Esme Adalacia Kinnaird

amser brenhinol

-------The next day, right before the second ball.------

Esme sat on her bed, struggling to choose between a deep purple dress, that framed her hips gorgeously. The other dress was a peach dress that showed off her excellent collarbones and shoulders. As she lay dismayed in the overwhelming gowns someone knocked on her door.

“Esme it’s me!” Reagan called, her voice carrying throughout Esme’s large chambers. Esme hastily pulled on a simple nightgown over her undergarments.

“Ah, Reagan! How are you?” Esme hugged Reagan, who unlike she was already ready for the ball. She was donning a pale green dress with its sleeves ending just before her wrist.

“Why aren’t you dressed already? The ball begins in less than thirty minutes and you haven’t even got a dress picked out?” Reagan cried, dropping her gloves on the ground. Even though Reagan was one of the more relaxed debutantes, she still knew the importance of a proper ball gown.

“I know, I’m just terribly nervous and I do not know why,” Esme said, flopping onto her grandeur bed. The pillows flew into the air, sending feathers floating.

“Well, I think the purple would look gorgeous and with the right necklace you’d look like the princess you are,” Reagan said, running to Esme’s jewels. Esme ran to the purple dress and slipped it on. Reagan was right, the dress was the superior choice.

“Here we are,” Reagan said, holding a diamond and amethyst necklace. Reagan placed it on Esme and gasped.

“Is it that bad?” Esme asked, turning around. He fingers were trailing the necklace that had once belonged to her mother.

“No, It’s just… you are utterly breathtaking,” Reagan said. Her hands were covering her mouth in awe. Even with her hair down, Esme looked like she was a Queen.

“I’ll grab my amethyst tiara while you ready the hairpins,” Esme picked up the edges of her gown and ran into her closet where she kept her most precious jewels. Reagan gathered the pins and set to work on Esme's hair as Esme held the tiara in her hands.

The two ran out of the room, barely avoiding being late to the doors.

“See you inside Esme,” Reagan called as she raced to the Royal’s entrance.

Esme stood in a corner, her breaths growing more even.

“Esme, you look absolutely ravishing in that dress,” Atalia said, walking over with her three ladies in waiting., her younger sister Annabelle, Rosana, and Emily.

“As do you in that pale blue.” Esme said, kissing Atalia on the cheek as one was to do with a friend. “It brings out the green in your eyes.”

“Atalia, will you introduce us?” Emily said, taking a small step forward. Rosana, the eldest it seemed, grabbed her elbow.

“Ah yes, may I present Crown Princess Esme Adalicia of Caldonya,” Atalia said, motioning towards Esme. “and these are my ladies in waiting. Rosana, Annabelle, my younger sister, and Emily.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Esme said, curtseying to each in turn.

The doors opened and all the debutantes raced to be first in line to be announced. Atalia had secured Esme and her a place near the front.

“Rosana, Annabelle stand behind us to block the way. We don’t want anyone to pass us,” Atalia ordered, Esme, walking a bit ahead. Emily walked to her left and Atalia to her right. They reached the front.

“You go first Atalia, I want to see a friendly face when I get down there,” Esme said, falling behind Atalia. Atalia shrugged and walked straight to the announcer. She was announced and all her ladies followed her, framing her grand dress with their mundane dresses.

Esme handed her title card and took a deep breath.

“Presenting Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Esme Adalicia Kinnaird of Caldonya!” The announcer’s voice called, ringing through the entire ballroom. Esme descended the stairs slowly, soaking in all the attention she was receiving. People were staring, apparently, no one knew that there was a princess’s hand to vie for. As she reached the floor, Esme saw Atalia smiling widely. She made her way over.

“You did marvelously. Now we just have to wait for the rest of the Debutantes and the royals to be announced and the dancing commences,” Atalia said, whispering in Esme’s right ear.

“Atalia, I just heard that Crown Prince Alejandro of Andalusia is here to participate this season!” Emily whispered, her breath tickling Esme’s ear.

“He is?” Atalia said, louder this time, making Ashley of Roughton turn.

“That is the rumor. Rosana saw him standing with the rest of the Inductees,” Emily whispered again, this time her breath making Esme’s eyes water slightly.

“Apparently the King has remarried and she wants the Crown Prince as far from the throne as possible,” Rosana whispered to Esme.

m the throne as possible,” Rosana whispered to Esme.

“Atalia, you must excuse me, I’m going to stand with another friend,” Esme said, darting behind Emily and walking to the opposite area of debutantes. She was stared at for every moment, now that people knew her true identity. Ashley was whispering to her ladies behind a delicate fan, glaring at Esme over its edge. Esme looked straight at her and curtseyed ever so slightly. Ashley’s face turned red as a tomato.

“Announcing, His Majesty, King Kendrick, Her Highness Queen Kamryn, Crown Prince Asher and his wife, Princess Reagan, Prince Theodore, and Princess Anja,” The Herald called. All of the royals descended the stairs and Esme caught Theodore’s eyes. He was smiling.

“Princess Esme, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?” Theodore said to her.

“If that is your wish, your highness,” Esme replied through gritted teeth. She had been determined to stay as far as possible from Theodore. He seemed hellbent on making her time here a misery.

“How was your day?” Theodore asked when Esme didn’t speak. She was stiff, her shoulders straight as a rod.

“It was fine enough Your Grace,” Esme said, her tone still as cold as winter.

“Since we are both Royalty there is no need to call me ‘your grace,” Theodore said, a smile slowly emerging. How little he knew of what was going on.

“Since I am a guest in your nation you take the higher title,” Esme replied quickly, her impeccable etiquette training showing true.

“Ah, ever the proper lady,” Theodore replied stung by how she replied without missing a beat.

“I don’t lose the title of Highness when speaking Theodore, and I must be proper,” Esme answered as he lifted her high in the air, she looked around, at the opulent ball and sighed. Ilsyran court was far more stable and lovely than her own, Caldonyan court. In the Caldonyan court lords fought and pillaged in the west, in the east small wars broke out with increasing frequency. And there were rumors that the Black Death had begun in the north. Her father was a sick man, in both mind and body, ever since her mother and her brother’s death.

“But you don’t have to. Esme, we could do it run away, leave all of this behind. We could go and live in India, I’d do it in a heartbeat for you please, Esme if that is what is keeping you so distant-”

“I can not leave my people to suffer the Pla-” Esme nearly shouted, her anger ignited once more by Theodore.

“The Plague has returned?” Theodore’ face darkened immediately. For over two hundred years the plague was thought to be eradicated but it was rearing its ugly head once more. Hundreds of thousands of people all across Europe died within ten years. If it had gone on much longer, nations would have been wiped out.

“No, just scant rumors from past Donnigan, but it is still a threat. There are other things plaguing Caldonya at the moment and I simply can not ignore them,” Esme replied, keeping her tone even. Her father threatened to kill so many if she let the Ilsyran Royals know of the troubles in Caldonya, especially Theodore. She’d already told Asher and Reagan, that was a huge risk but Esme knew that Asher put his people far before her own.

“I must tell my father. We could send aid,” Theodore said. The dance had ended and they were walking towards where the Queen and King were watching over the dancers.

“You would do that for Caldonya?” Esme said, shocked by his willingness.

“I would do it for you, Esme. You know that” Theodore whispered, holding Esme’s formidable gaze.