Stacey's ball dress

Stacey's Hairstyle 

"Stace, can you come to my study for a minute, please?" said my great-grandmother in a gentle voice. "I want to have a quick word with you."

My heart pounded in my chest. What exactly did my grandmother want? I knew that I was about to find out, sooner or later. I took off my headphones, turned off my music, closed my French textbook, and followed my grandmother into study. She smiled at me, pointing to the seat in front of her desk. I nervously took my place in front of her, sitting like a lady.

"You needed to see me, great-grandmother?" I asked nervously.

"Yes. Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

I relaxed, but not by much. I was still nervous about what she had to say. I fidgeted with my fingers that were placed in my lap.

"What do you need to see me for, grandmother?"

She smiled gently at me and put on her eye glasses before pulling out a roll of parchment paper.

"How would you feel about having a ball this upcoming weekend?" she unexpectedly proposed.

I stared at her in surprise. This was what she needed me for? She should have asked me in my bedroom!

"I wouldn't mind that," I answered carefully, still feeling a little ticked off by the fact she hadn't bothered to ask me in my room. "Who are you planning to invite?"

"The princes, princesses, dukes, and duchesses from around the world. Along with the descendants of the famous Presidents, Saints, Witches, and Wizards. Along with some people from a school for the insanely talented."

"Are you indicating about the royals from my school? You're saying that I can invite my friends?"

"Anyone is welcome, dear," my great-grandmother answered with a smile. "I will have to get started on the invitations and then you can pass them around when I'm done doing them."

"When do you plan on throwing the ball?" I asked.

"As soon as we can. I'm thinking by this weekend, perhaps? I would have chosen next weekend, but that's —"

"February 21. Winter Formal."

My great-grandmother's lips tilted upwards to a smile.

"Yes. And I suppose that you have found the dress that you're going to wear?"

"I have. My school friends, Nat and Trudy, have found their dresses as well."

"Has anyone asked you to the Formal, yet?"

I blushed.

"Not yet. But maybe by the end of next week, I'll have a date."

"Who do you think will ask you out?"

I looked down at my feet.

"My new friend, Geoffrey Windsor."

"The Crown Prince of Britain?" my grandmother asked, surprised.

"The very one."

"Doesn't he have a girlfriend already?"

"He did, but he broke up with her after she said something nasty about me."

My grandmother paused. I sat there, feeling very uncomfortable. I found myself shifting around in my seat. My great-grandmother looked me up and down and finally smiled.

"That is all I needed you for. The seamstresses should come and get you measured out for your ball gown in a while. They should have it finished for you before the ball next weekend."

We were silent. Grandmother smiled gently at me again.

"You can go now. That's all I needed you for."

I nodded, feeling relieved. I told her 'thank you' before getting from my seat and heading out the door so that I could go and finish my homework. A little while later, a knock sounded at my door, and my maid, Ksenia, came in, smiling at me.

"We're ready for you to come in so that we can get your dress fitted for you, Miss," she announced.

I nodded and stood up, leaving my stuff on my desk table, before following Ksenia to the seamstress' room. A lot of machines were already whirring, and quite a few women were already at work, creating a lot of dresses for whatever special occasion we had coming up.

"We've got a stool over here for you to stand up on, Miss," said Ksenia.

She gestured to the small step-stool for me to stand up on. I did as I was told and carefully stepped onto the stool. I watched as Ksenia began to sift through some fancy fabrics, ranging from tulle, silk, chiffon, cashmere, etc. She pulled out a few bundles of fabrics before walking back towards me, laying the fabrics out on the floor.

"Which one would you prefer, My Lady?" she asked, pointing to the fabrics.

I examined each of them carefully, wondering which color would go with my bright red hair and blue eyes. Finally, a blue material with sparkles all over it caught my eye. I knew that would go well with my plain looks.

"The green one with the gold swirls," I answered, pointing to it.

Ksenia smiled before collecting it.

"I had a feeling that you'd choose that one, My Lady," she said. "Blue really compliments red hair."

"That's why I chose it," I replied. "I get that comment all the time."

She motioned for another maid to come and put the fabrics that I didn't choose, away. Then she began to unravel a measuring tape before wrapping it around my waist to measure around it.

