Ballgown

Emma

Emma looked in the mirror, mouth full of bobby pins and she braided a strand of silver beads through her hair. She took one pin at a time, securing the braid across the crown of her head and tucking it behind the thick curls flowing down her back, nearly hiding the delicate buttons holding the bodice of her dress together.

Gisa sat on the edge of her bed, legs swinging idly. "You never cease to surprise me, Em. An invite to a royal dinner and ball." She whistled.

"One of my many strengths," Emma said, removing the last pin from between her lips, "is that people underestimate me. I use it to my advantage."

"Gentle as a dove, fierce as a serpent." Gisa said.

Emma spun around, fabric of the gown swishing, her hair landing perfectly in place. "Exactly."

"You look breathtaking." Gisa said, shaking her head. "If you had told me a year ago where we'd be, I never would have believed you."

Emma smiled, genuinely, her pink lips tilting to the side. "I would have laughed. But look at me! I feel like a princess. I feel like I belong."

Gisa nodded. "I know you know this, but don't let them look down on you because you're from the island. You're incredibly smart and observant. Use anything you can to gain any new knowledge you can. Don't be too obvious, maybe even act like you still fear Audenzitios."

Emma's smile disappeared, replaced with a look of determination. "You chose me for a reason, I can do it."

"I know you can." Gisa said, hopping off the bed and giving her sister a hug. She chuckled a little. "You're all done up in makeup and a ballgown and I have on sweatpants."

"You'd never endure a dress for longer than an hour, I guarantee it." Emma said, grabbing her wallet from the table and sliding on a pair of simple gloves. "Sean said six o'clock sharp so I best go out."

Her goodbye to her sister done, Emma walked out of the dorm to where a limo was waiting.

Sean stepped out, his eyebrows shooting up.

"Where did you find that dress?" He asked, his eyes wandering down the bodice fit tightly to her skin, slimming her waist and pushing up her breasts.

"I made it Sean." She said, accepting his hand as they stepped into the limousine.

She let him jabber on for the entirety of the ride, her mind racing for possibilities. Who to ask, how to approach the topic. She had several persons she wanted to engage that may lead to clues, but it all needed to be done with expert precision.

The ride from the school to the palace was not a long one, but any time at all made Emma's nerves grow. She had to tread very carefully for many reasons. She was almost relieved and equally as scared when the gilded palace came into view, limousines and fancy cars of all sorts waiting to deliver their passengers into the room.

"I thought you said the ball was to be the grand event." Emma said to Sean watching the procession of nobility. "There are so many here for dinner, are there not? Who are they?"

Sean leaned back into his seat. "Well you have the three dukes and their families and all of the counts and viscounts with their families. It is a much grander dinner and ball than most, but it is to be expected. We're celebrating the King's birthday. He should have a big party."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "Who is invited to the ball then?"

Sean shrugged, pulling Emma close, a hand resting on her stomach, the other on her thigh, nearly indistinguishable beneath the mountainous layers of fabric. "I think the rest of the nobility, the barons, the lords and ladies, perhaps some other important business owners and such."

The limo pulled to a stop before the entrance. Sean stepped out, and offered a hand to Emma who accepted, stepping out of the limousine to the flashing of cameras and paparazzi.

They were firing questions at Sean, mostly asking why he was bringing Emma along, the questions twisted as if to find fault with her or Sean. Emma smiled, following Sean's lead as he refused to comment and walked up the stairs, leaving the reporters to attack the occupants of the next vehicle.

"My father wants to meet you." Sean whispered in Emma's ear as they made their way to the dinner hall. "I've told him all about you. All the good things, don't worry."

The doors to the receiving hall swung open with along heavy groan. The light from thousands of candles reflecting off the gilded candelabras blinded Emma as they entered, her heels clicking delicately on the floors.

She didn't have much of a chance to worry, for the first person who greeted them when they entered the large receiving hall was Duke Mattuckle.

The tall man with broad shoulders, and gray streaks in his beard and hair spotted them almost immediately and made his way over. He looked just like Sean with the set jawline and the same light blue eyes, like the color of an icy landscape.

"Son!" he smiled broadly, a politician's smile, his voice like someone Emma had heard on a radio back on the island. "And you must be Emma." He turned to her.

Emma's heart pounded in her chest, but she swept herself into a curtsy, one deep enough for a duke, but not one she would use for the king. "Duke Mattuckle, it is lovely to finally meet you." She said as she rose.

He took her hand gently in his just for a moment, "please, any friend of my son's is a friend of mine."

He dropped Emma's hand, but not before she noticed the ring sitting around the pointer finger of his left hand. A dark gray band with a ring of green so deep it was almost unmistakable for black. As someone with an eye for all things fashion, she'd never seen anything like it before.

"I was wondering when my son would bring this seemingly elusive lady to meet me, and yet here you are, and Sean never told me you were coming!" He chuckled, but Emma could detect a hint of some other emotion less pleased than the tone he was taking.

"Well it is wonderful to officially meet you." Emma dipped her head once more. "I have been waiting to meet more of Sean's family. Your daughter Sophie is a good friend of mine as well."

