It was ten minutes past six in the evening when Lady Faye fetched the princess in her room. When the door opened, the Head Servants’ eyes twinkled, thoroughly pleased with the youth and beauty that the princess possessed. She was wearing a light pink satin gown, perfectly draped in layers starting from her waist down to the legs with a trail that was only a meter long. Lady Faye anticipated the princess to dance during the ball, so she opted to pick the very gown that would suit the occasion. And suit her it did. It was an off-shoulder gown, with the edges meticulously embroidered with gold roses and silver fiddleback ferns. There was a slit above-the-knee high in the left part of the gown that boasted Lianne’s ivory smooth legs. The only accessory that added her beauty was a pair of small chandelier diamond earrings and the beaded bracelet she had for her birthday. Her hair was done into

Their ride back to the Regaleria mansion was a silent one. Lady Faye had already suspicions of what had occurred during Cain’s time with the princess and it surely was unacceptable. Though the two oil lamps had produced a low light, Lady Faye could see the worry in Lianne’s eyes. She had been looking at the darkness of the road outside the small stained window since they left Soulisse, looking obviously distressed. Her hands were clasped together resting on her lap, but Lady Faye could clearly see it trembling. She was greatly concerned about her. She remembered the princess’s hair neatly tied to the back before they left the Regaleria mansion. Now, it was a bit tousled to the sides, making her curls covering partially her neck - the neck that no doubt housed the kiss mark Cain had created. She waited for a few minutes hoping that Lianne would initiate a talk, b

The following two days ensued as if nothing happened. Lianne had her same routine every day helping Lady Faye of the kitchen chores, gardening, reading, and avoiding the prince as much as she could. She heard from the other servants that he was always staying in the library and that annoyed her. By the third day, early morning, Erza was frantically running down the hallway to everyone’s confusion. Apparently, she was looking for the princess and there she saw her washing a saddle in a large trough just beside the entrance of the royal stable. “Princess...” she stopped as she gasped for air after a good run. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Lianne turned to the servant with a questioning look on her face. “Why are looking for me?” she asked in a calm manner dropping the sponge she was holding and began to walk towards the exhausted maid.&n

The party went on gaily and like any other gathering, men from every table were beginning to feel the kick of the wine, while the women were forming sociable groups of their own according to age. The dance floor was filled as the musicians played their harmonious tune of various kinds of music, be it a tender waltz or a quick foxtrot. It seemed as though the highlight of the party’s royal presence wore down as time progressed, but even so, a number of reputable bachelors of the kingdom asked the princess for a dance one after another to which she dutifully accepted for one sole reason only, and it was to be away from the prince who was sitting beside her in the royal table reserved by Duke Perdunn with the other royal councilors. The prince did however had a share of his own admirers. Although these pureblood maidens giggled and flirted on his sight, the prince only proved to them that the rumors of his insensitive nature were true. Ei

Lianne was at the greenhouse the next day when Malerna began to express her excitement on the coming ball of the Regaleria Mansion. Apparently, King Garlow decided to host a ball in welcome of his son back to the Regaleria Kingdom, but surely, for the princess, it wasn’t the only reason. “This would be a wondrous occasion! It has been quite a few years since we had a big party like this!” Malerna, with gleaming eyes, announced to the other maids in attendance. They were picking fresh tomatoes and lettuce for a salad later tonight and the princess requested to come along with them in hopes of killing her boredom inside the mansion. “It’s all the same for me,” Princess Lianne commented, frowning. “This ball would be the same as others, largely extravagant in order to fit Garlow’s whims.” She pulled a perfectly ripe tomato from its branch and threw it to her basket with a little bit less car