Am I the Hero?

Chapter 1

The ballroom was vigorous with life as the music played on. We danced on, neither of us uttering a word. Dancing is not my strong suit but he seemed to adapt wherever I would step the wrong way. He spun me out and I got a glimpse of the rest of the ballroom. Everyone looked like they too were in their own world. In the same moment he swirled me back into his arms. With his arms wrapped around my waist, I didn't know what to do. After the last cords of the orchestra rang out, the group surrounding us erupted into applause. We snapped out of our other worldly trance and he slowly removed his arms from my waist. Taking a breath, I looked into his eyes, the emerald beauties shined perfectly in the light of ballroom candles. Looking at the rest of his features, he had dark black hair that was slicked back. His face looked like it was chiseled by God himself, even with such sharp features he looked kind. As we stared at each other, a hush fell over the ballroom. I could feel the glares of the other people in the room, burning into the back of my neck. I paid no attention to the attention they gave me, I just want to stay in this moment with him forever. As we gaze into each other's eyes, I could barely hear a noise coming from the other side of the ballroom doors. A gust of wind pushes me forward, closer towards him, breaking the moment. His gaze breaks away from me and turns from happiness to shock. I turned to see what the commotion was. I hardly had turned when a spike of pain pierced the center of my back taking my breath away. As I felt myself falling I looked back at him to only see fear in his face as he reached out to catch me. A pink blur zoomed past my vision as the void of black enveloped me.

I jolted up out of bed, hitting my head on the wood that holds Kira's bed above mine. The scream that had woken me bursted through our bedroom door. As my eyes begin to come back into focus, I can see Kira walking into our room dragging Mercel behind her.

Before I could even get out of bed Kira squeals and asks me, "Do you know what he just brought me?" As my hand reaches up to try and soothe the splitting pain in my head, I shake my head no. As I look up at Kira, Mercel's expression catches my eye, he looks worried.

"You don't look too good, kid. Do you want me to get you some ice?"

"Sure," I say, my voice comes out dry and cracked. They can definitely tell I just woke up. Mercel walks out of the room as Kira leans on our bed frame.

"Anyway, our invitations came for the royal ball at the castle!"

I clear my throat, so it won't sound as gruff, "OUR?"

Mercel walked back into the room with a cloth wrapping ice that was beginning to drip on the floor. "Here kid," he says, handing me the ice. "Look, I got to head out, I just stopped by to drop off the invitations. I have to leave before I am late to work. Bye Kira. Hope you feel better, kid." Mercel began to walk out the door. "Oh and by the way kid, Addam told me to tell you that you should be at the castle at nine today. Don't be late." And with that he walked out.

I held the ice to my temple as Kira began to speak again, "Like I previously said, I have acquired Invitations to the royal ball, two in fact."

"I hope you and your new boyfriend enjoy yourselves" I say as I get up from bed and place the chunk of ice on the table. I will have to clean up that puddle later but I will deal with that when the problem arises.

"You know very well that there is no boyfriend," Kira says, crossing her arms.

"How foolish of me to not realize that you have other friends" I joked as I grabbed my pants from the drawer, my shirt from the closet, and my corset off the back of the chair.

"Ha Ha. Very funny. I promise you are the only one I can stand in this blasted town."

"I hope you at least like Amy, because that would make for some uncomfortable dinners if you didn't."

"Well duh. I like Amy but she is my sister in-law, and she is an expectant mother now. She doesn't have the time to be friends."

"So how did you get those invitations?"

"Are you saying that I stole them?"

"I never said that."

"No, I didn't, I would never stoop so low. But you know how I got that big order for some very specific clothes?"

"Yes, they wanted that expensive fabric right? The kind that takes a month to arrive."

"Yeah, that was a real pain working with it too but that order was from The Queen herself."

"Really?!"

"Yes! She said that they were a perfect fit and just what she was looking for, sooooo...she said I was invited to the ball and I could bring a plus one. That is why Mercel dropped off the invitations today, he picked them up at the castle for me."

I suck in my gut as I tighten and tie my corset. I grab some socks and my boots, and walk over to the chair. "Kira, you expect me to believe that you just received those invitations today for a ball that is being held tomorrow night?"

"Well....I might have held off of telling you...but believe me Marcel just picked them up yesterday."

"Oh really? Did you withhold telling me that because you knew I wouldn't want to go? Or that you couldn't find the time to tell me between all the times I have been complaining of that stupid ball?" I hated the idea that the King and Queen were holding a ball in the hope that their missing daughter would return. It has been eighteen years since she went missing, why hold one now?

"Well we might meet the ONE!" Kira said, excitement in her voice.

Why is she always thinking about boys? I swear that is all she talks about anymore. They are just overgrown apes.

"I sincerely doubt that."

"I have a good feeling that you will meet him there."

"Yeah, that is not going to convince me."

"Look, I can't go alone."

"And why is that?"

"Something bad might happen, and I might need my gruff pirate sister to swoop in and save me."

"I am not a pirate."

"Right, like your outfit says anything else."

Kira looks me up and down with disgust in her eyes. I guess she has a point that I don't really look "ladylike" but I need clothes that are easier for me to fight in. She can glare at me all she wants but no matter how many times he tries to convince me it won't work. I have no issue with her being a tailor, but it gets so annoying when all she talks about when she gets home is boys and my wardrobe. Besides, I won't make it into the royal guard if I train constricted by wearing a dress. I pull my boots up before I begin to speak, "Fine, I would go, but I don't have anything to wear. You know very well my wardrobe has no skirts. I seriously doubt they would let me in the ball dressed like this," I gestured to my clothes.

"I got that covered."

I thought she would say that. This girl knows just how to get me to do anything. "I already made your dress, I just need to get you fitted in it. Come on, we only have a few hours before you have to be at training." With that, Kira grabbed my arm and pulled me out of our room, through the house and out to her shop down the road. I swear one day she's going to kill someone by doing this.