The Council

Cassian's body felt bare as he rustled under the cover pressing onto another bare body. Opening his eyes, he saw Rosalina already awake, staring back at him with a smile.

"Good morning your majesty," Rosalina whispered, passing her fingers in Cassian's hair. "Last night was wonderful was it not?"

Cassian lay there, confused about what Rosalina was talking about, still adjusting to the new day. As he glanced down at his bare body and Rosalina lying next to him, the events of last night came rushing back to him. He engaged in sexual intercourse with Rosalina last night.

With the pressure of his new role as king, trying his best to do what's right, and the start of the courting season, Cassian fell back to his old ways. Last night was the first time in a while he has been able to focus on something else rather than his royal duties. Rosalina seemed to always know what to do to take his mind off anything; though she only did one thing each time, it always worked.

Unlike in the past, Cassian regretted what they had just done. The last thing he wanted was to restart his back-and-forth with Rosalina. Just having meaningless sex no longer fulfilled his needs, which surprised Cassian himself.

"So should we go for round two then?" Rosalina asked, drawing circles on Cassian's chest with her finger.

"I think it's time you leave," Cassian uttered.

"You know that you don't want me to leave," she whispered, kissing up to his jawline.

"Please stop," Cassian sighed.

Rosalina made her way on top of Cassian, straddling him. She left a trail of kisses from his jaw to the tip of his pelvis. She placed one of her hands on his chest while the other hand gripped him as Cassian did his best not to let out a moan. Rosalina gripped him harder, subtly moving up and down.

Cassian was not enjoying Rosalina's spontaneous showing. He grabbed her hand, slowly removing her hand off of him. He sighs heavily while Rosalina still sits on top of him. With one swift movement of the hips, Cassian threw Rosalina off him.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"I told you to stop," he uttered.

Rosalina glared at him with flared nostrils as Cassian rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"You do remember how to get out of here without being noticed right?" Cassian asked.

"How could I forget it? I know my way around there better than my own home," she chuckled, but Cassian didn't reciprocate; instead, he stared towards the windows.

Whatever feelings he once had for Rosalina were now gone. Last night she caught him in a vulnerable state where he was desperate for a stress reliever. What happened that night was a mistake. This time he meant it when he told himself it was a mistake. It wasn't like other times.

Rosalina stood up from the bed, exposing more of her bare body. Cassian knew precisely what she was doing. Her back faced him as she stretched, arching her back. Now her hands slid slowly down her sides before they caressed her cheeks. She turned her head slightly, trying to catch Cassian staring. Once she saw it wasn't working, she made her way to the front of the bed, stretching once more as her hand made its way to her chest.

"Hurry get your clothes and leave before anyone sees you," Cassian said, staring down at the covers.

He heard groaning as Rosalina made her way through the room, picking up her garments. The door slammed closed. She was gone.

There is no denying that Rosalina is a beautiful woman any man would be lucky to have. Cassian had no interest in pursuing her anymore. He had no idea what kind of woman he did want.

"Good morning, your majesty, it's time for," Rupert barged into the room before stopping to see clothes scattered on the floor and a mortified Cassian fully nude in bed. ".....Breakfast."

Cassian shifted awkwardly in bed, pulling the comforter to cover up his upper body.

"It seems like you've already ate," Rupert remarked.

"Very funny Rupert now would you excuse me I'm going to get dressed," Cassian said.

"Please do, for not everyone wants to see your physique, as we all want to keep our appetite," Rupert joked, leaving Cassian to get dressed.

After allowing Cassian a few moments to dress, Rupert entered the room safely. He found Cassian in the mirror, fixing his clothes.

"Are we going to discuss the situation that I walked in on?" Rupert asked.

"One word. Rosalina," Cassian replied.

"Ah, so you two have rekindled whatever it is you two had together," Rupert said.

"Nothing of the sort. Last night was a mistake. With everything going on, I needed a distraction, and there she was. And just like that, I fell back into my old ways," Cassian explained, fixing his hair.

"Was it a mistake?" Rupert questioned, raising a brow.

"Yes, it was. That chapter of my life closed, and I have no intention of opening it again," Cassian replied.

"I hope that is true," Rupert said.

"What do you think?" Cassian asked, turning to face Rupert.

"You look good," Rupert responded. "Wearing beige on beige is an interesting choice, but luckily you pull it off," he added.

"Please do not lie to me because you are my friend," Cassian sighed.

