The Lost Princess

Chapter Seventeen

I stood there staring at the crowd of people in the ball room. My heart pounded as they all stared back at me. They all had smiles across their faces like they had expected me. No one seemed confused or shocked that Princess Riyah Ivonna Pierce was alive or captured. No one was confused except for me.

I looked out at the small crowd of people all dressed in fancy dresses and suits. Their fine jewelry sparkled in the candlelight. They softly clapped after looking at me.

Keaton tried to take a step forward, but I stood there frozen. He tried to lightly pull me, but I remained frozen staring at the ball room.

"Ivy, come on," Keaton whispered in my ear. "Don't worry, I got you."

I nodded, allowing him to walk me down the stairs towards the crowd in the ball room. We walked down the several wide marble stairs from the door to the ball room. The stairs flared out once the ballroom started.  I held onto Keaton as tightly as I could without it looking forced.

Keaton lead me over to where King Maddox and a few of his advisors sat at a large table overlooking the dance floor. King Maddox was talking with an advisor. I watched King Maddox move his hands around in the air as he talked to the advisor. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but King Maddox seemed very excited.  Like he was telling an exciting story.

I felt my heart race and my body shake as we got closer. King Maddox looked over at Keaton and me as we got closer. King Maddox stopped talking and smiled at me. His lips twisted into an evil smile. We stood in front of King Maddox's table. King Maddox took a sip of his red wine as he stared at me.

"So glad you could make it, Princess Riyah," King Maddox teased with his wicked smile.

"Of course, King Maddox," I said, faking a smile.

He chuckled. "Please sit down next to me, Princess Riyah," he said.

I slightly bowed. Keaton walked me around the table. He pulled out a chair for me. I sat down in the chair. Then Keaton sat down on the other side of me. King Maddox returned to talk with his advisor. They were joking about the people of Kenora. I heard King Maddox joke about how poor and easily controlled they were. I started to feel my anger rising as I listened to their conversation. I started shaking my leg to distract myself from the conversation. I wanted to stand up and scream at how evil King Maddox is.

Keaton grabbed my hand that was in my lap. "Calm down," he whispered in my ear.

I took a deep breath and nodded. He was right. I had to calm down before I did something I would regret. I looked around the ball room. People were starting to dance in the center of the ballroom underneath a giant chandler. Streamers cascaded down the walls. Potted flowers decorated the corners of the ballroom. A large piano sat in the corner of the ballroom. An old man wearing a suit started playing music on the piano.

I watched a rich couple walk out onto the dance floor. The man had dark hair that was combed and gelled. The woman had long, brown hair that shined. Her hair spun around her as the man twirled the woman. Her beautiful, purple dress danced around her as they continued to dance. Her jewelry on her neck and wrist sparkled as she danced. The man's watch shined as they danced.

I noticed that they also had the barcode tattoos. I looked around the room at all the rich people in the ballroom. Every single one of them had the barcode tattoos on their wrists. The only ones that didn't have the tattoos were King Maddox, Prince Leland, and me. I found it interesting that even the richest supporters of King Maddox were required to get their wrist tattooed with the barcode. I had always thought it was just for the poor to keep control over them.