Red dress, green silk gown, white sleeveless dress, bow dress, short dress, long dress, blue ocean blue dress, pink dress, purple skirts, and red cloaks.
Nicoleta was being tossed from one dress to the other, Josasasa and the other maidens giggled, and twirled her over each dress, complimenting her each time yet never managing to settle on the ones they called perfect.
They had called ten dresses perfect, and Nicoleta was beginning to think they were lying because of her status.
She didn't care though, Nicoleta felt numb, she couldn't force herself to be happy, or even cry anymore.
She had felt every emotion and the severity of it, she had drowned in tears, been wrapped around in rage, danced with happiness, and jumped out of excitement, she had beaten herself over guilt, and blamed herself because of regret.
She had felt it all and nothing could be felt anymore, she had cried so much that her body eventually ran out of tears to give.
She let her maidens move her around like a doll, having fun with the dress up party they were throwing.
Eventually they settled on the silk green dress, which Nicoleta neither hated or favoured.
She watched them go, relaxing her shoulders a bit as Josasa disappeared, the Captain came inside soon after, his face a mix of sadness, and happiness.
She stood up on her feet, and locked her hand around his elbow.
"Where are we going again?" she asked as he closed her door, "her majesty has instructions for me to teach you how to slow dance your highness" Nicoleta nodded, her grip tightening ever so slightly around the bend of his elbow.
When they arrived in the ballroom, it was quiet, empty, and capacious.
Chandeliers lit the room up, balconies lined the upper section of the room, and the dim light from the moon gave the night an almost romantic glow.
The captain led her over to the center of the room and stepped away from her, with his arm still bent he bowed, and offered his hand for her.
Nicoleta believed she had seen the scene before and began to courtesy but he stopped her.
"Her highness bows to know one but her majesty" he stated simply, Nicoleta let her skirts down, and took his hand.
"No music?" she asked, as he slipped his arms around her waist, the Captain smiled lightly, "of course your highness- how else will you learn?" a soft gentle tone began to play in the background.
The Captain placed Nicoleta's hand on his shoulder.
"Follow after me your highness" he took a step back, and Nicoleta did the same, which made him smile, "when I step back you step towards me your highness" Nicoleta nodded, of course what was she doing?
So he took a step back, and Nicoleta followed him, he moved in a semi circle and she followed him, mimicking his movements but.. forward.
"When slow dancing you must keep your eyes on your partner your highness" she looked away from her feet.
The Captain's eyes were beautiful, not nearly as pretty as Levi's but it deserved to be on a canvas just as much.
"This is awkward" she muttered, laughing a little, the Captain let go and stepped back, "do you wish to practice with someone more familiar, your highness?"
"No- it's fine" her smile dropped, her gaze lingered around the ballroom, admiring the extravagance of it all, though empty, it was still so beautiful, calm.
The music switched to a faster tune, the captain offered another hand, "is this where the party will be thrown?" She asked, as she took his hand, the captain spun her around the moment she placed her hand in his.
"What's this?" She yelped, gripping his shoulders to keep her balance.
"It's part of some of the dances arranged for the party, your highness," he said, looking down as her brows knitted in concern.
"I apologise" she shook her head, "no it's fine- just give me a head start next time."
Leonardo stood by the door, watching them curiously dancing and communicating in a language completely and utterly foreign to him.
Nicoleta spent dinner with Leonardo in her room, where she expressed her difficulty with slow dancing and all else that came with it.
Leo listened to her without interrupting, reading her mind to translate whenever she switched to wovis unawares though that hardly helped him.
How was she adapting to the language so easily? He thought plenty of times as he searched her mind.
After their meal, he stood up and lifted her to her feet.
"Slow dancing is not difficult, your teacher is simply not competent" he placed her hand on his waist, and he placed his on her shoulders.
Nicoleta gave him a curious look. "Is this correct?" he shook his head.
"Your are me and I you" he said, before stepping forward, forcing Nicoleta to step back, she took another step back again, and spun a semi circle like she remembered the captain doing, then she stepped forward, Leo didn't stumble once instead he fell into the rhythm of the nonexistent song.
"How do you know how to slow dance?" She asked as he switched their hand placements to the correct positions. "My father used to dance with my mother" he maintained strict eye contact, not blinking for too long, and not looking anywhere else other than Nicoleta.
"So I was told- " he smiled, seemingly lost in a memory, "after my birth, mother danced alone" so he learned to dance with her. Nicoleta concluded for him in her mind bringing his speech to a stop.
They danced until the captain told Leonardo to leave the princess alone to sleep.
A day before the party Nicoleta was taken to the ballroom again, except this time, men and women were moving around the place, putting tables and chairs in specific areas instructed to them by her majesty the Queen.
The Captain left her beside her mother, and stood by the door with Leonardo. So Nicoleta stood silently beside her nemesis, having to tolerate every word that came out of her mouth, having to know that she was still warm with life, whilst her father was cold.
She kept her gaze locked on the ground avoiding the Queen's face by any means, avoiding her scent as much as possible.
Whilst men and women moved furniture to and fro, a familiar face along with a woman walked into the ballroom. James Westinsenson.
Next to him was a woman with sharp siren eyes, high cheek bones, and a slim pale figure.
James Westinsenson bowed, and the Lady courtesied, "your majesty- this is my assistant Irene Butler" the Queen stared down at Irene, her expression indifferent.
Nicoleta extended a hand out to shake Irene's, "nice to meet you" said Nicoleta, she could feel her mother's burning glare on her.
"Your highness" Irene courtesied again, holding out Nicoleta's hand to her forehead, The Queen's eyes narrowed on her.
"I see her majesty is perfecting the venue" said James Westinsenson, the Queen hummed as a response glaring at each worker that passed by.
Nicoleta glanced at Leonardo who gave her an encouraging smile.
"How has your stay been here, your highness?" Nicoleta looked at him blinking, "yes, yes.. it was lovely" he smiled, "very lovely to here"
She forced herself to smile, and looked away from them as they began forcing a conversion with the Queen.
Dinner was spent with Laura and the boys. Nicoleta retired to her bedroom alone and settled in her favourite place on the window seal, where she admired the night sky, the sly shape of the moon.
The forming of the clouds, the tiny specks of the stars glimmering in the beautiful black and deep blue coloured night.
She looked to the grass, and the trees, the rose bushes, and the beauty of nature from the birds, to the bunnies, and the mother birds nestling their babies, to squirrels settling into their tree hole.
She admired nature, and creation, her mind fell on a curious thought.
Who was behind it all? Who was the being behind earth, the flower fields, the grass, the trees, the perfectly shaped landscapes, the ever blending colours of the sky, the beautiful hue of the setting sun.
The warm heat of the rising sun, the calm glow of the moon, the ever gentle touch of its shine through her window.
The blue birds. Their soft and beautiful sounding whistles.
The creativity with giraffes alone, then the speed of cheetahs.
She watched the beauty of it, and wondered about it- and thought if the creation was so lovely, then how much more the creator?
Her stomach filled with butterflies as she thought about creating her own world.
If she created her own world, she would make it beautiful too, and every building would be an exact copy of her father's many beautiful creations.
In her world there would be no war, no lower or higher. Nor servants or maidens or captains, everyone would be happy, and everyone would be equal.
Nicoleta sighed, and got comfortable on the window seal, resting her head back on the pillow behind her, closing her eyes, and relishing the feeling of her fantastic world.