First Down

by Paula Mabbel

  “I just don’t think you’re the kind of girl that an association with the palace might marry.” She said with a casual shrug.

  “Perhaps you have me mistaken with your actual daughters?” Lucia said quickly and then regretted her confrontational approach.

  “I think your father is right.” Her stepmom said with a slight smirk. “The atmosphere will greatly improve without you.”

  “Well, you should hope that you are wrong then.” Lucia said as she stood up. “So, then you might have me out of your house sooner.”

  Lucia didn’t wait for a response. She didn’t want one. She just walked out of the room with the feeling of eyes burning into her back as she went. She could feel her breaths coming out in short, raspy puffs and she tried to calm herself down.

  The anger in her stomach was still churning, but the fire had subsided. She walked away from the dining room and upstairs to her own quarters. Her room was the only room in the house that she felt welcome. It was the only room in the house where she could sit quietly without being made to feel as though she was a burden.

  She pushed open the heavy oak doors that led into her room and then quickly closed them. A maid had already stocked the fire and the room felt well heated through. Lucia walked over to her wardrobe and pulled out her nightdress. She pulled off the tight dress she had been wearing all day and slipped on the loose and comfortable white cotton.

  She walked over to her nightstand and sat down. Her golden blonde hair was only half being held by its clip and she pulled it out of her hair, so that the rest could fall down. She looked at her reflection. Her skin wasn’t pale like her stepsister’s. She had a slight honey glow to it from walking in the gardens so often, but she was convinced it had her look healthy.

  Her eyes were a pale green like her mother’s. She watched herself unmoving, until she was forced to blink and then she turned away from the mirror. She looked out of the window that overlooked the garden and noticed that the sky had turned an inky blue since dinner.

  She walked over to her bed and sat down. The mattress felt soft under her weight and she lifted her legs up onto it. Her room was on the furthest side of the house that largely went unused and the only sounds that Lucia could hear were coming from the fire and embers crackling.

  She put her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. The day had felt as though it’d had too many hours and Lucia’s mind felt weary. She let her thoughts drift, until she found herself in the palace and then she was asleep. Her thoughts guided her into dreams that were full of what it might be like to be somewhere that she was wanted.

  *****

  The night of the ball came quickly and before Lucia had properly prepared herself. She had meant what she had said to her father. She fully intended to find a suitor at the ball, but not because her family wanted it so, but because she knew she had to get away from them.

  She knew that she wasn’t the most well behaved daughter. She knew that her existence alone caused her stepmother great discomfort, but that wasn’t her fault. None of what her family blamed her for was actually her fault, and she was tired of being blamed for it.

  Lucia stepped away from the two maids who were helping her into her dress. She smiled as cool silk ran across her legs. She turned and looked in the mirror. It was shimmering in the light. The teal color matched her eyes and made her hair look lighter.

  “Do you think I look okay?” Lucia asked as she turned back to the maids.

  “You look beautiful, Miss.” One of them said.

  “Thank you.” Lucia said with a gentle smile and then she dismissed them.

  She looked in the mirror again. She could feel her hands shaking slightly over the anticipation of going to the ball, but she steadied them before it was noticable. God forbid any potential suitor take her hand and find it trembling. She had never really thought that it would happen like this. She had always thought that love would find her, not that she would go out seeking it, but if it truly was the only way to get away from her family then she would do it.

  She took a few deep breathes and then she walked out of her bedroom door and across the manor to the lobby. Her father was already dressed and waiting. She walked over to him and for a moment she wondered whether he was going to acknowledge her at all.

  “Hello father.” She said when she was quite sure that he was ignoring her.

  “You look nice tonight.” Her dad said, but he didn’t look at her.

  “How would you know if you can’t look at me?” Lucia challenged him.

  “Because you look just like your mother and she was timelessly beautiful.” Her dad said simply.

  Lucia didn’t say anything. She very seldom heard her father speaking about her mother and she found herself a little shocked. She sat down on one the long chairs that lined the room and waited for the rest of the family to join them.

  After some time, the family was ready and they set off. Lucia’s father had taken four of the best horses the stable had to offer to pull their carriage. They looked impressive as they rode down the country roads and towards the great palace that sat on top of the hill face.

  It took enough time for the chill of the air to seep into Lucia’s bones to get to the palace. The carriage pulled to a stop and Lucia was the first to step out. Her legs ached from being sat so long, and she was desperate to stretch them out.

  The palace was lit up with hundreds of candles that had been placed in the trees and throughout the great gardens that led up to the front doors. The castle itself looked as good as it always did. It was built tall and proud with white stone bricks and tall towers. It overlooked much of the countryside that spun out below it and almost into the town that was several miles away.

  Lucia walked to the front door ahead of her family. She could hear her two sisters fussing over their dresses. She was much too cold to wait for them. She smiled at the doorman as he offered to take her cloak and she unfastened its strings and passed it to him.

