The people behind me grumbled, annoyed, as I didn’t move out of their way, but they quickly walked around me and entered the ballroom. I watched them enviously. I was sure all the guests in there didn’t have a false mother who sheltered them their whole lives like I did— these people had no problem with a big crowd.
“Ellie,” I whispered to myself, “you can do this. Just move.” I urged my feet to take just two steps forward, but they refused to listen. I gritted my teeth and decided to count to five. “One, two, three, four…” I paused, squinting my eyes shut and taking a deep breath. “Five!”
I burst through the entryway with as much confidence as I could muster, then threw my hand to my mouth as I realized I’d shouted the number “five” a lot louder than I had intended. Every single pair of eyes in the ballroom were on me, but for some reason, I was under the impression it wasn’t completely due to my outburst.
Most women around me looked me up and down with scowls on their faces, many making the caked-on powder on their cheeks begin to crack. The few men attending— very few compared to the excessive amount of women attending to win the Prince’s hand— stared at me with mouths agape. I winced as I noticed one or two older noblemen lick their lips greedily.
I shifted my feet and awkwardly wrung my hands together. I did know that I looked pretty, but was I really so beautiful to warrant such a reaction? Even the musicians next to me had stopped playing, but more for the reason that the room stood frozen. It couldn’t have been more than five or ten seconds, but being watched so intently by an entire crowd made it feel like an eternity before the music started playing again, and the guests became bored with me.
I let out a shaky breath as I tried to find a path that would lead me to the least amount of encounters, but before I could even begin to move, two tall young men were striding over to me with goofy grins on their freckled faces. They both had bright, orange hair. I almost assumed they were twins, but the closer they came, I could tell immediately that one was in his early teens while the taller one was most likely in his twenties, but they were still too similar not to be related.
“You can do this,” I whispered to myself, forcing a charming smile.
The attempted charm must have worked because I saw both boys flush deeply before reaching my side and giving me deep bows in turn.
“I’m Alan,” the older one said. “And this is my little brother Robert.”
Robert scoffed. “I’m not that little.” He turned to me and pleaded with his hooded, green eyes. “I’m really not,” he assured me.
“Yes, you are. This beautiful woman doesn’t want to dance with a child.”
They continued bickering, almost completely forgetting I was there, and I had to repress a snicker at the two boys’ argument over what type of man I’d like to dance with. I took their fighting as an opportunity to slip away and explore the rest of the ballroom. The ridiculousness of the two brothers had amused me enough to help me forget my anxieties.
My escape didn’t last long, however, because the brothers followed me not two minutes later. Not only that, but I was approached by at least another half dozen men. And I danced. I didn’t know what I was doing, but none of my partners seemed to care in the slightest, and it was the most fun I’d ever had in my life. The forthcoming and friendly nature of all the men was very refreshing, even if the only reason for it was their attraction to me, but no woman approached. The glares and “accidental” nudges I received from them was enough to tell me that they thought of me as competition. But they couldn’t have been more wrong.
I was not there to meet Prince Gerald romantically. Just the thought of that made me feel sick for some unknown reason, but I was determined to speak with him face-to-face. Come to think of it, where was the royal family? They hadn’t made their entrance yet.
I gave a clumsy curtsy my tenth dance partner and scurried away to the edge of the room, hoping to get a better look at the festivities and if the King, Queen, and Prince had arrived yet. The glass on my feet clicked loudly on the porcelain tile. With each step I took, the more afraid I was for my shoes to shatter and maim my poor, unprotected feet. But, obviously, magical shoes don’t do such things.
The sound of a trumpet echoed throughout the room. I recognized it from the unpleasant squeal I’d heard about a month before during my first trip to Newvein. I stood on the balls of my feet, trying to look over the sea of heads to find the source of the sound. And then I saw him standing on a dais in front of the musicians. The announcer had long, black hair that hung over a surprisingly chiseled face— such a handsome face was not a good match to his weak-looking body. He lowered the trumpet to his side and began shouting to the crowd:
“Announcing their Royal Highnesses: King Thomas, Queen Catherine, and Prince Gerald!”
I rushed forward as far as I dared before running into the other guests, or treading over the long gowns of the women. I didn’t want to give them any more reason to hate me.
I gasped at the sight of the royal family as they climbed the steps to meet the announcer. Yes, the guests at the party were dressed beautifully, but no one could compare to the King and Queen. They both shone in a bright white that sparkled underneath the candlelight surrounding them. King Thomas’s golden crown towered at the top of his strong head, and Queen Catherine’s own crown matched the golden beading adorning her flashy, yet exquisite gown.
The sight of our monarchs standing so proudly before their people made it hard for me to tear my eyes away and look at Prince Gerald. When I finally did, I stumbled under my weight to see him staring at me with narrowed eyes, as if deep in thought about my presence there. Did he feel it, too? The strange connection?
He continued to stare at me, but I had a hard time maintaining his intense gaze. Soon the party was announced to transfer to the dining hall for dinner— well, multiple dining halls it turned out due to the large number of guests. Just as soon as the dinner announcement was made, Prince Gerald nodded his head in the opposite direction the crowd filed along, eyes still on me. I looked from side to side, then pointed at myself and mouthed, “Me?”
