The Amorous Mate

Chapter 22: The First Ball of Spring

“Goodness Gracious, your Highness!”

Venida entered the royal room of Princess Demeter while bringing a cup of morning tea for the princess. Yet, when she saw the Princess inside, awake and wearing an unstylish cloak, she quickly placed the tea on a table and ran towards her.

Shocked, Chelsea looked at Venida with her widened eyes. She smiled at her awkwardly and waved her hand as a sign of greeting. “Good morning, Venida. Hehe.”

“A pleasant morning, too, your Highness. Yet, would you mind telling me why are you awake early this morning, wearing an old cloak?” Venida asked. She was already suspicious that Princess Demeter will go somewhere that no one in the palace knew where it could have been.

“I … uhm … going outside, you know. Strolling,” Chelsea answered.

Yet, her quivering voice has suggested that she was lying. Surely, there is something more that she will do than just strolling.

“I know you, Princess Demeter. I have been attending with you for a long time already. I know when was your lies and when was your truth,” warned Venida.

‘Wow, if ever we have similarities with the real Demeter, it must be our f****d up lying skill,' Chelsea thought.

She smiled even more awkward to the servant. She started to think of other possible stories she could quickly make up and throw for cover towards Venida. Yet, her creativity for lies betrayed her early on the morning. She could not think of anything.

“Yesterday, you were all day gone from the palace too. A lot of callers have asked for your presence, but you were never in wherever corner of the palace,” Venida added.

Sighing, Chelsea surrendered to her maid. She bit her lip then quickly reached for the hands of her servant.

“Promise me you won’t tell others, Venida, okay? Not even to the Queen.” Her intent gaze to Venida was an action so that she would get an assurance from her.

“Wh-Whatever is it, your Highness? I believe … lying to the Queen is a formidable sin. The Gracious God will surely struck me with bad karma!” Venida contemplated. Yet, her eyes were still fixed to the Princess, still waiting for her feasible reason on why she was about to go outside.

“Well then, when she asks, just tell them you do not know. Or tell them you saw me going outside but did not ask where was I going. I’ll handle the rest when I get back,” Chelsea suggested. She squeezed the hand of Venida, and gave her a small nod so that she could convince the servant.

“But—”

“I am going to the woods,” Chelsea interrupted, revealing the true place where she will go.

“To the … to the woods?! Goodness Gracious, then it is more than a reason not to lie to the Queen! I am telling this to her.” Venida gently pulled her hand away from her, and respectfully bowed.

Yet then, Chelsea held her shoulders to keep her still from where she stands.

“This is a Princess’ order, Venida. Don’t tell the Queen where I am going or else, your honor as my servant will be tainted.”

Still staring intently at Venida, Chelsea swallowed a hard lump that is forming on her throat. Venida was shocked when she heard the Princess’ words. She staggered, then uneasily looked back to the princess.

“Y-Your Highness, I … I am always loyal to you but your safety is—”

“I am going to the woods with Lord Matthew, okay? You need not to worry.” Chelsea again interfered her servant’s words.

“With Lord Matthew? Whatever was your purpose in the woods with him, your Highness? Perhaps, are you going to …” realizing something, Venida’s eyes circled in surprise as she tried to cover her loud gasp by the use of her hands. “Do not tell me …”

“Venida, that’s not it, damn it!” Chelsea cursed. Her cheeks were blushing as she too awkwardly realized what Venida was thinking.

“Our Princess is starting to get bolder and fiercer every single day that passes,” her servant said along with an up and down waving of her eyebrows.

“We’re going there for something that is important, okay? It’s not … it’s not what you are thinking.”

Chelsea felt the room becoming even hotter. She knew she was wearing a cloak, which could probably be the reason why she was feeling hot. But then she realized that the uncomfortable warm feeling was coming off from her cheeks. She was blushing.

Feeling the seemingly cold sweat coming off from her forehead and nape, she frantically waved her right hand as if it was a fan, attempting to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling invading her.

“Alright, Alright, your Highness. If it is Lord Matthew whom you will company to the woods, then perhaps I could tolerate some lies to the Queen,” said Venida. “Only that, you must have your breakfast too.”

“No, it’s okay, Venida. Everything’s fine. I need to go to our point of meeting as early as I could.”

Chelsea did not accept Venida’s invitation for meal. Instead, she started placing the hood of her cloak to her neck. She was ready—and perhaps excited—to leave the palace.