"I would never do such a thing. You are just a very good-looking man who can pull off anything," Rupert reassured him.

Cassian turned his attention to the windows, gazing at the gardens.

"Today I am to meet with the council," Cassian uttered.

Cassian did not know what to expect from the council meeting. The council is supposed to help advise him on what to do. He was thankful to be getting some guidance, but he was aware of the advice they had given his father in the past. Members of the council tend to look out for themselves, trying to get richer off of different dealings which his father endorsed.

"So what is the plan?" Rupert asked.

"I am to introduce myself as the new king and talk about what I have planned for Nirvana," Cassian answered.

"Do you have a plan?" Rupert asked.

"I have the start of one," Cassian uttered.

The two men made their way down to where breakfast was being served. Cassian did not eat much as his mind was distracted by his meeting. Meanwhile, Rupert was sneaking food in his mouth when no one was looking.

After not eating much at breakfast, Cassian made his way to the entrance to wait for his carriage to arrive. Rupert followed suit, still stuffing himself with food.

"Let me know if there's an update on the invitation," Cassian requested.

"Of course, your majesty," Rupert agreed.

"You know you do not have to call me that," Cassian said.

"It is part of my job, your majesty," Rupert stated as he stood tall with his chin up. Cassian glanced at Rupert, not understanding his change in demeanor.

"Cassian there you are," a voice boomed as footsteps could be heard from the halls.

It was Richard. He appeared out of the halls heading straight to where Cassian was standing. Rupert left quickly at the sight of Richard. Cassian gulped as his father now stood in front of him with a grin. The sight of his father's grin scared him as he thought his father was up to no good.

"I see you are waiting to depart soon," Richard said.

"I am going to city hall to meet with the royal council," Cassian stated, continuing to look straight ahead for his carriage.

"And I shall join you," Richard revealed, patting his son on the shoulder.

"Pardon me?" Cassian asked, hoping he did not hear what he thought.

"I am accompanying you to the council meeting."

"You do not need to do that, father."

"I know but I have been doing some thinking and I realized that you are still fairly new to this so I believe you will profit if you were to have some guidance."

Cassian was shocked at his father's words. He didn't understand what suddenly possessed his father into actually doing something good. Maybe it was his mother's doing or great grandfather's. Whatever it was, Cassian was happy that his father had taken an interest in helping him for once.

"Thank you father," Cassian said, a little smile appearing on his face.

Their brief moment was interrupted as the carriage came into sight. The two men departed as the carriage made its way to the city hall.

"Do you know what you are to do at today's meeting?" Richard asked.

"I am to introduce myself as the new king of Nirvana and discuss my plans for the future," Cassian answered.

"Yes, correct. You must show confidence and be direct. Remember the council are there to advise you on what they believe is the right path for the future of the kingdom but you my son is who makes the final decision," Richard explained.

For once, when Richard spoke to Cassian, he was not lecturing or ridiculing him but instead giving him some guidance. Cassian never thought he would see the day when his father would provide him with advice on what to do. This is all he wanted. Despite Richard finally lending a helping hand, Cassian couldn't help but feel that there was more to this. He knew his father as a man who did not do anything for others unless it benefited him. Cassian did his best to give his father the benefit of the doubt, but he still felt troubled. On the one hand, his father was being nice and wanted to help him willingly, but this was out of character for his father.

The sun showed no mercy today as everyone's skin started to boil under the heat, as the clouds were nowhere in sight to bring a little relief. Sweat dripped off her forehead as Nya made her way off the field to the road. She let out a yawn as she walked lazily down the road. Nya left home before sunrise to start work in the field, not wanting to hear her family try and convince her to attend the ball. She had decided she didn't want to go.

Though Nya tried her best not to think about anything related to the royal family, it seemed that was all everyone else in the village talked about. Her walk was filled with villagers rambling on about how great the king was while maidens still longed for the prince to notice them.

Finally, away from all the villagers' gossip, Nya arrived at Eliana's house. The sound of a machine could be heard from a distance.

"I swear, Ell, it seems all the people in the village know how to talk about is the royal family and how great they are," Nya complained, following the machine sound. "The last thing I want to hear about is the stupid royal family."

Nya walked in on Eliana, working on what looked like a new dress. Eliana froze when she realized Nya now stood behind her. She slowly turned to face Nya with a nervous smile.

