𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 : 𝘈 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

Chapter 12 : The Engagement Ball

Soon, Emilia found herself going to another ball, and this time, she was one of two most important people. She was the the prince's soon-to-be bride, and the queen hosted an engagement ball to honour the prince and Emilia and, to display her gorgeous, massive ballroom and all the pomp and grandeur of royalty.

Every aristocrat was invited in the spirit of the upcoming wedding. Vanessa saw this ball as the perfect opportunity to execute her plan.

"This is the perfect time." Vanessa whispered to Ruth as soon as they entered the ball.

"So soon? Just enjoy yourself a little first-" Ruth said , stuffing a strawberry pastry into her mouth.

Vanessa sighed and started socialising with a tight smile on her face, but she kept glancing at the prince every now and then.

Although she tried her best to get close to the prince, Emilia always seemed to be hovering nearby.

At last, after one hour passed, Emilia went to somewhere else and Vanessa approached the prince.

"Love that ruby necklace you left on the garden, your highness! A treasure haunt suprise for your bride, I presume? Or was it a mistake?" Vanessa asked him innocently.

"I didn't leave any ruby necklace, Miss Kimberly." He said, picking up a glass of wine from the nearby table.

" Oh but i saw it! Emilia must have left it then. But she's not here!" Vanessa kept badgering him.

-"Are you sure?" The prince stopped at the mention of Emilia.

-"Yes! I can show you."

Though reluctant, the prince decided to follow Vanessa. Vanessa gestured at Ruth to hide in the right place, who was now busy consuming fruit salad.

"I don't see any necklace anywhere, Miss Kimberly. There must have been a mistake." The prince said after inspecting for a while.

-"Wait, I see something. Come here, your highness!" Vanessa called out to the prince to get him close enough to herself to make the whole situation seem inappropriate. Now she just needed Ruth as a witness to establish the supposed scandal that would get her married to the prince.

Then she stomped her foot loudly on the ground. It was the sign for Ruth to come out.

But nobody was there.

Vanessa stomped her foot again, but there was no sign of Ruth.

"Uh Miss Kimberly...?" The prince looked at her, alarmed by her strange behaviour.

"We should return. There's no chaperone in sight and I do not wish to be caught in an embarrassing situation. Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to my intended." The prince said and went away.

Vanessa stood on the garden and stomped her foot so hard in frustration that a chunk of soil came out.
She arranged her gown and proceeded towards a ball with a fake pleasant smile on her face, but she was practically seething inside.

It just added a fuel to her anger when she found Ruth inside, peacefully enjoying red wine.

"Ruth, may I know the reason behind your.... change of plans?" She bent down in front of her, seeming smiling, but Ruth could almost see steam coming out of her ears.

"Oh nothing, I just decided that your plan was not worth skipping this... captivating meal." Ruth was unnaturally calm which angered Vanessa even more.

-"You- you betrayed our plan for....eating?" She couldn't decide if she was more shocked or angry.

-" Vanessa, has it ever occured to you that the reason you meddle so much with other people's love lives is   because you don't have one of your own?" Ruth smirked at her and left, leaving Vanessa open mouthed.

Although she wanted to retort, she knew, deep down in her heart, that Ruth was right.

To make her evening even worse, she had to watch Emilia and the prince exchanging meaningful glances and smiles even when they were in the opposite sides of the ballroom. And then it hit her.

It wasn't Emilia she was envious of, it was the bond she shared with the prince that made her jealous.

Even in her evil heart, deep down somewhere, there was a craving for a connection that even she couldn't deny.

************
Although the queen primarily dismissed Jeremy Bancroft's appeal to be the temporary Earl of Leafwater, she eventually handed him the responsibility with reluctance.

The queen was still curious about Theodore Bancroft's 'urgent business' that drove him out of Mayfair, but Jeremy and Emilia told everyone the story of the Bancrofts' distant relative getting seriously sick and Theodore going to pay a prolonged visit.

Queen Charlotte did not believe this, but sometimes, when she was in a good mood, she trusted in giving everyone privacy and luckily for the Bancroft's, she did not press the matter further.

Everything was going swimmingly, that's until Emilia started feeling the pressure of becoming a princess soon.
Being a graceful aristocrat was one thing, but being a princess was something on a whole another level, and she became increasingly stressed, irritable and exhausted.

The wedding was one week away. Would she be able to be the admirable princess capable of managing everything, or would she mess everything up?