Arthur's mansion at the top ^^^

This chapter is dedicated to Pun_was_intended.

Lord Arthur's mansion in a matter of hours was transformed into a literal paradise for the ball tonight. Everyone's hands were on deck to complete the remaining accessories. Food and drinks were to be in plenty, Arthur would make sure of that.

"Ella, come on, stop chewing yourself up over nothing." Ismat told Ella as she helped her with her outfit that evening. Some other maid was attending to Charity.

Ella peered up into Ismat's doe eyes. "How can't I? It's the first ball I'm attending."

Ismat laughed, coating Ella's lips with a striking red lipstick. Ella quivered a little and her fingers slipped, smudging the sides of Ella's lips.

Ismat pinched Ella on her nose. "Hold still will you?"

"Sorry-"

"And stop talking."

Ella smiled sheepishly and let a grumpy Ismat complete her job on her face and hair.

Minutes passed and soon, Ella was transformed into a stunning young lady.

The red gown hugged her figure at the right places. There was transparent  lace  material at the arms, extending downward to her wrist. The rest of the fabric pooled around her to the floor.

Ella couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, gracefully spinning  around in admiration of her beautiful image in the mirror.

"Go kill some people, girl." Ismat whispered.

Ella threw her a pointed look. "There's not going to be any people-killing this evening."

Ismat rolled her eyes and started cleaning up the mess she had made in Ella's room.

Soon enough, someone knocked thrice on the door. Arthur.

Ella gasped, eyes meeting Ismat's. "He's here." She mouthed, making an effort to steady her raging heart beat rate. Of course it was only Arthur but Ella still felt overwhelmed and less confident.

This was still her first ball.

Ismat snuck her hand into Ella's. "Relax, nothing bad will happen."

"What if I trip over my feet and-"

Ella got interrupted with a strong glare from Ismat. "Stop doing this." She grumbled, wondering when Ella became so stubborn.

"Alright, alright." Ella laughed when Ismat pushed her all the way to the door,  opened it and shoved her outside the room.

Arthur was grinning ear to ear when she saw him. He looked really handsome in his suit and squeaky clean shoes.

"You know, for a moment, I thought you had run away." He held out his right arm to Ella. She slipped her own arm in, breathing in the fragrance of his cologne.

"Sorry." Ella laughed.

Arthur fixed her a look. "You look glamorous this evening." His eyes raked decently at her frame.

"And you too."

Arthur smiled and led her down the passageway to where the ballroom was at. As they neared the ballroom, Ella's feet were unwilling to move.

Arthur squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Just follow my lead."

"Okay."

"And, one advice. Stay away from the hawks."

"Hawks?" Ella questioned. "Are birds attending this ball too?"

Arthur chuckled. "Of course not. You'll understand once we go in through those doors."

"How comforting." Ella mumured, sucking in a deep breath of air. She took a downward glance at the gold- coloured tiles.

"Are you ready?" Arthur asked.

Ella grinned sheepishly. "Can I say no?"

"No."

As soon as those doors opened, Ella felt her heart sink into her stomach. Not a good feeling at all.

She was glad that their entrance did not gather so much attention or she would have fainted. Soft ballroom music was coming from the other side of the room.

The invitees who were quite a lot by the way, were having animated conversations with each other.  The ladies  were dressed in beautiful attires of different shades. The men wore the same colour of suits. Black.

Ladies.

Waiters weaved in and around the crowd with drinks in transparent goblets.

Ella felt her cheeks ready to fall off after smiling a countless number of times at the people Arthur introduced her to.

Here was a different kind of Arthur. A man of authority, a diversion from his usual playful demeanor.

Ella held back the urge to yawn more than a hundred times. What was so exciting about balls? Besides the obvious opportunity to dress like a doll and steal a prospective suitor?

"You look like you'd rather be somewhere else but here." Someone whispered in her left ear. It wasn't who Ella expected it to be. Standing beside her was a stranger. A handsome stranger who probably expected her to swoon at his presence.

He got the wrong girl.

She frowned, confusing the stranger. "Could you step away? You're encroaching on my personal space."

He blinked, stepping away rapidly. "I'm sorry. Most of the ladies like that, I guessed you liked that."

Ella's face distorted in disgust. "You expected my eyes to shoot sparkling rainbows upon seeing you?"

Ella could be pretty nice most of the times but not when she felt threatened. She could be a totally different person, like she got invaded by some demons.

The stranger was blushing hard but was unable to offer any words.

Ella chuckled. "Did I render the Ladies' man speechless?"

He looked ready to flee the area had Arthur not appeared, putting an arm around the stranger.

"Aaron. You must have met Ella."

Aaron snuck a wary gaze at the girl standing with a dangerous smirk on her face. "Unfortunately." He muttered.

"What was that?" Ella asked, feigning sweetness.

Aaron shivered at the pretentious smile on her face. "N-nothing."

Arthur regarded him curiously, letting his hand fall from Aaron's shoulders. "Did you catch a cold somewhere?"

Aaron shook his head. Ella chuckled. "You warned me about some hawks. Is he one of them?" She pointed at Aaron who slapped her finger down.