"You're finally working on a new dress," Nya exclaimed, moving forward to take a closer look.

"Yes," Eliana uttered.

"This looks so fancy, who's it for?" Nya asked as she ran her hand across the fabric.

"You know…..a person….who wears dresses," Eliana uttered, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Is it for one of the maidens for the opera? I know Meredith has a show on Sunday," Nya guessed.

"No," Eliana said.

"Oh okay then for who?" Nya asked.

"It's for you," Eliana hesitated, "for the king's ball."

Nya's eyes opened as she took a deep breath while Eliana gave her a shakingly smile. She was scared as Nya had not said anything yet about her confession.

"You did not have to do that, Eliana," Nya uttered. "I have no intention of attending that ball."

Nya felt bad as Eliana was making her a dress for the ball. She didn't share her family's excitement about the invitation. She couldn't.

"I wanted to do this, Nya. This is a great opportunity for you, and you deserve to go."

"The last thing I need is to be surrounded by-"

"Don't start."

I do not care about the ball. If anything, I forgot about it until you made mention of it," Nya claimed.

Eliana raised her eyebrows at Nya, not believing a word she said.

"You can not fool me, Nya. I repeatedly heard you mumbling the king's invitation back on the field."

"You must have misheard me with all the chatter around us."

"Dear Nya.." Eliana started.

"Dear Nya Deglassie, I am writing to invite you to the New King's Ball that will be taking place this Saturday. If I know anything about you from our short encounters, it is that you do not take a liking to my family or me, but I hope this does not stop you from gracing us with your presence. This ball will feel dull without someone who is able to handle very strong liquor. Hoping to see you there. Sincerely, Cassian Constantin," Nya recited.

"Wow," Eliana stated.

"I have a good memory," Nya stated.

Eliana laughed at her friend while Nya rolled her eyes. Eliana turned back to start back work on the dress.

"You do not need to waste any more time on this dress. I am not going," Nya stated.

"I shall waste all my time on this, and you will thank me when you change your mind and decide to attend," Eliana started turning back and giving Nya a big grin.

Knowing nothing was going to stop Eliana from making her a dress, Nya made her way back home. She arrived to an empty house as everyone went to spend the day in the nearby village. As Nya made her way to the kitchen, she spotted the king's invitation on the shelf. She grabbed the invitation off the shelf, reading it for the hundredth time.

What would happen if she decided to go? How could she actually be thinking of attending an event hosted by the people she despised the most?

Maybe she would attend.

Cassian and his father arrived at city hall, where they awaited the members of the council. They sat alone in the main meeting room in silence. Cassian started tapping his foot as he looked around the room for a distraction. Unfortunately, the room was filled with nothing except a big table surrounded by chairs with a few paintings of random white men. He drummed his fingers to the beat of his foot as a bead of sweat trickled down his face.

"Do not stress, son; it's just a simple meeting, nothing major," Richard assured Cassian, patting his shoulder. "Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself."

It was strange to hear his father giving him any advice but knowing his father was there to support him was all Cassian needed to feel relaxed before the meeting.

It did not take long for the members of the council to arrive. There were more members than Cassian initially thought, as he remembered them being a party of six, not nine. As the members talked among themselves, Cassian got out the notes he had prepared for his meeting beforehand.

"The meeting will commence whenever you're ready your majesty," one of the members spoke.

With a supporting nod from his father, Cassian rose from his chair.

"Good day, members of the council. As you all know, King Richard has stepped down from the throne allowing his son to start a new reign. Though you need no introduction, I shall still remind you of who I am. I am king Cassian Avarii Constantin of Nirvana. As time goes by, we shall become well acquainted with one other, as I shall be seeking your guidance on how we, as a kingdom, should move forward in order to get the brightest future for Nirvana and its people. Though I shall seek your advice for which path is right for this kingdom, do not be fooled if I choose to take another course of action because, at the end of the day, I am king, and I am the one who makes the final decision. I thank you," Cassian announced, taking his seat.

"Thank you for your statement, your majesty."

"Now that is a speech of a king," Richard whispered.

"What is on the agenda for today your majesty?"

"I'm glad you asked council member I thought we could start off discussing about the different villages in Nirvana-" Cassian answered.

"Pardon us a moment council" Richard interrupted.

The council members went back to talking among themselves while Cassian couldn't understand what had just happened. Everything was going well, and he was doing everything right.