“Then if it is not a meal, would you care drinking for a hot tea? This shall warm your body. Going outside this early will make you shiver in cold.”

Venida carefully grabbed the tea cup she had placed on the Princess’ table. She gave it to Princess Demeter, and since because Venida has already made the tea, it would surely come to waste if she would not drink it. Having no choice, she smiled at her and thankfully sipped the freshly made, hot tea.

Knowing that she would need some time to finish her hot drink, Chelsea sat at the edge of her bed. Venida on the other hand started rearranging the things and stuffs that are inside the princess’ room.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I have to tell you something, your Highness.”

From the silence, Venida started talking when she remembered something important she probably needs to tell to the princess.

“What is it, Venida?”

She frowned when Venida unwarningly opened the room’s window that is covered with curtains.

“Every noblemen and women are already talking about the first ball of the season. Their excitement cannot be contained that it displeasingly looked like they are raging, I must say,” Venida answered while she was busy wiping the dust from the frames of the princess’ window.

“The what, first Ball of the season?” Chelsea sipped to her half-emptied cup of tea when she asked.

“Indeed, your Highness, the First Ball of the spring season. The newly wed Duke and Duchess of Wetherby is the season’s lucky host of the ball. Everyone is feeling giddy from the fact that the ball will happen at the house of Wetherby.”

“What makes it special, Venida? It’s just a ball. Just something that is filled with dance, food, wine, and probably a bunch of people talking to each other, pretending that they were friends. Yet, everything was fake.”

“You must not tell that, your Highness! The first ball of the season is one of the most important event in the Kingdom. Ask not, but the ball … it’s always something enchanting,” Venida said as she looked above the ceiling, fantasizing about the romances of the ball's dance floor. “It has the spark of the destiny. Rumor says that the dance floor on the first ball of the season always become something that leaves everyone wondering. It mystifies them that when the first play of the music harmonized, there will be no one who would want to dance except the future loved and lover blessed by the destiny. Isn’t it romantic, your Highness? The Duke and Duchess Wetherby first-handedly felt that spark. That magic.”

Hearing the servant’s narration, Chelsea could not help herself but to roll her eye, feeling irritated. She gulped the last drop of tea from the cup, and when she was done, she quickly placed the wares back to the table.

“Are you perhaps finished, your Highness?” Venida asked after coming back from her wild, romantic imaginations.

“Yep. And I’m going now.”

After answering, she smiled at Venida and placed her hood back on her head.

“Go and continue dreaming about the ball, Venida, it’s okay. If you want, I can find ways to have you personally invited from the event. I am a princess, you know?”

She gave her a sweet smile once again. After that, she started walking as she aimed towards the door.

“Oh, I would like, your Highness. But the ball is only for the noblemen and women of the society, indeed. In fact, instead of me, you are the one that is invited—along with the Royal Family.”

Hearing the news of her being invited, Chelsea closed her eyes and tried to control herself.

‘Seems like I’ll be with another trouble, I see,' she thought. ‘Good thing I can ask for Beatrix’s help about this.’

“And I must say, your presence is highly required there, your Highness. The Queen said; there are no buts, no excuses,” her servant added.

“Right, right, I’ll go, don’t worry. I can’t taint Princess Demeter’s name, you see.” After that, Chelsea started opening the door.

“And who knows, your Highness. Perhaps if Lord Matthew come too to the ball, then surely, the both of you will have the rhythm of the first dance.”

Chelsea stopped in the middle of twisting the door’s knob. Hearing Venida’s fantasy, she was frozen—not because she hated the idea, but because she had even quickly imagined it. Scenes of her and him dancing to a romantically beautiful music had invaded her.

Her cheeks blushed.

Realizing what was happening, she quickly shook her head in order to ignore that thought. She bit her lip and started walking away.

Sooner, she had managed to get out of the palace without guards being suspicious. Yet, instead of celebrating for her mini-triumph, she had spent her little time thinking about the first ball.

Her imaginations are ragingly active. Seemingly no luck for her, yet she could not control the rage of herself dreaming about her and Lord Matthew while dancing in the middle of the dancefloor—with people watching them, smiling as they admire the chemistry building between her and the lord.

“Do I have a gown for that ball already? I wonder how it looks like,” Chelsea unconsciously whispered as she was busy walking to the city, then towards the woods—all covered and hidden.