"Twenty-four inches," she muttered under her breath before writing it down on a notepad she had on the floor.

Then, she began to measure my chest, and shoulders for the fitting. After a few more measurements, I was allowed to leave. As I left, I couldn't help but feel excited about what the final result of my dress would look like in the end. I couldn't wait to see what it looked like when the final touches were done!

I slowly counted down the days until the ball would come. Soon, the day came. Servants were putting up the decoration in the ballroom, and getting the banquet hall ready. I would check off the list of things to do, making sure that the servants and maids were doing their correct chores, and making sure that everything was in the right places. The chefs were preparing the banquet and buffet for tonight and this afternoon.

Ksenia and the other seamstresses were still getting the last final touches on my dress before I was able to wear it officially. Once Ksenia and her seamstresses were able to get the dress finally finished, my other maid, Galina Volkova, led me to a chair where she could do my hair up all nice and fancy.

Soon, it was around three o'clock in the afternoon when I began to hear people chattering. Some, I could hear in different languages. A knock sounded at my door and I turned to look over at it.

"Come in," I said.

The door opened to reveal Andrei, who was dressed in his usual formal outfit — a black tux with his hair slicked back with some sort of gel. The mustache ends were curled back, making them look traditional.

"Are you ready, Your Royal Highness?" he asked in his thick Russian accent.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered. I turned to Galina. "Thank you, Galina. You're free to go."

She nodded, picked up her tray of hair stuff, and left the room, nodding her head politely to Andrei as she passed by. I walked over towards my butler and he extended his arm out for me to take. I took his arm, feeling slightly awkward.

We walked down the corridors together. I could tell that we were getting closer and closer to the ballroom because the chattering was getting louder with each step. The music was becoming clearer, as well. A fun waltz-y tune was playing in the background that made me want to waltz to the beat.

As we began to enter the ballroom, Andrei led me over to a man who had a trumpet in his arm. He stood stiff and still, like the British guard would be when he was on duty. Andrei tapped him on the shoulder, and the man turned to face him. Andrei whispered something to the guard. The guard nodded, turned to face the ballroom, put the trumpet to his lips, and played a fanfare of some sort.

Immediately all the chatter stopped. All eyes were on the stairs leading down to the ballroom, landing on me.

"Your Royal Highness, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova II, has entered the ballroom," the guard announced in a clear voice.

When I glanced over at Andrei, I'd realized that he'd let go of my arm. I raised my eyebrows at him, giving him a weird look. He returned with a nod of his head, gesturing to the stairs. I guess that Andrei didn't have to go down the stairs with me.

I walked down the stairs, with my shoulders down and my back stiff. My heart pounded when I saw all the eyes on me. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone applauded, and I sheepishly grinned in return. God, I must look so awkward, right now!

Finally, everyone went back to what they were doing, chattering loudly. The band began to play a waltz again. Men asked some ladies to dance with them, which they politely agreed.

Quite suddenly, I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder, startling me.

"Hey, girl!" said Nat in her usual cheery, light voice.

I squealed and embraced my best friend into a hug, causing some of the people nearby to glance over at me in shock and surprise. But I didn't care. Nat was here!

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" said the voice of Trudy.

"You guys got the invitations, then?" I asked breathlessly once I'd calmed down.

"Of course we got the invitations!" Nat answered enthusiastically. "Even though we may be from completely different countries in Europe, we're still related in some way. So, of course, Tsarina Nadia would invite us!"

"Have you two ever been inside Yekaterina Palace?"

"Nope! This is my first time going! And Trudy's first time coming, as well!"

"Pretty neat place, I have to say."

We chatted for a little while before my grandmother came around to us. Both Nat and Trudy curtseyed towards her, in which Grandmother Tsarina Nadia returned with a gentle smile on her lips.

"You don't have to curtsey, girls," she said kindly.

"But you're the Queen! Of course we have to bow to you!" said Nat, who sounded shocked.

"I know, but you have close ties to the royal Russian family, there is no need to bow or curtsey, girls." She then turned to me with an excited glint in her eyes. "Stace, there's someone who wants to see you."