"Why did you stop me?" Cassian questioned, his hands forming into fists underneath the table.

"This a serious meeting, it is not the time for you to make a mess of this with your nonsensical plans. We are here to discuss things that will benefit Nirvana not something that will bring it backwards," Richard whispered.

"But the village-"

"Today is your first serious meeting Cassian. You must show them you have solid and stable plans for our kingdom. Do you want them to get the impression that you are an ignorant leader when you come up with unrealistic plans? Today let's do it my way, okay? You can present your plans later down the line when they see you as a respectable leader.

It no longer sounded like advice but another lecture. Though Richard was whispering, there was still a harsh tone in his voice. Though there may have been some sensible advice in there, the way he spoke and worded everything made it seem more like reprimanding. Cassian did his best not to show any visible anger while his fists remained hidden.

"We are ready now," Richard announced, flashing a smile at the council.

"Good. So what is it were you saying about the villages your majesty?"

"Do not pay attention to that, for my son misspoke as he was recalling his wonderful trip to the villages," Richard answered on behalf of Cassian.

"What we do need to discuss is our oil supply. As you may know the oil demand is rapidly growing and we do not have sufficient oil to supply our people. Whereas in our neighboring kingdom there is a surplus amount. I think we should be focusing on our exportation plans for this growing demand," Richard stated.

The former king took over the entire meeting discussing exportation plans and new investments. Cassian was not able to make a contribution. He felt like an outsider eavesdropping on businessmen's private discussions.

With the council meeting all finished, Cassian waited outside with his father for the carriage to bring them home. Cassian glared at his father, who did not notice as he was too busy sharing a laugh with some of the councilmen.

"I wish I could have gotten a word in on today's discussion, seemed rather interesting," Cassian said as the council members now left.

"Well maybe next time son. Since you are the king you have to be adding to the discussion not just sitting there in silence," Richard stated.

"How long do you plan on coming to meetings with me?" Cassian questioned.

"Until I am convinced that you are able to do this on your own properly proving to me that you are a good leader," Richard responded.

"Do you not think I am doing well as king?" Cassian inquired.

"Someone who is doing well as king would not pull a foolish move of presenting an uncompleted and unrealistic plan to the council. I have told you to focus on the important things in this country. Yet, you still disobey me as you continue to focus on irrelevant matters," Richard criticized.

"It is not my fault that you view the villages and its people as irrelevant because you see them as nothing. You talk so much about being a good leader like you ever were. Why should I be listening to a man who saw helping his son as a sign of weakness? A good leader would have prepared the new leader for the role instead of making them look like an ignorant fool. You act like I can not help the people in the ton if I help the villagers, but you're wrong. Do not forget, father, that I am the king now, and I make the final decision," Cassian hissed.

Cassian stood still with a blank expression on his face.

"That is what I wished I would've said instead of standing there in silence," Cassian sighed.

It was now two days since the council meeting. Cassian was back in his chambers with his mother, Anastasia, while the royal tailor, Jeffords, made last-minute alterations to Cassian's attire for the king's ball.

"It took you two days to come up with a response?" Anastasia asked.

"No I thought of it when he was yelling at me," Cassian said, trying his best not to move.

"Then why tell it to us and not him?" Jeffords questioned.

"You know how the former king is he will turn my own words against me and make me feel like an idiot," Cassian uttered, staring out the window to see guests starting to arrive. "I know better than to challenge that man."

Though she faced his back, Anastasia knew what kind of mood her son was in by his slumped shoulders. She's seen this too many times to know how Richard has affected Cassian's mood. Anastasia hated the way Richard talked to their son, as he only ever spoke poorly to him. In the past, Cassian would hide how distraught he was over his father's words until, one day, it got hard for him to hide. Since then, he always vents to her about his frustrations with his father. Though she felt happy, her son could finally open up to her about how he felt it upset her that he went through this, and she could do nothing to prevent it.

"Well, your father is not of relevance tonight. You are," Anastasia said, joining her son in the mirror. "Tonight, we celebrate you."

"And it is done," Jeffords exclaimed as he cut off a loose thread from Cassian's coat.

"You look handsome, my child," Anastasia complimented. "All the ladies won't be able to take their eyes off you tonight."

"Unfortunately," Cassian sighed as his mother laughed.

"Shall we make our way to the ballroom"

"Do we have to? I'm sure no one will notice that I am not in attendance."

