.•° ✿ °•.
"Alice." I smiled, as the copper-haired girl happily bounced over to me.
"The evening is going rather nicely." she gushed, looking around at her handiwork.
"Yes, but, as you said, the guests here are mildly infuriating." I replied.
"Well, it's only a matter of time before the ball ends, and then there's the dinner, which is exceedingly stressful for the maids." she said, growing worried.
"How so?"
"One thing - The slightest thing - Out of place, and the rich folk think it should cost us our jobs." she scoffed.
"And has it ever?" I inquired.
"No, of course not. The King wouldn't fire us under such petty circumstances."
"Really? I've always been told that he is a cruel and ruthless man." I frowned.
"No, not at all."
"How can you be sure?" I asked.
"He, just... Let's just say that, long ago, he did me a favour for which I don't think I could ever repay him." she said.
"And what was it?"
She tensed, and I could tell that I'd brushed upon a tough subject for her, likely to do with her past, so I opted to change the subject to the couples that had attended. After we poked fun at several of them for their egotistic behaviours, the orchestra at last stopped, and the guests began to clear out, save those who were fortunate enough to be invited to the dinner afterwards. As I made my way out of the room, I looked at the table that Anne and I had worked so hard to fill with deserts, only to find it, for the most part, untouched. I scoffed at this, before exiting the large ballroom, and making my way down the dim hallway. Suddenly, the sound of the doors from which I'd just come rang out, disrupting the silence. I turned, finding that the King was making his way to me, a disapproving look on his face.
"You think you can simply sneak out the moment I turn away from you?" he asked, raising a brow.
"No, I was under the impression that you did not want me to attend the dinner." I retorted, folding my arms.
"And you were incorrect. You will be attending."
"I can't imagine your esteemed guests would take too well to that." I scoffed.
"Then they shall have to bear it, my Rose." he smiled placing a hand on the small of my back and pushing back down the hall.
"George!" Anne's voice sounded from behind us and we turned.
"Anne, I told you not to call me that when we have guests." he frowned.
"If you care so much for these guests of yours, you could trouble yourself to show them more respect. You made a fool out of that poor duchess earlier." she folded her arms.
"I only refused to dance." he shrugged.
"And called her a halfwit." Anne said accusingly.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." he rolled his eyes.
"You bet it won't." She reprimanded him, disappearing through the door.
I chuckled softly, following him into the dining room and taking a seat in the chair beside his. To my dismay, I saw the Collins, as well as the elderly woman from before that I assumed to be Clara's mother, seated at the table, each looking as arrogant as ever. I felt out of place as I awkwardly looked about the room.
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𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰'𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮
Fanfiction"Have you ever loved anyone?" his tone was serious. "Love has many forms. I loved my mother and father..." I trailed off, hoping he would not catch on to my lie. "A blatant lie. You had no parents... Did you?" "How did you kno-" he cut me off. "I di...