I frowned, wondering who would want to see me. But nonetheless, I followed my grandmother, and we weaved our way through the dancers who were already dancing again. Then I spotted a familiar someone talking to Queen Elizabeth II. . . .

"MOM!" I shrieked excitedly once I spotted a woman with familiar blonde hair.

Half of the ballroom went quiet, but I didn't care. I ran towards my mother, my heels clicking as they went. Then I jumped into her arms, throwing my arms around her neck. She laughed, hugging me back.

"I was wondering when I was going to see you again, dear child," she said.

"Grandmother sent you an invitation, then?" I asked breathlessly.

"Of course, she did! This would be one of the few times I'd be able to visit my daughter. Tax prices on airplanes are rising these days in Manhattan, dear. Your grandmother was nice enough to book me a first-class flight in that private jet of hers." She paused. "So, how is life as a royal?"
I sighed.

"Different, but fascinating. I'm still learning the simple etiquette of a royal lady. Sometimes I wish that I was back home with you in Manhattan. But I enjoy life as a royal. Plus, I've made a few friends at my new school."

"I was talking to Queen Elizabeth before your grandmother brought you here. She says she has an older grandson? Do you know what his name is?"

"Geoffrey Windsor?" I asked, trying to sound innocent without revealing that I had a bit of a crush on the British Prince.

"Yes. She speaks very highly of him. Do you know this Geoffrey?"

I shifted around uncomfortably on my feet.

"Well . . . . I do, actually," I admitted. "We're friends."

"It doesn't sound like you're just friends," my mother pressured me. I felt my body stiffen. "According to his grandmother, he speaks very highly of you."

"H-He does?" I squeaked.

"He does," a voice answered behind me.

The voice caused me to jump. I whipped around to face him. My nerves seemed to have calmed down a little when I saw Geoffrey standing there. He had a shy smile on his face.

"Hey, Stace," he greeted.

"H-Hi, Geoff. How much of the conversation did you hear?"

He shrugged.

"Only the ending." He then turned to my mother and smiled. He extended his hand out for her to shake. "Hi, I'm Geoffrey Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II's great-grandson."

"Hello, Geoffrey," said my mother politely. I could see that she approved of him. "How long have you known my daughter for?"

"Mom!" I groaned, feeling slightly embarrassed. She ignored me, her eyes still on Geoffrey.

"Since late January, Miss," Geoffrey answered politely. "The first day she came to school."

"So for a while."

Mom smirked knowingly, glancing suspiciously over at me.

"As I've said, we're just friends Mom," I insisted defensively, though I wished that weren't true.

But in the back of my mind, I wished that we were more than just best friends. I've had feelings for Geoffrey for a while, but I'm not sure if he returned the feelings back. Geoffrey is a sweet guy. But with Vivienne still around at the school trying to do everything she could to get him back and make him hers once again. But I vowed that I would not let that happen, especially after the Romanov's mysterious warning about Vivienne.

"Ah. I see," said my mother, who sounded a bit disappointed. She must really approve of Geoffrey.

"Is it alright if I can steal Stacey for a dance, Miss —"

"Just Alyona, Geoffrey," said my mother kindly. She smiled. "Of course, you may dance with my daughter. But take care of her, alright? Don't do anything rash or ungentlemanly."

Geoffrey nodded eagerly, holding his arm out for me to take.

"You have my promise, Miss Alyona," he reassured her. He glanced down at me with a smile and added, "C'mon, Stace."

And with that, he tugged me away to where the dancers were dancing. A calming waltz played and Geoffrey twirled me around.

"Wanna escape the party for a little bit?" I asked quietly once the dance was over.

Geoffrey nodded.

"Where to, My Lady?"

"Just call me Stacey, Geoff," I teased. "You don't have to be all fancy."

He pouted.

"But that's not fair! You're a princess! Princesses should be treated with respect!"

"I know, I know. But I'm still a city girl at heart, Geoff. Call me Stace, please."

Geoffrey sighed and nodded.

"Okay. where would you like to go, Stace?"

I grinned, my eyes lighting up.

"We should hang out in the Yekaterina garden!"

He nodded.

"Whatever you say, Princess."