"Yes, they will. Now come on, my child, it is rude to keep our guests waiting."

Anastasia looped her arm into her son's as they headed toward the ballroom.

The soft sparkles illuminated the walls as they faced the setting sun. The dress was complete. Eliana came sprinting into the house with bags under her eyes and frizzy hair as she held up the finished dress. It was a light blue with a few sparkles on the top.

Nya lost track of time as she stared at her new gown, which hung on the window in her room. Eliana went home to finally get some sleep after working nonstop on this dress. Nya felt terrible that her friend's hard work was going to waste as she chose not to attend the king's ball.

"Eliana really outdid herself with this dress," Vara said.

Nya turned to see her mother standing in the doorway, admiring her new dress.

"Yes, she did. Unfortunately, I'm still not going," Nya uttered, hugging her knees as her mother joined her on the floor.

"So you are letting a good dress go to waste?"

"I will find somewhere to wear it to, like the village showcase."

"Nya, that is months away."

"And I already have a dress in advance."

Vara shook her head at her daughter's comments.

"Why are you so against going to this ball?" Vara asked.

"Everybody knows that I detest the royal family; if I am to attend the ball, I will look like a hypocrite," Nya explained.

"Why do you care about what other people think of you attending?" Vara asked.

"It is not what other people will think, mama; it is how I think of myself," Nya uttered, wiping a tear.

"You work so hard every day caring for everyone. For once, have some fun."

"No, I can't."

"Yes, you can. You deserve it," Vara said, pulling her daughter into a side hug.

"Nya, you have been so distracted by your hatred that you have not realized this is the perfect opportunity for you."

Nya pondered her mother's words as she realized what she was saying.

"This is your chance to start the future you always wanted," her mother continued.

"Do you think so?" Nya asked.

"Yes, my child, this is what your great-grandmother wanted for you… to feel like royalty," Vara claimed, smiling at her daughter.

Nya got up and stood in front of the dress as she felt the tiny sparkles.

"I would be honoring great gran," Nya realized. Her mother joined her, placing a hand on Nya's shoulder.

"And she would be proud," Vara added.

Nya glanced at the dress once more, contemplating her mother's words. Her great-grandmother meant everything to her, and she knew her great-gran would want her to do this.

"I shall go."

Vara cheered, jumping up and down for joy and hugging Nya tightly.

"Let's not waste any time; you have a ball to get ready for," Vara exclaimed, dragging Nya to the bathroom.

"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour."

Cassian turned to see it were some noblemen he was acquainted with, some more than others. They all congratulated him on his new position.

The start of the night was just everybody applauding him for his new role. It was just a repeat of his coronation ball, although the mothers stayed away, this time knowing that the king was to dance with all of their daughters tonight.

"I see all of the ladies in attendance keep making eyes at you," Mr. Dorset said, gesturing to the ladies around the room who hadn't taken their eyes off Cassian since his arrival.

"And don't forget their mothers as well," Mr. Henrit added, downing the rest of his drink.

The men laughed

"Well, he is the hottest thing on the market this season. A very valuable prize that comes with bragging rights," Mr. Ladin stated, throwing his arm around Cassian while they all laughed.

"Just save some for the rest of us," Mr. Dorset remarked.

"Trust me, I will," Cassian laughed.

Though he was enjoying his time with the other gentlemen, Cassian continued to make his rounds, where everyone continued to congratulate him. He glanced at all the ladies staring at him. He paid no attention to their fan signals as he scanned the room for one person in particular.

"A drink, your majesty."

He turned only to see it was Rosalina finally wearing some clothes.

"It is you," he sighed.

"You do not sound happy to see me," Rosalina said.

"Maybe it is because I am not. I have already told you that this is over," Cassian hissed.

"I just wanted to offer you a drink. Is that so wrong?"

"A drink is not all you want."

"Yes, that is true, but we shall discuss this when you are to dance with me," Rosalina smirked, handing Cassian a drink, slowly caressing his arm with her now free hand.

"We are in public," Cassian whispered, removing her hand.

"Do you think that I care? We are to dance with each other in front of everyone later, which, may I remind you, involves a lot of touching," she whispered, walking away with a wink.

Cassian swiftly downed his drink, dreading the dances to come.

"What is going on here?"

A semi-well-rested Eliana walks in to find everyone cheering and dancing around. Amira notices a confused Eliana at the door and pulls her into the dance circle.

