AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Six
Rosalie
“Do I really need to wear this? It’s impossible to move in.” I twisted to see the furry tail attached to the auburn tulle of my dress, just above my backside.
“Lord Demious has required each of the ladies to represent an animal, for fun.” Ara smiled.
I groaned and grabbed the sides of my dress. “And I’m a fox?”
Luna entered the room carrying a white and red fur shawl. “You should be honored that Lord Demious has invited other nobles tonight.”
After two days, I could tell the twins apart by the scowl that always seemed to be on Luna’s face. It was the only defining feature between them.
If it wasn’t for the long furry tail, I’d look gorgeous. Ara did a fantastic job of braiding the top of my hair and leaving the rest to hang around my bare shoulders. The dress cinched my waist, but didn’t smother me, and while my ladies were out there prominently in the sweetheart gown, they weren’t popping out like before.
A bell chimed through the estate.
“It’s time!” Ara grabbed the shawl from Luna and draped it across my shoulders.
“It’s summer,” I whined.
“Only wear it for your entrance.”
My stomach fluttered with nerves. I could handle one odd lord, but a whole room of nobles? I had never been to any type of court. Not that I cared what these nobles thought, but still. I didn’t want to come across as an imbecile or embarrass myself, especially in front of that trio of sisters.
We filed into the hallway where the other girls and their maids followed. Two doors down, a girl dressed in all white with feathers lining the dress stepped out in front of me. She was more poised and elegant than I ever could be.
The ballroom was on the first floor past the dining hall. My stomach grumbled thinking of dinner and hoping Demious would feed us soon. Lunch had been nothing but cucumber-dill finger sandwiches and pomegranates. A meal like that couldn’t sustain anyone for long.
“Rosalie!” Janetta waved at me from the head of a line of the other girls. Her brown hair hung in luscious curls and her hunter green dress brought out the hue of her exotic eyes.
We clasped hands and smiled at each other.
“You look gorgeous,” we both said at the same time, and laughed.
“How are any of us going to compete with you,” Janetta said with a pout.
“Have you seen yourself? You make a stunning frog.”
“Ha! Frog? Is that what I’m supposed to be?”
“Ladies!” Ms. Begalia clapped, calling us to attention. “Listen well. You will be called in by name. When you are called, enter and take a seat at the head table near the front.”
Ms. Begalia gave us a stern glare and Janetta skipped back to her place in line.
“Have fun tonight,” Ara said.
“And don’t get in trouble,” Luna added.
All the maids left leaving us to stand there. The C-sisters, since their names all began with C, were first in line. Each one wore the distinct colors of the great cats, the oldest in black, the middle in a warm yellow, and the youngest in a mousy brown.
A male servant opened the door to the ball and called the first girl, then a few minutes later the next, and so on. I noticed that Alicia wasn’t here. She was quiet, but why would she be excluded from this?
None of us had discussed our magical abilities or displayed any. I wondered what her secret gift was.
“Rosalie Hawk.”
Though I heard my name, I couldn’t find the nerve to move.
