The Adventures of Princess Alvida

3. The party

The two guards straightened up and smiled humbly as she came walking gracefully up the blood red carpets, with an intricate braid - topped with her mother's platinum and diamond tiara - hanging down her blue dress. Alvida put on her sweetest face.

The golden double doors shone, almost as bright as her own reflection in them. She barely had time to admire her own figure in the tight corset before the guards grabbed a handle each and opened the tall doors.

A rush of adrenalin went trough her body as the great hall appeared in front of her. The smooth, white marble floor glimmered in the lights from the fifty chandeliers. The bright walls with the gold embellishments on... ah.

Alvida took a deep breath as to absorb all of the good feelings that this room held. This was her favourite place in the entire world. Mostly because of all the memories it represented;

The anxious and nervous mood that filled the hall as people arrived, checking out each other's attire. Who were the prettiest here tonight? And even better: who were less fortunate? Any new faces? Any handsome men perhaps?

Then moving on to the great feast. With everything your stomach could possibly desire. Alvida rarely ate much at these festivities. She just had too much tension in her body to build up an appetite. Bloatedness was something she also needed to avoid, considering that the corsets were tightened to the max these nights.

But she enjoyed all of the intoxicating smells, from the juicy roasts, all the different gravies and sauces, old cheeses and the chocolate fountains. All the different perfumes and the fragrances of wine, liquor and tobacco - Alvida had never tasted any of those, she was strongly forbidden by her father. Not that she wanted to either. She had seen the most gracious and pompous women and men turn into stumbling, snuffling, vulgar creatures by the end of the night. Good entertainment nonetheless.

Everyone was making polite conversations while secret glances were sent across the tables.
Then the sound of heels clicking on the hard surface. The music started and the party was on for real.

"Princess... " one of the guards said in a low voice and led her into the ballroom with the hand that wasn't resting on the handle. He looked young. At least a couple of years younger than her. And he looked nervous. Little twitches around his mouth revealed him.

"Tank you very much," Alvida said, letting her eyes slide up and down his body, landing on his face. She sent him a cheeky smile while biting her lower lip.

The wanted result came immediately, the guard turned as red as the floor and he swallowed multiple times. Alvida gave a short little laugh and left the guard. She straightened her back and strutted up the marble floors. Click, clack, click, clack.

Alvida loved that she had that effect on the opposite sex. She could have whomever blush whenever. It was like a game to her. And she needed that game a little extra today, to convince herself that she was the one in control when it came to men. No one could knock her off her perch.

Oh yes, especially today... after that whole, little incident at the welcoming. Where she had been the one with an extra layer of rouge. In Alvida's head, that was quite the scandal.

Alvida shook her head as she approached the long table standing at the short end wall opposite of the entrance. People were running back and forth, servants, chefs, waitresses, housekeepers. Everyone were pushing to the limit to get everything perfect. When they passed Alvida, they stopped for a second and bowed, before they rushed off again.

Alvida didn't pay attention to them. She was to occupied trying to get those annoying thoughts out of her head.

God! It wasn't that big of a deal! No one even noticed. At least she hoped so. Alvida just prayed she wouldn't run in to him tonight. The dark man that is. And she probably wouldn't. There was going to be hundreds of people here. And even if she did, she was just going to ignore him. And focus solely on her fiance.