"What is the reason for all this dancing," Eliana asked.

"She accepted, she accepted," Amira exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Eliana questioned.

Amira dragged Eliana to Nya's room, where Vara was fixing Nya's hair. The two stood in awe as they glanced at Nya, struggling with the button on the back of her dress.

"Nya, you look beautiful," Eliana complimented.

"Thank you Eli," Nya said.

"I'm just happy you decided to go," Amira stated.

"Well, thank mother for that; she made me realize that this is a great opportunity for me," Nya said, looking at herself in the mirror.

"I swear I said the same thing," Eliana said.

"I thjnk you're ready now Nya" Vara started stepping away after finishing Nya's hair.

Nya made her way to the living room showing off her look to the rest of the family.

"You look like a princess Nya" her youngest sister Avery said.

"I am no princess Avery, for you are the only princess here," she stated.

"We can both be princesses."

"I would like that."

She and Avery shared a hug. After everyone was done complimenting her, Nya made it out of the house with Eliana, Amira, and her mother by her side.

"Wait, how are you going to make it to the ball? You can't make it there on foot," Amira questioned.

The others paused as they had not thought that far ahead. They were so caught up in preparing Nya for the ball they made no arrangements for her to get there.

"Let us not panic; there are horses and wagons," Vara suggested.

"Is a wagon not small, mama? They are only able to transport fruit," Amira asked.

"No, no, there are the wagons for people," Vara claimed.

"But where would you find-"

"Stop talking, child, and run. We need to find a way to get your sister to that ball.

The ladies started running down the road. Eliana and Vara helped Nya carry her dress to make sure it did not get dirty.

"We are running quite slow," Amira pointed out.

"Do you want Nya to show up to the ball in a filthy gown?" Vara questioned.

"At this pace, she will be lucky enough even to make it to the ball," Amira stated.

The villagers could not help but stare and talk among themselves as the ladies rushed down the road.

"People are starting to stare," Eliana said.

"Let them. We need to be looking for transport–" Vara said.

The ladies stopped in their tracks as they spotted a carriage heading down the direction they came from.

"Is that not the king's guard who delivered the invitation?" Eliana asked.

"He has a name," Nya commented.

"His name is of irrelevance what is important is that we stop that man," Vara said.

"King's guard, stop, stop!" Amira yelled, running in front of the carriage.

As he saw Amira standing in front, Rupert brought the carriage to an abrupt stop.

"I am not the king's guard. I am his butler," Rupert sighed.

"What business do you have here?" Amira questioned.

"The king sent me here to see if Nya Deglassie has accepted his invitation," he answered.

"Did you not notice that you passed said Nya Deglassie?" Amira asked, gesturing to Nya, who made her way to the carriage with the others.

"My apologies, it was an honest mistake," Rupert said.

"Do better next time, king's butler," Amira warned.

Nya, Vara, and Eliana made it to the carriage as Rupert climbed down to open the door for her.

"My lady, your majesty has sent me to transport you to the ball, that is, if you have accepted his invitation," Rupert stated.

Nya looked to her mother, who gave her a nod, while Amira and Eliana gave her a thumbs up.

"I accept," she said.

"Please allow me" Rupert helped her into the carriage.

"Do all butlers know how to drive a carriage?" Nya asked as she now sat comfortably in the carriage.

"Well, this is my second time driving," Rupert said. "But don't worry, I only have good reviews."

Rupert closed the door of the carriage before Nya had a chance to respond. Nya waved to her family as the carriage now departed.

The carriage ride was fast, and a little bumpy as Rupert seemed to be rushing.

It didn't take long before they arrived. Nya stared out the window as they approached the castle. It was bigger than she could ever imagine. Though she may not like the royal family, she could not deny the castle's beauty as she was in awe of the front garden.

The carriage now came to a stop as Rupert appeared once again to help her out of the carriage. She took a moment to admire the building that stood in front of her.

"Are you ready?" Rupert asked.

Nya grabbed his arm as they made their way to the ball's entrance. There were many people there dressed proper. Nya took a few deep breaths in and out. She and Rupert stopped.

"Is everything okay my lady?" Rupert asked.

"Maybe I made a mistake by coming," Nya uttered.

"Don't worry about all these people that are there, okay? Just focus on having a good time, plus I am right here," Rupert assured her.

"You're right, Rupert. I shall have a good time."

This is it, great gran, this is where you wanted me to be.