  The palace was surprisingly warm, considering the size, and Lucia’s goose bumps soon faded when she found herself in the great hall. The great hall was more than half the size of Lucia’s entire house, and it was trimmed with gold fixtures and hand painted details.

  The room was already swimming in faces and Lucia walked in slowly. There was a band playing in the corner, filling the whole room with a delicious melody that seemed to please Lucia’s ears and taste buds at the same time. She walked further into the room full of people and looked for a table that was free.

  She walked through the tables until she reached almost the front of the room. She looked down at the table and saw that it had her family’s name on a place card upon it. She pulled out one of the fancy chairs and sat down.

  There were already couples dancing to the music and laughter could be heard coming from all directions. Lucia looked at all the men who were in their uniforms. They all looked very smart and handsome, but could she really marry one of them?

  She let her eyes dance over each face as she took in their details. She wouldn’t have time to dance with all the men there that night, so she would have to choose her acceptances wisely. Her eyes glazed over her choices, until they reached a duke who was all the way across at the other side of the room.

  Her eyes settled for a moment. He was talking to a pretty girl with red hair. She must have said something funny because he started to laugh. Lucia watched as dimples formed in his cheeks and his eyes glowed with amusement.

  He was handsome too. He looked like he had come from money. His posture was good and enhanced his natural height that must have been at least 6ft. His shoulders were broad and his sleeves tight around what was clearly muscle.

  Lucia let her eyes lift up to his face again. His eyes were a honey brown and even from a distance Lucia could feel their intense pull. His hair was short and a reddish brown that seemed to transform under the light. Lucia had never thought of herself as superficial, but looking over at the gorgeous stranger she decided that she coul
d probably marry him without too many problems down the line.

  ******

  The night had dragged on for what seemed like hours. The duke still hadn’t asked Lucia to dance, and she was starting to get frustrated. She had been asked to dance by all the wrong men. It wasn’t making her plan easy to stick with.

  She sighed as the duke stopped at a table not far from her own. He was talking to a brown haired girl that Lucia had seen in town from time to time. She wasn’t right for the duke. She had a shrill voice and got excited over new ribbons being in stock.

  “Excuse me.” A deep voice said.

  Lucia found herself being dragged away from her venomous thoughts about the girl with brown hair and back into the room.

  “I’m Prince David.”

  Lucia nodded, but she couldn’t speak. Her eyes were busy taking in the prince. He was impossibly handsome. His hair was the color of melted chocolate and his blue eyes sparkled warmly.

  “I’m Lucia.” She said finally and she managed to hold out her hand.

  The prince took it gently and kissed it.

  “You look very beautiful tonight Lucia.” The prince said with intensity.

  “Thank you.” Lucia said and her cheeks flushed red.

  “I was hoping you might like to dance.” The prince said and then he held his hand out for Lucia’s.

  Lucia stood up and took his hand, but she noted that he had expected her to say yes. They walked without speaking onto the dance floor and Lucia could feel the eyes of many as they started to dance.

  “You dance well.” The prince said with an approving look in his eye.

  “My father thinks it’s important for a lady to know how to dance.” Lucia said with a stiff smile.

  “Your father is a wise man.” The prince said.

  “I’m sure that you and he agree on that subject.” Lucia said.

  The prince looked at her for a moment in confusion. Lucia suspected that he’d never heard a girl speak it that way about a man before.

  “You have a quick wit.” He said finally.

  “Is that a compliment?” Lucia asked as she took in the look on the prince’s face.

  She could tell that he was intrigued with her, but she guessed that intrigue would be short lived.

  “I should take it as though it were one.” The prince said with a smile.

  Lucia nodded, but she didn’t reply.

  “Have you enjoyed the ball so far?” The prince asked when the melody ended and a new one began.

  “It’s been quite lovely.” Lucia said with a genuine smile.

  “I’m happy to hear that.” The prince said, satisfied with her answer. “And do you like what you have seen of the palace?”

  “Well, it’s a palace.” Lucia said sarcastically.

  The prince frowned in confusion. Lucia smiled at him and then explained herself.

  “It’s beautiful, but I expect most palaces are.” She said.

  “Quite so.” The prince said with a nod of agreement. “Would you care to dance again?”

  “I’m sure that the other girls will swoon with jealousy if I take up any more dances with the prince.” Lucia said coyly although her answer would have been the same if he had been a doorman.

  “But surely as the prince I should be able to dance with anybody that I chose.” The prince countered.

  “Then you should make your choice quickly because the music had already started.” Lucia said with a smile and then she bent down into a curtsy. “Thank you for dancing with me Prince David.”

  He looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. The other girls at the ball had seen Lucia’s curtsy and had begun to make their way over to him. Lucia stepped back away from the swarm of girls and sighed with relief.

  The prince was charming and handsome, but there was something about him that seemed, so dry to Lucia. It was like he didn’t expect his girl to have a sense of humor. Lucia watched as he took the same brown haired girl out onto the dance floor that the duke had been talking to.

  She scanned the crowd quickly to see whether he had already picked his next partner, but she couldn’t see him anywhere.

