Chapter 2 One

Soft music filled the air in the ballroom alongside young men and women in different coloured outfits. All behind different masks.

The long awaited day had finally arrived and as King De'carlos stared down at the men that were lined up horizontally facing the beautiful ladies, the corners of his mouth twitched in a smirk.

He could assume they were shaking in their boots and while some did try to put up a brave front, others did nothing to hide their shaky hands while they shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

King De'carlos squinted his eyes from the spectators seat just above them in search of his son. He had specifically given his son a special colour. Just to keep an eye on the boy.

"The bloody fool outsmarted me!" he cried. He couldn't make out a single boy wearing green with black striped pants.

"I sincerely apologise, your Highness, I should have paid close attention." the feminine voice said from behind him.

He gave a dismissive wave of his hand and snickered, "Not to worry. The boy takes after his father." he grinned. "Whoever said karma wouldn't bite you in the ass should look into my life." he laughed. A heartfelt one as his son's action brought back memories from the good old days.

"Very well, your Highness."

He turned to glance at Gisela, not surprised to see her head still lowered in a bow. She just never listened and didn't seem to stop.

"Don't stand on ceremony." he shook his head. "Oh you poor woman." he sighed.

She straightened, her close set brown eyes however, still glued to the floor as her lips emitted their normal ghostly smile. Her brown skin, if anything, glowed more than before and unlike most days, today she was dressed like a spectator and not her usual kitchen outfit.

She had on a long sleeved black T-shirt and beneath was a brown skirt that reached her ankles and equally brown small heeled boots.

"What colour is your daughter wearing again?" he asked. He had given her the opportunity to present her only child to attend this royal coming-of-age ball. From what he had heard, her daughter was quite a lady and the kindest there was.

"Forgive me, your Highness, but I paid no mind to her colour to keep myself from searching her out every now and then." she said. "I believe it's better that way."

"Hmm." The king thought. "Perhaps it is. My boy wouldn't want me to spy on him too, I presume."

"Indeed." she simply said.

She was a woman of few words and he appreciated her for that. Perhaps it was for this reason, he found her easy to approach and talk to regarding any matter whatsoever.

Turning back to his guests and the purpose of their gathering, he eyed the ladies one after the other. He had picked their colours himself and had his special tailors measure them up and make their dress in under just a few hours.

The girl in black though, "What an odd colour for a ball." He frowned but couldn't trouble himself much since he was the one who chose every colour.

The girls were in a group and while he couldn't decide if he liked that or not, he would just have to deal with it.

Black, pink and purple had been discussing and giggling since they arrived. Three fair ladies with the whitest skin on the floor.

Orange and red had the same posture. Their hands on the low of their stomach, heads thrown back a little too much and shoulders high and straightened. They swayed gently from left to right. His best guess? Either twins or competitors.

They had the same brown skin colour though and afro brown hair held in ponytails.

Twins perhaps.

He glanced over the rest and settled on yellow. A colour too bright and flashy yet fit for a ball like this one.

Unlike the rest, she seemed frozen. Her yellow transparent gloved hands over her lower stomach formed an upside down triangle. Shoulders rolled to the back and vertical to the floor, her brown ombre hair was set loose across her pale white shoulders, dropping to her lower back. And her lips were in a thin straight line.

"Yellow seems dead," he announced.

"What-"

"Look at her. I don't know about you but that's just lazy. The hair, she has too much of it." he sighed.

"It's a beautiful colour and the length is normal for ladies her age." Gisela suggested.

"Nah," he snorted. "Lazy." he spat and turned away from them. "Tell me something, Gisela."

"Yes, your Highness?"

"What colour do you place your bet on?" he approached his throne.

"Isn't it a bit too early for that, your-"

"Nonsense. Give me your answer logically."

"Very well." she bowed and after a while, straightened to glimpse at the girls arranged below. She took her time in assessing them with her eyes as she hoped to deliver her opinion to the king in a manner at which he would find to his liking. "I believe the Prince might be a bit intrigued with black, your Highness. It's a colour no one expects."

The King paused to give it a thought but not surprisingly, he found her words to be intriguing and quite accurate. "Go on," he settled down on his throne and leaned against it while watching her carry out her observation.

"White will be next. We all know how much the Prince loves contradictions." she chuckled. "Then Purple. He would be fascinated at how a colour can be so pink and blue at the same time. The Prince is one curious boy. He wouldn't go near Yellow, sadly. It's too bright and he worries it's unfair to White."

King De Carlos listened with fascination at Gisela's logical observation. Perhaps he should have called her over when he was picking out the colours, he never wished for any of the girls to get special treatment just because the Prince found some colours amusing.

"Yeesh!" he exclaimed rather dryly. "Let's hope you're wrong."