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CHAPTER 2

“I am sorry about father and mother.”

I feel myself getting angrier, I push myself off the bed and make my way to my wardrobe to get my nightwear and finally to the room divider to change.

“You have to get back to your room Ri, have your maids dress you up. Mother is not going to be happy if she sees you are still dressed like that,” I say as I change my cloth.

“But I don’t want to go to the ball without you,” Ri says.

“You have no choice Ri,” I walk out of the room divider in my nightwear “Someone has to go down there and it has to be you.”

A knock comes on my door before I could answer, the door is flown open revealing my head maid Bridgette, and the other maids, Elizabeth, Paulina, Juliette, and Caroline conversing among themselves.

“Princess Iris hates those gowns with a bow on them, so the orange gown is out of the question Paulina,” Bridgette says.

“The sliver gown will look good on her waist,” Elizabeth says.

It seems they haven’t noticed me and Ri yet as they continue conversing.

“I know a hairstyle you could do for the Princess, Caroline; it’s simple and elegant…”

“Caroline please fix the Princess’s bath before she gets back from receiving the guests,” Bridgette says interrupting Paulina.

Bridgette turns to the bed and finds I and Ri watching them. I watch her eyes open wild with shock.

“YOUR HIGHNESSES!”

Everyone turns towards us and gasps. I read the shock on their faces as they stop what they are doing and curtsies.

“We are sorry; we didn’t notice you were there. We thought you were downstairs with the King and Queen receiving the guests,” Bridgette says.

Ri stands from my bed and walks to me.

“No, we are up here,” Ri says.

“What are you ladies doing here? I thought I gave you the rest of the day off,” I say.

“We were in the village and heard His Majesty is throwing a ball to celebrate the excellent performances of his daughters,” Bridgette explains.

Ri and I share a look, knowing the true reason behind the party.

“So we gathered ourselves and ran to Madam Fab to pick the perfect gown for the party,” Juliette says showing me the gown.

I look at the faded gown in her hands. The colors are of shade and it looks like something a person will wear.

“Let me get something straight, you went to Madam Fab’s Palace and picked that up for Iris?” Princess Adrianna asks.

I sigh knowing where the discussion is headed.

“Ri not now,” I say.

“Hush you,” Ri says.

“How is that gown befitting of a princess? Just look at it. I have told you so many times, if you can’t take this role serious, I will find someone else who will. You all are one of the reasons why mother has been so hard Iris and here you are showing…”

“Ri that is enough. You are going to make her cry,” I say when Bridgette’s eyes start to get wet.

“Really? That is your problem? You need to be telling her when she does something wrong. Whatever she does reflects on you,” Ri says.

I turn to Bridgette and the girls. They all like are about to cry.

“I will handle this,” I say.

“Thank you very much ladies for going out of your way to get the gown. But I will not be wearing it the ball,” I say looking at my night wear.

I look and watch as maids look at my nightwear with a frown on their faces and they look at one another.

“Forgive me Your Highness for asking,” Bridgette says.

As my head maid, Bridgette is in charge of my making me look good and the only one who is permitted to question my decisions on my wardrobe choices.

“Go on with it Bridgette. I know where this is headed,” I say walking to my dressing mirror.

“Is that what Her Highness will be wearing to the ball tonight?”

I look at the nightwear and look at the girls.

“I won’t be…”

“YES!!” Ri yells.

I look at her speechless

“What?!”

“Yes, that’s what we will be wearing to the ball. We were just discussing that before you all came in.”

“We were?” I ask Ri.

“Yes, we were,” Ri says gnashing her teethes together, signaling me to compile.

I turn to the girls with shock on their faces.

“Will you ladies excuse us, I want to have a private discussion with my sister,” I say.

They bow and leave the room.

“Have you gone mad Ri, what exactly goes on in that head of yours?” I ask.

“It’s almost time for the ball and you are not ready yet. This is the only way out,” Ri says.

“By wearing our night wears to the ball? I know I can be difficult but this is plain madness,” I say.

“Iris you are not missing that ball. Even if I have to drag you there naked then I will,” Ri snaps.

“I am not going to the ball dressed in my night wear,” I say with my hands folded.

“Like you have a choice when it comes to me and besides, we are not going in our night wear. We will use a silk and cotton cloth for the base,” Ri says as she walks to the door and opens it.

“Ri what are you up to?” I say to myself.

“Yes, we have decided to wear our night wears to the party tonight.”

I can still see the disbelief on the faces of my maids.

“But Your Highnesses, if you wear that to the ball tonight, His Majesty is going to be very furious and not to mention the scandal it will cause. The Queen, your mother…”

“That’s for us to worry about and not you Bridgette,” Ri says silencing Bridgette who curtsies at her.

I smile warmly at Bridgette who looks at me concerned. I look at the girls and I read the concern on their faces.

“I know this is not what we normally go for but Ri and I have things under control.”

“Yes we do,” Ri says smiling.

“Caroline, go to my room, have Veronica and Cassandra bring my change of clothes and tell them what’s happening.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Caroline curtsies and leaves.

“Paulina I need you to lose my hair,” I say.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Paulina starts attending my to hair almost immediately. Shortly Veronica, Ri’s head maid, and Cassandra arrive and start undressing her. In no time we are ready for the party.

“Father is going to be mad at us,” I say.

“I can’t wait to see the look on his face,” Ri says chuckling.

“Ri the scandal will be heartbreaking. Mother will be furious.”

“Hush now Iris, since when have you cared about any scandal? You lavish in it. You are always in front of every newspaper for one scandal or the other.”

“That’s for the great or good Iris and you know it. This, this is just to spit mother and father.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it is and they will accuse me of dragging you into this,” I say.

A knock is heard on my door interrupting our discussion. Bridgette walks to the door and opens it to reveal Constantine, the castle butler. Thanks to the room divider he can’t see us.

“Constantine,” Bridgette greets.

“Bridgette,” Constantine says bowing.

“Are their Highnesses ready? All the guests have arrived.”

Bridgette looks back at me to make sure am ready for the consequences. I nod my head at her. She turns to Constantine.

“Yes, Constantine the princesses are ready and will be heading down soon.”

Constantine bows at her. When he leaves, Bridgette closes the door and turns to me.

“Well it’s now or never,” Ri says and walks up to me.

She takes my hand and puts something in it. I look at her and open my hand. My ring, Nana gave it to me before she died. Father ceased it from me last week when I stole the guard’s map and heard Caroline burn them.

“How did you…”

“A true sister never reveals her secrets”

I laugh at Ri and she joins me. I put on the ring and I pull her in for a hug. Veronica clears her throat. We pull apart and look at her.

“Your Highnesses, it's time.”

As the doors open, I hold Ri’s hand and we leave the room with our head maids and the guards walking ahead of us. We reach the large curtain that is above the royal stairs. The guards at the two entrances of the curtains look at us with shock on their faces. They look at Bridgette and Veronica who are keeping straight faces. I smile at Bridgette knowing she is trying to look cool under pressure. I know she is scared.

“I know you are worried about mother and father blaming you for this but I want you to know that I will be there with you and I won’t let you take the fall for this,” Ri says.

Ri has always been my rock and true, she has never let anything bad happen to me. She has always stood up for me.

“Thank you Ri,” I say and pull her into a tight hug.

Just then the trumpets sound and I grip Ri’s hand tighter. She reciprocates my action as the guards move to draw the curtain. We start walking down the royal stairs and I don’t fail to hear the gasps. The music playing stops and everyone is looking at us. We walk down until we reach our angry father and mother waiting for us at the end of the stairs.

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