The Prince raised an eyebrow as if he were stating the obvious, “Of course you!”
I lifted my gown and scurried quickly in the direction he pointed to.
He must feel the connection, too, I thought. There was no other explanation for his interest in me, for something told me he was not interested in me romantically, either.
Soon a small corridor was in front of me, unlit and narrow. It was definitely hidden from any unwanted eyes.
“Go ahead,” a deep voice said behind me.
I jumped and whirled around to find Prince Gerald standing just inches away from me. Up close, his chestnut hair seemed to be a more rusted-brown, but his hazel eyes were just as brilliant as when I first saw them. I was once again struck by the thought of how similar they were to my own. He towered over me by nearly two feet, so he had to lean forward for me to hear his whispers.
“Really. We don’t want to be seen talking in secret like this. It might wreak some havoc when it comes to the other women. And we really shouldn’t miss dinner, either— I especially shouldn’t.”
I swallowed a lump down my throat, still shocked by how close I was to a prince. But I nodded and allowed him to lead me down the dark hallway.
As soon as we were completely hidden, the Prince turned to me abruptly and grabbed my shoulders. The little light from the party that made it through the hallway revealed a spark of determination in his eyes.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “I swear I’ve seen you before, and I can’t stop thinking about it! I feel like we’re… we’re connected. And not just any type of connection— an important one.”
I cleared my throat, not sure how to answer, but honestly a little surprised the Prince really had felt the same things I did. I was almost in denial beforehand, thinking I must’ve been crazy.
Prince Gerald looked at his hands gripped tightly around my shoulders, then
blushed.
“Sorry,” he said, releasing his grip on me.
I shook my head, finally finding my courage. “It’s alright. I’ve been going insane about the exact same thing.”
The Prince’s eyes grew wide, and he brought a hand to his forehead. “Thank goodness! I thought I was going mad, myself!”
We stood for what seemed to be an agonizingly long amount of time, just eyeing each other curiously.
“What do you think it is?”
“I really don’t know,” I replied. “But when I first saw you a month ago, I felt as if I cared for you like I would a brother…”
He brought a hand to his clean-shaven chin and stroked it thoughtfully. “Actually, now that I think of it, I felt that, too.” He studied me up and down, then his jaw dropped to the floor. “No… it can’t be.”
The Prince took two steps forward hesitantly, then slowly reached his long arm to touch I face. I flinched slightly at his touch, then relaxed as I saw the tears springing into his eyes.
“Adelaide?” he whispered.
Chapter 16
I furrowed my brows together and pushed the Prince’s hand away from my face. What had he called me? Adelaide?
“My name is Ellianne.”
Prince Gerald shook his head violently, stepping so close to me I could feel his breath on my skin. “No. It all makes sense now. You are my missing sister! You must be!”
Suddenly, my entire world came crashing down on me. Little by little, things started to become more apparent. Lucinda had said she’d taken me as a baby, that I wasn’t really her daughter. Prince Gerald and I both felt a brotherly and sisterly bond towards one another, and now he was saying his sister went missing. I drew in a deep breath and dared to make eye contact with the Prince once again.
“When did… Adelaide go missing?”
“Just a few days after we were born.”
I stumbled. “Wait, are you and I—” I hesitated, still not entirely convinced I was his missing sister. “Are you and Adelaide twins?”
“Yes, we—”
“There you are, Gerald!”
Both the Prince and I jumped at the new voice. My stomach clenched when I saw who it was: Queen Catherine. She stood regally before me, radiating a confident glow, yet looking at me with incredible kindness and grace. I immediately threw myself into a curtsy but nearly tumbled over myself. The Queen laughed, a melodic sound.
“I see you found interest in a young woman already, son.”
The color left Prince Gerald’s face. “Oh, no! Not this one!”
My own stomach did flips at the thought of being “chosen” to wed a prince who could very well be my brother. I glanced at Prince Gerald and studied his thin face. There really were similarities between us: the hazel eyes, the pinkness to our lips, the slender build… though he had a lot more muscle than I, of course. And then my gaze moved to the Queen. My mother? I exhaled, releasing a lot of the tension in my shoulders. The thought of having such a beautiful, kind woman as my mother— not to mention the Queen— was, admittedly, more than appealing.
Yes, that would be a good thing, but I bit my lip to keep from crying. Lucinda had been a beautiful, kind mother… But she had also kidnapped me from my birth parents, possibly the King and Queen. Such a thing was unpardonable.
“Gerald,” the Queen scolded, “that’s not very nice. This young woman is very lovely.”
“No, Mother…” Prince Gerald approached the Queen slowly. “I think this is Adelaide.”
The Prince didn’t make eye contact with his mother, looking ashamed of something, as she passed him and stepped up to me. I held my breath as her crimson lips parted into an “o” shape, and her hand reached up slowly to my face— just as Prince Gerald’s had when he discovered my identity.
I stared back into her brown eyes that shone with a touch of a cinnamon hue. Tears began to pool around her irises as her hand finally reached my cheek.
