Ana, stop squirming. My mum said as I wiggled while looking at myself through the mirror, I was wearing a tight green-colored dress that had stones and a major heart design outlined with stones around my chest, with a slit at the bottom; it matched my green-colored eyes, and my makeup was looking, well, very much unlike me. I had to wear lenses and get rid of my glasses for the day. I am having mixed feelings about today.
Growing up in the small town of Manny and being an introvert, we only hear stories of the big town and royal family. It was almost a godlike kind of honor to meet royalty, I've never seen the big issue of royalty, which makes me weird; as an introvert, I preferred the silence and peace that comes from reading my books, which makes me the exact opposite of my extroverted sister. My sister has craved that honor while I have always dreamt of being a midwife; it was the only thing that could make my green eyes shine. It was not about the money; it was about just how much I could do for my little town. My dream started at the tender age of four when I found a little piece of paper dropped by a bird on our balcony. I desperately wanted to understand what was in it, but it took a while. I tried to learn what the ink patterns meant until I finally grasped it. But it got even more fueled when Lanrys's mother died in labor when I was fourteen. She had the loudest laughter ever and would give us sweets when most parents were not watching. She spoiled all the children in the town rotten, but when she was in labor, her life was taken because the carriages were all occupied and the village nurse couldn't handle the critical condition she was in because another woman was in labor; her death broke a lot of children's hearts. She was one woman I always felt comfortable with; I still miss her.
Maggi the Great is the only local nurse and midwife that the village has; that fact alone has cost a lot of lives, and I wanted to study in the big city and provide a better system while helping my people. Thinking about all of that with a bittersweet taste on my tongue. I am attending the royal ball as one of the 12 maidens carefully selected by the royal family or chambers; I don't know what they are called, actually. The king is turning twenty-five and is supposed to get married. We were selected separately; I was selected because of my grade. I attended Royal High, a school for the rich and royal family. I was fortunate to attend on a scholarship.
There are a lot of stereotypes and biased treatment at Royal High, but the level of education is all I've wanted to feed my brain. I wanted my sister to get chosen; this has been her dream: royalty, wealth, fame... This is all Brandy has dreamt of since we were kids, and it'll suit her, with her brown-colored eyes that match her ginger-colored hair and brown skin. My sister is a beauty goddess, and I adore her, which is why I am not happy that she seems gloomy today even though she's going to the ball.
Ohh Brandy, look what I found, I said to my beautiful sister as I showed her the ladybug. Even as a grownup, I love to play with the ladybugs. Brandy loves it too. But she only showed me as she continued applying her makeup; I was long done with my preparation, waiting for the carriage my dad had rented from the rentals team in the village.
We were traveling to the big town, where carriages were, and I heard that on rare occasions, cars existed. I could see the excitement written between my sister's eyes, even with her twisted lips. We rushed into the carriage and headed to the ball as my sister chatted away about a lot of things I could barely grasp, but this was Brandy; she had a way of being the center of attention and just making it seem natural. I smiled as she mentioned the beauty of her necklace and how she was sure it would make her shine bright as I continued reading the little book I took with me to keep me company when everyone was doing their things. On our arrival, I couldn't help but marvel at the grand Palace, its decor, and the statues that were placed in different locations, but the water fountain stood out for me, the view is breathtaking I thought as I looked carefully trying to keep the map of the big compound in my brain in case I got lost when returning or exiting the building, I watched as elegant ladies walked in and out, with few people whom I assume to be the palace servants walk around with uniforms, the whole place seemed lively I felt out of place as I darted my eyes around before careful tucking my book which I now believe was needed into my inner top, everyone has long left me at the entrance and the party going on inside was looking even more vibrant, I giggled lightly as I noticed a woman reprimanding a man that looked like a sullen child.
You should enjoy yourself, my child, my dad said as he placed his hands on my shoulder. As I nodded in refusal, he took my hands and led me to the floor. I followed my dad because I did not want him to feel stressed over my behavior. I hate when I make my papa or anyone around me worried because of my introverted and shy lifestyle. We danced; after a while, I was already feeling exhausted and decided to step outside for some fresh air. I excused myself from my dad as he smiled, probably thinking I was finally going to socialize before we left. I walked and got lost somewhere around a wooden door. I heard loud voices and clattering of things. I was about to walk past the door when it suddenly swung open, startling me as I came face to face with a silver-haired man. I was suddenly pinned to the wall by the man as he asked, "What were you doing around the wall?" He asked as he eyed me suspiciously...