was plastered on my lips. A smile I had practised for days and weeks, so I would know what to do whenever I was expected to act all lady-like.

For another hour, the attendees waited for the arrival of His Majesty and I knew how to spend my time. During the span of sixty minutes or more, I danced three dances with three different men, showing off my extraordinary dancing skills. Dancing lessons were just as important as martial arts ones. My uncle had to make sure of that.

"His Majesty, King Zain Al-Najjar, ruler of Carbilia and Vinadra," the guard announced, causing everyone to look at the balcony.

I eyed him as he walked down the stairs and I had to admit, the king was quite handsome. He seemed to be in his early twenties. Not a single wrinkle marked his face. His dark brown hair was styled back, showing the carved structure of his face. His features were sharp, yet captivating. As he walked closer to where I was standing beside my uncle, I could tell his eye colour. Vibrant blue.

I noticed another young man walking behind the king. I had already noticed his presence in the ballroom. He had been there even before my arrival. He leaned closer to the king and whispered something in his ear, causing the King to look at me. Had I managed to attract his attention that early? Perfect.

I had a feeling he was going to ask me to have the first dance with him. Why would he make his way towards me if he wasn't going to ask me to dance?

I curtsied and looked down for a moment once he stood before me with a smile on my face. When I looked up at him, he bowed his head.

"Lady Nuriya Al-Jazi, would you do me the pleasure and be my partner on the first dance?" His voice was deep, matching the features of the man before me.

I told him. He offered me his hand and I gently slipped mine into his.

For a second, nervousness filled me as he guided me to the middle of the ballroom, but I did my best to brush it away. Musicians started playing a new piece and again, I curtsied, and he bowed, then the two of us started dancing.

Our moves harmonised together, not missing a single rhythm of the music. Knowing that it was not favoured for women to keep their eyes on their partner since this portrayed the woman as a daring one, I made sure to constantly break our eye contact. As we danced, I stole glances at the crowd. There was a look of pride on my uncle's face. I was doing well. Here I was, dancing with the king.

"Are you the lady I saw standing on the balcony yesterday?" the king finally spoke, making me look up at him.

"I admire your sharp eyesight, Your Majesty." I smiled at him before he twirled me and once I faced him, his hand rested again on my back.

"I also noticed that you did not show up at dinner last night. Is there a particular reason behind your absence?" Satisfaction filled me as I realized that my absence didn't go unnoticed.

"I sincerely apologize for my lack of appearance last night. I felt unwell after the long journey from Elendra to Vinadra. It has taken its toll on me. I deeply apologise again if my absence bothered your Majesty." My words were carefully chosen. I knew how to talk with royalties and what they liked. I had been surrounded by noble families my whole life.

"I would have definitely preferred having such a beautiful lady attending dinner, but so long as your absence provided you with the rest you needed, then I can live with that," he smirked as he leaned my body back a little. I was not aware that the king was a flirt, but I should have expected that from the first moment my eyes landed on him. He was a young, good-looking man. What else should I have expected? "However, I'm hoping you can make it up to me," he added.

"How would you like me to do that?" I wondered, parting away from him and curtsied as the dance came to an end.

"Save at least three dances for me and accept my dinner invitation on Monday." Despite my awareness of my abilities regarding how to attract a man, I did not expect the king to be interested in me to that extent from our very first encounter.

"I would love that," I said, giving him one of my dazzling smiles.

All signs indicated that I was on the right path and I was proud of myself for accomplishing so much in such little time.

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Published on July 3rd, 2022

Sara