He smiled, warm this time. "She's a good kid. Easier for her. Sean will have to take over my duchy someday, Sophie can live carefree and happy. But you wouldn't have it any other way, would you Sean?"

He put on a tight smile, "I certainly would not." He glanced in the direction of the King and the prince as they entered the room. "Certainly not."

"I heard you are in the running for valedictorian with my son." Duke Mattuckle said to Emma after everyone had finished bowing for the king.

Emma felt a blush creeping up her face. "Oh, well maybe. Sean and I study together often. I don't think I'll quite beat him out for the spot."

Sean nodded, "and we're not the only two competing for that spot." He turned to Emma, "What's that kid's name? Larry?"

Emma tried to fake a smile. "Lawrence."

"I have heard of him." Duke Mattuckle nodded. "Quite the scholar. He set a record for the youngest person to ever achieve a prize for excellence in science in the United Continent. Sean received an award as well actually, but the way their birthdays aligned, Lawrence was younger."

"You didn't tell me you competed, Sean." Emma said, watching the father and son duo play out.

"I got into sports after that. Father thought it would be good if I could be as well rounded as possible." He winked. "Here's something you don't know about me, I can play the guitar."

Emma was seated across to Sean's left. To her right was Viscount Henry Alexander. Apparently, this was the first time he has come out in public having recently been widowed. They left a place open to his left in her honor. He had two sons, both in their late twenties sitting across from her. They seemed to work together as if they had one mind. They even looked similar.

Henry Alexander Jr. was seated directly across from her, his eyes narrowed at the first course in front of him. She was glad she had studied the nobility of the United Continent so diligently. The late Viscountess Alexander was not their mother. She was the third wife of the Viscount and the sons were from his second wife. He had a daughter from his first wife but both women had been killed during the Great War.

His eyes met hers and Emma finally spoke. "Is the salad not to your liking?"

He looked back down and let out a little chuckle. "Sorry, I was caught in thought, Lady…?"

"Emma." She nodded.

"I haven't seen you before." He said, setting his fork down.

Emma remembered they were dining continental style. His silverware had been placed down improperly. "I'm not actual nobility."She tilted her head to the side. "I am, however, a friend."

Sean seemed to notice her conversation with Henry. "I invited her to come along."

"You always bring the prettiest ladies." Henry smiled. His brown eyes held a cunning gleam.

Emma saw what he was trying to do.

Sean shook his head, "and you never bring any ladies."

"Oh but I've left with several."

Sean shook his head, his face curling into a look of disgust.

Emma just watched the scene unfold, careful to observe anything she could.

Henry placed his utensils in the position to suggest that he would be returning, and he stood from his chair. "You're nothing like your father, and I feel sorry for you Sean. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go freshen up." He turned to Emma, "If you're tired of Sean's company, I am always available."

"Sean shook his head. "He is always the most interesting sort to converse with."

"He seemed very confident in himself." Emma said, watching as the servers switched the courses again.

The rest of the dinner passed uneventfully, Emma conversing with Sean and his mother who sat to Sean's right. She seemed like a very sweet woman. But by the time dinner was to end and the ball began. It couldn't have been soon enough.

Emma loved dancing. She'd always done it in the shower or in her bedroom when Gisa wasn't looking, but now she could dance whenever she liked. Sean danced with her for the first two dances then she wound up with another gentleman for the third dance. This time they were all switching partners and Emma could hardly remember who she'd already danced with.

Her last partner released her hand and asher hands connected with the next she found herself face to face with Henry.

"Lady Emma!" he said with a genuine smile. "I was hoping I would get to lead you in a dance. I glanced over a few times. Your footwork is simply divine."

"Thank you Lord Henry." Emma smiled back. "I've been practicing for hours to prepare. Your dances here are not quite like the ones back on the island."

Henry raised an eyebrow, bemused but not shaken as they danced across the floor their footsteps keeping time to the music. "You're the Emma from the island?"

Had he not known? With ther faces in so many newspapers and on every blog, everyone knew who she was. "We are one and the same." Emma tried to maintain a diplomatic facial expression. "Am I not who you were expecting?"

He laughed. "Well I'd seen pictures of Gisa and Jamison. I guess I wasn't expecting you to be so… well beautiful I guess."

Something in her heart warmed a little. Maybe he wasn't quite the annoyance Sean seemed to think he was. "Thank you Lord Henry."

"Please, just Henry." He said as he spun her around and sent her off to the next partner.

Emma found herself in Sean's arms once more as the music's crescendo died down and the crowd applauded the end of the dance.

"I missed you every moment that we were apart." Sean whispered into her ear, his lips bruching against her earlobe gently making goosebumps rise on her skin.

Before Emma could respond, a cool voice interjected, "may I have the next dance with the lady?"

Michael stood witha pleasant smile offering his hand.

Sean's face betrayed his emotions for a split second as a look of annoyance flickered over his features. The next moment however a mask of diplomacy covered it. "Of course you may."