Arthur's murderous gaze trailed to his friend. "Did you-"

"I swear I did not know she was with you." Aaron rushed out an explanation.

"You idiot."

"She's scary enough though. I was about running away before you showed up?" Aaron flung a dirty look at Ella who smiled sickly at him. He did not like her and she didn't like him. Mutual feelings.

"Ella scary? Of course not. Ella's the sweetest person you can ever meet." Arthur replied.

"She's a monster." Aaron argued.

"Now, that can't be true can it? All I see here is a beautiful young woman. Where 's the monster at? Aaron, are you sure you're not sick?"

Ella hid her blush by rubbing at her cheeks like some insect  got to them.

"I'm  telling the truth."

Arthur grinned at his friend before glancing over at a little crowd of famous people. "Business calls. Aaron, I will see you later. Have a great time knowing yourselves." And Arthur walked away.

Aaron just knew it was an intentional act to punish him. And Ella just stood there smiling.

"Monster, really?"

Aaron sighed. "I'm dreadfully sorry."

Ella nodded. "I forgive you. But I'm not promising you there wouldn't be any spiders under your pillow tonight."

He blanched in fright. "How d-did y-you know...Ella, you're so evil."

She shrugged. "I was just pulling your legs but it's good to know that you're scared of spiders."

Aaron groaned. "God, what did I ever do to deserve this?"

"Who knows?"

~~~~●●~~~~

"I've been friends with Arthur for as long as I remember. It's even possible we might have been friends in heaven."

Ella stared at Aaron. "What?"

"Heaven, that's where all babies come from right?"

Ella laughed at his reasoning. "Oh my God! Who told you that?"

He laughed. "What? It has to be true. Babies are angelic?"

"Have you seen them hungry? I think they're not so angelic then."

"We all have our moments, leave them alone."

They laughed together.

"My elder  sister's baby is really mean. Each time she sees my face, she just bursts into an endless cry."

Ella snickers, examining Aaron's face. "Babies like beautiful things, that's for sure."

"And she...wait, Ella. Did you just call me ugly?" Aaron feigned hurt but in truth, he was amused. She was the first lady he had seen that was not ready to pounce on him, literally.

Ella shrugged. "I didn't."

"You made an allusion to my ugliness."

Aaron was millions of miles away from  ugly for sure but Ella played along with his joke.

"Your ugliness? Personalizing, are we?"

Aaron just shook his head at Ella's playfulness. "Don't make me throw you off this balcony."

"Violent, are we?" Ella teased.

Aaron wasn't as bad as her initial impression of him concluded. He was the opposite, he was gentle, kind and humorous. His wife would be one lucky woman.

"So," Aaron drawled out. "You and Arthur."

Ella choked. "No. We're not a couple."

The glare on her face was enough to make Aaron abandon the topic.

The ball was too noisy for Ella so Aaron suggested they come up here to 'know each other' as Arthur suggested.

"In all honesty, I think Arthur really needs someone around him right now."

Ella smiled. "You think."

"There is something bothering him, I know it. But he won't tell me what."

"So you think he's going to be pouring out his mind to this 'person' and not to you who he's known all his life?"

Aaron nodded. "Arthur has his weakness. We all do."

Some cleared a throat mischievously. "Am I interrupting something?"

Prince Eric.

Of course you are.

Aaron and Ella turned to see the intruder, Aaron beaming at the Prince.

"Eric."

"Aaron, what are you doing here?" Eric's eyes flickered to Ella.

"I could ask you the same." They shook hands.

Ella raised a brow at the familiarity existing between the two men. "You know each other?"

Aaron nodded.  "When I mentioned me being Arthur's friend, I skipped out  a little detail."

Eric smirked deviously at Aaron. "Of course you would. We all know how much in lo-" He yelled when Aaron stomped on his toe.

"You're evil." Eric glared at him.

Aaron ignored his friend and turned to Ella who had been watching everything in fascination. "Can we look for some other quiet place to talk?"

If Eric had not known Aaron well enough, he would have been on the ground right now probably with a bloody nose.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Ella here owes me a dance." Eric glanced significantly at Ella.

"Suit yourself." And he stomped off.

Ella scowled at Eric. "You didn't have to be so mean."

"I was only doing you a favour." He replied, grinning.

Eric always had his way. Ella sighed.

"What did you say about dancing?" She offered Eric her right hand which he accepted with this intense look on his face. Nonetheless, he was smiling.

"Let's go back inside." He said.

"No. Let's dance here."

Eric craned his head backwards. "I can't hear a thing from here. What are we supposed to dance to?"

Ella grinned pointing at her chest. "The music in here."

This caught Eric off-guard and he laughed hard at Ella. When he noticed Ella was scowling at him, he sobered up. "Sorry. But I have not heard anything like that."

Ella rolled her eyes but any sentiments she was having was tossed aside as Prince Eric slowly pulled her close.

"Very well. Let's dance to nothing."He laughed and Ella joined in, tensing up when his left hand went around her waist.

But inspite of the fluttery feelings in the pit of her stomach, Ella finally relaxed into Eric, setting her head on his chest and they moved slowly around the balcony.

Nothing was said. They were content listening to their hearts beating in harmony. It was enough music.

Thoughts?