The Ball; the Dress Culprit

"Princess! Please wake up! This is urgent!"

I started opening my eyes, it took a few seconds to take in the blinding light. "What's wrong?" I lifted myself up and ran to the drawing room connected to my bedroom.

There I saw a dress stand and panicked figures. I also went in a panic once I saw the damaged dress. "W-What happened?" I asked, even though I knew it was useless to ask since everyone looked clueless.

"I-I.." Lucy wept, "I swear! I did nothing! Yesterday night, your dress was delivered, we placed it here. B-But today it was like this!"

Blossom disagreed. "You were the last one to leave the room yesterday night! You must have done something! It's clearly you!"

It was the first time seeing Blossom angry. I'm sure Blossom is telling the truth. But does being the last one to leave be the mastermind? The person could've entered at midnight, which was most likely what happened.

"There's no need to fight, I trust you guys." I looked at the damage, it looked pretty bad. The middle part was torn apart, the bottom was turned into ash. The foundation was still there, it could still be fixed!

"We don't have time to buy another one, Lucy, Blossom, go grab me a sewing kit, some fabrics and some ornements! We could finish this in less than four hours, just in time for the ball!"

They shortly came back with some materials, I grabbed a needle and started changing the dress.

"Voilà!" I finished the last touch, a white ribbon draped with some fake pearls.

"Wow! You're amazing princess!" They praised me. "It looks better than the previous one!"

Indeed, the old one was boring, it was clearly a cheap one. These adjustments not only covered the damaged parts, it made it better. I'm quite thankful this happened.

"I never knew you could sew, princess!"

This sentence kind of threw me off. Do they know my past origins? Do they know I'm just an illegitimate child and a commoner? Do they know I'm not a full royal? Are they questioning why was I here? Only a commoner knew how to sew and fix a broken dress. I-I...

"Ahem... Yeah...haha.." I laughed awkwardly.

I headed to the bathroom to wash up, there I laid in the tub thinking. The warm water enrobing me. the lavender sent lying around the room... I'm not a big fan of fresh flowers sent….They kind of itch my nose...Still, it's calming.

The dress culprit... Who could've done that? How did I even make an enemy already? Is it Ruby? It might be her.. Though how could she have entered with a flame in the middle of night without me noticing. Sure, the security isn't that tight as in the main palace, but I'm a light sleeper... Maybe it was another person who did it for her? Or was it not Ruby at all? What if it was L-

"Princess! If you don't get out now you'll get a cold!"

I slapped my face. No.. I just met her.. I couldn't have made a bad impression... I should let this matter go. Right now, I have to focus..

" Your highness, will you wear the Moon ornament? I think the purple-ish feathers matches your gown very well!"

"Very well."

===

I met up with Landon, my guard, he'll be my escort today.. It doesn't really look like that though… I'm wearing a full on purple gown, and he.. Well... An orange suit. This is, really bad.. We really weren't prepared for this.. Last minutes preparations isn't very good..

Noticing the difference, Landon tried to appease the tension. "Shall we?" He handed his arm.

Without having time to give my response, the door suddenly opened. Well that's rude. As the door opened I could feel a different atmosphere than the one of the hallway. The door and the walls were like a gate, blocking two opposite world to avoid collision. I took a step forward. Neither welcoming nor deserted, a brief description to describe the room.

Curious onlookers were fixing their gazes on me for a few seconds, noticing my 'shabby' attire and the non-matching pair, they scoffed and returned to what they were doing. Some shamelessly kept their regards on me, writing all over me : 'naïve country side girl'. I have to be strong, I can't back down now. Mother said to never let others know your weaknesses. I kept walking straight, head up, straight shoulders, and a straight face.

'Humph, once they'll know I'm this country's princess, they'll try to appease me. Too bad for them, I already know their true side.' I arrogantly thought.

I crossed my right foot over the left, held my skirt with both hands, and bent to a 45 degree angle. Just bending your back, sounds easy right? You don't know how much I suffered training, day and night... When Agatha taught me she would literally use a ruler on my back! She should've become a mathematic teacher or some sort! A single digit wrong, and she'll scream at me. To this point, I had to become a human protractor. Landon, who was behind me, gave his greetings first.

" Greetings your majesty, my name is Moonlight Coeu-..." I bit my tongue! This is bad, bad bad! "Moonlight Crystal." I repeated. I saw a flash of anger on the king's cold face, he must be thinking of why such a lowly child lived in his castle.

I raised myself up, ignoring the slip up, and smiled. My heart beat out loud, cold sweat were watering my cold hands, each seconds felt like hours.

" I would like to announce a new addition to the royal family, Moonlight Crystal! " He announced with a monochrome voice.

I couldn't hide my happiness. My title has been made official! I'm now a princess, one of the highest position. No one can afford to bully me anymore. I don't need to hide, I can live peacefully without cooking, worrying about food, education.. I won't be a commoner anymore!

My hopes shattered, all over the room I could hear mockeries, and comments, either bad or good. My small dream was destroyed. Even with the title, no one cared about me. What's the difference between me and the old me? Practically nothing.

" Ah-The royal bloodline will almost fade.. I worry, there will be no more pure ones.."

" Why does the king have so much children? Five was enough, yet he keeps adding more each year. He fools around too much!"

" The title 'prince' and 'princess' doesn't hold any power anymore! Even a commoner can it!"

"You say commoner? She was a commoner?! Ha- I guess her mother must have been a prostitute and sold her grown daughter for some gold!"

My blood was boiling! Mother wasn't a prostitute! It was father who abandoned us! She was kind and prideful! She didn't sell me... I was the one to come here!

I gazed at the face of the man who caused the problem. That guy, instead of being worried just looked at me with rage, his eyebrow crunched up. I got mad, instead of helping me and being sorry for causing the commotion, he was like 'you're the problem! How dare you embarrass me!'. I can't believe it! I tightened my knuckles, this is so embarrassing! I wish I could strangle him right now!

Weird.. I sensed something unusual on my hair, it soon disappeared.

" Thank you your majesty, I shall try to perform my duties well." I placed my right hand of my chest and bowed.

"Humph, you should." He voiced out, telling me indirectly to scram.

Grabbing Landon's hand, we hurried out of the carpet zone, and blended in the crowd.

" Your highness... I think I saw a red light flashing on your hair ornament.."

That must've been the strange sensation from before.. I untied the moon ornament from my hair and stared at it. Why did it flash though? It has never done this before. Suspicious..