I rolled my eyes and pulled him along. We quickly escaped the loud rowdiness of the ballroom, sneaking into the garden. The large fountain in the garden gurgled with water. I watched as a bird flew over to take a small dip in it before flying off again.

"So George, Charlotte, and Louis weren't allowed to come?" I asked.

I had a soft spot for the Windsor children. From George's boisterousness, to Charlotte's sassiness, to Louis' kind heart.

"No, they're allowed. Aunt Kate and Uncle William had something important to attend, so they should be here by the time that meeting is over. It shouldn't be too much longer, though."

"What do you think of Yekaterina Palace?"

"It's got its charm, that's for sure. Bigger than I expected, though."

"Trust me. I've been trying to get used to how big this palace is. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm still a princess when I've been a city girl in Manhattan my entire life."

"It'll take some time, that's for sure. But don't worry. You'll get used to it. And then, you'll learn that there are some things to enjoy about being a royal."

"Such as?"

"Meeting other royals who are just like you. Getting to know more about your royal side. Learning about your family tree and family traditions."

"I never thought about that. That's a really good reason to like being a royal. I'll keep that in my thoughts."

He looked me up and down and I could feel my heart beginning to race. I was surprised that he couldn't hear it over the twittering birds.

"Even though we haven't known each other for long, I still think that you're incredible, Stace."

His lips came closer to mine. My heart rate sped up. I could soon feel his warm breath against my lips. Our lips connected and sparks exploded in my chest.

Maybe Charlotte isn't wrong when she says she wants Geoffrey to marry me, I couldn't help but think to myself.

"Stace? Would you like to attend the Winter Formal with me?" he asked breathlessly once he broke the kiss.

I couldn't help but grin widely. So widely, that my cheeks hurt. But I didn't care. I'd been hoping that Geoffrey would ask me to the Winter Formal since Headmistress Georgiana had announced it! And now, my dream came true!

"Yes, Geoffrey! I'd be glad to go with you!"

He smiled, his eyes wide and twinkling. He picked me up and spun me around, laughing. He then set me down, nuzzling his face in my neck, causing goosebumps to rise on my upper arms.

"God, I love you!" he breathed.

A tingling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, pleasant and warm. I laughed as he said that. The feeling in the pit of my stomach felt even warmer than before.

He set me down again. I looked deeply into his eyes.

"I love you, too, Geoffrey Windsor," I murmured softly.

For now, it didn't matter what Vivienne Anjou thought of me. I found myself ignoring the warning the Romanov ghosts gave me about her possible threat. All that mattered was that he was mine, and I was his. 

After our time in the Yekaterina courtyard, we made our way back inside, hand-in-hand. I looked around for a moment for my mother. But once I caught sight of her, she seemed busy talking to Grandmother Nadia, deep in conversation. So I decided to wait to tell her the good news between me and Geoffrey. But in the meanwhile —

"Uncle Geoffrey! Uncle Geoffrey!" the familiar female voice of Charlotte Windsor squealed.

I turned around to see the young girl and her older brother charging at us before tackling their uncle into a hug, almost knocking him to the floor. He grunted and then laughed at their enthusiasm, ruffling their hair.

"Hey there, my little princess," he laughed.

"Where have you been, Uncle Geoffrey? We've been waiting for you for a while! Mama said that we couldn't come and look for you."
Geoffrey and I glanced at each other, grinning. He picked his niece up and rested her gently on his hip, smiling at her. Charlotte glanced curiously from me to her uncle, and back to me again. She had a frown on her face.

"Uncle Geoff? What's going on?"

"You know how you said you wanted me and Stacey to get together for quite some time now ever since you first met her?" Geoffrey tried hinting.

Charlotte looked more confused than ever before her eyes widened with realization. She glanced over at me and I laughed at her reaction.

"You're going to marry her?!"

Geoffrey smacked his forehead.

"Not yet, Charlotte. We're still in High School, for crying out loud! But, if our relationship goes well, she might become a part of the family one day."

"Wait, you two are finally together?" said George in a hopeful voice.

"What did your uncle just say, George?" I teased, ruffling his hair lightly.

"So that's a yes?" George gasped.

I laughed.

"Yes, George. It's a 'yes'. Geoffrey and I are finally together."