T W E N T Y - T W O

T W E N T Y - T W O

Champagne vs. Vodka

"NOW PLEASE, MY lady, you have to at least appear for a while. The four kings are not going to be happy if they knew that you had skipped your own party." The petite little helper laid a packaged gown against the bed, smoothing down any creases before unfolding the wrappers as delicately as she could.

"I don't feel confident in going, Tilly. Things had been.. unpleasant recently, to say the least."

"Oh, I do hope you'll at least make an appearance nevertheless, my lady. His Highnesses had been preparing this royal ball for you since centuries ago. It's supposed to be.." She trailed off uncertainly.

"Supposed to be?"

"Oh my, I'm afraid I've said too much, my lady. Please excuse me." And with that, the little ghost girl dashed out of the room, feet barely even grazing the ground.

As my eyes trailed after the translucent disappearing figure, I couldn't help but let out a small sigh. From the locked connecting room that separated my best friend and me, I could clearly hear Minnie struggling to fit into her own impossibly tight dress. The people here were fixed to the old customaries of corsets and frilly gowns, and Minnie had fallen victim to this rule.

I, on the other hand, held no such fate. Laid on the edge of my bed was a smooth rose gold silk gown, one with a low v cut down the front with enough folds to hide whatever modesty I had left. It seemed to be figure-hugging, meant to accentuate my natural curves as well as complement my skin tone with its soft metallic glow. The dress had small (almost non-existent) straps to hold it up, along with a long slit down the right side of it. It seemed like a dress straight of a red carpet event, and it almost made me want to go to the ball so that I could have a chance to put the dress on.

At this ball, it almost seemed as though everyone was stuck in the past while I was stuck in the present.

The second hands of my watch ticked loudly in the silence, echoing all the way from my bedside table to my ears. It rang as an alarm, further annoying me as I gritted my teeth in dilemma. To go to the ball or not to?

"Oh to hell with it," I muttered under my breath before picking the silky material up gently with my fingertips, running into the bathroom just in case someone else had decided to barge in unannounced.

As expected, the gown fitted snugly, running down in smooth waves all the way to the ground, just barely grazing the marble tiles when I stood to the tips of my toes, just about the height in which my heels would be.

The said pair of shoes were also placed out nicely, settled by the edge of my bed, glittering like a thousand stars. Diamonds were used to decorate the shoes, or more specifically, its heel. With designs like vines and a flower that eerily resembled a chrysanthemum, the entire heel was carved out from a crystal clear diamond, the rest of it made of a rose gold material that complemented my dress.

In that moment, I felt nothing short of a perfect little princess, just like how I dreamt of being my whole childhood. Isn't it every little girl's dream, after all? To have a prince charming that is willing to sweep her off her feet and run off together into their own happily-ever-after. It was just a tad bit disappointing that my castle that housed my prince charming was located in Hell itself.

Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

Down the hall from where my bedroom was located, I could hear the soft echo of music slowly streaming along the walls of the enormous castle. Gentle classical music played smoothly, sending the thrill of an old world ball's design into my mind. By the time in which I had peeked out of my room, Minnie had but long gone to attend the ball herself. She was no longer in the room next to mine, and I was once again left alone to my own resources.

Walking in heels had been something in which I had not done in a very long time. Ever since the 'fall' of my 'reign' back in high school, heels had no longer been practical everyday shoes for me to wear. Besides, I no longer knew when Death would strike and come after me, which led me to believe that boots and sneakers were the best choices of footwear in the case where I had to run for my life again.

I staggered slightly, finding it hard to gain perfect balance even with history with the absurd choice of footwear. Nevertheless, muscle memory proved to be useful for it only took me a few steps before I could start walking again as per normal.

When the trail of carpets that lined the floor ended, my heels clicked loudly against the marble flooring, echoing louder than the background music that seemed to flow in from somewhere in which I could not find. The entire castle was a maze, and it reminded me greatly of the scene in which I had been placed in last year.

Through my hallucinations, the walls slowly started to gain a deep green color, the number of vines and flora increasing greatly as the floor turned into a grassy patch right before my eyes. Just like that, I was transported back into the world where Dimitri was still Death in my memory.

"This isn't real..," I muttered to myself, blinking rapidly as I shook the hallucinations away. It disappeared as quickly as it came, returning the castle back to its glorified decor once more.

The events of my past undoubtedly still blinded my everyday life, but I am starting to gain more control over my mind once more. Without having to recount my horrific experience to every psychologist that comes my way, it was now easier to forget. To perhaps even forgive.

Leaning my body weight on the wall, I allowed myself a few moments of rest, shutting my eyes in an attempt to regulate my thundering heart. When the sound of clicking shoes echoed down the originally silent pathway, my eyes immediately shot open, cautious to see who it was. Instinctively, my hands reached for a small handheld switchblade in which I had tucked into a holster on my thigh, gripping it tightly in my hand before peering past the bend in the hallway.

"You seem oddly on edge," a familiar voice commented, allowing me to heave a sigh of relief. Calvin had a lazy grin strung on his features, allowing his bright eyes to glint in mischief. "What's got you so jumpy, Addison?"

Releasing a breath in which I did not even realize I had held, I tucked the switchblade back into the band securely before smoothing down the wrinkles of my dress.

"You should know not to sneak up on me like that. It's rude and creepy. Especially in this huge castle where every hallway seems to shift to its own liking every night." Grunting under my breath, I quickly fixed a few curls of my hair before taking Calvin's outreached hand. Together he began to lead us down the hallway, taking turns in the path to which I would not have guessed if I had been walking alone. It took no time before we were in front of two heavy looking doors, engraved with beautiful carvings and had doorknobs made of solid gold.

"Well, then I must apologize for my behavior. It's just that Dimitri had sent me to check if you were really missing the party of just simply avoiding him like the plague."

Calvin's words caused a laugh to slip past my lips, rolling my eyes playfully before standing up just a little straighter than before.

"I'll have you know that that apology will not be accepted until I've had my fill of your best champagne tonight. You do have champagne, right? Not just old people wine?"

The white-haired youth laughed heartily, wiping a fake tear away before shaking his head. "Yes, Addison. If the princess wishes for champagne, she will have it as requested. And trust me, there are more bottles of vodka in the ballroom than there are, and I quote, 'old people wine'. You'll find that the selection of drinks will always be rowdy here with Wilhelm around as bartender once more." Calvin sneaked a look around cautiously, grinning before he leaned in and whispered, "personally, I think he enjoys downing the drinks rather than making them."

"If that's the case," I smiled, gesturing for Calvin to open the doors. "I think I just might favor vodka instead of champagne."

The man only laughed in return.

For those of you curious to know what she wore exactly, her shoes are modeled after that of the gorgeous Ralph and Russo 'Eden Heel Pumps'. Which, by the way, are hella expensive (I searched it up and I cried).

EDIT: I finally have a suitable image for Addison's dress. A wonderful reader (@goodthingsfadeaway) found an image that is honestly just so perfect. Thank you!

Vote, comment and share. ❤️

Until next time. 🖤