Cinders and Ashes

Announcing a Ball

Cinders and Ashes

A/N: Yikes. It's been a while since I updated this story. Well, I wanted to update one of my stories that I haven't made a lot of progress on in a while before I continued to work on the others that I've been working on more frequently.

Now, let's get on with Chapter 3. Roll it!

Chapter 3

Announcing a Ball

In a matter of minutes, Captain Flint was escorting Dawn back to the castle. After dropping off her borrowed Dodrio at the stables, Dawn was holding Piplup in her arms as Flint brought her into the castle drawing room, where her mother, the queen, was waiting for her. She looked so much like her, with the same hair, eyes and skin tone. She wore a casual turquoise gown with white slippers on her feet. On her head was a simple gold crown with a few jewels.

Dawn looked down at the floor briefly before looking back up at the queen. "Go ahead. Say it." She muttered, crossing her arms as a couple of seamstresses began to take her away to get her dressed behind a nearby curtain.

"Dawn, that is not proper behavior for a princess." Queen Johanna said. "Plus, even if I did say it to you for the thousandth time, you would still run off at the first chance that you'll get. I would really not like to have you confined to the castle."

"Mother, I'm practically suffocating here." Dawn said, having emerged from behind the dressing curtain.

The seamstresses had removed her hunting uniform guise and changed her into a lovely pink floor-length dress with white off-the-shoulder straps and a darker pink ribbon tied around her waist. She also wore long white opera gloves and there was a pearl necklace with a diamond pendant around her neck. Her hair was tied into a bun with longer strands of hair framing her face and on her head, she wore a silver tiara. Like this, she actually looked like a princess.

"And your insistence on me getting married isn't helping me very much." Dawn continued as she was led to stand in front of a large backdrop where an artist was in front of a canvas, waiting to start painting.

"Dawn, my darling. I know how you are feeling." Johanna said. "Even I had reservations about marriage when I was your age."

"It's not that I don't want to ever get married, Mother." Dawn said as some maids came over and adjusted her make-up. "It's just that.... I feel like this is all happening much too fast. Why can't I marry for love instead of advantage?"

Just then, the doors opened up. "His Grace, the Grand Duke Giovanni Van Der Wylen."

Giovanni then came inside, dressed in a slick black suit with copper colored trimmings. "I'm sure your mother had spoken to you about your behavior today, Your Highness." He said.

Dawn bit back a groan. She had never liked the Grand Duke; with him always sticking his pompous nose where it's not wanted.

"Is it any of your formal business, Your Grace?" She asked.

"My business is your business, Princess." Giovanni answered. "And yet you convinced everyone to call off the hunt, letting that Stantler go free."

Dawn had a little smile appear on her face when she recalled the words that were spoken to her not even an hour before. "Just because it's what done doesn't mean it's what should be done." However, no one else understood the reference.

"Listen to me, Dawn." Johanna said to her daughter, making Dawn focus on her again.

"I'm not going to be around forever. When I pass, you will become queen. And a good and strong queen needs an equally good and strong king by her side. While your marriage must benefit the kingdom, not only don't I want to see some grandchildren before I go, but I also want to be assured that you will be well and cared for for the rest of your days."