“Adelaide?” she whispered. “Is it really you?”
I wanted desperately to say yes, but I couldn’t. “I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
The Queen stroked my cheek with her soft thumb, her lip beginning to tremble. “Can you step out into the light? So I can see you better?”
I followed her out of the hallway, wringing my hands together nervously. I felt intimidated conversing with powerful royals, but a huge part of me wanted all of this to be true. I wanted a family that loved me! A mother, a father, a twin brother…
The ballroom was nearly empty, most of the guests having already traveled to the dining halls for the feast. The lack of onlookers made me feel a lot less nervous as the Queen grabbed my hands in hers and studied me intently. Seeing her in the light revealed the smile wrinkles at the corners of her mouth and beside her eyes. If it was possible, it made her seem even more beautiful than I had thought before— and more motherly.
The tears finally began to spill from her eyes, as if she couldn’t hold them in any more, and she threw her arms around my neck in a tight embrace. I stumbled from the sudden weight but soon smiled myself and wrapped my own arms around her small waist. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, relishing in the sweet perfumey smell in her hair.
“It is you,” she whispered in my ear. “I would know you anywhere! You look just like Gerald!” She pulled away and stretched my arms out from my body to study me further. “But you are much prettier!”
I nearly lost my balance again as the Queen threw us into another hug and felt a small lump begin to grow in my throat as I was threatened by my own happy tears. I couldn’t help but think she was right— I was Princess Adelaide. It made sense! I looked at Prince Gerald in the corner of my eye, and he looked back at me with a big smile on his face.
“Where have you been all this time?” the Queen— my mother— exclaimed, gently shaking my shoulders.
I was too choked up from the tears and had a hard time speaking. Finally, I answered, “In the woods with a woman named Lucinda Brooker.”
Queen Catherine threw a hand to her mouth and retracted her grip on me. “What?” Her eyes lost their joyful vibrancy and switched to solemn darkness. “Lucinda?”
I gulped. “Uh, do you know her?”
“She’s my sister.” The Queen threw her arms up into the air and groaned. “That just proves you’re my daughter! My sister was always jealous of me— especially of my ability to conceive a daughter.”
My jaw dropped open, and I clenched my fists angrily. Her sister? Lucinda kidnapped her sister’s baby? How does one even steal a princess? And why? Most of me wanted to be angry with Lucinda, but some of me still felt that lingering love for the woman who raised me. I still had an inkling of hope that there was a reasonable explanation for everything.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness.” A decrepit old man with balding, brilliant white hair approached the three of us with his bushy brows furrowed.
Queen Catherine wiped the tears at her eyes and faced the old man. “Ah, Clarence. What is it?”
“The King refuses to start the feast without his wife and son at his side.”
Clarence flashed an irritated glance at the Prince, who, in turn, quickly shifted his gaze to the floor abashedly. How could someone make a prince feel so uncomfortable? I shook my head, assuming what I saw had been a trick of the light.
“Oh, of course.” The Queen turned to the Prince. “You’re the entire reason this ball is happening, son. We really should get in there.” She turned to me once again. “We’ll talk about this later, I promise. Would you like to meet your father?”
“Father!” Clarence exclaimed, stumbling two steps backward. “Is she…?”
“Yes.” Queen Catherine took one of my hands in hers. “She is.”
A frown grew deep into the Prince’s face. “Clarence,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “I need to talk to you.” He glanced at the Queen and me through his peripherals. “Alone.”
Clarence cleared his throat and darted his eyes from left to right. �
�Uh, Your Highness… I don’t think it’s the time.”
The Queen and I watched the interaction curiously.
“Son, we should really get going. The women are waiting,” Queen Catherine said.
Prince Gerald rubbed his face with both of his hands. I drew my brows in together in worry. He noticed and gave me a reassuring smile, but it seemed forced.
Chapter 17
The King was just as shocked, understandably, as his wife and son. After hearing the incredible, almost unbelievable story, he threw his sizeable, throne-like chair back, causing a servant to panic and rush to catch it before it hit the polished marble floor. King Thomas looked upon me with an overwhelming amount of love, his strong face softening. As he hugged me in front of the hall full of Grerivethan people, I found myself taking in his pleasant, woodsy smell just as I had the Queen. They were my parents, and the Prince was my brother.
“People of Greriveth!” the King bellowed as he finally pulled away from our embrace. “Let me introduce to you my daughter— Princess Adelaide!”
Princess Adelaide. I nearly fell over at the sound of those words. I still couldn’t believe it. The title— and the name— felt strange. I barely noticed as all eyes fell on me and gasps reverberated around the entire dining hall— a spacious room that echoed unbearably from all the noise and surprised chatter. The people were shocked, but they were also happy with my return. And I was too overjoyed to be plagued with my normal anxiety of crowds and being the center of attention.
The King directed his attention back to me and shook his head incredulously, causing his heavy crown to tilt precariously to the side of his large head.
“What happened to you? Where have you been? Are you alright?”
Queen Catherine rested an arm on his shoulder, almost having to stand on the tips of her toes to reach it.
Pumpkins and Princesses (The Tales and Princesses Series Book 3) Page 9