  “Who are you looking for?” A voice behind her said and she jumped. “I might be able to help you.”

  Lucia turned around and blushed when she saw the duke standing directly behind her.

  “You know he must be a very lucky man to have a woman as beautiful as you looking for him.” He said with a cheeky grin.

  “I should like to think he is.” Lucia said with a bright smile.

  She could feel her body leaning him to him slightly, but she made no efforts to stop it.

  “Does that mean I have no chance of this next dance with you?” The duke asked with a slight frown and hurt, puppy dog eyes.

  “You know it’s proper to introduce yourself before you ask a lady to dance.” Lucia said with a sly smile that the duke reflected back.

  “But who has the time to be proper these days.” He said and then he reached out and took Lucia by the hand.

  “What are you doing?” Lucia asked as she followed him out onto the dance floor, laughing.

  “Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m dancing.” The duke said and then he twirled Lucia around to the music and pulled her body in close to his.

  “People are looking.” Lucia said when she felt eyes burning into her back.

  “So let them look.” The duke whispered into her ear.

  The feel of his breath on her neck made a tingle run down Lucia’s spine. She had never been that the close to a man before and as his aftershave filled her mind with romantic ideas of love; his hands were filling her body with an undeniable need to explode.

  “You know you’re the most beautiful one in the room tonight.” The duke said when he’d finished twirling her again and pulled her back close.

  “Is that so?” Lucia teased him.

  “Quite.” The duke said with a very serious tone and a twinkle in his eye.

  Lucia stepped away from him and then returned into his arms. The music was slowing down and she knew that it would soon come to end, but unlike with the prince she didn’t want that to happen.

  “Well, if that’s true, then why did you ask so many girls to dance before me?” Lucia asked as her eyes met his.

  “Because you always save the best for last.” The duke said and then he reached out and brushed a loose curl of Lucia’s hair behind her ear.

  The sensation sent shivers down her spine. She could feel goose bumps rising up on her arms and she desperately hoped that the duke hadn’t noticed her reaction. The music stopped and people started to find their way off of the dance floor.

  “Thank you for the dance.” Lucia said and then she gave a small curtsy.

  “The pleasure was all mine, I assure you.” The duke said with a smile.

  “Can I learn your name before the night is over?” Lucia asked him curiously.

  “You can call me William.” The duke said.

  “Would you care to know my name?” Lucia asked with a small wrinkle to her nose at his apparent lack of caring.

  “I already know your name, Lucia.” William said with a devilish smile, and then he walked away from her table.

  *****

  A week had passed since the night of the ball and Lucia hadn’t heard from William. She had thought on the first day that passed that perhaps he might call to see her. He clearly knew more about her than she did about him, and that had led her to believe that he was as interested as she was.

  The days, however, had passed without any such visit. Lucia was starting to second guess the connection that she had been sure that she had felt that night.

  On the third day following the ball a carriage arrived at the manor house. Lucia had been in the garden and had not heard it arrive, but she had been called in by her stepmother quickly once the man in the carriage had delivered the letter.

  Lucia had taken the thickly padded envelope off of her stepmother and taken it back out into t
he garden with her. It had the royal wax seal on it and Lucia knew that could only mean one thing. She opened the letter and looked at the invitation that had been written out to her and her family. The prince wanted them to come to dinner with them and Lucia was the special guest.

  That night at dinner Lucia’s stepmother brought up the note.

  “So who, might I ask, was writing to you?” She said with curious eyes.

  “I should think that you know the royal seal well enough to answer that question.” Lucia replied coolly.

  “Quite.” Her stepmother said with a sharp nod. “I meant what did the letter say?”

  “We have been invited to dinner at the palace.” Lucia said casually.

  “Dinner at the palace?” Her stepmother asked with excited eyes.

  “Yes.” Lucia said. “I’m to be made the guest of honor.”

  Lucia’s stepmother wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  “Clearly a man of aestheitics and not substance.” She muttered to herself.

  “Well, then it’s quite lucky I’m pretty.” Lucia said with a smug smile. “You did say you wanted me married and out of the house.” She reminded her stepmother.

  “Yes, well, I just thought our prince would have had better taste.” She said looking over at her daughters.

  “Well, I can assure you that better taste would have done nothing to help them.” Lucia replied with her eyes on her stepsisters.

  “You really are quite a horrible child.” Her stepmother said icily.

  “Well, I should think I’ve learnt that trait from you, stepmother dear.” Lucia said through gritted teeth as she stood up and walked out of the dining room.

  She walked to her room in a hurry and didn’t stop as she pushed open the doors to enter. Her breath felt heavy in her chest. She could feel the residing anger within her starting to scream out. She could feel herself desperately trying to stay sane as she thought about another day with her family.

  It wasn’t fair to make a person feel like this. It wasn’t fair to blame a person for their need for air. She could feel her hands trembling as her anger finally rushed out of her in the form of hot, salty tears. She could feel them as they ran down her face, stinging her skin and turning her cheeks red.