The ballroom was crowded that evening. It was full of men, women, and hundreds of young girls from all over the kingdom. All of them had arrived dressed in their best suits and gowns. Most people brought only one to three Pokémon with them. It had the best orchestra from the south for music, the best chief from the north for the refreshments and dinner, and the best host from the east for the decorations and furniture.
King Charles, Queen Elizabeth, and the Archduke were up on the balcony, guarded by two guards and two Houndoom. Prince Philip was standing near the thrones below, wearing his royal Umbreon-themed uniform, royal riband, and his medal of honor. Alex, Drake, Keven, Henry, Lacy, and Clair gathered next to him with their ribands. Duke Grovyle and a few Bisharp Pokéguards stood nearby, making sure that nobody got too close.
The introductions were being done at the present time. One by one, a steward called out the names of the guests. Each guest did their own introduction either performing a small dance or simply walking up. They went up to the base of the stairs with their Pokémon and bowed to the prince. He and his Pokémon would bow back, the guest came back to the crowd, and the next guest would go.
Philip and Alex saw many girls and ladies, from the poorest commoners to the richest nobles. So far, none of them were Ella or the Masked Maiden. Soon it got really boring to the point where Alex and Lacy almost fell asleep.
The King scowled as he watched Philip ignore girl after girl. "He isn't interested in any of them."
"If this doesn't help Philip get a bride, I don't know what will." sighed the Queen.
"There must be at least one who would make a suitable wife!" the King insisted.
"Or maybe, Your Highness, he's waiting for someone in particular." said the Archduke.
Down below, the Stepmother was busy helping Patricia get ready to meet the prince. People had been staring at Patricia for quite some time. Many people were surprised that Patricia and her Pokémon finally dressed in something that made them look good. But there was nothing different about the stepmother's tacky dress. Patricia tried to ignore the bump on her head as her mother continued to nag her with repeated advice.
"Now remember, Patricia," said her mother for the thousandth time, "You must make sure that you get to him first. Just flutter your eyes and blow him away with your charms."
Sabrina sighed. She regretted not being able to stand up to her mother earlier. Then Cinderella would have been able to come to the ball. However, once again, like many times before, Sabrina had let her fear get the better of her.
She could also tell that Prince Philip wasn't interested in anyone. His bows were puppet-like and there was no animation. He was like a marionette on strings. If he wasn't interested in any of the girls, then there was a good chance he would reject Patricia especially.
***********************************************************************
Outside, Cinderella's carriage had just arrived at the palace. Two Bisharp guards opened the gates for them and Lester drove the carriage through. He pulled up to the palace stairs and stopped the carriage. Matt and Chase got off the footboard and opened the carriage door. The footmen helped everyone out of the carriage, starting with Valiant and finishing with Cinderella. She then released Ariel, Mikey, Rex, and Bella from their Pokéballs.
"Is that everyone?" asked Chase.
"Yes," said Valiant, "That is everyone."
Cinderella and the others looked up the steps to the palace before them. The palace was grand during the day, but it was even more spectacular at night. The lights from the lanterns and the dazzling stars seemed to make the palace sparkle.
أنت تقرأ
Cinderella: A Pokémon Fairytale
الخيال (فانتازيا)The world of Pokémon takes a new spin on this classic fairytale. After her father leaves on a trip, Pokémon trainer Duchess Ella is reduced to a servant by her envious stepmother-Cinderella. And yet she refuses to give in to despair. With the help o...
